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Dear Friends,
I'm restarting my blog because it's time and because I have a lot to say. This first one is about the disaster of a Trump presidency. Please know that I have other more hopeful thoughts to share with you, but this one needs to be shared right now.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran priest in Germany during Hitler's Nazi regime. A great theologian and scholar, he was best known for his staunch and open resistance to the Nazi dictatorship. He vocally opposed the genocidal persecution of Jewish people. He was arrested, placed in a concentration camp and executed by hanging on April 9, 1945, just a few weeks before the Germans surrendered. His writings are a continual source of deep Christian encouragement and faith. Please click on the above link (in green) to read his biography, which shows that he was likely influenced by spending time in Harlem in 1930. Call me Bonhoeffer. I may not agree with everything Bonhoeffer said or did, but I admire his willingness to stand against the major evil of his time, even to the point of death.
Hillary Clinton won the majority of our votes, but the Electoral College twisted that into a victory for Donald Trump. His power over our country will be solidified by Republican control of the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court. Based on what Trump has said and who his allies are, here is a list, in no particular order of priority, of some things that we can expect to happen. These are things that we must challenge with Bonhoeffer-style courage and faith.
Racial Hatred and Inequality. Trump is enthusiastically supported by the Arian Nation, the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups.His call to "Make America great again" was heard by many to return this country back what it was like in the 50's, when segregation was legal and racists could comfortably and openly display their hatred towards African Americans. Include now Hispanic Americans, Muslims and who knows who else.
Gun Proliferation. 'nuff said. His support by the gun lobby is clear. Expect more gun violence in our country.
No Equal Pay for Women. Gone.
Limits on Immigration. Forget about the statute of liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Will he really try to build a wall on the Mexican border?
Repudiation of Black Lives Matter. Those who don't understand how important this movement is will do everything they can to stop it and other grassroot efforts to make our country more fair for all people.
Cutting Back on Prison Reform. The facts that our country incarcerates more citizens than any other nation in the world, and that our penal system is biased against people of color, will no longer be seen as a sin and a shame.
Failing to Protect and Conserve Our Natural Resources. Trump doesn't believe in global warming, and he has promised to "get rid of" government regulation of big businesses. This means that the Standing Rock protest of the pipeline through the Dakotas will be under attack. Just two days after the election, Mitch McConnell asked Trump to approve the Keystone pipeline through the Rockies. The global warming accord will no longer be strongly supported by the U.S.
Decreasing Consumer Safety and Protection. Again, Tump has promised to "get rid of" governmental control over big business. That includes businesses like food manufacturers, giant drug companies and banks. So scary in so many ways. Can you imagine?
Rescinding LGBTQ Rights. All people ought to have the right to choose who they will love, and that includes the benefits that come with marriage. The hard fight that led to marriage equality will likely give way to legalized discrimination and hate crimes.
Limiting Women's Right to Choose. Abortions will become illegal again, like in the 60's, when my 18-year-old friend died from an illegal effort that was fueled by her being kicked out by her parents and having no where to go. This doesn't happen to rich folks who can just go somewhere else. It only hurts and criminalizes poor women–again, disproportionately people of color.
Wage Decreases. I say it a third time–Trump has promised to undo governmental regulation of big businesses. Yes, the big companies may come back to the U.S. and create more jobs. But these companies will only come back if they can make the same margin of profit, or more, than they make in third world countries. The rich will get richer, which is what big business is all about, and will prove once again that trickle down just doesn't work. Greed is a very effective tool of the evil one.
Religious Discrimination. This is one of the bedrock concepts of our great nation. Fear, another great tool of the evil one, can turn people into paranoid fanatics, and the threat to Muslims in our country is now very clear.
Killing Affordable Health Care. Trump has vowed to end Obamacare (and replace it with what)?
I'm sure I've missed some things we must challenge as faithful followers of Christ. If there are other issues you would like to add to this list, please let us know!
To put this all in a global perspective, please read this article by Anne Applebaum, published in the November 6 Washington Post. We ought to be aware that Trump and Putin are not the only ones in this collusion–also included are leaders of Brexit and other countries who threaten to bring back the white domination of the past "by force."
This would be really scary if I were not a person of faith. From Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ….. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
I will always believe in the hope that is at the heart of our Christian faith. This hope activates and strengthens us. I believe that we are now facing challenges that will help us identify what is most important for people who really want to follow Christ, and not just claim the name "Christian."
I believe that we will listen to Jesus more closely than we listen to Donald Trump. We will stand up for the poor, the hungry, the children, the immigrants, the outsiders and all of God's people. We will learn how important it is to love all of God's creation, and all the people who God has created. We will learn how to stand against the works of the evil one, and we will learn not to worship Mammon.
Call me Bonhoeffer. I hope you'll join me in this, we can use more Bonhoeffer type faith!


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Today I want to share a great winter recipe with you that is very easy to make and delicious! I love this recipe too because I made it with a ton of homemade ingredients!
Meatball Soup
Serves 6-8
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 medium Sweet Onion, diced, see note below
2-3 ribs of Celery, depending on the size
2-3 cloves of Garlic, minced
7-8 cups of Homemade Chicken Stock, or a brand you trust
1/2 jar home-canned Stewed Tomatoes, or 1 can of brand you trust
15 Homemade Meatballs, or a brand you trust
Salt TT
Pepper TT
1 Tbsp. Italian Seasonings
1/3 – 1/2 cup Pasta, or I just did about a quarter of a box of linguine broken into fourths (little man loves to slurp the noodles) but any pasta will work.
1. Heat the Olive Oil on the stove in the pot your soup will be in. (I am all about having to do as little dishes as possible.) While the oil is heating dice your onion, slice the celery, and dice the garlic. Cook the onions and celery until they are soft and the onions are translucent. Then add the garlic in just before you add the broth.
2. Once the broth is added in, then place the stewed tomatoes, meatballs, and seasonings into the pot. Bring it to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.
3. Once it is boiling add in the noodles and cook according to the manufacturers directions, usually anywhere from 7-12 minutes.
4. Once the noodles are cooked through your soup is done! It is delicious served with yummy toasted sourdough bread with garlic butter. The leftovers, if you are lucky enough to have any, are even better. The trick I have found with leftovers though is to re-season them liberally.
Note: I used to use only yellow onions all the time, now I prefer sweet onions for their flavor, and red onions when necessary.
Thanks for stopping by today. What is your favorite quick winter-time soup? Share in the comments below!
From my Family, to Yours..

subset: commoncrawl


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"It was like having a degree in ancient Greek or the Romantic Poets, interesting, enjoyable, but then what the hell can you do with it?"
I have a bit of a confession to make. I should be reading my university notes, I really should be. I have been distracted by my growing crush on master vampire, Jean-Claude. He is a cool drink of icy cold vampire hotness - that doesn't even make sense! So, after completing the first Anita Blake novel, I greedily sped on to volume 2 and was not disappointed.
While the first novel is all about the slaying of vampires, Anita turns voodoo scary in book two as her re-animation powers take flight. We learn that dead zombie bits don't mix with penguin toys and that some of the scariest creatures in town are actually human.
Throw in a wheelchair bound prostitute, a ruthless and powerful potential client for Anita and a mysteriously murderous zombie and there is action aplenty.While there is not nearly enough Jean-Claude to go around, this entertaining novel is certain not to disappoint. 5 out of 5 supernatural points.


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One version for everyone
As long as you have access to the internet, you can rest assured that you have the latest, greatest version of QuickGene. No extra purchases, upgrades, downloads, or installations are required. Automatic updates ensure that you're always running the most recent version, adding new features, improvements and repairs. QuickGene takes care of itself, giving you one less thing to think about.
Easy-to-use, clean, friendly design
The interface is designed to be as intuitive as possible. No one likes hunting through menus to find useful features and neither do we. That's why we put extra effort into making everything logical, eliminating as many menus, buttons and windows as possible with no loss in functionality. Want to know the melting temperature or GC content of a part of your sequence? Just select it!
Constant development, steered by you
We work hard to continue to innovate, add new functionality and make QuickGene even more intuitive. Major updates with great enhancements are provided nearly monthly, meaning you can see it develop right under your nose. You can even let us know what you want, simply by rating popular ideas from within QuickGene or submitting your own. We build what you need!
One of the reasons we started building QuickGene was due to our own frustration with prohibitively expensive software and the low quality and functionality of alternatives. QuickGene is for every researcher, whether you're a lone student or a Nobel laureate with a fifty member lab, and we believe that everyone deserves great software.
Interactive restriction maps with intuitive navigation
Restriction maps have just gotten better! Quickly turn features on and off, check enzyme reaction conditions and zoom and pan as you would with Google Maps. Maps also provide an extremely useful overview of subsequent recognition-sites simply by holding the cursor over an enzyme, highlighting all other sites. You'll wonder how you lived without it!
Up-to-date list of restriction enzymes
New restriction enzymes are discovered regularly, quickly making enzyme lists included in software out-dated. Using QuickGene ensures that your research can be conducted with the latest additions to your enzyme supplier's catalog. You don't have to touch a button; QuickGene updates its database fully automatically, putting every enzyme at your disposal.
Extensive restriction enzyme information
The enzyme database isn't simply a list of enzymes. It includes optimal reaction conditions for each one, including the reaction temperature, heat-deactivation temperature, methylation sensitivity, star activity, and buffer activity in buffer systems from over a dozen enzyme suppliers. You can even set up your preferred supplier to see the recommended buffer and temperature by holding your cursor over any enzyme in a sequence or map!
Simple, robust search engine
QuickGene proudly contains the most robust search engine in any sequence analysis software. It searches while you type and, on top of that, it's mind-bogglingly simple to use! Simply type your search query in the search field, regardless of whether you are looking for an enzyme, genetic sequence or translation and QuickGene offers all the results neatly organized in tabs. Furthermore, they are displayed within your sequence and maps, each clearly indicating its direction and strand. Naturally, you can set up specific options if you wish and all ambiguous bases (such as S for C or G) are supported.
Reading frame highlighting and translation tables
Forget trying to determine which amino acid starts at which base in your sequence: simply holding the cursor over any reading frame shows you immediate, clear highlighting of the corresponding triplets. Naturally, translations tables can easily be changed or used for reference.
Create, edit and stylize features
Annotating your sequence is a breeze with QuickGene, allowing multiple ways to create and edit features. Don't be bound by preconfigured feature types, but select your own styles and colors! Furthermore, you don't need to worry about your file being too complex or containing too many features. QuickGene is the only software capable of handling thousands of features in a single file. If your current software crashes when opening that million-nucleotide, annotated GenBank file, you'll be surprised to find that QuickGene happily snaps it up!
QuickGene is powered by a robust plug-in system, meaning every function you see is part of a plug-in we have built. This not only means that we will continuously be creating new functionality, but that in the near future, anyone with knowledge of the easy Java programming language will be able to make their own, custom plug-ins. This makes the potential uses for QuickGene limitless! You can offer your plug-ins to the rest of the research community, helping to make even better, more functional software.


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Civil Rights Leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis to Speak at Kent State, Marking 40th Anniversary of May 4
Kent State University brings U.S. Congressman John Lewis to its campus as part of the university's 40th anniversary events of May 4, 1970. On that date, a student protest against the Vietnam War and the presence of the Ohio National Guard on the Kent State campus ended in tragedy when guardsmen shot and killed four and wounded nine Kent State students.
Lewis will speak on Monday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom, which is located on the second floor of the Kent Student Center. His speech is titled "Coming Full Circle: Democracy, Engagement and Social Change." The 2010 Democracy Speaker event featuring Lewis is free and open to the public.
"I'm thrilled that Rep. John Lewis will be speaking here as part of the 40th May 4 anniversary," said Kent State President Lester A. Lefton. "As a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement, Rep. Lewis can talk about the dramatic cultural, social and political changes the nation was going through during the 1960s, leading up to the tragic events that occurred at Kent State, Jackson State and other parts of the country.
"During that time, Rep. Lewis was a college-aged man and student activist," Lefton continued. "He is a great example of how one's involvement can come full circle, from his participation and activism as a young student to now being a prominent member of Congress. He helps reinforce the value of political engagement and staying engaged throughout a lifetime."
A member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's Fifth Congressional District, Lewis has been called "one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced." He has dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties and building what he calls "The Beloved Community" in America. Recently, he was seen on the news and pictured on the front page of newspapers for accompanying Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi to the U.S. Capitol for the health care reform vote.
At a young age, Lewis was inspired by the activism surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In those pivotal moments, he made a decision to become a part of the Civil Rights Movement. Since then, he has remained at the vanguard of progressive social movements and the human rights struggle in the United States.
During the height of the movement from 1963 to 1966, Lewis was named chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which he helped form. SNCC was largely responsible for organizing student activism in the movement, including sit-ins and other activities.
While still a young man, Lewis became a nationally recognized leader. By 1963, he was dubbed one of the Big Six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, which included Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer and Roy Wilkins. At the age of 23, he was an architect of and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in August 1963.
He was elected to Congress in November 1986 and has served as U.S. Representative of Georgia's Fifth Congressional District since then. He is Senior Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Party in leadership in the House, a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, a member of its Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Oversight.
Lewis received bachelor's degrees in religion and philosophy from Fisk University, and he is a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary, both in Nashville, Tenn. He has been awarded more than 50 honorary degrees from prestigious colleges and universities throughout the United States.
The 2010 Democracy Speaker program is part of Kent State's commemoration of the May 4, 1970, events. Other university events include the official ribbon cutting and plaque installation of the May 4 National Register of Historic Places and the dedication of the May 4 Walking Tour on the historic site. The Walking Tour includes visitation panels at eight strategic locations across the site, each representing a key moment in the day's events. Each panel is supported with historic video and iconic photography representing the events of the day. The tour is narrated by Julian Bond, a student activist of the times.
Information about other activities related to the 40th anniversary of May 4 at Kent State can be found at the May 4 Newsroom at www.kent.edu/may4newsroom.
# # #
Media Note:
Members of the media interested in covering Rep. John Lewis' talk on May 3 at 6:30 p.m. are asked to RSVP to the media contacts listed below. Lewis will be making himself available to media following his speech. Also, to request a high-res image of Lewis, e-mail the media contacts below.
Media Contacts:
Emily Vincent, email@example.com, 330-672-8595
Bob Burford, firstname.lastname@example.com, 330-672-8516


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We're just a couple of sites in at this point, and I can already tell that I'm gonna have a hell of a hard time choosing the BQotW(wadoh-is)A after it's all said and done. . .
I'm all about sticking it to Hasbro when they deserve it, but at this point I think certain things have been explained sufficiently as to why they don't do them and there's no sense wasting a question on it weekly.
That is a little defeatists!
Do people not have any idea how basic economics in this world works?
What I would idealy like for a playset is for the custom work that the customizer that did the star destroyer bridge (pictured in this thread) and death star levels, done by the same customizer, but packed up and shiped to hasbro for them to make a master mold to produce on a mass scale.
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She sat on the floor, the carpet plush and soft beneath her bottom. An array of toys lay scattered before her, giving Allura more choice than she was comfortable with. It didn't matter, her companion was quick to decide for her, picking a bright red ball and rolling it towards her. It bumped gently against her, Allura nudging it back in his direction. He smiled, pleased by her easy participation and together they began to amuse themselves with the game of passing the ball between them.
The boy was a constant in her life, she spent every minute with him, both waking and asleep. Allura liked being around him, enjoying his company and the sound of his voice, even if half the time she couldn't understand the things he was saying. He spoke an odd mix of Arusian and some foreign dialect, leaving her confused under the best of times. What were these words, and was she expected to learn their meaning?
Such thoughts turned her anxious, Allura wondering why the boy couldn't stick to words she already knew. It didn't register with Allura that she should be grateful he even knew enough to speak to her partial understanding, the others around them sticking to that strange, guttural sounding language. They seemed to growl every time they spoke, sounding angry, snarling meanly. They never spoke with kindness, and most of the time they seemed to be shouting at her, making Allura inwardly flinch to hear them.
Sometimes, if the people were especially loud it drove her to tears, Allura not understanding the fear they stirred up within her. The loud voices reminded her of something, something bad, a memory she was desperate to block out. As such she didn't examine it too closely, fearing her thoughts would uncover the memory, which always lingered close to the surface.
Close enough that it came to her in dreams, horrific nightmares she couldn't explain. They woke her up screaming, shaking and covered in sweat, Allura unable to understand the vivid pictures of her dreaming mind. She knew it involved her friends, and grown ups, the people employed by her father to keep her safe. Only, she came away with the distinct feeling they had failed in that regard.
She pushed at the ball, feeling unsettled and restless, and unable to voice those feelings out loud. She knew that at one time she had been vocal, to the point of annoyance in others. Now she was quiet, and that seemed better, safer somehow.
The boy continued to speak, his voice loud and delighted. He didn't seem to care that the adults were bothered by his constant chatter, hardly becoming subdued when reprimanded to be quiet. She thought him strange for that, though it wasn't the only reason she found him odd. Allura looked up from the ball, studying her
He was older than her, though by how much she didn't know, the boy bigger, taller than any of her friends. He also looked weird, a strange mixture of human and those other beings, his skin a very light shade of blue. His hair was devoid of color, it reminded her of snow, and it fell down to his shoulders, though right now it was tied back in a pony tail.
With his hair tied back, it allowed Allura an unobstructed view of his ears, long, pointed things that reminded her of the elves in story books. Looking at his ears always gave her the strongest impulse to reach out and touch them, though somehow she managed to not give in, Allura scared over how he would react. Absentmindedly she pushed the ball, noting how the strangest in a slew of odd things was perhaps his eyes.
A dark yellow that could have been golden, they were almond shaped and expressive, with black slits in the center that thickened or thinned out depending on his mood. Allura learned to read his eyes, though in truth the boy very rarely changed his expression around her. He was very happy to have her there, enjoying their play, and perhaps even more enjoying bossing her around!
Not that she complained, Allura glad to do what he said. It gave her a purpose, the tasks he asked simple, such as fetching new toys, or eating some vegetable that he didn't like. She was still at that stage where she would eat almost anything, the girl remembering her time in the darkness, when food had been scarce, and even more horrible than broccoli.
"Allura.." The boy had grown tired with the ball, pushing it aside as he gestured at her to walk to his toy chest. She nodded her head, rising to stand, clutching the stuffed toy he had given her. She carried the toy everywhere, only parting from it during their baths, the stuffed creature left to sit on the sink, a silent witness to the goings on in the bathroom.
She loved to snuggle with it when she slept, the toy soft, and she cried into it's fur when she was upset, the toy not judging her. It became her favorite of all the toys the boy had, Allura unable to put it aside for fear it would vanish one day.
She stared into the toy chest, free hand rifling through the remaining toys, a forlorn thought going through her. She wished the boy had dolls, Allura missing playing dress up with them. But he coloring books, and crayons, building blocks and board games, all things Allura enjoyed though not as much as dolls.
"Allura ships!" The boy decided, and she found the casing with the miniatures, small replicas of vehicles, some colored brightly, and some the dull grays and blacks of real ships.
"Vroom vroom!" The boy made sounds, lifting one of the ships from the case, pretending to fly it in the air. She didn't particularly like this game, it made her anxiety rise, especially when he had the ships attack his toy soldiers. "Blam!" The boy giggled, knocking over the figures with a ship. They lay on their sides, and Allura had to quickly look away, feeling the threat of tears in her eyes.
"Allura play!" The boy ordered, and she lifted a purple ship out of the casing. But her actions were half hearted, Allura bobbing the ship up and down in the air. She could only wait for the boy to grow tied with this latest toy, Allura knowing she wouldn't have to wait long. The boy was notorious in having a short attention span, sometimes their play lasted only minutes before he was demanding a new game.
They were still playing with the ships, when the woman walked in, Allura feeling excitement surged through her. The boy may be a constant in her life, but to Allura the world began and ended with Adaline. She had saved her from the darkness, taken Allura out of that awful, smelly place, away from the sounds of hopelessness and despair.
Allura might be young, but she wasn't so little as to confuse Adaline with her mother, able to note the differences between them even if they both had long blond hair and blue eyes. The shapes of their faces were different, Adaline's nose not as sharp as her mothers. Another key difference was the sadness that surrounded Adaline, the woman trying to hide it with some degrees of success. But Allura could see it, perhaps because she hid her own emotions and thus was able to recognize when others tried to do the same.
"Mommy!" The boy cried out, Allura once again wondering how the two could be related when they looked so different. The boy waved the woman over, Allura gratefully setting down the ship, hoping Adaline would prove the distraction needed for him to forget all about their current game.
"Lotor…" Adaline smiled and held out her arms, the boy running to her for a hug. Allura didn't know that word, but she had a sneaking suspicion that was the boy's name, the woman repeating it often enough in their presence. "Are you being good?"
"The best mommy!" Lotor said, smiling a big toothy grin that showed off the small fangs that were slowly growing in.
"What about Allura?" Adaline asked, smiling in her direction. "Is she still not talking?" The boy nodded, and though Adaline looked disappointed, she didn't stop her smile.
"She will…" Adaline let go of Lotor to come kneel besides Allura, placing her hand on Allura's unruly mane of hair. "She's just not ready yet."
"When will she be ready mommy?" Lotor asked, sitting down opposite Allura and Adaline. He gave off the aura of one impatient, as though the boy was eager to learn the sound of Allura's voice when she wasn't screaming or crying.
"I'm not sure…" admitted Adaline, stroking her fingers through Allura's hair. "We will just have to be patient and kind, let her know it's safe enough to speak." Adaline always spoke Arusian to Allura and the boy, although she too was capable of that other language. Allura had heard her speak it with the others, and sometimes the results had the strange colored men and women return with treats, things Adaline must have requested.
Allura snuggled against Adaline's side, liking the feel of the woman stroking her hair. The boy resumed speaking, making rapid conversation as though he feared someone would shush him at any moment. Adaline nodded and smiled, and expressed the proper interest as Lotor told her about his and Allura's day. There wasn't really much to describe, their days repetitive but fun.
Allura often wondered where Adaline went when she wasn't with them, but the woman rarely spoke about her own time. Allura had a feeling that was for the best, if anything the sadness she sensed around Adaline was not a result of her time spent with the children, but the time when she went away. It left Allura wishing Adaline never had to leave them, the girl not wanting anything bad to happen to the woman.
She often wondered about her own parents, Allura fearing something equally bad had happened to them. It had to have, for them to have allowed such treatment to befall their daughter. Allura could only hope they had an Adaline of their very own, to help them through whatever it was they were going through. Maybe if they did, then they would come for her, Allura sure her parents would be able to vanquish the bad dreams completely.
Adaline's presence helped but couldn't keep the dreams completely at bay, Allura wondering why her mind tormented her so. She couldn't remember ever suffering such an all consuming fear, the nightmares of the past mild and childish in comparison to the dreams she now suffered through. It left her scared to sleep, and she often spent the hours in bed with Lotor wide awake, waiting for when Adaline would appear to take the two into her room.
Allura didn't know where Adaline went during the first few hours of the night, the children left to the care of others, people who were less kind and considerate than the boy's mother. They didn't have the patience for Allura's tears, shouting nastily and raising threatening hands which frightened Allura even more. She could remember Lotor hugging her to him, the boy trying to protect her from the angry strangers.
She shivered in remembrance, Allura crawling into Adaline's lap. The woman cooed softly, hugging her close, Allura clutching at the stuffed toy. Lotor continued to talk, filling in the silence with the sound of his voice. It was comforting, but it didn't last, a new presence appearing in the doorway, making Adaline stiffen and sit up straighter.
Allura looked, spying the man she had seen only once before. The angry stranger who had appeared in the bathroom, the one who had grabbed Lotor, his grip making the boy cry out in pain. Allura buried her face into the fur of the stuffed toy, hiding from the scary looking man, hearing him speak pleasant enough. Lotor had fallen silent, and it was Adaline who answered the man. Whatever she said, it made him angry, Allura could hear it, the madness barely restrained in his voice.
It only grew worse, Adaline's quiet answers serving to further incense the man, till finally he stalked over to them, roughly grabbing hold of Adaline's arm. Uncaring of Allura on the woman's lap, he jerked Adaline to her feet, Allura tumbling onto the floor. She lay there stunned, even as Adaline grew angry, trying to jerk away from the scary man to check on Allura.
The horrible man snapped out a word, sounding very commanding to Allura's ears. He jerked on Adaline's arm again, and the next thing Allura knew, she was crying, Adaline looking upset to see Allura's tears. The man acted bothered by them, seeming to shout at Allura but did not allow Adaline to check on the girl. He began dragging her towards the door, and Allura became positive something awful would happen if Adaline left the room.
"Addy…" Her voice croaked out, sounding unfamiliar after being unused for so long. "Don't go…."
Adaline gasped, and Lotor's eyes became huge, the boy startled by her speaking. The big, scary man look even further displeased, and a heated argument erupted between him and Adaline, the woman wanting to go to Allura. In the end it made no difference, the man dragging Adaline out of the room, Allura letting out a wild shriek, voice full of primal fear.


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An Opte Project visualization of routing paths through a portion of the Internet
|Internet portal
An advance-fee scam is a form of fraud and one of the most common types of confidence tricks. The scam typically involves promising the victim a significant share of a large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment, which the fraudster requires in order to obtain the large sum[citation needed]. If a victim makes the payment, the fraudster either invents a series of further fees for the victim or simply disappears.[1]
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states that, "An advance fee scheme occurs when the victim pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value—such as a loan, contract, investment, or gift—and then receives little or nothing in return."[2]
There are many variations of this type of scam, including the 419 scam, the Spanish Prisoner scam, the black money scam, Fifo's Fraud and the Detroit-Buffalo scam.[3] The scam has been used with fax and traditional mail, and is now prevalent in online communications like emails.
While Nigeria is most often the nation referred to in these scams, they originate in other nations as well[citation needed]. In 2006, 61% of internet criminals were traced to locations in the United States, while 16% were traced to the United Kingdom, and 6% to Nigeria.[4] Other nations known to have a high incidence of advance-fee fraud include: Ivory Coast,[5] Togo,[6] South Africa,[7] the Netherlands,[8] Spain[9], Poland[10] and Jamaica.[11][12] The number "419" refers to the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud, the charges and penalties for offenders.[13]
The modern scam is similar to the Spanish Prisoner scam which dates back to the late 18th century.[14][15] In that con, businessmen were contacted by an individual allegedly trying to smuggle someone that is connected to a wealthy family out of a prison in Spain. In exchange for assistance, the scammer promised to share money with the victim in exchange for a small amount of money to bribe prison guards.[16]
One variant of the scam may date back to the 18th or 19th centuries, as a very similar letter, entitled "The Letter from Jerusalem", is seen in the memoirs of Eugène François Vidocq, a former French criminal and private investigator.[17] Another variant of the scam, dating back to circa 1830, appears very similar to what is passed via email today: "Sir, you will doubtlessly be astonished to be receiving a letter from a person unknown to you, who is about to ask a favour from you...", and goes on to talk of a casket containing 16,000 francs in gold and the diamonds of a late marchioness.[18]
The modern day transnational scam can be traced back to Germany in 1922,[19] and became popular during the 1980s. There are many variants of the letters sent. One of these, sent via postal mail, was addressed to a woman's husband, and inquired about his health. It then asked what to do with profits from a $24.6 million investment, and ended with a telephone number.[20]
Other official-looking letters were sent from a writer who said he was a director of the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. He said he wanted to transfer $20 million to the recipient's bank account – money that was budgeted, but was never spent. In exchange for transferring the funds out of Nigeria, the recipient would keep 30% of the total. To get the process started, the scammer asked for a few sheets of the company's letterhead, bank account numbers, and other personal information.[21][22] Yet other variants have involved mention of a Nigerian prince or other member of a royal family seeking to transfer large sums of money out of the country—thus, these scams are sometimes called "Nigerian Prince emails".[23][24]
The spread of e-mail and email harvesting software significantly lowered the cost of sending scam letters by using the Internet.[25][26] While Nigeria is most often the nation referred to in these scams, they may originate in other nations as well. For example, in 2006, 61% of Internet criminals were traced to locations in the United States, while 16% were traced to the United Kingdom and 6% to locations in Nigeria.[4] Other nations known to have a high incidence of advance-fee fraud include Ivory Coast,[5] Togo,[6] South Africa,[7] the Netherlands,[8] and Spain.[9]
One reason Nigeria may have been singled out is the apparently comical, almost ludicrous nature of the promise of West African riches from a Nigerian prince. According to Cormac Herley, a Microsoft researcher, "By sending an email that repels all but the most gullible, the scammer gets the most promising marks to self-select."[27] Nevertheless, Nigeria has earned a reputation for being at the center of email scammers,[28] and the number 419 refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code (part of Chapter 38: "Obtaining property by false pretenses; Cheating") dealing with fraud.[29]
They refer to their targets as Magha(s), slang developed from a Yoruba word meaning "Easy Target or Fool" and referring to gullible people in general. Some scammers have accomplices in the United States and abroad that move in to finish the deal once the initial contact has been made.[30]
This scam usually begins with the perpetrator contacting the victim via email, instant messaging or social media using a fake email address or a fake social media account and making an offer that would allegedly result in a large payoff for the victim.[16][31] An email subject line may say something like "From the desk of barrister [Name]", "Your assistance is needed", and so on. The details vary, but the usual story is that a person, often a government or bank employee, knows of a large amount of unclaimed money or gold which they cannot access directly, usually because they have no right to it.[citation needed]
Such people, who may be real but impersonated people or fictitious characters played by the con artist, could include, for example, the wife or son of a deposed African leader who has amassed a stolen fortune, a bank employee who knows of a terminally ill wealthy person with no relatives, or a wealthy foreigner who deposited money in the bank just before dying in a plane crash (leaving no will or known next of kin),[32] a US soldier who has stumbled upon a hidden cache of gold in Iraq, a business being audited by the government, a disgruntled worker or corrupt government official who has embezzled funds, a refugee,[33] and similar characters.
The money could be in the form of gold bullion, gold dust, money in a bank account, blood diamonds, a series of checks or bank drafts, and so forth[citation needed]. The sums involved are usually in the millions of dollars, and the investor is promised a large share, typically ten to forty percent, in return for assisting the fraudster to retrieve or expatriate the money. Although the vast majority of recipients do not respond to these emails, a very small percentage do, enough to make the fraud worthwhile, as many millions of messages can be sent daily.[citation needed]
To help persuade the victim to agree to the deal, the scammer often sends one or more false documents which bear official government stamps, and seals.[34] 419 scammers often mention false addresses and use photographs taken from the Internet or from magazines to falsely represent themselves[citation needed]. Often a photograph used by a scammer is not a picture of any person involved in the scheme. Multiple "people" may write or be involved in schemes as they continue, but they are often fictitious; in many cases, one person controls many fictitious personae all used in scams.[5]
Once the victim's confidence has been gained, the scammer then introduces a delay or monetary hurdle that prevents the deal from occurring as planned, such as "To transmit the money, we need to bribe a bank official. Could you help us with a loan?" or "For you to be a party to the transaction, you must have holdings at a Nigerian bank of $100,000 or more" or similar[citation needed]. This is the money being stolen from the victim; the victim willingly transfers the money, usually through some irreversible channel such as a wire transfer, and the scammer receives and pockets it.[5]
More delays and additional costs are added, always keeping the promise of an imminent large transfer alive, convincing the victim that the money the victim is currently paying is covered several times over by the payoff[citation needed]. The implication that these payments will be used for "white-collar" crime such as bribery, and even that the money they are being promised is being stolen from a government or royal/wealthy family, often prevents the victim from telling others about the "transaction", as it would involve admitting that they intended to be complicit in an international crime.[5]
Sometimes psychological pressure is added by claiming that the Nigerian side, to pay certain fees, had to sell belongings and borrow money on a house, or by comparing the salary scale and living conditions in Africa to those in the West[citation needed]. Much of the time, however, the needed psychological pressure is self-applied; once the victims have provided money toward the payoff, they feel they have a vested interest in seeing the "deal" through. Some victims even believe they can cheat the other party, and walk away with all the money instead of just the percentage they were promised.[5]
The essential fact in all advance-fee fraud operations is the promised money transfer to the victim never happens, because the money does not exist[citation needed]. The perpetrators rely on the fact that, by the time the victim realizes this (often only after being confronted by a third party who has noticed the transactions or conversation and recognized the scam), the victim may have sent thousands of dollars of their own money, and sometimes thousands more that has been borrowed or stolen, to the scammer via an untraceable and/or irreversible means such as wire transfer.[5] The scammer disappears, and the victim is left on the hook for the money sent to the scammer.
During the course of many schemes, scammers ask victims to supply bank account information. Usually this is a "test" devised by the scammer to gauge the victim's gullibility;[8] the bank account information isn't used directly by the scammer, because a fraudulent withdrawal from the account is more easily detected, reversed, and traced. Scammers instead usually request that payments be made using a wire transfer service like Western Union and MoneyGram.[35] The reason given by the scammer usually relates to the speed at which the payment can be received and processed, allowing quick release of the supposed payoff. The real reason is that wire transfers and similar methods of payment are irreversible, untraceable and, because identification beyond knowledge of the details of the transaction is often not required, completely anonymous.[5] However, bank account information obtained by scammers is sometimes sold in bulk to other fraudsters, who wait a few months for the victim to repair the damage caused by the initial scam, before raiding any accounts which the victim didn't close.
Telephone numbers used by scammers tend to come from burner phones. In Ivory Coast a scammer may purchase an inexpensive mobile phone and a pre-paid SIM card without submitting any identifying information. If the scammers believe they are being traced, they discard their mobile phones and purchase new ones.[5]
The spam emails used in these scams are often sent from Internet cafés equipped with satellite internet connection. Recipient addresses and email content are copied and pasted into a webmail interface using a stand-alone storage medium, such as a memory card[citation needed]. Certain areas of Lagos, such as Festac, contain many cyber cafés that serve scammers; cyber cafés often seal their doors outside hours, such as from 10:30pm to 7:00am, so that scammers inside may work without fear of discovery.[36]
Nigeria also contains many businesses that provide false documents used in scams; after a scam involving a forged signature of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in summer 2005, Nigerian authorities raided a market in the Oluwole section of Lagos[citation needed]. The police seized thousands of Nigerian and non-Nigerian passports, 10,000 blank British Airways boarding passes, 10,000 United States Postal money orders, customs documents, false university certificates, 500 printing plates, and 500 computers.[36]
The "success rate" of the scammers is also hard to gauge, since they are operating illegally and do not keep track of specific numbers. One individual estimated he sent 500 emails per day and received about seven replies, citing that when he received a reply, he was 70 percent certain he would get the money.[30] If tens of thousands of emails are sent every day by thousands of individuals, it doesn't take a very high success rate to be worthwhile.[37]
In recent years, efforts have been made by governments, internet companies, and individuals to combat scammers involved in advance-fee fraud and 419 scams. In 2004, the Nigerian government formed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to combat economic and financial crimes, such as advanced fee fraud.[39] In 2009, Nigeria's EFCC announced that they have adopted smart technology developed by Microsoft to track down fraudulent emails. They hoped to have the service, dubbed "Eagle Claw", running at full capacity to warn a quarter of a million potential victims.[28]
Some individuals participate in a practice known as scam baiting, in which they pose as potential targets and engage the scammers in lengthy dialogue so as to waste the scammer's time and decrease the time they have available for real victims.[40] Details on the practice of scam baiting, and ideas, are chronicled on a website, 419eater.com, launched in 2003 by Michael Berry. One particularly notable case of scam baiting involved an American who identified himself to a Nigerian scammer as James T. Kirk. When the scammer — who apparently had never heard of the television series Star Trek — asked for his passport details, "Kirk" sent a copy of a fake passport with a photo of Star Trek's Captain Kirk, hoping the scammer would attempt to use it and get arrested.[41]
A central element of advance-fee fraud is the transaction from the victim to the scammer must be untraceable and irreversible. Otherwise, the victim, once they become aware of the scam, can successfully retrieve their money and alert officials who can track the accounts used by the scammer.[citation needed]
Wire transfers via Western Union and MoneyGram are ideal for this purpose. International wire transfers cannot be cancelled or reversed, and the person receiving the money cannot be tracked. Other non-cancellable forms of payment include postal money orders and cashier's checks, but wire transfer via Western Union or MoneyGram is more common. Cryptocurrency payments are also used.[citation needed]
Since the scammer's operations must be untraceable to avoid identification, and because the scammer is often impersonating someone else, any communication between the scammer and his victim must be done through channels that hide the scammer's true identity[citation needed]. The following options in particular are widely used.
Because many free email services do not require valid identifying information, and also allow communication with many victims in a short span of time, they are the preferred method of communication for scammers[citation needed]. Some services go so far as to mask the sender's source IP address (Gmail being a common choice), making the scammer more difficult to trace to the country of origin. While Gmail does indeed strip headers from emails, it is, in fact, possible to trace an IP address from such an email. Scammers can create as many accounts as they wish, and often have several at a time. In addition, if email providers are alerted to the scammer's activities and suspend the account, it is a trivial matter for the scammer to simply create a new account to resume scamming.[citation needed]
Some fraudsters hijack existing email accounts and use them for advance-fee fraud purposes. The fraudster impersonates associates, friends, or family members of the legitimate account owner in an attempt to defraud them.[42] A variety of techniques such as phishing, keyloggers, and computer viruses are used to gain login information for the email address.
Facsimile machines are commonly used tools of business, whenever a client requires a hard copy of a document.[citation needed] They can also be simulated using web services, and made untraceable by the use of prepaid phones connected to mobile fax machines or by use of a public fax machine such as one owned by a document processing business like FedEx Office/Kinko's. Thus, scammers posing as business entities often use fax transmissions as an anonymous form of communication. This is more expensive, as the prepaid phone and fax equipment cost more than email, but to a skeptical victim, it can be more believable.[citation needed]
Abusing SMS bulk senders such as WASPs, scammers subscribe to these services using fraudulent registration details and paying either via cash or stolen credit card details[citation needed]. They then send out masses of unsolicited SMSes to victims stating they have won a competition, lottery, reward, or an event, and they have to contact somebody to claim their prize. Typically the details of the party to be contacted will be an equally untraceable email address or a virtual telephone number.[citation needed]
These messages may be sent over a weekend when the staff at the service providers are not working, enabling the scammer to be able to abuse the services for a whole weekend. Even when traceable, they give out long and winding procedures for procuring the reward (real or unreal) and that too with the impending huge cost of transportation and tax or duty charges. The origin of such SMS messages is often from fake websites/addresses.[citation needed]
A recent (mid-2011) innovation is the use of a Premium Rate 'call back' number (instead of a website or email) in the SMS. On calling the number, the victim is first reassured that 'they are a winner' and then subjected to a long series of instructions on how to collect their 'winnings'. During the message, there will be frequent instructions to 'ring back in the event of problems'. The call is always 'cut off' just before the victim has the chance to note all the details. Some victims call back multiple times in an effort to collect all the details. The scammer thus makes their money out of the fees charged for the calls.[citation needed]
Many scams use telephone calls to convince the victim that the person on the other end of the deal is a real, truthful person. The scammer, possibly impersonating a person of a nationality, or gender, other than their own, would arouse suspicion by telephoning the victim. In these cases, scammers use TRS, a US federally funded relay service where an operator or a text/speech translation program acts as an intermediary between someone using an ordinary telephone and a deaf caller using TDD or other teleprinter device. The scammer may claim they are deaf, and that they must use a relay service. The victim, possibly drawn in by sympathy for a disabled caller, might be more susceptible to the fraud.[citation needed][citation needed]FCC regulations and confidentiality laws require operators to relay calls verbatim and adhere to a strict code of confidentiality and ethics. Thus, no relay operator may judge the legality and legitimacy of a relay call and must relay it without interference. This means the relay operator may not warn victims, even when they suspect the call is a scam. MCI said about one percent of their IP Relay calls in 2004 were scams.[43]
Tracking phone-based relay services is relatively easy, so scammers tend to prefer Internet Protocol-based relay services such as IP Relay. In a common strategy, they bind their overseas IP address to a router or server located on US soil, allowing them to use US-based relay service providers without interference.
TRS is sometimes used to relay credit card information to make a fraudulent purchase with a stolen credit card. In many cases however, it is simply a means for the con artist to further lure the victim into the scam.
Sometimes, victims are invited to a country to meet government officials, an associate of the scammer, or the scammer themselves. Some victims who travel are instead held for ransom. Scammers may tell a victim that they do not need a visa, or that the scammers will provide one.[44] If the victim does this, the scammers have the power to extort money from the victim.[44]
Sometimes victims are ransomed or murdered. According to a 1995 U.S. State Department report, over fifteen persons were murdered between 1992 and 1995 in Nigeria after following through on advance-fee frauds.[44] In 1999 Norwegian millionaire Kjetil Moe was lured to South Africa by 419 scammers, and murdered.[45][46] George Makronalli was lured to South Africa and killed in 2004.[47][48]
There are many variations on the most common stories, and also many variations on the way the scam works. Some of the more commonly seen variants involve employment scams, lottery scams, online sales and rentals, and romance scams. Many scams involve online sales, such as those advertised on websites such as Craigslist and eBay, or property rental. This article cannot list every known and future type of advanced fee fraud or 419 scheme; only some major types are described. Additional examples may be available in the external links section at the end of this article.
This scam targets people who have posted their résumés on e.g. job sites. The scammer sends a letter with a falsified company logo. The job offer usually indicates exceptional salary and benefits, and requests that the victim needs a "work permit" for working in the country, and includes the address of a (fake) "government official" to contact. The "government official" then proceeds to fleece the victim by extracting fees from the unsuspecting user for the work permit and other fees. A variant of the job scam recruits freelancers seeking work, such as editing or translation, then requires some advance payment before assignments are offered.[citation needed]
Many legitimate (or at least fully registered) companies work on a similar basis, using this method as their primary source of earnings. Some modelling and escort agencies tell applicants that they have a number of clients lined up, but that they require some sort of prior "registration fee", usually paid in by an untraceable method, e.g. by Western Union transfer; once the fee is paid, the applicant is informed the client has cancelled, and not contacted again.[citation needed]
The scammer contacts the victim to interest them in a "work-at-home" opportunity, or asks them to cash a check or money order that for some reason cannot be redeemed locally. In one cover story, the perpetrator of the scam wishes the victim to work as a "mystery shopper", evaluating the service provided by MoneyGram or Western Union locations within major retailers such as Wal-Mart.[49] The scammer sends the victim a forged or stolen check or money order as described above, the victim deposits it—banks will often credit an account with the value of a check not obviously false— and sends the money to the scammer via wire transfer. Later the check is not honoured and the bank debits the victim's account. Schemes based solely on check cashing usually offer only a small part of the check's total amount, with the assurance that many more checks will follow; if the victim buys into the scam and cashes all the checks, the scammer can steal a lot in a very short time.[citation needed]
More sophisticated scams advertise jobs with real companies and offer lucrative salaries and conditions with the fraudsters pretending to be recruitment agents. A bogus telephone or online interview may take place and after some time the applicant is informed that the job is theirs. To secure the job they are instructed to send money for their work visa or travel costs to the agent, or to a bogus travel agent who works on the scammer's behalf. No matter what the variation, they always involve the job seeker sending them or their agent money, credit card or bank account details.[50] A newer form of employment scam has arisen in which users are sent a bogus job offer, but are not asked to give financial information. Instead, their personal information is harvested during the application process and then sold to third parties for a profit, or used for identity theft.[51][52]
Another form of employment scam involves making people receive a fake "interview" where they are told the benefits of the company. The attendees are then made to assist to a conference where a scammer will use elaborate manipulation techniques to convince the attendees to purchase products, in a similar manner to the catalog merchant business model, as a hiring requisite. Quite often, the company lacks any form of the physical catalog to help them sell products (e.g. jewelry). When "given" the job, the individual is then asked to promote the scam job offer on their own. They are also made to work the company unpaid as a form of "training".[53] Similar scams involve making alleged job candidates pay money upfront in person for training materials or services, with the claim that upon successful completion, they will be offered a guaranteed job, which never materializes.[54]
These scammers do internet searches on various companies to obtain hiring managers' names. They then advertise job offers on Job Search sites. The job hunter will then apply for the position with a resume. The person applying for the position will get a message almost instantly from a common email account such as "Yahoo", asking for credentials. The scammer will sometimes request that the victim has an "Instant Messenger" chat to obtain more information. The scammer guarantees employment, usually through automated computer programs that have a certain algorithm, with "canned responses" in broken English.[citation needed]
At the "Instant Messenger" stage, it is usually too late and the process has already begun. If the victim questions the integrity of the process, the computer program may call them a "scammer" and can be quite vulgar. Quite often, the fraudulent negotiables are still sent to the address on the victim's resume, even after the fake online rant.[citation needed]
The scammer sends the victim fraudulent negotiables, assuring them that they get to keep part of the funds. They will expect the victim to send the remainder to various parties that they specify, under the guise that they are legitimate business contacts. This is a money laundering scheme, as the victim becomes a pawn in the filtering process. The process continues until the victim catches on, or even gets caught.[citation needed]
Another form of the scam is the "Representative/Collection Agent" variation wherein the scammer advertises, usually on legitimate online job sites, available positions for "Representative or Collection Agent" for a company abroad. As the representative, the job involves receiving cash payments and depositing payments received from "customers" into one's account and remitting the rest to the overseas business bank account. This is essentially money laundering.
The lottery scam involves fake notices of lottery wins, although the intended victim has not entered the lottery. The "winner" is usually asked to send sensitive information such as name, residential address, occupation/position, lottery number etc. to a free email account which is at times untraceable or without any link. In addition to harvesting this information, the scammer then notifies the victim that releasing the funds requires some small fee (insurance, registration, or shipping). Once the victim sends the fee, the scammer invents another fee.
The fake check technique described above is also used. Fake or stolen checks, representing a part payment of the winnings, being sent; then a fee, smaller than the amount received, is requested. The bank receiving the bad check eventually reclaims the funds from the victim.[citation needed]
In 2004, a variant of the lottery scam appeared in the United States: a scammer phones a victim purporting to be speaking on behalf of the government about a grant they qualify for, subject to an advance fee of typically US$250.[55]
Many scams involve the purchase of goods and services via classified advertisements, especially on sites like Craigslist, eBay, or Gumtree. These typically involve the scammer contacting the seller of a particular good or service via telephone or email expressing interest in the item. They will typically then send a fake check written for an amount greater than the asking price, asking the seller to send the difference to an alternate address, usually by money order or Western Union. A seller eager to sell a particular product may not wait for the check to clear, and when the bad check bounces, the funds wired have already been lost.[56]
Some scammers advertise phony academic conferences in exotic or international locations, complete with fake websites, scheduled agendas and advertising experts in a particular field that will be presenting there. They offer to pay the airfare of the participants, but not the hotel accommodations. They will extract money from the victims when they attempt to reserve their accommodations in a non-existent hotel.[57]
Sometimes, an inexpensive rental property is advertised by a fake landlord, who is typically out of state (or the country) and asking for the rent and/or deposit to be wired to them.[58] Or the con artist finds a property, pretends to be the owner, lists it online, and communicates with the would-be renter to make a cash deposit.[59] The scammer may also be the renter as well, in which case they pretend to be a foreign student and contact a landlord seeking accommodation. They usually state they are not yet in the country and wish to secure accommodations prior to arriving. Once the terms are negotiated, a forged check is forwarded for a greater amount than negotiated, and the fraudster asks the landlord to wire some of the money back.[60]
This is a variation of the online sales scam where high-value, scarce pets are advertised as bait on online advertising websites using little real seller verification like Craigslist, Gumtree, and JunkMail. The pet may either be advertised as being for-sale or up for adoption. Typically the pet is advertised on online advertising pages complete with photographs taken from various sources such as real advertisements, blogs or wherever an image can be stolen. Upon the potential victim contacting the scammer, the scammer responds by asking for details pertaining to the potential victim's circumstances and location under the pretense of ensuring that the pet would have a suitable home.[61]
By determining the location of the victim, the scammer ensures he is far enough from the victim so as to not allow the buyer to physically view the pet. Should the scammer be questioned, as the advertisement claimed a location initially, the scammer will claim work circumstances having forced him to relocate. This forces a situation whereby all communication is either via email, telephone (normally untraceable numbers) and SMS.[61]
Upon the victim deciding to adopt or purchase the pet, a courier has to be used which is in reality part of the scam. If this is for an adopted pet, typically the victim is expected to pay some fee such as insurance, food or shipping. Payment is via MoneyGram, Western Union or money mules' bank accounts where other victims have been duped into work from home scams.[61]
Numerous problems are encountered in the courier phase of the scam. The crate is too small and the victim has the option of either purchasing a crate with air conditioning or renting one while also paying a deposit, typically called a caution or cautionary fee. The victim may also have to pay for insurance if such fees have not been paid yet. If the victim pays these fees, the pet may become sick and a veterinarian's assistance is sought for which the victim has to repay the courier.[62]
Additionally, the victim may be asked to pay for a health certificate needed to transport the pet, and for kennel fees during the recuperation period. The further the scam progresses, the more similar are the fictitious fees to those of typical 419 scams. It is not uncommon to see customs or like fees being claimed if such charges fit into the scam plot.[62]
Numerous scam websites may be used for this scam. This scam has been linked to the classical 419 scams in that the fictitious couriers used, as are also used in other types of 419 scams such as lotto scams.
One of the variants is the Romance Scam, a money-for-romance angle.[63] The con artist approaches the victim on an online dating service, an instant messenger, or a social networking site. The scammer claims an interest in the victim, and posts pictures of an attractive person.[64] The scammer uses this communication to gain confidence, then asks for money.[63]
The con artist may claim to be interested in meeting the victim but needs cash to book a plane, buy a bus ticket, rent a hotel room, pay for personal-travel costs such as gasoline or a vehicle rental, or to cover other expenses. In other cases, they claim they're trapped in a foreign country and need assistance to return, to escape imprisonment by corrupt local officials, to pay for medical expenses due to an illness contracted abroad, and so on.[64] The scammer may also use the confidence gained by the romance angle to introduce some variant of the original Nigerian Letter scheme,[64] such as saying they need to get money or valuables out of the country and offer to share the wealth, making the request for help in leaving the country even more attractive to the victim.
Scams often involve meeting someone on an online match-making service.[63] The scammer initiates contact with their target who is out of the area and requests money for transportation fare.[64] Scammers will typically ask for money to be sent via a money order or wire transfer due to the need to travel, or for medical or business costs.[65]
When a victim travels to a meeting, it can have deadly consequence as in the case of Jette Jacobs, 67, from Australia. Jette Jacobs traveled to South Africa to supposedly marry her scammer, Jesse Orowo Omokoh, 28, after having sent more than $200,000 to him over a three-year period. Her body was discovered on February 9, 2013, under mysterious circumstances, two days after meeting up with Omokoh. Omokoh has fled back to Nigeria. After questioning in Nigeria, Omokoh was arrested. He was found to have had 32 fake online identities. He was never charged with murder, due to the inability to prove he had a hand in the death of Jette Jacobs, only fraud charges.[66][67]
One variant of advanced-fee fraud popular in India is mobile tower installation fraud. The fraudster uses Internet classified websites and print media to lure the public for installation of mobile towers on their property. The fraudster also creates fake websites to appear legitimate. The victims part with their money in pieces to the fraudster on account of the Government Service Tax, government clearance charges, bank charges, transportation charges, survey fee etc. The Indian government is issuing public notices in media to spread awareness among the public and warn them against mobile tower fraudsters.[68][69] This fraud is widespread in India and Pakistan.[70][71]
Other scams involve unclaimed property, also called "bona vacantia" in the United Kingdom. In England and Wales (other than the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall), this property is administered by the Bona Vacantia Division of the Treasury Solicitor's Department[citation needed]. Fraudulent emails and letters claiming to be from this department have been reported, informing the recipient they are the beneficiary of a legacy but requiring the payment of a fee before sending more information or releasing the money.[72] In the United States, messages are falsely claimed to be from the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), a real organization, but one that does not and cannot itself make payments.[73]
In one variant of 419 fraud, an alleged hitman writes to someone explaining he has been targeted to kill them. He tells them he knows the allegations against them are false, and asks for money so the target can receive evidence of the person who ordered the hit.[74]
Another variant of advanced fee fraud is known as a pigeon drop. This is a confidence trick in which the mark, or "pigeon", is persuaded to give up a sum of money in order to secure the rights to a larger sum of money, or more valuable object.[citation needed] In reality, the scammers make off with the money and the mark is left with nothing. In the process, the stranger (actually a confidence trickster) puts his money with the mark's money (in an envelope, briefcase, or bag) which the mark is then apparently entrusted with; it is actually switched for a bag full of newspaper or other worthless material. Through various theatrics, the mark is given the opportunity to leave with the money without the stranger realizing. In reality, the mark would be fleeing from his own money, which the con man still has (or has handed off to an accomplice).[75]
Some scammers will go after the victims of previous scams; known as a reloading scam. For example, they may contact a victim saying they can track and apprehend the scammer and recover the money lost by the victim, for a price. Or they may say a fund has been set up by the Nigerian government to compensate victims of 419 fraud, and all that is required is proof of the loss, personal information, and a processing and handling fee. The recovery scammers obtain lists of victims by buying them from the original scammers.[76]
Estimates of the total losses due to the scam are uncertain and vary widely, since many people may be too embarrassed to admit that they were gullible enough to be scammed to report the crime. A United States government report in 2006 indicated that Americans lost $198.4 million to Internet fraud in 2006, averaging a loss of $5,100 per incident.[4] That same year, a report in the United Kingdom claimed that these scams cost the economy £150 million per year, with the average victim losing £31,000.[77]
In addition to the financial cost, many victims also suffer a severe emotional and psychological cost, such as losing their ability to trust people. One man from Cambridgeshire, UK burnt himself to death with petrol after realizing that the $1.2 million "internet lottery" that he had won was actually a scam.[78] In 2007 a Chinese student at the University of Nottingham killed herself after she discovered that she had fallen for a similar lottery scam.[79]
Other victims lose wealth and friends, become estranged from family members, deceive partners, get divorced, or commit criminal offenses in the process of either fulfilling their "obligations" to the scammers or obtaining more money.[80] In 2008, an Oregon woman lost $400,000 to a Nigerian advance-fee fraud scam, after an email told her she had inherited money from her long-lost grandfather. Her curiosity was piqued because she actually had a grandfather with whom her family had lost touch, and whose initials matched those given in the email. She sent hundreds of thousands of dollars over a period of more than two years, despite her family, bank staff and law enforcement officials all urging her to stop.[81] The elderly are particularly susceptible to online scams such as this, as they typically come from a generation that was more trusting,[82] and are often too proud to report the fraud. They also may be concerned that relatives might see it as a sign of declining mental capacity, and they are afraid to lose their independence.[83]
Victims can be enticed to borrow or embezzle money to pay the advance fees, believing that they will shortly be paid a much larger sum and be able to refund what they misappropriated. Crimes committed by victims include credit-card fraud, check kiting, and embezzlement.[84][85][86] San Diego-based businessman James Adler lost over $5 million in a Nigeria-based advance-fee scam. While a court affirmed that various Nigerian government officials (including a governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria) were directly or indirectly involved, and that Nigerian government officials could be sued in U.S. courts under the "commercial activity" exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, Adler was unable to get his money back due to the doctrine of unclean hands because he had knowingly entered into a contract that was illegal.[87]
Some 419 scams involve even more serious crimes, such as kidnapping or murder. One such case, in 2008, involves Osamai Hitomi, a Japanese businessman who was lured to Johannesburg, South Africa and kidnapped on September 26, 2008. The kidnappers took him to Alberton, south of Johannesburg, and demanded a $5 million ransom from his family. Seven people were ultimately arrested.[88] In July 2001, Joseph Raca, a former mayor of Northampton, UK, was kidnapped by scammers in Johannesburg, South Africa, who demanded a ransom of £20,000. The captors released Raca after they became nervous.[89] One 419 scam that ended in murder occurred in February 2003, when Jiří Pasovský, a 72-year-old scam victim from the Czech Republic, shot and killed 50-year-old Michael Lekara Wayid, an official at the Nigerian embassy in Prague, and injured another person, after the Nigerian Consul General explained he could not return the $600,000 that Pasovský had lost to a Nigerian scammer.[41][90][91][92]
The international nature of the crime, combined with the fact that many victims do not want to admit that they bought into an illegal activity, has made tracking down and apprehending these criminals difficult. Furthermore, the government of Nigeria has been slow to take action, leading some investigators to believe that some Nigerian government officials are involved in some of these scams.[93] The Nigeria government's establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2004 helped with the issue to some degree, although issues with corruption remain.[39][94] A notable case which the EFCC pursued was that of Emmanuel Nwude, who was convicted for defrauding $242 million out of the director of a Brazilian bank, Banco Noroeste, which ultimately led to the bank's collapse.
Despite this, there have been some recent successes in apprehending and prosecuting these criminals. In 2004, fifty-two suspects were arrested in Amsterdam after an extensive raid, after which almost no 419 emails were reported being sent by local internet service providers.[95] In November 2004, Australian authorities apprehended Nick Marinellis of Sydney, the self-proclaimed head of Australian 419ers who later boasted that he had "220 African brothers worldwide" and that he was "the Australian headquarters for those scams".[96] In 2008 US authorities in Olympia, Washington, sentenced Edna Fiedler to two years in prison with 5 years of supervised probation for her involvement in a $1 million Nigerian check scam. She had an accomplice in Lagos, Nigeria, who shipped her up to $1.1 million worth of counterfeit checks and money orders with instructions on where to ship them.[97]
Due to the increased use of the 419 scam on the Internet, it has been used as a plot device in many films, television shows and books. A song, "I Go Chop Your Dollar", performed by Nkem Owoh, also became internationally known as an anthem for 419 scammers.[98] Other appearances in popular media include:
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to 419 scams.


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Title: Dagger in the Sea
Author: Cat Porter
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sub-genre: Mafia Suspense
Release Date: 6th June, 2018
Cover Design: Lori Jackson Design
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"The velvet tongue"
That's what they hear
"The silent fixer"
That's what they whisper
"Turo DeMarco can slice you with that smile"
It's been known to happen
But the one truth they don't know could get me killed.
It's already gotten me thrown into the fire.
I'm the rising dark star of Chicago's criminal underworld, but I've been warned, and I have one chance to make things right, flying halfway around the world to do it.
Then one hot AF heiress gets in my way with an unforgettable kiss and a blast of gunfire, hurling us both into the eye of a Mediterranean hurricane, tangling us in the ultimate high stake game
Our impulsive escape to a Greek island exposes cruel lies, sour truths, explosive passion…and bares our bitter souls
I was always told that actions speak louder than words,
and Adriana proved it to me.
Yet there's one thing that speaks even louder—
Blood in my heart, blood on my hands.
Blood never lies, never plays games.
Neither do I.
Adriana flinched at the shrill scream of a motorcycle on the bend of the narrow waterfront road. A hand went to her heaving chest. She turned away from the road, and her troubled gaze snagged on mine. Her eyes widened, and my pulse gained speed.
Remember me, baby?
Her lips parted, she shook her head at me. A slight movement, but I caught it. Was she calling Game Over or was she warning me off? Maybe she hadn't been some random girl bumping into me, flirting with me? Did the Alibertis know I was shadowing them and had sicced Adriana on me as a distraction?
Only one way to find out.
I strode toward her. Toward them. The traffic on the road behind her got thicker. A tourist bus, droning motor scooters with helmet-less teens, motorcycles with couples, cars.
Those blue gray eyes got huge. "Turo?" Adriana said, her voice low, stiff.
"Leaving so soon?" I asked.
Her long elegant neck straightened. A swan preparing to take flight.
Not so fast, lovely.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?" I asked.
Alessio prowled over, Luca tossed his cigarette, tracking to the other side of Adriana. Alessio's dark eyes gleamed as he gave me a curt shake of his head. That Italian "Who the fuck are you, what the fuck is this?"
"Turo DeMarco." I stretched out my hand to Alessio.
Alessio stared at my hand, an eyebrow raised. His full lips twisted into a smirk. Luca's face was a mask.
"Adriana! Adrianaaaa!" shouted photographers from across the street. Her gaze darted to them but she immediately turned her back on them, pressing next to Alessio, her body bunching up. She was uncomfortable.
"Adriana!" the paps shouted. Her jaw set, her face tightened. Was she famous?
"Ignore them, Adri," muttered Alessio, a hand at her back.
Just over her shoulder, a few yards beyond us on the main road, a mud splashed motorcycle with two helmeted figures in long sleeved jackets slowed down at the curve approaching the club's entrance, weaving in front of the line of cars parked at the end of the walkway. They moved slowly, deftly, swiftly. They weren't paparazzi. They weren't club-goers. Not to this club.
Needles pricked up the back of my neck.
The rider in the back raised his arm, a semi-automatic in his grip.
I lunged at Adriana.
Crack. Crack.
Twisting her into me, I rolled onto the ground with her in my arms. I covered her, our bodies pressed together into the pavement. She clung to me.
Blat tat clip clip crack.
A high pitched scream ripped the air above us. Muffled moans. A tidal wave of shouts.
I pushed up, digging my fingers in her hair, cradling the side of her pale face. Anguish, terror. "Are you all right?" my voice as tense as my grip on her. "Adriana? Are you okay?"
"Yes! Yes—" She couldn't catch her breath, her eyes opened widened even more, flitting to the side of my face. A hand reached out, touching the side of my stinging face. Blood stained her shaking fingers.
I touched the side of my face and found torn wet skin. Must have been from falling to the sidewalk.
Alessio, Luca over us. A flurry of Greek, Italian. I pulled her up and held onto her. Her arms were cold, so cold. Alessio, the bodyguard, an ashen Gennaro hanging behind him. Luca shouting, gesturing. My head reeled, was I swaying on my feet? I grabbed Alessio by the shirt.
"That motorcycle—" I gulped in air. "Did you see that motorcycle?"
"Si. I saw." His gaze darted to the side of my face, and he winced. Alessio grabbed Adriana whose eyes stayed on me, not wanting to let go. Alessio took her and brushed past me, and I staggered.
"Turo! " shouted Adriana, looking over Alessio's shoulder, eyes wild. She fisted Alessio's shirt. "Don't leave him here! Don't!"
A thick arm wrapped around me like a stiff belt, a hand at my chest, holding me up. Luca steered me toward a black Porsche Cayenne manned by a security guard who held the back door open. Alessio and Adriana climbed inside.
"Come." Luca picked up his pace, leading me toward the car. "We have to get out of here. Now."
I shoved him off me. "What are you talking about?"
He grabbed my arm again. "You are coming with us."
One of five ARCs for Dagger in the Sea
Cat Porter was born and raised in New York City, but also spent a few years in Europe, Texas and the suburbs along the way. As an introverted, only child, she had very big, but very secret dreams for herself. She graduated from Vassar College, was a struggling actress, an art gallery girl, special events planner, freelance writer, and had all sorts of other crazy jobs all hours of the day and night to help make those dreams come true. She has two children's books traditionally published under her maiden name. She now lives in Greece with her husband and three children, and freaks out regularly and still daydreams way too much. She is addicted to old movies, the History Channel, her iPad, her husband's homemade red wine, really dark chocolate, and her Nespresso coffee machine. Writing keeps her somewhat sane, extremely happy, and a productive member of society. If you enjoy character driven epic tales, her books are for you.


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Four zodiac signs will be the happiest this year in 2018. Is your sign on the list? Read on to find out!
Your zodiac sign does unlock a lot of secrets about your personality and subconscious. Another thing it can potentially reveal about your is how happy you'll be this year. Four zodiac signs in particular, are guaranteed to have a happy 2018 and they'll be much happier than usual. Is your sign one of the lucky ones? Find out!
#1 Gemini
Gemini, for you, 2018 is going to be the year when you finally find your independence. In the past years, you have tried to be as independent as possible, but you haven't been able to rely on yourself completely even though you've been working on it. If you're one of those Geminis who rely on self-reliance and freedom, you'll find exactly what you're looking for in this year. Your independence will make you a happier person and you'll use this new power, you'll regain your self confidence and charge through the new year.
#2 Leo
Leo, this year, you'll actually believe in yourself. You do try to keep your ego in check always, but this year, it'll be all evident that you're the king of the jungle. 2018 will be the year when you finally move on from your failures of the past, and focus more on the present and building a good future for you. The energy that you have this year will charge you and you can get a lot accomplished in this year if you keep your eyes on the prize and don't get distracted by little stuff.
#3 Libra
Libra, you will find peace and serenity this year, and it will make you very happy. This is exceptionally good because your last year was quite chaotic. You now remember the lessons from last year which were extremely stressful, but now, it is a serene year for you. You'll finally manage to make peace with your own head, and that's a big battle that you've won. Take your time to appreciate the beauty in your life, and stop to smell the roses, because you'll end up being even happier than you could have imagined.
#4 Sagittarius
Sagittarius, this year will be the year of new opportunities for you. You'll be making some big moves, and you won't shy away from making the best of the opportunities that you receive this year, which is in contrast to all those things that you went through the last year. Seize the day and make the best of everything that comes to you. 2018 is going to bring you a renewed faith in life, and you'll finally be hopeful about your future again, which is for the first time in a very long time.


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I have been told by my mole in English Heritage that there is a plan to bring archaeologists back to the Battle Abbey site this coming Easter as a result of public pressure to find evidence of the Battle of Hastings. When asked who was planning to do the work I was told it was not going to be Time Team again but would be done by "their people" and would not be drawn on the matter. Elements within English Heritage are "unhappy" that further evidence is needed because they believe their experts should tell the English public to take their word for it (and their money too).
Having not found anything relevant to the period of the Battle of Hastings at the Battle Abbey site, not a belt buckle, pin, ring of chain mail or even a button the claim that the Battle of Hastings was fought at Battle Abbey by English Heritage history experts is currently in ruins and needs a big fix. Visitor figures have I believe plummeted and unless something is found quickly the future of the battlefield as a commercial enterprise must be in doubt in the days when all costs are under pressure. It is my belief that the current site is losing English Heritage a six figure sum per annum and the Heritage Center built at a time when they knew the claim for the battlefield was under threat was a serious mistake.
My view is that the investigation is welcomed and let us agree that a proper investigation of that site is essential in order to eliminate it from the search. That continues in the Crowhurst Valley, where documentation in the Chronicle of Battle Abbey confirms it is to be found.


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Leaf Skeleton Studs
Leaf skeleton sterling silver stud earrings measuring approximately 3mm x 5mm.
Sarah Beaumont is an independent designer and maker of bespoke jewellery and wedding rings based in rural Yorkshire.
Postage Details
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Postage Policy
SHIPPING: Most items are made to order so please allow 10 working days. We will let you know when your item is on its way. Certain times of the year can be busier than others, but if there is likely to be a delay we will let you know. All normal parcels are sent via Royal Mail Express service which will cost £6.00. This is trackable and is insured up to £100. A signature won't be required and your parcel should arrive 24 - 48 hours AFTER ORDER COMPLETION.
Return Policy
All returns are dealt with on a case by case individual basis. Please don't send anything to Midnight Alchemy Designs expecting a return without contacting us first. Also note, all refunds will be sent via the original method of payment. In accordance with the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if you are not 100% happy with your purchase, please notify us of the issue via email or by using the Contact Page within 30 days of receiving your item and someone will get back to you to organise your exchange/refund (where applicable). Please note that custom orders, including all rings and bangles sized specifically to order are non exchangeable nor refundable unless deemed faulty by Midnight Alchemy. If work has already started, a fee may be incurred. If you have received a faulty item, or a fault appears with the item within 6 months of your purchase date, please contact us and we will arrange a replacement or repair for you. Please note that Midnight Alchemy Designs will have the final say on whether the item is faulty, and items damaged through neglect, force, or mis-use will not be repaired or replaced by Midnight Alchemy Designs and the cost will fall with the customer. We want you to be happy with your purchase and will work with you, where reasonable, to ensure that you are. Only items returned in original, unworn, saleable condition, within the 7 day period, may be considered for refunds/exchanges.


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Archive for July, 2015
Recursive Funktion
"Recursive Funktion" is a new original funk/fusion track for guitar, bass, keys and drums. As is my normal practice, I play/record the guitar & bass parts "live" and use midi & soft synths for the drum and keyboard tracks.
I hope you'll check it out.
*Warning* — bass solo at 2:40. 😉
Old Guy Plays "Fools Rush In"
"Fools Rush In" may the the last oldies video for a while; I have no others planned right now. That could, of course, change should I think of some I'd like to do.
The inspiration for my version dates back to Ricky Nelson and his recording from 1963.
"Dis-Funk-Shun" is a new composition in my fusion format of guitar, bass, drums and keyboard. Please check it out!
Video of "Taco Cat"
Taking a little detour from the oldies/trio arrangements…here is an original instrumental composition in a "classic rock" style that recalls a little bit of Deep Purple, a little bit of Steppenwolf, and maybe even a little Sly and the Family Stone.
Old Guy Plays "Honky Tonk Night Train"
"Honky Tonk Night Train" is a mashup/medley of two famous blues-based instrumentals from the 1950's, both of which have been covered countless times. "Honky-Tonk" was a hit for Bill Doggett in 1956. "Night Train" was first recored in 1951 by Jimmy Forrest. I thought they went well together.
Old Guy Plays "Ghost Riders in the Sky"
"Ghost Riders in the Sky", originally written and recorded in 1948 by Stan Jones, is one of the most recorded songs in history, covered by an amazingly wide range of artists including Burl Ives, Vaughn Monroe, Bing Crosby and Peggy Lee – all in 1949, and later Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and Johnny Cash. It is also well represented as a guitar instrumental by The Ramrods, The Ventures, the Spotniks, and Dave Allan and the Arrows.
Old Guy Plays "Rumble"
In many ways, this song "started it all": "Rumble", originally performed, recorded and released by Link Wray and the Raymen in 1958. It was one of the very first guitar instrumentals. It introduced a distorted guitar tone and "power chords". It is one of very few instrumental singles banned from the radio airwaves…presumably because of its title (which was reportedly suggested by Phil Everly, as as it had a rough sound and said it sounded like a street fight).


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Bit of a rough week. So these matches were helpful. I like matches. They helped to cook a chicken.
Come back for the butterfly count and giveway of a year's subscription Wilder Quarterly on Monday.
And may your sailing be smooth.
sorry for the rough week. Hoping for better!ReplyDelete
May there always be matches in times of darkness. And braaing. :-) Next week will be much better. It always is.ReplyDelete
Just looked at the Wilder Quarterly you linked. Very nice!
Hope your weekend is phenomenally wonderful and full of happiness (much better than the past week).
thanks for sharing the earthbound wisdom. Love hearing from you.ReplyDelete
get thee a chimney starter.ReplyDelete
Comments left on older posts are moderated (purely for spam control). Please be patient, you will be seen!


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Making the Case for Gender Equality in Large-Scale Renewable Energy Infrastructure Development: Resources
Documents and Case Studies
- L. Aguilar, M. Granat, & C. Owren. (2015). Roots for the future: The landscape and way forward on gender and climate change. Washington, DC: IUCN & GGCA. Available here.
- Asian Development Bank (ADB). (2012). Gender tool kit: Energy—Going beyond the meter. Available here.
- Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). (2013). Integrating Gender Considerations into Energy Operations. Available here.
- Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). Gender and Electricity Infrastructure: Understanding the Gender Dimensions of Generation, Transmission and Distribution Projects. Available here.
- Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). (2014). Gender and renewable energy: Wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric energy. Gender and Diversity Division, Social Sector. November 2014. Available here.
- Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Center (2017). Global trends in renewable energy investment 2017. Frankfurt School- UNEP Collaborating Center. Available here.
- Gonzalez, A. (forthcoming). Gender-Responsive Geothermal Generation: Harvesting Energy and Social Benefits in El Salvador. AGENT Energy Case Study Series. USAID and IUCN.
- Kelkar, G. (2009). Adivasi women engaging with climate change. UNIFEM, IFAD, The Christian Fund. Available here.
- Pearl-Martinez, R. (2014). Women at the forefront of the clean energy future. A White Paper of the USAID/IUCN Initiative Gender Equality for Climate Change Opportunities (GECCO). Washington, DC: IUCN-USAID. Available here.
- Onyango, S & Varet, J. (2014). For a new social gender-based approach to local geothermal development. Proceedings 5th African Rift Geothermal Conference. Arusha, Tanzania 29-31 October 2014.
- Rojas, A., Prebble, M., & Siles, J. (2015). Flipping the switch:Ensuring the energy sector is sustainable and gender- responsive. In L. Aguilar, M. Granat, & C. Owren (Authors), Roots for the future: The landscape and way forward on gender and climate change. Washington, DC: IUCN & GGCA. Available here.
- Women and Gender Constituency. (2015). Gender Equality and Women's Human Rights are Fundamental to Combating Climate Change. Available here.
- World Bank. (2012). A Guide for Local Benefit Sharing in Hydropower Projects. Available here.
- Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP)
- IUCN Global Gender Office
- World Bank Group: Gender and Energy Projects
Videos and Webinars
- IUCN GGO (2017) Fomentar la Participacion de las Mujeres en el Sectro Energetico. GECCO Webinar. Available here.
- IUCN GGO (2017). Addressing gender considerations in large-scale energy infrastructure, policies and project development. GECCO Webinar. Available here.
- IUCN GGO (2017). Transversalizando el enfoque de género en la infraestructura energética a gran escala. GECCO Webinar. Available here.
- IUCN GGO. (2015). Gender equality in the energy sector: Understanding how renewable energy contributes to empowerment."Large-scale energy infrastructures, if they are not gender neutral why do we hear so little about it?" GECCO Webinarpresentation by Vanessa Janik-Lopes. Available here.
- IUCN GGO. (2015). Gender in large-scale energy infrastructure. GECCO Webinar. Available here.


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Friday, June 7, 2013
Ruby Rock It Bella June Blog Hop
31 comments:
WOW - what a delicate and delightful pocket this is Liana, a gift even without any goodies inside!!!ReplyDelete
Love your pretty colours & layers, with the blue bling and what looks like a cute little quilled flower too!!!
- AnonymousJune 7, 2013 at 5:35 AM
This is so pretty. I'm sure it will make a lovely gift holder.ReplyDelete
Very pretty! Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Lovely, thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
uauuu!!! Que LinduuuU!ReplyDelete
Oinnnnnnnn.. que delicia essas cores e essa criatividade!!!ReplyDelete
Love your card, thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Love that vellum pocket! So creative!ReplyDelete
Creative , great idea!!!!ReplyDelete
So delicated, i love it!ReplyDelete
So bright and sweet. Just right for some wonderful little one or little girl pages. Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Super cute! I love the paper colors that you chose.ReplyDelete
What a a sweet little pocket card!! Beautiful!!ReplyDelete
So SWEET!!!ReplyDelete
Love the details, it is perfect!
Very pretty card. I love all the layers and textures on it.ReplyDelete
A very feminine and delicate card! Well done.ReplyDelete
D E L I G H T F U L !! This card is simply divine! I love the pastels, the ribbon, the little flower, the bling and the fairy dust is magical! Anyone would want to do something extra nice just to be able to receive this delightful card! This is definitely my favorite project on this hop! It is so beautiful and has an airy and magical feel to it! TFS!ReplyDelete
Just have to add that I am a newbie here and I am now a new follower because I can't wait to see your other creations! Thanks for having me!ReplyDelete
All those little flags look so cute. What a great look.ReplyDelete
So sweet and delicate!ReplyDelete
Muito fofo.ReplyDelete
Such a cute project !ReplyDelete
Very pretty and I love all the elements.ReplyDelete
Beautiful creations! thank you for the inspiration!ReplyDelete
Bright colors, yet delicate. Lovely job.ReplyDelete
So pretty and practical being able to put gift cards in it too!ReplyDelete
Wow, this is so pretty. I love the layering, thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
love the color combo on your card!ReplyDelete
Very pretty!!ReplyDelete
So pretty! Liana... love it... hugs...xReplyDelete


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Darren Walker (pictured above) was born in a charity hospital in Lafayette, La., and grew up in the 1960s in a single-parent household in rural Texas, where his mother worked as a nurse's aide and he was enrolled in one of the first Head Start programs. He went on to the University of Texas at Austin with help from a Pell grant scholarship, awarded to low-income students based on financial need. He put in a few years at a prestigious Manhattan law firm and a Wall Street investment bank. Then he moved into the nonprofit world, first in Harlem, where, among other things, he worked on the project to build the first full-service supermarket there in a generation.
On Thursday, Mr. Walker, 53, will take the next step in a career that has taken him from Harlem to world-famous foundations five and a half miles away in Midtown Manhattan. He is to be named president of the Ford Foundation, the nation's second-largest philanthropic organization. He will succeed Luis Ubiñas, who announced in March that he would step down. For Mr. Walker, the new job is a promotion. He has been a vice president at Ford since 2010, when Mr. Ubiñas hired him away from the Rockefeller Foundation, where Mr. Walker had worked for several years, also as a vice president.
Continue reading "Darren Walker to be Named President of the Ford Foundation"