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Kähler VC.X
Is Plaid on Amazon`s wish list?
Predicting Amazon`s M&A targets.
Kähler VC.X Sep 26, 2019
Is Plaid on Amazon`s wish list?Predicting Amazon`s M&A targets.
It's no secret that 'Big Tech' companies are in an arms race to penetrate the financial services industry. This is very bad news for incumbents in the financial services - for example Amazon, Facebook and Google pose a great threat to the underlying business models of banks because:
They have the mass internet scale e.g. around 70% of the global internet traffic flows through their servers.
Massive network effects with customers e.g. the most popular consumer oriented internet services (Social media, Email, eCommerce) are delivered by these companies.
Technology and machine learning capabilities - these companies employ some of the greatest engineers and scientists on the planet. In fact, top Universities in Europe and the US are losing researchers to big tech (see this article).
In a research report entitled 'Beyond Fintech: A Pragmatic Assessment of Disruptive Potential in Financial Services' by the World Economic Forum (WEF) - interestingly, the report cites cloud computing, customer-facing artificial intelligence and 'big data' customer analytics as three domains that are becoming ever more crucial to competitive differentiation among financial services firms. All these are areas in which Amazon, Google and Facebook have gained far deeper experience over the years compared to incumbent financial services players – as such the network scale effects will make it harder for the incumbents to catch up.
Where are the opportunities for big tech?
We predict the following categories are where the big tech players can leverage their scale, expertise in big data and artificial intelligence to outmaneuver incumbent players.
Source: CB Insights.
Where is Amazon Adventuring?
Source: CB Insights and Marketplace Pulse. Estimated total SMB loans through the end of Q2 2019.
Why should Plaid be on Amazon`s wish list?
So far Amazon's financial services adventures have been via its various marketplaces -offering financial services to consumers and SMBs. However, there is one area where Amazon could become a ubiquitous player in financial services (to supplement Amazon Pay), this area being developer tools and infrastructure services by leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS).
An analysis of M&A transactions by Amazon over the past two decades suggests that the company mainly acquires businesses that align with its core divisions such as; Prime, AWS and Marketplace pillars. A look into Plaid`s technology stack reveals that the company is already heavily aligned and integrated with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Source: Stackshare
Source: Inc.com
It's true that AWS already boasts big financial services brands including:
Dow Jones - AWS helps enable the company improve time to market for its products. "Our applications were dependent on a particular database version," Global CTO Orban says, "and a lot of redirect logic was done on a hardware load balancer. All of the non-AWS software we use work on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), making it possible to lift and shift, and work on optimizing the environment down the road."
By migrating to AWS, FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) has created a flexible platform that can adapt to rapidly changing market dynamics. FINRA moved about 90 percent of its data volumes to Amazon Web Services, using AWS to; capture, analyze and store a daily influx of 37 billion records.
However, by acquiring a fintech infrastructure startup like Plaid, Amazon will have the initial foundations to become such a ubiquitous infrastructure player in the emerging and fast growing fintech payments space. According to official press releases, Plaid integrates with more than 10,000 banks and covers around 20 million consumer accounts.
What could the price tag be?
The latest private VC round seems to value the company at around $2.65Bn. Assuming this is correct, and the company continues to grow its popularity among fintech developers, we predict the following acquisition value range and the years when it could occur!
We'll keep adjusting our predictions and update this post as we crunch more data about Plaid whilst taking into account the market conditions.
As a VC why should you care?
Well, a move on Plaid by Amazon will most likely initiate a frenzy of M&A activities in the digital banking space. This will be driven primarily by the need of other tech giants and incumbent banks to counteract the chance of being outflanked. Hence, if you have a notable portfolio in the space it will most likely be an acquisition target by one of the tech giants or incumbent banks. Also, the market consolidation may create the conditions for what we call semantic digital banking 2.0 - a new wave of digital banking solutions truly built around emerging de-centralized technologies (e.g. Blockchain).
What are the chances of Amazon acquiring Plaid and other exit options?
We computed the following exit probabilities based on a number of extrapolations of Plaid's internal KPIs, whilst taking into account; post-transaction technology integration risk, team culture, competition and predicted market conditions.
Kähler VC.X uses Big Data & AI to provide market intelligence for the venture capital sector by collecting & analyzing millions of data points from various sources / formats to identify new trends and hidden high-value opportunities.
We'll soon start running specialist webinars for VCs covering emerging fields such as; artificial intelligence, quantum computing and homomorphic encryption.
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The suggestion by Commissioner Bolkestein that a VAT reduction on sound recordings would not provide an answer to abuse of music on the internet confuses the issue.
By From Frances Moore
In his written response to a Parliamentary question, the commissioner refers to the issues of VAT, piracy and levies, none of which are directly related. To combine these issues in the way that he does makes absolutely no sense.
The recording industry is campaigning for a reduction in VAT on sound recordings on the basis of cultural discrimination. It seems self-evident that music is an essential part of the richness and diversity of European culture. We believe, therefore, that it is unfair to set VAT rates on recorded music between 15% and 25%, while other cultural goods such as books, magazines, theatre, cinema and zoo tickets, not to mention this newspaper, benefit from rates as low as 5%.
Commissioner Bolkestein suggests that customers would be unlikely to benefit from the full VAT cut and any lowering of price would be temporary. On the contrary, the entire music sector, including entertainment retailers, has undertaken to maximize the benefits of any VAT reduction for consumers.
Clearly, a VAT reduction is not the solution to the piracy epidemic that is costing thousands of jobs and undermining investment in this creative sector. Record companies cannot compete with pirates on price, since pirates do not pay composers, musicians, performers, sound engineers, producers or anyone else in the creative chain involved in making music. We have never suggested otherwise.
In fact, we have not gone further than to suggest that a VAT cut would be an important measure to stimulate sales during a challenging time for the music sector. Furthermore, to suggest that levies might be the answer to the widespread theft of music is to totally misread the piracy problem.
Commissioner Bolkestein goes on to say that only a "truly dissuasive measure" can deal with the problem of illegal music from the internet. The Commission had the ideal opportunity to tackle this abuse with its recent proposal for an EU enforcement directive and singularly failed to do so.
It is not too late. The Commission can still propose a reduction of VAT to end cultural discrimination against music and the enforcement directive can be strengthened to become the "truly dissuasive measure" Commissioner Bolkestein considers necessary to fight piracy, both offline and online.
Frances Moore
Regional director for Europe
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Brussels
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Buy it... if there are no limits to your desire to hear yet another predictably effective Brian Tyler action/thriller score.
Avoid it... if the composer's sufficient but rather mundane methodology for this type of hybrid orchestra/synthesizer music fails to connect with you in ways similar to equally generic B-rate Remote Control efforts.
Law Abiding Citizen: (Brian Tyler) All too often in the revenge thriller genre, the victim who takes the law into his own hands turns out to be a nasty professional killer of some kind, completely negating the potential the genre has for pitting a truly motivated and overperforming everyday novice against the authorities trying to stop him. That's precisely the problem with 2009's Law Abiding Citizen. After a seemingly normal guy sees his wife and daughter raped and killed, the perpetrators let off easily because of botched evidence handling, he decides to act on his own vengeful interests. Fine. In fact, great! But why does it have to be revealed that he is actually a veteran assassin trained in disposing of people in unconventional ways? Of course, showing people die spectacularly is part of attracting audiences, so Law Abiding Citizen had few alternatives without taking an unnecessary chance. Gerard Butler is the aggrieved assassin and Jamie Foxx is the prosecutor who is unfortunate enough to become entangled with him. While the film did not enjoy a particularly friendly response from critics, it did generate over $100 at the worldwide box office. Among director F. Gary Gray's more enthusiastic endorsements for the film came in the form of hype he generated over his collaboration with composer Brian Tyler. This kind of assignment is all too familiar to Tyler, whose busy schedule in the late 2000's seemed clogged with action and thriller movies of dubious merit. Every one of the reviews for his scores for these situations always has to be prefaced with some lamentation over the fact that he has managed to become boxed into these genres, to the detriment of an even better career and a chance at major awards recognition. Among the younger generation of composers, it has to be mentioned once again that Tyler is one of the few who truly understands and appreciates the orchestral history of film music while also maintaining the capability to play and record dozens of instruments himself. His techniques at writing and conducting an orchestra are beyond such muck as Law Abiding Citizen, and yet his boring diet of such endeavors proves once again that a steady stream of paychecks is hard to pass up. In the specific case of this 2009 score, Tyler does what Tyler does best; he satisfies the desires of the director and provides the safest music that could have been expected for a film of this kind. In the process of going through the motions, however, a transcendent sense of style still remains elusive. The director asked for a "neo-noir" type of score, and while Tyler approached that concept with the piano in mind, little allure develops from that usage.
The insert includes a brief note from the director about the score, as well as some photography from the recording stage. As in many of Amazon.com's "CDr on demand" products, the packaging smells incredibly foul when new.
or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Law Abiding Citizen are Copyright © 2009, Downtown Music and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 3/22/11 (and not updated significantly since).


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THE BOYS IN THE BOAT- AN EPIC STORY OF SEABISCUIT CALIBRE
Daniel James Brown's THE BOYS IN THE BOAT ranks among my top non-fiction reads of 2014. It is a captivating human story made even more compelling by Brown's remarkable story telling. This book is much more than its brilliant depiction of the sport of crew with nine men acting as one in an eight pared shell. Brown wraps their journey to victory in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the history of the times. The culture of young men growing up in the lumber and mining towns of the Pacific Northwest with few prospects beyond a life of hardship and physical labor. The author brilliantly captures the darkness of the depression of the 1930s and its impact on families and family life. He incorporates the drumbeat of the Nazi's, preceding the outbreak of WW II, and the elaborate deception of Hitler surrounding the 1936 Olympic Games.
Out of this era of despair appear nine young working class men, eight oarsmen and a coxswain , who literally by chance come together under a brilliant coach and an iconic boat builder at the University of Washington. Among these young men is teenager Joe Rantz, a boy with few prospects in life after being abandoned at age ten by his father an step-mother. His true story of grit and determination swells the heart of the reader right through the exciting climax of this great American drama. The Washington eight-oared shell captured the imagination of the country much as did the underdog racehorse Seabiscuit, as so beautifully chronicled in Laura Hillenbrand's book of the same name.
Could there ever again be nine young men more deserving of ultimate triumph ? Could a nation in a great depression be uplifted by a sport so obscure as crew, which was formerly dominated only by the eastern elite. Shades of Seabiscuit versus Man O' War! Could Hitler's propaganda machine receive a huge setback by nine determined young American's in eight-oared-shell ? It all happens because of THE BOYS IN THE BOAT!
The legendary boat-builder and philosopher of human nature George Pocock, provides a narrative for each chapter of THE BOYS IN THE BOAT : " He came to understand how those almost mystical bonds of trust and affection, if nurtured correctly, might lift a crew above the ordinary sphere, transport it to a place where nine boys somehow become one thing-a thing that could not quite be defined, a thing that was so in tune with the water and the earth and the sky above that, as they rowed, effort was replaced by ecstasy. "
Daniel James Brown: " It occurred to me that when Hitler watched Joe and the boys fight their way back from the rear of the field to sweep ahead of Italy and Germany seventy-five years ago, he saw, but did not recognize, heralds of his own doom. He could not have known that one day hundreds of thousands of boys just like them, boys who shared their essential natures-decent and unassuming, not privileged or favored by anything in particular, just loyal, committed and perseverant- would return to Germany dressed in olive drab, hunting him down."
I commend THE BOYS IN THE BOAT to the very top of your summer reading list. Buy it in hardcover because it belongs in your library for future generations. Also by Daniel James Brown, The Indifferent Stars Above and Under a Flaming Sky.
Standard | Posted in Non-Fiction	| Tagged 1936 Berlin Olympics, Daniel James Brown, George Pocock, Joe Rantz, Seabuscuit, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT	| 0 comments
PIKETTY- CAPITAL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY- THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD!
It is somewhat astonishing that Thomas Piketty's CAPITAL in the 21st Century remains at the very top of the New York Times Best Seller List! Not intending to be condescending, this is not an easy read even for the most ardent observers of the national and world economy. The first 250 pages, filled with exhaustive research over a 250 year period, complete with charts and graphs, is a test of anyone's concentration. You may need to read many pages more than once! The good news is that once through this sophisticated and advanced course in economics, the reader will come to an understanding of the inexorable march of an economic matrix that appears to be leading to a dysfunctional environment for the capitalistic system as we have known in America for over 300 years. Ironically, there is currently a billboard on the south bound FDR Drive in New York City that reads," The French Aristocracy Didn't See It Coming Either! " Piketty does not set out to be an alarmist but rather to lay out what he believes is the most definitive research ever completed on the subject of inequality and the distribution of wealth in America and Europe, dating back to the seventeenth century. Admittedly, Piketty qualifies some of the early collection of data as anecdotal but at the same time has sought out all-available recorded records to track the distribution of wealth over three centuries. What is most troubling in the Piketty thesis is his substantiation of a mathematical paradigm that left unchecked , places the concentration of wealth worldwide and particularly in the United States on an unstoppable course of disastrous inequality. Not an exciting prospect. Piketty: " If the growing concentration of income from labor that has been observed in the United States over the last few decades were to continue, the bottom 50% could earn just half as much in total compensation as the top 10% by 2030." In the United States, the most recent survey by the Federal Reserve, indicates that the top decile own 72 percent of America's wealth, of which the bottom half claim just 2% . These figures clearly delineate the plight of the dwindling middle class. If the top ten percent and the bottom 2 percent control 74 percent of all wealth in America, that leaves only 26% for everyone else! Fundamental to Piketty's thesis is that a predicted economic annual growth rate in America of 1.5 percent or less will force a greater concentration of wealth among the top decile because based upon a rate of return there will be no incentive to invest risk capital back into the economy. The top ten percent can comfortably continue to invest capital at 4-5% ( with some hedge funds at 10-30%) and in essence keep these capital resources off the table in the hands of the super wealthy, further shrinking the middle class and decimating the lower class. He also predicts that as future generations of the wealthy mature, inherited wealth will be exclusively bequeathed, removing it from the general capitalistic economy, in the same manner as did the old European aristocracies. Thus, a new American Aristocracy fueled by inherited wealth? Piketty: " In my view, there is absolutely no doubt that the increase of inequality in the United States prior to 2007 contributed to the nation's financial instability. The reason is simple: One consequence of increasing inequality was virtual stagnation of the purchasing power of the lower and middle classes in the United States , which inevitably made it more likely that modest households would take on debt, especially since unscrupulous banks and financial intermediaries, freed from regulation and eager to earn good yields on the enormous savings injected into the system by the well-to-do, offered credit on increasingly generous terms." " If we consider the total growth of the U.S. economy in the thirty years prior to the crisis, we find that the richest appropriated three-quarters of the growth.The richest 1-percent absorbed 60 percent of the total increase of U.S. national income in this period. It is hard to imagine an economy and society that can continue functioning indefinitely with such extreme divergence between social groups." Capital In The Twenty First Century has raised considerably debate and the outright questioning of Piketty's research and formulas ( r>g ). However, if you take him for his word, the forecast is not comforting and for sure, don't look for many rave reviews from the financial establishment! Unfortunately, if you have sensed something wrong with the economy, Piketty offers great insight but little comfort! Capital in The 21st Century is well worth a major investment of time.
Standard | Posted in Non-Fiction	| Tagged Books on Financial Crisis, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, French Revolution, income inequality, Thomas Piketty	| 0 comments
A NEW CHAPTER FOR PIKETTY'S CAPITAL IN THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY
I have not completed Tom Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century. I will hasten to add that after completing the first 250 pages I may apply for an advanced Economics Degree. The reward for wading through research and formulas going back 200 years does however come after the academics but in the early reading the news is not good regarding income inequality globally and in America in particular. More on that in a future posting with another 500 pages still to complete.
There is breaking news today that may require an additional chapter in Piketty's book!
Please indulge my own interpretative headline.
U.S. APPEALS COURT DEEMS TRUTH IRRELEVANT!
I was not shocked at the U.S. Federal Appeals Court decision overturning Judge Jed S. Rakoff's rejection of the settlement deal with Citigroup, claiming that the bank had got off with a mere slap on the wrist. The three-judge panel yesterday said Rakoff got it wrong by applying an " incorrect legal standard." Citigroup now pays a fine and its business as usual.
The decision becomes even more frightening, at least to the layperson, when you peel back the details of the ruling! It seems to me that the three judges were searching for a rationale to support a foregone conclusion, much like Elmer Gantry could always find a passage in the Bible to support a point of view!
Judges Rosemary S. Pooler, Raymond J. Lohier Jr. and Susan L. Carney — concluded that it "is not within the district court's purview to demand 'cold, hard, solid facts. "
The appellate court instead outlined a checklist for judges to follow when weighing enforcement cases, saying they must "determine whether the proposed consent decree is fair and reasonable, with the additional requirement that the public interest would not be dis-served."
What a stretch! That the public interest would not be dis-served! How is that for a parsing of words to avoid saying that the greater public interest should be served! Your honors, please!
The final affront comes in this quote from the appellate decision." Trials are primarily about truth. Consent decrees are primarily about pragmatism."
The bottom line is that three federal judges ruling deemed Judge Rakoff the " skunk" at the Citigroup, S.E.C. party.
A final irony in this sordid affair is that the appellate court, in closing, questioned its own judgment!
"On remand, if the district court ( Rakoff) finds it necessary, it may ask the S.E.C. and Citigroup to provide additional information ( the truth) sufficient to allay any concerns the district court may have regarding improper collusion" between Citigroup and the S.E.C." I think that Judge Rakoff made it quite clear that he had MANY CONCERNS!
This disingenuous decision may require an additional 50 pages in Tom Piketty's already voluminous Capital in the Twenty-First Century!
Standard | Posted in Non-Fiction	| Tagged Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Citygroup settlement, Judge Rakoff, S.E.C. Citigroup settlement, Thomas Picketty, U.S. Court of Appeals	| 0 comments
REFLECTIONS ON D-DAY, JUNE 6, 1944
The 70th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, has obviously peaked interested in this monumental, historic event. There are two books I would like to recommend to those who wish to pursue the historic details of this epic event and a third which offers important insight into the citizen soldiers so critical to the ultimate Allied Victory. Two of these books are by the same author, historian Stephen E. Ambrose.
One of the most definitive and detailed histories of D-Day: OVERLORD D-DAY AND THE BATTLE FOR NORMANDY by British Historian Max Hastings, first published in Great Britain in 1984. Wrote the Englishman, " Not the least remarkable aspect of the Second World War was the manner in which the United States, which might have been expected to regard the campaign in Europe as a diversion from the struggle against her principal aggressor, Japan, was persuaded to commit her chief strength in the west. Not only that, but from December 1941 until June, 1944 it was the Americans who were passionately impatient to confront the German Army on the continent while the British, right up until the eve of D-Day, were haunted by the misgivings about doing do." "Why are we trying to do this? cried Winston Churchill."
The author of Eisenhower, Stephen Ambrose, wrote the quintessential D-Day history: D-DAY, JUNE 6, 1944, THE CLIMATIC BATTLE OF WORLD WAR II. First published in 1994 on the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Dwight Eisenhower, " The Fury of an aroused democracy." Eisenhower on Omaha Beach in 1964 on the D-Day 20th Anniversary. " But it's a wonderful thing to remember what those fellows twenty years ago were fighting for and sacrificing for, what they did to preserve our way of life. Not to conquer any territory, not for any ambitions of our own. But to make sure that Hitler could not destroy freedom in the world."
How ordinary enlisted men's ability to assume leadership turned the tide for the Allies: Stephen E. Ambrose, CITIZEN SOLDIERS. First published in 1997. From the memoir of Bruce Eggert who rose from private to staff sergeant: " Not a man among us would want to go through it again, but were all proud of having been so severely tested and found adequate. The only regret is for those of our friends who never returned."
Any of these volumes would make a wonderful Fathers Day gift for lovers of history. All are still available in hard cover and paperback editions.
Standard | Posted in Non-Fiction	| Tagged 1944, Citizen Soldiers, D-Day, D-Day 70th Anniversary. Good Reads, Eisenhower, June 4, Max Hastings, Normandy, Overlord, Stephen Ambrose	| 0 comments


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Renowned poet Nikki Giovanni discusses her views on censorship, voter suppression in the upcoming presidential elections, the tribute she's organizing to celebrate Toni Morrison's legacy, and offers a message to young black poets.
The documentary Ai Weiwei: Without Fear or Favour, recorded before Ai's arrest, provides cultural and political context to his provocative work, as well as a glimpse into the artist's life.
Index on Censorship's 11th annual Freedom of Expression Awards were presented yesterday at a ceremony in London. The awards honor those who, often at great personal risk, give voice to issues and stories from around the globe that may otherwise have passed unnoticed.


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OVC Policy and Planning Effort Index
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National Policy and Planning Effort Index score for orphaned and vulnerable children
What it measures
The purpose of the effort index is to measure the current response at the national level to the crisis facing orphaned and vulnerable children. It will identify specific strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in policy and planning efforts.
The index reflects the national OVC task force's opinion on how well the country is doing in eight areas of response to OVC. In other words, the index measures how the national OVC task force judges the national response when stakeholders are asked to rate the programme on a list of important items. The effort index is intended to measure policy and planning effort independent of programme outputs. For example, policy and planning efforts include items such as the degree of political support, whether laws have been reviewed, and the availability of resources, but do not include output measures such as the proportion of orphans attending school or showing evidence of malnutrition. The effort score can be used as a diagnostic tool to indicate the strength of various areas and to suggest corrective action. In this context, the term 'effort' encompasses not only the activities of the national government but also includes those of non-governmental organizations, multilateral and bilateral organizations and others. It assesses if appropriate policies and strategies are in place and can be used to monitor year-to-year changes.
Numerator
Method of measurement
The OVC Policy and Planning Effort Index is a self-assessment by key stakeholders made by completing a country assessment questionnaire with 100 questions. The indicator is based on a score of 1–100, with 100 being the best score and 1 the lowest. The components covered in the tool are:
Component: The questions related to this component explore:
1. National situation analysis whether the country has investigated the situation of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and, if so, the nature of that research.
2. Consultative process: the extent to which key stakeholders are involved in planning interventions for orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.
3. Coordinating mechanism: whether action for orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS is being coordinated and the nature of that coordination
4. National action plans: whether the country has a national plan of action for orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, and the nature of that plan
5. Policy: whether the country has a policy on orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and the nature of that policy
6. Legislative review: whether the country has reviewed and updated the legal framework relating to orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS
7. Monitoring and evaluation: whether M&E is being conducted nationally of the situation of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, and of programmes addressing their needs
8. Resources: the availability of resources to meet the needs of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS
Each component has a series of questions that follow the same format. First, an overarching question is asked about producing a national product (e.g., 'Has a body been formally established to coordinate national action for orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS?'). This question is answered either 'yes' or 'no.' The second section then asks detailed probe questions, 56 depending on the answer to the overarching question. These probe questions are also 'yes/no' questions and seek more detailed information (e.g., 'Is this body led by government?'). The number of probe questions varies by component. Finally, there is an overall more qualitative rating question, where respondents are asked at the end of each section to rank the quality of work done in that particular area of activity on a scale of 0 to 5. The tool is attached in annex III (of the UNICEF Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Response for Children Orphaned and Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. The final score for each component is the average score of the 'yes/no' questions (which is the proportion of questions answered 'yes' of the maximum possible number of questions that could be answered with 'yes' in that section) and the qualitative rating score. The qualitative rating score for each component is the proportion of the maximum possible points (5).
Measurement frequency
Geographic location: N/A
Pregnancy status: N/A
Sector: N/A
Target: N/A
Time period: N/A
Type of orphan: N/A
Vulnerability status: N/A
Explanation of the numerator
Explanation of the denominator
The OVC Policy and Planning Effort Index mainly builds on two tools recently developed in the area of HIV/AIDS. First, it is based on the experience of the AIDS Programme Effort Index (API) developed by UNAIDS, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Policy Project. The API was developed to measure political commitment and programme effort in areas of HIV prevention and care. Furthermore, it expands on the National Composite Policy Index recently implemented by UNAIDS to measure progress towards specific goals of the Declaration of Commitment of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS). The tool and questions could be incorporated into the National Composite Policy Index. The major concern surrounding an effort index is its subjectivity and its reliability. The outcome depends entirely on the choice of informants, and informants will likely change from year to year. The indicator is simple to assess, however, and is designed to complement the existing National Composite Index. Its simple quantitative nature means that it does not give information on the effectiveness of national policies and strategies, only whether they exist or not.
Global AIDS Monitoring
Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting (GARPR)
2009 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS)
Millenium Development Goals (MDG)
3 by 5
Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF)
Universal Access (UA) Health Sector Indicators
Dublin Declaration Monitoring
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
United Nations Development Group (UNDG)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United States Government (USG)
World Bank (WB)
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#MozzarellaRoads: oriGIn helps the "Consorzio della Mozzarella di Bufala Campana" to organize a successful culinary show in Geneva
On 17 February, the "Consorzio della Mozzarella di Bufala Campana", with the support of oriGIn and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), organised for the first time in Geneva the culinary show "Le Strade della Mozzarella" (Mozzarella Roads).
During a day of workshops and show cooking, with the participation of Michelin-starred chefs, "Le Strade della Mozzarella" allowed a large audience of participants (restaurateurs, distributors, journalists, diplomats, representatives of international and non-governmental organizations) to enjoy the Italian PDO "Mozzarella di Bufala Campana" in combination with other typical products of the Italian region Campania.
More information @ http://www.origin-gi.com/index.php/en/home/117-uk/news/8392-17-02-2015-le-strade-della-mozzarella-mozzarella-roads-get-to-geneva.html
#ExpoIdeas: oriGIn involved in the debate on sustainability and counterfeiting
"EXPO Milan 2015: Feeding the Planet – Energy for Life" is a non-commercial Universal Exposition. It will be open from May 1 to October 31, 2015, and it is expected to welcome over 20 million visitors. During this event, the Government of Italy intends to finalize "the Charter of Milan", an act of commitment to be signed by citizens, institutions, businesses and associations as the contribution of EXPO Milan 2015 to the debate on the new United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
In this framework, over 500 experts (divided in 4 macro thematic areas and some 40 working groups) gathered in Milan on 7 February for the "Expo of Ideas", with the objective to launch the discussions, which will lead to the Charter of Milan. oriGIn, through its Managing Director Massimo Vittori, its Vice-President Riccardo Deserti (Director of the "Consorzio Parmigiano-Reggiano") and a member of the Executive Committee Fernando Cano (Representative for Europe of the "Consejo Regulador del Tequila") brought the point of views of GIs at the Expo of Ideas working groups on "sustainability of agriculture" and "fighting agricultural products' counterfeiting".
More information @ http://magazine.expo2015.org/cs/Exponet/en/culture/the-charter-of-milan–our-compass-for-the-future
#CETA: Members' Voice – Geographical Indications in CETA, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU, by Mr. Bernard O'Connor, NCTM Lawyers
The EU and Canada have recently concluded a free trade agreement containing provisions on geographical indications (GIs). This short note (the full article is available in English and in Italian) looks at the text of the agreement and asks whether the approach taken by the EU negotiators achieves the objective of protecting the EU's 'living cultural and gastronomic heritage'.
The agreement – made public on the 26th of September 2014 goes some way to protecting, in Canada, certain geographical names considered economically important for the EU and introduces a degree of coexistence between specific trade marks and geographical indications. The very inclusion of a provision on GIs can be considered as a negotiating success by the EU given the traditional position of Canada in relation to the EU's concept on GIs and the conflicts in relation to some names between the two entities. A second positive from the negotiations is that the EU has achieved some protection for some EU GIs in Canada where before there could be none.
The agreement, however, does not address the more fundamental problem of the coexistence of trade marks and geographical indications as two distinct forms of intellectual property or establish principles to guide the resolution of conflict in specific cases.
More information @ bernard.oconnor@nctm.it
Key-Concepts of GIs
GIs: A Tool for Development
Join oriGIn - the Global Alliance of Geographical Indications (GIs)


text:
Army vs. Navy Football Game: The Top 10 Games of All Time
Leave a Comment	/ Debate, Top Ten List / By Greg Boudonck
How many of you watched the Army vs Navy football game this year? It was a great game, but those Midshipmen of Navy squeaked another win out. Well, we will just say that the Army Black Knights were getting better prepared for their duties to the defense of the United States instead of practicing football.
It sounded like a good excuse to me.
No matter the outcome, the Army and Navy annual football rivalry is fun to watch, and has been so for many years. I decided to do some heavy research and develop an article that may receive a lot of debate. That is fine, as I love debate.
In today's post, I am going to provide what I believe to be the top 10 Army vs. Navy football games of all time. Take a look at my list, and tell me your thoughts and opinions at the end of this article.
This game was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City on a cold November 24th. It was a first in the Army and Navy game, and a seldom occurrence in any college football games. The final score was a tie, but not just any tie… It was 0-0. While many people may say that would be boring, I say that a game like that shows that both teams had outstanding defense. Army did come close in the 4th quarter when they blocked a Navy punt, but the punter recovered the ball inside Navy's own 10 yard line. Navy had to punt again after that series of plays, and the exact same thing happened; the punt was blocked and the punter recovered the blocked punt. Navy held on and tied the game. Navy's record that year took them to the Rose Bowl against Washington, and they tied there too… 14 to 14.
9: 1963
This was a sad game that was played at Philadelphia Stadium on December 7th of 1963. Why was it sad? President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated on November 22nd, and the game was scheduled for November 30th. The First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy requested that the game be played as she knew her husband would have wanted that.
Navy's quarterback that year was a junior by the name of Roger Staubach. You younger people may not remember this great quarterback who was a star with the Dallas Cowboys. He led the Midshipmen to a 21 to 15 victory over the Army Black Knights.
This was claimed to be one of the most exciting and dramatic Army/Navy games in history. Played on November 27th at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Army had an undefeated season, and Navy just the opposite… they had no wins. While many thought it would be a lopsided game, it was just the opposite. The Army team suffered from a case of food poisoning the night before, and this hurt their play. The final score was 21 to 21, and Army was ranked #6 in the nation at season's end.
Played an a very cold December 1st at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, this was a game of turnovers. Fumbles and interceptions were the name of this Army and Navy game. As a matter of fact, the only scores that were made were from turnovers. 1956 resulted in another tie… 7 to 7 was the score when the Black Knights and the Midshipmen met in midfield to congratulate each other.
This was the first, and the last Army/Navy game to be played at Osborne Field in Princeton, New Jersey. It seems that the Princeton University President urged the military officials to use Osborne Field for the game scheduled for December 2nd. They agreed with regret. The crowds were so heavy that the game started late. The game was stopped because of darkness with 4+ minutes left in the game. The final was 6 to 6.
This game that was played on November 27th at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia was exciting in its own right. It was pure defense. Between the 2 teams, there were only 353 yards of offense in the whole game. This was hard hitting football at its best, and it was a 7 to 7 tie.
Before this December 1st game to be played at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, it was being called the Game of the Century. Army was undefeated and ranked #1 in the nation; Navy was also undefeated and ranked #2 in the nation. World War II had just ended and everyone was prepared to watch a spectacular game. The game really wasn't the frizz the people expected, because Army stomped the Midshipmen with a score of 32 to 13.
I remember this game as I was scheduled to enter Army Basic Training in just a few months. This game was played on November 28th at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Army had had a difficult season with only 3 wins, and Navy had a good season and were scheduled to be in the Liberty Bowl. Army had a huge desire to win this game, and the long rivalry was at its height. Army held Navy down and the end was a tie of 3 to 3.
This game was being played on November 27th at Soldier Field in Chicago. It was not only a dedication to the fearless heroes who fought in World War I, it would also be the game that decided the National Championship. Navy had an undefeated season and Army had only lost 1 game to Notre Dame. It was a hard battle throughout the game and ended in a 21 to 21 tie. The Navy Midshipmen were given the National Championship.
This game has 2 things about it that gave it the #1 status. It was 6 years after this game before another Army and Navy game would be played. The reason for that was the violence that occurred during this game. There were so many injuries that many Doctors thought these military football players had just come home from a war. An Army Brigadier General punched a Navy Admiral and the Navy Admiral requested a duel. I am not sure if the gentleman gun fight ever took place. President Grover Cleveland called a meeting, and Army and Navy football teams could now only play home games. This lasted until 1899.
Another case of this game that was played at Worden Field in Annapolis, Maryland was the first football helmet. Future Admiral Joseph Reeves was told that if he was kicked in the head one more time he may become insane or die. A leather helmet was made for him. Navy won this close game 6 to 4.
This is my list of the top 10 Army vs. Navy football games. Do you concur with my list, or do you feel there should be different games here? Feel free to comment below with your opinions.
By the way, the game for 2015 was also played in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field. The Navy Midshipmen won with a score of 21 to Army's 17.
C'mon Black Knights… it is time to win one in 2016.
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Pre-season training starts Mon 7th Jan 2019 and ends Fri 15-Mar 2019.
After that date we use the in-season training timetable.
NOTE: Mackie Road isn't available during pre-season.
If your team isn't listed, the coach should request a space (see next section 'Times').
Coaches can use this table to find vacant spaces and send a request to the club to book it.
Note: The 'Age' column and size of spaces is a guide only. All requests will be considered.
Note: for weekend friendly match bookings, see Matches > Home Match Schedules.
Coaches please make an appointment to be issued with your Team Equipment. Appointments are available from 5pm on Wed 23rd January 2019. Allow 20 mins for the collection process.
The 5×2 Samba goals have blue tape on the posts and blue buckets for the nets. Suitable for 9-a-side matches (U10-U12).
The 3×2 Samba goals have red tape on the posts and red buckets for the nets. Suitable for 7-a-side matches (U8-U9).
If you need to switch the grounds lights on, call or text the club for the instructions.
The last team to leave the pitches near the clubhouses must switch off the lights for Lord 1 and Lord 2. Call or text the club for the instructions.
The last team to leave pitch 3 (behind the primary school) must switch off the lights for Lord 3. Call or text the club for the instructions.
Click image. 9:15pm: Not switching the lights off wastes electricity and generates complaints from the neighbours.
Team Managers can load their team training sessions into Teamstuff. It you set them up as a recurring event, just be aware that once they are all created, there is no way to go back and edit them as a series. In others words they become a bunch of unrelated trainings which can only be edited individually. Training sessions have a built-in attendance tracker. Up to you whether you want to use it or not.
Who's Coming to Training? The attendance tracker.
What is the 'current' season?
How do I change a game or training session once I have created it?
What if I need to cancel a game or training session?
How do I edit all trainings for a season once I have created it?


text:
Patrice Evra's Emotional Reaction To Pogba's Stunning Goal Against Croatia
By Shawn Ivan D'souza | July 16, 2018
REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Paul Pogba has been scrutinized by pundits all over the world since he made his big money move to Manchester United. The French International has failed to perform on a regular basis for club and country, and has been picked on for his haircuts and social media presence.
But the midfielder had the final laugh as France conquered the devils of Euro 2016 to beat Croatia and lift their second World Cup. Pogba had won the Best Young Player award in Brazil 2014, and a lot was expected from him this time around.
The 25-year old played a crucial role in the French midfield this summer. He featured in all the six games for Les Blues, and scored an important goal to seal the win in the final.
In the 59th minute, Griezmann dropped the ball for the central midfielder, but his initial strike was blocked by the defender. He latched on the rebound that left Subasic wrong-footed, giving France a 3-1 lead.
What Patrice Evra Has Told Ronaldo Regarding The Move To Juventus
Pogba's main critics, Graeme Souness, Paul Scholes, and Eamon Dunphy are yet to speak about the fact that he would be bringing the World Cup to Manchester United. But former Red, Patrice Evra, had one of the best reactions after seeing his ex-teammate score against Croatia.
Evra came out in full support for Pogba after seeing his goal. In his video, the former Juventus defender demanded everyone to respect his brother and stop talking nonsense about his performances: "Respect him! Respect! Why do you always talk bullshit about my brother?"
#Paulpogba #Respect #WorldCupFinal2018 pic.twitter.com/yF2PEgt3w8
— Patrice Evra (@Evra) July 15, 2018
The 'I Love This Game' social media sensation also revealed that he couldn't wait for Pogba to return with the trophy, and vowed to have the same haircut as the 25-year-old.
"Oh my goodness! I can't wait, Paul. I can't wait for you to get back to England with the trophy. I swear I will do the same hair. Respect my brother! Respect him! Are you crazy or what?" the former French international added.
← Crazy Reactions To France Winning The World CupEveryone Is Loving What Pogba Did After World Cup Win →


a Methodist Episcopal minister, was born in Stevensburg, Frederick County,Va. He experienced religion in 1817, and in 1821 was received into the Kentucky Conference. In 1825 he was transferred to the Baltimore Conference, wherein he labored with zeal and fidelity until his death in August, 1829. See Minutes of Annual Conferences, 1830, p. 76.


text:
Q: Firestore SetOptions.mergeFields doesn't store field So I have this function to store user into Firestore after he successfully registers.
//User class
id: String
email: String?
displayName: String?
photoUrl: String?

//updateOrInsertUser method
collectionReference.document(user.id)
            .set(
                user,
                SetOptions.mergeFields(
                    FIELD_photoUrl,
                    FIELD_email,
                    FIELD_displayName
                )
            )

But when I call updateOrInsertUser(user) only fields that are in SetOptions are stored in Firestore, therefore id is not stored.
Is there a simple way to override old values defined in SetOptions if the document already exists and if there is not doc store everything?
I don't want to fetch old document before updating :(
No I don't want to add id into SetOptions(imagine other use cases when you don't want to override field that already exists in database)

A:
But when I call updateOrInsertUser(user) only fields that are in SetOptions are stored in firestore, therefore id is not stored.

This is the normal behaviour since you aren't passing the id to the SetOptions's mergeFields() method.

Is there a simple way to override old values defined in SetOptions if the document already exists and if there is not doc store everything? I don't want to fetch old document before updating :(

The simplest way would be to get the "old" document, change its values and write it back to the database but there is also another approach that can help you change the values within a document and this is by using a Map along with a update() method call. In code, might look like this:
Map<String, Object> user = new HashMap<>();
user.put("photoUrl", FIELD_photoUrl);
user.put("email", FIELD_email);
user.put("displayName", FIELD_displayName);
userDocumentReference.update(user);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


By Xah Lee. Date: 2013-11-07 . Last updated: 2014-04-04 .
Here's how you can mount it on Linux via USB connection.
• plug in the USB between PlayBook and Linux machine.
• on PlayBook, go to 〖Storage and Sharing〗, set the menu "USB Connections" to "Connect to Window". In the "File Sharing" section, turn it on.
• on PlayBook, go to 〖About〗, find the USB IP address of the PlayBook. In the About screen, the Network menu. Note, it's the USB's IP address, not the wifi ip address.
on Linux, just open a folder, press 【Ctrl+l】 to show the address bar, type smb://169.254.134.77/, where the IP is the Playbook's IP.
Summary: if you downloaded a zip file that expanded, and is unable to delete them later in your file manager, you probably have to do a security wipe.
i downloaded the python doc in pdf (http://docs.python.org/3/archives/python-3.3.2-docs-pdf-letter.zip) on PlayBook. It's a zip file. Touched the screen to unzip. They expands to tens of pdf files, clutter my files. So, i want to delete some of them. But, it says unable to delete.
fine, connect to my linux, and i though i should be able to delete them there, with rm or sudo or chmod etc. (PlayBook doesn't support linux, so you'll have to smb the usb ip, for example: smb://169.254.134.77/). Still, says perm denied. Ok, after a while finding where smb is mounted, it's at ~/.gvfs/ (press 【Ctrl+h】 to show hidden file). Then try sudo rm -rf. No go, still perm denied. Try sudo chmod 777 ., no go.
so, the problem is you have a tens of files in your PlayBook you can't delete. Search the web, there's few reports too, saying you have to security wipe. WTF?
then, perhaps i should jailbreak it, but that means who knows how many hours i'll have to put in.
BlackBerry PlayBook is the worst tablet.


With the theory knowledge of ADI Part 1 under your belt, you will be keen to put it into practice during the in-car training sessions of ADI Part 2.
These sessions focus on your driving ability. Our team of expert trainers will guide you through a series of practical learning sessions designed to ensure you meet and exceed the standard set by the DVSA. Towards the end of your training sessions, we will contact you to arrange your ADI Part 3 training programme.


text:
Hertford Writers' Circle
Bryan Andrews
Ken Boyter
Paul Gitsham
Erin Johnson
Xavier Leret
Nicky Phillips
Rik Wilkinson
Vincent JS Wood
Hum-bug by Karen Skinner
There's an alien in my fridge. I saw him there in the wee hours of yesterday morning.
I came downstairs for some water, opened the fridge door for a bottle, and there he was. He was sitting on the second shelf, using an ice cream spoon to work his way through my crème caramels. He was small, like a child's toy, with smooth green skin and huge bat ears. He was so engrossed in his task, he didn't look up. I closed the fridge door, shocked at what I'd seen. I paused for a moment, and then quickly opened the door again and the alien had disappeared. Only the debris of his feast remained.
I was the first awake as usual and was washing up the alien's pots and spoon when my husband and Davey came down to breakfast. Simon reached into the fridge for the milk and his face changed. He didn't say anything, but I caught his expression and could guess what he was thinking.
"OK," he said, perhaps a little too brightly. "Who's for cornflakes?"
"It's Becky," he said to the voice console. "I'm going to have to take a personal day. Yes, I know. And I'm sorry about that, but I'll make it up with overtime when she's better."
"No," I said. "Definitely not. You tricked me into going the last time, and that won't happen again. I'm not going." Hum-bug.
"Becks," he stroked my shoulder. That's what he does when he wants me to be reasonable. I shook him off. I didn't think it was very reasonable to be told I was going shopping. I didn't think it was very reasonable to be confronted with a teenager telling me that I needed a new prescription.
"He had spots and was wearing jeans," I complained.
"He was bearded, in his fifties and wearing the same slacks my dad wears," said Simon. "What are you seeing?"
"I'm not seeing anything." Hum-bug.
Simon ran his hand through his hair. "Becks, I know what's happening. What are you seeing?"
"Nothing." Hum-bug.
"You keep saying 'humbug'."
"Oh, that's not me, that's the spacecraft. What you can hear is the motor; it whirrs and pops, like hummm bug."
He'd tricked me. Simon's clever like that. "So the aliens are back?" He sighed as if all the cares of the world were on his shoulders.
"It's not like they're expecting anything of you," I pointed out. "They're only curious about us and after the journey they've had, it's only natural that they'd be hungry."
"So, where are they?"
"One is standing right behind you," I said, pointing.
This one was a lot larger than the one in the fridge. He was completely naked apart from a brightly coloured headdress, and he must have eaten the majority of our food, because he was carrying an empty food bowl.
Simon reached out and took the bowl and yanked the headdress away. "That's not where underwear goes," he said. "Go and put them on properly, Davey. That's not nice."
Simon thinks I'm mad. He thinks that sometimes I'll raid the fridge at night. He thinks I'll leave windows open and doors unlocked and set fire to the kitchen, but that only happened once and it wasn't my fault; Davey's evil teddy bear did that.
"Where's the spacecraft?"
I pointed to the top of the fridge.
"That's the rice cooker I bought you last year. That's what this is," he said, lifting it down. "Stress is always the trigger. Now that the run up to Christmas has begun, you've stressed yourself again." He shook the spacecraft. "See, it's only a rice cooker."
"You mustn't do that!" I took the craft from him carefully and put it back. "You'll hurt the occupants."
"It's a rice cooker! Look, there's the plug."
"That's their recharging unit."
"Ugh! God, I hate this time of year! I hate the expense, I hate the stress, and I hate what it does to people. I hate the pressure. I hate seeing you like this."
Hum-bug.
Simon took my hand. "Come with me." He led me back upstairs and sat me on the side of the bed. He picked up the aliens control box and slid out the motherboard. "One, two, three... God, Becks! You're five pills up!"
"They don't like me touching their control box," I whispered. "It makes them nervous."
"Why are you whispering?"
"They're eavesdropping."
The big naked alien had followed us upstairs and was standing in the doorway of our bedroom, this time with his headdress somewhere around his middle.
"Go back downstairs, Davey," said Simon. "It's ok. Here, Becks. I want you to take this." He broke a piece off the motherboard and gave it to me.
"Take it where?"
"You need to swallow it, Becks."
"But you've damaged their control system and if I swallow that, they'll track me. I don't want them to track me."
"They won't track you. You have to swallow it." Simon's voice was becoming impatient.
"But I don't want to."
"Becks..."
Just then the big alien came into the room and picked up the water bottle that was still sitting on the bedside table. He picked up the component and put it in my mouth, and then handed me the bottle.
I looked at my husband. "He wants me to swallow it," I said with a component in my mouth.
"Yes, Becks. He wants you to swallow it."
So I did. When I woke up the aliens had gone and my son and I were curled up on the bed like spoons in a tray.
On Simon's bedside table was an early Christmas present from his colleagues; a jar of black and white sweets cuddled by a small green toy, with giant ears. Davey saw me looking at it.
"Humbug," he said.
Enjoy new writing from HWC authors.
A. J. Tomkins
Alicia Sledge
A Liz Philips Mystery
Bah! Humbug.
Caroline Werk
Carol Jones
Chris Parkinson
Christina Raven
Daren Peary
Hilary Price Jones
Janet Hindley
Lawrence Stribling
Margaret Colville
Stuart Handysides
Thom Jackson-Wood
Türkân Ahmet
Photos used under Creative Commons from Massimiliano Mitch, Lajolo, SubTrain Ian, twm1340, David McSpadden, Luis Ascenso


text:
Legislators' emoluments suit tossed; Serbian parliamentarian visited Trump's hotel
Three-judge panel unamiously tossed Congressional Democrats' lawsuit
This morning, a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that individual legislators do not have standing to sue the president for allegedly violating the Constitution's emoluments clauses.
Read the decision.
More than 200 Democratic Senators and Congresspeople filed the suit in June 2017. Two other suits alleging the Trump's businesses violate the Constitution's ban on the president receiving payments from foreign governments are also working their ways through the courts. Both cases also are dealing with whether the plaintiffs have cause to sue.
Today's ruling overturned a September, 2018 decision from U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan (a Clinton appointee) that the legislators had standing to sue.
Today's decision was from U.S. Circuit Court Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson (a George H.W. Bush appointee), David Tatel (a Clinton appointee), and Thomas Griffith (a George W. Bush appointee).
Officials from at least 30 different foreign governments now have visited U.S. president's D.C. hotel after Serbian legislator's appearance
Serbia became the 30th different country to have an official visit the Trump Hotel D.C. after a leader in its legislator posted photos from the lobby to his Instagram account.
The deputy speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Vladimir Marinkovic, shared three photos tagged to the Trump Hotel D.C. over a three-day span. And a picture posted to the Serbian-American Friendship Congress's Instagram account shows Marinkovic giving a thumbs up with former member of European parliament and leader of the U.K.'s Brexit Party, Nigel Farage. From a bar at the Trump Hotel D.C., Marinkovic considered the president's impeachment acquittal "#goodnews." And it looks like Marinkovic picked up the check for tea at the U.S. president's Pennsylvana Avenue buisiness.
Other notable sightings
A glimpse of the foreign officials, government employees, politicians, lobbyists, and the like who patronize or appear at Trump businesses. Most people shown here have reasons to want to influence the Trump administration, rely on its good graces for their livelihoods, or should be providing oversight. Additionally, high-profile guests serve as draws for paying customers.
Rep. John Ratcliffe (R–TX), posing with senior Trump campaign staffer Katrina Pierson, was spotted for the first time at the Trump Hotel D.C. Ratcliffe's campaign hasn't reported any disbursements at the hotel. As the Congressman sits on the House Intelligence Committee, now at least six of the panel's nine GOP members have supported the president's D.C. hotel.
Designer of the MAGA gown Andre Soriano and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R–FL) (who's been photographed often at the Trump Hotel D.C. recently and appears to have gotten out of the president's doghouse)
Rep. Lance Gooden (R–TX), who promoted his visit to the president's hotel on Facebook
Virginia farmer cum senior advisor to pro-Trump dark-money group America First Policies cum lobbyist for a Kuwaiti firm Martha Boneta, Farage, and chair of Trump Victory Fund and girlfriend of the president's son, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Lobbyist and public affairs executive David Spady of River Public Affairs Group—its listed clients include Americans for Prosperity, the National Gold Mining Corp, and CPAC—and Farage
Political consultant and international liaison Jimmy Chue, Trump 2016 campaign manager turned lobbyist Corey Lewandowski, some guy called The Godfather, and the partner of a lobbying firm who organizes the monthly Trump First Tuesdays for lobbyist networking at the hotel, John Willding
GOP consultant and corporate PR professional Matt Mackowiak
GOP donor, Fox News advertiser, Fox News guest, and Trump property regular, the My Pillow Guy, Mike Lindell
President Trump's attorneys Jenna Ellis, Jay Sekulow, and Pat Cipollone
Campaign expenditures
The campaign for Rep. Drew Ferguson (R–GA) spent $133.90 at the head of the executive branch's D.C. hotel for lodging on Nov. 13, 2019. This disbursement was the first his campaign has reported at the Trump Hotel D.C.
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"What President Trump's company charges the Secret Service" by David Fahrenthold for The Washington Post
"President's Chicago tax appeal on Trump Tower is under investigation" by Tim Novak for the Chicago Sun Times
Links to rundowns of developments in the House's investigations and lawsuits, reference sheets for some of 1100 Pennsylvania's previous reporting, and articles that provide the background on why all of this matters. The date published or last updated is in parentheses.
House investigations (Feb. 3, 2020)
Lawsuits (Feb. 7, 2020)
Breakdown of judges' rulings by political party of presidents who nominated them in emoluments, unfair competition, and House committee investigations lawsuits (Dec. 10, 2019)
Health inspections (latest change Jan. 27, 2020)
Notable hotel customers
Foreign governments with representatives spotted at the Trump Hotel D.C.: 30 (Feb. 7, 2020)
Trump cabinet members spotted at the Trump Hotel D.C.: 25 of 33 (Sept. 26, 2019)
U.S. Senators who've supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: 30 of 53 Republicans, one Democrat (Jan. 7, 2020)
House Judiciary members who've supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: Seven of 17 Republicans, no Democrats (Oct. 17, 2019)
House Intelligence members who've supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: Four of nine Republicans, 0 Democrats (Feb. 7, 2020)
House Oversight members who've supported the Trump Hotel D.C.: Six of 17 Republicans, no Democrats (Oct. 17, 2019)
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R–CA) found Trump's hotels competitive only after Trump's election (Sept. 12, 2019)
Rudy Giuliani at the Trump Hotel D.C: A retrospective (April 30, 2019)
25 unimpeachable examples of Trump profiting from his hotel: Foreign governments, Trump administration, GOP lawmakers, industry all have called on the Trump Hotel D.C. since its owner became president (Sept. 27, 2019)
"Power tripping in the swamp: How Trump's D.C. hotel swallowed Washington
The MAGA social scene is a movable feast, but its dark heart resides within the Old Post Office Building, where the Trump Org operates under a mercenary charter" by your correspondent for Vanity Fair (October 2019)
"Inside the world's most controversial hotel: The hotel that was expected to take its place among the crown jewels of D.C.'s travel scene has become a magnet for protestors, a West Wing Annex, and—possibly—the center of a constitutional crisis." by your correspondent for Condé Nast Traveler (May 2018)
Upcoming key dates
Sept. 23, 2019—House Judiciary Committee hearing "Presidential corruption: Emoluments and profiting off the presidency" (postponed, not yet rescheduled)
Jan. 23, 2020—Trump Organization's deadline to bid for the lease rights to its D.C. hotel.
March 3, 2020—Status hearing with D.C. Superior Court in former hotel employees' lawsuit alleging racial discrimination
March 31, 2020—Supreme Court hears Trump's appeal of earlier rulings requiring his financial institutions to comply with subpoenas from House Financial Services, Intelligence, and Oversight Committees and the New York district attorney's office
June 2020—Supreme Court decision due on Trump's appeal of earlier rulings requiring his financial institutions to comply with subpoenas from House Financial Services, Intelligence, and Oversight
Thanks for reading! If you like what you've read, tell someone. If you've been forwarded this newsletter, subscribe at 1100pennsylvania.substack.com. Questions? Read our FAQ. Tips or feedback? Contact Zach Everson at 1100Pennsylvania@protonmail.com (it'll be encrypted if you also use a ProtonMail account, which is free) or via Signal (secure), SMS, or mobile at 202.804.2744.


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If you're in want of home repairs or reworking and wish to save thousands of dollars on your initiatives, try applying for dwelling enchancment grants. The judicial power extends to cases arising underneath the Constitution, an Act of Congress ; a U.S. treaty ; cases affecting ambassadors , ministers and consuls of foreign nations within the U.S.; instances and controversies to which the federal government is a celebration; controversies between states (or their citizens) and foreign nations (or their citizens or subjects); and bankruptcy instances (collectively "federal-query jurisdiction").
It was expected that some foreign banks would also enter the market after the financial reforms but this did not happen, in all probability as a result of restriction of having a minimum 30% native shareholding. Aside from GSA there are a lot of other federal and state government businesses and departments that additionally promote surplus property – state DOT division, and plenty of others.
Subsequently the Registrar of Banks in the Ministry of Finance, in liaison with the RBZ, began issuing licences to new players as the financial sector opened up. From the mid-Nineties as much as December 2003, there was a flurry of entrepreneurial exercise in the financial sector as indigenous owned banks were arrange. The graph below depicts the trend in the numbers of economic institutions by category, operating since 1994.
Government grants can be availed by the qualifiers and the shock news in this is you needn't pay it again again to the governing body. Historically, most political programs originated as socioeconomic ideologies Experience with these movements in energy and the robust ties they might should particular types of government can cause them to be thought of as types of government in themselves.
The San Mateo County Transit District will present free bus and train rides to all federal government workers affected by the shutdown beginning on Thursday, January 24. Federal employees will need to present their federal government employee identification playing cards to bus operators on SamTrans and train conductors on CalTrain.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) that offer cash to the banks to make mortgage loans, guarantee or insure the bulk of the non-FHA mortgages. A few different the explanation why divorces are at an all time excessive is due to infidelity, usually occasions folks develop aside with every thing that appears to be taking place within life.
The government of a country is the group of individuals chargeable for ruling it. After government you need to use both a singular or plural form of a verb. Many auctions require that you just pay for the automobiles you purchase with a financial institution draft so remember to examine the fee necessities of any particular public sale before you attend.
Do you wish to put up your own cleaning business, but shouldn't have enough money for it? Many features carried out by native authorities, comparable to paying out housing profit and council tax benefit, are funded or substantially half-funded by central government. Government takes the required steps to make life simple for the folks of the nation.
In case you want to learn what the federal companies are projecting to purchase throughout the remainder of the fiscal 12 months, however for which they have not but created precise contracts, you could find every company's Forecast of Contract Alternatives at their very own web page, normally by looking for the "Small Enterprise Office." This forecast is a "want checklist" of what they wish to purchase, and an important place for you to decide if it is price your time to pursue an company as a target.
Harvey argues that the reticence of government to intervene within the financial sector might be explained by the fact that it did not want to jeopardise the interests of the white inhabitants, of which banking was an integral half. You might be given the possibility to gain grants and receive free money to simply start up your own cleaning enterprise.
And for those students who have immense ideas and dreams but lack of cash cannot drive them towards success for them Government schooling grants are offering assist and a little bit of effort on the scholars half can make them successful.
You've got probably seen the advertisements: BUY GOVERNMENT CARS AT PUBLIC SALE FOR $200. Cash is required to construct public colleges, roads and bridges and provide services like welfare assistance, well being care, unemployment benefits, and many others. Government provides grants each year, so if you need money to start up your personal cleansing business, you can apply for it.
He further argues that licensing new banks does not imply increased competition because it assumes that the brand new banks will have the ability to attract competent administration and that legislation and financial institution supervision will be adequate to stop fraud and thus stop financial institution collapse and the resultant financial disaster.
The most primary objective of these grants is to help individuals who want financial help in those areas and people who find themselves denied by the private organizations.
The customs and excise authorities assess and accumulate the customs and excise duties levied by the government as an essential income. The U.S. Supreme Court docket adjudicates " instances and controversies "—issues pertaining to the federal government, disputes between states, and interpretation of the United States Constitution, and, usually, can declare laws or government action made at any degree of the government as unconstitutional , nullifying the law and creating precedent for future regulation and decisions.
After the Government has obtained all the information that it needs in an effort to assign you your individual Government business registration records, you might be good to go. This assigned quantity will stick with you the whole time that your business is operational.
One other impression of the agrarian reform programme was that most farmers who had borrowed money from banks could not service the loans yet the government, which took over their companies, refused to assume duty for the loans. As America continues to climb deeper in debt, the government is confronted with providing extra money to help folks turn into debt free.
Before everything I will blame the unions for the financial issues that the automakers are having right now, with their bloated well being plans, retirement plans, and severance plans, and subsequent in line has to come back the American folks, for even entertaining the idea of shopping for an import automobile.
Cash is a very powerful component that acts as a driving drive to spend our life. With regard to work hours, then again, government staff often have to stick only to a regular nine-to-5 schedule and there's hardly any have to work further hours – a very engaging perk for people who wish to spend extra time with their households.
four. To come up with financial stories pertaining to the results of operations of varied government companies which can be for dissemination to the public. Present international banks were not required to shed a part of their shareholding although Barclay's Financial institution did, by means of itemizing on the native inventory exchange.
Government Enterprise Data have to be filed on all companies that choose to function within the United States. Federal agencies rely on electronics, as do most businesses and houses. The power of the federal courts extends both to civil actions for damages and different redress, and to criminal cases arising beneath federal regulation. Create knowledgeable web site describing your companies and products and clearly outline the way you match into the government market.
Truly, government has elevated its assistance; the government now gives money for Business Begin-Up, Training, Dwelling Buy, Home Repair, Innovations and Innovation. Local United Approach chapters are offering monetary companies, counseling and, emergency help with hire, meals and different basics.
Government grants on the entire are funds which are awarded by the government itself with no pursuits and don't even require pay backs. The government grants for minorities, to start up a new enterprise is a superb benefit to the minorities, as it could possibly help in many ways of their business. As well as simply the free money in debt aid that the government supplies, there's billions of dollars which might be helping all walks of life for quite a lot of causes.


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Bills safety Damar Hamlin honored before Chiefs-Raiders, Titans-Jaguars games
January 7, 2023, 4:32 p.m. ·2 min read
The NFL continued on Saturday, but reminders of Damar Hamlin were everywhere.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders kicked off Saturday afternoon in the first game since Hamlin, the second-year Buffalo Bills safety, had a cardiac emergency on the field Monday night. The NFL had announced that teams would have various tributes to him this week.
The most obvious one before the game was the "Love for Damar" shirts players and coaches from both teams wore, with Hamlin's No. 3 jersey on them. Both head coaches, Andy Reid of the Chiefs and Josh McDaniels of the Raiders, wore the shirts in warmups.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wore a hoodie with a small heart and "Damar" on the front and "Hamlin Strong" on the back.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid wears a shirt in honor of Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wears a shirt in honor of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster also honored Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Before the second game on Saturday, the Jaguars and Titans gathered at midfield for a group prayer.
Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars players meet on the field to say a prayer. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
When ESPN cut to the broadcast of Chiefs-Raiders, the broadcasters and sideline reporter didn't talk about the Chiefs going for the No. 1 AFC playoff seed, but Hamlin, his health and how the Bills have reacted to it. The network showed fans with signs supporting Hamlin.
Also, the "3" at the 30-yard line at Allegiant Stadium was outlined in blue, one of the Bills' colors.
Just before the national anthem, the PA announcer at Allegiant Stadium acknowledged the prayers for Hamlin, thanked first responders and health professionals and asked for a "moment of support and love for Damar" in which fans cheered for Hamlin.
The Bills offered an update on Hamlin's health on Saturday.
The games will go on in Week 18, with plenty of reminders of Hamlin at every stadium.
Canadian doctors spend 18.5 million hours on unnecessary paperwork, says new report
HALIFAX — Canadian doctors spend 18.5 million hours per year on unnecessary administrative work — the equivalent of more than 55 million patient visits — a report published Monday by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says. Dr. Leisha Hawker, president of Doctors Nova Scotia, which represents all licensed physicians in the province, said eliminating paperwork redundancies and shortening medical forms can improve patient care and reduce burnout experienced by doctors. "A lot of physi
Alberta's advanced education minister says new steps to "strengthen free speech" on post-secondary campuses will be announced in the near future, news that follows a decision by one university to reverse course on a planned speech by a controversial academic. The University of Lethbridge said this week that former Mount Royal University professor Frances Widdowson, who'd been scheduled to do a lecture Wednesday night on campus, would not be provided space. She had been fired from MRU in 2021. Wi
Liberals should legislate long-term care standards to fulfil pledge in pact, says NDP
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More than 100 layoffs coming at Evraz pipe mill in Regina
Evraz North America will be laying off more than 100 workers at its pipe mill in Regina. The company expects to issue notices sometime this week, with the layoffs happening in mid-February, according to Michael Yeats, a senior vice president with Evraz North America. Yeats blames cheap imports for the layoffs. "There has been a really rapid increase in the number of imports in the Canadian market recently and those imports are being sold oftentimes below our cost, which is costing us market shar
Blinken urges Israelis and Palestinians to 'restore calm' as tension is high
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the need for de-escalation of violence that has spiralled in the region in recent days, during his Middle East trip and conversation with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
MATCHDAY: Newcastle aims for cup final; Inter vs. Atalanta
A look at what's happening in European soccer on Tuesday: ENGLAND Newcastle is looking to reach its first domestic cup final this century when the Saudi-owned team takes a 1-0 lead over Southampton into the second leg of the League Cup semifinals. Joelinton scored the only goal of the first leg last week. Newcastle hasn't won a major trophy since the FA Cup in 1955 and has only played in the League Cup final once — in 1976 when the team lost to Manchester City. Newcastle's last cup final appeara
News bulletin 2023/01/31 20:15
News bulletin 2023/01/31 20:15View on euronews
Fernandez signing caps big-spending Chelsea's latest spree
Chelsea completed another staggering spending spree by its new American ownership — more than $350 million this time — by signing Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez for a British-record fee on the final day of the January transfer window on Tuesday. A day of negotiations between Benfica and Chelsea's co-owners ended with the Premier League club agreeing to pay the release clause of 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million) in the 22-year-old World Cup winner's contract. The Portuguese club announce
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples calls for end to police brutality in Canada
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Toronto man sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for violent sexual assaults
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New national standards for long-term care homes unveiled
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First Nations must be included in health-care meetings with premiers, PM: Southern Chiefs' Organization
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Polar vortex's return will mean dangerous -50 wind chill in Ontario
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Iberostar reopens hotels in Cuba with new anti-COVID 19 measures
12 October 2020 Iberostar
After it was announced that Varadero would reopen to welcome back foreign holidaymakers on 15th October, Cuba's most popular beach resort is readying with preventative measures against coronavirus. Iberostar, in particular, has announced the opening of its hotels in Cuba and it does so with a set of new anti-COVID 19 measures to guarantee the safety of their guests.
Cuba is ready to start welcoming back international tourists to its most popular beach resort of Varadero after an official announcement that the area would open to foreign visitors on 15th October. In the initial phase of the planned reopening process, foreign holidaymakers will be able to stay in four and five-star hotels with some chains already announcing their preventive measures and new safety protocols to contain the spread of coronavirus. Varadero had previously been closed on 25th May and then restricted to national tourists only starting July. While most provinces in Cuba are now in the last and final stage of the de-scalation measures following confinement, Varadero but Havana and Ciego de Avila remain in stage 0, which means they still remain out of bounds for national and international visitors.
Varadero is a key driver in Cuba's tourism industry so it's reopening has been welcomed by Cuban tourism authorities and foreign tour operators alike, as well as filling with hope potential winter escape artists looking for sun and fun, especially now that we're so close to the peak winter season and the near-future looks bleaker than ever in Europe with the pandemic's increasingly worrying second wave. But in the midst of all this, why Cuba? Why should you travel there now? Is it safe to do so? We told you all about how Cuba is one of the best places in which to enjoy a blissful holiday right now and escape the coronavirus dread in our previous blog and now we're here to tell you why Varadero is one of your safest options when it comes to beach holiday destinations.
As Varadero reopens its doors to the world this October, Iberostar has announced the gradual opening of its Cuba hotels in Varadero with the first three to reopen on 15th October being the following: Iberostar Selection Varadero, Iberostar Selection Bella Vista Varadero and Iberostar Tainos. To these free, another three will follow in November: Iberostar Selection Ensenachos, Iberostar Selection Holguin and Iberostar Daiquiri.
Want to escape the global dire news about coronavirus in a safe environment? Want to learn more about how Cuba holidays in Varadero will be kept safe by following strict health protocols? Want to find out what Iberostar is doing to guarantee the safety of its Varadero guests? Keep reading.
New coronavirus measures applicable to all Cuba hotels in Varadero
During the first phase of Varadero's reopening Cuban tourism authorities revealed that a specialised medical team will be present at all hotels which will periodically check the health of guests to detect symptoms related to coronavirus.
Another measure common to all hotels in Varadero will be the requirement to pay for all services using a credit or debit card in order to avoid the manipulation of cash and thus prevent unnecessary risk of contagion from human contact through physical exchanges. Excursions or activities outside each hotel resort will be within an approved zone and linked to the Gaviota and Chapelin marinas, gastronomic services, shopping centres and entertainment. The dolphinarium will also reopen.
Varadero's International Airport reopens
Considered Cuba's second main important due to the volume of visitors it receives (30% of incoming traffic), Varadero's International Airport has now reopened to foreign arrivals after having established new biosecurity protocols to welcome back visitors. After closing on 28th March to contain the spread of the pandemic, several infrastructural works were carried out throughout the airport and the closing presented itself as an opportunity to carry out maintenance work. Varadero's international airport now reopens with a fresh makeover and more health and hygiene measures in place.
Introducing Iberostar's new HOW WE CARE programme in Cuba
Among the first to announce the reopening in Varadero, Iberostar wants to instil peace of mind among future guests and holidaymakers with the launch of the "How we Care" programme. With the aim of making holiday stays as safe and carefree as possible again, the Spanish hotel chain has created new circularity policies across all of its resorts, in Cuba and beyond, with new hygiene and disinfection protocols verified by SGS, the world leading company in inspection, verification, testing and certification.
As part of their "safe environment" policies to protect guests, employees and the local ecosystem they have carried out external checks such as Earth Check, Cristal. All Iberostar properties also are in strict compliance with WHO health recommendations and local laws in relation to coronavirus-related protocol. Health checks for suppliers and employees are carried out frequently and all resorts have a 24/7 centralised medical service with ambulance and safety/isolation rooms in a designated area of each hotel.
Following Iberostar's Honest Food philosophy, all the food and ingredients are sourced from known local providers with controlled traceability while specialised personnel in hotels has been trained to implement hygiene and protection measures.
Elevated Hygiene Standards
As soon as you arrive to the hotel you will notice the emphasis on constant cleaning and disinfection with a reinforcement of hygiene measures designed to make guests feel at ease and leave all worries behind. Guests staying in either of Iberostar's Varadero hotels can get tuck into delicious food fare at the buffet with new safety measure like the single touch procedure, individually presented food plates and protocols to minimise food wastage.
Following advice from virology experts, Iberostar hotels have adapted a variety of protocols to the new circumstances with an increased frequency of disinfection of all indoors and outdoors space (before use and several times a day) coupled with a new cleaning programme.
A specific protocol to clean and disinfect rooms is also in place with a thorough cleaning of all textiles as well as all surfaces.
Safe Social Spaces
Who would want to spend a Cuba holiday indoors when there is beach and sun to enjoy? As enticing as Iberostar hotels' indoor spaces are, they are making more use of their open spaces not only for safety reasons but to emphasise the beauty and privilege of being in this blessed part of the world.
Varadero hotel's open spaces bring you closer to nature and further protect guests and employees. New signage is being put in place at Iberostar resorts to indicate the direction of the flow of people and avoid crowds forming at any point.
As a result, there are fewer tables spaced further between at the hotels' a la carte restaurant with prior bookings required. At buffet restaurants there is now more space between the different food sections with more seating and food stations now placed outdoors to create new dining experiences.
Hotel occupancy is also set at a maximum of 70% of their capacity, to further ensure spacing in common areas such as pools (sun loungers are set further apart) and lounges with furniture.
In addition to all this, guests can continue to enjoy meals in the comfort and safety of their rooms with room service.
When it comes to entertainment, most hotel activities have been redesigned to take place outdoors (workshops, dance classes, live music shows) or indoors with limited capacity. Furthermore, family activities will be carried out in smaller groups subject to prior booking, making family holidays a safer option for parents and children alike. On that note, Iberostar's signature Star Camp for kids will have a new "doctor superhero". character who will explain to kids how to safely interact and play together while following the new procedures with socially distanced games and more.
An Innovative Experience
To round up Iberostar's efforts for coronavirus-safe holidays in Cuba, the hotel chain is promoting innovative ways for customer to communicate and interact with staff onsite, so that they can get personalised attention without face-to-face contact.
To that end, they have created a new digital pre-check-in service online that is also flexible and easier than ever before. The My room Online service is also temporarily suspended.
Following their paperless philosophy, restaurant menus and room menus have been replaced with digital media via their mobile phone app, Totems and QR codes. Paper versions will still be available for those that request it but the emphasis is on reducing the use of paper contact, both to avoid viral infection and for environmental reasons.
Iberostar has also improved their contactless experience through their app and 24-hour e-concierge service, which offers all of their hotel services a few clicks away; from booking a table for dinner to checking out menus, searching for entertainment options and activities and booking spa sessions.
Re-start your year with Iberostar in Cuba
We can't go back in time and make 2020 a happier, less baffling and frustrating 2020, but as we ready for 2021 and wave goodbye to this disastrous year, we can recharge batteries and look forward to new starts with an invigorating Cuba holiday and be inspired by the warmth and beauty of the tropics. That's the message Iberostar wants to convey, a full reset and re-start with a de-stressing Cuba holiday on glorious Varadero beach this coming season.
Iberostar's #ReStartYourYear campaign intends to reignite the passion for travel among wary and understandably concerned worldwide holidaymakers by reassuring them that they can escape the gloom and doom in dreamy beach enclaves at resorts that follow strict safety measures in controlled spaces. The spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Cuba has had its peculiarities, as we explained in our previous blog, but it still remains one of the safest places in which to enjoy a tropical beach holiday this 2020!
COVID-19 Cuba Hotels Iberostar Varadero