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After years of kowtowing to multicultural sensitivities, Britain is now debating whether or not to make the act of forcing someone into a marriage a specific criminal offense.
Supporters of the anti-forced marriage legislation, which may be unveiled by the British government within the next few weeks, say it would be an important first step in combating a cycle of Islamic honor-related kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings and murder that is spiralling out of control in Britain.
Recent studies show that honor-based violence (which differs from more common forms of domestic violence because it can also be carried out by a victim's children, siblings, in-laws and extended family) is far more prevalent in Britain than originally thought.
According to the London-based Association of Chief Police Officers, up to 17,000 women in Britain are victims of honor-based violence -- forced marriages, honor killings, kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings, female genital mutilation and other forms of abuse -- every year. This figure is 35 times higher than official figures suggest and British detectives say it is "merely the tip of the iceberg" of this phenomenon.
Research commissioned by Britain's Department of Education shows that an estimated 8,000 young women in Britain are the victims of forced marriages each year. Some women's groups say the actual number is far higher because many victims are afraid to come forward.
In 2010, 1,735 victims of forced marriages sought help from the Forced Marriage Unit, a special agency established by the British government. Some of those cases involved girls as young as 13, and there were 70 instances involving women with learning or physical disabilities. Around 85 percent of the cases involved females; 15 percent involved boys or men.
Another study titled "A Statistical Study to Estimate the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in England and Wales" says that more than 65,000 women in Britain have undergone female genital mutilation, and at least 15,000 girls under the age of 15 are at high risk of the procedure. The report, which was funded by Britain's Department of Health, says girls and adult women often are forced to undergo female genital mutilation as a condition of marriage. Although the practice is prohibited in the United Kingdom under the Female Genital Mutilation Act of 2003, to date not a single person has been prosecuted for the offense.
At least a dozen women are believed to victims of honor killings in Britain every year, but the exact number is not known -- partly because there is no clear definition of what constitutes an honor-killing -- and many believe the true figure could be higher. Often honor-killings cannot be resolved due to the unwillingness of family, relatives and communities to testify. For example, one in ten young British Asians believes honor-killings can be justified, according to a BBC poll.
The research literature shows that honor-based violence in Britain is most prevalent among Muslim immigrants from South Asia, the Middle East and North and West Africa. According to the Domestic Violence Intervention Project in West London, for example, up to 60 percent of Arab families suffer from honor-related violence. According to the Lantern Project in Birmingham, honor-based violence is equally common wealthy families as among unemployed or unskilled immigrants.
Honor-related violence in Britain is not limited to older, first-generation immigrants. According to a 174-page report titled "Crimes of the Community: Honor-Based Violence in the UK," honor-based violence is "not a one-time problem of first-generation immigrants bringing practices from 'back home' to the UK. Instead honor violence is now, to all intents and purposes, an indigenous and self-perpetuating phenomenon which is carried out by third and fourth generation immigrants who have been raised and educated in the UK."
British Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to "outlaw the practice of forced marriage." In a campaign speech in Bradford in February 2008, Cameron said thousands of young Britons were being forced to marry someone against their will every year, with some cases involving assaults and kidnaps. "It seems utterly bizarre, and frankly unacceptable, that this goes on in Britain but it does," Cameron said.
He also said existing legislation to tackle forced marriages needs to be strengthened to make the practice a specific criminal offense: "At the moment, the Forced Marriages Act, which we supported, only makes it possible to pursue civil prosecutions. The argument runs that it is unlikely that victims will come forward if it means pressing criminal charges against their parents. But we shouldn't close this door and if the current legislation doesn't work in ending forced marriages, the Conservative Party would consider making them a criminal offence."
In April 2011, Cameron in a major speech on immigration, stated: "There are forced marriages taking place in our country, and overseas, as a means of gaining entry to the UK. This is the practice where some young British girls are bullied and threatened into marrying someone they don't want to. I've got no time for those who say this is a culturally relative issue -- frankly it is wrong, full stop, and we've got to stamp it out."
In February, Cameron declared Britain's long-standing policy of multiculturalism to be a failure. "Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and apart from the mainstream. We have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run completely counter to our values." Cameron cited "the horror of forced marriage" as one of the specific negative consequences of multiculturalism.
In May, the Home Affairs Select Committee, a cross-party group of British MPs, published a new report recommending that forced marriage be turned into a criminal offense to send a stronger message that it will not be tolerated. The committee, which took soundings from a variety of different groups working to counter forced marriage, said it was "not at all clear" that current legislation was protecting those at risk.
"We believe that it would send out a very clear and positive message to communities within the UK and internationally if it becomes a criminal act to force -- or to participate in forcing -- an individual to enter into marriage against their will. The lack of a criminal sanction also sends a message, and currently that is a weaker message than we believe is needed. We urge the Government to take an early opportunity to legislate on this matter," the committee said.
In June, a new bill was introduced in the House of Lords that would force Islamic courts to acknowledge the primacy of English law. The Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill would make it an offense punishable by five years in jail for anyone to falsely claim or imply that Sharia courts or councils have legal jurisdiction over family or criminal law.
The bill, proposed by Lady Caroline Cox-Johnson, and backed by women's rights groups, was drawn up because of "deep concerns" that Muslim women are suffering discrimination within closed Sharia law councils. Cox said she had found "considerable evidence" of women, some of whom are brought to Britain speaking little English and kept ignorant of their legal rights, suffering domestic violence or unequal access to divorce, due to discriminatory decisions made. "We cannot continue to condone this situation. Many women say: 'We came to this country to escape these practices only to find the situation is worse here.'"
Britain is not the only European country coming to grips with the problem of forced marriage. Belgium outlawed the practice in 2007, and those convicted of forcing someone into marriage by violence or coercion face a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine of up to €2,500 ($3,500). Norway amended its Penal Code in 2003. It is now a crime punishable by up to six years in prison to force a person into marriage; it is also a punishable offense to enter into marriage with a person under the age of 16.
Germany became the latest European country to outlaw forced marriages. In March 2011 the German government made the practice a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. French law forbids forced marriages and allows prosecution of anyone who mutilates the genitals of a girl with French citizenship or resident status, even if the operation is conducted in another country. But the practices continue to thrive in secret.


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Known to all and very familiar, this bentwood classic reveals its uniqueness at second glance: the armrests are harmonically integrated into the extended backrest; two curved bentwood elements connect the armrests with the seat. They provide stability and, at the same time, a certain flexibility that makes sitting on this chair very comfortable. Therefore, it was used in numerous restaurants and cafés throughout the world around 1900. We produce the original in the well-proven quality.
Wooden parts in stained beech. Seat with cane work, moulded plywood seat or upholstered and covered with leather or fabric. Also available in "Pure Materials" versions.
Michael Thonet's sons, Franz, Michael junior, August, Josef and Jakob, joined the company Gebrüder Thonet in Vienna in 1853. After Michael Thonet's death in 1871, they jointly managed the company. They developed new machines and work processes and presented numerous additional developments and new furniture designs. At around the turn of the century, the third generation of Thonets then became active in the company: Karl, Julius, Theodor, Alfred, Victor and Richard also designed a wide range of new furniture and products over the course of their activities.
The sensitive selection of the surfaces is decisive for the character of any piece of furniture. Therefore, we offer an almost limitless range of materials, allowing for an individual and special touch for each piece. Create your personal chair or table by choosing from our comprehensive collection of materials for the frame and upholstery. Please note that the materials listed here only represent a small selection of our production possibilities. Our specialist trade partner near you will be happy to offer advice.

subset: commoncrawl


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All your data is safe with us in the 'cloud'.
While regrettable, I can't see how this is related to "the cloud". Adobe's customer records really do not have much to do with the cloud. Yes, those who are cloud subscribers are part of that, but so is every other customer who has purchased their software directly from Adobe (which is a majority).
On the other hand, they don't have 2.9 millions users in CC per their own claims...This means that this hack is not related to the move to CC, it must cover many users having ordered through Adobe site or using other cloud services.This appears to be more of an e-commerce mishap than a real cloud one, but I could be wrong.Cheers,Bernard
It's a general problem with e-commerce. We are now encouraged to leave our credit card details with dozens and dozens of e-tailers, ...
So those who created an Adobe ID and supplied Credit Card details for the subscription fee may now also be impacted.
Adobe announced on Thursday that it has been the target of a major security breach in which sensitive and personal data about millions of its customers have been put at risk.Brad Arkin, senior director of security for Adobe products and services, explained in a blog post that the attack concerns both customer information and illegal access to source codes for "numerous Adobe products."A few examples include Adobe Acrobat, ColdFusion, and the ColdFusion Builder. However, as far as the source code is concerned, Adobe assured that there is no "increased risk to customers as a result of this incident."Adobe officials added that the investigation has not turned up any zero-day attacks either.Unfortunately, the culprits have obtained access to a large swath of Adobe customer IDs and encrypted passwords.Arkin specified that removed sensitive information (i.e. names, encrypted credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, etc.) about approximately 2.9 million Adobe customers.He added that investigators don't "believe the attackers removed decrypted credit or debit card numbers" from Adobe's systems.While federal law officials are involved, Adobe stressed that there are some precautions that customers need to take action on now.Adobe is resetting the passwords on breached Adobe customer IDs, and users will receive an email if they are affected. The software giant is also currently notifying customers whose credit or debit card information was exposed.Adobe has also promised to offer these customers with the option of enrolling in a one-year complimentary credit monitoring membership where available.
Adobe's Creative cloud was not hacked (as implied by the title of this thread). Adobe's customer records were hacked. Which means all of Adobe's customer could have been affected ...
Well that raises an interesting issue. In the UK, I believe it is unlawful to maintain details of a credit card once the transaction has been completed, unless it is an ongoing account arrangement, as an Amazon account would be for example.
I haven't read any where that every customer record and password that was compromised included encrypted credit card information. Adobe probably has many (maybe even the majority?) of it's users who create an account to register their software who do not buy directly from adobe and have never given Adobe a CC number. And perhaps as you stated even if they have purchased from Adobe, in some countries Adobe cannot store that information.From what I've read it sounds like the passwords and CC numbers retrieved were encrypted. The ability to decrypt those is pretty daunting. So perhaps they really didn't get that much. Sounds like the real damage here is Adobe's PR which was already having some issues.


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Mark Holm
Member since | |
Last seen online | |
Language | English (USA) |
How to make people hate you even more.
(Written on 12/09/2014)(Permalink)
Rob Harrison, I am curious. Are you opposed to the CL-215/415 series in particular? To piston powered fire bombers vs. turbine powered? To all fixed wing fire bombers? To larger vs. smaller fixed wing fire bombers? Perhaps your problem is with the low altitude attack and skimming refill flight profile? I have to say that I am perplexed by the conversions of jetliners to fire bombers. It seems that wings and engines optimized for high speed, high altitude flight are, even with slats and flaps deployed, a poor match for the low speed, low altitude mission. The BAE-146 conversions appear to be somewhere in the middle, since the 146 has less wing sweep and was designed from the start for getting in and out of shorter runways and for lower and slower flight than most jetliners.
(Written on 12/06/2014)(Permalink)
Examination of the image shows that the gauges for the jet engines are on the pilot's panel, not the flight engineer's and the jet engine power levers are above the pilot's seats.
(Written on 11/20/2014)(Permalink)
preacher1, I don't think clearance is really the issue. The question is about system capability. Could the system, relying on visual separation of the choppers from each other and from the very nearby airliners on short final, be reliable in a dynamic, possibly chaotic situation? History strongly suggests the answer is no. The controllers could have taken it upon themselves, simply denying clearance, but then they would have been in the political gun-sights. Their bosses correctly saw that this was a management level decision and took it out of the controllers' concerns. Sometimes the bosses make a good decision and we should applaud them when they do.
(Written on 11/03/2014)(Permalink)
It's pretty bad that on an aviation specific website, commenters don't even bother to consider the aviation related aspects of a story! The center of the city of Ferguson lies about 1.5 miles from the ends of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport's two busiest runways. The southern city limit passes right under the extended centerline of 30R, about 1.6 miles from the touchdown point, 1.2 miles from the threshold. 30L is only a short distance farther south. Since the prevailing wind is from the west, 30R and 30L are often the approach runways. Where the Ferguson city limit intersects the 30R centerline, the published 3 degree glide slope is only about 450 feet AGL. Would you want to be landing an airliner with an uncontrolled gaggle of helicopters, some of which might, according to a pilot report, be receiving small arms fire from the ground, less than a mile from short final? I think a TFR was a mighty wise move!
(Written on 11/03/2014)(Permalink)
Come on, both Baumgartner and Eustace are just copycats. Kittinger was the pioneer. A few thousand feet higher, at that altitude is pretty meaningless.
(Written on 10/26/2014)(Permalink)
Nice collection of photos. There are several errors in the captions. Some dates are clearly wrong. Others are probably, but not certainly wrong. A couple of airplanes are misidentified, e.g. the plane Fiorello LaGuardia is sitting in is a DC-2 not a DC-3.
(Written on 06/29/2014)(Permalink)
How will this affect the frequency of throttle mismanagement errors, similar to the Asiana SFO crash? With the step down approach, the throttle setting changes multiple times during the procedure, making the crew more aware of its action. With optimized descent, the throttle remains at idle until low altitude and, perhaps low airspeed, a poor time for confusion about what the throttle is doing. I realize this depends a lot on details of cockpit system design and usage.
(Written on 06/25/2014)(Permalink)
Looking briefly at the US and Canadian standards, having the numbers at the beginning of the offset portion instead of the landing portion is only approved for a temporary situation. The Heligoland 21 situation certainly looks like a permanent one. I don't know the German rules, but if they are harmonized with the US and Canadian, then the numbers are in the wrong place on this runway. That could certainly lead to pilot error.
(Written on 06/04/2014)(Permalink)
Looking at the Google aerial photo, the offset runway markings are not terribly prominent, and the numbers are at the beginning of the offset portion, not at the beginning of the landing portion, just beyond the threshold, where they most commonly are placed. Apparently this is a legal way to do the markings, but, as in so many things in aviation, doing things more than one way invites mistakes.
(Written on 06/04/2014)(Permalink)
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The conflict has turned decidedly nasty. Walter Hewlett, son of one of the founders of Hewlett-Packard (HP) and a member of the company's board, missed a board meeting in July that discussed a proposed merger with Compaq Computer. Why was he not there? Because, reported CNET News, an online service, on November 12th, he was playing with the Bohemian Club symphony orchestra. The club's members, says the story, are "rich businessmen, politicians and some influential artists". Implication: spoilt rich kid swans off while his family firm debates its future.
And then causes trouble when the firm decides to head in a direction he dislikes. Mr Hewlett recently announced, to the consternation of HP executives, that Compaq was the wrong partner for HP. "With this transaction," he complained, "we get what we don't want, and we jeopardise the things we already have." The Hewlett family and its charitable foundation, jointly controlling 5.2% of HP's shares, will vote against the merger. So, probably, will David Packard, the only son of HP's other founder. He chairs the Packard Humanities Institute, which holds a 1.3% stake. And so perhaps may the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, chaired by another relative, Susan Packard Orr, which controls 10.4% of the company's shares.
Among the ranks of large quoted companies are a surprising number in which, as at HP, the founder's descendants still have an important voice. When a family floats a firm, it usually retains a substantial holding. Think of Wal-Mart, where Rob and John Walton (sons of Sam Walton, the firm's legendary founder) are on the board, which Rob Walton chairs; or Motorola, where Chris Galvin is chief executive of the company his grandfather founded 73 years ago; or Nordstrom, where the family controls 24% of the shares; or Coca-Cola, where the Woodruff family still exerts huge influence.
New versions of such firms will spring from some of the businesses founded in the past few decades, says Amar Bhidé, author of "The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses", as shares in companies such as Dell Computer, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway and Home Depot pass on to family trusts or the next generation. All told, reckons Joe Astrachan of the Family Enterprise Centre at the Coles College of Business, part of Kennesaw State University in Georgia, families wield influence at between 35% and 45% of America's 500 largest listed companies, depending on how "influence" is defined.
Most of the time, such descendant-shareholders keep their heads down. They pop up, says Andrew Keyt, who runs the Family Business Centre at Loyola University in Chicago, mainly when senior management messes up, or if it fails to uphold the family's values — as William Clay Ford has done at Ford Motor Company. In October the great-grandson of Henry Ford sacked Jacques Nasser, the chief executive, and took charge himself.
The Ford family controls 40% of the company's voting rights, and has had a history of trouble with the "hired help". The relationship seems to work best with Brits: Alex (now Lord) Trotman, a Scot, retained the family's confidence; Sir Nick Scheele, the new chief operating officer, is thick with Mr Ford; so is David Thursfield, chairman of Ford of Europe and maybe the company's next chief executive.
All businesses start out run by families, or at least by individuals who pass on a stake to their nearest and dearest. In America, the stake is often in a family-controlled trust. A couple of family seats on the board can pack lots of power, especially if they go with seats on the nominations committee, and so control over the choice of chief executive. Sometimes a family, such as the Watsons at IBM, exerts surprising influence even though its stake is tiny. A larger family stake can serve as a useful poison pill against a hostile takeover bid.
Families can retain control more easily if, as in Ford's case, the company has a share structure that gives special voting rights to a select few shareholders. Such arrangements are fairly common in media groups, such as the New York Times, where the Sulzberger family controls 88% of the votes but has a mere 17% of the company's class A shares. But in general in America, and even more in Britain, they are frowned upon by stock exchanges.
British and American exchanges also insist on fair treatment of small investors. In continental Europe and Asia, by contrast, family control of listed companies is made easier by weaker rules about treatment of minority shareholders and, argues Colin Mayer, professor of management studies at Oxford University, by a complex network of cross-shareholdings. These often allow a single family-owned holding company to control a vast array of quoted companies, as the Agnelli family controls Fiat, for example.
Perhaps because the influence of institutional investors is so much weaker in continental Europe and Asia, families there seem to intervene more often and less bashfully than in America or Britain. At Valeo, a French car-parts group, and at BMW, a German car maker, the controlling families have waded in repeatedly to change top management. In America, by contrast, there have been times when outside shareholders have stepped in to reprimand or even oust a family member. That has happened at Wang, a now-defunct technology company, and at Archer Daniels Midland, an agricultural business.
Family Misfortunes
Family involvement can be bad for outside shareholders. One American academic study found that the death of a big inside shareholder typically resulted in a rise in the share price, and the larger the deceased's shareholding, the bigger the subsequent rise*. It is a myth to assume that the family understands the business better than outside managers, especially as generations pass and the business changes. At Gucci, a luxury-goods company, family squabbles almost ruined the business. The family lawyer rescued it.
But conscientious families may not feel the same about the company as do managers or ordinary shareholders. Sir Adrian Cadbury, who has written a pamphlet on corporate governance in family firms (published in Britain by Egon Zehnder, a headhunting firm) and whose ancestors created the Cadbury chocolate brand, sympathises with Mr Ford. "His name's on all the cars, so he has a position as the guardian of the company's values and reputation," he argues. "That means he's different." Marilyn Carlson Nelson, boss of Carlson Companies, a privately owned travel group, says that America has respect for family ownership, which "can help to sustain a culture [and] add continuity".
The Hewletts and Packards reflect a similar sense of family values. Rob Enderle, an analyst at Giga Information Group, points out how much the families' approval matters to the HP merger. "Without them," he says, "it would be almost impossible to make the deal happen, because so many people in the company look to them for guidance." Ironically, when Carly Fiorina took over as chief executive, she invoked HP's family origins by running a series of advertisements that featured the garage in which the firm was born. If she is now judged to have betrayed that legacy, the merger, and with it her career at HP, will be dead.
* "Ownership Concentration, Corporate Control Activity and Firm Value: Evidence from the Death of Inside Blockholders", by Myron B. Slovin and Marie E. Sushka, The Journal of Finance, September 1993
Copyright © 2001 The Economist Newspaper and The Economist Group. All rights reserved.


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Apr 12, 2018 IFR Joint Venture Commences Drilling of Historic First Well at TecolutlaCalgary, Alberta -- April 12, 2018 -- International Frontier Resources Corporation ("IFR" or the "Company") (TSX-V: IFR) (OTCQB: IFRTF) is pleased to announce that in partnership with Mexican petrochemical leader Grupo IDESA, Tonalli Energia ("Tonalli") has spudded its first evaluation well, TEC-10, at its onshore Tecolutla block.
The Tecolutla field is located within the Tampico-Misantla basin which has multiple reservoirs with diverse play types and access to existing infrastructure, market, service sector providers and an established supply chain. In 2017, IHS Markit identified the Tampico-Misantla Basin as a potential "super basin". Tecolutla is in close proximity to existing PEMEX measurement points and pipeline infrastructure. This strategic position of the block should enable Tonalli to efficiently bring oil to the market. Existing pump stations and oil effluent pipelines are both located approximately 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) north of the TEC-10 well. Oil produced at Tecolutla will be trucked to this existing facility and metered before entering the existing pipeline system. These are connected to the central processing facility at Poza Rica. This favourable location provides Tonalli with significant optionality for marketing and transportation of the much-needed oil to the domestic market in the event of a commercial oil find. The existing four wells at Tecolutla were drilled by PEMEX between 1956 and 1972 and produced 1.9 million barrels without the use of artificial lift. Based on Tonalli's interpretation of the 3D seismic, the Tecolutla field has been significantly underdeveloped. IFR was one of the first foreign companies to participate in the historic reform of Mexico's oil and gas sector when Tonalli was granted the right to operate, develop and produce hydrocarbons at Tecolutla through a licensing contract with the Mexican government. The Tecolutla block was awarded to Tonalli on May 12, 2016 as part of the first round and third call of Mexico's oil and natural gas "mature fields" bid round ("Round 1.3"), the first in almost 80 years. Each of the blocks offered in Round 1.3 attracted multiple bids. About International Frontier Resources International Frontier Resources Corporation (IFR) is a Canadian publicly traded company with a demonstrated track record of advancing oil and gas projects. Through its Mexican subsidiary, Petro Frontera S.A.P.I de CV (Frontera) and strategic joint ventures, it is advancing the development of petroleum and natural gas assets in Mexico. The Company also has projects in Canada and the United States, including the Northwest Territories and Montana. The Company's shares are listed on the TSX Venture, trading under the symbol IFR and on the OTCQB under the symbol IFRTF. For additional information please visit www.internationalfrontier.com. For further information Steve Hanson -- President and CEO (403) 215-2780 firstname.lastname@example.com or Tony Kinnon -- Chairman (403) 215-2780 firstname.lastname@example.com Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Company's plans, strategy, business model, focus, objectives and other aspects of IFR's anticipated future operations and financial, operating and drilling and development plans and results, including, expected future production, production mix, reserves, drilling inventory, net debt, cash flow, operating netbacks, decline rate and decline profile, product mix, capital expenditure program, capital efficiencies, commodity prices, tax pools and targeted growth. In addition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this press release contains forward-looking information regarding: anticipated cost savings and operational efficiencies; anticipated capital cost estimations; the focus and allocation of IFR's 2017 capital budget; anticipated production rates, available free cash flow, management's view of the characteristics and quality of the opportunities available to the Company; and other matters ancillary or incidental to the foregoing. Forward-looking information typically uses words such as "anticipate", "believe", "project", "target", "guidance", "expect", "goal", "plan", "intend" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, statements that actions, events or conditions "may", "would", "could" or "will" be taken or occur in the future. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by IFR's management, including expectations concerning prevailing commodity prices, exchange rates, interest rates, applicable royalty rates and tax laws; capital efficiencies; decline rates; future production rates and estimates of operating costs; performance of existing and future wells; reserve and resource volumes; anticipated timing and results of capital expenditures; the success obtained in drilling new wells; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; the timing, location and extent of future drilling operations; the state of the economy and the exploration and production business; results of operations; performance; business prospects and opportunities; the availability and cost of financing, labour and services; the impact of increasing competition; ability to market oil and natural gas successfully and IFR's ability to access capital. Statements relating to "reserves" are also deemed to be forward looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves can be profitably produced in the future. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because IFR can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions, by its very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking information and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive there from. Management has included the above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking information provided in this press release in order to provide security holders with a more complete perspective on IFR's future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing lists of factors are not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect IFR's operations or financial results are included in reports on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and IFR disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. "Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility or accuracy of this release". The Company seeks Safe Harbor. | |
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Withdrawing money after retirement
How much is enough to make your money last?
By Doreen FrielIf you're like a lot of people trying to save for a more secure financial future, you have probably heard about saving and investing wisely for retirement. What you may not have heard a lot about, however, is how to wisely withdraw money from your retirement plan when the time comes.
The tricky part is estimating how much to withdraw from a retirement plan each year. Depending on the type of plan, the government requires most retirement savers to begin withdrawing a certain amount of money from their retirement plan accounts after reaching a certain age but most people want — or need — to start taking their money before that. And many want to withdraw more than the government requires them to each year. Unfortunately these cash-eager retirees risk running out of money in their lifetime.
Nest egg percentage
According to Barney Lee ("Americans All Over the Map on Retirement Drawdown Rates," October 13, 2011), 34 percent of people surveyed had no idea how much they will need to withdraw each year from their retirement plan accounts. And 15 percent planned on drawing down 10 percent or more of their savings each year. But is that too much to withdraw? According to the MetLife Mature Market Institute, financial professionals advise that individuals withdraw no more than 4 percent to 6 percent of their retirement savings each year in retirement to make their money last a lifetime.
In a MetLife Retirement Income IQ Survey, it was revealed that 56 percent of survey participants correctly responded that they could withdraw about $600 monthly from a $100,000 nest egg to last for 30 years in retirement. Alarmingly, the remaining 44 percent of respondents expressed the (incorrect) opinion that they could withdraw significantly higher amounts — anywhere from $800 to $1,200 per month.
Aging stats
If you don't think your money needs to last long, you may want to think again. According to the Transactions of the Society of Actuaries Annuity 2000 Table for Males and Females, males who reach age 65 have a 50 percent chance of living beyond 85. Females who reach age 65 have a 50 percent chance of living beyond 88. And for couples that both reach age 65, there's a 50 percent chance of one of them living beyond age 92.
How much to save, when to retire
There are lots of things that you can do to help make sure your money lasts. They include being savvy (before and after retirement) about food and housing costs as well as developing interests in inexpensive hobbies and choosing travel vacations that don't break the budget. But one of the most important steps you can take is to consult a financial professional — long before you retire. He or she can help you determine, based on your circumstances, how much money you may need to save for retirement, and at what age you may be able to afford retirement.
If retirement is just around the corner, a financial professional can help you decide whether delaying your retirement by a year or two or working part-time during retirement is wise. But, perhaps most importantly, a financial professional can help you decide how much to withdraw each year from your retirement plan — without taking too much.
About the Author
Doreen Friel is marketing communications consultant who produces materials for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.-
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Every year some of the brightest minds in Microsoft Integration descend upon Redmond, Washington for the Microsoft MVP Summit. This year 3 MVPs (Saravana Kumar, Steef-Jan Wiggers and Michael Stephenson) from Europe will be stopping by Calgary on their way to the Summit and will be giving some presentations. Myself and a local Microsoft employee, Darren King, will also be presenting.
I have shared the stage with these MVPs before and can vouch that attendees are in for a unique experience as they discuss their experiences with Microsoft Azure and BizTalk Server.
During this full day of sessions you will learn about how BizTalk and Microsoft Azure can address integration challenges. Session topics include SaaS connectivity, IoT, Hybrid SQL Server, BizTalk administration & operations and Two Speed IT using Microsoft Azure. Also bring your burning questions for our interactive Ask the Experts Q & A.
The free event takes place on October 30th, 2015 at the Calgary Microsoft office. You can find more details here.


text: [Mike Bradley] wanted to use his oscilloscope to display 8 channels of digital signals. Alas, the analog unit didn't have this capability. Not to worry, he threw together an adapter module that does the trick. Using a PIC 18F26K20 microcontroller he inputs four or eight channel digital logic (at 5V) and filters the output to an analog signal that the oscilloscope can interpret. What you see in the photo above is the result.


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Carotid Endarterectomy
Carotid endarterectomy is a type of surgery used to remove plaque from the carotid artery. It is the third most common kind of cardiovascular surgery in the United States.
Carotid artery disease (also called cerebrovascular disease) affects the vessels leading to the brain. Like the heart, the brain's cells need a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood. This blood supply is delivered to the brain by the 2 large carotid arteries in the front of your neck and by 2 smaller vertebral arteries at the back of your neck. The right and left vertebral arteries come together at the base of the brain to form what is called the basilar artery. A stroke may occur when the carotid arteries become blocked and the brain does not get enough oxygen.
Carotid artery disease increases the risk of stroke in 3 ways:
- By fatty deposits called plaque severely narrowing the carotid arteries.
- By a blood clot becoming wedged in a carotid artery already narrowed by plaque.
- By plaque or a clot breaking off from the carotid arteries and blocking a smaller artery in the brain (a cerebral artery).
What is carotid endarterectomy?
Carotid endarterectomy is a type of surgery used to remove plaque from the carotid artery. It is the third most common kind of cardiovascular surgery in the United States.
During the operation, the surgeon peels the plaque away from the carotid artery. Once the plaque is removed from the carotid artery, more oxygen-rich blood can flow through the artery to the brain, reducing the risk of stroke.
Your doctor may want you to have a carotid endarterectomy if a carotid artery is narrowed 70% or more and if the narrowing may have caused
- A transient ischemic attack (TIA) or "mini stroke." TIAs are episodes of dizziness, tingling, numbness, blurred vision, confusion, or paralysis that can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.
- A stroke marked by loss of vision, persistent weakness, or paralysis.
Your doctor may also recommend the operation if you have not had a TIA or stroke, but your carotid arteries are narrowed 80% or more.
Patients with mild blockages of 50% or less usually do not need the operation, unless they have some of the symptoms mentioned above.
Carotid endarterectomy can prevent a future stroke and help ease the symptoms of TIAs. Studies have shown that a carotid endarterectomy works better than medicines alone in preventing a stroke in people with blockages in the carotid arteries.
But a carotid endarterectomy may not be suitable for everyone, because the procedure can be risky for patients whose overall health is poor. Patients may not be candidates for carotid endarterectomy if they have
- TIAs that are a result of narrowed blood vessels in the back of the head and not the carotid arteries.
- Severe coronary artery disease.
- High blood pressure that is not controlled by medicines.
- Severe hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) in many places in the body.
- Heart failure.
- Kidney failure.
What to Expect
The operation will be scheduled at a time that is best for you and your surgeon, except in urgent cases. Be sure to tell your surgeon and cardiologist about any changes in your health including symptoms of a cold or the flu. Any infection may affect your recovery.
Also, review all medications (prescription as well as over-the-counter and supplements) with your cardiologist and surgeon.
Before surgery, you may have to have an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) [no link], blood tests, urine tests, and a chest x-ray to give your surgeon the latest information about your health.
If you smoke, your doctor will want you to stop at least 2 weeks before your surgery. Smoking before surgery can lead to problems with blood clotting and breathing.
The night before surgery, you will be asked to bathe to reduce the amount of germs on your skin. A medicine (anesthetic) will make you sleep during the operation. This is called "anesthesia." Because anesthesia is safest on an empty stomach, you will be asked not to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery. If you do eat or drink anything after midnight, it is important that you tell your anesthesiologist and surgeon.
You will get complete instructions from your cardiologist and surgeon about the procedure, but here are some basics you can expect as a patient.
Day of Surgery
Most patients are admitted to the hospital the day before surgery or, in some cases, on the morning of surgery.
Small metal disks called electrodes will be attached to your chest. These electrodes are connected to an electrocardiogram machine, which will monitor your heart's rhythm and electrical activity. You will receive a local anesthetic to numb the area where a plastic tube (called a line) will be inserted in an artery in your wrist. An intravenous (IV) line will be inserted in your vein. The IV line will give you the anesthesia during the operation. You will be given something to help you relax (a mild tranquilizer) before you are taken into the operating room.
After you are completely asleep, a tube will be inserted down your windpipe and connected to a machine called a respirator, which will take over your breathing. Another tube will be inserted through your nose and down your throat, into your stomach. This tube will stop liquid and air from collecting in your stomach, so you will not feel sick and bloated when you wake up. A thin tube called a catheter will be inserted into your bladder to collect any urine produced during the operation.
The surgeon will make a cut (called an incision) in the neck to get to the carotid artery. The surgeon places a tube (called a shunt) into the artery above and below the blockage. The shunt lets blood flow around the blockage to nourish the brain. The surgeon then peels the plaque from the inside of the carotid artery. When all of the plaque is removed, the shunt is removed, and the incision in the artery is closed by stitching a patch of fabric (Dacron) or vein into the incision.
A carotid endarterectomy can also be done by a technique that does not require blood flow to be rerouted. In this procedure, the surgeon stops the blood flow just long enough to peel the blockage away from the artery.
The surgery takes about 1 to 2 hours.
Recovery Time
You can expect to stay in the hospital for about 1 to 3 days, including 1 day in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). During that time in the hospital, you will need to lie flat and not move your head too much. You may find that your neck aches, and this may last for up to 2 weeks. Try to avoid physically demanding activities for about 1 week. It may take as long as 2 weeks before you are totally healed.
Life After Carotid Endarterectomy
After a carotid endarterectomy, you should limit the fat and cholesterol in your diet. Your doctor may want you to start an exercise program. Other lifestyle changes include quitting smoking, limiting how much alcohol you drink, and controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.


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A Real Life Terminator?
In the 1984 film The Terminator, an artificial intelligence machine is sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to exterminate a woman named Sarah Connor. The Terminator had not only a metal skeleton, but also an external layer of living tissue as well, and was thus deemed a cyborg, a being with both biological and artificial parts. In 1984, no such cyborgs existed in the real world. However, fourteen years later, that would change.
Kevin Warwick is a Professor of Cyberkinetics at the University of Reading in England, and in 1998, he became the world's first cyborg. Using only local anesthetic, a small silicon chip transponder was implanted into his forearm. The chip had a unique frequency that was able to track him throughout his workplace, and with a clench of his fist, he was able to turn lights on and off, as well as operate doors, heaters, and computers.
To take the experiment to the next level, in 2002 Warwick received another implant. A one hundred electrode array was implanted into the median nerve fibers of Warwick's left forearm. With this implant, he was able to control electric wheelchairs and a mechanical arm. The neural signals being used to control the arm were detailed enough that the mechanical arm was able to mimic Warwick's arm perfectly. While traveling to Columbia University in New York, Warwick was even able to control the mechanical arm from overseas and get sensory feedback transmitted from the arm's fingertips (the electrode array could also be used for stimulation).
Although Warwick's work could profoundly affect the world of medicine through its potential to aid those who have nervous system damage, his work has been considered quite controversial. After his first implant, Warwick announced that his enhancement made him a cyborg. However, questions are being asked, "when does a cyborg become a robot?" If these types of implants become more common in the future, how would the population feel about these "enhanced" individuals? In the future, it is possible that these implants could be used for anything from carrying a travel Visa to storing our medical records, blood type, and allergies in case of medical emergencies. Warwick is proud of his work because he is pioneering how humans can be integrated with computerized systems, but he has his own concerns as well. In one interview, he claims that it is a realistic possibility that one day, humans will create such intelligent artificial beings that it is possible we won't be able to turn them off. Will cyberkinetic research ever take us that far? We will just have to wait and see.
For more information of the work of Kevin Warwick, visit his website.
4 Comments on A Real Life Terminator?
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Notice to Owners of Sony's Digital Still Camera, Camcorder, CLIÉ Handheld Computer and Professional Camcorder (DVCAM format)
Termination of free out of warranty repair of the CCD image sensor
Thank you for your support and patronage of Sony products.
Sony will terminate the free out of warranty repair on November 30, 2009 for owners of applicable Sony products, announced on October 3, 2005 under "Notice to Owners of Sony Digital Still Camera, Camcorder, CLIÉ Handheld Computer and Professional Camcorder (DVCAM format)".
If you would like to have applicable Sony products checked, or for further information on relevant products and the repair service, please click on the following links to the respective product categories:
• Digital Still Camera
• Camcorder
• CLIÉ Handheld Computer (PEG-NZ90/G and PEG-NZ90/H)
• Professional Camcorder (DVCAM format)
Thank you for your understanding of this situation.
(Privacy policy)
Personal information, such as your name, mailing address and/or telephone number, provided to the Sony service centre shall be kept and used by Sony only for responding to your inquiries related to this announcement, the free repair service mentioned in this announcement and other related services. In certain cases, your personal information may be given to third-party companies to whom Sony has consigned certain elements of such service. In this event, Sony will ensure that such third-party companies abide by the same strict guidelines with regard to the use, storage and disposal of your personal information.
*Please contact your local Sony service centre if you wish to inquire, modify, erase or suspend use of your personal information provided in connection with this announcement. (Please be advised that in the case of erasing or suspending use of your personal information, Sony might not be able to provide appropriate services in accordance with the purpose of usage mentioned above.)


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All new tractor models in the AXION 800 and ARION 600/500 series will now be available with a choice of the new CEBIS or the equally new CIS+ system. AXION 800 and ARION 600/500 tractors will also be available in the CIS version. As well as the 12-inch touch screen display, the new CEBIS system offers a completely new user interface with intuitive DIRECT ACCESS. This equipment option also comes with a multifunction armrest with 10 freely assignable function buttons and the proven CMOTION multifunction control lever which can be operated using just three fingers.
Enter settings simply by touching the screen
The CEBIS system includes a large, 12-inch colour screen with HD resolution which for the first time can be used as a touch display. The logical and familiar structure of the previous CEBIS display has been deliberately retained and transferred to touch screen operation. However, the clearly arranged user interface with large icons has been completely redesigned to allow simple, intuitive operation by touch. All main tractor functions can be viewed at a glance and adjusted in just a few steps.
Reach your destination faster with DIRECT ACCESS
The DIRECT ACCESS system provides extremely rapid access to many functions by means of a simplified picture of a tractor on the screen, known as the tractor silhouette. By touching the required function area, such as the PTO or engine, this opens the relevant dialogue window. The hydraulic spool valve settings can also be selected directly from the main screen.
The driver can also use the DIRECT ACCESS button on the armrest or the DIRECT ACCESS button on the CEBIS terminal to go straight to the last viewed tractor function in order to carry out further fine-tuning with ease. To ensure that all settings can be entered correctly, even on uneven terrain, all the CEBIS functions can be adjusted in the usual way by means of the rotary/push switch on the armrest. Only two controls (rotary/push switch + ESC button) are needed to open and set all the CEBIS menus and functions.
The settings themselves can be configured by each driver to suit personal preferences and habits. In open dialogue windows, settings can be entered by means of a dial or plus/minus slider. Fine adjustments can also be made. Up to three menu levels can be displayed next to each other, making it easy to trace the route back to the starting menu at any time.


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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 results
This publication intends to provide a framework that encourages the formulation and implementation of appropriate policies and institutional management of cyber security related to NNCEI, based on a co-operative, integrated (all-hazard) and risk-based approach, and with an emphasis on achieving incident response preparedness, overall infrastructure resilience and energy reliability.
This is a report of two roundtables, jointly organised by the OSCE Secretariat's Transnational Threats Department/Action against Terrorism Unit (TNTD/ATU), Gender Section and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), with the purpose to enhance understanding of women terrorist radicalization and women's roles in preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERTL).
This document is directed toward all concerned with money laundering - investigators, members of the judiciary, researchers, journalists, students, and international partners seeking practical information. It contributes to a better understanding of the money laundering phenomenon in general and specifically its manifestations in Serbia.


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August 26, 2011
Command Post: "Who Are the Real Cyber-Warriors?"
National-security debates used to be a lot easier when it took a nation-state to raise an army and build an arsenal. To hear some cyber-defense experts tell it, today a cyberwar can be launched by a couple of bored teen-age hackers in one of their basements. While that's a stretch, what about criminal cybergangs? Or nation-states? Or, most insidiously, nation-states that hire such underlings to carry out cyber attacks? John Nagl of the Center for a New American Security and I chat about the vexatious challenge with James Lewis, a cyber-warfare expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Kristin Lord, who recently oversaw a CNAS examination into the issue.


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New study finds significant growth in number of mosques and mosque participants
By Rida Fozi
Washington D.C. (February 29, 2012) – The number of mosques continues to rise in the United States. A recent report conducted by a group of major American Muslim organizations and academic institutions reveals mosques counted across the country in 2011 totaled to 2,106, more than double the number of mosques in 1994, and mosque participants increased from 2 million in 2000 to 2.6 million in 2011.
The report, entitled "The American Mosque 2011: Basic Characteristics of the American Mosque, Attitudes of Mosque Leaders" is part of the larger U.S. Mosque Survey 2011. The survey was conducted by Dr. Ihsan Bagby, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky, and sponsored by numerous prominent organizations including the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).
The report presents the picture of a thriving institution, noting that the majority of mosque growth occurred in the past decade, with a 74% increase from 2000 to 2011. Dr. Zahid Bukhari, President of ICNA and member of the survey's research committee pointed out that much of the increase in mosque numbers occurred in suburbs and particularly in the western and southern regions of the United States, with a 109% and 128% growth, respectively. New York had the largest number of mosques, followed by California and Texas.
"The number of mosques has increased despite Islamophobia spread by right wing groups and certain religious and political leaders," says Bukhari. "This growth in spite of bigotry also reveals the persistence of the Muslim community and inherent fairness of the American system."
Bukhari also points out that the data collected through this study indicates that the total number of American Muslims is much higher than reported by other research institutions, which estimate the total amount to be approximately 2.5 million. Bukhari says, "The U.S. Mosque Survey 2011 finds the total amount of mosque-going American Muslims alone is over 2.6 million. This figure does not account for the millions of Muslim women and children who do not regularly attend a mosque for prayers. There is a clear discrepancy between previously reported figures of the American Muslim population and the actual amount."
The study also provides crucial insight into the views of mosque leaders. A simple majority of mosque leaders (54%) in 2000 found American society to be hostile towards Islam. Recent findings reveal, however, that an overwhelming majority (75%) now feel that America is more accepting of the Muslim faith. 91% of mosque leaders in 2011 also encourage political participation, and nearly all (98%) encourage involvement in American institutions.
Along with mosque leaders, the Muslim community feels political and social engagement is extremely important. Bukhari says that this should be a key indicator for public officials and local and national political leaders who wish to reach out to the Muslim community. "The overwhelming majority of adult Muslims want to actively participate in society, and the mosque is the best institution for both local and national representatives to connect with them at a more personal level," he says.
Mosques are also extremely diverse institutions; a slim minority (3%) is attended by only one ethnicity, and the overwhelming majority houses more than one ethnic or racial group. "Mosques are actually accommodating the diversity of the Muslim population," says Bukhari. "Our mosques absorb the various ethnic and racial groups of Muslims into one place of worship. Such an example of diversity and unity in a religious institution is rare in the United States, and serves as a model for other houses of worship."
The report reveals more findings on topics including:
• Demographics of mosques and mosque participants
• Rate of conversion to Islam
• Approaches of American mosque leaders to interpretations of the Quran and Sunnah
• American mosque leaders' views on American society/culture
Below is the full report:
US Mosque Study 2011
or click here.
The U.S. Mosque Survey 2011 is sponsored by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research (Hartford Seminary), the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North American (ISNA), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). The report is a part of a larger study of American congregations called Faith Communities Today (FACT); FACT is a project of Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership, a multi-faith coalition of denominations and faith groups.


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"Nomad", 8"x 8" ,watercolor & gouache
Art Director
Blue Sky Studios
New York
The Picture Book Project Foundation presents Art Blocks for Ghana – a charity art auction of original works created by top artists within the animation and illustration community to provide boarding and education for orphaned children in Ghana, West Africa. Online art auction coming March 12-20. 2011.


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Open-Faced RhuBarBQ Shish-Ka-Burgers with Warm Brussels Slaw and Cool Apple-Herb Gremolata
My "RhuBarBQ Shish-Ka-Burgers are the result of an abundant crop of rhubarb and the desire to fire up the grill after a long Pennsylvania winter. Gardening is my passion and I look no further than my own backyard victory garden for inspiration. I'm always trying to create new and interesting ways to feature the treasures from my garden.
The mouth-popping tang of rhubarb seemed like the perfect companion for the sweet and savory elements needed to create a sauce. The wine gave it a balanced, earthy quality that I was looking for and the right combination of these elements came together to become RhuBarBQ sauce!
Once I had created the sauce, I wanted a new take on the burger itself. A deliciously unique burger doesn't have to be overly complicated or expensive. Or round! What's more fun than food on a stick? And thus, the Shish-Ka-Burger was born! I found that skewering burgers brings a design element to a simple burger: This burger, hugging the skewer, then removed and nestled in a beautiful piece of grilled naan bread, is architectural. Of course, a great burger always begins with great meat. I used grass fed beef from a local Amish farmer; it's important to me that my meat come from cattle that received no hormones or antibiotics in their feed and were humanely raised. Grass fed beef is also healthier for us (higher in "good" unsaturated fats and lower in "bad" saturated fats), and it just tastes better! To top it all off, I added some grilled Brussels sprouts for color, crunch, and Vitamin C, tart apple and fresh horseradish for an extra pop of wow!, and best of all: Vitamin B: Bacon! Everything just tastes better with bacon!
This recipe is the epitome of my cooking philosophy: The best quality ingredients that I can grow, beef produced with a care for the earth and what's best for humans, and new flavor combinations, shapes, and textures. I had fun creating it (and eating it!) and I hope you will enjoy it, too!
RhuBarBQ Sauce
1 slice thick-sliced peppered bacon, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 cups 1/4-inch sliced red rhubarb, fresh or fresh frozen (if frozen, thawed and drained)
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic cloves
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel
3/4 cup best quality ketchup
1 tablespoon best quality whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
non-stick foil
2 pounds freshly ground beef chuck (preferably organic, grass fed beef 80% lean), chilled
4-ounces rindless pork belly (preferably free range), ground or minced by hand, chilled
2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce
2 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 thin metal skewers, 12-inches in length, chilled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Warm Brussels Slaw
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, sliced in half through the core
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 slices thick-sliced peppered bacon, cut into 1/4-inch crosswise slices
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Cool Apple-Herb Gremolata
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled tart apple (preferably Granny Smith)
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/8 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel (lemon zest)
1/8 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh horseradish
pinch (1/16 teaspoon) fleur de sel sea salt
Grilling and Assembling
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 original tandoori-style flatbreads (naan) measuring approximately 9-inches x 6-inches
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Preheat gas grill to medium-high by turning on all burners and closing lid.
To make the RhuBarBQ Sauce, cook bacon in a 12-inch or larger fireproof skillet on the grill until browned and crisply done, about 4-6 minutes. Add butter to bacon and rendered bacon fat in pan and stir to melt. Add shallots and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rhubarb and garlic and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture breaks down, about 5 minutes. (Note: Use a flat-edged wooden spatula or tines of a fork to break up ingredients as they cook). Add brown sugar, stir to incorporate, and cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; stir in wine, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle pepper sauce, salt, and pepper and simmer until reduced to make about 1 1/2 cups, about 15-20 minutes. Spoon mixture into a 1 quart-sized fireproof sauce pan with a lid, cover, and set aside. (Note: Mixture will be very thick but spreadable and will stick to the back of a spoon).
Line a 12-inch x 15-inch or larger rimmed baking sheet with foil. To make the Shish Ka-Burgers, place the beef, pork belly, shallot, garlic, parsley, chipotle pepper sauce, salt, and pepper into a large, chilled bowl. Using a large wooden spoon or cool hands, gently, but thoroughly, mix the ingredients together until incorporated; do not over mix. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions (about 6-ounces each). Shape mixture around skewers making a 8-9-inch long "shish" or sausage shape, about 1-inch thick. (Note: Alternately, shape mixture between wax paper and insert skewer after meat is shaped. Also, it may be necessary to adjust the length of the meat depending on bread size). Place skewers on prepared baking sheet and brush meat with olive oil. Cover with foil and refrigerate or keep chilled until ready to grill.
To make the slaw, in a medium bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again. Place the sprouts on a perforated stainless steel grill pan and roast, turning and stirring occasionally, until bright green and lightly charred all over, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and, when cool enough to handle, process the Brussels sprouts in a KitchenAid food processor fitted with a shredder attachment until shredded or coarsely chop by hand; set aside. In a 12-inch or larger fireproof skillet, cook bacon on grill until browned and crisply done, about 6-8 minutes. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and place on paper toweling to drain; set aside and reserve for burger assembly. Add shallot to bacon fat and cook until softened and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add shredded Brussels spouts and sauté until all ingredients are incorporated and sprouts have wilted a bit but remain crisp-tender, about 1-3 minutes. Stir in vinegar; remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
To make the gremolata mix the apple, parsley, lemon zest, horseradish, and salt in a small bowl until combined; set aside.
Increase grill to medium-high. Place a large platter and 6 serving plates near grill to warm. When grill is ready, oil the grates with vegetable oil. (Note: Use paper toweling and tongs to evenly coat grill grates with oil). Place the Shish-Ka-Burgers on the grill perpendicular to the hot grill grates, close lid and cook for 2 minutes. Open lid, carefully roll them a quarter turn, close lid and cook for 2 additional minutes; repeat with quarter turns until all sides are nicely charred and meat is cooked to desired level of doneness, about 8-10 minutes total for medium. (Note: The metal skewers conduct heat helping the meat to cook quickly so monitor accordingly). When done, remove from grill, place on a warm platter, and loosely cover with foil to allow the juices to redistribute.
If necessary, clean the grill rack. Place covered saucepan with RhuBarBQ Sauce on grill to warm. Lightly brush one side of the 6 flatbreads with half the olive oil and evenly sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place bread on grill, oiled side down for 1-2 minutes, or until warmed and lightly charred. While first flatbread side is grilling, lightly brush the top sides with remaining olive oil and evenly sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Flip and grill for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove the flatbreads from grill and wrap in foil to keep warm while assembling the burgers.
To assemble the 6 Shish-Ka-Burgers, spread 1/4 cup of the RhuBarBQ Sauce with a small offset spatula to within 1-inch of the edge of flatbreads and top with a generous 2 tablespoons of the Warm Brussels Slaw. Next, place 1 Shish-Ka-Burger in the middle carefully removing skewer. Divide the reserved bacon, crumbling evenly over slaw. Sprinkle meat with 1/4 teaspoon of the Cool Apple-Herb Gremolata. Repeat with remaining burgers. Serve open-faced or gently fold and secure with an unadorned wooden skewer.


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SUNNYVALE, Calif. – July 10, 2013 – SiTime Corporation, the fastest growing semiconductor company, today introduced TempFlat™ MEMS. Until recently, all MEMS oscillators used compensation circuitry to stabilize the output frequency over temperature. SiTime's TempFlat MEMS is a revolutionary breakthrough that eliminates temperature compensation, resulting in dramatically higher performance, smaller size, lower power and cost.
"The silicon MEMS oscillator market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 60% to $467M in 2018 and is one of the top three growth areas in the MEMS industry," said Laurent Robin, activity leader and principal analyst at Yole Developpement. "SiTime's TempFlat MEMS is an exciting development that enables SiTime to target any precision timing application, without exception. The unbeatable combination of SiTime's TempFlat MEMS technology and semiconductor infrastructure will permanently change the timing market, and accelerate the adoption of silicon MEMS timing solutions."
"SiTime was founded with the vision of revolutionizing the timing market with game-changing MEMS and analog technology. In 2006, our semiconductor process enabled the first production MEMS oscillator. Since then, we have had many firsts – we introduced a MEMS TCXO, a MEMS oscillator with 500 femtoseconds of jitter, and a clock generator with integrated MEMS – all of which are used in consumer, industrial and cloud applications. Most recently, we entered the fast-growing smartphone market with our TempFlat MEMS-based 32 kHz oscillators," said Rajesh Vashist, CEO of SiTime. "In 2011, SiTime demonstrated 100 PPB (parts per billion) stability with our high-performance temperature compensation. With TempFlat MEMS, which is 30 times better than SiTime's prior resonators, we can get to 5 PPB oscillators for Stratum 3E timing in base stations, small cells and optical networking. SiTime is now uniquely able to service all segments of the electronics industry."
SiTime TempFlat graphic/photo: http://www.sitime.com/tempflat-mems-graphic
About SiTime
SiTime Corporation, the fastest growing semiconductor company, is revolutionizing the $5B timing market with silicon MEMS timing solutions that replace legacy quartz products. With 80% market share and over 150 million devices shipped, SiTime is driving the electronics industry to use 100% silicon-based timing.
SiTime's configurable solutions enable customers to differentiate their products with higher performance, reduced size and better reliability. The rich feature set and flexibility of our solutions allows customers to consolidate their supply-chain, reducing cost of ownership and time to market. By using standard semiconductor processes and high volume plastic packaging, SiTime offers the best availability and shortest lead times in the industry.
Top-tier manufacturers are experiencing these benefits and recognize SiTime as The Smart Timing Choice™.
SiTime, the SiTime logo, TempFlat, TempFlat MEMS, the TempFlat MEMS logo, MEMS First and The Smart Timing Choice are trademarks of SiTime Corporation.


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Let's Dance! National Tour of Dirty Dancing Takes the Stage in Boston
It's time to come out of the corner and start dancing! The national tour of Dirty Dancing—The Classic Story on Stage, the musical based on the 1987 movie, begins performances in Boston on April 28. The show will play the Citi Emerson Colonial Theatre and close on May 10.
It's the summer of 1963, and 17-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On vacation in New York's Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, Baby shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles upon the staff quarters when an all-night dance party is in full swing. Mesmerized by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can't wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor.
The cast features Samuel Pergande as Johnny Castle, Gillian Abbott as Baby, Jenny Winton as Penny Johnson, Emily Rice as Lisa Houseman, Caralyn Kozlowski as Marjorie Houseman, Mark Elliot Wilson as Dr. Jake Houseman, Gary Lynch as Max Kellerman and Jesse Liebman as Neil Kellerman.
Don't miss your chance to experience Dirty Dancing—get tickets today!


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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Novartis AG ("Novartis" or "the Company") (NYSE: NVS) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Novartis was the subject of an FDA statement issued on August 6, 2019. According to the FDA, the Company had submitted manipulated data for its biologics license application ("BLA") for its gene therapy drug, Zolgensma. The FDA also stated that Novartis "became aware of the issue of the data manipulation that created inaccuracies in their BLA before the FDA approved the product, yet did not inform the FDA until after the product was approved." Based on this news, shares of Novartis fell almost 3% on the same day.
If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.
We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.
The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.
The Schall Law Firm
Brian Schall, Esq.
Cell: 424-303-1964


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Renowned pop-star-turned soprano and businesswoman Sarah Brightman is reportedly set to pay £30 million ($54 million) for a 10-day stay on board the International Space Station next year.
Brightman is also reportedly hoping to become the first professional singer to perform in space, if she can beats Lady Gaga to the feat. She could not, however, be the first person to hold a note in space, nor do so appearing in a YouTube clip.
That honour belongs to former astronaut Chris Hadfield who recorded Jewel in the Night on Christmas Eve 2012 aboard the International Space Station and in 2013 became world-famous for his rendition of David Bowie's Space Oddity.
According to Reuters, Tom Shelley, president of Space Adventures confirmed that Brightman could begin her training within three months for a flight aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which would take her to the station in September 2015.
"She's absolutely 100 per cent committed," Shelley told a National Space Club Florida Committee meeting this week. "She's putting together her mission plan now."
Brightman, who had a pop hit I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978 with the group Hot Gossip, is reportedly worth £36 million, but she is also the ex-wife of billionaire composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.
As much as Brightman's jaunt sounds like great fun, one has to wonder why the former wife of a billionaire needs to go into space at all, given that her options for fun outings on Earth are probably greater than most of us.
We know we are being facetious, but couldn't help wondering what else could she do with £30 million? She could afford to get Madonna or Bruce Springsteen to play a private gig every Saturday night for a year, or go high-stakes gambling with a Packer for at least a few days. Or, if she felt more socially-minded she could build - from scratch - between one and three schools in the United Kingdom, or 7428 fresh water wells in Mozambique or Malawi or feed at least 476,190 African school children for one year in schools.
Brightman has been involved in philanthropic projects and most notably helped donated a sizeable amount to vicims of Hurricane Ingrid in Mexico in 2013 from the proceeds of concert ticket sales.
But this particular vanity project surely has to rank as one of the great exercises in outrageous spending by a celebrity. Or one of the worst.


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BOOK BLAST....Sweet Thing by Isobel Starling
Book Title: Sweet Thing
Author: Isobel Starling
Publisher: Self Published
Book Release Date: September 8
Cover Artist: Isobel Starling
Length: Words: 83k words/No. of Pages: 237 pages
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
French male model Simeon Duchamp has a lot of explaining to do.
Two years after a breakdown Simeon is off drugs and booze and wants to stay that way.
On his road to reclaiming his life and modeling career, Sim first needs to apologize to the man he hurt the most -his ex-best friend and object of his unrequited affection Pieter Bayer. Pieter now has a long-term partner, artist Emily Raven, with whom he shares a baby son. Sim is amazed when Pieter accepts his apology, and invites him into his family.
Closeness to Pieter sees Simeon's longing for his friend is rekindled. But then, when Simeon meets an attractive older man, Bastian Roth at an Art Exhibition, he realizes that there is a soul more broken than his, and Simeon feels compelled to help. Simeon's connection with the troubled Bastian Roth turns his world upside down. He has to decide whether to allow himself to fall for the man who wants him or pine for the man he can never have.
Please note: This story contains graphic descriptions of gay sex.
Buy Links
Available on KU
Excerpt (NSFW)
After three months as a patient at the Phoenix Clinic, the mask Simeon had worn of hedonistic, outrageous model dissolved with the drugs and alcohol that were purged from his system. His camp, party boy façade hid a quieter, more introspective, sensitive young man—a man who felt everything too keenly, loved too deeply and could not cope with the pain of loss and rejection.
Sober for the first time since his late teens, Simeon was as fragile as a fledgling, bewildered by the colors, scents, and sounds of the big wide world. He was unsure who the man that returned his stare in the bathroom mirror was. Who was Simeon Duchamp without his mask, without the crutches of alcohol and drugs to give him the confidence to get through each day?
A gentle knock on the bedroom door startled Simeon from his introspection. He looked away from the window toward the door to see his favorite young male nurse, Karl poke his head in.
"Your last session with Dr. Schroeder is in twenty minutes", he informed. "One for the road?" Karl's brows waggled provocatively. Simeon's lips slid to a salacious smile.
"Lock the door." he directed, swiftly moving to the bed. Karl stepped into the room and as instructed he locked the door. Simeon began by removing his t-shirt and then unbuttoning and sliding out of his jeans. Karl kicked his soft soled white Croc clogs off, and the thin nurse's uniform of white trousers and tunic shirt were discarded in seconds. Simeon stood, his eyes appraising the slender, boyish form of the twenty-eight-year-old nurse. Karl had offered a pleasing aside from the trauma of therapy. He was Simeon's type—blonde, blue-eyed, eager to please, and deliciously well-hung. Karl approached and pulled Simeon into a deep, messy kiss.
At six foot, Simeon was taller than Karl's five-foot-six, but what Karl lacked in height, he certainly made up for with his cock. Simeon longed to devour all ten inches one last time before he left the clinic. He ran his fingers through short-cropped blonde hair, his hard-on brushing urgently against Karl's. He then dragged the naked nurse to lie prone on the hospital bed. Karl chuckled throatily. Simeon clambered onto the bed, and long, willowy legs straddled his conquest so they were in the sixty-nine position, the head of his own erection directed at Karl's willing mouth.
Sim took the man's thickened, stout, uncut cock in hand and stroked, retracting the sheath of gossamer foreskin over the engorged head, and marveling at why Mother Nature had seen fit to bestow such a monster cock on such a slight man. He smiled to himself and then directed the plump glans between his parted wet lips. As much as Simeon would have loved to make a meal out of it, there was no time to play. Simeon hummed with satisfaction, taking Karl down into his throat, the cock filling him to near gagging point. Sim drew off, relaxed his muscles, and went back for more, working the cock between his lips like a porn star. His self-esteem may have hit rock bottom, but with a dick in his mouth, there was at least one thing Simeon was sure he was still good at!
Karl offered preparatory licks and kisses to Simeon's shaft before opening his warm, pliant mouth and swallowing him down. The two young men writhed and rocked on the hospital bed, hands caressing desperately.
Simeon was enjoying the suction Karl's mouth offered; his eyes rolled back in his head with the pleasure of being sucked and sucking in syncopation. Simeon paused and used some of the saliva dribbling from his mouth to moisten his fingers. Slowly, Sim eased a wet finger into Karl's asshole and hooked up seeking his prostate. The young man beneath him bucked and moaned, thrusting up into Simeon's mouth, while nearly gagging on Sim's cock.
When he had regained his faculties, Karl mirrored Sim's action, giving Simeon the same intimate attention with his probing fingers.
They both pressed into each other's holes, and their hips matched an undulating rhythm. Fingers massaged deep inside, drawing mutual fevered moans of pleasure. Simeon almost forgot he was still officially a patient in a Rehab Clinic until minutes later, when he and Karl spilled in warm bitter pulses down each other's throats.
After a moment to catch their breaths, and final sensual kisses of thanks, both men dressed hurriedly.
"I cannot not be absent for too long. I told the head nurse I was going for a bathroom break." Karl admitted. He made to leave the room, pausing only to blow a kiss to the effette young man with long dark hair sitting on the disheveled bed, licking the last of Karl's spill from his lips.
Ten minutes later Karl returned. "Dr. Schroeder is ready for you now Mr. Duchamp, and your car has arrived." He announced formally.
"Thank you, Karl; I'll be out in a minute," Simeon replied his soft camp French timbre sounding a little breathless as he rushed around packing the last of his belongings. Karl nodded.
"And thank you for all of your… assistance during my stay Karl", Sim added with a mischievous flash of his eyes and a grin.
"I wish you all the best with your continued recovery, Mr. Duchamp." Karl quirked a knowing smile and blew a kiss before closing the door.
©Isobel Starling 2017
About the Author
Born in Germany, Isobel Starling spent most of her twenty-year professional career making art in Ireland. She relocated to the UK and, faced with the dreaded artist's creative block, Isobel started to write and found she loved writing more than making art.
Isobel is currently working on her fifteenth book. The Shatterproof Bond series is an Amazon Gay Romance bestseller and is being translated into French with Juno Publications, German with Deadsoft Verlag, and Italian with Quixote Edizioni. The series is also available as audiobooks, narrated by Gary Furlong.
"Sweet Thing" will be translated into French by Rienes-Beaux Publishing, and Italian by Quixote Edizioni.
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