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Petzl Zipka
The Zipka 2 is a great little, and I do mean little, headlamp that will serve hikers who are not prone to find themselves walking long after dusk. And for almost two years my little Zipka has traveled with me every time I've been out.
The Zipka is well suited for around camp chores, late night latrine trips and reading a book in the hammock. When I replace this one it will be with the latest model, I simply love it.
- Size 2.25" x 1.75" x 1.75"
- Light weight 2.2 oz
- Multiple functions/output
- Great battery life
- Not a flame thrower
- No red LEDs
I've carried the Zipka every time out for a year and it's never let me down. It's compact and lives in the left hip pocket of my pack with the camera and a few snacks. Its 40 lumen output is ample for light or minimal walks at night and would get you down the trail if needed, but this is not a light ideally suited for those who churn out the miles after dark.
It's three output levels aid in walking thru campsites with others for minimal disturbance and it has a flash mode. The light can be turned off with a single push of the switch after a 10 second pause between button pushes which I find very convenient.
I don't put in miles after dark so this light suits my hiking style to a tee, and I love it for reading in the hammock. I wear hats and this reveals one of the Zipka's three weaknesses, but if you wear ball caps all you need to do is reverse the hat and you're golden the difficulty is the lamps angle is fixed. Still I find that negligible, but it should be noted as some could see that as a deal breaker.
The second "weakness" could be the lamp's output which is a scant 40 lumens, but again it suits me fine but secretly when I have to replace it I will enjoy the additional brightness. And at this time I do plan to purchase whatever new version is available when this one bites it or I change my hiking style.
The third weakness is the lack of red LED's which Petzl offered a solution in a pack of replacement lenses in red, green, and clear. Wish I'd picked up one of those, but it would be another piece to loose so I'll get over it.
The Zipka 2 is well designed and is in a sturdy enclosure that really functions exceptionally well. The retractable mechanism has never failed and performed flawlessly. The battery cover does however require attention when reinstalling, but with the great battery life you wont need to do that very often unless you remove your batteries between uses.
I did not include pics of it in use or beam patterns since pictures of lights in the dark since this is not the current model and a quick look at the Petzl or your favorite outfitter's site should get you all the information needed to review how it could fit your hiking style.
Overall I think the Zipka 2 find a great balance point of features for the money. The compact size is what got my attention. The total package is what keeps it in my pack.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: ~$25
I've had one for about two years. The picture doesn't show how it works. To attach it to your head, pull on the small plastic pad at the back. This extends the two very fine cords from each side of the back of the lamp to form a loop which can be slipped over your head so that the lamp is located on your forehead. When it's time to put it away, just take it off, and the cords wind themselves back into the body of the lamp.
At first, this design looks like a manufacturer's own-goal. Surely the lamp will be too tight, or too loose so that it falls off, and that fine cord must break or fray.
No so. This is so lightweight (60 grams including the 3 AAA batteries) that I can forget I am wearing it. I have used it several times a week for two years, and that fine cord has never broken, or even frayed. The cord tension is tight enough to hold the lamp in place even if I deliberately try to flick if off my head (I've just tried unsuccessfully to do that) but not so tight as to be uncomfortable. I do get a 'line' left by the cord along both sides of my forehead if I wear it for more than a few minutes. So, if you are interested in looking cool after taking it off, don't buy one. It can, of course be worn on your arm, or leg, as required. I wear glasses, and the light can illuminate the inside of the frames, which can get irritating over long periods.
It has three LEDs. They produce a 'pool' of light rather than a 'beam'. The level of illumination falls off rapidly so this is not for looking at anything more than four metres away. It does an excellent job of providing enough 'local' light for reading, cooking, avoiding obstacles in the dark etc. The battery consumption is almost unbelievable. The level of illumination falls off slowly over the life of the batteries, but this is well in excess of 50 hours, even using rechargeables. For the first 15 hours, there is easily enough light to read comfortably, even for someone like myself with rather poor eyesight. I found it quite fiddly to fit the batteries, but once installed, everything clicks together very soundly. If you are a 'lighter is better' freak, this is for you.
In summary, this is a tiny, robust, reliable, lightweight, durable device that earns its place in your kit. I recommend it unreservedly. The only negatives are that the batteries can be fiddly to fit, it shines on your glasses, it leaves a line on your forehead, and it's expensive. As usual, you get what you pay for.
Price Paid: About £25 uk
A great little bit of kit. I used to use a Petzl Zoom which is a bit like carrying a floodlight attached to a brick. I will still use the Zoom if I need flood light quality lighting, however for most of the time you just need enough light to see where you are going and read a map and here the Zipka scores big time.
The Zipka weighs next to nothing and is tiny so you can happily carry it with you all day and not worry about space or weight. It is very easy to use and has incredible battery consumption. On its highest power mode you get about 50 hours and on a lower power mode you get nearly three times that much !!! The light is easily bright enough to use for most tasks, reading included, but since it is from LEDs not bulbs then you don't get as much distance illuminated. The plus is that the LEDs don't break like bulbs do, so no need to carry spares.
This is an extremely lightweight headlamp that easily adapts to fit your head, hat or helmet (kinda). This model replaces the headband model Tikka (which is actually very comfortable albeit a little hot) for a light weight cord which is lighter but a little less stable in extreme activities. No doubt this is an upgrade to a classic but unfortunately you have great (one of the best) short range illumination but Petzl has yet to add medium range illumination (mri) to its LED headlamp line.
Uses: general, camping, hiking.
Pros: Long battery life, light weight, outstanding short range illumination (sri), comfortable design, good placement of switch, fair cost, reliable.
Cons: lacks both medium (mri) and long range illumination (lri), lacks button battery back up, thin cord that could end up around neck not always the best idea, changing batteries gives every first user the impression that they just broke it.
Small, bright, light weight, good battery life even without using battery saver mode. Had mine for over 5 years with no problems. String retraction still strong, with no signs of fraying.
Tried bigger lights with straps, buckles, elastic bands, etc. but I'm a red-head and like to keep it simple. I go as light (no pun intended) as possible without being fanatical. Used in deserts of CA, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Glacier, and several back country treks throughout CA and Montana.
If you have ever dropped your flashlight during a late night bathroom run you'll really appreciate this light. Also great for inside-the-tent duties as well. Gave one to my brother-in-law and he loves his as well.
A good little light. The only flaws I feel could be improved is to make it waterproof and that the lines used to hold it will cut into your skin over time if you're not wearing something under them.
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68 g
|Beam Pattern
3 AAA/LR03 batteries
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rechargeable Ni-MH
IP X4, weather resistant


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Product Description
Carved olivewood nativity ornament from the Holyland, measuring approximately 2" wide x 3-1/4" tall x 1-3/4" deep. The wood carvers of Palestine have long depended on tourists as their source of income. Now that tourists are no longer commonplace, they are finding making a living very challenging. Finding new markets outside the country is the only way for them to survive. This beautiful wood carving is imported directly from Palestine for your enjoyment, and to improve the artisans' livelihood.

subset: commoncrawl


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[ID:7114]The 50+ Worker Abroad discusses the benefits of expanding your horizons later in life, and the many possibilities that may await you. If you are considering going abroad, this section will hopefully inspire you to do so. If you have already decided to go abroad, it will give you tips on how to make the most of your time away.
Top Tips
- Healthier and happier than ever! Most modern seniors have many years of health and vitality to look forward to. More than ever, baby boomers are looking for ways to build perspective and enrich their lives after retirement. Going abroad is, arguably, the best way of doing that.
- There are many reasons...


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Monday, November 30, 2009
Bean Burgers with Spicy Guacamole
You'll find your usual suspects in this veggie burger - softened onions, garlic and beans - however, these patties are spiked with cilantro, rich smoked paprika (also found as pimenton) and cumin. That cumin wasn't just your ground variety you pick up at the market - we used whole seeds that we first toasted, then ground for more intensity. We also cooked a batch of pinto beans to use (I froze the rest in the bean's cooking liquid to use later on), but I imagine a tinned variety would work just fine. Instead of using, say, a food processor to whirl this bean-y mixture into a smooth puree, we just used a handy potato masher - this way we could control the texture and leave it a little coarse.
This mixture is a little too sticky and wouldn't shape into burgers well as is - to help them hold together, we threw in a few tablespoons of cornmeal. That wasn't the only ingredient used for this - we also cooked a small batch of quinoa in vegetable broth and tossed that in to bulk and stretch the burgers. Cooked millet might also work for this, as may couscous if you can't find quinoa. I've been able to find quinoa in just about any market now though... they even have it at Costco!
Now that the mash could be handled easily, it was divvied out into equal portions, with each being formed into a patty. To give the patties a touch of crunch to the outside, the burgers were then coated on each side with a little extra cornmeal. For added insurance, the assembled patties do go for a quick trip in the refrigerator to chill them down, firming the rounds before we went to cook them. While the wait is a bummer, it does help and it gave us enough time to get the guacamole together!
There isn't anything crazy or unusual here - a ripe avocado, fresh cilantro, a splash of lemon juice, a single clove of garlic, a pinch of cayenne and one more thing that Jeff won't admit was in this... raw red onion (he isn't a raw onion fan at all)! Not much, a couple teaspoons was all, but that's just enough for a mild bite... which passed muster without Jeff putting his veto stamp on this.
To cook the burgers, we used a heavy cast-iron skillet heated with just barely enough oil to coat the bottom. Since there isn't really any raw ingredients in the patties, it only took a couple minutes on each side to brown them off and warm the centers. Served on our favorite homemade burger buns (toasted or not, do what you like!), we smeared the bright guacamole on the buns, then added the patties, a couple lettuce leaves and a juicy slice of tomato on each. While it took about an hour from start to finish, all those ingredients and preparation did wonders to make what could have been an ordinary vegetable burger come to life!
11 comments:
Welcome home Joe & Jeff. Missed your daily posts but, sometimes, life is not fair.ReplyDelete
These look wonderful. Do they stay together?ReplyDelete
They will go on my menu for the weekend.
I have never made my own buns.
Thank You for the recipe
These look great. One way to get my husband to eat anything is to put guacamole on it, so I'll have to try this out.ReplyDelete
So happy you got home safe. I hope you're both doing okay.
- Anonymous12/01/2009 03:36:00 PM
Wow--those sound fantastic! I can't wait to try them :-)ReplyDelete
Glad to see you made it home safely--I hope you are both doing okay.
I so respect you both for your commitment to family. It shows great strength of character. I am proud to, vicariously, know you both.ReplyDelete
May you have peace.
Carole - We're trying to get back into the swing of things!ReplyDelete
Christina - They held together fine for us.
Michelle - Thank you.
Courtney - Holding up as best as we can!
Live to eat - Thank you!
Glad to have you (and your recipes) back! I made these last night with some modifications based on what I had on hand. I used one can of black beans and one can of fat free refried beans, and I substituted 1 cup of couscous for the quinoa. They were delicious!!ReplyDelete
Humm, these sound and look delicious Joe, especially calling my attention with the use of quinoa!ReplyDelete
Do you think it would be good with white beans? I am going to cook a big pot of white beans tomorrow and now would like to try these.
Or maybe chickpeas, would it work with those? (I love chickpea burgers!)
I believe the texture of the bean burgers + guacamole really taste delicious! Can't wait to try!
Stephanie - Nice changes!ReplyDelete
Ana - I don't see why it wouldn't work with another bean!
Thanks for posting this recipe. I made it using pinto beans that I cooked in water with toasted onion granules (penzeys), dehydrated jalapenos (penzeys) and ground coriander. The only other change I made was to sub in brown rice for the quinoa. They were delicious and held their shape beautifully.ReplyDelete
Josie - Glad you gave the recipe a try! I'll note your changes in case we make these again!ReplyDelete


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When my Grandfather passed in 2000, Mom purchased her plot. She had it set that she would be buried at the feet of her parents. There was some screw up at the cemetery and the sold her plot to another family. They compensated this mistake by giving her a marker, which has been placed on her plot since. The photo to the right is of Mom, at her plot, with her headstone. They do not make things funnier then this. I tried getting her to lie down on her plot and cross her arms like she was dead, though we all got a good laugh out of the idea. She told me I was morbid, I had to settle for this photo. She would kill me if she saw that I put this out there, but home many times do we go to the cemetery and cry over the deaths of our loved ones? We had a good laugh here, and I will remember this for a long time.
01 December 2009
Tombstone Tuesday
My Mom recently came home to Chicago for a short visit. We had to take a road trip to Ohio for a family funeral, so she flew here and we drove to Ohio. While in town for such a short visit, we went to Rosehill Cemetery to visit her father and other relatives.
6 comments:
That is slightly morbid but not has morbid has what I want played at my funeral. If you haven't guess it, I want Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" going as I am lowered into the ground.ReplyDelete
Great story Terri.ReplyDelete
Lol Becky R. I want 'Immortality' played at mine, hee hee.
I never really gave much thought to what I want played at my funeral. But this post and you ladies have me cracking up...ReplyDelete
Thanks everyone. We need to find more humor in life.ReplyDelete
Deez, I never though about my funeral at all!
My wife and I have a plot here in historic Lone For and have thought of having our picture taken lying down in the proper place. Maybe next year's Xmas card.ReplyDelete
I think you should do it! It is good for a laugh now!ReplyDelete
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Get ready to fall even more in love with Jon Hamm. Seriously. There are new levels of adoration for this man and we're about to discover them together.
Hamm was recently a speaker at the Rape Treatment Center benefit brunch in Beverly Hills where he spoke about his pre-Mad Men employment history — which we will refer to as phase one of your ever-deepening affection.
Apparently, the man behind Don Draper is a former high school teacher and also worked at a daycare center. Hamm said he's always felt very connected to children, which he attributes to being the child of a single parent —and thus spending "the majority of my life in daycare, after school programs, summer school programs," which brings us to phase two:
Hamm said, "Having gone through what I had gone through as a child...there were no real male role models in any of these places. There were never any dudes. It was a bummer as a young man to, not only not have a father figure in my life, but no real male figures as teachers or as educators or as afterschool program leaders or anything," he said.
AND THEN —in what is both phase three and also such an important message that is rarely discussed by men, especially in entertainment— Hamm makes a point of talking about how important it is to reach out to young boys and men and educate them on the "lasting impact of rape":
Hamm made the point to emphasize the importance of the Rape Treatment Center's educational outreach, especially for boys and young men. "It is an important thing to instill in a younger generation about the impact of rape, the lasting impact of rape," he said, adding, "Children from grade school to high school to college are incredibly susceptible and incredibly malleable, as we all know. To get them early, to teach them about the facts and figures and other realities of rape is key. It is an important issue to me as not only a man, but as an educator, as a human being and as a person on this planet."
All lighthearted jokes about love-deepening aside, this is such an important message and I'm so thrilled he was able to send it.
Rape is not a female issue. Rape is everyone's issue, which is why it's often an incredibly powerful thing to have a man stand up and say that. Obviously, I'm not saying it's any better or worse or that one's ability to be taken seriously has to be tied to gender but in terms of reaching a larger audience of men, I do think that there's something powerful about a man —especially a widely respected and beloved man such as Hamm— standing up and encouraging other men to educate themselves and their sons on what they can personally do to prevent rape, instead of continuing to simply tell women to protect themselves or "dress differently" (ugh).
I wish we were at the point where hearing this message coming from incredibly strong people of any gender was enough, but I really feel like we need to be hearing these messages from everyone so that people realize that rape isn't simply a women's issue or a heterosexual issue. It truly is everyone's issue.
Hats off to you, Jon Hamm for shedding light on this fact. And being super, super crazy dreamy.
Mad Men's Jon Hamm Reveals He Had "No Real Male Role Models," Was Raised by Single Mom [E!]


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I was reading how Master Dogen referred to his path as " the awakened way" or " the Buddha way". So if the term Zen or Zen school( shortened from Zazen also know as the Meditation School) comes from people outside of the Way. Why do we follow in their footsteps and not in the footsteps of Dogen being descendants of his lineage?
Dave _/\_


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Handmade from lightweight and breathable cotton, this colorful crusher hat is perfect for a day at the beach or in the garden. Packable construction pairs with UPF 50 sun protection and an inner drawstring to assure a comfortable fit.
- Cotton
- Spot clean
- Imported
23" crown, 5" brimShipping + Returns


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DoneAug 27, 2022 5:19 PM EDT
Beverly, MA, United States
Auction Details
August Estates Auction, Day 1, 08/27/22
We have been commissioned to sell the contents of numerous estates from Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Salem, and Boston, Massachusetts, Palm Beach, Florida, and Southern California. Preview is open Monday-Friday, August 22nd-26th, 9am-5pm and day of sale beginning at 8am. Preview open all day while the auction is live.
Lot Number: Lowest
0001: Spratling Mexico Silverplate BraceletEst. $600-$800Lot Passed
0002: Japanese C1910 Art Nouveau Silverplate MirrorEst. $300-$500
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0003: Sterling Picture Frame, Sterling and Guilloche BrushEst. $100-$200Lot Passed
0004: Inuit Whale Vertebrae Signed EtoktoEst. $200-$400
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0005: 14k Gold Enameled Fish EarringsEst. $200-$250
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0006: Group of Assorted Silver ItemsEst. $600-$900
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0007: Group of Copper Pots and Food MoldsEst. $300-$500Lot Passed
0008: Cast Metal Garden StatueEst. $200-$400
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0009: Mexican Sterling Salad SetEst. $200-$400
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0010: Sterling Silver ItemsEst. $400-$600
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0011: 1960s Hamilton Electric Goldfilled Mens WatchEst. $300-$500
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0012: 18th/19thC Chinese Blood Vase with StandEst. $350-$550
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0013: Pair of 19thC Bronze Wall SconcesEst. $400-$600
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0014: Chinese Cinnabar Necklace, Cloisonne NecklaceEst. $200-$250Lot Passed
0015: Chinese Blanc-de-Chine Porcelain BuffaloEst. $300-$500
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0016: Colonial American Coin Silver SpoonsEst. $150-$250Lot Passed
0017: Four Art Review PortfoliosEst. $350-$500Lot Passed
0018: Cameras, Vintage Lighter, and Vintage Domino SetEst. $150-$250
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0019: Group of EngravingsEst. $100-$200Lot Passed
0020: Two Miniature PortraitsEst. $200-$300
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0021: Vietnamese 24k Kim-Thanh Gold LeafEst. $2,000-$3,000
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0023: Northern Italian School, Lakeside Village SceneEst. $200-$300
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0024: Ladies 14k Gold Jade Earrings and RingEst. $200-$300
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0025: Aubusson RugEst. $300-$500Lot Passed
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- 25%
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Bidding on an item indicates the client's acceptance of our Terms of Sale. Your signature on our Bid Form or acceptance of these terms through Live Auctioneers constitutes permission to charge successful bids to credit cards if payment is not received within five days of the auction. In the event the buyer does not pay in full within seven days of the sale, the buyer is in default, therefore title has not exchanged. In the event of a buyer default, the buyer agrees to pay Kaminski Auctions a 40% default fee and releases title of that said item. 6. We are pleased to offer online bidding for prospective bidders who cannot be present at the auction. Absentee bids are executed competitively and confidentially. All reservations for phone bidding are held in the strictest confidence and must be received by 5 pm the day before the auction. No additional phone bids can be accepted on the day of the auction including additions when speaking with a staff person on the phone. Leaving an absentee or phone bid on a lot indicates your willingness to open the bidding at a minimum of one half the printed low estimate, and gives the auctioneer the authority to open the bidding at that level. Kaminski Auctions shall have the right to withdraw any item at any time for any reason and to void any sale in the event of an error or dispute. 7. In the case of identical absentee bids, the bid received first will prevail. Bids left on liveauctioneers.com are not executed until the item is offered in the live auction and the order in which they are received is not a factor. We sell 70-100 lots per hour. 8. In our experience, cellular phones are not always dependable, and we recommend phone bidding reservations be made on land lines. We make every effort to honor all absentee and phone bid reservations, but we are not liable for any losses incurred as a result of failure to execute absentee bids or failed phone reservations. Submitting absentee bids or bidding by phone does not imply an extension of credit. Please see numbers 4 and 5 above. 9. Purchaser agrees that packing and shipping is done at the purchaser's risk and that the purchaser will pay in advance all packing expenses, materials, carrier fees and insurance charges. At our discretion, items will either be packed by an agent such as a packaging store or Kaminski Auctions. Please allow two weeks for shipping after payment is received. Shipment of large items is the responsibility of the purchaser. We are happy to provide names of carriers and shippers if a purchaser so requests. Kaminski Auctions will have no liability for any loss or damage to shipped items. 10. Note to internet absentee bidders. We do not accept cut bids. We always encourage bidders to bid by phone or to leave absentee bids through our gallery to avoid such a situation. 11. All purchases are subject to applicable Massachusetts sales tax unless the Massachusetts Certificate of Resale tax form is fully and completely filled out and received prior to time of purchase. Resale tax numbers from other states are accepted. International buyers are responsible for tariffs, taxes, or assessments of shipped items to the buyer's country. Items shipped out of state are not subject to sales tax. 12. Bidding on an item indicates your understanding and acceptance of these Terms of Sale. If a purchaser breaches any of these Terms of Sale, including the obligation to pay for purchased items, Kaminski Auctions may seek all remedies under the law including canceling the sale and reoffering the property without reserve. 13. A 20% buyer's premium will be applied to the purchase price on all lots brought in person, phone or absentee bidding directly with Kaminski Auctions. 25% buyer?s premium for all internet bidding. 14. Purchased items not picked up from our auction facility within ten business days of the auction will be assessed a storage fee of $25.00 per day, per item. You authorize us to re-sell on your behalf any item not picked up within 30 calendar days. The costs of storage, plus any other costs directly related to the item, and an auctioneer's commission of 20%, will be subtracted from the proceeds unless other arrangements have been made with Kaminski Auctions. The minimum charge will be $50. 15. Please note that lots containing ivory, tortoiseshell, or other animal materials may be subject to regulations imposed by the Endangered Species Act and by the United States Fish and Wildlife Department. Some countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, and prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import these lots into another country. Buyer is responsible for any and all CITES permits. 16. All photos and descriptions posted on LiveAuctoneers or any internet platform are property of Kaminski Auctions and are subject to US copy write laws. No photo or description may be used without written approval by a Kaminski Auction agent. Use of unauthorized photos and descriptions could incur penalties. Kaminski Auctions is pleased to assist with the Third Party Shipping of purchases. The Third Party shippers follow all shipper guidelines and applicable state laws. All shipments are shipped with their declared value and full insurance per the carrier's terms and conditions. A signature is required for delivery. The Auction House does not ship spirituous liquor. Kaminski Auctions does not automatically make third party arrangements to ship wine. Shipping may take several weeks from the time of initial contact. Please note that for all shipments, any and all additional charges are the sole responsibility of the buyer. If you reside in a state that has import restrictions or regulations, it is your responsibility to obtain appropriate licenses, if available, to ship your wine. If shipping wine, buyer warrants that he/she is at least 21 years of age. Buyer shall be responsible for the shipment of these wines to be received and signed for by an adult at least 21 years of age.
Locati, LLC online auctions by:


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Grommets, Vents, and Hole Covers
Woodworker's Hardware stocks a wide selection of grommets for cords, cables and office furniture ventilation. Desk grommets are available in up to 9 colors, sure to match almost any laminate or wood finish. For an elegant finishing touch also see real wood cable hole covers in maple, oak and walnut wood. Ventilation grommets increase air circulation in cabinets and desks with heat producing electronic equipment.
1 Products Available
- HCI Ventilation Grommets
Starting at $6.87
per page


text: So here's something new I found at HMart. This is going to be battle for me, however you might wonder why. Well, much of the package is shiny gold colored. Unfortunately, shiny gold and silver packages are evil. I mean, not really, but really at the same time. Indeed they look nice, but they add a bit of an issue to my process. Indeed, scanning gold or silver foil packs presents a real problem. No matter what, there are wrinkles in the packaging, and ones I usually can use Photoshop to get rid of. However, these wrinkles when in a shiny foil wreak havoc with the scanner and the images come out extremely light and dark in spots. Anyway, just a little behind the scenes on what I do when putting out a post.


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I finally figured out the whole point of that long stupid meeting the Teleprompter Kid had about health care!
It was nothing to do with getting them all to agree on how to turn hospitals into DMVs.
Nope, their plan was to bore half the country to death and give the other half heart attacks, so we'd all be dead anyhow and wouldn't need doctors!
Boy, that Communist in Chief sure is touchy. A few times, I'm pretty sure I saw the computer parts in his head blowing a fuse!
The CIA must be kicking themselves for not buying better parts to build their Obama robot – where did they get them from? Toyota?
Yeah, I told you for years those Japs would get their revenge on us for nuking them, and it is finally happening. Those clever Japs have been putting crappy parts in those dinky cars they send us, so we'll all die and they can take over America!
Toyota is working with Obama to kill us all! It's all over the TV, people! How much more proof do you want?
Only your old pal Ed Anger has the guts to tell you what's really happening to our once great nation!
I've been waiting for the government to come for me for fifty damn years, but I guess they don't have the guts! I've got it all worked out: when the black helicopters land on my front yard, I just have to roll my oxygen tank down the driveway, then shoot it up with my handy double barrelled Mossberg!
Old Ed doesn't need any fancy private planes to get back at the Feds. No sir: give me a good old American shotgun – and let the bastards come to me!
I finally figured out the whole point of that long stupid meeting the Teleprompter Kid had about health care!


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Source: Eurostat
Release: Harmonized Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP)
The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices category "Repair of Furniture, Furnishings, and Floor Coverings (05.1.3)" is a classification of services that includes repair of furniture, furnishings and floor coverings; total value of the service (that is, both the cost of labor and the cost of materials are covered), and restoration of works of art, antique furniture, and antique floor coverings other than those acquired primarily as stores of value (capital formation, not covered by HICP).
Repair of Furniture, Furnishings, and Floor Coverings (05.1.3) excludes separate purchases of materials made by households with the intention of undertaking the repair themselves (05.1.1) or (05.1.2) and dry-cleaning of carpets (05.6.2).
The category is a subcategory of the Furnishings, Household Equipment, and Routine Maintenance of the House (05) and of Furniture and Furnishings, Carpets, and Other Floor Coverings (05.1) categories.
Information provided in the notes pertaining to HICP classifications can be found from the source at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/metadata/en/prc_hicp_esms.htm.
Copyright, European Union, 1995-2016, http://ec.europa.eu/geninfo/legal_notices_en.htm#copyright.
Eurostat, Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices: Repair of Furniture, Furnishings and Floor Coverings for Cyprus [CP0513CYM086NEST], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CP0513CYM086NEST, September 22, 2023.


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We understand that putting all the pieces together to finance a college education can be confusing, so we've developed a personalized Plan to help navigate all the options to help pay your student account bill. Your Plan will be sent to you in the spring before you enroll.
These are the items that will appear on your student account with the College. You'll need to pay these costs or have a payment plan in place before the start of the academic year.
Grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid. Your Albion merit scholarship is renewed for four years (two for transfer students), as long as you are making academic progress. You will need to agree to the Terms and Conditions in ACIS before your scholarship is credited to your account. Other grants and scholarships are usually based on financial need and a FAFSA needs to be completed each year to determine if you remain eligible for them. You may be required to submit a thank you note for your scholarship, check ACIS to get more information.
These funds are offered to you to help meet your costs; you do not have to accept them if you have other resources available. In order to receive loan funds you must complete a promissory note and entrance counseling. Instructions on how to do so are in ACIS. You are responsible for repaying those loans when you leave school. Loan funds can be applied to your student account when all the requirements are met.
Work-study funds are earned by working on-campus or with a community organization. You get a regular pay check that you can use to pay incidentals or apply to your student account.
You can use this section to calculate your contributions from savings, outside scholarships you've earned or funds you plan on borrowing through an outside bank or lender. You can add those up and place the total under the 'My Plan' section.
This section allows you to include contributions from savings or current income. It can also reflect resources from the PLUS Loan (a loan parents can borrow up to the cost of attendance) or available payment plans. Total those amounts and place that in the 'My Plan' section.
We've included your Albion costs that will be billed to you, as well as your financial aid resources. Using the amounts you've included from the student and parent resources sections, you can subtract all of your resources to determine your remaining direct cost. This is the amount you'll need to pay to the College.
These expenses are variable depending upon your spending patterns. The amounts we've listed are typical for most students, you can change them depending upon your spending habits.
Taking your remaining direct cost from above and adding your indirect costs you can see what's left. The goal is to have this amount equal zero, so you know all of your expenses are covered. If it's not then you'll want to either reduce your indirect costs, look at how to add some additional resources or a combination.


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Intelligent, energy-efficient lighting makes people feel safer in parking garages.
Secure Parking 24/7
thanks to smart lighting
Intelligent, energy-efficient lighting makes people feel safer in parking garages.
as the GreenParking system guarantees performance, security, and cost-effectiveness."
- Axel Martin Schmitz, Project Manager, Ralf Schmitz GmbH & Co. KGaA
The investors wanted a model parking with generous parking places and visitor-friendly signage clearly identifying parking areas and pedestrian walkways. The lighting needed to create optimum illumination in all areas,despite the low ceiling height.
Having initially planned to install a conventional lighting solution, the investor finally decided on a very innovative solution: PacificLED GreenParking System. The patented concept combines highly-efficient LED lighting with wireless control systems and a presence recognition system. Thanks to the wireless sensor system, no re-wiring was necessary so it could be installed without further costs and with little effort.
A presence recognition system detects people and cars in the vicinity, maximizing the energy-saving opportunities. The lighting powers up as required and is always one step ahead of visitors to the parking lot. Once people leave the corresponding zone, the light is dimmed to 20% in energy-saving mode.
"It is really good that we have opted for innovative technology. PacificLED GreenParking System guarantees performance, security, and cost-effectiveness.", said Axel Martin Schmitz.


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The verdict in the Amanda Knox appeal is due within the hour.
The latest reports suggest it wil come out at 9.45pm Perugia time, which is 3.45pm in New York.
Knox, 24, and her ex-boyfriend Sollecito, 27, are appealing their murder convictions. The pair were convicted of the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher.
Knox's hopes of winning the appeal are high after DNA evidence form the original trial was discredited.
UPDATE: Knox and Sollecito have both won their appeal, with the convictions for murder and sexual assault overturned.
She has been found guilty of defamation against police and must pay damages to financial compensation for Patrick Lumumba, a man she earlier accused of the murder.
She has been sentenced to three years for the accusation that police assaulted her in interrogations but time already served (4 years) is counted against that. Both Knox and Sollecito are to be released tonight. There are reports that a major network is paying for a private jet to fly her home.
Prosecutors have in the past said they will try and launch another trail against Knox if she was found innocent, so this may not be over yet.
Here's the video of the moment she found out.


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This time it will be different.
After repeated failures at the federal level, comprehensive immigration reform finally looks like a real possibility this year. And that's because a broad bipartisan coalition has been built in the Senate, motivated by both self-interest and national interest. Today in Nevada, President Obama will add his vision to their legislative foundation, officially making immigration reform the core of his second-term agenda.
Obama's unexpected ally in this effort is the evangelical community—part of an emerging conservative coalition in favor of immigration reform that supporters describe as "the Bible, the badge, and business."
Back in 2007, when President Bush tried belatedly to push through a bipartisan immigration bill, the prevailing winds were against progress. The presidential race to succeed him was already underway and the right-wing talk-radio crowd attacked the McCain-Kennedy bill as "amnesty"—providing a pre–Tea Party bandwagon that candidates like Mitt Romney and Tom Tancredo climbed on to beat back McCain's center-right campaign. Often forgotten in this narrative is the fact that congressional Democrats weren't particularly in the mood to hand Bush a victory either.
But six years later, the right-wing talk-radio crowd is receding in relevance as their listeners age out of existence. Many conservatives who opposed the last comprehensive are realizing that failure to win over Hispanic votes represents an existential threat to the Republican Party.
But perhaps most of all, the attitudes of the Republican rank and file have changed.
"In 2013 you have people who hold the Bible, wear a badge, or own a business who all want broad immigration reform," says Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum, a D.C.-based policy institution. "From a faith perspective, their faith commands them to treat people humanely. From a law enforcement perspective, they realize that in order to keep the public safe they need to be enforcing criminal law and not federal immigration law. And from a business perspective, immigrants are the workforce of the present and the future. Those three constituencies are realizing that the extreme right wing is not the voice of reason."
Enlightened self-interest is always a powerful motivator, appealing to both the head and the heart, and Noorani sees demographic facts driving the new coalition. "In the last six years, frankly, evangelical America has realized that they need to become more Hispanic, just like the rest of America," he says. "Diversity is on the rise, and with that comes a change in perspective."
One umbrella organization for evangelicals pushing for immigration reform is the Evangelical Immigration Table, bringing together more than a half-dozen organizations and scores of senior signatories ranging from the Southern Baptists' Richard Land to Jim Wallis. In a postelection letter to President Obama and Congress, members of the organization wrote:
"Our national immigration laws have created a moral, economic and political crisis in America. Initiatives to remedy this crisis have led to polarization and name calling in which opponents have misrepresented each other's positions as open borders and amnesty versus deportations of millions….As evangelical Christian leaders, we call for a bipartisan solution on immigration that: Respects the God-given dignity of every person; Protects the unity of the immediate family; Respects the rule of law; Guarantees secure national borders; Ensures fairness to taxpayers; Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents."
To that, all but the most rigid ideologues in Congress should be able to say "Amen."
The culture wars are not yet over, but the 2012 election reinforced the idea that it is always best to make change your ally rather than your enemy. Looking ahead at the legislative process that is likely to dominate the rest of the year, the hopeful prospects for passage are a reminder that bipartisan support is necessary for any progress in a divided government and the creation of new coalitions—like the one between the Bible, badge, business, and President Obama—are necessary to fuel successful efforts to move the country not left or right, but forward.


text: The NASA Magellan spacecraft provided synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image coverage of 98% of the surface of the planet Venus, in addition to topography and several types of physical property data on the venusian surface (e.g., radar reflectivity, radar backscatter, emissivity, and rms slopes).(See Special Magellan Issue of J. Geophys. Res., v. 97, nos. E8 and E10, August 25 and Sept. 25, 1992.) This Open-File Report contains a listing (table 1) of impact craters based on interpretation of the Magellan data, and was compiled with the official sanction of the Magellan Science Team (Steve Saunders, Magellan Project Scientist, personal communication, 1990). This crater data base has been revised, updated, and expanded from those used by the authors in earlier publications (Schaber and others, 1992; Strom and others, 1994).


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We're working on getting more reviews for this product. In the meantime, here's what people are saying about 4WD
Dana Spicer products strive to meet the same high standards as OE parts, but in reality they are OE parts. The company's commitment to engineering and design innovation stretches back to 1904 when Dana was founded and began producing Spicer products. That legacy translates to quality, dependable axle components that keep Jeeps out on the trail and help daily drivers brave commutes with confidence. Driveshaft parts, universal joints, Dana axles and Spicer axle components are some of the Dana Spicer products that Jeep owners know they can count on. When you need to tighten up a sloppy differential, replace the clutches in your limited slip or replace a worn out yoke, call on Dana Spicer. Shop Dana Spicer Now
Join our mailing list to receive information on new products, special events, discounts and more!


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Proclamations will be handed out to Pauline Chiew Nolte for her service on the Library Commission, Leslie Lea for her service as Contra Costa Grade Jury Foreperson, Mrs. Michael Masuda-Nash for her Outstanding First-Year Teacher Award, and ENGEO Inc. as one of the 25 best places to work.
A contract with ENGEO for Geotechnical Engineering consulting is in the Consent Calendar. Also in the Consent Calendar is a request to the Board of Directors of the Dublin San Ramon Services District to appoint a San Ramon Resident to fill the vacancy left by Tom Ford's death.
An appointment will be made to the Arts Advisory Committee, and the Teen Council will present its annual report.


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Microsoft will no longer ship its Expression Media digital asset management software as part of the Expression Studio suite effective with the upcoming Expression Studio 3 release, a company representative said in an e-mail on Wednesday morning.
Instead, Expression Media will continue to be a stand-alone product marketed to digital photographers, the largest customer base for the product. Expression Media catalogs photos, video, and music. The company also will continue to invest in digital photography, the representative said.
Expression Studio has featured application design tools for Windows and Web interfaces. It has been closely linked with the company's Silverlight rich Internet application technology. The company has planned a July 10 launch event for Expression Studio 3 and Silverlight 3.
[ Complicating matters for Microsoft is the new HTML 5 spec, which could make RIA technology like Silverlight obsolete. ]
"Expression Media is focused on the higher-end digital photography market, while the Expression Studio is focused on developers and creative professionals involved in the production of rich interactive experiences rather than photography. As such, it no longer makes sense to ship Expression Media as part of the Studio [suite]," the representative said.
Other tools in the Expression Studio suite have included Expression Design, for graphic design; Expression Web, for Web design; Expression Blend, for interactive design; and Expression Encoder, for video encoding.


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Totalization Agreement with France
SSA Publication No. 05-10187, May 2012, ICN 480193
Printable PDF
|Eliminating dual coverage for employment
|Certificate of coverage
|Monthly benefits
|A French pension may affect your U.S. benefit
|What you need to know about Medicare
|Claims for benefits
|For more information
An agreement, effective July 1, 1988, between the United States and France improves Social Security protection for people who work or have worked in both countries. It helps many people who, without the agreement, would not be eligible for monthly retirement, disability or survivors benefits under the Social Security system of one or both countries. It also helps people who would otherwise have to pay Social Security taxes to both countries on the same earnings.
The agreement covers Social Security taxes (including the U.S. Medicare portion) and retirement, disability and survivors insurance benefits. It does not cover benefits under the U.S. Medicare program or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.
This document covers highlights of the agreement and explains how it may help you while you work and when you apply for benefits.
The Agreement May Help You, Your Family And Your Employer
- While you work––If your work is covered by both the U.S. and French social security systems, you (and your employer, if you are employed) would normally have to pay Social Security taxes to both countries for the same work. The agreement eliminates this double coverage, so that taxes are paid to only one system (see the section on "Coverage And Social Security Taxes" section).
- When you apply for benefits––You may have some Social Security credits in both the United States and France but not have enough to be eligible for benefits in one country or the other. The agreement makes it easier to qualify for benefits by letting you add together your Social Security credits in both countries. For more details, see the section on "Monthly Benefits".
Eliminating dual coverage for employment
Before the agreement, employees, employers and self-employed persons could, under certain circumstances, be required to pay Social Security taxes to both the United States and France for the same work.
Under the agreement, if you work as an employee in the United States, normally you and your employer will pay Social Security taxes only to the United States and not to France. If you work as an employee in France, you normally will pay only French social security taxes and neither you nor your employer will have to pay U.S. Social Security taxes.
On the other hand, if your employer sends you from one country to work for that employer or an affiliate in the other country for five years or less, you will continue to be covered by your home country and you will be exempt from coverage in the other country. For example, if a U.S. company sends an employee to work for that employer or an affiliate in France for no more than five years, the employer and the employee will continue to pay only U.S. Social Security taxes and will not have to pay in France.
Special rules apply to self-employed persons who, without the agreement, would have to pay social security taxes to both countries (see the table below).
Summary of Agreement Rules
The following table shows whether U.S. or French social security covers your work. If U.S. Social Security covers your work, you and your employer (if you are an employee) must pay U.S. Social Security taxes. If the French system covers your work, you and your employer (if you are an employee) must comply with the French contribution requirements. The next section explains how to get a certificate of coverage from the country that will prove you are exempt in the other country.
Coverage And Taxes
You are working in France:
For a U.S. employer who:
For a non-U.S. employer
For the U.S. government and you are a:
U.S. (either Social Security or federal retirement program
You are working in the U.S.:
For an employer in France who:
For a non-French employer
For the French government and you are a:
You are self-employed and you:
If this table doesn't seem to describe your situation and you are:
Write to the U.S. address in "Certificates For Employees" section for further information.
Write to the French address in "For More Information" section for further information.
As the table indicates, the agreement can assign U.S. coverage to a U.S. worker temporarily working in France only if he or she works for a U.S. employer. A U.S. employer includes a corporation organized under the laws of the United States or any state, a partnership if at least two-thirds of the partners are U.S. residents, a person who is a resident of the United States or a trust if all the trustees are U.S. residents. The term also includes a foreign affiliate of a U.S. employer if the U.S. employer has entered into an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under section 3121(l) of the Internal Revenue Code to pay Social Security taxes for U.S. citizens and residents the affiliate employs.
Certificate Of Coverage
A certificate of coverage issued by one country serves as proof of exemption from social security taxes on the same earnings in the other country.
Certificates For Employees
To establish an exemption from compulsory coverage and taxes under the French system, your employer must request a certificate of coverage (form SE 404-2) from the United States at this address:
Social Security Administration
Office of Earnings and International Operations
P.O. Box 17741
Baltimore, Maryland 21235-7741
If preferred, the request may be sent by FAX to (410) 966-1861. Please note this FAX number is only to request certificates of coverage.
To request a certificate, the request must be in writing and provide the following information:
In addition, your employer must indicate if you remain an employee of the U.S. company while working in France or if you become an employee of the U.S. company's affiliate in France. If you become an employee of an affiliate, your employer must indicate if the U.S. company has an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service under section 3121(l) of the Internal Revenue Code to pay U.S. Social Security taxes for U.S. citizens and residents employed by the affiliate and, if yes, the effective date of the agreement.
Your employer can also request a certificate of U.S. coverage for you over the Internet using a special online request form available at opts.ssa.gov.
In addition to retirement, disability and survivors benefits, French social security taxes cover several other benefit programs including France's national health insurance program. As a result, a worker exempted from paying French social security taxes by the agreement cannot receive free health care services or other benefits under the French health insurance system. If you meet all of the other requirements for exemption from French social security taxes while working in France, you or your employer must arrange for private health insurance before the exemption may apply.
French certificates
To establish your exemption from coverage under the U.S. Social Security system, your employer in France must request a certificate of coverage (either form SE-404-1 or SE-404-2) from the local French agency for sickness insurance that collects your social security taxes in France.
The same information required for a certificate of coverage from the United States is needed to get a certificate from France except that:
- You must show your French social security number rather than your U.S. Social Security number; and
- Your employer doesn't need to certify that you and your family are covered by private health insurance.
Certificates For Self-Employed People
If you are self-employed and would normally have to pay social security taxes to both the U.S. and French systems, you can establish your exemption from one of the taxes by writing to:
- If the United States covers your work (see table above), you can request a certificate of U.S. coverage online at opts.ssa.gov or write to the Social Security Administration at the address above.
- If Belgium will cover your work (see table above), write to the National Social Insurance Institute for the Self-Employed at the following address:
Be sure to provide the following information in your letter:
- Full name (including maiden name);
- Date and place of birth;
- Citizenship;
- Country of permanent residence;
- U.S. and/or French social security number;
- Nature of self-employment activity;
- Nates the activity was or will be performed;
- Name and address of your trade or business in both countries; and
- If you are requesting a certificate from the United States, a statement certifying that you, and any family members who live with you in France, are covered by a private health insurance plan while in France (see NOTE above).
Effective Date Of Coverage Exemption
The certificate of coverage you receive from one country will show the effective date of your exemption from paying social security taxes in the other country. Generally, this will be the date you began working in the other country.
The employer in the United States should retain a copy of the certificates of coverage issued by France in case of an audit by the IRS. Do not send a copy to the IRS. The employer should not send copies to the IRS unless specifically requested by IRS. However, a self-employed person must attach a photocopy of the certificate to his or her income tax return each year as proof of the U.S. exemption.
Social Security will provide copies of certificates of coverage issued by the United States for both the employee and the employer. It will be the employee/employer responsibility to present the certificate to the French authorities when requested to do so. To avoid any difficulties, your employer (or you, if you are self-employed) should request a certificate as early as possible, preferably before your work in the other country begins.
If you or your employer request a certificate of coverage, you should read the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Statements below.
If You Submit Information or Answer Questions To Request A Certificate Of Coverage
Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Statements
Privacy Act
Section 233 of the Social Security Act as amended, [42 U.S.C. 433] authorizes us to collect this information. We will use the information you provide to determine if your current work should be covered only under the U.S. Social Security system in accordance with an international social security agreement. The information you provide on this form is voluntary. However, failure to provide all or part of the requested information may prevent us from making an accurate and timely decision on your request for a certificate of coverage. Without the certificate, current work may continue to be subject to coverage and taxation under both the U.S. and the foreign Social Security systems.
We may also use the information you provide in computer matching programs. Matching programs compare our records with records kept by other Federal, State, or local government agencies. Information from these matching programs can be used to establish or verify a person's eligibility for federally funded or administered benefit programs and for repayment of payments or delinquent debts under these programs.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice
This information collection meets the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. section 3507, as amended by section 2 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. You are not required to answer these questions unless we display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. We estimate that it will take you about 30 minutes to read the instructions, gather the necessary facts, and write down the information to request a certificate of coverage.
Monthly Benefits
The following table shows the various types of social security benefits payable under the U.S. and French social security systems and briefly describes the eligibility requirements that normally apply for each type of benefit. If you don't meet the requirements for these benefits, the agreement may help you to qualify (see "How Benefits Can Be Paid" section).
This table is only a general guide. You can get more specific information about U.S. benefits here on our web site or at any U.S. Social Security office. You can get more detailed information about the French system by writing to the French address in "For More Information" section or by visiting the French social security system's web site at www.cleiss.fr/.
Under U.S. Social Security, you may earn up to four credits each year depending on the amount of your covered earnings. The amount needed to earn a work credit goes up slightly each year. For more information, see How You Earn Credits (SSA Publication No. 05-10072).
The French system measures credits in calendar quarters. To simplify the information, the table shows requirements in years of credits.
Monthly Benefits and Eligibility Requirements
benefit at full
retirement age*, or reduced benefit as early as age 62.
Required work credits range from one and one-half to 10 years (10 years if 62 in 1991 or later).
|Worker-Full pension at age 60 if worker has between 37½ - 40 years of contributions; depending on the year of birth. Workers with less than 37½ - 40 years of contributions receive a reduced amount. Only one calendar quarter of contributions is needed to qualify under the French general system. Longer periods of contributions are needed under special occupational systems.
|* Full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
|Worker-Under full retirement age* can get benefit if unable to do any substantial gainful work for at least a year. One and one-half to 10 years credit needed, depending on age at date of onset. Some recent work credits also needed unless worker is blind.
|Worker-Two types are
payable: total disability (loss of all working capacity) and partial
disability (loss of two-thirds of working capacity). To be eligible,
worker must be under age 60, have been registered in social security
system for at least 12 months and have credit for at least 800 hours
of work during the four calendar quarters before disability (including
200 hours during the fourth quarter before the disability).
|* Full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
|Spouse-Full benefit at full retirement age or at any age if caring for the worker's entitled child under age 16 (or disabled before age 22). Reduced benefit as early as age 62 if not caring for a child.
|Spouse-No provision. However, a spouse's supplement may be payable to an old-age beneficiary with a dependent spouse.
|Divorced Spouse-Full benefit at full retirement age. Reduced benefit as early as age 62. Must be unmarried and have been married to worker for at least 10 years.
|Divorced Spouse-No provision.
|Children-If unmarried, up to age 18 (age 19 if in an elementary or secondary school full time) or any age if disabled before age 22.
|Children-No provision. However, a child's supplement may be payable to an old-age beneficiary with a dependent child.
|Widow(er)-Full benefit at full retirement age* or at any age if caring for the deceased's entitled child under age 16 (or disabled before age 22). Reduced benefit as early as age 60 (or age 50 if disabled) if not caring for child. Benefits may be continued if remarriage occurs after age 60 (or age 50 if disabled).
|Widow(er)-Full benefit at age 55 or disabled and not remarried. If under age 55 and not disabled, small income-tested allowance payable for three years if worker had been covered during three months before death.
|Divorced widow(er)-Same as widow(er) if marriage lasted at least 10 years.
|Divorced widow(er)-Same as widow(er).
|Children-Same as for children of retired or disabled worker.
|Children-No provision.
|Lump-Sum Death Benefit-A one-time payment not to exceed $255 payable on the death of an insured worker.
|Lump-Sum Death Benefit-A flat-rate payment made one time only. Worker must have had some recent coverage.
|* Full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
How Benefits Can Be Paid
If you have social security credits in both the United States and France, you may be eligible for benefits from one or both countries. If you meet all the basic requirements under one country's system, you will get a regular benefit from that country. If you don't meet the basic requirements, the agreement may help you qualify for a benefit as explained below.
- Benefits from the United States––If you do not have enough work credits under the U.S. system to qualify for regular benefits, you may be able to qualify for a partial benefit from the United States based on both U.S. and French credits. However, to be eligible to have your French credits counted, you must have earned at least six credits (generally one and one-half years of work) under the U.S. system. If you already have enough credits under the U.S. system to qualify for a benefit, the United States cannot count your French credits.
- Benefits from France––Under French law, a worker can qualify for an old-age pension based on as little as one calendar quarter of contributions but the benefit amount is reduced for workers with less than 150-160 quarters (depending on year of birth). Under the agreement, France will compute an old-age pension based on French credits alone as well as a prorated benefit based on U.S. and French credits, and then pay whichever is greater.
If you don't have enough work credits under the French system to qualify for regular disability or survivors benefits, you may be able to qualify for a partial benefit from France based on both U.S. and French credits. However, to be eligible to have your U.S. credits counted, you must have at least one year of coverage under the French system.
How Credits Get Counted
You do not have to do anything to have one country count your credits in the other country. If we need to count your credits under the French system to help you qualify for a U.S. benefit, we will get a copy of your French record directly from France when you apply for benefits. If French officials need to count your U.S. credits to help you qualify for a French benefit, they will get a copy of your U.S. record directly from the Social Security Administration when you apply for the French benefit.
Although each country may count your credits in the other country, your credits do not actually transfer from one country to the other. They remain on your record in the country where you earned them and you can use them to qualify for benefits there.
Computation of U.S. Benefit Under The Agreement
When a U.S. benefit becomes payable as a result of counting both U.S. and French social security credits, we determine an initial benefit based on your U.S. earnings as if you completed your entire career under the U.S. system. The United States then reduces this initial benefit to reflect the fact that French credits helped to make the benefit payable. The amount of the reduction will depend on the number of U.S. credits: the more U.S. credits, the smaller the reduction; and the fewer U.S. credits, the larger the reduction.
A French Pension May Affect Your U.S. Benefit
If you qualify for social security benefits from both the United States and France and you did not need the agreement to qualify for either benefit, U.S. law may reduce the amount of your U.S. benefit. This is a result of a provision in U.S. law that can affect the way the United States computes your benefit, if you also receive a pension based on work not covered by U.S. Social Security. For more information, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov, and get a copy of Windfall Elimination Provision (Publication No. 05-10045). If you are outside the United States, you may write to us at the address in the "For More Information" section.
What You Need To Know About Medicare
Medicare is the U.S. national health insurance program for people age 65 or older or who are disabled. Medicare has four parts:
- Hospital insurance (Part A) helps pay for inpatient hospital care and certain follow-up services,
- Medical insurance (Part B) helps pay for doctors' services, outpatient hospital care and other medical services.
- Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) are available in many areas. People with Medicare Parts A and B can choose to receive all of their health care services through a provider organization under Part C.
- Prescription drug coverage (Part D) helps pay for medications doctors prescribe for medical treatment.
You are eligible for free hospital insurance at age 65 if you have worked long enough under U.S. Social Security to qualify for a retirement benefit. People born in 1929 or later need 40 credits (about 10 years of covered work) to qualify for retirement benefits.
Although the agreement between the United States and France allows the Social Security Administration to count your French credits to help you qualify for U.S. retirement, disability or survivors benefits, the agreement does not cover Medicare benefits. As a result, we cannot count your credits in France to establish entitlement to free Medicare hospital insurance.
For more information about Medicare, visit Medicare's website at www.medicare.gov , and ask for the booklet, Medicare (Publication No. 05-10043).
Claims For Benefits
If you live in the United States and wish to apply for U.S. or French benefits:
- Visit or write any U.S. Social Security office; or
You can apply for French benefits at any U.S. Social Security office by completing an application form SSA-2490.
If you live in France and wish to apply for U.S. or French benefits, contact:
- The Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Paris (phone 1-43-12-4705), or
- Any French social security office.
You can apply with one country and ask to have your application considered as a claim for benefits from the other country. Information from your application will then be sent to the other country. Each country will process the claim under its own laws—counting credits from the other country when appropriate—and notify you of its decision.
If you have not applied for benefits before, you may need to provide certain information and documents when you apply. This includes:
- The worker's U.S. and French social security numbers ;
- Proof of age for all claimants ; and
- Evidence of the worker's U.S. earnings in the past 24 months and information about the worker's coverage under the French system.
You may wish to call the Social Security office before you go there to find out if you will need to provide any other information.
Payment of Benefits
Each country pays its own benefit. The U.S. Department of the Treasury issues U.S. payments each month which covers benefits for the preceding month.
Under the French system, France makes payments at different times for different periods depending on the type of benefits. For more information, contact the French authorities at the address in the "For More Information" section.
Absence From U.S. Territory
Normally, persons who are not U.S. citizens may receive U.S. Social Security benefits while outside the U.S. only if they meet certain requirements.Under the agreement, however, you may receive benefits as long as you reside in France regardless of your nationality. If you are not a U.S. or French citizen and live in another country, you may not be able to receive benefits. The restrictions on U.S. benefits are explained in the booklet, Social Security—Your Payments While You Are Outside The United States (Publication No. 05-10137).
If you disagree with the decision made on your claim for benefits under the agreement, contact any U.S. or French social security office. The people there can tell you what you need to do to appeal the decision.
The French social security authorities will review your appeal if it affects your rights under the French system, while U.S. Social Security authorities will review your appeal if it affects your rights under the U.S. system. Because each country's decisions are made independently of the other, a decision by one country on a particular issue may not always conform with the decision made by the other country on the same issue.
For More Information
To file a claim for U.S. or French benefits under the agreement, follow the instructions in "Claims For Benefits" section.
If you live outside the United States, write to:
Social Security Administration
P.O. Box 17769
Baltimore, Maryland 21235-7769
For more information about France's social security programs, visit any social security office in France. If you don't live in France, write to:
Centre des Liaisons Europeennes et Internationales de Sécurité Sociale
rue de Tour des Dames
75436 Paris Cedex 09
If you do not wish to file a claim for benefits, but would like more information about the agreement, write to:
Social Security Administration
Office of Data Exchange, Policy Publications, and International Negotiations
4700 Annex Building
6401 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21235