text:
Title 25: Indians
PART 141—BUSINESS PRACTICES ON THE NAVAJO, HOPI AND ZUNI RESERVATIONS
Subpart A—Interpretation and Construction Guides
§141.1 Purpose.
§141.2 Scope.
§141.3 Definitions.
§141.4 Interpretation and construction.
Subpart B—Licensing Requirements and Procedures
§141.5 Reservation business license required.
§141.6 Approval or denial of license application.
§141.7 Bond requirement for a reservation business.
§141.8 License period for reservation businesses.
§141.9 Application for license renewal.
§141.10 License fees for reservation businesses.
§141.11 Tribal fees, taxes, and enforcement.
§141.12 Peddler's permits.
§141.13 Amusement company licenses.
§141.14 Trade in livestock restricted.
§141.15 Consent to jurisdiction of Hopi and Zuni tribal courts.
Subpart C—General Business Practices
§141.16 Price marking.
§141.17 Health and sanitation requirements.
§141.18 Availability of employee authorized to transact business.
§141.19 Check cashing.
§141.20 Payment for purchase of Indian goods or services.
§141.21 Trade confined to premises.
§141.22 Subleasing prohibited.
§141.23 Posted statement of ownership.
§141.24 Attendance at semi-annual meetings.
§141.25 Withholding of mail prohibited.
§141.26 Trade in antiquities prohibited.
§141.27 Trade in imitation Indian crafts prohibited.
§141.28 Gambling prohibited.
§141.29 Political contributions restricted.
§141.30 Retaliation prohibited.
§141.31 Trade by Indian Affairs employees restricted.
Subpart D—Pawnbroker Practices
§141.32 Reservation pawnbroker license required.
§141.33 Fees for pawnbroker license.
§141.34 Pawnbroker records.
§141.35 Pawnbroker disclosure requirements.
§141.36 Maximum finance charges on pawn transactions.
§141.37 Prepayment.
§141.38 Pawn loans, period, notice and sale.
§141.39 Sale and redemption of pawn.
§141.40 Proceeds of sale.
§141.41 Refinancing transaction.
§141.42 Lost pawn receipts or tickets.
§141.43 Outstanding obligations owed to pledgee.
§141.44 Insurance on pawn.
Subpart E—Consumer Credit Transactions Other Than Pawn
§141.45 Consumer credit applications.
§141.46 Credit disclosure statements.
§141.47 Monthly billing statement.
§141.48 Translation of disclosure statements.
§141.49 Usury prohibited.
Subpart F—Enforcement Powers, Procedures and Remedies
§141.50 Penalty and forfeiture of merchandise.
§141.51 Authority to close unlicensed reservation businesses.
§141.52 Revocation of license and lease and recovery on bond.
§141.53 Cease and desist orders.
§141.54 Periodic review of performance.
§141.55 Price monitoring and control.
§141.56 Show cause procedures.
§141.57 Procedures to cancel liability on bond.
§141.58 Records, reports, and obligations of reservation business owners.
§141.59 Customer complaint procedures.
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 25 U.S.C. 2 and 9; and Sec. 701, Pub. L. 114-74, 129 Stat. 599, unless otherwise noted.
Source: 40 FR 39835, Aug. 29, 1975, unless otherwise noted. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982.
The purpose of the regulations of this part is to prescribe rules for the regulation of reservation businesses for the protection of Indian consumers on the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni Reservations as required by 25 U.S.C. 261, 262, 263, and 264.
The regulations of this part apply to all non-members of the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni Tribes, who engage in retail businesses on the above respective reservations. These regulations do not apply to businesses that are wholly owned and operated by either the Navajo, Hopi or Zuni Tribes, or by individual tribal members within their respective reservations.
[45 FR 64906, Oct. 1, 1980. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982]
For the purposes of this part—
(a) Annual percentage rate means the annual percentage rate of finance charge determined in accordance with 12 CFR 226.5, which defines annual percentage rates.
(b) Consumer credit transaction means a grant of credit or a loan that is made by a person regularly engaged in the business of making loans or granting credit primarily for a personal, family, household, or agricultural purpose.
(c) Draft means a writing that is a direction to pay that:
(1) Identifies the person to pay with reasonable certainty;
(2) Is signed by the drawer;
(3) Contains an unconditional order to pay a sum certain in money and no other promise, order, obligation or power given by the drawer;
(4) Is payable on demand or at a definite time; and
(5) Is payable to order.
(d) Finance charge means the cost of credit determined in accordance with 12 CFR 226.4, which defines "finance charge".
(e) Firm means a corporation or a partnership.
(f) Gross receipts include the following:
(1) All cash received from the conduct and operation of the licensee's business at the premises described in the application for license.
(2) Receipts from both wholesale and retail transactions.
(3) Receipts resulting from transactions concluded off the reservation that originate from the conduct and operation of the licensee's business on the reservation.
(4) The market value of all property taken in trade on the date when received and either held by the licensee for purposes other than resale or credited on any account in payment for merchandise.
(5) Proceeds from the sale of any goods bought from Indians regardless of where the sale takes place.
(6) Finance charge received on loans, but not the return of principal.
(g) Open end credit means consumer credit transactions made on an account by a plan under which:
(1) The creditor may permit the customer to make purchases or obtain loans, from time to time, directly from the creditor or indirectly by use of a credit card, check, or other device, as the plan may provide;
(2) The customer has the privilege of paying the balance in full or in installments; and
(3) A finance charge may be computed by the creditor from time to time on an outstanding unpaid balance.
(h) Pawnbroker means a person whose business includes lending money secured by personal property deposited with the lender.
(i) Peddler means a person who offers goods for sale within the exterior boundaries of the Hopi, Navajo or Zuni Reservations, but does not do business from a fixed location or site on any of those reservations.
(j) Person includes a natural person, a corporation, trust, estate, partnership, cooperative or association.
(k) Replacement value means the present cost to the owner of replacing an item with one having the same quality and usefulness.
(l) Reservation business means a person that engages at a fixed location or site within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo, Hopi or Zuni Reservations in the sale or purchase of goods or services or in consumer credit transactions with Indians and is not a bank, saving bank, trust company, savings or building and loan association or credit union operating under the laws of the United States or the laws of New Mexico, Arizona or Utah, a business on the Hopi Reservation that is wholly owned and operated by members of the Hopi Tribe, or a business on the Zuni Reservation that is wholly owned and operated by members of the Zuni Tribe.
(a) Area Director refers to the Area Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Administrator of the Joint Use Area of the Bureau of Indian Affairs who has jurisdiction over the land on which a person does business or intends to do business with Indians.
(b) Commissioner refers to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs or a person to whom the Commissioner of Indian Affairs has delegated authority under this part or under 25 U.S.C. 261, 262, 263, or 264.
(c) Superintendent refers to the Superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs who has jurisdiction over the land on which a person does business or intends to do business with Indians.
(d) Tribe refers to the tribe that has jurisdiction over the land on which a person does business or intends to do business with Indians.
(a) No person may own or lease a reservation business without a license issued under the provisions of this subpart.
(b) The applicant shall apply in writing on a form provided by the Commissioner setting forth the following:
(1) The full name and residence of the applicant.
(2) Three (3) responsible references.
(3) The firm name and the name of each member of the board of directors if the applicant is a firm.
(4) Satisfactory evidence as to the character, experience and business ability of the applicant and the employees of the applicant.
(5) Satisfactory evidence of the general fitness of the applicant and employees of the applicant to reside on the Indian reservation.
(c) Upon the request of the Commissioner, the applicant shall furnish the following:
(1) The capital invested or to be invested and, of this, the amount of capital owned and the amount borrowed or to be borrowed.
(2) The name of the lender of any borrowed capital, the date due, the rate of interest to be paid, and the names of any endorsers and security.
(3) A copy of any contract or trade agreement whether oral or written with creditors or financing individuals or institutions, including any stipulations whereby financing fees are to be paid.
(d) Information that if released might adversely affect the competitive position of the applicant shall remain confidential.
[40 FR 39837, Aug. 29, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 3288, Jan. 22, 1976. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982]
(a) The Commissioner shall approve or deny each license application and notify the applicant no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of a completed application.
(b) No application is complete until any clearance or tribal council approval required by tribal or Federal regulations has been obtained.
(c) The Commissioner may not deny a license to an applicant for the purpose of limiting competition.
(d) If the application is approved the license shall be issued on a form provided by the Commissioner.
(e) If the Commissioner denies the license application the applicant may appeal under the provisions of part 2 of this title no later than thirty (30) days after the date on which notice of denial of the application was sent.
(a) An applicant for a license or renewal of a license to operate a reservation business shall at the time the application is submitted furnish a bond on a form provided by the Commissioner in the name of the applicant in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or such larger sum as the Commissioner may designate, with two (2) on more sureties approved by the Commissioner or with a guaranty company qualified under the Act of August 13, 1894 (28 Stat. 279; 6 U.S.C. 6-13). The bond shall be for the same period covered by the license. No licensee may trade without a bond. Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, no surety may be released from liability until the license expires.
(b) The bond shall be in favor of the United States for the benefit of the United States and any customer of the licensee who recovers a judgment for damages resulting from violation of any law or regulation affecting or relating to reservation businesses. Any customer who recovers such a judgment may bring suit on the bond in his or her own name. The bond shall be conditioned on payment by the licensee of all judgments for damages resulting from violations of the regulations of this part.
(c) Any surety for a reservation business on the Hopi or Zuni Reservation shall agree in writing to submit itself voluntarily to the jurisdiction of the tribal court for the purpose of adjudicating any claim arising under the bond.
(d) Any surety on the bond of a licensed reservation business may be relieved from liabilities by complying with the provisions of §141.57 of this title.
[40 FR 39837, Aug. 29, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 22937, June 8, 1976. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982]
A license to operate a reservation business may not be issued unless the applicant has a right to use the land on which the business is to be conducted. The license period shall correspond to the period of the lease held by the licensee. The license period in no event may exceed twenty-five (25) years.
(a) An applicant for renewal of the license to trade shall file an application on a form provided by the Commissioner with the Area Director not less than three (3) months prior to the expiration of the existing license. The Area Director shall report in writing to the Commissioner on the record the applicant has made as a reservation business owner and the applicant's present fitness to reside on the Indian reservation.
(b) The Commissioner may issue a temporary permit for three (3) months pending consideration of application for license renewal.
(c) Prior to expiration of the existing license or, if issued, the temporary permit, the Commissioner shall approve or deny the application for license renewal and notify the applicant.
(d) No license may be renewed until any clearance or tribal council approval required by tribal or other federal regulations has been obtained.
(e) If the Commissioner denies the application for renewal, the applicant may appeal under the provisions of part 2 of this title.
(a) Prior to the issuance of an initial license, each licensee who is not a member of the Navajo tribe shall pay the following amount:
(1) If the license is issued before July 1, the licensee shall pay fifty dollars ($50).
(2) If the license is issued on or after July 1, the licensee shall pay twenty-five dollars ($25).
(b) Each licensed business owner who is not a member of the Navajo tribe shall pay on or before January 10 of each year an annual license fee determined as follows based on the licensee's most recent annual report:
(1) If the licensee's gross receipts are less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the year or the licensee has not yet been required to file its first annual report, the license fee is fifty dollars ($50).
(2) If the licensee's gross receipts for the year are at least one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) but not more than four hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars ($499,999) the fee is one hundred dollars ($100).
(3) If the licensee's gross receipts for the year are at least five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) but not more than seven hundred and forty-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars ($749,999), the fee is two hundred dollars ($200).
(4) If the licensee's gross receipts for the year are seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) or more, the fee is three hundred dollars ($300).
(c) The Navajo Area Director shall determine the annual license fee payable by licensees who are enrolled members of the Navajo Tribe. The license fee for an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe may not be less than twenty percent (20%) nor greater than one hundred percent (100 percent) of the amount the licensee would be required to pay if the licensee were not a tribal member.
(d) All fees are payable to the Area Director and shall be deposited to the credit of the account "Special Deposits."
[40 FR 39835, Aug. 29, 1975, as amended at 59 FR 54502, Oct. 31, 1994]
(a) The regulations in this part do not preclude the Hopi, Navajo, or Zuni tribal councils from assessing and collecting such fees or taxes as they may deem appropriate from reservation businesses.
(b) Nothing in the regulations of this part may be construed to preclude tribal enforcement of these regulations or consistent tribal ordinances.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no peddler may offer goods for sale within the exterior boundaries of the Hopi, Navajo, or Zuni reservations without a peddler's permit. The permit shall state on its face the class of goods that may be offered for sale. No peddler may offer for sale any class of goods other than those listed on the face of the permit.
(b) No peddler who is an enrolled member of a federally recognized Indian tribe is required to obtain a peddler's permit for offering to sell the following items:
(1) Coal and wood for non-commercial use,
(2) Homegrown fresh products,
(3) Meat products raised locally by the peddler, or
(4) Arts and crafts made by the peddler or the peddler's family.
(c) The applicant shall apply for a permit in writing on a form provided by the Commissioner.
(d) Peddlers shall pay such fee and post such surety bond on a form provided by the Commissioner as the Commissioner requires. The surety bond required may not be less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(e) Any surety on the bond of a peddler may be relieved of liability by complying with the provisions of §141.57.
(25 U.S.C. 261 et seq.)
[43 FR 27826, June 27, 1978. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982]
(a) No person may operate a portable dance pavilion, mechanical amusement device such as a ferris wheel or carousel, or commercial games of skill within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo, Hopi, or Zuni Reservations without a license from the Commissioner.
(b) The licensee shall pay such fee as the Commissioner requires. The fee shall be not less than five dollars ($5) nor more than twenty-five dollars ($25) per unit.
(c) The licensee shall post a surety bond on a form provided by the Commissioner in an amount not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and a personal injury and property damage liability bond of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) as may be required by the Commissioner.
(d) The provisions of this section do not apply to amusement companies where the contract between the tribe and the amusement company provides for the payment of a fee to the tribe and for the protection of the public against personal injury and property damage by bond in the amounts specified in paragraph (c) of this section.
(e) Any surety on a bond under this section may be relieved of liability by complying with the provisions of §141.57.
(a) No person other than an enrolled member of the tribe or any association, partnership, corporation or business entity wholly owned by enrolled members of the tribe may purchase livestock from tribal members without a special permit issued by the Commissioner.
(b) The Commissioner shall issue a permit to each applicant who establishes to the Commissioner's satisfaction that the applicant is a fit person to engage in the purchase of livestock and who posts a bond on a form provided by the Commissioner in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000). This paragraph does not require a person who has posted a bond of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more under other provisions of this part to post an additional bond to obtain a permit under this section.
(c) Any surety on a bond under this section may be relieved of liability by complying with the provisions of §141.57.
(d) The provisions of this section do not apply to purchases of livestock made at an organized public auction.
As a condition to doing business on the Hopi or the Zuni Reservation each applicant for license under this part shall, in accordance with the constitutions of those tribes, voluntarily submit the applicant and the applicant's employees or agents to the jurisdiction of the tribal court for the purpose of the adjudication of any dispute, claim or obligation arising under tribal ordinance relating to commerce carried out by the licensee.
The price of each article offered for sale shall be marked on the article, its containers or in any other manner that is plain and visible to the customer and that affords the customer a reasonable opportunity to learn the price of the article prior to purchase.
(a) Each licensee shall keep both the premises and the place of business in a clean and sanitary condition at all times and shall avoid exposure of foodstuffs to contamination. No licensee may offer for sale any goods that are banned for health or sanitation reasons from retail sale by any Federal agency or by the tribe or, where not in conflict with the tribal regulations, by the State or by any State agency. No licensee may knowingly offer for sale any food that is contaminated.
(b) All weights and measure shall conform to standards set by the National Bureau of Standards and to standards, if any, set by the tribe and, if not in conflict with tribal regulations, to the standards set by the State.
(c) If training in foodhandling is available from the Indian Health Service, each person working in a reservation business shall complete the foodhandler training offered by the Indian Health Service before handling any food sold by a reservation business.
(d) Any person whom the Service Unit Director of the Indian Health Service determines is infected with or is a carrier of any communicable disease in a stage likely to be communicable to persons exposed as a result of the infected employee's normal duties as a foodhandler may not be employed by a reservation business.
(e) Each business shall comply with all Federal health regulations and with all tribal health regulations that are consistent with Federal regulations. Each business shall comply with State health regulations that are consistent with tribal and Federal health regulations.
(f) Except as otherwise provided herein, nothing in this section may be construed as a grant of enforcement powers to any agency of a State or its subdivisions.
(g) It is the duty of the health officers of the Indian Health Service to make periodic inspections, recommend improvements, and report thereon to the Commissioner.
Each licensee shall provide during normal business hours an employee authorized in writing to engage in all business transactions that the licensee normally offers to customers.
(a) A reservation business may give a fully negotiable check in addition to U.S. currency when cashing a draft, check or money order. A reservation business may not give scrip, credit or other substitute for U.S. currency when cashing a draft, check or money order.
(b) A reservation business owner or employee may advise a customer cashing checks, money orders or drafts of the amount due on the customer's credit accounts, pawn accounts or any other obligation the customer owes to the business, but in no event may the owner or employee withhold the proceeds of the check, money order or draft from the customer on the basis of existing credit obligations.
(a) A reservation business shall pay for the purchase of Indian goods or services with cash or a fully negotiable check. A reservation business may not pay for Indian goods or services with trade slips or future credit. In any transaction involving the purchase of Indian goods on the Navajo Reservation, the reservation business shall furnish a bill of sale indicating the name of the seller, a description of the goods, the amount paid for the goods, the date of sale, and the signature of both parties and shall retain a copy of the bill of sales in its business records.
(b) A reservation business owner or employee may advise a customer selling Indian goods or services of the amount due on the customer's credit accounts, pawn accounts or any other obligation the customer owes to the business, but in no event may the owner or employee withhold the proceeds of the sale from the customer on the basis of existing credit obligations.
The licensee shall confine all trade on the reservation to the premises specified in the license, except, where permitted under §141.14, the buying and selling of livestock and livestock products.
No licensee may lease, sublet, rent, or sell any building that the licensee occupies for any purpose to any person without the approval of the Commissioner and the consent of the tribe.
The licensee of a reservation business shall display in a prominent place a notice that is legible to customers stating the form of the business entity, the names and addresses of all other reservation businesses owned in whole or in part by the business entity, and if the licensee is not a corporation, the names and addresses of the owner or owners of the business. If the licensee is a corporation the notice shall list the names and addresses of the members of the Board of Directors.
Upon the request of a tribal official designated by the governing body, each licensee shall attend a semi-annual public meeting of a tribal governing body to respond to customer inquiries.
No owner or employee of a reservation business may open, withhold, or otherwise delay the delivery of mail.
No licensee may knowingly buy, sell, rent or lease any artifact created before 1930 that was removed from an historic ruin or monument.
No person may introduce or possess for disposition or sale within the exterior boundaries of the Hopi, Navajo or Zuni Reservations any object that is represented to be an Indian handicraft unless the object was produced by an Indian or Indians with the help of only such devices as allow the manual skill of the maker to condition the shape and design of each individual's product.
No licensee may permit any person to gamble by dice, cards, or in any way whatever, including the use of any mechanical device, on the premises of any licensed business.
No reservation business owner who is ineligible to vote in a Navajo tribal election may grant or donate any money or goods to any candidate for election to Navajo tribal office.
No licensee may refuse service to any customer for the purpose of retaliating against that customer for enforcing or attempting to enforce the regulations of this part.
(a) Except as authorized in this section, no person employed by the U.S. Government in Indian Affairs may have any interest in any trade with an Indian or an Indian organization. Employees of the U.S. Government may trade with an Indian or Indian organization for any purpose other than to engage in a profit-making activity under the following conditions:
(1) Where the amount involved is $500 or less a U.S. Government employee may purchase goods or services from an Indian or Indian organization.
(2) Where the amount involved is greater than $500 a U.S. Government employee may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, purchase goods or services from any Indian or Indian organization.
(b) Lease or sale of home sites or allotments on trust or restricted Indian land to or from Indian employees of the U.S. Government shall be made on sealed bids, unless the Commissioner waives this requirement on the basis of a report showing:
(1) The need for the transaction,
(2) The benefits accruing to both parties, and
(3) That the consideration for the proposed transaction is not less than the appraised value of the land or leasehold interest unless the Indian employee qualifies and is intending a transaction in accordance with §152.5 (b) and (c) of this chapter or §162.5(b)(1), (2) and (3) of this chapter.
An affidavit, as follows, shall accompany each proposed land transaction:
I,______________(Name)
______________(Title)
swear (or affirm) that I have not exercised any undue influence nor used any special knowledge received by reason of my office in obtaining the (grantor's, purchaser's, vendor's) consent to the instant transaction.
(c) This section does not prohibit any reservation business from contracting with the Federal Government to provide postal services to Indian communities in which Government postal service is unavailable.
(d) Nothing in this section prohibits an Indian employee from receiving benefits by reason of membership in a tribe or corporation or cooperative association organized by and operated for Indians.
(e) U.S. Government employees who violate this section are liable to a penalty of five thousand dollars ($5,000) and shall be removed from office, see 25 U.S.C. 68.
(a) No person may accept pawns or pledges of personal property as security for monies or accounts due by an Indian within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo, Hopi or Zuni Reservations unless such person is an agent of a bank, saving bank, trust company, savings or building and loan association, or credit union operating under the laws of the United States or the laws of New Mexico, Arizona, or Utah or unless such person—
(1) Holds a valid license to operate a reservation business,
(2) Holds a valid reservation pawnbroker license, and
(3) Posts a bond on a form provided by the commissioner in the name of the licensee in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or such larger sum as may be designated by the Commissioner with two (2) or more sureties approved by the Commissioner or with a guaranty company qualified under the Act of August 13, 1894 (28 Stat. 279; 6 U.S.C. 6-13).
(b) An applicant for a reservation pawnbroker license shall apply in writing on a form provided by the Commissioner.
(c) The bond required by paragraph (a) of this section shall be in favor of the United States for the benefits of the customers of the licensee and shall specifically indemnify all customers who have recovered judgment against the licensee for destroyed, lost, misplaced or misappropriated pawn or other property. Any customer recovering such a judgment may bring suit on the bond in his or her own name. The bond shall be for the same period as the license.
(d) Any surety on a bond under this section may be relieved of liability by complying with the provisions of §141.57.
(e) No person may accept pawns or pledges of personal property as security for monies or accounts due by an Indian after the effective date of a tribal ordinance banning the acceptance of pawn on the reservation.
[40 FR 39837, Aug. 29, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 3288, Jan. 22, 1976; 41 FR 22937, June 8, 1976. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982]
(a) Prior to the issuance of an initial pawnbroker license, each licensee who is not a member of the Navajo Tribe shall pay the following amount:
(1) If the license is issued before July 1, the licensee shall pay two hundred dollars ($200).
(2) If the license is issued on or after July 1, the licensee shall pay one hundred dollars ($100).
(b) Each licensed pawnbroker who is not a member of the Navajo Tribe shall pay on or before January 10 of each year an annual license fee of two hundred dollars ($200).
(c) The Area Director shall determine the annual license fee payable by licensees who are enrolled members of the Navajo Tribe. The license fee for a member of the Navajo Tribe may not be less than twenty percent (20 percent) nor greater than one hundred percent (100 percent) of the amount the licensee would be required to pay if the licensee were not tribal member.
[40 FR 39837, Aug. 29, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 3288, Jan. 22, 1976. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982; 59 FR 54502, Oct. 31, 1994]
Each pawnbroker shall keep a written record of the following information:
(a) Transaction number.
(b) Name of pledgor.
(c) Address of pledgor.
(d) Census number or social security number of pledgor.
(e) Date of transaction.
(f) Replacement value of pawn.
(g) Description of pawned item.
(h) Amount loaned in cash.
(i) Amount loaned as credit.
(j) Finance charge.
(k) Amount financed.
(l) Date and amount of payments made by pledgor.
(m) Date notice of default sent to pledgor.
(n) Date pawned item sold.
(o) Name and address of purchaser.
(p) Amount received upon sale.
(q) Amount of any surplus returned to the pledgor.
(r) Such other information as the Commissioner may require.
In all transactions in which pawn is taken the lender shall give the borrower a written ticket or receipt disclosing the following information to the extent applicable:
(a) Clear identification of the property pledged.
(b) The date of the transaction.
(c) Amount of the loan.
(d) Name and social security or census number of the pledgor.
(e) Replacement value of the pawn as agreed upon by the pledgor and pledgee.
(f) Date on which loan is due.
(g) The amount, expressed as a dollar amount, of any finance charges.
(h) The finance charges expressed as an annual percentage rate and computed in accordance with the provisions of 12 CFR 226.5(b).
(i) The amount, or method of computing the amount, of any charges to be assessed after the date the loan is due.
(j) A statement of the conditions of default and the pledgor's rights upon default, as defined by this part.
(k) Identification of the method of computing any unearned portion of the finance charges in the event of prepayment of the obligation.
No pawnbroker may impose an annual finance charge greater than twenty-four percent (24 percent) of the unpaid balance for the period of the loan nor assess late charges or delinquency charges on any loan.
(a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section, the pledgor may prepay in full or in any part the unpaid balance of a loan at any time without penalty.
(b) When a loan is prepaid the lender may collect the earned portion of the finance charge or may charge an administrative fee not to exceed ten percent (10 percent) of the unearned finance charge or two dollars ($2) whichever is greater.
(a) The proceeds of all loans secured by pawn and for which a finance charge is imposed shall be paid only in cash or with a fully negotiable check.
(b) The period of all such loans shall be no less than twelve (12) months, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c).
(c) Thirty (30) days prior to the end of the loan period the pledgee may make a declaration of intention to proceed with sale of the pawned item by sending notice of intent to the pledgor.
(d) The notice required in paragraph (c) of this section shall be sent to the pledgor and proof of delivery obtained and shall contain a description of the item pawned, a statement of the principal and finance charge owed, a statement of the intention to sell, the date of the sale, and the procedure for redemption.
(e) Nothing in this section requires the business owner to proceed with notice and sale if the business owner desires to hold the pawn for a period longer than the loan period stated in the original agreement.
(f) Unless notice is given under paragraph (c) of this section, or the loan is refinanced under the provisions of §141.41, no finance charge may be imposed for the time the loan remains unpaid after the end of the loan period stated on the pawn ticket.
(a) If the retention period has expired and notice as required under §141.38 of this part has been sent and received, the pledgee may proceed with the sale of the pawn.
(b) The pawn shall be sold no sooner than thirty (30) days but no later than twelve (12) months after notice of intent to sell has been given. The sale shall be a public sale, with notice of the time, place, and manner to be given in a tribal newspaper of general circulation not less than fourteen (14) days prior to the sale, or in the absence of such a newspaper, in a commercially reasonable manner. The sale itself shall also be conducted in a commercially reasonable manner.
(c) A pledgor may redeem pawn which has been put up for sale at any time before the day it is to be sold by tendering to the pledgee the face amount of the loan, plus the finance charge assessed on the original loan. The pledgee may also collect an additional charge covering the period between the date due and the date of redemption, provided that the rate of charge does not exceed the finance charge on the original loan.
(d) The pledgee may buy at the pledgee's own sale if the collateral is of a type customarily sold in a recognized market or which is the subject of widely distributed standard price quotations.
(e) Pawn held for more than twelve (12) months after notice of intent to sell has been given may not be sold, but the pledgor may redeem the pawn at any time by tendering to the pledgee the face amount of the loan, plus the finance charge that accrued before the end of the sale period provided in paragraph (b) of this section.
(a) The following items shall be deducted from the proceeds of the sale of pawned items in the following order of priority:
(1) The expense of advertising and conducting the sale, not to exceed ten percent (10%) of the amount loaned.
(2) The principal amount of the loan, plus any accrued finance charges.
(3) The finance charge calculated at the annual percentage rate of the original loan on the unpaid balance of the loan for the period from the date of default to the date of sale.
(b) Within ten (10) days after the sale of the pledge under this section, the pledgee shall send a notice to the pledgor informing the pledgor of the date of the sale, the proceeds of the sale, the allowable costs of the sale, any additional finance charges, and the amount of any surplus realized. The pledgee shall obtain proof that the notice was delivered.
(c) Any proceeds of the sale remaining after the deductions authorized in paragraph (a) of this section are deemed to be "surplus" and shall be paid over to the pledgor or the pledgor's estate in U.S. currency.
(d) The sale of pledged goods and the application of the proceeds in accordance with this section extinguishes all rights of action of the pledgee for any unpaid principal or finance charge on the original loan.
(a) Any pawn agreement may be refinanced, either with or without an increase in the principal amount of the loan, prior to or following the date of expiration of the original period of the loan upon agreement between the parties.
(b) Such refinancing constitutes a new transaction for purposes of all disclosure and record keeping requirements of this part and requires the issuance of a new ticket or receipt.
(c) The rate of the additional finance charge imposed as part of the refinancing agreement may not exceed the maximum rate imposed by §141.36.
(d) The total finance charges in a refinancing agreement may not exceed the sum of the following amounts:
(1) The finance charge that the pledgor would have been required to pay upon prepayment on the date of refinancing under §141.37 of this part, except that, for the purpose of computing this amount, no minimum finance charge or administrative fee may be included, and
(2) Such additional finance charge as is permissible on the balance of the loan over the remaining period of the loan as extended.
(e) The default and sale procedures of this part apply to a refinanced pawn transaction in the same manner as they apply to an original pawn transaction.
(a) Redemption may not be denied on the sole ground that the pledgor is unable to produce a receipt or pawn ticket, provided the pledgor gives a reasonable description of the pawned item or makes an actual identification of the item. The pledgee may require the pledgor to sign a receipt for the redeemed pawn. No person other than the pledgor may redeem pawn without a ticket.
(b) No additional charges may be imposed for the loss of a pawn receipt or ticket.
If the pledgor tenders payment to be applied toward redemption of a pawned item, it shall be so applied by the pledgee, irrespective of other outstanding obligations owed by the pledgor to the pledgee. The pledgee may not deny the pledgor the right to redeem the pawn.
(a) Any licensee under this part who lends money or extends credit with personal property as security and holds such property as a pledge shall maintain invault all risk insurance coverage running in favor of the pledgor for such property in amounts based upon a report issued monthly to the insurer. Such monthly report shall be an amount not less than the total agreed replacement value of all pawned items then held by the licensee.
(b) A copy of the insurance policy shall be available for inspection at the licensee's place of business and a copy shall be filed with the Commissioner.
Any reservation business offering credit which is not secured by pawn shall provide an application for credit to any customer requesting credit. Within thirty (30) days of the date of application, the lender shall act upon the application and notify the customer in writing of the decision with the reason therefor. A business owner who reduces the amount of credit available to a customer or terminates a credit account shall provide written notice to the customer stating the reason for the reduction or termination of such credit.
Upon approval of a credit application the lender shall give the applicant the following information where applicable in a written disclosure statement:
(a) The maximum credit limit of the account.
(b) The conditions under which a finance charge may be imposed.
(c) The period in which payment may be made without incurring a finance charge.
(d) The method used in determining the balance on which the finance charge is calculated.
(e) The method used to calculate the finance charge.
(f) The periodic rates used and the range of balances to which each rate applies.
(g) The conditions under which additional charges may be made and the method for calculating those charges.
(h) A description of any lien that may be acquired on a customer's property.
(i) The minimum payment that must be made on each billing.
On all credit accounts on which a finance charge may be imposed and for all other credit accounts when requested by the customer, a licensee shall issue a monthly billing statement to the customer stating the following information where applicable:
(a) The unpaid balance at the start of the billing period.
(b) The amount and date of each extension of credit and identification of each item costing more than ten dollars ($10).
(c) Payments made by a customer and other credits, including returns, rebates, and adjustments.
(d) The finance charge shown in dollars and cents.
(e) The rates used in calculating the finance charge plus the range of balances to which the finance charge was calculated.
(f) The closing date of the billing cycle.
(g) The unpaid balance at that time.
Disclosure required by §§141.46 and 141.47 shall be made in writing regardless of the customer's ability to speak, read, or write the English language. Disclosure to non-English speaking persons shall be translated orally into the appropriate language.
No reservation business may take or receive money, goods, or other things of value for a loan or forbearance on a debt that exceeds in value the principal plus twenty-four percent (24 percent) per annum finance charge. Any reservation business contracting for, reserving, or receiving directly or indirectly, any greater amount shall forfeit the finance charge.
Any person other than an enrolled member of the tribe who either resides as a reservation business owner within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo, Hopi, or Zuni Reservations or introduces or attempts to introduce goods or to trade therein without a license shall forfeit all merchandise offered for sale to the Indians or found in the person's possession and is liable to a penalty of $1,329. This section may be enforced by commencing an action in the appropriate United States District Court under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. 1345.
[40 FR 39835, Aug. 29, 1975, as amended at 81 FR 42481, June 30, 2016; 82 FR 7652, Jan. 23, 2017; 83 FR 5195, Feb. 6, 2018; 84 FR 15101, Apr. 15, 2019]
The Commissioner shall close any reservation business subject to the provisions of this part that does not hold a valid license or temporary permit.
The reservation business owner is subject to revocation of license and lease and recovery on the bond in whole or in part in the event of any violation of the regulations of this part after a show cause proceeding according to the provisions of §141.56.
[41 FR 22937, June 8, 1976. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982]
(a) If the Commissioner believes that violation of the regulations in this part is occurring, the Commissioner may order the person believed to be in violation to show cause according to the provisions of §141.56 why a cease and desist order should not be issued.
(b) If the person accused of the violations fails to show cause at the hearing why such an order should not issue, the Commissioner shall issue the order.
(c) A person subject to a cease and desist order issued under this section who violates the order is liable to revocation of license after a show cause proceeding according to the provisions of §141.56 of this part.
(a) The Commissioner shall review licenses at ten (10) year intervals to determine whether or not the business is operating in accordance with these regulations and all other applicable laws and regulations and whether the business is adequately serving the economic needs of the community.
(b) If, as a result of the review provided in paragraph (a) of this section, the Commissioner finds that the licensee has repeatedly violated these regulations, the Commissioner may order the licensee to show cause according to the provisions of §141.56 why the licensee's license should not be revoked.
(c) If the licensee fails to show cause why the license should not be revoked, the Commissioner shall revoke the license.
(a) A reservation business may not charge its customers unfair or unreasonable prices. To insure compliance with this section, the Commissioner shall perform audits as provided in §141.58. In performing those audits the Commissioner may inspect all original books, records, and other evidences of the cost of doing business. In addition, at least once a year the Commissioner shall cause to be made a survey of the prices of flour, sugar, fresh eggs, lard, coffee, ground beef, bread, cheese, fresh milk, canned fruit, and such other goods as the Commissioner deems appropriate in all stores licensed under these regulations and in a representative number of similar stores located in communities immediately adjoining the reservations. The results of the survey shall be posted publicly, sent to each licensed business, and made available to the appropriate agency of the tribal government. Copies of the survey shall be available at the office of the Area Director.
(b) If the Commissioner finds that a reservation business is charging higher prices, especially for basic consumer commodities, than those charged on the average based on the studies conducted under the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section, the Commissioner may order the business owner to show cause under the provisions of §141.56 why an order should not be issued to reduce prices. If the Commissioner determines that the prices charged by the business are not economically justified, based on all of the information, then the Commissioner may order the business to reduce its price on all items determined to be priced too high to a reasonable price as determined by the Commissioner, but in no event to a lower price than the cost of the item increased by a reasonable mark-up.
(a) When the Commissioner believes there has been a violation of this part the Commissioner shall serve the licensee with written notice setting forth in detail the nature of the alleged violation and stating what remedial action the Commissioner proposes to take.
(b) The licensee shall have ten (10) days from the date of receipt of notice in which to show cause why the contemplated remedial action should not be ordered.
(c) If within the ten (10) day period the Commissioner determines that the violation may be corrected and the licensee agrees to take the necessary corrective measure, the licensee shall be given the opportunity to take the necessary corrective measures.
(d) If the licensee fails within a reasonable time to correct the violation or to show cause why the contemplated remedial action should not be ordered, the Commissioner shall order the appropriate remedial action.
(e) If the Commissioner orders remedial action the licensee may appeal under the provisions of part 2 of this title not later than thirty (30) days after the date on which the remedial action is ordered.
(a) Any surety who wishes to be relieved from liability arising on a bond issued under this part shall file with the Commissioner a statement in writing setting forth the desire of the surety to be relieved of liability and the reasons therefor.
(b) The surety shall mail a copy of the statement by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the licensee named in the bond.
(c) Twenty (20) days after the statement required in paragraph (b) of this section is mailed to the licensee and the statement required in paragraph (a) of this section is filed with the Commissioner, the surety from all liability thereafter arising on the bond.
(d) If the licensee does not have other bond sufficient to meet the requirements of this part or has not executed and filed a new or substitute bond within twenty (20) days after the service of the statement, the Commissioner shall declare the license and lease void.
(e) No surety is released from liability under the bond for claims which arose prior to the issuance of the Commissioner's order releasing the surety.
(a) The Commissioner may, in consultation with interested persons and agencies, promulgate a model bookkeeping system for use in reservation businesses. Until such model bookkeeping system is promulgated, each business owner shall keep records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
(b) Each reservation business owner shall file with the Area Director an annual report on or before April 15 in a form approved by the Commissioner. Reports shall be subject to a yearly audit. The reports shall contain the names and respective interests of all persons participating in the business.
(c) The business owner or an employee shall record all sales and purchases whether for cash or credit. If the business is on the Navajo Reservation the owner or an employee shall supply the customer with a copy of the sale transaction containing a description of the article purchased or sold, the date of the transaction, and the price. A cash register receipt complies with this paragraph for grocery or dry goods purchases for cash.
(d) The licensee shall keep a duplicate copy of any writing required by paragraph (c) of this section for a period of not less than three (3) years and shall provide the customer or the customer's representative one copy of those writings upon request.
[40 FR 39837, Aug. 29, 1975, as amended at 41 FR 3288, Jan. 22, 1976; 41 FR 13937, Apr. 1, 1976. Redesignated at 47 FR 13327, Mar. 30, 1982]
(a) Any customer of a licensee may file a complaint with the Commissioner alleging that the licensee has committed a violation of this part.
(b) Upon receipt of a customer complaint the Commissioner shall initiate show cause proceedings under the provisions of §141.56 of this part.
(c) If the Commissioner fails to order remedial action within forty (40) days from the date the complaint is filed, the complainant may appeal under the provisions of part 2 of this title not later than seventy (70) days after the date the complaint is filed.
(d) If the Commissioner orders remedial action, the complainant may appeal under the provisions of part 2 of this title not later than thirty (30) days after the date on which the remedial action is ordered.


The Queens International is an art biennial distributed throughout the borough. Queens Museum assistant curator Sophia Marisa Lucas and her co-curator, artist Baseera Khan, joined forces to assemble 43 artists and collectives, from across 15 distinct neighborhoods, for the eighth edition. "Volumes" is co-hosted by select branches of the Queens Library, making it even more democratic. In this way, Queens is, itself, either by design or coincidence, very much on display — and with all the news about coming corporate-driven gentrification, it's an opportunity to better understand the diverse, cross-generational patchwork of people from all over the world we stand to lose. Still, if you don't live there, or only live in one part of the borough, it can be hard to find your way around, which is why we've made this art guide.
Ambitious nine-to-fivers aiming to see it all should hit the circuit on a Saturday. The Queens Library at LeFrak City — just a short distance from the Woodhaven R train station — is closed on Sundays. Inside the library, a collaborative sound and video installation by artists Paolo Javier and David Mason (who also goes by the moniker "Listening Center") meditates on the possibilities and limitations of language through the life and work of Filipino-American poet Fel Santos. The duo are having a poetry workshop on December 15.
Getting to your next destination, the Queens Museum, entails a brisk 20-minute walk east through the neighborhood of Corona. Grab an empanada for breakfast on the go.
Directions to the Queens Museum are simple enough: Catch a Flushing-bound 7 train to Mets-Willets Point, follow these instructions, and get lost anyway (because you will). You'll know you're headed in the right direction when you see Gilmore D. Clarke's Unisphere peaking up just above the trees. Really, it's the only landmark you need.
First to greet you inside the museum is artist KT Pe Benito's bright-yellow three-panel pegboard, a sort of Pilipinx altar, pinned with collages, photographs, and other objects memorializing the artist's late grandmother Faustina. Up ahead, suspended from the building's central ceiling, is a ceremonious if not unremarkable 100-foot-long tablecloth, meant to symbolize the communion of all the artists involved. Artist Mary A. Valverde's nearby installation, Points + Curves, which features an intricate canopy of bent bamboo, would have been a better choice for such prominent placement.
The first exhibition gallery features the work of Jamaica, Queens–born polymath Milford Graves. The 77-year-old, best known for innovating free jazz percussion in the '60s, says he's drawing from his background in music and martial arts in this exploration of sculpture. Whimsical wooden assemblages display assortments of found objects: anatomical models, sculptures of mudra hands, copper wires, circuit boards, light fixatives, and other electronic equipment. The effect is schizophrenic, self-referential tableaux that hinge on the psychedelic. The artist's prismatic approach, the curators explain in their catalogue, forms the foundational framework tying the entirety of "Volumes" together.
Perhaps the most seductive (if not politically salient) works on offer involve two participatory projects. Christina Freeman's UltraViolet Archive is one of them. The interactive installation features a library bookshelf of "Challenged, Banned, and Obliterated" books (some familiar and others unexpected); a round table with chairs; and a single computer for curious visitors looking to explore the digital archive. Emilio Martinez Poppe's End Credits for the Places That Make Us, meanwhile, includes a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Found on the second floor, with two additional sets elsewhere on the ground level, the screen asks visitors to reflect on and engage with notions of placemaking, community, and belonging with preloaded prompts.
Retrace your steps to the 7 train and take it one stop over to Flushing. Head south of the station to the Library's entrance, and down the stairs to the lower level where you'll find Mo Kang's Black Cloud, Thin Ice prints. The exhibition, which uses Italian honey bees' migrations to North America as a lens to examine globalization, registers like an elementary-school art show. Which, in fact, it is. Hanging on an adjacent wall are paper sculptures constructed by 5- to 9-year-olds each considering their own migration story. Try not to cry.
For the final stop on the tour, right across the street you can board a Jamaica-bound Q44 bus, which you'll take to Merrick Boulevard. It's about a 30-minute ride past the western edge of East Flushing, the residential stretch of Pomonok and Kew Gardens, and through the neighborhood of Briarwood, straight to the border of Jamaica and Jamaica Hills. Queens Library Central is three blocks north of the stop on Merrick. There, you'll need a librarian's help locating Patrick Killoran's "Portals," an optic tunnel of square-shaped viewfinders cutting straight through 18 library stacks. The piece is meant to allude to the act of "searching." But the installation could also be interpreted as an absence, underscoring the idea of something that was and is now missing — kind of like 5Pointz or, maybe foreshadowing what many worry could disappear in Queens if Amazon moves in.
Just north of the library is the 169th Street F station, the easiest way to get back to the city, or you can always take the train to Roosevelt Avenue for dinner in Jackson Heights, home to some of New York's best Tibetan, Indian, Colombian, Mexican, and Uruguayan restaurants.


Birchbox is among the pioneers of beauty subscription boxes. Born out of two girls' passion for makeup in 2010, today their baby has grown into a business with a subscriber base numbering in the tens of thousands.
At the risk of sounding like a stereotype, I'll ask, Is there a girl who isn't obsessed with makeup? And what if I told you I got my boyfriend addicted to Birchbox as well!? Although he's not big on spending money on beauty products, he enjoys the grooming gear he receives every month. The icing on the cake? He finds every Birchbox promo code to get the lowest price possible, and we both benefit from it! Marking our three-year anniversary this January, I was inspired to compile a list of all the discounts available when shopping with this brand, for men and women both!
Birchbox is one of the cheapest beauty brands selling both individual products and subscription boxes. In addition, they have an entire page on their website with coupons and vouchers which only further increase your savings.
Usually, every month brings new Birchbox coupon codes, so make sure you're always up to date with the ongoing deals. Being among the most affordable brands, it's not often that you can come across a code that cuts the price of the subscription itself. The coupons generally offer a certain discount when you spend a fixed amount of money with the brand. Also, the majority of the coupons I found promised a free gift. In October, however, Birchbox surprised its customers with 20% off any subscription.
In November, on the other hand, Birchbox put forward a $10 discount on the annual subscription. Instead of paying $110 a year, subscribers could use the promo code for a Birchbox annual subscription and pay $99. The only catch was that buyers had to pay upfront.
To exploit a promo code or discount or receive a free gift, merely enter the code with "Have a promo or gift card code?" during checkout. If the code you are using is valid, Birchbox will add the discount or gift automatically. In case the promo code is no longer redeemable, Birchbox will notify you with a message at the top of your screen.
The most reliable source of any ongoing Birchbox coupon is, as expected, Birchbox's official website. I subscribed to the brand's newsletter the first time I started reviewing their boxes back in June. Ever since, I have been receiving the latest offers, deals, and active coupon codes straight to my mailbox. I saved over $100 over the last several months thanks to their coupons, and I received 10+ free gifts!
Moving forward with my research, a lot of coupon websites such as RetailMeNot and Groupon proved to be fruitful while I searched for the latest Birchbox savings opportunities. Even though I didn't expect to find any Birchbox subscription discounts, I was pleasantly surprised. Below, I will share my findings with you!
Before I list all the discounts, it's important to mention that customers can exploit only one discount per order. Hence, you can't combine them. If you want to take advantage of more than one coupon, you have to place a new order. So before you enter the promo code you found (and if you don't plan on making another order), make sure you are not missing out on another code that comes with more savings.
This Birchbox subscription coupon is widely popular among subscribers. Exploiting the benefits of the promo code actually promises a full month for free. Instead of paying $60 for six months, you can receive your beauty boxes for six months straight for $50 only.
Birchbox includes enough discounts to encourage the men looking to improve their grooming efforts to subscribe to their services. Men get to subscribe for a six-month box delivery for $54 upon entering the exclusive Birchbox promo code. To sum up, this promo code offers $1 off per month, six months in a row.
The best value package price is $110 per year. Even without a promo code, customers will enjoy a month's free subscription. However, Birchbox went a step ahead, and now you can get the annual subscription for $8 a month, which sums up to $96 a year if you enter the promo code found on their website.
Similar to the women's annual subscription, the total cost for the Birchbox Man annual services is also $110. As mentioned above, Birchbox would hate to see their male subscribers feel neglected. So, they came up with a promo code that lowers the total of a year's subscription to $8 per month. At $96 a year, men get to receive a top-notch box filled with samples from the greatest grooming brands on the market.
Almost every brand I had the pleasure to review doesn't stop at coupons as the only opportunity to save. When it comes to Birchbox, discounts are often accumulated into their limited edition collections, discovery kits, or Birchbox exclusives. They even offer the best sellers at sale prices. Let's check these offers out!
Whether you're looking for the perfect gift for a friend or you want to treat yourself to some handy products, I strongly advise you consider these limited edition collections.
When traveling, I always seem to struggle to fit all my essential cosmetics in my vanity case. Luckily, I discovered Birchbox's Limited Edition Travel-Size Treats. It comes with seventeen travel-size and full-size products, which all fit into a single dopp kit. Even without a Birchbox promo code, you can get double (or triple) your savings by buying this kit for $45, valued at $211.
For $58, customers receive eleven products that are suitable for everyone's lifestyle. Regardless of whether you spend a lot of time at the gym or if you jump from one adventure to another, this limited edition box is going to spoil you. It features both travel-size and full-size products, and its market price is $168. Ordering this box from Birchbox is a one-time opportunity to save up to $110!
Who said you have to be a millennial to enjoy all the stuff Generation Y does? Birchbox for sure didn't! In a number of online Birchbox reviews, customers praise this limited edition collection as a celebration of youth! For the price of $36, both millennials and post-millennials get to have fun with the included phone accessories and feel pretty with top-notch cosmetics, all the while saving up to $105.
Beauty brands are all about transformation, so imagine the combo when brand-names like Birchbox and Vogue collaborate! Much more than imagining, you can experience the transformation with their limited edition collection of seven products for $68, valued at $265. Even though you won't be getting a Birchbox double box for the price of one, you can exploit Vogue's 12 Issues for $15 offer when you order this collection. In addition, Celia Ellenberg, Vogue's beauty director, included some useful beauty tricks your inner diva is going to appreciate!
While writing this article, I decided it's about time to try this collection on my own, and I was pleasantly surprised once again! Before I even got the chance to enter my payment information, they applied an additional 30% discount to my order total. The best part: I didn't even use a coupon code; Birchbox, you rock!
This cheerful box is going to trigger the glam that's been hiding within you. Each box consists of ten top-shelf products, together with a pair of clip-on earrings. You can't put a price on feeling beautiful on the inside and the outside, but if you must, why not make it the most affordable? Valued at $240, customers can get this box for as low as $66. Moreover, for a limited time only, the brand will apply an additional 30% discount before you check out, allowing you to save an additional $19.80.
To wrap up the list of ongoing Birchbox deals, I decided to order this box and kill two birds with one stone. For our three-year anniversary (bragging intended), I chose the limited edition collection for men as the perfect gift for my boyfriend, and I also got the chance to see whether this box is worth it. Not only did my boyfriend style his beard (okay, maybe it was more of a gift for myself), but he also received a three-month subscription gift card. Having spent only $38 on this collection, I had enough money left to order a hair conditioner, and I didn't even need a Birchbox coupon!
As soon as I placed my order, I discovered a whole section of limited edition boxes for men. As a matter of fact, much to my surprise, there were more options for men than for women. If you want to check those out, visit the Birchbox Grooming section, found in the top right on their website.
The discovery kits that allow users to test hundreds of products until they find the right match are possibly the most adored Birchbox promotions. There are fifteen kits you can choose from, from skin care kits to hair texturizing and nighttime necessities kits. All of these collections are competitively priced, and usually, they consist of ten products on average.
In the discovery kits section on their website, you can also find some of their previous boxes. Current Birchbox subscribers can buy these boxes for $10, otherwise, they cost $15. If you're a subscriber, the previous box you chose to order won't replace your monthly delivery. Instead, you will get your monthly box while, for example, the August 2018 box you ordered counts as a Birchbox extra box.


Cornerstone Foundation was founded on July 18, 1999 in San Ignacio, Belize. Our mission is to help people help themselves, and aid organizations and social service offices in meeting their goals. We want to be an active link in the gathering and distribution of information and resources. Cornerstone Foundation strives to be involved in the development and empowerment of our community.
A former Cornerstone Foundation volunteer, Rita became director in 2007. She has a lifelong passion for helping others. Her goals include increasing Cornerstone's budget and expanding programs to serve more members of the San Ignacio and Santa Elena communities.
Anthony was named program manager in 2013. He recruits and trains volunteers, teaches computer courses and manages administrative duties. Born and raised in San Ignacio, he understands how important Cornerstone Foundation and its programs are to the community.
Martha became head cook for Cornerstone Foundation in 2011 after several years of volunteering with the organization. A San Ignacio native, she enjoys helping others and being a part of Cornerstone's Women's Group.
Stanley, a Belize City native, began working for Cornerstone Foundation shortly after moving to San Ignacio in 2002. He delivers daily meals to Santa Elena Catholic School students and elderly in the community as a part of the Feeding Program, among other tasks.
Belize is located south of Mexico in Central America. The country, with a diverse population of about 300,000, is bordered by Guatemala to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. English is the country's official language, though it's common to hear other languages spoken by locals.
Ancient Mayan civilizations were the first to develop the region as early as 1500 B.C. Centuries later the country became a British crown colony known as British Honduras. In 1973, the country changed its name to Belize under a newly granted self-government, and later obtained full independence in 1981.
Just as in culture, Belize is also diverse in landscape. The country is home to both densely wooded swamps and picturesque mountains. Central America's largest cave system is located in Belize, along with historic Mayan ruins, untamed jungles, wildlife reserves and more. For more information, visit www.travelbelize.org.
Situated along the banks of the Macal and Mopan Rivers, San Ignacio is the cultural and economic hub of the Cayo District in western Belize. The town, about 70 miles west of Belize City, boasts the country's second largest population. San Ignacio and its sister town of Santa Elena are both affordable and pedestrian-friendly. Visitors can enjoy a downtown stroll to the popular outdoor market or explore an array of attractions, from ancient Mayan ruins like Cahal Pech to canoe rides through the caves at nearby Barton Creek and more. For more information, visit www.travelbelize.org.
Pacz Tours Belize offers experienced and knowledgeable guides for daily tours in San Ignacio and the surrounding area. Tours include canoeing, zip-lining, cave tubing, birding and many more outdoor adventures. For more information, visit www.pacztours.net.
Just a five-minute walk from downtown San Ignacio, Guava Limb Café features a diverse, farm-to-table menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is bordered by the beautiful Macal Park and offers a relaxed atmosphere with a breezy Caribbean feel. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/guavalimbcafe.


Gardeners' club - Members of the gardeners' club who voluntarily planted 2,000 crocus bulbs on the verges by Dove Park had expressed their concern to the parish council as Western Power had started laying underground cables in preparation for installing a new sub-station.
There had been no warning this was about to happen, otherwise the planting could have been delayed.
The council agreed to contact Western Power if there was any damage to ask for compensation costs.
The planting was a continuation of the scheme started last year when 1,000 crocus bulbs were planted.
Daffodil bulbs have also been planted around the pictorial village name signs as a further contribution to spring colour in Wragby.
Social lunch - Roast pork and all the trimmings was on the menu for the first of the monthly lunches in 2016, cooked by volunteers and served to the Wragby branch of Disability Lincs Social Group.
It held its usual Tuesday morning meeting in the town hall before welcoming guests for the meal.
Thoughts turned to the late Sandra Riley, who always looked forward to joining her friends at the meetings.
At her funeral, which many members and volunteer helpers attended, donations in lieu of flowers were made to the Wragby branch of Disability Lincs.
Church visit - Brownies and their leaders visited All Saints' Church to try their hand at hand bell ringing.
The Wragby Hand Bell Ringers played a couple of songs to get everyone in the mood, before inviting groups of girls up to have a go.
As the equipment was packed away, Bob Bailey, the bell ringers' chairman, gave some facts about the bells, covering part of the badge syllabus that the girls are currently working towards.
Rainbows - For a project to be completed in the autumn, members of the 1st Wragby Rainbows are in need of 50 to 100-year-old Yale keys.
If you have one or two to add to their total, they will be gratefully received.
Call Andrea Ward on 01673 858302 and collection will be arranged.
Craft group - A friendly and informal card making group, the Circle of Paper Crafters, meets in the Methodist Chapel Room on the second and fourth Fridays of each month and is always looking forward to welcoming new members to join them.
Anyone who is interested and would like further information can contact Ann Lambert on 01673 857515.
The next meetings are planned for Friday, February 26, and Friday, March 11.
Each session starts at 2pm and the cost is £2.50.
New councillor - There was just one applicant for the vacancies on the parish council at the meeting held in the town hall.
It was unanimously resolved that Rosey Norton should be co-opted.
She joined her fellow councillors, taking her seat at the table after signing her declaration of acceptance of office.


Megan Kreiner grew up on Long Island, New York in a household where art and art projects were a part of daily life. Coming from a long line of knitters and crocheters, she learned to knit and crochet at an early age from her grandmother, aunt, and mom, and started to explore the wild and uncharted waters of toy design and pattern making in 2012. Kreiner currently lives in Altadena, California, with her husband Michael, son James, and daughter Emily.
You can earn a 5% commission by selling Winnie the Pooh Crochet: Learn to Create 12 Projects Featuring Pooh & Friends on your website. It's easy to get started - we will give you example code. After you're set-up, your website can earn you money while you work, play or even sleep! You should start right now!


text:
Q: Binary Search refactor I've received this test last night.
` int binaryS(int[] A, int X) {
        int N = A.length;
        if (N == 0) {
            return -1;
        }
        int l = 0;
        int r = N - 1;
        while (l < r) {
            int m = (l + r) / 2;
            if (A[m] > X) {
                r = m - 1;
            } else {
                l = m;
            }
        }
        if (A[l] == X) {
            return l;
        }
        return -1;
    }`

And I have to debugg/refactor the code. Condition: "You can modify only three lines".
Can anyone help me?

A: The correct code for Binary Search would be:
while (l < r) {
    int m = (l + r) / 2;

    if (A[m] == X) {
        return m;
    }
    if (A[m] > X) {
        r = m - 1;
    }
    else if (A[m] < X) {
        l = m + 1;
    }
}
return -1;

Just place the 'found' condition before any other condition in the loop, and you're good to go!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


All giants in eagle disguise keep guard over a maiden who guards the precious mead. All of them create winds that make sound and seem to devour people in death. The winds create awareness yet also draw people towards their death.
Aegir, father of the waves, the rivers, the lights that are called his daughters, who bring the dead back to their mother Rán.
Ymir, who IS Sound separated into the tunes that make the universe.
Mimir, who drinks (devours) from the Well of Memory through the Resounding Horn.
Heimdallr, who hears and sees all and blows out through the Resounding Horn.
The Well of Origin (Urdarbrunnr) from where all norns emerge and return.
Idunn -- from the noun idr (f.sg), meaning a STREAM that separates from the main stream and returns to the watersource, and from the suffix -unn, indicating a woman. I translated it as "Woman who Returns to the Water Source", but should have said "Female Stream Returning to the Source" to show how much sense it makes in the context of this talk.
In Old Norse:46. Hetomc Grímr, hetomc Gangleri, Herian oc Hialmberi, Þeccr oc Þriði, Þuðr oc Uðr, Helblindi oc Hár.
þa er ec Miðviþnis varc ins mora burar ordinn einbani.


All Games will be held in Nutrena Arena and have fabulous "text to win" prizes for those watching the games.
Keystone Stables is considering opening up a "come and play" slot after their regularly scheduled games. This would be a time when whoever shows up to play can play in that time slot on those days. Teams will be formed for individuals or show up with a team of 3 and join in. Registration at least 45 minutes prior to the start of the first "come and play" game is required by all interested players, horses must have a negative coggins and a copy for the barn, participants in these sessions do not have to be AESL members to play but will also not be accumulating year end points. Cost per player to be determined but as always - very affordable. First game slot for "come and play" option would be February 18th. Check in with Keystone to make sure this option is moving forward on the 18th if you are interested.
Lots of strategizing going on in this years season opening of the AESL at Keystone Stables in Merrill, WI. Team KMT overtook Team Hamilton Heights in a 5 to 3 win. The second match up put the Misfits against Majors Minors and ended in a 10-0 win for the Misfits. Majors Minors welcome two new horse/player match ups so despite the loss were happy with the play. Great job everyone! See you all in two weeks!
Equine Soccer, horse soccer, and hoofball are a few of the names being used to describe the fun activity that, while new to America, other countries have been playing since the early 1900's. In a way similar to human soccer, in equine soccer, the horse kicks the ball, generally while under saddle.
America's Equine Soccer League (AESL) has elevated the fun of playing equine soccer to a new level by providing a league that the entire riding family can participate in regardless of the rider's skill level. No matter what the equine's riding discipline is, equine soccer league play reinforces good natural horsemanship skills. This level of organization didn't exist in America until the AESL.
AESL is dedicated to providing a quality equine sport atmosphere that can be replicated anywhere equines are able to play ball.
At Midwest Horse Fair 2012 America's Equine Soccer League teams will compete in a single elimination tournament that will crown the top team with the title of AESL 2012 Tournament Champion. America's Equine Soccer League games are timed and referred with players abiding by established AESL rules. Each game at Midwest Horse Fair will have two teams of three riders competing in hour long matches. Come learn about the players and their mounts and cheer for your favorites! Visitors to Midwest Horse Fair 2012 will find the AESL tournament games in the Nutrena Arena on Friday and Saturday with the title competition on Sunday.
There will be text-to-win opportunities during the games offered by Nutrena, Blain's Farm and Fleet, and Agrimaster, who are sponsors of America's Equine Soccer League Midwest Horse Fair event. Visitors to booth #2104 in the Exhibition Hall can sign up for daily drawings to win AESL merchandise and to learn how leagues can be hosted by anybody. Whether you are a 100 stall barn or the backyard horse owner anyone can have fun and join the AESL.
For the most up to date information about the AESL visit us on Facebook or email equinesoccer@gmail.com directly. We do post news here but also on Facebook.
Despite very windy conditions, AESL teams came out in full force in support of Stable Hands Therapy Center October 15th tournament. Tournament results were KMS (1) versus Hamilton Heights (0) in game one, The Misfits (1) versus Circle L (0) in game two, KMS (2) versus Major's Minors (0) in game three, and KMS and The Misfits agreeing to tie out the championship game after three overtime sessions still resulting in a final score of 0 to 0!
Special thanks go to all the AESL sponsors, Stable Hands Therapy for inviting us out, Nutrena and Marathon Town and Country for supplying some of the teams with grain prizes, and for Meyer Buildings for providing the teams with $200 in cash prize money.
America's Equine Soccer League will be hosting a tournament and clinic this Saturday at Marathon Park in Wausau WI. Spectators are free with the first game scheduled at 8:30 a.m. Clinic ($5/rider) starts at 1:00 p.m. and all riders (horses need negative 2011 coggins) welcome. Check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.AESL.wi for the latest updates.
Congratulations to Karen Mack, Felecia Treffert, and Stacia Sliwinski who all won bags of Nutrena Feed at the Wausau Boot & Saddle Club Demo today. What a perfect day. Thanks to Wausau Boot & Saddle Club for great food (ham sandwiches for $1!!) and event. Play starts on Thursday - don't delay!
Come on down to the Wausau Boot & Saddle Club (West Wausau Ave.). Folks taking clinic starting at 11, AESL soccer demo at 12:30, food on the grounds, and some vendors too! Admission is free! Current league members who want to play on some of the Thursday summer league dates - stop down to sign up! Don't forget to like us on facebook for weekly updates!


At least half of the many small business owners that I work with do not have a written business plan. You'll need to build a business plan before you do. Experienced entrepreneur and consultant Mike Figliuolo walks through the process of defining your business, researching the market, and determining your product. Sometimes, the best way to get inspiration for your own business plan is to see examples from other businesses.
Although many businesses are tempted to use their business plans solely for this purpose, a good plan should set the course of a business over its lifespan. Some services can source 16 different research databases in addition to conducting their own research to ensure that sections on the market and industry your business is entering are accurate.
Companies may use plans to map out their future, optimize growth, respond to changes in markets, identify and capitalize on new opportunities, manage growth and maximize potential. But, having a business plan can help you pinpoint the best strategies for your company.
Financial Plan: Your financial plan may include your company's income (profit and loss) statements. To develop and implement your ideas into actual business practices, products or services.
The first real stage of writing your business plan concerns describing and articulating your business and what it hopes to achieve. The one-page business plan is separated into several sections such as vision, mission, objectives, strategies and action plans. Session 2 Getting Your Team in Place of our Business Expansion course provides detailed recommendations on delegating authority, employee motivation, training and other key management tools.
Show how you plan to structure your business and introduce your management team and their responsibilities. 2. It helps establish goals, identify risks, recognize financial and physical needs, and provide guidelines to establish performance. 7. Products and Services: This section is where you will get into greater detail about your product or service.
The following are excerpts from the trucking business plan you'll receive. Your business plan is not only a necessity when seeking financing for your project, it is a recognized management tool that outlines exactly what your company will do and how it plans to succeed. Tailor it to your audience – You only need to write one business plan, but you might need to adapt the master version slightly based on who's reading it. For instance, small business lenders will be most interested in financial projections.
There are many reasons to write a business plan—it's not solely the domain of entrepreneurs who want to secure funding to start or grow their business. You're most likely targeting a specific market segment such as style-conscious men" or runners." This will make it much easier for you to target your marketing and sales efforts and attract the kinds of customers that are most likely to buy from you.


I have a bad habit of bitting my nails. I have tried to stop and lasted quite a long time. Habits can be good ones. they can also be bad ones.
When I think of the word habit i think of how you have a habit of doing something and like you cant stop doing something I think !
I bet that everyone has some kind of habit,and I bet that not all of them are bad habits,but maybe annoying ones.
habits are good and bad . Bad habits are like biting your finger nails . good habit are like helping people.
It is becoming a habit to go to detention. This is a bad habit and i am going to break this habit. I also have a habit of going to wrestling. Wrestling will soon be over. I like wrestling.
umm a habit is something you fall into. i think. wait did i say that right?
Habit is where animals live in and they hold all there food and other stuff i think thats what habit means.
Habits are both good and bad things. There are some people who bite their nails then there are others who shop when they get upset. Either way habits are apart of us and we can get rid of them if we choose to.
My sister has a bad habit of chewing her nails until they bleed.
habit — bad — that which I do that I should not — repeated over and over again — yuk…good habit, takes about 30 days to develop — patience will bring it about — with God's help, all new habits will replace bad ones.
a habit is a addiction to something tthat you do not need to do but you do anywasys.
I have a habit of clicking this little lavender GO button over and over again.
tijljl time to make a bad habit 3 time tomake a bad habit 3 time to make a good habit 20 yo yo yo yo im so cooll youoooyuouo fh iofv……flarf fat man eating worms.
make a bad habit 3 time to make a bad habit 3 time to make a good habit 20 yo yo yo yo im so cooll youoooyuouo fh iofv……flarf fat man eating worms.
Its a bad habit of mine, the words i speak. They come out without any thought, always spilling, never stopping. I think quickly and act irrationally, i have so many great thoughts, just never got the time to put them together to make them sound the way i want, always coming out the wrong ways. My words dont always mean exactly what they say, just no one decides to listen to what im really saying, they jump to comclusions. they think fast, just like everyone else these days, NO ONE is thinking right, nobody has the right set of mind. The world today, the changes made since i was born, no one thinks correctly, things are getting crazy. The irrational decisions that are life changing, the crazy doings around the world, people not caring about the others around them, has become a habit of the whole entire world.
Habit is something that I don't understand. I Don't have habits I have ribbons. I have a dog who likes to play with ribbons. He is at the neighbors. Go get him. Bring him home. Who plays with puppies?
Babies learn them easily but I make a habit of working so hard that they move deeper and deeper through time where I can't possibly keep up. I make it a habit not to follow too closely.
I have a habit of shopping! I have a habit of talking. I have a habit of constantly thinking. I have a habit of thinking about my future. My habit can't be stopped. My habit is too positive to be stopped because i have a habit of being focused.
The nun pushed her way through the church door, struggling against the wind, holding her habit in place with her left hand, right hand clutching the bible.
my habits keep me close to the edge. blacking out kills me inside, and now every time i take a drink i just want to die. i wish i could die. theres my habits for you! have fun beingg optimists.
I heard it takes 21 days to start a habit. I've never really done anything straight for 21 days yet, so I guess I have not been developing any new habits yet. Habits are hard to stop once they start, right? Bad habits, especially. I hope I don't have any bad habits.
habit! Something that's continously done.
Like for me: biting my nails is a habit.
In which i picked it up from my grandma.
Also, shaking my leg is a habit because I watched my aunt do it so much.
Whenever I saw him, he was just about to break another one.
this is wrong. habit was yesterdays word. now im disappointed. and i used to love him. do i still? i feel as though i need guidance that no one can possibly give me. he wants me to stay but do i only stay out of guilt for leaving? i need help. please, someone, help me….


Harbourfront Centre has always been a bold and innovative force in Canada's cultural scene, introducing audiences to brilliant new artists and art forms from around the world.
Our diverse and dynamic festival and series programming brings an eclectic experience of sights, sounds and flavours to our 10-acre site.
No matter the season, Harbourfront Centre is your premier destination for arts and cultural festivals.
Throughout February, Kuumba 2019 addresses the international struggle for Black liberation today.
Three days that will change how we create and experience arts and culture.
Sharpen your skates and skills as the city's number one outdoor winter party returns on Saturday nights!


These thick Canadian bacons come in 4.5mm widths and are considered to be thicker than the average bacon.
The Canadian pork meat that was used to cure this bacon comes from pigs that were given no antibiotics or other chemicals. Each piece was slicked to a thickness of about 4.5 mm, giving the meat extra texture.
Due to our making some weight adjustments, it is possible that the product package that you purchase also contains smaller cuts of bacon. This would include pieces from our catalogue's product no. "1303 half bacon (150g / 3 bags) 682 (tax included)", which means that you are receiving an over all 70 Japanese Yen discount per 100g.
Thaw in the refrigerator or place the bag under running water to thaw. Please cook the bacon. When thawing under water, the water should be slightly cool to the touch. Leave the meat under the water until it has completely thawed. The water does not need to run rapidly- a steady stream would do to defrost your bacon. Bacon can be eaten with your breakfast (as a side to eggs), in a sandwich (with lettuce and tomatoes), in a salad (as your salad topping), in soup (as a salty source of protein), and recently even in your desserts (with peanut butter or in ice cream). Bacon can truly be eaten during all times of the day!
This product contains pork meat (Canadian), salt, rice vinegar, seaweed calcium, brown sugar, celery, rice vinegar, yeast extract, gelatin- based enzymatic fermentation product.
This product is not suitable for anyone with allergies to pork or gelatin.
Origin of ingredients: pork (Canada). Prepared and packaged in Japan.


text:
11/08/2016 03:30 am ET
Woman Claims Daughter Uses 12-Year-Old Granddaughter 'As A Slave'
Dr. Phil Show
"My daughter Shawna is physically and verbally abusive to my 12-year-old granddaughter," claims Vicki. "Shawna tells my granddaughter that she hates her, that she is worthless and stupid, a bitch. Shawna has even told her that she should have aborted her."
Vicki says that when Shawna gets angry, she lashes out. She claims she has seen Shawna hit her 12-year-old daughter with a belt and her hand, and alleges that she has discovered bruises on the child's body.
"It is totally inexcusable," Vicki says.
Shawna doesn't deny many of the accusations – she says it's discipline. She says she is a great mom and says her daughter is ungrateful.
Woman Says She 'Put The Fear Of God' In Daughter As Discipline
Vicki also says that Shawna treats her daughter like her "own personal Cinderella."
"She's making her do household chores an 11- or 12-year-old should not have to do," Vicki says. "One time, Shawna had my granddaughter in the hot sun when it was over 90 degrees that day, cleaning out the inside of her car for hours. Another time, I walked in she was scrubbing down the kitchen with undiluted bleach. It's absolutely ridiculous."
12-Year-Old Says She's Desperate To Stop The Hitting, Screaming, Fighting With Mom
Shawna admits that she has her daughter do chores, explaining that sometimes it's because tasks need to get done around the house and other times, it's for punishment.
"She has to do dishes, sweep the floor. She does wipe down the cabinets, mop the floor. She vacuums, picks up the dirty clothes, cleans behind the couches. I make her do the laundry," Shawna says. "If she does not do her chores correctly, she not only has to redo them, but I'll add another one on."
In the video above, Vicki shares why she believes Shawna is neglecting her duties as a mom. And, Dr. Phil doesn't mince words when he tells Shawna what he thinks about her behavior. This episode of Dr. Phil airs Tuesday. Check here to see where you can watch.
Voices Dr. Phil Dr. Phil Show Dr. Phil Parenting Abuse

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Putin Beats Brad Pitt in World's Most Admired Man Ranking
By Peter Spinella
Russian President Vladimir Putin is the world's 11th "most admired" man and — surprise! — the most admired one in his home country, Britain-based research firm YouGov revealed in a recent poll.
The world's most popular man and woman are both Americans: billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates and actress-cum-humanitarian Angelina Jolie, YouGov said Friday on its website. Jolie is also the most admired woman in Russia, according to the poll.
The study was conducted among 25,000 Internet users across 23 countries that represent "nearly two-thirds of the world's population," the firm said. "Some parts of the world were better represented than others, so we weighted up the impact certain countries had on the final scores."
Initially respondents were asked to suggest a list of their most admired people, then the most popular names were compiled and voted on, the firm said.
In Russia, Putin was followed by Hollywood actors Jackie Chan and Brad Pitt. Jolie was followed by Russian pop star Alla Pugachyova and American actress Julia Roberts. Pitt was 13th on the global scale, and Chan was fourth!
Putin enjoys astounding support from the Russian people despite the country's declining economy and the violent conflict in neighboring Ukraine. His approval rating in Russia currently stands at 85 percent, a survey published by independent pollster the Levada Center revealed last week.
In YouGov's worldwide ranking, Gates was followed by U.S. President Barack Obama, who was "in nearly every country's top 10," and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who "has a massive domestic fan base" but earned a high score only in China, the firm said. Obama was the most admired in the United States.
For the women worldwide, second place was 17-year-old Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person in history to win a Nobel Peace Prize, and third was American politician Hillary Clinton, who topped the U.S. ranking.
Contact the author at p.spinella@imedia.ru
How Putin Managed to Dodge the Blame for Russia's Recession
The economy may be in serious trouble, but Russians continue to trust and support President Vladimir Putin, and analysts say this is because he represents...


It's seven months until Ohio Morphicon (www.morphicon.org), the new furry convention taking place in Columbus OH, June 25-27, 2004.
-- Shout Out for PanelistsIn the initial planning stages of Ohio Morphicon, there was some discussion that we might want to name it 'One More Rat'. This is a humorous reference to the experiment where rats are slowly added to a closed environment until there are finally too many rats for the available resources, and the population collapses. We rejected that name for a variety of reasons. We don't think that the furry con environment is close to saturation yet, with the increasing number of furries showing up at established conventions each year. A second reason, and perhaps the most important one, is that we're trying to avoid being 'just one more' con.
Our theme this year is 'In the Beginning'. It has a superficial meaning, in that it's our first con. It also has a deeper meaning. We want to start at the beginnings of furriness, to go back and re-examine the fundamental concepts and ideas that have existed as a part of the fandom since its genesis.
To accomplish this, Ohio Morphicon 2004 will focus much of our programming on the inner aspects of furriness. We have selected presenters who have unique life experiences and backgrounds to discuss issues that are relevant to furries. The head of our spirituality track is an ordained minister, for one example. He'll be presenting several unique panels and workshops concerning the relationship between being furry and one's spiritual beliefs. One of our Guests of Honor, Mark Merlino, was a principal founder of Confurence, the first furry convention. He's been in the fandom since its inception as a social culture. Although our space is limited as a first-year con, our goal is to have a broad and inclusive set of panels dealing with different personal takes on furry fandom.
Our programming will also include other, more traditional staples of furry conventions, such as art panels and stage events. Our other Guest of Honor is Eric Schwartz, well-known furry cartoonist and author of Sabrina Online (www.sabrina-online.com). Our sponsorship option is very affordable, and will include a special art print from each of our guests. We also have a judged costume masquerade planned, and a stage show directed by Steve Plunkett, our excellent furry puppeteer. We're having life-drawing workshops, performance workshops, a free pizza party, and much more!
There have been some exaggerated rumors of mature-theme panels and events at Ohio Morphicon 2004. It is unlikely that we will have more mature content than most other furry conventions. However, we will be segregating a few of our panels and events into a separate track for mature programming. We're doing this for four reasons. First, for the increased ease of the protection of minor attendees. Second, to ensure that we can have panels with mature theme without removing them to after-hours time slots, because of limited programming space. Third, by creating a separate track for mature material we can help ensure that people who want to attend the convention without being exposed to mature materials, will not need to be. And fourth, it allows us to provide a more inclusive degree of programming content, consistent with our convention goals. We hope this clears up any misconceptions.
You can see our preliminary schedule of events at the Ohio Morphicon website (www.morphicon.org). It updates every couple weeks, so check back often.
We're still looking for more panelists, particularly those who want to present something that's not been seen at other conventions. If you're interested, please email our Programming Director.