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Annual Nordic Swap returns for 30th year
If you go...
What: 30th annual Vail Nordic Swap.
Where: Vail Nordic Center, downstairs.
When: Saturday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with discount prices after 1 p.m.
To sell gear: Bring gear on Friday to the Nordic Center between 4 and 8 p.m.
VAIL — Sure, the snow might be thin on the valley floor, but cross-country skiing enthusiasts are already gearing up for the season with the annual Nordic Swap, held on Saturday at the Vail Nordic Center.
The swap is in its 30th year and serves as a venue for shoppers to pick up new gear, for beginners to get a low-cost setup, and for you to unload those classic skis that have been sitting in your garage. The event is sponsored by the Vail Nordic Ski Club and welcomes non-alpine gear, both new and used, from the community and shops. The selection varies from year to year, said organizer Stephen White, but you can basically plan on finding a slew of cross-country (skate and classic) gear, as well as some ski mountaineering, alpine touring and telemark equipment. Anything with a free heel — even snowshoes — is fair game.
The event is a good opportunity to get started in a sport that can be daunting equipment wise, not to mention tough on the pocket book.
“The whole idea is cheap gear,” said White. “Because the sport is gear intensive, that’s usually a barrier for people to start the sport. At the swap, you can get a setup for as cheap as $70 to $100.”
Many of the organizers of the swap have been in the sport for years, and they will also be on hand to answer questions and help people find the equipment they need.
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Dawes Wilson, founder of the Vail Nordic Club, said the swap is a good meeting place for enthusiasts and cross-country experts.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years, for example, so there’s quite a bit of knowledge about all the different kinds of gears and what works for people. We’ll give honest recommendations. There’s a chance for great deals,” he said.
Those looking to sell gear should bring their items to the basement of the Vail Nordic Center on Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. There’s no cost to shop the swap or submit items for sale, but if your item sells, the Nordic Ski Club takes 10 percent of the sales.
Earnings go right back into the local Nordic community, Wilson said. Funds help the club hold ski races, including the spring Wilson Cup 20K, and contribute to scholarships for local athletes. This year, the Nordic Ski Club is pitching in to help send local skate ski specialist Sylvan Ellefson to the Winter Olympics.
Looking for new gear or can’t find what you need at the swap? The Vail Nordic Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with its entire inventory on sale. You can also buy season passes for a discounted $80 through Dec. 1 and punch cards for ski waxing.
“It works really well to have the swap downstairs, because people can go down there and mix and match new and used equipment,” said Nordic Center owner Mia Stockdale. “For example, we always say to buy good boots, so you could buy boots upstairs and then get skis downstairs. It’s a good start to the season.”
It has been a busy construction season for Leitner-Poma in Colorado…


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Automaker Tesla recalls about 475,000 cars in the United States due to technical defects that increase the risk of accidents. In addition, it has informed the American road safety regulator NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Association).
Among other things, the company plans to recall all Model 3 cars made between 2017 and 2020, accounting for a staggering 356,309 cars. There is a risk that when opening and closing the trunk, the wiring harness for the rear view camera will be damaged, and no image will be displayed, Tesla said.
In addition, eccentric businessman Elon Musk’s company also recalls 119,009 Model S cars assembled from 2014 onwards. The reason for this is a faulty front trunk latch that can cause the hood to open unexpectedly. Tesla said it would fix both issues for free.
Tesla shares fell 1.5% pre-market. The automaker has clashed with regulatory authorities several times this year. For example, the NHTSA said earlier this month that it had launched an investigation after owners of cars from the American manufacturer of electric cars reported that games can be played on the large dashboard screen while driving.
The same agency is also investigating Tesla’s ‘autopilot’ after a series of accidents in the US in which Tesla’s autopilot collided with a parked emergency vehicle.

domain: news


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From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report. Getting and staying connected to the Internet is quickly becoming very important in Africa. A team of Americans and Kenyans have developed an Internet router made especially for the continent. They say it can keep the Internet available even in areas with undependable electricity and Internet service. The device is called Brck. It can plug into an electric outlet, but it can also be battery powered. Al Banda is a blogger in Cameroon. He saw the device for the first time at an information technology conference in Berlin, Germany. Mr. Banda said Brck could solve a problem he has experienced. He says in his community in Cameroon electricity is not dependable. Also it is very difficult to get access to the Internet even with an Internet service provider. Mr. Banda says Brck is an African answer to an African problem. The Kenyan-based nonprofit technology company Ushahidi developed Brck, after raising money through the funding website Kickstarter. Ushahidi official Erik Hersman says the router is able to move among Internet networks. He says if there is a problem with the Internet connection, the device will look for a 3G network with its SIM card. He says the Brck can be taken anywhere. Erik Hersman says the Brck will go into production as soon as the company raises $125,000. Ushahidi has collected about half that so far. It plans to make up to 1,500 devices at first, mainly for Africa and India. Mr. Hersman expects each device to sell for about $100. The Brck could be a solution to Internet connection problems in Africa, but it could also find uses in developed countries. For VOA Learning English, I’m Alex Villarreal. (Adapted from a radio program broadcast 20May2013)
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Brazil exported 35.2 million 60-kilogramme bags of green, soluble, roasted and ground coffee in 2018, an increase of 13.9% over the amount exported in 2017, said the chairman of the Coffee Exporters Council of Brazil (Cecafé).
Nelson Carvalhaes, speaking to Brazilian trade newspaper Notícias Agrícolas, said that the export of coffee in its different forms in 2018 provided revenues of US$5.1 billion, down 3.0% year-on-year, as the average price per bag was US$144.53, down by 14.9% from 2017.
The chairman of Cecafé said that the main buyers of Brazilian coffee remained firm, including the United States, Belgium, Japan and the United Kingdom, with a very significant increase in sales to China, which increased coffee imports by 150%.
Carvalhaes said that the outlook for 2019 was optimistic and that the Asian market was expected to continue to increase imports of coffee produced in Brazil, and ales to coffee producing countries for subsequent re-export were also expected.
Figures from the International Coffee Organization showed that Brazil produced 52.73 million 60-kilogramme bags in 2017, a decline of 7.1% compared with 2016.
Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee, and in 2017, for example, the second largest producer, Vietnam, was a long way off with production of 29.5 million bags. (macauhub)


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UMW Toyota Motor has announced the updated version of Sienta the G variant.While the on-the-road price
will be returned to them once their inspection is completed.Also read: Experts call for interstate ban
The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) has urged the government to ban the sale of car
ahead of the Buick GL8 that sold 146,859 units (3.5 percent market share).The most interesting is the Toyota
PT Astra Toyota Motor, Toyota’s Indonesian distributor, has launched the Sienta Welcab in Indonesia
Sienta, adding that Daihatsu will produce the model under contract for Toyota, mirroring a similar arrangement
The Toyota Rush is Toyota’s answer to the Honda BR-V.
You can now purchase your favourite Honda TEI merchandise online as Honda Ban Lee Heng Seremban has opened
Boon Siew Honda motorcycles fame had earlier entered the car business in the early ‘60s with Toyota
Kingdoms efforts to reduce the nations greenhouse gas emissions, the countrys Prime Minister is looking to ban
cooperate and do their part to comply with the SOP set by the government,” the statement read.The ban
This would mean that the interstate travel ban will likely extend past the upcoming festivities.Leading
) 202,657 Toyota Raize 120,998 Toyota Corolla 112,777 Toyota Alphard 106,579
As the automotive world gears up for the inevitable shift to electrification, Toyota still sees life,
she started her Shachuhaku therapy journey was that she is an avid traveller and due to the travel ban
The Toyota Passo Sette and Daihatsu Boon Luminas were sold for only 4 years between 2008 and 2012.Toyota
Sendayan Techvalley in Negeri Sembilan.And no, they have slightly different engine codes, 2NR-FE for the Toyota
features power sliding doors is a brand-new C27 Nissan Serena.Recond car dealers have started selling the Toyota
Shortly after its world debut in Thailand, the Toyota Corolla Cross will be launched in Indonesia later
That said, the market hasn’t really gone extinct with models like the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire twins
As of yet, many countries are still observing a travel ban from foreigners.
Remember Ban Lee Heng Motor?
This puts it fifth behind the Toyota Yaris, the Toyota Raize, the Toyota Corolla, and the Honda Fit.
In case you missed it, Thailand has set itself on an ambitious path to ban the internal combustion engine
Yes, Ban Lee Heng Motor has been Seremban’s sole distributor for Honda cars since 1976.Also read
UMW Toyota Motor has quietly discontinued the slow-selling Toyota Sienta in Malaysia just as a new facelifted
Sienta – From RM 60,000Finally, rounding up our list of budget-friendly 7-seaters is the quirky
As of yet, the police were not informed on an end date to the ban.
The only other seven-seaters below RM 100,000, apart from Perodua Alza and Proton Exora, was the Toyota
passengersUtusan Malaysia reports that these submitters admitted that they clearly knew the reason for the travel ban
Bridgestone Ecopia EP150 dan Turanza ER33, Ban Resmi Toyota Sienta - https://t.co/p6SBEBE1dW https://t.co/KedjJeOhYM
Hankook Pasok Ban Toyota Sienta .. https://t.co/QPjEwUW9sb @ToyotaID @HankookID #Mobil123 #jualmobil #sienta https://t.co/1W5MCzPWEV
Bridgestone Ecopia Dan Turanza Jadi Ban OEM Toyota Sienta Q dan V https://t.co/qjyZUBBuGD https://t.co/oofDV0BxtK
Ketahui Fitur Khusus Ban Toyota Sienta https://t.co/9evg5swiI9 #1beritaotomotif #otomotif https://t.co/cA4b8zNKSJ
Hankook Kinergy EX Jadi Ban Resmi Toyota Sienta https://t.co/1xdIou8j4n https://t.co/7UljynRgiJ
Ban Serep Toyota Sienta Berbeda Ukuran https://t.co/bXJlf6yWGw
Bridgestone Terpilih Sebagai Ban Resmi Toyota Sienta https://t.co/N3NOs00Sml
https://t.co/6ql6c1X30l Ketahui Fitur Khusus Ban Toyota Sienta: Ban ini diproduksi oleh Hankook… https://t.co/MTdixAQrxa
Bridgestone Ecopia EP150 dan Turanza ban standar Toyota Sienta: Produsen ban PT Bridgestone Tire Indonesia (B... https://t.co/0FZHGkrV8d
No, Toyota Sienta isn't available in Lane-keeping Alert.
No, Toyota Sienta isn't available in CD.
No, Toyota Sienta doesn't have Rear Airbags.


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Emma Watson flies the flag for Britain in a Union Jack T-shirt as she announces that she will be taking a break from university to concentrate on her film career.
The actress, 20, released a statement saying that she would be postponing her studies at America’s Brown University in Rhode Island as she finishes work on the final Harry Potter film, Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
She wrote on her website: ‘I’ve decided to take a bit of time off to completely finish my work on Harry Potter (the last one comes out this summer) and to focus on my other professional and acting projects.
‘I will still be working towards my degree… it’s just going to take me a semester or two longer than I thought.
‘As you know, I love Brown and I love studying pretty much more than anything but recently I’ve had so much to juggle that being a student AND fulfilling my other commitments has become a little impossible.’
Watson is currently busy working on a number of fashion projects before she starts to promote the grand finale of Harry Potter.
A new snap of the star released today shows her modelling a T-shirt, tiny shorts and cap by fair trade eco-range People Tree.
Emma will also be working on another eco-friendly fashion line with designer Alberta Ferretti.
She said of the range, which will be called Pure Threads by Emma Watson Alberta Ferretti: ‘I believe this is a big step forward for all of the international fashion industry, but also an important step for an increased sensitivity to the problem of ecology.’
Watson will be walking the red carpet on July 7 in Trafalgar Square along with co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.


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CAW President Buzz Hargrove Outraged
It was only a little over a month ago that the enterprise minister of Ontario, Jim Flaherty, announced his confidence in the new DaimlerChrysler plant to be built in Windsor. Since then, the confidence level has dropped, drastically.
|Canada's most popular vehicle, Chrysler's minivans, are currently produced at the existing Windsor assembly plant. Pictured here, the 5 millionth minivan rolls off the line. . (Photo: DaimlerChrysler)|
Late on Wednesday the Chrysler sector of DaimlerChrysler AG axed their plans to build a new $1.6 billion (USD$1.2 billion) assembly plant in Canada. The cancellation could ultimately lead to issues between the automaker and the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW).
|The proposed plant initially was said to be for a new small-sized pickup based on the Dodge M80 concept vehicle. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler)|
Windsor, right across the U.S. border from Detroit, is where DaimlerChrysler currently builds its Caravan and Town & Country minivans as well as the new Pacifica crossover SUV. The proposed plant initially was said to be for a new small-sized pickup based on the Dodge M80 concept vehicle, but the U.S. market that would purchase the majority of the facility's production is currently in the dumps due to never having fully gained momentum after 9/11, and more recently the war in Iraq and SARS.


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Warm, drier weather is just around the corner. Let’s hope it boosts building construction. New Home sales figures are showing people are getting done with winter and planning to move around. The manufacturing segment is doing well too. Rising gasoline prices are a negative, although freight rates remain subdued. The steel industry remains as strong as it has been in the last 10 years, but input costs are rising. Will the mills make another attempt at a price increase soon? Galvanized imports remain weak. March car sales figures are due in soon, and the analysts are expecting continued slowness.” – Bill Feier, Manager of World Sourcing
– #1 heavy melt scrap was steady at $318 per ton as well as #1 busheling scrap at $375 per ton.
+ Raw steel production hit 81.1% of capacity.
– Monthly raw steel production in the USA since 1969 remains on a down trend. The all-time high of 11,951,000 tons occurred in May of 1973 and a record low of 3,799,000 tons in April of 2009.
– Iron ore FOB Chinese ports is $85 per dry metric ton. Rio Tinto warned on Monday that its Australian iron ore production could be reduced by 14 million tons due to disruption caused by Cyclone Veronica and the damage to port facilities at Cape Lambert A, where there was a fire in January. The miner expects its 2019 shipments from the Pilbara operations to be at the lower end of the targeted 338-350 million tons. Meanwhile, heavy rains in north Brazil’s Port of Ponta da Madeira have affected Vale’s loading and shipping operations, mainly involving the high-grade Iron Ore Carajas, sources said, adding that the duration of the disruption remains unclear. China formally implemented its new 13% value-added tax (VAT) rate on Monday, down from 16%, for industries including iron ore importing.
– Zinc prices are too hot again. Inventory on the LME is getting too thin.
– Galvanized steel imports are weak.
– New U.S. light-vehicle sales are projected to fall for the third straight month in March. Affordability concerns, higher interest rates and an uncertain regulatory outlook are keeping some would-be shoppers at home, analysts say.
+ Daimler and Geely will relaunch Smart as China-based EV brand. The Smart microcar brand will be expanded into the subcompact segment and will build future models in China in a joint venture owned by Daimler and Geely.
+ The final GDP report for Q4 of 2018 showed 2.2%. Consumer spending rose to a 2.5% annual rate. The economy kept a steady balance between goods and services, both durable and non-durable.
– Housing Starts fell 8.7% in February and permits fell 1.6%. The slowest section of the country is the western region where housing starts fell 9.4% and permits dropped by 22%.
+ New Home Sales jumped 4.9% in February. The supply of unsold, new homes slipped to 6.1 months’ worth. The average price of a new home was $315,000.
+ Construction Spending rose 1% in February driven mostly by public construction projects.
– Business Inventories rose .8% in January as sales rose by only .3%, driving the inventory to sales ratio up to 1.39 to 1.
+ The ISM Manufacturing Index rose to a reading of 55.3 in March driven by increased production, and prices paid components.
– Gasoline prices continue on the upswing. Refineries slowed to 86.6% of capacity. Oil futures are up to $59 per barrel.
+ Freight rates are subdued.
– According to Nielsen, the average American spends three hours a day staring into a phone or tablet. Factor in TVs and computers, and it’s up to about nine hours in the glow of a screen. That’s a lot of time that could be better used for professional gain. Technology and productivity expert Cal Newport offers advice on how to free yourself from the tyranny of email, social media, and other digital services. Here are six actions you can take now.
① Schedule Uninterrupted Work Blocks
Chart your workday in two-hour periods and quarantine tasks that don’t necessarily boost productivity—including meetings and phone calls—to some scheduled breaks between the blocks. “If you take a two-hour block and do literally no quick checks, your mind is operating at full capacity,” Newport says. It’s like having a cognitive superpower.
② Hang Out With Yourself
By pulling out our phones at the first hint of boredom, most of us suffer from what Newport calls “solitude deficit,” which could be partly responsible for a 5 percent jump in anxiety-related disorders from 2017 to 2018. One way to work in alone time and harness it for creative gain is to practice productive meditation. Do something physical, like jogging, to focus your full attention on a single problem. Two or three such sessions a week will tame your screen-check impulse, he says, and improve your concentration.
③ Send Fewer, More Thoughtful Emails
The typical office worker sends or receives roughly 125 emails per day, according to analytics firm the Radicati Group. That’s potentially many hours wasted on low-quality communication. Newport’s solution: Ignore every email that doesn’t require a response, and for those that do, write one that minimizes the number of subsequent emails—instead of “Let me know when you want to meet up,” try “Let’s meet at Rocko’s Coffee at noon or 12:30.”
④ Phone a Friend
Digital interaction isn’t a substitute for real-time conversation. “Our brains don’t really understand a ‘like’ or a ‘happy birthday’ on Facebook,” Newport says, adding that such gestures don’t add a sense of connection or belonging. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to meet friends face-to-face, give them a call. You’ll feel better.
⑤ Clean Out Your Toolbox
Newport recommends taking a 30-day break from any digital tool that isn’t essential to your work, including social media and video games. You can also probably do without chat services and attention-guzzling websites such as Reddit. When the detox is complete, set clear productivity and relationship goals, then reintroduce only those services that help you achieve them. Set some boundaries, too—for instance, check Twitter only on your desktop computer.
⑥ Get Crafty
As you scale back on your digital compulsions, make time for a hobby, whether it’s painting, playing an instrument, or even whittling. Use your hands productively, and you’ll create something you’re proud of. That’ll help you forget about whatever’s happening on your phone.


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Trend #1: Digital Advertising Comes of Age and Continues to Propel the Growth of Data Brokers and Markets
Authors’ Note: As promised, this is trend number one in our take on the top ten privacy trends or the more things change, the more they stay the same. Although similar to David Lettermen’s Top Ten lists, our list is not as funny (unless we get points for sarcasm). We would like to remind you that sifting through the media coverage, books, blog posts, and research studies has been no easy task and trying to understand how all of it fits into the larger privacy landscape has been even harder. Added to that, our list is sure to elicit a litany of trends that we missed. We certainly hope that it does and welcome your input in our comments section! Now, on with the trend number one!
It is safe to say that continued media attention (mostly negative) has not had an impact on the rising use of third party tracking mechanisms to collect personal information. According to the Web Privacy Census, an undertaking sponsored by the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, which measures and benchmarks Internet tracking over time:
- The number of cookies discovered on the top 100, 1,000, and 25,000 websites are all significantly increasing. For example, in May of 2012 5,795 cookies were found on the top 100 sites and in October of 2012 the number reached 6,485.
- The percentage of cookies set by a third party host was 84.7%. In other words, most of us are being tracked by a host of parties that we have no data collection agreement with.
- The top trackers were BlueKai (the largest online auction marketplace), Rubicon Project (one of the larger real-time bidding systems that sells ad space on web pages), and Adnxs (the advertising exchange for advertising exchanges).
It’s clear that data collection is big business, increasing by 400% year-over-year, with 54% of that activity “beyond publishers’ control (compared to 31% the previous year).” So while first party collectors continue to urge all of us to give them information about us, third party collectors continue to hijack that data to use for their own business models—a practice some call data fracking. According to online privacy firm Abine, there are more than 200 data collection companies and ad networks that “…use 600 different tracking technologies to gather and sell information on people’s web habits.”
Along with the rise in third party data collection, the increasing prevalence of real-time bidding, where buyers and sellers enter into a sort of real-time auction to agree on a price for an ad impression, is a digital advertising game changer. As Google AdWords commoditized search, real-time bidding systems are poised to commoditize the digital world. We are no longer being advertised to in buckets but as unique individuals and advertisers are competing for our singular attention:
“The odds are that access to you — or at least the online you — is being bought and sold in less than the blink of an eye. On the Web, powerful algorithms are sizing you up, based on myriad data points: what you Google, the sites you visit, the ads you click. Then, in real time, the chance to show you an ad is auctioned to the highest bidder.”
And our data is becoming more valuable to the digital ad buyer. In 2012, worldwide digital ad revenues were $102 billion. In 2013 it was $119.84 billion and is projected to reach $137.84 billion in 2014. By 2017, real-time bidding is predicted to account for more than $8.49 billion in digital ad spending, which is 29% of the total market.
Perhaps more troubling is the blurring of lines between the data collectors and brokers. For example, Facebook, unarguably the holder of the most valuable personal data trove, has partnered with the three largest U.S. data brokers: Datalogix, Acxiom, and Epsilon. What this means to consumers is the merging of offline and online activities—for example, what you buy with your loyalty card at Safeway can be used to measure the effectiveness of Facebook ads served up to your demographic for a particular product.
Data brokers (those companies that sell information about us) continue to reap the very profitable benefits of the big data world we now inhabit. For example, Acxiom recorded more than $1.3 billion in sales in 2012 and has a:
“…database [that] contains information about 500 million active consumers worldwide, with about 1,500 data points per person. That includes a majority of adults in the United States.”
But for now, much of what data brokers know about us remains a mystery as most are unwilling to share their profiles with the consumers they track. And while medical records are confidential and there are strict guidelines regarding credit reports, according to the FTC:
“There are no current laws requiring data brokers to maintain the privacy of consumer data unless they use that data for credit, employment, insurance, housing, or other similar purposes.”
From your name, address, age, race, occupation, and education level to life-event triggers (like marriage, pregnancy, birth, divorce), along with hobbies, things you might want to buy, and the kinds of books you like to read—the data broker probably knows more about you than you do and this information is put to what some might call questionable use by government agencies, businesses, and other organizations:
“The profiles allow marketers, politicians and businesses to predict consumers’ futures… whether we will be a big and low-wage lifetime earner, how we may respond to medical concerns and whom we can be persuaded to vote for.”
It’s clear that “our” data is for sale and is being used to support a myriad of business models. So if you thought that data brokers only served the digital advertising market, think again.
 Krux Research Shows 400% Year-Over-Year Growth in Data Collection, Krux Research, June 12, 2012


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They enjoyed making an IMPACT; you can enjoy drinking it
HOPEWELL -- The time to make an IMPACT is here.
And the time to enjoy it is oh, so close.
The release of IMPACT is Saturday. For now, you'll have to savor Naked Dove Brewing Co. Business Manager Kim Porter's words of this hazy, juicy, and smooth IPA beer "with a little hop bite on the finish and subtle mandarin orange and melon notes."
"It’s wonderful and super easy to drink," Porter said.
This special beer was brewed by several women involved in the local craft beer industry on March 8, International Women’s Day, at Naked Dove.
And on Saturday, that’s where you’ll find it. Visitors can stop by the brewery at 4048 state Routes 5 and 20, enjoy a pint and purchase cans and T-shirts to go, said Porter, who organized the project.
A portion of the sale of the beer will go toward purchasing undergarments for Sexual Assault Forensic Exam programs, or SAFE, at UR Medicine Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua and Rochester General Hospital.
According to F.F. Thompson Hospital Sexual Assault Program Coordinator Cristine Crawford, in 2020, the number of patients who sought care at the hospital following an alleged sexual assault was up slightly from 2019. Over the course of a year, 43 patients required care, with 10 of those being under the age of 12.
Many of the women who receive treatment are sometimes forced to go home without their undergarments and clothing, because they are needed for evidence.
Naked Dove plans to have plastic bins available for anyone who wants to donate undergarments. Those who can’t come can find an online wish-list at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3EC9D4VHHU3GQ?ref_=wl_share.
Already, there has been an outpouring of generous donations from customers and people who learned about the collaboration, Porter said.
“Also, the emails thanking us for bringing light to these women and the emails from mothers of daughters who have been sexually assaulted and the women who have shared their story -- wow! So powerful,” Porter said. “I will carry each of these stories with me forever.”
Porter is thankful for the brewers, brewery owners, beer managers and other industry professionals from 14 different craft breweries, beer bars and organizations who took part in making IMPACT.
Several local bars and restaurants will carry it, and cans will be available in Wegmans next week.
“A huge part was they all took the day off from their daily duties to participate,” Porter said. “Everyone is promoting it in their tasting rooms and some will carry the finished product. And all are helping to spread awareness about the charity.”


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Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to step down
By Matt Egan
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Howard Schultz, the visionary leader of Starbucks, will be stepping down next year as CEO of the iconic coffee giant.
Schultz's surprise decision to step aside as the leader of Starbucks sent the stock sinking 3% in after-hours trading on Thursday.
Starbucks said Schultz isn't going away completely. Effective April 3, he will become executive chairman, where he will focus on innovation, the company's premium offerings and on social impact. Current chief operating officer Kevin Johnson, a tech industry veteran, will replace Schultz as CEO.
"This is a good thing. I'm not leaving the company," Schultz told CNN's Poppy Harlow by phone on Thursday.
The 63-year-old said he had been planning the move for at least a year. Asked if he's going to Washington, Schultz laughed and said, "No, I'm not going to Washington."
Instead, Schultz emphasized a desire to focus on the company's social impact initiatives.
"Given the state of things in the country, there is a need to help those left behind," Schultz told CNN.
Schultz said he also wants to focus on Starbucks' premium offerings, such as the Roasteries that allow customers to watch freshly-roasted beans arrive.
Separately, in a conference call, Schultz said Johnson brings "unparalleled understanding of market dynamics" and he deserves a "tremendous amount of credit" for the company's recent record results.
During the call, Johnson called Schultz "among the world's most iconic leaders and entrepreneurs."
Johnson seemed to choke up and his voice broke when he said it had been a "privilege to work side-by-side with Howard."
Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 as director of retail operations and he helped turn the company into a retail powerhouse and an iconic American brand. He stepped down as CEO in April 2000 to concentrate on executing the company's global strategy.
But Starbucks struggled without him at the helm and seemed to have lost its way. Schultz returned as CEO in 2008 and helped guide the coffee giant through the Great Recession and get it back on track. Today, Starbucks is valued at $84 billion and it has more than 24,000 retail stores in 70 countries.
Schultz has also been outspoken on a variety of social issues. He has supported raising the minimum wage, he offered his employees free college and pushed Starbucks to open a store in Ferguson following the city's violent protests.
Asked if he's concerned Starbucks could suffer again in his absence as CEO, Schultz said the "differences between then and now couldn't be greater."
Schultz said the Starbucks management team didn't have the "capability and experience" to navigate the Great Recession. By contrast, he praised Johnson's skills and even said his deputy is "better prepared than I am" to be CEO at this point.
TM & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


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Inside the reveal, 15-page contract made public last month, regulators mentioned pond Mary-mainly based city Trust lender need certainly to send an extensive business plan to eliminate whatever referred to as “violations from rules and you may statutes[,] and you will hazardous and you can unsound financial ways concerning vendor control techniques.”
City depend on’s contract utilizing You.S. workplace on the Comptroller into money, dated July 18, demands the financial institution to enhance, on top of other things, the consumer-safeguards conformity plan, the supervision of prepaid-cards business as well as monitoring of third-party suppliers.
The lender has produced vast amounts when you look at the profits because the going into the prepaid-cards company last year together with CheckSmart, a storefront cycle had of the Ohio-created neighborhood solution Financial Inc., hence targets payday-get better loans or other alternate economic service.
Federal authorities bring bought a quick-expanding middle Florida bank to solve oversight difficulties with its prepaid debit-card companies, in fact it is run by a pay check-loan organization features come slammed by customer groups as a type of “predatory” credit
Urban confidence stated previous recently it has resolved all the problem increased of the comptroller’s company, which is the principal regulator for the country’s federally chartered finance institutions. S. financial rules.
“We had been likely to answer contained in this certain time-frame, so we posses reacted,” mentioned Angelo Palombi, metropolitan believe’s the reason interim ceo. “We regularly evaluate our functions and you may do interior audits, although government say you will find an easier way to record you to definitely. Therefore we wanted to incorporate extra details.”
The new Comptroller of moneyis the reason contract with city Trust means violations uncovered throughout the a study of the financial institution earlier this present year, although it doesn’t create particulars. These exams were private, and you will boat finance companies are not permitted to review openly on the certain conclusions.
Bank authorities asserted that, generally, they just needed seriously to revise papers showing how the financial’s procedures A?aa? including the prepaid debit-card companies A?aa? were already in compliance having U
City trust, when called City financial out-of Orlando, try a traditionally black-had savings and loan one news millionaire Robert Johnson acquired and you will rebranded in the 2006. He sold https://www.paydayloanadvance.net/payday-loans-mi/ his desire for the lending company on 24 months before. Its establish totaled $281 billion during June 31 A?aa? a practically 10-bend enhance since the 2008, according to research by the current regulating data A?aa? rendering it the latest 8th-premier towards you created financial considering main Florida share of the market.
Government began examining city believe after above two-dozen user-advocacy organizations petitioned the Comptroller for the Currency, inquiring the brand new agencies so you’re able to intervene to your bank’s the reason prepaid debit-cards enterprise, that groups called good ruse made to “let payday financial institutions avoid state usury rules through payday cash towards the prepaid cards.”
Payday advances have long been criticized of the customers supporters, whom cite the true highest outlay regarding the brief, quick unsecured loans, being usually from the the consumer’s next income.
Prepaid debit cards function in a different way A?aa? consumers put money ahead of time, as well as their cash is “loaded” onto her cards, that may subsequently be reproduced such as traditional debit otherwise playing cards A?aa? however, customer teams say payday-advance-for example expenses are brought about by elective overdraft protection you to definitely cards suppliers offer.
According to research by the ailment submitted because of the customers communities using the Comptroller of money, overdraft-protection fees on Urban have confidence inis the reason prepaid service cards total triple-hand interest rates on what add up to temporary loans. A charge from $fifteen regarding $a hundred worth away from “overdraft cover,” eg, will be the same in principle as a keen annualized rate of interest off 390 % A?aa? just like brand new annual percentage rates towards pay check advances, buyers supporters state. This type of costs break usury rules in some U.S. says, instance Kansas and Washington, the newest organizations mentioned.
City count onis why prepaid service cards are sold in the CheckSmart stores when it comes to those one or two says plus in several more claims, including Florida.
“We imagine this will be a test situation ones brand of services and products,” stated Lauren K. Saunders, referring to lawyer the National customer laws middle’s the reason Washington company. “all of these notes have already vanished from the industry A?aa? except that one. I think pay-day financial institutions include eyeing this program observe what happens on it.”
However, city Trust stated its prepaid service charge notes is genuine and you may easier lending products being nothing like payday loan. As an example, the newest credit’s the reason elective overdraft-defense feature imposes a charge much like 15 percentage in the overdrafted amount A?aa? a part of the fresh new $thirty-five approximately that finance institutions generally recharge for each access to overdraft insurance policies on a traditional debit credit, the lender stated.
Also shelter equip prepaid-card people in order to prevent overdraft expense entirely, stated Palombi, the bankis the reason interim President. “The fresh allegations out-of customer teams that somehow the lending company is facilitating payday financing are merely incorrect,” he said.


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According to an official statement shared by the Mumbai based Housing.co.in, a real estate classifieds portal, it has paid USD 500k to support its plans to go international by acquiring domain name Housing.com.
This is supposedly a big investment coming from a startup which recently raised USD 2.5 mn in Series A if we believe the ticket size of the deal.
The company has also revealed its plans to hit its first international expansion within the next 6 months. “We have been getting a lot of traction from prospective partners from other countries. And they are more than willing to invest in their countries initiative,” said Advitiya Sharma, co-founder, Housing.co.in.
With this the company has also acquired the All 3’s National number, 03-333-333-333 (yet again for USD 500k deal as per company claims) which both buyers and sellers can use to shoot any query at the company. As per Advitiya Sharma all 3’s number acquisition is a step is to facilitate quick service to offline and fast moving users.
Launched in 2012 by a group of around 12 IIT Mumbai Alumni, Housing.co.in is a map based real estate search portal which works on the idea of helping people to book or rent flats without involvement of brokers.
Housing.co.in has raised funding three times this year including a USD 2.5 mn Series A funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners. Recently, it has expanded its operations in Pune, Gurgaon and Hyderabad and has also introduced a classified segment feature for farmers and villagers.
To contact the author, email firstname.lastname@example.org


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MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - March 06, 2014) - On Monday, March 3rd, South Florida-based Indie Soul swimwear opened the first day of Orange County Fashion Week with the latest in bohemian luxury resortwear. Unconventional hippie met luxury design in the collection of colorful, handcrafted swimwear, cover-ups and dresses, and the spirit of Southern California exuded through the show, which was attended by the region's influential fashion enthusiasts and key buyers.
Following the show, Indie Soul opened a pop-up shop at Sugar Rush, a red-carpet evening cocktail held at 7 Degrees in Laguna Beach where attendees took a closer look at the styles from runway. The brand became an opening day favorite after critics in attendance reviewed the superior materials and craftsmanship from a technical standpoint.
"Although we're rooted in Miami, the exuberant collection is inspired by the free spirited souls of the hippie movement, which is deeply rooted in the culture of California," said Tim Gorgol, Creative Director of Indie Soul. "With this in mind, Orange County Fashion Week was the perfect platform to reintroduce Indie Soul into the West Coast where the style strongly resonates."
Gorgol, who launched the brand in 2013, employs a one of a kind hand-dying process that is executed by artisans in Peru and Colombia who specialize in the technique, which achieves the signature look of Indie Soul. To date, the brand is the only resortwear line utilizing this process, which ensures that no two pieces are identical, just like the women donning them.
The runway show and pop-up also offered the opportunity for creative to engage with the brand for Project Bikini, a contest for guest designers to create a swimsuit that will bear the winner's name on the label and be sold in the Indie Soul flagship store and newly launched website. With a firsthand look into the core of the brand to guide their design process, fashion aficionados who viewed the Indie Soul concept in motion may have greater chances of becoming the chosen collaborator.
For more information, please visit www.MyIndieSoul.com.
About Indie Soul
Miami-based Indie Soul is a global, luxury bohemian clothing and accessories brand specializing in swimwear, cover-ups and dresses. Since its recent launch in 2013, the brand has already been featured in key shows including Mercedes-Benz Swim Week and Paris City Mode.
Led by Creative Director Tim Gorgol, the brand captures the bohemian essence through its one of a kind product creation process. Crafted from the finest silk and individually hand-dyed by the indigenous artisans of Peru and Colombia, Indie Soul's technique ensures that no two pieces are identical. To date, Indie Soul remains the only brand to utilize the technique.


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Jordan is putting a high premium on its travel and tourism industry as a high-rise and spin-off player for the rest of its economy. Today, both the Jordanian monarch King Abdallah and his government are working hard to making the nation’s tourism sector as a much of a hospitable industry as possible to receive tourists from all over the world, from the east from such countries as India and China to states from the Americas.
Jordan’s tourism sector is a $2.3 billion industry and makes around 14.5 percent of the country’s GDP, but is set to increase higher as more plush hotels and better infrastructure is put in place. This is at least the vision as outlined by the country’s five-year National Tourism Strategy which is set to end in 2010.
It is with this in mind the Jordan Travel Mart (JTM) was held at the Dead Sea’s high-tech King Hussein Ben Talal Convention Center, 10-12 February, that has proved a unique venue of bringing Jordanian tourism professionals and travel operators from the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina for the event.
According to organizers, the Jordan Tourism Board, North America, the three-day venue is an important event to bolster the Kingdom’s tourism industry by getting travel practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic to meet at the Dead Sea, to discuss and exchange point of views about the best ways of bringing tourists from the Americas to enjoy the Kingdom’s top tourism potentials that include historical, cultural, spiritual, adventure and eco-tourism as well as MICE [Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events] and desert delights and of sleeping in tents.
It was somewhat of an innovation for the local tourist industry as around 250 delegates—owners, managers, sales representatives, event producers, hoteliers, transport companies, travel associations—from both Jordan and the Americas met in separate 25-minute pre-scheduled appointments with colleagues which for they most part they never met in their lives and hammered out travel and tourism packages which American, Brazilian, Canadian and Mexican tourism specialists promised to take home and sell to their clients, and which they were sure would increase the travel traffic flow between Jordan and across the Atlantic.
The JTM is the brainchild of the Jordan Tourism Board in Amman, Jordan Tourism Board, North America and executed by the William H. Coleman, a Florida-based management consultancy, displaying a new force of cooperation through private-public sector management aimed at global growth and may even be termed as just one of the new theories of economic development along the community development and “green tourism” Jordan is also stressing.
These concepts came up in the Dead Sea travel mart that had a necessarily strict formal style, and conducted in a business-to-business format which everyone in the booth-designed floor hailed as very productive and animated between American “buyers” and Jordanian “sellers” were avid information was exchanged from both sides.
Tourism sellers like Petra Tours as well as others interesting in boosting inbound tourism to the Kingdom interacted with diligence and excitement with many of the American buyers, saying this is were business is being made and deals struck.
“This is the kind of meets that we require in Jordan to cement our businesses and build up traffic from the Americas to Jordan, says Awni Kawar, General Manager of Petra Tours and Chairman of the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association.
However, the approach may have been a little different, as one seller said the buyers wanted details like costs of packages, whereas we wanted to talk about our products, but arrangements of follow-up have been made and as expected in such travel marts, and were different cultures would inevitably get in the way, complaints were sited.
One buyer from Canada, said while he had enjoyed the sightseeing tremendously, as he was taken on a pre-JTM tour of Jordan’s south, he said, it was “somewhat hectic” and a “more leisurely pace was required”. The same goes he said for the pre-scheduled appointments which he said made you feel like as tripping from one booth to another and needing to gulp your breath!
However, one of the organizers said the point about the strict business schedule was to allow buyers to see as much of the suppliers as possible to generate the required tourism business between Jordan and the countries across the Atlantic which is why everybody is here for. From an onlooker point of view, it gave a sobering scene to the floor, with a ticking clock scenario.
Overall and judging from the level of interaction the organizers were very pleased and said both “sellers” and “buyers” were actually getting in tune with the long-list of business appointments they had in front of them. Also, organizers hoped this first travel mart in Jordan would become a yearly event that would allow American buyers to explore the Jordanian market fully, which a number of whom hadn’t realized of its huge potential.
Words like “incredible”, and “warm” were frequently heard by attendees like Mexican Gray Line General Director Jorge Mejia while people like Kenneth Luzietti of The Travel Society in Denver said he came here amongst other things to explore the Religious/Faith based market which there is a growing demand for in the United States and which this country has.
Kevin Wright, a religious travel expert came especially from the United States for the JTM to highlight the importance of religious travel in the world as an $18 billion global industry with $10 billion of that in America alone, and that Jordanian operators must recognize this fact understanding that many religious sites, including the Baptism Site, are in the Kingdom.
The point was further stressed as well religious tourists were not only coming to faith-based sites but wanted and interested in adventure, historical, ecotourism and other sightseeing holidays which Jordan in abundance.
While some complaints were made about what was called as service issues and emphasized there should be more training of the local staff, who needed to be in ship-shaped condition to meet international tourists, especially those from the American markets, many of the incoming agents said Jordan is a great marketable product.
However, some doubted whether Jordan could be sold as a “stand alone” destination and that it would be better to offer it to their clients as part of a regional package with Egypt and Israel. They said since tourists were coming all the way from across the Atlantic, they felt sure they would like regional packages and greater variety.
Malia Asfour, director of the Tourism Board North America, felt sure the doubters will change their minds simply because of the diverse value of the tourism product in Jordan and she hoped will change their mind as they realize Jordan offers great wonders and experience whether in terms of genuine hospitality, exploring ancient cities and castle ruins, going on incredible eco-adventure activities, and soaking in mineral hot springs.
In between the B2B meetings and not to disturb the sellers and buyers business schedule, a full course of lectures, seminars, speeches, presentations and panel discussions were given by industry experts on the importance of tourism as a business and development agent. These included a presentation by a Jordanian tour guide about his impressions of the touristic value of the country, on adventure and eco-tourism, as well as a talk on the investments developments in Aqaba, on Royal Jordanian and cruise liner destinations as important holiday packages as given by Terry Dale, chief executive officer of Cruise Lines International Association.
Jordanians wanted to make sure that their hosts received the message that Jordan was open for global tourism. To make sure time is not spared some of these talks were given at breakfast and luncheons and sometimes evening dinners and not forgetting the mingling during after-dinner parties.
The first Jordan Travel Mart will certainly be remembered for its introduction to Jordan as a vibrant destination, many of whom already know about but many others will continue to remember long after they’ve gone home, to the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
Thus the JTM could be seen as an effective marketing exercise in which businessmen from across the international travel and tourism industry mingled with one another to set new growth rates for development and cooperation, and raise the standards of the industry.
– – – – – § – – – – –
Marwan Asmar is a media consultant/writer in Petra Tours. Be sure to visit his website at PetraTours.com.
Below are some additional links on the topic:
- AME Info – Jordan Travel Mart sets new business trends in tourism
- Jordan Travel Mart draws North and Latin American buyers – Travel Daily News
- Amman Press – Jordan Travel Mart promotes Kingdom’s attractions to Americas
- Jordan Travel Mart Draws Over 100 North and Latin American Buyers – PRWeb
- Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association – JITOA attends the first annual JTB Jordan Travelmart


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AppleInsiderMar 28, 2023, 8:54 am112 ptsThe deadline that Philips set for Matter support in Hue smart bulbs and lights is about to go zooming by, and it's not clear when the update will arrive. Philips Hue smart lightbulbs Matter is a standard that aims to standardize communications between different smart home frameworks and platforms, such as…
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UK Police Trial The Tesla Model 3
For the past nine months, police in the UK have had the opportunity to test out the Tesla Model 3 as a possible green addition to its fleet of police cars.
In the light of COP26 reaffirming our need to bring about the green revolution and for renewable energy, UK police forces up and down the country have been trialling the Tesla Model 3 as one of their options for doing their bit to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The trial has only been going on for nine months so far, and already there have been very positive reports.
What Is The Tesla Model 3?
The Model 3 is the world-renowned electric vehicle (EV) company Tesla’s most successful car. As the most affordable from its lineup, the car had instant success after its release in 2017, and by 2020 more than 400,000 units had been sold globally. It has been consistently the best-selling EV since the release, and now the UK police are giving it a spin in their latest trial of electric replacement for their fossil fuel powered vehicles.
The trial has been putting the Tesla Model 3 through its paces, testing to see whether it would make a contender for the greening of the UK police force. The UK police have already had electric cars on the road before, but the Model 3 might just be the one to make the government’s Road to Zero Strategy come to fruition. In the light of the strategy, fire, police, and ambulance services have been testing zero to low carbon alternatives, preparing for the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel run vehicles in 2030.
How's The Trial Going?
So far the trial has been a great success. The Model 3 has been able to endure all the tuffles and scrams that a police car would likely be involved in. Even dressed in the Battenburg uniform of a standard UK police car, the Tesla has been showing officers what it’s capable of. With acceleration of 0-60mph in 3.1s and a top speed of 168mph, the car is easily fast enough to tackle offenders on the road.
Also, it’s shown that it is capable of dealing with advanced driving conditions for 4 hours straight, only needing to be put on charge for 20 minutes to get an extra 6 hours out of a shift. If that wasn’t enough, that time on charge only cost around £20.
How Will This Benefit The Environment?
It’s clear that the Model 3 would make some significant savings to the police. Not having to worry about maintenance costs or refueling with petrol or diesel makes up for the £60,000 per unit. Despite the economic advantages, there are also important stats to suggest the Model 3 will help reduce the police’s carbon footprint.
For example, the Metropolitan Police already operates a fleet of 5,000 cars, each generating a whopping 4.6 metric tons of Co2 per year. The Model 3 only produces 91 grams of Co2 equivalent per km, which means that, over the 46,777,718 miles the Met covers every year, they would only be producing 6,850,611 kg of Co2 each year. That's a 24% decrease from using a normal petrol run car!
There’s still a little way to go before we start seeing Tesla’s patrolling our streets however. Despite the benefits, some modifications will need to be made, such as changing the blues-and-twos to reduce the impact on speed. Yet this green innovation in the public sector should have a great influence on the private sector. Even though we have incentives like the Climate Change Levy in place for businesses, the potential for reducing both emissions and costs for a company is much more attractive.


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Edge of the veg
The vegetarian victim can retire happy as upscale restaurants allow veggies to take centre stage
When Monkey Bar, the country’s coolest gastropub, launched in Bangalore’s Indiranagar in April, regular patrons of the older edition on Wood Street were rather taken aback. From a menu that unabashedly made love to its meats, including lamb heart, brains and chicken liver, beef and pork, executive chef and partner Manu Chandra had pared down the non-vegetarian content in the newest avatar to just over half. Alongside the Crab Rangoon and Tempura Calamari, a number of the dishes especially crafted for the new outlet were vegetarian: Chilli Cheese And Sour Cream Pierogi, Mushroom Pan Rolls, a Tofu Burger, even a wok-tossed Japanese eggplant and paneer (cottage cheese) take on the MoBar bork, which uses double-cooked pork belly.
“At Indiranagar, we have about a 55/45 division between non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes,” says Chandra. “The Wood Street outlet, which opened in 2012, was our first foray into the gastropub zone, we were still setting the template. The general feedback was that there weren’t enough vegetarian options on the menu. So we corrected it along the way, and launched the Indiranagar pub with a more balanced menu.”
That the veg edge is no passing fad—or even just the mainstay of the ever-popular Sukh Sagars and Rajdhanis—is borne out by the dining segment where it all began. At a time when top-end restaurants still considered Norwegian salmon the ultimate luxury product, quick-service restaurants (QSR) were the first to tap into the vegetarian market. From the all-veg Pizza Huts, which have been around since the 1990s, to the no-meat McDonald’s which set up shop near the Golden Temple in Amritsar earlier this month, fast- food chains are happy to feed the Indian idea of kosher. Further up the food chain, casual- dining restaurants such as Johnny Rockets have been quick to pick up the idea, minus the QSR accompaniments of fat and salt and fillers.
“When I took up the franchise (of the American chain) in India, there was one vegetarian item on the menu, a soy patty burger,” says Bakshish Dean, who quit the Park Hotels group as director, food production, four years ago and is now CEO, Johnny Rockets India. “For eight months, we conducted food trials and now we have a 50/50 division between the veg and non-veg dishes. Besides the mushroom patty, the mixed-veg patty and the potato patty, we recently came up with a 100g paneer patty with Creole spices and a panko crust. Our international team, which was here recently, had never seen such a vegetarian variety. Now we are in talks to take some of our creations abroad, particularly to the Middle-Eastern market.”
“Five years ago, I thought it would be just wrong to do a vegetarian pad Thai,” says Mitesh Rangras, partner at SID Hospitality, Mumbai, owner of pan-Asian restaurant Lemon Grass and Japanese restaurant Aoi, and the brain behind the all-vegetarian menu at Asian Street Kitchen (ASK). “Then we met a master chef from Thailand, who told us that though vegetarian food was unheard of in their country, the sheer number of Indian tourists was forcing them to adapt their dishes to Indian dietary preferences.”
With this reality check, Rangras set about creating a vegetarian base for the classic Thai soup, the tom yum. “We thought a mushroom stock would come closest to the meaty base of the traditional soup. But it was too mushroomy—and a lot of vegetarians don’t even like mushrooms. Then we went back to the basics of the French cooking we’d learnt in catering school and made a vegetable broth, reduced it and added it to the mushroom stock. Besides the tom yum, it is also the basis of the Vietnamese pho served at Asian Street Kitchen,” says Rangras.
Incidentally, the ASK, which opened in March at Girgaum Chowpatty on a stretch known for its “pure-veg” eateries, claims to be the first restaurant in Mumbai to serve vegetarian versions of Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese dishes like nasi goreng, ramen and pho, all heavily characterized by egg, seafood and meat in their originals.
The newest triumph of the veg wedge of the food pie is Burma Burma, a well-received 12-table restaurant in south Mumbai. “The Burmese usually cook their raw meats in broth, something I knew Indians would not take to. Similarly, the mohinga, which could be called their national dish, is topped with a sprinkling of shrimp powder, which I was sure Indians wouldn’t like,” restaurant owner Ankit Gupta explains his rationale to go veg.
But of course, both Rangras and Gupta operate out of Mumbai, that bastion of the well-off and well-travelled vegetarian. Long before eating out became liberalized urban India’s favourite mode of socializing, their parents were serving the best of stir-fried babycorn and mushroom au gratin at their lavish weddings and private parties. Now, as they demand variety and quality within their inherited food traditions, they are joined by the vegetarians by choice, guided by health or environmental or other concerns, and well able to afford their proclivities. And they can be anywhere.
Or so hopes Yauatcha, the London, UK, based dim-sum house with branches in New Delhi and Bangalore, besides Mumbai, which recently introduced a 50% vegetarian menu across cities and the option of transforming a decent number of these dim-sum, salad, stir-fry, rice and noodle dishes into no-onion, no-garlic options. “Though we really don’t have that many Jain customers, we think of this as a value-added service,” says Yauatcha Bangalore manager Joydeep Das.
While vegetarians will definitely be relieved by the new trends, innovative chefs are as thrilled by the veg-friendly non-vegetarian, who loves a jimikand (yam) purée when it accompanies the roasted salmon, or opts for a Malabar spinach stuffing in the gyoza over the regular ground pork. Alert maître d’s notice regular clients opting for a vegetarian starter, followed by a non-vegetarian main course—or the other way around: a change from a few years ago, when a meal out inevitably meant a meat and fish feast. Pushing that trend is the rediscovery both of desi fruits and veggies such as drumsticks, amaranth, jackfruits, colocasia roots, plantains and lotus stems, and the local availability of new “imports”, such as baby pumpkin, kale, Swiss chard and the like.
In a country where meat or fish is one of several equal constituents of a lunch or dinner, and frequently shared at a restaurant table—unlike, say, the staple meat-and-two-veg meal of the UK—vegetables are finally creeping up from the sidelines to the centre stage. And there’s not a single piece of fake meat in sight.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
u Parmigiana de Melanzane, tomato-aubergine-Parmesan reimagined at Ottimo, ITC Gardenia, Bangalore
u Watermelon Soup with Black Salt and Feta, at Caramelle, Kolkata
u Wild Greens Lasagne, featuring ‘bathua’ and ‘cholai’, at Olive Beach, Mumbai and Bangalore
u Ohn Thamin, rice cooked in coconut milk, flavoured with shallots and raisins, at Burma Burma, Mumbai
u Pak Boong Fai Dang, stir-fried morning glory with chilli and garlic, at O:h Cha, Mumbai
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- Dr Reddy’s Q4: It’s a wait and watch, share price spike notwithstanding
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Katsuhiro Harada, general manager at Bandai Namco and director of the Tekken series, has revealed that Tekken 7 has sold over 9 million copies worldwide. This makes it the best selling game in the series, surpassing Tekken 3 which sold 8.3 million copies on the PlayStation 2. The last sales update for Tekken 7 was in March 2021 when it reached the 7 million milestone. Harada-san also revealed that the Tekken franchise has sold over 53 million copies to date. Tekken 7 is available on the PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One.
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The international invasion of Canadian retail continues with COS (Collection of Style) opening store fronts in Toronto and Montreal this upcoming Autumn/Winter.
Since launching in 2007, COS, a member of the H&M group of brands, has reached 26 countries globally with their affordable wardrobe essentials. Contrary to the trendy items that may come to mind when you think of H&M, COS offers classic yet timelessly modern pieces, with close attention to detail.
The Toronto storefront will be amongst Toronto’s most premium retail, at 85 Bloor Street West, offering three floors and 6738 square feet of retail space. Montreal’s store front will be in the prominent shopping complexes at 1310 Saint Catherine West, with one floor and 4273 square feet of retail space. Check out COS online for a sneak peak of what to expect.


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European road transport prices break new records
Inflation, weakening demand, social instability and war in Ukraine are causing tumultuous road freight price developments, report reveals Ti / Upply / IRU Road Freight Rate Benchmark for the second quarter of 2022. For the first time, this edition offers a separate analysis of the evolution of spot and contract rates.
- The European Contract Road Freight Rates Index reaches an all-time high of 121 points in the second quarter of 2022, which represents an increase of 6,1 points in quarter-on-quarter terms and 13,1 points in year-on-year terms.
- The European Road Freight Spot Rate Index also reached an all-time high of 134 points, up 11,8 points from the first quarter of 2022 and 20,1 points from the second quarter of 2021.
- Inflation is rising in all European countries and reached an all-time high of 8,6% in the eurozone in June, weighing on costs and demand.
- Although diesel prices have varied according to the countries, in July they have remained high and are 69% above the level of January.
The report European Road Freight Rates Benchmark, produced by Transport Intelligence, Upply and IRU, analyzes Europe's road freight transport prices and market outlook quarterly, to inform the decisions of shippers, transport providers and carriers.
For the first time since the report's inception, Ti, Upply and IRU are able to offer differentiated analysis of spot and contract rates in this edition covering the second quarter of 2022.
War in Ukraine: After the invasion of Ukraine in March, the price of diesel before taxes in the EU-27 soared 69% compared to its level in January.
Weakening demand: Multiple indicators point to weakening demand for road freight transport in Europe, with declining activity in major economies and inflation rates weighing on consumer and business confidence.
Rising Inflation: Inflation is rising in all European countries and reached an all-time high of 8,6% in the euro zone in June. According to the latest data, Spain is the country that experiences the greatest increase, with a rise in prices of +10,2%, higher than the other large European economies: Germany (7,9%), France (5,8%) , Italy (8%) and the United Kingdom (9,1%).
Shortage of drivers: The shortage affects the entire European continent. Germany is in a particularly critical situation, with an estimated shortage of between 50.000 and 80.000 truck drivers. Migrant workers make up 24% of the German driver workforce and the loss of Ukrainian nationals returning to defend their country has further restricted the supply of drivers in Germany.
France/Spain: In this corridor there have been very significant increases in spot rates. In particular, the increase reached 21,2% quarter-on-quarter in the Paris-Madrid direction. This is almost double the average increase in European spot rates and is also the second largest increase of all European spot rates.
Germany/Poland: All rates, with the exception of spot rates from Duisburg to Warsaw, have reached new all-time highs on this route after following an upward trend since the start of the pandemic. Contrary to the relationship seen on most European routes, spot rates on this route increased more slowly than contract rates. Demand has been affected in particular by the weakening of the sector in Germany and Poland. The instability created by the conflict in Ukraine is particularly notable in this part of Europe and also affects the evolution of industrial prospects.
France/Great Britain: After the Proposed referendum on United Kingdom membership of the European Union, transport operations between France and Great Britain have become more expensive and lengthened. Researchers from the London School of Economics (LSE) have found that while exports have largely recovered, UK imports from the EU have fallen by 25% compared to other destinations. In addition, the variety of goods traded fell by 30%. Low-value goods were the most affected by the increase in administrative costs.
Thomas Larrieu, CEO of Upply, comments: “The slowdown in European demand should stem the upward pressure on road freight rates. On the other hand, carriers continue to face significant cost increases (fuel, labour, etc.), so rates are likely to remain elevated in the coming months."
Nathaniel Donaldson, Economic Analyst at Ti, says: “The effect of rising costs in 2022 is now very apparent, with road freight rates across the European continent reaching new all-time highs. Initial fuel price hikes following the Ukraine invasion have held up and produced a much more expensive environment for European road carriers, while industrial action and worsening driver shortages keep capacity tight. A series of indicators point to a drastic slowdown in consumption and production, which will facilitate further increases while high costs keep rates high.
Vincent Erard, Director of Corporate Services at IRU adds: “Driver shortages are one of the biggest challenges facing the road transport industry right now, and its effects are likely to increase in the near future and continue to impact prices. of transportation. The age distribution of drivers already gives an idea of what lies ahead, as 34% of drivers are over 55 in Europe and young people under 25 only represent 7%. This trend will be exacerbated if older drivers continue to retire, some of them earlier than expected, as occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, further reducing the pool of available drivers. All actions and initiatives aimed at improving the attractiveness of the driving profession and removing barriers to access to the profession (cost of training, minimum age) will be decisive in the long term.'
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The State Office for Occupational Safety and the agency tasked with fighting illicit work were investigating whether minimum wages are being paid as well as whether rules on working hours and conditions for construction workers’ housing were being adhered to, the news outlet reported.
Tesla and the German authorities were not immediately for comment.
Tesla aims to wrap up the construction of its factory near Berlin, its first gigafactory in Europe, within months and start production at the Gruenheide site towards the end of 2021.
Initially, Tesla had planned to start production on July 1, 2021, but red tape and plans to also build a battery cell factory on the site have delayed the project.
(Reporting by Arno Schuetze; Editing by Giles Elgood)


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China’s Huawei Technologies on Tuesday said the US government had instructed law enforcement to “coerce” and “entice” its employees to turn against the company, as it steps up its pushback against a US campaign that could threaten its survival, reported Reuters.
Huawei said in its public statement on Tuesday that the US government was using its judicial and administrative powers as well as other means to disrupt its business and that of its partners. Huawei staff and Huawei partners were subjected to unlawful searches, detention and arrest while some employees were visited by FBI agents at their homes and pressured to collect information on the company, according to the company’s statement.
Eight employees, several of them US citizens, were involved in the incidents. All of them are mid- to high-level executives. The latest incident happened on August 28 when an employee from Huawei’s US office informed the company of a visit from the FBI asking the person to be an informant.
Amid a trade war with China, Washington put the world’s No. 2 smartphone maker on an Entity List in May, in effect cutting off its access to essential US components and technology, in particular Google’s apps and services for Android devices.
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The euro trended lower versus the US dollar for the fourth straight session on Thursday. The euro US dollar exchange rate dropped to a low of US$1.1037. The pair is holding steady around US$1.1050 in early trade on Friday.
The euro came under pressure in the previous session following weak German industrial production data and as the European Commission slashed growth forecasts for the bloc. Data showed that industrial production in German tumbled in September back to levels not seen for over two and a half years, adding to fears that Europe’s largest economy was in recession. Industrial production fell by -0.6% month on month in September, well below the 0.3% increase from the month previous. The weak data overshadowed stronger German Factory orders earlier in the week and added to fears that Europe’s largest economy is heading into recession.
The European Commission cut growth forecasts owing to Brexit uncertainty and ongoing global trade tension, which weighed on the euro. Growth of 1.1% is now forecast for this year, down from 1.2%. Next year growth of 1.2% is forecast, down from 1.5%. The news comes just a month after the ECB eased monetary policy to shore up the slowing economy.
Will US Consumer Confidence Bolster the Dollar?
The dollar gained across the previous session, boosted by comments from a Chinese commerce ministry official, indicating that the two global powers were inching closer to a trade deal. The Chinese official and the US have said that the two sides had agreed to cancel in phases the tariffs imposed during the trade war. Should China and US achieve a trade deal the US economy and particularly the manufacturing sector could benefit, potentially pulling the sector out of its ongoing slump. The would be beneficial for the dollar.
Today investors will continue digesting any trade headlines. This trade dispute has often moved two steps forward one step back. On the US economic calendar, University of Michigan consumer confidence could attract some attention later today. Analysts expect consumer sentiment to hold steady at 95.5. Any sign of strength in the release could boost the dollar. This is because a confident consumer tends to spend more, which is good for the economy and inflationary pressure.
|What do these figures mean?|
|When measuring the value of a pair of currencies, one set equals 1 unit and the other shows the current equivalent. As the market moves, the amount will vary from minute to minute.
For example, it could be written:
1 EUR = 1.12829 USD
Here, €1 is equivalent to approximately $1.13. This specifically measures the euro’s worth against the dollar. If the U.S. dollar amount increases in this pairing, it’s positive for the euro.
Or, if you were looking at it the other way around:
1 USD = 0.88789 EUR
In this example, $1 is equivalent to approximately €0.89. This measures the U.S. dollar’s worth versus the euro. If the euro number gets larger, it’s good news for the dollar.


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The phenomenon of nearshoring - the relocation of
manufacturing production to countries that provide less expensive production
processes and are closer to the end consumer - offers the potential for a mass
return of jobs from China to the North American market, and will get under way
sooner rather than later, says a manufacturing sector economist.


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Cryptocurrencies are still a new concept for many people around the globe, and the same is true for non-fungible tokens (NFTs). With popularity across America, about 24 percent of local households have owned one or both options. These numbers increase consistently, especially among sports betting fans, with 34 percent of fans having already purchased them.
These numbers are according to the Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted by Seton Hall University, and 37% more men than women participated in this poll.
The purchasing and selling of crypto and NFTs is even stronger among the younger population, with 42% of participants aged 18-34, 29% aged 35-54, and 7% aged 55+ saying that someone from their household has purchased or sold one or both assets.
Official figures from the poll show that the market is in the “early innings” of NFT and crypto ownership. However, sports fans have demonstrated a true proclivity for amusement in these markets.
According to Seton Hall’s Marketing Professor and Poll Methodologist Daniel Ladik, NFTs could become a major stream of revenue while becoming a new route of fan connection for sports platforms. For this to happen, they must be managed in an appropriate way. He further says that assets like NFTs, especially in this digital age, can provide a sense
of equity and belonging – main factors for overall success in the market.
These findings are part of the Seton Hall’s Sports Poll performed last month among 1,514 adults in the country. Figures are gathered based on different parameters, including gender, ethnicity, age, education, income, and geography, with a margin of error of +/- 3.2%.
To better understand the results of the Seton’s Hall Sports Poll, it would be useful to know the difference between cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
Cryptocurrencies are decentralized digital payment solutions that are free from bank or central authority control. Their value is based on cryptographic proof of transfers that are verified and recorded on a blockchain database.
Many people utilize cryptocurrencies as an exchange medium – to purchase things and receive payment for a service/product. Some of them also invest in crypto following the model for stock investments and rely on their increase over time.
On the other hand, NFTs are tokens featuring ownership of specific items such as images, music, or video clips. It is possible to copy a digital image many times, but the main value remains in the original product. Non-fungible tokens are usually held on Ethereum, but they can also be found on alternative blockchains.
The main difference between the two assets is that cryptos have an economic value, while NFTs have both monetary and non-monetary value.
Survey participants mentioned higher engagement with crypto when answering specifically if they hold cryptocurrency or NFTs. Sixty-two percent of participants reported purchasing and selling only crypto, while 31% of respondents only mentioned NFTs. Seven percent reported engagement with both options.
The value of both NFTs and fan tokens is based on their scarcity. At the same time, many sports teams provide benefits for their non-fungible token holders, and the Seton Hall Sports Poll examined the interest of their respondents in these perks. People have been asked if certain benefits contribute to their fan/purchaser appeal. Some of the possible benefits displayed in the survey are discounts at sports stores, conversion of a game ticket into an online collectible card, a ticket enhancement to a premium seat, or an opportunity to walk on the field/court just after the game.
Based on the poll results, the most popular benefit for NFT holders is the possibility to upgrade a ticket at no extra cost. About 43% of the adults responded affirmatively to this benefit (66% of avid fans and 58% of sports fans).
Regarding discounts at team stores, they have 34 percent supporters among the population (49% sports fans and 66% avid fans). At the same time, converting a game ticket to an online collectible had 28% of “yes” answers among the population (40% for sports and 54% for avid fans).
Post-game walking on the playing field or court is another benefit that has a solid 33% of enthusiasts among the population (45% sports along with 57% avid fans). The last benefit of the report is the possibility of being part of a leadership committee related to the organization that has 37% affirmative responses (46% among sports fans and 60% for avid fans).
Based on the opinion of Professor Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management within Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business and official sponsor of the Poll, these numbers indicate that NFTs are the fertile base for leagues to boost the fan experience. However, he believes that teams and leagues don’t fully comprehend the nature and prospects of NFTs and benefits like a digital VIP card. That’s the reason why this ground is still “to be sown” by major sports.
This SHSP was conducted from May 5th to May 9th and involved responses from 1,514 US residents (with a margin of error of 3.2%). The sample relies on the US Census percentages and uses different parameters such as age, income, gender, education, ethnicity, and region.
The Seton Hall Sports Poll, organized regularly since 2006, is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. This poll was managed online by YouGov Plc. utilizing a national representative sample based on gender, ethnicity, age, education, income, and geography, following the U.S. Census Bureau figures. Respondents were chosen from YouGov’s opt-in panel to represent all U.S residents. This poll follows the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. Its results have been released in different newspapers, including USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, Reuters, CNBC, NPR, Yahoo Finance, Fox News, and more.
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The Terry Semel era at Yahoo is officially over.
The former Yahoo CEO, who left that position last summer but remained as non-executive chairman of the board, is now out of the company altogether.
Yahoo announced Thursday afternoon that Semel will immediately relinquish his spot on the board.
According to a company statement, Semel began talking with other board members several months ago about stepping down and "targeted the time of the January board meeting for his departure."
Whether that's true or not is something we will likely never know, but one thing's for sure: there are a lot of people who won't miss the Semel era too much.
Of course, the Jerry Yang era hasn't gotten off to too hot a start either. The Yahoo co-founder ascended to the CEO role when Semel left the seat last summer.
Earlier this week, Yahoo announced that it wasamidst lower quarterly profits than in the same time period a year earlier.
The company said it had earned $206 million, or 15 cents a share, on $1.4 billion in revenue. And while revenue was up, the profit number was lower than the $269 million it earned a year earlier.
Last June, Semel stepped down from the CEO position he'd held since 2001 after it became clear his leadership was not taking the company where it needed to be.
Now, with layoffs, lower profits and an unsure future, Yahoo, which for years until Google eclipsed it was synonymous with the growth and success of the Internet, is facing an extremely uncertain future and a need to examine and define its true identity.


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Investors were pleased to see upward momentum continue on Wall Street on Monday, as major market indexes posted solid gains. For the most part, market participants are anticipating an outcome in Tuesday’s midterm elections that will reduce the likelihood of major changes occurring in Washington, which many see as beneficial to the business community.
Dow Jones Industrials
Some of the gains came from rebounds in stocks that have been hit hard, and one of the biggest was Meta Platforms (META 6.53%). However, some former high-flying stocks remained down on the mat, and on Monday, it was Tesla (TSLA -5.01%) that was the most noteworthy decliner among mega-cap names.
Analysts applaud Meta layoff reports
Shares of Meta Platforms were up 6.5% on Monday. Reports concerning the social media giant looking to rein in some costs got a thumbs-up from Wall Street analysts in response.
Meta is considering substantial layoffs in the coming week, according to The Wall Street Journal. Given the huge size of its overall workforce, layoffs could involve thousands of employees, and they finally represent a nod from the company that paying attention to expenses is a necessity in the current environment.
What isn’t clear, though, is exactly where the layoffs are likely to hit. Many investors might prefer to see layoffs centered on the expensive long-term metaverse project, as skepticism has grown about whether the huge capital expenditures CEO Mark Zuckerberg has championed will pay off. But given Zuckerberg’s adamant stance regarding the necessity of moving toward the metaverse, it’s likely that layoffs could be aimed at its core ad-supported social media properties.
Analysts at Itaú BBA upgraded Meta stock from market perform to outperform, arguing that the price of the shares has fallen so far that Meta has a good risk-reward profile. Yet even Itaú doesn’t seem all that optimistic, with its $102 price target representing only a modest gain from current levels.
Tesla falls below $200 per share
Meanwhile, Tesla stock fell 5%, closing below the $200 mark for the first time in a year and a half. Concerns about the Elon Musk-led EV pioneer remain in full force, especially as its CEO tries to juggle his personal investment holdings with his responsibilities leading a publicly traded automaker.
Fundamentally, some investors are concerned that an economic slowdown could hurt Tesla’s long run of strong consumer demand. That doesn’t appear to have happened in the U.S. market to any considerable extent, but some parts of the world where the Tesla brand doesn’t have quite the same value are seeing somewhat sluggish growth.
Meanwhile, some worry that Musk’s other pursuits could have an effect either on Tesla’s business or its stock price. The purchase of Twitter has been a distraction that could take up considerable amounts of time and effort, at least over the short run. Moreover, if Musk ends up needing to sell more of his stake in Tesla in order to pay down debt related to his Twitter acquisition or for other reasons, then the resulting selling pressure on the stock could cascade.
Even with the declines, Tesla stock is still up tenfold from late 2019 levels. That’s good news for longtime shareholders, but it also hints at the extent to which the current valuation still includes hopes for outcomes that might not materialize.
Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Dan Caplinger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms, Inc. and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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PUBG developer Bluehole tackles cheaters
PUBG developer Bluehole is tackling the game's biggest problem on Xbox One and PC.
Bluehole has teamed with Chinese company Tencent to root out cheaters ahead of the launch of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds in China.
And the initiative seems to be working, because Chinese police have already made arrests in the region.
According to Bloomberg, the Police have uncovered 30 cases and arrested 120 people suspected of designing cheat software.
The software is being used to give players the edge within the game, adding abilities like X-ray vision and auto-aim targeting.
It's part of a scheme to clean the game up in time for the full release.
The news comes as PUBG developer Bluehole adds a couple of new loot crates to the game.
The only problem is that some of the items are almost impossible to find.
The new items can be found by opening Biker crates and Desperado crates.
Unlockables include new gloves, boots, jeans, glasses, hats and jackets.
The most common items have a 15% drop rate, while the rarest gear only drops 0.01% of the time.
That's true of the brown and black Sleeveless Biker Jackets, as well as the checkered Cloth Mask.
Elsewhere, the Leopard Cloth Mask has a 0.16% chance of dropping, while the Aviator Goggles only have a 0.03% chance of being discovered.


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The pace of sales of jewelry and other luxury items slowed in Hong Kong in September, as poor weather and trade fears drove down tourism traffic to the municipality.
Sales rose of 2.2% to HKD 6.15 billion ($785 million) for jewelry, watches, clocks and other valuable gifts, according to data from the Census and Statistics Department. The growth was well below the 20% increase it had for the first nine months of the year, at HKD 64.33 billion ($8.21 billion). Total retail sales in Hong Kong grew 2.4% to HKD 36.57 billion ($4.67 billion).
“Retail sales grew at a decelerated pace in September, partly due to the temporary drag on inbound tourism by typhoon Mangkhut,” a Hong Kong government spokesperson said. “Local consumer spending may also have been dampened by worries about the US-Mainland trade conflicts and stock-market corrections.”
The retail outlook for Hong Kong will likely rebound as the employment rate continues to rise and tourism to the country increases, the spokesperson explained. However, the government continues to monitor “external uncertainties and weaker asset markets,” which may affect consumer sentiment, the spokesperson added.
In China, retail sales of gold, silver and jewelry jumped 12% to CNY 23.6 billion ($3.41 billion) for the month, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported recently. Total retail sales in all sectors for China climbed 9% to CNY 3.2 trillion ($462.8 billion).


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Without question, Image’s The Walking Dead series has become one of comic’s biggest success stories. In addition to the third television season premiering this October on AMC, and new installments of their episodic video game planned to be released throughout the year, it seems the comic has yet another achievement to add to its repertoire. In this month’s July edition of Diamond Comics Distributor’s monthly sales it has been reported that the comic’s 100th issue was the #1 top seller of the month of July, beating out big name competitors and setting a new record for best-selling comic book initial orders originally set in 1997.
The 100th issue is part four of the story’s Something to Fear arc and focuses on Rick and his group squaring off against The Saviors, another group of survivors from the story’s post-apocalyptic reality. Currently, the comic has outsold Marvel’s Avengers vs. X-Men (the second high grossing comic of July) by over 150,000 issues; however, as Diamond Comics’ report only cover the transactions between Diamond Comics and retailers the numbers cannot be taken to be truly reflective of the market.
During a press release responding to the issue’s success, Image Comic’s Publisher Eric Stephenson shared his contentment stating, “This is a remarkable achievement”. “It’s extremely uncommon, if not flat-out rare, for a comic book to see a sustained increase in sales following its first issue, but The Walking Dead steadily climbed up and up since its launch in 2003, and we couldn’t be more proud of Robert, Charlie and the whole Walking Dead team” Stephenson continued. Additionally, during this press release Image Comics revealed that the Walking Dead’s 100th issue sold a staggering 383,612 initial orders.
Have you read the Walking Dead’s 100th issue? Let us know what you think in the comments below!


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Supermarkets 'call shots' on planning laws
Labour has been accused of caving in to big-business cronies after it was revealed that planning safeguards for Britain's historic town centres were scrapped following pressure from the supermarket giants.
The Government has announced plans to axe the so-called 'needs test' limiting the growth of out-of-town stores - provoking fears for the future of small shops.
Now the Mail on Sunday can reveal how the White Paper heralding the changes bore a startling resemblance to briefing papers drawn up by the Big Three supermarkets.
The disclosure will fuel suspicions that Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda have a stranglehold on Government policy, while small business owners struggle to be heard.
The 'needs test', introduced by the Tories in 1996, forced large supermarkets to prove there is a 'need' for large new retail parks before development can go ahead. The White Paper unveiled by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly proposed scrapping the test but promised to protect the 'vitality' of town centres.
However the Conservatives claim safeguards are 'vague and toothless' - and say retail giants had a major say in the new rules, which use language very similar to their own.
Asda, in a Government submission written in February, said: 'The needs test directly restricts competition.' Three months later the White Paper talked about the needs test having the 'effect of restricting competition'.
In October 2006, Sainsbury's complained the current planning regime 'restricts local choice'. In the White Paper, the Government said the needs test was 'limiting consumer choice'.
Asda claimed that the needs test was preventing 'edge-of-centre' stores which could, in fact, boost flagging town centres - and again, the Government used similar language and an identical argument.
Asda said the needs test was a 'redundant instrument' for helping town centres. The White Paper said it was a 'blunt instrument'.
Tory planning spokesman Michael Gove said: 'The Government is turning a deaf ear to environmental concerns and is planning to weaken the protections our High Streets enjoy.'
The major supermarkets have long enjoyed a close relationship with New Labour. Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy was given a knighthood by Tony Blair and was a dinner guest at Chequers after his company bailed out the struggling Millennium Dome with a £12m donation.
Former Sainsbury's chairman Lord Sainsbury of Turville is Labour's biggest private donor, giving an average of £2m a year. For almost ten years he was also an unpaid Government Minister.
Asda, owned by US giant Wal-Mart, has employed a series of lobbyists and spin doctors with close New Labour links, including Tim Allan who was Alastair Campbell's No.10 deputy.
A Government spokeswoman dismissed claims that supermarkets were dictating policy. 'This is absolute nonsense and based on nothing more than a limited number of selectively chosen extracts.' she said.
'The White Paper sets out new planning rules to enable councils to prioritise town centres over out-of-town shopping.'
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If you were excited for Elder Scrolls Online before, the news got even better today as Bethesda announced they were bringing it to Xbox One and PS4 in addition to the PC and Mac. Matt Firor, Game Director of Elder Scrolls online had this to say about the announcement, “It’s something our fans have been requesting since we first announced the title, and something our team is excited to offer. Everyone will be able to play The Elder Scrolls Online the way they want to play.”
In addition, during the Sony Playstation 4 Press Conference it was announced there would be a Playstation 4 exclusive beta in the coming future. Anyone interested in signing up for the closed beta on console or PC can do so by going to the official Elder Scrolls Online website. Elder Scrolls Online is expected to launch on all four platforms in Spring 2014.