In America, politicians scramble to raise the debt ceiling level before it is too late.

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That level could act as a ceiling this week, he added.

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On the upper level of the foundry, below the glass ceiling, stand row upon row of rolls of brightly-coloured fabric.

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Upstairs, he found that a frozen toilet had shattered and fallen away from the wall, snapping off the feed line at floor level, and water was jetting up to the ceiling.

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But the political divide on big financial and spending issues exposed by the debt-ceiling debate obscures agreement on a more fundamental level: who we are and what we want to be.

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Floor-to-ceiling folding-glass doors in the upper-level living room open onto a wood deck that is equipped with an outdoor kitchen, furniture, another television, patio heaters and, of course, more Haring-inspired murals.

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The Philippine central bank proceeded to impose a 20% ceiling on banks' lending to the real estate sector -- a modest level by Asian standards.

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An elevated walkway led to the upper level of the main lodge, a three-story building with floor-to-ceiling windows that afford magnificent and ever-changing views of the pink-hued Hazards mountains across the bay.

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He found his answer by looking up, deciding to extend the ceiling's subtle, white-on-white pattern down two walls to the soffit level on one side and nearly down to the floor on the other.

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