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As we move into the new year, it’s the perfect time for organisations to start thinking about fresh and innovative ways to raise funds for their causes. After analysing the success of various fundraising initiatives in the previous year, we have identified some of the most effective strategies that you can implement in 2023 to drive more income for your organisation. Keep reading to discover what they are and how you can put them into action.
Stay unique and relevant to your donors’ lives and values
Creating a unique donor experience enables organisations to stay relevant in their donors’ lives. Donors are more likely to remain loyal if they have a positive experience, and research shows that 57% of donors will stop supporting an organisation if another one provides a better experience. So how can you provide a unique donor experience while also staying relevant to your donors’ lives and values?
It’s clear that personalising donation experiences can make a big difference – up to 14%! Showing donors that you know them and asking for the right amount based on their history can be a great way to provide them with an individualised experience. This way, donors can appreciate how well your organisation knows them and better understand the impact of their contributions.
Personalising your communications and making them as relevant as possible can help improve donor retention rates. People are more likely to engage with messages that are tailored to them and that show how your organisation understands their needs. To accomplish this, nonprofit organisations might want to consider more personalised and tailored messaging in their communications.
Veganuary is a great example of how personalization, combined with accurate CRM data, can pay off. By taking this approach, they have been able to create customised donor experiences and expand their reach to new audiences.
“Because FinDock is 100% native, payment data becomes Salesforce CRM data. This allows us to see who donated, where they’re from, and how much they donated. This means we can launch more tailored journeys from Pardot and never miss an opportunity.”
With Salesforce and FinDock, you have the ability to make giving easier for your donors. With pre-filled Giving Pages, you can use donor historical data and make sure that each donor is asked for an amount that is appropriate for them.
Optimise your fundraising operations to maximise your income
How many times did you look into new fundraising strategies only to find out that it’s very hard to actually acquire new donors? As it turns out, finding new donors is a global challenge for nonprofit organisations, and optimising processes and maximising income becomes a top priority.
By regularly assessing and optimising your processes, you can save many resources for your organisation. Sometimes, organisations miss out on potential income due to failed or missed payments, unclaimed Gift Aid, and more.
With FinDock, for example, you can see in a Salesforce dashboard if any of your donors have failed Direct Debit payments, or if there are missing Gift Aid declarations for your top donors, so you can re-claim that missing income for your organisation.
For Save the Children Netherlands, part of maximising their income stood in reducing their Direct Debit failure rates.
“We’ve reduced our Direct Debit failure rate by 60% since using FinDock.”
Refine processes and improve efficiencies in your organisation
What if you could raise the same amount using fewer resources? Or raise even more using the same resources? When you automate tedious manual processes, you have more time to focus on areas of your organisation that need improvement.
With FinDock and Salesforce, you can connect payment data to CRM data in order to keep track of your organisation’s data. All the information stays in one system, native to Salesforce, resulting in more connected data and fewer data silos.
Since donations land in Salesforce in real time, you can send out automated and hyper-personalised ‘thank you’ notes, use Guided Matching to reconcile from bank statements, and transform bank data into CRM data.
After Wycliffe Bible Translators started using FinDock, they noticed great improvements in their operations.
“Before FinDock, it used to take us two weeks to get caught up with processing donations after the Christmas break. But this year, it took us 2 days, even though donation income is growing.”
Knowing what works in the world of fundraising can help your organisation thrive even when times are tough. So if you try to stay unique and relevant, optimise your operations and improve efficiencies, your organisation shouldn’t have a problem finding more donors, retaining existing ones, and sending out more successful fundraising campaigns.


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This paper examines the potential of bringing together filmic language and architectural language to describe the experience of moving through the complex fabric of the modern city. In particular the paper focuses on how the city might be read through the use of ‘filmic transitions’ such as cuts and dissolves and how this has the potential to open up a new hybrid syntax which designers can use to intervene within the city.
Hynam, M., & Mosley, J. (2016, April). Filmic Space: Parallels between transitions in film and architecture. Paper presented at AMPS Digital Cultural Ecology and the Medium Sized City, Bristol, UK

domain: geography


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Amid protest by the Congress councillors, Saraswati Vandana was organised on Saturday in more than 450 schools run by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation which termed it as a “huge success”.
The Ahmedabad School Board has whipped up a controversy with its circular asking all schools to hold Saraswati Vandana on Vasant Panchami Saturday, drawing accusations of promoting the ruling BJP’s Hi
Making a strong pitch for unity among Hindus, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said if the Hindu society is in danger, then the entire country is also in danger.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his bête noire Sanjay Joshi have been invited for a mega RSS workers’ camp here next week, where its chief Mohan Bhagwat will address the participants, the organisers
A 33-year-old married woman, who had filed a case of sexual assault against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, is mysteriously missing for over a week along with her son and husband, the police said on T
Gandhian and land rights crusader Chunibhai Vaidya died here on Friday due to age-related problems.
Karnataka defended their title in grand style after their top-order led by centurion Mayank Agarwal rose to the occasion to crush a hapless Punjab by 156 runs in the Vijay Hazare one-day tournament
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel has impressed most with his miserly figures and ability to pick crucial wickets.
After guiding India to a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second ODI here, man-of-the-match Ambati Rayudu said he was happy to fulfill the role given to him by the team managemen
Ambati Rayudu slammed his maiden hundred as India produced yet another comprehensive batting performance to beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the second ODI here on Thursday.

domain: news


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A great article about reading was published today and it really got me thinking about comics and how I consume them. I love comics and graphic storytelling; have been an avid comic reader and collector since 1980. Unfortunately it’s that “collector” part that interferes with the “reader”. Here’s the line that spoke the most to me from that article.
[quote]Read Conscientiously, and Take Time to Absorb and Reflect on What You Read.[/quote]
I’ve shown this pile of books before, when we talked about that stack of unread material I was trying to get through. Since I was nine I’ve had a “pull” list with a comics retailer, starting at the local flee market, the local hobby shop and then to three different comic shops. At each I let them know in advance what I want to buy and then I go there on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and pick up those books I ordered. This allowed me to get a discount on my books and more importantly not worry about “missing out” on a title. For the last thirty years I’ve had a supply of comics coming into my home that I needed to consume at some point.
Around ten years ago I stopped reading comics as I bought them, getting a stack of two or three issues of a title before diving in and reading all or most of a storyline. Last year I stopped reading monthly comic “pamphlets” and switched to trade paperbacks, hardcover collections and graphic novels. As my areas of interest increased so did my pile of unread books, to the point that I now have about 200 unread comic “books” on my shelves. The old collector mentality had stuck with me and I was piling up books so I wouldn’t miss out; 140 volumes of Marvel Masterworks and slightly less DC Archives strongly prove this to me every time I sit in my library. And since I was discovering “new to me” material that had several volumes already in print I was buying whole runs of books.
I found myself reading comics to get through them instead of enjoying them. I’d look at the piles of unread material and think “I have to get through those” so I’d breeze through the mainstream Marvel and DC books without much thought. Big art and few words make a fast read. In effect I was killing my love for this wonderful hobby.
It seemed digital would be the answer, since there was no weighty bound paper to hinder me. Alas that proved false, as I have ten volumes of Lone Wolf & Cub waiting for me on my iPad.
I knew I was in trouble because I was no longer rushing home to get into a book I had just bought: my purchases would languish until I had to the chance to finish what I was currently reading. It felt like work to get through something. The article mentioned above was even more poignant since last week’s column about my Boxing Day purchases; another stack of books to add to the shelf. What to change?
First I’ve taken a look at my reading. I really enjoy newspaper comic strip reprints but find I can only read a dozen or so pages at a time before I feel overwhelmed and have to put the book down. When I read these books I absorb and enjoy the material in a way I haven’t done with mainstream comics in a long time. That same outlook and mentality needs to be transferred to all my comic reading. I’m happy having three or four books on the go, and don’t feel the need to complete one before moving on to another. I’ve had Captain Easy Volume 1 on my desk for the last six months, reading a page or two when I had the chance and thoroughly enjoying it.
Secondly I don’t intend to buy more volumes in a series of books until I’ve read the one or ones I have. Yes I love Prince Valiant but I have four volumes on my shelf and I’ve read two. Same for Modesty Blaise, Popeye, X-9 Agent Corrigan, and many more. Fortunately there doesn’t seem to be sellouts of most collected comic material, other than limited editions. I’m reading, not collecting: big difference. Of course I keep all my books in pristine condition, but that’s just me and it’s burned into my being.
Lastly, comics are a rich visual medium. Too often I get caught up in the words and only give the images a cursory glance. I started collecting comics because of the art and thought I was maturing when I gave the story as much weight in my buying decisions. You can’t have one without the other and I need to take as much time admiring and absorbing the art as I do the prose.
This means I’ll probably read less now than before, but the goal is to enjoy what I’m reading and that’s my focus.

domain: artistic


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THE ORIGINAL RECIPE
Since 1930 Tricopilia offers snacks, jellies, jams, syrups, chocolates and bakery fillings created with 100% Costa Rican fruits: guava, pineapple, blackberry and strawberry. Our products are ideal for any occasion and do not contain artificial flavoring.
OUR PREMIUM BRAND
Kaleia represents the premium brand of Fruta Dulce de Costa Rica S.A. with gluten-free products, without preservatives, low in sugar and with 50%, fewer calories compared to traditional jams. Tropical flavors and exotic mixes for the most demanding palates

domain: food


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Common Name: Tailspot Blenny
Scientific Name: Ecsenius stigmatura
Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
Captive Care: Easy
Max. Size: 5.8cm (2.3")
Range: Indonesia and southern Philippines
Depth: 2 - 30m (6.5 - 100ft)
Remarks: Remains small and always full of personality. Very fun to watch. Found solitary or in small groups in coastal reefs and lagoons. Note that the Tailspot Blenny is known to nip at corals when food becomes scarce and can cause damage to small sized corals in a small aquarium.

domain: biology


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By Elisabeth Whitbeck, MPP ’17
Any day in New York City is hectic, but it’s hard to rival the multi-national bustle that is UNGA.
UNGA – or the United Nations General Assembly – transforms the city’s Midtown East into a flurry of Secret Service vehicles, police barricades, celebrity-occupied limos and government affiliates from around the globe. The Assembly meets from September to December annually, but the first week is especially eventful as Heads of State and other High Representatives from 193 UN Member States come together for a General Debate on pressing global challenges.
|Waiting for UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon and UN High Commissioner |
on Refugees Filippo Grandi to speak in the UN General Assembly Hall.
By Monday morning, all 193 Member States had already agreed to adopt a pre-negotiated “New York Declaration” which, among its many tenets, gives the General Assembly and UNHCR a deadline of 2018 to present two Global Compacts. The first will focus on refugees and the other migrants, with guidelines for the treatment of these vulnerable populations. The
Declaration also clarifies the importance of intergovernmental “responsibility sharing” to relieve pressure on the small group of fragile frontline countries that currently shoulder a disproportionate share of refugee crisis costs. In adopting the Declaration, Member States reaffirmed the importance of adhering to the relevant international laws, such as the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Listening into New York Declaration negotiation
discussions this summer via UN translation headset.
One lesser-known fact is that forced migration disproportionately affects women and girls, because of hardships like a lack of access to health services, limited educational opportunities, and rampant sexual and gender-based violence. Over 60 percent of preventable maternal mortality deaths take place in settings of conflict, displacement and natural disasters.
Reviews of the New York Declaration and its Global Compacts have been mixed. Critics point out that the document contains no concrete commitments and is not legally binding. Moreover, the Declaration drew ire from many advocacy organizations when UN Member States removed the original draft’s pledge to resettle 10 percent of the world’s refugees per year during negotiations. Philippe Bolopion of Human Rights Watch explained, “We're facing an historic crisis and the response is not historic."
High Commissioner Grandi addresses the General Assembly Hall.
UN leaders like Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi disagree with the critics. The Secretary General – a refugee himself during the Korean War – declared on Monday that “Today’s summit represents a breakthrough in our collective efforts to address the challenges of human mobility.” High Commissioner Grandi praised the Declaration for expanding the concept of an international refugee response, because now Member States unanimously agree that traditional humanitarian aid is inadequate. The High Commissioner also said that States’ reaffirming existing international law will give UNHCR more leverage in holding Members accountable for their obligations to refugees and migrants.
As I took the train back to Cambridge on Tuesday night, I thought about something UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Monday: “The bitter truth is, this Summit was called because we have been largely failing.” More people are forced to flee their homes than at any time since World War II, and the only answer to this global problem is to harness the political will of the international community. This Summit and the accompanying New York Declaration did just that – it created a blueprint for world leaders to build a more robust protection structure for refugees and migrants.
It was a breathtaking and historic moment to watch. Now that the framework is in place, it’s time for UNHCR and UN Member States to translate that vision into action.

domain: law


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Expanding the range of tourist offer in a LAG area by supporting a small farm to diversify into horseback riding and therapeutic riding.
Projects & Practice
A young farmer used RDP support to expand and diversify the range of products and services offered by her beekeeping holding.
A sports club used RDP support to renovate its facilities and offer a space that contributes to the integration of immigrants in the local society.
A market-driven investment to increase a sheep farm’s competitiveness, through the intensification of high quality organic milk production.
An agricultural cooperative invested in setting up organic apple orchards with anti-hail nets. They also acquired agricultural machinery to support the production of organic beef.
An organic mountain farm uses indigenous breeds to produce high-quality meat, while preserving the local environment and genetic resources.
A modern hen farm producing eggs for human consumption, set up a new unit to process non commercial eggs and therefore increase its competitiveness.
Modernization of a poultry farm by installing new, laying hen equipment and by renovating the production buildings.
An investment project to modernise a buffalo dairy farm through the introduction of new processes and equipment.
A project that supports the integration of young immigrants into Swedish society and is organised by young immigrants themselves.

domain: economics


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Y'shua | יֵשׁוּעַ
... a light for the revelation of the Gentiles.
And a glory to your people Israel.
Isaiah 49:6 CJB| Luke 2:32 AENT
"I will take care of you."
Norwich, Connecticut; Spring 2008
One cold Sunday afternoon in January 2008, I read the entire Book of Acts, beginning to end in one sitting, for the first time in my life (I was 60) and was enthralled! It was an action adventure novel, except real, with eternal consequences! It was not even four months that I was finally “home” in my Messianic Congregation. I was expecting everything to straighten out and life would settle into the “good” lane. YAH has His plans and I had mine. They did not match!
When YAH answered my prayer (--The Little Miracle in The MG--) and brought me back to faith from atheism in 2005 I was unsure what to do. I figured I would start with the first two commandments.
Exodus 20: (ISR98)
1 And Elohim spoke all these Words, saying,
2 “I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You have no other mighty ones against My face.
4 “You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth,
5 you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, יהוה your Elohim am a jealous Ěl, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands.
My simple prayer each day was: “YAH, You are my Elohim, I am your child. I will have no other gods before me. Remove all the “gods” in my life.” My advice? Expect with all your heart that YAH will answer your prayer. The second piece of advice is; do you really mean it (?) and to “count the cost”. YAH will take you where He wants you to go.
A few months later I was reading Matthew and found: “He will immerse you by the Ruach haKodesh and by fire.” I stopped cold right then and there! “Immersed in water”; check. “by the Ruach”; check. FIRE!? I flipped that phone open so fast and had the Rabbi on the line almost immediately, and did not even say hello. Repeating the line, all I said was “What’s this fire thing?” He did not hesitate a second saying: “Refining”.
One spring morning in 2008 I sat in my car parked in a huge empty shopping center parking lot totally despondent, praying in tears. Remember I was expecting to settle into the “good” lane! Everything that I had identified as “gods” were being removed from my life. Business, power, money, recognition; slowly washed overboard as if in a storm. In my tears I could see them floating astern as the ship rushed east. I called a dear friend who prayed for me for at least half an hour. When done I just sat there praying on my own, and then I heard The-VOICE-:
“I will take care of you.”
As all of my former life disappeared astern, I slowly learned to totally and ONLY trust YAH. I learned to walk blind trusting that HE was (and is) taking me where HE wants me to go. I have never been without, but I promise you that this life I live today is not of my plan. Today I have no plans, except to follow as I am led.
Matthew 3: (Aramaic English NT)
1. And in those days came Yochanan the Immerser and would preach in the desert of Yehuda.
2. And said, "Repent (for) near is the Kingdom of Heaven.
3. It is him for whom it was spoken through Yesha'yahu the prophet, "A voice of one crying in the desert `Prepare the way of Master YHWH and make straight his path.’”
4. Now Yochanan's clothes were from the hair of camels, and upon his loins a girdle of skins. And his food was locusts and wild honey.
5. Then was gone out to him Urishlim and all Yehuda and all lands that surround the Yordanan.
6. And they would be immersed by him in the Yordanan River when they would confess in their sins.
7. And when (he) saw the many from the Pharisees and Sadducees that came to be immersed, he said to them, "Generation of vipers! Who has informed you to flee from the wrath that will come?
8. Do therefore the fruits that are worthy of repentance.
9. And you (ought) not suppose and say within yourselves that we have Awraham (as our) father. I say to you that Elohim is able to raise from these rocks sons to Awraham.
10. And behold, the axe is placed on the root of the trees. All trees, therefore, that do not bear good fruit will be cut and thrown in the fire.
11. I immerse you with water to repentance, but he that will come after me is stronger than me. I am not worthy to remove his sandals.
He will immerse you by the Ruach haKodesh and by fire.
12. He whose winnowing fan is in his hand will cleanse his threshing-floors and the wheat he will gather to his granaries and the chaff he will burn in the fire that does not extinguish."
13. Then came Y'shua from Galeela to the Yordanan to Yochanan, to be immersed by him.
14. But Yochanan was refusing him and said, I should be immersed by you, and you come to me.
15. Then Y'shua answered and said to him "Allow (it) now for as such, it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness," and then he allowed it.
16. And when Y'shua was immersed, he arose at once from the water and heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of Elohim which was descending like a dove and it came upon him
17. Behold, and a voice from heaven that said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am pleased."
Help us to study The Word and be spiritually prepared!
Having eyes to see and ears to hear!
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domain: literature


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Women leaders from around the globe are holding a summit today in New York, focusing on women”s roles in global security. The two-day “International Women Leaders Global Security Summit” will be attended by 100 women business leaders, members of government, lawmakers, diplomats and researchers.
The Summit is part of the International Women Leaders Global Security Initiative, which was launched in October 2006 by the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, with The White House Project, the Council of Women World Leaders and the Women Leaders Inter-cultural Forum. It will run through June 2008, and “aims to bring the perspectives and voices of global women leaders to the international discourse on security,” according to the Summit website.
The Summit itself has three goals: to launch a process to amplify the efforts of women leaders and facilitate more collective action on global security, to generate public awareness and support for women’s leadership on global security, and to generate ideas and increased resources for women’s leadership on global security. funny pictures funny images funny photos funny animal pictures funny dog pictures funny cat pictures funny gifs


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|About this Abstract
||2020 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
||High Entropy Alloys VIII
||Design of HEAs Strengthened by L12 Precipitates using High Throughput Thermodynamic Calculations
||Thomas Rieger, Jean-Marc Joubert, Mathilde Laurent-Brocq, Jean-Philippe Couzinié
|On-Site Speaker (Planned)
High entropy alloys (HEAs) are considered as potential candidates for structural applications at high temperatures. Nevertheless, the mechanical behavior of the sole solid solution is not enough to withstand temperatures exceeding 800°C. Additional sources of strengthening are required before considering future applications.
The most obvious way to strengthen fcc HEAs is to mimic nickel superalloys microstructure in which ordered precipitates are used to reinforce the disordered matrix with fcc structure. Accordingly, high throughput CALPHAD calculations are performed on the Ni-Co-Cr-Fe-Ti-Al senary system, allowing to map the entire composition space and to locate compositions with the desired fcc+L12 duplex microstructure. From these calculations, the role of each element on the microstructure is evaluated and an innovative method to represent the senary phase diagram is proposed. Five compositions of interest have been selected, synthesized and characterized. Good agreement between calculations and experimental results is observed.
||Planned: Supplemental Proceedings volume; Planned: Supplemental Proceedings volume

domain: chemistry


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By Carlena Knight
Jennings will have to wait a few more days to see who they will play in the finals of the Anderson Carty Grays Green football league as the second semi-final match-up was postponed.
After the round-south team won their semi-finals match-up, 2-0, against Master Ballers on Sunday afternoon with goals from Devonte Simon and Steven Richards, the second semi-final encounter between defending champions, Greenbay Hoppers and Demolition, after ending regular time, was forced to be rescheduled as the lights at the King George V grounds went out.
This has resulted in the semi-finals having to be replayed today at 6:30 p.m.
The final which was initially scheduled for today will now be played on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.


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Stairways Behavioral Health is a private nonprofit organization that assists persons with mental health care needs at any stage of life in their recovery by providing comprehensive rehabilitation, treatment and support essential for living, working, learning and participating fully in the community.
Adult and Child psychiatrists, additional medical and nursing staff, licensed therapists
ServicesFrank Yohe, MD is a Psychologist office located in Meadville, PA. A psychologist focuses on the evaluation, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional and behavioral health issues. A clinical psychologist uses psychotherapy and other counseling skills to improve emotional and mental health.
Please call Frank Yohe, MD at (814) 337-8762 to schedule an appointment in Meadville, PA or to get more information.
Wellness.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment nor do we verify or endorse any specific business or professional
listed on the site. Wellness.com does not verify the accuracy or efficacy of user generated content, reviews, ratings or any published

domain: medical


Starting in spring of 2009 from the english town of Steventon, Jason Sebastian Russo began putting songs together through half-tuned guitars, myriad scraps of rusty metal and a piano with a knee-high flood watermark into a cow barn on Hill Farm. What came from this was the band Common Prayer, and thefirst album, There Is A Mountain.
Now, the band has been signed to Big Potato Records in the UK (a label founded in part by Neil Halstead), with plans for a July 19th release in the UK/Europe and a subsequent European tour. A North American digital release via Russo’s own imprint on Virtual Label is set for June 1, 2010.
Think cinematic outside-pop tracks, with violins, organs, and found sounds. Check out Us vs. Them.


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We can find the "Chic" in the basis of the Japanese culture, especially the Edo culture. The “modern” means a friendly, and warm refinement of the “chic”. In this new shop, we intend to offer many unique products in order to keep on growing our business. We believe that the traditional culture of Japan has various scenes that promote one to feel the beauty, the hope, and the power.
For 25 years, we have been working with artists and artisans from different fields in order to improve our technique in the ART TENUGUI.
In our new shop "Asano", we hope that our business culture is positively received in the country and also many countries outside Japan.
“Asa no Ha”means hemp leaf in Japanese
Original Art TENUGUI
There are about 300 kinds of original ART TENUGUI of Kabuki, including four seasons of Japan, the classics, the artist series, EDO-KOMON, the indigo dye and the mud dyes, as examples.
The ART TENUGUI depends on the hand dye made from the skillful techniques of the traditional craftsmen. Thanks to such refined skills, our ART TENUGUI has vivid colors, elegance but also maintains the warmth of the cotton material. This Art continues to display the pride of Japanese culture.
The original ART TENUGUI are displayed in the shop. In addition, the art frames that can enhance the ART TENUGUI tapestry are also offered for sale. Customers can enjoy the shop like an art gallery.
There are eco-bags, cushions, shopcurtains, T-shirts, purses, and more to see and appreciate.
Welcome to the ART TENUGUI world!
Promote the four seasons of Japan
The Seasons of the shop
During each season, the ART TENUGUI will be changed in order to promote the four seasons of Japan. In addition, an event corner will be established, where the artists and their works will be proudly introduced to the customers.
A new brand “Asa no Ha” of Artsou will open in Azabujuban on July 3rd. The shop’s concept is "chic and modern”.Tokyo Kabuki Theater did a three-years interruption to renovate the building which became 60-years-old in April this year. On this occasion, the ART TENUGUI of artsou that was sold in the stall in Kabukiza, and loved by a lot of kabuki fans and foreigners, will be sold in Azabujuban from July the 3rd.


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Members of Brue Valley Rotary club attend the ‘Meeting with Zambian Friends’ held by the Cary-Mufulira Community Partnership Trust.
We met with teachers from Mutundo Primary School and the Deputy head of the Mufulira Mine School, as well with as over twenty friends of Zambia who have helped to support and maintain the strong links with Mufulira over the years.
It was a good opportunity for us to be able to discuss and understand the needs of the schools in Mufulira. Together with help from teachers at Wincanton Primary school this will help us identify suitable projects for us to support ahead of our return visit to Mufulira in 2018.
Many thanks to Gail Carroll and family for providing an excellent buffet.


The political left and right in America today have sharp differences of opinions, but we share a couple of things. First, we love the country and want to improve upon it. Secondly, we are operating out of fear and anxiousness that the opposite will happen unless we say something.
We argue on social media about current policy debates, such as whether to launch a national effort to deport all unauthorized immigrants and whether to place new restrictions on gun ownership and abortion. I’m trying to remove myself from those often unpleasant back-and-forth conversations where we are pretty much talking AT each other instead of TO each other.
I think I can be most productive producing content the rest of you can use to win hearts and minds instead of arguing with someone on Facebook who doesn’t care what I think.
Another thing we seem to agree on is that social media amplifies these voices as people on competing sides of the political spectrum seek to win the hearts and minds of the moderates in the center, those folks who have not yet made up their minds, do not follow the news closely and simply want to make a living with a minimal amount of fuss.
The debate of the moment within the Democratic Party concerns which strategy is best for denying Donald Trump a second term. Should the Dems choose a “safe,” moderate candidate to win back voters who rejected Hillary Clinton in 2016? Or did they lose that last election because Clinton was too much of an establishment candidate who lacked the charisma to close the deal?


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Hungry? Get ready to lick your plate clean at The Office Cafe and Lounge in Laytonsville.
Round out your meal with a little tipple — this restaurant has a terrific drink list, including beer, wine, and more.
Swing by after work for happy hour, featuring a wide range of discounted drinks and appetizers.
Wireless Internet access is available for no charge at The Office Cafe and Lounge.
Open air seating is ready for diners at The Office Cafe and Lounge when the weather is warm.
Interested in eating out over the weekend? Keep in mind that the restaurant gets swamped on Fridays and Saturdays, and service may take longer than expected.
Shake off the stiff workday duds at The Office Cafe and Lounge — attire is casual.
Short on time? Don't wait for a driver — pick it up yourself.
Restaurant customers can take advantage of the nearby parking options.
Make use of the safe and efficient bike parking at The Office Cafe and Lounge.
Your tab at The Office Cafe and Lounge will usually run to about $30 per guest.
Find something on the menu for everyone at Rockville's Seska Lounge.
Going gluten-free? Dig a low-fat diet? Seska Lounge has you covered on both fronts.
Seska Lounge is a suitable restaurant for both large and small groups.
This restaurant offers carryout for your convenience.
Throwing a big party? Count on Seska Lounge to provide top-notch catering with the same great dishes you love.
Park in the open lot next to Seska Lounge and score easy and free parking.
Expect your bill at Seska Lounge to come in at around $30 per person.
What time is it? Time to grab one of American's favorite dishes at Woodmont Grill.
Take a peek at the drink menu here, and make sure to sample something off the list.
At this restaurant, kids of all ages are welcome.
Grab all of your VIP pals, book a room at Woodmont Grill and prepare to enjoy a delicious meal.
Open air seating is ready for diners at Woodmont Grill when the weather is warm.
Live music is often featured for diners' enjoyment.
Don't let your weekend plans get spoiled! Be sure to reserve a table if you're heading to the restaurant on a Friday or Saturday since it can get pretty crowded.
Head to Woodmont Grill in comfort, where attire is business casual.
Through their catering service, Woodmont Grill can also set out a delicious spread for your next party.
The restaurant offers free parking in the lot next door.
If you're too tired to drive, public transportation will also suffice; right around the corner is a stop at Bethesda Metro (Red).
Cyclists are in luck. Woodmont Grill provides bike parking.
Prices are reasonable, with a typical meal running under $30.
The restaurant's dinner menu receives the most attention, but diners have the option of grabbing breakfast or lunch here, too.
For a meal truly worth eating, the place to go is definitely Woodmont Grill who serves up the mouthwatering best food in town.
So what are you waiting for? Come see what the highly-rated American food at Woodmont Grill is all about.
Dozens and dozens of tequila bottles fill the festive space of Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar, sating customers' thirst for the beloved south-of-the-border liquor. These 100% blue agave tequilas can stand on their own, or they can mix with natural pulp fruits to form the basis of tasty margaritas that pair nicely with a spread of Latin American and Tex-Mex eats. Spicy ceviches and carne asada-topped nachos kick things off, followed by entrees of flash-fried whole tilapia, shredded flank steak, and veggie-stuffed enchiladas. Thursday-Sunday, the pace picks up at Parva, with DJ sets pumping out Latin-themed music into the night.
Take a table at Civil Cigar Lounge in Washington and look forward to your next meal.
Weekend diners, beware! The restaurant is busiest on Friday and Saturday, so getting seated will take some time.
Street parking is conveniently available around the restaurant, as well as valet service.
Commuters will love the easy access to public transit and parking close to Civil Cigar Lounge.
For those who travel by bike, Civil Cigar Lounge offers bike racks for diners.
Brighten your day with some of The Society Restaurant and Lounge's tasty Caribbean dishes served in the Silver Spring neighborhood of Silver Spring.
Beer, wine, and more are also available from this restaurant's extensive drink list.
The happy hour at The Society Restaurant and Lounge is sure to impress.
For no extra charge, utilize The Society Restaurant and Lounge's free wifi.
Come order a flavorful feast at The Society Restaurant and Lounge, and sit outside if it's nice!
There's plenty of room at the restaurant for dancing as well.
Volume at this restaurant can reach upper decibels, so come prepared to raise your voice to be heard.
Weekends can get packed, so take advantage of the restaurant's reservations.
At The Society Restaurant and Lounge, business casual is the norm, so save your suit and tie for another day.
Whether you prefer street or valet parking, The Society Restaurant and Lounge is close to both.
Public transit and parking are two main forms of transit convenience near The Society Restaurant and Lounge.
It's not the cheapest, it's not the most expensive, but it is the most delicious. Come to The Society Restaurant and Lounge for a great bite.
Early risers and night owls alike can enjoy The Society Restaurant and Lounge since it offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Island flavor doesn't get much better than the Caribbean eats at The Society Restaurant and Lounge, so stop by when hunger strikes.


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I tried Medical Weight Loss with Dr Larisa Mashensky. She was so attentive to my body needs & very supportive. I started seeing results in 6 weeks.


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Ouch! 3 Stocks That Suffered Under the Hands of New CEOs
Recent news that Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) had suddenly and unexpectedly fired its CEO, Bob Chapek, and was bringing back former CEO, Robert Iger shook the business world. Chapek’s tenure running Disney lasted barely two years and was tumultuous as the company navigated its way through the Covid-19 crisis when its theme parks were forced to close and its movies were held out of theatres. And with Disney+ not expected to deliver a profitable quarter until fiscal 2024, DIS stock has sunk 38% in 2022. The upheaval at Disney has shone a light on the problems companies often have with succession planning. Here are three stocks that have suffered at the hands of new CEOs.
Remember Jeff Bezos? With Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) stock down 45% this year, many shareholders wish that the founder and former CEO of the e-commerce giant would return to the helm and right the ship. Amazon’s share price has steadily declined since the giant’s new CEO, Andy Jassy, took the reigns at the Seattle-based online retailer on July 5, 2021. Since the leadership handover, AMZN stock has lost half its value.
To be fair, Jassy, whose pay package last year exceeded $200 million, inherited multiple problems at Amazon.
Coming out of the pandemic, Amazon was too bloated. The company had too many employees, was opening an excessive number of warehouses, and had surplus inventory as consumers returned to in-person shopping.
As a result, Amazon has reported a string of disappointing earnings and spent much of this year laying off staff, canceling new projects and focusing on obtaining more content for its Prime streaming service.
While many analysts say that Andy Jassy is making the right moves to improve Amazon, there are those who are pining for the return of Jeff Bezos, who is spending most of his time these days running his commercial space company Blue Origin and building a $485 million super yacht.
Podcast host Scott Galloway recently predicted that Bezos would return to lead Amazon again in much the same way that Bob Iger is leading Disney again.
Federal Express (FDX)
Since its founding in 1971, shipping and logistics giant Federal Express (NYSE:FDX) had always been led by Fred Smith, a hard charging CEO and Vietnam veteran. Smith and his family built Federal Express from a small, regional logistics company in Memphis, Tennessee into a global powerhouse that today rivals United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) for supremacy in the courier and shipping industry.
Not surprisingly, Wall Street watched intently when Smith stepped down earlier this year. His replacement, Raj Subramaniam, has received a lot or scrutiny and media attention since he took over as CEO of FedEx this past summer — and not in a good way. Subramaniam came out of the gates strong, announcing that he was raising the quarterly dividend by 53%.
FDX stock jumped 14% in one day on that news. However, the new CEO’s honeymoon with investors was short-lived.
In September, FDX stock fell 21% in a single trading day after the company withdrew its earnings guidance, citing worsening business conditions. Subramaniam said weakness in Asia and ongoing issues in Europe were hurting FedEx’s business.
Consequently, FedEx pulled its previous earnings guidance and reported preliminary results that were well below Wall Street’s forecasts. Earnings for the company’s fiscal first quarter were projected to be $3.44 a share, far below the $5.10 average estimate of analysts, according to Refinitiv data.
More recently, FedEx announced that it is cutting costs and increasing the fees it charges as it seeks to achieve $2.7 billion of savings. Specifically, FedEx said that it plans to eliminate flights, cancel infrastructure projects, and close offices as thedemand for its services wanes amid a global economic slowdown. The company also raised its shipping rates to boost its revenue.
FedEx said it would reduce the frequency of its flights and park many of its cargo jets. The company is also shuttering package sorting facilities and corporate offices.
In 2022, FDX stock is down 32% and currently trades at $175.25 a share. Since Subramaniam became CEO on June 1 of this year, the share price has fallen 20%.
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) has been in turmoil since former CEO Kevin Johnson retired this past March. The departure of Johnson led legendary former CEO Howard Schultz to return as interim CEO of Starbucks in a similar arrangement as the one which Disney announced with Bob Iger.
This fall, Schultz named Laxman Narasimhan as the new, permanent CEO of Starbucks. Narasimhan is now shadowing Schultz in the top job and will officially takeover as CEO in April 2023.
Schultz’s return as interim CEO (his third stint running Starbucks) has been rocky. On his first day back at the Seattle-based coffee giant, Schultz cancelled the company’s $20 billion stock buyback program, saying he wanted to reinvest SBUX’s profits directly in its business.
A few weeks later, he eliminated the role of chief operating officer (COO) entirely as the retail coffee chain restructures its business. This came as the company continues to battle slowing sales abroad, particularly in China where ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns remain an issue, and combats an aggressive unionization drive across its network of nearly 9,000 coffee shops in the U.S.
The moves by Schultz and the problems afflicting Starbucks have led to a 15% decline of SBUX stock this year. The shares currently trade at just under $100. The announcement that Laxman Narasimhan would take control as the permanent CEO next spring has done nothing to help the stock recover.
On the date of publication, Joel Baglole did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.


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Come hear a presentation on the potential environmental and health impacts of oil and gas drilling in East Contra Costa County at the next meeting of the Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission. Jeffrey Mann, M.D., and Bret Andrews, D.O., of Climate Health Now will provide the medical angle. Jon Wilson of No Drilling in Brentwood will speak about the threat of new exploratory drilling from the perspective of Brentwood residents, some of whose homes are built over plugged and abandoned oil wells. There will be ample time for public questions and comment, so come and make your voices heard about the expansion of oil and gas extraction in Contra Costa County.
Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85696752288 or by calling (669) 900-9128 and entering meeting ID: 85696752288# .
Thursday, September 24, 4 – 6 PM
From your computer.


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Decorative cotton napkin.
Mulled wine is a winter hot drink made with wine, lemons or oranges, and various spices such as clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, allspice, and ginger can be used. Interestingly enough, all scents and aromas which we can feel in mulled wine are enhanced aromas of wine itself.
What spices you add to this mulled wine depends on tradition of each country. The most common are cinnamon, clove and anise. And it’s not surprising that exactly these components are used to enrich most popular winter hot beverage. Cinnamaldehyde from cinnamon reveals antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal capabilities. Eugenol from clove which brings strong aroma and spicy taste can be used as anaesthetic. And, finally, trans-anethol from anise was proven to display antibacterial and antifungal activity. In some cultures it’s common to add ginger and citruses which also adds healthy effects with limonene from citruses and zingerone and shogaol from ginger. These components bring anti-inflammatory and immune stimulation effects. That is why mulled wine has been helping us warm up and stay healthy during cold winter for centuries.
We prepared the special mulled wine with limonene, eugenol, сineol, trans-anethol, cinnamaldehyde, shogaol, and zingerone. All of these molecules we used for this textile design. Find them all on our napkins or tablerunners.
Fabric weight 150 g/m²
Size: 35 cm x 30 cm (11.8 x 11.8 inches)
How to wash:
Machine wash 400C, normal cycle. Do not bleach. Do not dry clean. Tumble dry, medium, normal cycle. Iron medium.


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BFI IMAX | Waterloo | London Cinema Listings
A unique viewing experience.
Be blown away by the biggest cinema screen in the UK
For film fanatics everywhere.
5 mins from Waterloo, on Charlie Chaplin Walk.
BFI IMAX is a state-of-the-art cinema experience not to be missed.
On the biggest screen in the UK films are shown in 2D, 3D and IMAX technology and immerse the audience in larger-than-life images, accompanied by 12,000 watts of digital surround sound.
See below for what's on at BFI IMAX.

domain: entertainment


Mark Ronson, whom I wrote about here, is a somewhat reluctant performer. He has accepted that now, with the success of “Uptown Funk”—one of the largest Billboard hits ever, in terms of weeks in the Top Ten—people come to his d.j. gigs to see him, as much as to dance. But it makes it just that much harder to get people to dance when they’re staring at you, and Ronson is happier fading into the background.
But that’s not going to happen next Saturday night! Ronson is coming to perform, as well as to talk. It will be the only live performance of songs from “UpTown Special,” the album, in the New York area. For Ronson, who is a studio rat, the challenge is how to perform the songs live onstage, with instruments and voices. And how do you do “Uptown Funk” without Bruno Mars?
Ronson will perform onstage with his collaborator on the album, the superproducer Jeff Bhasker, who will sing and play—another rare occurrence—and (we hope) with Andrew Wyatt, of the Swedish band Miike Snow, with whom Ronson composed some of the jazzier tunes on the album.
Before the performance, we’ll talk about Mark’s early days as a hip-hop-savvy d.j. at Puff Daddy parties, as well as his work with Amy Winehouse and his thoughts on her legacy. Jeff, Mark, and I will all discuss the making of “Uptown Funk” and why it was so successful—a strong candidate for Song of the Year honors in the coming awards season.
Tickets for the event are available online and at the box office.


COFFEE BEAN CURVED SCREEN – A RECENT PROJECT
Screen Systems have recently completed the production of a curved screen for the coffee bean industry.
The screen was designed and manufactured to the following specification: –
1.5mm (AP) x 70mm
28F Looped Wedge Wire: Wire Dia 2.35mm 304SS
Cross Bar: 7.7mm
Side Plate: 50x 10mm


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Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Commentators and policymakers appear to have slowly rallied around “contact tracing” as a means to ease society out of restrictive social-distancing measures. Unlike in past pandemics, some observers assume that this iteration of contact tracing should involve a technological supplement to manual contact tracing undertaken by legions of public health workers. But this technology-aided contact tracing presents serious challenges, including concerns about equity that many commentators have so far overlooked.
During the current pandemic, public health experts have made the persuasive case that dramatically increasing our capacity to implement contact tracing is one of several steps necessary to allow us all to get back to work, school and socializing. Some are suggesting that we augment this human-based contact tracing with mobile apps that use our phones to track whether we have been in contact with an infected person. It’s understandable that policymakers and others are looking to technology to help us alleviate the substantial hardships of our current stay-at-home situation as quickly as possible. Yet precisely because of this pressure, it’s worth taking a moment to think about the implications of using mobile apps for contact tracing—not just the efficacy of the idea, which has been written about elsewhere, but also its costs. Analysts have already begun litigating one potential cost: loss of privacy. But it’s important to examine the disparate privacy implications for people already hardest hit during this pandemic—people living in poverty, African Americans, and Latinx, among others.
The regional outbreak of the novel coronavirus grew into a worldwide pandemic at breathtaking speed. At the same breathtaking speed, technologists have bandied about ideas—from GPS data-tracking to Bluetooth apps—to assist public health efforts with location tracking. In recent weeks, attention has coalesced around the possible use of mobile apps to assist with more traditional contact tracing. Calls for contact-tracing technology are growing as some states begin to relax stay-at-home orders and to reopen nonessential businesses, increasing the likelihood that large numbers of people will be exposed to the virus in coming weeks.
A number of groups have seized on this suggestion, with teams at MIT, in Europe, and elsewhere now working to develop privacy-protective Bluetooth contact-tracing apps, enabling people to find out that they have been exposed to known coronavirus carriers without revealing when or through whom the exposure occurred.
Perhaps most directly in the spotlight is the effort by Apple and Google to create an interoperable system based on Bluetooth that will work on iOS and Android mobile devices alike. The proposed system is designed to be privacy protective; if Jane’s phone comes in contact with yours—that is, is within a specified distance of yours for a predetermined threshold of seconds or minutes—then the two devices will exchange nameless identifiers, which will be stored on the devices, not in a centralized database. If Jane later discovers she has COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, then (and only then) the identifiers her phone used over the previous days will be published in a central database. Everyone’s phone periodically checks this database, looking for identifiers of those who have tested positive. If your phone finds a match between the identifiers in the database and one of the identifiers your phone has been in contact with recently (including Jane’s), you will be alerted that you may have been exposed to the disease.
So far Apple, Google and the researchers designing privacy-protective app specifications have done an admirable job of getting technical privacy protections right. In addition to developing underlying infrastructure that minimizes the amount of individual users’ data shared with a central database, Apple and Google have said they will impose strict rules for whatever apps eventually implement this interoperable system. At least in the first phase of the effort, apps will be run by public health authorities. For security’s sake, such apps will be the only apps using the system that will allow users to report that they are positive for the disease. In other words, no one—not a hacker, not a nation-state—will be able to use the system to pretend to be someone who has tested positive, thus causing many to falsely believe they have been exposed and potentially infected.
While the central database will keep track of the nameless identifiers of people who are reported ill, the database will not be able to track who has been exposed. That’s thanks to a design feature that changes these nameless identifiers frequently. The Apple and Google system does not collect location information, which means the contact-tracing apps can't either. The system also will not track which people are spending time together.
Contact-Tracing Technology May Not Work Very Well
Although thus far they seem to be doing well on privacy, Apple and Google have not solved—nor can they—the more fundamental question of efficacy. Will a contact-tracing system actually work? Will it help public health authorities diminish the spread of COVID-19? This is something that policymakers will need to address before deciding to deploy contact-tracing apps. As noted above, many have written about why contact tracing may not be very effective, and this is not the focus of this piece. Nevertheless, a few efficacy problems are worth highlighting.
Adoption rate will be critical to determining the impact of an app; without a high rate of use, when a person who is infected does have contact with another person who is at risk of contracting the disease, there is a low probability that both will have the contact-tracing app installed on their phones and in use. Consider, for example, if one-third of the population adopts an offered contact-tracing app. When an infected person comes into contact with another person, the likelihood that both have the app in use is only one-third times one-third, or about 11 percent.
Indeed, achieving a high adoption rate will be challenging. Singapore has been pushing a contact-tracing app for months, but as of a week ago, only one in five had downloaded the app—not enough of the population for the app to function effectively. One government official there told the press, “In order for [the app] to be effective, we need something like three-quarters—if not everyone—of the population to have it.” There’s reason to believe that the U.S. won’t get the voluntary adoption rates needed to make such a contact-tracing app effective.
In addition, a contact-tracing app likely will suffer from a high rate of false positives—falsely informing users that they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 following situations in which transmission would be highly improbable. As Ross Anderson and others have noted, just because Bluetooth registers two people within six feet of each other does not mean that the two phone users have experienced viral exposure to one another. The two people could be walking past each other outside, where exposure is brief and transmission is unlikely. They could be inside, within six feet but in different apartments or office suites (Bluetooth signals go through walls).
Contact tracing false positives could lead to other problems. For example, if a high volume of contact-tracing app users receive notice they may be infected, it could lead to a stark increase in the demand for testing. This, in turn, could intensify the test shortage problem. False positives also could lead to rapid loss of trust in the system. After a few false positives, people will likely remove the contact-tracing app from their phones.
Contact-tracing apps also are likely to suffer from false negatives. As one of us wrote earlier, that is likely to be the more serious problem. We don’t know the rate of asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus—early numbers from Wuhan are increasingly suspect—but recent studies from Iceland indicate it may be as high as 50 percent of those infected. Infected children appear less likely than adults to exhibit serious symptoms—but children also are less likely to have smartphones with any contact-tracing app installed. This means that there will be a large cohort of asymptomatic transmitters who are unlikely to be tested (and unlikely to have a smartphone) and thus will remain outside the contact-tracing app’s ecosystem; because of that, the app will never be able to determine definitively whether or not a given user has been exposed to the disease. Even if the app is widely used, a user who has been in close contact with an asymptomatic, untested carrier would never be notified.
Contact-tracing technology also threatens to create a false sense of security. None of the proposed systems is designed to protect individual users from contracting the disease, but only to notify people who may have been exposed after the fact. Proponents of these systems have not claimed otherwise, and notifying people who may have been exposed could of course still have important epidemiological benefits. But some users who adopt a contact-tracing app may nevertheless feel that having such a tool on their phones means it’s safe to prematurely relax or abandon the precautions they take to avoid contracting the disease. This is especially likely in the event that government officials promote contact-tracing technology simultaneous with a relaxing of stay-at-home orders.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle to the app’s efficacy is simply that the virus remains largely an unknown. Even five months into the pandemic, we are learning new facts that are critical for halting coronavirus transmission. For example, we recently discovered that the virus was circulating in numerous U.S. cities months before it was detected. We’ve learned that the six-foot distancing rule won’t necessarily work in all conditions; we’ve learned, for example, that air conditioning causes people at a greater distance to become infected. Until we can accurately model how the virus spreads, the value of contact-tracing apps will remain unmeasurable and unclear. This is because a contact-tracing app might be designed to capture likely transmissions when two users are in close proximity but not to capture transmissions that occur in other conditions. What if the wind is blowing from one runner to another 10 feet behind? Or a few people are sitting well-distanced from each other in a restaurant, but the air conditioning is turned on high?
Contact-Tracing Technology May Not Benefit All People Equally
Any system designed to keep track of every significant interpersonal interaction that every person has is likely to have privacy implications. The Apple and Google system is decentralized; your and Jane’s phones know you have been in contact—but no one else does. But some governments, including France, have sought that systems be centralized. This would allow health care authorities—and not just the device owners—to learn who had been exposed to someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Apple and Google’s set of tools have been designed deliberately to prevent this type of access, which could be used for surveillance of many forms, not simply coronavirus exposure.
Even if privacy concerns are mitigated through clever design and responsible governance, there is another ethical and legal obligation to address—and that is the question of equity. Contact-tracing apps may well be less effective for—and may actually exacerbate the harm the coronavirus is causing to—the demographic groups already hardest hit by the pandemic.
For a variety of reasons, people making lower incomes and people of color are experiencing the brunt of the pandemic. People in lower socioeconomic status groups are more likely to be at the front lines as essential workers in jobs ranging from grocery store workers and nonprofessional health care workers, to food production workers and garbage truck drivers. They have less access to health care, are more likely to live in close, crowded living quarters, more likely to rely on crowded public transport, and are more likely to have underlying health conditions than people in wealthier, more educated demographics. African Americans and Latinx people are overrepresented in lower paid, high contact industries, and are more likely to have a lower socioeconomic status. They are also more likely to live in areas that experience “outsized disruption” when COVID-19 hits. American Indians and Alaskan Natives similarly disproportionately live in poverty and have the highest rate of health conditions thought to increase the lethality of COVID-19. The overlay of structural and individual race, ethnicity, language, and class bias in health care and beyond further stacks the deck against people living in poverty and communities of color.
Given these dynamics and this history, it is not surprising that a growing body of data is showing that poorer and African American, Latinx, and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities have borne the brunt of not only COVID-19 illness and deaths but also the economic fall-out of stay-at-home directives and similar government responses. Further still, at the intersection of all of these groups are immigrants and non-English speakers, who appear to be similarly disproportionately hit by COVID-19.
People in these demographic groups thus have the greatest need for effective strategies to stop the spread of the virus and allow people to safely return to work and school. And our society has an ethical and, in some contexts, legal duty to ensure that strategies we develop and deploy to fight this virus help, rather than disproportionately hurt, individuals in these groups. It is also in our own self-interest to do so—as this pandemic has underscored, when it comes to public health, we must take care of everyone in order to take care of ourselves. Yet, contact-tracing apps are likely to be less effective for demographic groups in which we most need to “stop the spread.” Worse yet, these groups will likely bear a disproportionate burden of the harms entailed by the apps. There are several reasons for this.
First, low-income people and people of color live and work in spaces in which contact-tracing apps may be more likely to generate false positives. As noted above, one of the limitations of app-based contact tracing is that Bluetooth signals can travel through walls and floors. This means that people living in apartment complexes or multi-family housing units may be more likely to encounter false-positive notifications (because an individual in a neighboring unit whom they had not actually come into contact with tests positive for COVID-19) compared to residents living in single-family housing units. And low-income people and people of color are far more likely than their demographic counterparts to live in apartment complexes or multi-family housing units.
Similarly, contact-tracing apps may be more likely to generate false positives for workers in high-contact industries, such as nonprofessional health care workers and grocery store clerks. These workers may be in proximity to virus-positive people but wear protective gear (or operate behind a barrier) during work, providing them relative safety against transmission despite the notifications they will almost inevitably receive on their phone apps.
Bluetooth-based apps will thus be more likely to generate false positives for people living in poverty and people of color. A false positive can cause psychological harm and financial hardship to anyone. But a false positive can be particularly harmful to persons in these groups. A positive test result means that those most economically vulnerable will have to stop working, risking paychecks and even their jobs, which in turn can spiral into losing housing and causing social and educational disruption for children. A positive test result also may come with an official quarantine order. Again, while quarantine is a hardship for anyone, being ordered to quarantine is likely to bring a greater risk of harm to people living in poverty and people of color given this nation’s consistent history of over-policing and disproportionately subjecting people in these groups to civil and criminal penalties for legal violations.
Second, there is reason to be concerned that adoption and use rates for any contact-tracing app may be lower in vulnerable communities. This not only impacts the potential for overall effectiveness of app-based contact tracing but also means it may be least useful in the communities where it is needed most.
Initial adoption and sustained use of a contact-tracing app within some groups may be influenced by concerns about whether and how it will be used by law enforcement. Non-English speakers and people with less education may have a more difficult time becoming educated on what the app does and doesn’t do. Further, even if initially adopted, if false positives disparately impact these groups, or the app becomes a tool for misinformation, stigmatization, or (likely disparate) enforcement of quarantine or isolation orders, people in these groups may simply stop using the app.
In addition, contact-tracing apps rely on technology that people in lower socioeconomic strata and communities of color are less likely to have, that is, Bluetooth-capable smartphones and high-quality internet access. Internationally, up to 2 billion older phones—of the 3.5 billion phones in use—will not be able to use these contact-tracing apps, which rely on Bluetooth LE (low energy) and the latest operating systems. A Pew Research Center survey conducted a year ago found that some 19 percent of U.S. adults do not have smartphones—a proportion that rises to 29 percent among those in rural areas, 34 percent among people who did not graduate from high school, and a staggering 47 percent among people over the age of 65. African Americans and Latinx own smartphones at about the same rates as white people (80 percent and 79 percent, compared to 82 percent, respectively), but people with less education and those making lower incomes are significantly less likely to own smartphones. The rate at which American Indians/Native Alaskans own smartphones is unclear, although a 2015 survey indicated that 11 percent do not own a cellphone of any kind, and we do not know what portion of the 89 percent are smartphones. Some particularly vulnerable demographics, such as people who are homeless, are also unlikely to own smartphones. While some groups have recommended making Bluetooth-capable cellphones available via Medicare and Medicaid, this is a speculative solution. Even if implemented, it would be certain to systematically exclude some segments of these populations, including some immigrants and people with criminal histories.
A final reason to be concerned about the equity impact of contact-tracing apps is the fact that, once in place, apps created even for beneficial purposes are sometimes retooled for purposes far less sanguine. Location data gathered by weather apps and games, for example, has been sold to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. History tells us that increased surveillance and punitiveness will disproportionately harm people already struggling with poverty, as well as African Americans, Latinx, immigrants and non-English speakers. We must be intentional—more so than we have been before—if we are to avoid repeating this cyclical history. Our pattern to date has been to pay lip service to the importance of not exacerbating harms to vulnerable groups and then to forge ahead in the name of necessity, with insufficient consideration of whether there is even short-term effectiveness and no actual consideration of long-term harm to vulnerable groups.
Contact-Tracing Technology Must Be Designed With Direct Attention to Equity Challenges
Many others have already offered numerous recommendations and even complete frameworks to help guide policymakers who are considering supporting broad implementation of contact-tracing technology. Public health experts see contact-tracing apps as a supplement to traditional contact-tracing methods and not as a substitute for them. As the engineer who led development of the Singapore contact-tracing app explained, “We use [the app] TraceTogether to supplement contact tracing—not replace it.” Advocates have also offered important recommendations to protect privacy, enhance transparency, and ensure that contact-tracing systems are designed with ground-level input from public health experts. These are all indisputably important points.
Missing from the public discourse, however, are recommendations on how to address equity challenges likely to arise with the adoption of any contact-tracing technology. We offer a few such recommendations here.
First, even with the strongest privacy protections and with broad support from policymakers, any contact-tracing app must operate only on an opt-in basis.
Second, to ensure that opting-out is a true option regardless of socioeconomic status, use of a contact-tracing app cannot be a condition of access to public benefit or space, or to commercial, work, or educational spaces. Examples of public benefits and spaces include access to public transportation or recreation spaces or schools, entry to grocery stores, and eligibility for public benefits.
Third, given the primacy of public trust, data associated with any contact-tracing technology must be completely off-limits for law enforcement use. Thus, for example, while statutes and regulations restricting access to health care information often include an exception for law enforcement purposes, directives related to digital contact tracing should not include such an exception—and instead should make clear that law enforcement will not have access to this information.
But fourth—and most important—any contact-tracing technology must be developed through a process designed to identify and address potential demographic disparities early and continuously. Such a process should include:
- Early and close consultation with people from the most affected communities. Just as an effective contact-tracing system will rely on input from public health experts, an equitable contact-tracing system must rely on input from the most affected communities.
- Disparity or equity analysis of every component of the system. Such an analysis would ask, for instance, what tool(s) (for example, a smartphone) must a user have to participate in the contact-tracing system? Are certain demographic groups disproportionately more or less likely to have the requisite tool(s)? Under what circumstances are false positives or false negatives likely to occur? Are any demographic groups disproportionately more or less likely to be in those circumstances? (One of us has developed a similar analysis tool for use in the criminal legal context.)
- A carefully designed pilot program that precedes widespread implementation. Such a pilot program should include collection of sufficient data to conduct a comparative evaluation of the program’s success across demographic groups.
As policymakers coalesce around contact tracing as a means to stabilize the coronavirus outbreak while loosening harsh movement restrictions, the main worry has been about privacy qua privacy. But privacy is not the only, or even primary, concern. We must first think carefully about whether a contact-tracing app can be effective in the United States. And if such a technology is to be developed, it must be built on a foundation of fairness. We cannot ethically accept any solution that will systematically work less well for, or disproportionately harm, some communities—especially the groups that are already the hardest hit by this pandemic.


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The painful illusion of social networks
You don’t have to be a genius to realize the transcendental impact that the emergence of social networks has on the contemporary world. In little more than a decade of existence, these virtual spaces have gone from being a youthful eccentricity and a useful tool for contacting old friends, to being the quintessential place where transactions of all kinds take place: from purchases and sales of products , and publication of advertisements for goods and services , to falling in love and the dissemination of personal content. Everything is centralized in their digital pages, to the point that it is rare to ask someone for their phone number, because in reality we want their authorization to join their vast network of contacts.
In principle, there would be nothing to worry about. Social networks are not the first invention that revolutionizes the way we interrelate or that speeds up the clock of the obsolescence of many other technologies and practices. In fact, social networks have had a brilliant impact on the organization of social and community groups, since they allow the emergence of new ways of exchanging ideas, new ways of democratizing knowledge and new forms of protest and pressure, whose impacts in society they are just beginning to be appreciated recently.
This article is not, therefore, a call to fear social networks. But yes, which is different, it can be understood as a warning regarding what we do with them and the way we think about them, since under social networks there is usually a gigantic deception, a legacy from the times of reality shows and other media productions that aspired to entertain us not with fantastic stories and escapist perspectives, but by showing us —supposedly— reality.
social networks vs. reality
The reality shows of yesteryear were based on a very traditional perspective in the consumer society: the rich and famous live spectacular lives, and the mere fact of seeing them - especially if it is through a “hidden” camera in their homes - constitutes a form of entertainment. It’s not that different from what’s on offer in celebrity magazines or TV shows, which cover royal weddings and American show business events .
However, in these reality shows , some lucky people were given the opportunity to participate: beginning actors or “ordinary” people who, after their encounter with the television fairy godmother, went on to live a new life: they earned amounts of money, they starred in their own programs or simply became loved or hated by the general public. But at all times the industry that made such a transformation possible was clearly present: the producers and the regents of the contest, who mediated between televised reality and the public that consumed it.
And that is precisely what social networks hide from us. The change that has occurred with them is much more insidious and the illusion is much more perfect because the social network promises us direct interaction with the other, whether or not they are famous, whether or not they are a corporation that invests thousands of dollars in promoting their products. And so, we are sold a manufactured reality, again, but this time under the promise of an immediacy, a truth and an objectivity that are, let’s say it once and for all, a lie.
By this I am not only referring to advertisements blatantly disguised as a reportage ? evidence? —What are the entries in social networks?—, in short, disguised as reality. No influencer spends so much time talking about that brand of pants, if he does not receive a corresponding payment from the company . That, to a certain extent, is obvious. But there is an even more insidious spell and it has to do with the cut of reality that each person exhibits on their networks, and that the system passes off as true.
Machines to produce dissatisfaction
This is the reason why an increasing number of active users of social networks show symptoms of depression or dissatisfaction: social networks operate on the basis of desire and the desired object is a fictitious life, sold as real. And that doesn’t only happen with influencers who, after all, are actors, constructions with which to capture our interest: what we see of others, of our friends and of our acquaintances is nothing more than a convenient clipping of their lives because nobody he wants to show the morbid eye of the general public when things go wrong, when he gets frustrated or when reality disappoints him.
Perfect lives simply do not exist. And if any seem dangerously close to perfection, it may be because we have—consciously or unconsciously—put on the fairy tale filter. Perhaps, even worse, it was activated by a third party for us, behind our backs. A third party that profits from the exchange of our attention for dissatisfactions.
What is an opinion article?
An opinion article is a type of journalistic text in which the author exposes to the reader his personal position regarding a specific topic. These are essentially argumentative texts , which use information to promote a perspective, that is, to convince the reader to assume her point of view. For this reason, they are usually signed and of a personal nature (with the exception of press editorials, in which the institutional position of the newspaper is reflected), since the reader may agree or disagree with what they contain. it is stated.

domain: sociology


Items tagged with "Ric Ocasek obituary"
Richard Theodore Otcasek turned what we now call classic rock on its ringing ear. Known popularly as Ric Ocasek, his band The Cars blended guitar-based rock with keyboards and angular rhythms and defined much of the New Wave sound. Led by Ric, The Cars towed the 70s into the 80s with their geek-chic, retro-futuristic style. […]


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The area that sits opposite Aussie World in the Sunshine Coast is one that has long been begging for development. There have been a number of attempts to get a new development up and running, but politics and public opinion have seen all of those efforts stalled. That has now been reversed, as the Sunshine Coast Council has finally given approval for development of the Palmview Structure Area, which will eventually lead to 16,000 new residents making their home in that area. It’s a move that should even appease ratepayers, as they will not be on the hook to get the development up and running.
Mayor Mark Jamieson made it clear that the Infrastructure Agreement was reached due to the fact that Palmview landowners would be the ones who were financially responsible for adding the infrastructure that would be necessary to get the development off the ground. It’s still a solid investment for them, as the belief among financial types is that those investments will be made back over the course of the next 3 years. The new project will get under way with a proposed $8 million extension to Claymore Road, with the Council footing that bill. It should be noted that the State Government still has to sign off on the deal before it is full steam ahead.
The amendments should be put on display next May, but they are not expected to be anything on the scale of what was seen from the Sekisui at the Yaroomba project. There is a great deal of excitement in a number of different circles now that the deal has been signed. Among those praising the agreement was the Sippy Downs and District Community Association. That particular group has been active in trying to help finalise a deal, and have basically been involved in one way or another since the idea was first brought to the table back in 2009. There was a feeling that the group was in fact against any development at all in Palmview, but vice president Sheree Lyons has made it clear that they wanted to ensure the infrastructure was in place before beginning a project of this scale. The fact that those issues have been taken care of means that everyone is now happy.
Another group that is sure to be happy are the businesses that serve Palmview, Glenview, Tanawha, and the surrounding area. The addition of 16,000 new resident means more jobs and more money potentially coming into the area. There are 3 schools planned for the new development, but you can be sure that plenty of business opportunities will also be part of the equation. The proximity to Aussie World will make the Palmview area ripe for those looking to perhaps invest in a holiday home, which would likely also means that pool builders will be busy once it all starts. New developments often lack a personal touch, which is why landscapers and pool builders will be called upon to add it when the new residents start moving in.

domain: politics


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Model Deelishis Packs Her Massive Cakez Into a Thot Dress!!!!
Earlier this week in North Carolina the model Deelishis recently made a guest appearance in the “Laid 4 The Runway” Fashion show. Sexy as always the model slid in skin tight, panther pink dress. Talk about gripped those curves in the right places she even left us with some side-boob action for her Instagram following.
View Deelishis photos & video below courtesy of instagram:
More Photos From Deelishis:

domain: celebrity


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Artscene exhibition depicts philosophy of Sufism
By: Ahtesham Azhar
KARACHI: The Artscene Gallery recently organised a painting exhibition titled ‘Whirling and Healing’ of an artist Dr Mohsen Keiany, at its premises in the metropolis.
Dr Keiany is an artist from Iran, whose personality comes through his paintings based on the philosophy of Sufis and his experience in the Iraq-Iran war. His work covers a range of spiritual contemplation, humans and the natural world and human sufferings.
Whirling and healing, a paintings exhibition, which gets its influence and inspiration from spiritual dance or ‘Sama’ of dervishes, is also known as Sufism. Sufism is defined as the inner and mystical dimension of Islam. It is in facet a discipline and a system of education that facilitates the journey of self-knowledge, a journey that enables individuals to discover their stable reality, and eventually the reality of the religion or whatever they believe.
Sufism, thus, is considered as a way of life in which a deeper identity is discovered and lived. This deeper identity, beyond the already known personality, is in harmony with all that exists. Sufism believes that the deeper identity or essential self has abilities of awareness, action, creativity and love that are far beyond the abilities of superficial personality.
According to Sufi tradition, people have never been separate from these abilities, as they belong to a greater life and being which they need to individualise them in their own unique way.
On the occasion, 28 paintings were put on display, featuring Sufism of pleasure, the battle of Delhi, hilarity, the village of jollity, passion, narration, social dream, direction, Sufis of Zabol, Sufis of Punjab, and many others.
Talking to Daily Times, Dr Keiany said that he completed those 28 paintings in 18 months. He visited Punjab and other sides to capture the Sufi culture in his paintings, he said.
He used calligraphy in his paintings, which was not giving any particular message but still every painting had a message or Sufi culture. Talking about the culture of Iran and Pakistan, he said: “I always feel comfortable working in Pakistan, as our countries have a similar culture.” Exhibition will continue till October 31.


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TUNE Anna Neale - Soul Momma
The song that made it to the MTV finals!
Amazing track, you put all these new singer song writers to shame. I can't wait to hear more!!!!
Wow! Great slice of inteligent pop and what a sultry, soulful voice. Love it. More please!!
Good song. Lively and upbeat with a strong voice.
A song I could listen to time and time again


Accession Number : ADD012396
Title : Phase-Only Optical Filter for Use in an Optical Correlation System.
Descriptive Note : Patent,
Corporate Author : DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE WASHINGTON DC
Personal Author(s) : Horner,Joseph L
Report Date : 13 May 1986
Pagination or Media Count : 16
Abstract : A phase-only optical filter capable of being utilized within a phase-only optical correlation system. The phase-only optical correlation system. The phase-only optical filter is made by mathematically generating preselected phase-only information by a fast Fourier Transform technique. This generated phase-only information is transferred onto an unexposed holographic film. Therefore, the film is developed and subsequently bleached. The resultant bleached film is the phase-only filter which, when utilized in a correlation system, provides substantially 100% utilization of the source of electromagnetic radiation during the corelation process.
Descriptors : *PATENTS, *OPTICAL CORRELATORS, *OPTICAL FILTERS, PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM, LASER BEAMS, MATCHED FILTERS, SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO, FAST FOURIER TRANSFORMS, OPTICAL EQUIPMENT, HOLOGRAPHY
Subject Categories : Optics
Distribution Statement : APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE


... their new album 'The Pulpit'. Blasting kicks n' bass are ready to blast your neurons and your soul. This album is a huge renovation of the old school goa and Israeli psytrance mixed with the latest trend sound of the psychedelic trance parties from all over the world. A modern and meanwhile old school recipe that only Magic Mizrahi knows. Now is here only for you. From Greece and Israel straight in your brain.


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The school exams. Preparing for tomorrow
Children’s education was one of the biggest casualties of the COVID-19 global pandemic this year, resulting in thousands of students throughout the islands having their classes disrupted or even shut by local authorities.
In fact the interruptions to classes over the last two years have been unprecedented, first with the measles outbreak towards the end of 2019 and the pandemic that followed early this year, which threw the spanner in the works of pupils’ preparations to go to higher grades or even pursue tertiary education at educational institutions such as the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) or the University of the South Pacific (U.S.P.).
A number of primary schools and colleges have in the last week held prize-giving ceremonies for their graduating students, as well as those who have performed exceptionally well academically and are in the senior grades.
The challenges and the uncertainty that the students faced this year was not lost on a number of college graduates, who spoke of the impact that the pandemic-inspired state of emergency (S.O.E.) had on their studies and the difficulties that they faced at school and home in what was a very unpredictable year.
On Monday Year 12-13 students from 41 colleges in Samoa will sit their Samoa School Certificate (S.S.C.) and the Samoa School Leaving Certificate (S.S.L.C.) exams, as the last part of their assessment. Over 4,000 students are expected to sit their S.S.C. and S.S.L.C. exams from December 7-17 according to the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture (M.E.S.C.).
There will be a lot on the school leavers’ minds when they walk into the examination venue from Monday morning, such as their tertiary studies pathways including entry into the N.U.S., U.S.P. or even the Technical and Vocational Education Training (T.V.E.T.) option.
And what would be the new normal for tertiary-level education providers such as the N.U.S. and the U.S.P. in the 2021 Academic Year with the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic still hanging over the country?
Would next year’s school year be business as usual for all students from primary to secondary schools and colleges as well as tertiary education or would it be a shorter year comprising shorter term and semester holidays and longer class, tutorial or lecture hours to give students enough time to fully grasp the lessons delivered?
The lessons learnt during the 2020 Academic Year – which was sadly disruptive and unpredictable for many of our children due to the pandemic and the S.O.E. that followed – should be used to begin planning next year’s learning program, in a bid to minimise disruptions to the school calendar.
This could include planning for a worst-case scenario, where the reporting of multiple COVID-19 positive cases, could lead to the full evacuation of students with learning continuing in the comfort of their homes supervised by parents.
The success (or the lack of it) of the N.U.S. online learning management system Moodle, and its impact on the students and its teaching staff during the S.O.E. lockdown this year, should be revisited with a view to garnering feedback on whether it should become the platform of choice as the university’s online learning infrastructure.
At the end of the day there are over 4,000 students who will sit their exams starting Monday. Upon completing the assessment, which would determine whether they continue their education at the university-level or T.V.E.T., they need to be assured that the M.E.S.C. and its relevant stakeholders are prepared for the next academic year despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
We take this opportunity to congratulate all those students who graduated from the various secondary schools and colleges and acknowledge the support, love and care that their families and relatives have extended to them in what was a very challenging year.
But the journey isn’t complete for those who are in Year 12-13 and are scheduled to sit their S.S.C. and S.S.L.C. exams starting Monday. We pray for your every success as you put pen to paper over the next couple of days.
We are in unprecedented times and living the new normal, but as Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal – it is the courage to continue that counts.”


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Good news for all the wise foodies! WYZchef has found for you a new restaurant that you will looooove, a real diamond in the rough now available on our platform! The Brake Kitchen is a cosy and peaceful restaurant where quality and love are the number one ingredients to cook tasty and GMO-free dishes. You can now order their delicious rice and salad bowls for your office lunches!
Relax… put your foot on the brake
When you enter The Brake Kitchen, it smells good, you hear music in the background, and the staff is friendly. That’s when you know that you are in the right place to take a break from the frenzy of the office. The interior design of the restaurant is like the food in your plate; it is all homemade! The decoration reflects the name of the place; car-shaped tables, tire-chairs, and license plates all over the place. This homy environment is perfect for small groups gathering and overall relax after a stressful day.
Tasty homemade food
At the Brake Kitchen, all ingredients are fresh and hand-picked. Chef Vivian makes a point of selecting GMO-free products to cook all the meals. The must-try is the rice and salad bowls. You can mix and match to build your rice bowl or choose the chef’s recommendation. Good news: you can now order them in bento boxes and have them delivered to your office on WYZchef!
Being happy all day long!
The motto at the Brake Kitchen is “Why being happy only 3 hours a day when you can be happy all day long!“. That is why happy hours are ALL DAY long: buy one beer and get one free! Come at any time of the day to enjoy -4ºC beers. It gets even better: on Thursday, you pay one beer, and you get 3! If you need another reason to come to the Brake Kitchen: their delicious hot pot is definitely a good one!
In short: homemade, healthy, and tasty! Don’t miss it; choose wisely: