text:
Desert Dispatch
LV Leader
Hesperia Star
Best of Desert
Our View: Your guide to the props
Daily Press Editorial Board
There are so many state propositions on the Nov. 8 ballot that's it is almost impossible to remember any of them solely by their number. And with the voters guide coming in at 224 pages, it's unrealistic to think many voters will read that book.
To help you on Nov. 8, here are our editorial board's recommendations:
This measure would authorize $9 billion in bonds for school construction, but would cost the state's day-to-day operating budget about $500 million a year for the next 35 years, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. Even Gov. Jerry Brown opposes it, partly because it favors wealthier school districts over poorer ones. We recommend: No
This measure would generate money for Medi-Cal, the state's subsidized healthcare program for the poor. It also would make it harder for lawmakers to change the way money is allocated from a program where California hospitals contribute money to Medi-Cal. Hospitals are affected more than average residents. We recommend: Yes
The so called No Blank Checks Initiative would require voter approval before the state moves forward on any mega project that would require issuance of $2 billion or more in revenue bonds (think high speed rail). This Prop will make it harder for state lawmakers to pull one over on taxpayers. We recommend: Yes
This measure increases transparency in the state legislature and places the same requirements on the Assembly and Senate as most local City Councils already adhere to. It spells the end to gut-and-amend bills, which is reason enough to vote yes. We recommend: Yes
This measure asks voters to extend higher temporary income tax rates they passed four years ago on the wealthiest residents for another 12 years. Most of the money would fund public schools, with some going to Medi-Cal. We say temporary taxes should stay temporary. We recommend: No
This measure would add $2 a pack to the state's tax on cigarettes and make California only the fifth state to tax e cigarettes. We think California smokers are already taxed enough. We recommend: No
Gov. Jerry Brown is asking voters to give corrections officials more say in when criminals are released. This alarms many law enforcement officials, who see it as adding to the problems of AB 109 and Prop 47. Between prison realignment and early release regulations already in place, property crime has soared in the past couple of years. We think this proposition would only make crime worse. We recommend: No
This measure repeals 1998's Prop 227, which banned bilingual education and was widely supported by California voters. This proposition is supported by dual immersion proponents, but parents already can approve dual immersion classes for the children in public schools. We think this is a needless measure. We recommend: No
This campaign financing measure is not legally binding but would ask the state's Congressional reps to work on a Constitutional amendment that would overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling. If it isn't legally binding, we don't think it should be on the ballot. And the Supreme Court should have the final say on Citizens United, anyway. We recommend: No
This would require porn actors to wear condoms and place other requirements on adult film producers. But existing state law already requires condom use and both the Republican and Democratic parties are opposed to Prop 60, probably because of that and the fact this proposition might force porn producers to leave the state and further damage California's tax base. We declined to make a recommendation on this measure.
This measures attempts to rein in skyrocketing drug prices, but it remains unclear if it actually could. There are too many unanswered questions for us to support this prop. We recommend: No
Props 62 & 66
Prop 62 would abolish the death penalty, while Prop 66 would place a five-year time limit on appeals for those on death row. The state's voters have repeatedly supported the death penalty over the years and we don't think they'll change their minds this time. However, we're all for speeding up the appeals process in the courts. We recommend: No on 62 and yes on 66.
This ballot measure would require a permit to buy ammunition, make theft of a gun a felony and require owners of large rifle magazines to turn them in or face an infraction. California already has the nation's strictest gun laws, so we question the need for this measure. We recommend: No
This measure would legalize recreational use of marijuana. There's little stopping Californians who want to smoke pot now, either for recreational or medicinal use. Our board was split on this issue, but we recommend: Yes
A yes vote on Prop 67 would preserve the state's ban on plastic bags, while Prop 65 would earmark the 10-cent fee on paper alternatives to plastic bags to go to an environmental causes. There are good arguments for both banning and preserving plastic bags and our board didn't feel strongly either way. The sight of plastic bags blowing all over the desert isn't pretty, though, which caused us to recommend: Yes on 67 and no on 65.
e-Edition Login
Newsletters/Alerts
vvdailypress.com ~ 13891 Park Ave, Victorville, CA, 92392 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service
This Desert Life
Lucerne Valley Leader
CSD Voter Guide
Sickweather Map
Best of the Desert
Reader Loyalty Program


text:
The wonderful resource that Phil has created for us and nourished by its members is so powerful in what it can teach us going forward, but also what we can learn from the past. I never say it often enough, but Phil – thanks for all the work you do for us.
Peter D, Just a note of thanks. Eight weeks ago, I entered my first RUT strangles, when the RUT was at 625. Tomorrow, I will let them expire, with the RUT at 625 (give or take). I didn't care when the RUT went to 650, nor when it dropped to 590. Easiest, no touch money I've made in a long time.
Judahbenhur
Thanks for you guidance – Your "student" will be passing on the McMuffins and having Lobster dinners tonight!
Phil: I cleaned up today. A rather stark contrast to my untutored performance April/May 2009, after I had written to you to explain how wrong-headed your bearishness was. Many thanks. I ran into someone once who played on the Bulls with Jordan for quite a few years. He was asked what he had learned from playing with MJ for so long. He smiled and said "Give him the ball."
Zeroxzero
I have to say, hands down, this is one of the best educational experiences I've had in my life. I've even gotten my wife (accountant) into the webinars and she wants to master this concept of selling premium and making smart, conservative investment decisions. She'll eventually use this knowledge to manage her clients' wealth and make smart investment choices for them. Bib big thanks Phil!!
Phil - I got your earlier trade a month or so ago on MSFT 2015 32/37 BCS, selling 2015 30 puts. Nice up 75% now!
Hey Phil -- I want to thank you every chance I get for helping me to grow my previous portfolio to being profitable enough to pay off some debts my family had and left me with $1,000 left to use in the markets. You should know that your premium membership is amazing on many levels, You and your readers offer a ton of economic and statistical analysis that I was able to use in my clerical level job in finance. It's a shame that someone as talented and honest as you is not on television each night providing a true service to the investing public and not the clowns and hucksters that are talking up their books to dump on retail investors. Sorry for the long post. I had to say something to you that I never thought I would have the opportunity to. You helped put my family in an almost debt-free life through the stock and option plays that I made during my time as a customer of your service and that has made us very happy. You are a good man and I wish you and your family many years of joy and happiness. I wish I could do ads for you!
DaveJ
Phil: well, often you say, just for FUN, great comment, TXS, closed 2 SKF positions, one with 10 % , the other with 6 % gain,
I must add yet another paen to Phil's "cash and short" call, as my TZA shorts are past paying for Similac and Pampers and have now covered all doctors and Mt. Sinai hospital bills for young Charlotte, as TZA took the portfolio up 10%.
GOOG, NFLX and AAPL all bought last hour Friday. Sold into the excitement the first hour today for an average of 15% on the options. And lots of them. Thanks again Phil for teaching me so well.
lflantheman
This is my first month here. Today was a money train with futures. I gained 7500 USD with KC, RB, CL, NG. I took RB almost every direction up and down. And I only used 1 contract or maximum 2. Thank you. I think it was a good investment to subscribe…
Kgabor
It is hard to learn the process that Phil teaches, but it is worth the effort. I think it is finally sinking in & so I say Thanks teacher for your patience & expertise! I've had a very good week so far & I know it is because of persisting in this learning process that you teach.
Phil I must say that it was really nice to have a portfolio that was looking very stable in the face of a rough day for the markets. I ended the day up 0.3% which includes another successful day of futures trading. So with a portfolio of mostly cash, a few of our faves like Apple and LL, JO, TOL, DIS, etc., along with a couple of hedges that paid off nicely today, and my futures trades, I never had to break a sweat during that madhouse today. Yes, by George (or Phil), I may be learning this system!
Sold the BG puts I got yesterday at $1.30 for $2 just now. Might be a little early, but I'm happy with that gain. Thanks Phil.
We are lucky to be in America and it is great to be part of the PSW tribe. Keeps me thinkin' and gatherin' the profits. ~ 42 % gain in my trading account year to date, which keeps me happy. Half to a third of the trading account is reserved in margin capacity that Is not committed. So, again thanks Phil and all of you other members.
Phil – I think I finally figured out your "crystal ball" time frame. You're about 5-14 days AHEAD of what the market is going to do. It's taken me a long time to realize this, but boy it's been profitable. I go in when you recommend something at about 25% allocation, and then add to it each day it "goes the wrong way" Then BOOM, one day it's all good…. The long put list was literally exact in it's timing.
Burrben
I started with $250,000 in cash as of Oct 1 and have realized gains of $81,000 thru close of business. And that's in an IRA with no margin or naked trades. Whenever you are in Argentina or Chile I owe you a drink. I'm looking forward to it.
Denlundy
PHIL: The most important lesson I have learned is how to hedge using SQQQ, SDS and TZA. A big thanks.
IHS4God
Phil – just wanted to say a sincere thank you for teaching me how to offset, hedge, roll, and not panic. My account is up 10% in the last two weeks, and far from panic, this is becoming great fun. Thanks again,
WOW, glad I went bearish… Phil, thanks for the help on the QID calls yesterday, I turned it into a partial cover rolling down to the Feb 52s selling the 55s 1/2 covered. Sold 1/2 and now lowered my cost basis to $4.38 on the $52s (fully covered).
Silver Is Soaring Again, Citi Sees $2000 Gold Imminent
Europe Has Been Preparing A Global Gold Standard Since The 1970s
That was a quick double on the DIA calls. trailing stop in place.
Phil, Thanks for the long calls@ $ 85 on AAPL. A quick $4900. Paid for my subscription!!
Thank God for Phil. A few months ago (April) I didn´t even know what hedging was, and someone recommended I should check out some of Phil´s plays, especially on the retirement portfolio. When I first started to read it, none of it made a blind bit of sense to me, but I stuck with it and gradually began to work through some of the trades to see how it worked. Now I am putting on 5:1 SPY backspreads combined with bear put spreads, entering and leaving positions after consulting the VIX, and engaging in other esoteric maneuvers that are keeping my portfolio above water.
jmm1951
Wow, Phil, we pretty much made your levels. Your levels: Dow 7,404, S&P 775, Nas 1,466, NYSE 4,839 and RUT 402 My sceen is showing: Dow 7,404, S&P 777, Nas 1,462, NYSE 4,868 and RUT 404
Thanks Phil, your note at the close was responsible for making those silly GOOG sellers pay for my NYC sojourn, nice!!
A truly great website with a lot of information for investors. Whether you are a novice, seasoned, or a professional there is a lot to be gained about stock options and options trading from this very informative website.
ZKatkin
Phil – In the event of a mkt meltdown, which of the indices, in your opinion do you think has the most potential for % move down. I'm looking at call options on SDS and the DXD. Any thoughts? Ideas? Thanks .. and thanks for being a great teacher! I've learned so much in only a month!
Phil… My portfolio, in the past few months, has acheived a high degree of stabilization. I've noticed that on up days, down days, even days, it doesn't matter, my portfolio rarely varies more than 2%. And over the long haul it just slowly increases in value. I attribute this not to investment choices, but to style. Thanks to you and others on this site I'm paying close attention to position size, delta neutrality, downside protection, and concentrating on selling premium rather than buying it. I've developed increasing patience, not having to trade daily, or even weekly. I'm concentrating on the finer points of trading, letting the profits come to me, rather than the other way around. I appreciate the help everyone here has given in getting me focused on this principle. I'm pumped!…in a calm sort of way.
I have been here for 8 yrs, and find it the best service out there. There are more eyes on the market in this forum than anywhere, and opinions abound. So, relax, and let the group help you out.
Pharmboy
Here I have learned and look differently at things. Over the years being with PSW I have first of all learned and gained in knowledge of trading. This to me is one of the biggest gains. I still remember the play on Caesar Palace, paid my trip to Atlanta!
Yodi
Happy Thanksgiving Phil and to your family and associates. Also to all of the other fellow citizens of Phil's Stock World. I am particularly happy and thankful that I clicked on your article in Seeking Alpha a number of years ago. That opened the gate to Phil's Stock World and "being the house". My wallet thanks you as does my peace of mind in trading options, stocks and rarely futures. Your liberal views opened up my views—being a boot strapper (pulled myself out of a poor background) I was a CONSERVATIVE—cynical of others who weren't as driven. Now, I am much less so; you have taught me more than how to make money and manage risk. So, again I give thanks to you and the others of PSW!!
TBT - Many thanks, Phil. I join you in your opinion favoring the Jan expirations. That's a great play. I can never thank you enough for what I have gained educationally as well as monitarily. Here it is late Sunday evening and I am able to get world class advice, just by asking for it. I feel like I am staying in a 5 star hotel, and room service is just a telephone call away!
Phil Thank you very much, I appreciate your help and wisdom.
CdsdpDean
Florida's Broward County Orders Residents To Enforce Mandatory Mask Rules At Home: Virus Updates
Broward County makes mask mandatory.
Gov Newsom expected to announce that more businesses can operate outdoors
California cases climb by less than 7-day average
Controversy over 'Pandemic Pods' flares
NJ Gov says schools will reopen in September
Houston ICU census hits 2-week low
Arizona cases fall for 3rd day
Florida deaths top 5,000
NYC begins Phase 4 reopening
Cuomo warns about risks to reopening as NYC enters Phase 4
Stocks turn red despite Oxford-AZ vaccine data
Scientists warn of 2nd wave in Sweden as COVID-19 deaths dwindle
India suffers 40k+ new COVID cases in new record
Global death toll tops 600k
Cases top 14.5 million
China reports 16 new cases
Victoria outbreak could take "weeks" to subside
Pfizer reports incremental vaccine results
Tokyo confirms 168 new infections
Update (1600ET): Broward County, which is among the worst hit in Florida after Miami-Dade, has just made wearing masks mandatory.
EmergencyOrder20-22 by Zerohedge on Scribd
One of the most shocking provisions in the executive order is that residents are responsible for ensuring that guests in their homes follow guidelines. So, if a Broward County resident is having guests over, they will be legally required to wear their masks in the house, and anywhere else on the property where the rules might apply.
Broward County orders that you must wear a mask IN YOUR HOME!!! ???????????? pic.twitter.com/Zw9JoWflan
— Patrick Howley (@HowleyReporter) July 20, 2020
So far Broward County has ordered masks for interacting with essential businesses, so I take this to mean that currently a pizza delivery guy can get a homeowner arrested for not wearing a mask on their own property
This comes as the county sheriff says he is stepping up enforcement of house parties and other gatherings that might violate social distancing rules.
Update (1500ET): California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to announce plans to allow more industries – like nail salons – to reopen for outdoors operations only.
WATCH #LIVE: Gov. Newsom expected to announce that some CA industries will be allowed to operate outdoors, sources say https://t.co/oZSWHhLbRh
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 20, 2020
Newsom is expected to make an announcement on changes to the beauty industry, sources tell ABC7. He will likely announce that some industries, such as hair salons and nail salons, will be allowed to operate outdoors, according to sources. Some salon and beauty workers have been asking the governor to change the rules and allow outdoor operations, so they can start working again during the pandemic.
Update (1430ET): California's total COVID-19 case count hit 391,538 cases on Monday (all numbers reported with a 24-hour delay), up 6,846 (+1.8%) from the prior day. That's well below the 7-day average of 2.7%, just the latest sign that the Sun Belt peak has passed.
It's just the latest sign that the peak has passed, although officials will remain on high alert, looking for any excuse to shut it all down once more.
Update (1350ET): In keeping with its newfound focus on "social justice", CNBC on Monday dedicated a chunk of its afternoon programming to the issue "Pandemic Pods" in the Bay Area. If this is a new concept for you, allow us to explain: 'Pandemic Pods' are groups of families who hire private teachers to school their children at home using the tools provided by schools districts.
CNBC warned that the big concern with 'pandemic pods' is that they could create 'an exodus' of wealthier Bay Area kids from Bay Area public schools. It's a "social justice" issue, the reporter assured their audience, since these private tutors charge as much as $50 an hour for 1 child, plus an additional $5 per additional child.
Blue checks have been complaining about the Pandemic Pods (something that only a very small number of region's uber-wealthy are even considering, we imagine). But wouldn't keeping more students at home in private 'pods' free up more public resources for other families? CNBC never really got around to addressing the hows and whys of the "inequality" question, beyond merely insisting that this would be bad because rich people can afford it, and the poors can't.
That was fast. Three days after @laurameckler and I reported on a new U.S. education trend — families who can afford it are banding together to hire private, in-home tutors, a movement critics say will exacerbate inequity — I'm getting PR pitches for "Pandemic Pod" experts … https://t.co/GzPMgBRpUJ pic.twitter.com/UR9YzgYXnI
— Hannah Natanson (@hannah_natanson) July 20, 2020
Update (1226ET): NJ Gov Phil Murphy confirmed that schools in the state will reopen in the fall, although he will allow parents to opt in to all distance learning.
The state saw just 9 deaths over the last 24 hours.
Sadly, we must report an additional confirmed 9 #COVID19 deaths, bringing our total number of confirmed deaths to 13,741.
As a reminder, this is not the number of New Jerseyans who have passed over the past 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/CLGJBx1QDK
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 20, 2020
While the rate of transmission in the state dipped back below 1.
??Spot positivity rate for tests from July 16th was 2.8%
??Rate of transmission has fallen to 0.90
The lab delay may be impacting today's spot positivity rate. pic.twitter.com/cO8rU8qfje
And hospitalizations continue to fall.
??798 patients in our hospitals patients in our hospitals – there was a roughly 50-50 split between those who are known #COVID19 positive and those listed as Persons Under Investigation
??146 patients in either critical or intensive care
??72 ventilators in use pic.twitter.com/3h139hlKgX
Update (1212ET): Houston has seen hospitalizations fall to their lowest level in 2 weeks, plunging 18% to just 811 ICU patients in the Greater Houston Area. So far, the area has suffered only 535 deaths, along with 55,769 new cases.
HOUSTON-AREA VIRUS ICU CENSUS PLUNGES 18% TO TWO-WEEK LOW OF 811
Houston saw fewer than 1,000 newly confirmed cases yesterday.
Meanwhile, Texas Medical Center's projections suggest that Texas and Houston has already passed peak hospitalization and ICU levels.
Source: TMC
It's just the latest sign that the surge in deaths that experts like Dr. Fauci have predicted may not come to pass, and that President Trump's push to reopen schools in the fall just might pan out.
Update (1150ET): As fears of a COVID-19 resurgence prompt even the states that successfully managed to suppress the outbreak to reimpose certain restrictions, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot just announced on Monday that bars and restaurants in the city won't be allowed to serve alcohol indoors starting Friday.
The city is also planning to limit indoor fitness classes to a maximum of 10 people, while barring treatments like shaves and facials, which require patrons to beauty salons to remove their masks.
The news was delivered abruptly via a press release published by the mayor's office after Lightfoot stopped speaking during an unrelated press briefing. Lightfoot has warned that she wouldn't hesitate to roll back restrictions if there is a spike in cases. Fearing a spike linked to bars, Chicago was slow to allow them to reopen. Now, many establishments in the Windy City will be effectively forced to close down once again.
Gov Pritzker praised Lightfoot's decision, and a similar decision made by the mayor of Springfield.
Now: @GovPritzker reacts to news that Chicago is banning alcohol in bars during an uptick in COVID cases. He commends mayors in Chicago and Springfield for implementing new restrictions. Cites a study that says wearing a mask reduces infection risk by 80%. pic.twitter.com/AbIpOZXN0D
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) July 20, 2020
Lightfoot blamed an uptick in new cases in Chicago for the decision.
Update (1135ET): For the 3rd straight day, Arizona reported fewer new COVID-19 cases than the prior 24-hour period, with 1,559 (+1.1%) new cases reported. It brought the statewide total to 145,183. That's the lowest daily total since June 29.
The state reported just 23 new deaths, bringing its death toll to 2,784 deaths. Maricopa County, home of Phoenix, the state's capital and biggest city.
And iCU capacity moved lower to 87%.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca Executive VP Mene Pangalos told CNBC's Meg Tirrell that protection from the AZ-Oxford candidate will last for "hopefully a year".
AstraZeneca's Mene Pangalos says based on previous vaccine work using same Oxford construct, #COVID19 vaccine protection may last "hopefully … a year, if not actually a little bit longer than that." But larger studies will need to prove it.
— Meg Tirrell (@megtirrell) July 20, 2020
The company also plans to test two-dose regimen during the Phase 3 vaccine trials. To be safe, they plan to use two doses per patient, which could create complications in terms of supply.
Update (1100ET): Stocks shot into the green earlier after the release of Phase 1/2 trial data in the Lancet earlier showed that one of the most hyped up vaccine candidates appeared to be safe for human consumption.
However, as that rally fades and both AstraZeneca shares and the broader market slump back into the red, analysts are pointing to one important detail of the study results: the fact that responses were strongest after a booster dose.
If a patient needs two doses of a vaccine for it to be effective, than it will take twice as long to produce and distribute to the population.
"We saw the strongest immune response in the 10 participants who received two doses of the vaccine, indicating that this might be a good strategy for vaccination," Professor Pollard said.
Read more on that here.
In other news, Florida and New York kicked off Monday's big numbers. On Monday, Florida reported 10,508 new cases and 92 newly reported deaths, marking the sixth straight day with more than 10k new cases. Of all the tests counted over the past 24 hours, 14.74% of them came back positive, which is still well below Florida's peak north of 20% (all these COVID-19 data are reported with a 24 hour delay).
The new deaths reported Monday pushed Florida's total north of 5,000 to 5,072. The state has also counted 360,394 infections, still rough;y 70k shy of New York's 411k+ total. New York has also reported more than 30k deaths. Monday's data follow a new weekly record for cases, deaths and tests in Florida that was cemented on Sunday. Statewide, 740 virus deaths were reported from Sunday to Sunday, compared with 511 the prior week.
As Florida and Texas draw nearer to NY's COVID-19 case total, the two states have logged only 1/10th the death rate of NY.
How come we haven't seen more reporting on what Fla and Texas did to keep the mortality rate low? We suspect it has something to do with the fact that they didn't explicitly ask hospitals to send COVID-19 positive patients back to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Meanwhile, NYC entered 'Phase 4' reopening on Monday with Gov Andrew Cuomo warning that he wouldn't hesitate to roll back the reopening if cases start to climb once again. Any rule-breaking "has to stop" Cuomo said, as he threatened to revive the lockdown if compliance doesn't improve.
There are facts and then there are myths.
If you are in your 20s you can get sick.
And you can make other people sick.
You're not a superhero. But you could become a superspreader.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 20, 2020
pic.twitter.com/JihOF5ujVw
He also shared the latest NY numbers.
Today's update on the numbers:
49,342 tests were performed yesterday. 519 tests came back positive (1.05% of total).
Total hospitalizations fell to 716.
Sadly, there were 8 COVID fatalities yesterday. pic.twitter.com/9sGbfcMgvM
Update (0930ET): Sweden's approach to tackling the virus has become a major topic of COVID-19-related discussion as more skeptics argue that the country's approach to tackling the virus – which never involved lockdowns – shouldn't be written off solely because it tracked higher mortality rates than several of its neighbors.
While Sweden's high (relatively speaking) mortality rate figures heavily into these criticisms, the truth is Sweden has reported fewer deaths per million than several of the worst-hit countries in Western Europe, including the UK, Spain, Italy and Belgium, all of which adopted strict lockdowns to combat the virus.
Belgium: 858
Italy: 580
Sweden: 552
Chile: 454
US: 429
Peru: 412
Brazil: 379
Goldman once claimed that Sweden's success was largely attributable to cultural factors, like the fact that most Swedes obeyed the government's social distancing guidance.
CBS News traveled to Stockholm recently and found that, despite the worrying statistics, most Swedes still back the public health agency's approach.
"I think the people are taking their responsibility to social distance, so I am fine," said Stockholm resident Mia Soderberg. "I am glad…because I think people are in better shape mentally, because we've been able to go out."
Though, to be sure, Sweden's neighbors have punished Swedes by imposing travel bans that prohibit Swedes from crossing over the border.
But while herd immunity remains a ways off, according to Sweden's top virologist, the country's efforts to safeguard nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have caused deaths to drop precipitously.
Although Sweden never locked down, and never mandated masks, the country is for the most part finished with the outbreak. Deaths and new cases have dwindled, as critics of the country's approach continue to warn about the possibility of a dangerous second wave. Although the country is reporting daily deaths in the teens, CBS News warned that in a month or so, when the summer ends, millions of Swedes will head back inside, triggering the start of a whole new wave of the pandemic.
Globally, the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths surpassed 600,000 on Monday, while the number of confirmed cases topped 14.5 million over the weekend.
The world saw two consecutive daily record tallies over the weekend, as the pandemic continues to intensify in the US, India, Brazil and elsewhere.
In the US, daily deaths saw a promising pullback yesterday.
As deaths and hospitalizations creeped higher over the weekend and last week, the number of new cases in the four worst-hit states have climbed. Most notably, Texas reported a promising slowdown just last night, even as LA Mayor Eric Garcetti warns that his city is on the verge of another shutdown.
FUNDSTRAT: "It is too early to be certain, but this 4 week surge in daily cases seems to be flattening, particularly in the 4 hardest hit states, FL, CA, AZ, TX .." @fundstrat pic.twitter.com/uH5Dh9hKsb
— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) July 20, 2020
For the first time, India reported more than 40k new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a new daily record. Exactly 40,425 cases were reported on Monday, which brought the total in the world's second-most-populous country to more than 1.1 million. The number of confirmed deaths has climbed to 27,497, up 681 since Sunday morning.
In Japan, Tokyo confirmed 168 new infections, according to Nikkei, down from 188 a day earlier. Tokyo's metropolitan government raised its COVID-19 alert to the highest level out of four last week, and has urged workers who can to stay home. In South Korea, 26 new cases were confirmed on Monday, down from 34 a day ago. Total infections reached 13,771, with 296 deaths.
After suffering more than 100 new cases in a day – a new record – over the weekend, Hong Kong reported just 73 new coronavirus cases on Monday, including 66 that were locally transmitted, as sweeping new restrictions imposed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam took effect.
The city reported more than 100 cases on Sunday, a record, as Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced that nonessential civil servants must work from home.
Melbourne's surge in COVID-19 cases over the past month could take "weeks" to subside despite a lockdown and other social distancing measures, according to Australia's acting chief medical officer. Victoria state, where Melbourne is located, reported a daily record on Friday with 438 new cases. Numbers have cooled slightly since then. People in Melbourne must wear masks when leaving their homes, and could be fined $200 Australian dollars ($140) if they are caught outside without one.
Mainland China reported 16 new cases of the novel coronavirus as of the end of July 18, up from 22 a day earlier. Of these new infections, 13 tested positive in Urumqi, the capital of China's far western region of Xinjiang region, which assumed a "warlike posture" over the weekend as new cases surged.
As the world awaits the results of the Oxford University-Astrazeneca trial, which is expected to be published by the Lancet, a medical journal known for its early work on SARS-CoV-2, later on Monday. Pfizer reported some early results Monday morning, including the first T-cell response data.
PFIZER INC – T CELL CYTOKINE PROFILE SHOWS VACCINE ELICITED T CELLS EXHIBIT A TH1 PHENOTYPE, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANTIVIRAL PROPERTIES
PFIZER – BNT162B1 INDUCED ANTIBODIES HAD BROADLY NEUTRALIZING ACTIVITY IN PSEUDOVIRUS NEUTRALIZATION ASSAYS ACROSS PANEL OF 16 SARS-COV-2 RBD VARIANTS
The data "supports and expands" on previously published results, marking the news as largely incremental.
Meanwhile, earlier, Scott Gottlieb focused his daily commentary on CNBC on the lessons we've learned about pandemic preparedness, repudiating the narrative pressed by Democrats who have blamed Trump for 'dismantling' an Obama-era preparedness office.
"There are a lot of gaps in our preparedness," @ScottGottliebMD says about the U.S. response to the pandemic. "And this isn't a sort of a new problem, this has been building over many years." https://t.co/xbNbmx8xhr pic.twitter.com/LMnJ10u3HP
— CNBC (@CNBC) July 20, 2020
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 21st, 2020 at 4:27 am and is filed under Immediately available to public. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I took $2 (up 133%) and ran on those USO puts, quite a bit more than the 20 you played in the $25KP. Thank you once again for turning a bad market week into a great personal week. You will be happy to know I am back to cashy and cautious with a few of your favorite longs into the weekend. Thanks to Phil, JRW and all the members who share their knowledge here.
Thanks for all the work you put into this site. I have looked at a few other option advisory or "mentoring" services this year, but no one offers even a fraction of the content or the level of services you provide at PSW!
Jelutuck
Phil I have been applying your arsenal (matresses, Edz plays, Ugl verticals etc.) to my gold holdings . So a big thank you for "teaching me how to fish" rather than just giving me the fish...
Magret
SPY/Phil, I took a big swing on January 26th following your advice to another member and bought 1615 contracts of Mar 185/190 BCS on SPY that will expire ITM today paying $290,700 on the $500k bet. I thought it might be fun to see what a winning trade looks like. Great call on your part and looking back it seems pretty obvious.
Sibe14 (premium)
100KP dividend plays - FYI, I'm loving them...thanks, Phil!!! Including the $0.848/share dividend, I am up 100% on my $2.38 net entry on LYG...that's pretty cool!
SSDirk
Phil, thanks for the call on the SKF puts earlier, I'm riding that horsie downhill right now, giddyup!
MrMocha
Phil.... I remember back in March of '09, you stated " Unless you think the country is going to hell in a hand-basket, NOW is the time to do your buying". Do you remember ? I took your advice, and bought leap $2.00 calls on F, approximately 200,000 shares using the options, for just pennies. Now that was the best Ford I ever owned.... made over $1 mil - thanks go to you Phil. I now drive a Mercedes but still "love" the Ford.
Kudos on the POT puts! I studied the charts last night and you couldn't have hit the inflection points more perfectly. Since there are often many head fakes in the charts, that was very well done. I know they can't all work this well, but that was an extra unexpected bonus yesterday.
Ocelli7
Phil/CLK4 – Perfect! Saw the answer 1 min after my post…out with $740 on two contracts. Thanks again for the education.
Jeffdoc2004
The virtuous trade / Phil throws out so many ideas, that understandably he rejects all calls for a running total of how all ""quoted"" ideas are performing – it would be unworkable. But without such a list, I think it behooves us to call out the trades that have made a difference. January 13 expiration is going to be a big month for me as a significant number of sold put positions will expire worthless. One example of the power of patience and leaving well alone: VLO – sold Jan 13, 17.5 puts for $3.45 – and this trade was placed in August 2011. VLO is currently a tad over $35! And as time went by, and I got more experienced – with the help of Phil and the contributions from board members, I started selling short term puts and calls around this position. Sometimes having to roll, sometimes doubling down but always knowing what I was getting into, and feeling very calm and focussed that whatever happened I could handle it. And if I couldn't then there was always Phil to lend a helping hand. All in all, my profits since August 2011 would qualify as a tidy addition to any earnings from the day job. Thank you Sir.
Nice intraday trading calls this week Phil. You have me hooked on trading SPY options analogously to your DIA moves. I paid some tuition the last few weeks but I think I have the hang of it. Don't be greedy and be happy with 0.05 to 0.10 and sometimes you're lucky with much bigger moves. Thanks for the training!
TmDecay
Peter D: great write-up for Short Strangles, Part 1, looking forward to Part 2, particularly the adjustment part.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Solar provides different style variations of the default theme. In addition to these styles we added several other style settings like colors and fonts. Combining the different style options allows you to create your own unique website design.
This theme comes with a customized Warp6 module layout. The blue module positions allow you to choose a module layout which defines the module alignment and proportions: equal, double or stack. You can easily add your own module layouts. The two available sidebars, highlighted red, can be switched to the left or right side and their widths can easily be set within the theme administration. For modules in the blue and red positions you can choose different module styles. Take a look at the module variations page to get an overview.
Enhance your website with an eyecatching header effect. Just set the header fixed to hide it with a cool scroll effect. The main menu is attached to the top of the site.
As a little extra Solar theme offers a set of social icons. They are easy to add to your content and are part of our editable Adobe Fireworks Image Source Files.
Possible class names are twitter, rss, facebook, flickr, xing, google-plus, youtube, vimeo and github.


text:
How Player Health and Healing Will Work in CoD: Black Ops 4's 'Blackout' Battle Royale Mode
Published: 4/Sep/2018 22:00 Updated: 4/Sep/2018 22:09
by Albert Petrosyan
Details have been revealed about player health and healing in the 'Blackout' battle royale mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
GameInformer, who have gotten early access to Blackout, have revealed that player health in Blackout will start at 150, which is similar to the health levels in Black Ops 4 Multiplayer.
Players will also have a variety of healing items that they can use to increase their health during matches.
Read More: There Are Cans of Monster in the UK with Black Ops 4 Double XP Codes
Blackout will feature basic bandages, trauma kits, and king-sized med-kits as healing consumables. The full list of healing items and consumables has not yet been revealed, so players will likely have to wait for the upcoming Private Beta to get a better look.
One major confirmed difference that Blackout's healing system will have from other BR games is that basic level bandages will get players back to full health. Fortnite, for example, only increases health to 75% of the total health bar.
Much like the Multiplayer, players in Blackout will have 150 health and will be able to use a variety of consumables to heal themselves during the match.
An earlier revealed list of some of the perks and consumables that will be in Blackout contained two health related items: Stimulant and Consumer.
Stimulant: Increases max health by 100 points
Consumer: Reduces times it takes to use items, heal, or revive teammates by 20%.
Keep updated with all of the information that is being revealed today about the Blackout battle royale mode by visiting the links below:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 'Blackout' Battle Royale Player Count Officially Announced
Four Vehicles Revealed for 'Blackout' Battle Royale in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
First Teaser Images Revealed for 'Blackout' Battle Royale Map
Source – charlieINTEL
Published: 19/Jan/2021 2:20
by Brad Norton
An extremely patient Call of Duty player has just reached first prestige in Black Ops Cold War, without ever dealing damage to their opponents.
The name of the game with Call of Duty has always been simple. Kill your opponents before they kill you. It's the core principle for which every other system in the franchise has been built around.
While a majority of players stick to fundamentals and play the game as intended, there's always some that veer from the path. As gamers are sinking their teeth into Black Ops Cold War, many have reached new heights with the innovative prestige system. Though one player has taken their time in reaching the very first prestige.
They're not worrying about their KD. They don't care for weapon camos or powerful attachments. They're never trying to top the leaderboards. All this player cares about is ending each match with zero kills to their name.
Reddit: Pilgore1
This player reached first prestige in Black Ops Cold War without a single kill to their name.
It took a full 37 hours of game time for Reddit user 'Pilgore1' to accomplish their goal. Without ever killing another player, they reached the first prestige over the course of 200 games.
Their highest killstreak throughout this effort was a whopping zero. This player literally never acquired a single-elimination, not even accidentally. Instead, they spent their time focusing on other aspects of the game.
Playing the objective and "clearing the sky," were the key factors that gained this player XP over time. It clearly took longer than the typical prestige, but they still managed to make it happen.
Read More: How to unlock Black Ops Cold War Streetsweeper Shotgun
Surprisingly, their overall record was positive despite the lack of slaying power. 102 wins to 83 losses was the final tally. They even had a career-best winning streak of seven games in a row, according to the player.
Comment from discussion Getting prestige a different way..
They used "all three LMGs" with a heavy focus on "vehicle damage" attachments. Moreover, the Engineer perk came in handy as did Cold Blooded. When the skies were clear of enemy streaks and it came time to focus on the objective, however, they simply "[threw their] body on there."
Read More: BOCW leak claims Treyarch is planning eight more map remakes
There's no telling what drove them to play Call of Duty in such a unique way. Though they still managed to enjoy the process. "I just find doing it fun," they explained. "I also have a lot, maybe too much, patience, so that helps."


text:
Q: MySQL port or socket? My Apache and MySQL server are on the same machine, and MySQL is configured to listen to localhost:3306
Are there any security or performance benefits with this configuration when compared to using a socket file instead of localhost and port?
Thanks!

A: Ideally, for security, you'd want to move the MySQL to a separate machine outside of the demilitarized zone.  That is, it should be contactable by the web server, being on the same network, but blocked from incoming internet traffic.  That way, getting the web server doesn't also get you the database.
The world isn't perfect, and we sometime have to host things together.  As long as the port is blocked by a firewall to all traffic except the loopback, there should be little to no difference security wise between a port and sock file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This project focused on the influence of computer laboratory on effective teaching and learning of computer studies in senior secondary schools in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. The sample for the study is made up of one hundred students from the selected Secondary School. A quasi- experimental design was used for the study. The simple random sampling technique was used for the study. Three research questions and three research hypotheses were generated for the study. They were analysed using t-test. It was found from the study that there was significant difference in achievement of Computer students taught using Computer practical and those taught using lecture method. The study recommended that computer teachers should, therefore, be encouraged to make use of Computer practical for effective teaching of Computer in Senior Secondary Schools. Finally, suggestion was also made for further and research work on the project.
Computer Use in Teaching and Learning Computer Studies in Secondary Schools.
Validity and Reliability of the Instrument …………………….….
Computer education is of paramount importance to national development and it is on this premise that the government of Nigeria state sought to introduce computer studies in the education system from primary through tertiary institutions. Complementing these efforts, private companies donated and distributed computers to various schools in the state.
Computer is one of the teaching subjects taught in contemporary human society. It is an indispensible discipline in various fields such as Science, Accounting, Engineering. Technology, Social science and other fields that are related, many education administration have considered it as indispensable to the education as a result of its importance. Nevertheless, Computer is the language of science.
The aim of teaching-learning process is to enable the students to earn livelihoods for them as well as to become useful member of society. In primitive societies, this adjustment meant conformity with the things as they were. The success of this process depends on the degree of interaction and communication between the teachers and learners (Woolfolk, 2004). The teaching and learning are closely interlinked and each learner has the right to choose his own path instead of being made to fit in the stereo typed education system, which demands individual attention, initiative and self-education among the learners. Modern approaches encourage the learners to work independently, free to set their own goals, plan their activities and share their opinions with teachers freely. Teachers act as guide and counselor in the modern school of thought (Kochar, 1992).
The attitude of a student in learning Computer Studies affects the extent of their understanding of concepts, principles and practices. Many researchers have different opinions, that to generate an understanding in any learning, teachers need to take into account assignments, problem-solving situations and methods used to present the computer ideas. In this context, technology is seen as a tool to build understanding, cultivate interest, and improve the skills and competencies of students in learning. Technology can also help produce students with critical thinking and creativity in solving a problem.
Methods were introduced to facilitate teaching and learning Computer Studies. At this time, the use of electronic devices such as computers is widely used in is e-learning process. Fryer (2001) suggests two possible approaches when designing and planning for learning process instructors. The theme-centered approach determines first, the learning topic and focus or emphasis, followed by the software that are relevant to the learning topic and emphasis, while the software-centered approach is carried out by identifying the existing software and then adjusted or modified to suit the topics and focus of learning related to the software.
Use of laboratories for Computer Studies is primarily concerned with the interaction between people. Although the naive perspective may be that a laboratory is a place where an individual student interacts with a single computer, the following sections will illustrate a far richer variety of interactions, both between people and computers and among people themselves. The laboratory is not merely a place that contains machines that students can use. The laboratory is a place where students and teachers interact to learn new skills, to conduct experiments, and to broaden their experiences.
The exciting thing about computing laboratories is that they can extend beyond physical boundaries. The machines do not all have to be in the same room. However, especially when the boundary of what constitutes a laboratory goes beyond a single classroom, it is important to pay close attention to the interactions among the people who are involved in the practical work.
Computer Laboratory is a place where students can learn and explore Computer studies concepts and verify Computer studies facts and theorems through a variety of activities using different materials. These activities may be carried out by the teacher or the students to explore, to learn, to stimulate interest and develop favourable attitude towards Computer studies.
Despite the importance placed on Computer studies, researchers (Odili, 2014; Salau, 2015; Amazigo, 2010; Agwagah, 2011; Betiku, 2012; Obioma, 2015; Maduabum and Odili, 2013; Okereke, 2012) had observed that students lack interest in the subject and perform poorly in it. Ukeje (2012) observed that Computer studies is one of the most poorly taught, widely hated and abysmally understood subject in secondary school, students particularly girls run away from the subject.
The abstract nature of Computer studies should be reduced through demonstration and practical methods. Agwagah (2012) observed that the problem of ineffective teaching can be tackled through planned and intelligent application of the Computer practical. Thus Agwagah recommended the use of practical approach to the study of Computer studies. The method of drill and verbal recitation makes learning boring and lacks motivation for further learning.
Srinivasa (2014) had earlier recommended the use of Computer practical in teaching Computer. According to Srinivasa, this will lead the students to formation of concepts out of experiences with discrete objects. In this case the vague theories and imaginary objects take real shape and the students understand better and perform better. It is important therefore to consider strategies that may help to improve the performance, with the view of considering their effect on teaching and learning of Computer Studies. Such strategies include the use of Computer practical (Ogunkunle, 2010).
Removing abstractness and increasing effective teaching /learning.
Based on the advantages of Computer practical, it is expected that teaching and learning of Computer Studies with Computer practical may help to reduce the abstract nature of the subject and draw the students to follow. Hence, this study intends to investigate the influence of computer laboratory on effective teaching and learning of computer studies in senior secondary schools in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Evidence of poor performance in Computer Studies by secondary school students point to the fact that the most desired technological, scientific and business application of Computer Studies cannot be sustained. This makes it paramount to seek for a strategy for teaching Computer Studies that aims at improving its understanding and performance by students.
Evidence abound (Srinivasa, 2012; Ogunkunle, 2010), that lack of Computer laboratory and Computer teachers non-use of laboratory technique in teaching Computer Studies is one of the major factors that contribute to poor achievement in Computer Studies by secondary school students. Therefore the study is designed to find out the influence of computer laboratory on effective teaching and learning of computer studies in senior secondary schools in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The difference in achievement of computer students taught using computer practical and those taught with lecture method.
The difference in the achievement of male and female computer students taught using computer practical.
The difference in the achievement of private and public computer students taught using computer practical.
It is expected that the results of this study will be of significant importance to school administrators, teachers, students, curriculum planner, government and parents in particular. The findings of the study will be useful to teachers in making use of computer laboratory effectively in teaching the concepts of computer studies practically.
It will surely be an eye-opener to students to understand and plunge themselves into the use of computer laboratory. The curriculum planner will find the results of this work very useful in planning curriculum with the use of Computer practical. Equally, the government could make use of the result of this study in building many computer laboratories for secondary school students. Moreover, the findings of the study will help the parents to know the benefits embedded in the use of computer laboratory to learn various computer topics.
This study is limited to all Senior Secondary school Students in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. This study will be conducted with Senior Secondary Class Two (SSS II) Computer students in the Local Government Area.
What is difference between achievements of computer students taught using computer practical and those taught using lecture method?
What is difference between the achievement of male and female computer students taught using computer practical?
What is difference between achievement of private and public computer students taught using computer practical?
There is no significant difference in achievement of Computer students taught using Computer practical and those taught using lecture method?
There is no significant difference in the achievement of male and female Computer students taught using Computer practical.
There is no significant difference in the achievement of private and public Computer students using with Computer practical.


is what people say. And honestly, the concept is spot on. Getting your daily dose of fruits and veggies is a surefire way to slam your body with some amazing nutrients and keep you out of the doctor's office.
We include all sources of real food in our diet, from fruits and vegetables to organic meat, raw dairy, wild-caught seafood, whole grains prepared properly, and traditional fats in all their saturated glory!
Hybrid fruits and vegetables are totes fine, my friend. Before you protest, let me explain what a hybridized fruit or vegetable is. Hybridization happens when two closely related plants are cross-pollinated. This happens every single minute of the day and has been happening for THOUSANDS of years. It's the way nature works, girlfriend.
Ever heard of bees? I'm not sure if you're familiar with these little guys, but they have one job and one job alone. To overdose on pollen. As bees move from plant to plant they cross-pollinate. The same thing happens with wind. Random hybridization happens again and again and can bring about new species of plants over time.
The fact that in today's world it happens with a little more strategy and intent shouldn't scare you. Man-made hybrid fruits and vegetables can be as simple as a farmer using a pollinator to create a new species of blackberry without pesky thorns, or producing an orange with less seeds.
It's true. You are the result of many cross-pollinations, and obviously, you're pretty amazing. 'Nuff said. Next time you eat a tangelo, pomelo, or pluot and wonder if these hybrid fruits and vegetables are normal, just remember that most "normal" fruits and vegetables to us today are also hybrids.
And remember that many if not most "normal" fruits and vegetables we eat today are modern creations – the familiar yellow banana, boysenberries (a hybrid of raspberries and blackberries), grapefruit, Meyer lemons, and numerous apple varieties. We've been cross-pollinating plants for centuries.
I love eating heirloom fruits and vegetables. I doubt they are legitimately 'heirloom' because, well, bees, but nevertheless, I love enjoying some older varieties of fruits and vegetables along with some new varieties that pop up. We grow heirloom carrots but eat pomelos for 3 months straight from January to March when our pomelo tree explodes with fruit.
I think it all comes down to preference. Some enjoy heirloom fruits because of the lower sugar content and earthy flavors, and some enjoy a newer variety.
What's the difference between 'hybrid' and 'GMO'?
Like we've talked about before, hybrid fruits and vegetables come from a process that happens naturally over time, and while it can be sped up by a determined farmer, it's generally considered a natural practice.
GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are created by combining the DNA molecules from multiple species to create a sort of a 'franken-food'. Some of the DNA is changed to be embedded with pesticides and herbicides. It's one thing to spray a pesticide on a food, and completely another to put that pesticide directly into the DNA of the food.
Whatever your opinion on GMO food, you can know that hybridized fruits and vegetables don't come close to the level of alteration that happens in GMOs.
I've heard that we should eat fruits or vegetables with seeds because they carry more 'energy' and have 'fertility benefits' and that seedless fruit causes cancer and turns people into zombies!
Honestly, if you want to believe that fruits and vegetables with seeds are better for you, I say, "Go for it!" For me and mine, we'll continue to eat all forms of fruits or vegetables whether they're hybrid or heirloom– and focus on eating as much as our little tummies can handle.
Fruit and vegtables have to have seeds in it Gen 1 : 29 . Also , they use a cancer causing drug to produce produce without seeds .
Do you have proof either way; hybrids good or bad? Also, are you saying that hybrids exist only due to nature? You're saying there are no man made hybrids?
Sugar is a drug! Adding sugar to fruits and vegetables are just wrong, plain and simple! Diabetes is real and rapid! Pharmaceutical companies and affiliates are bringing home the cash at all of our expenses as we try to live healthy!
Yes you are right lot of young people are becoming diabetics and I am not referring to those who eat junk food, nor do they have history of diabetes. Diabetes is becoming the biggest cash cow now for all pharmaceuticals.
Why not try something new! it seems to have considerable health benefits so I do not understand peoples close mindedness. I know I will be consuming Hybrids!
Totally agree! The governemnt and pharmaceutical companies are making plenty of money off of these people who feel "fruit is fruit, to each their own, all fruit is healthy" etc. Guys plz do your research and I soooo reccomend Dr. Sebi's information on food.
Yes,True,So true,These leaders of our country today should not do this to us anymore.I just wished i have known then what i know now!,This is mind blowing!!
Excuse me, are they infusing sugar in cucumbers, avocados and bell peppers too?
You eat anything, with or without seeds. Your a writer, but not good in researching. Look at how many people die from those man made food. Slowly they confirm these foods are bad for you and lead to diseases. Do not sleep on this, but it is just FREEDOM OF PRESS.
Thanks for your opinion, John!
Tell it like it is Anthony. All fruit with seeds are better for you. They can keep their hybrid and Gmo's. The herbs are for the healing of the nations. Natural all the way.
Amen for that my friend!
Thanks for sharing. I'm on am on a journey to learn more of Dr. Sebi's documentaries. I viewed a few recently. Please send your recommendations. I saw his wife has a clip warning impersonators trying to sell tampered products.
Although the point about the bees make sense, I strongly believe that speeding up the natural process of anything whether it be growing crop/"natural hybridization" to raising farm animals you deplete that in which is being grown. Also we are not nature who are we to say what can be cross pollinated, if nature does it then let nature do it on its own without our help, because I'm pretty sure nature doesn't need it.
Lol dang small keys…. we are part of nature and everything we do is just another advance in nature. When we take two things and make a new thing thatbis a natural predess of evolution.
Yes, bees are doing what they were naturally meant to do. I don't care for man made products!
Thast right!,Nature dont need man.I just wished the people of this world hadnt tampered with gods creation,At all,POINT BLANK!
I like what you said, James. Bees know what they're doing instinctively. Man is making guesses. He doesn't always get it right.


The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Southern Division) recently dismissed without prejudice a Complaint filed by Wyeth and granted a Motion to Dismiss filed by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. and Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Ltd. ("Sun") in a Lanham Act case concerning the identification of a "polymorph" in the labeling of Sun's generic PROTONIX (pantoprazole sodium) Delayed-Release Tablets. PROTONIX contains pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate as the active ingredient. Wyeth alleged that "[d]espite expressly representing to the public that they are selling pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate tablets, Sun and Caraco are actually selling tablets containing a different polymorphic form of pantoprazole sodium, pantoprazole sodium monohydrate," and that "[b]y selling pantoprazole sodium monohydrate tablets labeled as containing pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate as the active ingredient, Sun is making a literally false statement regarding the active ingredient of its pharmaceutical product, in violation of the Lanham Act" (emphasis in original), as well as in violation of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (Mich. Comp. Law § 445.901).
Sun argued that the complaint should be dismissed, primarily because FDA has the exclusive jurisdiction to determine the appropriate language in drug product labeling. That argument is that Wyeth sought to inappropriately use the Lanham Act as a vehicle to privately enforce the FDC Act. As we previously reported, many courts have ruled – including the Seventh Circuit's recent decision in Schering-Plough Healthcare Products, Inc., v. Schwarz Pharma, Inc., 586 F.3d 500 (7th Cir., 2009) (Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. represented Schwarz Pharma, Inc. and Kremers Urban, LLC in that case) – that this is not a legitimate use of the Lanham Act. Sun also argued that Wyeth failed to state a Lanham Act claim "because they fail to plead a necessary element of a false advertising claim – that the deception had a material effect on purchasing decisions because the allegedly false statements are in the package insert, which is not seen by the consumer until after purchase," and that Wyeth failed to state an unfair competition claim under Michigan law.
Plaintiff has not identified, nor has the Court uncovered, a single instance in which a federal court has permitted the manufacturer of a pioneer drug to challenge generic-equivalency representations under the Lanham Act when the defending party markets a FDA-approved, Orange Book-listed generic version of the pioneer drug.
Although the court found that Wyeth "jumped the gun" by suing Sun before FDA addressed the polymorph labeling issue, the court, in dismissing the complaint without prejudice, commented that "[i]f the FDA confirms Plaintiff's suspicions, however, Plaintiff may be able to sustain its Lanham Act claims." So, depending on the outcome of an FDA investigation, there might be more to come on this.


Yoghurt is the most widely acceptable dairy product among Chinese consumers.
Yoghurt has always been one of the more popular dairy products in China. The value of the Chinese yoghurt market for 2017 is estimated at RMB 89 bln. An important reason is that it is easier to digest by people with lactose intolerance. Yoghurt is also less 'creamy' in taste that liquid milk, and lacks the alien smell of most Western cheeses.
The Chinese yoghurt market is dominated by the two Inner Mongolian giants Yili and Mengniu and their Beijing cousin Sanyuan and Shanghai-based Bright as the Benjamin. The following table shows the yoghurt market shares of the major companies in January 2018.
However, even though a large variety of yoghurts is available in the local supermarkets, Chinese consumers have started to grow bored with the relatively sweet and rather liquid products.
To counter the demand for a new type of yoghurt, a number of Chinese dairy companies started launching more viscous products a year and a half ago, resembling products like Greek yoghurt or quark. In fact, Yili (Inner Mongolia) has launched a Greek yoghurt early 2016 (see photo). They are market as 'old yoghurt', trying to create a 'traditional' image; yoghurt as it originally used to be.
Huishan Dairy (Liaoning) has launched a type of Russian yoghurt early 2017, branded Wolingka.
After so many food safety incidents, an investigative journalist of the Beijing Evening News purchased old and regular yoghurt of three leading brands, to compare the ingredients used in each product, as listed on the packaging. He has furthermore interviewed a number of experts in this field.
The results allow us to have a look into the kitchen of the present day top producers in this industry in China, and one with a rare degree of detailedness. We will start with offering a translation of the information of the 8 products (4 brands of Old Yoghurt and 4 types of normal yoghurt of the same brands). For each product, the following information will be provided: brand and product name, ingredients, and price. I will then summarise the judgments of the journalist and the experts and end with some comments from my side.
Retailers generally like the Old Yoghurt, which they describe as 'selling itself without any marketing effort'. Most consumers interviewed while buying it state that Old Yoghurt has an 'original' taste and 'reminds one of the past'.
The price difference is significant. It is smallest for Junlebao, but for the other brands, the Old Yoghurt is on the average twice as expensive per gram as the regular variety.
However, these differences in price are not reflected in the lists of ingredients. Actually, these are remarkably similar for the Old and regular varieties. Moreover, the differences between the various brands are also very small. Even more peculiar is that an ingredient that is typical for Old Yoghurt in one brand is typical for the regular variety for competitive brand.
Apparently the only real difference between these two types of yoghurt is that dosage rates of thickeners, giving Old Yoghurt the thick mouth feel that traditional yoghurt used to have.
The journalist has interviewed a number of dairy scientists on this topic. All agree that Old Yoghurt is a 'concept' rather than a real product. Real traditional yoghurt was a solidified milk, produced by fermenting raw milk with certain bacterial cultures in stone jars. There is nothing mysterious about it.
All brands of Old Yoghurt described by the journalist contain gelatin; and so do even some of the regular yoghurts. The thicker mouth feel is thus emulated by means of additives. The current Old Yoghurts are certainly not healthier than the average yoghurts.
This is a fascinating discussion. Actually, in European regular media we rarely find such detailed reporting on the use of food ingredients to 'construct' images of food products. Evidently, the food safety incidents that have taken place in China during the past couple of years have sensitised the awareness of Chinese consumers to an extent that consumer associations in Western countries can only dream of.
The issue revealed here by a Chinese journalist is by no means a typically Chinese phenomenon. One can buy semi-finished muffins and other types of cake in Europe, than can be baked at home to enable consumers to serve hot freshly baked muffins to their guests. TV commercials advertise these products showing people in the street smelling that (grand-)mother is baking cake. We are not aware of protests by consumers or consumer associations about such commercials. What European consumers seem to miss is how it is possible to smell a cake being baked from such a large distance.
Our '(grand-)mother's apple pie' is also emulated with premixes containing artificial flavours. These are further combined with emulsifiers and other additives, to ensure that even the most inexperienced person can bake such a pie or muffin. These additives are all approved for use in food, but so are the ingredients of Old Yoghurt in China. The Chinese journalist is not exposing excessive use of ingredients or the use of illegal additives. He is simply pointing out that consumers need to be aware of the fact that current Old Yoghurt is not related to the traditional thick yoghurt that Europeans use to eat when they were young. In this respect, Chinese consumers and media seem to be a step ahead of their European counterparts.
A few days after this publication on Old Yoghurt, another article appeared interviewing two more dairy experts. Their judgment was significantly milder. Old Yoghurt was first launched by a relatively small company in Qinghai, a region where people are traditional consumers of dairy products. Once that product became a success, it was imitated by dairy companies all over China. However, these companies lacked the skills to produce a thick type of yoghurt in the traditional way. The move to thickeners is then easily made.
The experts further point out that gelatin, starch and most other thickeners are natural products that are used in a large number of foods, and even in the kitchens of many consumers. Their use as food ingredients has been approved and there even is no maximum dosage rate for this kind of ingredients. The dairy experts do point out that there are better ways of producing a thicker kind of yoghurt, like lowering the water content of the milk. This requires more technical skills than adding thickeners. The current problems of Old Yoghurt in China are therefore directly related to the large number of relatively small companies, lacking skilled staff.
The most recent development is that the more and more producers are replacing the term 'old yoghurt' with other fancy names. Yili has launched a 'Pureday Clotted Yoghurt' and Junlebao a 'Laojuezhuang European Sour Cheese' (laojuezhuan literally means 'cheese estate'. The names and design of the packaging shows that the basic proposition, that these are traditional European products, is now emphasised even more than before.
Organic yogurts are proving popular for health-conscious office workers and young parents. Discerning shoppers seem willing to pay that little bit more for the right products as supermarkets start stocking an array of upmarket brands. Classy Kiss, a yogurt rolled out from Green's Bioengineering (Shenzhen) Co Ltd, posted significant sales growth in third and fourth-tier markets. It recently launched an organic brand, which sells at around RMB 14, one of the most expensive products from its dairy range. Earlier, it also launched a yogurt designed to help improve the digestive system after a meal. The company hopes it will be able to cash in on the growing demand for healthy products. Sales of functional and fortified yogurts in China are expected to rise 23% to RMB 43 bln in 2017 compared to 2016. By 2022, sales are expected to surge 56% to RMB 75 bln.
Younger Chinese consumers have taken a fancy to creamy, sweet, flavored yogurt and yogurt-based drinks. Category sales have surged about 20% annually since 2014 to reach RMB 122 bln in 2017. Chinese consumers perceive yoghurt as "nutritious", "helps to boost immunity", "easy to digest" and "suitable for children and the old". Yogurt has become a leading product in the domestic dairy market. But compared to other countries, yogurt consumption in China is relatively low at 3.43 kg per person per year (Japan leads with 9.66 kg and the figure for the United States is 4.92 kg). The recent uptrend in yogurt sales in China has positive implications for the larger dairy market. Overall dairy sales in China are expected to exceed RMB 480 bln by 2022 on a compound annual growth rate or CAGR of 6.6%.
A noteworthy new arrival on in China's domestic yoghurt industry is Le Pur. The name embodies the company's simple and down-to-earth ambition of providing pure and delicious, quality yoghurt. With its dairy imported from countries such as the UK and New Zealand, and other ingredients, such as freshly-picked blueberries sourced from Shandong Province, hazelnut jam from Germany and vanilla from Madagascar, Le Pur aims to provide only "genuine ingredients." Le Pur's founder and CEO Denny Liu, a graduate of the Wharton School and a former employee of the Blackstone Group. Liu was also a special adviser to world leading industrial companies like PepsiCo. In late 2014, Liu gave up his career and started to make dairy from scratch. Within a year, he started Le Pur and gained over 40,000 fans on Le Pur's official Sina Weibo and WeChat public accounts. So far, the number of fans has grown to around 320,000. Just a few months after launching Le Pur, Liu branched out into online to offline operations, and the company's daily sales volume grew to around 1,000 bottles, according to cyzone.cn, a news platform for start-up businesses in China, on May 10, 2015. One of Le Pur's marketing strategies is its down-to-earth interaction with consumers. In their concept store in Sanlitun, they showcase the yoghurt's production line in a 30-square-meter room. The store has never lacked visitors. Le Pur also involves its customers in the choice of flavour and package design.
Terun Dairy (Xinjiang) surprised the market by launching a new type of salty yoghurt late 2018. This flavour fits in with the worldwide vogue for salty sweets, like salty caramel or salty chocolate.
Yili Dairy and the Greek Academy of Agricultural Science founded Ambrosial yoghurt. The sales of this company increased with 106.7% in 2016 compared to 2015. The reason for this sustainable amount is due to the fact that Ambrosial yoghurt is a sponsor of the Chinese popular tv-program Running Man. The viewers of Running Man are the Chinese youth who are also the ones who are responsible of the increase in yoghurt sales. In total Yili Dairy Group spent over RMB 2.5 bln on tv-ads, print media and radio in 2016. In addition to that Ambrosial yoghurt has also launched new varieties of yoghurt and improved old recipes. For example, for a new variety is, the new peach oat flavour. And by launching more diverse flavours, Ambrosial is responding to the sophisticated taste of the Chinese consumers.


Perfect final sentence! And an entertaining read, too!
You've turned me of wearing make-up!
In your deliciously macabre fortress tower you weave spells of suspenseful enchantment to bewitch us all with your eloquent sublime haunting power of thrilling ghostly enlightening excitement Madame Hellshadow! A sense of omen, the dread of impending doom, the climax of nightmare surprise - you're a PhD of the dramatically eerie pen sweeping our souls away into the swirling flood of your mystical revelatory discovery. We thank you and beg for continued ecstasies of your stomach-churning spine-chilling delights!


text:
Q: why these two programs giving different outputs? I tried the following programs on Linux system using gcc compiler, both are giving different outputs. Can anyone explain the results?
Program 1:
#include<stdio.h>

int i=10;

int add(){
  printf("hai");
  i=i+1;
}

void main(){
  int k;
  k=add();
  printf("%d",k);
}

Program 2:
#include<stdio.h>

int add(){
      int i=10;
      printf("hai");
      i=i+1;
}

void main(){
     int k;
     k=add();

     printf("%d",k);
}

A: add is supposed to return an int but you have no return statement at the end of the function so you are invoking undefined behavior and so we can not reason about the results. The C99 draft standard in section 6.9.1 Function definitions paragraph 12 says:

If the } that terminates a function is reached, and the value of the function call is used by the caller, the behavior is undefined.

Probably not directly related but still important is that main should return and int not void, the C99 draft standard in section 5.1.2.2.1 Program startup paragraph 1 says:
It shall be defined with a return type of int and with no parameters:

  int main(void) { /* ... */ }

or with two parameters (referred to here as argc and argv, though any names may be
used, as they are local to the function in which they are declared):

   int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { /* ... */ }

A: Your program has undefined behavior, the function add is supposed to returned int but has no return statement to actually return a value. From the code, I'm guessing what you want is:
int i = 10;
int add(){
  printf("hai");
  i=i+1;
  return i;  //here
}

The other one is similar, try it and see the result.
Another undefined behavior is void main, as many posts in SO have already stated, you should always use int main(void).  Look here for a good discussion on this.

A: In Both programs you did not return any thing from add() function. And k did not initialized before .
return value from add() is any unexpected value.
either try to print i value or else add return statement in function add()
try 1
#include<stdio.h>
void add();
int i=10;
void add(){
  i=i+1;
}
void main(){
add();
printf("%d",i);
//i is global variable so changes made in function will gets effectes here and prints 11
}

try 2
#include<stdio.h>
int add();
int i=10;
int add(){
  return i+1; //return i+1
}
void main(){
int k;
k=add();
printf("%d",k); //here k value will modify but i value does not. print i value also
}

try 3
#include<stdio.h>
void add();
void add(){
  int i=10; //i is local to add() function.
  i=i+1;
}
void main(){
int i=10;
add();
printf("%d",i); //now i value wont change because i is local to main
}

A: 'add' function does not return any value. What got returned may be a garbage value, which may be different for the two programs or even 2 invocations of the same program.


text:
Economy of Guatemala
Title: Economy of Guatemala
Subject: Coffee production in Guatemala, Bank of Guatemala, History of Guatemala, Index of Central America-related articles, Economy of the United States Virgin Islands
Collection: Economy of Guatemala, World Trade Organization Member Economies
GDP rank
83rd (2012, PPP)
3.1% (2012 est.)
US$5,200 (2012 est.)
GDP by sector
agriculture 13.0%, industry 23.8%, services 63.2% (2012 est.)
Inflation (CPI)
4.0% (2012 est,CPI)
Population below poverty line
2.9% (2012)[1]
Main industries
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Ease-of-doing-business rank
97th[2]
$9.864 billion (2012 est.)
Export goods
coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom (2012)
Main export partners
United States 39.2%
El Salvador 11.4%
Honduras 6.8%
Mexico 5.4%
Nicaragua 4.0% (2012 est.)[3]
$15.57 billion (2012 est.)
Import goods
fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity, mineral products, chemical products, plastic materials and products
Main import partners
Mexico 11.9%
China 8.3%
El Salvador 5.1%
Colombia 4.2% (2012 est.)[4]
$16.17 billion (31 December 2012)
US$5.799 billion (2012 est.)
Economic aid
$250 million (2000 est.)
Standard & Poor's:[5]
BB+ (Domestic)
BB (Foreign)
BBB- (T&C Assessment)
Outlook: Stable[6]
Moody's:[6]
Outlook: Stable
Fitch:[6]
US$6.187 billion (March 2011)[7]
Main data source: CIA World Fact Book
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.
Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-third that of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. On 1 July 2006, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered into force between the US and Guatemala and has since spurred increased investment in the export sector. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with 12% of the population living below the international poverty line.[8] Given Guatemala's large expatriate community in the United States, it is the top remittance recipient in Central America, with inflows serving as a primary source of foreign income equivalent to nearly two-thirds of exports.
Guatemala's Gross domestic product for 1990 was estimated at $19.1 billion, with real growth slowing to approximately 3.3%. Ten years later in 2000 it rose by 1 to 4% and in 2010 it decreased back to 3% (World Bank). After the signing of the final peace accord in December 1996, Guatemala was well-positioned for rapid economic growth over the next 10 years.
Guatemala's economy is dominated by the private sector, which generates about 85% of GDP. Most manufacturing is light assembly and food processing, geared to the domestic, U.S., and Central American markets. In 1990 the labor force participation rate for women was 42%, it increased by 1% in 2000 to 43% and in 2010 it increased at 51%. For men the labor for participation rate in 1990 was about 89%, in 2000 it actually decreased to 88% and in 2010 increased up to 90% (World Bank). In terms of self-employment the percentage for men is about 50% while women take up about 32% (Pagàn 1). Over the past several years, tourism and exports of textiles, apparel, and nontraditional agricultural products such as winter vegetables, fruit, and cut flowers have boomed, while more traditional exports such as sugar, bananas, and coffee continue to represent a large share of the export market.Over the past twenty years the percentage of exports of goods and services has fluctuated. In 1990 it was 21% and in 2000, 20%. It increased again in 2010 to 26%.on the other hand its level of imports of goods and services has continually increased. In 1990 its imports of goods and services was about 25%. In 2000 it increased by 4% up to 29%, and in 2010 it increased up to 36%. Migration is another important avenue in Guatemala. According to Cecilia Menjivar, remittances are "central to the economy." These remittances come from men's migration, to the U.S. in 2004 remittances to Guatemala accounted for approximately 97% (Menjivar 2).
The United States is the country's largest trading partner, providing 36% of Guatemala's imports and receiving 40% of its exports.[9] The government sector is small and shrinking, with its business activities limited to public utilities—some of which have been privatized—ports and airports and several development-oriented financial institutions. Guatemala was certified to receive export trade benefits under the United States' Caribbean Basin Trade and Partnership Act (CBTPA) in October 2000, and enjoys access to U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits. Due to concerns over serious worker rights protection issues, however, Guatemala's benefits under both the CBTPA and GSP are currently under review.
Macroeconomic development 1
Globalization and poverty in Guatemala 2
Poor women and unpaid work 3
Educated women and the labor force 4
Maquila Organization 5
Economic priorities 6
2009 food crisis 6.1
Macroeconomic development
Guatemala has become more economically developed and stable from 1990-2011. The annual GDP growth rate for Guatemala in 2000 was 3.6%, 0.9% in 2009, and slightly increased in 2010 to 2.0%[10][11] The poverty rate in Guatemala in 2006 was 54.8%, while the extreme poverty rate was 26.1% Latin America as a whole had a poverty rate of 33% and an extreme poverty rate of 12.9% in 2009.[12] The data thus indicate that Guatemala is behind other Latin American countries, in terms of lowering poverty rates, but there has been an increase in economic activity in terms of GDP and development. Guatemala's HDI increased from 0.462 in 1990, to 0.525 in 2000, to 0.550 in 2005, and 0.574 in 2011.3 Guatemala ranked 131st in HDI in 2011.[10] Other important human development statistics such as the total fertility rate in Guatemala decreased from 4.8 births per woman in 2000 to 4.2 births per woman in 2006.[11] During the same period, life expectancy increased from 67.9 years in 2000, to 69.9 years in 2006.[11]
Globalization and poverty in Guatemala
Globalization is the process of economic integration, political policy exchange, transfer of knowledge and ideas, and exchange of culture.[13] Guatemala is becoming more globalized and is growing with an annual GDP growth of 5% in 2006, 6% in 2007, 3% in 2008, 1% in 2009, 3% in 2010 and 3% in 2011[14] but high poverty levels still persist.[15] Manufacturing (20%0, commerce (18%), private services (14%), and agriculture (12%) are estimated to remain as the biggest economic sectors in Guatemala.The Country's economic structure is changing, and a declining trend in the agricultural sector has been detected. [16] Guatemala is the biggest country in Central America and has one of the highest disparities between rich and poor as well as one of the highest poverty levels worldwide, with 54% of the population living below the poverty line in 2006 and 54% in 2011.[17] According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which looks at multiple deprivations in the same household in regard to education, health and standard of living, measured that in 2011, 25.9% of the population experience multiple deprivations and another 9.8% are vulnerable to such deprivations.[10] A human development report also states that the average percentage of multidimensional poverty in 2011 was 49.1%.[18] The Guatemalan economy will continue expanding in 2014. [19]
Poor women and unpaid work
In Guatemala in 2010 31% of the female population was illiterate.[20] In the rural parts of Guatemala, 70.5% are poor, and therefore women are more likely to be poor in the more rural areas.[21] Gammage argues that women in poor households engage more in domestic tasks and undertake the majority of household maintenance, social reproduction and care work than men.[22] Similarly, Benería states that the women perform tough work but do not get paid and argues that there is an opportunity cost related, since the women could be paid for different jobs instead.[23] Unpaid household work is associated with the number of people in the household, the location, and the availability of paid employment.[21] Unfortunately, this means that women in the more rural parts of Guatemala are greater victims of poverty than the urban women, which is why most poverty is found in the rural parts of Guatemala. Due to this poverty, Gammage has found that many women in the rural parts perform unpaid work.[22]
Educated women and the labor force
Labor force participation for women was at 51% in 2010, 50% in 2007, and 44% in 2004.[14] Women have a small pay disadvantage, earning 97% of male wages in most occupations.[20] If women have a second and/or third educational degree, they are more equal with their male competitors, and there is a small gender inequality. As in many countries, both men and women earn the most if they have a university degree.[20] The ratio of having a steady income increases after a woman has completed the secondary level of schooling, but decreases again after university.[23] This means that women earn about the same as men if they both completed the secondary education, but after university, men earn more. The situation changes on the professional level, where women earn more than men.[20] Men work more hours in all professions, except in the household, because many women have part-time jobs.[20]
Maquila Organization
One of the most important factors of Guatemala's economy are the Maquila factories. There are a significant number of maquila factories, Korean-owned, in the highland of Guatemala. Korean entrepreneurs have adopted a buyer-driven commodity chain process that depends on the existence of a large labor force, low capital investment and low skills. Korea presents itself to Guatemalan industry and ultimately to Guatemalan workers by means of subcontractors that are responsible for delivering finished orders to multiple buyers, mostly located in the United States. Buyers include Macy's and JC Penny and brands such as Liz Claiborne, OshKosh and Tracy Evans.
The first industries began in 1980's . At first, workers were very interested in the new jobs the macula factories were offering, because the jobs offered the opportunity for transition to what was seen as a new and modern world, away from agriculture jobs. However,in the factories, workers' backs hurt, because they sat for many hours on backless benches in front of sewing machines. Workers would usually enter the plant at 7:00 a.m. and take a 1-hour bread for lunch at noon. They were expected to work until 7:00 or 8:00pm in the evening. About 70 percent of the workers in macula factories were female. Years later, there was a huge "Turn Over". Workers started to leave the macula factories for various reasons, like stress, bad treatment, not receiving enough payment, etc. [24]
Economic priorities
Current economic priorities include:
Liberalizing the trade regime;
Financial services sector reform;
Overhauling Guatemala's public finances;
Simplifying the tax structure, enhancing tax compliance, and broadening the tax base.
Improving the investment climate through procedural and regulatory simplification and adopting a goal of concluding treaties to protect investment and intellectual property rights.
Import tariffs have been lowered in conjunction with Guatemala's Central American neighbors so that most fall between 0% and 15%, with further reductions planned. Responding to Guatemala's changed political and economic policy environment, the international community has mobilized substantial resources to support the country's economic and social development objectives. The United States, along with other donor countries-especially France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Japan, and the international financial institutions—have increased development project financing. Donors' response to the need for international financial support funds for implementation of the Peace Accords is, however, contingent upon Guatemalan government reforms and counterpart financing.
Problems hindering economic growth include high crime rates, illiteracy and low levels of education, and an inadequate and underdeveloped capital market. They also include lack of infrastructure, particularly in the transportation, telecommunications, and electricity sectors, although the state telephone company and electricity distribution were privatized in 1998. The distribution of income and wealth remains highly skewed. The wealthiest 10% of the population receives almost one-half of all income; the top 20% receives two-thirds of all income. As a result, approximately 29% of the population lives in poverty, and 6% of that number live in extreme poverty. Guatemala's social indicators, such as infant mortality and illiteracy, are successively improving, but remain in low growth and are still among the worst in the hemisphere. In 2000 the percentage of girls completing primary school was approximately 52%. That percentage rose in 2010 to about 81%. The completion rate in primary school for boys in 2000 was 63% and rose to 87% in 2010.
In 2005 Guatemala ratified its signature to the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) between the United States of America and several other Central American countries.
2009 food crisis
In September 2009, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared the lack of food and proper nutrition to be a national emergency. Colom stated that the situation is the combined result of a number of factors, including a severe drought and global warming, which have reduced the domestic food supply, and the Global financial crisis, which has reduced Guatemala's ability to import food. Colom stated that the government will immediately seek assistance from the international community for emergency food supplies.[25]
A number of international organizations have expressed concern with Guatemala's current economic status in 2009. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Bank reported the following:
Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world and the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
Approximately 75% of Guatemalans live below the poverty level, which is defined as an income that is not sufficient to purchase a basic basket of goods and basic services.
Approximately 58% of the population have incomes below the extreme poverty line, which is defined as the amount needed to purchase a basic basket of food.
Approximately 50% of Guatemalan children under the age of 5 now suffer from chronic undernutrition.
In the nation's highlands, where many indigenous people live, 70% of children under age 5 are malnourished.[25]
Guatemala is the world leader in Cardamom production and export. As of 2013, demand for biofuels has resulted in diversion of land from subsistence agriculture to sugar cane and African Palm plantations. Much of the land is owned by large landlords. Due to legal requirements for production of biofuels in the United States the price of maize, a Guatemalan staple, has risen sharply.[26]
World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Guatemala
^ "World DataBank". The World Bank.
^ "Doing Business in Guatemala 2012".
^ "Export Partners of Guatemala".
^ "Import Partners of Guatemala".
^ "Sovereigns rating list". Standard & Poor's. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
^ a b c Rogers, Simon; Sedghi, Ami (15 April 2011). "How Fitch, Moody's and S&P rate each country's credit rating". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
^ "International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity - GUATEMALA". International Monetary Fund. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
^ http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/guatemala_statistics.html
^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gt.html Retrieved 2 June 2011
^ a b c United Nations Development Programme. Human Development Report 2011; Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future For All. New York. 2011.
^ a b c United Nations Development Programme. Assessment of Development Results Evaluation of UNDP Contribution Guatemala. New York. 2009.
^ UNDP Contribution Guatemala. New York. 2009. United Nations. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals With Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean Progress and Challenges. New York. 2010.
^ Al-Rodhan, Nayef R.F. and Gérard Stoudmann. "Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition." Geneva Center for Security Policy: Geneva, 2006. Web. Dec. 3, 2012.
^ a b The World Bank. Data;Guatemala. The World Bank. Web. 14th Sept.
^ Robinson, William. "Neoliberalism, the Global Elite, and the Guatemalan Transition: a Critical Macrosocial Analysis." Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 42.4 (2000): 87-107. Econlit. Web. 23 Sept.2012
^ "Country Intelligence: Report Guatemala". Guatemala Country Monitor (Business Source Premier): 1-18. November 1, 2013.
^ The Central Intelligence Agency's Office of Public Affairs. The CIA World Fact Book. The Central Intelligence Agency.14. Sept. 2012. Web.
^ Krznaric, Roman. "The Limits on Pro-Poor Agricultural Trade in Guatemala: Land, Labour and Political Power." Journal of Human Development 7.1 (2006): 112-134. Econlit. Web. 23 Sept. 2012
^ a b c d e Arends, Mary. "Female Labor Force Participation And Earnings In Guatemala." Case studies on women's employment and pay in Latin America.Washington, D.C. (1992): 273-298. EconLit. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.
^ a b International Fund for Agricultural Development. "Rural Poverty Portal". International Fund for Agricultural Development: Via Paolo di Dono, 2012. Web. Dec. 3, 2012
^ a b Gammage, Sarah. "Time Pressed And Time Poor: Unpaid Household Work In Guatemala." Feminist Economics 16.3 (2010): 79-112. EconLit. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.
^ a b Benería, Lourdes. Gender, Development, and Globalization. New York: Routledge, 2003.
^ Goldin, Liliana (December 7, 2014). "From Despair to Resistance: Maya Workers In The Maquilas Of Guatemala". Anthropology of ?work Review 33 (1): 25-33.
^ a b Guatemala declares calamity as food crisis grows, CNN.com, 9 September 2009.
^ Elisabeth Rosenthal (January 5, 2013). "As Biofuel Demand Grows, So Do Guatemala's Hunger Pangs". The New York Times. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
Guatemala topics
Spanish conquest
New Granada
Captaincy General
Federal Republic of Central America
Ten Years of Spring (1944–1954)
1954 coup d'état
Civil War (1960–1996)
1976 earthquake
LGBT rights in Guatemala
Guatemalan Spanish
Accession and membership
Appellate Body
Dispute Settlement Body
Chronology of key events
Doha Development Round
Singapore issues
Quota Elimination
Peace Clause
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
Trade Related Investment Measures
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
Government Procurement
Marrakech Agreement
Doha Declaration
Director-General)
Roberto Azevêdo (Elected Director-General)
Supachai Panitchpakdi (Former Director-General)
Deputy Directors-General:
Valentine Rugwabiza
Harsha Singh
Rufus Yerxa
European Union¹
Hong Kong²
Macau²
Taiwan³
1. All twenty-eight member states of the European Union are also members of the WTO in their own right:
2. Special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, participates as "Hong Kong, China" and "Macao China". 3. Officially the Republic of China, participates as "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu"
Economy of the Caribbean
Use dmy dates from July 2012
Articles needing additional references from January 2009
Articles to be expanded from December 2013
World Trade Organization member economies
Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala Department, Guatemala City, Belize
United States, Mexico City, New Spain, North America, Spanish Empire
San Salvador Department, Honduras, San Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala
Coffee production in Guatemala
Guatemala, Coffee, Espresso, Economy of Guatemala, San Marcos Department
Bank of Guatemala
Guatemala, Economy of Guatemala, %s%s, Federal Reserve System, Guatemala Department
Guatemala, El Salvador, United Fruit Company, Guatemala City, Honduras
Index of Central America-related articles
Internet, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala
Economy of the United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands, Economy of Barbados, Economy of Antigua and Barbuda, Economy of the Bahamas, Economy of Belize