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In recent months one of the major areas of political debate has concerned the government's reform of the private pension system. This has brought up a range of other issues including public finances, public debt and privatisation. It has also created new divisions within the previously united liberal camp. A public televised debate between Leszek Balcerowicz and the present Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski is planned for this week.
Below I reproduce my article on this topic that was published by CEE Bankwatch. This is an NGO that monitors the activities of the international financial institutions which operate in central and eastern Europe, and proposes constructive alternatives to their policies and projects in the region. Take a look at their site - it has some interesting and useful commentary and analysis.
Below I reproduce my article on this topic that was published by CEE Bankwatch. This is an NGO that monitors the activities of the international financial institutions which operate in central and eastern Europe, and proposes constructive alternatives to their policies and projects in the region. Take a look at their site - it has some interesting and useful commentary and analysis.
When Leszek Balcerowicz cries 'No Pasaran' you know that something is afoot. Yet this is precisely what the architect of the post-1989 shock-therapy reforms and the privatisation of the Polish pension system has recently been declaring in the face of the Polish government's attempt to partially reform the country's pensions.
The issue of how to provide for those in their old age has become a central issue for governments around the world. In the wake of the global financial crisis, many European governments have responded by introducing a wave of austerity measures, including attempts to raise the age of retirement. However, the crisis has also revealed how the privatisation of the pensions' systems in some central and eastern European countries has in fact increased the fiscal burden on governments, whilst simultaneously decreasing the income that retirees will receive.
The blueprint for the private pension system evolved in Latin America, more precisely under the repressive dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile – the favoured administration of the Chicago Boys and the New Right. However, due to the unpopularity of the Pinochet regime, it was not until the mid-1990s that other countries began to emulate this model, as neoliberal governments were established in a number of Latin American countries and the World Bank began advocating a private pension scheme.
In 1994 the World Bank published a key report – 'Averting the Old Age Crisis' – that supported the establishment of a three-pillar pension system. Although this report stated that this could take a number of forms, the World Bank began to openly espouse pension reform based upon the Chilean model. The three pillars of this pension model are a publicly managed fund, a mandatory individual private fund and a voluntary private fund.
The advocates of this reform assumed that the rates of return in these individual private funds would be higher than in the public system and that it would provide an important freedom of choice to the individual. They also believed – following their ideological contours – that it would deliver a series of other benefits to the economy, such as increasing labour market incentives and reducing administration costs. Therefore, individuals would work later into life, as the more they pay into their own funds the more they would eventually reap. By 2002, ten countries had either partially or totally privatised their public pension system. In central and eastern Europe, where neoliberalism continued to exert significant influence, a number of countries – the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – followed suit.
Mass unemployment has been a feature of Polish capitalism, the jobless rate growing to over 14 percent by 1992 and only briefly dipping into single figures after Poland's entry into the EU in 2004. With the introduction in 1990 of a very weak insurance system for the unemployed, many Poles responded by opting to retire – leading to a large rise in the number of pensioners and a surge in government pension expenditures. One of the major aims of the pension reform package, introduced by the right-wing coalition government in 1999, was therefore to institutionalise fiscal restraint and to encourage longer working lives through linking earnings to benefits. The government simultaneously ran a propaganda campaign showing future pensioners on exotic holidays wearing Hawaiian shirts, with the message being that individual pensions would be higher under this new private system.
However, the new reforms squeezed pensions in two ways. First, public pensions were no longer guaranteed to be 35 percent of the average wage and were indexed to price increases rather than wage growth. Second, by introducing a mandatory private fund, pensions were now at the mercy of the financial markets. The unspoken reality of the reforms was that future pensions were now not only going to be lower, but they would also be highly exposed to financial shocks.
The financial shockwaves that spread around the globe from autumn 2008 did indeed reveal the weaknesses of the Polish pension system. Almost immediately it became clear that the private pensions were going to be lower than people had been led to believe. In 2009, the first recipient of a mandatory private pension learnt that she would receive just ZŁ24 a month on top of her public pension. Admittedly, the woman in question had only been paying into the system for around ten years, but this nonetheless exposed how little these investments are actually worth. This was accompanied by Poland's social insurance company (ZUS) sending, for the first time, projections of future pension levels to individuals paying into its scheme. People began to realise that their pensions would be even lower than those received presently by their parents – a sobering thought indeed.
At the same time, the financial crisis worsened Poland's public finances, with the budget deficit exceeding seven percent of GDP in 2009 and public debt edging towards the government's self-imposed limit of 55 percent. When the Polish pension system was reformed it was established that those aged 50+ in 1999 would remain within the old system. This meant that ZUS was required to continue paying these pensions, while 7.3 percent of total gross salaries was transferred to the private pension funds. This has added up to a total of ZŁ162bn since the beginning of the reform, equivalent to 11.4 percent of Poland's GDP in 2010. This transfer has been one of the contributory factors to the growth of public debt, which has risen by 13 percent since the formation of the private pension funds.
The transfer of public money to private companies has to be further questioned when the level of profit that these companies have drawn from the public purse is considered. Professor Leon Podkaminer – from the Vienna-based Institute of International Economic Studies – estimates that in 2009 the private pension companies in Poland made a clear profit of around USD 766 million, from an investment of around USD 3 billion (ie, with a profit rate of 25 percent). While the privatisation of the pension scheme was supposed to extend individual choice and freedom, it has become clear that it has become a mandatory scheme for passing public money into the hands of private financial companies.
With public debt continuing to rise, the Polish government has realised that the present pension system could not be maintained. It therefore announced, in January this year, that it would be cutting the amount that is paid to the private pension funds, from 7.3 percent to 2.3 percent, with the clawed-back five percent to be used to cover the costs of present public pensions. However, the government has also stated that it will be seeking to increase the payments to the private pension companies to 3.8 percent by 2017.
Inevitably this has led to a barrage of criticism against the centre-right government, particularly from those who helped to privatise the system and who had previously considered the government to be political allies. The crux of their arguments has been that the government is reaching into the pockets of ordinary citizens in order to cover their own deficits. They argue instead that the government should seek more substantive reforms to reduce government expenditures.
As an alternative, Leszek Balcerowicz for one has proposed that the government introduces reforms such as raising the retirement age, taking away early retirement privileges, reducing funeral subsidies, stalling the planned lengthening of maternity leave, abolishing the one-off payment for newly born children and getting rid of VAT relief for hoteliers and the building industry. He also proposes that the government speeds up the privatisation process, in order to boost the government's coffers. In fact one of the major criticisms, made by the original architects of the privatisation of Polish pensions, is that successive governments both failed to privatise enough and did not use these funds to cover over the hole left by payments to the private pension funds. However, the conception that it is either desirable or possible to continue selling state economic assets in order to cover the hole left by payments to private pension companies, is in itself highly dubious.
The move away, in recent times, from private pensions has not been restricted to Poland. Already governments in Latin America (including Chile, Argentina and Bolivia) have partly or fully nationalised their pension systems in recent years. In central and eastern Europe over the past 12 months Lithuania has reduced contributions to its private funds, Estonia has declared that it would freeze pension fund contributions, and in Bulgaria 20 percent of private vocational pension funds will put their assets under state control by 2014.
In Hungary, most notably, the current government announced at the end of last year that individuals would have to decide whether they wanted to invest in the state or the private pension system. Up to now, around 3 million workers in Hungary have been investing some of their pension contributions in private schemes and those that choose to remain with the private pension system will lose the right to draw their future state pension. By the February 1 deadline, 100,000 (or three percent) of Hungarian pension subscribers opted to stay in the private system. It is estimated that this de-facto nationalisation of the Hungarian private pension schemes will be worth USD 14.6 billion, a sum that the Hungarian government views as vital for working down the country's national debt. The danger, however, exists that the Hungarian government will use these funds simply to cover its own public finance problems and meet the demands to cut its budget deficit laid down by the EU. Any return to a public pension system in Hungary should be combined with a commitment to use these accumulated funds to help valorise future pensions.
Sat alongside such reforms elsewhere, the recent decision of the Polish government can be seen to be rather modest. Moreover, a pressing question remains: if the private pension system has been such an obvious failure, why not just abolish it entirely?
That being said, and despite its coming under external political pressure, it is worth bearing in mind that the current Polish government happens to include many people with a personal interest in defending the private pension system. As has been documented recently in the Polish media, nine out of the 11 members of the present government's Economic Council have worked at some time for a private pension fund. The Economic Council – created by Donald Tusk last year – is comprised of economists and businessmen who provide the prime minister with advice on economic issues and help to plan the government's economic strategy. Therefore, while the Polish government may have made an important first step towards moving away from the private pension system, a large lobby group surrounds these pension companies and exerts a significant influence in national politics and the media.
If it's of any reassurance to Leszek Balcerowicz, such interests are determined that any further move to abolish the private pension system in Poland 'shall not pass'. The outlook for Poles working towards a pension, then, appears mixed, while for purveyors of Hawaiian shirts the main target market appears to be restricted for the time being to the top echelons of Poland's private pension fund companies.


text: This is the workshop in which it all began and, in many ways, is the heartbeat of our program. Books from local school libraries are repaired, which helps forge the strong intergenerational message that has served as a guidepost for Yad LaKashish over the years. Many tourists now bring their precious but damaged books with them to Israel, secure in the knowledge that their tomes will be treated with patience and professionalism. Heirloom editions, synagogue treasures and favorite children's books are also salvaged in this most special workshop.

subset: commoncrawl


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Published by Positively Scottish.
They are the forgotten heroes of the Great War, thousands of dedicated individuals who more than played their part on the front line.
But now a crowdfunding campaign is under way to provide a permanent memorial to the Airedale Terriers near the Scottish base where their training began, at East Haven in Angus.
During the First World War, the dogs were used by the British Red Cross and by the Army to locate injured soldiers on the battlefields, for sentry work, to carry messages through the trenches, and to carry first aid supplies and carrier pigeons on crates on their backs.
Wendy Turner, secretary of the Airedale Terrier Club of Scotland Breed Rescue, is leading the crowdfunding to raise £50,000 for a monument, ideally to be unveiled to coincide with the centenary of the end of the war in 2018.
Wendy says: 'The crowdfunding campaign only started in April and it's up to over £2000 already. Angus Council said they would match the figure when it reached £1,250 which helps give us a boost. In the meantime, I'm trying to get grants from here, there and everywhere.'
The story behind the campaign began in the early 1900s when Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Hautenville Richardson and his wife, Blanche Bannon, bought Panbride House, a manor house between Carnoustie and East Haven. Both were avid dog trainers.
Wendy says: 'They looked at small terriers and collies and other breeds but they settled on the Airedale Terriers because of the temperament and the sheer tenacity of the breed.'
Originally, the couple trained four Airedales who were given to the Glasgow Police, two stationed at Maryhill and two at Queen's Park. These Airedales become the first official police dogs in Scotland and the UK.
At the beginning of the First World War, when word began to spread about the Airedales' intelligence, obedience and energetic nature, the British Red Cross approached Edwin and Blanche to ask if they could train dogs to locate wounded soldiers and to carry their medical supplies on the battlefield.
Wendy says: 'Once they were trained for that, the British Army obviously had their eye on them, thinking that they could use these dogs, too. So they asked Lieutenant Richardson and his wife to start training Airedales to carry messages through the trenches, do sentry work, and to carry the carrier pigeons in cages on their backs because the pigeons were used to send messages back and forth during the war.'
The British Army were so pleased with the Airedales' resourcefulness, aptitude and bravery in war zones that they opened a purpose-built war dog school in Shoeburyness in Essex. Edwin and Blanche then moved into the training school to continue their work.
Wendy says: 'Our aim is to have a monument built where it all started in Angus because I think it's a piece of history that's kind of been forgotten about. When I started researching, I found some contacts in historical societies who I thought would know all about Airedales, but I couldn't find anyone who knew much about it at all.'
When she began to dig into the history of the Airedales as war dogs, Wendy eventually sourced contact details for someone who pointed her in the direction of Panbride House and this piece of information set her on the right track.
Discovering the history of the Airedales and the sacrifices they made alongside soldiers, in the line of duty, Wendy was inspired to start the campaign to honour these tremendously loyal and intelligent dogs.
Wendy says: 'I've applied for several grants. Our aim is £50,000 as it costs £40,000 alone just for the sculptor and the granite. And the rest of it goes to getting the 30 tonnes of granite moved, pathways put in, getting a plinth and other expenses. I feel like I'm spending my life on a computer at the moment trying to organise it all!'
'We're hoping to have sculptor Bruce Walker from Kirriemuir create the monument. It's his artist's impression on our website. He's the only sculptor in Scotland who specialises in granite sculpture. And we really wanted Scottish granite from Aberdeen. We felt that was important because it's a story that starts here in Scotland.'
You can find out more and donate to the Airedale Monument Fund, here.
What do you think of this story? Let me know in the comment section below.


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Despite my 'holidays' last week, (Oh, time flies...) I must admit that the past couple of days and week have been oh, so hectic and kinda stressing as well due to University stuff. For months I've scheduled this event and I happened to make it there last Friday and also yesterday Saturday. I went as part of the press (as a blogger) but I got to sit myself together photographers from nacional and local newspaper, etc because hey, I also love photography, and the only way to capture this, was sitting right next to them.
Before someone gets me wrong, I must say that I really enjoyed every second of the shows even if it was my second year I make it there. I loved every single collection but some more than the others. And as I didn't want to miss a thing, I stayed on my seat for hooooours in a row, and so I didn't get to snap pictures of the amazing stands that were also there (shame on me)
Anyway, hope you guys love and enjoy the photos! Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below!
DAY 1: Being the first day it wasn't as crowded as it was on day 2, plus it was so hard to get a good photo for us photographers as well, as everybody decided to stand up from their seats and leave… But all collections were just beyond beautiful, and I would just love to say that I have my favorites from this year like, INBLOOM, ZOOMSTYLE and Jose Amaris. one being different of the other.
INBLOOM went for crazy prints, ZOOMSTYLE went for prints, florals and lace, instead Jose Amaris decided to go for an all collection filled with so much details and elegance in every single one of his pieces.
DAY 2: This time it was crowded as it was the turn of international designer GIOVANNI SCUTARO to present his collection plus I guess, we all were excited for this one, once again all colecctions were flawless but take a look at my favorites…
PALO DE ROSA Opened the 2nd block with pineapples on the catwalk, models wearing tropical turbans headpieces and holding colorful bananas were all part of this staging, DURH on the contrary was a collection full of neon color, prints, and flowers (hence the models holding a white rose)
GIOVANNI SCUTARO opened the 3rd block with his collection 'Entre costuras' SS15 being an impeccable and elegant one with pieces for both, him and her, DANIELLA BATLLE presented her collection 'Le Jardin', a beautiful one if you ask me, and also happened to win the 'Revelation Designer' contest whose prize the right to appear in the Colombia Trade Expo in Miami! YAY, Congrats Daniella! And last but not least, another of my favorites was 'Color Flow' by Lia Samantha, her collection had brought us to a journey deep in the Colombian Pacific and took us deeper into this cultural explosion of Chocó.


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Title: Torn Away
Author: Jennifer Brown
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Release date: May 6th 2014
Pages: 288
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: NetGalley - I received a free galley of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
Add to Goodreads | Purchase from Amazon
My rating: 5 out of 5 starsBorn and raised in the Midwest, Jersey Cameron knows all about tornadoes. Or so she thinks. When her town is devastated by a twister, Jersey survives -- but loses her mother, her young sister, and her home. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with her only surviving relatives: first her biological father, then her estranged grandparents.
In an unfamiliar place, Jersey faces a reality she's never considered before -- one in which her mother wasn't perfect, and neither were her grandparents, but they all loved her just the same. Together, they create a new definition of family. And that's something no tornado can touch.
I've read a couple of Jennifer Brown's books and liked some, but thought others were only okay. That's why I'm so happy I gave her another try with Torn Away - this is most definitely my new favorite Jennifer Brown book! It's short, but it packs a hard punch. Torn Away is an emotional, heartbreaking but hopeful novel, and I absolutely loved it!
For some reason, I had expected Torn Away to begin right after the tornado kills her family, the focus being on the aftermath with maybe a couple of flashbacks to what actually happened. But the novel begins on the day of the tornado: it starts out as any regular day, which is really hard to read about because we already know what is going to happen. Then, we get to be there along with Jersey through this horrible hurricane. Even just reading about it, I was terrified. Of course I've seen TV coverage and pictures of natural disasters, but it's never felt as real as while reading this book. We, along with Jersey, get to experience the complete devastation of her neighborhood, which is both scary and heartbreaking. And worst of all, we wait along with Jersey for her mother and sister to come home, even though we already know they won't. Jersey's denial for the first day or so after the tornado, and heartbreak once she finds out what happened, are so real that I cried on pretty much every other page.
And then, when you think the worst is over because she is finally reunited with her stepdad... Wrong. The terrible events in Jersey's life are far from over. I know they're all struggling with their own stuff, but I couldn't stop myself from hating pretty much every person in Jersey's life. Her stepdad, grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, says he's incapable of taking care of Jersey and sends her off to live with her biological father... who happens to live in a house full of horrible people. Jersey's father, his wife, their daughters, cousins, and grandparents... Everyone but her aunt is simply horrible, and their insensitivity to what Jersey is going through continued to astound me. Whenever I thought things couldn't get any worse for Jersey, the people in her life would let her down again. I felt so much sympathy and heartbreak for Jersey and anger towards pretty much everyone else.
Thankfully, she somehow gets out of this horrible situation and goes to live with her mother's parents, whom she has never met because they disowned her mother when she had her baby. While these grandparents also had their faults, I loved them so much for finally at least trying to help Jersey. While this part of the story isn't filled with terrible events the way the first two are, it is no less heartbreaking. Living with her grandparents, Jersey begins to really grieve the loss of her mother and sister, and she attempts to somehow put her life back together. Jersey's feelings are so raw and honest that I, again, spent most of my time reading with tears in my eyes.
I really don't have much to criticize about Torn Away. The only small thing I didn't like is the hint of a romance towards the end of the story; I just thought that was really unnecessary and felt kind of forced. And it also bothers me that the girl on the cover looks so skinny, when that doesn't fit the descriptions of Jersey in the novel. But obviously, these are just really small things, and everything that matters is exceptionally well-done in Torn Away.
Torn Away is such a powerful story. Jersey is a complex, strong, inspiring character, and her story is heart-wrenching. This novel broke my heart so many times, but it didn't fail to provide some hope towards the end. I absolutely loved it, and I can't recommend it enough!


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The rumor about our waterfall project has spread across the globe and here are some of the magazines that recently have published it;
Mark Magazine, one of the most renowned publications of architecture. With an interesting mix of established and emerging architects they continue to be an inspiration to many people out there. By a divine chance we're included in the Feb/Mar issue.
Eden Falls is also published in Weekend Weekly, "one of Hong Kong's leading and best selling Travel, Dining & Leisure Magazines. Weekend Weekly is dedicated to surprise readers with most diversified and up-to-date information on what's new and noteworthy regarding travel, entertainment, shopping and dining. It has also been the magazine's key mission to share a dynamic attitude in lifestyle with all of their readers."
We humbly bow to the sublime taste of the editors.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Eden Falls in Mark Magazine & Weekend Weekly
Upplagd av visiondivision kl. 12:07 PM
Etiketter: anders berensson, eden falls, mark 24, mark magazine, media, publication, ulf mejergren, vd, visiondivision, weekend weekly
1 comment:
- オテモヤン said...
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- February 27, 2010 at 9:57 PM
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Taking back Nigeria: One resolution that will matter
I posit a simple yet powerful New Year resolution that will enable us collectively pull our country out of the current morass and set it firmly on the path of greatness that I strongly believe we can achieve. Although it has always been my modus operandi, this year I will make a more deliberate and conscious effort to patronise made-in-Nigeria products and services. I now enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians and residents of our country to also make a point of requesting and ensuring that the products and services they patronise and commission are local.
Earlier, I posited that this resolution, if adopted nationally, would rescue us from the recession and enable us regain our greatness. Some of the overarching policy objectives that can be achieved by increasing national consumption of locally made products and services include a reduction of our chronic dependence on foreign exchange, as well as a rapid and wide-ranging development of our local industries and service providers.It will also increase the appeal of our local industries to foreign investment, especially when the targeted patronage is considered alongside our considerable market size, as well as our gateway status to sub-Saharan Africa.
Medium term objectives that this initiative can help achieve include the development of local human and organisational capacity in various developmental sectors, as well as the stimulation of relevant and 'fit for purpose' research to address contextual issues peculiar to the Nigerian setting. In the long term, fidelity to this initiative will ensure that Nigeria leverages on its significant population and position to develop an economy that is not only self-sufficient in all critical areas, but is also dominant in regional and global politics and policy making.
From personal experience, I can attest to the quality of made-in-Nigeria products in many sectors. I bought my first house in Abuja when Obasanjo and El Rufai auctioned government houses early in the last decade. The building I bought was literally on the verge of collapse and required rebuilding from scratch. Among the materials my contractors used, were Nigerian electrical cables. These have lasted over a decade now, whereas my contemporaries have reported that the imported ones they used have all melted or malfunctioned. Another similar but even more important example relates to locally produced medicines. Anyone who has kids, knows that you do not joke with their health right? Now fathom that despite the fact that my children were all born in Europe and America, I have always preferred to administer made-in-Nigeria drugs to them. I have so much faith and trust in our drugs.
There are however some critics who will still insist on making comments about the quality of Nigerian products and services. Yes, I agree that there are a few other sectors where more could be done to bring local products and services to the highest international standards, but then, without the kind of patronage I propose, companies will be hard pressed to make the sort of investment that would result in world class quality. Besides, there are now a range of strategies that can be used to increase accountability and responsiveness, which will in turn help improve quality of local products and services.
For those in charge of growth and development strategies for their companies and organisations, I also have a piece free of advice to offer. There has not been a better time than now, to invest in local capacity, as well as build or improve relevant production infrastructure. Firstly, due to the FOREX scarcity in Nigeria, investors from outside the country have the most bang for their buck right now. However, with the recent OPEC deal and the increasing likelihood of a calm Niger Delta, the National FOREX issue may soon be resolved and this window may soon close. Secondly, policy directives from the Presidency are increasingly focused on improving patronage of goods and services produced locally. This is part of government's overall strategy for developing local industries.
The implication is that as government programmes unfold over the next few years, the policy milieu will most likely be more favourable for organisations producing locally, compared to those that rely on importation. Thirdly, a review of the current administration's policies will reveal that encouraging the patronage of local goods and services is one area where there is significant coherence and consonance, amongst various arms as well as levels of government. It therefore means that in terms of patronising local goods and services, legislation from the National Assembly is likely to dovetail into policies from The Executive, and vice versa. There is also emerging evidence that a number of State Governments are developing various initiatives along the lines of the resolution proposed here. These are just a few of the points that Company Executives, Board Members and Shareholders should consider, if they want to maintain or increase their market share in Nigeria.
To ensure that government is faithful to the initiative being pushed by the current administration, Directors General, Permanent Secretaries and other Chief Executives of Government MDAs must ensure that Nigerian goods and services are favoured in procurement exercises, while still conforming to relevant international laws. Nigerian companies and local contractors should also study the procurement laws and leverage on existing advantages for companies that produce locally.
On the private side, owners of businesses should endeavour to stock and recommend locally made products and services. In order to ensure that everyone one does their own bit, shop attendants and clerks should also be trained to identify the source of goods and services, as well as endeavour to offer Nigerian products as first choice to customers. Customers, clients and consumers however represent the most important part of the equation. In tandem with the resolve to buy local so as to take back your Nation, you need to specifically ask for made-in Nigeria products and services, and even when you are served, you must verify by checking the label.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that in the face of adversity, most Nigerians abdicate all responsibility and defer to government for both blame and solution. There is however incontrovertible and empirical proof that citizen-led initiatives such as the targeted patronage proposed here, can lead to an about-face in National fortunes. The entertainment industry, has witnessed a paradigm shift from being foreign-dominated just over a decade ago, to the current setting, where our tastes and proclivities in the sector are almost totally local. Today Nigerian music, film and comedy is not only hugely patronised locally, they arealso a considerable foreign exchange earner and now contribute to our Gross Domestic Product.What this means is that it is time to stop waiting for only government to rescue our economy. One simple New Year Resolution, taken in our hearts and in our homes can make our nation great again.
Dr. Adigwe is a strategist and policy engagement expert.
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Caramel is rich, soft shade of gold that can complement many hair colors. Depending on the manufacturer, caramel hues can also be called light golden brown or dark iridescent blonde, and it is important to understand that even within the shade "caramel" there is some variation for the darkness and golden tint of the color.
Denise Richards
What some manufacturers call caramel, others may call toffee or butterscotch, or those sweet alternatives may actually be separate hair colors. Caramel hair color works best on those with warm skin tones, if you have very yellow undertones to your skin, caramel shades could end up making your skin look quite sallow.
Jennifer Lopez
Rich caramel shades also really complement warm blondes or brunettes, it's probably best to avoid caramel color if you have any red tones in your hair, as they could turn brassy. Not a good look! There are quite a range of tones covered by the term 'caramel', from dark, honey caramel hair color to deeper, rich brown caramel shades, so make sure you pick the right shade for you.
Leona Lewis
After several ideas for caramel hair color above, what next? how about caramel highlights? If you are planning to go in for caramel highlights, it is not just your initial hair color that you should consider, but your skin color, eye color and overall personality too. Only if you think that caramel highlights will suit you and highlight your best features, that you should go ahead with them.
For someone with dark brown hair, caramel highlights are the perfect choice as they lend a kind of richness to brunette hair. Caramel highlights for brown hair look best if they are positioned in a way to frame the face. Caramel highlights which blend with the whole hair, look good on brown haired women too. So, if you have brown hair you can consider getting streaks of caramel color throughout your hair.
Black Hair
Black and caramel are totally opposite colors. So if someone wants to create a contrasting, dramatic look, then have caramel highlights on black hair. To make it look even more striking, women with black hair can consider getting only the tips of their hair highlighted in caramel color. Another idea which will make you stand out in a crowd is to get chunks of hair highlighted in caramel color at two three places in your hair.
Light Brown Hair
Women with really light brown hair or those who have blond hair, should consider having lowlights with deep caramel color instead of highlights. Deep caramel colored highlights will add some depth to your hair. Highlights of caramel color may not look so great since caramel is quite close to your natural color and thus, caramel colored highlights will get lost in the natural color of your hair.
How to maintain?
Caramel hair color is fairly easy to maintain in comparison to shades like red and blonde, which are prone to fading and dry out the hair. It's still ideal to use color-safe shampoos and conditioners, such as Redken Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner, to keep your color looking beautiful and vibrant. If you have a dry hair type, consider using an argan oil shampoo and conditioner system, which is suitable for color-treated hair.
Eva Mendez
Caramel can be a great shade for lightening up your look. Since there are various shades of caramel brown hair color, it's ideal to talk to an experienced hair stylist to determine which shade is right for you.


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New Zealand captain Abby Erceg hits out at NZF in shock retirement
New Zealand women's captain Abby Erceg has launched a broadside at New Zealand Football while announcing her retirement from the international game.
Central defender Erceg says the Football Ferns aren't valued, nor adequately supported by the national body, prompting her retirement at the age of 27 as an act of protest.
United States-based Erceg made her New Zealand debut in 2006 and was named skipper in 2014. She has played 129 internationals and competed at three World Cups.
The side's annual...


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While many consumers acknowledge the environmental benefits of reusable bags, adopting the change can be challenging. Recent polls show the following four major barriers, each of which are carefully addressed in the Ecozuri offerings:
Survey data indicates that 53% of respondents own a reusable bag; 47% do not, but almost 90% of respondents say the primary reason they do not use a reusable bag every time they shop is because they forget.
The free forget-me-not reminder kit provided by Ecozuri places strategic reminder throughout the daily routines of your shopping trips. It helps you embrace the changes with ease and confidence.
Lots of people do not feel comfortable handing over reusable bags with large logos of the competitor' store to the cashiers, nor can they have the time to sort the bags by store before they go shopping.
Without any prominent store logo or promotional patterns, Ecozuri bags allow you check out at any store with a touch of style and grace.
Many of us reuse the free plastic bags as trash bags so that we don not need to buy the trash bin lining. (However, we usually bring home more than we need and end up throwing them away.)
We understand you want to keep the few plastic bags that still come your way for reuse. Ecozuri's beautiful jute packaging bag can also serve a plastic bag recycler. It hangs nicely on your kitchen or pantry door to store those extra bags for reuse and recycling …
Cheap and unwashable reusable bags can be a breeding ground for bacteria if they get moist from foods.
All Ecozuri bags are machine washable and dry easily. The materials have a layer of water-proof coating, helping to prevent stains and leaking. Meanwhile, the cleaned bags are folded inside out, which minimizes the chance for bacteria or yeast to occur. Our individual pouch also effectively protects the bag from any contamination during storage.


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Office Coordinator
Keller Williams Realty
Provides technology training and administrative support for agents at Keller Williams select realtors. Assists the team leader and office manager with agent orientation and agent retention. Organizes and promotes KWSR events and training opportunities to agents.Writer of the market center's monthly newsletter, KW Connect and manager of the office's Facebook.


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One aspect of life I have never personally understood among boys in school is the act of bullying. A boy coming from a home where he is treated with the same amount of love and tenderness as a girl does not ever need to hit or be unkind to another boy in school. And yet the male gender is guilty of such behaviour towards another. I fear the homes these kids come from and how this problem can be addressed in school by imparting some amount of knowledge of god .. which then acts as the redeeming force.
In my experiences in life I do believe that we are all the same and the boys need not be more macho just to prove the point. It is a big weight off their shoulders when they need never pretend to be anything they do not want to be.
First let me begin by sharing that a very thin line separates these two aspects of thinking … when we understand the bigger pictures of our life. All things exist in god's world for one reason and one reason only .. to act as an example for us to understand god and his world. It is a giving by god to us to allow his precious energy to be bent a little in order to cope with viccicitudes of a bodily existence. Atheism exists but as an example for us to learn what is not good … positives / negatives .. so that we know what is god … it is also a way to understand the protagonist and the antagonists of life. Sometimes we know not the bigger picture .. and why things are the way they are. All I ever learnt from god was .. judge not another's journey … but pray for the world and its betterment always. If each and every one of said a prayer for love and happiness for all in the world .. we would uplift ourselves in the most dramatic of ways.
I wonder what goes on in the minds of atheists ? Is it a dissatisfaction of being let down by god or religion. Life does throw some curve balls at times …. but from what I can understand is that once they are helped out of their dilemmas they make as good theists as the rest of us. It is a mental block that some use for protection .. blaming god is so much easier to cope with situations that don't make sense … it allows you to just …. be .. exist without any debate that may force you to take an arbitrary stance/or commit a mistake in life.
I think it is important to let people be … don't rub them up unnecessarily .. let them sort themselves out in their own minds … wish for good things for them without interfering directly. It allows them to return to the fold when they understand god and wish to return to the fold. Nobody ever can stay away from god …. ever … they owe their very life to him. This fact alone is enough to put cheer in the world.
Of one characteristic of mankind I am acutely aware … do not presume to understand another. You will never fully understand another for just when you think you do .. they will do an about flip .. just to prove you wrong. This fact alone brings peace into my heart and allows me to believe in the power of god to be truly god. In these assumptions lie many many truths which we keep trying to come to grips with.
Read MasterMind to your children .. it is a protection against creating a problem and then trying to solve it. Remove the need for anything untoward in life.


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Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.
~ Anatole France
Reminds me of the painting of an elephant I have hanging on my living room wall. :-)
What a beautiful creature. I have a great fondness for elephant images. It would be exciting to have such an animal walking by my house.
I love this scene with the soft light. It's really beautiful. Your quote is perfect as well Karen.
Beautifully composed and shot!
Hello Dear :) .
Great blog. Interesting post.
Have a nice weekend.
Welcome to my blog.
Like me on Facebook. I will be extremely grateful.
Oh Karen, I LOVE ELEPHANTS SO MUCH ! Look at the way he/she just struts around like he knows what his purpose is: to transport his human!
You have inspired me to draw an elephant. I illustrate, but have not ventured out to draw such a beast. And what a great thing to see out your window! Thank you so very much for visiting my blog. Anita
What a beautiful and serene picture!
The colors in your photo look like a fine watercolor. I love that proud elephant and am reminded how close we are through blogging. Gentle giant is a wonderful way to describe the elephants.
i love them but trust me not courage enough to go nearby...


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Eiffel Tower Necklace SIX
Sheer Dress Vintage Found
Little Bag New Look
Here some of my sweet purchases, I really love to wear.
I think the Eiffel Tower necklace fits so lovely with a simple shirt, doesn't it?
Beautiful!Love the dress!xoxoAntwortenLöschen
beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful !!!!AntwortenLöschen
Beautiful stuff. I fell in love with the dress. :)AntwortenLöschen
cute <3
xx the cookies
share the feeling
This dress is so cute! And I love this necklace:)
I love this romantic style


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Republican Mike Huckabee tries again
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee says he's entering the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Linda So reports.
Republican Mike Huckabee is throwing his hat into the ring for a second time. His first bid for the White House in 2008 was unsuccessful despite an upset win in Iowa's kickoff nominating contest. This time around, Huckabee, a former Baptist pastor is hoping to win back the support of social conservatives who backed him in 2008. SOUNDBITE: STEVE CHAGGARIS, CBS NEWS SR. POLITICAL EDITOR, SAYING: "Now he's coming out again this year with that foundation that I think he feels he can use to build upon and run again and be successful this year." But the former Arkansas governor is facing some stiff competition from other Republicans hopefuls who are campaigning against hot button social issues like abortion and gay marriage. Polls show Huckabee's support among Republican voters is only in the single digits..but the candidate says his campaign has only just begun.


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TOM SACHS HAS MADE an art of aping the emblems and rituals of American culture. So when the artist was honored during the rituals of this year's ArtCRUSH, it seemed a chance for the culture to give back. Wednesday marked the kick-off of the Aspen Art Museum's annual benefit gala, and after eight years the museum and its winning host committee have the three-day fund-raiser down to a science. The events began with WineCRUSH, an opening ceremony held at the impressive home of collectors and AAM board members John and Amy Phelan. Though the Phelans' collection was rehung to strike a serious note—with two late Ellsworth Kellys, a fantastic Basquiat, and a huge Jim Lambie—the mood at the party was kept light with plenty of Dom Pérignon, some amazing mountain vistas, and a four-course dinner paired with expertly selected wines.
In his preprandial toast, Mr. Phelan lauded Sachs's most recent parodic project, Space Program: Mars, noting the concurrence of ArtCRUSH with the real NASA mission to Mars. "That's important," Sachs later joked, "because we're hopefully going to find the answer to two big questions: Where did we come from? And are we alone?" Here on planet Earth at least we had good company, including Anne Pasternak, Marianne Boesky, Gavin Brown and Hope Atherton, Honor Fraser and Stavros Merjos, Perry Rubenstein, collectors Linda and Bob Gersh, Lance Armstrong, and Rashid Johnson (among others!). Over dinner, board member Paul Pariser explained his task of keeping the museum's new Shigeru Ban building on schedule, while artists Jonathan Horowitz and Rob Pruitt chatted about Palm Springs, the next stop on their westward itinerary, all of us grabbing from Sachs-inspired centerpieces overflowing with cigarettes, grapes, and shooters of booze.
Much of the same crowd showed up the following night at the Baldwin Gallery's previewCRUSH event, where bidders got a first peek at this year's live auction lots. Making my way to the gallery, I was stymied by a motorcade of Escalades, state troopers, and what looked like secret servicemen. If not for a small group of protesters lampooning the 1 percent with signs and masks, I might have forgotten that Mitt Romney was in town hosting his own fund-raiser and participating in a retreat for the Republican Governors Association. Late, great local Hunter S. Thompson would have been proud of the scene being caused, but the elite mob that convened at the gallery had other objectives on their mind. "You won't stop me from bidding this year," one attendee whispered to her husband. Everyone seemed excited about outstanding works by Pruitt, Jim Hodges, Tom Friedman, Monika Sosnowska, and Ryan Gander. "I spend a large part of my year working on this auction," curator Jacob Proctor wearily admitted. But the hard work would pay off the following evening when Sotheby's European deputy chairman, Oliver Barker, would take the stage. "It's not every day that such a high-level auctioneer is willing to come to a tent in a parking lot for a good cause," noted AAM director Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson. "It will be interesting to see how he works the crowd, which will be different than how Tobias [Meyer] does things."
ArtCRUSH's Friday night feature event put Barker to the test. But first guests were treated to more Dom and gourmet bites of comfort food, including maple syrup fountains with bacon and tater-tot dippers (Sachs's favorite). As if these little hints weren't enough, the museum literally spelled out its artist crush via a large carpet with I ♡ TOM SACHS scrawled in the artist's signature font. Surrounded by a lawn full of Mylar heart-shaped balloons, the décor was quite the valentine. The feeling was clearly mutual: Sachs had donated a new wall sculpture, Poche Vide—a stereo cabinet–cum–survival kit (or a quasi-satanic altarpiece with iPod dock)—created specifically for the auction. Bumping Beyoncé, Nina Simone, Snoop Lion né Dogg, etc., for the crowd, the work was a hit, and when it came up for auction, Barker was kept more than busy orchestrating the bids. Museum supporters across the tent clamored for the piece, pushing its value ever higher and making it the highest grossing work in the auction, bringing in an impressive $155K for the nonprofit. Among those outbid was big-time Dallas collector Howard Rachofsky, who summed it up best, shouting, "We know where Tom lives, and we'll find him!"


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APT and AmaWaterways' Ships Take Top Ten Spots in Second Annual Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe Travel Guide
Luxury travel operator APT, along with partner AmaWaterways, has today announced that its ships have taken the top ten spots in the second annual edition of the Berlitz: River Cruising In Europe travel guide.
Written by Douglas Ward, cruising expert and author of the popular Berlitz: Cruising and Cruise Ships, this year's river cruising edition evaluated 310 river vessels.
APT and AmaWaterways' European fleet secured the guide's top ten positions. The partnership's vessels outranked the competition in the categories of accommodations, facilities, cuisine, hospitality and miscellaneous.
"We are once again delighted that an esteemed expert such as Douglas Ward has recognised our impressive fleet of riverships as being the best in Europe," said APT's Executive General Manager Sales and Marketing, Debra Fox.
"We work hard to exceed expectations, delivering exceptional service and the finest cuisine across our fleet of European river ships. So it's particularly pleasing to receive accolades that specifically recognise our onboard experience. We believe that achieving such high praise from an independent source once more reinforces APT's position as the best Australian-based European river cruise operator," she added.
APT and AmaWaterways has helped to redefine European river cruising. Ward goes into detail saying, "APT is a partner of AmaWaterways, some of whose riverships are used for its European river cruise programmes, and it maintains the same very high standards."
In addition to earning the top ten spots overall, APT and AmaWaterways' European fleet secured two additional spots in the top fifteen. Receiving the highest possible accolades in the book were AmaPrima, AmaReina, AmaSerena,AmaSonata, AmaVida, AmaVerde, AmaVenita, AmaCerto, AmaBella, AmaLyra, AmaDante, AmaDolce and AmaCello.AmaStella and AmaViola, APT and AmaWaterways' newest European vessels, joined the fleet this year and have not yet been included in the Berlitz reviews.
The second annual edition of the Berlitz: River Cruising In Europe travel guide is due to be released in May.
To find out more about APT's Europe River Cruising program for 2017 call 1300 196 420, visit aptouring.com.au or see your local travel agent.


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Saturday, 7 June 2014
In My Mailbox #33
12 comments:
- Anonymous7 June 2014 at 18:48
Oh wow. I'm particularly drooling over your Edelweiss selection. You've got some great books there! I hope you enjoy everything that you've got!ReplyDelete
Oh GOSH. This is amazing!! You are so lucky! And for a second there I thought Echoes of Us and Free to Fall were in the same series. lol! I was confused there, hehe, funny how similar they look, eh? OMG, though, so much awesome. I hope you like Ignite Me! It's my favourite of the 3. :) My StS!ReplyDelete
Fantastic haul! Make It Count is one of my recent faves. I adored it. I have ARCs of quite a few of the others too. I hope you love them all!ReplyDelete
My StS + Bonus Giveaway!
Great haul, I have a Wild and Free to Fall and need to get them read. :) (Actually started Free to Fall and it's been interesting so far.) Enjoy your reads and weekend!ReplyDelete
You got an amazing haul of books this week. I hope you love them all so very much.ReplyDelete
Books of Love
Great haul, Richa! i hope you'll enjoy these, and how lucky! I can never get Harper to send me any ARCs. Lol. Oh well. You win some, you lose some. :)ReplyDelete
Such a great haul! I can't wait to read Snow Like Ashes. Enjoy them all :) My STS.ReplyDelete
Great haul! I can't wait to read Messenger of Fear. I love Michael Grant's Gone series so much. A Thousand Pieces of You sounds so good! I hope you enjoy your books. :)ReplyDelete
Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
Free to Fall, I so need to get a copy. I loved (Don't You) Forget About Me, a crazy one for sure, so keep that in mind. :) I'd read A Thousand Pieces of You anyway since it's Claudia Gray, but it helps that it sounds amazing and has such a gorgeous cover! :)ReplyDelete
Here's mine
Kirsty @ StudioReads
I hated 'Don't you forget about me', it was just rubbish! So jealous of 'Echoes of Us' though, I really want that one! Hope you enjoy them!ReplyDelete
I'm so excited for those Harper fall releases! They look like amazing reads. I can't wait to read Snow Like Ashes! It's nice to hear that you loved Free to Fall. I've had my eye on that one and will probably get it sometime. I hope you enjoy your new books!ReplyDelete
P.S. I'm actually featuring Sara Raasch on my blog today. There's a snippet for the book and an international giveaway for a swag pack. Since you're excited to read SLA, I think you would like the post. :)
Yay :D So many amazing books sweetie. <3 I hope you will love them all :) Sigh. HarperCollins on Edelweiss is amazing, aren't they? :D I just read The Perilous Sea, and I loved it so much. <3 Happy reading :)ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I love reading your comments :) Make sure to link your blog (if you have one) so I can visit you back!


text: Ask Jackie Online by Jackie Clay Published 070110 Ask Jackie Online By Jackie Clay January 10, 2007 To Ask Jackie a question, please Click Here to visit her blog. Canning sun-dried tomato pesto I made a big batch of sun-dried tomato pesto. I wanted to can this recipe in my pressure cooker, but couldn't find directions anywhere. I thought it would make nice little Christmas gifts for family and friends. It is nice to give home canning at Christmas; people really appreciate it. The only thing I could find was warnings not to can regular pesto or sun-dried tomatoes. There are sun-dried tomatoes in the recipe, but also fresh tomatoes and tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Do you think it is safe to can? Freezing just would not make it worthy of gift giving. Sari mike_stanley at telus.net Your recipe is PROBABLY safe to can if its only ingredients are sun dried tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. But this would be experimental canning and I cannot recommend it. I would think of some other home canned goodie for gifting this Christmas. Just to be sure. "Jackie Canning apple slices I enjoy reading your column online and have a canning question for you: We had a very large crop of apples this year, and I made jars and jars of applesauce and apple pie filling. Figuring I had plenty for the year, I decided to try canning apple slices to use up the remainder of my apples. Using the Ball Blue Book recipe for canning apples, I followed the directions and cooked the apple slices in light syrup for 5 minutes"but they came out mushy, slimy, way overcooked. So the next batch I boiled in the syrup I cooked until they were warm throughout but retained their "crunch." I canned the apples in light syrup in my water bath canner for 20 minutes, but much of the syrup boiled out. Now the jars are only about 1/2 full of syrup, and the apples float. My question is, do I have to boil the apple slices down to mush in order to retain all the syrup in the jar once canned? Why did the syrup boil out? And why are the jars of canned apples so much lighter in weight than other canned fruits (like pears)? Regina Ylvisaker Brooklyn, Wisconsin Your syrup most likely boiled out because you packed too many apples into your jars. I do this once in awhile, with the same results. Apples are lighter in weight when canned because they are not as juicy as pears or peaches. It is nothing to worry about. No, you don't have to boil your apples down to mush in order to can them. Boil your apples in the syrup for 3 minutes, then pack immediately into hot jars, seal, then immediately put them into a water bath canner that was boiling when you took the lid off. If you put the jars of apples into quite hot but not boiling water in the canner, they will overcook and go mushy or if you dink around packing the jars, or if the jars themselves are not hot, the same thing can happen as the cooler product goes into the canner, cooling the boiling water. Another thing to consider is that some varieties of apples can in slices much better than do others. For instance, Honeycrisp apples remain firm when cooked, where saucing varieties, such as Macintosh, go soft very easily. Consider dehydrating apple slices for pies and other deserts. They are very easy to dehydrate and they rehydrate very nicely. Dehydrated apples are always firmer because they weren't boiled at all. "Jackie Removing black walnut stain from hands I just searched google looking for something to remove black walnut stain from my hands and it showed your name. I was picking up and taking the hulls off of black walnuts Saturday. I had on Playtex gloves. However I still got my hands stained. Do you have any idea what I can put on my hands to remove the stain or do I just have to let it wear off? Janey Bowling janey1961 at hotmail.com If there's a way to get black walnut stain off your hands, I've never heard of it. But you can reduce the handling of the husks by laying out a sack of the walnuts in your driveway and running over it with the car a few times. Then dump out the burlap sack and let the nuts dry in a shady, warm spot until the husks don't easily stain your hands; the drier they are, the less stain you'll get. Eventually the stain wears off, but you will get some strange looks for awhile, holding out your hand for change at the market. "Jackie Forage for livestock We just moved to our little piece of land. Our farm has a nice bit of pasture, but we don't have any spot that is good for hay. Part of it is wooded, there's two creeks and exposed boulders, etc., that make the areas too small to make it worthwhile for hayfields. They would make nice sized garden plots, though, and we were hoping to use them to plant some other forage crops to limit the amount of hay we'll need to buy. Besides the chickens we already have, we're going to get a milk cow and a steer to raise for beef next spring, and we hope to add a pig the following year. Besides corn, can you recommend some other plants that would make good forage, or plants that we shouldn't feed to livestock? Kris Limon Allen, Maryland You could plant small patches of a legume hay mix and use a scythe to mow it if you are in reasonably good health. I actually love to cut hay this way and you'll be surprised at how quickly a big bunch of hay can be cut in this old fashioned, yet very effective way. Because you're working close to the ground and moving at a slow pace, you can easily avoid rocks, stumps and other obstructions. Otherwise, animals benefit from home grown turnips, mangles, corn, field peas, sunflowers, pumpkins, squash and, of course, corn. The old way was to grow a field of corn and interplant it with pole beans and pumpkins or squash. You can roast the first ears of the field corn (although it is more "chewy" than modern sweet corn, it's still very good), use some of the beans, squash and pumpkins, and still have plenty to share with the critters. "Jackie Canning pumpkin You have addressed canning pumpkin and pumpkin products in your previous articles. You usually say process for the time in your canning book. All of our canning books, including last year's Ball Blue Book, say that canning pumpkin doesn't produce a good product and to freeze it. I'm a firm believer that if I can buy it canned at the store, then I can also can it at home. My problem is the correct pressure canner processing time for pints and quarts. Could you help us out? Would you also recommend a canning book that has processing times for such esoteric things as pumpkin? Cynthia Nardiello Ashland, Kentucky It is hard to find information that used to be common in canning manuals when folks used to actually can for their livelihood. I'll admit to using some older books and canning manuals to find information such as that regarding canning pumpkin and squash. One reason that they stopped providing this information on these crops is that some people didn't pack the pumpkin or squash puree while it was boiling hot and then tried to process the lukewarm puree as per the time recommended. It was not adequate and the product spoiled. I have never had this happen, but I really bust butt getting that puree through the strainer, then into hot jars, immediately. Then it goes into a pre-heated canner, which is exhausted extra well to ensure that the jars of food are heated completely through BEFORE the processing time begins. The "old" books recommend processing pumpkin or squash cubes (hot packed in boiling water) for 55 minutes for pints or 90 minutes for quarts, at 10 pounds pressure (unless you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet and must adjust your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary; consult your canning manual for directions). Puree is processed for 65 minutes for pints and 80 minutes for quarts, at 10 pounds pressure, with the same altitude advisement as above. "Jackie Thin-sliced dried beef In response to your newsletter from last March, you can get great sliced thin dried beef from www.alderfermeats.com. The best dried beef in the Philadelphia area has always been Knauss Dried Beef that was originally made by the Pennsylvania Dutch in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Alderfer Meats, who still use the original preparation, bought the Knauss company. It is delicious, and I think you can order in online Chris Lister Harleysville, Pennsylvania Thank you for sharing your source for good dried beef. I'm sure many readers will enjoy using it. "Jackie Squash borers In the Nov./Dec. 2006 issue, a reader asked you about squash borers. I wanted to tell you how I handled the problem. My husband and I have been experimenting with container gardening. Since squash borers come from the ground, they can't get in the squash vine if it is in a container. We still have one summer squash vine growing and one squash on it. It has started to get cold now, so I don't expect the squash to get any bigger. This is the first year that our squash plants have lasted through the summer. Also, I haven't seen any squash bugs. When we planted in our garden, I fought squash bugs all the time. Since we don't use poison on our plants, I would use natural bug spray (pyrethrum chrysanthemum extract) twice daily because you have to spray the bugs, not the plant. When I found eggs, I just tore off that part of the leaf and put in a jar with a lid on it. Lots of work! I think I'll stick to planting squash in containers. By the way, the plants will fall over after they get very large. Not to worry, they will root on the ground and continue to produce. Thanks so much for sharing all your accomplishments with all of us. Cindy Hertel Hodges, South Carolina Thanks for the squash borer tips, good idea. Another way to handle the problem is to use a cattle syringe and needle to inject b.t. into the hollow vine at the point of damage. The squash vine borers are a problem, but not one that can not be conquered. "Jackie Read More Ask Jackie Online Read Articles by Jackie Clay Read Ask Jackie Comments regarding this article may be addressed to email@example.com. Comments may appear online in "Feedback" or in the "Letters" section of Backwoods Home Magazine. Although every email is read, busy schedules generally do not permit a personal response to each one.


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When Touch ID was announced at the iPhone 5s launch, it was immediately besieged by detractors.
One area in particular for detractors is that the Touch ID system is susceptible is via spoofing an owner's fingerprint. If true, this would pretty much leave the whole system open to an attacker, and now, with the iPhone 6 and Apple Pay, spoofing would easily expose the owner to fraudulent charges placed on the his credit cards.
The most convincing exposition on this was by the German Chaos Club group which quickly posted online video of how to spoof the Touch ID sensor system.
With the advent of Apple Pay based on Touch ID, this issue becomes even more critical.
Two facts are clear:
- it works,
- it is not all that difficult.
However, there is one clarification to point #2. It ought to read:


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February SAM Bonus Stamp!
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Hi! This month is our fearless leader - the creative genius behind So Suzy Stamps - the one - the only Suzanne's birthday! In honor of this momentous occasion, she included this cute shell as a bonus stamp in the February Stamp A Month Club Release!
I cut an A2 card from blue cardstock. I made a background on watercolor paper using Ken Oliver Crafts Colorburst in Ultramarine Blue, Violet and a small bit of Pthalo Green, misted it with water and dried it with a heat tool, I used my Mini Misti and stamped a fish from So Suzy Stamps in Memento Tuxedo Black, and re-stamped it with Versa Mark, heat embossing with clear embossing powder. I stamped the shells in So Suzy Ink Bits in Royal Phineas from the Peacock Plumes Collection, re-stamped with Versa Mark and embossed with Zing Blue Glitter Embossing powder. The frame was cut with a MFT Stamps Pierced Square Stax die namics. I cut the banner from blue cardstock, and used So Suzy's I'm Feeling Beachy stamp to finish the card. Everything was attached with 3-M foam tape.
All of the materials used to create the card can be found at Suzy's online store! Be sure to sign up for the Stamp a Month Club if you haven't already!
1 comment:
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As the shale gas boom continues, the atmosphere receives more methane, adding to Earth's greenhouse gas problem. A greenhouse gas expert and ecology and environmental biology professor fears that we may not be many years away from an environmental tipping point – and disaster. "Society needs to wean itself from the addiction to fossil fuels as quickly as possible," he said. "But to replace some fossil fuels – coal, oil – with another, like natural gas, will not suffice as an approach to take on global warming. Rather, we should embrace the technologies of the 21st century and convert our energy systems to ones that rely on wind, solar and water power."
Sent by gReader Pro


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I'm long on bitcoin. If you read this blog, then you know that.
Until early June I'd never bought any other cryptocurrencies other than BTC.
And now that's changed. I've added 3 new cryptos to my portfolio: Litecoin, Ethereum Classic, and Ripple.
Are you curious about other cryptocurrencies? I have fundamental reasons for each purchase (as in I like the business fundamentals other than the technicals on the price chart). Let's check them out.....
Litecoin symbol LTC was started as a hard fork off of bitcoin by founder Charlie Lee to make it easier to use to process payments. A fork is where the software/code starts in one direction and splits off into two directions. In this case, it split off into Bitcoin and Litecoin.
Charlie Lee, until last week, was the Director of Engineering at Coinbase (this is an affiliate link where we both earn BTC if you use it to buy or sell), one of the sites I use to buy my coin.
Litecoin looks to process a block 4x faster, every 2.5 minutes instead of Bitcoin's every 10 minutes and they have already started using SegWit, which is part of the Bitcoin scaling debate to move transactions through the BTC network faster and they are using it successfully.
Why I Like It: The fundamental reason why I like LTC is as a payment network. While Bitcoin is/was supposed to compete with Visa/MC as a payment network, that is proving to not be the case. Instead, Bitcoin as a store of value and ability to transfer large-scale value fast and cheap is making it more of a competitor to the SWIFT network for international wire transfers than for VISA to pay for your coffee at Starbucks. On the other hand, LTC is a great payment network for fast, easy, secure payments. For micropayments, it works even better due to its very low fees.
If you want to follow and learn about Litecoin, Litecoin is on Twitter at @litecoin and Charlie is on there as well at @SatoshiLite. They are great resources to see what's going on before you buy or as part of your due diligence. My 2 favorite places to buy are Coinbase (link above) or Bitfinex.
Ethereum Classic
The crypto making the most noise at the moment is Ethereum, symbol ETH. This is the platform where all the initial coin offerings (ICOs) are coming from that's gained a zillion percent in the last year.
As that's not what I bought. I bought Ethereum Classic, symbol, ETC.
Again, this coin started with a hard fork. Ethereum (ETH) split from what is now called Ethereum Classic, or ETC. ETC is what I purchased. An experiment on Ethereum called the DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) and the resulting hack and theft of ETH is the cause of the fork that split one network and coin into two.
Both networks allow for the creation of smart contracts, which are self-fulfilling contracts seen as a big advance forward in the cryptocurrency world. Middlemen like escrow agents can be eliminated if the contract states that If A does x, then B releases the money to A. This is what a smart contract does.
ETC has FAR less developer support than ETH and this is why many of the ICOs so far are on ETH. However, ETC just had its first one this week.
Why I Like It: An important premise of the decentralized nature of these networks is that no one person is in charge. ETH has a benevolent dictator, the very nice and very smart Vitalik Buterin but ETC is more decentralized. I like that. ETC developers also believe that the software code should be the rule of law and that if you don't like the code and what it does then just don't use it. ETH created their fork for the DAO to basically bail them out of a theft and hack that was a bug in their own code. Many people see this as wrong as one specific group got an extraordinary benefit that others did not get. ETC is very egalitarian and the code is the law. I like that. It's also an underdog and I like that too.
China's 2nd largest exchange BTCC just started listing ETC and Bloomberg just added ETC to their flagship terminal service. Crypto investor Barry Silbert is investing in ETC, setting up a fund for it and there is additional institutional support for it as well.
Ethereum Classic is on Twitter at @eth_classic to learn more about them.
Ripple uses cryptography but is not truly decentralized like the other coins here. This is more like a software application, and in this case, that's a good thing. This application has a token, which is the coin I purchased. Ripple, symbol, XRP, is also (like Bitcoin now) looking to enable cross-border payments and money transfer that would compete with the existing SWIFT network.
The distributed technology (another word for block chain) allows banks to work with each other directly enabling global settlement without SWIFT or any other third party involvement. Without this technology, if a bank in Chile and a bank in Uruguay wanted to do business together or settle a transaction for a client, they would BOTH have to go through the SWIFT network, pay to convert their currencies to USD and pay the SWIFT network and then pass those costs onto the client. With Ripple, the banks settle directly with each other. The importance of this for global trade and foreign exchange cannot be overstated.
Why I Like It: This is exactly the kind of application banks need. 15% of the world's top 50 banks use Ripple including Standard Chartered, BBVA, UBS, and the world's largest Islamic Bank. Reports vary as to whether 60 banks or around 75 banks around the world are using it but XRP is growing in influence and number of bank members each month.
Just to show that it's not all hype and puppies and rainbows, here is a good quality critique of XRP, stating that while useful it may be overvalued.
Ripple is on Twitter at @ripple.
The Elephant in the Room: FOMO
FOMO or fear of missing out is an important piece of this conversation since most cryptos are looking at more than 100% gains and some in the thousands of percent for 2017. It's easy to think 'hey, I need to jump on this train' or 'Prices are never going to be this low again'.
I feel you cause I'm thinking about these things myself. As one of my Registered Investment Adviser clients likes to say, you are never going to time it right so if you have reasons to buy you should just buy. And he's right.
In fact, I'll take it a step further. If you aren't going to just trade in and out of these cryptos, then you want to be sure you have a reason for buying that is based on the coin's fundamental analysis or technical analysis just like you are supposed to do with stocks. Fundamentals are business useful aspects like LTC's faster processing of small payments or Ripple's increased bank participation. Technical Analysis is looking at the price charts for patterns to spot buying and selling opportunities.
For me, a combination of fundamental analysis and some research to enhance my understanding is why I have chosen to buy these 3 additional cryptocurrencies. Do you hold or do you trade? This is another question you have to ask yourself.
With all these coins you have to do your own due diligence and only use risk capital, meaning money you can afford to lose. You need to understand your own appetite for risk and which ones, if any, fit that appetite.
Lastly, did you notice that all these coins are active on Twitter? Are you on Twitter? If you invest in p2p lending or in crypto then you need to be on Twitter. Both industries are VERY active there. I'm @StuFinancesTech if you want to follow me.
If you are new to cryptocurrencies then you can buy Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH) or Litecoin on Coinbase like I use for my Bitcoin. These and many other altcoins are available on Bitfinex as well.


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The Chicago Blackhawks capped off one of the historic seasons in professional sports history with their 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday. The Stanley Cup champions started the season with 24 games without a regulation loss. The title validated Chicago's regular-season success.
Or did it? One could argue the results of the season were tainted by the NHL lockout that lasted from September to January. The season was shortened to 48 games, and preseason rituals were out of sync.
The Blackhawks became the eighth major sports franchise to win a championship in a lockout or strike-shortened season. Each team experienced its own set of quirks, some serving as challenges and others as boosts.
Shortened Season Sports Champions Slideshow
1972 Oakland Athletics
The 1972 MLB strike lasts 13 days and cancels 86 games. Since the league refuses to pay the players for their time on strike, the missed games are never made up. The most controversial result of the strike comes in the A.L. East standings. The Tigers win the division by a half game over the Red Sox, but the Tigers play one more game than the Red Sox. Detroit clinches the division after taking the first two of three games against Boston in the final series of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Athletics win the A.L. West by five and half games and beat the Tigers in the ALCS in five games. In the World Series, the Reds take Oakland to seven games. The A's prevail in Game 7 in Cincinnati behind World Series MVP Gene Tenace for their first of three consecutive rings.
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers
On June 12, the MLBPA began a strike over the issue of free agent compensation. The mid-season work stoppage caused 713 games to be missed before an agreement was reached on July 31. Due to the split season, the MLB altered the playoffs rules to include four extra teams. In the temporary 1981 format, the first-place team in each division from the first half of the season played the division's first-place team in the second half of the season (if the two division winners were the same, a wild card team was picked) in the first round of the playoffs. Due to this format, the Cardinals and Reds, who finished with the best overall records in the N.L. East and N.L. West, respectively, did not make the playoffs because they finished second in their divisions in both of the splits. The Dodgers, the N.L. West first-half champions, defeated the Yankees in six games in the World Series. Co-MVPs Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager, along with rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela, led the L.A. charge.
1982-83 Washington Redskins
The 1982 NFL strike lasted from Sept. 21 to Nov. 16. During this time, the NFLPA hosted two AFC-NFC All-Star Games, neither of which drew more than 9,000 fans. Not all stars participated, but the Redskins' John Riggins did. "I guess I'll do just about anything for money," Riggins said after one of the games. The schedule was restructured to nine games and eight teams were awarded playoff bids. The Redskins beat the Dolphins 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII. Riggins, who had the 43-yard go-ahead touchdown rush in the fourth quarter, was named the game's MVP.
1987-88 Washington Redskins
The 1987 strike began after Week Two and lasted through Week Six. All Week Three games were cancelled and replacement players represented NFL rosters in Weeks Four through Six. Some veteran stars, such as Joe Montana and Randy White, disregarded the plight of the NFLPA and joined in the replacement games. The replacement games' results counted toward the 15-game regular season, contributing toward playoff seeding. The defending champion Giants, who went 0-3 during the replacement portion of the season, missed the playoffs by two games. The Redskins again won a shortened season, taking Super Bowl XXII, 42-10 over the Broncos. Doug Williams is voted Super Bowl MVP.
1994-95 New Jersey Devils
The 1994-95 NHL lockout lasts from Oct. 1 to Jan. 11 and stripped 468 games from the schedule. A 48-game season is the result, and no inter-conference play takes place during the regular season. During the lockout, the NHLPA organizes the "4-on-4 Challenge" exhibition tournament and Wayne Gretzky starts the Ninety Nine All Stars Tour. In terms of the actual season, the Devils meet the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. In New Jersey's first Final appearance, the Devils sweep Detroit, and Claude Lemieux wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.
1998-99 San Antonio Spurs
The 1998-99 lockout was the third in NBA history, but the first work stoppage to cut games from the schedule. When an agreement was reached on January 20, the season was shortened to 50 games. The season began the post-Jordan-Bulls Era and attendance dropped considerably. The NBA was helped by two playoff storylines in the East and West. In the Eastern Conference, the eighth-seeded Knicks, who snuck into the playoffs by one game, became the first eighth seed to make the NBA Finals. Some highlights from their run included Allan Houston's game-winning floater against the Heat and Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers. In the Western Conference, the top-seeded Spurs lost just one playoff game before the Finals behind the play of rising superstar Tim Duncan. In the Finals, the "Twin Towers" of Duncan and David Robinson disposed of the Cinderella Knicks in five games.
2011-12 Miami Heat
The 2011 NBA lockout was spearheaded by issues regarding the division of revenue and features of the salary cap and luxury tax. When an agreement was ratified on Dec. 8, the schedule was cut to 66 games. The season began on Christmas Day with five games played, including a 2011 Finals rematch between the Mavericks and Heat. Miami watched the championship banner raised in Dallas and won the game 105-94. The Heat would be on the other side of the banner a year later, as LeBron James won his first title in 2012 when the Heat defeated the Thunder in five games.
2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks
During the lockout from Sept. 15 to Jan. 12, 510 games were cancelled, including the Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs from Michigan Stadium. NHL employees were cut, revenue suffered and fan interest declined. When the 48-game season began on Jan. 19, the league hung on a hinge before its savior arose in the Windy City. The Chicago Blackhawks opened the season with an NHL-record setting 24 games earning at least a point (21-0-3). Still, the top-seeded Blackhawks nearly left the season with nothing after going down 3-1 in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Red Wings. However, Chicago fought back, all the way to a dramatic Finals victory in Game 6 in Boston Monday night.
* The first 18 games of the 1995 MLB season were cancelled because of the strike that carried over from 1994, but this is generally not regarded as a shortened season. The Braves beat the Indians in the World Series.


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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This is the prelude episode of Zap! It serves only to inform iTunes that there is a valid RSS feed and to set up the stats with Blubrry.com. The short, 1.5 minute episode is basically just me talking about what the show is about – but if you've been listening to Geek Dads Weekly, you already know what it's about because Zap! is an evolution of that very show.
Zap! premieres July 17th with a live show at 2pm Eastern.


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Perspectives on palliative care – special session Tweed, Fri 28 Nov 2014
A special session for clinicians and other involved parties to discuss palliative care with a leading Australian expert will be held at the Wedgetail Retreat www.wedgetailretreat.com.au near Murwillumbah on Friday 28 November, 11.00am-1.30 pm.
The session is organised by Tweed Palliative Support, which provides free, home-based and live-in hospice support for people living with life-limiting illness and who require end-of-life care.
The talk and following Q & As will feature Emeritus Professor Ian Maddocks AM, the first Chair of Palliative Care at Flinders University and inaugural President of the Australasian Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, and the Australian and NZ Society for Palliative Medicine.
Dr Maddocks was Senior Australian of the Year in 2013.
Titled "Dying Well – A medical, family and community perspective," the session will also include lunch.


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(910) 485-6866
1725 Jim Johnson Road off Cedar Creek Road Fayetteville 28312 USA
Facilities The hotel comprises a total of 81 rooms. Wireless internet access in public areas allows guests to stay connected. Those arriving in their own vehicles can leave them in the car park of the accommodation. Rooms Each of the rooms is appointed with air conditioning and a bathroom. A double bed ensures a good night's sleep. A safe and a desk are also available. A fridge, a microwave and a tea/coffee station are provided as standard. Internet access, a TV and WiFi add to the comfort of the holiday. A hairdryer is provided in the bathrooms. The establishment offers non-smoking rooms and smoking rooms. Sports/Entertainment The hotel offers attractions including sport and entertainment opportunities. A pool and an outdoor pool are available to travellers. The accommodation offers a gym (for a fee) to guests. Meals Bed and breakfast is bookable. Options include breakfast.


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Good Kill
I'll see your homicidal crazy person... and raise you a supersonic attitude adjustment...
"Authorities say a deputy got 'a clear shot' and killed the suspect as officers rescued an 8-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.Sorry, Buttercup... there are people who deserve to go down.
RELATED: Never in Canada, eh?
"Residents in Montreal's east-end are in shock after a woman waiting to pick up her daughter was shot dead during an overnight crime spree involving two carjackings, at least two shootings and three different police forces."Remember... when seconds count... the cops are only minutes away.
LAST WORD: Everyday Feminine Protection
I'm with Kellie Leitch...
According to the most recent data collected by Statistics Canada, more than 173,000 women in 2011 said they had been a victim of violence. The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women has been studying the issue of violence against women and girls.Or... we could enshrine the right to self defense for everyone in Canada.
That committee has been asked to consider some changes to the criminal code to recognized gender disparity when it comes to victims of violence.
Among the changes it may consider would be to recommend that a woman not be held to the same standards as any other person in the case of self-defence.


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|This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Marine Cave may refer to:
- Marine Cave (Hoenn) - a place in Hoenn
- Marine Cave (Almia) - a place in Almia