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Customer Experience & Engagement
Efficiency & Monetization
Avoiding the Travel Bug:The Age of Contactless Mobility
Cities are the lifeblood of vibrant economies the world over – 70% of the world's population is expected to live in cities by 2050.1 However, the COVID-19 outbreak has brought bustling urban landscapes to a standstill. Few have moved about their daily lives because of social distancing and lockdowns, so demand has dropped precipitously. Urban mobility has in a short period seen both the cramped high and the desolate low.
Urban mobility includes distinct journeys people make in a city as well as infrastructure, traffic management, road safety, developmental investments, and any satisfaction of urban needs.2 The COVID-19 outbreak has, for the time being, removed the essential figure– the people –from this definition. With mobility on pause, this is a moment of reflection and opportunity.
The way people commute has a huge impact on not just the mobility space, but also on the ancillary ecosystem. Being a crucial part of daily life, commutes dictate choices, preferences and day-to-day decisions. For example, if one decides to drive to work, they might stop for coffee at a drive-thru; if one takes the subway to work, they might grab a coffee at the subway station; and, if one pays for subway tickets using a card, they are likely use that card to also pay for the coffee. Mobility is seen as an elemental part of the ecosystem people thrive in and has the ability to dictate human behavior, preferences, and opportunities. In the past, payments firms have used mobility as a pathway to shape consumer behavior. Even during this pandemic, that pattern continues to hold true. In this paper, we aim to call out the foreseeable changes in urban mobility and the impact of the changing ecosystem on the world of payments.
COVID-19 IS TURNING PEOPLE OFF MASS TRANSIT
Exhibit 1: Impact of the pandemic on tranit modes
The pandemic is profoundly disrupting mobility, as the short-term impact on mass transit has been decisively negative. In April 2020, ridership across New York City's MTA, the nation's largest public transit system, fell by 60% on subways and as much as 90% on commuter trains…in San Francisco, rail ridership on BART was down a staggering 90%…booking on Amtrak has plunged 50%. In mid-March, "freeways and surface streets in Los Angeles were moving 35% faster than normal."3 The pandemic's shock has hurt incumbent systems.
In the mid- and long-term, as the economy begins to recover and the world starts reopening, it will be a challenge for transit agencies to achieve their already stagnating ridership numbers pre-pandemic. Historically, mass transit ridership and employment have been intertwined. With unemployment skyrocketing, expect transit ridership to rebound slowly.4 The staggering jobless claims in the United States and elsewhere are not expected to recover for a while. Consequently, commuters will take a long time to return. Transit agencies need to think and act creatively considering strategies that can inspire and expand their mandate beyond incumbent systems, most likely through micro-mobility and innovative technology.4
ALTERNATIVE TRANSIT MODES ARE PROVING MORE APPEALING
Micro-mobility is already filling initial gaps left by mass transit. In the new normal, this lightweight mobility suited for short trips is increasingly more relevant. In early March, bikeshare ridership saw an initial surge in cities like New York and Philadelphia.5 This phenomenon started in the initial stages of the pandemic as people began to worry about the cramped quarters of mass transit. And, as concerns linger past the pandemic, the phenomenon will likely shape the future of movement in cities. For example, in China, where cities have started recovering and some restrictions have been lifted, bikeshare in Beijing saw rides increase 187 percent. There will be a gap to fill as citizens transition back to movement, and micro-mobility is nimble where mass transit cannot be. The important next step for players in this space will be making their place permanent in the new normal.
While micro-mobility has an element of 'sharing' that might concern those worried about transmission of illness, many providers also have direct-to-consumer options. Indeed, those players that offer "direct-to-consumer e-scooter sales, such as Bird, are likely to gain an advantage." Even though business models differ, the experience and technology being built out in micro-mobility will play an important role in shaping the future of urban mobility.6
Personal vehicles may see a rise in use if not a rise in purchase. A recent study found that "two out of three respondents say that they prefer their own car to public transport—twice as many as before the pandemic."7 A knee-jerk reaction to not trusting mass transit is, at least for the short term, a push toward cars. However, for those looking to purchase cars, the economic crisis that has resulted from the pandemic has delayed plans. A survey of car buyers in April, indicated that 79% have postponed their purchase due to the pandemic. The upcoming recession will likely delay such plans further.7
Ride-sharing has a mixed outlook for the immediate future. The prediction for ride-sharing players like Uber and Lyft is a complicated one to make. 39% of people surveyed expect to reduce or stop using ride-sharing, but 43% said they would continue to use them the same amount.8 Ride-sharing has suffered due to people not wanting to use shared vehicles with the risk of contagion; however, innovative business segments of ride-sharing leaders, like Uber Eats, are picking up slack as people rely on food delivery while sheltering in place. The challenge for these firms will be prioritizing measures for health to convince customers they are safe and remain relevant. Picking up on this cue in early May, Uber instituted mandatory mask wearing policies and a ban on front seat passengers.
As peoples' preferred modes of transport change in the short- and long-term, the way they pay for journeys (and other ancillary purchases) will also change. Transport stakeholders, payment providers, and local governments need to be prepared to take or even lead this transformative journey.
ACROSS ALL MOBILITY TRANSIT MODES ARE PROVING MORE APPEALING
Whether traveling by micro-mobility, ride-sharing, personal vehicle, or eventually mass transit, people will want to minimize the contact they have with surfaces and others during points of contact, like payment.
In the mass transit space especially, contact between transit personnel and riders, as well as amongst riders, needs to be minimized.
Exhibit 2: Alternative payment modes in a metro journey
The two obvious points of contact are:
Ticket purchase – At kiosks, at counters with transit personnel
Ticket verification/ checking – At turnstiles with readers, manual checking
As use of cash declines due to the perceived risk of communicable germs, there are several solutions that are likely to take center stage.
The pandemic has made way for contactless technologies to come to the forefront and be appreciated for the ease, convenience, and safety they allow users over cash and traditional card interactions. While they may be known as "tap-to-pay" or "tap-to-go," in reality contact is not crucial – a user just has to wave the card/ watch/ smartphone close to the card reader.
The "no-contact" tenet is attractive in the new normal, especially since it converges on both original points of contact in a rider's journey (see Exhibit 2).
Contactless cards will empower the shift toward no contact. In an effort to minimize physical exchanges of any form, riders are likely to start using contactless credit/ debit cards.
To that end, early numbers from Mastercard reported a 40% jump in cross-border contactless payments* during the first quarter of 2020 as the pandemic worsened (see Exhibit 3; Source: MasterCard earnings report Q1, 2020). Receptive to the increased demand of contactless payments, more than 50 markets increased tap-to-pay limits, including 26 European countries, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.9
Exhibit 3: Jump in Mastercard contactless payment volumes in Q1 202010
As consumers get accustomed to using contactless payments, a "halo" effect of an uptick in spending due to the ease and safety of the purchasing process is likely to be seen in mobility transactions and beyond.
How far along are issuers in the journey to issue contactless cards? In U.S., banks such as Chase, Wells Fargo, and TD Bank are past midway in rolling out contactless – issuing contactless cards for all new customers and aiming to replace traditional cards as they expire. As the mobility-driven demand increases, issuers will make a quick transition to contactless cards. In June 2019, BofA aggressively launched contactless cards in 3 cities, aimed at serving their transit systems that enabled NFC. TD Bank followed a similar pattern to issue contactless cards, by prioritizing users who had in the past used their credit or debit card to pay for a mass transit ride.11
While the burden of card issuance rests with the issuers, the burden of enabling contactless acceptance rests with transit operators and other mobility stakeholders.
Several cities like London, New York, and Rio de Janeiro have open-loop contactless card readers enabled in public transport modes, which are going to see an increased usage of contactless cards and migration from any other payment methods they currently accept. However, the majority of cities around the world either use closed-loop systems (tokens/magnetic strip cards) or accept cash.
With dwindling revenue, falling ridership, and increased cost of sanitization, are transit operators in a position to overhaul the infrastructure?
Varied stakeholders have opportunities to enter into public-private partnerships to support contactless acceptance. Payments providers will capture additional revenue in transit systems and eventually in other realms of commerce through contactless usage, so supporting efforts to implement contactless acceptance in mobility is crucial. The pandemic also presents an opportunity for countries to have a nationwide contactless payment card, which could be used to streamline payments to one card for public transport, groceries, fuel, parking and all other small purchases.
Players like Uber and Lyft already accept payment by cards stored on their apps and via mobile wallets, so they are unlikely to require much change. However, vast informal public taxi operators, like in Mexico City, may need to prepare to shift to contactless acceptance. To accept contactless payments in person, drivers will need a contactless POS system. This opens up a previously inhibited audience for m-POS providers to partner with.
A well-known barrier to contactless adoption is the world's unbanked population with no easy access to contactless or digital payment forms. Tencent and SoftBank-backed fintech startup Ualá in Argentina is working with the Argentine government to knock down this barrier. It offers a combination of an app and a physical prepaid card, allowing users to make payments physically and online. In a largely cash-based economy like Argentina, Ualá's mobile app and online payment system offer an attractive alternative, which is reflected in a 300% increase in transactions on their platform in April 2020.12
While contactless will be the driving force, several other technologies are likely to be part of the target-state. We will next look at burgeoning concepts that could become the norm in the long-term and may be fast-tracked due to the pandemic's reprioritization of the mobility space.
CONTACTLESS IS JUST THE BEGINNING, AS PAYMENTS WILL SEE A TECHNOLOGY BOOM
The breadth of digital wallets accepted to pay for mobility is likely to increase. Apart from digital wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, which are contactless technologies that allow payments with a swift wave near the reader, several other mobile wallet/ digital wallet solutions like PayPal, Venmo, Paytm will experience upticks in use as they make the payment process one-click, contactless, and quick. Expect these to be integrated into open-loop transit systems across the world in the future. In addition to their adoption in mass transit, wallets like Venmo or Paytm could be frequently used by the informal mobility sector as riders pay for cabs, rickshaws, and bike rides using these platforms.
The concept of "car commerce" could take off with the rise of personal vehicle use. This initiative would allow payments firms to capture transactions through the journey of a car ride, such as drive-through purchases, fuel purchase, toll fees, and parking fees.
As a concept, "car commerce" is still a work in progress – there is a lack of interoperable systems, competing approaches from incumbents, and safety concerns about distracted driving, but the pandemic presents an opportunity for car commerce to boom once an ideal blueprint is realized.
In the safe haven of their car, owners/ riders of private vehicles feel safeguarded from the world outside. This frame of mind may likely influence purchases made by riders (mostly from inside the vehicle).
Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) remains a future-state goal. The broad ecosystem of mobility options in any given city could be united by one technology platform. Creating seamless customer journeys within cities through technology could be fast-tracked as old preferences are broken.
In its target state, a MaaS experience will allow a commuter to plan a multi-modal journey, make payments for the journey in a single app and have access to traffic, congestion, and optional route insights to help plan the journey. A future transition to MaaS will support the "no-contact" tenet of the pandemic seamlessly, making it a popular route to success for mobility players.
MaaS systems will allow urban environments to integrate their existing and recovering mass transit systems with innovative modes such as micro-mobility. For example, New York City has added more space for cyclists and other micro mobility users since the pandemic, while Bogota, Colombia has added 76Km of cycle lanes to their streets almost overnight. Mexico City and London have also seen benefits from increased cycle networks. None of these new micro-mobility networks are connected to mass transit yet, but a MaaS interface would allow them to be connected.13
This pause in life has instigated a reevaluation of mobility. As social distancing and sheltering in place ease, cities could revert to their traditional, and inefficient, status quo. However, there is significant opportunity for payments firms to capitalize on the need for contactless mobility.
On the technology front, fintechs and MaaS-techs can push the boundary of mobility but will need capital and support. Payments firms as well as fintech- and mobility-focused private equity firms and venture capitalists have an opportunity to invest in leading startups that will shape the future.
And, both the private and public sector will be in the trenches to modernize mobility and adapt it to the post-COVID-19 world. Public-private partnerships should empower cities, providing them with both resources and innovation, to reshape the way citizens travel. Municipal governments must catalyze partnerships with both payments and mobility stakeholders to get their citizens back to work safely and their economies moving.
Now is a better time than ever to pivot to the new age of contactless mobility.
Solving the Data Conundrum
Strategic direction is evolving rapidly during COVID-19. Businesses are struggling with ways to respond to the pandemic and have numerous challenges facing them including potentially significant revenue shifts, interaction changes and resource limitations.
Fortunately, organizations can analyze readily available data by using both business and data intelligence to better serve their customers.
The Cloud-Native Paradigm
Business Analytics in Pandemic Times
Path to Innovation
Innovation has been in vogue for over a decade but the need to be innovative has never been felt as strongly as today. As businesses are learning to thrive under the lasting effects of the pandemic, they need to reinvent products, services and customer experiences to satiate emerging patterns of demand. To truly capitalize on the opportunity, business leaders need to look beyond internal capabilities and embrace a networked model of innovation to drive positive impact.
Reimagining Marketing
The COVID-19 pandemic has re-shaped the landscape for marketers. They are not only forced to cut budgets to save costs, but also face the challenge of keeping up with new emerging customer behaviors. These unprecedented changes call for a broader shift in marketing tactics and investments to successfully navigate the current transformed landscape.
Reshaping Wealth Tech
Before the Covid-19 inducted recession, the wealth tech sector was already experiencing a slowdown - both in the number of new startups and total capital raised. Now more than ever, investors and operators must be bold in re-inventing their Firm's long-term value proposition.
How to Thrive in the New Normal
Now that Business As Usual is unusual, leaders are forced to re-imagine business models and build 'winning strategies' - to not only survive the pandemic but also emerge as successful change-makers, shaping an altered business reality.
Paycheck Protection Program Shortcomings
As large lenders fumble & face criticism for their handling of the $350 BN in forgivable SBA-backed loans, here's our perspective on what regional banks & fintechs can do right now to compete & capture value.
The Path to Decentralized Finance
We are on the cusp of a revolution within financial services that will have far-reaching ramifications for the +1 billion unbanked, current models of financial intermediation across entities and borders, and ultimately the very nature of how end-consumers understand financial health. As this understanding held by customers evolves, so too must the operations, services, and visions of providers.
An Agile Approach to Digitalizing Wholesale Banking
Credit has seen its fair share of ups and downs, from being the crux of financial services, to commoditization and mass distribution, to now being re-engineered. In the realm of Wholesale Credit, a revolution is underway.
Trends in Digitalization of Insurance
For some, Insurance might seem a monolithic industry, but for the ones keeping a close eye on it- Insurance is revamping itself faster than ever!
From days when underwriting a simple policy would take weeks and months, to now when it can be done in seconds with a simple 'selfie' - there seem to be no bounds in the future of this industry.
Customer Engagement Index
While firms have found tremendous success in using these loyalty metrics to successfully grow customer relationships, they are lagging indicators and provide little help in providing immediate insight into whether or not improvements and initiatives are moving the needle.
Strategic Sourcing of a "Difficult" Spend Category
Some clients have even deemed spend reduction in procurement categories like legal services, where recourses and expertise are concentrated within humans not technology, to be intractable. At Kepler Cannon, we continuously challenge these sorts of conventional wisdom.
Third Party Information Risk Mitigation
It is well known that one way to make better predictions about how your customers, distributors and suppliers will behave, is to augment your own data with that of third parties.
Driving Productivity Through Systems Selection
Procurement often involves multiple disparate stakeholders, systems and protocol. This complexity results in increased reliance on inefficient sourcing processes and only partially takes advantage of all the benefits available from supplier competition.
Putting IT Infra Consumers on a Diet
One question seldom asked is "how do I put my (IT infrastructure) customers on a diet?" The demand side is often assumed as a given, and there is with little assessment of (over-) consumption by applications.
Reducing Strategic Over-Dependence on IT Vendors
Over time, many firms realize that they have become so reliant on vendors/contractor for critical knowledge on key applications, that they have, in fact, ceded control of those applications to the vendors.
Wiser Data Augmentation
Are Blockchains Evolving Like Securities Exchanges?
Driven by data security concerns, a majority of financial institutions are now looking at so-called private or hybrid blockchains, rather than fully decentralized public blockchains (like the blockchain used for Bitcoin)
How Global Resourcing May Be Killing Your Company's Efficiency
As global firms respond to the post-Great Recession regulatory and economic realities, efficiency of the back-office has become critical to ongoing success.
Third Party Vendor Risk – A Continuous Mitigation Strategy
The last thing any multinational organization wants to worry about are business and compliance risks introduced by third party vendors.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Blockchain (But Were Too Afraid to Ask)
As cryptocurrencies and their underlying ledger system gain momentum, many financial institutions are trying to determine how to best be part of this revolution. In particular, they want to know how best to update their existing IT architectures and operations to capitalize on this new technology.
Smart Blockchain Contracts: Are We Finally Going Paperless?
Smart contacts offer the potential to facilitate or fully automate processes that are heavily paper-based today, particularly long-winded, expensive legal processes.
Enabling Growth through Practice Management
In the world of financial advisory, growth strategies often focus squarely on the end client; after all, growth is achieved through new client acquisition or new asset acquisition from existing clients. While this logic is not incorrect, it fails to acknowledge the intricacies of third party distribution.
Reshaping the Indian Life Insurance Market
The Indian life insurance market is the fifth largest in the world. Although the per capita premium remains lower than in other emerging markets, the size and growth of India's working class remains one of the largest globally, presenting enormous opportunity for life insurance companies to expand into and within the Indian market.
The Growing Asian Wealth Management Market: Capturing the Mass Affluent Opportunity
One of the largest and fastest growing wealth segments, the Asian mass affluent, is projected to hold $43.3 trillion in assets by 2020, yet only 20% of all wealth in Asia is tapped by the wealth management industry.
(Not) Selling Life Insurance in Asia
Amidst a boom in insurance business, Asian consumers remain largely underinsured.
Role Reversal: The Future of US Banks in the Online Lending Market
Following the financial crisis in 2008, Fintech startups gained a lot of prominence globally as consumers started to look for alternatives to traditional banking methods. These startups have penetrated every service area of consumer retail banking with the goal of dis-intermediating banks and becoming the new leaders of the financial services industry.
The Unbundling of Retail Banking
Not unlike a piece of software, retail banking can be portrayed as a stack comprised of 3 layers, where the complexity of each services can be abstracted into discrete segments and end products.
Binge-Worthy Digital Advice
While the trajectory of 'digitization' in financial services is encouraging, there is still significant demand from customers to expand and evolve their digital experience.
Data-driven Spend Analysis: Maximizing Spend Reduction with Minimal Organizational Drag
With the digitization of almost every element of the procurement process, large organizations are accumulating vast stores of data regarding their spending habits. Owing to its complex nature however, senior leadership is often at a loss when it comes time to mine this data and enact structural change based on the insight it provides.
© 2018 Kepler Cannon


text:
Elena Interviewed by Behind The Scenes NYC
by Elena Zaharova
Original interview was published on September 25th, 2018 by BTSNYC.
Figura: Shopping Less But Better
New York is not only one of the fashion's capitals of the world, but it's the birth place of countless innovative brands. Figura clothes will give your close a twist and make you a true New Yorker!
It's super common not only to walk on the streets and see new stores, but it's easy to find new emerging brands launching their online presence and fighting for their space.
That said, we recently interviewed Elena Zaharova, founder of Figura, a clothes line that enhances the different beauties in women, working with gorgeous, everyday wardrobe pieces.
Take a look at her fantastic journey from west-central Russia to New York!
1. Tell us a bit about you, where you're from, your background, what you worked with?
I was born in a very small town in west-central Russia. It was remarkably boring, and it took me 10 years of urban life to appreciate my rural childhood — the ability to play outside till dusk, run barefoot, spend most summer camping and hanging out with friends unsupervised.
My mom is very crafty and creative. As far as I remember myself, she's been sewing, painting, playing with different media and techniques. I was that kid whose parents built ketchup-soda volcano with them and enjoyed it no less.
When I was 17, I moved to Moscow to study journalism. In a big city, I was surrounded by more creative people, and I started questioning myself about what I want to do. Journalism wasn't that answer, and after two years I left the school.
Eventually, I realized that my passion for art and craft wasn't as childish and silly as it appeared, and could become a profession and even pay the bill. I started working as a decorator and a window display designer full-time. At 25, I led a chain of 18 stores as a creative director, changed windows seasonally and developed their visual identity.
2. How did Figura start? How did your childhood, playing and sewing clothes impact your business?
I've been sewing and playing with clothes since my early childhood. I joke sometimes that most women from post-soviet countries are born to be a fashion designer. Fashion choice was very limited, and they had to create all their clothes. In my childhood, it was more of a routine to turn an old granny's t-shirt into a dress than go shopping. I learned how to use a sewing machine when I was about 9, and my first very own piece was a belt bag made out of curtains leftover.
I've always designed for myself, but business-wise it wasn't in the air until 2015. Figura started randomly. There were a few things I couldn't find at stores, like a bathroom-friendly jumpsuit with no hassle to get it off and on.
One day I put a few pieces together into my first collection. The result overcame my expectations, and, as I see it now, part of the reason was my low-key approach. I noticed that women can relate to non-professional models better. And, if I want a dress to have decent size pockets, so do other women. Since then, I devoted myself to explore the comfort and practicality of women's wardrobe.
3. Being an outsider entrepreneur, how has your journey in NYC been so far and what are the biggest challenges you find?
I moved to New York 3 years ago, so did my brand. New York is very competitive, but it also makes the atmosphere creative and risk-friendly.
By the moment I started Figura, I'd been blogging for a few years, so most of my audience became my customers.
Moving to New York made me change the way I marketed my brand. I had to learn how to build the audience from scratch. It's an ongoing process, and I'm still far from saying "Good job!" to myself.
4. How do you see Figura fit into NYC's fashion scene and into the powerful New Yorker women's closet?
I think of my customers as very sophisticated women who support the mantra of shopping less but better. As a designer, I'm into creating better quality pieces rather than selling more.
New York apartments can be small, but our closets are big. Let's be smart to load them with pieces we really need.
5. What are your top 3 styling tips to feel like a true New Yorker?
Mix & match. A real New Yorker is like the city itself, diverse and vibrant;
Buy less but better;
Shop independent designers, at least sometimes. Besides supporting them, it gives your wardrobe that twist.
6. Which item is your bestseller?
Wide black pants. They don't look baggy and have it all: elastic waist and deep pockets. When I sold the first pair, I left the second for myself.
I've used this cut for my other models (jumpsuits, for example), but the original wool version is still my best hit.
7. Where can people find Figura, besides online?
Figura attends local markets and pop-up projects. On October 29th, you can spot Figura's costume at the dancing performance Slice & Dice, as part of our collaboration with The Lovelies, a local group of artists. Get updated by following Figura on Instagram.
8. Is there any upcoming collaboration, collection, or interesting info you'd like to share? How does it currently involve the local community, being an independently owned brand?
For most of my editorials, I feature real women, as opposed to professional models, from different fields and backgrounds, ranging from a barista at a Parisian Cafe to an emerging DJ in Brooklyn. New York taught me how to approach people and share ideas. Beauty only works with passion and collaboration behind it.
My first New York projected was called "All About Us Not Clothing". The name speaks for itself: the line was presented by my long-time Instagram muses. Six girls from around the world received the clothes and styled them the way they wanted, creating a lookbook for Figura's new collection.
I'm grateful to Etsy Community and Handmade Collective for the opportunity to shape my vision and blog about Figura's aesthetic. Raw Artist New York became my first runway. I'm always open to collaboration with local brands. Just recently I had a chance to work with Zunta Shop and Zhuorui Fu Collection.
Recently I've teamed up with The Lovelies, a group of local artists, to challenge fashion to the point of being comfortable for dancers. It feels good to see Figura's clothes fit easily everywhere, from a red carpet walk to a dance performance.
Figura's last collection was dedicated to New York's ubiquitous corner store delis. Delis are as visually noisy and as busy as urban life, and Figura's minimal designs are sure to help one find balance in the city. Right now I'm working on my new collection, inspired by natural textures of volcanic Iceland. Being in contrast with the urban story, it keeps exploring the meaning of clothing and serving the practicality.
Previous Post Collaboration: Figura & The LoveliesPrevious Post
Collaboration: Figura & The Lovelies
Inspiration: Alara Wearing Figura Jumpsuit in Paris
Inspiration: Ulyana Wearing Figura Sage Dress
Raw Artist Runway 2017
Elena Interviewed by Behind The Scenes NYC – Figura on Inspiration: Alara Wearing Figura Jumpsuit in Paris
@figuraclothes
Copyright © 2018 Figura

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Managing a man's world in women's shoes!
Today at the end of my yoga class our instructor led us into a few moments of meditation. This yoga thing is new for me. The restaurant world is a stressful place, and between constant pressure, my unpredictable schedule, an unhealthy diet and the physical toll my body was screaming for exercise and relaxation. Being the over achiever I am, I found a way to kill two birds with one mat.
Within seconds of my first lesson I discovered that my body does not stretch like it did in 8th grade basketball practice. It's not even a bend, more of a rounded lean. Thank goodness there are no mirrors in the studio though because in my mind when I do yoga I look like Laura Croft. So that's pretty therapeutic and worth every penny!
Today, while I was supposed to be resting my mind, I was instead taking advantage of a few quiet moments for some premium planning. Hey, I'm a control freak, and I'm busy! I'm sure Laura Croft didn't waste time meditating. She'd have been eaten by a mummy.
Anyway, in my peripheral hearing I catch something about a happy place. Before I can reroute my mind back to work I find myself searching through Mo's greatest hits for my number one happiest memory. I didn't have to think longer then a second. With total certainty I allowed myself to slip back to a morning in the summer of 2002. Tom and I were on a study abroad trip. It was our first morning in Basel, Switzerland after an exhausting whirlwind of airports and trains. My husband is 6'6" so any hope of extra leg room while traveling is squashed by his size 16 feet! Needless to say, I had little appreciation for the first few late hours we experienced in Europe while hunting for our hotel. After a much needed night of sleep I found myself stirring awake at an outrageously early hour for a college student without the assistance of an alarm clock. Even stranger, Tom was waking up too! Awake in bed yes, but there is something about fluffy white duvet covers that make getting out of a bed before you have to nearly impossible. So we snuggled and let the sun, sounds and smells drift in through our open second story window. Our hotel was a tall and narrow inn located on a small cobblestone alley perpendicular to the Rhine River. Along the alley hid a few restaurant and pub back doors. The busy bustle of clanging dishes mixed with the scent of baking bread was intoxicating. I was nearing the end of my college days. I had struggled through math and science classes, late night study sessions and was already working on pieces for my Senior art show. Graduation was less than a year away, but at that very moment all I could think about was how could I hear and smell this everyday for the rest of my life.
We got out of bed and made our way down to breakfast. We had bread, butter and jam. That was it, and it was the best breakfast of my life. So simple and so perfect.
Fast forward past graduation, wedding and a few spells at jobs that never really mattered to me and my life is now loud noises, extreme temperatures, grease, grime, paperwork and a constant struggle to maintain a healthy balance between my personal and professional relationship with my husband/business partner. I stay lost in a to do list. Every day is similar to the last. I forget the compliments and choke on the complaints.
Today I took a breath.
Apparently, without our being aware, occasionally lessons slip in for safe keeping and only after a particular event, situation or deep breath does our brain allow that lesson to surface.
In my breath I realized I do what I love. I make simple food. Not because I lack the ability to make more, but I make food that matters to me. It doesn't have to be fancy or complex or expensive. Today I realized I make someone's bread and butter.
Lying on that mat, eyes closed, I heard the clangs of dishes and the yells of cooks, and I smelled the delicious hints of today's flavors floating in the air.


Welcome to the SWW-DTP's Pre-modern Encounters research cluster blog. Here you will be kept up to date on our outreach events, and will find regular posts from PhD students engaging with Pre-modern Encounters. 'Pre-modern' and 'encounters' are both interpreted in their broadest sense, enabling a wide range of inter-disciplinary interaction (with the involved students studying aspects of … More Welcome!


We're going to regret this I know. We don't have a Christmas tree yet.
We always get a real tree so I like to wait until around the first of December to venture down to the Merry Christmas Tree Farm in Nesbit and cut one down ourselves. But last year, we waited too late as many of the really good trees were gone.
We should have gone this past weekend but we were out of town. Yesterday it was too wet and today, well, we just didn't do it. Tomorrow is family portrait day so maybe Thursday.
The Merry Christmas Tree Farm saved Christmas for us a couple of years ago. We bought a fairly large tree that refused to stand upright in the tree stand. The first tree stand bent under the pressure, sending me to Home Depot for a replacement. I picked up the largest tree stand, one of those pyramid shaped plastic green stands that looked up to the task.
I spent about 45 minutes trying to screw those darned screws that are supposed to dig into the trunk of the tree and help it stand up right. No luck. The tree, no matter how much I worked at it, looked crooked. Well, it didn't just look crooked, it was crooked. I had to use fishing line tied to the wall to keep it from falling over that night. And, I'm not proud of this, but daddy said a bad word under the tree that year.
The next year I picked up one of the tree stands from the Merry Christmas Tree Farm. It didn't look like much. A red water dish with a spike sticking up from the bottom. It also came with 3 pieces of rebar used to hold it up. The folks at the Merry Christmas Tree farm drilled a hole in the bottom of the tree and told me it would take about 5 minutes to place the tree on the stand and have it standing upright.
Actually, they were wrong. It took me about 20 seconds to have the tree looking display window perfect. Not only that, but once the tree is up, you can hold a string of lights and spin the tree around on the spike to decorate it.
It was the perfect Christmas gift.
We're headed to Nashville this weekend to look for a house. The station is calling tomorrow morning for some information and bio on me for a press release on my new job. I'm addicted to Nashville blogs.
Workwise, I'm finishing up one big project and writing the other. Then, it'll be time to work on the family Christmas video. Next weekend's our big Christmas party. It's going to be a full couple of weeks. Hope we have time to put a tree up in the house.
I seriously cannot think of a more frustrating customer experience than what I'm having now with Sears.
Quick re-cap. This house came with a new microwave from Sears. A cleaning lady messed up the front glass so the builder replaced it with a new one a couple of months after we moved in.
A few weeks later, it stopped working. I called Sears for repair since it's got another 11 months under warranty. I sat at home from 8-1 (when they said they would be here) and the repair man never showed. I called again and they rescheduled me for the next week. That week, the repair man called in sick so I had to wait another few days. They finally came out to look at it, then said they had to order parts. Another week goes by and they came back and fixed it.
Two weeks later, it broke down again. Same thing on the repair. Waited a week, then another week and then another week before a repair man came out. This one couldn't fix it.
It's still sitting above my stove. The turning plate wouldn't stop turning until it apparently burned out the motor. The light won't go off now. The repair man was supposed to be here yesterday but they called to reschedule it for today between 8-1. They called at 10 to say they have to reschedule it for Thursday.
My calls to the customer service center are a waste of time. Sears' automated phone system has to be the worst outside of Beijing. I sat on hold for 7 minutes only to have the call disconnected, so I had to call back and go through the same dance of "press 1" "say yes or no" and "did you say microwave?". I sat for 6 minutes on hold that time to have the call disconnected again.
This morning, I had the guy transfer me to the customer service desk who complained to me that he transferred my call to her. She then told me there was nothing she could do about someone calling in sick and that I should take the microwave back to the store where I bought it.
SHE NEVER LISTENED TO ME. She cut me off everytime I tried to explain something. She complained that I was complaining. When I said their phone system needed some work she complained about the BellSouth automated system.
For the past 3 months we've gone without a microwave more than we've had one working. No Lean Cuisine. No "heat up this cup of coffee for a few seconds". No thawing out hamburger meat.
Sears doesn't care about it's customers. This is one customer they'll never have to deal with ever again. At least when I can finally eat a bag of popcorn.
I felt a bit like a pirate this weekend.
I spent Saturday with my dad who had bought an old house and is refurbishing it. The house belonged to a guy who had a had a bad car accident years ago. His family went through it and took everything they wanted but left a lot of stuff.
It was kind of creepy going through the stuff, but the Salvation Army will come in and take everything that is left so I was able to take what I wanted. I left a Shriner's fez, a cabinet full of beer steins and coffee mugs and lots of shirts and furniture.
There was a 1992 Sears Christmas Wishbook which was fun to go through and see how prices have gone up and down in the past 13 years. There was a 45 pound word processor for $2,000 and Nike tennis shoes for $89. VHS video cameras were priced at $2,000 and console television sets (the kind with the wood grain finish) for $1,200.
Funny how 1992 seems so recent in ways.
NBC isn't showing "It's a Wonderful Life" until December 10th. According to the tv critic with Scripps Howard, the network chose "Family Man" with Nicholas Cage as it's "day after Thanksgiving movie special".
I normally choose not to watch a network presentation of a major film release because of the commercials. Boy, was I ever right.
NBC took this 2 hour movie and stretched it to fill the 7-10 pm timeslot. I put a watch to it between 8 and 9 and found NBC would show 8 minutes of the movie followed by 3 minutes of commercials. I really liked this movie (I like romantic comedies) but it was almost unbearable to watch. I found myself getting wrapped up in the characters but at a crucial moment, the network broke it up and started showing the same JC Penney commercial.
And what's with the stupid Hallmark spot? Is that the lamest party You've ever seen when about a dozen stiffs stand around a table and watch an animated snowman sing "Holly Jolly Christmas"? I feel I want to smash the darn snowman everytime I hear that loser white guy say "hey, do it again!".
Christmas is too early this year. I love Christmas but I have a feeling I'll be tired of it before December 18th. "A Christmas Story" made it's first of about 2,000 appearances on Turner tonight. Radio stations on the way down to Birmingham were already playing wall-to-wall Christmas songs. The wife and kids and my mom are going Christmas shopping tomorrow. I did a bit early this morning.
Please…let's all take a breath and wait another week before we start Christmas.
I ran into a lot of my former co-workers today. It was a sad occasion, the wife of one of the photographers passed away this week after a long fight with cancer. I went to the funeral today and for the first time in more than a year, saw many of my friends from the tv station.
Everyone was very friendly, even the former station manager who's now general manager walked over to say hello and shake hands. I saw my former news director sitting on the front row as the service was about to begin.
I spoke to the person sitting with her, shook his hand and then said hello to her and reached out to shake her hand too. Now, let me admit I didn't expect any warm hugs but I didn't expect the reaction I got. Instead of politely saying hello and shaking my hand, she crossed her arms and turned her head, leaving me standing there with my hand reached out and I'm sure a pretty weird look on my face.
Oh well, I won't lose any sleep over it. A couple of my former co-workers saw the whole thing and asked me about it later. I suppose she may be a hater because of some things I've written on this blog, who knows?
Geesh, even the Indians sat down with the Pilgrims.
Thanks to the internet, you don't HAVE to stand in line Friday morning for some of the big holiday sales.
Sadly the best Thanksgiving episode of a television series is not available for viewing again. There continues a disagreement with the distributors of WKRP in Cincinnati and the folks who recorded the music played on the show.
It isn't on DVD. TV Land stopped airing it several years ago after miserably replacing the rock songs with generic musical pieces. It's sad really, when you look in the Best Buy and Circuit City ads on Sunday and see that "Caroline in the City" and "What's Happening" boxed sets are now availble on DVD but still no "WKRP". And no "The Wonder Years" either because of the same reason.
Jim left a War Eagle post earlier and I saw this shot as I visited his website. Thanks Jim, and WDE to you too.
Somebody give this kid a scholarship.


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Date: 26th Nov '16
Venue: Sublime Galleria(see map)
Who said coffee is just for drinking? Bengaluru-based Dheeraj Gadicherla aka Distractor took the love of coffee to the next level and started using it as a medium to paint with. He used to paint as kid and re-kindled his passion for painting, after he quit his job in 2012.
Without any formal training in art, Dheeraj uses remarkable techniques to create his artworks. He explains light and shade, depth and dimension mark all his paintings. He first sketches in pencil which takes him three to four hours. And then he paints with coffee which takes about anothert three to four hours. And the coffee takes two days to dry. He then applies four layers of lacquer, and that takes about half a day to dry. Most of The Distractor's coffee art work has been bought by customers abroad. Come to Sublime Galleria, to be awe-inspired by the artistic explorations of a coffee aficionado.


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Written by D. Daxton White• March 5, 2012• 9:28 am• Blog, Securities Fraud
Park Avenue Securities LLC fined by FINRA over ponzi scheme.
As a result of a FINRA investigation, Park Avenue Securities LLC was recently censured and fined $175,000.
Without admitting or denying the findings, Park Avenue Securities consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings that it conducted an inadequate investigation of its representatives' involvement in a Ponzi scheme and of allegations two registered representatives made.
The findings stated that Park Avenue Securities became aware that two of its registered representatives had participated in unapproved private securities transactions by facilitating investments in the Ponzi scheme for themselves and others, some of whom were firm customers, without notifying the firm or obtaining its permission. According to FINRA's findings, Park Avenue Securities apparently initiated an investigation regarding these representatives' conduct and to determine whether any other registered representatives were involved in the Ponzi scheme.
As part of the investigation, the findings state that the firm sent a questionnaire to its registered representatives in two states soliciting information about any involvement in the Ponzi scheme. Notwithstanding the allegation two registered representatives made that one of the firm's insurance supervisors knew about their involvement with the Ponzi scheme, the firm permitted him to be one of the people collecting responses to the firm's questionnaire.
The findings also included that the firm failed to fully investigate the extent of the insurance supervisor's involvement with the Ponzi scheme despite evidence discovered later that should have led the firm to conclude that he was involved.
FINRA also found that counsel for the two registered representatives informed the firm that a member of the firm's supervisory staff had suggested that the registered representatives destroy documents and provide misleading information in connection with Park Avenue Securities' internal investigation.
Based on the foregoing, FINRA found that Park Avenue Securities took inadequate steps to investigate these allegations.
This information which is publicly available on FINRA's website has been provided by The White Law Group, LLC.
If you have questions about investments you made with Park Avenue Securities LLC, the securities attorneys of The White Law Group may be able to help. To speak with a securities attorney, please call the firm's Chicago office at 312/238-9650.
The White Law Group, LLC is a national securities fraud, securities arbitration, investor protection, and securities regulation/compliance law firm with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Boca Raton, Florida.
For more information on The White Law Group, please visit our website at https://whitesecuritieslaw.com.
Tags: FINRA arbitration attorney, FINRA arbitration lawyer, Park Avenue Securities FINRA fine, Park Avenue Securities FINRA investigation, Park Avenue Securities FINRA sanction, Park Avenue Securities fraud, Park Avenue Securities losses, Park Avenue Securities ponzi scheme, Park Avenue securities pyramid scheme, Park Avenue Securities supervisory problems, ponzi scheme attorney, ponzi scheme lawyer, pyramid scheme attorney Last modified: July 17, 2015
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I Am Going To The Opera Italian Translation
August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 admin
Some of the best Italian food I've ever had and just about the coziest. Before even meeting designers in person, they can.
Explore Dictionary.com. a performance of one: to go to the opera. 1635–45; < Italian: work, opera < Latin, plural of opus service, work, a work, opus.
Feb 1, 2003. I return to the subject of the English National Opera and its chairman, Mr Martin. to talk about its finances nor Mr Smith's cap-in-hand approach to the Arts. I am most certainly not saying that they would not on occasion – on many, The romantic, lyrical beauty of Italian is, frankly, better suited to the works.
Chain-smoking Italian was seen holding a pack of cigarettes on touchline. "I will smoke in the evening, not during the mat.
Foreword by Joseph H. Peterson. This interesting grimoire was published by S.L. Mathers in 1898, and a second edition was published in 1900 by J.M. Watkins, London.
Here is a translation of Pope Francis' full speech (which was delivered in Italian. not go away, and whose solution calls.
And Tonda, which roughly translates to "round" in Italian. translation). Of course, the Bugatti co-branded watches like th.
Babylon [USA] Updated 6/26/00. Babylon (78), Night Over Never (89), Better Conditions for the Dead (89)Very Genesis influenced Floridian band who put out a coveted album in the late seventies.
Google Translate extension translates text (up to 5000 characters), words. Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Irish, Italian,
Artaxerxes was Arne's most ambitious opera in the Italian style, and was first. It is a parallel text with Italian on one side of the leaf facing the English translation on the. Going to the opera was a social occasion in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Lisa Harrison heads to the pub.. Italian. go wrong? The table was five steps away so I could easily answer any queries.
(the English translation. I will go into more detail on the topics than the writeup does), but I think I would like to off.
"I have hit rock bottom and there is no way I am going back there, the only way is up now and I. where he represented the.
Aug 31, 2017. Learn both the Italian lyrics and English translation of Mimi's Aria from Puccini's famous opera La Boheme. When Rodolfo reveals to Mimi that he has fallen in love with her, he wants to know all about her. He asks her to tell him. me, I know nothing. I am only your neighbor who comes out to bother you.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instead, thanks to Trippett's dogged determination to translate and decipher a neglected sketchboo.
Every year, summer brings a merry-go-round of global music festivals. of such events and the potential thrill of "the vibe.
Old Fashioned Hymns For Baptist Funerals Apr 10, 2011. A comparison between a Baptist hymnal popular in 1950-70 and the current LDS hymnal shows. Obituaries · Newsletters · Podcasts. in my
Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images "They're going to throw me out. It has been a soap opera but with a h.
Sorted alphabetically by last name (with some monarchs and leaders sorted by their first names, e.g. William the Silent). This article refers only to last words of persons who actually lived or are believed to have actually lived. Last words of fictional characters can be found in Fictional last.
. audiences as "even crazier than I am," and Richard Strauss later said he was " mad with. Our pop-up book production of The Italian Girl in Algiers has been just as. Production by. Edward Hastings. Sung In. Italian. Instant Translation Screen. talks about love and its role in the Santa Fe Opera's production of 'The Italian.
Dec 8, 2016. There's a saying in Italy about singing that goes, "si canta come si parla", Although I was trained to be an opera singer, a good vocal. In this series of articles, I am going to explain what I refer to as the Traditional Italian Method of. which is (loosely translated) "a lyrical style of operatic singing using a full.
Italian popular Songs with lyrics and translation – page 1. Click here to visit our frequently asked questions about HTML5 video. Share. I am the Italian.
Touchingly, she went on: "I am willing to accept you as you are. which was itself based on a 1562 translation of an epic I.
Met Titles are a custom-designed system for simultaneous translation created by the Metropolitan Opera. They are available in English, Spanish, and German for.
Lifehacker reader Gabriel Wyner was tasked. About Gabriel Wyner: "I am an opera singer, and part of my job involves singing in Italian, French, German, English, and Russian (and sometimes Czech, Sp.
Opera Pub, Faiano: See 53 unbiased reviews of Opera Pub, rated 4.5 of 5 on. Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi 51, 84098 Faiano, Pontecagnano Faiano, Italy. Google Translation. More. 7:00 PM – 12:00 AM. know better book better go better.
Feb 16, 2016. Wagner, who disliked Italian opera, nevertheless had an enormous. of the intentions of the work's creators, though I'm not aware of any. Several people asked how I was going to translate the opening words of the opera's.
Aug 24, 2012. Translated as 'let's go,' you'll need to keep this one handy if you're running late. I'm very glad I learned this phrase as I almost overpaid for a.
Aug 6, 2013. The most useful, basic Italian words and phrases you'll need to start. So to experience off-the-beaten-path Italy, a little Italian goes a long way!. Dai: This exclamation is short, but packs a lot of meaning. But I'm here to say how much I enjoyed your posts. The Top 7 Italian Opera Houses (in Pictures).
Souls By John Singer Sargent Find the monthly TCM movie schedule and programming guide and learn what classic movies will be shown on Turner Classic Movies this month. May 30,
Every effort has been taken to translate the unique features of the printed book into. You go to London with despatches—; I'm your courier—and our Susanna.
significant number of Italian opera librettos, a phenomenon whose analysis can prove. invested public and in consequence about translation strategies, albeit. Gheorghe Asachi and George Baronzi, followed by M.A. Canini and I.G.
Oct 2, 2013. His operas are well known – but what about Verdi's work as a member of parliament and fervent supporter of Italian unification?. still acutely conscious of the slogan's double meaning and its clandestine resonance for the.
The Oscar-winner proved she could translate her acting. It's the accent that is an Italian accent, but in English. And on.
Amici, a local support organization whose full name is the New Orleans Friends of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, he.
Apr 19, 2012. This is the method I've used to learn four languages (Italian, By skipping the English, I'm practicing thinking in the language directly, and not translating every. About Gabriel Wyner: "I am an opera singer, and part of my job.
I am heartbroken to report that my friend. When he returned he said, "It's all right. Aretha knows the Italian. She's goin.
What Are Principals In An Orchestra Welcome to the 31st season of the Orchestra of Northern New York. With a wide array of brilliant orchestral masterpieces from our classics to our
Jimmy Seas Live Music Tiki Island Radio. Hawaiian Reggae (Jawaiian), Reggae, Trop Rock, Calypso, and Island Vibes music, with discussion about topics from the tropics. Lyrics to 'Big River'
I'm feeling pretty down about the way things are going in this job, especially since I found out earlier this week that my contract is being "suspended" next month (Italian private companies. slice.
Image The opera was not unanimously hailed at its premiere at the Salzburg Festival in 1966.CreditAnny Madner/Archive of the.
List Of Gospel Music Alan Jackson Songs
Sydney Opera House Over Budget


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Feb. inflation scrapes top of 2018 target
March 7, 2018 | 12:33 am
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia believes that measures to cushion inflation's impact on the poor 'are urgently needed'.
By Ranier Olson R. Reusora
THE INCREASE of prices of widely used goods quickened further in February on account largely of the heavily weighted food and non-beverage sector, the government reported yesterday.
Reflecting the new rebased index under 2012 prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said that headline inflation picked up to 3.9% last month, up from 3.4% in January and the 3.1% clip a year ago. The inflation reading was fastest in more than three years since September 2014's 3.9%.
February's pace brought year-to-date headline inflation to 3.7% against the BSP's 2-4% target range for the year.
Using the previous 2006-based prices, inflation stood at 4.5% in February, past the midpoint of the 4-4.8% estimate range given by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)'s Department of Economic Research for the month. February's actual 2006-based pace was also above the 4.2% median forecast of 14 economists polled by BusinessWorld last week.
Meanwhile, core inflation (based on 2006 prices) — which excludes volatile food and energy prices — jumped to 4.4% from 3.9% in January.
In last week's press briefing, BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said that despite the rebasing of the consumer price index, the central bank's target range of 2-4% for the year still makes sense and does not need to be changed, citing the economy's current "stage of development as well as the inflation dynamics."
The new series puts less weight on food overall in 2012 than in 2006, but assign bigger weights to rice and other cereals, ING Bank senior economist Jose Mario I. Cuyegkeng noted.
"Non-alcoholic beverages weight in 2012 [is] marginally higher. Non-food commodities weight [is] higher due to higher weights for transport, health, education (tertiary), communication and restaurants. Dominated lower weights for housing and utilities, clothing, furnishings and recreation," he said.
PSA said the acceleration in February (based on 2012 prices) was led by the faster 4.8% annual gain in the heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages index, compared to January's 4.4% and February 2017's three percent.
The 16.9% double-digit annual increase in alcoholic beverages and tobacco also contributed to the spike in overall price increases in February, faster than January's 12.2% increase and more than double February 2017's 7.2%.
Higher annual price hikes were also noted in the indices of transport (5.8% from the previous month's 4.5%); furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house (2.5% from 2.2%); restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (2.5% from 2.2%); as well as clothing and footwear (2% from 1.9%).
Guian Angelo S. Dumalagan, market economist at the Land Bank of the Philippines, attributed February's inflation spike "primarily" to Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law that cut personal income tax rates but reduced exemptions from the value added tax and added levies on cars, fuel, sugar-sweetened drinks, investment products and a host of other items when it took effect in January.
"Apart from the TRAIN law, other factors such as weather disturbances and the depreciation of the peso also pushed inflation higher by boosting the costs of some agricultural products and increasing the local currency value of imported goods," he said.
Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion, chief economist at Union Bank of the Philippines, also attributed the increase to the TRAIN law but also cited higher utility rates (with an 8.6% increase month-on-month), a weaker peso (a 2.5% decline from January) and rice supply shocks.
The overall electricity rate increased to P9.47 per kilowatt-hour (/kWh) in February from P8.72/kWh in January. The Manila Electric Co., the country's largest electricity distributor, implemented a P1.08/kWh rate hike in two tranches — the first consisting of 0.75/kWh increase in February and the P0.33/kWh balance this month.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said in a statement that "[m]easures to curb inflation and cushion its impact on the poor are urgently needed" with February inflation scraping the top of the government's full-year target.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, NEDA's director general, said that while February inflation was "still within the 2-4% target… the government should remain vigilant and prepared to implement measures that will mitigate the upside risks to inflation."
"The transitory impact of the TRAIN law and the continued depreciation of the Philippine peso will mainly influence price movements in the coming months, and we must ensure that mitigating measures should be in place," Mr. Pernia added.
"[The] government must pay closer attention to the poor."
Mr. Pernia suggested expansion of the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino cash-transfer program, facilitating disbursements of unconditional cash transfers (UCT) for poor households that could be hit most by higher prices due to TRAIN as they do not benefit from the personal income tax cut, and replacing the quantitative restrictions on rice with tariffs, hence, helping the country's farmers.
Up to 30% of the money collected under TRAIN is allocated to social services like the UCT program. Beneficiaries of the program — around 10 million poor households — will receive P200 monthly (or P2,400 a year) this year and P300 monthly (P3,600 a year) next year.
Mr. Pernia also noted that some businesses have been "prematurely increasing" selling prices even if their input costs have not risen due to TRAIN.
Analysts at Nomura expects headline inflation at 4.3% for this year based on the old series, but noted upside risks "given January and February have already averaged 4.25%."
"There are also impending increases in electricity rates and further out, we expect coal tax increases mandated in TRAIN to eventually be passed on to consumers, pushing electricity tariffs higher. Importantly, we believe core inflation will also remain under upward pressure as the output gap becomes more positive," the Nomura report added.
"In terms [of] monetary policy, we reiterate our forecast of a total 100 basis points in policy rate hikes by BSP this year, starting at its 22 March meeting, in response to rising inflation and inflation expectations."
For his part, Landbank's Mr. Dumalagan said: "For March, inflation is expected to rise further based on the 2006 base year, as the full effect of the TRAIN law comes into play," citing Energy department expectations that higher fuel excise taxes will take full effect this month or in April.
"Furthermore, the weakness of the peso will continue to push prices higher by making imported goods more expensive in local currency terms. A weaker peso, coupled with rising oil prices in the international market, could also push inflation higher by further increasing the costs of fuel and other products that use fuel as a raw material."
Mr. Dumalagan expects inflation to average around 4.3% this year.
On the other hand, UnionBank's Mr. Asuncion does not think the BSP will pull the trigger next month, saying that the February result is within its estimates.


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The Staten Island Children's Museum is celebrating Black History Month with quilting, learning about Black trailblazers, cooking dishes from South Africa and Guyana, and West African drumming workshops.
The Museum has two timed ticketed sessions available from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and will also be open for NYC Public School Mid-Winter Recess from Sunday, February 20 through Saturday, February 26.
Visitors to the Walk in! Workshop will be making quilts inspired by various fiber artists in the African American Art community. African American quilting has a deep and rich historical connection to African heritage, migration and settlement. Contemporary Black artists create artistic quilts that highlight Black identity, Black empowerment and Black beauty.
On Saturday, February 12 at 4:00 pm, MakerspaceNYC will guide visitors in making astronaut helmets inspired by Mae Jemison, an engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut, and who became the first Black woman to travel into space!
ShopRite Kidz Cook with Ms. Becky will focus on dishes from South Africa and Guyana. Throughout the day, Sunday, February 13, visitors will be making sweet oat bars called Crunchies from South Africa and similarly on Sunday, February 20, they will be making Chickpea Curry with Cauliflower from Guyana.
During Mid-Winter Recess, Sunday, February 20 through Saturday, February 26: the Museum will be open daily with timed admission sessions and host a week-long camp Monday through Friday for children aged 5 – 9. Camp details are available on their website. For visitors, choreographer Walter Rutledge will be there Monday through Wednesday, throughout the day, offering alternating dance parties and West African drumming workshops with percussionist and Staten Island native Tom Steely. There will be instruments for all participants to play. On Thursday and Friday, Walter will lead Mardi Gras mask-making dance parties incorporating New Orleans music.
In honor of Children's Dental Health Month, on Wednesday, February 23 at 12:00 pm and 2:15 pm, Dr. Marcia Greene of Bayview Dental Care will lead walk-in, 50 minute workshops on dental hygiene and clay tooth creating.
Saturday, February 26 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, children will be excited to see Casey Carle's funny and informative Bubble Mania (rescheduled from January). Visitors will learn how bubbles form, why they are spherical, how to make a cube bubble and the science of bubble bursting all while watching sculptures being created out of bubbles.
Tickets are available at https://sichildrensmuseum.org/tickets.
The Staten Island Children's Museum is located on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301. For more information call 718-273-2060, email [email protected] or visit sichildrensmuseum.org.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Celebrate-Black-History-Month-At-Staten-Island-Childrens-Museum-20220209
Posted in Gardening ToolsTagged #Black #Celebrate #Childrens #History #Island #month #Museum #Staten
Ethan Allen Brings Competitive Advantages By Design (NYSE:ETD)
Thu Feb 10 , 2022
Tomsmith585/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc. (NYSE:ETD) is an interior designer company, manufacturer, and retailer of home furnishings in a luxury market category. The company's strategy of extensive vertical integration, and its focus on primarily sourcing from North America has positioned it well to prosper during the […]
A liberal dose of pepper on his terrace
Tiny on the outside – big on the inside: peek inside a Dublin family home with a riverside garden
Divided Chandigarh MC House leaves imposition of pet bylaws in limbo
This 1930s Mediterranean villa with a view of Seattle's Lake Union could be yours for $3.3M
Amritsar Calling: A garden city with a green thumb


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Should Your Avoid Topical Issues in Your Writing?
Today I'm once again visiting my friend Janice Hardy, talking about tackling topical issues in your writing.
Posted by Paul Anthony Shortt at 12:28 PM No comments:
Seeing Women's Issues From a Male Perspective
It's been over a week since my last post. I'm sorry about that. I've been dedicating a lot of my time to completing Red Skies so I can send it to my editor.
With this post, I'm fully expecting to receive some flak. And honestly, that's okay. I'm only human, and I'll say some things the wrong way. I'll own that, and try to correct myself if I don't manage to say this right.
I'm also about to get back into a topic which was a source of much debate for me last year; sexism. And I'm about to address a particular response to women's issues that I'm frankly tired of seeing. To preface, this is not directed at All Men (I can't tell you how much I hate even having to make that clarification, but it seems I do), but rather at any man who has seen an article shared detailing the experiences of women, and the negative consequences of those experiences, and felt compelled to comment with anything along the lines of "not all men do this", "this happens to men too", or any variation thereof.
Feminism takes a lot of heat. When it began, it was because women were generally seen as having a particular place in society and a role to fulfil, and if they stepped out of that place, it would be detrimental to humanity as we knew it. Years, decades passed, and we saw many feminists naturally become more frustrated and aggressive, as women were still not taken seriously in their issues. This was the start of the "RadFem" or "Feminiazi" movements that we sometimes hear about today. The perception of feminism shifted from "women stepping out of their place" to "women hating men and blaming them for their problems."
But therein lies the problem. Men, seeing a woman express her concerns, needs, and fears, and thinking "how does this affect me?" Guys, we're all horribly insecure. How could we not be? We have the media telling us how many women we're supposed to sleep with, how good we're supposed to be in bed, how much money we're meant to make. When we see someone with a problem that might, in some way, relate to us, we go into defensive mode. So "how does this affect me?" becomes "are they blaming me for this?"
We don't stop and think "how can that person's situation be made better?"
There are three fundamental obstacles that hinder a person's ability to help another with an issue:
The issue does not affect them directly
Inability to see from the other person's perspective how the issue affects them
Inability to understand the difference between "I want you to understand my problem" and "I want to blame you for my problem."
Now imagine you're a straight white man. All other issues of economics, health, and education being equal, a straight white man has a significant advantage over a person of any other gender, skin colour, or sexual orientation. The circumstances of your life have told you one of two things: (1) You are supposed to strive for everything you desire, and/or (2) you are entitled to have everything you desire. These carry with them certain pressures. We want things, we feel we deserve them, and we worry that we'll be judged if we don't achieve them.
So when a woman says she's suffering unfairly, it's a common instinct to go "Hang on, I've worked hard to get where I am, why should she be treated better than me just for being a woman?"
What many men don't realise is that for as hard as we work, most women have to work harder, or with obstacles we're not aware of, to achieve the same amount.
Another common reaction is "Well I didn't do that to her, so why am I being blamed?" This comes from that insecurity I mentioned before. If a woman is telling us about a problem, she must think we're to blame, right? But that's not what's going on. The single biggest thing standing in the way of equality, no matter which group you're dealing with, is getting other people to take your issues seriously. That's the goal, here. When you see someone sharing an article about how women frequently avoid walking home alone at night, or have a friend informed when they go on a first date, just in case they're assaulted, they're not saying "I blame all you men for this." They're saying "I wish you could understand why this happens, and why it's a problem."
So what can we do? Not Men, as a collective, but men, as individuals? If we're not the ones to blame, and we're compassionate enough to realise that another person's problems are important even if they don't directly relate to us, what can we do?
It's not about us
We don't have to (and shouldn't) bring every conversation on women's issues back to how men are affected by similar things. Yes, men suffer from unique issues too, and those things should be addressed, but there's nothing constructive, when a person says "I've got this problem" by responding with "Yeah, but what about my problem?"
It's not all-or-nothing
It's not all men that are rapists, but it's certainly enough men, and enough women are held to blame for being a victim, that there are serious problems with how we address the issue. It's not that every time a woman expresses an opinion on a comic book cover or video game that she'll be persecuted, but it's enough times that we should examine why it is that a man's opinion on these matters is given more credence and leeway than a woman's. It's not that men never get raped or abused or the victims of violence, but that these are usually in different enough circumstances that the problems and potential solutions are not always the same.
It's about listening
There's nothing to be gained by speaking over someone who's trying to speak up for themselves. Step back and let the woman speak, see what she has to say, without jumping to conclusions. When you really listen to someone's problems and try to understand how this effects them and why they're coming out with it, you can learn some amazing things.
It's about compassion
If you'd been attacked or hurt, and you went to someone for help, you'd want to be treated with compassion. If someone you loved was hurt, you'd care. Give the compassion you'd like to receive, and spread the care you'd give to others, regardless of their relationship to you. It's incredible the different a simple "That's awful, are you okay?" can make to someone who's been through a traumatic incident.
It's about working together
I'm a member of HeForShe, the UN's new movement to get men and boys involved in women's rights. I was once, long ago, the kind of guy who thought feminists were all killjoys who wanted to blame men for their problems and take all the fun stuff out of movies and games. But I started listening to women and realising that what they were asking for was no more than I'd want for myself, to be treated fairly, without their gender becoming a deciding factor in their career or social situations. And I learned that if I didn't want to think that women were blaming me for mistreating them, then I should start by not being the kind of guy who mistreats women, whether that be by my actions, my words, or even how I think about women's issues. I stopped getting defensive and trying to explain how I was "not that kind of guy" and started responding to what was actually being said.
Guys, most of us are basically decent. Let's start making sure that enough of us act that way.
Posted by Paul Anthony Shortt at 1:19 PM No comments:
A Turn of Events
Last week I was talking about trying to raise the money to pay for Red Skies to be edited.
This week I'm delighted to say that, thanks to a refund of overpaid tax, I have the money to get the edits done! This places me nicely on schedule, as work on the manuscript is going well, and I'm on track to have the first draft completed before the end of the month.
I still need to see how the edits themselves go, and have a cover designed, but all going well I think the book should be ready for release some time in the spring. I'm very excited. This series means more and more to me every day I work on it, and it's been an exciting challenge to push myself into a new genre and to tackle new themes. More than anything, I think Lady Raven was what really made me realise that I wanted to write stories to show that monsters can be beaten.
I'm hopeful that I'll get the print version of Lady Raven re-released soon, too. I'm planning some promotional stuff to go with it, and if anyone would like to help, by hosting me for a guest post or interview, or doing a review of the book, please get in touch.
So stay tuned and sign up to my mailing list to keep up with the latest news and promotional info.
Thoughts on Stacey Jay
Some of you may have heard about Stacey Jay, the pen-name of an author who set up a Kickstarter for the sequel to an earlier book after her publisher decided not to continue with the series. For those who haven't, what happened was that there was some backlash to the fact that she stated that around $7,000 of the $10,500 goal would go towards "mortgage, groceries, and gas for my family during the three months it will take me to write the book."
Now, Kickstarter has this guideline against "fund me while I do X." The money raised has to go towards a specific project, which must result in some product at the end. Let's put a pin in that for now.
Stacey advised potential backers that she wanted to take three months to concentrate on this book, as opposed to using some of that time to work on other writing projects which she knew could earn her money. In other words, the extra money she was hoping to raise was in order to bring out the book sooner than if she'd had to work on this book alongside other projects. And she was honest about that.
But there was a negative response to this, with some questioning whether it was appropriate to take Kickstarter money and put it towards something other than the creator's own expenses. Stacey seems to have been having a hard time of late, and this wound up being the final push that has left her deciding to cancel the Kickstarter and give up on her pen-name, at least for a while.
I'm left trying to figure out where the line is drawn between a creator's freedom to use their funding as they feel is required, and a backer's rights to decide how their money is spent. When you pre-order a book on Amazon, for example, you would never assume that the royalties the author earns will only be spent on editing and cover design. Leaving aside the specific amount of money being requested up-front, if someone's willing to pay $10 for an ebook, and they get the ebook as promised, whose business is it how exactly the money is spent?
I asked over on Chuck Wendig's blog, but didn't really get a response from the naysayers I was addressing, what is the difference between the following:
(A) An author asking for $10,000, on the understanding that $7,000 of that would be used to ensure that the book would be released in 3 months.
(B) An author asking for $3,000, on the understanding that the book would be released in 6 months, but receiving $10,000, and as a reward for the enthusiastic backers, deciding to leave aside other projects and release the book 3 months early.
Kickstarter is a great tool. It's yet another way for authors to bring their work to a quality that can compete in today's market. It's probably not right for me, at the moment, and yes there are Kickstarter projects I haven't backed because I don't like the reward levels offered or the amount I would have to pay to receive what I'd want from the creator. I've seen publishers offer the chance to write a book for them as a reward for backing a project at a certain level. I've seen people set up a Kickstarter to fund their pledge for another Kickstarter. I don't approve of these, so I don't back them. I might even bitch to a friend about it. But I don't take the creator to task for it.
When a man can receive $55,000 to make a batch of potato salad, what is inherently wrong with a woman trying to see if there's enough reader interest in a book that she can devote her full attention to writing it? Particularly when compared to the likes of the guy who took $122,000 (after a $35,000 starting goal) to produce a board game and simply cancelled the project, claiming the money was all spent and the game couldn't be made, with no explanation of where the money had gone except for a vague summary of costs, including using some of the money to move back to Portland.
People use Kickstarter to raise money for business projects. Business projects are intended to make money for those behind them. If you don't like the idea of someone making money off of things they create, perhaps don't back Kickstarters? Or buy things. At all? I don't know. Perhaps Stacey Jay would have been better off just asking for money and not telling the truth about her intentions.
What do you guys think? Am I way off base here, and Stacey was engaged in truly unethical practices, or is the answer to seeing Kickstarters you don't like to simply not back them?
Give Me Money!
I was running some numbers yesterday. I need to raise money in order to pay for the edits on Red Skies. Without these edits, I'm not comfortable sending the next book in the Lady Raven series out into the world.
Unfortunately, my current book sales aren't coming close to covering what I need, and I don't have enough disposable income to shell out the amount I need.
I looked into Kickstarter, since it seems to be the hot thing for many authors, musicians, and game developers. But if I've done the math right, in order to account for possible stretch goals and reward levels that would include hard copies of books, I would have to raise over three times the amount I expect to need, per book. Given that the very people I'd be turning to to back the Kickstarter are the same people I'd be turning to to buy my books in the first place, I don't see the logic in this. While hitting stretch goals would mean that backers could get all three books for about €10, that is very unlikely.
See, in order to make sure that backers weren't getting screwed over, paying above the odds post-release, I would need almost 2,000 people to back a Kickstarter that would result in being able to release just Red Skies. To say nothing of the third and fourth books in the series.
But, if 2,000 people bought any one of my books, I would earn enough to cover the editing costs for Red Skies, easy. And it would have the added benefit of increasing my ranking on Amazon and free up a lot of organisational time that I can put to writing more books.
So folks, if you've read any of my books and want to read more, particularly if you want to see the Lady Raven series continue, buy more of my books! Hire me as an editor or tell your writer friends about my services. Buy my books as gifts. Tell people how much you enjoy them. Leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and blogs. If you're a published author, and you're willing to be quoted on my site, on Amazon, or on my cover copy, tell me what you've thought. Anything at all will help.
A question to get some discussion going: What encourages you to pick up a book? Knowing the author? Amazon reviews? Good marketing?
Announcing Origin!
My first blog post of 2015 is something special. Beginning this month, I will be releasing my all-new e-serial, Origin.
Will Thorne lives an obedient life. He goes to work to support his mother and brother. He follows the law. He reports dissident behavior. He looks the other way when a police officer brutally subdues a suspect. It's easy for someone like him to get by in a world controlled by the men and women who watch over the people. The ones with the powers. The ones who once wore masks.
But Will's obedience is put to the test when his brother's criminal activities finally catch up to him. After a terrible accident, Will finds himself imbued with unique powers of his own, and conscripted into the ranks of the Power and Authority Department.
Finding himself on the other side of the protests and barricades, using his superhuman abilities against ordinary people desperate for freedom, how far can Will push the limits of his conscience? Will he become another part of the oppressive forces that rule the world? Or will he find the strength within himself to rise against his superhuman masters, and show the world what a real hero can do?
Obedience, Part 1 of Origin, will be released on January 31st, initially through Wattpad. Sign up and follow me there to read for free! Following this, I will release it, and future installments, on Amazon, for Kindle.
Posted by Paul Anthony Shortt at 9:00 AM 5 comments:


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NewsAnd human rights? Qatar has arrested and mistreated LGBT...
And human rights? Qatar has arrested and mistreated LGBT people before the World Cup
DOHA, Qatar – Qatari security forces arbitrarily arrested and ill-treated LGBT people from that country last month, he said Monday in the run-up to the World Cup, which has highlighted human rights issues in the state. Arab from the Persian Gulf.
Homosexuality is illegal in this conservative Muslim country, and some soccer stars have raised concerns about the rights of fans traveling to the event, especially LGBT+ people and women, who rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate.
A Qatari official said in a statement that HRW's allegations "contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false," without specifying.
The organizers of the World Cup, which begins on November 20 and is the first to be held in a Middle Eastern country, say that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or origin, is welcome, although they also warn against displays of affection in public
"Freedom of expression and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity must be guaranteed, on a permanent basis, for all Qatari residents, not just for spectators going to Qatar for the World Cup," HRW said in a statement.
The organization said it had interviewed six LGBT Qataris, including four transgender women, a bisexual woman and a gay man, who reported being detained between 2019 and 2022 and subjected to verbal and physical abuse, including kicking and punching.
They were held without charge in an underground prison in Doha, HRW said, and one person was held for two months in solitary confinement.
They said police forced them to sign pledges that they would "stop engaging in immoral activities," adding that the detained transgender women were forced to attend conversion therapy sessions at a government-sponsored clinic.
Qatar does not "authorize or manage 'conversion centres,'" the Qatari official said.
One of the Qatari transgender women interviewed by HRW told Reuters on condition of anonymity that she had been arrested several times, most recently this summer, when she was held for several weeks.
Authorities detained her because of her appearance or because she had makeup, the woman said, adding that she had been beaten until she bled and her head was shaved.
Espionage? To go to Qatar 2022 you must install these two apps
Ehteraz and Hayya are the apps that every tourist should have on their smartphone, but they are already worrying security experts
Migrants were injured in Qatar; Now FIFA is looking for compensation
The institution wants to help workers in Qatar obtain compensation for being injured while building projects for the World Cup.
FIFA wants you to watch more football on its streaming platform
The technology company will fuel the growth of the streaming platform, starting with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Ready for the World Cup? This is Rappi and Didi Food's plan for Qatar...
Rappi is focusing efforts on dressing fans, while Didi Food wants app partners to get discounts.
FIFA announces an app to see the metrics of Qatar 2022 players
More and more tools are used to monitor player data. On this occasion, FIFA has just announced its own app.


We apologies for any inconvenience. You can still contact the organisers directly at amjgreece@gmail.com to check if there are still any availability.
An event that promotes peace, tolerance, mutual understanding between humanity.
This Symposium is a key event of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Greece held at Divani Caravel Hotel, Athens and marks the 5th to date. This is an event that promotes peace, tolerance, mutual understanding between humanity. It also promotes a deeper understanding of Islam and other faiths and seeks to inspire a concerted effort for lasting peace. The theme for this year's peace symposium is 'Global Conflicts and Our Responsibilities'.
The unique event is attended by various distinguished guests including parliamentarians, diplomats, faith and civic leaders as well as representatives from numerous charities and faith communities. Various dignitaries will give short speeches.
The event also includes an exhibition of the Holy Qur'an & free refreshments.