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I’ll admit that I’m checking my investment portfolio more often these days, and despite knowing that the market will eventually rebound, it’s still painful to see my investments headed in the wrong direction.
A recent report released by BMO Bank of Montreal confirmed that other Canadians feel the same way as I do. It found that about half of Canadians (53%) feel that market volatility will continue at the same rate or worsen in 2016, but about the same percentage still expect the value of their portfolio to increase.
I know that even though my investments are down right now, it just means that they’re cheaper to buy at the moment. :) And I know that over the long run, the value of my portfolio will continue to climb. It’s just hard to see my net worth sliding.
The BMO report also indicated that mutual funds are the most popular investment being used by more than half of Canadians (52%), followed by stocks (39%), and then GICs (37%). The majority of my retirement portfolio is in indexed mutual funds. I also have money in ETFs and individual stocks, but nothing in secure investments like GICs.
What I found interesting about the report was that over half of Canadians (56%) are turning to professionals to seek financial advice. I didn’t realize the number was so high! A few years ago I had the opportunity to speak with an advisor, who helped me create a plan based on my financial situation at the time. But now that so much has changed in my life, I’ve been thinking about meeting with an advisor again.
Even though I’m good at saving, and automatically contribute to a variety of different investment vehicles, I’m not a professional and having someone look into my investments and current plan to make sure that I’m on the right track to meet all of my long-term financial goals is something I’m definitely open to. Plus, an advisor can help provide clarity and insight to some secure investment vehicles I may not already use – like GICs, which offer predictable returns and can weather the changing market.
I also have a large sum of money sitting in high interest savings accounts (from the sale of my house), and given the current market conditions, I’m not interested in investing in anything too risky in case I want to use that money for a down payment later on.
Having a conversation with an advisor can help you maintain confidence in what you are doing, and also make sure that you have realistic expectations about your portfolio. Even if you don’t go on a regular basis, I do think it’s important to talk to someone whenever you encounter a big life change that alters your financial situation – like when you buy a home, change careers, or come into a windfall.
Even though my investments aren’t doing as well as they could be, I’m not changing my approach to investing. My portfolio allocations remain the same, and I’m confident that if I keep saving at my current rate, I’ll achieve all of my financial goals. I just might need an advisor to confirm that I’m on the right path. :)
Has your investment strategy changed at all given the current market volatility?
Note: this post was sponsored by BMO Bank of Montreal, however the views and opinions expressed are my own.
Note: while I received compensation for this blog post, all views and opinions are my own.
I started using credit cards to earn points and rewards a long time ago. As many of you know, I support the responsible use of credit cards. I think that they can be an excellent way to earn travel rewards or cash back bonuses. However, they’re only beneficial if you can use them responsibly – which means never carrying a balance.
If you know your spending habits and can manage your budget effectively, a debit card is an excellent option, but doesn’t that mean you are missing out on rewards for everyday purchases?! That’s why I just don’t bother using my debit card at all if I can help it – I like the rewards too much. :) However, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore.
Enter debit rewards cards.
I didn’t actually think debit rewards cards existed, and they don’t for the most part – but Scotiabank is the only bank in Canada that offers you debit rewards on your purchases with three separate debit rewards cards.
Most of us know what the SCENE rewards program is – you can earn points for free movies, merchandise, and more. This is perfect for students who like going out to movies, but might not have the budget to go as often as they’d like to go. You can earn accelerated points through Cineplex online and in person (5x based on purchases) as well as at a few other select locations including Sport Chek, Milestones and East Side Mario’s. You will also earn one point for every five dollars spent in other locations.
This card is very similar to cash back credit cards in that you can earn 1% on every purchase you make – up to a maximum of $300 per year. For those that open up an account before October 31st, you’ll earn double the rewards – $600 – through to that day.
With every purchase made on a ScotiaHockey NHL® debit card, you will be entered to win grand prizes including four 2016 NHL® All-Star Game packages, four 2016 Stanley Cup® Final packages, four 2016 Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off™ packages as well as 45 monthly prizes.
I’m actually really excited that debit rewards cards have been introduced in Canada. This means people that don’t want to rely on credit cards still have the ability to earn great rewards for their everyday purchases. And for those of us that will continue to earn rewards through credit cards, this is just an additional way to earn rewards through responsible spending.
What do you think of these debit rewards card offerings?
Note: this post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.
Over the course of my twenties, I used different credit cards for different periods in my life. When I was in debt, I wanted a card with the lowest interest rate so that I could get myself out of debt as soon as possible. And after I got myself out of debt, I focused on finding the best credit card for my spending habits; one that would give me the ability to get rewarded for responsible spending.
I did a lot of research into different types of cards, and realized that there were essentially two different kinds of credit card users – the first category of users just wanted a credit card to make purchases they aren’t able to make in cash, and the other category of users wanted to be rewarded for spending. I definitely fell into the second category.
I knew I was mainly going to use my credit card for essentials – like gas and groceries and this kind of spending pattern is perfect for a cash back card. As you know, travel is my passion, so travel rewards credit cards are also a good option (and certainly one that I’ve explored over the years), but I knew it wasn’t my only option. Many travel rewards cards came with restrictions when it came to redeeming points and I wanted to really feel the benefits and rewards in my hand from using my credit card, something a cash back card can do for you annually.
For example, these days I typically charge between $750 and $1,200 on my credit card each month. With that kind of spending on a cash back card that offers 1.25% on purchases, your annual rewards can add up pretty fast. Take a look at these examples:
The new Amex SimplyCash card offers 5% cash back on all eligible purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants in the first six months (up to $250) and 1.25% after, so if half my spending went to those kinds of purchases, my first year using the card would earn me a lot more cash back. Also, most cash back cards offer perks for travelers too – such as travel assistance, car rental and theft damage insurance, among other benefits.
I remember whenever I used to receive cash back from my credit card, I’d save half of it, and put the other half towards something fun – maybe dinner out with friends in the city or even Paris? I think it’s this type of flexible earning that has helped me become successful in managing my money now, 8 years after getting my first cash back card.
How did you determine what kind of credit card you’ll use?

domain: finance


The Ford Duratorq engine was conceived as being a clean running, economical and easy to service/repair power plant which would have derivatives for cars and commercials.
Released in 2000, the 2.0 diesel has been refined and improved year on year to the point where it is a strong rival to engines which are brand new such as the Fiat/Iveco 2.3 litre and the Renault 2 litre diesel plants in their own commercials.
First introduced in the Ford Mondeo, it was quickly revised and installed in the Transit as the growing contract hire industry demanded more efficiency and a better drive. Ford van lease deals where critical to the survival of the Belgium and UK Transit manufacturing bases during the following decade and the quality of the Duratorq diesel was influential in keeping them at number one.
Today, the latest derivative drives like a car, it is available in 100, 125 and 140 bhp versions with 310,330 and 350 Nm of torque respectively. The 100 is nowadays only fitted in the SWB260, with the 125 being used in the minibuses.


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Kanye West And Kim Kardashian's Daughter North West Announces Debut Album Elementary School Dropout
The music industry needs a new voice and a new power punch like Kanye West's 10-year-old! North West, the daughter of former couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, is set to release her album Elementary School Dropout.
For those who don't know, her father's 20-year-old album The College Dropout served as inspiration and brought him to prominence in the beginning.
On March 10, 2024, Ye was hosting a Vultures 2 event in Arizona. It was a unique listening party. His 10-year-old daughter appeared on stage wearing a quirky jacket and gave details about her debut album.
She took to the stage and said, "Hi, it's Northie, and I've been working on an album. And it's called "Elementary School Drop Out.”
Regarding the release date, features, and subject matter of the songs, she remained silent. Fans, however, anticipate a 2024 release on the same day as Ye's breakthrough film, The College Dropout, turns 20.
She is also the first to honor her father's musical legacy—a quintessential "daddy's girl"! She even continues to go by "Miss Westie" as her artist name! Ye always has a soft spot for his kids, and even in the face of several scandals, he and Kim are raising their kids together.
Yes, North had his stage debut earlier this year as Y$, Kanye, and Ty Dolla were performing their song Talking from Vultures 1.
Around the same time, she performed her first rap at Ye's Yeezy Fashion season 8 fashion show in Paris.

domain: artistic


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It has been said that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and that sounds like good advice to me. One of the finest gifts of autumn, that nature has to offer, is the juicy, sweet apple. Not only good to the taste but the apple is also very good for the body. Packed full of flavor and vitamins, the apple is a powerhouse fruit.
Located just down the road from the Brookstone Lodge, on Interstate 26, is the quaint city of Hendersonville, North Carolina. A great nickname for Hendersonville might just be the “Little Apple” or “Apple Central”. Fun activities to do in Asheville, NC would definitely include a drive down I-26.
This little city does reap with apples. Everywhere you look you will see apple orchards. Sixteen varieties of apples are grown and sold at the local fruit stands and farmer’s markets. Gala, Jonathan, Cortland, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, Granny Smith, Stayman-Winesap, Arkansas Black, Fuji, Honey Crisp, and Junagold apples are right at your fingertips for your eating pleasure. This is definitely a delight for any apple coin surer or any simple lover of apples to enjoy.
The apples of Hendersonville have become so famous that for the past 60 years they have held an apple festival. Showcasing this amazing fruit has brought visitors far and wide, to taste, to smell, and to simply enjoy four fun packed days honoring the all American apple. It truly is a “Harvest of Fun” and amongst one of the great activities in Asheville, NC.
You might be surprised at what you can make with apples! A symphony for the taste buds awaits your beckon call. Fried apple pies, apple butter, apple dumplings, apple fritters, apple cider, apple jelly, apple jam, apple sauce, apple chow chow, and other mouth watering culinary treats are sold fresh daily by the local vendors.
Some of us might ask…”How do you know a good apple when you see one?” Quick and easy the local growers say, just check out the color, firmness, and of course the taste.
What about measuring apples? The “experts” in Hendersonville have some quick tips to share. One pound of apples is equal to 2 large apples or 3 medium apples, or 4 or 5 small apples. Six to 8 apples make a good pie. Forty two pounds is just about a bushel or 120 medium apples. This one I really liked, “Two apples equal one glass of water in thirst quenching ability”.
Activities in Asheville, NC should definitely include checking out the apples. There seems to be more to apples than meets the eye. A visit to Hendersonville, North Carolina in the fall during apple season is just the place to go. Remember if you are staying at the Brookstone Lodge there are fun activities in Asheville, NC and all around the area.
activities in asheville nc 28803
Brookstone Lodge Asheville
4 Roberts Road
Asheville, NC 28803
Reference: www.mtnfreshorchards.com, www.ncapples.com

domain: agronomy


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science 2008-2009: 9: translational research
By Jon E Agar, on 27 September 2009
There’s a paradoxical relationship between the flourishing of biotechnology and the commercialisation of science. On one hand the received narrative says that the patenting of recombinant DNA techniques led to the launch of the biotech companies, the celebration of the professor-entrepreneur, and the pressure to further commercialise academic research. So the Bayh-Dole Act, which granted intellectual property rights on publicly-funded research to the universities, prompted the growth in technology transfer offices (TTOs). By 2008 there were TTOs at 230 universities in the United States; data from two years earlier records 16,000 patent applications, 697 licenses for products and 553 start-up companies. Some made generated immense income streams: the Gatorade sports drink (shared between faculty inventor Robert Cade and the University of Florida), taxol (discussed earlier), and cisplatin (a platinum compound, found to have anti-cancer properties at Michigan State University). Big funds such as Royalty Pharma specialise in acquiring biomedical patents and licensing them to manufacturers: Royalty moved the anti-convulsant pregabalin from Northwestern University to Pfizer to make Lyrica in a $700 million deal; and Royalty, again, moved filgrastim substances, which stimulated white blood cell production, from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre to Amgen to make Neupogen/Neulasta in a $263 million deal.
TTOs were a model to copy. A wave of TTOs was set up in European countries in the 1990s and 2000s. In other countries, institutes with special briefs to transfer technology have been established, for example the A*STAR institutes of Singapore.
‘A multi-continental chorus of academic researchers’, notes Meredith Wadman in Nature, complain that the ‘plethora of TTOs that have sprung up…are at best a mixed blessing’. TTOs, they say, overvalue intellectual property, hoard inventions, have small stretched staff, of which the talented are poached by industry and venture capital firms, and drive the over-commercialisation of academic science. Nevertheless, the assumption is that biotech is the cause of this movement close to market.
On the other hand, an examination of biomedical science in the thirty years since the late 1970s, precisely the same period that saw the growth of the TTOs, shows that basic biomedical science has grown away from clinical application and product, and the cause of the drift was biotech. In the 1950s and 1960s, notes Declan Butler in Nature, a typical medical researcher was a physician-scientist. But with the growth of molecular biology, clinical and biomedical research began to separate. Basic biomedical researchers looked to top academic journals for credit rather than their contribution to medicine. Basic scientists also regarded unfamiliar regulation and patenting with trepidation. Clinicians, meanwhile, ‘who treat patients – and earn fees for doing so – have little time or inclination to keep up with an increasingly complex literature, let alone do research’. Furthermore, in parallel, genomics, proteomics and so on generated so many possible drug targets, on average more expensive to develop than older therapies, that the pharmaceutical firms felt overwhelmed.
In this second account, then, biotech has had the effect of driving the laboratory bench further from medical application. To counter the trend, key funding agencies have promoted offices of “translational research”, a term that first appeared in 1993 as part of the BRCA1 controversy. In teh United States, the National Insitutes of Health began funding, from 2003, Clinical and Translational Science Centers, which encouarge multidisciplinary teamwork and business-style assessment. In Britain the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council followed suit. Europe was in the course of setting up, in 2008-2009, its new European Advanced Translational Infrastructure in Medicine, linking translational research in Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
So biotech led both to and away from the market and application.
By way of contrast, a footnote: in 2008, Nature reported that Bell Labs, generator of six Nobel prizes, was pulling out of basic physics research completely.

domain: biology


The more than 30 years of experience that the company has in the sector, together with the human value and commitment that characterizes us, make our company a benchmark in the market.
OGEI is present, in addition to the peninsula and Europe, in several South American countries and North Africa and is in full phase of international expansion.
Regarding machinery, OGEI manufactures forklifts with load capacities from 200 kg to 1500 kg, raised by cable or rack. It also has pendular grinding wheels to carry out the first deburring in cast iron.
Regarding the boilermaking under plan, OGEI works for leading companies in the sectors of renewable energies, tower and bridge cranes, railway sector, etc.
Pol. Ind. Karobi s/n · 20212 Olaberria · Gipuzkoa
Apdo. Nº12 · 20200 Beasain · Gipuzkoa


|Look, Caught In A Popularity War, It's The "G.B.F.!"|
Hey? Have you heard about the latest must have have Teen Queen accessory, The G.B.F.? Well in case you have been living under a rock...
"The acronym G.B.F. stands for “Gay Best Friend” which has recently been deemed the
hottest new fad at North Gateway High School; the Queen Bees need a G.B.F.! But there is
one big problem: none of the gay guys at their posh suburban high school are out of the
closet. The vicious lady monarchs of the school, a.k.a. the three lead prom queen
candidates, are not going to let this minor glitch get in their way; a G.B.F. is just what they
need to give them that edgy, high-fashion appeal and win over the ultimate prize: the high
school popularity crown."
Here to tell us more juicy details is the Director of "G.B.F." and the cult hit "Jawbreaker" Darren Stein!
MS: Hey Darren I really enjoyed "G.B.F." you and writer George Northy are really simpatico.
DS: Yes, it definitely felt like something I could have written. It's not like I'm only out to make "Teen Films" it's about the characters and the story a script tells, and this is a story I wanted to tell.
MS: One of the things I am quite shocked by is "G.B.F." got an "R" rating.
|Director, Darren Stein|
MS: It really wasn't. There was a gay scene on "Scandal" that was more explicit than anything in your movie.
DS: Well I was told that when it comes to ratings the MPAA is really behind TV. I was even told by our MPAA consultant that they are harsher on films with gay content or characters. My opinion on what "hurt" "G.B.F." from the beginning was it was a High School Movie that told it's story from a gay perspective. The fling is still intense, but I think because it is a gay oriented fling it's more taboo.
MS: Wow! I really like your use of actors making cameos in the film. I'm a teenager of the 80's, like yourself. I Loved the Jonathan Silverman and Megan Mullally cameos.
DS: Jonathan brought so much soulfulness to his role he was awesome! I've always been a fan, but when I got to work with him I was truly blown away by his talent.
MS: I agree, Jonathan's role is such a small one, but you remember it.
DS: Megan was really great too!
MS: Sasha Pieterse was a draw to the film for me as I am a big "Pretty Little Liars" fan.
DS: She is so brilliant. Sasha has this wiseness that is beyond her years, and she is gracious, intelligent and lovely. When she started "Pretty Little Liars" she was really young, I think she is eighteen now. They were looking to potentially cast her as "Hanna" but because of her age they couldn't, I would work with her again in a heartbeat, she brings so much loveliness to the role.
MS: It's nice to see the flip side of her talent, because on "Pretty Little Liars" she is a total bitch.
DS: Her character "Fawcett" is really sweet. It's a twist in the movie that she's a bitch at school, but she makes conditioners and shampoos in her bathroom. She's the science nerd at home, that's so not "R" rated, you know?
|Get Yourself One!|
DS: There is the scene where the Mormon character grabs "Tanner's" hand and puts it on his crotch and says "Does this feel straight to you?" Like I said the level of playing and sexual situations are not anymore extreme than other "PG-13" straight films. It's because it takes place between guys, like you said "Scandal" is more provocative with the gay content, but it's also adults, "G.B.F." is teenagers.
MS: "G.B.F." is the kind of movie, as gay men, you or I wished we had when growing up. Younger gay guys today have it a lot different than we did.
DS: Yeah, they live in an all access world. Which is why I think the screenplay is great, because screenwriter George Northy is a whole decade younger than me. To read lines like "I knew how to clear the Internet History when I was twelve" - It's like "I don't know how to clear the Internet History now!" (laughs)
MS: I don't either! (laughs)
DS: One of the great things about "G.B.F." is it presents a typical High School mainstream romance, like "Mean Girls." Yet it's from this gay protagonist and his perspective, I think it's important. I think people are going to look back at it ten years from now and see it was the first film to do that and had a tiny little release. (laughs)
"G.B.F." Hits select theaters and Video On Demand this Friday January 17th
Love your "G.B.F." at: https://www.facebook.com/GBFmovie


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By ggfp. Living Room. At Thursday, November 01st 2018, 13:48:10 PM.
Take a careful look at the furnishings in your living room. Determine how you are using the space. Is the furniture in the room what you need? Remove what isn't working and make a list of what would make the space better. Look in other rooms in your home and repurpose items that might work better in the living room. Repurposing items you already have is a wonderful, inexpensive way to add a new look to a space. It can also help to limit the purchases you might need to make.
The most common functional elements found when living room decorating is occurring are old wood tables being used as desks, a piece of a sail boat converted into a coffee table, or even a fancy piece of art, that happens to be a clock. These are your common, run of the mill functional design elements. There are plenty of others worth a try as well.
Always leave some free space to allow your living room and other furniture to breathe and also not look cluttered. If you have lots of extra stuff and find it hard to store small items, the furniture items with storage units should be your first choice. Decorative items like lamps and photo-stand etc. must not occupy too much space. The motto is to beautify the room with as little articles as possible. The decorative items must be unique and not too many!

domain: design


The consultation draft of the Whole Journey Guide: A Guide for thinking beyond compliance to create accessible public transport journeys… (the Guide) submissions closed on 31 May 2017.
The Guide has been developed by the Australian Government in consultation with the National Accessible Public Transport Advisory Committee.
Its development responds to the second review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002, which proposed an accessibility guidelines for the whole of journey approach to public transport as a planning tool.
The guide aims to encourage policy makers, planners, designers, builders, certifiers and operators to think beyond compliance and the physical and governance boundaries of services and infrastructure to focus instead on people’s accessibility needs for the whole entire journey.
The Guide is available in print & audio format, including how to make a submission from this link…


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Amazon has ordered six new TV shows — The After, Bosch, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent, and Wishenpoof!. In addition, the company debut three new kid shows — Creative Galaxy, Tumble Leaf and Annedroids — this summer on Prime Instant Video.
Six More Amazon Original Pilots Receive Greenlight for Full Seasons: “The After,” “Bosch,” “Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street,” “Mozart in the Jungle,” “Transparent” and “Wishenpoof!”
Award-winning casts include Jeffrey Tambor, Malcolm McDowell, Gael Garcia Bernal, Gaby Hoffmann and Titus Welliver
New series come from well-known creators including Chris Carter (The X-Files), Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch), Eric Overmyer (The Wire), Jill Soloway (Six Feet Under), Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom), Jason Schwartzman (Big Eyes) and Paul Weitz (About a Boy), and will be available exclusively on Prime Instant Video
SEATTLE — Mar. 31, 2014 — (NASDAQ: AMZN) – The apocalypse, a behind-the-curtains look at classical music, a no-nonsense Los Angeles police detective standing trial, a family full of secrets, a girl with magic wishes and a boy named Gortimer – these are the intriguing plotlines of the six brand-new original series coming exclusively to Prime Instant Video. Amazon Studios today announced that The After, Bosch, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent and Wishenpoof! will become the next Amazon Original Series following rave customer reviews of the pilot episodes.
“We had a tremendous response to Amazon Studios’ latest pilots – in fact, double the number of customers watched these pilots compared to our first season and they posted thousands of heartfelt reviews with pleas for us to continue these shows,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “Now the fun really begins – Amazon will be working with some of the most talented casts and creators in the business to bring six new shows exclusively to tens of millions of Prime members worldwide. These series, along with our summer kids programming, will give customers a lot of viewing choices.”
Among the new Amazon Originals are two hour-long dramas. The After – from Chris Carter, the legendary creator of The X-Files – follows eight strangers who are thrown together by mysterious forces and must help each other survive in a violent world that defies explanation. Aldis Hodge, Andrew Howard, Arielle Kebbel, Jamie Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Adrian Pasdar and Louise Monot will be returning to star in their roles.
Michael Connelly’s best-selling book series about a relentless LAPD homicide detective will also come to life in the Amazon Original series Bosch. Connelly and Eric Overmyer will co-write the series which features Titus Welliver, Annie Wersching and Jamie Hector. Henrik Bastin and Fabrik Entertainment (The Killing) are producing.
Amazon will also add Mozart in the Jungle, a half hour comedic drama about sex, drugs and classical music, that shows what happens behind the curtains can be just as captivating as what happens on stage. Returning cast includes Gael Garcia Bernal, Saffron Burrows, Lola Kirke, Malcolm McDowell, Bernadette Peters and Peter Vack. The series will be written by Oscar-nominee Roman Coppola, actor and musician Jason Schwartzman, Tony-nominated writer and director Alex Timbers, and Oscar-nominee Paul Weitz.
Transparent, a dramedy about a Los Angeles family with serious boundary issues, rounds out Amazon’s upcoming prime time lineup. From Emmy nominee Jill Soloway and starring returning cast Jeffrey Tambor, Judith Light, Gaby Hoffmann, Amy Landecker and Jay Duplass, Transparent is an exploration of sex, gender and family that begins when a dramatic admission causes everyone’s secrets to spill out. The pilot received wide critical acclaim, was hailed as “the best pilot I’ve seen in years,” and named to numerous must see lists.
In addition to its original prime time series, Amazon is developing children’s programming for preschoolers and for kids ages 6-11 that will not only entertain, but will also educate, inspire creativity and teach valuable lessons. Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street is a live action series for ages 6-11 and will be joined by Wishenpoof!, for preschoolers.
Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street is a live-action adventure show created by David Anaxagoras, a pre-school teacher and first-time writer who was discovered through Amazon Studios’ open-door submission process. The series is a coming-of-age tale that centers around Gortimer, his two best friends Ranger and Mel, and their exploits on Normal Street – an ordinary suburban neighborhood that has a hint of something magical just beneath the surface.
Written by Angela Santomero, creator of Blue’s Clues, Creative Galaxy, and the Emmy-nominated literacy series, Super Why!, Wishenpoof! is an animated series that revolves around Bianca, who has “wish magic,” which means if she wishes to play under the sea then – Wishenpoof! – she’s a mermaid, swimming around with the sea horses. Bianca uses her wish magic to help others and learns to solve life’s problems in her own creative way because with magic, or without, we all have the power to make good choices. This is Santomero’s second Amazon Studios series.
This summer, Amazon will premiere its first three kids series Creative Galaxy, Tumble Leaf and Annedroids exclusively on Prime Instant Video. Each show will focus on important skills for children – science, arts and critical thinking – and will foster creativity by promoting learning through play.
Amazon Original preschool programming is developed with the aid of a board of advisors led by Dr. Alice Wilder, one of the world’s foremost experts in educational and child psychology. Dr. Wilder earned universal acclaim for her work as the producer and director of research and development for the hit series Blue’s Clues and Blue’s Room. During her nearly decade-long involvement with Blue’s Clues, Dr. Wilder helped pioneer a new level of interaction between a show and its young viewers. She brings her expertise to Amazon’s programming to give parents confidence these programs will provide valuable life lessons while being entertaining at the same time to maintain their child’s interest.
Here’s what customers had to say:
Prime Time Original Series:
The After: “Love the characters and the story. Thanks Amazon for getting Chris Carter and an excellent cast together. Will be waiting for the next episodes!”
Bosch: “One of the most flawless adaptations of a popular series I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing! Rate this series five stars so AMAZON gives it a full-season order!”
Mozart in the Jungle: “This one is a real winner! The characters are engaging and the plot was realistic. I can’t wait to see more!”
Transparent: “What a delightful blend of everything, writing, acting, storyline, and just plain family realness. I hope to see this show picked up because this family has multiple stories to tell and I want to hear and see them all. Great job!”
Kids Original Series:
Gortimer Gibbons Life on Normal Street: “There was nothing in this show we did not like. It had a perfect script and perfect cast. Can’t wait for the next adventure!”
Wishenpoof!: “Watched this show tonight and cannot wait to share it with all our mom friends. The show was colorful, beautifully animated, and really taps into the imaginative spirit of kids everywhere.”
Here’s what the critics are saying:
On Mozart in the Jungle: “Classical music finally gets its own Kitchen Confidential in this comedy based on Blair Tindall’s memoir. It’s sort of like Smash, except simultaneously more authentic and much funnier. And Lola Kirke – sister of Girls star Jemima – makes an appealing heroine.” – Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly
“This year’s batch of brand new pilots from Amazon Studios just went live, and there are surprising numbers of stars in the mix. From a drug-laced drama about classical music with Gael Garcia-Bernal to a dysfunctional family comedy with Jeffrey Tambor (wait that sounds familiar), there’s something for everybody.” – Adam Clark Estes, Gizmodo
“I watch a lot of TV pilots, and here’s the biggest question I had after watching The After, a new Amazon show from X-Files creator Chris Carter. Why didn’t a cable or broadcast network make this show? It’s certainly better than a lot of the one-hour programs the broadcast networks have debuted in the last year or two, and the first hour of Carter’s new project as good as or better than a fair number of cable pilots.” – Maureen Ryan, Huffington Post
On Transparent: “The show has authenticity and specificity. The family is immediately recognizable as a very true-to-life nominally Jewish, L.A.-bred, casually super-affluent clan. By the episode’s last act … I was already completely invested in the characters … Transparent already has me addicted.” – Willa Paskin, Slate
On Bosch: “As a longtime fan of the 18 novels about the hard-boiled Los Angeles homicide detective, I would say: Nailed it.” – Colette Bancroft, Tampa Bay Times
“Transparent is my favorite pilot in years, and by a lot.” – Margaret Lyons, Vulture
“Running the gamut from dark comedy to noir to the latest from X-Files mastermind Chris Carter, the emphasis is almost entirely on mature, dramatic subject matter – and after watching the full line-up, it’s clear that Netflix is no longer the only game in town.” – Bryan Bishop, The Verge
Creators of each series commented on today’s announcement:
The After: “The great news is we get the chance to continue working with such a talented group of people,” said Chris Carter. “Amazon has been incredibly supportive in their approach to telling original stories and making great television. This is an exciting time to be a storyteller.”
Bosch: “I’m excited beyond words. This has been such a long time coming. But by waiting I think the right people and partnerships came together at the right time: Amazon and its creative team; ditto Fabrik Entertainment, Henrik Bastin, Eric Overmyer and of course, Titus Welliver,” said Michael Connelly. “We’re now off to make something really good.”
Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street: “I couldn’t be more proud of our show and our creative team,” said David Anaxagoras. “Gortimer has struck a deep chord with viewers who have told us how much they enjoy seeing imaginative, heartfelt, quality stories that the entire family can share together. Something as unique and magical as Gortimer could only have been realized at Amazon Studios, and their nurturing and support ensured that Gortimer reached audiences with uncompromising quality and integrity. I’m overjoyed at the prospect of returning to Normal Street and continuing our magical adventures with my Amazon family. A year and a half ago, I thought I was reaching the end of my attempted screenwriting career. I’m so pleased that it turned out to be just the beginning.”
Mozart in the Jungle: “We are delighted that Amazon chose to pick up Mozart in the Jungle,” said Roman Coppola. “They’ve been such a great partner in the creation of the pilot and we know that we’ll have their tremendous support to make a full season’s worth of episodes. We are especially pleased to have such a fantastic cast, knowing that the things that we write and will be brought to such vivid life by this cast of players. Can’t wait to dig in and do all we can to make a captivating, interesting, and fun show.”
Transparent: “It’s honestly a dream come true to make nine more episodes of Transparent,” said Jill Soloway. “I feel so lucky to be working in this moment when innovation in distribution allows for the most free flow of creativity I’ve ever experienced professionally. These characters are bursting in my mind waiting for the palette of the set and the flesh and blood and voices and comedy of the actors. More to come….”
Wishenpoof!: “I am thrilled to be working with Amazon, as I have been a huge ‘Amazon mom’ and Prime customer since the very beginning,” said Angela Santomero. “I always say Amazon is like ‘the perfect boyfriend’ – loyal, delivering what and when they say they will (who can beat 2-day shipping?!), and I never have to look elsewhere, knowing with Amazon’s great taste, I’m guaranteed the best quality and prices. I am excited to contribute our brand of quality educational children’s media to other moms like me!”
Amazon will be shooting The After, Bosch, Mozart in the Jungle and Transparent in 4K Ultra HD. 4K is the latest and most advanced in high definition video, utilizing displays with an aspect ratio of at least 16:9 and capable of showcasing video at a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels or 8.3 million pixels – that’s four times the number of pixels as standard full HD.
About Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series – one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script and will then be notified within 45 days if that script is optioned. Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions and those who choose to make their projects public will also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.
More than 8,000 movie and approximately 2,000 series projects have been submitted to Amazon Studios. Amazon Studios continues to invite series creators to upload their proposals for comedy and children’s programming at http://studios.amazon.com/getting-started/series or submit them privately via Amazon Studios.
Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon’s IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the world’s best-selling and most advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX features a stunning exclusive 7″ or 8.9″ HDX display, a quad-core 2.2 GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display, high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.es, www.amazon.com.br, www.amazon.in, www.amazon.com.mx, and www.amazon.com.au. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
What do you think? Do you like the sound of any of these new shows? Which will you check out?
I’m very happy to hear Bosch has been given a full season order. I loved the pilot and was hoping I’d get to see more. I can’t wait for it to finally air!
I can’t wait to see Mozart, Bosch, and Transparent. Loved the pilots. I wonder when they’ll air.


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Have you ever seen one of these articles that tells you to “Drink This, Not That”, like the brazen recommendation to drink unsweetened tea instead of sweet tea? (Come on now! Don’t mess with this Southerner’s tea!) Just like you might perform better by drinking one thing rather than another, so too may each of your fountain pens prefer one ink to another.
Sometimes I’ll hear a friend say, “My pen feels scratchy; I think it must not be for me.” I happily pull out my jeweler’s loupe and look at the nib, but most of the time their nib is in perfect alignment. My first reply to them is, “What ink are you using?” Almost invariably, they’ll name an ink that I’ve found to be ‘dry’. Alternatively, if a friend complains about a pen that is gushing or writes a broader line than they like, I often hear that they’re using a ‘wet’ or heavily lubricated ink.
In the spirit of “Drink This, Not That”, then, I’ve put together this gallery of ‘wet’ versus ‘dry’ inks with similar colors. If your pen is feeling “scratchy”, give one of these wet inks a try! If your pen is gushing or writing too broadly, give a dry ink a try!
I offer many thanks to the fine bloggers who have swabbed up each of the great inks below! I didn’t take these pictures, so please follow the links below to each blog and support these bloggers in any way you can!
What are your favorite wet or dry inks? Any Jekyll and Hyde stories you’d like to share about a pen that went from ‘not so much’ to ‘Fantastic!’ because of an ink change?


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Great By Choice Jim Collins Pdf Free 49 -> DOWNLOAD
bb84b2e1ba Great by Choice ebook by Jim Collins - Rakuten KoboRead Great by Choice Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck--Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collins with Rakuten Kobo.. Ten years after the worldwide bestseller Good to .JIMS TWELVE QUESTIONSReading: Great by Choice, Chapter 4 6.. notes: Jims Twelve Questions Jims Twelve Questions JIMS TWELVE QUESTIONS DEVELOPED BY JIM COLLINS.Great By Choice Thriving in Uncertainty - PDF DriveWe are delighted to announce the arrival of PDF Drive Premium with unlimited .. Great By Choice Thriving in Uncertainty.. .. Inspired by the work of Jim Collins .great by choice pdfwww.15MinuteBusinessBooks.com Great by Choice Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck Why Some Thrive Despite Them All Jim Collins and Morten T.Good to Great - Ryan BattlesBook By Jim Collins Slides by Ryan Battles COLLINS, JAMES C.. GOOD TO GREAT: WHY SOME COMPANIES MAKE THE LEAP--AND OTHERS DON'T.. .www.sahibkarol.bizwww.sahibkarol.bizEADM 826.3 FOR KEITH WALKER AND BOB BAYLES JUNE 8TH 2012 .Created By :Duane Regier EADM 826.3 FOR KEITH WALKER AND BOB BAYLES JUNE 8TH 2012 GREAT BY CHOICE BY JIM COLLINS AND MORTEN T.Jim Collins - Official SiteJim Collins is the author of Good to Great, .. Great by Choice Good to Great and the Social Sectors .. Jim's Twelve Questions (pdf) Good to Great .[PDF/ePub Download] great by choice eBook - it-book.org.. great by choice in PDF Format.. also available for mobile reader.. Skip to content.. Free eBooks Free eBooks .. Good to Great, Jim Collins returns .GREAT BY CHOICE - Castle Park Middle SchoolBy Jim Collins One should .. greatness is first and foremost a matter of conscious choice and .. But even so, we are free to choose, free to become great by .

domain: literature


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Who's this Kitty Felde person?
Kitty Felde is the host and executive producer of the Book Club for Kids podcast. She’s an award-winning public radio journalist, winning dozens of Golden Mike Awards, AP Awards, and ABA Silver Gavel Awards. She’s reported from Africa, The Netherlands, Canada, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.
Kitty also writes plays and kids books. Her agent is Eric Myers. She fell in love with young adult literature when she was still a young adult herself, working at her local public library.
Kitty Felde in the News


There is eternal popularity of youth soccer in the USA. Over the years, it has grown exponentially that in the last couple of years, soccer has become the second most played sport for both boys and girls, especially under the age group of thirteen years and younger.
Given that both women’s and men’s US national team performances in prestigious platforms, such as the Olympics and World Cup, are catching the global eye, today, more and more children are attracted to this sport.
Regardless of the fact that soccer is today gaining traction as a prevalent youth sport in the US, it still happens to be one of the most-watched and played sport globally and has been so for ages. Usually, people are aware of the basics of sports, but there are still some things that people do not know about soccer yet. What are these things? Let us read below to find out.
Highest ever soccer score
Rustic, an educator who offers assignment help USA, has shared this brilliant fact about soccer that most of you may not know.
‘The higher ever score of soccer has been 149-0, and this miracle happened when the Stade Olympique de L’emyrne was defeated against AS Adema of Madagascar in 2002, following a penalty. So, as a mark of protest, the team purposely went ahead and scored 149 goals in their own net in the next game.’
In a soccer game, the player can run up to seven miles.
An article by the NY Times says, it is the soccer players who run the most of all the athletes. SportsVu, a motion-tracking technology company, tracked players and found that an average player runs approximately seven miles in a soccer game. Some players ran as much as 9.5 miles in a game.
However, there is no denying that the amount a player runs in a soccer game varies on various factors, such as ages, levels, and field size. So, if anyone wants to take up sports as a form of exercise, you know which one to begin with if you want to shed some weight.
In 2010, people drank over two million beers
On the day of the 2010 World Cup in the stadium, over 224,546 gallons of beer along with 390,600 hot dogs were sold. It is slightly less than what the grizzly bear ate on defeating Kobayashi.
You can proudly call football soccer
‘Of course, it is true that the world around you may call it football or, at times, even the language’s version of it, you can call it soccer proudly. It is not the US alone who calls it soccer.
New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Ireland, and most of the South Pacific also call it soccer,’ shares Raun, an educator who works with a platform that offers ‘take my online class for me services.
British colonizers and immigrants in several countries brought along the two games they refer to as football – rugby and soccer. To cut a distinction, the football played in the World Cup began to be called the associated football and it was later shortened and called soccer.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Britishers again went back and started calling soccer football again. However, the former colonies devised other games that they referred to as football and kept calling the original one soccer.
There are places where soccer was illegal.
Till 1991, Mississippi considered soccer illegal.
The soccer field’s size can be variable.
‘Also known as the pitch, the field in soccer can vary in both length and breadth. It all depends on the area available to play,’ points out Merlin, an online AP chemistry tutor.
If you read the official FIFA guidelines, you will know that they have made rules about the field size, and proper field standards for all the professional leagues have also been set. So, according to the guidelines, in the professional field, the dimensions can be 100 to 130 yards in length, and the width can be between 50 to 100 yards.
If the field is in line with these dimensions, it is an apt size for professional games. However, as for the youth soccer leagues, the field sizes are typically adapted to accommodate according to the player’s age.
Pele is the most renowned soccer player.
There are so many people around the world who believe that Pele or Edson Arantes do Nascimento is the greatest soccer player of all time. He is a Brazilian player, and he has taken his team to four World Cup matches. Of the four World Cup matches that he was a part of, he won three of them. Pele has been into soccer ever since he was only fifteen years old. Across his professional career, Pele ended up scoring 1281 goals before he finally retired in 1977.
North Korean’s team lost a match because of lightning.
When the women’s North Korean team lost the match, their coach Kwang Min Kim explained that the team lost after being hit by lightning during the training session.


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Benefits of Composting Fall Leaves
Updated: Mar 31, 2022
One of my favorite childhood memories growing up was jumping into piles of leaves every autumn. Although raking up all the leaves from the two huge sugar maples that graced the front yard of my childhood home was not exactly fun, knowing that we could play in the huge piles we gathered on the driveway was motivation enough to get the job done. Burrowing into the piles, and tossing arms-full of colorful crisp leaves into the air to have them shower down all around me are the embodiment of fall to me. Of course, we Baby Boomers remember that everyone then burned these leaf piles, fogging neighborhoods with distinctively fragrant smoke. Nowadays, most municipalities provide leaf collection every fall, vacuuming up leaves piled along the street curb or picking up paper-bagged leaves. These are then deposited into huge windrows to become compost, the most valuable of Nature’s gifts to gardeners.
Compost encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus. Humus greatly improves the texture of both clay and sandy soils. It helps retain moisture while simultaneously improving drainage. It not only adds valuable nutrients and minerals to soil, but actually lowers the pH of our local alkaline soil to make the nutrients more easily absorbed by vegetables, ornamental flowers, and shrubs. This results in healthier plants by suppressing plant diseases and pests, as well as reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.
Every fall, I drive around neighborhoods looking for leaves that people have so kindly and helpfully bagged for pickup! I usually gather four of five dozen bags to add to the piles that I have raked up from my trees. My usual procedure has been to use a small chopper/shredder I found at a garage sale years ago to chop the leaves into fine pieces. But, it’s nearly as easy to just run over piles with a lawn mower. This dramatically reduces the volume of the originally huge piles by roughly three-fourths. Then I spread about 6” of the chopped leaves over my previously cleared and cleaned perennial beds and vegetable garden before the first snows where the pieces will decompose by late spring. If I have some left over, I spread just a light layer over my lawn before the final mowing of the year. (When I do that last mowing, the leaves are further chopped up and easily fall through the blades of grass to decompose over the winter.)
If you haven't tried making compost from autumn leaves, you should give it a try for a free supply of the finest organic fertilizer you could ever want.


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Root nodule bacteria and symbiosis with legumes One of the most interesting and important plant bacterial interactions is that between leguminous plants and certain gram-negative nitrogen fixing bacteria.
Rhizobium, Brady rhizobium, Sino rhizobium, Mesorhizobium and Azorhizobium are gram negative motile rods.
Infection of the roots of a leguminous plant with the appropriate species of one of these genera leads to the formation of root nodules that are able to convert gaseous nitrogen to combined nitrogen, a process called nitrogen fixation.
Nitrogen fixation by legume Rhizobium, symbiosis is of considerable agricultural importance, as it leads to very significant increases in combined nitrogen in the soil.
Because nitrogen deficiencies often occur in unfertilized bare soil, modulated legumes are at a selective advantage under such conditions and can grow well in areas where other plants cannot.
CIG refers, the groups of leguminous plants that will develop effective nodules when inoculated with the rhizobia obtained from the nodules from any member of that legume group.
Stages in root nodule formation
The stages in the infection and development of root nodules are not fairly well understood. They include
Recognition of the correct parameter on the part of both plant and bacterium and attachment of the bacterium to the root hairs.
Excretion of nod factors by the bacterium.
Invasion of the root hairs by the bacterial formation of an infection thread.
Travel to main root via the infection thread.
Formation of deformed bacterial cells, bacteroid, within the plant cells and development of the nitrogen fixing state.
Continued plant and bacterial division and formation of the mature root nodule.
Normal root hair
Exudation of organic substances
Accumulation of rhizobia in the rhizosphere
Orientation and binding of rhizobia
Root hair curling and deformation
Formation of infection thread by rhizobia
Formation of sheperd’s crook cells and entry of infection thread
Thread containing bacteroid extending into root hair cells
Entry of infection thread into cortex and branching
Attachment and infection
The roots of leguminous plants secret a variety of organic compounds that stimulate the growth of a rhizosphere micro flora.
This stimulation is not restricted to the rhizobia but occurs with a variety of rhizosphere bacteria.
If there are rhizobia in the soil, they grow in the rhizosphere and build up to high population densities.
Attachment of bacterium to plant in the legume Rhizobium symbiosis is the first step in the formation of nodules.
A specific adhesion protein called rhicadhesinis present on the surface of all species of Rhzobium and Bradyrhizobium.
Rhicadhesin is a calcium-binding protein and may function by binding calcium complexes on the root hair surface.
Other substances, such as carbohydrate-containing protein called lectins, also play in plant bacterium attachment.
Initial penetration of Rhizobium cells into the root hair is via the root hair tip. following binding, the root hair curls as a result of the action of substances excreted by the bacterium called nod factor and the bacteria enter the root hair and induce formation by the plant of acellulosic tube, called infection thread, which spreads done the root hair.
Root cells adjacent to the root hairs subsequently become infected by rhizobia and nod factors stimulate plant cell division, eventually leading to formation of the nodule.
Bacteriods are specifically referred to a swallon deformed Rhizobium cell found in the root nodule, capable of nitrogen fixation The Rhizobium bacteria multiply rapidly with in the plant cells and are transformed into swollen, misshapen and branched forms called bacteroid.
When the plant dies, the nodules can be deteriorates, releasing bacteria into the soil. The bacteroid forms are incapable of division, but there are always a small number of dormant rod-shaped cells present in the nodule.
These now proliferate; using some of the products of the deteriorating nodule as nutrients, and the bacteria can initiate the infection in other roots or maintain a free-living existence in the soil.
Plant proteins which specifically bind to carbohydrate receptors (polysaccharides) in the rhizobia cell Genetics of nodule formation Genes directing specific steps in nodulation of a legume by a strain of Rhizobium are called nod genes.
Many nod genes from different Rhizobium species are highly conserved and are borne on large plasmids called sym plasmids.
In addition to nod genes which direct specific nodulation events, sym plasmids contain specificity gene, which restrict a strain Rhizobium to a particular host plant.
Indeed, cross inoculation group specificity can be transferred across species of rhizobia by simply transferring the respective sym plasmid.
In the sym plasmid of Rhizobium leguminosarum bio varviciae, nodgenes are located between two clusters of genes for nitrogen fixation the nifgenes.
Ten nod genes have been identified in this species. The nod ABC genes are involved in the production of oligosaccharides called nod factors, which induce root hair curling and trigger plant cell division, eventually leading to formation of the nodule.
In Rhizobium leguminosarum bio varviciae, the gene nodD encodes a regulatory protein; this controls transcription of other nod genes.
Nod D genes
Genes directing specific steps in nodulation of a legume by a strain of rhizobium is called Nod genes
Nod genes are born on large plasmids, called sym plasmids
Nod genes are located between two clusters of genes for N2 fixation called Nif genes
Nod gene consists of 8 genes
nod D controls the function of all nod genes
Genes responsible for N fixation are called Nif genes


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Frank Oz Net Worth
What is Frank Oz's Net Worth and Salary?
Frank Oz is an actor, director, producer and puppeteer who has a net worth of $80 million. Frank Oz has directed such films as "The Dark Crystal," "Little Shop of Horrors," "What About Bob?," and "In & Out." He is also renowned as a puppeteer, having performed as Yoda in the "Star Wars" films and as various characters on "Sesame Street" and in Jim Henson's Muppet productions. Among his other credits, Oz has appeared in a number of films directed by John Landis, including "Trading Places" and "An American Werewolf in London."
Frank Oz was born as Frank Richard Oznowicz on May 25, 1944 in Hereford, Herefordshire, England to puppeteer parents Isidore and Frances. His father was a Dutch-Polish Jew, while his mother was Flemish and a lapsed Catholic; both had moved to England after serving with the Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade during World War II. When Oz was still an infant, he moved with the family to Belgium, where he lived until he was five years old. The family subsequently moved to Montana before finally settling in Oakland, California. There, Oz went to Oakland Technical High School and Oakland City College.
Oz got his start in puppeteering as a teenager when he worked at the amusement park Children's Fairyland as an apprentice puppeteer. It was at the park that he first met famed Muppets puppeteer Jim Henson. When Oz was 19, he joined Henson in New York to perform with the Muppets.
As a puppeteer, Oz has performed as various iconic characters on both television and in film. For Henson's "The Muppet Show," he performed as Miss Piggy, Animal, Sam Eagle, and Fozzie Bear; he also performed these and other characters in the many Muppet movies. Overall, Oz performed as Muppet characters in more than 75 productions, including television specials and various series created by Henson's company. Oz also performed on the children's show "Sesame Street" as Bert, Grover, Cookie Monster, and Harvey Kneeslapper, among other characters.
Among Oz's most famous characters is Jedi Master Yoda from the "Star Wars" films. Oz both performed the puppet and provided Yoda's voice in "The Empire Strikes Back," "Return of the Jedi," "The Phantom Menace," and "The Last Jedi." When Yoda became a CGI character for "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith," Oz provided the voice. Additionally, he has voiced Yoda for various Disney theme park attractions, as well as for video games and the "Star Wars Rebels" animated series.
Oz made his debut as a director with the 1982 fantasy film "The Dark Crystal," which he co-directed with Jim Henson. Notably, the film featured the most advanced puppets ever made for the big screen at the time. Following this, Oz directed and co-wrote 1984's "The Muppets Take Manhattan." His next film was the 1986 horror-comedy musical "Little Shop of Horrors," his first film to not involve Henson. Oz went on to direct 1988's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine.
In the early 90s, Oz directed "What About Bob?," starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, and "Housesitter," starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. Later in the decade, he directed "The Indian in the Cupboard," "Muppet Treasure Island," and "In & Out." Oz closed out the 90s with "Bowfinger," a buddy comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin. Kicking off the new millennium, Oz directed one of his rare non-comedy films: the heist movie "The Score," starring Edward Norton and Robert De Niro. He returned to comedy in 2004 with his remake of "The Stepford Wives," starring Nicole Kidman. Three years after that, Oz directed the British black comedy "Death at a Funeral." Following a ten-year hiatus, he returned to film directing with the documentary "Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched."
As an actor, Oz made his first appearance on screen in John Landis's 1980 musical comedy film "The Blues Brothers," playing a corrections officer. He went on to appear in a number of other films directed by Landis, including 1981's "An American Werewolf in London"; 1983's "Trading Places"; 1985's "Spies Like Us"; 1992's "Innocent Blood"; and 1998's "Blues Brothers 2000." Oz also had a role in Jim Henson's 1986 musical fantasy "Labyrinth."
In the 2000s, Oz did a great deal of voice acting. He voiced characters in the Pixar animated films "Monsters, Inc." and "Inside Out," and voiced a robot in the science-fiction adventure film "Zathura." Later, in 2019, Oz appeared on screen in the acclaimed mystery film "Knives Out," playing lawyer Alan Stevens.
Oz married his first wife, Robin Garsen, in 1979. The couple later divorced in 2005. Six years after that, Oz wed Victoria Labalme. He has four sons, and lives in New York City.
|Net Worth:||$80 Million|
|Date of Birth:||May 25, 1944 (78 years old)|
|Height:||6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)|
|Profession:||Puppeteer, Film director, Voice Actor, Actor, Film Producer|
|Nationality:||United States of America|

domain: celebrity


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No catches, no fine print just unconditional book loving for your children with their favourites saved to their own digital bookshelf.
New members get entered into our monthly draw to win £100 to spend in your local bookshop plus lots lots more...Find out more
Browse audiobooks narrated by Betsy Foldes Meiman, listen to samples and when you're ready head over to Audiobooks.com where you can get 3 FREE audiobooks on us
Brought to you by Penguin. Around the clock, ER nurses dedicate their lives to helping us when we need it most. This book puts names and faces to these men and women who are there for us whenever we need them, who fight for our lives and never give up. Through numerous interviews with frontline healthcare staff, James Patterson and Matt Eversmann, acclaimed and bestselling co-authors of Walk in My Combat Boots, reveal why nurses do what they do. © James Patterson 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021Show more
NATIONAL BESTSELLER! Capturing an ever-changing San Francisco, 25 acclaimed writers tell their stories of living in one of the most mesmerizing cities in the world. Over the last few decades, San Francisco has experienced radical changes with the influence of Silicon Valley, tech companies, and more. Countless articles, blogs, and even movies have tried to capture the complex nature of what San Francisco has become, a place millions of people have loved to call home, and yet are compelled to consider leaving. In this beautifully written collection, writers take on this Bay Area-dweller's eternal conflict: Should I stay or should I go? Including an introduction written by Gary Kamiya and essays from Margaret Cho, W. Kamau Bell, Michelle Tea, Beth Lisick, Daniel Handler, Bonnie Tsui, Stuart Schuffman, Alysia Abbott, Peter Coyote, Alia Volz, Duffy Jennings, John Law, and many more, The End of the Golden Gate is a penetrating journey that illuminates both what makes San Francisco so magnetizing and how it has changed vastly over time, shapeshifting to become something new for each generation of city dwellers. With essays chronicling the impact of the tech-industry invasion and the evolution, gentrification, and radical cost of living that has transformed San Francisco's most beloved neighborhoods, these prescient essayists capture the lasting imprint of the 1960s counterculture movement, as well as the fight to preserve the art, music, and other creative movements that make this forever the city of love. For anyone considering moving to San Francisco, wishing to relive the magic of the city, or anyone experiencing the sadness of leaving the bay-and ultimately, for anyone that needs a reminder of why we stay. Bound to be a long-time staple of San Francisco literature, anyone who has lived in or is currently living in San Francisco will enjoy the rich history of the city within these pages and relive intimate memories of their own. • GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY: A percentage of the proceeds will be given to charities that help those in the bay experiencing homelessness. Every copy purchased offers a small way to help those in need.Show more
This entertaining exposé on how the other half gets in tells the shockingly true story of the Varsity Blues scandal, and all of the crazy parents, privilege, and con men involved. Guilty Admissions weaves together the story of an unscrupulous college counselor named Rick Singer, and how he preyed on the desperation of some of the country's wealthiest families living in a world defined by fierce competition, who function under constant pressure to get into the "right" schools, starting with pre-school; non-stop fundraising and donation demands in the form of multi-million-dollar galas and private parties; and a community of deeply insecure parents who will do anything to get their kids into name-brand colleges in order to maintain their own A-list status. Investigative reporter Nicole LaPorte lays bare the source of this insecurity-that in 2019, no special "hook" in the form of legacy status, athletic talent, or financial giving can guarantee a child's entrance into an elite school. The result is paranoia, deception, and true crimes at the peak of the American social pyramid. With a glittering cast of Hollywood actors-including Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin-hedge fund CEOs, sales executives, and media titans, Guilty Admissions is a soap-opera-slash-sneak-peek-behind-the-curtains at America's richest social circles; an examination of the cutthroat world of college admissions; and a parable of American society in 2019, when the country is run by a crass tycoon and all totems of status and achievement have become transactional and removed from traditions of ethical restraint. A world where the rich get whatever they want, however they want it.Show more
The astonishing true account of John Chapman, Medal of Honor recipient and Special Ops Combat Controller, and his heroic one-man stand during the Afghan War, as he sacrificed his life to save the lives of 23 comrades-in-arms. In the predawn hours of March 4, 2002, just below the 10,000-foot peak of a mountain in eastern Afghanistan, a fierce battle raged. Outnumbered by Al Qaeda fighters, Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman and a handful of SEALs struggled to take the summit in a desperate bid to find a lost teammate. Chapman, leading the charge, was gravely wounded in the initial assault. Believing he was dead, his SEAL leader ordered a retreat. Chapman regained consciousness, alone with the enemy closing in on three sides, beginning the most difficult and exceptional fight of his life. John Chapman's incredible display of valor--first by saving the lives of his SEAL teammates and then, aware that he was mortally wounded, single-handedly engaging two dozen hardened fighters to save the lives of an incoming rescue squad--posthumously earned him the Medal of Honor. Chapman is the first airman in nearly fifty years to be given the distinction reserved for America's greatest heroes. Alone at Dawn is also a behind-the-scenes look at the Air Force Combat Controllers: the world's deadliest and most versatile special operations force, whose members must not only exceed the qualifications of Navy SEAL and Army Delta Force teams, but also act with sharp decisiveness and deft precision--even in the face of life-threatening danger. Drawing from firsthand accounts, classified documents, dramatic video footage, and extensive interviews with leaders and survivors of the operation, Alone at Dawn is the story of an extraordinary man's brave last stand and the brotherhood that forged him. **Contact Customer Service for Additional Content**Show more
From the author of the 'hysterically funny and unsettlingly fascinating'* New York Times bestseller Unmentionable, a hilarious illustrated guide to the secrets of Victorian child-rearing [*Jenny Lawson] Feminist historian Therese Oneill is back, to educate you on what to expect when you're expecting . . . a Victorian baby! In Ungovernable, Oneill conducts an unforgettable tour through the backwards, pseudoscientific, downright bizarre parenting fashions of the Victorians, advising us on: - How to be sure you're not too ugly, sickly, or stupid to breed - What positions and room decor will help you conceive a son - How much beer, wine, cyanide and heroin to consume while pregnant - How to select the best peasant teat for your child - Which foods won't turn your children into sexual deviants - And so much more Endlessly surprising, wickedly funny, and filled with juicy historical tidbits and images, Ungovernable provides much-needed perspective on -- and comic relief from -- the age-old struggle to bring up baby. **Contact Customer Service for Additional Content**Show more
Although one in five Americans now takes at least one psychotropic drug, the fact remains that nearly seventy years after doctors first began prescribing them, not even their creators understand exactly how or why these drugs work-or don't work-on what ails our brains. Blue Dreams offers the explosive story of the discovery and development of psychiatric medications, as well as the science and the people behind their invention, told by a riveting writer and psychologist who shares her own experience with the highs and lows of psychiatric drugs. Lauren Slater's revelatory account charts psychiatry's journey from its earliest drugs, Thorazine and lithium, up through Prozac and other major antidepressants of the present. Blue Dreams also chronicles experimental treatments involving Ecstasy, magic mushrooms, the most cutting-edge memory drugs, placebos, and even neural implants. In her thorough analysis of each treatment, Slater asks three fundamental questions: how was the drug born, how does it work (or fail to work), and what does it reveal about the ailments it is meant to treat? Fearlessly weaving her own intimate experiences into comprehensive and wide-ranging research, Slater narrates a personal history of psychiatry itself. In the process, her powerful and groundbreaking exploration casts modern psychiatry's ubiquitous wonder drugs in a new light, revealing their ability to heal us or hurt us, and proving an indispensable resource not only for those with a psychotropic prescription but for anyone who hopes to understand the limits of what we know about the human brain and the possibilities for future treatments.Show more
How George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams navigated the nation through four major crises and caused the first stirrings of American nationalism Americans like to believe that the Constitution miraculously brought the United States into being, as though the framers established, in one stroke, the nation we know today. Yet when George Washington delivered his First Inaugural Address on April 30, 1789, he expressed worry about the challenges that lay ahead. He was right to be concerned: the existence of the new nation was anything but secure. Without the support of the American people, after all, the Constitution was only a piece of paper. In A Sovereign People, her brilliant new political history of the 1790s, the acclaimed historian Carol Berkin argues that the young nation would not have survived absent the interventions of the Federalists, above all Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams. In power throughout the decade, they faced four successive crises of sovereignty. The Whiskey Rebellion was a domestic revolt over the right of the federal government to levy taxes. The Genet Affair saw a reckless French diplomat appeal directly to the American people, in opposition to Washington. The XYZ Affair involved foreign threats intended to draw the United States into a European war. The final crisis was self-inflicted, the result of the Federalists' desire to silence their critics in the press, in the form of the Alien and Sedition Acts. In each instance, the Federalists demonstrated the necessity of the federal government established by the Constitution, and by decade's end, the American people understood that without an "energetic government," there could be no United States. As Berkin ultimately reveals, while the Revolution freed the states and the Constitution linked them as never before, it was the Federalists who transformed them into an enduring nation.Show more
Have you ever wished you could live in an earlier, more romantic era? Ladies, welcome to the 19th century, where there's arsenic in your face cream, a pot of cold pee sits under your bed, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (Why? Shush, dear. A lady doesn't question.) UNMENTIONABLE is your hilarious, illustrated, scandalously honest (yet never crass) guide to the secrets of Victorian womanhood, giving you detailed advice on: What to wear Where to relieve yourself How to conceal your loathsome addiction to menstruating What to expect on your wedding night How to be the perfect Victorian wife Why masturbating will kill you And more.. Irresistibly charming, laugh-out-loud funny, and featuring nearly 200 images from Victorian publications, UNMENTIONABLE will inspire a whole new level of respect for Elizabeth Bennett, Scarlet O'Hara, Jane Eyre, and all of our great, great grandmothers. (And it just might leave you feeling ecstatically grateful to live in an age of pants, super absorbency tampons, epidurals, anti-depressants, and not-dying-of-the-syphilis-your-husband-brought-home.)Show more
Peggy Noonan is one of the most brilliant and influential political thinkers and writers of our time. The author of five bestselling books (What I Saw at the Revolution is now a classic), her column in The Wall Street Journalis a must-read for millions of Americans. Witty, incisive and always original, Peggy Noonan is a conservative intellectual with wide reaching appeal across the political spectrum. Now, for the first time, the best of Noonan's writing will be collected in one indispensible volume. With a special, original introduction, she chronicles her career in journalism, the Reagan White House, and the political arena. Annotated and analyzed throughout, Peggy expands a lifetime of wonderful writing into an astute examination of American life.Show more
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domain: library


text:
Another Long Beach discovery I made was that I can use the Vincent Thomas Bridge as part of my commute to work. I LOVE that bridge. I mean, I used to occasionally drive all the way up from South Orange county, at night, just to drive over that bridge. It’s so scenic, both to look at and to look from. It’s pretty tall, and I got scared the first time I drove over it, though I don’t know why now. It also seems to be free of traffic congestion no matter when I cross it, and apparently shortens my commute just a little bit. I pulled this pic off of the internet:
There’s a stunning view of the peninsula that is different every day. Sometimes it’s this great blue sky with clouds creeping over the mountain and little bursts of sunlight peaking through and making parts of the hills a glowing green, and other days it’s foggy and I’m up on the bridge in a thick mist, and I can’t see much past fifty feet and the bridge’s tall sides disappear into the clouds.
I can’t exactly pull over and take photographs, as much as I’m dying to, and I wouldn’t know where to take pictures from even if I had time to stop, but one Saturday as I was heading north to visit the South Bay, I held my camera out and just blindly snapped some shots, because hey, it’s a suspension bridge. How bad could the pics be? And as I edited out the pictures of only my dashboard and the sky, I thought, oh. Well at least I will have many, many opportunities to get it right.


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§ 22. Mr. James Clappison (Hertsmere)
How many Bills introduced in the Scottish Parliament she has considered; and on how many occasions she has advised that such Bills are not within the Parliament's competence.
§ The Advocate-General for Scotland (Dr. Lynda Clark)
Thus far, two Bills have been passed by the Scottish Parliament and I have not considered it necessary to refer either to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. They are now the Mental Health (Public Safety and Appeals) (Scotland) Act 1999 and the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.
§ Mr. Clappison
Although the hon. and learned Lady of course considers such matters in an entirely independent way, given the fact that, so far, she has not considered any Bills to be outside the competence of the Scottish Parliament and given the political composition of that Parliament, does she agree that one would not have to be a tremendous cynic to think it unlikely that any future Bills will be challenged in that way and that there is very little point to what she is doing?
I do not share the hon. Gentleman's cynicism. He will remember that, in my position as Advocate-General, I have legal functions to exercise. As an advocate, I have been exercising legal functions for many years and I intend to continue using my independent legal judgment when I act as Advocate-General. We shall wait and see what happens when Bills are introduced.
§ Mr. Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield)
I have listened carefully to the hon. Lady's comments and they are not very illuminating. She mentions her other roles. She will be aware that she has a constitutional right to intervene in cases which might have a constitutional dimension north and south of the border. Why, for instance, did she not intervene in the cases of Starrs v. Procurator Fiscal and Clancy v. Caird, which have direct constitutional relevance to the United Kingdom because they concern the rights of temporary sheriffs to sit, which could have a knock-on effect south of the border? Did she not see it as part of her role to take a part in that, in view of its profound constitutional implications?
The legal advice that I give as Advocate-General is confidential. I know that the hon. Gentleman has a great respect for precedent in the House and for legal precedent, so I quote from the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Bedfordshire (Sir N. Lyell) the former Attorney-General in the previous Conservative Administration, who said, on 7 November 1996:By convention, the fact of whether the Law Officers have advised on a given issue is not disclosed, nor is the substance of any advice which may have been given."—[Official Report, 7 November 1996; Vol. 284, c. 610W.]

domain: politics


text:
Linux Foundation unveils ‘World of Open Source’ research initiative
The timely research series is targeted at the European open source community
The Linux Foundation has announced a timely research series with the European community as its primary focus.
Dubbed World of Open Source, the new research initiative is backed by LF Research alongside several European distribution and research partners, including FINOS, LF Training & Certification, and LF Public Health.
Achieving resiliency with Everything-as-a-Service (XAAS)
Transforming the enterprise IT landscapeFree Download
“The World of Open Source series will explore the state of open source from a global perspective, focusing on government, enterprise, and non-profit initiatives,” according to Linux Foundation.
The research program is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, 18 May and will be followed by a "World of Open Source: 2022 Europe Spotlight" survey.
The proposed survey will appraise industry-wide trends including, but not limited to, the size and scope of the open-source communities in the region, the motivation for contributions to open source, opportunities and challenges in the private and public sector engagement in open source, and the landscape for consumption and adoption of open source technologies.
The Linux Foundation will announce the results of the upcoming survey at the Open Source Summit Europe, which will be held in Dublin, Ireland, from 13-16 September.
The supporting birds-of-a-feather session will be hosted on May 19 at Valencia’s KubeCon by Gabriele Columbro (executive director of FINOS), Hilary Carter (VP of Linux Foundation Research), Astor Nummelin Carlberg (CEO of OpenForum Europe), and Matthew Dunderdale (delivery principal at Scott Logic).
"FINOS is one of the most globally distributed entities under the Linux Foundation and we are truly excited to support this deep research initiative backed by so many respected institutions across the EU, UK, and Switzerland", commented Gabriele Columbro.
"A clear European perspective will enhance how we forge deeper collaboration across the FINOS community and will shed new light on cross-border challenges like cybersecurity and sustainability that are important to the Linux Foundation and the open-source ecosystem at large," added Columbro.
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The strategic CFO
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domain: geography


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The "Elixir of life"
Boo Chi Kombucha is a live, organic, non-carbonated, delicious drink, known as the “elixir of life". It’s packed full of naturally occurring active ingredients including probiotics, vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants and organic acids. Unlike some other commercial brands we do not pasteurise or overly filter so all the good bacteria is left in the bottle.
I discovered this magical healing drink whilst backpacking in Sri Lanka. Deciding to enrol in a yoga and meditation retreat in Arugam Bay I met a wonderful teacher who gave me Kombucha at sunrise and sunset after class.
why boo chi?
After trying Boo Chi you’ll find you have more energy, you feel lighter and brighter and overall more balanced in your body and mind.
Kombucha and its Benefits
Kombucha (pronounced kom-boo-cha) is produced by fermenting a blend of black, green or white tea using a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) and sugar (there is hardly any sugar left at the end of the process as Kombucha converts this sugar to healthy digestive enzymes and other active ingredients that benefit your body). It has qualities that detoxify the body and energise the mind.

domain: food


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Bavet Drugs Raid Nets Nine Suspects And Gun
Bavet: 9 suspects were arrested by the Provincial Police Anti-Narcotics Task Force at Svay Rieng Provincial Court for drug trafficking and illicit drug use on the morning of May 18, 2020.
Svay Rieng Provincial Police said that following the order of the Provincial Police Commissioner on May 16, 2020, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force of the Provincial Police Commissariat cooperated with the municipal police force in Bavet and launched a crackdown on drug trafficking and illegal drug use at Sre Talak’s guesthouse in Thmey Village, Sangkat Bavet, Bavet City, Svay Rieng province.
Authorities said that in the above operation, the special forces confiscated items including 10 packs of drugs, a K59 pistol, two bullets, two sets of weighing scales, five motorcycles and drug paraphernalia. NKD

domain: law


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Yes, I finally updated my Phun-Noh fanfic, Secret Heart. This story uses characters from the Thai BL Novel/Series Lovesick, written by p’Hed. The story is original and written by me though.
*Lovesick and it’s characters are not mine,
only this story and it’s original characters belong to me*


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By Ryan Turbyfill, MBA Financial Advisor
Just as we got some traction with a taste of market recovery in early 2023, the market volatility is back, especially the week of March 6, 2023.
Early in the week of March 6, Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell spoke before the Senate Banking Committee. He stated “The latest economic data have come in stronger than expected, which suggests that the ultimate level of interest rates is likely to be higher than previously anticipated.” This caused the stock market to start selling off once again with fears of even higher interest rates than expected. The bond market held up remarkably well however.
We are in odd times in that strong economic data cause the stock market to drop, but all eyes are almost solely focused on the Federal Reserve. Stronger economic data may give a runway for the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates higher than previously thought to bring down inflation.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the news of the week was Silicon Valley Bank. This bank was a big lender to many of the technology start up companies based in the San Francisco area. There were very little tech start ups that went public last year and many of those companies had difficulty in raising funds in the down-market last year. The banks financial health struggled as many of their borrowers struggled with the tech slowdown and SBV had collateral of non-liquid, tech company stock. This caused SVB to state on 8th of March that they were selling $2.25 billion worth of their stock raise needed cash. This caused the stock to fall 60% on March 9th and was down another 63% on Friday the 10th before the market opened. Well, the stock never traded Friday, the company tried to sell itself to no avail as of this writing and the regulators have now taken over the bank.
We’ve heard the banking sector is so much stronger and resilient after the 2008/2009 financial crisis, so what happened? I would say that there were two big issues. The first being that the bank had a non-diversified client base as most were many start up tech companies with no profits and large cash needs. The second was management in my opinion. After the financial crisis, there are a lot tighter regulations and requirements for more of a reserve in the bank’s coffers. Well, SVB had a lot of their money in longer term/maturity Treasury bonds. These bonds are very safe, however the longer maturities are especially sensitive to interest rates. As tech companies continued to withdraw needed funds from the bank, the bank started to be forced to liquidate some of those treasury bonds they had planned to hold to maturity. Normally no big deal, however with the steep increase in interest rates in 2022, many long duration bonds (20+ year maturities) were down 31.4%. SVB was forced to take the losses when they sold these, taking almost a hit of third of the value upon forced selling. Then the likes of Peter Thiel and other highly respected venture capitalists in Silicon Valley saw the troubles brewing and advised the companies in their portfolios to pull funds from SVB which caused panic and the crisis.
So, what effect does this weeks events have on the market going forward, both the possibility of the Federal Reserve raising rates higher than we thought and the failure of Silicon Valley Bank? On the raising rates, this is something we have been making adjustments to for well over the past 12 months and will continue to do so as data supports changes. The failure of SBV, we feel is somewhat isolated. However, companies like streaming company, Roku had 26% of it’s cash, $487million at SVB. Will this cause Roku to fail, probably not; a small biotech company operating at huge losses that had lots of cash at SBV, maybe…. However with a company like Roku, they most likely will get some of their $487million back as regulators took over SVB, but may take some time.
Also, we have looked closely at the bank stocks clients hold, looking at their exposure and even seeing what long-term treasuries they have on their books and what is the likely hood they would be forced to sell a sizeable amount at a large discount.
The news of SBV is concerning with all else going on, but most banks are still well capitalized. For credit unions, the NCUA and banks, the FDIC, insure deposits up to $250,000. Paying attention to those limits and reach out if over those amounts and we can help on how to navigate the limits. As far as the overall market goes, this is something we are closely watching along with other market and economic news and we will continue to make adjustments as needed.
Thank you again for trusting Capstone Investment Financial Group, especially during these volatile times. We take this responsibility seriously as fiduciaries for all of our clients.
*This is not deemed as tax or legal advice.
*For history of past holdings, email email@example.com

domain: news


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Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Children and teens with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) experience excessive and uncontrollable worry about aspects of day to day life, future events, and minor matters.
This can include worry about the health and safety of themselves and their family, their academic or extra-curricular performance, their friendships and others’ perceptions of them, their future as an adult (e.g., career, partner), their parents’ marital satisfaction or family stability, money matters, things going on in the world (e.g., the environment, crime, government), punctuality, and more.
Youth may be struggling with GAD if they are worrying more than their peers, more days than not, and if they find it difficult to stop worrying. In addition, youth with GAD often demonstrate physical symptoms when anxious, such as fatigue, restlessness, trouble concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep difficulties. Although all youth sometimes experience worry about a range of events and activities, for youth with GAD, this worry is excessive, ongoing, uncontrollable, physically draining, and significantly negatively impacts the quality of life of the child and family.
This disorder is the most common of the anxiety disorders and we can see how children and young people may develop GAD in response to COVID conditions.
- Girls are twice as likely to have GAD than boys
- Youth may be at greater risk to develop GAD if they are inhibited and dislike risk (e.g., more cautious or slow to warm up to new situations), if they tend to view things negatively (e.g., see the glass as half empty), and if their parents are overprotective
- Left untreated, GAD is unlikely to lessen or go away, and as children mature into adulthood, GAD can create moderate to severe impairment in life functioning
How a GAD impacts the child at different ages
For younger children with GAD they typically worry about straightforward and immediate matters such as their academic performance, safety of their family, and fitting in or being liked. Youngsters are more likely to complain about physical symptoms instead of specific worries: sore muscles, sleep problems, stomach or headaches. For example, the day before a school project your child might complain of stomach-ache and wanting to stay home rather than saying, “I’m afraid to go to school because I think I will do badly on my project.”
As children get older, their thinking becomes more complex, so their worries might become more abstract or focus further into the future. For example, “What if global warming affects my family when I grow up and have children?” In addition, the negative impact of the ongoing, constant worry becomes more apparent the older the child gets. Parents, teachers, and other adults are able to see that their teen “looks” different than their same aged peers, when their child is spending hours and hours on a project, appears tense and exhausted, or refuses to participate in recreational activities or hang out with friends because of fears of academic failure.
Over time, persistent anxiety and withdrawal from friends and activities may begin to contribute to feelings of ineffectiveness and depression. In addition, teens desperate for an escape from their anxiety may turn to problematic coping strategies, such as watching excessive TV to distract themselves or using alcohol or marijuana to cope.
© University of East Anglia

domain: health


text:
Online casino gaming can give you an thrilling experience that is free of risk and without danger. Online casino games offer many benefits. Online casino games are available all day long and you don’t have to travel far to play. You don’t have to spend any money to play. You can play free games and experience the excitement.
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The top online casinos offer many promotions and bonuses to entice customers. The site offers good customer service to new and old customers. The site offers attractive offers on signing up and deposit bonuses. The representatives provide customer service. The representatives assist the player in choosing the game, deposit option and bonus information and customer service.
A lot of Real Money Online Casino sites offer appealing features and amenities that draw customers. The site also offers customer service. The best casinos are known for their excellent customer service and for giving bonuses and incentives. In the game of real money, it’s the service provided by customers that matters. Online casino reviews provide a clear picture about the customer service offered by different online gambling sites.
There are many players who play the games and earn jackpots or other prizes during the process. These players are known as “winners” in the virtual world. They will have to leave the virtual world to be able to enter the real world of business transactions and betting on money. Many online casinos provide attractive betting incentives and other advantages to attract players.
Before you start betting, it is important to understand the rules and rules. Many online gambling websites provide a variety of bonuses and promotions that allow you to help you get started playing three card poker online. Casinos can also provide helpful information on strategies and strategies to assist you in playing the game better. You can obtain a free betting accounts and bonus points from casinos if you regularly play. You should remember to keep the bonus points in your account and not use them for paying the jackpot prize to your virtual friends.
If you are new to the gambling world it is best to spend some time and try out the game using real money at a real casino. This will help you comprehend and appreciate the real-money game better. To be aware of the rules and regulations of casinos, you should also contact their customer support. The customer service of the casinos should be helpful and friendly. Casinos online that provide exceptional customer service are among of the best. Some casinos permit players to make a guest book to give personalized tips to other players and rate the casinos with the best and worst reviews.

domain: entertainment