text:
Bellastraea aurea, common name the golden small star, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.

Description
The height of the shell varies between 10 mm and 14 mm, its diameter between 12 mm and 19 mm. The small, solid, imperforate shell has a depressed-conic shape. Its color pattern is golden yellow or olive. The spire is low-conic and contains five whorls. These are scarcely convex above, and plicate at the sutures. The folds become fainter and frequently, bifurcating toward the periphery. The whorls are spirally lirate, the lirae below rather coarse, beaded, above finer, cutting the folds more or less into granules. The body whorl generally descends toward the aperture, and is compressed toward the periphery, which is subangular except in large specimens. The oblique aperture is rather small and is pearly white. The columellar callus is dilated over the umbilical region, and excavated there, and with an indistinct denticle near its base.

Distribution
This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs in the shallow subtidal zone off South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

References

 Jonas, J.H. 1845. Neue conchylien. Malakozoologische Blätter 1845: 169–173
 Swainson, W. 1855. On the characters of Astele, a new division in the family of Trochinae or Trochiform shells; together with the description of another species of the same family. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 3: 36–41, pl. 6
 Tenison-Woods, J.E. 1876. Description of new Tasmanian shells. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1875: 134–162
 Tenison-Woods, J.E. 1877. On some new Tasmanian marine shells. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1876: 131–159
 Pritchard, G.B. & Gatliff, J.H. 1902. Catalogue of the marine shells of Victoria. Part V. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 14(2): 85–138
 May, W.L. 1921. A Checklist of the Mollusca of Tasmania. Hobart, Tasmania : Government Printer 114 pp.
 Cotton, B.C. 1959. South Australian Mollusca. Archaeogastropoda. Handbook of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia. Adelaide : South Australian Government Printer 449 pp.
 Habe, T. 1959. Radulae of four gastropods from South Australia and New Zealand. Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 3: 37–38
 Iredale, T. & McMichael, D.F. 1962. A reference list of the marine Mollusca of New South Wales. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 11: 1–109
 Macpherson, J.H. 1966. Port Philip Survey 1957–1963. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 27: 201–288
 Wilson, B. 1993. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp.
 Williams, S.T. (2007). Origins and diversification of Indo-West Pacific marine fauna: evolutionary history and biogeography of turban shells (Gastropoda, Turbinidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 92, 573–592.

External links

aurea
Gastropods described in 1844


text:
Title: Magic Knight Rayearth
Japanese Title: 魔法騎士レイアース
Airdates: October 17, 1994 – March 13, 1995
Studio: TMS
Tags: Combat, Mascots
Magic Knight Rayearth is another one of those anime series that isn't quite a traditional Magical Girl Show. The storyline reminds me more of other anime series like Fushigi Yuugi or Vision of Escaflowne, than of a Magical Girl show like Sailor Moon. It's a swords and fantasy Magical girl show.
It is the story of three cute girls named Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, who are snatched away from their respective school field trips at Tokyo Tower and transported to the Magical world of Cephiro. In Cephiro, they discover that it is currently under the control of the evil Zagato. It seems that Zagato has imprisoned Cephiro's Princess Emeraude, the beautiful ruler of Cephiro. It was through the power of Princess Emeraude's prayers that Cephiro was a happy and peaceful place for a long time. But now that she's been kidnapped, the stability of Cephiro is in danger. Cephiro needs the legendary Magic Knights to return and save the world. Using some of her last strength. Emeraude summoned to the 3 girls to Cephiro to become the Legendary Magic Knights.
The three girls, who up until this point were strangers, soon become close friends despite their different personalities. Hikaru is the shortest and most 'genki'(cheerful/perky) of the three. She wears her long red hair in a braid. Her powers are fire related. Umi is a bit flaky. She is the tallest of the three, and has long ice-blue hair. She is very good at fencing. Her powers are water related. Fuu is the brain of the group. She has short brown hair and glasses. Her color scheme is green, and her powers have to do with wind and healing.
There are many great things about Magic Knight Rayearth that set it apart from most anime series. First of all, it is a series by the ladies of CLAMP, a four-member manga artist group who have created a number of famous series including another Magical Girl, Card Captor Sakura. The show also has great animation for a TV series (in my opinion). There is a lot of humor (often the characters will pop into Super-Deformed mode) and plenty of action. MKR blends giant Mecha, romance, magical girl, and sword and sorcery all into one.
It is the Magical Girl elements into Magic Knight Rayearth that prompt me to include it in this page. The three heroines of the series are all in their early teens. They are color coordinated. Once they arrive in Cephrto, they soon gain Magical Items, namely gloves that contain their weapons and some armor. Hikaru and Umi get swords, and Fuu gets a bow and arrow. The armor they all get fits over their school uniforms. As the series goes on, their magical items change and grow in power. They also get more armor. All three girls have magical attacks, complete with attack names to use in supplement to their other weapons. There is a brief Transformation Sequence for each of them that can be seen in the first OP animation sequence. Finally, the have a Talking Pet in the form of Mokona, a marshmallow looking blob of white with ears and a smile. Mokona's vocabulary is limited to one sound 'Pu!" which she repeats constantly. Mokona doesn't really act as a mentor type like other talking pets. Instead Mokona can be considered to be a walking supply store. Mokona can generate food from nowhere, along with other camping provisions such as a tent complete with pajamas for each girl. Cool!
A funny thing about MKR is the naming system. Most of the characters in the series are named after Japanese (and sometimes American) Cars! For example, there is a character named Geo Metro! The naming system is a popular tool in anime. Similar things can be found in Ranma 1/2 (Shampoo, Mousse, Cologne), Bastard! (Judas, Bon Jovina. Metallicana, Anthraxis..), Saber MJ (Cherry, Lime, etc). This makes things very funny!
Magic Knight Rayearth is ©CLAMP

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In an effort to raise funds to replace the roof of the Hilarion Leonard Cheshire Home in Sauteurs, Petite Anse Hotel owner Philip Clift took part in Sunday's 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon, and completed the course in just 3 hours and 44 minutes.
Mr Clift has so far raised almost US$15,000 of the US$32,000 required for architectural drawings, construction and materials required to replace the deteriorating roof of the local community home for the elderly and disabled.
Mr Clift, whose wife Annie is on the committee board for the home, beat his personal best time for running 26.2 miles.
With over 39,000 runners on the start line this year, the London Marathon is popular as a vehicle to raise charity funds. It takes in the sights of London and was completed by thousands of runners with Mr Clift finishing in the top third of participants.
The roof of the Hilarion Leonard Cheshire Home in Sauteurs is in need of replacement due to rot. If you'd like to make a donation towards this click here.


Perfect for work or play, the LED Mini Glowsticks are bright, functional and battery powered, providing you with up to 60 hours of illumination per four AG-3 batteries. They are also water resistant, floating when dropped in any puddle or pond.
Great to keep in your car or emergency kit, or take camping.


text:
What Digital Leaders can learn from the NHS Ransomware attack
Following the large scale Ransomware attack on the NHS, which hit up to 45 NHS sites throughout the country, questions have been raised over what can be done to make the NHS more secure.Affected computers were locked by a Ransomware known as WannaCry which attacks Windows operating systems. The programme encrypted files on NHS computers demanding a payment of $300 (£230) to access them again, leaving some hospitals and GPs unable to retrieve patient data for a period of time.
Massive amounts of data are being generated by NHS hospitals, trusts and GPs every day so it is vital that the healthcare industry has access to a secure and trusted platform through which to store and share data. Following the recent cyber-attack, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said that the NHS "must learn" from this and upgrade its IT systems, accepting that Windows XP was "not a good platform" for keeping this data secure.
In many cases there is less need to have full desktop operating systems that have installed locally running software. Ransomware encrypts private files on your local computer once you run software you've downloaded. In the NHS attack, it was a user who clicked on a link and downloaded malware hidden in an attachment.
Finding Alternative Methods
Office-based software can be replaced by software as a service delivered from the cloud such as Google Suite and document forms by online eForm services such as PretaForm. This uses the principle of "least privilege", meaning end users are given the lowest level of user rights that they can have and still do their jobs. So they can't run any software like malware attachments. This is achieved by using virtual desktop or browser only desktops. Also data is stored in the cloud which is isolated from malware downloaded by an end user.
It is significantly more difficult to hack into a cloud service with the best of breed security controls that are constantly monitored and upgraded to prevent attacks. With Software as a Service operating systems can be locked down. So cloud-based systems are a far safer way to share, store and send data messages both internally within NHS sites and between organisations.
By contrast, word documents or executable formats being routinely sent via public email or downloaded off the internet carry a much higher risk.
The recent NHS cyber-attack crippled healthcare services, rendering various medical systems useless. As a result, operations and appointments were cancelled and ambulances had to be diverted. While other systems can be affected, PretaGov services remain operational and cannot be compromised in the event of an attack. All of our products are cloud-based, meaning that our services can be accessed via any computer via a browser with the transfer of data being encrypted. If patient data is saved in the cloud with backups to a separate data centre then this data can be accessed anywhere and organisations can continue to operate as normal even after a security event.
PretaGov Australia
83 York Street,
Sydney 2000 NSW
E: contact@pretagov.com.au
PretaGov UK
20 Ropemaker Street
EC2Y 9AR
P: +44 (0) 208 819 3887
E: contact@pretagov.co.uk


text:
The Plugin People
General Software Product EULA
Created by Andy Brook [Plugin People], last modified on Jan 29, 2019
General Software Product EULA (non-cloud)
END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THE PLUGIN PEOPLE NON-CLOUD SOFTWARE PRODUCTS. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THIS PROGRAM INSTALL: The Plugin People Ltd's End-User License Agreement ("EULA") is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and The Plugin People Ltd. for the The Plugin People Ltd software product(s) identified above which may include associated software components, media, printed materials, and "online" or electronic documentation ("SOFTWARE PRODUCT"). By installing, copying, or otherwise using the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA. This license agreement represents the entire agreement concerning the program between you and The Plugin People Ltd, (referred to as "licenser"), and it supersedes any prior proposal, representation, or understanding between the parties. If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA, do not install or use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed, not sold.
1. Grant of license
The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed as follows:
(a) Installation and Use
The Plugin People Ltd grants you the non-exclusive and non-transferable right to install and use one copy of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT on one Production instance of a host Atlassian product. You may also install and use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT on any number of Developer-licensed (derived from Production license) instances of a host Atlassian product for non-production use only
(b) Backup Copies
You may also make copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT as may be necessary for backup and archival purposes. You must keep all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT secure and maintain accurate and up-to-date records of the number and locations of all copies of the Software.
2. Description of other rights and limitations
(a) Maintenance of Copyright Notices
You must not remove or alter any copyright notices on any and all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
(b) Distribution
You may not distribute registered copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT to third parties. Evaluation versions available for download from The Plugin People Ltd's websites may be freely distributed.
(c) Prohibition on Reverse Engineering, Decompilation, and Disassembly.
You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation.
(d) Rental and modification
You may not rent, lease, or lend, merge, adapt, vary, alter or modify the SOFTWARE PRODUCT save as set out in clause 8 or as otherwise agreed in writing.
(e) Support Services
The Plugin People Ltd may provide you with support services related to the SOFTWARE PRODUCT ("Support Services"). Any supplemental software code provided to you as part of the Support Services shall be considered part of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT and subject to the terms and conditions of this EULA.
(f) Compliance with Applicable Laws
You must comply with all applicable laws regarding use of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
Without prejudice to any other rights, The Plugin People Ltd may terminate this EULA if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this EULA. In such event, all rights granted to you under this EULA shall cease, you must immediately cease all activities authorised by this EULA and you must destroy all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT in your possession.
All title to intellectual property rights, including but not limited to copyrights, in and to the SOFTWARE PRODUCT and any copies thereof are owned by The Plugin People Ltd or its suppliers. All title and intellectual property rights in and to the content which may be accessed through use of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT is the property of the respective content owner and may be protected by applicable copyright or other intellectual property laws and treaties. This EULA grants you no rights to use such content. All rights not expressly granted are reserved by The Plugin People Ltd.
5. No warranties
The Plugin People Ltd expressly disclaims any warranty for the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is provided 'As Is' without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including but not limited to any warranties of merchantability, noninfringement, or fitness of a particular purpose. The Plugin People Ltd does not warrant or assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. The Plugin People Ltd makes no warranties respecting any harm that may be caused by the transmission of a computer virus, worm, time bomb, logic bomb, or other such computer program. The Plugin People Ltd further expressly disclaims any warranty or representation to Authorized Users or to any third party.
(a) In no event shall The Plugin People Ltd be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, lost profits, business interruption, or lost information) rising out of 'Authorized Users' use of or inability to use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, even if The Plugin People Ltd has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event will The Plugin People Ltd be liable for loss of data direct or indirect loss of profits or anticipated savings or for indirect, special, incidental, consequential losses, or other damages based in contract, tort or otherwise. The Plugin People Ltd shall have no liability with respect to the content of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT or any part thereof, including but not limited to errors or omissions contained therein, libel, infringements of rights of publicity, privacy, trademark rights, business interruption, personal injury, loss of privacy, moral rights or the disclosure of confidential information.
(b) You acknowledge that the SOFTWARE PRODUCT has not been developed to meet your individual requirements, and that it is therefore your responsibility to ensure that the facilities and functions of the Software as described in the Documents meet your requirements.
(c) The Plugin People Ltd's maximum aggregate liability under or in connection with this EULA whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise, shall in all circumstances (save as set out in paragraph 6(d) below be limited to a sum equal to 100% of annual the licence fee payable by you under the EULA.
(d) The Plugin People Ltd do not exclude or limit in any way its liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence or the negligence of its employees, agents or subcontractors or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
7. Evaluation software
This paragraph applies to any Software that The Plugin People Ltd makes available on an evaluation basis ("Evaluation Software"). End User may only use the Evaluation Software for internal evaluation purposes for the period specified by the single use freely available evaluation License, and may only permit a limited number of users (specified by The Plugin People Ltd) to access the Evaluation Software. After the evaluation period, End User must delete all copies of the Evaluation Software. End User acknowledges that Evaluation Software may not be fully functional. Notwithstanding anything else in this Agreement, The Plugin People Ltd does not offer any warranty, indemnity for any Evaluation Software.
8. Source code
The Plugin People Ltd may provide through Online documentation or Support some elements of Software in source code form ("Source Code"). Unless otherwise specified, End User may modify Source Code solely to develop bug fixes, customizations, and additional features ("End User Modifications") and, notwithstanding anything else in this Agreement, may only use End User Modifications internally for purposes of using the Software licensed from The Plugin People Ltd. The Plugin People Ltd will have no support, warranty, indemnity or other obligations relating to, and assumes no liability for, any End User Modifications or any effect they may have on the operation of the Products.
9. Publicity rights
We may identify you as an Atlassian customer in our promotional materials. You may request that we stop doing so by submitting an email to sales@thepluginpeople.com at any time. Please note that it may take us up to 30 days to process your request.
You acknowledge and agree that for the purposes of European Union legislation relating to processing of personal data (Data Protection Legislation), the Company will not be required to process any personal data (as defined in the Data Protection Legislation) for or on your behalf for the purpose of this EULA.
The Plugin People Ltd will only use your personal information as set out in [LINK TO PRIVACY POLICY].
The Plugin People Ltd may transfer its rights and obligations under this EULA to another organisation, but this will not affect your rights or its obligations under this EULA.
You may only transfer your rights or your obligations under this EULA to another person if The Plugin People Ltd agree in writing.
This EULA, its subject matter and its formation (and any non-contractual disputes or claims) are governed by English law. The Plugin People Ltd and you both irrevocably agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
11. Change
Where you have subscribed for the SOFTWARE PRODUCT on an period basis, The Plugin People Ltd reserves the right to amend this EULA from time to time with such changes being notified to you and coming into effect on each renewal of the EULA.
PARA 9 Added 18 JULY 2017
PARA 10, 11 Added 29 JAN 2019
{"serverDuration": 174, "requestCorrelationId": "16d70a55cf9408c1"}


Advanced Rendering Ltd - Plasterer based in Ilford, Essex.
Advanced Rendering Ltd is a honest hardworking company with 10 years' experience in all aspects of plastering and rendering.
All work undertaken will be finished to the highest quality in a professional manner.
Please call for a free no obligation quote and personal advice on all your plastering needs.


text:
Virtualization and the Cloud the Easy Way
Rahul Bakshi of SunGard Availability Services doles out managed services.
By Bruce Hoard
Virtualization Review Editor in Chief Bruce Hoard recently interviewed Rahul Bakshi, VP of Solution Design for Managed Services at SunGard Availability Services. They talked about the demand for virtualization and cloud services.
VR: How does SunGard Availability Services view the relationship between virtualization and cloud computing?
Bakshi: Virtualization is an absolute component of cloud computing. I think we'll agree there's a ton of hype behind cloud and what cloud is and what cloud isn't, and things like that. But we've been delivering managed services for well over 10 years at this point, and as new technologies come out, we embrace them and take advantage of them to deliver services more effectively and efficiently for our customers. So we see virtualization as an absolute requirement and necessity from a foundational perspective for delivering cloud-based services.
VR: Do you think virtualization is on the cusp of becoming a commodity that's important, but loses its identity?
Bakshi: I would absolutely agree with that. The balance is that there are additional complexities associated with virtualization and you can use it in more efficient and effective ways, but with that comes more responsibility. You need to be tighter on capacity management; you need to have the right support structure for that more-complex level of the infrastructure.
"Virtualization is an absolute component of cloud computing."
Rahul Bakshi, VP of Solution Design for Managed Services, SunGard Availability Services
VR: Do you have VMware, Citrix and Microsoft customers coming to you and saying that those three companies were unable to meet their virtualization and cloud computing needs?
Bakshi: There are a couple of different ways we engage with customers. They know what they have, and they're looking for us to help be more effective and or efficient. The way we see it, it's really about taking advantage of all that virtualization has to offer. It's one thing just to say, "OK. I do ESX on a box and I'm going to slice up a bunch of hosts on it." It's another thing to say, "OK. I'm really going to take advantage of not just vMotion and the inherent foundational aspects of VMware, but really figure out how to plug APIs into it and get the value into the application layer." That's where I think a lot of software vendors and ISVs are moving to SaaS [Software as a Service] models. They want to know how to take what they have in virtualization and advance the ball so it's plugging into the application more natively.
VR: What are the biggest challenges you face in providing managed services?
Bakshi: The biggest challenge we face is we have to deliver enterprise-quality, enterprise-grade services to thousands of customers. Everything is multi-tenanted when we look at the world. I think that one of the biggest challenges we face is having flexible, adaptive processes that can be customized on a per-customer basis and still maintain the quality of service as well as the cost efficiency.
VR: Give some examples of your most satisfied customers and how you teamed up with them to instigate their success.
Bakshi: I've been in the States for almost 11 years now. I started in January 2000 in the managed services space. One of the things we quickly identified was that ISVs that used to deliver their software on-premises wanted to shift to a hosted model. Then there's the whole craze of ASP and how it's evolved into the concept of Software as a Service. Some of our most successful relationships have been with the software vendors, whether they're delivering software for health clubs or for billing systems -- whatever application or set of applications they serve. We help them modify their businesses into a by-the-drink model and grow with them so we can both learn. As their needs expand, we develop new processes or new products to support their requirements. I've had a lot of fun, and we've had a lot of success working with software vendors by helping them shift to the SaaS model. Other customer types we've worked with really well are those that are looking to get out of the datacenter business. They say, "I have 100, 200, 300 servers running various apps. Let's get all of this out of my facility and into your datacenter." What they're looking to do is transform their architecture over time to become a more efficient service. The interesting thing with that is, first you get through the process -- you get the plan out, you get them migrated into your facility, you get to know the architecture and the environment. Then over the next couple of years, you're able to introduce new ways of delivering the service, re-architecting the footprint and really helping customers gain efficiencies, whether it's being able to provision services more effectively and rapidly, or getting better use of capex [capital expenditure] by converting it into opex [operating expenditure]. It's great for us to bring to the table all the experience and exposure we see serving all these different types of customers, and help them with their specific needs.
VR: How many of the customers who are moving all their data from their datacenters to yours want to throw a bunch of it up in the cloud?
Bakshi: A lot of the customers we have and a lot of the customers that are getting onto our cloud are saying, "What can I use it for? What makes sense to go onto a cloud fabric?" So we're having a lot of dialogue like that. There's one specific customer that I've worked with three times now, which is really great because he's moved to three different companies, and every time he's come back just to do business with us, which we take a lot of pride in. Most recently, he said, "Look, Rahul, I've got a real small footprint of apps and even though my ERP [enterprise resource planning] runs on HP-UX, it's completely isolated from these other apps. All these things are coming up to end of life; it's all Microsoft, Linux, and it all works on virtual footprints. Can we just move it all to your cloud offering?" I said, "Absolutely, not a problem." So we're starting to see a lot of interest picking up over the last 12 months, and we're estimating maybe 25 percent of our customer base at renewal -- and/or at the time of adding new apps -- are going to be looking at taking advantage of our cloud offering. I've said it in some of my other conversations with other folks: It's really just an evolution and an expansion of our service capability. We're still delivering the same set of services, just a lot more efficiently or more effectively, and on shared fabrics. The benefit should be enhancing the value proposition of what we used to do.
VR: A lot is being made of virtualizing datacenters. What's the future of datacenters as cloud computing becomes increasingly pervasive?
Bakshi: I agree that cloud computing is going to exponentially increase in usage and demand, but it's not everything for everyone, so there's always going to be the need for customers to either have co-location requirements or managed services on non-cloud fabrics. And then there's going to be a large quantity of customers that prefer to keep their applications in their own internal facilities. So the way I'm looking at it, we're continuing to get to a point where we need to have these disparate platforms integrated and talking among themselves. Whether it's Windows Azure talking to Force.com, or talking to SunGard, or talking to a customer's legacy datacenter where they keep their mainframe -- when those pieces come together at the level of maturity that's required, all of these platforms will start talking together.
VR: Your infrastructure is impressive. How are you using it to service your internal IT requirements?
Bakshi: We've got many employees and we're international, so we have to look at consolidating infrastructure where appropriate, and then benefit from taking advantage of newer capabilities such as virtualization and shared fabrics. As a result, there are a lot of benefits from effectively treating ourselves as our own customer. The engineers that are supporting our customers are also supporting our own internal IT, so there's a lot of carry-over and a lot of thought that comes into it. For example, when we're rolling out newer back-up technologies or when we were introducing de-duplication, we absolutely leveraged that for internal IT as well as our customer base.
Bruce Hoard is the new editor of Virtualization Review. Prior to taking this post, he was founding editor of Network World and spent 20 years as a freelance writer and editor in the IT industry.


As part of the investment plan for the maintenance and renewal of our hotels, Palladium Hotel Group confirms the modernization of Grand Palladium Palace Resort Spa & Casino, part of the complex located in Punta Cana.
We want to keep offering the best services in our facilities -today we already have nearly 50 hotels in destinations such as Spain, Italy, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Brazil – always thinking of the welfare and comfort of our guests that want to enjoy beyond idyllic places, looking for refinement and beauty of a luxury hotel like this.
Beginning in mid-May and finishing at the end of October approximately, the project includes the renovation of the structure and decoration of the lobby and will have a new bar. The 280 suites will also be redecorated and leisure center will have a new artificial grass floor.
The Bar Hemingway and restaurants like Las Torres and Royal Gourmet (this one belongs to The Royal Suites Turquesa) is subject to an improvement in its air conditioning systems. The Sports Bar will have new decor and Mare Nostrum will be completely renovated and redecorated.
During the project, the services will be transferred to other bars and restaurants. So this operation will take place gradually in different phases, without affecting normal activity on the Palace Hotel and other hotels in the Grand Palladium Bávaro Suites Resort & Spa complex, Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort & Spa and The Royal Suites Turquesa by Palladium.


text:
About the Quechee Gorge Bridge
The Quechee Gorge Bridge on US Route 4 in Hartford is one of Vermont's most stunning and historic bridges. Rising 165 feet over the Ottauquechee River, it was constructed as a railway bridge in 1911 and converted to a roadway bridge in the 1930s. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is planning major rehabilitation to improve safety and to preserve the bridge.
The designer's rendering illustrates the future Quechee Gorge Bridge railing. The team recently updated traffic management plans to ensure a safe and efficient work zone once the project goes to construction in 2021.
Project Team Updates Traffic Management Plans
We are happy to inform you that our team is advancing the final plans for the Quechee Gorge Bridge Project. We are scheduled to go to bid for contractors in the coming weeks.
After much discussion, AOT has decided that the project requires a continuous single lane of traffic for the duration of the construction season.
This decision is different from what our team had originally planned and presented. However, as AOT has refined final details, it is clear that a single travel lane, controlled on either end of the bridge by a traffic signal, is essential to maintain adequate room for construction activities.
The change is necessary to complete the construction in two full seasons. One sidewalk on the bridge will be open at all times with designated crosswalks at each end for access to parking areas, shops, and the visitor center. This traffic management strategy also increases the safety of workers and travelers.
Construction of the Quechee Gorge Bridge will span two years. Activities will pause for part of each year to accommodate seasonal tourism and winter weather. The initial construction season will begin in the late winter or early spring of 2021, and conclude by September 23, 2021. The same cycle will occur in 2022.
Our team will host a public meeting (likely virtual) once a contractor is selected. The meeting will occur in Winter 2021. Stay tuned for details!
VTrans Home Page


text:
was the lead ship in the  protected cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The vessel was the sister ship to the . She was named after Mount Kasagi, a holy mountain outside Kyoto.

Background
Kasagi was ordered as part of the 1896 Emergency Fleet Replenishment Budget, funded by the war indemnity received from the Empire of China as part of the settlement of the Treaty of Shimonoseki ending the First Sino-Japanese War.

Design
Kasagi was designed and built in Philadelphia, in the United States by William Cramp & Sons (who had also built the cruiser  for the Imperial Russian Navy). Kasagi was the first major capital warship to be ordered by the Imperial Japanese Navy from an American shipbuilder. Her specifications were very similar to that of the British-built , but with slightly larger displacement and overall dimensions, but with identical gun armament (and without the bow torpedo tubes). However, internally the ships were very different, with Kasagi having 142 watertight compartments, compared with 109 in Takasago.

Service record
The day after she was formally commissioned, the yet-unarmed Kasagi participated in a naval review at Philadelphia celebrating the end of the Spanish–American War. For her shakedown cruise in November 1898, Kasagi was sailed from Philadelphia directly to Great Britain, where her armament was installed. She arrived at Yokosuka Naval District on 16 May 1899. Future admiral Yamashita Gentarō served as executive officer on Kasagi between 1899 and 1900.

In April 1900, while participating in maneuvers in Kagoshima Bay, Kasagi collided in a fog bank with a commercial steamer, forcing the steamer to beach itself to avoid sinking. Damage to Kasagi did not prevent her from completing the maneuvers. The first overseas deployment of Kasagi was in 1900, to support Japanese naval landing forces which occupied the port city of Tianjin in northern China during the Boxer Rebellion, as part of the Japanese contribution to the Eight-Nation Alliance. From her crew, 52 sailors were dispatched on a landing operation.

Kasagi participated in maneuvers in July 1901, simulating an attack by foreign powers on the port of Sasebo. The following month, she accompanied  on a good-will visit to the Russian port of Vladivostok.

Russo-Japanese War

During the Russo-Japanese War, Kasagi was active from its base in Korea in the Battle of Port Arthur. On 9 February 1904, she was part of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron under the overall command of Admiral Dewa Shigetō which engaged the Russian fleet at the entrance to Port Arthur, taking some minor damage. In March, Kasagi and  were reassigned to assist Admiral Kamimura Hikonojō's forces in the bombardment of Vladivostok. On 14 May, Kasagi assisted in efforts to save the crew of the battleship  after that ship struck a naval mine, rescuing 134 survivors, and firing on Russian destroyers.

During the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August, Kasagi engaged the , and participated in the unsuccessful pursuit of the cruisers  and .

At the crucial final Battle of Tsushima, Kasagi was the flagship of the 3rd Division under Admiral Dewa and was commanded by Captain Yamaya Tanin. Kasagi made the first shot of the battle by firing on the battleship . At around 14:30, together with the other cruisers in the 3rd Division, she engaged the Russian cruisers , , and . However, Kasagi was hit below the waterline by a Russian shell, which flooded a boiler room and coal bunker, killing one crewman and injuring nine others, and was forced to withdraw from combat to address the damage.

Final years
In October 1908, Kasagi participated in the first large-scale post-war fleet maneuvers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. From 1910, she was assigned training duties, and made a long-distance navigational training voyage from 16 October 1910 to 6 March 1911 to Hawaii. She underwent extensive overhaul in 1912, with her cylindrical boilers replaced by more reliable Miyabara boilers.

During World War I, Kasagi was assigned to the Japanese 1st Fleet, but was still primarily used as a training vessel.

Kasagi ran aground in heavy weather in the Tsugaru Strait between Honshū and Hokkaidō en route to Akita on 20 July 1916, suffering a major hull breach in the vicinity of her second smoke stack. After salvage of some equipment, she sank on 10 August and was formally written off the navy list on 5 November of the same year.

Notes

References

External links

Kasagi-class cruisers
Ships built by William Cramp & Sons
1898 ships
Naval ships of Japan
Russo-Japanese War cruisers of Japan
World War I cruisers of Japan
Maritime incidents in 1916
World War I shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
Shipwrecks in the Sea of Japan

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The beautiful orange coloured sofa bed is a timeless piece. Ideal for sitting, lounging and sleeping, this furniture will bring elegance and style to your living space. The modern look and sleek design of this piece is hard to match.


•Play golf, go on a picnic family or simply admire Governors Island. It is a huge green island with mini Golf, bike path, military sites and lot more.
•Visit the beautiful and lush green Green-Wood Cemetery. It happens to be the peak of battle hill. Right from the gothic architecture of the entry gate to the statue of Roman goddess Minerva, everything about this revolutionary battle memoir is mystique and majestic.
•You can explore the grand and known New York Public Library. You will be awed by its richness in terms of architecture and collection. It's a sprawling library with one of the most extensive collection of books in the world. They allow free tours from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
•Go kayaking in public boathouses like Long Island Community Boathouse and Downtown Boathouse. It is a fun sailing experience.
•Splash and swim in the open swimming pools in the city. They are speckled across the towns. You just need to carry your swimsuit and towel.
•Spend a splendid evening at the Museum of Modern Art. They offer free entry after 4:00 PM. Do not miss the special exhibition on the top floor.
•Admire the greenery and the natural landscape of New York. Go to the classic Central Park or 6BC Botanical Garden. These places will show you a serene side of the glimmering NYC.
•Have free pizzas and cold cuts at Mark Bar in Brooklyn. They treat their customers to free snacking on weekdays after 6:00 PM.
Enjoy an evening of musical show or theatre. Theatre and performing arts are quite popular in New York and there are numerous halls and operas in the city where they are staged.


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FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Advances Commitment to Create More Equitable Access to Parks and Nature in Communities
Commitment Builds on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act Investments to Bring Nature Benefits to More Communities
As part of the President's America the Beautiful initiative, the Biden-Harris Administration celebrated the signing of the "United States Government Interagency Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Equitable Access to Nature in Nature- Deprived Communities" by 10 Federal departments and agencies. This effort focuses on strengthening investments in communities who have been locked out of the benefits nature provides to ensure all Americans can benefit from safe parks, natural areas, and waterways where they live, work, and play by expanding access to local parks, tree canopy cover, conservation areas, open space and water-based recreation, public gardens, beaches, and waterways, which the memorandum identifies as "parks and green and blue spaces."
Today, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, and Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Michael D. Smith will hold an event at the Benning Stoddert Recreation Center in Washington, DC to celebrate the signing of the memorandum to improve access to parks and green and blue spaces in areas that have historically not been afforded the benefits from these spaces. They will be joined by Federal and community leaders for a roundtable discussion on strategies moving forward to accomplish the goals set forth in the agreement, followed by a tree planting event.
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) will convene the newly formed interagency group, named the Nature in Communities Committee, with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, AmeriCorps, and the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Army, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Homeland Security. These Federal departments and agencies have committed to collaborate with and learn from each other, and support local leaders' efforts to improve access to nature and create, expand, steward, and conserve natural spaces for all Americans.
The Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful Report, issued in May 2021 consistent with the President's Executive Order 14008, highlighted a need for Federal agencies to place a greater focus on supporting nature-deprived communities that have disproportionately less access to nature's public health and climate benefits, including the benefits that nature can provide in mitigating extreme heat and flooding. The report noted that the burdens associated with a lack of access to nature do not fall evenly on all people, and that an estimated 100 million Americans do not have an accessible park within a ten-minute walk of their homes. The Nature in Communities Committee will focus on strategies that help alleviate the burdens of legacy pollution and growing impacts of climate change while also supporting local economies.
More than 30 existing Federal programs can be deployed to support locally-led park system planning and safety, public transit improvements, planting of public trees and gardens, schoolyard greening, expansion of water access, educational programing, and jobs that promote safe, welcoming outdoor experiences. Collaboration under the agreement will knit together existing programs, partnerships, and coalitions, allowing Federal, State, Tribal, Territorial, local, and private entities to find synergies and coordinate across regions and in communities. President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act will also supercharge these efforts with more than $12.4 billion in funds that can be accessed by nature-deprived communities to promote access to parks and green and blue spaces such as acquiring new park space, planting and caring for more trees, improving neighborhood access and equity, reducing urban heat islands, and expanding natural and nature-based infrastructure across the country.
Together, these investments will advance President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which will deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of climate and clean energy investments to disadvantaged communities. In total, hundreds of Federal programs, including those established or bolstered by the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, represent historic investments that are being reimagined and transformed to meet the Justice40 goal and maximize benefits to disadvantaged communities.
The Nature in Communities Committee will hold its first meeting before the end of the year and work on establishing a framework for implementation that will result in greater access to nature and its benefits for nature-deprived communities. The Committee will achieve these outcomes through existing programs and technical information.
The Administration's efforts will build on and broaden existing Federal programs and initiatives such as:
Urban Waters Federal Partnership: This existing partnership among Federal agencies — led by the Environmental Protection Agency — helps to reconnect overburdened or economically distressed communities with their waterways by improving coordination and collaboration with community-led revitalization efforts and promote their economic, environmental, and social benefits. Currently in 20 communities, the partnership plans to double that number, expand its Learning Network and utilize U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Matching Funds, which are designated by Congress and can be used for water quality projects in any Urban Waters locations.
Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership: This program, administered by the Department of the Interior's National Park Service, was established in 2014 and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It is a nationally competitive program targeting grant assistance to help economically disadvantaged urban communities acquire and/or create, or substantially renovate, public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces. In July, the Department of the Interior announced that $192 million will be distributed to local communities through the program.
AmeriCorps National Service: Through its many programs, AmeriCorps members, volunteers, and partners support nature-deprived communities by creating and maintaining city parks and greenspaces, improving stormwater management, and maintaining urban farms to increase economic opportunity. The agency also works with state and local partners help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters.
Urban Wildlife Conservation Program Partnerships: This program of the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service improves lives by expanding access to green space, education, and outdoor recreation for Americans living in and around cities. With more than 100 national wildlife refuges located within 25 miles of urban areas, the program was created to improve access to nature for Americans who live in or near cities. The program also fosters long-term partnerships with historically marginalized communities to address racial inequality in conservation.
Urban and Community Forestry Program: By working with State partners and community tree groups, this USDA Forest Service program invests from the ground up in communities, improving more than 140 million acres of urban and community forest across the United States. It is a technical, financial, and educational assistance program, delivering nature-based solutions to ensure a resilient and equitable tree canopy where more than 84% of Americans live. The Urban and Community Forestry Program received $1.5 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act.
People's Garden Initiative: People's gardens across the country grow fresh, healthy food; support resilient, local food systems; teach people how to garden using conservation practices; nurture habitat for pollinators and wildlife; and create greenspace for neighbors. In addition to the garden at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., there are 17 other flagship gardens located in urban communities nationwide.
America the Beautiful Challenge Grants: Intended to streamline grant funding opportunities for new conservation and restoration projects around the U.S., the America the Beautiful Challenge is anchored by an initial commitment of $440 million of Federal resources over the next five years, including $375 million from the Interior Department in Ecosystem Restoration funds provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The challenge enables applicants to conceive and develop large-scale projects that address shared funder priorities and span public and private lands. Among other focal areas, the program seeks to fund projects that expand access to the outdoors, particularly in underserved communities.
Mitigating Heat Across the Nation: The Climate Program Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) works through the interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) to support community-based urban heat mapping campaigns to identify opportunities where parks and green and blue spaces can mitigate heat. Through NOAA's heat equity pilots and the new HEAT.gov, NIHHIS also supports community use of heat information to develop future heat scenarios and table-top exercises for equitable heat resilience planning, and applied climate research to generate evidence for additional actions to mitigate heat such as cool surfaces, home energy efficiency, and other local policies and programs. The Inflation Reduction Act provided $50 million for NOAA to administer climate research grants to address climate challenges such as impacts of extreme events, including related to heat. This research will provide the science that Americans need to understand how, where, and when Earth's conditions are changing.
Community Development Block Grants: The Department of Housing and Urban Development provides annual Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) on a formula basis to states, cities, and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. Block grants have been used to fund construction and restoration of public facilities like community centers, parks, and playgrounds in underserved neighborhoods, and to hire local community organizers to make it happen.
Advancing Coastal Resilience and Access: NOAA's Office of Coastal Management (OCM) works with a variety of partners, from all sectors, to deliver the products, services, and programs most needed by the nation's coastal communities. Among other efforts, OCM administers coastal zone management grants to fund projects that increase the number of acres of coastal wetlands, corals, and natural shorelines protected and restored; decrease economic losses from the impacts of coastal hazards; and deliver increased support for communities most vulnerable to climate impacts, including those which have historically been underserved and often lack access to resources. OCM also oversees the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, which is a network of 30 protected areas that contribute local science-based training, education, and outreach programs, and provides unique recreational opportunities for nearby communities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $1.47 billion for NOAA to invest in high-impact natural infrastructure projects that build coastal resilience, create jobs, store carbon, and restore habitat. The Inflation Reduction Act provided $2.6 billion for NOAA to assist coastal states, the District of Columbia, Tribal Governments, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education to become more prepared and resilient to changes in climate.
Recreational Trails Program: The U.S. Department of Transportation implements the Recreational Trails Program to provide funds to States develop and maintain recreational trails and trail related facilities. These funds are provided as part of the Transportation Alternatives which support pedestrian and bike infrastructure, recreational trails, safe routes to school. The Transportation Alternatives program will receive $6.79 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Modernization of Recreation Facilities: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) provides thousands of opportunities for outdoor recreation at its many lake and river projects. Nearly 90% of these lakes and rivers are within 50 miles of major cities, and offer facilities and multiuse bike trails that are accessible to all. The USACE is working to modernize these recreation facilities and improve access and educational programming to enhance outdoor recreation experiences across the United States.
Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities: The Federal Emergency Management Agency initiative to build resilient infrastructure and communities (BRIC) supports states, Tribes, Territories, and local communities as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards like wind storms and floods. The BRIC program supports communities through capability- and capacity-building, including the direct provision of technical assistance to disadvantaged communities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $1 billion to the BRIC program.
Under the new interagency agreement, projects of all scales will be supported through interagency prioritization, coordination, and investment of resources in nature-deprived communities around the Nation.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding on promoting equitable access to nature comes after the Biden-Harris Administration recently launched the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR), an interagency effort across four departments focused on outdoor opportunities. The signing of this new memorandum will leverage that work and strengthen local investment, capacity, and commitment to improve access to parks and green and blue spaces for nature-deprived communities, and to get residents outdoors, side-by-side with Federal partners.
Next CEQ Post: Readout of the Fifth Greening Government Initiative Meeting Readout of the Fifth Greening Government Initiative Meeting
September 20, 2022 • Press Releases
Next CEQ Post
https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2022/09/23/fact-sheet-biden-%e2%81%a0harris-administration-advances-commitment-to-create-more-equitable-access-to-parks-and-nature-in-communities/?utm_source=link


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Forest City Family & Divorce Lawyers
North Carolina has seen an average divorce rate of 3.3% for the past decade. Families across the state have sought help with divorce cases for a number of reasons, but North Carolina has statutes in place which require couples to have one year of separation prior to the dissolution of their marriage. This can be challenging for families with children or spouses who are in abusive relationships where safety is their main priority.
The dedicated family and divorce lawyers at King Law understand how challenging these particular cases can be. They require a delicate approach from an experienced legal professional who understands statewide regulations for divorce and family law. Residents of Forest City, North Carolina that need to move forward with a divorce or family case should contact King Law to learn how our team of trial-tested lawyers can help.
Request Your FREE Family Law E-Book
Alimony Agreements
Termination of Parental Rights
Forest City, NC Divorce and Separation
Each year in the United States, there are nearly 750,000 couples who file for divorce. For those who live in North Carolina, the year of separation leading up to the legal dissolution of a marriage can be as emotionally trying as the divorce itself. While divorce requires legal assistance, separation does not need to be documented to be considered valid.
Some couples choose to create separation agreements, which outline certain processes such as alimony payments, child support, custody, property division, assets, and much more. These agreements are not necessary or required by a court, but they can make the divorce process much more amicable if both parties have an opportunity to express their requirements and individual needs.
Alimony Agreements in Forest City, North Carolina
Spousal support, also known as alimony, is a continuous or one-time payment made during a divorce from one separating partner to another. To determine the amount being paid in the alimony, the court will review certain documentation such as individual income, earning capacity, need, and other related factors that may affect how much the separating partner receives.
Different factors contribute to a court's decision on whether to award alimony to either partner. The court will review whether there has been misconduct from either spouse, the length of the marriage, as well as other economic and social factors that can impact how alimony is awarded. Cases that involve a spouse who engaged in extramarital affairs or illicit sexual behavior will likely not result in alimony to that partner.
Prenuptial Agreements in Forest City, NC
You may be familiar with the concept of a "prenup," also known as a prenuptial agreement. This is a formal contract, created between two spouses, that outlines the responsibilities and marital rights of the couple. It can also outline directions for divisions of assets upon divorce or death.
Although many couples choose to go with prenuptial agreements, these guidelines can still be drafted after the wedding and are referred to as "postnuptial agreements." In the United States, premarital agreements only go into effect once the couple has been legally married. In the event that the contract was signed by both parties prior to the wedding and the ceremony is called off, the prenuptial agreement is considered null and void.
For residents in Forest City, North Carolina, there are provisions of state law that can impact premarital agreements. The Uniform Premarital Agreement Act in North Carolina dictates that, for a prenuptial agreement to be valid, it must be written and signed by both parties. After the couple has endorsed the document, courts in North Carolina can enforce the agreement.
Forest City Child Support Lawyer
Cases involving child support are often complicated and require delicate handling from an experienced family lawyer. The goal of any circumstance involving child support is to ensure that the child receives financial assistance from the absent parent. Child support payments may supplement the costs of necessities such as food, medical appointments, educational material, and more.
Some couples who dissolve their marriage choose to forgo a request for financial support during court proceedings related to child custody to speed up the process, but it is essential to remember that child support payments aim to improve the child's quality of life, and not as a bartering tool or punishment for either parent.
Termination of Parental Rights in North Carolina
If a parent in Forest City, North Carolina fails to provide child support payments for more than a year, they run the risk of potential termination of their parental rights. When this happens, an order goes into effect which dissolves the rights and obligations of the parent in question. There are a variety of reasons why a parent may seek termination of parental rights for their partner, spouse, or co-parent, such as:
Child neglect
Abandoning a child to foster care
Failure to pay child support
Failure to establish paternity
Lack of ability to care for a child
Once parental rights have been terminated, they cannot be reinstated by the court unless the child or the lawyer who represents them pursues a case to assimilate that parent back into their lives. Reinstatement of parental rights also includes the reintroduction of the responsibilities and rights of that parent.
Contact a Trusted Family and Divorce Lawyer in Forest City, NC
Your family is your number one priority, so why seek legal representation from a lawyer who doesn't feel the same way? Here at King Law in Forest City, North Carolina, we treat each case with the respect it deserves and ensure that you and your family feel comfortable and cared for while our team diligently works on your behalf.
We understand that no two family law cases are the same, which is why we provide one-on-one legal counsel for families all over North Carolina. We pride ourselves on working closely with our clients to determine the best course of action for their particular cases.
To learn more about the experienced legal professionals at King Law, call us at (888) 748-5464 or reach out to us online to schedule your consultation today.


Chances are, you recognize some of the folks pictured below. That's because we're your neighbors. You see us at the hardware store, the soccer games, and out on the town.
Director, Community Bankers Association of NH, Inc.


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Why aren't eggs refrigerated at Costa Rican grocery stores?
VIDEO: Retablos, the most durable picture frame you've never heard of
Higher and ampler sales tax recommended
Four presidential candidates in favor of breaking fuel monopoly
United Arab Emirates mission evaluates investment options in Costa Rica
Finance Ministry submits tax reform bills to Legislative Assembly
L. Arias August 12, 2015 August 12, 2015
A new value added tax proposed by the government in August, 2015 would tax almost every good and service. For some basic goods, such as food, taxpayers would get a refund. (Ronald Reyes/The Tico Times)
The Costa Rican government moved this week to reform the country's tax laws in an effort to attack the growing fiscal deficit, which has begun to raise alarm both here and abroad.
On Wednesday Costa Rica's Vice President and Finance Minister Helio Fallas submitted to the Legislative Assembly two draft bills to amend the country's sales tax and income tax laws.
Those bills look to increase revenue by $1.1 billion — representing just over 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product — and to reduce the government's fiscal deficit, which is estimated to reach 6 percent of national production, according to ministry figures.
"Both plans, as well as others currently under discussion at the Legislative Assembly, aim for more efficient public spending, better use of public resources and improved controls over tax evasion," Fallas said.
The Solís administration's proposal was first unveiled in March. The Finance Ministry collected public comments and suggestions on the proposals before submitting the reform bills this week.
The first proposal seeks to swap the current sales tax for a value added tax, meaning most products and services would be taxed. However, under the proposal, funds collected from the VAT on certain basic services and goods, like food, would be returned to lower-income taxpayers using an electronic system.
These taxpayers would also get a refund for taxes paid on monthly rent that's lower than ₡403,400 ($747), private education and health services, as long as they are paid using credit or debit cards.
Fallas said some 40 percent of the population would receive a yearly tax refund under the proposal.
In addition, tax exemptions would apply to electricity bills for families whose consumption is lower than 250 kilowatts per month, and to water bills when monthly consumption is lower than 30 cubic meters.
Extending the number of taxed goods and services mostly aims at improving controls on tax dodgers, Fallas said.
The VAT tax would increase annually under the proposal, from 13 percent — the same as the current sales tax — to 15 percent in two years.
Proposed changes to income taxes include two new salary brackets. Monthly income above ₡2,225,000 million ($4,120) and up to ₡4,450,000 ($8,240) would be taxed at 20 percent. All monthly income above ₡4,450,000 would be taxed at 25 percent.
The Finance Ministry estimates these new segments account for some 3 percent of the country's workers.
Currently, monthly income above ₡793,000 ($1,469) and up to ₡1,190,000 ($2,200) is taxed at 10 percent, while all income above ₡1,190,000 is taxed at 15 percent. Monthly income under ₡793,000 ($1,469) would remain tax-exempt.
New taxes, old promises
The proposal also intends to tax at 15 percent all remittances sent abroad as well as profits derived from selling properties, as well as used vehicles, boats and planes.
Corporations owning sports teams that generate profits — currently exempt — also would be taxed as well as large cooperatives Both would be taxed at 8 percent.
The draft bill also introduces control measures aimed at reducing evasion, avoidance and loopholes according to standards developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The fiscal period under the new proposed plan would run exactly as a natural year (Jan. 1-Dec. 31), replacing the current period which runs from Oct. 1-Sept. 30. Tax returns and payments should be made by mid-March and partial payments can be made in June, September and December.
President Luis Guillermo Solís stressed during his campaign the need for a fiscal reform. But he said he was against new taxes, instead favoring improved collection of existing taxes.
Still, new taxes are definitely part of the government's current proposal.
A new "green" or environmental tax would be added to non-returnable plastic bottles — ₡10 per every 250 milliliter or its equivalent. That means a one-liter bottle would carry a ₡40 tax.
Solís said at a public event Wednesday that he's aware that the reforms would affect mostly middle- and upper-class taxpayers, but he said the effects would be minimal.
Finance Minister Fallas said the tax reform is necessary to lessen the fiscal deficit that is threatening the country's historic social achievements. He also said Costa Rica was "the only country in the region that has not done any tax reform in the last five years."
Entrepreneurs reacted negatively to the government's proposal.
"This is not a good time to talk about taxes," José Manuel Hernando, president of the Costa Rican Food Industry Chamber (CACIA), said.
He mostly noted that taxing goods and services that currently are exempt would be a blow to consumers.
"The government's proposal really alarms and concerns our sector, which was been severely affected by the country's economic situation, a total stagnation that has lasted for several months," he said. Business leaders also fear the proposed reform would have a negative effect on job creation.
Rather than raise taxes, Hernando said business leaders are asking the government to reform its spending.
Ronald Jiménez, president of the Costa Rican Union of Private-Sector Chambers and Associations (UCCAEP), said there's confusion about fiscal issues among the country's leaders. He said government officials talk about taxes as the only way to fix the country's fiscal problems.
"The fiscal reform discussion should be comprehensive and it must incorporate talks about cutting public spending," he said Monday.
Hurdles to the government's plan also could come from the Legislative Assembly as opposition parties have already started to show their rejection of the proposed bills.
Juan Jiménez Succar, leader of the National Liberation Party, said the party would not approve any new taxes as long as the government didn't cut spending.
Libertarian Otto Guevara concurred, saying "it is necessary to first advance on proposals to curb the government's current squandering."
In order to enter into force, both bills must be discussed and approved by the full Legislative Assembly at two separate rounds of voting.
Government wants to hike taxes to boost income
Government tables draft bills aimed at approving fiscal reforms
Finance Ministry could lower Costa Rica income tax brackets
CACIACosta Rica tax reformEnvironmental TaxFinance MinistryIncome TaxPresident Luis Guillermo SolísSales taxtax collectionTax dodgingUCCAEP
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times | http://www.google.com/+LArias
View all posts by L. Arias
Police detain suspect in Hatillo serial killer case
Casa Presidencial presents gay common-law marriage bill


Kalamaja Residents is a residence complex comprising of two buildings amidst an exclusive setting. It will be built in the attractive and promising Kalamaja district in spring of 2016.
Only 23 apartments are available.


All retail merchants globally need to be compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Compliance has to be achieved either by self-assessment or through a security audit completed by a qualified assessor (QSA). The aim of the PCI DSS is to enhance data security protection levels and thereby reduce the number of data breaches that are occurring. Unfortunately criminals have recognised the value of credit/debit card numbers and this has resulted in huge levels of financial fraud losses from stolen card numbers.
PCI DSS compliance is not a trivial task. Retailers have found out that it has a broad scope and requires serious organisational commitment, resourcing and investment. There are various ways to reduce the amount of work that needs to be done with the easiest being to reduce the number of places where card data is stored.
One way to simplify PCI DSS compliance is to introduce point-to-point encryption (P2PE). The initial point is encrypting the card data right at the start of a payment transaction, as soon as it is read. The encryption occurs within a Secure Read Encrypting Device (SRED) module within the PIN pad. In an STS implementation the G8 software product talks to this SRED module and then provides the connectivity to the other end point, which is housed within a secure data centre where the decryption takes place. Few retailers are familiar with managing Hardware Security Modules (HSM) and security kits, and are put off by the high costs involved.
Immediately encrypting the card data has the effect of removing clear card data from the store environment or business premises. This may help reduce PCI DSS scope although some vendors have at times embellished the possible savings. P2PE aims to simplify the audit and compliance process thereby generating cost reduction and faster certification. No mandate exists to force retailers to adopt P2PE.
PIN pads must be PCI PTS SRED approved and there has to be a clear 'Chain of Custody' in place for security keys - right from time of manufacture. When taken together this often has the effect of forcing a PIN pad refresh on most retailers looking to move to P2PE. The vast majority of existing PIN pads cannot be remotely upgraded, partly due to key loading requirements, P2PE may therefore be best introduced as part of a broader payments infrastructure refresh strategy.
The two largest PIN pad manufacturers Ingenico and VeriFone have each introduced P2PE solutions; these are called Ingenico On-guard and VeriShield Total Protect. They work with their latest versions of devices and include a host decryption module and key management service. P2PE is also available from other PIN pad manufacturers including MagTek who offer this as a standard feature within their DynaPro product range.
P2PE adoption has not been an easy journey for any organisation. The PCI SSC has gradually clarified the standards and approval process but this has taken longer than anticipated. The introduction of encryption requires strong key management to be implemented; in reality this is far more complex than the encryption process. You must be able to track and control access to each device right from time of manufacturing through to installation in-store. Some major retailers have opted to only introduce certain elements of P2PE rather than a full and certified solution thinking that the total costs and tasks to be completed could not be justified.
As at the end of November 2014 there are only six companies globally that have achieved P2PE validated solution status and five with P2PE validated applications. Details of all validated products can be found at the PCI SSC website.
We recognise that point-to-point encryption is appropriate for certain retailers and as such are supporting it within our product set. However we do not think it is appropriate for all retail merchants. It should not be thought of as a 'single silver bullet', as no retailer can abdicate all of their PCI DSS responsibilities and it is unlikely that a large enterprise store network can be completely taken out of PCI audit scope.
PCI SSC validated P2PE solutions are highly restrictive in nature and have to be implemented exactly as certified in accordance with the P2PE Instruction Manual (PIM). This inflexibility may not suit all retailers. Many retailers chose to outsource their payment processing but with P2PE are now becoming burdened with unexpected responsibilities that have to be resourced in-house.
We have always looked to offer clients hardware flexibility and as such have architected our P2PE solution to be manufacturer agnostic. Our first P2PE customer implementations will be G8 in conjunction with Ingenico Onguard and are scheduled for rollout in Spring 2015, others will follow based on customer demand.
We think the most important thing for retailers to focus on is strengthening data security protection rather than trying to reduce the scope of an audit. Our approach remains to be consultative in nature and to explain the various options together with their advantages and disadvantages. We welcome the opportunity to discuss the most appropriate path for your particular situation.


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a Prospective Investor, Investor or Project Owner.
"CrowdedHero", "we", "us" or "our"
SIA "CrowdedHero Latvia", registration number: 50203309441, registered address: 58A – 8 Bauskas Street, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia.
"ECSPR"
Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 October 2020 on European crowdfunding service providers for business, and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 and Directive (EU) 2019/1937 (Text with EEA relevance), PE/37/2020/INIT, OJ L 347, 20.10.2020, p. 1–49.
a natural or legal person who acts as an investor, meets all the eligibility requirements set in CrowdedHero's Terms and Conditions, opens and holds a Payments Account, thereby agreeing with Lemonway's Terms and Conditions, and through the Platform makes investments.
"Knowledge Test"
a test intended to assess the knowledge, skills and experience of prospective Non-Sophisticated Investors by assessing:
[a] whether a Non-Sophisticated Investor has the necessary experience and knowledge required to understand the risks involved in investing in general; and
[b] whether that prospective Non-Sophisticated Investor has the necessary experience and knowledge to understand the risks involved in the types of investments offered on the Platform.
Directive 2014/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on markets in financial instruments and amending Directive 2002/92/EC and Directive 2011/61/EU Text with EEA relevance, OJ L 173, 12.6.2014, p. 349–496.
"Non-Sophisticated Investor"
an Investor who is not a Sophisticated Investor and is classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor according to this Policy.
a publicly accessible internet-based information system that is branded as 'CrowdedHero', available via the Website and operated or managed by CrowdedHero.
this Investor Classification Policy concerning the Services available on the Platform as may be amended from time to time.
a legal person who seeks funding through the Platform by way of the Offer and is directly responsible for the information to be included in the key investment information sheet.
a business activity or activities for which the Project Owner seeks funding through the Platform.
"Prospective Investor"
an Investor who is willing to express his/her/its interest to invest in a Project.
an electronic template made available on the Platform that an Investor may use to submit a request to:
[a] be classified as the Sophisticated Investor; or
[b] be classified from the Sophisticated Investor to the Non-Sophisticated Investor.
CrowdedHero's Risk Warning concerning the Services available on the Platform, as may be amended from time to time.
the matching of business funding interests of Investors and Project Owners through the use of the Platform by CrowdedHero providing the services that enable:
[a] Offers to raise funds;
[b] Investors to invest in the Offers;
[c] advertising interest in buying and selling shares/stocks of a Project Owner's company that had a successful Offer on the Platform.
a tool available on the Platform intended to assess the financial situation of the Investors classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investors and enabling such Investors to simulate their ability to bear the loss.
"Sophisticated Investor"
an Investor who is classified as the Sophisticated Investor according to this Policy.
the website branded as 'CrowdedHero' and referring to the domain https://www.crowdedhero.com/.
2.1 We, without taking on its own risk, operate and manage the Platform. At the date of the Policy, we have the crowdfunding service provider licence for the provision of the Services issued by the Financial Capital Market Committee of Latvia (for further information please see https://www.fktk.lv/en/market/crowdfunding-service-providers). The Services are provided in a professional, fair and transparent way, we apply the requirements of the ECSPR when rendering the Services and to our internal operations.
2.2 We recommend to download or print a copy of this Policy and store it for your records and future reference. If you want a copy of this Policy, please e-mail to [email protected] with the words 'Investor Classification Policy' in the subject line of your e-mail message.
3 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
3.1 This Policy explains how we classify and re-classify the Investors. CrowdedHero complies with requirements of applicable laws with respect to the Investors' status and protection of interests of the Investors during provision of the Services.
3.2 The objective of this Policy is to ensure that the Investors' classification is determined, and the Investors are informed of their protection level by us.
4 GENERAL PROVISIONS
4.1 When providing the Services, we are acting honestly, decently and professionally and provides honest, clear and correct communication, taking into account the specific situation of an Investor.
4.2 We ensure an appropriate protection level for every Investor according to its classification while providing the Services.
4.3 To ensure adequate protection of an Investor, it may be classified as:
4.3.1 the Non-Sophisticated Investor; or
4.3.2 the Sophisticated Investor.
4.4 The classification of the Investors is executed during the Investor registration process on the Platform. As part of the registration process, an Investor may choose the classification category that according to the Investor's own opinion is the most suitable for it. If the Investor desires to be classified as the Sophisticated Investor, the Investor shall submit the Request that is made available to it during the registration process on the Platform to us.
4.5 An Investor who during the registration process requests to be categorized as:
4.5.1 the Non-Sophisticated Investor will be requested to take the Knowledge Test and use Simulation prior to the provision of the Services by us;
4.5.2 the Sophisticated Investor may be requested by us to provide a proof that it complies with the criteria of the Sophisticated Investor set forth on Section 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4 hereof.
4.6 The classification of all Investors is finalized by us prior to the provision of the Services. However, if we are not able to undertake a classification assessment due to reasons beyond our control, the default classification of the Non-Sophisticated Investor will be given to an Investor.
5 INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS
5.1 In relation to an Investor's status, we will inform the Investor through the Platform prior to any provision of the Services that, on the basis of the information available to us, the Investor is classified as:
5.1.1 the Non-Sophisticated Investor, and will be treated as such unless we apply the Sophisticated Investor status to the Investor according to this Policy;
5.1.2 the Sophisticated Investor, and will be treated as such unless we apply the Non-Sophisticated Investor status to the Investor according to this Policy.
5.2 If an Investor requests to change its classification category, we will inform the Investor through the Platform:
5.2.1 prior to the change of the Investor's status from the Non-Sophisticated Investor to the Sophisticated Investor, on the investor protection rights it is likely to lose while in the status of the Sophisticated Investor;
5.2.2 prior to the change of the Investor's status from the Sophisticated Investor to the Non-Sophisticated Investor, on the investor protection rights, it gains with the changing the status to the Non-Sophisticated Investor.
6 NON-SOPHISTICATED INVESTOR'S STATUS
6.1 As a general rule, all Investors who do not comply with the criteria of the Sophisticated Investor set forth on Section 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4 hereof, will be classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investors by us.
6.2 We apply the priority protection level to the Investors classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investors. Such Investors are afforded with the greatest possible protection regarding their investment possibilities via the Platform and will be notified about the risks that may occur when investing in the Projects. Please see our Risk Warning for more information about the potential risks associated with participating in the Offers and investing in the Projects published on the Platform and using our Services.
6.3 Certain Services may not be suitable for the Investors classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investors and therefore, it may not be possible for us to carry out all possible transactions with such Investors.
7 SOPHISTICATED INVESTOR STATUS
7.1 The basic protection level is applied to the Investors classified as the Sophisticated Investors. We are entitled to assume that an Investor classified as the Sophisticated Investor has the awareness of the risks associated with investing in capital markets and adequate resources to undertake those risks without exposing itself to excessive financial consequences. We do not assess the suitability and appropriateness of the Projects to the interests of the Investors classified as the Sophisticated Investors. We are entitled to assume that an Investor classified as the Sophisticated Investor is able to independently obtain the information required to make the investment decisions in the Projects and when receiving the Services.
7.2 We will apply the Sophisticated Investor status to an Investor without receipt of the consent of the respective Investor if it possesses the experience, knowledge and expertise to make its own investment decisions and properly assess the risks that it incurs while receiving the Services from us, and is categorized as a 'professional client' by virtue of point [1], [2], [3] or [4] of Section I of Annex II to the MiFID II, however provided that there is reasonable proof of its status of 'professional client' to us.
7.3 An Investor which is a legal person may be classified as the Sophisticated Investor based on its Request if it meets at least one of the following criteria:
7.3.1 it owns funds of at least EUR 100 000;
7.3.2 its net turnover is at least EUR 2 000 000; or
7.3.3 its balance sheet is at least EUR 1 000 000.
7.4 An Investor who is a natural person (individual) may be classified as the Sophisticated Investor based on his/her Request if he/she meets at least two of the following criteria:
7.4.1 his/her [a] personal gross income is at least EUR 60 000 per fiscal year, or [b] financial instrument portfolio, defined as including cash deposits and financial assets, exceeds EUR 100 000;
7.4.2 he/she [a] works or has worked in the financial sector for at least a year in a professional position which requires knowledge of the transactions or services envisaged (for example, see below), or [b] has held an executive position for at least 12 months in a legal person that meets criteria set forth on Section 7.3 hereof;
financial market analyst
financial instrument market analysis, investment research development
front-office employee
conducting transactions with financial instruments on behalf of the institution and clients, investment advice to clients
portfolio or investment fund manager, investment strategist
development and implementation of investment strategy by managing the financial instrument portfolio of the institution, client, investment fund, including, decision-making on transactions with financial instruments, execution of transactions with financial instruments
investment services supervision expert, operational compliance specialist
supervision of the investment services sector, performance of inspections, internal audit
the duties to be performed, in essence, corresponds to the duties to be performed in the above positions
7.4.3 he/she has carried out transactions of a significant size on the capital markets at an average frequency of 10 per quarter, over the previous four quarters (for example, see below).
shares and investment funds
EUR 50 000 for one transaction
government and corporate bonds
EUR 200 000 for one transaction
derivative contracts (financial instruments)
the value of the agreement is at least EUR 1 000 000 per a transaction
7.5 The Investors classified as the Sophisticated Investors:
7.5.1 shall provide us timely with the information on changes that occurred in their operational activities that may affect the compliance of such persons with the requirements set out for the Sophisticated Investor status under Section 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4 hereof;
7.5.2 are obliged to submit, upon our first request, the documentation that substantiates the correctness of information provided to us.
7.6 We shall apply the maximum limit EUR 100 000 for one transaction though the Platform to the Sophisticated Investor by default.
8 REGISTRATION OF THE NON-SOPHISTICATED AS THE SOPHISTICATED INVESTOR
8.1 After an Investor's classification that is executed during the registration process and at any time during the provision of the Services, the Investor classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor may request to change its status and to be classified as the Sophisticated Investor by submitting the Request to us. You may submit the Request via the Platform by selecting on your Account the section 'Profile' and then 'Change status', filling in the required data in the Request and submitting it to us in compliance with procedures established on the Platform, or by sending the Request to us via e-mail, if so requested by you to us.
8.2 To obtain the Sophisticated Investor status, an Investor shall comply with the identification criteria specified in Section 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4 hereof (as applicable).
8.3 Upon receipt of the Request from an Investor to be classified as the Sophisticated Investor, we will:
8.3.1 assess whether the Investor meets the identification criteria specified in Section 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4 hereof (as applicable);
8.3.2 assess the Investor's knowledge, skills and experience and the obtained confirmation from the Investor that, taking into account the specifics of the Services, the Investor is able to make an investment decision independently and is aware of the risks involved. For us to be able to do so we may request addition information and documents from the Investor;
8.3.3 approve the Investor's request, unless there are reasonable doubts that the information provided in the Request is not correct, complete and up-to-date;
8.3.4 explicitly notify the Investor in writing via e-mail and/or on the Platform whether and when the change of status is approved or denied.
8.4 We are entitled to deny an Investor's request to be classified as the Sophisticated Investor without providing the reasons for the denial.
8.5 The Sophisticated Investor status granted by us according to Section 8.3.4 hereof shall have a validity of two (2) years.
8.6 The Investors that wish to maintain their Sophisticated Investor status after the expiry of the two (2) year period of validity mentioned in Section 8.5 hereof shall submit a repeated Request to us to be classified as the Sophisticated Investor. If the repeated Request has been submitted to us pursuant to terms of this Section, we will follow the steps set forth on Section 8.3 hereof.
8.7 If an Investor fails to submit a repeated Request to be classified by us as the Sophisticated Investor after the expiry of the two (2) year period of validity mentioned in Section 8.5, the default classification of the Non-Sophisticated Investor will be given to the Investor by informing the Investor about it via e-mail and/or on the Platform. In such event, the Investor will be required to take the Knowledge Test and use the Simulation.
8.8 If we from any reliable information resource receive information that an Investor no longer complies with the requirements of the Sophisticated Investor, we are entitled to revoke our decision about its status and apply the Non-Sophisticated Investor status to the Investor by informing the Investor about it via e-mail and/or on the Platform.
9 REGISTRATION OF THE SOPHISTICATED INVESTOR AS THE NON-SOPHISTICATED INVESTOR
9.1 After an Investor's classification that is executed during the registration process and at any time during the provision of the Services, the Investor classified as the Sophisticated Investor may request to change its status and to be classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor by submitting the Request to us. You may submit the Request via the Platform by selecting on your Account the section 'Profile' and then 'Change status', filling in the required data in the Request and submitting it to us in compliance with procedures established on the Platform, or by sending the Request to us via e-mail, if so requested by you to us.
9.2 Upon receipt of the Request from an Investor to be classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor, we will:
9.2.1 require the Investor to take the Knowledge Test;
9.2.2 require the Investor to use the Simulation;
9.2.3 approve the request, unless there are reasonable doubts that the information provided in the request is not correct;
10 KNOWLEDGE TEST AND SIMULATION TOOL
10.1 Prior to giving full access to the Platform and provision of the Services to the Investors classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investors, we require such Investors to take the Knowledge Test and use the Simulation.
10.2 Each Investor classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor is required to:
10.2.1 take the Knowledge Test every two years after the initial assessment of the Investor's knowledge was made; and
10.2.2 use the Simulation every year after the initial simulation was made.
10.3 If [a] an Investor classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor does not provide the information required under the Knowledge Test or [b] we consider, on the basis of the Knowledge Test, that the Investor classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor has insufficient knowledge, skills or experience, the Investor will be informed that the Services offered on the Platform may be inappropriate for it by issuing a respective risk warning on the Platform.
10.4 After an Investor classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor has used the Simulation, an acknowledgement from the Investor will be requested confirming to us that it has received the results of the Simulation.
10.5 We will not prevent the Prospective Investors classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investors and Investors classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investors from investing in the Projects that are available on the Platform if they have not taken the Knowledge Test, however, if Prospective Non-Sophisticated Investors or Non-Sophisticated Investors have not taken the Knowledge Test and have not submitted the Simulation results, we may not provide full access to the Platform.
11 INVESTMENT LIMITS FOR INVESTORS CLASSIFIED AS THE NON-SOPHISTICATED INVESTORS
11.1 We ensure the general limit for the Non-Sophisticated Investors in an amount that exceeds the higher of either EUR 1 000 or 5 % of that Investor's net worth as calculated according to the Simulation (if the Prospective Investor or Investor has agreed to submit these data to us through the Platform).
11.2 Based on the results of the Knowledge Test (the result of the Knowledge Test shall be at least 50% or above correct answers) and/or the results of the Simulation, upon condition that the Prospective Investor or Investor has submitted these data to us through the Platform, we are entitled to grant to the Prospective Investor or Investor the limit higher that general limit stipulated in the Article 11.1 thereof. The maximal limit for the Non-Sophisticated Investor shall be no higher than EUR 100 000,00 per one transaction.
11.3 We ensure that each time before a Prospective Investor classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor or Investor classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor accepts an individual offer thereby investing an amount in the Project that exceeds the higher of either EUR 1 000 or 5 % of that Investor's net worth as calculated according to the Simulation (if the Prospective Investor or Investor has agreed to submit these data to us through the Platform), the Prospective Investor or Investor will be:
11.3.1 receiving a risk warning informing that the investing in a Project involves the risk of losing the entirety of the money invested;
11.3.2 requested to acknowledge that it has received the said risk warning by providing an explicit consent to us;
11.3.3 required to prove to us that it understands the investment and its risks. This may be done by confirming that the information provided in the Knowledge Test taken by the Prospective Investor or the Investor is valid, correct, complete and up to date.
12 RECORD KEEPING
12.1 We maintain a record in relation to each Investor, including:
12.1.1 the classification category determined for the Investor, including information to support the categorizing;
12.1.2 evidence of informing the Investor of its classification category.
12.2 In addition to Section 12.1, hereof, we maintain a record in relation to each Investor classified as the Non-Sophisticated Investor, including, of:
12.2.1 the Knowledge Test made by the Investor, including the results of and the date of the Knowledge Test;
12.2.2 the Simulation as used by the Investor, including the results and the date of the Simulation, if the Prospective Investor or Investor has agreed to submit these data to us through the Platform.
13 REVISION AND MONITORING OF THIS POLICY
13.1 We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify, amend, supplement or replace this Policy at any time. We will review and revise this Policy when there are any material circumstances arisen that may affect our ability to apply this Policy pursuant to the provisions of statutory and law requirements. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.
13.2 We will inform our Clients on all material amendments to this Policy by publishing the updated version of this Policy on our Platform.
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FAQ for investors
Angels League
CROWDEDHERO
SIA "CrowdedHero Latvia"
VAT: LV50203309441
Address: 58A – 8 Bauskas Street, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
infoREMOVE@crowdedhero.com
Partner of Lemonway, a payment institution approved by the ACPR in France on 24 December 2012 under the number 16568
CrowdedHero Latvia SIA (registration No. 50203309441, legal address: Bauskas street 58A – 503, LV-1004, Latvia) is licensed crowdfunding service provider (License number 06.15.01.806/120, issued 16.08.2022), and is supervised by the Bank of Latvia (Latvijas Banka, www.bank.lv, address: K.Valdemara 2A, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia).
Services provided by CrowdedHero are not covered by the deposit guarantee schemes established in accordance with Directive 2014/49/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council*. Nor is your investment covered by the investor compensation schemes established in accordance with Directive 97/9/EC of the European Parliament and the Council**.
* Directive 2014/49/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on deposit guarantee schemes (OJ L 173, 12.6.2014, p. 149).
** Directive 97/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 March 1997 on investor compensation schemes (OJ L 84, 26.3.1997, p. 22).
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