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Have you heard about one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations? HSBC is all about serving quality wealth and personal banking, commercial banking, and a whole lots concerning Global Banking and Markets. It has over with over 40 million customers from all around the globe. HSBC networks currently have branches in over 64 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, Africa, and also in the Middle East, North America, and Latin America are not left unreached respectively.
It is in its interest of it to provide its customers with a world of opportunities. Also, with the use of their various expertise, capabilities, breadth, and perspectives to open up new forms of great opportunities to their customers. It is keen to see that they create a better world for every individual by connecting them to people, ideas, and capital that nurtures progress and growth.
How Old is HSBC?
Let us take a look at its history of it as a brand and a bank service. With over 150 years in existence, HSBC has been a great hand of support to its customers. HSBC initially was conceived in an idea as a local bank serving international needs and purposes.
It officially came into actualization in March 1865, it opened its doors for business first in Hong Kong, and it helped to finance trade between Asia and Europe also. As the years go by, HSBC keeps expanding and growing largely into diverse continents of the world. Currently, the total number of active customers in HSBC is summed up to over 40 million.
Who Are the HSBC?
It is derived from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, the red and white hexagon symbol was developed out of the bank’s original house flag which was in turn based on the cross of the most St Andrew. HSBC lions got nicknamed Stephen and Stitt after senior managers from the 1920s.
Valuing differences, succeeding together across boundaries, taking responsibility, and getting it done are the basic values it is well-known for. This is because HSBC believes that by valuing differences, they actively take a broader perspective. And by so doing alerts to so many opportunities to its existing customers. It also believes that by succeeding together. They make connections that allow them to realize the full potential of those opportunities.
In conclusion, It ensures that they leverage those opportunities with integrity attached to them. Also, by getting it done they consistently commit to tenaciously following every action that enhances. Meanwhile, it takes them further to make those opportunities a reality.
Why Invest in It?
HSBC is unarguably one of the world’s leading international banks. However, it has a clear strategy to deliver revenue and profit growth, enhance its customer service, and improve returns to shareholders. Nevertheless, the brands are listed in London, Hong Kong, New York, and Bermuda. HSBC is sure the right choice for investment anyone could make. In addition, they also produce fact books. This is to help investors understand the strategy and performance of the HSBC group and their main global business.

domain: finance


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Beyonce debuted new costumes and more fan favorites, as she performed Kitty Kat.
Her shows always are stellar spectacles.
And Beyonce Knowles-Carter’s latest, The Formation World Tour, only reinforces that sentiment with inspiring new costumes – including a dazzling bronze bodysuit and a shimmery white number – and choreography.
The 34-year-old singing sensation knocked out an absolutely wonderful performance at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Saturday.
Her first outfit was a figure-hugging bodysuit featuring shiny bronze panels, a bejeweled belt and puffy sleeves with jeweled fringe.
Fishnet leggings, black boots and sheer long sleeves rounded out the ensemble, which seemed to have a medieval feel.
While her flaxen locks were curled into glorious gold ringlets, they were initially covered by a massive black sombrero as she appeared on stage.
As the show progressed, the visuals only got more impressive.
Read the rest of this entry »

domain: entertainment


Twitter is promising advertising we will love – until the team fires up their own commercial engines, I’m loving ad.ly – they recently launched their referral program. Join the ride now: even if you’re not in it for the money, there’s other good reasons for signing up.
I’ve been invited to join the World Blogging Forum 2009 in Bucharest as a VIP guest – and I’m really looking forward to meeting incredible web geeks from 30 countries. Heading for Romania next week and of course I’ll report about the event, here’s a short preview of the guest list and the topics.
Twitter änderte heute die Nutzungsbedingungen des Dienstes – und behält sich zukünftig vor, auf alle erdenklichen Arten Werbung zu schalten.
Much ado about facebook, plenty of twitter clients reviewed: it’s been a busy week in social media land – again!
Magpie is a highly controversial matter: while some twitterers are happy about a (future) revenue stream, a lot of users fill be-evilled by paid viral tweets.
advertising infos coming soon.
About the Author
Fav Quote: "Act in such a way that your number of choices increases." - Heinz von Foerster more →


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Cuba ha pasado de ser un país particularmente homofóbico y discriminatorio a ser alabado en el ámbito internacional por abordar los derechos relacionados con la diversidad sexual a partir de un enfoque basado en la salud – pero aún queda trabajo por hacer, argumenta Emily J. Kirk (Dalhousie University).
The Caribbean must think carefully about how and where to ‘build back better’ after the hurricanes of 2017
“Building back better” to create more resilient societies is a laudable goal, but every country is different and there are no quick fixes. By taking into account topographical differences, reforming building codes, and reviving ecosystems, the Caribbean can take a significant step in the right direction, write Emily Wilkinson and Rachael Steller (Overseas Development Institute).
The presence of Cuban healthcare professionals in countries like Brazil, Bolivia, and Haiti has followed a clear path from protest to acceptance, but the case Venezuela shows the vital importance of political neutrality, write Emily J. Kirk (Dalhousie University), Chris Walker (St Mary’s University), and Arturo Méndez (University of Camagüey).
From prejudice to Pride: what does Cuba have to celebrate on the International Day Against Homophobia?
Cuba has gone from being notably homophobic and discriminatory to being lauded internationally for its unique Health-Based Approach to sexual-diversity rights — but there is still work to be done, argues Emily J. Kirk (Dalhousie University).
Miguel Díaz-Canel’s presidency is likely to represent a continuation of the “negotiative process” that has allowed government and society alike to adapt to evolving challenges ever since 1959, write Emily J. Kirk (Dalhousie University) and Isabel Story (University of Nottingham).
Co-financing, joint procurement, and capacity building can help Latin America and the Caribbean defeat preventable childhood diseases
LSE postgraduate Mario Jiménez, recently selected by Forbes Magazine as one of the 30 most influential young professionals in European healthcare, explains how the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation has reduced costs, increased access, and bolstered the sustainability of immunisation programmes in the region and beyond.
Fidel Castro has often been blamed for the state of the Cuban economy, but the longstanding US embargo and the question of what constitutes real economic success make the issue far more complex than that, argues Helen Yaffe.
Cuba’s strong tradition of medical internationalism looks set to continue despite upheaval in the Americas
After Castro’s death and with profound political and economic change across the Americas, Gail Hurley asks, what future for Cuba’s medical internationalism?

domain: news


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Explanation of images
July 1, 2011 § Leave a comment
I will continue to post fragments of drawings that I am working on.
In this fragment I have lifted and enlarged a portion of the imagery from a paint by numbers kit. I work in layers. Sometimes I feel a bit like Martha Stewart, because I am constantly mixing and matching. I start off with one composition, and by the time the piece is completed I arrive at a place that I had no idea about when I started. This is refreshing, yet much of the time I feel uneasy; however this is one of the things that drives me.
On to something else. …..The exciting aspect of this project is that when I am working in the studio I do not have my attention on the end result. Underneath I am quite aware that I am creating vestibule floors for a subway station, but the beauty day to day is that I work from a place that is internally driven. Also, because the drawings/collages/paintings are 13′ in length, I comprehend the entire gestalt, but focus on the details in each section …….this is what is presented above.

domain: artistic


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Israel’s markets are stunning. I’ve found one-of-a-kind items, better produce, met friends at markets and have sharpened my haggling skills. My family that comes to visit always wants to go to the markets to see what new, exciting goods they have available.
Haggling at markets is common in the States, and in Israeli, there are a few differences. I didn’t want to offend vendors, so when I first moved to Israel, I just paid the full price on items I wanted and didn’t haggle at all.
But then I started to ask friends that had the same items I had, and they all paid different prices.
They haggled when I didn’t. I am not much for confrontation.
What I learned was that you can never haggle at stores – I never tried. From what I understand, store prices are final, so there’s no haggling involved. You want to haggle when you go to markets. Everyone is competing at markets, and most of them are in the Old City of Jerusalem.
You’ll find markets in Samaria and Judea. Jaffa also has a nice market.
The Nahalat Binyamin Street market is a great place to go shopping, and it’s a stunning experience for anything creative. You’ll find a variety of handmade products at the market, so when haggling, make sure that you’re offering a very fair price. The handmade items come from small vendors that are trying to make a living doing what they love.
Performers are also at the market, so if you have family in town, bring them by for an experience of a lifetime with musicians and street performers. I’ve also found some markets selling vintage items. I picked up a collection of vintage style rugs.
Open-air food markets, called “shuk or souk,” are a tribute to the ethnic cuisines of Israel. You’ll find fresh produce and other goods at these markets. If you want to learn about culture, this is where you should go.
Major cities almost always have a food market of some kind.
Emek Refaim Market is open on Friday, and these markets are in areas that have high American populations. You’ll find everything, from specialty products to baked goods, lemons, jams and other artisan goods.
Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market is one of the best markets for foods, but you’ll find a few stalls where you can haggle prices down – electronic and t-shirt stalls primarily. These stalls are often hidden, but they have a few great bargains if you’re in the market for a new shirt or electronic.
Carpets and even livestock can be found at the Bedouin Market, which offers traditional goods along with clothing and carpets.
Arab goods can be found at the Nazareth Market, which is one of the markets that is the “least Jewish.” Seasonal Middle Eastern products can be found in the Nazareth Market along with household products, spices and produce. It’s a great experience. Netanya’s Municipal Market is another great option for jewelry and clothing, which you can almost always strike a bargain on.
Markets are a part of life in Israel, and if you want to find unique products or just meet locals, these markets are the best places to go.

domain: geography


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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Corrections with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, which explores the problems and anxieties of contemporary American society through one Midwestern family, the Lamberts. Each member of this dysfunctional family has their own worries, ranging from ill health to depression to financial ruin, and their concerns mirror those facing their country in the age of technological development and rampant globalisation. The novel garnered widespread critical acclaim on its publication, and received both the National Book Award and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Jonathan Franzen is one of America’s most influential and acclaimed contemporary novelists; he is known for his novels The Corrections, Freedom and Purity, as well as for his insightful and thought-provoking non-fiction writing.
Find out everything you need to know about The Corrections in a fraction of the time!
This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection
Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.
See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

domain: library


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The essence of chocolate!
Mozart Chocolate Bitters are liquid dark chocolate, highly concentrated to flavour drinks and dishes.
Quintessential taste The taste of Mozart Chocolate Bitters unfolds only in the drink.
While sipping a concoction; a note of cocoa touches your palate and leaves a subtle but clear hint of finest gourmet chocolate.
Barrel aged cocoa macerate is the base for Mozart Chocolate Bitters. Forastero and Trinitario cocoa from West Africa are macerated in a fine sugar cane alcohol from South Africa. Further ingredients are extracts from spices like nutmeg and cloves as well as vanilla.
Cocoa macerate is aged for a few months in oak barrels and then blended with extracts from spices. These spices are also steeped in fine sugar cane alcohol. After blending we store again using a special system to concentrate even more and harmonize all ingredients. This result in an intense taste of all components.
Five Island Tea Punch
60ml Banks 5 Island Rum
20ml sugar cane syrup
20ml lime juice
80ml intense black tea
2 Dashes Mozart Chocolate Bitters
Preparation: add all ingredients to the shaker, fill up with ice cubes and shake hard. Strain into pre-chilled glass.
Garnish: fresh grated nutmeg
Kola Old Fashioned
60ml Sierra Milenario Extra Anejo Tequila
10ml Kola Tonic
1 Dash Mozart Chocolate Bitters
Preparation: put all ingredients into glass, fill up with ice cubes and stir cold.
Garnish: orange twist

domain: food


Avaya Aura Session Manager and System Manager Implementation and Maintenance Exam: 3102 Exam
- 3102 Questions & Answers
- Exam Code: 3102
- Exam Name: Avaya Aura Session Manager and System Manager Implementation and Maintenance Exam
- Q & A: 81 Q&As
3102 exam is an important Avaya Certification which can test your professional skills. Candidates want to pass the exam successfully to prove their competence. Lead2Pass Avaya technical experts have collected and certified 81 questions and answers of Avaya Aura Session Manager and System Manager Implementation and Maintenance Exam which are designed to cover the knowledge points of the Planning and Designing Avaya Superdome Server Solutions and enhance candidates’ abilities. With Lead2Pass 3102 preparation tests you can pass the Avaya Aura Session Manager and System Manager Implementation and Maintenance Exam easily, get the Avaya and go further on Avaya career path.
1.Company XYZ has a multi-location voice network. They have Session Manager at their main site and Avaya Communication Manager (CM) and Cisco Call Manager at their branch locations.
Which type of messages does Session Manager send to the Avaya and Cisco PBX configured as SIP Entities to monitor their status?
2.When performing a remote backup of system Manager data the administrator is asked for a user name and password.
Which statement best explains why a user name and password are required.?
A. The backed-up data file is encrypted. The username and password are used in encryption process and subsequently to access the file on restoring backed up data.
B. The backed-up data is stored on a remote server using SCP. The user name and password are used to login remote server.
C. Because System Manager Date is being exported from the server for security and authentication purpose system Manager once again checks the administrator’s credentials.
D. All System Manager Data is backed up to common storage repository setup during installation. For system Manager to access the repository the correct user name and password must be
3.Which URL should be used to access the web console to install a System Manager template?
4.After a power failure or database crash, the Postgres database may become corrupted and the
Postgres server may not restart.
The recovery action is to clear the writer-Ahead Log (WAL) and optionally reset other control data, using which command?
D. service postgresq1 restart
E. service wall restart
5.Review the output of the command shown in the exhibit.
Which command is used to generate these results and what does it tell you?
A. swversion displays the Session ManagerReleaseinformation.
B. statapp displays the current status of the Session Manager services.
C. initDRS displays the Session ManagerNoderegistration and data replication.
D. traceSM displays a ladder trace of the SIP requests going in and out of the Session Manager.
E. smconfig displays the network information and status the Session Manager.
6.During a post-installation check of System Manager and Session Manager you discover that the Session lager replica node is stuck at “Synchronizing”. You run the initTM command in Session Manager but the replication status does not change.
Which step will be effective in resolving the problem?
A. Reset the enrollment password.
B. Run traceSM to monitor the synchronization events and restart the Security Module.
C. Delete the Session Manager Replica node in System Manager, verify the enrollment password is valid In System Manager and run the initTM command again in Session Manager.
D. Verify the enrollment password is valid in System Manager and run the initTM command again in Session Manager.
7.Which three types of handles can be selected for a user when creating users in system manger? (Choose three.)
8.A new Application Sequence has already been defined in the network. A technician has been asked to apply Application Sequence to all incoming calls for all employees in the Berlin office.
Which sequence describes the steps that should be taken?
A. Go to the User Management page and use the filter option to list only the users in the Berlin
office-Select each user from the filtered list and edit each user’s User Profile. Apply the new Application Sequence to the Terminating Application Sequence for each user.
B. Navigate to the Communication Profile Editor and use the filter option to list only the users in the Berlin location. Select All. Select the new Application Sequence from the Terminating Application Sequence drop down box.
C. Go to the list of Application Sequences and edit the new Application Sequence, adding the Berlin location to the list of associated locations.
D. Edit the Berlin Location to include the new Application Sequence as its Terminating Application Sequence.
9.Which statement is true with regard to SIP Monitoring being enabled on a SIP Entity?
A. Session Manager will monitor the status of that SIP Entity by sending SIP OPTIONS requests.
B. SIP Entity will monitor the status of Session Manager by sending SIP OPTIONS requests.
C. Session Manager will monitor the status of that SIP Entity by sending SIP SUBSCRIBE requests.
D. Session Manager will monitor the status of that SIP Entity by sending SIP NOTIFY requests.
E. System Manager will monitor the status of that SIP Entity by sending SIP OPTIONS requests.
10.Digit Conversion in Adaptation can be specified to modify “origination” type headers.
Which three are origination / source type URIs? (Choose three.)
C. Refer-To (in REFER messages)
D. History-info (calling portion)
E. Contact (in 3xx response)


text:
How To Draw A Mustang 1965 Step By Easy Logo
|Include In Article|
How To Draw A Mustang
|Published Date||Friday , August 23rd 2019|
|Uploaded By||Darolyn Vance|
Drawing Pages. Friday , August 23rd 2019.
Quote from How To Draw A Mustang :
You were spending lots of time drawing (not writing) every single letter like it turned out to be a little masterpiece. Utilize your scale to make certain your drawing is accurate. Technical drawing isn’t restricted to the austere reproduction of mechanical products. A drawing can be created on any surface, but the caliber of that surface may be equally as crucial as the medium that it’s used upon it. Just like blind drawings, gesture drawing is the best warm-up activity. Such drawings supply a quicker mental picture of the genuine circuit. It isn’t necessary to terminate the drawing with a double-click.
Many schools will even enable you to take placement tests from a remote location so you don’t need to go to the campus. Most schools have an internet application link on their site. Community colleges play a main role in the U.S. educational system. In spite of the fact that many community colleges have excellent vocational programs, that is simply a small portion of what it is that they offer. It is crucial that students meet with their academic ad visor on a regular basis to make certain they are taking the correct classes. Students have the chance to refresh their understanding and techniques in self-directed and group-based classes.
For assemblies, the list of models will incorporate the assembly along with the components which make up the assembly. Normally the number is unique to the drawing and is comprised of a code that includes information about the drawing like the website, system, and sort of drawing. The drawing number may also contain information like the sheet number, in the event the drawing a part of a series, or it might contain the revision level.
Anyone may print a single copy for private use. Each time you draw some text, you must specify the font where the text is going to be rendered, along with the Brush object that’ll be employed to draw the text.
Any content, trademark/s, or other material that might be found on this site that is not this site property remains the copyright of its respective owner/s. In no way does LocalHost claim ownership or responsibility for such items and you should seek legal consent for any use of such materials from its owner.


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His Excellency Abdulla Mohamed Almazrui, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry has received His Excellency Mu'izz bin Abdul Sattar Binameem, Ambassador of Tunisia to the UAE, at the Chamber’s tower in Abu Dhabi.
His Excellency Mohammed Helal Al Mheiri, Director General of Abu Dhabi Chamber, attended the meeting as well.
At the beginning of the meeting, Almazrui welcomed H.E. Binameem and the accompanying delegation, pointing to the strong relations between the UAE and Tunisia on all levels, and emphasizing on the need to fortify the economic relations between investors and business in both sides.
H.E. the Chairman said that the Chamber is ready to provide all the necessary support to develop cooperation relations between the UAE and Tunisia across various fields, pointing to the attractive features of Abu Dhabi that makes it the most preferable investment destination to businesses in many world competitiveness indexes.
For his part, Ambassador Binameem congratulated H.E. Almazrui on his new position as the Chairman of both the Federation of the UAE Chambers and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, wishing him success in carrying out his duties in bolstering the bonds of mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Ambassador Binameem expressed his appreciation for the welcome he received, praising the Chamber’s interest in providing all the necessary support to push economic cooperation between businesses in both countries forward.
The Ambassador pointed to the awareness of the Tunisian government to boost economic and investment cooperation with the UAE by activating partnerships and increasing communication channels between the business community in Abu Dhabi with their counterpart in Tunisia.


Stillwater, Okla One play. That's all it takes to earn a player a spot in Bedlam lore forever.
Perhaps no one can attest to that better than the Woods family.
It was five years ago when Rashaun Woods' unforgettable game-winning catch sent Oklahoma State to a 16-13 win against Oklahoma and ended any remaining national titles hope for the fourth-ranked Sooners.
His little brother, Donovan, was about to embark on a high-school playoff game at Oklahoma City's Millwood High School at the time.
"He made the catch, and (brother) D'Juan was listening to it on the radio while I was down on the field warming up. D'Juan came running down the hill and told me that we won and Rashaun made the big catch," Donovan Woods said. "I thought D'Juan was playing, but obviously he wasn't."
On his way to the NFL, Rashaun Woods followed up "The Catch" with a record-setting 226 yards receiving against the Sooners in another Cowboys win in 2002 and further cemented his Bedlam legacy.
It'll be hard for either of his brothers to duplicate his effort today when the No. 13 Sooners (9-2, 6-1 Big 12) and Cowboys (6-5, 3-4) meet for the 101st time.
"What Rashaun did was obviously great but in all honesty, I'd just be happy with a victory and just leave it at that," Donovan Woods said.
Once at the center of attention as the starting quarterback in the Bedlam rivalry game, Donovan could now be easily overlooked as a member of the Oklahoma State secondary. He's doing his best to change that.
"Every day I try to make progress," Donovan Woods said. "The more and more you do things, the more and more comfortable you get. This has definitely been a year where I've learned quite a bit."
Defensive coordinator Vance Bedford has noticed. Prior to Oklahoma State's 42-32 win against Kansas this season, Bedford thinks things started to click for the second-year safety.
"He was always into it, but now he is really into it," Bedford said. "He's starting to recognize what the game is all about."


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Romanian company specialized in electric products distribution ELBI Electric & Lighting posted turnover of EUR 38 million in Q3, an year-on-year increase by 8 percent.
At the end of 2016, ELBI registered sales of EUR 52.1 million from electric products sales, from the overall turnover of EUR 84 million.
The company aims to register an increase by minimum 10 percent at the end of this year through the continuous development of products portfolio and the deliveries accessibility.
“In less than a year, we almost doubled our own logistic hubs, from 26,000 sqm to 45,500 sqm, out of which 22,000 sqm covered surface. The investments in the storage centers was EUR 1.8 million. Moreover, we always have on stock products of over EUR 16 million,” said Dan Ovedenie, acquisition director of the company.
ELBI Electric & Lighting serves over 10,000 B2B clients at national level, both from the traditional distribution and the modern retail.
Top 20 ELBI Electric & Lighting clients generated over EUR 7 million turnover at the end of the first semester.
From our analysis of the first semester, over 10 percent of our sales came from DIY and FMCG hypermarkets. The national distributors generated 65 percent of the revenues and 25 percent came from special projects of electric installations, electric network infrastructure and lighting projects,” says Vasile Tiorean, commercial director of the company.
One of the ELBI Electric & Lighting’s business growth sources is the special projects division set up in 2015.


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#GuessTheWest terms and conditions
Test your knowledge of the West
Can you identify where these stunning photos were taken? Take our quiz to test your knowledge and share your results using #GuessTheWest hashtag
First, we'd like to know a little bit about you
Where is this beach located?
Which Southern landmark is this?
Where was this waterfront wonder taken?
Where was this photo captured?
Where was this sunset captured?
Which famous landmark is this?
Can you name this hidden gem?
Where can you find this lighthouse?
Where is this location?
Can you name this curious building?
Tweet your score
Share your score
Immerse yourself in all these beautiful destinations with GWR. Buy any train ticket in Britain with no booking fee.

domain: travel


text:
Maybe one of these days I’ll show you what’s usually in my bag, but I’m afraid you’ll be so put off by the mess that you’ll never come back here. I will tell you that it always contains a book. Since most of my books come from the library, I realized that it might not be a good idea to leave them floating around unprotected in my bag, so I’ve started making bookcovers to keep them safe. The quilted bookcover pictured above is sized to fit a thick mass market paperback, but you can make these in any size you like.
For this bookcover, I started by determining my finished size. This is a wrap-around cover, and is secured simply by wrapping a single, thin strap around it and tucking in the end. I wanted the finished width to be 7″, and I thought that a 14″ length would be enough to cover a fairly thick book. If you’re unsure, just measure around the thickest book you’re likely to read, and add a couple of inches. I added 1/2″ to both measurements for my 1/4″ seam allowances. So, I cut my lining and batting (I used Warm & Natural this time) 7-1/2 x 14-1/2.
For the outside, I strip-pieced some 2″ fabric strips left over from another project, pressed the seams to one side, and then trimmed it to a 7-1/2 x 14-1/2 inch size. You can use any quilting pattern you like, or just use a single piece of fabric for this part. You are limited only by your imagination here.
Pictured above are the 3 layers of my bookcover, ready to be constructed.
Now, layer the outside piece, right side out, onto the batting, and quilt as desired. I did some basic straight stitching because I wanted minimal embellishment.
Next, make your strap. For mine, I used a 28″ long by 2″ wide strip of fabric. In general, it should be around twice as long as your bookcover. Fold the long edges of the strip toward the center and press carefully, then fold that in half, again lengthwise, so that your raw edges are enclosed. Press again so that you have a neat, narrow strip. Then, using an edge-stitch foot, topstitch along both long edges to secure everything. If you want, you can tuck one end in before you stitch, so that you have a cleanly finished end, but I left the edges raw and tied a little knot. (Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of this step!)
If you want the end of your bookcover to be rounded or pointed, cut your layers in that shape (on only one end) now. Next, you’ll assemble all your layers. Place your quilted piece right side up. Add the strap on top of that, and curl up the excess length so it doesn’t get caught up in your seams. Now add the lining right side down, completely covering your strap and the quilted layer below. Pin the layers together. Sew through all layers with a 1/4″ seam, leaving an opening for turning.
Clip the corners and any curves, then turn right side out. Press, folding in the edges of the opening. Again using an edge-stitch foot, topstitch all around the edges of the bookcover. This will close up the opening and give you a neat finish. Now just wrap it around your book, wrap the strap around, and tuck in the end.


text:
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Izannah and Jane Walker
In one of Monica Bessette's articles she suggests that some of the dolls that we know as Izannah Walker dolls were actually made by Jane Walker. I find this an interesting nugget, and of course, it would be lovely to know more. Today I received an e-mail from Diane Goodwin with a link to a Youtube clip of a walking tour of Somerset, Massachusetts. If you watch the clip and fast foward to the point of 6:20, you can see the early Walker house located at 373 Main Street. Diane pointed out there were a couple of errors - one being that Izannah and Jane lived in the house in the early twentieth century - that should be nineteenth century. And the narration ends with "the product is still known today as the Jane Walker doll." Hmmm. The plot thickens? To view the video discussed above, please visit the Somerset Historical Society's site and click on the video associated with 363 Main Street
My mission for this blog in 2008 was to create the site I wished existed - a site for doll makers and collectors who love Izannah Walker dol...

domain: hobby


The race for the Michigan Supreme Court holds much more significance for Michigan than many people realize. First of all, it’s important for voters to understand the process Michigan utilizes for electing Supreme Court justices. Candidates for Supreme Court are nominated at the state political party conventions, but they appear on the non-partisan portion of the ballot at the polls. So straight ticket voting won’t include votes for Michigan Supreme Court candidates. The only indicator present on the ballot is “Justice of the Supreme Court.” It is very important for voters to know a candidate’s background and understand their judicial philosophy when choosing a justice.
Second, the Michigan Supreme Court race is critically important because, as the Michigan Chamber has learned over time, you can win the battle then lose the war when activist judges rewrite laws from the bench and ignore the statutory enactments of elected legislators.
On election day, voters need to know which candidates for Michigan Supreme Court acknowledge that they are judges, not legislators, and who will adhere to the rule of law.
Below is some information on two Michigan Supreme Court candidates who are running for election on November 8th.
Meet Candidate Justice David Viviano
Justice Viviano was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court in 2013 and elected to complete the remainder of his term in 2014. He is now running for a full eight-year term on the court.
What He Wants You to Know...
It is important for people to know that I believe our courts exist for the benefit of the people and the communities we serve, not lawyers or judges. Nor does the court exist to benefit any particular constituency or person over another. Equal justice under law means that the party with the better argument on how the law applies to a given set of facts must prevail, without consideration of status, wealth, or influence and without reference to popular sentiment or politiccal expedience.
What You Might Be Surprised to Know...
Justice Viviano has promoted technological innovation within the court system. He led the Macomb Circuit Court's e-filing pilot project, which streamlined operations and improved the court's ability to manage and share electronic data. He also worked to expand the court's use of video conferencing to conduct court hearings more efficiently and safely with reduced cost to taxpayers. Nearly 800 virtual courtrooms are saving taxpayers $4.8 million this year along. Justice Viviano now serves as the Supreme Court's point person for judicial training and statewide e-filing.
Who He Considers His Hero and Why...
My role model in the law is my father, retired judge Antonio Viviano. He inspired me to pursue a career in the law and in public service. He taught me by word and deed how important it is to have integrity, to work hard and to always treat others with respect. I also inherited my dad’s love of history, and his appreciation for the contribution of lawyers to the founding and continued vitality of our country. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention Justice Antonin Scalia. Because of his intellectual acuity and vigor, the fundamentals of the rule-of-law judicial philosophy are now universally accepted as black-letter law in courts throughout the nation. Justice Scalia has laid the groundwork for judges here and around the country to apply a rule-of-law judicial philosophy.
Learn more at vivianoforjustice.com.
Meet Candidate Justice Joan Larsen
Justice Larsen served on the faculity of the University of Michigan Law School for more than a decade where she was also special counsel to the Dean. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2015 and is running for a two-year partial term.
What She Wants You to Know...
I would like everyone to understand the substantial effect the Supreme Court can have on the lives of everyday citizens and their government. Judges must ensure that the actions of government do not exceed their constitutional boundaries or interfere with the People’s constitutional rights. Judges must keep government in check by faithfully applying the texts of the Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Michigan. Rule-of-law Justices who believe in the separation of powers and equal justice under the law offer confidence to those that come before the Court that all will be treated fairly and with respect.
What You Might Be Surprised to Know...
Michigan is a national leader in veterans' treatment courts, with more courts serving our veterans than any other state. The Supreme Court has focused considerable attention on treatment courts because they have been found to reduce recidivism and save taxpayer dollars. Participants in drug and mental health courts are two times less likely to reoffend than their non-participant peers. And, unemployment among treatment court graduates has been cut from 31 percent to 8 percent. I am proud to be the Supreme Court’s liason to our successful drug, sobriety, mental health, and veterans courts.
Who She Considers Her Hero and Why...
I am indebted to and admire the two judges for whom I was privileged to clerk, Justice Antonin Scalia and Judge David Sentelle. Both are jurists of great intellect and integrity, who instilled in me a reverence for the separation of powers and the limited, but important, role of the judiciary in our constitutional democracy. They taught me to think critically, to read the law carefully, and to judge each case fairly, according to the law and the facts. I have always had great reverence for the first Justice Harlan, particularly for his dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson. And I am indebted to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (and to President Ronald Reagan) for showing us that women could serve.
Learn more at justicejoan.com.
Paid for by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce with regulated funds. Authorized by Michigan Chamber PAC III, and not authorized by any candidate committee. 600 S. Walnut St., Lansing, MI 48933


SAN DIEGO, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Volcano
VOLC), a leading developer and manufacturer of precision
intravascular therapy guidance tools designed to enhance the
diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular
disease, said today it has reached an agreement with Fukuda Desnhi
Co., Ltd. to end its distribution agreement in Japan.
This transaction follows the successful transition of its
distribution from Goodman to direct in Japan in July 2009. Fukuda,
which distributes Volcano IVUS offerings to the cardiology market
only, currently serves approximately 180 centers and accounts for
approximately 20 percent of Volcano’s revenues in Japan—and
approximately five percent of the company’s total revenues. The
transition will take effect on December 1, 2010.
“Over the past 14 months, we have demonstrated the success of
our expanded direct sales effort in Japan through growing revenues
and increased market share. Upon completion of the Fukuda
transition, we will be directly addressing nearly 95 percent of our
total revenues in Japan, where we have a direct sales force of more
than 50 and a total work force of more than 100,” said Scott
Huennekens, president and chief executive officer of Volcano.
“As was the case with the Goodman transition, we expect this
transaction to benefit us in several ways. We will receive direct
pricing, which is currently approximately 30 percent higher than
distributor pricing, as well as potentially realize increased gross
margin and operating income on these revenues. In addition, we
anticipate additional opportunities to further our market
share strategy as we leverage our growing infrastructure in
Japan—not only with our IVUS offering, but also distributed
products and those in our pipeline that we will begin introducing
in Japan next year,” he continued.
“These include o


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The 2011 Bach Choir Christmas Concerts are now a fond memory for listeners and singers, alike! Congratulations and thanks are due to many members of our organization: from the administrative staff, who did a brilliant job (as always) with ticketing, marketing, and the myriad of unsung, behind-the-scenes work, to our fearless leader, Greg Funfgeld, for his wonderful work in conceiving and preparing all of the musicians for a very stimulating program, to my colleagues in The Choir and Orchestra for their hard work in learning the challenging music in new styles, and, finally, to everyone who came out to hear this glorious music. The Bethlehem concert was sold-out, and we had a fine showing in Allentown. Lots of moments stand out in my memory – from Charlotte Mattax-Mersch’s zesty and elegant renditions of nöels in the Charpentier, to the trio of women (including Choir member, Beth Gardner) offering lovely singing in the same. Cantata No. 40 had two bravura arias, and Ben Butterfield and Joshua Copeland triumphed over the challenges beautifully. Our colleagues in the orchestra had to master the notes inégales in the Charpentier, and they did a magnificent job of capturing the improvisatory spirit of French Baroque music. What delightful concerts!
If you were unable to attend, or you did, and would like a replay, listen to WWFM on Friday, December 23rd, beginning at 8 pm, for a broadcast, which will include an interview with Greg (for which he had to drive to Trenton today – no rest for the weary!).
The Choir is now on hiatus until January. We’ll hit the ground running for our 50th (!) Bach at Noon on Tuesday, January 10th, beginning at noon at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem. We’re repeating the program from the first Bach at Noon – Bach’s wonderful Epiphany Cantata No. 65 (which splendidly evokes the journey of the Magi with some really wonderful camel-based text-painting), and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1. It’s going to be a wonderful celebration.
It’s been an amazing fall: we began with The Choir’s performances in the September 11th remembrances at Trinity Wall Street and St. Paul’s Chapel on September 9th, and offered some of that repertoire in Bethlehem at this year’s first Bach at Noon. Charlotte Mattax-Moersch offered three Bach harpsichord concertos over the three Bach at Noon concerts. We had a triumphant gala in October, with Hilary Hahn playing a stunning concert, and the generous patrons of The Choir far surpassing our fundraising goals. In the midst of all of this, The Choir released a new CD, our Songs of Hope recording, and editing was completed on what is certain to be a very special release this spring: Bach’s monumental St. John Passion, and we prepared for our wonderful Christmas Concerts. Whew!
This feast of inestimable riches continues this winter and spring: from exuberant and celebratory Bach at Noon concerts, to our annual Family Concert (this year with dancers from around the Valley), a spring concert of Brahms’ transcendant Ein Deutsches Requiem, and the Festival in May, a lot of gorgeous music is on tap for the Bach Choir Family! Stay tuned for more information – and remember to like us on Facebook to receive periodic updates and to receive word whenever I’ve posted here.
Update, December 13th: Steve Siegel has a glowing review on the Morning Call’s music blog.


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Providence, R.I. – Senior Cedric Kuakumensah (Worcester, MA) and junior Steven Spieth (Dallas, TX) scored 16 points each to lead Brown to its second straight win, an 86-80 decision over Cornell in an Ivy League game at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
Brown improves to 7-12 overall, 2-3 in the Ivy League, while Cornell had its two game winning streak stopped, falling to 9-10, 2-3 in Ivy play.
"I'm happy with our performance against a dangerous Cornell team," said Brown head coach Mike Martin. "No lead is safe against the fastest paced team in the Ivy League. Our offense shared the ball very well tonight with 18 assists on 28 field goals."
Kuakumensah registered his ninth double of the season, scoring his 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, while pulling down 12 rebounds and blocking three shots.
Spieth turned in a yeoman's performance, hitting 10-of-10 free throws, while pulling down nine rebounds and handing out five assists.
One of the top three-point shooters in Brown history, junior JR Hobbie (Spring Lake, NJ) connected on 5-of-9 treys in scoring 15 points. Bears junior guard Tavon Blackmon (Upper Marlboro, MA) scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, while handing out five assists.
Five Cornell starters scored in double figures, paced by the top-scoring duo in the Ivy League, junior guard Robert Hatter and freshman guard Matt Morgan, who each scored game high 19 points. Jordan Abdur-Ra'oof had 14 points, Daryl Smith netted 13 points, while David Onuorah posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Big Red.
Brown opened up a nine-point lead in the opening 20-minutes, 37-28, following a trey by Hobbie with 2:55 remaining in the half.
The Big Red finished the half with a 6-0 run, capped off by a short jumper by Smith with one second left to cut Brown's lead to 37-34 at intermission.
Brown went up by 11 points in the opening six minutes of the second half, 54-43 following a layup by sophomore Jason Massey.
Undaunted, Cornell outscored the Bears, 15-3, over the next seven minutes to take the lead, 58-57, on two free throws by Morgan with 9:29 left in the game.
Trailing 65-64, with 7:33 remaining, Brown took the lead for good on a trey by freshman Travis Fuller (Encinitas, CA), sparking a 14-4 Brown run that lifted the Bears to a 78-69 lead on a layup by Blackmon with 2:28 remaining.
The Bears are back in action again tomorrow night, February 6, hosting Columbia at the Pizzitola Sports Center, starting at 6:00 pm.


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Australia has been ranked as the most expensive country for international students, including Indians . Australia beat the United States, Britain, Germany,Canada and Hong Kong as the most expensive destination for international students.
The country costs an average 38,000 US dollars per year in fees and living costs, the study conducted by HSBC Bank of 13 countries and territories.
According to the Courier Mail, the study found that despite its expensive reputation, Australia has remained one of the world’s most popular countries for international students.
HSBC Australia head of personal financial services Graham Heunis said the falling Australian dollar looked set to give the nation an even bigger boost in the popularity stakes, the report said.
The high currency saw a 12 percent drop in international enrolments between 2009 and 2012.
He said changes introduced last year to streamline international student visa processing would also help increase the influx of students, it added.
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It’s still one of the most controversial topics.
But it’s really tough to discount just how profitable it’s been for investors.
For most of 2018, marijuana stocks ran higher on news of Canadian legalization, further state approval in the U.S., and corporate interest. The U.S. FDA even approved the first cannabis-derived drug. We saw the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp and hemp-based CBD.
By the way, that legalization of CBD opens up a whole other opportunity.
In fact, as CBD just begins its cultural renaissance, the market could more than double in value to $2.5 billion by 2026 from $950 million, according to Transparency Market Research. However, we could see those numbers improve significantly, as CBD disrupts multi-billion-dollar industries, including the $4.2 trillion wellness market.
Two, according to analysts at Cowen, U.S. cannabis sales alone could reach $80 billion by 2030 – an increase of $5 billion from earlier estimates, and a 4% compound annual growth rate.
It’s tough to ignore what’s happening, as the renaissance begins.
Still, even with that information at hand, related marijuana stocks pulled back – but we believe that pullback is simply temporary.
While pot stocks did pull back in recent months, they’re worth the gamble. Some of our favorite opportunities include the following:
Hot Pot Stock No. 1 – Aurora Cannabis (ACB)
The company now anticipates revenue for the quarter ended in December 2018 of between $50 million and $55 million, compared to $11.7 million year over year.
That implies growth of nearly 330% in a single year.
“Revenue growth for the quarter was driven by the Company’s strong position in the adult consumer use market in Canada, continued shipments of medical cannabis to Aurora’s expanding base of approximately 71,000 patients in Canada, and relatively stable, supply restricted shipments, to its growing international markets,” according to the company.
Hot Pot Stock No. 2 – Canopy Growth (CGC)
Oversold, CGC is one of the most well-known pot stocks on the market.
It doesn’t hurt that Piper Jaffray analysts just initiated coverage on the stock with a $40 price target – a 33% premium over current prices. Better yet, Constellation Brands (which invested $4 billion in CGC) noted that Canopy is on track to surpass revenue expectations over the next two years. In fact, Constellation’s COO believes CGC could see more than a billion Canadian dollars in revenue over that time.
Even better, analysts at Cowen believe U.S. cannabis sales alone could hit $80 billion by 2030 – an $5 billion increase from earlier estimates.
“We expect continued growth in newly established U.S. states, and more robust growth in Canada as more supply comes online and new form factors hit the market,” analysts at Cowen noted. Among the likely beneficiaries, will be Tilray Inc. and Canopy Growth, which it believes will “finally start to see the true benefits of adult use sales and the lapping of upfront investments made in calendar 2018 to scale up ahead of adult use.”
That’s growth no investor should ignore.
Hot Pot Stock No. 3 – The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF (HMLSF)
The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF seeks to replicate, to the extent possible, the performance of the North American Marijuana Index, net of expenses. The Index is designed to provide exposure to the performance of a basket of North American publicly listed life sciences companies with significant business activities in the marijuana industry. It has holdings in Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth, Aphria Inc. Cronos Group, and CannTrust Holdings.
As many of us are aware, ETFs offer us more for less.
If we were to buy the top pot stocks individually, we’d pay more than the cost of the ETF. For example, if we were to buy 100 shares of CGC, it would cost $3,755. And we’d only own CGC.
If we were to buy 100 shares of the HMLSF ETF, it would cost us $1,300 and we’d be offered the opportunity to diversify among its many holdings.


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First you'll need to make a super saturated salt solution (a.k.a. brine) by boiling 2cups of water and then adding salt in batches, stirring in between, until the salt no longer dissolves. Let it cool.
Water (hot and cold)
3 small glass containers
Put equal amounts of brine, ice water, and hot tap water into each of the three containers (we used special plastic test tubes, the ones from which 2L bottles are made, with 2 tablespoons of liquid in each.)
Add a drop of food coloring into each at approximately the same time and watch what happens. In this video, red is hot, yellow/green is cold, and blue is brine.
The red and the yellow/green drops sank at about the same rate, but the red diffused throughout the water much faster. You can see this better with purple dye better (purple is cold, red is hot water.)
Density is mass (g) per volume (ml) or
D = m/vFor a liquid this is easy to calculate. For a solid you can figure out the volume by how much water it displaces (see pg. 17 of the encyclopedia to set this up.)
Chem1 Virtual Textbook: Density and Buoyancy (advanced)
I Love Density has a complete science project on density (intermediate)
We found several Gizmos that demonstrated density. One had objects on a shelf that you could put on a scale to get weight (mass), then in a graduated cylinder to get volume. I did the calculation for the kids (they were fractions that I converted to a decimal.) You can then put the object in a liquid in which you can adjust the density. The kids were impressed when I started out with the object floating and as soon as I adjusted the fluid density to a number less than the object, the object sank.

domain: chemistry


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IT should come as no surprise that investors out to shield themselves from the recent market volatility would dive into the stocks of drug makers. After all, people get sick regardless of market conditions. But what no one could have predicted was that some investors would pass up such comet stocks as Warner-Lambert, up 76.5 percent this year, and Schering-Plough, up 64 percent, for the likes of Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
But that's what they have been doing.
On the day last month when Schering-Plough reported a 22 percent gain in third-quarter earnings, its stock actually dropped 1.9 percent, to $98.50. Bristol-Myers reported only a 13 percent gain the same day, and its shares increased 68.75 cents, to $105.6875.
Johnson & Johnson was also defying gravity. Despite the company's report of an 11 percent gain in third-quarter earnings, one of the worst performances in the pharmaceutical industry, its shares are now at a record high of $84.625.
Has the world gone mad?
Hardly. Investors who fear an economic downturn are snapping up shares of Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers, the drug industry's two most consistent players. Aside from producing steady earnings quarter after quarter, both are remarkably diversified and inexpensive compared with most of their competitors.
''Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson are strong growth stocks for the long term,'' said David Saks, a managing director of Gruntal & Company who manages the company's four health care unit investment trusts. ''I've included both stocks in our funds because they deliver consistent earnings. And I'm like most investors: I don't like surprises.''Continue reading the main story
The two companies have been so predictable in their businesses over the years that some investors have dismissed them as dull. While other drug makers have rushed to become so-called life-sciences companies, with holdings in agribusiness, biotechnology as well as pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers have refused to abandon an operating strategy that was popular in the 70's and 80's.
Back then, drug companies loaded up on disparate businesses as a way to bolster revenues in case health maintenance organizations forced a cut in drug prices. Before the end of the 80's, American Home Products, for example, was selling not only Premarin, one of the world's top hormone replacement drugs, but also a variety of medical gadgets and Chef Boy-Ar-Dee spaghetti.
In the last few years, however, most drug companies have shed their lower-profit-margin baggage; American Home sold 80 percent of its food division to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst. But Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers have held fast to the strategy of diversification. Besides producing medical equipment and prescription drugs, Johnson & Johnson makes household-brand products like Tylenol and Band-Aid adhesive bandages, while Bristol-Myers peddles Herbal Essences shampoo and other Clairol hair-care products. The reasoning is that diversity can be a big help in cushioning earnings when the patents on popular drugs expire.
These broad product mixes catch the eyes of conservative investors. ''With Bristol-Myers Squibb, it's steady as she goes,'' said Dr. Kris Jenner, an analyst with T. Rowe Price. He said the stock, which closed at $111.0625 on Friday, could hit $125 to $130 over the next 12 months.
But neither of these two drug giants is a slouch on the pharmaceutical side. Thanks largely to Pravachol, a cholesterol-reducing agent, and Taxol, an anti-cancer drug, Bristol-Myers recorded $5.69 billion in United States pharmaceutical sales last year, the most for any company, according to I.M.S. Health, a consulting firm.
Johnson & Johnson finished a close second in that category, at $5.66 billion. The company should have three drugs this year with annual sales above $1 billion: Procrit, for anemia; Propulsid, the gastrointestinal agent, and Risperdal, an antipsychotic. Only Merck and Pfizer should have more billion-dollar sellers. (Mr. Saks said shares of Johnson & Johnson could hit $103 in 12 months, compared with $84.625 today.)
To an aggressive investor, the 28.5 percent gain in Johnson & Johnson stock this year and the 17.4 percent increase for Bristol-Myers might seem a sorry performance, considering that the Standard & Poor's Drugs Index is up 38.4 percent. Yet the stocks look attractive in other ways: Both have beaten the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, which is up 16 percent this year. And each has a price-to-earnings ratio near that of the overall market -- a rare characteristic among drug stocks.
The average large drug stock has a P/E of 39, compared with 28.5 for the S.& P. 500. Johnson & Johnson's ratio is 31.7, slightly higher that Bristol's 31.3. That's a fire sale compared with Warner-Lambert's ratio of 52.2 and Pfizer's 55.9.
IT is unlikely, meanwhile, that Johnson & Johnson or Bristol-Myers shareholders will toss and turn at night, as investors in Warner-Lambert might well have done last December, when the company's shares tumbled 18.5 percent in a single day.
The selloff was prompted by Glaxo Wellcome's announcement that it was yanking Rezulin, a leading diabetes drug that Warner-Lambert sold in the United States, from the British market because of concerns about possible liver toxicity. Warner-Lambert's shares have more than recovered from the losses, but that's clearly the type of surprise that conservative shareholders can do without.Continue reading the main story

domain: economics


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In Missoula, Krakauer examines the rape culture that currently permeates in the minds of the citizens of Missoula, MT. Krakauer tells the stories of several different women who have suffered from sexual assault at the hands of men they knew and went to college with. He follows their stories from the occurrence of the crime, to the aftermath, and, for very few, to the courts. Even rarer, Krakauer follows this stories to justice for the victim.
Throughout his book, Krakauer examines the culture of rape in a few different ways. He makes a point to show the reactions of the (accused) perpetrators. One man acknowledged what he did was wrong (thereby showing comprehension that it was his actions that were the problem), while another man is described as crying and being very upset when being told of his accusation. The difference is that the second young man was upset because the victim was upset and felt bad, not as the result of any of his actions. This idea is the keystone to rape culture in the United States, especially in the University setting. All the “villains” in this book (I use the term to describe the real-life people whose actions made me cringe) will readily admit that what the victims are going through is unfortunate, but, in the same breath, the villains will justify the men’s actions. Whenever the court system is invoked, not only did the men do nothing wrong, but now they are scapegoats for these women who are nothing more than rejected lovers.
Adding fuel to the fire is Krakauer’s reporting on how these cases are handled by the Missoula justice system, particularly at the hands of the lead prosecutor, a woman, who comes across as the antithesis of a respectable female, and not because of adjectives, metaphors, or imagery Krakauer used to describe (there was none). Instead the reader’s frustration with the prosecutor comes entirely from her actions. Throughout this book, the actions of this prosecutor feel like a slap in the face. She demonstrates not only the prevailing attitude of blaming the victim, but takes it one step further. I will not discuss her plot points in detail in this review, but if you fling the book away in disgust several times while reading it, I would guess it has something to do with her.


Windows Server 2016 Containers with Marcus Robinson
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October 18, 2016
In this interview I speak with Marcus Robinson of Microsoft, as we discuss the addition of support for Docker Containers in Windows Server 2016, and the effect this will have on container adoption in the enterprise.
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text:
DOING BUSINESS IN SOUTH AFRICA
For over a decade, Healy Consultants Group PLC has been efficiently and effectively assisting our Clients with establishing a business in South Africa. Our experts serve our Clients with i) South Africa company registration ii) Government compliance iii) license registrations iv) visa applications v) work space rental solutions and vi) employee recruitment solutions.
|Summary||LLC||Free zone LLC||Public limited company||Joint Venture||Branch office||Trust||Foundation|
|Also known as||Pty. Ltd.||IDZ Pty. Ltd.||Ltd.||Pty. Lrd.||Branch Office||Trust||Foundation|
|Best use of company?||All products and services||Manufacturing and export trading||To secure public funding||Trading||Specific projects||Tax planning||Tax Planning|
|How soon can you invoice Clients/sign sales contracts?||2 weeks||2 months||1 month||1 month||2 months||No||No|
|How soon can you hire staff?||2 weeks||2 months||1 month||1 month||2 months||No||2 months|
|How soon can you sign a lease agreement?||2 weeks||2 months||1 month||1 month||2 months||1 month||2 months|
|How long to supply corporate bank account numbers?||1 month||3 months||2 months||2 months||3 months||2 months||3 months|
|How long to supply company registration/tax numbers?||2 weeks||2 months||1 month||1 month||2 months||1 month||2 months|
|Corporate tax rate on annual net profits?||28%||15%||28%||28%||28%||18%-45%||28%|
|Limited liability entity?||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||No||No|
|Government grants available?||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||No|
|Resident director/partner/manager/ legal representative required?||No||No||No||No||Yes||No||No|
|Minimum paid up share capital?||US$1||US$1||US$3,800||none||none||none||none|
|Can bid for Government contracts?||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||No|
|Corporate bank account location?||HSBC SA||SCB SA||Deutsche Bank SA||Standard Bank||Nedbank||Absa Bank||Citibank SA|
|Can secure trade finance?||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||No|
|VAT payable on sales to local customers?||14%||14%||14%||14%||14%||N/A||N/A|
|Average total business set up engagement costs?||US$9,630||US$9,630||US$10,130||US$9,630||US$10,780||US$17,930||US$9,530|
|Average total engagement period?||2 months||4 months||3 months||3 months||4 months||3 months||4 months|
|Accounting and tax considerations||LLC||Free zone LLC||Public limited company||Joint Venture||Branch office||Trust||Foundation|
|Statutory corporate tax payable?||28%||15%||28%||0%||28%||18%-45%||28%|
|Legally tax exempt if properly structured?||No||Yes||No||Yes||No||Yes||Yes|
|Group HQ tax incentives?||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||Yes||Yes||Yes|
|Must appoint an auditor?||No||No||Yes||No||No||No||No|
|Withholding tax on payments to foreign shareholders?||15%||15%||15%||15%||15%||15%||N/A|
|Company Registration||LLC||Free zone LLC||Public limited company||Joint Venture||Branch office||Trust||Foundation|
|Resident director/partner/manager/ legal representative required?||No||No||No||No||Yes||No||No|
|Must appoint a South African resident public officer?||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes|
|Minimum number of shareholders/partners?||1||1||1||2||Parent company||None||None|
|Maximum shareholding for foreigners?||100%||100%||100%||100%||100%||100%||100%|
|Minimum statutory paid up share capital?||US$1||US$1||US$3,800||US$1||none||none||none|
|Shelf companies available?||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||No||No||No|
|Time to incorporate a new entity?||2 weeks||2 months||5 weeks||1 month||2 months||1 month||2 months|
|Can easily convert to a PLC?||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||No||No||No|
|Can have preference shareholders?||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||No||No|
|Business Considerations||LLC||Free zone LLC||Public limited company||Joint Venture||Branch office||Trust||Foundation|
|Good entity for trademark registration?||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||Yes||No||No|
|Can secure an import and export license?||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||No||No|
|Government approval required for foreign owners?||No|
|Must file an annual tax return?||Yes|
|Must file annual financial statements?||Yes|
|Access to double taxation treaties?||Yes|
|Security deposit to be kept with Government?||No|
|Public register of shareholders and directors?||Yes|
|Sponsorship by a local citizen required?||No|
|Our Client needs to travel to South Africa for business set up?||No|
|Temporary physical office solutions available?||Yes|
|You need a local resident as bank signatory?||No|
|Can be wholly foreign owned?||Yes|
|The entity will likely be regulated by?||CIPC|
|Minimum number of directors/managers?||1|
|Bi-monthly VAT reporting to the Government?||Yes|
|Must sign an office lease agreement during incorporation?||No|
|Shareholders & directors documents to be attested/translated?||No|
|Each foreign director needs a personal income tax number?||No|
|Foreign director needs a residence visa?||No|
|Maximum number of staff allowed?||No maximum number for any entity|
|Expatriate to local staff ratio?||37 local to 1 expat|
|Can secure residence visa for business owner?||Yes|
|Other useful information|
|What will be included in my customer sales invoice?||Click link|
|This country has signed free trade agreements?||Yes|
|This country is a member of WIPO/TRIPS?||Yes|
|This country is a member of the ICSID?||No|
|Average custom duties suffered?||18.74%|
|Government foreign investment approval required?||No|
|Average monthly office rental? (US$ per sq m)||US$30|
|Minimum statutory monthly salary?||US$270|
|Average monthly US$ salary for local skilled employees?||US$700|
|US$ deposit interest rate? (1 year average)||8%|
|Overseas remittance currency controls?||Yes|
|Multi-currency bank accounts available?||Yes|
|Corporate visa debit cards available?||Yes|
|Quality of e-banking platform?||Very good|
|Crowd funding available in this country?||Yes|
Press the link headings below to read detailed, relevant, up to date information.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of South African company registration
- Setting up a business in South Africa is easy because:
- Incorporating an LLC requires a minimum paid-up share capital of US$1. Furthermore, the company setup process can be completed within 4 weeks;
- Only one director and one shareholder must be appointed, who can be of nationality. Consequently, a South African LLC can be 100% foreign owned.
- South African Government offers several R&D incentives including:
- R&D projects with initial investment less than US$400,000 are eligible for grants worth US$200,000. Similarly, projects with initial investment between US$400,000 and US$2,000,000 are eligible for grants worth US$500,000. Finally, projects with investment higher than US$2,000,000 are eligible for grants worth at least US$1,000,000;
- Private companies investing in R&D projects relating to science and technology, can receive refunds from the government worth 150% of the operating expenditure incurred;
- Resident companies investing in projects to determine the feasibility of foreign projects which could be implemented in the country to improve trade, are eligible for grants worth up to US$500,000;
- Certain small businesses can apply for grants worth i) US$80,000 to cover the costs of approved tools and machinery and ii) US$20,000 to cover the employee training and business development costs;
- Investments in the automotive industry, to improve the productivity of light motor vehicles, are eligible for grants worth between 20% and 30% of the value of the qualifying investment.
- South Africa resident companies enjoy several non-R&D incentives including:
- Dividends from foreign companies and capital gains from sale of holdings in a foreign company can be corporate tax exempt if the receiving entity holds 10% stake in the foreign entity;
- There are no withholding taxes levied on interest payments made to resident and non-resident companies;
- Companies investing in the tourism and manufacturing sectors can receive monetary grants of up to US$800,000 on investments higher than US$5 million;
- Monetary incentives up to US$33,000 per job created will granted to companies who set up business process outsourcing (BPO) operations in South Africa;
- Businesses investing in certain sectors of the South African economy are eligible for benefits including i) monetary grants worth US$300,000 to cover marketing, advertising and publicity costs ii) 80:20 cost sharing grants to finance the project and iii) monetary grants worth US$400,000 to cover travel, accommodation and exhibition costs for new trading businesses;
- South Africa has signed 73 Double Taxation Agreements and 45 Bilateral Investments Agreements to reduce withholding taxes on foreign payments and customs duties on imports/exports.
Disadvantages of South African company registration
- Every signatory of a South African corporate bank account must hold a South African work visa. Although a South African resident director is no longer required by law, Healy Consultants recommends that our Clients appoint a local director who will also be the bank signatory. To secure company registration and bank account opening in a timely manner, most of our Clients request Healy Consultants to appoint a nominee resident director. If required, Healy Consultants’ resident director service fee amounts to US$9,950 per annum;
- South Africa is a high tax country because i) corporate tax is 28% ii) VAT is 14% iii) capital gains for companies is 18% iv) asset tax is 1% v) withholding tax is up to 15% vi) average import duty is 19% and vii) transfer duty on immovable property is 8%;
- It is difficult to find qualified labor in South Africa because:
- Only 2% of the population holds a university degree;
- Only 39% of the population speaks fluent English, making language a barrier for foreign entrepreneurs.
- A South Africa resident business will face certain bureaucratic hurdles including:
- Repatriation of profits to a foreign country will require prior approval from the Central Bank (SARB);
- A South African resident will be required to be the signatory when opening a corporate bank account;
- Labor unions interfere with the simple employer-employee relationship, making it harder to hire or fire employees;
- South Africa’s Corruption Perception Index stands unfavorably at 69th out of a total of 174 countries.
- The South African Rand is one of the most volatile currencies in emerging markets, giving uncertainty to the value of foreign investment;
- South Africa is one of the world’s most dangerous countries to live in. It ranks as the 14th most homicidal country in the world.
- Setting up a business in South Africa is easy because:
Best uses for a South Africa company
- South Africa is an excellent place to setup a manufacturing and distribution company because:
- Incorporating in South Africa’s 5 Industrial Development Zones offers companies i) 100% exemption on custom duties ii) 100% exemption on VAT and iii) up to 30% grants on cost of plants, machinery, equipment, commercial buildings and vehicles;
- Investments in construction of infrastructure for industrial projects are eligible for grants covering between 10% and 30% of the total development costs;
- Companies moving machinery into South Africa can apply for a cash grant worth either i) 15% of the value of the equipment or ii) US$2.7 million, whichever is lesser;
- South Africa boasts Africa’s best infrastructure comprising of 31,000 km of train network, 8 international airports and 21 seaports facilitating easy mobilization of goods.
- South Africa is an excellent place to setup a manufacturing and distribution company because:
Business entities in South AfricaThe South Africa Companies Act allows registration of companies by foreigners in most industries, and the business entity most commonly setup by Healy Consultants for our Clients is the limited liability company, locally known as a private company (Pty. Ltd.). The main challenge for registration of a company in South Africa for businessmen living abroad is the need to appoint a local bank signatory. To protect their interest, most of our Clients request Healy Consultants to provide nominee services for such appointment. See our nominee services page for further details or read the page below for detailed information on the different types of business entities available in South Africa.
Doing business in South Africa with a local entity
The South African limited liability company (proprietary limited company)
- A South African limited liability company (locally known as a “proprietary limited company” or Pty. Ltd.) can be setup with 1 director and 1 shareholder, both of whom can be foreigners residing abroad. Furthermore, there is no statutory share capital requirement;
- Nonetheless, a company incorporated in South Africa is be required to appoint a public officer. This individual will be resident in South Africa and may be an employee of the company. He/she will be deemed to be the registered representative of the company in South Africa;
- All LLCs must submit an annual return and financial statements to the Companies and Intellectual Commission (CIPC). It is possible the company may be requested by the CIPC to submitted audited financial statements;
- Best uses for a South African proprietary limited company: The South African Pty. Ltd. is an attractive vehicle for most industries, thanks to its low share capital requirements. It is the type of entity most commonly setup by foreigners and locals alike in South Africa.
The South African free zone company (IDZ company)
- Our Clients may also choose to setup their operations in one of South Africa’s Industrial Development Zones (IDZ). For this purpose, our Clients will need to setup a Pty. Ltd. and open a corporate bank account. Our Client will additionally need to lease space within the IDZ and secure an operating permit. For further information, kindly refer to this free zone section;
- Best uses for a South African free zone company: The South African free zone company is an attractive vehicle for an export oriented manufacturing business. For further information, kindly refer to this free zone section.
The South African public limited company (public limited company)
- Under the Companies Act, this entity is referred to as the “public company”. A PLC may be setup with 3 directors and 1 shareholder, who can be foreigners and non-residents. Furthermore, there is no minimum share capital requirement; however, at incorporation, the company will be required to disclose how it plans to raise its capital;
- Like a Pty. Ltd., a PLC will i) appoint a resident public officer and ii) submit annual returns and tax returns. Additionally, the PLC will i) appoint a resident company secretary and ii) submit audited financial statements;
- Best uses for a South African public limited company: this business entity is recommended when our Client wishes to raise capital from the South African public. However, there is no obligation for the company to be listed on the local stock exchange.
The South African joint venture (joint venture company)
- Foreign companies may enter into joint venture (JV) with a South African company to offer goods/services in South Africa. A JV is generally used if two or more entities need to cooperate on a specific project. The joint venture can be a limited liability company (Pty. Ltd.) but it is also possible not to register one, in which case the partnership will be run as per the terms of the JV contract;
- Best uses for a South African joint venture: a joint venture is recommended when our Client plans to implement a project of a limited duration and already has a reliable joint venture partner in South Africa.
The South African partnership (Partnership)
- While partnerships exist in South Africa, the law does not provide for the possibility to register them with the Commercial Registrar. Moreover, all partners are subject to unlimited liability for the partnership debt and losses and at least one of them must reside in South Africa for the partnership agreement to be valid;
- Best uses for a South African partnership: we do not recommend our Clients to do business in South Africa through a partnership unless they already live in the country.
Doing business in South Africa with a foreign entity
The South African branch office
- In South Africa, this business entity is referred to as the “external company”. This entity is not considered separate from its overseas head office, which is consequently legally liable for all losses incurred by its South African branch;
- The branch registration process will be the same as company incorporation process. For a complete overview of the steps, please refer to this incorporation webpage;
- Like an LLC, the branch will also submit i) annual financial statements to the CIPC and ii) annual tax returns to the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS). The branch will also appoint a resident public officer as the “registered representative”;
- The income from a branch office will be taxed at the corporate tax rate. Furthermore, there will be no additional withholding tax or branch remittance tax on that income;
- Best uses for a South Africa branch office: registering a branch is advisable only in industries subject to high capital requirements (like the banking sector) or if our Clients expect that their customers will more confortable dealing directly with their company, rather than a South African subsidiary.
The South African representative office
There is no representative office in South Africa. Representative offices in this country are actually branches without commercial operations.
Table of comparison between different entity types
Operations and logistics LLC Free Zone Company PLC Joint Venture Partnership Branch Also known as? Pty. Ltd. IDZ Pty. Ltd. Ltd. Joint venture Pty. Lrd. Partnership Branch office Doing business in South Africa permitted? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Allowed to sign contracts with local Clients? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Allowed to invoice local Clients? Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Can rent local office premises? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Allowed to import raw materials? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Allowed to export goods? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Accounting and tax Corporate tax rate? 28% 0% 28% 28% 0% 28% Corporate bank account? HSBC South Africa SCB South Africa DB South Africa Standard Bank South Africa SCB South Africa SCB South Africa Statutory audit required? No No Yes No No No Annual tax return to be submitted? Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Access to DTAAs? Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Company law Issued share capital required? None None None None None None Resident director required? No No No No Yes No Resident bank signatory required Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes SA shareholder required? No No No No Yes No Minimum number of directors? 1 1 3 1 1 1 Minimum number of shareholders? 1 1 1 1 2 Parent company Individual shareholders allowed? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Corporate director(s) allowed Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Corporate shareholders allowed? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Public register of shareholders and directors Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Immigration Can the entity hire expatriate staff? Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes How long to get work permit approved 1 month 1 month 1 month 1 month N/A 1 month Fees and timelines How long to set the entity up? 2 weeks 4 weeks 3 weeks 2 weeks 2 weeks 7 weeks How long to open corporate bank account? 4 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks Estimate of engagement costs US$9,630 US$9,630 US$10,130 US$9,630 US$11,380 US$10,780 Draft invoice
The Black Economic Empowerment Certificate
- The Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Certificate is a regulation voted in 2007 by the South Africa Government in order to promote entrepreneurship and employment of Black and Indian people in South Africa, who form an overwhelming proportion of the country’s population but who also suffer from poverty and work discrimination. This Law makes it mandatories for local businesses to go through an annual audit to determine whether the business i) is controlled and managed by directors and owners of black ethnicity ii) has hired black employees and has set training programs targeting this population and iii) works with black suppliers and subcontractors. Companies with a turnover below US$700,000 (ZAR10 million) are however exempted from such audit obligation;
- The results of the company on its BEE scorecard currently have no fiscal or economic consequences and is currently seen only as a tool to promote corporate responsibility and good governance.
South African industrial development zone (IDZ)Since 2003, Healy Consultants Group PLC assists our Clients with registration of their businesses in the South African Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) in order to benefit from the simplified customs compliance procedures when importing and exporting and to take advantage of the reduced taxes and other incentives;
The main South African IDZs
- Coega IDZ
- Inaugurated in 2001, Coega IDZ is the first and oldest industrial development zone in South Africa. It is strategically located in the South African Eastern Cape Province on the east-west trade routes to serve both the global and African markets;
- The IDZ’s main activity is manufacturing for export purposes and attract investments in i) the automotive industry, ii) processing of agricultural products, iii) metal logistics and energy, iv) business process services and v) aquaculture sectors.
- Richards Bay IDZ
- Linked to the Richards Bay international sea port, this IDZ is designed mainly for manufacturing and storage of minerals and mineral products. The seaport connects to the neighboring Mozambique up the larger east African region;
- The IDZ has world-class industrial infrastructure and a superb network of shipment routes suitable for global business and export oriented manufacturing investments.
- Dube TradePort
- Dube TradePort is the only industrial trade zone in African that incorporates an international airport with a cargo and warehousing facilities, a retail sector and offices, an agricultural section and hotels in one facility;
- The trade port contains two major development zones namely i) Dube AgriZone, specializing in agricultural and horticulture products and ii) Dube TradePort, focusing on manufacture of fashion garments, automotive and electronics.
Benefits of operating within an IDZ
- Our Clients will enjoy Government incentives including:
- A reduced corporate income tax at the rate of 15%;
- Relief from customs duties on goods imported into the IDZs for storage or materials for manufacture;
- Up to 30% grants on cost of plant, machinery, equipment, commercial buildings and vehicles;
- Exemption from VAT on water and electricity usage;
- Tax incentives on exported goods.
- Other advantages of registering your company in a South African IDZ include:
- Eligibility for exemption from employment taxes;
- Simplified customs procedures including registration and licensing and clearance of import/exported goods;
- Exemption from VAT on importation of machinery for manufacturing;
- Eligibility for Government grants and allowances of up to US$2.2million for approved projects;
- Access to world-class infrastructure and the best sea and airports in Africa suitable for international trade.
IDZ comparison Richards Bay East London Port Elizabeth Saldanha Bay Dube TradePort Summary IDZs used mostly by which industry? Manufacturing Manufacturing Manufacturing Manufacturing Manufacturing & Logistics Average annual Industrial space rent per 1000 sq. m. US$35,000 US$25,000 US$30,000 US$30,000 US$60,000 How long to set the company up? 2 months 2 months 2 months 2 months 2 months How long to open company bank account? 3 weeks 3 weeks 3 weeks 3 weeks 3 weeks Quality of utilities Good Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Excellent Corporate bank account First National Bank Standard Bank HSBC Citibank ABSA Accounting and tax Corporate tax payable in South Africa 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% Tax registration certificate required Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Annual audited financial statements Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Company Registration Minimum number of directors 1 1 1 1 1 Minimum number of shareholders 1 1 1 1 1 Individual shareholders allowed Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Corporate shareholders allowed Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Corporate director(s) allowed No No No No No Public register of shareholders and directors Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes LLC company allowed? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Can be wholly foreign owned Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Business considerations Allowed to sign sales contracts with South African Clients? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Allowed to invoice South African Clients? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Physical office space required Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Allowed to import raw materials? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Allowed to export goods? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Can the entity hire expatriate staff in South Africa? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
- Coega IDZ
Tell us what you need - we’ll send you a customised proposal in 5 hours!
To help us engineer the optimum South Africa corporate structure, please complete the 3-minute questionnaire below; then press the submit button below.
Within 5 hours, one of our senior staff will ring or email you:
- Time to incorporate: Four weeks
- Cost to set up: US$9,630
- Minimum capital: US$1
- Physical office required: No
- Shareholders: 1
- Directors: 1
- Company secretary: No
- Resident director: No
- Corporate tax rate: 28%
- Corporate tax base: Worldwide
- Shelf companies: Available
- Main company type: Private limited company
Frequently asked questions
How to register a company in South African IDZ.
Does South Africa have a one stop facility for incorporating IDZ companies?Currently, the Department of Trade and Industry is working on creating a one stop shop facility which will assist Clients with project planning, licensing requirements, financial assistance and assistance with provision of basic utilities.
Useful links for South Africa
Government and public authority websites:
- PFK – South Africa tax guide 2013
- ENS Africa general corporate information for foreign Clients
- KPMG – Investing in South Africa and Africa
- South Africa: Economy Profile
- Companies Act 71 of 2008
- Business and Human Rights in South Africa
- Visa Requirements
- South African Company law for 21st Century
- Payment Systems in South Africa
- EY – Attractiveness survey 2013
- EY – Executing growth Africa 2014
- Zoning in on South Africa’s Industrial Development Zones


Fewer downtimes for Mälarenergi
The city of Västerås is one of the pioneers when it comes to district heating in Sweden. Already in the late 1940s, the municipality dared to invest in the then-new type of energy source. Today, 98% of the city’s properties are connected to district heating. Next to Lake Mälaren in Västerås is one of Mälarenergi’s large production facilities with a stationary vacuum system from DISAB.
Long stop times during sanitation
Block 6, where waste is incinerated to produce district heating, plays an important role in production. Here, waste is incinerated to meet 50% of the city’s heating needs. The waste boilers must work hard, and the process wears on them. To keep the boilers in good condition and keep availability, ongoing maintenance and sanitation are required, which occurs twice a year. But the downtime that the maintenance entails costs. When Block 6 was put into operation, the sanitation took twelve days, where a day’s downtime is estimated to cost Mariner about 1 million in lost revenue.
Extended and optimized vacuum system
After the first maintenance shutdown, a project was started where Mälarenergi invested in improving the existing stationary vacuum system. The entire operation was reviewed and with the help of DISAB, the number of suction sockets was increased and placed more strategically to reduce the number of meters of working hose. It was also ensured that there were several suction sockets on each floor of the 50-meter-high building to increase accessibility for operators and suction trucks. The vacuum system today consists of a central vacuum cleaner system with over 1000 meters of pipes connected to filter separators and vacuum units, where vacuum loaders and suction trucks are switched on to the system during downtime and audit.
”Installationen blev lönsam redan vid första stoppet.”Mikael Saario, Propterty manager Block 6
The vacuum system reduced downtime and improves the work environment
The results were already revealed at the first sanitation. From the sanitation previously taking twelve days, Mälarenergi now managed to work in three days and the investment became profitable already during the first stop. The increased number of suction sockets optimized the availability of the suction trucks and improves the working environment for operators as they never need to use more than 15 meters of the hose during sanitation. The great advantage of a stationary vacuum system is first and foremost time savings during major maintenance downtimes, but also facilitates the daily sanitation work. Mikael Saario, property manager for Block 6, explains that contractors and operators now don’t have to spend time building temporary solutions. Instead, the hoses are connected directly to the stationary vacuum system and work can begin right away.


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Floating the Hi
You have been told right. The Hiwassee is a great river to float, and it can be treacherous.
LP boats are more likely to take on water on the Hi. With their low cut they tend to take on more splash from white water. It can be done in a low profile, just may need to bail a little water after dropping a few places.
There are three put-ins and take outs on the upper section of the river from Reliance to the Powerhouse all of them being public. There is one in Reliance, one at Towee Creek and one at the Powerhouse.
The float from the Powerhouse to Towee is a relative short float (+/- 2 miles) but is the easiest to make. Fox's is really the only white water you will face and as long as you follow the heaviest flow of water you will do just fine.
From Towee to Reliance is about a +/- 4 mile float. The river from here takes on a different character and becomes more turbulent and rocky. Towee is a good boat banger and soaker if you don't line up right as is Big Bend, the Stair Steps, and Devil Shoals.
Big Bend is a place that will hang your boat up as is the Stair Steps. It is a bit easier to get your boat unstuck in Big Bend than it is in the Steps. The Steps is the place that gives most people fits and it has also claimed a few boats over the years. The line through it can be difficult and if you get stuck, becoming unstuck can too be a bear. Devil Shoals is not so hard to navigate but is a place that is capable of swamping a boat because of the amount of water that rushes through it. I remember when rowing the LP that this would be the drop that would take on the most water. Heck I still take on water sometimes making this run, just not as much as I use to.
The best advice I can give is this. I would go out on low water and survey these areas and make sure you are comfortable with them and see what lies beneath the water before TVA turns on the wheels. Then I would run the upper section and take out at Towee before doing the whole section of the river above Reliance. This would allow you to gauge how comfortable you are with the river instead of trying the run the entire run at once.
Oh yeah, make sure you have all required PFD's on you as you float. They will ticket for this if you do not have them.
You can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of focus. - Mark Twain


Deep learning has been a hot topic this year, with higher-profile announcements from the kind of like IBM, Google, Facebook, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Tesla. Now, Intel is tossing its own hat into the ring by purchaseing the deep understanding programs and hardware developer Nervana Systems.
Nervana Systems has a cloud-based AI product that it sells to customers who want to alter deep learning for their own specific use-cases and businesses as well as a proprietary, GPU-specific body dubbed Neon. The organization’s third product hasn’t actually launched yet, but it might be the principle reason why Intel purchased this organization in particular. The Nervana Engine is an ASIC that focuses on the benefits of what GPUs bring to the table, rather than the not-insignificant amounts of hardware that ultimately aren’t fascinating to deep understanding problems.
Nervana hasn’t printed much information on its upcoming ASIC, but we know the chip uses HBM.
The reason that GPUs are fascinating for these kinds of programs is because they include enormous arrays of middles that can be employed to solve specialized problems. Resources like ROPs, texture caches, and FP64 (or even FP32) support aren’t very important for deep understanding, however — that’s why Pascal’s 16-item half-precision mode was something Nvidia talked up when it unveiled GP100 earlier this year. Nervana’s existing Neon engine alnoticedy tests on Nvidia hardware, but Intel’s decision to purchase the organization will likely put an end to more permissive licensing arrangements.
Why Intel requirements in
Right now, Intel is stuck in a item of a tight spot. The organization’s consumer revenues have declined alongside the PC market’s downturn, but its data service and HPC markets remain really healthy. Intel missed out on the entire mobile and tablet market, and alnoticedy had to cancel its strategies to create new business for itself in those spaces (a failure we chronicled in a two-part article earlier this year).
This techniques from not wanting to miss an emerging market, however. Intel has been getting the kind of with product lines and markets that stretch from its own dominance of the data service, consumer, and higher performance computing markets. Even though gear like Xeon Phi could theoretically be used for deep understanding, Xeon Phi is produced to perform massive vector calculations, not the half-precision procedures that a deep understanding network uses. It also packs far fewer middles than an Nvidia Tesla or even an related AMD card, though we’d caution towards treating middle counts as indicative of deep understanding performance.
If deep learning is as central to the future of AI and computing as the field has claimed, entering the market by getting a organization with specialized ASIC hardware and proven designs is an excellent way for Intel to ensure that it remains relevant as computing continues to evolve. It could also be noticed as a tacit admission that Intel isn’t necessarily sure how to continue to generate the evolution of microprocessors farther than it has alnoticedy.
I’ve talked before about how Intel isn’t just dragging its feet on Moore’s law — there are fundamental limits to silicon engineering, and they aren’t going away. Moves like this could be noticed to mean that even Intel recognizes that the era of huge improvements in common objective compute performance are mostly over. Machines will continue to draw less power and be slightly more adept over time, but the last major leap for Intel’s CPUs was Sandy Bridge over Nehalem. Haswell and Skylake were much more small improvements.
Moving into markets like this gives Intel the opportunity to discover other types of compute architectures, not as replacements for x86, but as higher-performance supplements to it.