It's a picture of Matilda Restaurant boat in Prague, Czech Republic. Boat restaurants are really astonishing in Prague. They have all the elite facilities and it is breathtaking to experience a visit in one of these Matilda restaurant. Prague is a city that remains astounding and ever green not only during the summer, but throughout the season. Prague is a peaceful place and you can find out great privacy here. The entire city of Prague is surrounded by beautiful lush green dense forests, gardens and parks which make it look scenic and serene. Its beauty is unmatchable. Prague is a previous European city regularly called the "City of a Hundred Spires," situated in the middle of slope and valley on the banks of the lovely Vltava River While bars and eateries are normally closed by midnight, numerous bars clubs still stay opened until till morning. You can dance whole nightly at any of Prague's countless discos and clubs, enjoy a cocktail or beer at a bar, and appreciate live tune of various kinds. The major and the leading city of the Czech Democracy, Prague is the realm's leading center of export and industry and also an economic, social, and cultural hub. Petrin Gardens are one of the largest and beautiful gardens in Prague. There are many places of interest, which makes it an absolute place for a walk and rejuvenation. A unique eatery with touch of exoticism, offers its position and glassed-in inside capricious view of gems of Prague structural planning or more all, perspective of Prague Castle. The eatery offers Italian cooking with wide assortment of wines from everywhere throughout the world, in the late spring months there are accessible greenery enclosure on the barge and patio on the stern, where is a probability to be intertwined with a tranquil climate of waterway Vltava. The landmark of the Matilda Restaurant is one of the important and famous landmark in the city, where everyone come and spend their leisure time. The spot is surrounded by a lovely greenery which makes the place more fresh and beautiful. The place is worth to visit with your friend and close one.
A fun couple activity to do in Prague would include renting out a pedal boat and going on a fun adventure in the river!
Treat yourself to something delicious, such as an ice cream on a warm summer day!
The tour guides on the river boat cruises are dressed up in sailor costumes for further entertainment as well as to be distinguishable among the tourists!


Charlotte has lacked a mainstream full-menu vegetarian restaurant for too long. But last fall, the creative team of Jill Marcus and Karen Teed stepped up and opened Fern: Flavors from the Garden. The intimate place has the feel of a backyard in summer and the food is creative and delicious. This is a back-to-back win for Marcus and Teed, who won CL's 2011 Best New Restaurant with their Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth eatery.
The new vegetarian restaurant has been doing brisk business since opening.


Sarah Hopkins is an established Welsh artist/printmaker. Her work focuses on urban and man-made landscapes and the industrial heritage of South Wales.
Through her exploration of printmaking techniques and by creating intricate, hand-cut paper stencils, she screenprints layers of vibrant colour to build her images. She is constantly exploring new ways of representing her ideas, transforming negatively perceived industrial wastelands and places of social decay into striking images of everyday beauty.
She has worked with a number of clients to create bespoke artwork for interior spaces, including a commission for John Lewis Stores, Cardiff in 2009, creating an exclusive set of monotype screenprints for their Espresso Bar. She has a wealth of experience, managing and coordinating collaborative community programmes, such as the Festival of Muslim Cultures Print Project for Swansea Print Workshop in 2006.
Sarah gained an MA in Fine Art with Distinction at Swansea Institute in 2003. She has exhibited widely as a solo artist and has curated exhibitions including Contemporary Welsh Printmakers, which toured Pakistan in 2007. Her work is held at the National Library of Wales, Contemporary Arts Society of Wales and in many private collections. In 2012 her work was purchased by the Palace of Westminster for the Parliamentary Art Collection, London.


Incoming! Goblins Attack TD (MOD, unlimited gems) - Protects against hordes of attacking monsters. Choose an appropriate combination of defensive towers and upgrade their protection through spells. You expect huge number of various levels in different worlds.
On our site you can easily download Incoming! Goblins Attack TD (MOD, unlimited gems) .apk! All without registration and send SMS!


Toniic has integrated the Sustainable Development Goals and related impact themes into its investment platform. To align members' interest in these themes with impact fund opportunities, we are launching the Toniic Funds Circles program. Circles are limited to 2 – 4 leading funds driving transformative change related to a specific impact theme. Toniic will launch a limited number of fund circles each year.


LANCASTER, PA (April 25, 2018) – On Saturday, March 17, the Junior League of Lancaster (JLL) welcomed 800 participants to the 2018 Run4Luck at Lancaster Country Day School. Aided by excellent weather, Irish dancers, and St. Patrick's Day spirits, the run raised nearly $20,000 to benefit future projects of the Junior League of Lancaster! The Run4Luck is always a highly anticipated event for both JLL members and the community. The JLL is truly thankful to all of the runners, walkers, sponsors and volunteers for supporting the 13th Annual Run4Luck.
Mark your calendars now for the 14th Annual Run4Luck, being held on Saturday, March 16, 2019, at Lancaster Country Day School. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for details to come!
Congratulations to the top finishers in the men's and women's categories! Complete results can be found here.
For more information on the race, sponsorship inquiries, or general questions, please contact run4luck@jllancaster.org.


text:
Martin Luther King, Jr Research Unit
Martin Luther King, Jr (MLK) High School Research Unit has been designed to be used around the MLK holiday in January or during Black History Month in February.
* The Early Years
* Terms to Know (26 terms including: arbitration, conscientious objection, moral suasion, selective patronage and stockholders campaign)
* Timeline of important events
* Large excerpt of "I Have a Dream" speech
* Research questions
Subscribe Now and get instant access to all downloads!
Martin Luther King, Jr Research Unit quantity
Categories: 9th-12th, February, Historical Figures, Historical Figures, January, Other, Social Studies, U.S. History, U.S. History Tag: MLK
Modern Prose & Poetry for Secondary School
This resource contains a variety of literary works from authors such as Walt Whitman, George Cabot Lodge, and Edith M. Thomas.
The Second Jungle Book (Rudyard Kipling)
This is a downloadable copy of the book.
About the book: The Second Jungle Book is a sequel to The Jungle Book. First published in 1895, it features five stories about Mowgli and three unrelated stories, all but one set in India,
About the Author: Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. He was born in India, which inspired much of his work. Kipling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was among the United Kingdom's most popular writers. In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, as the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and at 41, its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded for the British Poet Laureateship and several times for a knighthood but declined both. Following his death in 1936, his ashes were interred at Poets' Corner, part of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey.
Henry V – Shakespeare
Martin Luther King, Jr Game
This MLK resource is a fun concentration / memory / matching card game. Students will love playing!
Benefits of matching /memory games include…
-improve concentration
– train visual memory
– increase short term memory
– increase attention to detail
– improve the ability to find similarities and differences in object.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Symfony2.3 - trying to add google authentication with HWIOAuthBundle For the user login I'm trying to add google authentication.
I configured HWIOAuthBundle as their documentation. Everything smoothly configured and running.
After google authentication prompt /connect/google, it redirects to the following URL (blank page)
http://local.xxx.com/app_dev.php/login/check-google?code=4/jUTU2hoQfOiNMUfKJX_bLfCDVoAr.UpnObn7cHC4XOl05ti8ZT3bVT-SeiQI
I'm using FOSUserBundle.
This is my config.yml,
fos_user:
    db_driver: orm # other valid values are 'mongodb', 'couchdb' and 'propel'
    firewall_name: main
    user_class: Techy\VisaBundle\Entity\User
    from_email:
       address: x@techy.com
       sender_name: Techy Registration
    registration:
        confirmation:
            enabled:    true
    from_email:
                address:        xx@techy.tn
                sender_name:    Techy Registration
    # Facebook configuration
fos_facebook:
  alias:  facebook
  app_id: xx
  secret:  xx
  cookie: true
  permissions: [email, user_hometown, user_location]

services:
        fos_facebook.user.login:
            class: Techy\VisaBundle\Security\User\Provider\FacebookProvider
            arguments:
                facebook: "@fos_facebook.api"
                userManager: "@fos_user.user_manager"
                validator: "@validator"
                container: "@service_container"

        hwi_oauth.user.provider.entity:
              class: HWI\Bundle\OAuthBundle\Security\Core\User\OAuthUserProvider
        ib_user.oauth_user_provider:
              class: Techy\VisaBundle\Security\User\Provider\OAuthProvider
              arguments: [@session, @doctrine, @service_container]
hwi_oauth:
    firewall_name: main
    resource_owners:
        google:
            type: google
            client_id:  xx.apps.googleusercontent.com
            client_secret: xxxxxxx
            scope: "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.profile"

    fosub:
        username_iterations: 5
        properties:
            google: googleId

Security.yml
    chainprovider:
              chain:
                  providers: [fos_userbundle, fos_facebook_provider,my_custom_hwi_provider]

    fos_userbundle:
      id: fos_user.user_manager
    fos_facebook_provider:
       id:  fos_facebook.user.login

    my_custom_hwi_provider:
        id: ib_user.oauth_user_provider
firewalls:

    dev:
        pattern:  ^/(_(profiler|wdt)|css|images|js)/
        security: false

    login:
        pattern:  ^/demo/secured/login$
        security: false

    secured_area:
        pattern:    ^/secured
        #anonymous: ~
        http_basic:
            realm: "Secured Area"
    main:
        pattern: ^/
        fos_facebook:
          app_url: "http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=xx"
          server_url: "http://xx.com/app_dev.php/"
          login_path: fos_user_security_login
          check_path: _security_check
          provider: fos_facebook_provider
          default_target_path: /

        form_login:
              provider: fos_userbundle
              login_path: fos_user_security_login
              check_path: fos_user_security_check
              default_target_path: /
              csrf_provider: form.csrf_provider
              failure_path:   null

        oauth:
            resource_owners:
                google: "/login/check-google"
            login_path: /login
            failure_path: /login
            oauth_user_provider:
                service: ib_user.oauth_user_provider

        anonymous: true
        logout:    true
        remember_me:
              key:      mySuperDuperKey
              lifetime: 45146
              path:     /
              domain:   ~

access_control:
    #- { path: ^/admin, roles:  IS_AUTHENTICATED_ANONYMOUSLY, ip: 134.6.2.8}
    - { path: ^/admin, roles:  [ROLE_ADMIN], ip: 127.0.0.1 }

    #- { path: ^/_internal/secure, roles: IS_AUTHENTICATED_ANONYMOUSLY, ip: 127.0.0.1 }
    - { path: ^/login$, role: IS_AUTHENTICATED_ANONYMOUSLY }
    - { path: ^/register, role: IS_AUTHENTICATED_ANONYMOUSLY }
    - { path: ^/resetting, role: IS_AUTHENTICATED_ANONYMOUSLY }
    - { path: ^/admin/, role: ROLE_ADMIN }
    - { path: ^/user/login$, role: IS_AUTHENTICATED_ANONYMOUSLY }
    - { path: ^/secured, role: ROLE_USER }
    - { path: ^/ad, role: ROLE_USER }

    - { path: ^/edit, role: ROLE_USER }
    - { path: ^/admin/home, role: ROLE_ADMIN}
    - { path: ^/login, roles: IS_AUTHENTICATED_ANONYMOUSLY }

routing.yml
my_user_management:
    resource: "@FOSUserBundle/Resources/config/routing.yml"

_security_login:
      pattern:   /login

_security_check:
     pattern:  /loginfb
     defaults: { _controller: TechyVisaBundle:User:loginFb }

_security_logout:
      pattern:  /logout

fos_facebook_channel:
    resource: "@FOSFacebookBundle/Resources/config/routing.xml"

user_couple_fb_with_account:
    pattern: /user/couple/facebook
    defaults: { _controller: TechyVisaBundle:User:connectFacebookWithAccount }

hwi_oauth_login:
    resource: "@HWIOAuthBundle/Resources/config/routing/login.xml"
    prefix:   /login
hwi_oauth_redirect:
    resource: "@HWIOAuthBundle/Resources/config/routing/redirect.xml"
    prefix:   /connect

google_login:
    pattern: /login/check-google

#login:
#    pattern:   /login
#    defaults:  { _controller: hh:Security:login }
#login_check:
#    pattern:   /login_check
#
logout:
    path:   /logout

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Kentucky Wildcats Basketball 2016 17 Season Preview Wildcats men's basketball team is an American college basketball team that represents the University of Kentucky. Kentucky is the most successful NCAA Division I basketball program in history in terms of both all-time wins (2,293) and all-time winning percentage (.765).
Kentucky Wildcats Basketball 2016 17 Season Preview look at how Tyler Herro became a future Kentucky Wildcats basketball player.
Kentucky Baseball Schedule, Kentucky Baseball Scoreboard. Real-time Kentucky Wildcats Baseball Schedule on SECSports.com.
The Economic Impact Of March Madness From First Four To. The city of Houston is expecting to generate $300 million in revenue during the Final Four, which will help taxpayers feel better about the $8 million subsidy provided to by the state of Texas.


text:
Home SEC Filings BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC. (NYSE:BR) Files An 8-K Amendments to Articles of...
BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC. (NYSE:BR) Files An 8-K Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year
ME Staff 8-k
Item 5.03.Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
(a) Effective July 6, 2017, the Board of Directors of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (the "Company") amended the Company's amended and restated by-laws (the "Amended By-laws") to revise the proxy access by-law provision adopted in 2015. The Company's proxy access by-law originally allowed a stockholder or a group of up to 20 stockholders that beneficially owned 3% or more of the Company's outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years, to nominate and include in the Company's proxy materials board nominees representing up to 25% of the board.
The amendments approved on July 6, 2017: (i) increased the number of stockholders that can aggregate their shares to make a proxy access Board nomination from 20 to 50 stockholders, (ii) eliminated a requirement to count individual funds within a mutual fund family as separate shareholders for purposes of satisfying the minimum ownership requirements to make a proxy access nomination, and (iii) eliminated a requirement that a previously nominated proxy access nominee achieve a specified level of shareholder approval in order to be eligible for re-nomination.
This description of the Amended By-laws is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Amended By-laws, which are attached hereto as Exhibit 3.2 and incorporated by reference herein.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
Exhibits. The following exhibit is filed herewith:
Exhibit No. Description
3.2The Amended and Restated By-laws of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.,
as amended on July 6, 2017.
BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC. Exhibit
EX-99.1 2 ex991amendedandrestatedbyl.htm EXHIBIT 99.1 Exhibit EXHIBIT 3.2AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWSOFBROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS,…
To view the full exhibit click here
About BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC. (NYSE:BR)
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (Broadridge) is a provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, mutual funds and corporate issuers. The Company's segments include Investor Communication Solutions, and Global Technology and Operations. The Company offers Bank/Broker-Dealer Investor Communication Solutions, Customer Communication Solutions, Corporate Issuer Solutions, Advisor Solutions and Mutual Fund and Retirement Solutions through Investor Communication Solutions segment. The Company offers a middle- and back-office securities processing platform for North American and global broker-dealers. Its services include investor and customer communications, securities processing, and data and analytics solutions. The Company delivers a range of solutions that helps its clients serve their retail and institutional customers across the entire investment lifecycle, including pre-trade, trade, and post-trade processing functionality.
An ad to help with our costs
Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc.
NYSE:BR
WORLD FUEL SERVICES CORPORATION (NYSE:INT) Files An 8-K Regulation FD Disclosure
VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY) Files An 8-K Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain...
Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:ATI) Files An 8-K Results of Operations and Financial Condition
Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) Files An 8-K Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC. (NASDAQ:ALGN) Files An 8-K Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities
SIMMONS FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION (NASDAQ:SFNC) Files An 8-K Financial Statements and Exhibits
Alliant Energy (NYSE:LNT) announces a quarterly dividend of $0.3550
Chevron (NYSE:CVX) gets upgraded to Buy by Bank of America
California Resources Corp (NYSE:CRC) gets downgraded to Sell by Goldman Sachs Group with a price target of $20.00
CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE) gets upgraded to Buy by Bank of America
Market Morning: Alexa Spying, Boeing Sensor History, Macron Spoils Scallop Dinner
ICC, AgraFlora to Bring Native Colombian Cannabis Strains to 39K Retail...


text:
package org.w3c.domts.level2.core;

import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
import org.w3c.dom.Document;
import org.w3c.dom.NamedNodeMap;
import org.w3c.dom.Node;
import org.w3c.dom.NodeList;

import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
import static org.w3c.domts.DOMTest.load;

/**
 * The "setNamedItemNS(arg)" method for a
 * NamedNodeMap should replace an existing node n1 found in the map with arg if n1
 * has the same namespaceURI and localName as arg and return n1.
 *

 * Create an attribute node in with namespaceURI "http://www.usa.com"
 * and qualifiedName "dmstc:domestic" whose value is "newVal".
 * Invoke method setNamedItemNS(arg) on the map of the first "address"
 * element. Method should return the old attribute node identified
 * by namespaceURI and qualifiedName from above,whose value is "Yes".
 *
 * @see http://www.w3.org/TR/DOM-Level-2-Core/core#ID-ElSetAtNodeNS
 */
public class setNamedItemNS05 {
    @Test
    void testRun() throws Throwable {
        String namespaceURI = "http://www.usa.com";
        String qualifiedName = "dmstc:domestic";
        Document doc = load("staffNS", true);
        Node arg = doc.createAttributeNS(namespaceURI, qualifiedName);
        arg.setNodeValue("newValue");
        NodeList elementList = doc.getElementsByTagName("address");
        Node testAddress = elementList.item(0);
        NamedNodeMap attributes = testAddress.getAttributes();
        Node retnode = attributes.setNamedItemNS(arg);
        String value = retnode.getNodeValue();
        assertEquals("Yes", value, "throw_Equals");
    }

    /**
     * Gets URI that identifies the test
     *
     * @return uri identifier of test
     */
    public String getTargetURI() {
        return "http://www.w3.org/2001/DOM-Test-Suite/level2/core/setNamedItemNS05";
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Finding the right therapist can be an arduous task. Here are some resources and information to help you in the process.
You may also click here for a list of MMHA clinical providers.
Psych Central Article: "How to Choose a Therapist"
Below is a brief outline of the various types of mental health practitioners, including a summary of how they approach mental health.
Psychiatrists: Medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental or psychiatric illnesses. They have medical training and are licensed to prescribe drugs. They also often engage in psychotherapy (aka "talk therapy" which aims to change a person's behaviors or thought patterns.); however, their primary focus is on the biological processes that support mental illness. Thus, their primary focus is the prescription and management of psychotropic medications (antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, etc.). On an outpatient basis, psychiatrists usually meet with their patients for approximately 20 minutes to assess symptoms, prescribe or adjust medication, and then schedule a follow-up appointment every 1-3 months as needed.
Psychiatric Nursing: Like psychiatrists, Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (PMH-APRNs) are medically trained individuals who have chosen to specialize in mental health. As such, APRN's may also engage in psychotherapy but generally focus on the prescription and management of medication. APRN's are Master's or Doctoral level nurses and apply the nursing process to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals or families with psychiatric disorders.
Psychologists: Doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) experts in psychology. In some states, psychologists may be licensed to prescribe medication. However, the bulk of their education and training is focused on the study of the human mind and human behavior; thus, psychologists are trained in multiple modes of psychotherapy. Additionally, psychologists are licensed to administer psychological testing which may be used to assist in treatment or fulfill forensic needs. In states where psychologists are not allowed to prescribe medication, they can refer you to a psychiatrist if necessary.
Social Workers: Specialists with a Master's or PhD in social work, social workers provide social and mental health services in a variety of avenues, including working with hospitals, social service agencies, community building organizations, and private practice. In most of their roles, social workers provide counseling and psychotherapy with individuals, families, and groups. The practice of social work requires knowledge of human development and behavior; of social and economic, and cultural institutions; and of the interaction of	all these factors. Because of the broad nature of their vocation, social workers often specialize in a particular field or patient population over the course of their career (i.e. child therapy, couples counseling, medical social work, policy development, etc). Social workers do not prescribe medication but can refer you to a psychiatrist or APRN if needed. The professional licensure of a social worker is either a CSW or an LCSW.
Marriage and Family Therapists: Specialists with a Masters or PhD, marriage and family therapist are trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples and family systems. They evaluate and treat mental and emotional disorders, other health and behavioral problems, and address a wide array of relationship issues within the context of the family system. Marriage and family therapists take a holistic perspective to health care and are concerned with the overall, long-term well-being of individuals and their families. They have graduate training in marriage and family therapy and, prior to become licensed as independent providers (LMFT), have at least two years of clinical experience. LMFT's do not prescribe medication but may refer you to a relevant provider as needed.
Licensed Professional Counselors: Counselors required by state licensure laws to have at least a master's degree in counseling and 3,000 hours of post-master's experience. They are either licensed or certified to independently diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders. They combine traditional psychotherapy with a practical, problem-solving approach that creates a dynamic and efficient path for change and problem resolution. As with LCSW's and LMFT's, licensed professional counselors do not prescribe medication but may refer you to a relevant provider if needed.


You know how you reflect back on what you had planned for the year, and with a new year quickly approaching you feel like you haven't accomplished all that you hoped?
I just looked at a blog post from around this time last year and I beg to differ! Wow, what a difference a year makes.
On Tuesday's I like to link up with Tuesday Archive Linkup (TALU). It gives me the opportunity to revisit an old post and share it with others.
After reading my this time last year post, I really am amazed with where I was and where I am now. Last year I stopped writing a book, promising to look at it again after Christmas but I didn't or did maybe once.
"I have this feeling that I am waiting for a couple of experiences to fall into place so that I can use that for my writing."
His statement made me realize that I was waiting for the same thing! After reading my post from last year, I think it is time to open the lid on that book to see what I left simmering.
Thank you to all my readers and commenters. You are very much responsible for my growth. Though this blog started as a place just for me, when I knew you were coming back, I kept writing!
Here's the thing... I have made some wonderful friends here! Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!


1A government authority or licence conferring a right or title for a set period, especially the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention.
(of a vessel, duct, or aperture) open and unobstructed; failing to close.
2.1 (of a parasitic infection) showing detectable parasites in the tissues or faeces.
3Made and marketed under a patent; proprietary.
Late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin patent- 'lying open', from the verb patere. The noun sense is from letters patent.


Petr Stepanek claimed a hat-trick for Phantoms in Manchester.
Coach Slava Koulikov heaped praise on his Peterborough Phantoms players following a weekend of maximum points as well as mega miles.
The city team retained their third place in the English Premier League courtesy of back-to-back away triumphs made all the more satisfying by shut-outs on successive nights despite being without key defencemen.
Tom Norton scored for Phantoms in Manchester.
Phantoms followed up a super 2-0 Saturday (January 14) success in Swindon with a far more simple Sunday (January 15) mission against crisis club Manchester.
Phantoms cruised to a 7-0 victory at Widnes in what could prove to be the rock-bottom Phoenix's last-ever game as their future hangs in the balance.
That could also mean it becomes a wasted night of work for Koulikov's men which came complete with a near 350-mile round-trip to the North-West, but the Phantoms chief was not worried about that.
Koulikov, a former Manchester player, said: "We've done a lot of miles this weekend, but winning both games makes the journeys seem shorter.
Phantoms' first-choice netminder Janis Auzins didn't concede a goal all weekend.
"Both of my netminders played well and so did the guys in front of them as we put in two terrific team performances.
"I do believe that if we can perform like this in the next week, we will have a good chance of reaching the cup final.
"Going to Swindon and shutting out a team with so much firepower was an excellent achievement, but we knew we had to follow it up.
"We couldn't think about Manchester's situation. It was a case of having to be professional and do our job of winning the game.
"It gave us the opportunity to work on certain things that will help us to prepare for the big games we have ahead.
"It's obviously sad to see one of my former clubs struggling and I just hope it gets resolved in such a way that they can move forward.
While they were kind post-game words from Koulikov, his players certainly didn't show any sentiment on the ice.
Only the frequent excellence of Phoenix netminder Stephen Fone restricted Phantoms to a single goal in the opening period.
It arrived from Petr Stepanek who reacted quickly to tuck away a loose puck after a Martins Susters shot had squirmed through the pads of the home custodian.
Otherwise Fone was in exemplary form with a series of fine stops while Phantoms goaltender Janis Auzins was rarely called into action.
Phantoms needed only 20 seconds of the middle session to double their advantage. Edgars Bebris hit the first goal of his second spell as a Peterborough player – and it came against the club he left last week.
Stepanek struck again soon after the mid-point of the contest to leave Phantoms in control although there was a scare when Vaclav Meidl tipped a shot against a post at the other end.
Back-up netminder Adam Long had replaced Auzins by that point with the duo combining for an 18-shot clean sheet.
Phantoms man Bebris was also denied by the pipes late in the second period, but he did succeed in lighting the lamp again as Phantoms struck four times in the space of seven minutes during a final session in which Manchester wilted.
Stepanek launched that late salvo by completing his hat-trick before Bebris guided in his second goal of the night. It also earned him a treble of sorts as he assisted the Stepanek effort moments earlier.
Wehebe Darge added a simple sixth goal with its architect, Darius Pliskauskas, securing a hat-trick of assists in the process.
A blue-line thump from Tom Norton completed the scoring on a night when Phantoms could easily have doubled their goal tally. They fired in 57 shots on Fone's target and also missed it with plenty more.
Phantoms were without defensive duo Scott Robson and Ben Russell all weekend. Captain James Ferrara was also given last night off with his wife expecting their second child any day.
Will Weldon made a welcome return against Manchester after being out with a knee problem since Boxing Day. Fellow forward Marc Levers has now undergone hernia surgery and faces a four-to-five week recovery, according to Koulikov.
Phantoms are back in action on Wednesday (January 18, 7.45pm) when they entertain table-toppers Telford in the first leg of an EPL Cup semi-final.
The second leg is in Shropshire on Sunday (January 22) with Phantoms aiming to reach the final for the second successive season.
Phantoms also squeeze in a league fixture at the weekend. They host Hull on Saturday (January 21, 7pm).


text:
Confusion rocks AirZim debt plan
0	September 2, 2018 2:03 AM
Source: Confusion rocks AirZim debt plan – The Zimbabwe Independent August 31, 2018
GRANT Thornton is in the dark over its alleged "appointment" as the caretaker administrator of troubled national airline Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) after the sacking of the board early this month, escalating the confusion on operations at the flag carrier, the Zimbabwe Independent can report.
By Nyasha Chingono
The purported appointment of Grant Thornton came after Transport minister Joram Gumbo this month fired the Chipo Dyanda-led board under unclear circumstances following months of intense infighting.
The board was constantly demanding accountability over US$41 million requested by AirZim last year which was controversially diverted to Zimbabwe Airways (ZimAirways).
The board believes Gumbo gave it the boot to avoid scrutiny over the diverted funds and to cover up for the controversial purcase of planes for ZimAirways using funds meant to recapitalise AirZim.
A letter written to Gumbo by the board, dated April 18 2018 and seen by the Independent, confirmed relations had deteriorated.
The board accused Gumbo of blocking a US$300 million capital injection into the airline by a Dubai investor which could have turned around its fortunes over the past two years.
It also accused him of frustrating the parastatal's turnaround strategy in a bid to prop up ZimAirways, which he and the airline's former chief operations officer Simba Chikore had an interest in after helping to set it up.
"The allegations that the airline had no credible plans are therefore seriously flawed. It is further worrying that, after all the hard work and intellectual investment, the planes will get leased to another entity based on misrepresentation. Such a course of action baffled the board and will be most unfortunate for the national airline and the country," reads the letter.
"Furthermore, the decision to lease the planes to another entity than recapitalise AirZim is evidence of unfortunate clear misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the current status of the airline. It is against that background that necessitates communication. The board humbly submits that it troubles it that the nation was advised of the same when we have kept you abreast of all the positive developments at the airline and achievement of the targets as set by you on our appointment, in 2016. The board believes in the spirit of fairness, transparency and pursuit of common objectives between the board of directors, management and the shareholders. Considering the diligence we have done since our appointment in 2016, these misrepresentations are a grave concern to the board."
Ministry officials believe the letter infuriated Gumbo and caused him to dismiss the board before announcing the appointment of Grant Thornton as administrators.
Grant Thornton managing partner Reggie Saruchera however said his firm had not been appointed as administrator, saying he had only seen the purported appointment in the press.
"We are only seeing it in the papers. We have not yet received any communication to that effect," Saruchera said.
Gumbo early this month said the disbandment of the board and subsequent appointment of a caretaker administrator were meant to safeguard the airline's assets which have been under threat from litigious creditors.
Debt reconstruction is meant to facilitate the management of the airline's debt and its subsequent amortisation. It is also meant to preserve the company's assets and establish firm operations.
Aviation sources allege the proposed appointment of Grant Thornton was Gumbo's cover up for sacking the board as government mulls a merger between ZimAirways and AirZim. Gumbo recently indicated that a single board would be appointed for the twin airlines hence the swift move to fire the board. The minister has often indicated that the twin companies would operate under the same name where ZimAirways will service the international route while AirZim plies the local and regional flights.
But the debt reconstruction plan could be up in flames as sources say the case file is not appearing in the High Court records.
This was unearthed when a number of pilots sought to respond to the sacking of the board at the High Court and subsequent appointment of the provisional judicial managers. This could mean AirZim is still unsafe from its litigious creditors seeking to attach property.
AirZim is saddled with a US$341 million foreign and domestic debt which has been accumulated over a decade of mismanagement. The inability to repay the debt has left the airline in a quandary as it is now stripped of its international aviation privileges.
The appointment of Grant Thornton as administrator was not in government's initial plans.
According to the Government Gazette of July 27, government had appointed three AirZim officials as interim administrators. The Ministry of Transport then sought the services of Grant Thornton through the approval of the Procurement Authority of Zimbabwe.
AirZim management is also in the dark concerning the role of Grant Thornton in the new regime.
"We are clueless and in the dark," the airline's corporate services manager, Tafadzwa Mazonde, said.
He said management was battling to keep the airline's aircraft in the sky after the sacking of the board and would still go ahead with its plans to attain recertification under the International Air Transport Association operational safety audit and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
"As management, we are doing our best to keep the aircraft in the sky. We are still running with the projects we started with the board. We concluded the second stage of our IOSA audit on Friday last week. By December, we should be certified and ready for EASA certification by May 2019,"said Mazonde.
Contacted for comment this week, Gumbo said he had written to relevant ministries to gazette the new administrators.
"You are far ahead of what is happening. Before something happens due process must be followed. There is nothing to hide here. For your own information, this week I have been writing to relevant ministries so that we can gazette the new administrators," Gumbo said.
Early this month, the ministry of Finance notified Gumbo that it was no longer feasible to extend protection to AirZim under the Finance Act and recommended to the Office of the President and Cabinet that Air Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd and Air Zimbabwe Holdings (Pvt) Ltd should be placed under the Reconstruction of State Indebted Insolvent Companies Act Chapter (24:27).
The recommendation was later approved by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and was gazetted.
the latest articles 56656 Air Zimbabwe 116 Grant Thornton 8 ZimAirways 8
Investment is the answer, but reform is the question
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Hotel At The Three Ostriches is located in the heart of Prague, right at the foot of the Charles Bridge, one of the most important Czech heritages. The whole district Lesser Town is considered one of the most beautiful places in Prague and the Charles Bridge; in addition you will also find the Prague Castle, Kampa Island and many other attractions.
This historic building offers accommodation in 18 rooms and apartments with a total capacity of 40 beds. All rooms are equipped with antique furniture, bathroom, LCD satellite television, safe, minibar, hairdryer, direct dial telephone and of course free Wi-Fi access.
Reception is available 24 hours a day and here you can speak Czech, English, German and Italian. The hotel building has an ATM machine at the reception and in the hotel you can conveniently pay by credit card. The reception offers currency exchange services, sightseeing tours, and excursions, ordering of taxi, laundry and other. Outside opening hours of the restaurant there is a snack bar which also serves cold and hot beverages.
The price includes continental breakfast in the form of a hot buffet.
The hotel building has 4 floors, but thanks to the historic character of the building there is no elevator..
Cordial and attentive multilingual staff is at your disposal and we will be happy to help with any inquiries.


MATCHING GIFT BOX ´ VEGAN FRIENDLY FINE CHINA ´ VINTAGE ILLUSTRATION ´ DIMENSIONS: 9CM (H) x 9.3CM (diameter) The curios collection houses many unusual and intriguing illustrations. Adorning trinket trays, mugs, glasses, tins, teapots, espresso cups, sugar bowls and milk jugs, this fine curated range comes lovingly gift boxed. Featuring beetles, bees, skulls, whales and more, the Curios collection is an eclectic mix of natural history and ephemera, with three exclusive designs in collaboration with the Wellcome Collection.


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Miraflores Charterhouse
Burgos, Spain
Miraflores Charterhouse is an Isabelline style Carthusian monastery built on a hill (known as Miraflores) about three kilometers of the center of Burgos.
Its origin dates back to 1442, when king John II of Castile donated a hunting lodge located outside city of Burgos, which had been erected by his father Henry III of Castile 'the Mourner' in 1401, to the Order of the Carthusians for its conversion into a monastery, thus fulfilling his father's desire, stated in his will. A fire in 1452 caused the destruction of the pavilion, and construction of a building began in 1454. It is this building, which was placed under the patronage of Saint Mary of the Annunciation, which exists today. The work was commissioned to Juan de Colonia, and was continued after his death by his son, Simón de Colonia, who completed the structure in 1484 at behest of Queen Isabella I of Castile, surviving daughter of kings John II of Castile and Isabella of Portugal, whose impressive buried are housed in the monastery.
It is a latter-Gothic jewel, and its highlights include the church, with Isabelline style's western facade decorated with the coats of its founders. The monastery consists of a single nave with stellar vault and side chapels, and is topped by a polygonal apse.
The main altarpiece of the Charterhouse was carved in wood by artist Gil de Siloé and polychrome and gilded by Diego de la Cruz (whose gold came from the first shipments of the American continent after its discovery). Made between 1496 and 1499, is undoubtedly one of the most important existing works of the Spanish Gothic sculpture, by its compositional and iconographic originality and excellent quality of carving, valued by the polychrome.
The royal sepulchers's set were designed by artist Gil de Siloé commissioned by Queen Isabella I of Castile. On the one hand is the Sepulchers of John II of Castile and Isabella of Portugal, placed in the nave's center, eight-pointed star shaped. And in the Gospel side of the church is located the Sepulcher of infante Alfonso of Castile. Both sepulchers were made in alabaster and are late-Gothic sculpture's jewels.
Monasteries in Spain
Religious sites in Spain
BU-800 5, Burgos, Spain
See all sites in Burgos
Category: Religious sites in Spain
Burgos Cathedral (4 km)
Arco de Santa María (3,9 km)
San Nicolás de Bari (4,1 km)
Burgos Museum (3,6 km)
Burgos Castle (4,2 km)
San Juan Monastery (3,2 km)
Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas (5,3 km)
San Pedro de Cardeña Monastery (5,5 km)
Convento de Santa Dorotea (3,9 km)
Frias Castle (55,7 km)
Santo Domingo de Silos (46,1 km)
Ducal Palace of Lerma (35,6 km)
Monastery of la Ascensión de Nuestro Señor (35,5 km)
San Juan de Ortega Monastery (18,5 km)
Monastery of San Antón (36,7 km)
Collegiate church of San Martin de Elines (57,4 km)
Monastery of San Salvador de Oña (48,4 km)
Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza (35,7 km)
Ruby Tuesday (3 years ago)
Wonderful and very beautiful collection.
Adam Goodsearles (4 years ago)
Peaceful, beautiful and will only take 1hr to go round once you're there. Well worth the 10 min drive from the centre to visit and has artwork and an altar that rivals the cathedral.
Peter Darroch (4 years ago)
Possibly one of the most peaceful and serene laces I have ever been to.
Carl Arrowsmith (5 years ago)
It's an interesting place to visit, beautiful art work and building. Worth going if you're nearby but I wouldn't drive a great distance.
ivan zatz (5 years ago)
Great little convent a couple of miles outside of Burgos. The building is lovely, it has some nice art, a wonderful altarpiece and lavishly decorated tombs of the king and queen who were the parents of Queen Isabella. Well worth the visit.


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George W. Bush On Freedom and Democracy
What are George W. Bush's views on these staples of U.S. political rhetoric?
By The Globalist
9/11AfghanistanArab worlddemocracyextremismfreedomGeorge W. Bushhomeland securityIraqpolitical rhetoricspeechesterrorismUnited States
References to freedom and democracy have been a staple of U.S. political rhetoric for centuries. Following 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, President George W. Bush has often invoked the importance of protecting freedom and democracy in the United States — and spreading it abroad. Our Read My Lips feature examines the president's views.
Why is spreading democracy particularly important today?
"The advance of freedom is the surest strategy to undermine the appeal of terror in the world."
How does democracy discourage people from turning to terrorism?
"Where freedom takes hold, hatred gives way to hope."
Why have you given America the responsibility of leading the war on terrorism?
"Humanity holds in its hands the opportunity to further freedom's triumph over age-old foes. The United States welcomes its responsibility to lead in this great mission."
(September 2002)
Is spreading democracy America's calling?
"The advance of freedom is the calling of our time. It is the calling of our country."
Why are you so determined to bring democracy to the Arab world — almost at any cost?
"Sixty years of Western nations excusing and accommodating the lack of freedom in the Middle East did nothing to make us safe — because in the long run, stability cannot be purchased at the expense of liberty."
What made it necessary for the United States to play the role it did in Iraq?
"We are the heirs of the tradition of liberty, defenders of freedom — the conscience and dignity of every person."
(February 2004)
Was bringing democracy to Iraq worth a war?
"The path to freedom may not always by neat and orderly — but it is the right of every person and every nation."
Why did you believe you had the support of the American people at the start of the Iraq War?
"America seeks more than the defeat of terror: We seek the advance of human freedom in a world at peace."
(January 2003)
Why should the U.S. intervention in Iraq not be viewed as self-serving?
"After defeating enemies, we did not leave behind occupying armies. We left constitutions and parliaments. We established an atmosphere of safety, in which responsible, reform-minded local leaders could build lasting institutions of freedom."
How critical is the success of democracy in Iraq?
"The establishment of a free Iraq at the heart of the Middle East will be a watershed event in the global democratic revolution."
Why did many Iraqis fail to embrace their new liberty?
"It's going to take more than 90 to 100 days for people to recognize the great joys of freedom and the responsibilities that come with freedom."
(July 2003)
Finally, how does U.S. homeland security relate to freedom in the international sphere?
"America has always been less secure when freedom is in retreat. America is always more secure when freedom is on the march."
(June 2004)
Pope Benedict on Globalization
Bin Laden and the Temptations of Nihilism


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Teacher murdered at school
Amil Umraw
Pietermaritzburg teacher Pretty Gangada (51) who was stabbed at Dabulamanzi Combined School in Mooi River on Sunday. (Supplied)
A PIETERMARITZBURG family are preparing for the funeral of their beloved mother, a teacher who was stabbed to death in Mooi River last week.
Pretty Gangada (51), who was as a teacher at the Dabulamanzi Combined School in Mooi River, was getting ready to see her children in Pietermaritzburg when she was attacked.
According to school headmaster Msizeni Ngubane, Gangada was leaving the teachers' cottages on the school's premises when she was pounced upon. Her attacker stabbed her in the stomach and in the neck.
A 20 cm knife was lodged in her neck when her body was discovered on Sunday.
"I got a call after 11 am on Sunday saying I must come to the school urgently. When I got there I could not believe what I saw," Ngubane said.
Gangada was robbed of her cellphone and her car, which was recovered on Monday near Nottingham Road.
Ngubane said there are no security guards stationed at the school.
"We are still so shocked. We have never seen anything like this before, for a woman to be killed this way is horrific," Ngubane said.
Gangada, who was from Edendale and lived in a cottage at the school, taught Zulu and life orientation to matric pupils at the school.
She is survived by three children, two boys and a girl.
"This is a big loss for the school. She was a very good teacher and a friendly lady. She was good to her pupils and they really miss her," Ngubane said.
Speaking to The Witness yesterday, Gangada's daughter Thembeka, said her funeral will take place tomorrow.
"She was vibrant and pro-active. She loved listening to house music and gospel when she was out with friends," Thembeka said.
"They stabbed her when she was due to come back home. We only see her once or twice a month, now we will never see her again. We are devastated and we really miss her."
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Jay Naicker said the motive for the killing is unknown at this stage.
"A case of murder was opened at Mooi River police station for investigation and no arrests have been made," Naicker said
Read more on: pietermaritzburg | murder
George Jobs


You can't always judge a beer by its package, but Karl Strauss is betting that if you like what's on the outside, you'll love what's on the inside. Karl Strauss Brewing Company is celebrating their 20th Anniversary with the debut of completely redesigned packaging to showcase their locally brewed and bottled beer. With the completion of their new brewery expansion and bottling line, the company felt the time was right to release new packaging that better reflected the pioneering spirit of San Diego's first craft beer company.
The new packaging takes the familiar images San Diego has come to know—the Red Trolley, the woodie car—and gives them new life with a sketched art look and subdued colors, on natural looking packaging. Karl Strauss went with the natural background, rather than the glossy/slick look, to stand apart from the big guys and stay authentic to who they are as a local San Diego brewery. They used recycled materials wherever they could, including six pack carriers that are made from 100% recycled paper. Even the design is more environmentally friendly using much less ink than traditional beer packaging. They had bold ideas of what they wanted their packaging to be and are very happy with how it all turned out.
The new designs were done all in house and feature more information about the beer. Delivered with a sense of humor, Karl Strauss demonstrates they know their beer, but aren't afraid to have a little fun—after all, it's beer!
Another major change to the company's packaging includes a new pry-off cap. The oxygen-absorbing, pry-off bottle caps help keep the beer fresher longer, and that means better tasting beer. And with all that goes into making a great beer, Karl Strauss believes in doing everything they can to keep it tasting that way.
All bottles coming off the company's new bottling line at the main brewery in Pacific Beach will feature the new packaging. Six packs of Karl Strauss Amber Lager, Red Trolley Ale, Woodie Gold, and their latest release—Tower 10 IPA—are expected to hit shelves in supermarkets and liquor stores across Southern California in the first quarter of 2009.
OK, keep the hippy labels but give me back my twist off caps!!! and the old taste the new Amber leaves my mouth wanting an old Amber Lager. Now I need to buy up all the old Amber Lager and stash it in a cold dark place.
Oh well there's always Miller Lite.


I have installed K&N air filters for all of my cars for the past 15 years, regardless whether they are for sports-cars or just a humble, every-day work car. Improved performance and mileage is a given. Great that I can also buy direct from the factory freight-free. Excellent products and great price.


Handicap International's health team in Haiti, which has been treating massive numbers of injuries, estimates there are now more than 2,000 amputees because of injuries sustained in the earthquake.
While continuing to provide emergency assistance, Handicap International is also planning long-term action to treat the wounded and support their recovery.
To provide care for the maximum number of injured people, Handicap International currently has about 30 rehabilitation and health staff split into six mobile health care teams providing care for the injured. Staff is expected to increase to around 100 people in approximately two to three weeks.
In Port-au-Prince, two of Handicap International's mobile health teams, composed of rehabilitation specialists, are providing care in eight hospitals, where only the most severe injuries are treated due to the massive influx of wounded people. The majority of operations are amputations. Some patients with closed fractures are being asked to leave until the most urgent cases are treated first. Based on information gathered by Handicap International staff and partner organizations, there are currently an estimated 2,000 amputees in Port-au-Prince, up from Monday's estimate of 1,000.
"The situation in Haiti today is really unprecedented," explained Thomas Calvot, a specialist in the care management of earthquake victims at Handicap International in Lyon.
"This is due to the sheer number of the injured - 250,000 people according to the U.N. – and the destruction of health facilities. In emergency situations, doctors often have no other choice but to amputate. In the massive earthquakes in China in 2008 and Pakistan in 2005, the situation was less critical as hospitals were still working efficiently. In Haiti, no organization is in a position to cover all the needs in this area. We are already working with partner organizations in order to take care of the maximum number of injured people, in a coordinated manner," he added.
With the agreement of hospital officials, Handicap International's teams are providing postoperative rehabilitation care, distributing walking aids and orthopedic equipment and are establishing a long-term follow-up system for patients.
"You must keep your joints moving," Dr. Colleen O'Connell explained repeatedly to amputees in overcrowded hospital wards. Dr. O'Connell, a Canadian physician specializing in rehabilitation, is part of a team of rehabilitation specialists who arrived this week from Canada and the United States to monitor postoperative treatment and follow-up.
"You must do exercises every day to avoid muscular contraction. This is vital in order to fit you with an artificial limb later on," she told patients.
Four other Handicap International mobile rehabilitation teams are working within four of the poorest neighborhoods in the capital -- Carrefour, Carrefour Feuilles, Christ-Roi and Pétionville-- to provide care and distribute walking aids to camps of people left homeless by the earthquake and other vulnerable groups.
Handicap International rehabilitation experts indicate that the fitting of artificial limbs will be needed on a massive scale. This activity will not begin until March, once amputees' limbs have had sufficient time to heal after surgery. Handicap International plans to produce between 300 and 400 emergency prostheses in the first six months. These temporary artificial limbs will then have to be replaced by permanent prostheses. The organization's goal is to create and coordinate a structure for rehabilitation and artificial limb fitting and build long-term capacity by training Haitian personnel to ensure the project's sustainability.


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You are Peter, the Rock
The Foolishness of the Cross
The Church is Catholic
By NCC-UK in NCC UK
Meditations on the Images and Marks of the Church – Part 3
This is the third of five web meditations launched by Fathers Geoffrey Neal and Edward Bryant on the Church, the images and marks that have underpinned an orthodox vision. An overview of the meditations is available on this site here and on the European website here.
Some years ago at an International conference in London, I was with a group of black suited priests going up the escalator, when a group of Americans going the opposite way said to us, "Hey are you all Catholics?" Here was our problem. Some were Anglo Catholics, some were Nordic Catholic and one was a Roman Catholic. We all said "Yes Sir!" – but we all knew it was not the real answer to the greeting rather it was part of our shared dilemma. This word Catholic, the third mark of the Church in the Nicene-Constantinople Creed has deep roots in the life and the self understanding of the early Church. But it has become our stumbling block. The churches of the Union of Scranton have been meeting over a period of years with other catholic churches, attempting to build a renewed vision of our essential Catholicity, and to do this we have been going back to the sources in an effort to face the challenge brought about by the present crisis of faith.
Beginning with the New Testament it is possible to discern the foundations of Christian self understanding. Just as the first converts were called "followers of the Way" before they were called Christians in Antioch, so too Catholicity took time to emerge fully. For example, the Gospels have images given in Our Lord's teaching for the people of the kingdom such as the vine and branches, the vineyard, the body and bride and the temple, but it is in the letters of the Apostles dealing with practical and pastoral matters that the seeds of Catholicity are revealed especially as they deal with the need for unity of faith and practice from one local church to another.
The first followers of Christ were simply a faith community of pilgrims living as foreigners in a strange land, but rooted in a belief that they were established by the Lord Jesus himself, led by the Holy Spirit, and guided by faithful human shepherds who were to hand on the one faith. With these leaders they came together and shared in the breaking of bread, looking for the Kingdom that the Lord had promised would come. They were taught by St. Paul that they were a new people of God yet although in many different cities they were one and the same "ekklesia" universally. St. Paul has this in mind telling the Corinthians; "I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church." [1 Corinthians 4,17] He also refers to the Church or Church of God as having her identity in the Eucharist where the many become one: "For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it… Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another." [1 Corinthians 11,18 ff] The identity of each local church united with all the others into the one was reinforced by St. Paul whenever he sent greetings from one city to another as in Romans 16,23: "Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you."
By the end of New Testament times the seed of Catholicity had taken root and the next leaders of the Ekklesia of God summed up their self understanding by using the word "Cat-holicos". This was because very soon living in a real world of human frailty of hostility and persecution; they soon required some explicit dogmatic expression. The simple creeds and basic formulae with the marks of the church then began to emerge. One of the earliest uses of the word Catholic in Christian history was by St. Ignatius second bishop of Antioch in Syria (AD 69) who knew the apostles John, Paul and Barnabas. As a very old man he was arrested and taken on the long and dangerous journey to Rome where he was martyred in the year AD 107. During the journey he writes as the bishop to five of his churches in Asia Minor. He wishes to keep his flocks protected and united with one another and also with the Churches in other regions and holding the same faith they had all received. He wrote to them all, but particularly to the Church in Smyrna, "wherever the bishop is, there is the congregation. When Jesus Christ is present, there is the Catholic Church". Four decades later in a long letter from Smyrna he tells movingly of the martyrdom of Bishop Polycarp with these words: "of the elect he was indeed one, this most wonderful Polycarp a man who in our times showed himself an apostolic and prophetic teacher and bishop of the catholic church in Smyrna… [Ch 11,16]
Sinai, Christ Pantocrator [Carulmare / CC BY Wikimedia Commons]
The increasing use of the adjective Catholic was understood in the sense that it is used by Ignatius and others like Tertullian when he taught about the rule of faith in the Catholic Church or St Cyril when warning against heretics and advising Christians to stay with the catholic church who teach the complete faith universally. [Catechetical lectures 18; ch.23] Finally it bears fruit in the Nicene/Constantinople Creed, which was confirmed by the first four Ecumenical Councils of the whole and undivided Church. The creed expresses faith in a church that is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. All four marks being adjectives are working together, and the whole concept of being Church is to be understood in the mind and practiced in the heart. One mark without the others leaves the whole incomplete. It is inconceivable that members of the Church can be one if they insist on holding their own private opinions. The members of a Church may be fundamentally Catholic by their baptism but to be of the Church they must also be orthodox in doctrine holding the same fundamental beliefs and never losing sight of the call to be lifted into the life and divinity of the Blessed Trinity so that Catholic cannot exist without Holiness or Unity. The four marks "mutually interpenetrate each other in indissoluble unity… the pillar and ground of truth". [Road to Unity, III,1]
So it was in the third and fourth centuries, struggling to deal with the rise of heretical groups that the word Catholic begins to be applied to those who uphold orthodox doctrine rather than sectarian and non orthodox or what was then called heterodox innovations, which were then everywhere as they are today. Catholic began to mean not only the same faith in every part of the world and hence "universal" but additionally to be "complete" and "whole faith" that needed no additions. This is the meaning of the Greek, "Cat-holicos". Because the fourth century was the age of endless heresies, the leaders of the church were forced to create the agreed creeds as safe doctrinal pasturage for their people. The creeds were never a substitute or addition to Holy Scripture but created to encapsulate the very core of Apostolic teaching that God had entered human history as a remedy for the destructive flaw that haunts us all. Creeds were not intended to be a straight jacket but rather a fence or safety net. The early Church in the context of the pagan world took very seriously their teaching work, the creed became an important part of three years of catechesis serving as a decompression chamber for converts entering a new journey.
This was the situation Clement of Alexandria [AD 150-215] faced as he compared heretical sects with the true and ancient Catholic Church, and Cyril of Jerusalem [315-387] encouraged his people to do what many have to do today, and avoid churches that could not conform to the Catholic faith, and to a large extent this clarity kept the Church united for the first 1000 years. But it did not last!
THE PLANT NEEDS ATTENTION
Having managed to maintain a degree of working unity, we have to face the fact that all is not well because a grievous and major fracture took place within the Church by the second millennium. The Latin Church of the West made a change in the definition of catholicity by including communion with, and obedience to, the office and supremacy of the Roman pontiff as a requirement for membership of the Church Catholic. This changed everything! Although the creedal marks had themselves not changed, a fatal flaw was opening up in that important concept of unity and wholeness as it had been understood for the earliest centuries. A Papal Catholicity had been created which is an addition or at least an innovation. This alteration also restricted the meaning of catholicos from "whole and complete" just to the idea of universal. This discipline was not accepted by the four other patriarchs of the East. Although it cannot be judged an act of heresy but of innovation and addition in dogma, it has continued to create difficulties for the mark of unity until today. So there are since the second millennium two understandings, first the ancient descriptive definition and then the later Western addition. There have been attempts to resolve these difficulties but so far without success, and still contributing to the root cause of such weakness throughout Christendom which enfeebles us all, especially now. Having witnessed the progressive hardening of the dogmas surrounding Papal Catholicism during the twentieth century, the Old Catholic Church stands with the East in believing that more and more elements have been added to the concept of Catholicity as it was first developed by the Apostles and their successors, and this is a matter that has to be resolved so that we can work and witness together.
Regrettably this most important word Catholic is probably the most problematic of all the marks because it is still applied exclusively to the Western Roman Catholic Church, becoming the focus of misunderstanding not just on London escalators, but over many centuries. So this important descriptive word "Catholic" rather than assisting the focus of unity brings about the exact opposite just as the worldwide Church faces a very difficult future.
The only possibility for progress was foreseen by Cardinal Ratzinger before he became Pope Benedict, when he believed that we would all need to return to the beginning to become a simpler Church. This conviction runs through the whole of St. John Paul II's "Ut unum sint" [1995] which not only recognises the seriousness of Christian division and the impediment to the work of Christ [section 98] but the two lungs of the Catholic Churches of the East and West can only come together based on the model of the first millennium [section 55]. Twenty five years have passed with very little sense of urgency. If the vision could be revived, then perhaps the canon of St. Vincent of Lérins could be preserved and used again by all Catholics having a valued place again as a focus of unity,"that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all."
Fr. Geoffrey Neal
NCC-UK


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ADVERTISE WITH US | TMCNET HOME | PAST ISSUES
September 2008 | Volume 11 / Number 9
Internet Telephony Magazine Table of Contents
www.tmcnet.com/2290.1
Verizon (News - Alert) Flex for Business Internet Enhances Productivity
Verizon has announced a new service offering, Verizon Flex for Business Internet, which combines Verizon Wireless BroadbandAccess with Verizon's FiOS (News - Alert) Internet or high-speed Internet services at discounted prices. The solution will allow small businesses to bring together the best in-the-office and on-the-go broadband network with the Verizon Flex for Business Internet plan. The new service bundle discounts Verizon High Speed Internet or FiOS Internet for Business when combined with Verizon Wireless BroadbandAccess wireless Internet service. Prices start at $95.98 per month.
RCN (News - Alert) Offers Hosted PBX Service
RCN Business Services has introduced a hosted PBX solution aimed at small and mid-sized businesses. The service features a Web portal where users can customize their features. In addition to caller ID, call waiting, and three-way calling, the service offers an auto-attendant function, simultaneous ring, find me-follow me and the ability to check voice messages using email or any phone. The service uses SIP trunking so customers can buy voice trunks one at a time. Remote offices can be connected four-digit dialing with calls at literally no cost, and lines can be added, dropped or reconfigured without the need for a technician to come to your office to reconfigure hardware.
www.rcn.com
Toshiba (News - Alert) Goes Big With New Strata CIX1200 IP Switch
Toshiba has brought the capabilities and affordability of its Strata CIX line of IP-enabled switches to medium to large enterprises, and to contact centers, with its new Strata CIX1200. The Strata CIX1200 has nearly double the port capacity of the previous largest model, the Strata CIX670. Supporting up to 1,200 ports, it is designed for 200 to 1,000 users and delivers networked applications for as many as 128 sites. The CIX1200 can be customized using Toshiba's FeatureFlex adaptability tool, which allows enterprises to create user-definable and modified features, such as call processing, companywide, by department, or for individual users.
www.telecom.toshiba.com
Report: SMBs Ripe for Cyber Attacks
McAfee (News - Alert) has released the results of a survey, which showed that small and medium-size businesses think their revenue is "too low to draw the attention of cyber criminals." However, according to McAfee, the possibility of cyber attacks is high among SMBs, since their cases are less likely to be brought to the attention of law enforcement organizations such as the FBI. McAfee said that it is vulnerability of these organizations, not the amount of wealth or data, which make them the easy target of attackers. The findings come from a survey conducted on 500 SMBs in the United States and Canada. Last year, McAfee conducted a similar survey on 600 SMBs in Europe and derived almost the same results. According to McAfee, there are approximately 7.4 million SMBs in North America, a significant figure to pull cyber criminals more towards them.
TalkSwitch (News - Alert) Upgrades VoIP Offering
TalkSwitch has announced the release of TalkSwitch management software version 6.10. The free upgraded version is equipped with new call handling features, making TalkSwitch systems "more customizable," according to the company. In addition, this newest version is designed to simplify the installation of IP phones as well as add new diagnostic tools. The 6.10 version makes adding IP phones easy, as they can be automatically detected and configured by the system. Additionally, a firewall test can be conducted to ensure the network is optimized for VoIP calling, and this test can save "hours of troubleshooting" and offers benefits to do-it-yourself end-users, system administrators and installers. The new software allows for up to 100 system-wide speed dials as well as options such as a front desk or taxi service and new hunt group balancing and overflow that help ensure that the organization is efficiently using their PSTN and VoIP lines in harmony.
www.talkswitch.com
Objectworld (News - Alert) Welcomes New Unified Communications Bundle
Objectworld Communications Corp., recently unveiled a new unified communications solution bundle. With the new solution, businesses can leverage the benefits of unified communications including e-mail, voicemail, messaging and fax capabilities accessible from one interface and from any device for as little as 7 cents per day per user. With Objectworld's UC Server Standard Edition, businesses can do away with VoIP to reap the productivity benefits of unified communications, saving their money by leveraging their existing PBX (News - Alert) systems in the process, according to the company. However, if businesses want to upgrade their existing phone system, Objectworld UC Server SIP Edition can provide an endto-end unified communications solution for only 37 cents per day, company officials say. The solution provides both software and new hardware such as third-party desktop phones, server hardware and gateways.
www.objectworld.com
AdventNet (News - Alert) Intros New VoIP Monitoring Solution
AdventNet Inc. announced that they're offering support for monitoring of H.323 protocol-based VoIP traffic with their recent release of VQManager 6.1. The ManageEngine VQManager is a VoIP monitoring software solution, equipped with monitoring, alerting, reporting and archiving functions to help keep the VoIP services up and optimized. VQManager 6.1 monitors VoIP environments that use SIP, Cisco (News - Alert) SCCP, or H.323 protocols for call signaling and RTP or RTCP protocols for media transfer. Officials say that the software's call centric approach to VoIP monitoring ensures every attempted call is kept track of. Also, it provides comprehensive insights on Answer to Seizure Ratio, VoIP traffic trends, call quality trends, bandwidth utilization and overall VoIP network health, according to the company. The updated version, VQManager 6.1, features support for the legacy H.323 protocol, ensuring coverage of VoIP equipment vendors and protocols, and also provides a single interface for complete VoIP network monitoring, company officials say.
www.adventnet.com
Cablevision VoIP Product Surpasses 2 Million Lines
This week, Cablevision announced that it's Optimum (News - Alert) Voice digital voice-overcable service has surpassed a major milestone, and now has over 2 million phone lines in service. Joe Varello, Cablevision's vice president of digital voice product management, said that the response by residential and small business customers alike to the value, reliability and advanced features of Optimum Voice has been "extraordinary." Cablevision provides small and medium-sized business customers up to 12 lines of Optimum Voice and up to four lines for residential customers. The service includes unlimited flat-rate calling across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as advanced calling features such as call waiting, caller ID, enhanced voicemail, call forwarding and directory assistance.
www.optimumvoice.com
Cable, Broadband, Wireless Capture Canadian Market Share: CRTC
A new study by the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), its first ever Communications Monitoring Report, revealed that cable companies have emerged as major competitors to Canada's traditional telcos for local telephone and high-speed Internet services to residential consumers with voice over IP and data services. Cable firms had captured 17.9 percent of residential local exchange lines in 2007, up from 12.3 percent in 2006. They increased the number of their lines by 759,000 whereas the incumbent telcos saw a decline of 772,000 lines. Not surprisingly, traditional telcos' share of local and access revenues dropped to 86.1 percent from 87.7 percent in 2006. Cable companies also have taken on the Bells in the wireless market. These firms and other alternative service providers hold a 40 percent share of subscribers.
www.crtc.gc.ca
SimpleSignal (News - Alert) Intros New Hosted VoIP Service
SimpleSignal revelaed a new Unified Communications solution, "SimplyMobile," that is designed to deliver a voiceenabled messaging solution for SMBs by combining feature-rich hosted PBX with hosted Microsoft (News - Alert) Exchange 2007. The company has partnered with Chinook Hosting, a hosted solutions company, to provide the hosted Exchange services for SimplyMobile. SimplyMobile allows users to listen to their e-mails and manage calendar items in Microsoft Outlook using voice commands from any telephone, including mobile devices. As the e-mail and voice services are hosted with the new integrated solution end-users can focus on managing their business instead of investing their valuable time in managing their communications infrastructure. The solution can also translate e-mails from text to speech and allows users to call Outlook contacts via voice commands on a mobile phone. SimpleSignal is offering the solution at $59.95 per user per month, including Hosted Exchange 2007 with 2 gigabytes of storage and an unlimited North American calling plan.
VoIP, HDTV Provider SureWest (News - Alert) Brings WealthTV to Kansas City
WealthTV has signed an agreement with SureWest Communications to bring its luxury lifestyle and entertainment programming to SureWest customers in the Kansas City region. SureWest is expected to feature WealthTV in digital and highdefinition formats. With its own highdefinition production studios, WealthTV will complement SureWest's channel lineup with original programming. Since late 2006, WealthTV has been available to SureWest video customers in Sacramento, California. In February, SureWest acquired Lenexa, Kansas-based Everest Broadband, and last month announced that it has started operating the Everest Broadband unit under the "SureWest" name.
www.surewest.com
www.wealthtv.com
Vonage (News - Alert) to Offer New VoIP Service for Mobile Users
Vonage has announced the launch of a new mobile service designed to allow people to use their home phone numbers and access the Internet from anywhere. Company officials say their so-called "Vonage Pro" service caters to customers with a wide variety of lifestyles and communications needs. The features, tagged together as "Vonage Companion," offers customers at a residential or home office user to access their home number from any desktop or laptop PC connected to a high speed Internet connection. The Companion also makes it so that incoming calls go to both the customer's home phone and the companion, and offers features specifically tailored for each users, such as selective call blocking, conference calling and call recording. The new service will cost $35 per month plus taxes and fees. In addition to the Companion, Vonage Pro includes voicemail and contact center features, as well as transcription services that can transcribe a voicemail into a text-message, according to the company.
www.vonage.com
India Releases New Guidelines for 3G Spectrum (News - Alert)
The Indian Government has finally announced the much awaited broad guidelines for 3G (third generation) spectrum auction in India. The new guidelines state that anybody holding a Unified Access Service License (UASL), or qualifying for an UASL in India and having relevant experience in 3G services, is eligible to participate in the bid. This plan clearly indicates entry to foreign bidders, which will facilitate in having a competitive 3G market in India. Raja clarified that the government is allotting spectrum in the 2.1GHz band for 3G services. Initially, the government would permit up to five operators which include a state carrier, but the bar could be raised up to ten in near future. The new guidelines indicate that the spectrum will be auctioned in blocks of 2x5 MHz, and the number of blocks to be auctioned will range from five to 10 based on the availability of spectrum in each service area.
FCC (News - Alert) Certifies Solectek's 3.65 GHz WiMAX System
The Federal Communications Commission has announced that it's certified Solectek's new WiMax broadband wireless product line, operating in the newly created licensed 3.65 GHz frequency band for licensing to wireless ISPs and other enterprise users. Based on FCC registration, the light licensing model allows for rapid deployment of networks and services for fast moving organizations, according to the company. The SkyWay-MAX 3.65 GHz product line is based on Solectek's 3.5 GHz WiMax product family and features what company officials call the industry's best price performance ratio. Eric Lee, chief executive officer of Solectek, said that his company wants to ensure it's providing cost-effective, high performance WiMax solutions for the independent ISP community. He said that WiMax architecture allows a new entrant to start small and build up their network as their business grows.
www.solectek.com
LiMo Foundation Welcomes New Motorola (News - Alert) Handset
LiMo Foundation, an industry consortium dedicated to creating an open, hardwareindependent, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices, has reported the announcement by Motorola Inc. of the release of a new handset, the Motorola ROKR EM30, using the LiMo operating system platform. The ROKR EM30 is a GSM quad-band phone, which features a music player. It is expected to be available first in Taiwan before reaching other markets later in the quarter. The phone is the eighth Motorola device using the LiMo platform. Recent announcements by Motorola and other handset manufacturers bring the total of handsets are now available with the LiMo platform installed to 22.
www.limofoundation.org
www.tmcnet.com/#2307.1
TRENDnet Offers 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router
TRENDnet, a company that offers affordable networking solutions, has unveiled their latest product, the 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router, model TEW-672GR, which the company says has the capability to offer supreme wireless speed, coverage and reliability. The 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router supports the choice of using the 2.4GHz or the less crowded 5.0GHz radio band to optimize performance in high-interference wireless environments. Some of the significant features of this product include four Gigabit LAN ports on the back of the router, a Gigabit WAN port, which ensures the fastest possible connection to the Internet, and a double firewall using Network Address Translation (NAT) and Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) protocols, which protect from Internet attacks.
www.trendnet.com
Fujitsu Global Mobile and III Address
Taiwan's WiMAX (News - Alert) Mobile Market Fujitsu Global Mobile Platform Inc. (FMPI) and the Institute for Information Industry (III) of Taiwan made a joint announcement that they will commence operations, which includes the development of reference designs by FMPI for WiMAX-related products. These designs will benefit Taiwan-based ODM vendors besides offering technical support. Reference designs for WiMAX-related products are necessary for shortening development cycles and streamlining a number of development processes for WiMAX-related products, such as WiMAX mobile devices and ultrasmall base stations. FMPI will provide ODM vendors in Taiwan with reference designs for WiMAX-related products which are based on advanced WiMAX system-on-chip (SoC) solutions from Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited (FML) and software technologies from III.
http://jp.fujitsu.com/group/fml/en/
http://www.iii.org.tw/english/
MicroStrategy Offers iPhone (News - Alert) Users BI Reports and Dashboards
MicroStrategy, Inc., a global provider of business intelligence (BI) software, announced that its latest version of MicroStrategy (News - Alert) 8 software offers interactive reporting and analysis directly on the Apple iPhone. As per the offer, all five Styles of Business Intelligence supported by MicroStrategy are now available on the iPhone, including Scorecards and Dashboards, Enterprise Reporting, OLAP Analysis, Advanced and Predictive Analysis, and Alerts and Proactive Notification. The latest version of MicroStrategy 8 takes full advantage of the latest Web 2.0 technologies to provide a rich application interface between iPhone and MicroStrategy. Mobile BI users will now have seamless access to their data under this combined solution at their own convenience. iPhone users can view detailed operational reports, business charts and graphs, and userfriendly dashboards featuring key performance indicators (KPIs). The touchscreen interface in the iPhone enables users to interact with MicroStrategy reports and dashboards by intuitively sorting, pivoting, filtering, and drilling for greater insights.
www.microstrategy.com
Sprint, Samsung (News - Alert) Team to Expand Wireless Coverage with Femtocell Solutions
Sprint announced a partnership to expand the availability of wireless coverage, using femtocells from Samsung via Sprint (News - Alert)'s AIRAVE voice plan, designed to provide improved wireless coverage in homes and offices. The AIRAVE service will allow Sprint customers to use their existing phones, with an option to upgrade at any time. Calls initiated using an AIRAVE femtocell will transfer automatically to the Nationwide Sprint Network when customers move outside the AIRWAVE coverage area. AIRAVE service will include an optional, unlimited option for incoming and outdoing calls, and for nationwide long distance. The femtocell device is designed for easy installation by customers, using their existing broadband Internet connection and an AC power outlet. The AIRAVE is ready to use out of the box. AIRAVE will be sold at Sprint stores across the country for $99.99.
www.samsung.com
OTHER INDUSTRY NEWS
Sun Microsystems (News - Alert) Intros JavaFX Preview
Sun Microsystems has announced the availability of its the JavaFX Preview release. Web scripters, designers and Java developers will finally get to see the runtime and tools required to create rich Internet applications (RIA) using this new Java platform. Developers can download the JavaFX Preview, explore the code samples and tutorials, start writing JavaFX applications, and provide their feedback to Sun. JavaFX is for the building of RIA for PCs, mobile devices, TVs and other consumer products. It allows developers to quickly and easily build high-impact, immersive RIAs that combine 2D and 3D graphics, high fidelity audio and video, and animation, all while leveraging the power and functionality of the existing Java platform. The JavaFX Preview release is designed to help early adopters become familiar with JavaFX and is not yet being offered for commercial applications.
www.sun.com
MontaVista (News - Alert) Linux Offers Support for Cavium's OCTEON
MontaVista Software, a provider of embedded Linux commercialization solutions, announced that its Linux Carrier Grade Edition (CGE) 5.0 now supports Cavium Networks (News - Alert) OCTEON CN58XX, CN56XX, CN52XX, CN50XX and CN38XX processor families. This support is designed to enable embedded developers to use the widely adopted MIPS64-based OCTEON architecture to create high-performance multicore applications that are multi-threaded and core-aware while delivering the interoperability, high availability, and field serviceability that carriers need. MontaVista CGE includes carrier-grade features and interoperates with industry software and hardware.
www.mvista.com
www.caviumnetworks.com
Toshiba, PAETEC (News - Alert) Certify Interoperability of CPE and SIP Trunking
Toshiba's Strata CIX family of IP business communication systems has been certified as interoperable with PAETEC's SIP Trunking services nationwide. Rebecca Swensen, research analyst, VoIP services at IDC (News - Alert), explained that agreements between service providers and equipment manufacturers will increasingly become prevalent with the evolution of Enterprise SIP Solutions. She said that the PAETEC and Toshiba strategic relationship facilitates simplicity, flexibility and the ability to customize solutions to fit customer needs. The alliance will also simplify the process of migrating enterprise customers to SIP solutions. Toshiba has also become a National Master Sales Agent for PAETEC, according to another announcement by the companies. This makes SIP Trunking services available across the country through Toshiba's national network of authorized dealers.
www.paetec.com
IP CONTACT CENTER
SAS (News - Alert) Forms Profit Optimization Global Practice
As the economy is experiencing a continuing slump and competitive intensity increases in nearly all industries, new profitoptimization techniques are needed in order to ensure that a company can not only make money – but also that it can survive. Traditional practices are no longer adequate to ensure profitability and organizations are demanding change. To help enterprises ensure that they can maximize profitability, SAS, a major player in the area of business intelligence and analytics, has formed a new Profit Optimization Global Practice. This division will apply revenue-management techniques that are designed to help companies to optimize profitability through the use of advanced analytics to scientifically and proactively determine the most profitable market segments and prices.
PCI Turns to Nortel (News - Alert) for Latest Contact Center Deployment
PCI, a contact center outsourcing specialist, is building a new unified communications contact center facility in Melbourne, Australia. Using energy-efficient solutions from communications solution provider Nortel and Platinum nPower channel partner Commander, PCI will enjoy a state-of-the-art contact center that will be considered environmentally friendly. PCI delivers a range of contact center services for Australia and multinational clients, including telecoms, banking, information technology and utility companies. The organization is seeking to reduce its carbon footprint with Nortel's unified voice, data and wireless network at its Melbourne headquarters. According to PCI, the new 6,000 square meter Greenfield site will receive a new fully-IP-enabled network that will support 715 active agents and as many as 850 concurrent users. Such a system will allow for growth and expansion, providing the capability the company needs to meet a growing demand within the local industry.
www.nortel.com
FreedomVOICE Now a Polycom (News - Alert) Reseller for VoIP
FreedomVOICE Systems, a provider of virtual office solutions, has announced it has been certified as a Polycom reseller for VoIP for its FreedomIQ VoIP Hosted PBX service. FreedomVOICE offers an extensive line of Polycom telephones, including the SoundPoint IP 330, 550, and 650 desktop phones and the SoundStation IP 4000 conference phone. "Polycom certification is part of our commitment to total customer support," said Eric Thomas, founder and CEO of FreedomVOICE. "When you call us with a problem, you never get referred out to a third party. We back up everything we sell, whether it's hardware or software. Polycom is our preferred vendor for our FreedomIQ VoIP Hosted PBX service," he added.
www.freedomvoice.com
www.polycom.com
TELECOM EXPENSE MANAGEMENT NEWS
EMBARQ Releases Smart IP Enterprise, Includes TEM
EMBARQ Business has introduced an innovative business communications product: "Smart IP Enterprise." The new solution offers businesses the convenience of an advanced communications system that includes EMBARQ Dedicated Internet Access, local and long distance voice service, and IP-enabled call management features. All of these benefits are offered to the customer without the large capital expense of purchasing and maintaining an on-site communications system. The EMBARQ Smart IP Enterprise is hosted in the EMBARQ network and is designed with features to help increase employee productivity and improve customer service. The solution is customizable to meet individual business needs to maximize the return on telecommunications spending. This latest solution also offers businesses EMBARQ Dedicated Internet Access, local and long distance voice service and IP-enabled call management features that will include incoming call routing, simultaneous ring to wireline and wireless phones and sequential ring to help reduce missed calls.
www.embarq.com
BillSoft (News - Alert) and CommSoft Partner to Provide Rating, Billing and Taxation
BillSoft and CommSoft have announced an agreement to collaborate on a joint solution. The resulting offering will allow customers to collect and calculate taxes using the newest technologies. This will help service providers faced with the challenge of creating provisioning for and calculating communications taxes. The integrated solution includes BillSoft's EZGeo ASP and EZTax and CommSoft's iCommVergence solutions to automate the complex process of calculating and billing for the ever-changing federal, state, county, city and special tax district rates and rules, for communications service providers. Shenandoah Telecommunications (News - Alert) Company (Shentel), which has adopted the solution, offers a comprehensive suite of voice, video and data communications services and was the first customer to go live with the combined solution.
www.commsoft.net
www.billsoft.com
Verizon's Free Billing Tool to Aid Customers Who Pay Online
Verizon Business (News - Alert) has unveiled a Global Billing Report to provide multinational businesses a consolidated view of their worldwide billing activity. The new tool is available at Verizon Enterprise Center. Verizon Business Center says it provides a number of tools and resources to help customers manage their enterprise accounts online. Global Billing Report is immediately available as a free tool for customers worldwide, according to the company. Currently the tool is being used by Verizon customers headquartered in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Global Billing Report helps companies view worldwide communication expenses online in both the original billed currency and another currency selected by the customer, said Verizon. According to Verizon Business, the Global Billing Report also combines billing data from domestic and international invoices into a group of summary reports. These reports give a detailed view of a service across the regions where the customer operates, company officials say.
www.verizonbusiness.com
Telecom Companies Deploy HP's Real-time Charging Solution
HP has announced four telecom operators that are transforming their traditional billing operations into real-time engines for growth with HP's charging technology. HP RealTime Charging allows for accurate, customer-centric pricing models that help telecom operators expand revenue with high-value services. The offering also helps operators develop competitive differentiation and enhance the customer experience. The telecom operators currently utilizing HP's RealTime Charging solution include: China Telecom (News - Alert), FASTWEB in Italy, VimpelCom in Russia, and Polkomtel in Poland. Based on industry standards, HP RealTime Charging is a highly scalable solution that is designed for high-performance transaction processing. With a flexible, modular architecture, it can be integrated with legacy billing infrastructures as well as newer networks and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) environments.
www.hp.com
Intec (News - Alert) Completes Eco-Friendly Benchmark of Intec Convergent Billing Solution
Intec Telecom Systems has announced the successful completion of an "eco (News - Alert)-friendly" performance benchmark of Intec Convergent Billing: the Singl.eView 6.01. This billing and customer care system uses a grid of Sun SPARC Enterprise Servers with CoolThreads technology running the Solaris 10 Operating System (OS). This benchmark is considered to be a demonstration of the capability to distribute the award-wining charging, billing and customer care application across multiple low cost Sun Ultra SPARC processors while also sustaining outstanding price/performance. This configuration is considered to be ideal for telecommunications service providers who are seeking to significantly reduce their IT infrastructure costs and power requirements.
www.intecbilling.com
RedRoller Launches Web-Based Package Shipping Solution for SMBs
RedRoller, a Shipping Search Engine, announced that it's made available more powerful order history reporting in its Web-based package shipping solution for businesses. Small and medium-sized businesses want to reduce their package shipping costs due to the increase in the fuel and other costs, according to the company. Designed specifically for small businesses, RedRoller's solution compares service and associated cost levels of various carriers to save time and money as well as simplify the entire package shipping process, company officials say. Saying small businesses are getting hammered by rising fuel and other costs in today's economic environment, Michael Tribolet, chief executive officer of RedRoller said that his company's new reporting functionality is designed to help subscribers make better shipping decisions, further decrease shipping costs and increase profits.
www.redroller.com
Tangoe (News - Alert) Expands Managed Services Portfolio, Acquires Information Strategies Group
Telecom expense management solutions provider Tangoe announced that it has completed a transaction with Information Strategies Group (ISG), which will now operate as a division of Tangoe. The ISG acquisition enables Tangoe to expand its technology-based software and service solutions designed to help organizations to manage and control communications and IT technology resources and related expenditures. ISG's management expertise in billing, processes, international and domestic communications cost processing will enhance Tangoe's CommCare managed services offerings. The merger will help ISG's existing IT and telecom invoice processing customers by giving them access to Tangoe's wireless lifecycle management solutions.
www.tangoe.com
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