text:
Banking & Fintech
International finance Swiss franc climbs after US adds it to 'manipulation' watchlist
By Sam Jones in Zurich and Eva Szalay in London
This content was published on January 15, 2020 1:57 PM Jan 15, 2020 - 13:57
The SNB said its interventions were transparent and 'motivated purely by monetary policy'
The US Treasury has called on the Swiss government to cut taxes and spend more public money, after it added the country to a watchlist of those it accuses of currency manipulation.
The Swiss franc nudged up to a near three-year high against the euro on Tuesday as markets anticipated the move would limit the Swiss National Bank's appetite for aggressive action to try to hold down its currency in future.
"The report is a warning shot to the SNB," said George Saravelos, global co-head of currency research at Deutsche Bank, adding that the franc is likely to push higher from here. It now trades around CHF1.08 against the euro.
FT logo
The US called on Bern on Monday to "more forcefully support domestic economic activity" by spending money and reducing the country's already low tax burden, in what was an unusual swipe at a sovereign nation's financial affairs. "Despite borrowing costs for the Swiss government being among the lowest in the world, fiscal policy remains underutilised, even within the constraints of Switzerland's existing fiscal rules," the US Treasury said in its assessment.
The SNB said on Tuesday that its interventions were transparent, and "motivated purely by monetary policy . . . aimed at addressing the negative consequence for inflation and the economy through a highly valued franc."
"They are not aimed at giving Switzerland advantages by undervaluing the Swiss franc," it added.
Unnerved by long-running demand for the franc as a safe haven, Switzerland's central bank has publicly committed to capping gains in the currency through a combination of euro-buying market interventions and by holding benchmark interest rates at minus 0.75%.
The deeply sub-zero interest rates – already five years old – have begun to cause unease in the traditionally fiscally conservative federation, as banks and pension funds struggle to absorb the hits to their income.
Through its intervention programme, the SNB now holds around CHF770 billion ($794 billion) in foreign currency. The central bank's foreign equity portfolio alone, worth CHF150 billion, makes it the eighth-largest single investor in companies globally.
This is not the first time the alpine state's financial policy has raised the ire of Washington. In 2016 Switzerland was added to the watchlist after it abandoned what was effectively a euro peg. The US removed the designation two years later.
The SNB endorsed its own franc-limiting programme in December, saying it "remains willing to intervene in the foreign exchange market as necessary".
The US's process of identifying suspected 'manipulators' is largely symbolic and carries strong political undertones. The Treasury this week dropped its designation of China as a currency manipulator, in a move that appears aimed at smoothing the passage of a new trade deal between the two countries this week.
Japan, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia are also on the US watchlist, along with Germany, Ireland and Italy. The latter three are eurozone members who do not have independent national rate-setting bodies that could seek to control their currency's value.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2020
Economic relations US places Switzerland on trade 'watch list'
The US Treasury Department has put Switzerland back on a list of countries that are under observation because of large trade surpluses with the US.
Swiss franc climbs after US adds it to 'manipulation' watchlist Sam Jones in Zurich and Eva Szalay in London Jan 15, 2020 - 13:57 The US Treasury has called on the Swiss government to cut taxes and spend more public money, after it added the country to a watchlist of those it accuses of currency manipulation. The Swiss franc nudged up to a near three-year high against the euro on Tuesday as markets anticipated the move would limit the Swiss National Bank's appetite for aggressive action to try to hold down its currency in future. "The report is a warning shot to the SNB," said George Saravelos, global co-head of currency research at Deutsche Bank, adding that the franc is likely to push higher from here. It now trades around CHF1.08 against the euro. The US called on Bern on Monday to "more forcefully support domestic economic activity" by spending money and reducing the country's already low tax burden, in what was an unusual swipe at a sovereign nation's financial affairs. "Despite borrowing costs for the Swiss government being among the lowest in the world, fiscal policy remains underutilised, even within the constraints of Switzerland's existing fiscal rules," the US Treasury said in its assessment. The SNB said on Tuesday that its interventions were transparent, and "motivated purely by monetary policy . . . aimed at addressing the negative consequence for inflation and the economy through a highly valued franc." "They are not aimed at giving Switzerland advantages by undervaluing the Swiss franc," it added. Interventions Unnerved by long-running demand for the franc as a safe haven, Switzerland's central bank has publicly committed to capping gains in the currency through a combination of euro-buying market interventions and by holding benchmark interest rates at minus 0.75%. The deeply sub-zero interest rates – already five years old – have begun to cause unease in the traditionally fiscally conservative federation, as banks and pension funds struggle to absorb the hits to their income. Through its intervention programme, the SNB now holds around CHF770 billion ($794 billion) in foreign currency. The central bank's foreign equity portfolio alone, worth CHF150 billion, makes it the eighth-largest single investor in companies globally. This is not the first time the alpine state's financial policy has raised the ire of Washington. In 2016 Switzerland was added to the watchlist after it abandoned what was effectively a euro peg. The US removed the designation two years later. The SNB endorsed its own franc-limiting programme in December, saying it "remains willing to intervene in the foreign exchange market as necessary". The US's process of identifying suspected 'manipulators' is largely symbolic and carries strong political undertones. The Treasury this week dropped its designation of China as a currency manipulator, in a move that appears aimed at smoothing the passage of a new trade deal between the two countries this week. Japan, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia are also on the US watchlist, along with Germany, Ireland and Italy. The latter three are eurozone members who do not have independent national rate-setting bodies that could seek to control their currency's value. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2020
Currency dilemma Swiss policymakers caught in crossfire over franc
The adage in financial markets is "do not fight the central bank". But can central banks fight the US president? The SNB may be about to find out.
By Eva Szalay
See in another language: 1 See in another language: 1 Languages: 1
Japanese (ja)板挟みのスイス中銀 フラン高への対応に苦慮
Mixed picture Record Swiss exports despite drooping watch sales
Swiss exports rose to record levels last year as the franc stabilised against other currencies. However, performance differed markedly in specific ...
Arabic (ar)تعثّر الصادرات في مجال صناعة الساعات السويسرية
German (de)Mechanik der Schweizer Uhrenindustrie gerät ins Stocken
Spanish (es)La mecánica de la relojería suiza, atascada
French (fr)La belle mécanique de l'horlogerie suisse s'est enrayée
Italian (it)Orologi: la perfetta meccanica si è inceppata?
Portuguese (pt)A bela mecânica da relojoaria suíça se engripou
Russian (ru)Швейцарские часы сбились с ритма
Chinese (zh)瑞士钟表业蒙受重挫


text:
Bioeconomy Forum
Pandemic aftermath in the U.S.
Our C.E.O. Kristiina Helenius appeared as a guest on a popular Finnish news program, YLE A-Studio on May 27 to discuss the effects of the Coronavirus on the U.S. economy and upcoming elections. Kristiina's interview starts at the 27:40 mark and can be viewed here.
''The American economy moves fast. Even though the unemployment is ravaging, it it likely to stabilize and move towards the pre-pandemic state.
In the U.S., Covid-19 is seen as a natural disaster, rather than an economic crisis. This shows in the American approach to dealing with the issue.
The pandemic is also changing the election campaigning. Are big campaign events possible? Which narratives about the current situation are going to be told on the campaign trail?
The situation in the U.S. affects Finland. The U.S. will manage by themselves for a while, but it's important for Finland to have strong trade partners."
Resignations and quick fixes - what is going on in Washington?
Stronger and smarter after lockdown – how hunkering down in the forest paid off
Kristiina Helenius
kristiina.helenius@nordicwestoffice.com
Hearts & Minds 2021
Bioeconomy 2021
Nordic West USA is a proud member of the HIMSS Partners Innovation Exchange,
an initiative to convene key digital health influencers to further HIMSS's mission:
reform the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology.
Nordic West Office, Inc.
Columbia Center, 1152 15th Street, NW
Nordic West Office Inc. has a strategic partnership with the leading Nordic communications company Miltton and the global U.S.-headquartered law firm Orrick.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
← Free Book: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Blog Tour – Review & Giveaway for The Horde Without End (The World Without End # 2) →
Book Tour: Review & Guest Post for Lovely, Dark, and Deep (The Collectors # 1)
Lovely, Dark, and Deep (The Collectors # 1) by Susannah Sandlin
Publication Date: June 2014 by Montlake Romance
From award-winning author Susannah Sandlin comes a heart-pounding romantic thriller that pits a quick-witted scientist and a scarred ex–combat diver against a ruthless billionaire treasure hunter with ties to the White House.
When biologist Gillian Campbell makes an offhand comment about a family curse during a TV interview, she has no idea what her words will set in motion. Within days, Gillian finds herself at the mercy of a member of the C7, a secretive international group of power brokers with a dangerous game: competing to find the world's most elusive treasures, no matter the cost, in money or in lives.
To save her family, Gillian teams up with Shane Burke, a former elite diver who's lost his way, navigating the brutal "death coast" of the North Atlantic to find what the collector seeks: the legendary Ruby Cross of the Knights Templars, stolen by Gillian's ancestor and lost at sea four hundred years ago.
Heat Level: moderate; language; violence
Susannah Sandlin is off to a very good start in her new Collectors series with Lovely, Dark, and Deep. What made this book so enjoyable for me is the interweaving of a suspenseful plot and setting along with a great cast of memorable characters.
This series revolves around a secret group of rare artifact collectors who are known as "C7." This group is comprised of uber-wealthy, powerfully connected individuals who compete against each other to see who can be the first to acquire hard-to-find treasures. It's a selfish, ruthless game where the players use their resources to coerce innocent, everyday people into becoming participants in their search for the precious objects of their interest. Although the game does have its rules, intimidation, emotional manipulation, and even murder are tactics that may be employed to keep those forced to play along in line.
In Lovely, Dark, and Deep, the coveted item is a ruby embedded cross believed to have belonged to the Knights Templar.
Once C7 member Weston Flynn, a U.S. politician, learns of the legendary existence of this cross, he "enlists" the assistance of biologist Gillian Campell, whose ancestor is rumored to have stolen the cross but then died with it in his possession in a shipwreck off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Although Gillian has no idea whether the family legend is true, she is forced into the search after her niece's life is threatened. In order to find the cross, she needs the help of technical diver, Shane Burke, who has the knowledge and experience of diving in the deep, often treacherous waters of the wreck site if she has any chance at all of retrieving what amounts to "finding a needle in a haystack" within the given thirty day time period.
Although readers know the identity of the C7 player behind the search, Gillian and Shane are kept in the dark about the person manipulating them from behind the scenes. Their contact is a liaison whose nickname is "Big Tex" who gives them their instructions and inflicts damage to reinforce the severity of their situation. Failure is not an option, even though they both know their chance of success is slim to none.
Together they set sail for Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where the ship carrying the cross is rumored to have sunk. The obstacles they face seem almost insurmountable given the rocky coastline and treacherous ocean currents.
However, along their journey, they receive the help of some quirky characters whose distinct personalities are unforgettable. Shane's friend, Jagger, who constantly hums Rolling Stones' lyrics and the cantankerous elderly uncle whose B.S. deter never fails, play a vital role in their mission. When the group reaches Cape Breton, they are aided by ornery retired commercial fisherman Chevy, and his wife Cleo, who epitomizes the phrase, "I am woman, hear me roar." These characters really livened up the story, and I especially enjoyed the minor conflicts that ensued among Shane and Gillian's overprotective dog, Tank. Overall, the author does a great job with developing her characters except for the antagonists. They are flat and their motivations for being involved really could be fleshed out in more detail.
Both Gillian and Shane are very likable characters who are each burdened by past sorrows and regrets. Although their relationship is initially tenuous, the attraction between them is certainly there and the bond between them begins to solidify once they share their guilt and vulnerabilities with each other. Their romance and intimacy takes time to develop but smoothly blends into story. The love scenes are few and mildly descriptive, and I appreciated that they were never a distraction to the overall plot.
The action, pacing, and suspense throughout the story kept me turning the pages and I found it hard to find a good place to pause since almost every chapter ends with a mini cliff-hanger. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to readers who enjoy romance and a thrilling plot.
Source: I received an ARC of this ebook from the author to provide an honest and fair review.
He wasn't sure what woke him, but the first thing Shane Burke saw when he cracked open his eyelids was the bottle of Jack Daniel's, tipped over and resting on its side. He could've sworn he finished it off last night but there was at least an inch of rich amber liquid still resting inside.
Good. Now he didn't have to wonder what he'd have for breakfast.
The second thing he saw was a great pair of legs. Well, technically, a great pair of ankles above a pair of leather sandals, and then the legs.
Obviously, he was starting his Saturday morning with hallucinations.
Only one good solution for that. He dangled an arm off the side of his bed and almost had his fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle when one of the leather sandals kicked his buddy Jack Daniel's under the bed, clipping his hand in the process.
"Ow." Hallucinations didn't take his booze and kick him in the knuckles.
Ignoring the throbbing in his hand and the stabs of hangover agony behind his eyeballs, Shane rolled onto his back and squinted at the rest of his non-hallucination.
Shoulder-length hair that fell in a sheen of dark chestnut brown, fair skin, fierce brown eyes, red lips compressed in a tight line, black skirt and white blouse, big briefcase-style purse. Had he picked her up at Harley's last night? If so, he had to cut back on the sauce.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I forgot your name." Pity, 'cause she was a hot little number, way classier than the regulars at Harley's. It's not like he got laid so often that he could afford to forget it when he did.
"We haven't met." She propped her hands on her hips and muttered something that sounded like, "And you're supposed to help me?"
Help her with what? Wait, maybe she was a charter. Had he chartered The Evangeline out to a tour group or fishing party today? Surely he'd remember if there was money coming in.
Color him officially confused. He struggled to a seated position and gave her another look. "What am I supposed to help you with?"
She crossed her arms and raked a ball-shriveling gaze the length of his body. "I came here to offer you a job, but I don't think you're up to it."
He tugged the sheet up in self-defense. "I'm not at my best. Ever consider making an appointment? Not dropping in at the crack of dawn?" He had no idea what time it was but it couldn't be that late.
"It's past noon. And I didn't figure, given your financial situation, that you'd be so picky about what time of day someone offered you money." She shook her head. "Never mind. This was a mistake."
She banged her head on the low doorway out of the master cabin, which served her right, the sanctimonious shrew.
Available from Amazon: Lovely, Dark, and Deep (The Collectors)
ASIN: B00H27TJ6U |Number of pages: 320| Word Count: 95,000
Susannah Sandlin writes paranormal romance and romantic thrillers from Auburn, Alabama, on top of a career in educational publishing that has thus far spanned five states and six universities—including both Alabama and Auburn, which makes her bilingual. She grew up in Winfield, Alabama, but was also a longtime resident of New Orleans, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football, cheap Mardi Gras trinkets, and fried gator on a stick.
She's the author of the award-winning Penton Legacy paranormal romance series, a spinoff novel, Storm Force, a standalone novelette, Chenoire, and a new romantic thriller series, The Collectors, beginning this month with Lovely, Dark, and Deep. Writing as Suzanne Johnson, she also is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series. Her Penton novel, Omega, is currently nominated for a 2013 Reviewer's Choice Award in Paranormal Romance from RT Book Reviews magazine.
Website and blog www.suzannejohnsonauthor.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SusannahSandlin
FB: http://www.facebook.com/SusannahSandlin
Deep, Dark Romantic Research
by Susannah Sandlin
When I came up with the idea for Lovely, Dark, and Deep—a romantic thriller (think Indiana Jones with sex)—I thought my biggest research job would be studying the lost treasure of the Knights Templar.
They were the wealthy, powerful knights of the Middle Ages, and when they fell out of favor following the loss of the Holy Land, these crusaders became vilified by the church and the others who had previously supported them. As they disbanded and scattering throughout Europe, the knights' great amassed wealth disappeared to history, with all kinds of wild theories about what happened to it.
Who's to say one ruby-encrusted cross couldn't have been stolen in the early 1700s? Or that the thief didn't hop a ship heading for Canada, only to have the ship—and the cross—hit the rocks off Nova Scotia and sink?
Now, all these centuries later, the thief's descendant, a Florida biologist named Gillian Campbell, is being blackmailed into finding that lost cross with the help of a washed-up deepwater diver named Shane Burke.
Turns out it wasn't the Knights Templar that provided my biggest research challenge. It was Shane—or, rather, Shane's occupation. I soon realized what I didn't know about diving, especially deepwater salvage diving, could fill a library.
Put on a wetsuit, mask, tank, fins and hop in, right? Er, as it turns out, not so much.
First, there's the equipment. Since my character lives in Florida but will be doing his dangerous dive in the much colder waters of the North Atlantic off the coast of Nova Scotia, he needs both a wetsuit and a drysuit. The drysuit is airtight and keeps water out, but it also keeps sweat in and is bulkier. Does he want to dive with one tank, or with one tank and a small "pony bottle" with extra air, or with two tanks? He needs a buoyancy control regulator to adjust how fast he rises or sinks in the water. He needs the right kind of boat from which to dive—will he take a giant leap over the side, or roll off backward?
Then there are the logistics. Shane wants to dive alone—he sure doesn't want the sexy heroine diving with him. So of course she does anyway. How do they communicate with each other?
Finally, there is the location. How deep is the water off the eastern coast of Canada around Main-a-Dieu, Nova Scotia? It's an area notorious for shipwrecks—what are the rock formations like, and what do ships get caught on? What would the water temperature be in September? At what depth does a diver have to worry about decompression sickness and not surfacing too fast? I learned, for example, that there are shelves of rock that sit just below the surface so in the days before sonar, ships could hit those things without being able to see them. That the area is extremely foggy. That the water is shallower than I would have thought. That the water is rough, and would offer a lot of challenges to a novice diver like Gillian—and even an experienced diver like Shane if he isn't careful.
I now have amassed a considerable library of books on deepwater diving…and one lone book on the Knights Templar. Anyone want to take over my subscription to Diving Magazine?
Have you ever gone diving, or know a diver?
After reading this book, I became very interested in learning more about Nova Scotia and its reputation for shipwrecks. Here are some of the websites I visited that you may like. Visiting Nova Scotia is now on my bucket list!
(Map from Wikipedia)
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia
On the Rocks: explore the Shipwrecks off the coast of Nova Scotia -The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia-Official Travel Guide
By Barbara Ann • Posted in Adult Fiction, ARC Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Series, Suspense, Thriller	• Tagged and Deep, Dark, Lovely, Review, Romantic Suspense, Romantic Thriller, Susannah Sandlin


text:
Dial House je farmářským sídlem z šestnáctého století umístěným hluboko na venkově v anglickém Essexu, na okraji lesa Epping Forest. Dial House je mezinárodní komunita a domov anarchopunkové skupiny Crass. Od roku 1967 se toto místo stalo otevřeným domem anarchopacifistů, základnou mnoha kulturních, uměleckých a politických projektů od avantgardního jazzu až k poskytování pomoci při zakládání hnutí nezávislých festivalů. O desetiletí později zakoupili tento dům v aukci zakladatelé kapely Crass Penny Rimbaud a Gee Vaucher. Tímto se dostali do dluhu 100 000 liber, ale zároveň zajistili budoucnost pro Centre For Dynamic Cultural Change ("Centrum dynamické kulturní změny").

Odkazy

Reference

Externí odkazy

  Oficiální stránky

Essex
Do it yourself
Anarchistická kultura
Crass

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A consumer's allegations that exposure to mold in his Sleep Number mattress had caused him to experience various physical ailments were sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss based on a failure to plead causation, a federal district court in Missouri held. Furthermore, the court ruled that the claims were not time-barred under Missouri's five-year limitation period for tort actions, (Simon v. Select Comfort Retail Corp., November 12, 2014, Ross, J.).
Background. The consumer, Ralph Simon, purchased a Sleep Number mattress manufactured by Select Comfort Retail Corp. in 1999. In 2009, Simon began experiencing a variety of physical ailments, including skin irritation, hearing loss, eye infections, sleep apnea, and throat irritation. Over the course of several years, Simon sought treatment from numerous healthcare providers with no relief. In early 2013, Simon removed the foam pad of his bed and discovered mold. Simon contends that the mold in his mattress was the result of a design defect that trapped heat and moisture, creating the perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow. Simon claimed that Select Comfort was aware of this problem and failed to warn consumers of the possibility of mold growth, did not provide instructions to users to inspect the mattress periodically, and neglected to recall the defective mattresses.
Simon filed suit against Select Comfort asserting claims for strict liability design defect, strict liability failure to warn, negligence, and negligent failure to recall. Select Comfort moved to dismiss the complaint, arguing that Simon had not adequately pled causation, the claims were time-barred, and there was no duty to recall.
Causation. In order to survive a motion to dismiss, a plaintiff need not demonstrate that it will prevail on its claims; it must only establish a claim for relief that is plausible on its face. Here, the consumer asserted that he had discovered mold inside his bed and that he had suffered severe physical ailments from his initial and continuing exposure to the mold, including through direct contact with the bed and by breathing mold spores. Accepting these allegations as true, the court determined that a reasonable inference can be drawn that the consumer's exposure to mold in his mattress caused his alleged injuries. Consequently, dismissal of the claims was not warranted.
Statute of limitations. Under Missouri law, a tort action must be filed within five-years of discovery of the cause of an injury. In this case, the manufacturer asserted that the claims were time-barred because the statute of limitations had begun to run in 2009 when the consumer began experiencing symptoms. This argument was unavailing based on the allegations in the complaint, which contained a reasonable inference that the consumer had not suspected that his condition was related to mold exposure until he discovered the mold in 2013. Accordingly, the court was unable to determine with certainty that the claims were time-barred.
Negligent failure to recall. While the consumer was found to have abandoned his negligent recall claim by failing to address the arguments put forth by the manufacturer, neither federal nor Missouri law contains a common law duty to recall a product absent a mandate from a governmental agency. As such, even if the claim had not been abandoned, it would have failed on its merits.
The case number is 4:14-CV-1136 JAR.
Attorneys: David S. Corwin (Sher Corwin LLC) for Ralph Simon. Andrew S. Hansen (Oppenheimer and Wolff), and Eric D. Martin (Bryan Cave LLP) for Select Comfort Retail Corp.
Companies: Select Comfort Retail Corp.


I guess it was about twelve years ago when I first started working on my "Immigration Songs and Stories" program for elementary and middle school students.
It dawned on me recently that some of the things I do within my immigration program are things that you, the classroom or social studies teacher, can use with your students immediately, without me, and regardless of how musical or non-musical you may feel!
Elementary or middle school, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 2nd Grade, 8th Grade – – it really doesn't matter; they'll love this.
We hear so much about cross-curricular lesson plans and differentiated instruction these days, and yet, you may find yourself with very little time or extra energy to devote to it.
So, I offer these two quick and easy musical games in hopes that you can incorporate them into one of your immigration lesson plans.
Immigration Lesson Plans can be musical!
The "primary source document" we're going to use is the old song "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." If we analyze the lyrics, and we take the time to discuss just exactly what a "bonnie" might be (as a kid, I was sure it was "My BODY lies over the ocean…"), we discover that this can be thought of as a song of immigration, with the singer's loved one (or "bonnie") on one side of the ocean, and the singer on the other. This can lead you right into a discussion with your students about how, very often, it was the man who would strike out first for America, on his own, sending money back to the family until they had saved enough to make the long journey here to be reunited (sometimes a dozen or more years later).
Now, the real fun comes when you play the game (and I would suggest playing the game first, then circling back for discussion and all the teachable moments, then most likely playing the game again, since students will definitely be asking for more).
2. Choose one group to go first, and instruct them to simply stand up when they hear the first word in the song that begins with the letter "B," then sit down when they hear the next one, stand on the next one, and so forth. Explain that the goal is to stay together as a group (they won't) and everyone ends up in the right place at the end (they won't!).
3. Start the game by singing the song, or recruiting the entire class to sing it with you (they will drown you out), or playing a recording of the song if you don't want to sing it yourself. Generally, by the time you get to the fourth line, some students will be standing and some will be sitting. You can simply tell them gently that they failed to win the game at that point, and move on to group #2. Mass laughter will ensue, and now the competition is really on.
As an alternative to the first game (you won't always want that much adrenaline rushing through your immigration lessons), or as an add-on if you've got time after the first one, challenge students individually or as a group to sing the song but leave a blank space where all the "B" words should be.
When I began researching the topic of immigration all those years ago through some school texts, Library of Congress materials and a variety of other resources, I made the decision to take a very broad view in my program, starting well before the nineteenth-century Castle Garden/Ellis Island narrative.
In fact, why not start with the Native Americans? Even they started out somewhere else, ending up in North America in their search for "a better life." Every American, without exception, has an immigrant in their family tree.
So, when I address immigration with elementary and middle school groups, I start with some music from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) or Pawnee people (depending on where the students are located and what I'm in the mood for), and I continue through the early Europeans, the enslaved Africans (perhaps the only group who did not come intentionally in hopes of making a better life), and finally to the nineteenth-century with the Chinese and Japanese coming across the Pacific Ocean for work in the West, and Europeans of all stripes coming in waves throughout the century to the East Coast.
I don't often get past Ellis Island, chronologically speaking, because of the limits of my time with the students as a visiting artist ("can you fit your presentation into 43 minutes?," "how many students can you see at the same time?"), but of course, the story continues to the present day and, in fact, is all over the headlines on the very day I'm writing this.
I offer "Immigration Songs and Stories" concert videos on demand, virtual field trips for elementary students and middle schools, and school visits throughout the year in the Northeastern US and parts of the Midwest. I'd be happy to talk with you about working with your students in one of those ways.
Please do let me know how these activities go for you in the comments section below, and how you've plugged them in to your immigration lesson plans!


text:
USS Sunflower is a name used more than once by the United States Navy:

 , a gunboat during the American Civil War.
 , a vessel for the United States Lighthouse Service.

United States Navy ship names


text:
Azerbaijan bans flights over Nagorno-Karabakh after Armenian Mi-24 shot down
Azerbaijan has declared a no-fly zone throughout the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), a breakaway Azerbaijani region predominantly controlled by ethnic Armenians.
The move comes a day after the Azerbaijani Armed Forces shot down an Armenian military Russian-built Mi-24 helicopter gunship in the region.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "Azerbaijan announces that the airspace above the occupied territories is closed for flights and, in line with the established procedures, has informed all the members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) of this.
"The illegal penetration of the Azeri airspace by Armenian military helicopters is an act of ongoing occupation and aggression against Azerbaijan and a policy of encroachment on territorial integrity and sovereignty of the republic."
"Azerbaijan announces that the airspace above the occupied territories is closed for flights."
The Armenian Defence Ministry claimed that the Mi-24 helicopter belonged to Nagorno-Karabakh, and was gunned down near the ceasefire line during a training mission.
However, Azerbaijan insisted that the helicopter tried to attack positions of the Azeri Army near the Agdam district, and was shot down in return fire, killing three pilots.
Armenia promised 'painful' consequences for Azerbaijan in retaliation for the incident, fuelling fears of a major escalation of the long-standing conflict over Nagorny Karabakh.
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovannisyan was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying: "This is an unprecedented escalation and the consequences for Azerbaijan will be grave.
"Azerbaijan's claim that the Armenian helicopter attacked its positions is not true. Examination of the wreckage will prove that the helicopter carried no weapons."
Meanwhile, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to honour their 20-year-old truce that aims to settle the dispute.
The OSCE said in a statement: "The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister, Didier Burkhalter, expressed his deep concern about yesterday's downing of a helicopter near the line of contact.
"He appeals to the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to do their utmost to prevent such incidents and to honour the ceasefire regime."
Defense and Civil Spends on Helicopters in Russia: 2016 to 2024
Defense Spends on Helicopters in Azerbaijan: 2016 to 2024
The Military Rotorcraft Market in Russia to 2025: Market Brief
Defense and Civil Spends on Aircrafts in Russia: 2016 to 2024
Defense Spends on Helicopters in Iraq: 2016 to 2024


text:
Bush administration loses $280 billion tobacco appeal
Postedby Gina Holland - Associated Press
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court refused Monday to let the government sue tobacco companies for $280 billion, a major victory for cigarette makers.
A federal judge presided over a nine-month trial and has not yet decided whether tobacco companies are guilty of wrongdoing.
The fight at the high court was over the amount of money the companies would have to pay if the judge rules that they violated a federal anti-racketeering law known as RICO by misleading the public about the dangers of smoking.
A lower court said that the government could not pursue Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds and other companies for profits that the government claims they earned illegally.
The Supreme Court declined, without comment, to hear the Bush administration's appeal. The case could return to justices later.
The court's decision sent shares of tobacco companies surging, with Philip Morris USA parent Altria Group Inc. rising by $4.30 to $74.96 and rival Reynolds American Inc. by $5.06 to $83.80.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said that while the administration was disappointed, "we continue to believe very strongly in this case."
Several groups urged the Justice Department not to rush into a settlement with the cigarette makers.
"More than ever, the government should push for remedies that count, and not opt for a weak, watered-down settlement," said M. Cass Wheeler, CEO for the American Heart Association.
William Corr, executive director of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said the Justice Department "should not use the Supreme Court's decision as an excuse to let the tobacco companies off the hook with a weak settlement."
The judge in the case had urged the sides to try to reach a settlement. Without the threat of a $280 billion judgment, the government has a weaker bargaining position.
"The settlement value of the case dropped," said Mark Gottlieb, director of the Tobacco Products Liability Project at Northeastern University.
A lawyer for the tobacco companies declined to discuss the next step in the case. William Ohlemeyer, Altria vice president, said Monday's decision was appropriate.
The lawsuit was filed by the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration lawyer argued that if the court did not step in now to deal with this issue, the case might drag on for several more years. The $280 billion was the most ever sought in a civil racketeering trial.
The tobacco companies' lawyer, Michael Carvin of Washington, said that the court should give U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler time to decide the case. He also argued that the government had a weak case.
The Supreme Court is already hearing a case involving the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and whether the law can be used against anti-abortion protesters. The law, aimed primarily at fighting mobsters, has both criminal and civil provisions.
The government may still pursue a request for $10 billion for a stop-smoking program and $4 billion for education. The government had been harshly criticized for not asking for more. An expert had recommended a $130 billion stop-smoking program.
The government has spent $140 million since 1999 litigating the case, and the Justice Department is also trying to force tobacco companies to pay those costs.
The federal case is independent of settlements worth $246 billion that states reached with the industry in the late 1990s to recoup the cost of treating sick smokers.
The defendants in the lawsuit are Philip Morris USA Inc. and its parent, Altria Group Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.; Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.; British American Tobacco Ltd.; Lorillard Tobacco Co.; Liggett Group Inc.; Counsel for Tobacco Research-U.S.A.; and the Tobacco Institute.
The case is United States v. Philip Morris, 05-92.
Field trip Friday: 31 Knots
Lace your dunks and see some art
PSU tests Blackboard replacement
Postedby Erick Bengel
No magic in Orlando for the Blazers
Postedby Alex Moore
Teacher dollars make no sense
Postedby Derek Sun


text:
New Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries slammed by GOP's Mitch McConnell for calling Trump 'fake'
By Michael McAuliff and Dave Goldiner
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries didn't get much of a honeymoon period from Republicans after his historic election as Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.
A day after Jeffries became the first Black leader of either party in Congress, GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) trashed the trailblazing Brooklyn lawmaker for being a "past election denier" and vocal critic of the conservative Supreme Court.
"The newly-elected incoming leader of the House Democrats is a past election denier who baselessly said the 2016 election [of former President Donald Trump] was 'illegitimate' and suggested that we had a 'fake' president," McConnell said.
Mitch McConnell, left, and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (AP)
McConnell, who voted against impeaching Trump over the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, even compared Jeffries to MAGA Republicans who backed Trump's effort to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election.
"Many ... on the political left who spent the years 2017 through 2020 yelling about the importance of norms and institutions have themselves not hesitated to undermine our institutions when they're unhappy with a given outcome," McConnell said.
The GOP leader blasted Jeffries and other Democrats over their harsh criticism of right wing judges who rolled back women's right to choose abortion after previously declaring the landmark Roe v. Wade as settled law.
"[Jeffries] has also mounted reckless attacks on our independent judiciary and said that justices he didn't like have 'zero legitimacy,'" McConnell added.
Jeffries countered that he voted to certify Trump's 2016 Electoral College victory, attended his inauguration and even worked with the former president's team on criminal justice reform.
Christie Stephenson, a spokeswoman for Jeffries, suggested that McConnell should focus on keeping Trump out of the White House in 2024 instead of slinging mud at the rising Democratic star.
"Hakeem Jeffries agrees with the self-described Grim Reaper that the twice-impeached former president ... totally discredited himself, is morally and practically responsible for a violent insurrection and inspired lawlessness," Stephenson said.


Two Active members of Women of Hope Mission (WHOM) were shot by cattle raiders on their way to fetch water. The ladies had also lost their husbands in the same way-through the barrel of guns. One of the victims was Susan Okore. Her husband was killed 2004; in 2008 she remarried to a brother of her late husband Hillary. Okore left behind five children, the youngest is 3 months old.
The second victim, Icerer Oloi, lost her husband last October in the same circumstances. She did not remarry until her brutal death on June 3th, 2011. She left behind four children. The youngest child is four years old. Inter and Intra tribal cattle raiding in eastern Equatoria State (EES)between members of the Otuho, Boya, Logir, Toposa, Lopit and other ethnic groups killed a great number of young men and women. Of recent, the number of women killed has tremendously increased. There have been numerous raids, but this is the most violent of the other major incidents since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. For the second time WHOM has lost all 8 trained oxen in the hands of warriors.
The CPA was signed by North and South Sudan in 2005, ending 22 years of civil war. South Sudan was officially declared an independent country in July. Bringing cattle raiding attacks under control will be a significant challenge for the new country. This cattle raiding should not be ignored because the raiders are well armed. These guns were gotten during the civil war.
Last February, conflict erupted in Budi County between police and local residents of Boya ethnic group (pastoralists). The state government responded by requesting assistance from Torit, the capital of Eastern Equatoria State (EES). The governor of Eastern Equatoria State, Louis Lobong Lojore has made repeated requests to the ethnic groups in the state to maintain peace and involve in other better productive ways of survival. There is an observation that police force is needed to be well-trained so that they are better prepared to deal with insecurity, particularly cattle raiding.
Competition between South Sudan ethnic groups over scarce resources continues to spark violence, often in the form of deadly cattle-raids. Some minority groups and ex-combatants feel that their interests are not being represented within the political system, and that resources have been diverted to individuals and more populous ethnic groups. In most parts of the ten states of South Sudan poverty can be identified as one of the main factors exacerbating existing cattle raiding. Violent incidences are more increased during dry seasons, where cattle herding communities clash over same water points and existing grasslands. As such, Evangelical Church of South Sudan (ECSS) appeals to Christian Community all over the world to drill boreholes and build water catchments that will ensure more access to water points by herders as a mechanism to reduce tension among the pastoralists. If the people of South Sudan can feed themselves and even sell some vegetables in the market, they will not be so dependent on food aid or on raising cattle. This cut down on the existing violence. Pray with us on how we can help this situation.


Dessert Pizza | What Smells So Good?
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until a smooth dough forms (about 5 minutes). Knead in the bowl for 2 minutes.
Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for 20 minutes (omit this step if using "Pizza Crust" yeast).
Preheat oven to 500°F and generously grease a 12" pizza pan or rimmed 13x9" cookie sheet.
With wet hands, press the dough into the pans.
Allow the dough to rest for five more minutes, then re-work the dough toward the outer edges of the pan.
Bake pizza crusts for 12 minutes, until cooked through.
Remove crust from pan and cool on a rack. You can use these immediately, or wrap tightly with a double thickness of plastic wrap and freeze up to a month.
Mix the cream cheese with the honey until smooth and spread over the cooled crust.
Spread a layer of jam (the "pizza sauce") over top and add fresh fruit to taste.
Garnish with powdered sugar (for "cheese") and mint (the "basil" or "oregano") and enjoy!


Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Antioch, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Antioch, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Antioch, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Antioch?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Antioch?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Antioch 37011?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Alexandria, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Alexandria, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Alexandria, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Alexandria?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Alexandria?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Alexandria 37012?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Ashland City, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Ashland City, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Ashland City, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Ashland City?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Ashland City?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Ashland City 37015?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Belfast, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Belfast, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Belfast, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Belfast?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Belfast?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Belfast 37019?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Bethpage, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Bethpage, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Bethpage, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Bethpage?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Bethpage?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Bethpage 37022?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Brentwood, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Brentwood, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Brentwood, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Brentwood?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Brentwood?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Brentwood 37024?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Bon Aqua, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Bon Aqua, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Bon Aqua, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Bon Aqua?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Bon Aqua?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Bon Aqua 37025?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Burns, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Burns, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Burns, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Burns?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Burns?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Burns 37029?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Carthage, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Carthage, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Carthage, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Carthage?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Carthage?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Carthage 37030?
Want to create that dream kitchen you've been promising to do for years? Need a complete kitchen update so you can sell your home fast? Did you suffer flood or storm damage and need a serious cabinet repair in Centerville, TN? Do you need a few kitchen repairs but just don't have the time or expertise?
When it comes to getting your renovation done you want it done right and as fast as possible. When you use any of our certified and licensed professionals in Centerville, TN you will get all of that and more! These wonderful handymen and carpenters can do a wide range of renovations, installations, and repairs.
From those delightful quartz countertops that make a kitchen luxurious to the mahogany cabinets, you've been eying for years. Need a faucet repair or new sink in Centerville, TN? Don't worry, our professionals can do those too!
Search for: How much is a quartz countertop in Centerville?
Search for: What is the cheapest countertops for kitchens in Centerville?
Search for: How much does it cost to install a countertop in Centerville 37033?


text:
Exai Website Creator Turns Facebook Pages Into Websites, Mobile Sites
Wouldn't it be great if you could convert your Facebook page into a fully functional website and mobile site? Now you can, using Exai Website Creator, a new Facebook application from Tel Aviv, Israel-based website-creation-tool provider Exai, which launched Tuesday.
The free app allows the 60 million or so brands that currently have Facebook pages but no websites or mobile sites to remedy that issue quickly and easily, with the ability to customize the new sites via a true WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), drag-and-drop interface that allows page administrators to create different sections and choose photos, videos, and other content.
Use of Exai Website Creator is free, and Exai will provide page administrators with premium services and features for their new sites at a nominal cost.
The company has raised more than $15 million in total funding, including a recently closed private placement of $3 million, and some of those funds went into the creation of the app. CEO Gal Moran said:
We see an incredible opportunity to disrupt a huge market. Until today, website creation had been dominated by solutions that focus on simplistic and basic websites. However, these solutions don't effectively address the question of building an effective presence across multiple platforms. We believe that Facebook — with 1 billion users and growing — represents a natural starting point and the easiest way to build an effective presence on the Web. That's why we have built a solution that uses your Facebook page content as the basis for your website.


text:
Q: What's the best way to test if a sphere is a polytope? (algorithms for the Simplicial Steinitz Problem) The problem of recognizing whether a simplicial face lattice is polytopal is sometimes called the Steinitz problem.
Sturmfels and Bokowski advanced a set of methods in the late 80s to test whether the face lattice of a simplicial sphere was also realizable as a polytope.
The method uses oriented matroids. The problem is NP-hard, so their algorithm requires exponential time in the worst case, but they reported that the algorithm often converged quickly.
In the intervening two decades, I'm sure that newer approaches have been developed.  Is there a better method known today?  More interestingly, are there any software implementations available that solve this problem -- even using the older approach?

A: The state-of-the-art methods for proving non-polytopality differ from those of proving polytopality of a simplicial sphere $S$. Let me give you an overview:

*

*If $S$ is non-polytopal, then one way of proving non-polytopality is to generate all compatible oriented matroids and then show that none of these oriented matroids is realizable. For this, the best methods seems to be the biquadratic final polynomial method by Richter-Gebert and Bokowski. (This mehtod is explained in the book you cite.) For some simplicial spheres with relatively few vertices in low dimension already, there are very many compatible oriented matroid (let's say a million). In these cases it is faster to run the biquadratic final polynomial already on a partial chirotope, consisting of those signs that are determined by the simplicial sphere directly.

*If $S$ is polytopal, the best way of proving polytopality is giving an explicit realization. To this end we consider the semi-algebraic set that corresponds to the realization space of a polytope with $S$ as a boundary. We set up the corresponding system of non-linear equations and use non-linear solvers to find a solution. The solvers we use employ an branch-and-bound approach together with linear underestimators. Again In a next step we convert the numerical solution into an exact solution, such that it can be checked in exact arithmetic that we found indeed a realization of $S$.
More details can be found in my preprint:
Realizability and inscribability for simplicial polytopes via nonlinear optimization
As one application of these techniques we consider simplicial $3$-spheres with $10$ vertices and decide whether they are polytopal for all of them. There are precisely $247,882$ such spheres; $162,004$ are polytopal and the $85,878$ are non-polytopal. Therefore we obtain a complete classification of all combinatorial types of $4$-polytopes with $10$ vertices.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Looking for the best carpet treads to enhance the beauty of your home? Can't find the best one that meets your needs? Don't feel bad. In this piece of writing, we're going to see the best carpet stair treads at sears and its features in a detailed manner.
We are living in the modern world and according to the modern technology; we need to change our home and everyone likes to make their home the envy of the neighborhood. So, they are looking for the best way to enhance the beauty of their home.
Do you want to install the carpet treads? If yes, you've come to the right place. Installing carpet treads is not a tough task. You can install the carpets and carpet treads with the help of professional carpet installers. They will install the carpet treads in an efficient manner and it is important to clean the carpet. Cleaning the carpet once or twice in a month improves the durability of the carpets.
We all know that there are so many brands offer carpet treads with several assorted features. You have so many options to choose from. So, you have the responsibilities to choose the best carpet treads for your home.
Sears offers high-quality carpet treads at an affordable price and definitely, they will meet your unique style and budget. Carpet treads offer a luxurious feel and even it can make your home look beautiful.
You can shop a wide variety of carpet stair treads at sears.com. Sears is the best place to buy the carpet treads on a limited budget. They offer carpet treads that are made from high-quality recyclable materials at an affordable price.
These are the features that you need to consider while shopping for the best carpet for your stairs.
Hope you've understood the features of the carpet in a detailed manner through this post. Buy the best carpet and carpet treads for your home.
Previous articleHow to Protect the Carpet Stair Treads?
Next articleWhat is called Carpet Stair Treads Triangle?


It's almost February 14th, and that means love is in the air — but it also means we've reached peak 'annoying couple' season, and so friends, we're going to have to have a talk.
Valentine's Day means a lot of things to different people. Some people don't celebrate it at all. Some people look forward to it every year. To some, it means an elaborate romantic gesture from a loved one; to others, it means your mom is going to mail you some chocolate. Some people rush to make sure they have a date for the day, and some even re-evaluate the relationship they're in when approaching the holiday.
What ever your plans are or aren't, one thing is for sure: Valentine's Day, traditionally, is not for single people.
Single people get a lot of pity and bad jokes around Valentine's Day. Galentine's Day celebrations are nice and all — yay female friendship! — but, more and more, there's this weird sense of obligation that you have to be doing something on Valentine's Day, even if you don't have a date to publicly declare how not bitter and sad you are about not having a date. And then, the third option — sitting in your pajamas and binge-watching Netflix — also sets up a weird set of guidelines and expectations as to how you're supposed to treat this holiday.
The more you think about it, the more it starts to feel like as a woman, you have this culturally dictated script you're meant to perform for Valentine's Day.
And not only is that, y'know, icky and uncomfortable, it's also just not true. So here's what single people wish you would take into consideration on Valentine's Day before encouraging us to do one thing or another, and certainly before trying to set us up with your creepy coworker.
It's also totally fine to spend Valentine's Day on your couch in your pajamas. It's totally fine to feel sad and upset that you're not on a date if you've just broken up with somebody, or are pining for somebody, or haven't ever had anybody at all. It's totally fine if you don't understand what the fuss is about and treat it like any other day. It's totally fine to celebrate with your girlfriends. It's totally fine if you love hearing about your friends' dates, if you want to help your friends plan their dates, if you want to play matchmaker, if you want to ask your friends to keep their romantic exploits to themselves, if you want to find yourself a one-night stand, if you want to spend the night memorizing the Hamilton mixtape, if you want to do LITERALLY anything you want. Take yourself out to a nice dinner. Dance alone in your underwear. Find a date on Tinder.
Holiday traditions should belong to you, not the holiday.
Valentine's Day might not be ~for~ single people, but that doesn't mean we want pitying friends or other traditions imposed on us or awkward blind dates with somebody's brother who has a nice personality. What single people want most from you, dear friends who aren't? To do whatever they want for Valentine's Day, without any expectations or congratulations or judgment.
We'll do us, and you do you, and we can all eat chocolate while we do it — that's basically the best holiday ever, right!?


In comparison to traditional paired-end DNA sequencing, mate-pair sequencing allows the generation of long-insert paired-end DNA libraries. These are especially useful for applications, such as de novo sequencing, genome finishing, structural variation detection or the identification of complex genomic rearrangements.
For mate-pair sequencing DNA is fragmented into 2-5 kb fragments, the ends are repaired with biotin labeled dNTPs. The labeled fragments are then circularized and fragmented again into 400 - 600 bp pieces. Fragments with the biotin label are then captured, enriched, end-repaired, ligated with adapters and finally sequenced. The resulting reads have insert sizes in the range of 2-5 kb.
In combination with traditional paired-end sequencing this method provides a comprehensive set of reads for complex genomic applications.


Our wine & gourmet gift baskets are made-to-order and include the finest selection of wines and cheeses, crackers and condiments. Choose from the pre-made baskets below or customize your very own. These gift baskets make the perfect hostess, thank you or any-occasion gift!


Learn how to make high-quality remote interview recordings.
Cleanfeed is an online service that uses the Opus audio códec and the Chrome browser to allow for ISDN quality with one or multiple co-hosts and interviews. Cleanfeed is currently free to start, even for commercial use. Cleanfeed can record our sessions and deliver two separate tracks on a single WAV file. Due to current Apple restrictions, Cleanfeed presently supports the Chrome browser on any platform except iOS, meaning that Cleanfeed supports Android, Chromebook, Linux, macOS and Windows. Ahead is my part 1 review and the workflow I used, a test recording and a preview of part 2, which will facilitate playing pre-recorded soundbites for comments from our remote interviewees or guests, without the need of any physical mixer.
From your Chromebook, Linux, macOS or Windows computer, you can currently invite and connect to your co-host(s) or guest interviewee(s), as long as they have an Android (a modern phone or tablet), Chromebook, Linux, macOS or Windows computer. In other words, you can potentially get what I would call "better than studio quality" as long as each participant wears isolating (or very soft) headphones and the microphone, preamp/A-to-D (analog-to-digital) converter and acoustics are that good at each end.
What do I mean by "potentially better than studio quality"? How could it be better than studio quality? Since each participant is acoustically isolated, there is no issue with spill (aka crosstalk), where as within a single studio, that problem nearly always exists, and —as I have covered in previous articles— can be treated with an automatic mixer or as documented in My multitrack crossgating audio workflow to eliminate crosstalk, which uses Auphonic.
For this test for part 1, I used the RØDE Broadcaster microphone (reviewed here, Amazon — B&H) at my end connected with RØDE's new AI-1 preamp/A-to-D converter (review pending, B&H link) connected to my MacBook Air. At the remote location was Francisco Javier Arbolí with his Senal ENG-18RL connected with his iRig Pre HD (reviewed here, Amazon — B&H). We both wore isolating headphones connected via TRS.
Currently, the audio input to be selected is done via Chrome's own audio setting. However, in the near future, Cleanfeed is going to add both an audio input and output setting directly within its own user interface. For that reason, Francisco Javier and I selected the mentioned sources (RØDE AI-1 at my end, iRig Pre HD at his end) in Chrome.
After creating a free account at Cleanfeed.net and logging in, I got the above initial screen, clicked the Audio menu and accepted the default Speech optimised (UK spelling) setting as shown below.
He received the email message directly from Cleanfeed, clicked on the linked word Connect and (since he too uses Chrome as his default browser) was immediately connected to my session.
Generally speaking, I produce everything in 48 kHz, as indicated in this article. Fortunately, Cleanfeed prefers to use 48 kHz as long as that sampling frequency is used with the devices connected and Chrome behaves accordingly, but Chrome sometimes decides to do otherwise, and when that happens (as occurred with the above recording), Cleanfeed has no choice but to use whatever Chrome dictates, which in this case of the above recording is 44.1 kHz. To be clear: I had my interface set to 48 kHz, as did Francisco Javier, but I received a 44.1 kHz WAV file from Cleanfeed, and left it alone for the purposes of demonstrating the quality of the Cleandfeed service. Cleanfeed is following this situation closely as new Chrome updates come out. If and when Cleanfeed has the opportunity to force the sampling frequency used by Chrome, the developers plan to do so.
Cleanfeed is a great solution. Considering that Cleanfeed offers separate tracks (1 for local, and one for all remote guests), the only future request (beyond the 48 kHz issue mentioned above, which depends upon Google Chrome), would be to have all remote guests on independent tracks.
Part 2 of this review will include the use if Ckeabfeed together with a virtual cart machine app and US$39 middleware for macOS to allow the interviewee to hear it and comment about it, without the need of any physical audio mixer.
For more info, visit Cleanfeed.net.
Have you tried this with an Android Smartphone ? I can't get Cleanfeed.net to recognise my USB connected mic (I have set Cleanfeed Phone end to USB audio on the drop down black bar). The USB connected Mic (A professional mic plugged into a USB sound card dongle) via OTG to the phone USB, does work with the phone running an audio recorder or video recorder App but not with Cleanfeed. Any thoughts on why this is not working for me. The USB mic set up does work from the Studio Laptop (windows10).
Yes, I have made it work with an Android Pixel XL. Other Android devices might vary. It's always important to check, and to make sure that the Android is completely updated to the latest version of Android OS and the latest version of the Chrome browser. On a Samsung, you probably need to download Chrome since it's not usually the default browser on Samsung.
Good to know that it does work on your Android phone. I'll go through everything again and make sure I have all the latest updates – I normally do but things can get missed. May be my phone is a bit too old (2 years) ! Thanks for taking the time to respond.
With the free version, set the source audio and play audio to match your interface in your computer's settings. If necessary, quite Chrome and re-launch. With Cleanfeed Pro, you can change it within it.


text:
Les màquines de registre unitari van ser molt omnipresents a la indústria de la primera meitat del , ja que van permetre realitzar tasques de gran volum, sofisticades i de processament de dades molt abans que s'investissin els ordinadors moderns. Abans de l'arribada d'ordinadors electrònics, el processament de dades es feia mitjançant dispositius electromecànics anomenats equips de registre d'unitat, màquines de comptabilitat elèctrica (EAM) o màquines de tabulació.

El processament de dades es va realitzar mitjançant el tractament de cobertes de targetes perforades a través de diverses màquines de registre d'unitat amb una progressiva coreografia acurada.

Aquesta progressió de màquina a màquina sovint es planificava i es documentava amb dibuixos que utilitzaven símbols estandarditzats per a les diverses funcions de la màquina, aquests dibuixos s'anomenen diagrames de flux. Totes les màquines disposaven d'alimentadors mecànics d'alta velocitat per processar des d'unes cent cartes per minut, fins a 2.000 cartes per minut, detectant forats perforats amb sensors electrònics o òptics. El funcionament de moltes màquines es dirigia mitjançant l'ús d'un tauler de control desmuntable. Inicialment totes les màquines es van construir mitjançant comptadors i relés electromecànics. Els components electrònics es van introduir en algunes màquines a partir de finals dels anys quaranta.

L'elaboració de dades per mitjà de màquines de registre unitari (o base de targeta perforada) compren tres fases diferents: introducció de dades en targeta (perforació), la seva elaboració (classificació, intercalació, càlcul, etc.) l'obtenció de resultats sota la forma d'una targeta o formes impreses, és a dir, tabulació.

Història
El 1896, Herman Hollerith va desenvolupar una tecnologia de registre de targetes punxades i unitats per al cens de 1890, anomenada Tabulating Machine Company. Fusionada més tard per formar la Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR), rebatejada com IBM.

IBM va fabricar i comercialitzar diverses màquines discogràfiques per crear, ordenar i tabular targetes perforades, fins i tot després d'expandir-se als ordinadors a finals dels anys cinquanta. IBM va convertir la tecnologia de punch cards en una potent eina per al tractament de dades empresarials i va produir una àmplia línia de màquines de registre de la targeta IBM.

Targetes perforades
La unitat bàsica d'emmagatzematge de dades era la targeta perforada de 80 columnes. Cada columna perforada representava un sol dígit, lletra o caràcter especial. Els valors de les dades consistien en un "camp" de columnes adjacents.

Punteig de tecles
En la fase de perforació, les dades contingudes en el document original eren puntejades per un operador sobre un teclat i convertides en forats sobre la targeta. Simultàniament, eren impreses en forma normal sobre el costat superior de la targeta per aconseguir una comprensió més fàcil del significat de les perforacions. Aquesta primera fase és l'única que requeria la intervenció directa de les persones, sovint aquestes treballadores eren dones, anomenades operadors de cops de clau, la qual cosa podia provocar errors, per exemple, puntejar el text incorrecte. Les targetes eren controlades per mitjà d'una altra màquina anomenada verificadora. Les targetes també es produïen automàticament per diverses màquines de registre de les unitats i més tard per dispositius de sortida d'ordinador.

Classificació, intercalació i càlcul
Les fases que seguien la perforació eren efectuades per màquines que operaven de manera completament automàtica, amb l'excepció de la transferència manual dels grups de targetes d'una màquina a l'altra. El processament de les dades perforades sobre la targeta es podia articular en diferents operacions, recorrent els diversos tipus de màquines.

Una activitat important a qualsevol taller de registre de la unitat era ordenar les entrades de la targeta perforada en l'ordre adequat. S'ordenava segons la informació que es trobava a la targeta. La classificadora s'encarregava d'ordenar les targetes segons codis preestablerts, per exemple, introduint a la màquina un grup de targetes, aquestes eren ordenades segons el número de codi progressiu, o bé, subdividides en més grups segons codis diferents i reunides en caselles específiques. La classificadora, com els ordinadors de targetes de la sèrie IMB 80, va ordenar una plataforma d'entrada en una de les 13 papereres de sortida, depenent de la columna seleccionada.

La intercaladora estava en condicions de funcionar reunint dos grups de targetes, originant un únic grup, ordenat segons cert criteri. Una forma de procés molt freqüent també era el càlcul, que es desenvolupava per mitjà de màquines calculadores, en condicions d'efectuar automàticament sumes, restes, multiplicacions i divisions, utilitzant les dades contingudes en la targeta i amb la capacitat de perforar els resultats sobre aquesta.

Tabulat
Els informes i les dades de resum es van generar mitjançant màquines de comptabilitat o tabulació. La coberta ordenada s'alimentava a través de la màquina de tabulació i cada targeta s'imprimia a la seva pròpia línia. Els camps seleccionats de cada targeta es van afegir al valor d'un dels diversos comptadors. Una targeta amb un punxó especial indica que es tractava d'una targeta mestra.

Els resultats del processament, a més de perforats sobre la targeta, podien ser també presentats en forma de documents o forma impresa. Aquesta última fase es realitzava per mitjà de les màquines tabuladores, les que imprimien directament les dades contingudes a la targeta, o per mitjà de dispositius aritmètics especials, es podien sumar grups de dades i imprimir els resultats i totals relatius de diversos grups d'informació.

El volum de paper produït per tabuladors requeria altres màquines, que no es consideren màquines de registre unitari, per facilitar el maneig del paper. Aquestes són, per exemple, una separadora de fulles de paper, que permetia separar formes impreses en diverses parts en piles separades d'impressió i treure el paper de carboni; o un "buster" que separava les perforacions entre les pàgines de sortida de doble ventall.

Perforador de targetes
Les màquines de perforació de targetes consistien en un punxó de banda, que produïa un gran nombre de targetes perforades idèntiques; una reproducció del punxó, que permetia reproduir un conjunt de targetes en la seva totalitat o reproduir uns camps seleccionats; el punxó resum, que es va ajuntar a màquines de tabulació i podia perforar targetes noves amb detalls i totals de la màquina de tabulació; i el lector de marcatge, que permetia detectar marques de llapis en bombolles impreses a la targeta i punxar els valors de dades corresponents a la targeta.

Més tard, les "màquines d'origen de documents" com l'IBM 519 podrien realitzar totes les operacions anteriors.

L'escombreta de lectura
El processament de la targeta perforada era possible mentre les màquines de registre unitari estiguessin dotades de dispositius lectura que percebien les perforacions, transformant-les en impulsos elèctrics que movien determinats mecanismes interns per aconseguir les operacions desitjades.

Les targetes per ser llegides sortien, una a una, des de la casella de l'alimentació i eren transportades sota les escombretes de lectura, les quals oprimien contra un rodet de contacte; una eventual perforació present sobre la targeta, enviava un impuls electric que feia funcionar un relé, el qual posava així en moviment un mecanisme que identificava en una certa posició la dada que s'havia llegit.

El relé electromagnètic
Les màquines de targeta perforada eren de tipus electromagnètic i utilitzaven com a component bàsic el relé. En la seva forma més simple el relé està constituït per una bobina elèctrica i una armadura metàl·lica, si es fa passar el corrent a través de la bobina, aquesta atreu l'armadura, provocant així el moviment dels dispositius mecànics de la màquina, ja sigui alliberant una lleva, controlant la rotació o parada d'una roda dentada, la transferència d'un joc de contactes elèctrics, etc.

El temps necessari perquè un relé passi d'una posició a una altra és de centèsimes de segon.

El tauler de control
Per adaptar les màquines de registre unitari a solucionar diferents problemes és necessari fer els canvis sobre un tauler de control. El tauler de control està format per una placa que té una sèrie de perforacions, en les quals s'endollen uns cables amb una terminació metàl·lica, la qual fa contacte amb terminals de la màquina interconnectades amb diversos mecanismes interns. En variar les connexions en el tauler, es posen en contacte entre si els diversos mecanismes de la màquina, conseqüentment, opera en subseqüències predeterminades per les connexions mateixes.

Els comptadors i la memòria
L'execució de les operacions aritmètiques estan a càrrec dels mecanismes de càlcul o comptadors, formats per grups de rodes i engranatges de dents en moviment, les diferents posicions d'aquestes corresponen a les vaires xifres decimals. Si durant el curs d'una operació una dada ha de ser utilitzada més d'una vegada en operacions successives, intervé la memòria, un dispositiu mecànic que es deté en una certa posició, recordant així la xifra en qüestió per tot el temps que sigui necessari.

Informació més ràpida
Abans de la introducció de les màquines de registre unitari, tots els procediments administratius s'efectuaven manualment per un gran nombre d'empleats i a través de successives transcripcions els llibres dels comptables, donant peu a errors. Mitjançant el procediment de registre unitari, tota la informació era registrada una sola vegada sobre les targetes perforades, que podrien ser utilitzades en forma successiva i podien ser elaborades, segons les necessitats, de moltes maneres diferents fins a arribar als resultats desitjats.

Col·lecció i interpretació
Un col·locador tenia dues tremuges d'entada i quatre o més trems de sortida. Aquestes màquines podien combinar o emparellar les entrades de targetes en funció del programa del quadre de control.

Un intèrpret imprimia caràcters equivalents als valors de les columnes de la targeta. Les columnes a imprimir es podien seleccionar i, fins i tot, reordenar, en funció del cablejat del tauler de control de la màquina. Els models posteriors podien imprimir en una de les diverses files de la targeta. A diferència de les claus, que imprimien valors directament a sobre de cada columna, els intèrprets generalment utilitzaven un tipus de lletra una mica més ampli que una columna i només podien imprimir fins a 60 caràcters per fila.

Transmissió de dades de la targeta de perforació
La transmissió elèctrica de dades de targetes de perforació es va inventar a principi dels anys 30. El dispositiu es va anomenar control remot elèctric de màquines d'oficina i es va assignar a IBM. Els inventors van ser Joseph C. Bolt de Boston i Curt I. Johnson; Worcester. El dispositiu de control a distància va rebre una patent nord-americana el 9 d'agost de 1932.

Processament de cinta punxada
El punxó d'impressió, Tape-to-Card de l'IBM 046, i el punxó d'impressió, Tape-to-Card de l'IBM 047, eren gairebé idèntics, a excepció del mecanisme d'impressió. Aquestes màquines llegien les dades de les cintes de paper perforades i perforaven les targetes amb aquesta informació.

Programació
El funcionament de la majoria dels equips de registre de les unitats (excepte els classificadors) estava dirigit per un quadre de control de connectors, tot i que IBM no va utilitzar el terme "programació" per a aquestes màquines. Els plafons tenien una matriu de forats organitzats en grups. Els forats amb ferrules metàl·liques a cada extrem es col·locaven als forats per fer connexions.

Centres de registre unitari

Europa
Els primers 10 anys del segle XX les màquines de registre unitari van tenir molt èxit a Anglaterra i Alemanya, desenvolupant-se també en altres països d'Europa. Mentre continuava el treball de les instal·lacions de Hollderith per als censos de població des de Noruega fins a Egipte i de Portugal fins a Bulgaria, prop de 150 màquines estaven instal·lades a Europa a finals de 1913 per compte d'organismes públics, empreses industrials i organitzacions comercials. Deu anys més tard, a Inglaterra hi havia 100 instal·lacions i a Alemanya funcionaven 116 tabuladores i 100 classificadors. La primera instal·lació de màquines de registre unitari a Italia es va dur a terme el 1914, quan algunes unitats són entregades a la companyia Pirelli i a l'institut nacional d'assegurances. En començar els anys trenta diversos centres van ser instal·lats per grups de govern. El 1940, Itàlia tenia 60 instal·lacions i després puja a 80, fins que, finalment, l'any 1950 en té 139.

Amèrica Llatina
Els primers centres de registre unitari d'Amèrica Llatina van ser a Brasil, el 1921 i es van instal·lar al Ferrocarril Oeste de Minas, al Ferrocarril Central de Brasil, al Departamento de Salud Pública i al Ministerio de Guerra.

El 1925 es van instal·lar  centres a Argentina, en la Dirección de Estadisticas, en La Plata i en Buenos Aires i en el Banco Hipotecario Nacional; a Chile, en els Ferrocarriles Chilenos del Estado.

Mèxic va instal·lar el seu primer centre el 1927, en els Ferrocarrils Nacionals i el 1928 a Petróleos del Ágila, Fábrica de Papel San Rafael i al banc de Mèxic. El 1929 el va instal·lar a Compañía de Luz (Mexicana Power and Light Co.), al Departamento Central, Petróleos El Águila, en Tampico y Coatzacoalcos (primeres instal·lacions foranes del país) i en el Departamento de Estadísticas, per preparar el Cens de 1930.

El Perú instal·la el seu primer centre en la Superintendencia General de Aduanas, l'any 1930.
Guatemala instal·la un equip de Ferrocarriles Internacionales de Centro América.
Les primeres màquines alfabètiques d'Amèrica Llatina s'instal·len el 1934 a Brasil i a Mèxic.
Les targetes, element bàsic per l'operació dels centres, van ser fabricades a Argentina des de 1927, a Mèxic des de 1928 i a Brasil des de 1935. Els altres països les havien d'importar
A poc a poc, altres països es van anar incorporant en la instal·lació de centres de registre unitari. Així trobem, per exemple, el 1938 a Colòmbia, Uruguai i Veneçuela, el 1941, a Panamà i Paraguai, el 1945 al Salvador, 1946 a Mèxic sobren sucursals a ciutats com Guadalajara i Monterrey, el 1949 a Hondures. L'últim país va ser Nicaragua, el 1954.

Equip de registre unitari en l'era de l'ordinador
Les instal·lacions informàtiques primeres utilitzaven targetes perforades per a l'entrada i emmagatzematge del programa. Un laboratori informàtic corporatiu o universitari té una sala plena de màquines de perforació clau per a l'ús del programador. Es pot configurar una màquina de comptabilitat IBM 407 per a permetre que la llista de programes de nova creació o editada (impresos en paper plegat de fan) per llegir-los. Es pot proporcionar un IBM 519 per reproduir les cobertes del programa per fer còpies de seguretat. El 519 també podria perforar nombres seqüencials a les columnes 73-80 de les cobertes del programa COBOL o Fortran. Aquests idiomes i altres no han utilitzat aquestes columnes; l'ús de només 72 columnes és una tradició que remunta al lector de targetes IBM 704. S'utilitza un classificador de la sèrie de l'IBM 80 per a tornar a posar les coses en ordre si es deixava caure un conjunt seqüenciat.

Els primers equips comercials de mida mitjana, com l'IBM 1401 van ser dissenyats per funcionar amb operacions de targetes de perforació i van permetre informes més complexos. No obstant això, moltes botigues aviat van començar a utilitzar la cinta magnètica com a mitjà d'emmagatzematge principal, utilitzant targetes principalment per a l'entrada de dades.

Moltes organitzacions tenien la inquietud de modificar els sistemes que funcionaven, de manera que les instal·lacions de registres de les unitats de producció van romandre en funcionament molt després que els ordinadors oferissin solucions més ràpides i rendible. Els usos especialitzats de les targetes de perforació, incloent-hi la recollida de peatge, les cartes d'obertura de microforma i la votació de targetes de perforació, mantenen els equips de registre unitari en ús fins al segle XXI.

L'IBM System / 3, l'avantpassat original de tota la línia de productes d'ordinadors de gamma mitjana d'IBM, va ser desenvolupat com a reemplaçament de les màquines de registre d'unitats programables per placa.

Llistat de referències

Màquines


text:
Accounting for responsible leadership during challenging times
Accounting for responsible leadership during…
The technological disruption brought about by the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has, in combination with the COVID-19 pandemic, created a profoundly changed reality and operating environment for companies and 2021 will continue to be dominated by technology and adaptability.
Businesses are still trying to play catch-up from the staggering level of business disruption as lockdown regulation curtailed revenue streams, particularly in sectors in the mobility, alcohol and tourism spaces, challenging companies to continue to generate new revenue streams and reduce costs to ensure business continuity and prospects for future growth.
Leaders who have a background or current role in accounting or auditing can use their skills and experience to face these kinds of challenges. Three such chartered accountants are Frans Hiemstra, Uber's General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Unam Mahlati, Senior Operations and Logistics Manager for Uber SSA, and Timothy Kiluba, who is the New Models Lead Operations Manager for SSA at Uber.
Be the disruptive change to keep from becoming a victim of it
Frans Hiemstra, who took on the role of General Manager for Uber in SSA in June 2020, says it is critical to remain agile to ensure you are ready to react to short-term disruption, the pandemic being a great example. It is, however, important to have your strategy mapped out for the next five to ten years, with the flexibility to pivot as some companies will emerge to disrupt your business model. Always think about the next opportunity and how you can create more value for your customers.
Hiemstra worked closely with his teams in seven countries to leverage technology, build innovative partnerships and adapt to the 'new normal' while supporting the needs of their Uber community.
According to him, being a disruptor might seem chaotic, but knowing when it's the right time to introduce an innovative product could make or break your success. For example, South Africa had one of the strictest lockdowns in the world to limit movement, which meant more people stayed at home and ordered goods online. While the business community saw an increase in consumer demand, many quickly reached capacity and were forced to either turn orders down or possibly delay the fulfilment of orders.
This is when Uber decided to adapt their technology to offer a last-mile delivery solution for businesses. This solution was evident in the company's partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in South Africa. They utilised Uber's technology to deliver more than 480 000 pieces of chronic medication to vulnerable patients during the lockdowns. Ensuring this was rolled out at the right time was vital to the success of the product.
On the Eats side: the rise of at-home deliveries for everyday essentials and the trend towards this for years to come, saw the business invest further to grow the number and diversity of grocery, retail and convenience merchants available via the app. This reimagined experience will ensure business continuity not only for Uber Eats but also their partners.
As a member SAICA, Hiemstra is also leading disruption in his own profession, as technology transforms the traditional role of both accountants and auditors. 'You can no longer simply verify accounting results, because today's CAs are focused increasingly on providing strategic advice, interpretation of data, risk management as well as numerous other value-add activities.'
Launching new products and entering new geographies pose many challenges for companies, but Hiemstra says that CAs should be at the forefront of solving complex problems within today's disrupted marketplace. The reasoning for this is their commitment to responsible leadership, which sees them being better able to navigate the unfamiliar and grey areas without compromising on ethics.
Innovating Uber services to keep COVID-19 from eating away at the revenue
Unam Mahlati is a registered chartered accountant and completed her BCom degree at the University of Cape Town. Uber was a natural landing spot for her. Growing up in South Africa, Unam found herself always having a passion for social impact and using technology to provide solutions. She now lives out this passion as she has the privilege of working on incredibly complex logistical problems.
As Senior Operations and Logistics Manager Marketplace for Uber SSA, this sees her being responsible for the pricing of the Uber products, investment strategy and additions to the Uber product portfolio in different markets.
Unam believes that being a CA enables doors to open as people are willing to give you a chance as they know the value a CA holder brings. The high-quality training of articles helped instil a great work ethic, integrity and ethical compass that has enabled Unam to be a high performer in her various roles, including her current role at Uber.
She highlighted that the initial challenge was during the lockdowns across SSA. The business needed to innovate and outline opportunities and solutions.
This resulted in the business having to come up with new products and features such as Uber by the Hour, which was added to Uber's suite of products in Tanzania, making errands easier while providing additional income for drivers.
She believes that while business was challenging for many companies, opportunities were found and they expedited and evolved the delivery and logistics business for the 4IR and beyond.
Charting the reputational management course and accounting for a company's regulatory compliance
Timothy Kiluba, New Models Lead Operations Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Uber, is also a strong proponent of the role of CAs as guardians of a company's ethics. 'Reputational damage can be repaired by admitting that mistakes have been made, understanding the reasons that led to these mistakes and lastly, embodying more than ever the values and attributes that are required in this profession which are professionalism, scepticism and integrity.'
The pandemic necessitated the need for innovation and resulted in novel service offerings like Uber Connect, a cost-effective on-demand delivery solution and UberNAM, an affordable option to cater to riders' pricing needs. These were launched not just to improve economic opportunities but to adapt to the shift in consumer behaviour.
Kiluba, who became a chartered accountant in 2015, is responsible for formulating the strategy and managing the launch of new business models. This also requires a focus on developing risk management strategies. His favourite aspect of being a CA, Kiluba says, is the flexibility that the qualification affords him, as a CA develops valuable skills that are essential within many fields. Being a chartered accountant also gives one the ability to make complex issues easily understood by others in the business.
While 2020 permanently changed how businesses globally are run, it has proven that agility and partnership are key to succeed in 2021.
These three CAs(SA) and leaders are proving that crises inadvertently emanate in opportunity. Their growth mindset in tackling the challenges of the day and COVID-19 crises has kindled some of the business's most fruitful ideas, creative projects, all while their astute leadership decisions motivate employees to think outside the norm. This not only assists their company in surviving the business continuity threat of the COVID-19 pandemic but also helps set up the business for greater success.
PreviousPrevious post:Tsakani Maluleke is charting changeNextNext post:The culture of ethics 'A few rotten apples do not make the whole basket rotten' − Mervyn King


Election polls in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, has closed, marking the country's third-general elections since the end of the decade long civil war which ended in 2002.
The elections were closely monitored by thousands of observers, which seen voters electing a new president, parliament and local council officials.
Non-governmental organization, known as National Election Watch, says that voting went relatively well, however some delays were reported at some polling stations.
The countries incumbent leader, President Ernest Bai Koroma is running for re-election, and is being contested by eight other presidential candidates, including former military leader, Julius Maada Bio.
The three main political parties involved in this elections include President Koroma's All People's Congress (APC); Bio's Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and the People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), led by Charles Francis Margai, son of the countries former Prime Minister, Albert Margai.
In addition, the political-arm of the rebel group, Revolutionary United Front (RUF) is also contesting the elections.
The country is relatively stable and has made economic and political progress since the end of the brutal civil war, which killed some 50 000 people.
Sierra Leone has a rapidly growing economy, with these elections going on peacefully without incident. However the country remains one of poorest nations in the world.


Delta Air Lines' first A220-100 took off on its first flight from Mirabel airport, Québec, at 02:02 p.m. local time. The aircraft was crewed by A220 programme test pilots. During the successful 2-hour and 53-minute flight, the crew checked the aircraft's main systems and landed back in Mirabel at 04:55 p.m.
Delta Air Lines will be the first U.S. airline to operate the A220 – at the same time becoming the fourth A220 operator, after Swiss International Air Lines, airBaltic, and Korean Air. Delta is the largest A220-100 customer, with a firm order for 75 aircraft.
With an order book of over 400 aircraft to date, the A220 has all the credentials to win the lion's share of the 100- to 150-seat aircraft market, estimated to represent at least 7,000 aircraft over the next 20 years. Most of the Delta A220s will be built at the Airbus facility in Mobile, Alabama.


Hours: Open 7 days 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Moan over tempting gyros and try the Philly cheese steak, a signature item at this pleasant, Miami Dolphins-colored sandwich shop. You can get it prepared traditionally: Some sautéed onions, mushrooms, and peppers, plus lots of melted cheese. You can have it doused with marinara as a pizza steak. Or you can go upscale and have your steak sautéed and topped with mushroom wine sauce. So order away: The Deli's easy on your wallet.