text:
Q: Shared state between WebSocketHandler and RequestHandler I am writing chat app and I need session data in my websocket handler. Problem is that login and logout is done by AJAX request, and updating/clearing cookie cannot be seen by websocket handler - it sees only state from the time website was initially rendered. But it cannot see, when cookie is changed by AJAX request. Do you have any idea, how this can be implemented?
import json

import tornado.web
import tornado.websocket

class BaseHandler(object):
    @property
    def db(self):
        return self.application.db

    def get_current_user(self):
        id = self.get_secure_cookie('user')
        user = self.db.get_user_by_id(id) if id else ''
        return user

class JsonHandler(BaseHandler, tornado.web.RequestHandler):
    def write(self, response):
        if response:
            response = json.dumps(response)
        TemplateHandler.write(self, response)

    @property
    def body(self):
        return json.loads(self.request.body.decode())

class WebSocketHandler(BaseHandler, tornado.websocket.WebSocketHandler):
    pass

class Login(JsonHandler):
    def post(self):
        login = self.body.get('login')
        password = self.body.get('password')
        user = self.db.validate_user(login, password)
        if user:
            self.set_secure_cookie('user', str(user['id']))
            self.write(user)
        else:
            raise tornado.web.HTTPError(401)

class Logout(JsonHandler):
    def post(self):
        self.clear_cookie('user')
        self.write('')

class WebSocket(WebSocketHandler):
    clients = set()

    def open(self):
        WebSocket.clients.add(self)

    def on_close(self):
        WebSocket.clients.remove(self)

    def on_message(self, message):
        # how to use method self.get_current_user()
        # it uses self.get_secure_cookie('user')
        # but it is not updated dynamically by Login and Logout handlers
        # because websocket does not share state with them

        for client in WebSocket.clients:
            client.write_message(message)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Using SQL Server 2008, I have a hard coded two tiered case statement that I want to put into a reference table Querying appointment booking data using SQL Server 2008.
Appointment durations are largely hard-coded depending on the Clinic and appointment type as per this sample:
case when cl.ClinicCode like 'FPLAS%' then case when apt.AppointmentTypeName in ('New','Time Critical','Emergency') then 20 else 10 end
    when cl.ClinicCode like 'SPLAS%' then case when apt.AppointmentTypeName in ('New','Time Critical','Emergency') then 20 else 10 end
else 30 end as duration

I want to remove the coding and create a table to store this information.  The problem I have is that there are about 50 potential values for apt.AppointmentTypeName which I do not want to repeat for each of the 400 different ClinicCodes.  How do I best deal with the "else" part of the embedded AppointmentTypeName case statement?

A: Just store the ones you want. Anything that doesn't match returns NULL. Convert this NULL to 30
I have many assumptions here. I could make less if you posted all of your code.
SELECT ISNULL(AppointmentTime.Duration,30) As Duration
FROM YourTable
LEFT OUTER JOIN
AppointmentTime
ON cl.ClinicCode LIKE AppointmentTime.Lookup1
AND apt.AppointmentTypeName = AppointmentTime.Lookup2

You may also wish to store this default value of 30 in the same table


Talk about architects and you can get different reactions from the people you talk to. Do the same with Structural Engineers and you might get either a blank or a bewildered stare. Structural engineers are basically that in-charge with ensuring the stability of any building or property. They coordinate with architects for structurally sound yet beautifully designed buildings. Constructing new buildings either for commercial or residential purposes takes a lot of careful planning and thorough assessment. No amount of education can guarantee 100% incident-free building construction. This is why even architects and engineers and just about everyone involved in the project need to consider a lot of things before taking starting on any building construction.
Residential buildings may allow a certain level of creative flair but the same may not be applicable to commercial buildings.
Before starting on a construction project, it is important to think about what exactly the building is for. Residential buildings may allow a certain level of creative flair but the same may not be applicable to commercial buildings. There are government requirements to think about and building specifications to adhere to. It is important for the people involved in the construction to work as one to make sure that the project goes smoothly and prevent any design and construction errors. Most building owners order a third-party company to help them realize the construction of their own building. One benefit of hiring third parties is that they are the ones to take care of everything, from start to finish. Most engineering and construction companies employ structural engineering consultants to look into the stability and the security of the construction before and during planning and design implementation. They are great assets to any team as they can lower the construction costs with the careful implementation of Physics and Mathematics.
Another area worth looking at is building costs. You have seen unfinished constructions due to budgetary concerns. It is important to keep an eye on your budget so it does not increase too high. If you are working with a third party construction company, make sure you communicate your budget, including the maximum amount you are willing to pay to complete the construction. This can prevent any misunderstanding from arising in the future.
It is important to keep an eye on your budget so it does not increase too high.
It is important to work on completing the project within an agreed time frame. This helps in keeping the cost down. In addition to staying within the budget, making the deadline helps the building owner start earning investments. It is more important to them to stay within schedule so they no longer need to funnel more of their resources to the completion of the project. The sooner they can make money from the completed project, the better it is for everyone involved in the construction.


Opened in August 2016 to the tune of $NZ51 million ($46.5 million), the Sofitel Wellington was the first five-star international luxury hotel built in the New Zealand capital for more than 15 years. The repurposed building, formerly the Apple and Pear Board, had seven floors added to it so it now holds 129 rooms over 14 floors. This is the third hotel in New Zealand for the Paris-based brand, joining the Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour and Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa.
Across the road from the 25-hectare Wellington Botanic Gardens, guests can easily stretch their legs wandering through the garden's protected native forest, conifers and floral displays. The Beehive parliament building and CBD are down the road, and it's a short stroll to Lambton harbour and the plethora of dining options New Zealand's culinary capital has to offer.
Stepping into the gold and bronze-hued lobby, the opulence of this hotel is immediately apparent, and enhanced by staff in auburn, gold-buttoned uniforms greeting guests in French. On the ground floor is the elegant Green Room lounge and bar (great for a postprandial tipple), the Jardin Grill restaurant, a small fitness centre, and gold elevators that take guests up to the three meeting rooms on the first floor and to the guest rooms above. Kiwi design firm SPACE Studios and AccorHotels interior design director Stephane Lombard have given the interiors a sumptuous vintage feel, and given nods to both the brand's French heritage and to the botanic gardens with a floral theme throughout – think floral artworks, wallpapers and soft furnishings, and the occasional pear or apple sculpture reminding guests of the building's former life.
The French and botanical themes continue in-room, with subtle floral wallpaper and botanical artworks that tie in particularly nicely should you have a garden view room. Furnishings are plush and tactile, including gilded lamps and mirrors, velvet bedheads, wood panelling, silver-hued wallpaper and velvet drapes. The mod-cons are all there, including free Wi-Fi, 122-centimetre (48-inch) Samsung televisions, Bose speakers, DeLonghi espresso machines, and the brand's ridiculously comfy signature Sofitel My Beds. The French quotation on the door of the black-tiled bathroom is a nice touch (if not a little cheesy; it translates to "your kisses are the words of love that I cannot say"), as are the rain showers and Lanvin bath products.
Jardin Grill looks as good as it tastes, with its riotous floral wallpaper and ceiling frescoes, copper kitchen and courtyard with a fire pit. Under the direction of executive chef Grant Dicker, from celebrated Mint Dining Room in Nelson, deliciousness is offered in the form of mussel velouté infused with saffron, poached NZ shellfish and crème fraiche tortellini, or grilled Ora King salmon gravlax with kumara, fennel and apple cannelloni.
If you're short on time, a Zest food tour will help you quickly sample bits and pieces of the small-batch, organic, handmade goodies the clever folk around town are creating, like the "nitro" coffee at Mojo Coffee, or the hand-baked pastries at Nikau Cafe. Sterling, the newest venture from the team behind Egmont Street Eatery, is an excellent dinner option where the woodfired oven is the menu's focal point. Charley Noble, housed in the former Huddart Parker shipping line building with a raw seafood bar, house-made pasta and natural wine list, is unmissable for lunch. Nature-lovers can get up close and personal with New Zealand fur seals on a Seal Coast Safari, which takes guests along Wellington's windswept coast passing black sand beaches, soaring cliffs and cute "bach" holiday houses. Zealandia is another great outdoorsy option, a fenced 225-hectare urban ecosanctuary that's trying to restore Wellington's forest and freshwater ecosystems to as close as possible to their pre-human state, filled with reintroduced native wildlife including takahē and wētā birds.
Sofitel Wellington is a chic, central option for both business and leisure travellers. A welcome luxury addition to Wellington's accommodation scene that has been a long time coming.
HIGHLIGHT The luxurious interiors; there's nothing quite like a good dose of velvet to pull one out of a food coma.
LOWLIGHT The breakfast buffet. The food is good, but when staff are under the pump the service can get sloppy and it quickly slides into chaos. Get there early, or order in-room.
Nina Karnikowski stayed courtesy of Sofitel Wellington and Positively Wellington Tourism.


Powerful datalogger to collect all relevant data on inverter station level.
Central SCADA authorithy to collect, store, manage and process all data on site.
Power plant controller to implement the requirements of utilities.
Powerful datalogger to integrate additional signals into SCADA system.
User interface to provide onsite SCADA access to O&M staff.
PID protection unit for all module types.
String/superstring combiner with integrated safety devices and voltage/current measurement.
All relevant information on Grid Connection Level are collected and processed by PAD°Log Station EIU to SCADA Main Unit. In addition PADCON Plant Controller interacts with grid operator and fulfills all requirements of grid code.
Workspace for O&M staff to manage PV plant on site via PADCON SCADA HMI.
All relevant information on Inverter Station Level are collected and processed by PAD°Log Station.


Just came across a very nice set of Family Portrait while tidying the photos. I particularly like the kid in the photo. He is so cute and he give very nice pose during the photoshoot session. Hope you like the photos.


Fuel Injector Jumper Wiring Harness For 6.0L Ford 03 07 Powerstroke Diesel FICM. ... Fit for 97 03 Ford 7.3 L PowerStroke Valve Cover Gasket Repair.
7.3 powerstroke wiring diagram Google Search. ... 21060 Sidewinder Turbo System, Wastegated for use with 1983 1993 Ford 6.9 7.3L Truck, C 6 See more.


The Green Bay Packers will try to revive their flagging playoff hopes with their first road win of the season when they visit the Minnesota Vikings as 3-point underdogs on the NFL Sunday Thanksgiving odds.
Green Bay extended its current straight-up road slide to seven games with last week's 27-24 loss in Seattle as a 3-point underdog, and now takes a middling 4-5-1 record into Sunday night's game at US Bank Stadium.
The Packers opened the campaign as a solid +1000 bet on the Super Bowl odds despite falling short of a playoff berth last season. However, Green Bay has failed to record consecutive wins in 2018, continuing a trend that started with the three-game SU slide that closed out their 2017 schedule, and now sports -360 odds of missing the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 2006.
The Vikings also face a must-win scenario on the NFL Thanksgiving betting odds as they look to keep pace with the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears. With losses in two of three, the Vikings have fallen to 5-4-1, but maintain a slender grasp on the second NFC wild card.
Minnesota's recent outings have been somewhat low-scoring affairs, with the point total topping 45 just once in five home outings. The Vikings have limited visiting squads to 17 or fewer points on three occasions this season, but the total in the team's Sunday Night Football clash has held steady at 48 on the NFL Week 12 betting odds.
Earlier in the day, the Carolina Panthers aim to extend their lead atop the NFC wild card race as they host the Seattle Seahawks as 3-point chalk on the NFL Thanksgiving odds, while the Philadelphia Eagles try to halt a two-game SU slide when they welcome the suddenly surging New York Giants as 6-point favorites on the NFL Week 12 odds.
The Panthers have struggled to generate offense during consecutive road losses, averaging just 20 points per game while falling to defeat in Pittsburgh and Detroit. However, the Panthers have been dominant on the home turf of Bank of America Stadium, claiming 10 straight outright wins.
Carolina has regularly padded the score during their impressive road run, scoring 31 or more points on seven occasions, capped by a 42-28 win over Tampa Bay as 6-point chalk three weeks ago. That has generated an 8-2 ATS run, and four straight wins for the OVER in totals betting.
The Seahawks revived their playoff hopes with last week's win over the Packers, and have also covered three times during a 3-1 SU run on the road. Seattle routed the Panthers 40-7 in their last meeting in December 2016, and has held Carolina to just 9.33 points per game in three straight road victories.
The Eagles are at risk of becoming the second team in three years to follow up a Super Bowl victory by missing the playoffs after falling 48-7 in New Orleans last weekend as 7-point underdogs. Like the Packers, Philadelphia has failed to tally consecutive SU wins while compiling a 4-6-0 record, and has dropped three straight on home turf.
The Giants have won two straight after opening on a 1-7 SU run, but have lost eight of nine to the Eagles including four straight at Lincoln Financial Field.


text:
Searches begin
Search committees established for leadership roles
By Jennifer Batten
Dr. Lynne Phillips is nearing the end of her five-year term as dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Dr. Phillips has opted not to pursue a second term and will complete her final year on June 30, 2017. She will take one year of administrative leave beginning on July 1, 2017.
Dr. Wilfred Zerbe has submitted his resignation as dean of the Faculty of Business Administration effective June 30, 2017. He will take one year of administrative leave beginning July 1, 2017, and will return to the unit as a faculty member on July 1, 2018.
"We are fortunate to have had Dr. Phillips and Dr. Zerbe as members of Memorial's senior academic leadership team over the past several years and I thank them both for their dedicated service and strong leadership," said Dr. Noreen Golfman, provost and vice-president (academic).
In accordance with the Procedures Governing the Appointment, Review, Promotion and Tenure of Academic Administrators, separate search committees have been established for the roles of dean, Faculty of Business Administration, and dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Search committee: Faculty of Business Administration
The following individuals have agreed to be members of the search committee for the position of dean, Faculty of Business Administration.
Elected members from the Faculty of Business Administration:
Jeffrey Parsons, professor, University Research Professor
Jeffrey Pittman, professor
Kirby Shannahan, associate professor
Natalie Slawinski, associate professor
Appointed members:
Susan Cleyle, university librarian
Noreen Golfman, provost and vice-president (academic) — chair
Renata Lang, director, Student Life, MUNSU (student representative)
Karl Smith, incoming member, Faculty of Business Administration Advisory Board, executive vice-president and chief financial officer, Fortis Inc.
Search committee: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
The following individuals have agreed to be members of the search committee for the position of dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Elected members from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences:
Isabelle Cȏté, assistant professor, Department of Political Science
Fiona Polack, associate professor, Department of English
Jennifer Selby, associate professor, Department of Religious Studies
Arthur Sullivan, associate professor, Department of Philosophy
Appointed:
Mark Abrahams, dean, Faculty of Science
Brittany Byrnes, director, campaigns, MUNSU (student representative)
Norm Catto, head, Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Jennifer Batten is manager of communications in the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic). She can be reached at jbatten@mun.ca.
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
posted by CAA — Jun 17, 2015
Read about the latest news from institutional members.
Institutional News is published every two months: in February, April, June, August, October, and December. To learn more about submitting a listing, please follow the instructions on the main Member News page.
June/August 2015
The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, has received a one-time grant of $50,000 from the Henry Luce Fund in American Art to research and digitize part of its American glass collection.
The Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has joined the Google Cultural Institute and contributed 1,061 high-resolution images of works of art from its collection to the institute.
From left: Karen Pence, Juliet King, and Kim Hodges during a reception at the Governor's residence (photography provided by the Indiana First Lady's Charitable Foundation)
The Herron School of Art and Design, part of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, has accepted a $1,000 grant from the Indiana First Lady's Charitable Fund. The award will support the school's graduate program in art therapy.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has launched a new online video series, called The Artist Project. The museum will produce a season of clips in which one hundred artists respond to the permanent collection, choosing either a single work or galleries that spark their imagination.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania has accepted a three-year grant of $1,500,000 from the Henry Luce Fund in American Art to help reinstall and reinterpret its American art collection.
The Society of Architectural Historians, based in Chicago, Illinois, has received a three-year $150,000 grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for general operating support.
The Society of Architectural Historians, based in Chicago, Illinois, has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Tawani Foundation to support activities related to the organization's seventy-fifth anniversary.
Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: Institutional News, Member News, Member Spotlight —


Epic Games has confirmed that new adjustments to the Baller vehicle will be made in future patch release. Unfortunately, the changes have missed the v8.30 release window.
The Baller has been a very controversial point of discussion for quite some time and will more than likely continue to be so.
The vehicle primarily causes problems on the competitive side of the equation. Casual Fortnite games generally do not have 30-50 players remaining in the final stages of the game, but competitive games commonly do.
The vehicle, when used en masse, makes for easy traversal of end-game fights, moving extremely quickly within small spaces and allowing players to stay alive without much effort.
Epic Games has released a short statement via a post on the FortniteBR subreddit explaining a key change coming to the vehicle in an upcoming patch.
The change will allow players with good accuracy to shoot through the glass of the Baller. The shots will do damage to the Baller and the player inside. The metal parts of the vehicle will still deflect bullets as usual.
The change has missed the v8.30 deadline which is sure to upset competitive players, but will also illuminate the problems of the vehicle to an even larger audience as the Fortnite World Cup begins.
You can expect the Baller changes to arrive with v8.40 patch or before if Epic deems it necessary to be deployed in a hot fix.
As the Fortnite World Cup events kick-off this weekend, viewers will see firsthand the destabilizing effect the vehicle has on competitive gameplay.
The first Fortnite World Cup events start on Saturday, April 13th. Competitive players have already been in fiery rampage over the massive meta change of Reboot Vans arriving to Fortnite on April 10th.
The argument isn't that Fortnite should quit releasing content, but rather that the competitive scene should be allowed to play on a more stable, non-changing version of the game. Some casual aspects of Fortnite do not properly fit into eSports.
What do you think of the Fortnite Baller? Have you experienced any of the frustrating aspects of the vehicle for yourself?


From the beginning of this year my wine teaching slowly began to skew "offline," since I started instructing an 11 week wine class to culinary students at the local Art Institute. It's certainly been a wake-up call for me. I never really thought teaching would ever be listed on my resume, and even though it's only a part-time class, it's really opened my eyes as to how wine drinkers palates evolve….but more importantly, how so many people view themselves as a wine critic (so matter how much wine experience they may or may not have).
"Over the course of this semester, we will probably sample between 120-140 wines. Some of those wines, as brand new wine drinkers, you will enjoy. Some of them you will not enjoy. What I will say is that I've personally hand-selected all of these wines myself. There will be no bad wines in the bunch. I will have tasted all of them beforehand, so I will know if any are corked, or otherwise spoiled in any one of a number of ways in which a wine can be.
We've already established how much wine knowledge you have, and we all agreed that it's pretty-much next to zero. Some of you, being in your early twenties, have indeed only ever tasted wine once or twice before this signing up for this class. You are therefore all brand new wine drinkers.
I know for a FACT you WILL all have an opinion on each of these wines i.e. whether you enjoyed it or not. I'm here to tell you that your opinion is not relevant. It doesn't count. It also won't count for at least a few more years, and that is ONLY if you continue to taste wine, refine your palate and develop what EXACTLY it is about that wine what you like/do no like. As harsh as that sounds, it's an absolute reality. If I want your opinion, I will ask for it; and even then it still has no credibility, either inside or outside of this classroom.
Just so you know where I stand on "you like what you like," I find it to be some of the worst pieces of advice a new wine drinker can receive. The kind of people who use "you like what you like" don't even know what they like, since I generally find they haven't tasted enough wine to even know what they like.
With my teaching gig, I'm lecturing chefs who are suicidal enough to want to go out into the Hospitality Industry, and since said Industry can be an oh-so mean place, I honestly believe it's in their best interests to come to terms with reality sooner rather than later. Being a critic on wine at this stage would be the same as me giving them a piece of steak for the first time in their lives, and them automatically thinking that since they've tasted steak, that they're now allowed to be an expert on all red meats.
Along these same lines, it mirrors very closely the way in which I view restaurant critics.
I personally don't think you should be able to call yourself "restaurant critic" unless you have actually spent a decent amount of time (however you want to define "a decent amount of time") working in the F&B industry. Sure you can call yourself whatever you want…this is America after all…but this is where I take issue with a great number of restaurant bloggers/critics.
My question is that anyone can critique a restaurant, and you don't need a formal blog to do it. With the increase in the various social networks, you can literally have your opinion on "Restaurant X" be potentially put in front of an audience of millions. But just how relevant is that opinion?
The reason people have so much respect for chefs such as Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey is that they've lived and breathed it for so many years. Would they be so successful if they both had their exact same personalities, but had never worked a day in a restaurant in their lives?
Being a wine critic is something which is earned. Having an opinion on a wine is something which is not. However, having an opinion on a wine which is valued by others is something which absolutely is earned….and it doesn't come quickly, easily, or (arguably) cheaply.
Americans are so proud that they have a freedom of speech, and rightly so! People absolutely should have a freedom to say what they want, when they want, but that isn't to say that particular "speech" will be guaranteed to carry any weight or hold any relevance for others.
Wrong question in your title. Kind of like asking what "entitles" you to be the President of the US or what "entitles" you to be on an NBA team. Exchange "entitles" with "qualifies".
I know what you are saying, I just think a great number of people think they do indeed have a sense of entitlement, or a just claim, to critique wine.
As emblematic as that is of our "me, Me, ME!" American culture, maybe that is exactly what's wrong with our wine culture? While "entitled" and "qualified" both imply some sort of hierarchy with superior and inferior members (thus some – yes – elite in the group), I'd rather have the elite, superior be *qualified* rather than *entitled*.
How about, instead of entitlement, they seek knowledge (not of the1855 classification type, but of the what-makes-cab sauv-cab sauv-and-different-from-cab frank-or-merlot-or-syrah and what-distinguishes-california-merlot-from-Bdx-merlo-and-napa-merlot-from-paso-merlot type), sensory evaluation (not the whatever-you-think-you-smell-is-right type but of the a-C-sharp-is-A-C-sharp-and-not-a-G and the methoxypyrazine-is-not-vaillin types)? That might lead them to more enjoyment and satisfaction. But what do I know?
Great opening "speech" for your classes. It sets a very professional tone for a group that will be more than just casual drinkers. I am curious as to whether you get any drop outs right after you set your guidelines.
I haven't had any dropouts…yet. This little speech is very much catered towards the people I am dealing with in this unique scenario, namely: culinary students. I'm all about them having an opinion, but in the profession they're going into, it's not their palates that they're trying to satisfy.
It's an 11 week class and the part I love the most is seeing them go from never having tried wine, to being blind tasted on 6 wines and pinpoint them by varietal and country etc.
Thanks for reading. Very much appreciated!


text:
Allopogon é um género de dípteros pertencente à família Asilidae.

Espécies:

 Allopogon anomalus (Carrera, 1947)
 Allopogon argyrocinctus (Schiner, 1867)
 Allopogon basalis (Curran, 1935)
 Allopogon castigans (Walker, 1851)
 Allopogon equestris (Wiedemann, 1828)
 Allopogon miles (Wiedemann, 1828)
 Allopogon necans (Wiedemann, 1828)
 Allopogon placidus (Wulp, 1882)
 Allopogon tesselatus (Wiedemann, 1828)
 Allopogon vittatus (Wiedemann, 1828)

Dípteros

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Affinity Bias - The similar to me effect
Rob McCormick
We've all walked into a room full of people. The first thing we do is scan the crowd for a familiar face. Preferably, someone, we like. Failing that, most of us will take almost anyone we know. Anything to stop the discomfort of being alone and exposed.
Recently I had this experience when I went to an after-work event. Not knowing anyone else attending, I arrived 15 minutes late to avoid awkwardly standing around alone. Anticipating tardy arrivals, the organisers had smartly added a half hour buffer. And thus I found myself walking slowly into a room scanning unfamiliar faces.
Everyone was talking around a table, helping themselves to the drinks and snacks. Many were smiling, and their expressions were warm. We were all there for the same talk, so we had that in common. Yet I hesitated. Something deep in the back of my mind caused me to pause. They were all women.
While this must be a comic triviality for the many women who face the opposite situation on a daily basis, the last time I could remember being the only man in a group was in the odd Anthropology tutorial in University. I never had a bad experience then, so what was holding me back?
The Opposite of Comfort is Discomfort
My irrational pause can be explained by affinity bias, which is a tendency to prefer people similar to ourselves or someone we know and like. This likeness can be the way we look, our backgrounds, shared experiences or common interests.
In my case, I didn't see anyone that looked like me. In my brain's wiring visual cues seem to be more influential than the fact that we shared a common interest in the topic of the meetup. Perhaps this was because I was sure of the way they looked, but was not certain of their views and opinions.
It's uncomfortable knowing I'm biased, but it's a form of unconscious bias we all share. We all want to be around people that make us comfortable, and often that occurs when we can more easily relate to the other person. It may not be correct, but we assume we can better understand each other.
If affinity bias means we like being around people that make us comfortable, is the opposite also true? Will we be uncomfortable in the presence of people not like us?
Research has shown that generally, yes, we will be more uncomfortable. It has also demonstrated that this will make us smarter. We prepare better, anticipate other viewpoints and expect that reaching consensus will take effort. Consequently, we produce better results.
Affinity Bias in the Workplace
As a positive bias, we are likely to favour people we have an affinity for and may not be aware of how this is impacting us.
We like to believe that we are ethical an unbiased, and are capable of making objective and rational decisions in our, and our company's, best interests. However, in reality, more than two decades of research shows that most of us fall woefully short of our inflated self-perception.
This overconfidence is particularly true when we are judging people. Whether deciding on who to hire, promote or give an opportunity, our bias can impact both our behaviour and our decision.
For example, picture yourself in a job interview. The candidate opposite you is shifting in their seat. They are breathing deeply, trying to control the rising panic you see in their eyes.
If you feel some affinity for them, you're more likely to smile, encourage them and try to put them at ease. All of which can impact the candidate's performance, and your estimation of them and how well they'd "fit" in with the team.
In addition to hiring, affinity bias can also affect who gets promoted or other opportunities to grow.
How to Avoid Affinity Bias
While it's not possible to eliminate affinity bias, there are ways to avoid its impact. Most importantly, wherever possible, take time to get to know people better. The more we know about each other, the more likely we are to find that common ground that enables us to get comfortable, relate to each other and get along.
Additionally, remember that we can have an affinity for people that look not just like ourselves, but someone we know and like. The more people we know that are different from ourselves, the broader the group of people we feel comfortable around.
If you're not sure about this, think back to a time when you were in a group with people you didn't know. It could have been a trip, work or university project, or even school camp. Remember the sense of comradery that shared experience gave you. How much closer and comfortable you were with each other as a result.
When hiring our efforts can be constrained by time and the fuzzy concept of "fit". Two good ways to mitigate these effects are:
Have a diverse group of people conduct the interviews. Different perspectives and affinities should help to balance the hiring discussion.
When hiring for "fit", be clear what this means. It would be best if you aimed to find shared values, as these are what will lead to success for you, the candidate, your team and the company.
Find Common Ground
We can never entirely rid ourselves of affinity bias. It will always hold us back or drive us towards comfort. Nevertheless, the more people we meet, the more opportunity we have to build an affinity with people unlike us, increasing the size of our comfort zone. So when we find ourselves amongst friends, reach out to the stranger in the crowd and find common ground.
At my meetup, a friendly stranger introduced herself and asked what brought me there. I was suddenly at ease, no longer alone and grateful for her kindness.
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As the world evolves, it cannot be denied that every single thing in this world is seen as a source of profit and can be a potential star for a business project. There are an extensive selection of products readily available around the world particularly now that it is comparatively more obtainable to get such products through the use of online buying. Because of this, goods from overseas places can be obtained simply and effortlessly. Taking advantage of this situation, one seemingly small item has exploded all over the market. This is popularly called wholesale tea.
In the past years, only those who have a great deal more connections with Eastern locations like China, Japan, India, and Sri Lanka can acquire tea and offer it all over the entire world. But now, tea has become a worldwide business and you may be stunned to know that the tea you are taking have come from Africa or a production company from Thailand, or a retail outlet in the United states that advertises under a third company's brand name. Hence, it is a great idea to invest in wholesale tea and start making profit from it since you do not have to be troubled where you should take materials from.
As you may have noticed, the tea bag market has a full listing of names and a more full listing of tea variations. The existing developments and well-known innovative developments in recognized businesses and even those who are still forthcoming are trial and error with blends and tea bag styles. This is not to say that wholesale tea was not a trend in the previous years but this sector has grown further than green tea and breakfast tea which are the typical variants before. In present-day instances, we now see an overall wide range of companies and organizations developing an even larger amount of alternatives in every aspect of the wholesale tea industry. With respect to tea on its own, there are without a doubt a great deal of options to experiment with and that consists of Jasmine tea, herbal tea, and Rooibos.
In the tea bag design department you can incorporate fresh ideas. There are different designs of machine produced standard tea bags and this style dominates the industry. Having said that, this put emphasis more on the price tag and not on the tea's quality. Another design available is the pyramid-shaped bag. Although the design is more sophisticated and deviated from the practical aspect, the tea is generally far better in quality and its unique design is more appealing to the consumers. The most up-to-date entry to the sector is a blend of the two. The shape is more circular and it arrives in hand-sewn bags which has now been beginning to be well-known in the wholesale circulation outlets.
Be fast and neglect all doubts right now. This investment is surely not a bad thought.


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Do you want to grow more vegetables with less effort? Perhaps you're tired of harvesting all your crops at once and instead you want a vegetable garden layout that gives you a consistent supply of fresh organic vegetables for your family.
These layouts will help you plan out how much you need to grow, when you should plant it and what to plant next to each other so all your plants thrive instead of struggle.
First decide on how big your vegetable garden layout should be and then choose a planting plan that works for your skill level and available resources. Let's get planning!
How Many People Are You Growing For?
If this is going to be your first vegetable garden then choose one of our smaller vegetable garden layouts to begin with. Big vegetable gardens require a lot of time to maintain, and can be overwhelming for new gardeners.
We've carefully selected the best crops for beginner gardeners to grow. You'll find that the more difficult crops that require special care and protection from pests are only grown in the largest vegetable garden plans.
Each vegetable garden plan is designed to get the most production out of the given area with the least amount of effort and resources from you.
At 4×4 feet this vegetable garden is small enough that you can even fit it on your patio. Don't be fooled by it's small size though – we've planned this garden to be very productive!
You'll be following the square foot gardening method, which makes the most use of every available space in your patch.
This garden will provide plenty of salad greens and cooking herbs for a small family over the whole summer. We've chosen fast growing crops to give you the most production from a small area. The herbs will help defend your plants from pests and diseases too.
If you want to grow enough food to feed one person over the whole summer then this is the garden layout for you. For this vegetable garden layout we are using the row cropping method.
You'll plant your crops in rows so they are easier to maintain. The wider spacing between plants will help them grow without competition, but you'll need to keep weeds under control and a watchful eye for pests.
This vegetable garden layout grows crops that require more regular maintenance. But your efforts will be richly rewarded as once these crops start producing, they'll keep your fridge and pantry overflowing with fresh produce all summer long!
We've chosen plants that are resilient to pests and diseases, as well as being resilient and forgiving to forgetful (or busy) new gardeners.
Perfect for small families, this garden is a great way to get the whole family outside on the weekends. There's plenty to do each week from training tomatoes (try these fiberglass stakes for the best support) to harvesting pumpkins. You'll teach your children how to care for something and they'll actually start to eat their vegetables too!
If you've got the space, resources and time to grow a larger vegetable garden then this is a great planting layout to follow. Many gardeners make the mistake of over-planting a large vegetable garden, or they plant everything all at once.
This garden plan shows you how to grow a super productive garden that gives you a variety of vegetables over the whole growing season. We've carefully balanced crops that produce consistently over a long period with crops that have one-time harvests.
You'll need to invest more time and resources in maintaining and establishing your garden, but you'll be richly rewarded for your efforts.
For the more ambitious gardeners among us this vegetable garden plan will keep you busy all weekend long. You'll be rewarded not only with barrow-loads of produce each week but everyone you know will be coming and admiring your productive little patch.
Be warned though – because this is our most advanced vegetable garden plan. You'll need to have greened your thumbs on some smaller gardeners before attempting this one. If you've got the time, the space and the resources then this garden will grow plenty of produce for you to share.
You'll even have plenty for canning and preserving too. The big harvests will quickly overload your fridge and pantry so you might want to consider using a root cellar to store your crops.
We've included a balanced variety of continuous cropping plants that'll overflow your pantry every week with fresh produce. For this reason we've chosen the crops that store well out of the fridge and will keep through the winter.
There's also a variety of one-time crops that you'll need to plant and replant throughout the season. You can can, freeze and store these however you like – again we've chosen the best crops for long term storage.
Some crops will take the full season to grow and mature before you can harvest them, but they'll feed you right through the winter when it's hard (or impossible) to grow crops outside.
This is every vegetable gardener's dream veggie patch.
Saving your own seed is the best option for growing strong and resilient crops with heavy harvests. However, saving seed can be a little tricky and requires careful timing and a watchful eye to stop accidental crosses.
If you're interested in saving your seeds then Seed to Seed is definitely worth a read. It covers everything from choosing the best plants for seed saving, breeding your own varieties and how to collect, store and germinate your seeds.
Of course you could just buy seeds from your local nursery or supermarket. But chances are that these seeds will be hybrid seeds (that you can't save seeds from for next years crops) or they'll be the same seeds every grower in your region uses.
Planting these seeds will make growing your crops all that much harder. They'll be more susceptible to pests and diseases, because they're identical to all the other farmers crops. So if one farm gets a disease or pest, it'll quickly spread across the region and your crops will be easy targets.
Instead you should try to always get your seeds from an heirloom seed company. These seeds are hand selected every year by backyard and commercial growers from the crops with the highest yields and best pest and disease resistance in your area.
Open up a whole new world of flavor, color and choice. There's beans that taste like butter, tomatoes as sweet as apples and carrots with all the colors of the rainbow. You don't have to settle for boring white cauliflower heads, you can have green, yellow or purple!
The best time to buy your seeds is 3 months before you want to plant your garden. Some seeds you'll want to start raising into seedlings a month before you intend to plant them. Whilst others you can plant directly into the soil when the ground is warm enough for them to germinate.
Where's the plan for the Backyard Vegetable Garden Layout? I don't see a link or image for it.
I don't set the links. Are they still available?
I realize this is a year later, but great article, thank you!


text:
Q: How to add SINGLE CHOICE radiobutton in listview Here I do have a multiexpandable listview, I want to add radio buttons in the child section. Can someone help me with code

Working code :
MainActivity.java
package com.androidhub4you.multilevellistview;

import java.util.ArrayList;

import com.androidhub4you.multilevellistview.Product.SubCategory;
import com.androidhub4you.multilevellistview.Product.SubCategory.ItemList;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Context;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.MotionEvent;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnTouchListener;
import android.widget.ImageView;
import android.widget.LinearLayout;
import android.widget.RelativeLayout;
import android.widget.TextView;
/**
 *
 * @author manish
 *
 */
public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    private ArrayList<Product>pProductArrayList;
    private ArrayList<SubCategory>pSubItemArrayList;
    private ArrayList<SubCategory>pSubItemArrayList2;
    private LinearLayout mLinearListView;
    boolean isFirstViewClick=false;
    boolean isSecondViewClick=false;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
        mLinearListView = (LinearLayout) findViewById(R.id.linear_listview);

        /**
         *
         */

        ArrayList<ItemList> mItemListArray=new ArrayList<ItemList>();
        mItemListArray.add(new ItemList("Red", "20"));
        mItemListArray.add(new ItemList("Blue", "50"));
        mItemListArray.add(new ItemList("Red", "20"));
        mItemListArray.add(new ItemList("Blue", "50"));

        ArrayList<ItemList> mItemListArray2=new ArrayList<ItemList>();
        mItemListArray2.add(new ItemList("Pant", "2000"));
        mItemListArray2.add(new ItemList("Shirt", "1000"));
        mItemListArray2.add(new ItemList("Pant", "2000"));
        mItemListArray2.add(new ItemList("Shirt", "1000"));
        mItemListArray2.add(new ItemList("Pant", "2000"));
        mItemListArray2.add(new ItemList("Shirt", "1000"));

        /**
         *
         */
        pSubItemArrayList=new ArrayList<SubCategory>();
        pSubItemArrayList2=new ArrayList<SubCategory>();
        pSubItemArrayList.add(new SubCategory("Color", mItemListArray));
        pSubItemArrayList2.add(new SubCategory("Cloths", mItemListArray2));
        pSubItemArrayList.add(new SubCategory("Color", mItemListArray));
        pSubItemArrayList2.add(new SubCategory("Cloths", mItemListArray2));
        /**
         *
         */

        pProductArrayList=new ArrayList<Product>();
        pProductArrayList.add(new Product("Emotions", pSubItemArrayList));
        pProductArrayList.add(new Product("Garments", pSubItemArrayList2));

        /***
         * adding item into listview
         */
        for (int i = 0; i < pProductArrayList.size(); i++) {

            LayoutInflater inflater = null;
            inflater = (LayoutInflater) getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
            View mLinearView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.row_first, null);

            final TextView mProductName = (TextView) mLinearView.findViewById(R.id.textViewName);
            final RelativeLayout mLinearFirstArrow=(RelativeLayout)mLinearView.findViewById(R.id.linearFirst);
            final ImageView mImageArrowFirst=(ImageView)mLinearView.findViewById(R.id.imageFirstArrow);
            final LinearLayout mLinearScrollSecond=(LinearLayout)mLinearView.findViewById(R.id.linear_scroll);

            if(isFirstViewClick==false){
            mLinearScrollSecond.setVisibility(View.GONE);
            mImageArrowFirst.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.arw_lt);
            }
            else{
                mLinearScrollSecond.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                mImageArrowFirst.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.arw_down);
            }

            mLinearFirstArrow.setOnTouchListener(new OnTouchListener() {

                @Override
                public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {

                    if(isFirstViewClick==false){
                        isFirstViewClick=true;
                        mImageArrowFirst.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.arw_down);
                        mLinearScrollSecond.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);

                    }else{
                        isFirstViewClick=false;
                        mImageArrowFirst.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.arw_lt);
                        mLinearScrollSecond.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                    }
                    return false;
                }
            });

            final String name = pProductArrayList.get(i).getpName();
            mProductName.setText(name);

            /**
             *
             */
            for (int j = 0; j < pProductArrayList.get(i).getmSubCategoryList().size(); j++) {

                LayoutInflater inflater2 = null;
                inflater2 = (LayoutInflater) getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
                View mLinearView2 = inflater2.inflate(R.layout.row_second, null);

                TextView mSubItemName = (TextView) mLinearView2.findViewById(R.id.textViewTitle);
                final RelativeLayout mLinearSecondArrow=(RelativeLayout)mLinearView2.findViewById(R.id.linearSecond);
                final ImageView mImageArrowSecond=(ImageView)mLinearView2.findViewById(R.id.imageSecondArrow);
                final LinearLayout mLinearScrollThird=(LinearLayout)mLinearView2.findViewById(R.id.linear_scroll_third);

                if(isSecondViewClick==false){
                    mLinearScrollThird.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                    mImageArrowSecond.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.arw_lt);
                    }
                    else{
                        mLinearScrollThird.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                        mImageArrowSecond.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.arw_down);
                    }

                mLinearSecondArrow.setOnTouchListener(new OnTouchListener() {

                        @Override
                        public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {

                            if(isSecondViewClick==false){
                                isSecondViewClick=true;
                                mImageArrowSecond.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.arw_down);
                                mLinearScrollThird.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);

                            }else{
                                isSecondViewClick=false;
                                mImageArrowSecond.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.arw_lt);
                                mLinearScrollThird.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                            }
                            return false;
                        }
                    });

                final String catName = pProductArrayList.get(i).getmSubCategoryList().get(j).getpSubCatName();
                mSubItemName.setText(catName);
                /**
                 *
                 */
                  for (int k = 0; k < pProductArrayList.get(i).getmSubCategoryList().get(j).getmItemListArray().size(); k++) {

                        LayoutInflater inflater3 = null;
                        inflater3 = (LayoutInflater) getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
                        View mLinearView3 = inflater3.inflate(R.layout.row_third, null);

                        TextView mItemName = (TextView) mLinearView3.findViewById(R.id.textViewItemName);
                        TextView mItemPrice = (TextView) mLinearView3.findViewById(R.id.textViewItemPrice);
                        final String itemName = pProductArrayList.get(i).getmSubCategoryList().get(j).getmItemListArray().get(k).getItemName();
                        final String itemPrice = pProductArrayList.get(i).getmSubCategoryList().get(j).getmItemListArray().get(k).getItemPrice();
                        mItemName.setText(itemName);
                        mItemPrice.setText(itemPrice);

                        mLinearScrollThird.addView(mLinearView3);
                  }

                mLinearScrollSecond.addView(mLinearView2);

            }

            mLinearListView.addView(mLinearView);
        }
    }

}

Product.java
package com.androidhub4you.multilevellistview;

import java.util.ArrayList;

/**
 *
 * first level item
 *
 */
public class Product {

    private String pName;

    private ArrayList<SubCategory> mSubCategoryList;

    public Product(String pName, ArrayList<SubCategory> mSubCategoryList) {
        super();
        this.pName = pName;
        this.mSubCategoryList = mSubCategoryList;
    }

    public String getpName() {
        return pName;
    }

    public void setpName(String pName) {
        this.pName = pName;
    }

    public ArrayList<SubCategory> getmSubCategoryList() {
        return mSubCategoryList;
    }

    public void setmSubCategoryList(ArrayList<SubCategory> mSubCategoryList) {
        this.mSubCategoryList = mSubCategoryList;
    }

    /**
     *
     * second level item
     *
     */

    public static class SubCategory {

        private String pSubCatName;
        private ArrayList<ItemList> mItemListArray;

        public SubCategory(String pSubCatName,
                ArrayList<ItemList> mItemListArray) {
            super();
            this.pSubCatName = pSubCatName;
            this.mItemListArray = mItemListArray;
        }

        public String getpSubCatName() {
            return pSubCatName;
        }

        public void setpSubCatName(String pSubCatName) {
            this.pSubCatName = pSubCatName;
        }

        public ArrayList<ItemList> getmItemListArray() {
            return mItemListArray;
        }

        public void setmItemListArray(ArrayList<ItemList> mItemListArray) {
            this.mItemListArray = mItemListArray;
        }

        /**
         *
         * third level item
         *
         */
        public static class ItemList {

            private String itemName;
            private String itemPrice;

            public ItemList(String itemName, String itemPrice) {
                super();
                this.itemName = itemName;
                this.itemPrice = itemPrice;
            }

            public String getItemName() {
                return itemName;
            }

            public void setItemName(String itemName) {
                this.itemName = itemName;
            }

            public String getItemPrice() {
                return itemPrice;
            }

            public void setItemPrice(String itemPrice) {
                this.itemPrice = itemPrice;
            }

        }

    }

}

activity_main.xml
<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" >

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/linear_listview"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="vertical" />

</ScrollView>

row_first.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="@android:color/white"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/linearFirst"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@android:color/darker_gray"
        android:padding="15dp" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textViewName"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
            android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
            android:text="TextView"
            android:textColor="@android:color/white"
            android:textSize="22sp" />

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/imageFirstArrow"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
            android:layout_marginRight="5dp" />
    </RelativeLayout>

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/linear_scroll"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
        android:background="@android:color/white"
        android:orientation="vertical" />

    <View
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="1dp"
        android:background="@android:color/white" />

</LinearLayout>

row_second.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="@android:color/white"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/linearSecond"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@android:color/background_dark"
        android:padding="15dp" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textViewTitle"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
            android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
            android:text="TextView"
            android:textColor="@android:color/white"
            android:textSize="20sp" />

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/imageSecondArrow"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
            android:layout_marginRight="5dp" />
    </RelativeLayout>

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/linear_scroll_third"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
        android:background="@android:color/white"
        android:orientation="vertical" />

    <View
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="1dp"
        android:background="@android:color/white" />

</LinearLayout>

row_third.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="@android:color/white"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textViewItemName"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@android:color/background_light"
        android:text="TextView"
        android:textColor="@android:color/black"
        android:textSize="18sp" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textViewItemPrice"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@android:color/background_light"
        android:text="TextView"
        android:textColor="@android:color/black"
        android:textSize="18sp" />

    <View
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="1dp"
        android:background="@android:color/darker_gray" />

</LinearLayout>


text:
BUCS New League Alignment: Looking West
Since BUAFL became affiliated with BUCS the league has been restructured twice, both in the last two years. The new league structure, consisting of three tiers, relegation and promotion, has been BUCS' goal all along. This article does not intend to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the new league structure but rather indicate what it means for old SWAC teams and the Swansea Titans.
The Titans (7-1) will play in the 1A Western division with the Cardiff Cobras (7-1), UWE Bullets (5-3) and Exeter Demons (6-2). Re-joining those teams is the Aberystwyth Tarannau (8-0) who won the North West Conference in 2015 and like the Titans, lost in the semi-finals.
At one stage in the process it looked as though the Titans might be joined by a team from much further south or from the West Midlands. However, in many way the division is 'as expected'. You would be mistaken however, to think that the results will go much the same as last year, as is the nature of 'uniball', where graduates move on quickly. In addition to the continual carousel of players, coaches move on also; both UWE and Exeter will have new head coaches at the start of the new season.
Looking at the 1A Western it would be hard to disagree that every game will be competitive. The teams now get to play one another home and away which should provide the opportunity to develop the tactical side of the game and weed out repetitive, unimaginative schemes and play calling.
The Bournemouth Bobcats are the only new addition to the old guard of the South West. The Bobcats find themselves in the 2A Western with the familiar faces of the old SWAC.
For the Titans, who finished the season with playoff and Varsity losses, there is a new challenge. A challenge to turn up week in week out and beat teams who will be more prepared than ever before. They will have the mouthwatering opportunity to play the Cobras twice in the regular season and 'should' play their first full season, with no walkovers, in three years.
For the full BUCS new league alignment click HERE.


text:
SHARING ECONOMY BOOMS FOR BOOMERS
" The following series of sharing articles from cnbc.com show how seniors may become involved in their local communities or even some which are not so local. The invention of such services means involvement of seniors in such activities will help them to survive longer, have a better quality of life even when living alone" CareCallingNow
THE SHARING ECONOMY BOOMS FOR BOOMERS
Boomer business
Hero Images | Getty Images
It's not just young people who are taking advantage of the sharing economy.
A Burson-Marsteller survey on the sharing economy found that 28 percent of those ages 50 an older have used a sharing economy service. That includes everything from escorted rides to living with roommates, and pet sitting in homes abroad in exchange for a place to stay. The sharing economy is expected to be a $335-billion industry by 2025, and its already a part of the lives of many older Americans.
A PWC report found that 24 percent of those ages 55 and older are providers in the sector. Historically, there was a focus on those under 35 driving growth, "but this is primed for looking at an aging population which needs access to specific services. You can make additional income by joining one of the sharing economy platforms or you could start your own," said Matt Hobbs, an author of PWC's report.
The sharing economy provides older Americans with much needed income, achieved through a flexible schedule. At the same time, it satisfies a crucial need for older Americans — a group faced with dwindling retirement resources — said Mary Furlong, a consultant to businesses and an executive professor of Entrepreneurship at The Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California.
However, Rowan Benecke, Burson-Marsteller global technology practice chair, said only 20 percent of those surveyed ages 60 and older were even familiar with the term sharing economy. "If you're going to differentiate yourself, you need to be able to really build brand awareness," he said.
The following are eight businesses that are tapping into the growing interest in the sharing economy among older Americans, as both a source of assistance and potential income in retirement.
—By Julie Halpert, special to CNBC.com Posted 18 June, 2016
Chefs for Seniors
Source: Chefs for Seniors
Chefs for Seniors was founded in 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin by Barrett Allman, a professional chef, age 48, and his son, Nathan Allman, age 22. The idea was conceived after Barrett's wife's grandmother was forced to move to assisted living when she could no longer cook. He realized that food needs are the most common reasons for seniors being forced to leave their homes.
This service brings chefs to the homes of seniors, where they cook 10 servings of meals in two hours, leaving enough to last for the week. Clients select the menu and the chef brings all needed groceries and equipment and cleans the kitchen before they leave.
"It is shocking how many older adults don't have proper nutrition. As a chef, I have the ability to help solve that problem. We provide social nourishment in addition to healthy meals," said Barrett. Chefs for Seniors now has 120 clients, and recently expanded to other states. Some of the chefs are retired and use this service to earn extra money.
Funding: The business was self-funded with limited funds by the CEO and co-founders until this spring. They're currently raising a seed round of $750,000. The first $125,000 was provided by 500 Startups, the largest seed investor in the world. Toews said she expects to expect to raise another $625 000 over the summer from angel groups and several other seed investors.
Golden Girls Network
A gathering of Golden Girls Network members in Maryland in Spring 2015. Source: Golden Girls Network
Launched in 2014 in Bowie, Maryland, the idea for Golden Girls Network came to founder Bonnie Moore, age 71, after she got divorced and ended up with a five bedroom home she wanted to keep. The only way to do that was to get roommates. "I realized there were lots of other women like us," Moore said.
Older women are finding themselves unexpectedly divorced, left with a house they cannot afford, or they're forced to sell their home and need a reasonably priced place to live, Moore said. Operating like Airbnb meets Match.com, those looking for roommates and those providing housing can find each other on her site. The fee is $39 for a six-month membership, and nearly 2,000 people in 48 states are registered customers.
The Golden Girls Network evokes the once-popular television show of the same name about senior women living together. While men are welcome to join, 75 percent of the users are women, and most over 50.
Funding: Moore invested $100,000 of her own money and is considering seeking outside funding to allow the business to grow.
Roommates4Boomers
Roommates4boomers founder Karen Venable (on left) with her first roommate. Source: Warren Buckle
Roommates4Boomers was founded by 65 year-old Karen Venable in Portland, Oregon, after she had a positive home-sharing experience after her divorce. She realized there was a growing need among boomers for post-retirement housing. The roommate-matching site went live in April 2015. The goal is to find a safe and economical place for women over 50 to live with people of similar values and lifestyles. Ideally, to increase housing availability and lower costs for this growing demographic.
Venable said there's a big market opportunity for the many boomers who want to remain in their homes."The majority of these women have not saved enough for retirement; many are single, divorced or widowed" and they crave a lack of community, companionship and security, she said.
Most rents range between $400 a month and $1,000 a month, depending on the city. The service is available in every state except North Dakota and Montana and there are over 1,900 members.
Funding: Venable and co-founder Ken Bates have invested $150,000 and will be seeking venture funding this fall.
Silvernest
Wendi Burkhardt, CEO and co-founder of Silvernest, left, with a Silvernest member. Source: Ani Vattano Photography
Another elder roommate matching service, Silvernest, formally launched in October 2015 in Boulder, Colorado to meet the needs of adults ages 50 and older who are challenged financially but have a house. CEO and co-founder Wendi Burkhardt said that the majority of the targeted population earn less than $60,000 annually, and have less than $50,000 in retirement savings.
It matches those needing a roommate with those who have a room to share. Silvernest housemates pay an average of $707 monthly. As of May 2016, Silvernest had 2,000 members from 18 states, and 226 actual move-in matches. The average monthly growth rate is 40 percent.
"The aging sector is ripe for technology innovation. The marketplace for aging-in-place technology is estimated to eclipse $30 billion by 2030," Burkhardt said.
Funding: Silvernest is closing its seed funding round with plans to follow with Series A in the coming year. It was previously self-funded by the founders.
TrustedHousesitters
Andy Peck, founder & CEO and Rachel Martin, co-founder of TrustedHousesitters, house and pet sitting in Auckland, New Zealand. Source: TrustedHousesitters
U.K.-based TrustedHousesitters launched in 2010, the brainchild of Andy Peck and Rachel Martin. Peck discovered the concept while caring for pets while he was convalescing following a near death experience. He realized that pet owners globally face the issue of finding someone to care for their pet while they're away.
In exchange for caring for the pets, the pet sitters stay in the person's residence for free.Though this business isn't specifically geared to older Americans, 70 percent of customers are boomers.
Customers pay an annual subscription of $99, which gives them annual access to pet-sitting services when going away, and sitters the opportunity to apply for all house sits which register on the site in a location of interest. There are 57,000 paid members in over 140 countries. Business growth has been 70 percent a year for the past five years.
Trusted Housesitters is now gearing up to branch out aggressively into the U.S., its fastest growing market.
Funding: Martin and Peck invested approximately $100,000 of their own money. They also had friends and family contribute to an angel round that raised roughly $250,000. The company has been funding its own growth outside of this through revenue.
SilverRide
SilverRide passengers Source: SilverRide
A version of Uber targeted toward seniors, privately held SilverRide was launched in 2007, and provides rides to older people in the San Francisco Bay Area who need extra assistance. The service works by having the senior, a family member, or a professional contact us to set up a ride via email, Web or phone. Drivers trained by physical therapists physically assist riders.
Co-founder and CEO Jeff Maltz said that 38.7 percent of those over 65 in the U.S., over 15 million people, have at least one serious disability that prevents them from using standard transit services without assistance, which represents what he said was an $11-billion market opportunity.
The new model enables SilverRide to service more suburban and even rural areas more easily, allowing them to pass on cost savings to their clients. The company wouldn't disclose annual revenue, but Maltz said it's been profitable the last two years, and that rides have increased about 20 percent each year.
Funding: Maltz and his former business partner invested $400,000. The company will be closing a financing round in the third quarter to expand to many more locations.
Seniors Helping Seniors
A Seniors Helping Seniors customer getting services from a caregiver. Source: Seniors Helping Seniors
A senior business in its own right as opposed to a sharing economy start-up, Seniors Helping Seniors, a private company based in Reading, Pennsylvania, launched in 1998. It was founded by Philip W.S. Yocom and his wife, Kiran Yocum. As someone who spent his career building franchise companies, Yocom became intrigued by the aging demographic and what it could mean from a business perspective.
The goal of the business is to help seniors live independently in their own homes with dignity and respect. The "senior sharing" key — and senior income opportunity — is that the in-home care service matches seniors who want to provide help with seniors who are in need of it.
Hourly fees for the services, which include companionship, light housekeeping and gardening, range from $16 to $30. The business started franchising in 2006; there are now over 250 franchise partners in 40 states, England and Malta. The company has been profitable since its first year and revenues exceeded $4 million in 2015. It's been adding between 20 and 25 franchise partners a year, and a franchise costs $45,000. Yocom said the company is now beginning to expand widely to international markets targeting India, Canada and Mexico initially, with a goal of doubling its number of $1,000,000 franchise partners this year.
Funding: The Yocons invested $500,000 of their own money and it's been profitable ever since.
GoGoGrandparent
Betty Lou Luce, grandmother of GoGoGrandparent co-founder Justin Boogaard, who created the service initially as a one-off solution for her. Source: GoGoGrandparent
This business, recently launched in Mountain View, California (Alphabet/Google's home turf), was started by Justin Boogaard and David Lung—both of whom lived with their grandmothers. After Boogaard's grandmother told him she was afraid of driving at night, she told him to start a business that wouldn't require an app. So GoGoGrandparent works the old fashioned way: by dialing a phone and requesting a ride.
The service finds the cheapest form of transport available at the time of the call, which could be Uber or Lyft. If a higher level of service is required, it would send out a specialized business, like Silverride. There's no charge for using the service. Instead, a fee is charged to vendors referred from the service. Boogaard said the self-service concierge is more accurate than a human and can handle hundreds of calls a day.
"We are still cutting our teeth on this market. The response from people we've had up to this point tells us we're well on our way to making something great," Boogard said.
Funding: The business is self-funded with roughly $20,000 that the founders earned through another business they previously started.
Julie Halpert, special to CNBC.com
Saturday, 18 Jun 2016 | 7:00 AM E
More From Better Your Busines
VIA CNBC.COM


text:
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    sequence(:spire) { |n| format('%08d@umass.edu', n) }

    trait :staff do
      staff { true }
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      staff { false }
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    trait :admin do
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Since the early days of hockey in Minnesota, small towns have played a big role in the culture and tradition in the State of Hockey. In fact, small towns dominated the first 25-plus years of organized hockey in Minnesota.
Only one metro area team (St. Paul Johnson) won a title at the boys state high school hockey tournament through its first 24 years, as communities like Eveleth, Roseau and International Falls dominated headlines at the youth and high school levels.
As society changed and more people congregated in urban areas, hockey participation in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area grew at an incredible rate and eventually resulted in new hockey powers.
Wayzata Youth Hockey Association, for example, held its inaugural season in 1968-69 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. While numbers were modest when they started, Wayzata now provides a hockey experience for over 1,000 players, which rivals what some small associations have for total population in their community.
Certainly, much in the hockey landscape has changed over time, but the pride and passion for small town hockey in Minnesota has not.
We sat down with Baudette native Alex Lyon, who is the second player from Lake of the Woods Youth Hockey to play in the NHL in the past 10 years and Brian Halonen of Delano to hear more about what makes growing up in smaller Minnesota communities still so special.
There are few places in the country, and even the world, in which small communities rally around hockey like they do in Minnesota. It's a deep-rooted part of the culture that has been passed from generation to generation for over a century.
Hockey's place in the roots of communities isn't just found in prominent hockey communities or northern Minnesota. Recent success has brought a spotlight to towns like Luverne and Delano, which may not have the same history as other parts of the state, but they display a similar passion for the game and their teams.
That type of support creates a special experience, one that has been inspiring kids in Minnesota for decades.
Editor's Note: There is a total of seven indoor ice sheets in the three communities of Roseau, Warroad and Baudette for a population of roughly 5,500 people. Meanwhile, there were 19 U.S. states with seven or fewer total ice arenas in 2014 according to Rinktime.com.
The Minnesota Boys State High School Hockey tournament undoubtedly plays a huge role in driving the passion and community support found in small communities.
For those who are able to climb the mountain and experience the "Tourney", it becomes a memory they'll never forget.
Whether it's being exposed to other perspectives and backgrounds through teammates in junior hockey or becoming engrained in another community while in college, players learn quickly how different life can be in other parts of the country and world.
In most cases, that new perception comes with two distinct realizations when it comes to hockey. The first is there are some pretty unique experiences and impressive training programs in the hockey world. The second is a feeling of gratitude for the environment they grew up in.
Halonen echoed Lyon's view, noting the stories he heard about other parts of the country fueled an even deeper sense of pride and appreciation for growing up in Delano.
Certainly, small towns, and Minnesota in general, have their own challenges, but whether players simply want to play for fun or if they want to strive to play the game at its highest levels, they can achieve their goals from anywhere in the state.


text:
Behind the scenes in our Consumer Advocacy program...
Not enough people know about it, but our consumer advocacy staff run a free phone hotline -- staffed by live people, not some endless phone tree -- to help you get answers to insurance questions and problems. It's 1-800-562-6900.
People call when they're unhappy with what their insurer's offering for their wrecked car, for example. They call, increasingly, because they cannot find affordable health coverage and are desperate to find coverage for loved ones. (We also have a special program, called Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors, that trains hundreds of volunteers to help provide information on health insurance and Medicare options. They can be reached through the same number.)
One person called because he was unhappy with the value that an insurer put on his goat, which had met with an untimely end. (True. For what it's worth, we helped get him an extra $25 for his goat.)
Not everyone, however, speaks English-- or at least well enough to get into the details of an insurance claim and policy exclusions. So we have staff who can speak Spanish and Filipino/Tagalog, and others certified to interpret American Sign Language. We have a TTY machine. Some of our publications are available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian.
And when that's not enough, we tap Language Line Services, a telephone interpreter service that can translate English into more than 150 languages (and vice versa) 24/7.
So if you know someone who's having trouble with an agent or insurer, needs help finding health coverage, etc., have them give us a call: 1-800-562-6900. We speak their language.
Seattle woman pleads guilty in insurance fraud case
A Seattle women has pleaded guilty to filing a false claim in an insurance case -- a class C felony -- after allegedly smashing her van into two parked cars and then filing an insurance claim saying the van had been stolen.
Luom Vo, 38, was sentenced in King County Superior Court to 30 days community service and more than $4,000 in restitution and other costs.
According to Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler's Special Investigations Unit, Vo was driving on Seattle's Beacon Avenue just before 2 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2009 when she hit two parked vehicles: a Volvo station wagon and a Pontiac Vibe. Her Honda van was disabled in the crash. Neighbors said they saw Vo then climb into a friend's car and leave.
Later that day, Vo filed a claim with her insurer, PEMCO, saying that the van had been stolen. She subsequently insisted to a PEMCO investigator that she was not driving it when the crash happened.
The SIU investigation found that the van had not been stolen, and that she was, in fact, behind the wheel.
Seattle woman pleads guilty in insurance fraud cas...


Loving, Richard and Loving, Aretta. 1973. A preliminary survey of Awa noun suffixes. In McKaughan, Howard (ed.), The Languages of the Eastern Family of the East New Guinea Highland Stock, 19-30. Seattle: University of Washington Press.


text:
Mississippi Sports Betting Handle Flat In October
by Brian Pempus November 20, 2018
After just a few months, it's become apparent that Mississippi needs mobile and online sports wagering.
On Tuesday, Mississippi gaming regulators posted sports betting data from October. The state's casinos took roughly $32.8 million in handle last month, up about 3.4% compared to the $31.7 million wagered in September.
September's handle was a fivefold increase over August.
The Magnolia State books kept nearly $1.2 million of the handle in the form of revenue, which represented a win percentage of just 3.6%. Sportsbooks in Nevada typically hold about 5% of the handle.
In September, the Mississippi books won $5.5 million, so revenue fell about 78% month-over-month.
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The coastal casinos accounted for $21.78 million of the statewide handle (66%).
Rough month for football
About $22.5 million of the handle came from the gridiron (68%). However, the books collectively lost $330,000 from non-parlay football bets. The coastal casinos were in the red about $600,000 to football bettors.
Mississippi sports books won nearly $4 million on football in September.
About $2.3 million of the October handle came from basketball. The books won approximately $410,000 from the sport.
The 2018 MLB season wrapped up last month with the World Series. The books took about $2.15 million in wagers on baseball, and won roughly $275,000 on those wagers.
In Mississippi, the first (half) month of the NBA season was more popular than the final one for MLB.
The "other" category, which includes bets on sports other than football, basketball and baseball, accounted for about $1.3 million in handle and about $120,000 in revenue.
Parlay bets comprised $4.5 million in handle and $700,000 in winnings for the books, a whopping hold of over 15%. .
Comparison with New Jersey
While Mississippi stalled, the Garden State had a huge October in terms of handle. New Jersey handle was up 41.7% month-over-month to $260.7 million. However, revenue was roughly halved, going from $23.9 million in September to $11.6 million last month.
The increase in Garden State handle was thanks in part to the spread of additional betting options.
New Jersey has online and mobile wagering, which accounted for $174.4 million of the statewide handle (66%).
The share of the pie was even greater in terms of revenue. New Jersey online sportsbooks won $8.8 million of the $11.6 million, or about 75%.
New Jersey is case in point why Mississippi needs online betting options.
Mississippi gaming revenue
Overall, Mississippi casinos won $167.2 million in October from all their games. That's up about 6.5% from $157.1 million in October 2017.
As mentioned, the books won a combined $1.2 million last month. Overall Mississippi gaming revenue grew roughly $10.1 million year-over-year. Overall gaming win grew 8.7% year-over-year in September.
From this we glean that the sports betting buzz may be having an immediate impact on other casino game revenues.
Mississippi's commercial casinos won $2.08 billion in 2017, down 2% compared to the $2.12 billion from 2016. The decline followed modest gains the previous two years.
Ohio Governor-Elect Warns Legislature: Sports Betting Is Coming No Matter What
Gamble On Podcast #16: NJ October Revenue, PA Sports Betting, DK Sportsbook With Johnny Avello
Brian Pempus
Brian served as a senior reporter and online content manager for Card Player Magazine for nearly a decade before joining USBets in October 2018. He is currently focused on legal and regulated sports betting and online gaming. He's an avid jiu-jitsu practitioner in his free time.
Reality Check: How Much Will States Really Make On Sports Betting?
Jill R. Dorson January 25, 2019 January 24, 2019
Nevada Sports Betting Handle Down In October, But Don't Sound The Alarm
Brian Pempus November 30, 2018 November 30, 2018
Gamblers Wager Record Amounts At Nevada Sports Books In September
Brian Pempus October 30, 2018 October 30, 2018


text:
The Kraft-Heinz Deal Through The Lens Of Anheuser Busch
From an owner's perspective, the advantage of having 3G operate your business is that a higher percentage of revenues become net profits that can be paid out to shareholders as dividends free and clear. The downside is that you cannot cut your way to prosperity, and eventually, you have to come up with growth initiatives.
Let's look at what 3G did to Anheuser Busch since taking over. Even though the ADR of Anheuser-Busch began trading on July 1st, 2009, I am going to compare 2010 to 2015 because the 2009 recession distorts the picture of what 3G management does because the demand was unusually low for Anheuser-Busch products that year.
In 2010, Anheuser-Busch sold $36 billion in beer. It made $4.0 billion in profits. About 11% of revenues went to the bottom line as net profits. This is essentially a snapshot of what Anheuser-Busch looked like when it was run by St. Louis management because net profits as a percentage of revenue amounted to between 8% and 12% during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Fast forward to 2015, and the cost cuts and heavy investments into Brazil and Latin America have taken place. The debt load is quite high—Anheuser Busch Inbev has $51 billion in debt on its balance sheet—but Anheuser Busch is on pace to sell $47 billion worth of beer this year and generate $8.8 billion in net profits. That is the effect of 3G management—now almost 18% of beer sales will count towards the bottom line as net profits. This blows away anything that was done when the brewery was in Midwestern hands. Looking back at Anheuser-Busch's records dating to 1984, I can only find three years where 13% of revenues went to shareholders as profits.
This is why Warren Buffett is enthusiastic about doing deals with 3G. That five percentage point gap between what 3G is doing right now and what Anheuser-Busch did during its most efficient year explains why Buffett likes the thought of turning slow-growth consumer products into dividend machines that send him fat checks. If Anheuser-Busch were still operated in St. Louis, the best you could hope for with $47 billion in sales would be $6.1 billion in profits. Realistically, based on what Anheuser-Busch was doing before the takeover, Anheuser-Busch would be earning $5.2 billion in profits right now. But because 3G is in charge, the profit figure is $8.8 billion. Over a five-year measuring period, that is the difference between 3G and the status quo.
Now, let us take a look at Kraft today. Kraft generates $18.3 billion in revenue, and creates $2.0 billion in net profit. In other words, 11% of revenues count as profits. This is very similar to the situation at Anheuser-Busch before 3G imposed its cost-cutting measures. Based on existing revenues, if 3G repeated its formula and increased the net profits to 18% of overall revenues, the profits at Kraft would grow to $3.3 billion. If it were valued at 18x earnings, it would be a $59 billion company by the time the cost cuts took full effect (and this assumption does not take into account any revenue growth from Kraft.)
The company is currently valued at $50 billion, and plus, you need to account for the $16.50 per share dividend that Buffett and 3G will be paying to KRFT shareholders to provide the necessary equilibrium so that the new enterprise Kraft-Heinz can be 51% owned by Heinz's current owners and 49% owned by the current Kraft shareholders.
How it will work is this. Someone who owns 100 shares of Kraft right now will receive a one-time payment of $16.50, or $1,650. If you choose to reinvest it into the new Kraft-Heinz enterprise, the valuation should be around $68.50 per share after the $16.50 cash dividend gets paid. So $1,650 reinvested at $68.50 would get you 24 shares of the new enterprise.
Obviously, market prices can fluctuate, but the current status quo indicates that a buy-and-hold Kraft investor with 100 shares of KRFT right now will end up with around 124 shares of The Kraft-Heinz Company as the merged company begins its corporate life (assuming reinvestment of the one-time dividend payment).
What makes the 3G deal for Kraft more attractive than the Anheuser-Busch deal is that Heinz possesses 26% of the global ketchup (and has over half of the Ketchup market in the United States). Kraft does not have that kind of international platform. About 85% of the company's revenues occur in the United States, and Kraft gave away the distribution rights to some of its brands when it split off from Mondelez. The attractive theory is that Kraft brands like A1 steak sauce, which Kraft has the right to distribute internationally but has not really begun doing yet, will benefit from the Heinz platform because 3G will be able to grow revenues by making A1 steak sauce at its international ketchup factories and selling Kraft products alongside it. The devil may be in the execution, but there is a clear path for revenue growth for Kraft brands using the Heinz international distribution network that was not readily available during the Anheuser-Busch acquisition.
The cynical view of this transaction is that 3G operates in a way that causes elite talent to flee and is heavily associated with wringing the maximum amount of profit out of existing products rather than coming up with new developments on its own (for instance, the Anheuser-Busch revenue growth between 2010 and 2015 was the result of price increases and Brazilian beer acquisitions paid for with debt, rather than the organic development of in-house beer products.)
Warren Buffett did not talk about this at the most recent shareholder meeting, but there is a difference between what Berkshire Hathaway attracts and what 3G attracts. Buffett has spoken repeatedly about Berkshire's benefit in acquiring private businesses without any bidding competition because of his genteel leeway with operations. He doesn't gut out businesses, and if that's your life work, the continuation of the culture status quo is something you care about enough that you might sell your business at a moderate discount if you believe your life's work will remain generally intact. This is especially true if you want to sell your business, collect a million-dollar payday, and continue working as CEO. People flock to Berkshire because it permits long-term capital investments and the preservation of cultural status quos.
That is not true at 3G. I have never heard of any businessman or businesswoman talk about wanting to be subject to the authority of 3G. If you are plainly brilliant and have a net worth of $25 million, you don't want to ask for permission to use the copy machine. Online forums are filled with Anheuser-Busch employees plotting exit strategies and looking for work elsewhere. Prior to 3G, the demand for such an online forum to develop would have been non-existent. The effects of this kind of thing are hard to measure, and that is why people tend to ignore it and favor the discussion of numbers, but it is logically unsound to claim that these things don't matter just because they can't cleanly be measured.
In this regard, 3G reminds me of Nabisco after Adolphus Green left. You can cut costs and raise the dividend for ten to fifteen years, and this keeps shareholders happy in the interim, but it lacks the structural stability of something like Hershey where revenues naturally grow at 7% annually and you get your 10.5% earnings per share growth without having to be especially creative. It is entirely possible that the Kraft-Heinz deal happened because 3G ran out of ways to cut costs at Heinz, and figured it could buy ten to fifteen years of time by slashing costs at Kraft and achieve revenue growth by augmenting Kraft products to the Heinz international distribution platform.
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My Recommendation: Look To Berkshire Hathaway
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Investing On The Eve Of Crisis
The Catch-22 Of Investing
An Introduction To Canadian Dividend Investors
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Tagged 3G, Berkshire Hathaway, dividend stocks, long-term investing, Warren Bufffett
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Diplomats may have problems communicating with China but not animal lovers. Groups like The International Humane Societies and PETA told the Chinese they wanted the testing of cosmetics on live creatures to stop.
The China Food and Drug Administration announced this month that it will no longer require skin- and eye-irritation tests on so-called "ordinary" cosmetics, which include perfumes, shampoos, and makeup, that are produced and sold in the country. Furthermore, Chinese companies who have not been testing their cosmetic on animals will no longer be banned from the market.
Although the new rules don't cover imported or special-use products such as hair dyes, deodorants, sunscreens, and skin-whiteners, the concession is still an "important first step," says Peter Li, China policy adviser at Humane Society International.
A complete ban on animal testing of cosmetics and the marketing of cruel cosmetics came into effect in the European Union in, March 2013 after much controversy.
An Australian senator, Lee Rhiannon is now seeking an identical ban in Australia – a move seen as controversial by the local cosmetics industry.
"Unimaginable pain and suffering is endured by half a million mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits for the global beauty industry each year. Their tiny bodies are poisoned and burned; they endure blindness and mutilation.
"Rabbits are subjected to eye and skin irritation tests, in which chemicals are dripped into eyes and rubbed onto exposed and abraded skin.
"Guinea pigs, a popular companion animal of young children, endure skin allergy testing.
"Rodents are subjected to acute oral toxicity tests, where a substance is forced down his or her throat, and directly into their stomach, via a syringe.
What about the United States and animal tested cosmetics?
FDA is responsible for assuring that cosmetics are safe and properly labeled. This mission is supposedly accomplished through enforcement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), related statutes, and regulations promulgated under these laws.
"The FD&C Act does not specifically require the use of animals in testing cosmetics for safety, nor does the Act subject cosmetics to FDA premarket approval. However, the agency has consistently advised cosmetic manufacturers to employ whatever testing is appropriate and effective for substantiating the safety of their products. It remains the responsibility of the manufacturer to substantiate the safety of both ingredients and finished cosmetic products prior to marketing.
There are still loopholes, even in the European Union and Chinese regulations. Manufacturers may purchase ingredients that have been already tested on animals or use ingredients formerly tested on animals. They still say on their products "cruelty free".
You can earn some extra $$$ from your site, i see several opportunities here.