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"A push to limit employers' access to stop-loss insurance has picked up steam, amounting to one of the biggest battles facing the industry in years."
By Stephenie Overman | January 13, 2014
A push to limit employers' access to stop-loss insurance has picked up steam, amounting to one of the biggest battles facing the industry in years.
Stop-loss insurance is state-regulated, and in the last year the topic has come up in legislatures across the country. By the end of 2013, four states had passed laws restricting stop-loss in one way or another.
Self-insured employers pay for most worker health costs directly. Stop-loss allows these employers to protect themselves from bigger claims that could wipe them out. About 60 percent of insured American workers are in self-insured plans. Most of these workers are either in unions or employed by larger companies.
In April, Utah passed a law that included a provision saying that stop-loss insurers must cover incurred and unpaid claims if a small employer plan terminates. That's "an unprecedented requirement," according to Adam Russo, an attorney and the founder of the Phia Group, a Braintree, Mass., health insurance cost-containment consultancy.
In May, Colorado passed a law increasing the amount of money that a self-insured business must spend on health care for each employee before it can tap into stop-loss policies.
Rhode Island followed suit in June with a law restricting stop-loss insurance polices.
Finally, in October, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that includes the requirement that stop-loss insurance purchased by a business cannot exclude any employee from coverage regardless of medical history. The law does grandfather in any such plan that was in effect up to Sept. 1, 2013.
Self-insured plans are exempt from several provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Some health policy watchers have suggested that small employers with the lowest claims might try to cut their premiums by switching to self-insured plans. Regulators worry that could leave traditional insurers with the sickest, oldest employers and undermine a key goal of healthcare reform: to lower premiums by pooling together more healthy and sick workers.
The Self-Insurance Institute of America, the industry's main lobbying organization, argues that states should not be enacting laws which regulate stop-loss policies as health insurance policies because "stop-loss insurance … does not provide coverage to individuals. Therefore, classifying it as health insurance is clearly a stretch."
As the fight unfolds, members of the recently formed Self-Insurance Defense Coalition are campaigning to make sure stop-loss insurance doesn't end up being redefined as health insurance.
As part of that effort, the Self-Insurance Protection Act that was introduced late last year by Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. The legislation seeks to clarify existing law to ensure that federal regulators cannot re-define stop-loss insurance as traditional health insurance. Such a designation, they say, could force many self-insured entities that retain stop-loss insurance to discontinue their health plans.
If passed by Congress, the law would merely amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act to exclude from the definition of health insurance coverage certain medical stop-loss insurance.
SIIA and other supporters take pains to point out the legislation does not amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and it does not direct the administration to implement the law in a specific way. Rather, it is "intended to ensure that small- and mid-sized private sector employers, as well as smaller Taft-Hartley Plans and public sector entities, are able to continue to provide quality health benefits to their workers and members through self-insured group health plans," the statement said.
SIIA President and CEO Mike Ferguson said that "given the current disruption we are seeing in the individual health insurance marketplace due to how ACA implementation rules were crafted, the timing of this legislation is particularly important in order to prevent a similar scenario in the self-insured group health marketplace.
"This is one segment of the market that works particularly well for both plan sponsors and plan participants, so it should be in everyone's interest that Congress moves proactively to address this uncertainty."
SIIA Government Relations Coordinator Kevin McKenney said the institute is concerned that although a new rule-making process related to self-insured plans has not been announced, "they might be gearing up for new round of regulation."
He noted that in a letter to Congress in August, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confirmed that the department is "interested in the possible effects of self-funded arrangements with stop-loss insurance on the risk pool and premiums in the fully-insured small group market."
"We think the federal government … might try to redefine health insurance to include stop-loss, in order to be able to regulate it," McKenney said.
This spring, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners plans to release a white paper on the subject to help lawmakers and others better understand stop-loss.


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Grilling season is quickly approaching and I am getting ready by making some homemade BBQ sauces starting with this seasonal strawberry BBQ sauce. This strawberry BBQ sauce was inspired by the flavours in my strawberry and balsamic grilled chicken salad and my balsamic strawberry and chicken pizza with sweet onions and smoked bacon which predominantly feature the strawberry and balsamic vinegar flavours along with some Asian influences. I really wanted to be able to taste the strawberries in this BBQ sauce so that meant starting with a lot of strawberries and roasting them to concentrate their flavour. I like a BBQ sauce with a nice sweet side so for the sweetener I went with a combo of maple syrup and some homemade strawberry jam to add even more strawberry flavour. Up next was the balsamic vinegar for some tartness, soy sauce for the saltiness and a smoky and spicy chipotle chili in adobo. Continuing with the Asian influence I added plenty of garlic and ginger along with some BBQ sauce staples with a fresh cilantro finish. I have to say that this roasted strawberry BBQ sauce is addictively good! The strawberry flavours shine through and it has a really nice balance of sweet, spicy, tart and salty and lets not forget those sultry smoky undertones.
For my next batch I plan on adding bacon since both the salad and the pizza that inspired this dressing include bacon!
This roasted strawberry BBQ sauce is great on grilled chicken and also by the spoonful!
Roasted Strawberry BBQ Sauce
A sweet, spicy and smoky strawberry BBQ sauce.
- 4 cups strawberries, hulled (if they are large cut them in half)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves/jam
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- Place the strawberries in a single layer on a baking pan lined with foil folded up on the sides to capture the juices and roast in a preheated 425F/220C oven until they start to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes.
- Bring everything except the cilantro to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat, mix in the cilantro and puree in a food processor or blender or using an immersion blender.

subset: commoncrawl


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- More product photos and views; we'll be adding them for weeks
- You can set up an account and your info is saved for future orders
- There is a wish list that you can share
- There is a compare products function
- One click "back in stock" e-mail notification (coming soon; still buggy)
- Easily searchable
- Sorting filter
- Recently viewed items
- Breadcrumbs
BTW, if you find a bug please tell us which operating system and browser (including version) you're using. We know that early versions of IE are not compatible.
UPDATE from Kyle:
We know there have been a few issues so far. For some people, the "Under Construction" warning comes up instead of the home page. If you're getting this page, it means your computer has cached the old page and just needs an update. You can try to clear the cache on your browser, but if that doesn't work just point your browser to store.velo-orange.com and you should be able to see the new store no problem.
We had problems accepting international orders, but we're working on it now. If you're still getting an authorization failure when you try to check out, send us an email and we'll figure it out with you.
For those of you using Internet Explorer: if you're not already, please upgrade to the latest version IE 8! If you're running version 6 or 7 the site will not display properly; it still works, but the layout gets destroyed. The new site was designed to work best with Firefox/Chrome/Safari (standards compliance is important), so unless you have specific reasons or limitations that require the use of Internet Explorer I'd really urge you to use one of these browsers instead.
We'll be finding many little bugs over the next few weeks, but we'll take all the help we can get with spotting them. Thanks for being patient while we work out these (and other) problems!


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- Movie title in your country : Spy
- Year of movie : 2015
- Genres of movie : Crime, Action, Comedy,
- Status of movie : Released
- Release date of movie : 2015-06-05
- Companies of movie : Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Chernin Entertainment, Feigco Entertainment,
- Countries of movie : United States of America,
- Language of movie : Deutsch, English, Français, Italiano,
- Durationof movie : 120 Min
- Average vote of movie : 7.1
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- Cast of movie :Melissa McCarthy (Susan Cooper), Jude Law (Bradley Fine), Jason Statham (Rick Ford), Rose Byrne (Raina Boyanov), Miranda Hart (Nancy), Allison Janney (Elaine Crocker), Peter Serafinowicz (Milo), Bobby Cannavale (De Luca), Morena Baccarin (Karen Walker), Katie Dippold (Katherine), Nargis Fakhri (Lia), Jessica Chaffin (Sharon), Jamie Denbo (Casino Hostess), Björn Gustafsson (Anton), Carlos Ponce (Ryan), Peter Serafinowicz (Aldo), Will Yun Lee (Timothy Cress), 50 Cent (Himself), Zach Woods (Waiter)
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Director : Paul Feig, Producer : Peter Chernin, Foley : John T. Cucci, Writer : Paul Feig, Director of Photography : Robert D. Yeoman, Producer : Paul Feig, Producer : Jessie Henderson, Producer : Jenno Topping, Executive Producer : John J. Kelly, Original Music Composer : Theodore Shapiro, Editor : Mellissa Bretherton, Editor : Brent White, Casting : Zsolt Csutak, Production Design : Jefferson Sage, Art Direction : Bence Erdelyi, Set Decoration : Kelly Berry, Set Decoration : Csekfó Pál Tamás, Costume Design : Christine Bieselin Clark, Art Department Coordinator : Timea Antal, Special Effects Supervisor : Yves De Bono, Special Effects Supervisor : Gabor Kiszelly, Casting Associate : Martin Ware, Assistant Costume Designer : Alexandra Casey, Assistant Costume Designer : Adrienn Rudolf, Assistant Costume Designer : Dorotka Sapinska, Costume Supervisor : Gábor Homonnay, Set Costumer : Sandor Daroczi, Set Costumer : Erdész Dániel, Set Costumer : Eleanor Landgrebe, Set Costumer : Jessica Phillips, Seamstress : Zsofia Laczko, Music Editor : Erica Weis, Script Supervisor : Gabriella Winkler, Hair Department Head : Sarah Love, Makeup Department Head : Debra Denson, Makeup Department Head : Trefor Proud, Makeup Artist : Kate Shorter, Animatronic and Prosthetic Effects : Peter A. Chevako, Visual Effects Producer : Erika Abrams, Visual Effects Producer : Thomas F. Ford IV, Visual Effects Producer : Lincoln Kupchak, Visual Effects Supervisor : Eric D. Christensen, Visual Effects Supervisor : Sean Findley, Visual Effects Supervisor : David Lingenfelser, Visual Effects Coordinator : Tim Weber, Visual Effects Coordinator : Shad Davis, Gaffer : Zsolt Büti, Gaffer : Gábor Hevesi, Gaffer : John Vecchio, Rigging Gaffer : Attila Bilik, Camera Operator : Casey Hotchkiss, Camera Operator : Imre Juhasz, Second Unit Cinematographer : Tim Wooster, Rigging Grip : Viktor Racsek, Helicopter Camera : John Marzano, Steadicam Operator : Marci Ragályi, Still Photographer : Larry D. Horricks, First Assistant Camera : Chris Summers, First Assistant Camera : Julian Bucknall, Pyrotechnic Supervisor : Gyula Krasnyánszky, Dialogue Editor : Laura Harris Atkinson, Dialogue Editor : Nancy Nugent, Foley : Dan O'Connell, Foley : Darren 'Sunny' Warkentin, Sound Effects Editor : David Esparza, Sound Effects Editor : Frederick Howard, Sound Re-Recording Mixer : Andy Nelson, Sound Re-Recording Mixer : Beau Borders, Supervising Sound Editor : Andrew DeCristofaro, Supervising Sound Editor : Becky Sullivan, First Assistant Sound Editor : David Stanke, Digital Intermediate : Julian McDougald, Digital Intermediate : Mark Sahagun, First Assistant Editor : Ken O'Keefe
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Tags: spy, cia, undercover, arms dealer, disaster, aftercreditsstinger, duringcreditsstinger,


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This week on the podcast, we're prepping for the next Gmail outage, learning a new language in a matter of months, and wondering if an all-in-one home theater is a good idea. We'll also figure out the best time to upgrade to an iPhone, the best format for your music, and how to fix one of Flash's biggest annoyances.
Note: The podcast is still uploading to some destinations, so check back later for more download options.
How to Watch or Listen to This Week's Episode
You can watch the episode by clicking the play button above, but there are plenty of other ways to get it:
Watch it on our YouTube Channel.
Watch it on Revision3.
Listen to it on SoundCloud.
Subscribe to the HD, SD, or phone-sized, and audio-only feeds on iTunes.
Subscribe to the HD, SD, phone-sized, or audio-only (MP3) RSS feed.
News and Discussion
Gmail rarely goes down, but it isn't perfect. This week we're talking about how to prepare for an outage, how you can learn to speak a new language in record time, and whether or not IKEA's new UPPLEVA home theater-in-a-box is a good idea.
Gmail Goes Down!
What do you do when Gmail goes down? This stuff. Just because the primary web interface is down doesn't mean you can't access it in other ways. Often times you'll be able to access Gmail in plain HTML, through the mobile interface, or by connecting via IMAP through a third-party client. A third-party client is actually a great way to prepare for an outage so you have offline access to your messages.
Learn a New Language in Record Time
Melanie joined us this week to talk about a guest post she arranged, by Gabriel Wyner, who learned to fluently speak four languages in just a few years. His system still involves the hard work and commitment involved with learning a new language, but without an enormous time commitment. He made it happen really easily, and it's a pretty remarkable system. Learn more about it here.
What is an UPPLEVA? It's IKEA's new customizable home theater-in-a-box coming sometime next year. You pay one price for the furniture, smart television, Blu-ray player, and audio system. Cable management is built-in and you only need one remote. But what happens if you want to upgrade or already own pieces of your home theater system? It sounds like a remarkably product, but we wonder how applicable it will be to the average person. If you're looking for an easy way to get everything you need for a home theater when you have nothing already, it's a great fit. If you're us, have one or many components, and enjoy a good DIY project, here's how you can make the UPPLEVA yourself right now.
Questions and Answers
Each week we answer five questions from readers and listeners. Here's what we tackled this week.
Should I upgrade my dumbphone to an iPhone right now or wait until the iPhone 5?
Whitson recently had this exact same dilemma and upgraded from his Android smartphone to an iPhone. He's excited, and decided to buy an iPhone 4 since he could get one off-contract at a reasonable price. If he wants to upgrade to the 5 later, he'll be able to sell it for a good chunk of change and make the upgrade pretty decent. He, Pash, and I agreed that upgrading now made the most sense if we were satisfied with the current offering. If there is something the upcoming iPhone 5 might offer that you really want, then you might as well wait. Mel prefers to wait for the next version of everything because she's more patient than us and she doesn't like to buy a product in the middle of its cycle. Ultimately you're going to have to judge what's best for yourself, but if you're happy with what's available now and won't mind a reduced resale value in the future, most of us suggest buying now.
How can I stop Flash from automatically playing audio whenever I open a video or web site with a Flash element?
Mel ran down plenty of solutions for the annoying problem of Flash blasting audio through your speakers without your expressed permission. Chrome users can employ Click to Play so you have to click on any Flash elements before they load. Flash Block for Chrome and Firefox, or ClickToFlash for Safari, can do the same thing. Windows users have an added bonus of using FlashMute which will let you automatically mute any Flash videos—perhaps a perfect solution to this problem.
How can I make my Gmail address more professional without changing it or making a new account?
The caller asking this question has a possibly embarrassing email address that he doesn't want to use when applying for a job. He doesn't want to change his email address because everyone already knows it, and he doesn't want to manage multiple email accounts. Because Gmail can't create true forwarding aliases—only this type of alias—you need to actually create a separate account. The upside, however, is you can combine the accounts together. Gmail offers a multiple inboxes feature. Just add one account to the other and it's like having two email addresses in one.
Which audio format provides the best balance between quality, file size, and openness?
There is no perfect answer to this question because no format really meets all the criteria. While Lucas—the person asking this question—was somewhat opposed to MP3, we're not. We think it's the optimal choice right now. While it will create slightly bigger files than something like AAC, unless you're in need of all the storage you can get it won't make that much of a difference. While AAC is a better format, it doesn't have the near-perfect device support of MP3. With MP3 you know that pretty much anything can play your music and this, in our opinion, is the most important thing. Although MP3 isn't open, it's so ubiquitous that there's virtually no practical difference. Our recommendation is to encode your music collection at MP3 at 256-320kbps (or wherever you're unable to hear the difference anymore), but keep a backup collection in a lossless format (like FLAC) or uncompressed format if you ever want to change formats without the risk of degradation.
How can I recover data from a dead laptop with a still-functional hard drive?
Open up your laptop, pull out the drive, and hook it up to a new computer with either a external drive enclosure, drive dock, or SATA/IDE-to-USB cable, and copy the data over. It's very easy to do, and all of these options shouldn't cost you more than $15-20.
Who sponsors the Lifehacker podcast?
At the moment, nobody. We used to have sponsors, so some people may have concerns about current sponsorship (e.g. is anyone sponsoring behind the scenes). If we accept ads on the podcast at any point, they will be explicit. Right now that isn't happening, but you'll be aware of any paid advertising. When we talk about products and services, however, it's because we want to talk about them. Nobody is paying us or encouraging us to do so.
Show and Tell
This week Whitson brought in his new USB DAC and Amplifier, which makes your headphones or speakers sound a lot better when connected to your computer. Soundcards don't always provide the full sound you may think you're getting, so a digital-to-analog-converter (DAC) can help. Whitson runs down a bunch of options in this post, but be sure to check the comments for additional suggestions as well.
Downloads of the Week
Each week we talk about our favorite downloads. Here are our picks for this week.
Collusion (Firefox and Chrome)
Collusion is a Firefox and Chrome extension that will show you in real time which sites are tracking you, where you picked up their tracking cookies, and what they can see.
Download Collusion for Firefox or Chrome
SquadMail (Web)
SquadMail sets up shared email folders that automatically delivers the emails, notes, and attachments in that folder to all the subscribers in a group-making it the "Dropbox of email." Besides group collaboration, you can use SquadMail for your anonymous email needs.
Wave Control (Android)
If you're on a flight with your phone propped up in front of you, or listening to music while you work on your phone with your hands on the keyboard, it can be a pain to stop, unlock your phone or tap it to bring up the playback controls, and hit forward, back, switch songs, or change videos. Wave Control is a new Android app that lets you customize hand gestures to control music and video playback that you perform over your phone's proximity sensor, Minority Report style.
Pocket (Formerly Read It Later, Multiple Platforms)
The popular bookmarking service Read It Later received a big update including a new name, interface, and a price drop. On top of a new look, the service—now called Pocket—makes it easier to view videos and images while retaining the simple reading interface you're familiar with.
Daily Personal Inventory and Gmail Statistics (Web)
This week we put together a digital personal inventory to track your behavior and find out, through statistics, what's causing problems in your life. We also looked at a new script called Gmail Meter that analyzes your Gmail usage data and provides you with interesting statistics. Both require a free Google account to work.
How Do I Submit a Question?
There are three ways to send in your question:
Record a video, upload it somewhere, and send a link to [email protected]
Call (347) 687-8109 and record a question. Calls are awesome! We like them!
Email your question to [email protected].
Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!
This podcast was edited by Kyle J. Norris.
Newspaper, Computer, and Clock (by Brandon Hopkins) provided by the Noun Project.


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View All Learning Articles
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Dan Green
Since 2003, Dan Green has been a leading mortgage lender and respected industry authority. His unwavering commitment to first-time home buyers and home buyer education has established him as a trusted voice among his colleagues, his peers, and the media. Dan founded Homebuyer.com to expand the American Dream of Homeownership to all who want it. Read more about Dan Green.
How We Make Money
Homebuyer.com is your trusted guide to homeownership. Since 2003, our team has offered real-world expertise and advice to tens of millions of U.S. home buyers. Our content stands on its integrity: it's factual, unbiased, and free from outside influences. Read our editorial guidelines.
Homebuyer.com is a mortgage-company-affiliated publisher. We earn compensation when you click specific links on the website, or apply for a mortgage with Homebuyer.com or a partner listed in our comparison tables. Our partners compensate us differently, so we randomize our tables to protect our readers from steering. We may also earn compensation for advertisements on the site, which are indicated clearly. Note that limitations in our software, whether we originate mortgages in your area, and credit factors may affect the offers and comparison tables you see on various parts of this site. We do not include offers for every mortgage product available. Someday, we hope we will.
Certified Accurate
Your trust matters to us. This article was thoroughly checked for accuracy as of February 14, 2024. Homebuyer.com ensures every piece of information we share reflects the latest in mortgage standards. Learn more about our commitments to our reader in our editorial guidelines.
Mcclain County mortgage loan limits adjust annually to match changes in the FHFA House Price Index.
Mcclain County mortgage statistics are sourced from the FFIEC, which collects anonymous HMDA mortgage data from U.S. mortgage applications.
2024 conforming and FHA mortgage loan limits for for the areas surrounding Mcclain County, Oklahoma. Local loan limits and county-level mortgage data updated regularly.
Today's 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate in Oklahoma is 6.375%. See current mortgage rates for every mortgage product and check your eligibility for first-time home buyer programs with an Immedate Mortgage Approval by Homebuyer.com.


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Washington – The United States Senate unanimously passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 106 late Thursday night prior to adjournment. The bipartisan resolution urges the Government of Ukraine to ensure a democratic, transparent, and fair election process for the presidential election set for October 31, 2004. The resolution also outlines measures Ukrainian authorities need to take – consistent with their own laws and international agreements – to ensure an election process that enables all of the candidates to compete on a level playing field.
The measure was sponsored by United States Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO). Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Senator Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Senator Joseph R. Biden (D-DE) were original cosponsors of the resolution. Other Commission cosponsors were Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Russell D. Feingold (D-WI), and Gordon Smith (R-OR).
"The October elections will be vital in determining Ukraine's course for years to come. This resolution is a concrete expression of the commitment of the U.S. Senate to the Ukrainian people," said Co-Chairman Campbell. "Ukraine's elections should be a watershed for the future direction of that country of great potential. Ukrainian authorities need to radically improve the election environment if there is to be hope for these elections to meet OSCE standards. By doing so, they will go a long way in restoring the trust of the citizens of Ukraine and strengthening Ukraine's independence and democracy."
An identical resolution, H.Con.Res. 415, introduced by House International Relations Committee Chairman Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL), together with Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), was reported out of the International Relations Committee and awaits passage by the full House of Representatives.
"The resolution underscores that an election process and the establishment of a genuinely democratic political system consistent with Ukraine's freely-undertaken OSCE commitments is a prerequisite for Ukraine's full integration into the Western community of nations as an equal member, including into NATO," Campbell added. "Yesterday I raised our concerns about the Ukrainian election with OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, who assured me of the OSCE's commitment to encouraging democratic elections in Ukraine."
Ukraine's pre-election environment has already proven problematic in such key areas as control and manipulation of the media; attempts by national authorities to limit access to international broadcasting, including Radio Liberty; obstacles to free assembly and a free and fair political campaign. Substantial violations in several recent elections, notably, the Mukacheve mayoral election give rise to deep concern over the conduct of the pre-election environment. The Committee of Voters of Ukraine, a non-governmental organization, in its most recent report, noted an increase in the number of cases of government pressure against political opposition figures designed to impede their activities.


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Hello 2011!
We're here, standing in a brand new year. Looking at this clean and untouched canvas that will eventually be painted in all the vivid colors 2011 will offer, I am filled with excitement. But before I take the big leap and begin painting the new year with the colors of my plans and goals, I'd like to invite you to share a retrospective of 2010.
As I look back I can say that 2010 was a year of learning, of new experiences, of honing my skills and of investing money in my photography and writing to actively promote my creativity.
The steps I generally take are small but, I hope, well thought out and with a purpose. My aim is not to reach the peak in record time but to use the road that I am travelling as an important learning experience, collecting as much information and learning as many lessons along the way as I can.
In that respect 2010 was an incredible year!
My biggest goal for the year was to showcase and promote my photography more professionally. There was much to tackle and a lot to take into consideration, but with tiny steps, I was able to inch my way towards that goal. The first thing on my to do list was to create a professional-looking portfolio and once Meeta K. Wolff Photography went live, I knew my work had only just started.
It was time to place myself on the market and promote my portfolio. With the advice and motivation from friends and family I invested money in the promotion to be able reach a wider market. My aim is to acquire targeted prospective clients selectively and systematically, instead of landing projects haphazardly. This is by far the most difficult and at times frustrating aspect of the process but I am patient and benefitting from the knowledge I am able to gather.
"Patience is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown." ~ Søren Kierkegaard
In the meantime I am enhancing my skills and learning new techniques, even if this means stepping out of my comfort zone. I want to be able to cover a variety of styles to meet the different goals and visions of clients. I took my photography down a different route in 2010 and played with natural light to discover the darker side. I wanted to create moody and temperamental images using light and filtering it into my shots to evoke the desired atmosphere. I experimented on many different levels to achieve these results.
The year started on a fantastic note with What's For Lunch, Honey? being one of the finalist for Best European Blog at the Tenth Annual Weblog Awards. Winning would have tasted sweet but believe me I was honored that this space made the top five of that incredible list!
I love giving back what I learn and although I never imagined to take on the role of a teacher, it fills me with joy that my readers and people reach out to me for advice on photography and food styling. Making appearances on Learn Food Photography and Food Styling and Great Food Photos on the subject of food photography and styling was not only a pleasure and a lot of fun but important for me to motivate others to keep filing their skills.
My photography and writing was featured in print and on websites around the world including The News India Times supplement The Indian American, FashionFoodFatale.com, on Design*Sponge section In the Kitchen With and I began writing as a Food Expert on Glenfiddich Explorers.
The Food Blogger Connect in London opened it's doors for the second time and provided an interesting platform for food bloggers to inform themselves on many topics. I was invited for the second time to speak on the topic of food photography and styling. It was such a pleasure meeting many friends and readers. I enjoyed another highlight as speaker last year as I had the opportunity to speak in front of many PHD students and professors at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
Together with 3 talented and skilled bloggers, not to mention very dear friends, Jeanne, Jamie and Ilva, we laid the foundation for a workshop series of a different kind. From Plate to Page was announced and the first session here in Weimar in May 2011 sold out within two days. The second session is planned for Autumn 2011 in Italy. Our waiting list is open for this session and for the following two sessions in 2012 in the UK and France. The four of us have a very exciting programme lined up for the 10 attendees arriving in Weimar this Spring from all over the world and look forward to helping you meet your goals.
2010 was also the year where I got published. Foodies of the World was and incredible collaboration bringing together the world's best food bloggers in one elegant cookbook and guide. Published by Slattery Media Group with love and elegance, Foodies of the World offers 100 recipes with high quality images. It was an opportunity for me to market myself on a new platform and gather information for the future.
2010 was also about fantastic friends, true friendships and loyal sisterly love. These pictures say it all!
2010 reunited the Spice Sisters and strengthened bonds. Jeanne, Jamie, Ilva, Hilda, Kerrin in my heart always and forever, but 2010 also brought new wonderful friendships with Elisavet, Kjersti, Julia, Kavey, Michele, Sarah and Catty. I am looking forward to 2011 basking in the light of these wonderful old and new friends.
2010 was about a-ha, epic a-ha concerts, music and ending on a high note. All shared with a sister found and never to be lost again – Jeanne. No one gets me but you!
2010 was about itchy travel feet, more breathtaking photos and finally visiting my dream destination. Dubai, London, Basel, Dresden, Berlin, Munich and Norway - all with my camera and an appetite for new flavors and tempting aromas.
I found serendipity in Norway – a glorious country where I lost my heart. Norway impressed me with the incredible and extreme variation in the landscape we experienced as we traveled from region to region. Magnificent, stunning, breathtaking, incredible - one will quickly run out of superlative adjectives to describe Norway. I look forward to returning in 2011.
As the paint begins to dry on my canvas that was 2010, I am ready to color 2011 with all the brilliant and bright colors I have in my palette. Nervous, excited, determined, happy, focused at new prospects. I've never made resolutions, instead I weave plans and set goals – there will be a few in 2011 with writing, photography, food and recipes – I hope you will join me.
Thank you to all my faithful readers, loyal friends, motivating fans and supporting family – without you this space would not be as colorful and as full of life as it is. I thank you for being a part of me through What's For Lunch, Honey? and for taking time to read my stories, leave your comments and share your thoughts.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
Over at the From Plate to Page blog we are looking back and setting new goals in a four part series. Join us for part one as Ilva shares her thoughts on the Past and Future and in part two Jeanne is Looking back, Looking forward. On Wednesday I'll be going through the Past, Present and Future Tense and Jamie will be recapping her year and sharing new goals on Friday.
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2011 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


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Annually, September is recognized as National Infant Mortality Awareness Month. Each year we remember those cribs that remained empty and those nurseries that stood silent. Infant mortality is defined as the death of a baby before his or her first birthday. There are many reasons that babies die before their first birthday, but the majority die due to prematurity, birth defects, and SIDS (or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
This year while remembering those babies whose candles were extinguished too soon, Forsyth County Healthy Start Baby Love Plus also recognized and celebrated those babies that were born healthy and thriving. On September 1st, we kicked off a month-long campaign entitled, "My Healthy Baby." This effort recognized and supported those behaviors that preconceptional women, mothers-to-be, and fathers engaged in to hopefully assure a positive birth outcome.
Armed with our cameras, we headed into the community and started photographing babies – they were all beautiful. We then asked questions, such as, "Mom, what did you do during your pregnancy to ensure you had a healthy baby?" and, "Dad, how did you support your partner during her pregnancy?" Our moms told us that they ate a balanced diet, exercised daily, stopped smoking, and stayed clear of people who did smoke. Fathers that we met supported their partners in developing and maintaining healthy habits, such as reminding moms to take prenatal vitamins.
We uploaded pictures to our Forsyth County Healthy Start Baby Love Plus Facebook page and documented those things that moms and dads did to have healthy pregnancies. We then invited our Facebook fans to vote for the babies in the, "My Healthy Baby Photo Pageant."
So…that brings us to today. We are excited to announce the winner of the Pageant, Isabella (she received the most LIKEs – as a matter of fact 164 Facebook fans LIKEd her picture). Isabella is a healthy and smiling four-month old. Her mother, Heather, ate a balanced diet while she was pregnant. Isabella will be featured in media that we create to promote our program and to support and encourage preconception and interconceptional (those periods of time before and between pregnancies) wellness. Congratulations to Isabella and to her parents, Heather and George. We also offer congratulations to all of the babies and to their parents who participated in the, "My Healthy Baby Photo Pageant". They are all winners and we celebrate their health and the healthy habits of their moms and dads each day and every month of the year!
For more information, visit us at Healthy Start/Baby Love Plus.


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Whether traveling for business or fun, it's not always practical to take along a four-legged family member. Arranging care of a beloved pet for an extended absence can be daunting. Knowing what to look for in a kennel, and what to look out for, can help you choose wisely.
Ask around
"Family and friends can be a good source of recommendations," says Christi Olszewski, registered veterinary technologist (RVT) and instructor at Brown Mackie College – Albuquerque. "Your veterinarian is also a good reference point."
Scout out facilities
Be sure to tour a facility before boarding your pet. "Ask to see everything, not just a single room or two," says Dr. Barry Kellogg, senior veterinary advisor for the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association.
Here are some factors to consider during your tour:
* Cleanliness: Floors, runs and kennels should be clean and free of debris.
* Light and ventilation: The interior should be bright, with odors whisked away.
* Cage size: Each animal needs space for a bed, plus room to move. For cats, the space also should accommodate a litter box, and offer a place to hide.
* Exercise runs: Runs are usually located both inside and out; those with a double-gated entry provide extra security.
* Separation of dogs and cats: Ideally, cats and dogs are kept in separate rooms, not just separate enclosures; it can be highly stressful for cats to reside near unfamiliar canines.
Who are the caretakers?
"Most kennels won't have a veterinarian on staff; however, the staff should be trained and experienced, and include at least one RVT with technical knowledge of health concerns and elderly pets," says Olszewski. Kellogg reminds pet owners to "watch staff interaction with your pet. You want to see if they can sense the personality, and understand animal communication and behavior." The experts also advise to ask about the ratio of staff to pets. The fewer animals each staffer is responsible for, the more individual attention your pet is likely to receive.
Daily activity
"Ask about the daily routine, the number and length of walks and exercise sessions," Olszewski advises. "Exercise should occur more frequently than is necessary for bladder relief."
Kellogg suggests defining 'exercise.' "Do they put him in a run by himself, or is there a person there with hands-on interaction? Some dogs prefer to go running alone. Other animals would become highly stressed without human playtime," he says. He also recommends against group play.
"Dogs are pack animals, but the pack is hierarchal. There will be issues. This is always the risk associated with group play," he says.
When boarding a cat, beware the cat condo structures with lots of cubbyholes. "A big castle may look appealing, but the carpeted surfaces pose a sterility problem. It cannot be cleaned thoroughly, and can become a source of disease," Kellogg says.
Individual needs and preferences
Even though the Humane Society of the United States names boarding kennels as a known cause of stress in pets, you can take steps to help calm your furry friend. "Providing a familiar blanket or sleeping pad can help to reduce anxiety associated with being in different surroundings," Olszewski says. "This stress coupled with a sudden change in diet can lead to gastro-intestinal upset. I recommend providing the kennel food your pet regularly eats.
If your dog is on medication, ask about the administration procedure. Most facilities will give medications, but some will not. Ask ahead of time to be sure.
Safety issues
Safety is the most important thing you want for your pet. Here are some important issues to address.
* Vaccination policy: Look for a strict vaccination policy, verified through a veterinarian; unvaccinated animals could threaten the health of vaccinated ones.
* Aggressive animal screening: You will no doubt feel better if aggressive animals are not permitted.
* ER clinic affiliation: Many kennels have a contract with a local ER clinic; an RVT on staff is trained to know what to look for and when to take an animal for treatment.
* On-site supervision overnight: Is someone on the premises 24 hours a day?
* Disaster plan: Fires, floods and earthquakes happen. Ask for details of the facility's plan to be sure they have one in place.


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"WASHINGTON — Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama's health care law, according to experts who are just now teasing out the potential impact of a little-noted provision in the massive legislation.
The Affordable Care Act — "Obamacare" to its detractors — allows health insurers to charge smokers buying individual policies up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1.
For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year. A 60-year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums.
Younger smokers could be charged lower penalties under rules proposed last fall by the Obama administration. But older smokers could face a heavy hit on their household budgets at a time in life when smoking-related illnesses tend to emerge.
Workers covered on the job would be able to avoid tobacco penalties by joining smoking cessation programs, because employer plans operate under different rules. But experts say that option is not guaranteed to smokers trying to purchase coverage individually.
Nearly one of every five U.S. adults smokes. That share is higher among lower-income people, who also are more likely to work in jobs that don't come with health insurance and would therefore depend on the new federal health care law. Smoking increases the risk of developing heart disease, lung problems and cancer, contributing to nearly 450,000 deaths a year.
Insurers won't be allowed to charge more under the overhaul for people who are overweight, or have a health condition like a bad back or a heart that skips beats — but they can charge more if a person smokes.
Starting next Jan. 1, the federal health care law will make it possible for people who can't get coverage now to buy private policies, providing tax credits to keep the premiums affordable. Although the law prohibits insurance companies from turning away the sick, the penalties for smokers could have the same effect in many cases, keeping out potentially costly patients.
"We don't want to create barriers for people to get health care coverage," said California state Assemblyman Richard Pan, who is working on a law in his state that would limit insurers' ability to charge smokers more. The federal law allows states to limit or change the smoking penalty.
"We want people who are smoking to get smoking cessation treatment," added Pan, a pediatrician who represents the Sacramento area.
Obama administration officials declined to be interviewed for this article, but a former consumer protection regulator for the government is raising questions.
"If you are an insurer and there is a group of smokers you don't want in your pool, the ones you really don't want are the ones who have been smoking for 20 or 30 years," said Karen Pollitz, an expert on individual health insurance markets with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. "You would have the flexibility to discourage them."
Several provisions in the federal health care law work together to leave older smokers with a bleak set of financial options, said Pollitz, formerly deputy director of the Office of Consumer Support in the federal Health and Human Services Department.
First, the law allows insurers to charge older adults up to three times as much as their youngest customers.
Second, the law allows insurers to levy the full 50 percent penalty on older smokers while charging less to younger ones.
And finally, government tax credits that will be available to help pay premiums cannot be used to offset the cost of penalties for smokers.
Here's how the math would work:
Take a hypothetical 60-year-old smoker making $35,000 a year. Estimated premiums for coverage in the new private health insurance markets under Obama's law would total $10,172. That person would be eligible for a tax credit that brings the cost down to $3,325.
But the smoking penalty could add $5,086 to the cost. And since federal tax credits can't be used to offset the penalty, the smoker's total cost for health insurance would be $8,411, or 24 percent of income. That's considered unaffordable under the federal law. The numbers were estimated using the online Kaiser Health Reform Subsidy Calculator.
"The effect of the smoking (penalty) allowed under the law would be that lower-income smokers could not afford health insurance," said Richard Curtis, president of the Institute for Health Policy Solutions, a nonpartisan research group that called attention to the issue with a study about the potential impact in California.
In today's world, insurers can simply turn down a smoker. Under Obama's overhaul, would they actually charge the full 50 percent? After all, workplace anti-smoking programs that use penalties usually charge far less, maybe $75 or $100 a month.
Robert Laszewski, a consultant who previously worked in the insurance industry, says there's a good reason to charge the maximum.
"If you don't charge the 50 percent, your competitor is going to do it, and you are going to get a disproportionate share of the less-healthy older smokers," said Laszewski. "They are going to have to play defense.""


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I am a mushroom fanatic! The other day a recipe for fried curried mushrooms on Indonesia-Eats caught my attention. I really liked the sound of deep frying mushrooms and I was surprised that I had never thought of it before. As if they did not sound good enough already, they were also curried! I don't deep fry very often but I just had to try deep frying mushrooms! In an effort to ensure a nice and crispy coating I decided to go with a heavier batter and a panko breadcrumb coating. While I was thinking about the fried mushrooms and what kind of dipping sauce to enjoy them with I kept coming back to a gorgonzola blue cheese dipping sauce which I decided to go with. The curried deep fries mushrooms turned out great! They were nice and light and crispy on the outside and the mushrooms were nice and moist and warm and mushroomy good on the inside. Each bite of these crispy, crunchy curried mushrooms was magical…mmm… The blue cheese dip went really well with the fried mushroom finishing off a perfect appetizer!
Curried Fried Mushrooms
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water (or beer or white wine)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 pound mushrooms (I used oyster and king oyster, slice any really large mushrooms to ensure even cooking)
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- oil for frying
- Mix the flour, water, egg and curry powder.
- Dip the mushrooms into the batter and then dredge them in the panko bread crumbs.
- Fry in oil until golden brown.


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WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs in December, a steady gain that shows hiring held up during the tense negotiations to resolve the fiscal cliff.
The solid job growth wasn't enough to push down the unemployment rate, which remained 7.8 percent last month, the Labor Department said Friday. The rate for November was revised up from an initially reported 7.7 percent.
The government also said hiring was stronger in the previous month than first thought. November's job gains were revised up 15,000 to 161,000. October's increase was nearly unchanged at 137,000.
The "gain is perhaps better than it looks given that firms were probably nervous about adding workers with the fiscal cliff looming," said Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics.
Robust hiring in manufacturing and construction fueled the December job gains. Construction firms added 30,000, the most in 15 months. That increase likely reflected hiring needed to rebuild after Superstorm Sandy and also gains in home building that have contributed to a housing recovery.
Manufacturers added 25,000 jobs, the most in nine months.
Other higher-paying industries also added jobs. Professional and business services, which include jobs in information technology, management and architecture, gained 19,000. Financial services added 9,000, health care 55,000.
Lower-paying industry sectors were mixed. Restaurants and bars added 38,000 jobs. Retailers cut 11,300, a sign that the holiday shopping season may have been weak. But those cuts came after three months of strong gains.
All the job gains last month came from private employers. Governments shed 13,000 jobs, mostly in local school systems.
Hiring still isn't strong enough to quickly reduce still-high unemployment. For 2012, employers added 1.84 million jobs, an average of 153,000 jobs a month, roughly matching the job totals for 2011.
But the stable hiring last month shows that employers didn't panic during the high-stakes talks between Congress and the White House over tax increases and spending cuts that weren't resolved until New Year's.
That's an encouraging sign for the coming months, because an even bigger federal budget showdown is looming. The government must increase its $16.4 trillion borrowing limit by around late February or risk defaulting on its debt. Republicans will likely demand deep spending cuts as the price of raising the debt limit.
Friday's report did point to some weakness in the job market. For example, the number of unemployed actually rose 164,000 to 12.2 million. Approximately 192,000 people entered the work force last month, but most of them didn't find jobs.
The unemployment numbers come from a government survey of households; the number of jobs added each month comes from a separate survey of businesses.
A broader category that includes not only the unemployed but also part-time workers who want full-time jobs and people who have given up looking for work was unchanged in December at 22.7 million.
Despite still-modest job growth, the economy is improving. Layoffs are declining. And the number of people who sought unemployment aid in the past month is near a four-year low.
The December jobs report showed that hourly pay is staying slightly ahead of inflation. Hourly wages rose 7 cents to $23.73, a 2.1 percent increase compared with a year earlier. Inflation rose 1.8 percent over the same period.
The once-depressed housing market is recovering. Companies ordered more long-lasting manufactured goods in November, a sign that they're investing more in equipment and software. And Americans spent more in November. Consumer spending drives nearly 70 percent of economic growth.
Manufacturing is getting a boost from the best auto sales in five years. Car sales jumped 13 percent in 2012 to 14.5 million. And Americans spent more at the tail end of the holiday shopping season, boosting overall sales that had slumped earlier in the crucial two-month period.


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Our experienced team install thermoplastic road safety markings to public roads and car parks to mark out safety symbols, lines and other signals so that pedestrians and drivers are kept safe when using the road. Are you looking for a professional thermoplastic road markings installer in Lisburn? Then you have found the right place.
We offer services to install thermoplastic road markings on public highways and access routes in Lisburn BT67 0 to create clear lines which are easy to see and provide skid resistance.
The specialist thermoplastic road marking material is designed for durability and safety so you can be sure you'll get the best end results.
Feel free to contact our team if you'd like a quote to install these colourful roadway lines.
Feel free to contact our team if you'd like a quote to install these colourful roadway lines and our team will respond as soon as possible with all of the information you require. They can answer any of your questions via the provided contact form.
Safety markings are heat applied safety graphics which are applied onto tarmac.
The thermoplastic material that we use is specially designed to be durable and long-lasting so the designs will stay bright and clear over long periods of time.
We supply a number of designs including numbers, speed roundels, markings, symbols, logos, arrows and any other safety designs you might need.
For more information regarding the markings we supply, please visit this page http://www.thermoplasticmarkings.com/lisburn These come in a variety of colours and are perfect for public roads, pathways and access routes which need to have clear directions or instructions.
The safe thermoplastic graphics create anti-skid qualities so bikes and cars won't slip on the roadway, particularly in wet weather.
You can find out more on these designs by getting in touch with our specialist team via the provided enquiry box found below. This will allow our professional team to respond to any questions you have with a swift response as quickly as possible.
With the specialist flooring graphics applied to the tarmac, the risk of accidents is reduced as motorists and pedestrians can clearly see the lines and instructions, and the wheels won't skid over the graphics.
Please contact one of our experts if you need some advice on thermoplastic road markings costs and different designs. Fill in the enquiry form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can to send over all the information.
Roadway safety is extremely important in public areas so we install anti-skid surfaces in a specialist durable material which ensures that vehicles don't skid in wet conditions.
The designs come in a variety of bright colours so they can be easily seen by pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists on the road. We also apply anti slip paint prior to laying the plastic graphics.
This paint is available in different colours and is often chosen for things like cycle lanes and car parking spaces.
The plastic paint will be poured onto the proposed area in Lisburn BT67 0 and spread out evenly with rollers. Once this has dried the thermoplastic road lines will be placed on top and heated up with a burner to melt them onto the surface.
A range of road marking designs are available including lines, arrows, pedestrian signs, disabled symbols, cycle path signals, speed limits and other navigational signs.
We can apply these in a range of sizes and colours so you can customise the look of your surface. It is particularly important to have anti-skid graphics and brightly coloured designs on busy public roads and near to schools.
This will ensure that all pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists are kept safe and the risk of accidents is kept to a minimum. Thermoplastic Road Safety Markings in Lisburn are great for providing benefits to both the pupils and a school.
If the games consist of a somewhat educational feature such as letters or numbers, the pupils at a school will be able to learn outside of the school as well as inside.
This will allow them to return to the classroom fully energised due to all of the fresh air they will have received with a wider attention span, willing to learn much more than before.
For more info on nursery thermoplastic markings click here http://www.thermoplasticmarkings.com/playground/nursery-play-area-markings/lisburn This benefits the school because the teachers will be able to do a much better job of educating the class.
As a further result of this, the school, in general, would be benefited as the children will consequently receive better results if its pupils are given the opportunity of external surface design.
Please contact one of our specialist advisors if you'd like to speak to us about thermoplastic road safety markings in Lisburn BT67 0 and the application process for these high quality graphics.
Simply fill in the form on this page with your details so we can come back to you with a quote on the costs for the anti-skid lines.
We cover Lisburn