text:
- The Fed can’t print trade? World Trade Flows Fall in First Quarter (WSJ)
- PBOC’s Zhou Says China May Have Housing Bubble in ‘Some Cities’ (BBG)
- ECB’s Weidmann – Reviving ABS market not task for central bank (Reuters)
- LOL: Fitch upgrades Greece by a notch to ‘B’; outlook stable (Reuters)
- LOL x2: Spain Sovereign Debt Rating Upgraded by S&P (BBG)
- China Will Vet Tech Firms After Threatening U.S. Retaliation (BBG)
- US to claim victory over China in WTO car dispute (BBG)
- Obama urges Democrats to vote in midterms, attacks Republicans (Reuters)
- U.S. Military Pushes for More Disclosure on Drone Strikes (WSJ)
- The power struggle behind China’s corruption crackdown (Reuters)
- Secrecy of Oil-by-Train Shipments Causes Concern Across the U.S. (WSJ)
Overnight Media Digest
* Hewlett-Packard Co is cutting thousands more jobs, as efforts to revitalize the company have sputtered amid a rapidly changing technology landscape. The company said Thursday it would cut an additional 11,000 to 16,000 jobs on top of 34,000 positions it previously said would be eliminated as part of a multi-year restructuring plan. (http://ift.tt/1onwTSH)
* Investors defied a technology-market slump to send shares of Chinese online retailer JD.com Inc as much as 20 percent higher after its initial public offering Thursday in New York. The shares opened trading at $21.75, and rose as high as $22.80 in early trading. The shares closed their first day at $20.90, a gain of 10 percent.(http://ift.tt/1oZU9ZE)
* Cox Communications Inc became the biggest U.S. cable operator to commit to rolling out a gigabit-speed broadband offering to all its residential customers, starting this year, the latest sign that the push for ultra-fast broadband speeds sparked by Google is gaining traction throughout the industry. (http://ift.tt/1onwTSN)
* Google Inc is developing a new, cutting-edge tablet as it continues to experiment with advanced vision capabilities for mobile devices. The company plans to produce about 4,000 of the prototype tablets beginning next month, according to people briefed on the company’s plans. (http://ift.tt/1oZU9ZG)
* One of AstraZeneca Plc’s biggest shareholders, BlackRock Inc, has urged the British pharma giant’s board to eventually re-engage in talks with Pfizer Inc over a possible deal, but backed its rejection of Pfizer’s offer this week, according to people familiar with the situation. (http://ift.tt/1onwTSR)
AstraZeneca’s biggest shareholders have told the drugmaker they want the company to take a fresh look at a possible deal with Pfizer by August.
Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said it had been visited by a unit of China’s anti-trust regulator, in the latest move in the widening crackdown on corruption in the country’s pharmaceutical sector.
Germany’s largest bank Deutsche Bank’s top executives faced angry investors at the annual shareholders’ meeting, less than a week after announcing a surprise 8 billion euro capital raising plan.
Spanish government chose to move the country’s maiden inflation-linked bonds in line with Eurozone Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices across European countries.
Wizz Air, central eastern Europe’s largest airline, plans to list its shares on the London Stock Exchange next month and is seeking to raise 200 million euros ($273 million).
* The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum aims to woo foreign investment, but the event is under a cloud this year as Russia stands on the verge of recession. A panel at an annual economic forum here was deeply divided over the direction of the Russian economy. The isolationists in the group favored relying on state banks for its financing needs. Others called for Russia to deepen its ties with China, while a different contingent said global trade and commerce remain critical. (http://ift.tt/1oZUafW)
* Hundreds of miles from Credit Suisse’s Madison Avenue office tower and an ocean away from its headquarters in Zurich, the bank found an unlikely opponent in Alexandria, Virginia. Federal prosecutors there helped lead an investigation into Credit Suisse, which this week pleaded guilty to helping thousands of American clients hide their wealth overseas. (http://ift.tt/1onwW0V)
* The Mizkan Group’s $2.15 billion purchase of Unilever Plc’s Ragu and Bertolli pasta sauce brands is the latest overseas foray by a storied and gutsy vinegar maker, one that helped transform sushi from an obscure delicacy into a global culinary phenomenon. (http://ift.tt/1oZUb3D)
* The slide continued on Thursday for the deeply troubled Sears Holdings Corp, whose dismal earnings report not only lacked signs of improvement but also laid bare how few options the company had left. Sears Holdings, owner of Sears and Kmart stores, was once again the bleakest of the lackluster reports. It announced that it would close at least 80 stores this year, a downsizing move it has made in previous years without significant results. (http://ift.tt/1onwTSV)
* Online Chinese retailer JD.com Inc started life as a publicly traded company with a rousing start, closing up 10 percent on the Nasdaq on Thursday. At that price, shareholders valued the company at more than $28.6 billion, more than other American technology names like Twitter Inc and LinkedIn Corp. Investors in the United States seemed eager for the offering, even though some analysts have criticized JD.com’s corporate governance and lack of profitability in recent years. (http://ift.tt/1oZUag8)
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
* The United States has implemented limits on emissions from the oil and gas sector that are “significant” and “comparable” to those the Canadian government is considering, says a newly released Environment Canada memo, one that contradicts Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s assertion that Canada is waiting for the U.S. regulations before it acts. (http://ift.tt/1onwU9c)
* The Conservative Party of Canada has postponed a bitter nomination battle in a Toronto-area riding, saying it needs time to sort out complaints of fraud and robocalls in the riding. (http://ift.tt/1oZUb3H)
Reports in the business section:
* Russia is weighing whether it should end its $3.4 billion deal with Bombardier Inc to buy Q400 turboprop planes to be built in a new assembly plant in Russia, the country’s industry minister said. (http://ift.tt/1onwW0Y)
* Europe’s seal ban is arbitrary, unfair and “inconsistent,” the World Trade Organization ruled Thursday, but the continent will still be allowed to keep out Canadian seal products in order to “protect public morals.” The ruling by the WTO Appellate Body was cheered by animal activists, but roundly condemned in Canada’s seal hunting regions. (http://ift.tt/1oZUb3J)
* A man accused of killing five young people in Calgary’s worst mass murder has been found fit to stand trial. Matthew de Grood is charged with first-degree murder after four men and a woman were stabbed to death at a house party that was being held last month to mark the end of the university school year. (http://ift.tt/1onwW13)
* The Keystone XL pipeline debacle with the United States has drawn plenty of second guessing of late that it’s all Canada’s fault – government’s pushing too hard on behalf of the oil industry for approval in the United States and doing too little to ingratiate themselves to President Barack Obama by getting tough on greenhouse emissions from the sector. The man on the front lines of campaign, Canadian ambassador to the United States Gary Doer, couldn’t disagree more. (http://ift.tt/1oZUaws)
* Toyota Motor Corp is recalling 430,500 vehicles for three separate safety problems, including 82,381 Sienna minivans in Canada that face potential problems caused by salt used by road crews to melt snow or ice in some areas. (http://ift.tt/1onwU9q)
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
— An Italian journalist who mounted an undercover operation to expose a suspected eastern European gangster told the District Court how easy it was to set up a money-laundering operation in Hong Kong. (http://ift.tt/1oZUaww)
— A more complete picture of Hong Kong, including all the off-street nooks and crannies, will soon be available online in 3D, via mapping developed by the University of Science and Technology. The comprehensive map of the city is being touted as better than those from Google and Apple. (http://ift.tt/1onwU9s)
— Shanghai vice-mayor Tu Guangshao has heralded further financial liberalisation in the city’s free-trade zone, fuelling speculation about future full convertibility of the yuan in the test bed for mainland economic reform. (http://ift.tt/1oZUbk7)
— Cheung Kong Holdings has priced its first batch of 350 units at City Point in Tsuen Wan close to those of secondary homes nearby, prompting some owners to cut their asking prices. The joint project has a price tag of up to HK$12,071 ($1,600) per sellable sq ft after a discount of up to 15.75 percent. (http://ift.tt/1oZUbk9)
— The “Father of Lan Kwai Fong,” Allan Zeman, says he supports the idea of Hong Kong expanding into Hengqin in Zhuhai or Nansha as Hong Kong needs to compete with mainland cities. (http://ift.tt/1onwX4S)
— Staff training budgets grew to 3.1 percent of annual salaries last year, the highest since 2009, as companies want to develop and retain staff, a survey by personnel experts showed. This is the second-biggest proportion since 2004, the study by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management found. (http://ift.tt/1oZUbkd)
HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL
— Sunac China Holdings Ltd said it would buy 24.3 percent of Greentown China Holdings Ltd for about HK$6.3 billion ($812.52 million), a price equivalent to HK$12 per Greentown share or 56 percent premium to the previous close.
— Property-to-transportation group Shun Tak Holdings Ltd said it would sell its funeral service business in Macau for HK$624 million ($80.48 million).
HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES
— Li & Fung Ltd’s planned spinoff firm Global Brands Group is set to be a high growth company and is planning to acquire more brands which have potential to expand globally, according to Chief Executive Officer Bruce Rockowitz.
INTEREST BILL ON UK’S 1.27 TRILLION STG DEBT TO HIT 1 BLN STG A WEEK
Britain’s huge debt interest bill remains on course to hit £1bn a week this year, after official data showed the government borrowed 3 billion pounds more in April than forecast by analysts.
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR SET TO LEAVE MARKS & SPENCER
Jan Heere, who was hired from Inditex, the owner of Zara, in 2011, is understood to be returning to a role in Russia, although he is yet to resign from his role at Marks and Spencer .
CLYDESDALE BANK TO INTRODUCE FIRST PLASTIC BANKNOTES IN BRITAIN NEXT YEAR
The first plastic banknotes in Great Britain will be introduced in Scotland next year to mark the 125th anniversary of the Forth Bridge, Clydesdale Bank has announced.
ROYAL MAIL SAYS POSTAL DELIVERIES TO REMOTE AREAS UNDER THREAT
Royal Mail has warned that postal deliveries to rural areas are under threat because rivals are being allowed to cherry pick easy and profitable deliveries in towns and cities without having to run services to isolated homes such as on Scottish islands.
COCA-COLA DIPS TOE IN TROUBLED WATERS AS IT TRIES TO PUT DASANI FIASCO IN PAST
Coca-Cola is to launch a fresh assault on Britain’s 1.4 billion pound bottled water market by bringing its glacéau smartwater across the Atlantic.
GATWICK WILL GET EXTRA RUNWAY IN “POLITICAL FIX”, WARNS BORIS
A “political fix” is emerging in favour of building a second runway at Gatwick airport as the government realises that it would be unable to expand Heathrow, mayor of London Boris Johnson claimed yesterday.
BLACKROCK URGES ASTRAZENECA TO HOLD NEW TALKS
AstraZeneca’s biggest shareholder wants the pharmaceuticals group to consider renewing talks with Pfizer about a 69 billion pound takeover offer once a curfew period imposed by City regulators has expired.
LONDON-MADE TECH HARDWARE ‘EATING THE WORLD’
The maker of a new type of music keyboard has raised 7.6 million pound in funding, in a series A round that could value the company at 40 million pound. Dalston-based tech start up Roli raised the money from Balderton, Firstmark, Index and Universal Music.
Fly On The Wall 7:00AM Market Snapshot
Domestic economic reports scheduled today include:
New home sales for April at 10:00–consensus up 10.7% to 420K rate
FireEye (FEYE) upgraded to Overweight from Equalweight at Barclays
German American Bancorp (GABC) upgraded to Outperform at Keefe Bruyette
L Brands (LB) upgraded upgraded to Buy from Hold at Stifel
Portfolio Recovery (PRAA) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Janney Capital
RTI International (RTI) upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan
Rubicon (RBCN) upgraded to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer
Saint Joe Co. (JOE) upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James
Aeropostale (ARO) downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital
Aflac (AFL) downgraded to Equalweight from Overweight at Barclays
Covisint (COVS) downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at Pacific Crest
Hain Celestial (HAIN) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies
Linde (LNEGY) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman
RetailMeNot (SALE) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel
BNY Mellon (BK) initiated with a Hold at Deutsche Bank
CMS Energy (CMS) initiated with an Outperform at RW Baird
Durata Therapeutics (DRTX) initiated with a Buy at MLV & Co.
Dynagas LNG (DLNG) initiated with a Buy at Stifel
GasLog (GLOG) initiated with a Hold at Stifel
Golar LNG Partners (GMLP) initiated with a Buy at Stifel
Golar LNG (GLNG) initiated with a Hold at Stifel
Northern Trust (NTRS) initiated with a Hold at Deutsche Bank
State Street (STT) initiated with a Hold at Deutsche Bank
HP (HPQ) increased its workforce reduction forecast by 11,000-16,000 jobs, saying it now expects to lay off 45,000-50,000 employees, up from its prior estimate of 34,000, with 41,000 total to leave by the end of FY14
Barclays (BCS) fined $43.9M by FCA over gold price fixing
Starboard raised its stake in Darden (DRI) to 6.2% from 5.5%
Boeing (BA) acquired ETS Aviation, terms not disclosed
Keryx (KERX) said that the FDA extended the PDUFA date for Zerenex to September 7
Ziopharm Ad-RTS-IL-12 (ZIOP) said study shows precise control of IL-12 gene expression level
Companies that beat consensus earnings expectations last night and today include:
Cavco Industries (CVCO), Nordson (NDSN), Compuware (CPWR), Mentor Graphics (MENT), Marvell (MRVL), GameStop (GME), Ocean Rig UDW (ORIG), TiVo (TIVO), Aeropostale (ARO), Gap (GPS), Zumiez (ZUMZ)
Companies that missed consensus earnings expectations include:
Covisint (COVS), New York & Co. (NWY), Shoe Carnival (SCVL), 21Vianet (VNET)
Companies that matched consensus earnings expectations include:
Hibbett Sports (HIBB), Brocade (BRCD), Aruba Networks (ARUN), The Fresh Market (TFM), Ross Stores (ROST)
HP (HPQ) reports Q2 Personal Systems revenue up 7% YoY
GameStop (GME) backs FY14 EPS view $3.40-$3.70, consensus $3.68
GameStop (GME) sees Q2 EPS 12c-20c, consensus 17c
Aeropostale (ARO) sees Q2 EPS (61c)-(55c), consensus (50c)
Gap (GPS) backs FY14 EPS $2.90-$2.95, consensus $2.93
Google (GOOG) developing ‘cutting-edge’ tablet, WSJ reports
Sony (SNE) CEO vows again that TV unit will be profitable, Bloomberg reports
WWE (WWE) needs 1.3M-1.4M subscribers to make up for revenue loss, NY Post says
Apple (AAPL) wants Beats because streaming could ‘kill’ download sales, TechCrunch says
NTSB asks FAA to look into battery tests after 787 (BA) events, Bloomberg reports
Credit Suisse (CS) sells $5B worth of bonds since tax evasion suit, Bloomberg says
HSBC (HSBC) to face criticism over bonus payouts payments, The Independent reports
Agile Therapeutics (AGRX) 9.17M share IPO priced at $6.00
China Sunergy (CSUN) files to sell $45M of ordinary shares, warrants
Gold Resource (GORO) files to sell 4.1M shares for selling shareholders
Heritage Insurance (HRTG) 6M share IPO priced at $11.00
Matador (MTDR) files to sell 7.5M shares of common stock
Orbitz (OWW) 7.5M share Secondary priced at $6.60
Parsely Energy (PE) 50M share IPO priced at $18.50
Santander Mexico (BSMX) files to sell ADS for holders
via Zero Hedge http://ift.tt/1k18j50 Tyler Durden


text:
Hewlett-Packard has lowered its financial outlook for the year after another quarter of declining sales and profit.
Cisco Systems posted quarterly revenue and profit gains that included growth for its software-defined networking products, and Chairman and CEO John Chambers used the occasion to lay down the gauntlet to SDN rival VMware.
Twitter nearly doubled its revenue last quarter, handsomely beating forecasts, but it continues to battle slow user growth.
Sony has put an estimate to the damage caused by the massive cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment last year -- US$15 million.
Lenovo's smartphone business is shipping more handsets to countries outside China, following the company's recent acquisition of Motorola Mobility and more competition in the local market.
Citrix Systems announced better than expected financial results for the last quarter but also a restructuring plan that will see 900 jobs being cut.
The holiday season proved to be a good one for Amazon, which reported a jump in sales for the last quarter and a return to profit.
Google disappointed Wall Street with its fourth quarter results, missing expectations for both sales and earnings, and growing its advertising business more slowly.
Storage giant, EMC, will soon start handing out pink slips as part of a new restructuring effort prompted by a weakened financial outlook.
Alibaba Group bristled at a Chinese government report critical of its e-commerce business, calling it an "unfair" attack, and defended ongoing efforts to stamp out counterfeit goods from its retail sites.
Qualcomm has hyped up its 64-bit Snapdragon 810 as the most advanced mobile processor on the market, but its exclusion from an upcoming "flagship device" is causing it some financial grief.
Facebook continues to reap big rewards from ads placed on people's smartphones, which now generate more than two-thirds of its revenue.
The Apple Watch will ship in April, according to CEO, Tim Cook, ending speculation about when Apple will release its first new category of product in more than four years.
Record revenue from the iPhone and Mac computer sales helped Apple bring in US$74.6 billion in revenue last quarter, up from $57.6 billion a year earlier.
Microsoft generated $2.3 billion in revenue last quarter from a business that didn't exist only a year earlier: phone hardware. Were it not for Nokia's old business, Microsoft would have been a poorer performer in the last three months of 2014, at le...
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text:
A UNITED Nations endorsed organisation has given Douglas Shire tourism a big green tick, granting the region a place in a global top 100 list of most sustainable destinations.
The Shire is the only Australian region to feature in the exclusive list, which puts Douglas Shire closer to becoming the world’s first eco-certified region.
Council will be presented the worldwide achievement at the Global Green Destinations Conference in the Netherlands.
Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu said the region’s top 100 placing proved local tourism operators were global leaders in sustainable practices.
“Everyone knows Douglas Shire has a strong environmental charter, but now we have made it official and beamed it across the globe,” she said.
“International visitors want more authentic and sustainable travel experiences; which Douglas Shire has now categorically proven under independent and international scrutiny.
“Douglas Shire is the only place where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef and we can really celebrate this.”
Douglas Shire’s credentials were measured against green criteria recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), which is a United Nations endorsed organisation.
It comes as the region gears up to host Eco Fashion Week 2018 in Port Douglas and Mossman in November.
Other countries featured in the 2017 list include South Africa (Cape Town), Thailand (Tung Dap Village), Uruguay (Punta del Esta), Colombia (Lake Tota) and Netherlands.
Council is also working in partnership with Tourism Port Douglas Daintree and Eco Tourism Australia to boost certifications among tourism operators in the region.
European markets, particularly Germany, are showing the strongest interest in eco-accreditation, while the younger generations in the US and China Japan have a rapidly growing appreciation for environmental credentials.
Ecotourism Australia CEO Rod Hillman said Douglas Shire’s inclusion in the top 100 would give international recognition to the region’s sustainability practices and policies.
“Douglas Shire entering the Top 100 is the first step on their journey to become the World’s first certified ecotourism destination, in partnership with Ecotourism Australia,” he said.
“The certification brings credibility and authenticity to the Douglas Shire’s sustainable and ecotourism credentials through independent assessment and verification against a globally recognized standard.”
“International recognition such as Sustainable Destinations Top 100 and certified ecotourism certification positions the Douglas Shire as a global destination for eco tourists and responsible tourism.
“International visitors are increasingly looking for destinations that have credibility through external and independent verification that reassures the visitor that the experiences there will deliver on the marketing promise”
“The Shire is the only entrant from Australia to be recognised in this way and we look forward to the December announcement of the final ‘Top 100’. “
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree Executive Officer Tara Bennett said foundations were in place to become to the first eco-certified region in Australia.
“This shows our industry is setting the benchmark high,” she said.
“We live in an area of outstanding natural beauty that is globally significant and our operators are committed to protecting, preserving and ensuring long-term, sustainable tourism experiences that are authentic, memorable and safe.”
Typical Top 100 destinations are dedicated to GREEN values:
- Genuine and authentic: supporting the celebration of local culture and tradition.
- Responsible: defending people against exploitation, human rights violation, and disruptive mass tourism (over tourism).
- Economically sustainable: involving the local business community and enhancing local community employment during and beyond the holiday season.
- Environment & climate friendly: combatting climate change and environmental degradation; ensuring public health and safety.
- Nature, scenery & animal friendly: protecting scenic views, habitats and wildlife, and respecting animals used in tourism.
Currently, there are 23 operators providing eco-certified tourism experiences in Douglas Shire as per the Green Travel Guide
Daintree Specialised Tours
Jungle Tours and Trekking
Thala Beach Nature Reserve Wavelength Marine Charters Wildlife Habitat
Silky Oaks Lodge and Healing
Daintree Discovery Centre
Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures
Jungle Adventures Cape Trib
Ocean Safari Cape Tribulation Aquarius Sail & Snorkel
Back Country Bliss Adventures Reef and Rainforest Connections Tony’s Tropical Tours
Mossman Gorge Centre
Daintree Ecolodge & Spa
Daintree Wilderness Lodge Ferntree Rainforest Lodge
Sweet Farm Tours
Snorkel Port Douglas
More details about the Global Green Destination Days Conference are available HERE:


text:
Global nanotechnology company pSivida Limited has announced that it has been granted its first patent in China.
This first patent grant in China is important as China has the highest incidence of primary liver cancer in the world with 345,844 cases in 2002 and is a logical target market for BrachySil. The potential lower cost of the Chinese registration pathway and the vast need of BrachySil like products make China an important commercial target.
pSivida is currently in exploratory discussions with commercialisation partners for the Chinese market for its lead product BrachySil and is investigating the optimum regulatory process to launch this product in China. It is expected that pSivida would enter into a supply agreement with a local distributor responsible for obtaining regulatory approval, sales and marketing. pSivida Managing Director Gavin Rezos said, “China is a massive market offering pSivida significant opportunities for commercial expansion. In recent years China has opened its ‘commercial doors’ to many western products, healthcare being no exception. Although our main short term interest is to launch BrachySil in China, we believe other products in the drug delivery arena will also be good candidates for this rapidly growing market.” Chinese Patent Number ZL 99807447.0 provides protection for silicon implants comprising tissue compatible biodegradable silicon for drug delivery. This invention was based on the demonstration in model systems, that long term BioSilicon implants lack toxicology and degrade in the body in a controllable manner. It also claims the loading of BioSilicon implants of varying porosity and structure with different drugs. The pSivida Intellectual Property portfolio consists of 26 patent families, 29 granted patents and over 80 patent applications.
Products protected by patents and patent applications owned by pSivida include materials comprising bioactive, resorbable and biocompatible silicon that are of value in the fabrication of new generations of intelligent drug delivery devices, orthopaedic implants and intelligent diagnostic tools.


text:
We know that Europe is turning away from government policies that have resoundly failed them over the past century even as America attempts a disastrous experiment in the same. Could perhaps Europe be turning the corner on a moral Awakening of sorts as well (or at least moralistic or morally authoritarian governance)?
This story out of Venice Italy seems to point to just that:
REPORTS that a naked image of American actress Julianne Moore was banned from the famous St Mark's Square in Venice is gaining widespread attention.When I saw the "naked" Bulgari ad image of actress Julianne Moore I thought that it didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary that one would see at Times Square in New York. The powers that be in Italy (Venice) think the same - and that's the problem:
The Mayor of Venice ruled out the giant advertisement, which featured the naked actress with her modesty preserved by a large black bag and two lion cubs, saying it was inappropriate.
The poster, for luxury goods manufacturer Bulgari, was to have featured Moore reclining in a classical pose on red brocade cushions and was to have covered part of the pink and white Gothic facade of the Doge's Palace while restoration work was under way.
The giant adverts are a valuable source of income for Venice - the Bulgari poster bringing in around £30,000 (US$46,500) per month - and the Mayor, Giorgio Orsoni, has agreed that it can be replaced by a more chaste image of the actress.
For the life of me, I can't see what the big deal is about:
“I take account of the fact that Venice is part of the real word ... but we cannot accept these Hollywood-style images,” said Marino Folin, president of the Venice Foundation.
“There are intelligent sponsors, and we need to come up with advertising that suits Venice, not Times Square.”
Banned in Venice - Julianne Moore 'naked' ad that isn't
Cross posted to Left Coast Rebel


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EVERGREEN PARK, IL–(October 13, 2016) – Frontline Real Estate Partners has closed the sale of a 13,350 square foot retail building located at 2952-58 W. 95th Street in Evergreen Park. The sale process, led by Matthew Tarshis, resulted in multiple offers being procured. The building was sold to an owner/user who intends to redevelop the property.
FRONTLINE CLOSES SALE OF 13,350 SF RETAIL BUILDING IN EVERGREEN PARK
Published on October 13th, 2016


text:
Amazon's US top 100 electronics sales list has shown just how powerful its Kindle brand, with the all but the top offering made up of the various flavours of ebook reader, and the Kindle Fire tablet taking top slot with a bullet.
There was little doubt that the newly announced Kindle family would sell well, but even pre-orders have taken the rankings by storm.
It is Amazon's Android tablet the Kindle Fire which dominates; a $200 price point is seen as the key factor, and it looks as if the internet giant has got a smash hit on its hands.
Second place goes to the new entry-level special offer Kindle at $79 – with the thrift-seeker's ebook reader clearly catching the eye.
The more expensive Kindle Touch offerings are at positions three (Wi-Fi only) and four (3G), and the newly reduced $99 dollar old style Kindle – now called Kindle Keyboard is up to number five in the sales charts.
In the UK, the only new Kindle to be announced for sale is the keyboard-less new-style Kindle priced at £89 – and it is in at number one, with the £109 Kindle Keyboard Wi-Fi only at number two and the 3G keyboard version at three.
We are still haranguing Amazon UK for a UK release date and prices for the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire but the company has steadfastly refused to give us one just yet.
That almost certainly suggests that the UK will not get the first generation products in 2011.


text:
Mobile pay apps were not around when Route 66 was in its heyday. But now Phillips 66, and related brands Conoco and 76, have partnered with P97 Networks to offer a mobile payment app with integrated features as the following article from Store reports.
Today’s consumer is focused on speed, convenience and value. As a result, the number of retail transactions happening through mobile devices is growing — quickly. According to survey data from market research firm Packaged Facts, nearly 30 percent of consumers made a mobile payment in 2017, up 50 percent from 2016.
Given this trend, bricks-and-mortar retailers are focused on delivering mobile payment capabilities. While the entire market is moving in this direction, fuel retailing is quickly catching on to consumer demands. Historically, the fuel retailing market has been slower to respond to advances in payment technology. In 1994, only 13 percent of convenience stores had pay-at-the-pump technology, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores.
Seeking a way to improve the fuel transaction for customers, Houston-based integrated energy company Phillips 66 recently introduced a mobile payment system for its network of 6,800 branded retail locations.
Jim Macari, director of innovation for Phillips 66, says 90 percent of the company’s branded retail locations, under the Phillips 66, Conoco and 76 banners, will be accepting mobile payments by the end of the year. “Our goal in developing our mobile payment solution was to make it easy and low cost for our branded customers to implement,” Macari says. Most branded retailers already have the electronic point-of-sale hardware systems that allow for mobile payments.
Gas stations and C-stores are becoming a sweet spot for mobile payment apps. These verticals are ideal for fast stops and frequent visits by time-strapped drivers. Mobile apps that integrate features such as loyalty and customized marketing offers also drive a higher level of user adoption. Note that the ACH payment routing saves money for the retailer as well—something that gas stations along the old Route 66 never had.
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Associate Director, Research Services at Mercator Advisory Group


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• Biggest market for Rolls-Royce in the Middle East in 2010
• Top-selling Bespoke dealer worldwide and among the top five in global sales in 2010
• Sustained growth in first quarter 2011, with 108% sales increase over 2010
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Abu Dhabi Motors, the sole dealer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, has been awarded the global title of 2010 After Sales Dealer of the Year as part of the brand’s 2010 Dealer Awards Program. Announced at last month’s World Dealer Conference in the UK, the award was one of only nine to be presented to dealers worldwide and is the culmination of an impressive first 25 years of business success for Abu Dhabi Motors.
Celebrating and recognising the best performing dealers for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to the brand throughout 2010 as well as their applied systems and processes in sales and after sales, the Rolls-Royce Dealer Awards Program is one of the most sought after recognitions within the company. Designed to improve operational standards, ensure top class customer experiences and encourage sales throughout the region, tribute was paid to Abu Dhabi Motors for the pivotal role it has played in contributing to the 171% global growth of the brand in 2010.
“Thanks to the recent multimillion dirham redevelopment of our existing Umm Al Nar Showroom that includes the world’s largest Rolls-Royce showroom with its own dedicated workshop, extensive training for staff and all new diagnostic equipment, we remain one of the top Rolls-Royce dealers in the world. I am delighted that the team’s professionalism and commitment to the Rolls-Royce brand has been recognised through this award,” said Arno Husselman, Managing Director for Abu Dhabi Motors.
Building on an exceptional performance in 2010 that saw the importer maintain its status as the biggest-selling dealer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in the Middle East and one of the top five dealers in the world, boasting the richest bespoke specifications, Abu Dhabi Motors’ growing status as one of the brand’s leading dealers worldwide was further validated through its latest sales results. Compared to the same three month period in 2010, Abu Dhabi Motors revealed sustained sales growth, with an increase of 108% in the first quarter of 2011.
Mr. Kadhim Al Helli, Rolls-Royce Brand Manager for Abu Dhabi Motors said: “Winning this coveted award is an incredible achievement for the team and highlights Abu Dhabi’s position as a hub for luxury in the region. We have earned an international reputation as one of the leading representatives of the world’s pinnacle automotive brand and our successful 2010 and first quarter 2011 sales results further underpin the UAE’s appetite for individuality and exclusivity in the Ultra-luxury segment.”
The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 2010 Dealer Awards Program is based on a scoring mechanism that sets high standards for each dealer to meet in order to be considered for the awards. Recognition is given to dealers who have shown excellence in sales performance, standards compliance and overall dedication to the brand during 2010.
Abu Dhabi Motor’s physical growth includes a multimillion dollar redevelopment and expansion to their existing Umm-Al-Nar Showroom which represents an investment of over AED 220 million and has mirrored their 2010 sales success. They are now the largest market for BMW Group vehicles in the Middle East and marked 2010, their silver jubilee year, by achieving a phenomenal growth in Rolls-Royce sales of 176% over 2009 – a record for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Abu Dhabi Motors is the exclusive importer for BMW, MINI, BMW ALPINA and the sole dealer for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Founded in 25th May 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Butti Al Hamid in Umm Al-Nar in a small showroom and workshop employing 24 people, Abu Dhabi Motors has achieved dramatic growth and now employs over 400 people in twelve facilities in Abu Dhabi, including five showrooms, two workshops, two bodyshops, one Pre-Delivery Inspection centre and two car storage warehouses that are capable of accommodating 600 BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce vehicles between them.


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From Amazon to Zalando, from Flipkart to Souq, Baillie Gifford and its Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust are worldwide holding shares in almost anything that can be defined as a growth company in online retail.
Bloomberg recently published a look behind the scenes (“How an old-school money manager became one of the world’s most important tech investors”):
Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc., doesn’t spend much time schmoozing with investors. He takes just a handful of meetings with the fund managers who own Amazon’s shares each year. And when he comes to the U.K., there’s just one investor he regularly meets with: Baillie Gifford. […]
In the past five years, the Scottish firm has joined a handful of U.S. asset managers, like Fidelity and T. Rowe Price, in backing fast-growing private tech companies with globe-spanning ambitions. Its stable of “unicorns” – private companies with valuations north of $1 billion — now includes Airbnb Inc., Spotify Ltd., Dropbox Inc., Palantir Technologies Inc., Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart Ltd. and Indian Uber-rival Ola, and U.K. peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle Ltd., among others.
In this portrait one learns about the investment strategy and thus also how they handle under-performers like Rocket Internet. (Baillie Gifford is Rocket’s 4th largest investor.) The thesis behind the investment in Rocket sounds a tiny bit naive:
[…] the firm believed Berlin could become a tech hub to rival Silicon Valley and that investing in Rocket was a good way to get a slice of the Berlin tech scene.
This only makes sense because Rocket was the only way in which to invest a large sum “into Berlin” in one fell swoop. When you are not bound by large sums, you don’t invest in Berlin by investing in Rocket.
Anyway, for an institutional investment manager this size, Baillie Gifford’s current overall approach is fascinating:
“Our investment in Amazon has a lot to do with how we got to where we are today in terms of tech investment,” Slater said. “We learned a lot from Bezos and his approach.”
One of those lessons was about focusing less on profits and more on growth, a company’s on-going investment in innovation, and the size of the market it is trying to address.
Baillie Gifford saw the necessity to start investing in private companies because companies such as AirBnB and Uber don’t see the need to go public while they are still growing fast. To participate in that growth, institutional investors have to invest in those private companies. (It is not helping that recent US laws made it easier for companies such as Uber to stay longer private while growing in every dimension. But that’s a different discussion.)
Bloomberg on the structural consequences for investors like Baillie Gifford:
Baillie Gifford tends to hold its private company investments only in closed-end funds, so that it is shielded from the possibility of having to sell illiquid assets to meet investor redemptions. Even then, Scottish Mortgage’s board has formally limited the fund’s total exposure to unlisted companies to no more than 25 percent.
Here is an overview over the “Unlisted Equities” of the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (PDF), which reads like a who is who of today’s tech landscape from AirBnB to Spotify to Warby Parker:
The main takeaway, and this may be trite, is that in today’s environment, being just a little bit smart about it is enough to create a relatively decent investment portfolio. (Investing in companies like Alibaba, Netflix, AirBnB and Amazon is, to a certain extent, a no-brainer, compared to investing in other areas. Those companies are large enough, have shown they can execute, and are sitting right in the middle of growth markets.)
This may sound contrarian, but not just online retail but tech in general is still currently under-valued in aggregate. (Doesn’t mean there aren’t single overvalued companies. There is a ton of them out there.)
Read the Bloomberg article to get a good sense on how Baillie Gifford is investing. It’s smart.
In related news: Softbank is getting along nicely in setting up it’s huge tech fund. Recently, Apple confirmed a $1 billion investment in Softbank’s tech fund.
SoftBank has said it is investing at least $25 billion in the fund and has been in talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for an investment that could be as much as $45 billion.
By Marcel Weiß and Jochen Krisch
- Forerunner and Fung Capital Invest in Flow, a Service Provider for Cross-Border Commerce
- Here’s the Investment Thesis of the VC Behind Jet.com and Dollar Shave Club
- Naspers and the Perspective of Global E-Commerce Investors
- Alibaba Leads the Rising Flow of Chinese Investments Into India’s Startups
- Future Retail: Forerunner Ventures And The Next Big Thing


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Tag: sana safinaz
For centuries, fashion and make-up have had a long and colourful history together. Make-up embodies fashion, style and glamour where fashion and individuality is defined by the “look”
Sana Safinaz is another big name in the fashion industry of Pakistan. Sana Safinaz pret collection 2013 for women was released recently. See it here.
Sana Safinaz launched their brand’s first standalone flagship store in Lahore. They will be launching their flagship stores in Faisalabad and Islamabad later in 2013
In this post, we will represent latest collection by Sana Safinaz at PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2013. This collection is very stylish and western;
In this post, we will represent latest and exclusive Sana Safinaz collection 2013 at Fashion Pakistan Week. This collection is very stylish and colorful.
Sana Safinaz is one of the top names in our fashion industry. Sana Safinaz lawn 2013 dresses for women were revealed just now. See them here.
Sana Safinaz is one of the big women’s wear labels in Pakistan. Sana Safinaz silk 2012 collection for women catalog was released today. See it here.
There could be no one in Pakistan who might not be aware from the name of Sana Safinaz. They are one of the
Sana Safinaz is a respected Pakistani fashion brand. Recently, it unveiled new designs for Sana Safinaz Diffusion Collection. See it here.
Sana Safinaz lawn 2012 collection is one of the most searched designer lawn collection in pakistan for the year 2012 and alot of Pakistani Girls who are into fashion are looking for the stunning summer 2012 lawn collection by Sana Safinaz.


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- Dessert Box
- Mooncake Box
- Color Printing Packaging
- Gift packaging
- Paper bag
- Dragon Boat Festival Packaging Box
- Blister Packaging
- Stickers and Labels
- Paper Brochure
- Paper red envelope
now, killers come with gift boxes | india news - times of india
On Wednesday night, a woman in Mumbai who opened the door to unidentified people with a gift packaging gift box was murdered and robbed of cash and valuables worth Rs 4.
The incident occurred at the Vasai residence of Maniben Bhanushali (50).
The attacker has not yet identified himself.
According to police, Maniben runs a grocery store on the first floor of the gurmohar social apartment, which is located in the upscale market of anbadi Road, where she lives with her family.
On Wednesday, she left the store around eight o\'clock P. M. and went home to light up for the lights.
That\'s when the robbers attacked.
\"Umesh, the son of Manny Ben (19)
While her husband Khairaj is out visiting relatives, she is taking care of customers in the store.
Her daughter, Mehta. 17)
\"The same night, she was on her way back from olangabad,\" said a police officer . \".
When Mehta got home around 8
The front door is open at 30.
She went in and found her mother lying on the floor and strangled her own sari.
The cabinets were opened and the house was looted.
Mehta informed her brother, who called the local police.
The senior police officer said an empty gift packaging gift box was found in the house.
\"The attacker must have entered the house under the pretext of giving his family a Diwali gift.
\"They could have pretended to be friends of her children,\" an official said . \".
Two glasses of water were found on the table.
Officials say there is more cash in the House and the attackers may not have found it, so they have not moved.
Police suspect that the accused may have been monitoring Maniben\'s house and her actions for the past few days.
Manickpur police have registered a murder and robbery case under investigation.
Download the Times of India news app for the latest Indian News.
In the past few decades, custom gift boxes production has increased because of the use of custom packaging.
For details on custom packaging, see Welm supply chain (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. at Welm Packaging .
Welm supply chain (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. are providing this to you at very low cost. Our claims are only based on different feed-backs received from various clients and not based on self-judgment.


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Recent reports have revealed that Google is gearing up to launch two mid-range Pixel phones called the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. A premature listing of these phones along with their codenames have appeared on the Google Play Console through which their key specifications have been revealed. Moreover, the Pixel 3a was briefly listed on the official online store. Both phones have also bagged approval from the IMDA certification body from Singapore. These listings suggest that the arrival of the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphones is close at hand.
Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL Leaked Listings
The Pixel 3a was spotted with a “New” tag on the official Google Store website under the “Phone” section. Also, a listing for “Google Pixel 3a Case” was also found under the “Featured Accessories” list. While Google has since taken down the listing, this pretty much confirms the device.
Last week, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL appeared on the Google Play Console. with Sargo and Bonito codenames respectively. These phones are equipped with 4GB of RAM and they are running on Android 9 Pie OS. The exact size of the displays of both phones are not mentioned.
The Sargo model’s display supports full HD+ resolution of 1,080 x 2,220 pixels along with a pixel density of 440ppi. The Bonito phone has a display that produces full HD+ resolution of 1,080 x 2,160 pixels and a pixel density of 400ppi. Rumours surrounding the Pixel 3a series have revealed that the 3a and 3a XL phones will feature 5.6-inch and 6-inch OLED displays respectively.
Past reports have revealed that the Snapdragon 670 SoC will be powering the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphones. However, contradictory reports have claimed that the Pixel 3a XL may feature a Snapdragon 710 SoC. These phones are expected to arrive with 64GB of native storage. For photography, these devices will be equipped with a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera.
The battery capacity of the Pixel 3a XL is not known yet, but the Pixel 3a may house a 3,000mAh battery. Unlike the Pixel 3 series that came with a metal and glass combination chassis, the Pixel 3a smartphones are likely to feature a polycarbonate body. Other rumoured features of the Pixel 3a and 3a XL include eSIM support, a 3.5mm audio jack, Titan M security chip and Active Edge squeezable frame for accessing Google Assistant.
In related news, forthcoming Google phones with model numbers G020B and G020F that have been approved by Singapore’s IMDA authority have also confirmed that they will be releasing in the market as the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL.
Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL Series Launch Date
Google is known for announcing its Pixel series of smartphones in October. This year, it may launch the Pixel 4 series in the same month. As far as the launch of the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL phones are concerned, the Google Play Console listing for both smartphones has a string “Pixel_2019_MIDYEAR_EXPERIENCE” mentioned in “system features.” This is a clear indication that the search engine giant is aiming for a mid-2019 launch for the Pixel 3a series.


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The question of “What is a tech company” comes down to how much software and its unique characteristics affects the company’s core business.
Walmart is struggling in ecommerce for very predictable reasons; the company — and economy — is better off leveraging its assets and not competing directly with Amazon.
Amazon is abandoning to New York, and everyone is a loser, at least in the short term. There may, though, be upside in the lessons learned. Then, a truly excellent article about why Google may be approaching self-driving cars all wrong.
Intel is in an increasingly bad position in part because it has been captive to its integrated model. Or, you could simply say they were disrupted.
The Windows division no longer exists at Microsoft, marking the end to a four-year process of changing Microsoft’s culture.
Amazon Health doesn’t seem like much now, but there are hints it could be the ultimate application of Aggregation Theory.
Netflix had another great set of earnings that highlight the company’s sustainable differentiation. The company’s ability to raise prices does the same, as well as its clearly disruptive role.
Blogs are no longer a writing platform for new entrants; they are better than books for the ongoing development of ideas.
Google has made a rather odd deal with HTC — basically an acquihire. What are the two company’s motivations? Then, Apple Watch news and reviews, and a smartphone-related acquisition that is actually more important than Google’s.
Cable TV created a world where differentiated content could profit from everyone; that is why it will be hard for Disney to make the choices streaming will force on them.


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HP was one of the few companies who decided to build Windows-based smartphone despite the fact that Windows Phone didn’t see much success and while HP’s smartphone strategy was ambitious, Microsoft quickly abandoned the Windows Phone platform. That basically put an end to HP’s smartphone strategy.
The announcement of the demise of the Windows Phone platform came at a time when HP was preparing a successor to its not-so-well received Windows Phone, HP Elite x3. According to various reports, the Elite x3 successor was internally called Elite Pro x3, which never got the chance to showcase what it can do, thanks to Microsoft.
Although HP’s Elite Pro x3 never really made an appearance at any public event after the MWC 2017, @Hikari_Calyx has managed to give us a glimpse of what the smartphone looks like. Most importantly, it gives us a detailed view as you can see in the below images.
The unreleased Elite Pro x3 features an unknown IPS display, with 1080×1920 screen resolution and has 4GB RAM, at least 32GB of built-in storage. And powering HP’s Elite Pro x3 smartphone is Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996.


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Why Coca-Cola May Have Interest In Taking A Stake In Hain Celestial
Early Wednesday morning, General Mills, Inc. (NYSE: GIS) CEO Ken Powell told CNBC "we are constantly kicking the tires on lots of things" in response to a question following the company's defeat in the WhiteWave Foods Co (NYSE: WWAV) bidding battle.
The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE: KO) and General Mills had been speculated as WhiteWave buyers on trading desks before the Danone announcement hit. Now that Danone bought WhiteWave, Coca-Cola and General Mills have been left seeking alternative targets as a way to diversify their businesses.
That's where Hain Celestial Group Inc (NASDAQ: HAIN) comes in as a target for either Coke or General Mills.
Even though General Mills' CEO is "kicking the tires" of takeover targets, Coca-Cola has been under pressure to diversify away from sugar drinks. Buying Hain Celestial would offer Coke the chance it's been looking for when it comes to providing a food offering to customers. Coke needs to diversify as its sugar-driven business comes under pressure.
Sources have indicated to Benzinga that Coca-Cola is the most likely acquirer of a stake in Hain Celestial. Some of Coke's past deals have been in Keurig Green Mountain (NASDAQ: GMCR) and Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ: MNST).
The Logic Of A Coke/Hain Deal
Various sources indicated to Benzinga that Coca-Cola has approached several investment bankers seeking information related to Hain Celestial's financials. These sources also state Coca-Cola approached the investment banks prior to the White Wave/Danone news was publicly known.
Coca-Cola would make sense as a possible acquirer of a portion of Hain given the recent push away from sugar drinks. As Benzinga reported in January:
"Coca-Cola is hoping to reposition its soft drinks as a treat rather than an everyday staple. In previous years, the beverage maker sold its products in large quantities, which prompted critics to paint Coke as a major contributor to world-wide health problems."
Hain has been a speculative takeover candidate for some time. Coke and General Mills were rumored to be bidders on WhiteWave. Danone announced it would acquire WhiteWave at $56.25 per share on July 7, leaving Coke and General Mills to seek other alternatives.
Coke's Diversification Motive
On May 25, Bloomberg said Coca-Cola would halt production of sugar-sweetened beverages in the cash-strapped country of Venezuela following a squeeze on raw commodities:
Coca-Cola Co. is halting production of sugar-sweetened beverages in Venezuela as the company’s namesake soda pop becomes the latest victim of a lack of raw materials in the cash-strapped country.
In May, Wired said:
"Recently, the company said that, due to a severe sugar shortage in Venezuela, it was suspending production of its signature product in the country as its economy teeters on collapse. Clearly, the politics of sugar have become combustible. Bad politics makes for bad business, which is why Coke is heading down a path that sounds unthinkable for a soda maker: It’s weaning itself off the sweet stuff."
As Coca-Cola seeks to diversify away from sugar, a buyout of Hain Celestial makes sense.
© 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Lately, if the headline contains "Subway" it's about falling short. We're eager to see what new executive leadership can make of the once-dominant sandwich chain.
— Jason Clampet
Eggs are going by the wayside at Subway Restaurants.
Eight years after jumping into the U.S. breakfast market with omelet sandwiches and a mandatory 7 a.m. start time, the chain is quietly allowing franchisees to opt out. That’s because relentless competition has eaten into profit margins, and the menu items have failed to catch on in some locations. A labor shortage, meanwhile, has restaurant owners struggling to find enough workers to staff the early hours.
The 2010 initiative to offer breakfast sandwiches (which today cost about $4 to $6) and Seattle’s Best coffee came at a moment when Subway was still expanding aggressively in the U.S. Its restaurant count swelled to more than 27,000 in 2015, but has fallen since then. The company plans to close as many as 500 locations this year.
Subway has gradually eased up on franchisee’s breakfast requirements over the last year, according to documents from Subway’s North American franchisee association.
According to a recent survey by the market-research firm Field Agent, 43 percent of Subway customers said they don’t eat at the chain for breakfast and 19 percent weren’t even aware it offered the meal. And 67 percent said it wouldn’t affect their Subway eating habits at all if the company stopped offering it, according to the study, which surveyed diners on June 12 and 13.
Subway is making changes “as needed to help Subway franchisees be more successful,” James Walker, the chain’s vice president for North America, said in an emailed statement. “Each Subway location and customer base is unique, and our goal is to provide franchisees with the resources to deliver an exceptional guest experience while running a profitable business.”
The company is searching for a new chief executive officer as Suzanne Greco, who took over after her brother died in 2015, steps down at the end of this month. Her brother, Fred DeLuca, was co-founder of the company.
Subway is not the only chain struggling to turn a profit in the early hours of the day. Breakfast growth has slowed in recent years for U.S. fast-service restaurants, according to NPD Group data. In the year ended in March, breakfast visits were up just 1 percent, compared to 5 percent growth three years ago, the data show.
“Breakfast is really hard to compete in,” said Jennifer Bartashus, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. “Changing consumer behavior during breakfast time — which is the most ritualistic — is much harder than a lot of chains expect it to be.”
Starbucks, Taco Bell
Since its introduction, Subway’s breakfast push has been hit by competition from all sides. Taco Bell in 2014 began selling waffle tacos to compete more heavily with McDonald’s Corp. The Yum! Brands Inc.-owned chain now sells breakfast burritos for $1.69, $1 hash browns and bacon-and-egg crunchwraps for $2.99.
At the same time, Starbucks Corp. has boosted its food offering with items such as two sous vide egg bites for $4.45 and Greek yogurt bowls with chia seeds for $5.25.
To be sure, many Subways will continue opening early — in Chicago, a location in the Loop opens at 6 a.m. to hawk 6-inch and footlong flat-bread egg sandwiches to commuters. The restaurant, across the street from a Starbucks and next to a Dunkin’ Donuts, also has hash browns for $1.
Nearby, 30-year-old insurance analyst Libby Vasquez said she would prefer to grab an egg-and-bacon sandwich from Potbelly Corp. or bring something from home over buying breakfast at Subway.
“We go there for lunch a lot, but not breakfast,” Vasquez said.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.


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A new glass recycling scheme has been launched for businesses operating in Wellingborough town centre, according to northants-news.co.uk.
The free green initiative has been launched by the Wellingborough Business Improvement District (BID), which is run by social enterprise Think3e. The scheme has been put in place to try and up recycling rates of the material. It’s expected that the new measures will see more than 60 tonnes of bottles recycled each year.
It is also claimed that the scheme will save businesses around £520 each year on reduced waste costs. However, some businesses are set to save even more. This includes Palm Beach nightclub in Commercial Way, which is set to save more than £1,000 thanks to the scheme. Events manager of the club, Paul Malonie said he was “very appreciative” of the scheme’s support.
None of the waste that is placed in the bins will be going to landfill, with 100 per cent of it being recycled. The scheme has come into place after the BID launched a successful cardboard and aluminium recycling scheme back in 2011, which is still ongoing.
Talking about the scheme, Marcus Baldry, managing director of Think3e, told northantstelegraph.co.uk: “We are pleased to be able to offer Wellingborough businesses a local waste collection, which we have estimated will collect in excess of five tonnes a month.”


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Dynojet Race Team has revealed the first details on their own version of Avensis BTCC car. Their model will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged power unit adapted from one of Toyota’s road-going range. With the help of a turbocharger and a number of internal revisions, the team hopes to boost power output from around 140 HP in road specification to 300-plus HP.
Dynojet Race Team chief Frank Wrathall Snr said: "The Avensis has been designed to the ‘Next Generation Touring Car’ rules, which means we could have opted for the stock TOCA engine, however we were enormously impressed by the plans put forward by X CTech R and felt that this was the right way for us to go, not least because it means our Avensis will be 100 per cent Toyota."
The new Avensis BTCC car will make its debut at the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship scheduled for 3 April at Brands Hatch, Kent.


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Written by Richard Halleron
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) market analyst Hannah Clarke is reporting that the coronavirus outbreak is adding uncertainty to beef market conditions in the UK.
She explained: “Beef is selling, but consumers are reportedly adopting “recessionary” shopping behaviour, favouring cheaper cuts as well as stockpiling. There is also uncertainty over potential future staff shortages in abattoirs, and what that might mean for throughput going forwards.
Prices remained stableThere don’t seem to be any reports of processing capacity being affected so far.
Overall, prime deadweight cattle prices in the UK remained stable for the week ending 14 March. The all-prime price rose by 0.2p on the week to average 335.4p/kg, now down just 0.8p on the same week in 2019.
Heifers recorded a more positive week than steers, with the overall heifer price rising by a penny to average 337.5p/kg. Beasts meeting R4L spec, however, fell by half a penny to average 346p/kg.
The overall steer price dipped by 0.3p to average 335.4p/kg, while those of R4L spec lost 0.1p on the week to average 346.9p/kg.
Young bulls showed positive movement, with the overall price rising by 0.9p to average 314.5p/kg. Those of R3 spec gained 0.2p, while those of R4L spec gained 6.9p on the week.
Estimated prime cattle slaughter in the UK totalled 34,900 head, up 480 head on last week.
According to AHDB, cull cow prices showed another positive week, with the overall price up 0.7p to average 234.3p/kg. Those of -O4L spec gained 0.3p to average 253.4p/kg.
Demand for cows is still reportedly keen at present with numbers holding well. Estimated slaughter numbers were 10,200 head, down 590 head on the week.
In Northern Ireland, the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) is reporting an average deadweight steer price of 332.4p/kg for the week ending 14 March. Heifers, young bulls and cull cows averaged 333.2p; 314.5 and 237.2p respectively.
Meanwhile, AHDB is also reporting that UK exports of fresh and frozen beef recorded strong growth in January, totalling 11,300t. This figure represents an almost 20% jump on the previous year. This comes after December data recorded comparatively smaller growth (5%).
Shipments to all major export destinations increased in January. Exports to Ireland, the largest export destination, increased by 13%, to 3,500t.
Shipments to Hong Kong (+300t), the Philippines (+250t) and the Netherlands (+350t) all recorded year-on-year increases in volumes.
The post Coronavirus adding uncertainty to UK beef market appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.
Continue reading on the Agriland Website...


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Manufacturers of premium motorcycles have yet to announce the new Goods and Services, or GST prices of their products. Under the GST regime, bikes above 350 cc engine capacity will attract an additional cess of 3 per cent, over and above the flat 28 per cent GST. In all, the total tax incidence under GST will be roughly around 1 per cent more than the 30 per cent tax in the pre-GST era. It doesn’t amount to much, especially on premium bikes from manufacturers such as Triumph, Ducati and Harley-Davidson.
“The impact of GST on premium bikes, that is, motorcycles over 350 cc, will be negligible. Even in the superbike space, a difference of just around 1 per cent will hardly matter to the customer who will be spending several lakhs on these bikes. Most manufacturers are still working out the prices, because the actual impact of GST isn’t as simple, there are several things to be kept in mind, and how much these factors will finally affect the overall prices. But in all, there will be no impact really on the premium motorcycle space,” said Abdul Majeed, Partner, Price Waterhouse.
Most premium bike makers maintain that announcing the new prices will take some time since the calculations of GST aren’t really that simple. One source familiar with a superbike brand told CarandBike that calculating the new prices is complex, since imported bikes have to take into account several regulations and the impact of GST on each of these factors. Most manufacturers are still accepting bookings for premium bikes, but deliveries will only begin once new GST prices are announced.


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Cedar Falls Food Co-op Receiving Attention
Residents have been clamoring for a grocery store in or near downtown Cedar Falls since Deel’s closed 15 years ago.
A group of dedicated volunteers is hoping the Cedar Falls Food Co-op will fill that void in the not-too-distant future.
“The enImage may contain: 7 people, people smiling, people standingd result will be a full-service, community-owned grocery store that focuses on local and organic goods,” said Melanie Drake, outreach coordinator for the co-op. “We’re looking at a 10,000- to 14,000-square-foot store with competitive prices. It will be a one-stop shop model.”
Interest in the co-op, which people can buy into, has been growing since an informational meeting was held in September 2012, right around the time Roots Market closed its doors.
“We had more than 75 people at that meeting,” Drake said. “There was definite interest.”
Since then, the group established a steering committee, which would become the official co-op board in October 2014, and started recruiting member-owners. They are currently more than half way to their goal of 1,000.
Member-owners buy in for a one-time investment of $200, which can be paid in full or in installments. That investment gives the member-owner a voice in how the co-op is run and later, once the store is open, they will get a percentage of the profits back as a dividend. Member-owners also can take advantage of discounts from the co-op’s more than 40 business partners, which are listed on the group’s website, cedarfallsfood.coop.
“But anyone can shop there,” Drake said. “You will not have to be a member.”
Drake said the co-op will be much more than a grocery store.
“It will be a place to gather,” she said. “Ideally, we will have community space to host classes on co-op principles, health and wellness, yoga classes, cooking classes. We would even like to have local musicians come in.”
Once the 1,000 membership mark is within reach, a capital campaign will begin.
“That will allow us to go to lending agencies, apply for grants, seek member loans,” Drake said.
While a site has not been finalized, the group is doing a lot of research, including a market study conducted last year that concludes the Cedar Falls Food Co-op would be viable and the downtown area would be the best location.
“We are hoping by 2018 we will have a store,” Drake said.
Drake said the average time from incorporation to opening a store is up to six years. “We are now into our fourth year.”
Adding new members is a priority for Sarah Foster, a volunteer on the group’s membership committee. Foster has been a member-owner since 2015.
“When I’m visiting other communities, I love shopping at their co-ops,” she said. “So I thought it is time to put our money where our mouth is. I feel like I’m investing in our community.”
With being halfway to its membership goal, Foster’s committee is encouraging current members to reach out to friends, neighbors and co-workers.
“If everyone gets one person to join, we will meet our goal,” she said. Members also are holding house parties to educate friends about the co-op, and business partners are hosting events.
“We’ve seen potlucks, book clubs,” Foster said. “We are seeing great results.
“I think the beautiful thing about it is it will be a community hub and we will be putting more revenue back into the community, keeping that revenue and that income source in the area.”
“This will be a new version of a co-op,” she said. “This is not my parents’ co-op.”
Mar 27, 2017
Photo: Cadets from the Cedar Falls Food Co-op at Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference in Milwaukee WI, March 10-11, 2017.


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Xbox Exec: "I Hope Sony Has Success" With PlayStation VR
"I think VR is still right at the beginning; taking that to a closed ecosystem today, I think to me is just too early."
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Virtual reality is poised to be one of the biggest trends of 2016, and while Microsoft has its HoloLens VR/AR device, it is still very much early days for it and its gaming implications are still unclear. By comparison, Sony's PlayStation VR headset has already has more than 100 games in the works and the device itself is coming out in the next few months. We caught up with head of Xbox Phil Spencer recently and asked him what he had to say to Xbox One owners looking for a virtual reality experience this year.
Because the VR market is still so young, Spencer said Microsoft is taking something of a "wait and see" approach. For now, the company is betting on Windows 10 to serve as a platform through which developers can create game and then see what sticks.
"Our bet on VR right now on an open platform for innovation [like Windows 10] is the best place for something that is this early in its incubation," he told us. "You can say Minecraft will be the killer app, but nobody's bought a copy of Minecraft for VR."
Spencer said he wishes Sony success with PlayStation VR, but talked about why a "closed ecosystem" could be problematic for a technology as young as virtual reality.
"I think VR is still right at the beginning. Taking that to a closed ecosystem today, I think to me is just too early," he said. "It doesn't mean that it doesn't belong in console...I hope Sony has success with what they're trying to do because I think it's good for our industry as innovations like VR take off. But for me, and where we are with Xbox, my bet is putting the development tools in the hands of literally millions of people who can go on Windows and start building their own VR experiences is likely to lead to faster content innovation than a closed ecosystem would."
"So we're supporting Valve, we're supporting Oculus, we want to make sure Windows 10 is a great place for those developers that want to build those ideas for what might make the killer app for VR."
At E3 last summer, Microsoft announced that it was "working closely with Valve" to ensure that Windows 10 will be an ideal platform for the HTC Vive headset, which is now up for preorder. Additionally, all Oculus Rift launch units come with an Xbox One controller. This is all to say, Microsoft may not have a virtual reality device coming out soon, but the company is indeed involved in the space.
Preorders for Microsoft's HoloLens headset opened this week for developers. For $3,000, approved developers get the headset (which, unlike Rift or PlayStation VR, does not require any extra hardware) as well as a starter-pack of sorts that comes with a new Conker game and more.
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Adam Cohen-Aslatei Crunch Network Contributor Adam Cohen-Aslatei is senior director of marketing at Jun Group , which provides an ad platform... ...http://www.techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Telecoms-open-shop-on-Madison-Avenue-but-will-brands-buy-48135
Companies exposed to the UK economy warned that the decision could slow growth and prompt them to cut their investments in the country London: As... ...http://www.livemint.com/Politics/efZlKwYlt3fbAAnS5eeI8J/Costly-divorce-for-UK-Plc-Business-warns-of-Brexit-impact.html
MADRID: Spain's telecoms group Telefonica on Friday said it was sticking to its 2016 targets despite the decision from Britain to leave the... ...http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/spains-telefonica-sticks-to-2016-targets-despite-brexit/articleshow/52911652.cms
/PRNewswire/ -- This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Music Streaming in US$ Thousand. The report provides separate comprehensive... ...http://www.itnewsonline.com/prnewswire/Global-Music-Streaming-Industry/440557
DUBLIN--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "LAMEA Automotive Head-Up Display Market (2016-2022)" report to... ...http://www.autofocusasia.com/pressreleases/lamea-automotive-head-up-display-market-2016-2022-advancement-in-technology-in-the-form-of-active-window-display-research-and-markets
Cartomanzia , Tarocchi, Cartomante,...


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Householders are discarding up to £50 of food a month, much of which was “perfectly safe” to eat, Richard Benyon, a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has claimed.
Mr Benyon said many people had little idea how to keep fruit and vegetables fresh in the fridge or that cheese can be preserved for longer if it is wrapped properly after opening.
He urged families to eat their left-overs and pay more attention to the storage instructions on labels to avoid produce going off.
A more frugal approach to food waste would ease the strain on household expenses, he suggested.
The minister’s advice comes as economists warned that families are suffering an unprecedented squeeze on living standards as a result of rising prices for everyday essentials and stagnant wages in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
Figures published on Thursday showed that the economy narrowly avoided a triple-dip recession in the first three months of this year, but grew by only 0.3 per cent. At the same time, food prices have risen by 3.7 per cent over the past year and the cost of items such as potatoes has leapt by more than 50 per cent since 2005.
Downing Street is acutely aware that the weak economy is causing pain to households facing high fuel bills, energy prices and food costs.
David Cameron and George Osborne have sought to help families through the “tough times” with a number of policies aimed at limiting household expenses.
Mr Benyon said new targets, expected to be announced within weeks, will be aimed at encouraging families to cut the amount of food and drink they waste at home.
But the minister, who has a large family estate in Berkshire and Hampshire, was immediately accused of being “out of touch” and having suggested that “careful fridge management” would solve the crisis in living standards.
Consumer campaigners said families were already trying to cut costs by choosing cheaper food and eating out less often.
Mr Benyon suggested that families who threw food away were making their lives even harder.
“We all know that we ought to be wasting much less food,” he told MPs at a debate in Westminster. “Food wasted means fewer pounds in our pocket. Household bills are squeezed at the moment and we have the opportunity through a variety of different agencies to inform people better about where their food comes from and how to use it most economically.”
The total cost of wasted food has been estimated at £12 billion per year, “which is about £50 a month for the average family”, Mr Benyon said.
About half of the food that is discarded has not been used in time, “which we think of as wasted by not being eaten when it could have been”.
“Keeping most fruit in the fridge in its packaging can keep it fresher for a week or more, but around 60 per cent of us take fruit out of the packaging, and more than 70 per cent of us do not store it in the fridge,” he said. “Re-closing packs of cheese and sliced meats helps to stop them drying out in the fridge, but 13 per cent of us apparently store such food unwrapped in the fridge.”
However, there is widespread confusion about when food becomes unsafe to eat, as opposed to less tasty, he suggested.
“We can all pay attention to the storage information on food packaging, which will help us to store food at home so that it keeps fresher for longer.
“We have been needlessly throwing away enormous amounts of food when it is perfectly safe to eat it,” the Conservative MP said.
“Retailers are doing good work with clearer advice about how to store food and consistent labelling. I welcome that and want to see more of it.”
Mr Benyon’s views were criticised by Michael Dugher, the Labour Party vice-chairman, who said: “So this Tory minister’s answer to rising poverty is basically, 'Let them eat leftovers’. It’s another crass, patronising and out-of-touch lecture from a minister.”
Stephen McPartland, the Conservative MP for Stevenage, said: “I don’t think it is right for the Government to preach to people who choose to purchase food and use that food.
“Nobody likes waste and families on low incomes often buy in bulk because it can be cheaper. No one in those families are wasting food intentionally.”
Mr Benyon was also criticised by the Trades Union Congress. Paul Nowak, the TUC’s assistant general secretary, said: “Of course we should cut down on food waste but Britain’s families need a change of economic policy rather than domestic science lessons from cosseted ministers.
“Mr Benyon is out of touch with the squeeze on living standards if he thinks careful fridge management will bring relief. It’s austerity that’s past its sell-by date.”
The minister said new targets were being drawn up with retailers and food manufacturers aimed at reducing food waste and packaging by 2015.
A government campaign is expected to teach consumers how to store food properly at home. The consumer group, Which?, said high food prices, which have risen by 12 per cent over the past five years, have become more important to shoppers in the downturn.
With household budgets under increasing pressure, customers are already changing their shopping habits, eating out less and looking for more special offers, the group said in a report.
Research found that consumers wanted ministers to take “a much stronger lead” and develop a “clear action plan” to deal with problems throughout the food chain, the organisation said.
Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: “In the wake of the horse meat scandal, people want more information, including simple and honest labelling, so that they can be confident of what they are buying.”
According to a government-backed anti-waste campaign, discarding food costs the average household £480 a year, rising to £680 for a family with children, the equivalent of about £50 a month.
Although household food waste has fallen by 13 per cent across Britain since 2006, families still discard 7.2 million tons of food and drink at home every year, most of which could have been eaten, officials said.


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Latest Hamburger Stories
DAKOTA DUNES, S.D., July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Beef Products, Inc. (BPI), the world's leading producer of lean beef, announced today that the company is expanding its industry-leading food safety program by testing for an additional six pathogenic forms of E. coli.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Craving football? There's no lockout of the players at White Castle! (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030828/WHITECASTLELOGO ) White Castle is coming to the rescue of football fans with a new Crave Case that features your very own tabletop Finger FootballÂ® game.
TUCSON, Ariz., July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Metromix.com, the country's largest food and entertainment guide, with the help of its readers, has ranked Tucson's Monkey Burger as one of the top 22 hamburger restaurants in the U.S.
Dutch scientists claim they will be able to produce edible meat grown from stem cells within a year, and believe lab-grown meat in the future will ultimately end the worldâ€™s reliance on meat from livestock.
HealthyWomen Reveals the Top 5 List RED BANK, N.J., June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It seems harmless enough.
A spokesman said Tuesday that fast-food chain Jack in the Box pulled toys from the kids' meals.
The Food Trends Report is a monthly review of food trends among Canadian home cooks.
GREENDALE, Wis., June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrate summer with the July 2011 issue of Taste of Home, the #1 food and entertaining magazine in the world.
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau: (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO) SATURDAY, MAY 28: SALAD MONTH Profile America -- Saturday, May 28th.
LAWRENCE, Kan., May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, 11,000 U.S.
- An uxorious, effeminate, or spiritless man.
- A timorous, cowardly fellow.


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SCRANTON — Mike Wedwick chuckles when asked about what this small town would be like without the Scranton Equity Exchange.
“It’d be just like Bucyrus. How about Gascoyne?” said Mike Wedwick, the Equity’s grain manager, evoking a similar chuckle from general manager Roger Goodfellow.
Wedwick’s assumption of Scranton turning into a ghost town may not be far off — at least not in the eyes of the Equity’s employees.
“It’s basically the community,” said Kim Hodell, the Equity’s truck shop manager and an employee of 32 years.
Scranton was destined to “fall off the map” after the coal mine east of town closed in the late ’90s, said Ryan Schumacher, the cooperative’s assistant manager for fertilizer and chemical sales.
“The equity picked up the slack,” said Schumacher, a Scranton High School graduate. “It means a lot to Scranton because of the jobs generated. It gives people a reason to come to town. Without the Equity, there isn’t much left on Main Street.”
The Equity has been a staple in the community for a century.
The cooperative that eventually became the Scranton Equity Exchange was formed 100 years ago this week. It still has the minutes from its first meeting on April 4, 1914, when it formed as “The Scranton Local.”
Today, the producer-owned cooperative is the engine driving the small agriculture-based community of less than 300 people.
Not only is it an elevator with a capacity for 2.3 million bushels of grain — with plans for expansion in the near future — it maintains several other businesses that don’t generate much, if any, revenue, all in an effort to keep Scranton from becoming another North Dakota ghost town.
The Equity operates a commercial feed mill, a fertilizer plant, an agronomy center, and a gas station with a hardware store inside — businesses essential to its wide-ranging and rural consumer base’s farming and ranching needs.
It also runs the town’s grocery store, lumber yard, auto parts store and truck repair shop, as well as the Frontier Travel Center truck stop in Bowman and a feed supply store in Buffalo, S.D.
Some of the Equity’s businesses that don’t generate revenue, “are supported by those that do,” Wedwick said.
Goodfellow, who has been with the Equity for 18 years and plans to retire in April, said the cooperative’s willingness to take on businesses that may not make money in an effort to keep residents employed and people coming to town has made a difference to the community.
“You see these small towns and eventually they lose their grocery store, then they lose (other businesses),” Goodfellow said. “In this case, there’s a large company that’s owned by the farmers that wants those businesses retained, so they have provided those businesses, and they’ve done it by taking profits out of the larger segments and making sure these businesses are available. So you come through Scranton and you see an awful lot of businesses — like the parts store or grocery store — that normally would have closed their doors and left years ago.”
Karen Goodfellow, Roger’s daughter-in-law, works for the grocery store and said it’s a necessity for the town, especially Scranton’s elderly who can’t go too far outside of town.
“Without the grocery store, your town starts dying,” she said. “Everyone will start going to a different town to get their groceries. So, for us to have the grocery store, it’s very important.”
Similar co-ops in southwest North Dakota came under the CHS, Inc., umbrella in the past two decades. Other independent cooperatives have been scooped up throughout the years.
Wedwick said the Equity’s ability to maintain its independence has allowed it to keep its businesses running.
“If we weren’t a locally owned, independent co-op, we probably wouldn’t have some of those,” Wedwick said. “That’s a huge thing to our customers, that we continue to support those things for customers and the community.”
Patrons and employees
The Scranton Equity’s cooperative has nearly 1,500 members. About 700 of them have acquired enough stock to vote on business matters.
“They earn stock as they do business,” Goodfellow said.
According to its website, the Equity is one of the three largest independent farmer-owned cooperatives in North Dakota. Its sales range between $70-110 million a year.
Nearly 100 employees work for Equity businesses in Scranton, Bowman and Buffalo, including about 60 in Scranton — and most of them are area natives.
“A lot of the people that deal here like dealing with some guys who are independent instead of some big corporation,” Goodfellow said.
The employees like working there, too.
Brent Sanford has been with the Equity a decade this month. He works in the feed department but has helped with different jobs throughout the cooperative.
“It’s been fun to watch the company grow,” he said. “There’s been a lot of changes.”
Hodell, who plans to retire soon, said he has always had good people to work with.
“I’d recommend it to anybody,” he said. “… The equity does a real good job of taking care of the patrons.”
Though the Equity is a big part of Scranton, the community isn’t exactly thriving on its youth.
Cleve Teske, the assistant grain manager, said an aging population means an aging employee base.
“We don’t have a whole lot of young folks, but it’s getting a little better,” he said. “Especially in the last few years when the economy has really been good in ag. We’re seeing a few more people real happy to be at home and working.”
Wedwick said the Equity must face retaining its best employees and hiring new ones over the coming years as it loses workers who have three or more decades of experience, including some of its managers.
“The biggest challenges are going to be trying to continue that and trying to replace people that had lots of years,” Wedwick said. “I don’t think our challenges, as a cooperative, are any different than anybody else’s. Everybody is dealing with the same pains.”
Throughout the years, almost everything about the Equity has changed.
“You almost want to say the only thing that hasn’t is the dirt itself,” Wedwick said.
Though some things are still the same — Sanford demonstrated the feed plant’s old-school bagging system and the elevators and feed plant operate much the same as they always have — others often change.
Like almost everything else in agriculture, advancing technology has meant constant updates in the way the Equity operates, from the equipment it buys to the advice it gives farmers and ranchers.
Goodfellow said the Equity recently hired two young agronomists to do field work with farmers, giving tips about what they should plant, and what chemicals and fertilizer they should be putting on their crops.
“You look at what your customers out there are wanting and if you want to stay in business, you provide those services or someone has to do it for you,” Goodfellow said.
Keeping employees educated about the latest agriculture trends and technology is key to the Equity’s success. Wedwick said embracing change means listening to individual managers, employees and customers.
“If you didn’t have the support of either/or, it would be much more difficult to keep trying to push boundaries because you know you’ve got the support,” Wedwick said.
As it turns 100 years old, the Equity has no concrete plans for a celebration or moment to mark its formation.
Instead, Friday — its 100th birthday — will be just another day in the life of an independent ag cooperative that continues to breathe life into its quiet, yet stable, small town.
“It’s the lifeblood of the community,” Teske said.


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Funding for Yarmouth Farmers’ Community Market
28 juin 2011
YARMOUTH (NS) – JUNE 25, 2011 – Southwest Nova Scotia’s farmers, fishers, artisans and entrepreneurs have a new space to market their wares: an historic barn on the Yarmouth Waterfront that is being transformed with support from the Government of Canada.
“Jobs and growth remain our government’s top priority,” said Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova, on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and La Francophonie. “Our investment in the Yarmouth Farmers’ Community Market supports the establishment and growth of a unique, new marketing venue for local producers located in downtown Yarmouth.”
The investment has enabled the Market to move from its former location—a parking lot—and begin operations at a venue of its own, in the heart of Yarmouth’s business district. Ongoing site enhancements include the addition of accessible entranceways; electrical, mechanical, plumbing, refrigeration, and carpentry upgrades as well as the addition of new signage, awnings and landscaping. These improvements will assist the Market in extending its season, enabling vendors to tap into the increasing demand from the community and visitors for locally-grown goods.
Following the announcement Mr. Kerr rang the Market bell to declare the new facility officially opening.
The Government of Canada contributed more than $30,000 to the project through ACOA’s Innovative Communities Fund (ICF). The Yarmouth Farmers’ Market Co-operative Limited has also committed $30,500 to the project.
“The members of the Yarmouth Farmers’ Community Market send our sincerest thanks to the Government of Canada with the support of MP Greg Kerr and to the Yarmouth Waterfront Development Corporation for their financial support to make our market space ready,” said Natalie Smith, President of the Yarmouth Farmers’ Market Co-operative Limited. “We are excited to offer our local products in a wonderful new downtown location.”


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Final Fantasy XVI: ready for sale in 2021?
Last month, Sony Y Square Enix reveals the development of a new installment of the most popular video sagas in history; Final Fantasy XVI. To this day, the only thing that really matters is that it will be a game special
However, the latest release of Official PlayStation Magazine provides much to be discussed. According to the magazine, this demolition will be on the market at some point 2021. If that is true, the PlayStation 5 could have several major games in one year: Horizon is blocked in the West
After all, it could be a very good year for Sony, when the company will have millions of guaranteed sales. Unfortunately, the date given by this magazine it would be a mistake; The magazine may have thought that the game would be released in 2021, as speculated, or that they had been informed of the official sources of the day and made a mistake in rewarding it.
Unfortunately, all of this is true guessing, although there are a few rumors that the game will be released in 2021. However, it should be remembered that neither Sony nor Square Enix did no official announcement nor have they said anything about these rumors.


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It's been rumored that FROM Software will release some major Dark Souls 2 news this week, it being Friday, that would be at the lastest sometime later today? I'm expecting to see in-game footage, and likely an announcement that it's going to be a next gen exclusive, with all the perks that go in-hand with such a thing.
Dark Souls being a rather niche hit, I think FROM Software will aim to get the greatest possible market penetration by making it an exclusive next gen launch window title, forgoing the current generation of hardware altogether. Kinda like what Bethesda Softworks pulled-off with Oblivion, establishing their type of game to a much broader audience than it reached before, by getting to the party early.
Anyways - prepare to be *newsed*.


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Tue, 24 Feb 2015
Illustrations features new tracks from dBridge, Clarity, Skeptical and more.
Tue, 20 Jan 2015
The new label will see the UK producer return to the Autonomic sound he helped pioneer.
Tue, 2 Dec 2014
Calibre, Ital Tek, Loxy and more feature on the new 24-track box set from 31 Recordings.
Fri, 5 Sep 2014
Infinite will land on the Berlin label in November.
Tue, 10 Jun 2014
The Croatian festival has revealed details of 17 voyages, including our cruise with Marcel Dettmann and Anthony 'Shake' Shakir.
Fri, 20 Sep 2013
Post a comment
The drum & bass label will release its next compilation in November.
Fri, 12 Jul 2013
The Brit will mix the next instalment of Tempa's series, due out in July.
Wed, 3 Jul 2013
The Exit Records chief has overseen a 28-track various artists album, due for release in August.


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Dogecoin (DOGE) memecoin co-founder Billy Markus, known on social media as “Shibetoshi Nakamoto”, has again criticized the cryptocurrency market.
This time, he extended his criticism to all the projects built in the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). Through his Twitter account, Markus called all BSC tokens “junk”.
Markus hinted that BSC does not meet decentralized status. Furthermore, he said the network shouldn’t even exist.
The computer scientist also noted that the accounts promoting the BSC are fraudulent bots. Meanwhile, he called the individuals promoting the BSC “scoundrels or idiots”.
Previously, the co-founder lashed out at crypto investors for not having enough knowledge about the industry. He said that it makes people invest money in different projects without any foundation.
According to Markus, 70% of cryptocurrency investors do not understand market fundamentals and know nothing.
By the end of May, he had projected that at least 99% of cryptocurrencies would fall in value and return to zero.
“99.9% will definitely go down to 0, but majors usually go down only 90% or more,” Markus said.
Also according to him, there are about 500 “shitty” tokens made daily on all blockchains.
Finally, on Terra (LUNA), Markus said he believes that everything is just a scheme to deceive more people. According to him, Do Kwon is a crook and LUNA 2.0 is good for nothing more than being a new scam.
After creating Dogecoin, which is a “criticism” of the logic of the cryptocurrency market, Markus stated that he does not invest in the sector. When he criticized the cryptocurrency market in March, Markus also snarled at the social network’s “haters”.
“Also note that the only people who will react and attack these tweets are the scammers and idiots,” he said.