Food outlook: biannual report on global food markets, June 2020
DescripcióThis biannual publication focuses on developments affecting global food and feed markets, providing comprehensive assessments and short-term forecasts for production, utilization, trade, stocks and prices on a commodity by commodity basis. It also includes feature articles on topical issues, such as the impact of COVID-19 on food markets, and the revisions to the FAO food price indices. According to the report, food markets will face many more months of uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while most markets are braced for a major global economic downturn, the agri-food sector is likely to display more resilience to the crisis than other sectors.
Detalls del producte
Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Data de publicació
30 de Agost de 2020
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Eric Galatas, Producer
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
By Jane Palmer for Ensia.
Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration
The summer of 2022 was tough for farmers in the American West: Hot, dry conditions led snow to melt early, reservoirs to run low and streams to pare down to mere trickles. For many, that meant less water to grow crops and reduced yields. But Byron Kominek, a farm manager near Longmont, Colorado, enjoyed an abundant harvest of peppers, tomatoes, squash and lettuces.
When his family farm stopped making a profit, Kominek installed solar panels on the plot and invited Sprout City Farms to grow crops beneath them. It’s a setup known as agrivoltaics – where solar panels and agriculture occupy the same land – and the duo effectively harvests the sun twice, for both food and electricity.
Protected from the high midday sun, plants under panels become mini swamp coolers: As they open their pores to photosynthesize, water escapes from their leaves – creating a cooler microclimate. This reduction in heat increases the efficiency of the panels – even as the panels are sheltering the crops beneath from overexposure to the hot sun. Consequently, agrivoltaics can provide benefits to both farmers and electricity producers. In the past few years another possible advantage has come to the fore: crops grown under panels need less water.
“If you spilled your water in the shade versus the sun, where would it stay wet longer?” asks Greg Barron-Gafford, a University of Arizona professor who has helped set up the site as well as experimental agrivoltaic plots in Arizona, Africa and Israel.
At one such site, Biosphere 2 near Oracle, Arizona, Barron-Gafford has found that some crops beneath solar panels only need watering every couple of days, compared to every few hours for those grown in direct sunlight. Agrivoltaic cherry tomatoes proved 65% more water efficient than those grown under an open sky, for example, and the total fruit production doubled. Researchers are now scrutinizing how different spacings of panels are impacting the water needs of a range of crops in the hot, dry climate of the Sonoran Desert.
Meanwhile, at Kominek’s farm, now called Jack’s Solar Garden and the largest commercially active agrivoltaics system in the United States, the same scientists are testing which crops thrive under panels in the varied seasons of Colorado.
Barron-Gafford believes agrivoltaics could be help farmers in the West who want to keep farming in the face of climate change. “We want to adapt our food system to survive through periods of drought and warmer temperature changes, and that comes down to easing our dependence on irrigation,” he says.
Against the backdrop of Sonoran Desert scrub on a sunny but chilly November morning, Nesrine Rouini tends to seedlings under a canopy of solar panels at the Biosphere 2 site. A mere 9- by 18-meter (30- by 59-foot) garden, the experimental agrivoltaics site resembles an intensive care unit for plants – stakes bearing barcodes identify each new sprout, and a network of cables and wires runs along each seedbed to a centralized data logger. This Gordian knot of leads and controls transmits real-time data of a plant’s living environment – soil moisture, temperature, solar radiation and a host of other variables – hour by hour to the research group in Tucson. Simultaneously, cameras track its growth from seedling to sprouting to flowering. A plant can’t so much as open a stoma without its actions being spotted, relayed and recorded.
Once a week, Rouini, an agrivoltaics researcher on Barron-Gafford’s team, visits the site and a control plot, which is not under panels. Using a handheld gas exchange device, she takes the pulse of each plant and checks how well it’s coping with the shade or open sky. “This is how we found out that plants in the control plot experience midday depression and don’t photosynthesize,” Rouini says. “While the ones under the panels keep trucking along.”
Irrigation on both plots starts at 7 a.m. By 9 a.m. the control plot soil already appears drier to the naked eye than earth under the panels. “Without shade the water just evaporates so much quicker,” Rouini says.
Basic physics dictates that crops grown under panels need less water, but scientists still don’t know how each crop will fare in each location and exactly how much water will be saved. Consequently, in Arizona, Colorado and a network of nearly 30 sites around the country, groups of researchers are trying to close that data gap.
Although scientists have studied the interaction between light and plants for decades, the novel shading regime of solar panels presents many unknowns, says Jordan Macknick, the lead energy-water-land analyst for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the principal investigator of the Innovative Solar Practices Integrated with Rural Economies and Ecosystems (InSPIRE) network of agrivoltaic sites. “The Holy Grail would be for any farmer to be able to pick a point on a United States map and retrieve information about what crops they could grow, the best configuration of panels and how much water they need,” he says.
Focusing on Feasibility
In Colorado, Liza McConnell, Jack’s solar research farm manager with Sprout City Farms, observed that the lettuces grown with half the amount of water administered to a control plot were only a little smaller and significantly sweeter than their sun-exposed equivalents. Celery, typically a high-water-use crop, also fared well under a reduced watering regime, as did smaller peppers, but the larger Anaheim peppers under panels didn’t produce as much fruit as hoped. With the West in a prolonged drought and climate change taking its toll, people might have to adapt to not getting the exact type of pepper they want all year round McConnell says.
“In the face of climate change we need all options on the table,” she says. “Agrivoltaics is not the only solution, but it is going to be one of the things that will help keep our communities safe and resilient.”
Despite its many benefits, agrivoltaics may not be feasible for large-scale, single-crop farms that grow corn and soybeans and rely on using heavy machinery. Farming under solar panels is even challenging for farmers on their feet: McConnell equates it to farming on an obstacle course. On the flip side, the panels provide much needed shade for farmers on hot days.
“We’re producing energy, we’re producing food, we’re conserving water, and we’re building soil health that further conserves water and nutrients,” McConnell says. “And then we’re also protecting necessary human labor and quality of life for farmworkers.”
The yield of certain crops, specifically warm-season peppers and tomatoes, might also be less under panels in Colorado, McConnell says. But these fruits only ripen at certain temperatures; if it’s too hot, they won’t ripen at all. “So a reduced yield is still better than having no tomatoes in the face of climate change,” she says.
Macknick points out that the revenue that farmers can make by selling solar-generated power will more than compensate for any reductions in farm produce and that agrivoltaics could help farmers in the West and the Colorado River Basin be more financially resilient to droughts and climate change.
Another potential benefit of agrivoltaics is that it could open more land to farming, including Indigenous lands where food security and energy access have been issues. In hot and dry desert lands, for example, growing crops under panels can reduce the need for scarce water and increase productivity and feasibility for farming efforts. “Can some of these places now produce food because we’ve taken off that harsh edge of the environment?” Macknick poses.
Agrivoltaics also offers the potential to harvest and store rain so it can be used for irrigation. Gutters attached to the bottom of solar panels can capture rain and channel it into small reservoirs. But challenges exist in the execution. In Tucson, for example, water simply flows off water panels and gets wasted. “It would be good to think about how to set up guttering on panels to collect water intentionally and do it the right way,” Barron-Gafford says.
Large-scale agrivoltaics endeavors will face plenty of challenges, and they won’t be right for every farmer, Macknick says. But there’s potential to improve yields of some crops while enhancing soil health, reducing water needs and producing power, too. “It is certainly going to play a growing role in farming,” Macknick says. “I think we are going to see more and more of this.”
Jane Palmer wrote this article for Ensia.


text:
- About TK
- Contact Us
Publication: Assemblymember Kevin McCarty's Website
Date: October 2022
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Early Childhood Education supporters hosted a press conference and classroom tour to celebrate the start of Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) in schools throughout the state.
“The expansion of Transitional Kindergarten to all 4-year-olds is giving future generations of students the building blocks they need for success in school and life,” said Early Edge Executive Director Patricia Lozano. “It will help close the opportunity gap for low-income and bilingual children who particularly suffered learning loss during the pandemic. California continues to be a leader of innovation and the expansion of Transitional Kindergarten follows this trajectory. When complete, we will have the largest preschool program in the nation. We thank Asm. McCarty, our cosponsors, and Governor Newsom for their dedication to this effort and to our children and families. We should all be extremely proud of this achievement for our state.”

domain: news


The Hyh Courtyards
Our proposal has two aims: to provide privacy for the tenants and a beautiful background for everyone. We propose to grow a colourful living
wall along the perimeter of the garden and to widen the boundary wall to form a continuous bench along the pavement.
We propose to convert the current linear buildings of the Hyh House into a quiet, colourful courtyard, with open arms to the city. Based on
the conditions of shading and root extensions, we have devised a planting strategy based on the combination of mixed indigenous hedgerows,
layered planting and fruit trees that will form the new extension of the Hyh House. The hedgerows form the structure of the perimeter wall:
their reduced root spread and the ability to grow in shady areas, combined with the colourful flowering and berries, deliver a barrier from
noise and pollution, as well as a beautiful backdrop for the street life.
The garden is further enhanced through files of fruit trees. The views from the garden to the exterior are partially preserved through the
main access points. The new courtyard will be a tranquil space for residents to enjoy safely. Finally, we propose to pave the strip of land closest to the boundary wall, to form a 600mm deep bench along the road: a concession to the city and a place for all residents to see the city from close.
The current budget does not allow for the construction of rain gardens within the courtyard, which would provide relief to the flood-prone
area, as well as enhance the landscape and biodiversity in the courtyard.
To read more, please download our project sheet here.


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NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — Country music legend Loretta Lynn fractured her hip in a fall at her home in Tennessee.
A statement posted to the singer’s website said: “American music icon, Loretta Lynn is recovering from a fractured hip after a fall while at home. She is doing well and thanks all her fans for their thoughts and prayers.”
On Monday, her sister and fellow country artist Crystal Gayle posted an update about her sister on social media, writing, “I was with Loretta yesterday. She is in good spirits and is doing as well as can be expected with this type of injury.”
Lynn’s hip fracture is the latest health setback for the 85-year-old singer. Last year, she was forced to cancel her tour and delay the release of her latest album after suffering from a stroke she suffered in July. In October, she made a surprise appearance at The Country Music Hall of Fame when Alan Jackson was inducted into the august body.
A Country Music Hall of Fame member herself, Lynn is best known for her biographical hits “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)”, and “One’s on the Way”.
Her 41st studio album “Wouldn’t It Be Great” is slated to be released via Sony Legacy later this year.


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Now showing items 1-10 of 42
Proceedings of the rice-wheat research end-of-project workshop
(CIMMYT; Rice-Wheat System Research Consortium; NARC, 1998)
This proceedings synthesizes results of six years of research by scientists of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) at sites in the lowlands and mid-hills where the rice-wheat cropping system is important. The ...
Increasing wheat yields sustainability through agronomic means
This paper examines common factors that constrain wheat yields: insufficient nutrients (using nitrogen as an example); problems of late planting and poor crop establishment; suboptimal water management; lodging; and weeds. ...
Research on soil fertility in Southern Africa: ten awkward questions
By raising important, sometimes ignored questions about research on soil fertility management in the subsistence, risk-prone maize-based cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa, this paper seeks to improve the quality of ...
Conservation tillage or residue conservation? An evaluation of residue management in Mexico
The key to conservation tillage is the use of crop residues as mulch. However, there is some confusion over the term conservation tillage, among other things, because too much emphasis has been placed on tillage. Since ...
The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) Greenseeker(TM) handheld sensor: toward the integrated evaluation of crop management part A: concepts and case studies
Reflectance is the ratio of energy that is reflected from an object to the energy incident on the object. Spectral reflectance of a crop differs considerably in the near infrared region (λ = 700-1300 nm) and in the visible ...
Rice wheat cropping systems in Faizabad District of Uttar Pradesh, India: exploratory surveys of farmers' practices and problems, and needs for further research
The rice-wheat (R-W) cropping pattern is very important in eastern Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), India (Figure 1). Of the 18 Districts (three divisions) in this part of the State under the responsibility of the Narendra Deva ...
A short-term assessment of carbon dioxide fluxes under contrasting agricultural and soil management practices in Zimbabwe
(Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2015)
Two of the biggest problems facing humankind are feeding an exponentially growing human population and preventing the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases and its climate change consequences. Refined agricultural ...
How much can smallholders in Bangladesh benefit from summer tomato cultivation? an applied agro-economic analysis of on-farm data
(SAARC Agricultural Centre, 2015)

domain: geography


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The MTA is delaying the release of a long-promised report on combating fare evasion, with the agency now in active talks with the city’s District Attorneys on best practices to counter the phenomenon.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber said Tuesday that the long-awaited “blue ribbon” report would most likely not be released in 2022, as had been repeatedly promised.
“We are in dialogue with, among others, the DAs, to try to nail down some consensus on some of the issues associated with fare evasion and our future policy,” Lieber said at an unrelated news conference in the Bronx. “But there’s a ton of work that’s been done, so [the report]’s coming.”
Lieber did not elaborate further on what was being discussed and the MTA declined further comment. A spokesperson for the Brooklyn DA declined to comment on internal, inter-agency deliberations. Spokespersons for the city’s other four DAs didn’t respond to inquiries.
The chair has said that fare evasion costs the cash-strapped authority $500 million annually, estimating about 1-in-10 subway commuters and 1-in-3 bus riders skip payment. As for tolls, the agency estimates scofflaws nab $50 million out of the MTA’s pocket each year.
That comes as the MTA faces a fiscal crisis stemming from a lower-than-expected return of passengers to the system, with federal COVID aid running dry; the agency passed a budget this month slashing spending and setting in motion fare hikes that could raise the price of a subway or bus ride to as much as $2.90 next year, and as high as $3.05 by 2025.
Arrests and summonses for fare evasion have skyrocketed since city and state leaders surged NYPD presence in the system in October, and the MTA has been placing unarmed gate guards at fare arrays in an attempt to deter turnstile hopping.
But the DAs in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens have all pledged to sharply reduce or outright eliminate prosecutions for fare evasion in recent years, with critics highlighting the nonviolent nature of the offense and the meager amount of revenue ($2.75) lost per fare beaten.
They also point to significant, longstanding — and ongoing — racial disparities in enforcement: the NYPD’s most recent data, from before the surge in police presence, pegs an astonishing 94% of fare evasion arrests as against Black and Latino riders.
In recent weeks, Lieber has talked up prevention methods to stop fare evasion before it happens, rather than arresting or summonsing a suspect after the fact. The MTA is contemplating redesigning the turnstile to make it harder to hop over, and as part of the police surge, has rolled out unarmed guards to patrol fare gates, intended to deter turnstile hopping, MetroCard machine scams, and those holding open emergency exit doors.


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[Categories Chile, Shiraz, ]
The by-product of an excellent Marks & Spencer meal deal.
Firm, silky, fruity, a delight.
For the money, an outstanding value claret that sends some of the famed / named houses to Coventry.
Pantone 209 with good legs in the glass, warm nose, wonderful dry mouthfeel, silky firm tannins, lovely aftertaste. Always a pleasure to imbibe a Chaignes creation.
A fruity flavoursome, lots of lush redcurrants in a firmish body. Rich colour.
Nice write up on Arnaud here: http://www.bbr.com/producer-1198-domaine-arnaud-ente
Dad brought this for his 80th Birthday Lunch and we got to try it later. “Old Steps” from the Island of the Nuraghi (the tower symbol of Sardinia) a solid dry Red from Sardinia.
“Old Vines Cultivated & Harvested with Passion” – Bottled in Bardolino?
Mellow Merlot from Down under, surprisingly good.
Brian McGuigan’s signed a lot of bottles before he retired!
Some Wild Geese for Dad’s Birthday.
Perhaps a bit over the hill, not quite vintage Lynch-Bages.
It was a bit thin with a rusty colour around the edges.
Nonetheless, a nice nose and you could taste the remnants of a more complex or fuller texture.
Powerful, Smooth, Hedge Berries and Vanilla – Gigondas – enjoyed with John and complimented by the Cheese Board.
€23.93 in Whelehans expertly poured with a corkage charge of €5
Red table wine from Spain a Grenache / Syrah blend.
Red Santa Cruz de Alpera
Appellation of Origin Almansa (http://denominacion-origen-almansa.com/)
John, Dad and I sampled this house Rose during our visits to The Wild Boar to watch the three SA tests.
A bit pricey for a table / house wine. Though pleasant enough to wash down the meat platters, unlike the result of the last two tests.
I like their Reds and this Sauvignon was a first – crisp and clean.

domain: hobby


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The medieval church : a brief history /
The Medieval Church: A Brief History argues for the pervasiveness of the Church in every aspect of life in medieval Europe. It shows how the institution of the Church attempted to control the lives and behaviour of medieval people, for example, through canon law, while at the same time being influen...
|Authors / Creators:||,|
|Author / Contributor:||Lynch, Joseph H.,|
|Imprint:||London ; New York : Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2014.|
Clapp Reserve - 2nd Floor Service Desk
BR252 .L96 2014

domain: library


text:
Do you ever find it hard to just “hang in there?”
We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” -Colossians 1:4-5
Sometimes it’s hard to have faith when the world around us is so disappointing.
Often it’s truly hard to love others, because let’s face it: sometimes people just make themselves hard to love.
Yet, something happens when the heart begins to dwell on the hope of the glorious future Jesus promises His people. We look to a life and a world with no more pain, sorrow or suffering, no more disappointments or letdowns or betrayals, and that hope has a way of strengthening the soul.
If I know deliverance is coming, then I know I can hang in there one more day.
…And so can you.

domain: literature


Google has seemingly outdone itself when it comes to discontinuing products and experiences in a short amount of time — as 9to5Google reports, after rolling out a new interface for some older Chromecasts last winter, the company has basically made it useless. In a reply to a customer on Twitter, the company says you’re no longer able to log in to your YouTube account on older versions of the streaming puck, leaving you better off just casting from your phone (especially if you pay to see an ad-free YouTube).
While choosing videos on your phone and sending them to your TV through the Chromecast was originally how the device was supposed to work, Google recently added to that experience. Last year, users got the ability to use their phones as a remote to scroll through a YouTube UI on the Chromecast, letting them use their big screen to pick out videos.
While you can technically still browse through YouTube using your phone as a remote, you’ll have to do so as a logged-out guest — no personalized recommendations, playlists, or viewing history from the rest of your devices directly on the Chromecast. For YouTube Premium subscribers, it’s even worse; currently, if they use the YouTube interface on the Chromecast, it’ll include the ads they pay not to see on the rest of their devices.
While this is mostly a minor inconvenience (again, you can still use your phone to queue up videos, which will play without ads if you’re a Premium subscriber), the bizarre thing is how Google has communicated pulling a major part of a relatively new feature. Here’s Google in December 2021, tweeting to show off how you could get YouTube’s UI directly on the Chromecast:
And here it is in June 2022, dropping a bombshell to most users that signing into YouTube is no longer supported on “older Chromecast devices:”
Talk about whiplash — there are dozens of replies to YouTube asking why it’s removed the feature and why it didn’t announce that it was doing so, leaving users frustrated by an unexplained “Can’t sign in” error message. We’ve reached out to Google to ask why it made the change and to get a list of exactly which Chromecast devices this affects, but so far, we haven’t received a response.
There’s one more twist that makes this whole thing even stranger. In a forum reply spotted by Android Police, a Google community manager says that the company is working to resolve an issue where Premium members see ads when using the remote to control YouTube on their Chromecasts. It’s hard to imagine a software solution to that problem that wouldn’t enable, you know, the exact same logged-in experience that people had access to just a few weeks ago before it was removed.


The DAB non-slip plates are easy to use and versatile.
The DAB anti-vibration mats are insulated from active and passive vibrations, cushion shocks and absorb noise by interrupting contact between the machine tool and the floor in a simple (without anchoring).
They can be cut in shape and size without special tools. Normal workshop tools are enough.
DAB anti-vibration plates offer several benefits:
they have a good ability to adapt;
are extremely versatile. For good results, it is sufficient to adjust the cutting of the plates to the shape and size of the base of the machine or apparatus;
are durable and durable, the mechanical properties of non-slip mats do not change over the years;
do not require any special maintenance.
The DAB non-slip plates are made of natural rubber, in one modular format but in two different degrees of hardness (45 ° -55 ° Sh).


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What Daughters Want Most From Their Mothers
The results are in…
Last month, I sent a questionnaire out to women asking them how their relationships with their mothers affected the holidays. The answers I received were very revealing. When I asked if the holidays were challenging because of their mother, the most popular answer was, “Yes, all the time.” The most chosen answer to, How would you describe your relationship with your mother?, was, “Okay. I can spend time with her but I wish we were closer.” The three most common answers to the third question, If you could change one thing about your relationship with your mother, what would it be? were,
- She would care more about my feelings
- We would have deeper, more heart-connected conversations
- She wouldn’t criticize me or my choices
The most interesting answers were to the 5th question which required women to write their own answers. The 5th question was:
If you could wave a magic wand and have your relationship with your mom be exactly how you wanted it to be, what kind of relationship with your mom would you create?
I LOVED the answers so much I created a beautiful printable image to remind all mothers what their daughters want to experience more of in their relationship with their mamas. These answers were written by adult women about their relationship with their own mothers but I love how much the answers capture the fact that daughters never stop aching for the same things they did as little girls.
If you are lucky enough to be the mom of a darling daughter, download this printable and post it up to remind you of the qualities daughters ache for from their mothers. Hopefully, your future daughter(s) will look back on this list later in life and say, “Yeah, mom did a really good job of giving me these things.”
Here’s a preview of what the printable looks like:
Click on the link below to download the printable:
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domain: psychology


This Christmas, the days leading up to it (December 23rd and 24th), and the weekend that follows, (December 26th and 27th), treat yourself to the Charivari Worldwide Holiday Cheer Mix brought to you by Charivari Detroit exclusively on Mixcloud. Click here to check out the incredible lineup of DJs and the schedule.
Now that we’ve dispensed that news, let’s digress: Here is a little background info about what Charivari is, and has become, according to organizer, Todd Johnson:
Charivari Detroit is an annual FREE three-day DJ focused electronic music festival held in Detroit the first weekend in August. We started in 2014 to first and foremost be a celebration of our city and it’s contributions to electronic dance music. Techno is a Detroit creation and Detroit is flush with the pioneers and present day masters of the genre. Detroit is also a hub of many of the most talented and respected DJs and producers of House and all forms of electronic music. Over the years we have evolved into a multi stage three day weekend of music, art, yoga, food and fun! The Charivari Worldwide brand intends to spread our brand of fun and festivities across the world thru the festival, branded gear, artists, music, radio and events. Charivari Detroit weekend is the greatest assembly of Detroit based DJ talent ever! The Charivari family is a bond. The bond and growth of the community. Support and engagement. Above faction, friction and fad. The people. The music. The dancing. The DJs. The crowd. The culture. Our manta is #letyourselfgo
The 2020 Pandemic and the global shutdowns presented a unique challenge of how you keep your Brand relevant and active. The first hurdle was the “where” in planning the transition from the physical to the internet. The Mixcloud platform was a no brainer decision, teaming with a internet platform and brand that respects both the artists and the legal use of music. The second and most time consuming was assembling an amazing roster of talent. There were many new fronts that required quickly educating yourself. Streaming technology, worldwide publicity, artist outreach and film and sound production. 5 Mag, Fusicology, Ransom Note were key in getting the word out. And the DJ community rallied and showed out. We smashed the internet with the number one streams on the platform in August, October and November. Our audiences have been larger than most global festival brands.
We have always tried to make Charivari operate as a extended family. So the community aspect was one of the easiest in putting this together. We put out the call to our DJ network and extended the invitation to contribute to them and their connections. The response has been overwhelming. Thanksgiving will be our third stream and as we plan forward to the future there has been no shortage of willing participants. We would love to get back to the festival the first of August 2021 as we head into our 9th year.
Whether it be with the World fully opened or in some hybrid fashion with Mixcloud, streaming will remain a permanent part of our growing entertainment menu which includes Charivari Radio, branded parties in multiple locations and utilizing our growing DJ pool made possible by Mixcloud opening the planet.
You can tune in to the Christmas stream with this direct link: https://www.mixcloud.com/live/charivariworldwide/
Just like the music itself, Charivari was destined to outgrow the confines of Detroit and become a global hub for true house and techno music artist and enthusiasts. But it is a massive undertaking that is not possible without continued support. If you’d like to help out with the efforts you can directly do so by donating or shopping on the websites store where they have some very dope gear.


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Research theft: The tough job of safeguarding universities
While the memo did not indicate which disciplines CSIS was interested in, the euphemism “high-priority research” was understood to mean science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
CSIS agents, the memo states, “may be concerned that you could be the target of a foreign state or entity, or they may have questions about some aspects of your activities”.
But the memo makes clear: “You do not have a legal obligation to talk to a CSIS officer”; you are not required to “speak with the officer immediately, or at the place where they approached you”.
“If agents appear at your place of residence, you can ask them to reschedule the meeting to your workplace.” After helpfully urging researchers to “remain calm, polite and ... truthful” in their statements, the memo ends by asserting the university’s rights: “You must not consent to a search of University of Waterloo property without authorisation from the University of Waterloo.”
Were CSIS to want to conduct an on-campus search, researchers were told to contact Justin Nankivell, director of research security, office of the vice-president, research and international.
Robinson’s concern was not with the content of UW’s memo. “The advice Waterloo gave its professors is correct. There’s no obligation for you to speak with a CSIS agent,” he said.
Rather, what troubled Robinson was the prospect of CSIS agents showing up unannounced at a professor’s office or a professor’s home (as has happened in at least one instance that he was not at liberty to discuss).
The first case of office visits, he said, violates the letter of the sixty-year-old Pearson-Laskin Accord between the Canadian Association of University Teachers and the federal government, while the second – home visits – violates its spirit.
The accord was a response to a number of unwarranted investigations of professors by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in the 1950s and early 1960s (during Canada’s version of the McCarthyite ‘Red Scare’ that gripped the United States).
The accord is named after then prime minister Lester B Pearson and University of Toronto law professor Bora Laskin, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1970 and between 1973 and 1984 was the nation’s chief justice. Under the accord, the government of Canada agreed to refrain from “general RCMP surveillance of university campuses”.
Further, it pledged not to use informers or listening devices “except where the solicitor general has cause to believe that something specific is happening beyond the free flow of ideas on university campuses”. The principles of the accord have been reiterated over the years, including in the 1990s when CSIS was established.
“Essentially what the government agreed to was that the security services could not enter campuses without first contacting the administration and, secondly, the faculty association because of the sensitivity around academic freedom,” said Robinson.
“What we’re seeing now is that the accord is not really being paid attention to and is being willfully ignored. For example, I’ve been contacted by academics who say, ‘I got called by a CSIS agent who wants to go for coffee; what should I do?’
“What we are seeing in Canada, as we’re seeing in other jurisdictions as well, appears to be a new kind of Cold War as the government is taking actions to limit academic exchanges. Although the government doesn’t mention China in any of the procedures or regulations, that’s clearly what the target is. Universities are now being asked to scrutinise any partnerships with Chinese entities and Chinese academics.”
An area of interest
CSIS’s assumed interest in speaking with researchers at UW follows from two facts: the university’s leadership position in a number of STEM fields, and the efforts of countries, such as China, to gain access to this research by, for example, suborning partnerships or intellectual property theft.
“We are working in fields like AI [artificial intelligence], a variety of engineering disciplines, software development, cybersecurity, quantum [computing], the list goes on,” said Nick Manning, UW’s associate vice-president for communications.
“These are all fields and areas of research at the cutting edge [and which are] a great advantage in the knowledge economy. So it stands to reason, I think, that Waterloo is an area of interest for foreign governments.”
The disciplines Manning noted are among the 14 flagged by the government of Canada’s National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships.
The threat of China
Manning did not name China as the key threat. By contrast, both defence and security analyst Wesley Wark and Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, who served as assistant deputy minister at the Department of Finance, Natural Resources Canada, and as executive vice president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and is now a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Institute for Science, Society and Policy, singled out Xi Jinping’s regime.
In the mid-2010s, Xi began changing the Middle Kingdom’s policy of “open relationships with institutions in the West” to one that “involves aspects of intellectual property theft and what we would understand as espionage”, said Wark, a senior fellow at the Waterloo, Ontario-based Centre for International Governance Innovation, and a retired professor from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, as well as a former member of Canada’s Advisory Council on National Security.
Beijing’s “Strategy of Innovation-Driven Development” (2016), McCuaig-Johnston writes in Canadian Technology Joint Ventures in China: Assessing the Risks (2020), enunciates a policy of integrating “military and civilian technology development” and established the National Commission for Civilian and Military Development, chaired by Xi himself.
Two years later, Beijing announced the “Measures for the Administration of Scientific Data” that restricted export of such data even when it was “developed with foreign partners”, writes McCuaig-Johnston.
In 2020, Xi’s government restricted foreign investment in more than 25 sensitive areas including: rare earth and radioactive mineral exploration, ocean mapping, news publishing, film production and distribution, humanities and social science research, cultural stories and performance groups.
The day after I interviewed McCuaig-Johnston, China announced the new “Counter-espionage Law of the PRC (2023 ed)” that declares in Article 2 that “counter-espionage efforts are to uphold the centralised and unified leadership of the Party centre [and] adhere to the holistic view of national security”.
Article 4 broadens the definition of espionage to “activities instigated or funded by foreign institutions, organisations and individuals other than espionage organisations and their representatives”, which could include both Western companies and universities.
Xi’s policies, Wark explained, show that today’s geopolitical environment differs greatly from that of a decade or two ago. “Increasingly, interactions between Western countries and authoritarian regimes like [those of] Russia and China are closer to what they were in the Cold War when they were regarded as adversarial regimes that posed threats to Canada’s national interest and security.”
When I asked Wark what research China was particularly interested in, he mentioned several: satellite system capabilities, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
“From a national security perspective, artificial intelligence has to do with capacity for data valuation storage, issues around encryption. When you are sharing advances in AI, what you could be contributing to with research partnerships with non-friendly regimes is a vastly increased capacity on their part to conduct their own national security operations globally to engage in intellectual property theft, etc, and to better use satellite imagery.”
Quantum computing, Wark continued, potentially undermines all existing encryption methods.
Drawing on her decades of experience facilitating academic and economic exchanges with China and her more recent work sounding the alarm about how China manipulates both business and academic partnerships, McCuaig-Johnston told me about “dual use” technology, such as metallurgy, that can be used for both civilian and military projects.
“It’s not just picking off the shelf something that could have a military application,” she said. “It’s funnelling a whole raft of different types of research into a screening by military researchers at the National University of Defense Technology.”
Why universities are vulnerable
Conscious of the universities’ and professors’ sensitivities around academic freedom, the Canadian government has largely left it to the universities themselves to put in place procedures to secure sensitive research and to take steps to protect their researchers from being suborned. This strategy faces several challenges. The first, as McCuaig-Johnston explained, is personal.
“Chinese civilian university researchers aren’t going to tell Western scientists and engineers they are partnered with that their work is going out the back door into the Chinese military. A researcher in Canada who researches with his long-time friend from Nanjing University wouldn’t necessarily know that this is happening.
“And, even if they realise that it’s happening, they may think, ‘Oh well, this is all kind of general research. And it’s not dangerous’,” said McCuaig-Johnston.
For his part, Wark underscored the fact that most professors and administrators lack an understanding of geopolitical realities.
“For most of the universities across the country, understanding of national security threats is minimal to non-existent. It’s not in the normal intellectual universe of most faculty in Canada. Very few of them will ever have been exposed (unless they have a personal interest) to any substantive knowledge about what national security is, who’s involved, what the threats are or how they’re changing.
“There are very few programmes or courses taught on this subject across Canada. So there’s a long way that universities have to go to up their own game.”
A further complicating factor, said Wark, is that “universities are fundamentally anarchic institutions. Individual academics, especially tenured academics, have a lot of freedom, as they should, to conduct their own research and choose their own partners. That’s a cherished principle, and university administrations are not always regarded as friends of faculty members.”
Accordingly, he adds: “There’s a long way to go in terms of building relationships between university administrators and university researchers to come to common ground and an understanding of what might pose a national security risk and research partnerships.”
Research security plan
The memo sent to UW researchers is part of the university’s multilevel research security structure that looks to safeguard both the cutting-edge research undertaken at UW and its researchers.
The plan involves working with “multiple levels of government [eg, CSIS, the RCMP and funding agencies such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)] who have issued guidance on what constitutes sensitive research” and communicating that information to researchers.
A central piece of the security protocols at UW, as at all of Canada’s research universities, is completing the checklist prepared by the Canadian government on safeguarding research.
Among its 23 questions are: How might an adverse foreign interest exploit your research or product? Are you aware of specific and-or suspicious foreign interest in your research or product? Can you imagine a scenario in which your research or product could be used for malicious purposes regardless of its intended use?
While Wark thinks that the checklist and other actions of the Canadian government are steps in the right direction and that UW is also on the right track, he pointed to a gap between universities’ administrations and what the federal government and its security agencies know about threats.
What’s needed, he said, is a “trusted pipeline of information sharing”. And, because this pipeline will necessarily include classified information that will impact what universities do, universities will have to have people with security, up to and including, top secret clearance, in the administration.
“As you know, universities on the whole don’t possess classified information in the context of how we understand national security secrets. Nevertheless, it is a two-way pipeline in the sense that CSIS is going to have to be more granular with trusted security-cleared officials in the universities about what they’re seeing.
“And university officials are going to have to be not only trusted recipients of that information but also knowledgeable so that they can understand well that this is the intelligence picture we’re being given – and this is how we think we need to respond to it.”
For his part, Dr Chad Gaffield, chief executive officer of U15, an association of Canada’s 15 leading research universities, told me that in last year’s budget the federal government allocated funds for universities to hire research security officers and set up awareness and phrasing modules that are needed in the changing geopolitical context.
According to Gaffield, U15 “works as an interface between the federal government and our campuses with a view towards optimising research and innovation in the Canadian university ecosystem”.
He said that he hopes security will soon be handled in the routine way that other aspects of research, such as establishing and adhering to research protocols, are.
McCuaig-Johnston had praise for NSERC’s national security screening. “Recently,” she said, “NSERC has sent 48 proposals to be further reviewed by the government’s security agencies. Two-thirds have been deemed to be a security risk to the country and have been declined. This suggests that in the past such projects would have gotten through, but now they are closing the door.”
The case of Huawei
A year ago, Canada joined the other members of the Five Eyes intelligence agency (US, UK, Australia and New Zealand) in banning Huawei from supplying telecom equipment for the national 5G network. However, Huawei smartphones and other products continue to be sold in Canada, and a number of Canadian universities have continued to do work paid for by this multinational company with close ties to the Chinese government.
One of them is Polytechnique Montréal (PM), which has two research projects funded by Huawei. While the contents of those agreements are at present confidential, the research results will be published in the same way as other academic studies.
Publishing research, even if it is paid for by private companies, is a requirement that the U15 institutions insist on, said Gaffield. “When universities develop these partnerships, we keep our eyes clearly focused on the fact that we’re all here for the public good, for the benefit of society. We do our work for the public and that includes publishing our research.”
In an email to University World News, Annie Touchette, PM external communications manager, said that PM is bound by “la Loi sur l’accès aux documents des organismes publics et sur la protection des renseignments personnels” (the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information). Detailed information about the project can only be released through an “access to information request”.
Another Quebec university under contract to do research for Huawei, according to Sarah-Maude Lefebvre, who writes for Le Journal de Montréal, is the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) in Quebec City, which had not responded to a request for a comment from University World News at the time of publication.
According to Lefebvre (25 April), when she asked about INRS’s research for Huawei, Julie Robert, a spokesperson for INRS, said: “We are not able to give more details about the contract with Huawei … So we cannot disclose details like project name, domain, etc.”
According to Lefebvre, Quebec’s premier university, McGill (Montreal), is also conducting research for Huawei. When asked for a comment, Katherine Gombay, senior communications officer at McGill, did not explicitly refer to the Chinese telecom giant in her response.
“For the past four years, members of U15, including McGill, have led efforts to establish a national security framework around Canadian research. We were the catalysts behind the creation of the Government-Universities Working Group on Research Security, which worked on a strategy for ensuring security of the Canadian research enterprise. This included helping to develop guidelines for securing Canadian research, advice on protecting research data and outcomes, and sharing best practices.
“When the federal government and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) require that research collaborations with certain countries and companies cease because they are sanctioned or do not pass research security checks, the university complied immediately.
“Therefore, in February 2023, when the Canadian government sent out a statement regarding grant applications involving the conduct of research in sensitive research areas, the university immediately complied. The university will continue to comply with all guidelines issued by the Canadian government regarding research partnerships, particularly those related to sensitive areas.”
Coincidentally, on the day this article was being edited (3 May), UW said it would be ending its research projects for Huawei by mid-2024.
“The University of Waterloo intends to complete our current contractual arrangements with Huawei which will conclude within the next year,” Manning told University World News in an email. “This decision is part of our wider effort, in partnership with multiple levels of government, to safeguard scientific research at Waterloo.
“We recognise that this decision places some of our researchers’ cutting-edge work in jeopardy because they are losing reliable funding sources. Now is a time for Canadian businesses and governments to seize the opportunity to help us ensure that our talent and innovation pipeline remains productive now and in the future.”
When I asked Wark about the anomalous situation of Canadian universities conducting research paid for by Huawei, he responded by e-mail: “The situation is a known problem not covered by current approaches to scrutinising research grants through federal councils. There are, of course, existing laws in place on sensitive export controls, but these may not be sufficiently understood by the university community.
“It is an area where the emphasis will have to be on expert university scrutiny of research, backed by sufficient flows of threat reporting from the government (eg, CSIS). Huawei is an attractive partner on the surface because of its global scale, technological innovation and resources devoted to research (on a far higher scale than most Canadian companies).
“But it is not sufficiently transparent, has elements in its corporate history that associate it with a state-owned enterprise, and is subject to Chinese state espionage laws.
“For all these reasons any research partnerships with Huawei deserve close scrutiny.”


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Police Quest II
|Police Quest II: The Vengeance|
|Also known as||Police Quest 2|
|Platforms||MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, NEC PC-9801|
|Resolution||320x200, 16 colors|
|Support||Since ScummVM 1.2.0|
Police Quest II: The Vengeance was the second game in the Police Quest series. The game follows Sonny Bonds, now a homicide detective, in the fictional town of Lytton, California. He must rescue his girlfriend and once again track down and arrest the Death Angel.

domain: law


text:
Listen this article
By 2035, use of AI could increase the South American GDP by 1%. Is it time to invest more in technology?
It’s not a secret that the Latin American economy needs to rethink itself to avoid deeper stagnation. Commodity dependence and productivity deficit are defining current economic development, and, as analysts have noticed, these are neither adequate nor appropriate elements to secure growth in the next years.
While some suggest that Latin America should invest in education and promote larger trade agreements with European and Asian economies, a recent study published by Accenture argues that the future lies on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The study, written by Armen Ovanessoff –Principal Director at the Institute for High Performance– and Eduardo Plastino –Research Fellow at Accenture–, states that a higher investment in AI could increase productivity and, therefore, accelerate economic growth. While some countries are already working towards the implementation of machines, algorithms, and bots to increase efficiency, there’s still much to be done to reach the objective set in the study: “to transform our thinking about how to generate growth”.
Latin American economy is highly volatile. The up-and-downs of commodity prices have determined the latest economic booms in the region. Ovanessoff and Plastino are going against this economic trend. While the region has had times of prosperity –and has reaped from high commodity prices– it has also suffered from times of slow growth. The problem that arises from this is this region hasn’t found the right way of tackling times of economic decay.
Even though global economies have suffered from consistent decline in growth and productivity rates, Latin American lags even further. In comparison to Asia, the case of South America is worrisome.
From 2001 to 2015, South American annual change in productivity has gone from less of 1% to -1%. In the same timeframe, Sri Lanka’s productivity has grown steadily from 1% to more than 3%. Among these countries, the productivity of Colombia seems to be the more stable one, while Chile and Argentina’s are more volatile and in decline.
According to Accenture’s study, investment on AI can change everything about capital decreasing efficiency. The paper states that, unlike conventional capital, AI can improve in time, thanks to auto-learning capabilities. However, the main point of the study is that Latin American economic growth, measured by the growth in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru after the implementation of AI, will increase by a maximum of 0,9%.
Despite the optimistic outlook that the Accenture study presents, there’s something to take from this: South America should increase its investment on AI. It won’t only increase the efficiency and productivity, but it will have a direct and medium-term impact on the economy of the region.
LatinAmerican Post | Juan Sebastián Torres
Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto

domain: finance


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Vancouver's paved Burnt Bridge Greenway Trail is about 8 miles in length and meanders along the creek from Stewart Glen on the shores of Vancouver Lake to Meadowbrook Marsh. Along the way, the trail passes through lovely woods, grasslands, and city neighborhoods, as well as Leverich Park and Arnold Park mid-way.
Generally the signage is good, giving mileage to various places ahead on the trail. I parked in and first biked east from Leverich Park and was confused by the signage at times and found myself in the woods on a dirt single track. I knew I had missed a turn and went back and discovered the tiny carets used on the signage to show direction. Several times, I reached places where two paved trails diverged and by trial and error, I discovered which was the trail and which the access trail. If the trail had a yellow center stripe or arrows, it would help to differentiate it from the access trails that take off from it.
Here's a photo of the trail map (click to enlarge.)
Here's the namesake creek, views of which are few and far between. Be aware the trail runs through a frisbee/disc gold course in Leverich Park, so watch for flying saucers (because the players are not watching for you!)
I found the asphalt to be in good condition at east and west ends with some problems in the middle section with buckling and cracking and one area with rough chip seal coating.
The eastern end follows a power tower corridor so the land is more open with vistas like this in some places. Being from the Chicago area, it was wonderful to see the mountains off in the distance. It is also less hilly in the eastern section.
Street crossings are protected by lights when they are major arteries.
The trail connects several parks which are scenic, curvy, and hilly, and the little bit of road riding several times to get to the next trail segment was not a problem.
A trailhead is available mid-way along the route from Leverich Park's northern parking lot. From I-5, take exit 2, go east on E. 39th St., then north on NE Leverich Park Way.
A trailhead is also available from Stewart Glen. From I-5, take the 78th Street exit, go west to Lakeshore Avenue, then take a left (south) until you reach the intersection with Bernie Drive; parking is along the street.


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Epilogue In June 2014, Mohammed Naveed Jutt, a Pakistani terrorist from Multan, who was arrested from south Kashmir, made an interesting... ...http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Six-Years-Later/292706
(Dr. Shashi Tharoor is a two-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, the former... ...http://www.ndtv.com/article/opinion/opinion-26-11-the-night-that-lasted-68-hours-626366?pfrom=home-topstories
Pic Courtesy: - Rome: ArcelorMittal has teamed up with Italy's Marcegaglia to bid for Ilva, a loss-making Italian steel plant at the centre of a... ...http://zeenews.india.com/business/news/international/mittal-bids-for-environmental-disaster-italian-steel-plant_112819.html
1 of 7 Narendra Modi Reuters Amitabh Bachchan Varinder Chawla Anupam Kher. Creative Commons/Santhosh Kumar Sonu Nigam Varinder Chawla... ...http://www.ibtimes.co.in/26-11-anniversary-modi-bachchan-jaitley-tharoor-others-recall-mumbai-terror-attacks-photos-615250
It may be the fastest way to send money worldwide but in India, Western Union believes banking is the way to reach more people. ...http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/western-union-ambitiousseekingpartnerindia_1238686.html
as a ME at SHRIRAM CITY UNION FINANCE...
Budget 2012 income tax news and...


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| Aug 22, 2012
| 9:50 AM
This weekend's world record attempt in Ocean City will really need to bring on the bikinis. By the thousands.
The centerpiece of the town's first-ever Uptown Bash set for this weekend is a bikini parade where O.C. planned to break a record set by...
| Aug 1, 2012
| 7:59 AM
Driven by gold for Michael Phelps and the women gymnastics team, NBC's prime-time coverage of the Summer Olympics Tuesday hit a new high in overnight ratings topping those earned by the record-setting opening ceremonies.
And maybe it's me, but the ...
| Aug 2, 2012
| 7:52 AM
The Olympics are expanding and have been for decades. Ancient Olympians would hardly recognize the international competition for what it once was.
While the slate of events for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro is mostly set, the drawing board is full...
| Sep 4, 2012
| 5:58 AM
"Bachelor Pad's" second to last episode was last night. While thrilled that "Bachelor Pad" was the perfect segue between the Summer Olympics and football, we're none to happy about the scheduling of the finale -- the same time as the Ravens' first game....
| Aug 4, 2012
| 2:25 PM
Athletes tend to dread their 40th birthdays. They view the milestone as an expiration date, as a final signal to end their playing careers and transition into something more sedentary.
Muzammal Malik never got that memo. Now, at 45 years old, the...
| Aug 6, 2012
| 3:00 AM
Before there was Olympic medals for members of the U.S. gymnastics team, there was a somersault — a common thread that connects the Olympic heroes like gold medalists Gabby Douglas and Ally Raisman and men's bronze medalist Danell Leyva, to the...
| May 31, 2012
| 4:00 PM
Bonnie Branch Middle School eighth-graders Nick Kundrat and Matt Yagel point to a bar graph made for their school project examining security at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, which ended with 11 athletes killed.
The graph illustrates...
| Aug 7, 2012
| 8:39 AM
Even before swimmer Michael Phelps completed his record-breaking Olympic career and attained status as the most decorated Olympian of all time, officials back in his hometown were already thinking about ways to honor Towson's Golden Son.
| Aug 11, 2012
| 4:20 PM
They streamed into the Speedo-sponsored party, world-class athletes set free after four years of training and one week of competing on their sport's biggest stage. Now that their Olympics were over, swimmers from around the world would spend this night...
| Jun 6, 2012
While 2,408 competitors from 28 nations were competing in the 102 events of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, an article in the June 8, 1912, edition of The Argus reported that record times were run by the athletes and a good time was had...
| Jun 10, 2012
| 7:11 AM
Though it might be difficult for true Phelps Phans to swallow, the Olympian might not be bringing home the gold in "sexy" at this summer's Olympics.
At least according to the New York Times.
The paper says that Phelps' nemesis Ryan Lochte has cornered...
| Aug 7, 2012
| 5:05 PM
The darkened arena pulsed with anticipation, the thousands of spectators roaring and their cameras flashing like giant fireflies as the boxers swaggered in, punching the air, bouncing on the balls of their feet and glaring like gladiators. And then, the...

domain: sports


text:
The Paris Secret: A Novel | Murder at Half Moon Gate (A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery) | Scandal Above Stairs (A Below Stairs Mystery) | A Treacherous Curse (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) | River of Darkness | Historic Restaurants of Paris | Anatomy of Murder
There is but one Paris.
Vincent Van Gogh
Maud Heighton came to Lafond's famous Academie to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris, she quickly realizes, is no place for a light purse. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling decadence of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, she stumbles upon an opportunity when Christian Morel engages her as a live-in companion to his beautiful young sister, Sylvie.
Maud is overjoyed by her good fortune. With a clean room, hot meals, and an umbrella to keep her dry, she is able to hold her head high as she strolls the streets of Montmartre. No longer hostage to poverty and hunger, Maud can at last devote herself to her art.
But all is not as it seems. Christian and Sylvie, Maud soon discovers, are not quite the darlings they pretend to be. Sylvie has a secret addiction to opium and Christian has an ominous air of intrigue. As this dark and powerful tale progresses, Maud is drawn further into the Morels' world of elegant deception. Their secrets become hers, and soon she is caught in a scheme of betrayal and revenge that will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light.
Pricing is shown for items sent to or within the U.S., excluding shipping and tax. Please consult the store to determine exact fees. No warranties are made express or implied about the accuracy, timeliness, merit, or value of the information provided. Information subject to change without notice. isbn.nu is not a bookseller, just an information source.


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Laser Hair Removal Treatments Achieve Results
Dr. Sam Durland demonstrates first-hand the ease of laser hair removal services at Unite. Patients experience improvements from use of high-quality laser hair removal technology in 3 treatments. Appointments are not time-intensive, treatments can be given comfortably and virtually pain free. Contact Unite today to learn more about great results from laser hair removal services!

domain: health


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Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Tamarind of Mayfair is to launch a series of regional menus to take its guests on a gastronomic adventure through the provinces of India. The journey will depart this June, with a new menu representing an area, city or style of cooking launching on the first of each month until the end of the year. The set menu will be priced at £65 per head, with the option to select wine pairing additionally.
The first stop will be the taste of Punjab (which has a rich tradition of Tandoor cooking) menu, available from 1 June. Tamarind will be offering diners traditional Punjabi dishes such as Lamb shami kabab (originating in the royal kitchens of the Moghul Empire, it is tradition to serve this dish to visiting guests), Makai saag (spinach with corn kernels), and Macchi Tikki (fish tikka, a dish favoured in Amritsari).
Travelling on throughout the summer, special menus from Rajasthan, Kashmir and Delhi will be offered in July, August and September respectively. These will include local specialities such as Laal mass (a hot rich mutton curry from Rajasthan), Khatte Baingan (a side dish of golden fried aubergines laced with thick, spicy and tangy gravy, traditionally served at Kashmir feasts and ceremonies) and Butter chicken – a dish originally created in the 1950s at Moti Mahal Restaurant, a Delhi institution.
For November, Tamarind will venture north to offer an Awadhi menu: the Northern Indian cuisine is traditionally influenced by the Middle-East, and is the cuisine which sister restaurant, Zaika of Kensington, specialises in. A typical Awadhi recipe is Nihari, a beef or lamb with bone marrow stew traditionally cooked for six to eight hours.
Hyderabad is the penultimate area of discovery, with local specialities such as Biryani and Maghaz masala – Maghaz meaning ‘brain’ and masala meaning ‘spice’, this is a famous lamb dish from Hyderabad. The journey of flavour reaches its final destination with a menu from Mumbai, India’s bustling metropolis famed for its street food culture. This menu will feature Bhel puri, the most commonly sold chaat (snack) on the streets of Mumbai.
“Every bhel walla (snack shop) will have its own matchless blend and a considerable 7pm fan following,” explains Peter Joseph, head chef of Tamarind. “While the ingredients – puffed rice, papadi (small crisp deep fried flour puris), sev, onions, potatoes, raw mango and sweet and sour chutney – remain the same, it is the proportions in which they are thrown together on the street side that makes the difference.”
Tamarind of Mayfair has devised the Indian Journey series to reflect and embrace the vast wealth of flavours, ingredients and techniques employed in cuisines across India.

domain: food


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On Wednesday afternoon, President Trump gave one of the most important speeches of his presidency.
The most important speech, if you ask him.
He spoke directly to the people about the alleged fraud of the 2020 election and he didn’t hold back. He let America know this fight was far from over and that the reason for fighting is far bigger than his own political future.
“If we don’t root out the fraud, the tremendous and horrible fraud that’s taken place in our 2020 election, we don’t have a county anymore,” he said.
He recapped the suspicious numbers in key swing states, detailed the media coverups, and suggested corruption or complicity from government officials.
It’s clear the President believes the facts are on his side. He maintained that several swing state election results were called for Biden after large numbers of illegal votes skewed the count.
He said, “millions of votes were cast illegally in the swing states alone, and if that’s the case, the results of the individual swing states must be overturned and overturned immediately.”
He continued “we have in all swing states major infractions or outright fraud which is far more in numbers or votes than we need to overturn the results of a state.”
“As president I have no higher duty than to defend the laws and the Constitution of the United States,” he declared. “That is why I am determined to protect our election system, which is now under coordinated assault and siege.”
Despite the media’s false characterization of the speech as a “rant,” the president maintained his cool and demonstrated his patriotism.
The full speech can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/videos/376615900112093


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Time to 'pass the torch': Edmonton fire chief reflects on 40 years of service
Ken Block, headed to a new challenge in Australia, shares legacy he hopes will live on
Back in early December, Edmonton fire Chief Ken Block announced he will be stepping down early in 2020 for a new challenge in Australia.
Block joined Edmonton Fire Rescue Services as a recruit in 1980 and was appointed chief in 2009.
In a year-end interview with CBC News, he reflected on some of the most memorable moments of his firefighting career.
"I don't know that it's really hit me yet — that Feb. 10, that all changes," Block said.
"I'm still wrapping my head around it. Forty years is a good run. It's likely time to pass the mantle, pass the torch."
He also looked back on his experience as a firefighter and chief, and the legacy he leaves behind as he departs for his new job halfway around the world.
On July 31,1987, a massive tornado touched down in Edmonton, killing 27 people, injuring 600 and causing $300 million in damage.
Block said he can still see the "total devastation that mother nature can bring upon a city."
But that day would provide lessons for Edmonton firefighters, leading to new approaches and technologies for use in future natural disasters.
"It certainly pointed out the importance of having the capacity to respond to the risk that our community has," Block said.
'A bonfire waiting to be ignited'
On July 21, 2007, the biggest residential fire in Edmonton history consumed dozens of homes in the MacEwan neighbourhood. The fire began in a four-storey condominium complex under construction, and flames quickly spread to 18 townhomes, which were destroyed. More than 70 other homes were damaged.
"I wasn't expecting to see that ...You've got essentially what amounts to a bonfire waiting to be ignited. That happened that day and with that wind it was mass devastation," Block said.
Investigators determined the fire was deliberately set, but no arrests were ever made.
The MacEwan fire inspired changes to the approach firefighters would take in future fires and 18 amendments to the provincial building code.
"That has created a safer build environment from a fire safety perspective, post 2009 roughly, when those changes came about, versus what was there before. They were very badly needed."
But, Block said, "there remains an awful lot of work to do on the building codes side."
A new chapter
On Feb. 3, Block's career with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services comes to an end as he takes on a challenging new role in the soon-to-be-established Fire Rescue Victoria, in southeastern Australia.
Block has been appointed the state's first fire rescue commissioner.
The new fire service, which comes into operation July 1, will bring together metropolitan and country fire brigades to serve Melbourne and major regional centres in the state, which has a population of more than six million.
While work remains unfinished, including adding fire stations and firefighters, Block says he's ready to on a new adventure.
"There's this special extraordinary opportunity in Australia ... and it's almost like a blank canvas to be able to shape a new fire service going forward and that's a very compelling opportunity," Block said.
He said, regardless of being in Australia, an Edmonton Oilers fan he is, and an Oilers fan he will remain.
"I am a tried-and-true Oilers fan and I'll be watching very closely the march to the playoffs," Block said.


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A salesman holds Mega Millions lottery tickets at a retailer in Decatur, Ga., on Dec. 16, 2013.
Tuesday night's Mega Millions jackpot, which at $586 million is already the fourth-largest ever, could be sweetened to $625 million or more Tuesday morning.
With tickets estimated to sell at a rate of 11 million an hour in 43 states, lottery officials will gauge sales to determine whether to increase the jackpot. Typically, large jackpots like this one attract a media-fueled frenzy in the hours leading up to the 11 p.m. drawing, says Virginia state lottery director Paul Otto, lead director for the Multi State Lottery Association.
The lump-sum payoff is worth a pre-tax $316 million. ...

domain: economics


text:
WINE AND CUISINE
Ingredients for 20/30 tigelle
1 kg. type “0″ flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup milk
1 glass of water
1 cube of yeast
Salt (to taste)
A pinch of chopped rosemary (optional)
Preparation of Tigelle:
Dissolve the yeast in half a glass of water, add it to the flour along with the other ingredients and knead well to obtain a soft dough.
Let the dough rest for at least two hours, covered with a cloth.
Roll out the dough to the thickness of around one centimeter, cutting discs (with a glass or with the appropriate tool for tigelle).
Allow to stand for about another hour before cooking.
Heat the tigelliera iron on both sides, place the dough in the molds, close and check on the cooking after 6/7 minutes, turning over the iron from time to time.
Accompany the tigelle with various types of cold cuts or spread them inside with lard.


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Features: pocket on outside, one piece wrap around handle, blend of natural and recycled material
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Available wholesale with custom printed logo for promotional purposes


text:
Mary E Bray
Dr. Mary E Bray is an Obstetrics / Gynecology Specialist in Duluth, Minnesota. She graduated with honors from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1998. Having more than 23 years of diverse experiences, especially in OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY, Dr. Mary E Bray affiliates with many hospitals including Essentia Health St Mary's Medical Center, Essentia Health Duluth, St Marys Hospital Of Superior, cooperates with many other doctors and specialists in medical group The Duluth Clinic Ltd. Call Dr. Mary E Bray on phone number (218) 786-3800 for more information and advice or to book an appointment.
|Full Name||Mary E Bray|
|Experience||23+ years of diverse experiences|
|Sole Proprietor||No - She does not own any un-incorporated business by herself.|
|Accepts Medicare Assignment||She does accept the payment amount Medicare approves and not to bill you for more than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance.|
- Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Education & Training
- Dr. Mary E Bray attended to Eastern Virginia Medical School and then graduated in 1998
- NPI #: 1033152186
- Enumeration Date: Jun 14th, 2006
- Last Update Date: May 9th, 2011
Quality ReportingParticipated programs include
- Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS).
Dr. Mary E Bray has primarily specialised in Obstetrics / Gynecology for over 23 years.
|Specialization||License Number||Issued State|
|Allopathic & Osteopathic Physicians / Obstetrics & Gynecology||44922||Minnesota|
|Hospital Name||Hospital Type||Hospital Ownership||Location|
|Essentia Health St Mary's Medical Center||Acute Care Hospitals||Voluntary non-profit - Private||Duluth, Minnesota|
|Essentia Health Duluth||Acute Care Hospitals||Voluntary non-profit - Private||Duluth, Minnesota|
|St Marys Hospital Of Superior||Critical Access Hospitals||Voluntary non-profit - Private||Superior, Wisconsin|
Medical Group Practices
|The Duluth Clinic Ltd||798|
Duluth, Minnesota 55805-1951
Map and Directions
Phone: (218) 786-3800
- Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Saturday - Sunday: Closed
This doctor profile was extracted from the dataset publicized on Apr 24th, 2021 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and from the corresponded NPI record updated on May 9th, 2011 on NPPES website. If you found out anything that is incorrect and want to change it, please follow this Update Data guide.

domain: medical


text:
The Wellcome Trust, which was founded by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1936, is a global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health by supporting bright minds in science, the humanities and social sciences, and public engagement.
The Wellcome Book Prize is an annual award, open to new works of fiction or non-fiction with central themes that engage with some aspect of medicine or health. The aim of the Wellcome Book Prize is to encourage public involvement and encourage debate about the issues that the shortlisted books raise and to bring new writers and readers to the subjects of medicine and health.
The shortlist for the 2019 prize is: Amateur by Thomas Page McBee, Heart: A History by Sandeep Jauhar, Mind on Fire by Arnold Thomas Fanning, Murmur by Will Eaves, My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, and The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein. The winner will be revealed at an evening ceremony on Wednesday, May 1st.
Amateur: A True Story About What Makes a Man by Thomas Page McBee
In this groundbreaking new book, the author, a trans man, trains to fight in a charity match at Madison Square Garden while struggling to untangle the vexed relationship between masculinity and violence. Through his experience boxing—learning to get hit, and to hit back; wrestling with the camaraderie of the gym; confronting the betrayals and strength of his own body—McBee examines the weight of male violence, the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes, and the limitations of conventional masculinity. A wide-ranging exploration of gender in our society, Amateur is ultimately a story of hope, as McBee traces a new way forward, a new kind of masculinity, inside the ring and outside of it.
In this graceful, stunning, and uncompromising exploration of living, fighting, and healing, we gain insight into the stereotypes and shifting realities of masculinity today through the eyes of a new man.
Book | Audiobook CD
Heart: A History by Sandeep Jauhar
For centuries, the human heart seemed beyond our understanding: an inscrutable shuddering mass that was somehow the driver of emotion and the seat of the soul. As the cardiologist and bestselling author Sandeep Jauhar shows in Heart: A History, it was only recently that we demolished age-old taboos and devised the transformative procedures that have changed the way we live.
Deftly alternating between key historical episodes and his own work, Jauhar tells the colorful and little-known story of the doctors who risked their careers and the patients who risked their lives to know and heal our most vital organ. He introduces us to Daniel Hale Williams, the African American doctor who performed the world’s first open heart surgery in Gilded Age Chicago. We meet C. Walton Lillehei, who connected a patient’s circulatory system to a healthy donor’s, paving the way for the heart-lung machine. And we encounter Wilson Greatbatch, who saved millions by inventing the pacemaker—by accident. Jauhar deftly braids these tales of discovery, hubris, and sorrow with moving accounts of his family’s history of heart ailments and the patients he’s treated over many years. He also confronts the limits of medical technology, arguing that future progress will depend more on how we choose to live than on the devices we invent. Affecting, engaging, and beautifully written, Heart: A History takes the full measure of the only organ that can move itself.
Book | Audiobook CD
Mind on Fire: A Memoir of Madness and Recovery by Arnold Thomas Fanning
Arnold Thomas Fanning had his first experience of depression during adolescence, following the death of his mother. Some ten years later, an up-and-coming playwright, he was overcome by mania and delusions. Thus began a terrible period in which he was often suicidal, increasingly disconnected from family and friends, sometimes in trouble with the law, and homeless in London.
Drawing on his own memories, the recollections of people who knew him when he was at his worst, and medical and police records, Arnold Thomas Fanning has produced a beautifully written, devastatingly intense account of madness – and recovery, to the point where he has not had any serious illness for over a decade and has become an acclaimed playwright. In a remarkably vivid present-tense narrative, Fanning manages to convey the consciousness of a person living with mania, psychosis and severe depression.
Murmur by Will Eaves
In Murmur, a hallucinatory masterwork, Will Eaves invites us into the brilliant mind of Alec Pryor, a character inspired by Alan Turing. Turing, father of artificial intelligence and pioneer of radical new techniques to break the Nazi Enigma cipher during World War II, was later persecuted by the British state for “gross indecency with another male” and forced to undergo chemical castration. Set during the devastating period before Turing’s suicide, Murmur evokes an extraordinary life, the beauty and sorrows of love, and the nature of consciousness.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Our narrator should be happy, shouldn’t she? She’s young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn’t just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It’s the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?
My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a powerful answer to that question. Through the story of a year spent under the influence of a truly mad combination of drugs designed to heal our heroine from her alienation from this world, Moshfegh shows us how reasonable, even necessary, alienation can be. Both tender and blackly funny, merciless and compassionate, it is a showcase for the gifts of one of our major writers working at the height of her powers.
Book | eBook | Download Audiobook
The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in Death, Decay and Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein
Before she was a trauma cleaner, Sandra Pankhurst was many things: husband and father, drag queen, gender reassignment patient, sex worker, small businesswoman, trophy wife … But as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home, she just wanted to belong. Now she believes her clients deserve no less.
A woman who sleeps among garbage she has not put out for forty years. A man who bled quietly to death in his living room. A woman who lives with rats, random debris and terrified delusion. The still life of a home vacated by accidental overdose.
Sarah Krasnostein has watched the extraordinary Sandra Pankhurst bring order and care to these, the living and the dead-and the book she has written is equally extraordinary. Not just the compelling story of a fascinating life among lives of desperation, but an affirmation that, as isolated as we may feel, we are all in this together.
Book | Audiobook CD | Download Audiobook


text:
Mechanized Vineyard Service Internship
Coastal Vineyard Care Associates
Coastal Vineyard Care Associates (CVCA) is a leader in vineyard management. From Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo County, CVCA provides the design, farming, and management for the best vineyards on the Central Coast. CVCA takes pride in leading the industry in vineyard design, farming techniques and pesticide protocols; ensuring our vineyards are sustainable and healthy; yielding the highest quality fruit possible. From the ranch to the business office, CVCA takes pride in hiring the right people for the right job.
As a Mechanized Vineyard Service Intern, this person will have an intimate learning experience during the wine grape harvest in Santa Barbara County. This fast-paced position will create a better understanding of clones/varietals/rootstocks, American Viticulture Areas, and business operations. This role will provide great insight into how the machine harvesters operate while communicating with the Director of Coastal Support Services on progress throughout each pick. No prior experience is necessary. However, being organized, showing up to work on time, and strong communication skills are required. This internship could turn into a full-time position.
Mileage reimbursement will be available for compensation.

domain: agronomy


text:
Charla McComic, a supporter of President Donald Trump in Lexington, Tennessee, recently credited a drop in her son's insurance premium to non-existent Trumpcare and a "blessing from God."
McComic told The Washington Post: "I think it was just because of the tax credit," a reference to the proposed tax credits in the GOP health care bill, which has not yet been voted on.
After McComic’s son became unemployed, his monthly premium was reduced from $567 per month to $88.
However, the change was not because of the GOP or Trump, but rather the subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which the Republicans have promised to repeal.
McComic is not worried about her disability benefits, her young granddaughter on Medicaid, or her son's premiums, all of which could be affected by the GOP/Trump changes.
"So far, everything’s been positive, from what I can tell," McComic added. "I just hope that more and more people and children get covered under this new health care plan."
McComic said that she and some relatives turned their cars into a Trump train on March 15 while driving to a rally at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville where The Washington Post interviewed her.
"We said: 'Who else would we do this for, besides Trump?'" McComic recalled. "We agreed on the Lord. We would stand here for the Lord, but that’s about it."
At the Nashville rally, Trump did not go into details of the GOP health care bill, but did tell the crowd that it was a plan created by House Republicans "based on the principles I outlined." Trump urged his supporters not to believe the "dishonest attacks" by Democrats.
"The end result is ... it’s going to be great," Trump added. "It’s going to be great."
About 2,500 protesters stood outside the Municipal Auditorium to protest Trump and the GOP's health care plan.
The demonstrators asked people to read the Congressional Budget Office’s report on the GOP bill, which was released on March 13.
The CBO predicted that the GOP bill would result in an increase of uninsured Americans by 24 million by 2026, and a reduction in the federal budget deficit by $337 billion, noted The New York Times.
The CBO said that federal Medicaid funding would be 25 percent lower by 2026, and that 14 million people would be cut from the social safety net.
Sharon Cox, a former pediatric nurse, spoke at a news conference before the Trump rally, notes The Washington Post: "People are going to die, and that’s the bottom line. People are going to die because of what we’re doing with this legislation."
Several Trump supporters told the newspaper how they were upset about their insurance premiums increasing over the past few years.
Those premiums are not set by Obamacare, but rather by the health insurance companies and state regulators.


• US Dollar and Japanese Yen Hold Support While the Dow Soars
• British Pound May Finally Find Direction for Volatility with Friday’s 1Q GDP Release
• Euro May Respond to its Own Growth Readings in Leading PMI Reports
• Canadian Dollar Surges Higher After BoC Policy Report Forces Resistance
US Dollar and Japanese Yen Hold Support While the Dow Soars
After a nerve-racking week, the broader markets finally took their defining step with a sharp rally that drove the Dow Jones Industrial Average above 9,000 to its highest levels for the year. Commodities and fixed income would follow suit with significant advances of their own; but there was a notable discrepancy in this seemingly market-wide bull wave from the currency market. While the more traditional asset classes were spurred to new highs, the dollar was able to hold support. The defining boundaries keeping the greenback from setting its own 2009 highs are 1.4340 and 1.6600 for EURUSD and GBPUSD respectively. Now, we come to a crossroads where the benchmark currency is stalled while capital markets have instituted the next wave of medium-term bull trend. While the correlations between these different securities can fluctuate, it is unlikely that they would completely break when risk appetite is still a fundamental ingredient to the broader health of financial markets and economic growth. The means that one of these juxtaposed factions will inevitable concede; but which one?
Looking for the catalyst behind today’s rally, the general consensus is that another round of earnings released in the early US session drove stocks beyond their psychological milestone. Among those companies releasing their accounting figures, McDonald’s, AT&T and Fifth Third all beat analysts’ expectations before the market opened in New York. We haven’t seen such a consistent round of strong earnings from key corporations (two Dow members and a Stress Test bank) since bullish sentiment set in with the Goldman Sachs release. Along with a better than expected 3.6 percent increase in US June existing home sales, fundamentals seemed to fuel sentiment by offering confirmation that the US and global economies were recovering faster than policy officials were expecting. It may have been the direct implications of the housing data that tempered the influences of risk appetite; but the dollar was able to maintain its standing until the close of regular US session. After the exchanges closed for the day though, risk appetite took an abrupt turn and the dollar managed a late rally that allowed it to close significantly higher for the day. The reason for this dramatic shift: earnings, naturally. It seems all the positive data was scheduled for the morning; and all the disappointing news was left for after the close. American Express, Capital One Financial and Microsoft (two Stress Test banks and a Dow member) would all disappoint.
So, what market will take the lead tomorrow? Will equities maintain the pressure until the dollar gives or have stocks overshot fundamentals? Since there is only the revision of the University of Michigan Consumer Confidence survey due tomorrow, the answer will almost certainly be found through more elemental themes. For risk appetite, the earnings effect will have to run on momentum alone as most of the conglomerates have already reported and there are certainly no pivotal companies due to announce their numbers tomorrow. This would suggest it is the stock market that will fall in line (which is not difficult to envisage considering most of the commodity and fixed income markets haven’t pushed through any of their own breakers. However, risk appetite can still be fed and the dollar still break should another driver carry the torch. Growth speculation may fill this role. The UK GDP numbers are due tomorrow and the United States own data will cross the wires next Friday.
Related Article: Risk Appetite Hits New Highs but Currencies Hold Back
British Pound May Finally Find Direction for Volatility with Friday’s 1Q GDP Release
With risk appetite holding firm control over market activity Thursday, the British data crossing the wires was largely ignored. The simultaneous release of retail sales and BBA loans for home purchases – both for June – offered a last minute boost to the pound’s fundamental lean. Despite rising unemployment and sliding wage growth, spending at retailers rose 1.2 percent last month and grew 2.9 percent (the biggest increase since December) from the same period a year ago. For such a volatile data series, the statistics were otherwise overlooked. The housing data would have a little more profound implications. A gauge of both growth and credit availability, mortgage applications jumped to 35,235, the highest level since March of 2008. Now, we look ahead to tomorrow; and the sterling looks to play a much greater role in the larger direction of the markets than it has played in quite some time. Due at 8:30 GMT, the first reading of 2Q GDP can define expectations for the pace of recovery for the entire industrialized world. While a deeper, 5.2 percent annual contraction would be troubling, it is the quarterly reading that will likely drive markets. Against expectations of a modest 0.3 percent drop through the three-month period, positive growth could actually spark speculation that the nation is recovering faster than officials expected, which would bode well for the rest of the world.
Euro May Respond to its Own Growth Readings in Leading PMI Reports
As risk appetite loses its earnings fuel, euro fundamentals may step in to determine the direction on EURUSD on its own. News from the region today was mixed with the current account balance rising to 15 month high and the European Union warning it may put banks rescued by governments into forced sales. Tomorrow, event risk will be more immediate and straight forward. The German IFO business sentiment survey for July will offer guidance on the economic outlook from a critical market consistent; but it is the PMI data that will have greater impact. With advanced readings on service and manufacturing activity from major member economies and the entire Euro Zone itself for the month of July, this data will provide a leading gauge of growth – particularly important with the European quarterly GDP numbers not due until August 13th.
Canadian Dollar Surges Higher After BoC Policy Report Forces Resistance
The Canadian dollar was the exception to the rule Thursday. While most of the other majors held to ranges or had significant runs cut off; the loonie marked a rally that catalyzed into a significant breakout. This advance was sparked by the Bank of Canada’s quarterly Monetary Policy Report. This was unexpected considering the central bank covered everything after Tuesday’s rate decision. However, the suggestion that the country’s recession would end this quarter - among other things - triggered sentiment that seemed to be held dormant until today.
For the most up-to-date forex analysis and news, visit: www.forexstream.dailyfx.com


text:
Accor, Europe’s biggest hotel group, said on Thursday weakness in Asia and in North America held back growth in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), a key gauge of performance for the hotel industry, to 1.6% in the first quarter.
The French company, with more than 4,000 hotels ranging from luxury Sofitels to the budget Ibis brand, however said it was confident RevPAR would progressively improve to around 3% for the full year 2019 as it expected Asia to recover.
Accor said first-quarter revenue rose 8.8% on a like-for-like basis to 987 million euros ($1.11 billion) as Europe remained strong while South America confirmed its recovery.
RevPAR in the Asia Pacific region contracted 0.6% in the quarter, led by a 1.6% fall in Australia, where oversupply in major cities and upcoming general elections affected prices and occupancy rates.
There was also weakness in Chinese outbound travel to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia. RevPAR in China alone fell 3% in the quarter.
The revenue per available room in North America suffered from unfavorable comparisons with the first quarter 2018 in the United States while renovations hurt activity in Canada in the first quarter of 2019.
Accor has been cutting costs, expanding in the luxury end of the market and investing in new areas such as concierge services to boost growth and fight the rising challenges posed by companies such as Airbnb and online travel agents.
In February it said it would invest 225 million euros over the coming years to support new initiatives to boost its presence in hospitality and entertainment services.
Read Original Article


text:
Symptoms of viral asthma may include difficulty breathing, chest tightness, and wheezing. People may also have additional symptoms that are similar to those of the common cold.
Viral-induced asthma, or viral asthma, occurs when a virus triggers an asthma attack. The symptoms of viral asthma may be the same as typical asthma symptoms. They may also accompany symptoms of the common cold, such as a runny nose or sore throat.
In this article, we will look at the symptoms of viral asthma, what causes it, and how doctors treat it.
Asthma symptoms include:
- trouble breathing (shortness of breath)
- tightness or pain in the chest
- a wheezing or whistling sound, especially when exhaling
When someone has viral-induced asthma, they may have other symptoms, such as those of the common cold. It is important to contact a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment, especially for infants and children.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis, a viral lung infection
The 2020 review adds that breathing difficulty induced by either of these viruses may have associations with the later development of asthma. Generally, RV is a risk factor for later atopic, or allergic, asthma. Experts more often associate RSV with later nonatopic asthma.
Evidence indicates that RV, the common cold virus, is the most common single trigger of viral exacerbations. It causes up to
Other viruses may also cause bronchiolitis, wheezing, and asthma, including:
Evidence suggests that although scientists have made progress in understanding viral asthma, they need to understand it more to help prevent it. However, a study suggests that oral corticosteroids can decrease wheezing in the 12 months after viral infection and decrease the incidence of asthma by
In some cases, viral asthma may also require emergency treatment or hospitalization.
The virus for the common cold can be a primary trigger for viral asthma. Because of this, it may make sense to utilize strategies to help prevent the common cold in people prone to asthma. The
- washing their hands often
- avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- staying away from people who are unwell, where possible
The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology advises that any asthma symptom can become serious and even life threatening if a person does not treat it. If adults or children have asthma symptoms, they should consider contacting a doctor or attending the emergency room if symptoms are severe.
Symptoms of viral asthma may be the same as any type of asthma. For instance, chest tightness, trouble breathing, and wheezing are common symptoms of viral-induced asthma. Additionally, someone may have symptoms relating to the virus that lead to asthma exacerbation.
Wheezing in infants may be a sign of bronchiolitis, and a doctor may need to differentiate this from asthma. However, infants who develop bronchiolitis may be more at risk of developing childhood asthma. Other asthma triggers in adults and children may include cigarette smoke, pet hair, or dust mites.

domain: biology