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Recipe: Seared Scallops with Creamed Leeks and Bacon
Between Christmas and New Years, we traveled to San Francisco to see the California kids, Bob and Erin. They have recently moved to a new place near the Presidio and we wanted to see their new neighborhood. We walked all around, biked through Golden Gate Park and saw the Bison, and we all sampled fine food at a few of their neighborhood restaurants. The food in San Francisco is just one of the reasons I like that city, so many different cultures, so many cuisines, and right on the coast so … fresh seafood! However, nothing we had in a restaurant compared well with what Bob and Erin made us for dinner.
After Bob and I biked through Golden Gate park, we did the shopping for the evening meal at one of the many market areas within walking distance of their place. Stupid me, I didn't bring my camera to capture the abundance of fresh produce and seafood available at astoundingly low prices. After picking up the produce, we bought a pound of bay scallops at a local fish market (from the actual bay about 2 miles away. how local is that!) and biked back to the apartment. City living at its best!
This was my introduction to leeks. I'd seen them, heard of them, and skipped recipes in which they were included because I had no idea what they tasted like or how to prepare them. Yeah, for a food-blogger, I'm not much of a risk-taker, eh?
If you've never had leeks, they taste vaguely like onions, only less-so. Their slightly sweet, mild flavor will go well anyplace you'd use an onion, but don't want the onion flavor to overwhelm. They're even milder than shallots. Prep is quite easy. You only use the white part of the leek, so the first step is to cut away the very end of the root, and then everything green or green-ish. Slice them up and submerge them repeatedly in water to rinse all the dirt away. Drain and dry, and you're ready to go.
Once the leeks are prepped, things get into high gear. Rinse and drain the scallops so they don't have any excess moisture (it makes it easy/possible to sear them quickly). In one skillet, melt the butter over low heat and cook the leeks and garlic, covered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes (until tender). Add the cream and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the volume of liquid is reduced by 2/3. When the sauce is reduced, add the bacon and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In another skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, then remove and drain on paper towels, reserving 2T of bacon grease. Heat the reserved bacon grease over high heat until smoking. Add the scallops and cook, stirring frequently for two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the scallops evenly on serving plates, dress with the sauce and serve immediately.
Bob and Erin served this with oven-roasted potatoes dressed with olive oil, and it was delicious. In addition to having a new scallop recipe in my repertoire, I have a brand new vegetable that I'm not scared of anymore!
|Seared Scallops with Creamed Leeks and Bacon
- 8 leeks, white parts only
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 lb. bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lb. fresh bay scallops, or sea scallops cut into quarters, rinsed and patted dry
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- Trim leeks and slice thinly, place into a colander under running water to remove all the dirt. Drain.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add garlic and leeks, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add cream and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally until reduced in volume by 2/3.
- While sauce is cooking, cook bacon in a second skillet until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 T of bacon grease. When sauce is reduced, add bacon to it and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat reserved bacon grease over high heat until smoking, add scallops. Cook, stirring frequently for two minutes. Season scallops with salt and pepper.
- Divide scallops evenly between plates and cover with sauce. Serve immediately.
Rating: 5 out of 5 glasses of fine California white wine or Tecate, which is what I had. This is so rich and delicious, it's hard to describe adequately.


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The Force Awakens may take place 30 years after the Battle of Endor, but things don't seem all that different when it comes to good and evil. The Rebel Alliance and Empire have been replaced by the Resistance and First Order and the galaxy is still full of nefarious big bads. Cue Gwendoline Christie's 'Chrometrooper', Captain Phasma, who definitely doesn't appear to suffer fools gladly, as evidenced by this new image.
We don't know where Phasma sits on the evil scale between Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux and Andy Serkis' Supreme Leader Snoke or how much screen time she will have, but in terms of scoring cool points, Phasma is head and shiny shoulders above the competition.
For an in-depth interview with Christie and more Star Wars snippets, be sure to pick up our Force Awakens special which hits shelves on November 26. The Force Awakens flies into UK cinemas on December 17 and US screens the next day.

subset: commoncrawl


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Speaking at the recent HunterNet Defence Conference in Newcastle, Anthony Roberts noted that there had been a major culture shift in the state government's outlook on Defence and the industry.
"Ten years ago we looked at the industry with a sort of, it was a real indifference," Roberts said. "That has changed.
"We want those contracts."
Minister Roberts also commented on the need for each state to recognise what they could and could not do, and what they could realistically offer the ADF.
"There's no point fighting for contracts we can't fulfil. However, we want to be able to say to Christopher Pyne (Minster for Defence Industry), 'how can we help you achieve your goals? In NSW we can do this'."
"I don't necessarily want the whole pie," the Minister joked. "We're happy to share with the other states and territories."
Jokes aside, Minster Roberts also made a point of his intent to win contracts that include not just the initial build, but the longer term maintenance through life-of-type contracts.
"I'd also like to see Naval shipbuilding and maintenance here in Newcastle," he added.
When asked about possible closures of RAAF Base Richmond, Minister Roberts was quick to answer.
"Decisions like that would be made by RAAF and we as a government trust the decisions made by them. Personally I can't see it closing any time soon anyway."


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I've received some great jokes in my e-mail recently. The ones I'm posting today all seemed to be scenarios that were crazy enough to actually happen or were maybe even fairly likely to occur. I'll leave it to you to decide, as you read these, what the chances are of these events' happening in real life. Whether these scenarios are likely or not, I found them all humorous and predict that you'll chuckle at least once as you read this. Read on and tell me if I'm wrong.
A van carrying a dozen movie stuntmen on the way to a film location in the mountains spun out of control on the icy road, crashed through a guard-rail, rolled down a 90-foot embankment, turned over, and burst into flames.
There were no injuries.
One day in Little Johnny's kindergarten class, his teacher was telling them the story of the three little pigs. They were at the part when the first pig needed to build his house.
"Then," the teacher said, "the first little pig needed straw to build his house. Along the road he saw a farmer carrying a bail of straw. So the little pig walked up to the farmer and asked him if he could borrow his straw to build a house. Then class, do you know what the farmer said?"
Little Johnny immediately raised his hand and waved it furiously.
"Yes, Johnny?" said the teacher.
He replied, "I know! I know! The farmer said, 'WOW! A TALKING PIG!!!'"
A Harley biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when he sees a little girl leaning close to a lion's cage.
Suddenly the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, right before the eyes of her screaming parents.
The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage, and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch.
Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back, letting go of the girl. And the biker takes the girl to her terrified parents, who thank him profusely.
A reporter who witnessed the whole event addresses the Harley rider, "Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I've seen a man do in my whole life!"
The Harley rider replies, "Why, it was nothing really; the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger and acted as I felt was right to do."
The reporter says, "Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page... So, let me get a little information about you. What do you do for a living and, just out of curiousity, what's your political affiliation?"
The biker replies, "I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican."
The following morning the biker buys the paper to see news of his actions and reads on the front page:
And that pretty much sums up the media's approach to the news these days.
(Supposedly the following is the message on a statistician's answering machine.): "Hello, this is probably 438-9012 ... yes, the house of the famous statistician. I'm probably not at home, or not wanting to answer the phone, most probably the latter, according to my latest calculations. Supposing that the universe doesn't end in the next 30 seconds, the odds of which I'm still trying to calculate, you can leave your name, phone number, and message, and I'll probably phone you back. So far the probability of that is about 0.645. Have a nice day."
The supervisor for the Union of Road Construction Workers called the meeting to order. "Men, we've agreed on a new deal with the state.
We'll no longer have to work FOUR days a week!"
"HOORAY!!!" the crowd cheered.
"We'll quit work at 4 PM, and not 5 PM!"
"HOORAY!!!" the crowd roared.
"We don't have to be in until 11 AM, instead of 10 AM!"
"HOORAY!!!" the crowd thundered.
"And now, even though 99% of the roads in the country are blocked by orange barrels, we'll have to work only on Wednesdays!"
A voice from the back of the room asked, "You mean, EVERY Wednesday?!"
So, which of these do you think is the most and least likely? I hope you didn't make it through these without being amused at least once!
"Contentment is a rare commodity." — Drew Conley
=^..^= =^..^=
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they are okay, then it's you.


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June 1, 2007
General Ledger
l Added Account Type selection to Voucher Enquiry (GLEVL)
l Undo GL Voucher Posting now only show vouchers within GL Open Period
Accounts Payable
l Added Payment Voucher document APRPV in Payment Voucher APFPA and Report - Documents
l Automatic adjust unit cost and total cost for last purchase return transaction when Purchase Return use Purchase Cost for IC Transactions in Company Setup is turn on.
HRPro 3.5
l Years of Services in Employee Master displays Years, Months, Days
l MPF auto calculation now excluded employees with age below 18 and above 65
l Added Leave Type Combo Box in Employee Master PLFEE Leave Tab
l Hourly Rate will be calculated and displayed in Employee Master PLFEE
l Added Undo IR56B Posting PLPUP
l Added OT Rate Type Maintenance PLFOT
l Added Department Maintenance PLFDP
l Implemented Enable 60 days retention for employer first contribution
l Added Compensation Leave Nature in Leave Adjustment PLFLE
l Added Compensation Leave Balance in Employee Master PLFEE
l Added Sick Leave Balance in Employee Master PLFEE
l Added HRPRO Reminder access rights control
l HRPRO Reminder – Added Long Service Employees Anniversary within this 2 Months
l Added Pay Type Amount 1 to 6 to Employee Master PLFEE
l Added Contract End Date to Employee Master PLFEE
l Added Contract End Employee(s) of this 2 Months to HRPro Reminder
Client under warranty period or covered by a Maintenance Plan is entitled free upgrade, please contact ERPro Support Team by email firstname.lastname@example.com or phone 2782-0669 for upgrade arrangement.
What's New >


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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- ABC plans to give viewers a refresher course on three of its top series as one-hour recaps of "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost" are all set to air the week leading up to the start of the May sweeps period.
The news marks the third such special for both "Housewives" and "Lost," and the second for "Anatomy."
"Desperate Housewives: The More You Know, The Juicier It Gets" and "Grey's Anatomy: Under Pressure" are set to air on Sunday, April 23 in the shows' regular time periods of 9:00/8:00c and 10:00/9:00c respectively. "Lost: Reckoning" then will fill the 9:00/8:00c slot on Wednesday, April 26.


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The war on Spanish
"My son called me on Monday and said he had been suspended for speaking Spanish," Rubio said. "I could not believe it. I went to the school and spoke to Mrs. (Jennifer) Watts and asked her if this was school policy. She told me, 'no,' but said 'We are not in Mexico, we are not in Germany.'"Hopefully it's the last.
Watts refused to comment to The Kansan.
However, Bart Swartz, executive director of certified personnel for Turner [school district], said Superintendent Bobby Allen was apprised of the situation immediately and met with Rubio.
"As soon as the superintendent found out the student was suspended, the superintendent notified the student that he could come back to school," Swartz said. "We do not stand behind suspending students for speaking foreign languages."
Zach and a friend were told not to speak Spanish in the lunch area on Monday. As he left to go to his class, he started speaking Spanish again to his friend and was told again not to speak Spanish on the way to class. About 45 minutes later, he was sent back to the office by his teacher for speaking Spanish to a classmate in a classroom. Zach was then told to call his father because he was suspended from school for the rest of the day and on Tuesday for non-compliance. A "reasonable" request to not speak Spanish at school, signed by Jennifer Watts, the principal of the school, was written on a disciplinary referral dated Monday.
In addition to the reason for suspension, Watts also wrote, "This is not the first time we have asked Zach and others to not speak Spanish at school."
Update: Tony saw the story, and says:
there is nothing more American than a nice fat settlement on a court case of questionable meritsHis emphasis.
Let's add this to the list of things to ponder.
- "French society is threatened by anarchy and lawlessness"
- "root and branch corruption is threatening the essence of Italian democracy"
- "Muslim immigrants cannot fit into British society because they are insular, bigoted and sexually repressed".
- "American society cannot withstand the use of courts to resolve personal grievances."


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Aquaria Avena Lounge
The Aquaria Avena Foam Pool Lounge is the luxurious way to laze about in your swimming pool without spending a fortune. The ultra-soft, quilted sating surface is over six feet long and features an integrated pillow that helps keep your head above the surface of the water.
Aquaria Floats are engineered from Aqua Cell foam that does not crack, chip, peel or get water-logged. This durable pool lounge is built to last to stand up to pool chemicals, the sun, and even salt water. The Aquaria Avena foam lounge is color permeated which means it is the same vivid blue throughout so if it does get cut or punctured, the blemish does not show through helping it maintain it's like new appearance for years.
- Aquaria Avena Lounge - Blue Swimways # 63048
- Aquaria Avena Lounge - Aqua Swimways # 63047
- Aqua Cell foam doesn't crack, chip or peel like traditional vinyl-dipped floats
- Non-absorbent
- Color-Fusion Technology permeates the entire float with rich, long-lasting color
- AquaSoft cushioning is comfortably buoyant
- Measures 74" x 28" x 2"
- Weight capacity: 250 lbs


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per person
per night
shared double room
Guided by the conviction that, "when the body fasts, the soul goes hungry," Dr Otto Buchinger, a German doctor and philosopher, believed that the spontaneous desire for introspection and inner contemplation brought about by fasting is a means to healing – physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Therapeutic fasting involves voluntarily giving up solid food for a prescribed period of time. It helps to strengthen your immune system, activate your self-healing powers, treat a wide range of chronic illnesses and increase your general vitality and wellbeing.
Buchinger Wilhelmi provides you with a caring environment to walk that path under medical supervision. The clinic combines the best of Western medicine, ancient Far Eastern naturopathic knowledge and scientific progress with alternative therapies – an integrative approach which is nourishment for the body, spirit and soul. With several fasting programs to choose from and a wide range of therapies you'll be supported by an expert team of holistic medical staff and practitioners in what many guests have described as a "life-changing experience".
A day at Buchinger Wilhelmi is based on what we need for a balanced, fulfilled and healthy life – exercise and rest, hunger and nourishment, inspiration and relaxation, time on your own balanced by the company of others.
Buchinger Wilhelmi is a clinic, but it is far from the clichéd idea of a sterile medical facility. It is a third-generation family business with all the warmth and personal care that comes with it. The architecture is light-infused and sensual, featuring natural materials and colors.
Against the backdrop of the Sierra Blanca Mountains you'll bask in the Mediterranean sun, whilst more than 200 specialists from diverse areas like medicine, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, nutrition, sport and nursing guide you through a holistic program based on Dr Buchinger's prescription for a "spiritual diet". From morning health checks to evening music concerts, strolls through gardens that blossom year-round and a daily program of activities that includes everything from Yoga and Pilates, to guided exercise and meditation classes, art, music, literature, coaching and accompanying forms of psychotherapy – every day is designed to create a sense of harmony within and with the surrounding world.
«We loved the lush gardens and the unique Spanish flair.»
- 53 single and 11 double rooms with mountain or Mediterranean sea views, 17 junior suites, 17 executive rooms and 3 spacious penthouse suites
- Accommodation in two buildings: the Main Building – built in the typical Andalusian country house style and "Villa Maria" – a modern, Mediterranean architecture style
- Sustainable design and organic gardens
Massage and hydrotherapy rooms, fitness centre, Finnish sauna, steam room, hydromassage showers
(Medical) Treatments
A combination of Western medicine, complementary medicine, psychotherapy and alternative healing techniques including:
- Acupressure, art therapy, body-oriented psychotherapy, chromotherapy, classical naturopathy, dietetics, galvanic current hydrotherapy, golf therapy, homeopathy, jet shower, kinesiotherapy, Kneipp water treatment, lymphatic drainage, massages (also sound massage with Tibetan singing bowls and underwater massage), meditations, myoreflex therapy, nutritional and dietary consultations, orthomolecular medicine, osteopathy, personal coaching sessions, psychosomatic medicine, psychotherapy (for couples as well), physiotherapy, rehabilitation training, TCM, therapeutic fasting, therapy for couples, water gymnastics
- Beauty, hair care and anti-aging treatments using certified natural cosmetics by Weleda and Dr. Hauschka
- Choice of fasting (800kcal) or wholefood organic gourmet cuisine (2,000kcal) tailored to the individual
- Fasting menu: freshly squeezed fruit juices and clear vegetable consommés
- 100% certified organic produce – mostly grown in the clinic's own vegetable gardens
Choice of individual or group activities inlcuding:
art exhibitions, art lesson, autogenic training, concerts, cooking demonstrations and lessons, creative activities, dancing classes, fitness (personal training available), golf (nearby), guided walks and treks including to the UNESCO biosphere reserve and Sierra de las Nieves, lectures and workshops on psychological, philosophical and spiritual topics, meditation, Nordic walking, painting workshop, Pilates, powerwalking, Qi Gong, relaxation classes, swimming, tai chi, tennis, tours to local attractions, yoga
Located on Andalusia's Costa del Sol flanked by the Mediterranean Sea, Sierra Blanca Mountains and the UNESCO biosphere reserve, Sierra de las Nieves.
How to get there
- 60 km to Malaga airport (approximately 40 minutes by car)
- 3 km to Marbella (approximately 5 minutes by car)
- 5 km to Puerto Banús (approximately 10 minutes by car)
Avda. Buchinger s/n
29602 Marbella


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Review of Rodney King in the International Festival of Arts & Ideas
For the moment, the racist slaying of black church members in Charleston, SC, by a young white man has eclipsed, in news cycles, the wealth of stories of the racist law enforcement tactics of police—some leading to death—in a number of states in the past year. While the events in SC are a horrendous blow, joining the many acts of social and often political violence perpetrated by "lone gunmen" in our national psychosis, the violence against citizens of color, some of them committing criminal acts, some of them not, by our public defenders points up the persistence of what used to be called "institutional racism." And whenever you invoke the names of Eric Garner or Michael Brown, you might as well begin with Rodney King.
King was, in the words of Roger Guenveur Smith, "the first hero of reality TV" whose bludgeoning by the clubs of the LAPD in 1991 "went viral before viral was invented." That's worth saying because the status of King, in U.S. racial history, is due to hand-held personal video equipment and media dissemination. His treatment was not unusual, for uncooperative blacks facing the law in the U.S.; what was unusual was that the beating was filmed, shared, and seen.
Smith's words are part of his solo performance piece Rodney King, which closed today at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. Smith says he began working on the show when he heard the news of King's death in 2012, a "second-generation death by drowning drunk" in King's family (King drowned in his swimming pool; King's father had drowned drunk in the bathtub). Smith wanted to reflect on why King's death made him feel, though he had never met the man, like he had lost a brother.
Rodney King presents a dramatic apostrophe to King, addressing him familiarly and knowledgeably, often implicitly questioning King's decisions and lifestyle—he had been convicted in the past of robbery and assault and battery—while working-in details recounted in his subject's autobiography. Smith's almost musical, partially improvised script creates an echo chamber of voices talking about and around and through King's beating and its aftermath, the LA riots of 1992. In shorthand fashion we hear of the trial of his assailants (acquitted of use of excessive force), and of the destruction and slayings—at least 50 deaths—in the riots afterward, and of the lead-up to and content of King's famous public statement during the riots, "can we all get along?"
We watch Smith's emotive performance with fascination, never quite sure which buttons he will push, which taglines from our nation's hysteria about racial difference and its unease about its racist assumptions will suddenly take on swift new resonance. Gripping as Rodney King is, Smith occasionally over-reaches, his delivery seeming to circle around events as on a loop and making more of some than they merit (such as King's "incog-negro" visit to the scene where rioters killed someone); at other times he mimics more emotion than he inspires.
Smith's King is an unassuming, Everyman hero, the kind of person who would never achieve a spotlight through his own efforts. He's simply a not-so-hard-working guy, enthrall to "the four horsemen," pot, PCP, coke, and booze. King, it seems, managed to attain his "modest house with swimming pool" by virtue of having survived the "most famous ass-kicking of all time." Smith is fully aware of the irony of singing King's praises in this light, and that fact lends a certain jocular affection toward King, and, lest we think that the offense to King was too slight (after all, such logic runs, he lived to tell of it and became famous and was paid millions in damages), Smith includes the story of Latasha Harlins, a minor gunned down after an altercation with a convenience-store owner who believed she was shoplifting a bottle of OJ. Thus, as Smith says emphatically more than once, "it's not just about you, Rodney."
Which is to say that the riots weren't "just about" King's treatment, which occurred less than two weeks before Harlins' killing, or about the outcomes of the trials of King's assailants and of Harlins' killer, but about generations who have endured violence due to race, from the inception of slavery through lynchings and beatings to acts of racist terrorism from the Civil Rights marches to today, nor is Rodney King just about one man and his story. Smith sticks to that story, but makes us feel the history that informs it and the timeliness of its presentation here. King, like some of the family members of those slain in South Carolina last week, seemed inclined to forgive—a Christlike gesture that earns from Smith the phrase "the gospel according to Rodney King"—a stance that met with derision in certain circles, where the incitement to arm and avenge in strong. Whether outraged rapper who wants "to fuck Rodney King in the ass" or shrewd lawyer who wants to make Smith's appeal to America "huxtable," Smith lets the voices pass through him, leaving us with a glimpse of King as a man who drowns in a pool, dreaming of surfing and, as he allegedly did before his arrest, giving the finger to the eyes above.
Given the persistence of racial violence in our country, and the widespread, "viral" outbreak of officers caught in the act of killing black persons—Smith gives Garner's last words, "I can't breathe," to King while drowning—Rodney King is searchingly timely. Our era can't claim any moral high-ground that would let us look back at the events surrounding King from some alleged "post-racial" society. In fact, we might even look back in something like nostalgia for a time when white lawmen descended after a highspeed chase upon a car containing three black men and let them all get out of the car. They beat King senseless, true, but today, in some localities anyway, they would most likely have opened fire the minute the car stopped.
International Festival of Arts & Ideas presents
Rodney King
Created and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith
Sound Design: Marc Anthony Thompson; Lighting Design: José López; Production Management: Kirk Wilson
June 18-20, 2015, 8 pm June 21, 2 pm
Long Wharf Theatre


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Join Hanson Bridgett, Solutions with Sonya, Glass Lewis, Just Invest, MSCI, and SASB for a discussion on how you can make a positive impact with your financial choices. Our expert executives from the legal, investing, and banking world will share perspectives on investing with intention, public vs. private impact investments, and banking and lending with positive intention. The panel will also give their opinions on the different flavors of impact as well as their views on the outlook for growth in ESG and impact investing over the next 3-5 years. They will discuss barriers to adoption and potential solutions to move greater amounts of capital to investments that maximize returns and have a positive impact on the overwhelming environmental and social issues of today. Each panelist will share a story of individual career success, sharing tips and ideas with the audience on growing their own careers.
We expect nearly 75 investing, lending, and legal professionals in the audience. Attendees will include portfolio managers, bankers, lenders, financial advisors, CIOs, relationship managers, research analysts, principals of RIA firms and family offices, pension & endowment advisors, fintech entrepreneurs, and more.
Our Panel:
Sonya Dreizler, CEO, Solutions with Sonya (Moderator)
Courtney Keatinge, Director, ESG Research, Glass Lewis
Scott Smith, Partner, Corporate Group, Hanson Bridgett
Jonathan Hudacko, CEO, Just Invest
Jamie Nulph, ESG Consultant, MSCI
Nicolai Lundy, Director of Product and Partnerships, SASB


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The Mzia-3 appraisal well in Block 1 off Tanzania encountered a combined total of 183 ft of net pay in the Lower and Middle sands and confirmed reservoir quality in line with that seen in the Mzia-1 and Mzia-2 wells. BG Group (60%) operates Block 1 with partner Ophir (40%).
Oil was discovered at the Ekales-1 wildcat well located in Block 13T in northern Kenya. The well has a potential net pay of between 197 and 322 ft in the Auwerwer and Upper Lokone sandstone formations. Tullow (50%) operates 13T with partner Africa Oil (50%).
Heavy oil was discovered at the Luda 5-2 North discovery wells in the Liaodong Bay area of China's Bohai Gulf. The two wells, Luda 5-2N-2 and LD 5-2N-4, were both drilled to a depth of approximately 1140 m and encountered oil pay zones with total thickness of 394 and 279 ft, respectively. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (100%) is the operator.
Drilling began on the Malida-1 exploration well in Block G1/48 in the northern part of the Gulf of Thailand. The well will test for the development of the main Miocene-age interval of the Manora oil-bearing sands in an independent fault-dependent structure, east of the Manora field. The well will be drilled to a measured depth of approximately 2670 m. Mubadala Petroleum (60%) operates, with partners Tap Oil (30%) and Northern Gulf Petroleum (10%).
OMV completed its Manaia-2/2A appraisal well within Petroleum Mining Permit (PMP) 38160 in the Maari field located 50 miles off the coast of South Taranaki District, New Zealand. The well, drilled to a measured depth of 2891 m, reached its target in the North Cape formation and intersected oil-bearing sands in the Moki and Mangahewa formations. OMV New Zealand (69%) operates PMP 38160 with partners Todd Maari (16%), Horizon Oil International (10%), and Cue Taranaki (5%).
Drilling began on the Matuku-1 well in New Zealand's Petroleum Exploration Permit (PEP) 51906 in the offshore Taranaki basin. The vertical well will be drilled to a potential total depth of 4750 m. OMV New Zealand (65%) operates PEP 51906 with partners Octanex NZ (22.5%) and New Zealand Oil & Gas (12.5%).
The Luba-1 offshore well on Brunei Block L was spudded. The well will evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of the Triple Junction structure. Serinus has a 90% interest in Block L, through indirect wholly owned subsidiaries Kulczyk Oil Brunei (40%) and AED SEA (operator, 50%). A private Brunei company owns the remaining 10% interest.
A third 3D seismic survey began on Falkland Oil and Gas's license areas to the south and east of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) in the south Atlantic. It is the final survey prior to commencement of drilling operations in late 2014. Interpretation results from the survey, operated by Noble Energy, should be available by the end of the first quarter 2014.
A 396-m column of 28°API oil was confirmed at Petrobras' 3-BRSA-1184-RJS (3-RJS-723) well, informally known as Franco Leste, in the Santos basin presalt Franco area 124 miles southeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Total depth of the well was 5900 m in water depth of 2011 m. Petrobras (100%) is the operator.
Production began at the Papa Terra heavy-oil field development within Block BC-20 of the southern Campos basin, using platform P-63, which is connected to the PPT-12 well. The floating production, storage, and offloading platform is anchored at a water depth of 1200 m and has the capacity to process 140,000 BOPD, compress 1 MMcf/D of gas, and inject 340,000 B/D of water. Petróleo Brasileiro (62.5%) operates Papa Terra with partner Chevron (37.5%).
The Salsala-1 exploration well in Block 32 onshore Yemen flowed naturally at an initial rate of 5,900 B/D of 36°API crude oil. The well, directionally drilled to a total depth of 4147 m, encountered oil shows in the Shuqra formation. DNO International (38.95%) operates Block 32 with partners Ansan Wikfs (42.93%), TransGlobe Energy (13.12%), and Yemen Oil & Gas (5%).
Oil was discovered at the Mirawa-1 exploratory well in the Harir Block in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The well, drilled to a total depth of 4267 m, found oil and natural gas shows over an extensive gross interval of both Jurassic and Triassic reservoirs. Flow rates from multiple Jurassic zones totaled more than 11,000 BOPD. Multiple nonassociated gas zones in the Triassic flowed at rates totaling around 72 MMcf/D, together with associated condensate from one zone at a rate of 1,700 BOEPD. Marathon Oil (45%) operates, with partners Total (35%) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (20%).
Drilling began on the 16/5-5 appraisal well on Norwegian production license (PL) 410. The well will target the Luno II South structure. The reservoir is expected to be of Jurassic/Triassic age. Planned total depth is 2374 m below mean sea level. Lundin Norway (70%) operates PL 410 with partner Statoil (30%).
Oil was discovered at the 6407/8‑6 exploration well and the 6407/8-6A sidetrack well in the Snilehorn prospect in the Norwegian Sea northeast of the Njord field. Estimated volume of the discovery ranges between 55 and 100 million bbl of recoverable oil. Statoil (35%) is the operator, with partners GDF Suez E&P Norge (20%), E.On E&P Norge (17.5%), Core Energy (17.5%), Faroe Petroleum Norge (7.5%), and VNG Norge (2.5%).
Hydrocarbons were confirmed at Statoil's North Sea Askja West prospect exploration Well 31/11-9S in Norwegian PL 272. Statoil (50%) operates PL 272 with partners Det norske (25%) and Svenska Petroleum (25%).
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold Gulf of Mexico Central Planning Area (CPA) oil and gas lease sale 231 in New Orleans on 19 March 2014. The sale is the second CPA lease sale and the fourth overall sale under the 2012–2017 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Natural Gas Leasing Program. The auction will offer 39 million acres offshore Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and include all available unleased areas in the CPA.


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You'll be hearing a new voice when you call the church! Carol Ogren begins officially as our new Office Manager on June 1st. Carol comes to us with over 20 years experience in office settings, including 10 years as church secretary at Sierrra Bible Church in Murphys, California, where her husband Russ, was pastor. They are now actively involved with Pathway Covenant Church in Meridian. Carol and Russ have two grown daughters and three small grandchildren, all of whom live nearby.
Of course, the position Carol is filling is the one that became open with Lisa Wink's upcoming move to Wisconsin. Lisa will be around church for awhile longer. She is one of the Vacation Bible School leaders once again and has even committed to come back for the October Women's Retreat. But her plans are to be in Wisconisn for Bo's job transfer in time for Austin and Garrett to start school.
To say we will miss Lisa would be a huge understatement. She is an incredibly talented individual with great love for our church, great energy to serve our church, and a wonderful, fun, friendly way about her. Lisa has been our Church Administrator for four years. She was the constant through the transition that occurred about two years ago from one pastor to another. It was a huge help for me coming into a new church to have someone like Lisa to answer questions, smooth the waters, and help me get my feet on the ground.
Of course with Lisa, office work has been just a fraction of what she has done for our church. This has been her church and she has always gone above and beyond in serving here. Vacation Bible School, the Women's Retreat, women's socials, Rock the Block, the GPS building purchase (and just a few issues that needed to be dealt with before we could occupy it), Children's Church, the Classics luncheon, adult education, the youth group, mugs for visitors…I could go on and on. The dynamic duo of Lisa Wink and Kahty Huff has indeed been a powerful force moving this church forward. Bottle up the energy and enthusiasm of these two women, and who needs hydroeclectric dams?
One place where Lisa has been a huge help to our church has been in the area of finace. She is a certified public accountant and has really effectively been acting as our Chief Financial Officer. Carol does not have a financial background and we are expanding Traci Alonzo's duties as our church treasurer to help fill the void. Thank you Traci for your willingness to learn "QuickBooks" and a few other new skills. And thank you to Robert Healea, Finance chair, and his committee for stepping up as well.
We'll all get through this transition! What I always remind myself in a time like this, when it's impossible to see around the corner and know for sure what God has in store, is that God is in charge. We don't have to know all the details in advance about how everything will work out. We just have to do our best each day and trust God for the rest.
That's true for Carol, too, as she learns a new job which surely must seem a bit overwhelming right now. And that's true for Lisa. As I think of Lisa, I think of the way things were feeling in my life just two yars ago, on the verge of a big move to a new church in a new city with endless unanswered questions. It's good for us sometimes to find ourselves in the midst of something just overwhelming enough that we have no choice but to trust God.
I suspect several of you are at transition points in your lives for various reasons. God is faithful. That's all you really need to remember. How boring if our lives never changed! God's plan for you and for me and for our church is not at all boring.
Pastor John Watts


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Three years ago, McIlroy was reduced to tears when he blew his chance of winning the Masters after a spectacular final-round collapse.
Leading by four shots at the start of the last day, McIlroy closed with an 80 that included a triple-bogey on the 10th hole that sent him tumbling out of contention.
The following day he burst into tears when he spoke to his mother on the telephone.
"That's probably the only time I've cried over golf," he recounted at a news conference on Tuesday. "Blowing a lead in the final round of the Masters, because you never know if you're going to get that opportunity again.
"It makes it easier these days when you have two majors in the bag. Not that you don't care as much, but it's not the end of the world. You know that you will have more opportunities, and you've taken a couple of opportunities already."
It was a humbling experience for the Northern Irishman that shattered his confidence and raised doubts about his ability to handle the suffocating pressure of Augusta National.
In five appearances at the Masters, McIlroy has yet to finish in the top 10 but the 24-year-old is starting to regain his faith, believing that his meltdown three years ago could ultimately help him win that elusive green jacket.
"I have no ill feelings towards 2011. I thought it was a very important day in my career. It was a big learning curve for me," he said.
"I don't know if I had not had that day, would I be the person and the player that I am sitting here, because I learned so much from it.
"I learned exactly not what to do under pressure and contention, and I definitely learned from that day how to handle my emotions better on the course."
McIlroy instantly healed some of his wounds when he won the 2011 U.S. Open then the 2012 PGA Championship but the Masters has proved elusive.
He finished 40th at Augusta National in 2012 and 25th last year. But returning for his sixth attempt, he now believes it is only a matter of time before he wins the tournament.
"There's a lot of guys that once they drive up Magnolia Lane here, something sort of lights up inside them," he said.
"I feel comfortable on the course. I'm disappointed that my best finish was only 15th.
"I feel like I've played better than that and haven't quite got the results. Hopefully I can change that this week."
After what happened in 2011, McIlroy has learned not to expect too much of himself at Augusta National. He said he has learned to respect the course more and be more prudent with his shot selection.
And if he doesn't win this year, he thinks he will still get plenty of other chances.
"I'd just like to get into contention again and have a chance to win the tournament," he said.
"I answered a question last week: Could you see yourself finishing your career without a green jacket? And I said no, because it's one of the top four prizes in the game, and that's what I want to win.
"If I don't quite win but get myself into contention and have a chance then; of course you're going to have some good memories coming back here."
(Editing by Frank Pingue)


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by Amanda Wager
photos by Eric Boneske Photography
After participating in two wedding shows, BAC executive director Richard Leder was less than thrilled. To his way of thinking, it was unrealistic to try and sell the huge, magnificent, 123-year-old church, the beautiful, circa-1906 church manse next door, and the large, private, gorgeous courtyard behind the manse in a 10-by-10, pipe-and-drape little booth. "Why am I trying to sell my venue in another venue?" Leder asked himself. The answer was loud and clear: Leder decided that the Brooklyn Arts Center at St. Andrews would host its own wedding show.
Coincidentally, after their attendance at the same two shows, Courtney Shaver and Kate Mathies, co-owners and designers of Kickstand Events, a local, full-service wedding planning and design company, arrived at BAC to meet with Leder and discuss the possibility of producing a wedding show in Brooklyn. Kismet. "When we came to talk to Rich about it, he actually brought it up first," Mathies says. "It was perfect timing," says Shavers.
BAC and Kickstand were in complete agreement about something else as well: The Brooklyn Arts Center Wedding Show was going to be different. No pipe and drape, no long lines of attendees shuffling by vendors at speeds too fast for quality interaction. This show would be fun, entertaining, and more informative, with plenty of time for brides to develop personal rapport with the vendors. The show would be scripted, it would be planner-driven, there would be plenty of great food, music, and photography happening in the moment, and the BAC cash bar would be open for business. Mimosa anyone?
It was decided that Sunday, August 7, 2011, would be the first Brooklyn Arts Center Wedding Show. Its incredible success exceeded everyone's expectations.
Producing the Brooklyn Arts Center Wedding Show
The first decision was to plan the show as a series of small, individual weddings taking place simultaneously throughout the venue, to divide BAC into "Wedding Pods" and to put the planners in charge.
"Wedding planners drive the wedding," Leder says, "in the sense that they help the bride achieve her dreams by creating and executing a production and design agenda. It's much harder than it looks. It requires skill, talent, patience, and an eye for detail and design that most people just don't have. I have tremendous respect for our community of professional wedding planners. They make all the difference in wedding after wedding."
Mathies and Shaver immediately began booking top-area planners. They found five whose schedules allowed them to participate. Each was given "a big piece of BAC real estate" to create a wedding and showcase their heart and soul, their talent and experience. The planners chose their own vendors to be in their wedding pods, including DJs, photographers, videographers, cake decorators, caterers, florists, musicians and more. Each pod was unique to that particular planner and his/her team of professional vendors.
Small boutiques would set up shop inside the manse, including jewelers, spas, bridal gowns, and more. Once the decision was made to create a bridal shop inside the manse, the next thought was to have models in gorgeous gowns walking around the venue. From there, the leap to having live photo shoots throughout the show was an easy choice.
When one planner said, "I'll take the courtyard," the slate was full and production, including promotion, commenced in earnest.
"We worked hard on the marketing and PR side of it," Shaver says. "We designed posters and created a Facebook Event, sent out press releases, did some advertising, and got some feature stories written in the Star-News and Encore." Based on the buzz all the press created, ticket sales were strong. Attendees that purchased special Swag Bag tickets received a BAC tote filled with goodies from all of the participating vendors. A fabulous Wilmington Weekend Getaway was raffled off, with the winner receiving a three-day, two-night stay downtown at the Hotel Tarrymore, as well as coupons and gift certificates for local eateries, attractions, and activities.
The hard work paid off: More than 200 brides attended the show.
Hosting the Show
Style Girl Jess James is a local fashion icon. Zach Hanner is a well-known and widely loved musician, actor, writer, director, and all-around goofball (hey, he said it, not us). As hosts of the Brooklyn Arts Center Wedding Show, James and Hanner served as guides, interviewers, entertainers, and facilitators between the brides and the vendors. Traversing the venue armed with wireless microphones, they spotlighted vendors, giving each a moment to talk about what they offered. "It made the show much more dynamic and much more interesting for potential brides," Hanner says.
James and Hanner rehearsed like actors in any real production. "The more prepared you are on the stage, the more knowledgeable you are about what you're doing, then the easier it looks," Hanner says. He arrived early and met every single person that was participating in the show. He and Jess knew what everyone was about and were ready to answer whatever questions came their way.
"Having a scripted event with hosts leading the way, that's something that hasn't been done before," Mathies says. "Being the first to make a wedding show into a full production added a different spin to the same-old, same-old wedding show vibe and got people more involved."
Brides heard about special things going on in various weddings around the venue, even when they weren't near that area. They were directed on where to go when something sparked their interest, "which was quite often," according to Hanner.
"Take Khalilah of A Boxed Event," Hanner says, "her concept was so cool; it was 'The Secret Garden' on the BAC balcony. It was creative and interesting and new. People were blown away."
Participating wedding planners included: A Boxed Event, Design Perfection, Eventz! & Co., Kickstand Events, and Orchid Island Events.
Khalilah Olokunola, Eco Chic Event Stylist for A Boxed Event, decided to participate when she heard the show would be held at the Brooklyn Arts Center. She enjoyed the eco-friendliness of the renovated venue and chose the location of her wedding pod to be the balcony. Her theme was "The Secret Garden."
Her design was vintage-eco: a grass pathway lined with lanterns, moss-covered romance words in the windows, surrounded by calla lilies and lilies, a seven-foot-high curly willow, and, of course, a garden area with bites to eat from Hot Pink Cake Stand and Aramark Catering. Matthew Ray was Khalilah's photographer. "Matthew had pictures popping off the greenery like it was coming off the branches," she says. "He has a distinctive style and look."
Khalilah offers glowing reviews about the Brooklyn Arts Center Wedding Show. "It was well-advertised, well-promoted, and well-organized," she says. "I think what's important for most vendors in the industry is to get quality people out to shows, and BAC pulled it off. I feel like it brought people together in a unique way. Not as competitors, but as a designing and planning team to showcase what Wilmington has to offer. It was a great event."
Judy Bradley, owner and designer of Eventz! and Co., also loved the idea of having a show in the Brooklyn Arts Center and used the building for inspiration. "I played off the comfortable feeling of the old brick walls and huge windows, which were my backdrop," Bradley says. She encourages brides to decorate their weddings using anything that they would use to decorate their personal living spaces. Bradley practices what she preaches: "The wedding show table centerpiece, a simple terrarium, was designed with mosses, seed pods and bark gathered while walking the Lovely Miss Lola Maybrea, my rescued dog."
Bradley asked Sweet T's Cakes to bring a birdbath cake stand idea to reality. The cake was extraordinary, including cloisonn? birds, a chocolate nest, branches, and flowers. "Many people didn't even realize they were looking at a wedding cake!" says Bradley, who also partnered with Middle of the Island Catering Company. MOI served their famous shrimp and grits and presented a Black Angus beef carving station. For live music, Doug McFarland was Bradley's first. "Doug is incredibly talented," Bradley says. "He knows a wide array of music selections that enhance the mood for any event. To top it off, he even writes customized songs to perform at the bride's wedding!" Bradley used Justin Pearson Photography, whose photos brought oohs and aahs from the brides throughout the show.
Courtney Shaver and Kate Mathies of Kickstand Events took the BAC stage as planners and designers. Their inspiration came from a fabric with a bold, modern print that stood out in the church. "We like to do custom linens as often as possible," Mathies says. "It helps set us apart a little bit from other designers." Kickstand chose a sophisticated color palette: midnight blue and light green, surrounded with neutrals and browns.
The Kickstand design included a dining table with flowers, a bouquet, a mock-ceremony program, and lanterns. "We wanted it to seem very classic, but still with a modern, updated look," Shaver says. The designers partnered DJ Brian Hood, Miller's Caf? and Catering, Sue's So Sweet Chocolate Garden, Blueberry Fusion Photography and Videography, Theo Milo Photography, and Nye's Cream Sandwiches.
Brittany Koontz, owner and designer for Orchid Island Events, couldn't wait to participate in the BAC Wedding Show. She was interested-and relieved-not to have to cram her ideas into a 10-by-10 box. Instead, she had the entire courtyard to decorate. Koontz also enjoyed the "wedding-pod concept" for the planners, understanding how they would have a unique opportunity to showcase their professionally planned events. "I feel that wedding planners and designers are completely invaluable," Koontz says. "The theme behind the BAC wedding show gave us a chance to prove it."
The Orchid Island theme was "Wedding at the Palace of Versailles-A European Garden Affair," which was inspired by the recent Royal Wedding. Koontz admitted that some of the flowers and d?cor were slightly bigger than usual. "We are capable of this," she explained of the theme. "It doesn't have to be this big, but we are capable." Her wedding had an elegant, timeless feel.
Koontz used Keith Ketchum Photography, Island Cakery, Absolute Best DJ Service, Rent-A-Tent, and A Thyme Savor Catering, who created a hand-crafted, customized menu for the event. "Danielle and Thyme Savor are big on utilizing local, fresh farms," Koontz says. "I really appreciate their effort in doing that."
Orchid Island's participation in the Brooklyn Arts Center Wedding Show led to the best results Koontz had ever gotten from a show. When asked if she would participate again, Brittany did not hesitate: "Yes, absolutely."
The Brooklyn Arts Center Winter Wedding Show
For professional wedding vendors interested in participating in the Brooklyn Arts Center Winter Wedding Show, please contact Executive Director Richard Leder at 910-538-2939, at firstname.lastname@example.com, or at 516 North 4th Street.