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Small-business owner faces fees of at least $30K due to delays after shipping container flagged for inspection | CBC News Loaded
Small-business owner faces fees of at least $30K due to delays after shipping container flagged for inspection
A small-business owner in Burnaby, B.C., could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in fees after her container was flagged for inspection by the Canada Border Services Agency amid international shipping congestion.
Global shipping congestion is leading to lack of available space at federally approved examination facilities
Joel Ballard · CBC News · Posted: Nov 11, 2021 1:25 PM EST | Last Updated: November 12, 2021
Small business owner Xiao Jing He of Burnaby, B.C., says a shipping container she booked to transport supplies from China was flagged for random inspection and has been sitting at the DeltaPort terminal in Delta, B.C., since Oct. 23, where it has been accumulating daily fees. (CBC News)
A small-business owner could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in fees after her container was flagged for inspection by the Canada Border Services Agency amid international shipping congestion.
Xiao Jing He, from Burnaby, B.C., is hoping to start a construction management company in the Lower Mainland. She says she booked a shipping container to transport all her supplies from China — the first container she'd ever ordered for her small business.
When the container arrived at the DeltaPort terminal in Delta, B.C., on Oct. 23, Xiao says it was flagged by the CBSA for random inspection, which required that it be transferred to a specialized marine container examination facility.
However, there is no room at any of the specialized warehouses in the Lower Mainland. The soonest day Xiao's container can be booked in is Dec. 6, she says.
While the container sits at the terminal, it's being hit with daily fees from both the port and the shipping service, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which are estimated to total more than $30,000 by the time the container is finally moved on Dec. 6.
At this point, it's unclear how high the final bill will climb.
Container congestion in Vancouver a sign of global supply chain chaos
"Six months of hard work, years of saving, and the dream to live a better life scattered because of this random inspection," said Xiao.
"After everything is said and done, we might end up with a bill that will take years to pay."
She says the fees will kill her business before it even gets off the ground.
"I feel helpless. I don't know what to do. I don't know who I can turn to … I feel like I got punished by being unlucky."
Fees breakdown
Both DeltaPort and MSC charge daily fees after a specified number of free days.
Their base fees start at $149.20 Cdn and $115 US per day, respectively, then continue to grow if delays continue. If the empty container isn't returned to MSC within a certain time period, the company adds a further $5,000 US late fee.
There will also likely be extra daily fees charged by MSC following examination until the container is returned.
Moreover, as well as being responsible for booking the inspection facility, Xiao must also pay for her container to be transferred there and for the cargo to be unloaded and reloaded. The CBSA covers the cost of the inspection.
Xiao says the Canada Border Services Agency needs to recognize the financial impact of its inspection wait times. (Gary Tapp/CBC News)
Shipping backlogs
Though the international shipping industry is a complex system, the cause of the backlog is quite simple, according to the Retail Council of Canada.
Once the pandemic hit, much of the world came to a halt. CEO Diane Brisebois says factories closed, ports shuttered and transportation companies struggled to find staff.
Burnaby Board of Trade demands investigation as shipping costs soar more than 400% in 2021
At the same time, Canadians had extra cash in their pockets and began to increase their online shopping habits.
"It's the whole issue of supply and demand," said Brisebois. "All of us are shopping and there are just not enough containers, not enough ships, not enough trucks."
Due to the demand, shipping costs have also risen, in some cases by 400 per cent. Xiao says it cost her $20,000 to ship her single container from China.
"The supply chain issue is probably the most unwelcome news for small businesses," said Brisebois.
Based on discussions with industry, she believes the international shipping traffic jam won't clear until at least December 2022.
Every day Xiao's container sits at the DeltaPort terminal, it incurs fees — not just from the port, but also from the shipping company. She worries those fees could kill her construction management company before it even starts. (CBC News)
'Our system is so broken'
The CBSA admits that global supply chain congestion has resulted in delays transporting containers to warehouse facilities.
Once a container has arrived, it says it is committed to completing the inspection within one or two days.
"Although sensitive to the current operational impacts and disruptions, the requirements to fulfil the CBSA's mandated marine container screening, examination processing, and other government department and international commercial agreements remain," said a spokesperson in a statement.
The CBSA says that, ultimately, the cost levied on importers by the shipping industry is outside its authority.
"However, the agency is committed to improving the examination process and exploring potential efficiencies through commitments to work collaboratively with industry associations and committees," it said.
Though it may be too late for anything to be done in Xiao's case, she hopes the CBSA recognizes the ever-growing financial impact of its inspection wait times.
Lingering global supply-chain challenges resulting in months-long wait for appliances
She says the border agency should increase warehouse capacity during the shipping backlog to avoid the delays.
"Why do we as a small business need to pay for all that because our infrastructure is so left behind?" she asked.
"Our system is so broken. It couldn't handle the surge of the containers."
Complaints about lack of food, neglect in small B.C. care home lead to licence suspension for nurse
Was the Englesea Lodge set on fire so Vancouver's seawall could be completed? 40 years on, the mystery remains
Tugboat crashes on B.C.'s North Coast 9 months after deadly incident along the same route


Welcome to Orchard Facilities Management's affiliates page, here you will find a list of businesses and organisations with whom we work alongside or who support us in our facilities management services.
At Hine Chartered Insurance Brokers we help our clients with a wide range of insurance and financial services, whether it's protecting the building, stock, and staff of a large factory, or covering a luxury vehicle belonging to one of our private clients.
We believe in consistently delivering quality, cost-effective insurance with an impeccable and professional service, something which is highlighted by our Chartered status.


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Home / International / veterans / Remains of U.S. Paratrooper Found in Afghanistan
Remains of U.S. Paratrooper Found in Afghanistan
Remains of U.S. Paratrooper Found in AfghanistanNovember 30, 2009	TL
Internationalveterans
From ENEWSPF:
The remains of a U.S. paratrooper reported missing since early this month in western Afghanistan were recovered yesterday, military officials said.
The body of Army Sgt. Brandon Islip was recovered from the Bala Murgahab River in Badghis province after a local Afghan resident provided information on his whereabouts, officials said.
Islip, a paratrooper with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, went missing with another paratrooper Nov. 4 after being swept away by a fast-moving current while on an airdrop re-supply mission in western Afghanistan.
The recovery comes weeks after British divers found the body of Islip's fellow soldier, Spc. Benjamin Sherman, who was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


How well do you remember the decade of Watergate and ABBA? Test your knowledge of the iconic seventies with 1000 quiz questions that cover the music, movies, TV, sports and current events of this most remarkable decade.
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Test your general knowledge with 2000 quiz questions and answers for the whole family, organised into 200 different quizzes. Covering everything from TV and film, to travel, news, music and more, there's plenty here to keep you quizzing for hours.
3,660 general knowledge questions for the whole family.
Test your knowledge every day with the Daily Quiz. Packed with pot luck questions covering film, books, television, art, history, travel and more, it presents ten questions for every day of the year – including leap years!
2000 general knowledge questions for the whole family. A bumper collection of 200 quizzes covering movies and tv, travel and geography, news and history, people, places, sport and more. The perfect play-at-home quiz book, or the basis of a pub quiz for friends, family and charity nights.
The Great Big Quiz Book 1 contains more than 2,000 pot luck questions for the whole family. From TV and film to history and travel – by way of science, technology, food and drink, animals, pets and more!
How well do you know the Bailiwick of Guernsey? Test yourself with this book, packed with 1000 questions in 100 quizzes for all the family.


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A 28-Year American Funds Vet Retires
Reported by Bridget Doyle
A senior vice president on the external sales force at American Funds [profile] has left after 28 years with the company. MFWire has learned that New York-based Ruth Collier retired last month.
"We are appreciative of Ruth's contributions over the years. We wish her all the best in her next chapter," a company spokesperson from Capital Group, the asset manager behind American Funds, tells MFWire.
Collier was most recently an SVP and regional wholesaler for the company. She worked with financial advisors through the company's non-institutional wealth management business.
Correspondence with Collier's company email has been redirected to Paul Santoro, a Boston-based northeast division manager at American Funds.
An alumna of Tufts University, Collier holds dual bachelor's degrees in English and music.


So What Is This Audio App?
Find this really helpful, if you are trying to do branded song intro and you want to get the exact chords, so your audio elements blend harmoniously.
Also great if you are trying re-create the track or perhaps do a mashup.
This one used to be available as a mobile app for iOS priced at $35 usd.
Nothing really, well aside from them gathering your emails as they require you to input your email ad before you get the file, so if you are GDPR crazy, you might want to skip this.
Other than that it is a basic music tool, guitarists will surely find this interesting.
The chord detection part is the seller.
From their website, they stopped the mobile app development due probably to licensing concerns with songs.
However, you might find that there are times the app inaccurately detects the chords, so there is that.


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Together Forever (至此终年) — Chapter 14.1
April 2, 2016 by hoju	11 Comments
Can you imagine how significant the events, how deep the wounds must have been for a person's personality to do a complete a 360 degree change?
Chapter 14.1 – The Love At the Time (1)
That evening, when they returned to the hospital, another of the patients in the room was already asleep, and for reasons unknown, she had no family or other people staying to take care of her. The family member of the patient nearest the window had pulled the bed curtains shut and was quietly conversing with the patient.
Opening her notebook, Tong Yan began reading over a stack of copied class notes that had been printed out.
In order to express that she had toiled away with great difficulty to take down these notes, Shen Yao had every so often written some words enclosed in parenthesis between the lines of the actual notes. For instance, there was "(The boy in the desk next to me is looking at me)" or "(Goddess of Nightmares's clothes are so tacky today)", or similar, and from these, Tong Yan was always able to imagine what sort of state Shen Yao was in when she was in class … She read for a little while, then sent a text message to Shen Yao: Gu Pingsheng is back.
In less than a minute, Shen Yao called her on the phone.
"He's back? He's really back?!" Shen Yao was clearly more excited than her. "Let me tell you, you need to give him a good schooling. Such a huge thing happened, and he didn't come back until now … But, oh well, forget it. Men always have a lot of excuses. As long as they're acceptable, then it's fine."
Tong Yan was about to die laughing listening to her, and holding her phone, she stepped out of the room.
"Did he gather you into his arms, give you fierce, hard kiss, and say, 'Wifey, it's been hard for you. Thank you."
"…… You could say he did."
Shen Yao laughed gleefully. "You're at home? Or at his home? Or at the hospital?"
"The hospital." She stood in front of the hospital room, watching as two nurses walked by. "It's the final course of chemo. Grandmother will probably be discharged from the hospital in July or so. It'll be perfect timing, and I can go back to take my final exams."
Shen Yao was now alone in the dormitory all day long and had long since been going mad with loneliness, so hearing her say this, she immediately cheered jubilantly and quickly stated, "In any case, he's back now, so make him help you keep watch over Grandmother through the night. It's in times like these that men should come forward and help. You can put 'em to the test."
Tong Yan brushed over this with a couple of vague sentences, and then picking up her notebook, she began to ask about the places in the notes where the handwriting was illegible. Shen Yao was terrible in physics as well, and for most of the notes, she had basically taken them down and then forgotten about them. She did not even know what she had written, but clinging on to face and pride, she answered with a bunch of nonsense that caused Tong Yan to grow even more confused after listening to her.
Eventually, she decided instead to ask Gu Pingsheng the next day.
When she hung up the call, she happened to hear the conversation of several personnel who were on night shift.
Within the abundant amount of gossip that was being exchanged, she faintly caught the words, "Doctor Gu." Subconsciously feeling it might have to do with him, she pretended to lower her head and send text messages while she listened carefully to the details of the dialogue. Gradually, though, she discovered that there was something not right, and listening further, she realized that by "Doctor Gu," they were actually referring to his mother, Gu Tongke.
There were many comments and opinions and all of them were good ones, such as, "Doctor Gu was so nice to people and even nicer to patients, and she took such good care of the graduate students that she mentored. No matter how busy she was, she would still go to cities in other provinces to perform surgeries, too."
As she mechanically pressed the keyboard on her mobile phone, she imagined what type of person his mother might have been … Based on what he had said in the past, his mother was someone who was always very calm, having even taught him as a child how to gain control of his own emotions.
"I've always heard that Associate Chief Physician Gu was very good-natured and stuff. The ones nowadays are too arrogant and look down on people. The other day, I even saw the three associate chiefs of cardiology get in an actual fight." The young nurse's lips curled into a sneer. "Two men and one woman having a war of words. What a lively and exciting sight."
The young nurse's face was animated as she recounted this.
Tong Yan had heard about enough and was just about to turn around and go back when she heard some dialogue regarding him.
"Actually, Doctor Gu's son's temperament was not good. He was always so cold and unfriendly." A nurse who appeared to be approaching thirty years old suddenly mentioned him. Though she had not specifically stated any names, Tong Yan could guess that she was referring to him. "But these doctors all have such weird temperaments. He'd actually be considered pretty normal, just that he didn't really like talking to people."
Bad temperament. Didn't like talking to people.
That did seem like the feeling she had gotten the very, very first time she saw him.
"And then afterwards, during the SARS outbreak, he changed a lot. This afternoon when he was here, he was like a completely different person from before." The nurse gave a sigh and added, "I heard that he saw Doctor Gu commit suicide. It was at home … No wonder his personality has changed so drastically. It had to have had some sort of effect on him …"
While her heart was palpitating from listening to this, from the corner of her eye, she saw Gu Pingsheng walking over from the elevators.
After a brief moment of surprise, she quickly adjusted the expression on her face and turned her head to smile at him, acting as if she had not heard anything.
The resting area for nurses did not have a view of the entire hallway, and as a result, those nurses continued their discussion and did not notice at all that the person who was central to their conversation topic was actually here. Only when he drew near did the nurse who knew Gu Pingsheng suddenly shut her mouth in realization, but then, remembering that he was actually deaf, her expression relaxed again.
Gu Pingsheng glanced in their direction and gave a polite smile.
Those nurses greeted him rather awkwardly, "Doctor Gu? You're here so late?"
Out of habit, they still addressed him as "doctor."
"I came to see my wife." He pointed at Tong Yan. "I was worried she wouldn't be able to handle everything alone."
When he spoke, his eyes were on her.
With his words, the nurses followed his gaze toward her. Tong Yan's cheeks reddened slightly. This was the first time she felt that eavesdropping on people's gossip was even more shameful than gossiping about people.
Inside the hospital room, the patient and her family member who had been chatting earlier on were now asleep. Worried that she would disturb the other people, Tong Yan pulled him into the stairwell. The breeze that blew in through the window carried the feeling of a busy city core and blended with the heavy smell of disinfectant from the hallway, causing a person to feel slightly dazed. She raised her arm and glanced at her watch. It was past eleven o'clock already.
Three hours. The two of them had been apart for only three hours, and now he was here again and so late at night, too.
"I'm probably still adjusting to jet lag. I laid down and read for a bit but still could not fall asleep, so I came here to see you."
He explained it in this way, but unfortunately, those eyes of his had already clearly stated the true reason. He missed her.
"I can't sleep either." Echoing in Tong Yan's mind were still those nurses' words, but concerned that he might perceive something, she raised the stack of notes in her hands instead. "Since you can't sleep too, how about doing some physics problems with me?"
As this sentence slipped from her lips, she ended up laughing at herself first. Oh, dear Lord, what kind of lame excuse was that? …
"Sure." He also could not hold back a smile. As he took the notes from her hand, he happened to see Shen Yao's comments that were written in parenthesis. "Shen Yao is truly a rather fun student."
"Don't say the word, 'student.'" She snatched the top sheet of notes back from him. "She is Mrs. Gu's best friend. When you say she's your 'student,' it makes me feel really weird and awkward."
" 'Covering your eyes while stealing a bell[1]' [only deceiving yourself]." After he had smilingly made his critique, he carried on looking at the other sheets of notes that had been below the previous one. "Go grab a newspaper."
Tong Yan gave him a puzzled look.
"To spread on the windowsill. It'll be easier to work and solve problems that way."
She happily accepted this assigned task.
And so, with an air of earnestness, the two of them truly began to do physics problems in the stairwell. He was very focused and serious as he explained things to her but Tong Yan's mind would frequently wander, and by some time past three o'clock in the morning, she could no longer keep herself from drifting off. With her elbow propped on the newspaper-covered windowsill, she sleepily closed her eyes. Very soon, she felt a warm touch against her lips, and her eyes flew open.
"Go back in to sleep." He had already straightened himself back up, and putting the cap on the pen, he said, "It's almost four o'clock."
"You're still not sleepy?" She had no real experience with jet lag, and only now, after seeing that his dark eyes were still bright, did she at last have a bit of a sense of what it was. "No wonder you looked like you were always really tired during the day. And here I was all worried for no reason."
"It will gradually get better. It's only because I just got back and haven't adjusted yet."
"I'll keep you company for a little bit longer. Just this night." Her eyes swept over their quiet surroundings. "How about you tell me a ghost story? I'm really easily scared. Once you've finished telling it, I'll immediately lose all my sleepiness."
"Ghost story?" Gu Pingsheng was silent for a moment. "I really can't think of any."
"You said before that people who studied medicine are the best at telling ghost stories." She reminded him, "It was during that first time we went to the Upper Building. I told you a ghost story but you weren't scared at all. Didn't you tell me at the time that medical schools are the birthplace of ghost stories? That the classrooms, laundry rooms, shower rooms, washrooms, cafeterias, and even every dormitory room and every bed have a ghost story that can be told about them?"
Gu Pingsheng had a very innocent smile on his face. "I really said that?"
"Of course. If medical schools already have so many ghost stories, then hospitals should definitely have even more." Tong Yan seemed to suddenly think of something. "Alright, 'fess up. Did you ever tell ghost stories to female nurses or other girls and then take that chance to get touchy with them?"
"I honestly don't know how to tell ghost stories." His smile grew even more innocent. "But I do remember, before, when the students from the medical college came here to pick up the bodies that had been donated for medical study, it was through this stairwell here that they left. Out of respect for the deceased, the people who were moving the cadavers would not carry out any conversation, and so over time, anyone from the hospital who passed through this place would also keep their silence."
Instantly, her hands and feet turned to ice, and her heart hammered so heavily her chest hurt. So that meant, tonight, they had violated the taboo … The night wind at four o'clock was a little chilly and even more so made the skin crawl. And yet, there he was laughing.
"Really?" She did not dare turn to look out the window. Clinging tightly to his hand, she still felt as if her hairs were standing on end, and she slipped herself in close to his chest.
Too scary. In the middle of the night, simple sentences like those could definitely cause people to make all sorts of mental associations.
"No, it's fake." He pulled her into his embrace. "How is that possible? This place is just the oncology department."
But as a result of his little untruth, Tong Yan truly did not dare stand there anymore. After he had left and she was lying alone on the foldable bed, her imagination was still running wild. Unable to endure this, she pulled out her mobile phone and sent a text to condemn the main culprit of her situation: Oh no, I cannot sleep at all. You have to take full responsibility for this.
She rolled over and sprawled on top of the small pillow, staring blankly at her phone.
Since the hospital was carrying out a trial to implement "zero accompanying persons," the standard of nursing care had actually improved quite significantly. With this, plus Auntie Liu's extra attention to ensure that they were being well taken care of, the entire time, Grandmother had actually had fixed nurses who cared for her as well as nurse's aides to help. In truth, these last few months had not been too exhausting for Tong Yan.
A newspaper, her books, her mobile phone, her laptop computer, and a folding bed were adequate enough for her to be able to get through every night.
During all those nights, she had often worked on practice problems into the middle of the night. Part of the reason was because she knew that Grandmother was in great pain from the chemotherapy and could not sleep, so she used this as a way to keep her company. The other part of the reason, however, was because she was always thinking about him and could not help speculating what he might be doing during the daytime over there.
Yet who would have thought that, though he had now returned safe and sound, she would still be unable to sleep?
He had left the hospital, come back, and left again. Going back and forth in the span of just several hours, on the surface, appeared to be rather overdramatic and did not at all seem to be something he would do. However, it was precisely because it was not like him to do this that she even more so felt that in the 117 days they had been apart, there must have been many, many things that she could not even begin to imagine or comprehend. It was just like the many burdens she had shouldered alone here but did not want him to know about either.
He loved his mother very much. She had sensed this from their very first encounter, when he had sat slumped over brokenly against the wall, as well as later, when he had, partly out of needing a place to redirect his anger, lectured her in a berating voice. Even a very simple power outage had been able to create such anxiousness in him … At the time, he had said, if he had just been a bit more aware, a bit more attentive and if had truly listened carefully to the sounds coming from her room, his mother would not have left the world so early.
Her mobile phone unexpectedly lit up. Her eyes were unable to adjust to this sudden brightness, and squinting them, she read his text message: Rest assured. Mr. Gu is someone who takes responsibility for his actions. He'll keep you company until you fall asleep. TK
[1]掩耳盗铃. This idiom is illustrating that, in a futile attempt to cover up something that is plainly obvious, you are not able to deceive anyone and can only deceive yourself with your actions, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
One of the main purposes of this particular chapter is to give more insight into Gu Pingsheng's character and how his past affected him. You realize that beneath the surface of that warm, imperturbable man who always seems to have a smile on his face, there is much pain in his past. You may have seen me write this. His maturity and strength came with a very high price.
But actually, did you guys catch the other side of him? The naughty side. LOL. Tong Yan asked him whether he used to tell ghost stories to female nurses to use that as an excuse to "comfort" them. Judging from what the nurses said here, that he used to be cold and distant to people, the answer to Tong Yan's question is probably "no," but that doesn't mean he can't do it now. Naughty Mr. Gu told his wife a scary story so that she immediately snuggled herself up right against him and he had a valid excuse to give her a nice, comforting hug. 😉
41 of 66 Main story segments
0 of 3 Epilogue segments
Categories: Together Forever | Tags: C-novel, 至此终年, Mo Bao Fei Bao, Together Forever, Translation | Permalink.
11 thoughts on "Together Forever (至此终年) — Chapter 14.1"
Legit "eat tofu"! No sneaky trick since TY herself requested for a scary story
Haha! If someone's going to feed you tofu, you might as well eat it, right? 😉
I liked that part where his smile got more innocent as TY was talking about the nurses XD
Hehe, I like the playful, naughty Mr. Gu, too.
They are so dear and so adorable. I can see this couple meeting with Beautiful Bone couple in a very adult like meeting at a cafè. And that would have been such a beautiful picture. I wonder between GPs and SY, who's more beautiful?
Oh wow. Gu Pingsheng and Zhousheng Chen, Shi Yi and Tong Yan all together in one spot? Be still my heart. LOL, a beauty contest between Shi Yi and Gu Pingsheng? As much as I think Gu pingsheng is simply amazing, in a beauty contest, I'm guessing the very gorgeous Shi Yi will win because … well, she's female. But if it's a hotness type of beauty contest, I vote Gu Pingsheng and his sexy tattoo. :p
Thank you for the lovely chapter. Hahaha it's nice to read about the naughty part of Mr Gu 😉
You're welcome. 🙂 I like playful Gu Pingsheng so much. Actually, we had glimpses of it here and there. Even when he was just his teacher, remember he took revenge on her by making her do an extra hard physics problem?
Thank you very much^^
Lol at Gu Pingsheng's horror story. I'm sure we'll see more of his naughty side in the future hehe.


Many parents know from their own experience that it is not always easy to comb children's hair. Yet with patience and nerves of steel, even the toughest of knots can usually be undone.
In the case of "uncombable hair syndrome", brushes and combs don't stand even the hint of a chance. Those affected have extremely frizzy, dry, generally light blonde hair with a characteristic shine, which successfully resists any attempt to tame it. These symptoms are most pronounced in childhood and then ease over time. In adulthood, the hair can more or less be styled normally.
Virtually nothing has so far been known about the causes – particularly because the phenomenon is relatively rare. It was described in the specialist literature for the first time in 1973; since then, around one hundred cases have been documented worldwide.
"However, we assume that there are much more people affected," explained Professor Regina Betz from the Institute for Human Genetics at the University of Bonn. "Those who suffer from uncombable hair do not necessarily seek help for this from a doctor or hospital." Nevertheless, it is known that the anomaly occurs more frequently in some families – it thus appears to have genetic causes.
Betz is a specialist for rare hereditary hair disorders. A few years ago, she was approached at a conference by a British colleague. He had recently examined a family with two affected children. The Bonn-based human geneticist's interest was piqued. "Via contact with colleagues from around the world, we managed to find nine further children," she explained. The scientists in Bonn sequenced all the genes of those affected. When comparing large databases, they thus came across mutations in three genes that are involved in forming the hair.
Together with colleagues from the University of Toulouse, the scientists in Bonn performed experiments in cell cultures. In these, they were able to show the importance of the identified mutations on the function of the proteins. If even just one of the three components is not functional, this has fundamental effects on the structure and stability of the hair. Mice in which the PADI3 or TGM3 gene is defective thus develop characteristic fur anomalies, which are very similar to the human phenotype.
← How Much Warmer Has Hong Kong's Urban Area Become During Past 4 Decades?


Insight Homes is now making luxury living more attainable by offering five of their popular floor plans in the high-end Lewes community, Showfield.
With lower energy bills and a lower price point, homeowners are able to live in this highly desirable community at a much more affordable price range - without having to skimp on the luxury or options.
Insight Homes is now making luxury living more attainable by offering five of their popular floor plans in the high-end Lewes community, Showfield. A grand opening and ribbon cutting at their beautifully decorated Kramer model in Showfield is on the schedule for Saturday, July 14th.
With lower energy bills and a lower price point, homeowners are able to live in this highly desirable community at a much more affordable price range - without having to skimp on the luxury or options. Insight's Kramer model in Showfield exudes coastal elegance. Offering anywhere from four to seven bedrooms, this beautiful beach home has plenty of space for the whole family. The Kramer features a first floor master suite in addition to the "Ultra Suite" upstairs. This stunning suite features a double tray ceiling, beautiful trim, and a stunning bathroom complete with walk-in shower and soaker tub adorned with a dazzling chandelier. A balcony over the front porch, board and batten siding, and metal roof accents only further accentuate this home's curb appeal.
With its fresh and unexpected color and finish combinations, this newly furnished model home radiates an elevated coastal style. Utilizing current trends in layering different textures gives this beach home a fresh and fun persona.
Showfield is a highly sought after and desirable new home community in Lewes, DE. Named for the horse show held annually on the property, the community is now adorned with a restored historic barn. Showfield is a mere mile from downtown Lewes, two miles from Lewes' beach, and four miles from Cape Henlopen State Park. Four ponds within the community, an outdoor, resort-style swimming pool with cabanas, direct access to the Junction and Breakwater bike trail, and wooded walking trails round out the amenities in this incredible community. Showfield is the perfect community for active retirees and beach-loving families alike, also being located in Cape Henlopen School District.
The new model is located at 18303 Show Jumper Lane, Lewes, DE 19958. The grand opening festivities will run from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, July 14, 2018.


Hello fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. My name is Francis, a fellow parishioner in SFX from baptism as a baby, and now in my postulancy with the Order of Carmelites Discalced in Singapore as I seek to fulfil the calling to serve God with everything I have by offering myself to His service in a life in religion.
I had been raised from young with a very strong Catholic background and wonderful parents, and had served as an altar boy in SFX as well. This gave me a good grounding for growing up in the church, being around the priest and nuns in church, and an understanding of a little more of what happens behind the scenes besides just the Sunday mass. Unfortunately, this would not be the initial foundation of my current calling to this vocation. As I entered school and faced more of the world around me, I suddenly felt all the more out of place, surprised that Jesus was not the common topic of conversation among friends, and I could not explain the purpose of why I was spending time at church other than that it was just an obligation that I grew up learning about.
Wanting to be more current with the world and expecting to get on better in life without the attachments to the church, I attempted to move on and forge my own way ahead by my own strength. I relegated to being a Sunday Catholic, focusing on what the world told me was the measure of success. I was doing well in studies, got a sponsorship and a secured job for the future, and was doing well with sporting achievements too.
With things going well, I really saw little need to turn to God for anything. But it was really a question of when, not if, the storm will hit. I was being pestered by an old church friend to come and join them for some bible sharing sessions with their youth community, and so I came along just for the sake of it. And it was at this moment that the things around me, the things I've been building my life around, started to collapse. A fall-out with a project group at school meant possibly failing and repeating a year of studies, possibly losing out on the job sponsorship, and major injuries that left me unable to compete in sports, among other things. Why was this happening the moment I was spending more time in church? At the time, I didn't know, and the only natural thing to do was to blame God, and to continue to blame Him was actually my main reason to stay on in church. And while I was praying for an escape and a fix to all these problems, He actually answered with something better. He gave me a new foundation to build my life on; a foundation grounded on Him. Through prayer, there came the realisation that the house I've been building on sand up till this point was already poised to collapse, but I was still given the freedom by God to choose to make those wrong choices in life, so that I could see that my foundations were weak.
He gave me a community with which I could turn to and share with, pray with and grow spiritually with. The Mustard Seed Community was, by no means, a community of perfect, holy people. They were in fact just the same as me; people who were broken and hurt, but people who knew where to build their foundations on, and who were able to hold on to the true pillar of strength which was Jesus. With trust in God, I managed to get through those storms, though barely, but now with a renewed trust and faith in God. Putting Him first allowed me to know my proper direction in life, and I lost interest in pursuing the power and wealth of the world. In the community of Mustard Seed, I also saw the face of Christ in many others, who gave so much of themselves to the service of the church and charity, not out of their wealth, but really everything that they had. While heading out on a mission trip to Baguio, Philippines, to reach out to the children in the slums, I was all the more affirmed of the joy that only God could provide, because in the faces of the poorest people who had absolutely nothing, I could still see a joy in the faces of those who trusted fully in God. It was a joy that I've never seen on the faces of anyone in Singapore, rich as they may be and happy as they may claim to be. I sought to live out a my life under a vow of poverty, living in contentment with what I had, and trusting fully in God everything else in my life.
Through the various missions and retreats I worked with in the community, the calling to serve God more and more grew stronger, and I knew that nothing less that the offering of my whole life to Him would be enough. It is not what any conventional person would say is the way to happiness. It is not what the world professes to be what living the dream is all about. But I've been blessed to have seen where the end state of that life would be, and there would be no happiness or joy in pursuing my own goals and desires in life, because I don't really know what it is that I myself want in life, and I was just following the blind ways of the world. And so in entering a life as a religious, neither do I claim to know where it is that I'm heading towards in the future, by I know for certain that with my loving God leading the way in my life, I cannot go wrong. In faith, I take this blind step forward, trusting fully that His will, not mine, be done.


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The UAE is a white listed onshore jurisdiction that offers business opportunities that exist only in mature industrial and financial hubs at a zero tax rate.
Furthermore, there are no restrictions or tax on current and capital account transactions. This helps to implement these objectives as does the fact that foreign entities repatriate dividends, profits, interest or royalties without restrictions.
A pro-business government encouraging foreign investment has also developed the country into a cosmopolitan centre welcoming a diverse specialist and competitive workforce. Further, Dubai has emerged as a popular jurisdiction for the relocation of high net worth individuals and a strong alternative to Hong Kong, Switzerland, Monaco, Singapore and such countries.
Since the early 1980s, the two main economic objectives set by the UAE government have been to reduce reliance on hydrocarbons and boost private sector investment. This strategy is being followed diligently in an effort to offset the country's vulnerability to fluctuations in oil prices and to propagate economic growth and stability. The UAE aims to promote free trade with minimum restrictions on foreign trade and investment. The policy of the UAE government to encourage foreign investment is evidenced with new and impressive industrial and commercial developments frequently announced.
Oneworld MidEast Ltd (OME) operates in Dubai since 2013 and we are located in our own offices in Business Bay, a prime business location in Dubai. We are a boutique firm providing niche services to clients which include corporate and trust, global compliance, tax and legal, business advisory, financial advisory and family offices.
Our staff consist of knowledgeable and well educated staff that can give you hands-on advice on your business and strategic decisions.
Under the UAE Federal Law, foreign businesses have three main entities to choose from in order to conduct business in the UAE: a local limited liability company ("LLC"), a free zone ("FZ") entity, and an international business company ("IBC").
Companies can also operate by setting up a branch of a foreign company and a representative office of a foreign company.
International Business Companies are ideal for any type of business that does not require a local office. This includes any passive investment activity e.g. holding shares in local or free zone companies, holding UAE real estate, or trading activities outside the UAE. IBCs cannot rent office space nor can they apply for staff visas and they are not allowed to trade with parties inside the UAE. IBCs have the attractive features such as no requirement to deposit capital in a bank account or to submit financial statements.
Foreign Companies can establish a branch office in the UAE. A branch office may not carry out any commercial activity in its own name, it may only negotiate and enter into contracts on behalf of the parent company, and if goods are required to fulfil the contract, they have to come directly from the parent. Support activities by the branch are allowed. Such an entity will enable the company to set up offices in mainland Dubai outside Free Zone jurisdiction which restricts the company's presence to one Free zone. Furthermore, office premises are required, however 100% foreign ownership is guaranteed.


A class that promises to give you all the perks of an in-person class—a motivating instructor, friendly competition, and epic calorie burn—all from the convenience of your living room? That's the promise Peloton Cycle, a next-generation stationary bike that allows you to do real-time workouts from top NYC instructors right in your living room.
But does it deliver? I gave it a whirl.
The pros: The bike itself is quiet, perfect for when you want to ride in the morning without waking the entire household, and looks as sleek as a typically clunky piece of at-home equipment can. (Read: you won't necessarily have to keep it hidden in the basement, out of sight.) But the HD, touchscreen console is the bike's standout feature. Using the monitor's interface is intuitive (like using a smartphone), doesn't disrupt your workout, and connects to your home Wifi and displays you stats—speed, resistance, and calories burned. The leaderboard ranks your stats against those of virtual classmates accounting for the performance boost from competition, motivating you to push harder.
The list of instructors at the NYC studio reads like a who's who of top coaches, and my first workout was on par with other boutique indoor cycling classes I've taken in the city.
The cons: The start-up cost is steep: $2K for the bike along with a $39/month membership. Also, the playlist is still a work-in-progress. While I didn't hear any of my favorite tunes during class, I've been told they're in the middle of negotiating licensing deals and will have them blasting from the speakers soon.
The verdict: It's a top-notch workout, minus the hassle of a commute.


text:
package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"time"

	"crypto/tls"
	"crypto/x509"
	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/promhttp"
	dto "github.com/prometheus/client_model/go"
	"github.com/prometheus/common/expfmt"
	"io"
	"io/ioutil"
	"log"
	"os"
	"strings"
)

// Initialize the prometheus instrumentation and client related flags.
var (
	etcdScrapeBase string

	httpClient *http.Client
)

// Initialize prometheus metrics to be exported.
var (
	// Register all custom metrics with a dedicated registry to keep them separate.
	customMetricRegistry = prometheus.NewRegistry()

	// Custom etcd version metric since etcd 3.2- does not export one.
	// This will be replaced by https://github.com/coreos/etcd/pull/8960 in etcd 3.3.
	etcdVersion = prometheus.NewGaugeVec(
		prometheus.GaugeOpts{
			Namespace: "etcd",
			Name:      "version_info",
			Help:      "Etcd server's binary version",
		},
		[]string{"binary_version"})
)

// monitorGatherer is a custom metric gatherer for prometheus that exports custom metrics
// defined by this monitor as well as rewritten etcd metrics.
type monitorGatherer struct {
}

func (m *monitorGatherer) Gather() ([]*dto.MetricFamily, error) {
	etcdMetrics, err := scrapeMetrics()
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	custom, err := customMetricRegistry.Gather()
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	result := make([]*dto.MetricFamily, 0, len(etcdMetrics)+len(custom))
	for _, mf := range etcdMetrics {
		result = append(result, mf)
	}
	result = append(result, custom...)
	return result, nil
}

// Struct for unmarshalling the json response from etcd's /version endpoint.
type EtcdVersion struct {
	BinaryVersion  string `json:"etcdserver"`
	ClusterVersion string `json:"etcdcluster"`
}

func requestToEtcd(endpoint string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
	if !strings.HasPrefix(endpoint, "/") {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no '/' prefix on endpoint")
	}

	resp, err := httpClient.Get(etcdScrapeBase + endpoint)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to receive GET response from etcd: %v", err)
	}

	return resp.Body, nil
}

// Function for fetching etcd version info and feeding it to the prometheus metric.
func getVersion(lastSeenBinaryVersion *string) error {
	body, err := requestToEtcd("/version")
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	defer body.Close()

	// Obtain EtcdVersion from the JSON response.
	var version EtcdVersion
	if err := json.NewDecoder(body).Decode(&version); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to decode etcd version JSON: %v", err)
	}

	// Return without updating the version if it stayed the same since last time.
	if *lastSeenBinaryVersion == version.BinaryVersion {
		return nil
	}

	// Delete the metric for the previous version.
	if *lastSeenBinaryVersion != "" {
		deleted := etcdVersion.Delete(prometheus.Labels{"binary_version": *lastSeenBinaryVersion})
		if !deleted {
			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to delete previous version's metric")
		}
	}

	// Record the new version in a metric.
	etcdVersion.With(prometheus.Labels{
		"binary_version": version.BinaryVersion,
	}).Set(1)
	*lastSeenBinaryVersion = version.BinaryVersion
	return nil
}

// Periodically fetches etcd version info.
func getVersionPeriodically(stopCh <-chan struct{}) {
	lastSeenBinaryVersion := ""
	for {
		if err := getVersion(&lastSeenBinaryVersion); err != nil {
			log.Printf("Failed to fetch etcd version: %v", err)
		}
		select {
		case <-stopCh:
			break
		case <-time.After(15 * time.Second):
		}
	}
}

// scrapeMetrics scrapes the prometheus metrics from the etcd metrics URI.
func scrapeMetrics() (map[string]*dto.MetricFamily, error) {
	body, err := requestToEtcd("/metrics")
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	defer body.Close()

	// Parse the metrics in text format to a MetricFamily struct.
	var textParser expfmt.TextParser
	return textParser.TextToMetricFamilies(body)
}

func main() {
	if len(os.Args) != 5 {
		log.Fatal("expected four arguments: baseurl, authority, keyfile, certfile")
	}

	etcdScrapeBase = os.Args[1]

	certPool := x509.NewCertPool()

	authorities, err := ioutil.ReadFile(os.Args[2])
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	if !certPool.AppendCertsFromPEM(authorities) {
		log.Fatal("could not parse PEM cert for CA")
	}

	certCli, err := tls.LoadX509KeyPair(os.Args[4], os.Args[3])
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}

	httpClient = &http.Client{
		Transport: &http.Transport{
			TLSClientConfig: &tls.Config{
				RootCAs:      certPool,
				Certificates: []tls.Certificate{certCli},
			},
		},
	}

	// Register the metrics we defined above with prometheus.
	customMetricRegistry.MustRegister(etcdVersion)
	customMetricRegistry.Unregister(prometheus.NewGoCollector())

	// Spawn threads for periodically scraping etcd version metrics.
	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
	defer close(stopCh)
	go getVersionPeriodically(stopCh)

	listenAddress := ":9101"

	// Serve our metrics.
	log.Printf("Listening on: %v", listenAddress)
	http.Handle("/metrics", promhttp.HandlerFor(&monitorGatherer{}, promhttp.HandlerOpts{}))
	log.Printf("Stopped listening/serving metrics: %v", http.ListenAndServe(listenAddress, nil))
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Houston student claims he was harassed by deputy while mowing lawns
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - A Houston college student said he was harassed by a Harris County deputy constable while mowing lawns in his own neighborhood. 21-year-old Marlin Gipson claims he was targeted because of his race in Houston's Willow Springs subdivision. His viral video of the incident has been viewed thousands of times on social media, and now the constable's office is responding.
Marlin and his brother had been going door-to-door in that neighborhood, handing out business cards for a lawn service.
In the video, Gipson claims he's being harassed by the deputy, and you can hear Gipson asking for the officer's name.
"My hands was up surrendering" Gipson claims the deputy profiled him, He later claimed deputies used excessive force when police canines bit him, and he was tased in his home.
"I was tased. I'm no threat. Why tase me? And why intentionally? If you tell a dog to sick somebody, he's going to come across more aggressive," said Gipson.
"It really incenses me to have somebody say they were targeted because of their race."
Precinct 1 constable Alan Rosen is defending that deputy, saying he was assigned to the area because of recent crime in that neighborhood. According to Rosen, when Gipson was asked to identify himself, he allegedly lied about his date of birth.
"He falsified who he was, which is going to raise the concern of any officer," said Rosen.
"We don't know if he was knocking on doors--only to go around when someone didn't answer to break into the back of the house. We have no way of knowing," Rosen continued.
Deputies say Gipson had several outstanding warrants, and they say he ran from the scene. Police say when they went to his home later, he was hiding in a bathroom.
"We told him for different times, we yelled, police dog, police dog. Come out." However, Gipson's attorney contends that the deputies were out of line. He maintains that the whole incident crossed the line, because deputies initially had no real reason to approach Gipson.
Affidavit: Wylie man arrested for role in Capitol riot threatened kids if they reported him to feds


My fantasy garden would include these showstopping varieties of heirloom seeds.
It's that time of year again, when restless gardeners stare out the window at the bleak winter landscape while hungrily thumbing through seed catalogs. I think that buying seeds is truly the best kind of shopping – seeds are relatively affordable and are literally bursting with potential. Quite frankly, I think seeds are a miracle; you get a small envelope of little hard things, you sink them in soil and nurture them, and before you know it you get beautiful free food! Seeds are the antidote to a broken food system and the epidemic of being disconnected to what we eat.
Yet the seeds of the world are suffering a crisis, thanks to Big Agriculture and its power grab for the planet's seeds. Meanwhile, too many modern seeds are designed to produce produce (see what I did there?) that is great for shipping and storage, not so great for actual eating. Modern supermarket tomato, I'm looking at you.
Which is why for me, looking at a catalog like the one offered by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is like being a kid in a candy store. The company offer nearly 2,000 varieties of seeds for heirloom vegetables, flowers and herbs – it is the largest selection of heirloom varieties in the U.S. They also carry one of the largest selections of seeds from the 19th century. All of these seeds hearken back to times when seeds were simply a means to grow an abundance of pure, fresh food.
To give you an idea of what I"m talking about, I've selected 10 seed varieties to share – seeds that caught my eye for their beauty or unique characteristics. (And I know they are not all technically vegetables, but you know what I mean.) These are just 10 of many, so enjoy these and then go look at the rest.
Be. Still. My. Heart. These technicolor translucent kernels (also shown top) shine like beads and while obviously decorative, are also delicious. From the description: "Bred from a number of native varieties by Carl 'White Eagle' Barnes, the famous Cherokee corn collector to whom we owe our gratitude for his life's work of collecting, preserving and sharing so many native corn varieties." See more here.
Poor workhorse celery has a reputation for being blasé; this vibrant variety is working hard to change that storyline. Described as easy-to-grow, Baker Creek notes that they are excited about the "culinary potential of this nutritious and fun variety. It is quite easy to grow, and even the baby plants are stunning, neon pink. We love this!" See more here.
Because any squash with the word "candy" in it is my kind of squash. This hard-to-find squash gets rave reviews from gardeners and is described as having delicious, smooth orange flesh that is perfect baked, fried, or to make great pies. See more here.
I love these petite heads of Bibb or Butterhead – not only for their little leaves, but they've got a great story. They are documented as having been grown at Monticello by Thomas Jefferson, who noted that the variety "does not require so much care and attention" as other types. Baker Creek's are the correct, black-seeded original strain, and listed in the Slow Foods Ark of Taste. See more here.
This beauty may be the most versatile of all. Originally grown as a dye plant by the southwestern Hopi Nation, it has the reddest seedlings of any amaranth known. It can be used as dye matter, but also offers edible seeds and greens, in addition to being beautifully ornamental in the garden. The reviewers have nothing but raves for it, writing things like: "Beautiful plant , easy to grow and very tasty. My wife ordered these seeds as the pictures looked wonderful and we were excited to see them grow. Amazing plant, very abundant and such a rich red color." See more here.
So many beautiful beets to choose from, but I love these early beets not only for their loveliness and good reviews, but for their history as well, as they are a pre-1811 variety. They are said to produce an abundance of tall tender greens, too. See more here.
Because why pick one beautiful variety of heirloom radish when you can have 15? This "magnificent mixture of some of the most colorful spring radishes on the planet," are easy to grow and yield a crop that is as pretty look at as it is to eat. See more here.
Oh, these pretty things – these rare, ancient beans hail from the Narragansett tribe of Rhode Island and were used to make succotash, Baker Creek explains. This bean is great for the North, especially on the coast. See more here.
These plump pretty limas comes in a kaleidoscope of colors and originated in Choctaw, Mississippi. Not only are they lovely to behold, but they appear to be perseverant. One reviewer notes that they are "Incredibly, outstandingly, jaw-droppingly productive. Another reviewers says, "it is the only lima I have ever gotten a crop from here in the north and I have probably tried off and on for over forty years. Wonderfully productive here in Zone 6A." See more here.
Baker Creek calls this their favorite tomato, saying, "The color (and flavor!) is a full-blown assault on the senses—lavender and purple stripes, turning to technicolor olive-green, red, and brown/blue stripes when fully ripe. Really wild!" This release from Wild Boar Farms won best in show at the 2017 National Heirloom Expo. They are sure pretty, I bet they are delicious. See more here.
OK, are you aching for spring yet? Visit the site for more, and don't miss the book of dreams, also known as the 2019 Whole Seed Catalog.
Updated note: I know I rave here, but the enthusiasm is genuine … and neither solicited nor sponsored!