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NuEyes e2
NuEyes Pro
Contact NuEyes
What is NuEyes?
Why Choose NuEyes?
Low Vision?
What is Macular Degeneration?
Low Vision Information
NuEyes and Low Vision Information
Why Choose NuEyes Smartglasses for Low Vision?
Why NuEyes?
Advantages of Using Electronic Smartglasses for help with Low Vision
Vision loss can make it difficult to live a fully independent life, which can have a serious impact on people's lives. Losing the ability to read can make it troublesome to handle financial affairs autonomously or stay informed on current events.
A lack of control due to vision loss can decrease an overall quality of life, creating loss of productivity and independence.
NuEyes Smartglasses and wearable magnifiers are wireless, allowing free and independent mobility in the home and outside.
A hands-free device allows use of both hands while enabling vision, so everyday tasks can be carried out.
People in careers from professors to musicians have experienced the possibilities of mobility with NuEyes.
The emotional toll can be devastating because people who are used to doing things on their own now have to depend on friends and family to read them things or handle their affairs. This lack of control can be enormously frustrating and cause a loss of motivation. Due to these factors 60% of the visually impaired are unemployed. These impairments can decrease an overall quality of life, creating loss of productivity and independence. As an individual it is our right to be able to carry out daily tasks, such as walking, reading, and cooking.
NuEyes Pro smartglasses for low vision have a 1.5-2-hour battery life depending on how they are used, however a 10-hour battery pack is also included and is attached by a 3-foot cable to the glasses so the pack can easily be carried in a pocket or purse.
This hands-free device offers mobility benefits as users do not have to bother themselves with wires and control buttons. This allows use of both hands while the "smart" glasses enable vision. "A device like this allows them to take this technology outside of the home to places they want to go. It expands their ability to live their life a little bit more than they did before," says Michael A. Samuel, a retina specialist. This wearable technology is the future for patients with low vision, allowing them the ability to see anywhere they wish to go. Tasks including cooking, walking, reading, going to school, managing finances, attending cultural events, seeing loved ones, and traveling on public transport are now made possible.
A musician was able to experience the freedom NuEyes provided by playing at a venue and seeing his audience for the first time. The audience has been looking at him all these years and he could finally look back at them. In addition, an assistant professor can now see his students raising their hands. These are just some of the examples that NuEyes provides mobility and vision for.
NuEyes low vision aids provide practicality with a sleek and lightweight design, weighing only .27 lbs(125 grams). They are all black with a stylish and pragmatic look.
The lowest price in augmented reality glasses.
Speech-recognition with voice command allows personalization to needs of specific conditions.
OCR – Optical Character Recognition (Text to Speech) reads printed text to the wearer.
NuEyes glasses offer everything in one device. "These have taken all of these things and put them into one package so instead of going out with a huge bag of stuff that I need just to see I can literally put these on and adjust them to what I want to do and we are good to go," says Robert Cook, a profession musician.
These smart glasses work as a computer on your head, just as any other device they will warm up when used. Although, it is not enough heat to cause discomfort. "You can feel the warmth, but it's by no means uncomfortable," says Robert Cook. Another practical feature is the price point, with the lowest price in augmented reality glasses with the most advanced system in low vision technology. The price for NuEyes range from $5,995 – $6,195.
An android system in NuEyes glasses allows for personalization of a users needs. A speech-recognition feature lets wearers use voice commands to improve the image projected through the lenses to best remedy their particular condition. Earbuds let users listen to a text reader or other media via a Bluetooth-connected device.
Many features of the NuEyes smart glasses can be personalized allowing for a wide variety of conditions to make use of the many applications offered.
An android computer in the low vision glasses allows ease of browsing emails and full web browsing.
Real sight is replicated to simulate the human eye with magnification ranging from 1x-12x (with included optional 2x lens).
A full Android computer allows the "smart" glasses to function as an Android tablet with downloadable apps and a full web browser, including social media applications. This makes keeping in contact with loved ones and managing emails easy. A commonly used system among people with low vision is the Library for the Blind. The application can be downloaded to the low vision glasses to read books to the user.
Wireless, battery-powered, and hands free voice-activated interaction allows for effortless use. Real sight is replicated through auto-focus, switching between ranges according to tasks to simulate human eyes. A variable magnification from 1x-12x enables these ranges. Short-range vision allows reading small text and seeing up close. Mid-range vision will help in seeing faces or watching TV. Long-range vision allows sight for far away, such as looking outside a window (with included optional 2x lens).
A broad range of features can be personalized, so people with a wide array of conditions can use the glasses, such as those with macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, ocular albinism, optic atrophy, cone-rod dystrophy, forms of glaucoma, Stargardt's disease, optic nerve hypoplasia, Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, nystagmus, retinopathy of prematurity, forms of retinitis pigmentosa, And other conditions.
NuEyes low vision aids provide the most advanced technology in low vision. The battery-powered smart glasses feature voice activation, 3D stereoscopic ultra-transparent high-definition displays, high-speed wireless connectivity and high-performance positional sensors.
An array of features make the glasses the most advanced in low vision technology.
Software similar to that in smartphones provides regular updates, text to speech, and TV and movie streaming.
Flexibility is built into the low vision glasses, so several issues can be addressed with one item.
A device that is broadly programmable, even addressing light sensitivity.
Features of reading glasses, yet digital content is superimposed on top.
NuEyes smart glasses utilize an HD digital camera mounted on the center bridge of eyeglass frames to stream images to built-in 3D stereoscopic HD display lenses. The full HD camera can shoot 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. The camera image is projected onto the frame-mounted displays.
NuEyes is referred as "smartglasses" because it uses software similar to that in smartphones. This will allow regular updates to the software as the technology continues to advance. The NuEyes low vision glasses offer OCR (text to speech), in which a document can be read to the user. Also, with Wi-Fi connection TV and movies can be streamed directly to the low vision glasses. The displays are cinema-quality with no visual pixels and show true color. In dark environments an LED light is provided to help with sight. Another advancement is the glasses know where the user is turning their head, being able to block out all light coming in from the outside.
"When people get older, they'll have multiple eye issues," Justin Moore, NuEyes' co-founder and COO says. "By having flexibility built into the glasses, you can address several [issues] with one item." Software was created to address many low-vision sufferers' issues. "The software has voice inputs, Greget explains, which lets users speak their commands to the glasses, things like making text bigger or smaller, or changing the color. They can even say, "'NuEyes, watch TV,'" he says, "and it will stream TV in a way that the users can actually see."
NuEyes are broadly programmable even addressing light sensitivity, so they can go dark on command. Telescopic lenses can also be incorporated into the device, which magnifies without pixelating the content. These features are very important for someone who is visually impaired. For example, it allows a grandmother to watch the grand kids play or be able to go to the movies.
Another feature is the lenses were designed to be 80% transparent. They are like reading glasses with being able to see the real world, yet digital content is superimposed on top. All these features combined bring an advanced system allowing the ability to see. NuEyes has developed augmented reality glasses in the true sense of the phrase; our glasses augment the failing vision of people with macular degeneration.
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Based off our iconic Mexico 66 shoe, removing the laces acccentuates a relaxed casual look. This particular model belongs to our unique "Nippon Made" collection.
We're sorry, but the MEXICO SLIP-ON DELUXE has been discontinued.
This particular Mexico 66 Slip-On Deluxe model belongs to our "Nippon Made" collection. Since starting in 2008, "Nippon Made" conveys Japan's craftsmanship of making things. Building one of these shoes is a labour-intensive process: from the stitching to the dying, every step is done by a skilled hand. Everything from the materials used, and the attention to detail, portrays the height of Japan's artisanal quality.


I tell this story to you as it was told to me by my Grand-dad.
Decembers in Hawaii are much like spring days in Florida. Warm ocean breezes. Swaying palm trees. Tourists roasting in the hot sun. Lazy, easy going times.
This December, Sunday started off the same as every other Sunday in the Island state. In Pearl Harbor was moored the American Pacific Fleet.
Life aboard every ship there was beginning the same as it had every Sunday before. Sailors and Marines alike were waking up - some headed toward the mess deck, some toward a Church service, others moaned and groaned about the pain in their throbbing heads after drinking all night before. A few Sailors and Marines are headed to their appointed duties. Some are sweeping the deck, some are standing watch on the quarterdeck. Others assume duties that keep the ship ready to leave or get underway at a moment's notice.
Every day, every ship performs "Colors." It is the raising of our nation's flag with honor. On board the bigger ships, the beginnings of every day in port started with "Colors" and a small orchestral accompaniment playing our nation's Anthem ( I hope you know what our nation's Anthem is).
Now, all the men on all the ships looked toward one ship, which was appointed as the leader in "Colors." Each man waited and watched for the Color Guard on the appointed ship to begin the ceremony so that all the ships began and ended at the same time... Such is the life aboard Navy ships in America.
The Color Guard aboard the appointed ship looked to the Naval base and its Color Guard to begin its ceremony. Now, when all this is done correctly, it's a beautiful thing to behold, especially for those who believe in freedom and love the country that provides that freedom and believes God protects that country.
At the time the "Officer Of the Day" blows his whistle and the the flag is ran up its pole, the Anthem is played and every person stops and turns toward the nearest flag being raised. They place the right hand over the heart and stand at attention. If you are wearing a hat, it is removed from the head and held over the heart by the right hand. If you can't see a flag around you, then you just stand at attention until the ceremony is complete. This is done rain or shine, snow or hurricane. As I stated before, it's a thing of beauty when done right... When it ain't, it's a train wreck and leaves one in a bad mood. Well, that is if you care for Honor and Patriotism. If you don't give a damn about such things, you just continue your miserable existence, pissed at the world for your own miserable life.
I can't say that this is still being done around Navy Bases anymore... I haven't been on a Military base in many years now... I can only hope and pray that our Military honors this Honor and they instruct its volunteers on the meaning and importance for it all.
OK... On with the show.
According to my Grand-dad, "Colors" aboard his ship was about over. He heard the low rumbling of hundreds of airplane engines growing ever closer. He thought, "What in the hell is the Army up to?" (For those of you who don't know, there was no Air Force until after WW2. It was the "Army Aircorp" until then.) He heard the a few planes roar in just overhead - still, he didn't give it any more thought until there were so many planes buzzing by he couldn't hear when "Colors" ended. So he looked up expecting to see Army Aircorp emblems on the planes overhead, but there were none.
Instead, the red circle of Japan's rising sun adorned these planes. Still, it wasn't connecting for anyone what was about to unfold. They all stood there dumbfounded at this strange sight and the audacity of foreign aircraft flying in American airspace.
My Grand-dad and the men aboard his ship watched as the planes began to circle the harbor, and a few dropped down close to the water flying in at about 30 feet and approaching from the entrance of the harbor. Something fell off the first plane into the water, then the others that followed. At that time they heard the screaming of dive bombers and their deadly payload being unleashed. It was like everyone was frozen in place. The first explosion tore a hole in its target and those who were frozen became thawed in a moment of terror. Then the torpedoes hit their intended.
Hell now placed a bid on paradise.
"General Quarters" began ringing out across Pearl. Men and women dropped what they were doing an took up tasks they were trained to do. Yes...they were all scared. None knew how long this would last. No one knew if the next bomb or bullet would stop them. They did what was above and beyond the call. They sacrificed to save.
Aboard my Grand-dad's ship, small arms were being handed out and 50 cal machine guns were put in place. Ammo loaded and instructions to fire at will given. The mooring lines holding the ship in place where cut and the ship eased away from her pier and headed into the fray.
The Captain of my Grand-dad's ship fully intended to risk life and ship to help those of the main fleet under attack in Pearl. Each man knew he would want that done for him should he be trapped or injured and under fire.
Fire hoses were manned and the ship headed for a battleship that was blazing in the morning sun, bellowing black clouds and fire into tropical air. As the little ship made way toward the bigger, the bow of the bigger ship was raised out of the water 20 feet and cleft in two as she took a bomb into her powder magazine. The rain of water from the explosion was like a monsoon. The heat from the explosion warped iron. The concussion knocked men from their feet and some went overboard into oil slick water. The "USS Arizona" is now all but a memory.
My Grand-dad didn't know how many planes they shot down if any at all. He didn't know how many shots were fired. He didn't know how many thousands of tons water his ship pumped to put out fires. I don't believe he knew how many lives were lost. All he knew was his ship and its crew did what needed to be done even through fear of injury and loss of life.
I asked my Grand-dad (I called him PAWPAW) - Did he receive a medal?
"Nope..." he said, as if almost offended that I should ask such a question - then he laughed and placed his huge hand on my nappy little head.
"PawPaws ...well... PawPaws don't ask for medals."
Now my Grandchildren call me "PawPaw."
I love driving a truck, and for the first time I was able to take my mom with me. Here's the story.


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THE FADING LIGHT OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY / THE FINANCIAL TIMES OP EDITORIAL
| Etiquetas: Capitalism, Liberal Democracy, U.S. Economic And Political, World Economic And Political
The fading light of liberal democracy
Pluto-populists' strategy of using identity issues to convince voters to act against their economic interests is working
© Ellie Foreman-Peck
"For the first time this century, among countries with more than 1m people, there are now fewer democracies than there are non-democratic regimes." This sobering sentence is by the Oxford university historian Timothy Garton Ash in an essay on "The Future of Liberalism".
The observation reflects what Stanford University's Larry Diamond labels the "democratic recession". The election of Joe Biden as US president is a relief. But this story is not yet over.
To understand what is happening, one must connect politics to economics.
Branko Milanovic, an expert on inequality, did this in Capitalism Alone, published last year. Capitalism has triumphed, he argues.
He is right: the market economy is indeed triumphant. But, he adds, capitalist economies go with two distinct political systems in leading economies: the "liberal" model of the US and its allies, which is the concern of Messrs Garton Ash and Diamond, and China's "political" model.
Mr Milanovic argues correctly that liberal democracy is a good in itself and also allows peaceful self-correction. People do desire freedom and US voters have disposed of Donald Trump. The Chinese cannot do the same with Premier Xi Jinping. The argument for "political capitalism" is instrumental: it works.
The rise of China has indeed been extraordinary. Many have noticed, too.
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that far more Europeans now think China is the leading economy than believe the US is, though the Japanese and South Koreans disagree.
Mr Milanovic's dichotomy is useful but simplistic. A third political version of capitalism exists: demagogic authoritarian capitalism. This can arise out of collapsed communism, as in today's Russia, or out of enfeebled democracy, as in Brazil or Turkey.
Demagogic authoritarian capitalism is a hybrid. As in the Chinese system of bureaucratic authoritarian capitalism, the ruler is above the law and democratically unaccountable — elections are a sham.
But power is personal, not institutionalised. This is corrupt gangster politics.
It rests on the personal loyalty of sycophants and cronies. Often the core consists of the family members, viewed as most trustworthy of all. This is the political system Mr Trump wished to install in the US.
Such rulers are like wasp larvae that eat the spider from within. They manage to win an election and then erode the institutional and political bulwarks against indefinite personal rule.
Mr Trump has all the relevant characteristics: the truth is what he says it is; a fair election is one he wins; and a good official is one who is loyal. He wants to be an autocrat.
This is distinct from saying that he wants to govern. Nero was not very interested in governing either. But he definitely was tyrannical.
Events in the US have shown two crucial things. First, core American institutions including the courts have resisted his effort to overthrow the elections. Second, a huge proportion of the Republican party has abetted his lie that the election was rigged.
This has underlined another reality of the past four years: the Republican leadership showed absolute obedience to their leader, almost to the last gasp.
This is no accident. It is the logical outcome of the political and economic strategy of the "pluto-populist". Mr Trump is a natural outcome of the strategic goal of the donor class — tax cuts and deregulation.
To achieve this end, they have to convince a large proportion of the population to vote against its economic interests by focusing on culture and identity. This strategy has worked and will continue to work: Mr Trump may have gone; Trumpism has not.
Not entirely dissimilar patterns can be seen in Brexit Britain. The focus of the university-educated left on their form of identity politics plays into the hands of their rightwing counterpart.
Mr Biden is a decent man. What he wants to do domestically and internationally makes evident sense. But he will confront an opposition determined to make him fail.
Indeed, making government fail is the core of rightwing politics — that and stoking the rage of the base. One has to be blind not to see where this is leading.
The donors would not be the first rich and powerful people to believe, mistakenly, that they can control demagogic demons they have helped create.
As the Pew survey shows, the reality of Mr Trump's US has eroded the world's confidence in its competence and decency. Mr Biden will find it very hard to regain that trust, not because people do not believe in him, but because they do not believe in his country.
And, with the US's future as a liberal democracy still uncertain, the cause remains in grave trouble worldwide.
Liberal democracy does have one big advantage: its main opponent. As Harvard's Samantha Power notes, China's approval rating in Gallup polling is a median of 32 per cent among over 130 countries.
It has hardly budged in 10 years. People respect China, but do not like it.
China also confronts the challenge of sustaining economic dynamism without a credible rule of law.
None of today's dominant systems is working well.
Capitalism is innovative, but creates huge social, political and environmental challenges.
Liberal democracy is corroded, even at its core.
But the authoritarian politics that challenge it are vastly worse. Unaccountable rule by gangsters or brutal bureaucrats is deeply depressing, even if the latter are much less incompetent.
Those of us who continue to believe in freedom and democracy hope Mr Trump was the warning we all needed.
But I doubt it. There is none so blind as rich egotists who will not see.
HEALTHCARE AND TECHNOLOGY: THE DAWN OF DIGITAL MEDICINE / THE ECONOMIST
| Etiquetas: COVID-19, Digital Medicine, Health Care, Science And Technology, World Economic And Political
Health care and technology
The dawn of digital medicine
The pandemic is ushering in the next trillion-dollar industry
Last january Stephen Klasko, chief executive of Jefferson Health, which runs hospitals in Philadelphia, chatted to a bank boss.
The financier told him that 20 years ago health care and banking were the only industries yet to embrace the consumer and digital revolutions. "Now", Mr Klasko recalls him adding, "you are alone."
The banker had a point. The McKinsey Global Institute, the in-house think-tank of the eponymous consultancy, reckons that when it comes to digitisation, health care has indeed lagged behind not just banking but travel, retail, carmaking and even packaged goods.
Some 70% of American hospitals still fax and post patient records. The ceo of a big hospital in Madrid reports virtually no electronic record-sharing across Spain's regions when the first wave of covid-19 washed over the country this spring.
By exposing such digital deficiencies, the pandemic is at last spurring change. Confronted with shutdowns and chaos, doctors have embraced digital communication and analytics that have been common in other industries for years.
Patients are growing more comfortable with remote and computer-assisted diagnosis and treatment. And enterprising firms, from health-app startups and hospitals to insurers, pharmacies and tech giants such as Amazon, Apple and Google, are scrambling to provide such services.
McKinsey estimates that global digital-health revenues—from telemedicine, online pharmacies, wearable devices and so on—will rise from $350bn last year to $600bn in 2024 (see chart 1).
Swathes of America's $3.6trn health-care market are in for a digital makeover. The same is happening in China, Europe and most other places where doctors ply their trade.
The groundwork for what looks poised to be the next trillion-dollar business has been accelerated by the pandemic. Money is pouring in.
According to cb Insights, a research firm, a record $8.4bn of equity funding flowed into privately held digital-health darlings in the third quarter of 2020, more than double the amount a year ago (see chart 2).
The industry's unlisted "unicorns", worth $1bn or more apiece, have a combined value of over $110bn, according to Holoniq, a research firm. In September AmWell, a telemedic in which Google has invested $100m, raised $742m in an initial public offering (ipo); its market capitalisation is $6bn.
On December 2nd jd Health, a digital pharmacy affiliated with jd.com, a Chinese online emporium, raked in $3.5bn in Hong Kong's second-biggest ipo this year.
No wonder investors are giddy. Demand for digital medicine is surging.
Doctolib, a French firm, says its video consultations in Europe have shot up this year from 1,000 to 100,000 a day. Ping An Good Doctor, a Chinese online health portal viewed by some as the choicest part of its insurer parent, is expanding to South-East Asia in a joint venture with Grab, a Singaporean ride-hailing giant.
As with many technology fads, some of this will turn out to be hype. Sober analysts at Gartner, a research firm, pour cold water on exaggerated claims made by proponents of individualised "precision medicine" and medical artificial intelligence (ai). But even they admit there are reasons to think that not all the excitement is overblown.
Technologies such as sensors, cloud-computing and data analytics are becoming medical-grade just as the risk of contracting covid-19 in hospitals and clinics makes their adoption look more enticing than ever. Specialist firms like Livongo and Onduo make devices to monitor diabetes and other ailments continuously.
A study by Stanford University found that nearly half of American doctors surveyed used such devices. Of that group, 71% regarded the data as medically useful.
In June the Mayo Clinic, a prestigious non-profit hospital group, teamed up with a startup called Medically Home to provide "hospital-level care", from infusions and imaging to rehabilitation, in patients' bedrooms. Even the Apple Watch has been shown to predict a medical problem known as atrial fibrillation in a clinical trial.
Patients are keen. A study of some 16m American ones just reported in jama Internal Medicine, a journal, found that their use of telemedicine surged 30-fold between January and June. American consumers surveyed in May by Gartner were increasingly using internet and mobile apps for a variety of medical needs (see chart 3).
Critically, regulators around the world are pressing health-care providers to open up their siloed systems—a precondition for digital health to flourish. The eu is promoting an electronic standard for medical records.
In August the Indian government unveiled a plan for a digital health identity with interoperability at its core. Kuantai Yeh of Qiming, a vc firm, says that China's government, too, is trying to overcome resistance to electronic records from hospitals fearful of losing patients to rivals.
Yidu Cloud, a big-data platform for hospitals, may already be the world's largest health data set, thinks Lee Kai-fu of Sinovation Ventures, another vc firm.
All this is helping medicine evolve from "a clinical science supported by data to a data science supported by clinicians", argues Pamela Spence of ey, a consultancy. Does this make health care big tech's for the taking? Amazon wants Alexa, its digital assistant, to be able (with your permission) to analyse your cough and tell you if it is croupy or covidy.
In November the online giant, which already sells just about everything else, launched a digital pharmacy to take on America's drug-distribution coterie of pharma firms, middlemen and retailers. AliHealth, a division of Alibaba, China's e-commerce champion, is disrupting its home pharmacy market.
Its revenues leapt by 74% in the six months to September, year on year, to $1.1bn. Apple has its watch and nearly 50,000 iPhone health apps. Google's parent company, Alphabet, has Verily, a life-sciences division.
Tech giants' earlier forays into health care flopped, argues Shubham Singhal of McKinsey, because they had gone it alone. Medicine is a regulatory minefield with powerful incumbents where big tech's business models, particularly the ad-supported sort, are not a natural fit.
But the pandemic has also highlighted that existing providers' snazzy hardware and pricey services too seldom genuinely improve health outcomes. If the new generation of digital technologies is to thrive it must "improve health, not increase costs", thinks Vivian Lee of Verily.
Her firm is moving away from fee-for-service to risk-based contracts that pay out when outcomes improve (eg, if diabetics get blood sugar under control or more people get eye exams).
That points to a hybrid future where Silicon Valley works more closely with traditional health-care firms. Epic is using voice-recognition software from Nuance, a startup, to enable doctors to send notes to outside specialists; it has also teamed up with Lyft, a ride-hailing firm, to ferry patients to hospitals.
Siemens Healthineers, a big German health-tech firm, is working with Geisinger, an American hospital chain, to expand remote patient monitoring. Patients of India's Apollo Hospitals can use an app to get drug refills, tele-consultations and remote diagnoses—and even secure a medical loan through Apollo's partnership with hdfc Bank.
Dr Klasko, keen to prove the banker wrong, is embracing the hybrid approach with gusto. "You must have partnerships with providers, not just hundreds of unconnected apps."
He has brought bright sparks from General Catalyst, a vc firm that made early bets on many digital-health startups including Livongo, to work alongside his innovation team in Philadelphia.
"Moving fast and breaking things does not work well in health care," observes Hemant Taneja of General Catalyst. But nor does standing still.
THE SEARCH FOR A CORONAVIRUS PILL / DER SPIEGEL
The Search for a Coronavirus Pill
Researchers Explore Promising New Therapies for COVID-19
All eyes are on coronavirus vaccines at the moment. But efforts to find successful treatments against COVID-19 are rapidly moving along as well. Initial laboratory tests have been encouraging.
By Jörg Blech
Virologist Meike Dittmann: "I believe the inhibitor is quite promising in the medium term." Foto: Celeste Sloman / DER SPIEGEL
Effective in 70 percent of cases, in 90 percent, even in 95 percent: The recent triumphant announcements from AstraZeneca, BioNTech and Moderna, rooted in preliminary results from ongoing clinical trials, make it look as though a vaccine against the coronavirus could soon be approved.
But there is another pharmaceutical footrace going on – one which will be just as crucial in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 and other, similar viruses. Largely under the public radar, researchers around the world are searching for a drug therapy to help those who have already contracted the virus.
The hope is that patients will be able to take an inhibitor that binds to an important virus enzyme and paralyzes it. That, researchers hope, would then prevent the virus from replicating.
The German virologist Meike Dittmann of the New York University School of Medicine has tested a solution from Pfizer in her laboratory in Manhattan. In a petri dish, it was able to significantly reduce SARS-CoV-2 replication. "I believe the inhibitor is quite promising in the medium term," Dittmann says.
Other laboratories have also reported encouraging findings. The University of Tübingen is conducting research similar to Dittmann's, and the German biochemist Christoph Nitsche at Australian National University in Canberra has assembled a team to figure out how to block the important enzyme. The number of experiments with the same focus has exploded around the world.
But what should be the focus of such an agent? SARS-CoV-2 forces its way into host cells and takes control. The cells are reprogrammed and forced to produce viral genetic material and viral proteins – the building blocks of more viruses. A certain enzyme known as a protease, which has the ability to break down proteins, plays a key role here (see graphic).
It is possible to interrupt viral replication at a number of different stages in the process, but many researchers believe that protease present the best target. "It is my favorite target in the life-cycle of the virus," says Meike Dittmann. "The virus needs the protease immediately after entering the cell, and if the protease is deactivated, the life-cycle is stopped before the virus can even begin to replicate."
There are other advantages as well. The viral protease is significantly different from proteases found in humans, meaning an inhibitor would likely only bind the correct target. That would make undesirable side effects extremely unlikely.
Furthermore, the coronaviruses that have thus far been identified all possess proteases that are more or less identical. That means that an inhibitor developed for SARS-CoV-2 could also be effective against other members of this family of viruses.
Plastic Balls and Sticks
Biochemist Rolf Hilgenfeld of the University of Lübeck saw all of this coming more than 20 years ago. He has always been particularly interested in proteases, he said during a March visit with him at his laboratory. "Back then, hardly any work was being done on coronavirus proteases. I thought: I'd really like to see one of these proteases in 3-D."
It took a while, and it required the assistance of a Ph.D. student and a cooperation partner. Relying on biotechnology, Hilgenfeld and his team produced the protease of a harmless coronavirus. Then, the researchers were able to crystallize it, and they then exposed the crystals to X-rays. The rays were bent, creating a pattern from which a 3-D structure could be calculated. They were then able to examine the structure to determine which part could best be targeted with an inhibitor.
At his laboratory, Hilgenfeld proudly showed off a large model of the protease. Students of his had assembled it using plastic balls and sticks.
When the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 was published on Jan. 11, 2020, Hilgenfeld immediately examined the sequence for the relevant protease. As expected, it was almost identical to the proteases of previously known varieties of coronavirus. There were, however, a couple of differences. Together with researchers Linlin Zhang and Xinyuanyuan Sun, Hilgenfeld got to work.
Just a few weeks later, the team from Lübeck submitted a manuscript to the journal Science, which was then published in March. In the article, they and other scientists from additional research institutes in Germany and China described in precise detail how the SARS-CoV-2 is constructed. Not only that, they were able to identify the site on the protease where it could best be inhibited. And they presented a possible compound for doing so.
Even as biochemist Hilgenfeld, who turned 66-years-old in April, was receiving his retirement certificate from the University of Lübeck, experts around the world pored over his paper.
It provided a perfect manual for producing an inhibitor.
A physicist from the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg came to Lübeck to pick up the protease gene. Together with scientists from other research institutions, the DESY physicist initially produced a large number of the protease.
They then tested out 5,575 previously developed medical substances and allowed the preparations to crystallize.
Using X-rays, they were then able to determine which of the substances had bonded with the protease. Ultimately, Alke Meents, one of the researchers who took part in the effort, says that six of the substances had formed a bond. She says that the project is currently in talks with a large pharmaceutical company about establishing a cooperation.
"The Most Promising Agent"
Meanwhile, the companies Novartis and Takeda are participating in the COVID R&D Alliance, a collaboration involving more than 20 of the most experienced medical drug researchers in the world. According to Takeda, there are seven different working groups, including one for "novel, small molecule antivirals."
The researchers are hoping to "curb potential outbreaks in the future by developing a bespoke, antiviral therapy that can be used against any coronavirus that poses a threat in the future," says Jay Bradner, president of the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research. Some interesting inhibitors have already been found in cooperation with a university, he says.
Virologist Meike Dittmann has also joined a research alliance. She quickly realized that many companies don't even have a virology department any longer. Dittmann, though, had access to a laboratory with a safety level of BSL-3 and offered to help. "We then chose what from our point of view was the most promising agent," she says.
They opted for a substance called PF-00835231, which Pfizer had developed several years earlier for proteases, but then stopped pursuing because of a lack of demand. Following the successful experiments in Dittmann's lab, Pfizer even apparently began testing the substance on people.
But PF-00835231 has a disadvantage: It has to be administered via injection.
"Intravenous administration has to be done in a hospital, likely over the course of several days, which means it isn't universally available," says Dittmann. On top of that, the inhibitor has to be administered at the very beginning of an infection, when the virus is multiplying fastest.
The hurdles of availability and timing are most easily cleared with an inhibitor that can be administered orally. As such, most researchers are targeting such a drug.
"More and More Parameters"
The active agent must be able to find its way to the protease in the watery environment found in cells. But the protease is protected by a lipid membrane, meaning the substance cannot be too water soluble.
"Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to penetrate the membrane," says the biochemist Hilgenfeld. "But it also can't be too liposoluble, otherwise it will get stuck in the membrane."
The next problem: Many cells seek to defend themselves against foreign substances.
They are equipped with a kind of pump (P-glycoprotein), which pushes the undesirable substance back out of the cell. To counteract that reaction, it could be possible to combine the protease inhibitor with a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, Hilgenfeld says with a sigh. "But then, of course, you end up with more and more parameters."
Researchers, of course, are no strangers to such complexities, and for much of his career, Hilgenfeld frequently faced an uphill battle in securing funding for his seemingly exotic research into coronaviruses.
He led the Institute for Biochemistry in Lübeck for 17 years before he was sent into retirement – right at a time when he was suddenly in greater demand than ever before.
The China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing, for example, sought to recruit him and offered him an entire research group if he came to China. The Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund also wanted Hilgenfeld.
At the last moment, though, the Ministry of Education, Science and Cultural Affairs in his home state of Schleswig-Holstein found a way to continue paying him a salary. As a senior professor, he is now in the process of moving his protease laboratory into a new building on the university campus in Lübeck.
He has also joined a consortium for the development of coronavirus therapies, which is financed to the tune of 77.7 million euros by the European Union and 11 different pharmaceutical companies.
The project will come to an end after five years, as will Hilgenfeld's professorship. Does he believe that the first protease inhibitor will have been approved by then?
"I certainly hope so," says Hilgenfeld.
"So much effort is being invested in the project that something has to come out of it."
CINEMA WILL SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC APOCALYPSE / THE FINANCIAL TIMES EDITORIAL
| Etiquetas: Cinema, COVID-19, Movie Theatres
Cinema will survive the pandemic apocalypse
Studios cannot rely on streaming alone to fund costly blockbusters
There is strong reason to assume film theatres will survive Covid-19 even if some indebted owners go bust © Henry Nicholls/Reuters
All the best happy endings have a plot twist. So it is in the real-life film business.
Cinemas battered by forced closures, nervous consumers staying home, and Hollywood studios delaying the blockbuster releases they depend on, had hoped miracle drugs could save them from extinction.
Good news on coronavirus vaccines recently sent shares soaring in debt-laden cinema groups such as AMC, Cineworld and Cinemark. But they plunged last week after Warner Bros said it would debut its films in the US next year simultaneously in cinemas and, for a month, on its HBO Max streaming service.
The Warner Bros move is the most dramatic yet by a Hollywood studio to break with the usual playbook for blockbuster releases and bring them more rapidly into living rooms. Cinema chains have spent years resisting studios' attempts to reduce the time they can offer new films exclusively — and fighting off demands from Netflix to stream them at the same time.
It gives a boost to online viewing and dents cinemas' narrative that, once vaccine rollouts were well under way, audiences would rapidly rebound — enticed by a backlog of blockbusters such as the Bond movie No Time To Die, delayed from November to next April.
Warner Bros said its move was a one-year plan reflecting the likelihood cinemas would "operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021". It also seems designed to boost disappointing sign-up rates to HBO Max, which launched in May.
Either way, it is a serious blow to film theatre chains. AMC, which also filed last week to raise up to $844m by selling stock to keep it afloat, said it would not allow Warner to boost HBO at the cinema group's expense.
If vaccines work out as hoped, Warner Bros' public pessimism on cinemas may prove misplaced. The rebound in audiences in China suggests film-goers are happy to return once they feel safe.
Studios also have an interest in seeing them come back. Only cinema networks can generate the kind of revenues needed to make blockbusters costing hundreds of millions of dollars viable.
Hollywood arguably needs cinemas even more next year as it is sitting on a stockpile of big-ticket releases. Even in the age of high-definition TV, moreover, blockbusters are still made for the big screen, and best seen on them.
Industry insiders speculate Warner Bros may reverse its HBO Max move — which angered some film-makers — if life returns to normal by summer.
There is strong reason, then, to assume film theatres will survive Covid-19 even if some indebted owners go bust. Buyers, likely to include private equity companies that are used to handling similar restructurings, will surely be found.
But cinema numbers are set to fall, especially in the oversupplied US market.
Though global box office revenues hit a record $42.5bn in 2019, this was mainly due to increasing ticket prices; audience numbers have largely fallen since a peak in 2002.
The balance of power between the studios, aggressively expanding their streaming services, and cinema operators will also continue to shift. The three big cinema groups have all recently agreed to shorten their fiercely guarded windows for showing films exclusively in cinemas.
Even for blockbusters, the window may shrink from months to weeks. Warner Bros' HBO move is further muscle-flexing.
In the best traditions of the Hollywood disaster movie, cinemas find themselves facing a foe more devastating than any they have encountered before.
Bruised and bloodied, and in reduced numbers, they will make it through to fight another day.
SAUDI ARABIA ON THE BRINK OF A BREAKTHROUGH / GEOPOLITICAL FUTURES
| Etiquetas: Egypt, Geopolitics, Iran, Israel, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, U.S. Economic And Political
Saudi Arabia on the Brink of a Breakthrough
Its economy in trouble and its regional leadership challenged, Riyadh is in talks that would reshape the Middle East.
By: Caroline D. Rose
In the final weeks of November, Saudi Arabia's foreign policy machine went into overdrive. Riyadh announced a series of defense and commercial agreements strengthening bilateral ties with Egypt, Iraq and the United States.
But while Saudi diplomats were traveling around to increase Saudi Arabia's influence in the Greater Middle East, recent meetings between Saudi and U.S. officials may well lead to a breakthrough closer to home in the Gulf.
A U.S. delegation visit to Riyadh during the first week of December seeks to hit two birds with one stone: putting an end to the more than three-year crisis between Gulf countries and Qatar, and starting the process of diplomatic normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
While the United States has had success getting countries like Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to adjust their regional diplomatic policy, the Saudis have been the hardest to budge.
The kingdom considers itself the natural, de facto leader of the Gulf and Sunni Arab world, and for some time reckoned it could not afford to lose political credibility by realigning itself with a historical rival (Israel) and a neighbor (Qatar) whose brand of religious ideology and independent foreign policy are considered a threat to Saudi regional influence.
But a breakthrough is more likely than ever, as a combination of waning regional influence, financial constraints and shifting fault lines in the Middle East push Saudi Arabia to explore normalization with Israel and Qatar.
Leadership Contest
Saudi Arabia has traditionally been considered the effective ideological and religious leader of the Sunni Arab world. The country's vast oil wealth, combined with its custodianship over Islam's holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, and location at the crossroads of Red Sea and Persian Gulf trade routes, make it a natural Gulf power.
Saudi Arabia was at the forefront of the Middle East's modern political rifts, considering itself the moral and religious guardian of the Arab world in opposing Israeli annexations, upholding the Palestinian cause, taking the reins of the Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council, and later, in the years after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, leading its Sunni allies in countering Iran's Shiite Crescent strategy.
But Saudi Arabia's star is dimming. The kingdom's over-reliance on its oil industry (where prices are stubbornly low due to COVID-19 and oversupply), demographic challenges, and a 2030 Vision reform program on shaky ground have chipped away at its regional credibility and relative strength with its neighbors.
Additionally, the al-Saud royal family's record on human rights and the country's war in Yemen have alienated traditional partners like the U.S. and the EU. All the while, the UAE – a country less than 4 percent the size of Saudi Arabia – has made a series of ambitious foreign policy moves that have begun to overshadow Saudi Arabia as regional leader.
The UAE has taken the lead in the ideological battle on political Islamism: Abu Dhabi has reportedly funded mercenaries and has armed the Libyan National Army against the Turkish- and Qatari-backed Government of National Accord in Libya; has been at the forefront of strengthening Gulf ties through the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum against Turkish expansionism in the Mediterranean; and, notably, was the first among its Gulf neighbors to initiate peace with Israel this year. Gone are the days when Riyadh could depend on its cultural soft power to maintain its Gulf hegemony and regional leadership.
While the Saudis have been on the sidelines, their Gulf peers have seen a flurry of economic and political opportunities from normalizing ties with Israel. In the four months since Israel and the UAE reached their agreement, they have signed a string of memorandums of understanding on banking and finance, commerce and trade infrastructure, and even an oil pipeline deal worth as much as $800 million that would transport Emirati oil to Europe via Israel's ports of Eilat and Ashkelon.
Bahrain, which also normalized ties with Israel, hasn't been far behind, inking business cooperation deals with Israel's Chamber of Commerce and aviation agreements. Both countries have proved that normalization can bring economic rewards at a time when most Gulf economies, particularly Saudi Arabia, desperately need diversification.
Riyadh is therefore in discussions with Washington about rapprochement with Israel. At first, Saudi Arabia worried that normalization with Israel would risk its regional legitimacy, but now it's considering that the reverse may be true An Israeli-Saudi peace deal could help Saudi Arabia catch up to its Emirati neighbor with a series of investment, commercial and infrastructure agreements that would create new regional trade and financial hubs between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
The U.S. and Israel have also reportedly hinted that joint custodianship over Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque would be on the table – something that would enhance Saudi Arabia's reputation as the Islamic world's religious guardian (but could also cause tensions with Jordan, the current sole custodian of Al-Aqsa).
And, importantly, Riyadh would look to use normalization to position itself as a mediator for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, which would score it major points among regional partners, the U.S. and the international community. For the kingdom, the political short-term and economic long-term payoffs are worth the risk of changing its traditional stance.
Countering Iran and Turkey
Political credibility and economic opportunity aside, the kingdom has another significant reason for normalization. By realigning with Israel and Qatar, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners would be able to further isolate two of their primary rivals in the region: Iran and Turkey.
For Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran is a common enemy. As Iran has augmented its strategic depth in the region over the years, building a proxy network that extends from the Zagros Mountains to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, Saudi Arabia and Israel have found greater incentive to work together.
Over the past two decades, the two countries expanded cooperation and intelligence-sharing behind closed doors, keeping relations ice-cold only on the surface But as the Gulf begins to open up toward Israel, Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to expand its coalition against Iran beyond traditional Sunni Arab lines and include one of the top military powers in the region in its circle.
The same logic applies to the Gulf Cooperation Council's broadening campaign against Turkish influence in the region. As Turkey has gotten more deliberate about expanding its influence and control, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf counterparts are recognizing that they share an interest with Israel in opposing Turkish expansionism.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and their Gulf partners (excluding Qatar, of course) have been vocal opponents of Turkey, accusing the ruling Justice and Development Party of supporting political Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood. And for Saudi Arabia in particular, Turkey's neo-Ottoman approach and brand of Islamic identity politics is seen as a challenge to its leadership over the Sunni Muslim world.
Meanwhile, Israel has had hostile relations with Turkey since the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident and has become engaged in an ideological war of words with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the status of Palestine.
Israel has resented Turkish attempts to take up the torch of the Palestinian cause over the years; Ankara in September hosted mediation discussions between rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, to encourage unity against Israel, and has been a vocal opponent of Israeli annexations and Israeli peace deals with Arab Gulf states.
Israel is also a member of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, an emerging regional coalition that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Gulf partners have begun to align with to amplify opposition to Turkish moves over maritime territory. When strategizing its next step against Turkey, Saudi Arabia is beginning to accept Israel as a natural partner.
Then there is the question of Qatar. Normalization with Qatar offers a different, but more delicate, opportunity for Saudi Arabia. Doha has a relatively positive relationship with Iran and an intimate partnership with Turkey, as well as a Sunni ideological platform that runs counter to Saudi domestic interests.
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners have criticized Qatar for alleged support of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and have framed Qatar as an agent of foreign efforts to thwart regional stability through Islamist infiltration.
Of course, intra-Gulf tensions infamously came to a head in 2017 when Gulf states severed diplomatic relations with Doha and enacted an air, sea and land blockade, isolating Qatar from its former Gulf allies. The ideological rivalry has by no means abated, particularly as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have countered Qatari influence in new theaters like Libya and have continued to accuse Doha of supporting Islamists.
Shortly after the 2017 blockade, Qatar normalized relations with Iran and enhanced bilateral trade in gas and shipping. And since the diplomatic crisis, Qatar has become Turkey's most reliable regional ally, offering Ankara financial relief through currency swap deals, investing in joint defense projects abroad and boosting trade relations.
Unlike Israel, Qatar does not seem like a natural partner in broadening the regional coalition against Iran and Turkey. However, it could serve as a useful agent to isolate Saudi Arabia's rivals.
As the sun sets on the current U.S. administration and Trump's Middle East team scrambles to assemble a series of legacy-sealing deals before Jan. 20, 2021, Riyadh sees space for maneuver. By extending an olive branch and lobbying the U.S. to apply pressure on Doha, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners are working to rein in Qatari influence and convince it to end its engagement with Iran and Turkey.
While the exact details of what a deal would look like are uncertain, Gulf countries have insisted since 2017 on a 13-point ultimatum that includes demands to close a Turkish military base on Qatari soil, sever all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups, shut down diplomatic posts in Iran and limit Iranian-Qatari ties to trade and commerce that strictly complies with U.S. sanctions.
Though Qatar has been reluctant to yield to these demands, the incentives for re-initiating relations with its Gulf neighbors are increasing. Thanks to Qatar's mammoth-size gas reserves (the third largest in the world), ramped up domestic production, and boosted economic ties with the U.S. and Turkey, the 2017 blockade didn't entirely devastate the Qatari economy.
However, the logistical issues remain as Qatar is cut off from the countries where 60 percent of its imports (namely food and supplies) transit through. While Turkey and Iran have served as alternative supply routes, resolving the crisis with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries would ease these logistical conundrums as well as reintroduce Qatar into the Gulf's expanding financial and trade hubs.
If Doha was pressured to concede to such a deal, Turkey and Iran would be further isolated in the region. Of course, a snap decision on the Gulf crisis will likely not be ironclad, as tensions between Gulf states and Qatar linger beneath the surface, but it would put restrictions around Qatar's foreign engagement – threatening to deprive Turkey of its sole regional ally, and weakening Iran's foothold in the Gulf.
As meetings between U.S., Israeli, Qatari and Saudi officials continue into December, an opening between the Gulf's de facto leader and its traditional rivals becomes more likely.
With a precarious long-term economic outlook, waning religious and political credibility, and a fragmented regional campaign against Turkey and Iran, Saudi Arabia is indicating it no longer wishes to wait when it comes to peace with Israel and Qatar.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I'm going to put my tipping/picking skills to the test this season. I am going to try and predict every damn game this season.
I will be putting out my picks the day of (and sometimes the day before on early starts) on Twitter so give me a follow @onpointcarl to get them.
Sunday has rolled around, so I'l post my results on here, maybe put in some percantages and odds (www.oddsportal.com average) to see if I'm doing alright.


The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is committed to developing tourism as part of its overall economic diversification strategy. The Tourism Higher Authority has been given the task of overseeing a massive expansion in the Kingdom's tourist facilities and services.
Part of the plan is to train and employ a large number of young Saudis in this expanding tourism industry. In 2001, Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, laid the foundation stone of the Prince Sultan College for Tourist and Hotel Management in its new location in Sultan City along Abha regional airport road.
Amongst the various tourism expansion projects is Al-Hada Resort, Cable Car and Al-Kar Tourist Village project in Taif Governorate, the first phase of which was launched in 2001. The SR 70 million-project, in its first phase, includes the 4,200 meters-long cable car route that connects the high altitude area of Al-Hada with the low altitude area of Al-Kar village. It includes hotels, restaurants, family parks and playgrounds.
In January, 2003, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of the Tourism Higher Authority, announced the launch of a period of intensive development of tourism in the Kingdom, during which efforts would be intensified, capabilities mobilized, and tourism organizations established.
Addressing the third session of the Saudi-Lebanese Economic Forum, he emphasized that the Authority would fully cooperate with various partners in public and private sectors, and with individuals through executive plans, timed programs and other mechanisms, to develop national tourism and facilitate an environment of tourist investment.
The Prince predicted that there would be 45.3 million tourists in the year 2020, and a tourist expenditure of 80 billion riyals. He noted that this would require great investment from the private sector, to provide 50,000 hotel rooms and 74,000 housing units, and to train and qualify between 1.5 and 2.3 million Saudi nationals to work in the sector.
Through the good offices of the Tourism Higher Authority, the energies of various ministries and other organizations are contributing to the development of tourism.
When, in January, 2003, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of the Tourism Higher Authority, inaugurated a workshop on the preparation of natural heritage sites for tourism, the session was attended by Dr Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz bin Muammar, the Minister of Agriculture, and Dr Abdul Aziz bin Hamid Abu Zinadah, Secretary General of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and its Development (NCWCD). On that occasion, Prince Sultan pointed out that Saudi tourism has reached a phase of intensive development. He affirmed that the Authority would cooperate fully with partners in public and private sectors, via executive plans, staged programs and other mechanisms, in order to accomplish this goal. The Minister of Agriculture was able to say that the areas of natural forest in the Kingdom are estimated at 2.7 million hectares, and those of natural pastures at 170 million hectares, the home for some 2,000 plant species. He added that the Ministry has established many national parks at sites of natural forests in different regions of the Kingdom. For his part, Dr Abu Zinadah praised the cooperation between NCWCD and the Tourism Authority, highlighting the Commission's contribution to tourism development.
This is a sector of the Saudi economy that will be well worth watching.


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Gold IRA
Noble Gold Investment Review
(This review was updated in January 2022)
Trust, peace of mind, friendly service—for investors, these virtues are not mere words but
assets. A reliable gold company doesn't play hanky panky. You can trade in IRA precious metals with peace of mind. You are treated like a highly valued client regardless of the size of your orders and are fed the right information when you need it. These are the things you would want when diversifying your IRA portfolio with gold. Can Noble Gold Investments meet these requirements? Let's find out.
About Noble Gold Investments
This gold company is a brainchild of Charles Thorngren and Collin Plume. If the information on the company's website is anything to go by, they are seasoned gold traders with over 20 years in precious metals. Noble Gold distinguishes itself as a full-service dealer as well as gold IRA company. Its location is in Pasadena, California.
The company's mission is to make it EASY and SAFE for their clients to trade in precious metals. The company seeks to accomplish that through personable customer service, honesty, and knowledge dispensation. The company aims to enlighten the masses on the benefits of investing in precious metals in a shaky economy.
For any investor, that sounds like a solid plan. You might also be pleased as a punch to learn that the company offers other services in one place. If you need to consult an attorney, a financial agent, or accountant regarding your IRA, you can get Noble Gold to do it for you.
Through these and many other professional contacts, the company promises seamless rollovers and transfers of precious metals into retirement accounts. For a new investor that doesn't know where to start, such support can be incredibly helpful.
The Top Management
CEO Charles Thorngren
Charles is the CEO of Noble Gold Investments. He has more than 20 years' experience in precious metals and financial investment consultancy. He first started dealing in stocks and bonds in 1995 before he formed his own investment company.
His services were distinguished for excellent customer service, so they say. After five years, he was on the radar of a Fortune 50 finance company. He was presented with a colorful offer, but having predicted a shift in the US's monetary policy, Charles chose instead to focus on precious metals.
President Collin Plume
Collin focuses on counseling clients in investment management with a strategy to build long term wealth. In his past life, he dealt with property insurance, commercial real estate, and precious metals. This portfolio, therefore, represents a diversely skilled person with a rich background in finance and economics.
Collins supposedly helped many investors successfully sail through the past global financial crisis. He spends more time researching how to do that. At one point, his in-depth knowledge of the industry made him one of the top precious metal brokers in the country with sales over $28 million in a single year
The Noble Gold Website
▶ Information and Buyer Education
An informed trader is the one most likely to hit pay dirt. What strides has Nobel Gold made in creating an educated base of investors? Going by the information on their site, any new investor would feel right at ease provided they have the time and the patience to learn.
The IRA page on their website guides on how to do rollovers from 401K and other retirement accounts to precious metals IRA. There are also in-depth articles on what gold IRA is, and why gold is critically vital in an IRA account.
▶ Investment and Financial News
Investment wisdom is only complete with knowledge of current affairs, especially in the finance sector. Thankfully, you can get the news that matters on the Noble Gold website. The News section of their website carries fresh and relevant news touching on the markets, stocks, gold prices, Bitcoin, and much more.
Noble Gold Customer Service
All over their website, Noble Gold makes it clear that they are dedicated when it comes to customer satisfaction. The company asserts that five minutes is all it takes to open an account with them and state trading. You can take that with a pinch of salt, though, given the time it takes to acquaint yourself with the process, get a self-directed IRA, and or do rollovers from your existing account.
It's a good thing though they do home deliveries for buyers of rare coins and other products. Well, for IRA gold, it's not legal to keep them in your home in most cases, so home delivery wouldn't work for you. It is also somehow reassuring that there are multiple ways of contacting them. The contact information is easily visible on their site.
The company deals in an extensive assortment of IRA-acceptable gold and other precious metals. These include;
Gold bullions
They might also be able to get you or liquidate your IRA platinum and palladium bars and coins. For collectors of rare coins, you might appreciate the company's diverse offerings. They have a big line up of trophy coins, historical coins and professional certified coins among others. These coins range from gold to silver, palladium, and platinum.
Precious Metals Storage
Storage is always a primary cause of headache for many gold investors. Noble Gold provides its customers with two depositories. One is the International Depository Services Group in Dallas, Texas and the other an equally reputable depository in Delaware.
Noble Gold can buy back your precious metals. That sets it apart from other gold brokers in the market. After purchasing precious metals from these other companies, usually, investors don't often know how to proceed. With Noble Gold, it is simple— just watch the market and sell back to them.
Noble Gold Ratings on Consumer Review Sites
Noble Gold is listed on many business review sites. These include Better Business Bureau, Business Consumer Alliance, TrustLink, Yelp, and many others. That is a step towards transparency, one can say. If you want to know how it feels like to trade with them, you can go through customer feedback on those sites to find out.
The company has an AA rating on Business Consumer Alliance and zero complaints. On Better Business Bureau they have an A+ rating and zero complaints. They have similar high ratings on Yelp and Trust Link.
Noble Gold stands out as a trustable gold IRA company. Their precious metals offerings are diverse, and they package that with dedicated investor information, education, and transparency. Combined with the experience of the company's top management, investors seems to be in good hands.
1 About Noble Gold Investments
2 The Top Management
3 The Noble Gold Website
3.1 ▶ Information and Buyer Education
3.2 ▶ Investment and Financial News
4 Noble Gold Customer Service
5 Product Range
6 Precious Metals Storage
7 Liquidation
8 Noble Gold Ratings on Consumer Review Sites
9 The Bottom Line
10 More Gold IRA Companies Reviewed:
11 Noble Gold
11.1 Expertise
11.2 Service
11.3 Pricing
More Gold IRA Companies Reviewed:
American Hartford Gold
American Bullion
Goldco
Swiss America
Rosland Capital
US Gold Bureau
Lear Capital
Birch Gold Group
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Black Friday (Nov. 23) and its doorbuster deals officially mark the start of the holiday shopping season, though a few stores will open up to shoppers on Thursday as many of us are settling in for our turkey dinners.
Here are some links to recent NOLA.com retail coverage to help those in the New Orleans area navigate Thanksgiving and Black Friday locally.
First: If you haven't finished your grocery shopping by Thanksgiving Day or you run into an unexpected sugar shortage, you still have options. Here is a list of grocery stores that will be open on Thanksgiving Day and their hours.
Quite a few big box retailers are also opening early on Thanksgiving to catch bargain hunters. See which stores in the New Orleans area will be open Thanksgiving Day and what their hours are. Of course, there are still some stores that prefer to stay closed on Thanksgiving Day. Here is a list of those stores as well as their Black Friday hours.
Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie is among area malls that will open on Thanksgiving Day, though individual store hours will vary. See Thanksgiving and Black Friday hours for New Orleans-area malls and outlets, as well as holiday schedules where available.
This holiday season will be the first in a long time without toy titan Toys "R" Us on the scene, which means a chance to explore some local toy shops. Here's a list of New Orleans-area toy stores and bookshops to search for gifts for the little ones.
If you're not quite sure what to buy your loved ones for the holidays, consider perusing our latest gift guides for inspiration before hitting stores. They include gift ideas for the Saints fan in your life, local gift card buys that make giving a gift card seem less blah, and experiential gift ideas for loved ones who have everything they need.
Or you could wait until the last minute to get holiday shopping done like the rest of us. To that end, New Orleans has plenty of holiday events to help keep you festively distracted, including a few that start this week. See a full roundup of lighting ceremonies, bonfires and other festive events in our area.


From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a Fun, Sunny Mystery, THE LIBRARIAN'S VAMPIRE ASSISTANT.
Nobody hurts his librarian and lives to tell.
Who killed Michael Vanderhorst's maker?
It's a darn good question. But when the trail brings Michael to hellishly sunny Phoenix, Arizona, his biggest problem soon becomes a little librarian he can't seem to stay away from. He's never met a human more in need of protection!
Can this four-hundred- year-old vampire keep her safe and himself out of hot water with the local vampires who aren't playing nice?
Yesterday, he would've said yes. But yesterday, he didn't have a strange connection with a librarian. Yesterday, people weren't trying to kill her.
Mimi Jean Pamfiloff is a New York Times & USA Todaybestselling author of Paranormal and Contemporary Romance. Both traditionally and independently published, Mimi has sold over 800,000 books since publishing her 1sttitle in 2012, and she plans to spontaneously combust once she hits the one-million mark. Although she obtained her international MBA and worked for over 15 years in the corporate world, she believes that it's never too late to come out of the romance-closet and follow your dreams. When not screaming at her works in progress, Mimi spends time with her two pirates in training, her loco-for- the-chili- pepper hubby, and rat terriers, Mini & DJ Princess Snowflake, in Arizona. She continues to hope that her books will inspire a leather pants comeback (for men) and that she might make you laugh when you need it most.


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Thailand - Country history and economic development
1300s TO 1500s. Thailand's very first kingdom, Sukhothai, is established. It is remembered for its contribution to Thailand's art, architecture, and politics.
1378. King Borommaracha I of Ayutthaya conquers Sukhothai's frontier city of Chakangrao. The Kingdom of Ayutthaya becomes the dominant power in the Chao Phraya Basin, site of the present capital, Bangkok. This period, which ends in 1767, marks Thailand's earliest achievements in the area of international trade.
1767-82. General Phraya Taksin, former governor of Tak, defeats the Burmese invaders that destroyed the Ayutthaya kingdom and establishes his kingdom at Thon Buri, across the river from what is presently Bangkok.
1782-1809. Rama I, ancestor of the present monarch, establishes Bangkok as the capital of Thailand and rebuilds the Thai state. Some of Thailand's greatest structures are built during King Rama I's reign, including the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
1821-68. The Thai Kingdom faces the challenge of avoiding Western imperialism during the consecutive reigns of the monarchs Rama II and his 2 sons, Rama III and Rama IV. Under the reign of King Rama IV,
Thailand signs a significant trade treaty with Britain in 1855 called the Bowring Treaty which paves the way for greater Thai presence in the world market.
1868-1910. Under King Chulalongkorn's reign, Thai-land's communication system is modernized with the introduction of post and telegraph services. Mass transportation is also introduced with the construction of a railway network. Under his reign, a more centralized and bureaucratic political structure is established, the slave system is abolished, and Thailand becomes more outward looking.
1910-32. The reigns of Rama VI and VIII are marked by their contributions to Thailand's educational system. In 1917, Thailand's first university, Chulalongkorn University, is founded. In 1921, Rama VI issues a law on compulsory primary education. Upon his brother's death, Rama VIII accedes the throne. He works on establishing Thailand in the international community.
1932. Thailand becomes a constitutional monarchy after a bloodless coup d'etat on 24 June. A formal constitution is promulgated and a National Assembly is established with the monarch as Head of State. In the same year, the first formal comprehensive education plan is implemented.
1942. The Bank of Thailand Act establishes the country's central bank. The Bank of Thailand holds the main accounts of the Thai government including those of government enterprises.
1946. On 9 June, King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascends to the throne. In the same year, Thailand becomes a member of the United Nations.
1949. Thailand becomes a member of the World Bank.
1955. King Bhumibol Adulyadej becomes the first Thai ruler to travel to the poorest provinces of Thailand, in the northeast region, to check for himself the living conditions of the people. This begins the implementation of more than a thousand social projects.
1957. The premiership transfers from Field Marshal Pibul to Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat. The policies of his administration are focused on economic development and national security. Under his administration, the first national economic development plan is formulated.
1959. Thailand's Board of Investment is established. Its main tasks are to promote investment of both foreign and local capital in the private sector.
1962. The automobile industry is established as part of the government's import substitution policy.
1967. Through the primary initiative of Thailand, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is established in accordance with the Bangkok Declaration.
1972. In December, Field Marshall Thanom Kittikachorn announces a new interim constitution that provides for a totally appointed legislative assembly, two-thirds of the members of which would be drawn from the military and police.
1973. In May and June, students and workers rally in the streets to demand a more democratic constitution and genuine parliamentary elections. On 14 October the military government of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn and Field Marshal Prapass Charusathien is overthrown by student-led mass demonstrations which culminate in shoot-outs with almost 100 people killed.
1974. The Stock Exchange of Thailand is established and placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Thailand.
1975. The pullout of 27,000 United States military personnel based in Thailand as part of the Vietnam War effort begins in March and is completed in mid-1976.
1976. A bloody coup d'etat is staged at the Thammasat University on 6 October.
1977. Another violent coup d'etat brings to an end the 1-year civilian regime of Thanin Kraivichien. General Kriengsak Chamanand becomes the prime minister. Under his administration, Thailand achieves some kind of political stability, thereby attracting foreign investors who establish businesses in the country.
1978. A new constitution is promulgated in December.
1980. In February, the government's decision to increase the prices of oil, gas, and electricity provokes opposition from elected politicians and demonstrations by students and workers, reminiscent of the 1973 demonstrations. As opposition grows, Prime Minister Kriangsak resigns and is replaced in March by General Prem Tinsulanonda.
1984. The Thai baht is devalued after much pressure from the International Monetary Fund and as part of the government's austerity measures.
1987. The manufacturing sector surpasses the performance of the agricultural sector in exports by a wide margin, marking the beginning of Thailand's industry-led economic development.
1989. Thailand becomes a founding member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
1991. In February, a coup d'etat establishes yet another military government led by General Suchinda Kraprayoon.
1992. The Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission is established to closely monitor and supervise the operations of Thailand's stock exchange.
1995. Thailand joins the World Trade Organization as one of its founding members.
1997. A financial crisis hits the East Asian region, causing the Thai economy to nosedive with GDP growth falling to-0.14 percent from the previous year's 5.52 percent.
1998. Thailand's economy makes an impressive recovery. For the first time, the country registers a positive trade balance caused by an influx of foreign direct investment.
2000. National elections are conducted and culminate in the election of Thaksin Shinawatra, a successful Thai businessman and leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party.
Also read article about Thailand from Wikipedia
Tajikistan Tonga


AS IT STANDS: A random illusion: The Devil Is Near…Can You See him?
A random illusion: The Devil Is Near…Can You See him?
Can you see the devil hiding behind the cloud? I definitely can! In fact, now I can't stop seeing him. Am I possessed? Sure hope not!
Another thing that I noticed: is that sun eclipse we are seeing that gives devil horns effect, or is it rather a Moon? In my opinion it couldn't be so big and evil Moon. Or could it?
If you want to see some more devil appearances, be sure to check WTC Devil, as well as Aphex Twin's Devil optical illusion.
This photo was originally taken by Peter Wienerroither, visit his page for more cool photos! Peter said: "It was an eclipse of the sun in May 2003, photographed near Vienna/Austria.


Steel is, by far, the preferred material for most types of construction projects in the world today. All types of modern construction depend on the qualities of steel to lend reliability, longevity, and beauty to these types of projects. From bridges to skyscrapers, steel is the obvious choice to produce the strongest and most durable projects. The strength of steel is a clear requirement for structural integrity in large building and bridge construction.
The beautiful architectural features of modern buildings and bridges is accomplished by including steel beams, joists, columns, studs, etc. into the design of these structures. However, modern families are also discovering the benefits of incorporating steel frame construction into the design of their new home construction and addition plans.
Steel is becoming the new standard for designing beautiful, durable homes that can withstand the ravages of time without bending, buckling, or succumbing to collapse or the total devastation of natural disasters.
Carbon steel (most structural steel) is composed of varying percentages of iron and carbon. Low, Mid, and High grades of carbon steel compositions exist, with carbon content typically ranging from 0.3% to 1.5%. Trace amounts of other alloy metals exist in carbon steel. Iron-carbon is considered steel when it contains up to 2.1% carbon (beyond that, it is considered to be cast iron).
These elements and others are added to adjust and improve the properties of the steel according to it's end use. Phosphorus and Sulfur are typically undesirable. Efforts are made during production to eliminate them from the final product.
Alloy steels have larger quantities of various additional metals in them (other than iron and carbon) that can have significant effects on the final qualities of the steel.


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Keuka College Competes at NEAC Championship
Ryan Piersimoni finished in a tie for 19th in the NEAC Championship
HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa. – The Keuka College Men's Golf team competed this weekend in the North Eastern Athletic Conference Championship at Philmont Country Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
The Wolves came in seventh in the tournament with nine teams competing. As a team, Keuka College shot a 346 in Round 1 and sat in fifth place. The Wolves only shot two strokes worse in the second round, a 348, but they dropped two places on Sunday to finish in seventh with their 694.
Leading the way for Keuka College was Ryan Piersimoni. He opened the tournament with an 84 and backed that up with an 87. Piersimoni finished in a tied for 19th.
The rest of the team finished in a pack for the Green and Gold. Tom Reynolds finished in a tie for 26th with a 175 after shooting an 87 and an 88. One stroke behind him was Joseph Petrie in a tie for 30th. Petrie shot the lowest round of day two for Keuka with an 85.
Finishing one stroke behind Petrie was AJ Hranek and Rory Doremus. Each shot a 177 for the tournament and finished in a tie for 32nd.
Keuka College has one final tournament this season. The Wolves will tee it up on Tuesday in the Elmira College Spring Invitational.


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Freddi Arcade & Toys Museum
A vintage video game wonderland in downtown Reykjavik.
Freddi Arcade & Toys. Andrea Vail (CC BY-ND 2.0)
One of the console rooms at the arcade. Freddi Arcade & Toys (Used with permission)
Vintage gaming in downtown Reykjavik. Freddi Arcade & Toys (Used with permission)
The new location of Freddi Arcade & Toys Museum in Reykjavík. infaustus (Atlas Obscura User)
Freddi Arcade and Toy Museum Jaszmina Szendrey (Atlas Obscura User)
Top Places in Reykjavik
Álfaskólinn (Elfschool)
Whales of Iceland
Sorry, Freddi Arcade & Toys Museum is permanently closed.
This arcade joint right in the city center is all you need if you happen to be in downtown Reykjavik and aren't so interested in the party scene that takes place each weekend all over the city.
Freddi Arcade & Toys is packed with vintage games from the 1980s and '90s. It's an ideal spot to relive (or experience for the first time) the glory of classic video games.
Freddi Arcade has some of the most memorable names in games including Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, and Street Fighter, as well as classic pinball machines like Fun House, Dirty Harry and Terminator 2.
You can take part in "all-you-can-play" for one hour for a flat fee, or if you're looking for something more intimate, there are console rooms for rent where you can choose the console that suits you best: NES, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube, Sega Mega Drive and Playstation 4.
Update September 2018: The store is closed.
Open every day from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. NOTE: the arcade has moved to a new location. Address: Bankastræti 0, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Atlas Obscura Trips
A land of folklore and myths on a backdrop of remarkable natural wonders.
vintage arcades video games games retro-tech lost wonders
Frida, infaustus, Jaszmina Szendrey, sandercj, hrnick
https://www.facebook.com/freddireykjavik
https://happycampers.is/blog/iceland/reykjavik-on-a-rainy-day
Ingólfsstræti 2
Icelandic Punk Museum
Icelandic Phallological Museum
Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat
This tiny museum's sizable collection is jammed into a former underground public toilet.
An encyclopedic collection of mammal penises.
Iceland's tribute to its thankless civil servants.
This stunning concert hall has become a symbol of Iceland's national recovery.
Add-a-Ball Bar and Arcade
A (slightly) grownup take on the classic retro arcade.
The Strong Museum: International Center for the History of Electronic Games
Comprehensive gaming collection of over 30,000 electronic games and consoles.
Glendale, California
Vintage Arcade Superstore
This childhood throwback has hundreds of arcade games and pinball machines to transport you back in time.
Novelty Automation
A tongue-in-cheek arcade where the games are based on everyday life.


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This Week in Conflicts: A Misconduct Roundup, Photographer Admits Editing Inauguration Photos and Top House Dem. Threatens Investigations
by Lynn Walsh
President Donald J. Trump leads a video teleconference monitoring current tropical storm conditions and damage assessments in southeastern Texas, Sunday, August 27, 2017, from a conference room at Camp David. (Image Credit: Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
This week, the New York Times highlights crimes and ethical violations associated with President Donald Trump's administration, a government photographer admits to editing photos from the president's inauguration and a top Democrat threatens investigations into President Trump if Democrats take control of the U.S House of Representatives.
President Trump signing the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Misconduct Roundup
The New York Times is highlighting campaign and administration officials that have been convicted or have pleaded guilty to crimes.
The roundup includes those in President Trump's "orbit" who have violated federal ethics rules or were forced to resign over security clearance issues. The criminal charges highlighted are connected to the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The roundup includes a brief description of what happened, who the individuals are and how they are connected to President Trump and, in some cases one another. Michael Cohen, the president's former personal attorney, Paul Manafort, the president's former campaign manager, and Rick Gates, the president's former deputy campaign chairman are included in the roundup.
There are a total of 16 people included in the roundup. Click here to read about them.
Chief Justice John Roberts administers the oath of office to Donald Trump as his family looks on. (Image Credit: White House photographer)
Inauguration Photos Edited
Newly released documents show a government photographer admitted to editing President Trump's inauguration photos.
According to CNN, "The admission, contained in newly released records from a 2017 investigation, shed new light on what happened after the National Park Service shared a social media post comparing the crowds that attended the inaugurations of Trump and former President Barack Obama. Trump claimed footage of the event did not jibe with the number of people he saw from the stage. His then-press secretary, Sean Spicer, gathered reporters the following evening and claimed, 'This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period.'"
The photographer admitted to removing empty space to make the crowd look bigger. The investigation also revealed the photographer made the edits after calls from the president and Spicer.
Donald Trump speaking at CPAC 2011 in Washington, D.C. (Image Credit: Gage Skidmore)
House Dem. Threatens Investigations
U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer said if Democrats take control of the House of Representatives, President Trump can expect congressional investigations into his tax returns and possible conflicts of interest, Reuters is reporting.
The top Democrat went short of saying he would lead a move to impeach the president though. In order to win a majority in the House Democrats need to gain at least 23 seats.
According to Reuters, "as a presidential candidate and as president, Trump has broken with tradition and refused to make public his tax returns. Hoyer said House panels will demand those documents 'to make sure the president is not operating on his own benefit as opposed to the public's benefit.' He said the executive branch departments would get closer scrutiny and added that Republicans, who control the House and the Senate, were 'not meeting their oversight responsibilities.'"
More conflicts of interest in the news
Former EPA chief's Italy trip cost thousands more than previously reported
Report: Mueller will accept written answers from Trump on Russia collusion
EPA watchdog: turns out Scott Pruitt didn't need 20 security guards
Can Jon Kyl vote on Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh?
Conflicts and Investigations in Trump's Troubled Administration
Upcoming book assails Trump's 'ethics deficit' in golf
Trump seeks to move past Stormy Daniels lawsuit, says 2016 deal was never valid
Sunlight's "Tracking Trump's Conflicts of Interest" presents a comprehensive, free, searchable database detailing all of President Donald J.Trump's known business dealings and personal interests that may conflict with his public duties as president of the United States. Read our reporting to stay current on related news, learn more about conflicts of interest at every level of government and search our database. If you're familiar with any of the conflicts we're tracking you can email us or contact us here to contribute to the project.
Lynn Walsh is an Emmy award-winning freelance journalist who has worked in investigative, data and TV journalism at the national level as well as locally in California, Ohio, Texas and Florida. She produces content focused on government accountability, public access to information and freedom of expression issues. She's also helping to rebuild trust between newsrooms and the public through the Trusting News project.
Tags: Conflict of Interest, Donald Trump, Inauguration, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump, President Trump, President Trump Conflict of Interest, Trump Conflict, Trump ethics
Categorized in: Investigations, Trump's Conflicts of Interest
Tracking Trump's Conflicts of Interest
We've identified hundreds of conflict of interest concerns for President Trump and his family.Search our database.
Recent Reporting
This Week in Conflicts: Subpoenas for Kushner and Trump Org. and One Emoluments Lawsuit Dismissed
This Week in Conflicts: Funding for Trump's Fourth of July Celebration and A Look at The Trump Org.'s Expansion into Indonesia
This Week in Conflicts: Trump's D.C. Hotel Charges Secret Service, House Passes Legislation Barring Spending at Trump properties and a Subpoena for Possible Ethics Violations
This Week in Conflicts: Mueller Speaks, the Latest of Trump's Financial Records and a New Loan for Kushner Cos.
This Week in Conflicts: Trump's Latest Financial Disclosure Statement Released, NYC Mayor Threatens to Fine Trump Org. and Occupancy Rates at Trump Tower
Why Conflicts Matter
Learn why conflicts of interest matter in a democracy, and how Donald Trump's presidency subverts long-established protocols for guarding against them.
But don't just take our word for it …
Stay Transparent
Be in touch. We invite leads, tips and suggestions for further research related to Pres. Trump's potential conflicts of interest.
And to keep up with all things government transparency, subscribe to Sunlight's e-newsletter.
This database and reporting is a project of the Sunlight Foundation, with support from the Lodestar Foundation. Read all about it …
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> > local variable (I deduce this from your initialization of the "cell"
> > with something computed from the first argument).
> >> look at that when I get home.
> > things) is to request an attribute of it.
> so I want to see if I can resolve it.
it for the sake of focusing on the essential.
> > super(ThisClass).method(...)  # ???
requested AFAIK, so I'd suggest dropping the use case -- KISS again.


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Here's When Princess Charlotte and Prince George Will Have to Start Bowing to the Queen
By Holly Rhue
Chris JacksonGetty Images
Unless you've been otherwise distracted by Princess Charlotte's parade of sass across the United Kingdom, you might've noticed that the youngest royals aren't bowing before the Queen just yet.
Kate, Meghan, William, and Harry are all careful to bow or curtsey upon greeting and departing from the Queen—it's a courteous sign of respect. And it seems Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be taking pointers on the art of the royal bow from the Dukes and Duchesses in the near future, since Hello! reports this practice usually goes into effect at an early age.
Marlene Eilers Koenig—a royal historian and the face behind the Royal Musings blog— reported to Hello! that the little royals would begin to bow and curtsey "Certainly by age five. The only person they will curtsy or bow to is the sovereign. A royal highness does not curtsy to another royal highness."
Prince George just celebrated his fifth birthday last week, and while we've yet to see a public bow before the Queen, Koenig says it's more than likely that he's practicing in private.
As a three-year-old, Princess Charlotte has some time before she'll be expected to curtsey before her great grandmother. So for now, she's just trying to curtsey like:
Max Mumby/Indigo
Holly Rhue ELLE.com Contributor Holly is a skincare-obsessed contributor at ELLE.com.
George and Charlotte's Sweet Christmas Tradition
New Photo of George, Charlotte, and Queen Revealed
Prince George and Princess Charlotte Are BEYOND
Princess Charlotte Attended the Queen's Birthday
Witness Princess Charlotte Loving Balloons
Here's George and Charlotte at Trooping the Colour