Question:
Long before the year 1523, Thomas of Absberg had started to kidnap merchants and imperial diplomats from Nuremberg and Augsburg as they travelled. Although these raids often took place in present-day Lower Franconia, he concealed the whereabouts of those he abducted, hiding them in different castles and changing their locations. He had allies far into Bohemian territory, so he could hide his own whereabouts and elude pursuit. He continued his raids even after 1523, but was eventually murdered in 1531 by a follower. The raids of Hans Thomas Absberg during the period 1519-1530 were documented and fought by the Nuremberg War Office . Feuding at that time was a legitimate means of enforcing one's interests. For the Franconian Imperial Knights, whose importance was waning, it was also a means to combat the power of the emerging territorial states, such as the Bishopric of Bamberg and Burgraviate of Nuremberg, as well their margraviates,  Kulmbach and Ansbach. However, the robber barons often misused this means of dispute, because a feud had inter alia to be properly announced and needed a reasonable justification. This misuse spelt the end of feuding as a legitimate arm of policy. It was replaced by an even more effective peace under the Landfrieden.

How many years did the raids of Hans Thomas Absberg last?

Answer:
11


Question:
Paraguay's banking and financial services industry is still recovering from the liquidity crisis of 1995, when news of widespread corruption resulted in the closure of several significant banks. Reform efforts spurred by the International Monetary Fund  and World Bank helped restore some credibility to Paraguay's banking industry. Still, a paucity of credit options hinders the overall economy. Paraguay has a long history as a money-laundering center. The government has taken steps to curb the problem, but enforcement of anti-laundering legislation remains inconsistent. Foreign companies either partially or wholly own most banks and financial institutions in Paraguay. Paraguayan banks hold less than 10 percent of deposits. Of the 16 banks operating in Paraguay in 2003, 50 percent were wholly foreign-owned and 25 percent were partially owned by foreign companies. Paraguay's Central Bank exists to stabilize the financial sector, making sure that another run on banks, such as the one that occurred in 1995, does not recur. The Superintendencia de Bancos regulates the banking system, monitoring the percentage of non-performing loans in the banking system. Bank deposits rose significantly in 2004, along with the percentage of local currency in total deposits. Local currency deposits increased by 26 percent in 2004, a sign that Paraguayans are gaining confidence in the stability of Paraguayan currency. In another promising development, interest rates dropped dramatically in 2004, from 50 percent in 2003 to 27 percent in 2004. Paraguay's stock market, the Bolsa de Valores y Productos de Asunción, began trading in October 1993. The tradition of family-owned companies and economic instability kept investment low throughout the 1990s. The value of shares on the Asunción stock exchange rose by 390 percent in 2004, reaching US$17.5 million.

How many of the 16 banks operating in Paraguay in 2003 were partially owned by foreign companies?

Answer:
4


Question:
Coming off of their bye week, the Eagles returned to the Meadowlands and beat the throwback-clad New York Jets 16-9. A 36-yard gain by Thomas Jones helped set up a short field goal by Mike Nugent on New York's opening drive. On third and long on the Eagles' ensuing possession, Donovan McNabb connected with Kevin Curtis, who shook free from a tackle and scored on a 75-yard reception. In the second quarter, David Akers kicked a 22-yard field goal to make it 10-3 Eagles. After the Jets narrowed it to 10-6, the Eagles embarked on a 16-play drive that ended on an Akers' field goal miss. Just before halftime, Akers missed again wide right. He made a pair of shorter field goals in the third quarter to stretch Philadelphia's lead to 16-6. A McNabb interception gave the Jets the ball inside the Eagles' red zone, but New York came away with only a field goal, leaving them down by a touchdown. On their next possession, late in the fourth quarter, the Jets managed to get a 2nd and 1 situation at the Eagles' four yard-line. The Philadelphia defense held and the Eagles came away with a 16-9 victory. Brian Westbrook had 120 rushing yards and Curtis had 121 receiving yards with a touchdown. McNabb had 278 passing yards and Akers was three for five in the field goal department. The Eagles' record went to 2-3, as well as going 9-0 coming off a bye-week under coach Reid.

How many total field goals did Mike Nugent have?

Answer:
3


Question:
Hoping to increase their winning streak the Ravens flew to Gillette Stadium for an AFC duel with the Patriots. In the 1st quarter the Ravens got the early lead as kicker Billy Cundiff got a 26-yard field goal, but fell behind with RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis making a 2-yard TD run. The Ravens got the lead back when QB Joe Flacco made a 16-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap, followed in the third quarter by Flacco finding WR Anquan Boldin on a 25-yard TD pass. The Patriots replied with kicker Stephen Gostkowski getting a 38-yard field goal, but the Ravens continued to score with Cundiff making a 25-yard field goal. The Patriots rallied with QB Tom Brady making a 5-yard TD pass to WR Deion Branch. This was followed by Gostkowski making a 24-yard field goal and then a 35-yard field goal in overtime to give the Ravens their second loss of the season.

How many touchdown passes did Joe Flacco throw?

Answer:
2