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You wouldn’t know it from looking at their website (well, unless you go all the way down to their Newsroom page), but McDonald’s has just launched its Worldwide Favorites Menu in the United States. And to celebrate (or maybe just advertise) it, they would accept any amount of foreign currency as payment. Of course, there was a catch – the offer was only good on Wednesday, June 6th, from 2pm to 5pm.
One more chance for the opportunity to fly to Hawaii for $6!
Arby’s (“America’s Roast Beef. Yes, Sir!” Anyone? Anyone?) Restaurants offered this absolutely CRAZY sale on flights to Hawaii this past Friday, for just $6 apiece. And they’re doing it again today. Here are the details, as well as a few important details:
I had to double check to see if it was a late April Fool’s joke but nope, it’s not.
Apparently Arby’s (yes, THAT Arby’s – the 3,300-restaurant strong sandwich chain that’s been around since 1964) is bringing back sandwiches served on King’s Hawaiian buns. And to promote that, it’s offering trips to Hawaii for just $6 (because that’s the cost of the sandwich). But there’s a catch or two:
The TSA screens tens of millions of passengers at airports every week and confiscates lots and lots and LOTS of items deemed ineligible for flight. Guns, knives and other weapons come to mind first, but just about anything marked with a big, red “No“ on the “What can I Bring?” page of the TSA’s website can be taken away from you.
What they do with it all varies from item to item. Some of it is donated to non-profit organizations. Metal items are recycled as scrap. Food and liquids items are tossed (including all those bottles of booze. Sigh.). But most of it sees a different ending.


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May retail sales disappoint
May was not a good retail sales month according to the latest BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor report. Sales had fallen by 2.7 per cent for the 4 weeks ended May 25th when measured against last year. Like for like sales were down by 3 per cent, against an increase of 2.8 per cent for the same period in 2018. This, the report concludes, is the greatest like-for-like sales decline since December 2008.
Online sales for on-food products rose by just 1.5 per cent pointing to an overall slowing of online sales growth and the need for all retailers to improve their performance across all channels. Many suggest that the next six months would be the last for some retailers.

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Image via WikipediaBorders Group, Inc., the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based entity behind Borders Bookstore, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (In re Borders Group, Inc., Docket No. 11-10614).
Unable to compete with the online prowess of Amazon or the discounted prices of Walmart, Borders turned to Chapter 11. Its bankruptcy petition shows assets of $1.27 billion as against debts totaling $1.29 billion. Not surprisingly, among the company's largest unsecured creditors are publishing giants Penguin Putnam, Inc., $41.1 million; Hachette Book Group, $36.8 million and Simon & Schuster, Inc., $33.7 million.
While shielded by bankruptcy, Borders plans to reorganize the company and secure financing. Toward that end, the company purportedly already has lined up a $5 million-plus "debtor in possession" loan from GE Capital, according to a Wall St. Journal story. Reportedly, Borders plans to shutter 200 stores in the weeks ahead, roughly 30 percent of its locations.
Service was never Borders' strong suit, and their limitless supply of animal calendars was disspiriting, but "TUOL" will miss the in-store cafe and occasional live entertainment.


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Berry Plastics Group Inc. is merging with Covalence Specialty Materials Holding Corp. (the former Tyco Plastics business), the companies announced today. This sounds like a pretty big deal, but keep in mind that both already are majority owned by the same parent company, private equity firm Apollo Management LP. So the biggest change, apparently, will be that Ira Boots, chairman and CEO of Berry, and Brent Beeler, Berry's chief operating officer, now will have responsibility for managing Covalence, too. "The combined company will benefit from enhanced diversity of end-markets, customers and products, and the increased scale will make Berry one of the largest plastic packaging companies in the world, while at the same time deliberating our balance sheet," Boots said in a news release. Kip Smith, Covalence's CEO, will remain with the combined company and run the Covalence business. Meantime, Covalence reported its first quarter financials today. The company lost $21.8 million on sales of $366.7 million for the three months ended Dec. 29. "Net revenue for the three months ended December 29, 2006 was impacted by lower volumes driven by a mild 2006 hurricane season, weak housing starts and continued efforts by customers to minimize inventories during a period of softening polyethylene resin pricing," the company said in its release.
Berry merges with Covalence
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]


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with Walter Kemmsies
It’s clear that U.S. economic activity is picking up, which is good news for the freight movement industry since this means growing volumes, but the pattern in terms of import and export flows is likely to shift a lot since recovery also impacts the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies.
In the near term, imports could become cheaper while exports become less competitive. Furthermore the way exports are shipped could be impacted. Longer term the supply chain for U.S. exports needs to consider how it will remain competitive if the dollar continues to strengthen.
Interest, Commodity Trends.
Generally speaking, when an economy is gaining strength relative to foreign economies, inflation is relatively low and interest rates are rising, its currency tends to gain value against other currencies. These days the U.S. economy is growing while Europe struggles with recession, major Asian economies like China and India have had slower growth, and Latin America is trying to avoid recession.
Recovery in the United States, as weak as it has been, is evident in higher employment, retail sales and manufacturing activity. Some of this was due to increased agricultural, energy and capital goods production for exports. Actions by the Federal Reserve, such as pushing interest rates down to help make home and car purchases more affordable, may have also helped.
Currency markets also seem to agree with the bond market. The U.S. dollar has gained against the euro and other currencies. Given the European Central Bank (the Fed’s equivalent in Europe) has announced it is likely to lower interest rates further to help economic recovery, it seems that the dollar will likely continue to gain against the euro. Until the rest of the world economy begins to accelerate, the trends in suggests the dollar’s value will strengthen.
Commodities have had quite a run since 2001. Energy, industrial metals, forest products and agricultural goods are all trading at much higher prices in the last several years compared to the period around 2001. There were two main trends underlying this increase in prices.
Even before formally joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, China had embarked on a long-term trend of increasing investment in infrastructure. This trend gained momentum as China’s exports increased. For many commodities, over half the growth in world demand since 2001 has come from China.
Commodity prices have risen at least in part because of higher demand from China. Given that China is now slowing its investment in infrastructure, prices of many industrial commodities, like metals, are unlikely to rise in the near term. This has been the essence of the message that mining companies executives have given recently.
The second main reason for higher commodity prices has to do with the U.S. dollar having lost value against other currencies between 2001 and 2011. World trade in commodities is generally conducted in U.S. dollars. As the U.S. dollar loses value, prices of commodities decline for other countries. For example, if oil is priced at $100 per barrel and the euro gains 10 percent against the dollar, then the price of oil in Eurozone countries declines by 10 percent if oil is still trading at $100 per barrel. The law of demand says as the price of a good falls, the quantity demanded increases. Higher demand from non-U.S. dollar countries will push the price, quoted in dollars, up until the market reaches equilibrium. This process also works in reverse. As the dollar has gained value, many commodity prices have declined. Metals prices, such as copper and gold, have fallen. Oil prices should also drop, however that will likely depend on whether the political tensions in the Middle East begin to abate.
With slower demand growth from China and a strengthening dollar, it is unlikely commodity prices will return to the high levels they reached during the 2008-2010 period. Agricultural products are a possible exception given the rising emerging market’s middle class underlies the growing demand for food, while global food production does not seem to be increasing as quickly.
U.S. Freight Volume Impacts.
As the United States continues to recover and the rest of the world economy struggles along, it is likely imports will grow faster than exports. A stronger dollar supports this trend since imports become cheaper for U.S. residents while export prices go up for foreign consumers.
A stronger dollar may also impact the way exports are handled. U.S. exports have increased substantially since 2008, led by bulk commodities. Prices for many goods, such as grains and oilseeds, rose, while container freight rates declined. It is not surprising then that the proportion of U.S. bulk exports shipped in containers increased. If container rates stay where they are now or increase in the near term while the U.S. dollar strengthens, then the proportion of bulk exports shipped in containers may decline.
Over the longer term, if the U.S. dollar continues to strengthen, then exporters will have to lower their costs to compete for a share of world demand. The freight movement industry is a critical element in that regard. U.S. shippers and transportation service providers would do well to look North to see how Canada has managed to continue increasing its bulk exports despite the Canadian dollar having appreciated substantially over the last decade.
Kemmsies is chief economist at Moffatt & Nichol, a marine infrastructure engineering firm. He can be reached at (212) 768-7454 or by email.


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"With this action, Belarus would lose very much, compared to any gains. The losses, first of all, would include travelling, and there are already sanctions on flights already. The second and the most important things is that if we want to put pressure on Belarus, we need to review its export of oil products specifically," Marius Dubnikovas, a financial analysts and vice president of the Lithuanian Business Confederation, told the lrt.lt news website.
"This country imports oil very cheaply, refines it and exports to Western Europe. If the latter rejected that, that regime would really go bust," he said.
Exports important for Belarus go via Lithuania as other export routes would be too expensive for Belarus. But if those are halted, some Lithuanian companies would also suffer as Lithuania import raw materials, including metals and wood, from Belarus.
Statistics show that Belarus comes 13th in terms of imports for Lithuania and 11th in terms of export volumes. Lithuania transports goods produced and reloaded in Europe to Russia via Belarus.
Last Sunday, a Ryanair flight en route from Athens to Vilnius changed course just before crossing into Lithuanian airspace and was diverted to Minsk where it landed. Belarusian opposition activist, blogger and founder of the Nexta information channel Raman Pratasevich was detained after the plane landed in Minsk, alongside his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, a Russian citizen and student of the Vilnius-based European Humanities University.


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Samsung Q&A: what’s gone wrong with its security
Flagship phone has a fingerprint reader issue
Samsung’s flagship phones use an ultrasonic fingerprint reader located underneath the screen to identify your registered fingerprints and unlock your phone without a password
Another week another tech issue. This time it’s Samsung in the firing line as it turns out its flagship phones may have a security flaw – or at least the fingerprint reader.
What exactly is the problem?
Samsung’s flagship phones use an ultrasonic fingerprint reader located underneath the screen to identify your registered fingerprints and unlock your phone without a password. The ultrasonic technology uses soundwaves to read fingerprint ridges and builds a 3D picture of your fingerprint. It was supposedly more secure than the optical fingerprint reader and more reliable because it works even when your fingers are dirty or wet.
However, it turns out a flaw in the system made it possible for unregistered fingerprints to unlock the phone when paired with a screen protector.
Why was that a problem?
Aside from the privacy implications of anyone being able to poke around in your phone, the fingerprint reader could also be used for access to certain apps, including banking apps and mobile wallets such as Android Pay and Samsung Pay.
What phones does it affect?
The vulnerability only affects Samsung’s phones with the ultrasonic fingerprint reader. That was only introduced earlier this year for the Galaxy S10 and S10+, with the Note 10 and 10+ also using the technology when it launched in September.
What is Samsung doing about it?
Samsung said it will issue a security update next week that will address the flaw. Until then, it has suggested users remove third party screen protectors and delete and re-enroll fingerprints.
What can I do in the meantime to make sure my phone is secure in the meantime?
If you are concerned that your biometric information could be spoofed, simply disable the option to use it. Samsung doesn’t make it essential to use the fingerprint reader; you have the option to set a pattern to unlock your phone or a passcode. Just make sure your password is something difficult to guess, and not 666666.


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(August 25, 2010)—Kuna Foodservice, a distributor serving restaurants and other foodservice operations in the St. Louis region, announced the formation of Kuna Retail, a new division focused on serving retailers such as grocery stores and butcher shops.
The company has hired four retail industry veterans from Crown Foods — Marcia Shook, J.R. Koerber, Jack Workman and Christy Koerber. The four new employees form the backbone of Kuna Retail but will be supported by the existing infrastructure of Kuna Foodservice. Kuna Retail anticipates $15 million in new business.
Kuna Foodservice, based in Dupo, Ill., has grown from a small butcher shop in South St. Louis into a multimillion-dollar enterprise focused on the processing and distribution of food.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: St. Louis Business Journal.


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If they (Aleris) sell the whole thing as one unit, it will be
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Very Sad News To Bitcoin investors
Cryptocurrency,Well when ever we talk about this work the name that come up on to our mind is bitcoin.
Recently bitcoin hit 20 k so all the investors on bitcoin got huge profits.
But now the whole scenario has been changed and reverted back.
Yes the bitcoin price dropped to 8 K from 20 k.
cryptocurrencies plunged on Friday, with bitcoin at one point sliding below $8,000 and headed for its biggest weekly loss since December 2013, amid worries about a regulatory clampdown globally.
This week’s slump brought the total market value of cryptocurrencies down to around $400 billion, half the high it reached in January, according to industry tracker Coinmarketcap.com. The market value of cryptocurrencies is calculated by multiplying the number of digital coins in existence by their price, although many question whether that is the right way to value them.
Experts are now suggesting that those high prices might have been the result of market manipulation.
Cryptocurrency die-hards expecting the price to bounce back, even partially, will see these tanking numbers as the perfect entry point for getting in low and maximizing gains. Late speculators who got in during the mass crypto hysteria of the holiday season aren’t likely to have such steady hands, a factor that’s likely contributing to the slide.
Nouriel Roubini, a professor at Stern School, said the revelations could see bitcoin plummet by as much as 80 percent.
He tweeted: “Indeed Tether/USDT used to manipulate Bitcoin prices. Without this scam Bitcoin price would collapse by 80 percent
Another reason for bitcoin’s woes could be a spate of recent hacks and threats from a number of governments that crypto trading could soon be heavily regulated.
From my experience i too invested on btc,well it is really sad that it went down but lets hope it will comeup.
It was revealed last week that hackers have been exploiting YouTube’s advertising service by targeting users to mine cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin.


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Air New Zealand has postponed the launch of its new Manila service until further notice, due to unforeseen regulatory delays.
The new service, which will mark the airline’s entry into the Philippines, was announced in April this year as an extension to the carrier’s Asia network.
The three-times weekly flights were originally scheduled to take off in December, with sales expected to commence mid-year. However, the airline says it has had to defer the launch until further notice due to administrative delays.
“Administrative delays in being able to make the new route available for sale, coupled with the traditionally longer booking window for this market have led to the deferral decision.”
Air New Zealand spokesperson
In April, the airline’s Chief Executive, Christopher Luxon, said he expected strong demand for the Auckland-Manila service, particularly from the growing Filipino market in New Zealand.
“We’re anticipating that demand for this service will be steady in both directions.”
Christopher Luxon, Air New Zealand Chief Executive
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The untapped potential of cooperation between the two countries in the transport and logistics sectors and the significance of intensified partnership in trade and economics were among the key topics discussed by and between Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Garibashvili expressed his gratitude to the hosting President for the warm welcome and invited him to Georgia at his convenience.
The PM noted that, by taking into account the close political and economic relations, Georgia does not only deem Uzbekistan a significant and reliable partner, but as a friend too. The discussion was related to the productive cooperation existing between the two countries in the economy and various other sectors, thereby highlighting the positive trend of bilateral trade volumes. Readiness was expressed at the meeting towards further deepening of the existing cooperation. Garibashvili expressed his gratitude to Mirziyoyev for the unwavering support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.


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Mastercard will increase the fees EU firms are charged to take payments from online shoppers from the UK by at least 400 per cent, in a move that could mean higher prices for consumers.
As things stand, when a customer uses their debit or credit card, the retailer is charged a proportion of the transaction in the form of an interchange fee, set by the payment firm.
Mastercard’s interchange fees currently stand at 0.3 per cent for credit card payments and 0.2 per cent on debit card payments, fees that will increase to 1.5 per cent and 1.15 per cent from 15th October.
The increase may be relatively small, but for companies already facing the strain of extra expenses posed by Brexit and decreased sales caused by COVID, the increase in fees may be untenable, and as a result they may be forced to pass on the expense to their customers.
The EU introduced a cap on these fees in 2015, deeming them to be potentially unfair.
Mastercard has increased these fees simply because British transactions are no longer protected by the EU rule.
“As a result of the UK leaving the EEA, Mastercard will adapt interchange rates on UK cards to the commitments it gave the European Commission in 2019 for non-EEA card transactions,” the company said.
“In practice, only EEA merchants making e-commerce sales to UK cardholders will see a change.”
Despite its size, Malta has played a major role in the development of online casino regulation and continues to be ...
She argued that both the US and the EU's true strength lies in their shared dreams and values
CEO Kurt Farrugia highlighted the increasing trend of businesses and investors directing their investments towards the sustainable blue economy


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Right now, you can save $15 on a Fire TV at Amazon, making it just $85. In addition to the savings on the actual hardware, Amazon is offering discounts on a HDMI cable, Fire TV mount, memory cards and even a remote holder.
Right now you can grab Kmashi's 20000mAh power bank for $20 at Amazon with coupon code 3Z9KLROS, a savings of $13. The power bank is Quick Charge 2.0 compliant, so you'll be able to charge your phone fast while on the go. The ultra-slim design keeps it at just over half an inch thin, and the built-in LED flashlight can come in handy during an emergency situation.
B&H Photo is now accepting pre-orders for an LG G5 VR bundle that includes the phone, a 360 Cam and a VR headset. The bundle will be priced at $749, which is an instant savings of $300 for what is included. Both the Titan and Silver colors of the G5 will be offered in this bundle.
According to some new studies from Gogo, the in-flight Wi-Fi provider, Android is the operating system of choice for global travelers. More than two times as many Android phones and tablets are being carried onto airplanes than iPhones. The company also says that 90% of travelers bring a connected device along with them on their flights, and connectivity options are important to travelers.
The April security patches are now available for BlackBerry Priv owners. Those who purchased their phones from ShopBlackBerry may have already received the update on March 23, but now more carriers are pushing it. This update patches the latest round of vulnerabilities that Google discovered, keeping your phone even more secure.
Google has announced that it will be rolling out a new set of icons to its Play family of apps. The suite of apps includes Google Play, Play Store, Play Movies & TV, Play Music, Play Games, Play Books and Play Newsstand. All of the icons now have the same triangular design so at a glance they look similar, yet they each feature a distinction to make it easy to recognize the app.
As rumored, BlackBerry has announced the Marshmallow beta test for the BlackBerry Priv. You can now sign up to join the program, and the company will accept registrations for two weeks. The first wave will only be available to those who purchased their devices from Amazon, ShopBlackBerry or Carphone Warehouse.
Samsung is aiming to offer even better customer support by adding a number of big new features to its Samsung+ app. With these new features, you'll have access to live support, tips and tricks, on-demand answers and more. For new device owners that have questions about their new phones, or existing owners who are confused by a feature, their questions can now be answered with a few taps on...
Stay safe from drops and scratches with a durable case for your LG G5.
Looking for a way to keep your new LG G5 safe for the long haul? Go with a protective case that suits your lifestyle, whether that means a slim cover, clear case, or something more rugged to handle a harsh outdoor environment. Here are a handful of excellent cases for LG G5 to consider scooping up to steer clear of damage.
Drones have grown in popularity over the past few years, and each time a new one comes out they just continue to get better. DJI is one of the top drone brands, and its latest release, the Phantom 4, pushes the limits yet again. The Phantom 4 release date for most retailers is Friday, April 1st. With the Phantom 4, you gain auto takeoff and auto return home with GPS technology, touch to fly so...
If you are in the market for an unlocked smartphone, you may want to check out this deal from B&H on Sony's Xperia Z3. The water and dust-resistant phone is priced at just $250 right now, a savings of $200. Featuring a 5.2-inch IPS display, the Xperia Z3 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 processor that is paired with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of on-board storage.
Google has introduced a new home phone service, Fiber Phone. The service will only be available in select areas, but will offer unlimited local and nationwide calling for just $10 a month, with the same affordable international rates as Google Voice already offers. You'll also be able to utilize standard features like call waiting, caller ID and 911 services with ease.
The latest HTC 10 teaser shows off the capacitive keys on the bottom of the phone. HTC is set to debut the phone officially on April 12, and has been teasing different aspects of it using the hashtag #powerof10.
Sony recently unveiled the PlayStation VR, and at select retailers you can now place a pre-order to guarantee one for yourself. There is already lots of hype around these, as initial listings in the UK apparently sold out in under 15 minutes. Luckily, there is more than just one place to pre-order the PlayStation VR, and here are some of the options you have.
Verizon has officially started pushing out the Marshmallow update for the LG V10, just as it said it would. There are a number of reports that the update is hitting phones, and is sized at just under 1GB. The update brings Doze, enhanced permission controls and more to the phone.
Verizon has started accepting pre-orders of the LG G5 on its network, and the carrier is including the LG 360 Cam for free for those who purchase the phone. This offer comes on top of the existing offer from LG for a free spare battery and charging cradle.
Verizon has announced that it has opened pre-orders for the LG Watch Urbane 2nd edition LTE. The watch, which was once cancelled, has its own 4G LTE connectivity inside, so you'll be able to make and receive phone calls, texts and more without needing a phone to power it.
Verizon has announced its latest budget smartphone, the LG K4, and it packs lots of features in a small price tag. The K4 has a 4.5-inch display and runs Android 5.1.1. Internally, it has 16GB of on-board storage, with the ability to add more through a microSD card.
An update is now available for those with the BlackBerry Priv, and this update also focuses on security. We've seen monthly security patches since the phone's release, but this is a bit different. A recent discovery showed that the Android / Linux kernel was vulnerable to a specific attack, and this update fixes that to prevent issues. It's likely that these are the same patches to the Android...
The Android 6.0.1 update is now pushing out for Moto X Play owners in Canada. This update brings along with it a number of changes, including some new emoji for you to check out. The update has only just started pushing out, so it may be a day or two before it arrives on your phone.


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Many people know that the sun is bad for your skin, but many don’t know how common skin cancer is. Current estimates suggest that one in five Americans will have skin cancer, such as melanoma or basal and squamous cell skin cancers, in their lifetime.
Metro spoke with Mary L. Stevenson, MD, assistant professor in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, for the best summer skincare tips including the importance of using sunscreen and using it right. “This is a great time to really remind yourself of good habits to develop for summer,” Dr. Stevenson says. “Wear SPF 30 and above, reapply, wear enough sunscreen—if you bought one bottle last summer and you still have it, you’re probably not applying enough.”
Read more from Metro.


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Durham, USA - Funcom is proud to announce the launch of a massive and brand new update to 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures'. The Update 7: 'Shrines of Bori' follows in a long line of free updates that have all introduced massive amounts of new content, new features and groundbreaking enhancements to the massively multiplayer online game that was awarded 'Most Improved MMO of 2009' by MMORPG.com earlier this year due in part to the many additional hours of content and gameplay that the development team has introduced to the game since launch.
"We're very happy to bring new content to our loyal PvP players," says Funcom Game Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison. "The new content and the raising of the PvP level cap show we are committed to our fans and committed to continuously update and improve on an already fantastic game. The new in-game event will give players a taste of our upcoming expansion 'Rise of the Godslayer'. As always there are also a lot of smaller improvements and additions packed in there."
Update 7: 'Shrines of Bori' adds entirely new PvP armor set to every class, attainable by playing the new PvP content. Situated around the village of Brandoc, shrines in honor of the war god Bori provides the setting where players will experience an ongoing conflict. Guilds will be able to wage war over shrines that can be captured and destroyed within the war-torn lands of the Border Kingdoms. The new reward system emphasizes conflict over cooperation, so get ready to test your alliances. The PvP experience points now also scale with players' current PvP level, creating a more dynamic and exciting experience.
The update brings with it a whole new in-game event called 'The Silver Atrium'. The event will introduce players to assassins from the Far East lands of Khitai, the setting for the upcoming expansion 'Rise of the Godslayer'. There are also several tweaks to gameplay including a new in-game map and the ability to toggle quests on the go.
Launching in May 2008 'Age of Conan' quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, 'Age of Conan' became the third best-selling PC title of the year in 2008. In the weeks after launch 'Age of Conan' simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. 'Age of Conan' is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.
For more information and how to purchase 'Age of Conan' please visit www.ageofconan.com. 'Age of Conan' is also available as a free trial for players wanting to try their luck in Hyboria.
Funcom is an independent developer and publisher of online games for PC and consoles. Funcom has provided outstanding entertainment since 1993 and continues to expand its track-record of more than twenty released games. Recent titles include 'Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures', 'The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.com, www.dreamfall.com, www.darkdaysarecoming.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.
ABOUT CONAN PROPERTIES INTERNATIONAL
Conan Properties International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox Entertainment Inc., controls rights to Conan, many associated characters and the Hyborian world, as created by Robert E. Howard and various rights expanded upon by many acclaimed authors and artists. Many consider Conan the world's best-known fantasy character. For more information about Conan Properties International LLC, visit www.conan.com. For information about Paradox Entertainment Inc., visit www.paradox-entertainment.com.


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Meta’s ending the pilot for Novi, the company’s digital wallet and the last remaining piece of its troubled cryptocurrency project, as first reported by Bloomberg. On Novi’s website, Meta says the wallet is shutting down on September 1st, 2022, and asks users to withdraw their funds “as soon as possible.”
Users will lose access to their accounts come September, and will no longer be able to add money to Novi starting July 21st. If someone forgets to withdraw their remaining balance, Meta says it will “attempt to transfer” their funds to the bank account or debit card added to the service.
Meta rolled out the “small pilot” of Novi to users in the US and Guatemala last October. Novi was originally built to support fast and free transactions using the Meta-backed cryptocurrency, Diem, but regulatory challenges forced the company to partner with Coinbase to use the Paxos stablecoin (USDP) instead. While Meta made it clear that it still planned on adding support for Diem at a later date, things started to fall apart (more than they already were) at the end of 2021 and into 2022.
Before Facebook’s parent company was known as Meta, Diem was also known by another name: Libra. The cryptocurrency project faced scrutiny over its ties to Facebook, so much so that the independent group behind Libra rebranded the project to Diem in an attempt to distance itself from the social network.
Members of the US Senate called on Meta to shut down its Novi project shortly after its October 2021 launch, citing that the company “cannot be trusted to manage cryptocurrency.” David Marcus, the head of Meta’s cryptocurrency projects, left the company one month later. Diem sold its assets for about $200 million at the beginning of this year, marking an end to the project.
The end of Diem doesn’t mean that Meta is ditching the idea of developing its own digital assets and accompanying wallet, though. Meta spokesperson Lauren Dickson said in an emailed statement to The Verge that Meta will utilize the technology it developed in conjunction with the project “on new products, such as digital collectibles,” as it looks towards “building the metaverse.”
Meta has already started testing NFTs (non-fungible tokens) on Instagram and recently rolled out support for NFTs on Facebook for select creators based in the US. The company is also reportedly working on a digital currency, called “Zuck Bucks,” that’s not based on the blockchain.
Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also hinted at creating a digital wallet that could help you manage and store “digital clothing, art, videos, music, experiences, virtual events, and more.” The wallet would be interoperable across different metaverse experiences, reflecting the goals of the Metaverse Standards Forum that Meta and a group of other companies helped form, which calls for industry-wide standards across virtual reality and augmented reality experiences.


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Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) continues to strengthen its nationwide coverage after opening its latest dealership in Butuan, Agusan del Norte.
The new 2,000 sq.m dealership will provide its customers with premium comfort and innovative services, thanks to the brand’s visual identity Nissan Retail Environment Design Initiative (NREDI). It also has the capacity to display six vehicles for interested customers to experience first-hand.
We are focusing on bringing the Nissan brand of quality products and after-sales services to more customers around the country. We are happy to welcome Butuan to our growing dealership network.
Nissan Butuan will also provide end-to-end customer service programs such as the brand’s Express Service, which boasts a 30-minute Periodic Maintenance Service or the labor fee will be waived. Aside from that, the provincial showroom can perform executive car check-up that provides a comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper assessment of any Nissan vehicle.


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Best place to find information and services that your council provides...
Article date - 23 May 2017
The new facility, to be called Superbowl UK St Helens, will provide 12 state-of-the-art Ten-Pin Bowling Lanes, Crazy Club Soft Play Centre, Formidable ‘Ninja Warrior’ trampoline style assault course, Amusement Arcade area along with a stylish food diner and boutique lounge sports bar.
These attractions will join supermarket giant Aldi and coffee chain Costa Coffee on the development. The site occupies a prominent location within the town centre, having a dual frontage to the main inner ring road dual carriageway, Link Way West and Westfield Street, reinforcing its position as an entertainment hot spot for the leisure development.
Behind the new development is growing UK leisure business Superbowl UK which has just signed a 25-year lease on a 24,000 square foot section of the Leisure Village.
Superbowl UK plans to invest more than £1.8 million on a fit out at St Helens between now and the planned opening in Spring 2018.
The company is led by Director Kate Quaintance-Blackford who said: “Superbowl UK St Helens presents us with an opportunity to bring our distinctive brand of family entertainment into Merseyside, where we believe it will prove extremely popular. We have been extremely encouraged by the enthusiastic response to our nearby Widnes centre, and are delighted to be able to expand our presence within the locality.
“We are one of very few companies in the UK offering all of these facilities under one roof and, because of that, we’re very confident about the success of the new site here in St Helens.”
Superbowl UK shall not only be using local trades through the fit out process but also create 35 new jobs once open.
Picture caption... Paul Hubball from Orbit Developments (left) with St Helens Council Chief Executive Mike Palin at the Linkway West site.


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STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Cocoa powder and dark chocolate may help delay the progression of cardiovascular disease, Pennsylvania State University researchers report in Tuesday's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Chocolate contains a healthful nutrient known as a flavonoid that appears to have a modest protective benefit for blood vessels. In previous research, flavonoids in other plant-based foods such as green tea, red wine, soybeans and apples, have been found to produce health benefits as well. Chocolate lovers now can add their favorite food to that list.
The current study shows cocoa and dark chocolate can slow the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein or LDL -- also known as the bad cholesterol. And that helps prevent the build-up of the plaques that can block blood vessels.
"Cocoa and chocolate are 'fun foods' and I think these results show they can contribute to a healthy diet," said Penny Kris-Etherton, professor of nutrition at Penn State and leader of the study. She said this is especially true if the cocoa and chocolate are eaten in forms that do not include large amounts of fat and sugar, such as in a hot chocolate drink.
The experiment tested 10 men and 13 women, ages 21 to 62. One group was given an experimental diet containing about 22 grams of cocoa powder and 16 grams of dark chocolate daily for four weeks. The other group was given a diet low in flavonoids for four weeks. Afterward the two groups ate their regular diet for two weeks and then went back to the experimental diet for another four weeks.
Both experimental diets contained the same amounts of caffeine and theobromine, stimulants found in cocoa and chocolate.
Study participants had their blood drawn at the end of each diet period. The LDL was extracted and then subjected to oxidation in the laboratory.
Etherton and her colleagues found it took more time for oxidation to start in the group given the chocolate and cocoa, which she interpreted as a positive result in terms of hampering LDL cholesterol damage.
The results showed oxidation among the chocolate diet group was about 8 percent slower than the other group. In addition, the blood plasma of the participants showed 4 percent higher high-density lipoprotein or HDL -- the good cholesterol -- in the chocolate-eating group.
"The incorporation of dark chocolate and cocoa powder into the diet is one means of effectively increasing antioxidant intake," Etherton said. However, she does not recommend eating unlimited amounts of chocolate, but rather balancing the diet with other antioxidant-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, tea and wine.
"We're not trying to figure out the ultimate diet," said Dee Maddox, clinical coordinator of the study at Penn State. "All we're saying is that there are no bad foods. It's all about moderation and serving size."
In an editorial in the same issue, Paul Nestel, head of cardiovascular nutrition at the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, cautioned that while the results showed the benefits of cocoa flavonoids, that does not necessarily mean everyone should binge on chocolate.
He points to earlier studies that generated what he referred to as "oversimplified" responses to scientific data, including people going on a Japanese diet including green tea and soy and a Mediterranean diet based on olive oil.
Nestel said it is better to look at these studies as pieces of evidence that help scientists better understand the benefits of a diversified food supply.
The Penn State study was funded by the American Cocoa Research Institute.
(Written by Lori Valigra in Cambridge, Mass.)


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Zacks Investment Research Downgrades Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) to Sell
Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.
According to Zacks, “Monster Beverage's shares have underperformed the Zacks categorized Beverages-Soft Drinks industry, in the last one year. While the company has a favorable long-term outlook, we remain concerned because of soft industry trends and limited near-term impact from innovation. Again, increasing expenses to support top-line growth also add to the worries. In the last reported quarter, operating expenses increased more than 28% year over year. Additionally, with a significant portion of sales generated outside the U.S., the company is susceptible to unfavorable currency translations. The company’s first-quarter results were hurt by unfavorable currency rates which dented quarterly net sales by $3.7 million.”
Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) lifted their price target on Monster Beverage Corporation from $54.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 15th. Vetr upgraded Monster Beverage Corporation from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $52.90 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. Credit Suisse Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $59.00 price objective on shares of Monster Beverage Corporation in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Jefferies Group LLC raised their price objective on Monster Beverage Corporation from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $58.00 price objective on shares of Monster Beverage Corporation in a report on Monday, May 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Monster Beverage Corporation currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $56.48.
Shares of Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ MNST) traded up 0.74% on Wednesday, hitting $50.70. The company had a trading volume of 2,867,070 shares. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $49.98 and its 200 day moving average is $46.24. Monster Beverage Corporation has a 52 week low of $40.64 and a 52 week high of $55.50. The company has a market capitalization of $28.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.82 and a beta of 0.95.
Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $742.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $738.54 million. Monster Beverage Corporation had a return on equity of 23.36% and a net margin of 23.36%. Monster Beverage Corporation’s quarterly revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.79 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Monster Beverage Corporation will post $1.49 EPS for the current year.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: This piece of content was originally posted by American Banking News and is the property of of American Banking News. If you are accessing this piece of content on another site, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of US & international copyright & trademark law. The legal version of this piece of content can be read at https://www.americanbankingnews.com/2017/07/09/zacks-investment-research-downgrades-monster-beverage-corporation-nasdaqmnst-to-sell.html.
Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Federated Investors Inc. PA raised its stake in shares of Monster Beverage Corporation by 36.2% in the fourth quarter. Federated Investors Inc. PA now owns 9,346 shares of the company’s stock worth $414,000 after buying an additional 2,483 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Monster Beverage Corporation by 204.9% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 940,414 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,701,000 after buying an additional 631,931 shares in the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Monster Beverage Corporation by 210.6% in the first quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 233,660 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,802,000 after buying an additional 158,424 shares in the last quarter. Boston Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Monster Beverage Corporation by 7,367.2% in the first quarter. Boston Advisors LLC now owns 386,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,852,000 after buying an additional 381,475 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Monster Beverage Corporation during the first quarter worth about $16,720,000. 66.03% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Monster Beverage Corporation
Monster Beverage Corporation is a holding company. The Company develop, market, sell and distribute alternative beverage category beverages under the brand names of Monster Energy, Monster Rehab, Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology, Java Monster, X-Presso Monster, Muscle Monster, Punch Monster, Hansen’s, Hansen’s Natural Cane Soda, Junior Juice, Blue Sky, Hubert’s, Worx Energy and Peace Tea.
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
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Welcome to this week’s Technology Updates, a vibrant mix of hot topics and future trends.
The future is here…. RIP Nokia?
Microsoft is killing Nokia. The brand that is. Microsoft announced that it is changing the phone name from Nokia Lumia to Microsoft Lumia. Rebranding will take some time, but with this move, it is evident that the brand is dead.
Nokia was the synonym for mobile phones. However, not many people know that the company was named after village in Finland. Another lesser known fact is that Nokia started as a pulp mill and maker of rubber boots in the 19th century.
Nokia, at one point, was manufacturing electrical cables, electric generators, paper products, consumer electronics, computers, robotics, plastics, aluminium and chemicals.
Nokia became famous for their mobile phones around the world. Nokia was the major developer of the GSM standard, the technology which allowed for voice and data communication at the same time. GSM became so popular among mobile operators in over 200 countries that 15 new device were connected every second. Nokia was the largest mobile phone manufacturer until 2012.
There is so much history and so many ‘firsts’. Nokia, you will be missed.
If you are interested about Nokia’s history, you can read more here -> http://g3t.ca/uhAjhv
Trending this week…
This week brought us some interesting, note-worthy articles and news:
- Planetary Resources (mentioned in the previous newsletters) has launched a test satellite. This one won’t mine asteroids, simply they want to prove that they can do it and test the software systems. –> http://g3t.ca/HuFJv8
- Space, the final frontier, is also hot topic during US Senate mid-term elections. Politicians are competing who is more space friendly. Space industry is a big business and politicians want to bring that business to their constituency. Reportedly, they are also receiving donations from ReMax. It wants to secure exclusive rights to sell homes on asteroids. –> http://g3t.ca/UTxb33
- 3D printing is not only cool, it allows you to ‘build’ objects, which can’t be made by any traditional manufacturing method. Now, thanks to researchers at Purdue University, you can reduce the material requirements by up to 65%. All possible, thanks to new printing algorithms. —> http://g3t.ca/StH2Q6
- Your health can be threatened by hackers. That’s right. There are now so many devices (heart implants, drug infusion pumps, etc.) which can be remotely controlled and which have very little of security build in. The risk didn’t get unnoticed by the Department of Homeland Security. It brings a new meaning to the saying: ‘It was killing him bit by bit.’ –> http://g3t.ca/OgmRK3
- China is denying that it was behind iCloud hack attack. One has to wonder, why you would still go and asked them. –> http://g3t.ca/Tw1LGV
- IBM is selling its computer chip manufacturing division. Perhaps the word ‘selling’ is not accurate. They will pay $1.4 billion to Globalfoundries to take it over. –> http://g3t.ca/pVYby1
- There is a new report by KPMG showing that Canadian companies are increasing their spending on IT security. Here is one gem from the report: ‘Gestur Kristjansson, president of Winnipeg-based mining firm San Gold Corp., said recent high-profile security breaches made his company sit up and take notice, even though it has no retail customers.’ I wonder what newspaper, TV or radio Gestur is exposed to. It is 2014 and you can’t go a day without a news about a security breach and commercial espionage. His company sits on data, which points where the gold is and he just recently sat up and took notice? What was he doing until then? Yoga meditation, the tortoise pose? –> http://g3t.ca/d2h6vI
- Check out even more trending topics here –> http://g3t.ca/CgcHZF
The past future is here…
In case you missed any of the past issues. Here is the complete archive: http://g3t.ca/GB1jPs


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Bradley Square Mall in Cleveland, Tenn., will undergo its first full-scale renovation since it opened 21 years ago, an official said Wednesday.
When work is finished by next April, more than $18 million will have been spent on the revamp, including a new 12-screen Carmike movie theater, said Stacia Shahan, the mall's general manager.
The first phase started last May with work on the theater, an open-air courtyard, an enclosed connector to the mall and parking, she said.
The second phase, which started last week, will involve work on the mall's main entrance, Shahan said. The outside of the 511,777-square-foot mall will be pressure washed and painted, she added.
Inside, the food court will be relocated closer to an entrance that was demolished for the theater construction, the general manager said.
"We're trying to get the food court open when the theater opens," she said.
After that work finishes in November, the renovation will break until January.
"Christmas gets in the way," Shahan said. "We don't want to be sanding and painting with Santa sitting in there."
The third phase will involve work inside the center, including changing the paint scheme from peach and teal to more earth tones, she said.
This phase will renovate the entrances near Kmart, signage, and public restrooms along with providing new lighting and other amenities, a news release said.
"Bradley Square Mall will truly be a one-stop, must-experience destination," Shahan said.
In the meantime, Shahan said, efforts are under way to replace Sears, with a potential deal worked out by year's end.
Earlier this week, Belk unveiled plans for a $1.5 million upgrade to its store in the mall.
Phil Brown, the store's general manager, said in a release that Charlotte-based Belk aimed to "satisfy the Southern lifestyle fashion needs of our customers." According to Belk, its work will expand its merchandise, including new styles of shoes and accessories.
The mall, located at 200 Paul Huff Parkway NW, is owned by Baton Rouge, La.-based Morrison Cos.


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We have put together a list of Bitcoin Billionaires and some of the Largest Bitcoin Whales, who we believe hold a significant amount of Bitcoin under their name or company. If these Bitcoin whales decided to sell their Bitcoin one day, the market would see a significant price blow and uncertainty.
Bitcoin is often regarded as a decentralized currency, not controlled by any single entity, institution, or person. However, it might be surprising to know that there are entities and individuals in the financial space that have a huge amount of influence on the biggest cryptocurrency in the world.
Just before we jump in, these numbers are only estimates; we have no way of knowing the “exact” price that these Bitcoin Whales bought in at, how much they have bought since and at what price point.
Bitcoin Billionaires: Who are the Largest Bitcoin Whales?
Who are the Biggest Bitcoin Whales?
Satoshi Nakamoto was not only the founder of the first and largest cryptocurrency in the world but also one of its first miners. When Bitcoin was introduced on the blockchain, each block yielded a reward of 50 BTC. Since Nakamoto was the only miner on the network at the time, they didn’t really have to share their rewards with anyone.
From January to July 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto is believed to have mined close to 1 million BTC, which he holds to this day. It is also reported that Nakamoto could have mined more blocks, but he wanted to give the other miners a fair chance to earn Bitcoin block rewards.
How many Bitcoins doesSatoshi Nakamoto Own?
If Nakamoto were to cash out, he could walk away with $40 billion according to today’s market valuation depending on when you’re reading this article. Making him or her one of the wealthiest people in the world.
Total Bitcoin Owned: 1 million
MicroStrategy – Michael Saylor
Michael Saylor is probably the most passionate, ardent, and committed supporter of Bitcoin. His first investment of $25 million in Bitcoin in July 2020 sparked an investment frenzy.
Soon after his purchase, companies like Square, MassMutual and Tesla started investing their corporate reserves into Bitcoin as a store of value. If the market cap of Bitcoin stands at a few trillion today, it is due to corporate investments, which were initially spurred by Michael Saylor.
According to Saylor, Bitcoin is revolutionary because it is not controlled by anyone entity, because BTC supply is finite, unlike the US Dollar and because the currency runs with zero permissions from anyone. Michael Saylor also sees the current financial system as bleeding power. This means that due to inflation each year, your money assets in dollar terms bleed value each time the government decides to print more money.
For Michael Saylor, Bitcoin is an emancipatory tool for mankind that is accessible to everyone in the palm of their hands, like mobile education.
How many Bitcoins doesMichael Saylor Own?
Today, MicroStrategy owns the biggest corporate stash of BTC, i.e. 121,044 Bitcoin. This figure is 2.5 times larger than its next competitor Tesla which owns 42,000 BTC. MicroStrategy is currently valued at $3.6 billion, but the BTC stash it owns will cash out at close to $4.5 billion today.
Total Bitcoin Owned: 121,044
Winklevoss Capital –Tyler & Cameron Winklevoss
If you don’t remember the Winklevoss (or Gemini) Twins, they are the infamous sibling-duo that ended up suing Mark Zuckerberg for stealing the idea of Facebook from them. The trio studied together at Harvard and worked on the idea of a social platform as part of a course project. Zuckerberg settled the Winklevoss lawsuit for $65 million.
In 2012, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss started Winklevoss Capital, and one of their early investments was into the nascent digital currency, Bitcoin. They bought Bitcoin for $11 million, for $10 apiece, probably from the money they got from Zuckerberg.
Since then, the twins have invested in around 25 blockchain-related startups, most notably being Gemini and the renowned NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway. They claim that they are building a new virtual world or the ‘Metaverse’ where participants of the network will benefit rather than powerful companies.
How many Bitcoins doTyler & Cameron Winklevoss Own?
The Gemini Twins are believed to be the first Bitcoin billionaires, and the duo is reportedly holding about 100,000 BTC, worth around $4 billion.
Total Bitcoin owned: 100,000
Tesla – Elon Musk
Tesla has the second-largest corporate Bitcoin stash in the world. According to Bitcoin Treasuries, the electric car manufacturer Tesla holds a total of 43,200 Bitcoin in its company reserves.
Bought in early 2021 for $1.5 billion, Elon Musk acknowledged that he was late to the Bitcoin party but believes that Bitcoin is on the verge of getting widely accepted as a conventional finance instrument and still has room to grow. It should also be noted that the $1.5 billion investment amount is only 2-3% of the $52.1 billion assets owned by Tesla.
In March 2021, Tesla announced that it will start receiving Bitcoin for car payments but later discontinued BTC payments in May due to the controversial and disputed environmental effects of Bitcoin mining. This represents a conflict on Elon Musk’s part that he is a vocal supporter of cryptocurrencies and a diehard environmentalist.
How many Bitcoins doesElon Musk own?
By the end of 2021, Tesla had already registered a 33% profit on their investment as the total value of his Bitcoin holdings rose to $2 billion.
Total Bitcoin Owned: 43,200
Tim Draper, the famous venture capitalist and entrepreneur, has been a long-time supporter of digital currencies. In 2011, the chief executive of CoinLab, introduced Draper to Bitcoin. Foreseeing its long-term potential, Draper asked him to buy $250,000 worth of BTC on Mt. Gox.
However, the Mt. Gox crash only reinforced his trust in Bitcoin as, despite a huge crash, the currency’s price only fell by 20%. In 2014, he purchased another huge batch of BTC at a higher price. During an auction by the US Marshals office, Draper bought 30,000 BTC at $632 apiece, investing $18.75 million into the fledgling cryptocurrency.
How many Bitcoins does Tim Draper Own?
Today his BTC reserve is worth more than $1 billion, and Draper has no plans to sell soon. He is extremely bullish on BTC and believes that BTC’s price will skyrocket to $250,000 by the end of 2022.
Total Bitcoin Owned: 29,657
When it was trading for $100 in 2013, Mike put $7 million of his own money into Bitcoin. Due to this move, Novogratz claims himself to be the Forrest Gump of bitcoin, being in the right place at the right time.
Novogratz started as a hedge-fund manager at Goldman Sachs and went on to be very successful, but that success was short-lived. However, cryptocurrencies put him back on the map when Bitcoin went off the charts in 2017. And he was applauded for his long hold.
How many Bitcoins doesMichael Novogratz Own?
Novogratz is currently the founder and CEO of Galaxy Digital Holdings, a digital asset merchant bank that he himself describes as the Goldman Sachs of crypto. In a report published by Galaxy Digital in Aug 2020, it was reported that the company owns 12,957 Bitcoin.
Total Bitcoin owned: 12,957
Block &Jack Dorsey
We are all aware of Jack Dorsey’s love for cryptocurrencies. Dorsey quit Twitter to focus fully on his venture Square, which has now been renamed to block. Dorsey believes that Bitcoin has the power to bring world peace and that it will eventually replace the US Dollar.
How many Bitcoins doesJack Dorsey Own?
The digital payments company Block owns a total of 8027 Bitcoins, which were purchased at a low price of $27,407 for one Bitcoin. Using their Cash App, you can directly buy Bitcoin from within the application, which is as easy as it gets to buy BTC in the US. The huge BTC stash they own is primarily reserved to exchange Bitcoin for cash on the Square Cash App.
Total Bitcoin owned: 8027
Some of the names on this list, like Gemini Twins and Tim Draper, were the first movers of Bitcoin, and they are now reaping the rewards on their investment. At the time of the article, Bitcoin is already trading around $43,000 and has previously hit highs of $64K
If you’ve not yet invested in Bitcoin and want to get started, check out our cryptocurrency exchange reviews.


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"We Envision Growth Strategies Most Suited
to Your Business"
Creators are gearing up to create captivating content for all genres and age groups to capitalize on the increasing popularity of webcomics and attract wider audiences. Comic books have been one of the most popular forms of low-tech environment for decades. However, the advent of comics, transformed by the internet, has revolutionized how comic content is consumed. Popularly known as online comics or internet comics, and even webtoons in some parts of the world, webcomics encompass graphic and written content published on an online website or smart devices. These comics are increasingly gaining traction from consumers of multiple demographics.
According to Fortune Business Insights™, the global market size for webcomics will rise from USD 7.36 billion in 2021 to USD 11.12 billion in 2028 at 6.1% CAGR over 2021-2028. Rise in internet penetration, wider adoption of digital technologies, and surge in the number of creators are identified as prominent factors contributing to the market growth.
The COVID-19 pandemic has favored the market growth due to increased usage of smart devices. India, for instance, saw nearly 40% surge in mobile browsing app activity during March 2020, reports Mint, India’s premium news publication. Data shows that demand for online books, comics, and gaming apps also skyrocketed during the pandemic.
The world of webcomics witnessed a surge in new consumers of all ages and from all parts of the world as people sought new ways to relieve anxiety and stress amid stay-at-home orders. The closure of educational institutions also fueled comic content consumption among children of various age groups. It is anticipated that even after COVID-19, online comics will continue to be highly sought-after across the world.
Fortune Business Insights™ Presents the Top 10 Most Popular Webcomics Creators Globally
A global leader in this industry, Penny Arcade is mainly involved in creating online comics, podcasts, and TV shows. The company is exploring strategies to expand its portfolio of internet comics. Highlighting an instance, in April 2021, Penny Arcade collaborated with fantasy gaming giant Dungeons & Dragons to expand its business in the U.S.
Gunnerkrigg Court offers science-fantasy genre-based webcomics to consumers across the U.K. and Ireland. Generating innovative and creative online comic content is a top priority for the company to strengthen its foothold in the market. Recently, Gunnerkrigg Court updated its internet comics portfolio with the launch of GUNNERKRIGG COURT HC VOLUME 08 CATALYSIS.
Scandinavia and the World is an emerging name in the world of online comics. The startup offers comic books, including Smoked Cheese, Elle and Thor, Odd House, Ask a Witch, and others. It is focusing on launching single picture-based comics to engage new audiences. Scandinavia and the World recently introduced various new webcomics, including A True Romantic, Too Top to be Gay, and We Are in a Hating Relationship.
Homestuck is a prominent name in the industry that develops pop-culture content. It is known for its animation, games, gifs, chat logs and music-based narrative online comics. Recently, Homestuck has been eying the gaming genre to attract gamers to its online comic content. In February 2021, the company rolled out the first chapter of its latest internet comic, Psychological, aimed at gamer audiences.
The Oatmeal is a webcomic and online gaming firm specializing in genre-based comics. As part of its strategy to market its gaming products, the company emphasizes gaming genre-based internet comics. In February 2021, Oatmeal published 13 new chapters for its mobile video game Kitty Letter.
Cucumber Quest, a notable player in the market, is gaining popularity due to its wide portfolio of fun and adventure genre-based content. The company is constantly bringing innovative comics for its readers. In 2017, for example, Cucumber Quest unveiled an online comic called Gigi D.G. at the Fall 2017 ready-to-wear fashion show.
Girl Genius offers subscription-based webcomics and novels, catering to the female consumer base. It explores collaboration opportunities with gaming companies to market its new gaming genre content. For instance, in October 2021, Girl Genius and Steve Jackson Games partnered to create a unique gaming comic called Girl Genius GURPS.
Based in Sweden, Stand Still, Stay Silent is an established company in the industry that offers adventure and mythology genre content. In August 2020, the company launched the second volume of its Nordic Fantasy comic.
Brawl in the Family is a gaming genre-based online comic company that offers Super Mario, Kirby, Donkey Kong, and other subscription-based services. It is partnering with gaming companies to market its gaming-related products. Recently, Brawl in the Family collaborated with Nintendo Co. Ltd. to roll out new NES comics across the world.
A key player in the global market, XKCD creates science and fiction-based online comics for international consumers. The company recently released a range of new internet comics, including Power Hour and Three Word Phrase.
Major Challenges and the Future of the Webcomics Industry
Although webcomics have gained tremendous popularity over the past few years, traditional comic books still hold a dominant market presence. With a wide preference for offline comics, internet comic content consumption could be affected slightly. However, as the penetration of the internet and smart devices continues to grow, the industry could witness a widespread shift toward online comics in the near future.


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News has been confirmed that Indian Railways has linked its locomotives via ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) satellites. This will automatically feed the control charts and will inform customers about the arrival and departure of…
When you choose to fly, then every airlines provide this facility to choose your own berth, and check which seats are vacant. Often, to choose the best seats, passengers are asked to even pay extra amount. Now, Indian Railways will soon…
Still wondering where to party this new year’s eve? Put a full stop to your worries - its IRCTC to the rescue! IRCTC has come up with amazing offers as unbelievable as ever - Goa tour, ‘Hop on Hop off Goa by Bus’, starting at just Rs. 400…
Understanding that passengers need to save as well, Indian Railways has announced several interesting offers and discounts for passengers, who book their tickets online.
Meanwhile, travel partners of IRCTC are upset because now, they will need to pay more service fee charges for booking train tickets. The increase in service charges is almost 10-times of existing rates.
This scenario is pretty common: You have booked your train tickets via IRCTC website and this means that you will need to physically show your ID proof to the ticket checker.
In a tweet, IRCTC informed that they have received the PCI-DSS security certificate, which is mandated certification from Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council for any digital payment provider.
Indian Railways has now decided to go full throttle in renovating, and overhauling the existing coaches and railway stations. Three important decisions have been taken, which will impact almost every train, coach and railway station now.
The new mobile application called UTSonMobile will enable users to book and cancel unreserved tickets at any time from anywhere.
Rail MADAD or Mobile Application for Desired Assistance During Travel has been launched by IRCTC, through which any passenger can lodge a complaint.


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Senate committee endorses ban on synthetic stimulant ingredients
Compounds used to make so-called bath salts, synthetic stimulants currently sold by some smoke shops and convenience stores, would be illegal under legislation endorsed Wednesday by a state Senate committee.
Noting that bath salts can cause hallucinations and violent outbursts, Sen. Linda Gray, R-Phoenix, the author of SB 1043, said it’s important for the Legislature to act because use of the substances has increased dramatically since 2010.
“It’s very important that shops cannot legally sell these bath salts,” she said. “The effects of these are destructive.”


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The Apple iOS 14 update for the iPhone line-up, which was expected to roll out for all users yesterday, is now finally available for all iPhone users globally. Quite unlike how things have happened with previous iOS releases, not all users got the update at the same time. There are no official reasons as to why that has happened, and it has to be said that it was pure conjecture based on the trend of the previous years about the exact rollout time, but it left many who expected to be able to download and install the new iOS 14 on their iPhones immediately, were left frustrated. Apple’s official communication had at no point confirmed an exact time for the rollout and availability of iOS 14 on September 16. That being said, iOS 14 is now available for all iPhones. The first rollout of iOS 14 happened at 10:30pm IST, a time stamp that has been common in the previous years, but many users got the update a few hours later.
There are significant changes under the hood with iOS 14, including a redone home screen with the ability to add widgets, the new App Library curations, compact UI for interactions including Siri and incoming phone calls, a new app called Translate, App Clips that let you download a usable portion of the app to try out before you download the full app, as well as significant enhancements to privacy and security. The question is—can your iPhone run iOS 14?
You will be in luck with iOS 14 if you have an iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE (2nd generation) and the iPhone SE (1st generation). In fact, the iPod touch (7th generation) will also get the iOS 14 update. This means that in the year that has gone by since the iOS 13 update rolled out, no device has lost support and all iPhones that run iOS 13 will get the update to iOS 14 as well. Look at the how far back the update compatibility spans, with the iPhone 6s launched in 2015 being the best example, and it remains hard to beat Apple’s compatibility focus as far as new software updates are concerned.


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China and Central Asian countries are expected to produce more upgraded economic cooperation projects marked by a green, digital economy in the next ten years, according to experts. This follows the tangible results of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), which marked the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and initiated another “golden decade” of BRI cooperation.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the 22nd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Council of Heads of Government in Kyrgyzstan from October 24 to 27. The visit will follow through on the consensus reached at the SCO summit in July, have in-depth exchange of views on the SCO Development Strategy, and formulate concrete measures on cooperation in areas such as security, economy and trade, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges.
This is Li’s first visit to Kyrgyzstan since taking office earlier this year and the second visit by a Chinese premier in seven years. China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to build a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future of good neighborliness and prosperity, carry out cooperation in all dimensions, and contribute to the development and vitalization of both countries.
China’s senior research fellow, Zhou Rong, believes that Li’s visit to Central Asia could reflect the importance China attaches to its friendly neighbor. He believes Li will implement the consensus and offer China’s efforts to maintain stability, security, and prosperity in the region. Economic cooperation between China and Central Asia has been rapidly upgrading, shifting from traditional areas like infrastructure, transport, and energy to green and digital economy and emerging industries.
China and five Central Asian countries have launched an action plan for green technology development to address climate change, ecological degradation, and environmental crises in the region. The plan was initiated during a high-level forum on green development, which coincided with the third BRF in Beijing.
The initiative aims to continuously upgrade cooperation models, with more projects expected to land in Central Asia in the next decade. Traditional trade between China and Central Asia is also growing, with China’s imports of agricultural, energy, and mineral products increasing by over 50% and exports of mechanical and electronic products increasing by 42%.


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For those who missed the news last month, DC Rainmaker announced that Garmin would be making moves in the running power devices market this autumn/fall. From late November, high spec Garmin watches that are used in conjunction with a run dynamics pod will be able to measure, track and display an athlete’s power output while running. This opens up opportunities for brands such as STRYD (a company that has pioneered running power).
With Garmin investing in this space, it is apparent that the accessories specialist sees parallels with the role of power in the cycling market – where power meters have become the norm for professionals and keen amateurs alike over the last decade. At Strava, the cycling power friendly ‘social network for athletes’, CEO James Quarles recently spoke to Wareable magazine and said “I think there’s a power score in running we’re intrigued by.” So it looks like the technology is primed for bigger and better things.
Much like the bike market, we can already see a collection of run power devices available to consumers with a price architecture from £50-£300, offering varying degrees of accuracy and analytical tools to make sense of the data.
One company that is now powering into this space is NewRunningGear.com. Set-up by Mike Trees and Stephen Honight, formerly of TCL Sports, they were among the first to bring running power meters to the UK – distributing STRYD. Now, Mike and Stephen are evolving the NewRunningGear.com site into a hub for all power related running tech, echoing popular cycling power websites, such as PowerMeterCity and CyclePowerMeters.
Over the coming months the NewRunningGear team will be enriching the site with content, reviews and product comparison tables ‘so consumers can select the right power products to help them achieve their running PBs and fitness targets’.
The site is being supported and mentored through the Bristol Hub of Entrepreneurial Spark: a scheme powered UK bank NatWest and billed as the world’s largest free people accelerator for start-up and scale-up businesses.
Tech bloggers interested in reviewing products on an affiliate arrangement, and new tech brands looking for listings, should make contact via info[at]newrunninggear.com. Consumers looking to learn more about power for running can also check out the Running with Power book by Jim Vance.


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MOBILE firm Vodafone Ireland has acquired telco Perlico for about €30m in cash while the remainder of the total €80m consideration will be paid as part of an earnout clause over a number of years.
The move launches Vodafone into the fixed voice and broadband market and comes against a backdrop of lower average revenues from its customers in the increasingly competitive and mature mobile market.
While the total consideration for Perlico is €80m, the rest of the payment will be made over a period of years once Perlico reaches certain performance targets in relation to customer figures and profitability.
Perlico has just over 62,000 customers -- 25,000 of which are broadband subscribers.
The company had sales of €40m in the year ended December 2007 on losses of €7m.
And while some market watchers have said the total consideration is high at €80m given the figures, others pointed out that the upfront cash payment of €30m is lower than the valuation on the company at the end of last year of €55m when a number of high profile investors like Michael Smurfit injected cash into Perlico.
Commenting on the acquisition, Vodafone Ireland chief executive Charles Butterworth, said the move was a natural one for the mobile phone company.
"We completed a strategic review of the market before choosing Perlico," he said adding that the company will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Ireland.
"Over half of all voice minutes are currently carried on fixed lines and we a phenomenal opportunity there."
He added that the companies will be launching a number of converged services on the Irish market in the New Year.
"We will be launching some very attractive, innovative offers in the coming months. Our customers want these services."
According to Perlico founder Iain McDonald, these offers could also include new mobile services from Perlico through a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) deal with Vodafone, whereby Perlico would piggyback in the mobile operators network.
He added that the deal meant a change of ambitions at Perlico from being Eircom's main competitor to being part of a leading telecommunications firm.
The combined businesses will comprise of 2.2m mobile subscribers from Vodafone and 62,500 from Perlico.
Mr Butterworth said yesterday that there are not expected to be any job losses at all as a result of the deal at Perlico while Mr McDonald added that Perlico employees will benefit as a result of the deal as part of a incentive scheme for staff.


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North American EMS industry up 1.9% in June
Total North American EMS shipments in June 2021 were up 14.3% compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, June shipments grew 31.3%.
EMS bookings in June rose 61.3% year-over-year and 43.8 percent from the previous month. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.48. “Demand for domestic electronics production remain at historic levels. Despite record orders in recent months, monthly shipments have been declining because of supply constraints and parts availability,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “For the first month in several months, shipments rose in June, suggesting some shortages are starting to abate. But the market remains in disequilibrium -- EMS orders are roughly 15 percent above 2019 levels but shipments are 13 percent lower compared with the same time period.”


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An international group of researchers including researchers from Monash University has successfully applied AI technology to real-world retinal imagery to detect possible diseases more accurately and on a larger scale.
If you’ve ever considered selling mobile services, an MVNO is the way to do it.
A new app has been launched by Australia’s on-demand home improvement marketplace, hipages, which will allow payments to tradies with frictionless WhatsApp-style messaging and Uber-like payments.
The Telstra-backed startup accelerator muru-D has staged its first demo day of Singapore startups with nine high-growth businesses across healthcare, consumer applications, financial services, law, mobile payments and advertising.
Indian outsourcing and ICT services giant Infosys has launched its new delivery centre in the western Sydney suburb of Parramatta as part of a move to bolster Business Process Management (BPM) and a range of digital service capabilities for its Australian clients, including the NSW Government.
Wholesale telecommunications and cloud services provider Inabox Group, has signed a $3.6 million deal with Total Telecom Group to migrate 3000 end user customers’ PSTN services to Inabox’s wholesale aggregation solution.
Linux is becoming worse than Windows. :-(
I have. https://itwire.com/opin...
Instead of complaining about it, do something - use Linux, or better still, a Mac. Microsoft is dead to me,[…]
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On Trustpilot (https://www.trustpilot.com/..., 88% of TomTom users are blown away by how bad TomTom Service is. Comments range from TomTom[…]


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EU pig prices rose by €1.67 to €184.46/100kg, in the four weeks ending November 17. The average pig price stood at its highest point since September 2013 and about €49 above this time last year.
The price rise has increased a little in recent weeks, following some stagnation in mid-October. This is because of booming shipments to China resulting in increasingly tight supplies of pig meat, especially for the processed sector.
Despite some acceleration in EU pig price growth recently, the gap between UK and EU prices has continued to close. Some strengthening of sterling has boosted UK prices further in Euro terms. For the week ended November 17, the difference between the UK and EU average stood at €0.86, compared with nearly €8 five weeks before.
The continued rise in prices reflects significant growth in some key markets.The Danish pig price was up by nearly €12 during the four weeks ending November 17, with strong export demand and alimited supply of pigs.
Other nations recorded price changes as follows over the four weeks:
- Netherlands: +€4.21;
- Germany: +€1.71;
- Belgium: n/c
- Poland: -€-0.83;
- France: -€1.00; and
- Spain: -€2.51.


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Tehuacana Creek Vineyards and Winery will be changing their name to Waco Winery and Vineyards. Owners Inga-Lill and Ulf Westblom decided to sell the majority of their interest in Tehuacana Creek Vineyards and Winery to a group that will continue the dream and develop the facilities. The Westbloms will stay on as winemakers for the new company.
The Tehuacana Creek Vineyards brand and label will continue on and will be the foundation. Future plans include additional labels, offering more wines beyond the current selections. Utilizing “Waco Winery” as the umbrella name will be better suited for the long-term plans for the facility.
An architect has been brought in to develop a master plan, incorporating a Tuscany theme throughout the property. The Initial phase of development will be a new purpose-built Tasting Room. Until the new building is open, the winery building and crush pad will serve as the temporary area for tastings and sales.
The Tasting Room days and hours of operation will be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, open from 11 am to 5 pm, starting December 5, 2014. As soon as the architects’ rendering of the new tasting room is available, it will be on display there.
Additional development plans following the new tasting room will include an Event Center. This will be the crown jewel of the facility. This will allow the winery to respond positively to the inquiries regarding weddings and events that are received each month.
An amphitheater is planned as a venue for a variety of special events and performances throughout the year. This open-air setting will provide an area for picnics and the simple enjoyment of viewing spectacular sunsets.
Further, plans to enhance the facilities over the next few months, including adding picnic tables under their grand oak trees, along with sitting areas surrounding fire pits and bocce ball courts are under way.
WacoWinery.com is and has been the informational site for the winery since the beginning and will remain so. A new revamped site is in the construction phase currently and should be available shortly. New features will include construction updates, a Wine of the Month page, Winemaker notes, a Wine Club page, with exclusive saving offerings and comments from the new executive director. Also, a shopping cart that will allow purchases to be made directly from the winery will be added.
The next year includes plans for new wine classes for the novice and pro alike. Special dinners with wine parings at selected locations around the area. 2015 is going to be an exciting year at Waco Winery and Vineyards and they invite everybody to join in the ongoing development of a dream started many years ago by the Westbloms.


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The city of Oakland is known for many things: its signature “hyphy” hip-hop movement, the Black Panther party, an endless sea of shipyards and a skyrocketing homicide rate.
But farmers’ markets?
Oakland has nine of them, according to a list of local farmers’ markets published by Alameda County’s Department of Public Health last April, and that’s not even the most recent tally. One more has since popped up, bringing the city seven more markets than Oakland’s notoriously green-friendly, food-conscious neighbor to the north, Berkeley, can boast.
According to market organizers, Oakland’s dramatic boom in farmers’ markets is merely a reflection of a growing national trend in response to mounting concerns about the quality and safety of mass-produced and imported produce. Consumers are increasingly picky about what they put into their bodies. At farmers’ markets, shoppers can meet the very people who picked their produce and purchase food that was harvested when ripe.
The next time you find yourself standing in a supermarket aisle looking suspiciously at a fluorescent-lit waxy red pepper, head down to one of these many sites to experience first-hand what all the fuss is about. The choices can be dizzying, so here’s a guide to assist you in finding some of the most unique and popular markets.
Featuring bounce houses for kids, electro-acoustic entertainment, dozens of farmers’ stalls, delicious hot food vendors and a handful of artist booths, the Grand Lake farmers’ market is one of Oakland’s largest and most popular. Every Saturday the otherwise empty Splash Pad Park overflows with smiling shoppers, laden with bags of produce and fresh flowers, who spill out of the park and into the bustling crosswalks. With plenty of entertainment for kids, this market is particularly popular among young families, and the sound of children’s laughter almost drowns out the steady hum of nearby freeway traffic. The crowd is multiracial, friendly and health-conscious.
Gloria Sanders is an Oakland native who quit her job as a landscaper for the city to open Your Backyard Bar-B-Que stand. Sanders, whose distinctive Oakland-style cooking draws lines around the block, says she tried working other markets but didn’t like them as much as the one at Grand Lake. According to Sanders, the people here are friendlier and the location is safer. “I’m dedicated to this market. I wouldn’t give it up,” says Sanders.
Located in the heart of the Fruitvale district, this market’s small size-with only six vendors-is intentional, according to organizer Tom Limon.
“We started out with more farmers and a larger variety. . . but it didn’t work for our customer base,” Limon says.
Limon works for the Unity Council, a non-profit organization based out of the Fruitvale district that runs the market. He says the farmers’ market started six months ago as a method of combating high rates of chronic disease, like diabetes and heart disease, that are endemic to the area. Limon explains that while the neighborhood is flooded with stores that sell produce, not many of them carry high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables. The Unity Council also launched an incentive program with organizations like La Clinica de la Raza to provide patients with vouchers that they can redeem at the market for healthy food.
According to Limon, the primary aim of the Fruitvale market is to service the community. “The farmers working here reflect the ethnic background of the neighborhood, and they are all from small family farms,” says Limon. “In the mornings, we have mostly Asian families coming to shop, and they speak with the Asian vendors. In the afternoons, we have Latino families, and they speak with the Latino vendors.”
Mo Better Foods
Also founded with community health in mind, the Mo Better Foods market features a small number of vendors without sacrificing variety. Here a preserves vendor, resident deejay and VHS tape vendor share court with local farmers.
The market was also started to give residents a much needed community meeting space. “The only time people come out of their houses to talk to each other is when there’s a lot of trouble,” says Leroy Musgraves, who commutes from his farm in Livingstone to sell his produce at the market. “We’re trying to provide a positive space. A space for people to come together and exchange information about health [and] diet.”
Vendors at Mo Better Foods reflect the predominantly African-American composition of the neighborhood. Market founder David Roach explained that West Oakland used to be a thriving center of black business and was referred to as the ‘Harlem of the West.’
Get it while it’s fresh:
Fruitvale Transit village
Jack London Square
West Oakland/Mo Better
East Oakland Faith Deliverance Center
East Oakland Senior Center
“We’re hoping that this market can ignite a similar kind of vibrancy in West Oakland. This is a smaller market, but the intimacy has really allowed farmers to develop relationships with local businesses and restaurants,” says Roach.
Michelle Scott of Scott Family Farms commutes from Fresno to work the market because she wanted to make healthy food available to West Oakland’s residents. Currently, the neighborhood has only one grocery store. “Bringing fresh produce into the community is very important, so we’re proud,” Scott says.
Don’t leave this market without trying one of the Scott family’s peaches, and if you’re still hungry after that, wash it down with a deliciously hot bowl of jambalaya from a neighboring stand.
At barely three months old, this market is Grand Lake’s only contender as far as sheer size and number of vendors. The crowd is mostly white, but Temescal’s shoppers are diverse in age. “We get everyone from students to young families to senior citizens,” says On-Site Market Manager James Cochran. He says the market has drawn a large number of customers since day one.
Despite the market’s large size, it remains ideal for the claustrophobic shopper. The spacious DMV parking lot’s aisles are wide enough to accommodate Governor Schwarzenegger’s Hummer, and the extra room to maneuver contributes to the market’s laid-back and friendly atmosphere. Also relaxing is the eucalyptus-lined creek located directly adjacent to the market, which attracts sun-weary shoppers and bored kids alike.
Food For Thought
If you still haven’t found the farmers’ market of your dreams, remember there are still six more to choose from. Most of the market organizers, vendors and shoppers I spoke with insisted that each market has a flavor and atmosphere of its own. But when asked which one is best to frequent, they pretty much shared Roach’s opinion: “Support all farmers’ markets. Support all farmers.”


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The health and beauty retailer has introduced plexiglass shields for the safety of employees and customers in-store
Walgreens, the health and beauty retail chain, has resumed standard operating hours at most of its stores in the US today.
The retailer, which had rolled out reduced opening times in...
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