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Mass layoffs don't deter tech workers as they stick with sector, look to startups
TORONTO — When Mary Hailu learned she was being laid off from her executive assistant job at Toronto auto sales startup Clutch in June, all she could think about was her eight-year-old daughter. "I'm a single mom.
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press Nov 17, 2022 1:00 AM Nov 17, 2022 1:20 AM
Mary Hailu is shown in a handout photo. When Hailu was told she was being laid off from her executive assistant job at Toronto auto sales startup Clutch in June, all she could think about was her eight-year-old daughter. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO
TORONTO — When Mary Hailu learned she was being laid off from her executive assistant job at Toronto auto sales startup Clutch in June, all she could think about was her eight-year-old daughter.
"I'm a single mom. I'm the only income in my family, in my household," said Hailu, who quit a stable engineering job to join the tech sector in 2021.
"I was feeling very anxious, very worried about the future. I think I probably cried for two weeks and I still cry now, when I think about it."
Hailu's experience places her in a growing group of tech workers that have experienced a layoff this year as investor exuberance around the sector fades and companies re-examine payroll costs in preparation for a potential recession.
Despite the apparent downturn, tech workers like Hailu aren't fleeing the industry. A month after her layoff, Hailu was settling into a new role at a software startup.
"People in the tech industry are committed to the craft and they really are quite eager and quite motivated by what the industry has to offer," said Abdullah Snobar, executive director of the DMZ tech hub in Toronto.
"Although many are getting laid off, they're able to find new jobs quite quickly."
Several job boards show hundreds of tech openings at startups, big-name software companies and even banks, retailers and health care organizations even as Amazon.
A recent report from the Information and Communications Technology Council, a not-for-profit organization offering labour policy advice, predicted employment in the Canadian digital economy would reach 2.26 million by 2025, triggering demand for an additional 250,000 jobs.
But the near-term is offering many reasons for tech workers to be spooked.
Local startups — Clearco, Hootsuite and Wealthsimple — and global heavyweights — Meta, Twitter, Netflix, Microsoft, Oracle and Intel — have all made cuts in recent months.
Amazon.com Inc. began cuts this week that will reportedly slash 10,000 staff from its workforce, including several Canadians who announced their departures on LinkedIn.
Layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi has counted layoffs at 788 companies worldwide, resulting in at least 120,699 workers losing their jobs.
Several companies have also seen their valuations fall, which makes stock options less attractive, but workers are still sticking around.
Hailu's family recommended she look for work at a larger corporation, which they perceived to be more stable. Instead, she took a job with another startup because she felt she could make more of a difference at a smaller company.
"With larger corporations, it's difficult to make an impact. You don't always feel heard, sometimes you end up feeling like just a number," she said.
Tech culture is a big draw, Snobar agreed.
Tech companies offer splashy offices with foosball tables, free meals and even nap pods. Many treat workers to unlimited vacation, embrace flexible hours and foster more relaxed environments, where staff feel they can experiment.
"Sometimes in more traditional industries, you're told to think within the box," Snobar said. "There's too much bureaucracy and too much red tape and nobody wants to go back to that."
That's part of why Jermaine L. Murray, who was laid off from Toronto finance company Wealthsimple in July, is still focused on helping people find jobs at tech companies like Meta, TikTok, Shopify and Microsoft.
The radio-host-turned-recruiter took a job at the Toronto finance company because its leadership team supported diversity plans others might think were too bold.
"I said, 'My goal is to double the amount of Black people that work here. Are you going to get in my way or are you going to help me?'" he recalled.
"They said, 'tell us what we can do to help' and that's when I knew this is where I want to be."
He was later laid off, but it felt like "a breath of fresh air" because he realized he could build out Jupiter HR, his career coaching and recruitment business that places workers at tech companies including Wealthsimple.
It's common for tech workers to build companies during downturns, said Snobar. Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Uber and Airbnb all started during recessions and went on to be wildly successful.
Stella Alexandrova is hoping to repeat the pattern.
She got her "dream job" at Shopify Inc. in 2019, before COVID-19 lockdowns and a corresponding spike in e-commerce sales facilitated by the software giant soared.
Hiring was constant during that time and work was so "hectic" the growth lead was in "shock" a little over three years later, when she was laid off alongside some 1,000 colleagues.
"It was very sudden. We didn't even see it coming ... because I was so deep in my work," said Alexandrova, who lost her job in July.
"You kind of feel like this big part of your life is just over."
She logged off for the day to process the news that 13 per cent of the Ottawa company was out of work and as CEO Tobi Lutke admitted he had misjudged the growth of e-commerce.
Two days later, she decided to treat the cut as an opportunity. She started her own tech company, Mave, a trip planning app she long dreamt of building.
"I thought, 'I'm going to start running and then I'm not looking back,'" said Alexandrova.
"The layoffs were in the past and I was moving forward."
Companies in this story: (TSX: SHOP)
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
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Latin America at a glance: October 2017
In this section we provide you a wide overview of Latin American Economy, Politics and Business Opportunities in 2 minutes.
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October 6, 2017, Argentina's 150MW Ezeiza thermoelectric plant in Buenos Aires province has been officially opened. The facility, construction of which cost US$160mn, was opened by provincial governor María Eugenia Vidal, energy and mining minister Juan J. Aranguren, Buenos Aires' production minister Javier Tizado and local mayor Alejandro Granados The plant features two 50MW Siemens SGT-800 turbines and will have a third turbine added at a later date, boosting capacity by 50MW. It will help reduce electricity exchange between the area's high-tension lines and improve electricity supply to industrial and residential customers, feeding significant node demand, according to a government press release. The Ezeiza plant brings the number of new thermoelectric plants added to the national grid to 13, with an additional 1,522MW due to be added by December 31, with a total 3,080MW expected to be online by February 2018. Source: BNAmericas
September 21, 2017. After the earthquake in the Puebla region in Mexico, the Federal Humanitarian Aid has set up an operational management. It has submitted a number of assistance to the Mexican authorities, including the deployment of the Swiss rescue chain, which would cover 76 persons, 8 disaster dogs and 17 tonnes of material. The Mexican authorities began extensive search and rescue measures immediately after the earthquake. There is a need for support in the identification of buildings that are directly at risk of dripping. Many residents of Mexico City and the states of Puebla and Morelos can not return to their houses because of the risk of collapse. At the request of Mexico, the Federal Humanitarian Aid sends a team of civil engineers to the affected areas. They will assist the Mexican authorities in the identification of the public buildings and infrastructure (hospitals, schools, bridges) which are endangered. This is to prevent other people from losing their lives as a result of the earthquake. Source: EDA
October 5, 2017. Nearly 1,200 buildings in Mexico City are at risk of being demolished due to the effects caused by the earquake. The census of structural damage has so far registered a 94% advance, equivalent to 8,405 revised properties, of which 4,766 are listed in the "green category" and 1,446 in "yellow", while in "red", that is, at risk of demolition, are at least 1,193 constructions, the president said at a press conference on Thursday Miguel Ángel Mancera, head of government institutute. "We want to redo the (red category) ruling on real estate that we need to have in more detail," he said, adding that the government expects the final review to leave a maximum of between 800 and 1,000 properties in the alert category.e.Source: Expansion
October 5, 2017. OTTAWA, Canada-Mexico trade grew in August, while the trade balance remains favorable for Mexican products, according to figures released Thursday by the official Statistics Canada. Mexican exports to Canada increased 31.56 percent in the eighth month of the year, from US $ 1.847 billion in January to 2.430 million dollars, according to the report. Meanwhile, Canadian exports to Mexico grew 21.36% in the same period, from US $ 430.5 million in January to US $ 522.5 million in August. The trade balance with Canada remains favorable to Mexico with US $ 1.908bn in August, which was 34% more than in January, according to official figures. Source: Expansion
October 5. The Mexican peso with losses that took it to its lowest level in just over four months, due to a dollar advance after positive economic data published in the United States, and in the face of growing uncertainty about the future of renegotiations of NAFTA. In bank windows, the green ticket soared to 18.75 pesos on sale, that is 25 cents more expensive than in the previous closing, according to quotes from Citibanamex. The purchase was located at 17.95 pesos.Source: Expansion
One week for the most difficult of the NAFTA negotiations,
October 5th, SAN JUAN – The Hurricane Maria death increased to 34, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello announced. Residents are in desperate need of assistance. Almost all private homes and businesses are still without power and nearly half the island lacked access to water and sewage treatment. Sixty-five percent of grocery stores are currently in operation and less than one-fifth of Puerto Rico's cellular towers are working. Source: Santiago Times.
October 5, 2015. MOSCOW – Russia's President Vladimir Putin meet Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, at the Russian Energy Week forum, according to the Kremlin's press office on Tuesday. Faced with the unstoppable deterioration of the economic situation in Venezuela, its president has come to seek help in one of his most faithful allies. President Nicolas Maduro meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and discuss the possibility of a new debt restructuring in Caracas. "We see that Venezuela is going through a difficult time, but it gives the impression that you, in any case, could establish some contact with the political forces that oppose it," Putin said. According to estimates by Russian analysts, from 2006 to the summer of 2017, Russia has provided $ 17 billion in loans to Venezuela. Source: El Pais
During the one year of Presidential Period Mr. Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI has faced 15 minister resignations. The resignation of the Prime Minister, Fernando Zavala, who was also finance minister, along with the rest of the 19-member cabinet and Marilú Martens, the education minister. Mr Kuczynski's position may be stronger than it looks. Whit a more conservative new prime minister, Mercedes Aráoz. Most opposition parties, including Fuerza Popular, have welcomed Ms Aráoz and the new health and education ministers. GDP expanded by 2.4% in the year to the end of June. The government predicts growth of 4% next year, thanks partly to higher prices for copper, and the biggest export. It plans to increase spending next year by 10% without increasing tax rates. Such largesse tends to make voters happy. "Fresh air is blowing…through the world economy," declared Mr Kuczynski Source: The Economist
October 6, 2017, Sinohydro, a Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company, wins Peruvian waterways PPP concession . A consortium formed by Sinohydro and Construccion y Administracion SA of Peru has signed a concession contract with the Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communications for the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the Amazon Waterway (Hidrovia Amazonica) PPP project. Source: BNAmericas
September 28th, LIMA – A crude oil pipeline operated by Peru's state owned oil company Petroperu has became fully operational following repairs on a series of ruptures that had partially shuttered it for more than a year. The reopening of a final section of the 687 mile (1106 km) pipeline allows Petroperu to replace river and ground transportation that had been used as alternatives for moving crude from Amazonian oilfields to the Pacific Coast. Source: Santiago Times

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Flying trapeze book club for kids using The Girl Who Could Fly and an outing to the Trapeze School of New York! Book club for my 5th grader.
Celebrate Chinese New Year with an arts and crafts party for kids. Ideas include Chinese language games and crafts for kids.


Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, was written in 1923 by Jimmy Cox. The great Bessie Smith recorded it in 1929 and had a big hit. Not surprisingly, the song soon became associated with the great Wall St. crash of '29. It tells of a "riches to rags" reversal of fortune. So goes life, so goes the stock market. Things go up and down. Bessie Smith was talking about a woman being penniless and down and out. And it's a great truth: Nobody does know you when you're down and out. So, keep on the sunny side, my friends.
Everybody wants to be your long-lost friend.
He!He! You all certainly had a good time doing that!
True. But trying to get better keeps us oriented, keeps us going.
Yup. Cracking. We love to play it. Thanks.
Wonderful! I adore this song, all versions and Bessie Smith needs more recognition. You guys did a great rendition!
I agree 200%. I was listening to Bessie last week. She was just a great singer. Thanks for the compliment. We always sing this song. There's something about the mentality and feel of the old songs of the 20's and 30's that draws me in.
The old recordings are so soulful, scratches, recorded noise and all. I really love it.
I played some Janis Joplin for a person… 18 yrs. He was very curious, as he'd heard so much about her. I played a couple of cuts off of Big Brother and the Holding Company.
He covered his ears off and on. He said it sounded horrible, and didn't know what people were talking about.
Well, he had a point. Janis Joplin doesn't compare to Bessie Smith.
I love Bessie Smith – great stuff Bumba!!
Thanks. Yes, Bessie Smith was one of the greats of jazz, but she isn't marketed very heavily today. Eric Clapton's version is clearly the best known and it's quite good too. But the old greats were truly great.


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Q: Developer Console security Context: We have multiple Business Admins in different countries, who can only see records from their market in Salesforce. Now, we're considering giving these Business Admins access to the Developer Console by checking the API Enabled checkbox on their profile.
Question: Does enabling the Developer Console (by checking API Enabled) mean users can write Apex/queries that affects records they normally can't see in Salesforce?
Update: Just for future reference: It turned out that if you're a System Administrator and you login as another user, you still see the Developer Console in the menu. If you login as another user directly though, it's not there and Bradley's answer is where you should look for more information.

A: Enabling the Developer Console requires more than just "API Enabled".  See Using the Developer Console for all the permissions required.
One of them is "View All Data" so yes, it would give users access to view all data in the system. It doesn't require "Modify All Data" so there shouldn't be any issue with editing data they normally wouldn't be able to edit.

A: I agree with Bradley. It will take more than enabling API. When you say Business Admins in different countries cannot see data or only the data in their market wouldn't be easier to look at their roles ? It might be that you have some sharing rules which restrict that kind of access.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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What's it like to grow up with a parent who has a mental illness?
Radio National has recently broadcast a podcast series titled "Get Up Mum: A radio documentary about caring for a parent with a mental illness." The podcast tells the true story of Justin Heazlewood's experience of growing up with a mother with schizophrenia. Justin had a hobby of recording the voices of his family and friends on cassette tape. The podcast uses these recordings, and Justin's memoir to document one year in his life, as a 12-year old growing up in Tasmania.
Read more about Justin Heazlewood's story here.
Listen to "Get Up Mum: A radio documentary about caring for a parent with a mental illness"
Podcast: Befriending Your Nervous System
Coordinator of the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium, Deb Dana, has recently delivered a podcast titled "Befriending Your Nervous System" which explores using a…
What are the Interactions between Psychiatric Medications and Psychoactive Drugs?
The Queensland Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies (QNADA) has developed a series of resources that highlight the possible interactions between psychiatric medications and…
Is that a steroid in my supplement?
ABC Radio National's Background Briefing program has recently broadcast a series of stories on performance and image enhancing drugs. The series, titled "Is that a steroid in my…


This is the first time I've actually heard of this author but I'm going to be looking for his other work right away. This is an outstanding and inspiring memoir of the author in Gr. 8 & 9 Catholic school. Two pivotal years in his life when he learned who and what he was going to be. A fascinating and inspirational story of a teenager who becomes a cartoonist at the age of 15, yet it deals with all the normal highschool/teen realities: first date, starting high school, making new friends, losing old ones, teenage angst and getting a swelled head. Anyone who likes to draw or even doodle around will fall into this story and feel exhilarated. It made me feel excited for my children, that they can do anything if they are passionate about it. Jimmy is such a lovable character and his wit and humour is deadpan, I really didn't want the book to end. He's a kind, good-natured guy but just like anyone he can have a nasty side and at a certain point gets an ego that goes out of control making him a real person. There are a few author graphic memoirs out there now for teens but this is one of the most genuine I've come across. My 14yob enjoyed it very much as well.


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Voices from the travel industry: Of survival, support, and self-discovery
By Clara How, Dec 10, 2020
If there was one word that felt most commonly used in the dictionary of 2020 (that is, other than "unprecedented"), it was "pivot". When COVID-19 hit, businesses around the world came to a standstill. I saw companies dig their heels in to reinvent the wheel. Restaurants rolled out takeaway or delivery menus, stores turned to e-commerce, and everything that could go online did.
But what about the businesses that solely rely on travel and tourism? What of the people behind these businesses, whose reason for waking up everyday was hit by a seismic shift, seemingly overnight? For those long months of Circuit Breaker and Phase One, what was motivating them to get through the days and the uncertainty?
I could scarcely imagine, so I thought I would ask.
The answers surprised me. I had imagined tales of despair, frustration, and stress. The people you will read about did experience all that, but their stories are also proof that in times of crisis, human resilience surprises you. Women from an airline, the hotel industry, a travel agency, and an attraction in Sentosa take us behind the scenes of their 2020. Their stories are in turns emotional, practical, and give insight into what it means to push through, and survive.
This is Jenell Tan, who has been a flight attendant for over five years, but who has been facing inertia about her career path for a year. She reflects on how the uncertainty of 2020 sent her into limbo, but how it was also an awakening call. She still doesn't have all the answers, but that's okay.
Jenell shares about her travels, being a small business owner and more on her personal Dayre. You can find her at @jenelltan.
For much of this year, I was in denial.
I knew that there were other options for stewardesses, such as taking up temporary work. But I chose not to, because I kept wondering, "What if flights resume?" Perhaps that was my downfall; for so long, I was stuck in a rut. Strictly speaking, there were so many things I could have done to earn money, but I just didn't want to do them.
I have been flying for five and a half years, and I never expected to hold this job for that long. When I first started, it was so much fun and the money was good. But by the third or fourth year, I became aware that I wasn't living a normal life. I live month to month, depending on my roster. It's hard to maintain friendships and prioritise relationships when you don't even know when you'll be in town.
While we want to make our passengers feel connected to the service we offer, as a result, we do lose connections of our own.
I knew that something had to change, but there wasn't any urgency or push factor. Plus, as much as I complain, the lifestyle does have its benefits: I never had to bring work home, I get to travel, and once you are familiarised, the job is an easy one.
The pandemic burst this bubble. We kept seeing flights get cancelled, and at the beginning, it felt like a much-needed break. But during Circuit Breaker, I had so much time that I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't believe that this was now the life I was living.
Aside from my regular job, I'm also a fitness instructor and run my own activewear label called Trybe Active. Since I couldn't fly or teach, I poured everything that I had into my label. It did start to pay off, but ultimately, the looming cloud over my head was that I was digging into my savings. Without flights, I wouldn't have sufficient income.
On top of worrying about money, I also felt incredibly lonely. Even though I had a lot of emotional support from friends and family, I understood that everyone has their own life to lead, and jobs that they could do from home.
I was so used to returning to Singapore and having everyone carve out time to be there for me. But now, just because I have so much time doesn't mean that everyone else does.
I also felt so stifled by the endless speculation about the pandemic. It was all anyone talked about, whether it was friends, colleagues or on the news. When we did have flights, everyone wound up talking about how dire the situation was. It reached breaking point when I snapped at my boyfriend and told him not to talk about the news. I felt terrible, because throughout this, he has been such a trooper in his support of me. He was very patient in telling me that we would get through this time.
I finally reached the point where I had been struggling for so long that I was tired. It has always been part of my character to make decisions that are guided by what feels right, rather than what seemed logical. Eventually, I knew that even though it didn't feel instinctive, I had to move along and find practical solutions to my problems.
I had to ask myself: "Are you going to find other things to do? What are your plans if flights don't resume?"
I would say that I'm still crawling out of the trenches, and even though feelings of gratitude do not come easily, there are things that I am grateful for when I look back on this past year. I've realised that I need to save money, and that this job might not be forever. It was a personal step to acknowledge that I was struggling, and that things need to change. As for what, I'm still finding out.
This is Maria Singh, 39, the Director of Public Relations and Communications at Regent Singapore. A mother of two, Circuit Breaker was a precious time for her to spend with her family at home, but it was also a time where she was buoyed by the strength of her work family. She tells us why in hospitality, the spirit of serving manifests itself in helping those who are standing alongside you.
The first time I entered the hotel lobby during Circuit Breaker to pick up deliveries, it was very sobering.
At that time, we hadn't been appointed as a Stay Home Notice facility yet, so the once buzzing lobby had become an empty shell.
Usually, our lobby is a hive of activity. People would be checking in and out, having tea in our tea lounge, or getting treats from our Italian gourmet bakery. There was always an energy about the place. But during Circuit Breaker, the only thing that was left open was the bakery, and even then, only for takeaways. When I was working at home, there was still a sense of normalcy because there were always things to do in the house, but seeing the hotel as quiet as it was really hit home.
It was a chaotic time both at work and at home. I treasured all the time I was able to spend with my children, but I was also facing the stress of having to cope with a pay cut, and my husband being out of his job as an early childhood teacher for six months. We also had to deal with the emotional difficulties of my father-in-law taking ill and my dog passing away.
It was a little scary to see our savings decline, but there were several things that helped to tide us over. My husband received government grants, and we had saved a large sum of money for two year-end family holidays which we could now use. Groceries wound up being the only thing we were spending on.
In my four years of working in the hotel industry (with two years at my current role), this was the first time that I had felt so shaken. Ironically, I had made the career transition from media to hospitality because I figured that this industry would be a more stable one.
But what I realised and liked about this industry, and what also saw me through this year, was the family aspect of working in hospitality. A hotel is made up of all these different arms that need to come together. There's no such thing as working in silos, because everyone works together to communicate a story to our guests.
When the pandemic hit, that spirit of service doesn't go away just because we no longer have guests. Instead, we served our colleagues. It was a huge help in terms of morale.
Take our pastry team. Overnight, they were swamped in the Circuit Breaker period, because everyone was ordering deliveries and takeaways. They were a two-man operation providing all the baked goods for the hotel, and they were calling for volunteers across departments to help share the load. So even though many of us had no culinary experience, we were all encouraged to take a shift to help them. I took up two graveyard shifts (from midnight to 9am), and the bakers were so appreciative that they tried to make it fun for us newcomers, such as cooking us breakfast.
Nothing was mandated — everyone volunteered because it felt like the natural thing to do. When weddings eventually resumed, we also chipped in to help with banquet duty to save money on hiring external labour. This was what was keeping the hotel going, and it felt like our responsibility to help.
I can't speak for all the members of the team, but when we were appointed as a SHN facility, it gave some normalcy to the whole situation and we were happy to resume operations. Even though the guests we now have might not have a choice in staying with us, we still want to make their stay special. We look out on social media for guests' feedback, and if they have a special request or someone has a birthday, we try to comply or send a cake. We can no longer offer a full service like turning down the room or housekeeping, so it's particularly uplifting when guests still leave us heartfelt notes of appreciation.
Today, the lobby is back to being more lively: there are people who have started coming in for afternoon tea, or to work from our lobby. There is a giant Christmas tree and a gingerbread house display. We take comfort in that our restaurants are still open, and our rooms are still running. To see it evolve from the empty shell to what it is now really feels like we have come a long way, and see that our work is always reflective of the times.
I believe that the most important lesson one can have is to always try to look at things with positivity. We have survived pandemics before, and I do feel confident that this too, will come to an end. We may not know when, but I'm positive that it will. Till then, it's about holding out, and keeping faith.
This is Zelia Leong, 29, co-founder of online travel booking service Anywhr. Prior to the pandemic, their product focused on combining technology with trip planning and curation.
To the public, it may have seemed like travel companies would have empty days with no customers to attend to. But Zelia and her team kept themselves busy. She tells us that when the going gets tough, you just need to find a solution — even if the solution is setting aside what you created.
When the pandemic hit, there were people who told me to find other jobs.
They suggested that we send our business into hibernation until travel was able to resume.
But I believe that if you hibernate, you lose motivation and traction — it felt like we would be giving up, and we didn't want to take that option.
When the news broke that our borders would be shut, the first thought that came into our mind was our customers: I knew that we would have to salvage all the trips that we had planned for them. My next thought was: what next? What can we do to ensure that this business survives?
Like everyone else, we began to work from home. Fortunately, our office lease was ending, so it was an easy decision to discontinue and save on rent. The team and I gathered to have lunch, and together, we cleared out our office. It was sad to leave a place with all our memories, but I knew that for Anywhr to survive, we would have to be practical, and find solutions.
Prior to the pandemic, we were organising several hundred trips a month for travellers. All of those trips and income ceased once the travel industry closed its doors. We were lucky to have investors and receive government aid, and we became very prudent in spending (like cutting down on extra manpower such as freelancers). The grants also meant that none of our full-time Singaporean staff received pay cuts. But we were, and still are, burning through reserves.
Our product involves using technology to help people plan their vacations, and like any tech product, it needs to be used. But now with no one to try the product, it felt like we were stuck.
That's when I realised: no matter how amazing my product is, if there's no one to test it, we can't move forward. That was probably the lowest moment for me.
But it showed me that it was time to look towards other things, and in the meantime, make sure the product can still be used again in the future.
It's surprising, but the first few months of Circuit Breaker turned out to be our most productive. We helped travellers salvage their trips or get refunds, researched the current climate to find possible solutions, and our writers continued creating social media content about things to look forward to once the travel ban was lifted, to keep our audience inspired.
But what we also started doing was to run experiments that were both within and outside the realm of travel. We began working with major airlines and corporates to plan projects, and clinched partnerships (some of which I cannot divulge yet!). During Circuit Breaker, we created Keep Singapore United gift boxes consisting of products from local businesses (such as tea from a tea room). We also created Daycations where we organised a day out for customers, which was very popular but ceased because it didn't make a lot of financial sense in the long run.
While we are still known for being a travel company, in my head, I think of us now as just a start-up, with no label attached. The way I see it is: if travel resumes, we can definitely go back to what we were good at, which was trip planning. But if travel doesn't resume in a year or so, this is where these little experiments will come into play. My team and I constantly brainstorm and discuss ideas about what we could potentially pivot to.
Nothing is confirmed, but if we don't fixate on trying to make things happen in an industry that isn't going anywhere, it frees us to consider other options.
Right now, we are just taking things as they come right. I'm very proud of my team, because despite having to go through shock and sadness, we were able to look ahead and move on. There is always constant stress that comes with leadership, and I did my best to ask the team how they were feeling, to have honest conversations and to celebrate any small wins together. We have hustled and pulled through, and I count myself very lucky to have them with me.
This is Hidatasya Zailani, 24, a full-time member of the Skyline Luge Operation Crew at Sentosa. Hers is a job that is impossible to be carried out from home, but that's what she loves about it. She tells us what it's like to work with thousands of people a day, and to have that suddenly be taken away.
I remember tuning into the live telecast when Circuit Breaker was announced, even though my colleagues and I were still at work.
For some time now, we had been anxious, and hearing the Prime Minister's words devastated us. We thought: "Given our job, what can we do now?"
I've been working for the Luge at Sentosa for six to seven years, and I love my job. A typical work day can last for seven hours, and on average, we run 6,000 rides a day. That's a lot of people to meet, but that's what I like about what I do.
I've alway been adventurous, and I've even gone to Indonesia for an Outward Bound camp! Being deskbound is not for me. What I get from my current job is the ability to meet people from all around the world. Even though we have to constantly explain safety precautions, it doesn't feel boring because everyone's reactions are so different. I've even heard children cry out that there's a crocodile on the tracks (it was a monitor lizard), or mistake a peacock for an ostrich! No day is the same.
So to have all of that taken away during the Circuit Breaker and Phase One period was extremely difficult. I thrive on human interaction and the outdoors, but for those three months I could only talk to my family, and find excuses to go to the supermarket for some sunshine.
Because this is a job that is impossible to work from home, I was the only member of my family who was not working. I was so used to talking to people and tried to get the same interaction with my family, but they were all engaged in back to back virtual meetings. It left me feeling extremely lonely.
I would try to talk to my mum, but she was so busy that I felt like I couldn't catch her attention. Even though I told myself that it was okay, there were times when I would go into my room and tear up.
But it's not in my nature to sit and do nothing, so I found several ways to keep me going. I organised online games with friends. I kept track of the news everyday, and sent updates about vaccines to friends and family. Knowing that scientists were doing something about the situation gave me hope that this would not be permanent.
I'm also a curious person, and would always be asking guests questions, especially about their languages — I am able to give safety briefings in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and Turkish! The desire to learn never went away, so I downloaded apps to learn Korean and Hindi so I could prepare myself when operations resumed.
Some of my friends considered looking for other jobs, such as working as a packer in a warehouse. But it wasn't for me, because I had been given the reassurance by my boss that my job was secure, and counted myself very lucky. My mum also wanted me to stay home, and minimise contact with people.
Once we settled into routines, the time at home became precious. Because of my working hours, I was always the first to leave my house and the last to come home, didn't often have meals with my family. Circuit Breaker gave us this time to bond, and we were also able to break fast together every day during Ramadan. It warmed my heart, and did help me cope.
I was excited to be able to return to work, though after such a long time without the scale of human interaction I was used to, I was nervous. But I got back into it, and now I have to say that my days at Sentosa are largely similar to pre-pandemic times — just without the language barrier! People still ask the same questions of where the best restaurants are, and whether anyone has died while riding the Luge (of course not!). My enjoyment of the job has not been affected, and I'm still very happy to be able to provide this service.
Photos provided by Zelia, Hidatasya, Jenell and Maria.
My name is Clara, and you can find me at @clarahow on the Dayre app. On my personal account, I've written about adjusting to life alone with my mother during the Circuit Breaker period, travels of what feels like yesteryear, and how I've been hit hard by year-end blues (and I'm sure I'm not alone).
Join me and 15,000 other women on Dayre who share the big and small moments of their life with a supportive community. We write about travelling: our bucket lists, our travel hacks, our recommendations. This year, we write about daycations, activities out with friends and family, and being homebodies.
Dayre is a safe and inclusive space for women to have Real Girl Talk. To join the conversation and find out more, download the Dayre app at www.dayre.me/download and start your one-month free trial, which you can cancel anytime.
Otherwise, check in on Dayre Stories every week. It is an initiative to spotlight women with incredible stories — some are inspiring, some are calls for change, and some offer new, interesting perspectives.


Smoke Shisha without ANY water?
This guy uploads a lot of nice shisha experiments.
Here¬† he has added ONLY very large ice cubes to the glass bowl… and gets great¬† freezing smoke, but no hubbly-bubbly noise.
DO NOT do this. The fool has put dry ice in his  mouth and blows out smoke.
worse some people I  know have put dry ice in thir water shisha bowl. I've read that its dangerous.
Now, this is safe! I've done it.Adding salt to crushed ice. I've also mixed salt or sometimes baking soda to the water and put in the freezer. The  salt will keep the salt from freezing 100% in the freezer, but the smoke is colder and the smoke is much thicker.
Only a college student would do this!!
Ice and salt on his back! His friend spelled the letters "a S S " on his back! Cold stuff and it burns.


picked this up used and rehabbed it for my son. was used as a downhill bike by a 65 yr old woman!!!!! left over titec seatpost and black tomato top cap up for sale if anyone can use them. GREAT site!!!!
Awesome looking bike with a cool story behind it, plus major cool dad points. Out of curiosity, is that a 15" or 17" frame?
Your son is a lucky guy to have that killer bike.


text:
Sr Director, Procurement Operations
Cambridge, MA, USA
Full-Time Transportation
At Biogen, our mission is clear: we are pioneers in neuroscience. Biogen discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. One of the world's first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 and today has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first and only approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, and is focused on advancing neuroscience research programs in Alzheimer's disease and dementia, MS and neuroimmunology, movement disorders, neuromuscular disorders, acute neurology, neurocognitive disorders, pain, and ophthalmology. Biogen also manufactures and commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics.
Global Business Services and Business Optimization
The Global Business Services (GBS) and Business Optimization team is a newly formed organization established to transform Biogen's business processes with a vision of "Lean and Simple" operations to fuel commercial growth and the innovation pipeline. Further, GBS will provide further value by developing and delivering a suite of business solutions and support services that are valued by internal customers. GBS will deliver services by leveraging a global delivery model, operational transparency and metrics, leveraging global best practices, and a service-oriented process improvement culture. All solutions will be supported by strong business cases and ultimately monitored for the effectiveness and efficiency against benchmarks and service level agreements.
The vision of GBS at Biogen is to be recognized as a world-class Global Business Services organization driven by the desire for excellence in its people, business solutions, execution and partnerships with internal customers to develop "Lean and Simple" business solutions.
The Senior Director, Procurement Operations, will provide leadership to procurement operations group which includes the Sourcing Center of Excellence (COE) teams - Data & Analytics, Contracting, Buying Desk, Catalog Mgmt., Supplier Enablement, Technology requirements, and maintain process ownership of Source-to-Pay processes - Buying Channel, Supplier Relationship Mgmt., Category Mgmt., Stakeholder Mgmt., Supplier Risk & Compliance, Acquisition & Divestiture, Training & Resource mgmt, annual Long Range Plan (strategic plan)/Annual Operating Plan (budgeting process) and other processes while maintaining Governance & Policy to support global Procurement function. This leader will partner effectively with other procurement leaders and business partners (customers) to understand their needs, collaborate with GBS leaders to drive continuous improvement.
* Understand the annual business plans and needs, and overall procurement goals and objectives, and to translate it into operational plan for procurement operations group
* Provide strategic direction and overall leadership to the COEs, provide leadership and support procurement processes and maintain governance and policy for the function.
o COEs - Data & Analytics, Contracting, Supplier Diversity, Buying Desk, Catalog Mgmt, Supplier Enablement, Technology requirements and others. Provide leadership to develop and sustain the COEs. Establish strong COE performance to support well-functioning procurement function and GBS for the benefit of Biogen. This includes appropriate metric, scorecards and other performance measures to drive rigor and discipline for high performance across each COE. Manage procurement systems, maximize value of data, insights, reporting and propose and implement improvements where possible. Further mature the Supplier Diversity program to drive differentiated value for Biogen.
o Procurement Processes - Buying Channels, Supplier Relationship Mgmt., Category Mgmt., Stakeholder Mgmt., Supplier Risk & Compliance, Acquisition & Divestiture, Training & Resource mgmt, annual Long-Range Plan (strategic plan)/Annual Operating Plan (budgeting process). Provide leadership and maintain procurement processes for its validity and effectiveness. Ensure these process are understood and adhered to by the procurement community as they execute the processes. Provide thought leadership for Training & Resource mgmt for procurement to support skills and competencies enhancement. Team-up with the CPO and the category managers/leaders to maintain and keep current savings pipeline view across all categories and connect it to the annual planning processes (LRP/AOP). Ensure desktop procedures and training materials are kept current and deployed throughout the year.
o Governance & Policy - Supports execution of business plans and contributes to the development of functional strategy, governance and procurement policies
* Set goals and objectives that lead to increasing levels of delivery and maturity for the operations team by supporting and executing procurement goals and strategy
* Continuous Improvement: Partner with senior stakeholders to facilitate, prioritize and execute CI projects, drive efforts to reduce service errors, increase efficiency, mature our controls environment, and reduce operational risk.
* Builds and maintains relationships throughout the organization
The ideal candidate for the Senior Director, Procurement Operations will have the following experiences:
* Minimum 15 yrs relevant experience, including 5-7 yrs experience in management/leadership position performing operations and/or sourcing work in a procurement function.
* Business acumen - Applies broad industry knowledge and commercial awareness to drive operational performance of the group. Demonstrated ability of strong executive presence and influencing ability to shape intended outcome
* Leadership - Leads through subordinate managers; contributes to the development of functional/operational long-term strategy and develops annual business plans to ensure alignment. Ability to lead, motivate and coach direct reports. Experience and/or passion to build a progressive operations function
* Problem solving - Directs the resolution of highly complex problems looking beyond existing methodologies and own discipline to define and resolve complex problems. Ability to prioritize complex, competing initiatives - excellence in multi-tasking, problem solving and critical thinking
* Impact - Guided by the business plans, impacts procurement results by deploying best practices and developing building business case(s) for funding for technologies, skills and competencies
* Communication - Excellent verbal and written communication skills demonstrated by solid executive presence, the ability to operate in the details or at executive level, and the ability to communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences
* Strong interpersonal skills - Ability to work collaboratively with others from any functional area or background, to influence thinking, and gain acceptance of others. Ability to work with and through all levels in an organization
* Self-motivated and capable of operating independently with limited oversight. Strong sense of personal accountability for work tasks
* Demonstrated experience in global shared services and/or global business services environment with a track record of operational delivery with high degree of customer-focus
* Proven ability to create solid project plans and to manage full lifecycle of project execution with rigor and disciple around deliverable creation and deliverable quality
* Comfortable dealing with ambiguity in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
* Operate as a both strategic thinker and detail-oriented operational management
* Familiarity with business intelligence platforms and database tools
BS/BA or University degree is required. MBA or advanced degree in Supply Chain Mgmt. or Operations is highly preferred.
The Senior Director, Procurement Operations, will provide leadership to procurement operations group which includes the Sourcing Center of Excellence (COE) teams - Data & Analytics, Contracting, Buying Desk, Catalog Mgmt., Supplier Enablement, Technology requirements, and maintain process ownership of Source-to-Pay processes - Buying Channel, Supplier Relationship Mgmt., Category Mgmt., Stakeholder Mgmt., Supplier Risk & Complaince, Acquisiton & Divestiture, Training & Resource mgmt, annual Long Range Plan (strategic plan)/Annual Operating Plan (budgeting process) and other processes while maintaining Governance & Policy to support global Procurement function.


Far more complicated even than floaters are the mortgage-backed securities issued by federal agencies such as Ginnie Mae and by some government-sponsored enterprises, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Mortgage-backed securities— the vast majority of which are issued by agencies — are very different than most other bonds. They do not offer as consistent and predictable a stream of interest income as do most bonds.
Most mortgage-backed securities issue monthly payments. The amount of principal you get back on a monthly basis is determined largely by the rate at which mortgage-holders pay off their debt.
If interest rates drop and thousands of the mortgage holders decide suddenly to prepay their existing mortgages (in order to refinance), you may get back your principal much faster than you had anticipated. In a sense, a mortgage-backed security has the same back-at-ya risk as a callable bond.
You don't need to invest the $25,000 minimum required by Ginnie Mae to invest in mortgage-back securities. You can get a Freddie Mac for as little as $1,000. But should you?
David Lambert, a financial planning professional who is the founding partner of Artisan Wealth Management, based in Lebanon, New Jersey, doesn't think so. Lambert was formerly the head trader at the agency-bond desk for a major Wall Street firm.
Instead, says Lambert, if you want to invest in mortgage-backed securities, do so by investing in, say, a good mortgage-backed security fund. "There are plenty of good ones out there — both mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. I'd look to a solid company like Vanguard, Fidelity, iShares or PIMCO," he says.


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Lotus is stepping into the past for the names for its upcoming foursome of sports cars – planned for launch from 2014. The move into the price stratosphere mirrors Colin Chapman's plans for the range back in the early '70s, which brought us the good-looking Elite, Eclat and Esprit, so it's only fitting that two of the new cars are named after their distant ancestors.
Elise: A new 296bhp sports car conceived to battle the Audi TT-S/TT-RS and the Porsche Cayman. The car retains the mid-engined layout of the current Elise, but will cost well over £30,000.
Elan: The Elise's bigger brother is a V6-powered Porsche 911 rival, also mid-engined, and available in coupe and convertible forms. Expect prices to start at £70,000.
Esprit: We knew this one was coming thanks to Lotus' sneak preview publicity campaign but, given that it will be powered by the Lexus IS-F engine and will reach a claimed 200mph, it's far faster than we thought it would be. Expect it to go head to head with the Lamborghini Gallardo and McLaren MP4-12C.
Elite: Previously unveiled as the hybrid-assisted £130,000 Aston Martin V8 Vantage rival.
Eterne: A genuine four-door surprise and one that is hoped to steal sales from the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera.
The two big questions that remain unanswered are whether Lotus can carry these cars into production and whether the name is sufficiently strong for buyers to consider one of these Hethel-built cars instead of the more traditional options from the grandee manufacturers.
However, if the company's sporting heritage can be emphasised in the coming years and its growing Motor Racing presence makes advances, Lotus may well be strong enough to scalp a few high profile players.
They all look amazing. I didn't realise that Lotus were still in business! Great news – let's hope they actually get built.
The new Elan and Elise look odd as the style does not translate well.
They look good but don't they have a small resemblance to Lambos?
All very promising, although I, for one, hoped that the Esprit would have had visual styling cues from the previous generation Esprit models.
The Lotus name has a long way to go to be taken seriously alongside marques such as Audi and Porsche, not to mention Aston Martin and Lamborghini. High levels of quality, finish and customer service are absolutely essential if Lotus wishes to get anywhere near these aspirations.
I agree – I'd love to see some references to the Lotus of old somewhere. However, having said that, they are beautiful cars, and I hope they do crack the Ferrari/Lambo market!
Launching, what is it four or five models, in such a short period is going to be a gargantuan task and for a relatively small company like Lotus. I have some serious doubts they can pull this off successfully. Look at TVR as a comparison – they did, indeed, launch many models in a short time frame but their relative reliability went to pot at the same time.
Lotus need to team up with a serious bunch of professionals if they are to have any chance of enhancing their image and continuing to be a viable proposition.
One side effect of launching so many models in such a short period, in my humble opinion, is that they are, in the main, too much alike. I hope and suspect the model launches will be stretched out and the designs changed somewhat before final launch.
Nevertheless, it looks like it is going to be a really exciting period for Lotus.
Wow! That's ambitious. I can't help but feel that Lotus have set the bar very high for themselves.
I hope the plan works out but reckon that it raises three key questions. First, where's all the money going to come from to develop and bring these cars to market? Second, if they manage to bring even one or two cars into production, will the build quality be high enough to justify their expected price tag?
My third question is that, in moving a car as successful as the Elise has been upmarket, will they lose a lot of their loyal following? Perhaps a new "affordable" Lotus should be part of the plan too.
I'm 50:50 on the Elise styling (though sure it will grow on me in time) but can't see it ducking under 1000kg which is too heavy for an Elise IMO.
Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious… Someone in Norfolk has been sniffing the resin, but good luck to them there people in 'Naaaaaaaaaaaarfolk'. They may be funded by the Malaysians but, come on, Lambo were bailed out by Ze Germans.
They all look amazing, especially the Elan, such gorgeously crisp styling. Superb – I hope they do well!!
Unfortunately, they'll be built like all Lotuses – promising and disappointing in equal measures.
I've tried time and again to pluck up the courage to buy an Esprit but, however much my heart ached, my head (quite rightly!) overruled!
This is not only extremely ambitious for Lotus but, as I posted on my website (http://carsincontext.us/wpblog/index.php/2010/10/05/in-context-the-new-lotus/), it moves the company into direct competition with stronger, better established competitors. Legislation is moving the market toward Lotus and it is running away. However, what is increasingly apparent, is that there are some very large rifts appearing.
First, the company will not be using a Toyota four-cylinder engine for the new Elise. My guess is that:- 1) the Petronas inline engine may finally find a home under the Elise's hood, or 2) Lotus has created a version of Proton's small four for use in this car and 3) Toyota will no longer support Lotus beyond the Camry V6 (Evora, Elan) and the Lexus IS-F V8 (just about everything else). I say this because initial plans for the Esprit included a supercharged V6 entry-level model and a low-volume, high-performance range-topper powered by the LF-A's V10. Toyota has nothing to lose by allowing Lotus use of the V8 as it increases production of that low-volume unit enough to improve its profitability, give Toyota room to create a more powerful version that can lunch off Lotus work and provides a "halo" for the motor.
Second, the battle over the Team Lotus name is a continuation of the fight between CEO Dany Behar and Tony Fernandes. TF wanted a Malaysian F1 team, seized upon the fact that Lotus was Malay-owned, and made the first move. With the former Malaysian Prime Minister on his team, he had little trouble getting the remit to use the Lotus name. Over time, his professionalism and care for the Lotus heritage won over many doubters including, so my sources tell me, the Chapman family who admire what Fernandes has done and plans to do.
Behar and Group Lotus, on the other hand, wanted Team Lotus to be in-house – their recent pronouncements about support for ART Grand Prix, run by FIA president Jean Todt's son Nicholas, suggests they will be in F1 soon.
Legally, if memory serves, Fernandes has the stronger case. David Hunt owned the Team Lotus name, having bought the rights which previously were owned by the Chapman family. Group Lotus never held claim to the team name. I suspect we will see an "arrangement" negotiated between Group Lotus and Fernandes eventually, with the latter losing the battle in exchange for new air routes or other enticements for his airline.
All these recent developments only strengthen my belief that Lotus eventually will be for sale. Investment bankers were at Paris to see the unveiling of the new cars as part of a dog-and-pony show designed to get them to invest in Proton's and Bahar's grand scheme. Proton claimed it had two choices, either to fire sale Lotus or build it up, but a third is very real and unspoken. It has the opportunity to increase the investment in the company in an effort to make it look stronger and more stable than ever before, while preparing to drastically reduce or eliminate its stake in the firm. That may be what is happening now.
During my years as Communications Director for Lotus in the U.S. (1996-2000), I watched as the company lurched from crisis to crisis, making one bad decision after another, all supported by the Malaysians on the ground in Hethel. The Elise was prevented from coming to the U.S. for many years, despite the efforts of men like Roger Becker to find innovative ways to sell the car in North America, even to the point of establishing a satellite production facility in partnership with others. Stonewalling by management saw the U.S. Elise morph from a $30,000 version of the original to the Monaco and Monza projects and nearly die on the vine.
Only Becker's determination forced Lotus to act. With the help of Lotus Cars USA CEO Arnie Johnson, Becker secured a Toyota Celica GT, had it shipped to Hethel, stripped the engine out and placed it in a development hack, all to prove that his scheme – backed by dear friends of his at Toyota – would work. Without Becker's intestinal fortitude, the Elise and Exige never would have made it to these shores and the Evora never would have followed.
I don't know how truly "expert" I am, but I am passionate – perhaps too much so. The development story might be a bit tough as the main protagonist has gone into radio silence… and I know just enough to be dangerous!


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By Janet Gray on March 22, 2016
What the budget means for seniors
A closer look at changes to OAS, GIS and spending on seniors housing
[brightcove video_id="6023924988001″ account_id="6015698167001″ player_id="lYro6suIR"]
For the first time in Canadian history, there are more seniors over the age of 65 than there are children under the age of 15. What this means is that, over time, there will be fewer Canadians working to support the overall population. Seniors issues are only going to grow in importance.
With that in mind, let's dig into what happened in this budget related to seniors. Some of it we already knew, some of it adds up to real change and some omissions are worth noting.
Live chat: Have questions? Tune in to our live chat & our experts will answer
The OAS reversal
As already announced, the eligibility ages of the Old Age Security program will be restored. Budget 2016 proposes to cancel the provisions in the Old Age Security Act that would have increased the age of eligibility for OAS and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits from 65 to 67 and Allowance benefits from 60 to 62 over the 2023 to 2029 period.
Restoring the eligibility age for OAS and GIS benefits to 65 will put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of Canadians as they become seniors. These benefits are an important part of the retirement income of Canadians, particularly for lower-income seniors.
Vulnerable seniors depend on this support, and without it, face a much higher risk of living in poverty.
This announcement by the government is basically undoing something that wasn't due to happen until 2023. The former government put it in place and the current government took it away. Aside from adding some bureaucratic paperwork, no one was impacted by this, although it was certainly hanging over the heads of investors and their planners. Most of them will be thrilled by this reversal, even if they have to amend their financial plans to reflect this.
Guaranteed Income Supplement
In Canada, the retirement income system has been successful in reducing the incidence of poverty among Canadian seniors due mainly to Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and OAS. However, of those who do struggle to make ends meet in retirement, single seniors are hardest hit. They are nearly three times more likely to live in low income than seniors generally. For that reason, the federal budget offers an increase to the GIS.
The federal budget promises to top up this monthly non-taxable benefit for low-income OAS recipients, by up to $947 annually, improving the financial security of about 900,000 seniors across Canada. It doubles the current maximum GIS top-up and represents a 10% increase in the total GIS benefits available to the lowest-income single seniors. A few other key facts about the supplement increase:
It represents an investment of over $670 million per year
The graduated benefits are based on income threshold of $4,600
The benefits will be phased out at income of $8,400 or more
Going forward, they will be calculated based on individual (not combined) incomes
That last point is especially meaningful to senior couples who have to live apart for reasons beyond their control and who will see an even greater increase in their GIS benefits. This enhancement will help to defer the higher costs of living of maintaining two residences and reduce the risk of increased poverty.
This proposed increase supports those seniors who rely almost exclusively on OAS and GIS benefits and may therefore be at risk of experiencing financial difficulties. It allows low-income single seniors more freedom of choice with their finances, while knowing they will receive a guaranteed monthly benefit that will increase with inflation over time.
However, Statistics Canada has indicated that the Low Income Measure (LIM) for a single senior is $22,000 per year so there is still more work to be done on this in order to bring these 900,000 low income seniors to a reasonable, liveable income.
Here are a few scenarios that illustrate the impact of the changes:
Lynn is a 74-year-old resident of Montréal, Quebec, who lives alone. With no income apart from OAS and GIS benefits, she struggles to make ends meet. The increase in the GIS top-up benefit for single seniors proposed in Budget 2016 will provide Lynn with an additional $947 per year.
Charles is a 68-year-old widower residing in Edmonton, Alberta. Charles receives annual CPP benefits of $5,000 along with OAS and GIS benefits. The increase in the GIS top-up benefit for single seniors proposed in Budget 2016 will provide Charles with an additional $848 per year.
Heather and David have been married for 40 years. David, age 77, receives annual CPP benefits of $3,000 and OAS and GIS benefits of over $12,500. Heather, age 62, has annual earnings from her part-time job of $6,000 and receives over $5,800 in Allowance benefits. Taken together, the OAS program provides Heather and David with over $18,300 in annual income support. David requires long-term care and Heather and David must live apart. Budget 2016 proposes to allow David and Heather to receive their GIS and Allowance benefits based on their individual incomes, recognizing the higher costs of living that Heather and David would face living apart. As a result of the proposed change, David would receive over $14,300 in OAS and GIS benefits. Heather would receive about $8,300 in Allowance benefits. Taken together, the OAS program would provide annual income support of about $22,600, an increase of more than $4,000 from current levels.
Affordable housing for seniors
Canada's senior population is growing, and many seniors now find it difficult to afford housing that is suitable, or that allows them to easily stay in their homes as long as possible.
Budget 2016 proposes to provide $200.7 million over two years, starting in 2016–17, to support the construction, repair and adaption of affordable housing for seniors. While funding will be provided under the Investment in Affordable Housing initiative, provinces and territories will not be required to cost-match these investments. This investment is expected to help improve housing conditions for more than 5,000 low-income senior households.
This initiative helps seniors to age at home which is exactly what the majority of seniors prefer but with many seniors still living in the own homes, this program will need to be more fulsome and last longer than two years to offset the impending lack of affordable and accessible housing for this demographic. The provinces and territories will need to step up with their investments to augment this new federal funding.
Seniors will also be interested to know that there are commitments to improve client services at the Canada Revenue Agency. The CRA will reduce their telephone wait times, new and more easily understood correspondence, and more liaison with local volunteer groups that provide help to low income Canadians with their tax returns. This is a welcome announcement from the CRA.
What's missing from the budget?
Seniors' groups have been asking for a national pharmacare program to ensure cross-Canada price equity and availability, extended compassionate leave and a national caregivers program, as well as a national home care strategy to allow seniors to age with dignity in their homes. So, while we're a little further down the path–there is more room to go.
Clifford lavigne says:
What happen to the 10 % increase for seniors over 75
There should be something in the Federal budget for senior with health problems such as diabetic ,Asthma, etc
These heath problems should be included in the budget
Gord brown says:
What is happening with the 10 % increase for seniors over 75 promised in the last budget?
Alena and Fred Ruta says:
I think seniors were forgotten completely during this pandemic. Only the increase in food prices will eat any small increase we might get. How can anyone justify that two people have to live on 22 000 a year? Old people need dental care and vision care, and we cannot even dream about hearing aids. We can hardly take care of our teeth while living on 30 000 a year. I realize that children are important, but someone forgot about people at the end of their lives, people who worked all life and today they have to struggles just to eat. How long time ago was the OAS established? Did it ever increased, adjusted for inflation?
Margaret Lambert says:
What about single women, age 74, who have to live with their child because she cannot afford housing?
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Three arrested in suspected murder of teenager in Ramle
A police source said the circumstances of the case are under investigation and said that police "do not yet have a clear picture" of the case.
By ELIYAHU KAMISHER
Photo of the scene outside the apartment in Ramle, where an a 17-year-old woman was found dead on Tuesday.
(photo credit: COURTESY MDA)
Police arrested three family members of a 17-year-old woman who was found dead with signs of violence on her body in a Ramle apartment on Tuesday.
A police source said the circumstances of the case are under investigation and said that police "do not yet have a clear picture" of the case." A gag order was issued on every detail of the investigation by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
Magen David Adom paramedics responded to a report of a wounded woman in the central Israeli town at 11:50 a.m. and found the victim, Henritte Kara, with signs of violence on her upper body. "When we arrived we entered the home where we saw a young woman of about 20 who was unconscious and with no pulse or breathing, she had signs of violence on her upper body," MDA paramedic Yosef Ismail said, "We performed medical examinations but she did not have any signs of life and we determined her death at the scene."
According to Hebrew media reports, the killing came a day after the victim graduated from high school. The victim is reportedly related to newly appointed Supreme Court judge George Kara, who heard about the killing while attending a swearing in ceremony on Tuesday.
Following the incident, Joint List MK Aida Touma-Sliman, who chairs the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, said "apparently women's lives are abandoned in this country" and called for the adoption of an action plan that was formulated six months ago to combat violence against women.
"A woman was found dead in Ramle, with stab wounds on her body. This is the second woman murdered today, and the 13th woman who lost her life since the beginning of 2017," said Joint List MK Dov Khenin, who called for a national program to reduce violence against women.
The killing follows a string of murders of women in the past few months, including the suspected murder of Maya Goren, 41, in Bat Yam Saturday night. Goren's husband was arrested and told police that he killed his wife. In late April and early March three woman were murdered in one week in separate incidents, sparking outrage from women's-rights activists, especially those in the Arab-Israeli community, against a perceived lack of police efforts to stop such crimes.
Tags israeli police


Showroom condition and well maintained by agent. Nice number plate and only 17,000KM. Never ride during raining day and only use to from home to office and parking under private residential shelter. Inspection done and road tax renewed 6mths. Original additional backseat and backrest (bought from USA) installed. 1st successful bidder will takeover bike upon transfer of administration with LTA.
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text:
Home/American Shipper/Texas ports struggle in Ike aftermath
Texas ports struggle in Ike aftermath
American Shipper Staff Sunday, September 14, 2008
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, the Port of Houston said "a range of serious complications due to the lack of electricity" prevented it from opening for business on Wednesday.
The Port of Beaumont said electrical service has been restored to the majority of its port facilities and that it "continues to move closer to normal operations." It said BNSF, Union Pacific and Kansas City-Southern — the three Class I railroads that serve the Port of Beaumont — are expected to be back in service by the end of the week after being disrupted by the storm's landfall last weekend.
Beaumont port officials said truck transportation throughout Southeast Texas was not interrupted. Interstate 10 and other major highways serving the port reopened shortly after Ike moved through the area Saturday.
It said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Coast Guard were expected to complete surveys of the Sabine-Neches Waterway Tuesday and expect the ship channel to be reopened to limited marine traffic by Wednesday.
At the Port of Galveston, The Galveston Daily News, USA Today and local television stations reported that cars left by cruise passengers in port parking lots were ruined by the storm.
As a result of the closure of the Port of Galveston, Carnival Cruise Lines said two of its ships, Carnival Conquest and Carnival Ecstasy, are scheduled to operate their regular cruise programs from the Port of Houston's Bayport Cruise Terminal effective with this weekend's departures.


This is to certify that the patient, Mr. Tomas, male, aged 41, was admitted into our hospital on June. 9, 2000, for suffering from acute appendicitis. After immediate operation and ten days of treatment, he has got complete recovery and will be discharged on June. 19, 2000. It is suggested that he rest for one week at home before resuming his work.
This is to certificate that Mr. Zhao Qiangwen holds a diploma issued to him in July, 1980 by Shandong University (Diploma No. 064)and that we have carefully checked the seal of the University and the signature by President Zhou Yong sen.


text:
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Book Reviews, Northeast Asia
Volume 94 – No. 4
KIM JONG UN AND THE BOMB: Survival and Deterrence in North Korea | By Ankit Panda
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. xv, 393 pp. US$27.95, cloth. ISBN 978-0-19-006036-7.
As the North Korean state made remarkable leaps to its nuclear and missile capabilities under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, Ankit Panda, a journalist and editor at The Diplomat, based in New York, was following the developments in real time. Working independently and at times in concert with think tanks like the Middlebury Institute in Monterrey, Panda documented North Korea's technological progress and published scoops on alleged sites of nuclear enrichment at Kangson, outside of Pyongyang (108). His reporting scrutinized North Korean state photographs and television segments frame-by-frame, but it also relied on old-fashioned leaks from US intelligence agencies, à la David Sanger's work for the New York Times. The endnotes are studded with references to interviews with unnamed US intelligence officials ("who were not authorized to share what they did" [x]), and the odd cryptic annotation that implies that the author had access to or was appraised of on-the-ground espionage materials (277, 345).
Kim Jong Un and the Bomb is an engaging and comprehensive brief on North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities, and it represents an important update to the literature. Panda's book provides heft to the individual role of Kim Jong-un as explored in biographies by Anna Fifield and Jung Pak, and shows potential to speak to scholars of authoritarianism or state legitimacy in North Korea. Readers will occasionally need to work through a thicket of acronyms and missile design titles (summarized in a tidy five-page appendix), but this book is far more than just the prose equivalent of a high-grade satellite photograph. The writing walks a line between wonky and colloquial, with approachable asides like "it is far easier to send things into space—whether nuclear missiles or humans—than to safely return them" (219). In some cases it might be profitably paired in the classroom with The 2020 Commission, Jeffrey Lewis' ironic and counterfactual exploration of the strategic and human consequences that a "limited" nuclear war with North Korea would actually entail.
The book's chapter design is admirable and clean, sequencing through an overview of the history of Kim Jong-un's time in power, a short history of North Korea's nuclear development, and notes and asides on principles of nuclear deterrence for the lay person. Chapter 4, "Building the Bomb," covers the nuclear enrichment site at Yongbyon, and gives a brief history of North Korea's six nuclear tests to date; this is useful stuff to review in capsule, particularly for specialists who still feel blitzed by the last half-decade of developments. This is followed by treatment of North Korea's short-range missile capabilities ("ballistic missiles [were] the hilt of Kim's 'treasured sword,'" 69), and a useful focused chapter on the capacity and significance of North Korea's submarine launch efforts.
The last half of the book covers the role of Guam as an announced target, North Korea's ICBM capacity, and the vexing question of command and control over North Korea's nuclear arsenal (readers may recall the Trump Twitter-KCNA spat from January 2018 over "whose button is bigger"). Panda maintains discipline—the book largely avoids the vortex of Trumpism and US government interagency frictions exacerbated thereby. Swaggering subplotters John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are confined to "The Arsonist and the Firefighter" chapter, a short history of the Trump-Kim Jong-un talks. The book speaks clearly to the anxieties which North Korea was unleashing among the US national security apparatus during the Trump era, and questions about US military responses (292–293) remain salient.
The text leaves several loops open, not least of which is whether the cumulative $67 billion the US has spent on a specific type of missile defence (294) has had any purpose at all. Budgetary pressures on Kim Jong-un, however, get short shrift in the book; while kit rather than cost is Panda's main object, it might have been useful to see something like a ballpark figure (annual or cumulative) on the cost of these programs to or within the North Korean economy. Other areas needing further study include Kim Jong-un's cohort of nuclear scientists, including their links to Chinese training, information, and methods, and to what extent Kim has wooed and supplied this group even while spurring them on to work overdrive. (Leiden University's Koen de Ceuster and his studies of North Korean artists might prove a useful model here.) North Korea's own perceptions of US assessments might also bear consideration—a topic covered in part by the New Yorker's Evan Osnos in his September 2017 junket to Pyongyang. Finally, the question of the relationship between an extended nuclear deterrent and the possibility of what Panda calls "greater conventional adventurism" (92) might be teased out further. On the whole, this book merits reading in detail by North Korea analysts and defence professionals, and it serves as an excellent reference text for those with casual to obsessive interests in North Korea generally.
Adam Cathcart
University of Leeds, Leeds
Last Revised: November 30, 2021
376-1855 West Mall
Email enquiry@pacificaffairs.ubc.ca


Prabhat tailored the hourly to my needs after asking and understanding what I wanted to get out of the hourly.
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text:
P.R. POLITICS
Caribbean Business
Home > Economy > China says new agency will improve foreign aid coordination
China says new agency will improve foreign aid coordination
By Reuters on March 14, 2018
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BEIJING – China plans to set up an international development cooperation agency to better coordinate foreign aid and promote its 'Belt and Road' initiative, State Councillor Wang Yong said on Tuesday.
The new agency will be responsible for forming policies on foreign aid, as well as granting aid and overseeing its implementation, according to a parliamentary document released earlier in the day.
"This will allow aid to fully play its important role in great power diplomacy… and will better serve the building of the 'belt and road'," Wang told parliament.
The new agency will work directly under the State Council, China's cabinet, and will combine the overseas aid related responsibilities of the ministry of commerce and foreign affairs, Wang said.
The Belt and Road initiative refers to President Xi Jinping's landmark scheme to build a new Silk Road, connecting China to Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond.
The new agency will be formed as part of a broad reshuffle of government departments that China's largely rubber-stamp parliament will formally approve on Saturday.
A new state immigration administration agency responsible for border control, repatriating illegal immigrants and managing foreigners and refugees would also be set up under China's Ministry of Public Security, Wang said.
China has only occasionally provided details of its foreign aid program in recent years.
The last time it did, in a policy paper released in 2014, it said more than half of China's foreign aid of more than $14 billion between 2010 and 2012 went to Africa, underscoring Beijing's interest in the resource-rich continent to fuel its economy.
It provided no breakdown of aid recipients or any yearly figures. In 2011, China put its total foreign aid over the past six decades at 256.29 billion yuan ($40.51 billion).
An analysis by AidData, a research lab at William Mary University in the U.S. state of Virginia, found that official Chinese development assistance from 2000 to 2014 totaled $81 billion, with Cuba receiving the most aid.
Overseas aid provided by the United States over the same period was $366 billion, AidData said.
Much of China's overseas finance is made in the form of loans or export credits, which allow infrastructure-for-resource deals.
This approach gives China an advantage over the United States in Africa, the official China Daily said on Tuesday in an editorial on U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to the continent.
"China has been working for years to try to meet Africa's needs, helping African countries build railways, bridges and ports," the newspaper said.
"That is why most African countries have sought to forge a partnership with China," it said.
Some Chinese projects have attracted attention for China's support of governments with poor human rights records and lack of transparency, such as Zimbabwe, Sudan and Angola.
China will host a once-every-three-years summit with African leaders in Beijing in September.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Christian Shepherd; Editing by Paul Tait & Simon Cameron-Moore)
ChinaCubaforeign aid
U.S. bans travel to Cuba
Drastic staff cuts at U.S. Embassy in Cuba now permanent
Cuban cigar sales hit record as China demand surges
Cuba delays historic handover from Castro to new president
HUD Appoints Federal Financial Monitor to Oversee Puerto Rico, USVI Disaster Recovery Funds
Served as member of President George W. Bush's Task Force...
House to Vote on Disaster Aid Package for Puerto Rico After Earthquakes
Lawmakers challenged President Donald Trump's reluctance to send more aid...
Senate Passes Revised NAFTA, Sending Pact to Trump's Desk
Gives bipartisan approval to the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement just before House...
Moody's: Earthquakes Could Delay Puerto Rico Recovery
Credit rating agency notes that 'frequency of natural disasters' could...
Sonnedix Secures $15 Million for Puerto Rico Solar Plant
Already has solar PV plants on island with a combined...
Walgreens Provides Relief Efforts to Help Communities in Puerto Rico with Earthquake Aftermath
'The health and wellbeing of the communities we serve is...
Trump Attaches Severe Restrictions to Puerto Rico's Long-Delayed Disaster Aid
Days after the island was hit by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake,...
Served as member of President George W. Bush's Task...
Lawmakers challenged President Donald Trump's reluctance to send more...
Credit rating agency notes that 'frequency of natural disasters'...
García Padilla: Rubio Is No Friend of Puerto Rico
Governor Says Rubio's Remarks Confirm he Works for 'Vultures'
Why the plebiscite was a disaster
A column by A. W. Maldonado
[Annotation] The People Have Spoken
By abstaining, you can't express anything
AnAlum says:
Puerto Rico's state government is a near tota...
JQ, Esq. says:
No problem with that....
Copyright © 2016 - 2020 Latin Media House, LLC. All rights reserved.


But the Paris attacks in which 130 people died have raised troubling questions about Schengen following the revelations that two of the attackers including ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud may have avoided checks while returning from Syria.
Created in 1995, the Schengen area — named after a border town in Luxembourg — now comprises 22 of the EU's 28 countries plus non-EU Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Lichtenstein.
They invited Europol and the EU borders agency Frontex to help member states bordering the western Balkans to detect smuggling of firearms.
France also also pushed for the EU to agree on a US-style Passenger Name Record (PNR) system, which involves collecting EU passenger data, by the end of the year.


The purpose of a quality control inspector is to assure the quality of the product throughout the facility, through either auditing or physically gauging/inspecting the product. The inspector will also verify manufacturing and quality processes are performed in accordance with the customer and/or Hunting specifications.
Perform gauge set-up in accordance with customer/Hunting specifications.
Perform inspection per Licensor requirements.
Perform inspection per customer requirements.
Verify final inspection of the product, including full review of documentation.
Account for the performance of all assigned duties by the Quality Assurance Manager.


Love Inspired brings you three new titles at a great value, available now! Enjoy these uplifting contemporary romances of faith, forgiveness and hope.
Single mom Mari Troyer never thought she'd return to the Amish life—or that she'd find love. With her little boy playing matchmaker with carpenter James Hostetler, Mari might just be ready to make her stay permanent.
Retired army captain Zach Zelinsky wants a quiet life selling his artwork. But when the tea shop owner next door, Ginger Carleton, insists they enter the Valentine's Day window-display competition together, he'll find what he's been missing: love.
A snowstorm strands Fern Easton and her four-year-old foster daughter at a dog rescue farm with her friend's brother. Could finding out Carlo Camden is her little girl's real father destroy everything or be Fern's chance for a forever family?


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Q: Routes not working without index.php in laravel 4.2 I have spent a considerable amount of time googling for suggestions for this, and despite setting up several test project in Laravel 4.2 before on xampp server.
I am not sure what I am missing in this project...
I have one more project on server and it is working fine But when I tried to start this new project I started getting this error.
XAMPP version 5.6.3
PHP version 5.6.3
This is my .htaccess file :
RewriteEngine on

        Options -MultiViews

    RewriteEngine On
# Redirect Trailing Slashes...
RewriteRule ^(.*)/$ /$1 [L,R=301]

# Handle Front Controller...
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]

This is my Routes.php file :
Route::get('/admin', function(){
    echo 'hello';
});

My url is :
http://localhost/adminpanel/public/admin
And showing this error :
Symfony \ Component \ HttpKernel \ Exception \ NotFoundHttpException
When I write this url : http://localhost/adminpanel/public/index.php/admin Now works fine..

A: Try this htaccess on your public folder
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
<IfModule mod_negotiation.c>
    Options -MultiViews
</IfModule>

RewriteEngine On

# Redirect Trailing Slashes...
RewriteRule ^(.*)/$ /$1 [L,R=301]

# Handle Front Controller...
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]


New Dyson Contest for Canada 2018.
Simply fill out the very easy entry form at the link below to enter.
You only need your name and email address.
**This contest is brought to you by Steamy Kitchen.
The Dyson brand makes vacuum cleaners, fans, heaters, accessories, and more.
Find this brand at places like Sears Canada, Best Buy, Walmart, and more.
Dyson uses something called air blade technology. Their products are said to be 50% quieter than many of the other same products out there on the market today.
The special shape of the blades carries less energy when moving, therefore creating less noise. Still does the exact work as the other products out there, but does it more quietly. This is always nice when you want to go about your business and not bothering other people in the household.
James Dyson is an innovator. He takes a look at everyday products and sees ways to make them better. Hence the Dyson brand was born.
Dyson Recalls Hot/Cold Heaters – Attention!!!
Would love this . My sister has one and it's fantastic.
I just "test drove" this at my Brother's house – sold! So lightweight and versatile! Definitely good for a house with kids and pets!
I would love this. Looks very light weighted.
With 2 dogs and 3 cats I would love to win this product. I would be the one to tell you how well it works.
I might might try it, looks good.


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text:
Earth > Africa > Northern Africa > Maghreb > Morocco > Marrakech
Marrakech is a city in Morocco.
1 North towards Casablanca, Rabat
2 West towards Essaouira
3 South towards Ouarzazate through Tizi'n'Test
4 South towards Imlil, Atlas Mountains
North towards Casablanca, Rabat
From the train station, walk north along the road following the signs for Casablanca in order to hitchhike. The city goes on for a long ways, but there is a wide spot in the road next to a petrol station where it is possible to thumb a ride to a wide spot in the road at the edge of the city.
West towards Essaouira
From next to the train station, take a bus L22 along the street Av. Hassan II (it costs around 60MDH). Get off when you see a big supermarket and a Afriqua petrol station on the right. It takes about 10 minutes and you're a bit outside the town then. There is a number of roundabouts and parking space, so the cars are passing slow. You can supply yourself in the nearby large supermarket. And the direction is clear, many cars will go to Essaouira.
South towards Ouarzazate through Tizi'n'Test
You can walk two kilometres to the road from Bab Debbagh or can take grand taxi or minibus (6dh) to the nearest village Ait Ourir, make sure you exit the car before it turns away from the N9 to Ouarzazate. They also have stop near Bab Debbagh. Don't start to late, the trip to Ouarzazate will take you some hours and you don't want to miss the beautiful view in high atlas.
South towards Imlil, Atlas Mountains
Walk to Charij Bgar bus stop continue walking pass the circle roundbout get on the road R203 and hitchike to Asni or Imlil
Retrieved from "https://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Marrakech&oldid=99735"
This page was last edited 14:47, 15 October 2020 by dxc. Based on work by different users of the hitchwiki community.


text:
The Solent Sea Steam Packet Company, later the Solent Steam Packet Company, operated ferry services between Lymington and Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight between 1841 and 1884.

History

In early 1841, the company purchased Glasgow from the Lymington, Yarmouth, Cowes and Portsmouth Steam Packet Company, and after refitting, was deployed on the service between Lymington and Yarmouth, operating three or four passages a day.

In March 1841 they entered into a contract with the Post Office for the conveyance of mail between Lymington and Yarmouth.

By 1842, the company had acquired another vessel, Solent, which was running from Lymington to Yarmouth, Cowes, Ryde and Portsmouth.

In 1858, Red Lion was added to the fleet to handle additional traffic brought by the railway. The company changed its name to the Solent Steam Packet Company in 1861.

A second Solent replaced the first on 3 November 1863. Mayflower joined the fleet on 6 July 1866 had been built in Newcastle; she was tastefully fitted and comfortable. As well as plying to Yarmouth, she made excursion runs to Bournemouth, but was disposed of after 1878.

On 1 July 1884, the London and South Western Railway bought out the Solent Steam Packet Company's fleet of two paddle steamers, Solent and Mayflower, four horse and cargo boats, and other boats and property, paying £2,750 (equivalent to £ in ).

Ships
The vessels operated by the Solent Sea Steam Packet Company were:

References

Ferry transport in England
Isle of Wight
Defunct shipping companies of the United Kingdom
Lymington
British companies established in 1841
Transport companies established in 1841

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia