Contact HMRC using our call forwarding service which will connect you directly to the official helpline. Calls to this number cost 7p per minute, plus your operator's access charge. The official HMRC contact number can be found by searching within the public domain or at the Gov UK website, we are not affiliated with the UK Gov.
Getting in touch with HM Revenue & Customs is simple if you know exactly which department you need to contact. Some enquiries aren't so clearly defined, so we've compiled a guide to contacting HMRC to make life easier for you. Previously known as the Inland Revenue, HMRC now offer help and support with thousands of tax related questions and complaints in the UK every day. The number listed above will connect you directly to the official helpline where it is important to speak to the correct department for your specific query. Find out how, below.
Without 'Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs', it's clear the UK would be a vastly different place to live and work. They are the government organisation responsible for collecting money by way of tax and National Insurance, in order to provide better public services and welfare benefits. Some of these include public transport, healthcare, housing, education and financial support for the unemployed – absolute necessities in today's society. HMRC also deal with anti-money laundering and through the UK Border agency, the protection of the UK's borders.
Everyone should do their part to support the country, economy and fellow citizens but occasionally things don't quite add up and you may need to contact the tax office to have things put right. Below you can find out exactly when you should contact HMRC.
The Tax Office deals with the whole spectrum of taxation enquiries and until recently has held branches in most major towns and cities. Due to the recent simplification of many processes and the transition to computer based systems, government plans will eventually condense the smaller tax offices into 13 regional tax centres.
The HMRC contact number is the main point of contact for all tax related questions or complaints whether you're a business, individual or an authorised agent acting on behalf of another. When calling, please have your National Insurance number ready (Find out what to do below if you don't have it).
For individuals needing to discuss the points above or any other tax problem, they can have their questions answered by calling the HMRC contact number for tax on 0843 509 2500.
Business owners, employers or accountants wishing to discuss any business or employer tax issues can also call the tax office contact number listed above to have their call directed.
Authorised agents can act on behalf of an individual or a business when discussing matters with HMRC and should call the helpline as normal.
Locating your nearest Tax Office is simple, with an address and phone number often shown on your payslip or P60. Failing this, you can search online using your postcode for the closest tax office, or give them a call directly to ask where their nearest office is located.
What are the current income tax rates?
Currently, you have a standard personal allowance of £10,600. This means you can earn up to £10,600 without paying tax – this could potentially be higher if you work in a profession eligible for flat rate expenses. If in doubt, when calling the HMRC contact number you should advise the member of staff which profession you are currently employed in so that they can check whether you qualify for a higher allowance.
For the majority, tax is paid automatically through PAYE – or 'Pay as you Earn'. This means it is automatically calculated and deducted from the wage or salary paid to you by your employer. Your tax code tells your employer how much to deduct so it's important to make sure you have the correct code.
Occasionally you will see a code such as '1060L W1', '1060L M1', '1060L X' or '0T' which means you have been issued with an temporary emergency tax code. Your personal allowance will be the same, unless you have '0T' in which case you will not have a personal allowance at all. This is common if you've just started work with a new employer or have previously been self employed – contact the tax office to have your tax code corrected if you're concerned.
Self assessment tax returns are paid annually after completing your tax return. You can pay online, by bank transfer online or in-branch, using telephone banking or by visiting your local post office. The deadlines for these payments are 31st January and 31st July if you make a second payment. A budget payment plan can also be agreed if you prefer.
National Insurance (NI) is paid by anyone 16 or over who is currently in employment and earning more than £155 per week, or self employed earning over £5,965 annually. Contributions count toward many of the UK benefits currently helping those who don't earn a living wage. All National Insurance enquiries are handled by HMRC who can be contacted by dialling 0843 509 2500.
You can apply for a new National Insurance Number by telephone. If you have previously held a National Insurance number but have lost it, you may be able to find it on a P60, payslip or tax return. Alternatively you can have your old NI number posted to you – to do this you can call or apply by post following using form CA5403.
For more information on National Insurance and how to get in touch, click here.
HMRC oversee the payment of tax credits to working people on low incomes, as well as families with children. The scheme acts to redistribute wealth to those who would otherwise exist in conditions of poverty. The benefit consists of Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit and has vastly reduced the amount of poverty in the UK with some of the lowest levels of child poverty in many decades.
Am I eligible for Child Tax Credit?
There are online calculators to instantly inform you whether or not you meet the eligibility criteria and tell you how much you're eligible for. If you have a child under 16 (or under 20 and in full time education), you may be eligible to claim Child Tax Credit. Call the HMRC phone number for tax credit information and to learn more about applying today.
Can I claim Working Tax Credit?
There are a number of criteria you must meet in order to be eligible for working tax credits. As implied by it's name you can receive this benefit if you're in work and getting paid, but your income must fall below a certain level. Although primarily available to those over 25, you may qualify if you're 24 and younger with a child or a qualifying disability. Contact HMRC for further working tax credit information.
How do I contact HMRC from abroad?
You can find answers to all of your tax and national insurance questions along with any other HMRC enquiries by calling from abroad using the overseas format. Simply dial '0044 843 509 2500' to be connected to an advisor where you can ask about taxation on a foreign income, tax if you move to, or return to the UK. Please be advised, there may be an extra charge issued by your network provider for this service.
You should contact the HMRC helpline if you feel you need to make a complaint or appeal against a decision which affects you. They have a robust complaints procedure in place should you be unhappy with the service in any way. Some common complaints include experiencing unreasonable delays, or being mistreated by a member of Revenue & Customs staff. When complaining by telephone you should have as much information ready as possible including your credentials, national insurance number and specific details about the complaint.
the HMRC phone number operates between the hours of 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm on Saturday. The lines are closed on Sundays and bank holidays but you can find the answers to most questions online.
A full list of services and information provided by HMRC can be found here.


The Paleo diet is considered one of the healthiest ways you can eat because you eat like we used to back in the day…WAY back in the day. If a caveman couldn't eat it, neither can you is the methodology behind it. This means anything we could hunt or find – meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, regional veggies, and seeds.
And with research from many disciplines indicating that our modern diet, full of refined foods, trans fats and processed sugar, is at the root of degenerative diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, depression and infertility, then the case for eating a paleo diet has some value.
• Finally, round out the meal with good fats from avocado, coconut oil, butter, olive oil or a handful of unsalted nuts such as almonds, pecans, macadamias or walnuts.
Bone broth is one of the most underrated foods. The cooking process breaks down bones and connective tissues – including proteins, minerals and fat – that contain essential nutrients that the body just loves.
When you eat animal or fish bone broth, you are feeding the body with collagen, which is an essential building block of cells, bones, ligaments, cartilage and the brain. Making bone broth is excellent for people with food sensitivities and gastrointestinal disorders because it is usually very safe and tolerable for the body.
Other nutrients include, bone marrow, which helps the immune system by carrying oxygen to cells in the body. Minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are essential for maintaining healthy bones and generating energy.
Raw Cacao offers several health benefits: Rich source of iron, dietary fiber, calcium, zinc, potassium and antioxidants, stimulates the secretion of endorphins, contains phenylethylamine, another mood booster, contains the antioxidant flavonoids, which promote cardiovascular health and help improve circulation, regular heartbeat and blood pressure and it's a rich source of magnesium, which helps in balancing brain chemistry, just to name a few.
This isn't a free pass to go to town on overly-sweetened chocolate candy.
Moderation is key here. Have just a few squares a day of at least 80 percent pure dark chocolate, and get all the benefits this delicious super food has to offer!
Coconut oil, nature's most potent source of lauric acid, has long been noted for it's high levels of heart healthy MCTs, which is a specific type of fat that also happens to be very antimicrobial and anti-viral. A welcomed boost for your immune system.
The lauric acid found in coconut oil is also highly concentrated in breast milk, and acts as one of the main support mechanisms for the babies immune system..
The organs of any animal or fish are considered a powerhouse, loaded with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other compounds vital to health. Many traditional cultures and their medicine men believe that eating the organs from a healthy animal supports the organs of the eater and is a way of honouring the animal for its death.
From Chlorella to Spirulina, these wonder foods serve up a multitude of benefits including, increased energy, enhanced brain function, nourishment for the nervous system, improved memory and concentration, increased muscle mass and faster healing. A nutrient-dense superfood that contains proteins (including all the essential amino acids), and various vitamins and minerals, this is a must addition for any smoothie or juice.
Eggs are a food that exude quality!
Naturally fed eggs are full of Vitamin D and Omega-3 fats, and amino acids. A powerful combination that supports just about every important function in the human body from hormone production, to having healthy hair and skin. Besides, all of the vitamins this super food provides, it also give you one of the most bio-available, or "usable" proteins available.
The dark-orange yolk is where a large portion of the eggs precious vitamins are, so be sure and eat the whole egg not just the egg whites.


These are the signaling bites used in a telephony environment to signal information.
Used in a T1 call to carry dialing and control information.
This is another name for private branch exchange (PBX). The ACD: answers calls, looks in a database for instructions, will send the call based on instructions to a recording, "Hello, thank you for calling…" or send the call to a hunt group or operator.
The number of the person calling. This is what is displayed on your phone before you answer the call.
A series of functions supplied by a card vendor to allow interaction with their drivers. Most vendors have a series of APIs. In VBVoice™ we use the API to talk to the card.
It incorporates knowledge and research in the linguistics, computer science, and electrical engineering fields.
Telephone transmissions that are not digital (plain old telephone system or service [POTS]).
Converts signals from analog to digital and reverse. See Multiplexer.
When a function call or task is simply called, like playing a waveform audio (WAV) file, and the process returns to the main thread and waits for notification that the process has completed. Term is used mainly in database lookups where the main thread is not locked while the system waits for results.
The interactive voice response (IVR) application that answers and directs all incoming calls.
An integrated services for digital network (ISDN) channel used to convey audio or data rather than signaling. See D channel.
Local phone companies in the US responsible for local calls.
Uses just one B channel for audio and one D channel for data (two channels or lines). Mainly used in Europe and it's as cheap as analog.
All phone systems run on DC power. They all have battery power backups and use this to smooth the AC power dips and spikes.
A tone to signal line is in use.
A form of out-of-band signaling used in both T1 and E1. It's a type of ISDN protocol.
Be it Bell, ITT, Qwest, Sprint, etc.
A test unit that acts like a mini CO. Supplies tones, disconnect signals, simulates on-hook off-hook, etc.
A CSU is required in most cases when connecting directly to the public T1 network. The CSU provides functions such as loopback capabilities for running diagnostic tests to locate where problem conditions are occurring on the T1 chain. Some CSU's have dialing capability for performing remote diagnostics. The CSU is the last point where the signal is regenerated as it leaves the network. It also provides line equalization and voltage protection for telephone company and customer premise equipment, monitors the T1 line for violations and can generate "keep alive" signals and error condition messages. Keep alive,also known as a persistent connection, allows files to be transferred from a web server to a web browser without interruption.
General term for personal computers and phone board configurations used to create IVRs.
In voice processing cadence is the pattern of sound and silence generated in an audio signal. Examples are busy and ring tones. One second of tone followed by three seconds of silence to signify a ring.
A business where calls are answered or made. Can be as small as one person or as big as hundreds of agents.
In telephony this is when two parties are connected. A complete circuit has been made.
This is the technology that listens for tones being returned by the network to indicate what is happening during a call. For example, using call progress analysis is what is used to determine the results of an outbound call.
Analogous to call progress analysis, but call progress monitoring may need to be active during the entire call. Reasons may be that the network isn't returning a disconnect signal that the board is expecting and it may have to listen for a dial tone to recognize a disconnect.
Busy tone, dial tone, ring tone, etc.
A line, a single path of communication. Not to be confused with ports.
Also called a T1 Multiplexer (MUX). A device at a telephone company CO that converts analog signals from home and business users into digital signals to be carried over higher speed lines between the CO and other exchanges.
A term used in ASR when some consonants are omitted during normal conversation. For example, seven nine and test tube. They're pronounced seven-ine and test-ube. Hard for discrete recognizers.
A function for converting and compressing audio signals.
The changing of information to use less space (fewer bits) to transmit data. Part of different codecs (e.g., G723, G729, etc).
Where three or more talkers can speak or hear each other.
A term used to describe speech that comes in a relatively short period of time. Can include coarticulation.
A special interface element, like a button or scroll bar made by a third party. VBVoice is an example of a series of custom controls.
Data channel on an ISDN line. Used to transmit calling information like dialed digits. This form of out-of-band processing allows for faster responses.
This is the called number. Used to route calls if a business has more than one posted number.
Specialized chip to do realtime processing of audio or video. DSPs are found on most phone cards.
Term for the tones generated by pushing buttons.
Ability to respond immediately to a received DTMF tone even when playing a prompt.
The string of characters used to represent a dialing process. They will either be numbers for DTMF transmission or URL address for VoIP transmission.
The sound you hear when you pick up the phone. Provided by either the CO or your PBX.
Generic name for the T1/E1 line. Transmission is digital, not analog.
The signal to indicate that one party has hung up.
Something that happens during a call flow. Events are where code is placed so that it is tripped at the appropriate time during the call flow.
A tone generated and is twice as fast as a busy tone.
Where one copy of a document is sent to several phone numbers.
Ability to create a fax document from database information only.
Used to provide hard copy of information to a caller. For example, doctor calls insurance company, patient's policy number is entered, doctor's fax number is entered and hard copy of coverage is faxed back to doctor.
The strand of glass wire used in optical cable.
A brief on-hook period to place a call into a hold. It's produced by depressing the hook switch. Can be done from a card.
When you make a phone call at the same time someone is trying to call you. Before it rings you pick up the handset and somebody who was calling you is on the line saying, "Hello Hello". This is glare.
A crude form of voice detection that responds to sound or silence. Doesn't understand speech.
Dialogic® PowerMedia™ HMP performs media processing tasks on general-purpose servers without requiring the use of specialized hardware.
The process of a call reaching a group of lines.
The way several lines are organized so that calls are routed to a free line. Groups are common in sales, tech support and most departments where several people do the same job.
A set of communication standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data and other network services over the traditional circuits of the public switched telephone network.
The portal to internet access. Needs to supply features for VoIP transport.
This is what answers the phone in an automated system.
Signaling that doesn't need a second channel. Examples are touch tone digits, which are on the same channel. T1 Robbed bit is also in-band.
Current that flows when there is a live connection through an analog phone line.
A standardized communication protocol used by speech servers to provide TTS and ASR services to their clients.
A device that selects one of several analog or digital input signals and forwards the selected input into a single line.
Usually refers to Mitel's voice bus; has been adopted by other non-Dialogic vendors. Term is used in VBVoice to force MVIP for conferencing (MVIPBridging = yes or no).
A folder or file where messages are stored for a single owner.
Used to transmit information between multiple cards in the same machine (e.g., SC Bus, H100 Bus).
The encoding used for wav files used by North American phone system phrases.
The file extension of an Active X control. VBVoice uses OCX files for most of its controls.
Custom controls use OLE interfaces to talk to Active X or OCX code.
When you lift the receiver the line has gone OffHook. Alerts the PBX or CO that the user will want to do something.
Phone is on its cradle. Line is not active.
Allows a caller to dial without going off-hook. Not very common.
When invalid numbers are dialed or an error condition occurs an operator intercept may occur. A SIT is played followed by the message explaining the problem.
The signaling is on a separate channel from the one carrying voice or data.
Often referred to as a switch. Does phone switching for a business.
Algorithm used to detect whether a person answered a phone or not.
An analog telephone service implemented over copper twisted pair wires and based on the Bell system.
Is the ISDN equivalent of a T1 circuit. All ISDN lines are PRI.
Worldwide telephone network run by private companies (e.g., Bell, AT&T, Qwest, Sprint, etc).
Service where a caller is charged for the service provided/information (e.g., weather, stock prices, sports scores, etc).
Automated system that makes outbound calls. When the call is answered it transfers the call to an agent.
A device that recognizes the clicks of a rotary dial and translates it to tone. Used to be present on older boards.
The four-wire connector used on most phones.
The network connector used to connect T1 lines. Also network cables.
The event that triggers a phone call. A device receives a voltage charge in analog or a bit switch in T1 and it has been programmed to understand that this is an incoming call.
A set of libraries and documentation needed to create applications using an operating system.
In telephony, a SIT is an inband international standard signal consisting of three rising tones indicating a call has failed. It usually precedes a recorded announcement describing the problem.
Another term for automated speech recognition.
A specialized card that can send a voltage to a handset to cause it to ring. It is used in call centers.
A call transfer made by an automated device that attempts to determine the results (i.e., answer, busy, etc).
Microsoft's API for telephone. Mainly used by Mitel to connect IVR to their switch.
A method of transmitting and receiving independent signals over a common signal path by means of synchronized switches at each end of the transmission line so that each signal appears on the line only a fraction of time in an alternating pattern. It is used when the data rate of the transmission medium exceeds that of signal to be transmitted.
Process of converting text to audio.
One channel on a TDM transmission.
Two insulated copper wires. Two wires is what is needed for a single channel in analog.
Known as a web address; a web resource that specifies its location on a computer network and a mechanism for retrieving it.
A software implementation of a machine (i.e., a computer) that executes programs like a physical machine.
A visual representation of an IVR call menu on a customer's smartphone or computer screen.
A tool embedded in VBVoice that enables all VBVoice controls to develop a call flow that can process both voice calls and data sessions from a browser supporting HTML 5.
Another name for phone board. A add in board to allow telephone processing in a PC.
Ability of a machine to understand human speech (known as ASR). Nuance and LumenVox are examples.
A system that records messages and stores them for later retrieval.


text:
Overview / Press Releases / LONDON CITY DEBUT FOR EMBRAER E190-E2
LONDON CITY DEBUT FOR EMBRAER E190-E2
The latest generation of Embraer E190 aircraft makes its first visit to LCY
This morning an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft landed for the first time at London City Airport (LCY). The newest aircraft from Embraer, the world's quietest and most efficient in its class, entered into service in April this year. An aircraft from Embraer's test fleet stopped off at LCY on its way to appear at next week's Farnborough Air Show. The visit demonstrates the importance Embraer places on being able to offer LCY capability to airlines and its intention to work with London City Airport to certify the E2 to meet customer demand, which is likely to rise as LCY increases connectivity.
Arjan Meijer, Chief Commercial Officer, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said, "For Embraer, London City feels like home, wherever you look, our aircraft are there. So it's a big moment for us to bring the newest generation Embraer jet to this important European hub. We know that passengers will love the new aircraft, still with no middle seats and featuring larger overhead bins, and Londoners will also appreciate the quietness of the aircraft and its low emissions."
London City Airport is London's most central airport, known for its convenience and speedy passenger experience. Its location means operating aircraft have to be compatible with the airport's steep approach and short runway. Embraer aircraft are well suited to this and have operated from LCY since 2009, when BA Cityflyer started operations with the E170. Embraer aircraft accounted for nearly 60% of departures from LCY in 2017.
Richard Hill, Chief Commercial Officer at London City Airport, said: "to welcome the Embraer E2 to London City Airport for the first time is a crucial milestone towards certification and subsequent commercial operation at London's most central airport. The first generation of E-Jets have been intrinsic to London City's growth, so much so that up to three quarters of all passengers now land or depart on the aircraft. As we continue a £480m transformation, due for completion in 2022, the E2 has enormous potential for London City, with proven ability to operate with less noise, fewer emissions, and better fuel efficiency to open up new destinations, delivering significant benefits for our airline customers, passengers and local neighbours."
In certification testing EASA figures confirmed the E190-E2 has the lowest noise levels among all new generation single aisle aircraft. If this performance can be replicated in the operational environment of London City Airport, the E190-E2 would meet the minimum noise restrictions of the airport's new Aircraft Noise Categorisation Scheme (ANCS), which will be fully introduced next year.
The E190-E2 is the first of a new generation of crossover narrowbody jets from Embraer. The aircraft entered into service with Norwegian carrier Widerøe in April. The E195-E2 goes into service next year with Azul in Brazil. The E190-E2 cuts fuel burn by more than 17%, and is the quietest passenger jet in the world today both in the cabin and outside.
Since entering revenue service, the E-Jets family has received more than 1,800 orders and over 1,400 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleet of 70 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Are We Out Of Touch? #EdgeBrum
3rd Jul 2014 Social Media 9 minutes to read
This afternoon I am speaking at On The Edge Birmingham. I will be looking at youth digital marketing, and how out of touch some brands really are. But for every bad example, there are plenty of good ones. So if you want to know how to be successful marketing to young people, check out my slides and blog post.
Marketing to a young audience is no mean feat. For any brand there are key fundamentals to remember, to ensure your communicating effectively. As new technologies emerge, it's getting harder and harder for brands to stay in touch. So, here's what your business needs to know.
Are We Out Of Touch? Edge Birmingham July 2014 from Koozai
A Young Market Is a Lucrative One, Potentially
Students account for half the UK youth population. They contribute an estimated £20 billion to the UK economy every year [Source: The Guardian]. This market spends money, but…
"Marketing to Britain's youth is notoriously fraught. No-one wants to be the 'dad dancing' brand! Understanding the latest trends in terms of content and channels is crucial for a brand to carve-out a sustainable business model" Matt Burgess, Brand Building Director, Personal Care, Unilever [Source: Marketing Magazine].
It's a big big concern for brands – who want to tap into this market, but just find themselves increasingly out of touch.
What We'll Look At
Who Are Young People?
How Do We Reach The Market?
Youth Trends & Consumer Behaviours
What To Do Vs What Not To Do
New Trends & The Future
10 Rules To Stay In Touch
The term 'Youth marketing' doesn't actually exist. The typical age range is 13 years to 35 years. Therefore, for any business it's important to segment this into a number of key audiences. For example:
Teen marketing: 13 – 19
College marketing: 18 – 24
Young adult / young professional: 21 – 35
You could segment your audiences even further based of socio-economic and cultural factors. This will give you a number of buyer personas to target your brand, products and services.
How Do We Reach Them?
Whilst traditional youth marketing strategies include television advertising, magazine advertising, and product placement, today's young people expect to be able to learn, interact and be entertained with brands or services targeting them online.
You can see this reflected in this timeline of marketing channels – Yes you have your TV, Print and Radio – but as soon as we turn to the end of 20th Century and the start of the 21st – a whole host of online channels appear:
Search Engines, Social Media /bookmarking, YouTube and video marketing, Content Marketing, Apps and Video Games.
Youth Trends And Consumer Behaviours
Did you know? 9/10 of young people are interested in tech
[Source: Chinwag].
This highlights the critical role that technology plays in the everyday lives of today's youth generation.
But old school technology is redundant – mobile phones have been proven to be the accessory of note for the global youth market. Youth markets in Europe and the US fall between 83% and 87% of mobile ownership.
Technology has changed user behaviour. As such, the path to purchase is different now. In fact, when it comes to smartphones, there are some really disturbing stats out there: for example, 62% of youth sleep with their mobile phones [Source: Mobile Youth].
Did you know? 67 % of young people access Facebook from their smartphone
[Source: TNW]
Facebook has been the second biggest emergence for youth culture. This highlights the important role that Social Media plays in the everyday lives of young people.
Brands need to learn the importance of transparency, relevance and shared conversation versus traditional push approaches.
We know young people are big users of social media. A survey from the Guardian showed that 97% use Facebook and 45% are on Twitter. But importantly for brands, young fans aren't 2 or 3 times more influential than your average customer, but up to 100 times.
Young People Break Trends First
Whether we're talking about young people today, or 50 years ago, there is a similarity:
There is a desperate need to belong and fit into one's peer group
This innate belonging filters unknowingly into the youth markets consumer behaviour as well as their behaviour online.
Unlike 50 years ago however, young people are surrounded by multimedia. As such they have become very savvy trendsetters, making them a very lucrative market to target.
If a brand no longer provides them with up-to-date digital entertainment, information or news, they will move onto a brand that will. This is the challenge faced by marketers.
What To Do Vs. What Not To Do
Sony's fake Blog (or flog) did not resonate well with its audience. It featured two 'enthusiasts' trying to convince family members to get one of them a PSP for Christmas. But it was a weak attempt at online marketing. They got caught out. Once this news broke, it only took a matter of hours for the word to spread and the rapid fire comments and responses began.
You could compare this to a number of genuine blogs created for youth, but I wanted to show you how you can create something that is fake (or fictional rather) and it still be well received amongst its intended audience.
The BBC programme Sherlock was praised for its digital integration and innovation – and Dr. John Watson's blog is a great example. For each investigation featured within the programme, the BBC created pseudo-posts from John Watson. It even featured comments from all well-liked characters.
Hashtag Vs. Bashtag
Bashtag
Cue McDonalds and JP Morgan
#McDStories
A Twitter campaign by McDonald's aimed at spreading good news about the firm has backfired spectacularly – with people using the #McDStories to highlight their worst experiences of the fast food chain.
#AskJPM
JP Morgan decided to host a Twitter chat where students were encouraged to tweet questions for Vice Chairman Jimmy Lee on career advice and leadership. Many any made fun of the attempt to use social media, insulting executives and reminding readers of the bank's recent legal problems.
However Coke show us how it's done.
What I love about this campaign is that they didn't try and push the hashtag – it evolved naturally. Coca-Cola has seen its Facebook community grow by 3.5% in the UK and globally by 6.8%. The hashtag has also been used 29,000 times on Twitter. Whilst its target was 18 – 25 years old, it took advantage from mass market penetration.
Educate, Entertain or Inform – Don't Alienate
O2 and Tesco
O2's Be more Dog Campaign has been hugely successful, thanks – in part – to the personality of the campaign, which is consistent across all platforms. Tesco Mobile have penetrated the market – appealing well to young people. This Rap battle didn't do either of them harm – it strengthened their position in their markets as young, fresh, entertaining brands.
Mark Jeffries, CEO of A&F did the following in interviews and across social media. Being the CEO he should have known better – whether it was a PR stunt or not – it backfired.
Now this Is what I love about Social Media. Greg Karber, an LA writer was annoyed about the comments. He went on Facebook to complain and set up a campaign. Donate you a&F clothes to your local homeless shelter, and then tweet about it using the hashtag #FitchTheHomeless.
The stunt has come under criticism itself – which is fair enough as it could be exploitive of homeless people – but either way amongst young people there is a wave of discontent for A&F thanks to campaigns like this. So don't alientate.
Don't Ignore The Negatives
Lack of communication led to Bad PR for Blackberry, when phone owners experienced a sudden outage in service, early on a Monday Morning. Many turned to Twitter to vent their frustrations or to seek help from the device's manufacturer, Research in Motion (RIM).
But the customer support Twitter account had no idea that there was an issue unfolding – posting tweets as normal. And the UK account, here, didn't make this statement until later that evening.
But here's how to do it – Argos style.
Think Real Time
In the wake of the horrifying Boston Marathon bombing, Epicurious had the nerve to tweet out a recipe suggestions for those in Boston and New England.
Adding insult to injury, Epicurious' first response was to tweet "apologies," saying that it was sorry if the Boston tweets "seemed" insensitive. Epicurious then deleted those tweets and finally tweeted an actual apology, admitting that the tweets were, "frankly, insensitive."
One of the most buzz-worthy ads of the Super Bowl on Sunday wasn't even a commercial — it was a mere tweet from Oreo. During the match, the power went out, and during the blackout Oreo seized on the opportunity, and tweeted this during the thirty-four minute hiatus.
Whether it's new technology uptake, channel adoption, behavioural changes, disposition to brands – the young people are the first and most comfortable in adopting new trends. It's argued that Facebook, Twitter etc are becoming less reliable as a way to reach young people. As soon as something becomes too big, young people move away and find the next thing – the future is therefore to think more niche and targeted.
So what is the future? Here are examples from new Apps that have been well adopted by young people.
Brands including Ben & Jerry's, Carphone Warehouse, Nando's have already begun to experiment with using Jelly. Nando's has also been using Jelly mostly to push out content – such as questions about its restaurants, topical questions and asking people to choose their favourite celebrities from a famous pairing.
Absolut Vodka and Woonky (South American advertising agency), built a campaign to celebrate the launch of their Limited Edition Absolut Unique collection. The idea behind the Unique was to produce 4 million Absolut Vodka bottles that were each uniquely designed.
For the Argentinean launch they decided to host an exclusive party, with only 2 invites available to the general public. Absolut are a brand the historically doesn't "speak". But they had a goal of building awareness and establish a closer line of communication with the brand.
So they created a fake bouncer named Sven on Facebook. All entrants had to do was convince Sven using Whatsapp. Here's what happened…
Some of the more agile brands are already using Snapchat for promotional campaigns.
The Co-operative Travel – Students using Snapchat are sent a discount code with a £30 reduction off their laptops, which 'self destructs' in 5-10 seconds. They have to opt-in by friending the Co-operative Electrical.
MTV – Used Snapchat to promote its show Geordie Shore. Fans who had friended the show's Snapchat account started receiving exclusive videos and photographs leading up to the UK reality show's sixth season premiere.
Entertain, Educate Or Inform
Don't Alienate
Don't Stay Quiet
Embrace New Tech
Focus on Earned Media
For more information on Koozai, and any of our services, please get in touch today.
Facebook Guide: Creating, Optimising, Advertising & Analysing
Louise 10th July 2014
Some fantastic examples of what to do and what not to do. I think the Coke one works for me because I have yet to find one with my name on and I keep looking desperately. I don't drink that much coke!! What I like is the examples of reaching out the the 'youth market' with simplicity, such as the Oreo's example. I'm 34 and love them. One example which I feel could go on here would be comparethemarket (or meerkat) which has now got both inbound and outbound marketing in abundance.
Rhodes 4th July 2014
James, this post is great! I just love this new way of Digital Marketing. I was searching for new ways to explore my business but couldn't find any as good as your post..!!! Keep posting.


The overall top seed took home the top prize in the NCAA final match as Wake Forest defeated Ohio State, winning 4-2, aided in part by a comeback in the second set from 24-year-old freshman Bar Botzer, and in part by the crowd.
Senior Christian Seraphim, who had clinched the matches for the Demon Deacons in both the Elite Eight and the Final Four, also credits the community saying, "You feel like you have all the support behind you. It lifts you up on the court and you start playing better. The permanent seating overlooking the Jim Leighton Courts overflowed, surely creating some neck injuries as fans standing craned to see each point. Side views were equally as fraught where the crowd was three or four people deep.
The Winston-Salem Open kicks off August 18th, with the player field announcement on July 11th. Tickets go on sale June 4th.


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What does your work space do for you? Does it inspire or bring you down? Is it functional enough to support your work flow the way it should? Although I'm in the new workspace, I haven't committed to officially decorating my office. There are elements, yes, but it's not OFFISH.
I've been checking in to see what my creative flow has been, how I've been needing/wanting to use the room and now looking to the internet to see how other people decorate/set up their work spaces.
Here's a gallery to help the inspiration flow, whether you're in a loft or a cubicle, there's an idea here for you!
Things to consider: what makes your heart sing?


Adequan equine - If you are searching for products that treat your horse joint pain, then you are in right place. Petmedsnmore.com offers Adequan I.M. for intramuscular treatment of non-infectious degenerative & traumatic joint dysfunction at low prices.


You may have read Bri's tips for success in Novel in November earlier this week. They mostly involve carving out time, 'cause let's face it: Time is one ingredient every writer requires. No novel has ever been written without it. But if you're like me, Time is something of a slippery friend. Next to impossible to pin down.
Hence Bri's top tips for carving out time in November!
But I got to thinking about this problem, universal to all writers, of making time. I think it's where rubber hits the road for us — it means sacrificing other opportunities. It means saying 'No' to people and things that inhibit our commitment to our craft. And it's particularly hard to say 'No' when writing isn't your full-time, income-earning job (yet!). Few people understand that an inspiring writer IS WORKING even if he/she hasn't landed a publishing deal just yet. Many such misinformed folk will expect you to drop your 'hobby' at any and every request or invitation.
This is where the art of 'NO' becomes a vital weapon. It is possible to be polite and forceful, but it takes practice! And most of all, it takes confidence in the work you're doing – belief that it's worth the sacrifices you're making.
So I thought today, as we ready for Novel in November, I'd open up the floor to your thoughts and experiences in this challenging area.
What sacrifices have you made for the sake of your dream of being a writer? How have managed other people's expectations, & learned to say 'no' when your writing time is under threat?
A very valid point. The last example I can remember was refusing to go out with friends on a long weekend because I wanted to finish off my blog posts for the week. There was a little bit of tension at first, but that quickly evaporated.
And you're right – the tension people feel towards you putting writing over social events usually does ease up in time. I find when I treat my writing seriously enough to say 'no', others start to give it the same respect… eventually!
lol, love my Criminal Minds!! I tend to eat chocolate when I write, so it doesn't work as a motivator. However, when I am done with my current draft, im ordering some Cadbury Mini Eggs as a reward!!


Or maybe it's actually her death day party? Either way, today we have a photo I'm particularly proud of because it started out with the railing of the balcony heavily obscuring the scene. After compositing several photos together and throwing in a bunch of additional Photoshop magic, I think it's barely noticeable that the shot didn't always look like this. And now we have a nice, unobscured view of these happy haunts' celebration.
This entry was posted in Haunted Mansion and tagged animatronics, dark ride, ghosts. Bookmark the permalink.


Located in McAllen, Texas, South Texas College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to provide both associate's and bachelor's degrees. STC was the one of the first community colleges in Texas to be accredited to award a bachelor's degree and began offering the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Technology Management in 2005. Serving the residents of Hidalgo and Starr Counties, the college was opened in 1993 and is the only community college to be created by the Texas State Legislature. South Texas College has a very comprehensive mission statement and is dedicated to serving the educational needs of its communities.
South Texas College offers a variety of academic programs and options including traditional classroom studies, online courses and a concept that they term a "mini-mester", which allows students to take accelerated courses in order to fast-track their educational experience. Offering over ninety degree and certificate programs in more than forty areas of study, STC has a program for just about anybody seeking educational advancement.
South Texas College was one of three Texas community colleges to be accredited to award a Bachelor of Applied Technology degree in Technology Management and is the only community college in Texas accredited to offer two bachelor's degrees. The second degree offered at STC is the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Computer and Information Technology. By combining real-world experience with a classroom experience led by the nation's leading innovators, students get a thorough knowledge base to prepare them for new careers in the field of technology.
Offering four different associate's degrees and over fifty areas of specialized study, South Texas College offers a diverse array of choices for the student in search of higher education. The associate of arts degree offers study in programs such as business administration, criminology, history and psychology. For students interested in an Associate of Arts in Teacher, specializations include early childhood through sixth grade, grades eight through twelve and middle school. If an associate's in science is the goal, students may choose from such programs as biology, chemestry, physics and pre-pharmacy. The fourth associate's degree offered is an associate's of applied science which offers fields of study such as nursing, marketing, culinary arts and diesel technology. Most of these programs are completed in two years and can be used either to gain an entry-level position in a new career or to get a better paying job while pursuing a bachelor's degree.
There are over forty different certificates that students may earn at South Texas College. Pursuing a certificate in a chosen field gives students the opportunity to gain knowledge in a given field without having to complete the many general education requirements of a degree program. Because of the concentrated nature of the programs, it is easy for a person to attend school without having to quit working. Many students choose this route so that they may quickly begin a new career or become experts in fields that they are already employed in. Certificates often enhance the opportunity to advance at work. Certificates available include marketing, commercial cooking and emergency medical technology. Students seeking more information on these programs may review the college's website or contact the school directly.
More and more students are choosing to complete the first two years of a baccalaureate program at a community college. By taking all of the general education requirements at a community college, students gain the advantage of staying close to home and saving a significant amount of money on tuition. South Texas College offers a large variety of courses that will transfer to schools that offer the bachelor's degree that the student is seeking. The college refers to these classes as Academic Transferable Courses and labels them in accordance with the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This simplifies the process of identifying courses that students may transfer as credit toward a degree at another institution.
South Texas College offers numerous continuing education and general education courses in order to provide necessary educational services to it's community. Many professions require a certain amount of educational credits per a certain amount of time in order for a person to maintain state or federal licensure. These courses are referred to as Continuing Education Courses and may easily be scheduled either in the classroom or online at STC, depending on the courses required. The college is also dedicated to providing developmental educational opportunities in order to help people become more employable and better educated. These courses, referred to as Developmental Studies, provide the knowledge necessary for the student to pass the Texas Higher Education Assessment and thus begin a higher education experience.
Ssouth Texas College is the lead agency for the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, which is an affiliate of the North American Advanced Manufacturing Research & Education Initiative. This alliance was established in order to form a world-class customized training program for industrial maintenance, tool and die, and plastics professionals and machinists. The Rio South Texas College Manufacturing leads the implementation of the program and operates at four Texas colleges with the headquarters at STC.
Prospective students may apply for South Texas College either online or via a paper application. Texas offers a unique application process to students by offering the opportunity to fill out one application for many schools. As soon as possible after completing the application, students will need to submit high school transcripts, GED information or transcripts from other colleges. It is advisable to also complete the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as possible as well. After applying, students will be required to contact the testing center to determine whether or not math, reading or writing assessment tests are required, or whether the student is eligible for waiver or exemption.
After completing any required testing, the student will need to contact the Outreach Office to schedule a student orientation class. These classes are available prior to every semester and may be taken in the morning, afternoon and evening. Online orientation is also an option. Students that do not complete orientation may not move forward in the registration process. It is a good idea to take the orientation on campus, because students will be offered the opportunity to meet with an advisor to review classes, educational goals and student support systems. An opportunity to register for classes immediately is also offered to students who attend orientation on-campus.
Should a student attend orientation online, or for some other reason not register during orientation, registration may be completed online, at a campus kiosk, by phone or in person. Students will not receive confirmation for registration via mail so should therefore verify registration either online, by phone or in person prior to the start of the semester. Payment is required at the time of registration and must be paid in full or else the student's schedule will be dropped. Students should be sure to submit proof of Texas residency in order to receive in-state tuition rates.
Financial aid is available to students at South Texas College in the form of grants, scholarships and federally subsidized loans. Financial aid may be used to pay for tuition, fees, books and living expenses. The first step to applying for financial aid is completing the FAFSA as described above. Financial aid in some form is available to nearly everybody, so all entering students should complete this application. Financial information for both the student and the family will be required so students need to have this information available prior to starting the FAFSA. There are also scholarships offered by private foundations at STC so students should contact the college's financial aid office as these will frequently require a separate application. It is advisable to start the financial aid process as early as possible because many scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and the earlier the application is submitted, the better the odds that there will still be awards left.
Ranks 6620th for the average student loan amount.
Because of the rich and diverse educational opportunities offered at South Texas College, the student body is an eclectic mix of young, middle-aged and senior members of the community from all walks of life. One of the many advantages of this is that students get the opportunity to learn from the life and educational experiences of fellow students while learning to appreciate diversity.
South Texas College does not participate in intercollegiate sports but does offer several intramural sports and student organizations that provide opportunities for students to participate actively in campus life. Some of these organizations include the Bachelor's of Applied Technology (BAT) Club, the FotoWerks Club and the Japanese Animation Club. The variety and interests of the different clubs truly do present every student with an option to be part of a group.
South Texas College. South Texas College. 2009. Web. 22 April 2011.
"South Texas College Pecan Campus Open Late Jan." City of McAllen, TX. 3 Jan 2011. Web. 22 April 2011.
Ranks 3041st for the average full-time faculty salary.
StateUniversity.com has no official or unofficial affiliation with South Texas College.


The Antrim County Correctional facility was built in 1955. Over the years renovations have been made to the building to increase the growing inmate population and to gain compliance with new Michigan Department of Corrections rules. The Antrim County Jail is rated to hold 56 inmates by the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The Antrim County Jail employs 9 full time Corrections Deputies, 1 full time Food Service Director, 2 part-time cooks, 1 full time and 1 part-time nurse, 1 Doctor part-time, 4 Corporals, and one Sergeant/Jail Administrator.


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Ху́лио Се́сар Ме́ндес Монтене́гро (23 ноября 1915 года — 30 апреля 1996 года) — президент Гватемалы с 1966 по 1970 год.

По образованию юрист. Работал в университете профессором. В 1944 году участвовал в свержении президента генерала Убико. Был кандидатом на президентских выборах 1958 года. Пришёл к власти в 1966 году от Революционной партии.

Президентство
На посту президента страны продолжил политику своего предшественника Альфредо Перальта, развернув масштабные репрессии против оппозиции и партизанского движения. На деле преследование противников режима вылилось в террор, направленный против крестьянского и индейского населения. В сельской местности осуществлялась практика массового уничтожения деревень, если возникало подозрение, что там скрываются партизаны. При этом армия часто использовала т. н. тактику «свободных зон», при которой напалмом выжигались лес и земля для того, чтобы лишить партизан возможности укрыться или выращивать урожаи. По существующим оценкам только с 1966 по 1968 гг. в Гватемале было убито от 3000 до 8000 человек.

При Мендесе армия — главная опора правительства — фактически перешла под контроль США. Офицерские кадры проходили обучение на американских военных базах; правительство США поставляло Гватемале военную технику, финансировало реформу по увеличению штата полиции.

После 1970 г. Мендес — посол в Мексике.

Примечания

Президенты Гватемалы
Политики Гватемалы
Правители Гватемалы
Юристы Гватемалы
Преподаватели вузов Гватемалы

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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A Layman's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours
How the Prayers of the Church Can Change Your Life
by Fr. Timothy Gallagher
St. Paul exhorts us to "pray without ceasing" — a beautiful goal that sounds daunting, even impossible. But wait! These pages break open an authoritative, time-tested method that countless laymen still use today to pray with constancy and thereby soar to the heights of holiness.
It's called the Liturgy of the Hours.
Also known as the Divine Office or the Breviary, the Liturgy of the Hours is an important vehicle for advancing in the spiritual life — a step that any serious Catholic, with the help of Fr. Timothy Gallagher, can take today.
Relying on insights from popes and saints, as well as on his five decades' experience praying the Liturgy of the Hours, Fr. Gallagher opens your eyes to this spiritual treasury and shows you how, by means of its sanctifying rhythm, it will help you progress on your spiritual journey. Soon, you will be among the multitude of Catholics who pray the Hours daily and are richly blessed by the flow of graces these prayers yield.
From the wise Fr. Gallagher, you'll learn:
The basic elements of the Liturgy of the Hours.
How to incorporate them into your day, no matter how busy it may be.
How the Hours will revitalize your daily prayers and prevent them from becoming routine.
How they will extend the graces you obtain at Mass into your entire day.
How praying the Hours with your family will link you more intimately to each other and to the universal Church.
If you're looking to invigorate your prayer life and draw closer to Our Lord in friendship and holy contemplation, discover the Liturgy of the Hours.
Catholic Culture: A Book Review
RED-C Catholic Radio: Round Up!
St. Gabriel Catholic Radio: Heartbeat Int'l
See all media for this title
Product Code: Q80756
What a gift!
Father Gallagher has an effortless gift of revealing the treasures of our Catholic Faith. His talent shines in "A Laymen's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours." I have been searching for a way to pray with the Scriptures - this book is an answer to my prayers.
In a nutshell, this book is broken down into four parts. Part One focuses on why this prayer is for more than priests, but also for laity too. Part Two provides a chapter for each prayer (Morning, Daytime, Evening, Night, and the Office of Readings), giving a breakdown of what is involved with each prayer and when to pray it. Part Three puts the Liturgy of the Hours in its place in the life of a Catholic. Lastly, Part Four provides us with resources (print and digital) to get started praying this prayer. Overall, this is a solid book on par with Daria Sockey's and I would recommend either one if you have an interest in beginning to pray the Divine Office.
The Contemplative Rosary
Praying for Priests New Edition
Mother Angelica on Prayer and Living for the Kingdom
Fire from Above
When Women Pray


Well May was obviously a quiet month after the splurge that was April, but here I am back after doing a real, actual, live reading at Free as a Bard at the coast (Trojan Rooms, Whitley Bay) last weekend. Needless to say, I survived the experience - it's been a long time since I got up and poemed in front of an audience - and live to write another day.
Ah yes, writing. Well, I don't have anything new to share with you at the moment, as I've been concentrating my creative efforts mostly on redrafting and organising poems which already exist (not least a couple of the worthwhile ones from NaPoWriMo). I have, however, done a little bit of photography here and there (which you can follow in full at my Flickr account). So in the tradition of Catalogue25, when I would quite often share an image with you instead of writing a poem, here is one I made earlier.


The Laboratory is an iconic Geelong women's fashion label with stores throughout the state. As a brand The Laboratory is well known, and its personality shines not only its product range but its stores and staff. Our role was to capture the essence of the brand while designing a web store a highly functional, engaging and helped bring in sales. The results speak for themselves.
This project was a collaboration with Clever Digital who where responsible for the website development.


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No reviews for Hellium (Real Oni Gokko 3/4/5 Main Theme Collection) yet.
Maon Kurosaki releases a new title / album.
the price for Hellium (Real Oni Gokko 3/4/5 Main Theme Collection) drops.
there are new images or links available for Hellium (Real Oni Gokko 3/4/5 Main Theme Collection).


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ForeFront Media & News
Tix.it: What is this Behaviour?
The Imagined Order
ForeFront Media and News
Labour Landslide: The Ardern Effect
Best known in recent times for aggressively handling the COVID-19 crisis unlike any other country in the world, New Zealand has emerged as a nation punching way above its class -and being awfully successful at it.
New Zealand has long escaped a history of being a former British colony, and is now a global heavy-hitter with a high quality of life, economic freedom and overall satisfaction of its citizens, despite its small size and geographical distance from the rest of the world.
Kiwis hold themselves to a high standard of New Zealand exceptionalism, and the country has certainly proved that such a standard exists after it came out virus-free back in August, when the entire world was struggling to contain a pandemic that has cost us 1.2 million lives in less than a year.
New Zealand, home to 4.8 million people, held its general election in mid-October. With the world closely watching the country and wondering if it would re-elect incumbent Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern just as the election polls suggested, Kiwis erased any doubt by giving Ardern's centre-left Labour Party a landslide victory, the likes of which had not been witnessed in over 2 decades.
The election was largely a referendum on the Ardern Government's handling of the COVID crisis, which put all of New Zealand into lockdown for 75 days, with stringent restrictions placed on public gatherings. Itemerged virus-free back in August, but soon re-imposed restrictions after two Australian tourists tested positive for the virus. The country then later re-declared itself COVID-free and hasn't had a single reported case since September 25.
A picture of a crowd of over 30,000 maskless people packed closely together at the Wellington Stadium went viral in early October, contrasting the difference between New Zealand and the rest of the world, a world still engaged in a heated battle against the coronavirus.
Labour ended up winning 49.1% of the total vote, securing 64 out of 120 seats in New Zealand's unicameral legislative body. This was the first time since 1996 that a single party won an outright majority in Parliament without needing to enter into a coalition to form a majority.
The Labour Party's conservative rival, the National Party, secured 27% of the total vote, a little over half of Labour's share in the total vote.
The election was mainly driven by Mrs Ardern's promise of tackling social inequality and the immense work of rebuilding the New Zealand economy, which shrank annually by 2% this year, entering into a deep recession and a strained healthcare system.
Ms Ardern's primary opponent, the National Party's Judith Collins, promised short term tax cuts while Mrs Ardern said that she'd raise taxes on the top earners, but the two showed little difference in major policies.
Although recent polling showed that Labour was already set up for a landslide victory, pre-COVID times saw a waning of Labour's popularity as it failed to address some key issues that plagued New Zealand. As a result, most polls before the coronavirus pandemic showed that the National Party was the people's choice this year, which would mean that Labour's government would come to an end after just one term, a situation that is quite uncommon in New Zealand politics.
When people cast their ballots, it was more of a vote for Jacinda Ardern, than a vote for the Labour Party. Her popularity among the youth of New Zealand and her status as a new breed of "celebrity politician" was the driving force behind her campaign and propelled her party to victory.
She had won the adoration of the world when she defended immigrants and placed a ban on assault rifles after the Christchurch shooting; as well as her inspirational speech on her first visit to the United Nations headquarters as a world leader.
This, however, did not make her as popular back home, with many still disappointed in her failure to deliver on her promise of transforming New Zealand's government. Although she successfully tackled the Coronavirus, many of her detractors criticised her failure to curb the housing crisis that was exacerbated by the pandemic.
In her victory speech, she said that elections "don't have to be divisive" and pledged to govern with positivity and cooperation. She said: "We are living in an increasingly polarised world, a place where more and more people have lost the ability to see one another's point of view. I hope in this election New Zealand has shown that this is not who we are. That as a nation we can listen, and we can debate. After all, we are too small to lose sight of other people's perspective. Elections aren't always great at bringing people together. But they also don't need to tear one another apart.
"At times of crisis, I believe New Zealand has shown that. This has not been an ordinary election and it is not an ordinary time. It's been full of uncertainty and anxiety – and we set out to be an antidote to that."
Alongside the election of its government, New Zealand also held two referendums - one to legalise euthanasia for terminally ill people, and another to legalise the recreational use of cannabis.
The referendum on euthanasia received an overwhelming amount of approval, and New Zealand is set to join a group of 5 other countries that take a progressive stance on active euthanasia. The measure had bipartisan backing and was amongst the issues that Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins agreed upon.
The cannabis referendum, however, received an opposition of 53% and is set to fail. New Zealand's Justice Minister, Andrew Little has said that the country would drop all efforts to legalise or decriminalise the drug. Proponents of the legalisation measure criticised Mrs Ardern for not voicing her support for legislative action towards legalisation.
The Ardern Government has an optimistic future ahead, and the world will watch New Zealand as it attempts to revive an economy troubled by recession and a housing crisis, led by a government that no longer has to rule by coalition and therefore has greater freedom to enact the change that Mrs Ardern promised three years ago. While she has raised the minimum wage, increased paid parental leave, banned future oil and gas exploration and increased benefits for the neediest New Zealanders, the road ahead is just as hard as it is promising.
Author: Sameep Baral
Delay in Hathras Case Probe


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Home Features John Atkinson: 888 set for a productive and successful 2022
John Atkinson: 888 set for a productive and successful 2022
888 asserts that it stands on the brink of a "productive and successful" year ahead, with a number of noteworthy developments undertaken during the previous 12 month period anticipated to bring significant success.
Arguably chief among those is the imminent business diversification that is due to come to fruition during this year's second quarter, when its much discussed £2.2bn deal with Caesars Entertainment for the non-US business of William Hill enters completion.
The deal represented some interesting business by US gaming giant Caesars, which only bought the group in April 2021 for £2.9bn. This disposal means that it essentially acquired the firm's US assets for £700m, seeing the group gain further ground in a market where 888 also has its sights firmly set.
"From partnering with Sports Illustrated to launching our products in three new states, 2021 was a massive step forward for 888 in our US growth plans," explains John Atkinson, director of business development at 888.
"Not to mention our William Hill acquisition globally. All this sets 888 up for a productive and successful 2022.
"For SI Sportsbook, we launched in Colorado at the start of the NFL season. The product has been well received with positive customer feedback from players across the state.
"The 888, Sports Illustrated, and Authentic Brands Group teams have also been hard at work connecting media with sports betting through integrated content and social.
"…but in order for igaming to really grow, it needs to be approved in more states"
"We look forward to engaging with users in new ways and bringing SI Sportsbook to new states in 2022 starting with Virginia where we were recently awarded a license."
With poker also representing another noteworthy vertical within which the gambling firm has high US hopes: "For WSOP, 888 will bring the WSOP platform to two new states with Pennsylvania now live and Michigan launching imminently. This will bring the total number of WSOP states to five," Atkinson continues.
"With shared liquidity being a key differentiator in the poker market, we aim to keep growing the number of members in the compact in 2022."
It isn't just new states within the online poker world that is causing such optimism for Atkinson and 888, with "Arizona launching, Florida launching and then backtracking, and states like New York, Ohio, and Louisiana all set to launch in 2022" bringing yet more hope within digital wagering and online casino.
"Another noteworthy trend is that the investment market is starting to look for operators' path to profitability. This change might have been earlier than some expected," he adds on the most notable developments of the past 12 months.
Amid reflections comes the almost inevitable predictions, and Atkinson is clear on where the key lies with it comes to the growth of igaming across the US through 2022. That being legislation.
"Sports betting is opening up in states much faster than igaming due to sports betting receiving wider support from professional leagues and other groups of influence.
"Igaming has shown to be very successful in states where it has been approved but in order for igaming to really grow, it needs to be approved in more states. New Jersey is a great example of how successful a market can become if sports betting, igaming, and poker are all regulated."
"To date, it has been a race to go live with product quality taking the back seat to speed to market"
Building upon this previous line of enquiry, Atkinson continues by looking at how 888 will look to capitalise as online casino continues to be legalised across further US jurisdictions, in addition to touching upon the importance of first mover advantage.
"888 is a global igaming leader with an industry leading product and an in-house content studio, operating under the Section8 brand. This positions us extremely well to capitalise as igaming opens up across the US. 888 will be very proactive as new markets emerge.
"For sports betting, first to market has provided operators with a first-time depositor boost. However, we're also seeing that users – especially casual bettors – in new markets take some time to familiarise themselves with the offerings.
"I would expect being first to market for igaming to provide a similar boost. However, if igaming enters into a state where sports betting is already live, the impact of a 'first mover' state may be lessened as users may have built up brand loyalty to a certain sportsbook/casino brand."
As we end the conversation, and in-keeping with what has lay beforehand, Atkinson concludes by touching upon what will be the key trends across US igaming through 2022?
"In 2022, companies will begin to see product as way to not only stand out from other competitors but also acquire and retain customers," he closes.
"To date, it has been a race to go live with product quality taking the back seat to speed to market. As the US industry matures, we will start to see products that are truly unique and Americanised.
"The integration of betting and casino into media products will be one area of focus as operators look to reach a wider audience of casual fans and create stickiness with their product."
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At TripAdvisor, we think about in the energy of travel — and in helping you take advantage of each journey. All of us love to get away from it all, whether or not it's reading a e-book on the beach, or a driving journey around the Continent But accidents do happen – particularly should you're the sporty sort or keen on an adrenaline rush – and can show costly should you're not correctly insured. So, whether or not you're taking the family to the seaside, a niche yr scholar setting off on the trip of a lifetime or simply taking advantage of your retirement , there might be a policy to keep you coated – even in your swimming costume.
A retired schoolteacher named Dru, traveling to Europe with her reside-in boyfriend, has written a memoir of their experiences in renting a Parisian residence and a country cottage in the Dordogne of France. Her several essays, which appear at , present a robust confirmation of the advice I supplied in a current put up, arguing that the latest sharp decline in the worth of the U.S. dollar has made residence dwelling the one practical alternative for many cost-conscious American travelers.
Allianz Travel Insurance offers cowl at aggressive costs. However what sets us aside is the Allianz Group's world leading medical assistance capability. In case you have a medical emergency while you're travelling, you wish to be sure you receive the most effective care possible. This insurance also needs to not be confused with Section 75 legal safety – which covers you if you purchase something that prices between £one hundred and £30,000 utilizing a credit card (not a debit card). See our Part 75 Safety guide for extra on this.
So I put on shorts and soaked in the cool river water for about 15 – 20 minutes before getting back on. Passed from Idaho to Washington in Oldtown (as I had just a few days earlier in the different direction) and then started north on the bottom of the Loop (the S"). Espresso now wearing off, I determined that I would wish to decide in Tiger, WA (if for no different cause that I preferred the concept of resolution-making in Tiger). Brave bunnies came out of the bushes toward me as I sat within the grass in Tiger and regarded at the map. This was Wednesday afternoon. If I stayed north again into BC (27 miles away) I'd get back to Salmo…have an amazing dinner at the Dragonfly Café and find a place to stay, then continue west on #3. This might have meant driving all day Thursday and getting home sometime on Friday.
Shopping for the proper gear can help arrange your current travel package, however it's a pink herring in case your purpose is best portability. It's mostly the clothes that allows you to scale back what you must carry," explains veteran traveller Eytan Levy, better often known as the Snarky Nomad That is as a result of clothes, which could be very voluminous, makes up the majority of what's in your bag. He recommends traveling with basic-looking garments because you may always buy or rent one thing good in a pinch, whereas lugging around formalwear just in case will all the time be a ache. It also helps in the event you can avoid cotton and follow merino and synthetic materials, which dry faster. This allows you to do laundry by hand within the sink as needed to reduce the amount of garments you want to carry.


text:
Plagiarism, Otomi Tenangos & Travel
Cultural appropriation is a loaded and complex concept we often come across. Given the power of social media, much discussion is generated, especially when a new case of a designer or other outlet, integrates elements deemed to be cultural patrimony into their designs. Global influence on the world of fashion is not new
By Stephanie Schneiderman 0 comments
The Laca of Mexico: A Journey of Discovery
Laca or maque, lacquerware is an ancient technique and art form in Mexico. Laca, from the Persian term lak, (evolved to shellac), and maque, from the Japanese term, maki-e, and from the Arab word "sumac", is a functional and decorative art, developed to create a protective coating or veneer over a surface, making it impermeable and beautiful.
Piteado: The Art of the Charro
There is a unique and singular art form in Mexico, found in regions of Jalisco, Zacatecas, Hidalgo and other States, called "piteado". One town in particular, Colotlán, Jalisco, takes the claim as the, "Capital Mundial del Piteado", not only for the number of people dedicated to this work, but also for the quality of their workmanship.
The Mazatec Women of San Miguel Soyaltepec, Oaxaca
We were thrilled and honored to participate recently in the Fiesta Latina artisan expo, sponsored by Western New Mexico University. It was a pleasure to get to meet many people from the region, and to help visitors to our booth pick out their favorite Mazatec embroideries from the talented women of San Miguel Soyaltepec, Oaxaca. As the artisans were unable to travel to New Mexico to attend the Fiesta, we wanted to share some information about them and where they live.
Help the Artisans, Help the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
As many of you know, on September 7, Oaxaca's Isthmus of Tehuantepec was shaken by a strong earthquake. Numerous communities, such as Juchitan, Niltepec, Union Hidalgo, Matias Romero, Ixtepec, El Espinal, Ixtaltepec, San Mateo del Mar, among others, sustained infrastructure damage, loss of homes, public buildings, and sadly some lives.
Baile Flor de Piña & Guelaguetza: Cultural Preservation
At the annual Guelaguetza Festival in Oaxaca, one dance in particular, is highly anticipated and invariably brings down the house. The "Baile Flor de Piña", is best described as Radio City Music Hall Rockettes wearing traditional dress from Mexico, carrying a pineapple on their shoulder. The choreography is grand, repetitive and designed for high visual impact. Yet, what really steals the show are the brightly colored Chinantec and Mazatec huipiles worn by the dancers.
In the Footsteps of Irmgard Weitlaner Johnson
Born in Philadelphia in 1914 to Austrian parents, Irmgard arrived to Mexico in 1922 at the age of eight. Her father Robert, a metallurgist, had a keen personal interest in studying native languages and cultures of the Americas. He moved the family to Mexico, where he began his ethnographic and linguistic studies of Mexico's indigenous people.
Yucatan and its capital Merida have managed to successfully maintain their singular cultural essence and traditions, while simultaneously integrating new elements and contemporary expressions. For example, the tropical, colonial architecture of Merida is being restored to honor its former grandeur, yet it also signals the future.


There are those who hate the term "mixology," who feel that it brings pseudo-science to a profession that should be more artisan than architecture. To them I can only apologize, as its use is unavoidable when talking about the final event of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Mixology Unchained. To be fair, it was the best use of the word in a long time; the event tasked eight bartenders from around the country with coming up with a cocktail that would embody the next big trend in drinks-making. The trick: they could only use vodka (Svedka was the night's sponsor) so simply picking an unknown spirit and calling it the next big thing wouldn't work. These guys dropped some serious science, making them true mixologists even without the degree from MIT.
It was all the brainchild of Tobin Ellis, whose Las Vegas-based Social Mixology collective hosts creative cocktail events around the country. Ellis's prediction for the future was good old-fashioned hospitality — something we think a lot of bartenders in our fair city are already on board with — and he gave it to everyone who stepped up to his part of the bar, along with a vodka-tonic made with his own homemade tonic, dark red in color from the botanicals and bark infused therein and deliciously earthy in flavor.
San Diego's Erick Castro expanded on the on-tap concept seen in cocktails like Gin Palace's gin & tonic and Saxon + Parole's Manhattan by serving a pre-carbonated vodka and pineapple soda straight from the keg. The only at-the-bar addition was a slap of fresh mint – a true timesaver for busy bars and a dangerously refreshing drink for what was an unseasonably hot day.
The third station on the lower level was the showstopper, thanks to Dave Arnold pouring Bill Nye levels of liquid nitrogen across the bar. Though Booker + Dax's Arnold could write the book on cocktail mad science (and has written the book in kitchen science, from his previous life as head of the French Culinary Institute's Culinary Technology department), he limited himself to just one: "nitro-muddling" fresh herbs in large quantities to preserve their fresh flavor and eliminate that "picking leaves out of your teeth" feeling that has ruined many a mojito. His Thai Basil Gimlet was startlingly green, brightly citrusy and astonishingly fragrant from the powdered herbs.
The other five participants had their stations up at the rooftop bar, which became eminently more pleasant as the evening cooled and the old-time jazz band began crooning. Don Lee, formerly of PDT and the Momofuku restaurants, had a vaporizer steaming with an aerated version of the cocktail he was pouring, so the adventurous could lean over and take a deep breath, then take a sip, getting a one-two punch of the same cocktail. Kansas City's Ryan Maybee took a different spin on technology with a virtually interactive cocktail, straws tagged with a QR code and texting instructions that both led to a website where the recipe could be downloaded or shared via Twitter, with further links out elaborating on ingredients (like the Root Beer Milk from Shatto Dairy, a revered KC producer) and techniques (like a YouTube video demonstrating how to dry shake a cocktail).
San Francisco's Camper English, meanwhile, had a choose-your-own-adventure setup, serving plain vodka-sodas to be doctored to your taste with droppers in bottles containing the five flavors (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, savory) and a few textures (cooling, astringent – think wine tannins – and pungent). Though some played by the rules and added just the right amount of sweet or savory, most drinkers couldn't resist making themselves the cocktail equivalent of the high schooler's sneaking-from-dad's-liquor-cabinet mix: a little bit of everything.
The final two both played with the idea of incorporating food and cocktails, a conversation that continues every time a restaurant opens with an ambitious cocktail program (we're looking at you, Alder). On the literal side, Alexandria, Va.'s Todd Thrasher created a pupu platter-inspired drink-and-hors-d'oeuvre-in-one. The "Pupu 2 You" served up a larb-inspired spring roll balanced carefully over a cocktail made with duck sauce soda – made in house, obviously. On its own the drink was…startlingly sweet but savory, but consumed as Thrasher suggested ("Take a bite, then take a sip") it was a faithful recreation of the mealtime experience, and a delight for how well it worked.
L.A.'s Zahra Bates, meanwhile, took the food out of the experience, creating a five-course meal entirely from drinks. It began with a champagne jelly, cleverly topped with a sodium bicarbonate powder that, when activated with lemon juice, fizzed like real bubbly. Then came a Last Word-flavored grape, a Bloody Mary tomato, a clementine-passion fruit shot with a parmesan espuma crowning the top and a salt-and-pepper rim, and finally a coffee marshmallow. It was the most charming, if the most unwieldy – as the crowd started to gather, the careful step-by-step instructions were abandoned and drinkers were handed just the shot, which was a tidy encapsulation of the concept. Like all new innovations, the first go-round was not quite scalable – like the first cell phones, the ones that required a separate briefcase to carry the transmitter. But the idea was there, and some day, we'll get the iPhone version: sleek, quick, and crowd-pleasing. Bartenders just need to keep putting time in for R&D – or signing up for events like this.
Regan Hofmann is an unaccredited supertaster who writes about food and drinks around New York City. She has lots of opinions, which she shares on Twitter.


The Robotics team displays spirit at state fair!
4-H members ages 8-18 are welcome who are interested in learning how to build and program a robot to perform various tasks using a Lego Mindstorms EV3. 4-H members will also have the opportunity to participate in the NYS 4-H Robotics Challenge at the NYS Fair.
For current meeting dates visit here.
For more information about the NYS Fair Robotics Challenge visit here.
Above, The Steuben County Team during their final round is the first 2:45 of the clip.