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Someone commented recently that I should post more pictures of Algiers here, and while I would like to take more photos of Algiers, a recent news story came to mind. A young man was here as part of a delegation, something to do with preserving the old buildings of Algiers, and he was out taking a photo of an historic building when police came up and began questioning him. The foreigner was detained by the police for a day before the matter was sorted out and he was released. (For French speakers, this story was in Tout Sur Algerie). So, unfortunately, I'm not very brave about taking photos.
Until I am confident enough to take photos of the markets here, I thought I would share some pictures of what we brought home from the market this week. As usual, I went a little overboard at Premier Mai. We got some usual things like pumpkin, frisee lettuce, swiss chard and the like. Here are some of the more uniquely Algerian items we picked up.
Desert Truffles - lots of vendors had these, and while I'd seen them before in Syria I'd never bought one. These truffles occur in the desert where lightning strikes and when just the right amount of other magical elements occur. They are somewhat potato-like and I have a couple recipes for tagines with them. (Bedouins apparently call them the potatoes of thunder.)
Lamb's Liver - Yes, I bought this huge liver, and let's just say it was not cheap. At my last physical exam I was told I had severe B12-deficiency anemia, so since then I take supplements and try to eat liver on occasion. I particularly like a quick saute of chicken liver with pomegranate molasses and lots of caramelized onions. Lamb's liver is new to me, I admit I have no idea what I'm going to do with this thing.
Green Pepper Dip and Pickled Cauliflower - The guy at the market told me the name of the green pepper dip but I have already forgotten it (mshay, shmay? oy, Algerian dialect is so weird). It is quite common, and is sort of a cousin to felfel. A lot of people mix in some green olives when they serve this with kesra bread as an appetizer.
Turkey Merguez - We love the local merguez here, it is fantastic, but also rather artery-clogging. I had never seen any other sausage here, and I'm excited to try this turkey version. It smells deliciously of garlic.
Spices - I needed some ginger but of course couldn't resist getting some other things as well. I got the tagine spice mix and some piment fort, which I have been warned is extremely spicy.
Quinces and Little Asian Pears - It's the end of the season for quince, so I thought I'd make some more to have for dessert this week.
I'd never seen these peppers in the market, but the red ones are the ones used to make harissa. So of course I had to buy them.
Some date filled semolina cakes to take to the office.


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Armin van Buuren's 8th studio album 'Feel Again' will be released on March 31 🎶
Pre-save (streaming) + pre-order (CD & download) is now available via https://AvB.lnk.to/FeelAgain
Subscribe to Armada TV: http://bit.ly/SubscribeArmada
It's the first official single of the album that dance land has been waiting for. The premier introduction to 'Intense', the fifth artist album of the world's number one DJ, Armin van Buuren. It's the feel-good 'This Is What It Feels Like' ft. Trevor Guthrie, that rushes in.
Its official music video was shot in the great Nevada desert, in between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, by Pixelheaven.tv. It features Armin van Buuren and Trevor Guthrie, racing cars for 'the hot girl' on the sandy roads. But there's also a surprising guest starring in the music video: American adult-film legend Ron Jeremy, playing the supporting role as owner of the road diner where Armin and Trevor continue their battle.
Gathering two years of extraordinary production work and song-writing, 'Intense' is the next addition to Armin's legacy. 'Intense' landing May 3rd, the first single is an exclusive pre-taste of its genre-bending sound.
Featuring Canadian singer/songwriter Trevor Guthrie, Armin brings a musical fusion that has its roots in dance, rock and pop. Coming together in the easy-listening, up-tempo tune that is 'This Is What It Feels Like', Armin once again proves not to be a prisoner of his own style.
Connect with Armada Music


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What will your new baby look like? You may be expecting one of the soft, rosy-cheeked babies you see in a magazine advertisement, but just like what really happens in the delivery room, your newborn's appearance may surprise you. Newborns tend to initially look purple, then pink, and have cute little wrinkles!
Here's what you can expect your little bundle of joy to look like right after born.
Wet, sticky skin
You will first notice your baby is wet because he has been surrounded by warm amniotic fluid in the womb. He'll be quickly dried off to prevent him from getting too cold. The white substance you'll see immediately after birth on your baby's body is called vernix. Vernix is a delicate, protective covering with a cheese-like consistency, and it feels quite sticky. This thick covering does not have to be scrubbed off; most vernix will naturally depart with the first bath.
An asymmetrical head
Your newborn's head probably won't be perfectly symmetrical, because the bones of the skull mold to fit through the birth canal. Interestingly, babies who are born by cesarean section usually have round heads, because they miss the birth-canal squeeze. A newborn's head may have even areas of swelling or bruising. Bruising with no other symptoms typically resolves after a few days and is not a major concern.
Purple or pink skin
Because she has not yet taken a breath, your baby's skin initially emerges as purple or dark red. Once you hear crying and she takes her first breath, she will appear quite pink. Variations in temperature and skin tones may foster various shades of pink.
Dark hands and feet
His hands and feet may look darker red or purple. If you notice this darker color of the extremities, try repositioning them. You will see the color change. Your baby's blood vessels are developing, but this color change phenomenon will subside as he grows. However, if your baby's hands and feet look purple, and his body looks purple, too, alert your doctor immediately. This could indicate a problem with not enough oxygen in the blood, which is a true medical emergency.
Babies often have a yellow skin tone called jaundice, because their liver is immature and they are getting rid of old red blood cells. If the jaundice is only on the face, then it is usually of no consequence. Jaundice that is more pronounced or extensive may need treatment, either in the hospital or at home. Usually jaundice begins to decline after the first week, and the yellow skin tone will gradually fade away. If you notice jaundice worsening after discharge from the hospital, your baby should be checked by your doctor to ensure no further therapy is required.
Tiny hairs
Lanugo is the first hair produced by the hair follicles in the womb. Lanugo appears as a soft, pigmented, fine hair on the back, arms, forehead, cheeks and shoulders. Lanugo is often present in full-term infants, but is more common in preterm infants. It will take about a month to shed, though many babies who are born with dark hair keep "fuzz" on their arms, face and back for many months. Some children with very thick hair will keep their hair on the back for many years.
Newborns commonly get little pimples on the face in the first couple of weeks of life. No problem: It is temporary and requires no treatment. Acne is due to withdrawal from mom's hormones of pregnancy.
Swollen breasts
These may present on your newborn within a few days as a reaction to pregnancy hormone withdrawal, as well. They may occur in boys or girls, and are not harmful. Leave them alone; the swelling will naturally resolve on its own in about a month.
Peeling skin
Peeling is very common in newborns and is usually of no consequence. Your baby was in warm amniotic fluid that nourished her body, and is now exposed to the dry air. The skin layer underlying the peeling skin tends to be moist and soft. Lotion is not necessary, but if you want to apply some, be sure it's unscented.
Most unscented lotions will work, but if you have a brand not clearly labeled for babies, check with your doctor. Also let your doctor know if the peeling is accompanied by dry, red skin or blisters.


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Centuries of mining, farming, irrigation and acid rain have eroded life-giving minerals from our soil. These mineral-deficient soils are then used to grow and cultivate our food. Because of this, our food may be lacking in the essential minerals.
In fact, Dr. Wallach of "Dead Doctors Dont Lie" fame has stated "one sentence has killed more people than all the wars in American history. . . You get all the nutrition you need from the four food groups."
All YoungevityÆ products are designed with this principle in mind. Our products are packed with the finest minerals available. Mined from deep within the mountains of Utah, these minerals are harvested and added to create our products. Along with a healthy lifestyle that includes a proper diet and exercise, these products can help you live a fuller life.
When it comes to mineral supplementation, you should use only the finest products available - YoungevityÆ products! When you go shopping, there are always generic brands and imitations vying for your attention. But when it comes to your health, do not accept any imitations. There are no quick-fixes, no silver bullets, and no shortcuts. The only way you can heal your body is to give it all the raw materials it needs to run stronger, faster and longer.
Even its basic makeup defies logic. Salt is a blend of sodium and chlorine - the first a metal so un- stable that it bursts into flame when exposed to water; the second a lethal gas. When we swallow the blend, it forms hydrochloric acid in our stomachs. Suicidal? No, an absolute necessity for life."
- G. Young National Geographic
MINERALS: The Currency of Life
Minerals and mineral supplements to our meals are in fact a necessity of life. Since before recorded history man craved and consciously consumed minerals including the major minerals, trace minerals and Rare Earths in the form of clays, salts, animal tissue (bones and meat) or colloidal mineral rich plants.
The basic functions of life itself cannot be performed without minerals, either as a major part of the function or as a catalytic cofactor (i.e. - RNA, DNA, sub cellular and digestive enzymes and the utilization of vitamins) - yet despite more than 10,000 years of human experience the allopathic medical profession would have us believe that all we modern humans need for optimal health and longevity is their steward-ship, the four food groups, pharmaceuticals, radiation, surgery and organ transplants!! Simply said, minerals are the currency of life. The medical profession ignores this truth to the point past the absurd - the most profound example we can think of is salt. Physicians would have you believe that you need little or no salt (they must think we are dumber than cows for the first food item a good husbandry man puts out for his live-stock is a salt block! !); however, the multi- billion dollar a year snack food industry is well aware of your need and craving for salt and other minerals.
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If your pet needs a bed you can make one yourself even if you don't know how to sew. All you need to do this are a couple of yards of fabric, a bag of batting, scissors, and the ability to tie a square-knot.
Instructables user schoochmaroo figured out an easy way to make a pet bed without sewing by cutting fringes on the border of the top and bottom fabric pieces and tying the fringes together into square knots.
Full step-by-step instructions and photos are at the source link below, but what you're basically doing is cutting two pieces of fabric to the same rectangular shape, cutting identical fringes into each piece of fabric, and tying the upper and lower fringes together. When you're around ¾ finished with the knot tying you can start to fill the cavity of the bed with batting and finish tying. For those of you unfamiliar with crafting, batting is the filling for quilts and pillows made from cotton, polyester, or other materials. You can buy a bag for a few bucks at any craft store or online.
The project should take around a half hour to complete and cost less than ten bucks depending on the fabric and batton.
No Sew Pet Bed | Instructables


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Teradata Vantage™ is our flagship analytic platform offering, which evolved from our industry-leading Teradata® Database. Until references in content are updated to reflect this change, the term Teradata Database is synonymous with Teradata Vantage.
Advanced SQL Engine (was NewSQL Engine) is a core capability of Teradata Vantage, based on our best-in-class Teradata Database. Advanced SQL refers to the ability to run advanced analytic functions beyond that of standard SQL.


text: The Sexy House Vibes Podcast is released every 15th and last day of a month and presents the best in House, Tech House and Progressive. Host and Deejay of the Podcast is the talented German Martin Teik. He has the aim to bring you only the sexiest tracks in electronic music and to bring people … [Read more…]


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On Friday, December 22, 2017, the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (H.R. 1) was signed into law by President Trump. Almost all of these provisions go into law January 1, 2018.
We have put together a side-by-side comparison of current law and the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (H.R. 1) changes. There are numerous tax planning issues facing both individuals and business owners.
This table compares the predominate changes made by the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" to the tax law as it was during 2017 for individuals and small businesses.
2017 |
Tax CutS & Jobs Act (2018) |
Exemptions |
$4,050 |
Suspended through 2025 (effectively repealed) |
Standard Deductions |
Single: $6,350 Head of household: $9,350 Married filing joint: $12,700 Add'l Elderly & Blind Joint & Surviving Spouse: $1,250 Others: $1,550 |
Single: $12,000 Head of household: $18,000 Married filing joint: $ 24,000 Add'l Elderly & Blind Joint & Surviving Spouse: $1,300 Others: $1,600 |
Itemized Deductions |
Medical – Allowed in excess of 10% of AGI |
Retained for 2017 and 2018 with an AGI threshold of 7.5% regardless of age. Threshold increases to 10% after 2018. 7.5% threshold also applies for AMT purposes for '17 and '18. |
Taxes –Property taxes, and state and local income taxes are deductible. Taxpayers can elect to deduct sales tax in lieu of state income tax. |
The deduction for taxes is retained but capped at $10,000 for the year. Foreign real property taxes may not be included. The Act prohibits claiming a 2017 itemized deduction on a pre-payment of income tax for 2018 or other future taxable year in order to avoid the dollar limitation applicable for taxable years beginning after 2017. |
Home Mortgage Interest –Allows interest on $1M of acquisition debt on primary and second home and interest on $100K of home equity debt. |
Allows interest on $750K of acquisition debt on primary and secondary home. Grandfathers interest on up to $1M of acquisition debt for loans prior to 12/15/2017. Repeals the deduction for home equity debt. |
Charitable Contributions – Allows charitable contributions generally not exceeding 50% of a taxpayer's AGI. |
Continues to allow charitable contributions and increases the 50% of AGI to 60%. Bans charitable deduction for payments made in exchange for college athletic event seating rights. Also repeals certain substantiation exceptions. |
Gambling Losses – Allows a deduction for gambling losses not exceeding gambling income. |
Continues to allow a deduction for gambling losses not to exceed the gambling income. Clarifies that "gambling losses" includes any deduction otherwise allowable in carrying on any wagering transaction. |
Personal Casualty & Theft Losses – Casualty and theft losses are allowed to the extent each loss exceeds $100 and the sum of all losses for the year exceeds 10% of the taxpayer's AGI. |
Suspends personal casualty losses through 2025, except for casualty losses attributable to a disaster declared by the President under Sec 401 of the Robert T Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. |
Tier 2 Miscellaneous – Includes deductions for employee business expenses, tax preparation fees, investment expenses and certain casualty losses. |
Suspends all tier 2 (those subject to the 2% of AGI threshold) itemized deductions through 2025. |
Phase-out of Itemized Deductions –Itemized deductions are phased out for higher income taxpayers. |
The phase-out is suspended through 2025. |
Above-The-Line Deductions |
Teachers' Deduction – Allowed up to $250 (indexed) for classroom supplies and professional development courses. |
Continues to allow this deduction. |
Moving Deduction & Reimbursements – Allows a deduction for moving expenses for a job related move where the commute is 50 miles further and the individual is employed for a certain length of time. Qualified moving expense reimbursements are excluded from the employee's gross income. |
Deduction is suspended through 2025 except for military change of station. Employer (other than military) reimbursement would be included as taxable wages. |
Alimony – Allows the payer of alimony to claim an above-the-line deduction for qualified payments; recipient reports the income. |
For divorce agreements entered into after December 31, 2018 or existing agreements modified after that date that specifically include this amendment in the modification, alimony would no longer be deductible by the payer and would not be income to the recipient. |
Performing Artists Expenses – An employee with an AGI of $16,000 or less who receives $200 or more from each of two or more employers in the performing arts field can deduct their performing arts expenses that exceed 10% of AGI as an above-the-line deduction. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed this deduction but the conference agreement retains it in its current form. |
Government Officials' Expenses - An official who is paid on a fee basis as an employee of a state or local government and who pays or incurs expenses with respect to that employment may claim the expenses as a deduction in calculating AGI. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed this deduction but the conference agreement retains it in its current form. |
Employee Fringe Benefits |
Bicycle Commuting – Allows reimbursement of $20 per month as tax-free compensation |
Suspended through 2025 |
Employer Provided Housing – Allows an exclusion from income for the costs of housing provided an employee for the convenience of the employer |
Retained - The House Bill would have limited the excludable amount, but the conference agreement retains the exclusion in its current form. |
Dependent Care Assistance – Allows an exclusion from gross income of up to $5,000 per year for employer provided dependent care assistance. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed the excludable amount, but the conference agreement retains the exclusion in its current form. |
Adoption Assistance – An employee can exclude a maximum of $13,570 (2017) for qualified adoption expenses paid or reimbursed by an employer. The exclusion is phased out for higher-income taxpayers. |
Retained – The House Bill would have repealed the exclusion, but the conference agreement retains the exclusion in its current form. |
Tax Rates |
There are seven tax brackets: 10, 15, 25, 28, 33, 35 and 39.6%. |
There will continue to be seven tax brackets but at different rates and thresholds. The rates are: 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35 and 37% |
Identifying Shares Sold |
Under current law a taxpayer who disposes of part of his shares in a corporation that were acquired at different times or for different prices is allowed to choose which shares are considered sold if they are adequately identified. |
The Senate version of the bill would have required using the first-in first-out (FIFO) method of selection for which shares were sold. However, the final bill does not include that requirement. |
Child Tax Credit |
Allows a credit of $1,000 per qualified child under the age of 17. The credit is reduced by $50 for each $1,000 the taxpayer's modified gross income exceeds $75K for single taxpayers, $110K for married taxpayers filing joint and $55K for married taxpayers filing separate. Taxpayers are eligible for a refundable credit equal to 15% of earned income in excess of $3,000. There is also a special refundable computation when there are 3 or more qualifying children. |
Retains the "under age 17" requirement and increases the child tax credit to $2,000, with up to $1,400 being refundable per qualified child. The credit phases out for taxpayers with AGI over $200,000 ($400,000 if married joint). Thresholds are not inflation-indexed. Child must have a valid Social Security Number that is issued before the due date of the return to qualify for this credit. |
Non-child Dependent Credit |
No such provision |
Allows a $500 non-refundable credit for non-child dependents. Same phaseout rule as for Child Tax Credit. |
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) |
Individuals – 2017 Exemption amounts are $84,500 for married taxpayers filing jointly, $42,250 for married filing separate, and $54,300 for single and head of household. The exemption phase-out thresholds are: $160,900 for married taxpayers filing jointly, $80,450 for married filing separate, and $120,700 for single and head of household. |
Retained, but the exemption amounts are increased to: $109,400 for married taxpayers filing jointly, $54,700 for married filing separate, and $70,300 for single and head of household. The exemption phase-out thresholds are increased to: $1 Million for married taxpayers filing jointly and $500K for others. |
Corporate |
Repealed |
Education Provisions |
American Opportunity Credit (AOTC) –The AOTC provides a post-secondary education tax credit of up to $2,500 per year, per student for up to four years. 40% of the credit is refundable. The credit has a phase-out threshold of $160K for MFJ filers (no credit allowed for MFS) and $80K for others. |
Retained - The House Bill would have extended the credit to a fifth year, but the conference agreement retained the credit in its current form. |
Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) –LLC provides annual credit of up to $2,000 per family for post-secondary education. The credit has a phase-out threshold of $112K for MFJ filers (no credit allowed for MFS) and $56K for others. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed the LLC, but the conference agreement retains the credit in its current form. |
Coverdell Education Accounts – An annual non-deductible contribution of up to $2,000 is permitted and with tax-free accumulation if distributions are used for grammar school and above education expenses. |
Retained - The House Bill would have barred any further contributions to Coverdells, but allowed a rollover to a Sec 529 plan. However, the conference agreement retains Coverdell accounts in their current form. |
Sec 529 Plans – These accounts allow non-deductible contribution and provide for tax-free accumulation if distributions are used for post-secondary education expenses. |
Amended to allow tax-free distributions of up to $10K per year for grammar and high school education tuition and expenses. |
Discharge of Student Loan Indebtedness– Excludes from income the discharge of debt where the discharge was contingent on the student working a specific period of time in certain professions and for certain employers. |
Modified to exclude income from the discharge of indebtedness due to death or permanent disability of the student. |
Higher Education Interest – Allows an interest deduction of up to $2,500 for interest paid on post-secondary education loans. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed the higher education interest deduction, but the conference agreement retains the deduction in its current form. |
Tuition Deduction – Allows an above-the-line deduction for tuition and related expenses in years before 2017. The amount of the deduction is limited by AGI and the maximum deduction for any year is $4,000. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed the tuition deduction, but the conference agreement retains the deduction in its current form. This means that the termination date of December 31, 2016 still applies, so this deduction would not be allowed for 2017 and later. |
Employer Provided Education Assistance – An employer is permitted to provide tax-free employee fringe benefits up to $5,250 per year for an employee's education. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed employer provided education assistance, but the conference agreement retains the assistance in its current form. |
Exclusion of Qualified Tuition Reduction – Employees of educational institutions, their spouses and dependents may receive a nontaxable benefit of reduced tuition. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed the exclusion from income of tuition reductions, but the conference agreement retains the benefit in its current form. |
Exclusion for Interest on U.S. Savings Bonds used for Higher Education Expenses - Interest earned on a qualified United States Series EE savings bond issued after 1989 is excludable from gross income to the extent the proceeds of the bond upon redemption are used to pay for higher education expenses. The exclusion is phased out for higher income taxpayers. |
Retained - The House Bill would have repealed the exclusion from income of U.S. savings bond interest used for higher education expenses, but the conference agreement retains the benefit in its current form. |
Sec 529 – Able Account Rollovers |
Distributions after 2017 from 529 plans would be allowed to be rolled over to an ABLE account without penalty, provided that the ABLE account is owned by the designated beneficiary of that 529 account, or a member of the designated beneficiary's family. |
Home Sale Exclusion |
Generally, where a taxpayer owns and uses a home as his principal residence for 2 out of the 5 years prior to its sale, the taxpayer can exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) of profit from the sale. |
Both the Senate and House bills would have changed the qualifying period to 5 out of 8 years, and the House bill would have phased the exclusion out for higher income taxpayers. The conference agreement retains the current law. |
Roth Conversion Recharacterizations |
Permits, within certain time limits, a Traditional to Roth IRA conversion to be undone. |
The Act repeals the special rule that allows IRA contributions to one type of IRA (either traditional or Roth) to be recharacterized as a contribution to the other type of IRA. Thus, for example, under the provision, a conversion contribution establishing a Roth IRA during a taxable year can no longer be recharacterized as a contribution to a traditional IRA (thereby unwinding the conversion). |
Estate & Gift Taxes |
$5.49 Million (2017) is exempt from gift and/or estate tax. This is in addition to the annual gift tax exclusion, which for 2017 is $14,000 per gift recipient. |
The exclusion is increased to $10 Million adjusted for inflation since 2011, which is estimated to be approximately $11.2 Million. The annual gift tax exclusion is retained. The House Bill would have repealed the estate tax for decedents dying in 2025 or later, but the conference agreement did not include this provision. |
Entertainment Expenses |
A taxpayer who can establish that entertainment expenses or meals are directly related to (or associated with) the active conduct of its trade or business, generally may deduct 50% of the expense. |
No deduction is allowed for (1) an activity generally considered to be entertainment, amusement or recreation, (2) membership dues with respect to any club organized for business, pleasure, recreation or other social purposes, or (3) a facility or portion thereof used in connection with items (1) and (2). Also disallows a deduction for expenses associated with providing any qualified transportation fringe to the taxpayer's employees. Employers may still deduct 50% of the food and beverage expenses associated with operating their trade or business (e.g., meals consumed by employees on work travel). |
Tax Credits |
Electric Vehicle Credit - Provides a non-refundable credit of up to $7,500 for the purchase of a qualified electric vehicle. |
Retained – the House Bill originally repealed this credit, but the credit is retained in the conference agreement. |
Adoption Credit– Provides a credit of up to $13,570 for child under the age of 18 or a person physically or mentally incapable of self care. |
Retained – the House Bill originally repealed this credit, but the credit is retained in the conference agreement. |
Sec 1031 Exchange |
There is non-recognition of gain when taxpayers trade properties of like-kind that are used for business or investment. |
For exchanges completed after December 31, 2017, only real property will qualify for Sec 1031 treatment. |
Real Estate Recovery Periods |
Currently real property has a MACRS recovery period of 39 years for commercial property and 27.5 years for residential rental property. |
The Senate version would have shortened the recovery period for real property. However, the conference agreement retains the 27.5 and 39-year recovery periods. |
Net Operating Loss (NOL) Deduction |
Generally a NOL may be carried back 2 years and any remaining balance is then carried forward until used up or a maximum of 20 years unless the taxpayer elects to forego the carryback and carry the loss forward only. |
The 2-year carryback provision is generally repealed after 2017 except for certain farm losses. Beginning after December 31, 2017, the NOL deduction is limited to 80% of taxable income (determined without regard to the NOL deduction) for losses arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. |
Sec 179 Expensing |
A taxpayer can elect to expense up to $510,000 of tangible business property, off the shelf software and certain qualified real property (generally leasehold improvements). The annual limit is reduced by $1 for every $1 over a $2,030,000 investment limit. The Sec 179 deduction for certain sport utility vehicles is capped at $25,000. |
For property placed in service after 2017: The annual expensing and investment threshold limits are increased to $1,000,000 and $2,500,000, respectively, with both subject to inflation indexing. SUV cap to be inflation-adjusted. Definition of Sec 179 property expanded to include certain depreciable tangible personal property – e.g., beds and other furniture, refrigerators, ranges, and other equipment used in the living quarters of a lodging facility such as an apartment house, dormitory, or any other facility (or part of a facility) used predominantly to furnish lodging or in connection with furnishing lodging. Expands the definition of qualified real property eligible for Sec 179 expensing to include any of the following improvements to nonresidential real property placed in service after the date such property was first placed in service: roofs; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning property; fire protection and alarm systems; and security systems. |
Unlimited Expensing |
For 2017 current law allows 50% of the cost of eligible new property to be deducted with the balance of the cost depreciable. This is commonly termed "bonus" depreciation. The bonus rate is scheduled to decline to 40% for 2018, 30% for 2019 and 0% thereafter. |
Allows 100% unlimited expensing of tangible business assets (except structures) acquired after September 27, 2017 and through 2022. Applies when a taxpayer first uses the asset (does not need to be new). |
"Luxury Auto" Depreciation Limit |
Annual limits apply to passenger autos used for business on which depreciation is claimed. For vehicles placed in service in 2017 the limits are $3,160, $5,100, $3,050 and $1,875, respectively, for years 1, 2, 3, and 4 and later. If bonus depreciation is claimed, the first-year limitation is increased by an additional $8,000. |
For passenger autos placed in service after 2017 the maximum amount of allowable depreciation is increased to the following amounts if bonus depreciation is not claimed: $10,000 for the placed-in-service year, $16,000 for the 2nd year, $9,600 for the 3rd year, and $5,760 for the 4th and later years. Amounts will be indexed for inflation after 2018. |
Listed Property |
To claim a business deduction for certain types of property, referred to as listed property, enhanced substantiation requirements must be followed and deductions are only allowed if business use of the property is more than 50%. Computers have been included in this category. |
Computers and peripheral equipment placed in service after 2017 have been removed from the definition of listed property. |
Deduction For Pass-Through Income |
No such provision. |
The Act provides a 20% deduction for pass-through income, limited to the greater of (1) 50 percent of wage income or (2) 25% of wage income plus 2.5% of the cost of tangible depreciable property for qualifying businesses, including publicly traded partnerships, but not including certain service providers. The limitations (both caps and exclusions) do not apply to joint filer's with income below $315K and ratably phases out between $315K and $415K, For other filers the threshold is $157K and phases out between $157K and $207K. |
Excess Business Losses For Individuals |
Losses, other than passive losses, were allowed, and if a net loss was the result, a NOL deduction was created and carried back 2 years and then forward 20 years until used up. |
A taxpayer other than a C corporation would not be allowed an "excess business loss." Instead, the loss would be carried forward and treated as part of the taxpayer's net operating loss (NOL) carryforward in subsequent taxable years. Excess business loss for a taxable year is defined in the Act as the excess of the taxpayer's aggregate deductions attributable to the taxpayer's trades or businesses for that year, over the sum of the taxpayer's aggregate gross income or gain for the year plus a "threshold amount" of $500,000 for married individuals filing jointly, or $250,000 for other individuals. The provision will apply after taking into account the passive activity loss rules. |
Domestic Production Deduction (Sec 199) |
Sec 199 provides a deduction from taxable income (AGI in the case of an individual), equal to 9% of the lesser of the taxpayer's qualified domestic production activities income or taxable income (determined without regard to the section 199 deduction) for the taxable year. The deduction is further limited to 50% of the W-2 wages paid by the taxpayer that are allocable to domestic production gross receipts for the year. |
Repealed, effective 2018 |
ACA Individual Insurance Mandate |
Anyone who does not meet one of the limited exemptions must have health insurance or pay a penalty. In the tax code this is referred to as the "shared responsibility payment." The penalty is the greater of an inflation adjusted flat dollar amount or 2.5% of the taxpayer's household income. For 2018 the flat dollar amount is $695 per adult and $347.50 per child but not more than $2,085 per family. |
Repealed, effective 2019. |
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On October 18th, 2014 at the Glen Oaks Country Club, Alison and Greg were named husband and wife. To say that this couple is the epitome of true love would be an understatement. We are so happy to have been a part of their special day and to have had the opportunity to bring their vision to life!
Elegant would be the word I would use to describe the breathtaking venue space at the Glen Oaks Country Club. With the addition of our designs and use of white calla lilies, pale roses, hydrangeas, white phalaenopsis orchids, and stock, it was truly a dream come true. With an exciting and vibrant cocktail hour, our arrangements added to the energy of the room containing hues of purple and red, emphasized using combinations of orchids, roses and tulips.
Every detail down to spacing of the escort cards were executed flawlessly! We thank our friends from Fred Marcus Studio for capturing every beautiful moment with these photos.
It was our pleasure working with Alison and Greg and we look forward to watching their relationship continue to bloom over the years.
Your wedding enthusiast,
A special thanks to:
Wedding Panner: Alimay Events
Photography: Fred Marcus Studio
Lighting: Design One
Draping: Dynamic Drape
Linens: Table Wraps
Chairs: Something Different Party Rental
Band: Starlight Orchestras


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James Wagner and Barry Hoggard came to see my installation last Monday. James has written up his impressions. James says:
Mandiberg goes where no laser cutter has ever gone before. Some of the work physically and dramatically distinguishes important newly-established contemporary technologies from their aging or defunct antecedents (many of which could once have been described as cutting edge themselves), The result is a visual dialogue charged with the passage of time and composed in the empty spaces we see "written" in and on various kinds of reference books. One piece, a work in progress (surprisingly, lasers take their time), is titled "We have never had a year of peace". When finished it will comprise the three volumes of the "Encyclopedia of the Third World", lying on their spines next to each other, open at a random page in the middle where the artist has deeply burned the name and year of every war fought by this peace-loving republic since 1890. Another body of work consists of a wall display of cast-off volumes describing how to make money. Mandiberg has "whittled" with a laser into their hard front covers to describe the logos of, according to the artist, "all of the failed banks of the Great Recession". Not directly related to the re-worked dictionaries, encyclopedias, phone directories, or investment monographs are some breathtaking laser-cut drawings of the security patterns ordinarily found printed inside those familiar small mailing envelopes used by banks and similar institutions.
More here (tx James!)


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"9" Oil Coconut Hair Growth Elixir
$ 17.65
$ 29.99
Vendor: Bowden Enterprise Easy Shop
Product Code:
Mama Bertha's
"9" Oil
Coconut Hair Growth Elixir
For Natural & Permed Hair (All hair types)
- Repairs Damaged Hair
- Keeps Hair Soft And Smooth
- Saturates With No Left Over Oily Residue On The Hair
- Treats Hair Frizziness and Split Ends
- Stimulating Hair Growth Effects
- Advances Healthy & Shiny Hair
- Sweet Smell of Coconut
-1 Fl. OZ
We have put in a lot of hard work and effort in providing you with oils to stimulate the scalp and exhibit hair growth necessities; such as repairing damaged hair, keeping hair soft and smooth, while improving healthy hair with added shine. Our products are for both natural and permed hair regimens, and caters to both men and women. This product is made in the USA and have not been tested on animals. Our products are of organic essential oils, "MADE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS IN MIND." Please try our products and let us know what you think.
★ MAMA BERTHA'S HAIR GROWTH OIL! - For Natural & Permed Hair (All hair types) – Repairs Damaged Hair Keeps Hair Soft and Smooth – Saturates with No Left Over Oily Residue on The Hair – Treats Hair Frizziness and Split Ends while Stimulating Hair Follicles for Growth Effects, and Advances Healthy & Shiny Hair.
★ HOW TO USE: Drop a dime size amount of hair oil on your palm. Apply to the tips of hair, or apply to all your hair. Wrap with a hot towel for 30 minutes then shampoo as normal.
★ INGREDIENTS: Virgin Argan Oil, Pure Jojoba Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Grapeseed Oil. Scented with premium grade essential oils and premium grade fragrance oils.
★ MADE IN THE USA - You can be assured of the quality, as our product is manufactured within the USA. We go through extensive measures before our product is even brought into the market. Product is not tested on animals.
★ WARNING: This product contains tree nut oils and natural Botanicals allergy sufferers test before use.


text:
DMBLGiT November 2008 Results
Mathew – for designing the badges
Shari – for sending the updated badges
Labels: Events
Thank you very much! It's come so unexpectedly! I am so thrilled!
Congratulations to all winners!
Thank you for the award, such an honour! Yes, please send your submission for next DMBLGIT. I'm so excited! Thanks again, judges!
Wahoo! Congrats to all -- and thanks for the host-award, Suganya!
Congratulations to the winners. Three cheers to the host. Awesome pics.
congratulations to the winners! the photos are really amazing. :)
congratulations to the winners!
Thank you so much, such a great honour!! Thanks again for hosting and a big big tha,k you to the judges!!
What gorgeous pictures! Congrats to the winners :-)
congrats to all winners!
really proud to have 3 Indonesian foodie bloggers won the badge!
Congrats to the winners!!!
congratulation to you all!
thanks for the host and judges. Really proud to be part of this event:)
Wow this is awesome and nice to see beautiful pictures.Congrats winners.
lovely :)
Congratulations to all the winners!!
Wow COngrats to the winner...
Congrats to the winners. All the entries were wonderful.
Congratulations to all the winners.
Thanks, Suganya, for including me in the mix of some very talented judges.
It was an honor and great fun.
Lovely Photos ! Congratulations to all the winners :-)
Congrats winners. Stunning pictures


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By James Harriman-Smith and Primavera De Filippi
On the 11th July, the Open Literature (now Open Humanities) mailing list got an email about a competition being run by the University of Bologna called 'Inventare il Futuro' or 'Inventing the Future'. On the 28th October, Hvaing submitted an application on behalf of the OKF, we got an email saying that our idea had won us €3 500 of funding. Here's how.
The Idea: Open Reading
The competition was looking for "innovative ideas involving new technologies which could contribute to improving the quality of civil and social life, helping to overcome problems linked to people's lives." Our proposal, entered into the 'Cultural and Artistic Heritage' category, proposed joining the OKF's Public Domain Calculators and Annotator together, creating a site that allowed users more interaction with public domain texts, and those texts a greater status online. To quote from our finished application:
Combined, the annotator and the public domain calculators will power a website on which users will be able to find any public domain literary text in their jurisdiction, and either download it in a variety of formats or read it in the environment of the website. If they chose the latter option, readers will have the opportunity of searching, annotating and anthologising each text, creating their own personal response to their cultural literary heritage, which they can then share with others, both through the website and as an exportable text document.
As you can see, with thirty thousand Euros for the overall winner, we decided to think very big. The full text, including a roadmap is available online. Many thanks to Jason Kitkat and Thomas Kandler who gave up their time to proofread and suggest improvements.
The Winnings: Funding Improvements to OKF Services
The first step towards Open Reading was always to improve the two services it proposed marrying: the Annotator and the Public Domain Calculators. With this in mind we intend to use our winnings to help achieve the following goals, although more ideas are always welcome:
- Offer bounties for flow charts regarding the public domain in as yet unexamined jurisdictions.
- Contribute, perhaps, to the bounties already available for implementing flowcharts into code.
- Offer mini-rewards for the identification and assessment of new metadata databases.
- Modify the annotator store back-end to allow collections.
- Make the importation and exportation of annotations easier.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch if any of this is of interest. An Open Humanities Skype meeting will be held on 20th November 2011 at 3pm GMT.
James is the Coordinator of the Open Humanities Working Group and is currently studying for a PhD in English Literature at the University of Cambridge.


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How Long Do Hearing Aid Batteries Last?
With the rapidly aging population, hearing aid technology has evolved drastically, and the number of users is continually increasing. However, a common question that looms in the minds of both first-time users and experienced wearers is, "How long do hearing aid batteries last?" The answer varies depending on many factors, such as the battery size, hearing aid style, power requirements, and hours of use. Let's dive into these factors to provide a comprehensive answer.
Hearing Aid Battery Sizes
Typically, there are four sizes of hearing aid batteries: 10 (yellow), 312 (brown), 13 (orange), and 675 (blue). The smaller the size, the shorter the lifespan of the battery. Size 10 batteries can last between 3-7 days, while size 312 batteries can run for about 7-10 days. On the other hand, size 13 batteries tend to last for 10-14 days, and size 675 batteries can work for up to 14-20 days.
Hearing Aid Style
The style of the hearing aid also plays a significant role in determining the battery life. Devices with more features or power requirements, such as those providing profound amplification or wireless streaming, tend to drain the batteries faster. Consequently, smaller, in-the-ear (ITE) models that have limited space for batteries will generally have a shorter battery life compared to larger, behind-the-ear (BTE) models, which can accommodate larger batteries. A hearing care provider will be able to help you determine what style is right for you. For the Williamsville and Tonawanda communities, our office offers a variety of hearing aid styles.
Power Requirements
The amount of hearing loss an individual experiences directly impacts the power required from the hearing aid, which in turn affects the battery lifespan. A device configured for profound hearing loss requires more power and drains the battery faster compared to a device designed for mild or moderate hearing loss.
Hours of Use
The more you use your hearing aid, the quicker the battery will run out. If you use your hearing aid for a few hours a day, your batteries will last significantly longer than if you use the device all day.
Battery Care and Storage
Proper care and storage can also impact your hearing aid battery life. It's recommended to store batteries in a dry place at room temperature to maximize their lifespan. Avoid storing them in hot areas or in the fridge, which used to be common advice but is now known to cause harm to the batteries. When you're not using your hearing aid, turn it off or open the battery door to reduce battery drain.
Hearing aid battery life is dependent on several factors, so it's not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Generally, it's always a good idea to keep spare batteries on hand and remember to take good care of them to maximize their lifespan. Monitoring your device's performance and keeping an eye on battery life can help ensure your hearing aid is always ready when you need it. Any concerns you have with the performance of your hearing aid should be addressed with a hearing care provider.
Communication is a crucial part of our daily lives. Properly functioning hearing aids contribute significantly to our quality of life. Don't let the worry of battery life keep you from experiencing the world of sounds around you. If you or your loved one is experiencing hearing loss or are looking for help with your current hearing aids, contact Hearing Evaluation Services of Buffalo today to schedule an appointment.


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Venezuela Reduced Poverty by 50%, Affirms Eclac
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez provided information this week on his country's social and economic achievements, especially the nation's reduction of poverty, citing statistics from the Economic Commission for Latin America andthe Caribbean (ECLAC).
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez provided information this week on his country's social and economic achievements, especially the nation's reduction of poverty, citing statistics from the Economic Commission for Latin America andthe Caribbean (ECLAC).
"In ten years, we have been able to reduce poverty in half", proclaimed the Venezuelan President. "The Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) pointed out that from 1990 to 2010 poverty in some countries of Latin America and the Caribbean increased.
Nevertheless, poverty dropped on average overall between 25 and 30 percent. The Venezuelan case has to be deeply analyzed because the South American nation reduced poverty by more than 50 percent through 2009", explained President Chavez.
"Poverty in Venezuela was above 60% when I won office in 1998", recalled Chavez. The ECLAC report, entitled Social Panorama of Latin American and the Caribbean, states on page 13 that in 2002 poverty in Venezuela reached 48.6 percent, while in 2008 it dropped to 27.6 percent, which represents a 43 percent decrease.
Extreme poverty was reduced from 25% to 7% during the past decade, a dramatic change. The reduction in poverty is a result of a number of strategies implemented by the Venezuelan government to fight against social exclusion by boosting social programs known as "missions", promoting the organization of community councils and nationalizing companies that pave the way for employment opportunities.
"It's not time to die, it's time to live and to keep fighting, because Venezuela reduced poverty by 50%, affirms Eclac we are on the path to the dignification of the liberation of our people", emphasized Chavez in light of the major social advances the country has made.
Social Investment
The most effective social programs in Venezuela have been in the areas of education, healthcare, job training and food subsidies that have aided the reduction in poverty. Medical attention is free and universal throughout Venezuela, with hundreds of new and advanced clinics built by the state during the past decade. Quality education is guaranteed at all levels, free even during university and post-graduate studies.
Thousands of new schools have been built by the Chavez administration along with hundreds of new accessible universities. Job and skills training programs have enabled thousands of Venezuelans not just to enter the work force but also to build their own cooperatives and small businesses, many receiving low-interest loans from the government. Subsidized supermarkets, known as Mercal, PDVAL and the Bicentennial Markets, have ensured access to affordable foods for all.
The Venezuelan government invests 60% of its annual budget in social programs to guarantee the well being and prosperity of its people. According to ECLAC, the
investment is paying off.


text:
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text:
The thrust of this post is putting names, and case histories, to the statistics of men killed by their partners. You can skip straight to that, below, if you wish (see the list of 78 names, here or below, or jump to the case histories). However, my motivation for addressing this topic is the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which, as I write, has just passed its 3rd reading in the House of Commons. More of that shortly. Here I attempt to shine a light on, not just the numbers, but the names and case histories of men's deaths at the hands of their partners.
In doing this I am acutely aware of apparently committing the same sin as those whom I criticise, namely identity politics. One goes wrong as soon as one speaks of "men" as an undifferentiated slab of people. The male MPs who vote in favour of the Istanbul Convention are hardly to be identified with the dead men discussed below. The correct perspective on these matters is to refer only to "people". But what is one to do when attempting to redress the gross imbalance which now exists? Let me emphasise, then, that the concentration on male victimisation herein is not intended to hide or minimise female victimisation. But the latter is already very well represented. And no one is attempting to gain political leverage by denying it.
The bald statistics of men's deaths through partner violence are met with incredulity in some quarters, almost as if there were no real dead humans behind the numbers. And if one presses the point, there are knee-jerk responses at the ready, the first of which might be, "ah, but these are gay couples, aren't they" – anything to avoid the implication that a woman might be the killer. No, the overwhelming majority of male deaths at the hands of a partner or ex-partner relate to women killers. The next excuse will probably be, "but the poor woman was finally hitting back after years of one-way abuse by her partner". Well, maybe. It happens. But those cases are also a very small fraction of the total. This is demonstrated by the case histories I have gathered together. The overwhelming majority of men's deaths due to partner violence relate either to mutually warring couples or other situations in which culpability cannot merely be re-assigned wholesale to the victim. And there are certainly many cases in which the man has endured severe violence at the hands of his female partner for years prior to eventually being killed. Examples of such cases are reviewed explicitly below. But first, some context…
Ratification of the Istanbul Convention
If you are not acquainted with the Istanbul Convention, you might like a short detour here or here.
Today, Friday 24th February 2017, the Bill to Ratify the Istanbul Convention came before parliament for its third, and final, reading within the House of Commons. On the previous Wednesday the Prime Minister, Theresa May, reiterated the government's support for the Bill (rather unusual for a Private Members Bill, I believe). Mrs May made reference to her strong support for initiatives to protect women from violence, citing her record as Home Secretary. Well, I can vouch for the truth of that. As Home Secretary she ushered in the 'coercive control' enhancement of domestic violence legislation following a process which put the "con" in "consultation".
On Wednesday the Prime Minister reminded us of the statistics regarding domestic violence and sexual assaults against women. She was quoting the CSEW data, though she did not say so – and of course she made no reference to domestic violence against men. She is, after all, the woman who was happy to be photographed wearing the infamous "this is what a feminist looks like" T-shirt. In that she differs little from the rest of parliament.
One MP even stood up, and, in a pointed reference to Philip Davies, said he hoped that no member would (I paraphrase) attempt wrecking amendments to talk the Bill out. Reliably, Mr Davies did indeed do his level best with a 91 minute speech – and apparently he was not the only Conservative backbencher to table amendments. Nevertheless, the Bill passed its 3rd reading by 138 votes to 1 – predictably.
The Bill now moves on to the House of Lords for further consideration.
On International Men's Day, Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, SNP MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, declared, "I am very proud of the SNP's women's representation, which increased from one to 20 in last year's elections; we are 36% women but 100% feminists on these Benches". Not surprisingly, then, when the SNP's Dr Eilidh Whiteford, who presented the Bill, thanked those who have helped get the bill to this point, there was cheering and applause from the SNP benches.
Ah, women adherents of a feminist ideology promoting a Bill for the protection of women and girls only – who could possibly think there was anything sexist in that?
Not "film star" Emma Watson, who supported the bill.
And not the 138 out of 139 MPs of both sexes who voted in favour of it. When the issue of domestic violence against men was raised, it was met with the usual response: that domestic violence is overwhelmingly against female victims – let us not forget that, we were instructed. The survey evidence that one in three victims of DV is a man, and the evidence of the body count that one in five partner deaths is a man, somehow gets forgotten whenever this claim is made. But, more fundamentally, the numbers are not the issue – it is the empathy gap which is the issue. Is anyone claiming that domestic violence against Jews is unimportant, because such cases are only a very small proportion of the total? Of course not, because that would be hateful and immoral.
The Women's Equality Party (WEP) Campaign
Many have argued that ratifying the Istanbul Convention is no big deal because the UK already has virtually all the required provisions in place. But if this were so, why have the women's groups been lobbying so hard for its ratification? Here are some of the things the WEP web site states,
The Istanbul Convention helps guarantee that vital services don't disappear. This infrastructure will allow women to thrive, rather than fight to survive.
Ah, poor women in the UK, fighting to survive. Homeless women may fight to survive, yes – but not Emma Watson or the officers of WEP, I think. The UK is not Syria. But it's the first sentence of the quote which matters – it's about money. The Bill will create a legal obligation for the UK government to fund organisations whose services are geared to the support of women and girls. No one knows what the cost of this obligation will be. But we know which ideology will be strengthened by the injection of yet more cash. WEP also write,
When a government ratifies the Convention, they are legally bound to follow it. So, if the UK Government ratified the Istanbul Convention, it will have to take all necessary steps set out to prevent violence, protect women and prosecute perpetrators. The UK Government will also have to ensure that there is sufficient monitoring of violence against women.
Bit sloppy, that. They mean "monitoring violence against women and girls". From which you can conclude that monitoring violence against men is not important – well obviously – but also, and this is what should perturb even feminists, for God's sake, violence against boys is equally unimportant.
This quote refers to the WEP's "three Ps": prevent, protect & prosecute. It refers exclusively to the protection of women and girls from men and boys, by preventing the violence of men and boys, and prosecuting men and boys. Got a problem with that? You need re-educating, my friend. Have no fear, there's provision for that under the auspices of the Convention.
Here's one of the many things that our legislature has just voted for,
"Parties shall take the necessary measures to promote programmes and activities for the empowerment of women."
Does that say "equal empowerment of men and women"? No, it does not. If – or, rather, when – the Bill is ratified, this will be the law. What does it mean? It will mean whatever the dominant lobby says it means.
Amongst many other things, one strategy, once the Convention is ratified, will be to use it as a lever to implement compulsory Sex & Relationship Education (SRE) in schools under a syllabus which the women's lobby will have been given carte blanche to define. Indeed, the Convention requires such 'education' – and not just in schools and universities. The current approach to SRE emphasises the vulnerability of girls, and the threat to them posed by boys. It promotes a negative view of males (entirely consistent with the demo photograph which heads this post). Once the Istanbul Convention is ratified, this profoundly sex-biased approach will deepen further, despite the concerns now being expressed by more male-friendly voices.
WEP's Misleading Partner Death Data
The WEP web site, under the Istanbul Convention, includes the following statistics,
This legislation is needed because on average two women in England and Wales are killed every week by a current or former male partner
The UK government signed a commitment to seeing through the Convention five years ago, but the government has failed to honour its promise. In that time, 616 women have lost their lives to gender-based violence.
Both these statements are incorrect. The latest published ONS data on partner homicides are given in Table 1 for the last five published years.
If you like round numbers, then it is, in fact, fairly accurate to say that two people in England and Wales are killed every week by a current or former partner. However, they are not all female. Every 17 days, of the five victims of partner homicide, one will be a man killed by his female partner.
This transmogrification of male victims into female victims is familiar to anyone following the CPS's VAWG reporting approach. Here it is common practice to interpret VAWG, ostensibly violence against women and girls, as "a category of crime", but not as a category of victim, as it literally appears to be. Complaints about this practice by a substantial body of people have thus far yielded only an inadequate response. The practice is deeply pernicious, and actually mendacious despite legalistic contortions to the contrary. It serves its adherents in two ways: it inflates the figures for (apparent) female victimisation, and it effectively hides male victimisation whilst permitting a disingenuous claim that male victimisation has been covered. Both these serve the interests of those wishing to reinforce a particular perspective on perceived disadvantage, which a wicked polemicist such as myself might regard as propaganda.
The WEP claim that 616 women have lost their lives to gender-based violence in the last five years suffers from the same gender conflation. The actual figure over 5 years for England and Wales, from Table 1, is 432 women – or 530 if you include men. I can only rationalise the WEP figure of 616 if the whole of the UK is included, and then only for male and female victims combined. Using Scottish homicide data from here and Northern Irish homicide statistics from here the number of partner / ex-partner killings in these two nations combined over the same five years as in Table 1 were 18 men and 56 women, so 74 in all. This brings the total partner killings over 5 years in the whole UK to 604 – close enough to the WEP figure – but this is again the total for male and female victims, contrary to the WEP claim.
Table 1 Partner/Ex-Partner Homicides (England and Wales)
Year (April to March) | Male victims | Female victims |
2010/11 | 20 | 98 |
2011/12 | 18 | 89 |
2012/13 | 16 | 78 |
2013/14 | 25 | 86 |
2014/15 | 19 | 81 |
Total over 5 years | 98 | 432 |
Average | 19.6 | 86.4 |
For the totality of homicides, men are both the majority of victims and the majority of killers. (Indeed, having immersed myself in homicide cases recently, one does not have to do a count to conclude that the majority of killers are men – it is very obvious. In England & Wales, 9% of killers are women, in Scotland the most recent figure is 14%. I could make other observations about the demographic of killers which is starkly obvious without requiring a count – but I'll leave that to the reader to explore).
Twice as many men are killed by homicide overall as women (averaged over the last five published years, there were 367 male victims of homicide per year in England and Wales and 182 female victims).
Whilst I would not wish to minimise the seriousness of domestic violence, the proper perspective on partner killings is that the numbers are small. Yes, every death is a tragedy, but nevertheless partner killings are the minority of homicides, and the number of homicides (530 in E&W) is small compared with the number of suicides (in 2013 in E&W there were 5,158 suicides, of which 78% were men or boys). So, the number of partner homicides is roughly 2% of the number of suicides.
And then there is the total number of deaths per year – which is prodigiously huge (just over half a million in E&W) because everyone dies eventually. But this would be a spurious comparison for that very reason. Of interest is the number of what may be termed 'premature' deaths, which might be defined as deaths before the mean longevity. Taking deaths before reaching 84 years old as a guide, the excess of male premature deaths over female premature deaths is about 37,000 men or boys per year in the UK. The top four reason, in this order, are: cardiovascular diseases, cancers, drug or alcohol abuse and suicide. Most of the excess male deaths, around 26,000, are due to the first two causes – physical health issues.
I am merely trying to put these issues in perspective. Whilst male suicide is now, finally, receiving some attention (if not actual funding), the bulk of the male excess deaths is ignored in favour of concentrating on women's health issues by the very organisation which should promote concern. And yet we are talking about a 37,000 death differential here, compared with the very modest numbers of deaths due to partner violence, an issue which receives a very great deal of attention – such as via the VAWG programmes and the Istanbul Convention.
The Invisible Dead Men Made Visible
Last International Women 's Day, the ever-popular Jess Phillips, MP, read out a list of names of women killed by their male partners. She was able to do so because the list and case histories of women killed by their partners is maintained by Women's Aid via a programme know as the Femicide Census, based on information collected by Karen Ingala Smith and recorded in her blog Counting Dead Women, and assisted by the likes of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Deloitte LLP. Well, you can hire expensive consultants if you have Women's Aid's income. I, on the other hand, have had to make do with what I can find by trawling the newspapers and media pages. So, embarrassingly, I cannot give you a complete list. But find below my best endeavours so far, incomplete though the list is. Here are the names of 78 men killed by their female partners in England, Wales or Scotland in recent years. Almost all the examples relate to the period 2011 to 2016. Summaries of the case histories of all 78 deaths can be found here.
- Alan Allan 34, Stabbed to death
- Jonathan Baines 44, Stabbed to death
- James Knight 26, Stabbed to death
- Jason Capper 45, Stabbed to death
- Jolyon Wray 46, Stabbed to death
- Tanveer Iqbal 33, Strangulation
- Karl Bloxham 39, Stabbed to death
- Shenol Erol Ali 32, Stabbed to death
- Mark Hopes 45, Beaten to death
- Stephen Burton 50, Stabbed to death
- Alexander Duncan 59, Stabbed to death
- Glyn Evans 58, Stabbed to death
- David Edwards 51, Stabbed to death
- Lee Gillespie 26, Stabbed to death
- Norasab Hussain 33, Stabbed to death
- Damon Searson 23, Stabbed to death
- Marc Hastings 43, Stabbed to death
- Phillip Nicholson 22, Stabbed to death
- Richard Brown 47, Stabbed to death
- Louis Spires 68, Suffocation
- David Butterworth 38, Stabbed to death
- Graham White 38, Beaten to death
- Norman Bruce 64, Stamped to death
- Peter Hedley 49, Beaten to death
- Kyle Farrell 21, Stabbed to death
- Robert Dobinson 33, Stabbed to death
- Thomas Groome 54, Blunt instrument
- Mark Cannon 44, Stabbed to death
- Ashley Meadowcroft 18, Stabbed to death
- Jamie Belshaw 36, Stabbed to death
- Alan Easton, Stabbed to death
- Scott Blackwood 30, Tortured to death
- John Fletcher 53, Stabbed to death
- Leonard Pollen 58, Pills & wrist slashing
- Geraint Hughes 60, Stabbed to death
- Geoffrey Carter 58, Fire/smoke inhalation
- Majid Khan 15 and Anum Khan 8, Arson (siblings of intended target Amjad Khan)
- Scott Dunne, Stabbed to death
- Peter Davegun 42, Beaten to death
- Barry Wilkins 71, Stabbed to death
- Czeslaw Zawadzki 58, Stabbed to death
- Martin Ackroyd 50, Suffocated and strangled
- Richard Sherratt 57, Battered to death
- Darren Orrett 32, Stabbed to death
- Peter McMahon 68, Beaten to death
- Nusrat Begum 36, Fire (intended victim was Dawood Hussain)
- Lukasz Slaboszewski 31 Stabbed to death
- Kevin Lee 48, Stabbed to death (she also killed non-partner John Chapman)
- Michael Kerr 30, Stabbed to death
- John Sampford 83, Strangling
- Michael Moss 48, Beaten to death
- Gareth Matthews 32, Stabbed to death
- Piotr Rafacz, Stamped to death
- Don Banfield 63, Unknown method
- Lionel Morl 49, Beaten to death
- Winston Fernandez 69, Beaten to death
- Sean Martin 21, Stabbed to death
- Alan Kopp 30, Stabbed to death
- James Dornan 33, "Glassed"
- John Whyte 50, Stabbed to death
- Edward Miller 20, Stabbed to death
- Colin Ballinger 66, Suffocated
- Ian Graham 51, Stabbed to death
- Alan Clinch 48, Stabbed to death
- Darren Dempsey 37, Stabbed to death
- Karl Jones 37, Blunt force beating
- Kevin Carter 30, Stabbed to death
- Paul Norfolk 77, Beaten with hammer
- Shaun Corey 42, Strangled / suffocated
- Carlos Vilela 45, Burnt alive (also crippling injuries to his daughters)
- Arunas Ramanauskas, Stabbed to death
- Martin Rusling 44, Stabbed to death
- Alan Meeking 49, Car crash
- David Twigg, Fire/smoke inhalation
- Kenneth Quy
- Carl Everson,41, Stabbing/stamping
- Andrew Oates 44, Hit with hammer
- Lakhvinder Cheema 39, Poisoning
In addition, here are 8 cases of attempted murder by a female partner, where the man was lucky to survive,
- Douglas Patrick 70, Survived poisoning
- Alexander Cameron, Survived stabbing
- Leng Hie Tiong 38, Survived stabbing
- Unnamed ex-husband, Survived stabbing
- Richard O'Rourke, Survived stabbing
- Stephen Watt 52, Survived stabbing
- Andrew Lyle, 47, Survived being drugged, doused in petrol and set alight
- Carl Gallagher, Contract killing went wrong
And finally, four cases of lesbian killers, or would-be killers,
- Wendy Thorpe 42, battered to death by lesbian lover Tracy Ashfield
- Lisa Ann Quigley 30, stabbed to death by lesbian lover Shazia Johnston
- Leng Hie Tiong 38, survived stabbing by lesbian lover Chooi Cheung
- Another lesbian killer was Alix Wilson, but it was not her partner she killed, rather she killed on behalf of her partner
All the above are addressed in the case histories.
Example Case Histories
Very brief case histories, and source links, for all the above cases can be found here. In the following sections I reprise a few of particular interest.
Alexander Duncan killed by Seka Richie
Seka Ritchie, 32, was convicted of the murder of Alexander Duncan in 2016. The remarkable aspect of this case is that Seka had previously been jailed for 12 months for stabbing Duncan in 2003. He didn't seem to have any hard feelings towards her. He just said she was 'a silly lassie' for doing it. One can only regard Duncan as the silly one, especially as Seka Ritchie had been accused of four other assaults in Edinburgh between 2010-2013. She is one very violent woman. She proceeded to stab him again, this time to death, and no one really knows why.
David Edwards killed by Sharon Edwards
Sharon Edwards, 42, was convicted of the murder of her husband David Edwards. She stabbed him in the heart at their home after he lost his job. They had married only two months earlier in Las Vegas. She had beaten her husband throughout their relationship. Mr Edwards was on record as saying his new wife could "knock him out with one punch" and that she hit "rather hard". She was described by others as "domineering" and "very jealous". Mr Edwards, a criminal lawyer, was said to have been under the thumb.
Douglas Patrick killed by Jacqueline Patrick
Jacqueline Patrick, 54, was convicted of attempted murder of her husband. She put anti-freeze in his cherry Lambrini Christmas Day drink. Their daughter Katherine, 21, had encouraged her mother to spike the drink. When ambulance staff arrived, Jacqueline Patrick handed them a fake "do not resuscitate" note. A spelling mistake on the note, replicated by Jacqueline Patrick in a police test, confirmed she had written it. Mr Patrick spent several days in an induced coma before having to learn to walk and talk again during a year of rehabilitation. He had already survived an earlier attempt by his wife to kill him the previous October. Despite all this, Mr Patrick told the court he had not wanted to pursue a case against his wife and daughter and did not want to see them put in prison. In a statement he said: "I will never get over it. It broke me. I'm just a shell now. This was a person I was married to for over 25 years. A person I loved and love." Codependency, anyone?
Louis Spires killed by Lynn Stallard
Lynn Stallard, 67, was convicted of the murder of Louis Spires, her partner. She smothered him with a pillow. Spires was disabled. The court heard Stallard had snapped after a fight and put a pillow over his head and sat on him. The couple had a volatile relationship for 18 years. Stallard had a previous conviction in 1988 for unlawfully wounding a previous partner. She had also received a police caution following an incident in which she struck Mr Spires with a poker, causing a burn and bruising.
Peter Hedley killed by Clare Humble
Clare Humble, 50, was convicted of the murder of Peter Hedley 49. She beat and stabbed him to death, tried to dispose of the body by burning but failed, and then buried him in Newburn Riverside Park with the help of a former boyfriend. Humble had previous for attacking her own elderly mother and a neighbour. The attack on her frail partner was extremely ferocious and grisly. Humble subjected vulnerable Peter Hedley to a sustained onslaught, smashing his face, stabbing him with broken crockery and causing horrific damage to his eye. The judge said, "This was a shocking trial and I don't say that word lightly. You were Mr Hedley's partner, you had been in a relationship with him for seven years and told the jury you and he saw each other as man and wife. Of all people, you knew how frail and vulnerable he was. He trusted you with his happiness and his life and you broke that trust. Only you know exactly what happened but it is clear from the expert evidence you attacked him brutally and over a long period. You punched and kicked him in the face, broke his cheekbone and ribs and left arm. You inflicted several cuts on his back with at least two broken pieces of bowl and possibly with a knife. You stabbed him several times with something sharp, you attacked his eye and maybe tried to gouge it out. You hit him with a heavy, round table top when he was already bleeding, at least three times. He must have suffered dreadfully before he lost consciousness. I am sure, after your initial attack, he would not have been able to resist you or defend himself." Humble was branded a "practised and fluent liar" who had launched a brutal and prolonged attack on Mr Hedley.
John Fletcher killed by Caroline Loweth
Caroline Loweth, 49, murdered her partner John Fletcher 53 at her flat, stabbing him with an 8 inch long chef's knife. She told the emergency services that he fell on the knife whilst peeling vegetables. She had a history of violence against John Fletcher who had made complaints before only to retract them and make up excuses for his injuries. The attack was the culmination of a considerable history of domestic violence. Loweth would regularly lose her temper and stab John. West Midlands Police said Mr Fletcher had made complaints against Loweth on several occasions only to retract them or give a false account about how he suffered injuries. Det Sgt Harry May said: "During this investigation it became quite clear that John Fletcher had suffered many extremely serious injuries at the hands of his partner. Fuelled by alcohol, Loweth would regularly lose her temper and stab John. In one of these attacks, John was stabbed through his bowel and had to undergo intensive surgery to save his life. The sad fact is that if he had followed through with these previous complaints he may still be alive." I cannot help but add that if the police, and society generally, were as alive to male victims of DV as they are to female victims, John Fletcher might also be.
Scott Dunne killed by Alexia Heckles
Alexia Heckles, 35, was convicted for the murder of her partner, Scott Dunne, father of her child and former boxer. She stabbed him to death after telling him she was going on holiday to Spain without him. She got drunk then knifed Scott Dunne in the heart in the ensuing row. Police found her to have Mr Dunne's blood spattered bank card hidden in her bra when they arrested her. Prior to the killing, neighbours said they heard so many rows through the paper thin walls, they became used to Heckles' 'loud angry voice for hour after hour'. A year earlier, Heckles had been arrested on suspicion of stabbing Mr Dunne in the neck with a smashed wine bottle. Although Mr Dunne told medical staff he had been attacked by his girlfriend, the case was dropped after he changed his story and said he had been injured when he was 'jumped' while walking home from a party late at night. Five months later Mr Dunne himself was arrested outside the flat after Heckles complained he had punched her several times in her bedroom. This case was also dropped after Heckles appeared to taunt Mr Dunne from the doorway of their flat as the officer took him away. He later told police: 'She thinks she is the victim. She loses the plot sometimes.' Heckles not only denied the murder but she refused to enter the dock to listen to the unanimous verdict being returned by the jury. The court later heard she had 41 previous convictions, and had served three jail terms for offences including, robbery, intimidating a witness, wounding and assault. Perhaps men should make more use of Clare's Law?
Don Banfield killed by one or both of Lynette Banfield and Shirley Banfield
Lynette Banfield, 41, and her retired tax inspector mother, 65 year old Shirley Banfield, were convicted of the murder of Don Banfield but their convictions were later quashed because the court could not tell which of the two had done the deed. Mr Banfield disappeared 11 years earlier. No body has ever been found. Prosecutors said that shortly before his disappearance, he had complained of "assaults" which, they argued, were indicative of failed murder attempts by both women. He had also expressed concerns that "they would kill him". The claim was that the two women killed Don Banfield, who had planned to start a new life without them, in order to get his retirement nest egg. Shirley Banfield was claimed to have enlisted the help of their daughter, Lynette, to dispose of bookmaker Don Banfield. Police never found a body, but the court heard how Lynette had written about disposing of a body in a creative writing notebook. In the book she described the smell of a corpse lingering in a car, and how glad she was when she scrapped it.
Edward Miller killed by Michelle Mills
Michelle Mills, 31, stabbed Edward Miller, 20, at least 24 times with such force that the handle of the knife broke away from the blade. Mills then waited 20 minutes before raising the alarm as her besotted partner lay dying on the living room floor of their cottage in the upmarket Leicestershire village of Scalford. The jury heard that minutes before the killing Mills had texted one of her 70 previous lovers and told him: 'I still love you and always have. I'm sorry xx.' In a second text she wrote: 'I wish I'd never let you go xx.' Moments later she took a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed Mr Miller to death as he sat drinking wine on their sofa. The jury heard that Mills was Eddie's first serious girlfriend. He was 18 when they met, to her 29. Yvonne Coen QC, prosecuting, said 'Michelle Mills was considerably older than her boyfriend and obviously had a good deal more life experience. She told police her 20-year-old boyfriend had been violent to her but the trial heard she had attacked previous partners. And Eddie had told his dad, Colin Miller, that Mills had previously pulled a knife on him. In fact she had previously attacked three other former boyfriends with a knife. Det Insp Lee Hill said: "Michelle Mills is a violent, self-centred and manipulative woman who was happy to portray herself as the victim of domestic violence at the hands of a number of her partners, including Eddie Miller." At Lincoln Crown Court today, judge Michael Heath passed a life sentence on Mills and described her as a 'manipulative woman' who had shown no signs of remorse.
Alan Clinch killed by Sandra Clinch
Four-times married Sandra Clinch stabbed her latest husband to death with a pair of dress-making scissors because he wouldn't help her clean the house. She lashed out after he told her to 'shut up'. Clinch was nicknamed The Hulk by neighbours because of her mood swings and violent temper, the court was told. They could hear her shouting and ranting at her husband at least once a week. Sandra was known to have a violent temper. Her family testified that she regularly lost her temper and attacked them, sometimes using household objects as weapons. Neighbours would often see and hear the couple arguing. A neighbour testified that 'About once a week I would hear very one-sided, heated rows. Only one voice was heard, the voice of Sandra.' He added that he closed his doors and windows because of the noise and the language used and described the defendant as 'aggressive and scary'. The court heard that Clinch had joined her husband working at Homebase and their manager Michael Radford, described an incident when he saw Clinch attack her husband in the car park. Lisa Townsend, who lived next door to the Clinch family, described American car enthusiast Mr Clinch as 'lovely, very helpful and hard-working', but said he had become withdrawn lately. Withdrawn, eh? Absolutely classic.
Wendy Thorpe killed by her lesbian lover Tracy Ashfield
Tracy Ashfield, 43, used a concrete swan to batter her lesbian lover, Wendy Thorpe, to death at the home they shared following a row over money. Fragments from the ornament found in the victim's body revealed the number of blows to have run into double figures. Ashfield then dragged her partner's body to the bottom of the garden and covered it with pieces of wood, carrier bags and other items. The couple had been together for about four years. Ashfield had previously been violent to Miss Thorpe – causing injuries such as a broken foot – but was never convicted because her partner dropped the charges. Yes indeed, that's what happens.
All male disadvantages are attributed by the feminists to "patriarchy hurts men too" and "toxic masculinity". We are now at the stage where these insupportable sexist ideas are openly promulgated in debates in parliament. But in what way did patriarchy or toxic masculinity cause the deaths of the above men – and sometimes women – at the hands of appallingly violent women?
In ratifying the Istanbul Convention our legislature will declare that the dead men listed above do not matter. Almost no one in parliament will demur. Yet the flagrant sexism of the Convention and its VAWG antecedents would be obvious to a six year old. The reason is ancient gynocentric bias, now raised to the status of political obligation. And fear. When there is virtual unanimous agreement to something which is clearly wrong, the reason is fear. And when fear grips our rulers, totalitarianism is already in place.
The objective of the Convention is not actually the reduction of violence against women. That is merely its hook line. Its purpose is to enhance the power of the feminist movement, both through funding and through the explicit sanction it will lend to their programme – including, and especially, the vilification of masculinity. This is why the deaths of men are an irrelevance. Because the deaths of women are also irrelevant. The WEPs three Ps are actually just one P – Power.


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Crafts & Corks Sundays 2pm-4pm Enjoy one of our craft classes taught by Lauren Merinar. Each month will feature a themed craft for you to create while sipping on your glass of wine. You must register in advance and space is limited. $30 per person which includes all your supplies and a glass of wine and lots of fun! Reservations required in advance.
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