In this Bible Study series we are continuing to look at what it means to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. The lessons run monthly and focus on "Looking Inward," (relating to and loving God), and "Looking Outward," (relating to and loving our neighbor). In this series, the entire lesson each month is presented here on the front page. We hope you will join us in applying knowledge of God's character to deeper levels of life. Previous lessons from 2014 remain available under the Table of Contents and Archive page.
©2013 Kay Smith and Ruth Wood. All rights reserved. Used by permission. User Permission Notice: This study may not be sold or used for profit. However, copies may be made for personal use. Questions? Contact: ruthywood@gmail.com.
God's reliable and dependable nature means that He exercises self-restraint, self-control, and self-discipline. He would not be able to govern the world without these qualities nor would He be able to effectively love sinful people.
Love, of course, is first in the list of the nine fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22,23). Self-control is last in the list. It regulates all the preceding fruit or virtues of the Spirit. Love without restraint becomes passion. Joy taken to excess is shallow frivolity. Peace without self-control becomes idleness. Patience without balance becomes apathy. Gentleness becomes weakness; goodness becomes self-serving. Faith completely without reason becomes blind superstition. Meekness taken to an extreme becomes timidity. The world speaks of love, joy, and peace, but its darkened mind knows only a false shadow of the divine reality. Christians should be examples of self-control before an out-of-control world.
In this lesson we will consider why growing in self-control is so important for a believer and how self discipline relates to loving others.
1. John McArthur defines self-discipline "as the ability to regulate one's conduct by principle and sound judgment, rather than by impulse, desire, or social custom . . . To exercise self-discipline is to avoid evil by staying within the bounds of God's law." List potential consequences of an undisciplined life.
What might be the rewards of a disciplined life?
2. We need self discipline to avoid evil. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Self-discipline provides the perseverance to resist in the long run so that we can prevail against the enemy. Identify an area in your life where you need to exercise prevailing resistance. When you succeed, who all will benefit?
3. I Peter 5:8-9 says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." How are you impacted when you hear of faithful, self-disciplined resistance from brothers and sisters around the world?
4. One aspect of loving others is to seek their highest good. How might self-discipline allow you to lovingly do good for others?
She is not afraid of disapproval from others.
She assesses her limitations and, when appropriate, unapologetically says no.
She refuses to give in to false guilt when she cannot meet people's expectations.
She is able to tolerate a loved one's disappointment or anger at her appropriate boundaries. Because she is committed to the good, she is willing to endure emotional discomfort in the short run.
She understands that staying the course provides the best long-term prognosis for a positive outcome. Unwisely "giving in" seriously weakens her cause.
She understands that healthy boundaries are good for others and requiring them is not selfish. In fact, a well-set boundary may be the best way to love someone.
She understands that learning to set healthy boundaries includes failure at times, and she is committed to being kind to herself in the process. Setbacks happen in all learning processes.
Considering this list, prayerfully ask the Lord where He would have you grow in your ability to set healthy limits with others.
6. John MacArthur has summarized self-discipline in one word: obedience. What does your obedience to God accomplish?
7. In James 3 we read that the tongue can do a "world of evil." Yet James also says that "anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check (vs2b). Reflect on times you've been blessed by someone's words. Record one (or more) of these encouraging incidents. What did the person say and why was it encouraging?
Around whom do you need to watch your tongue? How can you use your words today, to encourage someone?
8. Proverbs 29:22 says, "An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins." Committed Christians desire victory in this area, but how do we go about overcoming our knee-jerk reactions? First of all, we must understand that anger is a secondary emotion. It rises in response to the more primary emotions of fear, frustration, or hurt. Fear may be involved when a person uses anger to try to control others. Frustration may be related to feelings of powerlessness or helplessness. Hurt is perhaps the strongest driving force of anger. When we react in anger it could be one or all three primary responses at work.
We can use early physical symptoms of anger as a signal to shift our focus to root emotions. Communicating what we're really feeling, instead of expressing anger, makes it far more likely that we will be heard.
Write a list of things that have angered you in the past. Next to each item, determine whether the underlying emotion was fear, frustration, hurt or perhaps a combination of these.
Imagine yourself in the future talking to a loved one about the underlying emotion of anger, instead of reacting. What would this look and feel like?
9. Sexuality is an area where people often struggle with self-control as well. I Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." In order to honor God with our bodies, we must begin with a pure mind. Consider what influences you've allowed into your life that undermine the cultivation of a pure mind (e.g. via media, fantasy, social events, patterns of behavior). Prayerfully ask the Lord where He wants you to make changes to honor Him.
10. In the previous lesson we learned that God is trustworthy and responsible. Consider the realm of your current responsibilities. List who and what you are responsible for.
In the domain of your responsibilities, is there work or a person that needs a stronger commitment from you?
In review, record the highlights of what you've learned so far about loving and relating to God, yourself, and others. In light of your studies, how will you interact differently with God and others?


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Serbia (includes Kosovo)
The report for Kosovo is appended at the end of this report.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the 2006 law on religion discriminates among religious groups and denies some groups their legal status. There is no state religion, but the majority Serbian Orthodox Church and other "traditional" religious communities received some preferential consideration.
Government respect for religious freedom continued to deteriorate because of the problematic law on religion and the Ministry of Religion's arbitrary execution of the law.
There were instances of discrimination and acts of societal violence directed against representatives of religious minorities. Leaders of minority religious communities reported acts of vandalism, hate speech, physical attacks, and negative media reports labeling them "sects," "satanists," or "deviants." Police and government officials took positive steps in response to acts of hate speech and vandalism; however, investigations tended to be slow and inconclusive.
U.S. embassy representatives continued to advocate for changes in the laws on religion and restitution that would rectify some of the discriminatory aspects of the legislation. The Embassy also continued projects to rebuild administrative offices of the Islamic communities in Belgrade and Nis that were heavily damaged by arson in 2004.
The country (excluding U.N.-administered Kosovo) has an area of 30,000 square miles and a population of 7.5 million. Approximately 78 percent of the citizens are Serbian Orthodox, and 5 percent are Muslim, including Slavic Muslims in the Sandzak, ethnic Albanians in the south, and Roma located throughout the country. Roman Catholics comprise 4 percent of the population and are predominantly ethnic Hungarians and Croats in Vojvodina. Protestants make up 1 percent of the population. There is a Jewish population numbering between 2,000 and 2,400. In a 2002 census, 3 percent of Serbian citizens claimed to be nonbelievers or declined to declare a religion.
Approximately 100 foreign missionaries from several religious groups are present in the country.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the April 2006 law on religion discriminates among religious groups and requires minority groups, including those that were previously recognized, to reregister through an invasive and burdensome procedure to attain or retain their status as recognized religious groups.
There is no state religion; however, the law on religion recognizes seven "traditional" religious communities: the Serbian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Slovak Evangelical Church, Reformed Christian Church, Evangelical Christian Church, Islamic community, and Jewish community. The 2005 law on finance also recognizes only these seven religious groups and grants them tax exemptions. However, a case challenging the law was pending in the Constitutional Court at the end of the reporting period, and the Minister of Religion informed several minority religious groups that they would not have to pay taxes.
The Government has not recognized most other Orthodox churches, despite attempts by the Macedonian and Montenegrin Orthodox Churches to gain recognition. The April 2006 religion law reinforces this unwillingness to recognize them by stipulating that the name of a religious organization cannot contain a name or part of a name of an existing registered group. For example, no group including the word "Orthodox" or "Evangelical" in its title could be registered, since those are already found in the names of the traditional churches. However, the Minister of Religion declared that the Government would recognize the Romanian Orthodox Church under the Serbian Orthodox Church, and that the Greek- and Latin-rite Catholic churches could be registered as one church.
Many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), religious communities, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Council of Europe's Venice Commission criticized the religion law. Many of the groups required to reregister had been recognized officially for more than 50 years and present for as long as 150 years. The registration requirements deemed invasive by the Council of Europe include submission of members' names, identity numbers, and signatures; proof that the religious group has at least 100 members; the group's statute and summary of its religious teachings, ceremonies, religious goals, and basic activities; and information on sources of funding. President Tadic, upon signing the legislation, declared that it was problematic and vowed to bring amendments to address the discriminatory aspects of the law but had not done so by the end of the period covered by this report.
Many minority religious groups reported confusion and irregularities after attempting to register with the Ministry of Religion. The Ministry sometimes failed to respond within the legal 60-day limit, and it advised some groups (such as the Hare Krishna community and the Adventist Reform movement) that they should register instead as "citizen associations" with the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government. The latter Ministry then advised the communities to register with the Ministry of Religion. Both groups remained unregistered at the end of the reporting period.
The Orthodox Church received preferential treatment beyond tax exemptions. The Government continued to collect money from postal charges for construction of a large Serbian Orthodox church and to subsidize salaries for Serbian Orthodox clergy working in Kosovo and internationally.
Students in primary and secondary schools are required to attend either classes from one of the seven "traditional" religious communities or a class in civic education. The proportion of students registering for religious education remained approximately equal to the proportion registering for civic education courses. Protestant leaders and NGOs continued to voice their objection to the teaching of religion in public schools.
Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion. However, the police response to vandalism and other societal acts against religious groups rarely resulted in arrests, indictments, or other resolution of incidents. Some government officials continued to criticize minority religious groups by referring to them as "sects," "satanists," and "deviants." In addition, government actions made it difficult for Orthodox churches not recognized by the Serbian Orthodox Church to operate, including the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church.
There is no chaplain service in the armed forces. Although local Serbian Orthodox priests are the only clergy offering religious services at armed forces chapels, military personnel of other faiths may attend religious services outside their barracks and spend important religious holidays with their families. Because of cost considerations, the army has not implemented plans to meet Muslim soldiers' dietary requirements.
There was limited progress on restitution of previously seized religious property. A June 2006 law on restitution of communal and religious property recognizes claims for religious property confiscated in 1945 or later. Some religious groups--particularly the Jewish and Islamic communities, who lost land prior to 1945--expressed opposition to this benchmark. Although a Directorate for Restitution of Communal and Religious Property was formed in early 2007, it had not processed any claims by the end of the reporting period.
The Belgrade Islamic community reported continued difficulties in acquiring land and government approval for an Islamic cemetery near the city. Religious organizations generally continued to report difficulty obtaining permission from local authorities to build new worship facilities.
Jewish leaders reported continued incidents of anti-Semitism, including small-circulation anti-Semitic books and Internet postings. The release of new books or reprints of translations of anti-Semitic foreign literature often led to an increase in hate mail and other expressions of anti-Semitism. The same sources associated anti-Semitism with anti-Western and antiglobalization sentiments as well as with nationalism.
Jewish leaders reported that historical monuments and cemeteries were routinely defaced and vandalized, although they claimed it was not due to anti-Semitism but rather a disregard and lack of restoration funds for these historical places nationwide.
Teaching of the Holocaust is incorporated into the school curriculum, and the role of the government during that period is also discussed. However, there was a tendency among some commentators to minimize and reinterpret the role of Serbian leaders during the Holocaust, casting them as victims of foreign occupiers when in fact many leaders of that time collaborated with the Nazis and began campaigns against the Jewish population even before the Nazis invaded Yugoslavia. However, in December 2006 the country became an observer at the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research.
Improvements and Positive Developments in Respect for Religious Freedom
Despite difficulties in reregistering, six "nontraditional" religious groups received legal status from the Ministry of Religion: the Seventh-day Adventists, United Methodist Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Evangelical Church of Serbia, Church of Christ's Love, and Christ's Spiritual Church.
While relations between members of different religious groups were generally good, there were instances of discrimination against representatives of religious minorities in the country. Religion and ethnicity are intertwined closely throughout the country, and in some cases it was difficult to identify discriminatory acts as primarily religious or primarily ethnic in origin.
On March 28, 2007, in Stari Banovci, a man attacked two Jehovah's Witnesses missionaries and held them at gunpoint for nearly an hour. On April 10, 2007, the same person attacked one of the missionaries again. Police intervened in each case.
Minority religious communities continued to experience vandalism of church buildings, cemeteries, and other religious premises. Most attacks involved spray-painted graffiti; thrown rocks, bricks, or bottles; or vandalized tombstones. From December 16 to 19, 2006, unidentified attackers threw Molotov cocktails at the offices of the Evangelical church in Kraljevo and threw stones at the Baptist church and the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Novi Sad. In October 2006 the Nis mosque was attacked and vandalized for the fourth time. Local police arrested four suspects, and an investigation continued at the end of the period covered by this report. Representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses stated that an administrative center and several places of worship were vandalized. The Seventh-day Adventists reported that vandalism and arson attacks on their churches were too frequent to count. President Tadic publicly condemned the attacks and called on authorities to find the perpetrators; investigations were ongoing at the end of the period covered by this report.
"Antisect" propaganda decreased slightly in the press, which labeled smaller, multiethnic Christian churches--including Baptists, Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses--and other smaller religious groups as "sects" and claimed they were dangerous. The state-run RTS television station broadcast a program on Jehovah's Witnesses that described the teachings of the group as brainwashing and abusive. Religious leaders noted that instances of vandalism often occurred soon after press reports characterizing some religious groups as sects.
The U.S. Government continued to promote ethnic and religious tolerance throughout the country. U.S. embassy officials met regularly with the leaders of religious and ethnic minorities, representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and government officials to promote respect for religious freedom and human rights.
The Embassy continued projects to help the Islamic communities in Belgrade and Nis rebuild facilities that were heavily damaged in 2004. Embassy officials worked with President Tadic, Prime Minister Kostunica, the Minister of Religion, leaders of religious communities, international organizations, and NGOs to advocate changes in the law on religion and the law on restitution of property of religious communities. The Embassy also counseled religious groups to report all incidents against their property or adherents to senior government officials as a way to counter the often lackluster response by local police. Embassy officials continued to urge senior government officials to speak out against incidents targeting ethnic minorities (including their places of worship and cemeteries) and to find and punish the perpetrators.
The Constitutional Framework for the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Kosovo provides for freedom of religion, as does the new Law on Freedom of Religion in Kosovo; the U.N. Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) generally respected this right in practice.
Respect for religious freedom by the Government improved during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.
Societal violence decreased marginally, but tensions between communities remained high. Although societal discrimination and violence appeared to be generally ethnically motivated, the close link between ethnicity and religion made it difficult to determine if events were motivated by ethnic or religious animosity.
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with UNMIK, the PISG, and religious representatives as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. The U.S. Government intervened in specific cases to ensure that damage to Serbian Orthodox churches and other patrimonial sites was repaired. UNMIK, the NATO-led international peacekeeping force (KFOR), and the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) provided security and protection arrangements for churches and patrimonial sites.
Kosovo has an area of approximately 4,211 square miles and a population of 2 million, although the last credible census was taken in the 1980s. Islam is the predominant faith, professed by most of the majority ethnic Albanian population; the Bosniak, Gorani, and Turkish communities; and some of the Roma/Ashkali/Egyptian community, although religion is not a significant factor in public life. Religious rhetoric was largely absent from public discourse in Muslim communities, mosque attendance was low, and public displays of conservative Islamic dress and culture were minimal. The Serb population, estimated at 100,000 to 120,000 persons, is largely Serbian Orthodox. Approximately 3 percent of ethnic Albanians are Roman Catholic. Catholic communities are concentrated around Catholic churches in Prizren, Klina, and Gjakova. Protestants make up less than 1 percent of the population and have small populations in most cities, with the largest concentration located in Pristina. There are no synagogues or Jewish institutions; there are reportedly two families whose members have Jewish roots. The number of atheists or those who do not practice any religion are difficult to determine, and estimates are largely unreliable.
Missionaries are present. In May 2007 the Ministry of Public Services reported that 101 faith-based or religious organizations, whose goals included providing humanitarian assistance or faith-based outreach, worked in Kosovo.
Kosovo continued to be administered under the civil authority of UNMIK, pursuant to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244. In 2001 UNMIK promulgated the Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government in Kosovo, which incorporates international human rights conventions and treaties, including those provisions that protect religious freedom and prohibit discrimination based on religion and ethnicity; UNMIK and the PISG generally respected this right in practice. UNMIK, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the PISG officially promoted respect for religious freedom and tolerance in administering Kosovo and in carrying out programs for its reconstruction and development. UNMIK, as the final administrative decision-maker, sought to protect religious freedom in full.
In July 2006 the Assembly passed the Law on Religious Freedom, which the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General (SRSG) promulgated in August 2006. The law affirms the right to freedom of expression, conscience, and religion to all residents regardless of their religious convictions. It provides for the separation of religious communities from public institutions and for equal rights and obligations to all religious communities, and it stipulates that there is no official religion. The law also defines unique legal provisions that provide equal rights and obligations to all religious communities.
UNMIK recognizes as official holidays some but not all Orthodox, Islamic, and Catholic holy days, including Eid-al-Adha, Orthodox Easter Monday, the beginning of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Orthodox Assumption Day, Orthodox Christmas, and Western Christmas.
There are no mandatory registration regulations for religious groups; however, to purchase property or receive funding from UNMIK or other international organizations, religious groups must register with the Ministry of Public Services as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Religious leaders have complained that they should have special status apart from that of NGOs.
UNMIK, PISG, and KFOR policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion. However, Protestants continued to report that they experienced discrimination in media access, particularly by the public Radio and Television Kosovo (RTK). Protestants also reported that Decani Municipality denied them permission to build a church facility on privately owned land they had purchased, citing negative reaction from local citizens, and that the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning upheld the decision. The legal case over issuance of the building permit was before the Supreme Court at the end of the period covered by this report. Protestants also reported that the lack of a tax exemption for importing donated charitable goods hindered their efforts.
Education legislation and regulations provide for a separation between religious and public spheres. Pursuant to a 2002 law requiring public education institutions to refrain from religious instruction or other activities promoting any specific religion, the Ministry of Education prohibited the wearing of headscarves. The Ministry continued to enforce this prohibition, particularly at schools with obligatory uniforms, despite a 2004 opinion issued by the Ombudsperson that the rule should apply only to teachers and school officials, not students. Following mediation by the Ombudsperson, a primary school student dismissed from class in April 2005 for wearing a veil completed her education through correspondence classes and received her diploma during the period covered by this report. The Ombudsperson reported that no new complaints of violations of religious rights were received during the year.
There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in Kosovo.
In September 2006 UNMIK and UNESCO signed an umbrella Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on reconstruction and conservation of cultural heritage sites, including religious sites. In January 2007 SRSG Joachim Ruecker and UNESCO signed the first of several supplemental agreements under the MOU to allow UNESCO to go forward with the reconstruction and conservation of seven cultural heritage sites. The sites include the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in Lipjan/Lipljan, the St. Sava Church in Mitrovica, the Hadum Mosque in Gjakove/Djakovica, the Church of St. Archangel Michael in Shtime/Stimlje, the Budisavci Monastery in Kline/Klina, the mosque in Decan/Decani, and the "hamam" (Turkish bath) in Mitrovica.
In March 2007 the European Agency for Reconstruction signed a contract for the reconstruction of Bishop Artemije's official residence--the Episcopal Residence of Prizren--and the adjacent Orthodox Seminary. Construction began shortly thereafter and was expected to last approximately 12 months.
Throughout the period covered by this report, Kosovo officials and Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) religious leaders actively participated in status negotiations led by UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari. The negotiations related to the protection of Kosovo's cultural and religious heritage were considered to be among the most productive.
The multiethnic Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) for Orthodox Religious Sites in Kosovo, funded by the PISG and chaired by the Council of Europe, continued to reconstruct religious sites damaged during riots in 2004. The RIC, considered one of the best examples of effective multiethnic cooperation in Kosovo, includes representatives from the SOC; the Kosovo Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport; Serbia's Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments (IPM); and Kosovo's Institute for the Protection of Monuments. Having completed "emergency interventions" on 31 sites in 2005, the RIC's 2006 work program included extensive renovations on 8 sites identified as priority sites by the Serbian IPM. The PISG provided $2.9 million (�2.2 million) for these efforts. During the period covered by this report, the RIC completed extensive renovations on 8 of the 35 religious sites damaged in 2004, including reconstruction work at the Episcopal Church of St. George in Prizren and a perimeter wall around the destroyed Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary in Gjakova/Djakovica. The RIC planned to conduct extensive renovations on an additional 18 sites through 2007, including the reconstruction of at least 1 iconostasis, although its efforts were slowed by changes and disputes within the Serbian Government.
In October 2006 and April 2007, UNMIK renewed the Special Zoning Area (SZA) around Decani Monastery, which prohibits certain land uses, including commercial development and road construction. In December 2006 a nearby restaurant expanded its facilities in direct violation of SZA provisions. The owner eventually acquiesced to the dismantling of the new construction, but only after numerous direct interventions by international liaison offices with Kosovo Albanian central government and municipal leaders. In June 2007 the PISG, SOC leaders, and Decani municipality authorities agreed to ensure that a planned road to Montenegro near Decani Monastery would not pass directly through the Decani SZA or destroy the monastery's natural surroundings.
Societal violence continued but decreased marginally from the previous reporting period, although tension between communities remained high. On April 20, 2007, UNMIK reported that the number of potentially ethnically motivated cases remained low compared to the total number of cases. General crime statistics reported by UNMIK on March 9, 2007, revealed a 70-percent decline in potentially ethnically motivated crimes since April 2004.
Societal discrimination and violence appeared to be generally ethnically motivated, but the close link between ethnicity and religion made it difficult to determine if events were motivated by ethnic or religious animosity. While most Kosovo Albanians identify themselves as Muslim, the designation has a cultural more than religious connotation. Kosovo Serbs identify themselves with the SOC, which defines not only their religious but also their cultural and historical perspectives. Orthodox Christian and Catholic Kosovo Albanians faced no discrimination from their fellow Kosovo Albanians.
KFOR continued to protect Serbian Orthodox churches and other religious symbols. KFOR halted the process of transferring this responsibility to U.N. international police (CIVPOL) and KPS immediately following the 2004 riots and increased the number of checkpoints near Serbian Orthodox churches, monasteries, and patrimonial sites. However, the transfer process resumed in 2005 and continued during the reporting period, with KPS conducting periodic mobile patrols around some sites. KPS officials noted that they had not assumed responsibility for the checkpoints primarily due to their lack of manpower and resources. Only three fixed KFOR checkpoints remained at Serb cultural sites, although security measures at Decani Monastery were increased after a shoulder-fired antitank weapon attack on the monastery on March 29, 2007. The Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement of U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari provides that responsibility for ensuring the safety of Kosovo's religious and cultural heritage shall belong to the Kosovo law enforcement agencies but adds that an International Military Presence will provide security for nine specific Serbian Orthodox sites, including Decani, in the post-status period.
There was a significant increase in the number of persons attending celebrations held at monasteries, with persons coming from throughout Kosovo and Serbia. However, security concerns continued to affect the Serb community and its freedom to worship. Some Kosovo Serbs asserted that they were not able to travel freely to practice their faith. For example, in November 2006 Kosovo Albanians prevented Kosovo Serbs from visiting a Serb cemetery on a Serbian Orthodox holy day. According to police reports, a Kosovo Albanian used a tractor to prevent a bus carrying 50 internally displaced Serbs from Kosovo from entering the village of Leshane. According to the report, the tractor was eventually removed, but by then 60 to 70 villagers had gathered and would not allow the bus to proceed to the cemetery. Police later reported that the person who placed the tractor was detained and released pending charges.
Unlike in the previous reporting period, there were no reported incidents of rock-throwing and other assaults against Serbian Orthodox clergy traveling outside of their monasteries. In the eastern region and from Zociste and Orahovac towards Istok, clergy traveled freely without an escort. However, in the western municipalities of Peja, Decani, Djakovica, Istok, Klina, and Skenderaj and also in south Mitrovica (areas that include the monasteries of the Peja/Pec Patriarchate, Decani, Gorioc, Budisavci, and Devic), clergy requested and received KFOR escort. Clergy stated that they could not visit church members in the west (where the most important Serbian Orthodox holy sites are located) without an escort, and members cited threats to their security as impediments to their ability to visit holy sites. Monks and nuns at some monasteries reportedly did not use parts of monastery property--often the land outside the monastery walls--due to safety concerns.
Problems at Serbian Orthodox religious sites continued, although in some instances it was difficult to determine whether an incident was motivated by ethnic tensions or criminal theft and greed. On June 6, 2007, the RIC reported that the lead roofing from St. Kyriaki Church in Prizren had been removed and that five minors had been detained as suspects. The RIC also delayed some final work on the Church of St. Nicholas in Pristina, which was vandalized in January 2007, until security on the site improved.
On March 29, 2007, unidentified assailants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Decani Monastery. Although it failed to detonate, it damaged the exterior wall separating the monastery grounds from surrounding fields. After the attack the leader of a local Kosovo Albanian war veterans association published a letter blaming the Decani monks for the attack and describing the SOC as "a known pillar of the Serbian state." The mayor of Decani and government officials condemned the attack and visited the monastery to express their support. The Ministry of Interior offered a $12,000 (�9,000) reward for information leading to apprehension of the perpetrators. On May 4, 2007, KPS named a suspect in the incident, provided a physical description, and requested public assistance in apprehending him; however, KPS had not arrested anyone by the end of the period covered by this report.
On March 28, 2007, KPS representatives at the cultural heritage standards meeting reported 17 incidents of suspected vandalism at cultural heritage sites in the first quarter of 2007.
KPS reported that on March 18, 2007, three unidentified masked men robbed the Catholic church in Binqe/Binca Village, Vitina/Viti Municipality. Two Kosovo Albanian priests were assaulted in the robbery, one of whom sustained facial injuries after being hit with a gun. The Government issued a statement deploring the incident and appealed for citizens to help the authorities apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
On March 5, 2007, unknown perpetrators burglarized and vandalized the Church of St. John, also in Peja. After inquiries by the international community, the municipality agreed to repair the church and also to work with KPS to stop further vandalism and speak out publicly against the crime.
Also in March 2007, municipal authorities attempted to halt the construction of an outer gate and security wall at the Peja/Pec Patriarchate in the west, citing the lack of a construction permit. After extensive intervention by central government authorities and foreign diplomats, an agreement was reached whereby the patriarchate, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, would submit a construction permit to UNMIK, which would in turn send it to Peja municipal authorities for approval. At the end of the period covered by this report, approval was pending. The Peja mayor continued to make statements to the press threatening unilateral action to stop construction of the wall. In contrast, Mufti Ternava, leader of the Kosovo Islamic Community, responded by traveling to Peja's Kursumli Mosque in early June 2007 to make a special address, emphasizing the importance of practicing interreligious and interethnic tolerance even under difficult circumstances.
On September 20, 2006, an assailant threw fuel near the entrance of the Serbian Orthodox cemetery in a multiethnic village near Gniljane. On August 16, 2006, a Kosovo Albanian teenager was arrested while stealing copper roofing materials from the Orthodox church in Ferizaj/Urosevac. On August 6, 2006, thieves broke into the Orthodox church in Babin Most, Obilic Municipality, stole several icons, and damaged the interior of the church.
The unfinished Orthodox Church of Christ the Savior remained empty on University of Pristina grounds. No new plans to finish construction were announced during the reporting period.
The RIC sought donors to fund additional security measures at 15 high-risk reconstructed churches, including the installation of video surveillance equipment and/or security guards. The RIC coordinated the proposal for additional security measures with KPS, who agreed to monitor the video footage 24 hours per day. The proposal states that although security efforts had been successful to that point, "in the increasingly difficult political climate, cooperation is becoming more fragile" and ongoing security incidents at reconstructed sites would give those who oppose the process "opportunities to withhold participation."
KFOR deployed security contingents to religious sites throughout the region. In areas of improving security conditions and decreasing interethnic tensions, KFOR removed static checkpoints from many churches and religious sites and relied instead on CIVPOL and KPS patrols. In most cases such changes in security measures did not result in a decrease in the level of safety of, or access to, the religious sites.
Although Protestants previously reported a slight improvement in their situation, they reported suffering more violence and discrimination during the reporting period. They alleged discrimination through verbal attacks and exclusion from interfaith initiatives by the religious leadership, who defended their actions on the grounds that Protestants are not considered a "traditional" religion in Kosovo. Protestants also stated that the public television station RTK did not specifically report on the Protestant religion. Protestants reported improvement in the attitude of some school officials towards Protestant students. Additionally, they reported no break-ins at churches or opposition to showing a Christian movie in villages. However, individual adherents reportedly experienced harassment.
Catholic leaders reported that they had good relations with the Muslim community but little bilateral contact with the SOC leadership. Catholic and SOC leaders believed each other to be highly politicized. The Muslim community also reported good relations with the Catholic leadership but limited interaction with the Orthodox community. A planned follow-on to the May 2006 interfaith conference hosted by Norwegian Church Aid was stalled in the planning phase due to the reluctance of the SOC leadership to participate.
There were a few incidents directed against the majority largely Muslim, ethnic Albanian population. KPS reported that a hand grenade was found in the Han-i-Elezit mosque on February 22, 2007. Its fuse was partially burned, but it failed to detonate. Police reported that conservative Muslims angry about the president of the Islamic Community's decision to rent out space in the mosque to local shopkeepers may have been responsible. On October 23, 2006, Kosovo Albanians visiting the Muharem Mitrovica city cemetery in Peja on the first day of the Fiter Bajrami feast found an explosive device on one of the graves. KPS also reported an explosion on August 17, 2006, in a Kosovo Albanian graveyard that damaged a grave and nearby property.
Muslim, Catholic, and some local Orthodox leaders attempted to encourage tolerance and peace in the religious and political spheres.
The U.S. Government discussed religious freedom issues with the U.N. Special Envoy for the Kosovo status talks, UNMIK, the PISG, and religious representatives and sought to promote ethnic and religious tolerance. Religious freedom continued to be a critical issue in the resolution of Kosovo's final status, both for the long-term viability of the Serb community as well as for the security of Serbian Orthodox religious sites. U.S. officials also maintained close contacts and met regularly with religious leaders of the Serbian Orthodox, Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant communities to discuss their concerns and to promote interfaith dialogue. Mufti Ternava, leader of the Kosovo Islamic Community, visited the United States on a Voluntary Visitors program in April 2007.
U.S. officials continued to urge dialogue between members of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and ethnic Albanian members of the PISG. The U.S. Government continued to support UNMIK and the PISG in rebuilding religious buildings damaged in the 2004 interethnic riots and to intervene actively with PISG officials on behalf of SOC interests when SOC rights were threatened or violated. U.S. KFOR peacekeeping troops worked to prevent ethnic and religious violence in Kosovo and guarded religious sites.
The U.S. Government remained actively engaged with UNMIK, whose goal is to secure peace, facilitate the return of the displaced, lay the foundations for democratic self-government, and foster respect for human rights regardless of ethnicity or religion. The U.S. Department of State continued to fund 220 American police officers assigned to UNMIK's civilian police contingent and provided substantial support to KPS, both of which worked to prevent ethnic and religious violence. U.S. diplomats worked with U.S. military personnel assigned to KFOR to protect religious sites in the U.S. military's area of responsibility and actively promoted efforts to reconstruct damaged or vandalized churches. U.S. government representatives intervened to protect the integrity of the Decani SZA and encourage repair of St. John's Church in Peja. The U.S. Government granted one million dollars to UNESCO's large-scale effort to preserve cultural heritage in Kosovo. For the period from September 2006 to August 2007, the Department of State committed $3.8 million in funding for programs for returning Muslim and Orthodox Roma, Orthodox Serbs, Muslim Bosnians, and other minority communities who fled ethnic violence in the aftermath of the 1998-99 conflict.
Many high-level U.S. government and military officials continued to visit in conjunction with the final status process and met with political and religious leaders to assess the situation and urge reconstruction and progress toward a multiethnic Kosovo.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Against this background, the Trumpian view of "multilateralism" means many things, from bullying NATO allies to pay up more for collective defense, to withdrawing from important international agreements like the Paris Accord and TPP, and renegotiating—with much fanfare and little practical change—important regional and bilateral trade pacts, the noisiest one being NAFTA 2, for lack of a more mellifluous acronym.
Protectionism and tariff wars, starting in the United States last year, but by no means a uniquely American obsession, are challenging the trade liberalization that brought many countries, including the United States, great prosperity in the post-World War II period.
Since 1990, for example, more than 1 billion people have moved out of extreme poverty. The share of the global population living in these dire conditions has gone from 36 percent to 10 percent, the lowest in recorded history.
Globalization, which like gravity operates everywhere, is being questioned; rightly so, given that the resulting prosperity—unlike gravity—has not been evenly distributed, And particularly since the Great Recession of 2007-2008, the recovery has been uneven, families in the lowest quartiles everywhere have fallen further behind, and the wealthiest everywhere have acquired an even great share of global wealth and income.
The next World Bank president has to advocate for what has made the world prosperous. Military expenditure, protectionism, and nativism aren't part of that formula.
This fruits of globalization are known mainly for their impact on people's lives, with the plummeting of poverty levels and the integration of global manufacturing and services.
Globalization has also changed the development business significantly. Official aid flows are now a small share of public investment in all but the poorest and most fragile nations. Domestic resource mobilization has become more than a dissertation and classroom concept. Direct foreign investment has surged, and not just from the global North; China has become a player with its purchase of foreign companies, and its new aid program, its Belt and Road Initiative, and its setting up of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development ("BRICS") Bank, both headquartered in China and with significant Chinese capital contribution and leadership.
The next World Bank president has to see China as a contributor to the SDGs, investing in other countries' prosperity with projects and advice that do not lead to unsustainable debt for projects, expensively delivered by imported Chinese labor and Chinese companies that win contracts with bribes, that don't make sense. Because if the Bank doesn't speak out, who will?
Despite its record over the last 40 years at reducing extreme poverty and bringing a middle class existence to its city-dwellers, the new reality of China as a global economic power has rightly caused anxiety: a hollowing-out of good manufacturing jobs in the EU, North America, and Australia; a normalization of regional hegemony toward its neighbors; greenhouse gas emissions that rival the United States' in volume; imprisonment of its minorities in a remarkable surveillance state; advances in exports of high technology and armaments, developed with pervasive intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer by global companies investing in China; and a catching up in 21st Century science and technology, particularly 5G and artificial intelligence, that challenges the United States' leadership in technology innovation and military power.
China has so far remained a supporter of multilateralism's institutions, particularly the WTO and the G20.
Is the "new multilateralism" just the old one, with China now playing a role its economic power justifies?
Like it or not, it's there, and any World Bank president must accept that. She or he has to navigate that fact with Board members, and with China's critics, particularly in the United States. Bob Zoellick famously called on China to be a "responsible stakeholder", advice rendered over a decade ago that remains even more sensible today.
The new multilateralism also includes greater attention to new challenges: refugee movements and their humanitarian and economic impact; growing threats to human rights and social justice, even if inequality and oppression are easily exposed and publicized; and false information and fake news that lead to confusion, sound and outrage. And, of course, climate change.
The Bank's leaders have been uneven at leading and communicating its role as a fundamental knowledge, financing, and convening actor in the multilateral system. But it remains the president's job to do, to do well, and to balance competing visions of what will work that sometimes may divide its owners, development practitioners, and the informed public.
This entry was posted in Candidates, The Process by Paul Cadario. Bookmark the permalink.


Our designing team deals with important aspects of technology, ergonomics, usability, human factors, material technology & qualities. Our designers are well versed with skills needed to bring fixtures from conceptual stage to market.
Our engineers' team design the fixure by concentrating mainly on the function, mechanism and also aesthetics, leading to approval of any kind of product assembly, maintaining quality in work and assuring on time delivery. Our team includes highly experienced and qualified design engineers for automatising the process. Mechatronics is our core strength. Our team consists of experts in designing of welding fixtures, CNC machining fixtures and Assembly Automation.
Machining fixture is all about accuracy, high productivity, repeatability, minimum possible time & ease of placing and removal of the part from the fixture. All the factors mentioned and many others are minutely taken care at the design stage.
We have highly experienced and skilled, designers and engineers who make the fixture right at first time. We guarantee the working of the fixture with required accuracy and surface finish.
We have worked on the fixture like Cylinder head, Block, Exhaust Manifold, Crank case, Gear Box Housing. Other then these we have also developed the fixtures for various automobile and non automobile components.
We are in designing as well as in manufacturing of the welding fixtures. Welding fixture is our core strength. Starting from the manually operated fixtures lines our team is capable to handle all kind of welding fixtures.
We have developed some fixtures for car seat assembly fixture, front seat checking fixture, rear seat checking fixture.
We are among the distinguished manufacturer and exporter of better-quality high precision press tools & pressed components. We engineer press tools in many designs and use top-grade raw materials during their manufacturing. These press tools are extensively used in several industrial applications in all engineering industries. These press tools are also applicable for manufacturing different parts of products and come in diverse sizes as per customer's demand. Our engineers use latest technology while making deep draw press tools which find many usages in automobile and allied industries.
We manufacture press components / blanks with sheet metals of thickness from 0.2 mm to 6 mm by using power press and press tools. These components are widely used by OEMs in automobiles & other manufacturing companies. We use auto feeding techniques for manufacturing large volume of pressed component which leads to cost savings. Our outstanding range of pressed components includes: plate locking, loop sling front, plate filler, plate lever lock, guard trigger, tube clamp, etc.
Welding fixtures and welding automation for automobile industry.
Hydraulic and pneumatic operated component assembling fixtures.
VARAD has a full-fledged Tool Room equipped with the variety of machines and latest technology.
The Tool Room also has the back up of Mechanical Design Section and latest measuring instruments. It is fully equipped in modern machines It specialises in manufacturing of welding Fixtures, CNC Machining Fixtures, and variety of precise engineering job work. We are able to process a wide variety of ferrous and non-ferrous materials. We are specialised in manufacturing of complex Machined components that require excellent surface finish. We specialise in both traditional & conventional methods of machining to attain the competitive edge over the industry. With the latest use of technology, we can guarantee the accuracy and reproducibility and reliability of the fixtures. Our engineers are well versed to deliver high quality machining. At every step of machining we inspect the machined part and certify for the further operation to assure the '0' level of rework. We assure every Fixture/Machine to be successful in its first trial.
Our engineering team is fully equipped with precise and advance measuring instruments for complete mechanical inspection of any product, We believe in "Do It Right The First Time" Also our engineers grasp the nature of the product and all about it's fitments and functioning family parts that we are able to define the position of the products with standard dimensions. We measure all the profiles considering the true value of dimensions and then classify the measuring methods We have trained, skilled and experienced manpower to effectively exploit the available capacity to its fullest extent. We have a wide range of instruments with us to facilitate precise measurement of the jobs under inspection.


One man is dead and two others injured following a Wednesday evening hit and run on U.S. Highway 52.
According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Juan M. Garcia, 31, of Greensboro, was driving a 2004 Ford truck north on the highway shortly after 6 p.m. when an unidentified vehicle cut him off in the area of the Tall Pine Road bridge in Welcome. That caused Garcia to run off the road, officials say, striking a cable barrier and overturning.
Garcia was carrying two passengers with him at the time of the crash: Ferdinand Matadamas, whose age and address were unknown at press time, and Juan Manuel Ramirez, 41, of Houston, Texas.
All three men were transported to area hospitals. Garcia and Matadamas each sustained injuries, though their extent was not known Thursday.
Garcia died at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem as a result of his injuries.
Two other vehicles were struck with debris from the crash, but no other information about the condition of their drivers was immediately available.
Investigators are seeking information about the vehicle that caused the accident.
The Highway Patrol is asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who has any information that may aid investigators to call the Lexington office at 249-0247.


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Q: sending email failed in .net when using google smtp server I am trying to send email like this
var fromAddress = new MailAddress("fromaddress", "From Name");
        var toAddress = new MailAddress("toaddress", "To Name");
        const string fromPassword = "password";
        const string subject = "Subject";
        const string body = "Body";

        var smtp = new SmtpClient
        {
            Host = "smtp.gmail.com",
            Port = 587,
            EnableSsl = true,
            DeliveryMethod = SmtpDeliveryMethod.Network,
            UseDefaultCredentials = false,
            Credentials = new NetworkCredential(fromAddress.Address, fromPassword)
        };
        using (var message = new MailMessage(fromAddress, toAddress)
        {
            Subject = subject,
            Body = body
        })
        {
            smtp.Send(message);
        }

        Console.WriteLine("Sent");
        Console.ReadLine();

but it gives this error .
The SMTP server requires a secure connection or the client was not authenticated.
The server response was: 5.5.1 Authentication Required.

I am sing this code in simple console application on my local host . So whats the issue in my code ?
Update
I changed fromAddress email and it send email successfully . But i don't receive any email in my toAddress email's inbox/Spam .

A: Try to add DeliveryMethod = SmtpDeliveryMethod.Network when creating SmtpClient.
See post:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/489594/1432770
There is a variety of reasons for this discussed here:
Sending email through Gmail SMTP server with C#
Your code in the first link has worked for me.

A: Do you use two steps verification?
You need to sign in using application-specific passwords: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833?hl=en
Your code worked for me too!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Below is a map of Christmas light displays throughout Lethbridge and area. Use it to create your very own holiday light tour of the city, or submit a location to add to the map for others to see! Make sure to turn on location services for your device/browser to see yourself on the map!
Welcome to Holiday House Lights festive finder! Making a favourite holiday tradition easier.
What's better than the memories of squeezing into the car with the family and sightseeing all the bright and colourful displays in your neighbourhood? What's a warmer feeling than hot cocoa and looking for an LED Rudolph in the snow?
A handy-dandy interactive map that marks all of the bright, memory-making light displays in the area. Grab your phone and let us take you on a magical journey of the Holiday House Lights throughout Lethbridge and area.
Hear about us on Country 95.5fm & B93.3 FM or read about us in Lethbridge News Now.
HolidayHouseLights.com was created for all of you holiday-house-hunters, and Christmas light-lovers!
Here, you can find holiday light displays (residential or commercial) in your area.
It's easier now than ever!
As a user-submission based network, it's easy when spotting a well-decorated house to submit that address quickly on your phone or computer into our system! Then, that house will be added to our interactive map where people can find it and find others like it.
Have a display of your own?
Add it to our data system. All arrangements of holiday decor are welcome!


text:
Home News Marilyn Manson's New Record Coming "Before the End of the Year"
Kate A
Marilyn Manson. Photo by Vianney Le Caer/REX/Shutterstock (9727201av)
Marilyn Manson is determined to gift his fans some new music before 2019 wraps up. American rocker recently discussed the progress on his upcoming studio album with Revolver and promised that the record would be out "before the end of the year."
According to Manson, he already finished six songs that will find its place on the follow up to 2017's Heaven Upside Down.
"Last night, I was working pretty late in the studio, and we finished the sixth song," Manson told the magazine. "So, it'll be out before the end of the year, definitely. I plan on going on the Twins of Evil tour, and I have an art book that I'm going to release, and I'll probably have a bunch of exhibitions all over to go along with it. And then I'll release the album after that."
Speaking further about the album, the "Tainted Love" singer said that he is considering to title the release Marilyn Manson as he wishes to "tell stories with this record."
"I wouldn't compare it to any of my other records, but you hear a bit of everything — it's like I've focused everything into one spot, finally," he added.
The new album will be Marylin Manson's first with the new drummer Brandon Pertzborn, who recently took over from Gil Sharone. Pertzborn will introduce himself to a wider audience this summer when Manson embarks on The Twins Of Evil: Hell Never Dies Tour with Rob Zombie.
Marilyn Manson drummer
Marilyn Manson live
Marilyn Manson new album
Marilyn Manson new music
Marilyn Manson tour
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She had not heard from him for several weeks, and the worry festered. She carried his last letter in her apron pocket, along with a photograph that he had given her, a picture of pride and duty. Johnston Hastings Skelly Jr.-Jack to his friends and family, her Jack-in a straight-backed chair, wearing his Union blues, collar raised to his throat, army cap cocked slightly to the side. The thin mustache and small goatee made him seem even younger than his twenty-two years. He had laid his rifle across his lap and cradled the barrel in the crook of his right arm. How many times she had looked at the picture, wondering if he was safe and longing to see him again, as she told him so often. "I am always awaiting anxiously for tidings from you. It does me good to get a few words on paper from you," Jennie Wade had written earlier in the year, on Washington's birthday, February 22. "I remember this day two years ago as well as if it was yesterday. I wish I could see you just half as often today as I did that day. I would be satisfied. I wish one more twenty second was over and then it would not be long till you would be home for good."
She had been just seventeen when Jack left for the war two years earlier, with so many other young men of Gettysburg. Most every family she knew had a husband, son, or brother who had gone to fight. Just a week earlier, her own brother, John, had joined a local cavalry regiment as a bugler and was now off in the South. Many had been lost. Frederick Huber, killed at Seven Pines. Craig Wisotskey, killed at Mechanicsville. William Little and his brother David, dead from disease. Nesbit Baugher, dead from seven bullet wounds at the battle of Shiloh. And more had come home terribly damaged. Each time news of a battle trickled into town, families awaited the tally from the ghoulish lottery to find out if their loved ones had been spared. This was life in Gettysburg during the first years of the Civil War: worry and waiting.
Rumors regularly swept through town that the Rebels were advancing to burn and plunder, and each time people would cluster in the streets, trading scraps of gossip. But by the summer of 1863, with Confederate troops already across the Potomac River and on Union soil, the rumors carried more truth than fearful speculation, and Gettysburg would fast move from home front to battlefield. The Union cavalry had arrived in town at the end of June and pushed into the fields to the west. The soldiers brought relief and joy, for the Confederates were close now: from the heights west of town residents could see the twinkle of hundreds of enemy campfires, seven miles away on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As Union infantry marched into Gettysburg the next morning, July 1, young women in hooped skirts waved handkerchiefs and handed out cakes and pies. Another group gathered along Washington Street and sang to them as they passed.
The soldiers whooped and cheered, and they seemed eager for battle, so confident as they marched toward the crack of rifle fire and the thud of artillery in the fields west of town. From the hills just south of Gettysburg, people could see more Union soldiers approaching in a thick column that stretched back to the horizon like a giant black snake writhing across the hills and fields. This would be a phenomenal collision. General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, needed a great victory on Northern soil, which he hoped would bolster the position of Northerners who wanted peace, make President Abraham Lincoln's plans for continuing the war untenable, and even prompt recognition by Britain and France of the Confederate States of America as a sovereign nation. He had not planned on Gettysburg as the battlefield, but now more than 160,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were converging on this town of 2,400 in southern Pennsylvania, funneling in on ten roads arrayed like spokes on a wagon wheel, with Gettysburg as its hub.
The townswomen had already been notified that morning to prepare bandages for the wounded who would be pulled from the battlefield, and in the early afternoon a Union rider galloped down Baltimore Street, stopped in front of the Presbyterian Church, and ordered that it be opened for use as a hospital. Soon a wounded soldier rode into town from the west on a white horse stained red with blood. The ambulances were close behind. And then, to the great horror of Gettysburg's residents, came their army, in full retreat. Frothing horse teams pulling cannons, caissons packed with artillery shells, and supply wagons raced down the rutted dirt streets nearly out of control, harnesses clattering, as soldiers whipped the reins.
Riders urged residents to shelter in their cellars, expecting that either the town would be shelled or the armies would soon be fighting in the streets, house to house. "For God's sake go in the house!" a soldier yelled. "The Rebels are in the other end of town, and all will be killed!" The soldiers who had marched so orderly into battle that morning now ran panicked through unfamiliar, narrow streets, darting through alleyways and between houses, trampling the vegetable gardens most people grew beside their homes, losses that would be felt in coming days as food stores dwindled. For the past eight hours, they had marched and fought in summer heat wearing uniforms of heavy wool and cotton soaked through with sweat, their bodies drained from the adrenaline and terror of close combat, watching friends die by the dozen. Canteens long dry, heads light from dehydration, they stumbled through the town. "Give us water!" men shouted. "Give us water!" Women and children dipped cups into buckets and the soldiers drained the water at a run and tossed back the cups.
Confederates shot at soldiers as they fled into the town. They brought up artillery pieces and fired shells packed with metal balls, giant shotguns that cut men down several at a time. Fleeing soldiers barged into homes seeking safety. They hid in cellars, attics, and sheds. Families peeked from their windows and saw the glint of sun on steel bayonets as the Rebels marched into Gettysburg. They caught up with soldiers trying to escape and fought hand to hand in the streets.
"Why do you come to town to have a fight?" a woman shouted to the soldiers. "There are some old fields out there. Why don't you go out there?"
Some residents fled to the homes of family and friends who lived on farms outside town. Many cowered in their cellars. Hundreds would be trapped behind enemy lines. As the fighting worsened through the day, Jennie Wade scooped up her little brother Harry and a crippled boy who lived with her family and went to her sister's house on the southern edge of town, surely far enough from the fighting to be kept from harm.
After so much worrying over Jack, wondering whether he could keep himself safe and soon return to her, she was now the one in the middle of a battle.
She did not know that Jack had been wounded and now lay in a Rebel hospital in Virginia. Nor did she know that one of the only people who could tell her of his whereabouts and condition was at that moment marching toward Gettysburg. John Wesley Culp, a childhood friend, had gone south and joined the Confederacy, and now he was back, a foot soldier in Lee's massive invasion force descending on his hometown.


text:
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The human-first real estate company.
Corcoran is thousands of talented agents backed by one trusted name.
We're on a mission.
Corcoran is a thoroughly modern real estate company built on traditional values of service, integrity, market expertise, and neighborhood fluency.
For close to 50 years, Corcoran has been the first name in residential real estate. In every market we serve, coast to coast and beyond, our agents are the acknowledged experts.
Market Wise
In the real estate business, staying ahead of the curve matters, and Corcoran supports its agents with the tools and the technologies to serve their clients — sellers, buyers, or renters.
We're part of the trusted Realogy family of real estate brands, named to the Ethisphere Institute's annual list of the World's Most Ethical Companies for nine straight years.
The World We Serve
Corcoran remains proudly committed to serving our original markets — New York City, the Hamptons, and South Florida. But we're growing, too, bringing our name and values to new markets across the country, and, soon, around the world.SEE ALL OFFICES
What's in a name? Plenty.
Corcoran's human-first approach to the real estate business is the foundation on which we've built one of the industry's most luminous brands.
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For close to 50 years, the Corcoran name has stood for excellence in real estate. Directly serving clients or helping our agents do their jobs better, we're a dedicated team of dreamers, doers, solvers, and helpers.
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In every market we serve, Corcoran agents are the real estate industry's gold standard. Think you'd be a good fit? Find out what we can do for you.LEARN MORE
Passionate Leadership
President and Chief Executive Officer Pamela Liebman has led Corcoran since 2000, directing the most dynamic and sustained period of growth in the company's history.READ MORE
Executive Intelligence
Industry veterans Kelly Mack, President of Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, and Gary Malin, Corcoran's Chief Operating Officer, lead a tight-knit executive team.READ MORE
The Corcoran story.
From a humble start, a global presence.
My Name is Barbara
A self-described straight-D student named Barbara Corcoran, just 23 years old, founds an eponymous residential real estate company in a tiny office on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with seven eager agents and a $1,000 loan.
Made in Manhattan
Corcoran grows beyond the Upper East Side, opening a downtown office. The Upper West Side follows in 1989. Today, the company serves Manhattan from the Cloisters to Battery Park with eight offices and more than a thousand agents.
Sale of the Century
In the driest days of a historic real-estate drought in New York City, Corcoran concocts a radical word-of-mouth "One Day Sale," discounting 87 apartments in 17 buildings and putting every last one of them into a contract in the span of 24 hours.
Corcoran partner Pamela Liebman, who joined the company as an agent in 1984, founds Corcoran Group Marketing, a division dedicated to the planning, design, marketing, and sales of exceptional residential development projects.
Home on the Web
Corcoran rolls into the Information Age with the debut of Corcoran.com. In 2003, lauded for the site's elegance and ease of use, Corcoran wins the Web Marketing Association's WebAward for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development.
Brooklyn Bridged
Corcoran crosses the East River with 30 agents in three Brooklyn offices. Today, the company dominates here, with 350 agents in seven offices, $3.2 billion in sales, and a hand in 40 percent of the borough's residential real estate transactions.
CEO for a New Century
Barbara Corcoran taps Pamela Liebman to become the company's new President and Chief Executive Officer. In 2007, Liebman makes the first of Crain's New York's biennial lists of the most powerful women in New York City.
Corcoran dons its Wayfarers and plants a flag in Palm Beach, acquiring two of the city's most respected real estate brokerages. And in 2005, the company adds to its Florida story with the purchase of one of the top firms in Delray Beach.
Hamptons Homecoming
Acquiring a pair of prominent brokerage firms, Corcoran debuts in the Hamptons with close to 200 agents. And in 2006, the company doubles its East End reach with the purchase of the area's biggest agency, Allan M. Schneider Associates.
Corcoran earns a reputation as a record-breaker with a $45-million condominium sale, the biggest in New York City history. The company handily tops it in 2015 with a $101-million condo deal and in 2017 with a $80-million townhouse sale.
Revolutionizing Rentals
Corcoran dives headlong into rental scene with the acquisition of Citi Habitats, New York City's biggest rental brokerage firm. In the past three years alone, Citi Habitats has any helped more than 40,000 New Yorkers find new apartments.
Corcoran Group Marketing and the Sunshine Group merge to become Corcoran Sunshine, NYC's premier new-dev firm. With $40 billion in sales to date, CS reps such icons as 56 Leonard, 220 Central Park South, and 15 Hudson Yards.
Corcoran defines its inclusive worldview with the lauded "Live Who You Are" campaign, expressed through the lens of photographer Tina Barney. In 2014, the company reaffirms the message in a series of 12 portraits by the great Annie Leibovitz.
We Give Together
Corcoran launches Corcoran Cares to encourage agents and staffers to take part in the company's charitable initiatives. To date, the program has raised more than $1 million for causes including cancer research, elder care, and arts education.
You Really 'Like' Us
Corcoran triumphs on social media, building a devoted following with irresistible content and some clever extras, like the 2014 Facebook app that allowed fans to create their own Annie Leibovitz-style "Live Who You Are" portrait.
Higher Intelligence
Corcoran opens Agent Studio in Manhattan's Gramercy neighborhood, enriching the agent experience with a catalog of free classes on all aspects of the real estate business, technology, marketing, social media, and personal growth.
Ready for the World
Corcoran launches an ambitious affiliate program that will bring its respected name and peerless values to world-class firms in exceptional real estate markets across the country and around the world.
Our future looks bright.
We're growing, and we're looking for a few good companies to join us. Does your brokerage have what it takes to claim the Corcoran name?
EXPLORE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES
Making Headlines
In every market we serve, Corcoran agents get attention.
We Unearthed 7 Actually Excellent Rentals in NYC Right Now
A North Sea Abode With Function On the Inside and Out, Plus More Hamptons Open Houses
Pamela Liebman On The Corcoran Affiliate Network And Tips For Buyers And Sellers
On the Market in New York City
Axios Charlotte
Hot homes: 5 houses for sale in Charlotte starting at $350K
Inside the race to build Brooklyn's tallest tower
Palm Beach Daily News
Palm Beach property deals in 2021 hit record $4 billion; inventory tight: Q4 sales reports
6sqft.com
Quiogue Home With Rare Boathouse Sells for Over the Asking Price
Long Island Business News
Priciest home sales in Remsenburg
BrickUnderground.com
How can our condo building pay for capital improvements?
When the Listing Is Underwater, Literally
Brooklyn Real Estate Six Months Later: All Four Sold
Modern Water Mill Home, Asking $4.65M, Takes Advantage of Water Views
Park Slope Limestone Near Prospect Park With Pier Mirror, Six Mantels Asks $3.2 Million
Mann Report Residential
Rising Stars Marko Arsic and Jason Lau Form New Sales Team at Corcoran
A Boerum Hill Italianate With Wide Plank Floors and One More to See, Starting at $2.895 Million
Is "medtail" a cure for Manhattan's vacant storefronts?
OFF THE MRKT
Melissa Ziweslin Brings Corcoran Sunshine to the Sunshine State
A Sag Harbor Waterfront Condo Plus More South Fork Open Houses This Weekend
In Manhattan, a new record-high rent for the typically slow month of December
A $190M megadeal at 220 Central Park South
New York Condo Sells for Close to $190 Million; Hedge-Fund Billionaire Doubles His Money
$1.7M parkside co-op in 'Brooklyn's Flatiron Building' has prewar grandeur and modern style
Priciest home sales in East Moriches
Corcoran grows in Florida!
Corcoran Group adds first affiliate of 2022: Sarasota and St. Petersburg
New Rendering Revealed For 'One Archer' in Downtown Jamaica, Queens
Brooklyn Real Estate Six Months Later: Three Sold, One in Contract
Should you rent or buy in NYC in 2022?
Candela-Designed Classic Six in Park Slope With Beamed Ceilings, Built-ins Asks $1.699 Million
My super keeps tabs on who comes to my apartment. What can I do?
Contemporary Home in Montauk's Hither Hills Comes With an Ocean View
Northforker.com
What's for sale on the Shelter Island waterfront
The Covid Effect: Homeowners seeking more private, office space
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Initiating conduct proceedings.
(1) Complaints. Any member of the university community may submit a complaint that a student or recognized or registered student organization violated the standards of conduct. In addition, the university may initiate conduct proceedings when it receives any direct or indirect report of conduct that may violate the standards of conduct.
(2) Decision not to refer the matter for hearing. Except as provided below, after reviewing the initial information, if the conduct officer determines that further conduct proceedings are not warranted, the conduct officer dismisses the matter. If the conduct officer decides not to initiate a conduct proceeding when requested by a complainant, the conduct officer must notify the complainant in writing of the decision, the reasons for the decision, and how to seek review of the decision. Conduct matters may be reopened if new relevant information becomes known. A conduct officer cannot dismiss a matter received from CCR where CCR completed a formal investigation implicating Title IX sexual harassment within the university's Title IX jurisdiction, as defined by university executive policy 15, regardless of the investigation's outcome. In such cases, the conduct officer must refer the matter to a conduct board hearing, which must be held within sixty days of the date the CCR formal investigation report was received, unless good cause exists to extend the date of the hearing or the matter is resolved through agreement or alternative dispute resolution.
(3) Notice of informational meeting. After reviewing initial information regarding a possible student conduct violation, if the student conduct officer decides conduct proceedings are warranted, the student conduct officer sends the respondent, or parties as appropriate, written notice of an informational meeting. The notice must, at a minimum, briefly describe the factual allegations or issues involved, the specific standard of conduct provision(s) the respondent is alleged to have violated, the range of possible sanctions for such violations, and the time, date, and place of the meeting. In addition, information regarding the student conduct process and student rights, as required by WAC 504-26-504 (Interpretation—Policies, procedures, and guidelines) must be provided. Any request to change or extend the time or date of the informational meeting should be addressed to the conduct officer.
(4) Purpose of informational meeting. The purpose of the informational meeting is to provide the respondent with information on the conduct process and their rights and responsibilities, and to determine next steps, if any, in resolving the matter. During the informational meeting, the respondent may provide names of witnesses to the conduct officer to potentially contact. In cases involving Title IX, an informational meeting is also offered to a complainant.
(5) Agreement and alternative dispute resolution. A conduct officer may resolve a matter by agreement. Agreements may be reached directly or through alternative dispute resolution. In cases where agreement is not reached directly, before referring the matter to a hearing, the conduct officer must consider, and make a written determination, whether alternative dispute resolution is appropriate to resolve the matter. Alternative dispute resolution must not be used in matters involving sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. When resolution of a matter is reached by agreement or alternative dispute resolution, the agreement must be in writing and signed by the parties and the conduct officer. In the agreement, the parties must be advised in writing that:
(a) The disposition is final and they are waiving any right to a hearing on the matter, including any right to appeal; and
(b) If any party decides not to sign the agreement, and the matter proceeds to a hearing, neither the agreement nor a party's refusal to sign will be used against either party at the hearing.
(6) Referral for adjudication. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, after the informational meeting, if the conduct officer determines that a conduct hearing is warranted, and the matter is not resolved through agreement or alternative dispute resolution, the matter is handled through either a conduct officer hearing (brief adjudication) in accordance with WAC 504-26-402, or conduct board hearing (full adjudication) in accordance with WAC 504-26-403. In determining which process is appropriate, the conduct officer considers factors including, but not limited to, the nature and severity of the allegations, the respondent's past contacts with the center for community standards, and the range of possible sanctions that could be assigned. A student may request that a conduct board hear the case, but the final decision regarding whether to refer the matter to the conduct board for hearing is made by the conduct officer and is not subject to appeal.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.30.150. WSR 21-07-057, § 504-26-401, filed 3/15/21, effective 4/15/21; WSR 18-23-083, § 504-26-401, filed 11/19/18, effective 12/20/18; WSR 17-13-049, § 504-26-401, filed 6/15/17, effective 7/16/17; WSR 15-11-041, § 504-26-401, filed 5/14/15, effective 6/14/15; WSR 15-01-080, § 504-26-401, filed 12/15/14, effective 1/15/15; WSR 11-11-031, § 504-26-401, filed 5/11/11, effective 6/11/11; WSR 08-05-001, § 504-26-401, filed 2/6/08, effective 3/8/08; WSR 06-23-159, § 504-26-401, filed 11/22/06, effective 12/23/06.]


Software testing that follows Agile principle, is called 'Agile Testing'. It is an iterative methodology in which requirements evolve, when customers collaborate with self-organizing and Agile development teams. Testing is done in increments, and is strengthened over time.
"Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams", by Lisa Crispin.
For more on Testing, read here and here.
This book is recommended for Product owners, Testers, Business Analysts, and Software Developers who are interested to gain hands-on, agile acceptance testing and implementation. It also teaches how to overcome the communication barriers between, customers, clients, stakeholders, software developers and team managers, for a better productivity. The author illuminates problems faced by IT industry due to poor communication among teams, and makes you realize that things are actually different practically and theoretically.


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Commentary Politics
Did You Notice the Specially Made 'Game of Thrones' Poster Trump Had During Cabinet Meeting?
Chip Somodevilla / Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump leads a meeting of his Cabinet. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
By C. Douglas Golden
Published January 4, 2019 at 8:03am
Four more months until "Game of Thrones" fans will see the series return for its final season. But until then, you can entertain yourself with President Donald Trump having a bit of fun with the series.
According to USA Today, a poster referencing the reimposition of sanctions on Iran featured heavily at a Wednesday news conference in the Cabinet Room at the White House.
The poster, showing a minatory picture of the president, merely said, "Sanctions are Coming," a take on the "Winter is Coming" tagline for the popular HBO fantasy series.
Asked about the "Sanctions are Coming" poster of Pres Trump on the conference table at the Cabinet meeting yesterday, Conway couldn't explain why it was on display. pic.twitter.com/uIGhh3r7mb
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) January 3, 2019
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The image was originally tweeted by the president's account back in November: "Trump's missive was aimed at drawing attention to his administration's plans to snap back more than 700 sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities – including its national oil company – aimed at strangling Iran's economy and forcing the regime into new negotiations over its ballistic missile program and its support for terrorist groups," USA Today reported at the time.
pic.twitter.com/nk2vKvHuaL
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2018
"How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?" HBO tweeted in response to the poster.
Interestingly, it's the same phrase as "fair use," which has led to a lot of confusion in Dothraki courts over intellectual property cases — or would, anyway, if nomadic tribes in a pre-industrial society had a lot of use for intellectual property.
The meeting didn't actually have a lot to do with Iran or "Game of Thrones;" the stock market, the shutdown and North Korea denuclearization seemed to be the issues of the day.
However, it came just days after Trump used a similar version of the meme regarding the border wall:
A post shared by President Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on Jan 3, 2019 at 1:41pm PST
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I will admit with some sadness that liberals on social media may have had a point about that meme — namely, that one lesson from "Game of Thrones" is that walls may not necessarily be the best defense against enemies.
However, it's worth noting that illegal immigrants, human traffickers and drug cartels aren't necessarily White Walkers and that the Breaching of the Wall in "Game of Thrones" required a concerted effort of the sort neither Mexico nor America is likely to countenance. If this didn't make any sense to you, just assume this was a poor metaphor and move right along.
As always, the reactions to the poster were almost as funny as the poster itself. An Esquire writer noted that "'Winter Is Coming' is a phrase used in 'Game of Thrones' to warn of impending doom. In the show, this long winter arrives when the undead monsters from the north arrive to wipe out humanity. So, in simple terms that Trump might understand, the winter in the phrase is a bad thing.
"When Trump used his Thrones-style poster to announce that his administration would be putting economic sanctions on Iran, he was essentially positioning himself as the villain."
Except most people could kind of get the impending doom part and also that Iran is more treacherous than America, so I think context speaks for itself. Next? The New York Times, which found it odd that nobody talked about it during the meeting.
"Mr. Trump did not talk about the poster. Nor did any of his cabinet members seated around him, or even Vice President Mike Pence, who was sitting directly in front of it. And he made no connection to the date on the poster — two days before Election Day," Michael Tackett wrote. "And as he took questions from reporters on Wednesday, Mr. Trump mentioned that Iran was now a much different country, apparently because of the sanctions that the United States had imposed."
Which would qualify as sort of talking about it, right? And doesn't it speak for itself at that point?
Which is what Kellyanne Conway said about it when asked questions on the matter: "I'll let it speak for itself," she said, according to Deadline. This, apparently, qualifies as her being "stumped" about what it meant.
In other words, brace yourself: Hot takes are coming.
C. Douglas Golden
Contributor, Commentary
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal for four years.
@CillianZeal
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal for four years. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
American Politics, World Politics, Culture
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Tags: border security, Donald Trump, illegal immigration