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Woody Allen's 'Midnight In Paris' Opens In Theaters Today
Today the movie 'Midnight In Paris' hits theaters everywhere. Written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Kathy Bates, Adrian Brody, Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson. This is a romantic comedy set in Paris about a family that goes there because of business, and two young people who are engaged to be married in the fall have experiences there that change their lives.
Rotten Tomatoes.com gives the movie an 88% approval. Check out the trailer after the jump!


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No city has played a greater role in the history of Alabama than Montgomery. From the Civil War to civil rights, it is steeped in history. Topping the list of must-see attractions is the historic state Capitol building, where Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as President of the Confederate States of America in 1861, and where, nearly a century later, the Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march ended with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivering a moving speech from its steps.
On this page:
What to do
Where to stay
Where to Eat & Drink | Directions
What To See & Do
State Capitol
Experience more than 150 years of history, art and architecture, including restored chambers and the majestic rotunda.
Alabama Department of Archives & History
The country's oldest state-funded archives feature historical records, exhibits and more.
Alley Entertainment District
Explore the New Orleans-style alley that's home to some of Montgomery's unique restaurants, bars and shops.
Dexter Avenue King Baptist Church and Parsonage Museum
Visit the church where Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor from 1954-1960.
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
See the museum's permanent collection of 19th and 20th-century American paintings, sculpture and folk art.
Montgomery Zoo
Explore 40 acres of habitats from five continents with exhibits featuring more than 600 animals.
Hank Williams Museum
Suits, hats, awards, rare videos and a 1952 Cadillac are just a few things you'll find in this extensive collection.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival
The sixth-largest Shakespeare theater in the country performs the works of Shakespeare, children's shows and musicals.
Old Alabama Town
Relive history at restored 19th- and early 20th-century buildings that stretch along six blocks in historic downtown Montgomery.
Rosa Parks Library & Museum
An interactive time machine, historic documents and more depict events that led to the bus boycott.
View all Montgomery attractions
Where To Stay
Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center
This hotel features an upscale restaurant, European-style spa and a performing arts center.
Red Bluff Cottage Bed & Breakfast
Find great views of the Capitol building and the Alabama River from the porch and gazebo.
The Lattice Inn
Kick back and relax in the pool at this Key West-style inn located in Montgomery's historic Garden District.
St. James Hotel
Built in 1837, this classic structure overlooks the Alabama River in Selma and features 42 Victorian rooms.
View all Montgomery accommodations
Where To Eat & Drink
Baumhower's serves up a power menu of burgers, fresh gulf seafood and southern comfort food.
Chris' Hotdogs
Chris' Hotdogs has been serving up its famous dogs with Chris' sauce since 1917 and was once one of Hank Williams' favorite stops.
Jim 'N Nick's
Known for its slow-smoked meat, cheese biscuits and scratch-made sides, the restaurant consistently receives accolades from local and national publications like Saveur and Bon Appétit.
This restaurant has been cooking home-style favorites since the 1930s and is highly regarded throughout the country for its fried chicken.
View all places to eat and drink in Montgomery
Area Map
Area Towns
Millbrook is a city in Autauga and Elmore counties. Its population is more than 14,600.
Prattville was founded in 1839 by industrialist and architect Daniel Pratt. The city, located in Autauga and Elmore counties, has a population of nearly 34,000.
Known as "The City of Natural Beauty," Wetumpka is a city in Elmore County with a population of more than 5,000. The name Wetumpka is a Creek place word meaning "rumbling waters," describing the sound of the nearby Coosa River.
Getting there by plane
Getting there by car
Getting there by bus or train
The Montgomery Regional Airport is served by American Eagle, Delta Connection and US Airways Express and offers daily direct flights to and from Atlanta, Memphis, Charlotte and Dallas/Fort Worth.
Montgomery Regional Airport
4445 Selma Highway
Montgomery , AL 36108
(334) 281-5040
Montgomery is accessible via Interstate 65.
Greyhound offers daily bus service, including holidays, to and from Montgomery. You will need to arrange transportation to your destination from the station. Hours of operation are subject to change. Call to verify information before making travel plans.
950 W. South Blvd.
Montgomery , AL 36105
(334) 286-0120

subset: commoncrawl


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Professional close up magician in Nottinghamshire available for weddings, parties and events in Worksop & Retford.
Andy can also perform at your Worksop & Retford wedding using his close up magic to engage with your guests and keep them thoroughly entertained during any lull waiting around moments at your wedding such as during the photo call, in between the wedding breakfast servings or the start of the evening reception.
Over one hundred Facebook recommendations
Andy can mix and mingle raising your wedding atmosphere using his years of experience professionally and appropriately any time, any place any where.
Andy Field is in great demand as a magical party entertainer. Let him break the ice at your next party too and get your guests bonding and laughing together. Let your party stand aside from all the others and be the talk of Worksop & Retford!
Andy has also amazed people with his sleight of hand at anniversary parties, Balls, Banquets, Birthdays, Parties, Weddings and corporate events.
Magician In Worksop & Retford For Weddings
Professional magician Andy Field is a master of sleight-of-hand magic. Using regular cards but "trick hands" he will perform magic card illusions of world class status that are simply outstanding right under the noses of your soon to be stunned guests!
Using slick and polished magical sleight-of-hand skills of twenty years combined with his powerful and thoroughly entertaining presentations he will give the audience of any wedding, party or event a magic performance they will not forget!
After welcoming and relaxing your guests with some ice breaking close up magic he will then take them on a rollercoaster ride of thrilling emotions starting from fun and amazement and ending up leaving them with a feeling of pure euphoria! Your guests will be left speechless with amazement due to Andy Field's amazing and jaw dropping close up magic sleight-of-hand skills! Magic that's once seen and never forgotten!
Magician For Parties in Worksop & Retford
Andy is a full time professional sleight of hand magician. He has been S.A.M's Magic Champion twice and is also a magic and technical advisor on television programs as well as a professional wedding and party magician.
Wedding and party magician Andy Field performs magic all around the UK. He is the people's choice for weddings, parties and events. Using just a normal deck of cards, but his trick hands, he will perform some of the world's most breathtaking magic illusions right under your nose!
However, be under no illusion, these are not the kind of magic card demonstrations you would have seen your uncle perform when you were younger. Some of Andy Field's routines have taken months, even years to perfect. To this day Andy must still practice two hours a day to maintain his high standard of card mastery.
Promotional Video
Andy has Five Million YouTube Views
Close Up Magic Tutoring In Nottinghamshire
Are you looking to learn or to improve your magic? If so then Andy Field could be the magical mentor and coach you are looking for. Andy himself has been mentored and coached by some of the worlds best card magicians and can now pass this precious information onto any of his students in a clear and concise way.
It does not matter if you are a beginner or average magician Andy can help you to improve and motivate you in the direction you wish to progress.
Close Up Magic Shows in Nottingham, Bingham, Mansfield and Newark on Trent.
Using professional illusionist Andy Field is a popular and great way to entertain your guests during your wedding celebrations. Using close up magic Andy can entertain your guests in ways that other performers can not. He is flexible and can move around freely to different areas or any location. Andy can attract large groups of people or can entertain one on one. This flexibility also enables him to entertain at moments of your wedding where their are natural lulls such as during the photos session, the wedding breakfast, the reception or any other appropriate moments including room changes or turnarounds. Andy can also start and stop performing at a moments notice.
Hello Andy, We just wanted to say thank you for your amazing magic during our evening reception. All our family and friends thought you were marvellous and real value for money.
Ken & Tania Smith – Fourways Hotel, Worksop


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On-Set Productions Services
On-Set Massage $110 per hour / 2 hour minimum
On-Set Manicures and Pedicures are $175 per hour
Hours spent waiting for talent will be billed as a standard hour at $85 per hour.
(310) 497-1607
For over 15 years we have the best reputation in the business and voted Best of the Best by the Celebrity Assistants Association. We are consistent, reliable, on-time and experts in our respective fields. Our intention is to provide our clients with impeccable service and given the opportunity, we hope to exceed your expectations.
All therapists are licensed and insured.
We accept Visa, MC and Amex.
Cancellation policy: The time and date you select is especially reserved for you. If for any reason you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please provide us 72 hours notice to avoid being charged the full fee, no same day cancellations.


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Comics, book, and DVD reviews (and occasional eruptions of other kinds)
Friday, February 15, 2013
Comics Review: RICHIE RICH GEMS #48 (Ape Entertainment, 2013)
As GEMS issues have gone, #48 isn't bad. Warren Kremer's "The Mad Mad Big Big Race" is one of the better long Richie-vs.-Cousin Reggie rivalry stories from the "Classic Harvey." The back cover blurb makes an attempt to tie the round-the-world trek in with a certain long-running reality TV show, but an examination of the particulars suggests that a better parallel might be drawn with "Around the World in 80 Bucks," the story that Boom!, for some incomprehensible reason, chose to print in the first several issues of its version of UNCLE $CROOGE. Richie and Reggie actually go Scrooge and John D. Rockerduck one better by agreeing to race one another with just $150 in cash on hand AND without using any "motorcycles, car, trains, planes, or boats!". It goes without saying that Reggie cheats and Richie... well, doesn't. "Big Big Race" winds up putting "80 Bucks" to shame, though that might be more of a comment on the Duck story than on the RICHIE tale. The credit section claims that Ralph Newman wrote the story, but, to me, it definitely "feels" like one of the RICHIE RICH AND CASPER scripts that Stan Kay wrote for Kremer later in the 1970s. Since we are STILL getting credit goofs even at this late date (to wit: the one-page gags "Bling-kini" and "How's Your Earring?" were drawn by Ernie Colon, not Kremer), I'll stick with my theory that it was Kay who did the work. (BTW, another way that you can tell that the same writer did the RR&C stories and this story is... the rather frequent... use of ellipses... in both venues.)
Ernie Colon and Sid Jacobson team up once again to produce an original four-page leadoff story, "On the Way to the Ball." It features another reference to the bum economy (you know, the one that supposedly wrecked the Reginald Van Dough fortune, as revealed in GEMS #47?) and one of the most multi-ethnic crowd scenes in Harvey Comics history. Richie gets to show his largesse to a poor community, in the classic tradition, and gets praise from his prom-date Gloria. The five-page "Richie's Alphabet" feeds us some forced rhymes as it runs through Richie's connections to every letter in the alphabet, but it features some nice Kremer art from the mid-70s. The rest of the book consists of gags, and among these is one VERY interesting one by Colon (early 60's version) that I don't recall having seen before, at least not in a Harvey context. Richie baffles Reggie by giving a young orphan's home solicitor one penny on day one, two pennies on day two, etc., and over $3 million on the last day of the month. Yup, it's the exact same "mathematic [sic] stunt" that Donald pulled on Scrooge in the comic-book adaptation of Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land. Was I surprised to see it in a "Classic Harvey" comic? You bet.
3 comments:
That's actually a classic math puzzle so I didn't see it as very surprising.
- February 17, 2013 at 1:15 PM
- joecab said...
Now that I think of it, there have been other classic logic puzzles before. Remember that old Casper story where he comes across a two-headed monster guarding two doors, where one head always lies and the other tells the truth, and he has to find out which is the correct door to go through by asking them questions?
Looks like Sid Jacobson was a big fan of recreational mathematics. I think that's an awesome thing to introduce to kids through comics.
- February 19, 2013 at 8:18 AM
- Chris Barat said...
I didn't collect Casper so I never ran across that story. But it's existence, and that of the Richie doubling gag, certainly suggests that there may be other examples of such material in Harvey comics.
- February 21, 2013 at 9:44 PM


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LIVERMORE — A call on a dispute between a husband and wife Friday night forced the evacuation of several nearby homes when police found what appeared to be a hand grenade inside a home.
The grenade was taken away by the Alameda County Sheriff's Bomb Squad without incident, according to Sgt. John Hurd of the Livermore Police Department. No one was injured.
The dispute was reported shortly after 7 p.m. in the 1400 block of Aster Lane, Hurd said. Police arrived to find Michael Allan, 44, and wife Deborah Allan, 40.
After calming the dispute, the husband was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and his wife was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats, Hurd said. While officers were securing the home, they located the grenade.
Police ordered the evacuation of nearby homes around 7:45 p.m., Hurd said. The bomb squad was called in and took possession of the grenade; it will likely take several days for them to determine if the grenade is live or inert.
Residents were allowed back into their homes around 11 p.m., Hurd said.
Contact Daniel M. Jimenez at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DMJreports.


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Change nameservers to set up Office 365 with Active24
Check the Domains FAQ if you don't find what you're looking for.
Follow these instructions if you want Office 365 to manage your Office 365 DNS records for you. (If you prefer, you can manage all your Office 365 DNS records at Active24.)
Add a TXT record for verification
Before you use your domain with Office 365, we have to make sure that you own it. Your ability to log in to your account at your domain registrar and create the DNS record proves to Office 365 that you own the domain.
This record is used only to verify that you own your domain; it doesn't affect anything else. You can delete it later, if you like.
To get started, go to your domains page at Active24 by using this link. You'll be prompted to Log In first.
On the Customer center page, in the Domain overview section, choose the name of the domain that you want to edit.
Under **Domain details: domain_name **, choose DNS administration.
On the Customer center page, in the Add record section, choose TXT.
In the boxes for the new record, type or copy and paste the values from the following table.
Name TTL Text (Leave this field empty.) 3600 MS=ms XXXXXXXX
Note: This is an example. Use your specific Destination or Points to Address value here, from the table in Office 365. How do I find this?
Choose Create.
Wait a few minutes before you continue, so that the record you just created can update across the Internet.
Now that you've added the record at your domain registrar's site, you'll go back to Office 365 and request Office 365 to look for the record.
When Office 365 finds the correct TXT record, your domain is verified.
Choose Setup > Domains.
On the Domains page, choose the domain that you are verifying.
On the Setup page, choose Start setup.
On the Verify domain page, choose Verify.
Typically it takes about 15 minutes for DNS changes to take effect. However, it can occasionally take longer for a change you've made to update across the Internet's DNS system. If you're having trouble with mail flow or other issues after adding DNS records, see Troubleshoot issues after changing your domain name or DNS records.
Change your domain's nameserver (NS) records
To complete setting up your domain with Office 365, you change your domain's NS records at your domain registrar to point to the Office 365 primary and secondary name servers. This sets up Office 365 to update the domain's DNS records for you. We'll add all records so that email, Skype for Business Online, and your public website work with your domain, and you'll be all set.
When you change your domain's NS records to point to the Office 365 name servers, all the services that are currently associated with your domain are affected. For example, all email sent to your domain (like rob@ your_domain .com) will start coming to Office 365 after you make this change.
When you have completed the steps in this section, the only nameservers that should be listed are these four: > ns1.bdm.microsoftonline.com > ns2.bdm.microsoftonline.com > ns3.bdm.microsoftonline.com > ns4.bdm.microsoftonline.com > The following procedure will show you how to delete any other, unwanted nameservers from the list, and also how to add the correct nameservers if they are not already in the list.
To get started, go to your domains page at Active24 by using this link. You'll be prompted to Log In first.
On the Customer center page, in the Domain overview section, choose the name of the domain that you want to edit.
Under Domain details: ** domain_name **, choose Change of nameservers.
In the Nameservers section, choose change.
(You may have to scroll down.)
In the Nameservers section, delete each nameserver by selecting it and then pressing the Delete key on your keyboard. Next, delete each Ipv4 value by selecting it and then pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.
(You may have to scroll down.)
Still in the Nameservers section, in the Nameserver1 to Nameserver4 boxes, type or copy and paste the values from the following table. Leave the Ipv4 field empty for each nameserver.
Choose Save.
Your nameserver record updates may take up to several hours to update across the Internet's DNS system. Then your Office 365 email and other services will be all set to work with your domain.
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Feminist Frequency continues its 'Tropes vs Women in Games' series, this time spending some time analysing female characters who are kind of copy and paste versions of the male lead — only with added stereotypical stuff like the colour pink, bows, interest in shopping, amongst other things.
Think, for example, of Ms. Pac Man. Or heck, if you want to look beyond games, think about how the story of Adam and Eve centres around the idea that Eve was made out of Adam's ribs. The video goes into much more detail about these examples, which Sarkeesian calls 'Ms. Male characters.'
Sarkeesian goes on to argue that these characterizations are limiting, because female characters then tend to be either defined by their relationship to the male lead — or worse, their only defining characteristic is that they are women in a cast that is otherwise full of men.
And as usual, while you may not always agree with Sarkeesian's ideas, they're certainly thought-provoking. If nothing else, relying less on tropes — regardless of what kind they are — can only be a good thing in my books. Hopefully the discussion here about her ideas can remain civil and not be knee-jerk reactions to the video...unlike some of the folks on YouTube:
Turned ratings on for my new video as an experiment. 100 dislikes before anyone had the time to finish watching it: http://t.co/0I0ICXJra9
— Feminist Frequency (@femfreq) November 18, 2013
Eventually, you'll be able to find a transcript of this video here.


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Namkeen Poha Chivda: Crunchy Snack
A simple and crunchy Diwali snack.
Ingredients :
Thin Poha (flattened rice) – 2 cups
Peanuts – 1/2 cup
Dalia (roasted chana dal) – 1/2 cup
Cashews – 1/2 cup
Golden raisins – 1/4 cup [OPTIONAL]
Garlic cloves – 4 minced
Curry Leaves – 15
Asafoetida (hing) – 2 pinch
Green chilies – 2 finely chopped
Dried coconut flakes – 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Sugar fine – 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Oil for tempering – 2 tbsp
- In a microwavable plate, dry roast half poha in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Repeat the same for other half. Keep aside.
- In a pan, heat oil. Now add mustard seeds, when it starts splattering, add minced garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add asafoetida powder, green chilies, peanuts, dalia, cashews, raisins, coconut flakes and curry leaves. Saute for few minutes.
- Now add turmeric powder and mix well. Also add roasted poha to the pan, mix well.
- Finally add salt and sugar and keep mixing gently. Take it off the heat or it will burn.
- Cool the mixture completely and store it in airtight container. It can be stored for a couple of weeks if kept airtight.
Enjoy this crunchy snack with Masala tea or Kesariya chai.


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After seeing Fallout 3 a few weeks back at a special Bethesda event, we got a second chance to check the game out during this week's E3, and everything we've seen so far looks amazing. If you're not familiar with the "Fallout" series, here's a simple refresher. Humanity has finally succumbed to its basest instincts and set the world on fire with nuclear weaponry. Years after the warheads and bombs have done their worst, a post-apocalyptic society slowly forms. It's an ugly, brutal, unforgiving world, but life does go on. The world before the war is a futuristic yet nostalgic one combining nuclear-powered cars with designs from the 1940s and 1950s. Simply put, few franchises are as unique and enthralling as Fallout and once we heard that the makers of Oblivion were tackling the license we knew we were in for something special.
As we reported in our first preview Fallout 3 starts you off in Vault 101, one of many large, self-sustaining nuclear fallout shelters dotted across America. What's unique about Vault 101 is that the massive door that protects its inhabitants from death by radiation has yet to open. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is about to change. You play as a vault dweller who was born in the vault and has never seen the outside world. The game actually begins with your birth and chronicles your life underground from infancy to your 19th birthday. Obviously you won't play through all 19 years, but you will see bits and pieces of your childhood which will have an impact on what kind of person you'll be when you get older.
During our demo we got to see the main character leave the vault, explore the nearby wastelands, visit a town called "Megaton" and meet up with some members of the Brotherhood of Steel. The game is using a modified Oblivion engine, and while Oblivion looks good, Fallout 3 looks fantastic. The level of detail is boosted up a notch or two and the result is all on the screen. We're told that the tweaks made to the engine allow the developers to make the world far more detailed than Oblivion ever was. Rusted-out cars, ruined mailboxes and crooked power lines all work together to create a very believable nuclear wasteland. Even the vault itself looked fantastic. Bethesda has gone to great lengths to take actual items from the first two games, such as air vents and chairs, and do its best to recreate them in 3D.


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"Williams' Book Store in San Pedro to close after 104 years"
Carolyn Kellogg
July 3rd, 2013
As a little girl, Anne Gusha walked into and was charmed by Williams' Book Store in San Pedro. She was 8 years old and the year was 1928. It would be more than five decades before the store became hers -- decades she spent working behind the counter.
Now Anne and her son Jerry, who is the store's co-owner, are being forced to close the bookstore. Opened in 1909, Williams' Book Store is considered by some to be the oldest continuously operating bookstore in Los Angeles (Vroman's, which opened in 1894, is in Pasadena). But it stands to be the latest casualty in a business that has been moving increasingly online.
"The book business is just bad," Jerry Gusha told the Daily Breeze, adding in hindsight that he probably should have called it quits two or three years ago. "I can't pay my bills. I can't get books."
The book wholesaler has cut off Gusha's credit. His phone bill has gone unpaid. "We knew it was coming," Gusha said. "It's been bad for a long time. We struggled to pay last month's rent."
His mother Anne, who has been a fixture behind the counter, is at home recuperating from health issues.
Williams' Book Store was opened by E.T. Williams, a Welshman who landed in San Pedro and decided to stay. When he died in 1940, it passed to his daughter Ethel; in 1941, when Anne Gusha graduated from college, she began working at the store full time. Ethel brought Anne and then Jerry into the business, and in 1980, the Gushas took ownership of the bookstore.
The store has moved to various locations in its century in the book business, always looking for a lower rent that would allow it to continue to serve the same community. The store's current landlord has worked with Gusha so its doors can stay open through the first week of August, when the city of San Pedro will celebrate its 125th anniversary, but after that it is slated for closure.


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Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to Hedge (finance) against the risk of a contingent or uncertain loss
An entity which provides insurance is known as an insurer, insurance company, insurance carrier or underwriter. A person or entity who buys insurance is known as an insured or as a policyholder. The insurance transaction involves the insured assuming a guaranteed and known relatively small loss in the form of payment to the insurer in exchange for the insurer's promise to compensate the insured in the event of a covered loss. The loss may or may not be financial, but it must be reducible to financial terms, and usually involves something in which the insured has an insurable interest established by ownership, possession, or pre-existing relationship.
The insured receives a contract, called the insurance policy, which details the conditions and circumstances under which the insurer will compensate the insured. The amount of money charged by the insurer to the Policyholder for the coverage set forth in the insurance policy is called the premium. If the insured experiences a loss which is potentially covered by the insurance policy, the insured submits a claim to the insurer for processing by a claims adjuster. The insurer may Hedge (finance) its own risk by taking out reinsurance, whereby another insurance company agrees to carry some of the risk, especially if the primary insurer deems the risk too large for it to carry.
Separate insurance contracts (i.e., insurance policies not bundled with loans or other kinds of contracts) were invented in Genoa in the 14th century, as were insurance pools backed by pledges of landed estates. The first known insurance contract dates from Genoa in 1347, and in the next century maritime insurance developed widely and premiums were intuitively varied with risks.J. Franklin, ''The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability Before Pascal'' (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001), 274-277. These new insurance contracts allowed insurance to be separated from investment, a separation of roles that first proved useful in marine insurance.
Property insurance as we know it today can be traced to the Great Fire of London, which in 1666 devoured more than 13,000 houses. The devastating effects of the fire converted the development of insurance "from a matter of convenience into one of urgency, a change of opinion reflected in Sir Christopher Wren's inclusion of a site for 'the Insurance Office' in his new plan for London in 1667."Dickson (1960): 4 A number of attempted fire insurance schemes came to nothing, but in 1681, Economics Nicholas Barbon and eleven associates established the first fire insurance company, the "Insurance Office for Houses," at the back of the Royal Exchange to insure brick and frame homes. Initially, 5,000 homes were insured by his Insurance Office.Dickson (1960): 7
At the same time, the first insurance schemes for the underwriting of business ventures became available. By the end of the seventeenth century, London's growing importance as a center for trade was increasing demand for marine insurance. In the late 1680s, Edward Lloyd opened Lloyd's Coffee House, which became the meeting place for parties in the shipping industry wishing to insure cargoes and ships, and those willing to underwrite such ventures. These informal beginnings led to the establishment of the insurance market Lloyd's of London and several related shipping and insurance businesses.
The first life insurance policies were taken out in the early 18th century. The first company to offer life insurance was the Amicable Society for a Perpetual Assurance Office, founded in London in 1706 by William Talbot (bishop) and Allen baronets.Anzovin, Steven, ''Famous First Facts'' 2000, item # 2422, H. W. Wilson Company, The first company to offer accident insurance was the Railway Passengers Assurance Company, formed in 1848 in England to insure against the rising number of fatalities on the nascent railway system.
By the late 19th century governments began to initiate national insurance programs against sickness and old age. History of Germany built on a tradition of welfare programs in Prussia and Saxony that began as early as in the 1840s. In the 1880s Chancellor Otto von Bismarck introduced old age pensions, accident insurance and medical care that formed the basis for Germany's welfare state.E. P. Hennock, ''The Origin of the Welfare State in England and Germany, 1850–1914: Social Policies Compared'' (2007)Hermann Beck, ''Origins of the Authoritarian Welfare State in Prussia, 1815-1870'' (1995) In Britain more extensive legislation was introduced by the Liberal Party (UK) government in the 1911 National Insurance Act. This gave the British working classes the first contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment.[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/themes/national-health-insurance.htm The Cabinet Papers 1915-1982: National Health Insurance Act 1911.] The National Archives, 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013. This system was greatly expanded after the Second World War under the influence of the Beveridge Report, to form the first modern welfare state.Bentley B. Gilbert, ''British social policy, 1914-1939'' (1970)
Risk which can be insured by private companies typically shares seven common characteristics:This discussion is adapted from Mehr and Camack "Principles of Insurance", 6th edition, 1976, pp 34 – 37.
From an insured's standpoint, the result is usually the same: the insurer pays the loss and claims expenses.
If the Insured has a "reimbursement" policy, the insured can be required to pay for a loss and then be "reimbursed" by the insurance carrier for the loss and out of pocket costs including, with the permission of the insurer, claim expenses.However, bankruptcy of the insured with a "reimbursement" policy does not relieve the insurer. Certain types of insurance, e.g., workers' compensation and personal automobile liability, are subject to statutory requirements that injured parties have direct access to coverage.
Under a "pay on behalf" policy, the insurance carrier would defend and pay a claim on behalf of the insured who would not be out of pocket for anything. Most modern liability insurance is written on the basis of "pay on behalf" language which enables the insurance carrier to manage and control the claim.
Under an "indemnification" policy, the insurance carrier can generally either "reimburse" or "pay on behalf of", whichever is more beneficial to it and the insured in the claim handling process.
An entity seeking to transfer risk (an individual, corporation, or association of any type, etc.) becomes the 'insured' party once risk is assumed by an 'insurer', the insuring party, by means of a contract, called an insurance policy. Generally, an insurance contract includes, at a minimum, the following elements: identification of participating parties (the insurer, the insured, the beneficiaries), the premium, the period of coverage, the particular loss event covered, the amount of coverage (i.e., the amount to be paid to the insured or beneficiary in the event of a loss), and Exclusion clause (events not covered). An insured is thus said to be "indemnity" against the loss covered in the policy.
When insured parties experience a loss for a specified peril, the coverage entitles the policyholder to make a claim against the insurer for the covered amount of loss as specified by the policy. The fee paid by the insured to the insurer for assuming the risk is called the premium. Insurance premiums from many insureds are used to fund accounts reserved for later payment of claims – in theory for a relatively few claimants – and for Overhead (business) costs. So long as an insurer maintains adequate funds set aside for anticipated losses (called reserves), the remaining margin is an insurer's Profit (accounting).
Insurers make money in two ways:
The most complicated aspect of the insurance business is the actuarial science of ratemaking (price-setting) of policies, which uses statistics and probability to approximate the rate of future claims based on a given risk. After producing rates, the insurer will use discretion to reject or accept risks through the underwriting process.
At the most basic level, initial ratemaking involves looking at the frequency and wikt:severity of insured perils and the expected average payout resulting from these perils. Thereafter an insurance company will collect historical loss data, bring the loss data to present value, and compare these prior losses to the premium collected in order to assess rate adequacy.Brown RL. (1993). [https://books.google.com/books?id=1j4O50JENE4C Introduction to Ratemaking and Loss Reserving for Property and Casualty Insurance]. ACTEX Publications. Loss ratios and expense loads are also used. Rating for different risk characteristics involves at the most basic level comparing the losses with "loss relativities"—a policy with twice as many losses would therefore be charged twice as much. More complex multivariate analysis are sometimes used when multiple characteristics are involved and a univariate analysis could produce confounded results. Other statistical methods may be used in assessing the probability of future losses.
Upon termination of a given policy, the amount of premium collected minus the amount paid out in claims is the insurer's underwriting profit on that policy. Underwriting performance is measured by something called the "combined ratio", which is the ratio of expenses/losses to premiums. A combined ratio of less than 100% indicates an underwriting profit, while anything over 100 indicates an underwriting loss. A company with a combined ratio over 100% may nevertheless remain profitable due to investment earnings.
Insurance companies earn investment profits on "float". Float, or available reserve, is the amount of money on hand at any given moment that an insurer has collected in insurance premiums but has not paid out in claims. Insurers start investing insurance premiums as soon as they are collected and continue to earn interest or other income on them until claims are paid out. The Association of British Insurers (gathering 400 insurance companies and 94% of UK insurance services) has almost 20% of the investments in the London Stock Exchange.[http://www.abi.org.uk/About_The_ABI/role.aspx What we do ABI]
Naturally, the float method is difficult to carry out in an Depression (economics) period. Bear markets do cause insurers to shift away from investments and to toughen up their underwriting standards, so a poor economy generally means high insurance premiums. This tendency to swing between profitable and unprofitable periods over time is commonly known as the insurance cycle.Fitzpatrick, Sean, [http://ssrn.com/abstract=690316 ''Fear is the Key: A Behavioral Guide to Underwriting Cycles,''] 10 Conn. Ins. L.J. 255 (2004).
Insurance company claims departments employ a large number of claims adjusters supported by a staff of records management and data entry clerks. Incoming claims are classified based on severity and are assigned to adjusters whose settlement authority varies with their knowledge and experience. The adjuster undertakes an investigation of each claim, usually in close cooperation with the insured, determines if coverage is available under the terms of the insurance contract, and if so, the reasonable monetary value of the claim, and authorizes payment.
The policyholder may hire their own public adjuster to negotiate the settlement with the insurance company on their behalf. For policies that are complicated, where claims may be complex, the insured may take out a separate insurance policy add-on, called loss recovery insurance, which covers the cost of a public adjuster in the case of a claim.
Adjusting liability insurance claims is particularly difficult because there is a third party involved, the plaintiff, who is under no contractual obligation to cooperate with the insurer and may in fact regard the insurer as a deep pocket. The adjuster must obtain legal counsel for the insured (either inside "house" counsel or outside "panel" counsel), monitor litigation that may take years to complete, and appear in person or over the telephone with settlement authority at a mandatory settlement conference when requested by the judge.
If a claims adjuster suspects under-insurance, the condition of average may come into play to limit the insurance company's exposure.
In managing the claims handling function, insurers seek to balance the elements of customer satisfaction, administrative handling expenses, and claims overpayment leakages. As part of this balancing act, insurance fraud are a major business risk that must be managed and overcome. Disputes between insurers and insureds over the validity of claims or claims handling practices occasionally escalate into litigation (see insurance bad faith).
Business insurance can take a number of different forms, such as the various kinds of professional liability insurance, also called professional indemnity (PI), which are discussed below under that name; and the business owner's policy (BOP), which packages into one policy many of the kinds of coverage that a business owner needs, in a way analogous to how homeowners' insurance packages the coverages that a homeowner needs.
Casualty insurance insures against accidents, not necessarily tied to any specific property. It is a broad spectrum of insurance that a number of other types of insurance could be classified, such as auto, workers compensation, and some liability insurances.
Annuities provide a stream of payments and are generally classified as insurance because they are issued by insurance companies, are regulated as insurance, and require the same kinds of actuarial and investment management expertise that life insurance requires. Annuities and pensions that pay a benefit for life are sometimes regarded as insurance against the possibility that a retirement will outlive his or her financial resources. In that sense, they are the complement of life insurance and, from an underwriting perspective, are the mirror image of life insurance.
Certain life insurance contracts accumulate cash values, which may be taken by the insured if the policy is surrendered or which may be borrowed against. Some policies, such as annuities and endowment policy, are financial instruments to accumulate or liquidation wealth when it is needed.
In many countries, such as the United States and the UK, the tax law provides that the interest on this cash value is not taxable under certain circumstances. This leads to widespread use of life insurance as a tax-efficient method of saving as well as protection in the event of early death.
In the United States, the tax on interest income on life insurance policies and annuities is generally deferred. However, in some cases the benefit derived from tax deferral may be offset by a low return. This depends upon the insuring company, the type of policy and other variables (mortality, market return, etc.). Moreover, other income tax saving vehicles (e.g., IRAs, 401(k) plans, Roth IRAs) may be better alternatives for value accumulation.
In the United Kingdom, The Crown (which, for practical purposes, meant the civil service) did not insure property such as government buildings. If a government building was damaged, the cost of repair would be met from public funds because, in the long run, this was cheaper than paying insurance premiums. Since many UK government buildings have been sold to property companies and rented back, this arrangement is now less common and may have disappeared altogether.
In the United States, the most prevalent form of self-insurance is governmental risk management pools. They are self-funded cooperatives, operating as carriers of coverage for the majority of governmental entities today, such as county governments, municipalities, and school districts. Rather than these entities independently self-insure and risk bankruptcy from a large judgment or catastrophic loss, such governmental entities form a risk pool. Such pools begin their operations by capitalization through member deposits or bond issuance. Coverage (such as general liability, auto liability, professional liability, workers compensation, and property) is offered by the pool to its members, similar to coverage offered by insurance companies. However, self-insured pools offer members lower rates (due to not needing insurance brokers), increased benefits (such as loss prevention services) and subject matter expertise. Of approximately 91,000 distinct governmental entities operating in the United States, 75,000 are members of self-insured pools in various lines of coverage, forming approximately 500 pools. Although a relatively small corner of the insurance market, the annual contributions (self-insured premiums) to such pools have been estimated up to 17 billion dollars annually.Marcos Antonio Mendoza, "Reinsurance as Governance: Governmental Risk Management Pools as a Case Study in the Governance Role Played by Reinsurance Institutions", 21 Conn. Ins. L.J. 53, 55-60 (2014) http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2573253
Demutualization of mutual insurers to form stock companies, as well as the formation of a hybrid known as a mutual holding company, became common in some countries, such as the United States, in the late 20th century. However, not all states permit mutual holding companies.
Reinsurance companies are insurance companies that sell policies to other insurance companies, allowing them to reduce their risks and protect themselves from very large losses. The reinsurance market is dominated by a few very large companies, with huge reserves. A reinsurer may also be a direct writer of insurance risks as well.
Captive insurance companies may be defined as limited-purpose insurance companies established with the specific objective of financing risks emanating from their parent group or groups. This definition can sometimes be extended to include some of the risks of the parent company's customers. In short, it is an in-house self-insurance vehicle. Captives may take the form of a "pure" entity (which is a 100% subsidiary of the self-insured parent company); of a "mutual" captive (which insures the collective risks of members of an industry); and of an "association" captive (which self-insures individual risks of the members of a professional, commercial or industrial association). Captives represent commercial, economic and tax advantages to their sponsors because of the reductions in costs they help create and for the ease of insurance risk management and the flexibility for cash flows they generate. Additionally, they may provide coverage of risks which is neither available nor offered in the traditional insurance market at reasonable prices.
The types of risk that a captive can underwrite for their parents include property damage, public and product liability, professional indemnity, employee benefits, employers' liability, motor and medical aid expenses. The captive's exposure to such risks may be limited by the use of reinsurance.
Captives are becoming an increasingly important component of the risk management and risk financing strategy of their parent. This can be understood against the following background:
There are also companies known as "insurance consultants". Like a mortgage broker, these companies are paid a fee by the customer to shop around for the best insurance policy amongst many companies. Similar to an insurance consultant, an 'insurance broker' also shops around for the best insurance policy amongst many companies. However, with insurance brokers, the fee is usually paid in the form of commission from the insurer that is selected rather than directly from the client.
Neither insurance consultants nor insurance brokers are insurance companies and no risks are transferred to them in insurance transactions. Third party administrators are companies that perform underwriting and sometimes claims handling services for insurance companies. These companies often have special expertise that the insurance companies do not have.
The financial stability and strength of an insurance company should be a major consideration when buying an insurance contract. An insurance premium paid currently provides coverage for losses that might arise many years in the future. For that reason, the viability of the insurance carrier is very important. In recent years, a number of insurance companies have become insolvent, leaving their policyholders with no coverage (or coverage only from a government-backed insurance pool or other arrangement with less attractive payouts for losses). A number of independent rating agencies provide information and rate the financial viability of insurance companies.
Insurance companies are rated by various agencies such as A. M. Best. The ratings include the company's financial strength, which measures its ability to pay claims. It also rates financial instruments issued by the insurance company, such as bonds, notes, and securitization products.
Global insurance premiums grew by 2.7% in inflation-adjusted terms in 2010 to $4.3 trillion, climbing above pre-crisis levels. The return to growth and record premiums generated during the year followed two years of decline in real terms. Life insurance premiums increased by 3.2% in 2010 and non-life premiums by 2.1%. While industrialised countries saw an increase in premiums of around 1.4%, insurance markets in emerging economies saw rapid expansion with 11% growth in premium income. The global insurance industry was sufficiently capitalised to withstand the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 and most insurance companies restored their capital to pre-crisis levels by the end of 2010. With the continuation of the gradual recovery of the global economy, it is likely the insurance industry will continue to see growth in premium income both in industrialised countries and emerging markets in 2011.
Advanced economies account for the bulk of global insurance. With premium income of $1.62 trillion, Europe was the most important region in 2010, followed by North America $1.409 trillion and Asia $1.161 trillion. Europe has however seen a decline in premium income during the year in contrast to the growth seen in North America and Asia. The top four countries generated more than a half of premiums. The United States and Japan alone accounted for 40% of world insurance, much higher than their 7% share of the global population. Emerging economies accounted for over 85% of the world's population but only around 15% of premiums. Their markets are however growing at a quicker pace. p. 2 The country expected to have the biggest impact on the insurance share distribution across the world is China. According to Sam Radwan of ENHANCE International LLC, low premium penetration (insurance premium as a % of GDP), an ageing population and the largest car market in terms of new sales, premium growth has averaged 15–20% in the past five years, and China is expected to be the largest insurance market in the next decade or two.Sam Radwan, "[http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2010/gb20100615_642092.htm China's Insurance Market: Lessons Learned from Taiwan]", ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', June 2010.
In the European Union, the Third Non-Life Directive and the Third Life Directive, both passed in 1992 and effective 1994, created a single insurance market in Europe and allowed insurance companies to offer insurance anywhere in the EU (subject to permission from authority in the head office) and allowed insurance consumers to purchase insurance from any insurer in the EU.C. J. Campbell, L. Goldberg, A. Rai. (2003). [http://people.hofstra.edu/Anoop_Rai/research/JORI70-1Campbell.pdf The Impact of the European Union Insurance Directives on Insurance Company Stocks]. ''The Journal of Risk and Insurance''. As far as insurance in the United Kingdom, the Financial Services Authority took over insurance regulation from the General Insurance Standards Council in 2005;Haurant S. (2005). [https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/jan/14/money.watchdogs FSA takes on insurance regulation]. ''The Guardian''. laws passed include the Insurance Companies Act 1973 and another in 1982,Adams J. (2012). [http://www.fsa.gov.uk/static/pubs/speeches/julian-adams-barbon-lecture-2012.pdf The impact of changing regulation on the insurance industry]. Financial Services Authority. and reforms to warranty and other aspects under discussion .Lloyds. (2012). [http://www.lloyds.com/the-market/communications/regulatory-communications-homepage/regulatory-communications/regulatory-news-articles/2012/08/reforming-uk-insurance-contract-law Reforming UK insurance contract law].
The insurance industry in China was nationalized in 1949 and thereafter offered by only a single state-owned company, the People's Insurance Company of China, which was eventually suspended as demand declined in a communist environment. In 1978, market reforms led to an increase in the market and by 1995 a comprehensive Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China[http://www.lehmanlaw.com/resource-centre/laws-and-regulations/insurance/insurance-law-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-1995.html Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China – 1995]. Lehman, Lee & Xu. was passed, followed in 1998 by the formation of China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), which has broad regulatory authority over the insurance market of China.Thomas JE. (2002). [http://www.genevaassociation.org/PDF/Geneva_papers_on_Risk_and_Insurance/GA2002_GP27(3)_Thomas.pdf The role and powers of the Chinese insurance regulatory commission in the administration of insurance law in China] . ''Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance''.
In India IRDA is insurance regulatory authority. As per the section 4 of IRDA Act 1999, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), which was constituted by an act of parliament. National Insurance Academy, Pune is apex insurance capacity builder institute promoted with support from Ministry of Finance and by LIC, Life & General Insurance companies.
In 2017, within the framework of the joint project of the Central Bank of Russia and Yandex, a special check mark (a green circle with a tick and 'Реестр ЦБ РФ' (Unified state register of insurance entities) text box) appeared in the search for Yandex system, informing the consumer that the company's financial services are offered on the marked website, which has the status of an insurance company, a broker or a mutual insurance association.
For example, most insurance policies in the English language today have been carefully drafted in plain English; the industry learned the hard way that many courts will not enforce policies against insureds when the judges themselves cannot understand what the policies are saying. Typically, courts construe ambiguities in insurance policies against the insurance company and in favor of coverage under the policy.
Many institutional insurance purchasers buy insurance through an insurance broker. While on the surface it appears the broker represents the buyer (not the insurance company), and typically counsels the buyer on appropriate coverage and policy limitations, in the vast majority of cases a broker's compensation comes in the form of a commission as a percentage of the insurance premium, creating a conflict of interest in that the broker's financial interest is tilted towards encouraging an insured to purchase more insurance than might be necessary at a higher price. A broker generally holds contracts with many insurers, thereby allowing the broker to "shop" the Market (economics) for the best rates and coverage possible.
Insurance may also be purchased through an agent. A tied agent, working exclusively with one insurer, represents the insurance company from whom the policyholder buys (while a free agent sells policies of various insurance companies). Just as there is a potential conflict of interest with a broker, an agent has a different type of conflict. Because agents work directly for the insurance company, if there is a claim the agent may advise the client to the benefit of the insurance company. Agents generally cannot offer as broad a range of selection compared to an insurance broker.
An independent insurance consultant advises insureds on a fee-for-service retainer, similar to an attorney, and thus offers completely independent advice, free of the financial conflict of interest of brokers or agents. However, such a consultant must still work through brokers or agents in order to secure coverage for their clients.
In July 2007, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report presenting the results of a study concerning credit-based insurance scores in automobile insurance. The study found that these scores are effective predictors of risk. It also showed that African-Americans and Hispanics are substantially overrepresented in the lowest credit scores, and substantially underrepresented in the highest, while Caucasians and Asians are more evenly spread across the scores. The credit scores were also found to predict risk within each of the ethnic groups, leading the FTC to conclude that the scoring models are not solely proxies for redlining. The FTC indicated little data was available to evaluate benefit of insurance scores to consumers.[http://ftc.gov/opa/2007/07/facta.shtm Credit-Based Insurance Scores: Impacts on Consumers of Automobile Insurance], Federal Trade Commission (July 2007) The report was disputed by representatives of the Consumer Federation of America, the National Fair Housing Alliance, the National Consumer Law Center, and the Center for Economic Justice, for relying on data provided by the insurance industry.[http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/07/insurance_credit.html Consumers Dispute FTC Report on Insurance Credit Scoring] www.consumeraffairs.com (July 2007)
All states have provisions in their rate regulation laws or in their fair trade practice acts that prohibit unfair discrimination, often called redlining, in setting rates and making insurance available. Thus, "discrimination" against (i.e., negative differential treatment of) potential insureds in the risk evaluation and premium-setting process is a necessary by-product of the fundamentals of insurance underwriting. For instance, insurers charge older people significantly higher premiums than they charge younger people for term life insurance. Older people are thus treated differently from younger people (i.e., a distinction is made, discrimination occurs). The rationale for the differential treatment goes to the heart of the risk a life insurer takes: Old people are likely to die sooner than young people, so the risk of loss (the insured's death) is greater in any given period of time and therefore the risk premium must be higher to cover the greater risk. However, treating insureds differently when there is no actuarially sound reason for doing so is unlawful discrimination.
Many independent inventors are in favor of patenting new insurance products since it gives them protection from big companies when they bring their new insurance products to market. Independent inventors account for 70% of the new U.S. patent applications in this area.
Many insurance executives are opposed to patenting insurance products because it creates a new risk for them. The Hartford insurance company, for example, recently had to pay $80 million to an independent inventor, Bancorp Services, in order to settle a patent infringement and theft of trade secret lawsuit for a type of corporate owned life insurance product invented and patented by Bancorp.
There are currently about 150 new patent applications on insurance inventions filed per year in the United States. The rate at which patents have been issued has steadily risen from 15 in 2002 to 44 in 2006.[http://marketsandpatents.com/IPB-12152006.mht (Source: Insurance IP Bulletin, December 15, 2006)]
The first insurance patent to be granted was [http://www.freepatentsonline.com/result.html?sort=relevance&srch=top&query_txt=US6922720&submit=&patents=on US6922720 "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSURING DATA OVER THE INTERNET"] including another example of an application posted was [https://web.archive.org/web/20090510094423/http://www.peertopatent.org/patent/20090055227/activity US2009005522 "risk assessment company"]. It was posted on March 6, 2009. This patent application describes a method for increasing the ease of changing insurance companies.Bakos, Nowotarski, "[http://www.marketsandpatents.com/bulletin/IPB-12152008.html An Experiment in Better Patent Examination]", Insurance IP Bulletin, December 15, 2008.


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Every indication is that Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray will be back on the field this week, and none too soon.
Asked if his best back would return for Sunday night's game against the Eagles, owner Jerry Jones replied on his radio show: "It looks like that."
Murray also spent part of Friday doing production meetings with the Sunday Night Football crew, something they probably wouldn't waste time with for a guy who wasn't playing, and something a guy who wasn't playing likely wouldn't bother with.
"He's looked pretty good," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said of Murray, via Carlos Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He's been limited both days, but he's been playing football. It's nice to see him out there running the ball, catching the ball and doing stuff we haven't seen him do in a while."
Jones said that Murray coming back to practice Thursday after working Wednesday was a good sign.
"The key day was yesterday," Jones said. "He came back from the day before. Usually, there's a leveling off or setback day where you feel the effects. He didn't have that."
The Cowboys are last in the league in rushing, and have just one 100-yard game as a team since Murray injured his right foot against the Ravens on Oct. 14.


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HOUSTON - James Harden scored 24 points and matched a career high with 12 assists, Patrick Patterson added 22 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Toronto Raptors 117-101 on Tuesday night.
Omer Asik had 13 points and 18 rebounds for the Rockets, who have won four in a row.
Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points and Terrence Ross added a career-high 19 for the Raptors, who have lost five straight.
The Rockets planned to fly to Minneapolis immediately after the game to attend Wednesday's funeral for Sasha McHale, the 23-year-old daughter of coach Kevin McHale. Sasha McHale died on Saturday from complications of lupus. The team then will fly from Minneapolis to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Wednesday night — Harden's first game there since he was traded to Houston on Oct. 27.


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I thought it seemed super special and sweet to cook for new parents on Valentine's Day... when they're probably tired, but also filled with love for each other and their newest little bean. Over the years, I've noticed that when cooking for others, people tend to make a lot of casseroles. In fact, one friend finally had to request: "No more lasagna!" (words one never thinks they will utter!) So, I wanted to go a super fresh and delicious route, and ended up making 3 different salads for them to share.
Finally, I made a batch of my favorite brownies - 3 giant heart brownies, 3 small heart brownies, and 3 boring rectangular brownies... and a zip lock full of organic raspberry coulis for drizzling over the chocolatey goodness. I figured, you just gotta have some chocolate on Vday, right? Plus, after such a healthy dinner, there's still some enthusiasm for a robust dessert.
It always seems to me that Valentine's Day should be about celebrating love in all it's many forms, not just romantic love between two people... and it felt extra sweet to be thinking about and doing something special for my friend and her family this year.


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El procedimiento de autentificación ha cambiado ahora que formamos parte de AccorHotels y ahora dispones de una cuenta personal única. Reinicia tu contraseña con ayuda de la dirección de correo electrónico asociada a tu cuenta Fairmont.
Olvidé mi dirección de correo electrónico
Our exclusive lifestyle hotel experience, designed to fulfill the needs of the discerning business executive and leisure traveler.
Our hotels offer a broad range of function rooms - from elegant boardrooms to banquet halls.
Whether on an epic journey or a weekend getaway, we make every child's stay magical.
These exquisite properties are the perfect vacation oasis for you and your loved ones.
Purchase a gift card or browse through our selection of quality bed linens, pillows and bathrobes or sample our premium teas.
After an invigorating day on the slopes, step into consummate luxury.
Our luxurious golf destinations include breathtaking mountains, stark deserts and warm tropical beaches.
Experience our growing collection of breathtakingly beautiful spas around the world.
View the latest issue of Fairmont Magazine.
Celebrate the beginning of your journey together at one of our landmark wedding resorts.
Enjoy up to 25% off
The unique properties in the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts family have been hosting everything from high-powered board meetings to major corporate events for over a century. From Vancouver to Dubai, each of our spectacular locations offers an enviable array of venues for successful corporate meetings and professional conferences.
Fairmont understands that wedding celebrations require perfection, from exquisite settings to countless details executed with precision and style. From romantic receptions to trendy cocktails, our wedding specialists can guide and supervise everything from the proposal to the last dance before you depart on a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon at one of our unforgettable destinations.
Each of our premier hotels offers an array of elegant venues designed for luminous social events. Whether you are planning a black-tie gala or a prestigious affair, Fairmont understands the demands of hosting center stage events. From exquisite ballrooms to sophisticated terraces with cityscape views, Fairmont has been setting the stage for extraordinary social occasions for more than 100 years.
Comparta sus historias en FairmontMoments.com
Acceso ilimitado al mundo de Fairmont vaya donde vaya.


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Desk Lamp Package design
Budget $10-30 USD
Hello, everyone, we need design a package for our desk lamp, our brand is PULNDA, the length is [url removed, login to view], width is 12cm, height is 8cm, later will send you the LOGO file
Awarded to:
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Chanel Black Lambskin Single Flap Bag Authentic Pre Owned
This item is no longer available
Authenticity code: Chanel 2911802
Authentic: Preowned
This authentic Chanel Single flap Shoulder Bag is very stylish. Featuring signature black lambskin leather with CC Turnlock logo in the front, and single fine golden chain interlaced leather strap.
- Exterior: Like new
- Interior: Like new
- Description of Interior: Leather Lined
- Interior Pockets: One zipper and one open pocket
- Color: Black
- Hardware Description: Gold Hardware
- Material: Lambskin
- Width: 8.7 in.
- Length: 2.8 in.
- Height: 5.5 in.
- Handle Drop: 24 in.
Product Code: 2174008
All photos are of actual item being sold. © 2007-2018 LuxeDH.
This Chanel® item is guaranteed to be authentic. Chanel is a registered trademark of Chanel. LuxeDH is not affiliated with or represents Chanel in any way or form.
New Arrivals


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I was was invited to take part by the talented illustrator Daniel Atkinson, who is the curator behind this exciting show.
60 artists & designers were provided with a standard size baby doll. Using any medium or technique the artists were to convert his or her doll into a god of worship.
Given the quality of what I've seen so far, I cannot wait to see the other godly babies on show!
Here is the development of my lovely little doll:
|A work in progress...Bald & limbless.
|Almost there...
|The final product
Yes, she is a bag.
Madame Coco invokes mere mortals with lust & yearning. She is the devil upon a shoulder when one aches but certainly can't afford.
Exhibition runs 8th March - 18th March.
Opening night is this Thursday 8th March from 6-9pm.
Come along & get amongst it!


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The man sat alone in his parked car, holding a smartphone.
Fresh off another wild business trip, this LDS husband and father was driving home when the years of shame and guilt for living a dual life compelled him to pull over. He knew he needed to tell his wife.
Eventually, he typed a lengthy message, confessing a serious addiction to pornography and narcotics. He pushed the send button and waited. There was no telling how she would react.
After some time, a single-sentence message appeared: "Come home and start to become the man I know you really are."
Over the next few days, the gravity of the man's transgressions and betrayals began to sink in. Things seemed hopeless. That's when a call was placed and the couple met with Donald L. Hilton and his wife, Jana, family service missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They invited the couple to participate in the LDS Church's Addiction Recovery Program.
It was the beginning of a long road back to happiness through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
"We were able to convince them that there were other people who had experienced what they had, who had attended recovery meetings based on the Atonement, and now had experienced hope and healing and were again happy, productive and moving forward in life," Hilton said. "They at least believed us in that. They agreed to participate in the groups."
As the couple attended ARP meetings over the next two years, the Hiltons witnessed an incredible change in their lives. Today, that same man serves as a facilitator, a person who continues to attend meetings to offer support to other recovering addicts in the program. The couple say their marriage is as strong as it's ever been.
"It was like watching a flower grow," Hilton said. "It's marvelous to see this couple now."
As pornography plagues society, the LDS Church's Addiction Recovery Program, with close to 1,300 groups worldwide, uses a 12-step process to help addicts discover the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
"We look at it (LDS Addiction Recovery) as pure joy," Hilton said. "What we see are those who come out of absolute darkness, with no hope, and into his marvelous light again to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. They become human again, feel and love again, pray again and remember who they are."
Recovery and rescue
President Thomas S. Monson has called pornography "deadly." President Gordon B. Hinckley described it as a "plague" and "poison." Hundreds of bishops and stake presidents listed pornography as their No. 1 concern for church members, according to a 2007 LDS Church News article.
"I believe that every family in the church has loved ones who are affected by pornography addiction. In a family or extended family, someone has been affected in some way," said Hilton, a neurosurgeon from San Antonio. "We are not immune in the LDS Church. We have wonderful members and the restored gospel, but if we think we are not vulnerable to this scourge, we are being shortsighted and are at risk."
Christianpost.com offers the following statistics on the prevalence of pornography.
More than 12 percent of websites on the Internet are pornographic.
More than 40 million Americans are regular visitors to pornography sites.
More than 2.5 billion emails are pornographic.
More than 25 percent of search engine requests are pornography-related.
The average age at which a child first sees pornography online is 11.
More than 20 percent of men and 13 percent of women admit to watching pornography online at work.
One in three pornography viewers are women.
More than 10 percent of pornography users admit to being addicted to pornography.
Benjamin Erwin, an LDS Family Services counseling program manager, illustrated the problem with a story from the Bible in a recent church magazine article. In Numbers 21, fiery serpents attack the children of Israel. To save the people, Moses made a serpent of brass on a pole. To be healed, all the people had to do was look upon it.
"The story has particular relevance to our day, when addiction, especially to pornography, is plaguing our society and families," Erwin writes. "Just as fiery serpents swept through the camp of Israel, pornography is sweeping through our world, and even the Saints of God are not escaping unharmed."
In mid-August, Hilton spoke at BYU's Campus Education Week and titled his presentation "Pornography Addiction: The Harm, the Hope and the Healing." A history buff, Hilton shared an insightful analogy about addiction recovery.
During Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the battleship USS Arizona was destroyed, and the USS Nevada, despite a valiant fight, was struck by several bombs and left burning on a beach near Hospital Point.
While the USS Arizona remained in Pearl Harbor, the USS Nevada was recovered and repaired. It was re-outfitted with the latest technology and returned to sea. In time, the battleship USS Nevada became the flagship for the Normandy invasion.
"The Nevada was the only ship that was present at both Pearl Harbor and Normandy," Hilton said. "It went from beached and burning to one of the most effective and modernized battleships in the fleet. The rescued became the rescuer.
"In our programs, we've come to know many individuals who initially came in beached and burning, their lives in shambles, their spirits destitute of hope. We also know personally many individuals who have years of complete freedom from this problem, who now focus on helping to rescue other people. They have become battleship USS Nevadas."
LDS Addiction Recovery
There are close to 1,300 LDS Addiction Recovery support groups held in meetinghouses, prisons and jails around the world, according to the LDS Family Services website. The most common meeting is for general addictions, including alcohol, drugs, gambling and eating disorders. The second most common meeting is for pornography and sexual addictions. The least common gathering is a family support meeting, which focuses on helping the addict's family. There are also groups for women whose husbands struggle with addictions. Youths ages 16-18 can come with a parent or guardian.
The program is based on the gospel of Jesus Christ and its purpose is to help people overcome their addictive behaviors. Anyone is invited and meetings are free. Only first names are used, interrupting others is not allowed and everything is confidential.
With permission from Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., LDS Family Services put the original 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous into a framework of the doctrines, principles and beliefs of the LDS Church.
The meetings are officiated by part-time LDS Church service missionaries, typically older couples. Like the man mentioned previously, another key person is the facilitator, someone who has overcome addiction through the 12 steps. Having battled similar problems, the facilitator offers experience, insight and understanding to recovering addicts.
A typical meeting begins with a prayer under the direction of a service missionary; a facilitator then invites each person to share experiences and feelings about where he or she is in the process of recovery. Meetings, which usually last 60-90 minutes, can be deeply spiritual as participants share personal experiences with the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the healing they have felt in their lives.
"My (pornography) addiction was uncontrollable for 38 years, but I am enjoying four years of recovery and healing," wrote one man in Hilton's 2009 book, "He Restoreth My Soul." "I have learned through the 12 Step program how to turn to the Savior for strength to fight this battle on a daily basis. Through the power of the Atonement and the perfect love of Christ, I have received peace and happiness and the scars of the past 38 years are being healed."
To learn more about the ARP, visit addictionrecovery.lds.org. The LDS Church also has a website for combating pornography.
Family and friends
While it's important to focus on the recovering addict, Hilton says it's also important to care for the spouse. Many are not ready to hear the word "forgiveness," Hilton said.
"We need to be understanding of people who have been so severely wounded. A spouse who has undergone this terrible betrayal and harm certainly doesn't need our lectures," Hilton said. "What they need is a sensitive hand of fellowship, and the recovery groups allow them to interact with other women who have undergone a similar process."
Hilton knows women who chose to leave their spouses. But he also knows many couples who have patiently worked through the recovery process with brutal honesty, and their marriage has been infinitely strengthened. It's something LDS Addiction Recovery is sensitive about, Hilton said.
In an April 2007 general conference address, President James E. Faust, then a member of the First Presidency, told of a woman who had been through a painful divorce and received some sound advice from her bishop: "Keep a place in your heart for forgiveness, and when it comes, welcome it in."
Those who haven't experienced the addiction recovery process firsthand, or who are unfamiliar with ARP, sometimes miss opportunities to help the "prodigal son" (Luke 15:11-32) on his journey back, Hilton said.
Hilton told of one man whose addiction to pornography cost him his wife and family. After years of attending ARP meetings, he was close to regaining his temple blessings, but was still desperately dependent on recovery support.
One day the man bumped into some old friends, a couple, who knew of his past mistakes. The two men talked, but the woman was so angry she couldn't speak to the recovering addict. She had been close to his ex-wife.
"The man felt a tremendous wall of anger, so they moved on. He had learned to let resentment go, but knew he couldn't resent them for feeling that way," Hilton said. "Still, what I see here is a missed opportunity — an opportunity to help him on the way back.
"Here is a spiritually struggling soul. What a beautiful opportunity we have to serve, to reach out and love such an individual. If we can reach out to them, rather than ostracize them, I think we can pull many more back."
Email: [email protected] Twitter: tbtoone


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Newburgh, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State men's and women's cross country teams each finished in ninth place at the Mount Saint Mary College Invitational held at Chadwick Lake Park in Newburgh, N.Y.
The men were led by freshman Jacob Kashani (Roslyn, N.Y.) who finished in 33rd place with a time of 31:34, while sophomore Dan Barrett (Wantagh, N.Y.) took 39th in 32:36.
Freshman Kristen Starke (Bellmore, N.Y.) finished in a team-best 36th place for the women in 23:44. Freshman Penelope Cruz Perez (Santiago, DR) placed 42nd (24:33) and junior Druscilla Dickson (Copiague, N.Y.) finished 46th (24:47) for the Rams.
Farmingdale State next will travel to Van Cortlandt Park for the CCNY Invitational on Sunday, October 13th.
For complete men's results, click HERE.
For complete women's results, click HERE.


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Steelers punter Adam Podlesh has been placed on the reserve/did not report list, the club said Tuesday.
According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Podlesh has been away from the team to remain with his wife, who had a "difficult" pregnancy. According to Bouchette, Podlesh's wife had a "successful but complicated delivery."
"Adam has decided not to report to Training Camp at this time due to family obligations," Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert said in a team-issued statement.
By placing Podlesh on the reserve list, the Steelers now have two open roster spots. Brad Wing, who handled the punting in the Steelers' preseason opener, is the only punter currently on the active roster.
The 31-year-old Podlesh joined the Steelers in the offseason. He previously had played for Chicago (2011-2013) and Jacksonville (2007-2010).


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One-on-One with Earlene Hayden
I recently sat down and spoke with Earlene Hayden, an HIV prevention specialist and outreach worker with South Side Help Center in Chicago. Over the course of our two-hour conversation, we laughed, cried and shared jellybeans. It was like catching up with an old girl friend. Earlene works primarily with sex workers, injection drug users (IDUs), and homeless women in shelters; and coordinates positive support groups. She also serves as the co-chair elect of the city's HIV Prevention Planning Group for 2001. We would probably still be chatting if her husband hadn't called to see how her day was going.
On Substance Use and Treating HIV
"The system, in many regards, is set up to fail. Why give HIV medication to a homeless person, who is still doing IV drugs? They ain't gonna stop doing drugs to take HIV meds on a regular basis. You have to arrest the addiction, then take care of the housing situation, then find out if they are ready for medication. What about the interaction of methadone, alcohol addiction, hep C, and HIV meds? There's a whole lot of work that still needs to be done."
On How HIV Silently Devastates a Community
"Let's say one person has a thing of water . . . we got high . . . we all shared it . . . as long as one person had a bottle of water and an outfit and a cooker . . . that meant that you could go cop, turn each other on, and didn't have to share with nobody in the shooting gallery. This bottle of water, say me and you use it, I get high with somebody else, then we bring in somebody else, so before the night is over more than 20 people been in that one bottle of water. But it don't end there. So long as water is in the bottle, you close it up, and start all over again the next day."
On Lack of Housing
"Where is an HIV positive woman with three children supposed to go? It [the lack of shelters for women with children] keeps a lot of them on the street. Many women will trade unprotected sex for shelter . . . with men who will put them out in the streets at three or four o'clock in the morning, if they don't trick with them, or all the other men in the house."
On the Road to Recovery
After years of hustling on the streets, using IV drugs and denying her HIV status, Earlene checked herself into a hospital for three days of care. A stranger in a restaurant gave her carfare to get there. While in the hospital a 28-day bed opened up, and she pleaded for the bed, because she knew that if she went back on the streets she would die. The doctor gave her the bed and told Earlene, 'You better not let me down.' Earlene took the bed, and she has been sober since -- eight years and counting. "I always wanted to be sober, but I was homeless and strung out for years." It wasn't until Earlene obtained sobriety that she was able to face the fact that she was HIV positive and then she began to treat the disease.
On HIV Stigma and Denial
"Women have a tendency to dress up their virus," to deal with the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, according to Earlene. What she means by that is that T-cells and viral loads become weapons in certain situations. 'Girl, I got 900 T-cells,' a woman claims. 'So and so got AIDS, I ain't there yet' -- thereby distancing herself from others living with AIDS. Earlene believes that line of defense is a barrier that prevents effective treatment and education opportunities. "We are all infected. My virus is no different from yours."
Earlene observes that many women are also in denial about the status of their relationships and the sexual activities of their husbands or partners. "Women call [into the office] and say, 'I just tested positive. I've been with this guy for 17 years and he's been my only partner. I guess when I was younger, when I was promiscuous, I must have acquired HIV. They told me that the virus can lay dormant for up to 20 years. I don't want my husband to leave me. I don't know how to tell him, that I may have infected him.'"
To counter this line of reasoning, she asks clients: How many sexual partners have you had who have told you that they were an IV drug user, or bisexual? None. "I'm a living witness. When I was out there in the world, looking normal, getting high, I met men from all around the world. We'd do what we had to do, and move on. I didn't wear a sign that I was an IV drug user."
On the (Mis)education of Positives
The very basics of communication is a huge factor contributing to the confusion surrounding the disease, Earlene pointed out. A woman in a clinic recently asked Earlene if she was still HIV positive, to which Earlene answered, yes. "You still HIV positive?" the woman asked again, as if surprised. "Well, they told me I have AIDS and I just found out," she continued. "How come you still got HIV?" Here was a woman living with AIDS, who didn't understand the connection between HIV and AIDS.
It's an extremely difficult situation for an individual diagnosed with AIDS, which is the reality of most women that Earlene deals with. "They don't know what led them to AIDS. The doctor might say, 'You have 100 T-cells and 650,000 viral load' and in the same breath say, 'but we're not into numbers.' The damage is already done," Earlene explains. One of the many challenges Earlene and others in her field face is that they are encountering individuals living with AIDS on complex antiretroviral therapy, who really don't understand the basis of HIV and AIDS.
One of the most frustrating aspects of Earlene's work is the fact that when many women find out that they're positive, the doctors and clinics are through with them. In many instances there's no additional education. "They hand you a bunch of pills and expect you to be adherent. Everything is for the next person. We need more interventions for the positives," she states. "How is a positive woman suppose to live with her husband? Does she know how to take care of herself or her partner?"
On Temporary Setbacks
In January 2001, Earlene was rushed to the emergency room with a stomach ailment. "In the 13 years I've been positive I have not been sick. I never even had a viral load," Earlene recounts. In this instance, she went to the emergency room, where all her confidentiality was broken.
While Earlene was left waiting in the emergency room in severe pain, the paramedics were running around and yelling that they had "an HIV positive African American woman," and as she remembers, "all the other people in the waiting room started scrambling to get as far away from me as they could."
Earlene was misdiagnosed with a pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in the ER. Two weeks later when she saw her primary physician, Earlene discovered that a cyst had ruptured. For two weeks she was taking antibiotics that in her words, "were tearing down my immune system." No ultrasound was performed in the emergency room.
What's a person to do? "We go to the doctor. We tell the truth [about our HIV status]. We get mistreated. We go to the doctor. We lie. We take a chance on them killing us. It's a no-win situation, but it's what we fight so hard for."
On HIV and Menopause
"We need to have some more information on this. When a woman is going through menopause a lot of hormones, estrogens and things are changing. We don't know what it is. Is it a side effect of the medication? Or are we really going through menopause? A doctor told me two, three years ago that I was going through menopause. I wasn't. Thyroids give off the same symptoms as menopause. Hot flashes. Sweating. Irritability. We need some clearer guidelines for women. There are so many restrictions on placing women in studies [clinical trials]."
On the Necessity for Preventive Care for HIV Positive Women
"Overall, across the board, regardless of race, women suffer from a lack of care . . . some women have never even had a pap smear or a mammogram. MRIs should be a part of a regular yearly examination. We all should take an MRI . . . that should be implemented into primary care . . . because things are coming now [side effects from long-term HIV antiretroviral therapy]."
Although Earlene has been an AIDS advocate for years, it wasn't until 1996 that the reality of living with HIV hit. "It wasn't until I had to start medication myself that it hit. I really did have HIV. It was a wake up call. Women have to pay attention, you have to take care of yourself, eat right, dress right."
Earlene learned early on that the best tool for living a healthier life with HIV is to empower oneself. "Educate yourself on the disease. Women need to come together. Stop isolating ourselves. We are all dealing with similar issues. We need to take control of our lives." Indeed.