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The parent company of Oostende based, Europa Road, Europa Worldwide Group, has reported a tripling in profits.
Europa Worldwide Group Profits
Profits have increased to €11.3m (£10m) from €4m (£3.6m) in 2020 – and a record €316m (£276m) turnover for the 2021 financial year (ending 31 December). In addition, for the last 12 months to August 2022, the company has already achieved an impressive turnover of €357m (£316m).
Europa Road Belgium
The company has been in Belgium since 2018, when it acquired Continental Cargo Carriers – a Belgium company with a long history for operating unaccompanied transport to the UK. On 1st September 2022, Continental Cargo Carriers became Europa Road.
The Group’s road freight division, Europa Road, has expanded from being one of the first to establish express services into mainland Europe, to being the market leader for Groupage in the UK. Established across the continent for optimising the flow of goods between Europe and the UK post-Brexit.
Europa Road is an established Groupage, Part Load and Full Load operator that optimises the flow of good between Belgium and the UK with service underpinned by unparalleled customs expertise and a unique DDP product.
Europa Post Brexit
Europa’s post Brexit DDP product which was launched following €5.8m investment at the start of 2021, in response to the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU). This market-leading DDP product is a specialist solutions to ensure the frictionless delivery of goods to the UK as they did before Brexit.
As one of the biggest players in road freight, Europa Road specialises in moving goods between Belgium and the UK and has been investing in its fully tracked fleet of 300 trailers which make over 22,000 crossings per year.
These latest financial results are testament to the progressive leadership team, which refuses to stand still and continues to take a proactive approach in driving the business forward whilst meeting ongoing challenges head-on.
Europa’s Industry Resilience
Despite a tough economic climate impacted by Brexit, and the global pandemic, Europa’s resilience comes down to the way in which it planned, prepared and invested. As global supply chain vulnerabilities were exposed during the pandemic, Europa simplified its own operating model whilst supporting customers and teams to do the same. This enabled everyone to excel in delivering their objectives through the most efficient and effective use of time and resources.
Rob Jones, Europa Worldwide Groups Finance Director
“We’re delighted with our latest results and would like to thank everyone at Europa for their immense contribution in delivering these. The Group has demonstrated flexibility in helping its teams and customers adapt to an evolving marketplace and sustain high levels of overall performance.
“2021 was a year of consolidation for Europa, as we built on our strengths and developed bold new plans to drive forward growth. It is an incredibly exciting time for the business, which maintains huge momentum, allowing us to accelerate our strategy to drive out complexity and deliver an even better service for our customers.”
Europa’s Financial Outlook
With current predictions of a slowdown in worldwide economic growth, Europa is determined to weather this latest storm. The financial outlook for 2022 remains strong, and the Board has ambitious plans for the firm to become bigger, bolder and better, whilst consolidating its standing as one of the most exciting and top performing operators in the sector today.
The Belgium team is headed by Carlo Turner Non-Network and Continent Director who leads a growing team of 47 staff, based locally in both Belgium and the UK, he is also looking to expand the local team in Oostende with the introduction of market managers in strategically important hub locations.
Andrew Baxter, Chief Executive (CEO) Officer
“Our open and transparent approach has been key in adapting and optimising supply chains to unlock growth potential along the way. Our 2021 financial results – the best ever in the firm’s history – are testament to this, and the immense efforts we invested in Brexit, and preparedness to keep our customers’ freight moving despite the ongoing Covid challenges.
“We will continue to build on our strong foundations to gain market share whilst also facing economic uncertainty head on, with flexibility and a determination to succeed for our customers.”


CLEVELAND - Cleveland police leaders presented their Cleveland Division of Police 2014 workload application and platoon staffing to the Cleveland City Council's safety committee Wednesday.
The department uses a formula to determine the number of police officers in each police district. It is based on crimes, the size of the district and number of calls for service. Safety Director Michael McGrath said it is a formula used nationwide. "You get a pretty fair deployment ratio when you use the formula," said McGrath.
The city has been using it for about 15 years. There are not any dramatic changes in the number of officers in each district, McGrath added.
Daisy Pudelski has owned Daisy's Ice Cream Stand for 38 years. She has seen Slavic Village change over that time. "Seeing a police officer makes a difference, " said Pudelski.
There is a program geared toward putting more police on the streets. It is called the beat program. It uses ward allocations to hire off-duty police officers during big events or peak times in Slavic Village. "This is additional support for CPD," said Cleveland City Councilman Tony Brancatelli.
Cleveland has just over 1,500 police officer. The fourth district has the most at 186, the first district has the least with 131.


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This salad is full of colours, with delicious textures and flavours. Quite simple to make and very nutritious.
This recipe offers another way to introduce black beans into our diet, an ingredient that contains iron, folic acid, and fibre, making it a good option to take to the table.
Barely any oil is used and corn juice from the can is used instead, making it a healthy salad option.
- 150g Nnova Rice Macaroni
- 1 can corn (350g), keep the water
- 1 can (425g) black beans1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 100g chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno chilli, finely chopped
- Few drops of Tabasco sauce (optional)
- Chopped coriander
- 50ml pre-reserved corn water from the can
- 50ml red wine vinegar
- 50ml olive oil
- Few tabasco sauce (optional)
- ½ tsp chilli powder(optional)
- 15ml fresh lemon juice
- Fresh chopped coriander
To prepare the vinaigrette use a hermetic glass jar and add corn water, red wine vinegar, olive oil, tabasco sauce drops, chilli powder, lemon juice and chopped coriander.
Shake it and pour over the salad mixing it completely with all the ingredients.
Cook the macaroni pasta according to the packet instructions and rinse with warm water.
In a bowl mix the corn, black beans, red pepper, onions, garlic, tomatoes, jalapeno chilli, macaroni pasta and reserve.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Serve on a platter and garnish with coriander springs or chopped chives.

domain: food


This OLFA® rotary cutter is ideal for medium to heavy-duty projects. It cuts up to six layers of thin materials. Perfect for: cutting strips and multiple layers at once. Cuts fabric, paper, tarp, vinyl, upholstery…
This pack contains a high quality 45mm tungsten straight replacement blade.
Durable straight handle
Features a tungsten steel 45mm rotary blade.
To be used on a rotary cutter mat like our OLFA pink
Blade cover for safety.
For both right handers and left-handers.
Please be aware that the blades are extremely sharp. Keep it away from children and always in the delivered protection case.


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Catastrophe reinsurance rates are likely to move back into negative territory at 1 January as market fundamentals bring about a reversal of the limited pricing gains made in 2018.
As the reinsurance market begins the run-up to the 1 January renewal season at the Monte Carlo Rendez-Vous, a range of reinsurers and brokers suggested privately that without a major cat loss, the balance of power would be tilted in favour of buyers.
The US casualty market is less strictly governed by supply-and-demand economics, so may be subject to a different set of dynamics that could again prompt an uneven improvement in terms for reinsurers.
Reinsurers, which tend to dominate the public discourse on rates in Monte Carlo, are likely to talk up rates, or at least to argue for a flattish renewal.
Last week, as part of its response to the takeover approach from Covea, Scor said it was bullish on rates and talked about the start of a new pricing cycle.
However, at least in cat lines, there is too much capital chasing insufficient risk. Specialty lines like marine and aviation are showing evidence of distress at the front end with a number of carrier withdrawals, but the much smaller secondary markets are also likely to continue to be over-capitalised given the diversification benefits they offer.
As such, it looks likely that we will see a continuation of the recent pattern in which there has been a divergence between the pricing commentary from reinsurers at Monaco and the final outcome at 1 January.
With absolute returns therefore set to remain disappointing, much attention at the conference is likely to focus on reinsurers’ responses.
Here discussions will focus on M&A, diversification, cost-cutting and technology.
Property cat reinsurers achieved mid-single-digit rate increases on loss-free US accounts at 1 January this year and there was an almost imperceptible increase in international cat pricing as well.
This probably represented a positive swing of 5-10 percentage points from the trend before hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria (HIM) hit.
The 1 January renewals were widely described as “disappointing” by reinsurers, but were probably not much worse than most private assumptions from observers that anticipated a rapid reload by the ILS market.
Momentum on property cat pricing slowed over the next nine months as the replenished ILS capital was brought to bear and loss creep turned out to be largely confined to Hurricane Irma.
The 1 April Japanese renewals were almost exactly flat and the 1 June renewals – which included a high proportion of loss-hit accounts – were little better.
Underwriting sources said the renewals were “depressing”, with even loss-impacted accounts attracting only single-digit rises and isolated examples of “good cedants” that were able to get loss-hit covers home with small risk-adjusted reductions.
The loss record has provided little help to reinsurers arguing for rate rises, with the first half of the year extremely benign. Swiss Re estimated global cat losses at $18bn in H1 compared to a 10-year average of $30bn.
And to date the North Atlantic wind season – which is predicted to be below average in meteorological terms – has resulted in no meaningful events.
As such, reinsurers that have avoided loss creep have reported strong results.
In reinsurance, capital is king – and the oversupply of capital remains the sector’s single biggest challenge.
According to data from Willis Re’s global index, reinsurers’ shareholders’ equity stood at $364.9bn at H1 2018, up 4.8 percent from the same point a year ago.
ILS capital, which is typically willing to accept a lower return than public markets equity capital, has also recovered to reach record levels and has a disproportionate impact in the cat market.
The industry’s top 10 managers grew their assets by 7.2 percent over the first half of the year to reach $68.7bn at 1 July, according to figures from sister title Trading Risk. This is 21.2 percent higher than at the same point last year.
That ocean of capital is unlikely to dry up any time soon, and it looks as if it could get deeper still, with a series of takeovers by businesses with huge balance sheets likely to create additional capacity over the next two to three years.
AIG has already completed its $5.6bn acquisition of Validus, Axa is awaiting the close of its $15.3bn XL deal and The Hartford has recently signed a $2.1bn agreement to take over Navigators.
Taken together, the three acquiring businesses had 2017 shareholder equity of $165bn. Any or all of them could put more capital into the reinsurance operations of their new acquisitions over the next few years, potentially increasing capital oversupply even further.
On the fringes of the global picture, Lloyd’s sharp focus on improving profitability could place some pressure on the amount of aggregate limit it deploys, although it is likely to have a more pronounced effect in primary lines.
There is also an unintended consequence of creating confusion around both buying and selling, with syndicates unclear at this stage what their business plans for 2019 will look like after Lloyd’s is finished with them.
There has been additional demand coming off the back of 2017, with various cedants looking to add more catastrophe limit, but this has tended to be low rate-on-line top-layer risk transfer.
In broad terms, sources expected demand for reinsurance cover to be flat to modestly up.
Sources said this simple supply and demand ratio made rate rises more or less impossible, at least on loss-free accounts.
Absent what one source described as an “Armageddon event”, reinsurers’ hopes seem to be pinned on a lock-up of the retro market.
Markel Catco, the cornerstone provider of low-attaching retro, has been a huge outlier on loss deterioration, having initially forecast a 2017 return of 5 percent up to 15 percent down following the HIM storms before revising its loss to 27.6 percent in April this year. In May this deteriorated further to 41.4 percent.
The company announced a successful mid-year fundraise of $600mn, but if it were to suffer significant redemptions or some other adverse outcome as a result of the post-raise deterioration, then a meaningful reduction in renewal capacity could cause some dislocation in the retro market.
With available capital again dwarfing supply, the extent of rate rises will depend in part on where cedants choose to place themselves on the spectrum of relationship-based buyer to financially driven buyer.
Reinsurers are sure to argue that a period of respite on rates is required after years of steep reductions and with cat pricing still roughly 40 percent below 2012 levels.
Regardless, a canvass suggests that risk-adjusted rate reductions of around 5 percent could be achievable for many US cedants.
European cat pricing is unlikely to give up as much ground as US cover due to lower margins and the very muted uptick in rates last year.
Asia has historically been the softest region for pricing as reinsurers chase growth.
The casualty market is likely to behave somewhat differently, sources suggested.
Cat books can still deliver returns in the mid-to-high single digits in a normal loss year, but even with investment returns baked in, casualty treaty is offering returns that are more meagre.
Auto, in particular commercial auto, has been highly challenging and the loss inflation seen there for a number of years has started to spread to other areas.
Rising loss ratios coming off the back of years of increasing ceding commissions pushed reinsurers to breaking point last year, with terms starting to move against cedants in the second half of 2017.
Returns are still considered inadequate and it seems likely that there will again be some reduction in ceding commissions at 1 January, with original rates also offering reinsurers an offset against loss inflation.
With pricing in casualty more heavily driven by loss experience, the spread of pricing outcomes is likely to be wider than in cat, where most clients will come into the renewal season without losses.
Back to the grind
Although it is early in the renewal season and major cat events cannot be foreseen, the dynamics of the developing discussions are clear already.
And after the turbulence and excitement of 2017, it seems possible that the long slow grind that characterised the market in 2015 and 2016 will resume.
If that proves to be the case and the market as a whole cannot fight its way back to healthy returns, the focus will shift to the performance and strategy of individual businesses – and who is a buyer and who is a seller.

domain: news


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About halfway through reading this one, I started texting my friends. I said, “I really wanted to like this book, because hijabi protagonist! Muslim fiction! But it’s so. damn. shallow.” I was feeling really bummed, because up until about halfway, Sofia Khan is Not Obliged read like Malik had just wanted to write about Bridget Jones, but with a hijab. There was really nothing very unique to the Muslim experience other than a few jokes. Which – I don’t expect Muslim fiction to be moralistic (I prefer it when it isn’t, actually), but what’s the point of just replicating secular fiction and making some cosmetic adjustments?
But, I ploughed on, and although I do still think there are a few problematic things about it, it became clear that the shallowness at the beginning was a deliberate feint rather than a tone-deaf burble.
things i appreciated
1. that it offered a multi-faceted view of Muslims – like Austen’s Emma, Sofia is as bad at reading people as she is at understanding herself, but she does try to be accepting of all the varieties of Muslims and Islam she encounters – the “fundos”, “beardies”, the ones who drink and sex up, and she has great sympathy for the marginalized within Muslim communities.
2. incredible insight into the threads of South Asian family, particularly in-law issues! Polygamy, love marriages and divorce, and their complexities are also lent some depth – no moralistic ruminating on their goodness or badness, just an acknowledgement that they are very very complicated. And human.
3. the relationship between Sofia and her Prince Charming is SO TEXTBOOK ROMANCE. And I mean that in a good way! It was slow-burning and familiar – reminded me of Meg Cabot. It was really in the interactions in this relationship that I began to have a sense of who Sofia really was as a person. Not who the other characters told me she was – but who she showed herself to be through her actions.
4. I liked how Sofia slowly began to deepen in character, just like the book she was writing. As she thought more about things, she took them on, and her faith expanded and deepened as well. Whereas at the beginning of the novel it just felt like she was Muslim because she was supposed to be, and putting on the hijab was dealt with very flippantly – which very much felt like a cop-out.
5. I liked that Sofia herself was inconsistent in her faith, and that her practice changed and ebbed and flowed with the events happening around her. She tried, but she definitely wasn’t a perfect Muslim. Those moments were real to me. It spoke to the fact that you can believe something, really and truly, and still not always live up to those beliefs and ideals 24/7, 365.
things i didn’t
1. the characterization of Sofia herself – it felt inconsistent and I never quite got a sense of a distinct Sofia Khan. Everyone kept saying she was argumentative and strong and bolshy and all that, but it seemed to me she never really stood up for herself, mostly because she didn’t know what she stood for. A case of please show, don’t tell, I think.
2. while the shallowness was a deliberate feint, the concept was better than its execution. There wasn’t enough foreshadowing/hinting of depth in the first half of the novel for the concept to really gain steam.
3. 2011 – was Whatsapp a thing in 2011? Felt like an anachronism. Even IG wasn’t as big back then as it is now, so it felt weird that they were referenced in a 2015/2016 way.
things i was on the fence about
I really enjoy some chick-lit – Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series, to me, is a triumph of voice and tone in the genre. Sofia Khan is very British, very familiar in its flippant tone, and it is humorous, but the depth and heart missing from the first half of the novel means that the book didn’t feel as emotionally cohesive as it could have.
“God, Emma asks a lot of questions. I find this to be a problem. Not the questions, per se, just the assumption that I have answers. I’m not an anthropologist.”
“There are the men who’ll marry a hijabi – but then expect her to move in with a hole-in-the-wall, or think she’s going to be this weird paragon of traditional values.” I sighed. “And then there are the men who are all, ‘You’re living in the west – what’s with the hijab?’”
“I looked at Naim’s friend request and wondered about extracted moments of my life being available to him.” (Isn’t this how we all feel when we accept a request on social media? You can trust people you know well to know you are more than what you post – but others know only what you show them, so you have to be more careful about what you show.)
“I’ve obviously heard this story before, but sometimes I forget that beneath her ever-present need to clean and do something, there’s an immigrant woman – full of stories about death, and washing clothes in a cold climate.”
“I hear it all the time about marriage. You must be patient with your husband. If he asks for five curries for dinner or wants you to live with his parents, then you must comply. If he wants his shoes licked clean, then why do you think you have a tongue? Oh, I don’t know – maybe to have an opinion? Worse is when people start using Islam to tell you to be a bloody doormat.”
“Always be around the people that see the best in you. Gives you a fighting chance of maybe one day being that person.”
“I didn’t know I had to explain my life to people as well as go through the process of actually living it.”
“People are nuanced.”
It took me too long to get into it, but the second half of the novel really did redeem the first half (could have maybe been cut down to a third?).
I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series – The Other Half of Happiness out on 6 April – and to a more distinct Sofia!
#muslimshelfspace on twitter. all the yeses.

domain: artistic


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Egami namio horserider thesis
Scholars prompted the emergence of the horse-rider theory, which hypothesized ch'oe's articulation of the migration theory served as a prelude to his thesis when egami namio(1906-2002), a historian of central asia, first advanced his.
江上波夫 egami namio (1906-2002), was a famous japanese in egami's view, this horserider theory was the best way to explain what he.
Origins of japanese lies in egami namio's horserider thesis-or in his unpublished 1933 university of vienna doctoral dissertation oka.
Some japanese historians—most prominently egami namio—as proof the first draft of this essay was written during my fellowship with the international egami's horse-rider theory was first published in 1948, but a similar idea was earlier.Download egami namio horserider thesis

domain: history


CoinMarketCap CSO, on DeFi for Fostering a More Open Economy
Following part one of our interview with Carylyne Chan, the Chief Strategy Officer at CoinMarketCap, she elaborated on seizing market opportunities in decentralized finance (DeFi) with a new product, Interest by CoinMarketCap. She also outlined the potential effects of staking regarding CMC’s operations and plans for 2020.
DeFi allowing CMC to foster a more open economy
CMC announced the launch of Interest by CoinMarketCap on Oct.17, as the one-stop resource for users to acquire the latest information on rates in saving, lending, borrowing and margin trading on cryptoassets. The platform started with 33 cryptoassets traded across wallets, exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, and now has over 40 assets. Chan strongly believes that DeFi will allow CMC to foster a more open economy. By creating a more transparent data platform, Chan further explained, “What we’re trying to do in the DeFi space is to ensure that we show everything in the same place, bringing transparency and efficiency to the space.” Chan suggested that CMC may soon go beyond listing crypto assets on Interest by CoinMarketCap and that derivatives may be added in the future. She also believes that many aspects are interlinked, including the yields for borrowing and lending as it affects the pricing across the spectrum.
Integration for a better user experience
Gathering data from decentralized, borrowing, and lending platforms have been “pleasantly straightforward,” according to Chan, as there are a lot of similarities in the infrastructure of how the information is collected from exchanges. Elaborating on CMC’s aim to enhance user experience, Chan said, “We wanted to find meaningful ways that we can segregate different things, including centralized, decentralized categories that you see on the site. On the product side of things, people can really experience and enjoy the platform in a way that helps to compare things much more easily.”
What is the impact of staking?
As Ethereum is moving towards implementing a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, Chan explained the possible challenges CMC may have to overcome. “Staking has a few areas of impact, when we think about staking and how it affects circulating supply and finally on the market capitalization of crypto. When the crypto is staked, it is locked in a sense, so we have to think about how we can account for crypto, which is staked, and account for the supply based on that.” She further added that the company is currently working out the details of this matter, and she also believes that PoS is a better solution for the environment. “I think that there will be many more opportunities for us to aggregate some of this content to help push forward behaviors such as staking and participation in staking.”
What’s next for CoinMarketCap in 2020?
After announcing the new Liquidity metric at The Capital, Chan said that CMC would continue to push on improving the accuracy of data as well as to increase the utility and the content of the site to add more content partners. “We launched a jobs board as well, increasing the utility of the site will allow us to engage more deeply as we will be launching new educational initiatives. We are also going mainstream with outreach such as on Yahoo Finance and other aggregator sites,” said Chan. CMC confirmed its strategic partnership with Yahoo Finance on Nov. 21 to power Yahoo’s cryptocurrency screener section.


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Search over 1 million properties and 550 airlines worldwide.
Most hotels are fully refundable. Because flexibility matters.
Reviewed on Sep 9, 2021
Reviewed on Sep 13, 2021
Reviewed on Sep 15, 2021
Finally! You were able to sneak away from the daily grind for a couple weeks. That getaway you've been thinking of is fast approaching. One of the best parts of a holiday is the hotel. For a few weeks, you will not have to burden yourself about straightening up, making your bed, or dealing with laundry.
Not dealing with everyday responsibilities can be invigorating, but it is the hotel's amenities, like a hot tub, that will make your trip extra special. Expedia makes it simple to plan out your vacation and reserve the things that can make it one worth remembering.
Hot tubs are one of the perfect ways to unwind and help recharge your body. Any time you switch up your routine, you often spend more time walking, which can be especially true sightseeing in a locale like Downtown Portland. Fortunately, jetted tubs have evolved dramatically from just tossing some heated rocks in a bath, or searching for an outdoor thermal spring to soak in.
You'll discover soaking in your Downtown Portland hotel hot tub is an ideal way to refresh after a busy afternoon, or stay warm after you have swum some laps in the swimming pool. The hotel's spa tub jets produce the best in effervescent relaxation. And if you rather relax in your own space, you'll see Downtown Portland accommodations listed that have a hot tub or whirlpool bath in the room, allowing you to relax in private while also reading a book.
Expedia makes it painless to find a hotel with a hot tub in Downtown Portland that will help make your vacation. No matter if you're spending your trip checking out anything and everything in Downtown Portland or attending one business symposium after another, you will discover that your concerns will disappear as soon as you set foot in to your hotel's whirlpool tub.

domain: travel


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- The Wall Street Journal reports on the Democratic leadership’s “risky” appropriations strategy. According to the report, “No one predicts a government shutdown, but the Democratic majority faces a lame-duck president who has interpreted the 2006 elections as a call to vigorously exercise his veto power against spending.”
- According to a New York State Attorney General press release, CIGNA has entered into an agreement with Attorney General Cuomo, witnessed by the American Medical Association and Consumer’s Union, to provide more transparency over its doctor ranking process. The AP reports that CIGNA “said its list of preferred doctors, always based on quality and cost, won’t change because of Cuomo’s agreement. Cigna will still consider both but will begin sharing more information with customers.”
- A Wall Street Journal editorial directed me to an interesting study titled “Comparing Public and Private Health Insurance: Would A Single-Payer System Save Enough to Cover the Uninsured?” The study was written by Benjamin Zycher of the Manhattan Institute. The author explains in pertinent part that
- Administrative costs for private health insurance, defined broadly, are in the range of 11-14 percent of total premiums.
- Administrative costs reported directly in the Medicare budget, combined with a proportional allocation of the costs of other federal government administrative functions, yield a finding of 6 percent of Medicare outlays as the total reported administrative costs for Medicare. This more complete estimate is twice as high as a proportion of Medicare outlays as commonly asserted.
- The lower reported administrative costs for Medicare are unsurprising, in that Medicare spends substantially less on such functions as marketing, risk evaluation, claims scrutiny, and compliance with the regulatory requirements of the individual states. This does not mean that the higher reported administrative costs of private health insurance are “wasteful.” Instead, they serve the interests of consumers by reducing the extent to which insurance creates cross-subsidies among consumer classes; such cross-subsidies reduce the economic benefits of risk-pooling. Private administrative functions also impose discipline on the consumption of health-care resources, thus reducing upward pressure on insurance premiums.
The study is worth reading.

domain: finance


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Captain Mariak is a brazilian artist and concept designer living in a boat in Yas Marina - Abu Dhabi.
The idea of the project "Mariak on Board" is very simple. Mariak own the holding and green building consultancy company called Torus Legacy that is focused on smart technologies and concept design (interior, exterior, landscape) based in Masdar City. She start to put together friends that own boats by passion and start to develop a different way to do business with this boat owners. Today they manage experiences in 8 different boats (from small fishing boats to big yacht). With their relationship more frequent, more and more people know what they do for living, fun, exchange, offers and needs... because of that, these friends enjoy their good life moments together and make business on board in the same time. "We want to enjoy our lifestyle, developing sustainable business with unique experiences on board. With our club of boat owners, boat lovers and friends, people can understand more about sustainable business, concept design and join us to give soul to the Boat Mariak. Our Boat exist to tell the stories of people experiences, legacies and business.We want to improve our Mariak Boat more and more, so this boat can become a show case of unique design, sustainable business and innovation here in UAE. .".

domain: design


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Samsung Galaxy S8 Facial Recognition Feature Could Be Used For Making Mobile Payments
As the launch date of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is coming closer, rumors, speculations and leaks, pertaining to the device are gathering momentum.
Based on the rumored speculations, Samsung is expected to beef up the device with biometric security options, including facial recognition as well as fingerprint and iris scanners. All three features are reflective of Samsung’s goal to make the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ secure devices.
Samsung will be looking to regain lost ground after the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, pinning its hopes on the success of both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.
The rumored facial recogntion feature on the smartphones will add value to the handsets. Now, a report from Bloomberg reveals that the facial recognition feature may also be used for making payments.
Facial Recognition Supporting Mobile Payments
The facial recognition feature for making mobile payments is expected to be included in the device right after its release.
This feature will give a strong edge to Samsung over its arch rival Apple, per the publication’s sources who are familiar with the matter. Based on the rumors, the company has already started talking with banks, for the successful inclusion of the facial recognition option, so that consumers can make payments via the feature.
The Galaxy S8 will possibly become the first smartphone to use this feature to make payments if the rumors bear fruition. With the increased importance of mobile security among customers, options like an iris scanner as well as facial recognition are an excellent combination of features.
Bloomberg also revealed that Samsung is bringing in these security features together as they complement each other. One can rely on the iris scanner to unlock their phone even in the absence of proper light to start the facial recognition system per reports.
However, the facial recognition feature has to be both smart and robust at the same time. It has to be smart enough to not get bluffed by a photograph, instead of a real face.
Other Expected Features And Rumors
Samsung is trying its level best to ensure that its flagship Galaxy S8 stands out from the rest of the competitors such as Apple, HTC and LG to name few.
The device is speculated to feature a, 5.8-inch 3D touch display screen combined with “Desktop Mode.” This mode will reportedly allow the user to connect their device to a computer monitor, and use it as a desktop instead.
The Galaxy S8 is expected to be released on April 28, per tipster Evan Blass, instead of April 21. With the Samsung event slated for March 29, one will soon know what surprises it has in store.
From Tech Times
More Galaxy S8 News


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View of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats with laundry hanging out of the balconies in MacPherson housing estate. These public housing apartments were some of the first-generation flats built by HDB in the 1960s.
19980005142 - 0026
Viewing permitted. Use and reproduction only with permission.
Ministry of Culture Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Contribution received from Lee Heng Lye Jerry via Citizen Archivist portal

domain: library


text:
Our research is editorially independent but we may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
San Francisco is an exciting city to bring your dog to enjoy the local parks, patios, and outdoor recreation. An increasing number of people are opting to not leave their pups behind when they travel, which is no problem if you’re headed to San Francisco. Here are some of the most pet-friendly hotels in San Francisco to enjoy a vacation by the bay with your dog.
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The Hotel Nikko San Francisco is a pet-friendly hotel that has a resident welcome dog named Buster who serves as the COO (canine operating officer). You can actually arrange to meet with Buster by calling the hotel operator! Dog guests who stay here enjoy hotel-provided beds, bowls, and treats. They also have access to a large pet terrace with a dog run that’s open from 6am to 10pm. Pet owners pay $50 per day for dogs that are 50 pounds or under. The fee for dogs over 50 pounds jumps to $200 per night. Additionally, there is a non-refundable cleaning fee of $150 per stay for pets. Hotel Nikko also offers a dog-friendly package that includes additional treats and discounted rates. This hotel is steps from Union Square and has a glass-enclosed pool and health club too.
Hotel Zeppelin also welcomes pets to its rooms in San Francisco and does not have any weight limits for dogs. There is just a one-time $75 cleaning fee per reservation that’s required. Pets who stay here receive a custom dog bed, food and water bowls, and other fun perks. This is also a Union Square hotel and one that has an urban, avant-garde, and bohemian vibe. Guests enjoy the vintage turntables, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, and flavorful California fare served at Rambler onsite. The list of Hotel Zeppelin amenities also includes Martone bicycle and EcoReco electric scooters, the Mantel Bar music series on Fridays, and fitness center, and den game room with fun games to play.
Cavallo Points welcomes dogs, up to two per room when you let the hotel know you’re bringing pups along. There is a $150 one-time fee to bring dogs. They must be leashed at all times when on the property and not be left unattended in guest rooms. The hotel has an Eco Luxe Pups program that provides dogs with luxurious bedding, Sausalito pottery food and water bowls, organic treats, and a pet swag bag. Great places to take your dog nearby are Rodeo Beach at the Marin Headlands and Remington Dog Park in Sausalito. This hotel is at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge and not far from downtown San Francisco. It has its own spa and cooking school too.
The Taj Campton Place is a pet-friendly hotel that offers city and Union Square views, has a 24-hour on-call doctor and nurse, offers babysitting for children, and has a 24-hour open-air rooftop fitness terrace. A pet fee applies for a stay here too, so contact the hotel for details. You can drink and dine onsite here at the Campton Place Bar and Bistro and Campton Place Restaurant.
Bring your dog along to stay with you at the Proper Hotel in San Francisco and enjoy the vibrant Mid-Market district together. There are modern rooms and suites as well as Wi-Fi, bicycles, and rooftop views. There is a $100 one-time cleaning fee here for pets, and up to two pets can stay per room. The maximum pet weight is 35 pounds, and only dogs are allowed (sorry, cats). Ten percent of your pet fee here is donated to Best Friends Animal Society. Pets here receive feeding bowls and doggie treats. Other hotel amenities for human guests are a fitness center, sophisticated dining at the Villon restaurant, drinks with a view at Charmaine’s, and the café market of La Bande.
Pets up to 25 pounds can stay with you at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, Nob Hill when you pay a $100 non-refundable fee per stay. Pet rooms are on specific floors of the hotel, but just don’t leave your pet unattended in your room. This Nob Hill hotel is sophisticated and has historic charm. It’s also in easy walking distance of Union Square, Chinatown, and the Financial District. For human guests, there is a 24-hour fitness center, business center, conference facilities, and breakfast available for an extra fee. Top of the Mark is the onsite restaurant on the 19th floor that offers amazing 360-degree panorama views.
Hotel Vitale is a pet-friendly hotel that allows both dog and cat guests of 30 pounds or less per room. It provides pet bowls, beds, and mats. The non-refundable cleaning fee here is $75. The hotel can also arrange for pet sitters and walkers upon request. Stay here to enjoy views of the Embarcadero waterfront and downtown. There’s a penthouse spa with rooftop soaking tubs here, a signature restaurant, on-site fitness center, and public terraces for guests to use here.
The Ritz-Carlton, Nob Hill’s pet policy allows for dogs up to 30 pounds as long as they are leashed in elevators and carried through the lobby. There is a $200 non-refundable pet fee that applies to pets here. The hotel is a Nob Hill landmark with chic suites and guest rooms. It has a 24-hour fitness center, live music, afternoon tea, regionally inspired dining venues, spa, and wine tastings.
The last pet-friendly hotel we’ll mention here is the Westin St. Francis, Union Square. One dog per room up to 40 pounds is allowed here. Contact the hotel for pet fee rates. This hotel’s 31 floors have a collection of elegant rooms and suites, while there’s a fitness center and dining on site here too.


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sore neck: exercises and postures recommended. It seems incredible but cervical problems are one of the great evils that we face all people. While it is true that adults and older people suffer most from these problems none are exempt with forbearing. To avoid as far as possible we have these pains that she also affect the head, dizziness and lightheadedness we need to make some daily exercise and be aware that posture is important to prevent any damage.
Sometimes we have forgotten and we do not realize the true importance care for our vertebrae and as a result our neck.
In the same way we do exercises to strengthen our buttocks to show off sexy and toned, or even our arms to sagging that occurs over time as small as possible, we must also take care of other body parts while not are so aesthetic are caring for health reasons.
What are the most recommended to have a healthy neck posture?
Both the head and spine They must be balanced in the line of gravity. issues obesity, for example, they can make this balance is broken causing the lumbar curves and ridges such decompensate altering the cervical and also cause neck pain.
In children, for example, one of the cervical problems those who face the weight come loaded with backpacks, postures when studying and sleeping.
- Postural recommendations:
Sleep should maintain a neck position as straight as possible. So that if you usually sleep on their backs, it is best to opt for a low pillow. While if sleep side should be a little higher, so that as stated above the neck remain straight.
When we’re sitting posture it is also very important, therefore recommending sit on high chairs whose backs are straight and the back is well supported on the backrest. Must avoid tilting the neck forward, so we must support the buttocks well too. Something that can help us to be more comfortable will use a small Banzo to place your feet.
What exercises can do to strengthen and improve our neck?
To do the exercises correctly you will be best to apply what you see in these illustrative videos. Remember do every day to avoid the dreaded neck pain:

domain: medical


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Synopses & Reviews
After discovering that a group of ferrets is called a business, Sarah Asper-Smith became fascinated with the intersection of language and the natural world. Using bold prints overlaid on vibrant colors, she created Have You Ever Seen a Smack of Jellyfish? to chronicle the poetic words used to describe the magnificent animal kingdom. From a knot of frogs to a watch of nightingales, the book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the alphabet with animals as their guide, starting with an army of ants, and ending with a zeal of zebras. The color illustrations and playful use of language will appeal to readers of all ages.
"First-time author Asper-Smith's background in graphic design is evident in this ABC book devoted to collective nouns. Crisp, eye-popping silhouettes put the animals' shapes (always shown in black) in high relief. A murder of crows perches on a tree's spindly blue branches against a neon green sky (creating a palpable sense of unease), while the yellow-on-pink victim of a 'scourge of mosquitoes' makes their descriptor feel all the more apt. Clean design, attention to detail, and intriguing animal selections from a 'watch of nightingales' to a 'walk of snails' make this an elegant primer. Ages 3 8. (Jan.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)
Using bold prints overlaid on vibrant colors, "Have You Ever Seen a Smack of Jellyfish?" chronicles the poetic words used to describe the magnificent animal kingdom. From a knot of frogs to a watch of nightingales, the book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the alphabet with animals as its guide.
About the Author
Inspired by the ocean and language, Sarah Asper-Smith's lively artwork has a strong following on Etsy, with over 1,500 fans, and is regularly displayed on indie retailer Buy Olympias homepage. Her work has been featured in Bust, Pottery Barn Teen, and T


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Childhood memories meet adult merriment at this whimsical carousel-themed bar by the Luna Park Pool. Clown around while you enjoy specialty rocks or frozen cocktails, beer, wine and sangria. Snacks and sandwiches such as roast beef and smokey turkey are also available at Leaping Horse Libations, the pool bar at Disney’s BoardWalk Villas & Inn. Guests must be 21 and older to purchase alcoholic beverages. You will find the full menu here.
Hours: Opens at 11:00 a.m. and closing hours vary **Hours are subject to change.


I received a free download for this review. All opinions remain my own.
Of all the promises I made about what I would and would not do as a parent, I am, at least 18-months in, still steadfast about avoiding irritating, syrupy, high-pitched children’s music. (Raffy and Fred Penner don’t count: they’re awesome.)
The only place we hear such drivel is at our indoor playground at the rec centre, where the same nauseating CD plays over, and over and over.
At our house, I expose Cub to quality tunes: Destiny’s Child, *N Sync, No Doubt, Britney Spears, Missy Elliot… okay, I confess, I expose him to what I listened to in my golden years of music listening… the late 90’s. (Don’t believe me? Check out Cub Dance Party on Grooveshark!) But such dance-pop classics aren’t suitable for winding down to go to bed.
When he was tiny, I bought instrumental lullaby versions of U2’s hits and some soothing piano to play as I rocked him to sleep. At 18 months, we’d gotten out of the habit of playing music at bedtime…. until now!
I’m going to confess: I’m the Eighties Baby, not Cub. I lie with my son until he falls asleep (sometimes we get to hear the whole album twice!), and Jammy Jams Eighties Babies signals to him that it’s time to wind down, and to me that’s it’s time to get nostalgic. The 80s lullaby renditions trade synthesizers for gentle vibraphone, marimba, xylophone and piano. They’re completely unobtrusive, not obnoxious, and the sort of music that, when heard every night, will not drive you bonkers.
Listening to Eighties Babies, I’m doing karaoke in my head as I hearken back to my childhood listening to soft rock hits on Kiss FM… and then I’m realizing that the 80s were THIRTY FRICKIN’ YEARS AGO, which seems insane… except then I realize I AM THIRTY. Then, I think that my son will think of the 80s the way I think of the…. *gasp* FIFTIES!
So sure, Jammy Jams Eighties Babies will relax your little one into a deep slumber, but it may send you back in time… I emerge from Cub’s bedroom, bleary eyed and thinking about The Breakfast Club.


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Article - 2 Minute Read
October 27, 2014
Learn about how your brain and body reacts to fear, and discover why your pulse quickens, adreneline increases, and hormones make you feel like superman.
Medically Reviewed by Neurosurgery
Categorized as: Family Health, Neurosurgery and Brain Health
Tagged with: adrenaline, afraid, amygdala, blood pressure, brain, brain chemical, fear, glutamate, hypothalamus, thalamus

domain: psychology


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A new study from UC Davis has revealed that raw milk found in U.S. stores may be a source of antimicrobial resistance. The experts report that unpasteurized milk left at room temperature can harbor a shockingly high number of antimicrobial-resistant genes.
Furthermore, the research showed that bacteria containing antimicrobial-resistant genes can transfer them to other bacteria, potentially spreading resistance.
“We don’t want to scare people, we want to educate them. If you want to keep drinking raw milk, keep it in your refrigerator to minimize the risk of it developing bacteria with antibiotic-resistant genes,” said study lead author Jinxin Liu.
Unpasteurized milk is often endorsed as having an abundance of probiotics, or healthy bacteria, compared to pasteurized milk. However, the researchers discovered that this is not the case.
“Two things surprised us. We didn’t find large quantities of beneficial bacteria in the raw milk samples, and if you leave raw milk at room temperature, it creates dramatically more antimicrobial-resistant genes than pasteurized milk,” explained Liu.
When antimicrobial-resistant genes are passed to pathogens, they have the potential to become “superbugs” that resist treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly three million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection each year, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths.
The UC Davis team analyzed over 2,000 pasteurized and raw milk samples from retail stores in five states. Raw milk was found to contain the highest prevalence of antibiotic-resistant microbes when left at room temperature.
“Our study shows that with any temperature abuse in raw milk, whether intentional or not, it can grow these bacteria with antimicrobial resistance genes,” said study co-author Michele Jay-Russell. “It’s not just going to spoil. It’s really high risk if not handled correctly.”
Some people are using clabbered milk, which has been left out at room temperature to ferment, for various recipes. Study co-author David Mills said that when consumers eat raw milk clabber, they are likely adding a high number of antimicrobial-resistant genes to their gut.
“You could just be flooding your gastrointestinal tract with these genes,” said Mills. “We don’t live in an antibiotic-free world anymore. These genes are everywhere, and we need to do everything we can to stop that flow into our bodies.”
Mills recommends that consumers use a starter culture if they want to ferment raw milk, which carries specific strains of bacteria to inoculate the milk. Further research is needed to fully understand the health risks for humans associated with antibiotic-resistant genes in raw milk.
The study is published in the journal Microbiome.
By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer


McAfee unveils its Network Security Framework
McAfee has announced its network security framework which integrates advanced network intrusion prevention with essential next-generation controls. The solution addresses a need for security tools to prevent increasingly sophisticated attacks, with sufficient intelligence and automation to take the guesswork out of attack prevention and resolution.
The network security framework includes significant enhancements to the McAfee Network Security Platform, including application visibility and integrated threat-context, aligning it with Gartner's criteria for next-generation network IPS in its report, "Defining Next-Generation Network Intrusion Prevention". According to the report, "Threats are focusing on installing targeted malicious executables onto user PCs, which use advanced techniques to avoid detection and use botnet delivery mechanisms to perform multistage attacks. Simply stopping attacks that are looking for unpatched servers is no longer sufficient in this environment."
Greg Young. Gartner Research said, "Gartner uses the term 'next-generation network IPS' to indicate the necessary evolution of network IPS to deal with changes in network communications and applications and changes in the threat landscape. As a minimum, a next-gen IPS will have standard first-generation IPS capabilities plus application awareness, context awareness, content awareness especially providing full stack inspection."
The McAfee network security framework includes the following aspects: Advanced Network IPS; Application awareness and control; Predictive threat intelligence; Context-aware security; and Content analysis.
Steve Shillingford, President & CEO, Solera Networks said, "To fully understand and eradicate targeted attacks, you need complete visibility of all network traffic, its source and scope, and whether it occurred days, weeks, or months in the past. McAfee Network Security Platform's integration with Solera's DeepSee applications delivers a seamless workflow to security analysts taking you from an alert to irrefutable evidence of the attack, breach or threat, dramatically reducing the time it takes to pinpoint compromises."
By incorporating application visibility, external reputation data, behavior-based threat analysis and advanced malware detection workflows into a single solution, McAfee network security framework delivers next-generation network IPS that allow organizations to streamline security operations while dramatically reducing exposure to new attack types.


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A hospital's patients face "significant risk of harm on a daily basis", ambulance service bosses have warned.
In private letters to the trust running Worcestershire Royal Hospital, they say it is down to delays getting people off ambulances and into the site.
In the correspondence – obtained by the BBC through a Freedom of Information request – the hospital is also said to risk a "catastrophic situation".
The trust said the experience of some patients was not what it wanted.
Mark Docherty, director of clinical commissioning for West Midlands Ambulance Service, wrote twice in February to Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust chief executive Michelle McKay.
He stated that during the first 16 days of the month, 215 ambulances had spent more than an hour outside the hospital.
And he said on 16 February, 10 ambulances waited more than three hours to take patients inside.
"I believe that Worcestershire Royal Hospital is now at a level of concern that requires immediate and radical action if we are to avoid a catastrophic situation," he wrote.
He also said the situation had deteriorated over three years and was prepared to put up tents as a field hospital to ensure safety.
A similar measure had been floated during the 16 February incident, but was not deployed.
According to national guidelines, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is expected to deal with 95% of patients who attend A and E within four hours, but the BBC understands on 16 February it dealt with 47% in four hours.
The trust said there had been a meeting between the parties.
Increases in patients coming through emergency departments, it said, and a higher than expected number of "seriously ill patients arriving by ambulance every day" meant "periods of considerable pressure".
A statement said: "We have not been able to accept patient handovers from ambulance colleagues as promptly as we would have wanted.
"We also recognise that the experience of patients in some of these areas was not what we would want it to be."


FEEDBACK Animation Film & Screenplay Festival
|STAR RUNNER, 2min., USA, Animation/Experimental|
Directed by Ran Sheng
From the Stone Age to the Information Age, from fire to steel, from the Stonehenge to the International Space Station, what is the motive power behind us? This experimental film illustrates what drove us went through the long road of human history, and the evolution of civilization and technology. It also encourages people to think about the future of our civilization – where are we heading?
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!


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If you are a prospective client and have some questions, you may just find the answer below. If you have any additional questions, please drop me a line at email@example.com.
How do you stand apart from the competition as a pet photographer?
If you search online for Kansas City dog photography or Kansas City pet photography, you will find my website number 1 in the search rankings on Google. My work has been seen on the cover and inside features of 435 South, Pet Home and Dog Living Magazines. My pet photography has also been published in Dog Fancy, Life + Dog, Fido Friendly, Bella DOG, Kansas City Fitness, and Metro Pet magazines. My work has been featured on the covers of Happy Tails Books. Click here to read client testimonials.
What photography do you specialize in?
I specialize in natural light pet photography and photo restoration. I also specialize in Pets Going with Grace© sessions which honor and celebrate the lives of aging and critically ill pets. I am available for engagement and wedding photography (by special request only) where pets are encouraged but not required. I also recently expanded my services to offer maternity, newborn and child photography. You can learn more about those packages here and see photo examples here. Be sure to read my article and interview with a local dog trainer about pets and child safety if you plan to include your pets in these shoots.
Why should I choose custom photography?
Custom photography is an investment in images that preserve memories and capture your loved ones as you really know them, and with proper care these images will last a lifetime. As an experienced and nationally recognized pet photographer, I create unique and timeless images that show your pets true personality and soul.
How much are your sessions?
Please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org for full details regarding pricing and options. However this information is summarized on the “Book a Session” tab here.
I am worried my dog will not behave or will be camera shy. Do you have experience with this?
Don’t worry, every dog owner feels the same way! However please know that I chose to specialize in pet photography because I form special connections with dogs and have the ability to capture their unique personality. Every dog I have worked with has been comfortable with me and the camera, regardless of their personality, size or breed. I will get to know your pet and be sure he/she is used to me before I start pointing a camera at them. Many clients have been very surprised how fast their shy or cautious dogs have warmed up to me. I volunteer regularly at animal shelters and rescue organizations and have experience with many different personalities and breeds.
Will you allow me to be in photos with my pet too?
Sure! You are welcome (and encouraged!) to be in the photos with your pet, and I will almost always capture you and your pet’s bond when you don’t even realize it – allowing for the most raw and intimate moments to shine through. Please visit my Puppy Love gallery on my website to see the types of images I create of pets with their owners.
What can I expect during the session?
During your pet photo shoot, you and your furry friend can expect a time full of laughter, bonding and joy. Your pet will receive some yummy treats in exchange for their cooperation with this silly photographer lady! I have a great amount of patience with the pooches and will follow them around and capture them in their true element and not overly pose your pup. I will not immediately cut off the session as soon as we are close to the ending timeframe. Sometimes it doesn’t take long at all to get a collection of great shots, but every dog is different and I have the patience to wait if necessary and ensure I have a variety of photos showing your pet’s personality.
What can I expect after the session?
I define my personality as “Type A”. Wikipedia describes this type as a “high-achieving workaholic who multi-tasks, drives themselves with deadlines, and is unhappy about delays.” This most certainly describes my work ethic. I only book one session per day, so I can dedicate all my time to you. Images are all taken through a detailed post processing process to ensure the highest quality results. You will receive an e-mail with a link to your password-protected gallery for viewing purposes within 3 days from the date of your session. Images will be available to view for 2 weeks from the date of your session. Once you decide which photos you would like to order in digital or hard copy form, send an e-mail to email@example.com with this information.
Do you only offer outdoor photo shoots?
I prefer outdoor photo shoots, usually at local parks or in the backyard of your home. I am open to suggestions though. I would also be willing to photograph your pet indoors, assuming there is a substantial area of natural light available. Cats can be photographed on a sun porch if you prefer them to be confined.
How can I book?
You can conveniently request a booking at my website by clicking here. Once your booking is approved, you will receive an e-mail confirmation and a prompt to pay a 50% deposit online to secure your date. I am available most weekends and also weeknights after 5:30 upon request (depending on the season for adequate natural light). If your photo shoot is rained out, I will reschedule your session on another available day. Gift vouchers can be purchased online and are redeemable up to one year from the date of purchase.
What should I bring the day of the photo shoot?
For pet photo shoots, feel free to bring their favorite toy and/or treats. I will bring treats as well, but if your dog has a preferred treat, it never hurts to bring it along! If your pet is a fashionista, feel free to bring any clothing or accessories you would like them to wear. Most importantly, just bring yourself and your furry best friend and be ready for a good time!
What type of payment do you accept and do you offer refunds?
I accept check or cash, due at the time of service. I accept credit card payments which can be processed online in advance before the photo shoot. I also accept credit card payments for print and product orders. Payment is in exchange for my time during the session and post processing artistry expertise. There are no refunds offered for services or goods.
How far are you willing to travel?
I will travel within the Kansas City area to the outdoor location of your choice or an indoor location if natural light is available. If you live outside of the immediate Kansas City Metropolitan area, I would consider traveling to other cities and states for an additional charge.
P.S. – This post was Remington Schnauzer approved!

domain: pet


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By Christine Rodriguez
Public Policy Manager
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
World Hepatitis Day, on July 28, is an annual reminder of the fight that remains to battle this global killer. Around the world, viral hepatitis --
primarily hepatitis B and C -- kills as many people as HIV/AIDS, and in the United States, hepatitis C-related liver illnesses are both a leading cause of
death for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and independently surpassed HIV/AIDS deaths in 2007. As one of the communities disproportionately affected by
viral hepatitis, at least 25% of PLWHA also have hepatitis C, and about 10% are co-infected with hepatitis B.
Despite having an effective vaccine and treatment for hepatitis B, and a cure -- with regimens becoming shorter and less toxic -- for hepatitis C, the
epidemic continues unabated. Not only are five million people living with viral hepatitis in the United States, but a hepatitis C epidemic is now emerging
among youth under 30 who inject drugs. World Hepatitis Day should serve to remind us that, in a country that claims to have the best health care system in
the world, this is absolutely unacceptable. While US pharmaceutical companies have recently delivered exciting new testing and treatment options (with more
to come), there has yet to be a comprehensive and adequately resourced federal response.
Viral hepatitis also disproportionately affects communities of color (including African Americans, Latinos, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, and
Native Americans), people who engage in injection drug use, military veterans, and the “baby boomer” generation (born from 1945-1965). With most cases
presenting no symptoms, and inadequate testing and provider understanding of viral hepatitis, an estimated 65-75% of those living with viral hepatitis do
not know their status, earning it the moniker “the silent epidemic.” Over decades, the liver can be damaged to the point of cirrhosis, advanced stage liver
disease, or liver cancer. Liver cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers, and the number two cancer killer in the world.
This doesn’t have to be our reality. World Hepatitis Day is an annual opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ending the viral hepatitis epidemic, and
display leadership equal to the potential of our considerable resources. The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) is committed to this goal through
its programmatic and policy advocacy work on behalf of its 200+ member organizations. Included among the policy issues NVHR addresses are implementing new
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force hepatitis B and C testing recommendations, removing barriers to treatment access; increasing federal resources for
screening, vaccination, education, and linkage to care; and access to evidence-based harm reduction strategies to improve drug user health, including
lifting the ban on federal funding for syringe services programs. On the program side, we are working with community organizations, public health
departments, and medical providers to expand their capacity to test “baby boomers” for hepatitis C.
In commemoration of the 2014 campaign, “World Hepatitis Day: Think again,” we urge you to do just that -- think again. Think again about viral hepatitis,
about prevention for yourself and your community, and about joining the fight to end this epidemic.
If you’re interested in more information about viral hepatitis, or how you or your organization can get involved in policy change, check out the links
Free membership in NVHR is open to organizations supporting our mission! Join at: http://nvhr.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=1
Don’t represent an organization? Find us on Facebook (
) or Follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/nvhr1) for the latest news in viral hepatitis and opportunities to
Support the World Hepatitis Alliance’s Thunderclap by July 28 to spread the word: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/12255-hepatitis-think-again
Encourage your representatives to support the Viral Hepatitis Testing Act! To learn how to contact your Representative in the House regarding HR.3723, or
your Senators regarding S.2538, follow this link: http://nvhr.org/content/policy/legislation.
More information about viral hepatitis from CDC at: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/
Are you at risk? Use this CDC Hepatitis Risk Assessment to find out: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/RiskAssessment/
Find a testing location here: http://hepcchallenge.org/hcv-testing-locations/
Posted By: Christine Rodriguez, Public Policy Manager, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable - Friday, July 25, 2014

domain: health


Congress, BJD have no internal democracy, says Amit Shah
08 September, 2017, 00:50 | Author: Irene Delgado
BJP president Amit Shah today said internal democracy exists only in the BJP and Communist parties and not in Congress or others including BJD headed by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as they follow dynastic politics.
"The demonetisation has not had any negative impact (on economic growth)".
During his visit, Shah will hold several rounds of discussions with BJP MLAs, leaders and workers for chalking out strategies to achieve "Mission 120".
Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah arrived in Odisha on a three-day visit as part of his 110-day nationwide tour to strengthen the party in the states. Shah claimed the BJP would win 120 of the 147 Assembly seats in the next polls in Odisha as "people are disillusioned with the dynastic rule in the state".
"NEDA has formed governments in five of the eight north-east states". AGP president, Atul Bora and State Minister Keshab Mahanta are representing the regional party.
UN Confirms Syrian Government's Chemical Weapon Attacks
In late August, a USA intelligence report says with "high confidence" that Syria's government carried out the attack. Twenty seven were by the government of President Bashar al-Assad, including seven between March 1 to July 7.
Japan's Princess Mako renounces royal title to marry
The princess said to journalists both she and Komuro have been courting from the beginning with future marriage in mind. Komuro, who is now working at a law firm while studying, proposed to the princess after dinner in December 2013.
He further criticised Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for celebrating his best administrator award given by news magazine. But we are not getting required support from the State to take up the developmental projects.
The BJP said it had to cancel the event - where a huge number of people were expected to come - due to lack of venue.
"To bring in development in the state, Shah said Modi government handed over Rs 1 lakh 32,000 crores".
Replying to a question at a press conference in Bhubaneshwar Shah said, "We can debate democratic values for those who respect democracy". Rudy and Balyan are tipped to be named BJP general secretaries, the sources added. Free cooking gas connections and bank accounts for all are some of the reformative steps taken by the Narendra Modi government, which the previous government never thought of.
Mr Putin told him the North Korean problem should be solved diplomatically, according to Seoul's presidential office. He said: "I believe the situation may enter an uncontrollable state if the North does not halt its provocations".
It is now testing this service and many users have seen a new option to share photos and videos which are created with Instagram . Ever since Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012, the two apps have mostly been kept separate, according to TechCrunch .
He also said that nobody should preach India on the issue as the country has absorbed the maximum number of refugees in the world. People are also demanding to take back the six million Swedish krona prize money that she won along the Nobel Prize in 1991.
The team going to the World Cup guarantees stable sponsorship deals for the national football governing body. Prior to the match, South Korea leaked 10 goals in eight matches, the joint highest in the group.
In doing so by playing against better teams, there is every reason to expect the U.S. will be made to be a better team as well. Overall passing accuracy was at 81%, and 65% in the final third. "We'll bounce back, forget about it and move forward".
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Xiamen , China's Fujian Province, Sept. 3, 2017. This was the last meeting attended by the Indian Prime Minister here, before leaving for his visit to Myanmar.
Sign stealing isn't explicitly against the MLB's rules, but it's definitely frowned upon , and it has a long history in baseball . It's been reported that the Major League Baseball investigation found that Red Sox staff watched a camera feed of the catcher.
Google added that these new smart speakers will be available in the United States, U.K., Australia, Canada, Germany and France. Perhaps one of best smart assistants today if we're talking about skills, knowledge, and reach is the Google Assistant .
Colombia's Miguel Angel Lopez showed the world on Sunday he's a rider to be taken seriously, winning his second stage at the Vuelta d'España.
Spanish league head again criticizes PSG spending, Neymar
Girona were accused of trying to "cook the books" over five loan players sent there by City this summer by the La Liga chief. A City spokeswoman said: " We note the public comments made by Mr Tebas today and earlier this week ".
Eagle Creek Fire Shuts Down Rail Lines
A state police spokesman said no arrests had been made and declined to give more information, citing an active investigation. The cause of the Eagle Creek fire has been determined to have been man-made potentially from the misuse of fireworks.
Vols top Georgia Tech in double-overtime thriller
The Volunteers secured a 42-41 win when they stopped what would have been a game-winning two-point conversion from Georgia Tech. The Vols were only 3 seconds and 36 yards away from losing it all until, walk-on Paul Bain jumped up and saved the day.


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Pilau is a Swahili dish of rice cooked in a seasoned broth mixed with vegetables and meat. This spicy recipe uses turkey, naturally lower in fat and still just as flavorful!
Units: US | Metric
Serving Size: 1 (822 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 5


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Mr. Speaker, yesterday the government presented its Speech from the Throne, a somewhat thin document that is short on promise and even shorter on specifics. The throne speech is notable really for what it does not include: education and training, early childhood and development, infrastructure or support for cities, aboriginal Canadians, social housing, arts and culture, and other important issues. But as was noted by the member for Huron—Bruce just now, most shockingly is that our farm families face a crisis this spring. This is a throne speech that found barely any time for agriculture.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Why is the state of agriculture in our country not one of his government's five priorities?

domain: politics


Is capturing our lives as disappearing photos going to make people less happy when we are older? This question is the culmination of me recently spending time theorizing about the state of photos and ephemerality on social and its implications on our memories and long-term happiness.
To dive into this I spoke to and surveyed 1,196 Snapchat power users. I learned some truly fascinating insights about the state of social which I believe ultimately paint a picture of users, particularly Gen Z, viewing ephemerality as a frustration (which leads me to believe that ephemeral-heavy social apps are at a major risk of disruption). People frequently complained to me about forgetting what was said last on ephemeral-first social apps, which only fueled my curiosity as to how disappearing photos and texts ultimately shape how we recall moments in our life (both long-term and short-term).
After my discussions and other research, I have been coming to a personal consensus that the “delete by default” ideology was potentially a novelty product-wise that is at risk of soon starting to wear off (particularly with Gen Z). The instant delete ideology likely needs to shift to “delete by choice.” People don’t just want more flexibility in the longevity of their text messages, photo messages, or video messages online, but you could actually argue that encouraging users to save their messages better enhances a person’s life in the long-term because it allows her or him to recall memories more vividly if they have more memories permanently saved.
Perhaps designers of social platforms actually have an obligation to people’s long-term happiness to encourage their users to store photos and text messages permanently. I wonder if, when a photo vanishes, each time you recall that specific event in your life when you took a disappearing photo, but have no “hard copies” available, will that memory ultimately fade away faster and leave you with less memories of a life-well lived when you’re older than if you had taken a permanent photo?
Think about it this way: Every time you pull a memory from your mind, you are reinterpreting that moment. You are reconstructing that memory and then storing the reinterpretation of the memory back into your mind. You are effectively rewriting your memories over-and-over, which means your memories are bound to slightly change each time you recall them. Every time you recall a memory are you rewriting it completely until it eventually becomes unrecognizable from the original moment and eventually vanishes from your mind? If you have less photos and messages from important moments in your life saved, what happens to all your memories when you get older?
This led me to believe that having as many photos and messages saved as possible, while having simple tools for sharing photos and messages with our friends, may be the healthiest thing we can do as humans for our long-term happiness.


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Snoopy "The Flying Ace" Costume
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Snoopy 'The Red Baron'
|Costume type:||Costumes for Pets|
This homemade costume for pets entered our 2017 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Susan, the 'Snoopy The Flying Ace' costume creator:
My 4 year old Jack Russell Lucy as Snoopy " The Red Baron "
I bought a pair of doggies sunglasses at a garage sale and it gave me the idea to make her snoopy.
I made the hat out of brown vinyl fabric and the scarf out of red fleece fabric. I made the doghouse out of three pieces of red foamboard , two were cut in half to form the frame of the house and the other was formed to make the roof and put it together with red duct tape . I use a black marker to outline the doghouse and black construction paper for the door.
I found a plush Woodstock and made a hat and scarf out of the same fabric I used for Snoopy's. I painted a plastic dog dish red. The total cost was under 20 dollars

domain: hobby


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HOUSTON – Houston police said a driver lost control of his vehicle early Thursday, causing a chain reaction crash.
It happened around 1:45 a.m. on Richmond Avenue near Tanglewilde Street, according to officers with the Houston Police Department.
A man traveling westbound in a Nissan Altima lost control, struck a light pole, drove through the grass, through a parking lot, and then into the front yard of a home. He hit a parked vehicle, which was pushed into the corner of the home, police said.
The driver got out of the vehicle but stayed at the scene. He was taken to the hospital with a large gash on his head.
No other injuries were reported.
The investigation is on-going.


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“HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS” (2007) Book Review
I usually do not post book reviews, but a great deal has been made about this last installment of J.K. Rowling’s “HARRY POTTER” series that I thought I might as well say something. I have only been a die hard fan of the series since the release of the third movie, ”PRISONER OF AZKABAN” in 2004. I had also seen the first two movies in the theaters. I had enjoyed both, but it was the third film that had induced me to read the novels. Between ”AZKABAN” and the books, I became a die-hard fan. But this is not about the other stories. This is about the last . . . ”THE DEATHLY HALLOWS”
I am going to make this short. As much as I have enjoyed the series, I have come to the realization that I like the last five novels – starting with ”AZKABAN” more than I do the first two. I guess I find it easier to relate the increasingly ambiguous nature of the story. And if there is one thing I can say about ”THE DEATHLY HALLOWS” is that it is one hell of an ambiguous novel. In it, Harry Potter and his two friends – Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger – truly start on their road to adulthood. And this, I believe, is the major strength of this novel.
By the time I came to the middle of the novel, I realized that for the first time in the series, most of its setting would take place away from Hogswarts. A part of me felt slightly disappointed that Harry, Ron and Hermoine did not reach the school until the last several chapters of the novel. On the other hand, I feel that this was the correct thing for Rowling to do. For me, ”THE DEATHLY HALLOWS” definitely seemed like a ”coming of age” story for our three protagonists. It was a maturity that they strongly needed in order to face the main villain, Lord Voldemort (aka Tom Riddle) and his Death Eaters. Looking back on the story, I do not think that Harry, Ron and Hermoine would have acquired their maturity and backbone if the story had mainly been set at Hogswarts. I think it was a very good move on Rowling’s part.
And our three heroes truly did grow. Hermoine learned to face her feelings for Ron and overcome that narrow-minded superiority that originally made her dismiss the legend of the Deathly Hallows. Ron learned to overcome his insecurity about his abilities as a wizard, his views on non-human magical creatures like house elves . . . and face his feelings for Hermoine. And Harry learned to overcome his tendency to play lone wolf and realize that people are not always what they seemed to be. The truths about Sirius’ treatment of Kreacher, Dumbledore’s past and his desires for powers, Snape’s feelings for Lily Potter and his true role in the war against Voldemort were powerful lessons for Harry. And I guess one could say they were powerful lessons for Ron and Hermoine, as well.
Of course, the deaths of Fred Weasley, Colin Creevy, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and others were painful. But it were the deaths of Dobby and Severus Snape that really moved me to tears. And the trio’s painful adventures throughout the British Isles seemed like another version of Homer’s “ODYSSEY” that probably lifted this last installment almost to an epic quality. I only have three complaints about ”THE DEATHLY HALLOWS”:
a) Aside from Horace Slughorn, none of the Slytherins had participated in the battle. It annoyed me that Rowling went through all of that trouble to allow Harry not to judge others for superficial reasons . . . and yet, she insisted upon maintaining the clichés about the Slytherins that they could not be trusted;
b) I wish that Harry had revealed to the others – especially the other Death Eaters that Voldemort was a half-blood;
c) The final battle at Hogswarts seemed like one chapter too long at times. But what can one expect when it was interrupted twice – first by Snape’s death and past memories and later by Harry’s ghostly encounter with Dumbledore?
But ”THE DEATHLY HALLOWS” also had some great moments. Here are my favorites:
a) Bill and Fleur’s wedding was a hilarious family affair for the Weasleys, until Kingsley Shacklebolt’s patronus warned them of the encoming Death Eaters;
b) Harry, Ron and Hermoine’s adventures in London – including their break-in of the Ministry of Magic;
c) Ron’s return and Hermoine’s reaction;
d) The trio’s adventures at the Malfoy Manor and their reunion with Dobby, Ollivander, Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood;
e) The trio’s escape from Gringotts on a blind dragon;
f) Harry and Hermoine’s creepy visit to Godric’s Hollow;
g) The trio’s visit to the Lovegood home;
h) The trio’s encounter with Albeforth Dumbledore;
i) The trio’s return to Hogswarts;
j) Ron and Hermoine’s first kiss;
k) Ginny’s birthday kiss to Harry;
l) The chapter on Snape’s memories of Lily Evans Potter and Albus Dumbledore – which in my opinion was my favorite in the entire novel.
I wonder if J.K. Rowling will write any other books, now that she has finished her opus on the boy wizard, Harry Potter. If she does, I hope that they will be as excellent as the seven novels that have entertained the public for the last decade. But if her next book or books are not as good, I will not hold it against her. After all, she did create Harry Potter for all of us to enjoy for years to come – in both the novels and the movies.

domain: literature


by Olalekan Adetayo
The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zaynab Maina, was boxed into a corner on Wednesday during the post-Federal Executive Council meeting press briefing at the Briefing Room of the Council Chambers inside the Villa.
The briefing which was anchored by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, had Maina; the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen and the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, in attendance.
While Onolememen was on hand to inform the public through the State House correspondents the progress report on the ongoing construction work on the second Niger Bridge, Ochekpe was there to also give the progress report on the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam located in Taraba State.
Maina attended the briefing in order to inform the public of the reactions of female ministers to the recent abduction of schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. As an elderly woman, she delivered the message flawlessly. She had told journalists that female ministers expressed sentiments over the abduction during the council meeting. She said the ministers sought the prayers and support of Nigerians in the government’s bid to rescue the girls. She however did not say whether the female ministers also carried placards with the inscription “Bring Back Our Girls” as many protesters have been doing across the world.
She said, “We, female ministers, condemned in very strong terms this heinous action. We are not happy about it. We joined several groups to express sentiments. We also thanked women of Nigeria for their cooperation and their calls that the girls should be released and reunited to their families. We also thanked the international community for their support: the UK, US, France, Israel among others. We assured you all of the cooperation of Nigerian women on this matter. We also seek your prayers and support on how to rescue these girls.”
In her capacity as the Minister of Women Affairs, she played active role in a recent stakeholders’ meeting called by wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abduction. I shared with you some details of the meeting last week. While I will not bore you with the details again, suffice to say that the meeting concluded that no girl was missing.
Surprised by her new stand on the issue, I seized the opportunity of the question and answer segment of the briefing to ask the minister a simple question: since she played active role in the First Lady’s meeting that resolved that no girl was missing, has she now changed her mind that that meeting’s conclusion was wrong based on her latest position of condemning the abduction?
Whichever way mama decides to answer the question, a good story would have come out from the encounter. If she had said the meeting convened by the First Lady took a wrong decision, it would have been an affront on the “mother of modern Nigeria.” It would also have been a big ministerial blunder for her to have at that point insisted that no girl was missing at a time when the whole world was supporting the Federal Government to ensure the release of the schoolgirls.
Maku, himself a journalist, knew immediately that his colleague’s answer could cause trouble, so he ensured that the woman did not answer the question to the relief of the elderly female minister.
The Information Minister quickly came up with a lengthy advice of how journalists who have one clarification or the other to make on the abduction to approach the National Information Centre opened for the purpose of updating Nigerians of efforts aimed at rescuing the girls. It was obvious that he deliberately protected the female minister and the minister after heaving a sigh of relief would have patted him on the back away from the prying eyes of journalists for a job well done.
All now about Chibok girls
Wednesday this week made it one month since the abduction of the girls. As security agencies and their foreign counterparts are working round the clock to rescue the girls, the issue still dominated meetings and other engagements in and around the Presidency during the week.
On Monday, President Goodluck Jonathan had travelled to Congo for a consultation with President Denis Sassou N’guesso in continuation of his efforts aimed at ending insecurity in Nigeria, the sub-region and Central Africa. The meeting was held ahead of the meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
A communiqué was released after the meeting in which the two leaders demanded the unconditional release of the schoolgirls. Apart from reiterating their condemnation of the mass abduction of the college girls, the two leaders also sought the liberation of all others being held against their will by Boko Haram. They called on African leaders, the African Union and its Peace and Security Council to intensify efforts aimed at the eradication of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups on the continent.
The President returned to the country on Tuesday to continue to coordinate the rescue process. He is also billed for Paris this weekend where he will to meet with his counterparts from Benin Republic, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. The talks will centre on how Nigeria and the neighbouring countries can strengthen and intensify collaboration against Boko Haram and other criminal organisations.
The issue always becomes a topic of discussion during any event holding inside the Villa, including visits. When the President granted audience to the British Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Mark Simmonds, the issue came up. The issue of the missing Chibok girls was also the agenda of separate telephone discussions he had with the Prime Minister of Algeria, Abdelmallek Sallel and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan. When he received the United Nations Secretary-General’s Representative in West Africa, Ambassador Saidi Jinit, the issue was also on the agenda. It was also an item on the last FEC meeting’s agenda.
One just hopes that very soon, the girls will be rescued to the relief of the world.
– This Best Outside Opinion was written by Olalekan Adetayo/Punch


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In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):
- The European Union will stop funding fossil fuels by the end of 2021.
- Oil giant Aramco gears up for its initial public offering.
- The first-ever hydrogen-powered train is coming to the US.
- Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette had his first US Senate energy secretary hearing yesterday.
The Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB): A daily technical, financial, and political review/analysis of important green energy news.
EU stops funding fossil fuels
The European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union’s financing department, will cease funding for nearly all fossil-fuel projects by the end of 2021.
EU finance ministers last week unanimously backed the phasing out of fossil-fuel project funding in order to help slow the climate crisis. Last year, for example, to demonstrate scale, the EIB funded €2 billion of fossil-fuel projects.
Under the new policy, energy projects applying for EIB funding will need to show they can produce one kilowatt hour of energy while emitting less than 250 grams of carbon dioxide, a move which excludes traditional gas-burning power plants.
Gas projects are still possible, but would have to be based on what the bank called “new technologies” such as carbon capture and storage, combining heat and power generation, or mixing in renewable gases with the fossil natural gas.
Andrew McDowell, the EIB’s vice president responsible for energy, said: “This is an important first step — this is not the last step.”
Aramco to begin its IPO
Saudi oil giant Aramco is the world’s most profitable company. On November 17, The Saudi government-owned company will begin its initial public offering (IPO), which closes on December 5. The company will price its shares on the last day of its offer period, and trading on the Saudi stock exchange is expected to start in mid-December.
Aramco’s IPO is part of an initiative by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to improve the country’s economy, which is heavily reliant on oil. Aramco is responsible for 10% of the world’s oil production.
While it’s expected to perform well, it’s not a guaranteed slam dunk. Prince Mohammed priced Aramco at $2 trillion, but bankers have estimated it to be valued closer to $1.5 trillion. The global push to reduce emissions could impact Aramco’s IPO (and of course, geopolitical upheaval in the region isn’t helping, either). As the Atlantic Council’s senior fellow Ariel Cohen explains on Forbes:
Amid growing concern over climate change, there has been an overall trend by investors to diversify away from fossil fuels and shift investment to clean energy sources. Earlier this year, the world’s largest sovereign investor, the Norwegian oil fund, announced it would move away from fossil fuels — removing roughly $7.5 billion of oil and gas companies whose business operations focus on exploration and production.
And of course, there’s that EIB news above. So we’ll see, Aramco. We’ll see.
First hydrogen train in the US
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) in California has awarded a contract to Swiss manufacturer Stadler to supply the US’s first hydrogen-powered train. There is an option to supply four more trains in the future. The train will be introduced in 2024.
According to the Railway Gazette:
The Flirt H2 unit will have two cars with a total of 108 seats and ‘generous’ standing room, plus a central power module holding the fuel cells and the hydrogen tanks. It will have a maximum speed of 79 mile/h (127 km/h), the federal limit above which additional signaling systems are required.
It is to be deployed on the Redlands Passenger Rail Project, a 14.5 km (9 mile) passenger service which is being developed on a former Santa Fe freight railway alignment between the University of Redlands and the Metrolink commuter rail station in San Bernardino.
US Senate hearing for new energy secretary
US Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette had his first Senate hearing for the post of secretary of energy yesterday. He was tapped by Trump to replace outgoing Rick Perry. Brouillette previously worked for Ford as a VP of their policy team.
Resistance is not expected to his appointment from either political party, as he is apparently someone who can work across the aisle.
When it comes to his approach to energy, Brouillette is known as an “all-of-the-above” guy. While he has actively supported green energy such as solar, he still backs fossil fuels.
As my colleague, Jameson Dow wrote:
We can hope that the situation will improve under Brouillette, and that he will take a more steady hand in guiding this country’s energy policy toward the obvious green-energy direction it is and should be going in, and away from dirty, deadly, expensive fossil fuels.
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WELCOME TO SAN JOSE
Luxury living in the heart of Silicon Valley
Located only thirty minutes from the beaches of Santa Cruz and an hour from San Francisco, San Jose is the largest city in Northern California. Nicknamed the Capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose offers amazing cultural diversity, beautiful examples of historic architecture, and a small but strong arts scene. Public art is everywhere you go, and the city is also known for its mountain views, outdoor recreation, and beautiful parks. The bustling downtown area is a top destination for young professionals, singles, and tech workers.
San Jose has much to offer in the way of real estate, whether you're looking to retire, enjoy suburb living, or have an easy commute to work. Neighborhoods like The Alameda boast historical architecture, including Spanish Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, and California Churrigueresque. The city also offers typical ranch homes, Mid-Century, Eichler, Victorian, Tudor, Mediterranean, and craftsman homes.
What to Love
- Old San Jose classic architecture
- Relaxed living
- Views of rolling hills from your home
San Jose offers its residents a lavish lifestyle with its friendly population, sunny weather, and location in the heart of Silicon Valley. You'll get the best of big-city amenities, including dining, shopping, sports, and arts. From wineries and museums to parks, theaters and markets, there is always something to do in San Jose. Further afield, national parks and mountains offer day and weekend getaways for those who want to get in touch with nature. Residents enjoy a mix of city and residential living, and the public school system is highly rated.
DINING, ENTERTAINMENT, & SHOPPING
From traditional American steakhouses and seafood eateries to Mexican, Italian, and Asian fare, San Jose has something to suit every palette.
The downtown area is particularly popular for dining out, with many bars, coffee shops, and restaurants lining the streets.
is home to many dining establishments, most of which require a reservation. Original Joe's
is a popular choice for enjoying Italian food in a lively, relaxed atmosphere.
San Jose residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to nightlife and entertainment. San Pedro Square
, in particular, has many restaurants, pubs, and even a microbrewery to enjoy. The area also hosts a farmer’s market and an outdoor cinema.
The South of First Area District
is the city's center for entertainment and visual arts in the downtown area. It's known for its eclectic and creative crowd, venues, theaters, galleries, and coffee shops.
There is also an abundance of shopping opportunities in San Jose with modern malls like Westfield Valley Fair
, Westgate Center
, and Almaden Plaza
. Santana Row offers an upscale shopping experience with luxury boutiques alongside high-end restaurants.
THINGS TO DO
San Jose is best known for its innovative tech companies, but it also makes a name for itself with its year-round festivals. Catch some sonic waves at the city's longest-running outdoor concert series, Music in the Park hosted at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Other notable festivals include San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, San Jose International Short Film Festival, and Obon Festival.
Sporting and outdoor activities are a major part of the San Jose lifestyle. A network of bicycle trails, outdoor parks, and gardens make it easy to enjoy a relaxing day outside. Nearby national parks like Big Basin Redwoods State Park
and Yosemite National Park
are great for those who want to enjoy a weekend of exploring the wilderness, camping, and hiking. Fishing and boating enthusiasts have Cunningham Lake
, and California beaches are a short drive from the city.
San Jose is served by several school districts, including San Jose Unified School District, East Side Union High School District, and Alum Rock Unified School District. Top education opportunities in the neighborhood include:
- San Jose State University
- Santa Clara University

domain: geography