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Croatia Importing $2.5bn Worth Of Food, Record Breakers For Pork
- by croatiaweek
- in Latest
Croatia imported 2.5 billion USD worth of food in 2012, 1 billion USD more than it exported. The last time Croatia exported more food than it imported was back in 1993, when it exported 400 million USD more than it imported and it looks like the worrying trend is set to continue.
Currently Croatia imports a significant amount of beef from Argentina, Poland, Serbia, USA, Uruguay, New Zealand and Holland, fruit and vegetables from Morocco, Tunis, Cyprus, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, India and Turkey, and milk and cream from Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, France, Slovakia and China. Last year Croatia's pork imports reached a new record level.
Croatia imported 142 million USD worth of fresh and frozen pork in 2012, setting a new record as local production dropped. Hopes for a recovery do not bode well for Croatia if Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic example is anything to go by. When those 4 nations entered the EU local production dropped by around 30% and it still falling. Croatia is in the top ten importers of pork from the EU, together with Russia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, China, Philippines, Ukraine, Belarus and USA, says Vecernji list.


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The mercury falls down in Himachal Pradesh following cold wave conditions prevailing in the state as world tourists resort Manali, Kalpa in Kinnaur were recorded at freezing point and Keylong in Lahaul & Spiti was recorded -3 degrees Celsius, the Met official said.
The Minimum temperature receded in the state following cold wave conditions were prevailing in this hill state as mercury dip by two to three degrees in last 24 hours forcing the people to bring out woolen and warm clothes as winter season onset with aggravating cold wave especially during the wee hours.
In the lower hills, minimum temperature of Solan and Bhuntar in Kullu was at 3 degrees each, Sundernagar in Mandi 4 degrees, the capital town and Palampur in Kangra district was 7.5 degrees each, Una 8.6 degrees, Nahan in Sirmour district at 9 degrees and Dharamsala and Mandi at 10 degrees each.
The Met office said that Dry weather conditions would continue in the state for next 24 hours.

subset: commoncrawl


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Click a price below to view the NCL cruises available during that month in that destination.
Use our Advanced Search if you'd like more search options.
Pricing listed above is per person, based on double occupancy in the least expensive accommodations available, are subject to change, may not reflect the most recent pricing, and get updated daily at 4:00 am. Prices don't reflect discounts and special promotions that you may qualify for. Go to Step 3 of the online booking process to view the live pricing and latest sales. Government taxes and fees are additional (viewable on Step 5).


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Family Literacy Workshops: For Preschool through Grade 6
Amplify your school's impact on family and community engagement by tapping into this helpful resource. This research-based approach includes frameworks for ten workshops and a range of easy-to-use, reproducible activities for families and students.
A fantastic resource for teachers or schools looking to support their family literacy programs. Formats for ten workshops are provided, along with educational and engaging activities for both parents and their children. Full-color photography enhances clear, detailed instructions in this comprehensive easy-to-use professional book. This research-based approach is designed for students in Preschool through Grade 6. 192 pages.
You can preview this book by checking out our blog posts that show how to use it and provide free PDF downloads of some of the reproducibles!
To view or download activities from Family Literacy Workshops, click here.


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The San Francisco Police Department is understaffed. No doubt about it: it's the law — and the envy of Oakland and San Jose.
A 2004 voter-approved amendment to the City Charter requires that SFPD have 1,971 sworn officers in patrol or other crime-fighting, non-administrative duties. Thanks to retirements and canceled police academy classes, SFPD only 1,771 sworn personnel available, prompting San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr to warn of a possible uptick in crime if more officers aren't hired, a situation duly labeled a "cop shortage" by the San Francisco Examiner.
But in commanding a legally-understaffed department, Suhr is nonetheless the envy of his counterparts in San Jose and Oakland: the Bay Area's largest police force by far, San Francisco also has more officers per resident, per area, and per most types of crime.
The San Francisco police department currently has "just over" 2,100 men and women in uniform, according to police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza. Those not in the field occupy administrative and desk jobs, like the Media Relations role Esparza fulfills and brass like Suhr's job as Chief.
Even with a couple hundred officers in desk jobs, with its 1,771 officers in the field, SFPD is by far the Bay Area's largest police department. San Jose has 1,100 officers, and Oakland has 661, according to available estimates.
At 47 square miles, San Francisco is also the region's smallest major city. Oakland cops patrol 55 square miles, and San Jose police have 179.965 square miles to safeguard, according to Census figures.
Population-wise, San Franciscans enjoy almost double the police protection seen in the South Bay. With an official population of 805,235, there's one cop for every 454 people in San Francisco. In San Jose (population 958,000) there's one cop for every 870 residents, and in Oakland, there's one cop for every 590 people.
Of course, police don't serve and protect land area or statistics: they're around to fight crime. When that's taken into account, San Francisco is also well-off.
Using crime data from 2010 — 2011 estimates are preliminary — there were 6,267 part I violent crimes (murder, assault, rape) in Oakland, according to data provided by Prof. Jeffrey Snipes, who chairs the Department of Criminal Justice at San Francisco State University. Compare that to 2,629 in San Francisco, and 1,624 in the safest of all, San Jose.
This means that with about one-third of the officers, the Oakland Police Department must deal with twice the violent crime handled by SFPD. Oakland also has 9.3 violent crimes per officer compared to 2.55 in San Jose and San Francisco, according to Snipes.
"Oakland is phenomenally understaffed compared to SF and SJ," he said.
When and if Suhr gets his 200 extra men and women, it's not guaranteed that they'll all be fighting crime and subsequently keeping San Francisco crime totals down.
Raw numbers of police don't necessarily equal a drop in crime, though "the general consensus is that it does make a difference," Snipes said. "However, it is *what* police do that outweighs considerably the *number* of police."
One thing officers at SFPD do, and continues to do despite efforts to the contrary, is staff desk positions. Only 14 percent of San Francisco's police staff are civilian, compared to 28 percent in Oakland and 22 percent in San Jose. This means sworn staff fulfill roles like secretary of the Police Commission.
The area's richest city by repute, San Francisco also has the best-funded police force. Last year's SFPD budget was $470 million, an increase of nearly $100 million since 2006, according to a report produced by the UC Berkeley School of Journalism. That's almost double the $226 million Oakland spends on its police and fire departments combined. San Jose spent $450 million on "public safety" — which also includes fire services — in the current fiscal year, according to a Bay Citizen report, and still had to axe over 100 officers.
So crooks beware: SFPD has twice the cash and twice the cops of Oakland, and if Suhr gets his way, will be even more heavily policed.
Want more news, sent to your inbox every day? Then how about subscribing to our email newsletter? Here's why we think you should. Come on, give it a try.


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Arlington Heights police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 7:18 AM Tuesday to a report that a man collapsed 201 North Vail Avenue Arlington Heights, IL. Police and firefighter/paramedics received a report that a man in his 30s was found collapsed and unconscious in front of the condominium building on Vail Avenue north of Northwest Highway. A person in the area saw the man collapse and remain unconscious, and called 9-1-1.
Firefighter/paramedics on scene requested extra crews to assist with Advanced Life Support at the scene by 7:25 a.m.
Read complete article on Arlingtoncardinal.com ...
Advanced Life Support, unconscious man outside, unconscious man outside Arlington Heights, Advanced Life Support Arlington Heights, Hyperlocal A
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
EMS Call for Man Collapsed on Vail Ave North of Train Station and Northwest Highway, Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights News (desktop/mobile optimized with US & World News) see The Cardinal -- Arlingtoncardinal.com
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The rest of Chicagoland ...
Follow Emergencies Behind the Scenes Facebook page. Emergency news coverage for Chicagoland. For a list of all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages, go to Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook ...


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Team Manager - Family Safeguarding
We have opportunities to join us as a Team Manager leading our Family Safeguarding Teams across Surrey. Our teams are located in Woking, Guildford and Walton on Thames.
When not working with our residents in the community, we are keen to support agile working with a combination of home and office working. We are keen to get the balance right of providing flexibility but ensuring you feel connected to your team and the service.
The salary range for Team Managers is £50,942 - £55,125 per annum. We also offer a financial package of up to £6,000 which is payable in 3 instalments across your first 18 months in post. Information about qualifying criteria to receive this payment can be found HERE, with further information available in the attached Total Reward Statement about other financial benefits available to you including professional fees, pension contribution and much more.
Joining Surrey as a Team Manager will be an opportunity to be part of a culture in which children and families are supported in a spirit of partnership that encourages them to develop their own solutions while receiving the help and support, they need to address their complex situations. You will also nurture and grow your own team of social workers and practitioners using a motivational interviewing approach, which contributes to Surrey's continued journey to "outstanding".
Our Family Safeguarding model:
We take a motivational approach to supporting families under the Family Safeguarding model. This is a strength based model and includes a multi-agency approach to working with children and families. We have brought together Social Workers, Family Support Workers and a range of adult practitioners; Domestic Abuse Practitioners, Recovery Workers, Mental Health Practitioners and Psychologists so that the whole team can work together to address all the issues facing a family. Having professionals from different disciplines working under one roof, our teams are able to work closely together, minimising the time spent on making referrals to other agencies for support.
One Voice:
In Surrey, you will have a sense of belonging within your individual team but also the wider service areas and directorate. You will receive high quality supervision, as there is a firm commitment towards dedicating time that focuses on the work you do with children and families, to enable you to work creatively and holistically in providing support and protection to children whilst also paying attention to your wellbeing and career development. This creates a sense of purpose and fulfilment with a clear pathway to achieve your future aspirations.
Wherever you are in your career journey, Surrey is committed to supporting and nurturing you so that you can be the best version of yourself.
Our Surrey Children's Service Academy currently has over 60 courses available and offers a bespoke learning programme so you can be at the forefront of best practice. Modules such as motivational interviewing and our total respect course allow you to feel empowered in having essential conversations whilst still ensuring a child centred approach to your practice.
How we will support you:
Surrey is committed to supporting you both professionally and personally and we offer a number of benefits you can access in your time away from work. A few examples of these include:
- A competitive relocation package
- We pay your Social Worker England Registration fee
- 28 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service (plus bank holidays)
- Access to our car lease scheme
- Opportunity to join our competitive local government pension scheme
- Family and lifestyle discounts via Surrey Extra (discounts on everyday shopping with shopping cards and vouchers for Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Marks and Spencer, Primark and many more high street retailers. Plus voucher codes, cinema tickets and reward points, holiday offers and weekend breakaways, and lots more!
- Smart Employee Eyecare - free eye test and if required a free pair of discounted glasses, with no up-front costs to you!
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme - which offers advice, support and helpful information on personal, family, work, financial, legal and health issues, plus one to one counselling with 6 free counselling sessions.
- Fostering and adoption support
Fancy a chat?
Our friendly teams could talk your socks off when it comes to all things Social Work. We'd love to hear from you and find out more about what you're looking for so if you'd like to talk to us please just drop a quick message and we'll get a call arranged.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The job advert closes at 23:59 on the 18th September 2023.
Following the closing date, if your application is shortlisted you will be contacted by our CFL Workforce Team within 5 working days. They will be able to advise on interview arrangements and can support in answering any questions you may have.
An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.
You will need to be registered with Social Work England and have the willingness and ability to travel around the county to meet the demands of the role.


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Kings And Princes Of Pop
Contributed by popfan_23:
A while back I wrote about the queens and princesses, but I left out the guys, and they've got damn good sales too, so here's the guys.
The Beatles
They've amassed over 1.1 billion in album sales, they have 20 #1 singles, they'd have more if the weren't competing with themselves for the top spot. They've won 6 Grammys, spent a total 132 weeks at #1 on the charts. They hold the record for fastest selling single, "I want to hold your hand" which sold 250,000, and 1 million in 2 weeks, and fastest selling single, 13 million in 4 weeks. They are #1 on the Rolling Stones top 500 songs of all time, they are also at #3, #5, and #10. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
James Paul McCartney 63
Has 13 Grammys, was Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, has sold over 100 million albums, He's a billionaire, he was knighted in 97′, has the most covered song in history, Yesterday (3000 versions), which is also the world's most popular song having 6,000,000 airplays in the U.S. alone, and has a PHD in music (honorary).
George Harrison, died at 58 in 01′
2004 Hall of Famer, has 11 Grammys, 19 albums (his last went 6 times platinum) 4 #1's, 3 top ten hits, 4 top 20, and 5 top 40 hits. After his death stores sold out of his music.
John Winston Lennon, died at 40 in 80′
Has 7 Grammys, including a lifetime achievement. Has 4 # 1's, 9 top tens, 4 top 20, 6 top 40 hit singles. First solo album was in 68′, in which he and Yoko Ono posed fully nude on the Cover.
The King- Elvis Aron Presley (died at 42)
Is worth more dead that he was when he was alive. He has over one billion in album sales. He starred in 31 movies. has produced 192 albums. Earns at constant 30 million a year at least, has a 500 million dollar estate, and is the highest earning dead celebrity. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and has 3 Grammys.
The King of Pop – Micheal Joseph Jackson – 46
His solo album sales total up to 220 million, but his total sales (including Jackson 5 and other projects) are around 320 million. He's won 13 Grammys. He holds a few records, one being best worldwide selling album of all time, "Thriller" with 51 million copies sold, and most expensive video of all time, Scream, for 7 million, just to name a few. He has an 890 million dollar contract with Sony. He owns the rights to most of the Beatles songs. His Latest efforts, History which, although it was a double album and it sold 18 million copies, he considers a failure cause it got little airplay in the U.S., Blood on the Dance Floor (best selling remix album of all time with 6 million copies sold), Invincible (Most expensive album ever produced, sold 8 million), and Number Ones (which ironically featured one new song that also shot to number one). He also organized and co-wrote (with Lionel Richie) We are the World in 85′ which sold 7 million. Despite claims that he owes several banks and firms his net worth is estimated at 500 million although he says 1 billion. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
Philip David Charles Collins – 54 years old
He delivered his first album in 81′ selling over 200 million albums, He's won 7 Grammys, 4 AMAs, 1 VMA, 1 Golden Globe, 1 Oscar. He has 8 #1's, 12 top ten, 4 top 20, 11 top 40 hits.
Reginald Kenneth Dewight a.k.a. Elton John age 58
He released his first album in 1969, and has produced 51 albums (6 of which were #1 worldwide smashes), with 2 due out this year, and has amassed over 130 million in sales. Has 15 number ones, 24 top ten's, 16 top 20, and 26 top 40 hit singles. He also holds the record for best selling single of all time for "Candle in the Wind" (which was issued 3 times 77′, 88′, and 97′, and has sold over 11 million copies). Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He's won 5 Grammys. Has 6 albums on Rolling Stones 500 best songs ever list. And currently has a 3 year deal to perform at Caesars Palace (for 54 million), on nights when Celine is off.
Prince Rodger Nelson – Prince, 46 years old
Has produced 25 albums, selling over 80 million albums worldwide, plays 28 instruments, has 11 # 1's, 22 top ten hits, has 4 Grammys, Inducted into the hall of fame in 2004. His last tour grossed 87.4 million.
Bruce Fredrick Joseph Springsteen "The Boss", 56 years old.
Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou a.ka. George Michael, 42
Has produced 7 solo albums, 6 #1's, and 1 #2, which gave him 6 #1's, 15 top ten hits, 1 top 20, and 1 top 40 singles, totaling 75 million in album sales. He's won 2 Grammys.
Has released 19 albums, releasing the first in 69″, totaling over 62 million in sales, He's won 11 Grammys, and an Oscar. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
Steveland Hardaway Judkins, Stevie Wonder 55 years old.
Released his first album at the age of 12, that album was also his first #1 album, making him youngest person to release a #1 album. He has 22 Grammys, produced 20 albums (one of which was just released) giving him 9 #1's, and 18 top 10 hits. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Robert Peter Williams, 31 (on next Sunday)
Has had a great solo career, producing 8 albums ( 6 #1's, 1 #2, 1 #63) selling over 20 million copies, and giving him 6 #1's, 15 top ten, 1 top 20, and 1 top 40, he's won 13 Brit awards, 1 MTV Europe award, 1 my vh1 award, 1 VMA, 1 WMA, 2 NRJ's, 0 Grammys although he was nominated for 1, and was the GQ man of the year, has a 125 million dollar contract. Although at one point it was his goal to break big into the u.s. market and he's had no success with it, it hasn't him at all. He recently said he gives up it's to hard to break into the u.s. market and he's no longer trying.
Justin Randall Timberlake (Prince of pop??)
Justin's solo effort, "Justified" on which he co-wrote all the tracks, went 3 times platinum, earned him 2 Grammys, 2 Brit awards, 2 VMAs, 1 WMA, 1 AMA, 1 Radio Music Award, 3 MTV Europe Awards, he has 3 #1's, 5 top 10's, and 1 top 40.and was 1/2 of the infamous nipplegate.


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You'll gain more respect from the locals if you can at least say hello, please, sorry, and thank you. On that note, remember: if you don't speak the language, it's your problem, not theirs. And please don't start speaking louder to make yourself understood. Try miming instead, or using a translation app on your phone.
There have been so many times when I've been too shy to ask someone to take my photo in a place and I've almost always regretted it. After eight years of travel, I probably only have around 200 photos of me around the world. Photos of the beautiful places you visit are great and all, but when you get home, they're not all that different to the ones everyone else has taken there, too. Photos with you in them are special and they'll mean a lot more to you when you look back at them. Or maybe I'm just a narcissistic millennial.
When you travel, you're in the sun more than most people thanks to months of island-hopping and beach time, as well as entire days spent outside exploring. Wear sunscreen every single day, regardless of the weather and temperature, because you really don't want your trip of a lifetime to result in skin cancer or a body that's blanketed in leathery wrinkles. I wear sunscreen on my face and chest every day, even in the middle of winter.
I'm fortunate to have never had to deal with lost luggage, but I did have my backpack ripped open on a flight and I was grateful to have not had anything valuable in it at the time. I've also been on dodgy buses in Southeast Asia where we've arrived at our destination and people have had items stolen by someone hiding out in the luggage hold while we were transit. If there's anything I'd be upset to lose, I keep it in my daypack, which is always by my side on travel days. For me, that's my passport, laptop, camera, external hard drive, a debit card, and some spare cash. As long as I have all of these, I can survive indefinitely.
People laughed at me when I said that I was carrying around a dozen spare passport photos, but they've been incredibly useful and saved me a ton of time and hassle. Who wants to wander the streets of some rural town in Cambodia searching for someone who can take your photo? Friends of mine had to do this! I've used them to apply for visas around the world, to get a new passport when mine expired while I was on the other side of the planet, and I even needed one to buy a local SIM card in Nepal! Having spares in my backpack meant that I didn't have to waste a day researching and then wandering around a city to try to find someone who could take a passport-sized photo of me.
Seriously. If you do only one thing before you leave, make it getting travel insurance. I've heard far too many horror stories of travellers injuring themselves in remote places and ending up in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt. Don't think that it won't happen to you, because you know those travellers thought that, too. I've use World Nomads for my travel insurance provider for six years and recommend them to everyone I know. They were fantastic to deal with when making a claim.
One of the first lessons I learned on the road was that your plans will nearly always change. You'll arrive in a place and hate it and want to leave immediately, or you'll fall in love with a destination and want to spend longer there. You'll make friends with a group of awesome people and want to change your plans so you can travel with them for longer, or you'll find out about an amazing-sounding town that's nearby and want to head there instead. Sure, you should have a rough plan for your trip, but don't book everything in advance or you'll likely feel too restricted and end up regretting it. Book a one-way ticket and your first few nights of accommodation — you'll figure the rest out along the way. It's not as intimidating as it sounds. If you're in a tourist destination there'll always be someone who's willing to take your money by giving you a place to stay.
One of my biggest regrets from the first year of my travels was that I wasn't brave enough to try any of the local food. I was raised a picky eater and that, combined with debilitating anxiety and an eating disorder, led to me believing that I would either hate or be allergic to anything I hadn't tried before. I was so, so wrong. Food is now my absolute favourite way to get to know a place better. I love trying new things, and I've found a thousand amazing dishes that I never would have discovered if I'd continue to eat from supermarkets around the world. Trying new food isn't scary, and you'll build your confidence up as you fall in love with more and more things. Try everything, even if you have no idea what it is. I promise you won't regret it. Or fall straight into anaphylactic shock.
Disney food is expensive, and you may not want to eat every single meal and snack in the parks. You're able to bring your own snacks into the parks as a method to save a little bit of money. There are some restrictions on what you can bring in like no coolers or alcohol, but most food is acceptable. Packing a few muffins for breakfast or granola bars to stop that midday hunger is a great way to save some money. Snacks are small and easy to pack, so you don't have to worry about them taking up too much room in your Disney bag. With they money you've saved by bringing your own snacks rather than paying nearly $10 for popcorn, you'll be able to splurge and have a nice lunch or dinner at a restaurant.
A few select attractions at Disneyland Paris have a single rider queue. Single rider queues are one of the best ways to make the most out of your time at Disneyland Paris. People from the single rider queue are used to fill empty seats that aren't filled with people from the regular queues. For example, if the attraction seats two guests per row and there is a group of three, a person from the single rider queue will be seated next to third person in the party. Attractions that offer a single rider queue are:


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Posted by Kathy Merchant, DWS, CSW
Pairing food and wine…simple, right? Chicken goes with white wine, beef goes with red. Cheese is great with anything. Easy!
But what if the tomatoes in a dish are stewed or sauced and laced with garlic? Their flavor and texture is completely different from freshly sliced juicy summer tomatoes. Red wine goes with cooked tomatoes, white and rosé with fresh. The reverse is pretty awful! Then there's the vexing matter of what to do about the souring effects of vinegar, asparagus and artichokes on most wines.
For sure, it takes a bit more effort to create a "perfect pairing" than simply choosing between an entrée meat (or vegetable) and a white or red wine. But the principles are clear and the results are amazing!
This is the first post in a four-part series on matching food with wine using menus from the Spring 2013 "Perfect Pairings" series created with The Painted Chef at The Grotto in Mt. Adams.
The series is anchored in the principle of place: terroir.
LATIN AMERICA is a broad geographical term encompassing Mexico in North America plus all of Central America, the Caribbean Islands and South America. The cuisines of Latin American countries share many similarities, yet have distinct regional differences in ingredients and flavors. But because the equator runs straight through Ecuador and Brazil in South America, the areas just to the north and south of the equator are too hot to grow wine grapes. While the cuisine is expansive, the wine is concentrated.
Only Chile and Argentina have conditions suitable for making quality wine. Chile developed a wine industry over 150 years ago. Wine entrepreneurs locked out of vineyard ownership in France in 1855 fled to a perfect growing climate in Chile where the export economy was booming. Though Argentina's wine industry is much younger, its leaders are equally entrepreneurial and definitely making great wines.
Chefs Dave Cioffi and Brady DeLong created a Perfect Pairings menu to demonstrate the great flavors of Latin America, and showcase the great wines of Chile and Argentina, using the fresh approach that distinguishes their gourmet catering business.
Alma Negra Sparkling Rosé of Malbec 2010
Light and refreshing, with a hint of sweetness from the watermelon sufficient to shake off winter doldrums in early April, the salad offers a parade of contrasting flavors. The creamy and slightly salty queso (cheese) was an able partner for heat from jalapeño peppers, cool and refreshing watermelon, the sparkle of the wine, and the clean herbal notes of chopped cilantro.
Perfect pairing: traditional method sparkling rosé from Argentina made from 85% Malbec and 15% Pinot Noir. Its pale orange-pink color was a beautiful companion to the deeper red color of the watermelon. A fruity flavor profile of sweet strawberries, raspberries, minerals and brown spices followed by a lingering rose petal perfume helped to meld the cool watermelon with the heat of the jalapeno, lift the savory notes of the cilantro, and provide a bubbly contrast to the creamy cheese.
Viña Santa Ema Amplus Sauvignon Blanc 2012
Tomatillos originated in Mexico and are a staple of Mexican cuisine. Surrounded by an inedible husk, when cooked the small green fruit makes a deeply flavored savory salsa verde that can range from mild to hot depending on the ingredients, and is a brilliant complement especially to delicate fish, chicken or pork. When cooked, the vibrant acidity of a tomatillo is released, making it an excellent partner for garnishes such as pickled red onions, and acidic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc. Braising the meat lifts its savory elements in tandem with the tomatillos.
Perfect pairing: 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Leyda Valley in Chile. Bright straw yellow color. Crisp, expressive and complex aromas of lime and mineral with flavors of herbs and green chiles typical of Chile's Leyda Valley, followed by a citrusy finish. Unoaked.
Bodegas Salentein Portillo 2011
The term "barbacoa" originated in the Caribbean, meaning grilling meat over an open flame, and is the source of our North American term "barbecue." Mexican barbacoa is different in that meat is smoked and steamed at the same time. This dish used the Mexican method, and dissecting its ingredients is almost as fun as putting the whole thing together in a bite. Most of the main ingredients made perfect sense from a wine pairing standpoint: corn tortillas, braised shortribs, cilantro and sour cream. The pineapple salsa was the potential spoiler: sweet fruit with red wine vinegar (and a bit of diced red bell pepper) threatened to sour the dish with a sip of wine. What a glorious surprise that it all worked together!
Perfect pairing: 100% Malbec from the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina. Red-violet hues of a young wine. Rich with fruit, aromas of plum and blackberries, fresh flavors of red currant and black cherry. Sweet, round tannins. Long finish with notes of vanilla, cinnamon and cloves. This wine received the International Trophy from Decanter World Wine Awards in 2012.
The Painted Chef
The Grotto
1101 St. Gregory St. Mt. Adams
Photo credits: Map of Latin America, "Modern World History Hoffblog"; food and wine photos Game Day Communications.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee police officer fatally shot a man who charged at the officer with knives during a traffic stop, authorities said.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Officer Christopher Royer has been placed on administrative assignment after he shot the man on a Nashville road, department spokesman Don Aaron said at a news conference.
The man died at a hospital, Aaron said. He was not immediately identified.
Royer was on patrol in his police car when he ran a license plate for a white Mercedes sedan, but the plate was actually registered to a green 1998 Chevrolet, Aaron said.
After the officer stopped the Mercedes, the passenger ran out of the car holding a knife in each hand, Aaron said.
The passenger began running around and briefly entered the driver's side door of Royer's police car, police body camera footage released at the news conference showed.
The man then ran toward Royer, who retreated about 25 yards from his police car, Aaron said. Royer could be heard on the video requesting backup, telling the passenger to drop the knives and saying, "I don't want to shoot you."
The man continued running at Royer, who fired three times, the video showed. The man fell onto the street.
"Dude, what are you doing, man, come on," Royer said. "I did not want to have to do that."
Police Chief John Drake said five officers rendered aid to the man. Drake said Royer retreated and and he asked the man to drop the knife several times in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
"He continued charging at him, and he was left with no choice," Drake said.
Drake said officers regularly run license tags to determine if vehicles are stolen. Nashville police are issued stun guns, Drake said, but Royer did not appear to attempt to use it, according to the video.
"That's a lethal situation," Drake said, calling the passenger's behavior "bizarre."
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will investigate the shooting and the police department will also review it. The local district attorney will decide whether to pursue charges after the TBI finishes the investigation.
Royer has been with the police department for four years.


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Uwell Caliburn KOKO Key Features
- Compatible with 1.2ohm and 1.4ohm Caliburn pods
- 520mAh rechargeable battery
- 2ml vape juice capacity
- Draw activated
- LED Battery Indicator
- 11W Max wattage
- 67x43x12mm
About the Uwell Koko
Go crazy for the Caliburn KOKO, a brand new pod mod from Uwell. Propelled by the Caliburn's booming success, the Caliburn KOKO introduces a new set of Caliburn compatible pods that vape at a higher temp, but is also compatible with the same long-lasting Caliburn pods that have made the original device a smash hit. The included pods are compatible with either Caliburn device. The appeal of the Caliburn KOKO comes in its compressed shape – it's easy to carry with you on its own or attached to a lanyard. Designed to be sleek and streamlined, the KOKO doesn't have any buttons and is purely draw-activated; leave the days of accidental activation behind you and say hello to your new, compact Uwell KOKO.
A dependable 520mAh battery ensures you can vape all day long before you need to charge via the included Micro USB cable. With Uwell's superior pod design you can go longer before you have to replace a pod, making the Caliburn a smart investment for those looking to save money on pods. Both the original Caliburn and the new Caliburn KOKO have cross-compatible pods, available in the traditional 1.4ohm or the new 1.2ohm. Each pod has a magnetic base for snapping securely into place and a top fill design that makes refilling a breeze.
Multiple safety precautions powered by the Uwell BEIN chip
- keeps you safe while you vape, including short circuit protection, low power protection, and over vape indication. The LED Indicator on the side lets you know the current state of your battery. Via the three indicator lights, green, blue, and red. Because the Caliburn KOKO is so easy to use it's perfect for both beginners and experts who want a simple yet reliable device with crisp flavor and long pod life. Try the Caliburn KOKO today and never go back!
A Caliburn KOKO
2 x Caliburn KOKO Pods (1 pre-installed)
1 x Micro USB cable
One User Manual
1 x Necklace


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There is nothing more sleek than a beautifully constructed garment… and it is even better when that garment has a remarkable bound neckline! Oooh la la!!
So today I'm going to give you a quick rundown of how I accomplish my "almost perfect" binding. I say "almost perfect" because sometimes I become impatient and then my stitches become uneven. C'est la vie.
I want to caution you, before we start, that 90% of beautiful knit binding is in the preparations – not in the actual garment construction. It takes time to prepare the binding pieces for sewing (you will get faster as you practice), but it is well worth the effort.
In this tutorial, we are using the Ellie and Mac Vacation Romper.** This is one of my favourite rompers this season! I've modified mine a little though to take the points out of the sides when I use a less drapey cotton/Lycra.
The first step is to cut your pieces per your pattern. If you're winging it, I usually use a 1-3/4″ width by the length needed.
Fold your piece in half length-wise and give it a really good press.
Open your bias piece up and use the fold as a guideline to fold the sides in. Give it a really good press as you go. I usually do one side at a time. Take your time with this part as this is ultimately what makes your binding even on your garment.
If you're making the Vacation Romper, you should now have 3 pieces of binding. Two short pieces and one long piece.
Now your binding is ready to be attached to your garment. Woo Hoo!
The order you attach your pieces is very important – especially with the Vacation Romper; you need to attach the side pieces first.
Using a pin, mark the centre of the side binding.
Open your garment/romper so the side seam lays flat.
Lay the piece of side bias on the romper, right sides together, aligning the pin with the centre seam. Pin in place.
Next, pin the very ends of the binding in place at the edges of the armhole opening. Ease the bias along the edge and pin in place.
Repeat for the other side.
Now we're going to use the sewing machine, not the serger, to attach the binding to the garment. I use a regular zigzag with a stitch width of 3.0 and a stitch length of 2.0.
When you place your bias under the foot, align the fold crease with the edge of the foot window. Stitch your bias to your garment.
This is what your garment should look like after the zigzag is stitched. The first image shows the stitch on the wrong side while the second image shows the seam from the right side.
Fold open edge of the binding closed. Mark the centre of the piece and fold the binding over so the centre of the binding lines up with the side seam of the garment. Pin in place.
As you pin your binding in place, make sure you cover the zigzag entirely. You don't want your stitches showing at all. Pin your binding starting with the centre pin, then the two outside pins. Ease the binding into place the rest of the way and pin. Repeat for both arm holes.
If you're using a zigzag, stitch the binding from the top following the same method you used to attach the binding earlier. Use a 3.0 stitch width and 2.0 stitch length.
If you're using a coverstitch, run a test piece of binding through and adjust your stitch length and tension as needed.
When you're ready, position two needles in the leftmost positions. Align the edge of the binding to the inside edge of the left side of the foot as shown. You want the left needle as close to the edge of the binding as possible – but – you also want to use a reliable mark for an even distance from the edge.
Stitch both sides. Your romper should look something like this when you're done the arm hole binding:
Prepare your neck binding by sewing the ends closed, right sides together. Use a seam allowance as indicated in your pattern. Press the seam open. Pressing the seam open reduces bulk in the binding once sewn closed. Pin the binding seam in the centre back of the romper. Mark the centre front of the binding and the centre front of the romper and pin the binding to the romper, right sides together. Make sure the binding is not twisted anywhere before you pin the rest!! 😉 😉
Zigzag the binding to the front and back where you pinned it. Do not worry about going over the edges because this seam will be completely covered.
Fold your binding over to the wrong side of the garment and finish pinning all the way around. This is what it should look like.
Stitch down using the same method you used for the armholes.
Bury your threads and CONGRATULATIONS!!! You're done 😀
**I use affiliate links to help fund this blog 🙂


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Thu, May 20|
Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery
Happy Hour
Every Thursday 4-6pm
Registration is ClosedSee other events
Time & Location
May 20, 2021, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery, 154 Winery Ln, Leon, VA 22725, USA
About the Event
Every Thursday 4-6pm come on in for happy hour where we are offering 25% off wine slushies, flights & glasses. As well as 25% off cider pints & flights. Food served from The Pub 12-6:00pm. Menu here
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Spruce gall midge adults emerging and laying eggs now
Damage from spruce gall midge can kill individual shoots and repeated attacks can disfigure spruce trees, making them unsalable.
The spruce gall midge, Mayetiola piceae, is an unusual pest that we have found on Black Hills, white and Norway spruce primarily in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. The midge, a tiny, fly-like insect, overwinters in numerous swellings or galls that encircle the terminal shoots. These galls have a slight, pimply-looking protrusion at the end where the pupa has pushed up against – and occasionally through – the outer shell They are ready to emerge when they complete their development (Photo 1).
Photo 1. Swollen gall on shoot. Note the pimply-looking protrusions.
Photo credit: Jill O'Donnell, MSU Extension
The adults who are emerging now will mate and lay eggs in the bud scale (Photo 2). The bright orange, but tiny, larvae hatch within seven to 10 days and bore into the shoots to feed on plant juices. In response to the feeding, plant tissue swells up around the larvae to form the galls. The larvae continue to feed inside this gall throughout the season. The damage can kill individual shoots. Repeated attacks can cause brooming, a proliferation of shoots at the ends of the twig and disfigured growth (Photo 3).
Photo 2. Female laying eggs in bud scales. Note the orange eggs spilling out of the bud scale.
Photo credit: Jill O'Donnell, MSU Extension
Photo 3. Repeated attack can severely damage the tree.
Photo credit: Jill O'Donnell, MSU Extension
Michigan State University Extension recommends you inspect trees in the early spring for signs of the galls. If found, prune those shoots out to remove the insects before they can emerge. Often, the midge seems to attack just a few trees in the beginning; culling those trees can help minimize future damage from this insect. Be sure to remove the pruned shoots or tree from the field.
If damage is really severe, or you miss the time to cull the tree, treat the trees in the next few weeks when the eggs begin to hatch. Make sure to get good coverage as we often begin to see this problem develop in the spray shadows where you are not getting coverage.
Additional information
- Spruce gall midge tip sheet by MSU Extension
- Spruce gall midge in Christmas Trees YouTube video by MSU Extension's Christmas tree specialists


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Class Details
Birth, childhood, adolescence, college, adulthood, career, marriage, family, mid-life, old age, death, afterlife. How are all these facets of being human imagined as stages in time, as axes on certain progressive lines that delineate human social relations? How do we experience and represent time, and what factors might account for both our experiences and our representations? What are some of the ways that people experience and mark the passing of time? What are some of the different ways that people have made sense of time and themselves in time? How have our conceptions of time and our demarcations of lifecycles shifted historically? How do people whose experiences do not align with dominant cultural social stages negotiate ideas of lifecycle and timing? Especially for individuals and peoples who have been denied self-representation and narratives of place, how do competing notions of time, history, space, and location get negotiated? In this course, drawing from within the broad corpus of queer theory (including theorists such as Gloria Anzaldúa, Elizabeth Freeman, J. Halberstam, and José Esteban Muñoz) we will examine some non-linear, non-normative, and interruptive approaches to making sense of time, space-time, and self within time.
The Class: Format: tutorial
Limit: 10
Expected: 10
Class#: 3375
Grading: no pass/fail option, no fifth course option
Limit: 10
Expected: 10
Class#: 3375
Grading: no pass/fail option, no fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: evaluation will be based on class attendance, analytical essays, responses, and revised essays
Extra Info: Pairs will meet with the instructor for one hour each week. Almost every week, one student from the pair will write a 5-page analysis of the week's reading. The other student will respond orally with a 2-page response to their partner's paper.
Extra Info 2: Pairs will also prepare a midterm synthesis, students will revise two of their 5-page analytical papers: one from the first half of the semester, one from the second half due at the end of the semester. may not be taken pass/fail or fifth course
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: majors and concentrators in Religion, Latina/o Studies, Comparative Literature, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies or students who have previous coursework in those programs
Distributions: Division II Writing Skills
Notes: meets Division 2 requirement if registration is under REL, LATS or WGSS; meets Division 1 requirement if registration is under COMP
This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
WGSS 326 Division II COMP 326 Division II REL 326 Division II LATS 426 Division II
This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
WGSS 326 Division II COMP 326 Division II REL 326 Division II LATS 426 Division II
Attributes: AMST Space and Place Electives
LATS Core Electives
LATS Core Electives
Class Grid
Updated 3:32 pm
- HEADERS Column header 1 Column header 2 Column header 3 Column header 4 Column header 5
- REL 326 - TUT Queer Temporalities


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Yesterday was the 3rd Poker evening. It was held at Ian's place and seven people turned up: Me, Ann, Ian, Christian, Cristina, Pete and Ury. We played three games and as has become usual, started by reducing expectations on our ability. I didn't take notes so my memories are a little limited.
The first game was a standard £5 NLHE tournament, and I started in my standard heads-up manner - aggressively. As people started betting small amounts, I bluffed the first hand and then bet big on the turn in the second with a flush draw, straight draw with two overcards. Then I realised I was betting pot percentages, while others were making bets of big blind. The game settled down a bit, but with the occasional big move reminiscent of the first few hands. Pete went out first and rebought. The numbers were steadily whittled down. Just after an hour Pete had a run of great cards (at least the ones we saw) and knocked out the last few people in quick succession. I was second.
For the second game we played with substantially smaller stacks to accommodate Pete and Ury who had go in an hour. This seemed to make everyone aggressive and as the blinds doubled when someone was knocked out we were all quickly down to around 10 big blinds each. It seemed like nearly every other hand someone was all-in. There was rarely an obvious bluff - people just had good cards, often in fact the same good cards (on at least 2 occasions the pot was split equally). I went all-in against Ann on the first hand when there was a spade flush on the board - whoever had the higher spade would win. Knowing that Ann is quite a cautious player, I thought I could scare her off the pot despite not having a single spade. Ann knows I bluff so after an age of thinking, called with her 9 of spades and I had to rebuy. The carnage continued and Ian was out the next hand. Pete's run of good cards continued at the start, knocking out Cristina with KK vs QQ preflop. At the end Pete's luck ended and mine started with three great hands in a row to beat Pete into second. The whole game lasted under 45 minutes - very quick.
Only Ian and I were available for the third game, everyone else had to leave. Considering it was a heads up match, I don't remember much other than I finished my beers right at the start. I do recall that after playing for a while I won a big all-in pot and thought I had crippled Ian. Instead after matching chips we were equal with perhaps Ian slightly ahead! Ian was grinding me down. I tried to tighten up, but it didn't work and I got annoyed at a couple of hands I definitely played too weakly postflop. In the end I misread Ian's body language thinking he had nothing when infact he was trying to disguise having the nuts. Ian won.


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Wow Sound Effect
Description: Wow sound effect for games, projects and videos. The man says wow. Human sounds free mp3 download. Best online SFX library.
Genres: Sound Effects
Artist: Alexander
File Details
|MP3 192 Kbps, 16 bit / 44.100 khz
|00:02 sec
|Audio Size:
|37 kb
|The sound effect is permitted for non-commercial use under license "Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)"


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Trump's Insidious Reason for Leaving the UN Human Rights Council / The Atlantic
When the Trump administration commits to a decision, it goes full throttle—and often with little regard for the consequences. One such decision was announced Tuesday evening: The United States is withdrawing its membership from the UN Human Rights Council, which it joined in 2008, two years after its creation.
The stated reasons for withdrawal ranged from what the Trump administration regards as the council's seeming lack of interest in addressing abuses in places like Venezuela and Iran, to accusations of partiality. In a press conference on Tuesday, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called the council a "protector of human-rights abusers, and a cesspool of political bias," and said that "America should not provide it with any credibility."
One of the more obvious reasons for the withdrawal from the council is America's aversion to what Haley called its "chronic bias" against Israel. She's been making that case for some time now, telling the body last year that it had a "relentless, pathological campaign" against the country. Even some critics of the U.S. extraction from the council told me that there is some truth to the fact that it does disproportionately single out Israel. One of the council's longstanding agenda items, for example, is examining human-rights abuses in "Palestine and other Arab territory"—the only item that delineates a particular place or region. Still, for human-rights advocates, the Trump administration's withdrawal is "a sad reflection of its one-dimensional human-rights policy: defending Israeli abuses from criticism takes precedence above all else," Human Rights Watch Director Kenneth Roth said Tuesday in a statement.
To read the rest of this article, please click over to The Atlantic.


text: Frustrated over broken propellers due to frequent collisions? Don't panic! Our 761 series RC planes come with a newly designed propeller that if the propeller hits something, the propeller will snap of saving the entire motor and plane from breaking. You can easily snap the propeller back on without any tools and fly again! Greater protection for longer lifespan! Check out Exhobby.com for more info and selections!


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|IODP Proceedings Volume contents Search
|Expedition reports Research results Supplementary material Drilling maps Expedition bibliography
Site M00631
T. Andrén, B.B. Jørgensen, C. Cotterill, S. Green, E. Andrén, J. Ash, T. Bauersachs, B. Cragg, A.-S. Fanget, A. Fehr, W. Granoszewski, J. Groeneveld, D. Hardisty, E. Herrero-Bervera, O. Hyttinen, J.B. Jensen, S. Johnson, M. Kenzler, A. Kotilainen, U. Kotthoff, I.P.G. Marshall, E. Martin, S. Obrochta, S. Passchier, N. Quintana Krupinski, N. Riedinger, C. Slomp, I. Snowball, A. Stepanova, S. Strano, A. Torti, J. Warnock, N. Xiao, and R. Zhang2
During Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 347, cores were recovered from five holes at Site M0063 (Landsort Deep), with an average site recovery of 97.9%. The water depth was 437.1 m, with a tidal range of <10 cm. Existing data sets, including seismic reflection profiles, were evaluated prior to each site to attempt to guide the initial drilling with an anticipated lithologic breakdown. The total time spent on station was 10.76 days.


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Provided Paddling Gear
For all Swamp Base treks Scouts will paddle in tandem Wenonah Canoes. Tandem canoes allow the two people in the boat an opportunity to participate, as well as being more efficient on the water.
The polyethylene Wenonah Northfork is made for people who demand ruggedness— sportsmen, camps, outfitters, etc. Its stable hull feels solid when the going gets rough. It has plenty of capacity for gear, and paddles easily when loaded.
- Length – 16'9"
- Width – 37 1/2"
- Weight – 87 lbs.
Swamp Base employs an unconventional method for paddling our canoes. Instead of using traditional single blade canoe paddles, Swamp Base participants use double bladed Werner Skagit kayak paddles. Through our experience, we find that kayak paddles are the preferred method of paddling for the following reasons:
- Brings even unexperienced paddlers up in skill level
- More efficent
- Less corrective strokes needed
- No wet laps when switching paddling sides
- Stronger and faster boats
For PFDs (personal floation devices), Swamp Base exclusively uses Astral V-Eight lifejackets. These PFDs provide plenty of manuverability and are ideal for adventure in the climate of Louisiana:
- Super high mesh back is ideal for warm temperatures keeping you cool and comfortable
- Strategically placed "Vent Port" cutouts in the foam let warm air escape out of the jacket
- The inside of the PFD's foam has a textured surface that reduces body contact by 70%, creating channels for air to move freely
- The foam in the upper front is sculpted to fit a woman's body


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This much Abraham Rubin knew: He was lying, blindfolded and handcuffed, in the back of a van. He could feel it winding through the streets. He figured at least three men were in there with him, plus the driver. There was the one who'd stepped out of nowhere and punched him in the face as he walked down 56th Street in Brooklyn's Borough Park neighborhood just a few minutes earlier. And two, maybe three others who'd bull-rushed him and threw him into the van.
"We only want you to be a Jew," one of them said in Yiddish.
The van stopped. Rubin heard a door open and the men getting out. "The rabbi is coming," one said. Then the sound of two or more men climbing in beside him.
One asked Rubin in English to repeat what he was about to say.
"On the fourth day of the week, the 10th day of the month of Heshvan in the year 5757 in the creation of the world . . ."
It was the beginning of an oath, and the 31-year-old Rubin, a rabbi himself, knew the words that would follow.
He told the man that he would not repeat them.
That's when the punching began. A relentless onslaught of fists, pummeling his torso and face. Then came the stun gun, jolting Rubin's entire body, over and over. Rubin felt the men pull down his pants, felt the device applied to his genitals. Again and again.
Eventually, the words flowed from him.
". . . willingly consent, being under no duress, to release, discharge, and divorce you to be on your own, you, my wife . . .
". . . so that you are permitted and have authority over yourself to go and marry any man you desire . . .
". . . This shall be for you from me a bill of dismissal, a letter of release, and a document of absolution, in accordance with the law of Moses and Israel."
Three hours after snatching him off the street, at around 10 o'clock on the night of October 23, 1996, his abductors left Rubin, still blindfolded and handcuffed, at the entrance to a cemetery.
Six days a week, 13th Avenue, Borough Park's central commercial thoroughfare, bustles. The sidewalks are crammed, a steady stream of patrons flowing in and out of the many shops. The storefronts, bearing signs written in Hebrew script, are diverse — from shoes to books to fruits and vegetables. Pedestrian attire, on the other hand, is unvarying. The men wear long black coats and wide-brimmed black felt hats. Many carry a book tucked under an arm. The women, who favor long black skirts and running shoes, push strollers.
On Saturdays, 13th Avenue feels like an empty movie set. Even the Duane Reade is closed. Residents of Borough Park honor the Sabbath. According to a 2011 study by the United Jewish Appeal–Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, more than three-fourths of the neighborhood's population of 170,000 is Jewish. The district's city councilman, David Greenfield, has called Borough Park "the Jewish capital of the United States."
The first local synagogue opened its doors in 1904, about the time Jewish immigrants began building a community in the neighborhood. Waves of new families from Europe arrived following each World War. Through the second half of the 20th century, as Americans of all faiths uprooted for the suburbs, Borough Park's population turned increasingly Orthodox, a trend fueled by an influx of immigrants who practiced the ultra-conservative Haredi strain of Judaism. The UJA–Federation study reported that 80 percent of Borough Park Jews classified themselves as Orthodox. Only 2 percent classified themselves as Reform, the religion's most popular liberal denomination in the U.S. Among the respondents, 94 percent answered that their "closest friends are mostly Jewish."
In Borough Park, faith is deeply embedded into day-to-day life. Present in buildings: Affixed to the right side of nearly every doorframe is a mezuzah. Present in travel: Inside the B110 bus, which offers special express service between Borough Park and Williamsburg but doesn't accept MetroCards, a sign reads, "When boarding a crowded bus with standing passengers in the front, women should board the back door after paying the driver in the front." Present in disagreements: Community members rarely take their legal disputes to civil court, choosing instead to settle them through a Jewish rabbinical court, a beth din. An insular legal system governed by Jewish law, the beth din perhaps best embodies the community's self-sufficiency.
For the court's proceedings, litigants typically hire an advocate, known as a to'ein, to argue the case.
In Borough Park, few to'anim were as prominent as Mendel Epstein.
Epstein, now 68, was known to many in the Orthodox Jewish community as a devoted feminist. Stout and bald, with a bushy beard and a steely demeanor, he specialized in divorces. Over three decades he built a reputation for effectively representing women. Says one local rabbi, "He presented himself as a champion for the underdog."
The women who came to Epstein often had a singular problem: Their husbands refused to grant them a get, a document without which an Orthodox Jewish marriage cannot be dissolved. The rule can be traced to the biblical Book of Deuteronomy, and its sway remains stifling: Without a get, a woman who remarries is considered adulterous. Any children fathered by her new husband are illegitimate under Orthodox law and prohibited from marrying within the faith.
The patriarchal nature of Orthodox marriages can lead to particularly contentious divorces. With custody and alimony at stake, a man may be tempted to use his biblically granted leverage in negotiations: No get until his terms are met. Though the practice is frowned upon, it is so pervasive that there's a word for a woman whose husband refuses to grant a get: an agunah, which translates from Hebrew as "chained woman."
"The get is often the last vestige of control that an abusive man has over his wife," says Rabbi Jeremy Stern, director of the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot, a nonprofit advocacy group for chained women. "Agunot are among the most vulnerable members of the Jewish community."
The New York legislature tried to address the problem, passing a law in 1983 that forbids the state's courts to grant a divorce if the spouse who filed for it has not "taken all steps to remove all barriers to [the other's] remarriage." Another law, passed in 1992, allows courts to consider "barriers to marriage" when setting alimony and dividing property. "There are limitations to both get laws that make it so they do not resolve the agunot problem in New York state," says Stern, who encourages couples to sign a prenuptial agreement that legally requires a husband to pay his wife a fee for each day he holds out on a get. "The solution fundamentally lies in the hands of the rabbis and the Jewish community."
A beth din provides a forum for get mediation, but it does not guarantee that a woman will find a sympathetic ear. "In many cases the Jewish religious court is on the side of the husband," says Samuel Heilman, a professor of Jewish studies at Queens College. "Both sides don't have equal power. What can she do? She has no wiggle room. She's living in an environment and society where she has no control."
Epstein was an aggressive advocate, versed in scripture, a masterful orator before beth din judges. A fellow rabbi likens hashing out cases with Epstein to negotiating with a Wall Street lawyer. Says another, "He was the guy you went to to get the job done."
Larry Gordon, editor of the 5 Towns Jewish Times newspaper, recalls an evening outside a synagogue several months ago when he spoke with two men about Epstein. One man said he'd hired the rabbi to handle his daughter's divorce. The other man said Epstein had worked for his uncle's ex-wife and pursued a legal action that has barred the uncle from seeing his kids for the past 15 years. "The reason I hate him is the reason you use him for your daughter," Gordon remembers the second man saying.
Epstein publicly advocated for women's empowerment. In 1989 he published a book, A Woman's Guide to the Get Process, which advised wives on their religiously sanctioned options when seeking divorce. He wrote columns on the subject for the Jewish Press. Earlier this year, he codified his philosophy, unveiling "The Bill of Rights of a Jewish Wife" in the pages of the 5 Towns. One right states, "A wife must be treated with respect and not be abused. A woman in an abusive relationship has a right to seek a get." Another: "A husband is obligated to honor and respect his wife's parents." A third: "She is entitled to be supported by her husband."
He wrote it, the author explains in his introduction, "to clarify and strengthen the rights of the Jewish wife because I am disturbed by the number of women who find themselves in unbearably difficult situations."
The manifesto circulated through the Orthodox blogosphere, drawing praise and sparking long threads of debate. Epstein's position had long been accepted by those at the progressive end of the Orthodox Jewish spectrum. But Epstein himself is a Haredi Jew.
"It was a bold statement, because that's very rare to break ranks and step out of the mold that is the Orthodox Jewish community," says Gordon, who interviewed Epstein in August. "Sometimes the view of the elders is a bit archaic and needs some revision to stay in stride with the times. He presented himself as a man on the cutting edge who was willing to take that bold initiative."
More than one local rabbi says Epstein came across as a "knight in shining armor" to agunot in the most desperate situations.
"He says he is the undertaker of failed marriages," says Gordon. "The relationship dies; someone has to bury it."
Adds the newspaper editor: "It's dirty work. It's not pretty."
The women met with Amy Neustein in a synagogue after dark. Neustein's father, Rabbi Abraham Neustein, was a respected educator at the Jewish Center for Brighton Beach and he had a set of keys to the building. Neustein, then 27, had divorced her husband three years earlier, in 1983, and had moved back in with her parents so she could devote more time to the custody battle for her three-year-old daughter. A sociologist by trade, she helped out on her father's off-the-clock project.
Rabbi Neustein ran a sort of Underground Railroad for abused women in the community. It was a delicate matter. "If the women were caught challenging what their husbands had done to them," Amy Neustein says, "they would be subject to such terrible reproach in the Orthodox Jewish community that their chances of marrying again would be nil." So two or three times a week, Neustein's father drove the women to the Jewish Center's bais medrash, the prayer room where he taught, and they told her their stories: of domestic violence, of crumbling marriages, of get refusals.
One night in the fall of 1986, a woman named Deena talked with Neustein. Soft-spoken, she'd been sheltered all her life. "Naïve," Neustein remembers. Her story began the way many did: abusive husband won't grant get.
Deena went on to explain that her friends had referred her to a man who was known to help women in her situation. "He told her that the abuse denial was very much entrenched in the community; that the beth din favored men; that women were losing children and not getting divorces and there was nothing she could do; that she would remain a woman in chains for the rest of her life; that she wouldn't get a divorce in any other way than through him," Neustein recalls.
Soon after speaking with the man, Deena had second thoughts. He'd guaranteed he could persuade her husband to grant the get, but he was charging her thousands of dollars and was suspiciously secretive about his methods. Eventually Deena learned from others that the man was rumored to use violence to coerce gets out of stubborn husbands. So she told the man she'd changed her mind. She hinted that she might report him to authorities. In response, he told her she was about to make a terrible mistake. If she didn't accept his services, he said, she would lose her children, she would never marry again, "no one would ever want her, and the community would align with the husband," Neustein reports.
Neustein wasn't familiar with the man, a to'ein named Mendel Epstein. She advised Deena to "stay strong," "keep fighting," and they'd figure out a solution. The two women spoke a few more times over the next couple of months. And then Neustein never heard from Deena again. To this day she doesn't know where Deena went, but she heard the woman may have left the city.
In the years that followed, Epstein became a common thread between many of Neustein's nighttime meetings in the bais medrash. Most stories followed a similar arc: a desperate woman turns to Epstein, decides not to follow through with his plan, faces extortion.
There were some exceptions. In 1997, for example, Neustein met with a woman named Libby. She came from a poor family, Libby said, but her husband was a wealthy, well-known member of the Orthodox community. He was also abusive: When she was six months pregnant, Libby told Neustein, he beat her until she miscarried. Desperate, Libby turned to Mendel Epstein. The rabbi offered one solution: He'd have her husband give her $10,000 if she left the country and promised to keep quiet.
Neustein advised her to reject the deal, and to bring the spousal abuse to light.
A few days later, Libby phoned Neustein from the airport and apologized. She had a one-way ticket to Israel. "I'm giving in," she said.
Over a decade and a half, Neustein estimates, two dozen women came to her in fear of Epstein.
Meanwhile, in a one-room office in Crown Heights, a family therapist named Monty Weinstein was hearing stories, too. Weinstein founded Father's Rights Metro, a nonprofit group that assisted men in custody disputes. Weinstein remembers the first time he heard Epstein's name: In the mid-1980s, an Orthodox Jew approached him with a farfetched tale about how he'd been jumped by thugs and beaten until he agreed to recite the get oath.
"I was skeptical," Weinstein says. "In fact, I didn't believe it. I knew this guy must be a kook."
Several weeks later, though, another man came in with the same story. Then another. Some told of beatings, others of threatening phone calls: Grant the get or you'll be accused of child abuse; grant the get or you'll never see your kids again; grant the get, or else. By the time Weinstein shuttered the nonprofit in 1995, he says, he'd encountered more than a dozen men who'd been assaulted or intimidated over a get.
Such acts of physical coercion go back to ancient times, when a Jewish man could legally be flogged until he relented. In the early 20th century in certain parts of Europe, Queens College professor Heilman says, a woman's father might hire neighborhood toughs to rough up a son-in-law who refused to grant a get.
But refusals persist, and so do beatings. If anything, an increasingly mobile society has amplified the temptation to resort to violence. In the past, a community might shun a recalcitrant husband. Nowadays the man can simply relocate. "It's a modern-day problem because now men can start over," says Rabbi Shlomo Weissmann, director of Beth Din of America, a Manhattan-based rabbinical court that handles more cases than any beth din outside of Israel. "Before mobilization, he's stuck in his community, where there's a stigma."
Certain forms of coercion are unanimously accepted in divorce disputes. The Organization for the Resolution of Agunot uses a variety of social and economic pressures to persuade a man to grant a get. Jeremy Stern says he'll stage protests outside a recalcitrant husband's home or workplace and have lawyers look into civil litigation. He asks the man's synagogue to bar him from entry. In some instances, he has asked a husband's employer to fire him. If the man owns a business, he calls for a boycott.
Sometimes the measures work. Stern recalls one man who gave the get after 20 weeks of protest outside his house. Another relented as he faced a third stint in jail for contempt of court. But of the 50 cases Stern sees each year, about half are rolled over from the year prior. Some have dragged on for six, seven, 11 years. (A husband's stubbornness should not be underestimated. In Israel, where beth din rulings are legally binding, a husband can be incarcerated for refusing to grant a get. One such man, Yehia Abraham, spent 32 years in prison rather than agree to the divorce. Abraham died behind bars in 1994.)
"You can coerce," says Heilman. "The question is: What coercion can you use?"
In the 12th century, in his Jewish law codex Mishneh Torah, the scholar Maimonides described the justification for physical coercion: "If the law mandates that a person grant his wife a divorce, and he refuses, a Jewish court, in any time or place, may beat him until he says, 'I am willing' and writes the writ of divorce. . . . It is only that his evil inclination has overpowered him. So if he is beaten so that his evil inclination is weakened, and he says, 'I am willing,' he has willingly divorced."
Most rabbis these days believe it's unacceptable to beat a husband in pursuit of a get. Weissmann and Stern say a get procedure isn't legitimate under Jewish law if it violates secular penal codes.
"On one side, you are allowed to coerce a recalcitrant husband who refuses to give a get," Heilman explains. "On the other side, you are required to abide by the law of the land, and assault is not part of the law."
Amy Neustein often met with law enforcement officials to provide background on investigations that involved the Orthodox community. She first dropped Epstein's name in December 1986, when an investigator from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York visited her house to discuss possible financial fraud among rabbis. Though she had only the anecdotal stories she'd heard from troubled women, she suspected Epstein was a "rogue" running an extortion racket. (The Voice contacted spokesmen at the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, all of whom declined to confirm or deny whether their agencies have any files on Mendel Epstein.)
Monty Weinstein, too, voiced his concerns. Through the late 1980s and early '90s, he says, he described what he had heard about Epstein in letters to the Kings County District Attorney's Office and to various Brooklyn judges. In 1991, he staged a protest outside Epstein's Midwood home. He recalls that about 25 people showed up, some holding "Stop Mendel Epstein" signs.
Most say that by the mid-'90s, Epstein's kidnapping ring had become an open secret. "The whole community knew this," says Stern. "If someone wanted someone beaten up, Epstein would be the guy."
After years of operating with seeming impunity, Epstein himself wasn't exactly secretive about his unconventional methods. In an interview for the 2011 documentary Women Unchained, the rabbi told of a desperate wife who came to him after her husband took off with their child. "She heard I have an ability to do things outside the normal parameters, outside normal channels," he said.
By the logic Epstein presented, he was a righteous vigilante, defending helpless women who had nowhere else to turn.
"He took advantage of their vulnerability," says Stern, adding that Epstein's motivation was not about advancing women's rights, but about enlarging his own bank account. "A gun for hire," he says.
The marriage of Abraham Rubin and Chaya Mund didn't last long, but the couple's divorce was protracted and messy. They wed in 1986; in 1990, Mund moved to Montreal with their two children, according to court documents. Two years later, a civil court granted her a divorce. Rubin later claimed in court that he gave Mund a list of 30 rabbis he was willing to work with for the get hearing and she countered with her own list. (The Voice was unable to locate Mund to seek comment for this story.)
"That is one of the biggest fault lines in any acrimonious Jewish divorce case," says Shlomo Weissmann, speaking generally. "Some Jewish courts might have a reputation for being biased in favor of the men. Some might have a reputation for being biased in favor of the women. So the man and woman might disagree in terms of where to go."
Jewish law states that when the parties can't agree on a court, each side picks a rabbi, those two select a third, and the three form an ad hoc beth din. Rubin claimed Mund wouldn't agree to this process, and that he'd refused to grant the get until they could present their case to a beth din he deemed impartial. For four years, the stalemate persisted.
In April 1996, Rubin told a friend, Rabbi Elya Amsel, that a group of rabbis was convening a beth din to mediate his divorce proceedings. Mund had selected the rabbis and Rubin assumed the men would be biased. He refused to attend. According to an affidavit Amsel later filed in court, Amsel offered to go in Rubin's stead.
The beth din was held at the Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Ditmas Park. Among the several men present, according to Amsel, were Rabbi Israel Belsky, who taught a class at the yeshiva; Rabbi Martin Wolmark, a respected educator from upstate; and Mendel Epstein.
Belsky told Amsel that Rubin had already missed a hearing in December. Because Rubin again failed to show up, Amsel recalled Belsky saying, he'd be tried in absentia and the judges would authorize the use of force to secure a get. "We'll physically give him beatings," Belsky said in Yiddish, according to Amsel.
The October 1996 assault left Rubin bruised and bloodied. A passing motorist saw him and took him to the police station, where officers removed his handcuffs and transported him to a hospital. As he recuperated, Rubin set out to compile evidence against the men he suspected were behind the attack.
He had an associate make phone calls to some of the men involved, posing as a rabbi claiming that Rubin had contacted him to try to have the get reversed. The caller made it clear that he had no qualms with the kidnapping, and that he was simply hoping to confirm that the get was valid. Rubin's friend Barry Markowitz later filed an affidavit stating that he set up a voice-recording system and listened in on the calls.
On November 16 and December 10, 1996, a "Rabbi Wieder" made calls to Belsky. In a transcript of the conversations, translated from Yiddish to English and later filed in court, Belsky describes what he knew about Rubin: "We heard this person is such a rotten animal that there is no equal on this earth." Belsky goes on to explain that he and other rabbis held a tribunal and "the verdict was that there should be compulsion." He stresses that he was not present at the beating but says, "I was in agreement, after many weeks and weeks of consideration and discussing the compulsion itself."
"If he deserves the beatings, then he deserves it," the man masquerading as Wieder responds. "You felt that he deserves it, then good."
"Yes, it's very hard on my heart," Belsky replies. "I don't keep a record, but it was the first time which I have agreed to such a thing." (Belsky, who denied in court having participated in the attack, did not respond to interview requests from the Voice. Neither did his lawyer, Robert Rimberg.)
On December 28, 1996, and January 1, 1997, "Rabbi Rosen" phoned Yaakov Goldstein, the scribe tasked with transcribing Rubin's get. According to the transcript, Rosen asks whether Rubin was "clear of mind the whole time"; otherwise the get would be invalid. Goldstein replies in the affirmative. In response to a series of questions about the abduction, Goldstein is more than forthcoming.
"You have to watch the man, what his habits are, where he goes, how and where you can grab him," Goldstein offers. "If you have a plan, then you call the people who do the kidnapping."
Goldstein volunteers that Wolmark was in charge of the get proceedings, and that the physical abuse was handled by "two people from Epstein — that's his work." He knew Epstein from previous get-related kidnapping attempts, both of them "unsuccessful," Goldstein says. There was a man in Baltimore 10 years back, and a man upstate in Monsey "several months ago."
By Goldstein's reckoning, the Rubin get went smoothly. He tells Rosen that he waited outside the van while Wolmark and two others secured the oath.
Rosen asks how the coercion worked.
"There is such a thing called a stun gun," Goldstein explains. "And they put such a tape or something so that it shouldn't leave a mark on the surface. They administer electric shocks and it's not a dangerous thing. It's not a thing that can damage or kill."
But from outside the van, Goldstein says, he knew when the men were employing the stun gun. "It makes a noise," he says. "I heard him screaming."
Goldstein goes on to tell Rosen that after releasing Rubin, he and his cohorts met with Chaya Mund at the home of a relative of Wolmark in Flatbush. With the get in hand, they performed a ceremony to make the divorce official.
"We . . . went into someone's basement and we said, 'Don't ever talk to anyone about this,'" Goldstein says. "I don't even know whether [Wolmark's family members] knew what was going on in there."
On January 4, 1997, Rubin went to the home of a friend, Rabbi Shiah Director, with a box of cassette tapes. As Director would later explain in a statement filed in court, Rubin told him that when he'd given copies to the police department, an officer had advised that he not keep the originals at his own home. Director agreed to store them in his study.
Six days later, a fire broke out in Director's house. No one was home at the time, and the tapes were not damaged.
When Rubin filed a civil suit seeking to hold Belsky, Epstein, Wolmark, and others responsible for his kidnapping, court documents show that he did not submit any statements from witnesses on his behalf. The defendants filed a motion denying the accusations. "Mr. Rubin cannot state with any personal knowledge or certainty" who was present during his attack, defense attorney Robert Rimberg contended. "Mr. Rubin was blindfolded." After Rubin countered with a motion simply restating the charges in the complaint, a Kings County Supreme Court judge dismissed the case.
Rubin appealed and this time persuaded five community members to file affidavits or amicus briefs.
"It was public knowledge since about 1990, when it came to my personal attention, that Martin Wolmark together with Mendel Epstein engage underworld thugs to assist them in executing coerced gets," wrote Rabbi Tzvi Dov Abraman.
Rabbi Abraham Rapaport wrote that Wolmark "wants to make his name in the Jewish community, and was under the erroneous impression that lynching recalcitrant husbands would establish him as a leading rabbi."
Amsel stated in a sworn affidavit that the fire at Director's house had made him afraid to testify. (The cause of the blaze remained a mystery, Director told the court.) Amsel asserted he'd heard that potential witnesses were receiving threatening phone calls. "I therefore decided that it was not worth it for me to compromise my life and safety," he wrote.
Markowitz felt similar fears. "It was my intention to testify but subsequently I refused to cooperate with Rabbi Rubin, particularly after hearing Yaakov Goldstein reveal how ordinary and routine it is for him and his goons to abduct and torture people with stun guns," he wrote. (Director and Rapaport have since died. Calls to phone numbers listed under Abraman's and Markowitz's names went unanswered.)
On the grounds that the appeal targeted the rabbis accused of ordering the beatings, not the men who executed the assault, the Kings County Supreme Court dismissed the case in 2000. "No triable issues of fact exist," Judge William Garry ruled.
The criminal case seemed more promising. In early 1998, Rubin took his story public, agreeing to an interview with Newsday's Dan Morrison.
"While no one has ever been prosecuted for a get-related attack in New York City, that may soon change," Morrison wrote. Detective Robert Rodenburg of the NYPD's 66th Precinct said the police work had gone well. "The investigators spent an awful lot of time doing this case and it was really nitpicked to do it right," he told Morrison. "It was done as well as any homicide case could be done. Just like not every homicide case gets solved, will this case get solved? That's up to the D.A.'s Office."
Assistant District Attorney Michael Vecchione filed an affidavit in Rubin's civil case, stating, "I have been investigating the case involving Abraham Rubin and his claims concerning criminal activity for several months. . . . I have asked for, and received from Abraham Rubin a number of documents, tape recordings, and other information concerning his allegations. . . . Mr. Rubin has been cooperating with my office."
But Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes dropped the case.
In response to questions from the Voice, Hynes's office declined to comment. Instead, spokeswoman Mia Goldberg emailed a short statement: "One person made allegations against Rabbi Epstein. Because that person was unable to identify any of his assailants, we were unable to bring a case against him."
Hynes, who has held his seat since 1990, failed to win a seventh term in November's election. In recent years he has faced accusations that he went easy on Orthodox Jewish leaders accused of child sexual abuse in order to fortify his political ties with the community.
That wouldn't have come as a shock to Amsel. In July 1997, eight months after Rubin's kidnapping, he wrote a letter to a detective in the 66th Precinct describing what he knew about the crime. "It is not expected that these criminals will ever be brought to justice, since the D.A.'s office is known to be a political movement," he wrote.
In their statements to the court, Amsel, Director, and Markowitz suggested that the criminal investigation didn't appear to worry Epstein. In fact, they alleged, he'd orchestrated two more kidnappings: Tobias Horowitz in August 1997 and Zalmen Livshitz in March 1998. (The Voice was unable to locate either man.)
On August 14, 2013, Mendel Epstein met with a woman at his house in Ocean County, New Jersey. She told him she was in need of his services.
She'd contacted Epstein through Wolmark, who'd advised her that "there's another way" to pull a get from a recalcitrant husband: "You need special rabbis who are going to take this thing and see it through to the end. . . . Getting a guy like Mendel Epstein who's a hired hand," he said, according to a federal indictment filed in October. Wolmark set up a conference call with Epstein, and the August 14 meeting was scheduled. The woman said she'd bring along her brother.
"This is an expensive thing to do," Epstein said to the two visitors. "Basically what we are going to be doing is kidnapping a guy for a couple of hours and beating him up and torturing him and then getting him to give the get."
The woman's brother asked about Epstein's effectiveness.
"Wait a minute here," Epstein said. "I guarantee you that if you're in the van, you'd give a get to your wife. You probably love your wife, but you'd give a get when they finish with you.
"Hopefully, there won't even be a mark on him," he added.
"You can leave a mark." The brother chuckled.
"No, no, no, no," said Epstein. "We prefer not to leave a mark. Because then when you do, they do go to the police, the police look at the guy. . . . And basically the reaction of the police is, if the guy does not have a mark on him, then, 'Is there some Jewish crazy affair here?' They don't get involved."
Epstein told the woman that he orchestrated a kidnapping about once a year. He explained that it would cost $10,000 to pay for the rabbis to approve the coercion at a beth din, plus $60,000 to cover the "tough guys."
"We take an electric cattle prod," Epstein said. "If it can get a bull that weighs five tons to move, you put it in certain parts of the body and in one minute the guy will know."
On October 9, eight men, including Yaakov Goldstein, piled into two minivans and gathered at a warehouse on a secluded road in Middlesex County, New Jersey. They wore "ski masks, Halloween masks, or bandanas," according to the indictment. They brought with them the traditional tools for a get ceremony: feather quills, ink bottles, a writing board. They also had rope, plastic bags, a screwdriver, and surgical blades.
As they waited for the woman's brother to bring the husband, a team of federal agents burst in and arrested the would-be kidnappers. Shortly afterward officers arrested Epstein and Wolmark.
The woman and her brother were undercover FBI agents. They had worn wires that recorded the conversations.
The New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office had been investigating Epstein since October 2010, when a group of men allegedly attacked a man named Yisrael Bryskman in Lakewood, according to spokeswoman Rebekah Carmichael. Prosecutors charged Rabbi David Wax and his wife, Judy, with the kidnapping. Bryskman said the assault took place at Wax's home. (The Waxes have yet to enter a plea. Mitchell Ansell, their attorney, says there are "still discussions ongoing" between the sides.)
At Epstein's bail hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Gribko, the lead prosecutor for the case, cited several victims he knew of: Rubin, Bryskman, a New Jersey man in 2006, a Brooklyn man in 2011, a Pennsylvania man in 2012. At the time of the sting, he "had reason to believe" there were at least 20 other victims. The number rose quickly once Epstein's arrest made headlines, he added. "My phone has not stopped ringing with calls from potential victims," Gribko told the court.
Epstein's wife and four daughters put up five properties worth a combined $4 million as bond. A judge ordered that the 68-year-old rabbi wear an electronic monitor and leave his house only for meetings with his attorney, medical appointments, and religious worship. (Neither Susan Necheles, Epstein's attorney, nor Robert Rimberg, who is representing Wolmark, responded to the Voice's interview requests for this story.)
While Epstein surely has allies in his community, publicly he has become a pariah. The Rabbinical Alliance of America was one of Epstein's preferred beth dins. Its director, Rabbi Hershel Kurzrock, was friendly with Epstein. Kurzrock's wife tells the Voice that he's "been getting a lot of calls" from the press and that he won't comment on Epstein. Several beth din rabbis who didn't know Epstein declined to discuss him on the record, saying they don't want their names associated with his in any fashion.
Other community members and victims requested anonymity out of fear.
"Zachary" remains terrified of Epstein. In 1991, his wife sought a divorce and hired Epstein as her to'ein. He's looked over his shoulder ever since.
"I've lived like a fugitive for 20 years," he says.
Zachary refused to grant a get until they finished negotiating custody for their two children and alimony. He claims she wanted full custody and the get was the only chip with which he might sway her. Even then, the mediation couldn't move forward because they disagreed on a beth din and Zachary would not accept an ad hoc hearing. In January 1995, two weeks after Epstein entered the picture, Zachary's wife accused him of child abuse and a family court judge issued an order of protection barring him from his home. (The order expired after one year.)
Zachary began hearing stories about Epstein's ways of pulling a get out of a man. "Watch yourself," friends told him. Certain "the goon squad" was after him, he moved to New Jersey to stay under the radar. He reveals his address to no one, not even the city he lives in. His phone number is unlisted. He wiped the Internet clean of nearly every piece of information that may point to his location. He believes that men working for Epstein may still be looking for him.
"I was elusive," he says. "I was lucky."
He hasn't signed the get.


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Heather got to go to both kids' school Valentine parties. And, fortunately for me, she took pictures so I could see what went on. Hudson got to frost his own cookies.
While at my parents house, Sara Beth wanted to play school with Hudson and I joined in. Fractions were the topic of the day, and Sara Beth had drawn some nice diagrams demonstrating the different amount of pieces that a pie could be sliced.
So by this point, our house went under contract, so we moved back to make the packing process proceed more easy. On Sundays, Heather has to go early and setup and Sara Beth typically wants to go with her. Hudson will then ask to bike or scooter to church.


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One last post from my walk along Riverwalk in downtown Tampa on Thanksgiving weekend. The white tent with the Bucs sign is the ice skating ring, set up for the holidays. The orange and yellow trimmed building is the Children's Museum.
Across the river is the University of Tampa. The main building was the former Tampa Bay Hotel built by Henry B Plant and was finished in 1891.


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- Chris Ciardello
Naughty Street Closed, Use Nice Street
Tis the season of gift giving (and receiving), overeating and bundling up from the cold weather. As well as the added stress of kids being home from school, illnesses going around, holiday parties and traveling to see loved ones. This time of year is meant to remind us to be kind to one another, love our fellow man and to lend out a helping hand to those less fortunate. However, in the midst of the holiday craziness we can get caught up in our own little worlds and forget to spread the love. READ MORE HERE


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What do you think a fair & sustainable retirement benefit looks like?
Because every pension fund is funded from different revenue sources and has a unique mix of employees, there is not a one-size fits all solution. Each fund needs to ensure a fair and sustainable benefit for all stakeholders.
Below is a comparison of the proposals for the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and the OpenPensions.org proposal for Cook County:
What do you think a fair and sustainable retirement benefit looks like?