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For Marc Leishman, his back started to succumb to a lifetime of playing elite golf in August 2015. The aches and pains began not long after his dramatic, emotional playoff loss to Zach Johnson at the Open Championship at St Andrews.
Reality hit Leishman right in the spine – and in the form of three consecutive missed cuts on the PGA Tour, only weeks after his best finish at a Major. Those three missed cuts included the PGA Championship, which countryman Jason Day won, and the opening two FedEx Cup playoff events, sending ‘Leish’ packing.
However, they breed them tough in Warrnambool. Leishman stuck it out and won the European Tour’s lucrative, 30-man Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa at the end of that year.
“But I’ve been dealing with back issues ever since,” Leishman tells Australian Golf Digest.
Leishman shares a chiropractor with Day, a highly regarded Canadian doctor named Stuart Love. While Leishman has ascended to world-class form in the four years since, Dr Love has his work cut out managing Leishman’s – and Day’s – ailing backs. And there is only so much a chiro can do.
That’s where the hottest product in golf – maybe the world – has been a blessing for Leishman. He is one of several golf converts to CBD oil. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound extracted from cannabis plants, and is finding its way into everything from droppers of ingestible oils and topical creams to pizza and milkshakes. Its claims of curative powers seem to run the gamut of diseases and maladies, from Alzheimer’s and cancer to first-tee jitters and golfer’s elbow.
“It takes away those little aches and pains,” Leishman says. “Before a round at a tournament, you can rub it on a niggling wrist or back. Every four hours you can use the cream.”
Mary-Jane’s Close Relative
First, a brief science lesson. CBD is not marijuana. Rather, it is one of many cannabinoids or compounds that can be extracted from the cannabis plants that include the closely related marijuana and hemp plants. CBD and THC are the two compounds that get the most attention when it comes to cannabis research. THC is the psychoactive element that produces marijuana’s high. CBD is not psychoactive, and according to a World Health Organisation report, unlike THC, CBD “is generally well tolerated, with a good safety profile… [and] is not associated with abuse potential”.
It takes away those little aches and pains. Before a round at a tournament, you can rub it on a niggling wrist or back – Marc Leishman
Unlike marijuana, which is not a legal substance in most places, hemp-derived CBD got what amounted to a federal endorsement with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in the USA. That legislation legalised the production of hemp, which previously had fallen under a 1937 law that essentially prohibited the production of all cannabis plants. (In recent years, 10 American states have legalised marijuana for recreational use, and most others allow it with a prescription.)
Leishman’s back has seen him withdraw pre-tournament from the AT&T Byron Nelson (May) and mid-tournament from the season-opening Military Tribute at the Greenbrier (September).
Having reached the pinnacle of his career – a place he intends to stay – CBD oil could not have come at a better time for the 35-year-old. Leishman is the first brand ambassador for Cativa CBD, a new company that has teamed with scientists at Princeton University, and the Zeeh Pharmaceutical Station of the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy, to create what they claim are “best-in-class products” in this emerging market.
It all came about when the company’s chief executive and co-founder, Dr John Garcia, played Leishman’s Begin Again Foundation charity golf day and took a liking to the four-time PGA Tour winner. Coincidentally, Dr Garcia lives in Portsmouth, Virginia – about 30 minutes from Leishman’s Virginia Beach residence.
“Dr Johnny Garcia played our golf day then decided to do more and help us out, so we formed a partnership with them and it’s been really good so far,” Leishman says. “Not only does CBD oil relax you a little bit, it helps take away the aches and pains associated with professional golf. I’ve been using it for six months and it’s really good stuff. With all of the products I endorse, I do it because I like and use them.”
Bubba Watson, David Toms, Vaughn Taylor, DJ Trahan, Kenny Perry, Tom Kite and Scott Piercy are among those golfers either sponsored by, or endorsing CBD oil products.
Like any new supplement, Leishman was not going to use or endorse it until he was reassured it complied with the PGA Tour’s supplement policy. But the tour’s vice-president of tournament administration, Andy Levinson, has said CBD oil falls under the circuit’s list of permitted supplements.
“I said I was not going to endorse anything if it’s not 100 per cent free of any THC, so [Cativa CBD] did extra testing,” Leishman says. “And then they did testing again to make sure there were no false positives. I wanted to be 100 per cent guaranteed that it was safe to be used.”
There is the argument and the uncertainty for CBD. The fundamental issue is that because the compound is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, its claims have not been fully sussed out. There is research – gobs of it, in fact – but not much clarity. A public hearing by the FDA on the questions surrounding the bursting CBD industry in late May drew more than 100 speakers, caution and enthusiasm trading the microphone back and forth through every five-minute presentation. Even acting FDA commissioner Dr Ned Sharpless acknowledges that the US government is overwhelmed, that there already are “significant gaps” in the FDA’s understanding of all aspects of CBD’s features and usages.
“While we have seen an explosion of interest in products containing CBD, there is still much that we don’t know… There are lots of questions we will need to answer to ensure that the FDA is taking an appropriate, well-informed, and science-based approach to the regulation of cannabis and cannabis derivatives, including CBD.”
In America, under the Farm Bill’s new guidelines, as long as the cannabis plant has less than 0.3 percent of the psychoactive compound THC, it’s much easier to grow, sell and possess.
“The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill was the final step in our company’s process to go to market,” says John Hawkins, chief executive of Pure Swing CBD, a line of CBD products aimed specifically at golfers.
After the new legislation, all sorts of CBD companies and brands are flowing with cash. A cannabis industry group estimates the CBD business could reach $US22 billion in the next three years as it moves beyond the realm of alternative remedies and into mainstream products and food additives.
CBD companies have already secured endorsement contracts with PGA Tour players, and rumours swirled at the Masters that Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were using CBD products, including tincture and chewing gum. Though video surfaced of Mickelson taking a swig from a dropper mid-round, neither has indicated they use CBD products, and representatives for both players did not respond to requests
Regardless, CBD is not merely a fringe product being whispered about in golf circles but nearly mainstream. Ben & Jerry’s has promised its customers that a CBD-infused ice-cream flavour is coming. In May, CBD company Medterra announced a deal with Worldwide Golf to sell its products in golf ’s second-largest retail chain. CBD products are even sold in the golf shop at Muirfield Village, and head pro Larry Dornisch says he has reordered the supply twice already this year.
Jason Fryia, who owns the Golf Exchange retail chain of five stores in the Greater Cincinnati and Lexington, Kentucky, region, says he was “blown away” by the response to a CBD question on the company’s Facebook page.
He says 81 percent of respondents were interested in buying CBD in April, and by May he decided to stock the Medterra products in his stores.
“We could post an image of a new 2020 Pro V1 and ask, ‘Are you interested in trying this?’ and I’m not sure we would get 81 percent of people to say ‘Yes’, and that’s the highest market share, most universally loved golf product there is,” Fryia says. “I just don’t think there’s anything else right now that has that sort of enthusiasm surrounding it.”
Fryia admits the price of $US55 a bottle for a month’s supply might be a hurdle, but he also plans to bring in a CBD chewing gum that will cost customers $10 for a pack of eight. “As a golf product, it’s unique in that it’s something everybody who plays can use, and it’s literally a consumable, so they’ll go through it the way they would golf balls,” Fryia says. “Plus, it’s unique because it seems that it’s a product they’re already buying, but not in golf shops. It could be a little like selling beer at golf courses, and that’s worked out pretty well.”
Challenges and Opportunities
CBD’s penetration as a retail product entails some distinct challenges for marketers. Those include not only explaining how CBD might be beneficial but also allaying the confusion about what consumers are getting and how they should be using it.
At the moment, CBD companies have to walk a fine line that includes some stern fine print from the FDA. Technically, CBD cannot be used as a food additive in restaurants, although that stipulation hasn’t exactly deterred the practice. Still, states and municipalities are formulating rules while the FDA considers how far it will reach into CBD-infused menus. In a Washington Post story, one storeowner in Colorado said adding CBD to his smoothies “makes everybody better… I tell people, ‘CBD – it’s a natural Tylenol and Xanax mixed together.’”
Every standalone CBD product must carry an FDA warning: “These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” The agency has issued dozens of warning letters to companies promoting CBD products since 2015.
Still, CBD mania proceeds at an almost pandemic pace. The reasons are largely anecdotal, not the clinical verification you might see from experimental drug therapies. There is no doubt that CBD has real documented promise when it comes to treating specific childhood seizure disorders. CBD oil-based alternative treatments for a rare childhood epilepsy known as Dravet Syndrome spawned a cottage industry.
The FDA-approved Epidiolex last year after controlled trials showed it significantly reduced or eliminated seizures in children with previously drug-resistant epileptic seizures. That made it the first FDA-approved, plant-derived cannabinoid medicine. A typical regimen costs $US32,500 a year.
Its proven success in this specific case is compelling, but no doctor is handing out prescriptions for Epidiolex to help you battle the yips or loosen your frozen shoulder – certainly not at that price. But CBD also has been studied for more common maladies. Those include an experiment involving improved public speaking, as well as animal studies evaluating CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties.
Currently, there are more than 150 ongoing studies of CBD’s effects, says Dr JH Atkinson, co-director of the University of California’s Center for Medical Cannabis Research. But the picture isn’t entirely clear.
“There is very little evidence of efficacy as far as its use as an anxiolytic [anti-anxiety agent] or for pain and muscles aches,” Atkinson says, but he notes there are studies that show CBD acting on parts of the brain tied to emotions and the serotonin receptors thought to be involved in anxiety.
“How this might translate to ‘performance anxiety’ under competitive conditions is unknown,” he says, but, “again, the potential here is certainly worth investigating.”
Just because interest in CBD is fuelled by anecdotal claims doesn’t mean those claims aren’t valid.
Rather, those with expertise in the field wish for more knowledge, a difficult commodity given that up until late last year, cannabidiol was a Schedule 1 drug and obtaining it for research purposes and getting that research funded was as problematic as funding marijuana research.
If CBD were only available as the high-priced Epidiolex, it likely would never have become the hot topic it now is for consumers, says Kent Hutchison, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado and founder of the Center for Research and Education Addressing Cannabis and Health. He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of CBD and served on a National Academy of Science committee that produced a 2016 report on the health effects of cannabis.
“We’re at the very beginning; we really don’t know yet,” Hutchison says. “I think in the long run this could be useful to people, just not in all the ways people are currently marketing it for.” Hutchison points out that past clinical trials of CBD sometimes have used much higher doses than what is often available at retail. For example, in the study that involved reduced anxiety in public speaking, patients took 600 milligrams of CBD right before their speeches. That’s nearly a month’s supply in some CBD oil tinctures.
Let The Buyer Beware
Hutchison is particularly wary of problems with CBD’s retail dosage and labelling. Given that CBD products are not only in golf shops but supermarkets, general stores and petrol stations, the buyer-beware aspect of this phenomenon can be overwhelming. Though CBD doesn’t appear to have any significant side effects at this point, it’s not entirely clear that what you’re getting is what’s on the label. And because the FDA doesn’t regulate CBD, there are no standards or guarantees. Depending on what you purchase, the possibility exists that there could be enough THC in it to have you fail an employer’s drug test. Conversely, any product could tout any amount of CBD it wants on its label, and it might not have any CBD in it at all. At the FDA’s public hearing in May, Dr Rosemary Mazanet, chief scientific officer for the medical marijuana company Columbia Care, testified that as much as 69 percent of CBD products in one study were mislabelled. That can put the onus on an uninformed or unsuspecting consumer, Hutchison says, and that’s not an ideal scenario.
“The reason that’s happening is because the federal government has been outside the equation for so long,” he says. “They abdicated their role in informing the public, and the companies sort of took over.”
Given the complexity, the acceleration and the constantly evolving nature of the CBD industry (it’s in everything from medicated patches to $20 chocolate bars), governments have much catching up to do. What might be more likely is some form of self-regulation. There is the beginning of a certification process from an industry group called the US Hemp Authority that will review and verify CBD products for how they are produced and marketed, although that group has not yet been fully embraced by all levels of the CBD industry.
“If you’re going to try it, you should give it the best possible try, which is to find a reputable company to where you can have some confidence that what they say is in the bottle is actually in the bottle,” Hutchison says.
Of course, if consumers are looking for the FDA to somehow stabilise the CBD marketing rocket ship, consider this: it took the organisation and the medical community nearly 45 years before Epidiolex got to market, despite evidence as early as 1973 that CBD might have a positive effect on seizures. That’s one drug with clear clinical results to treat a disease that affects only one in 16,000 children. By comparison, the current CBD industry is targeting nearly every man, woman and child – even pets.
By one estimate, in the past three years alone, more than 1,500 CBD products have come to market, all essentially unregulated by the FDA.
Anecdotal Evidence V’s Science
The CBD-based opportunities for golfers already seem more vast, variably sourced and as inscrutable as trying to find the right golf ball. And yet there appear to be mountains of anecdotal evidence that something at least intriguing if not remarkable is at work with these compounds. But companies have to be careful in what they say CBD is doing or risk drawing those warning letters from the FDA.
Jay Hartenbach is founder and chief executive of Medterra, which sells CBD in tinctures, gel capsules and creams. He’s a user and a golfer.
“I’ll be careful in what we can talk about, but yes, I think golf and CBD are a natural fit,” he says, specifically referring to using a topical cream to loosen up sore and stiff muscles and joints. “With CBD having the potential to be a really strong anti-inflammatory, I think it really can work well with all ages as they either get ready for their next round or practice session or recover from the round they finished. Certainly golfers who are struggling with those issues should be strongly considering CBD.”
There is a sense that CBD is seen as a critical asset for members of golf’s ageing population, possibly keeping them in the game longer. And if they stay in the game longer, they continue to spend money on their games.
“CBD might not grow the game, but is it possible it could help the game from shrinking and losing players?” says Fryia, the retailer. “I don’t know, but it’s something worth talking about. A guy who just gets fed up with pain or frustration – who knows what this might do for him?”
Laura Baldwin thinks she has seen what CBD can do. A physical therapist, she developed BestBall CBD working with her teaching-pro husband, Robbie, and his father, Robert. The two men run the golf operation at Winchester Country Club near Lexington, Kentucky, where the elder Baldwin has been the head pro for nearly four decades. When an ageing membership began complaining about aches and pains, the Baldwins turned to Laura to see if physical therapy had any answers.
“There are only so many stretches and so many exercises you can give someone, and if they don’t help, then they’re just not going to help, no matter how many times they do them,” she says. What was helping was a CBD formula developed from hemp grown in their home state, which has become an epicentre for hemp-derived CBD oil and CBD oil processing. Baldwin says she can check in on her hemp crop in nearby Paris, Kentucky, whenever she wants.
The CBD effect on Winchester’s members was dramatic, Baldwin says. Not only were golfers feeling better, the golf course saw increases in rounds played, cart revenue and golf-shop business. She says that if you would have asked members older than 60 about their general level of pain a year ago, most would have rated it at five out of 10 or worse. “Now, I would say it’s three or less,” she says, talking about 80-year-olds spending two hours on the range like a scene out of the 1980s fountain-of-youth movie “Cocoon”.
“I can see that the excitement has returned,” Baldwin says. “They’re getting to do something that they don’t have to dread anymore. Before, they would still love it and go out and play, but then they’d be miserable. They’re not having those same feelings anymore. There’s just the same, familiar, pure joy of being out there with their buddies. It’s good for their mental health, it’s good for their emotional health. I’m not saying that the product is changing their emotional health. It’s just allowing their love of the game to return.”
Al Morris, president and chief executive of Worldwide Golf, sees the same opportunity from a business standpoint for his main Roger Dunn store in California and Worldwide’s extensive online retail business. The word-of-mouth effect Medterra shared with him was convincing, Morris says.
“We read countless testimonials they had received from consumers who swear by the products,” Morris says, noting that making the product free of THC was vitally important. “Many of which specifically referenced their ability to play golf better or return to playing the game due to pain relief. Obviously we make money selling it, and if it’s an unchartered revenue stream for us, why wouldn’t we try it? We carry aids for backs, knees and elbows. We sell sunscreen and sunglasses. We offer SPF sleeves and long-sleeve shirts for sun protection. It is my hope that these CBD products turn into a category such as these that help the golfer feel better and play more golf.”
There still is the matter of educating a consumer that is being bombarded with CBD products at every turn, including new deals that have them showing up on the shelves of noted pharmacy chains, as well as in the brochures you get in the post. CBD is at a kind of tipping point, but not necessarily one that leads to it becoming a staple like vitamins or aspirin.
“We get really excited about first of all having a compound that is coming from a naturally derived source as opposed to some thing that’s synthetic in a world where there are so many synthetic solutions out there, and at the same time having no side effects,” Medterra’s Hartenbach says. “But I agree a level of caution is essential because what we do have is this wonderful compound. If we as an industry get overly aggressive in how we market it, and we don’t do the necessary research, then there is this chance that this industry goes to the wayside. That’s why we have lots of CBD companies doing safety studies. We have to be careful because this has the potential to be a huge industry and help a lot of people, but with that comes a lot of responsibility.”
Clearly, the industry needs some kind of oversight in terms of purity, dosage and labelling, as well as clear restraint on outlandish or unsubstantiated claims. Ben Cort, author of Weed, Inc. has been a leading critic cautioning against the over-commercialisation of cannabis products. He thinks there’s a place for non-THC, hemp-derived CBD, but he urges regulators and consumers to view CBD with a more discerning eye.
“As long as people are looking at a separated-out part of CBD, you can have a good conversation about a good homeopathic remedy that’s got some real potential,” Cort says, noting that it is not an easy process to get pure CBD oil and that the lack of oversight can be especially dangerous when you’re talking about the potential for the presence of pesticides and heavy metals in imported CBD oil.
“When you have a product that’s celebrity-endorsed yet non-FDA-approved, we really run the risk of creating a massive excitement and culture around this thing where we don’t know what people are using, nor do we know a lot of the long-term effects,” Cort says. “The safe answer is that anything that’s stamped ‘FDA’ has consumer protections in it, which means we know exactly what it is. But buyer beware. If somebody tells you something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
Back in Burlington, Kentucky, at the newly named Stephens Golf Center, Andrew is up early after a late night installing Toptracer technology in the range’s hitting bays. He is taking his daily dose of CBD on his way to an early tee-time in US Open local qualifying. He talks about the CBD rumours swirling around Tiger and Phil, and how it’s almost common in many of the events he’s playing now. It’s so common in his neighbourhood that his dad is using CBD to calm down his dog. There’s just no obvious downside, Stephens says.
“If it’s legal and it provides the slightest bit of competitive advantage, I think guys are going to take it,” he says. “The list of benefits that they claim ties right into the golf industry. They’re talking about a legal product that basically works on stress, anxiety, aches and pains.
“That pretty much describes golf.”
Getting CBD Into Australia
Before you go leaping off the couch and heading for your local Chemist Warehouse or Chemmart, be aware that CBD is not an easy purchase in Australia. Yet. Right now, the only way to get your hands on CBD legally here is through the government-approved access pathway, the Special Access Scheme. That’s the scheme that provides patients access to drugs that aren’t approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
While you can illegally purchase CBD online, there is a big difference in quality depending on the seller.
“Recent research found many CBD oils sold online had less or much more than the amount of CBD in the product indicated by the label, or even contained undeclared traces of THC,” accredited practising dietician Bronwen Greenfield told goodfood.com.au in September. “There are currently no regulations in place for producing, testing or labelling CBD products, so it’s difficult to know what you’re actually paying for.”


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RBI looking at phased implementation strategy to launch digital currency
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is looking at a phased implementation strategy to unveil the central bank digital currency (CBDC).
New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is looking at a phased implementation strategy to unveil the central bank digital currency (CBDC).
It has made this observation in a concept note on CBDC prepared by RBI's fintech department.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the launch of CBDC in her budget speech, informing that it would be unveiled in the current fiscal itself.
"RBI has been exploring the pros and cons of introduction of the CBDCs for some time. As there are multiple compelling motivations for the introduction of CBDCs, RBI is currently engaged in working towards a phased implementation strategy, going step by step through various stages of pilots followed by the final launch, and simultaneously examining use cases that could be implemented with minimal or no disruption," the note said.
CBDC, across the world, is in conceptual development or at pilot stages.
Therefore, in the absence of a precedence, extensive stakeholder consultation along with iterative technology design must take place to develop a solution that meets the requirements, it said further.
RBI however noted that CBDC holds a lot of promise by way of ensuring transparency and low cost of operation, among other benefits and has the potential to expand the existing payment systems to address the needs of a wider category of users.
The central bank further said that while the intent of CBDC and the expected benefits are well understood, it is important to identify innovative methods and compelling use cases that will make CBDC as attractive as cash if not more.
Elaborate planning is needed in terms of scope, cost and timelines to ensure the timely roll out of different phases of CBDC introduction, the RBI note said further.
"Depending on the different use cases, multiple technological options shall be tested and based on the outcomes, the final architecture shall be decided. As per recommendations of the internal Working Group (WG) set up by Reserve Bank in October 2020, RBI is exploring the option of implementation of account-based CBDC in wholesale segment and token-based CBDC in retail segment vide a graded approach," it informed.
Elaborating on details of the phased implementation of CBDC, the note said that first a prototype as per the recommendations of the WG would be prepared and technical requirements would be specified to technology partners.
The idea then would be tested in an operationally controlled environment to examine its functionality, including the design, deployment plan and success criteria.
After this, test cases would be performed with both positive and negative scenarios to examine its durability and document the results.
These test results would then be finalised to design the prototype.
Once this is done, large scale pilot tests would be conducted with a diverse and larger user base.
"This will help RBI understand the potential use of the CBDC in a diverse country like India. The results and learnings of the pilot need to be carefully evaluated and must be incorporated into the final design of the CBDC," the note said.

domain: news


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The Samsung Galaxy S20 series will be released at 3 a.m. Beijing time on Feb. 12. February 7 news, Samsung Mobile official Twitter for the Galaxy S20 series warm-up. Officials stress that the Galaxy S20 series will open a new chapter in the image rye. The official trailer shows one of the biggest selling points of the Galaxy S20 series: Zoom.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra is reported to have reached 100 million pixels, the world’s first 100-megapixel SnapSnapdragon 865 flagship.
Not only that, the Galaxy S20 Ultra features a potential zoom lens that supports up to 100x zoom, which is also the world’s first SnapDragon865 flagship to support 100x zoom.
By convention, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is likely to send DxOMark, and it’s worth looking forward to not ruling out the possibility of a butcher’s list.
Core configuration, the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 plus Galaxy S20 Ultra is fully equipped with a 120Hz OLED display with a resolution of 2K plus, and is powered by Qualcomm SnapDragon865 flagship platform, supporting SA, NSA dual-mode 5G, and super-fast charging.
Finally, everyone is concerned about the price, the news that the Galaxy S20 Ultra price is close to 10,000 yuan, the top version of the price may be more than 10,000.


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By Alex Lawson2012-03-14T17:59:00
Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner has said shoppers will expect an increasingly bespoke experience on retailer’s websites including targeted searches.
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. Still, I've tried telling this woman for years that bottled water is only two degrees removed from the tap, but nooo, she ain't hear me though.
I'll admit to regularly refilling used bottles with filtered water from the fridge, and 9 times out of 10, assuming I open the cap for her (being a gentleman of course) she can't tell the difference. Still, she insists on giving Coca Cola what we already pay a grip for anyway.
This latest news probably helps my case, just a wee bit.
PepsiCo Inc. will spell out that its Aquafina bottled water is made with tap water, a concession to the growing environmental and political opposition to the bottled water industry. According to Corporate Accountability International, a U.S. watchdog group, the world's No. 2 beverage company will include the words "Public Water Source" on Aquafina labels.The Grand Hu$tle here is obvious: most people (myself included) are too lazy to pull out a glass and turn on the tap, so Coke and Pepsi make a killing each year giving us what we already pay someone else for, with a little extra chlorine at a ridonculous 5,000% markup.
Pepsi's Aquafina bottled water and Coca-Cola's Dasani are made from purified tap water.
"If this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it's a reasonable thing to do," said Michelle Naughton, a Pepsi-Cola North America spokeswoman.
Pepsi Chief Executive Indra Nooyi told Reuters earlier this week the company was considering such a move.
Pepsi's Aquafina and Coca-Cola Co's Dasani are both made from purified water sourced from public reservoirs, as opposed to Danone's Evian or Nestle's Poland Spring, so-called "spring waters," shipped from specific locations the companies say have notably clean water.
Coca-Cola Co. told Reuters it will start posting online information about the quality control testing it performs on Dasani by the end of summer or early fall.
Maybe this news will bring usher a wave of fiscal sanity into the AverageBro household.
Aquafina labels to spell out source - tap water [CNN]


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For Book Depot, partners in shipping and payments helped drive pandemic success, with e-commerce at the core.
Top tips from an etiquette expert to help you discuss money and split the bill fairly and easily.
If you feel the urge to seek “revenge” and travel after the pandemic kept so many stationary and separate for so long, you’re not alone.
The PayPal app provides customers with a suite of tools that allow them to easily and securely spend, send, save and manage their transactions – all in one place.
With PayPal's help, Anothersole has quickly become the favorite shoe retailer for many Singaporeans.
Small business owner D'Shawn Russell has experienced firsthand the many challenges that minority-owned businesses face.
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Earlier rumors suggested that the Galaxy S24 series would arrive on the market quite earlier than the previous S series lineup. And we have got new information regarding this: Samsung is said to have begun mass producing the Galaxy S24 series. This shocking information was leaked by a trustworthy Samsung leaker, who also mentioned that the launch may occur in the time period of around mid-to-late January 2024 in a Weibo post. Samsung plans to compete with the iPhone 15 series by bringing its flagship smartphones earlier than before, which is a smart move.
We can also expect that the series will be the best among the S series launched till date, as the lineup is said to receive a majority of new specifications and AI features. A brighter screen, emergency SOS communication, and maximum peak brightness are the few features among them. The performance of the newly launched processors, the Exynos 2400 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, can be known only after the release of the Galaxy S24 series, as these are the first models to run on these CPUs. As everybody knows, the basic and plus variants will be powered by the Exynos 2400 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 based on the region.
However, the Ultra variant will only use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor worldwide. By bringing the gadgets sooner, the firm also intends to grab its top position in the market for the first quarter of 2024. The fifth generation of foldables was also launched earlier than the previous year; maybe Samsung would have benefited from this move. If Samsung has started the development of the series, then we will soon get announcements officially.
Don’t miss our latest news on Samsung technology. Follow SamLover.com on your favorite social media platforms for instant notifications.
Passionate about technology at the service of digital entertainment that can be used through any platform. Music, movies and video games have always taken up a good part of his free time, but he doesn’t give up outdoor activities, from simple walks to cycling and skiing. He has been producing editorial content for SamLover since 2022 and has run a computer and telephony store for 3 decades.


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Supporting dairy farmers
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, led a bipartisan group of 23 senators in calling for the enforcement of United States-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement dairy provisions. A Smith press release said a letter was sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassaor Robert Lighthizer stressing that holding trade partners accountable to their trade commitments is critical to supporting dairy farmers and American dairy exports. “Fair market access for American dairy farmers was a key pillar of the USMCA’s agriculture section,” the Senators wrote. “USMCA is poised to create new export opportunities for America’s dairy industry and a more equitable playing field for American dairy exports in Mexico and Canada, but effective implementation will be critical to realizing these gains.”
The risky business of large gatherings
The report from Southwest Health and Human Services about the cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to a wedding held in Ghent on Aug. 22 is warning on the risks of holding large gatherings of people who are not wearing masks and social distancing. Throwing caution to the wind is risky business when it comes to the virus.
Bad business at USPS
While most of the attention over the changes made at United States Postal Service has been over absentee ballots, there are other services that the mail provides that are vital to the most vulnerable in our country. Americans rely on the Post Office for medicine, paychecks and Social Security checks. “Minnesotans are used to things working. They’re used to getting their mail on time,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said in a joint press conference Tuesday with Sen. Tina Smith and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. Klobuchar, Smith and colleagues sent a letter to the USPS Board of Governors, calling on them to immediately use their authority to reverse changes to Postal Service operations and mail service delays put in place by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.


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August 19, 2005
US proposes plan to strengthen automobile roofs
By John Crawley
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Under pressure to reduce deaths and
injuries in rollover crashes, U.S. auto regulators proposed new
standards on Friday that would strengthen vehicle roofs and
extend greater protection to bigger sport utility vehicles and
other light trucks.
sought comments on possible options for improving safety belt
technology, which safety and consumer experts say is needed to
reduce occupant contact with collapsed roofs as well as
ejections in rollovers.
"It will take a comprehensive strategy to reduce the
staggering number of rollover deaths on the nation's highways,"
the nation's top auto safety regulator, Jeffrey Runge, said.
"Improving roof strength is an integral part of that plan."
Slightly less than a quarter of all U.S. traffic deaths
occur in rollover crashes. There were more than 42,000 people
killed on U.S. roads in 2004.
Sport utility vehicles include some of the most popular on
the road. But they are more prone to roll in single-vehicle
crashes due, in many cases, to a high center of gravity and
narrower wheelbase. Auto manufacturers have made some design
changes to reduce rollover.
Safety advocates have pressed for design changes and new
regulations to make SUVs safer. Congress has also mandated
changes to reduce rollover deaths.
More than half of those killed and injured in rollover
crashes were not wearing safety belts, regulators said. But
estimates show that among belted occupants there were nearly
600 deaths and 800 serious injuries in crashes where victims
hit a collapsed roof.
The safety agency estimates the new standard will prevent
13 to 44 deaths and up to 800 injuries per year.
The new standard would require that a roof withstand force
equal to 2.5 times the vehicle's weight and still maintain
sufficient headroom for an average adult male. The current
standard requires a force calculation of 1.5 times the vehicle
The current standard applies to passenger cars and small
SUVs, vans and pickups that weigh up to 6,000 pounds (2,722
kg). The proposed change would cover vehicles up to 10,000
pounds (4,536 kg).
Regulators estimate the change will cost the industry $88
million to $95 million per year, or nearly $12 per vehicle.
The auto safety agency will decide on a final regulation
after a 90-day comment period.


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Income Inequality caused by US Gov Fraud 190130
January 30, 2019
Income inequality in the United States of America seems to be getting more pronounced and causing more and more class warfare!
According to at least one guy, it has produced an "Egotistical, Billionaire Asshole"!
The frustration with wealth and income inequality is getting worse because the U.S. Government is committing a $122.4 Trillion fiscal and accounting fraud to enrich the U.S. upper class and this accounting fraud is expanding exponentially! The U.S. Government is operating with fraudulent accounting to print $122.4 Trillion of imaginary-counterfeit money and give it to the U.S. upper class!
One of the more prominent recent examples of this income inequality frustration was expressed by a heckler during an interview with Howard Shultz the former CEO of Starbucks who is considering a run for President! This heckler's frustration prompted the following headline!
Democrats Plan Starbucks Boycott If "Egotistical, Billionaire Asshole" Schultz Runs For President
This wealth and income inequality is caused by a corrupt and criminal U.S. Government!
Howard Schultz became a billionaire because of this of this accounting fraud that I call USAPonzi! Starbucks now has 30,000 stores that it has built all over planet earth so that the upper class folks all over planet earth can buy premium coffee whenever and wherever they want it with their imaginary-counterfeit money that the corrupt and criminal U.S. Government has fraudulently borrowed from the future Americans and given to the U.S. upper class!
See The Starbucks Miracle/Debacle!
Howard Schultz apparently does not realize that he is an imaginary-counterfeit billionaire created by U.S. Government accounting fraud!
When USAPonzi is exposed, most of these now 30,000 Starbucks stores will be shuttered and scrapped and Howard Schultz will not be worth much more than a plugged nickel!
Howard Schultz appears to be a successful business man simply because the U.S. Government is corrupt and now he wants to be the CEO of this corrupt and criminal U.S. Government!
Now is not the time to want to be presiding over the U.S. Government!
When USAPonzi is exposed, this imaginary-counterfeit money, currently $122.4 Trillion, will evaporate essentially overnight!
The corrupt and criminal U.S. Government is running a classic Ponzi scheme that is printing imaginary-counterfeit money and giving it to the U.S. upper class!
The U.S. Government is not using the proper accounting system and as a result is fraudulently enriching the U.S. upper class and cheating the U.S. general public!
This U.S. Government accounting fraud has criminally and fraudulently given the U.S. upper class $122.4 Trillion by underfunding the future benefit promises to the U.S. general public!
The U.S. upper class is being fraudulently enriched with imaginary-counterfeit money that the U.S. Government is pretending to borrow from the future Americans!
The apparent wealth of the U.S. upper class is a mirage and a con game being orchestrated by a corrupt and criminal U.S. Government!
This heckler did not use very nice language to express his frustration but he has 122.4 trillion reasons to be frustrated!
The corrupt and criminal U.S. Government is colossally, criminally, and fraudulently enriching the upper class and cheating the general public by committing fiscal and accounting fraud!
My 14th whistleblower letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is my latest attempt to get the U.S. Government to admit to this fraud!


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Payments giant Mastercard launched a new augmented reality (AR) app this month that lets cardholders get a bird’s-eye view of their benefits. It’s a move that the company hopes will drive engagement and loyalty, and add value to the offerings of its partner financial institutions.
“At Mastercard, we’re using our technology and solutions to deliver multisensory experiences for Mastercard AR app consumers every day,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer at Mastercard, in a statement. “By leveraging an intuitive AR design, cardholders can now easily find and fully explore their benefits that otherwise might have been overlooked.”
To access the app, users must scan their Mastercard to start the session to see portals corresponding to different types of Mastercard benefits. The portals offer an immersive, 360-degree experience, and users can tap on each item on their phone screen to learn about each benefit.
Cheryl Guerin, executive vice president of North America marketing and communications at Mastercard, explained that the augmented reality tools were developed after Mastercard noticed many customers did not understand the extent of their card benefits.
“It’s an ongoing challenge because you get a brochure in the mail with your card when it comes in, you may look at it then and kind of forget about it,” she said. “[With the augmented reality] you have the ability to have [information] right at your fingertips in a really easy-to-digest and immersive way.”
Guerin said some customers don’t know which card perks for which they are eligible, so Mastercard developed what it calls an entertaining way for customers to engage and learn about their benefits.
In the past, other financial institutions have also experimented with virtual reality tools to improve customer experience. MoneyLion rolled out an AR tool called Grow Your Stack more than two years ago, with the objective of giving customers a visual representation of their financial holdings. MoneyLion has since retired the tool.
Other financial companies have dabbled in AR and VR technology to offer visual representations of financial products and benefits for customers. In 2018, USAA rolled out an AR-enabled car-buying tool that was discontinued after several months. Intuit has also experimented with visualizing a customer’s finances.
“It is hard, especially in consumer finance, to get your customer to change their ways, to break their routines, to add new apps or do something new,” John Caruso, chief creative officer of digital marketing and experience at design agency MCD Partners, told Bank Innovation. “There are many applications that make sense but getting the AR and VR experiences right for the customer is going to take some time.”
Bank Innovation Ignite, which will take place March 2-3 in Seattle, is a must-attend industry event for professionals overseeing financial technologies, product experiences and services. This is an exclusive, invitation-only event for executives eager to learn about the latest innovations.


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Japanese restaurant Nobu Kuala Lumpur has reappointed GO Communications to oversee PR and integrated communications until the end of 2021. The agency will oversee the brand's PR and marketing efforts in the lead up to the opening and launch of the restaurant in a new location - Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur - at the end of the first quarter.
Gopi Kanala, GM of Nobu Kuala Lumpur, said the decision to renew its contract "came quite seamlessly" following its engagement throughout 2020. Kanala said the GO team has shown itself to be a strategic partner and "an invaluable pillar of support" by helping the brand through unprecedented times.
"The team’s professionalism, coupled with their original and creative ideas have been next to none. And so, we’re confident of doing great things together this year, which our guests can certainly look forward to,” he added. The agency was also instrumental in complementing Nobu’s promotions and campaigns with supporting digital initiatives and influencer campaigns.
In the wake of the various Movement Control Orders in the country which heavily impacted F&B establishments, Nobu Kuala Lumpur and GO Communications worked together on several initiatives throughout the year. Among these include a number of tactical promotions such as “Nobu at Home” - the establishment’s first-ever delivery and take-away menu which allowed guests to experience Nobu’s world-renowned cuisine in the comfort of their own homes.
Nobu also rolled out several “For Two” promotions, with the aim of giving more guests the opportunity to savour specially curated menus at promotional rates. These include the “Omakase for Two” menu, among others. The brand also also paid tribute to medical frontliners in the country by treating them to a complimentary High Tea event at its premises.
Peter de Kretser, CEO of GO Communications, said it is humbled yet inspired with the renewal of the contract, and looks forward to greater times ahead for Nobu Kuala Lumpur and building on its working relationship. "As they move to their new location in the landmark Four Seasons, we are very excited with the possibilities that lie ahead," he added.


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Rickland Orchards has launched the first Greek Yogurt Bar: the optimal nutritious, delicious, and all natural, on-the-go snack.
Rickland Orchards Greek Yogurt Bars feature honey-roasted granola and real fruit dipped in Authentic Strained Greek Yogurt imported from Europe. Rickland Orchards is the first to offer consumers Greek Yogurt in a shelf-stable, great tasting bar; and furthermore provide an excellent source of fiber and a good source of protein in each serving. Now, busy parents, active kids and teens, and health conscience consumers can enjoy the benefits of Greek yogurt and probiotics effortlessly.
According to CEO and co-founder Jason Cohen, “We are thrilled with the overwhelming positive response we have received on our Greek Yogurt Bars. We have developed the perfect combination of great taste, strong nutritional values and on trend, quality ingredients.”
The phenomenon of Greek yogurt has spread across all consumer groups, and Rickland Orchards is staying ahead of the curve by expanding into non-traditional ways in which to enjoy Greek yogurt. In 2007, Greek yogurt sales totaled $35.4 million and the projected Greek yogurt sales for 2012 are estimated to be well more than $2 billion. Rickland Orchards Greek Yogurt Bars are already flying off the shelves in major markets across the country, according to the company, which has received authorizations in more than 10,000 locations in the first 90 days of its launch.


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Today’s Ericsson Mobility Report 2017 said the number of mobile subscriptions reached 7.8 billion in Q3 2017 — growing at almost 6 percent year-on-year.
China (+30 million) had the most net additions of mobile subscriptions during the third quarter of 2017, followed by Indonesia (+7 million), the US (+4 million), Angola (+4 million) and Pakistan (+3 million).
India lost 3 million mobile subscriptions during the third quarter of 2017 as telecom operators started removing in-active mobile subscribers from their account.
The number of mobile broadband subscriptions is growing at around 20 percent year-on-year, increasing by 210 million in Q3 2017 alone. The number of mobile broadband subscriptions reached 5 billion.
Telecom operators have added 170 million LTE subscriptions to reach 2.5 billion. The net additions for WCDMA/HSPA or 3G were around 60 million subscriptions. The majority of 3G/4G subscriptions can use GSM/EDGE as a fallback.
Ericsson said GSM/EDGE-only subscriptions declined 130 million. Other technologies declined by around 5 million.
Subscriptions associated with smartphones account for 57 percent of all mobile phone subscriptions. Around 400 million smartphones were sold in Q3, which equates to 83 percent of all mobile phones sold in the quarter.
With the exception of India, subscriptions for mobile broadband now make up 50 percent or more of total subscriptions in all regions.
Middle East and Africa region will transform from a situation where half of all mobile subscriptions are GSM/EDGE-only, to one where 90 percent of subscriptions are for mobile broadband in 2023. Driving factors for this growth include a young and growing population with increasing digital skills, as well as more affordable smartphones.