Freedom Fest to celebrate America

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Live Oak Melody Church of Live Oak will be hosting their inaugural Freedom Fest on Saturday, June 29. Pastor Darrin Baldwin hopes that this celebration of freedom and fun will become an annual family tradition.

Freedom Fest 2013 will start off with the Firecracker 5K marathon. Registration will open at 7:15 a.m., the race will start at 8 a.m. at Melody, and it will end back at Melody with an awards ceremony at 8:45 a.m.

Following the marathon, the bulk of the days activities will begin with a welcome and opening prayer at 3 p.m. with Cyndi Skierski singing the National Anthem. Throughout the day there will be live music from the Jamie Davis Band, Tall Bear, Amber Lee Abbott, and Jeremiah Ross, as well as a performance from Twirling by Kary.

Other activities to enjoy at Freedom Fest will include food and craft vendors, all American car show, water slides, dodgeball tournament, face painting, kids play area, pony rides, and 4-H petting zoo, all ongoing from 3 to 9 p.m.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of Lake City will be recognizing our local heroes in uniform onstage from 5 to 6 p.m. Veterans, currently serving military men and women, and emergency first responders are invited to attend this special ceremony where the VFW will call them up from the crowd to honor them for their service. Purses from the Firecracker 5K and the car show will be donated to the VFW.

Freedom Fest will conclude with a dazzling professional fireworks show at 9:15 p.m.

Live Oak doesnt really have a Fourth of July celebration, Heidi Hofer, Melodys outreach coordinator, said. We saw a gap for that, and were hoping to reach out to the community with this patriotic event.

Food and craft vendors and car show competitors are welcome to apply for a spot at http://www.melodychurch.com. The tentative deadline to register is June 25.

Melody Church is currently looking for business sponsors and community partners to help donate funds to cover the cost of fireworks and other activities. Volunteers are also needed for the day of the event. To donate or volunteer, please contact Hofer at 386-364-4800 or hhofer@melodychurch.com.

We want to celebrate the greatest nation in the world and thank God we are able to enjoy our freedom here, Pastor Baldwin said.

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Freedom Fest to celebrate America

Freedom House: Independence of Bulgarian Media Kept Deteriorating in 2012

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Media freedom in Bulgaria kept deteriorating in 2012, according to the Nations in Transit 2013 report of US NGO Freedom House.

According to the report, as cited by Capital daily, in 2012, the independence of Bulgaria's media sphere deteriorated further as ownership became more concentrated and leading outlets accused each other of corrupt dealings with the government, tax fraud, and other crimes.

"Journalists in Bulgaria continue to face the threat of physical violence, often in response to investigations that imperil powerful business interests or seek to expose organized crime," Freedom House concluded.

According to the report, "the economic crisis in Bulgaria battered media revenues, increasing their dependence on government advertising and politically connected owners."

According to the latest edition of the Nations in Transit report, Bulgaria's score on 7 basic indicators remained unchanged over the past year, but the deterioration of the media environment dragged down the overall democracy score.

According to a rating scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest, Bulgaria scored 4 on "independent media" (compared to 3.75 a year earlier).

Bulgaria's overall democracy score was 3.18 (compared to 3.14 a year earlier).

Bulgaria ranked into the category of semi-consolidated democracies together with Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia.

All other countries of Central and Eastern Europe that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 were placed in the top category of consolidated democracies.

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Freedom House: Independence of Bulgarian Media Kept Deteriorating in 2012

The 21st Annual Melaleuca Freedom Celebration Hosts One of America’s Biggest Fourth of July Fireworks Shows

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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

If you expect to find the largest Fourth of July fireworks shows in big cities, you might be surprised to learn that Idaho Falls, Idaho actually delivers one of Americas biggest Independence Day fireworks shows.

The 21stAnnual Melaleuca Freedom Celebration will pack 17,261 shells into a 31-minute production. As measured by the number of shells fired into the sky, the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration is the nations largest fireworks show west of the Mississippi and one of Americas biggest and best displays for raw pyrotechnic firepower. Reflecting over the water of the Snake River, this fireworks show averages 9.6 shells per second, all choreographed note for note and shell for shell with a moving arrangement of energy-packed music and patriotic messages.

Having earned a reputation as one of the top fireworks shows in the U.S., the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration has become an annual tradition for more than 150,000 enthusiasts from surrounding communities and from across the nation. With such a draw, the event regularly triples the citys population.

The 2013 Melaleuca Freedom Celebration will be the largest fireworks show in Idaho since it became a state in 1890. The shows sponsor, Melaleuca, adds to the shows budget each year to assure it remains the largest show west of the Mississippi.

With free admission to the public, each year the program pays tribute to the sacrifice of the soldiers and their families who have sacrificed their lives and loved ones to secure and preserve the freedoms of this great nation.

The 2013 program theme and soundtrack will be broadcast live on KLCE Classy 97.3 FM. The shows soundtrack will feature a mix of musical genres, including patriotic, pop, rock and country. Most importantly, the narration takes the audience through key events in our nations history, blending in voice recordings of famous heroes, statesmen and national leaders.

We benefit every single day from the sacrifice of over a million people who gave their lives protecting our freedoms, said Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot. Sometimes we take their sacrifice for granted. At this celebration, we take 31 minutes to celebrate their courage and pay tribute to them and their families. Its the least we can do. When people ask what a show like this costs, our answer is, it costs absolutely nothing compared to the price that they paid for our freedom.

Using the latest technology to design and choreograph this fireworks display, the program synchronizes each shell with the musical score. Precision between the fireworks breathtaking explosions and the musical program on the radio is achieved because the fireworks are computer-fired. The choreographers paint the entire sky with low-level, mid-level and high-in-the-sky pyrotechnics. The shows designers decide which pyrotechnic effects to use depending on the mood and tempo of the song or patriotic message at that particular moment.

This years show contains many new special effects, such as a rapid-fire peacock red go-getter that fires 540 shots in 8 seconds across the horizon in a zipping pattern. The gold-rain crossettes show brilliant stars splitting into numerous comets. And the multi-colored falling leaves will display waterfall patterns in thousands of colors.

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The 21st Annual Melaleuca Freedom Celebration Hosts One of America’s Biggest Fourth of July Fireworks Shows

What Faith and Freedom confab says about Republicans

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>>> focus groups described our party as narrow-minded, out of touch, and "stuffy old men." the perception that we're the party of the rich unfortunately continues to grow.

>> in the spotlight tonight, the republican party reveals it has learned absolutely nothing. that was republican party chair reince priebus 89 days ago after his party lost the presidency and seats in the house and in the senate. here is the chairman speaking at this weekend's gathering of the conservative faith and freedom coalition.

>> i just want to let you know, i'm a christian. i'm a believer. god lives in my heart. and i'm for changing minds, not changing values. are you with me?

>> here is how priebus plans to change minds.

>> a permanent across the country coast to coast ground operation and focused in asian, hispanic, african-american, ander, evangelical, veterans. branding and marketing. digital and data. we need to control the moderators. we need to set the parameters of the debates. when we talk about moving the convention from the end of august to the end of june, it's so that we can get to the general election money.

>> priebus did not make a single policy recommendation. but that's what you do when you desperately want your audience to like you.

>> this is not an establishment takeover. this is using your brain. it's not an establishment takeover. i'd rather win together than lose together. we're all a part of together. i would just ask you that we come together. that's what we have to do together. and together, let's build it together, and let's win together. god bless you.

>> not in attendance at the faith and freedom coalition event was the most popular republican in the country. governor chris christie was busy in chicago, receiving praise from arguably the most popular democrat in the country.

>> the enduring image most americans have of you is standing there in your jacket, grieving with your people, working with them and working with the president. and you've got both praise and damnation for ignoring the political differences that you had then and still have with the president and all of us who are in the other party to do something that was really important.

>> joining me now, washington bureau chief of the huffington post and an msnbc contributor, ryan grimm, and the " washington post 's" nia malika-henderson. ryan , i go to you first on this. reince priebus has not hitched his wagon to a single substantive policy recommendation, except for this one. he said after the house -- the republican autopsy came out, he said, "we are not a policy committee but among the steps republicans take in the hispanic dmunt and beyond we must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform ." today, ryan , the " washington examiner " reports that house speaker john boehner will not violate the so-called hastert rule on an immigration bill . "no way in hell" is how several described the chances of the speaker acting on such a proposal without the majority of a majority. it does not look to be the best strategy, if you will, ryan .

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What Faith and Freedom confab says about Republicans

MyCharge Freedom 2000 (for iPhone 5)

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By Eugene Kim

By the numbers, the MyCharge Freedom 2000 ($79.99 direct) should provide more than double the battery life to a connected iPhone 5. But, as we've found with some of its competitors, double the capacity doesn't equal double the battery life. Still, the Freedom 2000 provides enough charge to comfortably get you through a day of moderate to heavy use, and its unique design makes it possible to use headphones or Lightning-enabled accessories without having to remove the case. It's a good battery case, but it's not the bestthat distinction remains with our Editors' Choice Mophie Juice Pack Helium, which adds more battery life in a sleeker and more attractive package.

Design and Features The Freedom 2000 looks more like Unu's Ecopakpower solution, which was more of an external battery slapped onto a case than a traditional battery case. It's a single-piece design, measuring 5.1 by 2.5 by .6 inches (HWD) and weighing 2.88 ounces, with rubber sides that flex to let you easily slip an iPhone 5 into place. It's easily the shortest battery case for the iPhone 5, which is an important distinction since I found that cases like the Helium push the limit for shallower pockets. Inside is impact absorbing foam, while the back is covered in a glossy plastic material with inlaid concentric circlesreminiscent of the texture on Asus Zenbook laptop lids. The whole case looks too boxy, and I personally prefer the gently tapered, soft-touch back of the Juice Pack line. There are cutouts for the camera, Volume buttons, and silent switch, while a rubber button along the top lets you easily press the Power button.

Unlike other battery cases, the Freedom 2000 leaves the bottom edge of the iPhone 5 openmeaning you won't have to fiddle with a 3.5mm headphone extender like with every other case we've tested. Instead, MyCharge built a flexible and stowable Lightning cable that you plug into your iPhone when you need some extra juice. When not in use, simply slide the cable back into its slot where it stays hidden from view.

To the left of the Lightning cable is a flap that covers a micro USB port for charging the battery back. You can charge just the Freedom 2000, or connect the Lightning cable and charge the phone and battery case using the micro USB power source. The micro USB port is a bit recessed in the Freedom 2000, so while it works fine with the bundled cable, I found that even slightly bulkier cables didn't quite fitnegating some of the benefits of using the more ubiquitous micro USB standard. Around back is a Power button, which you press and hold to activate the flow of juice or press once to check battery status. It'll glow or blink green or orange depending on charge, but it's not quite as useful or easy to decipher as the status LEDs on the Mophie Juice Packs or the PowerSkin case.

Performance and Conclusions Though it packs a sizeable 2000mAh battery, compared with the 1500mAh battery found in the Mophie Juice Pack Helium, the MyCharge Freedom 2000 fell short of expectations. In my tests, making a continuous call with LTE enabled with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched off, the Freedom 2000 added 5 hours, 35 minutes of talk time to my completely drained AT&T iPhone 5. The Helium, meanwhile, added 6 hours, 20 minutes on the same test. It did, however, best the PowerSkin's 4 hours, 28 minutes.

The MyCharge Freedom 2000 offers power when you need it, and open access to all ports when you dont. It's also a good deal shorter than other options, but I can't help feeling like it's a glorified external battery grafted onto a normal iPhone 5 caselike the Unu Ecopak but with a built-in Lightning cable. On top of that, despite its high capacity battery, it wasn't able to best the Mophie Juice Pack Helium in our battery rundown tests. If you value having easy access to your ports, the Freedom 2000 is a good choice, but if you're looking for the best battery case, our Editors' Choice remains the Helium.

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MyCharge Freedom 2000 (for iPhone 5)