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Between 2010 and 2012, major mining concessions in Democratic Republic of Congo were acquired by huge international mining companies for billions of dollars.
But most of that money never reached the Congolese state coffers. The assets were sold in secret, initially transferred at knockdown prices to a series of offshore companies, which then made the sales to the major multinational companies. The Congolese state is estimated to have lost out on at least $1.36 billion in the process – equivalent to twice the country's health and education budgets combined.
The owner of the offshore companies and personal friend of Congolese President Joseph Kabila, Dan Gertler, profited immensely. The companies involved are mostly registered in the British Virgin Islands, where regulations allow their true owners to be kept secret. This is all made possible by a global system that permits companies to withhold details of the people behind them or beneficial ownership.
Global Witness investigated these transactions, concerned that this lack of transparency and Gertler's relationship with the President increased the potential for corrupt figures in the Congolese elite to personally benefit from the sales, just as the Congolese state lost out.
There is certainly evidence that the offshore companies may have received favourable treatment in the acquisition of the assets they were soon to sell on. Gertler's companies sometimes paid under five per cent of market valuation for their mining rights, before striking immensely profitable deals with international companies, in particular ENRC (Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation) and Glencore. At the time both companies were listed on the London Stock Exchange.
ENRC and Glencore were able to secure these major mining concessions by doing business through Gertler, who is considered the 'gatekeeper' to Congo's mining sector. Global Witness contends that these companies, despite knowing the corruption risk inherent in doing business with Gertler, entered into the deals and acted to protect his shareholdings in joint ventures in ways that do not make commercial sense.
Each of the deals has added to Gertler's personal fortune – which now stands at around $1.44 billion according to the Forbes rich list – at the expense of the Congolese state and population. In one example, ENRC paid one of Gertler's companies $25 million to acquire a stake in a mine which cost him $15 million, then paid him again – a further $50m – to buy the stake for themselves; he had apparently quickly quintupled his money without investing in developing the asset or using any of his own fortune to acquire it.
Glencore, meanwhile, offered privileged loan agreements and share deals to some of these offshore companies – offers not extended to their other partners in Congo mining projects – which enriched Gertler and allowed him and Glencore to take controlling interests in major copper mines. Some details of these and other suspicious agreements are in Global Witness' secret sales key documents.
The scandal over these sales led the International Monetary Fund to halt its loan programme to Congo in December 2012 and helped spur the UK's Serious Fraud Office to launch a criminal investigation of ENRC in April 2013. The scandal may have eventually prompted ENRC to delist in an apparent attempt to avoid further scrutiny as a public company. A month later, the Africa Progress Panel – headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan – said that Congolese "state companies are systematically undervaluing assets".
More recently, in January 2014, it was revealed that Gertler's Nessergy company sold back oil rights to the Congolese government for 300 times the purchase price, having invested very little in developing the block. Then, in March 2014, American hedge fund Och-Ziff, one of the main financial backers of Dan Gertler, announced that it is being investigated by the SEC under suspicion of breaching the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in its African investments.
Mr Gertler vigorously disputes the various charges levelled against him, saying that all the offshore companies in the Fleurette Group, his holding company, are solely for the benefit of members of his family. His spokesman has also argued that he did not obtain assets at knock-down values. Glencore and ENRC also deny any wrongdoing. We have published official responses from Mr Gertler's representatives, Glencore, and ENRC on our website.
This is too important a matter to let rest. The companies involved must explain the role they have played in these secretive and questionable deals and full light must be shone on the beneficiaries of the offshore companies and their transactions.
Click here for a full list of related documents and publications.


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Maysville Panthers Preview
< < Back toThe Maysville Panthers head into the 2011 football season with a lot to look forward to. This football team finished with a 5-5 record last year but ended the season hot on a two game winning streak. Head coach Whit Parks thinks that he has a "good, competitive football team" and he hopes to win a lot of football games this season. Some returning players that were key to the team last year are RB Jeremy Wilson, LB Bryce Sidwell, and QB/DB Seth Brown. Wilson led the team in rushing last season just coming up short of 1,000 yards, and Brown helped out the secondary with 4 interceptions.
Leading the battle in the trenches for the Panthers are Joe Hammers and Tyler Moore. Hammers and Moore will be seniors this season playing both ways on the defensive and offensive lines. Although Maysville will be relying on the play of their veterans this season, they also have a few players whose names will be new to the fans but are sure to be liked. Speedster Heath Murkell will blow past defensive secondaries when he lines up at wide receiver and he'll speed by offensive tackles when he lines up at defensive end. Another name to watch is LB/FB Austin Nolan who is only in his junior year of high school.
Maysville doesn't want to get ahead of themselves, so they are taking their season one game at a time and looking forward to their opening game against Columbus Academy in Gahanna, Ohio. The Panthers look to continue their two-game winning streak (from last year) and gain some momentum as their second game is against MVL powerhouse, Tri-Valley.

subset: commoncrawl


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The MTX cable range is engineered to meet or exceed OEM cable specifications. The MTX cable range includes throttle, brake, clutch, and speedo cables suited to fit a wide range of motorcycles.
MTX cables are constructed with an inner nylon sleeve and a black vinyl housing to ensure long life while retaining smooth operation during use. MTX cables are designed to replace or upgrade OEM cables that are worn or degraded.
- Meets or exceeds OEM quality cables
- Black vinyl housing for cable protection
- Inner nylon sleeve provides smooth operation and a long life


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Heineken Lager
Brand Heineken
6x 12oz Bottles. Heineken is a full-bodied premium lager with deep golden color, light fruity aroma, a mild bitter taste and a balanced hop aroma leaving a crisp, clean finish for ultimate refreshing taste. The only beer enjoyed in 192 countries. From Argentina to Zambia Heineken is enjoyed in more countries than any other premium beer. Which means it is requested in more languages than any beer on earth. No surprise, really. After all, Heineken's distinctive flavor and unrivaled quality make it lager that stands out everywhere. So whether you find yourself at a fine establishment in New York, New Delhi or Nachingwea, you can enjoy the great taste of an ice cold Heineken. Cheers to that. Or as they say in Nachingwea "Maisha marefu!l"


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General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) , Governance & Risk Management , Incident & Breach Response
Procrastinators' Guide to GDPR Compliance
Organizations Are Not as Ready as They Might BelieveIf you're paying attention, you've probably already seen a handful of General Data Protection Regulation headlines just today, let alone in the last week or month. But there are two good reasons for the deluge of GDPR discussion right now: It's incredibly important and the time to act is now.
If you're one of those ninth inning, hit it out of the park types, you're up. The European Union has imposed a May 25 GDPR enforcement deadline for any organization, regardless of location, that does business with any of the EU's approximately 500 million residents. And noncompliance could cost you the ball game with a price tag of up to 4 percent of your annual global revenue or €20 million, whichever is higher.
In a recent survey of Fortune 500 firms, 98 percent reported being on track with GDPR compliance efforts. Unfortunately, though, the survey then went on to show far too many "no's" to specific "have you done" questions. Organizations just aren't as ready as they think they are, and odds are good your organziation could be better prepared. If you've procrastinated on this process - and just about everyone has, as studies show - start now by taking a hard look at these three foundational areas.
- Build your team: GDPR requires the appointment of a data privacy officer. This could be a new position or you could add/change duties for someone already on staff. This position could be a full-time employee or an external consultant. Regardless of the approach you take, someone with compliance expertise is needed to inform your organization of its GDPR obligations, monitor compliance and serve as the liaison with the supervising authority. You'll need a DPO at a minimum. But even better is the appointment of a cross-functional team that can educate others in the organization while planning for and responding to data privacy issues across the organization.
- Map your data: Identify the data sets in your organization's control (for both customers and employees) and the legal basis for processing personal data. Also, if you have more than 250 employees, maintain documentation of all processing activities, including: controller and processor contact information; purposes for processing; categories of subjects and personal data; recipients of data disclosures, including country or international organization; and your in-use security measures. Records of this information will need to be available if the regulating authority wants to perform an audit.
- Write an incident response plan: In the event a security incident does occur, GDPR requires disclosure to supervisory authorities and applicable users within 72 hours. So that you may issue notifications within that time period, develop an IR plan that clearly defines what constitutes a breach, the rules that apply, and the assets you have in play to investigate and respond. Remember, you can avoid notification requirements if you can render the personal data unintelligible or inaccessible.
Meeting GDPR compliance requirements is a complex process whereby many more details must be addressed. Learn more tips from Absolute's webinar GDPR Compliance Masterclass where you'll gain valuable insight from a panel of experts. As we enter the home stretch for this regulation, it's definitely better to be late to the game than to never get started.
GDPR Compliance MasterClass
Prepare for GDPR compliance with tips from industry experts!
Watch webinar now


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In The Heights – Powerful Trailer
The hydrants are open(ing). This summer, we'll be back to dancing in the street together with #InTheHeightsMovie. In theaters and streaming exclusively on @HBOMax* June 18.
*Available on @HBOMax in the US only, for 31 days, at no extra cost to subscribers.
The creator of "Hamilton" and the director of "Crazy Rich Asians" invite you to a cinematic event, where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big… "In the Heights."
Lights up on Washington Heights…The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside of the 181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.
"In the Heights" fuses Lin-Manuel Miranda's kinetic music and lyrics with director Jon M. Chu's lively and authentic eye for storytelling to capture a world very much of its place, but universal in its experience.
"In the Heights" stars Anthony Ramos ("A Star is Born," Broadway's "Hamilton"), Corey Hawkins ("Straight Outta Compton," "BlacKkKlansman"), singer/songwriter Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera (TV's "Vida"), Olga Merediz (Broadway's "In the Heights"), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Broadway's "Rent"), Gregory Diaz IV (Broadway's "Matilda the Musical"), Stephanie Beatriz (TV's "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"), Dascha Polanco (TV's "Orange is the New Black") and Jimmy Smits (the "Star Wars" films).
Chu directed the film from a screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes, based on the musical stage play, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes and concept by Miranda. Miranda, Hudes, Scott Sanders, Anthony Bregman and Mara Jacobs produced the film, with David Nicksay and Kevin McCormick serving as executive producers.
Behind the camera, Chu reunited with his "Crazy Rich Asians" production designer, Nelson Coates, and editor, Myron Kerstein. He also collaborated with director of photography Alice Brooks (TV's "The Walking Dead") and costume designer Mitchell Travers ("Eighth Grade"). Original songs by Miranda. Alex Lacamoire ("Fosse/Verdon") and Bill Sherman ("Sesame Street") served as executive music producers. The choreography is by Christopher Scott, who previously teamed with Chu on the award-winning "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers."
"In the Heights" was filmed in New York, primarily on location in the dynamic community of Washington Heights.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a 5000 Broadway / Barrio Grrrl! / Likely Story / SGS Pictures Production, A Jon M. Chu Film, "In the Heights." Slated to open on June 18, 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It will be available on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release.
"In the Heights" is rated PG-13 for some language and suggestive references.


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Another simple way to decorate papers is to cover a table top or the whole floor with a large roll of butchers paper or wallpaper liner. Set out pots of crayons, oil pastels, pens and stickers as an Invitation to Play, and sit back and watch them get creative! A truly collaborative effort and an opportunity to work on a large scale.
Use the finished papers to wrap gifts or to cut out and thread ribbon through to make gift tags!
Check back to Red Ted Art and Creative With Kids each day this month for more simple, fun and creative ideas!


text: Al Kastner, Kiwanis Club liaison of the parent Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City to local school Kiwanis Clubs, is pictured installing officers of the Buckingham Elementary School K-Kids. Above are Secretary Kayla Parker, Treasurer Kasey Donaway, Kastner and Vice President Jalen Planter. President Erica Webb was not able to attend.


text: Network Working Group Tjaart Schipper Request for Comments #71 25 September 1970 UCLA-CCN Reallocation in Case of Input Error In case of reading a message from the IMP, it may be impossible for the receiving NCP to determine the length of the message if an input error occurs. The following protocol will be used at the CCN-Host at UCLA to resynchronize flow control. If an input error is detected and the NCP can find the intended link number, it will send a GVB with frac = O to the sending Host and disregard further incoming messages on that link. When the RET has been received, a new ALL will be sent. If the sending Host is not waiting for a RFNM when the GVB arrives, it will send the RET immediately. If it is waiting for a RFNM corresponding to the message with the error or a RFNM corresponding to a following message, it will send the RET after the RFNM has been received. In this way, the receiving Host will know that the link is clear before it issues a new ALL. TS/rb. [ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ] [ into the online RFC archives by Alexandra Weikert 7/97]


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Scientists Explain The Thrill of Detecting a Neutrino From a Far-Off Galaxy
For the first time, the IceCube observatory has triumphantly tracked a neutrino back to a massive blazar
About four billion years ago, when the planet Earth was still in its infancy, the axis of a black hole about one billion times more massive than the sun happened to be pointing right to where our planet was going to be on September 22, 2017.
Along the axis, a high-energy jet of particles sent photons and neutrinos racing in our direction at or near the speed of light. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole detected one of these subatomic particles – the IceCube-170922A neutrino – and traced it back to a small patch of sky in the constellation Orion and pinpointed the cosmic source: a flaring black hole the size of a billion suns, 3.7 billion light years from Earth, known as blazar TXS 0506+056. Blazars have been known about for some time. What wasn't clear was that they could produce high-energy neutrinos. Even more exciting was such neutrinos had never before been traced to its source.
Finding the cosmic source of high-energy neutrinos for the first time, announced on July 12, 2018 by the National Science Foundation, marks the dawn of a new era of neutrino astronomy. Pursued in fits and starts since 1976, when pioneering physicists first tried to build a large-scale high-energy neutrino detector off the Hawaiian coast, IceCube's discovery marks the triumphant conclusion of a long and difficult campaign by many hundreds of scientists and engineers – and simultaneously the birth of a completely new branch of astronomy.
The detection of two distinct astronomical messengers – neutrinos and light – is a powerful demonstration of how so-called multimessenger astronomy can provide the leverage we need to identify and understand some of the most energetic phenomena in the universe. Since its discovery as a neutrino source less than a year ago, blazar TXS 0506+056 has been the subject of intensive scrutiny. Its associated stream of neutrinos continues to provide deep insights into the physical processes at work near the black hole and its powerful jet of particles and radiation, beamed almost directly toward Earth from its location just off the shoulder of Orion.
As three scientists in a global team of physicists and astronomers involved in this remarkable discovery, we were drawn to participate in this experiment for its sheer audacity, for the physical and emotional challenge of working long shifts at in a brutally cold location while inserting expensive, sensitive equipment into holes drilled 1.5 miles deep in the ice and making it all work. And, of course, for the thrilling opportunity to be the first people to peer into a brand new kind of telescope and see what it reveals about the heavens.
At an altitude exceeding 9,000 feet and with average summertime temperatures rarely breaking a frigid -30 Celsius, the South Pole may not strike you as the ideal place to do anything, aside from bragging about visiting a place that is so sunny and bright you need sunscreen for your nostrils. On the other hand, once you realize that the altitude is due to a thick coat of ultrapure ice made from several hundred thousand years of pristine snowfall and that the low temperatures have kept it all nicely frozen, then it might not surprise you that for neutrino telescope builders, the scientific advantages outweigh the forbidding environment. The South Pole is now the home of the world's largest neutrino detector, IceCube.
It may seem odd that we need such an elaborate detector given that about 100 billion of these fundamental particles sashay right through your thumbnail each second and glide effortlessly through the entire Earth without interacting with a single earthly atom.
In fact, neutrinos are the second most ubiquitous particles, second only to the cosmic microwave background photons left over from the Big Bang. They comprise one-quarter of known fundamental particles. Yet, because they barely interact with other matter, they are arguably the least well understood.
To catch a handful of these elusive particles, and to discover their sources, physicists need big – kilometer-wide – detectors made of an optically clear material – like ice. Fortunately Mother Nature provided this pristine slab of clear ice where we could build our detector.
At the South Pole several hundred scientists and engineers have constructed and deployed over 5,000 individual photosensors in 86 separate 1.5-mile-deep holes melted in the polar ice cap with a custom-designed hot-water drill. Over the course of seven austral summer seasons we installed all the sensors. The IceCube array was fully installed in early 2011 and has been taking data continuously since.
This array of ice-bound detectors can sense with great precision when a neutrino flies through and interacts with a few Earthly particles that generate dim patterns of bluish Cherenkov light, given off when charged particles move through a medium like ice at close to light speed.
The Achilles' heel of neutrino detectors is that other particles, originating in the nearby atmosphere, can also trigger these patterns of bluish Cherenkov light. To eliminate these false signals, the detectors are buried deep in the ice to filter out interference before it can reach the sensitive detector. But in spite of being under nearly a mile of solid ice, IceCube still faces an onslaught of about 2,500 such particles every second, each of which could plausibly have been due to a neutrino.
With the expected rate of interesting, real astrophysical neutrino interactions (like incoming neutrinos from a black hole) hovering at about one per month, we were faced with a daunting needle-in-a-haystack problem.
The IceCube strategy is to look only at events with such high energy that they are exceedingly unlikely to be atmospheric in origin. With these selection criteria and several years of data, IceCube discovered the astrophysical neutrinos it had long been seeking, but it could not identify any individual sources – such as active galactic nuclei or gamma-ray bursts – among the several dozen high-energy neutrinos it had captured.
To tease out actual sources, IceCube began distributing neutrino arrival alerts in April 2016 with help from the Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network at Penn State. Over the course of the next 16 months, 11 IceCube-AMON neutrino alerts were distributed via AMON and the Gamma-ray Coordinates Network, just minutes or seconds after being detected at the South Pole.
The alerts triggered an automated sequence of X-ray and ultraviolet observations with NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and led to further studies with NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope and Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, and 13 other observatories around the world.
Swift was the first facility to identify the flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 as a possible source of the neutrino event. The Fermi Large Area Telescopethen reported that the blazar was in a flaring state, emitting many more gamma-rays than it had in the past. As the news spread, other observatories enthusiastically jumped on the bandwagon and a broad range of observations ensued. The MAGIC ground-based telescope noted our neutrino came from a region producing very high-energy gamma-rays (each about ten million times more energetic than an X-ray), the first time such a coincidence has ever been observed. Other optical observations completed the puzzle by measuring the distance to blazar TXS 0506+056: about four billion light years from Earth.
With the first-ever identification of a cosmic source of high-energy neutrinos, a new branch on the astronomy tree has sprouted. As high-energy neutrino astronomy grows with more data, improved inter-observatory coordination, and more sensitive detectors, we will be able to map the neutrino sky with better and better precision.
And we expect exciting new breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe to follow suit, such as: solving the century-old mystery of the origin of astoundingly energetic cosmic rays; testing if spacetime itself is foamy, with quantum fluctuations at very small distance scales, as predicted by certain theories of quantum gravity; and figuring out exactly how cosmic accelerators, like those around the TXS 0506+056 black hole, manage to accelerate particles to such breathtakingly high energies.
For 20 years, the IceCube Collaboration had a dream to identify the sources of high-energy cosmic neutrinos – and this dream is now a reality.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
Doug Cowen, Professor of Physics and Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University
Azadeh Keivani, Frontiers of Science Fellow, Columbia University
Derek Fox, Associate Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University


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The global capital of glitz, glamour and all things celebrity, Los Angeles walks the knife-edge between modernity and tradition, trend and timelessness. In a constant state of reinvention, pockets of the city battle it out for the coveted, if ephemeral, It status. In early 2013, some clear victors are already emerging and proving why L.A. is a jet-setter's ultimate evergreen.
After a multiyear facelift of epic proportions, the iconic Hotel Bel Air has revealed a stunning, modern incarnation of Hollywood Golden Age glamour as interpreted by famed designer Alexandra Champalimaud. While the architecture and 12 acres of verdant gardens surrounding the hotel remain familiar, the newly clean-lined rooms and suites are altars of haute living. Interior details, from the oversized bathrooms with heated limestone floors to the precisely matched curtains and throw pillows, merge unapologetic comfort with high style.
Overall, a stay at Hotel Bel Air reads like a "Choose Your Own Luxe Adventure" book. The prologue: deciding among 10 different design palettes and 21 distinct accommodation types. The narrative: a pastiche of ambles around Swan Lake, mingling with the international jet set in the Bar & Lounge while deciphering Norman Seeff's celebrity photo murals, extended lunches on the alfresco terrace of Wolfgang Puck and a bit of bliss at the Spa by La Prairie in the hotel's newly constructed spa wing.
Over in trendsetting West Hollywood, on the heels of its semi-centennial the storied Sunset Marquis has unveiled a $25 million upgrade. Following 50 successful years of hosting Hollywood's who's who in a clandestine enclave near the Sunset Strip, the hotel has expanded with the addition of 40 Mediterranean-inspired villas, ranging from 400 to 3,200 square feet. These tricked-out villas offer the best of both L.A. low-profiling and high-profiling.
Ensconced within the Victorian gardens of the Sunset Marquis complex, the villas are stumbling distance from WeHo's hottest lounges, restaurants and bars, including the hotel's farm-to-table French fusion eatery, Restaurant, and the wildly popular Bar 1200, anchored by the intoxicating "Cocktail Lab" think tank and the stage of countless renowned Hollywood music and film parties (and diva tantrums).
Sunset Marquis' boutique spa eschews large common spaces in favor of grandiose treatment rooms, lined with iridescent-tiled walls and equipped with massage beds by Porsche. Don't be surprised to bump into a musical legend on property: The hotel's recording facility, Nightbird Studios, has hosted everyone from Madonna to Aerosmith to Justin Timberlake.
WeHo also hosts L.A.'s most noteworthy additions to the restaurant and lounge scene. Headlining the neighborhood's restaurant and bar-centric stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard, Tortilla Republic combines authentic Mexican favorites with Tex-Mex delights in an avant-garde setting of dimly lit, tequila-lined glass shelves, rope chandeliers and star-shaped lanterns. The bar pushes the envelope of mixology—L.A.-style—with creations like the jalapeño margarita, the Beetarita and the cucumber lavender margarita. The food menu is equally interesting, with such offerings as a hibiscus flower enchilada and a lobster enchilada filled with shaved black truffle.
Next door to the Tortilla Republic, SUR is such a raging WeHo hotspot it has landed a reality television show. Owned by Lisa Vanderpump of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame and inspired by Lisa's Asian travels, SUR and its easy-on-the eyes wait staff are the stars of Bravo's Vanderpump Rules. Those looking for a quieter, more predictable WeHo scene seek refuge in the Tower Bar at the Sunset Hotel, with its gimmick-free, classic steak-house menu of French and Italian influences and its exalted wine list.
Farther afield on the border with Beverly Hills, Peruvian Picca Cantina is the reality of your wildest globetrotting foodie fantasies (think Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations meets haute cuisine). Chef Ricardo Zarate, awarded Best New Chef in America by Food & Wine magazine in 2011, helms the kitchen, engineering more than 50 nibbles and a few dozen cocktails that perfectly capture the Peruvian food and cocktail revolution. These include everything from street eats to exotic dishes peppered with Peru's undeniable Japanese influence. The menu includes traditional ceviches and tiraditos; anticuchos, or skewers, for the daring (gizzard, ox tongue or beef heart) and for less adventurous palates (black cod with crispy sweet potato); and hearty dishes like locro de quinoa, a quinoa pumpkin stew.
To cap off a weekend in L.A., there's no better place on Sunday Funday than Circa 55 at the Beverly Hilton. Each week, patrons of Circa 55's brunch live like true Hollywood VIPs, indulging in an endless glass of Champagne to wash down the 70-odd artisanal dishes crafted by Chef de Cuisine Zach Gochin and his team. Gochin's food presentations are a decadent range of local California cuisine, Asian fusion, Mediterranean medleys and dessert delights, including a full spread for chocoholics. Come hungry, come fabulous and wear your cutest (loose fitting) daytime wear.


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Our Palo Santo collection is 100% natural. The unique scent is derived from Palo Santo essential oil, which is distilled from the natural resin of the wood. It is believed this essential oil holds all the properties of the sacred wood, and will ward off bad energy, and calm and cleanse the body and mind.
• 100% soy wax
• all-natural essential oil
• 90 hours burn time
• printed cork lid
• 5˝ high x 3˝ wide


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The USPS is honoring military dogs with its newest set of forever stamps.
The four new stamp designs each feature a common military dog breed — a German shepherd, a labrador retriever, a Belgian malinois and a Dutch shepherd.
According to a press release from the USPS, dozen of dog breeds have been used by all branches of the military. Dogs have served and aided soldiers in all American wars dating back to World War I.
The dogs were hand-sketched by artists at DKNG studios before being colorized in Adobe Illustrator. The design of the stamps is credited to USPS Art Director Greg Breeding.
The stamps went on sale Thursday. A 20-stamp book costs $11 and can be used forever.


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The Autism Association (Singapore) is one of the Social Service Agencies in Singapore, dedicated to supporting and serving individuals on the autism spectrum to maximise their potential, helping them lead meaningful and quality lives in society.
With your generous gifts, lives are impacted positively.
Your gift donation supports a variety of Eden programmes and services for children, youths and adults with autism to build a sustainable and secure future, maximising their potential.


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Eric Wei and Will Kim started Karat to give creators access to working capital frequently denied to them by traditional banks, which rely on personal credit scores and histories, consistent business revenue, and longevity as a basis for lending approvals. These creators, even those pulling in six-figure annual revenues, typically lack these prerequisites and often find themselves frustrated trying to secure funds. Karat saw an opportunity to provide the capital that this new wave of entrepreneurs needs to scale their growing businesses. Karat's underwriting model evaluates creators based on revenue and social media metrics rather than traditional markers and scores evaluated by banks.
"We wanted to help folks go from just streaming their content to building media empires by giving them access to working capital," said Will Kim, co-founder and co-CEO of Karat.
Karat knew credit cards were an easy way to fill creators' working capital needs. Creators could then easily deploy funds to produce more content, smooth out monetisation inconsistencies, and purchase goods and services to power their businesses. But building out a financial services product internally would require many months of work, and partnering with traditional banks could add even more delays. Karat needed a faster way to build this unique financial solution and get it quickly to market.
Karat turned to Stripe Issuing in order to get its business up and running quickly. With Stripe's API, Karat used Stripe Issuing to create, manage and distribute virtual and physical cards and provide creators with effortless access to the credit they need. Stripe's responsiveness and "stellar support" also gave Karat the confidence to quickly scale its novel product offering.
"Stripe is friendly for any startup that wants to explore card issuing," said Wei, co-founder and co-CEO of Karat. "Speed is everything, and Stripe gets that the most."
Stripe Issuing lets developers instantly create virtual and physical credit cards with custom branding and without setup or monthly fees. Platforms and their users can then use advanced spending controls to set spending limits, authorise transactions in real time, and block merchants or categories. Additionally, Stripe Issuing enables platforms such as Karat to create a new revenue stream by keeping a portion of interchange revenue that accompanies every transaction.
With a fast launch and a tailored product, Karat now relies on Stripe Issuing to help it fund the $50-billion creator economy by treating creators as the entrepreneurs they are. Creators also get access to working capital and can easily track spending as they grow and scale. Karat is pioneering financial services to help this next generation of entrepreneurs while generating impressive results for itself:
Integrated Stripe Issuing in three weeks, 75% less time than building from scratch
The speed of integrating Stripe Issuing was critical, especially as the founders were building Karat within the three-month Y Combinator startup accelerator programme. Karat was able to integrate Stripe Issuing in a few weeks, and launch its complete product in just three months.
"In just three weeks, we were able to get up and running. You would spend at least three months with any other vendor or bank," said Kim.
Processed eight figures through Stripe Issuing in under three years
Creators' eagerness for capital to grow their businesses has propelled Karat from a nascent startup into a fintech force. This is evident in the rapid speed at which Karat has grown its customer base, processing tens of millions of dollars in transactions in less than one year.
"Stripe has enabled most of our business because our core business is built on Stripe," said Kim.
4x increase in creator spending power
Even though Karat is still limiting growth to referrals from existing customers, its business continues to rocket forward. Through Karat's offering – powered by Stripe Issuing – creators have quadrupled their spend, on average, which is partly due to Karat enabling creators to grow through the working capital Karat provides. The combination of a market need and a great product, built on Stripe Issuing, has created a loyal and loving following from creators, earning Karat a Net Promoter Score of 88/100.
"This is the first time many of these creators have been treated as a real business. Stripe Issuing provided everything we needed to do it," said Wei.
Stripe Issuing not only lets Karat give creators access to working capital, it allows these creators to scale their content into full-fledged, successful businesses.


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I have 3 tickets in section 207 for the OKC NCAA regional.
I'm only selling session 2 and session 3. I can't go to the Friday night games or Sunday games.
Friday night are $125 and the Sunday are $175 each. These are great seats, almost center court, in the club level.
email me [email protected]


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Resilience building at risk? Five key insights for addressing borderless climate risks
Borderless climate risks have the potential to severely hamper or completely roll-back progress made on building resilience through climate change adaptation. Can they be addressed in the follow-up of the Paris Agreement's global goal on adaptation?
This concern was the convening force behind a recent UNFCCC Side Event at COP23, titled A Global Adaptation Goal and borderless climate risks: Strengths and limits of the Paris Agreement. The event was co-organized by SEI, Acclimatise, and the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, and was supported by both Formas and Mistra Geopolitics. Below are five key insights from the conversation, which brought together researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers.
1. Transboundary and teleconnected risks
Traditionally, climate risk is closely linked to the direct impacts of climate change, like increased flooding or drought, heat waves, or other extreme weather events. Yet, according to Magnus Benzie, SEI Research Fellow, this view makes several critical omissions. "By focusing primarily on climate impacts within national borders, both policy-makers and researchers have tended to overlook the ways that climate change in one part of the world can affect people in another," Benzie said.
Climate impacts can flow across borders via several different 'pathways.' These include shared biophysical flows like shared rivers or ecosystems, trade flows, financial flows like investment, and flows of people as patterns of mobility, migration, and tourism change. Importantly, these borderless climate risks do not always occur among neighbours; transboundary risks may inspire regional cooperation when the impacts are localized, but risk can also be teleconnected, linking countries and people relatively far away from one another.
By considering the borderless dimensions of climate impacts, we are presented with a quite different view of vulnerability to climate change, raising important questions for the way we adapt, both nationally and as a global community.
2. Adaptation as a global public good?
Throughout the conversation, a potent and recurring example was rice trade between exporting countries like Thailand, Vietnam and India, and heavily import-dependent countries like Senegal. Extreme weather events that impact rice exporters like Thailand cause price hikes, which makes food security in Senegal vulnerable to climate impacts beyond its own borders. Taking trade relationships like these as a focus, Oliver Schenker, from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, argued that climate adaptation should be considered a global public good with important benefits for both importers and exporters.
Using economic modelling, Schenker's work suggests that when developing countries receive adaptation finance and are able to optimize their adaptation, the benefits are felt all across the globe. There is a collective interest in financing adaptation, a statement strongly seconded by panellists Mizan Khan, a climate finance negotiator from Bangladesh, and Maria Banda, on the faculty of law at the University of Toronto.
3. Borderless climate risks under the Paris Agreement
Recognizing the potentially significant role of borderless climate risks, as well as the collective interest in addressing them, what provisions or instruments exist under the Paris Agreement to help take these into account? According to Annett Möhner, Team Lead for the Adaptation Committee at the UNFCCC Secretariat, National Adaptation Plans may be one potential avenue for beginning to identify and assess borderless climate risks. Some countries have already begun to do this, though teleconnected risks are rarely considered. Additionally, as methodologies are developed for assessing progress toward the Global Goal on Adaptation and performing the Global Stocktake in 2023, there is an opening to raise awareness about these risks, and think about how they may be meaningfully incorporated into stocktaking efforts.
Likewise, as Åsa Persson, Senior Research Fellow at SEI noted, addressing borderless climate risks necessarily intersects with discussions about climate adaptation finance, and there is a need to think carefully about how to manage these risks while not re-allocating resources away from countries vulnerable to direct climate impacts. Dustin Schinn, Climate Change Specialist at the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), agreed, and suggested that countries needed to be in the "driver's seat" for addressing borderless climate risks, and should be supported by finance and global coordination.
4. Not the only game in town
Given the country-driven nature of the Paris Agreement, it is also important to consider that the UNFCCC may not be the only venue for capturing and addressing borderless climate risks. Despite Senegal's interest in bolstering Thai rice production, adaptation must be country-driven and Thailand may rightly choose to focus on other adaptation priorities of national importance.
Rebecca Nadin, head of the Risk and Resilience Programme at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), suggested that there is the potential to learn from other UN conventions like the UN Convention to Combat Desertification or the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, or to mainstream climate considerations into the multitude of existing water resources treaties. Similarly, Sara Venturini, Policy Analyst at Acclimatise, argued that trade agencies, financial institutions, and private sector actors may have a substantial role to play in this regard, especially given their high capacities for complex risk assessment.
5. Research for the future of borderless climate adaptation
Moving forward, there is a strong call for more knowledge and research in this area. It is especially necessary to develop methodologies, indicators, and indices to raise awareness about the potentially significant impacts of borderless climate risks, especially those that are teleconnected. Strong calls were made to produce specific case-studies, as well as to develop meta-analyses that locate commonalities, help to identify best-practices, and foster collaboration.
This sentiment is perhaps best captured by John Firth, CEO at Acclimatise, who during the panel discussion remarked: "climate change has caused us to embark on a complex experiment that we do not entirely understand. New teleconnections may arise as we continue to grapple with how we should adapt to our changing world – work in this area will need to be iterative and ongoing."


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Diet for anemia
Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatments and cancer can cause side effects. Side effects are problems that occur when treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Speak up about any problems you have. Your health care team can treat and/or talk with you about ways to reduce these side effects, so you feel better.
Learn about steps you can take to prevent or manage the side effects listed below:
- Anemia
- Appetite Loss
- Bleeding and Bruising (Thrombocytopenia)
- Constipation
- Delirium
- Diarrhea
- Edema (Swelling)
- Fatigue
- Fertility Issues in Boys and Men
- Fertility Issues in Girls and Women
- Flu-Like Symptoms
- Hair Loss (Alopecia)
- Infection and Neutropenia
- Lymphedema
- Memory or Concentration Problems
- Mouth and Throat Problems
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Nerve Problems (Peripheral Neuropathy)
- Immunotherapy and Organ-Related Inflammation
- Pain
- Sexual Health Issues in Men
- Sexual Health Issues in Women
- Skin and Nail Changes
- Sleep Problems and Insomnia
- Urinary and Bladder Problems
Keep in mind that side effects vary from person to person, even among people receiving the same type of cancer treatment.


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Governor Brown Signs AB 2675
October 08, 2012
AB 2675 has been signed into law, amending Labor Code § 2751 regarding written commission agreements.
Existing law requires that whenever an employer enters into a contract of employment with an employee for services to be rendered within California, and the contemplated method of payment of the employee involves commissions, the contract must be in writing and must set forth the method by which the commissions are to be computed and paid. This bill would exempt from this requirement temporary, variable incentive payments that increase, but do not decrease, payment under the written contract.
You can read the full text of the bill here in PDF.


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Terms & conditions
- The present General Terms of Sale shall apply to all sales, regardless of how the order was placed.
- Every order received must be the object of an acknowledgment of receipt from our company.
- No variations to any existing model will be allowed.
- Any remaining unhewn knots and small cracks, even after finishing, are characteristic of the natural quality of wood.
- We reserve the right to modify any prices and models. Our pricelists and catalogues replace and annul all previous ones. Models which are not included in the lists or catalogues, are no longer produced. We reserve the right to modify any forms, dimensions and design in order to guarantee the quality of our products.
- Any stated delivery time shall be merely informative, not binding. The buyer expressly waives every refusal of goods, as well as any claim for damages for any delay in delivery.
- Goods, even when sent free of charge, will travel at buyer's risk.
- We reserve the right to charge for all goods delivered, even if it concerns only a partial delivery.
- WARRANTY AND LIABILITY: Any complaint will be considered only if sent within 8 days after receipt of the goods. Complaints shall not suspend payment commitment. Seller's liability shall by no means be extended any further than the commitment to repair or replace at his own risk any faulty pieces, which have been sent free of charge to his plant.
- Deliveries may no longer be executed if previous deliveries have remained unpaid until after the due date.
- Terms of payment: net cash on delivery. All collection charges are at the buyer's expense. Invoices are payable in Antwerp within the terms as set out in the invoice. Non-observance of a due date will allow us to make all invoices collectable at once. Failing payment of the invoice by its due date, interest will, as of right, and without prior official notice, be due by the debtor at one and a half percent per month commenced. Furthermore, we reserve the right to break off the whole sale, as of right, in case of non-payment of any partial delivery. In case of non-payment on the due date as a result of negligence or ill will, the due amount will, as of right, be increased by 20%, subject to any charges, as a conventional penalty clause, with no formal notice required (art. 1147 and 1132 Civil Code). Moreover, the law of 2 August 2002 implemented to counteract delays in payment in business transactions, shall fully apply to any unpaid invoice, in particular with regard to the term of payment (if a departure from the general regulation of cash payment was agreed upon), interest on arrears (reference interest rate increased by 7 percentage points and rounded up to the higher half percentage point) and indemnity for collection charges.
- The acceptance by the buyer of a security or his handing over, as a payment, of a security or a check to third parties, does not entail any novation. If several bills of exchange have been accepted for payment of a debt, nonpayment one bill on its due date shall entail the expiration of the term for all bills and the entire debt will be claimable on call, giving us the right to cease all further deliveries.
- All goods are sold with reservation of title, until full payment of the invoice. As such, the buyer acknowledges that the goods remain the full property of Royal Botania until full payment of the invoice. From the day of delivery, the buyer is responsible for the good condition of the goods. The sale shall be broken off, as of right, in case of nonpayment on the due date. Goods have to be returned within 48 hours and any amounts paid in advance will be forfeited as indemnity.
- Our agents and representatives are not authorised to collect our invoices, except with our express consent. Payment in their hands shall not exonerate the customer. Any promises or pledges made by the latter, are not binding on our company, except when confirmed by us.
- All contracts are concluded on the aforementioned terms, any terms of purchase of our customers will not be acknowledged.
- Our written consent is required for any advertising with our models in magazines, dailies and weeklies, etc.
- Any disputes or contests, for whatever reason, shall be governed solely by the court of Antwerp.


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Watchdog has received numerous emails and texts from friends expressing their concern for myself and my family as we brace for the impacts of Hurricane Matthew. Thank you, friends, for your concerns and well-wishes. As our governor has said over and over, we are preparing for the worst, hoping for the best.
But as I was preparing my home yesterday (Wednesday) for hurricane-force winds, my phone dinged and I received an email from of all people, Pastor Craig Groeschel! He is one of the creepy mega church pastors who is bosom-buddies with Stephen Furtick (remember this video? One of my all-time favorite WD videos). As you might recall, Stephen refers to Craig as "Uncle Craig".
So as we were evacuating and/or preparing our homes for Matthew, Uncle Craig sent all of us a video of himself praying for us. That is him at left, with his eyes closed, praying for all of us. I suddenly felt so, so, safe. But I wasn't sure if I should pray with Uncle Craig as I watched him praying on video, since he already prayed and it was just a recording. Or should I pray and thank God that Uncle Craig prayed to God for us, and pray that God listens to Uncle Craig, or should I pray and pray God listens to me?
And then in my confusion I turned the TV on and decided to pray to Jim Cantore on the Weather Channel.
Here is Uncle Craig's video prayer so that his video prayer might comfort all of those in Matthew's path. Oh, and Uncle Craig also told us that the "good news" of the storm is that his church members can use the opportunity of the devastation to "show the love of Jesus".
We're all going to be all right after all.


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This is a joint giveaway with Hobo Mama Reviews and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only. Please find the section marked "Win it!" for the mandatory main entry and optional bonus entries.
GREEN YOUR PERIOD special event: We are featuring a series of reusable menstrual products for review and giveaway. Go green, no matter what time of the month!
Knickernappies and Fluff Envy are offering my readers a giveaway of a Stackable Menstrual Pad Set! This Knickernappies cloth pad set is made of a waterproof fleece shell with two absorbent microfiber and velour liners, and is a reusable, eco-friendly solution to your period.
Knickernappies sent me the same microfiber set plus two extra pad liners for review. I had been using a reusable menstrual cup but with disposable pads and pantyliners as backup, and I was eager to try out greener cloth options.
Knickernappies innovations
I love the idea of the Stackable Mama Pads. They're a unique 3-in-1 system that will fit absorbency needs from pantiliner to regular pad to heavy flow. That way, you can adjust the absorbency throughout your menstrual cycle without having to buy several different pad sizes.My favorite aspect of the stackable design is that you can reuse the shell throughout the day as long as it doesn't get soiled, just swapping out the pad liners as you need them replaced. That means you need only a few shells for your whole cycle, and you can buy extra pads (liners) separately.
One smaller liner works well for light flow. One larger liner is comparable to a standard pad. Snapping on both liners at the same time provides coverage for heavy flow.
The shells and liners are consistently the same sizes so any future shells or liners you buy will fit any other set.
The outer shell is very thin, waterproof fleece. The larger pads are made from microfiber, hemp, and cotton/poly velour (76% combed cotton/24% polyester — the polyester is used on the backside as a stabilizer). The smaller pads are microfiber and velour. The soft velour sits against the skin, and the workhorse microfiber is highly absorbent.
The shell with the pad(s) snaps up into a little bundle so you can toss it in a bag or even your pocket (it would be a little bulky there, though!) and take it with you. I doubt anyone would know what it was (unless they actually did know what it was — in which case, they'd just be applauding you for being so dang cool and environmental).
My experiences
I liked the arrangement of the Knickernappies Stackable Pads for several reasons.
First of all, I loved that I could reuse the shell for the whole day, assuming it didn't get too messy (which wasn't a problem). Knickernappies sent me an extra set of pad liners (which are available separately and can be found at Fluff Envy), so I was able to use one shell for the day and just keep swapping out the pads.
I also appreciated that I could choose my absorbency. As mentioned, I usually use a menstrual cup, but I tried these out during my heavy flow without the cup so I could make sure they were absorbent enough. I didn't have any problems with leaks.
For my heaviest flow, I snapped in both pad sizes for the highest absorbency and was able to leave the pad on for several hours before I even leaked through the top layer onto the second pad. Your timing will vary, of course, depending on your own flow, but I was impressed at how absorbent the pads were.
When I did have my menstrual cup in toward the middle of my cycle, or at the end of my cycle without my menstrual cup, I would definitely need nothing more than just the one small pad snapped in as a sort of pantiliner. I will say, though, that I generally prefer my pantiliners to be a little more streamlined — this seemed a bit much for just a light spotting. I would, however, use it toward the beginning of my cycle with my menstrual cup in, when I'm more likely to have leaking/sloshing, or before my period starts when I'm not sure exactly when it might hit. I'd like the security at either of those points of knowing I have a substantial enough backup in place.
I wasn't sure if the set would snap closed with both liners in place — but it does! So you could toss an extra shell and liners in your bag or coat pocket to have handy. You could also snap together a soiled set to keep it contained until you got home.
I liked how soft the velour tops of the pads were against my skin. The microfiber on the back definitely has that slightly scratchy microfiber feel, but that sits against the shell and doesn't rub against you at all.
That the shell is waterproof fleece (and it definitely feels waterproof to the touch) will be a comfort to many people, I know. It's a relief that there's a barrier between your absorbency and your clothing, if you've miscalculated how many pads you needed or how long to leave them on. Of course, at some point that wouldn't be enough to stem the tide, but I liked knowing it was an extra layer of protection!
One thing I wasn't as fond of with these pads, though, was that the backside of the shell is a bit slippery, so I found it didn't always stay precisely in place, even with the wings snapped over the crotch of my undies. The wings do have two sets of snaps, though, so you can adjust them to the correct size for your undies. I think maybe it would help if the underside were just a little rougher. I didn't have any problems with leaking through the wings, but I'd rather keep the pad in place so I don't feel compelled to change out the shell early due to soiling.
Now, with cloth diapering, I was a Velcro/Aplix mama, but I found the snapping of these pads easy to manage. Soiled pads were easily snapped out without undue mess, and new pads snapped in securely. The pads seem solidly made and should stand up to a lot of wear.
Care and laundering
You can read the recommended care instructions here. I put my soiled pads into a sink of cold water to soak a bit, then hung them over the faucet till it was laundry time. (It's a little used sink, so I can be weird like that. Another option is to get a special bucket or bowl to place your pads in till laundry day.) Knickernappies recommends rinsing them in cold water but not necessarily leaving them to soak, so there's a simple option.I also sprayed mine with a little Bac-Out before putting them in the washing machine to help the stains come out.
If you're doing cloth diaper laundry, Knickernappies' instructions to wash on cold followed by hot would make perfect sense.
Since I'm not, I just ran mine (pads and shell) through with the regular laundry cycle that matched the color load (on warm or cold), and that seemed to work fine. I don't use much detergent, and what I do use is very gentle. I put the set, unsnapped, in a mesh bag so I could find them again before popping the rest of the laundry in the dryer.
Because I'm still using dryer sheets (but seriously considering letting them go…), I let the pads air dry so they wouldn't lose any absorbency. Knickernappies says you can machine dry them, although I would avoid using any fabric softeners in the wash or the dryer, so you don't affect absorbency.
As for staining, my shell and the tops of my pads have held up well. The microfiber on the underside of the pads (which is white in my set) has some faint coloration. I'm not too fussed by stains on menstrual pads, though, so whatever! How much staining you have will depend somewhat on what colors your pads are, since Knickernappies manufactures them based on fabric availability. My velours are darker colors, which helps mask the staining.
At any rate, they all held up well to machine washing, and I'm glad they're convenient to take care of.
Cloth vs. disposable
I am a cloth pad convert for sure. Knickernappies pads are so much more comfortable than the disposable pads and pantyliners I had been using. They are a bit bulkier feeling at first, but I soon got used to that and didn't notice it. It just felt like wearing underwear, which is a nice sensation for during your period!I like that the pads don't crinkle when I walk and that they're so soft against my skin. I'm relieved by how absorbent they are (the general guideline is you'll need to change them as often as you would a disposable, and that's lined up well for me) and that I didn't have any problems with leaking.
And I love love love that I'm no longer throwing so much trash away every month! Caring for them is no problem, since you'll be doing laundry anyway. So it just makes sense to me now to have something reusable, especially since it feels so much better than the disposables, anyhow!
You can buy Knickernappies Stackable Menstrual Pads at Fluff Envy for only $11 for a set (shell + small pad + large pad), or $9 for two extra pads (small and large). I've priced out other cloth pad options, and these prices are very reasonable. Remember that you reuse them, so the cost over the course of the pads' lifetime is much lower than disposables.The basic set is a mix with microfiber. For $1 more, you can purchase more natural hemp pads instead. (The top will still be velour and the shell will still be fleece.) Hemp is just as absorbent and a little trimmer, so you can choose your preference if you're purchasing your own. (The giveaway set is the standard microfiber.)
Note that colors vary, because Knickernappies manufactures these according to what color fabrics they find available. I somehow find that charming! I like the idea they're using up odds and ends or something to keep the prices down for us.
Fluff Envy will ship orders over $35 for free to U.S. addresses, including APO/FPO addresses. Otherwise, standard U.S. shipping is $5.95. They also ship internationally — costs are calculated during checkout.
For your own chance to win a Knickernappies Stackable Menstrual Pad Set with Microfiber, enter in the comments below! Contest is open WORLDWIDE. (Thank you, Fluff Envy and Knickernappies!)
MAIN ENTRY: Visit FluffEnvy.com and tell me what other Knickernappies product interests you the most!
Leave an email address in at least one of your comments if it's not clearly visible on your profile or linked web page so I can contact you if you win. (You can write it like this to foil spambots: mail {at} hobomama {dot} com or similar.)
This is a joint giveaway with Hobo Mama Reviews and Natural Parents Network, a site co-founded by Lauren of Hobo Mama & Dionna of Code Name: Mama that brings together those interested in attachment parenting and a natural lifestyle. You may enter at one site only, and we'll be recording IP addresses to ensure that there are no duplicate entries. That said, please do check out and enjoy both sites!
BONUS ENTRIES, to increase your chance of winning (leave a separate comment for each so I can count them all):
- Visit Knickernappies.com and tell me something you learned or something you'd like to have.
- Follow the Knickernappies Cloth Diaper Blog publicly through Google Friend Connect or subscribe to the Knickernappies RSS feed in a reader or by email (1 entry for each).
- Follow www.HoboMamaReviews.com publicly through Google Friend Connect, or subscribe to the Hobo Mama Reviews RSS feed in a reader or by email (1 entry for each).
- Follow www.HoboMama.com through Google Friend Connect, or subscribe to the Hobo Mama RSS feed in a reader or by email (1 entry for each).
- Subscribe to Natural Parents Network in a reader or by email (1 entry for each).
- Leave a relevant comment on a non-giveaway article at Natural Parents Network and tell us which post (comment on separate posts for up to 3 entries total).
- Like Knickernappies on Facebook.
- Like FluffEnvy on Facebook.
- Like Hobo Mama on Facebook.
- Like Natural Parents Network on Facebook.
- Follow @Knickernappies on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
- Follow @FluffEnvy on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
- Follow @Hobo_Mama on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
- Follow @NatParNet on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
- Tweet about this giveaway (up to 5 times total, at least 24 hours apart). You can tweet this text: #Win @Knickernappies Stackable Cloth Pad from @FluffEnvy & @Hobo_Mama! #Green Your Period #giveaway http://bit.ly/hYOj8D {4.19, Int'l}
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page or wall and leave the link (1 entry). You can use this status update: Green your period! Enter to win a @Knickernappies Stackable Menstrual Pad Set from @Fluff Envy and @Hobo Mama. Contest ends April 19 and is open WORLDWIDE.
Be sure to attach the contest URL to your update! (This is not part of the status text!)
http://www.hobomamareviews.com/2011/03/giveaway-knickernappies-stackable.html - Enter another of my current giveaways or the giveaways on Natural Parents Network (1 extra entry per giveaway — check back for more!).
- Put my Hobo Mama button on your website or add http://www.HoboMama.com to your text blogroll for 2 extra entries each. The HTML code for the button is in the sidebar to the right. Leave your site URL in the comment.
- Put the Natural Parents Network badge on your website or add http://NaturalParentsNetwork.com to your text blogroll for 2 extra entries each. The HTML code for the badge is in the sidebar to the right. Leave your site URL in the comment.
- Contest open WORLDWIDE.
- Contestants may enter at either Hobo Mama Reviews or Natural Parents Network but not both. Entries will be combined for the drawing of a single winner.
- Leave each entry as a separate comment so I can count them all.
- For actions like following and subscribing, if you already follow or subscribe, just let me know in your comment.
- For tasks that garner you multiple entries, you can copy and paste the comment with a #1, #2, etc.
- You don't have to do any of the bonus entries, but you do have to complete the first mandatory one.
- I will pick the winner through Random.org after the contest closes and send an email notification. Leave an email address in your comment if it's not clearly visible on your profile or linked web page so I can contact you if you win. If I can't reach a winner or don't hear back within a couple days, I'll draw a new name.
- Any questions, let me know: mail {at} HoboMama.com
Menstrual Pad Set and Extra Pads for review.
Some Fluff Envy and Amazon links are affiliate links.
I try to seek out only products I think you would find
relevant and useful to your life as a natural parent.
If I don't like a product, I won't be recommending it to you.
That's how I roll. See my full disclosure policy here.


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Sygic, the leading international provider of professional GPS navigation and location based services with more than 130 million users, has announced the release of Sygic Municipal – a unique solution for waste and winter management, street cleaning and green area maintenance. The solution helps to better handle the major challenges in planning, dispatching, navigating and monitoring the fleet of vehicles used by service providers. It is fully prepared for integration and customization to bring additional value to our partners and system integrators to tightly fit and interconnect with their complex telematics systems.
Sygic is taking part in the SITL Expo in Paris running from the 22nd to the 25th of March, where will demonstrate Sygic's innovative business solution.
Sygic Municipal solution extends the recently announced Sygic FleetWork – the fleet and workforce management framework and adds specialized features like route recording and planning tool for dispatchers, special off-road navigation mode, custom TTS messages and map instructions, missed segments management, performance monitoring and many other very useful features already proven in field by Sygic's early adopters.
"We are very happy to see cost reduction and service level improvement for our clients within a very short time after roll-out. We have spent a lot of time creating an easy to use, but powerful solution and paid a lot of attention to create a mobile app that doesn't scare drivers and dispatching web portal and saves a huge amount of time for backend users. We believe the time saved with our unique route planning and navigation can be much better used for a performance analysis either within our system or using our existing interfaces and connectors to 3rd party applications." said Martin Strigac, Director of Sygic Business Solutions.
Sygic Municipal brings an easy installation process and reasonable subscription model without additional costs of hardware infrastructure or any other hidden fees. Sygic Municipal is available as an out-of-the-box solution for fleets or as a plug-in component for system integrators.
Sygic Municipal TOP 10 features:
• Fleet, workforce and workflows management system based on Sygic FleetWork
• Route recorder and editor with custom route attributes (to create a route from scratch and find the location on a map, using coloring, custom navigational instructions and TTS instructions, clean/clone route...)
• Import and export of a route planned in 3rd party software
• Sygic Professional Navigation (with truck attributes like height, weight etc.) extended by a special off-road navigation mode with guidance to a preplanned route
• Automatically created missed segments and missed segments management
• Reliable and safe navigation for discharging and back to the break point
• Messaging and incident reporting, management of repair services
• Integration with data coming from waste level monitoring
• Performance monitoring, e.g. comparison of planned and actual routes
• A lot of integration functions with the possibility to fit even the most complex needs.


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Baby Lamb: Five Cuts Served with Provençal Vegetables, Braised Cipollini Onions, and Thyme Oil (Part 1)
I think it's safe to say -- and I hope you'll agree with me -- that in the past 20 months, I've grown by leaps and bounds as a home cook. I've learned so much (through failure as equally as success) and I've conquered some serious kitchen phobias. I've changed the way I cook on a day-to-day basis, and I've become even more fearless when it comes to trying new things. I've cut the faces off softshell crabs and lived to tell about it. I made a braised, stuffed pig's head. And more recently, I learned how to break down an animal, cook its various parts, and pull together a dish that I'm incredibly proud of. But, this time, I didn't do it alone.
If I may, I'd like to share some text from the instructions for making Baby Lamb dish -- on page 198 of The French Laundry Cookbook:
"I value this dish as a chef because it's a learning experience for my staff. It gives them an understanding of how to break down an entire four-legged animal and where the individual parts come from. These things are important for any chef to know." -- Thomas Keller
I couldn't agree more, but I'm not a chef. I'm a home cook who has had no formal or informal training, and who has never broken down an animal on her own (let alone with anyone else, and the frog in 7th-grade biology class doesn't count). So, I knew I was ill-prepared to do this dish on my own. And, for being what I think is the most complicated dish in the book for a home cook, the instructions are the most vague. Actually, vague isn't the right word because I don't mean that the instructions were unclear. They're not. They're quite clear. All the steps are there, the terminology is pretty self-explanatory, and the steps on how to prepare each part of the lamb are pretty straightforward.
I think it was more that I felt lost reading those instructions because this is such an elemental, fundamental thing any chef or cook should know how to, or at least understand, and I didn't. I had some leads on sourcing the lamb -- that wasn't the issue. And, when I was in Morocco nine years ago, I watched friends roast a whole lamb. So again, I didn't feel intimidated by having to cook an entire animal. It was in the mechanics of it all.
Bringing home a 25-pound lamb, hauling it out of the back of my car into the house, having the right tools and saws to work with, and expecting to know how to break it down, debone it, prep each section, and prepare each element of the dish in my little home kitchen was something I knew I needed help with to be able to do properly, and to be able to show the animal the respect it deserved.
So, I turned to my friend, Andy Little, at The Sheppard Mansion. Andy helms the kitchen at an historic inn not far from where I grew up, and even though our hometowns are minutes away from one another and we're close to the same age, we've gotten to know one another only over the past few months. You can read more about Andy on his blog and you can learn more about what he's cooking in the restaurant here. I asked if he wanted to help with this dish, and he so very graciously said he would. I couldn't have been more thrilled, and it made the whole thing so much less intimidating on the whole.
Andy invited me to come to Hanover, PA to work in his kitchen -- where there was lots of space, plenty of supplies and tools, and most importantly, an abundance of expertise. I immediately said, "YES!!!" and spent two days at the inn while we cooked and ate, and I got an intensive crash course on butchering and cooking like I'd never done before. The Sheppard Mansion's restaurant is only open Wednesday - Saturday, so we'd have all day Monday and Tuesday in the kitchen, then serve it for dinner to family and friends Tuesday night.
Before we get to the cooking, I want to spend a little bit of time on the lamb, because it's important to me that you know where it came from.
The baby lamb came from Whitmore Farm in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and I spent a Saturday morning at the farm not too long ago to meet owners Will Morrow and Kent Ozkum and see their operations. It's a really gorgeous property, but beyond that, it was really important for me to see how they raise their animals and learn more about what they do.
Let's do a quick tour of the farm. Here's the main house and barn:
Here are some of their chickens:
And turkeys:
Baby bunnies (!!!):
Kent (L) and Will (R) doing a morning feeding:
And, while I went to the farm the weekend after we'd already cooked the lamb, Will said the lamb we ate was just about the same size as this little brown guy giving me the stink eye:
They have an incredibly beautiful and well-maintained farm that produces the best-tasting lamb I've ever had. Will and Kent are so devoted to what they do, and they're fun to spend time with, to boot. If you live in the DC-Baltimore-Frederick-southern PA area, please check these guys out. You won't be disappointed. I spent the whole drive home that day running numbers and timetables in my head to figure out when and if I ever might be able to do what they're doing. It's remarkable, enviable, and I want to be them when I grow up.
* * * * *
So, now that you know where the lamb came from, it's time to talk about this dish. I'm going to split it into two separate posts (this one, and one to come in a few days) because I think if I put it all in one post your eyes might bleed from the length of it and I am not a fan of bleeding eyes, so YOU'RE WELCOME.
By the way, if you have questions as I go through this, please feel free to post them in the comments. I'll answer them, or I'll ask Andy to chime in if they're more up his alley.
Okay.... here we go!
* * * * *
I was visiting my parents, and brother and sis-in-law (and their new baby) for the weekend, and made my way over to Hanover that Sunday evening so that I could get a good night's sleep and be ready to start cooking first thing in the morning. Andy, his partner Karen (who runs front of house), and their boss (Sheppard Mansion owner, Kathy Sheppard Hoar) were gracious enough to let me stay at the inn while we made this dish, and it was so great to be able to wake up and just go downstairs to work in the kitchen that morning -- a revised, slightly more upscale and hospitable version of my "At Home" mission for the blog.
Monday morning, I woke up with a healthy amount of nervous energy. After a long shower and some time watching the news, I went downstairs, ate breakfast, and said hello to Andy. He then introduced me to his sous chef, Scott Robinson (who came in on his day off), and his friend, Rich Matosky, who played hooky from work and drove in from the Philly suburbs to lend a hand. Will delivered the lamb the day before, so after the round of handshakes and nice-to-meet-you pleasantries, I downed the last of my coffee and walked into the kitchen to find this waiting for me:
I will confess that I was surprised to see its head still attached, but I didn't vomit, nor did I flinch, nor reach for vodka. There may have been a wince. I may have said, "Oh... little guy" in my head. Or out loud. I'm not sure which.
There was very little chitchat at this point, and we got right down to business. Andy had already made a list of the exact cuts we needed, so he and Scott went to work breaking down the lamb while Rich and I watched and learned (and I took photos) as he explained each step of the process.
First, he cut off the head:
Then the legs:
Hello, kidneys:
Next, Andy and Scott (the one wearing the cap) began splitting the lamb down the middle:
See the clock above the sink and how it's only 9:25 a.m.? We started our morning at 9 a.m., and in less than 25 minutes, the lamb's head and legs were removed, and it had been split down the middle.
Do you know how this would've played out in my kitchen at home, had I started at 9 a.m.? By 9:25, I would have downed my second shot of bourbon as I peeked for the fourth time around the corner from my dining room into the kitchen and said, "Shit. That lamb is STILL THERE and he's dead but somehow STILL STARING AT ME and I don't know what to dooooooo" and lit my hair on fire and jumped off the roof of my house while singing the Barber of Seville.
Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating. But still.
Next, Andy removed the silverskin from the loin and tenderloin:
Andy and Scott split the rack:
Then, they got to work deboning and butterflying the legs, trimming and cleaning up the breast, and generally preparing all the rest of the lamb parts:
While Andy and Scott were working on all this, Rich and I were on carrot, leek and onion duty for the braises and brunoise, and Andy had also gotten started on browning bones and making stock (although he was MORE than happy to take a break from that to school Rich on his carrot-peeling technique and the size of his carrot cuts for the brunoise, which then became the running joke for the next two days... oh, who'm I kidding -- we're STILL busting Rich's chops about it and probably will for a long, long time.):
I was happy to be on vegetable duty, because it's easy, I got it done quickly (faster than Rich with the world's slowest peeling of the carrots) and it allowed me to more closely watch Andy and Scott break down the lamb, clean and trim all the parts, and talk about what they were doing as they went along.... while still feeling like I was doing something to contribute to the process.
There were so many moving parts -- many of which needed to take place simultaneously -- and it was fun to be in a kitchen with people who knew their stuff, had a sense of humor about it, and could teach while also taking the piss out of one another. My kind of kitchen, indeed.
By this point, it was about 11:30 a.m. The lamb had been butchered into its respective parts, bones were browned and stock begun, sauces on the stove, brunoise done. Now it was time to figure out what had to happen next so that we could take a quick lunch break and come back and finish out the afternoon. The kitchen full of MEN decided they should work on the BREAST (shocker, I know... 12) before we took a break.
The French Laundry Cookbook instructs that the lamb breast is to be cooked like the veal breast in the Braised Breast of Veal with Yellow Corn Polenta Cakes, Glazed Vegetables, and Sweet Garlic.
Easy-peasy. That I can handle. So, I seasoned both pieces of lamb breast with salt and pepper, seared it on both sides, removed the meat, and drained the fat from the pan. Then, I added leeks, carrots, onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and parsley to the pots (the breast was in two pieces, so we did all this times two but at the same time [yay for multiple burners!]), caramelized them, returned the meat to the pan, added chicken and veal stock, covered with a parchment lid, brought the liquid to a simmer, then put them both in the oven for what ended up being a little over three hours.
While I worked on that, Andy decided he'd TRY and one-up my pig's head prowess by sawing the lamb's head in half to get the brain and eyes out -- he had some sort of cockamamie plan to get me to eat the brains in a ravioli or a doughnut or something, and he seriously thought maybe someone would want to eat the eyeballs. Fortunately, he ruptured one and abandoned that idea pretty quickly.
But here he is, sawing that lamb's head in half -- which, by the way, took him FOREVER to do. I mean, really. It shouldn't have been that hard, and if I can do a pig's head, why was he struggling with that lamb's head for so long?
Feel free to sing the Jeopardy theme song....
And now, key change into Verse Two of the Jeopardy theme song...
Look at the sweat on his brow. Psshttt. Amateur.
Andy, put down the saw. Seriously, dude. I was kidding.
He put the brain in milk to soak overnight, because he really thought I was going to eat it, despite the fact that I told him to put down the crack pipe. He kept insisting that it tasted "just like oatmeal, only more like, oh I dunno, a meat-flavored oatmeal" at which point I just said, "FINE. If it will shut you up, I'll eat the damned brain tomorrow night at dinner!" (knowing full well I would hide it in my napkin and then dump it in one of the potted plants in the lobby, duh)
Dude. I would rather listen to the same Celine Dion song for 24 hours than eat that. Except for that song from Titanic. Now that's where the lamb brains just might have a fighting chance.
With the two pots of braising lamb breast in the oven, we put all the other meat into the cooler, cleaned up the kitchen, and headed out to "The Trop" for lunch. Short for Tropical Treat, The Trop is a local burger and shake shack we all love and went to as kids, so we headed on over there to sit outside in the shade, down some burgers, fries, and shakes, and swap stories. It wasn't until I actually sat down at the picnic table that I realized how badly I needed to sit. I wasn't necessarily tired.... just ready to not be standing for a little while.
Besides, I knew when we got back, not only were we going to work on the lamb for a few more hours, I also needed the strength to steel myself against the inevitable torture that would arise from Andy butchering and cleaning the turtles he'd caught that weekend:
I like turtle soup as much as the next guy, but ew. Thanks for the dry heaves, Andy. Thanks a lot.
And, it's at this point that I'm going to take a break. I'll be back later this week with the rest of the story. Stay tuned.
To be continued......
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No Volverán: The Venezuelan Revolution Now
Behind the bold policies of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez is a revolutionary mass movement that is saying NO to capitalism, and attempting to change the course of Latin American history. Journey deep into the barrios, out to the factories and into the heart of the revolution to find out why there is a movement to transform society. Meet the people who are fighting for power in their communities, and taking control of their work places.
Follow the factory workers of Sanitarios Maracay in their struggle against sabotage and corruption, as they pave the way forward with their unprecedented campaign for full nationalisation under workers' control. In this feature length documentary, meet many of the key revolutionary figures to find out how they are trying build socialism of the 21st century, and how it is changing peoples lives.


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Bloem v. Montgomery County Board of Elections
Case filed in an attempt by plaintiffs to undermine Lambda Legal's Maryland Court of Appeals victory inDoe v. Montgomery County of Board of Elections, which invalidated an illegal referendum petition intended to block a transgender nondiscrimination law.
In September 2008, the Maryland Court of Appeals invalidated the Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) referendum petition in Doe v. Montgomery County Board of Elections. The referendum attempted to block a duly enacted transgender nondiscrimination law from going into effect. Lambda Legal successfully represented plaintiffs in Doe; the court found that the CRG petition failed to strictly comply with the laws that govern the right to bring a law to referendum, resulting in the enforcement of the nondiscrimination law. Shortly after our victory, proponents of the CRG petition initiated Bloem in an effort to get the referendum on the next general election ballot. Plaintiffs are attempting to stay the enforcement of the nondiscrimination law until this case is resolved, as well as submit additional petition signatures for verification. Lambda Legal has joined in this lawsuit as defendant interveners to represent seven former Doe plaintiffs and Equality Maryland.
Transgender people suffer persistent inequalities in all aspects of life. While a growing number of cities, counties and employers prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression, transgender people remain disproportionately vulnerable to discrimination because of widespread misunderstanding and misconceptions about them.
Lambda Legal's Impact
The referendum process has been used historically by opponents of LGBT legal protections in an effort to take away equal rights. Winning Bloem would ensure that the Maryland Court of Appeals decision in Doe is preserved, safeguarding resulting protections against attacks by referendum proponents who wish to circumvent the law.