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Whooping Cough
Everyone's had a cough before, right? Coughs often come with a cold. And they usually go away without causing too much trouble. But sometimes the illnesses that cause coughs can make kids, especially little kids and babies, really sick.
Whooping cough (say: HOOP-ing kof) — also called pertussis (say: pur-TUS-is) — is one of those illnesses. It's a bacterial infection of the respiratory system, which includes the lungs and breathing tubes in the lungs. Whooping cough got its name because kids who had it would cough a lot, and in between coughs they'd make a "whoop" sound when they tried to get a breath.
Thousands of kids used to get whooping cough, which can be a deadly illness. But in 1906, two French scientists discovered the pertussis bacteria. That was the first step to creating a vaccine, or shot, to prevent it.
Today, kids get a series of shots to protect them from getting whooping cough. Some kids still get the infection, but it's less common than it once was. Babies who have had none or just some of the shots are particularly at risk for the illness and often have to be treated in a hospital if they get it.
How Is Whooping Cough Spread?
Pertussis bacteria can live in saliva in the mouth and mucus in the nose. Kids usually catch whooping cough by breathing in tiny droplets that are released into the air when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes. You can't see them, but those drops are there.
A lot of colds are spread through tiny droplets in the air, too. It's a good reason to cover your mouth and nose whenever you sneeze or cough.
What Are the Symptoms?
The first symptoms of whooping cough are like a cold — sneezing, runny nose, slight fever, and a cough that may get worse at night. But unlike a cold, whooping cough sticks around and within 2 weeks the cough gets stronger. The person has fits of coughing that seem to go on and on. During the cough, a person's face can turn red and, if it's really bad, the lips or skin may turn purple or blue. In between coughs, the person may make a "whoop" sound when taking a breath. The coughing can be so bad that the person throws up.
Most of the time, symptoms of whooping cough — especially the cough — can last for more than 2 months. But sometimes, kids are better within 3 to 6 weeks.
What's the Treatment?
Your parent should call the doctor if you might have whooping cough or even if you've been near someone who had it, since it is pretty contagious.
If a doctor thinks a kid might have whooping cough, he or she might take a sample of mucus (snot) from the back of the kid's nose. The snot can be tested in a lab to see if there's any pertussis bacteria in it. The doctor also may order blood tests and a chest X-ray.
A kid who has whooping cough will need rest, plenty of fluids to drink, and healthy food. Someone with whooping cough will need to stay home from school and probably take antibiotics (medicines that fight infections from bacteria). These medicines can keep the pertussis bacteria from infecting others, because pertussis is really contagious.
Even if you don't feel sick but you've been around someone who has whooping cough, your doctor will probably give you antibiotics. While getting better, people with whooping cough need to see a doctor to make sure their breathing and cough are improving.
In addition to getting better, parents need to make sure a kid with pertussis doesn't spread it to other kids, especially babies who haven't had their pertussis vaccination yet. Pertussis can be a very serious illness for a baby.
Pertussis Prevention
You can avoid whooping cough by getting the pertussis vaccine, called the DTaP, which is part of the normal vaccine schedule the doctor gives you. The shot prevents two other illnesses — diphtheria and tetanus — in addition to pertussis.
Today, kids are usually given five doses of the vaccine against whooping cough. The first three shots are given while a kid is a baby. Another is given when a kid is a toddler and the fifth one is given between ages 4 to 6. And now, doctors want to give another shot (called the Tdap) when a kid is older — like 11 or 12 — to make sure he or she is still protected.
Have you had your DTaPs? If so, whoop it up because you're protected from whooping cough!
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-2024 KidsHealth ® All rights reserved. Images provided by iStock, Getty Images, Corbis, Veer, Science Photo Library, Science Source Images, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com


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Orioles - 200 100 010 - 4 8 1 Red Sox - 003 112 30x - 10 13 1Six different Red Sox players hit home runs -- the 25th game in team history* with 6+ homers -- and, thanks to Tampa Bay's 5-1 win over the Yankees, Boston reclaimed the top spot in the AL East.
[Baseball Reference's data goes back only to 1919. But because Boston's first 6+ HR game in that span came in late 1940, and home runs were scarce throughout the Deadball Era, I'm assuming the Red Sox had no 6+ HR games from 1901-1918.]
Dustin Pedroia hit a three-run shot over the Wall and Monster Seats in the 3rd, Adrian Gonzalez hit a solo shot to center in the 5th, Jacoby Ellsbury had a two-run blast down the right field line in the 6th, and David Ortiz (dead CF), Josh Reddick (RF), and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (LF) hit back-to-back-to-back dongs in the 7th.
In the first inning, Miller (5-6-3-4-0, 98) was helped out by a double play after allowing singles to the first three Orioles batters. Baltimore left six men on base in the first four innings. ... Alfredo Aceves retired all six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings, throwing only 15 pitches.
Jake Arrieta / Andrew Miller
The Red Sox are in second place, 0.5 GB the Yankees. Seven of Boston's next 10 games are against the lowly Orioles (36-48, 14.5 GB), while the Yankees play eight of their next 12 games against the third-place Rays (48-39, 4 GB). This is an ideal chance to make a move in the East.
Boston has won all three of Miller's previous starts. Two of them were routs, but the lefty turned in a solid outing of six innings each time (6, 6, and 5.2, actually), well enough to give the team a chance to win even if the bats were not on fire.
While Miller's ERA is only 3.06, he has the highest strand rate (82.6% LOB, a tick above Josh Beckett's 82.5%) of any Boston pitcher with over eight innings pitched this year. His xFIP (park-adjusted Fielding Independent Pitching, a more accurate ERA-esque measure of a pitcher's ability to control what he has control over) is 4.10. xFIP is also better than ERA in predicting a pitcher's future performance.
Opponents have a .351 OBP against Miller, which is far too high; the AL average is .319. Miller has walked seven and allowed 19 hits in 17.2 innings. Walks have been his biggest liability in the past.
Arrieta, 25, has been remarkable consistent, if not particularly successful, this season. The righty's ERA has been between 4.03 and 5.06 since April 19 (14 starts).
AL East: Rays/Yankees at 7 PM.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's Time to Win Over $1000 in
Green Living Treasure
Earth Day is April 22 and this year EnvironmentalBooty.com and our Eco-partners are making it easy and fun to find the green living treasure in self, people and planet! Our 2011 Great Green Earth Day Giveaway is giving you the chance to win a mind blowing prize package of some of the hottest environmental treasure worth over $1350!
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CLEVELAND -- The Redskins decided one game without Robert Griffin III couldn't hurt.
RG3 disagreed, but after Kirk Cousins kept Washington's winning streak and playoff hopes intact, Griffin understood.
First place has him feeling better.
Cousins threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns filling in for an injured Griffin, leading Washington to its fifth straight win, 38-21 over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Cousins connected with Leonard Hankerson for both TDs in his first career start and the Redskins (8-6) barely missed a beat without the talented and multi-dimensional Griffin, who sat out with a sprained right knee and wasn't happy about having to stand on the sideline and watch his teammates play.
"I was not happy with the decision," said Griffin, who was informed Saturday night of the plan to start Cousins. "That's the decision they went with and I respect that. It doesn't mean I have to necessarily like it. I feel like I could have played this week, next week, the week after. But that's not my decision."
Turns out, the Redskins (8-6) have more than one rookie QB who can win.
Last week, Cousins came off the bench after Griffin got hurt against Baltimore and rallied the Redskins to an overtime win. Cousins was behind center from the start of this one and delivered a performance that extended Washington's longest winning streak since 2007 and moved the Redskins into a tie with the New York Giants atop the NFC East.
Afterward, Griffin expressed disappointment at not suiting up, but Washington's win took out some of the sting.
"We're in first place in our division now, and it was a great business trip for us," Griffin said. "I got healthier by not playing, we won the game and put ourselves in position to control our own destiny."
Rookie Trent Richardson had a pair of TD runs for the Browns (5-9), who had their winning streak stopped at three and faint playoff hopes snuffed out. Coach Pat Shurmur's fate may have rested on the Browns winning out, but that won't happen and his days in Cleveland could be dwindling quickly.
Shurmur said Griffin's absence didn't change Washington's attack.
Alfred Morris, a childhood rival of Richardson, had two touchdowns for the Redskins.
Wearing a burgundy warmup suit instead of his No. 10 jersey, Griffin, who sustained a mild sprain in the fourth quarter last week, cheered from the sideline as Cousins kept the Redskins moving toward the playoffs.
Griffin practiced all week and assumed he would start up until he was informed by coach Mike Shanahan during a meeting.
"He wanted to play, but when I hear two of the best doctors saying don't play him, I don't play him," said Shanahan, who got his 173rd win, one behind Mike Holmgren for 11th on the career list.
Cousins is no RG3, but the fourth-round pick from Michigan State was efficient, accurate and only made one major mistake -- an early interception to set up Cleveland's first TD.
Cousins completed 26 of 37 passes as the Redskins improved to 5-0 since their bye. They'll end the season with games against NFC East rivals Philadelphia and Dallas, teams they beat in consecutive weeks to start their streak.
If the Browns thought they were getting a break with Cousins, he proved to be as challenging to stop as his more elusive and hyped teammate.
Cousins admitted being nervous, but said going to bed knowing he would start helped.
"It was good to have a definitive answer, but I've been preparing to go all season as if I had to play knowing I'm one play away, " said Cousins, who shook off the pick. "This isn't my first rodeo. I did play a lot of football in the Big Ten. We started slow, but you've got to have character to dig deep. We didn't get spooked by a slow start."
Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden struggled from the outset. He went 21 of 35 for 244 yards and two picks, both leading to Washington TDs.
Before the game, Griffin gave Cousins some advice.
"I talked to him about being cool, calm and collected and not to freak out," Griffin said. "He did a good job of staying poised and staying confident in there."
Washington went ahead 31-14 on Evan Royster's 4-yard run.
Weeden came back with a 69-yard scoring strike to speedy rookie Travis Benjamin to pull the Browns within 10, but Cousins calmly took the Redskins down the field with Morris scoring to make it 38-21.
With Griffin out and inactive, Shanahan had to tweak his game plan and Cousins ran it with precision.
"He was nervous and wanted to get out there so bad," nine-year cornerback D'Angelo Hall said. "I told him to just go out and play, we have your back. We saw him win last week. We knew if he played a whole game he would do good things.
"It's good to see the car keys turned over to somebody else and we win."
Richardson's second TD run gave the Browns a 14-10 lead with 1:11 left before halftime. Earlier, he broke Hall of Famer Jim Brown's 55-year-old team rookie record for rushing TDs.
NOTES:Redskins K Kai Forbath made a 44-yard field goal and is 15 of 15, one shy of the NFL record to start a career. ... Morris has nine rushing TDs, passing Skip Hicks (1998) for the most by a Redskins rookie. ... Shanahan said OT Tyler Polumbus has a concussion. ... Shanahan did not have any updates on injuries to LB Lorenzo Alexander (shoulder) or OL Will Montgomery (knee).
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press


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3 June 2023
Asbestos Exposure & Risk of Developing Asbestos Related Disease
Asbestos is a naturally occurring rock forming mineral silicate in fibrous form belonging to the serpentine and amphibole groups. It occurs naturally in large deposits on every continent in the world. There are six types of naturally occurring asbestos fibres of which only three have been used commercially in Australia.
These included:
- the serpentine: Chrysotile (white asbestos)
- the amphiboles: Crocidolite (blue asbestos) and Amosite (brown or grey asbestos).
The other three non-commercially used amphiboles included Tremolite, Actinolite and Anthophyllite.
Asbestos has been used in the ancient world of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. It is believed that as early as 4000 BC, asbestos fibres were used for wicks in lamps and candles. Between 2000-3000 BC, embalmed bodies of Egyptian pharaohs were wrapped in asbestos cloth. The Greeks and Romans documented the harmful effects of asbestos fibres on those who mined the silken material from ancient stone quarries noting a "sickness of the lungs" in slaves who wove asbestos into cloth.
The commercial use of asbestos commenced in the late 1800s in Australia in four main industries including Mining and Milling; Building & Construction (for strengthening cement and plastics, for insulation, fireproofing and sound absorption); Ship Building (eg. insulation of boilers and steampipes) and the Automotive Industry (eg. vehicle brake shoes, gaskets and clutch pads).
There were over 3000 products (Asbestos Containing Materials or ACM) manufactured with asbestos fibres. The ACM fall into two broad categories: friable and non-friable (or bonded).
'Friable' is ACM that can be easily reduced to powder when crushed by hand, when dry. These materials can contain higher percentages of asbestos fibres and are easily or more likely to release airborne fibres into the environment with minimal disturbance. As such, they pose a greater risk to health. Friable materials must only be handled and removed by an asbestos removalist with Class A Asbestos Removal Licence. Examples of friable asbestos-containing materials include sprayed on fire retardants, insulation (eg. millboard, pipe insulation), sound proofing, the lining on some old domestic heaters, stoves and hot water systems and associated pipe lagging, the backing of sheet vinyl and linoleum floor coverings, thermal lagging, some vermiculite.
'Non-friable', or bonded ACM is used to refer to ACM in which the asbestos is firmly bound in the matrix of the material. These materials are unlikely to release measurable levels of airborne asbestos fibre into the environment if they are undisturbed. Therefore, they generally pose a lower risk to health. However, activities that may abrade the ACM such as drilling, grinding have the potential to release higher concentrations of airborne asbestos fibres into the environment. The non-friable ACM are mainly made up of asbestos fibres together with a bonding compound (such as cement), and typically contain up to 15 per cent asbestos. Non-friable ACM are solid, quite rigid and the asbestos fibres are tightly bound in the material. Non-friable ACM are the most common in domestic houses. They are commonly called 'fibro', 'asbestos cement' and 'AC sheeting'. Examples of non-friable ACM include asbestos cement products (flat, profiled and corrugated sheeting used in walls, ceilings and roofs, moulded items such as downpipes) and vinyl floor tiles.
While asbestos is a hazardous material it can only pose a risk to health if the asbestos fibres become airborne in respirable size, are inhaled and lodge deep into the lungs (in the alveoli). Inhalation is the main route of entry to the body. Respirable fibres are fibres that are more likely to reach the small airways and alveolar region of the lung and are defined as having a length of more than five microns, and an aspect ratio (length/width) greater than 3:1.
Asbestos is classified according to the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) as Carcinogenicity Category 1A (May cause cancer).
There are several asbestos related diseases that may result from the exposure to asbestos which depends on factors such as fibre type; size and shape of fibres; concentration of asbestos fibres in the inhaled air and period of time over which the person was exposed. The asbestos related diseases include:
- Asbestosis
- Pleural plaques
- Malignant mesothelioma of the pleura and peritoneum
- Lung cancer
- Benign asbestos pleural effusion
- Progressive pleural fibrosis (diffuse pleural thickening)
- Transpulmonary bands (crow's feet)
- Rounded atelectasis
All asbestos related diseases have a latency period that is the period commencing from the time of the exposure to the asbestos fibres first occurred until symptoms of a disease show. This may range from 10 – 50 years for the asbestos related diseases.
Workplace exposures to asbestos fibres first occurred while mining asbestos, manufacturing asbestos containing products or using those products during the construction of buildings. Currently, the main source of exposure to asbestos fibres is during the maintenance, renovation or demolition of old buildings with asbestos containing materials.
Asbestos containing materials are subject to environmental weathering which causes them to breakdown and release asbestos fibres. Low levels of airborne asbestos fibres are encountered in the environment from the breakdown of asbestos products. Environmental weathering of asbestos cement sheets in roofing and wall cladding, disturbance of asbestos from a variety of building materials like insulation and asbestos release to air from clutches and brakes in cars and trucks results in asbestos fibres being dispersed in the environment.
According to Australian Government Department of Health website, we are all exposed to low levels of asbestos in the air we breathe every day. Ambient or background air usually contains between 10 and 200 asbestos fibres in every 1000 litres (or cubic metre) of air (equivalent to 0.01 to 0.20 fibres per litre of air). However, most people do not become ill from this exposure, because the levels of asbestos present in the environment are very low. Most people are also exposed to higher levels of asbestos at some time in their lives; for example, in their workplace, community or home. However, for most people, this kind of infrequent exposure is also unlikely to result in any ill effects.
Safe Work Australia states that "the typical environmental background in outdoor air is 0.0005 fibres/ml and 0.0002 fibres/ml in indoor air. The daily inhalation volume for an average adult is 22 m3 or 22000 litres. This means 5500 fibres are breathed/day by the average person (proportion of time spent indoors = 20 hours/day). Despite this the general population does not contract asbestos related disease in significant numbers. The background rate of mesothelioma is less than one per million per year. By comparison, the annual death rate for a 40 year old male in 2008 was 1.6 per thousand or 1600 per million. However, there is no absolutely safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres.
Most people who develop asbestos related diseases were workers who have worked on jobs where they frequently breathed in large amounts of asbestos fibres. As an example, construction workers using unsafe practices in the past may have frequently encountered asbestos fibre levels significantly higher than those levels found in the background. The current workplace exposure standard (time weighted average (TWA) over an eight-hour period) is 0.1 fibres/millilitre of air (100 fibres per litre which is between 500 and 10,000 times the background levels). In the past, workers in asbestos milling or mining often encountered fibre concentrations a million times higher than background levels. In 2011, 606 deaths were caused by mesothelioma and 125 deaths were caused by asbestosis in Australia.
Family members of exposed workers or those who lived close to active asbestos mines in the past are also at risk. A worker exposed to asbestos fibres or a home renovator can carry asbestos fibres on their clothing, boots, skin, hair and tools. Everyone should be alert to ensure they do not become exposed to these fibres.
A very small number of asbestos-related disease cases occur each year in people who have not worked with asbestos products. The low number of cases makes it difficult to determine the exact cause of the disease or the likely exposure event, but unsafe handling of asbestos materials in the home may have contributed to some of these cases.
The uncontrolled disturbance of asbestos containing materials must be avoided at any time to prevent the release of airborne asbestos and increase the risk of exposure to airborne asbestos fibres. The exposure to airborne asbestos fibres should be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable by managing asbestos containing materials in-situ and adopting safe work practices as required by the Work Health & Safety Regulations and Safe Work Australia Codes of Practice "How to Manage & Control Asbestos In the Workplace": and " How to Safely Remove Asbestos".
If you require assistance in asbestos inspection, asbestos testing or asbestos assessment contact SESA on 02 9822 8406.
#Related Tags:
Noise Assessment
Workplace Noise Assessment
Workplace Noise Survey
Noise Survey
Hazmat Survey
Asbestos Register
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AUDUBON, John James (1785-1851)
Black Warrior. From "The Birds of America" (Amsterdam Edition)
Amsterdam and New York: Johnson Reprint Corporation and Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, 1971-72. Colour-printed lithograph, on fine hand-made paper. Excellent condition. Image size: 37 x 24 1/2 inches. Sheet size: 26 3/4 x 39 7/8 inches (approx). [Pl. 86].
In October 1971, employing the most faithful printing method available, the best materials and the ablest craftsmen of their age, the Amsterdam firm of Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd., in conjunction with the Johnson Reprint Corporation of New York, set out to produce the finest possible limited edition facsimile of the greatest bird book ever printed: the Havell edition of John James Audubon's well-loved "Birds of America". The Curators of the Teyler's Museum in Haarlem, Holland made their copy of the original work available for use as a model. The Museum, founded in 1778, bought their copy through Audubon's son as part of the original subscription in 1839. After long deliberation, the extremely complex but highly accurate process of colour photo-lithography was chosen as the appropriate printing method. The best exponents of this art were the renowned Dutch printing firm of NV Fotolitho Inrichting Drommel at Zandvoort who were willing to undertake the task of printing each plate in up to eight different colours. The original Havell edition was published on hand-made rag paper and the publishers were determined that the paper of their edition should match the original. Unhappy with the commercially available papers, they turned to the traditional paper manufacturers G. Schut & Zonen (founded in 1625), who, using 100% unbleached cotton rags, were able to produce a wove paper of the highest quality, with each sheet bearing a watermark unique to the edition: G. Schut & Zonen [JR monogram] Audubon [OT monogram]. The publishers and their dedicated team completed their task late in 1972 and the results of these labours were affectionately known as the "Amsterdam Audubon." 250 copies were published and sold by subscription, with the plates available bound or unbound. Given all this careful preparation, it is not surprising that the prints have the look and feel of the original Havell edition. John James Audubon was born in Les Cayes, Haiti on 26 April 1785. From 1788 to 1803 he lived in France until he was sent to the United States to manage an estate that his father had bought in Pennsylvania. He returned to France in 1805, but his fascination with the United States had taken root and he returned again in May 1806. He married Lucy Bakewell in 1808 and together they embarked on a difficult period financially that was only to be resolved, through Audubon's unshakable and justified belief in his own abilities, with the publication of his masterpiece in 1827-1838. "The Birds of America" is the single greatest ornithological work ever produced and is the realization of Audubon's dream of traveling throughout the United States recording, natural size, every native bird then known. The 435 double-elephant folio sized plates, printed by the Havells of London, depict some 1,065 different species, the majority drawn from specimens that Audubon himself had captured. The Havell edition was expensive at the time of publication and this has not changed. A complete copy sold for a staggering $11,400,000 in a sale in London in December 2010. Currently, the increasingly rare individual plates from the Havell edition, when they do appear, generally sell for between $5,000 and $350,000 depending on the image. The quality of the Amsterdam Audubon plates is apparent to any discerning collector and it is becoming ever clearer that they offer the most attractive alternative to the Havell edition plates, given the latter's spiraling prices.
Cf. Zimmer, p. 22; cf. Bennett, p. 5; cf. Fries, Appendix A; cf. Wood, p. 208; cf. Nissen IVB 51; cf. Sabin 2364; cf. Ripley 13; cf. Tyler, Audubon's Great National Work, 1993, Appendix I.
Item #7417
Price: $250.00


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The grocery store chain's star system steers customers toward healthier foods, a study finds.
A nutritional rating system using gold stars affixed to price labels on shelves at Hannaford Supermarkets appears to have shifted buying habits, potentially providing another tool to educate consumers on how to eat healthier, according to a new study.
The independent study examining a gold star system used in the Maine-based grocery store chain suggested it steered shoppers away from items with no stars toward healthier foods that merited gold stars.
"Our results suggest that point-of-sale nutrition information programs may be effective in providing easy-to-find nutrition information that is otherwise nonexistent, difficult to obtain or difficult to understand," the researchers wrote in the study, published last week in the journal Food Policy.
It's the most rigorous scientific study focusing on Guiding Stars, which was instituted in 2006 in Hannaford stores and is now licensed for use in more than 1,800 stores in the United States and Canada.
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the University of Florida focused on the cereal aisle, where it can be challenging to make healthy choices amid conflicting health claims and a multitude of sugary offerings targeting children.
They compared data from 134 Hannaford grocery stores in the Northeast against an equal number of similar stores and found that sales of no-star cereals dropped 2.58 percent more at Hannaford stores compared with the control group, while cereals getting one, two or three stars at Hannaford saw modest but measurable gains of 0.5 percent to 1 percent during the first 20 months of the program.
"Although the percentages are small, if you think in terms of the actual quantities or boxes of cereal sold in the national market, this could have some important implications on the nation's health," said Jordan Lin, an author of the study and scientist at the FDA.
For the study, researchers zeroed in on Hannaford and Guiding Stars because of the availability of the data. It used data that was provided by Guiding Stars Licensing Co. and from Nielsen ScanTrack to compare the Hannaford and the control group.
Julie Greene, healthy living manager at Hannaford, said the Guiding Stars program has been a hit with consumers. The cereal aisle "can be very overwhelming. Every cereal box is a virtual billboard of health claims," she said.
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Not only does Stephanie have great taste in vegan fudge recipes, she also writes cookbooks! I just received a copy of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, which she co-authored with Garrett McCord, and it's very well done. It's getting rave reviews on Amazon, so if you're still in shopping mode, go check it out.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Edible Holiday Gift Special: Vegan Miracle Fudge!
Not only does Stephanie have great taste in vegan fudge recipes, she also writes cookbooks! I just received a copy of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, which she co-authored with Garrett McCord, and it's very well done. It's getting rave reviews on Amazon, so if you're still in shopping mode, go check it out.
52 comments:
- bdwilcox said...
You are the Matt Drudge of your miracle fudge.
- December 14, 2013 at 12:51 AM
- PreludeInZ said...
Chef John, isn't this technically just chocolate, with coconut oil instead of cocoa butter, no milk, and maple syrup instead of white sugar?
It still looks great and I'll still probably try it, I was just curious. - December 14, 2013 at 5:38 AM
- Andre C said...
Can I replace coconut oil with melted butter or vegetable oil if I don't go vegan?
- December 14, 2013 at 7:49 AM
- Andre C said...
Can I replace coconut oil with melted butter or vegetable oil if not going vegan?
- December 14, 2013 at 7:50 AM
- Judy said...
sounds really interesting :) Might try it sometime!
- December 14, 2013 at 2:28 PM
You must use the coconut oil in this case since it's the key ingredient that gives the fudge its solid character at room temperature.
Just whipped up a batch and placed it in the freezer, thanks for sharing this recipe! - December 14, 2013 at 8:07 PM
- cookinmom said...
Oh no...Chef John is going to the other side, *sigh*...
- December 14, 2013 at 9:15 PM
- Helen said...
can i use cocoa butter instead?
- December 14, 2013 at 9:58 PM
- Scarlet Merlot said...
Definitely going to try this. I went vegan six months ago and I love that your blog/YouTube channel has some vegan recipes. Your recipes are delicious and easy with a dash of humor. Delectable.
- December 14, 2013 at 11:54 PM
- Alin Marginean said...
I don't know where you get your extra-virgin coconut oil from but you should switch. The whole point of extra-virgin is the mild taste due to the low extraction temperature. If it has a toasted, pronounced flavour the manufacturer is cutting corners while the refined variety is tasteless because it's been extracted with the use of a solvent not pressure.
- December 15, 2013 at 12:53 AM
- Unknown said...
Instead of walnuts what else can you add for those who are deathly allergic to all nut products?
- December 15, 2013 at 3:25 AM
- LFox said...
just discovered your site when looking for a good beef short rib recipe. wow, I've been definitely missing out. you have an amazing site and your video formats are easy to follow. you sound like a nice cook "coach" with tips and humor. just added you to my bookmark menu. THANKS
- December 15, 2013 at 8:31 AM
Would this be good with almonds or peanuts? There are allergies to other nuts in my family.
Would it be any good if the nuts were left out? - December 15, 2013 at 12:26 PM
- Chef John said...
Of course you can use any nuts you want!
- December 15, 2013 at 1:46 PM
- Jackie Reynolds said...
So, how did your pilates class go???? ;-)
- December 15, 2013 at 2:25 PM
- Chef John said...
Awesome! I pulled a hamstring and dislocated a knee.
- December 15, 2013 at 3:03 PM
- Unknown said...
Is it OK to replace the syrup (as here in Bulgaria it is hard to find) with bee honey and if yes in what proportion should I do it, thanks. Oh and by the way, you are great Chef John, thank you for all the ideas and little humour :)
- December 15, 2013 at 3:22 PM
- Chef John said...
Yes, I've not tried, but I'm sure the same amount of honey would work!
- December 15, 2013 at 5:10 PM
- Unknown said...
Actually there was a problem with honey, the cocoa-honey mixture got super sticky and the coconut oil didn't really want to mix with it. Maybe I will try next time by putting more cocoa or softer honey.
- December 16, 2013 at 11:57 AM
- Unknown said...
Thank you, Chef John. I eat a large percentage of my daily calories in fat. I make "fat bombs" like this recipe keep me from having to gnaw on a stick of butter to get in all the fat.
Just kidding!
I will make it with maple syrup for a special day, but experiment with Truvia or another such sweetener, to lower the carbohydrate count. If it doesn't harden up, HEY! I'll scoop it up with a ridiculously tiny spoon! - December 17, 2013 at 1:22 AM
- Amy Blunck said...
Seconding "Melt"! I just got this as an early Christmas present and it's great! Lots of info on different cheeses and how to integrate them into delicious pasta dishes!
- December 17, 2013 at 12:43 PM
- Yen-Lyng said...
I live in a tropical country and Coconut Oil is already liquid at my room temperature. Will this recipe still work?
- December 18, 2013 at 9:20 AM
- Daniela Alzate said...
Thanks for sharing this recipe chef john, My family loves me more since the day I first tried one of your recipes lol. enjoy the holidays!
Daniela - December 18, 2013 at 4:13 PM
- Unknown said...
Chef John, I SWEAR by your recipes. As a young newlywed wife who never learned to cook... You make me seem like a pro :). My husband is well fed and happy, thanks to you! Thank you, thank you! Just tested this recipe out - if all goes well I will be making 200 of these for Christmas in our neighbourhood. Wish me luck!
kitty - December 20, 2013 at 12:12 AM
- Unknown said...
Chef John, I SWEAR by your recipes. As a young newlywed wife who never learned to cook... You make me seem like a pro :). My husband is well fed and happy, thanks to you! Thank you, thank you! Just tested this recipe out - if all goes well I will be making 200 of these for Christmas in our neighbourhood. Wish me luck!
kitty - December 20, 2013 at 12:13 AM
- DianShan said...
Anyone tried with cocoa butter instead of coconut oil? Can't find coconut oil
- December 20, 2013 at 10:09 PM
- DianShan said...
I actually made this with cocoa butter instead of coconut oil. The thing is, the melted butter didn't really mix well with the mixture (seems like the fats were swimming around instead of mixing with the mixture) and it took a lot of effort to kinda get them combined. Not sure if it's because I used cocoa butter and not coconut oil. But still it froze well and the taste was good. Only thing was it kinda left a layer of fat when I poured into the mould and was a little goppy. And I forgot to spray non-stick on my plastic mould which made the fudge stick onto it.
- December 22, 2013 at 10:10 PM
- Steph said...
This was so good. I added a bit more cocoa and some cinnamon, bit of cloves and some cayenne. No nuts due to folks with allergies in the house. Very creamy and awesome. thanks for posting.
- December 23, 2013 at 7:20 PM
- Rich Stillwell said...
Made a couple batches of these for gifting purposes...They are amazecubes!
- December 24, 2013 at 11:01 AM
Nobody gave me fudge for Christmas so i made these for myself. Ran out of maple syrup so topped it off with dark agave syrup. I had pecans just waiting to be toasted and added to fudge so I used them. And I subbed part of the refined coconut oil with pure EV coconut oil. Came out fantastic. So dark and rich.
Chef John, would it still come out good if I cut the syrup in half? I love bittersweet chocolate, you know not to sweet.
Thanks for a great gluten and lactose free recipe.
You are awesome!
- December 30, 2013 at 7:04 PM
- cadlover77 said...
I knwo this might sound like a silly question but I am looking for the "real maple syrup" and I was typing online and there seems to be different types I didn't even realize. So what type do I buy? Grade A ot Grade B maple syrup and what kind of company?? Please and thank you!
- January 4, 2014 at 6:53 PM
- Chef John said...
The brands don't matter and change by region, but just look for "pure maple syrup" there shouldn't be other ingredients! I like grade B since it has more maple flavor. A is more subtle.
- January 5, 2014 at 3:15 PM
- Unknown said...
My fudge wont harden properly like yours, is there anyway to fix it like maybe increasing or decreasing the ingredients? im thinking of adding more cocoa powder
- January 22, 2014 at 8:51 AM
- Chef John said...
That won't work, since the only thing that gets hard in the cold coconut oil!
- January 22, 2014 at 1:29 PM
- krad said...
Chef John, i'm a Singaporean thus i can't find some unsweetened cocoa powder is normal cocoa powder ok?
- January 23, 2014 at 1:27 PM
- Chef John said...
I don't think so! I think too sweet for this, but you can try.
- January 23, 2014 at 4:15 PM
- HyperHorse said...
I'm not vegan and I never will be.
But I will try this one day and I'm willing to bet this fudge will help people lose body fat. Looks like a great pre workout snack... - February 22, 2014 at 11:27 PM
- HyperHorse said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- February 23, 2014 at 1:19 PM
- Pavan Katariya said...
Thank you for the miracle recipe... !!
- March 15, 2014 at 11:16 AM
- GenieBeenie said...
You kill me Chef John, BTW where's the info about why the refined coconut oil instead of E.V.C.O ?
- February 3, 2015 at 3:07 PM
- aijiko said...
I did not have maple syrup in the house (which is actually unusual for me) but wanted to try this anyway, so I used agave. It was straight up agave, not "dark" or anything. How did it turn out? Well it's delicious but not as firm or smooth as yours looks in the picture. It fell apart getting it out of the molds. Considering I was more than willing to just take a spoon to it and eat half a dozen before I knew what I was doing, I'd say the taste didn't suffer.
- February 8, 2015 at 3:31 PM
- MC said...
Tried it and it came out great!
- August 19, 2015 at 5:15 PM
- Unknown said...
Can i replace maple syrup with honey? Maple syrup isn't easily available here in India. So can you suggest a replacement for it?
- October 12, 2015 at 11:09 AM
- Unknown said...
Chef John, I used same proportion of honey instead of maple syrup, but the honey is overpowering the chocolate. It tastes a lot of honey and a little like chocolate but the texture is amazing. can you suggest some other sweetening agent
- October 14, 2015 at 5:40 AM
- Unknown said...
Hello Chef John, can i substitute coconut oil with coconut butter?
- April 4, 2016 at 10:14 AM
- Unknown said...
What do you do if you want to make this but do not want to add in the walnuts.
- July 24, 2016 at 7:08 PM
- Michelle said...
where did you buy the white boxes you put the chocolate in for gifts?
- December 13, 2017 at 12:46 PM
- Michelle said...
Where did you buy the boxes for the chocolates?
- December 13, 2017 at 12:56 PM
- Unknown said...
I made it using the raw virgin coconut oil and mine did just fine. I didn't have a silicone mold so I used a cookie scoop (looks like a mini ice cream scoop) made cute lil drops. I sifted some cocoa powder over the tops and put them in the candy wrappers (like cupcake ones only smaller) and then put them on candy plates I made from melting hard candies in mini springform pans wrapped them up in holiday printed cellophane and gave them to the neighbors for Christmas gifts. Everyone loved them, and after they were gone I mentioned they were vegan-and they told me NO EVER LOVING WAY.
- December 24, 2017 at 5:42 PM
- Jeanne said...
Hats off to you Chef John for keeping your culinary world open for the unusual! I made the fudge with 1/8 unrefined coconut oil, the rest refined, used the walnuts, homemade vanilla, grade B syrup and put a few sprinkles of himalayan sea salt across top after I poured it. My husband does not like chocolate, he looked at it and of course thought the worst, but then tried it and really liked it. Next time I will either try some powdered peanut butter and reduce the cocoa powder or go with some finely ground toasted coconut (Chocolate Haystack), yum. Thank You 4 posting.
- November 3, 2018 at 6:40 PM
- meveganaughtman said...
Please tell me if i can use something besides a sillicon mold. Of course the one time i need one not a single store in my town has any! SOS i need my chocolate fix!!
- November 16, 2018 at 10:15 AM
- DivaLea said...
You definitely want to pay attention to serving sizes.
Prepared as directed, the total calories are 1900. If you cut pieces or use mold to get 24, each piece is 79 calories.
You could end up eating 5 without thinking. - August 29, 2019 at 5:54 PM


text:
By Alex T. Johnson, Policy Advisor, U.S. Helsinki Commission
Marlene Kaufmann, General Counsel, U.S. Helsinki Commission
Troy C. Ware, Policy Advisor (CBCF Fellow), U.S. Helsinki Commission
Christian Sy, Legislative Assistant, Office of Congressman Alcee L. Hastings
United States Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Co-Chairman of the United States Helsinki Commission (CSCE) and Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), recently convened the "CSCE Seminar on OSCE Mediterranean Partner Engagement," July 22 and 23 at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The seminar hosted more than 50 participants from the OSCE Mediterranean Partner States of Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, as well as Members of the United States Congress, U.S. government officials, non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives, and special guests.
Delegations of the Mediterranean Partner States consisted of parliamentarians and representatives from their Washington-based diplomatic corps. Special guests included representatives of Greece, the current Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, and delegates from Kazakhstan which will chair the OSCE in 2010, staff representation of the OSCE and OSCE PA International Secretariats, as well as representation of the Swedish Presidency of the European Union.
Congressman Hastings opened the seminar with words of welcome for the Mediterranean Partners and special guests, and challenged them to use the event for a frank discussion and exchange of ideas on how to strengthen the OSCE's partnership with its Mediterranean neighbors. He also chaired each session of the two-day event. Presentations were also given on the first day by OSCE PA President João Soares of Portugal, OSCE PA President Emeritus Göran Lennmarker of Sweden, OSCE PA Vice President Jerry Grafstein of Canada, Director of the Office of the OSCE Secretary General Paul Fritch, and Barry Pavel of the National Security Council. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer hosted the delegation for a reception to conclude the first day of proceedings. The second day's sessions included presentations by Dalia Mogahed of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, Ian Lesser of the German Marshall Fund, OSCE Personal Representative on Mediterranean Affairs Sotiris Roussos and additional contributions by OSCE PA President João Soares.
Opening Session
The opening session consisted of a panel discussion which began with remarks from Representative Alcee L. Hastings and Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and OSCE PA Vice President. OSCE PA President João Soares, OSCE PA President Emeritus Göran Lennmarker, and OSCE PA Vice President Jerry Grafstein delivered keynote presentations for this panel. In sum, the presentations established a framework for the proceedings of the seminar by characterizing the historical developments of Mediterranean Partner engagement in the OSCE and identifying key priorities for enhanced engagement with the partners.
Representative Hastings stressed the importance of convening the seminar, specifically to return due prominence and functionality to the OSCE Mediterranean Dimension, which he has long advocated in the OSCE PA and during his recent tenure as its president. Hastings noted that similar goals have been recently prioritized by other multilateral institutions. Senator Cardin noted the considerable work of Helsinki Commissioners in the realm of OSCE Mediterranean Partner engagement through Congressional delegation visits to both current and potential partners as well as hearings in Washington. Cardin also emphasized what he sees as an opportunity to strengthen the OSCE's relationship with its Partners for Cooperation by the addition of new regional partners in both the Mediterranean and in Asia, namely Lebanon, Syria, and Pakistan.
President Soares commended the emergence of several formal documents and proposals for empowering the partnership submitted by the Mediterranean Partners. Soares' remarks centered around the importance of the OSCE as the most qualified international organization to address challenges within the OSCE region and its partners, proven through its successes in Central Asia and the Caucuses. He also emphasized the importance of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly which perpetuates that spirit of dialogue embodied in the Helsinki Final Act, whose principles he asserted will help achieve the goals of the countries of the Mediterranean region.
President Emeritus Lennmarker explored how the OSCE, as a key mechanism through which Europe engages its own persisting challenges, could serve as a powerful model for mitigating the tremendous economic, human, and political costs of conflicts in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. The President Emeritus cautioned against protectionism in the region and offered the enhancement of the OSCE Mediterranean Dimension as a vehicle to promote prosperity. The Opening Session concluded with remarks by Vice President Grafstein who urged the creation of regional trade agreements to spur economic growth and promote political stability in the region.
Working Meeting on OSCE Mediterranean Partner Engagement
OSCE Mediterranean Partner States continue to be actively engaged in the activities of the OSCE and send strong delegations to ministerial level gatherings and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly events. Mediterranean Partners also send delegations to OSCE election monitoring missions and participate in technical exchanges to build capacity. Recent years have seen an increase in opportunities for engagement by the Mediterranean Partners, but there are still a number of challenges to overcome. The working meeting of the seminar sought to explore methods to improve participation by the Mediterranean Partners and expand engagement in OSCE activities. Topics of discussion included prioritizing implementation of OSCE agreements related to the Mediterranean Partner States, identifying uses for the OSCE Partnership Fund, and procedures to increase engagement in the executive structures of the OSCE. Guiding questions for the discussion included:
- How can we prioritize implementation of the OSCE agreements and initiatives related to Mediterranean Partner States?
- What should be the priorities for the OSCE Partnership Fund?
- How can Mediterranean Partner States become more engaged in the executive structures of the OSCE and other tangible partnerships?
Paul Fritch of the OSCE Secretariat guided the working meeting by describing the mandate of the OSCE Partners for Cooperation and characterizing the current level of engagement by the Partner States. He identified key considerations and challenges that should be addressed, as well as the successes of Mediterranean Partner Engagement with the OSCE on matters of tolerance, anti-terrorism cooperation, and migration management.
Participants made the following recommendations:
- The Mediterranean Partners must translate their valued relationship with the OSCE into engagement across the entire span of work in all three dimensions of the OSCE – political-security, economic, and human – building on their successful contributions in anti-terrorism cooperation, migration management, and tolerance.
- The OSCE Partnership Fund should continue to be utilized to inspire ownership of the process of partnership. Specifically, the Fund should foster civil society engagement in the activities of the Mediterranean Partners and be used to promote Partner participation in all activities of the OSCE.
- The OSCE must build synergy with other regional cooperation mechanisms such as NATO, the European Union, and others, as well as promote cooperative initiatives affiliated with these institutions. The OSCE must clearly negotiate its role and articulate its contributions to the States engaged in the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation. Currently, extensively overlapping mandates with other international initiatives inhibits the potential for tangible achievements of the Partnership.
- Expectations of engagement from Mediterranean Partners States must be clearly defined, especially the role of parliamentarians. Appropriate measures should then be taken to facilitate further engagement. Inversely, the OSCE must clearly define what it gains from the engagement of the Mediterranean Partners States.
- Efforts should be made to promote appropriate diplomatic exchanges with the OSCE through a formalized mechanism, internship, or fellowship to offer training to the diplomatic corps and civil service of Mediterranean Partner States regarding the principles of the Helsinki Process, the organization and functions of the OSCE and the potential to use OSCE institutions and mechanisms to promote economic development and political stability.
- Opportunities for support and consultation from the various institutions and offices of the OSCE should continue to be explored. Such partnerships should include (but are not limited to) engagement with the Office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, ODHIR, Strategic Police Matters Unit, Gender Unit, Office of the Coordinator for Environmental and Economic Activities, Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, and the Office of the Special Representative on the Freedom of the Media.
- Increased Mediterranean Partner engagement in the Environmental and Economic Dimension of the OSCE should be further explored, particularly with respect to water security and water management, as well as trade enhancement. Mechanisms to promote regional food security should also be examined.
- Cooperation among the Mediterranean Partners must be strengthened prior to consideration of additional States for entry as partners of the OSCE; specifically, the Partnership could be utilized for the implementation of confidence building mechanisms.
- Efforts should be made to galvanize the potential of the OSCE Mediterranean Partnership as a forum to expand political will for reconciliation of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Session 1: Expert Seminar on Security in the Mediterranean
The engagement of OSCE Mediterranean Partners in the activities of the OSCE has largely emphasized opportunities for cooperation and capacity development on hard and soft security matters. The most recent 2008 OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Amman emphasized the importance of increased public diplomacy efforts, further cooperation with civil society in counter-terrorism efforts, and enhanced cooperation with other regional cooperation mechanisms. Barry Pavel of the National Security Council engaged participants on the regional security priorities of the Obama Administration and the outlook for regional initiatives. Points for this discussion included:
- What developing transnational trends (environmental, economic, demographic, energy/resource scarcity) are of most concern to Mediterranean Partner States from a broad security perspective?
- What particular challenges and opportunities arise from the blurring between clearly foreign and domestic policy security issues?
- How can engagement with other regional cooperation mechanisms, such as NATO and the European Union, increase the security of the Mediterranean Partner States?
Key recommendations and themes emanating from this session included:
- President Barack Obama's Cairo speech was recognized as a noteworthy start to the United States' relations with the countries of the Middle East. However, quick action is required for the momentum to be maintained. The speech expressed many concerns shared by people in the Arab world. More specifically, the time frame for peace talks is critical for a number of reasons. In January, 2010 the term of the current Palestinian Authority Chairman ends. Moreover, experience has shown that the first year of an American presidency is the time for action. Afterwards, other items on the President's agenda will demand more attention.
- Food security, the financial crisis, immigration, and development are priority issues for the region that must not be neglected. Answers must be sought as to why people are risking their lives to leave their countries.
- The Obama Administration should not reverse course on free trade with the region. Prior U.S. leadership in free trade compelled other nations to engage the Middle East in trade.
- The OSCE should be used to assist in the peace process and economic development for the region. The U.S. must appoint an ambassador to the OSCE quickly.
- Europe has a critical role to play. Economic engagement must be stepped up and protectionist urges resisted. The rise of Islamophobia is also a problem Europe must address to promote mutual understanding and security in the Mediterranean Region and beyond.
Session 2: Expert Seminar on Current Issues in the Mediterranean: "Youth of the OSCE Mediterranean Partners: Assets, Challenges, and the Way Forward"
Youth throughout the OSCE Mediterranean Partner States are often seen as a demographic time bomb, making up a 40-60% of their nation's population. This session of the seminar emphasized the solidarity of the Mediterranean Partners in addressing the current demographic needs. Dalia Mogahed of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies helped the participants conceptualize the young men and women of the region as its greatest resource and defined strategies for harnessing their energy to promote prosperity. Questions addressed in this session:
- What are the main assets of this group on which to build?
- What challenges do they face in contributing to their society?
- What recommendations does the research suggest will best unleash their potential?
Key recommendations and themes emanating from this session included:
- Conduct studies throughout the OSCE Mediterranean Partner region to further investigate issues relevant to youth and identify challenges and country-specific solutions to providing a quality education, requisite job training, essential computer skills, access to capital for entrepreneurship, student exchanges, and opportunities for dialogue with government leaders while ensuring freedom and democracy.
- Strengthen the relationships between OSCE Mediterranean Partner States, the Arab League, and organizations that conduct these studies, e.g. the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt, and share findings and recommendations in the Arab League's Annual Report.
- Address the inadequacies of the education system in each of the OSCE Mediterranean Partner States and make comprehensive reforms to ensure that all graduates have the education necessary to attain jobs that maximize their potential, utilize their assets, allow them to contribute to their societies, and help realize their personal and professional goals.
- Increase access to job training while reevaluating its role in respect to education.
- Consult and engage youth in the OSCE Mediterranean Partner States about issues important to them, especially concerning conflict, through youth councils and provide them with opportunities for continuing dialogues with government leaders.
- Listen to the concerns and recommendations of other countries within the OSCE and around the world concerning issues of mutual interest and share innovative ideas.
- Consider declaring 2010 a "world year" and hold a youth conference under the auspices of the United Nations to affirm global values.
- Invest in programs together with the private and public sectors to provide cell phones, computers, and Internet access to communities and schools to increase computer literacy and close the digital divide.
- Bring computers, computer skills, Internet connectivity, job training, and jobs to rural areas in the Mediterranean.
- Reduce government and market corruption, as well as nepotism in each of the OSCE Mediterranean Partner States.
- Simplify the bureaucratic process for entrepreneurship and increase access to capital.
- Address different levels of freedom and democracy in each of the OSCE Mediterranean Partner States.
- Continue to collect accurate and useful data that reflects the needs and desires of youth in the OSCE Mediterranean Partner States in order to drive effective policy development by governments and practical engagement with the private sector.
- Promote student exchange programs for students of all ages to foster understanding, solidarity, and the sharing of ideas between the youth of the OSCE Mediterranean Partner states and the world.
Session 3: Expert Seminar on Current Issues in the OSCE Region
In recent years, OSCE Mediterranean Partner States have had an opportunity to contribute to ministerial documents and proposals on reform of the OSCE. However, appropriate venues for the Mediterranean Partners to offer their perspectives on challenges, conflicts, and priorities within the OSCE region remain infrequent. Topics explored in this session included:
- What experiences in security cooperation among the Mediterranean Partners inform current initiatives in the OSCE region?
- What partnerships and exchanges within the OSCE and beyond can be prioritized to offer expertise from Mediterranean Partners to confront challenges within the OSCE region?
Ian Lesser of the German Marshall Fund of the United States facilitated this session to provide an opportunity for Mediterranean Partner delegations to offer their expertise and experience to assist in confronting challenges within the OSCE region. He specifically characterized shared challenges in security between the OSCE region (consistency of capitalization) and Mediterranean Partners, as well as the outlook for their combined geopolitical region. This outlook consisted of future challenges in maritime security, migration, resource conflicts, cascading nuclear and arms proliferation, as well as environmental degradation. The discussion evolved into further exploration of mechanisms for cooperation between the Mediterranean Partners and the OSCE participating States, building on the themes of the Working Meeting on the first day of the seminar.
Key recommendations from this session included:
- Capacity development for institutions facilitating cooperation must be prioritized. Frequent opportunities for dialogue exist within the multiplicity of "Mediterranean" frameworks affiliated with the European Union, NATO, and other international organizations. Capacity development for institutions affiliated with these international organizations should focus on avoiding a duplication of efforts and extensive competition over resources.
- New institutions for cooperation do not need to be developed. Existing institutions must be utilized in a more rational and effective manner throughout the OSCE region.
- Increased commercial activity and resource exchanges among the OSCE participating States and with their Mediterranean Partners would promote regional stability.
- The participating States of the OSCE should recognize the unique expertise of the Mediterranean Partners in thwarting challenges to maritime security and generate alliances and technical exchanges to address piracy and other security concerns.
Concluding Session
Participants in the CSCE Seminar on OSCE Mediterranean Partner Engagement synthesized their perceptions of the seminar during the final session of the seminar. Conclusions offered by the participants included:
- The success of cooperative initiatives between the OSCE and the Mediterranean Partners will require greater leadership and agenda development from the Mediterranean Partners.
- Distinguishing appropriate and distinct roles for the various regional cooperation mechanisms in the Mediterranean region will be contingent on robust participation from the Mediterranean Partner delegations in the meetings and planning discussions of the different entities.
- More tangible progress toward cooperation will be made between the OSCE and the Mediterranean Partners if events and conferences have a singular focus, rather than attempting to address all aspects of human security. Fewer priorities that are clearly articulated will make conferences more manageable and implementation more effective.
- A platform should be developed for closer OSCE institution interaction with regional cooperation mechanisms for the Southern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
- Micro-institutions or taskforces must be developed for the implementation of agreed upon initiatives and recommendations emanating from conferences.
U.S. Helsinki Commission Hearing – "Future of the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation"
Following the CSCE Seminar on OSCE Mediterranean Partner Engagement, an official hearing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe was convened. This hearing established an official record in the United States Congress for the proceedings of the seminar, with a particular emphasis on how participation mechanisms for OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation can be optimized and improved to promote greater regional cooperation. Ambassador William Hudson, Deputy Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Sotiris Roussos, Personal Representative on Mediterranean Affairs to the Greek Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, and the Honorable João Soares, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, all testified before the U.S. Helsinki Commission during this hearing. Commissioners participating included Chairman Benjamin L. Cardin (MD), Co-Chairman Alcee L. Hastings (FL-23), Representative Robert Aderholt (AL-4), Representative Darrel Issa (CA-49), and Representative Mike McIntyre (NC-7). Representative Gwen Moore (WI-4) of the Committee on Financial Services and Committee on Small Business also participated in the hearing.
The hearing reiterated the recommendations emanating from the CSCE Seminar on OSCE Mediterranean Partner Engagement within the context of U.S. policy toward the region and priorities of the current leadership of the OSCE and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Witness recommendations included:
- Recognition of the role of the OSCE and its Mediterranean dimension for its potential to develop capacity for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East. The activities and events of the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation generate one of the few spaces in which Israeli and Arab officials can convene open dialogue and consistently cooperate.
- The United States government looks forward to engaging the Mediterranean Partners on the reintegration of Iraq into the community of nations and on ways to resolve tension over oil and gas supply and demand issues in Eastern Europe.
- The United States government looks forward to further partnership with the Mediterranean Partners on migration, counter-terrorism, economic cooperation, and regional security.
- The United States government has contributed to the OSCE Partnership Fund to support NGO involvement in Mediterranean Partner events and Mediterranean Partner delegation and government training on human rights work in Warsaw through the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Support for similar efforts should continue.
- The prospect of a separate Helsinki Process for the Middle East or an Organization for Security and Cooperation in the Middle East has been an idea circulated in recent years, but the use of a consensus process like that of the OSCE might not be optimal for the region.
- The Mediterranean Partners and other countries in the region have been involved in various regional organizations and processes revolving around similar core issues of the political military environment, the regional economy, and human development. More diverse priorities must be articulated by any division of labor that might be negotiated among international organizations and process.
- A mechanism or standing committee to facilitate coordination and collaboration among the principal international organization processes and dialogues in the Mediterranean region should be developed to prevent the duplication of initiatives and counter diminishing regional interest.
- A renewed focus on the environment and the economy in the Mediterranean region through the OSCE framework would help build capacity for cooperation and common ground for a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and other Middle East security challenges.
- The expansion of markets, global communication infrastructure development, and improved educational access within the Mediterranean Partner States present greater opportunities for regional economic cooperation.
- The Arab-Israeli conflict greatly influences Mediterranean Partner engagement. Thus, regardless of outcome, a prompt response on the request of the Palestinian Authority's request to join the OSCE Mediterranean Partner should be prioritized. Some believe that inclusion of the Palestinian Authority would expand a paradigm of confidence building and conflict resolution.
- The visibility of the OSCE Mediterranean Partnership should be enhanced and coupled with an expansion of initiatives to engage young leaders and young diplomats from the Mediterranean region.
- OSCE Partnership Fund initiatives should be coordinated for tangible results and mutual benefit of OSCE participating States and Mediterranean Partners.
- The flexibility and capacity for adaptation makes the OSCE one of the best international instruments for conflict resolution and it should be further utilized in the Mediterranean region.
- OSCE engagement can help advance the role of parliamentarians within Mediterranean Partner States.
- The OSCE Partnership Fund should be utilized for initiatives to empower women and promote entrepreneurship.
- Mediterranean Partner delegations should continue to be engaged in OSCE region election observation efforts and consider more frequent reciprocal exchanges.
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Seminar on OSCE Mediterranean Partner Engagement achieved its intended purpose of generating a space in which the delegations of the Mediterranean Partner States could frankly engage the current and future leadership of the OSCE and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on ways to enhance participation in events, processes, and initiatives. The seminar also served as a forum for Partner State delegations to discuss potential collaborative opportunities with the U.S. Administration and Members of Congress. Congressman Alcee L. Hastings, Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs and Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Chairman of the Helsinki Commission committed to working with the OSCE and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly leadership and international secretariats to implement the recommendations of the seminar. Congressman Hastings also committed to travelling once again in the coming year to the Mediterranean Partner States to follow up on the discussions of the seminar.


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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Las Vegas Strip performer was found guilty Thursday of second-degree murder for killing and dismembering his dancer ex-girlfriend in a closely watched case that offered a lurid glimpse behind the scenes of the Sin City stage community.
Jason Omar Griffith sat motionless as the verdict was read in Clark County District Court, but blew a kiss to his mother, Charlene Davis, as he was handcuffed to be taken to jail.
Defense attorney Abel Yanez characterized Griffith's reaction as "numb. Not upset, not happy."
The jury deliberated for about 14 hours over two days after hearing nine days of testimony about the strangulation death of Deborah Flores Narvaez during a Dec. 12, 2010, argument at Griffith's home.
Flores' sister Celeste Flores Narvaez sobbed into her mother's shoulder as the verdict was read. She had said she wanted Griffith to be convicted of first-degree murder. The family left the courthouse without speaking with reporters.
Griffith's defense attorneys said they will appeal, and Yanez added that his client was not the person the killing suggested he was.
Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo said he respected the verdict and understood it was difficult for jurors to decide guilt in domestic violence cases.
He also said he expected Griffith to receive the maximum 10 years to life in prison at sentencing July 23.
"You don't get to dismember a body and not serve life in prison," DiGiacomo said.
Griffith could also get a definite 10- to 25-year sentence. He could have faced up to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder.
Deborah Flores' disappearance in mid-December 2010 drew intense attention for almost a month before Griffith's housemate, Louis Colombo, led police to her dismembered remains in tubs of concrete in a vacant house.
The trial was a tale of sex, lies, betrayal and violence between two passionate and ambitious Las Vegas Strip dancers.
Griffith spent four days testifying that Flores' death was self-defense. He said he grabbed her from behind with his arms around her neck when he thought she was reaching for a purse that may have contained a gun. No weapon was found. He said he panicked afterward and asked Colombo to help dispose of the body.
DiGiacomo derided Griffith's self-defense claim as a fabrication and said he did nothing to resuscitate Flores.
Griffith, 35, is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He went by the name "Blu" as a performer in the Cirque du Soleil show "Love," based on Beatles music at The Mirage resort.
He testified that he juggled girlfriends and sexual acquaintances before and after he met Flores at a football halftime show in November 2009.
Flores, who went by Debbie, moved to Las Vegas from Maryland. She worked her way from go-go club work to a stage role in the racy "Fantasy" revue at the Luxor.
Evidence showed that by the time they became intimate in early 2010, Flores thought their relationship was monogamous. But Griffith was meeting several women for casual sex and pursuing Agnes Roux, a performer in the Cirque show "Zumanity" at the New York-New York hotel.
Griffith testified that his relationship with Flores had movie-style "Fatal Attraction" characteristics. He said she stalked, threatened, harassed and assaulted him when he tried to limit their time together, and that no one took him seriously despite more than a dozen calls to police for help.
Prosecutor Michelle Fleck said Griffith fanned Flores' anger by deceiving her about his sexual relationships, pulling away after accompanying her to an abortion clinic in May, then resuming their intimacy about the time of her 31st birthday in early July. The two continued an off-and-on relationship until her death.
Flores had a temper, and several of Griffith's friends and co-workers testified that she became violent when she was angry – drawing stares and sometimes security officers during outbursts in public places.
Roux testified that she broke up with Griffith after learning that he was sleeping with other Cirque dancers. She said she told Griffith in early December 2010 they couldn't be together if he was still seeing Flores.
On the witness stand, Griffith testified the fatal argument developed after Flores told him she was pregnant for the second time in about six months and wanted another abortion. He said it escalated after Flores demanded he quit seeing Roux and devote his full attention to her.
Flores' arm hit his face, Griffith said, as she reached past him toward her purse. Griffith said he grabbed her from behind, fell backward to the floor and held tightly until she stopped struggling.
Colombo testified he helped entomb and move the remains. He received immunity from prosecution before leading police to the tubs of concrete on Jan. 8, 2011.
Griffith was the one who sawed Flores' legs from her torso, Colombo said. Griffith said it was Colombo.


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Is there another name as fun to say as "kumquat"? Yes. Lemonquat, limequat, and orangequat (also called mandarinquat). I didn't make these up; they are citrus hybrids -- part kumquat and part lemon, lime, or orange, respectively.
A soft-spoken, affable farmer named George T. Schnurer, who owns and operates Betty B's Ranch in Ramona, California, sells a wide variety of cheerful citrus, including orangequats, lemonquats, and di rigeur Meyer lemons.
Though the juicy sweet-tart orangequats have a robust orange flavor that I love, I am positively smitten with the lemonquats. You might expect given their name that lemonquats are overly sour or acidic. They aren't. Like lemon drops, they're rather sweet with hints of tartness.
Lemonquats like kumquats are entirely edible. Though wonderful raw, they're simply amazing in baked goods. Despite their playful name and unique flavor, there aren't too many recipes for lemonquats, that is, except for hard drinks. Since this is G- rated blog, I figured I'd do something more wholesome, like cake.
So I consulted the ultimate baking cookbook: Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. I used Dorie's basic Coconut Tea Cake, then flavored it with lemonquats (rind and pulp included), and drizzled it with a simple lemon icing, toasted coconut, and sliced lemonquats.
It was truly one of the most scrumptious cakes I've ever eaten. Biting into the slightly crunchy, sweet icing gave way to a fabulously moist, dense cake speckled with tiny bits of explosively flavored lemonquats. It's ideal for brunch or an afternoon snack since it's not overly sweet. Rest assured, however, the flavor will leave you sighing with contentment.
If you can't find lemonquats (they're grown primarily in California and have a heartbreakingly short season), then try Melissas.com which sells all types of produce online. Otherwise, I would suggest substituting Meyer lemons or regular lemons with a bit more sugar since they're not as sweet.
Coconut Lemonquat Tea Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup canned unsweetened lite coconut milk, stirred well (or regular coc. milk)
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
4 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 de-seeded lemonquats, with the rind, minced until pulpy, (about 1/4 cup), plus 1 tablespoon of lemonquat juice**
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted
Icing and garnish:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
a few droplets of milk
1/4 cup shredded, sweetened coconut, toasted
2-3 lemonquats, thinly sliced and de-seeded
Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter or coat with cooking spray a 9-10-inch Kugelhopf or Bundt pan. Dorie advises to not place the pan on a baking sheet, since you want the oven's heat to circulate through the inner tube.
To toast the coconut, place in a dry skillet over medium heat, and gently stir until aromatic and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Keep your eye on it since it burns quite quickly!
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan, add the butter, and heat until the milk is hot and the butter is melted. Remove from the heat but keep warm.
Working with a hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, in a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar, and minced lemonquats with juice at medium-high speed until pale, thick and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and stopping just when the flour dissolves.
Keeping the mixer on low, add 1 cup of coconut, mixing only until blended, then slowly add the hot milk and butter. When the mixture is smooth, stop mixing, and stir it a couple of times with a rubber spatula to be sure it's throughly mixed. Pour the batter into the pan and gently shake it to even the batter.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool at room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the icing in a small bowl by whisking together 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Add a few droplets of milk and continue whisking until the icing is smooth and thin yet clings to the back of a spoon. When it's ready, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any tiny clumps of confectioners' sugar (thanks, Mom!).
Unmold the cake, and place on a rack. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing in a back-and-forth pattern on the slightly warm cake. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of toasted coconut, and garnish with sliced lemonquats. Allow to set for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
**If you are unable to find lemonquats, then I suggest using sweet and tangy Meyer lemons or regular lemons sweetened with a little bit of sugar. I would mince 1/4 cup's worth of lemon pulp, the zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon juice, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Of course, you can make it sweeter if you like.