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CF22 - Who wants to go back to Egypt?
Egypt? That's right, Egypt, ancient Egypt. So, what does ancient Egypt have to do with us today? We'll consult Jim Beckman's "God Help Me" to find an answer. We talk more on prayer, and I announce a new contest.
And don't forget to vote for the Catholic Foodie at www.catholicnewmediaawards.com
As usual, I promise in the intro to talk about something, only to run out of time before closing the show. Sorry! No red beans & rice for you today! But check back soon! Also, the "website launch" announcement will have to wait until next week too.
So, who wants to go back to Egypt? Do you?
Bon appetit!
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Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/


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Taking someone and holding them against their will is the textbook definition of kidnapping. If you are facing kidnapping charges and feel that you are being falsely accused, then you will have to work hard to stay out of jail. If you attempt to defend yourself in a case like this, you may find it very difficult to get a favorable outcome. Each case involving kidnapping is unique and will be treated as such when dealing with our lawyer at the McDaniel Law Group, PLLC.
Hiring our law firm to help you can be beneficial for a number of reasons like:
- Knowing Your Rights- The first thing that you need to find out when facing these types of charges is what your rights are. Our team will have no problem letting you know what your rights are and helping you figure out what your next logical move is.
- Getting Your Bail Reduced- Another important thing you will be able to get help with when hiring our lawyers is getting your bail reduced. We will work hard to get your bail reduced so you can get out of jail and be with your family during this troubling time.
- Let Us Investigate- Allowing us to investigate your case is the best way to build a defense strategy. We have a team of investigators that are here to help and get the particulars of a case nailed down before going to trial.
Neglecting to get legal representation during this difficult time can lead to a number of additional negative consequences.
What Should You Do When Charged With Kidnapping?
Often times, kidnapping charges will result from child custody disputes. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your case, you will need to follow a few basic rules.
- Exercise Your Right to Remain Silent- When detained by law enforcement and charged with kidnapping, you need to exercise your right to remain silent. Talking to police officers without representation can lead to you incriminating yourself and making things a lot worse.
- Get Legal Representation- The first call you need to make when booked on kidnapping charges is to our law firm. Once we arrive, we will be able to guide you through the interrogation process with ease. Without our presence, you may say the wrong thing and find yourself facing additional charges as a result.
- Know Exactly What You Are Charged With- When being booked, you need to find out what you are being charged with. Getting a list of your charges will be very beneficial when trying to mount a proper defense. Letting our firm know what you have been charged with will allow us to get to work on your behalf.
By following these steps, you will be able to avoid doing additional damage to your representation. The McDaniel Law Group, PLLC is here to help you with your case. Give us a call and let us get the ball rolling on your defense strategy.
Defenses Used During Kidnapping Cases
In order to successfully beat a kidnapping charge, you will need an iron clad defense strategy. Here are some of the most common defenses that are used in these types of cases.
- Ignorance of the Law- In some cases, a person may be able to use the fact that they were ignorant of kidnapping laws to beat their charges. If lawyers can prove their client thought they were acting within the bounds of the law, they may be able to get them exonerated of the charges.
- The Insanity Defense- If a person can prove that they did not have control of their mental state during the time they were holding a person hostage, charges may be lessened. In order to use this defense, lawyers will have to work with closely with mental health professionals. These professionals will be able to evaluate the defendant and give their professional opinion regarding their mental state.
- Compulsion or Duress- When a person kidnaps another to protect them from bodily harm, the compulsion or duress defense may be used. The defense lawyer will have to prove their client was being threatened and acted on impulse to save themselves and the victim of the kidnapping from harm.
- The Victim Consented- In some instances, the kidnapping offense will be rendered baseless is the victim consented. While this defense is seldom used, it can be effective with the right circumstances.
Let our team help you figure out exactly what type of defense is best to use for your set circumstances.
Contact Us Now!
Waiting to contact our lawyer after being charged with kidnapping can cause more trouble. Call us at 877-620-3644 to talk an experienced member of our staff. Once you come in for a consultation, we will be able to use the information you provide to help you figure out the best way to provide you with the right defense.
Contact Us At Washington DC Criminal Defense Lawyer
Remember, no matter the charge, you deserve the chance to defend yourself. We'll give you that chance (and then some). Call us today at 202-331-0793 to make an appointment, or fill out the contact form on this page to seize the opportunity to protect your future.

subset: commoncrawl


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Updating member profiles is helpful so that CSI HQ and active CSI members may view correct information in your profile. There are a few helpful features in your profile that are available such as the political districting features which are useful for counselor and client advocacy. However, they require address verification.
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Monday, August 6, 2012
I do this every so often-- you know, the Mommy Meltdown thing I do. Is it, like, quarterly that I have a freakout? Let's say quarterly.
I've gone cuckoo kachoo. But before you judge me,
please know that I am the nicest mom, ever. 'Cept I'm not. But I am. Sorta. I can be really nice. I am nice. Until you cross me. It's all roses and lollipops, until Thing 3 whines that he needs "a glass of meee-wk" for the eight thousandth time.
And then it's suddenly, "How would you like a nice warm glass of shut the heck up?"
And then everyone's like, "Ruh-roh-- mom's gone crazy again."
I don't know what brings this on. Oh wait, yes I do. I'm sure the back ache from all that manual labor the last few days has something to do with it. It's about all that bum wiping, or perhaps I've made one too many boxes of macaroni and cheese and then snapped.
And it certainly has something to do with the hubs having worked an insane amount of hours this entire summer and I'm on like week 8 of: haven't left the house, talked to an adult about once a week/who are all these kids in my house? I'm pretty sure I only birthed 4 but I'm counting 10 and why is there a trail of toilet paper down the hall, da$#it!.
And, you know, this has nothing to do with it. I hate two year olds.
(The quality of this shot matches the quality of my mood. Crappy.)
And then suddenly, people are coming to tell you that they caught your seven year old trying to dip his freaking cotton candy in the chocolate fountain at Golden Corral, for crying out loud.
And then you realize, that although laundry's going in the washer and out of the dryer, that nothing's actually getting put away. And that's why the boys are wearing a jammie top with a pair of mismatched striped shorts.
And before you know it, bam-- you've locked yourself in the bathroom, and you're sitting on the can watching Netflix on the iPad on your lap. ("Somebody's in here!")
Happens to everyone from time to time.
I hope.
So why am I sharing this? Oh, ya know. I find it cleansing. Helps me move on. 'N stop waving my gun in the air. Swing the battle axe over my head, and so forth.
I promised not to show this picture outside of the family.
My bad. (Shhhh. He called himself "Weirdo Crazy Super Hero").
Man, I'm feeling better, already. Thanks for listening. Let's go make some cookies, kids. Maybe we'll even bake some of the dough.
18 comments:
- Janice said...
I am so there with you. Lately my 3 year old has been dealing with constipation. And I know I've sounded insane when I've been dealing with her. But dang it, I need some sort of poop-grabber-outer machine so I can get on with my life and we can GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM. I am SO sick of poop. Or lack thereof.
Not that it's getting on my nerves at all.
- August 6, 2012 at 7:27 PM
- Jessie K said...
Let's go crazy together!!! Hubby is now working in the oil fields and leaves me with 3 kiddos for weeks on end with no clear idea of when he'll be home again!!! It's not his fault, but it sure drives me crazy!!!
- August 6, 2012 at 8:10 PM
- Sharon said...
Thanks for the giggle! And, if it makes you feel any better, my 23 year old just said to me yesterday "oh, here you go again....a freak out! Every few months it happens like clockwork.". So, you are not alone and most days i am a nice mom too!
- August 6, 2012 at 8:16 PM
- Emily said...
You are not alone! We all freak out! It's good for the soul. Ü
- August 6, 2012 at 8:21 PM
- Lisa at Shine Your Light said...
You are too funny! I love how you always have your camera at the ready to capture real life! The little munchkin lying facedown in her pink dress? Oh man that one brings back some sweet memories. How about the crazy scary laugh that makes everyone else run for the hills because they know mom's losing it - do you do that one? My kids are TERRIFIED when they hear the crazy laugh….everyone stops dead in their tracks and gives me the big eyes!
- August 6, 2012 at 10:12 PM
- Mom On A Budget said...
I 100% agree with you -- we do so much as mom's, and sometimes we just need to scream! I'm glad that I'm not the only one who gets annoyed with "mom-mom-mom-mom-mom" ALL.DAY.LONG. Hang in there!
- August 7, 2012 at 4:30 AM
- SueAnn Lommler said...
How about you hire a babysitter and hide out in the garage!!??
It's a thought
- August 7, 2012 at 4:44 AM
- Evelyn said...
YES, it happens to everyone...or at least to me! I freak out in cycles too, and then everyone thinks I'm a mean mom and I feel guilty for having lost my sanity and then I feel indignant and think "I deserve a little respect too!" and then I see how everyone is avoiding me and I feel guilty again and vow to do better...until the next freak out, anyway.
I hope it gets better for the rest of the summer!
- August 7, 2012 at 8:57 AM
- Layne Bushell said...
I think it's called Summer. It does it to me every year. I long for it and then hate it and love it all at the same time. you need a break. Can I give you one? I'm gonna take your kiddos for an afternoon so you can watch netflix all day long without being asked for a glass of meeewk. :)
- August 7, 2012 at 10:32 AM
- Carol Ann said...
Having grown children, I look back on those crazy days of hair-pulling with laughter instead of tears, thank goodness. But seeing your son with the smiley-face stickers on his body reminded me of the time my 3 yr old son stuck a "Hello--My Name is...." nametag on his wee-wee. I'm pretty sure the ER doctor is still laughing at that one.
Hang in there!
- August 7, 2012 at 11:25 AM
- Maureen said...
Every Mother deserves a melt down. It is her right from conception of said child. I wish we lived closer because I would take the kids for you for the day or more and give you a break. You wouldn't even have to watch Netflix in the bathroom. Just remember Tracy Adkins' song "You're Gonna Miss This." because it will apply to you ONE day. Just not today! :)
- August 7, 2012 at 11:28 AM
- Libby said...
Flashback time...thanks for letting me know that SAHM's are still having coocoo banana days. (I guess I didn't use up all the coocoo banana karma when I was a SAHM with 3 little ones and hubby who worked insane hours)
Sounds like Jeffo is having a crappy summer also.
Hope you take up a friend on the time out offer. Wish I did.
- August 7, 2012 at 4:40 PM
- Kerrye said...
I am SO right there with you! Luckily for me school starts tomorrow... but then again that means summer is over and that makes me mad too. ('specially since it's still triple-digits here) Did I mention that I've decided the tens are the terrible-twos dirty little secret cousin?
- August 7, 2012 at 5:32 PM
- Trina said...
I feel completely the same way as you and I am so glad that you were brave enough to share it. I have 2 boys (6 and 4) and my husband has been gone 3 days and 4 nights a week for work all summer. It is tough! It is crazy! And sometimes I want to pack my bags and leave, never look back. But then there is a moment of calm and I get a "You're beautiful, mommy" and darn it...I get sucked back in. A vicious cycle I tell ya!
Thanks for making me feel not alone!
Trina @afewmineradjustments.blogspot.com
- August 7, 2012 at 8:43 PM
I found you via a pin… I always go back and pin from the source. But it can get time consuming that way because I end up reading the blog… like a lot. And yours, girl, is HILARIOUS. I want to be your neighbor {except for the days when you're feeling kind of postal}.
- August 9, 2012 at 8:39 AM
- Kristina said...
I am stumbling upon your blog during one of my freak-outs. I also have 4 children. #2 was being silly and pulled over the bathroom cabinet, emptying all its contents onto the floor. After assessing that only his ego was hurt, I proceeded to go ape. As I take a time out, I feel the guilt of going nuts, but read through this post and feel so relieved I'm not alone. Your blog is hilarious. Thank you for making me feel "normal" (well, as normal as you can get with 4 kiddos) and bringing my blood pressure down during my time-out.
- August 11, 2012 at 4:14 PM
- Deidre said...
Oh man Im so feelin your pain sister! Wait till your oldest is 14 and now your saddled with Satan! Muhahaha...then your 8 year old whines all day that hes bored and your oldest is wondering why we cant live in a mansion like her friends do and why Mom is always making junk? and why cant we buy new from Pier one or pottery barn?!1 WHEW!!Sorry I digress,lol Thats when a trip to the grocery store alone feels like a vacation!
- August 12, 2012 at 6:27 AM
Hi Mandi. I just stumbled upon your blog, and I cannot stop reading! Thank you for being so real! I laughed out loud when I saw the photo of your daughter face down in protest of perceived parental injustice. We all have those days...and I only have one whose tantrum potential has not been fully realized yet (he is just over a year.) Thank you for sharing, and thank you for the laugh. I'm rooting for you!
- August 25, 2012 at 9:30 PM


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Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Finishing a Project and other Crochet topics.
Ah, you've just finished your fabulous scarf or blanket and want to add a fringe trim. What are some different ways to do this? First, you might want to consider, at the beginning of your project, leaving long "tails" of yarn when changing colors or starting and ending rows. These tails can blend into the fringe that you add at the end and can serve as a good way to measure how long you want your fringe to be when adding more at the end.
If you're adding fringe at the end of the project and the pattern hasn't given you any instructions to follow, then the first step is to decide how long you want your fringe trim to be. Take that number, say 4 inches, and double it, then add another inch (for the knot!), and that's how long each strand of yarn you cut for the fringe should be (in our case here, 9 inches). Don't pull the yarn too tight when measuring it, it'll end up being shorter than you think; in fact, err on the side of making the strands too long -- you can always trim the fringe once you've finished attaching it all.
Next, decide how thick you want the fringe to be. I usually combine at least 4 strands of yarn because, when folded, it'll be 8 strands, and I like a lush, thick fringe. Then, figure out at what intervals you want to attach the fringe segments, which will help you figure out how many strands of yarn you ultimately need to cut to finish your project.
Now it's time to attach our fringe. Use a big crochet hook and insert it into the joining point. Take the strands of yarn you want to use for that fringe segment and fold them in half. Slip the created loop at the top over the shaft of the crochet hook and wrap the ends of the yarn over the head of the hook and pull them through and tighten. One fringe segment has been completed!
At this point, things should go pretty quickly since you've done a great job prepping. Just be sure to be consistent in the technique you use to finish up the rest of the segments. Oh, and be sure to buy extra yarn at the beginning of your project if the pattern doesn't give specific measurements or directions.
In my first experience with fringes, I learned that they begin to fray or unravel on the cut end. In the majority of "fringe instructions", this is not mentioned-and a "need to know" for washable yarn. Answer: oh, that is a great point, thanks for adding to the tip!! I will think about some ideas for how to minimize the fray, and I hope others will share their experiences too.
When the project measurements give the "finished size" and fringe is included in the pattern, is the "finished size" including or excluding the fringe? Answer: if the project designer has not indicated whether or not the fringe is included, I would assume that it is.
|Guru Spotlight
|Phyllis Serbes


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For Worldwide Release: December 2013
Release Number: M22PR13
Kiel, Germany – To help commercial marine customers better adjust to new operation profiles and evolving emissions regulations in the global marine industry, Caterpillar Marine is pleased to announce the development of new features and increased power ratings for the MaK™ M 25 C propulsion engine, a legendary commercial marine engine platform with over 1,000 installations in marine applications and vessels.
Key updates include reduced part load fuel consumption, improved engine load response capabilities and a 5 percentage higher rating over the existing platform, increasing the power output to 350 kW per cylinder. First engines of the enhanced M 25 C engine platform will be available by the end of 2014.
"It was critical for us to engineer efficiency, loading capabilities and power improvements into the platform without sacrificing the durability and reliability the M 25 C is known for throughout the industry," Detlef Kirste, Caterpillar Marine MaK product definition manager stated. "We wanted to give our customers increased operational flexibility which do support state of the art propulsion technologies and the new M 25 C is designed for both traditional mechanical-and electric propulsion systems as well as electric propulsion systems, which do require variable engine speed capabilities."
Manufactured in Kiel, Germany, the M 25 C will be offered in 6,8 and 9 cylinder configurations. The platform will meet IMO II emissions regulations in its standard configuration and is designed to support the operation of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems in order to comply with IMO III emission regulations.
The engine will also feature the new Caterpillar Monitoring Alarm and Control System (MACS) which will provide additional functionality regarding engine control, diagnostics and remote monitoring, including the option to extend these functions to control and monitor engine related systems as required for the operation of SCR's.
For more information on the new MaK M 25 C platform, please visit the Caterpillar booth #N1A41 at the 2013 Marintec Show in Shanghai, China, December 3rd – 6th. Industry experts will be on hand to answer questions on the new engine. Unable to make the show? Visit http://www.marine.cat.com. Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/caterpillarmarine and Twitter: www.twitter.com/catmarineglobal using #catmarintec for updates throughout the show.
# # #
Caterpillar Marine, with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, groups all the marketing and service activities for Cat® and MaK marine engines within Caterpillar Inc. The organisation provides premier power solutions in the medium- and high-speed segments with outputs from 93 to 16,800 kW in main propulsion and 10 to 16,100 kWe in marine generator sets. The sales and service network includes more than 2,100 dealer locations world-wide dedicated to support customers in ocean-going, commercial marine and pleasure craft wherever they are.
More information is available at: MARINE.CAT.COM/pr
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making progress possible and driving positive and sustainable change on every continent. With 2012 sales and revenues of $65.875 billion, Caterpillar is a technology leader and the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, clean diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. More information is available at www.cat.com.
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All Rights Reserved
CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, MaK, "Caterpillar Yellow", the "Power Edge" trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.
Press Inquiries
Jenna Janik Marcoux
Phone: +1 713 895 1449


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Guest post by Daniel Matoušek
Until now, there has not been much literature on the recording industry in the former Czechoslovakia. Particularly the history after the 1950s is not mapped at all yet. However, there are two books about the early music industry in the Czech lands that stand out in scope and in depth of detail: "Fonogram I" and "Fonogram II" by Czech record collector and sound industry historian Gabriel Gössel. The following short series of four articles is thus a look into the history of early gramophone industry in the Czech lands as described in these two volumes.
This third part covers the 1930s, when Czechoslovakia was suffered from world economic crisis which led to the oligopolization of the music industry.
In the mid twenties, electrical recording along with economic growth expanded the market and gave birth to two big Czech companies: Esta and Ultraphon. From the beginning, Esta was rather oriented on popular repertory and therefore was targeted at the rural population. Ultraphon, a formerly Czech branch of a German company, became independent after the spectacular crash of the parent company Küchenmeister in 1931. In contrast to Esta, Czech Ultraphon focused on a more polished repertory and higly regarded performers.
Esta and Ultraphon entered a highly competitive market. The market leader was Parlophon. Despite its history reached far back to the beginning of the century, the label appeared in Czechoslovakia only in 1929 when a distribution deal was made with Novitas. The label was owned by the legendary music business pioneer Diego Fuchs who managed to negotiate record deals with some of the most prominent artists of the time. A usual price of Parlophon discs was 27 Kc in 1930 – slightly above the average. Due to a top rated repertory and high profiled artists, business went well for Parlophon and initially the market entry of Esta and Ultraphon did not affect its supremacy. However, when world economic crisis also severely hit Czechoslovakia Parlophon completely stopped recording new Czech repertory. Many artists, which were formerly signed with the label, changed to Esta and Ultraphon. In 1936, Parlophon released its last Czech records and mutated into a distribution company of imported records from Britain.
The second main player in the Czechoslovakian market was Homocord. Homocord was a sublabel of the Lindström conglomerate. It entered the market already in the early twenties and even established a pressing facility in Prague. Homocord's heydays, however, began when Otto Fischl was replaced by Emil Schmelkes in 1929. Schmelkes was the former head of the Vox record label, which went bankrupt in 1929. Under his guidance Homocord aggressively gained market share but eventually fell victim of its rampant growth. It had to file bancruptcy and was deleted from the registry of companies in 1935. Despite Schmelkes was responsible for two bancruptcies he was still considered a competent manager. After Homocord had gone out of business, he was immediately asked to head Esta.
In this context, it should be mentioned that the deep economic depression was exacerbated by the protectionist policy of the Czechoslovakian government in the early 1930s. In order to protect domestic production during the worst years of the world economic crisis government imposed high duties on all imports that also negatively affected the recording industry, which mainly relied on imported records. Initially import duties on imported records were imposed in 1931. In 1933, however, the tariff was increased six-fold (Kotek 1998:21). This was a death blow to almost all foreign companies that eventually had to leave the Czechoslovakian market.
Story of Esta
The concept of establishing an indigenous Czech record company was formed by a group of businessmen in Prague, who were involved in the wood trading company Foresta. In 1930, Josef Bursik, vice-director of the Commerce Bank in Prague, real estate agent Egon Bondy (who contributed a great deal of the equity but already left the enterprise in 1933) and businessman Rudolf Hajek (the company's later director) set up office in a modest one-floor building in Holesovice – a then village nearby Prague. The newly formed company was called Esta and initially should release its catalogue on unbreakable, elastic discs made from celluloid which was the technological state-of-the-art. Esta started licensing and pressing Kalliope matrices, but the celluloid records were of poor quality and it soon became obvious that celluloid would not be the future of recording industry. At the end of 1930, Esta reported that they would start manufacturing usual shellac discs instead. However, this strategic shift was almost to late. In 1931, the record company was faced with serious financial troubles. Jan Valentini of competing Ultraphon label later remembered that Esta's debt had totaled up to 9 million crowns in 1931 (Kotek 1998: 21).
Esta's first own recording (made from their own matrices) was supposedly a disc with two songs from the popular movie C. a K. polni masalek. They were released in a Czech and a German version on the day when the movie premiered in October 1930. Struggling with the economic downturn and heavy-weight competitors, which had launched cheap labels such as Slavia, Nolaphon, Sortima, Lido to name only a few, Esta started to distribute its records to foreign markets (Poland, Hungary and Germany) and bought up cheap matrices of bankrupt German Ultraphon. However, two major events eventually helped Esta to survive. On the one hand the Czechoslovakian Sokol Club (a popular sport's club) ordered large quantities of Esta records and on the other hand the German Crystalate company licenced Esta records for its Kristall discs. In addition, the Czech Academy of Sciences commissioned Esta to press historic Pathé discs and to record new folkloristic material in 1933.
In 1934, the most turbulent period in Esta's history came to an end. Nevertheless its economic situation was very strained and therefore Esta entered into merger talks with main competitor Ultraphon. In 1935, however, Rudolf Hayek who initiated the merger talks was replaced by Emil Schmelkes as the company's director. Schmelkes, who was the former head of Homocord, immediately stopped the negotiations with Ultraphon. He restructured the company and started to press licenced discs of Brunswick and Polydor. When in 1937 the financial situation had not substantially improved, the two remaining owners, Hajek and Bursik, agreed to sell their shares to the biggest creditor, the Czechoslovakian Bank of Commerce for a symbolic Czech Crown. A year later, Esta was bought up by the far biggest book and magazine publishing house in Czechoslovakia, Melantrich. In fact, Melantrich, did not only buy Esta but even the entire Bank of Commerce. Gössel believes that Melantrich may have realized the economic potential of the recording industry already in 1935 when it commissioned Ultraphon to release seven records with hiking songs to support its youth magazine Ahoj na nedeli. The records turned out a huge commercial success.
The new owner decided to raise the prices and also confined the rebate policy for retail and wholesale. Melantrich successfully relaunched Esta and owned the label until 1946, when the Czechoslovakian music industry was nationalized.
Closely connected to Esta was the German Polydor label. Polydor was the export label of Deutsche Gramophon Gesellschaft (DGG), and was distributed in Czechoslovakia apart from DGG's representation in Prague by Christl & Schmidt, which operated in a small town called Cheb. Due to the economic depression in Germany, DGG had tried to expand to the Czechoslovakian market in 1932. The Polydor label mainly released records with Czech repertory, which were recorded and pressed in Esta facilities. From 1935 to 1943 DGG used Esta plants also for Czech releases of Brunswick jazz – or so called "dance music" – records and Esta and Polydor even issued a shared Czechoslovakian catalogue in this period.
Story of Ultraphon
At the beginning of the 20th century, Heinrich Küchenmeister founded the Küchenmeister Ultraphon Maatschappij AG as a producer of phonographs (called ultraphones) in the Netherlands. It soon expanded to Germany as Deutsche Ultraphon AG. In 1927, the director of the Austrian subsidiary was looking for an agent in Prague to sell Ultraphon equipment in Czechoslovakia. Eventually he contracted with Avus, a trade company for vacuum cleaners and electrical appliances, which was owned by Gustav Susicky. When in 1928 Ultraphon entered the recorded music market by pressing Ultraphon records, Mr. Susicky was offered the exclusive distribution for Czechoslovakia. Therefore, Susicky as well as the brothers Jan and Frantisek Valentini founded a limited company called Ravitas in 1929. Later on, when Susicky left the company the Valentinis became heads of the now transformed stock company Ultraphon A.S.
The main goal of Ravitas was to create a Czech music catalogue. Initially Ravitas had to record the Czech repertory in Ultraphon's record studios in Berlin. Some recordings, however, were also produced in an improvised studio in Prague with support by German sound engineers. The intensive recording activity – 160 Czech records were produced just in 1930 – was overshadowed by financial turbulences. In 1931, the Küchenmeister parent company in the Netherlands was bancrupt and the German subsidiary was illiquid too. German Ultraphon, thus, sold the assets of the Czech subsidiary along with a large stock of German matrices (22,000 Orchestrola, 111,000 Ultraphon, 10,000 Ultraphon with 30cm diameter and 9,000 Musica Sacra) for 1 million Kc to Ravitas. Since Ravitas did not have that amount of money Ultraphon accepted a payment in two installments over two years. In April 1931, the Czechoslovakian Ministry of Commerce eventually stepped in and allowed Ravitas to bring all its assets and liabilities in to a new stock company, Ultraphon A.S., which started its operation on January 1st, 1932.[1] The Valentinis took a high risk with their strategic move but succeeded at the end – also by a good portion of luck. Literally one song out of Ultraphon catalogue solved all financial problem. "Cikanka" [Gypsy Girl] by Karel Vacek allegedly sold incredible 100,000 copies altogether (about 50,000 by the Ultraphon label alone).
In the following Ultraphon increased its market share to 36% in 1933, when the company sold about 300,000 records of its Ultraphon, Orchestrola and Artona labels. In the same year a record studio was established in Prague. In the following years the sales were almost high on a level of about a quarter a million. The sales' slumps in specialized retail shops could be compensated by increased sales of budget priced records in department stores. Ultraphon even launched a second budget label, Selekton, beside the still existing Artona label.
At that time also foreign companies became interested in distributing Ultraphon records mainly in Austria and Germany. In Vienna, for instance, the Phönix label successfully sold Ultraphon records to the Czech minority. Ultraphon also tried to get the licences for pressing DGG's Brunswick and Polydor labels, in which main competitor Esta succeeded at last. However, Utraphon had already a licensing agreement with Telefunken – the main competitor of DGG in Germany.
Although Ultraphon successfully performed in the Czech part of the country, the economic situation in less developed Slovakia was somewhat worse. The company was forced to close its warehouse in Zilina and had to hire a travelling man for the Slovakia territory instead.[2] However, compared to main competitor Esta, which had to file for insolvency, Ultraphon was on the sunny side of the street. In 1937, Ultraphon's factory run at full capacity and pressed records in two shifts, which resulted in a turnover of 6 million Kc.
Part of Ultraphon's success was its close relation to German Telefunken Schallplatte GmbH. Ultraphon was the general representation of Telefunken, which also included a lending deal for Telefunken recording equipment. Telefunken was founded in 1903 as a joint venture of AEG and Siemens & Halske to produce telegraphs, telephones and the like. Telefunken entered the recorded music market not until 1932, when it bought matrices and other assets from insolvent German Ultraphon for 100,000 RM ("Reichmark"). As a producer of sound films ("Klangfilm") and radio equipment, Telefunken gained control over all sectors of the audio-visual industry in the German Reich. In 1933, Telefunken entered into a close cooperation with Czech Ultraphon by pressing records with German artists for Telefunken. Telefunken records even were offered in the Ultraphon catalogues.
The second label of Czech Ultraphon was Orchestrola. Originally, Orchestrola was a budget price label by the Orchestrola-Vocalion Gesellschaft from 1928-1932. Orchestrola was partly owned by the Küchenmeister conglomerate by British Vocalion Records. When Küchenmeister and German Ultraphon collapsed in 1931, the Orchestrola label disappeared in Germany too. However, Czech repertory was also released on Orchestrola records in 1930, distributed by Valentinis' Ravitas company. Therefore, Orchestrola survived in Czechoslovakia as a sublabel of Czech Ultraphon, but was soon renamed Selekton.
The Czechoslovakian Music Industry in the 1930s
As mentioned above, two main factors affected the music industry in Czechoslovakia in early 1930s. On one hand there was the economic depression, and on the other hand the protectionist policy of the CSR governement forced foreign record companies to leave the country, which was then dominated by only two conglomerates – Esta and Ultraphon – which fiercely competed to obtain a reasonable market share. However, some foreign record companies tried to exploit a loophole in the legislation on import tariffs, which did not apply to imported matrices that were pressed in CSR. Therefore, some foreign labels directly contracted with pressing plants within the CSR, and some even managed to hire facilities in order to press their entire catalogues there. The latter strategy was operated by DGG's Polydor label that recorded the Czech repertory in Vienna and Berlin, but pressed the records in the CSR by subcontracting with Esta's pressing plants in 1932.
Pallas company managed the situation even better and built a pressing plant in a small village nearby the city Karlovy Vary where the records could be directly sold to the German minorities. Pallas, initially had operated as a subsidiary of the German company Clement Claus AG since 1932. In the same year, Pallas cut the first records of Czech repertory in the Esta studio in Prague. One might suspect that these records were Esta's own unsuccessful recordings, which Esta did not want to release. The Pallas records were usually budget priced and of inferior quality compared to Esta releases.
The most successful foreign record company that operated in the CSR despite the protectionist tariff poliy was the British Gramophone Company (later EMI) with its own and well-established pressing plant in Usti nad Labem.
Other companies fought hard despite the worsening conditions. Probably the only way to compete was to sell budget priced records. The early 1930s, therefore, witnessed a price war in which the regular prices of records decreased by more than 50% within one or two years. Kotek (1998: 20) even suspects a price cartel among foreign companies was targeted against Esta and Ultraphon.
In 1931, the price of Ultraphon records was 25 Kc and 36 Kc for high-profiled "red label" devoted to opera and classic music. At the end of 1932, Ultraphon launched the new budget label Artona whose records were sold for 15 Kc with different titles for the German and Czech Ultraphon catalogues. Ultraphon's second budget label Selekton that was introduced shortly thereafter with a price of 15 Kc which soon was cut to 12.50 Kc.
Esta sold its records in 1930 at 25 Kc in 1930, but decreased the prices to 12.50 Kc in 1933 In the mid-thirties the prices were increased to 15 Kc. Esta's price policy was criticzed by the Czech collecting society OSA, which threatened to withdraw the licensing if the basic price would not raised from 12.50 Kc to 16 Kc.
The impact of the protectionist policy and the destructive price competition can also be documented by import statistics of records highlighted in Lochmann (1955). Within five years the value of imported records decreased by nearly 95 percent.
The economic crisis did not only cause a unhealthy price competition but also a new way to advertise music products. In the early 1930s, so called "advertised records" of very popular street musicians were released. These records of various artists sold very well not at least because of the extremely low price since the interpreters were paid next to nothing. Those who turned out to be commercially successful, gained a recording contract. It was a kind of casting show without media support but by advertising money of big Czech companies. Thus, myriads of mostly untrained amateur singers found their way to the record studios with the hope to become a record star.
Despite the economic downturn, the number of record pressing plants increased in the first half of the 1930s due to the protectionist tariff policy. As noted above, Esta, Ultraphon and Pallas built new facilities for their as well as licensed records, and Deutsche Grammophon continued its business in Usti nad Labem. The record pressing plant in Obergrund which was established by Herman Maasen was taken over by his longtime business partner Herman Eisner after Maasen's death in 1931. Eisner who also was the head of the Artiphon record company and thus renamed the new firm to Artiphon-Eisner & Co. Artiphon was partly financed by Columbia Graphophone Co. (later EMI). Josef Vrba who was Columbia's representative in Czechoslovakia was also head of Artiphon's Czech division. Gössel assumes the takeover was likely to be an idea of EMI in order to attack Esta's and Ultraphon's increasing control over the Czechoslovakian record market. In the Obergrund factory more than twenty labels were pressed from imported Artiphon matrices from 1932 to 1935. However, after the import tariffs were imposed the number labels considerably decreased. In 1935, Artiphon-Eisner & Co. ceased its operations in the CSR. Parlophon, Odeon and other Lindström labels, which were represented by Diego Fuchs' Novitas company, followed a year later. Homocord already left the Czech market in 1934. In 1936, thus, an oligopoly of three record labels operated in the CSR: the domestic Esta and Ultraphon as well as the British Gramophone Co., which was a already a subsidiary of EMI.
In the next and last part of the series the development during World War II and the post-war nationalization of the Czech recording industry is highlighted.
Gössel, Gabriel (2001). Fonogram I. Prague: Radioservis.
Gössel, Gabriel (2006). Fonogram II. Prague: Radioservis.
Gramofonovy prumysl. http://www.usti-nl.cz/dejiny/19stol/ul-5-31.htm (accessed Oct 20, 2011). Note: official webpage of Usti nad Labem, from archival sources of the city.
Kotek, Vladimir (1998). Dejiny ceske popularni hudby a zpevu, Vol. 2: 1918–1968. [A history of Czech popular music and song]. Prague: Academia.
Lochmann, Adolf (1955). Gramofnova deska [The Gramophone disc]. Praha: Prace.
[1] Similarly, the Ultraphon subsidiaries in France, Albania, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxemburg became independent business entities, too
[2] Travelling men were also hired for Bohemia and Moravia in order to reach different customers all over the country to offer them records for a favorable prices.


text:
© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-1797/McBride
Pakistan, 2010: Children displaced by massive flooding attend a temporary learning centre at a UNICEF-supported camp in the city of Sukkur. Early Warning, Early Action systems linking global, national and local responses are crucial to mitigating human suffering.
A world of increasing complexity and risk
In 2010, natural disasters of unprecedented magnitude caused untold suffering for millions of children, their families and their communities. Conflict and insecurity exacted a heavy toll on lives and spirits. The examples of these affronts are numerous and include the earthquake in Haiti that destroyed its capital city; flooding in Pakistan that submerged one-fifth of the country; parched earth and hunger across the Sahel; and displacement and violence in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia. These large-scale humanitarian crises, as well as many lesser-reported emergencies, are evidence of the ongoing vulnerability of communities and entire countries to natural and man-made hazards. The country chapters in Humanitarian Action for Children 2011 show the impact of humanitarian emergencies – some short-term, many of them protracted – on the lives and dignity of children and families.
Extensive humanitarian need requires far-reaching humanitarian action, carried out with utmost speed and often simultaneously in different parts of the world. While responding to immediate needs, humanitarian action also necessitates a sharpened focus on the larger duty to address underlying vulnerabilities should disaster strike, or strike again, especially at a time when threats are intensifying, multiplying and interacting in complex and sometimes little-understood ways.
Today it is common for communities already living on the edge to be buffeted by a host of simultaneous or repeated shocks, such as political crises, disease epidemics or the destruction of shelter and productive assets in a storm or flood. Without the time and means to recover, and without social safety nets to fall back on, many communities lurch from emergency to emergency in a downward spiral of impoverishment and social disintegration. The countries in Humanitarian Action for Children 2011 confront escalating risks from pre-existing positions of great vulnerability. It is telling that conflict-affected and fragile states are furthest behind in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and that recurring civil war is now the dominant form of armed conflict.1
A renewed food crisis unfolding in 2011 is but one of several inter-related global trends with far-reaching consequences for the world's poorest. Climate change is becoming a potent driver of increased risk in the form of extreme weather events and through slower-moving phenomena such as resource degradation and the erosion of territories and livelihoods. Large-scale humanitarian impacts are expected as water and food security deteriorate, floods and storms lay waste to cities and essential infrastructure, and people are displaced. Children, as ever, will be in the eye of the storm.2
The result of these trends is an increase in the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance and of populations at risk, and this increase requires a strengthened and more agile response capacity. It also means that the international aid system must be retooled to better manage unpredictability and address underlying vulnerabilities. While this is a vital goal of development work, humanitarian action holds an important place in lessening hardships and preparing the ground for more robust recovery and risk management in the future. In this overall context of growing complexity and need, UNICEF, which responds to more than two hundred emergencies each year, is committed to supporting governments and helping people build their own resilience, through the humanitarian action outlined in this report, as well as in its regular programming.
Understanding resilience
Rooted in materials science and ecology, the concept of resilience has increasingly gained traction in the work of various social disciplines. While nuances vary, resilience generally describes the ability to anticipate, withstand and bounce back from external pressures and shocks – whether physical, emotional, economic, or disaster or conflict related – in ways that avoid a fundamental loss of identity and maintain core functions.3 Some interpretations highlight adeptness at changing direction, rather than resisting change, as a defining characteristic of resilience4; here adversity can become a catalyst for transformation. For the humanitarian community, the common understanding of resilience that follows can offer a useful lens to examine and address increasingly complex crisis contexts.
In its simplest form, resilience can be best conceptualized as the ability of critical physical infrastructure to absorb shocks.5 For instance, the development of appropriate sanitation technologies for flood-prone areas can reduce the risk of infectious disease in the wake of a weather disaster.6 But the concept is much broader than simply structural fortification and hardware. It provides a lens for understanding how effectively social systems and their various components – individuals, families, schools, cities, states, and the family of states that constitutes the international system – guard against risk and collectively manage threats.
Developmental psychologists, for example, try to use resilience as a way to capture the traits, skills and circumstances that lead some children to do well despite experiencing extreme deprivation or violence. Among developmental thinkers, resilience is applied to communities, which are seen to possess multiple sources of strength and resources7 – including human, material and social capital.8 These sources may be rooted in traditions or developed over time and tapped during crises to reduce and manage loss. At yet a higher level of social organization, resilience has also been used as a characteristic of states, as in the analysis of state-building in fragile and conflict-affected situations carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Fragile States Group.9 Here, resilience is contrasted with fragility, which is rooted in social contracts that are weak or exclusionary and implies failures in core functions of the state, including failure to provide security and basic services.
Resilience is therefore a property of different interconnected levels of social and political organization. Highly resilient systems have both risk exposure and response capacities broadly distributed among groups.10 Inequities and the uneven distribution of skills and resources can undermine resilience.11 If a disaster or crisis outstrips coping capacities, support from the 'outside' can be called on to preserve essential values (such as life) and crucial functions (such as water provision). In a disaster where the state cannot provide adequate 'outside' response to affected communities, the international community may be called upon. In these cases, approaches that foster resilience provide not only a rationale for when or why humanitarian action is necessary but also important guidance for how it should be conducted.
There are some commonly considered dimensions of resilience that can offer crucial insights into how the humanitarian community can identify entry points for better supporting resilience.12 These dimensions are:
- flexibility – the ability to change, including the speed and the degree of adjustment;
- diversity – the variety of actors and approaches that contribute to the performance of a system's essential functions;
- adaptive learning – the integration of new knowledge into planning and execution of essential functions;
- collective action and cohesion – the mobilization of capacities to jointly decide and work towards common goals;
- self-reliance – the capacity to self-organize, using internal resources and assets, with minimal external support.
A key challenge remains: measuring resilience. It is difficult to quantify for a number of reasons, primary among them the difficulty in measuring something that does not occur: the armed violence that never happens; the hurricane that passes without causing large-scale damage. Yet examples abound of the failure to nurture resilience – whether the result of weak governance, poor planning, frayed social bonds, grave inequities or emergency responses that supplant rather than reinforce existing capacities. In a context where the future holds increased risks, the transformative capacity of resilience assumes an ever-larger importance.
Despite the body of literature on resilience, the contributions of humanitarian action to resilience have been relatively less explored. UNICEF's own understanding of its humanitarian action within the broader humanitarian system continues to evolve. Attention to resilience can promote humanitarian action that is not only predictable, effective and timely but also strengthens the relationship between humanitarian and development programming and the capacities of national and local actors to manage increasing uncertainty and risk.
UNICEF humanitarian action and resilience
Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF in 2010 strengthened its core humanitarian policy to uphold the rights of children and women in crises. UNICEF reframed its Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in Emergencies as the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, reflecting wider shifts in UNICEF's own work in these contexts as well as the organization's commitment to humanitarian reform.
Key changes include expanding the CCCs to include preparedness before the onset of a crisis and adopting an early recovery approach during response – with disaster risk reduction integrated throughout. The CCCs also moved from a focus on activities to broader strategic results that link humanitarian action to the fulfilment of children's and women's rights in each of UNICEF's programme sectors. They also reflect the recognition that realizing these core commitments requires the contributions of a multitude of actors, including clusters.
Thus reconceived, UNICEF's humanitarian action offers a potential platform for supporting resilience at the national and community levels. A few recent examples illustrate how this has manifested in emergency-affected countries.
In Madagascar, UNICEF supported a programme to train and raise awareness among village chiefs, school directors, health centre heads, community-based organizations and mayors on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) principles and practices in emergency response. Pre-emergency cooperation agreements have been developed with the participating organizations to ensure a timely and rapid response in the event of a cyclone or flooding. Such efforts are an example of how UNICEF's commitment to ensuring the participation of affected populations promotes collective action and cohesion.
The revised CCCs also tighten the link between humanitarian action and development. This stronger integration contributes to UNICEF's institutional flexibility – the nimbleness with which our programmes adjust to evolving situations. In addition, the sharpened focus on disaster risk reduction and local capacity development as explicit strategies contribute to communities' own flexibility in the face of multiple shocks, throughout the broader cycle of prevention, response and recovery. In Ethiopia, UNICEF has supported disaster risk reduction through a government-led, decentralized health extension programme to provide essential health and nutrition services. This programme has had a significant impact in the communities: Results show an increase in national treatment capacity of severe acute malnutrition from 135,000 cases per month in 2009 to 200,000 cases per month in 2010. Through the treatment of children suffering from malnutrition, those with severe acute malnutrition can now be identified earlier and receive life-saving treatment closer to home, thus helping reduce children's vulnerability.
Likewise, understanding on-the-ground realities is essential for achieving the CCCs. Being continuously present before, during, and after an emergency, as UNICEF is, can ensure that the situation of children and women is monitored and that interventions are appropriately designed, supporting adaptive learning through the sharing and application of new approaches and technologies. In cyclone-affected areas of Myanmar, UNICEF supported local authorities in using disaster-resistant standards to construct health centres and child-friendly schools. UNICEF continues to advocate for wider, gradual adoption of these standards across the country.
Our humanitarian partnerships with governments, local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), communities, civil society and the private sector – and at national to community levels – allow UNICEF to leverage diverse approaches as a method for achieving better results for children in humanitarian action, thus promoting diversity. For example, UNICEF worked with numerous stakeholders in the conflict-affected town of Marka, near Mogadishu, in a public-private partnership approach to water management. Building on the capacities of local actors, project implementation continued even when Marka was inaccessible to international UN staff.
UNICEF's commitment to the rights of the most vulnerable compels us to work in ways that prioritize the restoration of self-reliance in emergencies. For example, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in conjunction with NGOs and other counterparts, UNICEF implemented child protection and psychosocial services to strengthen the coping mechanisms of more than 70,000 children and 36,000 caregivers in Gaza. Since the 2009 crisis, UNICEF continues to couple psychosocial support with a community-based approach that is integrated with child protection networks.
The humanitarian system and resilience
The humanitarian community, to fulfil its role and obligations in the face of escalating risk, also needs to be resilient. The response to massive disasters in 2010, such as those in Haiti and Pakistan, as well as to other smaller-scale emergencies, has demonstrated the dedication and effectiveness of the humanitarian system – but it has also highlighted gaps and shortcomings in performance that have come under scrutiny.13 As we have seen, the challenges will only increase.
As a consequence, intense reflection is under way on what realignments in the humanitarian system are necessary without compromising fundamental principles and operational efficiency. The Secretary-General recently called on the humanitarian system to shift from an approach that is 'shock driven' to one that is more needs based and vulnerability led.14 Some agencies have developed explicit approaches to resilience,15 while others have called for nothing less than a profound paradigm shift in how they respond to these growing pressures.16
Since its origins, the humanitarian community has undergone successive phases of evaluation, self-assessment, reform and innovation in efforts to strengthen its effectiveness and reliability. There has been steady progress over the years. The humanitarian reform process, begun in 2005 and urged on by the response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, has led to key improvements that can be viewed as contributing to the system's resilience, though the debate was not explicitly framed in these terms. These improvements include pooled funding mechanisms to enhance flexibility; coordination mechanisms (clusters) that maximize the collective action of diverse humanitarian actors; and assessment tools to better understand context. The recently introduced real time evaluations improve rapid learning and adaptation.
While continuing to strengthen response capacity, particularly through the cluster approach, the humanitarian community has also made important broader shifts to better address the environments particular to disasters caused by natural hazards and those associated with conflict – as well as how conflict and natural hazards interact in ways that increase risk.
Working more closely with development counterparts to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005), humanitarian actors have integrated disaster risk reduction into emergency preparedness and response through the early recovery approach. Such investment in disaster risk reduction not only helps to better address underlying vulnerability but also improves partnerships and community engagement.17
The contributions of the humanitarian community to addressing the needs related to post-conflict contexts were validated in the 2009 Report of the Secretary-General on peacebuilding in the immediate aftermath of conflict. The Report underlined that the humanitarian community can provide critical and early peace dividends to war-weary people, particularly returnees, and that the early recovery approach can create foundations for later peacebuilding efforts through capacity assessments, early systems development in key sectors, and capacity development in pockets of peace, where possible.18
The humanitarian community is still striving to do better in key areas. These include overarching leadership, preparedness, national and local capacity development and engaging with local communities, needs assessments, early recovery, and accountability to affected populations.19 These efforts are taking place in a context of wider debate on the enabling environment for humanitarian action, including financing and human resource policies, an increasingly complex operating environment, the role of political and military actors, decreasing access to people in need, shrinking humanitarian space, and how best to engage in chronic and complex emergencies, where the bulk of humanitarian financing is directed.
An agile humanitarian system with extensive and multi-dimensional response capacities will be essential to reducing vulnerabilities, saving lives and minimizing disaster losses. This agility is especially urgent in the face of climate change. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2010 was tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record and saw a spate of extreme climate events in all continents.20 Climate-related hazards are increasing, accounting for 70 per cent of all disasters today compared to 50 per cent two decades ago,21 and such climate-related crises are projected to affect hundreds of millions every year as early as 2015.22 A confluence of social and economic factors, such as unplanned urbanization and environmental degradation, are at work in determining the impact of climate-related disasters. Broader trends clearly point in the direction of more extreme global weather conditions in the future, and they will have a disproportionate adverse impact on the poorest.
The enormity of this challenge must be addressed with investments that manage climate-related risks so that entire populations can benefit. Disaster risk reduction, with community resilience as an objective, is increasingly recognized as a key climate-change adaptation strategy. Efforts to build on local capacities of disaster-prone and disaster-affected communities must be redoubled as the larger humanitarian system also better equips itself for a future of greater risk, uncertainty and demand.
The way forward
Six years after the Indian Ocean tsunami, which by nature of its scale and scope challenged every aspect of humanitarian response, the humanitarian community confronts another important watershed in its evolution. Discussions are under way to take a fresh look at its current business model. Using resilience as a guiding principle can offer the humanitarian community useful insight into priority areas requiring improvement. These areas include the following:
- Partnership – Building resilience is a multi-stakeholder endeavour. Humanitarian organizations must seek creative and context-specific alliances, ranging from the private sector to community development organizations.
- Innovation – Humanitarian organizations must deliberately foster experimentation and diffusion of promising institutional and technological solutions.
- Risk management – Humanitarian organizations need continually to better understand and analyse high-risk operating environments in order to find programme opportunities and access populations. Risk management should enable and not just control.
- Fundamentals – Accountability, participation, capacity development and local and national ownership continue to be essential for effectively supporting a community in crisis to build a path to sustainable recovery.
- Social transformation – Resilience is achieved through social processes whose outcomes defy precise measurement. To encourage investments by donor and developing countries that are truly sustainable, donors should review and revise their own performance monitoring and reporting systems.
Achieving progress in these domains will help foster a humanitarian system that is predictable, timely and effective. This progress must be predicated on a stronger recognition of the relationship between humanitarian and development programming, and the importance of supporting national and local actors to manage increasing uncertainty and risk. In so doing, the humanitarian community works towards the resilience of both the humanitarian system and the countries and communities we are committed to serving.
Funding trends in 2010 and planned humanitarian action in 2011
In response to the pressing needs of vulnerable children and women during 2010, UNICEF's funding requirements for humanitarian action totalled US$1.7 billion. This request was based on the humanitarian needs outlined in the Humanitarian Action Report 2010 (HAR) – which featured 36 chapters covering country, regional and global requirements23 – and in seven Flash Appeals and 13 other appeals.24 As of 31 October 2010, US$830.9 million was received for all of UNICEF's humanitarian activities. This reflects a 45 per cent increase over 2009 funding for humanitarian action (US$572.4 million, as of 31 October 2009), largely due to resource mobilization to respond to the earthquake in Haiti and flooding in Pakistan.
Humanitarian funding received by UNICEF as of 31 October 2010 reflects a large increase over 2009 in absolute terms (as seen in the chart below). More than US$406 million, or 49 per cent, was contributed for the Haiti earthquake and Pakistan flood response, with the remaining US$426.4 million directed towards UNICEF's other emergency operations.
Figure 1.1: Emergency funding trend 1998–2010
Source: UNICEF Public-Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization Office, October 2010 interim figures
For the HAR 2010 requested budget of US$1.2 billion, US$448 million – 39 per cent – was received as of 31 October, matching funding levels during this period in 2009.25 Out of the total HAR requirement, those countries and regions with Consolidated Appeals Processes (CAPs) were 37 per cent funded compared to 43 per cent in 2009. Flash Appeals in 2010, on average, received a higher level of funding than in 2009 – particularly because of the Haiti Earthquake Flash Appeal. Sixty-nine per cent of Flash Appeal needs were funded in 2010, versus 47 per cent in 2009. Excluding Haiti from the aggregate flash appeals, however, would reduce the average funding level to 45 per cent.
UNICEF gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions made by public and private sector donors in support of the children and women affected by humanitarian crises throughout the world. The largest proportion of UNICEF's humanitarian funding was from government donors (40 per cent) followed by UNICEF national committees (34 per cent). Sources for the remaining funding included multi-donor trust funds, intergovernmental organizations and funds raised through UNICEF field offices. As of end-October 2010, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) remained the largest source of humanitarian funding, with a total contribution of US$87.3 million.26 The United States Fund for UNICEF was the second largest source of humanitarian funding, providing US$79.5 million – out of which nearly 88 per cent was for emergency operations in Haiti. As of 31 October 2010, the top 10 donors of humanitarian funding (shown in the chart below) accounted for approximately 63 per cent of the humanitarian contributions received by UNICEF for emergency operations.
Figure 1.2: Top 10 sources of humanitarian funds, 2010
Source: UNICEF Public-Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization Office, end 2010
Out of the total humanitarian contributions of US$830.9 million received as of 31 October 2010, US$278.5 million (33.5 per cent) was received as thematic funds, which are not earmarked for particular activities, thus allowing UNICEF to invest in those sectors where resources are most needed. This represents a significant increase compared to the 2009 figure of US$52.7 million. Thematic contributions reduce transaction costs and simplify management of programme budgets at the country level, and UNICEF is grateful for the ongoing generosity of donors who provide thematic funding.
UNICEF would especially like to acknowledge national committee partners, which have provided more than 90 per cent of thematic funding received as of end-October. The United States Fund for UNICEF was the top thematic donor, with a contribution of US$72 million, followed by the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, the German Committee for UNICEF, the Japan Committee for UNICEF and the Canadian UNICEF Committee, as seen in the chart below.
Figure 1.3: Top five donors – thematic humanitarian funds
Source: UNICEF Public-Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization Office, end 2010
While the 2010 level of thematic funding is much higher than the 2009 level, an analysis of the recipients highlights that so far in 2010, more than 90 per cent of the thematic funds were provided for response to the Haiti earthquake and the Pakistan floods. Only US$27.6 million was provided for the remaining countries and regions. UNICEF continues to urge donors to provide flexible humanitarian funding for all countries, particularly at the global level. Next to regular resources, global thematic funding is UNICEF's preferred funding structure. However, only 0.7 per cent of the thematic humanitarian funds received in 2010 were provided as global thematic humanitarian funds. Global thematic funding is the most effective option because it allows UNICEF to respond strategically to the priority needs of children worldwide. Global thematic humanitarian funds enable UNICEF to invest efficiently in new initiatives; meet its commitments to humanitarian reform, particularly its cluster leadership responsibilities; prioritize underfunded crises; and build capacity. These actions help strengthen UNICEF's programmatic focus on sustainable results for children.
The level of funding received determines UNICEF's capacity to help improve the prospects and the resilience of children and women affected by sometimes multiple crises.
In Yemen, with a funding level of 66 per cent of requested amount by end of October, UNICEF, together with partners: treated more than 11,000 children for undernutrition in 32 outpatient treatment sites; provided access to safe drinking water for more than 46,000 internally displaced adults and children in the northern governorates and 5,000 people from host communities; offered educational opportunities to 125,000 children in conflict-affected governorates; and provided psychosocial support for 3,500 vulnerable children facing trauma associated with conflict and displacement.
In Somalia, where 27 per cent of the population requires humanitarian assistance, funding enabled UNICEF to provide 1.5 million children under 5 years of age and 1.3 million women of childbearing age with an essential package of life-saving health and nutrition services. Access to safe water was provided to 1.2 million people in emergency-affected areas, and more than 92,000 emergency-affected children were enrolled in school.
Tajikistan, struck by an earthquake, floods and a polio outbreak in 2010, had received only 3 per cent of funding needs as of October 2010. Despite this shortfall, UNICEF, in close collaboration with World Health Organization and the Government of Tajikistan, was able to respond to a major polio outbreak through the launch of a rapid and comprehensive polio campaign that successfully contained the virus. UNICEF, diverting funding from other sources, also responded to the flood-affected population in Kulob District, where approximately 2,000 people benefited from an emergency hygiene campaign. Approximately 300 households received water containers, hygiene kits, soap and water purification tablets. More than 1,000 teachers in 510 schools in the 20 most disaster-prone districts were trained in simple and effective disaster risk reduction measures. Psychosocial support was provided to an estimated 750 children and 560 adults following the earthquake in Vanj District.
With higher funding levels, much more could have been achieved in these countries as well as in other crisis-ridden countries featured in the Humanitarian Action Report 2010.
UNICEF funding requirements for 2011 humanitarian action
In 2011, US$1.4 billion is needed to support UNICEF-assisted humanitarian action in 32 countries and territories.27 Compared to the 2010 appeal launched in February 2010, this requirement increased 21 per cent, with the bulk of funding needs represented by Pakistan and Haiti, requiring US$296 million and US$157 million respectively. As shown in Figure 1.4, the financial needs for emergencies in Asia-Pacific have significantly increased and represent the region with the highest funding request: US$373 million. Of the funding for Asia, 80 per cent is needed for assistance to Pakistani children and women affected by flooding and conflict.
Figure 1.4: Estimated emergency funding needs by region, 2010 and 2011
Source: UNICEF Office of Emergency Programmes, end 2010
The requirements for Latin America and the Caribbean have increased eightfold, mainly as a result of emergency situations in Haiti and the addition of the Guatemala appeal. Although such precarious conditions as those in Colombia also require a scaled-up response, the increase is linked to promoting preparedness throughout the region as well as support for smaller-scale emergencies. The 2010 regional requirements for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) have also increased with the inclusion of the Kyrgyzstan appeal as well as increasing needs in Tajikistan.
Requirements for Eastern and Southern Africa have been significantly reduced, particularly in such countries as Burundi, Eritrea and Uganda. While maintaining funding requirements for preparedness in anticipation of the Sudan referendum, overall requests in West and Central Africa and the Middle East and North Africa have also been reduced.
UNICEF's ability to undertake humanitarian assistance depends entirely on funding from donors. UNICEF gratefully acknowledges donors' strong response during 2010 and invites supporters to maintain or increase their commitments to fostering resilience and meeting the humanitarian needs of children and women in emergencies during 2011.
1 Barbara Walter, Conflict Relapse and the Sustainability of Post-Conflict Peace, Input Paper, WDR 2011
2 DARA, Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2010 – the State of the Climate Crisis, <http://daraint.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/CVM_Complete.pdf>, accessed 25 January 2011.
3 Almedom, Astier M. and James K. Tumwine, 'Resilience to Disasters: A paradigm shift from vulnerability to strength', African Health Sciences, vol. 8 Special Issue, December 2008, p. 1.
4 Pelling, Mark, Adaptation to Climate Change: From resilience to transformation, Routledge, New York, 2011, p. 44.
5 Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, Project on Resilience and Security, Workshop Report: 'Resilience in Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Natural Disasters', Syracuse University, March 9, 2009, <http://insct.syr.edu/uploadedFiles/insct/uploadedfiles/PDFs/INSCT%20Workshop%20Report_Resilience%20and%20Security.pdf>, accessed 25 January 2011.
6 WHO, Regional Office for South Asia, Community Resilience in Disasters: How the Primary Health Care approach made a difference in recent emergencies in the WHO South-East Asia Region, 2010 <www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/EHA_CRD.pdf>, accessed 25 January 2011.
7 Kirmayer, Laurance J., et al., 'Community Resilience: Models, metaphors and measures', Journal de la santé autochtone, November 2009, <www.naho.ca/jah/english/jah05_01/V5_I1_Community_04.pdf>, accessed 25 January 2011.
8 World Disasters Report 2004: Focus on Community Resilience, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
9 'Concepts and Dilemmas of Statebuilding in Fragile States: From fragility to resilience', OECD/DAC Discussion Paper, March 2008.
10 Evans, Alex and David Steven, 'The Resilience Doctrine', published online in the World Politics Review, 7 July 2009, <www.globaldashboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/The_Resilience_Doctrine.pdf>, accessed 25 January 2011.
11 Steward, Frances, 'Horizontal Inequalities as a Cause of Conflict: A review of CRISE findings', Input Paper for World Bank World Development Report 2011, August 2010.
12 See e.g. STEPS Centre, Reframing Resilience, STEPS Briefing 13, <www.steps-centre.org/PDFs/STEPSsumResilience.pdf>, accessed 25 January 2011.
13 DARA,Haiti One Year On, <http://daraint.org/haiti-one-year-on>, accessed 12 January 2010.
14 Report of the Secretary-General on International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in
the field of natural disasters, from relief to development, A/65/3568, September 2010, p.2.
15 World Disasters Report 2004: Focus on community resilience, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
16 Omamo, Steven, Ugo Gentilini, and Susannah Sandstrom, 'Innovations in Food Assistance: Issues, lessons and implications', in From Food Aid to Food Assistance, World Food Programme (2010), p. 2.
17 Ibid., p. 31.
18 Report of the Secretary-General on Peacebuilding in the immediate aftermath of conflict, June 2009, pp. 10, 15.
19 The State of the Humanitarian System, ALNAP, January 2010, pp. 9, 35.
20 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2010 Tied for Warmest Year on Record, January 12, 2011, <www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110112_globalstats.html>, accessed 25 January 2011.
21 OCHA (2009), using EM-DAT. Climate Change: Coping with the humanitarian impact. Campaign PowerPoint Presentation. Slide 12, <http://ochaonline.un.org/ochahome/InFocus/ClimateChangeHumanitarianImpact/tabid/5930/language/en-US/Default.aspx>, accessed 25 January 2011.
22 Ganeshan, Shamanthy and Wayne Diamond, (2009), Forecasting the numbers of people affected annually by natural disasters up to 2015. Oxfam GB.
23 The 2010 HAR includes 16 countries and regions that were part of a Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP).
24 Other appeals include 'Immediate Needs' documents and inter-agency appeals (excluding CAP and Flash Appeals).
25 All funding requests through the Humanitarian Action Report 2010 refer to figures updated as per mid-year review.
26 US$45.8 million was provided through the rapid response window and US$41.5 million through the underfunded window.
27 Twenty-eight country appeals were included in the Humanitarian Action Report 2010. The Congo was added through the HAR mid-year review. New countries included in 2011 are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Djibouti, Guatemala and Kyrgyzstan. Remaining funding needs for Guinea and Mauritania, with their own appeals in 2010, have been included in the West and Central Africa regional chapter for 2011. In contrast to 2010, UNICEF offices in Guinea, Mauritania and Nepal have not included an appeal in the Humanitarian Action for Children 2011 publication.


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Dallas has seen its ups and downs with the field of education. Back in 2009, hundreds of teachers were let go from the Dallas Independent School District (ISD) alone. As a result, potential teacher candidates, who were preparing to graduate from college or their alternative certification program, were left standing at the doors of the ISD with no hope for realizing their dreams of becoming an educator.
Things are finally looking up. According to Dallas ISD's Human Capital Management (HCM) department, the Dallas ISD is going to need at least 1,000 more teachers for the 2013-2014 school year. As a matter of fact, if you go to the Teacher Job Network website, you will see over 500 available jobs for certified candidates, with over 400 of them being teachers. The Dallas ISD alone has hundreds of jobs available on its website. From elementary to high school, there is so much out there for those with a giving spirit. But teaching is not for everyone. Some people say it is more of a calling than a job.
Chris Taylor was happy to answer a few questions about the value of dedicated educators in the Dallas area.
What is your advice to people who want to work in education?
"Education is not for everyone. Some people will never be effective teachers. Others have a gift from God and are born teachers. My number one rule is to evaluate if you love working with the students. If you do not love it with all your heart, then it is probably best that you do something else for your career. It is not a nine to five job. It's whatever it takes to get the job done.
"Teaching is a family-oriented career, and the feeling you get when you do something positive for a student is unbelievably great. Some people go to work for a paycheck and do not have any real meaning from their work. I go to work knowing that I have one of the most important jobs in the world and that I make a real difference."
What makes working in the DFW area unique to other cities?
"Working in the DFW area brings a lot of diversity. Since Texas is such a successful state, many people from all over the world move here. Challenges are presented and overcome daily."
What are some of the rewarding factors about working in education?
"I get to pay forward the positive influences and good deeds that I experienced coming through public education. I believe that being in education has also helped me as a parent. Seeing the positive or negative influences that parents can have on their children has helped guide me in some of my personal decision making."
Judy Serrano writes romantic thrillers at JudySerrano.com. She graduated from Texas A&M Commerce with a BA in English. She is also a freelance writer for Examiner.com. She lives in Texas with her husband, four boys and five dogs.


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Today was a truly mind blowing day!! Denise and I were invited to an AWESOME event!! The launch of the new essence and Catrice products to hit Maltese stores in September!
First off we have been curious about this event for over a month so we were really looking forward to today. Upon arriving at Pharma MT, we were greeted sweet (literally) stands of the new Catrice Limited Edition collections:
|Catrice Cruise Couture Limited Edition Collection
|Coolibri by Catrice Collection
Daniela then informed us that we what see, we can take!! The purpose of this was that we were given a detailed description about what we will be expecting in stores and we could try them out and keep for ourselves.
We will go into what you will be expecting in September in a later post!!
|A number of essence and Catrice new products we could test out!
|An essence nail polish surprise... we will tell you soon ;-)
|Lara from Every Beauty Addict's Bible!
|Our very own Den Den!
|Bloggers rampage of the Trend edition collections!
|Denise and her essence cupcake <3
|Swatch of a cool blue lipgloss from the Catrice Cruise Couture collection!
|Our fabulous gift bags and product information booklets!


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About Us
Auto Salon of Orlando gives you value in service and value back into your vehicle! We have over 30 years of extensive detailing knowledge in automotive beautification. Our difference is, we LOVE auto detailing! We put that energy into every service to make you look great!
With Auto Salon, you have a complete automotive reconditioning center. We offer a variety of services from window tinting, automotive detailing, paintless dent repair and interior repairs.
Our vast knowledge of reconditioning has included many areas of the automotive industry. We've trained nationally, to service major auction chains, and have experienced a large variety of reconditioning challenges that have helped us gain superior knowledge and provide an excellent level of customer service! That means you see the results first hand. See our detail service list to get an idea of what we can do for you!
Here at Auto Salon, we are experts at protecting the value of your car. We are specialists in automotive finishes and use the finest chemicals and products to help beautify your vehicle. Utilizing the latest technology, we're able to separate us from the competition!
If you are considering selling or trading your car, bring it to us first! Why? Because the price of your car will drastically increase! If you have a new car, we have a great maintenance package available to keep your car's appearance like new!


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St. Louis, Mo.- Fontbonne University men's basketball overcame a 10-point first half deficit to overtake MacMurray College in overtime 76-67. The win if the first of the season for the Griffins who are now 1-1 in conference play. MacMurray drops to 0-8 this year.
Fontbonne led 18-16 until MacMurray scored 12 unanswered points. The Griffins finished the half by scoring six more to pull within four at halftime.
Second-half play was back and forth until Fontbonne earned a 45-39 lead with 11:35 left to play. MacMurray took a 47-46 advantage with just under eight and a half minutes left. The rest of the half the teams exchanged points until James Wiggins found junior Jack Lake under the basket to tie the game for the Griffins with 27 seconds remaining. MacMurray drained the clock looking for a last-second victory. Tim Frazier dribbled around and found the big man Brent Long at the elbow. Long's shot missed and Wiggens brought down the rebound to send the game into overtime.
Fontbonne scored eight consecutive buckets to lead 70-62. Senior Orkan Bakis fired a laser of a pass to fellow senior Dallas Haywood under the basket who scored what would be the game-winning basket. MacMurray scored two buckets and a free-throw to pull with three points, but Fontbonne closed out the win with two more buckets.
Bakis led the Griffins with 17 points, 10 defensive rebounds and five assists. Also scoring double digits were Jack Lake with a career-high 14 points and Kody Ettinger with 11 points and three steals. Lake also added six rebounds and Ettinger five in his first varsity game of the season. Wiggins recorded four assists in the win.
Long recorded the game-high 21 points and added 10 rebounds for the Highlanders as well.
Fontbonne is at WashU on Tuesday at 8 p.m. and hosts Blackburn College next Saturday, Dec. 10th at 3 p.m.


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Painting, Papering and Interior Decorating
The services of painting, papering, and interior decorating are subject to Iowa sales tax.
Painting is defined as:
- Covering interior or exterior surfaces of tangible personal property or real property;
----- with a coloring matter and mixture of a pigment or sealant;
----- with some suitable liquid to form a solid adherent when spread on in thin coats;
----- for decoration, protection or preservation purposes
- Including surface preparation
The following are not considered painting:
- Automobile undercoating
- Coating of railroad cars or storage tanks
- Plating of tangible personal property with metals such as chromium, bronze, tin, galvanized metal, or platinum
Papering is defined as:
- Applying wallpaper or wall fabric to the interior of houses or buildings
- Including surface preparation
Interior Decorating is defined as:
- Designing or decorating the interiors of houses or buildings
- Counseling about such designing or decorating
- Obtaining furniture, fixtures, or decorations for houses or buildings
NOTE: interior decorating service is not taxable when provided without charge as an incidental part of the sale of real or tangible personal property; however, the sale of the tangible personal property may be subject to sales tax.
Is the Job New Construction, Reconstruction, Alteration, Expansion, or Remodeling?
If it is, the painting, papering, and/or interior decorating services are exempt from sales tax. This exemption applies to real property and structures only. It does not apply to tangible personal property. For additional information see Iowa Contractors Guide.
Purchases of supplies
For more information on when the purchase of supplies for use in the business may or may not be taxable, please see Iowa Administrative Rule 701-225.4.
The information in this publication is adapted from Rule 701-26.34, Iowa Administrative Code
Please email the Department.


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Share the post "[CES 2017] Hyundai Motor Company to Introduce Self-Driving Concept Cars after 2018"
Vice-Chairman Chung Eui-sun of Hyundai Motor Company announced that Hyundai Motor Company is planning to introduce futuristic self-driving concept cars that are applied with high-tech technologies such as AI and 5G connectivity after 2018.
This indicates that Hyundai Motor Company is going to compete against its competitors such as Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz regularly on high-tech self-driving technologies.
"It was wonderful knowing that drivers will be able to read books or look outside windows when I test-drove Hyundai Motor Company's self-driving car called IONIQ." said Vice-Chairman Chung Eui-sun of Hyundai Motor Company at 'CES 2017' press conference that was held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on the 4th (U.S. time). "We are going to introduce high-tech self-driving concept cars after 2017."
At this conference, Hyundai Motor Company introduced its mobility vision for the future that has cars surpassing a simple concept of 'transportation method' during upcoming hyper-connected society and standing at the center of new lives. Hyundai Motor Company's mobility vision is composed of Clean Mobility, Freedom in Mobility, and Connected Mobility.
Self-driving concept car that will be introduced by Hyundai Motor Company is called 'Hyper Connected Intelligent Car' that is integrated with high-technologies such as AI and 5G connectivity. This car surpasses just a simple conversion of IT and vehicles and becomes an IoT 'hub' itself.
Not only does this concept connects side of a car but it also connects home, office, and city and vehicle to vehicle. Hyundai Motor Company is planning to push for intelligent remote support service, complete self-driving technology, Smart Traffic, and mobility hub based on its Hyper Connected Intelligent Car.
"To effectively connect between Hyper Connected Intelligent Car and customers' daily lives, Hyundai Motor Company has partnered up with CISCO and is working on improving automotive network." said Vice-Chairman Chung. "It will be hard to tell differences between home, workplace, and transportation methods as vehicles are applied with connectivity technology."
"We are going to increase lineup of eco-friendly cars by more than 14 types that include 5 hybrid cars, 4 plug-in hybrid cars, 4 electric vehicles, and 1 fuel-cell electric vehicle by 2020 and provide all eco-friendly cars that our customers want." said Vice-Chairman Chung. "We are also planning to introduce eco-friendly version of Genesis."
Hyundai Motor Company carried out a demonstration of test-drive for its self-driving car called IONIQ for global reporters at this CES. Vice-Chairman Chung rode IONIQ and test-drove it around Las Vegas. During a test-drive, he showed a sense of relaxation by relaxing his hands and feet, reading a book, and drinking a coffee.
"Because development of Hyundai Motor Company's self-driving cars is still in a beginning stage, we still have a lot to do regarding safety and others." said Vice-Chairman Chung. "Although I test-drove other self-driving cars, it is difficult to directly compare them to performance of IONIQ."
Hyundai Motor Company also introduced 'healthcare cockpit' that can help drivers' minds and bodies with stability with variety of methods while they are driving by combining automotive and healthcare technologies. Also it introduced a technology that takes appropriate actions on drivers by sensing drivers' minds and bodies in real-time while monitoring everything about drivers such as breathing, posture, and expression through sensors and analyzing biorhythms based on these results.
Hyundai Motor Company also introduced preceding robotic technologies such as medical wearable device (H-MEX) that helps patients who are paralyzed lower half of their bodies with walking, industrial wearable device (H-WEX) that prevents waist injury for laborers at industrial sites and supplement them with physical strength, and wearable device for daily life (HUMA) that supplements elderly with physical strength to walk that are based on making human lives more convenient at this conference.
Staff Reporter Ryu, Jongeun | firstname.lastname@example.com
Share the post "[CES 2017] Hyundai Motor Company to Introduce Self-Driving Concept Cars after 2018"


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Boeing 757-223 aircraft (N609AA) of A…
Flying high in the sky, thanks to bonus miles and free flights. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Matt Kepnes first caught the travel bug in Costa Rica, eventually quitting his job and traveling around the world for 18 months in 2006. So if there is anyone one to take advice from for frequent flyer miles it's someone like Matt Kepnes that travels for a living. Although his path was not always clear, his story is a verifiable success thanks in part to his eponymous travel website Nomadic Matt. To date, the millennial has published 5 books, recently launched his own tour group of Europe and boasts a huge online following, all the while continuing to circumnavigate the globe. Here are his tips on racking up miles, gaining elite status on airlines and seeing the world along the way.
Kepnes' number one tip for stockpiling miles? Use travel rewards cards. The travel hacker buys almost everything on a travel credit card.
"Regardless of whether or not I have a credit card, I am still going to go food shopping," explains Kepnes. "Why not get food plus free flights?"
He recommends signing up for airline newsletters so you can snag extra miles through promotions, deals and contests. Also, keep an eye out for signing bonuses, as many cards will offer between 50,000 – 100,000 miles just for signing up. Make sure to read the fine print as the idea is to save money, not spend it.
"You shouldn't sign up for a card just to get miles if it is going to require you to spend extra money. You don't want to go into debt for a free flight," cautions Kepnes.
One of his favorite travel credit cards? The Chase CCF +% Sapphire Preferred card. It is flexible, offering a range of travel partners and the ability to transfer points to both hotels and airlines, depending on your needs. He also likes the Starwood Preferred Guest card from American Express AXP -0.52% because the points transfer to airlines on a one-to-one basis and can be used for hotels. The card also offers a 20% bonus when you convert your 20,000 points into miles. However, the Starwood Preferred Guest card does come with one big caveat: users must spend 5,000 dollars within the first 6 months in order to redeem points.
In general, Kepnes' rule of thumb is to stick to a travel credit card that has a spending requirement less than $1,000 and an annual fee below $100.
Capitalize On Flight Cancellations
How To Travel Anywhere With Nothing But A Carry-On Bag
Aside from earning points from travel credit cards, the tried and true method of earning miles is by flying. If you travel a lot, the key is to fly one airline consistently. This will help you earn elite status faster, rather then spreading your miles out across different programs.
Although Kepnes thinks that American Airlines has the best rewards program, he says the most important thing when picking a frequent flyer program is to look at your individual needs.
"Join the program for the airline that you are going to fly the most, is the most convenient and has the most options for you," says Kepnes. "If you live in Chicago, what is the best airline for you? Probably United. If you live in Atlanta, what is the best airline for you? Delta."
If you are flying enough, it can be more cost-effective to buy a ticket for a little bit more money on your preferred airline rather then a cheaper ticket on an out-of-network airline.
However, if you don't travel a lot, don't worry about being loyal to one airline. Use a discount site like Kayak or Vayama to shop around for tickets.
"If you are family going to Florida twice a year, you should still earn miles for that flight but there is no reason to pay a premium just to try to get elite qualifying status," says Kepnes. "You are better off getting an airline credit card which offers some of the benefits of those statuses like a free checked bag or expedited boarding."
Since it takes awhile for miles to expire, activate an account no matter how infrequently you fly.
Kepnes' travel no-no? Hoarding miles to retain elite status.
"Airlines constantly devalue their point systems and increase the number of points needed for redemption," says Kepnes. "You shouldn't hoard."
If you are frequent flyer, you will regain your elite status quickly. If you only fly once or twice a year, the perks of elite status are not as important. It is smarter to cash in your miles once you have enough for a flight.
Kepnes best-haul that was totally free? London to Hong Kong, Business Class. It goes to show that it in the long run, it pays to track miles and accrue points. You never know where it will get you.


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Seems like I didn't learn my lesson. A certified car is not a guarantee of a functioning car but of their promise to fix it after the fault shows. Previously I bought a Honda Civic that was certified which I had issues with as reported here After that the car was fine so it came to pass that we bought another Honda, an 09 Element,with the same certification.
That's nice if you get a chance to take it back to the dealer.
A couple of months old and our Honda Element suffered a catastrophic brake failure that resulted in an accident. No warning lights, just a heavy pedal on brake once, braked again, got really hard then on the next attempt to the floor , no brakes and we now have a sad element and a sad owner of a CRV that was the resting place for the Element. Car hadn't been back for a service since buying it , e.g., under 2000 miles.
After searching this topic we've seen a lot of traffic on Google re Accords and the prior year Elements failing in the same way. There's no recall for 09, unless our car isn't really an 09 which would explain why a similar condition would happen to us . 09 Odyssey's are not exempt from brake-failures too. Odd that Toyota took so much bashing last year over what amounted to nothing.
We're at the start of this process but regardless of what the dealer/ Honda say this < 2000 mile since certification vehicle was not fit for it's intended use.


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Happy Birthday, Brit Brit!
It's Britney Spears' birthday, y'all.
It's Britney Spears' birthday, everyone. I hope you'll all join us in taking the day off to enjoy not one but two Frappuccinos at your local Starbucks. Seriously, I've been defending her for years now, and I'm happy to say it looks like she might really be back this time. Anyone else watch her documentary Sunday night? I sure did. Anyway, Happy 27th Britney!
- Monica A. Reyhani
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I ordered a pair of Croakie mounted CA-11's from Chris Church. The "Croakies" and mics were separate, so I had to fish them through myself, but the results are pretty decent. It matters what shape of glasses. You can see I found ones that had a fat stem. Skinnier stems are more obvious and the mics tend to roll. This was my best result (pictured). I recorded at a "no recording allowed" Jazz Club a couple weeks ago, with the glasses/mics on the Seahawks cap, the cap on our table concealing the preamp and recorder.The Croakies he sells are good for this purpose. I think I will be able to get my AT853's in here in similar fashion. I believe he will sell the Croakies separately from the mics.
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