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QBL19 Game Previews – Round 9
QBL19 Game Previews – Round…
ROUND 9 - Men
Gladstone Port City Power Surge v USC Rip City
The Power suffered their eighth straight defeat as they were no match for the visiting Mackay Meteors in Round 8. Gladstone did not win a single quarter as they eventually fell by 24 points. Despite the have loss, Paul Aleer was impressive for the home side finishing with 20 points and 10 board. The Power only managed to convert on two shots from behind the arc, an area they'll need to improve if they are any chance to snap their losing streak. USC are also backing up after a heavy loss, this time at the hands of Logan. Rip were able to pull the game back to a 21-point margin in the final few minutes after trailing by as much as 29 in the final term. The Tueta brothers were both massive as Isaih had 30 points, closely followed by Josh's 21. Rip allowed a whopping 118 points on the defensive end as the Thunder shot at 58% for the game. This is a great opportunity for USC to get back on the winners list after losing their past two matches. Gladstone are 0-5 at Kev Broome Stadium with an average losing margin of 16. Despite USC struggling as of late they should prove too strong for Gladstone.
Townsville Heat v Gold Coast Rollers
The Heat enter Round 9 full of confidence after smashing the 1-9 Toowoomba Mountaineers by 26 points at Townsville StarFM Stadium on Saturday night. Townsville led by 25 at three quarter time which allowed them to empty the bench see valuable minutes for all players. Mines and Wilcher put in 19 apiece as Anderson had 17 of his own. Gold Coast have pushed their win streak to 5 games, this time coming off a 14-point big road win over the Pirates. The Rollers now find themselves in second position on the QBL ladder boasting a 7-1 record. Gold Coast's defensive pressure was outstanding against South West as they recorded 15 steals which led to a whopping 25 turnovers committed by the home side. Rhys Martin led the way for the Rollers with 19 points, 6 assists and 5 steals. In what looks to be the QBL Game of the Week between 2nd and 4th this match will go a long way towards securing home court for the winner. As good as Gold Coast have been to this point in the season, we favour Townsville to expand on their undefeated home record in 2019 in a close one.
Brisbane Capitals v North Gold Coast Seahawks
The Capitals open up a home double header weekend as the North Gold Coast Seahawks come to Auchenflower Stadium. Brisbane kept their undefeated season alive smashing the 13th placed Spartans by 32 points in Round 8. Despite having an off shotting night, Cadee had a double-double with 23 points and 10 assists, as Volkman and Magnay also pulled down points-rebounds double-doubles. Brisbane's bench contributed a massive 41 points in the contest, highlighting the overall depth in their 2019 squad. The Seahawks got themselves back on the winners list with a low-scoring 6-point victory over Phoenix on the Sunshine Coast. North Gold Coast restricted Sunshine Coast to a season low 65 points as their shooting numbers plummeted to 28% for the night. Goldfinch put in 20 points whilst Campbell added 19 of his own. Tom Howard managed 11 and 11 off the bench. The win has kept Seahawks somewhat in reach of the playoffs as they now find themselves in 11th on the ladder. Brisbane move to 9-0 easily.
Logan Thunder v Toowoomba Mountaineers
The Thunder have gotten their season back on track as they moved to 5-4 on the season after two big Round 8 victories. Logan begun the weekend with a 13-point win over Ipswich and followed it up with a 21-point flogging of USC, both at Cornubia Park Sports Centre. Mitch Young led the team with impressive averages of 23 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks across the two wins. Mitch's big weekend led him to being awarded the QBL Player of the Week for Round 8. Bryan Coleman also put up 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, while Simmons averaged 14.5 points, 9.5 assists and 2.5 steals. Toowoomba are coming off a tough northern road double where they were no match for Cairns and Townsville, losing both by 22 and 24. The Mountaineers remain the league's second lowest scoring team at 79.1 a night as they continue to look for more threats on the offensive end. Logan will be looking to return the favour against a Toowoomba outfit who took the W in their Round 6 contest – which is their only win on the season to date. The Thunder will be too strong in this one.
Rockhampton Rockets v Sunshine Coast Phoenix
The Rockets have backed up their massive Round 7 win over Townsville with a 16-point drumming of the Mackay Meteors, all but ending their 8-game win streak. All five Rockhampton starters contributed in a big way as Jamaal Robateau had another efficient game finishing with 29 points on 64% shooting. Ogilvy and O'Mara combined for 43 points and 20 boards, while Bruce and Mitchell combined for 17 dimes. After such a promising start to the season, Sunshine Coast have quickly found themselves at 8th place on the ladder after a 1-1 weekend and dropping 3 of their past 4. Phoenix only managed a season-low 65 points against the visiting North Gold Coast Seahawks as the fell by 6 points. Luckily the squad was able to quickly regroup and take a 12-point win over the Force to close out the round. This game will open up a challenging three game stretch where they face not only the Rockets but the top two placed teams in the coming weeks. Rockhampton appear to have put their early season struggles behind them and they extend their winning streak to a third game.
Cairns Marlins v Gold Coast Rollers
Cairns extended their winning streak to five with a dominant 22-point win over the struggling Toowoomba Mountaineers. The Marlins have kept their opponents to an astonishing 76.4 points a night, whilst outscoring them by an average of 17 points over this stretch. The squad continues to share the offensive load with no player scoring more than 14 points, yet five players reaching double figures in the victory. George Blagojevic stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. Gold Coast will have another challenging task ahead of them, backing up the night after a hit out in Townsville against the Heat. Similar to the Friday night Heat v Rollers game, we are giving the home team the slight advantage. The Marlins enter the round undefeated at Early Settler Stadium and should be able to account for the tired Rollers.
South West Metro Pirates v Ipswich Force
The Pirates missed an opportunity to go above .500 for the first time this season, falling to the 7-1 Rollers by 14 points at Hibiscus Stadium. In what was a strange game by South West where they were +22 on the glass but lost by double figures, largely due to committing an unforgivable 25 turnovers. Five players hit double digits but a big focus this week will be on taking care of the ball to maximise on their overall dominance. Ipswich suffered two Round 8 losses to Logan and Sunshine Coast to fall to 2-7 on the season. The Force continue to struggle defensively and despite Harvey putting up big offensive numbers it's not enough to get them over the line on a regular basis. South West to win comfortably at home and put pressure on those teams at the bottom of the playoff picture.
Brisbane Capitals v Gladstone Port City Power Surge
The Capitals and Power will both be playing their second games of the weekend in a rare battle where 1st plays 15th on the ladder. In what looks like a complete mismatch on paper this is the perfect opportunity for Gladstone to gain some respect back from the rest of the league and put in a big effort against the competitions benchmark. We look forward to the exciting match up of Cadee (21 points and 7.5 assists) v Young (19.8 points and 5.9 assists) who are two of the league's best guards. Cadee will be looking to put up a more efficient shooting night after going at 29% from the field (17%3PT) over his past two performances. This could get ugly for the visitors who will most likely suffer their 10th straight loss come Sunday afternoon.
Southern Districts Spartans v South West Metro Pirates
To this point of the season the Spartans have had a year they would like to forget, sitting at 13th with a 2-7 record at the halfway point. Southern Districts suffered a whopping 32-point loss to their league-leading Capitals in Round 8. The Spartans allowed an unforgivable 21 offensive rebounds and 60 points in the paint in the loss, as Brisbane still managed 115 points despite a sub 50% shooting night. Whitehead still managed 24 points, 7 boards and 6 assists despite attempting 20 shots. South West will be backing up after a Saturday night home game against the Force. The Pirates have a realistic opportunity to go 2-0 for the weekend as they play 12th and 13th on the table. Despite being on the road, South West should enter Rowland Cowan Stadium full of confidence as they look the superior team in the contest. We expect the Pirates to get the win in a close contest and move inside the 8 after two important Round 9 victories.
ROUND 9 - Women
Townsville Flames v Gold Coast Rollers
The Flames managed to avoid a home defeat to Toowoomba last weekend escaping with a 4-point win thanks to a massive final quarter comeback. Kourtni Perry top-scored for the home side with 18 points; Alicia Froling and Lisa Brennan had 17 each whilst Rachel McCully impressed with 12 assists. Froling was also massive in D with 16 rebounds and 3 blocks as the Flames recorded their fifth win of the season to keep in touch with the eight. Townsville will take on a Gold Coast side who have now won four on the trot thanks to another 20-point win over the Pirates in Brisbane last week. The Rollers are in the middle of a three-week away stretch and wins against teams like the Pirates are vital to their playoff chances. Jacquie Luna-Castro led the way for the Coast with 26 points, whilst Siarn Woods had 6 threes in her 20 points on the night. This matchup should be a great test for the Rollers on their northern double-header as they look to cement a place in the top eight, whilst Townsville should benefit from some big new inclusions. Round 9 will be off to a great start with this encounter and it should go down to the wire.
Gladstone Port City Power Breakers v USC Rip City
Gladstone face Round 9 with a home and away weekend first up hosting the USC Rip City on Friday. The Power are still searching for their second win of the season having put up a good effort against Mackay last weekend eventually going down by 12 points. Depth continues to be a problem for Gladstone with just eight taking the court last Sunday and two of those eight playing just two minutes. Amarah Coleman continued her good form with 19 points, whilst Akilah Bethel had a day out registering 15 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. The Rip make their second trip to Central Queensland for the season and will be looking to get back on the winners list after a 29-point thumping at the hands of Logan last round. Tahlia Tupaea led the way for the Rip with 19 points and Maddison Rocci was the only other player to hit double-figures with 11 as USC were demolished by a fired-up Logan outfit. Rip City sit two games outside the eight and will target this game as a must-win to elevate their chances of playing in the post-season this year. Rip to win in a close one.
Despite a spirited effort against the competition-leading Spartans last weekend, the Capitals remain winless in 2019 going down by 25 points at home in Round 8. Brisbane have a home double-header this week with matchups against Gladstone on Sunday and the Seahawks first up on Saturday night at Auchenflower. Shanavia Dowdell returned for her second game of the season with 26 points and a whopping 20 rebounds, whilst Madi Woodford had 12 points in the loss. The Seahawks have dropped to seventh on the ladder after a tight 6-point loss to the Phoenix on the Sunshine Coast last weekend. Deja Middleton and Lauren Jansen combined for 39 points, whilst Casey Samuels recorded 10 rebounds and 9 assists as the Seahawks failed to peg back a fourth quarter deficit. This games becomes highly important now for North Gold Coast who need a few wins to ease the pressure and maintain their position in the eight. The Seahawks have had the wood on the Capitals having won their last two encounters including the Round 3 clash this year and should have enough to get another win here.
Logan recorded a 1-1 weekend in Round 8 going down to Ipswich in a thrilling game before thumping USC the next day by 29 points. Ash Taia and Mikaela Ruef each averaged 21 points across the weekend and Mikhaela Cann had 14.5 points, whilst Ruef grabbed 19 boards and Cann had another 11 assists per game for the Thunder. Despite these big stats, the Thunder have struggled for consistency this season and see themselves sitting precariously in eighth position on the ladder with a 5-4 record. This weekend they host the Toowoomba Mountaineers who almost pulled off one of their biggest ever victories in Townsville going down to the Flames narrowly by 4 points having led the game well into the final quarter. This spirited performance came off the back of a 22-point thumping to Cairns the night before which left the Mountaineers empty handed on their trip to the north. Anita Brown had a massive weekend for Toowoomba registering averages of 29 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5 assists and was well supported by Demi Skinner with 21.5ppg, 3.5rpg and Kristina King who had 18.5ppg, 5rpg and 2.5apg. Logan got the win over Toowoomba a fortnight ago and at home should have the weapons to take down the Mountaineers again.
Cairns Dolphins v Gold Coast Rollers
The Dolphins have now recorded three straight wins thanks to a commanding 101-79 win over Toowoomba last Friday night. Angela Tompkins received the QBL Player of the Week for Round 8 on the back of a 26 point, 16 rebound and 4 assists game, whilst Janee Thompson also produced her best performance of the year with 26 points and 5 assists. Shaneice Swain continued her impressive form with 19 points as the Dolphins aim to surge up the ladder with their second half of the season. The Rollers will be backing up from a trip to Townsville the night before and will hope that a clash against the Flames can put them in good shape for a tricky contest with the Dolphins. Luna-Castro continues to be the go-to player in the middle as Gold Coast have put on a terrific four-game unbeaten streak. With another tough away double-header facing the Rollers next weekend it will be important for them to come away from the north with at least one win and this game will be well and truly winnable for the Coast. Two teams in great form should ensure a cracking contest in Cairns.
Rockhampton Cyclones v Sunshine Coast Phoenix
The Cyclones have moved to second on the QBL ladder thanks to a close 5-point win at home over the Mackay Meteorettes. Brooke Blair was dominant for the home side putting up 27 points including 7-12 from downtown as well as 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Jess Thomas was close to a triple-double with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, whilst Davis and Vandenberg combined for 26 rebounds in the win. The Cyclones are starting to find their form at a crucial part of the season and welcome a spell of home games to set up their push towards the playoffs. The Phoenix travel up north for the second time this season sitting in fifth position with a 6-3 record. Alexis Hyder had another fantastic weekend averaging 20 points, 18 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game and was well supported by Smith 15ppg, Huland El 13ppg and Brown who had 13.5ppg. The Phoenix finished the weekend with a 1-1 record after recorded a close win over the Seahawks but were no match for the Force at home on Sunday. It's 2 vs 5 in this contest and with the home advantage look for the Cyclones to take this one out and cement a top-two position by the end of the week.
The Pirates come into Round 9 facing two of the best teams in the league and under pressure with a 4-5 record outside of the eight. South West fell to the Rollers at home in Round 8 and now have the tough task of taking on an in-form Ipswich team and the competition-leading Spartans away from home. Mia Loyd hit 19 points for the Pirates last week against Gold Coast but will be hoping for some more support particularly from the middle court. Ipswich are starting to hit their straps with two impressive wins last weekend away from home. The Force got a narrow win in Logan over the Thunder before taking apart the Phoenix on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday. Amanda Johnson continues to be the star for Ipswich averaging 21 points and 15 rebounds a game, whilst Amy Lewis has also been a good contributor with 14 points per game this season. It will be tough to see the Pirates getting over the top of Ipswich based on both teams' form of late, however, at home and desperate for a victory, the Pirates need a massive performance to get the W in this one.
Brisbane Capitals v Gladstone Port City Power Breakers
It's a battle of the cellar-dwellers at Auchenflower when the Capitals host the Power on Sunday afternoon. Both teams are desperate for a win with any chance of playing post-season seemingly evaporating in the past couple of weeks. The youthful Capitals team have been good in patches this year but nowhere near consistent enough and find themselves winless in a disappointing campaign. The addition of Shanavia Dowdell should provide much-needed experience and star quality to the team and coach Marshall will hope that the import can galvanise this proud club. Gladstone have experienced just the one win this season and will have the added pressure of having to travel down to Brisbane having hosted the Rip on Friday night. There have been good contributions from Coleman, Bethel and Kelman-Poto throughout the season, however, the Power's lack of depth has been exposed and the reliance on these three has taken its toll. Brisbane have the home crowd advantage and their loyal fans will be doing everything they can to get the team their first win of the season. Capitals to break their duck at home.
Carina Leagues Club Lady Spartans v South West Metro Pirates
The final game of Round 9 sees the table-topping Spartans take on the South West Metro Pirates at Rowland Cowan Stadium. The Spartans have dominated opposition in 2019 and once again flexed their championship credentials against the Capitals last week with an 83-58 thrashing. Leah Scott top-scored with 31 points, whilst Aja Parham-Ammar and Odette Isaac both had good games with 21 and 20 respectively. The Pirates face the toughest test of the competition on Sunday already backing up from a clash against Ipswich the night before. It's always an intense rivalry when the Spartans and Pirates meet and for South West's sake, they will hope that this contest can bring the best out of their players. The Pirates cannot afford to turn over cheap ball to the defending champions otherwise they will see the chances of finals basketball slowly slip away from them. Spartans at home should make it 10 from 10.
See More News and Updates
Category: Game PreviewBy BQ Marketing June 19, 2019
Tags: game previewqblqueensland basketball league
Author: BQ Marketing
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QBL19 Game Previews – Grand Finals
QBL19 Game Previews – Semi-Finals
QBL19 Game Previews – Quarter Finals
QBL19 Game Previews – Round 15


YARMOUTH – Yarmouth Police hope you can help identify these suspects. The two are suspects in a breaking and entering into the Bass River Liquor Store in South Yarmouth early Friday morning. Call 508-775-0445 ex 2100 with any information, or send an email to info@yarmouthpolice.com with information that may assist them in catching these two. The incident remains under investigation by the Yarmouth Police Department and the Barnstable County Sheriffs Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation.


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Lorraine Conklin, P.A.
Urgent Care, Occupational Health
Lutheran Health Physicians - RediMed - North
315 E. Cook Road
Open daily: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Credentials & Education
Before joining RediMed in September 1997, Lorraine Conklin, P.A., graduated with distinction from Lutheran College of Health Professionals as a physician assistant. She earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI, in 1981, and a medical technology certification from the Parkview Hospital School of Medical Technology in 1990.
Conklin has also worked as a medical technologist and a cardiovascular technician.
Before joining RediMed in September 1997, Lorraine Conklin, P.A., graduated with distinction from Lutheran College of Health Professionals as a physician assistant. She earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI, in 1981, and a medical technology certification from the Parkview Hospital School of Medical Technology in 1990. Conklin has also worked as a medical technologist and a cardiovascular technician.
Lutheran Health Physicians
7916 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Primary Care Appointments:
888-SAME-DAY

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You are here: Home > 8 Best Alternatives of SoundCloud
8 Best Alternatives of SoundCloud
Looking for best alternative of SoundCloud? Well, with these 8 best alternatives of SoundCloud in this article you will have excellent options to discover Indie music.
SoundCloud is around for more than a decade, and it provides an excellent platform for its users to upload, record, promote and even share your music. This is one of the vast alternatives to commercial streaming services like Tidal and Spotify. This is internet's massive indie music platform that helps a musician to reach their listeners directly by eliminating a third person. It is a YouTube audio files and perfect for that musician who wants their musical creation in podcast shows.
However, as per the recent events that show that this online service has faced the issue of finance and somehow the service has survived earlier this month by funding $170 million dollars. But the company will soon the better way to make money, but if they face the same issues? Well, this is the reason that we have done some task behind searching for the best alternatives for Soundcloud. Let's look at them one-by-one.
#Best Alternatives For Soundcloud
Bandcamp is the first name that comes to mind when it is the best alternative of SoundCloud. This service has been around for a decade. This service is for those people who are musicians and for those who are growing an intimate fan-base. If you are a musician, then you can select your charge for your music and if you want you can even give away your music for free. Also, you can sell merchandise as well as the physical copies of your music album straight through this service.
Once you sign up on this platform you will be provided with your own customizable microsite. On that site, you can upload and share your music. However, like SoundCloud, this service doesn't require any fixed yearly amount to upload your music. But the company once your overall sell reaches to $5,000 then it will charge around 15% commission, after then, the commission drops to the 10%. It is even available as mobile app for both Android and iOS.
Many of you might think that YouTube is good for only high-quality of music and videos, but it is entirely wrong because by the passing of the time this platform is getting much smarter than ever. YouTube is much more than just platform for video. This platform contains numerous of artists who share their music with videos and without videos. Some of the artists on this platform select to post their music with a still image in the place of the video. So you have great option to upload your music with or without music.
However, like SoundCloud, YouTube also lets its uploaders to have the ability to share content all for free. As cost is a great hurdle for those artists who are just starting out to get their name out there, but YouTube helps remove this barrier. This is a free and stable service which of course deserves a top spot in this list of SoundCloud alternative. This is also available as an app for Android and iOS device.
You might think that a blogging platform and a social community platform can't be a satisfactory alternative to a service like SoundCloud to promote and share music. Believe it or not, But Tumblr is an underrated service among great service to build a brand.
This platform directly supports the audio posts, so you can just post your MP3 files to your blog. The platform has some great collection of themes that transform your blog into a stylish music collection platform. It even has inbuilt promotional tools such as like, tag as well as reblogging which can make your music discoverable and shareable with ease. But if you want to advertise about your music you need to pay for it.
However, selling music is quite hard with this service, but far from impossible, there is a great way that is PayPal that enable quick selling of your music. Well, this platform supports other similar services as well. You can use as an app on your Android or iOS device.
Audiomack is the best and one of the high picks of this list of Soundcloud alternative. The service is available in both version site and app version, where its app is available for both the devices iOS and Android. This is a clean and well-designed service. Every single feature that this service offers to its users seems to be well-thought-out. All of them helps to drive more listens to the relevant tracks and artists.
Still, there are some of the users who find kind of subjective design of this platform, but actually, Audiomack looks and feels good than the SoundCloud service. There are also have some similar niche like SoundCloud which provides both music streaming capabilities and active community as well.However, the only thing that this service lacks in comparison with SoundCloud is the popularity. If SoundCloud shuts down, then it won't be surprised to see this service immediately jump to take over as top service.
clyp.it
There are lots of services like Clyp.it, but with this site, you are allowed to upload only a single tracks that can be easily and quickly share with your fan base. This site clyp.it as the audio equivalent is something like a Google Drive or an Imgur. Here on this site you can create your account and participate, but if you just need a quick way to upload your music and share it, then you will even have that option.
This platform tries to play in Soundcloud's court. However, it lacks the user-base, and this is what grabbing it back. But this service offers some functions just like Soundcloud. With its waveforms, you can have the ability to share, like, comment on tracks, etc. But the community and discoverability of the music of the artists on this platform are somewhat missing. This app is available for both the devices like iOS and Android.
Want to cut out the assortment of middleman and looking for a way to reach to your fans directly? Then this service YungCloud will be a great alternative for you in the place of Soundcloud. According to the founders of this service, this platform is meant to connect the upcoming as well as the well-known artists and give them an excellent platform to get music heard by numerous of audiences around the world.
The service is much younger than any other services which are listed and going to be list here on this list because it is launched in the year of 2015. The website is quite similar to the SoundCloud in the terms of its look, so this is existing for SoundCloud users because with this service they will feel like at-home while using it. This is also available as an app for iOS and Android devices.
Mixcloud service is actually aimed at podcasts and mixes, so it is evident that it is just like its name. The service that this platform offer is more surrounding than that, it allows you to click through various genres to listen to new music like Spotify, and even allows you to upload mixtapes like albeit or a single track.
However, if you are a podcaster, talk show hosts or DJ then this platform is really for you. That is just because you don't really get to upload you complete album at one go; it lets you only upload one track at a time. You can also upload your original music but only one track at a time. This functionality is highly inconvenient for the artists as well as the listener too. You can use this service in the form of app on your iOS device as well as on your Android device.
hearthis.At
This is an officially described as a best alternative to SoundCloud on the web. This is just because this service offers tons of features that match to its competitor SoundCloud service. It offers rich set of features like feeds, profile pages, ability to like, share and comment on the tracks. Plus, this service also offers a unique functionality that is 'Maps' which keeps you up-to-date about upload of the local music. It also lets you import your SoundCloud profile to its platform, so this what makes even much easy for you who want to migrate to this service.
With this service, you can even sort your feed by the genre and even based on the length of the track while it is uploaded which is one of the great functionality. It offers you an opportunity to sell your music to your fans. You can use their app on iOS and Android device.
That's just a quick look at few of the best alternatives to SoundCloud service. Of course, there are numerous of other services that could help you to fill the void which is left by the SoundCloud service. However, if there any great alternative service to SoundCloud which you think we should check out, then share them here by using the comment section and let us know!
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Overseas Vietnamese
Saturday, January 28, 2023 - 8:09:29
Post-pandemic recovery
East Sea
No new COVID-19 cases announced on Sept 3 afternoon
No new COVID-19 cases were detected from 6am to 6pm on September 3, and the total count remained at 1,046, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
VNA Thursday, September 03, 2020 18:52
Vietnam confirms 35th COVID-19 death
No new COVID-19 cases reported on September 3 morning
Two new COVID-19 cases reported on Sept. 2 afternoon
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – No new COVID-19 cases were detected from 6am to 6pm on September 3, and the total count remained at 1,046, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
The committee's treatment sub-committee reported that nine COVID-19 patients were given the all-clear during the day, including four treated at Hoa Vang clinic in Da Nang and three at the Da Nang Lung Hospital. The remaining two patients were treated at the general hospital of the northern province of Nam Dinh. The province now has no active COVID-19 cases.
The number of recoveries among COVID-19 patients is now 755, while there have been 35 fatalities.
Among patients still under treatment nationwide, 24 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 52 negative twice and 23 negative three times.
A total of 63,651 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-affected regions are being quarantined, with 1,009 at hospitals, 15,949 at designated quarantine facilities and 46,693 at homes or accommodations.
In order to keep oneself safe in the pandemic, the Health Ministry urges everyone to continue wearing masks at public places or gatherings, regularly washing hands with soap or sanitizer, keeping a distance from others, avoiding gatherings of many people, and filing medical declarations on the NCOVI app as well as installing the BlueZone app./.
COVID-19 COVID-19 cases National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control Health Ministry Vietnam VietnamPlus Vietnam news
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Organizing your HTML code
Saturday, August 24th, 2013 by Servage
Organizing Page Content
Prior to HTML5, there was no way to group these bits into larger parts other than wrapping them in a generic division (div) element.
HTML5 introduced new elements that give semantic meaning to sections of a typical web page or application, including sections (section), articles (article), navigation (nav), tangentially related content (aside), headers (header), and footers (footer). The new element names are based on a Google study that looked at the top 20 names given to generic division elements (code.google.com/webstats/2005-12/classes.html). Curiously, the spec lists the old address element as a section as well, so we'll look at that one here too.
The elements discussed in this section are well supported by current desktop and mobile browsers, but there is a snag with Internet Explorer versions 8 and earlier.
Sections and articles

…

Thematic group of content

…

Self-contained, reusable composition
Long documents are easier to use when they are divided into smaller parts. For example, books are divided into chapters, and newspapers have sections for local news, sports, comics, and so on. To divide long web documents into thematic sections, use the aptly named section element. Sections typically have a heading (inside the section element) and any other content that has a meaningful reason to be grouped together.
The section element has a broad range of uses, from dividing a whole page into major sections or identifying thematic sections within a single article.
In the following example, a document with information about typography resources has been divided into two sections based on resource type.

Typography Books

Online Tutorials

These are the best tutorials on the web.

Use the article element for self-contained works that could stand alone or be reused in a different context (such as syndication). It is useful for magazine or newspaper articles, blog posts, comments, or other items that could be extracted for external use. You can think of it as a specialized section element that answers the question "Could this appear on another site and make sense?" with "yes."
To make things interesting, a long article could be broken into a number of sections, as shown here:

Get to Know Helvetica

History of Helvetica

Helvetica Today

Conversely, a section in a web document might be comprised of a number of articles.

A Fresh Look at Futura

Getting Personal with Humanist

The section and article elements are easily confused, particularly because it is possible to nest one in the other and vice versa. Keep in mind that if the content is self-contained and could appear outside the current context, it is best marked up as an article.
Aside (sidebars)
…
Tangentially related material
The aside element identifies content that is related but tangential to the surrounding content. In print, its equivalent is a sidebar, but they couldn't call the element sidebar, because putting something on the "side" is a presentational description, not semantic.
In this example, an aside element is used for a list of links related to the main article.

Web Typography

Back in 1997, there were competing font formats and tools for making
them…

We now have a number of methods for using beautiful fonts on web
pages…

Web Font Resources

Typekit

Google Fonts

The aside element has no default rendering, so you will need to make it a block element and adjust its appearance and layout with style sheet rules.
…
Primary navigation links
The new nav element gives developers a semantic way to identify navigation for a site. Wrapping that list in a nav element makes its purpose explicitly clear.

Serif/li>

Sans-serif

Script

Display

Dingbats/li>
Not all lists of links should be wrapped in nav tags, however. The spec makes it clear that it should be used for links that provide primary navigation around a site or a lengthy section or article.
Headers and footers
The header element is used for introductory material that typically appears at the beginning of a web page or at the top of a section or article. There is no specified list of what a header must or should contain; anything that makes sense as the introduction to a page or section is acceptable.
The footer element is used to indicate the type of information that typically comes at the end of a page or an article, such as its author, copyright information, related documents, or navigation. The footer element may apply to the entire document, or it could be associated with a particular section or article. If the footer is contained directly within the body element, either before or after all the other body content, then it applies to the entire page or application.
Organizing your HTML code, 3.0 out of 5 based on 2 ratings
Tools that help you animate with HTML5
Create a cool CSS-based tab-menu
Responsive or adaptive design? What's the best choice?
Is your website standard compliant?
How to add links in HTML
Categories: Guides & Tutorials
Keywords: html


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    <form action="{{.url}}" method="post">
      Username
      <input type="text" name="username" id="username">
      Password
      <input type="password" name="password" id="password">
      <button type="submit">Login</button>
    </form>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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VC firms invest $200m in UK tech start-ups after Brexit vote
July 25, 2016 Category: Breaking News
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e538e27a-5001-11e6-8172-e39ecd3b86fc.html#ixzz4FPBWJzta
Global venture capital firms have made dozens of investments in Britain's start-up technology companies in recent weeks, despite the UK voting to leave the EU, according to a new report out today.
Data collected this month by the investment database Pitchbook for London & Partners, the promotional body for the London Mayor's office, shows UK tech companies have attracted $200m of funding across 42 deals since the EU referendum.
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e538e27a-5001-11e6-8172-e39ecd3b86fc.html#ixzz4FPBco9JW
However, the figures highlight a significant slowdown from the same period last year, when twice as many deals were completed with $338m of venture capital investment flowing into UK tech start-ups.
Darktrace, a UK cyber security firm, attracted the most money of any UK start-up in the month after the UK voted to leave the EU, raising $65m from investors including the US private equity firm KKR. The fundraising valued Darktrace at more than $400m.
The report, which focused on venture capital investments, rather than mergers and acquisitions, did not include last week's announcement that Japan's SoftBank had agreed to buy Britain's biggest technology company, Arm Holdings, for £24.3bn.
"This is further proof that London leads the way when it comes to technology and, because of its diversity and entrepreneurial spirit, continues to attract investment from across the globe," said London mayor Sadiq Khan. "This investment in the capital shows that London is open for business, open for new ideas and will continue to welcome the best talent from around the world."
Eileen Burbidge, a partner at the venture capital firm Passion Capital, said London "remains the biggest tech centre in Europe and continues to attract the best talent and companies from all over the world".
"These are attractive factors for any investor and there will be plenty of opportunities for investment in the coming months and years ahead," Ms Burbidge added.
But Mr Khan and Ms Burbidge's optimism stands in stark contrast to a recent survey of more than 1,200 people working in UK tech. It found that nearly three-quarters of industry leaders thought the business environment would get worse, not better, after the Brexit vote.
Tech City UK, the government-backed body that promotes the country's tech sector, surveyed 1,205 people working in tech between June 27 and July 5, with nearly two-thirds of respondents either company founders or chief executives.
Just over one-third of respondents said it was "business as usual" after the Brexit vote, but nearly a quarter said they expected to scale back their planned growth ambitions as a result of the decision to leave the EU.
The UK tech community had been strongly in favour of remaining in the EU, according to polls conducted before the referendum, with several start-ups saying they would quit London if the UK voted to leave the bloc.
Many entrepreneurs and investors have said after the vote that they are concerned about attracting talent to London, where many software engineers are non-UK citizens.
Others have voiced concerns that raising money could also be affected by the fluctuations of the pound, which has plummeted since the Brexit vote, while financial technology firms in particular are concerned about accessing the single market after the UK leaves the EU.
Source:http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e538e27a-5001-11e6-8172-e39ecd3b86fc.html#axzz4FP7Rvm1a
Posted in Breaking News, Cyber Security Alert, Cyber Security Industry Watch


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Board index Non-Regional Airlines serving the Caribbean Air China
[Air China] New air routes and Caribbean connectivity
Unread post by bimjim » Sat Nov 28, 2015
http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/opinio ... nnectivity
David Jessop, Dominican Today senior Op-Ed contribuitor
Air China has confirmed that it will inaugurate a Beijing to Havana air service on December 27.
The flight which will extend the airline's relatively new, three times a week, Beijing to Montreal service, will take about twenty hours in all to reach Cuba, involves a three hour stopover in Canada, and uses an extended range Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The service, which has fifth freedom rights, is allowed to pick up passengers in Canada for travel to Cuba, and forms a part of an eventual longer term business approach by Air Canada to create with Air China a trans-Pacific joint revenue-sharing venture
The new link will be the first same-plane service to bring Chinese visitors and business people directly into the Caribbean. For China and Cuba the route will be strategically important given the two countries close ties. It will also demonstrate China's growing presence and role in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
What however, will be interesting to see is whether the numbers of Cuba-bound tourists originating in Beijing increase in a sustainable way and if over time, the intention is to link the flights to Chinese Caribbean cruise vacations. At present Cuba says it has about 20,000 Chinese visitors annually, but has not specified how many of these are travelling on business or for meetings with government.
In announcing the new service, the Cuban media laid emphasis on official suggestions that the new route is intended not only to catalyse tourism from China to Cuba but will also offer the opportunity to develop multi-destination tourism in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
However, until Chinese tourist numbers develop substantially, this at best would seem to be aspirational; although interestingly the new route may offer a quicker route to China for the ever-increasing numbers of Caribbean officials and visitors travelling there.
That said, the entry of Air China into the Caribbean is likely to be the first among a number of international carriers that are considering new long haul services into the wider region.
Another is Emirates, which according to industry sources is to introduce a daily non-stop flight between Dubai and Panama City; a hub that has excellent and easy flight connections to much of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Emirates - which has a reputation for a level of service that puts US and European carriers to shame - is scheduled to begin their Panama City route next February with a flight that will take 17 hours 35 minutes to cover around 8,500 miles non-stop, making it for a while the world's longest scheduled passenger service.
What these new, often subsidised services demonstrate is the changing nature of the wider region's relationship with the world and the relocation of global economic opportunity.
At one level it reflects the evolution of the Caribbean Basin's political and economic relations with the world. As the Gulf States, Russia, and countries of South America and those to the west across the Pacific see the potential of a much deeper relationship, they are prepared to introduce new air services mixing state and commercial considerations.
At another new services responds to efforts by larger Caribbean Basin and Latin American destinations to actively diversify their visitor feeder markets using route development funding; the often complex financial incentive schemes that have the effect of paying an international carrier to fly to a destination in return for agreed levels of airlift and a guaranteed number of seats.
Thirdly, changing global investment and business interest in Latin America and the Caribbean is making viable, routes previously considered marginal, as high yield passengers in premium cabins enable airlines to adjust their profit matrix in ways that recognise the increasing number of those with disposable income willing to travel further to a vacation destination.
And finally there is the likelihood that new very long range aircraft coming into service will enable in the near future passengers to consider travelling non-stop much further distances to key hubs like Miami or Panama, or even directly to larger Caribbean nations like Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
In this latter respect what are known as ultra-long-range flights are likely to become the norm in the next few years as a new generation of lighter fuel-efficient aircraft begin to enter service. These are the Boeing 777-8 and the Airbus A350-900ULR which will enable dramatically extended non-stop services to fly for nineteen hours or more.
If airlines can make the economics work and increase demand based on the low cost of aviation fuel and keen fare structuring, such ultra long distance flying could become the new norm, especially on premium international routes such as those between Singapore and New York or Australia and London.
If this does happen it potentially offers new opportunities for Caribbean tourism, opening up the possibility of encouraging visitors from populous non-traditional markets in Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.
However this will only work for the Caribbean if it recognises that aircraft flying longer distances initially will only fly to hubs with good inter-connectivity - Miami, Panama, and as relations with the US change, Havana - and requires thinking differently about market development.
Put another way, while there will continue to be many opportunities to grow and diversify the existing Caribbean tourism market in Europe, North and South America through direct scheduled and charter services, creative thinking will be required about linking with carriers flying directly from potential new feeder markets to the principal hubs that serve the region.
As there is no longer any strong commercially-viable inter-regional carrier, this is most likely to mean in the short to medium term working closely with others already operating in the Caribbean Basin like the financially successful Panamanian regional airline Copa, and with US legacy carriers and newcomers that have code share arrangements and are able to provide connectivity.
The region however may need to wait for some time before its can see whether Air China's new Havana route encourages Chinese travellers to develop a taste for land based or cruise vacations in the Caribbean, and if an opportunity then arises for a direct China service using ultra-long-range equipment.
Return to "Air China"


After numerous alcohol related suspensions and a lengthy DUI prison sentence, Packers' Koren Robinson leaves his troubled past behind as he prepares for this week's NFC championship game.
In 2006, Koren Robinson thought he'd seen the end of his chances while sitting in a jail cell, in prison on probation violating charges stemming from a high speed DUI, and just the last in a string of alcohol induced incidents that have plagued his troubled career since his start as a 20 year old first round draft pick with the Seahawks.
Robinson, released by the Seahawks after numerous suspensions for team infractions and alcohol issues, had already served a day in jail, and had completed a stint in alcohol rehab before starting anew with Minnesota in 2005.
He had married and said that his wild days were behind him, a statement undone in 2006 when arrested yet again for a DUI, and sentenced to two 90 day prison terms, and suspended from the league for an entire season.
Robinson states that it was while in prison, reading newspaper commentary on his behavior that he decided he needed a real change, deciding that alcohol was not worth the costs to his career and family, and making a commitment to give it up.
After his release from prison, yet while under suspension, Robinson received an invite to meet with Packers GM Ted Thompson. Neither men have reported what was said during the meeting, but both have described it as an honest and emotional session, and Thompson has reported that it gave him a real measure of Robinson, as a man.
Bret Farvre, who has had his own trials with pain killer addiction, befriended Robinson during his year-long league suspension, calling him frequently, supporting his recovery and progress and enlisting his personal trainer in Arizona to help Robinson stay game ready with daily work outs during his downtime.
Early this season, Robinson met League commissioner Roger Goodell at an Arizona Cardinals game, and asked to be reinstated; after embracing, Goodell agreed, and shortly thereafter Robinson lined up with the Packers, playing the last half of the season at kick returner and receiver – now ready to achieve the redemption he's been looking for as he fights with his new teammates in this Sunday's NFC championship game.
Robinson says he stays sober through a combination of counseling, medication and faith, and that he's grateful for yet another "second chance" a chance he's determined to make good on.
2 Who Becomes An Alcoholic?
4 Genetics - Alcoholism Hereditary?
3 Can You Handle Your Liquor? Yes...Then, Watch Out, You're at Risk of Alcoholism!


ACT Forklift: Excuse Me, I have Work To Do!
We all enjoy a good balance in our lives. Work. Family. Hobby. Rest. When it comes to work, we are tasked with seemingly more than we can get done. We feel the overload condition as we trudge through work and spend more time getting work completed, and less time with things that bring that proper balance.
Here is a solution for many work place problems. Utility vehicles that allow you to move, tow, carry, and haul people and products in the work place can help gain lost time back. People need to get where they are going quickly to keep things running smoothly. The personnel carrier gets people there three times faster than walking. Also, carry more than one person, or carry tools, or carry product, or tow product or supplies. The versatility of these units make them one of the most overlooked potential solutions in the work place.
MOVE - You may need to move one key employee around a large plant quickly or move 14 guests around your amusement park or zoo. An electric vehicle can handle that and everything in between. If you have personnel walking when they should be riding you are wasting money.
TOW - Forklifts are not the ideal piece of machinery to tow materials or other equipment around your facility. We suggest highly maneuverable tow platforms for loads of up to 14,000 lbs. Maybe you are looking to pull a small utility trailer or maybe an empty semi trailer. Use the right tool for the job and save money while you are at it.
CARRY - You can carry loads up to 6000 lbs. indoors and out. Maybe you need to move a heavy load in tight quarters, maybe with aisles as small as 30 inches wide. Pure Electric power means there is no emission or noise pollution to worry about. A burden carrier can be an integral part of your material handling system.
HAUL - Your job requires you to be versatile, so you need a vehicle to match. The utility vehicle is the Swiss army knife of transportation. Move cargo around a nursery in the morning, and carry customers and their purchases to their cars in the afternoon. When your transportation needs are a mix of passengers and cargo, choose a utility vehicle.
Trailering option can make the regular life really easy. It can carry the heavy loads with just your regular car. But these have to be Quality Trailers. Thanks for sharing this article.


Its a donkey......No... A horse.
Quote "Fiddler on the Roof"
He became a she. The end.
Failed seeing the true culprit Fish?
Beer farts don't make dear hearts.
Stay one more night then decide.
Then leave if you wish too.


When it comes to creating content that your customers keep coming back to, there are three things to consider. Truly effective content must be: relevant, engaging and actionable.
Your content must be relevant to your target demographic. But it must also be relevant to your brand. We were recently asked to manage an FMCG client's social assets. When we looked at their brand page, it was full of posts about cats. Cute? Definitely. Tons of likes? Undoubtedly. Relevant to their brand equity or consumer profile? No. But it was an adorably misguided attempt.
Respond to known trends or patterns? Google Analytics gives visibility on where your site's traffic numbers, destinations and time on site. Bear in mind though that analytics won't answer why you're seeing these patterns.
Answer consumer questions or needs? SEO keywords reveal what people search for. Your content should answer these questions and – more importantly – add value.
Position your brand as a credible authority? You should be participating in conversations with your consumers in areas your brand can plausibly own.
Localise. We're an increasingly globalised world, but MNCs in particular are guilty of using Western content regardless of the ethnicity or cultural background of the audience. My 'favourite' example was a recipe for a mum-focussed campaign that called for pork and applesauce… for a Malaysian Muslim audience. Don't be generic. Localise your imagery (avoid blond-haired, blue-eyed stock photography for an article about New Delhi), and account for cultural, religious and societal sensitivities and interests.
Personalise. User-generated content, interactive elements and user profiling are functionality-led, but they allow you to provide users with content specifically targeted to them.
Measure. I know I said engagement's subjective, but there are digital metrics – user time on page, scroll below the fold, click through to related content, or social shares – that you should be measuring and reviewing, to ascertain what's resonating with your users.
Always be closing. Regardless of whether it's a video, social post, article or infographic, every content piece content should ask the user to take an action: generate leads, consume more content related content, write a review, download, opt-in to membership, or just make an enquiry.
Make it easy. That action you're asking your user to take should be as obvious and easy as possible to achieve. This is more about functionality than content, but it's critical to not losing people.
Next week, I'll look at an Asian brands that is absolutely nailing these fundamentals and creating relevant, engaging and actionable content.


I came across you blog when in search of some good South Indian recipes. I must say you have made your blog very interesting with varieties of good recipes and photography.
Well, I had karelas in my refrigerator waiting to be cooked & I tried this stuffed karela fry recipe today. I must say it was simply delicious! We enjoyed it to the core. Thanks a bunch!
Tried this recipe and it turned out very very tasty. Even the husband, who usually doesn't touch karela, loved it! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!


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Arts / CD Reviews
CD Review: Gang Signs & Prayer by Stormzy
by WebEditor · March 14, 2017
Grime superstar Stormzy, off the success of his previously released singles, has finally dropped his debut project. Grime has seen a surge in popularity this side of the Atlantic, and Stormzy is a large part of that (and for good reason too). Best known for his bangers, Stormzy brings some of his best instrumental to this album. Some of them feel more like the conventional rap bangers we hear today, but tracks like "Cold" and "Big for your Boots" bring the traditional grime feel I was looking for. To my surprise, Stormzy also brought a lot of emotional, R&B style singing to the album. While his singing isn't the best and kind of out of place from what people were expecting, Stormzy brings his lyrics on these tracks from an emotional place. Tracks like "Blinded by your Grace Pt. 1" and "Cigarettes and Cush" give the album some variety in between the bangers. All in all, Gang Signs & Prayer is a safe album for Stormzy's debut and makes for a good introduction for grime new-comers.
— Bigoa Machar
Gang Signs & Prayer
#Merky Records
A eulogy for the Liberty Lounge
Striking a Chord
Expolatino promises sun and spice.
Next story CD Review: Drunk by Thundercat
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Imlygic is a prescription drug used to treat melanoma lesions on the skin and in the lymph nodes. Melanoma is the most dangerous skin cancer. Imlygic belongs to a group of drugs called oncolytic viruses, which work by replicating inside cancer cells, causing the cells to burst and die. This medication is directly injected into melanoma lesions. Common side effects include fatigue, chills, nausea, flu-like symptoms, injection site pain and fever. Imlygic is a first-of-its-kind treatment for melanoma.


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Home > Journals > Earth & Environmental Sciences > JEP
JEP> Vol.4 No.9, September 2013
Biosorption of Metal Ions by Exopolysaccharide Produced by Azotobacter chroococcum XU1
Abstract Full-Text HTML Download as PDF (Size:421KB) PP. 989-993
DOI: 10.4236/jep.2013.49114 3,704 Downloads 5,532 Views Citations
Bakhtiyor A. Rasulov, Abulimiti Yili, Haji A. Aisa
1Institute of Genetics and Plant Experimental Biology, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, Yukori Yuz, Uzbekistan; 2The Key Labora- tory of Plant Resources and Chemistry of Arid Zone, China Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, CAS, Urumqi, China.
1The Key Labora- tory of Plant Resources and Chemistry of Arid Zone, China Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, CAS, Urumqi, China; 2Central Asian Drug Discoveries and Development Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China..
This paper deals with adsorption of Pb and Hg on the exopolysaccharide produced by Azotobacter chroococcum XU1. The adsorption of metal ions was significantly affected by the pH of metal solutions (Pb(NO3)2 and Hg(NO3)2), metal ions concentration and exopolysaccharide concentrations. At optimum pH the uptakes of the metals were 40.48% and 47.87% respectively. The metal ions biosorption was high at 4, 5-5.
Azotobacter chroococcum XU1; Exopolysaccharide; Biosorption; Lead; Mercury
B. Rasulov, A. Yili and H. Aisa, "Biosorption of Metal Ions by Exopolysaccharide Produced by Azotobacter chroococcum XU1," Journal of Environmental Protection, Vol. 4 No. 9, 2013, pp. 989-993. doi: 10.4236/jep.2013.49114.
[1] A. Lakzian, A. R. Berenji, E. Karimi and S. Razavi, "Adsorption Capability of Lead, Nickel and Zinc by Exopolysaccharide and Dried Cell of Ensifer meliloti," Asian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2008, pp. 6075-6080
[2] J. A. Morillo Perez, R. Garcia-Ribera, T. Quesada, M. Aguilera, A. Ramos-Cormenzana and M. Monteolivo-Sanchez, "Biosorption of Heavy Metals by the Exopolysaccharide Produces by Paenibacillus jamilae," World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol. 24, No. 11, 2008, pp. 2699-2704. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11274-008-9800-9
[3] S. Y. Kim, J. H. Kim, C. I. Kim and O. K. Oh, "Metal Adsorption of the Polysaccharide Produced from Methylobacterium organophilum," Biotechnology Letters, Vol. 18, No. 10, 1996, pp. 1161-1164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00128585
[4] B. A. Rasulov, A. Yili and H. A. Aisa, "A New Azotobacter chroococcum XU1 Strain, Producer of Indolic Compounds and Exopolysaccharides," Proceedings of 5th Congress of Microbiologists of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 12-13 October 2012, pp. 3-4.
[5] H. Salehizadeh and S. A. Shojaosadati, "Removal of Metal Ions from Aqueous Solution by Polysaccharide Produced from Bacillus firmus," Water Research, Vol. 37, No. 7, 2003, pp. 4231-4235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(03)00418-4
[6] Z. Chi and Y. Fang, "Exopolysaccharides from Marine Bacteria," Journal of Ocean University of China, Vol. 14, No. 1, 2005, pp. 67-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11802-005-0026-2
[7] R. De Philippis and M. Vincenzini, "Exocellular Polysacharides from Cyanobacteria and Their Possible Applications," FEMS Microbiology Reviews, No. 22, 1998, pp. 151-171.
[8] R. De Philippis, C. Sili, R. Paperi and M. Vincenzini, "Exopolysaccharide-Producing Cyanobacteria and Their Possible Exploitation," Journal of Applied Phycology, Vol. 13, No. 4, 2001, pp. 293-299. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1017590425924
[9] R. E. Martinez, D. S. Smith, E. Kulczycki and F. G. Ferris, "Determination of Intrinsic Bacterial Surface Acidity Constants Using a Donnan Shell Model and a Continuous pKa Distribution Method," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 253, No. 1, 2002, pp. 130-139. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jcis.2002.8541
[10] D. M. Borrok and J. B. Fein, "The Impact of Ionic Strength on the Adsorption of Protons, Pb, Cd, and Sr onto the Surfaces of Gram Negative Bacteria: Testing Non-Electrostatic, Diffuse, and Triplelayer Models," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 286, No. 1, 2005, pp. 110-126. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2005.01.015
[11] S. S. Gauri, S. Archanaa, K. C. Mondal, B. R. Pati, S. M. Mandal and S. Dey, "Removal of Arsenic from Aqueous Solution Using Pottery Granules Coated with Cyst of Azotobacter and Portland Cement: Characterization, Kinetics and Modelling," Bioresource Technology, Vol. 102, No. 10, 2011, pp. 6308-6312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2011.02.037
[12] J. Claessens and P. van Cappellen, "Competitive Binding of Cu2+ and Zn2+ to Live Cells of Schewanella Putrefaciens," Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 41, No. 3, 2007, pp. 909-914. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es0620944
[13] P. Joshi and A. Juwarkar, "In Vivo Studies to Elucidate the Role of Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Azotobacter in Immobilization of Heavy Metals," Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 43, No. 15, 2009, pp. 5884-5889. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es900063b
[14] Q. Helmy, E. Kardena, Z. Nurachman and Wisjnuprapto, "Application of Biosurfactant Produced by Azotobacter vinelandii AV01 for Enhanced Oil Recovery and Biodegradation of Oil Sludge," International Journal of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2008, pp. 334-338.
[15] Z. Li, Z. Li, Y. Yu and C. Chen, "Removal of Lead from Aqueous Solution by Non-Living Rhizopus nigricans," Water Research, Vol. 32, No. 5, 1998, pp. 1437-1444. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(97)00348-5
[16] H. S. Abbas, E. E. Shahla and M. J. Mohammed-Ridha, "Equilibrium, Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Biosorption of Pb (II), Cr (III), and Cd (II) Ions by Dead Anaerobic Biomass from Synthetic Wastewater," Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2013, pp. 175-187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0854-8
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Communication always comes with a level of messiness and ambiguity. Even with the best of intentions and clearest of communication we can portray mixed messages, leading to misunderstandings or conflict. Add to that the array of communication platforms we deal with: meetings, email, G-chat, passing remarks in the hall, phone calls. The opportunity for miscommunications is introduced almost all hours of the workday.
These miscommunications are at the root of distrust, misled beliefs, and conflict, especially in a corporate culture. While managing these issues may feel tedious, the long-term effects of glazing over unclear communication can be detrimental to employees—and the company as a whole. I wrote about a personal experience of this that occurred not at work but with my daughter. It highlighted the value of clarifying intentions.
The fast story is that my then-6-year-old daughter had drawn a precious picture of a blue dog, and then she heard me say I didn't like Blue Dog. Little did she know (and how could she?), I was talking about a restaurant named Blue Dog I wasn't fond of, not her piece of art. She carried what she heard with her for two weeks before she felt enough courage to ask me about it, and we quickly resolved the misunderstanding.
This isn't so far off from what can happen at work, is it? Someone says something we take to mean they are upset with us or disappointed in our work, performance, or attitude. Or, perhaps, it's the off-color wording of an email, a quick hang-up during a phone call, or what feels like a dismissive lack of eye contact.
Before we know it, we've crafted an entire story about one interaction. He thinks I don't know what I'm doing, or She thinks all millennials are below her. This snap judgment festers, sourly affecting our mood, energy, productivity, and many other interactions throughout the day. Worse still, we may even use this information to expand our belief about the other person, swelling the problem.
Brené Brown puts it like this in her book, Dare to Lead: Our default when we are in the midst of struggle and lack data is to make up a story that makes sense of what's happening. This way of creating our own (often false) information allows us to self-protect. The natural confabulation of events that occurs is harmful to our own psyche, as well as to everyone around us.
The truth is that, yes, it can be easy to misconstrue what someone says or does. But assuming and jumping to conclusions does nothing to resolve it. The key to maintaining a healthy work environment is staying in a place of curiosity. When something doesn't seem right or fair, when you feel wronged, take steps to learn more. Ask questions, listen earnestly, and leave space for honest explanation. Believe that most people come into situations with good intentions; be understanding that sometimes our friends and colleagues have "off" days.
So much good can even come from a simple, "Would you mind telling me what you meant by that?" Not in an accusatory way, but from a place of wanting to understand where someone else is coming from, and really hearing and understanding them.
Those who lean into the messiness and uncertainty of communication often find the most success and build the healthiest work environments. It's not easy to be bold by calmly addressing miscommunications, but the reward is certainly worth it. After all, no one ever said you'd get anywhere incredible by sticking to your comfort zone.


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Home • Briefing Room • Presidential Actions • Proclamations
Presidential Proclamation -- AGOA
TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS UNDER THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND
OPPORTUNITY ACT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
1. In Proclamation 8468 of December 23, 2009, I determined that the Republic of Madagascar (Madagascar) was not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 (the "1974 Act") (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)), as added by section 111(a) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (title I of Public Law 106-200) (AGOA). Thus, pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)), I terminated the designation of Madagascar as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act.
2. Section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act authorizes the President to designate a country listed in section 107 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country if the President determines that the country meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), as well as the eligibility criteria set forth in section 502 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2462).
3. Pursuant to section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act, based on actions that the Government of Madagascar has taken, I have determined that Madagascar meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA and section 502 of the 1974 Act, and I have decided to designate Madagascar as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.
4. Section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)) authorizes the President to terminate the designation of a country as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A if he determines that the country is not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act.
5. Pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that the Kingdom of Swaziland is not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act. Accordingly, I have decided to terminate the designation of the Kingdom of Swaziland as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act, effective on January 1, 2015.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to title V and section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-67, 2483), and section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), do proclaim that:
(1) Madagascar is designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.
(2) In order to reflect this designation in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence in the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries "Republic of Madagascar (Madagascar)." Further, note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence in the list of lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries "Republic of Madagascar."
(3) The designation of the Kingdom of Swaziland as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act is terminated, effective on January 1, 2015.
(4) In order to reflect in the HTS that beginning on January 1, 2015, the Kingdom of Swaziland shall no longer be designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting "Kingdom of Swaziland" from the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries. Note 7(a) to subchapter II and note 1 to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS are modified to delete "Swaziland," from the list of beneficiary countries. Further, note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS is modified by deleting "Swaziland" from the list of lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.
(5) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.
June 10, 2016 2:18 PM EST
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On Wall Street, writing and whatever else is on my mind...
Jeff Matthews
A Quarter-Trillion Buyout? Imagine the Fees!
No doubt the PowerPoint slides are being reviewed, critiqued, and reworked at the Pfizer corporate office in preparation for Friday's Big Analyst Meeting.
Pfizer, hailed Company of the Year by Forbes Magazine in its January 11, 1999 issue, has lately fallen on very hard times—both business-wise and stock price-wise, and analysts, widows, orphans and brokers are eagerly looking for guidance at tomorrow's first post-collapse presentation to Wall Street's Finest.
Is it any coincidence that Pfizer's stock peaked at $50.04 on April 16, 1999—just three months after the Forbes Cover Story?
Everybody on Wall Street has either experienced first-hand or knows examples of the "Cover Story Curse"—the tendency of major publications to recognize a major trend, fad, or corporate success precisely as that trend, fad, or corporate success has bred the seeds of its own destruction—and Pfizer is Exhibit A of the Cover Story Curse.
[As readers might recall (see "The Last, Best Hope for Prosperity" on June 12), Time Magazine provided the most recent "Cover Story Curse" last summer, when its "Home Sweet Home" cover story ("Why we're going gaga over real estate") preceded the top in the house-buying mania by maybe three months.]
And so it was that Pfizer-the Great slowly lost its way, until earlier this year anxious callers to "Mad Money" asked Cramer for advice on their holdings in what had once been regarded as the bluest of blue-chip stocks.
"I am giving you permission to sell Pfizer!" Cramer would scream, slamming the "Sell-Sell-Sell" button and no doubt contributing to the wash-out bottom in the stock, shortly before welcome litigation news and a huge dividend boost sent the stock up, and altered the mood among Pfizer investors from feeling we're-all-doomed to the more hopeful it's-not-dead-yet.
And now the Wall Street Journal reports that Pfizer may be preparing to sell the old Warner-Lambert consumer franchise, comprised of Listerine, Visine and other stalwarts that have lately been knocking the cover off the ball in comparison to the drug business.
Numbers being tossed around are as high as $11 billion, and interest is said to be high.
But why stop there? Why stop at selling off $4 billion or so worth of Pfizer's $50 billion in sales? Why not sell the whole thing? And I don't mean a merger with, say, P&G or some Big European Drug company.
I mean a good old fashioned leveraged buyout.
The idea is probably as farfetched as it sounds, and the probability is next to nil. I would never buy the stock on the assumption that some private equity group could round up the quarter-trillion or so that it would cost to leverage-up the company.
Also, Pfizer guys are corporate guys—they like the company, they like the lifestyle to which it has accustomed them, and they have probably become too accustomed to being the buyer to ever think about being the seller, despite the fact that they have granted themselves something like a half a billion shares worth of stock options.
And they are probably not the most entrepreneurial management in America.
I say that because I once sat on the train to New York next to a Pfizer executive. He spent the entire train ride—more than an hour—working on his laptop computer moving boxes around on an organizational chart.
I am not making that up. But a leveraged buyout of the ex-Company of the Year is worth thinking about, if for nothing else than trying to understand the valuation currently accorded to Pfizer on the market.
The math is really pretty simple:
1. Pfizer had EBYYY—"Earnings Before Yadda-Yadda-Yadda"—of around $22 billion last year. (In serious terms, EBYYY is what Wall Street calls "EBITDA"—earnings before non-cash charges, such as depreciation, and capital-related charges, such as interest and taxes.)
2. Pfizer has no debt, net of cash. In fact, Pfizer has a lot of cash, thanks to the repatriation of $30+ billion from overseas entities as part of the so-called "Jobs Act."
So let's pretend a leveraged buyout group paid $32 a share for PFE—just pretend. Call it 7.4 billion shares outstanding, and that would cost the buyers $237 billion.
Now, pretend the buyers put up $37 billion of their own equity and borrow the remaining $200 billion, upon which they might theoretically pay, what, 9% interest—about $18 billion annual interest expense?
(Hey, Russian Federation bonds yield roughly 6%—and which credit would you rather own, a country run by an ex-KGB agent or a company whose business is keeping aging Baby-Boomers alive?)
So, under these assumptions, Pfizer's EBYYY of roughly $22 billion would cover the $18 billion annual interest tab, with $3 billion available for capital expenditures (which amounted to something under $2.5 billion last year) or dividends to the new owners.
Furthermore, the new owners—being rapacious high-leverage types—could immediately set about selling off assets (the Listerine franchise, for example) to the highest bidders, in order to reduce debt or, more likely, pay themselves fat dividends and the kind of "advisory" fees that LBO groups grant themselves once they control the piggy bank.
Far-fetched? Yes.
But here's the most compelling part: figure that the average LBO generates legal, banking and advisory fees of up to 5% of the value of the deal.
5% of $237 billion is $11.9 billion—$11.9 billion of fees for Wall Street's lawyers and bankers and analysts! Dream away! But don't expect an announcement tomorrow.
Jeff Matthews I Am, In This Case, Making It Up
© 2005 Jeff Matthews
The content contained in this blog represents the opinions of Mr. Matthews. Mr. Matthews also acts as an advisor and clients advised by Mr. Matthews may hold either long or short positions in securities of various companies discussed in the blog based upon Mr. Matthews' recommendations.
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text:
Benjamin Franklin Papers
Documents filtered by: Author="Dumas, Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric"
Dumas to the American Commissioners, 5 May 1778: résumé
Dumas to the American Commissioners5
ALS: Harvard University Library; AL (draft): Algemeen Rijksarchief
<The Hague, May 5, 1778, in French: I send translations of two letters from Germany; the Grand Facteur has also sent copies. I have received strange news from France, but you doubtless know about the pettifogging, etc., that goes on there. Yours of the 30th has just arrived, and I shall call on the Grand Facteur and our friend from Amsterdam.6>
[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]
5. Published in Taylor, Adams Papers, VI, 84–5.
6. La Vauguyon and van Berckel. The letter of the 30th, apparently now lost, doubtless enclosed the ALS of their letter to van Bleiswijk, dated the 28th, which was identical with the draft of the 10th that is summarized above.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-26-02-0344
Note: The annotations to this document, and any other modern editorial content, are copyright © the American Philosophical Society and Yale University. All rights reserved.
Franklin Papers
Dumas, Charles-Guillaume-Frédéric
"Dumas to the American Commissioners, 5 May 1778: résumé," Founders Online, National Archives, accessed April 11, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-26-02-0344. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 26, March 1 through June 30, 1778, ed. William B. Willcox. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1987, p. 399.]


text:
Year of the Monkey
Date of Issue January 8, 2004
Perforation or Dimension 13 x 12.5
Series Chinese New Year
Series Time Span 1997 - 2021
Printer Gravure Choquet Inc..
The hidden date for this stamp can be found on the monkey's boot.
Interesting Details
The image of the monkey is embossed onto the stamp.
Pane of 25 stamps
Dimension: 30 mm x 40 mm (vertical)
Printing Process: Lithography in 9 colours plus clear and gold foil stamping plus embossing
Paper: Tullis Russell Coatings
Cancellation Location: Toronto ON
There's something new under the moon. Canada Post's very popular Lunar New Year stamp series celebrates its eighth year with a difference. This year's stamps illustrate a narrative - two scenes from the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West.
"We try to surprise people from year to year, and we don't like to repeat ourselves," says Bill Danard, Design Manager of Stamp Products at Canada Post. "These are the first stamps in the Lunar New Year series with a strong narrative quality, and they also have an element of humour, which is new to the series."
Journey to the West is the fabulous and funny 16th century tale of Sun Wu-k'ung, the Monkey King, a troublemaking trickster who relentlessly defies authority but is redeemed in the end.
Because he is well-known and loved in Asia as a spirited rebel, Canada Post has chosen this clever character to represent the Year of the Monkey in 2004. In Chinese tradition, each year is believed to have the characteristics of one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. In this year's spirit of simian mischief, one stamp design at the domestic rate (49¢, pane of 25) and one stamp design in a souvenir sheet at the international rate ($1.40) honour the mythical monkey whose antics define the term "monkey business."
Monkey King stamp design a crowning achievement
The stamps tell the Monkey King's story through their design as well as their imagery. "There's a direct relationship between the printing processes and the story we're telling," says Danard. "For example, we've applied clear holographic foil to the monkey's image, because the shifting colour represents so well the monkey's transforming character." Being the attention-seeker he is, Monkey also appears in the foreground of both images, embossed to ensure he stands out.
On the collectible press sheet, Monkey's eventual enlightenment is suggested by a background sunburst design in pearlescent ink. And while images of all 12 zodiac animals appear along the press sheet's border, only Monkey's image is outlined in gold metallic foil, representing enlightenment achieved.
Gold foil was also applied to the stamps to highlight typographic elements and Chinese characters, attracting the eye in a way that gold ink would not. In total, nine colours were used in printing the stamps, including custom shades of red and green to add intensity, and a special shade of beige that matches the background colour of the original watercolour paintings.
The stamps are based on two richly detailed watercolour illustrations by Anita Kunz, which appear in their entirety on the souvenir sheet.
On the domestic rate stamp, Monkey is shown in confrontation with the Jade Emperor, whose throne he has tried to usurp. According to the tale, Monkey was king of an Earthly land, but was determined to join the immortals in heaven. He mastered some supernatural tricks, such as shape-changing and cloud-leaping, before arriving in heaven, where he was made the Jade Emperor's stable-keeper. When he discovered this post was a dubious honour, he destroyed the royal banquet in a rage, eating all the immortal peaches, one of which he still clutches in the stamp image. He then battled the Emperor's soldiers to a draw, and we see him on the stamp in his moment of defiance, declaring himself ruler of the universe. Shortly afterwards, he is chastened by Buddha, who pins him under a mountain for 500 years.
On the international rate stamp, we see Monkey later in the story, travelling west on an errand for Buddha. Released from the mountain by the monk Xuan Zang, Monkey has agreed to travel with him and two animal friends, Sandy and Pigsy, to India where they will retrieve the sutras. The journey is fraught with danger, and metaphorically charts Monkey's progress towards wisdom and the Buddhist state of enlightenment.
Even at stamp size, Monkey's adventures can be read as an allegory of personal growth, a jaunty tale of renewal just right for the Lunar New Year.
Illustrator Anita Kunz is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art. She has produced art for book jackets and the covers of many magazines, including Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, and The Atlantic Monthly. She has recently had an exhibition of her work at the Library of Congress.
About Stamp Series
Canada Post started issuing Chinese New Year stamps in 1997. Since then, Canada Post has been issuing a stamp for the Chinese New Year each year.
From 2009 to 2020, Canada Post issued an exquisite Chinese New Year stamp that was part of one of Canada Post's most popular and longest-running series, which featured such elaborate techniques as gold and silver foiling and multi-level embossing.
In 2021, Canada Post issued a special tribute to the culmination of more than a decade of award-winning stamps. This retrospective brought together in a single issue all the stamps from their 2009-2020 Lunar New Year series.
The Lunar New Year cycle showcased all of the animals in the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Conceived well before the series was launched, this collection features 24 stamps based on the designs of all the previous domestic and international rate stamps in the last 12 years.
"Even before we began this series of Lunar New Year stamps, we envisioned bringing them all together for a grand finale," explains Jim Phillips, Director of Stamp Services. "That required a plan from the very beginning. We developed standardized specifications that made the stamps consistent across issues in terms of dimension, format and palette, but still allowed sufficient creative freedom for each to be spectacular in its own right."
Brought together by Paprika from Montréal, these eye-catching stamps feature the work of the many design firms and designers who contributed to the series over the years. The result is a unique collectible that is a fitting tribute to Lunar New Year celebrations everywhere.
Designed by Louis Fishauf.
Canada Post Corporation. Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2004, p. 6-9.


text:
Leanne Italie
Published: May 18, 2022, 9:18 AM
Tags: nature, Environment, Lifestyle, Business
This photo shows Anna Masiello and Diogo Linhares in Sintra, Portugal, on Feb. 14, 2021. Masiello has been sharing updates on social media about steps the two have taken to make their May wedding as sustainable as possible. (Anna Masiello via AP)
NEW YORK – The wedding industry remains fraught with waste, but a growing contingent of brides and grooms is pushing for more sustainable changes, from the way they invite guests to the food they serve and the clothes they wear.
The wedding resource The Knot estimates that more than two-thirds of about 15,000 site users did or planned to incorporate eco-conscious touches, including secondhand decor, minimizing food waste and avoiding one-time use products. Nearly 1 in 3 said vendors should be more proactive in leading the way.
After two chaotic years for the wedding industry, searches on Pinterest for thrifted weddings have tripled, and they've doubled for reuse wedding dress ideas, according to the site's 2022 wedding trends report. The online resale giant Poshmark said demand for secondhand wedding dresses is at an all-time high, especially for those costing $500 or more.
Lauren Kay, executive editor of The Knot, said more venues, caterers and other vendors are taking notice.
"A lot of vendors are really educating themselves on ways to be more sustainable in an effort to meet the demand," she said. "We're seeing across the board much more interest and recognition around sustainability."
For example, Something Borrowed Blooms offers silk florals rather than fresh cut flowers, which often travel long distances and are arranged using non-recyclable foam. Nova by Enaura rents bridal veils. VerTerra sells bowls and compostable plates made of fallen palm leaves, while Pollyn, a plant shop in Brooklyn, uses biodegradable nursery pots as more couples turn to plants in place of cut flowers.
If paper goods are a must, Paper Culture makes invitations, save the dates and reception cards using 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The company offsets its manufacturing and transportation carbon footprint through credits that put resources back into the planet, and it plants a tree with every order.
For 28-year-old Anna Masiello, getting it right for her May 28 wedding is an extension of a more climate-friendly lifestyle she embraced several years ago after moving from her native Italy to Portugal to earn a master's degree in environmental sustainability.
"I really started to learn about climate change and the real impacts of it. We hear so much about it but sometimes it's so overwhelming that we decide not to learn more or to understand it," she said. "I just said, OK, it's time to act."
She took her journey to social media, using the handle hero_to_0, in reference to zero waste, and has amassed more than 70,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 40,000 on Instagram for her regular updates on her life and wedding planning.
Masiello's naturally dyed lavender wedding outfit of a long skirt and matching top is made of deadstock linen (material that factories or stores weren't able to use or sell). The trousers and shirt her fiance will wear are secondhand. The rings they'll exchange belonged to two of their grandparents.
Her fiance carved her engagement ring out of wood from a tree her parents planted when she was born. Her video about it has been viewed more than 12 million times.
The couple's 50 guests at the outdoor ceremony in an uncle's yard will throw confetti punched out of fallen leaves, and the decor will include wood, used glass jars, and plants from the garden. In place of paper goods, they went digital. And no favors will be handed out. To help take the carbon sting out of some guests' plane travel, the couple plans to plant trees.
Not all of Masiello's feedback on social media has been positive. Some have mocked her efforts. But she has embraced that conversation.
"When I started sharing and I saw that it was impacting so many people, and also so many people were having a very negative reaction, I was like, OK, this is really stirring people's emotions. I have to talk more about it, and I'm very glad I'm doing it," she said.
In Los Angeles, 31-year-old Lena Kazer has thought about it, too, for her May 21 wedding in her backyard with 38 guests.
"Both of us are a little disgusted by the extravagance of the wedding industry," she said. "We agreed we would use the resources that we have and avoid buying anything that we won't continue to use."
They are using compostable or recyclable utensils, cups and plates. They're batching cocktails to reduce waste, and are using their own furniture for seating. Kazer's bouquet will be made of real flowers, but she has kept flower purchases to a minimum.
"We're buying almost all decorations at thrift stores, and I'm wearing my sister's wedding dress and my mom's veil," she said. "We told everyone they could wear whatever they wanted after hearing about people spending thousands of dollars on new outfits for weddings."
Other ideas for green weddings include using seed paper, which can be planted by recipients, and serving organic, seasonal, farm-to-table food, with leftovers donated.
Kat Warner, whose T. Warner Artists provides entertainment for weddings along the East Coast, offers options ranging from solar-powered lighting to full solar receptions. She also uses carbon offsets, donating to funds that support such things as reforestation and bird conservation.
Warner said couples are asking more questions, including "what various parts of their weddings can be recycled, composted or reused."
Greater Good Events, which bills itself as "event planners for those who give a damn," takes a holistic approach in Portland, Oregon, and the Tri-State region of New York. Waste in weddings isn't always tangible, said Maryam Mudrick, who bought the company with Justine Broughal in September.
"If you're working with vendors with bad labor practices that are not reinvesting in communities, you're creating some ancillary waste in that regard as well," Mudrick said.
One of their catering partners, Pinch Food Design, has a zero waste pledge, which includes designing menus to limit food waste, donating used cooking oil for biodiesel, and supporting sustainable and regenerative farming.
Florist Ingrid Carozzi of Tin Can Studios in Brooklyn cited other issues with floral arrangements beyond the use of non-biodegradable foam, such as bleaching and chemically dyeing flowers to achieve unnatural colors.
"It's terrible for the environment, and working with these materials isn't good for you," she said. "Some florists are working towards sustainable methods, doing everything they can. There's a real mix now."
Kate Winick and her fiance had a rule for their May 22 backyard wedding at a home in Northport, New York: If it's destined to get thrown out or be used only once, skip it or buy secondhand.
"I don't think living sustainably means you need a crunchy aesthetic," she said. "It just means using what is already in the world. The most sustainable purchase is something that already exists."
Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie


Please submit all required starting material (typically 5 µg of plasmid DNA) to GENEWIZ as soon as possible after initiating your order (if required). A detailed list of the required starting material is included in the "client" section of your gene synthesis quotation.
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