The Buick Regal GS 2014 has power, room and comfort. It comes with all the traditional automobile bells and whistles: power everything, cruise control, individual air temperature zones and driver-selectable handling options of standard, sport and high performance.
Like a growing number of upscale cars, it also has electronics. As in lights, camera and action -- literally.
The auto and tech industries have been moving closer to each other. The former needs the ability to further distinguish vehicles and woo the public. The latter has cracked the work and home environments and now wants to a part of the time people spend getting from one to the other.
General Motor's (GM) OnStar service and a Verizon (VZ) 4G LTE mobile connection of its own.AM, FM and satellite radios provide a lot of choices for listening. The LTE connection supports a build-in option for Internet music streaming service Pandora (P).A Bluetooth interface lets you use your phone hands-free.A Wi-Fi hotspot supports up to seven devices, so passengers never have to look up from their tablets or smartphones.Downloadable apps for such things as music, news, weather and travel information.Voice smartphone tricks commands provide a variety of controls, including switching to specific radio channels.Full GPS and mapping offer directions and a visual sense of where you are.Displays show vehicle data such as tire pressure and diagnostic reports.Shift into reverse and the center panel displays a view from the backup camera. Proximity sensors warn if a car or pedestrian is coming up on either side.While driving, the side mirrors also have proximity detectors that light to warn you if traffic is in a blind spot.While parking, more proximity detectors show through a console display how close you're getting to an object ahead and give an audio warning before contact.Appropriately set the cruise control, and if a car moves into your lane too close for comfort, the Buick automatically slows down to regain the amount of space you want to maintain.
The experience is impressive, and the features could easily become things a driver would depend on. The big hitch is getting used to everything. You sometimes have multiple ways of achieving the same result. Getting to many functions means repeated taps of the center touchscreen, which requires thought and could be potentially distracting until you get used smartphone tricks to the system.
Of course, GM is hardly the only car company with such technology-laden vehicles. Others are also adding a variety of capabilities, including close integration with an Apple (AAPL) iPhone. But buying a car isn't like getting the newest phone or operating system. This makes for one expensive upgrade.
Still, consumers can get some approximation of these built-in systems without the expense. A hands-free mount and adapter can make extensive use of a smartphone's capabilities. A larger phone or mounted tablet are good for GPS and mapping features. You can add your own satellite radio or even a backup camera and display.
But getting it all wrapped up in a single package is appealing. And if Santa didn't bring you one this year, next year's models will likely be even snazzier.
Intervencin y representacin en juicio, en procesos del mbito Civil, Penal, Laboral, Mercantil y Contencioso-Administrativo, cualquiera que sea su posicin procesal. Defensa letrada tanto a personas f sicas como jur dicas, y grupos de consumidores o usuarios afectados por hechos daosos.
-Desahucios (por falta de pago de abogado laboral en Tenerife rentas o cantidades debidas al arrendador, por expiracin legal o contractual del plazo, renta antigua, precario).
-Recuperacin de cr	ditos (reclamaciones de cantidad, pagar	s, cheques o letras de cambio).
-Reclamaciones por vicios constructivos (interposicin de acciones y/o defensa de intervinientes en el proceso constructivo).
-Declaraciones de ausencia legal y de fallecimiento.
-Separaciones y divorcios, guarda y custodia del menor, pensin alimenticia, etc.
-Interposicin de denuncias y querellas.
-Asistencia y defensa ante cualquier rgano jurisdiccional del mbito penal.
-Juicios Rpidos, Juicios de Falta, Procedimientos Abreviados y Sumarios.
-Primera asistencia en dependencias policiales, ante la Guardia Civil, ruedas de reconocimiento, y declaraciones en calidad de imputados en fase de Diligencias Previas.
-Defensa jur dica a la empresa demandada (tanto en el acto de conciliacin previa como en la vista de juicio oral).
-Asesoramiento en contratos de trabajo, redaccin de cartas de despido.
-Accidentes de trabajo, reclamaciones por daos y perjuicios.
- Reclamaciones de cantidad (por invalidez, incapacidad, salario, vacaciones, etc).
-Mobbing, acoso sexual, responsabilidad del empresario.
-Formalizacin de Recursos ante el TSJC.
-Fusiones, disoluciones y liquidacin de sociedades.
-Asistencia a Juntas de sociedades mercantiles.
-Reclamaciones ante la Administracin, formalizacin de Recursos.
The United Arab Emirates is a new country, less than 40 years old. It has quickly become a hallmark of booming business and tourism, especially the emirate of Dubai. Because Dubai looks so modern, it is easy for Westerners to assume that they understand the culture and the context there. Even Arabs from the Levant and North Africa often under-estimate the cultural differences in the Gulf states.
Gulf Arab culture moves at its own pace though and with its own logic. Patience and flexibility are important qualities for a successful business trip or visit to there.
Probably the best reflection of flexibility--and likely the most important word in the Gulf--is insha'Allah. Technically, insh'allah is Arabic for "as God wills it." Its use implicitly asks for God's blessing for whatever one commits to and it prevents the hubris of assuming that one has full control over matters.
In practice, insha'Allahcan mean many things from "I'll do everything in my power while allowing for God's will" to "I'll do it unless I find something better to do." It is almost always well-meant although the cynic might argue that it provides a loophole for Saudi News fate to intervene if one is not fully committed to an action. Any commitment will be accompanied by insha'Allah (for example, "the part will be in tomorrow insha'Allah" or "the taxi will be here in 20 minutes insha'Allah").
The "insha'Allah principle," as one might call it, is vital to understanding everything to do with time in the Gulf. It is a fatalistic approach that adds "hopefully" as a standard caveat.
To be able to schedule meetings or trips, one must understand the structure of time in the Arab Gulf states. Take, for example, two concepts that seem fixed in the West: the work week and holidays.
Friday is the Sabbath day in Islam. Male Muslims have an obligation to attend Friday noon prayers at the mosque. This means the work week and weekends turn on Fridays rather than on a Saturday or a Sunday Sabbath. But how this happens is not consistent throughout the Muslim world.
According to a 17 May 2006 article in the Gulf News, Sunday - Thursday became the official work week in the UAE in September 2006. This allowed for greater overlap with the major international financial centers. Qatar made this shift in 2003, with Bahrain following in 2006, Kuwait in 2007, and Oman in 2008. Yemen and Saudi Arabia seem poised to follow suit by 2010.
Such a change can create great confusion. People are more attached to the patterns set by work weeks and weekends than they realize. Many workers in the Gulf came from a Monday - Friday work week, shifted to a Saturday - Wednesday week, and then shifted again to the Sunday - Thursday week. And, of course, not all businesses made the change. So when in the Gulf, one should always find out the customary work week for his/her particular business sector!
Holidays are another variable in the Gulf. Most holidays are based on the Islamic calendar. Being lunar, the whole calendar shifts forward about 10 days each year and so is never in sync with a Gregorian calendar. Also, key religious holidays are not officially confirmed until the new moon is sighted. These holidays are indicated on printed calendars only tentatively and are not declared until the last minute. The actual date may well shift by a day or two from what had been anticipated. It is not a good idea then to set up business meetings on days that fall into the grey areas and, if one is flying in or out of the Gulf during these times, having confirmed reservations is a must. Many people are waiting for the official confirmation to make last minute reservations and flights fill up quickly.
How to Cope with Cultural Definitions of "On Time"
Time in the Arab Gulf countries is also a Saudi News variable construct. Events happen "in the fullness of time." Even the notion of being "on time" can mean something different from day to day and situation to situation.
How then does one deal with time commitments? One strategy is to take any time estimate and simply multiply it by four. Building expectations around this expanded figure takes the pressure off a situation. It is better to be pleasantly surprised if something happens faster than "X times 4" than to be stressed out that something is taking longer than "X." Taking other tasks along to keep one's self busy while waiting (books, puzzles, paperwork) can ease the flow of time too since almost nothing one can do will affect the time required.
Cultural definitions of time in the Gulf also mean that meetings, concerts, and other events are unlikely to start at the stated time unless they are exclusively by and for Westerners. The actual starting time of a meeting or event may be anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours later than the stated time. Major events have even been canceled or rescheduled at the last minute. In some cases, there also is a double standard - while it is the norm for Gulf Arabs to be late, some judge similar behavior by non-Arabs negatively, so being sensitive to this difference is helpful.
If one can relax into the more relaxed flow of time of the Gulf and of Dubai, then doing business and enjoying a holiday is much less stressful. It takes a little understanding of the cultural differences that mark the region, the willingness to be flexible, and readiness to wait for the "fullness of time."
Moran, R. T., Harris, P. R., Moran, S. V. (2007). Doing Business with Middle Easterners in Managing cultural differences: Global leadership strategies for the 21st Century, 7th ed. (pp. 306-348). Woburn MA, USA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Williams, J. (1999). Don't they know it's Friday? Cross-cultural considerations for business and life in the Gulf. Dubai: Motivate Publishing.
DJIBOUTI - The crisis in Yemen is "getting worse by the hour," the United Nations said today, as tens of thousands of people try to escape the rapidly disintegrating nation just across the Gulf of Aden.
"The current conflict in Yemen takes place against the backdrop of a humanitarian crisis of a protracted nature and of a size and a complexity which is amongst the largest in the world," the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Johannes van der Klaauw, told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland.
It's the poorest country in the Arab world - and before the recent conflict, more than 60 percent of the population required humanitarian assistance, according to Oxfam, one of the largest NGOs working on the ground. More than 13 million people do not have access to clean water and nearly nine million people are unable to access basic medical care.
The strengthening Saudi Arabian-led air campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthis now in control is systematically destroying much of the country's infrastructure - "anything there was left" of basic services, including health care is all but gone, the UN says.
The International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders have sent supplies and surgical teams into Aden, the epicenter of the recent violence, but it's a dangerous trip.
On Friday from Amman, Jordan, UNICEF sent its first airlift of urgent medical supplies that will "make the difference between life and death for children and their families," said UNICEF Yemen Representative Julien Harneis.
"But we know they are not enough, and we are planning more of these airlifts," Harneis added.
Over the last 10 days, 317 Yemeni refugees have arrived here in Djibouti, but the UN predicts some 30,000 refugees in the next six months will arrive here and some 100,000 elsewhere in Africa.
Some will arrive by air -- but most concerning, the agency said today, are those fleeing by sea from Aden -- a harrowing 24-hour, 178-mile boat NYC escorts ride across a key shipping route historically rife with pirates.
The UN refugee agency has appealed to all ships in the area to be "extra vigilant and assist any boats in distress" because there are no search and rescue operations in the Gulf of Aden.
"As demand increases, boats are likely to become more crowded and prices... more expensive," the UN humanitarian coordinator warned.
The lucky ones here in Djibouti tell of horror back home. They say more people want to get out, according to the UN - but with most ports closed and boats being held on shore in Yemen, there are few remaining routes to safety.
Earlier this week, Air India operated evacuation flights, rescuing some 4,600 Indians and nearly 1,000 people from 41 countries including America, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said.
When the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a shut its doors back in February, urging American citizens to get out of the country too, an unknown number of Americans stayed behind; now, they're trapped.
More than 50 US citizens filed lawsuits this week against the State Department and Department of Defense for failing to evacuate them.
The Council on America-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed the suit in Washington D.C., demanding the US government deploy "military ships, vessels and airplanes and/or contracting with private commercial NYC escorts ship liners and airplanes" to get Americans out. In Detroit, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee filed a suit on behalf of Wayne County residents. CAIR says more than 400 US citizens are trapped in Yemen.
Along with Asian Americans Advancing Justice, CAIR launched the website www.StuckInYemen.com to help identify those still left behind and #StuckInYemen is gaining momentum on Twitter.
Asked about America's apparent unwillingness to evacuate its citizens, State Department acting Deputy Spokesperson Jeff Rathke told reporter's at today's briefing, "We remain in contact through a variety of means to advise American citizens in Yemen about the opportunities that present themselves for people to leave, if they choose to."
Emergency messages posted on the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a's website this week advise American citizens to inquire about flights with the International Organization of Migration or the Indian Embassy - but offered no further assistance.
On Thursday, the embassy message informed Americans that "an Indian naval vessel is currently in Hodeidah and will be departing tonight for Djibouti. Additionally, there is another Indian naval leaving Djibouti tonight bound for Aden. We do not have any contact for these vessels but have been told that U.S. citizen families, including Yemeni family members, will be allowed to board."
Rathke continued at today's briefing: "We are unfortunately in a situation where access to Yemen is extremely difficult and to do so with US government assets could put other lives at risk and so we are doing the best with the circumstances as they exist."
ABC's Alexander Mallin contributed reporting from Washington.
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If you say at a thrashing for what to serve your corporate events caterers, as much you spend and see if they can beat, what to dish up. They have more knowledge about this type of planning activities that you are so they have a better idea of what is served in diverse types of parties. But Marquee Hire brisbane do not suggest they are the only one that you are superior, since in order to get your business, they offer a good arrangement.
Find the best party hire service marquee hire melbourne for your event is an essential part of event management. If you think you can get direction for the party then its fine, or else you can always hire a manager of corporate occasion experts to carry out your worries Event Management give you a good sleep. Find gourmet catering can be booted from the network of like-minded - to know which caterers are usually Gourmet recruited by friends and members of your expert relatives. Another place to find gourmet catering, the museum, and even museums are outstanding store for caterers. The museums have their own list of favored caterers and epicurean can help you if you can.
Before we hire a catering service, there are a number of important things you should take note. You should know exactly what the mood of your group events is. Is there a topic? Is this your occasion stylish or informal? This is significant information you want to know your caterer so that the subject of your event can be translated into your kitchen. You should also know whether your party hire company provides all the equipment such as tables, chairs, streamers and linens.
The advantage of being able to approach and present of your corporate event, as you want, somewhat to a specific form or limited in space, is the key to the fame and success of a marquee hire. If you need more space, you can always join a great second or third in the main tent. You can even divide parts of your event in the various capitals on the same plot on a space available of course.
Staffing of unpaid assistant is a good way to keep your budget in line so long that their mission is very clear will be announced in advance. All too often well-meaning assistant terrain with eagerness at the start of the event and then walk, talk to other guests to the heart can leave staff cope with more work than they do. If you want to take the volunteers to have a formal meeting prior to the event and hand a detailed list of tasks that need to meet them and have a clear beginning and end.
Corporate events are often difficult for the planners and participants, but if you pursue some recommendation that a pleasant and fun learning atmosphere will be made available. The feeling of your event is the key. Maintain the rustic atmosphere, friendly and flexible to your business event or business is a success.
The Hunger Games Series-The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay-garnered many positive reviews, and the first book was named one of Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year" in 2008. It has also been translated into 26 languages.
This book makes for intriguing read, especially if you love brave girls and bad boys. It is followed by two books, Prodigy and Champion. The story is based in The Republic of America, in the year 2130. Our two protagonists belong to entirely different worlds-June, a prodigy from a very rich family, and Day, the most wanted criminal in the country. Their paths cross when June's brother, Metias is killed. Day is a prime suspect, and June is assigned the task of capturing him. The book is about how when their paths cross, they realize that things are not what they seem like. There are many things that the Republic has hidden from them, and will go to any length to protect those secrets. June and Day must take a stand, and fight for the people they love.
It is a young adult fantasy novel, which was followed by Bitterblue. Every being is "graced" with a special power. Katsa is an outcast as her power is killing, she killed a man with her bare hands at the age of eight. Her uncle has trained her, and uses her to kill his enemies. But, she starts a Council to help people who were wronged by their rulers. She meets Prince Po of Lienid, who convinces her that she can stop killing for her uncle. As cmaze runner the scorch trials they travel together, they fall in love, and Katsa realizes that her real grace is not killing, but survival. The protagonist is very brave, and her adventures make for an engrossing read.
This book has been made into a major motion picture as well. It is followed by two books - The Scorch Trials (2010) and The Death Cure (2011). The protagonist, Thomas, is trapped in a maze along with other teenage boys. None of them have any memories left. He must find a way to save them all by escaping the maze as there are lethal creatures called Grievers, which are picking up boys everyday. Thomas decides to get bitten by a Griever, in an attempt to get back his memory. He eventually realizes that, the Griever hole is an cmaze runner the scorch trials exit, and the maze has a unique code. Join him in this adventurous ride!
The namesake of Reno, Nevada, and other locations in the United States, General Reno was known for fighting alongside the men he commanded. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1846 and by 1847 was commanding an artillery battery in the Mexican-American War. After that war General Reno continued his military service as an ordinance officer on an expedition to the Utah Atlanta weekly pool service Territory in 1857. In the Civil War he served as IX Corps commander. While General Reno was serving in that position in September 1862 he was killed by sharpshooter of the Confederate Army.
The ship's bell of the USS Reno is prominently featured at the center of the military flag display. The USS Reno was designed to serve as an antiaircraft ship. It was an Atlanta Class light cruiser built by the Bethlehem Steel Company in San Francisco, CA. She was the Navy's first ship to be named for Reno, Nevada. The USS Reno was launched in December 1942, commissioned in December 1943 and immediately went into service in the Pacific theatre of World War II. In November 1944 the USS Reno was struck by a torpedo Atlanta weekly pool service fired by the Japanese navy. The ship reported to the naval yard in Charleston S.C. to undergo repair from the torpedo strike. In October 1945, after the addition of living quarters for soldiers, the USS Reno made two trips to Le Havre, France in support of the war in Europe. The ship was decommissioned November 1946 and was sold for scrap March 1962.
The Freedom Flame at Powning Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated March 1973 in honor of Major Robert F. Waggoner, a pilot in the United States Air Force. Major Waggoner was shot down while flying a mission over Vietnam September 1966. He was held as a prisoner of war for six years and six months until March 1973. Major Waggoner's family moved to Reno, Nevada in June 1969 and that is where the Waggoner family was reunited following the Major's release.
The War on Terror monument honors Nevada's fallen service members who have sacrificed their lives. The park has a solemn feel and is a respected and dignified location in Reno.
Powning Veterans Memorial Park is a City of Reno park located at 150 South Virginia Street, near the Wells Fargo building. The park is well maintained by the City's park department. Free parking in the area of the park is rather limited but the park is only three blocks south of the Cal-Neva parking garages which are both free. If you happen to be visiting downtown Reno the park is nice break from all the bustle in the casinos. The Wild River Grille is near the park and is a nice place for an outdoor lunch along the Truckee River.
BRAMPTON -- At just 20 years old, Ekjot Swagh was living his dream.
In just a few short years he had already become a world champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and had received an invitation to train with two of the best known coaches in his sport, the Mendes Brothers in San Diego, California, at one of the world's top training centres, leaving his Brampton home last fall to pursue a professional career.
However, a rare arterial disease, Atherosclerosin, claimed the life of the promising athlete last weekend while he was sleeping.
"The doctor said it was a one in a million case," said his cousin Paul Sidhu.
Ekjot was the only child of his parents, father Jagmeet Singh Swagh and mother Parmjit Kaur Swagh. Sidhu said though Ekjot's parents at first wanted him to continue his education, they agreed to let him pursue a pro career in the sport he loved so much.
"He bjj training in mississauga was passionate, dedicated and determined," said Sidhu. He also had a lot of talent. He was on the wrestling team at Heart Lake Secondary School but always had an interest in Mixed Martial Arts.
In October 2010 he joined the DoggPound Mixed Martial Arts Club in Brampton. One month later he entered his first tournament, winning a silver medal.
In 2012, he claimed three gold medals at the Toronto Ascension tournament, making him a world champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. To win his world title he had to beat more experienced and older competitors who had already earned their black belts.
He attracted the attention of Rafael and Guilherme Mendes, world champions in BJJ who invited him to train in California at the ATOS gym in San Diego where UFC legend Anderson Silva trains. The club's Facebook page posted a tribute to Swagh.
"Ekjot was a nose to the grindstone grappler, not interested in shortcuts or tricks, only the best techniques and methods. Yet Ekjot's bjj training in mississauga humility and humble spirit always prevailed," the posting said.
Last October at the Canada National Pro Jiu Jitsu Championship in Montreal, Swagh finished third in the blue belt adult male absolute heavyweight division.
Sidhu said he had won a number of medals while competing in California. At his most recent tournament he won a silver medal as a blue belt competing against black belts.
But while he showed great skill he also loved the camaraderie in the sport. Sidhu said there is a video on You Tube of him after winning a fight making sure his opponent was all right before celebrating.
A funeral will be held on Saturday (Jan. 31) at Brampton Crematorium and Visitation Centre, 30 Bramwin Crt. from 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. Prayers will be held following the funeral at Ontario Khalsa Darbar (Dixie Gurdwara) at 7080 Dixie Rd., Mississauga, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Those attending must have their head covered by a scarf or bandana at the funeral home and Gurdwara and shoes must be removed. A candlelight vigil will be held at Heart Lake Secondary School, 296 Conestoga Drive from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Candles will be provided for those who don't bring their own.
Become a Franchise Owner! The Start-Up Guide to Lowering Risk, Making Money, and Owning What You Do, is a valuable resource for the franchise buyer. The Franchise King®, Joel Libava takes a very honest look at the franchising buying process providing readers with; real life examples, an effective methodical approach to researching and selecting the right franchise opportunity, and it is sprinkled with tasteful humor all throughout the book. There are tools and tips to assist anyone that has ever considered quitting their day job to take a shot a franchising.
This is the first book available as a resource to assist the franchise buyer during the franchise buying process (it is crazy that up until now franchise buyers had to 'wing it' during the franchise buying process). Libava begins the book by introducing us to James Pennington, a seemingly ideal candidate for franchise ownership who quickly turns out to be the poster-boy for what not to do when purchasing a franchise. His franchise buying experience is referenced throughout the book. Libava also briefs readers on the history of franchising and it is here that he made me realize that the invention and mass production of the automobile really was a catalyst for many franchise offerings today from gas stations to fast food and everything else in between. Shortly after the history readers are instructed to take an unscientific but very effective quiz created by Libava that assesses whether or not franchise ownership is a viable option for them. Tools are provided to assess a franchise buyers skill set and financial outlook. Additionally there are 40 important questions that should be asked before purchasing a franchise as well as critical loan and legal information. Libava even walks readers through the 'Discovery Day' process and provides a 'royal collection of resources' that are valuable for any small purchase book review business owner.
As a great personal touch, Joel Libava grades the self-evaluation quiz that determines rather or not your franchise material himself and delivers your personal score via email. I know because I took the quiz and scored relatively low (38) which came as no surprise to me because I like to be in control utilizing my own systems. But I have to admit that I am glad that I did take the quiz because I have looked at a few franchise opportunities in the past. Had I not read this book, I may have opted to make a very bad financial investment in the future (thanks Joel for the intervention!).
As a part of lowering risks, Libava instructs readers to create two valuable lists that will assist with evaluating overall skill set and overall financial situation. The process of creating these lists' and gathering information should be utilized for any business buying process rather it is for purchasing; a franchise, an existing business, or a start-up (this fact alone makes the book priceless in my opinion).
Learn about the FDD, the most important document a franchise candidate will receive from a franchisor and the 23 items that must be included in there by law.
Learn about using ROBS (Rollovers as a business start-up) as a possible financing option.
Libava's humor really makes the lessons hit home and provides an entertaining spin on a very serious decision making process.
This information is not available anywhere else (except for on The Franchise King®'s website and blog). Joel Libava is the leading authority on the franchise buying process, with over 11 years advising franchise candidates, he is the president of Franchise Selection Specialists, he is recognized as the "The Franchise Expert in Residence" for small business resource website Small Biz Trends. Additionally he contributes articles to; American Express website for small business owners Open Forum, the Community section of the U.S. Small Business Adminstration's website, and Cox Business Small Business Navigation Program. Who better to guide you with that $200,000 purchase than The Franchise King®?
Except for the fact that Joel does not come with the book, there is zip-zilch-nada bad to say about this book. Although, Joel does not come with the book he does offer his services for those that would like to explore franchise ownership a bit further --and get this if you purchase the book and request advisory services from Joel he is willing to knock off the retail price of the book for any services that you purchase from him!
Buy it! This is an extremely valuable resource for franchise candidates and small business owners. It puts franchise buying into the proper perspective for the buyer making what has been a very cloudy and opaque industry; rather naviagable and transparent. The Franchise King® leaves no stone left un-turned when it comes to the franchise buying process and most importantly he does it all because he cares. Buy this book before making any decisions to move forward purchase book review with purchasing a franchise. It is much better to spend $21.95 (retail price) for this book and worse-case scenario find out that franchising is not for you than to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a franchise opportunity that is not for you (think that sounds dumb you'd be amazed at the number of people that purchase franchises unequipped with the right knowledge on how to do so!). Even if franchising is not for you, you'll take away other precious small business knowledge from reading this book.
Author's note: Check out my new blog Small Biz Diamonds, Joel took the time out of his busy schedule for a QA session. Click here to get a taste of his franchise expertise, endless humor, and find out approximately how many questions a franchise candidate typically asks before purchasing a franchise.
Have you read Become a Franchise Owner! The Start-Up Guide to Lowering Risk, Making Money, and Owning What You Do? Please share your thoughts and comments below.
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Earth Day is every day, but on this special day, come out to Fort Snelling State Park and learn more about your state park system. Help us clean and preserve this pristine place for us future generation. Program will start at the Visitor Center. No registration required.


Survey identifies need for improved dialogue between health providers and patients.
Washington, D.C., February 17, 2010 — The National Council on Aging (NCOA) released the results of a national survey of older adults, caregivers and health care providers evaluating knowledge and awareness of medical imaging safety. The survey, which focused largely on electronic implantable device patients and their caregivers, reveals that communication about the safety of medical imaging for patients with these devices is often inadequate.
Editors of the New England Journal of Medicine named medical imaging as one of 11 developments that changed the face of clinical medicine during the last millennium. Medical imaging plays a critical role in early disease detection, diagnosis and treatment. Yet, despite the importance of medical imaging, the NCOA survey found that over 90 percent of physicians agreed that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is contraindicated and may be risky for patients with certain electronic implantable devices, such as pacemakers, and very few will order MRIs for these patients.
After the age of 65, a person's chance of needing medical imaging doubles, and between 50 and 75 percent of patients with electronic implantable devices will likely need medical imaging over their device's lifetime.
The survey, made possible by a grant from Medtronic, found that nearly a third of patients and more than half of caregivers did not recall being informed that they or the person they care for might not be eligible for some forms of medical imaging at the time the device was implanted. The survey also found that three in 10 electronic implantable device patients have had an MRI despite the risks, and of this group nearly 20 percent reported experiencing problems with their device afterward.
In addition, the survey evaluated health care provider perceptions and use of guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American College of Radiology (ACR) and American Heart Association (AHA) for MRI use in patients with electronic implantable devices. The physicians reported using clinical guidelines often, referring to the ACC, ACR and AHA guidelines in near equal numbers for medical imaging. Nearly all health care providers surveyed (98 percent) support more education on medical imaging and electronic implantable devices to help ensure awareness of critical guidelines, including that electronic implantable devices should not be regarded as safe for medical imaging simply because they are labeled as modern or recently manufactured.
This survey has prompted NCOA to host a series of community events across the country. At the events, experts will share the results of the survey and provide information about medical imaging safety, particularly for patients with electronic implantable devices. These free events will be held at community centers across the country. For information about all of the events visit www.ncoa.org/events.
Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) conducted 1,077 online interviews with 652 older adults, 273 caregivers and 152 physicians from November 19-30, 2009. Overall, margin of error for patients and caregivers is +/-3.22% and +/-7.95% for physicians.
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA is a national voice for older Americans–especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged–and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of organizations across the country to help older adults find jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities. For more information, visit www.ncoa.org.
PSB is a global research-based consultancy that specializes in messaging and communications strategy for blue-chip political, corporate and entertainment clients. We have over 30 years of experience leveraging unique insights about public opinion to provide clients with a competitive advantage – what we call Winning Knowledge™. We execute polling and message testing services for Fortune 100 corporations and have helped elect more than 30 presidents and prime ministers around the world. PSB is a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP, one of the world's leading communications services networks. More information is available at www.psbresearch.com.


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Sports Events List
2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens
Sport: Rugby Sevens
Organizer: World Rugby
Date: 20 Jul, 2018 - 22 Jul, 2018
Venue: AT&T Park., San Francisco, California, United States of America
Link: https://www.rwcsevens.com/
The 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens will be the seventh edition of the Rugby World Cup Sevens. Organised by World Rugby, it will be held at AT&T Park in San Francisco, United States. A total of 84 matches (52 men's and 32 women's) will be played over three days from July 20–22, 2018 with both tournaments being played for the first time in a knock-out only format.
Updated On : 02 Jul, 2018
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Eating a Plant-Based Diet to Ease Psoriasis: Deirdre's Story
After living with severe psoriasis symptoms for many years, Deirdre Earls believes that diet has been key to managing her condition.
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Foods that have an anti-inflammatory effect may help people with conditions such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn's disease.
A plant-based diet delivers more fiber to improve digestive health and more probiotics, or good bacteria.
Registered dietitian Deirdre Earls, RD, LD, learned that she had psoriasis when she was 10. It wasn't until the Austin, Texas, resident was in her late thirties, however, that she embarked on the whole foods, plant-based diet that she believes finally put her psoriasis into remission. She lists fruits, vegetables, and whole grains among the choices that have become the foundation of her own psoriasis treatment.
"The skin on the palm of my hands was so tight that I literally could not open my hands," recalls Earls, whose psoriasis left her hospitalized as a child. She admits that, even with her training in nutrition, she had a poor diet compared to her current dietary psoriasis treatment. Diet soda and packaged pastries were her go-to treats. She was facing the prospect of taking even stronger medications to try to control her symptoms, when she decided instead to try a dietary approach to managing inflammation.
"I drastically changed my diet. I took all of the diet Coke, all of the ultra-processed stuff out, and then I replaced it with simple, whole, mostly plant-based foods. Within six months, my skin had cleared," she notes.
She has since written a book based on her plant-based diet, Your Healing Diet: A Quick Guide to Reversing Psoriasis and Chronic Diseases With Healing Foods. Earls says that she is 95 percent free of symptoms, although her ankles, where her psoriasis first appeared, remain stubborn holdouts. "I can see them healing slowly over time."
Going Green: The Basics of a Plant-Based Diet
"Psoriasis is an inflammatory condition, so anything you can do to cut down on inflammation should help," points out Valori Treloar, MD, a dermatologist with Integrative Dermatology in Newton, Massachusetts.
Plant-based diet foods that may help people with psoriasis include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and the occasional eggs, meat, or fish. Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect and benefit people with inflammatory and autoimmine disease such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn's disease.
Dr. Treloar points out that while diet may ease psoriasis of the skin, it's not enough for people with psoriatic arthritis because the condition can be so destructive to the joints.
"Patients with psoriatic arthritis should continue to use the extremely powerful and effective medications we have to slow the damage," he says Treloar.
Making the Switch to a Plant-Based Diet
The benefits of a plant-based diet go beyond the additional antioxidants that fight inflammation — you'll also get more fiber to improve digestive health and more probiotics, which also might contribute to overall health, explains Treloar.
There's still resistance on the part of some people, however. Treloar points out that, while there is no risk to switching to a plant-based diet to try to manage psoriasis, patients often complain that they don't really like vegetables or that they don't know how to prepare the suggested foods. Plus, adds Earls, some just don't give the new diet enough time to work. And research linking diet and psoriasis remains inconclusive.
When Earls decided to try the diet, she completely overhauled her pantry and shopping list. Other people might want to go more slowly she acknowledged; but, at least based on her own experience, a slower approach to dietary change could mean that symptoms are slower to ease.
Here are tips for a smoother transition:
Get rid of processed foods and drinks. Toss the sodas (even diet sodas) and cut back on any food that you make or take out of a box to eat. Replace these with water or green tea (for antioxidants) and fresh whole foods.
Increase whole foods. If you want to ease into the diet, start by replacing processed foods with one or two servings of fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Think of it as experimenting with new tastes and textures.
Aim for high antioxidant values. Richly colored vegetables and fruits (especially berries) will offer you the most antioxidants and other nutrients. Create a rainbow in your diet throughout the course of your day.
Cut back on meat. Earls didn't give up on meat completely, but she has cut back drastically.
Try smoothies. Earls, who says she never really cooks, relies on her Vitamix blender to mix a wide variety of whole foods, including tough items such as broccoli and beets, into meal-replacing smoothies. She also likes to add chocolate beans to the mix for antioxidants and flavor. An easy way to start is to make simple, refreshing smoothies with some plain yogurt, pomegranate juice, and frozen berries.
The Added Benefits to Going Plant-Based
In addition to potentially easing psoriasis symptoms, the plant-based, whole foods diet has some other benefits, says Earls:
No label reading. It's true that if you're counting calories and fats, you'll still have to watch your portions, but eating whole foods means you won't be hunting through complicated nutrition labels to figure out what's in your food. Bulk grains, nuts, fresh fruits, and vegetables, and even the occasional piece of meat won't require looking at labels.
You don't have to cook. People fear that a whole-foods, plant-based diet requires gourmet cooking experience, but the truth is, you can enjoy raw fruits and vegetables, smoothies, and the easy-to-prepare grains.
You can eat out. Earls points out that more and more restaurants are offering fresh salads, brown rice or wild rice options, and other whole foods items.
You'll be going gluten-free. Some people with psoriasis swear by cutting out gluten. Switching to grains and cutting out prepared cereals, breads, and packaged pastries will also cut out gluten. "It becomes a simple question," says Earls. "Is this wheat or not?"
You could save money. If you shop in season, buy in bulk, buy frozen or canned as needed, and watch sale prices, you could find that your grocery bill goes down.
Your grocery store visits will be less complicated. The foods you'll need for your new diet are usually found around the perimeter of the store, so you can avoid going up and down endless aisles.
You can cheat. Earls sticks to her diet about 85 to 90 percent of the time. She thoroughly enjoys her "cheats," such as an indulgent meal with a friend featuring chorizo and cheese-laden French fries, and then she gets back to her plant-based diet.
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Stephanie Massman
The Resolution of Distressed Financial Conglomerates
by Editor | posted in: Financial Firms and Safe Harbors | 0
By Howell E. Jackson (Harvard Law School) & Stephanie Massman (Harvard Law School, J.D. 2015)
One of the most elegant legal innovations to emerge from the Dodd-Frank Act is the FDIC's Single Point of Entry (SPOE) initiative for resolving the failure of large financial conglomerates (corporate groups with regulated financial entities as subsidiaries), whereby regulators would seize only the top-tier holding company, down-stream holding-company resources to distressed subsidiaries, and wipe out holding-company shareholders while simultaneously imposing additional losses on holding-company creditors. The SPOE strategy is designed to resolve the entire group without disrupting the business of operating subsidiaries (even those operating overseas) or risking systemic consequences for the broader economy.
Although SPOE's underlying creativity is admirable, the approach's design raises several novel and challenging questions of implementation, explored in this chapter. For example, the automatic down-streaming of resources raises the so-called pre-positioning dilemma. If too much support is positioned at subsidiaries in advance, there may be inadequate holding-company reserves to support a severely distressed subsidiary. Alternatively, without such pre-positioning, commitments of subsidiary support may not be credible (especially to foreign authorities), and it may become difficult legally and practically to deploy resources in times of distress.
It is easiest to envision SPOE operating in conjunction with the FDIC's Orderly Liquidation Authority (OLA), established in the Dodd-Frank Act; however, Dodd-Frank's preferred regime for resolving failed financial conglomerates remains the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and several complexities could arise if a bankruptcy court had to implement an SPOE resolution today. While many experts are working on legislative proposals to amend the Bankruptcy Code to facilitate SPOE resolutions, this chapter examines some legal levers that federal authorities could deploy under current law to increase the likelihood of a successful SPOE bankruptcy. For example, with appropriate pre-failure planning, section 365(o) of the Bankruptcy Code—which requires the debtor to assume and cure immediately any deficiency under an obligation to federal regulators to maintain the capital of an insured depository institution—could be used to prioritize holding-company commitments to all material operating subsidiaries, including affiliates that are not insured depository institutions. Such priority status would shield the down-streaming of value to operating subsidiaries from possible legal challenges, thereby alleviating some of the difficulty of the pre-positioning dilemma. Additionally, broad-based credit facilities under section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act or targeted lending under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act's systemic risk exception may be available to provide government-sponsored debtor-in-possession financing where no private or other public alternative (like that provided under OLA) is available.
Implementing these strategies would be challenging and would require considerable planning. However, it is important to take steps now to increase the likelihood that bankruptcy represents a viable and credible alternative for effecting SPOE transactions outside of OLA.
The full chapter is available here.
The Roundtable has covered bank resolution and the SPOE strategy previously. For example, see Lubben & Wilmarth, "Too Big and Unable to Fail"; Crawford, "Establishing 'Credible Losers'"; Roundtable Update, "Bankruptcy Code Amendments Pass the House in Appropriations Bill."
13(3), 365(o), Dodd-Frank, Howell Jackson, Orderly Liquidation Authority, SPOE, Stephanie Massman
Developing a New Resolution Regime for Failed Systemically Important Financial Institutions
Stephanie Massman, J.D. 2015, Harvard Law School
In the wake of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, criticism surrounded not only the government bailouts, but also the decision to not bail out Lehman Brothers, which led to its lengthy and value-destructive chapter 11 bankruptcy. In response to this criticism, Congress enacted the Orderly Liquidation Authority ("OLA"), a regulatory alternative to bankruptcy for systemically important financial institutions ("SIFIs"), included as Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The OLA, although perceived to be a radical departure from traditional bankruptcy, incorporates many familiar resolution principles. The most significant departures from the Bankruptcy Code are those designed to ensure financial stability in the national and global economies in the event of a SIFI failure; because the Bankruptcy Code does not currently specifically provide for a SIFI failure, it does not address financial stability concerns at all. Furthermore, by banning future government bailouts and imposing new stays on qualified financial contracts, the OLA also seeks to correct skewed market discipline incentives surrounding SIFIs—including those arising due to the "Too Big To Fail" subsidy—which may have caused the "moral hazard" problems that were a contributing factor in the financial crisis. Unfortunately, the prescribed tactics for accomplishing a resolution under the OLA may in fact implicate new moral hazard concerns, which have yet to be addressed by regulators. What further remains to be seen is both the extent to which the regulatory agencies will assume their new statutorily ordained authority to regulate these SIFIs and the extent to which the market will find their regulations credible.
This article examines the current state of development of a resolution process for SIFIs under the OLA and evaluates how effective the OLA is likely to be in preserving financial stability and minimizing moral hazard.
To view the full article, click here.
Dodd-Frank, Orderly Liquidation Authority, SIFI, Stephanie Massman, Title II
ISDA Resolution Stay Protocol: A Brief Overview
On November 12, 2014, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association ("ISDA") officially released the ISDA 2014 Resolution Stay Protocol (the "Protocol"), a mechanism that contractually imposes a stay on certain default rights in ISDA contracts between adhering parties during the resolution of a significantly important financial institution (SIFI) counterparty or one of its affiliates.
The first section of the Protocol—addressing default rights under Special Resolution Regimes ("SRRs") (e.g., the U.S.'s OLA and FDIA)—is relatively uncontroversial. It merely ensures that adhering cross-border counterparties will be bound by the preexisting stay provisions of a foreign SRR, even if the jurisdictional limitations of the SRR would normally exempt such cross-border counterparties. This section went into affect for the 18 adhering banks on January 1, 2015.
The second section of the Protocol—addressing default rights under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code—has been met with significantly more contention. This section confines, to a limited extent, the use of currently existing "safe harbors" in the Code, by contractually limiting certain cross-default rights in ISDA contracts in the case of a counterparty's affiliate's bankruptcy, so that the affiliate is not also forced into bankruptcy, where close-out rights are safe-harbored. Significantly, this section will not go into effect until further regulations are promulgated by the Federal Reserve and other U.S. regulators. The concept behind the Protocol's second section is that a failure of one part of a SIFI should not necessarily lead to defaults and close-outs of derivatives and repos sitting in affiliates of the SIFI, if the affiliate is still performing on its obligations.
The HLS Bankruptcy Roundtable has focused on the Code's safe harbors previously. Click here for an analysis of the effect of the safe harbors on systemic risk; click here for an argument for narrowing the safe harbors for repos.
Congress is also currently considering the issue of the safe harbors in the case of a SIFI failure. Click here and here for previous coverage of currently pending legislation, the Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act, which would impose a short stay on financial contracts in the case of a SIFI resolution under the Bankruptcy Code.
For a full discussion of the Protocol, please see Mayer Brown's Legal Update, here.
(This post was drafted by Stephanie Massman, J.D. '15.)
ISDA, Stephanie Massman
House Passes Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act
On December 1, 2014, the House of Representatives passed, with bipartisan support, H.R. 5421—the Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act of 2014 (FIBA), a bill that would amend the Bankruptcy Code to better allow for the resolution of systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs). FIBA (previously discussed in Roundtable posts here and here) is similar in many respects to the bankruptcy amendments proposed in another bill introduced in the Senate (previously covered here) and to the "chapter 14" proposal from the Hoover Institution, but there are some key differences among these proposals.
First of all, the Senate version would entirely repeal the Orderly Liquidation Authority (OLA), the current regulatory receivership alternative to traditional bankruptcy (and to some, the only current viable option) to resolve failed SIFIs. Both FIBA and the Hoover Institution's version, however, would keep the OLA in place as an alternative.
Additionally, each proposal takes a different approach to the issue of federal funding in a SIFI resolution, which is provided in an OLA resolution. The Hoover Institution's version does not explicitly provide for such federal funding, but it does contemplate it and condition it upon a showing that no private funding is available. FIBA is silent on the matter, and the Senate version explicitly prohibits it.
Lastly, both FIBA and the Senate proposal solely focus on facilitating a single-point-of-entry (SPOE) resolution of a SIFI, whereas the Hoover Institution's proposal seeks to accommodate both an SPOE recapitalization and a conventional reorganization of a SIFI. An SPOE recapitalization would make debt and equity at the financial holding company take the brunt of losses, while substantially all of the holding company's assets would be transferred to a new bridge institution and cash would be pushed down into shaky subsidiaries to prevent their bankruptcy. A conventional reorganization (or liquidation) of a SIFI would largely track traditional bankruptcy approaches, with the troubled subsidiaries entering bankruptcy.
These and other differences among the proposals are some of the most debated aspects in the SIFI resolution reform discussion. Moreover, which version (if any) ultimately passes through both houses of Congress and is signed by President Obama may set significant precedent in resolution regimes worldwide.
For previous HLS Bankruptcy Roundtable coverage of the viability and limits of an SPOE approach in bankruptcy, click here and here.
This post was composed by Stephanie Massman (J.D. '15)
Chapter 22 Roundtable in the WSJ Bankruptcy Beat
by Editor | posted in: Bankruptcy Administration and Jurisdiction | 0
Last week, the Wall Street Journal's Bankruptcy Beat posted several pieces on the causes and consequences of so-called "Chapter 22" repeat bankruptcy filings. In the first three posts of the series, bankruptcy experts offered a range of views on the topic.
In the first post, Harvey Miller, of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, said that increased recidivism in Chapter 11 filings was largely due to distressed debt and securities investors, who effectively gain control of the debtor and its plan formulation process and do all that is necessary to expedite the plan confirmation. Because nobody in this coordinated effort will challenge the plan's feasibility and because the judge is not well placed to independently investigate, feasibility issues may go unaddressed.
Marshall Huebner, of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, in the second post, noted other factors that could trigger subsequent Chapter 11 filings, including a company's underestimation of the broader industry's decline, creditor pressure on the debtor to remain overleveraged, and a debtor's inability to shed legacy liabilities.
In the third post, Mark Roe, professor at Harvard Law School reasoned that, regardless of the cause, recidivism is both not that common—less than 20% of Chapter 11 debtors—and not that bad of a trade-off if it stems from getting companies through the bankruptcy process quickly, as long as most of them recover and grow. Enforcing a strict zero-tolerance feasibility standard could do more damage to debtors by keeping them in bankruptcy longer.
Visit the Bankruptcy Beat website to see the rest of the experts' views on Chapter 22 filings.
Visit the HLS Bankruptcy Roundtable's prior coverage of Ed Altman's study of the frequency and nature of Chapter 22 filings, posted in June, here.
This summary was drafted by Stephanie Massman (J.D. 2015)
Chapter 22, Stephanie Massman
The Harvard Law School Bankruptcy Roundtable promotes dissemination of academic and practitioner views of current bankruptcy issues, via weekly posts targeting issues of interest, typically linking to a more extended analysis elsewhere. For inquiries and comments, please contact us at bankruptcyproject@law.harvard.edu.
Second Circuit Fumbles Tribune on Reconsideration January 14, 2020
Do the Right Firms Survive Bankruptcy? December 17, 2019
The Employee Rights in Employer Bankruptcy Act December 10, 2019
Roundtable Tags
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Q: Finding gradient of a $x^Tx + c$ for some constant $c\in\mathbb{R}$ I am very familiar with calculating gradients for single and multi-variable functions, as a vector containing partial derivatives.
However, when I want to calculate the gradient of a vector product, given some undefined vector, I do not understand the intuition. Say I want to calculate the gradient of $f(x) = x^Tx + c$ for some constant $c\in\mathbb{R}$
In my textbook, I have a simple table which evaluates this to $2x$. The constant of cause evaluates to zero, for any derivative by itself, but how does $x^Tx$ evaluate to $2x$?
What I am trying to understand is how intuitively to engage finding partial derivatives of a vector, without knowing its values.
I might think of $x^T$ as a vector containing multiple inputs: $[x_1,...,x_n] \in\mathbb{R}^n$ and similar for $x$ (but as a column vector), but how would I go about finding the gradient of such an expression?

A: Hint Expanding in components, we find that $$x^\top x = x_1^2 + \cdots + x_n^2 .$$

A: The best way to think about the derivative is
$$
\tag{1} f(x + \Delta x) \approx f(x) + f'(x) \Delta x.
$$
In this example, if $\Delta x$ is small, then
\begin{align*}
f(x + \Delta x) &= x^T x + x^T \Delta x + \Delta x^T x + \underbrace{\Delta x^T \Delta x}_{\text{negligible}} \\
&\approx x^T x + x^T \Delta x + \Delta x^T x \\
&= f(x) + 2 x^T \Delta x.
\end{align*}
Comparing this with (1), we discover that
$$
f'(x) = 2 x^T.
$$
The gradient of $f$ is
$$
\nabla f(x) = f'(x)^T = 2x.
$$
So there's no need to compute partial derivatives or to think in terms of the components of $x$.

A: Just just the Leibniz-rule (using $a^Tb=b^Ta$):
$$d_p(x^Tx)=p^Tx+x^Tp=x^Tp+x^Tp=2x^Tp,$$
hence the gradient of $x^Tx$ is  $2x$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Himalayan Times > Opinion > LETTERS: Food consciousness
LETTERS: Food consciousness
Published: February 13, 2018 2:20 am On: Opinion
The Himalayan Times
This is with reference to the blogs post by Sophiya Uprety "Nepali diet" (THT, February 12, Page 8). It is really impressive at how the writer has portrayed the nitty-gritty or the essence that the food has to offer.
I myself have been indulged in various eateries in Australia and also have been interacting with world renowned chef such as Gordon Ramsay. I have been into this hospitality industry and food writing project for a donkey's years. I have been solely and acutely aware of what does it mean to consume a healthy food, and how the healthy foods are indispensable in our lives.
After accumulating pragmatic experiences and theoretical knowledge I finally came up with my own "Falang Food Dictionary".
Initially, I was not aware that I could write a food dictionary when I started off dish washing jobs in restaurants in Australia during my student life. But I have mastered the skills about hospitality side by side while I had been doing some other projects in my life. So food is always a nice subject to talk about.
Shiva Neupane, Melbourne
It is disturbing to note that road accidents are on the rise especially in the developing world. And the unfortunate fact is that the frequent accidents have claimed many lives so far—for various reasons like bad roads, speeding and lack of road safety measures. Furthermore, the traffic volume on the roads is high as compared to before. Hence it is time to look into these matters and take urgent steps to improve the condition of roads and step up safety measures in the larger interests of the public. Ensuring road safety measures are not enough. When the concerned agencies issue licenses to individuals, they hardly give basic orientation to the license recipients about the precautions they need to take to avoid the road accidents.
P Senthil Saravana Durai, Mumbai
Nepal's performance in every sport, including cricket, has been sliding down due to which the country has not been able to perform well in this field for a long time. Of course, Nepal is a competent team in cricket and it has made its journey towards Division IV, which is a wish come true.
Still, the country needs to work extremely hard in this sport because Nepal's batting has always been not just an issue but also a problem for which the team hasn't found any permanent solution. The same thing happened with our batting when the team batted very badly while playing against Oman after the Arab team won the toss and elected to bat, shooting Nepal out for just 138 in its second match of the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division II. In the course of the match, Nepal finally went on to lose it by a big margin of 6 wickets, assuring that the team has got poor batting. Time has now finally arrived for Nepal to work for it.
Pratik Shrestha, Buddhanagar
A version of this article appears in print on February 13, 2018 of The Himalayan Times.


This is a new way of lighting that was unimaginable just a few years ago, and that wins people over immediately with its warmth and simplicity.
The BlancoWhite family came about in 2012 as a series of models with essential forms that can be used as tabletop bookcases, shelves that provide light, or composite lighting systems, with a view to lighting up special objects in our day-to-day lives. BlancoWhite is now an extensive family of lamps that share the same subtle, one-centimetre thick structure which houses the light source and creates lightness in the form of all models. Its greatest innovation is a smart LED plate (using a Dot Cutting system) that distributes dots of progressive concavity across the light surface, becoming more concave the further away from the source they are and creating harmonious homogeneity in the light flow.


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Q: CSS Stretch Container to Width of Widest Hidden Child Element I have very simple example of an un-ordered list with a black border, and one of its child elements hidden: http://jsfiddle.net/spryno724/Sm9Lx/1/. Notice how the hidden child element is considerably wider than the visible element, but the container only scales to the width of the visible child.
Is there a way within CSS to automatically scale the width of this container to the width of its widest child element, even if that element is hidden?
I know that this is possible with JavaScript, but I would like to avoid a scripting hack and go straight CSS, if possible.
Also, I'd like to avoid setting a specific width because in my actual application, my container will contain visual objects of unknown widths.
Thank you for your time.

A: use visibility: hidden; rather than display: none; on the hidden li

*

*visibility: hidden; retains the elements space

*display: none; acts as if the element doesnt exist in the markup

A: How about:

This is not the first list element, ok?

A: Instead of display: none you can use opacity: 0


Now you have to bend your paperclip as straight as you can get it.
Now loop one end of the paperclip like it is shown in the picture. *I used a smaller loop for this clip because I had a pair of pliers at hand.
Now bend the other end of the paperclip like shown, BUT this time bend it 90 degrees to the left/right.
Now bend it in a curved angle.
Keep bending until you get a circular shaped ring. *I did this by hand, not by pliers.
To hook each end to each other, simply hook it! take each end and connect them together. Simple eh?
Your Paperclip Binder Ring Type Thing is now complete, and is ready to hold your notebook papers/notes.
I've been breaking my brain over a 'openable' binderlike system for a project of mine without having to wreck an actual binder. This is so simple it's genius ;). And I can cut it to size!
Tip: if you have an old piece of electrical wire or 'Scoubidou string', you can slip the plastic tube (sorry, not native English, but I hope you know what I mean) over the paperclipwire to make it more sturdy, pretty and decrease chance of scratching yourself.
Thats AWESOME!!! You can hold TONS of stuff together but it needs to be a strong paper clip. Thanks for posting!
"*sorry about the crappy photos, taken by a webcam..."
Hahaha...have we forgotten what the PAPER CLIP was initially intended for?
Plain 'ol paperclip ain't gonna hold no ream o' paper like that there.
I like the idea, it is simple because it can be made "in the field." Nice job.


NASA launched Dawn spacecraft in 2007 to study two of the three known protoplanets of the asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. And now here is an amazing interactive tool, very similar to Google Earth, called Vesta Trek, which let you explore Vesta—one of the largest asteroids in the Solar System—on your own.
Interactive maps with different layers of data sets including topography, mineralogy, abundance of elements and geology.
3D printer-exportable topography so you can print your own physical model of Vesta's surface.
Standard keyboard gaming controls to fly across the surface of the asteroid in a first-person view.


The fireworks capital of Sivakasi is the home of a lot of popular home appliance showrooms that deal with retail business of a wide range of essential home appliances.
The town houses some of the most reputed retail chains, which include Vasanth and Co, Sathya Agencies and so on who offer large selection of branded home appliances like LCD and LED television sets, washing machines, water heaters, refrigerators, iron boxes, mixer grinders, water purifiers, vacuum cleaners and many other electronic items. Find below the list of reputed home appliance showrooms in Sivakasi along with their location and contact details.


With Ganpati celebrations approaching, we have organized an eco-friendly Ganpati idol making workshop and much more for children between the ages of 4 and 13 years.
Children will make their own eco-friendly Ganesha idols while also learning about Ganpati's story and a Ganesha Vandana dance later!
Register for the event to join in the festivities!
Call on 9595131000 to know more.


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The Household Toxics Tour
This material was excerpted from: Safe Substitutes at Home: Non-toxic Household Products By Gary A. Davis and Em Turner University of Tennessee – Knoxville Waste Management Institute Working Paper
Toxic chemicals in the home can be eliminated simply by making thoughtful choices after educating oneself about where the hazards are in common consumer products. How can you determine what toxics you have in your home?
Take this "toxics tour." And then visit our NEW Simple Natural Cleaning products with Himalayan Salt to avoid any health risks that may be associated with the cleaning products you have in your home.
All-purpose cleaner, ammonia-based cleaners, bleach, brass or other metal polishes, dishwater detergent, disinfectant, drain cleaner, floor wax or polish, glass cleaner, dishwashing detergent, oven cleaner, and scouring powder contain dangerous chemicals.
• sodium hypochlorite (in chlorine bleach): if mixed with ammonia, releases toxic chloramine gas. Short-term exposure may cause mild asthmatic symptoms or more serious respiratory problems;
• petroleum distillates (in metal polishes): short-term exposure can cause temporary eye clouding; longer exposure can damage the nervous system, skin, kidneys, and eyes;
• ammonia (in glass cleaner): eye irritant, can cause headaches and lung irritation;
• phenol and cresol (in disinfectants): corrosive; can cause diarrhea, fainting, dizziness, and kidney and liver damage;
• nitrobenzene (in furniture and floor polishes): can cause skin discoloration, shallow breathing, vomiting, and death; associated with cancer and birth defects;
• formaldehyde (a preservative in many products): suspected human carcinogen; strong irritant to eyes, throat, skin, and lungs.
In the Utility Closet
A number of products are likely to contain toxic ingredients: carpet cleaner, room deodorizer, laundry softener, laundry detergent, anti-cling sheets, mold and mildew cleaner, mothballs, and spot remover all usually contain irritant or toxic substances. Examples:
• perchloroethylene or 1-1-1 trichloroethane solvents (in spot removers and carpet cleaners): can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested; perchloroethylene is an animal carcinogen and suspected human carcinogen;
• naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (in mothballs): naphthalene is a suspected human carcinogen that may damage eyes, blood, liver, kidneys, skin, and the central nervous system; paradichlorobenzene can harm the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys;
• hydrochloric acid or sodium acid sulfate in toilet bowl cleaner; either can burn the skin or cause vomiting diarrhea and stomach burns if swallowed; also can cause blindness if inadvertently splashed in the eyes;
• residues from fabric softeners, as well as the fragrances commonly used in them, can be irritating to susceptible people;
• possible ingredients of spray starch (aside from the starch) include formaldehyde, phenol, and pentachlorophenol; in addition, any aerosolized particle, including cornstarch, may irritate the lungs.
In the Livingroom and Bedroom
Even the furnishings of the typical American home can be harmful. Fabrics that are labeled "wrinkle-resistant" are usually treated with a formaldehyde resin. These include no-iron sheets and bedding, curtains, sleep wear — any woven fabric, but especially polyester/cotton blends, marketed as "permanent press" or "easy care."
More modern furniture is made of pressed wood products emits formaldehyde and other chemicals. Carpeting is usually made of synthetic fibers that have been treated with pesticides and fungicide. Many office carpets emit a chemical called 4-phenylcyclohexene, an inadvertent additive to the latex backing used in more commercial and home carpets, which is thought to be one of the chemicals responsible for "sick" office buildings.
In the Bath
Numerous cosmetics and personal hygiene products contain hazardous substances.
• cresol, formaldehyde, glycols, nitrates/nitrosamines and sulfur compounds in shampoos;
• butane propellants in hair spray (replacing carcinogenic methylene chloride), as well as formaldehyde resins;
• aerosol propellants, ammonia, formaldehyde, triclosan, aluminum chlorhydrate in antiperspirants and deodorants'
• glycols, phenol, fragrance, and colors in lotions, creams, and moisturizers.
In the Studio or Hobby Room
Although legislation controlling many of the dangerous ingredients in hobby materials has recently been passed, exposure to certain art materials remains a health risk. Dangerous chemicals and metals include:
• lead in ceramic glazes, stained-glass materials, and many pigments;
• cadmium in silver solders, pigments, ceramic glazes and fluxes;
• chromium in paint pigments and ceramic colores;
• manganese dioxide in ceramic colors and some brown oil and acrylic paint pigments;
• cobalt in some blue oil and acrylic paint pigments;
• formaldehyde as a preservation in many acrylic paints and photographic products;
• aromatic hydrocarbons in paint and varnish removers, aerosol sprays, permanent markers, etc.;
• chlorinated hydrocarbons (solvents) in ink, varnish, and paint removers, rubber cement, aerosol sprays;
• petroleum distillates (solvents) in paint and rubber cement thinners, spray adhesives, silk-screen inks;
• glycol ethers and acetates in photography products, lacquer thinners, paints, and aerosol sprays.
A number of dangerous substances are frequently present, including paint, paint thinner, benzene, kerosene, mineral spirits, turpentine, lubricating/motor oils, and gasoline. Hazards among them include these chemicals:
• chlorinated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in paint thinner can cause liver and kidney damage;
• petroleum hydrocarbons, an ingredient of gasoline, motor oils, and benzene, are associated with skin and lung cancer;
• mineral spirits in oil-based paint are a skin, eye, nose throat, and lung irritant. High air concentrations can cause nervous system damage, unconsciousness and death;
• ketones in paint thinner may cause respiratory ailments; vary according to specific form of the chemical;
• ketones and toluene in wood putty; toluene in highly toxic, may cause skin, kidney, liver, central nervous system damage; may damage reproductive system.
In the Garden Shed
Pesticides, one of the most important single hazards in the home. Around 1,400 pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are ingredients in consumer products. Combined with other toxic substances such as solvents, pesticides are present in more than 34,000 different product formulations.
On the Patio
Charcoal lighter fluid contains petroleum distillates. Besides being flammable and imparting a chemical taste to food, some petroleum distillates contain benzene, a known human carcinogen.
Safe Substitutes for Household Toxics
Until World War II and the zenith of the Chemical Age that followed war-related research, householders used a limited number of simple substances to keep most objects in the house clean, order-free, and pest-free. Soap, salt, vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, ammonia, borax, alcohol, cornstarch, and certain food ingredients were used to lift out spots and stains, deodorize, polish wood or metal, disinfect, scrub, repel pests, clean pets, wash and starch clothes, and to perform countless other household tasks. Simple cosmetic preparations kept hair lustrous and skin supplied with the aid of ingredients such as eggs, oil, clay, vinegar, and herbs.
The garden was fertilized and pests were kept down with naturally occurring substances. Weeds were weeded by hand. Even though some natural pesticides, like nicotine and rotenone, were indeed toxic to humans, they were not persistent in the environment. They degrade soon after application. Pyrethrum, a pesticide derived from a variety of chrysanthemum which is nontoxic to mammals, controlled a wide spectrum of pests. Although it is till widely used, it is usually mixed with other chemicals to increase its potency.
Buildings of the past were made with wood, brick, stone, glass, plaster, and cement. Furniture was made of solid wood, oiled to keep it polished. Rugs or carpets were made of wool or cotton. Insulation was built in by making walls thick, and roofing was constructed from wood shingles or tiles of clay or stone. Walls were plastered. Windows were made to be opened, so at least in good weather there was plenty of natural ventilation. But toxic materials also were present in homes of the past. Not knowing enough about their hazards, housewives used such chemicals as arsenic, lead, and mercury to perform certain household chores. Interior and exterior paints were often made with lead; many American children are still living with the legacy of lead poisoning caused by eating chips of leaded paint. Asbestos, called a miracle mineral when its fire-resistant properties were discovered, is now known to be a cancer causer that contaminates hundreds of thousands of residences, schools, and other buildings in this country.
Safe Substitutes for Personal Hygiene and Cosmetic Products
We use cosmetics and hygiene products for a fairly narrow range of reasons: to keep skin moist and supple; to clean hair without stripping it of natural oils; to eliminate unpleasant body or mouth orders; to prevent skin oiliness and clogged skin pores; and simply for the pleasure of relaxing and pampering ourselves with body-care or facial-care treatments. The following ingredients can help achieve these purposes without the use of toxic additives, synthetic fragrances, or artificial colorings:
Moisturizers and conditioners: egg yolk, milk, yogurt, safflower oil (for light moisturizing), olive oil (for dry skin or hair), water, oatmeal, jojoba oil.
Astringents/after shaves: witch hazel, diluted isopropyl alcohol.
Deodorants: baking soda, white clay, deodorant crystals.
Toothpastes: baking soda, salt.
Soaps cleansing agents: castle soap, olive-oil based soap.
Perfumes: essential oils provide nontoxic fragrances that can be used to scent shampoo, bath soaks, or even, in the case of peppermint, to flavor toothpaste.
Buy Simple Natural Cleaning products