text:
Which battle strategy was most effective for the Allies in WWII?
Aileen Massani - Glenforest SS (2172)
Plan your projects and define important tasks and actions
Which battle strategy was most effective for the Allies in WWII? by Aileen Massani - Glenforest SS (2172)
1. Allies
1.1. Axis
1.1.1. Germany
1.1.2. Italy
1.1.3. Japan
1.2. Allies
1.2.1. France
1.2.2. Great Britain
1.2.3. United States
1.2.4. Soviet Union
1.2.5. Canada
2. Effects of WW2
2.1. The Soviet Union gained power over most of the European countries.
2.2. Among the estimated 45-60 million people killed were 6 million Jews murdered in Nazi concentration camps as part of Hitler's diabolical "Final Solution," now known as the Holocaust.
2.3. In total, there was about 50 million to more than 80 million deaths.
3. Victory
3.1. -Nazi regime collapsed in May 1945
3.1.1. Controversies about if Axis or Allies performed better or contributed more to the war.
4. Strategies
4.1.1. Blitzkrieg
4.1.1.1. -Used motorized force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power.
4.1.1.2. -attempts to keep its enemy off-balance, making it difficult to respond quickly and efficiently
4.1.1.3. - Blitzkrieg operations were very effective during the campaigns of 1939–1941, especially after Germany invaded Poland.
4.2.1. Strategic bombing
4.2.1.1. -purpose was to undermine industrial production but demoralize the population.
4.2.1.2. -most significant: the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. USA used bombing raids to destroy Germany and Japan. But the benefit of using atomic weapons was that it impacted the conduct of war and relations with other countries in a permanent manner; even after WW2.
4.2.2. MI6 British Spies (espionage)
4.2.2.1. 'Service Clarence'
4.2.2.1.1. A successful SIS network in Belgium during the war, led by Hector Demarque and Walthère Dewé. Throughout the war 'Service Clarence' provided valuable information on a wide range of enemy activity including coastal defences, the effects of Allied bombing and the location of German units.
4.2.2.2. The 'Alliance' Network
4.2.2.2.1. Was in France and was led by Marie-Madeleine Fourcade (SIS officer). The network was extensive – by August 1942, a breakdown of members listed 145 agents. It was a source of high quality and detailed intelligence on enemy troop movements, German order of battle, and Nazi secret weapons.
4.2.2.3. More info about the importance of the MI6
4.2.2.3.1. When the USA entered World War II, MI6 helped to train personnel of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services which is where they got the inspiration to create a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
4.2.2.4. Mikar
4.2.2.4.1. wireless station in Norway sent many messages to London reporting on the German occupying forces.
4.2.2.4.2. -run by Oluf Reed Olsen He reported on U-boat activity and German order of battle. His camp had to be well camouflaged to avoid detection and silence was important. Their vigilance paid off and they transmitted up to ten messages a day for over six months, without detection.
4.2.2.5. Sussex
4.2.2.5.1. men and women, working in pairs, were dropped behind enemy lines to provide front-line intelligence after D-Day. By August 1944, just two months after the invasion, over 30 teams were in France and they had transmitted over 800 messages.
4.2.3. Leapfrogging
4.2.3.1. -military strategy employed by the Allies in the Pacific War against Japan and the Axis powers during World War II.
4.2.3.2. Advantages: It would allow the United States forces to reach Japan more quickly and not expend the time, manpower, and supplies to capture every Japanese-held island on the way. It would give the Allies the advantage of surprise and keep the Japanese off balance.
4.3. Operation Most III???
4.3.1. Do more research...sounds interesting
4.4. Operation Biting???
5. Technical Innovations
5.1. Tanks such as the Panther (German) and the T-34 (Soviet)- ruled the ground
5.2. -sea equipment like sonar helped the Germans threaten the Allies with the U-boat without getting caught when aircraft carriers came on water.
5.3. -USA was the first to develop nuclear weapons (Little Boy) which was dropped on Hiroshima.
5.4. Rifles: Sturmgewehr 44: Rifle developed in Nazi Germany (Axis) M1918: light machine gun standardized by the US army in 1938 used up until Vietnam (Allies)
5.5. Aircraft: -Bell P-39 Airacobra USA -Hawker Typhoon Great Britain
6. How did WW2 breakout
6.1. Two decades after the instability left by WW1, WW2 occurred. Lasted from 1939-1945.
6.2. After Adolf gained power, he found a way to make the military stronger rearmed the nation and signed strategic treaties with Italy and Japan to further his ambitions of world domination.
6.3. Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939 which drove Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany, and World War II had begun.


text:
This event has already expired
Open Research Europe (ORE): The Framework, Goals, and Developments
Open Research Europe is a new publishing platform launched by the European Commission. The platform provides all Horizon 2020 beneficiaries and their collaborators with an easy, high-quality venue to publish Horizon 2020-funded research at no cost and in full compliance with the Commission's open access policies.
On 15th October 2021, LIBER will host a webinar – 'Open Research Europe: the framework, the goals, and the developments'. During this event, attendees will get the opportunity to get acquainted with the ORE platform, learn about its goals and the developments so far. Examples and statistics of current users will also be presented to paint a better picture of the platform's functionalities and importance.
During the fall of 2020, LIBER & ORE ran a survey to gain insights on the awareness, perception and experience with open practices and tools – with a special focus on research librarians. The results and the insights gained from the survey responses will be presented during the webinar and will also serve as the basis to explore the opportunities and advantages that the ORE platform can offer to research libraries and their research communities.
This session is a unique opportunity to learn more about the ORE platform, help shape FAQs that will be specifically tailored to the needs of research libraries, and to promote and advocate the use of the ORE platform.
Kelly Woods is the Senior Associate Publisher at F1000, a leading Open Research publisher which is responsible for looking after Open Research Europe (in collaboration with partners LIBER, Eurodoc and GYA). She has a background in Open Access scholarly publishing and prior to joining F1000 she worked at Frontiers and The Royal Society on numerous OA titles.
Astrid Verheusen is Executive Director of LIBER. Her career began as a researcher at the Institute for Dutch History and as a product manager at Sdu Publiskers. From 2001 onwards, Astrid worked at the National Library of the Netherlands. She was involved in projects and programmes concerning mass digitisation, digital preservation and digital libraries. She headed the Digitisation Department (2009-2010) and the IT Department (2012-2014). Until May 2017 she was head of the Innovative Projects Department. A highlight of her career was the implementation of mass digitization at the KB: 100 million pages of books, newspapers and magazines digitized between 2001-2011.
Sofie Wennström works at Stockholm University Library with publishing and open access. She teaches about publishing strategies and information literacy, and was part of the team launching Stockholm University Press in 2014–2015. In 2019, she became chair of LIBER's Open Access Working Group.
Registration is now open, and is free and accessible to all.
Project Event

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


2019 will see a stark increase in the number of businesses deploying cloud services and solutions into their IT infrastructure to safely store their company data. According to KPMG, investment in platform-as-a-service (PaaS) will grow from 32% in 2016 to 56% in 2019, making it the fastest growing sector of cloud platforms.
We'll also see businesses turning to inter-connected clouds for their data storage and preparing their architectures for running applications across all three resources: public, private and hybrid cloud.
Why all three cloud types? An inter-connected or hybrid cloud strategy offers incredible benefits and allows businesses to mix and match services to choose the best blend for their unique needs. Businesses use cloud hosting because it is secure, seamless and streamlined.
An inter-connected cloud approach is an excellent way to achieve these objectives while avoiding single-vendor lock-in and remaining flexible and adaptable.
A hybrid-cloud strategy maximises investments. The customer pays for exactly how much storage they use and retain the autonomy to pick and choose services to suit a wide range of business functions. Hybrid- cloud gives the consumer the power to use the cloud exactly how they want and search for competitive pricing when they so choose.
Latency is inevitable if cloud services are based-in far-flung data centres. But a hybrid-cloud infrastructure distributes data efficiently, leaving some data on-premises and placing some into cloud storage. Businesses can access their mission-critical data and apps in an instant and support international expansion and overall growth.
Fear of the cloud stems from losing control of mission-critical apps and databases. The common myth is that only a single private cloud can provide sufficient security.
Hybrid-cloud dispels this as businesses choose which parts of the infrastructure to keep private and which can be hosted in a flexible public cloud. 3 out of 4 IT and business executives have become more confident in cloud security in the past 2 years.
Increasing the size of their 'cloud footprint' can reduce the risk of downtime and protect enterprises from outages and bandwidth problems. Running everything in a single environment leaves them with no failover in case of a data disaster, while an inter-connected cloud strategy reduces the risk of data loss or downtime.
Cloud computing is only flexible if organisations retain control of data and workloads. As more workloads are moving to the cloud, businesses are discovering that a single brand of technology may not offer everything needed. Look for a managed services provider who is 'tech- agnostic' to find the best mix of services regardless of platform.
Are you still on the fence about hybrid cloud?
Our expert team has designed and deployed hybrid cloud solutions for businesses in every sector, from education and financial services to healthcare, retail and manufacturing.
Want to learn more about the cloud trends changing the world in 2019?
Customer-Focused Transformation is a major trend in 2019. Learn how managed services can help you achieve greater levels of customer satisfaction.
Are you a key decision-maker in your business? Here's what you should know about disaster recovery, DRaaS, and how important it is to prevent downtime.
What is managed virtual desktop? What are the top benefits of a (VDI) for your business? Read our blog to find out.


Why is it Miami's D is getting all this type of credit here, but yet I've not seen one post giving the Packer's D any credit?
Why is it that when the other teams D stops Miami's O its because Miami's O failed, but yet when Miami's D stops the other teams O its not because the other teams O failed?
Why are we playing two different standards here? GB D was ballin in the 1st half.
Miami D stops GB = Rodgers played poorly? No, its the D made plays.
THill turns the game over to the D with a lead & they lose it. D's fault? No, THill's fault for not scoring more points.
Huh? ...er... because this is a Dolphins Thread and we think the Packer's Defense sux?
I don't have that answer. We go round and round about the game.
I thought Miami defense played a very good game with the exception unfortunately the last drive. Green Bay had a an almost 15:00 minute time of possession advantage.
Give credit to Rodgers and Green Bay on that last drive. Clutch 4th down conversion when Grimes slipped on the pass play to Nelson. Green Bay made the plays on that last drive and the Dolphins did not, including a chance to recover a fumble that would have ended the game.


text:
News Rusal's drive for low-carbon development: lessons from other countries
Rusal's drive for low-carbon development: lessons from other countries
September 30, 2017 user Comments Off
Most developed countries and many developing countries are working together to combat the threat of global climate change.
Companies are also addressing this challenge and participating in the emissions trading scheme (ETS).
Sustainable development is the strategic focus of rusal and is integrated into the company's decision-making process.
The Boguchansky and Taishet electrolytic aluminium plants are under construction and will be projects to produce aluminium entirely from renewable, clean water and electricity.
Aluminium is one of the most energy-intensive industries, and the use of non-fossil energy is crucial: primary aluminium, produced from hydropower, emits 3-5 times less carbon dioxide per unit than coal.
Rusal currently has one of the industry's lowest carbon emissions targets of about 3.3 tonnes of aluminium.
Rusal spends more than $120 million a year on environmental activities, but the expense also benefits the company: from 2009 to 2012, rusal traded more than 15 million tons of carbon emissions through the Kyoto protocol mechanism and the European Union's ETS, generating about 11 million euros in revenue.
At the same time, China has made a firm commitment to lead international efforts to combat global warming.
Aluminum is an important part of the national ETS, which is scheduled to launch later this year.
Primary aluminium production currently accounts for 6.5 per cent of the country's total carbon emissions, and its emissions are growing far faster than the Paris agreement allows: the aluminium industry is set to emit 29 per cent more carbon dioxide by 2020 than it did in 2015, while China's pledge implies a rise of only 13 per cent.
It is clear that there is a need to pursue specific measures to reduce greenhouse gases in the aluminium industry and green development models, including feasible targets within the framework of the national ETS.
The NDRC has not yet released the final document on the ETS, but the details that have been released so far show that the ETS has some shortcomings, which could reduce its effectiveness and affect the achievement of China's national climate goals.
China can draw on the valuable experience of the eu's ETS to help it achieve its ambitious climate goals:
In order for the ETS to become an effective emission reduction mechanism, it is necessary to set the target value and specify the corresponding value for the ETS participants (enterprises, industries and regions).
Other methods, such as "per unit" targets, do less to reduce emissions.
A reasonable cap on total emissions would allow the aluminium industry to reach its peak in 2020-2021 and comply with national climate commitments.
The government should have a cross-regional/industry/enterprise database to ensure the transparency of the MRV system.
All mechanisms and data should be transparent and open.
The impact of ETS on the cost of electrolytic aluminum smelting is approximately us $9-12 per ton of electrolytic aluminum.
That level is not enough to provide an incentive for voluntary greenhouse gas reductions, which cost more than $100 per tonne of aluminium.
As a result, producers of electrolytic aluminum will purchase quotas under the ETS, rather than aggressively pursue emission reductions.
ETS should have a higher incentive for aluminum enterprises to invest in green development.
Expand the scope of the ETS to include direct emissions from primary aluminum production and convert them into carbon dioxide equivalents.
The quota to be allocated free of charge should be based on the industry's better performance (currently 1.47 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of primary aluminium).
Direct emissions from alumina refining are included in the ETS.
Free allocation of quotas should be based on the industry's better performance.
Over the next decade, the free distribution should be gradually reduced to 30 per cent.
The five recommendations are designed to make the ETS more efficient and transparent.
As a major tool to achieve national climate change goals, the appropriately adjusted ETS will consolidate China's leading role in addressing climate change.


text:
Sindh govt, Global Mining Co sign MoU for coal mining
by NNI , (Last Updated September 20, 2011)
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the objective of exploration of Coal and Mining is to enhance energy sources for Pakistan so as to overcome the energy problem. This was observed by Chief Minister Sindh while addressing MoU signing ceremony between government of Sindh and Global Mining Company of China for coal mining of 5 million tonnes per year, and power generation of 900 MW in Block-I of Thar coalfield, at Chief Minister House today. He said that this is one of the biggest projects in the history of Pakistan which is expected to be completed within the stipulated time.
The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah appreciated the planned investment in the mega project and assured that the Government will provide all possible help and facilitation to the Chinese Company for Coal Mining and Power Generation Project. He further said that Sindh has huge reserves of coal out of which 175 billion tonnes are located in the Thar Coalfields. Governments of Pakistan and Sindh have assigned top priority to develop the coal mining, coal-based power generation and other uses of coal by offering most attractive fiscal incentives, protections and guarantees to the investors in coal sectors, he added. These projects are seen as vital for Pakistan's Energy Security besides having the potential to turn the economy of the country around.
Mr. Liyang Liu, CEO of Sino-Sindh Resources, a local subsidiary of Global Mining Company in his speech thanked the Government of Sindh for allocation of Block-I of Thar Coalfield and assured that the Global Mining Company will complete the feasibility study within six months and groundbreaking ceremony of mine construction will be held in the first week of April 2012. Production of coal will start within three years and power generation of 900 MW is expected by 2014. The GMC consortium proposes to invest approximately $4.5 billion up to 2016 and another approximately $4 billion would be invested to research the target of producing 10,000 MW by year 2020. The GMC further intends to invest in construction of key infrastructure such as transmission line, water conduit and effluent treatment system with an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.
Mr. Zubair Motiwala, Chairman Sindh Board of Investment briefed that the Government of Sindh had initiated the process of International Competitive Bidding for allocation of various blocks of Thar Coalfield in December, 2010 and after detailed deliberations and due diligence, the Thar Coal and Energy Board had allocated Block-I of Thar Coalfields having area of 122 sq. k.m to the renewed Chinese company Global Mining Company of China. The GMC intends to develop coal mine of 5 million tonnes per annum initially and power generation of 900 MW to be scaled up to 2100 MW with an initial investment of amount $3.0 billion. They are also willing to invest $1.5 billion in key infrastructure projects.
Later, an MoU for Coal Mining and Power Generation Project in Block-I of Thar Coalfield was signed today between Government of Sindh and a renowned Chinese firm, M/s Global Mining Company of China at Chief Minister House, Karachi.
Mr. Muhammad Younus Dagha, Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department and Mr. Liyang Liu, Chief Executive Officer of Sino-Sindh Resources, a local subsidiary of Global Mining Company singed the MoU on behalf of Government of Sindh and GMC.
Murad vows to complete K-IV project to meet water requirement
Sindh government decides to sack 1,080 qualified headmasters in a year
Kaira says 'Patriot-II' in the making
ameer - October 1, 2011 said:
Me Ameer Amanullah Geologist @ THAR COAL FIELD. iam very happy that Global mining has signed MOU at coal area,
Dileep Kumar - November 25, 2011 said:
we are also with u aman bhai
remember us also


text:
Takt Op. Destiny Episode 4 English Subbed
You're watching Latest Anime Takt Op. Destiny Episode 4 English Subbed has been released in high quality for free at Kissanime, Watch Takt Op. Destiny Episode 4 English SUB Online, Kiss Anime will always be the first to have the episode so please Bookmark and add us on Facebook for more updates.
Status: Ongoing Studio: Madhouse, MAPPA Released: 2021 Duration: Unknown Season: Fall 2021 Type: TV Censor: Censored
Action Fantasy
In the story of the anime, one day a black meteorite fell on the world, and the world completely changed. The meteorite produced grotesque monsters called D2, which started running rampant. D2 very quickly banned all music, which was the one thing able to overcome them. But there were some people who resisted the D2. They are young women who hold the power of music, the "Musicart." These young women hold "scores" that are able to defeat the monsters. And there are also people who lead these women, the Conductor. The anime takes place in America in the year 2047, which has fallen to ruin thanks to the D2. Takt, a Conductor, is partnered with a Musicart named Unmei. Takt yeans for music to be returned to the world, and Unmei wishes to destroy the D2. Their aim is to travel to New York. (Source: ANN)


To be a strategic partner that communicates progressive knowledge of organized human activities and socio·-technical systems.
Industrial engineering focuses on improving processes. Industrial engineers analyze and optimize systems such as waiting in line at a theme park, boarding an airplane, helping people at a bank, answering calls at a call center, as well as manufacturing processes such as making airplane parts, car parts, household appliances, food, soda, bottled water, and so on. Industrial engineers will have to take a wide range of support classes such as calculus, physics, chemistry, circuits, and materials engineering. Although the most important support class that an industrial engineer will take is statistics. Statistics is crucial because in the real world processes, such as time it takes to help a customer in line, often can follow some kind of distribution, (which can't be represented by an equation as easily). Overall industrial engineering is great if you enjoy statistics, working with people, and optimizing profits and time for companies.
Industrial Engineering is an amazing profession with tons of opportunity for its graduates!
What is Industrial Engineering anyway? It sounds so generic and yet somehow very technical. Watch this video and I will give you a basic overview including: what Industrial Engineering is, what tools Industrial Engineers use, the history of the field, the future and whether or not you may like it.


What role did you start with and what do you do today? I started working as a certification manager at Korsnäs forest department. My role was to implement an FSC umbrella certificate so that we could certify private forest owners and increase our share of certified wood. Today I work as an Operations Development Manager at the Mill in Frövi where mine and my teams' role are, to support and train the organization with the implementation of our improvement programme BKOM.
What was the best part of being a trainee? That we got a really good picture of the whole company, and a good understanding of the different challenges we face. And of course, all the people we met and the network we created in the company during our times as trainees.
How has the trainee program affected your career? I think it has affected me in a very positive way, I think my time as a trainee was one of the factors that gave me the opportunity to start working in production and learn something completely new.
Why would you recommend others to apply to the trainee program? Because it is a unique opportunity to start your career at a company, you create such a good network and you also have the possibility to see different career opportunities within the company, and get an idea of what you want to do in the future!


text:
Q: AngularJS: Creating a directive for converting a string to a Date on the fly Angular UI Bootstrap changed the way of what the datepicker expects as ng-model in some version after 1.13.0. Before it was fine to give it an ISO date string, now it wants a Date object.
I consume ISO date strings from my API though, so I have to

*

*convert them into Date objects before giving it to the datepicker and

*convert them back to an ISO date string when storing it.

In the past I used a directive like this:
function DateObjectDirective() {
  const directive = {
    restrict: "A",
    require: ["ngModel"],
    link(scope, element, attributes, controllers) {
      const ngModel = controllers[0];

      ngModel.$formatters.unshift(value => {
          let output = null;

          if(value) {
            output = moment(value).toDate();
          }

          return output;
      });

      ngModel.$parsers.unshift(value => {
          let output = null;

          if(value) {
            output = moment(value).format();
          }

          return output;
      });
    },
  };

  return directive;
}

This no longer works though, as the following error is reported:

this.activeDate.getFullYear is not a function

My guess is that the datepicker still uses the string as reference. Is there any other way I can convert before giving my data to the datepicker?

A: I found out that the directive I posted does indeed still work. The only problem was the order in which AngularJS evaluated the directives.
For example:
<input ng-model="someDateString" uib-datepicker-popup="yyyy-MM-dd" woo-date-object>

In my case, woo-date-object was always evaluated before uib-datepicker-popup. The result was that the datepicker has always pushed its own formatter on top of ngModel.$formatters, thus eliminating the possibility for me to intervene.
The solution is to give the own directive a higher priority. UI's datepicker doesn't have one set, so anything above 0 (which is the default) works:
{
  restrict: "A",
  require: "ngModel",
  priority: 9999,
  link(scope, element, attributes, ngModel) {
    ngModel.$formatters.push(value => {
        let output = new Date();
        if(value) { output = moment(value).toDate(); }
        return output;
    });

    ngModel.$parsers.push(value => {
        let output = null;
        if(value) { output = moment(value).format(); }
        return output;
    });
  },
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If you ask me whether Tatsuya at Goodwood Park Hotel is one of my favorite Japanese restaurant in Singapore and my answer is no, it means I'm blatantly lying (for whatever reason).
How can it not be? It is a place where I had one of the Best Beef Bowls in Singapore, and visits are usually, more often than not, concluded with a satisfied tummy.
Even with the newly-minted Michelin-star Japanese restaurants stealing some thunder from this grand dame of fine Japanese cuisine, Tatsuya still holds its charm, especially for its regulars.
It was quite amusing initially when my friend asked if it's fine for him to wear bermudas for our dinner at San Bistro. We are regular restaurant goers, and should be seasoned enough to know the appropriate dressing for most occasions. But upon checking the location of San Bistro, I can understand the reason for his question.
Nestled in the tiny neighborhood Eastwood Centre in Bedok, it is a very odd location for a French fine-dining establishment. If I live at the surrounding landed houses or condominiums, you'd probably see me dropping by in my t-shirt and slippers after grocery shopping at the supermarket next door lol!
Yoogane, The Korean Chicken Galbi Restaurant At Bugis Junction & Westgate Mall. Full Of Hearty Deliciousness!
"Yoogane? It's very popular in Korea!" exclaimed my new colleague who just moved to our little island from the land of kimchi.
Established in Busan since 1981, Yoogane is said to be one of the best Chicken Galbi restaurants in Korea with more than 130 outlets, well-known for its specialty stir-fried chicken in an unique blend of sauces and seasoning.
We do not have to look too far for an experience of that mouthwatering taste, with two local stores conveniently located at Bugis Junction and Westgate Mall.
International Buffet & The Art Of Omi Wagyu Promotion @ 10 at Claymore, Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel ~ So So So Good, We Want More, More, More!
This August and September, Pan Pacific Orchard's 10 at Claymore presents The Art Of Omi!
Offering Omi Wagyu to complement the hotel restaurant's line-up of local and international buffet delights, it pampers us diners with premium Japanese beef from Shiga prefecture, best known for its rich flavor and exquisite tenderness.
Enticing definitely. We were lured like bees to honey. But wait..... there's a catch.
Fish & Chicks ~ Famous Salted Egg Fish & Chips Stall At Ang Mo Kio Is Now At Orchard Cineleisure Too!
While my lazy bones are still contemplating if I should make a trip to Fish & Chicks for their well-received Salted Egg Fish & Chips, something good happened.
The western food stall within a coffeeshop in Ang Mo Kio has quickly capitalized on their current popularity and social media fame to open another branch at Orchard Cineleisure! Yay!
We like it that the latest location in town is much more convenient, and phew..... we are spared of waiting in a warm coffeeshop environment where the queue is said to be usually at least an hour long. There is now air-conditioned comfort, and even a small dedicated seating area in front of the foodcourt stall just for Fish & Chicks customers. It typically takes just 10 to 20 minutes for the food to be served.
The matriarch of Peranakan buffet has returned!
Ellenborough Market Café at Swissotel Merchant Court Hotel has always been popularly known for their buffet of Peranakan or Straits Chinese offerings, and a killer-breathe rendition of Durian Penget. After a recent refurbishment, the all-day dining restaurant is now back with these well-loved favorites and an expanded repertoire of international spread as well as live action stations.
Here are 5 reasons why I think it's worth a trip over.


07/11 H Becomes Act No. 859.
06/22 H Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.
06/19 S 122 Signed by the President of the Senate on 06/21.
06/19 H 132 Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
06/19 S 46 Notice House adopted Conference Committee report.
06/19 H 126 Notice of Senate adoption of Conference Committee Report.
06/19 H 91 Conference Committee Report read, roll called, yeas 98, nays 0. Having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, the Conference Committee Report was adopted.
06/18 H 84 Notice of Senate conferees appointed.
06/18 S 39 Senate conference committee appointed: McPherson, Lentini, and Dupre.
06/18 S 37 Notice House rejected Senate amendments, and House conferees appointed.
06/18 H 60 House conferees appointed: Farrar, Ansardi, and Townsend.
06/18 H 42 Read by title, roll called, yeas 53, nays 24. The Senate amendments, not having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, were rejected. Conference committee appointment pending.
06/16 H 91 Received from the Senate with amendments.
06/16 S 38 Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and finally passed as amended, 35 yeas and 0 nays; title read and adopted and bill ordered to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
06/16 S 38 Rules suspended. Called from the calendar.
06/12 S 70 Read by title. Returned to the calendar subject to call as amended.
06/08 S 4 Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments, read by title and passed to a third reading.
06/06 S 37 Rules suspended; reported with amendments.
05/16 S 9 Read second time by title and referred to committee on Judiciary A.
05/15 S 4 Received in the Senate. Read first time by title, lies over under the rules.
05/11 H 24 Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 1. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
05/11 H 24 Called from the calendar.
05/11 H 20 Read by title, returned to the calendar.
05/10 H 11 Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading - regular calendar.
05/09 H 39 Reported with amendments (8-0) (Regular).
03/27 H 75 Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.
03/16 H Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.


text:
"Thor: Love and Thunder" - Enter 'Valkyrie'
Marvel Comics' "Valkyrie: Jane Foster" #2, in support of the upcoming feature "Thor: Love and Thunder", showcasing 'Jane Foster' as the goddess of Thunder, is written by Jason Aaron, Al Ewing and illustrated by CAFU, with a cover by Mahmud A. Asrar, available August 21, 2019:
"...'Bullseye', the deadliest shot in the 'Marvel Universe' just got his hands on a special sword.
"Now with the 'Asgardian' weapon 'Dragonfang', Bullseye has the power to kill a god...
"...while 'Jane Foster', the new 'Valkyrie', must learn a hard lesson..."
New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi ("Thor: Ragnarok") will adapt Marvel Comics' "The Mighty Thor" run by writer Jason Aaron and illustrator Russell Dauterman...
...for the "Thor: Ragnarok" sequel, "Thor: Love and Thunder", starring Oscar winner Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"), as 'Dr. Jane Foster', who becomes the female goddess/warrior "Mighty Thor":
"......The 'God of Thunder' has become unworthy. 'Mjolnir 'lies abandoned. But when 'Frost Giants' invade Earth, a new hand will grasp its handle - and a mysterious woman will take up the mantle of the mighty 'Thor'!
"Who is this new Goddess of Thunder? That's exactly what the 'Odinson' wants to know.
"All-Father Odin isn't happy either, and he'll call on some very dangerous, very unexpected allies in a bid to reclaim the enchanted hammer.
"...while 'Malekith' the 'Dark Elf' forges his most dangerous pact yet! But as the new 'Thor' faces the unstoppable machine of death and destruction that is the 'Destroyer', she will prove herself a worthy successor to the heroic mantle.''
"Her enemies are many, as 'Asgard' descends further into chaos and war threatens to spread throughout the 'Ten Realms'.
"Yet her greatest battle will be against a far more personal foe..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"THOR" COMIC BOOKS
Posted by Michael Stevens on Sunday, August 18, 2019


text:
Tuesday 16 November 2021 6:10 am
Future of travel special: Pent-up wanderlust, streaming and, of course, a lot of tech
By: Michiel Willems
After three strict lockdowns, the old adage 'trip of a lifetime' has never been more appropriate.
Nearly two years into the pandemic, constant reminders of how precious life is have inevitably left their mark, bringing an increased awareness of what really matters, which is quite a motivation for many people to stop putting off that once in a lifetime trip.
So, after dreaming of freedom for the past two years, people are finally beginning to release their pent-up passion for travel, with substantial increases in searches for trips to once-in-a-lifetime destinations.
Good examples are the home of the Incas, Machu Picchu, with flights to the Peruvian cities of Lima and Cusco up by nearly 50 per cent, according to various booking sites.
Whether the dream is to finally sail around the world or take that long haul trip to visit relatives on another continent, in 2022 many people will finally book those meaningful, extreme or never would have imagined trips.
Research by Unforgettable Travel, undertaken during the height of the pandemic and shared with City A.M. today, showed that the most popular destinations are not what you might have expected previously.
Top results were once in a lifetime experiences, such as hiking to Mount Everest base camp in Nepal and Tanzania is an outlier in terms of demand for travel, with searches up by 36 per cent for the country famous for safaris to see the Big Five in the wild.
Around 180,000 jobs could be lost if travel restrictions return, travel council warns
Visits to the Egyptian Pyramids are also high on the wish-list, while flights to Petra in Jordan showing a 22 per cent rise.
All the signs suggest this trend will continue to grow, with the Indian Ocean islands and even Antarctica showing increased demand for travel.
So what does the future of travel hold, and how will post-pandemic business trips be framed?
Friendcation
When Instagram hashtags like this are trending, you know that one of two things is happening. Either Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross have reunited for a TV special, or the world of travel is witnessing a new phenomenon.
Spoiler alert: it's the latter. After a long period of lockdowns and restrictions, enjoying time with friends has never been higher on the agenda. If 2020 was the year of Zoom quizzes, 2022 will be (fingers crossed) the year of the grand, in person, reunion.
The #Friendcation trend stands to reason. With family the priority, you may have only recently seen friends, briefly, for the first time in a very long time – and if the distance between you is a flight, you may still be waiting for that to happen.
Travel Special: Pandemic leaves islanders on isolated Mauritius 'fighting to work'
In the UK, the relaxation of restrictions has seen an explosion in the number of large group holidays being booked. One firm, Big Cottages, reported a 600 per cent rise in bookings for groups of over 20 people.
All of which goes to show that while the past couple of years would have been infinitely harder without Zoom, Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp, they are no substitutes for being able to see friends in real life.
According to data from travel tech firm Amadeus, this trend is already well established. Searches for travel to Cancun, a popular destination for groups of friends, have more than doubled year-on-year, while Hawaii has also seen a similar spike in interest.
Searches for Las Vegas trips are up 61 per cent, Colombia's friends' hot spot of Cartagena is up over 200 per cent and in Europe Barcelona and Ibiza have seen healthy double-digit increases.
Active ecotourism
The time for all talk and no action about the environment is long gone. Today's focus is on action, and that applies to the travel sector as much as any other part of our modern lives.
That's why we expect ecotourism to shift from talking point to bona-fide trend in 2022.
At the heart of this trend, however, lies a dilemma. The pent-up demand for travel is abundantly clear, but how can this be squared with environmental concerns? A bigger carbon footprint is hard to justify.
The answer appears to lie in ensuring that travel is sustainable, considering not only environmental impact but also the social impact on the communities we visit.
From the Isles of Scilly to Scotland's Assynt-Coigach: Britain's most scenic spots revealed
Travellers want to add purposeful elements to their holidays, such as including work to help rebuild communities as part of their trip. They are also keen to see their spend directly benefiting the people and places they visit.
In a recent Amadeus-commissioned survey, 37 per cent of respondents think opportunities for travelers to be involved in the preservation of tourist destinations will help the industry to become more sustainable in the long term.
Tourists view the ruins of the Library of Celsus in the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey.
Meanwhile, a growing number of operators are promising to go beyond carbon offsetting and offer a measurable and positive impact on the environment.
For example, the firm B. Journeys was specifically set up to help travel businesses measure their environmental and social impact, and support them in gaining BCorp certification.
In South Africa, Mantis Group offers ecotourism impact programs including the opportunity to support rhino conservation efforts in Tanzania, while Habitat for Humanity has developed travel & build and global village programs, and Global Citizens Network has entered a collaboration with the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota, to name a few examples.
This trend is already having an impact. Searches for travel from the UK to the eco-paradise of Costa Rica are up by 234 per cent year-on-year and in Europe visitors to carbon-neutral Iceland are up by a healthy 11 per cent.
The way we worked has changed, and so will business travel. Few would deny that Covid-19 has transformed the way conduct business, in many cases permanently.
Many in the UK's workforce now have the potential to work from anywhere, and in some other countries that percentage is even higher, while many companies, for example, Spotify, have even announced that its staff will permanently work from home.
Some companies are taking even more creative approaches, like Bloomberg, which has revisited what constitutes business travel and traveling into the office, offering its 20,000 global employees a daily commuting allowance.
Taking off: City Airport chief on the return of business travel and the future of the Square Mile
While most companies know by now that videoconferencing works well, nothing replaces a face-to-face meeting. Amadeus travel data shows a return of business travel, with half of all travellers saying they will be traveling for business to a destination requiring a flight later this year.
In fact, four in five business travellers are prepared to board an airplane for work right now, provided safety measures are in place.
Therefore, many employers are also taking a fresh look at the way their people travel.
Many staff have become used to the time and money they save on their daily commute. Companies are looking at bringing departments together in central locations, with days working in the office placing a greater emphasis on social elements and team bonding. Some businesses will even begin booking weekends or days in hotels as a way to reunite employees.
Wanderlust streaming
In many ways choosing a holiday has never been more complicated. Balancing environmental impact, health concerns, travel restrictions, and the cost associated with potential cancellations can confuse even the most seasoned of travellers.
Yet for many the process of researching holidays has become a passion. This is hardly surprising when for so many months the most we could do was surf the web and dream of getting away somewhere.
People wear face coverings, in accordance with Government guidelines, as they wait to be served outside a local store in the small fishing village of Baie Du Cap in Mauritius as the country unlocks to tourists after 18 months of closed borders and residents encourage people to return to the Indian Ocean island in Africa.
One unexpected outcome of the pandemic, however, is that people get travel inspiration from a wider variety of sources.
Take the exponential growth of streaming services such as Netflix: according to official statistics, Britons spent a third of their waking hours watching TV or online videos in 2020.
This marked increase in viewing time means consumers have seen – and been inspired by – a world of exotic backdrops. This relationship is so important that UNWTO and Netflix have recently partnered to publish a report that analyses the role of movies and series as drivers of tourism.
For example, following 2020's hit show Normal People, tourism bosses in Ireland planned to cash in on the success of the hit show by promoting Ireland as a tourist destination to fans. Tourism in Porthgwarra, Cornwall, increased by as much as 50 per cent, according to Visit Cornwall as a result of the TV show Poldark.
This trend is here to stay, and will only grow, reinforced by the artificial intellience driving our smart speakers including Amazon's Alexa.
Alexa will begin to understand where a consumer might want to visit, and provide suggestions, with the consumer not having to even think about it. Travel firm Quo Vadis Travel used Amazon Alexa to develop voice-activated technology for customers to search and book travel with just a few commands, making planning travel that much easier.
Ebookers also found unique ways to use sensory perception and biometric technology to help travellers plan their ideal holidays.
The online tool SenseSational uses facial recognition to gauge users reaction to a stimuli, and ultimately provide holiday recommendations through a fun experience, taking the work out of planning holidays for consumers.
Futuristic and fast
Technological progress inevitably reaches more people, and the impact of scientific developments ends up impacting many around the world. Eighteen years after Concorde was grounded for good, advanced plans are afoot for a new generation of passenger super jets.
Across the pond, United Airlines recently announced plans to buy 15 new supersonic airliners and "return supersonic speeds to aviation" before the decade is out.
Tourism in Porthgwarra, Cornwall, increased by as much as 50 per cent, according to Visit Cornwall as a result of the TV show Poldark.
For those who prefer to stay closer to the ground, hyperloop technology promises to transport passengers in a vacuum-encased pod at speeds of up to 600 miles per hour.
The concept recently came closer to becoming a reality when Virgin Atlantic carried out a test run of a hyperloop train in the Nevada desert. A hyperloop link between Gatwick and Heathrow airports – 45 miles apart on opposite ends of London – could transfer passengers in four minutes.
There are also plans afoot to build a 12-minute, 80 mile hyperloop link between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
If speed isn't your thing, Florida-based Space Perspective has just announced the launch of a space balloon, Neptune One, which will start flying passengers into the heavens in 2024 at a leisurely pace of 12 miles per hour.
So, the traveller takeaway may be, get ready; it's coming fast and not too far in the future. More and more people will be spending more time exploring the world and the universe.
Travelling in the wrong direction
City A.M. Content
Travel delays and disruption
Saga to launch new over-50s media brand to capitalise on UK's ageing population
The Notebook: Victoria Scholar on Chinese New Year, air fares and edible economics
Trainline's earnings triple as rail sector continues recovery from Covid-19
Wizz Air's losses widen as soaring fuel prices hit low-cost carrier's profitability
Spike in package holidays and foreign travel may be 'rare positive legacy of pandemic'
travel boost
Heathrow back at number 1 as airport regains status as Europe's busiest hub
Weekend exclusive: Rail sees popularity boost as City travellers avoid 'travel dead time'
Saturday read
Menzies cancels share listing as Agility takeover goes ahead
John Menzies


Lowe's is an excellent company with tremendous value creation opportunities in front of it, and we believe the new directors will be significant assets to the board.
With his leadership, strategy and integration experience, Bertram will provide valuable perspective as Lowe's continues to transition from a home improvement retailer to an omni-channel home improvement company.
Sandy brings a combination of strong leadership and retail experience, as well as tremendous financial acumen to Lowe's, and I am pleased to welcome her to our board of directors.


Ichigo Coloring Pages Cool Ichigo Coloring Pages 39 For with Ichigo Coloring Pages. Wow Ichigo Coloring Pages 74 In with Ichigo Coloring Pages. Beautiful Ichigo Coloring Pages 79 For Your with Ichigo Coloring Pages. Wow Ichigo Coloring Pages 90 In with Ichigo Coloring Pages. Fantastic Ichigo Coloring Pages 98 In with Ichigo Coloring Pages. Great Ichigo Coloring Pages 73 Remodel with Ichigo Coloring Pages. Stunning Ichigo Coloring Pages 43 For Your with Ichigo Coloring Pages. Luxurius Ichigo Coloring Pages 78 For Your with Ichigo Coloring Pages. Spectacular Ichigo Coloring Pages 92 For Your with Ichigo Coloring Pages.


Regarding Rabbi Reuven Taff's column criticizing President Barack Obama's possible Iran nuclear deal, I found it interesting that the rabbi would criticize the deal without actually knowing any of the details of the agreement. In effect, he's just guessing as to the details of the potential deal, as is the Israeli prime minister.
My friend Rabbi Reuven Taff correctly points out the dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran. On this point, most American Jews agree with him. However, we part company on what the United States should be doing to counter those dangers.
Until President Barack Obama began the current round of negotiations coupled with multilateral sanctions, Iran was rapidly building its nuclear capacity. The negotiations and sanctions have succeeded in stopping that buildup.
The question at this point is pragmatic: What approach shows the most promise? The majority of American Jews support Obama in his effort to find a negotiated halt to Iran's development of a nuclear weapon. We are joined in this by former director of Israeli military intelligence, Amos Yadlin.
Finally, the Republican invitation to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress not only breaks all protocol precedent, but injects our Congress into the Israeli election and damages the bipartisan foundation of the U.S.-Israel relationship. In the last Israeli election, Netanyahu used a prior appearance before Congress as the centerpiece of a TV campaign ad. Most American Jews object to giving Netanyahu or any other candidate an official appearance to advance political ambitions.
Israel is a country that accepts more than $3 billion a year from American taxpayers. Israel receives additional millions in favorable trade agreements, non-taxed donations and military expertise from America. Shouldn't America receive some respect in return?
Re "California's poor need more than handouts" (Editorials, March 1): Despite the title, the editorial is about handouts. I saw nothing about getting folks trained for jobs. The tax credit is a handout. The high minimum wage is a job killer; it doesn't solve anything because the economy adjusts, prices go up and the minimum-wage earner makes no progress.
Child care for working parents is a tougher issue; a 100 percent tax deduction (not credit) is surely in order. School transportation used to be the norm. Let's bring it back. Food stamps and free housing are just more handouts. If the war on poverty taught us anything, it is that handouts are not the answer.
The old proverb is correct: Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach them how to fish and you feed them for life. Of course, if you make them dependent on the fish you give them, you own them and their votes.


The Canadian dollar was rangebound in overnight currency exchange markets. Oil is at $50.78 and gold is at $1,231. US markets are higher. Today Canada released GDP data for the third quarter.
The short-term USD/CAD technicals are neutral-bearish. For today, USD resistance is at 1.3354. Support is at 1.3258.
The Canadian dollar is softening against the US dollar, approaching 5-month lows. Third-quarter GDP was in line with expectations, with the economy growing 2%, slower than the second quarter's 2.9% pace. The new NAFTA agreement was signed by the three countries involved this morning. This weekends G20 Summit will be watched by market participants, particularly in the context of global trade. There are no further domestic releases today.


text:
JYP Entertainment's New Girl Group ITZY Debuts With 'Dalla Dalla': Watch
Rookie K-pop girl group ITZY usher in a new generation for JYP Entertainment with their new single "Dalla Dalla."
By Tamar Herman
More Stories by
From Coldplay's 'Fix You' to Justin Bieber's '2U,' Here Are 8 BTS Covers You Should Hear
WJSN on Spreading Their Wings With 'Neverland' Mini Album
Kiswe Discusses Partnership With Big Hit Entertainment Ahead of BTS' 'Bang Bang Con: The Live'
ITZY "DALLA DALLA" Courtesy Photo
A new K-pop girl group got their start yesterday (Feb. 10), and are already breaking records. Quintet ITZY released their single "Dalla Dalla" on Sunday (Monday, Feb. 11 in Korea), and earlier today it was reported that the music video had surpassed over 14 million views in 24 hours. According to label JYP Entertainment, it is the fastest-ever K-pop girl group debut on YouTube in the first day, showing immense interest in the new act before they've even put out their first album.
The electropop song is an empowering anthem, introducing ITZY as a group that's an alternative to its peers: the title "Dalla Dalla" is the word for "different" in Korean, repeated. "I'm different from the kids, I'm different," members sing in the chorus ahead of the chanting titular refrain. "Don't measure me by your standards alone, I love being myself, I'm nobody else."
Feisty and quick to shift tempos and genres, like hip-hop breakdowns appearing throughout, it's yet to be seen how ITZY will differentiate itself from the K-pop herd in the long run, but at the moment all eyes are on them.
JYP Entertainment Unveils New Girl Group ITZY
Expectations are high for the new team, which members Chaeryeong, Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, and Yuna, as it is the first new girl group in over three years coming out of JYP Entertainment, following in succession of some of K-pop's most prominent female acts.
JYP has historically seen major success with girl groups ever since launching Wonder Girls in 2007; they became the first-ever K-pop artist to debut on the Hot 100 chart back in 2009. Between Wonder Girls and ITZY's launch, JYP produced multiple hits from both miss A (2010) and TWICE (2015), and both team's debut tracks, the former's "Bad Girl Good Girl" and the latter's "Like Ooh-Ah," ignited intense interest in each act from the get-go, as each were huge hits in South Korea.
Though the single isn't yet available on streaming sites, watch the music video for ITZY's "Dalla Dalla" here:
bbnews
JYP Entertainment
K-Town


archer tub archer whirlpool tub archer 6 foot whirlpool with fort depth design k archer tubular 5 watt review archer tubular review.
fast track rubbermaid shelf fast track closet bracket installation shelf installation.
kitchen dispenser kitchen soap dispenser rustic soap dispenser rustic soap dispenser rustic kitchen soap dispenser kitchen soap.
target dart board new inch sport target dart magnetic dartboard board hanging dart board game with 6 darts.
led shower light led shower lighting fixtures 8 inch square led shower head rain shower light 3 color shower head home decor ideas home improvement ideas for.
ikea stuva bed loft beds for your kids rooms home design and interior.
hydrogen peroxide poison ivy cucumber.
yoga bolster pillow you may have bought a yoga bolster pillow but you know how to use it keep on reading prepared a simple guide to three of the most.
transitional lighting earth black inch one light outdoor wall sconce.
doc mcstuffins doctor bag set doc hospital bag.


What Benefit is EMF Protection?
You will likely feel less stress and as many of your body's systems work on minute natural voltages which can be overwhelmed by external EMF's, your will likely be healthier in the long run.
Electromagnetic Field protection is important in today's world. Our bodies normally operate with miniscule naturally occurring voltages controlling not only our brain but other systems too. Our natural electrical system is fighting off the effects of cell phones, computers and even simple electric power lines. There are many products available to protect you from these fields. Some work better than others. Life Chi's sophisticated energized natural crystals not only are more effective than anything else on the market, they do much more than just basic or even advanced EMF protection. Yet they cost no more than most other EMF protection tools.
There are many devices on the market which you can put on your computer, cell phone, etc. to protect you from its EMF's. Life Chi Crystals do this.
Nothing on the market that we have found transmits its protection to all the sources of EMF in your home and to you, no matter where you are. Life Chi Crystals contain sophisticated programming which connects with all household members and sends out positive chi to them, everywhere they go, to eliminate the need for individual cell phone EMF protectors and all other EMF protective devices. But they also do more to enhance your life!
What About EMF Protection Pendants?
Unlike EMF protection and feng shui pendants, you don't have to carry these with you. Just like a radio transmitter, these crystals send you helpful protective chi to counter whatever you may encounter. This chi follows you across town to your office, or across the globe.
What About EMF Reduction? Can It Be Measured?
These crystals protect you from electromagnetic fields. As such they reduce the effects these fields would otherwise have on you. However to actually reduce the fields themselves, you would need a carefully constructed room with wire mesh or other conductive medium thoroughly sealing out EMF's. This is typically only done in two situations. Some sensitive laboratories must be completely isolated from the outside world. Some equipment puts out such a strong field it must be contained in a special room. Rooms like this would not be healthy for people to live in as the naturally occurring electromagnetic fields of the earth and sun would also be blocked.
Whenever electricity flows, be it in nature or through technology, it puts out an electromagnetic field. If you think of an electric magnet and how it can attract metal, this is one example. Other examples are radios of all kinds, computers, phones, even light bulbs. There are different EMF frequencies, some of which affect us more than others. Generally speaking though, it is good to avoid or be protected from all electromagnetic fields which disrupt our body's natural electrical flow.
How can something so simple be so effective, and at so many things? Using a combination of crystals and a complex series of meditations and empowerment enables these natural crystals to replace a number of other devices. You can liken it to a modern smart phone being not only a phone, but a computer, camera, GPS, game console and more. You are invited you to try Life Chi Crystals and experience the incredible power of simplicity.
What About Electrically Operated EMF Reduction Devices?
EMF protection devices which use electricity (and usually tiny computers and LED's) lok impressive. But they introduce their own interference. Do you want another electronic device, or would you rather have a natural crystal tool?
Some EMF protection devices use unknown elements and come in a sealed enclosure to keep them secret. Some of the packages warn you not to open them or they will loose their effectiveness. If you do open them you are likely to find a very small amount of powder. It's likely ground up crystals. We have found that grinding crystals reduces their effectiveness.
Still other units have impressive packaging but inside are natural crystals. With Life Chi you get to admire the beauty of natural crystals. Plus receiving energy from the crystals directly through your eyes enhances your experience. Packaging gets in the way.
One day when the creator of Life Chi Crystals was working on his laptop computer, well aware of the EMF shielding capabilities of the Crystals, an interesting thing occurred. He started feeling drained, tired and out of sorts. He stepped away from his laptop and felt better and wondered, what could be causing the problem?
Then he realized what was going on. The energy of two forces, in addition to EMF, were being emanated by my computer. First, highly toxic chemicals are used in production of computer chips and the essence (energy pattern) of the toxic chemicals was radiating out and affecting him. Additionally, computers are often manufactured in sweat shop conditions. The chi of the exploitive working conditions was making its way into my computer, and from it to him. To correct the problem he did additional empowerments with the crystals. He sat down once again at his laptop and felt great ever since. Of course, these programming elements and thousands of others are included in the crystal you will receive.


text:
Business Education Entertainment Entrepreneur Fashion Finance Food Life Marketing Money News Photography RealEstate Sports Travel
Exploring Japan: A Guide to the Land of the Rising Sun
Posted on January 25, 2023 January 9, 2023 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Exploring Japan: A Guide to the Land of the Rising Sun"
Continue reading "Exploring Japan: A Guide to the Land of the Rising Sun"
Business Finance Life Marketing Money News RealEstate Travel
Exploring Hong Kong: A Guide to the Special Administrative Region of China
Posted on January 23, 2023 January 9, 2023 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Exploring Hong Kong: A Guide to the Special Administrative Region of China"
Continue reading "Exploring Hong Kong: A Guide to the Special Administrative Region of China"
Business Entertainment Fashion Finance Food Health Life Makati Marketing Money RealEstate Travel
Exploring Makati: A Guide to the Philippine Financial Capital
Posted on January 22, 2023 January 9, 2023 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Exploring Makati: A Guide to the Philippine Financial Capital"
Continue reading "Exploring Makati: A Guide to the Philippine Financial Capital"
Business Fashion Guimaras Health Life Marketing RealEstate Travel
Exploring Guimaras: A Guide to the Island Province of the Philippines
Posted on January 21, 2023 January 23, 2023 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Exploring Guimaras: A Guide to the Island Province of the Philippines"
Continue reading "Exploring Guimaras: A Guide to the Island Province of the Philippines"
Business Cubao Entrepreneur Finance Life Marketing News RealEstate Travel
Exploring the Hidden Gems of Cubao
Posted on December 27, 2022 December 19, 2022 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Exploring the Hidden Gems of Cubao"
Continue reading "Exploring the Hidden Gems of Cubao"
Business Finance Marketing News RealEstate Travel
Planning the Perfect Vacation in the Philippines
Posted on December 25, 2022 December 19, 2022 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Planning the Perfect Vacation in the Philippines"
Continue reading "Planning the Perfect Vacation in the Philippines"
Business Entrepreneur Marketing News Press Release
Posted on December 18, 2022 December 20, 2022 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Subscribe"
Continue reading "Subscribe"
Business Entertainment Entrepreneur Fashion Life Marketing Maynila News RealEstate Travel
Exploring Maynila: An Insider's Guide to the City
Posted on December 15, 2022 December 12, 2022 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Exploring Maynila: An Insider's Guide to the City"
Continue reading "Exploring Maynila: An Insider's Guide to the City"
Business Davao Finance Marketing Press Release RealEstate Travel
DPWH Speeds Up Construction of Long Distance Road Mountain Tunnel Project in Davao City
Posted on December 5, 2022 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "DPWH Speeds Up Construction of Long Distance Road Mountain Tunnel Project in Davao City"
Continue reading "DPWH Speeds Up Construction of Long Distance Road Mountain Tunnel Project in Davao City"
Advertising Business Entrepreneur Marketing News RealEstate Travel
Guimaras.com
Posted on December 5, 2022 December 7, 2022 by Support @Yehey.com0 comments on "Guimaras.com"
Continue reading "Guimaras.com"
Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Hermes.


The Kentucky Baptist School of Nursing; Class of 1986 – Baptist Health Foundation… Making More Possible.
Thank you to the Class of 1968 for attending lunch with us to celebrate your 50th anniversary. We enjoyed meeting everyone and have such fond memories of the day. It was an honor to spend time with you and hear your stories of the hospital and how the nursing profession has developed over the years.


The latest report from the Land Registry shows that the average price of a Fulham property changing hands during October was £734,153.
This is below the all time high average of £789,335 achieved in the second quarter of 2011.
63 properties were sold during the month, 13 were houses changing hands for over one million pounds. The most expensive was in Kempson, with a selling price of £2,600,000.
The figures would also seem to show that prices at the lower end of the market are continuing to creep up, with flats selling for under £300,000 becoming increasingly uncommon.
In October just one flat fell below this level, while eight changed hands for between £300,000 and £400,000.
The October data from Land Registry's national House Price Index shows an annual price decrease of 3.2% which takes the average property value in England and Wales to £159,999.
The most up-to-date figures available show that during ugust 2011, the number of completed house sales in England and Wales increased by 1 per cent to 62,010 from 61,469 in August 2010. The number of properties sold in England and Wales for over £1 million in August 2011 decreased by 7% to 714 from 764 in August 2010.


Surrounded by boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants, Hotel Adagio Gastronòmic is located in the centre of Barcelona. Guests can take advantage of the free Wi-Fi access.
All rooms are equipped with an en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, hairdryer, safety deposit box and telephone.
Wi-Fi is free in all public areas. The hotel also offers bike hire and car hire.


text:
Niue and the EU
EEAS homepage > Niue > EU support to fight COVID-19 to ensure safe return to school in Mozambique
EU support to fight COVID-19 to ensure safe return to school in Mozambique
This new EU programme will provide the Government of Mozambique with short-term financial assistance to tackle the economic and social impact of the crisis, maintain vital state functions and protect social spending, thanks to effective delivery of basic services to the population.
The European Union is providing EUR 100 million to Mozambique in the form of budget support to help address the socio-economic impacts of Covid19, particularly on education, health, and social protection sectors.
The EU Ambassador and the Minister of Foreign Affairs signed the budget support programme in Maputo, which is part of the European Union's global response to the pandemic, focused on mitigating its devastating effects and supporting partner countries' efforts to address the immediate health needs and subsequent economic crisis.
The funds under the programme will help boost Mozambique´s macroeconomic stability, financial sustainability, fiscal space and resilience to further external shocks. It will also support progress in public financial management reforms, with a particular focus on greater transparency and accountability.
In addition to budget support, the programme will provide technical assistance for government monitoring of COVID-19-related spending and, by working with civil society, will strengthen local accountability processes.
The programme is part of the Team Europe global response to COVID-19, which, in Mozambique, has mobilised approximately € 170 million by the EU and its Member States to tackle the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The EU and Mozambique enjoy a close longstanding partnership under the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement focused on promoting sustainable development, peace and security, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, as well as tackling regional and global challenges. From 2014 to 2020, over € 700 million has been mobilised through the European Development Fund to help improve the lives of people across Mozambique.
EU and Mozambique 29th political dialogue meeting condemns violence in Cabo DelgadoThe Government of Mozambique and the European Union´s 29th meeting of the political dialogue "strongly condemned the barbaric acts perpetrated in the province of Cabo Delgado claiming human lives and caused destruction of socioeconomic infrastructures".
Moçambique: 30 anos de Democracia Multipartidária- União Europeia reitera apoio à paz e estabilidadeEleições livres e justas são sinal do bom funcionamento das democracias multipartidárias. Desde 1994, Moçambique tem realizado regularmente eleições e em todas estiveram presentes missões de observação eleitoral da União Europeia.


The healthcare community is experiencing a shift toward value-based care with a focus on improving patient outcomes and experience. This includes prenatal care and birth outcomes.
Premature birth (before 37 weeks gestation) and its complications are the largest contributors to infant death both in the United States and globally.
Each year, the March of Dimes issues a premature birth report card for each state and select counties. For 2018, South Carolina earned a D grade, and in the tri-county area specifically, 10.5% of all live births were born preterm.
That is why in addition to traditional prenatal care, Lowcountry Women's Specialists began offering CenteringPregnancy® — an evidence-based model of group prenatal care that improves maternal and child health outcomes and reduces health disparities.
While all expectant mothers can benefit from this model of prenatal care, Centering can be especially beneficial for first-time moms, high-risk patients, military families, those that do not have a strong support system nearby and African American women — a population in which the preterm birth rate is 52% higher than the rate among all other women in South Carolina.
Expectant mothers follow a recommended schedule of 10 prenatal visits with each visit lasting between 90 minutes and two hours.
These prenatal visits include your doctor, nurse and mom group members. Each group includes an average of 10 women with due dates around the same time.
Each mom meets individually with her physician for a one-on-one assessment and engages in her care by measuring her own weight and blood pressure, and recording her own health data.
Lowcountry Women's Specialists has locations in North Charleston and Summerville. They are the only private practice to offer CenteringPregnancy® in the Lowcountry, and the only healthcare provider to offer it in the North area. To learn more about this beneficial alternative to traditional prenatal care, visit LowcountryWomen.com or call (843) 797-3664.


text:
Toyota New Car Offers
Lexus New Car Offers
Mazda New Car Offers
Peugeot New Car Offers
ŠKODA New Car Offers
Nissan New Car Offers
Kia New Car Offers
MG New Car Offers
Peugeot Cars
Peugeot Vans
Electric and Hybrid
Mazda Cars
ŠKODA Cars
Leasing & Fleet
Used 7 Seat + Cars
Servicing & Repair
Spread your servicing costs
RRG Service Plan
Buy Tyres Online
Servicing FAQs
The Year of the Yaris
2021 will be a landmark year for the iconic Toyota Yaris. With Toyota releasing the 4th generation Yaris Hybrid and the highly anticipated GR Yaris, this model will certainly go down in the history books.
Toyota released the 4th generation all-new Yaris Hybrid in the summer of 2020, and it certainly impressed! Having already picked up 'Best Affordable Hybrid' in Auto Express New Car Awards, this car is gaining attraction and proving to be a hit with customers.
Thanks to the winning combination of energising Hybrid power and stylish urban design, the New Yaris has also scooped the prestigious title of Car of the Year 2021, awarded by Europe's most senior automotive journalists.
With Toyota being the leading hybrid manufacturer, there was no doubt that this hybrid would have outstanding performance. This latest model uses the renowned hybrid electric powertrain which allows for this car to offer lower emissions, better fuel economy and operate in EV mode up to 60% of the time up to 80mph, which gives off zero-emission over longer distances and higher speeds.
With Toyota priding itself in safety, this model wasn't short of safety features. With this model being the first Toyota to be equipped with centre air bags. It also features other safety features: pre-collision system, electronic parking brake, hill start assist control and Toyota Safety Sense 2.
The 4th generation Yaris also offers driver convenience features: 8" multimedia display touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity, hybrid energy display, reversing camera, electronic power steering and the highly popular smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This all-new Yaris is a game changer and stands out from its competition. With pricing starting at £19,915 you defiantly get your money's worth with this car.
However, Toyota didn't stop there. They stepped up the level again with the unbelievable GR Yaris. This hot hatch has had the motor world going crazy and rightly so. With the car having been developed with experts at the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team, this car is built with advanced technologies and incorporates a jaw dropping 1.6 Litre, 3-cylinder turbo engine and delivers 0-60 in just 5.31 seconds!
Incredible reviews and awards for this hot hatch have not stopped. It's really that thrilling! So far, the GR Yaris has won UK car of the year, Hot Hatch of the year, Top Gear Hot hatch of the year, EVO hot hatch of the year, CarWow Hot Hatch and Car of the year, best performance car of the year and Autocar gave it an incredibly rare 5-star review. Thishot hatch is arguably the most exciting hot hatch in a generation.
Starting from £30,020.00, the GR Yaris still has a lot to offer from its lower model all the way up to the Circuit pack model which starts at £33,520.00. The circuit pack certainly is the most appealing to all the thrill seekers and speed heads. The first batch of the GR Yaris sold out almost instantly due to the high anticipation and demand. It's a hot hatch almost everyone wanted to get their hands on. We can only imagine what's next for the Yaris and we have no doubts that Toyota can outdo themselves!
173 Cross Lane, Salford, United Kingdom, M5 4AP
RRG Group Limited is registered in England No: 1053351. Registered at: 173 Cross Lane, Salford, M5 4AP. VAT Registration No: 498 0951 95.


text:
Fox News Posts — And Then Deletes — Anti-Semitic Soros Cartoon
Eric Kleefeld
December 17 | 2021
Fox News is trying to paper over its use of antisemitic imagery in promoting conspiracy theories against liberal philanthropist George Soros, after deleting a political cartoon it had posted on social media depicting him as the "puppet master" supposedly manipulating Democratic officials to create "lawlessness" and "chaos." But the invocations of his name as a destroyer of all things good and American are still continuing from the network's on-air talent.
The lesson here is very simple: In response to any given public outrage against the network's content, Fox will do what it believes is the minimum necessary to deal with the immediate problem — and then just continue the rest of its bad behavior. The Daily Beast reported that Fox had deleted an offensive cartoon from its Facebook and Instagram accounts, after the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) had tweeted that it "conjures up longstanding anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish power."
Around 45 minutes before the ADL demanded the cartoon's removal, Fox News contributor Leo Terrell claimed on the "straight news" program America Reports that a supposed crime wave was part of a deliberate political conspiracy by "left-leaning, George Soros Democratic prosecutors" to entrap police.
"I think the police department is being set up," Terrell said. "All it takes, Trace, is one — one disputed shooting, one disputed arrest — and excuse my language, all hell's going to break loose. And all this is going to be — those liberal prosecutors are to go after the police. The police department, they know what's going on, and these individuals are being released because of left-leaning, George Soros Democratic prosecutors."
Fox anchor Trace Gallagher then told Terrell that he had made "a very good point there, Leo."
The invective also continued on Thursday morning's edition of Fox & Friends, during a segment on organized retail thefts and other crimes that the show attributed to "soft-on-crime policies" in "liberal cities," which co-host Brian Kilmeade said aligned with Soros' purported efforts to "knock America down" in ways that a foreign enemy could not have accomplished.
It must be noted, however, that the premise of all these segments was wrong in the first place. A report this week in the Los Angeles Times found that organized retail thefts could amount to as little as 0.07% of total sales — with their notoriety coming from online visibility and the easy dissemination of surveillance camera videos, rather than constituting any genuine crisis or pattern of new criminal behavior. In addition, CNN has noted that recent increases in homicides still put the murder rate in major U.S. cities at only just over half of what it had been back in the mid-1990s.
BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): So there's smash-and-grab, and there's also murders, which are up everywhere. And mainly, most cops will tell you, focus on the DAs. And who put those DAs there? George Soros and his fund, was out there to put liberal DAs, empty your prisons, and not prosecute crime. I mean, China could not have — or Russia, or Iran — could not have scripted a better formula to knock America down at its foundation. You don't have law and order, you don't have a country, and we don't have law and order."
Kilmeade's description of Soros was also similar to a segment last week from Fox prime-time host Tucker Carlson, who aired a parody video featuring Soros' face alongside a graphic declaring: "We Kill America!"
Soros has long been a focus of right-wing media attacks for his role in funding progressive political candidates and organizations. Those attacks often feature anti-Semitic overtones, and network personalities have smeared Soros with the overtly racist "puppet master" slur for more than a decade. The anti-Soros smears cover topics ranging from the manifestly silly to the outright dangerous. Fox News has spent years promoting dangerous lies tying Soros to migrant caravans in Mexico and suggesting he is funding refugee resettlement groups as part of a planned "great replacement" of white Americans. (This smear in particular motivated a man to murder 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2018.)
Article reprinted with permission from Media Matters


Finally, a game show we could win!
If one of your high-key aspirations in life isn't to appear on a gameshow and win a ton of money then you're doing it completely wrong.
For all those with the golden dream, something magical happened last night (Jan 12) that will make you scream with joy. The famous gameshow Jeopardy served up some categories on the latest episode that sent Twitter into an absolute meltdown. Yes, you guessed it. All the names of the categories in the game were names of famous memes.
The categories included "What colour is the dress?", "Keyboard Cat", "Yas Queen", "Dad Bod" and "'Me'mes".
Needless to say, every single meme lover's dream came true.
The entire first board of Jeopardy tonight was devoted to memes and I couldn't handle it!!
i lived to see memes as a jeopardy category.
Just when we were getting hyped to sit down and challenge ourselves by answering the quiz questions and prove that we could take home the maximum prize money, it turns out that NONE of the questions behind each category had anything to do with memes AT ALL. *cries* So, we've created five special Meme Jeopardy questions especially for you. Can you score five out of five?
Answers: 1) What is Damn Daniel? 2) What is Crying Jordan? 3) What is Arthur's Fist? 4) What is Pepe The Frog? 5) What is Harambe?
Finally, a game show we could genuinely win!


Mats Beem, Philips & Reinier van den Biggelaar, Basta Group will speak at IoT Event 2017, on Jun 08, at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Internet of Things Event 2017 welcomes Cumulocity as Bronze Partner. The event takes place on Jun 08, 2017, at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Cumulocity was born in 2010 in Mountain View, Silicon Valley, California in an innovation programme focused on bringing proven ruggedized telecommunications carrier grade network management technologies to the nascent Internet-of-Things (IoT) market. An experienced team of senior managers and engineers successfully leveraged cloud technologies and open frameworks to create award winning software products under the Cumulocity brand.
Cumulocity GmbH takes these software products to the next level. We are based in Düsseldorf, Germany, with engineering facilities in Germany, Poland and Portugal; and regional offices in Boston, USA and Singapore. Our origins give us the experience of managing networks of millions of devices in a reliable, rapidly scalable and flexible manner. Cumulocity strives to remove complexity and allow the benefits of IoT to be exploited rapidly, comprehensively and securely by all organisations.
Dutch, Belgian companies provide indispensable infrastructure to run global IoT – Interview with Peter Siemkens, DSP Valley. Peter Siemkens is a speaker at the Internet of Things Event 2017, which will take place on June 08, at High Tech Campus Eindhoven.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is still often called a hype or a buzzword. If connecting devices to the web and making them smart data collectors is such a promising technology, then why don't we see more IoT solutions in our daily life? But here we're wrong, says Peter Simkens. The IoT revolution is already well under way, although we may not notice it.
Simkens is managing director of DSP Valley, a Belgian-Dutch cluster organization focused on building a networking platform where companies interested in IoT solutions can find meaningful partnerships. On June 8th he will give a talk during the 7th annual Internet-of-Things event at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, highlighting how companies can find the right tools, knowledge and competence for their IoT strategy.
So how are we wrong about not seeing the IoT?
Smart Health: IoT in Health Care applications – Presented by Daan Boersma, KPN New Business IoT, at the Internet of Things Event 2017, which will take place on June 08, 2017, at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Research agencies predict that 25 billion "things" will be connected to the Internet by 2020? Is the Internet of Things one big haux or is it closer than we think? Daan Boersma, Accountmanager IoT at KPN New Business will elaborate on how organizations have embraced IoT for Healthcare applications and what lessons they have learned.
Harald de Wilde, Cisco, will speak at the Internet of Things Event 2017, which takes place on Jun 08, 2017, at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Harald David, Strategic Channel Developer Internet of Things at Cisco, chose Cisco in 2011 as the next step because of the company's vision "Changing the Way We Live, Work, Play and Learn".
Since its entry into the world of ICT in 2001 he is driven by the impact of innovation and is therefore a perfect match with Cisco.
Harald is responsible for the development of Cisco's Next Gen partner landscape in areas such as Cloud, Big Data, Analytics and Internet of Everything, is a member of Cisco's Shadow MT, part the EMEAR Digital Transformation Channel team and is part of the Dutch Digitization team. Harald is close to the innovation of a market leading party in IoT and know in a simple and logical way to translate this complex development.
Cisco is an American technology conglomerate headquartered in San José, California in the center of Silicon Valley.
The Art of Connecting to the IoT – Presented by Jeroen Langendam, ItoM, at Internet of Things Event 2017 , which takes place on Jun 08, 2017, at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
The Internet of Things is revolutionising products. Connected products are made possible by bridging the worlds of embedded design and the design of IoT applications, resulting in innovative product-service combinations.
These two worlds apply different design methodologies. In general, the hardware and firmware design for embedded devices, is less flexible than designing IoT (platform) services. There are many pitfalls ahead in balancing to the right time-to-market, design costs, and quality.
Jeroen Langendam is VP Marketing & Business Development of ItoM. He drives the innovative product roadmap of ItoM focusing on wireless connectivity IC & embedded design, including low-power wireless systems for the Internet of Things. Mr. Langendam has 19 years of experience in mobile communications, M2M, and IoT applications.
ItoM is a microelectronics engineering company developing chip designs and embedded hardware & firmware.
With over 18 years of experience in delivering wireless system solutions for consumer, automotive, and healthcare applications, ItoM has successfully grown to a world-class team of 30 FTE.
Stijn Grove, CEO Dutch Datacenter Association is giving on June 8 his keynote speaker speech during the 7th edition of the Internet of Things Event at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Here he gives an impression what it will be about.
Robin Verlangen, Alticom, will speak at Internet of Things Event 2017, which takes place on Jun 08, 2017, at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Enthusiastic, seasoned marketeer & Sales director with 25 years of experience in Direct Marketing for national and international A-brands like PostNL, Philips and Gasterra. After working for an international ERP company for the movie industry, I Joined the Alticom team three years ago to become part of- and to contribute to- the next steps in Alticoms' evolution.
Cees Greyn, NL|DC, will speak at Internet of Things Event 2017, which takes place on Jun 08, 2017, at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Cees has over 25 years of experience in the ICT and Datacenter industry. As VP Services, Cees is responsible for the NLDC Colocation Service unit and the linking pin between market, sales, finance and business..


Having a simple and easy-to-understand navigation is essential to any e-commerce site. The strategy is to make it clear where you want people to go. This will establish the hierarchy of all the content and products in your store. It all comes back to not making people guess about where to go. You want to guide them to right place in the shortest amount of clicks. Doing this will decrease any confusion and increase conversions. Also, use dropdown menus only if it makes sense. You do not want to clutter your top navigation with every single page from your website.
Streamlined information. Having concise information architecture will help people arrive at the right products that they're looking for.
Navigation order. Redo your navigation based on the most popular items or category verticals. Giving people what they want through the navigation menu is a good way to get people to the right items in the shortest amount of time.
Gift cards. If you offer gift cards, add a link in your navigation or sidebar. Many people are buying gifts for the upcoming holiday season, so adding gift cards will allow you to sell more items that are non-inventory.
A sale link on your navigation bar. Having a sale category will allow people know where to find the sale items quicker to save more money.
Product categories. Categorize your navigation items based on product segments. If you have specific categories for different product channels, you can organize your navigation based on those segments. I do not suggest organizing your navigation by brand names. Segments should be categories, not brand names.
Separate customer navigation. The navigation category should be visually separate from your customer utility navigation.
Sundry remedies approachable from the Web to why to waste time and effort going to drugstore if you can hands-down get Viagra sit at home. Varied medicaments are used to treat Neutropenia. A global sexual appeal among men is the erectile dysfunction. Matters like "over the counter lidocaine cream" and "lidocaine cream over the counter" are very popular for last year. Find out more through the links below. What do you have to study about "over the counter lidocaine"? Other question we have to is "undefined". Viagra has been demonstrated to be efficient in men with such medic conditions as diabetes mellitus. One way to improve erectile disfunction is to make few plain lifestyle changes, another is remedy. Lifestyle changes take period, but the results are worthwhile.


text:
Case Study: cidb
Home/Case Studies/Case Study: cidb
South African construction industry regulator uses technology to drive social and economic growth
The Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) aims to bring innovation to South Africa's public sector construction industry and lead the way in sustainable growth, capacity development and empowerment of industry workers. The organisation facilitates construction procurement, effective infrastructure delivery and skills development for construction industry workers. Using Microsoft Azure, it will cut queues, making the registration process more pleasant for contractors. Office 365 will help decrease the administrative burden of its staff. While Dynamics 365 is used as a core component to increase user satisfaction and engagement.
The construction sector plays a significant role in the South African economy. The Construction Industry Development Board (cidb), a national body established by an Act of Parliament, oversees the sustainability and growth of the industry. cidb also registers contractors to manage risk on behalf of public sector clients when procuring services from private contractors.
With over 100,000 contractors registered in its database, the cidb aims to exceed expectations and become more efficient in how it operates. "It was a combination of issues that led us down the path of digital transformation. Turnaround time, which was due to our extremely manual processes, and also downtime," says Matthews Mphuthi, Acting CIO, cidb. To deliver on the goal of user satisfaction, a decision was made to explore how technology could assist the organisation to deliver services more effectively. In 2017, cidb committed to a digital transformation roadmap, defined together with Microsoft, to align its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) strategy with its business strategy.
The organisation used Microsoft solutions to create a transformed service model and enhance value for its clients and the society. "The first step we took was to review the organisational processes and figure out how best to assist contractors to make their lives easier in terms of registration. Of course, we were mindful of saving costs too. Dealing with downtime, hardware issues, maintenance and purchasing of servers was a nightmare before. As a result, we came up with a roadmap that led us to Microsoft," says Mphuthi.
Modernizing the public sector
The organisation, which has branches in all nine provinces of South Africa, lacked integration between the provincial and the head office. "There were a lot of manual processes between our provincial and head offices. There was a lot of movement of paper, things were done, filed and couriered manually. So thinking about it, we were setting out to be different and really better, as a public sector organisation," says Ebrahim Moola, acting CEO at cidb.
Tthe paper-intensive manual processes at the CIDB resulted in the printing of approximately 10000 documents per day, drastically hindered efficiency and visibility over construction processes coupled with admin-intensive processes for record keeping and, in many instances, the loss of data. Collaboration and skills empowerment also proved challenging at the CIDB owing to a lack of visibility over staff capabilities.
Microsoft technology was quickly identified as a better way to achieve cidb's goals. "As an organisation, we already had a relationship with Microsoft and we knew we would benefit from a cost perspective. With Microsoft, training was going to be minimal, because of existing familiarity with the platform, and it can easily cater for a small organisation. Licensing costs were also crucial for us. We were able to leverage a public sector pricing model, because of the commitment Microsoft shows to empowering government entities," adds Mphuthi.
The cidb introduced the Dynamics 365 platform to save on procurement and licensing costs of physical servers. The solution now enables cidb agents to serve users faster. "What's critical for us is to free up our personnel from the manual functions they are performing and empower them to offer advisory services to users. So imagine that across our nine provincial offices, construction workers can actually walk in and get over to a counter and speak to an agent that can provide an advisory service on any problem that's faced by that person," explains Moola.
In terms of productivity, the familiar Office 365 environment has boosted productivity across the organisation. Many of the manual processes have also become easier through reduction of paperwork and availability of information at a click of a button. "SharePoint is easy to use and we've integrated it on top of the CRM, which makes online registration simple. Anyone can securely register online, it doesn't even require training, as it guides you step by step and it's just a few minutes," says Mphuthi.
From cidb's perspective, it's all about the strength of partnership, "We previously attempted the SharePoint Intranet implementation with another provider. It took about two years and we didn't get very far," recalls Moola. "Since we partnered with Mint Group, it took them two months. Employees are really embracing SharePoint, you can see that people are using it. Actually, what's nice is that our colleagues are more familiar now with who their other colleagues are in other provinces. It's because collaboration has become an integral part of our operations, when we have technology connecting us across provinces."
Showcasing public sector powered by technology
Through the implementation of Azure, cidb is betting on the biggest innovations in the industry. The National Registry of Contractors has been integrated into the National Supplier Database, making information readily available to the regulatory body through an automated Azure process.
The next step in cid
b's digital roadmap with Azure was optimizing the queues. "We recently migrated our queue management to Microsoft Azure, which integrates with facial recognition," says Mphuthi. "The way this works is when contractors log in, the facial recognition camera will take a picture of the contractor. If it's the first time they've visited, they'll go through the registration process. But the next time they come to our premises, our system will remember the person, the enterprise name, ID number and all that information will load up automatically for the agent who serves them." Through implementing an advanced queue management system, cidb will save time spent by contractors filing forms and waiting in line for an agent.
However, the long-term plan entails an even more ambitious vision. "Contractors now have to drive great distances to access services at cidb. In South Africa, if you take Northern Cape for example, that province is likely bigger than three or four European countries put together. So sometimes, the contractor would have to leave home at 8:00 am in the morning to arrive at 2:00 pm in the afternoon to do a simple function like lodging annual confirmation of particular requirements." explains Moola. "In the future, we'd like to try and transform those processes, where the contractor could just file needed documents online and then only visit the office when they want support in terms of advisory and consulting services."
The partnership with Microsoft and Mint Group is an ideal opportunity for cidb to show how the sector can embrace technology. "With younger people coming into the industry and keen to use technology to improve the sector, it is important for cidb to become innovative and lead the way in becoming one of the best performing entities. We also want to effectively change the perception that the private sector is much more effective and that the public sector is slow to embrace technology," says Moola.cidb's plans are central to the growth and transformation of the economy of South Africa and the construction industry as a whole.
Although the cidb is in the early stages of its transformation roadmap, the business impact realised is already significant. "Together with Microsoft and the innovative technologies driven into the market we expect great results for all stakehodlers involved," states Carel du Toit CEO, Mint Group.
Through ramping up its systems and services, it will be able to focus on improving the industry and enabling skills development, job creation and social and economic growth
loshanimint2020-01-21T10:35:19+02:00