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Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) said on Tuesday it found data "inconsistencies" on carbon dioxide emissions for 800,000 more cars, the latest sign of trouble for Europe's biggest automaker, already reeling from an emissions scandal.
SEE MORE:Republicans trust Trump on economy, nuclear weapons: Reuters/Ipsos poll
Volkswagen said it faces about 2 billion euros ($2.19 billion) in economic risks from the newly disclosed issue, which mostly affects small diesel engines and one gasoline one. They are unrelated to U.S. regulators' allegations on Monday that larger diesel engines mostly used in Porsche and Audi sports utility vehicles were designed to cheat emissions tests.
The carmaker said it would immediately start talking to "responsible authorities" about what to do about the latest findings.
See images related to the Volkswagen scandal:
"From the very start I have pushed hard for the relentless and comprehensive clarification of events," Volkswagen Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said in a statement. "We will stop at nothing and nobody. This is a painful process but it is our only alternative."
Europe's largest carmaker had previously admitted to installing cheat software on up to 11 million vehicles worldwide with 2.0 liter diesel engines. But the latest allegations from U.S. regulators and the automaker itself suggest that both larger and smaller motors and even non-diesel ones may have deceived regulators.
"VW is leaving us all speechless," said Arndt Ellinghorst of banking advisory firm Evercore ISI after the disclosure about the smaller engines. "It seems to us that this is another issue triggered by VW's internal investigation and potentially related to Europe."
VW has so far denied allegations regarding the larger 3.0 liter diesel engines made by the U.S. Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), saying no software had been installed to "alter emissions' characteristics in a forbidden manner" on the larger engines. It did not immediately respond to questions on Tuesday, saying it would only correspond in writing.
The biggest business crisis in VW's 78-year history has wiped as much as a third off its stock market value, forced out long-time CEO Martin Winterkorn and rocked the auto industry - a key employer and source of export income in Germany.
"Volkswagen has done a disservice to German industry," Ulrich Grillo, the head of the Federation of German industries, told a conference on Tuesday, adding the firm had an obligation to the whole industry to clear up the scandal quickly.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the European Commission, the European Union's executive body, called for clarity and transparency to clean up the scandal.
VW's supervisory board will hold a special meeting Monday to discuss the financial implications of the scandal, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The company took a 6.7 billion euro hit in third-quarter results to cover initial costs related to the scandal. Some analysts have said the final bill could reach as much as 35 billion euros in regulatory fines, lawsuits and vehicle refits.
VW shares fell 1.5 percent to close at 111 euros. The VW statement about the additional 800,000 cars with emissions issues came out after the Frankfurt market had closed.
VW is under huge pressure to identify those responsible for the cheating and fix affected vehicles, and it has come under fire from lawmakers, investors and analysts for a slow response.
Some analysts and investors criticized the appointment of Mueller as group CEO, questioning whether a company veteran was the right man to lead an overhaul of the business.
Top players on VW's supervisory board, including the head of Lower Saxony, VW's second-largest shareholder, are in close contact with the carmaker and seeking information from its top management on the latest accusations by EPA, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
VW was the only brand of Germany's top carmakers to post lower sales in a growing German market in October, the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) said on Tuesday. New registrations of the VW brand fell 0.7 percent while BMW, Porsche, Opel and Mercedes all reported higher deliveries in a market that was up 1 percent to 278,000 cars.
SEE MORE:Study: Death rates rising in middle-aged whites
Audi said on Tuesday it had not installed defeat devices in its 3 liter V6 diesel engines and is aiming to meet with California regulators in the next week to explain its position as well as how the software works. Seeking belated authorization of the software could be one option to try to solve the matter, the spokesman said.
"It would cause the biggest possible shock to VW if those accusations are true," said Stefan Bratzel, head of the Center of Automotive Management think-tank near Cologne.
"VW keeps touting utmost transparency but they really should have put all the cards on the table. There is a lot of need for explanation, from Audi too."
Rival German carmaker BMW (BMWG.DE) reiterated on Tuesday it had not manipulated emissions tests, as it posted a surprise rise in third-quarter operating profit.
($1 = 0.9132 euro)
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Corvette Racing Program Director Doug Fehan and Dan Binks – crew chief for the #3 Corvette C6.R – took time out of their schedule to come visit Corvette owners and enthusiasts attending the 2012 Bash at the National Corvette Museum in April.
Every little kid at some point in his or her life wanted to be an astronaut at one time or another. Only a very few actually end up living out there spacey dreams. Neil Armstrong did just that when he became the first person to step on the moon in July of 1969. Unfortunately, you can’t be the first person on the lunar surface, but you can at least drive his Corvette if you have the winning bid on eBay.
Photo Credit: BridgetoGantry.com
At the 2012 NCM Bash held last weekend at the National Corvette Museum, GM test driver Jim Mero and engineer Jeff Mosher talked about their last visit to the Nurburgring in 2011 where the 2012 Corvette ZR1 lapped the famous circuit in 7:19.63, beating their previous run in 2008 of 7:26.4 and claiming the unofficial title as the fastest production car on the ‘ring.
A Connecticut leader says he is just trying to keep unscrupulous people from taking advantage of a tax break for antique cars.
But legitimate car collectors just see it as a tax increase for them, including Sam Romeo, who owns a 1959 Corvette, a 1972 Mercedes 350SL and a 1983 Chevy Caprice.
Here is a brief walk around video we shot and posted to YouTube.com in HD as we tried to capture the new blue color on a 2013 427 Convertible Corvette that was on display at the National Corvette Museum’s Bash held in April 2012. Night Race Blue is the new blue exterior color for the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette. It’s very dark but when in direct sunlight, the metallic color really shines.
Want to get a mini-Corvette fix? Then come on down to the National Corvette Museum on Saturday, May 5 at 9:30 a.m.
Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky will be holding its annual Mini-Corvette Challenge that day, helping to raise money for JA programs.
Corvette’s Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter held this one-hour seminar at the National Corvette Museum’s 2012 Bash called “Engineering the Corvette”. With all the excitement surrounding the up-coming 2014 C7 Corvette, Tadge wanted to take Corvette owners and enthusiasts inside the process. From the halls of GM’s design center to the factory floor in Bowling Green, check out all that goes into revamping an America’s favorite sports car.
Article contributed by Dave Salvatore / Kerbeck Corvette
We just got done reviewing the new incentives that GM has announced and it appears that Corvette is going to ride the wave of a very successful month in sales by keeping all of the current incentives.
The special APR of 0% up to 60 months and 2.9% for 72 months has been extended along with the $1,500 dealer cash.
It was in 2009 that GM relauched the Chevy Camaro and it today its one of the most popular cars in its segment.
GM’s Chairman Daniel Akerson was asked in an intervew by Kathleen Walter of Newsmax.tv if GM is planning any other relaunches of popular models. Akerson responded by saying, “Not in the intermediate near term, I don’t think so.” But then the Chairman and CEO added the following about the 2014 C7 Corvette:
This video posted by WFTV in Cocoa, Florida is a Corvette owner’s worst nightmare.
You probably cringe when you have to turn the keys to your pride and joy over to a parking lot attendant when you just go to a restaurant. Imagine if the following happened while you were on a long cruise.

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And by 2020, the solar industry will have completely "paid back" the energy it took to produce the world's panels.
Charge your phone with that white stuff from the beach
Dispelling the myth that surfing the Web is a time-draining waste of neurons
Is there any difference between an identical twin and a clone?
One-celled organisms could make our road network more efficient
Scientific proof that love is a sweet, sweet thing
Turning your idols into handbags.
They're everywhere—and they can also treat cancer.
Microbial manufacturing is about to go mainstream
Scientists are turning to microbes to manufacture scents and flavors
The answer might actually help us treat some neurological diseases.
Technology may be ushering in a golden age of stalking, in which predators use GPS, cellphones and other devices to track and terrorize.
Just shy of 10 years after scientists first made embryonic-like stem cells from adult cells, another team finds a totally different way to do it.
And also let tourists peek inside
The essential vitamin found in many foods could be used to create non-toxic scaffolds for custom medical implants.
In the future, spider-strengthened silk could go into bulletproof vests.
Vermonters seem less averse to bioengineered food once it's identified.
It's not as weird as you'd think
A device that restores hearing by transmitting sound through the teeth and bones
It's called shrilk, and no, it won't cause allergic reactions.
Depending on who you ask, these long-ignored, widely-scattered elements are either a dealbreaker or no problem at all


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ROYAL Mail customers have faced long queues at the delivery offices in Coventry as staff struggled to cope with an increase in undelivered packages.
Queues were going out the door of the office in Bishop Street, city centre, over the weekend and yesterday as people collected mail that had not been delivered through their letterboxes.
One customer, who had tried to collect mail five times and had queued for 30 minutes, said: “It is disgraceful. We pay to have our mail delivered and it is just not good enough that we have to wait this long.”
A spokeswoman for the Royal Mail said the office had just been experiencing an incredibly busy time for packet mail.
She said: “We are aware that we have had a massive increase in the number of packages which is the kind of mail that people have to come and pick up, especially at this time of year.
“We are putting additional staff in to deal with it and serve customers as quickly as possible and will be opening an additional facility to deal with customers quicker as it gets closer to Christmas.”
She said customers could also arrange to have the mail redelivered at a time to suit.


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The world’s 25 largest retailers saw their cumulative market capitalization fall 1.3% quarter-on-quarter, from $3.37 trillion (€3.1 trillion) in the third quarter of 2022 to $3.33 trillion (3, 08 trillion euros) in the fourth quarter to the latest data from data and analytics company GlobalData.
The decline was largely driven by excess inventory as exponential inflation, rising interest rates and heightened fears of a recession changed consumer behavior.
Amazon, Costco, CVS Health and Avenue Supermarts were among the top 25 companies that reported significant declines in their market capitalization in the fourth quarter, while Nike, Ross Stores, Pinduoduo gained significantly, the data showed.
Ragupathi Jaiaraman, Business Fundamentals Analyst at GlobalData commented, “The global retail industry is facing headwinds in the form of rising interest rates and inflationary pressures.
“Rising inventories and supply chain risks are also casting doubt on the sector’s growth prospects.” In contrast, the retail industry is looking towards changing trends such as omnichannel shopping, social commerce and technological innovation.”
Market capitalization decline
In the last quarter of 2022, Amazon lost $294.3 billion (€272 billion) compared to the previous quarter, its biggest drop in nearly two decades.
The company’s performance was affected by various factors, such as supply chain problems, the war in Ukraine and higher costs, as well as a growing preference for in-store (offline) shopping, which also affected most e-commerce sellers overall.
Elsewhere, Nike proved to be the biggest gainer among the world’s 25 largest retail stocks, up 40.4% quarter-on-quarter in 2022Q4.
Jaiaraman explained, “Retail giants Ross Stores, TJKS, Pinduoduo and Inditek reported more than 25% growth in their market capitalization in the fourth quarter. More than 80% of the world’s 25 largest retailers reported growth in their valuation.
“Although home improvement projects declined in the US, Home Depot managed to post 14% quarter-on-quarter value growth in Q4 2022. Alibaba reported growth of more than 10% in its Q4 2022 estimate, thanks to its initiatives to cost optimization and improved operational efficiency”.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Daieta Das. Click subscribe to log in to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.


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Just Dhs200 will bag you a ticket for the hotly anticipated The 1975 concert coming to Dubai later this year.
The concert will take place Wednesday August 14 in the brand-new (and, important, all-indoors) Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, and tickets have just gone on sale, so move fast.
With massive tunes like The Sound, Chocolate, Somebody Else and It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You), the pop rockers have absolutely hit their stride again with third album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, released in 2018. Now in the midst of a global tour supporting the new record, The 1975 were one of the first acts worldwide to live-stream their entire Coachella 2019 headline set on YouTube – and they’re known for putting on a massive show.
And they’re not done there because another new album, Notes on a Conditional Form is due out before the end of 2019 – that’s two albums in less than 12 months, if you’re counting.
Hopefully we’ll get to catch a couple of new songs while they’re here…
Tickets for the show, the band’s first in the Middle East, start from just Dhs200. Gold Circle Standing tickets are available from Dhs895, and there are plenty of ticket brackets inbetween.
The full ticket prices are as follows:
Bronze – Dhs200
Silver – Dhs300
Gold – Dhs350
Standing Floor – Dhs350
Platinum – Dhs400
Gold Circle Standing – Dhs895
From Dhs200. Wed Aug 14. Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, 800tickets.com.


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New data reveals eye-watering increase in international business travel in the last six months
New data from Australia’s leading travel management provider for SMEs has uncovered a resurgence in international business travel six months on from the initial border reopening in November last year.
April saw the biggest growth in international flight bookings – a 135 per cent increase on November 2021 when the international border opened in NSW, and 75 per cent on January and February this year.
The data also reveals the most popular international destinations for travel and the industries that are travelling the most.
Corporate Traveller Australia, Flight Centre Travel Group’s flagship travel management provider for SMEs, analysed its travel bookings from 1 January 2022 – two months on from Australia’s initial international border reopening – to 1 May 2022.
During this period, international flight bookings across Australia’s states increased significantly. South Australia saw the largest increase in travel bookings departing from the state, at 204 per cent from January to end-April 2022.
Bookings out of WA increased by 135 per cent, while Victoria saw a 116 per cent increase in bookings, NSW by 109 per cent and Queensland 105 per cent.
Tom Walley, Global Managing Director at Corporate Traveller, says: “Despite the fact that full capacity for international flights isn’t slated to return until next year, we’re seeing a significant demand for international travel from SMEs.
“As the world reopens, businesses and travellers are forging international relationships again to help increase their sales, expand into new markets, and source new partnerships. This will help drive the recovery of many industries in Australia and help improve our local economy.”
Popular international travel destinations for businesses
The Corporate Traveller data also uncovered five of the top 10 international destinations businesses are travelling to the most, with North America proving the most popular region for travel.
Bookings to Canada have seen a significant increase six months on from the initial international border reopening in November: flight bookings grew by 277 per cent from January to end-April 2022.
Travel bookings to the UK increased by 73 per cent, while the United States also proved popular, with bookings soaring by 71 per cent. The United Arab Emirates also ranked highly, experiencing a growth in bookings by 56 per cent.
Bookings to Singapore have been slightly slower to take off, increasing by 40 per cent in the same period. Mr Walley believes this is likely due to the travel restrictions Singapore had in place until 1 April, whereby the country then removed its testing and quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.
Tom says: “I anticipate international flight bookings will continue to soar month on month. As Singapore continues to relax its travel restrictions and requirements further, I expect SME travel bookings to catch up to other destinations.
“Travel to Europe is also likely to surge, as businesses look to combine their travel to the UK and Europe, potentially booking longer stays for their employees to make the most out of their travel and help drive the company’s sales and revenue.
“The introduction of direct flights to major cities such as New York and London in the next few years will also spur an increase in demand and advance flight bookings to these destinations.”
The industries travelling internationally the most
Mr Walley says that Corporate Traveller has also seen early green shoots of international travel in the last few months across several industries, namely essential industries that continued travelling domestically in the last two years.
International travel bookings between January to end-April 2022 shows the finance industry has been travelling the most, increasing its bookings by 224 per cent.
Next is the medical industry, with a 103 per cent increase and then the construction industry, with a 60 per cent increase. Businesses in the consulting industry are also resuming international travel strongly, with bookings increasing by 50 per cent.
The technology and mining industries have similarly experienced a healthy international travel revival, at 46 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.
“The finance industry saw the most impressive increase in travel, as a large part of the industry would have largely relied on international video meetings during border closures, and re-booted its travel programs this year,” Mr Walley said.
“We believe other industries such as medical and construction – while growing their travel healthily in the last few months – were already maintaining their essential travelling and, as such, saw smaller increases this year.
“Throughout the year we’re likely to see other industries rebound their travel, including manufacturing, IT, and education.
“Australia is also in the midst of a post-election transition to a new Government which is likely to see travel by Government employees increase significantly to continue to strengthen relationships with our international counterparts.”


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Analytics outfit App Annie has acquired Mobida for an undisclosed amount, in a bid to offer what CEO Bertrand Schmitt terms “the largest and most comprehensive app usage data product available on the market.”
Mobida has grown to a team of 30 since being founded in 2012, and its Vancouver HQ will now become App Annie’s 12th global office.
The mobile measurement company specialises in usage intelligence.
By assimilating Mobida, the Beijing-headquartered App Annie is following the trend for the verticalisation of mobile analytics, adding another area of expertise to its already comprehensive bow with additional app usage analytics.
You will be assimilated
Schmitt explained in a blog post that "Five years ago, when I co-founded App Annie, there was almost no meaningful insight into who was using apps and how they were using them.
"We realised early on that usage tracking would become an essential component for developers - thus, the introduction of Usage Intelligence to complement our Store Intelligence and Audience Intelligence offerings.
“Combining Mobidia's data with ours accelerates the development of Usage Intelligence, allowing us to provide you with the largest app usage dataset and the deepest insight into the two billion smartphone users worldwide."
With access to Mobida’s data, App Annie now offers both current and historical insights into app reach, retention, and engagement for iOS and Android users in 60 countries.


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- Web Desk
- 4 Hours ago
United announces a massive price hike of Rs60,000 for its 150cc bike
- Web Desk
- Nov 29, 2023
WEB DESK: United Autos has announced a massive price hike of Rs60,000 for its 150cc motorcycle model, US 150.
Media reports indicate that the bike maker introduced this motorcycle a few months ago, and following the recent adjustment, its price has now increased to Rs330,000.
This Lahore-based motorcycle manufacturer launched the ‘US 150’ bike in direct competition with 150cc motorcycles from Honda and Suzuki.
Initially, the pricing strategy positioned it significantly lower than the offerings from these competitors.
However, with the recent price increase, the ‘US 150’ now stands somewhat closer in price to the 150cc bikes offered by Honda and Suzuki.
It is noteworthy that, in addition to the 150cc model, the brand offers motorcycles in various engine capacities, including 70cc, 100cc, and 125cc.
Furthermore, the brand has introduced an 800cc car named the United Bravo. Originally launched as a successor to the Suzuki Mehran, it, however, did not gain as prominent a reputation as the Mehran model.


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Unwind and relax in one of the airline’s comfortable seats and order your “airgusto” experience from trendy international restaurants directly at ITB
BERLIN, Germany, 2017-Mar-10 — /Travel PR News/ — airberlin will as in previous years present itself year to an international audience between 8–12 March at ITB in Berlin. The airline offers ITB visitors the possibility to experience airberlin’s world of high-quality products and services at Stand 110 in Hall 25, live and on two levels. This includes the only restaurant service above the clouds, “airgusto”, whereby passengers can choose to be served a meal from a total of 17 international trendy restaurants onboard. Trade show visitors who order their favourite meal directly at ITB will receive a free glass of wine. For more information on “airgusto”, please visit airberlin.com/airgusto.
The airline’s aircraft seats on display at the stand allow visitors to take a moment to step back from the bustle of the trade show, and are also ideal for a productive business meeting with one of the airberlin staff on-site at ITB. airberlin will present publically for the first time its new long-haul Business Class seats. Passengers will be able to enjoy the particularly comfortable seats on select long-haul flights from this summer. The short- and medium-haul Economy Class seats are also on display for stand visitors who want to try them out and relax. airberlin cabin crew will be on hand to explain all of the seat features to visitors.
#YesWeFlyUSA – Spotlight on airberlin’s broad US network at this year’s ITB with numerous specials for visitors
airberlin will start a number of new flights between mid-April and mid-May, such as from Berlin-Tegel to New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco as it continues to grow its route network to the USA. Another new route starting in May is a non-stop flight from Dusseldorf to Orlando five days a week. The USA as a travel destination is also the focus of many offers and competitions at ITB. airberlin will hold an iPad quiz with free flights to Orlando and San Francisco on offer for prize-winners, as well as to Milan, Budapest, Paris and Copenhagen. The winners will be announced on the general public days (Saturday and Sunday) at the airberlin stand at 1 pm and at 4 pm each day. Visitors can take advantage of a photo booth to take a photo of themselves against a typical sunny California backdrop as a souvenir of their visit to airberlin. Visitors who upload a photo to the airberlin Facebook page with the hashtags #YesWeFlyUSA and #airberlin and total the most likes can win flights to Los Angeles. Visitors also have the possibility to win flights to a range of beautiful holiday destinations on the general public days with airberlin’s Austrian partner airline, NIKI. NIKI will also be present at the airberlin stand in Hall 25 at ITB.
Exclusive offers only for trade show visitors
There will be attractive discounts on flight bookings or for booking an XL Seat on long-haul flights during the entire duration of the trade show. Visitors who register for the topbonus frequent flyer programme directly at the airberlin trade show stand will receive a voucher to use one of the exclusive worldwide airport lounges in the airberlin route network.
airberlin Press office
Phone: +49 (0)30 3434 1500


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Welcome back to our Windows news recap, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.
Intel’s Thread Director technology could help boost Windows 11’s overall system performance
A new piece of technology from Intel has been announced, dubbed Thread Director, that could help boost the performance of Windows 11. The idea is that the OS can “place the right thread on the right core at the right time.”
Panos Panay provides a cool sneak peek at a redesigned Windows 11 Paint app
A redesigned Paint app for Windows 11 has been teased by Panos Panay, with a short clip providing a mini-look at what could be in store.
Here’s another @Windows 11 first look. This is the beautifully redesigned Paint app, coming soon to Windows Insiders. Can’t wait to see your creations! #Windows11 #WindowsInsiders pic.twitter.com/jiKyfqQFUV
— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) August 18, 2021
Apple iCloud Microsoft Store app on Windows 10 and Windows 11 gets new Password manager app
Apple has released an update to its iCloud app on Windows that brings a useful new feature to Windows 10 and 11. The iCloud update adds a new Password Manager, allowing you to access your saved passwords from iCloud Keychain on your Windows 10 or 11 PC, and bring them into Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. Windows Hello is currently required for the feature to work.
Microsoft starts testing new features coming with Windows 10 version 21H2 this fall
Windows Insiders are beginning to test three new features with Windows 10 version 21H2, as detailed below.
- Adding WPA3 H2E standards support for enhanced Wi-Fi security
- Windows Hello for Business introduces a new deployment method called cloud trust to support simplified passwordless deployments and achieve a deploy-to-run state within a few minutes
- GPU compute support in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows (EFLOW) deployments for machine learning and other compute intensive workflows
That’s it for this week. We’ll be back next week with more Windows news.


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Preserving age-old handicraft at Matryoshka’s birthplace
Part of UNESCO’s world cultural heritage list, Nizhny Novgorod and its region are also the cradle of many ancient Russian handicrafts and traditions.
Alexander Vugin has been a master in wood carving for 14 years, ever since giving up his job as a photographer.
He picked up the trade without any training or specialist knowledge, and can now make chess sets, furniture and his trademark sculptures.
“To me working with wood is a pleasure, to feel it and see that it's alive. I don’t like adding too much paint or varnish – it should be natural to let it breathe,” Alexander says.
Demanding precise skill and a delicate touch, woodcarving is one of several ancient handicrafts to come out of the Nizhny Novgorod region.
But the number of specialists is diminishing and that is why people in the town of Gorodets, on the Volga River, are taking action to ensure their legacy isn't lost.
They have set up a new workshop, where visitors can learn about the various crafts iconic to the Russian region:
“People can come here to see the handcrafters at work. Those who get interested in their work have the opportunity to learn from them and in time become handcrafters themselves,” tour guide Irina Udalova explains.
The town of Gorodets is nearly a thousand years old and is known throughout Russia for its wood carving, pottery, gold lace embroidery, and its painting designs – skills that have been practiced in the region for generations.
For instance, the art of pottery making in Gorodets dates back to the 13th Century and is one of the many crafts the people here are trying to preserve.
Handicrafts are also a big business in the Nizhny Novgorod region – nearly a third of Russia’s embroidery, ornaments and boxes come from here.
And some of them don’t come cheap. A painted box might set you back $1000, though much like everywhere else, times have been tough recently and production is falling.
“In Soviet times we employed 160 workers, now there are only 30. But given what has happened in Russia over the years, and the way the economy has changed recently, I guess it’s normal. Demand for our goods has fallen in comparison with last year,” director of Gorodets Rospis factory Vyacheslav Grushlin says.
But with a drive to attract more interest in the region’s cherished handicrafts, people in Nizhny Novgorod are hoping the worst is now behind them. The important thing is that region is very proud of its handicraft heritage.
Speaking with RT, the consultant for support and development of small business at the Nizhny Novgorod council, Tamara Murygina, mentioned that the famous Matryoshka nesting dolls were created in her region.
“In essence, Matryoshka is a result of Semyonov painting – traditional craft of wood-toy painting,” she explained.
According to local resident Anna Moroskova, household appliances designed with Khokhloma wood painting handicraft are a common sight in Nizhny Novgorod homes.
“Everyone has at least a plate, spoon or vase designed with recognizable red, black, gold colors of Khokhloma,” Moroskova said.


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Orchids International, a leading hygiene manufacturers launched their first ever Diwali campaign #SafeKhushiyaanBaato and their video depicts the story of all our lives this year in a beautifully shot video. The DVC shows a family that longs the feeling of festive togetherness post the lockdown and how Orchids’ Suraksha Kavach gives them the reunion and the ability to celebrate Diwali in all its glory!
Curated by Brand Sentry, the campaign launched on Social Media and roped in influencers across categories that spoke about integrating the Suraksha Kavach as safe gifting option that will not only be cherished by your loved ones but will also give them the protection they deserve amidst the pandemic.
Orchids International understood and tapped into a very different side of gifting with this campaign and hamper. Diwali is a time when people spend a huge chunk of money in indulging their loved ones with sweets and gifts and with Suraksha Kavach Orchids have created an opportunity to help us gift each other safety and hygiene, the most important gift in the middle of a pandemic.
View this post on Instagram
This year, we may have missed out on celebrating many of our auspicious festivals due to the pandemic, but we do not want you to celebrate a dull and restrained Diwali without meeting your loved ones! Introducing Orchids Suraksha Kavach! The best gift which provides safety assurance and will let you celebrate the festival of lights to the fullest! Iss Diwali, Sirf Khushiyaan Nahi, Orchids ke sath #SafeKhushiyaanBaato! To Buy Your Suraksha Kavach, visit- https://bit.ly/surakshakavach #OrchidsInternational #OrchidsHygiene #DiwaliHamper #Diwali2020 #DiwaliGifts #SafetyFirst #FestiveVibes #Festival #Diwali #Festive #SafeDiwali
The idea that most people in our country have been deprived of the company of their family and friends this year, Diwali can be an opportunity for them to reunite keeping safety at centre of their priority with Suraksha Kavach being the enablers.
The unique offerings of Automatic Sanitizer Dispenser, Air Humidifier, Pen Sanitizers and Hand Rub sachets packed with a whole lot of love makes this a thoughtful and attractive gifting option.
Kumail Vakil, Director, Orchids International, said, “We wanted to bring something unique to the market this season and enable our customers at large to have the Diwali they would if not for the Pandemic.
“#SafeKhushiyaanBaato is a step towards a safer way of celebrating festivals and choosing gifts that enable people around us to stay safe and choose the gift of safety and life in the middle of the pandemic with our Suraksha Kavach,” Vakil said.
Vishakha Mota, Co-Founder, Brand Sentry, said, “The thought of Suraksha Kavach came to us very organically, this year needs a ray of hope even with the marketing and communications and that’s where #SafeKhusiyaanBaato comes from. We wanted to create conversations across all mediums on how relevant, topical and important it is to pick a gift that is going to count and make a difference.
“This campaign is more than just a Diwali communication, this campaign is about changing the way we look at the concept of gifting and festivals at large and it couldn’t have been more in sync with the current time,” Mota added.


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As featured in AdNews magazine, Watchdog is that mighty defender of consumers against BS marketing and advertising claims.
This week Watchog goes up against Kleenex, who is claiming its flushable cleansing cloths break down through sewerage and water systems after flushing, although Australian water service providers are not convinced.
AdNews: I’ve been buying flushable wipes for a while now, but I read today they aren’t actually flushable?
Kleenex: Our wipes meet the industry standards and regulations set by the government. Where did you read they aren’t flushable?
AdNews: I read a report saying the wipes cause blockages.
Kleenex: Mainly those blockages are caused by baby wipes that aren’t supposed to be put down the toilet and they are put into the same category as flushable wipes. What report was it?
AdNews: Sydney Water said they removed more than 1000 tonnes of wet wipe materials.
Kleenex: We’re working with Sydney Water and many other companies regarding their findings. We can’t say anything about it at this stage, but I can assure you that the wipes meet the industry standards and that’s all we can follow.
AdNews: Do you think there should be a warning on the packaging saying they do not disintegrate like toilet paper?
Kleenex: We just go by whatever the government says. If you want more information I’ll get your details and get someone to call you back.
Consumers are told on the packaging that these wipes are “flushable,” which would lead consumers to assume they can be tossed in the toilet. However, reports have found that these wipes are wreaking havoc on Australia’s plumbing and waterways. Is Kleenex to blame? If its product meets the current industry guidelines, maybe it’s time the government cleaned up its act.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at email@example.com


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It may be premature for a victory lap, but Microsoft still got some good news Tuesday with the release of data showing it has gained two percentage points in one measure of search engine market share since it launched its Bing search engine late last month.
According to research firm comScore, Microsoft’s share of search results pages — a measure of the intensity of search activity by users — jumped to 11.1% between June 2 and June 6 after it launched Bing from 9.1% between May 26 and May 30. Bing also helped Microsoft reach more searchers on the Internet, causing Microsoft’s search penetration to jump to 15.5% from 13.8% during that same time period.
The big question is how durable these early gains are for Microsoft. The company has launched a major television and online advertising campaign for Bing that is undoubtedly attracting some online users to the Microsoft search site. Whether they stick with Bing is tough to tell at this point.
A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment.


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After the import control measures led to a big slump in revenue collection, the government first lifted the over seven-month ban on the imports of automobiles, liquors, and expensive mobile sets effective from mid-December last year.
Then, on January 20, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) annulled the nearly year-long provision of cash margin of up to 100 percent in the banks to open letters of credit (LCs) for the imports of around 300 goods.
However, the decisions of the government and NRB to roll back their previous steps, which were introduced a year ago to tackle the worsening problems in the external sector of the economy have not been fruitful for the government in terms of meeting the revenue targets.
According to the Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO), the government’s revenue collection continues to remain dismal totaling Rs 584.29bn as of mid-March, 2023 compared to Rs 688.38bn in the same period of the last fiscal year 2021/22.
The revenue collected so far is not enough even to cover the recurrent expenditure of the government which stands at Rs 610.21bn as of mid-March, 2023.
The Department of Customs (DoC) and Inland Revenue Department (IRD), the major agencies of the country’s tax regime, have reported dismal revenue figures as of March 15 of the current fiscal year.
According to DoC, it collected Rs 250bn, which is 58 percent of the target of Rs 433bn. “The impact of the policy reversal on import control has not been reflected in the customs revenue,” a senior DoC official said. The country receives nearly half of its revenue through taxing imported goods.
Import taxes on vehicles are among the largest sources of revenue. But even after the government lifted the import ban, automobile dealers have not rushed to import the vehicles. In fact, the automobile dealers have not yet cleared around 2,800 four-wheelers parked at Birgunj and other customs yards of the country, according to the customs officials. The vehicles were imported in recent months based on LCs opened before the import restrictions were imposed in April last year. “We have long been asking the auto dealers to get them cleared but they have refused to do so, complaining about the non-availability of loans in the automobile sector,” the official said.
In FY 2021/22, the government collected revenue of Rs 66.30bn from the imports of four and two-wheelers, DoC data shows.
The story is the same with the inland revenue collection. According to IRD, the revenue collection as of mid-March of this fiscal year stood at 79.68 percent of the target. A total of Rs 281.99bn has been collected by IRD as of mid-March against the target of Rs 353.91bn. The department had raised Rs 284.88bn in revenue during the same period of the last fiscal year.
In late January, the government decided to reduce administrative expenditure by 20 percent. Subsequently, the government trimmed its expenditure plan (budget) for the current fiscal year 2022/23 by 13.59 percent through the mid-term review of the budget.
This translates to a reduction of a staggering Rs 243.83bn in the budget for FY 2022/23. The revised budget now amounts to Rs 1,549.99bn. On May 29, former finance minister Janardan Sharma had presented a budget of Rs 1,793.83bn with an ambitious 8 percent economic growth target.
But during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the economy grew by just 0.8 percent. Industrialists and businesspersons say the demand for goods and services has slumped as the economy is facing several problems currently. According to revenue administration officials, meeting the revenue targets is difficult because of the macroeconomic headwinds.


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New research released by LNER names the foods we think will have disappeared from our plates within 100 years – including chocolate, avocados and seafood
- More than 1 in 7 anticipate that our meals will all be plant-based by 2123, with many citing environmental impact of eating animal products
- Bug burgers, cricket cakes and mealworm macarons may well become menu mainstays – according to future eating predictions. Over a quarter said they would be open to eating a bug-based dish, with 52% believing food will become more daring and imaginative in 100 years
- 59% of Brits claim they couldn’t imagine their lives without chocolate, but according to Food Futurologist Robin Fegen the much-loved treat could very well be extinct by 2123
- A third of the nation predict that by 2123, there will be no such thing as an ‘unhealthy food’, thanks to genetic modification and food substitutes with AI also playing a future role
- LNER is launching a restaurant where guests can dine in the past, present and the future – to celebrate its 100th year anniversary. Diners will enjoy a dessert from the future ‘Mushroom Panna Cotta’ – infused with ingredients such as algae-based spirulina, mushrooms and ancient grain amaranth – all predicted to be key staples in our diets in 100 years
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of London North Eastern Railway (LNER), and the evolution of its iconic onboard menu over the years, research has been commissioned into the future of food, looking at how we may be dining 100 years from now.
Food Futurologist Robin Fegen said: “Sustainability, ethics, and nutrition are becoming increasingly important when it comes to food. High in protein, spirulina and other types of algae are healthy and easy to produce, but currently have an acquired taste – which is why they aren’t as popular right now. However, genetic modification could mean we can make these ingredients taste just as good as the likes of chocolate, allowing us to indulge in a tasty dessert, while also reaping the health benefits.”
“During the next century, we predict that society will be incredibly conscious about its carbon footprint. As well as being difficult to source, cocoa trees need very specific conditions in order to survive, so rather than exporting ingredients like cocoa beans, we’ll be turning to foods we can produce closer to home to limit our carbon footprint as much as possible. Thanks to climate change, we’re already seeing a dramatic reduction in cocoa trees, so it is very possible that chocolate will naturally filter out of our diet – gradually substituted by easily produced, more sustainable alternatives.”
Many Brits are open to reducing the amount of animal products they consume with 38% saying they would consider becoming vegetarian or vegan with other statistical findings including:
- 1 in 5 Brits expect avocados to have disappeared from our diets in entirety by 2123 – citing climate change as the challenge and adverse weather conditions making ingredients harder to grow – along with seafood (36%) and chicken nuggets (32%).
- 1 in 10 predict that chocolate will cease to exist with a further 1 in 5 (20%) thinking chocolate would be too expensive.
- Local produce is of true value – with 20% thinking we may shun large supermarkets in favour of farm shops and growing our own food, and not consume produce that had been imported from far-flung destinations, racking up the food miles and carbon footprint.
- 52% say that in 100 years vegan food will continue to be tastier, healthier, and more affordable, making it the more desirable option.
Highlighting the growing appetite for a healthier, more organic lifestyle, more than a third (33%) predict that by 2123, there will be no such thing as an ‘unhealthy food’, thanks to genetic modification and food substitutes, while 36 per cent believe artificial intelligence will play a large role in the food we consume, tailoring our meal plans to meet our individual dietary needs.
Food futurologist Robin says, they’re not far off the mark as “By 2123, we may even have microchips in our bodies that monitors our blood, informing us when we need more or less of particular nutrients in our system, and how much we actually require, making sure we don’t undereat or overeat.”
Top five food trends of 2123
1. Sustainability: “By 2123, food sustainability will likely be more than just fashionable, but a way of life. This means people growing their own foods and more city farms, with people determined to know where their food has come from, and how far it’s travelled.”
2. Personalisation: “In the future, we will be looking at multiple elements of personalisation, tailoring each meal to the individual’s health, based on their genetics and gut bacteria for example and enjoyment by linking with technology implemented within our bodies. With edible 3D printing, diners will be able to choose the taste, shape, colour and even texture of their food, as well as the nutritional value.
3. AI: “There will be no more stressing over what to eat tonight when your fridge can think for itself – ordering and preparing your meals based on what it knows about you, your mood and your health, it can even come up with new recipes! What is more, it will never forget to bake a cake on your birthday.”
4. Plant-based: “It is highly unlikely vegans will become meat eaters, but undoubtedly, we will see more meat eaters become vegans, even after meat has started to be created in labs and insect protein has become more prevalent. We are looking at a plant-based future with more plants, fungi, algae and more.”
5. Genetic modification “Genetic modification will become much easier and practical and the solution to make issues we currently have. This will open the doors to producing foods that are genetically modified to be healthier, tastier, and grown in adverse conditions.”
The LNER 1923 Restaurant will be found at The Cookery School at The Grand in York on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th November 2023 at 7pm. Diners can make reservations for the exclusive event via Eventbrite here. The experience is likely to prove popular so booking early is advised.


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ICIS WEBINAR: Chems to see H2 demand pick up, but coronavirus challenges remain
HOUSTON (ICIS)–US and European chemical producers will see sequential improvements in demand in H2 as economies emerge from the Q2 coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdowns and restrictions.
However, challenges remain and it could take a long time before producers are back at their pre-crisis performance, ICIS experts said in a webinar – “Chemical industry state as H2 draws near” – on Thursday.
A full economic recovery will only be possible once a vaccine or other treatment is available – meaning that consumers have the confidence to go out and spend without the fear of infections, they said.
Meanwhile, in many ways the crisis has accelerated broader trends and challenges chemical producers were already facing before the pandemic began hitting North America and Europe in March – such as over-capacities, trade tensions, regionalisation, China’s self-sufficiency drive, or environmental sustainability, they said.
The speakers were Jeremy Pafford, North America Market Development, who hosted the webinar; Al Greenwood, ICIS Americas deputy news editor and senior correspondent; Joseph Chang, ICB Global Editor; and Nigel Davis, Global Insight Editor.
As chemicals feed into most sectors of the economy, the industry’s prospects depend very much on how quickly overall demand recovers.
While some markets, in particular auto, remain “extremely challenging”, the US construction market is performing better than expected, and demand for chemicals and materials from sectors such as consumer packaging or healthcare remains strong, the experts said.
Regionally, the recovery in Europe may be slower than in the US.
In the US, coronavirus-induced record-high US unemployment recently stabilised somewhat.
However, companies are still cutting jobs as they respond to demand declines, meaning that the outlook for demand in many chemical end markets is bleak, the experts said.
Still, demand from the US construction sector “held up relatively well”, and other markets, such as consumer packaging, are showing resilience, said Joseph Chang.
At the same time, equity analysts covering chemicals are trying to look beyond the recession and have become more bullish, he noted.
This could point to an end of the recession “at some point” as chemical stocks tend to outperform the market in the early stages of a recovery.
However, the experts also cautioned not to read too much into the share price movements.
In fact, Jeremy Pafford said that an argument could be made that a lot of the upside in US equities is based on monetary stimulus – rather than actual improvement in consumer demand.
The Federal Reserve measures have made bonds relatively unattractive, prompting people to put their money into equities, he said.
The US economy may need more fiscal stimulus in H2 as the Fed monetary policies can do only so much, the experts said.
In Europe, the business outlook remains poor amid “massive unemployment” and there remain big questions as to how and when demand will come back, said Nigel Davis.
While demand for chemicals and materials from the packaging market or from healthcare keeps up strongly, that was not the case for the many polymers going into autos or manufactured goods, Davis said.
“We have a long way to go, a long, long way to go”, he said.
Davis also pointed to the challenges US and European chemical firms that export to China are facing as that country keeps building up new ethylene and other petrochemical capacities in order to become self-sufficient.
“Import substitution is a big, big thing for this industry over the next few years,” he added with reference to China.
In the near term, chemical producers are looking to see “if China is going to be producing hard in August”, and thus buy chemicals and plastics, to meet end of year market demand for its exports to the US and Europe, Davis said.
“Have [China’s] businesses come back in a way that we are told they have, are supply chains robust enough to export finished goods to Europe and the US?” he asked.
The experts all agreed that the global automotive market “is going to be tough for a long time”, with auto builds unlikely to regain pre-crisis levels before 2023.
Still, even the troubled auto sector may have bottomed.
Al Greenwood pointed to an update this week by US-based auto coatings firm Axalta, which reported May sales up 15% from April, with June sales expected to improve on May, indicating that “things are improving”.
The state of the auto sector is set to feature in the upcoming US chemical industry Q2 earnings season, starting with US adhesive producer HB Fuller which is due to release quarterly results already next week, Greenwood said.
The coronavirus crisis will not change the move towards sustainability, emissions reductions and recycling, in particular in Europe, the experts said.
Davis pointed to recent comments from BP which suggest that the push for CO2 emissions neutrality will gather pace, rather than slow, and that increased plastics recycling and a ban on single use plastics could limit oil demand growth in coming years.
Also, US major Dow this week reiterated its commitment to emissions reductions and recycling.
In the US, the upcoming November elections could lead to new green initiatives in that country – if the Democrats’ candidate Joe Biden beats President Donald Trump and the Democrats should get majorities in both houses of Congress, Pafford added.
Greenwood noted that legislators in the House of Representatives recently introduced a new recycling bill.
At the same time, US firms keep announcing recycling projects and targets, he said.
While some jurisdictions deferred environmental measures during the crisis, including planned bans on single-use plastic bags, the recycling targets retailers, manufacturers and others have set “will not go away”, Chang added.
He also noted that as part of some of the stimulus measures in Europe, some governments provide incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) – meaning that the crisis is accelerating, rather than slowing, the drive to more environmental sustainability.
Visit the ICIS coronavirus topic page for analysis of the impact on chemical markets and links to latest news.
Speak with ICIS
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According to recently released survey results from The Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Houston entrepreneurs believe the economy is moving in a positive direction, and the majority of local entrepreneurs plan on hiring in the coming months.
The organizations Houston Chapter surveyed Houston companies with at least $1 million in annual revenue. The typical business surveyed had an average annual revenue of $18.4 million and had an average of 191 employees.
The results showed that 57 percent of Houston-area entrepreneurs expect to hire more full-time workers and 59 percent plan to hire more part-time workers in the next six months. Forty-one percent of entrepreneurs surveyed also said they expected to start a new business in the next six months.
Entrepreneurs across the world that were surveyed had similar results. Fifty-nine percent said they would hire more full-time workers and 56 percent said they would hire more part-time workers.
Falling in line with nationwide trends, these are definitely signs that the local economy is improving.
The economic recession has been a challenge for business owners and individuals throughout the country. However, this is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to get back in the game and contribute to the economic comeback.
Fri, November 16, 2012
by Bernie Kane filed under
- kane and associates,
- bernie kane,
- job boards,
- kane and associates blog,
- job market,
- houston job recruiters,
- job placement houston,
- economic confidence,
- entrepreneurs contributing to economic comeback,
- local entrepreneurs hiring,
- houston-are entrepreneurs,


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We have not only realised our vision, but have surpassed it
(PRWEB) July 28, 2014
AppsGeyser has been around now for three years and in this time has gone from a small free Android app tool provider to becoming a huge internationally success having seen over one million apps created with the tools that they have provided. The online tool provider was launched in early 2011 and had a mere 8 template styles that could be utilized for by app makers, and has now implemented in excess of 50 templates.
AppsGeyser Android app tool program not only encourages pending app makers to realize their app making dream by providing templates, it also envourages and supports app distribution and app success through the on going after service care that is provided all free of charge. The ongoing tutorials on the AppsGeyser blog provides step by step guides to the app making process, marketing and app distribution methods as well as offering a wide variety of information about the Android world.
"I started out using AppsGeyser back in 2011 and have never looked back,” Roger Jogner told us, “I have now created an Android app with 25 different templates and am enjoying the income that I receive from the apps that I have created in minutes.”
“Back in 2011 we launched AppsGeyser with a vision”, explains Vasily Salomatov, “We have not only realised our vision but have surpassed it with tremendous success.”
AppsGeyser, launched in February 2011, is now the biggest Free Android App Builder on the market. AppsGeysers popularity has risen by enabling users to create apps with ease for Android devices from any web content in under five minutes. AppsGeyser has seen more than 1,045,000 apps created on its platform. There have been more than 753 million downloads of its apps.


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After a two-year battering, the U.S. plastics machinery market finally could be bottoming out, according to industry analysts and new second-quarter statistics from the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc.
SPI's Committee on Equipment Statistics reported that shipments of injection presses, blow molding machines, auxiliary equipment and screws and barrels all increased in the second quarter of 2002, from the first quarter. The only quarter-by-quarter decline was for extruders.
It's only one quarter - not enough time to gauge if the second-period SPI numbers really show a ``bottom.'' Also, injection presses, extruders, screws and barrels declined when measured against the year-ago quarter.
But a fledgling U.S. rebound so far this year could be signaled by the fact that sequential gains - the first to the second quarter - are spread across four of the five sectors.
Several machinery analysts say third-quarter economic data indicates that the plastics equipment market is poised to recover. In its own second-quarter report, executives of the largest U.S.-based player, Milacron Inc., said business apparently has bottomed.
But how strong a rebound will be anybody's guess.
``Most companies are still extremely cautious about capital expenditures, and there's not going to be any major increase in [capital expenditures] this year,'' said Walter Liptak, analyst at McDonald & Co. in Chicago. ``The big question is in 2003: Can they afford to keep their [capital expenditures] so low? At some point, you have to increase your spending.''
The third quarter will be key to determine the level of new orders, since many manufacturing companies make spending decisions in the fall, several analysts said.
Washington-based SPI said the combined U.S. shipments of injection and blow molding machines and auxiliary equipment hit $287 million in the second quarter. That is a 21.2 percent jump from the first quarter of this year, and a 3.6 percent gain from the second quarter of 2001.
The data is more encouraging than the 2002 first-quarter statistics, which were released two weeks ago. In the first quarter, combined sales plunged 23.3 percent compared with the same period in 2001, and were flat from the previous period.
Other details from the SPI report:
* In the second quarter of 2002, 849 injection molding presses were shipped to U.S. customers, a 10 percent increase from the first-quarter total of 771 units. However, the unit numbers do not look as good when measured on a year-ago basis, since 1,007 presses were shipped in the second quarter of 2001, SPI said. Injection press shipments have bumped up and down for several quarters.
Measured in dollar value, injection presses were about flat from the year-ago quarter, and jumped 28.2 percent from the first quarter.
* Blow molding machine sales rebounded to 54 units in the second quarter, a 12.5 percent gain from 48 machines in the first quarter.
* Extrusion machines declined 11.1 percent in the second quarter from the first period. Extruders have fallen for the last three quarters. SPI releases only unit data for the category, which includes both single- and twin-screw machines.
* Manufacturers of auxiliary equipment enjoyed their third straight quarterly increase, hitting $76.6 million in the second quarter.
* SPI reports gains for screws and barrels from the first quarter. In the second quarter, 1,863 barrels were shipped, a 13 percent increase over the first quarter. Screws for single-screw machines grew 3.7 percent, to 1,838. Both types of components were lower than a year ago, although screws have increased in each of the last three quarters.
Predicting the future of the U.S. economy requires a crystal ball.
Capacity utilization for plastics and rubber factories is hovering around 80 percent, and many machinery executives think the rate needs to hit the mid-80s before they will enjoy a strong increase in sales.
``I think plastics machinery sales and orders have clearly bottomed, as long as the economy doesn't go into a double-dip [recession],'' said John McGinty, senior analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston. He added that most economists don't think the economy will slip back into recession.
Alexander Paris, president of Chicago-based Barrington Research, said spending on computers and semiconductor equipment is down, but industrial machinery is improving.
``For machinery in general, spending has pretty much hit a bottom. They've stabilized and started to move up,'' Paris said.
``It appears that Q1 could be the bottom. We're probably near the bottom,'' said Chris Staneluis, an analyst with Midwest Research Inc. of Cleveland.
He said automotive production, and the introduction of new models, is a positive sign. Consumer spending is holding up, but except for cars, production seems to be slowing in some sectors, he said.


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In this week’s hottest stories from Bitcoin-Tidings.com News, veteran trader Peter Brandt says the bear market that began for dogecoin back in May is over, Bitcoin-Tidings.com-backed boxer Gilberto ‘Zurdo de Oro’ (Golden Southpaw) Ramírez steps up for a shot at the World Boxing Association light heavyweight title, the United States Federal Reserve’s key inflation gauge increases in September, and Robert Kiyosaki warns of real estate markets crashing and advises buying bitcoin before the ‘Fed pivot.’ All this and more, just below.
Veteran Trader Peter Brandt Says Dogecoin Bear Market Has Ended
Veteran trader Peter Brandt says the dogecoin bear market that began in May last year has ended. His comment came after the price of dogecoin soared following Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform Twitter.
Fed’s Key Inflation Gauge Jumps 0.5% in September, America’s Rising Costs to ‘Punish’ Democrats
The U.S. central bank’s key inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, increased by 0.5% in September, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department on Oct. 28. Meanwhile, markets expect with near-certainty that the Federal Reserve will codify its fourth consecutive rate hike by 75 basis points (bps) next month. While investors await the next bank rate increase, midterm elections start on Nov. 8 and reports say inflation is weighing heavily on the minds of most Americans.
Undefeated (44-0) Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramírez Challenges for WBA Light Heavyweight World Title vs․ Dmitry Bivol With Bitcoin․com Backing
Gilberto ‘Zurdo de Oro’ (Golden Southpaw) Ramírez, with Bitcoin-Tidings.com in his corner, has a shot at the World Boxing Association (WBA) light heavyweight title as he faces Dmitry Bivol, also undefeated. In what is being hailed as the biggest fight of the year, Ramirez vs Bivol is the main event of a DAZN card that will be aired live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on November 5.
Robert Kiyosaki Warns Stocks, Bonds, Real Estate Will Crash as Fed Continues Rate Hikes — Advises Buy Bitcoin Before Fed Pivot
The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has warned that stock, bond, and real estate markets will crash as the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates. Noting that the Fed will pivot, he advises investors to buy bitcoin.
What are your thoughts on this week’s stories? Let us know in the comments section below.
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin-Tidings.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.


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Dell’s upcoming Adamo ultraportable, which the company intends to rival Apple’s MacBook Air, may not arrive as quickly as many initially suspected. According to the latest rumors coming out of China, Dell have contracted Foxconn for a joint design manufacture (JDM) role in the manufacture of the Adamo, with mass production not expected to begin until the second half of 2009.
Foxconn are playing coy about the rumors, with company spokesperson Edmund Ding denying that they have any knowledge of the Dell orders. However, according to the sources Foxconn have already produced Adamo samples, suggesting that the design process is well under way.
The Dell Adamo is a 13-inch super-thin ultraportable, aimed at the niche road-warrior customer that is drawn to the MacBook Air. While Dell demonstrated a non-working prototype of the notebook at CES, they made no comment about its specifications, and only reiterated plans to launch it in the first half of 2009.
[Image via Engadget]


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Louis Swiss partners with MML Hospitality
For the second time in the past 18 months, Aspen’s oldest and the Western Slope’s largest, full-scale bakery, Louis Swiss, will undergo ownership changes. A partnership between local philanthropist Jill Soffer and Austin, Texas-based MML Hospitality was formed to own and operate the bakery, along with longtime MML baker and pastry chef Jennifer Tucker.
The 40-year-old bakery was founded by Renee Tornare when he came to Aspen in 1982, bringing the concept of his family bakery and that iconic sign from Switzerland — and named it after his father, Louis, who taught him how to bake.
His younger brother, Felix, joined him at age 17, and the two of them worked side by side, along with their father, who eventually moved to Aspen to build Louis Swiss into a local institution.
Over the years, the bakery changed locations three times and eventually landed in its current 3,000-square-foot space at the Aspen Business Center.
Over 20 years ago, Felix Tornare and his wife, Sarah, took ownership of the business and purchased the building in 1998.
It became a local favorite for picking up an affordable bite away from the hustle and bustle of Aspen’s core, with everyone from workers to flight attendants lined up in the mornings for coffee, pastries, and those enormous breakfast burritos.
In August 2021, Tornare decided to sell Louis Swiss to locals Andrew Helsley and Jill Soffer to focus on his other job as owner of Milagro Ranch. Tornare retained ownership of the building.
It’s uncertain what happened to the partnership between Helsley and Soffer, but Soffer was recently listed as sole owner of the business on the Louis Swiss website.
Enter MML Hospitality.
MML Hospitality’s love affair with Aspen began when founding partners Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman spent winters skiing and summers biking and hiking with their families and friends. In 2017, they opened Clark’s Aspen, followed by Las Montañas this year, and have recently acquired Mountain Chalet.
“MML is thrilled to further expand its Aspen footprint with Louis Swiss Bakery,” McGuire said. “The MML team will honor the bakery’s rich history, serving freshly-baked artisan breads and pastries as well as breakfast and lunch specials at its location in the Aspen Business Center.”
McGuire acknowledged it’s important to maintain the character, charm, and affordability of Louis Swiss. Therefore, the plans to make small incremental changes to the space, retaining the walk-in retail counter, and implementing improvements, like sandwiches and salads made with nitrate-free meats and local, fresh ingredients, as well as bringing in their bread, croissant, and cookie programs.
“There needs to be affordable places for people to eat in this valley, so there will be tweaks, but it will still be affordable and accessible to everyone,” he said.
The bakery will continue serving local restaurants, hotels, and businesses through wholesale relationships and the Aspen farmer’s market on Saturdays in the summer. Many of the pastry and bread recipes from MML’s Austin bakery, Swedish Hill, will be shared with Louis Swiss.
The group hopes to expand into downtown Aspen with a coffee and pastry shop in the future.
And, for everyone who loves the artisan sourdough bread at Clark’s, you no longer need to harass and beg the staff for leftover loaves to take home. Now, you can walk into Louis Swiss and buy one at your leisure.
What: Louis Swiss Bakery
Where:400 Aspen Airport Business Center, Aspen, CO 81611
When: Monday-Friday, 6 a..m.-3 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Sunday, CLOSED
More Info: http://www.louisswiss.com
As Pitkin County Open Space and Trails moves closer to approval for the development of a 7-mile trail from Redstone to McClure Pass, some Crystal Valley residents cry foul over wildlife impacts and potential for further development.


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Earier this week we wrote Ubisoft killed Far Cry 4 copies that were bought via third-party sellers like G2Play and G2A. Ubisoft claims the measures, which also affected Assassin's Creed Unity keys, were taken because these keys weren't legit.
Ubisoft has told MCV that the deactivated serial keys were not just ones bought from other markets, but had been obtained via stolen credit cards. The game publishers recommends people to only buy from trusted sources, like its own webshop.
Key strippers have come under fire from publishers who are finding their profit margins eroding due to the practice. However, they’re usually reluctant to do anything about it out of risk of upsetting fans, which is what has happened this weekend.
Yet Ubisoft has told MCV that these codes were not just ones bought from other markets, but had actually been stolen.
“We regularly deactivate keys that were fraudulently obtained and resold,” the firm told us. “In this case, we are currently investigating the origin of the fraud, and will update customers as soon as we have more information to share. In the meantime, customers should contact the vendor from whom they purchased the key.”


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Artists and creators who offer content to subscribers on Facebook via Fan Subscriptions could be set to pay through the nose for the privilege. The feature, which has been touted as Facebook's answer to Patreon, recently invited more page owners to start using its service for a monthly fee, however its potential fees and licensing rules have been panned by artists.
Announced back in March 2018, Fan Subscriptions was originally a limited availability service that allowed creators to give fans exclusive access to content for a monthly subscription fee of $4.99. Subscribers could also adorn a Supporter badge which would show up when they left a comment on the artist's Page.
Earlier this week, Facebook started to invite more creators to Fan Subscriptions, which has lead to a major pushback from artists unsatisfied with the cuts it could potentially take. As it stands, page owners would still be able to keep all of the subscription fees they earn. But according to its terms of service, Facebook could start to take a cut of up to 30 per cent.
Given that Patreon only charges 5 per cent of a user's pledges, Facebook's terms have been met with an angry reaction from artists. Matt Saincome, founder of satirical news site The Hard Times, and Rob DenBleyker, the creator behind popular webcomic Cyanide & Happiness, took to Twitter to vent their frustrations.
The 30 per cent cut isn't set in stone just yet, although it is in line with other apps in both the Apple and Google app stores. And considering that live streaming video platform Twitch takes a 50/50 cut, it isn't the worst deal out there.
If the cut does comes to pass, creators will be given 30 days notice. The full list of terms and conditions is currently only available to those that have been invited to Fan Subscriptions, however a policy document is doing the rounds that details how Facebook could offer “discounted or free trials for fans from time to time in our discretion". While these discounts might benefit fans, it would ultimately be the creator who would end up paying.
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from Creative Bloq http://www.creativebloq.com/news/facebook-takes-on-patreon-but-its-terms-enrage-artists


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(Aug. 12, 11:22 a.m.) The California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement has reached a milestone, completing 500 food safety inspections of its members’ growing operations in its first year.
The agreement represents 99% of the volume of leafy green products produced in California, according to a news release. It was formed April 2007, in response to a 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach.
“The LGMA (marketing agreement) represents an unprecedented commitment to food safety and public health,” Scott Horsfall, chief executive officer of the agreement, said in the release. “While there is always much more work to be done, the leafy greens industry has come a long way in the last 12 months.”
Since the agreement’s inception, there have been no confirmed major incidents linked to leafy greens from the state. University and industry scientists, as well as growers, shippers and processors, developed the food safety metrics used for the tests, with oversight conducted by state and federal health agencies.
The marketing agreement conducted a nationwide consumer survey in early 2008 that found:
- 89% of respondents had favorable opinions of the food safety program;
- 70% said they had confidence in the safety of leafy greens; and
- 60% believe food safety is better handled by mandatory government inspections and oversight rather than third-party audits, according to the release.


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Chick-fil-A will open its newest Arlington restaurant on January 10th, bringing its handcrafted food and award-winning customer service, commitment to community engagement and hands-on mentoring for nearly 85 newly hired Team Members.
Local franchise owner Tiffany Hassler is inviting residents to join in the opening festivities at her new restaurant at 4901 West Sublett Rd. by participating in a community celebration that has been a 15-year Chick-fil-A tradition. Chick-fil-A’s First 100 events have given away almost $39 million through year end 2018.
The new Arlington restaurant is part of a record week of openings for Chick-fil-A with the chain opening eight additional franchise locations around the country as well as re-opening an Austin restaurant that was torn down and rebuilt with the chain’s newest innovations.
First 100 Road Trip and children’s book drive
The Road Trip on Jan. 9 will provide an impactful experience on many levels for up to 100 adult participants who will be transported on chartered buses for a daylong interactive and service field trip. The event fulfills Hassler’s passion to make a difference in the Arlington community even before she opens the doors.
– Up to 100 adults will win a digital offer card with a year of free Chick-fil-A meals (52 meals with each consisting of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, medium Waffle Potato Fries and a medium beverage).
– Registration begins at the restaurant at 6 a.m. on Jan. 9th and will continue until 9 a.m. or when 100 people are registered, whichever comes first. The event will last through approximately 5 p.m. on Jan. 9.
-The community event is open to guests living near the restaurant with a list of eligible zip codes and complete rules found at https://thechickenwire.chick-fil-a.com/News/Future-Openings.
The celebration also includes a children’s book drive benefiting a local youth organization reflecting Hassler’s desire to positively impact and support in the community. Since 2014, Chick-fil-A has donated nearly 70,000 books to 341 local organizations in 45 states and Washington, D.C.


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Do my sums look big in this? Women waste £2billion a year on unsuitable clothes thanks to bad advice from men
Does my bum look big in this? Most men will say no according to findings
Women shouldn't trust the opposite sex when it comes to fashion advice, according to new findings.
Many men admitted they were too scared to offer their true opinion on their partner's wardrobe tastes while 70 per cent said they didn't want to hurt their other half's feelings when they were posed with the question: Does my bum look big in this?.
As a result a study has found women waste £2billion a year buying clothes that don't fit or suit them.
In a survey commissioned by online clothing retailer very.co.uk, many men admitted it was easier to lie than tell their partners: 'Yes, your bum does look too big in that.'
One in 10 said they felt an honest answer would upset their partner and ruin their weekend.
While a quarter of men admitted they had lied so they wouldn't have to continue shopping.
A fifth of men also feared a negative comment would not be forgotten and 'used against them at a later date'.
Julie Donnelly, a spokesperson for Very.co.uk told the Mirror: 'The ‘does my bum look big in this’ question can be a tricky one for British men, particularly when it’s put to them just outside a busy changing room in a department store.'
However, it would seem honesty is the best policy as 82 per cent of women say they"d rather know the truth before heading to the checkout.
Does this suit me?: A survey has found it's pointless asking men what they think of clothes on a shopping trip as seven out of ten will lie
It was found female shoppers splash out an average of £104 on clothes that they would never wear.
The survey also revealed Yorkshiremen in their 50s were the most likely to tell the truth while men in their 30s from Birmingham were more prune to lie.
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Author: Karamjit Singh
MOL Global has been busy expanding its reach globally and took a big step in that direction by acquiring a simple majority in San Francisco-based Rixty Inc, which is also is in the online payment space.
Berjaya Group billionaire founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan was in top form at the DNA-TeAM Disrupt session recently, regaling the audience with anecdotes and sharing his fear of the economic impact of the poor quality of English.
Singapore’s National Research Foundation is working to get more science and tech from universities into the market, and is using the Techventure conference as a tool to further deepen these links.
Zafrul Noordin, founder of gamification company Code Army, attended the leading start-up competition in Indonesia called Sparxup, from Oct 3 to 5. He shares his thoughts here with DNA founder Karamjit Singh.
All 110 seats for the second DNA-TeAM Disrupt panel discussion and networking session were booked within 16 hours of us announcing it. If you lucked out, here’s how you can ask Berjaya founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan your burning questions …
The second DNA-TeAM Disrupt gathering will feature the Berjaya Group’s founder and tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, who will talk about his experience investing in tech companies; and Cradle’s Johnathan Lee, who will share his thoughts on angel investing in Malaysia.
Start-up Soft Space got RM2 million to kick off operations from media executive-turned-angel investor Datuk Vincent Lee in a very unusual way. Karamjit Singh has the story.
The fourth Cradle Coach & Grow clinic saw founders touch on engaging middlemen and the need for transparency in grant and fund disbursements.
As Fujitsu Malaysia gears for the highlight event of its calendar year, the Fujitsu Day conference and exhibition on Thursday (Oct 11), Digital News Asia (DNA) posed some questions to one of its senior executives who will be in town for the event.
In July, Digital News Asia interviewed the founder of maxmax.tv and true to his word, Ahmad Izmir, has made good his promise to bring to five countries 200 hours of adreneline-rush, video-on-demand TV targeted at men. Karamjit Singh caught up with Izmir and wonders who his investor is.


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Disney has shared a new clip from Hamilton from the musical number “Satisfied.”
- Disney has released a third clip from the filmed version of Hamilton, this one showing over a minute of the song “Satisfied.”
- The two previously released clips are from two of the show’s most memorable numbers, “Alexander Hamilton” and “The Room Where it Happens.”
- Earlier this week, a second trailer for the film was released.
- Our review of Hamilton is available now.
- Disney+ announced a companion piece, Hamilton In-Depth with Kelley Carter, that will also premiere on July 3rd.
- Hamilton is a Disney+ exclusive premiering July 3rd. The only way to see it is with a Disney+ subscription.


text: If you have a copy of yesterday’s press release, you may obtain one, if you do not have a copy, you may obtain one along with copies of prior press releases and past SEC filings by linking through to the Investor Relations page of our website, furniturebrands.com.Now, on to our financial results. As reported in last evening’s financial results press release, total sales were $258 million for the third, a decrease of 5.1% over the same period last year. Gross margin for the quarter was 22.3%, down compared to the 24.8% reported last year. Cost of goods sold of $200.5 million for the quarter included $2.8 million in charges associated with our cost reduction actions. A decrease in gross margin on a year-over-year basis excluding the $2.8 million in charges was driven largely by a timing difference between raw material cost increases, and the initiatives put in place to mitigate their impact. SG&A expenses totaled $75 million for the third quarter, and included $4.7 million in charges associated with the cost reduction actions. Excluding the charges, this was relatively flat to the $70.7 million in SG&A reported in the third quarter of 2010. About 70% of the approximately $30 million in future annual cost savings we announced will be realized in the SG&A line. We will only realize a partial benefit from these savings in the fourth quarter reflecting the timing of the impact of these actions. Beginning next year, we expect a quarterly base SG&A run rate of approximately $73 million to $77 million that fully reflects the impact of these cost savings. The base SG&A run rate will flex depending on items like brand support activities and increases or decreases in incentive compensation. On the retail side of our business, the 45 Thomasville stores that we have operated for more than 15 months showed a same-store sales increase of 5% this quarter as compared to 22% same-store sales increase in the third quarter of 2010.


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Facebook’s Instant Articles service is now available for Android users, who will be able to load stories by certain publications “ten times faster than a standard mobile web article”.
The iPhone version was launched in October.
“We’ve been beta testing Instant Articles for Android with a small group of people on Facebook for several weeks, and as we saw on iPhone, the faster, richer reading experience inspires people to share Instant Articles with their friends more often than they do with standard web articles,” wrote Michael Reckhow, product manager, in a blog post.
More than 350 publications have joined Instant Articles from around the world, with more than 100 publishing stories every day, he added.
Asia and Latin America were the most recent regions to join. In LatAm, Facebook is partnering with 40 media organisations in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, while in Asia it is working with around 24 media outlets in 11 countries.
As Facebook looks to defend its position against rival social and news apps, it also introduced the Notify app, which delivers tailored news content to users.


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The International Association of Business Communicators San Diego chapter has announced its 2020-2021 board of directors. Jayanti Menches, communications consultant, will serve as president. Her term began July 1. Menches succeeds Jan McGinn, independent consultant, who will serve as past president.
Other IABC San Diego board members, as well as their employers and IABC board role, include: Lauren Levenson, Breg Inc., VP of administration; Michael Hromadik, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, VP of finance; Rob Campbell, Kyriba Corp., VP of membership; Liz Neely, Qualcomm, VP of communications; Dave Flynn, Scripps Health, co-VP of programs and events; and Katie Knott, Collins Aerospace, co-VP of programs and events.
Additional 2020-2021 IABC San Diego board directors include: Kacy Vega, University of California San Diego Library; Lauren Karwel, Qualcomm; Mike Godfrey, Scripps Health; Kate Griffin, Qualcomm; and Michelle Mowad, County of San Diego.
“The IABC San Diego chapter is honored to have a creative and experienced group of business communicators volunteering to serve on our board,” said Menches. “The new board comprises communications professionals representing a variety of industries in San Diego including telecom, life sciences, defense, higher education, healthcare and software. We applaud our members’ dedication as the IABC San Diego board continues to deliver professional development programs and share best practices to help members meet new challenges.”
The next IABC free webinar will be held at 5 p.m., Thursday, July 30, over the Zoom online meeting platform. Presenting will be board member Hormadik, who is director of corporate communications for Ionis. His presentation, titled “COVID-19: Setting in for the Long Haul,” will include pandemic-related communications strategies for keeping employees informed, as well as return-to-work plans.
IABC San Diego is a 70-member trade association for business communicators who live or work in the San Diego area. IABC advances the awareness of communication as a strategic leadership function within organizations and its impact on business performance. IABC serves professionals in the field of business communication, bringing together the profession’s collective disciplines and offering education, certification, awards program, resource library, an online magazine and an annual World Conference.
GDX Studios Names Sophie Masson as President
San Diego-based GDX Studios, which positions itself as a full-service, experiential marketing firm that creates, captures and amplifies disruptive experiences, has named Sophie Masson as its new president.
The company said Masson will be charged with leading the vision of GDX Studios out of the pandemic and working with the studio’s multidisciplinary team to develop unique experiential solutions that meet the evolving needs of new and existing clients.
Masson, who was raised in Canada, has 20 years of experience in advertising. She spent the past three years as co-founder of Do Not Disturb, a San Diego-based marketing and advertising creative collective. Prior to Do Not Disturb, she worked as freelancer at different creative agencies.
During her career, she has collaborated with brands such as Volkswagen, Wonderbra, Red Bull, Cirque du Soleil, Qualcomm, Suzuki, Smart Car, Air Canada, International Paper, General Motors, Caesars Entertainment, TAXI and BBDO and worked closely with creative powerhouses Sid Lee, Moment Factory and Crispin Porter.
In 2001, she founded Manifest, one of Canada’s first experiential marketing companies. In 2018, she also founded Animal Friday, a nonprofit that promotes bringing dogs to the office. In 1996, she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications from the University of Montreal.
“In today’s environment, the need for companies to be more creative and nimble in business is paramount, and as an entrepreneurial-led company, reinventing ourselves to provide clear, competitive advantages is at the core of our DNA,” said Aaron Gaeir, founder of GDX Studios. “Welcoming Sophie as a part of our leadership team will make our position in the industry stronger than ever as we come out of this pandemic era and help us pivot to what now will be the new normal. Clients are no longer looking for us to execute on experiences alone. They expect a comprehensive approach to their experiential campaigns. We’re not only executing flawless branding activations but providing expertise on all elements, from strategy, production, and communications as well as telling effective branding stories.”
“I believe in the power of translating a brand’s mission into real life experiences that merge people and video storytelling to create authentic and moving brand stories that are far more welcoming than traditional advertising” said Masson. “I’m excited to join such a talented, creative and dedicated team that will always look to take on the next challenge. Our goal during these unprecedented times is to re-imagine where and how brands are brought to life while creating purpose-driven projects. Consumers are still craving experiences that lead to human connectivity.”
Earlier this year, Grandesign Experiential, a company Gaeir founded in 2009, was renamed as GDX Studios. It offers tracking capabilities, content capture, consumer touch points, public relations and social media services. GDX Studios, headquartered in the former Wonder Bread factory building in San Diego’s East Village, also operates offices in New York City and Los Angeles.
Jacob Tyler Launches Geofencing Platform
Jacob Tyler Brand + Digital Agency, a San Diego branding and digital agency, has launched its own proprietary geofencing platform to help clients target customers in specific geographic regions.
The company said its technology will pinpoint consumers who work or live in a certain area, as well as target individual mobile devices within a certain point-of-interest location.
“As the marketing and digital media landscape continues to change, we must constantly evolve our client offerings to address the current environment,” said Les Kollegian, CEO and chief creative officer. “Now, more than ever, marketers need to think about reaching people where they are, and this platform helps them to do just that.
“Geofencing is another tool in our arsenal that can help our clients reach their business goals efficiently and effectively. The beauty of this platform is that it works with both small and large budgets, and with one-time or recurring campaigns. And the best part is that you own the data, not Google. This means that you can continue to market to those warm leads who have seen or clicked but didn’t convert. It’s a great way to build brand equity over time and create future marketing efficiency.”
Jacob Tyler said two companies recently used its geofencing platform. A local restaurant targeted consumers within a one-mile radius with a direct link for “to-go” orders. Also, a consumer-packaged goods company sent ads to customers on their mobile devices when they visited certain grocery stores.
Red Shoe Day Media Sponsors Included iHeart Radio, News 8
iHeart Radio San Diego, operator of eight local radio stations, and KFMB-TV News 8 were the presenting media sponsors for Red Shoe Day, a fundraiser that raised more than $114,000 in donations for Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego.
The recent 11th annual Red Shoe Day was held online this year due to COVID-19. Typically, Red Shoe Day features volunteers carrying iconic red shoes stationed at major intersections to collect cash donations during the morning commute. The fundraising goal for the 2020 Red Shoe Day was $85,000, officials said.
“While our world looks different today than it did just a few months ago, the need to care for our region’s most critically ill children hasn’t stopped, nor does the work we do at San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House,” said Chuck Day, president and CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. “Now more than ever, community support is critical for the House to continue to keep families close as they go through the unimaginable. That’s why we are incredibly humbled and grateful to San Diegans who stepped up and provided support to the House, even through tough times.”
Donations assisted with operating expenses for Ronald McDonald House, a 56-guest suite lodge and day-use center in Serra Mesa which has served for the past 40 years as a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill or injured children being treated at San Diego hospitals. Annually, nearly 15,000 family members visit the Ronald McDonald House in San Diego to receive meals, lodging and other supportive services, including emotional and physical sanctuary, so that parents can stay near their hospitalized child. The respite enables families suffering medical crises to focus their energy on helping their sick or injured child heal.
Ronald McDonald House receives just 10 percent of its annual funding from McDonald’s Corp. Donations make up the remainder of its operating expenses.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.