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Sector A discusses use of technology, benefit of guides and Blue Books' future
ABOVE: Roland Nafule, President of Sector A, the division within CIBJO that deals with gem materials.
Sector A President Roland Naftule opened the meeting by thanking CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri and all the Commission Presidents for their hard work in the period that has passed since the 2015 CIBJO Congress in Salvador, Brazil, in May 2015.
He also spoke about CIBJO's intended creation of a 'My CIBJO' section on its website, where documents will be posted to enable members to easily find information relating to all of CIBJO members' discussions and meetings.
Mr. Naftule spoke about the Pearl Guide developed by the Pearl Commission under the presidency of Ken Scarratt that has a tremendous amount of information that could not be added to the Blue Books. The provision of such guides will greatly assist the wider jewellery industry around the world.
He also mentioned a proposal to create an Opal Guide presented by Andrew Cody of behalf of the Australian industry, and it was agreed to proceed within the framework of Sector A. This was conditioned on the inclusion of opals produced in all countries of the world.
The meeting also held a brief discussion on whether, with development of guides for different gemstones, the Blue Books should be limited to international trade rules. Other important information could be provided through the new guides. This, it was said, may simply the task of translating the Blue into languages other than English.
Sector A discusses use of technology, benefit of guides and Blue Books' futureadmin0072017-12-07T11:56:27+00:00
Nickel, conflict minerals and FTC Guides top Precious Metals Commission agenda
ABOVE: Karina Ratzlaff , Vice President of the Precious Metals Commission, who chaired the body's meeting at the 2016 CIBJO Congress .
The Precious Metals Commission featured a discussion on changes to regulations regarding use of nickel, particularly the EN1811:2011 standard which had caused concerns to the trade. CIBJO has lobbied for changes to the 2011 standard which came into force in January 2016. The Assay Office in Birmingham represented CIBJO in two international conferences on the issue over the past year since the last CIBJO Congress.
These included a Nickel Institute Conference in Brussels in June 2015 which proposed a clearer definition of direct and prolonged contact with the skin. There was a North American workshop on NACD (Nickel Allergic Contact Dermatitis) which is a growing problem in North America where there is no enforceable nick regulation, the commission members were told.
Moving on to the issue of conflict materials and the effect of the U.S. Dodd Frank Act, controlling sources of tungsten, gold, tin and tantalum to prevent illegitimate sources in the Congo, the meeting heard that the European Union (EU) is still in the process of discussing similar legislation.
A voluntary regime was proposed by the EU, but there is currently an impasse because members of the European Parliament called for radical changes last year, but the Dutch Presidency of the EU wants to avoid the huge administrative burden that it would cause to 800,000 companies.
No legislation has been proposed yet and the outcome is still unclear, Commission Vice-President Karina Ratzlaff explained. The new regulation will apply to tungsten, gold, tin and tantalum, and the conflict and high-risk areas would not be limited just to Congo, she said.
In addition, due diligence required would need to comply with Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) standards. Smelters, refiners and large importers would be required to conduct due diligence. There would be no direct obligations for manufacturers, but they will be encouraged to report who their suppliers are.
Cecilia Gardner, the General Counsel for the Jewelers Vigilance Committee in the United States, gave the meeting a review of the progress in talks with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission which serves to protect American consumers. The FTC is revising its guides, and precious metals is of great concern to them, particularly relating to thickness of metal applications/coatings and karat quality mineral thresholds in alloys.
You cannot call a jewellery item made of an alloy containing gold as gold unless it contains at least 10 karats of gold, Ms. Gardner said. Consequently, some jewellers are creating trade names for such alloys because they cannot call them gold, and they are not allowed to tell consumers what is in the alloy under current guidelines. The JVC, however, believes that this is information that consumers need and jewellers should be allowed to tell consumers about the content.
The JVC feels the way to distinguish these alloys is to express the parts in percentages, but the FTC did not agree. The JVC submitted additional consumer perception data showing that consumers understand percentages and it is awaiting the FTC's final decision, Ms. Gardner said.
Finally, the meeting heard that no requests or proposals to amend the Platinum Book have been put forward during the year.
Nickel, conflict minerals and FTC Guides top Precious Metals Commission agendaadmin0072017-12-07T11:56:27+00:00
Coloured Stone Commission discuss uniform treatment disclosure and possible opal guide
ABOVE: The Coloured Stone Commission in session at the 2016 CIBJO Congress.
Meeting at the 2016 CIBJO Congress, members of the Coloured Stone Commission debated about moving towards uniform treatment disclosure, so that all are specific, rather some being general, as frequently is the case at present.
Coloured Stone Commission President Nilam Alawdeen noted that market realities made this a difficult task to achieve. There was also a lengthy discussion on gemstone treatment codes and how it would be possible to best apply them.
The consensus among commission members was to move ahead with a uniform disclosure proposal. It was agreed that Mr. Alawdeen will work on the proposal, together with Thomas Lind, CIBJO Sector A Vice President, and Charles Abouchar, Coloured Stone Commission Vice President.
The meeting also heard a presentation from Andrew Cody from Australia about a possible opal guide, which would be separate from CIBJO Gemstone Blue Book, an idea that was originally proposed at the 2014 CIBJO Congress in Moscow. It was stressed that such a guide would have to include all types of opal, from all regions of the world.
Mr. Cody gave a detailed explanation of the science and other aspects of opals, saying they are mined in relatively few countries, come in a wide range of types and are difficult to classify.
The opal industry in Australia, the largest source of opals and opal jewellery, would be pleased to produce the opal guide, Mr. Cody said.
There was also discussion on the issue of undeterminable treatments, for which mention of which are sometimes left out of gemstone reports. Commenting on the practice of not commenting or leaving a blank space on a gemstone reports, Mr. Alawdeen said he believed the trade would be better served if the word "undeterminable" was included on reports.
The commission also heard a review of the status of revisions to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Guide for the jewellery industry, and about the Open Forum on Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing in the jewellery industry, which took place in New York last March.
Coloured Stone Commission discuss uniform treatment disclosure and possible opal guideadmin0072017-12-07T11:56:28+00:00
Diamond Commission debates terminology for disclosing treatments
ABOVE: Udi Sheintal, President of the Diamond Commission, during the 2016 CIBJO Congress in Yerevan, Armenia.
The Diamond Commission saw a lengthy debate on Annex B of the Diamond Blue Book regarding diamond treatments, and made numerous changes including adding new definitions.
These included descriptions and the display of imitations or simulants of diamonds, annealing, artificial products, artificial products which are not crystallised, artificially crystallised stones, fancy shapes and graining.
The Commission added the new ISO standard 18323:2015 Jewellery – Consumer Confidence in the Diamond Industry, as a normative reference in the Blue Books.
In addition, some of the Diamond Book language was adapted or changed according to the definitions in the new ISO standard.
Commission Chairman Udi Sheintal said he was happy with the significant volume of work done on the Diamond Blue Book before the Steering Committee meeting took place.
"Members of the Diamond Commission Steering Committee did a tremendous amount of work before they arrived in Yerevan for the congress," he explained. "As a result, we were able to review the book with many of the changes already widely discussed and agreed. That made it much easier to deal with all the issues."
"We had an excellent in-depth discussion about the proposed changes and I was pleased to receive so many comments during the Diamond Commission meeting, which showed the strength of interest," Mr. Sheintal said.
He added that there will be some changes to Clause 3 of the Blue Book – Classification of Materials.
"These new changes will be brought before the members at the 2017 congress," he added.
Diamond Commission debates terminology for disclosing treatmentsadmin0072017-12-07T11:56:28+00:00
Marketing & Education Commission focuses on environmental impact
ABOVE: Moya McKeown (left) of Carbon-Expert, together with CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri (centre) and Francesca Manfredi, General Manager of GECI. They are holding certificates attesting to having retired carbon credits as part of the CIBJO's Greenhouse Gas Measurement Initiative for the jewellery industry. CIBJO retired carbon credits for 2015, and GECI, together with Osigem Srl of Milan, retired carbon credits for 2014.
The need to improve a firm's carbon footprint and environmental impact was the heart of the message given at the Marketing & Education Commission by environmental consultant Moya McKeown of Carbon-Expert.
"We set up this initiative because there is a lot of competition from other sectors and we want to see the jewellery market compete and show how they are reducing their environmental impact," she explained. "Large international firms such as Nike are advertising to consumers about how they are operating with a reduced environmental effect, and so the jewellery sector needs to do the same. We are seeing this with the work of Tiffany & Co which is doing its part to reduce its environmental impact."
Ms. McKeown said that another important element relating to reducing a company's carbon footprint comes from research provided by the Luxury Insights Report which showed that Millennial clients (people aged from 20-35) are concerned about the environment, and are prepared to spend more on products from firms with a track record in cutting their impact.
Ms. McKeown also spoke about CIBO's Jewellery Industry Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Measurement Initiative carbon management programme, an ongoing effort to enable firms to reduce their environmental impact.
She advised that there are several practical steps that firms can take to be more environmentally aware, such as checking their energy usage and making their staff aware of this. Another simple step is to look at paper purchases and usage, and the amount of travel that staff members do. However, she said that firms will not be able to improve in all their operations and they should focus on what is possible from a practical perspective.
She told the meeting that the CIBJO Congress is again carbon neutral as it was last year, and also mentioned firms in the jewellery sector that are taking steps, through the CIBJO initiative, to measure and offset their carbon footprint. These include Crossworks Manufacturing in Canada, the Gemological and Certification Institute (GECI) and Osigem Srl in Italy.
Ms. McKeown presented certificates to CIBJO, GECI and Osigem during the congress, attesting that each have had their carbon footprints measured and retired equivalent carbon credits.
Marketing & Education Commission focuses on environmental impactadmin0072017-12-07T11:56:28+00:00
Ethics Commission places emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility
ABOVE: Ethics Commission President Cecilia Gardner (right) and Ethics Commission Vice President Udi Sheintal.
CIBJO's Ethics Commission President Cecilia Gardner began the session by reviewing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) course, developed by CIBJO together with Branded Trust of Australia. The course is now available online, and is accessible through the CIBJO website.
"I would urge you to encourage all of your members about thinking about how they can incorporate CSR in their business activities," she said. "The course is in six parts of approximately 40 minutes each and there is a nominal fee. I assure you it is time well spent. Promote it to your association members, as it is very much targeted at people who are engaged in aspects of the jewellery business. It is a very basic course, and a good starting point."
The next issue on the agenda was The Jewellery Industry Summit 2016, which took place in New York City in March and which Ms. Gardner was a key organiser. "CIBJO was very much involved in it and was one of the sponsors. It was an open forum for discussing sustainability in the jewellery business. It looked to create broad based awareness and activities that can bring about supply-chain guiding principles, relating to sustainability. Industry professionals also set up workshops and it was a very dynamic and interactive event," she explained.
The Jewellery Industry Summit aimed to identify strengths and opportunities for the jewellery trade to sustain and improve its supply chain, and also envisioned how the industry will look in 20 years if all players engage in responsible business practises. It also considered specific actions that could be taken in the short and long terms, Ms. Gardner told the meeting.
The second summit is due to take place in Tucson, Arizona, next year immediately preceding the AGTA Gem Fair.
The issue of synthetic diamonds was discussed. There is heightened concern regarding the disclosure of such stones, Ms. Gardner said. "I have been asked repeatedly as General Counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) if a general reassurance from suppliers regarding such goods is sufficient in law for a retailer if he sells items which are then discovered to have synthetic diamonds set in them," she stated. "I give the same answer that I have been giving for the past 18 years – no. The only protection is to engage in a quality assurance program. Synthetics are still a small part of the market, but they are increasing and this issue is being addressed by all the international diamond organisations."
She suggested that jewellers take a piece of jewellery apart, check if there are real diamonds set in it and keep a record of their inspections. "You can then tell clients that you have guarantees from suppliers and that you check on a regular basis," she said.
Ms. Gardner concluded with comments about the Ethics Commission providing information to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for its guides, about what kind of conduct would be considered as deceptive when trading jewellery in the United States.
Ethics Commission places emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibilityadmin0072017-12-07T11:56:28+00:00


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For Migrant Children in Federal Care, a 'Sense of Desperation'
WASHINGTON — In a federal shelter in Dallas, migrant children sleep in a windowless convention center room under fluorescent lights that never turn off.
At another shelter on a military base in El Paso, teenagers pile onto bunk cots, and some say they have gone days without bathing.
And at a shelter in Erie, Pa., problems began emerging within days of its creation: "Fire safety system is a big concern," an internal report noted. Some of the hot water heaters were not working, and lice was "a big issue and seems to be increasing."
Early this year, children crossing the southwestern border in record numbers were crammed into Customs and Border Protection's cold-floored, jail-like detention facilities. They slept side by side on mats with foil blankets, almost always far longer than the legal limit of 72 hours. Republicans declared it a crisis. Democrats and immigration groups denounced the conditions, which erupted into an international embarrassment for President Biden, who had campaigned on a return to compassion in the immigration system.
The administration responded by rapidly setting up temporary, emergency shelters, including some that could house thousands of children. But the next crisis is coming into view.
"I know the administration wants to take a victory lap for moving children out of Border Patrol stations — and they deserve credit for doing that," said Leecia Welch, a lawyer and the senior director of the legal advocacy and child welfare practice at the National Center for Youth Law, a nonprofit law firm focused on low-income children. "But the truth is, thousands of traumatized children are still lingering in massive detention sites on military bases or convention centers, and many have been relegated to unsafe and unsanitary conditions."
Xavier Becerra, the secretary of health and human services, put the best face on the situation in an interview on Friday. Conditions at the emergency facilities varied, he said. "It's site by site."
On Thursday he visited the department's shelter at the convention center in Long Beach, Calif., where nearly 700 children, mostly ages 12 and under, are staying, a fraction of the 20,000 migrant minors in government custody.
"I was not only gratified to see that it's working, but I was actually uplifted by what I saw," Mr. Becerra said. It was his first shelter tour since he was confirmed in mid-March.
There is broad agreement that the emergency shelters, run by the Health and Human Services Department's Office of Refugee Resettlement, are an improvement over the Border Patrol facilities. But interviews with children's advocates and a review of weeks of internal reports obtained by The New York Times paint a picture of a shelter system with wildly varying conditions, some of which are far below the standard of care that the Biden administration has promised.
"No foster care system in America would allow kids to remain in these sorts of places for weeks or months," said Ms. Welch, who has been visiting shelters and interviewing children about their stays.
None of the shelters are open to the public, and taking photographs is forbidden. Ms. Welch's organization monitors the government's adherence to a 1997 settlement that set conditions for how immigrant children are detained in the United States. Many organizations working with the federal government to provide care are not allowed to talk about what they see.
One of the children Ms. Welch met was a 10-year-old girl who had arrived at the border alone because her mother had been kidnapped on their journey north. She spent nearly three weeks in Border Patrol custody this year before she was transferred to the shelter in Erie, Pa.
The heat was broken in three rooms, including one with an isolated child who was sick with Covid-19 and complained about being cold. There were not enough clothes for the children to wear in Pennsylvania's chilly early springtime. And the shelter was understaffed, with volunteers "overextended, stressed and fatigued," according to a government assessment.
Cleaning was infrequent, as was trash removal. Gas leaked inside and outside where the children were living. The shelter closed on April 26.
Another shelter that opened in Houston closed months before the date officials had planned. The building, which housed 500 girls ages 13 to 17, had problems from the start, Ms. Welch said. She described the shelter as a warehouse with no access to the outdoors, where children went for days without bathing. The food made them sick, she said, and some had fainting spells from not eating. They were not allowed to go to the bathroom after 10 p.m., she said.
These emergency shelters are not bound by the law that sets a standard of care and are ordinarily overseen by the refugee office. That network of licensed shelters, with room for fewer than 10,000 children, is not big enough to handle the surge of migrants this year. Even that limited capacity decreased during the Trump administration, Biden aides say.
The emergency facilities were supposed to house migrant children for very short stays, but minors are remaining in Department of Health and Human Services custody for about a month.
"These facilities were designed and ramped up with the goal of achieving prompt reunification with parents, sponsors and legal guardians," said Maria M. Odom, the senior vice president for legal programs at Kids in Need of Defense.
But a significant shortage of case managers charged with placing the children with family members and other sponsors is extending the stays in these shelters. The government has hired contractors to fill those roles in some of the shelters, and federal employees from other agencies have volunteered to help. But it is far from enough.
Modest improvements recently have meant that more children are being discharged from government care each day than are being transferred in from Border Patrol. On Monday, 427 children were released from government custody and 358 were transferred in, according to recent data.
But unaccompanied children are still coming to the border; under Biden administration policy, they are being let in, not turned away as they were under the Trump administration.
At an emergency shelter in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, an immigration lawyer, described a facility intended to hold 2,000 children, mostly teenage boys. "It is literally a big ballroom with no exterior windows and typical fluorescent lighting" that never turn off, she said.
For weeks, internal documents have indicated an unmet need for urgent mental health consultations for the children. At times, there have been no mental health staff on site.
The Dallas shelter is closing at the end of the month because the lease is expiring, as is another emergency shelter in San Antonio. The Biden administration is looking to house more children at Fort Bliss, near El Paso, which has the largest emergency shelter in the network with room for more than 5,000 children. According to internal documents, the administration is planning to house up to 10,000 children there, half of whom would be 12 and under. About 4,400 teenagers currently live there.
"I am flabbergasted to learn that Fort Bliss will increase capacity to 10,000 beds," said Ellen Beattie, a director at the International Rescue Committee. She added that it was "hard to imagine this being in the best interest of the children there."
The government typically preferred to shelter younger children in smaller facilities, Ms. Beattie said.
Living conditions at the Fort Bliss shelter, which is made of soft-sided tents, are less than desirable. Ms. Welch, who visited late last month, said it smelled like a high school locker room. She spoke to children who had not received clean clothes in days.
Ms. Welch described precarious "bunk cots" for children to sleep in that can collapse when they are playing. The linens did not appear to be laundered regularly, she said.
While there is an option to play soccer outside in the Texas heat, some of the children told her they did not want to because they did not know when they would receive clean clothes.
The children "generally describe not feeling cared for and a sense of desperation," Ms. Welch said.
The Trump administration was widely criticized for the tent city it opened in Tornillo, Texas, on desert land outside El Paso that held more than 2,800 children and teenagers in 2019. "But Fort Bliss is much worse in every respect," Ms. Welch said, adding, "It goes against everything we know about the proper care and treatment of traumatized children."
After the Erie shelter closed, the 10-year-old girl, who stayed in the crowded Border Patrol facility for nearly three weeks, was transferred again, this time to a small emergency shelter in a remote location in Albion, Mich., Ms. Welch said. The girl and the other children in the shelter were loaded into vans and not given any explanation for why they were moving more than 300 miles away, Ms. Welch said. She visited the shelter last week, when there were 190 children, 12 and under. The facility was nearly 70 percent full.
The children sleep in bunk beds in a cabin for 14, Ms. Welch said. There is a living area, a small kitchen and a space to play games, like Connect Four.
"They're not being mistreated," Ms. Welch said. "But a lot of the kids are really sad because they want to be with their families, and they don't understand why it's taking so long."
Mr. Becerra said he blamed the immigration system for the situation.
"If we're going to have to function with this broken immigration system, let's at least do it right, let's do what we can," he said.
"I don't know what their ultimate fate will be," he added. "But I do know this — that while they are in my custody, they are going to be safe, and they're going to be cared for."
Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed reporting.
Tags: CarechildrenDesperationFederalMigrantSense
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New project seeks to build climate resilience at community health clinics
Harvard University is spearheading a new project to create a first-of-its-kind clinical framework focused on protecting the ability of safety-net clinics to provide care for patients during and after a climate-related disaster.
The university's Center for Climate Health and Global Environment has partnered with Cambridge, Mass.,-based biotechnology firm Biogen and global relief and development organization Americares on a multi-year pilot program to develop a climate resilience toolkit for community health clinics.
The toolkit is similar to previous ones developed by the federal government and several states designed to ensure hospital facilities are better prepared to handle potential operational disruptions caused by disasters like flooding or power outages, according to Dr. Aaron Bernstein, interim director of C-CHANGE at Harvard.
But Bernstein felt the focus on making healthcare facilities more resilient to natural disasters needed to shift toward developing resources that could prevent harm to people who are unable to get to care during those emergencies.
"For many Americans, their primary contact with healthcare is at a community health clinic, not at a hospital — to prevent harm, we can't rely on the relationships people may have with hospitals where they may occasionally have a procedure," Bernstein said. "So, it doesn't make sense to try and figure out a plan to deploy resources through hospitals because they don't necessarily have the regular contact with individuals at risk."
Nine community health centers in California, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Texas will participate in the project. The goal will be to create a climate resilience toolkit for clinics that will include developing screening checklists for clinicians to assess patients' vulnerability to climate change.
Other components of the toolkit will involve disease management plans to help patients and providers better prepare for extreme weather events like heatwaves, which have become more frequent over the past two decades and are responsible each year for more deaths than all other extreme weather incidents combined.
Participating clinics will provide information on challenges and opportunities for interventions for their patient populations. Bernstein said the hope is that the project can be scaled up to include up to 150 clinics over the next three years.
The project is the latest of a series of efforts to address the health threat caused by climate change.
Several of the country's largest health systems have committed to going carbon neutral over the next few years, with Kaiser Permanente becoming the first to reach that goal last September.
That same month, a group of medical educators led by Bernstein introduced a proposal to create the first medical education curriculum designed to prepare students for addressing the effects of climate change on care delivery.
EU regulator finds possible blood clot link with J&J vaccine, but says benefits outweigh risksWhy Minnesota's Largest Home Care Provider Doubled Down on Financial Management Services


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My name is Mycah Miller and I am a proud member of the fightin' Texas Aggie class of 2018! I am a sports conditioning major and have been active all my life, most recently playing soccer for the A&M Women's Club team. Through coaching soccer lessons and camps these past couple years I have found my love for working with kids and am so excited to continue doing that at MPower! I am also AFAA certified in group fitness and cannot wait to work with everyone.
Getting enough water also is important. Many experts recommend at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily—more if you exercise frequently or are exposed to extremes of heat and cold. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize drinking more water and other calorie-free beverages, along with fat-free or low-fat milk and 100 percent fruit juices, instead of calorie-packed regular sodas.
Obviously, the best treatment plan for poor nutrition is to change your diet. Most Americans eat too little of what they need and too much of that they don't. For many women, decreasing fat and sugar consumption and increasing fruit, vegetables and grains in your diet can make a big difference. Many women also need to boost consumption of foods containing fiber, calcium and folic acid. Compare your diet to that suggested by the food pyramid and compare your nutrient intake to the suggested daily levels. Adjust accordingly, and you may be able to dramatically improve your health.
Although canola oil appears to be good for the cardiovascular system, two Harvard studies have raised concerns that ALA might be bad for the prostate. In 1993, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study of 47,781 men published a major evaluation of dietary fat and prostate cancer. It found that saturated fat from animal sources such as red meat and whole-fat dairy products was linked to a 2.6-fold increase in prostate cancer. But the study also provided some disquieting news about ALA: Men who consumed the most ALA were 3.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than those who had the lowest dietary intake.
A year later, a second Harvard study added to the concern. The Physicians' Health Study of 20,885 men did not evaluate diet per se, but it did measure the blood levels of ALA in 120 men who developed prostate cancer and compared them with the levels in 120 men who remained free of the disease. Men with moderately high ALA blood levels were 3.4 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than men with the lowest levels; curiously, though, men with the very highest levels were only 2 times more likely to get the disease.
Packing your two-piece away for winter means you won't think about how you'll look in it until about April. Avoid any potential "how did my butt get this big?!" panics come spring by keeping your swimsuit handy and putting it on every so often to make sure you like what you see, says Tanya Becker, co-founder of the Physique 57 barre program. You can also toss it on when you're tempted to overindulge, she adds. "There's no better way to keep yourself from having that after-dinner cookie or slice of cake."
While women tend to need fewer calories than men, our requirements for certain vitamins and minerals are much higher. Hormonal changes associated with menstruation, child-bearing, and menopause mean that women have a higher risk of anemia, weakened bones, and osteoporosis, requiring a higher intake of nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin B9 (folate).
It's even more important for older people to stay hydrated. Age can bring a decreased sensitivity to thirst. Moreover, it's sometime harder for those who are feeble to get up and get something to drink. Or sometimes a problem with incontinence creates a hesitancy to drink enough. Those who are aging should make drinking water throughout the day a priority.
If you usually head to the gym after work, take heed: Mental exhaustion can make you feel physically exhausted, even when you have plenty of energy, reports a Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study. When people played a brain-draining computer game before exercising, they reported a subsequent workout as being harder, yet their muscles showed the same activity as they did doing the same workout after an easy mental game. So if you think you can't eke out those last 10 minutes on the rowing machine, remember: You can! [Tweet this motivation!]
Healthy eating is a way of eating that improves your health and helps prevent disease. It means choosing different types of healthy food from all of the food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and proteins), most of the time, in the correct amounts for you. Healthy eating also means not eating a lot of foods with added sugar, sodium (salt), and saturated and trans fats.
Published ten times per year, Women's Health magazine is a premier publication focused on the health, fitness, nutrition, and lifestyles of women. With a circulation of 1.5 million readers, you'll be in good company with a subscription to this successful magazine published by Rodale. From cover to cover, each issue will provide you with tips on improving every aspect of your life.
A workout partner not only keeps you accountable, she also may help you clock more time at the gym and torch more fat. A British survey of 1,000 women found that those who exercise with others tend to train six minutes longer and burn an extra 41 calories per session compared to solo fitness fanatics. [Tweet this fact!] Women with Bikram buddies and CrossFit comrades said they push themselves harder and are more motivated than when they hit the gym alone.
Lorelei had wanted to try yoga for years but had been making excuses until one morning she woke up and decided to work on doing more of the things she wanted to do. Eventually she started watching short YouTube yoga videos-one day she missed, and that day was when she realized how much yoga affected her not only on a physical level but a mental as well. She began to research, went to a week long intensive festival attending classes and workshops from instructors and physicians, took a college course on yoga, attended more festivals and then accomplished her 60hr Hot teacher training, and then her 200hr Yoga Teacher Certification. She looks forward to sharing what she has learned and excited to continue learning, smiling, and practicing with anyone willing to come play!
Calcium: "Getting enough calcium is important for all ages, but it's particularly important during adolescence and early adulthood, when bones are absorbing calcium," says Heather Schwartz, MS, RD, a medical nutrition therapist at Stanford University Hospital and Clinics. Calcium and vitamin D are often paired in fortified foods such as milk. The reason: The body needs D in order to absorb calcium.
Although growing bodies need plenty of energy in the form of calories, many children and teenagers consume way too many, says Ruth Frechman, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. The latest findings from federal surveys show that 18% of adolescents and teenagers are fatter than they should be. Kids who are obese are 16 times more likely than healthy weight children to become obese as adults, other findings show.
Omega-3s: These essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA, play many roles in the body, including building healthy brain and nerve cells. Some studies show that omega-3s, especially DHA, can help prevent preterm births. Even women who don't plan to have children should be sure to get plenty of omega-3s. These healthy oils have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, the number one killer of women.
If you are over the age of 50 (heck - even 40 and possibly 30) then this is not the magazine for you. Show me real female athletes of all ages and include more serious articles on women's issues. The final straw was seeing a Kardashian on the cover. No thanks. I felt like this was Cosmopolitan magazine and Entertainment Tonight wrapped in spandex. Going back to Runner's World and Prevention.
Don't fear the fats! Healthy fats provide the structural component to many cell membranes which are essential for cellular development and carrying various messages (hormones) through our body quickly. Protein is also responsible for hormone production, so it's important for women to get foods that will provide you with healthy fats and protein. Women's cycles can also deplete your body of B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium so you should be aware of your whole food intake and possibly choose to supplement (see above for more if it's right for you).
Grains, vegetables and fruits are essential to getting the vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates (starch and dietary fiber) and other nutrients you need to sustain good health. Some of these nutrients may even reduce your risk of certain kinds of cancer. But experts say we rarely eat enough of these foods. To make matters worse, we also eat too much of unhealthy types of food, including fat (and cholesterol), sugar and salt.
You can get calcium from dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese, canned fish with soft bones (sardines, anchovies and salmon; bones must be consumed to get the benefit of calcium), dark-green leafy vegetables (such as kale, mustard greens and turnip greens) and even tofu (if it's processed with calcium sulfate). Some foods are calcium-fortified; that is, they contain additional calcium. Examples include orange juice, certain cereals, soy milk and other breakfast foods. Talk to your health care professional about whether you should take calcium supplements if you don't think you're getting enough calcium from food sources.
All youth need calcium to build peak (maximum) bone mass during their early years of life. Low calcium intake is one important factor in the development of osteoporosis, a disease in which bone density decreases and leads to weak bones and future fractures. Women have a greater risk than men of developing osteoporosis. During adolescence and early adulthood, women should include good food sources of calcium in their diets This is when bone growth is occurring and calcium is being deposited into the bone. This occurs in women until they are 30 to 35 years of age. Women 25 to 50 years of age should have 1,000 mg of calcium each day, while women near or past menopause should have 1,200 mg of calcium daily if they are taking estrogen replacement therapy; otherwise, 1,500 mg per day is recommended. Women older than 65 years of age should have 1,500 mg per day.
It's full of health, diet, fitness, and inspiring articles. My first issue was 142 pages of wonderfully educational and motivating articles with clear pictures. It's easy to highlight the articles to read. This magazine is ideal for people that are interested in women's health covering all kinds of topics ranging from nutrition to working out and from meditating to parenting. It also includes ads for the latest in skincare products, makeup, gear, and food, which I like so that I know what to shop for. When I need motivated and inspired or need to refocus, this is the magazine I choose!
Most Americans get far more protein than they really need. In theory, that may not be wise. Like carbohydrates, protein provides 4 calories per gram, and excess calories from any source will be stored as body fat. Excess dietary protein increases calcium loss in the urine, perhaps raising the risk for osteoporosis ("thin bones," more a worry for women) and kidney stones (a particular worry for men).
Even if you are the most independent exerciser around, give a group fitness class a shot at least once a week—you may find that you enjoy it more than sweating solo. "Happiness and health are shared through social connectedness and closeness," says Greg Chertok, director of sport psychology at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey. "Geography and proximity are predictors of how contagious emotions can be, and this may translate into an athletic environment too." Sign up for Bikram, CrossFit, spin, or Zumba, and you could find yourself—gasp!—smiling at the gym thanks to your classmates.
A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and one 30 or above is considered obese. For an idea of what this means, a 5-foot 5-inch woman who weighs 150 pounds is overweight with a BMI of 25. At 180 pounds, she would be considered obese, with a BMI of 30. Keep in mind that the tables aren't always accurate, especially if you have a high muscle mass; are pregnant, nursing, frail or elderly; or if you are a teenager (i.e., still growing).
Folic acid: This form of B vitamin helps prevent neural tube defects, especially spina bifida and anencephaly. These defects can be devastating and fatal. Many foods are now fortified with folic acid. Most women get enough as part of their diet through foods such as leafy greens, a rich source of folic acid. However, some doctors recommend that women take a pregnancy supplement that includes folic acid, just to make sure they are getting the recommended 400 to 800 micrograms.
Calcium may even be harmful for men, at least in large amounts. The worry is prostate cancer, and two Harvard studies have raised the alarm. In 1998, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study found that a high consumption of calcium from food or supplements was linked to an increased risk of advanced prostate cancer. The risk was greatest in men who got more than 2,000 mg a day. More recently, the U.S. Physicians' Health Study reported that a high consumption of calcium from dairy products appeared to increase a man's risk of prostate cancer by up to 37%. A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle also found a link between calcium and advanced prostate cancer.


text:
La Segunda División de Lesoto, oficialmente Lesotho A-Division es la segunda división de fútbol de Lesoto, fue creada en 1988 y es organizada por la Asociación de Fútbol de Lesoto.

La temporada se disputa desde agosto a mayo del año siguiente, participan un total de 36 equipos divididos en 2 grupos de 18 cada uno.

El campeón y el subcampeón asciende a la Primera División de Lesoto.

Equipos 2020-21

Grupo Norte
 Butha-Buthe Warriors FC
 Galaxy FC
 Ketane FC
 Lerotholi Polytechnic FC
 Lilemela FC
 Limkokwing University FC
 Lits'ilo FC
 Mzamane FC
 Sefothafotha Young Stars FC
 Sky Battalion FC

Grupo Sur
 ACE Maseru FC
 CF Rydo
 Lithabaneng Golden FC
 Machokha FC
 Majantja FC
 Naughty Boys FC
 Qacha's Nek LMPS FC
 Qoaling Highlanders FC
 Quthing LMPS FC
 Roma Boys FC

Palmarés

Títulos por club

Véase también
 Primera División de Lesoto
 Copa de Lesoto
 Selección de fútbol de Lesoto

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 LFA - web oficial

Fútbol en Lesoto

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
<?php

/**
 * Tinebase_Model_Filter_Relation
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 * @subpackage  Filter
 *
 * filters own ids match result of related filter
 *
 * <code>
 *      'contact'        => array('filter' => 'Tinebase_Model_Filter_Relation', 'options' => array(
 *          'related_model'     => 'Addressbook_Model_Contact',
 *          'filtergroup'    => 'Addressbook_Model_ContactFilter'
 *      )
 * </code>
 */
class Tinebase_Model_Filter_Relation extends Tinebase_Model_Filter_ForeignRecord
{
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     * @var array
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    /**
     * get foreign controller
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     * @return Tinebase_Controller_Record_Abstract
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    protected function _getController()
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        if (Tinebase_Core::isLogLevel(Zend_Log::DEBUG)) Tinebase_Core::getLogger()->debug(__METHOD__ . '::' . __LINE__ . ' '
            . 'Adding Relation filter: ' . $_backend->getModelName() . ' <-> ' . $this->_options['related_model']);

        $this->_resolveForeignIds();
        $ownIds = $this->_getOwnIds($_backend->getModelName());

        $idField = array_key_exists('idProperty', $this->_options) ? $this->_options['idProperty'] : 'id';
        $db = $_backend->getAdapter();
        $qField = $db->quoteIdentifier($_backend->getTableName() . '.' . $idField);
        $_select->where($db->quoteInto("$qField IN (?)", empty($ownIds) ? ' ' : $ownIds));
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    /**
     * resolve foreign ids
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            if (Tinebase_Core::isLogLevel(Zend_Log::TRACE)) Tinebase_Core::getLogger()->trace(__METHOD__ . '::' . __LINE__ . ' foreign filter values: '
                . print_r($this->_filterGroup->toArray(), TRUE));
            $this->_foreignIds = $this->_getController()->search($this->_filterGroup, NULL, FALSE, TRUE);
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        if (Tinebase_Core::isLogLevel(Zend_Log::TRACE)) Tinebase_Core::getLogger()->trace(__METHOD__ . '::' . __LINE__ . ' foreign ids: '
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            if ($filters[$idx]['field'] === 'relation_type') {
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}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


You've just had a fight with your partner or a confrontation with a colleague. Now your heart's racing, and you're struggling to think straight. What should you do?
Psychologists are not short on ideas for how to calm yourself down after a stressful experience. Seek out a friend? Yes, there's good evidence that can help. But what if there's no friend to hand? You could try to alter your view of what just happened from "Disaster!" to "Not really so bad".
But it can be difficult to engage in this kind of "cognitive reappraisal" when you're in the immediate aftermath of a stressful event – perhaps because acute stress compromises the neural circuitry that's involved in emotion regulation.
Your brain needs help if it's to quickly regain control. And, according to a new study published in Nature Human Behaviour, you can provide it by thinking back over good times.
Mauricio Delgado and Megan Speer at Rutgers University, US, made 134 volunteers feel stressed by videoing them while they plunged their hands into icy water. Some then spent 14 seconds reminiscing about a positive experience (like visiting Disneyland) while others reflected on an emotionally neutral event (such as getting luggage ready for the trip).
Afterwards, the group who'd recalled happy memories felt better, but not only that: the expected rise in their levels of the stress hormone cortisol was only 15 per cent, on average, of the surge observed in the neutral memory group. Thinking about happy memories, then, went right to the heart of the physiological stress response.
To explore how, Delgado and Speer used the same technique as before to stress a fresh group of volunteers and then had them reminisce about their own positive or neutral experiences while they scanned their brains using fMRI. The pair found that recollecting good, but not neutral, memories was associated with increased activity in prefrontal brain regions associated with emotion regulation and cognitive control – the same regions suppressed by acute stress – as well as in corticostriatal regions associated with the processing of reward.
"Engagement of cortical regions previously linked to emotion regulatory functions may be significant for enhancing or sustaining pleasant feelings during positive reminiscence, thus dampening the physiological stress response," the researchers concluded.
The idea that thinking about positive past events, including achievements or successes, can help to improve ongoing mood and resilience to stress is certainly not new. But showing that simply recalling happy memories can combat acute stress at a physical level is important, since there's plenty of research finding that people who tend to calm down physiologically soon after stressful events are generally healthier, both physically and psychologically, over the long term.
There are a few caveats. This work was on healthy adults. People with depression usually find it hard to recall positive memories, so this technique may not work well for them. And it's not clear yet whether any technique that makes you feel positive emotions would be effective or if there's something special about reminiscing. But this is at least a simple method, and one that in theory many people could try.
Pingback: Your Memories Can Reduce Stress Levels in Just 14 Seconds, According to This Neuroscience Hack - inc-asean.cominc-asean.com | Asia's most extraordinary people. The most dynamic businesses.


Italy's FAZ WALTZ have been around for a while, they started as a glammy pop band with strong BOWIE and BOLAN influences before slowly evolving to the boot boy side of glam/glitter rock, in a GIUDA way.
Thsi new 7′ is out on Spaghetty Town Records. "Julie" mixes 70s UK influences such as SLADE to CHEAP TRICK's pop songwriting. The other song, "I'm Bleedin'" has a sweet bubblegum touch that will make you want to listen to more! As usual with Spaghetty Town, this is highly recommended! /Laurent C.


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text:
The next part of my Big Trip is a train journey right across Canada. And Canada is definitely big. I'm excited to be travelling across the second largest country in the world, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. And I'm running parallel with the the world's longest bi-national land border -5,525 miles of it. (That makes for interesting politics and relationships with the USA). In addition, Canada has more lake surface area than the rest of the world's lakes combined.
I'm making stopovers in Canada's three largest metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montreal, and, first of all Vancouver. But I've decided there isn't time for Ottawa (which people are often surprised to learn is the capital.)
The area that is now Canada has been continuously inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. From the sixteenth century onwards British and French expeditions explored settled there. In 1763 France was eventually forced to cede nearly all of its colonies in North America to Great Britain. Though it left the legacy of its language and Canada remans an officially bilingual country. Canada, the nation, formally came into being in 1867, as a federal dominion of four provinces.
The name Canada, derives from Jaques Cartier, a French explorer. The locals, invited his team to their 'kanata' or village, which Cartier mistakenly thought was the the name of the country. Over time Canada has become increasingly autonomous, and increasingly wealthy. It runs its own parliamentary democracy, though the Queen remains the nominal Head of State. This is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations and one of the most educated countries. Over half its residents have college degrees.
Vancouver grew, and made its money through its natural harbour. It became a hugely important trading link. But the city traces its origins to the site of a makeshift tavern on the edge of a mill. The owner was known as Gassy Jack so the area was called Gastown. The original site is marked by the Gastown steam clock, which still steams away. The city was renamed Vancouver in 1886, through a deal with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). (He was a British. naval explorer).Vancouver gave rise to Greenpeace in 1969 and is home to the TED conferences. Its been awarded the twin accolades of best place in the world to live and one of the most expensive.
A Trolley Bus Tour of Vancouver
And shellshock. It's freezing (well 12 degrees) and pouring with rain in Canada. Full of jet lag (I've lost 5 hours this time, coming from Fiji) and shivering, so I decide the best option is a trolley bus tour to refresh my memories of 'The Number 1 Place in the World to Live'. Except that the windows all steam up, so I can't see out and it's so cloudy that there isn't much to see anyway.
I remember that Vancouver has great mountain scenery and a fabulous harbour, best seen from a viewpoint the other side of the harbour. Other than the views the highlights were the Museum of Anthropology - totem poles and Native American carvings and boats-, the old section, around the Gas Clock, and the terrifying pedestrian Capilano Suspension Bridge (not to be confused with the small iron Port Mann coathanger in the harbour, which I understand has now been blown up and replaced with a brand new suspension bridge).
But today I will have to accept what I'm told and rely on my memories. The driver says it's the first day of fall and it always rains in the fall. If I recollect correctly it rained the last time I came, and that was in the spring.
A quick foray into the mall to stock up on fleeces seems a good idea. I also buy an umbrella so that I can shield my camera from the downpour. Then I take a risk and get off the trolley in Stanley Park to take pictures of city scrapers across the water and the totem poles. The umbrella idea doesn't work; practical multi tasking is beyond me, as I can't balance the brolly and depress the button at the same time. (Last visit's pictures were better). It's tipping it down really hard and there is little shelter so I decide I had better walk up to the next stop. Cars driving past take great delight in sending up great waves of water as they speed along. I am drenched. Finally I flag down another trolley bus. Then it breaks down.
And the people are so grumpy and rude. Is it the weather? I've been barged past repeatedly. If you give way or hold the door no-one says thank you. I even had a battle with the taxi driver yesterday who tried to cheat me. And when I try to chat to people on the bus they look at me as if I'm mad.
The only good thing I have to report is that the leaves on the trees here are beginning to turn. That augurs well for the rest of the trip. And at least I leave tonight.
On my last trip here I flew the 60 miles over to Vancouver Island.( I got the ferry back) The American president's Airforce 1 was sitting on the runway. It's a scenic and worthwhile visit. Victoria, capital of British Columbia on the tip, is full of colonial charm. It is the southernmost major city in Western Canada and one of the oldest in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1843. The city's most famous landmark is the Parliament Buildings, home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The city's Chinatown is the second oldest in North America after San Francisco's. There is also a huge Japanese influence.
I stayed in the harbour city of Nanaimo, with friend Jenny's relatives. Nanaimo is possibly most famous for having a chocolate dessert name after it, though there is some suggestion that the recipe was actually stolen from an earlier bar called London Fog.
The mountain scenery is stunning. There's a range named Golden Hinde after Drake's ship. The Pacific Rim Park on the west coast is bleak blustery and wonderful.
En Train -The Canadian
The train chugs past hills that gradually increase in height to mountains capped with the first snow of the winter, turquoise rivers and endless fir trees mingled with birch and aspen. These are turning a golden yellow and when the sun peeps out, as it does on occasion, the views are glorious. Unfortunately, there is still some rain as well. There are very few inhabitants, just the odd lumberjack at a saw mill or floating logs or a farmhand feeding the pigs and a sprinkle of log cabins.
The VIA Rail train - (The Canadian) is great fun. (And a great deal cheaper than the Rocky Mountaineer). It's fifties refurbished steel, typical diner style and is very long. They board economy on a different platform and then hook the cars on the front. There are observation cars and a dining car as well as an activities car. I expect I shall avoid that. I have a dinky little cabin with my own washbasin, a toilet that doubles as a foot stool (a little bizarre) and a fold down bed.
The other passengers seem to be tour groups, mostly grizzlies of American/Australian nationality, several English. We travel at snail's pace for the first part of the journey, leaving in the evening, when we are offered champagne and canapés to celebrate. The steward says that he had been instructed to give us one glass each. Then he winks and tells us that if our glass is empty that means he can give us one glass. And he hands me a tumbler full anyway.
On Board the Canadian
Using the camera is even more problematic than trying to photograph fish, with the rain and reflections. The train speeds up at all the wrong moments or a tree, another train or power lines appear just as I squeeze the trigger. I suspect most of the collection so far will have to be deleted. The food is flowing freely. It's like being on a cruise. Other than the three main meals, in the dining car, there are drinks, pastries and fruit being handed out all day.
The Canadian Rockies
Jenny and I drove from Vancouver into the Rocky Mountains, passing Whistler and being forced to take a 200 mile diversion, as there was a landslide. Jenny got stopped for speeding and received a long lecture from the Mountie, who then let us off. The snow was gorgeous and there was plenty of it still at Easter. We skirted Lake Maligne and skied at Silverstar in the Monashee Mountains. It turned out, fortuitously, that Jenny's cousin lived in Vernon, nearby and made ski videos. Surprisingly and delightfully, the slopes were deserted.
Over the continental divide and into Alberta and the white capped mountains of Banff National Park. The centrepiece is Lake Louise (frozen and glittery).
Jasper, Canada
This afternoon I'm back into Alberta on my train, losing yet another hour, and stopping at Jasper in the centre of Canada's largest Rocky Mountain park. Five hundred and fifty miles so far. When Jenny and I got to Jasper, we walked down the high street with an elk. This time no elks in town - they have been discouraged, but a pair are swimming in a river. Jasper is still a two street town, but it's a good opportunity for me to get a little exercise and take some pictures that aren't blurred. And it is just like a cruise, as everyone piles off and hits the shops with instructions to make sure that they are back on time. Which doesn't give us long, as the train is already running fifty minutes late.
Onwards Through Alberta
I have palled up with a lady called Hilary, who has the 'roomette' opposite mine. She departs with her tour group at Jasper, so I speak to the attendant, Dionne (who only attends to sleeping quietly in his own cabin as far as I can see) and establish that no-one will be occupying her space until tomorrow. So I requisition it as my en-suite. That means I can leave the bed down in my room and admire the scenery of Canada from under my warm duvet.
I've slept through Edmonton at midnight and now we're heading for Saskatchewan and then Manitoba and the loss of yet another hour. The pace is very variable. Sometimes we really crawl and we often have to stop entirely and wait for the two mile long freight trains to pass, as they apparently have precedence. We only speed up if there is a photo opportunity. In an unexpected burst of energy Dionne tells me that the train has been known to run as much as 18 hours behind.
We have left the mountains behind, and for some time I can see only forest in every direction. Then the landscape flattens into prairies and skyscraper silos, but it still holds the eye. To my surprise, I am too engrossed to read at all. The wheat fields are prettier than their American cousins, more undulating, interspersed with areas of wetland, rippling reed mace and waterfowl, dappled with sunshine. A stag is drinking at one lake. There is a smattering of chocolate roll hay bales - very David Hockney. And the trees are definitely looking more and more autumnal. There are also giant heaps of pink potash.
Surprisingly, Saskatchewan and Alberta are the only landlocked provinces of Canada. Huge Hudson Bay to the north dips down to Manitoba. Saskatchewan has 100,000 lakes though - 10% of its total area. No sea means no moderating bodies of water, so the winters here are severe. Temperatures below - 45 °C are possible. And, confusingly, today, the temperature has climbed up past 20 degrees in sunny Saskatchewan and my cabin has turned from fridge to oven. It's great that the increasingly mellow foliage is magnificently illuminated.
I leap off at Saskatoon (great name), the capital of Saskatchewan, and home to half the inhabitants of the province. But there is nothing there to see. A grubby little station, a few trees and a lot of railway sidings. Still, it's sunny, if very fresh, and I loiter very close to the train. I'm terrified it will leave without me.
Manitoba is the centre of Canada, the most easterly of the three great prairie provinces. There are some stunning river valley views. It's just a shame the train is going too fast to take many decent pictures. I leap off the train again at the capital, Winnipeg, but it's nine in the evening and everything is closed, except for a pub. Just time to pick up some WiFi and do my emails. Catching up with work is a good way to get stressed just before bedtime....
Playing Sardines
Life in a sardine can is becoming a little tiresome, especially as I am now deprived of my en-suite. I can't reach or find anything without scrabbling around and banging my head. I have to reverse back down the corridor every time I meet someone going the other way. The other passengers, are not super friendly. Neither is the service. One of the waitresses is called Sunny and she is not aptly named. Slip-Slap-Slop would be more appropriate.
My fellow tourists seem to spend the majority of their time on board sleeping. I've ended up eating most of my meals with some Germans, so the conversation hasn't exactly flowed. As you will probably have deduced by now I'm grumpy; I haven't been sleeping very well. The train is noisy, there are numerous untraceable rattles, and it bumps along; the track was so bad last night that I was convinced that a derailment was imminent.
The scenery is still fascinating, however. Now we're traversing Ontario - it's massive. It's going to take nearly two days to cross, and it's been forests and lakes glittering in the sun all day. There are endless skinny spiked firs, but their sombre green is continually enlivened with the fiery orange and yellow of birch and aspen and the odd crimson carpet.
Various activities are announced as we roll along. We even have musicians on board. They are very pleasant girls, I was chatting to them yesterday at dinner. But I refuse to take time out from the view. I even forgo lunch today. Though, to be honest, I'm still suffering from my late breakfast. And there are mountains of free fruit, not to mention cookies and croissants, in the park cars.
Today's stop is at Hornepayne, which appears to be a fifties 'old' station, with a few murals and, quel surprise ( have to practise the French again), little else. Talking of French, it's very reassuring listening to the English speaking Canadians attempting to make their announcements in French. Their accent is truly execrable and it's peppered with 'ooh la las'. I can't decide if they are being deliberately subversive.
An Itchy Night
More drama - at dinner I begin to itch and when I undress later, in the hopes of a good night's sleep to end my journey I discover that my whole body is covered in red angry bites. Really odd as I've been fully clothed the whole trip. I summon my new cabin attendant, who luckily takes her job a little more seriously than Dionne and we strip the bed and examine it for wildlife. Nothing to be seen, but she replaces the whole lot. The only other possibility is the shower, which is at the end of the corridor. I shan't be having another one of those till I get to my hotel. Meanwhile, here's to an itchy night.
I had thought the Canadians were trying to make up for other shortcomings by personalising the phone service, but it seems that Rogers is the Canada equivalent of Vodafone. I'm in Toronto, drinking what is billed as the best apple martini in the world. It probably is too. The steak is pretty wonderful as well! Ah civilisation!!!!!! My agent must have got a good deal on this hotel - The Royal York, polished wood, chandeliers and its own little arcade of shops.
I woke up to a completely different world. Little homesteads, clapboard houses and crimson trees. I've done very well. The weather is unseasonably gorgeous, I seem to be dragging a warm front along with me and fall is at its peak. I'm not sorry to leave the train. I had the service manager taking photos of my bites and an itchy night. When I finally got off the train the ground was still swaying and I thought for a moment I was in a time slip. London, Kingston and Brentford were all on the departure board.
Toronto - Deja Vu
Toronto is pretty much as I expected. It's the biggest city in Canada, the fourth biggest in North America and a cultural centre. The TV networks are based here. But it's unremarkable. Half the place seems to be under reconstruction, which might account for the whiffs of sewage I keep experiencing. Perhaps the most interesting area is fashionable Yorkville (Toronto was initially called York). with its high-end boutiques, galleries and design studios, especially on Bloor Street's "Mink Mile." Here are the chic cafes, polished bars and fine-dining restaurants. Its posh hotels host Hollywood insiders during the Toronto International Film Festival. Side streets are lined with picture-postcard Victorian homes with ornamental gardens.
Otherwise, I replicate past city jaunts. Up the CN tower, an open top bus tour and out in a boat to see the skyline view from Lake Ontario. It's very pleasant, and how can I complain when there isn't a cloud in the sky? But it's all been done better elsewhere on the trip. (Except possibly for the martini.)
Montreal - Perfecte
I'm still itching. And my face is still red; my nose has begun to peel again. However, the glorious weather continues and I'm about to catch the train again, to Montreal. My body hasn't realised it's left the train yet. I'm sure we pulled out of a station as I got out of bed this morning. Today's journey is initially a mixture of suburbia and views across Lake Ontario, then farmland and woods, as we follow the St Lawrence River.
To begin with, Montreal is a little daunting. The French announcements take precedence over the English ones the second we enter Quebec; all the signs and billboards are in French. However, on short acquaintance Montreal promises much more than Toronto. It has atmosphere, a proper old town and port (as in eighteenth century), which has character, cobbled streets full of cafes, bars and those expensive boutiques that have wooden floors and one rack of clothes. You would have to say it was both hip and happening.
I stroll along the waterfront taking pictures of the museums and bridge in the sunset . The trees are just the sort of bright autumn red that you only see in photographs. I can prove it. And best of all, the inhabitants move smoothly from French to English without batting an eyelid, let alone tutting at your effrontery in using English or your poor French grammar. Perfecte.
Mont Real
A walking tour of Montreal today. It's actually built on an island in the St Lawrence River, surrounded by smaller islands. Up 400 steps to the Mount Royal Park lookout in the centre of the Island of Montreal. (The penny has just dropped - it's not Mon-tree-all it's Mont Real. Though the original name was Ville-Marie.) I discover plenty of fall colour. The trees here are like a tequila sunrise, yellow at the bottom, turning to flame orange in the middle and vermilion on top. And still a perfect blue sky backdrop.
I also find a festival preceding a football game, complete with cheerleaders and whooping. Montreal is renowned for its festivals - it hosts the largest jazz festival in the world. More great views across the town and river. Scrambling down a gravel side path, in an attempt to avoid all the joggers, I am pelted by acorns. It's not windy - is it the squirrels? Anyway, they hurt, a lot. I'm really glad I've never been hit by a coconut.
Then all through downtown, it's just like walking down Oxford Street, Chinatown (nice dragon gates) and back to the old port and town. A fire engine goes past, lights flashing. (They don't pin pon here, they wail ). The town is thronging with locals enjoying the sun and again, there is lively music and street performers on every corner.
A side trip to Quebec City today, as folk I meet keep telling me it is the most interesting city in Canada. It takes me three hours each way on the train, but it is easily worth it. Anyway, the trains here are decidedly superior to what we get back home. Well designed, comfy, lots of space and free WiFi .
I feel as if I've been teleported to another continent. The name Quebec comes from the The Algonquian word Kébec, meaning "where the river narrows". This is still the St Lawrence, but it's now a seaway. The station is a little green roofed palace with turrets and I climb up a very steep hill (lots of exercise today as I've given up on tour buses and bought a map instead) to a seventeenth century (positively ancient in North America) walled town perched up above the river. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Quebec City - C'est Magnifique
The views are stunning in all directions. The water is wide, blue and full of boats framed by the autumn foliage. The town itself is high end quaint (rather than hip), neatly colourful and full of jolly buskers catering to the tourist groups milling in the narrow streets. The legendary Chateau Frontenac towers over it all. It's apparently the most photographed hotel in the world. It's also a sister to The Royal York in Toronto. I wonder if my agent could have got a deal on this one?
There's also the Citadelle of Quebec, an intact fortress that forms the centrepiece of the ramparts surrounding the old city, the National Assembly of Quebec and several impressive looking museums. Even the vistas out of the train window are picture perfect. If you painted a watercolour you would have to use 5/7 of a rainbow. The first four colours for the trees and the blue for the sky. Still not a cloud in sight - left them all in Vancouver. Brilliant.
I'm exhausted. It will be good to rest on a train again all day tomorrow after all this climbing. Montreal or Quebec? It's rather like choosing between Savannah and Charlestown. Savannah's cuter, but I'd rather live in Charlestown.
The Ocean Train, Canada
I'm on my way to Halifax, and this train is called The Ocean. It's newer than the last one - they say that it was British, originally constructed for the Channel Tunnel and then deemed not to be suitable. They are very big on safety too. We get briefings about emergency exits and how to break the glass - perhaps it's because of all the recent train crashes. This time I have a double cabin to myself, so it does have an en-suite.
Into New Brunswick, losing yet another hour and out into the Gulf of St Lawrence. The hills across the water are so red they are glowing. Whole villages of clapboard now and little white churches with steeples. Incredible intense colour. The fallfest has already exceeded my expectations. Anything else will be a bonus.
Chugging, finally into Nova Scotia. The French literally translates as New Scotland, but to start it looks more like Holland, very flat, very green, with those tall modern windmills. This terrain alternates with hills like the rolling downs of Sussex. The houses are more grey, blue and green pastels. I've finally crossed Canada and the American continent and arrived on the Atlantic shore.
Halifax, Canada -Water, Water, Everywhere
First impressions - Halifax is very quiet. No taxis at the station - I have to get the nice man in the hotel next door to call me one.
My luck finally gave out; it's raining. It's the only rainy day forecast this week and the only day I have in Halifax. The town round the docks looks just like home. Grey, wet, red brick Victorian blocks, lots of pubs. (More per capita than anywhere else in America.) Halifax is one of the contenders for first or second biggest natural harbour in the world. Apparently Sydney, Poole, Cork and Falmouth are all in the running, but no-one seems quite sure who the winner is. Halifax very modestly bill themselves as second. (Sydney used to be the uncontested victor but has reclaimed too much land.) Anyway, (pause for breath) I can just about see it out of my window, through the murk. My hotel is nine steep blocks up from the harbour, which is all boardwalk. The room is described as 'beachfront'.
It's pouring too hard to do any real exploring. I had planned to go down the coast and look for lighthouses. A short trip to the waterfront instead.
Halifax Waterfront
It's very end of season down on the wharf. Half the little gaily painted booths are shut and all the tall ships are standing idle. There are a few brave tourists off a cruise ship and I can just about make out the lighthouse on an island across the water. There is still a little excitement, as there are not one, but two, soggy marches going on in town. To my delight, there are drums, announcing a stream of native Americans, complete with feathered war bonnets, followed by a troop of Mounties in ceremonial dress. It's the annual celebration of the signing of the treaty (1725) between the British and the Mi'kmaw people, the original inhabitants of the area. Vying for space in the little square, and seemingly unaware that they have competition, are the feather boa wearing dancers of a breast cancer awareness group.
A detour to Citadel Hill, where there have been a succession of four fortifications constructed since the city was founded by the English, in 1749. They were all referred to as Fort George - but only the third one was officially named Fort George. The last incarnation is a concrete star fort, restored to its Victorian splendour.
There are also numerous bijoux eateries, predictably touting the French Canadian 'delicacy', poutine ( fries and cheese curds topped with brown gravy) and seafood. Lobster calls...then New England..


BMS is about to end, what do you want to do? Dhandho karvo che!
Beg your pardon? Business, business daalna hai!
After 3 years of rigorous studies you want to give it all up and sit in a shop? No man, that's not what I mean..
Then what is it that you mean? I want to do something of my own, you know like my very own thing not working under someone I want to be my own boss!
Good good, jokes apart career bolo baba..? three years of learning all about commerce, work, companies and I can't even talk about starting my own thing.. if only BMS taught us something worthwhile!
It surely does! BMS aka Bachelor of Management Studies has this one big and super important subject in your final year and mind you it's a compulsory subject that will teach you to become independent on your own right and this is the Subject called Entrepreneurship And Management Of Small And Medium Enterprises.
So what is this complicated spelling thingy you ask, and hello spelling galat likha toh marks katega nai na? lol surely katega!
But that apart an entrepreneur in simple words is a business man, some one who starts her own thing, invests in the required capital, employs people and gets them working in order to earn profits and take liability of all the losses made herself.
Someone who is a leader and a risk taker, this brand of people they don't fear losses, they just don't fear anything, they have a passion for whatever they do and they want to make a career out of it. So if you are passionate about clothes and you start your own cloth manufacturing unit, maybe a small one but if you do it yourself instead of working under someone then you are an entrepreneur.
Not all of us are that fire brand risk takers in life, some of us prefer stability and so you shall ask me why in the name of heaven isn't this an optional subject?
Well, we all are the masters of our own lives and subjects like entrepreneurship make sure that we harness the qualities of independence and leadership within us. This subject teaches you about the different kinds of people you come across, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and managers and the understanding of these three types is essential to know people in their personal lives as well.
This subject has so many aspects of the process of starting your own thing explained methodically that even if you don't plan on becoming an entrepreneur the little things like making plans, dealing with problems, foresight in risks, dealing with losses end up helping you shape up a variety of aspects in life.
Sounds like a lot of studies, and T.Y ka load why do these things in the final year ?students complain, now is it even interesting or is it like a bunch of self help theories we need to mug up that too with elaborate spellings?
The interest levels of entrepreneurship as a subject can be determined by no one but you! This is one subject where every theory, every distinguish between and all those pages and pages of case studies can be related with in real life quite simply! When in doubt on how to understand the characteristics of a leader you can just think up of Ratan Tata and bam you can list down 10 qualities more than that were mentioned in the text book, think of Dr. Verghese Kurien for rural entrepreneur or maybe Bill Gates foundation for social entrepreneur!
The best part of studying this subject is that it doesn't fail to inspire you to become big in life, just all of this reading up on people makes you want to grow in life.
It can be way cool a subject provided you take it in the right spirit, bad attitudes have an issue everywhere anyways!
So what is the Syllabus and what about Small and medium enterprises, how to study so much?
SME's are very easy to understand and form about 25% of your syllabus. Tip will be to study SME and finish those chapters first so that you know those 25% marks are in your pocket anyways.
The Syllabus is divided into 4 Units and like I said earlier you need to do up Unit 4 i.e. SME's first and get it out of the way.
The theories in Unit 1 can be a little boring, so do them up immediately after the Unit 4. You can continue studying the remaining chapters as per the order mentioned in your textbook.
Check out the detailed syllabus and reference books Here!
So now comes the big question? How do I study in order to score maximum?
If you want to really score good would be to read the entire text book like a novel and keep a time limit for that. You will totally forget the previous chapters the very first time you finish reading, but just take up the chapters and read them. Don't look at the case studies or short notes, concepts and question answers. Just Read through and your choice of textbook is very important while you do this. The RPH textbook is way too bulky so take up the Vipul Prakarshan textbook and read through like a novel within a week's time.
So when I say read through doesn't mean don't understand, read and try and keep as much as you can in your memory.
Step Two is to make Notes!
All the questions given at the back of each chapter, frame answers for them; you are grown up enough to know that any answer needs a introduction, definition, meaning, answer and conclusion. So do up all your long answer questions, while you do this many of your short answers and notes/ concepts will get covered.
Follow up step 3 as Concepts, Notes and Short Answers; whatever was left out!
So a chapter of average length in finding answers completely should not take more than 3 days. It's an important subject and you need to put in efforts, so no grumbling.. work in advance but do this answer formation exercise rigorously. Of course while you frame answers you do not need to always write the whole thing, write down the black quoted points or the head points and make sure you have the diagram made this completes your notes very easily.
Now that everything is ready and read once, take up past university question papers or important questions given at college/ coaching classes (not that you need coaching classes for this subject) and revise.
Don't even argue that the paper pattern has changed, because the syllabus is still the same and so the weight-age may change but the answer that is important is going to remain important.
Now that you have done up with all of this, take up case studies from all textbooks and past board papers available and go through them, because they are instrumental in getting you good scores and at times you may forget the answer but a similar case study might help you write something.
After you have completed all of this from the Vipul text book, assess yourself based on the time at hand. This textbook does not cover everything that is necessary from university point of view and so if you have decent amount of time at hand take the RPH textbook and do up certain concepts from there that have appeared in the past papers. If short on time, grab the Sheth publication text book, it's short and concise and makes sure it tells the answers to the point to ensure you have adequate revision done on exam day.
Tackling the Entrepreneurship paper is more about how you write it than what you write in it, well sequenced answers, with diagrams, well underlined and black quoted points and neatness is what will give you the upper edge over the millions of other BMSites.
Use a lot of examples in your answers, Entrepreneurship is a subject where hunting and thinking up of examples is not at all a tough task and eventually it all boils down to how well you can explain the answers to your examiner, so what better than examples to support them.
1. Do I need to join coaching classes?
2. How many hours a week, should I devote to this subject?
2 hours every day to score excellent, 2 hours on alternate days to pass.
3. Do I need to ratta maar?
4. Is it very difficult to pass?
5. Is it difficult to score?
Yes, you need to work hard to score good marks.
1. Entrepreneur – Someone who starts his own business, is willing to invest his own money and bear his own losses.
2. Intrapreneur – Someone who works as an entrepreneur within an organization, takes responsibility minus the financial investment.
3. Manager – Someone who manages, monitors, guides and supports a batch of people working in an organization.
4. Leader – Someone, who looks after the well fare of the people according the circumstances he is placed into.
5. Woman entrepreneur – A woman who has moved away from the traditional norms of a male dominated society and has set up her own enterprise.
6. Social entrepreneur- Someone who takes into account the problems of the society and tries to help in overcoming them while making his own gains as well.
7. NGO- Non-governmental organization,these are bodies or organizations working selflessly and independently in order to look after the interests of the society without expecting any returns.
8. EDP – Entrepreneurship development programme is the programme created by the government in order to help the youth of the nation develop traits and abilities to become entrepreneurs. It helps by teaching, guiding and mentoring them to be able to become self employed and generate gainful employment for themselves and others in the process.
9. SWOT- strengths – weakness – opportunities and threats the SWOT analysis helps to analyse a business or an idea on these four core parameters and compare its internal as well as external environmental factors.
10. SME – small and medium enterprises are undertakings or companies that are small in size and help in the development of an economy due to its convenient small size and requirement of limited number of employees and capital in order to function.
Did You Know: What is a Startup?
A startup is a popular term used by business men and entrepreneurs to talk about a company that has been recently started, even though start-ups are new or small there is every chance of the startup's owner becoming a millionaire in a short span of time of start-ups are characterized by the creativity and innovative approach of someone with a vision and a dream to grow. They are not like the pre-set and years into functioning companies, these startups have no dogma or pre-set notions they simply have the hunger to grow and become big!
So if you like this subject and end up starting something of your own, it shall be termed as a startup!
Like I said earlier in this article, this subject inspires you get there and be a household name for the world just like these men have!
It is so unfortunate that we as students end up taking our studies as something that is forced and burdened upon us, who don't we see the plethora of avenues and flood gates of opportunities each of them opens up for us, believe me a broader horizon and a little focus into your text book, who knows you could be there on the above list in a few short years!
Is it true that case study will come from unit 2 only?
I am not able to complete my BMS exams on time. What to do?


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Travel Security Expert
Colleen Wilcox | March 9, 2020
In June 2014, a plane landed hard at the Kabul International Airport. It was after dark and the flight crew needed medical attention. The plane suffered damage, so the crew needed to stay overnight in Kabul until another aircraft could be flown in. Jaime Signoracci, who was only in her second day working at International SOS as a security intelligence analyst, was in the room when the phone call came in. The urgent request came with very little time to figure out where to send the injured flight crew for medical attention so late at night, the availability of secure lodging in Kabul for the remaining crew, and the coordination of professional secure transport services to get them all there safely.
This was Signoracci's "jump into the deep end" introduction to the travel safety and security operations industry.
"It was a whirlwind education and I was drinking it all in from a fire hose," she says. "I never wanted to work in another industry again. Every day is unique."


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New Jersey Hits $100m Revenue Mark Yet Again in May
ByJennifer ConnolyJune 17, 2021
The online gaming revenue totals for New Jersey are in again and surprise, surprise, the state has hit the $100 million mark yet again. The Garden State continues to hold steady above $100 million in monthly earnings. While there is no huge gains to be seen here, it is quite impressive that the state continues to reach this milestone month after month. According to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the state earned exactly $108,170,558 in May, a 0.4% increase from the previous month's totals.
It is important to note that many analysts have worried that with casinos back in operation, COVID-19 vaccinations continuing and summer vacations in the works, that online gaming revenues would decline. That does not seem to be the case.
In total, online gaming revenues were up in New Jersey by over 25% when compared to May 2020. Last year, the month generated just under $90 million. When looking at May 2019, the totals are even more impressive. Back then, online gambling brought in over $38 million.
As far as taxes are concerned, the state earned $16.2 million for the month. Atlantic City was paid $2.7 million. Of course, the higher the earnings, the more taxes that the city and state will receive from the industry, which is always a good thing.
Individual Operator Breakdown
In general, all of the operators in the iGaming industry of New Jersey fared well. The best month was seen by Resorts Casino. The brand was able to see monthly revenues increase on a daily average. While the increase did not change its position in the state, it did show great growth.
Resorts generated $21.5 million in May, maintaining its third place spot. Following behind is Caesars, which earned only $9.2 million last month. The difference between the two companies is quite large and will take some time for Caesars to even be able to come close to competing with Resorts.
The Golden Nugget was the second-highest earning operator in the state, generating just over $31 million. The operator saw a decrease in its daily average of earnings. Borgata Casino maintained the top spot when it comes to earnings, though they dropped more than 3% when it comes to month-to-month comparisons.
For Borgata, the casino generated $32.7 million in May. This was just under the $32.8 million from April. Casino gaming created the bulk of the earnings at over $32 million while poker brought in just over $768,000.
New Jersey continues to be the top revenue earner when comparing iGaming totals from other states. Pennsylvania has yet to release its totals, but it is expected they will be close and possibly surpass New Jersey's numbers.
Michigan continues to be a top competitor to the Garden State, having already reached over the $90 million mark in earnings. The market is new, having just launched in late January, but already producing large online numbers.
It will be interesting to see how these three states compare over the next few months. Will NJ be able to stay on top?
DraftKings Launches new DK Craps in New Jersey
Atlantic City Casinos See Revenue Gains in May