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Marketing Plan for Electric Vehicle Manufacturer and Designer, Tesla Motors Inc.
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This is a strategic marketing plan for electric vehicle manufacturer and designer, Tesla Motors Inc. This marketing plan has been developed with the aim of informing company's stakeholders about company's current conditions and direction. In addition, it aims to help a company achieve its vision which is to "create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world's transition towards electric cars". Therefore, this marketing plan is meant to facilitate an increase in the number of electronic cars on the roads by helping manufacture cars that are affordable and available to the customers. Given that Tesla plans to attract new customers and increase the distribution of its electronic cars in the course of the next several years, this marketing plan has been developed to serve the company for a period of five years.
Given marketing plan consists of six main sections. The first section is environmental analysis, which aims to identify the internal and external factors affecting the electronic vehicle manufacturer's performance in the market. This analysis will focus on both internal and external environments in the context of micro and macro levels respectively. SWOT analysis, the second section of the marketing plan, will highlight either favorable or unfavorable internal and external factors that influence the achievement of company's marketing objectives. The next two sections will cover company's marketing objectives and strategies, which Tesla is pursuing and planning to utilize to stay ahead of its competitors. Two final sections of the report overview marketing implementation, evaluation and control. Marketing implementation explains how the company will adapt this plan to its marketing activities while evaluation and control refer to checking whether the plan has been a success or a failure.
1. Environmental Analysis
Through the process of environmental analysis, Tesla will gather information concerning the events and relationships in its environment. This will help a company plan its future marketing strategies.
1.1 Macro Environmental Analysis- PESTEL
Macro-environment represents events and conditions over which a company has no control. Therefore, this section seeks to identify and discuss external factors affecting the automotive industry with the goal of providing a bigger picture of the Tesla Motor Inc. external environment.
At the macro level, automotive industry is affected by a number of political factors. Among the most visible factors affecting Tesla Motors Inc. are foreign trade restrictions, government stability and taxation. With operations in more than 17 countries, it is company's imperative to take into account all political factors that are typical in those regions. In countries like the US, Tesla has been able to secure government support through lobbying activities. Therefore, US government has established supportive policies for the investors in the motor industry, subsidized research and development of the alternative car technology, which is Tesla's main area of business operations. On the other hand, in many countries governments impose limitations on energy, a factor that disrupts automotive companies' sales growth.
There is a number of economic features of the motor industry, which inhibit Tesla's growth. Some of these features include rates of disposable income and business cycles. Such feature as a decrease in global fuel prices challenges the need for electronic cars. The motor industry is composed of companies with high selling prices, which are not tailored to all of their customers. Nevertheless, the motor industry is experiencing a slow but steady economic growth. This positive change indicates an increase in consumer's purchasing power.
There are various social trends affecting the motor industry. Therefore, it is important for the company to keep up with these trends in order to survive. One such trend involves consumer's car preference in Western countries. In these countries, the type of a car one owns portrays their social status. Another significant social trend is the aging population. As people grow older, their vehicle preferences switch to premium vehicles that enhance comfort. Further, customer tastes and preferences for vehicles change very fast. This calls for vehicle manufactures' need to keep up with these changes. There is also a declining interest in the fuel-powered cars. People are switch to more eco-friendly products. Therefore, Tesla can benefit from this by providing alternative electronic cars, which meet people's shifting preferences. All these social trends affect the demand for certain types of vehicles in the automotive industry.
The rate of technological discoveries and speed of its transition are vital features of the motor industry. Currently, there is a very high evolution of technologies, which aim at meeting customer's needs. For instance, recent technological innovations have led to the introduction and consequent demand for automated vehicles with GPS capabilities, keyless entry, heat resistant glass and video systems. Further, automotive industry currently relies on the B2B platforms for idea sharing and distribution of components. The high cost of research and development is however proving to be a problem for this industry's innovation.
There are significant environmental issues affecting the functioning of the motor industry. These include the issues of waste disposal and utilization of energy. In addition, there is a rise in the interest for sustainable development that refers to green consumption. Due to the increase in energy sensitivity globally, vehicle manufacturers are facing higher pressure to produce eco-friendly products. All this has caused companies to focus more on the 3P's of responsibility: profit, people and planet.
From a legal perspective, the motor industry has been forced to comply with numerous laws and restrictions regulating it. These regulations include laws on competition, products, customer welfare and security of the well-being of employees such as the health and safety laws. This has placed companies in danger of facing legal charges in a form of suits for violation of the laws and restrictions regulating the industry. For instance, there has been an increase in risk of law suits as a result of violation of patent trolls. Further, such organizations as unions present powerful legal constraints for the players in the motor industry.
In summary, the future growth of Tesla as well as the entire motor industry and adaptation of the electronic vehicles largely depend on a number of external factors. Certainly, economic growth is the most significant external factor due to its influence on consumer's purchasing power. Further, oil prices are expected to increase in the long run because of economic growth. This might drive the adoption of electronic vehicles bringing positive results for Tesla. Moreover, battery prices, which are the key drivers for adoption of electric vehicles, currently represent the main constraint for Tesla.
1.2 Micro Environment Analysis – Porter's 5 Forces Model
The application of Porter's five forces model to analyze Tesla's microenvironment serves as a starting point for the strategic analysis of the motor industry. This features a discovery of innovations that can facilitate improvements in company's performance and profitability. Therefore, Tesla's microenvironment analysis is presented below.
Threat of New Entrants
The ease of entry into an industry highly depends on retaliatory power of existing firms and issues regarding the economies of scale. Given that Tesla entered the motor industry in 2003, the company has faced a challenge of being a new entrant in the market for a while. Further, it has taken time for the company to become profitable. Currently, the barrier to entry in the electric car market is relatively high due to a high demand for environmentally friendly vehicles across the globe. This is because Tesla has already achieved economies of scale with its highly innovative products. Further, the market has become leveled to some extent because replicating technology has become easy, which poses a threat for Tesla.
The bargaining power of buyers in the motor industry depends on the formation of permanent relationships between the seller and the buyer. For instance, Tesla depends on its relationship with Toyota and Lotus as well as the sales they make to individual customers. Such issues as switching costs remain significant in this industry. Consequently, the bargaining power of customers remains at a moderate level because of the lasting relationship that exists between sellers and buyers. Further, due to company's offering of differentiated products combined with prestige and eco-consciousness, buyers' bargaining power is low. This, in turn, has led to the company securing high-income customers. In addition, buyer's power is limited due to the lack of strong competition since company's products are unique and a few companies have successfully ventured into a manufacture of similar products.
Threat of Substitution
Customer sensitivity to pricing and existence of similar products in the market increases the threat of substitutes, especially in the motor industry. The main reason for this is a high rate of imitation of models and vehicle components that is common after the initial release of a product into the market. In many instances, components with almost similar prices increase the possibility of substitution. However, for Tesla Motors the threat of substitutes is low because other electronic vehicles are hybrids, which still require some amount of fossil fuel to function. Further, some of these substitutes require new forms of infrastructure, whereas Tesla vehicles are functioning well with the current grid.
Bargaining power of suppliers usually depends on factors such as their number and ability of a firm to produce components needed for their manufacturing processes instead of buying. In the motor industry, suppliers have moderate bargaining power. As well as in the case of buyers, they gain from the lasting relationships established with their clients. Therefore, for a company like Tesla having over 200 suppliers it is difficult to set up permanent relationships with each of its suppliers. This has led to a moderation of bargaining power whereby both parties have developed the capability to maintain reasonable levels of demand during transactions. Tesla has also moderated suppliers' bargaining power by manufacturing some of the components individually. For example, the company has replaced Lotus Chassis with self-manufactured ones. Suppliers' bargaining power is rather low because of the abundance of suppliers and low switching costs in the industry.
Intensity of Industrial Rivalry
Rivalry within an industry depends on the differentiation of products and the rate of growth. In the motor industry, companies differentiate products with the help of elaborate designs and production of hybrid vehicles. In the current automotive market, rivalry among competitors is high due to Tesla's continuous growth since its inception in 2003. Company's growth has posed a threat to existing vehicle makers like Nissan and BMW. Current trends in the industry indicate intensive rivalry in the future, which will lead to the market demand for higher levels of innovation and improved vehicle designs.
In summary, the five forces analysis has determined the degree to which certain factors affect the motor industry's profitability. The findings show that capital intensity limits the threat of new entrants. Buyers and suppliers have limited bargaining power since they highly depend on the industry. Intense competition among companies in the industry is the most significant challenge of the market profitability.
2. SWOT Analysis
Strategic review of the SWOT analysis of the Tesla Motors Inc. will provide an in depth understanding of the factors influencing company's business operations. SWOT analysis will aim to show a clear and unbiased perspective of company's key strengths and weaknesses as well as its opportunities and threats. The strengths and weaknesses represent internal elements affecting the company, while opportunities and threats are external elements. In addition, gaining an insight about these four factors about the company will make it easier to grasp the complex competitive landscape the company faces. Therefore, the SWOT analysis of the electric car designer and developer is presented below.
First, the company has an admirable skill of business execution. Although the company has been accused of breaking some of its promises regarding unveiling of some of its vehicles, it has managed to succeed in the end. The second strength of Tesla Inc. is its utilization of vertically integrated value chain to enhance its cost and quality control. This has enabled the company to maintain a balance and control of its revenues and expenditures ensuring that it remains profitable. Tesla has also cultivated a good brand perception among its clientele and potential customers increasing company's strengths. This has differentiated the company as a reputable electric vehicle manufacture. The fact that the company specializes in the manufacture of luxury vehicles has also contributed to its reputation. The fourth strength of Tesla is its ability to produce its vehicles in house. This on-site manufacturing capability includes all the necessary sub-assemblies as well as company-owned stores. This particular strength has significantly helped the company save its costs. Another strength of the company is its position in the market as result of the first mover advantage. By being the first company to successfully venture into the electric vehicle manufacturing, Tesla established itself as a market leader within this business niche. The company retains this position to date with its ground breaking electric vehicles inventions. Other significant strengths of the company include efficient production practices, low marketing expenses, talented staff and strong technological expertise. All this strengths have helped the company gain competitive advantage over its rivals and become a market leader among not only electric vehicles, but also luxurious vehicles.
Despite the above-mentioned strengths, the company has some weaknesses that hinder its success. One such weakness is its business niche in the motor industry. In particular, many people remain skeptical and suspicious about the electric vehicles. Moreover, the fact that the longevity of electric cars remains to be proven has increased the skepticism and suspicion among consumers. The second weakness refers to its manufacturing process. The fact that the company fully develops its vehicles including its sub-assemblies in house has resulted in increased costs of production. This has occurred because this method of production does not allow the achievement of economies of scale. The third weakness entails that the infrastructure of support for the electric vehicles has not been developed yet. Though the company is doing all it can including the construction of superchargers in forms of the gas stations for electric vehicles, it is not enough if these vehicles are expected to eventually become the vehicles of the future. The fourth weakness of this company is the lack of brand recognition among the general public. This may be attributed to the fact that company's vehicles are pricy and are mainly bought by wealthy people of the society such as celebrities and rich business owners. Moreover, the fact that the company has delayed the development of a vehicle that can be afforded by the average customer has also made it difficult for the general public to reach. Tesla has very low economies of scale, which has been worsened by the size of the company and its small volumes of sales. Other company's weaknesses include potential problems with the supply of components, high costs of rapid expansion and limited operating history given that the company is just over a decade old. All these weaknesses may hinder the future survival of the company, especially if they are not addressed in timely manner.
There are a number of opportunities existing in Tesla's external environment that the company can explore to improve its product. One such opportunity is the growing support from the governments for environmentally friendly vehicles around the world. This has been pushed by an increasing climate change that is threatening the future well-being of the world. One way of these governments showing their support is the exemption of the company from its tax duties. The second opportunity available to Tesla is the depletion of oil reserves, which increases the price of fuel because of the limited supply. The result of this might be people' transition to electric vehicles as alternatives. Another significant opportunity is people's inclination toward the protection of the eco-system. Similar to governmental concern highlighted in the first point, the general public is also becoming more aware about the ecosystem. For this reason, the manufacture of vehicles that limit the use of fossil fuels and produce fewer pollutants is an idea that has been considered by many. Therefore, Tesla can capitalize on this new trend and manufacture more electric cars. Other opportunities include economic growth in key markets for the electric vehicles, current low interest rate, increased interest toward electric cars and improvement in quality control processes.
The biggest threat of Tesla is competition from the older industry players. Various auto manufacturers work hard to release their own versions of the electric vehicles. In addition, many of these auto producers have enough resources to duplicate the Tesla technology. These resources include sufficient finances, pre-existing production lines and enough talent. Moreover, company's actions to grant patent rights for the manufacture of some of its components has placed it in danger of its technology being replicated by competing companies. The second threat of Tesla is high costs of production of the electric cars, which has been very difficult for the company especially during the recession experienced in 2008. Such economic difficulties limit the demand for company's electric cars. Another relevant threat for Tesla is young people's loss of interest in cars despite the fact that company's vehicles are very technologically advanced and highly innovative. Other threats include company's pricing strategy that is not very common in the auto industry, its determination to individually produce, distribute and sell, which has proven to be difficult to achieve and the length of time that combustion engines may take to obsolete.
3. Marketing Objectives
Tesla Motors Inc. has developed a number of marketing objectives that are meant to help the company manage its marketing activities and determine its success in the market. These marketing objectives have been structured in a way consistent with the overall aims and objectives of the business. Some of company's marketing objectives are described below.
Tesla's first marketing objective is to increase its product awareness among the public. It has come to the attention of the management team that the public has very limited knowledge about its electric vehicles and their capabilities. Some people are completely unaware of their existence. The company has identified this as a weakness and a factor that will inhibit its growth.
The second marketing objective for Tesla Motors is to reduce consumer resistance to its product. The portion of the public aware of the company's electric vehicles is skeptical about the possibility of such vehicles. Many of them have developed a suspicious attitude toward them and doubt if they can function as well as the combustion engine vehicles. Consequently, they have become resistant to the adaptation of this type of vehicles and technology in automotive industry. Thus, the company has set a priority on this marketing objective in order to secure its success.
In addition, the company has established a marketing objective of achieving a larger market share. It has set to achieve a 40% increase of the market share within the next five years. This entails making a lot changes in all aspects of its business operations. This will also be a viable goal to achieve once the company has managed to realize its first two goals. In particular, increasing market share will only be possible once the company has spread awareness about its vehicles and has overcome public resistance.
The final marketing objective for Tesla is to increase its sales and profits. The company is aimed to sell more of its vehicles and thus, increase its profit. It has therefore adapted a number of useful techniques and strategies that will assist in this course of action. In the first place, the company has decided to improve its vehicles to ensure that they meet the needs of the customers as best as they can. The charge power for the batteries has been improved to last longer. The company has also strived to enhance the infrastructure supporting electric vehicles by building more charge stations.
4. Marketing Strategies
Tesla's marketing strategies are highly innovative. The company has developed marketing strategies that are beyond the typical marketing strategies utilized in the motor industry. This has proven to be a smart and appropriate move given the unique nature of the product: electric automobile. Some of the most significant marketing strategies adopted by the company can be understood from the perspective of a marketing mix as explained below.
Tesla has strived to manufacture vehicles that differentiate the company from its competitors. For this reason, its product strategy entails developing electric cars with a sense of luxury. This is completely different from the hybrid cars producers competing with the company. This has worked well for the company as it has produced a product that completely meets the needs of its customers. This vehicle appeals to people's eco-friendly attitude and still satisfies their desire for a luxury car.
Distribution Strategy
Tesla uses a distribution strategy that can best be described as selective. This distribution strategy is used because the company lacks a conventional distribution technique prefering to market its products in the showrooms of the malls or shopping streets. Further, customers do not buy a Tesla vehicle on site in a show room. When a customer wishes to purchase a car, reservations for the purchase must be made in advance. The company sells its products itself without involving an intermediary.
Promotional Strategy
Tesla's has established own show rooms to present their vehicles. This marketing strategy has been executed in a highly unusual manner since these show rooms are situated in unique locations. Normally, many vehicle manufacturers place their dealerships along the main roads, which is not the case with Tesla. The electric car developer has placed its show rooms in the shopping malls. This radical change of the promotional approach has reinvented car-marketing techniques. This location has enabled company's vehicles to be seen by thousands of people on a daily basis. In addition, the company does not advertise its products. There is no person who can claim to have seen, read or heard an ad of a Tesla car in any form of media. This is because the company has developed a strict policy for not advertising itself. For this reason, the company has no advertising agency and its marketing team is very small. This has influenced company's unique branding, which results in free advertising that is very effective in its delivery.
The company has developed an up market niche. Right from the start, the company has developed vehicles targeting high end customers. Their vehicles are very expensive as they are mainly luxury vehicles competing side by side with brands such as Porsche and Ferrari. This has positioned the company's vehicles as market leaders. The basic Model S is priced at $ 71,070 USD. In some states, the incentives for the company's cars range from $9000 to $500USD. This pricing strategy has proven to be beneficial as it has hit the company's target market of younger, wealthier individuals.
5. Marketing Implementation
Following the development of the marketing plan for Tesla, it is company's imperative to develop an efficient marketing implementation procedure. For this marketing plan, the marketing implementation procedure can be organized as follows.
First, the company should evaluate and prioritize the objectives of the marketing plan and set in place a realistic time frame for its implementation. Evaluating the marketing plan is essential as it will help the company find a clear method of prioritizing the objectives of the plan. When these objectives have been prioritized a clear time frame can then be established. This time frame should clearly state how long the implementation should last and when everything must be done. The second step in the implementation of the marketing plan is communicating it to the concerned stakeholders. This will be essential in securing their support for the realization of the plan. The third step is aligning the budget of the implementation process with the overall goals of an organization. Once it is implemented, the company should establish a system for tracking and monitoring the plan.
During the process of implementing the plan, it is significant for the company to remember some concepts. One such concept is facts. This addresses the aspect of who, where, when, and how necessary to reaching the goals and objectives of the company in its motor business. Another relevant concept to remember is the implementation phase of the marketing plan usually translates into important policies and procedures for other important areas of the organization like procurement, research and development, and production.
6. Evaluation and Control
Following the implementation of the marketing plan, it is crucial for the company to ensure it is still contributing to the overall marketing objectives set through the process of evaluation and control. This can be achieved in the following ways.
Firstly, the company should analyze its sales. If the results of the analysis show that sales increase, then the company is doing well. On the other hand, if they decrease, then the marketing plan is failing and there is a need for a change. The second thing necessary to do is ask for customers' feedback. This is imperative to provide the company with an opportunity to receive insights from customers' perspectives. The third thing needed to do is the assessment of the company's ROI. This will involve checking if the money put in the marketing plan has resulted in profit. If Tesla has generated profit, it is an indicator that company's marketing plan has been a success. If this is not the case, it implies that the plan has failed and there is need to make a change. Finally, the company should asses the response of its competitors in order to see whether the marketing plan has been a success or a failure. In this case, if competitors are struggling to copy company's marketing strategies, it indicates that the plan has been a success.
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Finance, Economics, Markets and Technology - Finance, Economics, Markets and Technology
Monetary System
Earnings results at Swedish banks show large writedowns in Baltics
EconomyMonetary System
By Edward Harrison	 On Jul 21, 2009
Earnings season is upon us and the Swedish banks have begun reporting earnings. Their results have seen huge writedowns that demonstrate large and continued exposure to souring loans in the Baltics.
Handelsbanken and Nordea reported today. Despite the writedowns, you do get the sense that things are going better than expected as the banks beat expectations. Nordea even raised its guidance. But SEB and Swedbank, major lenders to the Baltics, are still on the ropes as previous earnings from those banks attest.
The Danish daily Berlingske Tidene calls the first six months of 2009 "one of the best in Nordea's history." It notes that "despite the crisis atmosphere net income was almost a record, and management will need to revise full-year guidance upwards." Net income was 616 million Euros against expectations of only 421 million. That's pretty spectacular.
But what about loans to the Baltics? Berlingske Tidene reports.
Impaired loans in the Baltic region as a whole – including both non-performing and performing – have run up to 418 million Euros, equivalent to 550 basis points of total loans and receivables.
The total writedowns for the Baltic countries was 202 million Euros…
Long story short, Nordea faces the same problems with loans in the Baltics that JPMorgan faces with credit cards and residential property in the U.S. i.e. rising losses. In both cases, these losses have been offset by large profits due to a favorable interest rate environment. Whether this continues is the question.
It was the same story at Handelsbanken, with the company beating expectations. The bank reported an operating profit of 3.445 billion krona, which was slightly more than last year and well above the 2.924 billion krona consensus. The Swedish krona is trading at 7.69 to the dollar, so we're talking about $450 million in profit.
Loan losses were up to 939 million krona from 571 million last year. There was no initial report of exposure to the Baltics as Handelsbanken was not one of the biggest lenders amongst the Swedish banks. All in all, this was a good report.
SEB reported yesterday and they showed a large loss of 193 million krona, compared to the 2.8 billion profit of 2008. This huge swing is due to large credit losses, he majority of it in the Baltics. SEB had 3.6 billion krona in credit losses, 74% of which came from the Baltics. This forced them to write down 2.4 billion in loans in the Baltics and Russia.
The contrast is striking and its all due to the reckless lending in the Baltics. Expect more of the same going forward.
Swedbank is the other big lender in the Baltics with SEB. SO they had dismal earnings as well in a report from last Thursday. The FT reports:
Swedbank, the largest lender in the Baltics, posted net losses of SKr2.01bn ($257m), compared with net profits of SKr3.6bn a year earlier.
It was the bank's second consecutive quarterly loss and much worse than the SKr1.27bn deficit forecast by analysts.
Loan losses soared from SKr423m a year ago to SKr6.67bn, with about two-thirds of the amount in the Baltics and a third in Ukraine.
In response, the bank said it planned to reduce staff by 3,600, about 16 per cent of its workforce, by this time next year, with most of the cutbacks in the Baltic states.
Shares were up on the announcement, but I expect more of the same going forward. Whether Swedbank needs more capital remains to be seen.
Now, Just two weeks ago I mentioned a plan by Swedbank and SEB to write down personal loans in Latvia, the hardest hit country in the Baltics, by 10% in exchange for a Latvian government guarantee against further losses (see Transferring Swedish bank risk onto Latvian taxpayers). It is unclear whether these writedowns were taken or even if this proposal has got a green light, especially given the problems Latvia is now having getting more money from the IMF. But, clearly, this would mitigate any losses at Swedbank and SEB.
The difference in profitability between the four banks does show that the banking system in Sweden is doing just fine outside of the problems with Baltic exposure. I take that as an encouraging economic sign in Sweden that may be indicative of other countries in Northern Europe as well.
Nordea overrasker positivt – Berlingske Tidene
Nordeas vinst klart över förväntan – Dagens Nyheter
Handelsbanken överträffar prognoser – Dagens Nyheter
Baltic exposure hits Swedish bank – BBC News
accountingBalticsbanksEuropeSweden
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Edward Harrison 7528 posts 575 comments
Edward Harrison is the founder of Credit Writedowns and a former career diplomat, investment banker and technology executive with over twenty five years of business experience. He has also been a regular economic and financial commentator in print and on television for the past decade. He speaks six languages and reads another five, skills he uses to provide a more global perspective. Edward holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University and a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College.
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kynikos says 10 years ago
I am also assuming that Swedish banks do not have exposure to loans in real estate in places such as Spain and Ireland right? I think there are going to more writedowns in the future though.
aitrader says 10 years ago
My opinion is that the Baltic writeoffs have barley begun. The Swedish government has set aside 16 billion SEK to aid the banks. They are also expecting the banks to cover a further 16 billion SEK on their own.
My best guess as to the total losses in the Baltics is somewhere north of 50 billion SEK, possible as high as 100 billion.
One additional note of stress for SEB and Swedbank is that the Swedish real estate market seems saturated and, apart from a recent jump due to lowered interest rates, has been sinking for about 18 months. I expect the downward trend to resume by the end of summer 2009 and add local loan default pressure on top of the Batlic defaults.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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package com.github.pockethub.android.core;

import com.meisolsson.githubsdk.model.Page;

import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.NoSuchElementException;

import rx.Observable;

public class PageIterator<V> implements Iterator<List>, Iterable<List> {

    protected GitHubRequest<Page<V>> request;
    protected Integer nextPage;
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    public PageIterator(GitHubRequest<Page<V>> request, int nextPage) {
        this.request = request;
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    public int getNextPage() {
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    public boolean hasNext() {
        return (this.nextPage != null && this.nextPage == 1) || this.lastPage != null;
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    public void remove() {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Remove not supported");
    }

    public List<V> next() {
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            throw new NoSuchElementException();
        } else {
            Observable<Page<V>> client = request.execute(nextPage);
            Page<V> response = client.toBlocking().first();

            ++this.nextPage;
            this.lastPage = response.last();
            this.nextPage = response.next();
            return response.items();
        }
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    public GitHubRequest<Page<V>> getRequest() {
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    public Iterator<List> iterator() {
        return this;
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    public interface GitHubRequest<V>{
        Observable<V> execute(int page);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Green is not only the color of St. Patrick's Day, it is the color of money. Coincidence? No. It will take more than luck for you to understand what GDP represents and how to talk about this with your clients. Fortunately (pun intended), we have the information you need about GDP so you don't have to rely on luck.
What is GDP and what does it represent?
Gross domestic product (GDP) is generally considered the best indicator of the economy's health as a whole. It's often referred to as the "temperature of the economy." GDP is critical information for investors in all asset classes – including real estate. GDP is calculated by evaluating consumption, investment, government spending and net exports. If GDP is rising, the economy is improving. If GDP is falling or not moving, the economy is getting worse.
GDP growth was hampered by weather and a generally slow first quarter; however, things picked up in the final three quarters and 2014 overall was a strong year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the increase in real GDP in 2014 reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), nonresidential fixed investment, exports, state and local government spending, private inventory investment, and residential fixed investment that were partly offset by a negative contribution from federal government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.
Even though we saw growth in 2014, economists like to see GDP above 3 percent, so we hope to see more growth in 2015.
Experts expect to see continued GDP growth in 2015 and even into 2016. With lower energy prices, consumers are spending that money in other industries. In Q4 2014, consumer spending grew at the fastest rate it has in eight years, likely due to lower energy prices. As the unemployment rate decreases, confidence in the economy rises which is also fueling increased consumer spending.
We expect 2015 to be a healthy year for GDP and are enthusiastic about the new buyers expected to make their first purchase this year. While first-time home buyers may have a little more money to spend today, they are probably unfamiliar with the unexpected costs of home ownership and will benefit from your guidance and experience. You can help your clients protect their investment by talking with them about options such as home warranties and good home habits. Real estate relationships can last lifetimes and hopefully one day you will be selling the home you helped them buy.
In October 2014, Keller Williams initiated a new five part blog series, Market ahas. The quarterly series is designed to help our associates better serve as their clients' local economists. The topics covered each quarter are mortgage rates, unemployment, price change, inventory, and GDP. This is the fifth article in the series for Q4 2014. Read more Market ahas here!


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Workplace harassment in Bulgaria is becoming more frequent
published on 11/27/21 1:07 PM
Photo: library
One out of five working Bulgarians is subjected to psychological harassment by his manager or colleague. These cases have become more frequent, according to data from reports on violations received in CITUB over the year.
The most common complaints are related to insults, threats and others. They are part of the daily life of 20% of workers in Bulgaria, as 70% of the affected are women and 30% are men. Most cases of bullying occur in the age group 26-45 years. The Penal Code provides for sanctions for public insults. The workers must submit a signal to the employer and they must carry out an inspection immediately.
Radio Bulgaria News harassment workplace
President Rumen Radev: Bulgaria does not accept ultimatums
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Prof. Radka Argirova: Peak of Omicron wave is coming in next 2 weeks
Much stricter measures and a possible lockdown could be considered according to the provisions of the n ew national plan to combat..


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Banff, 9 September 1893
No longer anything like an African landscape — we are just below the region of eternal snow and disembarked for breakfast at Glacier Hotel station where a wonderful mighty glacier is laying in front of us, so close that we could almost touch it with our hands — the surprise was not small. This is the so called Great Glacier of the Selkirk mountains, towered over by Sir Donald at a height of 3600 m, which is part of the Selkirk mountain range opposite of which extends the snow covered Gold Range. All around we saw splendid views of scenery, snow mountains, deeply cut valleys and gorges, splashing streams and gushing springs as well as gorgeous Alpine vegetation.
Unfortunately there was again heavy fog mixed with cold rain so that the peak of Sir Donald and the other high mountains were not visible to us. We however did not care as we were again close to the mountains, the highest regions and glaciers, are feeling good and light, while we could see great views pass in front of our eyes that however were, like the day before, insulted by the sight of the destruction of forests as the journey went often through woods that had become the victim of fire. Above the forest line rise mighty rocks. primary formations with rare imposing forms where peaks are close to other peaks and everywhere the firn and glaciers are glittering, illuminating the crevices and small valleys. The cold weather during the last days has produced fresh snow and the mountains look as if they had been frosted, after the fog had finally lifted a bit.
During the winter countless avalanches must thunderously make their way down to the valley as the numerous avalanche paths demonstrate by the snapped trunks of the strongest trees and the huge rock boulders that are widely scattered. The railway tracks are everywhere protected against avalanches and rock slides by wooden galleries so that one is driving for many kilometers through tunnel-like wood constructions whose defensive quality is reinforced by wedge-like avalanche breaker made out of wooden blocks and tree trunks.
The train rushes past dizzying slopes and many a steeply falling gorge in whose depths glacier waters rampage. It then continues over bridges that consist only of wood despite the abyss they pass over. The railway administration however intends to replace these sometimes too delicate constructions with iron frames and we already saw a few of them in the state of construction. The higher we came the more I found reasons to admire the rare audacity of the great construction of the Canadian Pacific railway line. If an entrepreneur in our country tried to build curves, surpass height differences and build bridges etc. in a similar manner like here, these audacious ideas would be squelched by the administration already during the project phase.
Towards noon we arrived at a quiet narrow valley where fire had not yet raged and the dark green spruces and pines cover the area like a carpet. In the valley basin peat bogs have formed being irrigated by the arms of a small river and are covered with a similar yellowish sour grass as in our moors. Ardent fishermen catch especially many salmons and trouts in this region. In Field situated at 1231 m above sea level where the whole valley is filled with a rubble moraine and where Mount Stephen at 3200 m with its ragged rocks towers over the station we rested at noon. During all my voyages I have never seen a mountain of this height that rises almost vertically as a giant block completely abruptly and without escarpment or base mountains.
In the middle of the mountain's height sticks out a silver mine that looks almost like it is glued to the steep walls. The mine was just getting developed. One wanted to extract the ore with a small rail track line but even the American enterprising spirit and their modern technology failed to overcome the difficulties caused by the rocks of the old mountain giant. Thus the structure remained incomplete.
Higher and higher the railway tracks led upwards, pulled and pushed by three machines puffing and huffing until we finally drive through a ravine where a waterfall is crashing down and arrive at Stephen Station at the highest point above seal level of all tracks of the Pacific railway line, namely at 1610 m. The sun has mercy with us, splits the fog and clouds and permits to see the huge panorama of the wide ranges with their glaciers and firns at just the right moment.
The greatness of this moment is unforgettably imprinted into my memory. The sublimity of the quiet image praising the forces of nature in such a powerful language creates a deep impression. Nevertheless I believe that the mountain landscape of the Rocky Mountains, despite its imposing mass and its unique forms, can not stand its ground in comparison to our Alps. It indeed may in some parts seem more attractive thanks to the originality of its beauty and more interesting thanks to the bizarre forms and greater thanks to the development of its masses and the huge dimensions than the Alps. But the incomparable attraction and splendor of the fresh and heart-warming flora of our mountains, the enchanting contrast between the earnestness of the high rising primitive rocks and the youth of the vegetation cover of mountains and valleys is missing in America's mountain back bone. Everywhere the sad remnants of the former forest destroyed by the flames are disturbing me as does its earnest almost evil character caused by the dark color of the forest remains. So the mountain range in the New World that we are crossing and climbing over seems old and ageing in contrast to the youthful Alps of the Old World.
Above the forest line where at home dense nutritious grass is growing that forms excellent strong fodder for the cattle and game and forms like shining green bands between the rocks, one can see here only bare rocks or tufts of yellow dry grass that looks not very picturesque. I don't want to talk about the Alpine huts with its singing inhabitants and the farms surrounded by blooming meadows, the yardlands and huts of the woodcutters that provide the Austrian Alps with such a delightful vivid character as here there is nothing but complete wilderness and except from a few railway officials and workers at the stations there is no human soul living in these quiet heights and deeply cut valleys. It is no wonder to us that we had seen no animals from the railway. Not even a predator was circling above us and not one sound is interrupting the festive even eerie silence. I am otherwise in fact a great friend of virgin nature where civilization has not yet entered but the Rocky Mountains go too far in their lack of civilization and thus create an impression of desertion and deadness.
At Kicking Horse Pass we saw multiple small mountain lakes and crossed the provincial border between British Columbia and Alberta as well as the great watershed between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. A rapidly flowing murmuring little stream that sent its water eastward recalled a happy thought in me that I was getting more and more closer to my beloved home.
During the journey we also passed the camp of the Stoney Indians that lay close to the railway tracks with their characteristic tents that are kept upright by numerous poles arranged in a cone. In front of the camp stand and linger redskins of both sexes, the first we saw face to face. Their hairstyle is still traditional but unfortunately these children of the wilderness wear in part European clothes, an aspect in which they are not unlike our gypsies.
Finally the mountains retreated a bit, the valley grew wider and we reached Banff, a sulphur bath and summer resort in the middle of a Canadian national park. The settlement located at the railway station consists of about fifty wooden buildings that have been built only for the foreigners. Everywhere there are Curio Shops and other shops in which the curiosities of the country are offered for sale. A short coach drive took us to the hotel also owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. It was in fact located on the most beautiful spot of the whole region but built in a quite tasteless style. During the summer months many foreigners make a pilgrimage to this place for a cure or recreation. Banff is in fact a very young creation but enjoys great popularity as the panoramic view from the hotel and especially from the large wooden terrace is truly delightful revealing the mighty mountains and glaciers that sometimes rise in quite adventurous forms.
The season was already over — the temperature was only at 6° Celsius — so that only a few late guests were staying at the hotel that was built completely out of wood and in such a light way that every step within the building was reverberating in all floors and in all rooms. An American woman advanced in years is selling to the foreigners the strangest curiosities made by the Indians. These all seemed to be of recent vintage and looked like forgeries.
Just after the arrival we drove in a big coach to a valley basin surrounded by big rocks whose colossal walls astonished us and then on to warm sulphurous springs of which there were seven within a radius of 3 km. One of these thermal springs was gushing out of a natural basin while another is to be found in a crater of a formerly active but now quiet geyser. To this second spring led a subterranean narrow path to a grotto in which only a tiny opening supplies daylight out of which once the jet of the geyser rose.
In the mean time it was evening and a quite fresh air was blowing towards us when we returned to the hotel to rest after the day's labors.
Location: Banff, Canada
ANNO – on 09.09.1893 in Austria's newspapers.
The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is closed for summer until 15 September. The k.u.k. Hof-Operntheater is performing the opera "Des Teufels Anteil".
Dieser Beitrag wurde am 9. September 2018 von wordpressadmin in diary veröffentlicht. Schlagworte: Banff, Canada, September, train.
← Banff, 9. Sept. 1893 Banff — Penticton, 10 September 1893 →


Quit Genius: An Intelligent Way to Quit Smoking Forever!
What can often be a simple habit to begin with, can become a major roadblock in the lives of people. Smoking is one of the most dangerous of these habits that can turn out to be a deadly addiction. Fortunately, people realize this in time; but they often struggle to drop this addiction. And, that's precisely what Quit Genius can help people do by helping people quit smoking the right way. In turn, This can help them live a healthier, happier and longer life.
Stage 1- The user reflects on their smoking journey: the past, present as well as the future. They explore the reasons they started smoking in the first place and look towards a future without cigarettes.
Stage 2- In this stage, the user finds out about the science behind addiction and how nicotine affects the body and the mind. This step teaches the smoker about the working of nicotine, and its effect on the body and mind. Also the hurdles post-quitting are realised in this stage.
Stage 3- This stage is all about the misconceptions that smokers have about smoking. It helps address these misconceptions and change the way a smoker thinks about smoking.
Step 4- This final stage helps the user to focus on changing their behaviours so that they prepare themselves correctly before their quit date. So this stage puts everything they have learnt into practise.
Quit Genius is an quit smoking therapy which is split into small manageable steps that can be accessed anytime and anywhere.
It not only makes the people change their pre-existing thoughts about smoking through CBT, but it also provides extensive support after setting their quit date by making personalised support plans. The app is proven by real science and has undergone successful pilots and trials. The app is also made more engaging by gamifying the process, with daily streak counts as well as time-based challenges along with unexpected trophies to help them always stay on track and be motivated.
Smokers can effectively quit smoking forever with the help of this quit smoking iPhone app. They now have access to evidence-based therapy at the click of a button. Quit Genius is available to download on an iPhone from the App store and also for android on the Google Play store.


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"Differential glycosylation of Tractin and LeechCAM, two novel Ig super" by Yueqiao Huang, John Jellies et al.
By immunoaffinity purification with the mAb Lan3-2, we have identified two novel Ig super-family members. Tractin and LeechCAM. LeechCAM is an NCAM/FasII/ApCAM homologue, whereas Tractin is a cleaved protein with several unique features that include a PG/YG repeat domain that may be part of or interact with the extracellular matrix. Tractin and LeechCAM are widely expressed neural proteins that are differentially glycosylated in sets and subsets of peripheral sensory neurons that form specific fascicles in the central nervous system. In vivo antibody perturbation of the Lan3-2 glycoepitope demonstrates that it can selectively regulate extension of neurites and filopodia. Thus, these experiments provide evidence that differential glycosylation can confer functional diversity and specificity to widely expressed neural proteins.
This article was published in Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 138, Issue 1, Pages 143-157.
The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.138.1.143.
Copyright © 1997 Rockefeller U. Press.
Huang, Yueqiao; Jellies, John; Johansen, Kristen M.; and Johansen, Jørgen, "Differential glycosylation of Tractin and LeechCAM, two novel Ig superfamily members, regulates neurite extension and fascicle formation" (1997). PCOM Scholarly Papers. 1129.


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Nicole Kidman Trying To Save Connor Cruise From Scientology?
By Andrew Shuster	| 10:10 am, September 13, 2018
Is Nicole Kidman trying to save her son Connor Cruise from Scientology? That's the claim in one of this week's tabloids. Gossip Cop, however, has learned it's bogus.
Kidman's adopted son with Tom Cruise currently lives in Clearwater, Florida near the headquarters of the Church of Scientology, where he works as a deckhand on a deep-sea fishing boat. The 23-year-old gave up his DJ-ing career to settle in Clearwater, where his dad also owns a home. According to New Idea, Kidman "is fearing the worst" for her son as he gets more involved in Scientology.
The magazine quotes a so-called "close friend" of the actress as saying, "Nicole is tearing her hair out with worry. She is incredibly concerned Connor is being punished for his wild partying and committing crimes in the church's eyes." The outlet's questionable source adds, "'Nicole knows how they work and is worried Connor won't be able to cope with all the strict Scientology sanctions and rules – she's very concerned."
The alleged insider goes on to say that Kidman "doesn't want Scientology to dig its claws into Connor any deeper" and also "doesn't want him to follow in Tom's footsteps." The supposed source adds, "She plans to do everything in her power to rescue him."
This premise is coming from one of Kidman's anonymous and seemingly nonexistent "friends." On the other hand, Gossip Cop checked in with the actress's spokesperson, who's qualified to speak on her behalf, and we're told the story is fabricated. Although there's much mystery surrounding Kidman's relationship with her adopted children, Connor and oldest daughter Bella, the idea that she's trying to save her son from Scientology simply isn't true.
It's worth noting, the tabloids have come up with similar narratives in the past. Back in 2014, OK! falsely claimed that Connor reached out to Kidman and asked to help get him out of Scientology. Considering that the young man willingly relocated near the Church's headquarters, it's unlikely he ever asked his mom for help. It's clear that Connor is dedicated to the religion on his own accord.
Shortly before that, Gossip Cop busted OK! for wrongly reporting that Kidman and Cruise were battling over Connor's health. It was alleged that the actress was worried about her son becoming "pudgy," but her ex-husband refused to give him nutrition tips because "Scientology's parenting ethos suggests parents treat kids like grown-ups." There was no truth to the ridiculous story, and the same goes for this latest one.
New Idea Magazine Nicole Kidman Tom Cruise
Leslee Dart, Spokesperson for Nicole Kidman. 13 Sep. 2018.
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Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes Secretly Met Up To Gossip About Tom Cruise?
Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban Adopting Baby Boy?
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie's Son Maddox Wants Legal Guardianship Of His Siblings?
Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban Saved Marriage After 'Trust Issues' And 'Jealous Rages'?


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Virtual Trade Show / Smart Solutions Case Studies / Elliott-Lewis Installs Resurrected EVAPCO Cooling Tower for Historic Philadelphia Residence
Elliott-Lewis Installs Resurrected EVAPCO Cooling Tower for Historic Philadelphia Residence
Smart Solutions – Summer 2019 Issue
To meet the demands of the luxurious Benjamin Franklin House in Philadelphia, Elliott-Lewis Corporation installed a new, energy-efficient EVAPCO cooling tower with increased cooling capacity in the same space as the previous tower.
Recreating Discontinued Model Makes for a Smooth Installation
Downtown Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin House needed an HVAC overhaul but, like most historic buildings, had no room to expand. EVAPCO reached into its archives for the specs of the building's original cooling tower and created a more powerful, up-to-date version for the same space, making the installation process easier for Elliott-Lewis Corporation.
Time for an Upgrade
The Benjamin Franklin Hotel—now known as The Franklin Residences or, simply, "The Ben"—was built in 1923. Upgrading historic sites typically comes with challenges, such as limited space. The building's owners recognized that keeping tenants and guests comfortable during increasingly warm and humid summers would take the right systems and equipment working with minimal or no downtime.
EVAPCO recreated a discontinued cooling tower to fit the tight quarters occupied by its original unit in the historic Benjamin Franklin House, simplifying the installation process for Elliott-Lewis Corporation.
A key component of The Ben's cooling system is the cooling tower that serves a water-sourced heat pump loop in the building. For many years, this loop met most of the building's cooling needs. Several suites still use packaged terminal air conditioner units, but many tenants have requested the switch to heat pumps. In addition, the retail space expanded from one floor to two. These changes have increased demand on the heat pump loop.
Mike McCauley, sales engineer at Elliott-Lewis Corporation, explained yet another reason for the demand increase. "Some equipment loses efficiency as it gets older. Back when it was built, the system was designed to meet certain demands. Well, those demands have changed. We have warmer summers now, and that's taxing on older equipment. You can have the best maintenance in the world and [the system] still won't be as efficient as it once was."
The increased demand did not come with increased floor space for a second cooling tower or even a new, larger one. The owners were faced with a challenge: how to get more cooling capacity using the same footprint. At the same time, the existing cooling tower, which had served the building since 1984, was reaching the end of its useful life.
"Our company maintains the cooling tower on this site," said McCauley. "We realized that the equipment was at its end of life and told the owners that if they didn't replace it soon, they'd be spending lots of money refurbishing it."
Old Meets New
When the original cooling tower was built, it was not subject to certifications or ASHRAE 90.1 requirements, and building codes were different too. The building needed a new cooling
tower that met current requirements—yet had the same footprint and a greater capacity. Engineers were called in to tackle the design, and Elliott-Lewis Corporation, which has served Philadelphia for a century, was chosen to install the new cooling solution.
The original cooling tower was a discontinued EVAPCO unit, a PMTQ cooling tower. So, EVAPCO retrieved the design from their archives and built a new one to meet all the requirements for the project, including a sharply increased cooling demand, while maintaining the same footprint. EVAPCO's solution increased the system's cooling capacity on the heat pump loop from about 565 tons to 675 tons, without sacrificing space.
The original galvanized material was replaced by stainless steel, ensuring durability and a long lifespan. The addition of a custom fiber acoustic base for the tower ensured that the new unit was fully up to code.
Quiet and Efficient
The new tower also needed to meet or exceed current codes for thermal and acoustic performance. The building sits in a densely populated part of Philadelphia, surrounded by office buildings and residences, so noise is a concern. The new unit features EVAPCO's super low sound fan instead of the typical centrifugal fan that would be used with a forced draft system.
In addition, the unit has four fans drawing a total of 60 horsepower, up from the original unit's 40 horsepower. Despite this increase, which achieves a greater capacity, the unit's performance is more energy-efficient at part loads. Each fan is driven by a variable frequency drive (VFD) designed to run at part loads rather than cycling on and off when the demand changes.
With VFDs, the unit can run all four fans at, for example, 30 percent, which is much more efficient than running one fan at 100 percent. The unit only uses the energy needed at any given load.
Overcoming Other Challenges
The heat exchanger, originally designed to meet the lower demand, would not serve the upgraded cooling tower to provide extra cooling to the building. Rather than replace the heat exchanger, the owners chose to modify the existing piece of equipment. Because there was enough room to add additional plates to increase capacity, the original heat exchanger was cleaned and expanded.
Replacing the Benjamin Franklin House's old cooling tower with a modernized version allowed for minimal pipework, saving Elliot-Lewis time.
Replacing the old cooling tower with a modernized version allowed for minimal pipework, saving Elliot-Lewis time. "There were some piping changes," said McCauley. "Old pipe was replaced because of its age, but other than that there was only some rerouting of pipes to accommodate the new tower dimensions."
Controlling the cooling tower required integration of the unit's VFD controllers into the building management system. This step proved to be a challenge at first, but since its startup, the unit has been able to meet its required performance with no complaints from the owners. With its sturdy equipment and supportive professionals, The Ben is sure to maintain its reputation for luxury for many years to come.
For more information, visit www.evapco.com.
1385 Piccard Dr, Rockville, MD 20850 | www.mcaa.org


An open museum in memory of defence and blockade of Leningrad - the presentation of a new project of the Presidential Library will take place on September 5, 2018, on the eve of the anniversary of the beginning of the blockade, when on September 8, 1941, an enemy ring closed around the city on the Neva. The event starts at 15:00 and will be broadcasted live on the Presidential Library portal in the "Live broadcast" section.
In the framework of the project virtual tours will be arranged for the blockade expositions of the museums of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region, the total number of which today is about 170. Together they will form a unique public resource that fully represents information about the heroism of the defenders and residents of Leningrad, which can be used in educational, cultural, exhibition and academic purposes.
The first step in the implementation of the project was a virtual tour around the exposition of the State Museum of Defence and Blockade of Leningrad. It is noteworthy that today it is available exclusively in the digital space, since with the closure of the museum for overhaul the exposition ceased to exist. After the repair is completed, its cardinally updated version will be created.
Participants in the presentation at the Presidential Library will not only learn the details of the new project, but will also be the first to "pass through" the already existing halls of the State Museum of Defence and Blockade of Leningrad, and will be able to examine in detail the authentic items of wartime. Most of them are accompanied by an exhaustive and carefully selected by the museum staff information about the exhibit, its history, context and others.
The event will be attended by representatives of the "Museum Agency" - associations of 28 museums in Leningrad Region, many of which keep a memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War, the defence and blockade of Leningrad. A virtual tour around the new exposition of one of the branches of the Museum Agency - the museum "Kobona: The Road of Life" - will be the next project and will be presented to the general public in the second half of September.
Accreditation for media representatives is available until 16:00, September 4, 2018.
Please forward applications for accreditation in the attached form with "Media Accreditation" note to: media@prlib.ru, hudjakova@prlib.ru, Alexandra Khudyakova, phone (812) 305-16-21, ext. 233; mob. +7 981 788-28-08.
The letter should feature the full name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact numbers, name of the media.


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Appetite and Satiety
Exercise and Recovery
The Sweet Truth About Raw Honey, White Sugar and Other Sugar Alternatives
Modern archeologists digging through ancient Egyptian tombs found something very unexpected — pots of raw honey, thousands of years old and yet still preserved.
Through thousands of years the honey remained unspoiled, "an unmistakable testament to the eternal shelf-life of honey" (Geiling, 2013).
In fact, Egyptians used raw honey for healing wounds and as a preservative, due to its antibacterial properties.
Meal Replacements and Healthy Blood Glucose — 4 Ways They Set Your Clients Up for Success
According to the CDC's National Diabetes Statistics Report, 89 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes are clinically overweight or obese.
Clinicians know that overweight and obesity contributes to insulin resistance, in addition to being a risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and more.
It is understood that weight loss should be a major therapeutic goal for all those who are overweight and concerned about their blood glucose levels.
Almased's Powerful Effects on Appetite and Satiety
After leptin was discovered in the mid-1990s, scientists believed they had discovered the cure for obesity.
They thought this because when they injected leptin into mice, they observed that the mice were significantly less hungry and more trim.
But the main study in humans was a complete failure from a weight-loss standpoint. The pharmaceutical company that developed this leptin "drug," and which had sponsored the research, must have been very disappointed.
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Almased's "Second Meal Effect" and What This Could Mean for Glucose Health
In 2012, a group of scientists led by Dr. Daniel König tested Almased in a group of 11 overweight or obese men with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.
In this trial, which was called "The Breakfast Study," after an overnight fast participants received either Almased as a meal replacement or a standard breakfast. Four hours after the start of the intervention, all subjects ate a standard lunch.
Almased Research — HbA1C Levels and Glucose Control
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Here we review four out of many Almased studies that have shown remarkable benefits according to multiple parameters of metabolic and glucose health, including glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).
Almased's Conversations With Leading Experts: Dr. Aloys Berg
Jamie Luu, RDN, LDN, the nutrition expert for Almased, sat down with Dr. Aloys Berg, on the effects and benefits of Almased. Dr. Berg is a specialist in laboratory medicine, and in physical and rehabilitative medicine with additional specializations in sports medicine, nutritional medicine, preventive medicine and lipidology. He is currently a member of the medical faculty at Germany's University of Freiburg and is in private practice with a focus on lifestyle management. He is one of the world's leading scientists studying Almased.
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Press Announcement: Study results published in The Journal of Nutrients show that a low-glycemic high-protein meal replacement (Almased) significantly reduces fasting insulin and body weight.
Press Announcement
Study results published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggest that a high-protein meal replacement is a promising nutritional strategy to combat rising rates of obesity.
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People with diabetes have a hard time losing weight because of their high insulin level. Almased can help them.
This site is for educational purposes only and is intended for healthcare professionals. Almased may be used under medical supervision as a dietary complement to a diabetes management plan. The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to treat, diagnose or mitigate any disease or condition. Consumers should consult with a licensed healthcare professional before starting any supplement or diet, especially those who are pregnant or have a medical condition.
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Paris, Flammarion, 2009, 800 p. et Paris, Flammarion, 2009, 1000 p.
With remarkable speed, Evans remedied the lack of an overall account of the Third Reich  . Within five years, he published three exhaustive yet readable volumes covering not only the period of 1933-1945, but also the Bismarck, WWI, Weimar periods (vol. I) and even the legacy of Nazism in Europe after 1945 and on to the present (vol. III). The first two volumes going from 1871 to 1939 have recently been translated to French, the third being in preparation.
"These three books are addressed in the first place to people who know nothing about the subject, or who know a little and would like to know more" (vol. I, p. 8). The original English edition of the books contain numerous photos, posters, cartoons and paintings, thus helping the targeted unspecialised readers visualise the period. Some of them are highly interesting: Röhm posing as a bureaucrat behind his desk at home or a Nazi cartoon distilling a positive image of the "re-education" camps. Why the present French edition systematically cut all these valuable visual aids is no less than a riddle.
Evans went on saying that he hopes that "specialists will find something of interest in [his books], but they are not the primary readership for which the books are intended". This is the crucial sentence that a specialised historian ought to keep in mind if he intends to review Evans' trilogy.
Among others, British historian David Cesarani reviewed the first volume  . In an otherwise laudatory review, he complains about "the absence of Hitler" throughout the pages dealing with the behind-the-scenes political intrigues during the Weimar period. Cesarani is certainly right. However, any historian specialised in one or another aspect of the Third Reich could find an unelaborated point in Evans' books. The author of this present review, as a young and modest researcher on Nazi propaganda, could point out in the same volume the scarce use of Goebbels' magazine Der Angriff, without which "the Berlin NSDAP may have perished  ".
Yet doing this would mean to ignore Evans' warning. This is a comprehensive account addressing to curious persons. That is why the renowned British historian Ian Kershaw is right when he describes the books as "the most comprehensive history in any language of the disastrous epoch of the Third Reich".
Evans' approach is indeed "comprehensive". He did not only go into details of the political and military, but also economical, social and cultural aspects of the period. No wonder in that to the extent that Evans is a social historian.
Evans has also interested in the historiography of the Third Reich. Relating the torturous relations between historians and the Nazi establishment, he criticises their backward – rather than forward – history reading (vol. II, p. 353). Evans might be implicitly criticising some of his own colleagues, for whom the German political culture inherited from the 19th century unavoidably made of the 20th century Germans easy preys for the Nazis.
Throughout the first volume, Evans shows that this historical determinism is unfounded and that at some crucial moments German history could have taken a completely different turn. The first volume is perhaps the most innovating one. It is indeed revolutionary to devote 350 odd pages to the period prior to 1933, encompassing the Bismarck, Wilhelm and Weimar eras.
The reader is told how the anti-Semitic, eugenic and racist fantasies had been formulated and circulated throughout the end of the 19th century Germany. However Evans is quick to introduce some important nuances: these ideas were far from forming "a coherent or unified ideology", e.g. not all the social Darwinists were anti-Semites (vol. I, p. 69). Yet these ideas were in the air not the least because of their adoption by the mainstream parties for electoral concerns (vol. I, p. 62). "Many of the ingredients that would later go into the potent and eclectic ideological brew of National Socialism" were already swirling well before WWI (vol. I, p. 64).
Yet Nazism was "an avoidable catastrophe  ". According to Evans, the two matrixes of Nazism are WWI and the 1929 Stock Market Crash, which radicalised the political options. The author of The German Unemployed: Experiences and Consequences of Mass Unemployment from the Weimar Republic to the Third Reich  (1987) gives rather a lively description of the tragic consequences of the Great Crash in Germany (vol. I, p. 291-311).
For the sake of nuance, Evans goes perhaps too far as he argues that a military dictatorship in 1932-1933 could have prevented Germany from lapsing into Nazism (vol. I, p. 524-525). While he admits that the generals would have been as willing as Hitler to make out of Germany a leading European power through war, at least, he contends, this war would have been a conventional one – without Auschwitz and Treblinka. Even though Evans himself concedes in a footnote that this is a mere speculation (vol. I, p. 617, n. 120), his admission should have rather been inserted into the main text.
To classify National Socialism whether as a revolutionary or a reactionary movement is a classical debate among historians. Before establishing a conventional middle-way between the two approaches, Evans clarifies one point: "Many historians have argued that these values were essentially pre-industrial, or pre-modern. Yet this argument rests on a simplistic equation of democracy with modernity" (vol. I, p. 531). "Modern" is after all a neutral adjective. Racial anti-Semitism as opposed to traditional, i.e. religious anti-Semitism, Social Darwinism and the supremacy of the Aryan race were all "modern" ideas emerged at the end of the 19th century (vol. I, p. 58-75). Along with other conservative ideas (blood and soil, return to the golden age, family values, etc.), "Nazism offered a synthesis of the revolutionary and the restorative" (vol. I, p. 544). Furthermore, the techniques used by the Nazis were modern. Hi-tech propaganda was one of them: "Of all the things that made the Third Reich a modern dictatorship, its incessant demand for popular legitimation was one of the most striking. The regime put itself almost from the very start in a state of permanent plebiscitary consultation of the masses" (vol. I, p. 142).
Kershaw has hailed Evans' trilogy as "impressive, perceptive [and] humane". The last adjective should be emphasised. In the second volume, Evans goes into a thorough analysis of the Nazi Cultural Revolution after 1933. As a matter of fact, the underlying purpose of all the Nazi enterprises was to remould the German psyche according to Nazi precepts.
In the second volume, the reader finds the merits of a history book written by a social historian. Numerous little anecdotes related by Evans, including not only those from the bigwigs but also those from the common men, give the taste of a fine BBC documentary series. It is essentially through these anecdotes that Evans balances the real efficiency of Nazi propaganda.
The Nazi efforts to win over the youth are analysed in depth and nuanced as usual (vol. II, p. 295-360). One anecdote is especially striking. In 1935, in a working-class district, when the teacher told the students that many Jews had fallen in WWI as well, one young Nazi exclaimed: "They died of fright! The Jews don't have any German Fatherland!" Another pupil wittily retorted: "If Germany isn't their Fatherland and they died for it despite that, that even goes beyond heroism" (vol. II, p. 296-297).
Children presents like toy models of SAs, music boxes that played the Horst Wessel Song, or a puzzle that asked them to "put the letters together correctly to make the name of a great leader: L-I-T-R-E-H" (vol. II, p. 241) confirm Evans' thesis of "modern dictatorship". Special schools were founded in order to indoctrinate the young: the notorious Hitler Youth, but also the less known Napolas, Adolf Hitler Schools and the Order Castles. Racial lectures were introduced in schools, racial hygiene institutes established in universities. The Nazis tried to pervert the content of the physics, chemistry, medicine and history teaching. One example of "social arithmetic" gives the shivers: "Sums requiring the children to calculate how much it would cost the state to keep a mentally ill person alive in an asylum" (vol. II, p. 299-300).
"Nazism aestheticized politics; but it also politicized the arts" (vol. II, p. 240). On 4th February 1933, the Nazis already issued a decree which allowed the seizure by the police of any "politically dangerous" books. The fact that this decree came well before the Reichstag Fire Decree should suffice to convince the old-school historians of the importance of social/cultural history.
Evans relates in great length the tragic fate of undesirable authors, painters and musicians. Thomas Mann, Bertold Brecht, Kurt Weill and most of the Expressionists are probably the first ones to come to reader's mind. Yet Evans also narrates from those less known: Rudolf Ditzen alias Hans Fallada, the author who was "weak but not bad, never bad" (vol. II, p. 176); disillusioned journalist and theatre critic Friedrich Rech-Malleczewen's amazing courage; the heartbreaking suicide of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, the expressionist painter; Oskar Schlemmer, another painter who was abased to paint camouflage on military buildings.
Controversial figures such as Richard Strauss, Carl Orff, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Arno Breker or Ernst Jünger have also their places in Evans' second volume. Although Evans makes a clever and nuanced account of Wagner's works (vol. I, passim), he seems to have little sympathy for Richard Strauss: "Despite his huge reputation, Strauss was acutely conscious that he ultimately failed to achieve the standing of his great predecessors like Bach, Beethoven, Brahms or Wagner" (vol. II, p. 215). That Strauss doubted his own talent must not lead to a musical condemnation of the great composer of "Salome" and "Elektra". Likewise, Evans has a pronounced dislike for Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana": "Its crude tonality, its brutal, repetitious rhythms, its medieval texts and folksy tunes, its numbing, insistent pulse, its absence of anything to engage the mind seemed to sweep away all the excrescences of modernity and intellectualism that Nazism so detested and take culture back to the supposed primitive simplicities of the distant, peasant past" (vol. II, p. 227). The controversial attitude of both men during the Nazi period seems to have pushed Evans to condemn their works as well, which is unjust. One cannot help quoting Arturo Toscanini: "To [Richard] Strauss the composer I take off my hat; to Strauss the man I put it back on again".
The current bibliography on Nazism contains some 40 000 items. Does the reader really need another book? Yes. The recent deplorable incident in the Holocaust Memorial Museum in New York where an 88-year-old racist sparked a shootout that killed a security guard shows that a synthetic analysis of Nazi Germany, one of the darkest moments of mankind, is still more than welcome.
 One may cite some broad accounts such as William L. Shirer's best-seller, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1960), or Deutschland 1933-1945 edited by Karl Dietrich Bracher, Manfred Funke and Hans-Adolf Jacobsen (1992). The first is rather flawed by its historical determinism as regards German history. The second, too technical for an unspecialised reader, is not translated to English. Moreover, the recent discovery of new materials, e.g. the Goebbels diaries or the appointments book of Himmler, has been requiring a new synthesis.
 The Independent, 24 October 2003, (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/).
 Russel Lemmons, Goebbels and Der Angriff, Lexington, 1994, p. 128.
 Expression coined by Dennison Rusinow in his 1995 essay to describe the break-up of Tito's Yugoslavia.
 Richard J. Evans, London, C. Helm, 1987.


While some writers have had a desire to write from the time they were children, and seem to show an aptitude this direction, writing is a skill that can be taught.
There are many books, videos, classes, webinars, and more that can teach you whatever it is that you feel you need to learn. There are other writers who will share what they know and there are tools that can help you accomplish your writing goals.
Pay attention to the extras on the sites of authors whose work you enjoy reading. These writers will often have links, resources and tips they freely share.
I'll share some tips I've learned and then link to other sites that can help.
1. Imagination. If you're going to write creative fiction, you need ideas. Ideas come from all around you. Your life. The lives of family members or friends. The world around you.
2. Get the story down. Many writers wait to start writing until they feel everything about story is perfect. Perfect stories are never written.
3. Plotter or Pantser? There's a debate on whether it's good to be a plotter or a pantser when you write. The solution is simple. Do what works for you.
4. Edit. It's helpful to have beta readers, a critique partner, or a critique circle. You're too close to your own writing. You won't see your mistakes. You can find others to help you with editing in your writing groups, in organized editing groups, or you can pay for a professional service.
5. Submit. After the manuscript is written, edited and polished, send it out. You'll probably get a rejection or several rejections. This is something that plenty of writers go through and this is where perseverance kicks in.
If you want it badly enough, you'll keep trying regardless of the rejections you receive. Always check out potential publishers or agents. Unfortunately, there are some out there who will take advantage of writers. You can check them out on sites like Absolute Write Forums or Preditors & Editors.
New York times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump has a long history of giving back to other writers. She has a writing institute you can access here.
Author Susan Meier has helpful links to sites like Penn Writers.
Author Vicki Hinze has great tips on her writer's zone.
Scrivener is a software program that has a ton of features for writers.
Webucator is currently offering a free course in Excel. Some writers use Excel as their spreadsheet to keep track of various points in their manuscript. You need to know how to use all the helpful tools in Microsoft Word. They also offer courses in Microsoft Word and other goodies. They give away a free class each month, so watch for it.
Write or Die helps with writer's block.
NaNoWriMo is a creative writing event that many writers take part in. It helps writers to push past the inner critic and get the manuscript written.


Ever have one of those unforgettable nights at a club, a concert or the big game with the perfect music that complements your experience? Introducing Last Night's Playlist from Spotify: A song recognition service for nights you'll never forget.
The interactive bus stop promotes the Last Night's Playlist feature as well as allows those with the extension to switch it on and play music through the giant headphones as they wait for their bus.
Last Night's Playlist allows users to record their night, starting a song recognition service that collects songs into a playlist that they can share with friends on social media and be transported back to that unforgettable night.