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You are watching: Great pacific garbage patch seen from space
A Greenpeace campaigner collects plastic native the good Pacific garbage Patch in 2018.Tabor Wordelman
The good Pacific rubbish Patch (GPGP), a website of naval debris considered to be double the dimension of Texas, is maybe the foremost expression the the impact of plastic garbage on ours world and the role of humans in eco-friendly degradation.
It has actually been popularized with media coverage as the human being turns its focus to plastic pollution, but misrepresented by misattributed photos that case to display matted, flat surface debris in the center of the Pacific Ocean. It is incorrectly believed to be clearly shows from space and explained as the “world’s biggest landfill”; a so-called rubbish vortex where plastic is “piling up.”
But it’s just one manifestation the the plenty of ways artificial environmental damage has bring away phenomenal organize of our herbal world. The alleged dramatic aesthetics fail to totally address the affect of the waste and also the root of the global plastics problem. So, to recognize its mythology and also get to the bottom the what the GPGP really means for the planet, ns went to check out it for myself.
It takes over one thousand mile from shore to get there, departing native the West Coast and straight right into the Pacific. Land fades native sight and also the world about the delivery becomes only water and also sky. I set out this previous September native Ensenada, Mexico through a photographer to bear witness as a guest of Greenpeace, the decades-old non-governmental ecological organization who oceans campaign team conducted research indigenous aboard their icebreaker, the Arctic Sunrise. The 21-day-long expedition at sea shed light on and also debunked prevalent ideas — greatly that the ocean, in any part, can be "cleaned up" native the chaos humans have made.
We traveled straight toward the gyre, stopping only as soon as for the engineers to make midnight repair to the ship. ~ above arrival, which took days, I meant to see trash everywhere, piled high together I heard it would be. What I witnessed was different and certainly no island. As Greenpeacers defined to me, and also as i witnessed, the GPGP is much more of a "soupy mixture," v its most buoyant pieces of large, hard plastic joined by fishing debris at the really top the the water's surface and countless microplastics automatically — unlimited — below. There was no oversized heap choose I was expecting. There to be no matted debris. Just vast sea, a couple of seabirds, and a touch of maritime life amid a remarkable high concentration the waste.
It’s house to a major problem and also is a clearly shows manifestation the “throwaway” culture, wherein much of our economy and also daily lives rely on plastics, most of which are disposed of ~ one use.
The GPGP was found in 1997 by maritime researcher Charles Moore and named by oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer. It ended up being known together “Trash Isles,” thanks to a pair the advertisers who appealed come the United countries to have the area become the world's 196th country on people Oceans day in 2017. The project was marketed well, and public understanding of the GPGP to be generally founded on the id that one “island” that trash had been discovered.
That misconception installed the impression the the affect of plastic air pollution will be visible to the eye. The area is in the phibìc Pacific Ocean in between California and also Hawaii, 1,200 nautical mile offshore, wherein very few have ventured to bear witness, so prevalent misunderstanding persists.
It is in the largest and also perhaps most popular one the the world’s five ocean gyres, or equipment of circulating ocean currents. It is one of three major “garbage patches” uncovered within this gyres where, over time, plastic debris has coalesced. The massive of trash access time its optimal in the center of the GPGP’s most focused area, which fluctuates v conditions. Ships can get in easily, but even in the outermost zones, floating plastic debris shows up with an excellent frequency.
U.S. Plot director because that Greenpeace Katie Flynn-Jambeck holds up plastic recovered indigenous the an excellent Pacific garbage Patch to display campaigners on plank the Arctic Sunrise.Tabor Wordelman
With the ship slowed under from that is usual nine knots, the Greenpeace team spent an hour every day through a one-of-a-kind trawl net lowered right into the water. Wednesday sift the plastic piece that were caught and also pick them the end of a tray and onto a gridded sheet to be counted and examined one through one, utilizing tweezers. (The process, i m sorry feels endless, was oddly satisfying.) Members that the oceans campaign team then documented and packaged up the day’s small finds come be sent to partner scientists to study and ideally trace back to a certain product or brand. Top top our an initial day the the 60-minute practice, 1,119 piece were captured and also cataloged.
To far better visualize what the looks like listed below the surface, they also needed come send divers. Tavish Campbell was among two board the Sunrise and tasked with filming underwater. Before the trip, he’d checked out “images in the media which made
Instead, the encountered a seascape that he describes as “sinister”: a substantial expanse of pristine-looking ocean discovered to be “awash in trillions the micro-fragments the plastic” listed below the water.
“Every time ns ducked under the surface right into the bottomless blue, I can see tiny pieces of plastic drifting around me, some smaller sized than sesame seeds and hardly identifiable, but always present,” Campbell says. “I have actually dove follow me shorelines thick through plastic rubbish in the west Pacific and also have observed the fruit dumping of garbage closer to home in the east Pacific, however seeing the GPGP really connected it all together for me and also offered a frighten realization: over there is no ‘away’ when something drifts away. It simply heads towards the closest s gyre.”
Free-roaming fabricated plastic matter deserve to devastate the earth. It have the right to lodge itself onto or into sea life not supposed to lug or eat it, which can get stuck inside their bodies or cause choking. Microplastics space consumed by wildlife at high rates, v a recorded impact on at the very least 800 species, including half of the world sea turtles and an estimated 60% of every seabird species, a number predicted to reach 99% by 2050. Plastic damages soil, leaching contaminants right into the ground and also waterways, and also encourages pathogen growth, i m sorry can damage reefs. Once plastics huge or tiny decompose in the sun, they release greenhouse gases the further advance climate disaster.
When us on the delivery weren’t trawling, we’d store watch because that plastic from its side throughout the work or struggle the sea in smaller watercrafts to pull bigger piece that were possibly branded or stamped and also could lead to corporate accountability — a significant part that Greenpeace’s present mission, i m sorry asks the people to think about what “thrown away” actually looks like. Water samples were likewise taken in search of microfibers three to five times a day.
Microfibers room a significant part of the plastics crisis, however only freshly discussed. This microscopic particles, which burned from textiles and also are not visible to the person eye, pollute a bulk of the world’s tap water and also is commonly found in bottled water (in the U.S., 94% the tap water samples in one study had the fibers). Lock come from both organic materials (like cotton) and also synthetic (like spandex) and are “smaller than a person cell,” Pinsky says. The influence of man-made fibers ~ above human wellness is quiet unknown yet being investigated, though it’s currently clear the the chemicals the make plastic room endocrine disrupting compounds, which deserve to mess with person hormones, manipulate the features of organs, and are said to even influence the visibility of ADHD in children.
While fragmented microplastics and also minuscule microfibers are still gift researched, we already know the the sheer volume of air pollution they add to and represent is disrupting the planet. That why plenty of reject the id that the ocean have the right to be “cleaned up” by just scooping up the plastic and carrying it ago to shore. (A extremely publicized, incredibly expensive “cleanup” effort has even been set into motion by The ocean Cleanup, a netherlands nonprofit, come little-reported success therefore far.) there is just too much plastic and most of it too small to capture.
Not all plastic in the water is micro; there is product you deserve to see with your eyes, which gathers in the GPGP and also can’t it is in missed on coast shores roughly the world. We provided these native the next of the ship during most daylight hours. Talk at sunset at some point with engagement coordinator Dan Cannon about his career v Greenpeace, i beg your pardon started when the young organizer was a student, conversation was generally interrupted to store count — “another one,” “there’s 2 more” — that the plastic we’d speed past.
Rosy Vilela, radio operator plank Greenpeace"s Arctic Sunrise ship, and Myriam Fallon, a deckhand operating a rigid-hulled inflatable watercraft (RHIB). Both to be photographed in the great Pacific garbage Patch throughout a 2018 expedition.Tabor Wordelman
Life plank a ship is equal parts exhilarating and exhausting. Living on the Sunrise gave me abs — as an icebreaker, that both pitches and rocks side to side, so lot so the the crew calls that “the washing machine,” and I was constantly stop on or gripping to continue to be steady. Every day, we’d acquire a 7:30 a.m. Wakeup speak to in ours bunk beds from Myriam or Robin, 2 millennial americans who worked night clock while us slept. Chores to be at eight, lunch at noon, and dinner at six, v all meals all set by Daniel, a talented chef native Mexico City, with aid from Amanda, a Hawaiian punk who runs a kayak shop in Seattle, or Pablo, a deckhand native Argentina.
The sea belongs to no country — it’s an international dominion — and also the Greenpeace team embodied the id that our environmental efforts must not either. Ours radio operator, Rosy, compliment from Brazil, and Cat, the Italian medic, speaks six languages. The first, second, and 3rd mates were from Finland, southern Korea, and also South Africa. Other crew and also campaigners onboard stood for Chile, Bulgaria, new Zealand, Canada, Belgium, good Britain, and France.
In the GPGP’s most concentrated zones, we’d endeavor out at least once a work in the smaller vessels that the Sunrise housed, lowered into the water through crane with a driver already inside (passengers would gain into them with a door top top the next of the ship, whereby we’d organize onto a rope ladder and also jump in backward). I discovered myself through my hand in the sea, pulling out toilet brush handles, bleach bottles, to wash baskets, a suspension tape usually found in hard hats. There was a disposable razor handle, hydrogen peroxide container, toolbox top, flower pot, water cooler lid, luggage wheel, buckets, a VHS cassette box v a fish inside of it, one unopened bottle of carbonated water, and also a piece of Astroturf. White objects were the most basic to spot, however it come in every colors and shapes, completely intact, visibly torn.
A Greenpeace campaigner scrubs a buoy pulled from the good Pacific rubbish Patch in 2018.Tabor Wordelman
The team recovered many buoys, some as big as a beach ball, others tiny and compact. These were markers the the fishing industry’s influence on the ocean, i m sorry weighs heavily. Follow to s Cleanup, almost 50% of the patch’s total plastics tonnage is mostly accounted because that by fishing gear like plastic-lined nets that have been dumped in or drifted out to sea, with lot floating toward the area ~ Japan’s 2011 tsunami. The Sunrise’s engine- crane lifted these “ghostnets” as soon as we chose to stop and also pull one indigenous the water (an impressive, upsetting sight). Fish to be to be pulled from the piles and also thrown back. Crabs — that which over there were differed species, riding on virtually every item of plastic us pulled indigenous the water — scuttled off, sealing their very own fate.
It was difficult to not feel the significant weight of human being failure as I invested day after day in the GPGP. Beforehand in the trip, U.S. Actions director because that Greenpeace Katie Flynn-Jambeck warned that “we can all cry” when we obtained there, and she was right. I did. I felt hopeless stand Starboard-side top top the Sunrise, counting my 97th item of big plastic spotted in two hrs on watch. Counting and organizing hundreds upon thousands of microplastics, tiny fragments that came bleached white, hot pink, and also robin’s egg blue alongside tiny bits that broken-down rope, I found myself thinking about the hat of pens, sheathe of yogurt, Barbie cars — plastic, everywhere, across the landscape of mine life.
This realization was painfully reinforced when I was off the ship and also hyper-aware of every product I saw in for sale ago home in new York City, wherein throwaway society is key. When there have actually been suggest of banning plastic bags statewide and also plastic straws in the city, the continued manufacturing and also mass usage of these will proceed to attitude economic and environmental problems for this other island of trash, wherein non-recycled plastic is either buried or transport to landfills in various other states.
Teen Vogue editor Alli Maloney jumps from the Arctic Sunrise into a rigged-hulled inflatable watercraft (RHIB) supplied to recoup plastics from the good Pacific rubbish Patch.Tabor Wordelman
The solution, many experts now say, is to substantially slow down its production and also consumption.
Plastics in the form of reusables prefer bottles and containers came into prominence among consumer goods after world War II as sectors saw disagreement signs and also used chemicals to introduce new, cheap alternatives to other artificial products, which took expert labor and natural products to create. Today, we produce 300 million tons of plastic every year, half of i m sorry is for solitary use. We rely on it it every day, in the clothes we wear, in our classrooms and offices, once eating pre-packaged food and also beverages, or shipping products by mail.
Long before it renders its means into a gyre, plastic reasons problems. The creation of plastic products and also its chemicals relies on fossil fuels, many of which space extracted from the earth in a ruinous procedure known together fracking. It is changed through refinement because that use, which contributes to global warming v leaks. It travel by way of pipelines, which space implanted into predominantly bad communities that are regularly exposed to pollutants. Plastic production itself is carbon-heavy and also releases toxins into the environment. The facilities compelled for its production are often developed along waterways, which can flood in too much weather and cause added damage.
From start to never-end, plastic is dangerous. It demands land for source extraction, manufacturing facilities, and also waste storage, which has violent effects for indigenous, marginalized, and impoverished communities.
As the trouble intensifies, the most commonly proposed options are outdated. Recycling is important, however it is not sufficient to negate the impact of manufactured plastics ~ above the environment: only 9% of every plastic ever developed has been. Packaging, which makes up for around a 4 minutes 1 of the complete volume of all plastics used, is harder to recycle, as are colored plastics. (Biodegradables frequently need to be processed in facilities, too.) In the extremely frequent circumstances that a plastic material can’t be recycle — an incineration process that requires energy and also emits pollutants — the dumped right into a landfill, wherein it will contaminant for much more than 1,000 years, or shipped from wealthy countries to others with less financial stability or politics influence. People in these spaces salary the price of litter, pollution, and also poisoning. Take because that example, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and also Sri Lanka: these are amongst the height countries considered “responsible” for naval debris, yet are additionally some of the nations that receive much of the world trash (and space then blamed because that “mismanagement” the the overwhelming volume).
The politics of plastic room nuanced, and also to deter the an international crisis way to look beyond the recycling bin and also toward “the companies that got us right into this mess,” Pinsky says. “Companies have acquired
The plastics industry reportedly knew it was polluting the oceans ago in the 1950s, yet only boosted production, keeping consumers in the dark, Pinsky says. It has actually had good influence end regulations, been on the receiving finish of subsidies, and long-held, widespread lobbying power and also deep federal government ties. Just like the plastics industry, the U.S. Government appears to deny the the synthetics are connected to wellness problems.
Up until this year, the U.S. Offered its recyclable trash to China, exporting 16 million tons in 2016. President Donald Trump failure to recognize that decades-long connection (which likewise has financial ties) once blaming China for the ocean’s plastic dilemm while signing law in October, pledging a commitment come “clean
In the same year, united States and Japan were the just two countries that refused to sign up with the G7 s Plastics Charter, a pledge to job-related toward 100% recyclable, reusable, and also recoverable plastics and increase recycling through 50% by 2030. The Trump management has shown no indicators of slowing down the resource of the crisis: the plastic industry. In fact, it has shown quite a little of support, from its relocate to reallow plastic bottles in national parks to eco-friendly policy rollbacks that note a cursed partnership v the fossil fuel industry.
The market is consisted of of daily brands that room responsible for manufacturing billions of plastics and also plastic packaging each year, mostly single-use. Over there is little to no transparency as to exactly how much they create or distribute. One audit the plastic debris accumulated from 6 continents through the Break free From Plastic movement, a group of over 1,400 organizations, uncovered the world’s best polluters to it is in a who's-who of consumer culture. (Some of these brands spoke through Teen Vogue around their plans to combat the plastics problem in second story because that this series, expressing “ambitious goals” to use reused plastic content or biodegradable products, yet no plans to produce less overall.) In the GPGP we pulled indigenous the water still-branded, fully-intact plastic vessels for items readily available at many pharmacies and also convenience stores, products I'd repetitively purchased and enjoyed prior to the trip.
Plastic appears unavoidable, especially when purchase food at the grocery store, however Pinsky explains that the shop itself and also the brand it stocks deserve to avoid it and offer alternatives. Greenpeace has asked significant supermarket chains to think about a complete audit of every plastic products in their stores — a daunting, “almost impossible” job that it s okay them thinking around the all at once issue. (Pinsky motivates those interested in combating plastic to host their regional chains accountable, too.)
Grocery stores have adapted before. Pinsky worked on Greenpeace’s 2018 Carting away the seas report, which has audited significant chains for your seafood sustainability because 2008. The project has seen significant changes occur over time, largely thanks to consumers and also activists stop corporations responsible. All retailers in the an initial report obtained failing grades. Through this year, 20 the end of 22 passed, despite at time the its publication, none of the profiled retailers had “major, comprehensive commitments come reduce and ultimately phase out their dependence on single-use plastics.” adjust could be on its way, however: simply after the report to be released in August, Kroger Co. (which operates multiple store banners such as Kroger, Ralphs, and also Harris Teeter) promised come nix plastic bags in all of its shop by 2025 and plans to "divert 90% the
But as for the companies producing the assets found ~ above those store shelves, couple of attempts have actually been made to develop significant innovative solutions, regardless of the well-documented problem. Pinsky says that if the grocery store stores they’ve worked with are any indicator, it’s in their best interest for leaders that every industry to start working ~ above a solve to move away from fossil-fuel based plastics, and soon — their rivals may already be doing so due to the fact that it’s what this brand-new generation of consumer demands. Meanwhile, their products, one of two people plastic or packaged in plastic, are marketed to consumer as for sure to usage despite major and minor varied risks linked with the use.
Some agency leaders are beginning to look at at recycled ocean-bound plastic together a source material due to the fact that it’s smart for their business’s bottom line. HP and IKEA, because that example, room both component of NextWave Plastics, a worldwide business consortium concentrated on maintaining plastics “in the economy and out that the ocean” that likewise includes Dell and General Motors. (IKEA has also promised to phase the end all single-use plastic by 2020.) Beauty brand are beginning to do the same. Food and fashion room both beginning to get an imaginative to avoid contributing more to the epidemic together well.
Plastics traction from the great Pacific garbage Patch in 2018.Tabor Wordelman
Consumers have been placing the pressure on corporations to readjust production practices, including countless young civilization rising come the challenge. “The brands that young people care about, those brand care about them and also are trying to deliver products <…> and also be hip and socially responsible as well, because they know that young human being care about this,” Pinsky says. “Younger generations have the right to say, ‘enough is enough.’”
Teen activists have organized their areas in demanding options in schools and also local businesses, and also can contact them out at any time on social media as soon as they view branded plastic in a waterway or herbal space, Pinsky says. In addition to bearing witness increase close, institutions like Greenpeace are using pressure in a myriad of ways, including a petition that asks significant companies prefer Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and PepsiCo to “invest in options and phase the end single-use plastic.”
Its time for protests and also bans, to demand action from our lawmakers — and it’s ~ above us, a people of world who’ve to be conditioned to count on plastics, to stand up in our very own defense.
What you i will not ~ hear about the GPGP is that it’s remarkable beautiful. That far out in ~ sea — no distinctive matted island in vision — the water is purple at its stillest, with neon ice-white-and-blue curls when crashing. It was refreshing to was standing on the deck and imagine all the Pacific s travelers prior to us; I uncovered it romantic, together nature have to be. But with every floating piece and microscopic sample, ns was snapped out of my daydreams and also faced again through the environmental dilemm that modern humans have actually caused.
Plastic is unnatural and also felt for this reason there, together it does when seen in stream beds or forests. It’s just en masse, because of this dramatic, in this component of the world. Facing the world’s dilemm in its farthest-reaching corner forced me come remember ours place and time in history. I can not walk throughout an “island,” yet I experienced devastation in the an excellent Pacific garbage Patch that imposed deep shame. Plastics space everywhere, varying the gamut that size, much more destructive and also distressing than I'd ever imagined.
Without any immediate and also drastic adjust to the method we produce and consume plastics, by 2050, production is meant to have quadrupled. This will exacerbate the ongoing climate crisis, to run parallel alongside a estimate that presume average worldwide warming since pre-industrial levels could be about twice what the is now by then, too. Substantial change will take it mass participation indigenous individuals, governments, and industries. The damages and affect of plastic pollution is clear, but re-envisioning the future of intake is an uncharted path. Come activists like those in Greenpeace, it way seeing plastic as trash prior to it access time the good Pacific rubbish Patch — if it’s quiet on shelves, in every brand-new beverage bottle or trinket us buy — and also rejecting what’s come to be normalized for something new: a plastic-free world.
See more: Final Electoral And Popular Vote 2016, 2016 Electoral College Results
For an ext information on the worldwide plastics crisis, check out the remainder of the Plastic planet series.


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Best Camera store: Paul’s Photo
The newest development in the technology-driven camera industry isn’t technological. It’s old fashioned, personal service, according to Mark Comon, owner with his dad Paul of Paul’s Photo.
Should the mom and dad who want to photograph their kids playing under the lights at Redondo High’s new football stadium, or in Mira Costa’s poorly lit basketball gym buy a Canon Rebel ($500), a Canon 80 D ($1,000), a Canon 7D Mark II ($1,500), or a 5D Mark 4 ($3,500)?
“You won’t find the answer online. Which is why retails camera sales were up 25 percent last Christmas. People recognized that they need help selecting a camera,” Comon said.
Mark has been matching customers with cameras for over four decades. Most of his staff have been at the store for at least a decade. Paul’s been doing it for six decades.
“We ask half a dozen questions to narrow down the camera selection. What sort of light will they be shooting in? What’s their budget? Do they want video that auto focuses? People don’t care what kind of camera they get, so long as it gets them the pictures they want.”
“Most people look online before coming to the store. Some have narrowed their choices. Some have been misled by biased bloggers,” Comon said.
Buying online to avoid paying taxes is no longer an option Comon said. Sellers with a physical presence in California, such as Amazon, must collect California sales taxes. Buyer who don’t pay sales taxes at the time of purchase,, must declare it on their income tax return. Failure to declare sales taxes could lead to an audit that might go back many years.
As for the parent who wants to photograph their kids playing sports, if the sports are outdoors, during the day, the Rebel and 80 D are good options. But for a camera that is quick to autofocus in low light, Comon recommends the Canon 7D Mark II. Or for professional results, get the professional 5D Mark lV. ER
23845 S. Hawthorne Blvd.
Runner-Up: Silvio’s Camera & Digital
22409 Hawthorne Blvd.

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Co-owner Hein Koegelenberg said in a meeting today that to be closer to their support base in Cape Town, it makes sense to move the cookery school to a Cape Town venue. Chef Liam Tomlin is still running courses at the current venue in Franschhoek until the end of October, and will be one of a program of chefs who will be doing cooking demonstrations at Leopard’s Leap, and will continue as a consultant chef to Leopard’s Leap. The program could include a three Michelin star chef from the Institut Paul Bocuse school of cooking. The new Leopard’s Leap tasting venue was officially opened six months ago.
The move to Cape Town will co-incide with a food offering at Leopard’s Leap, given the demand expressed by winetasters. Hein said that plans have not been finalised, but it is likely that cake and coffee, as well as chicken from their rotisserie will be sold with salads and bread. Some of the space in the shop is likely to sell fresh foods to take home.
In the media release Liam Tomlin is quoted as follows: ‘It makes sense to be nearer to our main support base and although we will miss the beauty of the Franschhoek Valley and its friendly people (not to mention having wonderful wines across the room from us!), we are also looking forward to being in the hustle and bustle of Cape Town’.
To tie in with its Liam Tomlin Food culinary connection, Leopard’s Leap is launching a Culinary wine range, inspired by the French regions of Champagne, Loire, Rhone, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Sauternes, each of the wines being suitable for pairing with specific foods. The range will be available exclusively at the Leopard’s Leap tasting room in Franschhoek, and at the new Liam Tomlin Food venue in Cape Town.
Good news is that Harry Joubert, previously with the Brampton tasting room in Stellenbosch, is the new manager of the Leopard’s Leap tasting room.
POSTSCRIPT 2/10: Despite the media release published a month ago, and the interview I had with Hein Koegelenberg at that time, Liam Tomlin Food will close down at Leopard’s Leap at the end of October, and will not move to Cape Town, Hein Koegelenberg confirmed telephonically today, saying that it was not financially viable to open the cooking school company in Cape Town. Chef Liam Tomlin will be available to Leopard’s Leap on an ad hoc consultancy basis. Leopard’s Leap will start serving food from 1 November.
Liam Tomlin Food: www.liamtomlinfood.com Twitter: @LiamTomlinFood
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage


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In 20 years doctors will be data scientists with great bedside manners, says @aza #eday13
35% of mobile connections are still on GPRS - a 2.0MB site will take 8 minutes to load, says @DC_Copeland #cmadigital
Twitter has 15m UK users, up 50% year on year, 80% on mobile, says @DaraNasr of @twitter #content2013
Nike is turning a product into a platform says @InfoEcon at #eday13 'Products have features, platforms have communities'.
80% of brand apps are downloaded less than 1,000 times says @marktxt4ever at #cmadigital Breakfast
Ad fraud will be a major issue for marketers in 2016 - beware the 'zombie net' says @nigelg #cmadigital
Marketing used to be about creating a myth and selling it, now it's about finding a truth and sharing it, says @mitch_olsen #cmadigital


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Company and household budgets will be stretched almost overnight, with the poorest households, already reeling from the impact of Covid-19, being hit particularly hard.
The practice is similar to taking insurance to protect yourself from one or another loss, such as protecting your vehicle from accidents or theft. Find out more about the practice and strategies of hedging against currency risk below.
According to Bloomberg, consumer price growth in the UK hit 5.4% in December last year, the highest level seen in 30 years. The price hike already is hammering away at wage gains. To make matters worse, the Bank of England is raising interest rates faster than the Federal Reserve, and the cap on domestic energy costs is likely to increase by 50% in April – at the same time payroll taxes increase. If ever there was a time to tighten belts, that time is now.
UK energy price rises
The energy price rising in the UK cannot be downplayed or ignored. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data revealed that household gas costs increased by 28.1% by October 2021. Electricity prices rose by 18.8% in the same period. These increases drove inflation as measured by the consumer price index from September’s 3.1% to 4.2%. At the time, the rate was the highest seen since November 2011.
Last year also saw the average petrol price increase from 113.2p per litre in October 2020 to 145.8p a litre per litre in November 2021. According to ONS, the petrol price increase was the highest ever recorded.
Why are energy prices rising?
Why are energy prices rising in the UK? One of the main culprits is Ofgem. In response to escalating wholesale gas prices, the industry watchdog lifted the price cap that limited what suppliers can charge in November last year. Wholesale gas prices shot up when Russia could not meet the demand in Europe at a time when economies were re-emerging after lockdown.
The uncharacteristically higher prices of coal, natural gas, and oil, together with supply chain disruptions and the rising costs of other commodities has formed what CNBC termed a “perfect storm of shortages and higher prices.” The impact of energy prices on inflation at the moment is a heavy one.
What is inflation?
To put it simply, inflation is the rate at which prices rise. If the price of a £1 slab of chocolate rises by 5p, chocolate inflation is 5%. Inflation applies to goods, such as groceries, stationery, mobile phones, and petrol, and to services, such as getting your carpets or car cleaned or getting your hair done.
Low levels of inflation usually aren’t noticeable from month to month, but they can have a serious impact on the cost of living in the long term. What we’re seeing at the moment is how energy price inflation has driven overall inflation higher than 5% faster than the Bank of England anticipated – and the rate is likely to reach more than 5.5% in April.
Energy prices and inflation to continue rising
The UK is likely to see the energy price rising, and the inflation rate with it, over the next few months. ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said the German government’s suspension of its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline approval process further triggered a wholesale energy price increase. He added that there is no sign that energy prices have peaked.
The bank forecast that inflation will peak at approximately 6% in April, while others expect the inflation rate to peak at closer to 7%. HSBC UK economist Chris Hare thinks consumer prices will continue to soar through April while supply chain disruptions continue. The first few months of 2022 look set to be tough on consumers and on businesses.
At a time of the inflation rate and energy prices rising, you need to make the best decisions for your money, foreign exchange, and international payments. Contact moneycorp for more information today.


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April 21, 2014
Two more truck makers have announced how many of their vehicles are affected by a recall announced in early March involving Cummins Westport powered natural gas engines.
April 14, 2014
Autocar is recalling 4,100 model year 2008-2014 ACX, WX, and WXLL vehicles manufactured July 30, 2007, through Feb.10, 2014, and equipped with certain Cummins Westport Model ISL G or ISX12 G engines, which are powered by natural gas..
March 3, 2014
Cummins and Cummins Westport are recalling just over 25,000 Cummins Westport Model ISL G engines manufactured Sep.12, 2007, through Feb. 2, 2014, and Cummins Westport Model ISX12 G engines manufactured Feb. 19, 2013, through Feb. 2, 2014.
May 21, 2013
The company said it is offering a complete range of clean diesel and natural gas engines. For all of its existing base engines, the company said it improved fuel economy by up to 2 percent for 2013.
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France Telecom chief of staff and Orange veteran Guillaume van Gaver is tipped to be appointed to the role of vice president of sales and loyalty, Mobile News understands, following announcement of Jean-Pascal van Overbeke’s departure at the end of the month.
Van Gaver has been chief of staff at France Telecom for six months, joining in March after spending nearly three years as head of marketing, sales and customer service at Egyptian mobile network Mobinil, in which France Telecom has a stake.
He was director of direct sales at Orange UK from June 2004 to May 2006, after being business development director at Orange France from January 2001 to May 2004, and corporate sales manager there for nearly three years.
He entered France Telecom as a corporate key account manager in November, 1996.
Orange UK confirmed the appointment.
Van Overbeke’s departure was unexpected by Orange UK chief Tom Alexander. Van Overbeke was highly regarded in the sales channels, particulary by senior management within high street independents Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U.
Orange insiders suggests van Gaver will have a job to match van Overbeke’s close relationship with those key retailers in particular.
However van Gaver is close to Orange senior executive vice president Olaf Swantee, and is highly regarded within France Telecom.


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This weekend the equestrian world observed International Helmet Awareness Day, highlighting a safety issue that has increasingly come onto the polo world’s radar: head injuries. After serious riding accidents in several disciplines made headlines in 2010, the grassroots organization Riders4Helmets established the day as an annual reminder of the importance of riding with a safety-certified helmet. They now work with 16 helmet brands and equestrian retailers in 14 countries to help spread awareness, and the polo community has come onboard.
The three major national associations—the Asociación Argentina de Polo (AAP), the United States Polo Association (USPA) and the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA)—all require helmets while riding at recognized tournaments. The USPA, as of January 1, 2017, began requiring all members of a polo organization to wear helmets while mounted during a USPA event.
The HPA requires helmets to be worn during play in an HPA tournament and is even taking it a step further. As of January 1, 2018 the HPA will require all helmets to meet the standard PAS015:2011 with CE mark (type approval must be performed by a UK-headquartered Noted Body for Personal Protective Equipment), SNELL E2001, VG1 01.040 2014-12, or UTAC/CRITT 04/2015. Four prominent manufacturers currently produce helmets that meet these standards: Charles Owen (the Palermo, the Polo Edition and the Young Rider Polo), GPA (Speed Air/X2), Armis (Armis), and Instinct Polo (TBC). Casablanca and La Martina are working to get helmets certified and launched within the next year.
For more information on the Riders4Helmets campaign, visit www.riders4helmets.com. Follow the campaign: www.facebook.com/riders4helmets,www.instagram.com/riders4helmets and www.twitter.com/riders4helmets.
Photo by Liz Lamont Images


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With COVID-19 creating concerns around using public transport, people are taking comfort in the safety offered by their cars. Offering a reliable way not just to travel, but also to socialize, relax, explore, and take part in fun activities, the car’s role in everyday life is changing.
Peter Norton is an associate professor of history in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia, where he teaches the history of technology, social dimensions of engineering, research, and professional ethics. He is also the author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City.
Wendy McMullin is Director of Market Research at Truecar, an online marketplace for new and used cars, which commissioned a survey this summer (conducted by One Poll) on how cars are helping Americans cope during COVID-19.
Sheena Patel is a journalist, with over ten years of experience tracking trends and innovations in consumer engagement, retail, advertising, and digital behaviours, for clients ranging from The Guardian and Lush Cosmetics to AXA and Greenpeace.
Despite speculation about a decline in private car ownership across Germany, the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to an interest in novel forms of in-car entertainment. As people search for safe spaces to socialise and have fun, what's driving them towards in-car venues?
The concept of car ownership may be losing its luster for some people, but advances in technology are making it more appealing to others. How are brand innovations helping to turn functional vehicles into a ‘third living space’? And how will drivers and passengers be entertained in the future?
With luxury cars still in strong demand despite the pandemic, the 2020 Mercedes S-Class is placed to secure those buyers looking for the ultimate in luxury car travel. And by featuring electric engines on the option list, the brand hopes to woo the eco-conscious, too.
The grab’n’go tradition of drive-thru may be a thing of the past thanks to innovations in drive-thru fine-dining. Aiming to revamp and premiumize the experience, The Resy Drive Thru debuts at a time when cars are being seen as personal sanctuaries and third spaces for leisure and entertainment.


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USA Today – June 16, 2017
Written by Roger Yu, Zlati Meyer, and Elizabeth Weise
Amazon’s offer to buy Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion could usher in a new phase of retail, with the potential for hybrid stores and an increasingly fluid sense of where goods come from and how they get to consumers.
“What we’re seeing today is the evolution of retail. This is a shot across the bow,” said Robert Hetu, a research director for retail technology with Gartner.
In buying Whole Foods, Amazon suddenly comes into more than 450 physical stores in prime retail locations among upscale buyers, giving it tremendous options in terms of building out in a market it’s been eyeing for years. …
Too much power for Amazon?
Some feel the move will make Amazon too big. The New America Foundation believes Amazon already wields too much power over America’s markets for books and music and could worsen the already severe damage it feels the company is doing to America’s competitive, open market system.
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance called for regulators to block to deal based on Amazon’s expanding reach and impacts.


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Medically based weight clinics would be first for supermarket in Calif.
SAN FRANCISCO — Food and drug retailer Safeway plans to open the first medically based weight-loss clinics in supermarkets in California.
Weight management specialist Lean for Life by Lindora Clinic said Friday that five of its clinics are slated to open in Safeway stores in Danville, Dublin, Livermore, Menlo Park and San Jose, Calif., on Oct. 10.
The 400- to 500-square-foot clinics will be adjacent to Safeway’s in-store pharmacies. Along with clinicians who will work one-on-one with patients, the clinics will have Lean for Life food coaches to show customers how to make healthier food choices and establish better eating habits.
“We’re committed to becoming a health and wellness destination for our customers, and our collaboration with Lean for Life by Lindora Clinic supplies this health-conscious community a resource not previously available in the Bay Area,” Mark Panzer, senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness at Safeway, an Albertsons Cos. chain, said in a statement. “The Lean for Life food coaches will provide a unique, practical service, showing patients how they can apply the principles they learn in the program to make smarter, healthier shopping choices.”
During the launch week of Oct. 10 to 14, Lean for Life will offer customers at the new clinics the opportunity to win free in-clinic programs, valued at more than $1,000. Those who stop by any of the five clinics for a free consultation will be entered into the daily raffle, and one winner from each clinic in the Safeway stores will be chosen every day during launch week.
Lean for Life by Lindora Clinic currently operates 35 clinics in Southern California, and the new locations will give its clinics a footprint in Northern California.
“We’re proud to partner with Safeway and expand our clinics into its Bay Area stores to better serve this community, while furthering overall convenience and access to weight loss tools, including our team of medical providers, coaches and nurses,” stated Cynthia Stamper Graff, chief science and programs officer for Lean for Life by Lindora Clinic. “For 45 years, we’ve helped people in Southern California lose weight, reclaim their health and look and feel their best. We look forward to providing Northern California with the structure, support and personal connection that works.”
Lean for Life’s medically based, customized weight management system employs a four-stage approach — combining combines nutritional guidelines, menu plans, and moderate exercise with balance and well-being techniques — that allows for rapid weight loss; one-on-one support from a team of medical providers, nurses and coaches; and a maintenance program that provides patients with the eating and coping skills for the long term.
The program also helps patients learn healthy habits to manage risk factors of developing type 2 diabetes, and Lean for Life is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recognized member of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).
Lean for Life also sells its own nutritional products and vitamin-and-supplement line plus several weight management tools, such as ketone strips to determine the amount of fat being burned, digital tools to guide dieters and daily action plans that feature daily affirmations.


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But here’s an unexpected toll of 2020 : McDonald’s all – day breakfast menu. “We removed All Day Breakfast from the menu to simplify operations in our kitchens, which we saw provided better speed of service and order accuracy,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said in a statement via email.
Breakfast Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit . Egg McMuffin ® Sausage McMuffin ® Sausage McMuffin ® with Egg . Sausage Biscuit . Sausage Biscuit with Egg . Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles ® Sausage McGriddles ®
McDonald’s breakfast hours vary by location, but they begin serving breakfast when a restaurant opens for the day, which at most locations means 7 a.m. Locations that are open 24 /7 could start serving breakfast earlier than that, typically about 6 a.m., but some even start at 4 a.m.!
McDonald’s may permanently stop serving all – day breakfast because of the Coronavirus. McDonald’s introduced the all – day breakfast menu in 2015, but stopped at the end of March due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Breakfast menu hours vary, too. A common cut-off time is 10.30 a.m., sometimes 11. Some chains, however, offer breakfast all day — among them Dunkin’ Donuts, Jack in the Box , Sonic, and, as of 2015, McDonald’s , which makes most of its morning menu available at all hours.
McDonald’s is suspending the all – day breakfast menu as the fast-food giant has become strictly a drive-thru, takeout and delivery operation during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
McDonald’s serves breakfast up until 11am in ALL it’s restaurants .
It’s been six months since McDonald’s removed All – Day Breakfast from its menu in a bid to help its operators improve speed of service at a time when the only business its restaurants had was the drive-thru.
McDonald’s Menu Prices
|Quarter Pounder with Cheese – Meal||$5.79|
|Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese||$4.79|
|Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese – Meal||$6.69|
|Bacon Clubhouse Burger||$4.49|
McDonald’s announced in November 2019 the fast-food chain would be extending its breakfast hours. The later finish was introduced into all branches of McDonald’s on November 20, 2019. The burger giant is now serving breakfast until 11am every day, whereas before the cut off was 10.30am.
|McDonald’s Extra Value Menu Menu and Prices 2020|
|Chicken Ranch Snack Wrap (Grilled or Crispy)||$1.69|
Taco Bell starts serving their breakfast menu at 6 a.m., an hour later than some competitors, including McDonald’s, but the good news is that they don’t stop serving breakfast until 11 a.m., a full half hour later than the other guys.
McDonald’s said in a statement to Business Insider that the chain cut menu items in April in an effort to simplify operations while improving customer experience. The company declined to comment on if its salads would return to menus.
Our classic menu items – such as the Egg McMuffin line-up, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder and Chicken McNuggets – are all still available. Restaurants may continue to sell through product, while supply lasts. Throughout, we will look to move back to our regular menu as soon as possible.
After success in a few franchises, McDonald’s decided to expand the McChicken Biscuit and the Chicken McGriddle to restaurants nationwide, the company said in a news release. In 2015, McDonald’s began serving all – day breakfast to its customers. The company also committed to only using cage-free eggs by 2025.


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Workers at solar companies cancel protests on EU trade action
Updated: 2012-08-02 14:09
By Meng Jing (chinadaily.com.cn)
BAODING, Hebei – A scheduled worker protest initiated by China's four largest solar panel companies was called off this morning. But their standing against the recent filing of a complaint of dumping of Chinese solar panels in Europe remains firm.
More than 10,000 employees at Yingli Green Energy Holdings Co, Trina Solar Ltd, Canadian Solar Inc and Suntech Power Holdings were scheduled to stop work on Thursday morning for an hour-long demonstration against the complaint filed to the Europe Commission over China-made solar products last week.
The complaint has asked the European Union to investigate claims that Chinese panel makers of dumping goods, seeking import tariffs on Chinese-made panels.
Baoding-based Yingli Green Energy in North China's Hebei province cited bad weather as the reason for the cancellation of the scheduled protest between 8 am and 9 am, but saying they will continue to urge Beijing to have high-level talks with the European Union in order to stop the investigation from beginning.
The European Commission has 45 days (till early September) to decide if it will start an investigation.
"We had to cancel it (the protest) due to the unpleasant weather condition in Jiangsu and Hainan provinces. But it doesn't change our standing against the complaint, which will be catastrophic not only for us but also for the development of the global solar industry, " said Liang Tian, director of public relations with Yingli Green Energy, adding around 5,000 to 6,000 workers in his company's five plants across China were expected to join the protest.
Liang said the company, which exports more than half of its products to the Europe, is going through a tough time but it has no plan to cut off jobs or lower salaries to workers for now.
The scheduled protest is the latest outcry from the four top solar panel markers in China, which had a joint news conference in Beijing last Thursday against the complaint led by German's biggest solar panel company Solarworld AG.
According to the joint statement from the news conference, the solar industries in China and Europe are "interdependent".
Europe's exports of solar-related raw materials and production equipments to China were around $7.5 billion in 2011. As many as 280,000 to 300,000 jobs in Europe have been created by China's solar industry directly or indirectly by the end of 2011, said the statement.
"The damage to China's solar industry is the damage to the solar industry of the world," said Liang.
The US Department of Commerce has ruled that China's solar panel makers dumping goods and receiving unfair subsidies in May. In recent days, the Chinese government has initiated the process of paying back the US in the same coin by starting an investigation of US polysilicon imports.
Chen Zhuo, Yingli Green Energy's legal director, said their top priority is to stop the complaint from proceeding. "Once it starts investigation, it will be the largest anti-dumping case in China," said Chen, adding around 60 percent of China's $35.8 billion worth export of solar panels in 2011 was to the Europe.


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Lagos Nigeria Looks To Crypto For Payments
According to data from Google Trends, Lagos, Nigeria is the number one city based on the volume of online searches for Bitcoin (BTC). This data indicates a high level of interest among the city’s approximately 21 million people but it has yet to equate to tangible adoption of the emerging trend of technology.
“Lagosians” who are aware of the existence of Bitcoin see the top-ranked cryptocurrency as a substitute for the United States dollar.
Payment companies like PayPal do not allow Nigerians to receive money transfers from abroad which is necessitated by the notoriety of internet fraudsters in the country while other companies that offer such services charge high.
This is making the city’s growing freelancing community turn toward cryptocurrency payments. Many of the youth in the city, having battled with underemployment or unemployment, have sought to try their hands outside the traditional working environment.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to above 23 percent in 2018. In a city like Lagos, many young university graduates can be seen making a living as freelancers, offering services from copywriting to website design and even computer programming.
Given that many of their clients are based abroad, there can be issues with receiving payment for the work done. However, with a BTC wallet and a plethora of local exchange services, these freelancers can receive payments easily from clients spread across the globe.
Apart from freelancers, business owners are also using Bitcoin, as well as other crypto-focused platforms, as substitutes for foreign currency and banks.
Victor Alagbe, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Blockchain Strategist at OneWattSolar, an energy startup looking to leverage blockchain technology in boosting renewable energy adoption across Africa, in a message to Cointelegraph, said:
“I see crypto taking up a strong position in the remittances space. It’s often cheaper, less stressful (in terms of documentation) and faster to send and receive crypto. Many younger folks in the diaspora are now leveraging crypto to send money back home. Some techies working remotely are also getting paid in crypto.”
Nigeria has over 100 million active internet subscriptions.


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Images of the 4-inch iPhone 6c Surface Online
We’ve barely recovered from the Apple Watch and MacBook hype, and already there are pictures of what the next iPhone might look like, floating online. Pictures of the new ‘iPhone 6c’ have been posted by Future Supplier, which show what possibly could be the successor of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
As seen in the photo, the device sports an approximately 4-inch screen just like the iPhone 5, 5C and 5S. One of the few prominent differences include the cut-out of the camera flash. The cut-out on the 6C is elongated, unlike the round ones on the current iPhone line-up. Only the iPhone 5S has the elongated shape of the camera flash, thanks to the introduction of the True Tone flash. Additionally, the hole for the camera does not appear to be a protruding out.
At the bottom of the handset, the iPhone 6 has six speaker holes on the left side of the lightning connector when faced down, and one microphone opening next to the headphone jack. While most of the design remains the same, the new photos of the assumed 6C, however, show eight speaker holes positioned in two rows on a thicker body.
There is a possibility that the images may be fake. Apple is not expected to unveil the next iPhone for the next few months. Hence, there is a chance that the design of the speculated iPhone 6C may change by the time the arrival date arrives.


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Retail Therapy: Target adds a new clothing line for fashionistas
If you're a fashionista, it's time to rejoice.
Last month, Target unveiled its collaboration with Phillip Lim, the high-fashion designer of 3.1 Phillip Lim. He is the latest high-fashion designer to collaborate with the affordable big-box store, joining the ranks of Jason Wu and Missoni who caused a shopping frenzy when their collections debuted.
Lim introduced his fashion line in 2005 at the age of 31. Since then, he has earned three awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America for garments that are deemed sophisticated, cutting-edge and sometimes quirky.
Lim's high-fashion line is a range of clothes, shoes and accessories for men and women. An oversized peacoat for women can cost at least $1,000, while a shirt jacket for men costs $1,700.
Don't expect these prices with 3.1 Phillip Lim, which a Target employee confirmed would be on the racks Sunday at the Skibo Road location, the same day it debuts around the country. Prices for the men's and women's clothing, shoes and accessories range from $19.99 to $299.99.
For those who don't want to leave the comfort of their home, no worries. You can shop for affordable blazers, polished collared shirts and feminine dresses online, too. Men can snag a pair of ankle boots for less than $100.
In a recent interview with the Daily Beast, Lim said the collection for Target is inspired by the concept of "night to day."
"I wanted to create a collection of chic and versatile pieces that modern women and men can wear on the go while remaining effortlessly chic," he said. "I focused on the idea of a romanced reality and having clothing and accessories for this romance."
The collection's release is just in time for fall.
We got a sneak peek online of more than 100 items.
Alicia prefers simple fashion from basic colors to blazers. One of her favorites from the Lim/Target line is a khaki-colored trench coat with a light blue inner lining. And the woven shirt dress with floral pattern for $39.99? Consider Alicia sold for its incorporation of black, her go-to color.
Venita loves the sparkle dress in black for $49.99. Every woman needs a little black dress for those special occasions.
We are all about bargains. Alicia thrives in thrift stores, but she may make an exception for some of Lim's items.
The line garnered approval at a recent Red Carpet promotion from celebrities including actors Emile Hirsch and Jessica Alba. Tennis star Maria Sharapova and artist Solange, Beyonce's younger sister and fashionista, attended the launch earlier this month.
Now, check out these other shopping tidbits for this week:
With bargains in mind, today is the last day to cash in on the Kids Exchange consignment sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The sale will include children's clothing, toys, baby equipment, furniture, infant accessories, high chairs and maternity clothes. It is promoted as a half-price sale. Shoppers should check tags to see if consignors are offering half-price deals. The sale is at Freedom Courts Sports Complex, 3126 Gillespie St. For more information, go to kidsexchange.net/fayettevillenc.
Shiver me timbers! Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Coffee is giving away an original glazed doughnut to any buccaneer who enters its stores and talks like a pirate Thursday. A free dozen glazed doughnuts will go to those who dare to dress like a pirate. We suggest watching the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film to get in touch with your inner Capt. Jack Sparrow.
Kripsy Kreme Doughnuts at 3250 Bragg Blvd. will participate in the giveaway.
SweetFrog Frozen Yogurt patrons can help a hungry child while satisfying their sweet tooth. The company has launched its "300 for 300,000 campaign." The company and its participating stores will make donations that will help provide 300,000 meals for hungry children across the country. SweetFrog customers can make additional contributions in store or online.
SweetFrog will host its "300 Cups" sweepstakes Sept. 22. Three customers nationally will have the chance to each win 100 free 12-ounce cups of frozen yogurt. The first 300 people who visit a local store will have a chance to enter. The campaign will include local food drives in select stores beginning Monday that run through Sept. 22.
SweetFrog has two locations in Cumberland County: 4191 Sycamore Dairy Road and 7760 Good Middling Drive.


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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Tuesday, Senator Charles Schumer will be in town to make a case for expanding the beer brewing business in Buffalo. He’ll stop by the Pearl Street Grill and Brewery later Tuesday morning to push for a bill that would slash the excise tax on small breweries by 50 percent.
Right now brewers pay a $7 excise tax for the first 60,000 barrels they make a year. The Small Brew Act would cut that tax in half. Schumer says breweries could pour all the money they save right back into their business.


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Apple’s new security ID for the iPhone X raised a lot of concerns, the most important security feature of the biometric system. The div technology said that although the Face Detection System is more convenient than it is less sensitive to its Touch ID predecessor, but tests have shown that the system works in its entirety, but has a series of errors and unexpected behaviour.
Here’s Another Face burn ID: the researchers have been able to overcome the Bkav claim
Vietnamese company Face Recognition of the iPhone X with a luxurious mask from a combination of 2D and 3D parts. In a video released this weekend, researchers at Bkav have shown that a specially designed face could unlock a brand new device. According to Bekava, his “proof of the concept” was performed without the training of his iPhone X to detect mask components, just the face of a team member.
The company did not indicate how many attempts to overcome Apple’s security, but wrote that it cost about $ 150 for parts that did not contain a 3D printer. Without a clearer video or replication of the experiment, it’s difficult to know if this is a theft.
But assuming that the Bkav’s method is really effective as advertised, would it be a major security problem for casual users? Probably not. As Bekav explained in his post on the blog, “It’s pretty hard to make a ‘right’ mask without knowing security. We were able to act as Apple’s AI, as mentioned in writing, because we understand its artificial intelligence and how to avoid it.
As Engadget reports, this is similar to the hacker organization of Computer Chaos Complication requires a process of work intensively requiring photographs of 2400 DPI users’ fingerprints and print latex for fool fingerprint recognition in 2013. The Complex solution Face ID from Bkav is rather complicated. This highlights Apple’s claim that the new system is safer than the Touch ID.


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Pity the independent filmmaker, always bucking the corporate media mentality for the sake of art. The latest outrage: Disney has decided that depictions of smoking are now verboten in its films, and the edict, apparently, will extend to the independents under the Disney umbrella, too.
Disney chief executive Bob Iger told Financial Times that the company will at least discourage Touchstone and Miramax from including smoking scenes in its films. A question for Igor: Will Touchstone no longer be involved in making movies like The Insider which was highly critical of the tobacco industry?
As the Financial Times reports, Igor says the ban is appropriate for consumers of Disney’s products. And by consumer he means Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Telecommunications and Internet subcommittee, to whom Igor sent a letter announcing Disney’s decision.


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Kotaku: So Bayer made this thing that can help diabetics keep track of their blood sugar levels. Neat!
Joystiq: N+ developer Metanet Software shows off some PHYSICS from its upcoming Robotology.
Kotaku: The ongoing recession is changing the way we buy and play games, apparently.
Destructoid: Brimming with wealth, health and free time, the Russians have taken to balls-out LARP-ing. Check out these Brotherhood of Steel costumes.
Destructoid: First they came for Counter-Strike, and I said nothing because I was not Counter-Strike.
Destructoid: Once again, PS3 owners can be excited about something Xbox owners have enjoyed for months.
1UP: LucasArts announces a flurry of classic titles to be released via Steam. WHERE IS MY FULL THROTTLE?
Gamasutra: Ubisoft plans to open a new studio in Toronto, due in part to its "established film production history." Really? Toronto has an established film production history? Huh. Go figure.
IndustryGamers: Instead of just making wild claims like most analysts, Jess Divnich crunches some numbers to prove that DLC poses a real threat to retailers and publishing competitors. Sure, it's a bit of a foregone conclusion, but it's always nice to see some legwork.


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Barely two years into our wearables program, Qualcomm Technologies has become an undeniable leader in wearables technology with over 100 devices shipping and many more in development. Serving multiple ecosystems within wearables from fitness trackers, smartwatches, sports watches, kid trackers, and accessories, we offer a portfolio of solutions anchored by the critically acclaimed Snapdragon Wear.
So where to next? Pankaj Kedia, head of the wearables team, will illuminate how Qualcomm Technologies is not only advancing the technology but driving a robust ecosystem to continue to propel wearables to become must-have items for mainstream consumer. Hear from and meet with representatives from leading ODMs, OEMs, software developers, carriers and more to find your opportunities in the expanding world of wearables.


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(Adds detail, market reaction)
By Isabel Versiani and Jamie McGeever
BRASILIA, July 25 (Reuters) - Brazil’s current account deficit widened far more than expected in June, with the deficit as a share of gross domestic product reaching its highest since late last year, central bank figures showed on Thursday.
A near-11% fall in exports, driven by a steep fall in sales of soy and manufactured goods to Argentina, fueled a deficit in goods trade, while the services deficit widened 10% from the same month last year to $3 billion.
The current account deficit, a broad measure of Brazil’s balance of payments position including interest payments, transfers and travel expenditures, was $2.9 billion in June. That was the biggest shortfall since January and almost twice as wide as the $1.5 billion deficit median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.
As a share of GDP over the 12 months to June, the deficit was 0.91%, the widest since October last year, the central bank said.
Brazilian financial markets reacted negatively to the data. The real fell 0.75% to 3.80 per dollar, its weakest level in more than two weeks, interest rate futures spiked higher and the benchmark Bovespa stock index fell 1%.
In the first half of the year, Brazil’s exports fell 1.5% and imports rose 1.1%, the central bank said, leading to a reduction of almost 10% in the goods trade surplus to $24.8 billion.
Foreign direct investment into Brazil totaled $2.2 billion in June, less than half the Reuters poll estimate of $5.75 billion. In the January-June period, net FDI inflows totaled $37.3 billion, up 10.4% on the same period last year.
In the 12 months to June, net FDI inflows of $91.8 billion were the equivalent of 4.91% of GDP, down from 5.17% of GDP in the 12 months to May, the central bank said. (Reporting by Isabel Versiani Writing by Jamie McGeever Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Sonya Hepinstall)


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Suzuki Swift DZire 2013 sedan now in Oman and Saudi Arabia
Suzuki dealears in Oman and Saudi Arabia quietly announced the launch of the 2013 Suzuki Swift DZire sedan, or D’Zire, as they like to call it.
Essentially an unattractive sedan version of the attractive Swift hatchback, the dealer is already being honest and pitching it more as a fleet car for rental agencies and companies. The Indian-built car comes standard with a “K12” engine, a 94 hp 1.2-litre 4-cylinder with 113 Nm of torque and a choice of a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.
What is clear though is the specs sheet. The Suzuki DZire comes in GL, GLX & GLX SPL variants, all with power steering, dual airbags, ABS with EBD and a CD/MP3 player as standard, while options include full power features, keyless entry system, alloy wheels, fog lamps, USB port and automatic climate control.
In an interesting factoid, the Suzuki Swift Dzire sedan has been on sale only in India for years now, but for 2012, they actually shortened the boot section to make the overall length of the car shorter, bringing it under 4 metres in order to qualify for lower taxes. Imagine that, a downsizing at a time when most cars are growing, and that too without changing the rest of the car.
The DZire is apparently already on sale in Oman and Saudi Arabia, although supplies could tighten up since labour unrest at the Maruti-Suzuki factory led to a complete shutdown and has entered its second week. Some say it could last a month, set off by a riot at the factory last week that killed one manager, injured scores more and landed more than 90 people in jail.
Keep track of updates in the Suzuki buyer guide.
Alvin Emmanuel Thomas
I did see one of this here in Oman… But I wasn’t sure…
Lomg Live India…Jai Hind
Such a small engine, 1.2l??!!!….
What is the price?
Is it a petrol version-because in India Dire is all diesel!


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The first ever bicycle airbag is making the streets safer for cyclists and motorcyclists. The simple device releases an airbag over the cyclists’ head to protect them against falls or impact.
The wind breaker-like device fits comfortably over the rider’s neck and expands in the event of a collision. In 1/10th of a second, over 200 sensors can detect the movement from the impact. In that short amount of time, the hood releases potentially saving your life.
The Swedish design released a few years ago, although now they plan to sell the product across the globe. Check out their video to find out more about basic Hövding tech.


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Posted by Olivia on Monday, August 22nd, 2011
From the years 2004 to 2009, American’s appetite for olive oil grew by a massive 15%, and it’s expected to rise another 10% by 2013, according to experts at the UC Davis Olive Center. Compare this to growth of only 4% for all other vegetable oils—Americans are getting wise to the delicious, healthful benefits of olive oil.
And who’s feeding much of America’s olive oil consumption? The state of California, right here where we make our extra virgin olive oils, of course! The 2010 harvest alone in California produced over 1 million gallons of olive oil; compare that to around 650,000 gallons in 2008. It’s the biggest crop California has seen in 30 years!
With an overall global increase in olive oil consumption, we’re happy to be a part of this ever-growing community of growers and producers. Most of all, we’re happy to be growing and producing right here in California, where olive oil is becoming almost as representative of the state as wine has been. And Dan Flynn, director of the UC Davis Olive Center, thinks that we could soon be ranked among the top 10 olive oil producers in the world. We’ll be ready for it!


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Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday it has plans to integrate its Cortana voice assistant in "connected cars." A company executive at the TechDays Taiwan 2015 conference indicated the firm has developed a prototype car that links the windshield with a navigation system, with Cortana providing location information and even restaurant reservations.
"We have not launched similar products due to the high cost, but we hope to have further discussions with Taiwanese partners to jointly explore future possibilities," said Samuel Shen, chief operating officer at the Microsoft Asia-Pacific R&D Group, according to the Taipei Times.
Cortana in the car would provide drivers with an easy way to complete tasks without taking their eyes off the road. Currently, Cortana has the ability to set reminders, make restaurant recommendations, find out weather conditions and display sports results. Bringing these tasks to the road through a hands-free interface would be a welcome addition.
At this point, however, Microsoft will be playing catchup with both Apple Inc. and Google Inc. Their solutions require you to bring along smartphones, but Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto each offers dashboard integration, a series of basic features and controls, and voice assistance.
It is unclear whether Microsoft's solution will require a smartphone, too, but Cortana integration may give the company an edge over its competitors. Using the same personal assistant as on other Windows-run devices likely will mean things Cortana learns about a user on one system will transfer onto other systems, making Microsoft's offering potentially more attractive than those of its rivals.


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Uchi Technologies: This company recently announced plans to produce 40 new types of control modules by 2005. An analyst from a local stockbroking firm said the range was impressive as the company was only expected to produce 10 to 15 new models in addition to its existing range per annum. A new production line may be set up in Penang as orders have already been filled for the first half of the year and the company is operating at full capacity. Uchi has also planned to invest an additional RM1.9mil into its Dongguan plant in China, which will commence operations soon.
Bernas: Although 2002 had been a difficult year for Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas), it is considered to be a temporary setback and the company is expected to bounce back into health soon. OSK Research said industry fundamentals are pointing towards rising rice prices in the short and medium term due to lower production in major producing countries. This augurs well for Bernas, as rising prices are expected to reduce the activities of illegal traders. Last week, Budaya Generasi Sdn Bhd, a substantial shareholder of Bernas, entered into a RM100mil share sale agreement with Gandingan Bersepadu Sdn Bhd.
Public Bank: Local anchor banking group Public Bank Bhd's results for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2002, came as no surprise to most analysts. Public Bank posted a pre-tax profit of RM1.28bil for 2002 compared with RM1.25bil the year before. Affin-UOB expects strong operational growth of about 13% as interest income from strong loans growth in 2002 will start to filter through to this year's earnings. The research house said the bank's full-year loans growth was expected to moderate to 10% from 22% recorded in 2002 as new car sales growth may ease to 5% this year from 10% in 2002.
YTL Corp: Malaysia's biggest builder heaved a sigh of relief last week that the £1mil ''golden handcuff'' paid by its subsidiary, YTL Power International Bhd, to Wessex Water chairman and chief executive Colin Skellett did not constitute a criminal offence. Analysts have viewed this as a positive development for the company and the counter closed 18 sen up at RM3.68 last Wednesday, its highest since Sept 24 last year following the good news. Analysts said with the clearance, YTL could now focus on its business as well as continuously seek opportunities without fear or favour.
Celcom: With recent approval obtained from the Securities Commission by cellular network provider Celcom (M) Bhd on the proposed purchase of TM Cellular, the company is one step closer towards the much-talked about merger between Celcom and Telekom Malaysia Bhd. As Celcom is buying the entire stake in TM Cellular by issuing new shares to Telekom, this would increase Telekom's interest in Celcom to 47.9%, resulting in a mandatory general offer. Telekom has offered to buy all remaining Celcom shares it does not already own at RM2.75 each to complete the merger and would be making the general offer next month.


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The chief executive of North Sea gas producer Venture Production said its shareholders were looking for significantly in excess of the 845 pence a share takeover offer made by Centrica Friday.
The feedback we have got from shareholders, both the institutional ones and the significant ones on our board, suggests that many of them are looking for significantly above 900 pence, Mike Wagstaff told Reuters in an interview on Sunday.
Friday, Britain's largest gas retailer, Centrica Plc, which owns 29 percent of Venture, offered to buy the rest of Venture for 845 pence a share, valuing the oil and gas explorer at around 1.3 billion pounds ($2.11 billion).
Venture rejected the bid, saying the offer substantially undervalued the company.
In March, Centrica bought a 22 percent stake in Venture for 725 pence a share and said it was considering making a cash offer for the company.
When Centrica took their stake in us in March, we were at the low point of the economic cycle but oil prices have risen substantially since then and the share prices of our peers have risen substantially since then too, Wagstaff said.
Centrica's offer is not an attractive one and I'm not sure that 845 pence per share offers any premium at all.
Like other utilities around Europe, Centrica is eager to increase its gas reserves to hedge its supply obligations to gas users.
Centrica has been scanning the globe to secure gas and North Sea-focused Venture would be a particularly good fit with its portfolio, analysts said.
Centrica, the UK's largest listed utility by market value, said that its offer would not be increased, unless a rival bidder emerged, in which case it reserved the right to up its offer.
We have not had anything from them which remotely resembles a proposal from prior to them launching a hostile offer. To go final as they have is very aggressive indeed, said Wagstaff.
Shares in Venture closed 3 percent lower Friday at 785 pence.
(Editing by Karen Foster)


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Vincent Herbert is in debt to Sony to the tune of almost $4 million according to TMZ and Sony wants to collect. Herbert allegedly got a $3,738,515.93 advance to find new talent for Sony, however, Sony sued Herbert for intercepting the money from Interscope in October of 2015 preventing Sony for recouping the advance. A judge issued a default judgment against Herbert, who Sony says ignored their previous request. We’ll keep you posted.
Home Thincontent Vincent Herbert Sued by Sony for Almost 4 Million


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Exclusive dating app The League's has a waitlist that's nearly 100,000 people long. Now people are selling VIP passes to it on Craigslist for $100
The only way to get in is by applying to a long waitlist that's approaching 100,000 people, or by snagging a VIP pass from someone who's already a member.
Now, there's an additional way to hack into The League.
Earlier today, a League member or employee posted a listing on San Francisco's Craigslist, offing a VIP ticket to the app in exchange for $100.
The listing has since been pulled by the company. CEO Amanda Bradford isn't sure who posted it but assumes it's an early user who has a few invites stored away. The app raised $2.1 million from Silicon Valley investors and plans to launch in its second city, New York, soon.
Here's a photo of the ad, which has since been pulled:
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- Sony’s all-new PlayStation 5 model was spotted in Japan featuring updated radio equipment


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Valentino, J.Lo and Liza with a Z.
Antonio Lopez, the renowned fashion illustrator who died in 1987, is the subject of a new biography called The Antonio Lopez Book by Mauricio Padilh
Terry Richardson has just revealed more images from the editorial he shot featuring Liza Minnelli for LOVE. And we're in love. I was hoping for a cl


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No stellar performance at Jupiter
PROFITS at fund manager Jupiter are lagging well below their stellar performance in the late Nineties. New figures from its German parent, Commerzbank, reveal that half-year profits were just £18m, up from a meagre £8m, in the second half of last year. It is a dramatic fall to earth for the group, which made £172m in 1999.
Jupiter, which last year was at the centre of an acrimonious split with founder John Duffield, has been hit by the high costs of keeping its fund managers loyal and by a slump in ISA sales. Several top players have defected to join Duffield's rival operation, New Star.
Jupiter boss Edward Bonham Carter said: 'We achieved a fine performance for clients.'
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Townsend Automotive has bought the former Madden Volvo dealership property on Skyland Boulevard.
TUSCALOOSA | Townsend Automotive has bought the former Madden Volvo dealership property on Skyland Boulevard.
Charlie Townsend, who owns the multi-dealership Townsend Automotive with his son Tommy Townsend, said Tuesday that he plans to move their Townsend Nissan dealership from its 3200 Greensboro Ave. location to the old Madden location at 2620 Skyland Blvd. Madden closed its dealership last year.
Charlie Townsend said he hopes to begin moving the Nissan dealership in the next few weeks.
Once that move is complete, Townsend plans to add a Subaru dealership at the Greensboro Avenue location. Subaru has approved the franchise but there will be some training and certification of mechanics by Subaru before West Alabama's first Subaru dealership opens, Charlie Townsend said.
Townsend Automotive employs about 200 people.
'That gives us a good nucleus of people to work with,' he said of the staff that will train at the new Subaru dealership, which will include new and used vehicle sales, full service and parts. Even so, Townsend said the company may add 10 to 15 employees.
Adding a Subaru dealership complements Townsend Automotive's offerings, he said.
'It is exciting for us and for Tuscaloosa,' he said.
Subaru, a Japanese automaker, is ranked No. 2 in U.S. customer satisfaction and loyalty by trade publications such as Automotive Digest and Automotive News, Townsend said. Only Lexus ranks higher.
Customers who sell an older Subaru tend to buy another, he said, and they also are more likely to buy another Subaru when getting a second car.
Townsend said the Tuscaloosa market's demographics should make Subaru popular.
Studies show Subaru buyers tend to have a little higher education and a higher income than average, he said. 'Tuscaloosa has those kind of people, so Subaru will do well,' he said.
The closest Subaru dealership to West Alabama now is in Birmingham.
The Townsends have operated a Ford dealership in Tuscaloosa since the 1970s and have added other dealerships over the years.
Last year, Townsend Automotive added Lincoln-Mercury when Ford Motor Co. decided to consolidate its brands at dealerships. In addition to those brands and Nissan, Townsend Automotive also has a Honda and BMW dealership and Global Imports, which sells used, high-end imported vehicles.
The BMW dealership also is located at the Greensboro Avenue site, but no decision has been made on its future location.
Townsend said he bought the old Madden dealership site because it was built for an auto dealership and is a good location.
Skyland Boulevard has good traffic and is easy for customers to reach, he said.
'When people look for cars, they like to go there because there are more car dealerships there than anywhere else,' he said, noting auto buyers like to look at different models when shopping.
Keith Madden had operated a Lincoln-Mercury and Volvo dealership at the Skyland site but lost the Lincoln-Mercury franchise at the end of 2008.
He continued selling Volvos and used cars and servicing vehicles until spring 2009, when he closed the business.


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T-Mobile US ended the second quarter of 2013 with approximately 44 million customers, an increase of more than 10 million customers from the end of the first quarter of 2013, of which 1.1 million were net additions and 8.9 million were acquired customers from MetroPCS, who are included in branded prepaid customers.
Of those two sources of growth, it is the 1.1 million net additions that is key. In its first quarter of 2013, T-Mobile US had branded postpaid net losses of 199,000.
In its third quarter of 2012, T-Mobile US lost about 493,000 customers, while losing 515,000 in the fourth quarter of 2012.
So the big take away is that T-Mobile US has grown its key postpaid customer base, in a significant way, for the first time in more than four years.
Image via Shutterstock
Some might say T-Mobile US is making its turnaround faster than Sprint. Sprint added 12,000 customers to its network in the first quarter of 2013, compared with Verizon Wireless, which added 677,000 subscribers, and AT&T which added 296,000 subscribers.
Of course, Sprint also is shutting down the iDEN network supporting its Nextel customers, so some continuing drag was expected. But some would argue John Legere, T-Mobile US CEO, has been able to move much faster than Sprint.
Of the 1.1 million new T-Mobile US customers, fully 685,000 of them are the more profitable postpaid variety. AT&T, which is twice the size of T-Mobile, added only 550,000 postpaid customers during the second quarter.
Sprint actually lost one million postpaid customers during the second quarter.
What remains to be seen now is what a SoftBank-lead Sprint will attempt to do in the U.S. market. Perhaps the only question is what SoftBank might attempt, as the expectation is that it will be trying to disrupt the market.
One might argue that there are a couple of ways either Sprint or T-Mobile US might succeed. Ignoring for the moment an eventual merger of T-Mobile US and Sprint, either firm might recreate itself by becoming a substantial provider of prepaid service, in a market where prepaid becomes much more important.
That is something neither Sprint nor T-Mobile US probably would prefer, but would be one outcome of a successful disruption strategy.
The other, much harder outcome to achieve is a new market share position at the expense of the other providers of postpaid services. That would likely take the form of an assault, perhaps indirectly, on AT&T, which arguably is the more vulnerable of the two firms at the top of the market share rankings.
Both T-Mobile US and Sprint are stabilizing their businesses. That’s important, but only a precursor to what will follow: an attempt to change the structure of the U.S. mobile market.
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INTERMODAL NEWS & UPDATES IMPACTING YOUR BUSINESS TODAY - Sep 24, 2021
September 24, 2021
The purpose of this weekly update is to provide shippers with the latest intermodal shipping news that is impacting freight capacity and service across both the US truckload and intermodal markets.
INTERMODAL RAMP UPDATES
Chassis are the number one capacity constraint issue for UP, but can be said to be the same issue across all Class I Railroads at this time.
For UP specifically, chassis cycle times are up 20% vs. last year, which is impacting the ability of the operations to turn the assets fast enough to support the high demand. While 20% may not sound like much, it has a huge impact when scaled across the entire fleet. As context, if this year’s cycle time matched last year’s, it would free up ~8K chassis. A 0.1 day cycle time improvement equates to 400 chassis, so even fractions of days really matter.
Current Network Chassis Constraints:
Portland is the most challenged metro from a chassis perspective. Street time in Portland, is up almost one full day vs. last month. Increased street dwell, coupled with very high seasonal demand, has led to a severe chassis shortage in this market.
Chassis priority is given to loaded freight, which is very heavy into Portland right now.
There are boxes at Albina, but they are not in good condition, so the Equipment Team has recently cancelled orders protect customers from making dry runs. Albina has shut off empty ingates to drive every single possible chassis to Brooklyn. The Mechanical and Repair vendors have been pushed to Albina and are working extra shifts to inspect and repair boxes as fast as possible.
Action Items – Levers for UP Operations:
- Brooklyn: Running two chassis repo trains into Brooklyn, which are to arrive early next week.
- TCIT: Getting creative and working with DCLI to supply chassis into TCIT out of Chicago on a temporary basis.
- This may take a little time as it has never been done, but this and other options are actively being pursued to help provide wheels to TCIT.
- Lathrop/Sparks: Repositioning chassis out of Oakland to support these metros.
The best way shippers can help is by continuing to focus on driving down street dwell.
Domestic intermodal ingate restrictions have been lifted as chassis repairs are near completion.
Nothing new to report.
In an effort to help the Port of Los Angeles’ and Long Beach’s capacity challenges, BNSF recently announced Accelerate Cargo initiative to expedite freight flows from the Long Beach/Los Angeles port complexes. BNSF Railway will offer a new weekend in-gate incentive at its Los Angeles Hobart and Commerce Intermodal Facilities. BNSF ocean carrier customers will receive a $50 incentive per ocean container that in-gates on a Saturday or Sunday at either facility for the next three weekends.
The new BNSF program is meant to boost collaborative 24/7 supply chain operations and reduce the current backlog of cargo in the port complexes.
Class I Railroad Performance Indicators


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Credit: Original article can be found here
Britain has made a formal request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), seeking membership of the 11-country deal to open new avenues for post-Brexit trade and influence.
Announcing the move on Monday, trade minister Liz Truss said it would create jobs, help rebuild the global trading system and position Britain “at the heart of some of the world’s fastest-growing economies”.
It comes at a moment of significant economic upheaval for Britain whose 2016 decision to exit the European Union became a reality at the start of the year, and has made trading with its nearest neighbour more expensive and complicated.
Britain argues that the principal economic benefit of leaving the EU is the freedom to strike trade deals around the world, and is trying to position itself as the leading advocate of free global trade after a period of increased nationalism.
“It is important that we take a stand to support multilateralism and the global trading system. There has been too much undermining of the rules-based order,” Truss said during a call with her Japanese and New Zealand counterparts.
The CPTPP removes 95 per cent of tariffs between its members: Ausralia, Japan, Canada, Vietnam, New Zealand, Singapore, Mexico, Peru, Brunei, Chile and Malaysia.
Unlike the EU it does not impose laws on its members, it does not aim to create a single market or a customs union, and it does not seek wider political integration. Britain’s application was welcomed by members, including current chair, Japan.
But few see the agreement as generating a surge in trade for the UK: access is expected to take more than a year to negotiate and Britain already has, or is close to reaching, trade agreements with its largest members.
“I wouldn’t expect it to be transformative for the UK economy,” said James Kane, associate at the Institute for Government.
Australian Associated Press


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Co-op shoppers raise over £7k for Axiom Homeless Action - 8 May 17
Homeless people accessing help and accommodation from Axiom Homeless Action in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, will benefit from a cash boost of £7,715 thanks to a three-month Lincolnshire Co-op fundraising campaign.
Axiom Housing Association, which manages the charity, is one of 14 organisations tackling homelessness in the county that was chosen to benefit from Co-op’s Community Champions’ scheme.
The organisations share a total fundraising pot of £290,000 generated by a donation being made every time a member shops in a Lincolnshire Co-op outlet using their dividend card. The money was raised between December 2016 and February 2017.
Pete Middlemiss, Senior Service Manager at Axiom’s Market Rasen House and Gainsborough Foyer, said: “I was contacted in late October by Sam Turner, Lincolnshire Co-op’s Community Engagement Manager who asked if I would like to do something to help raise awareness of homeless and I didn’t’ hesitate in saying yes.
“At Christmas time I spoke to a 500-strong church congregation in Gainsborough as well as to local councillors to encourage them to visit Gainsborough Foyer and Market Rasen House. I cannot believe that such an amazing amount of money has been raised from shoppers just using their Co-op membership cards. I feel honoured to have been involved.”
Sam Turner, Co-op Engagement Manager said: “We’ve been blown away by the generosity of our members, customers and colleagues. Together, we have been able to offer a huge amount of support – both financial and practical. ”
Photo: L to R: Lincolnshire Co-op’s President, Stuart Parker with Pete Middlemiss from Axiom.


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Amazon Echo (abbreviated and referred to as Echo) is a brand of keen speakers created by Amazon.com. The gadgets associate with the voice-controlled intelligent individual assistant service Alexa, which responds to the name “Alexa”. This “wake word” can be changed by the user to “Amazon”, “Echo” or “PC”.
The smartphone UPGRADE list of things to get has remained to a great extent unaltered throughout the most recent quite a while. Our handsets ought to be quicker, and more slender, and squeeze out as much battery life as material science will permit. Qualcomm’s most recent processor, the Snapdragon 835, gives gadget makers a chance to check those boxes, but it also adds a healthy dollop of future to the mix. This is a processor built for next-generation connectivity, photography, and virtual…
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Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Italy has become the latest in a long list of geographic regions around the world to ban plastic shopping bags. According to Reuters: "Italians use about 20 billion bags a year—more than 330 per person—or about one-fifth of the total used in Europe, according to Italian environmentalist lobby Legambiente." The ban takes effect January 1st—a deadline that's left retailers scrambling for plastic replacements. "Shops and shoppers seem prepared. The mid-size Billa supermarket on Milan's bustling Via Torino is ready with white biodegradable bags costing 10 euro cents, twice the price for existing yellow plastic bags, Billa manager Aldo Vismara said. "We will have them at the check-out from January 1, 2011, and we will replace the yellow ones," he said. On the downside of the shift, Vismara said there was the possibility the white bag could disintegrate in the rain." [Reuters]