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Very Basic
Index For Information
Note that we have been watching what search terms people use to get to this page directly and have set up this very basic index to help you find what you are looking for faster. Note also that while much of this information is general in nature it is specifically geared toward our product line. You will have to hit your "back" button to return to the top of the page.
|Basic Information on Shearlings
|Shearling Costs/Expense
|Care and Cleaning
|Chemical Free; Organic Tanned; ETC
|Independent Tanners
|Dyed/Dying Shearling
|Shepherd's Flock® Home
While you are searching the Web for just the right sheepskin product we would like you to keep just a few things in mind as you are comparing products and prices. A good product is made up of a lot of little finishing touches that are not always evident on your monitor screen. We believe we are just a little different of course and if you are actually here reading this we assume you are taking the time to do some real comparison shopping. We might as well promote ourselves a little.
We will start with some features you can see if you are looking closely at all the pictures on all the sites.
Our mittens use full panels, no center seams and no cuff seams, just a front, a back, and a thumb. The only time we add a cuff seam is when our customers want a different color cuff instead of the normal fold over style.
What you can't see is just as important. Virtually every seam is double stitched to help guard against accidental unraveling. Products are all hand cut with a furrier's knife, not a press, which creates a much nicer wool edge. We take the time and effort to avoid as many blemishes as humanly possible, again, a nicer looking product. And as simple as it may seem we have, for many years, posted a flat fee for resoling our shearling bottomed slippers. The leather in the uppers is the expensive part. Why should you throw them out if the upper is still strong?
One last note. Aside from sundry items like the crepe soles, everything is 100% real shearling. So, when you are comparing items, be sure to ask if the entire product is the real thing, especially in footwear. Even that big fancy sheepskin boot firm does not use 100% shearling in their footwear. You have a right to know how much of the product is shearling and how much is not. And, while you are at it, ask where the items are made. Except for the gloves we offer over the Internet, sheepskin rugs, and steering wheel covers, all of our products are made right here in Vermont (USA) from US and/or imported lambskins.
So, we may lose big time on the convenience
side of the game (see ordering information) but that
is because we still like doing business in the slow lane. We
don't want to be a
"factory" and have to worry about
firing people or laying them off when business is slow or when we
decide to send production overseas. So, whatever item(s) you order, that item is cut, sewn, packed,
and shipped by one of two people (who also have to answer the
phone and the email, maintain the website, try to stay as high
on Google as humanly possible, do the accounting,
etc.). Next day delivery, hah!
Contact us with additional questions.
The following are the most frequently asked questions we have
heard both at the shows and festivals we attend and over the Internet. Some are
much more apt to come up when we are dealing in person with people but every
question and every answer on this page has been repeated hundreds, if not
thousands, of times over the years.
What is shearling?
The very basic
answer to that question is the skin of a sheep or lamb that has been
tanned with the wool left on the hide.
County Fur Products
Promised land Tanning
228 Cameron Lake Loop Rd.
Okanogan, WA 98840
Rocky Mountain
5965 S. Broadway
Englewood, CO 80113
Vermont Natural Sheepskins
12 Prince St., Suite 2C
Randolph, VT 05060
Stern Tanning Company
PO Box 55
Sheboygan Falls, WI 53085
As stated, Rick
served as chief dyer in his days at the Lawrence Tannery. Dying
properly is a special process that requires two different dyes,
one for the leather and one for the wool. (This may have
changed. We will see where technology is now and post an
update if/when we find out differently.) These are both done in a hot water bath with chemical
dyes which is
necessary to "fix" the dyes properly. If you purchase an
expensive shearling product (working on the base value of our
own products which we do consider expensive) the last thing you want is
for the dye to transfer when it gets a bit wet or, if you take
it to the dry cleaner, have the color vanish. So, no, we do not
do any dying here. It would not be practical or permanent.
The second one is a much broader question, one we are actually happy to answer for everyone as it comes up a great deal with our first time customers. Note that we will be "countering" claims from some of the larger retail firms as we do check on what they are posting.
With the exception of the white we use for Ear Muffs, any style, and the long wool white we use for the Foot muff , The Hand Muff, and the trim on the Shaggy Brim Hats, everything we use has been dyed to some extent.
When speaking specifically about shearlings, though it applies to many other leathers as well, modern tannage produces a white leather and a white wool (unless there is natural coloration in the wool or staining from a variety of normal sources). The majority of skins are chrome tanned (second entry in the list of definitions) which actually gives them a blue tint when they are fresh out of tan and wet. Thus the leather term, "wet blue". But, when they are dried they are pure white.
The term "natural", when used to refer to the leather is a product of older, often vegetable, tanning methods which created a tan or brown color in the course of tanning. This leather color is not dyed. The wool is often "tinted" during processing because the tan extract does impact the wool color and the tanneries add the tint to make wool color more consistent. In general, vegetable tanned sheepskin is much less likely to be available on the market in finished consumer goods.
One specific note about wool coloration. In many cases wool is dyed or tinted a solid color or left in its natural color. There as also a process known as "tip dying" which produces a two color effect on the wool side of a skin. The "Tonka" color we use for our products is an example. When a skin is tip dyed the wool is either left its natural color or dyed a solid color first. The wool is straightened and combed and then the skins are sent through a large spray machine that sprays a fine mist of another color wool dye that settles only on the tips of the wool. We have used skins with a wide variety of color combinations over the years and, with modern methods, the dye can be stripped off of a dark color base leaving a silvery/white tip which is very striking. Contrary to some information we have seen posted, the basic reason for tip dying was to simulate the appearance of certain fur skins. When originally introduced, AC Lawrence produced three basic colors of tip dyed skins called Stone Martin, Ranch Mink, and Opossum. After a few years and most likely due to confusion in the market, the colors became known as Stoney, Ranch, and Possum. However, the use of tip dying exploded and many combinations were/are produced solely because it is attractive. As a side note, the color that many, many retailers refer to as "natural color sheepskin" is actually known as "Stoney" in the trade. In 2011, we noted that one very large retailer was not only referring to it as "natural", they were also claiming it was undyed. Untrue, very untrue (shaking head).
So, we don't care what people tell you, if you are purchasing shearling from anyone, unless it is white it has most likely been dyed.
The same holds true for the wool. Yes, there are natural colored breeds. In many cases the wool on these skins is dyed dark brown or black to cover the natural coloration or they are left in their natural state and sold as rugs. The term "natural" when it comes to just wool coloration is normally a reference to wool that has been tinted during the processing so that lanolin staining is not noticeable, a creamy color. When it comes to wool, "natural" to us means white with the possibility of some slightly visible creamy coloration. (Primarily visible in the products that use the long wool shearlings.)
Why is shearling so expensive? (Frequently used search term.)
Sheepskins are a global commodity, just like oil.
However, they are also a by product of the meat industry so
supply can be limited by a variety of factors. When the demand
is high the price goes up especially when supplies are low (like
during the hoof and mouth outbreak in the
UK in 2001)
and demand in the beginning of this decade was been driven by the good marketing folks at UGG
Australia® and, of course, the
people buying their boots as well as the cheap knock off ones. This helps to
explain why our skin prices rose 30% to 60% between the spring
of 2010 and the spring of 2012. To put it in the words of Decker's Corp. (parent
company of UGG Australia®), "........as
the result primarily of higher raw material cost namely
sheepskin, which are up approximately 40% over 2011 levels and
up approximately 80% versus 2010....."* But while
their stock went down, we just kept on truckin' and
producing basic items that are meant not to be fashionable but
to do a job and not end up in the closet when the next big thing
* Transcript Q4 2011 Deckers Earnings call. We are not nor do we want to be associated with Deckers Corp or UGG Austrailia® in any manner. This quote just underscores the reality of the market place.
Skin prices are relatively cyclical with fashion being the main driving force. We have seen many price spikes in our short history. However, ovine skins are unique in that the demand can come from the shearling side of the industry or the skin only side. Shearling prices can rise even if there is no demand as long as there is a demand for "de-haired" lambskins in particular. Straight lambskin is used for very fine garments. We have also seen instances where we simply could not get supplied from the tanneries because supply was so tight. We have posted a chart of sheepskin cost trends covering our 40+ years so you can see how volatile the market can be.
Prices for tanned and finished skins have stabilized for now which is a good thing after having to our raise prices substantially twice a year for a couple of years while still absorbing some of those massive increases. However, and few will ever know this, even Decker's Corp is now using a "sheepskin substitute" in their UGG® sheepskin products. To quote The Motley Fool, "To hedge itself against volatile sheepskin prices, the company introduced the UGGPure boot, a proprietary process using wool attached to a backing, which the company thinks has a promising future." (Three Cold-Weather Retailers to Warm Your Investing Returns, 12/21/2013) If you don't believe that one, surely you can believe Reuters, 10/24/2013. We remain 100% shearling in all products, no substitutes. Check the "details" section on anything you are looking at "on-line".
Do you use Australian sheepskins; they are supposed to be the best?
Okay, not to annoy our Australian
counterparts, but why not New Zealand skins? Every sheep grower
we know wants to visit New Zealand now or in another lifetime.
That is on the "bucket list" for so many of the small growers we
have come to know and love. We think the NZ folks are getting
shafted here.
Marketing, our dear customers/potential customers, plain old marketing, is why Australian skins are understood to be the best and, in many cases, the retailer is doing slight of hand/redirect because the skins may be Australian but they are tanned in China and the consumer item is made in China although Vietnam is becoming a popular country for footwear production now as well.
We are going to be non committal here and attempt to give you
the facts and let you decide and, no, we really do not want to
do anything to damage the reputation of any real
Australian tanner or consumer goods producer. Likewise the NZ
folks. We are all in this together.
Skins from Australia and/or New Zealand tend to be a bit more breed specific than our US skins. Yes, the denseness of the wool on the skin will likely be more consistent than found in domestic sheepskins and, the wool, in general, does tend to be denser.
Domestic skins are a wide variety of breeds/wool types but it is important to understand that it is all wool. At times we have worked with sheepskins that have such a silky wool people have actually accused us of sending them rabbit (honest). But, we produce the best possible product we can and every skin we work with is different from another. We try to cut the skin based on the most appropriate use. That is what we do here, one skin, one product at a time.
In fact, this question is one that has been produced by the current retail market. No one ever asked us this when we started in business. Per an earlier segment, sheepskins are a global commodity. This makes it difficult to ascertain exactly where the skin comes from. The mega retailers who sell you something from sheepskin cannot absolutely guarantee where the skins they use originated. They don't really care, either. Again, out of respect for our overseas counterparts, we do recognize their claims to be 100% Australian or NZ in nature. But we have our doubts about the mass market claims. US sheepskins are much sought after because of their size, especially with the boot makers. This would indicate that there is a high probability that what you may purchase is actually produced from a US origin sheepskin regardless of the claims being made. (We are going to pat ourselves on the back here. After we posted this little piece of information, years ago, Decker's Corp actually started admitting that they were not making UGG® labeled products from 100% Australian sheepskins and that they were also using skins from Europe and the USA. Chuckle)
Aside from the specialty and easily noticed skins mentioned below, we would also caution you regarding other claims that some firms make. "We use just Merino sheepskin" is a claim that can rarely be backed up though you will find it used to describe slippers and other products offered by many retail establishments. This claim gets even more specific than the country of origin claims and the more specific one gets in origin/breed information claims the less likely it is true. It is also important to note that, in recent discussions with a source in Australia, we have learned there is much more cross breeding happening in the Australian sheep industry so the 100% Merino claim is becoming more and more questionable.
We must add that there are numerous specialty types of lambskin
that still fall under the leather/shearling category. Most are
not really suitable to slipper/boot production but make
wonderful mittens, hats, coats, gloves, trim, etc. Some of
those, but certainly not all are, "Icelandic", "Spanish Merino",
"Toscana", "Tibetan", and "Slink". The prices for items made
from these skins will generally be much higher than products
made from what one would consider standard shearlings.
As for our products, specifically, the only items that may be from Australian origin sheepskins would be seat belt covers, special ear muffs, or insoles. The long wool, natural white skins are also from Australian or New Zealand skins. We do, on occasion, use some non-US shearlings in other items when we are sampling from a new source of supply but these products will only be available at direct retail situations.
Do your sheepskins have lanolin in the wool?
This question has bothered us for
a very long while. It never came up before mass marketing via
the Internet. One could also say mass "copying". Everyone copies
what they see on someone else's site factual or otherwise (and
we have seen our notes copied word for word on other sites
without appropriate footnotes).
But, despite all attempts to get scientific evidence to support
the claims regarding lanolin in sheepskin/shearling, we are left
with no answers from chemists and those are the only answers
that we can trust.
That being said we are going to give the public our opinion. This is opinion based on hands on experience in the actual processing/tanning itself as well as the time spent "table cutting" our products.
We do not believe this is a valid claim. In brief, the very
first thing to happen after the skins are sorted and trimmed is
they are put into what is known as "first wash". We speak only
of shearling skins but expect it is a universal process in all
leathers. First wash is a 24 hour bath in very hot water and
detergents that must be handled with heavy protective gloves and
a face shield. The purpose is to remove as much foreign matter
and grease as possible before the tanning process begins.
Foreign matter of any kind may/will interfere with tanning.
Because of this process it is unlikely that there is enough
lanolin left to be of any consequence even at the very beginning of
the cycle.
Further down the processing chain the skins will go through a dry cleaning process to absolutely remove any leftover grease and/or foreign material. Any reputable tanner will complete this prior to dying the skins. Note that some believe that first wash alone will be enough and do not do this process. Again, we do not believe that anything other than trace amounts of lanolin would be left after this process, especially after first wash is completed. Between first wash and dry cleaning the skins are subjected to a variety of acids during the tanning process which we would assume would further break down/remove any "natural" lanolin.
At the end of the tanning process and at the end of dying a substance called fatliquor is added in which lanolin may be added. However, the fatliquor is primarily to lubricate the leather fibers and we have found no references to the introduction of lanolin during this phase of shearling production.
If the claims about lanolin are true it should be evident at the
cutting table since we hand cut everything which requires a
great deal of contact with the wool. During the winter season,
when we are working many skins a day, our hands dry out to a
great extent. This would be considered normal because of the
moisture wicking abilities of wool. This is why sheepskin
slippers are better than synthetics and plain leather slippers.
The wool takes the moisture away from your feet and the air
circulation helps them stay comfortable in all temperature
extremes. However, if there really was a reasonable amount of
lanolin in the wool the opposite should be true and we should
feel as though we had put lotion on our hands at the end of a
long day.
Again, this is our opinion and we are open to comments/corrections from anyone with a degree and experience in tan chemistry as it relates to shearlings. Note, we have seen so much misinformation on the Internet we only accept a degree and, yes, we actually do have to contacts to check you out. If you are real sure of your position, post "counter intelligence" on our FB wall so all can see it.
As a side note, if you put your hand into a sheepskin product and the wool or the leather feels really greasy, do not buy it. It is probably real grease and the skin has not been tanned properly. You will know what we mean if you do a little comparison shopping the old fashioned way. Ran into that with some seat belt covers Walmart* was selling some time back. (Come on, of course we check them out! We check everybody out.) If one squeezed the leather hard the grease would run down your fingers.
* Not really sure, at this point, what the true name of the corp is but we are covering our rear ends here. They own the trademark, if there is one, we don't. Not ashamed to say that. Besides, we are just making an assumption here. Our attorney told us to always include the registered mark when doing anything for public consumption yet Walmart does not. Hmm, open season on their "trade name" ??
Are sheep killed in order to obtain their skins?
We have pretty
much explained where the skins come from and we would leave
this alone except for all the UGG Australia®* boot lovers who seem to think
that uggs (generic term) are made of shorn wool like that beautiful sweater
your Grandma knitted for you.
We also know some groups out there are real busy spreading alternative facts but, here is the real story.
Fact, sheep are raised primarily for food. Fact, sheepskins/shearlings are a by-product of the food/meat industry. Any true leather is animal skin. For years pig skins were tossed in the dumps until someone figured out a way to turn them into a real fine leather. Anyone who knows that some fish skins are tanned, please raise your hand.
Fact, ugg type sheepskin boots, any make or brand, are not simply wool sheared from the sheep no matter what people believe. The skins we use are not like Mink, raised only for the value of the skin. To the best of our knowledge, only Persian Lamb or Broadtail Lamb is a "fur" (raised for the value of the skin) and we do not use either. Mickey D's anyone??
Chemical Free; Organic Tanned; Etc; Sheepskins
Contact us with additional questions.
Why don't you have on-line ordering? (Most often asked question and complaint.)
Easy, to help us maintain a better level of service to our customers.
We are T-I-N-Y compared to that mass of retailers out there so we can
only handle a certain amount of business from our web site. We
don't have massive statistics to share with you as hundreds of people a
day is nothing. But, if even 1% of the
people who visited did a "point and click" on an item we would
be in big trouble. By keeping ordering just a bit more difficult, (like
picking up the phone is a struggle) we are more confident that we will
be able to continue to fill our (your) orders and deliver as we promised.
As an example, during the holiday season of 2005, at one point, we booked
three days worth of work over one two hour period and that was over the
phone. We honestly could not handle the volume that might come in
through point and click once the weather starts to cool down.
|FedEx (OUR COST)
|Less than 1 pound, ground
|Less than 2 pounds, ground
Priority Mail, 2 to 3
day delivery, USA addresses.
|Less than 2 pounds, 3 day
|Less than two pounds, 2 day
Better still, if we ship a less than one pound box (ear muffs) 10 miles down the road, UPS would charge $13.43 and FedEx Ground would charge $12.95. Just thought you should have all the facts in front of you before you request an alternate shipping method. If the "big guys" had their way, they would eliminate all USPS parcel delivery so they could charge even more. (Except for the fact that they could no longer rely on the USPS for "last mile" delivery and save themselves a fortune.)
A bit more for your information so you can see how "stacked charges" work. You can also see what happened when both FedEx (ground) and UPS decided to charge based on box size instead of actual weight on smaller boxes at the beginning of 2015.
Understand why we ship via USPS now?
We have had customers ask who signed for a package when it ends up missing in some business or apartment building. Well, no one actually gets a signature any more unless one pays extra. So, to have a signature at the end of the line, UPS charges $4.75 and FedEx charges $4.75. If you want to go the signature route, our charge will be $3.50 to do that.
Sorry, no. In most cases, skins that have been tanned by the companies mentioned previously are not skins that we could effectively turn into products. It has to do with the fine sewing machines we work with, the thickness of the resulting leather, and the fact that most of them have too much wool on the skin to make a reasonable product from. In addition, and this is no small matter, if we cut into a skin that you own and make a mistake, we would be obligated to you for the value of that skin. If we cut into a skin that we own and make a mistake, we can recoup some of the costs by turning it into smaller product. We cannot do that with your skin(s) and, regardless of the "releases" we might transmit beforehand, we are good people who hold our customers/visitors in the highest of esteem and really try to "do right" by them. So, the answer is absolute, we will not work with skins that you provide. Better to make you unhappy now than, possibly, later.
Custom Work?
Relative to the question about duplicating items, no, we do not. Technically we can do a lot. From a practical standpoint (that making a living thing) we would have to charge a amount relative to what we are not earning by producing our normal product line. You would not be pleased with the honest cost of the item. We do do special needs work, within reason, like footwear alteration, as well as special covers for belts, chair arms, etc. Now if Warren Buffett or Bill Gates wish to underwrite an entire year of our "take home pay" and then publicize how wonderful we are at what we do, we might take them up on it and do something "custom" for them.
Ugg (type) Boots?
We are often asked if we do u-g-g boots. In one answer, no. In the first place we do not believe that sheepskin is a durable enough leather for constant outdoor wear. Sure, if you have a closet full of UGG® boots and only wear a pair when the color matches your outfit, they will last. However, in our own trials, we get no more than a year to a year and a half out of outdoor only use items. Of course, that is constant outdoor use, four seasons worth, and in all the slop that you can imagine here in VT during the winter and the spring in particular. In addition, why would we develop an entire line of products that could result in litigation with a big and powerful US corporation if we happen to slip up in our wording of our offerings? Like, even if we could win, we could not afford the fight.
As weird as it may seem, since ugg boots are a relatively new marketing endeavor, (based on our longevity in this business) you will find a serious wealth of information on Wikipedia. Okay, it is rare that we would ever refer anyone there but, from what we have researched on our own, the section seems pretty darn accurate. We are not going to rehash everything that is there, just concentrate on a few points that the general public is rarely introduced to though, if you are really interested, we suggest you go read what is on Wikipedia.
We, in the USA, all know about L.L. Bean's® "Wicked Good® Slippers", right? "Wicked Good®" is a registered trademark but it stops before the word "slippers". (They really should not have been able to register "Wicked Good" to be honest.) Suppose L.L.Bean® had been able to register the entire phrase "Wicked Good Slippers" and then decided to send out a cease and desist letter to anyone who used the word "slippers" in their product description including little old Shepherd's Flock®. Would you approve of such tactics?
This is essentially what happened when Deckers Outdoor Corporation bought the "trademark" from Brian Smith (who was, himself, nothing more than an importer, mind you). All of a sudden, what was a generic term for a particular type of sheepskin footwear was "registered" worldwide and no longer available for use by ALL those firms, large and small, who had been making them for many years (since the 1950's by most accounts but earlier by others). Deckers went forth with a scorched earth policy and trampled on anyone and everyone who was making and/or marketing a product called an "ugg boot".
While the original owner/owners of "UGG®" in the USA were not actually manufacturing anything, they were importing their goods from the home of the ugg boot, Australia, and benefiting many people in Australia by doing so. To the best of what we have been able to ascertain with our research, the original principals of the UGG® trademark here in the USA never seriously interfered with the global marketing of ugg boots that were produced in Australia or other countries and not sold by their firm. They may have not told the whole truth when they registered the trademark, but they were not as uggly in their approach to the world wide marketing of similar footwear.
This is actually extremely important as our research has shown that the sheepskin industry in Australia took a much different path from the industry in the USA and Europe. In the USA and Europe, in our beginning days, the primary market for sueded sheepskins was the garment industry, not the footwear industry. Australia's tanning sector developed largely to support the production of ugg boots. That shows how significant the boots were to the Australian market.
By the time Deckers purchased the "UGG®" brand, a large number of people were employed in the manufacturing of boots in both Australia and elsewhere and that included those who made the boots for the original company/importers here in the USA. Deckers pulled the manufacturing of the boots and sent it to China though we have been unable to ascertain if they did maintain production in Australia for a short time or actually went straight to China. So, not only did they assault all those independent businesses that had developed a market for their product, much like ourselves and our products, they pulled the contracts from firms who were making boots for the original company. Bingo, destruction of a good and stable industry. One of the results, a significant one, can now be found here.
The Australians did fight back, much to their credit and their expense, and managed to convince the folks in charge there that ugg was a generic term, much like slippers, and was, therefore, not able to be trademarked. That was/is only in Australia and it had no bearing on the rest of the world. The Wall Street Journal (2010) of all places had a nice article about the fight but that has since disappeared. There is currently a new battle being waged and the beginning info on that is here.
We fully understand UGG Australia's® anti counterfeiting campaign and support that on some level. The primary support from us is that, yes indeed, now that they have put millions of dollars into marketing, two bit firms in China are cranking out UGG® Boots like crazy and the ethics of those firms leave a lot to be desired. If you see "cheap" UGG® boots on the market, any market, there is a lot of blood money involved, animal and human. Take our word for it, you can't make "cheap" ugg boots with an ethical supply chain even though Deckers's profit margin is a bit on the high side (our personal opinion).
But, we are sick and tired of people commenting that we are selling "fake" UGGS® simply because we work in shearlings and, yes, we have heard that too many times when doing direct retail. If we are already hearing "fake UGGS®" why would we subject ourselves to more abuse?
We know that there are ethical companies out there who produce the real thing just without the well hyped name tag. We have also been fortunate to get to know some of the individuals involved in the production of GENUINE AUSTRALIAN MADE boots. Matter of fact, one has to wonder if the most "ethical" purchase is one made from an authentic Australian firm. They may not have "the label" but you can boast that you are wearing boots made by the folks who actually started the product line and were all but destroyed by a nasty American corporation that doesn't make anything in Australia. Shame your friends, tell them the story of what they are supporting and buy a real Aussie made pair. We have a few companies listed on our "competitor's page".
Contact us with additional questions.
Top Question of all times - How long do the shearling soles last?
There is no definitive answer to this question. There are many
factors that determine the life span of the shearling on the bottom not the
least of which are the habits of the user. Some people will wear through the
bottom in a season and we can honestly say that we have had people whose soles
(souls?) have lasted ten years. We believe the average life span is about two
years though it could be much longer. We have to go by the age of the slippers
we get back for resoling. Do note that wearing these on
abrasive surfaces such as concrete and/or wearing them outside
will greatly shorten the lifespan. So, we cannot promise you
will get XX amount of time before the soles wear through.
Contact us with additional questions.
Contact us with additional questions.
May I have a different outsole material?
People do ask us if they can have this sole material or that sole material and, in general, the answer is "possibly" but a one of a kind is very expensive. We do have minimums that we have to meet with our suppliers (do you want 100 pair?) and our machinery is only capable of sewing certain items. We have gone to great lengths to find the longest lasting soling material possible given our production capabilities. Anything different you may want in the way of an outsole will cost you at least what we charge per pair already and most likely more. We work with the belief that we should give you the best longevity we can for the money and we are satisfied that the crepe accomplishes that goal.
We get a lot of people who ask us if we can put leather soles on the slippers instead of the crepe. For a large number of technical reasons, we do not use leather as an outsole material. There are firms out there who use a wide variety of leather and, honest, we will not be offended if you decide to do business with them.
How are the crepe soles attached?
5/16" thick crepe outsole.
Which is better, the shearling sole or the crepe sole?
It is simply a matter of personal preference and personal habits. Many people simply don't like a slipper with a ridged bottom. However, if you are one of those folks who seem to run outside "just for a minute" in your slippers day in and day out you will be much happier with the durability of the crepe sole. It is a trade off. For comfort we suggest the shearling sole, for wandering out to get the mail or downstairs into the basement we suggest the crepe sole.
May I purchase the scuffs without the crepe bottom?
Of course we could make them without the crepe bottom but they would not work out. The shearling is too flexible and would fold up under your foot every time you took a step. So, no, we do not make scuffs without the crepe bottom. Sorry.
How do I go about getting my slippers resoled?
Simply package them up with a check for $22 and send them to our PO Box. The fee covers All Charges including return postage. If you send them back Priority Mail you can even get the box or mailing envelope free from your post office. Ask them for a Tyvek Priority Mail envelope (best choice and least expensive) or a Priority Mail box. If you can sleaze a package into your boss's UPS or FedEx shipment thus saving you the cost of returning them, drop us an email and we will send you the street address. Resoling takes up to three weeks during June, July and August and six weeks during the remainder of the year. We do not do resoling in November, December or January so please do not return your slippers to us near or during those months. Please remember this is for the shearling soled slippers only and only our products. We absolutely do not/will not work on other people's products. Please be sure to put your return mail address, phone number, and email address on a separate piece of paper in the box with the check.
Why can't you resole the crepe soled slippers?
Planned obsolescence! No, not really. Two main reasons. Removing the sole requires the use of a solvent which is usually soaked up by the upper as well. The sewing machine needle we use to sew through the crepe is much larger than other needles so it creates larger perforations in the leather. By the time the crepe wears out the slipper is usually quite weak anyway and would never hold a new stitch with that needle. The new sole would likely tear right off.
Will my (child's/neighbor's/friend's/etc) dog eat my slippers?
This depends on the
dog. Some dogs will never bother them at all, others will tear
into them like a lion on a wildebeest. In the interest of full
disclosure, we do have to make note that
our dear departed CEO
instituted a special rewards program for dogs. This
rewards program covers all of our products but slippers
seem to be the most popular. We told him it was really a "kick
back" situation but he said that kick backs are illegal. Same
thing to us but what do we know?
Contact us with additional questions about Doggy Rewards.
Are the frames adjustable?
No, they are solid and cannot be adjusted. They will fit most adults. We have available a slightly shorter frame (velvet covered only) and try to keep a few around for those who really need one. However, we have found that it is still too long for very young children. The total length of the normal frame from the bottom of one ring to the bottom of the other is approximately 17½ inches. The total length of the smaller frame measured the same way is approximately 16½ inches. The diameter of each ring is 3 inches. When in doubt it is best to order the standard length frame as they certainly fit the majority of our customers without any problem. Note, again, that the shorter ear muff frames are available with the black velvet covered band only. You can also adjust the length by turning the muff part up a bit on the pin. The only trouble is it is tough to explain in print.
Do you do the behind the head style?
No, we do not for a couple of reasons, the first of which is lack of supply for the appropriate frames for this style. The second reason is that we do not think it would work since we line the inside with shearling. The wool is not a solid mass like cloth or "sherpa" so they would tend to slide down off your head as you moved. Gravity would prevail. To date, we have not seen any of this style in shearling even on the big wholesale web site for China so there must be good reason. Of course maybe we just haven't gone to the right web sites but if Chinese manufacturers are not selling them, we doubt you can find them.
What are the ear muff frames made from?
Plastic. We don't know if anyone makes metal band ear muff frames any more. Please note that we do not make the frames. We get them from a supplier so we have no control over length or the components used in their production. They are assembled in the USA from imported and domestic components. Really, folks, we do not own a plastics factory otherwise we would be in the business of selling plastics, not shearling. That seems to be a very big misunderstanding.
Why the difference in price between the "standard" style and the "special" and "traditional" styles?
The "standard" style are made from pieces left over from production of our larger products. The "special" and "traditional" styles are produced from skins bought specifically for ear muffs and, in the case of the "special" style, seat belt covers. So, in the "standard" style, the price reflects only the cost of the frames and the labor involved. In the "special" and "traditional" styles, the cost of the shearling is added in. Other than that, the "standard" style ear muffs are only available in one color while we offer a selection in the other two ear muff styles.
Will they break?
We assume people really mean, "Will they break under normal circumstances?" The answer to the first question is, "Of course they will, especially if it is twenty below and you rip them out of your pocket and pull them apart as fast as possible because your ears are freezing." The answer to the second question is, " Not generally under normal circumstances." It does happen once in awhile because nothing is ever perfect, and yes, as they get older they get more brittle. However, as you see by the picture our frames use a metal hinge and a wire for the muff base. Frames that are 100 % plastic are very apt to break apart at the hinge. If they do break after a period of time we will be happy to replace the frame so don't throw them away. The cost of frame replacement is $8 for the velvet covered bands, $12 for the leather and $12 for the shearling covered bands. This includes return shipping. Please be sure to put your return mail address, phone number, and email address on a separate piece of paper in the box/envelope with the check. That is "cost basis" meaning we make little, if anything, on the replacement. However, this offer is only extended to our customers with our ear muffs. We absolutely will not repair ear muffs that we did not produce. You buy from us, you get our service. Honestly, if they are not ours, take them back to whomever you bought them from for repair. That only seems fair. Also, please do not go to a great expense to send them back. The least expensive way to return them is in a large kraft/manila envelope or the equivalent and send them first class mail. This is exactly how they will be returned to you. The base idea is to keep the total cost of repair to a bare minimum.
Will I lose them?
Well, some of you will. Seriously, we sell you a pair of ear muffs and we will replace the band for you at a nominal cost. We have replaced the bands for ear muffs that hardly have any wool left on them they are so old. How on earth can a company stay in business when people fix and not replace their products? So, with the help of modern technology, we randomly implant a tiny little gizmo in ear muffs that makes them jump out of your pocket, hide when you set them down on the seat of a taxi or a train so you forget them, or make your dog attack them. That means we keep people coming back to purchase new pairs and, usually, a backup pair or two. Thanks to a customer in the diplomatic corps, we know our little gizmo works world wide, well, in Tunisia anyway. Isn't technology just wonderful?
Will someone steal them?
Regrettably, yes. Reports of ear muffs disappearing when one's back is turned are really fairly frequent. On one hand, it makes us proud that the thieves think ours are just as good as UGG's ear muffs and, therefore, worthy of being stolen but that does not do our customers any good. So, we are teaming up with a high tech firm to develop a special "catch the thief" feature. The plan is to install a micro sensor that you set when you purchase them so they recognize your head. We will then insert special dye packs that leak rather than explode. When the ear muffs are on the wrong head the purple dye will leak all over their face making them easily recognizable by law enforcement. The only drawback is that you will not be able to loan them to your friends as, when they are finished wearing them, they will look like Barney.
Will my new kitten destroy them?
We never even suspected that this would come up as a question as we did not think our gizmo, mentioned above, attracted felines. But, it seems they make pretty good kitten toys if you happen to leave them lying around. So, if you have some ear muffs of ours and get a new kitten, do yourself a favor and have us send you a pound of cuttings or two and keep your ear muffs in a safe place. Think we made this up? Not on your life. You can see the full report by clicking here. But, what can we say, the kitten made a sale for us. Thank you.
Is it jointed?
No, it just sits there and does nothing. However, you don't have to feed and water it either since it doesn't expend any energy by moving. :)
Are they hot in the summer?
No, as a matter of fact the summer is when they are most welcome. They are strictly to keep the belt from rubbing on your neck. When one has a bulky winter coat on the coat will protect the neck. During the summer lighter weight clothing often allows the belt to chaff. If you scoff at the necessity then simply ask someone who doesn't fit the "normal" height most shoulder harnesses are set for. Believe it or not we have heard from a few accident victims who have informed us that the belt cover helped to lesson the belt bruising that can occur in a major accident. They were, of course, very grateful that they were wearing the belt. Belt bruising or not, it was better to be alive.
Will your seat belt cover fit my shoulder harness?
Haven't found any they won't fit yet as long as they are installed according to the instructions included with the cover. It should be noted that because we specifically designed our cover for shoulder harness application it will not fit anything wider but it is usable for any kind of strap that is narrower and flat. Please also note that you have the option to purchase them in any length you desire. These ARE NOT to be used on seat belts that contain air bags.
Can you make belt covers for my child's car seat?
We could but we have researched this through our local chapter of "Safe Kids" and the answer is, "No." It is ill advised to do anything that may change the dynamics of the restraint system for children. This also includes children in booster seats. We did not want to answer this without back up and Safe Kids is a great organization. If you have young children you should check them out and see if there is an affiliate in your area.
What about covering other types of straps?
We can develop a cover for most any type of strap but we will need some details from you. Please email us and tell us what you want to cover. We prefer to do such work in the off season and may put you off for a time because of production responsibilities. The most unusual strap covers we have produced were for a fiberglass nose cone manufacturer who needed to cover the nylon lift straps as they were scarring the nose cones.
Why are these made in China?
strange as it may seem, that answer is due to our age. People are
constantly asking for them and we felt there was a place in the
market for us to introduce a product that is well made and is made
with sheepskin from the same company we purchase many of the skins
for special ear muffs, innersoles, and seat belt covers from. But,
for us to do them ourselves, we would need to buy an attachment for
one of our sewing machines or, worse yet, a whole new machine. Given
the fact that retirement is in our future we are
simply not in the mood to purchase anything in the way of new
equipment. Such would be financially foolish.
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Site maintenance and new page work accomplished by those of us who didn't post one of the most asked questions, "Are the eyeglass cases supposed to keep your glasses warm?" :)


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- Canada
- 22
- 5'4''
Updated sizing is wonderful!
I have two of these tops, one from 2017 and a new one. My newer one is more loose-fitting (both are a size 6) and I like the updated fit. It is also a bit softer
(but has not been washed as much yet). My first top is a light blue and my second is a dark red. I will probably stick to dark colours with this fabric because there are sweat stains in the thumbholes of my lighter shirt. Other than that, it has held its own for two years on countless runs and multi-day hikes. The sweat stains were bound to appear.
This is my go-to running shirt and my go-to travel shirt (comfy for planes and long car rides, casual wear, and running)! I could not ask for more.
I haven't come across the snagging problem that other reviewers have encountered but the fabric is thin so I can see how this happens.
- Size, fabric weight, texture, colourways
- I love it but someone who likes a more snug fit may want to size down.
- columbus, ohio
- 60
- 5'1''
i want another one!!
Love this tshirt. It can go on a run or out to dinner. I want to order another one but they keep running out of stock. Keep this away from velcro. The fabric can snag.
- beautiful fit and style for a Tee
- the fabric can snag easily
- Chicago, IL
- 27
- 5'7"
- more than 2 year(s)
So much yes
My favorite shirt material from Oiselle! Light, airy, comfortable, but also warm. Not sure how all of these things are possible from a single shirt, but they are & it's wonderful & I have several. They wash up great, don't stink after a hard/long run/multiple wears and are just generally magical. Definitely recommend! Great as a top layer in transitional weather or as a base when it gets cold. Aside from running, this is also my favorite material for hard strength sessions, too. Fits TTS.
- Everything
- I liked the shorter length from earlier versions
- Texas
- 25
- 5'6"
- more than 2 year(s)
Lightweight, breathable long sleeve!
I have had an opportunity to wear this long sleeve a couple of times since purchasing it in the spring. First, in colder (50's) weather in Oregon and second when it was raining in Texas in the 70's. Both times it worked out perfectly, which makes it very versatile. It has the ability to keep you warm but not too warm in case the temperature climbs more than expected. Also, it has THUMB HOLES! Who doesn't love thumb holes? I was a little nervous about the length of it, but it comes down to the top/middle of my hip bones and I'm 5'6". I also think this could be a good layering piece. It's not constricting or clingy. I have broad shoulders, and an athletic build at 5'6", 150 lbs and I ordered a 6, which fits perfectly.
- Versatile!
- Iowa
- 33
- 5'2"
Almost Perfect...
I haven't worn this to run yet, but I did wear it before and after a 10K yesterday. It was 50ish before the start, and although this top is very light, I wasn't cold at all. After post-race festivities/shower, I pulled this on for the afternoon and evening, and even though temps were in the upper 70's, I somehow wasn't hot. It's really the perfect layering piece for spring or fall. I don't think it's ideal for extreme temperatures, but that's not what I got it for.
The fit is pretty much as expected. I got this in a 6, and I'm 5'2", 138 pounds, and pretty muscular. The sleeves are more fitted than shown but are not tight or restrictive. The body is semi-fitted, but maybe I should have ordered an 8? Either way, I like the fit, and it looks great with a pair of running shorts or tights.
My ONLY complaint is that it snags very easily. I have worn this once, and there are three or four snags in the front of the shirt. I'm not sure this could be avoided though; the fabric is pretty thin. I'm just not sure how this will hold up with time and washing.
- fit, feel, color
- snags easily
Snap please
Amazing king soft, cozy and breathable. Any chance you could make this exact top in Snap?
- Annapolis, MD
- 43
- 4'11
You need this top!
This long-sleeve top will be a staple in my running apparel this fall. It is so lightweight, yet I think I could wear it out with a pair of jeans or pants and not feel underdressed. I LOVE the slate color. Thank you for making a long sleeve of this fabric. So affordable for its versatility.
- so lightweight, color, versatility
- please restock the 12's in big blue and black!
- Buffalo, NY
- 50
- 5'2"
Love it, but...
This is such a great fabric for running and the fit is awesome. Unfortunately, it snags way too easily. Even when washing in a linen bag on gentle, I still have multiple snags on each shirt. I still wear them, because who cares when you are running, but be warned.
- Fit, color
- Snags easily
- San Francisco
- 28
- 5'5"
All-around awesome
This top is pretty great...it's soft but sturdy, thin but warm, and totally stylish but still means business...pretty much perfect for cool-weather long runs, or even just for errands/hanging out! I got the Frost color in size 4, and it may be shorter than some other Oiselle tops I have (Wazelle for ex.), but it's not too short...hits about lower-hip area. A little roomy in the torso, but still a flattering fit. I'm 5'5" and 125 lbs. for reference.
- It's light and stylish but can handle a long run
- Nada
- Buffalo
- 55
- 5'3"
My Ideal Running Shirt
Yay for this shirt! Long sleeved shirts are often too heavy, or too silky. This one is perfection. Light as air with the coolest looking fabric. It seems to wick really well and I love that the fit is on the looser side. I don't find it too short. For reference I am 5'3"112 lbs and the 2 fits perfectly.
- Fabric, fit, style, color
- Nothing is wrong with this!!
- Santa Barbara, CA
- 33
- 5'7"
Favorite Long Sleeve
I would agree that this shirt is a pinch on the short side, but if paired with the Go Tank underneath, it's a great length and layer combo.
I've worn this shirt for trail runs and long road runs and it does fabulously - I stay warm, it doesn't seem to get "heavy" when it gets damp, and it feels light throughout the workout. a real winner for sure!
- material
- torso length
- Berkeley
- 31
- 5'7"
It really does feel like a cloud!
I've worn this top for a few cool-weather track workouts, and the texture is really unlike anything I've ever worn—super light and floaty without seeming flimsy. I ordered the Snap color expecting a bright orange hue, but the shirt that arrived was more of an electric pink/coral tone. Still, it's bright enough to be pretty high-viz for evening runs, which I like.
A note on fit: the torso of this shirt is cut much shorter than my other Oiselle tops, so the bottom hits just below my bellybutton instead of mid-way down my hips. The material is also slightly transparent, so the outline of my sports bra is pretty visible underneath—fine for a workout, but maybe a little too revealing to wear around town.
I'd definitely buy more versions of this top if it were available in darker, more opaque colors.
- The texture is so lovely!
- A little too short and see-through for everyday wear.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Facelift Surgery in Chicago
When you look in the mirror, does your face no longer reflect the vitality, energy, or spiritedness you still feel inside? As people age, the facial skin loses its elasticity, and underlying structures such as fat and muscle atrophy, or shrink. Meanwhile, external factors such as sun damage, smoking, and stress all conspire to accentuate or accelerate these changes that come with age. A facelift in Chicago by board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Steinwald can address these jowls and deep wrinkles that result from facial aging, to reposition sagging structures that lead to an "oval" appearance, and recreate the "inverted pyramid" effect of a more youthful face.
Paul M. Steinwald, M.D. is one of the few plastic surgeons in Chicago who is double-board certified in both plastic and general surgery. Read On
Chicago Facelift Surgery
Moderate to severe signs of facial aging are most often best-addressed by a formal facelift, or what is clinically known as a "rhytidectomy." During this procedure, incisions hidden in the hairline and along the ears are made to access the deeper muscular and fascial (supportive strength) structures, which are "lifted" and secured in an appropriate direction, after which excess skin is trimmed away at the incision lines, which are precisely closed with fine sutures. A sagging, ill-defined neckline (and underlying visible muscular bands) is often addressed concurrently through the use of a neck lift.
Generally, there are 2 variations of this type of facelift for Chicago area patients. Dr. Steinwald will either recommend a "mini-facelift" for patients with earlier signs of facial aging or what he calls "The San Francisco Facelift," which is a full, deeper-plane face and neck lift utilizing a combination of sophisticated techniques Dr. Steinwald learned from several expert facelift surgeons while training in San Francisco. The mini-facelift approach provides similar deeper support, but features shorter scars behind the ears, avoids the chin incision, and requires less time to perform, with less post-operative downtime as well.
More about Facelift and Neck Lift
The best candidates for a facelift are motivated, non-smoking women or men with signs of moderate to advanced aging of the lower 2/3rds of the face and neck. Finer wrinkles around the mouth are usually not helped by these procedures, but can be addressed with soft tissue fillers. A facelift can be performed as an outpatient or overnight stay procedure, under IV sedation or general anesthesia.
Regarding neck lifts, the neckline is often addressed concurrently via a facelift approach. This is most appropriate for patients with significant sagging/laxity of the neck tissues, prominent "banding" of the neck musculature (particularly upon grimacing or tightening of the jaw), or loss of an acute angle between the undersurface of the jaw and anterior neck. During a neck lift or "platysmaplasty," the neck skin is elevated and tightened through the facelift incisions around the ears, and the banding or excess fatty tissue in the mid-neck may be tightened or removed via a small incision under the chin. This restores the sharp, defined neck contour of youth, and removes excess, sagging skin. Neck lifts are commonly performed under light general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure, but may require an overnight stay if performed in conjunction with a facelift.
Younger patients with tighter skin, but a full, poorly-defined neckline may be candidates for suction-assisted lipectomy. At our practice in Chicago, liposuction of the neck is usually performed through 3 small incisions, on an outpatient basis using IV sedation. People who want to refresh the appearance of their face also may want to consider procedures such as eyelid surgery and medical spa treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic or soft tissue fillers.
Your Next Step
It's easy to learn more about having a neck lift or facelift. Simply request a consultation online with Dr. Steinwald and save $50 off the regular consultation fee. Or, call The Center for Cosmetic Surgery at (303) 278-2600 to schedule your visit. Dr. Steinwald looks forward to helping you achieve your optimal appearance.


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A charity working with young homeless people across East Lancashire has been awarded a grant to secure its supported lodgings project for the next two years.
The M3 Project works across Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, as well as Rossendale, where it is based.
Project manager Alan Dorrington said: "This year we had to bid for the grant from Lancashire County Council's Supporting People Team and so we were very pleased to have been able to secure £128,000. This will provide two years of funding for 13 placements for young people in our supported lodgings project.
"This year, along with other providers, we had to go through a competitive tendering process in order to secure the money and we still have a shortfall if we are to maintain the current level of service we provide. We are thankful to LCC for the funding because we are aware of budgetary constraints on the county council.
Householders are sought to offer supported placements within their own homes and help to prepare the young person to live independently.In December the charity launched its sponsor a room scheme by asking people to donate money on a regular basis. To support the M3 Project, offer accommodation, or for more information, phone 01706 216600, email email@example.com or visit: www.rossendalem3.org


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Downtown Grand, an Ascend Hotel, offers easy access to Las Vegas attractions like the Fremont Street Experience and Mob Museum. This hotel is also convenient to shopping at Las Vegas Premium Outlets – North, events at the Smith Center for Performing Arts and all the fun on the popular Las Vegas Strip.
The outdoor pool and sundeck is a great place to relax and catch some rays, while the fitness center is a great place to grab an invigorating work out.
All guest rooms offer high-definition cable television, down pillows, pillow-top mattress, a desk, hair dryer and alarm clock. Some rooms feature robes, a coffee maker, free daily newspaper and spa bath.
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Gallery 1 | Gallery 2 | Gallery 3 | Gallery 4 | Gallery 5 | Gallery 6 | Gallery 7
CUBERA Nostalgia: U.S. Postal stamp covers volunteered courtesy of Ron Saxe, a Belgian collector. They commemorate some early events in CUBERA's history.
This collection courtesy Albert "Al" Conner ex-GM3(SS) [1946-47]. (Al went on eternal patrol in 2015):
Shot of CUBERA's pre-GUPPY bow at sea in about 1946, showing the forward 40MM bridge antiaircraft gun barrel and sight. The forward 5-inch/25 gun is hidden below the front of the bridge coaming.
CUBERA at sea around 1946 with some crew on deck. Notice her two 5-inch/25 deck guns, and the fore- and aft bridge 40MM antiaircraft guns.
"I still think of her whenever I smell diesel oil. When I went onboard she had two 5 inchers and two 40 millimeters. I was a happy gunner. We made a number of trips to Havana. Our CO was Capt. Grider the COB was an old China hand named 'Bull' Watson. I never knew his given first name. He was followed by a chief named Smith." -- Al Conner
CUBERA in 1947 with a brand-new Electric Boat-style (round windows, straight back edge) GUPPY-II sail.
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"I was onboard in 1947 when we transferred to the Philadelphia Navy Yard to be converted to a GUPPY. I lost my lovely top side guns. The Cubera was the first fleet sub converted into the GUPPY class. I have seen a number of GUPPY sails and I think the Cubera's was the best, it was welded aluminum with no overlapping seams. I think they did such a good job her to ensure they would continue with all the later GUPPY conversions. It took five months and I was in my home town!" -- Al Conner
Richard "Rik" Nilsson ETR3SS, 1964
That's yours truly entering the forward engine from the crews quarters door. THe 400lb door is latched open, so we must be in port. I'm sporting a freshly-acquired 3rd-class chevron and "crow" on my left sleeve. With that and my dolphins, I rated a bunk space of my own - no more "hot-racking".
This was my hammock (the Navy called it a "rack") in "Hogan's Alley", a prestige location in the after battery compartment crew's quarters space. Before I passed my submarine qualification exam, I "hot-bunked" in the after torpedo room. That meant I shared a bunk between torpedoes with two other "non-quals", so the bunk never got a chance to lose the body heat from the guy who just got up to go on watch. The shiny vinyl mattress cover zipped shut to keep your stink in while other crew members were trying to sleep. The tight confines were offset by the fact that there was a ventilation duct right above my head! On the right is a net bunk bag holding shaving gear, wallet, shoeshine kit, qualification workbook etc. Good uniforms were pressed under the mattress, others rolled up in plastic and stowed in a small locker (not visible here).
This collection courtesy of Carl Daniel, serving under Capt. J.J. Herzog.
Carl Daniel aboard CUBERA, aft engine room looking aft (1960)
"I think we had a swim call, then Capt. Herzog got movies of the Cobbler diving and surfacing as we ran alongside. Then we had a failed attempt at a 'battle surface'. The way I remember events the DO was supposed to blow main ballasts while the planesmen held the ship at periscope depth until it started to rise and then pop the planes to full up. Apparently the planesmen went to full dive before the tanks had any effect - we went down to some ??? depth and by the time the DO got the planes to full up we were at a 47+ degree ??? up-angle. I remember the attempt to get the planes back to the dive position but it was too little, too late.
"I had been relieved at the helm and was in the crews mess - ended up with 20 or so gallons of chicken noodle soup all over me. The soup went all the way back to the foreward engine room bulkhead, and some mercury spilled out of the main gyro in the control room. The picture tells the rest of the story. (Note the planes are still at full dive!)" --Carl Daniel
CUBERA does the USS DALLAS thing...
"Your memories of the affair are accurate, though I think we were with our TG ALPHA buddy, the SEA LEOPARD. The plan was as you recall it. I forget which young officer had the dive. When the order was given, all main ballast was blown evenly, we went to full ahead and the planes were to go to dive to hold her down using speed. The D.O. jumped the gun and ordered full dive before the blow had any effect, thus we began to plane down sharply. However, since we were at periscope depth when we started, we really didn't get much below 100 ft before the blow made her very light. By this time, trying to correct, the D.O. had ordered full rise, and she swung up and headed for the surface in a hurry. I've always remembered the angle as 47 - 47.5. Since we were so light and moving so fast we just splashed down like that whale in the TV ads, without dropping sternwards to any degree. I guess that the D.O. ordered full dive again during the ascent, trying to correct the angle. Battle surface was from the old days of deck guns, to make quick attacks on small surface ships. While our battle surface wouldn't have been any good for getting guncrews on deck quickly, it sure might have scared hell out of the target!
"Those were good old days with Captain Herzog. He was always thinking and figuring new ways to do things. Remember our 'Famous First' sub refueling from alongside the carrier Valley Forge, or the strange, mortar-like housing aft on the turtle back for his floating antenna buoy? I remember him getting me fired up to try navigating by instant midnight star sights taken on a quick 5 or 10 minute surface during some big exercise. I learned a lot from him." --Ted Curtin
"This post merely augments the excellent descriptions of the Battle Surface event written by Carl Daniel and Ted Curtin. And incidentally, it would be characteristic of our fine Exec to have 'forgotten' the name of this unhappy OOD that watch. I drive by Ted and Grace's lovely home of those days, at the corner of Azalea Garden Road and Heutte Drive going to and from the Norfolk Airport, never without loving memories of those two special people, and what for me were very happy times:
"The Battle Surface of which we converse was merely my miscalculation and poor judgement: At periscope depth, Full Speed, one was supposed to blow Bow Buoyancy then All Main Ballast, while adding some dive to the planes to keep a level bubble until the tanks were getting too dry to hold the boat down any longer. Then, rise on the planes would produce about a 30° up-angle as the boat quickly surfaced. I simply put too much dive on the planes, then corrected with too much rise, and 'up she went' to 48°! No need to start the Low Pressure Blower...we were already there! There were some moderate and temporary damages as well as many very unhappy people; loss of lube oil suction on the main motors for a brief moment, broken dishes in the galley, and all the Yeoman's books from the shelves above his desk ended-up in his lap! When my bridge watch was over, I was told to report to the CO in the Wardroom, where 'Buck' Herzog gave me a royal chewing. That was the end of it...no one in trouble, and a good proof that the boat was well-secured. Sea Leopard, about 500 yards off to starboard, with whom we were trading diving and surfacing photos, took the pic* [above], and her Skipper radio'd over on the TBS: "Battletorch, this is [can??t recall]: You're clean all the way back to your navel!"
*Note the shower of water flowing out of the sonar dome fairing. This was caused by a missing circular access plate in the center, which was subsequently replaced." --William (Bill) Cole
This collection courtesy of Ted Curtin, XO CUBERA from December 1958 to June 1960, serving three skippers.
LCDR "Buck" Herzog, 9th skipper of CUBERA,
July 1957 - April 1959. Capt. Herzog was innovative, thoroughly buying into the FRAM program of submarine technology development.
CUBERA crew, circa 1959
(click for larger version)
John Crites on topside watch, D & S Piers, 1968
(click for larger version)
Gallery 1 | Gallery 2 | Gallery 3 | Gallery 4 | Gallery 5 | Gallery 6 | Gallery 7


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Archive for August 2012
Welcome, new users; here's what to do
Welcome to the Multimedia Storytelling blog.
All you have to do is create your account and then post your first blog item. I'm looking for you to post a link to a multimedia story that you found interesting, well-done or insightful in some way. Then explain what you liked — or didn't like — about the story.
To link to the story, just highlight some of your text and then click on the link (above). Insert the URL to the multimedia story into the link form, and be sure to click "open in new window."
Next week in class you will get a chance to discuss why you picked the story you picked.
Happy blogging!


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In early 2013, IFS North America and Advantage Business Media conducted a study among executives with industrial companies to determine how respondents involved with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other enterprise software perceived various methods of software provisioning, including on-premise, hosted, software as a service (SaaS) and private cloud.
Historically, ERP and other enterprise software was housed on servers on the premises of a business. The increasing availability of high bandwidth LAN, WAN, dark fiber and public Internet connections, however, has broken down the geographic barriers that made the on-premise delivery model the only option.
Another technological change that is affecting how enterprise software is provisioned is the availability of clustered server technology delivering variable capacity that can be sold on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Prior to this, servers ran applications in a linear design without extensive redundancy or scalability. Scalable and easily partitioned server technology is available now that can allow organizations with centralized computing resources to sell computing resources over the public Internet as a service. The infrastructure itself can be purchased as infrastructure as a service (IaaS), or it can be paired with an operating environment or other facilitating technologies as platform as a service (PaaS). Either way, an end user can be relieved from responsibility to purchase and maintain hardware.
Related Topics : Vulnerabilities and Patches, Resellers, Broadcom, Broadband Services, Supercomputing
Here are 10 ways that college professors are taking advantage of the technology students currently use and adding new technologies to enhance the teaching and learning experiences. ... More >>
Watson continuously learns from previous interactions, gaining in value and knowledge over time. Learn how companies are harnessing that AI power to create and improve products and services. ... More >>
Here are the top 10 strategic technology trends that will impact most organizations in 2017. Strategic technology trends are defined as those with substantial disruptive potential or those reaching the tipping point over the next five years. ... More >>


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Business Monday
To grow public-private partnerships, Miami-Dade needs greater buy-in from corporate players
In the nascent years of Miami Beach, Miami and Coral Gables, Carl Fisher built a rail line across Biscayne Bay, Mary and William Brickell built mansions south of the Miami River and George Merrick built parks and pools and trolley lines and canals for the "City Beautiful."
By and large, those enterprises are believed to have been self-financed, with the help of other private investors. While the state of Florida financed facilities to attract more tourists in the 1920s, historians say it was the private sector that provided most of the financial strength that fueled South Florida's growth.
Now, the private sector is again in the mix to help make essential critical infrastructure improvements possible.
Embedded in Miami-Dade County's proposed budget and capital plan for fiscal year 2015-16, is a $250,000 allocation for consulting designed to help launch private-public partnerships to strengthen the region's flagging infrastructure. Those partnerships, public officials say, are essential if the county is to meet the challenges of expanding badly needed transportation equipment and corridors, upgrading water and sewer systems overwhelmed by sea level rise, and rejuvenating rapidly deteriorating courts and jails. Airport and seaport facilities, as well as parks, libraries and museums also are on the list.
County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has said, during a forum on private-public partnerships, that the only way we are going to get any of them done is with the help of P3s. I stand by that statement: If we have to maintain and operate all of these things alone, we just couldn't do it.
Miami-Dade County isn't alone. Worldwide, global infrastructure needs are fast emerging as critical priorities that most nations are finding difficult to fund.
In the United States, a report by the American Society of Civil Engineers places the present-day gap at $1.7 trillion, "with an additional $3.6 trillion financial need by the end of 2020."
Locally, the city of Miami Beach has seen the costs of its efforts to combat sea level not just rise, but jump exponentially, with tax-paying residents footing the bill. At the Miami-Dade County level, the future cost of dealing with the issue is a relative unknown as budget-makers, scientists and other experts wrestle with needs assessments.
When the County Commission passed its annual budget, an initial $300,000 was allocated to pursue a long-term strategy as well as to hire a "resiliency officer" to assess the county's requirements.
Last year, the County Commission passed a landmark resolution that endorsed the findings of a seven-member Sea Level Rise Task Force headed by Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin.
Among other things, the seven-member panel said the county must take more decisive steps to fortify its infrastructure. It said it is urgent for the county to act expeditiously to identify the roads, bridges, waterways, pump stations and other critical infrastructure now vulnerable to rising water levels from the Atlantic Ocean. It recommended the hiring of engineers to develop a specific plan, similar to the $20 billion program that New York City devised in 2013.
The commission declared that going forward, any residential or commercial project proposed by developers must account for how it will mitigate rising waters in the years ahead. Additionally, the county, in a most forward-thinking way, recently required that sea level rise be an element for consideration in the bids and contracts through the county procurement selection process. This is wise and will serve our community well.
Last summer, the county entered into a $91 million contract with engineering giant AECOM Technology Corp., the world's largest and top-ranked engineering, design and building firm, to oversee federally mandated repairs to the county's water and sewer systems.
In selecting this firm, the county picked a company whose very purpose is to prioritize and simplify solutions for unknown impacts as well as natural disasters that all communities face. AECOM helped Orange County, California, upgrade its dams; helped protect critical public assets in Australia; and mapped sustainability plans for the Greater London urban area, among numerous others worldwide.
Moving forward, we need similar proactive projects in South Florida.
The Miami Tunnel project and the Interstate 595 expressway extension in Broward County are two of the most recent notable endeavors in which the private sector helped alleviate growing traffic without eviscerating public treasuries. Private investor participation came as a result of sophisticated financing structures that helped public agencies raise upfront capital and generate cash "waterfalls" to pay for the projects' costs and long-term debt.
Without private sector help, South Florida faces a minimal chance of fixing its problems amid today's building boom, especially in the vertical housing and mixed-use commercial sectors. The boom has imposed high demands on not only our utilities infrastructure, but our transportation capacity. This is not just a local government problem; it is a much broader community-wide and public-private sector responsibility.
We must now engage in a process to develop and execute an ongoing, rolling capital improvement program of needed upgrades so that our region can be sufficiently protected and resilient to meet the challenges that nature has in store for us.
We have seen our elected officials act, and we should be proud of them. They need our continued support and proactive involvement.
In the 1920s, Fisher, the Brickells, Merrick and others were highly self-reliant entrepreneurs with unique visions. Nearly a century later, the private sector, with the help of local governments and state and federal partners, should unite to sustain what was started.
Al Maloof is the managing partner of GJB Consulting LLC (GJBC), an affiliate of Genovese Joblove & Battista P.A., a South Florida law firm.


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Anna Burger
- 1 Early career
- 3 2002 ACORN convention
- 4 Paul Wellstone tribute
- 5 Change to Win
- 6 Soros connection
- 7 Democratic Party
- 8 Lui Cheng 2007 American tour
- 9 Vote for Change
- 10 Progressives for Obama
- 11 Democracy Alliance
- 12 Progressive States Network
- 13 China trip, 2009 - "Partnership with Chinese Unions"
- 14 External links
- 15 References
Anna Burger is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Service Employees International Union. Burger resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Earl F. Gohl, Jr. and their daughter, Erin Burger Gohl who studies at Smith College. She has been hailed by Fortune Magazine as "the most powerful woman in the labor movement", and was named in 2007 as one of the Wall Street Journal's "Top 50 Women to Watch".[1]
Early career
Burger began her career[2] in 1972 as a rank-and-file Pennsylvania state caseworker and union activist before her election as SEIU Local 668's first female president. She moved on to run the statewide political program and later became SEIU's national field director.
In her position at the Service Employees International Union, Burger directed the grassroots member action program that helped pro-worker candidates win both majorities in Congress in 2006, and the largest mobilization by any single organization in the history of U.S. politics in 2004. During this cycle, SEIU members built the largest labor PAC in the country by voluntarily raising more funds than any other union.[1]
2002 ACORN convention
Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) brought some 2,000 delegates attending the national convention of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now to their feet with a ringing call for "the people's agenda."
Standing before a banner bearing the convention theme "Justice Now, Justice Always," Davis drew cheers as he ticked off a list of demands of the people's movement: livable wage, affordable prescription drugs and health care, higher minimum wage, public education, equal opportunity and affirmative action.
Other speakers talked of a need for a people's movement to "save our country." SEIU international Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger said, "How do we save our country? Organize, radicalize, mobilize." Burger lambasted corporate CEOs and their allies in the Bush administration for favoring the rich at the expense of the rest of the country. "How greedy can they get?" she asked, warning: "We have to do more before our Constitution, our democracy, even our way of life is taken away."
In an appeal for an alliance of labor and community organizations to fight the people's battles, Burger said, "We need your help, you need our help. Together we can take back our government, and our country."
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) charged that, for the Bush administration and the Republican leadership in Congress, "everybody comes before the people," and said that with their drive to repeal the estate tax, Republicans are putting "rich dead people before poor people." Congress should block tax cuts for the rich until everyone has an affordable place to live, she declared.
Assailing the Bush administration's anti-immigrant policies, Schakowsky said, "Since Sept. 11, this administration has had a hard time distinguishing between terrorists and immigrants who come to this country only to make their lives better. They deserve a living wage along with everybody else.".[3]
Paul Wellstone tribute
As the 2004 Democratic National Convention was poised to open in Boston , Jobs with Justice, , hosted a living tribute to the late Senator Paul Wellstone on July 25. Hundreds filled the historic Old West Church to tackle the question, "What must the Democratic Party do to live up to the progressive vision of Paul Wellstone?"
"Paul had the courage to stand the pain that comes with standing for something and not fall for anything," said United Steelworkers of America union International President Leo Gerard. "That's what the Democratic Party needs right now. He gave people a reason to fight, to hope."
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), another panel member, called for "Wellstone Democratic Clubs" to mobilize neighborhoods into the political process to re-order national resources.
Many in the audience were students at Camp Wellstone, a workshop conducted in Boston for prospective candidates and campaign workers conducted by Wellstone's campaign manager, Jeff Blodgett, also on the panel.
Rep. Major Owens (D-N.Y.) pointed out that too many liberals, including himself, voted for "welfare reform" in 1996. He praised Wellstone as the lone voice defending welfare at the time.
Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner quickly jumped in, igniting the audience with a clarion call for popular direct action to ensure accountability from a Kerry administration. "We need Kerry there and we need to be there to purge the cancer (of the Bush administration) from the soul of the body politic," he said.
When Horace Small, the moderator, pooh-poohed the importance of trade in this election, Jim Hightower, author and radio personality, nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Tell that to Texas farmers who are losing their farms or workers who have lost their jobs to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)," Hightower said. "Who the hell elected the WTO (World Trade Organization)? Right now, in Washington, there are too many 5-watt bulbs sitting in 100-watt sockets. The people are revolting – in the best sense. I think we are going to get George."
Confessing to once being a Republican, columnist Arianna Huffington reminded the assembly of all the dirty tricks and disgusting tactics that are on the horizon as November nears. Saying that "Mobilization is the key," she proposed reaching out to the 50 percent of the eligible electorate that stayed home in 2000. "If we are able to just energize 10 percent of those voters, we win."
The program included the presentation of awards to two attorneys, Julie Patino and Nadine Cohen, both of whom have fought difficult battles to protect affirmative action and voting rights of Massachusetts residents and immigrants. Other panelists included Al Franken, media personality, noted Columbia professor Frances Fox Piven and Anna Burger, vice president of the Service Employees International Union.[4]
Change to Win
On September 27, 2005, Burger was elected as the first chairperson of labor federation, Change to Win. On August 11, 2010, Burger stood down,[5] with United Food and Commercial Workers president Joe Hansen taking over.[6]
Soros connection
On November 29, 2006 Open Society Institute held a roundtable discussion entitled "How Do Progressives Connect Ideas to Action?"
- Individuals and organizations with similarly progressive goals often dilute their power by working alone or even working at cross-purposes. As Americans who are politically left of center move forward, questions of infrastructure, communication, and collaboration are particularly important.
Participants included several key leaders of the "progressive" movement[7];
- Deepak Bhargava Center for Community Change
- Robert Borosage Campaign for America's Future.
- Rosa Brooks Open Society Institute
- Anna Burger Service Employees International Union
- Eric Foner Columbia University, Department of History
- Michel Gelobter Redefining Progress
- Hendrik Hertzberg The New Yorker
- Alan Jenkins Opportunity Agenda
- Gara LaMarche Open Society Institute
- Jal Mehta New Vision Institute for Policy and Progress
- David Moss The Tobin Project
- Iara Peng Young People For
- Stephanie Robinson The Jamestown Project at Yale
- Joel Rogers University of Wisconsin Law School
- Andrea Batista Schlesinger Drum Major Institute for Public Policy
- Katrina vanden Heuvel The Nation editor.
- John Podesta Center for American Progress
- Michael Waldman The Brennan Center for Justice
- Matthew Yglesias The American Prospect
Democratic Party
Anna Burger has been an active delegate[8] to the Democratic National Convention since 1984 and has worked on the party's platform.
Lui Cheng 2007 American tour
The American Center for International Labor Solidarity and the National Labor College recently hosted Professor Liu Cheng for Shanghai Normal University to discuss the evolution of the new draft contract labor law in China. Cheng's visit to the NLC on March 27th was the culmination of a multi-state tour meeting with union leaders and members of Congress.
For the report by Global Labor Strategies analyzing the impact of transnational corporations on the first draft of the Contract Law go to: UNDUE INFLUENCE: Corporation Gain Ground in Battle Over Chinas New Labor Law
Liu Cheng's tour included nearly 45 events over 17 days, in the Bay Area, Boston, Amherst, New York and Washington DC. A partial list of the many sponsoring organizations, and their key contact, includes:
Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Washington DC - Andy Stern, Anna Burger & Judy Scott.
Vote for Change
Turning its attention toward the November general elections, Barack Obama's presidential campaign kicked off a massive 50-state voter registration campaign on May 10, 2008.
Thousands of volunteer activists, including many first-time volunteers, gathered in more than 100 locations across the country to launch the "Vote for Change" campaign. The goals, according to national co-chair Rep. Melissa Bean of Illinois, are to "get millions of new voters registered and engage and motivate millions who are registered but don't participate. This is about the change we will bring, not what Sen. Obama will bring alone."
Other national Vote for Change co-chairs include Change to Win Chair Anna Burger, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Maria Elena Durazo, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and musicians Melissa Etheridge, Dave Matthews and Usher Raymond IV.[9]
Progressives for Obama
In 2009 Burger was listed as a signer of the Progressives for Obama website.[10]
Democracy Alliance
Burger serves on the Board of Directors for Democracy Alliance.[11]
Progressive States Network
In 2010, Anna Burger served on the Board of Directors for the Progressive States Network, an organization which seeks to "transform the political landscape by sparking progressive actions at the state level".[12]
China trip, 2009 - "Partnership with Chinese Unions"
Kent Wong's UCLA Labor Center participated in a historic meeting between the Change to Win federation and the All China Federation of Trade Unions in August 2009. An agreement signed by CtW Chair Anna Burger and ACFTU Vice Chairwoman Sun Chunlan at ACFTU headquarters in Beijing promotes cooperation between the two federations on key projects, such as joint research on multinational corporations operating in the United States and China.
It was the first time in history that such an agreement has been signed between trade union federations in the two countries.
The UCLA Labor Center pledged work with SEIU and the Teamsters, as well as with ACFTU, to conduct research on labor standards, labor law enforcement, and collective agreements in the multiservice, express delivery, and commercial banking industries. In late 2010, the Labor Center will participate in a binational US-China conference, hosted by the ACFTU, to explore ways research findings can improve labor standards.
In Beijing, Andy Stern and Kent Wong met with faculty members from the Labor Relations College of Renmin University and also visited the Migrant Workers' Center.
In addition to Anna Burger, the US delegation included SEIU President Andy Stern, CSEA Executive Director Josie Mooney, Ginny Coughlin from SEIU, and UCLA Labor Center Director Kent Wong. Labor Center staff member Scott E. Myers served as the delegation's Chinese interpreter.[13]
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Politico: Biography on Anna Burger (accessed on Sept. 1, 2010)
- ↑ http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/anna_burger.html
- ↑ ACORN convention targets peoples needs, PW July 4 2002
- ↑ Wellstone legacy: Stand up and fight, July 31 2004
- ↑ Politico - Ben Smith's Blog: Burger leaves SEIU; Hansen to lead Change to Win, Aug. 11, 2010 (accessed on Sept. 1, 2010)
- ↑ Washington Posts's "The Fix" Blog: Anna Burger to leave SEIU, Change to Win, by Chris Cillizza, August 11, 2010 (accessed on Sept. 1, 2010)
- ↑ http://www.soros.org/resources/events/progressives_20061129
- ↑ http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/anna_burger.html
- ↑ PW. Vote for Change registration drive kicks off in 50 states, May 17 2008
- ↑ Progressives for Obama
- ↑ Leadership, Democracy Alliance
- ↑ PSN website: Board of Directors (accessed on Sept. 1, 2010)
- ↑ Labor Education News, | WINTER-SPRING 2010, page 4


text: Commemorating Decatur's 4-day battle in October 1864, this Civil War reenactment is held over the Labor Day weekend (early September) at Point Mallard Park. The free event features more than 200 reenactors representing both northern and southern forces engaging in two battles. A Civil War camp is open to the public with displays of authentic equipment, dress and drills. A guided stroll along Decatur's Civil War Walking Tour is offered on Saturday afternoon.


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Hi I am Ela! I am a wife, mommy, daughter and photographer who specializes in capturing photos of happy couples and newborns!
I should start with a little bit about myself. I was born and raised in Romania, so I speak with a bit funny accent. I'm fluent in three languages, so beware, I might switch mid conversation to confuse you (just kidding, I only do it when I am nervous)!
I love Mexican food. I could live on tacos and tacos…also bacon, fries, and chocolate cake mhmmm. I know! I like only healthy food 😀
I love to read but don't have time; I drink my coffee black. I can watch any movie except horror and the ones where the dog dies.
I love to snuggle my daughter and dog. You can catch us co-sleeping, and I LOVE IT. There's nothing more special to me than my family. I redecorated the entire house just for my sweet baby girl. Just so we are clear, I don't spoil my daughter or my dog, but I do give them all the love in the world!
I started taking pictures when I was very young. I had never considered doing it full time until my husband suggested it and bought me my first 'professional camera'.
I choose to photograph new beginnings: weddings and newborns. A wedding is the beginning of a new family – a new start. Newborns are a blank book with empty pages. They get to write their stories page by page, milestone after milestone. When I do a newborn session I can't help but wonder who they will become, how will they change the world one day? I capture their little, perfect face and beautiful eyes in a photo because I am fascinated by all they could become.
I take pictures of new beginnings, and I create lasting memories!


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On November 23, 2016, the US DOL, Employment and Training Administration released its determination with respect to FUTA offset credits in the Federal Register. See https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-11-23/pdf/2016-28238.pdf
Sections 3302(c)(2)(A) and 3302(d)(3) of the FUTA provide that employers in a State that has an outstanding balance of advances under Title XII of the Social Security Act at the beginning of January 1 of two or more consecutive years are subject to a reduction in credits otherwise available against the FUTA tax for the calendar year in which the most recent such January 1 occurs, if a balance of advances remains at the beginning of November 10 of that year. Further, section 3302(c)(2)(C) of FUTA provides for an additional credit reduction for a year if a State has outstanding advances on five or more consecutive January firsts and has a balance at the beginning of November 10 for such years. Section 3302(c)(2)(C) also provides for waiver of this additional credit reduction and substitution of the credit reduction provided in section 3302(c)(2)(B) if a state meets certain conditions.
California and Virgin Islands only States with FUTA Increases for 2016
California, Connecticut, Ohio, and the Virgin Islands passed January 1, 2016 with outstanding Title XII advances and were potentially subject to FUTA credit reductions.
California, Ohio, and the Virgin Islands applied for a waiver of the 2016 additional credit reduction under section 3302 (c)(2)(C) of FUTA and it has been determined that each one met all of the criteria of that section necessary to qualify for the waiver of the additional credit reduction. Further, the additional credit reduction of section 3302(c)(2)(B) is zero for these States for 2016.
Therefore, employers in these States will have no additional credit reduction applied for calendar year 2016.
Connecticut and Ohio repaid all of their outstanding advance balances before the beginning of November 10, 2016. Therefore, employers in those States will have no reduction in FUTA offset credit for calendar year 2016.
California and the Virgin Islands will have a credit reduction of 1.8 for calendar year 2016.
These determination were expected, although there was some risk that the requests for waiver might not be approved for California and the Virgin Islands and an even higher FUTA tax increase might be due because of the Benefit Cost Rate review.
A FUTA offset credit reduction of 1.8 means that the FUTA rate in these states will go for 2016 up to 2.4% (approximately $168 per employee) from 0.6% (approximately $42 per employee).


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Flax is a plant that has been cultivated for numerous products including materials, dyes soaps and medicine. In recent years, flax seeds have come into favor for their high concentration of fiber and healthy fats. Flaxseed oil is sold as a dietary supplement in most vitamin and health food stores. High in omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed oil, either in capsule or liquid form can be particularly useful for bodybuilders.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin is a hormone that plays an essential role in glucose metabolism. When glucose enters the bloodstream, insulin is secreted by the pancreas and shuttles the glucose into cells, including muscle and fat cells. With the large amounts of food bodybuilders typically eat, there is a risk of developing poor insulin sensitivity, which hinders cell's ability to recognize insulin and accept the glucose. The New York Academy of Sciences notes that omega-3 fatty acids, such as those contained in flaxseed oil may improve insulin sensitivity. For bodybuilders, supplementing with flaxseed oil may improve glucose metabolism and decrease their likelihood of developing type-two diabetes.
Body Fat Loss
The omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed oil seem to trigger increased fat burning, notes bodybuilding nutrition expert Mauro Di Pasquale M.D. Bodybuilders, according to Dr. Di Pasquale are often reluctant to consume dietary fat, especially during the weeks before a competition. Supplementing with flaxseed oil is a convenient way for bodybuilders to consume healthy fats without having to significantly raise their caloric intake.
Reducing Inflammation
Serious bodybuilders endure punishing training sessions, often training through illness and injury. Soreness is a common side effect of this strenuous training. Over time, this physical abuse can lead to chronic pain and inflammation. Flaxseed oil seems to have a anti-inflammatory effect, which can reduce muscle and joint pain. Flaxseed may even reduce the symptoms of long term conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. The omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed oil may also prevent injury by promoting long-term bone health.


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- Alternate links - language polish - subtitles english
- 01
You & Me Forever in streaming. Laura and Christine are best friends. They have been best friends forever. One day they meet the mysterious and fascinating Maria, and their friendship is put to the test. For Laura it is a meeting that changes the world she thought she knew so well. A story about friends and enemies, vulnerability and wildness, love
Directors: Kaspar Munk
Duration: 82 min
Year of release: 2012
Genres: Drama
Click the links below to watch You & Me Forever in streaming: