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Beef from the Catalan Pyrenees
The native Catalan Pyrenees breed, also called Vedella dels Pirineus Catalans, is high quality. Any means can be chosen for preparing it and it provides very tasty dishes.
The herds producing 'Ternera de los Pirineos Catalanes' or 'Vedella dels Pirineus Catalans' (Beef from the Catalan Pyrenees) basically comes from the Bruna Pyrenean breed, native to the area, resulting from a cross between the old native cow from the Catalan Pyrenean counties and the Alpine Brown breed. However, crosses with Charolais and Limousin are allowed. It is a breed intended for beef production and with excellent milk production for rearing calves. They are a very rural breed, hardy in the fields. Their food is based on grazing, complemented by hay or forage at certain periods. The beasts are slaughtered at between 9 and 12 months for females and 10 and 15 months for males. The resulting product is a meat with tones ranging from pinkish to bright red, infiltrated with intramuscular fat. It is a high-quality, very tender and juicy meat.
Meer informatie
- Productsoort: Meat
- Seizoen: All year round.
- Oorsprong: The area for breeding, rearing and fattening herds intended for producing meat called "Beef from the Catalan Pyrenees" is in the Catalan Pyrenees and is made up of the municipalities in the counties of Alt Empordà, Alta Ribagorça, Alt Urgell, Berguedà, Cerdanya, Garrotxa, Pallars Jussà, Pallars, Sobirà, Ripollès, Solsonès, Vall d'Aran and the municipalities of Perafita, Olost, Tavèrnoles, Lluçà, Oristà and Moià.
- Aanbevolen drankje: Beef from the Catalan Pyrenees forms the basis for many dishes from the Pyrenean counties, dishes which are perfect accompanied by crianza and young reds from some of the many Catalan wine designations of origin.
- Waar te kopen: It can be bought in specialised shops, supermarkets, hypermarkets and butcher's in the Catalan Pyrenees. However, thanks to modern distribution channels, it is possible to find this product in superstores throughout Spain.
- Recepten: Escudella i carn d'olla
- Energy: High
- Cholesterol: High
- Opmerkingen: Rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals.


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5 Tips for Spoilage-safe School Lunches
As the school year settles in to a rhythm, parents everywhere put their minds to the daily task of sending their kids off with healthy lunches. The challenge: packing something that your child will eat (rather than trade away) and that will help him stay focused all day. But as a new study from the Northeast Texas Public Health district shows, even if you've nailed that thorny problem, what you pack can do more harm than good if you're not careful about spoilage. As reported by NBC in steamy Texas, lunchboxes and lunch sacks go unrefrigerated for hours and most reach unsafe temperatures that allow bacteria to grow in nutritious but perishable foods like lunch meats and milk.
Here, Circle of Moms members share five tips for packing healthy, spoilage-free lunches.
1. Insulated Lunch Boxes
Shaista K. swears by her son's insulated lunch box: "My son loves homemade chicken fingers, which I toast in the morning, then put in his insulated container for lunch." Japanese bento boxes, which cost about $10 and can be washed and re-used every day, often have insulation that will help preserve perishable lunch foods and keep kids safe from food-borne illnesses.
2. Include an Ice Pack, Gel Pack, or Frozen Drink
For that extra measure of safety in keeping your child's lunch spoilage free, Circle of Moms members recommend freezer and ice packs popped in from the freezer the night before and then placed in the lunchbox in the morning. "I place a gel pack inside the lunch to keep things fresh," says Nivia M.
Other moms suggest using your child's juice as a freezer pack by freezing it the night before and adding it to their lunch in the morning. As Dana S. explains, "By lunchtime, the juice should be thawed and ready to drink."
3. Freeze Perishable Foods The Night Before
Another trick shared by moms for packing spoilage-prone foods and drinks is freezing the perishable items overnight. The trick is to do this only with foods that will defrost in time. Melissa C. freezes yogurt for her children and says that by lunch time, it's the "perfect" temperature for enjoying. Phyllis H. freezes her kids' lunch milk. To make sure it defrosts in time, she instructs, "pour a couple ounces in a plastic juice box and freeze it overnight. Then in the morning fill the rest of the container with milk. It will stay cold for a long time, without having to worry that the whole thing will be too frozen to drink at lunchtime."
4. Pack Hot Foods in a Thermos
Hot lunches are comforting and are a great use for dinner's leftovers. To keep them warm and from spoiling, pop them into a thermos inside your child' lunch box. Circle of Moms member Kelly bought a soup thermos for her son Jake's lunch box "that will "keep hot foods hot for up to five hours." Sue G. sends her son off to school with stews, soup and even shepherd's pie in a thermos. "These are his favorite foods and he loves taking them to lunch," she says.
5. Choose Non-perishable Foods
Circle of Moms members also point out that there are many foods won't spoil between when they leave your kitchen and lunch time. Lunch items that don't need to be refrigerated include fruits, vegetables, breads, peanut butter, and crackers, says Nikki D. She often packs apple slices with cheese cubes ("my kids love to snack on them together") and puts lemon juice on the apple slices "to keep them from browning."
How do you avoid food-spoilage in your child's lunch box?
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

subset: commoncrawl


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Skip Hire Airntully from YourLocalSkipHire.co.uk
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To book your skip using YourLocalSkipHire.co.uk, let us know your postcode using the box above. We'll get back to you with a no-obligation quote. No messing around required – giving you more time to plan your project. If you'd rather book your skip over the phone, just drop us a line now on 0330 1130 700, and we'll handle the rest.


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Investment banks' reliance on customized, in-house legacy technologies is costing them, in an age where cloud savvy competitors use technology to achieve game-changing Return on Equity (RoE). Accenture research shows that moving to as-a-Service, cloud-based solutions could earn large banks an average of 1 to 2 percent increase on RoE, the equivalent of $1.5 billion.
Given the competitive situation—60 percent of capital markets institutions say that cloud-based entrants will challenge traditional industry models—moving to as-a-service (aaS), cloud-based solutions is a logical route for investment banks to take now, before restless shareholders begin banging the drums.VIEW THE REPORT [PDF]


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GENEVA, Switzerland, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- U.N. special envoy on human rights Tomas Ojea Quintana said he's visiting Myanmar next week to assess conflict in Kachin state and other national challenges.
"As Myanmar continues to undergo wide-ranging reforms, it is important to assess the current human rights situation and to reflect on positive developments and remaining challenges," he said in a statement.
Quintana said he was particularly concerned about fighting in northern Kachin state, where rebels vying for autonomy have clashed with Myanmar forces.
"I will be lending my voice to calls for a cease-fire and progress in addressing minority issues," he said in a statement.
Quintana arrives Monday in Myanmar for a five-day visit.
World leaders have pressed for an easing of sanctions against Myanmar in response to political reforms that began with general elections in 2010. The status of political prisoners, censorship and simmering conflict in the country known formerly as Burma have sparked renewed concerns, however.
Human Rights Watch stated last week that political reforms by the government in Myanmar have been oversold by members of the international community.


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Please see my previous blog post in which I make further points about this latest update in Village.
Villager September-October '12 including threats to whistleblower, SugarmanVillage, Sep 11th, 2012 | By admin | Category: NEWS
Jonathan Sugarman, a former Risk Manager, blew the whistle on his then employer Unicredit Bank, Italy's biggest, which in 2007 failed dramatically to maintain proper liquidity ratios – which keep banks from customer runs on their funds. Village was the first to name Unicredit, despite threats from McCann FitzGerald solicitors that Unicredit would sue if implicated. Subsequently the Central Bank Financial Regulator's Department, announced that it would consider any information offered about the affair "in confidence" but when Sugarman contacted them they revealed that in fact they reserved the right to report him to the Gardai for criminal activity if he offered the Central Bank information that implicated him. In the end – in February – Sugarman bravely nevertheless met the Central Bank, which indicated that they had already asked Unicredit to recreate reports dating back to the alleged breaches in 2007 but gave no information as to how their investigations were proceeding. Subsequently the Central Bank indicated, with no reasoning, that it was closing the file – and notably failed to produce minutes. When the Irish Independent's intrepid Mark Keenan recently started sniffing about the issue, the Central Bank finally sent minutes of the meeting, It is not clear if the file remains closed, or why, and the Central Bank, for the moment is keeping schtum.
Just as a reminder, this is what the Irish Minister of Finance said a year ago about the new legislation introduced to protect whistle blowers in banks:
Central Bank Bill published - The Irish Times, 28 July 2011
New legislation that enhances the Central Bank's regulatory powers and provides protection for whistleblowers was published today.
The Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Bill 2011 strengthens the ability of authorities to impose and supervise compliance with regulatory requirements and to undertake interventions when necessary.
The publication of the Bill is a further requirement under the EU-IMF programme of support for Ireland.
Announcing the publication of the Bill this morning, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said the legislation was a response to the regulatory failures which led to the recent financial crisis.
"The publication of the Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Bill 2011 represents a significant further step in the reform of financial regulation in Ireland. The changes introduced by the Bill will underpin an assertive, risk-based model of regulation supported by a credible threat of enforcement," said Mr Noonan.
Among the provisions included in the Bill is protection from civil liability and victimisation for so-called whistleblowers and a requirement for financial service providers to provide independently prepared reports to the Central Bank for diagnostic, monitoring and compliance purposes.
The power to issue regulatory interventions is included in the new legislation as is the ability to fine or suspend financial services providers where necessary.
The Bill is expected to progress to second stage in the Dáil this autumn.
paper/breaking/2011/0728/break ing22.html


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European Commission
Brussels, 10 September 2013
European Parliament's endorsement of the political agreement on Market Abuse Regulation
In recent years financial markets have become increasingly global, giving rise to new trading platforms and technologies. This unfortunately has also led to new possibilities to manipulate these markets. The European Parliament voted today to formally endorse the political agreement on a Regulation on insider dealing and market manipulation (i.e. market abuse) to tackle market abuse more effectively, subject to alignment with the final political agreement on MiFID II and revisions by legal linguists and revisers.
This Regulation updates and strengthens the existing framework to ensure market integrity and investor protection provided by the Market Abuse Directive (2003/6/EC). The new framework will ensure regulation keeps pace with market developments, it will strengthen the fight against market abuse across commodity and related derivative markets, explicitly ban the manipulation of benchmarks, such as LIBOR, and reinforce the investigative and sanctioning powers of regulators.
EU rules will be adapted to the new market reality, notably by extending their scope to include all financial instruments which are traded on organised platforms and over the counter (OTC), and adapting rules to new technology. The manipulation of benchmarks such as LIBOR will be explicitly prohibited, market abuse occurring across both commodity and related derivative markets will be prohibited, and cooperation between financial and commodity regulators is reinforced. Supervisors will have access to the information they need to detect and sanction market abuse. Since the sanctions currently available to supervisors often lack a deterrent effect, sanctions will be tougher and more harmonised. Possible criminal sanctions are the subject of a separate but complementary proposal on which it is hoped that negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council on a political agreement could conclude by the end of this year (see also IP/11/1218).
Objectives of the new Regulation
Keeping pace with market developments: The regulatory framework provided by the original Market Abuse Directive has been outpaced by the growth of new trading platforms, OTC trading and new technology such as high frequency trading (HFT). The new Regulation extends the scope of existing EU legislation to financial instruments only traded on multilateral trading facilities (MTFs), other organised trading facilities (OTFs) and when traded OTC so that trading on all platforms and of all financial instruments which can impact them will now be covered by market abuse legislation. It also provides an indicative list of HFT strategies which shall be considered as market manipulation, such as placing orders which has the effect of disrupting or delaying the functioning of a trading system ("quote stuffing"). Commodity markets have become increasingly global and interconnected with derivative markets, leading to new possibilities for cross-border and cross-market abuse. The scope of the legislation is therefore extended to market abuse occurring across both commodity and related derivative markets.
In the recent LIBOR scandal, serious concerns have been raised about false submissions of banks' estimated interbank lending rates. Any actual or attempted manipulation of such key benchmarks can have a serious impact on market integrity, and could result in significant losses to consumers and investors, or distort the real economy. The manipulation of benchmarks, including LIBOR and EURIBOR will be clearly prohibited.
Reinforcing regulators' investigative and sanctioning powers: The new Regulation extends the current reporting of suspicious transactions also to suspicious unexecuted orders and suspicious OTC transactions. Everyone professionally involved in executing transactions will have to have systems in place to detect suspicious transactions. The new regulation grants supervisory powers to regulators to investigate possible cases of market abuse, subject to adequate and effective safeguards. It also requires Member States to provide for mechanisms for the reporting of actual or potential breaches of the provisions of this Regulation to competent authorities (whistleblowing). Finally, attempted market abuse will also be prohibited, making it possible for regulators to impose a sanction in cases where someone tries to insider deal or manipulate the market.
Common principles are proposed, notably the maximum fine should not be less than three times any such profit. In parallel, a proposal for a Directive on criminal sanctions for market abuse requires Member States to introduce criminal sanctions for the offences of insider dealing and market manipulation where these are committed intentionally. Trilogue negotiations on the Directive are expected to commence in the second half of this year.
Reducing administrative burdens on SME issuers: The disclosure requirements for issuers on SME markets will be adapted to their needs, and issuers on such markets will be subject to tailored rules for the requirement to draw up lists of insiders.
Next steps
Final adoption of the Market Abuse Regulation would take place after a final political agreement on MiFID II, since aspects of the MAR (notably its scope) depend on the final text of MiFID II and these will need to be aligned. The date as of which the new market abuse rules would apply is to be aligned with that of MiFID II.
Regulation on Market Abuse: Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is market abuse and how is it currently regulated?
Insider dealing consists of a person trading in financial instruments when in possession of price-sensitive inside information in relation to those instruments. Market manipulation occurs when a person artificially manipulates the prices of financial instruments through practices such as the spreading of false information or rumours and conducting trades in related instruments. Together these practices are known as market abuse.
Adopted in early 2003, the Market Abuse Directive (MAD) has introduced a comprehensive framework to tackle insider dealing and market manipulation practices, jointly referred to as "market abuse". The Directive aims to increase investor confidence and market integrity by prohibiting those who possess inside information from trading in related financial instruments ("insider trading"), and by prohibiting the manipulation of markets through practices such as spreading false information or rumours and conducting trades that result in abnormal prices ("market manipulation").
In essence, market abuse may occur when investors have been unreasonably disadvantaged, directly or indirectly, by others who:
The MAD creates some tools to prevent and detect market abuses, like insiders' lists, suspicious transaction reports and the disclosure of managers' share transactions. It also obliges issuers of financial instruments traded on a regulated market to make public as soon as possible inside information that they possess, with limited possibilities to delay.
In order to promote enforcement, the Directive gives national competent authorities powers of investigation (such as access to data or on-site inspections) and the power to take administrative measures or impose "effective, proportionate and dissuasive" sanctions.
2. Why is the MAD being reviewed?
The MAD introduced a framework to harmonise core concepts and rules on market abuse and strengthen cooperation between regulators. However, a number of problems have been identified by the Commission and these can be broadly categorised in five groups:
This is why the Commission has adopted proposals to replace the MAD with a Regulation on Market Abuse (MAR) and a Directive on criminal sanctions for market abuse.
Market Abuse Regulation (MAR)
3. What are the main objectives of the Regulation?
The Regulation aims to update and strengthen the existing framework to ensure market integrity and investor protection provided by the Market Abuse Directive. The new framework will ensure regulation keeps pace with market developments, strengthens the fight against market abuse across commodity and related derivative markets, reinforces the investigative and administrative sanctioning powers of regulators and harmonises certain key elements while reducing administrative burdens on SME issuers where possible.
4. How do the MAR rules fit in with the MiFID review proposals, and other recent initiatives such as those on OTC derivatives and short-selling?
Together, MAD and MiFID guarantee the competitiveness, efficiency and integrity of EU financial markets. They need to be updated in tandem to ensure that they are fully coherent and support each other's objectives and principles. The political agreement reached on MAR is subject to agreement on MiFID II, because the new MiFID rules contain part of the regulatory framework on which MAR is based. Notably, the new MiFID will ensure that all types of organised trading are regulated. The MAR will apply market abuse rules to all organised trading. Moreover, the pan-EU competition facilitated by MiFID has given rise to new challenges in terms of cross-border supervision. Harmonisation of the rules and competent authorities' powers is a necessary step.
The importance of market integrity has also been highlighted by the current global economic and financial crisis. In this context, the Group of Twenty (G20) agreed to strengthen financial supervision and regulation and to build a framework of internationally agreed high standards. In line with the G20 findings, the report by the High-Level Group on Financial Supervision in the EU recommended that "a sound prudential and conduct of business framework for the financial sector must rest on strong supervisory and sanctioning regimes".
The importance of the efficient functioning of the MAD was underlined in the Commission Communication "Driving European recovery", which intends to tackle the most important shortcomings in the markets that have been observed in the current financial crisis. In its Communication on "Ensuring efficient, safe and sound derivatives markets: Future policy actions", the Commission said it would extend MAD's relevant provisions to comprehensively cover derivatives markets. The importance of efficient coverage of OTC transactions in derivatives has been stressed also in discussions at various international fora1 including the G20 and the International Organisation of Securities Commissions as well as in the recent US Treasury Financial Regulatory Reform programme2.
5. What changes does the Regulation make so that market abuse legislation keeps pace with market developments?
The MAD is based on the concept of prohibiting insider dealing or market manipulation in financial instruments which are admitted to trading on a regulated market. However, since the adoption of MiFID, financial instruments have been increasingly traded on multilateral trading facilities (MTFs), on other types of organised trading facilities (OTFs), such as swap execution facilities or broker crossing systems, or traded OTC. These new trading venues and facilities have provided more competition to existing regulated markets, gaining an increased share of liquidity and attracting a broader range of investors. But the increase in trading across different venues has made it more difficult to monitor for possible market abuse. Therefore the Regulation extends the scope of the market abuse framework to apply to any financial instrument admitted to trading on an MTF or organised trading facility, as well as to any related financial instruments traded OTC which can have an effect on the covered underlying market. This is necessary to avoid any regulatory arbitrage among trading venues, to ensure that the protection of investors and the integrity of markets are preserved on a level playing field in the whole Union, and to ensure that market manipulation of such financial instruments through derivatives traded OTC, such as credit default swaps (CDS), is clearly prohibited.
6. What does the Regulation do to tackle market abuse occurring across both financial and commodity markets, which are international by nature?
Commodity spot markets and related derivative markets are highly interconnected and market abuse may take place across these markets. This raises special concerns for spot markets because transparency rules and market integrity apply to derivatives markets but not to the related spot markets. It is beyond the scope of the Regulation to govern directly those non-financial markets, which should be subject to specific and sectoral regulation and supervision as provided for in the field of energy by the Regulation on energy market integrity and transparency (REMIT). However, the lack of a clear and binding definition under the existing MAD of inside information in relation to commodity derivatives markets may allow information asymmetries in connection with those related spot markets. This means that under the current market abuse framework, investors in commodity derivatives may be less protected than investors in derivatives of financial markets.
Therefore, since a person can benefit from inside information in a spot market by trading on a financial market, the Regulation redefines inside information in relation to commodity derivatives to ensure legal certainty and better information for investors.
Moreover, the MAD only prohibits any manipulation which distorts the price of financial instruments. As certain transactions in the derivatives markets can also be used to manipulate the price of the related spot markets, and transactions in the spot markets can be used to manipulate derivatives markets, the definition of market manipulation is extended in the Regulation to also capture these types of cross-market manipulation.
The Regulation also introduces an obligation to cooperate and exchange information between financial regulators and the regulators of spot commodity markets where they exist to ensure a consolidated overview of financial and spot markets and to detect and sanction cross-market and cross-border abuses. It gives financial regulators the power to require that data on spot markets be submitted directly to them in a specified format.
7. What does the Regulation do to tackle the abuse of benchmarks, such as LIBOR?
Since March 2011, investigations have been taking place in relation to possible manipulation of the EURIBOR and LIBOR benchmarks for interbank lending rates by a number of banks. The suspicion was that banks had provided estimates of the interest rate at which they would accept offers of funding which were different from the rate they would have accepted in practice. As a result, the integrity of the rates has been called into question – rates which are used as benchmarks for borrowing and as references for the pricing of many financial instruments such as interest rate swaps and consumer contracts such as mortgages, loans and credit cards. Furthermore, the individual contributor banks' estimates provided misleading information to the market about their likely costs of funding.
In order to capture the direct manipulation of benchmarks and in order to ensure that such manipulation of benchmarks is an offence, the Regulation explicitly prohibits this.
8. Why is the manipulation of benchmarks a cause for concern?
Many financial instruments are priced by reference to benchmarks. While it may be difficult or impossible for a competent authority to prove that manipulation of a benchmark had an effect on the price of related financial instruments, any actual or attempted manipulation of important benchmarks can however have a serious impact on market confidence and could result in significant losses to investors or distort the real economy. It is therefore essential to prohibit manipulation of benchmarks unequivocally, and to clarify that competent authorities could impose administrative sanctions for the offence of market manipulation in these cases, without the need to prove or demonstrate incidental issues such as price effects. It is also essential that all necessary steps be taken to prevent such manipulation and to enable and facilitate the work of competent authorities in imposing sanctions. A stringent legal framework will act as a credible deterrent to such behaviour, thereby protecting investors and restoring market confidence. These regulatory steps should include criminal sanctions.
9. What are benchmarks and what types of benchmarks and manipulation will be prohibited by the Regulation?
A benchmark is any rate, index or figure made available to the public or published that is periodically or regularly determined by the application of a formula to, or on the basis of the value of one or more underlying assets, or prices, including estimated prices, actual or estimated interest rates or other values, or surveys and by reference to which the amount payable under a financial instrument or the value of a financial instrument is determined. Underlying assets or prices referenced in benchmarks can include equities (e.g. the FTSE 100 index), bonds (e.g. NASDAQ OMX fixed income), interest rates (e.g. LIBOR or EURIBOR), or commodities such as agricultural products (e.g. cocoa LIFFE London), metals (e.g. Gold COMEX) or oil (e.g. Brent oil ICE). All benchmarks are included in the Regulation, provided that these determine the amount payable under a financial instrument. The Regulation will prohibit natural or legal persons from transmitting false or misleading information, providing false or misleading inputs, or any action which manipulated the calculation of a benchmark, including the manipulation of benchmarks' methodologies.
10. How does the Regulation deal with emission allowances?
Emission allowances are reclassified as financial instruments as part of the proposal for a regulation on markets in financial instruments (see MEMO/11/716). As a result, they will also fall within the scope of the market abuse framework. As it is typically not the issuer of an emission allowance who possesses inside information, the standard definition of inside information does not sufficiently ensure disclosure of relevant inside information. Therefore, a specific definition of inside information for emission allowances is introduced. The obligation to disclose inside information will be effectively placed on companies with large installations regulated by the EU Emissions Trading System, as it is they who possess the relevant information. For more information on emission allowances, see also MEMO/11/719).
11. How does the Regulation reinforce the powers of competent authorities to detect market abuse?
The Regulation includes a number of measures to ensure regulators have access to the information they need to detect and sanction market abuse. The Regulation extends suspicious transaction reporting to orders and to OTC transactions. A number of powers are granted to supervisory authorities to ensure that they have access to the information they need to detect and sanction market abuse (e.g. access to premises, access to existing data traffic records held by telecommunication operators, access to existing telephone records held by investment firms), in accordance with national law and subject to adequate and effective safeguards. It also requires Member States to provide for the protection of whistleblowers and accused persons. Finally a new offence of "attempted market manipulation" is introduced to make it possible for regulators to impose a sanction in cases where someone tries to commit market abuse.
12. How does the Regulation strengthen the administrative sanctions that can be imposed for market abuse?
Since the sanctions currently available to regulators are often weak and lack a deterrent effect, the Regulation introduces greater harmonisation of administrative sanctions. Common principles are proposed, notably that the maximum fine should be three times the amount of profits gained or losses avoided. For natural persons there are three levels of fines. For the offences of insider dealing and market manipulation a fine of at least €5 million should apply, and fines of €1 million and €500 000 for the remaining offences. For legal persons there are also three levels of fines. For the offences of insider dealing and market manipulation a fine of at least €15 million or 15% of annual turnover should apply and fines of €2.5 million or 2 % of its total annual turnover €1 million for the remaining offences of the Regulation, with Member States being free to exceed these limits. In imposing sanctions, competent authorities should take account of other aggravating or mitigating factors, such as the gravity of the offence, previous offences or a suspect's cooperation with an investigation.
In the event of repeated breaches of the offences of insider dealing and market manipulation, the competent authorities shall have the power to impose a permanent ban against any person discharging managerial responsibilities in an investment firm or any other natural person who is held responsible, from exercising management functions in investment firms.
In parallel, a proposal for a Directive on criminal sanctions for market abuse requires Member States to introduce criminal sanctions for the offences of insider dealing and market manipulation as defined in the Directive, where these are committed intentionally (see below). The trilogue negotiations on the Directive are expected to commence under the Lithuanian Presidency. Once adopted, Member States will have two years to transpose the Directive into national law.
13. What does the Regulation do to reduce administrative burdens, especially on SME issuers?
Insiders' lists are an important tool for competent authorities when investigating possible market abuse. However, differences in national laws implementing the MAD have imposed unnecessary administrative burdens on issuers. The Regulation aims to eliminate these by providing that the precise data to be included in such lists should be defined in delegated acts and implementing technical standards adopted by the Commission.
Applying the new market abuse framework of the Regulation in an undifferentiated manner to all SME growth markets may deter issuers on those markets from raising capital on the capital markets. The Regulation therefore allows inside information to be published by those SME growth markets, on behalf of issuers whose financial instruments are admitted to trading on SME growth markets. Those issuers are also subject to a tailored obligation to provide insiders' lists to the competent authorities.
The Regulation clarifies the scope of the reporting obligations in relation to managers' transactions. These reports serve important purposes by deterring managers from insider trading and providing useful information to the market about the manager's view on the price movements of the shares of the issuers. The Regulation clarifies that any transaction made by a person exercising discretion on behalf of a manager of an issuer or whereby the manager pledges or lends his shares must also be reported to the competent authorities and be made accessible to the public. Moreover, it introduces a threshold of €5 000, uniform in all Member States, which triggers the obligation to report such manager's transactions. It also provides for the freedom of competent authorities to increase this threshold to €20 000 under several conditions and procedures.
14. What are the next steps in the adoption of the Regulation?
The Regulation shall be subject to revisions by legal linguists and revisers, endorsement by the Parliament and Council, alignment with the final political agreement on MiFID II and formal adoption by the Parliament and Council following MiFID II. Once adopted the regulation would apply from 24 months after its entry into force.
Proposal for a Directive on Criminal Sanctions for Market Abuse
15. What about the Directive on Criminal Sanctions for Market Abuse?
The Market Abuse Directive currently requires Member States to adopt administrative sanctions which are effective, proportionate and dissuasive, and leaves them free to decide whether or not to impose criminal sanctions. An assessment of existing sanctions regimes by the Commission shows that the current sanctions are lacking impact and are insufficiently dissuasive, which results in ineffective enforcement of the Directive. In addition, the definition of which forms of insider dealing or market manipulation constitute criminal offences diverges considerably from Member State to Member State.
The Commission considers that minimum rules on criminal offences and on criminal sanctions for market abuse are essential for ensuring the effectiveness of the EU policy on market integrity. Criminal sanctions demonstrate social disapproval of a qualitatively different nature compared to administrative sanctions or compensation mechanisms under civil law. Common minimum rules on the definition of criminal offences for the most serious market abuse offences would also facilitate the cooperation of law enforcement and judicial authorities in the Union, especially considering that the offences are in many cases committed across borders.
The proposal has been subject of a first reading opinion by the European Parliament and the Council has agreed a general approach. Trilogue negotiations on the Directive are expected to commence under the Lithuanian Presidency now that the negotiations on MAR are completed. Once adopted, Member States will have two years to transpose the Directive into national law.
More information is available at:
IOSCO notes that "The high level of interconnectivity between credit derivatives, the obligations of the underlying reference entities e.g., corporate bonds, equities and cash markets means market misconduct (manipulation and insider trading) and disruptions in one market can affect another.", Consultation Report on Unregulated Markets and Products, May 2009, p. 28.
"Market integrity concerns should be addressed by making whatever amendments to the CEA and the securities laws which are necessary to ensure that the CFTC and the SEC, consistent with their respective missions, have clear, unimpeded authority to police and prevent fraud, market manipulation, and other market abuses involving all OTC derivatives." Financial Regulatory Reform. A New Foundation: Rebuilding Financial Supervision and Regulation, Dept. of Treasury, June 2009 p.48;
Side Bar


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The reign of the personal computer as the sole corporate access device is coming to a close, and by 2014, the personal cloud will replace the personal computer at the center of users' digital lives, according to Gartner, Inc.
Gartner analysts said the personal cloud will begin a new era that will provide users with a new level of flexibility with the devices they use for daily activities, while leveraging the strengths of each device, ultimately enabling new levels of user satisfaction and productivity. However, it will require enterprises to fundamentally rethink how they deliver applications and services to users.
"Major trends in client computing have shifted the market away from a focus on personal computers to a broader device perspective that includes smartphones, tablets and other consumer devices," said Steve Kleynhans, research vice president at Gartner. "Emerging cloud services will become the glue that connects the web of devices that users choose to access during the different aspects of their daily life."
The past two years have been a whirlwind in the client computing space, leaving many enterprises asking what comes next and what the environment will look like in five years.
"Many call this era the post-PC era, but it isn't really about being 'after' the PC, but rather about a new style of personal computing that frees individuals to use computing in fundamentally new ways to improve multiple aspects of their work and personal lives," Mr. Kleynhans said.
Several driving forces are combining to create this new era. These megatrends have roots that extend back through the past decade but are aligning in a new way.
Five SharePoint Storage Performance Killers and How to Fix Them Leveraging data externalization can improve SharePoint performance and reduce costs.
Five Business Process Management Pitfalls to Avoid Five BPM threats BPI (business process improvement) leaders need to be mindful of as organizations progress on their BPM initiatives.
Mobility Today: Balancing the Benefits and Risks of Mobile Adoption IT is striking a balance between mobile benefits and risks by transforming its approach to mobility.
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European Commission
Brussels, 17 March 2014
The 2014 EU Justice Scoreboard: Questions & Answers
What is the EU Justice Scoreboard?
The EU Justice Scoreboard is an information tool that contributes to the European Semester process by providing objective data on the quality, independence and efficiency of justice systems in all Member States. The aim of the EU Justice Scoreboard is to assist Member States, as part of an open dialogue, in improving the functioning of their justice systems.
The Justice Scoreboard contributes to identifying potential shortcomings and good practices and aims to present trends on the functioning of the national justice systems over time. While the Scoreboard presents comparative information on Member States' justice systems based on a number of particular indicators, it is not intended to present an overall single ranking, or to promote any particular form of justice system.
Whatever the model of the national justice system or the legal tradition in which it is anchored, timeliness, independence, affordability, and user-friendly access are some of the essential parameters of what constitutes an effective justice system.
What is the European Semester?
The European Commission has set up a yearly cycle of economic policy coordination called the European Semester. Each year the European Commission undertakes a detailed analysis of EU Member States' programmes of economic and structural reforms and provides them with recommendations for the next 12-18 months.
The European semester cycle starts when the Commission adopts its Annual Growth Survey, usually towards the end of the year, which sets out EU priorities for the coming year to boost growth and job creation. For a graphic representation of the cycle, see here.
How can justice support growth?
Effective justice systems are important structural components of an attractive business environment: trusting that the rule of law is fully upheld directly translates into the confidence to invest in the economy.
This is why improving the quality, independence and efficiency of national judicial systems is a key priority in the European Semester.
Since 2011, national judicial reforms have been an integral part of Economic Adjustment Programmes. In 2014, Greece, Poland and Cyprus are subject to Economic Adjustment Programmes which include justice reforms.
Since 2012, the effectiveness of national justice systems has been a key component of the European Semester exercise. The Annual Growth Survey 2014 highlights the importance of improving the quality, independence and efficiency of national judicial systems. In 2012 six Member States received country-specific recommendations in the area of justice (BG, IT, LV, PL, SI, SK), while in 2013 country-specific recommendations were made to ten countries in the area of justice (BG, ES, HU, IT, LV, MT, PL, RO, SI, SK).
What does the EU Justice Scoreboard measure?
The 2014 EU Justice Scoreboard presents indicators related to the efficiency, quality and independence of justice systems. To a large extent, indicators remain the same as in the previous edition, so that their evolution can be followed.
The length of proceedings (disposition time), clearance rate (the rate of resolving cases), and the number of pending cases remain the main indicators for efficiency of the justice system. In addition, the 2014 Scoreboard presents the outcome of two pilot studies aimed at providing more fine-tuned data on the length of judicial proceedings relating to competition law and consumer law.
As in the previous edition, the 2014 Scoreboard also examines indicators which help to improve the quality of justice, notably looking at the training of judges, monitoring and evaluation of court activities, budgets and human resources allocated to courts, the availability of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems and of alternative dispute resolution methods.
The scoreboard also presents findings based on indicators relating to the perceived independence of the justice system. Perception of independence is important, as it can influence business investment decisions but what is more important is that judicial independence is effectively protected. The 2014 Scoreboard presents for the first time an initial comparative overview on the legal safeguards for the protection of structural independence of the judiciary in the judicial systems of Member States.
To assist Member States in their efforts to improve business climate and overcome the sovereign debt and financial crisis, the 2014 Scoreboard focuses on litigious civil and commercial cases as well as on administrative cases.
How does the EU Justice Scoreboard contribute to the European Semester?
Poor performance revealed by the Scoreboard indicators always requires a deeper analysis of the reasons behind the result. This country-specific assessment is carried out in the context of the European Semester process through bilateral dialogue with national authorities and stakeholders. It takes into account the particularities of the legal system and the context of the concerned Member State. It may eventually lead the Commission to propose country-specific recommendations on the need to improve justice systems.
What is the methodology of the EU Justice Scoreboard?
The Scoreboard uses different sources of information. Most of the quantitative data is currently provided by the Council of Europe Commission for the Evaluation of the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ). The data is from 2012 and has been provided by Member States according to the CEPEJ methodology.
For the 2014 EU Justice Scoreboard, the Commission also used data from other sources, including Eurostat, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and has collected data in cooperation with the European judicial networks, in particular the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary. Information on the application of consumer and competition law rules by national courts has been obtained through two pilot studies.
Why is some data missing?
The experience with the 2014 EU Justice Scoreboard confirms that the gathering of objective, reliable and comparable data on the effectiveness of justice systems covering all Member States remains a challenge. This may be for different reasons: lack of availability of data due to insufficient statistical capacity, or unwillingness to cooperate fully with CEPEJ. In view of the importance of well-functioning national justice systems in achieving the objectives of the Union, the Commission calls on all Member States to address as a priority the collection of sound, reliable and objective data and to make it available.
The Commission will address the data gap by examining ways to improve data collection together with the expert group on national justice systems established by the Commission and in cooperation with the European networks in the area of justice.
Why are national justice systems important for the EU?
The effectiveness of national justice systems is crucial for the effectiveness of all EU law, be it for EU economic laws, or for EU consumer protection or environment legislation.
Whenever a national court upholds EU law, it acts as a 'European Union court'. For example, national courts play an essential role in enforcing EU competition law and other legislation crucial for the Single Market, in particular in e-commerce, intellectual property, public procurement, environment and consumer protection. National courts should provide effective judicial protection to everyone, citizens and businesses, whose rights guaranteed under EU law have been violated.
Shortcomings in a national justice system are thus not only a problem for a particular Member State, but can affect the functioning of the Single Market, the EU's Justice area and, more generally, the whole EU legal system, which is based on mutual trust.
How will the EU Scoreboard be used, concretely? What's next?
The findings of the 2014 Scoreboard highlight the priority areas that need to be tackled by Member States. The European Commission will translate these priorities into the following actions:
What are the main findings of this second edition?
The key findings of the 2014 Scoreboard highlight the three priority areas that need to be addressed:
1. Efficiency of justice systems:
Justice delayed is justice denied. Timely decisions are essential for citizens, businesses and investors. In their investment decisions, companies take into account the risk of being involved in commercial disputes, labour or taxation disputes or insolvencies.
The 2014 Justice Scoreboard shows that there are Member States that continue to face particular challenges with regard to the efficiency of their justice system. For example, a combination of unfavourable factors like lengthy first instance proceedings coupled with low clearance rates or a large number of pending cases can be observed in some Member Some Member States may experience difficulties in their capacity to resolve particular categories of cases. When the clearance rate is about 100% or higher it means the judicial systems is able to resolve at least as many cases as come in. When the clearance rate is below 100%, it means that the courts are resolving fewer cases than the number of incoming cases, and as a result, at the end of the year, the number of unresolved cases adds up as pending cases do. If this situation persists over several years, this could be indicative of a more systemic problem as backlogs build up which further aggravate the workload of courts, and which cause the length of proceedings to further rise.
Developments and data confirm the importance of continuing to pursue with commitment and determination the efforts made to improve the effectiveness of justice systems throughout the EU. While ambitious reforms have been recently adopted in certain Member States (for example in Portugal), their effects cannot yet be reflected in the Scoreboard as data is from 2012. Implementing and reaping the benefits of justice reforms takes time. As the Scoreboard is a regular exercise, the outcome of these reforms could become visible in future Scoreboards.
Figure 1: Time needed to resolve litigious civil and commercial cases* (1st instance/in days) (source: CEPEJ study)
Figure 2: Rate of resolving litigious civil and commercial cases (1st instance/in %) (source: CEPEJ study)
The clearance rate is the ratio of the number of resolved cases over the number of incoming cases. It measures whether a court is keeping up with its incoming caseload. The length of proceedings is linked to the rate at which the courts can resolve cases, the 'clearance rate', and to the number of cases that are still waiting to be resolved, 'pending cases'. When the clearance rate is about 100% or higher it means the judicial system is able to resolve at least as many cases as come in. When the clearance rate is below 100%, it means that the courts are resolving fewer cases than the number of incoming cases, and as a result, at the end of the year, the number of unresolved cases adds up as pending cases. If this situation persists over several years, this could be indicative of a more systemic problem as backlogs build up which further aggravate the workload of courts, and which cause the length of proceedings to rise further.
Figure 3: Number of litigious civil and commercial pending cases (1st instance/per 100 inhabitants) (source: CEPEJ study)
The number of pending cases expresses the number of cases that remains to be dealt with at the end of a period. The number of pending cases influences the disposition time. Therefore, in order to improve the length of proceedings measures to reduce the number of pending cases are required.
2. Quality of justice systems
The Scoreboard shows that monitoring and evaluation of court activities already exist in most Member States only a few countries have no evaluation systems in place.
Figure 4: Availability of monitoring of courts' activities in 2012* (source: CEPEJ study)
*Availability of monitoring tools has been reported as increasing in CY, EL (annual activity reports) and SI (other monitoring elements) and decreasing in SK (no annual activity report, as individual courts are required to send statistical data to the Ministry of Justice that publishes data for the whole judiciary).
Figure 5: Availability of evaluation of courts' activities in 2012* (source: CEPEJ Study)
*Availability of these tools has been reported to have increased in EE, HU and SI and decreased in LV.
The availability of information and communication technology (ICT) tools for courts increased. They are largely available for the administration and management of courts and to a lesser extent for electronic communications between courts and parties.
Figure 6: ICT Systems for the registration and management of cases (weighted indicator-min=0, max=4) (source: CEPEJ study)
Figure 7: Electronic communication between courts and parties (weighted indicator -min=0, max=4) (source: CEPEJ study)
Alternative dispute resolution methods are available in nearly all Member States. Updated data on the actual use of such methods are not available.
Figure 8: Availability of alternative dispute resolution methods in 2012* (source: CEPEJ study)
*Almost no changes have been reported on the availability of ADR which appeared to increase in CY and decrease in LV, that is in the early stage of establishing a new legal basis for mediation and a mediation institute.
Initial and continuous training is important for maintaining or increasing the knowledge and the skills of justice personnel. Training is particularly important considering the continuous development of national and EU legislation, the increased pressure to meet the expectations of end-users and the trend towards the professional management within the judiciary. In nearly a third of Member States the participation rate of judges in continuous training activities on EU law is above 50%. For half of the Member States it represents less than 20%.
Figure 9: Judges participating in continuous training activities in EU Law or in the law of another Member State (as a % of total number or judges )* (source: European Commission, European Judicial Training, 2012)
*In a few cases reported by the Member States the ratio of participants to existing members of a legal profession exceeds 100%, meaning that participants took part in more than one training activity on EU law. Some of the exceptionally high figures may suggest that, the data delivered concerns training in all subjects and not just in EU law.
Training of judges and legal practitioners and ICT tools are crucial for the effective functioning of a European area of justice based on mutual trust. The findings of the Justice Scoreboard confirm that they should be key components of the future EU Justice Agenda (see IP/14/233).
3. Independence of justice systems
Judicial independence is important for an attractive business environment. It assures the predictability, certainty, fairness and stability of the legal system in which businesses operate.
Perception of the independence of national justice systems varies widely in the EU. Even though several Member States are among the top 10 worldwide leaders in terms of the perception of judicial independence, there is a rather low level of perception of judicial independence by business end-users of the justice system in certain Member States. In comparison to previous years in several Member States the perception of independence has improved whilst in some Member States it has deteriorated.
Figure 10: Perceived judicial independence (higher value means better perception) (source: World Economic Forum [WEF])
The WEF indicator is based on survey answers to the question: "To what extent is the judiciary in your country independent from the influences of members of government, citizens, or firms?" The survey was replied to by a representative sample of firms in all countries representing the main sectors of the economy (agriculture, manufacturing industry, non- manufacturing industry, and services).
While perceived independence is a relevant indicator, information on how judicial independence is legally guaranteed and upheld is necessary. In cooperation with the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ), the Commission has started to collect information on the legal protection of judicial independence in Member States. The 2014 EU Justice Scoreboard presents a first comparative overview on how justice systems are organised to protect judicial independence in certain types of situations where their independence can be at risk.
Five indicators are used to cover the following situations: (i) the safeguards regarding the transfer of judges without their consent, (ii) the dismissal of judges, (iii) the allocation of incoming cases within a court, (iv) the withdrawal and recusal of judges and (v) the threat against the independence of a judge.
The Commission will further examine with the networks of judicial authorities and judges, as well as with the Member States, how the Scoreboard could further develop this comparative data on the effectiveness of the legal safeguards and on other safeguards relating to the structural independence.
Figure 11: The dismissal of 1st and 2nd instance judges
This figure presents the authorities that have the power to propose and decide on the dismissal of judges of first and second instance in the different Member States. The upper part of the column indicates who takes the final decision and the lower part shows – where relevant- who proposes dismissal or who must be consulted before a decision is taken.
Figure 12: The allocation of cases within a court
The figure presents at what level the criteria for distributing cases within a court are defined (e.g. law, well-established practice), how cases are allocated (e.g. by court president, by court staff, random allocation, pre-defined order) and which authority supervises the allocation.
What is the relation between the EU Justice Scoreboard and the new EU Rule of Law Mechanism?
These two tools are separate from each other as they serve different purposes.
The EU Justice Scoreboard provides reliable and comparable data on the efficiency, quality and independence of national justice systems which can be used to support recommendations made to the Member States in the context of the European Semester. It is not a mechanism for guaranteeing the rule of law across the EU.
The new EU Rule of Law Mechanism (IP/14/237) establishes an early warning tool allowing the Commission to enter into a dialogue with the Member State concerned to prevent the escalation of systemic threats to the rule of law. It is a mechanism that can be activated and used in situations where there is a systemic breakdown which adversely affects the integrity, stability and proper functioning of the institutions and mechanisms established at national level to secure the rule of law.
Will the EU Justice Scoreboard replace the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism?
No, this is not the purpose of the Justice Scoreboard exercise.
The Cooperation and Verification mechanism is specific to Bulgaria and Romania. When they joined the EU on 1 January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria still had progress to make in the fields of judicial reform, as well as the fight against corruption and organised crime. To smooth the entry of both countries and at the same time safeguard the workings of its policies and institutions, the EU decided to establish a special "cooperation and verification mechanism" to help them address these outstanding shortcomings.
The Justice Scoreboard is a comparative tool which covers all Member States. It aims to present trends in the functioning of national justice systems over times. It is not a binding mechanism, but is rather intended to help identify issues that deserve particular attention.
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Earlier this year it was estimated that more than 900MW of new wind capacity could come online this year, bringing the country's total capacity to more than 2.8GW. However, as the year has gone on this forecast has steadily fallen.
A draft Romanian government decision would reduce the number of green certificates issued for wind farms in the period up to 2017 to 1.5 per megawatt hour of production from two certificates at present. It would also cut the incentive to 0.75 certificate/MWh from 2018 onwards, compared to the single certificate currently foreseen for that time period.
The planned reduction — which would apply to wind farms coming online after the law is enacted — comes after Romanian energy regulator ANRE found investors were overcompensated by the country's current incentives.
Should it be approved without significant changes, the law would represent the second major negative development for the Romanian industry. Indeed, Robert Cruceru, a lawyer at Wolf Theiss, noted that wind farms awarded an incentive under the new system would also be subject to certificate payment delays laid down in a recent ordinance.
In practical terms, this means that until March 2017, new wind power plants would only receive 0.5 certificates upfront, recovering the missing certificate in the 2018-2020 period.
If all goes well, they would receive 1.5 certificates for the remaining nine months of 2017 before receiving 0.75 certificates for the remainder of the incentive lifetime.
Romania's wind energy association and other renewable associations are lobbying to change the law. Developments on the regulatory front have already helped put a brake on growth of the country's once booming wind market.


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Hand made knives made in the American West tradition.
We liked this series as soon as we saw them. They're made in Asia, but they are done right. The blades are hand ground and may are limited in production. The Coffin Bowie is amazing in polished stainless steel and still for sale at $74.95! The Small Indian Knife is a great deal at $65.95 and has a crude, hand ground blade of 1095 carbon steel and beautiful beaded sheath. They really have a hand made feel and look. The beaded sheaths are all unique and so a particular design cannot be ordered.


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Tekninen tuki
Tarvitsetko teknistä tukea tai ohjeita? Täältä löydät vastauksen useimpiin kysymyksiin.
Checks before the first ride
It is advisable to make the following checks to your Canyon before going on your maiden ride.
1. Are you familiar with the function of the braking system?
The brakes on your Canyon are perhaps much more powerful brakes than those on your previous bike. Ensure that you do a braking test away from traffic. Slowly get used to the stopping distance of your new brakes.
2. Are you familiar with the shift system on your new bike?
Get used to, and practice operating your new shift system on traffic-free roads. Do not shift on the front and rear derailleurs simultaneously and take pressure off the pedals while shifting.
3. Is the frame size correct for you and are the saddle and handlebar correctly adjusted?
Stand over the top tube of your bike and check whether you have a distance of at least 2cm from your crotch to the top tube. Picture 1 If this isn't the case, contact our hotline. The saddle should be adjusted in such a way so that on cross-country and marathon bikes you'll just be about able to reach the pedal with your heel when it is in the lowest possible position. Check also that you can reach the ground with the tips of your shoes when you're sitting in the saddle. In the case of all-mountain, enduro and freeride bikes the saddle is generally positioned lower down. In particular when you're riding fast downhill it makes sense to ride with a lower saddle position.
4. Have you already used click pedals and shoes?
Before the first ride with these pedals you will need to get used to clicking in and out with your shoes. Lean against a wall so you don't keel over and adjust, if required, the tension on the pedal release system. Before making any adjustments, first read the instruction manual, which you'll find in your Bikeguard.
5. Only use your Canyon for the purpose it was manufactured
Mountain bikes for cross country and marathon use are not suitable for tough descents on blocked terrain or for jumps. For all-mountain and enduro riding Canyon offers its own special models. The Torque model range allows you to do so-called free riding and the stitched bikes allow you to go dirt biking. Road and triathlon bikes are only suitable for use on roads. Please note that a maneuver a pro rider makes look easy, may require a considerable amount of practice and training to perfect. As a rule Canyon bikes are designed to accommodate a maximum weight of 120kg (rider + his equipment). This weight limit must not be exceeded!
6. Are all the suspension elements correctly adjusted?
In order to achieve optimum performance from your mountain bike, you will need to adjust your suspension accordingly. Tips and tricks on how to adjust the SAG, compression, rebound, lockout, ProPedal, bottom out protection and all other adjustment features can be found here in the Technical Support Center.


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I haven't always lived in Chicago. I have only lived here for a little over 10 years. I have lived in Ohio and West Virginia, but I grew up in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia. South Philadelphia. 2nd Street (two street to the locals) to be exact. If you happen to know anything about the area, you know that is a very important distinction. South Philly is a pretty unique area. It is an inner city sanctuary filled with row homes that share party walls. Everybody knows everybody else and all their business. Many families have 3 and 4 generations all living on the same city block.
It is an area thick with culture and tradition. It has it's own unique foods like soft pretzels (get the super pretzel vision out of your head now) and 'water ice' (which is neither water or ice, but a refreshing summertime treat) and Cheese Steaks, mmmmmmm. We can't forget the unique shopping experiences like the Italian Market, a.k.a. 9th Street, and if you've ever been there, you'll agree that the stench is indeed unique. Basically, go rent Rocky and you'll see where I grew up.
Anywho, one of the coolest and most fun traditions that is uniquely South Philly is the Mummers Parade. It's is New Years Day extravaganza. An all day party in the streets (especially two street where many 'clubhouses' for the top String Bands are located) complete with food, drink (to the extreme - You have to stay warm somehow!) and entertainment. The parade used to last about 11 hours (but was cut to 6 hours this year because of budget constraints on the city) and the party even longer. There are 4 divisions of the parade, but the best part of the show is the String Bands. These showman are the stars of the party. Every member of the clubs plays a musical instrument. They work on their costumes, music, and choreography all year. Each club puts on about a 5 minute routine for the judges. These clubs are made up of your friends, family and neighbors of all ages from teens to retirees. It's Bob the fireman, and Dan the cop, Billy the plumber and his cousin Leo the trash man and the local butcher. They practice all year and show off tremendous talent on New Years day. The costuming is expensive and most of the sewing and embellishing is done by the wives, mothers and girlfriends of the club members. Completely amazing. This is 1st Place Winner ~ Fralinger String Band
Here is 2nd Place ~ Quaker City
And 3rd Place ~ South Philadelphia String Band
And I can't leave out my personal favorite of 2009(Melisa and de-I, may like this one too) 5th Place ~ Avalon String Band
The quality of the videos I have found do not do justice to the costumes, showmanship, and dancing that is being performed, all while playing there own music!
This New Years Party is the best in the country. It's kind of Philadelphia's version of Mardi Gras and it is one of the things I miss most about living there. If you ever have the chance to spend New Years in Philadelphia, take it. I now how to go quench my sudden craving for a Cheese Steak!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
A Little Taste of Home
I haven't always lived in Chicago. I have only lived here for a little over 10 years. I have lived in Ohio and West Virginia, but I grew up in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia. South Philadelphia. 2nd Street (two street to the locals) to be exact. If you happen to know anything about the area, you know that is a very important distinction. South Philly is a pretty unique area. It is an inner city sanctuary filled with row homes that share party walls. Everybody knows everybody else and all their business. Many families have 3 and 4 generations all living on the same city block.
23 comments:
- Tara R. said...
In June we celebrate the pirate heritage of Florida, but it's nothing like this. Now I want to spend New Years in Philly!
- January 4, 2009 at 9:02 AM
- Melisa said...
What a spectacle! I just can't get over the elaborate costumes, scenery, and choreography. (You're right: the last one was my fave too: representin' for the Jews! ha ha)
I have a good friend who is from Philly. Do you know her? just kidding. But I am going to tell her the next time I see her that I watched some of her hometown parade! Thanks for sharing this: totally cool.
- January 4, 2009 at 9:28 AM
- Melissa said...
Wow, an 11 hour parade. Yikes, I guess you have to bring a port-a-potty and a picnic basket.
That's some pretty awesome stuff.
And your killing me slowly with your cheese steaks...yum-o!
- January 4, 2009 at 9:40 AM
- Weaselmomma said...
@ Tara ~ Kind of makes the Rose Parade look Busch league, doesn't it?
@ Melisa ~ It's a great parade and a great time. If your friend lived in S. Philly, I probably know of the family at least.
@ Malissa ~ It is an all out party! And luckily my house was on the parade route. If I wasn't close to home I could pop in a friends. On New Years everyone held an open door policy and every kitchen hat a pot of soup and a pot of meatballs for sandwiches 'help yourself style'. That was South Philly.
- January 4, 2009 at 10:03 AM
- terri said...
The closest thing I can think of that Minnesota has is the annual Winter Carnival, and it doesn't even compare. Thanks for sharing a piece of who you are. That was fun!
- January 4, 2009 at 10:42 AM
- nonna said...
the south philly stuff is cool and all but hold the phone! did you say you lived in West Virginia??? that's def NIBA territory. your almost a redneck just for passing through w.va, but to actually live there, you better check your wallet. i'm sure you've got a NIBA card in there! you didn't meet your hubby while living there did you? are you sure he's not related to you??
- January 4, 2009 at 10:43 AM
- Colleen - Mommy Always Wins said...
Wow, that's totally amazing! Thanks for sharing a taste of home with us!
- January 4, 2009 at 11:31 AM
- Mama Smurf said...
I ran the Rocky steps!!! LOL.
I'm a dork.
I never pictured Philly as a party city but now I'll have to go back some day.
- January 4, 2009 at 11:42 AM
- Weaselmomma said...
@ Terri ~ it really is a blast. And the fans are more rabid about this competition than college football fans are.
@ Nonna ~ I went to school in WV and yes, that's where I met Mr. Weasel!(no relation) What the heck is NIBA?
@ Coleen ~ There no other parade like it anywhere.
@ Mama Smurf ~ You're too funny. Each section of the city has a different flavor. St. Patty's and New Years are South Philadelphia open street par-tay!
- January 4, 2009 at 12:30 PM
- The Microblogologist said...
While on the subject of parades you should post about the Illinois tradition, the Indictment Parade! This year's parade route: Governor's Mansion to Courthouse to Prison. And if the news I'm hearing is correct and the prosecutors are not a part of the problem then we might get a bonus parade, this one the whole nation can enjoy!
Those bands are too cool, I doubt I'd be able to walk in those costumes let alone dance and play an instrument! And are you implying that the cheese steak hot pockets are not equivalent to the ones you get in Philly?! The ASM (American Society for Microbiology) conference is in Philly this year, I'm too broke and too busy to go. Good thing for you, I'd probably get lost somewhere at least once and call you for directions in hope you know where I am. Note to self, if ever lost in Philly walk south or kidnap WeaselMomma as a prophylactic measure.
- January 4, 2009 at 2:19 PM
- Weaselmomma said...
@ Micro ~ Those costumes are very heavy and some of the larger back pieces weigh 30+ lbs. They are marching for hours and miles. It's a great show. I so would not let you loose in Philly without a GPS and a guide.
Yes, for some reason Hot Pockets has not managed to duplicate the recipe.
And Finally, am am laughing myself city as I have never been referred to as a prophylactic!
- January 4, 2009 at 2:56 PM
- The Microblogologist said...
This is definitely a "Karen is such a nerd" moment, I totally forgot that "prophylactic" is used for more than giving antibiotics to try and prevent infection... While some women who have 5 kids would potentially be a form of prophylactic in the "other" sense (this is Baby Sibling's "method") the weasels are way too cute and sweet, if anything you all would raise the birth rate (I need more babies to be auntie to so I am definitely dragging Cheryl next time I see you!).
In defense of my pathetic navigational skillz, I probably only got lost trying to find your house because of the snow and wind. The wind blew the snow and coated the street signs so I was driving with only the landmarks you gave me, thankfully they did not get buried in snow! Of course if your neighbor's garage door and your dining room window had been buried in snow finding your house would have been the least of our concerns... But yes, I should probably wear a GPS thing whenever I leave one of my areas, I got lost in my home town once for goodness sake (it was so Mom's fault, I should blog about that little tidbit sometime). And you would definitely be my choice of prophylactic Philly tour guide ;).
- January 4, 2009 at 3:46 PM
- de-I said...
That's really wild stuff.
Hey I didn't know you were in Chicago (as I'm kinda new to your scene).
- January 4, 2009 at 5:22 PM
- Pippin Party said...
Right in my neck of the woods. I love the Mummers. My grandma lived right down the street from the museum. It is really something though to see how great the costumes are. Cheers to you!
- January 4, 2009 at 6:07 PM
- Momisodes said...
WOW! That is amazing. I would LOVE to attend this if I ever had the chance. The costumes, music and choreography is so impressive! I can only imagine what it's like in person.
p.s. I SO want a cheese steak now, too.
- January 4, 2009 at 6:34 PM
- NukeDad said...
How cool is that? I'd love to see something like that. This is the first I've ever heard of it. OH, I can rock the homemade Philly, though. I'm sure it isn't as good as yours, but I do have 20+ years of restaurant goodness and culinary love that go into that Sam's Club Philly meat!
- January 4, 2009 at 7:57 PM
- Michelle said...
Wow! Now that is cool. Way cool. That has to be so fun to be there (and not like the normal parades that I could totally skip and be happy). Here's hoping you make it there again soon!
- January 4, 2009 at 8:25 PM
- Weaselmomma said...
@ Micro ~ You crack me up. I want to read about that story.
@ de-I ~ It's really something else.
@ Pippin ~ Thanks for coming by. Did she live on on 2nd street or Washington ave?
@ Momisodes ~ MMMMM, that's what I made for dinner.
@ NukeDad ~ Here's the secret. Get the local butcher to freeze a ribeye for you and then use the sliced to make paper thin slices separated with wax paper by the portion-freeze flat. Shred it as it cooks into itty bitty pieces. Add American or provolone(no whiz) and fried onions and anything else you like. Serve on FRESH Italian roll.
@ Michelle ~ I can skip any other parade also. This one is pure fun.
- January 5, 2009 at 1:53 AM
- Tom said...
Used to love me a good Philly cheese steak now and then, before cholesterol got the better of us. Sacrilege, I know, but we made ours with provolone cheese and used green peppers as well. Anyway, we liked them. They're unfortunately relegated to the "twice a year treat" category for us. But, they're oh, so good.
- January 5, 2009 at 3:50 AM
- Weaselmomma said...
@ Tom ~ They certainly won't keep you healthy. Fresh Green peppers can be good, but you will not be served them at any self respecting joint. Good variations include, Pizza steak (mozzerela and pizza sauce), Mushroom Cheese Steak (add mushroom slices) and Cheesesteak Hogie (tomato, lettuce and Mayo((Yuck)) ).
- January 5, 2009 at 3:59 AM
- Chris H said...
TOTALLY AMAZING! Those bands are just fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
- January 5, 2009 at 12:42 PM
- Bad Momma said...
Cool videos. I'll have to stop at Steak Escape on my way home tonight to pick up dinner to eat while I watch the parade!
- January 6, 2009 at 5:05 AM
- oscar said...
Getting to know you....
Getting to know all about you.....
I like Chicago better. everytime I go to Philly I have a problem. I must write about it one day.
I work right between NYC and Philly. Live 25 miles from NYC. Would rather go to NYC than Philly. People here call it Killadelphia. BUT, The good things you mentioned are great. Lot's of culture!
- January 6, 2009 at 12:14 PM


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Jim Haden to retire after 21 years
Jim Haden, president of Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, will be retiring this fall after 21 years of service to Charlottesville's community hospital.
Haden, who is 67, began working at Sentara Martha Jefferson in 1993. With Haden as president, Sentara Martha Jefferson has grown and greatly expanded, now offering a more enhanced complement of clinical services to the community, including neurosurgery and advanced cardiology and orthopedic services.
In addition, Haden has been an avid supporter of increasing quality outcomes during his tenure, which has been achieved through the hard-work and dedication of all Sentara Martha Jefferson team members and an investment in sophisticated technology.
During his time as president, Sentara Martha Jefferson has enhanced its complement of comprehensive cancer services, was designated as a Magnet® facility for excellence in nursing, opened the outpatient care centers at Pantops and Proffit Road, as well as a free-standing emergency department, recruited numerous specialists from the nation's top medical institutions and achieved superior state and national patient satisfaction scores.
In addition, the Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation was created which has served as a wonderful partnership with the community. Most recently, Haden was instrumental in the successful construction of, and move to, the new Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital on Pantops Mountain and the successful merger with Sentara Healthcare.
"I consider myself lucky to have been able to work at Martha Jefferson Hospital," said Haden. "I have had the good fortune to work with an outstanding group of physicians, employees, volunteers and unbelievably dedicated board members. It's truly been fun. Martha Jefferson Hospital is a special place, and what I cherish the most about our hospital is the caring tradition culture. Thanks to the dedication of all those involved, I am confident the culture will continue through the years."
As the healthcare landscape has changed over time, the strategic leadership of Haden has allowed Sentara Martha Jefferson to grow, and to continue to find better ways to provide care that has led to improved safety and quality outcomes for patients and their families.
"Jim is responsible for encouraging a wide spectrum of individuals to become involved with Martha Jefferson, which in turn has made it the fine institution it is today," said Peter Brooks, chair of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Board of Directors. "His tireless dedication to improving the health of the community can be seen in the major accomplishments that have taken place, but also in the small things. We will be forever thankful for his selfless leadership."
A formal search process is well underway for Haden's successor. The next president is expected to be named later this fall.


text:
From publisher blurb:
The true wonders of Arcana are explored in the monthly journals. Each issue focuses on a hex or faction within the game world, offering rumors, hidden lore, and detailed descriptions of all the important sites and people. Full-color maps (also offered in print-easy black and white) are provided, plus all sites of worthwhile note, such as towns and major adventure sites. Floor plans of castles and other locations are also offered.
In addition to this detailed write-up, each issue will also focus on other aspects of the game world, its history, important people, the Magi and gaming classes. When you add it all up, these journals take the mundane and make it magical. It is through the journals that the Arcana game world will grow, expand, and become a living place of adventure.


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You can't tell from these pictures, but between the two layers, I made a batch of Hazelnut Butter frosting. It was hazelnut butter (just pure 100% hazelnuts), powdered sugar, and more Frangelico liqueur. Plus some hazelnut and vanilla extract. It was so thick, almost more like a hazelnut marzipan than frosting! It's the same stuff that I used for the little decorative blobs on the top of the cake.
Then I made a double batch of the Rich Chocolate Ganache (also from VCTOtW) and spread that all over the cake. It was thick and delicious and easy to work with. Finally, I roasted and chopped up some hazelnuts and coated the sides of the cake with them. I was super excited about that part, because I've always wanted to make a cake with nuts all around the side, but didn't know how to do it. I looked it up on YouTube, and this video gave me all the tips I needed. It turned out so beautifully, and the crunchy nuts were a great contribution to the over all cake-eating experience!
My aunt Sara loves games, so there were board games on every table, and we played a fun little game called Spot It. Then, after dessert, we all played a version of Charades where you had to act out familiar expressions (like "the cat's got your tongue," or "great minds think alike," etc). It was especially fun because we had friends from Italy and Mexico there, so we got to learn about equivalent expressions in other languages ("The cobbler's children have no shoes" = "In the blacksmith's house, the knives are made of wood.") It was such a fun night!


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High Grade Wonders of Super7 Strung w/ 24k Real Gold Pi Yao, Lucky Coin Balls
We encourage users purchasing high-value items to meet and verify their purchases at a safe place. — Carousell Admin
Mailing & Delivery
24k Real Gold and Natural Gemstones - 🔴EVERYTHING ON-HAND!🔴 Actual drafting for requested charm pcs will be shown before shipout. Custom Made Request Lay Away Plan Available Same day Shipping 🌞 Payment Cut Off Time - 2pm PAYMENT AND SHIPPING ❥ BDO ❥ BPI ❥ Metrobank ❥ Eastwest Bank 📮FREE SHIPPING VIA LBC COURIER 🌏International orders, shipment will be through PHILPOST EXPRESS PRIORITY MAIL W/ TRACKING NUMBER WE ONLY SELL GENUINE, HIGH GRADE, PREMIUM GRADE NATURAL GEMS AND CRYSTALS Repair, restring of charms bought from us and shipping cost sending back to you is FREE of charge.


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CHEVY CHASE, MD — Obesity or being overweight is seen as the most important health issue for U.S. children, according to a recent poll. More than a quarter of Americans named obesity as the top health issue for kids. The second and third biggest concerns were lack of health care/insurance and nutrition/unhealthy diet.
Fifty-two percent say obesity is a public health issue that society should help solve; 46 percent say it is a private issue that people should deal with on their own, according to the poll, which was commissioned by Research!America and The Endocrine Society. Ninety-eight percent of Americans say the responsibility for addressing obesity lies to some or a great extent with the parents, while 96 percent say it lies with individuals. Other groups that those surveyed say bear some responsibility are schools (87 percent), health-care providers (84 percent), the food industry (81 percent) and government (67 percent).
Fifty-seven percent say most adults in the United States are overweight or obese, and 35 percent say most children are struggling with weight problems.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 66 percent of American adults (ages 20-74) are overweight or obese, although only about 17 percent of children (ages 2-19) are overweight or obese.


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Gizmo is a Free Phone For Your Computer that makes calling as easy as instant messaging. It includes these features and more:
- Voice Calls - Call anyone in the world for free from your computer, save big on calls from your mobile phone.
- Instant Message - Chat with friends on Gizmo5, MSN, AIM, Yahoo! and Jabber for free.
- File Sharing - Easy sharing of photos, videos and files from your mobile phone or computer.
- Video Calls - See friends and family when making calls anywhere in the world.
- Two-way Text Messaging - Send SMS messages directly from your Gizmo5 account.
We don't have any change log information yet for version 184.108.40.2060 of Gizmo Project. Sometimes publishers take a little while to make this information available, so please check back in a few days to see if it has been updated.
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text:
Heading into the NFL draft, Jarvis Jones believed the Browns liked him with the sixth overall pick. He ended up going 17th overall to the Steelers. In the first half of the first round, a drop of 11 spots will translate to about $7 million less on his rookie contract.
But Jones says he's OK with that.
Jones told ESPNCleveland.com that the Browns told him they wanted him, but he believes they passed on him because of concerns about his medical history and a disappointing workout at the Scouting Combine. Jones, however, said he is glad to play for the Steelers.
"I think I fell to a great organization," Jones said. "I'm blessed to be there. It's a great opportunity for me and I'm loving it. There's nothing like playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. You can feel the intensity when you walk into that building. Being a part of this defense is going to mean a lot to me. It's all about winning."
If history is any guide, Jones has a better chance of winning in Pittsburgh than in Cleveland.


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Oct. 16, 2005
BERKELEY, Calif. -
The No. 15 Gauchos (9-10, 0-1) finished strong at the Northern California Water Polo Tournament by knocking off UC Santa Cruz 10-4 and Santa Clara 9-7 on Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.
In the first match of the day, UCSB faced off against UC Santa Cruz. The Gauchos took an early lead by scoring two opening quarter goals while holding the Banana Slugs to one goal on the period. UCSB kept momentum headed into halftime by tallying four goals in the second quarter. The Gauchos held a commanding 6-2 lead at the break. The second half proved very similar for UCSB when it posted two goals while holding Santa Cruz to only one score in each of the second-half periods. As the clock ran out, the scoreboard read 10-4 in favor of the Gauchos. Sophomore Matt Tilburg led all scorers with three goals on the match. Freshman Travis Watts found the back of the net twice during the match for the Gauchos. In addition, Robbie Bauer, Tyler Powell, Ramiro Saldain, Miles Price, and Michael Dixon each contributed one goal for UCSB. Goalkeeper Rick Wright tallied eight saves in goal for the Gauchos.
UCSB battled Santa Clara in its final match of the day. The Gauchos managed to carry momentum from the victory over UC Santa Cruz into the first quarter of the Santa Clara match. UCSB posted three goals in the opening period while shutting out their opponent. In the second quarter, Santa Clara was the team to notch three scores while UCSB managed to tally two of its own to take a 5-3 lead into the break. The third quarter mimicked the second with Santa Clara posting three goals to UCSB's two. UCSB held a one-goal advantage headed into the final quarter, but the Gaucho offense wasn't done yet. UCSB sealed the 9-7 victory after netting two fourth-quarter goals and giving up only one in return. After scoring in the previous two matches, Price posted two more goals for the Gauchos. In addition, freshmen Dane Lindstrom and Chris Lantz each tallied two goals for UCSB, while sophomore Coulson Lantz and Powell contributed one. Saldain was the only Gaucho to score a goal in each of the four matches at the NorCal Tournament. Goalkeepers Wright and James Street had three and two saves, respectively.
UCSB will return to action this Saturday when it pays a visit to Los Angeles to take on top-ranked UCLA at 1:00 p.m.
Team 1 2 3 4 Total UC Santa Barbara 2 4 2 2 10 UC Santa Cruz 1 1 1 1 4 Scoring UC Santa Barbara goals: Matt Tilburg-3, Travis Watts-2, Robbie Bauer-1, Tyler Powell-1, Ramiro Saldain-1, Miles Price-1, Michael Dixon-1 UC Santa Cruz goals: Nicolas Strauli-2, Justin Garver-1, Sean Berton-Sniderman-1 Goalie Saves UC Santa Barbara: Rick Wright-8 UC Santa Cruz: Kenton Richards-7
Team 1 2 3 4 Total UC Santa Barbara 3 2 2 2 9 Santa Clara 0 3 3 1 7 Scoring UC Santa Barbara goals: Miles Price-2, Dane Lindstrom-2, Chris Lantz-2, Ramiro Saldain-1, Coulson Lantz-1, Tyler Powell-1 Santa Clara goals: Jack Wall-3, Thomas Kelly-1, Whit Gilfillan-1, Austin Brizgys-1, Luke Oda-1 Goalie Saves UC Santa Barbara: Rick Wright-3, James Street-2 Santa Clara: Michael Peterson-2


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Why not draw inspiration for a baby shower from a classic bedtime story. "In the great green room, there was a telephone and a red balloon, and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon." Margaret Wise Brown's "Goodnight Moon" is an American classic, and the perfect theme for a baby shower or kids birthday parties.
This book has been loved for generations and is a popular gift to give to expecting mothers or new babies. Drawing from the colorful pages, it's easy to transform your shower into an adorable come-to-life book.
Gift Registry
First things, first. Before you start planning every detail for your shower, you need to get on a registry for gifts! For the essentials you will need:
- Crib, mattress & crib sheets
- Changing station
- Diapers & wipes
- Bath time items
- Babies clothes
- Stroller
- Car seat
- Portable crib
- Pack & play
Once you've registered for the necessities, register for some fun things that you would be interested in, like perhaps a Snuggle Bug photo album.
It's All in the Details
- Banquet tables: Trade the traditional pastel-colored table cloths and transform the banquet, food and gift table into beds. To pull of this look, use some inexpensive bed linens and pillows and draw inspiration from the book by using playful patterns and vibrant colors. Don't forget to place a teddy bear on each "bed", as well.
- Balls of yarn: Just like in the book use colorful balls of yarn as decor throughout the shower. Use blue, red, yellow and green balls of yarn.
- 'Goodnight Moon' banner: Bust out those crafty skills and create a "Goodnight Moon" banner. You can find a variety of banner ideas floating around Pinterest, with the most common using twine or ribbon, burlap or fabric, and stencils. You can make a few of these banners to place around the shower.
- Cow jumping over … anything: One of the most memorable parts of the book is the cow jumping over the moon! You can have die-cuts or cow stickers pasted on the wall jumping over your clock, a floor lamp, anything really. Or you can create a moon from scrapbook paper. You can even purchase an "Over the Moon" vintage bookmark with a keepsake nursery rhyme gift box.
Get a few copies of the book and place them around the room. Your guests will be able to read the book and see where you drew your inspiration from. The thing to remember for this shower is to use bright colors: shades of greens, oranges, yellows, reds and blues. Distinguish the guest of honor by adorning her chair with red balloons.
For some simple sweets, how about some cheesecake shooters? Just use some small shooter glasses and layer cheesecake mixture and graham cracker crust in a few layers. Top it off with some blueberries and a cookie pastry in the shape of a star. Mini cupcakes are always a hit. Make some custom cupcake toppers with some print-out "Goodnight Moon" sayings and quotes.
Party Favors
For a lasting party favor, give out copies of "Goodnight Moon" to all your guests. Or if you want to express your gratitude even more deeply, hand out these custom made candles imprinted with babies sleeping on a "moon".