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SAN JOSE — Logan Couture has been named the Sharks’ new captain by coach Pete DeBoer, the team announced Thursday morning.Couture, 30, a first round draft pick (ninth overall) by the Sharks in 2007, has spent all 10 years of his NHL career with San Jose and served as an alternate captain to Joe Pavelski from 2015-2019. Pavelski signed a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars on July 1 as a free agent.Along with Couture, Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, Erik Karlsson, and Joe Thornton will each …
Human milk banking, like wet nursing, has been around for years. But in modern times with the rise of HIV, precautions are necessary. The South African Breastmilk Reserve allows babies to be fed with breast milk when their mothers are unable to do so. It helps to reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission, and other infections in premature babies. Stasha Jordan started the South African Breastmilk Reserve to ensure infants born to HIV-positive mothers can be fed breast milk. The bank also helps other infants in need. (Image: Priya Pitamber)• Active citizenship in South Africa at a healthy level• Research backs up South Africa’s good story• Sandton goes car-free for a month• South Africa’s women in politics• Social enterprises set up to change lives Priya PitamberFollowing the birth of her first child, coupled with research for her Masters in public policy and policy guidelines on the feeding of babies born to HIV-positive mothers, Stasha Jordan was inspired to create the South African Breastmilk Reserve (SABR).“We saw that mixed feeding – formula and breast milk – could increase the escalation of infection,” she said. “A human milk bank works better. It prevents the mixed feeding of HIV-exposed infants.”She said she found the opportunity to make a difference for humanity.This is in line with South Africa’s health goals as set out in the National Development Plan of reducing maternal, infant and child mortality from 56 to below 30 per 1 000 live births, and reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission to zero by 2030.How human milk banking worksHealthy mothers are encouraged to voluntarily donate breast milk. The donated milk is then pasteurised. In Johannesburg, it is kept in nine deep freezer units at the SABR offices at Media Mills. So far, 44 human milk banks have been set up at hospitals across the country.“In South Africa, where so many women are HIV-positive, sourcing donor mothers has even more importance than in the western world,” states the SABR website.“Without breast milk during their first two weeks of life, premature infants (especially those with a low birth weight) are left wanting for antibodies and are vulnerable to infections and diseases that result in hundreds of deaths annually.”Ruzelle Enslin, a 28-year-old human resources and payroll administrator, started donating breast milk in March this year. She said her 15-month-old son no longer drank expressed milk, so she wanted to donate it. “Other babies can benefit,” she explained.She now donates two to three litres every second week. “I put a donor number on the bottle and the date. The courier picks it up,” Enslin said. “I’ll continue to do it for as long as possible.”Some breast milk is collected at the donors, says SABR, “other times we might need you to meet us half way or pop into a milk bank or collection corner”.There is no monetary gain for donors. “Two-thirds of the breast milk received by Netcare hospitals is donated to state facilities,” reads the website. “Public patients receive the milk free of charge while private patients pay R250 per week of feeding.”Benefits of breast milkHuman milk banking has other advantages for babies other than reducing the exposure to HIV. It helps premature babies get the nutrition they need to grow, and helps to reduce the risk of infections of the gut.An SABR breast milk bank was set up at Cecelia Makiwane Hospital in Mdantsane in Eastern Cape in November 2014 by nursing sister Nobathembu Mafanya and registered dietician Kim Venter. “Feeding artificial milk to premature and low birth weight infants increases their risk for developing life threatening intestinal diseases like necrotising enterocolitis (NEC),” said Venter. “It can be avoided if a baby receives breast milk.”Feeding artificial milk to premature infants is directly associated with NEC, an infection of the intestine, says the SABR. NEC results in infant mortality rates exceeding 80%. Breastfeeding has benefits for mothers and their babies. Click on the image for a larger view. (Image: SABR)Quasim Aham, 34, used the SABR service because his baby was born at 33 weeks and his wife had an infection in her blood. She was unable to breastfeed their newborn.The Ahams used breast milk donated by his niece. “It’s been very beneficial,” he said.Posted by South-African Breastmilk Reserve on Monday, October 12, 2015Challenges and rewardsSince the SABR was formally registered in 2005, Jordan said it had had its fair share of challenges and highlights. “It’s a non-profit organisation so a challenge is to find funding,” she explained. “We also had to establish a new industry – human milk banking – and find a market for it.”But she had noticed it had had a growing impact. “The SABR runs 44 milk banks across the country and is expanding fast: last year it fed 1 689 babies, while this year it got to more than 2 800,” noted British newspaper The Guardian. The SABR has expanded its footprint and has increased the numbers of hospitals it services. (Image: SABR)“We have touched the lives of infants,” concluded Jordan.If you are interested in becoming a donor, or are in need of its services, see the SABR website.
Share Facebook Twitter Google + LinkedIn Pinterest By David P. Anderson, Extension economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension ServiceBrisket prices are heating up just like summer temperatures. One of the most interesting beef demand trends over the last few years has been the growth in demand for briskets. It’s not just new craft BBQ joints popping up everywhere in Texas, but even big chains like Arby’s jumping in and they all serve brisket.Briskets used to be an inexpensive beef cut that benefited from long, slow cooking at low temperatures. They are no longer inexpensive. What used to be a very inexpensive cut, the primal brisket is now only behind the primal rib and loin in value. In the last week of May, the comprehensive cutout brisket value was $213.47 per hundredweight (cwt), up 19.4% from the same week the year before. Just during May brisket prices jumped from $194.39 to $213.47 by the end of the month. The monthly average price was up 12% compared to last year. In comparison, only the primal short plate was up as much as 1% and the primal rib and loin were both down about 1% from a year ago.Many top-end BBQ joints working to produce a truly exceptional meal use and advertise USDA Prime or branded briskets. USDA Prime briskets hit $215.76 per cwt at the end of May and were outpaced by branded primal briskets that hit $220.82 per cwt. Prime, branded, and Choice primal briskets are up 21% compared to a year ago, while Select and Ungraded are “only” up 17% and 15%, respectively.This is a case where demand is outstripping supply, leading to quickly rising prices. Fed steer and heifer slaughter is up a little less than 2% through May compared to last year. Quality grade composition of beef supplies matter. About 8.1% of cattle graded, graded Prime in May, compared to 6.9% in May 2018. Slightly fewer cattle graded Choice 70.1% in May 2019 compared to 70.4% in May 2018. Select supplies were down just over a percentage point in May. Increasing steer slaughter and cattle on feed should increase available supplies in coming months.The future growth rate in the nation’s cattle herd will be critical for brisket prices. While we cut many products from other primal beef cuts, a brisket is a brisket (forgive my simple economist description). As herd growth slows and overall cattle prices decline, brisket supply growth won’t keep up with current demand growth. It’s likely that restaurant prices will rise in response to higher wholesale brisket costs to try to preserve a bit of margin.
The Rise and Rise of Mobile Payment Technology Why IoT Apps are Eating Device Interfaces Role of Mobile App Analytics In-App Engagement Related Posts jolie odell Tags:#mobile#web After AT&T and Verizon announced new mobile rates this past weekend, many users were happy to hear that the cost of voice calls would be reduced for two major American carriers.Today, the restructured mobile plans and packages went into effect, but the costs, benefits and corporate revenues aren’t as simple as a few saved dollars for cell phone calls. In a word, what all gadget geeks, tech-heads and mobile users know is that data is one of the more costly – and ever more popular – aspects of any user’s mobile plan. As smartphone adoption increases, how do major carriers’ plans stack up to one another?Our good friend (and startup BillShrink rep) Tony Adam wrote today in a blog post, “The real truth behind the story is that the profits are in the data: Verizon’s revenue is now up 24% (they reported $15.8 billion in Q309), with 17% coming from data services.”To put it bluntly, we’re all texting, emailing, tweeting and updating constantly – who even has time for a phone call these days? The laws of supply and demand state that as demand for voice services wanes and the public consumption of mobile data services rises, corporations will realize that it’s worth their while to create a false economic incentive for voice packages while maintaining and increasing rates for data packages.The tricky part, then, becomes stripping away the marketing-ese, the convoluted packaging structures and the hard-pitch sales routines that go along with them to determine how users can get the best fitting data and voice plans.Thanks to BillShrink’s unwavering focus (and they said the process behind this achievement was “painful… the carriers didn’t make it easy”), we have a concise, clear infographic on how mobile plans and rates from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile all measure up to one another. Or at least we have a start: Based on data they collected, the BillShrink folks estimate there are now 10 million ways to structure a cell phone plan.To see the full-size, fully detailed infographic, check out BillShrink’s large version.For example, Verizon and Sprint are currently asking $119 for unlimited voice, text and smartphone data plans, while T-Mobile and Sprint’s equivalents ring in at $20 less per month. In fact, just about all the plans from these four carriers are identical until you start to factor in text messaging and mobile Web browsing, at which point Verizon and AT&T start to charge more than their competitors.As smartphones and superphones take over the market, do you think we’ll see more network-agnostic devices? And with more network-agnostic smartphones sucking up more mobile 3G bandwidth, do you think all carriers will raise their pricing for data and text packages?Let us know what you think in the comments. What it Takes to Build a Highly Secure FinTech …
Millennials have the most trust in self-driving out of all the age demographics, according to a new AAA survey. Only 69 percent would be afraid of driving an autonomous vehicle, compared to 82 percent of Baby Boomers.The younger age group also show more acceptance of semi-autonomous technology, like adaptive cruise control (45 percent to 37 percent of Gen-X), automatic emergency braking, and self-parking (33 percent compared to 22 percent of Gen-X).See Also: Electric vehicle startup NIO unveils self-driving concept car at SXSWMillennials were the most likely not to purchase a self-driving vehicle if it cost extra. Baby Boomers were most likely not to purchase because of safety reasons.The AAA survey also found that women were more concerned with self-driving technology than men. 81 percent of women are afraid of being driven by an autonomous vehicle, compared to 67 percent of men.As other surveys have shown and the AAA backs up, the more a driver uses self-driving or semi-autonomous tech, the more comfortable they are with advancements. 84 percent of drivers that have used semi-autonomous tech are likely to trust adaptive cruise control, compared to 50 percent thatThe more you use it, the more you want toAs other surveys have shown and the AAA backs up, the more a driver uses self-driving or semi-autonomous tech, the more comfortable they are with advancements. 84 percent of drivers that have used semi-autonomous tech are likely to trust adaptive cruise control, compared to 50 percent that haven’t tried the technology.Self-driving cars are still a very new technology, one that a lot of people still don’t know exists. Many more have not had a chance of testing a driverless vehicle or even seeing one on the roads, so it limits their understanding of the capabilities.As more test cars start to roll-out onto public roads and manufacturers call on the public to try them, we are bound to see some increase in the trust and excitement surrounding the new tech. The AAA has already come out in support of self-driving vehicles, but only if fully tested. For Self-Driving Systems, Infrastructure and In… David Curry Break the Mold with Real-World Logistics AI and… Tags:#AAA#automotive#autonomous cars#baby boomers#driverless#futurology#generation x#Millennials#Self-Driving Related Posts IT Trends of the Future That Are Worth Paying A… 5 Ways IoT can Help to Reduce Automatic Vehicle…
Ace shooter Gagan Narang wins his third gold in men’s pair 50m rifle 3 position, partnering Imran Hasan. This win has taken India’s gold haul to a remarkable 16 in the Commonwealth Games.Narang wins his third gold in men’s pair 50m rifle 3 position, partnering Imran Hasan.He and Imran Hassan Khan score Games record 23-25 points in men’s 50 metre rifle three positions.
An amalgamation of some of the well-known singers from Asia and outside, along with depiction of the rich and varied culture of co-hosts India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be the highlights of the grand opening World Cup ceremony here on Thursday.Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who have composed the official song for the World Cup, and Sonu Nigam will represent India while Runa Laila of the Dama dam mast kalandar fame and Mila, a local pop icon, will be the prominent Bangladeshis on display. Legendary Canadian singer Bryan Adams will add variety to what promises to be a spectacular show.The fireworks and laser show will be yet another attraction, but the competing teams will be conspicuous by their absence at the 10th edition of the tournament and the third in south Asia.Also, the culture of Pakistan, which was scratched as a co-host by the International Cricket Council (ICC) due to security reasons following the attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in March 2008, will not be seen at the over two-hour ceremony at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Manzur Ahmed also said that Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina will declare open the 45-day, 14-nation tournament, though the presence of Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman is doubtful.”The full teams will not be there at the opening. Only the captains and the managers will be present. That is how (Indian company) Wizcraft has designed the ceremony,” Ahmed told MAIL TODAY.One major reason for the teams’ absence could have been a big logistical problem in transporting teams from various parts of the three south Asian countries. But when India and Pakistan cohosted the World Cup in 1987, all competing teams lined up at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.In fact, at almost all World Cups, the teams have got together before the first match. Wizcraft, in association with Bangladesh’s Asiatic Events, an advertisement firm, has designed the ceremony, but they are keeping the contents close to their chests. But sources said that Nigam, Laila and Mila will sing along with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.Ahmed gave a peep into what would be an evening of razzmatazz. “In the three segments, we will highlight the cultural heritage of the three cohosts.And apart from that, there will be the other formalities associated with this kind of event, like speeches, some songs, fireworks, and a lot of digital display – it’s a kind of laser show. It will all be high-tech. Bryan Adams is also going to sing,” Ahmed said.”There are special preparations they (Wizcraft) have been doing for one month and they have been rehearsing it here for the last one week. In the Bangabandhu Stadium, they have been doing the infrastructure and other preparations at another venue. Some of the rehearsals are being done at the army stadiums for the last one month,” said the former wicketkeeper- batsman who represented Bangladesh in the 1980s.”We will have a little more time for Bangladesh segment – 20 minutes, plus or minus – but the others segments will get about 15 minutes, plus or minus,” he said.advertisement
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has hinted at returning to football after taking a break for his “mental health state”.Griffiths has taken a break from football for close to a month to seek professional help for personal issues and has dropped a major hint that he’ll soon return to play for Celtic.According to Sky Sports, the 28-year-old posted a message on social media announcing his imminent comeback.“Not long before I’m back doing all this!” he wrote on Twitter while retweeting a message from a Celtic fan with clips of him lifting trophies and scoring goals for both Celtic and Scotland.Last Sunday, he corrected the record by stating the reason for his break, saying: “Despite what has been written about me, rumored or said to you from afar, I just want to settle one thing and to make it clear once and for all,”Johnston is disappointed after being injured Manuel R. Medina – September 11, 2019 Celtic winger Mikey Johnston was disappointed to miss Scotland Under 21 national team’s victories over San Marino and Croatia, and he hopes he can return to play soon.“I am off work due to my mental health state. Not gambling, drugs, or any other issue that has been written about me since December.”“I’m putting this out there now because family and friends are being asked questions and they’ve been told to say nothing,” he explained.“But I’ll not be silenced, especially by newspapers and idiots who can write tweets and make up stories and it grows arms and legs due to people’s sad and pathetic lives.”
Management MakeoverMany independent niche publishers are startups that are still struggling for a toehold. All About Beer is more than 30 years old, founded in the late 1970 (it’s headquartered in an office that overlooks the ballpark where the movie “Bull Durham” was filmed). Bradford started writing for the magazine in 1983, when he was the marketing director for the Association of Brewers. When he left the AOB, All About Beer asked if Bradford would run the title. When he eventually bought it in 1992, the magazine was far below its potential, he says.Today, All About Beer is 26,000 paid circ. with total distribution of 37,000 copies per issue. It’s published six times annually with two annual issues and four festivals. Annual revenues are in the “$2 million to $3 million range” and split one-third circ, one-third advertising, and one-third events.Critical to the success of a niche publication is the incredible value and impact of each staff position. Running companies this small means every individual player has a significant role to play in the overall success of the corporation. At All About Beer, each team member has P/L responsibility necessitating extensive management processes. “We simply can’t afford a B player in such a lean organization,” says Bradford. “In addition, every team member has quite a broad reach of responsibilities. Again, the value of the horizontal organizational system over the vertical, or silo, approach can be seen in the validation individuals get for their overall performance and the challenges faced in managing.”Bradford follows a strict management structure in which employees must pay for themselves within 18 months. “Virtually everyone has a budget, usually created by themselves and approved by me and the vice president, which covers their areas of expertise,” says Bradford. “They are also given goals based on the previous year’s performance with the next year’s expectations.” The events department has its own budget and the team shares a bonus pool if they exceed revenue and margin expectations. The marketing team has numerical goals and qualitative goals, with bonuses split between both of them. Sales and production share numerical and qualitative goals, vesting each other in the successful execution of the two core information packaging channels.The horizontal approach, while sounding very elegant, does pose some management issues when working across areas, according to Bradford. For example; the “beer wrangler”—who is in charge of discovering trends and new brands—shares in the success of various areas, requiring more management attention to goal setting and evaluation. “Again, the really tricky bit for a niche publication of relatively small size is keeping the support process to a minimum, but making sure it is effective in guiding people toward their goals,” says Bradford. “It’s not an easy balancing act.”Building Business SavvyMany would-be magazine entrepreneurs look at their venture the same way some people look at running a restaurant—as a lifestyle, not a business. But developing business savvy around publishing economics, not to mention advertising and newsstand distribution, is essential for any magazine to survive beyond its first few issues. Crawl, a magazine dedicated to off-road enthusiasts, launched in 2005 by three guys with a passion for the sport but not much magazine business sense. They quickly ran into financial troubles and in April 2008 hired John Herrick, a financial services veteran, to turn the operation around. “I came out of 25 years of financial services and I didn’t know diddly about the magazine business,” Herrick says. “But I loved the sport, took a 65 percent pay cut and thought I’d get a piece of the action.”The problems were readily apparent: Crawl was billed as a bi-monthly but didn’t put its first issue of 2008 out until March 31. Many vendor relationships had been severed due to lack of payment. “We reworked the banking relationships and renewed our relationship with the printer, who hadn’t been paid,” says Herrick. “We started answering the phone and talking to customers. We reworked advertising deals—one-third of our ads had been trade or barter.”Then in December 2008, the CEO changed the locks and ceased operations. “After all that work, it just stopped,” Herrick says. “They owed me for wages, I sued and ended up settling with the publishing company for the title, distribution agreements and subscription list. I was already in deep to begin with, I might as well see what would happen if it was mine.”Herrick reached an agreement with his former partners in June 2009 and put an issue out by the end of August. Subscribers didn’t know it was coming. “From a viral standpoint, a lot of people started talking,” says Herrick. Getting costs under control was key. The budget for the January 2010 issue was about $26,000. To manage production costs, Herrick cut the average folio from 180 pages to 148 pages. All newsstand distribution was relegated to 50 percent sell-through based on historical patterns. “We had driven the newsstand cost to the point that if we were at 48 percent sell-through, we were just breaking even,” says Herrick, who claims sell-through today is in the 60 percent range. “We had to overcome that frustration of, ‘Should I send these guys $24 and just hope? Or do I spend $6 at Barnes & Noble and know I have at least that one?’”In the last 90 days, Crawl’s circulation has grown 6.5 percent, with 16,500 copies on the newsstand and 8,200 going out in subscriptions. The fastest growing area is in the southeast and Herrick is looking at distribution on military bases.Crawl also had to woo back advertisers. “Trying to launch at the end of the year, we knew it would be January before we got companies to commit to coming back,” he says. Herrick implemented an across-the-board 35 percent rate cut but is still getting about a $90 CPM. Ad revenue increased 50 percent from issue 18 to issue 20. “Our overhead is close to nothing,” says Herrick. “We’re not paying rent for an office, we’re not supporting three full-time staff people, we’re not paying for warehouse space. I work out of my home and a contractor does layout and design.While Herrick projected Crawl wouldn’t make any money until 2010, the magazine turned a profit with its second issue back. “I don’t believe that Crawl will ever sell more than 30,000 to 35,000 copies per issue,” he adds. “For 2.5 employees, this a $300,000 year net profit operation. This magazine seems to have weathered the biggest storm you could imagine—self-implosion. If I don’t screw it up, it should be fine. There is every indication that people want it in print and are willing to pay for it.” Learning from Past Mistakes Justin Heister and Mike Mazur, founders of Focus Skateboarding Magazine, also learned the hard way from an owner without much savvy. The two had met at another publication, where Heister was in charge of art design and Mazur headed up editorial. “The most valuable lessons learned, for better or worse, were how NOT to run a magazine,” says Heister.Lesson One: Don’t give away advertising. “That’s something the founder was all about—getting big name advertisers in hopes of bringing in other advertisers,” says Heister. “Ultimately, that really cheapened the product. When it came time for people to honor that year of free ads, they never signed up. With Focus, we stayed true to not giving handouts. We’re not going to trade you for product, we need money to publish the magazine.”Lesson Two: Figure out your distribution. “The magazine we worked for was freely distributed,” says Heister. “Everything went out through the Post Office as bound printed matter—and it never went where it needed to go. It would have been cost effective if it actually made it to its destination but it was such a lousy way to mail, half the magazines that went out wouldn’t make it to their destination. The owner wouldn’t use Fedex, which you could actually track, because of the expense.” For Focus, FedEx became the cheapest method after getting multiple line discounts. “We found a printer who would supply the boxes for free and FedEx supplied the labels and we saved thousands of dollars on shipping in the end by switching to FedEx,” says Heister.After that experience, Heister and Mazur launched Focus in 2005. “When we started Focus, we were basically homeless, living rent-free in an apartment with no windows and no heat in the frigid Philadelphia winter,” says Heister. “Between the two of us, we had a single computer, some camera gear, and the ambition to make something happen.”They had no real funding and focused on getting attention with a profile on MySpace and leveraging their reputations in the skateboarding community. Heister says carving out market share wasn’t too difficult because most of the larger skateboarding publications are focused on the West Coast and distribution of those magazines in East Coast shops is typically limited to two or three copies. Focus opted for free distribution, placing 30 or more copies—the magazine prints 16,500 copies per issue—in those shops. “We filled a niche that has been completely overlooked by the skateboard industry,” says Heister. Focus has tried to phase out subscriptions, without luck. “Fulfilling subscriptions is so time consuming,” says Heister. “We raised the subscription price to $25 for six issues per year, but more people started subscribing. We’re up to 400 subscribers right now. Our efforts to steer people away from subscriptions didn’t work at all.”At the beginning of 2009, ad sales took a dive but otherwise stayed steady for the remainder of the year. Focus did around $140,000 in ad sales in 2008 and about $110,000 in 2009. In January, Focus will host its first trade show, The Focus Show, in Philadelphia. According to Heister, it’s the first show of its kind on the East Coast. “Most of industry is in California and they have road reps for the East Coast,” he adds. “We’re offering those reps a chance to meet the East Coast vendors in one place, rather than take a few weeks to visit them one at a time.”Heister says Focus will offer some incentives reps haven’t seen at other shows. “For exhibitors, we’re raffling a free booth—if you bought a booth, you get a refund,” he adds. “There are only 40 booths at the show, so the odds are pretty good.” The Focus Show will also feature a ramp contest that requires shop buyers to attend with their sponsored rider. Prize money goes to the winning riders but the sponsoring shops will also get money to spend at the show courtesy of Focus.The magazine is selling booths for $500 and expects about $20,000 in revenue. “This is our first show and we’re trying to make this a great experience,” says Heister. “We’re not looking to make a profit with this one and we’re putting the majority of the money back into the show.” The Focus Show has received notice from some of the bigger media players in skateboarding, including a write-up in Transworld Business and live, on-site coverage from Fuel TV, which is coming out from California to be at the show. Start ConservativelyInPark, a magazine dedicated to the theme park business, started publishing four issues a year in 2005. In 2008 they published five print and one digital-only issue and in 2009 published five print issues and eliminated the digital issue since it was not a big moneymaker and didn’t fit in with the schedule. The magazine has gone from 2,000 to about 4,500 subscribers, and now is split 50/50 between digital subscriptions and print. Each issue brings in around $7,000-$10,000 in ad revenue, with a “very seasonal market,” says publisher Martin J. Palicki. “Our tradeshows almost all take place in the fall, so advertisers focus on that period.” Each issue costs around $6,000 to produce and mail.Palicki advises publishers to estimate quantities conservatively. “I printed about 10,000 more copies of my first issue than I actually needed. Now my basement is filled with back issues. I now only print about 200 copies more than my distribution list, and 1,000-1,500 for any tradeshow distribution.” From a $25 Classified Ad to a $5 Million BusinessCountryside Publications is a niche publisher of four country-living and livestock-related titles located in Medford Wisconsin. Its flagship title, Countryside & Small Stock Journal (commonly referred to as Countryside) was launched in 1969 by Jerry Belanger with a $25 classified ad in Rodale’s Organic Gardening. The cost of a subscription then was $1 plus a letter with either a question, or an answer to a previous question, about self-sufficient living. The result became a magazine that was, and largely still is, written by its readers. Over the next 30 years Countryside grew and evolved but never strayed from the core premise; in 2000 Belanger retired and son Dave Belanger and daughter Anne-Marie bought the business in 2001.Today, Countryside is a lean operation approaching $5 million dollars in revenues with 13 full time employees plus two off-site editors, publishing four magazines in Countryside, Dairy Goat Journal, Backyard Poultry and sheep! (While Countryside and Reiman Publications were started about the same time with similar business models in towns just 70 miles away, the two companies have always been separate (although as Belanger says, “If they want to make an offer…”)Countryside Publications has always grown organically and has never used outside investors, a bank loan, or any other source of external funding. Revenue growth has averaged more than 20 percent annually for the past eight or nine years. “We’ll grow less in 2009 due mainly to a slight reduction in direct mail, but our margins will improve,” says Belanger.When Belanger took over the business in 2001, very little focus was placed on subscriber acquisition. In spite of this, renewal rates at the time were at 90 percent-plus, Belanger says. “But what we really had was a platform,” he adds. “In short order, we acquired Dairy Goat Journal and then sheep!” Both were being published in a tabloid newspaper format for fewer than 5,000 subscribers. Belanger converted the magazines to saddle-stitched 8 ½ x 11 and dropped the frequency to six issues a year. The subscription price is $21 per year.“Meanwhile, we embarked on an aggressive direct mail subscription acquisition campaign for Countryside,” he says. “We doubled circulation, and then doubled it again.” Today there are roughly 100,000 Countryside subscribers paying $18 per year with another 40,000 copies on newsstands. Because 85 percent of the people reading Countryside also had chickens, the publisher launched Backyard Poultry in 2006 “not having any idea if it would meet our projections,” Belanger says. “We enlisted my wife to the role of editor, announced the debut in the pages of our other titles, and spent $50,000 to get 150,000 double postcards in the mail. We sent that first issue to the printer with a 150,000 press run and held our breath.”It took only a few days for the initial 15,000 copies to sell out, so they printed 15,000 more and shipped them out in a matter of weeks. “We ended up printing another 15,000 copies before it was time for the second issue to appear,” says Belanger.Because the initial mailing was a relatively small 150,000 pieces, Belanger was able to cherry-pick the lists to mail, mostly from their growing in-house database. One outside list they used pulled a whopping 42 percent response rate and over 80 percent paid the invoice. Overall the response came in at 17 percent with a 45 percent pay-up.“We leveraged the revenue into more mailings including the use of card decks, which had never been a great source for us but worked well for Backyard Poultry, and tested different formats and offers.” says Belanger. Their current control is a self-mailer folded to 5 ½ x 8 ½ offering a free issue and an invoice. Today, Backyard Poultry has 60,000 subscribers paying $21 per year, with 35,000 copies on newsstands across the country which “sell well despite our wholesalers’ initial reservations on the subject matter,” says Belanger.Countryside’s main subscription source is DTP direct mail, and their control piece is the free issue offer (return the card and they will send readers a magazine and an invoice). Overall payup runs around 40-50 percent, but they have an upfront response of 5 percent-plus. This, combined with their low production costs, makes them happy.Another important source of revenue for the publisher is derived from book sales. While Countryside publishes a few anthologies of previous issues, most are titles from other publishers that they resell to subscribers using ad space in the magazines and an annual catalog. “Assuming the cost of advertising space is zero (which we do) net margins run north of 50 percent,” says Belanger, with total contribution to the top line around 7 percent.All back office operations are handled in Medford, Wisconsin. Fulfillment is done in-house including generating, inserting and mailing invoices, renewals, and supplemental issues. While they have used outside fulfillment vendors in the past, Belanger says they have found that they have more control over the process in house, and do it spending a lot less money.“My personal pet peeve is magazines that tell customers to wait 6-10 weeks for their first issue,” he adds. “At Countryside Publications we do weekly supplemental mailings. A new sub comes on board on Monday and their first issue is at our local post office on Thursday. If it’s a free issue, their invoice isn’t far behind.”Countryside outsources printing, larger direct mail campaigns and the creation and maintenance of their four Web sites. While Belanger says Web subscriptions are an efficient source of revenue, they make up only 5 percent of total revenues to date.“We’re consumer circulation driven. From our point of view, giving away magazines for less than the cost of production with the hope of attracting a large audience we can sell to advertisers has never been a viable business model, as a number of advertising-driven publishers have begun to discover in recent years,” says Belanger. “We love our advertisers, but we don’t want to pin our future on the vagaries of advertising economics. Advertising receipts represent only about 15 percent of our total revenue, and while some titles are down a bit, overall ad sales were up roughly 7 percent in 2009.”Niche and Online: Opportunity or Too Late To Catch Up?Many niche publishers remain primarily print publishers. They typically have Web sites dedicated to customer service and magazine content, with more sophisticated publishers offering a Facebook page or Twitter feed. Larger publishers have always contended that online is a mass market game and some smaller publishers don’t think a dedicated Web approach is worth it. “We’re focused on print for now,” says Crawl’s Herrick. “The Web site is just a portal to answer questions. I don’t know if I could go into that area and compete or if I could monetize it enough to make it worthwhile.”However, the low barrier to entry with starting an online business is spawning a stream of new online-only publishers. FordMuscle.com caters to Ford performance enthusiasts (and competes for the same automotive aftermarket performance advertising dollars as Source Interlink’s Hot Rod and Car Craft). The site generates about 160,000 unique visitors per month and broke $500,000 in revenue in 2009.While many publishers struggle with implementing a paid content model, FordMuscle.com is succeeding with one. The site introduced a forum category called “Tech Exchange” in which members can submit graphic how-tos. FordMuscle.com staff edits outside content before it’s made available to readers and contributors are rewarded for their submissions. The site receives between three to five submissions (which can range from five pages to 50 photos) per week. If a member submits one tutorial, FordMuscle.com sends a t-shirt. If they do two, they get a hat. If a member does six, they receive $100. “If someone is especially enthusiastic we may bring them on as a freelancer,” says co-founder Jon Mikelonis.Parts manufacturers can also be highlighted throughout, although ads are not sold directly against it. Mikelonis says advertisers haven’t tried to influence the tutorials. FordMuscle sells an annual online subscription for $19.95 per year and is considering a pay-per-article model for the future (subscriptions account for about 40 percent of revenue, while advertising accounts for 60 percent).Wend, a Portland, Oregon-based outdoor adventure magazine, is building a digital subscription base for online content, getting 50 to 70 new sign-ups per day. “We went with free subscriptions online—the platform doesn’t cost anything,” says editor Stiv Wilson. “We had a model for $5 online subscriptions but that will never be real revenue for us.” While Wend’s initial online content was just PDFs of the print magazine, it adds 10 to 15 pieces of new online content per day. In 2010, the site will undergo a redesign, adding a green gear store as well as a new business model in which eco-adventurers can find funding for projects.Offering digital subscriptions has actually helped the print product as well. “We’ve doubled the amount of print subscriptions because people who haven’t found it on their newsstand can now see the digital version,” says Wilson. “We make a decent margin on subscriptions. It’s not a big one but we’re not underwater with it like some other publishers are today.” Wilson says Wend is having a lot of success getting registrations and driving participation with online and newsletter-driven contests.“Nobody has figured out how to monetize the Web to the degree that you’re getting for a print page,” says Wilson. “To me, that’s because of brands not understanding the landscape media is performing in. A lot of ad agencies are way behind the times. You do a contest on Twitter to give away one clean canteen bottle and you get a thousand entries in a day. That kind of branding is worth its weight in gold.” Wilson says Wend has doubled revenue every year and expects $600,000 for 2009 and just under $1 million in 2010. “It’s not a giant leap, it’s a steady-as-you-go increase,” he adds. “Anything that quadruples overnight is bad—it’s hard on your staff and it’s hard on your business model if it stops performing.”In 2009, 80 percent of Wend’s revenue came from print. In 2010, Wilson thinks print will drop to 60 percent, with the remaining 40 percent coming from a mix of online contests, social media and brand consulting. “We’re seeing the media company become the partner rather than the ad agency be the go-between,” says Wilson. “I would expect by 2011, that revenue model will be 50/50. As the subscription portal goes up, print will go down. We’re not going to sell our magazines on newsstands unless its exceptionally high sell-through. It’s not worth it to us.”The magazine landscape is changing, according to Wilson, who cites 625,000-circ. National Geographic Adventure folding (that magazine will continue to live on in a multi-platform approach). “We’re friends with the folks over there and I don’t want to saying anything bad but when you look at the big overhead model and then look to us, we only need to make enough money for six or seven people,” he says. “That shows us our gamble has paid off.” The Hearst’s and Time Inc.’s may get the headlines but the majority of companies in the $40 billion magazine industry are small, independent publishers targeting a specific niche. Most of these magazines go unheralded beyond their target audience but have some of the best content, most loyal readers, and most enduring business models.“It’s hard to relate to larger publishers,” says Daniel Bradford, publisher of All About Beer, a Durham, North Carolina-based magazine dedicated to America’s favorite beverage. “So much of our life is personal and relationship-driven. The woes of the major publishers aren’t exactly relevant to us, especially since we broke down the silos of what we actually do. We are no longer in the magazine publishing business, but the information packaging business.”Being a small publisher carries a unique set of challenges, and even opportunities. In this article we take a look at how small, independent publishers are breaking into the industry, building their business, and navigating the precarious proposition of publishing a magazine in 2010.Some larger publishers like Active Interest Media, Aspire and F+W are filled with small titles dedicated to a specific topic, and almost by definition, b-to-b publishers are niche. But for this article, we’ve tried to limit the focus to consumer enthusiast publishers of $5 million or less (in some cases, much less) in annual revenue.
Kelly GaleKelly Gale Official Instagram (kellybellyboom)Victoria’s Secret Angel Keely Gale set temperatures soaring with her recent social media posts. Reportedly to her Instagram and flaunted her pert derriere in a white G-string bikini before going for a dip.The supermodel is known to regularly storm the runway in skimpy outfits for the Victoria’s Secret lingerie brand. But Kelly proved that she doesn’t need a fashion show to make people notice her. The model could be seen flaunting her lithe frame as she turned to face the camera in the skimpy swimwear.’Water is so cold I’m freezing my little [peach emoji] off,’ Kelly captioned the racy snap. Her brunette locks could be seen falling around her face and shoulders. The Victoria’s Secret model paired her swimwear with simple small gold hoop earrings. Kelly GaleKelly Gale Official Instagram (kellybellyboom)Last year, she told Vogue Australia that she works out ‘six days per week, all year round’ and consumes a diet of fish, vegetables, fruit, oatmeal and yogurt.” Kelly Gakle is known to take her health and fitness seriously. Her profession demands it. ‘That’s how I was brought up,’ Kelly said of her healthy diet. ‘I was never introduced to bad, unhealthy foods, so for me it’s just natural to eat healthy.’Hwer healthy living seems to have paid off as the model looked gorgeous in the snaps. Kelly added that she snacks on ‘nuts and raw vegan chocolate sweetened with coconut sugar’. Kelly Gale is one of the most successful models in the world. And it sure looks like she is just getting started. The stunner added that said she swears by infrared saunas to make her ‘skin glow’ and ‘help get rid of any puffiness or water retention.’ Well, whatever she swears by, it seems to be working, because Kelly Gale looks beautiful. You can check out the pics here: Kelly GaleKelly Gale Official Instagram (kellybellyboom) Kelly GaleKelly Gale Official Instagram (kellybellyboom) Kelly GaleKelly Gale Official Instagram (kellybellyboom)


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The repeal of net neutrality ushers in a new chapter of the internet that could eventually transform the way Americans communicate, shop and consume information online.
The Federal Communications Commission’s party-line vote Thursday to dump the Obama-era rules, which required internet service providers to treat all Web traffic equally, opens the door for companies like Verizon and AT&T to experiment with new business models free from government regulation.
What is net neutrality?
Net neutrality prevents ISPs from slowing down connections for people attempting to access certain sites, apps and services, and blocking legal content.
Without the rules, they’ll no longer have to treat all internet traffic equally, and will be able to prioritize certain websites and services over others.
Many of the world’s biggest internet companies staged a day of protests earlier this year, to highlight what could happen if net neutrality was ended.
Reddit, for instance, altered its logo to make it look like it was loading extremely slowly, while the likes of Netflix and Amazon added banners to its homepage.

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Strength of Sterling Across The Globe In 2015 Provides Great Value Hotels for UK Travellers
LONDON, March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
- Global hotel prices paid by travellers worldwide rose by just 1% in 2015, according to latest Hotel Price Index from Hotels.com
- British globetrotters enjoyed lower prices in over half of the destinations featured in the Index due to the increased strength of the Pound
- Continued strength of the US Dollar saw price rises in all but one of the popular destinations in the US, while Asia proved to be the continent with the best value for money
There was good news for UK travellers coming from the latest Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) from Hotels.com™ with average prices paid* per night for hotel accommodation up only 1% globally in 2015 as compared to 2014. Specifically, British travellers enjoyed lower average hotel prices in over half (64) of the 100 popular destinations with the strength of the Pound increasing across the globe.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150901/262984LOGO )
The global Index sat at 114 for 2015 and is closing the gap on the previous peak of 117 in 2007, the year before the global economic crisis. North America drove the global increase as the only region to see hotel prices rise (up 3%) throughout 2015 with the Index hitting 119, exceeding its pre-recession high of 117 in 2007.
The HPI is a regular report on hotel prices in major destinations across the world, tracking the movement in prices that people actually paid* for their accommodation and providing valuable insight into the reasons behind these changes. The data is drawn from bookings made on the hundreds of thousands of hotels on the Hotels.com websites worldwide.
Isabelle Pinson, VP Marketing for EMEA of the Hotels.com brand, said: "The value of Sterling may have dropped this year but there are still plenty of bargains to be found out there for anyone wanting to stretch their wings beyond these shores. Our HPI data provides consumers with easy access to information on hotel prices paid around the world to enable them to do just that."
Europe proves popular
Many European hotspots from Russia and Estonia in the North, to Mediterranean favourites such as France, Italy and Spain in the South saw a modest decrease in average prices paid. Due to the falling Rouble, Moscow in particular saw a significant decrease, which dropped over a quarter (-27%) from the previous year. In total, Britons paid less in 42 of the 57 most popular European destinations compared to the previous year.
North America continued to increase
It was a different story in the US however, due to the continuing strength of the US Dollar. In fact, it was only New York out of the 13 most popular US destinations that saw a marginal decrease in average prices paid (down 2% to £177). Lake Buena Vista near Orlando, Florida meanwhile saw the most significant rise jumping 21% (£122 in 2014 to £148 in 2015).
Best value destination for British travellers
UK travellers were able to part with less throughout numerous Asian destinations in Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore. It was predominantly popular destinations throughout Thailand that saw a decrease in rates, including areas such as Pattaya (-15%), Chiang Mai (-6%), Phuket (-16%), Krabi (-5%) and Koh Samui (-3%).
The Pound also stretched significantly further last year for those visiting popular Australian destinations as room rates paid dropped 7% in Sydney and 6% in Melbourne.
Isabelle Pinson added: "Following a record year for world tourism in 2015, Brits can look forward to another season of globetrotting this year. A little knowledge goes a long way and we hope that our HPI data provides travelers with the inspiration and the knowledge to help make a decision on where to go that little bit easier."
Average prices paid per night by UK travellers in selected European destinations in 2015 as compared to 2014
City Country 2015 2014 % Change Paris France GBP111 GBP125 -12% Barcelona Spain GBP97 GBP102 -5% Rome Italy GBP90 GBP98 -7% Vienna Austria GBP82 GBP92 -11% Warsaw Poland GBP60 GBP65 -8% Krakow Poland GBP57 GBP61 -6% Riga Estonia GBP52 GBP63 -16%
Average prices paid per night by UK travellers in selected North American destinations in 2015 as compared to 2014
City Country 2015 2014 % Change Boston USA GBP182 GBP158 15% New York USA GBP177 GBP180 -2% San Francisco USA GBP165 GBP156 6% Los Angeles USA GBP149 GBP134 12% Lake Buena Vista USA GBP148 GBP122 21% Chicago USA GBP137 GBP126 9% Vancouver Canada GBP115 GBP107 7% Las Vegas USA GBP101 GBP92 9% Toronto Canada GBP101 GBP103 -1% Orlando USA GBP92 GBP79 16%
Average prices paid per night by UK travellers in selected Asia Pacific destinations in 2015 as compared to 2014
City Country 2015 2014 % Change Singapore Singapore GBP121 GBP129 -6% Hong Kong Hong Kong GBP113 GBP121 -7% Shanghai China GBP103 GBP90 15% Tokyo Japan GBP102 GBP110 -7% Mumbai India GBP96 GBP89 8% Beijing China GBP86 GBP82 6% Seoul South Korea GBP82 GBP92 -12% Bali Indonesia GBP77 GBP84 -9% Koh Samui Thailand GBP74 GBP76 -3% Krabi Thailand GBP66 GBP70 -5% Kuala Lumpur Malaysia GBP61 GBP69 -11% Bangkok Thailand GBP54 GBP53 2% Phuket Thailand GBP50 GBP59 -16% Hanoi Vietnam GBP40 GBP36 11% Chiang Mai Thailand GBP38 GBP41 -6% Pattaya Thailand GBP34 GBP39 -15%
Average prices paid per night by UK travellers in selected global destinations in 2015 as compared to 2014
City Country 2015 2014 % Change Dubai UAE GBP142 GBP151 -6% Sydney Australia GBP114 GBP123 -7% Abu Dhabi UAE GBP108 GBP105 3% Rio de Janeiro Brazil GBP107 GBP150 -28% Melbourne Australia GBP87 GBP93 -6%
Please visit hpi.hotels.com for more information and to view reports in additional currencies.
*Average prices paid per night inclusive of taxes and fees.
Hotels.com L.P. operates Hotels.com, a leading online accommodation booking website with hundreds of thousands of properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay.
© 2015 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, The Obvious Choice, Hotel Price Index, HPI, and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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PENSACOLA BEACH, FL- Pensacola Beach continues to be one of the most popular and affordable vacation destinations on the Gulf Coast — even during the off-season.
The hotel occupancy rate on Pensacola Beach was up nearly 5 percent in September from the previous year. Average room rates also increased last month – up about 2 percent.
Restaurants, bars and retail shops are also seeing more customers. The general manager at Red Fish Blue Fish told us he’s up about $80,000 this month compared to last October.
Even though some room rates have increased, Pensacola Beach is still more affordable than other vacation destinations in South and Central Florida.


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Apple Vs Spotify- The Battle Of The Best Music Apps
Apple music and Spotify, both are a very known name in the field of music streaming, and with a worldly recognizable logo design. Spotify led the pack for a very long time. But now, Apple Music is beating Spotify in its own area. Its growth has picked up speed, and now, for the first time, it is ahead of the leader.
Apple Music, in the US, has become the most preferred on-demand music streaming service regarding users. This advantage is going to make up for its lost revenues in the smartphone sector.
Even though globally, Spotify is still leading, but with the speed, Apple Music is moving, it won’t be long before it becomes the global leader in streaming music.
Why Is Apple Winning?
Ever since Apple Music became available for users in 2015, it has been working hard on gaining that edge over others. It has been building big partnerships. This gave Apple Music steady incoming partnerships that involved blockbuster releases by big artists.
Also, Apple has also joined hands with the artists that have earned a good name in the household for hip-hop, R&B, and Rap. Singers like Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Frank Ocean, Drake and many others have signed at least one deal for giving early access to their new music.
Also, Apple has done more than just hiring big names as its radio host. It has given its radio a little human touch, offering its listeners some great interviews along with exclusive first-listens. Apple has also provided its listeners many more such services that they don’t find anywhere else.
There are many more such reasons why Apple Music is gaining over Spotify. And that’s why it is steadily gaining over the global gap between them. Now it will be interesting to see what Spotify is doing about that.
New Strategies From Spotify
As it should have been, Spotify is wholly focused on gaining more users and increasing the number of subscribers. This April, we saw a significant upgrade in the Spotify’s free app. After all, it had been a significant tool for attracting eventual paying subscribers.
It gave its free users access to 15 customized playlists. Spotify curated these 15 playlists based on the listening habits of its users. They can also select artists they like, and Spotify customizes the playlists accordingly.
Also, Spotify is trying to act as a discovery engine for new and emerging artists, giving them a public platform to perform. Sometime in late last year, it also allowed the artists to sell beauty products and merchandises on the app. Reminds you of MTV, right?
But then, this move has made Spotify a hub for music fandom. It has become a place where the fans can not just stay updated with their artists and their music; they also buy their merchandises as well.
The number of listeners is only one metric of measuring the success of music streaming apps. Spotify’s bottom line will stay unaffected by the increasing users of Apple music if Spotify’s users are loyal to it.
And if it keeps staying being more involved and providing more profits to musicians, it is going to rule the number one position across the world. It is still on its way to becoming a company of worth $100 billion by 2020 and Apple’s success won’t devalue it.
However, it can’t be ignored that being the leading music streaming company is a prestigious tag, be it in the US or worldwide. Spotify can offer its smart speaker if it is looking to beat Apple in the game. It will attract the customers and will help them gain market share. Being the third-party app on the smart speaker of other companies are putting it at a disadvantage.
Like in the home pod of Apple, users can only play Spotify from iPhone over the AirPlay. If not launching its smart speaker, it can partner with a brand that manufactures them. It can offer the discounted or bundled services on the purchase of new speakers.
Even though Spotify hasn’t lost yet, it must start putting in some efforts still. Its recent update has offered a lot to its users, and it is still highly prevalent in the unpaid segment. It is going to remain on the top for some time now. As of now, it is still the preferred service globally.
But with the speed Apple is growing, it could cause a lot of problem to Spotify. Apple is putting in a lot of efforts, and anyone can see that it is eyeing the position of global leader in the music streaming segment. The battle is going to be interesting to witness, and currently, no one can yet say who is going to win and when. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope to gain more from this battle of the apps.


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US consumer confidence falls sharply in September
US consumer confidence took a dive in September to 48.5, down from a revised 53.2 in August – the lowest since February 2010.
The reading from the closely-monitored Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board was worse than the 52.0 economists had expected.
Furthermore, the index is far away from the 90 points required to show that the world’s largest economy is on solid footing.
Since the index commenced in 1967, the average reading has been 95.6.
Meanwhile, the expectations index also plunged to 65.4 in September from 72.0 in August, while the present situation index dipped to 23.1 from 24.9.
Commenting on today’s figures, Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board Consumer Research Centre said: “September’s pull-back in confidence was due to less favourable business and labour-market conditions, coupled with a more pessimistic short-term outlook.
“Overall, consumers’ confidence in the state of the economy remains quite grim,” Franco added.
Across the Atlantic, meanwhile, consumer confidence in Germany, which is the euro zone’s largest economy, surged, according to the GfK research group.
GfK said its latest German consumer climate indicator forecasted a value of 4.9 in October, following a revised reading of 4.3 in September.
Germany’s forward looking indicator, which questioned around 2,000 people, was ahead of economists’ forecasts of 4.2.


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July 11, 2016 – Canada Post has informed the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) that it is prepared to negotiate intensively for the next 30 days under an extended “cooling off period” to reach negotiated settlements, thereby avoiding the threat of a work stoppage for the time-being. However, if the parties are unable to successfully conclude negotiations within that period, both parties must agree to binding arbitration.
Canada Post and the union have been in discussions since late 2015, with 60 days of conciliation and almost 30 more days with federal mediators, yet the parties remain far apart on key issues, including wages for rural mail carriers and proposed pension changes. The impasse has caused tremendous uncertainty, which is having a major impact on the business, customers and employees. Parcel volumes from major e-commerce customers, for example, have declined by more than 80 per cent.
All Canada-bound magazines that leave the Lane Press facility are handled by APC Postal Logistics. In the event of a strike (which would be preceded by a 72-hour notice from the Canada Post or CUPW), APC will collect all such mail and store it in its own secure warehouses until the work stoppage ends, at which point it will immediately deposit this mail into the mail stream.
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Someone needs to call Motorola and let them know that umpteen versions of pretty much the same hardware isn’t good enough to win our hearts. The company’s latest Android smartphone, the Motorola Sage, has leaked out in picture form to Engadget, and it’s yet another entry- to mid-tier device with a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen and MOTOBLUR.
That’s MOTOBLUR in its second-generation form, as seen on the DROID X, paired with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and AT&T-friendly 3G. Under the display is what looks to be a sizeable touchpad; whether that’s better or worse than an optical trackpad remains to be seen. No word on when exactly the Android 2.1 smartphone will hit the market, but the tipster reckons they’ve had this test unit for a month already so we wouldn’t be surprised if it showed up in the not-too-distant future.
[via Android Community]


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Hitachi said today that it still plans to release DVD drives to PC OEMs by year-end, saying that the roadblocks faced by Sony, Philips and others in home user systems will not apply to drives targeting the replacement CD-ROM and magneto-optical market in business. Hitachi's GD-1000 will be a plug-compatible CD-ROM drive replacement targeted at PC makers and possibly the aftermarket. No pricing is available as yet.
"Sony and Philips are much more interested in the home," said Peter Scatchard, European marketing manager for information equipment at Hitachi. "I'm not interested in set-top boxes or VCR. I'm interested in DVD as a PC component so I don't have to worry about things like copy protection routines. All the expectation was that consumer DVD would be first, but the way Hollywood is dragging its feet, people are quickly revising that expectation. I'm hoping to see a reasonable quantity of DVD drives from us in the November time-frame."
However, Scatchard said he doesn't expect DVD to instantly surge past CD-ROM. "CD-ROM is going to continue for another 12-24 months and after that DVD will make very fast inroads into the CD-ROM drive market. In the third or fourth quarter of 1997, rewriteable DVD will sound the death knell for CD-ROM. CD is a 16-year-old technology but DVD will be nothing like as hard a sell and developers already working very hard at DVD authoring." Scatchard said he expects initial sales to go into companies using space-hungry applications such as technical help documentation.
Separately, Hitachi said it plans to market an IDE-hosted 12-speed CD-ROM drive by November, with new technology that will provide the equivalent of 16-speed performance at data transfer rates up to 2,400Kbps.


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Small Business Saturday
|Author: Tommy Gilchrist||Published: 5th December 2017 08:28|
Andrea with Gordon Gaze at On Target to celebrate Small Business Saturday
Ahead of the fifth UK Small Business Saturday which took place on December 2nd 2017, the Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP visited On Target, a Northampton-based indoor air rifle range and shop, to meet the owner Gordon Gaze and hear about his journey from hobbyist to entrepreneur and on to winner of the 2017 Northamptonshire Best New Business Award.
Commenting on the visit, Andrea said:
“It was a great pleasure to visit On Target in Brackmills to congratulate Gordon in person on the award and to hear at first-hand what Government can do to support them and the challenges they face further. Gordon’s story is an excellent example to anyone thinking of going into business themselves. Small businesses in particular are the life-blood of our communities and our economy, and I am delighted to continue to champion them.
The Government recently launched its Industrial Strategy, setting out its determination to grow our economy, pay for our essential services, and provide jobs for the future. Small businesses are at the heart of this.”


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Raise a glass to Rosé Day – local makers and life through Rosé tinted glasses
New Zealand’s sixth Rosé Day is set to colour beaches, backyards and social feeds pink on Friday the 5th of February, as wine lovers will be celebrating one of their favourite wine holidays of the year.
Rosé is now New Zealand’s fourth largest wine export, having overtaken Chardonnay last year and is just a fraction behind Pinot Gris. With the 2020 vintage offering some outstanding examples, the rise of Rosé is likely to continue.
What makes the pink drink so hot right now is a multitude of styles available. Sip NZ’s founder Caro Jensen says: “Rosé has come a long way, and wine lovers can now choose from a wide variety of styles, blends, sweetness levels and price points, with the premium Rosé category experiencing a significant increase over the years.”
Rosé drinkers in New Zealand have found a taste for lighter, drier, more savoury styles such as those you would find in Provence, and Kiwi wineries are responding to consumer preferences successfully crafting Rosé wines inspired by iconic French estates.
The collaborative initiative of leading Kiwi Rosé producers was established by the wine marketing company Sip NZ in 2016 as a way to educate wine lovers about the style and raise awareness of New Zealand made Rosé. Being faced with a multitude of challenges, it’s more important than ever to support local makers.
Follow @sipnzwine on Instagram and Facebook and join in on the #nzroseday celebrations!
Here are a few recent Rose’s that I have tried and Recommend.


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Britax recalls 200,000 seats due to choking hazard
Britax Child Safety Inc. has announced a voluntary recall of more than 200,000 child safety seats due to a choking hazard for young children.
The recall comes after customer complaints that the center tab on the chest clip can break on some models of the company's B-Safe 35, B-Safe 35 Elite Travel Systems, B-Safe 35 Elite, B-Safe 35 Travel Systems and BOB B-Safe rear-facing infant child safety seats. No choking injuries have been reported.
According to the announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, only seats manufactured during Nov. 1, 2015 and May 31, 2017 are affected. Britax will notify owners and provide a replacement chest clip marked "PC" at no cost. The recall is expected to begin June 21, 2017.
Owners may contact Britax at 1-833-474-7016 or visit www.bsafe35clip.com to check their serial numbers.


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Quite a busy month in the Playground Games studio with the launch of Xbox Series X. Update 29 arrives earlier than usual because Forza Horizon 4 needs to be optimised for the next-generation consoles. Along with the next-generation upgrades, the studio have also decided to drop the monthly cars as well. The team announced this on Twitter, and gave clues for the upcoming cars along with this announcement. And, somehow, the community has already figured out the cars.
It's true! Series 29 dropped a little early. This is related to having the optimized version of Forza Horizon 4 ready for Xbox Series X|S players.
— Forza Horizon (@ForzaHorizon) November 3, 2020
The community members have managed to disclose their clues and published it on social media platforms such as reddit. Apparently, the following cars will be added into the update:
- 1995 BMW 850 CSI
- 1987 Mercedes AMG Hammer
- 1990 Porsche 911 Singer
As we presume, these cars will be available through the Festival Playlist, meaning they’re free for everyone. Since the Xbox One X drops in a few days, players will then be able to explore the British Horizon festival with much faster loading times at 4K resolution. However, Xbox Series X will not have exclusive access to certain features than Xbox one/PC players. Further information about this update, and hopefully future updates, will be announced today by the team during their monthly livestream.
Playground Games is likely to return next month with a 30th update for the game, perhaps even larger. Make sure you tune into ForzaMonthly on Youtube today for get more in-depth details.


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JOHOR BARU: Their cousin, the rat, is getting all the limelight this Lunar New Year but hamsters are cashing in on the fame as well.
Pet store assistant Mohn Daniel Hafizuddin, 24, said the number of people buying hamsters has been on the rise the past week as Chinese New Year approaches.
The shop has sold at least six hamsters in the past week, he said, compared to about two or three in previous weeks.
He noted that many people had stopped by at the store to find out more about hamsters.
“Hamsters have gained popularity over the past few years.”
He said hamsters would not require much attention unlike cats and dogs.
“Yet, they provide great companionship, ” he added.
However, he cautioned that first-time owners would need to learn about the habits and method to care for the hamster before keeping it as a pet.
His shop sells threes species of hamsters: the Syrian, Roborovski and Winter White.
Pet store company director Bryan Loi, 34, said that an average of 200 hamsters were sold monthly at its three branches around Johor.
“The popularity of hamsters has gone up in the past few years, even before the Year of the Rat.
“While we have yet to see a significant increase in the number of hamsters sold since New Year, we expect sales to be brisk in the coming weeks, ” he said.
He added the popularity of hamsters was due to its small and adorable features, and that it required lower maintenance compared to other pets.
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Johor Baru vice-president Dr Edwin Singam urged people to ensure that they were ready to take on the responsibility of caring for the animal before deciding to get one.
“During the Year of the Dog, many pet owners adopted or bought the animal as pets.
“But they ended up giving it away or leaving it on the street.
“I hope this does not happen again.
“Those who want to get hamsters should really think about it, ” he said.
He added that people should not get a hamster just because it is the Year of the Rat or that it was a “trend” to do so.
“You should get it only because you really want to care for it, ” he added.
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text: Good news for your sweet tooth: Chocolate can help you flatten your belly. Dark chocolate, that is. But to truly take advantage, don’t wait until dessert: A recent study found that when men ate 3.5 ounces of chocolate two hours before a meal, those who had dark chocolate took in 17 percent fewer calories than those that ate milk chocolate. The researchers believe that this is because dark chocolate contains pure cocoa butter, a source of digestion-slowing stearic acid. Milk chocolate’s cocoa butter content, on the other hand, is tempered with added butter fat and, as a result, passes more quickly through your GI tract. Because dark chocolate takes more time to process, it staves off hunger and helps you lose weight.


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CHICAGO — Celebrity chef Rick Bayless has launched an effort to help restaurant workers who have been laid off during the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the award-winning Chicago chef’s restaurants that’s currently closed, Frontera Grill, will host an operation paying laid-off workers to make 30-pound boxes of food, including produce, bread and meat. The boxes will be available for pickup at restaurants throughout the city.
“This project can touch the lives of many thousand displaced workers,” Bayless said in a news release.
The plan is to process 800 boxes each week. The effort is being funded by a $250,000 anonymous gift in partnership with US Foods, a Rosemont-based food distributor.


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Microsoft's Project Natal - the Wii-plus motion control system for the Xbox 360 - will launch in October. So said Syed Bilal Tariq, the head of Microsoft's marketing activities in Saudi Arabia, in an interview presented by Gamertag radio. Microsoft has already indicated a pre-Christmas debut. and will announce formally the …
PS2 EyeToy surely..
Natal is more Akin to the PS2 EyeToy from 2000, than it is the Wii controller.
Although from the demos I have seen so far, the PS2 EyeToy is more responsive.
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- Pic Tooled-up Ryobi girl takes nine-inch grinder to Asus beach babe


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Scantily clad Rihanna poses with shirtless love interest Travis Scott in new advert for her Puma collection
They appeared to confirm that they're more than friends when they put on a steamy display at a recent New York Fashion Week party.
So it only makes sense that Rihanna would cast new love interest Travis Scott as the perfect model for her new Puma collection.
Uniting for a sultry shoot, the latest couple in town posed back to back in the official advert for The Creeper campaign.
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You Da One! Rihanna poses with her shirtless love interest Travis Scott in her new campaign for Puma
Seated on a large white box, Rihanna cuts a sensual figure, in the shot taken by Tom Munro, as she shows off her pins in a thigh high split black maxi dress.
With her curly locks concealing her face, the 27-year-old smoulders as she looks dead into the camera lens while resting her hand on her head.
Putting his sculpted physique on display, Travis, 23, rests against the You Da One singer while donning leather pants and exposing the band of his Puma boxers.
Cosy: Last Thursday, Rihanna and Travis appeared to confirm their relationship as she hosted a NYFW party
Keeping close: The pair were in good spirits throughout the bash as they stayed side by side
Steal Rihanna's style in a maxi slip dress by Ellery
Rihanna hosted a party at New York Fashion Week last night and of course that meant another stand out look from the pop starlet.
Never one to play it safe, RiRi looked pretty but definitely one of a kind in a long velvet dress, choker and teal lipstick. She's channeling something of a 1990s grunge vibe here and as that was our era, we love it.
The dress is by Australian label, Ellery, and it's from the brand's Resort 2016 collection. We love the simple slip style (very Courtney Love), the zip fastening, billowing skirt and of course that angelic take on Gothic crushed velvet.
The dress isn't available to buy just yet so click (right) to shop Ellery's current line at Luisaviaroma.com. Or recreate the look with one of the camisole maxis in the edit below. ASOS and Missguided have bargain buys or head to Revolve for something a little more luxe.
Posting the shots for the campaign to her Instagram on Tuesday, made no mention of her co-star in the captions.
She simply wrote alongside each image: 'FENTY for @puma #THECREEPER Shot by @tommunrostudio'.
Proving to be the best choice to front Puma's newest trainer, The Creeper, fashion fans were quick to snap up a pair and pre-orders were sold out within three hours after hitting the internet.
Proud of her latest achievement, Rihanna tweeted: '#THECREEPER SOLD OUT in 3 Hours!!! Thank you guys! And if you missed it, #THECREEPER launches Globally on the 25th!!! @PUMA'.
First! On Tuesday, the 23-year-old rapper uploaded a picture to Instagram as he modelled the new sneakers
Meanwhile last Thursday, Rihanna and Travis were spotted openly making out.
The pair were videoed kissing and hugging as they danced suggestively at a party hosted by the Diamonds singer as part of New York Fashion Week.
'Travis and Rihanna are dating, officially...It's already very serious. He's very into her,' a source told E! News on Sunday.
Fashion killer: Over the last few months Travis has made a few appearances on Rihanna's Instagram wall
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The global Halal market is valued at about US$2.77 trillion and is one of the fastest-growing global consumer markets. The worldwide Halal food market alone is worth an estimated US$650 billion or more and is close to 17 percent of the global food industry – presenting a major global opportunity. According to figures from United Nations and IMF, between 1990 and 2010, GDP per capita for Muslims worldwide has grown at the Cumulative Annual Growth Rate of 6.8% thereby, because it is largely young and part of an emerging middle class on the road to greater consumption, the Muslim market is particularly attractive to a variety of companies. Undeniably, the growth of the Halal consumer market in all sectors, including food, tourism, cosmetics, finance, medicines, packaging, and clothing, is thriving and represents a significant potential for international companies.
Since its establishment, the field of Halal has been one of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) research niche areas. USIM has published many Halal research papers, developed halal products/food and have been conducting Halal courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as industrial players. USIM also collaborated with many local and international organizations in Halal research, consultancies, trainings, and discussions.
This 2nd International Halal Management Conference (IHMC), ‘Sustaining Global Halal Ecosystem’, organized by Faculty of Economics and Muamalat (FEM), USIM in collaboration with Maldives Centre for Islamic Finance (MCIF) and the Maldives National University (NMU) will be held in Maldives on 17 and 18 July 2018. It seeks to provide a platform for researchers and academic scientists to present and discuss recent halal research issues, development, and findings


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Volvo has confirmed that the next-generation XC90 will arrive in late 2014. The announcement is part of a news in which Volvo has announced a multi-billion dollar investment in SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) and VEA (Volvo Engine Architecture).
SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) is a flexible, scalable product architecture that covers most of Volvo’s future car models and one of them is the next-generation XC90.
In parallel with SPA, Volvo Car Group is also developing an all-new four-cylinder fuel-efficient engine family known as VEA (Volvo Engine Architecture). These engines will be built in Skövde and assembly of all drivelines, including hybrid drivelines, will be integrated in the Torslanda plant in Gothenburg.
It is not known yet will we see this new four-cylinder engine in the next XC90, but it is very likely.
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Outdoor companies are continuing to reduce their carbon footprint, and ISPO Munich has highlighted Vaude for its innovative and sustainable products.
The Tettnang, Germany-based company took home five of the ISPO trade fair’s awards at the activewear fair held in Munich at the end of January, including the Eco Achievement Brand Award and the ISPO Gold Award. Vaude impressed the jury with its Green Shape Core Collection, an eco-friendly gear line that features bio-based, recycled and natural materials. While Vaude received the ISPO Gold Award for its innovative Trail Spacer 8 backpack, three of the ISPO Awards went to products from the Green Shape Core Collection.
The goal for Vaude, is to provide the outdoor industry with functional and eco-conscious products for consumers that minimize pollution and provide materials a second life.
“Vaude has made a bold statement regarding the sustainable development of functional products. Honesty and fairness are at the heart of the Vaude brand and its core business, within its supply chain and in delivering sustainable innovation to a broad audience,” said the jury at the Eco Achievement Brand Award ceremony. “In honoring this strong performance, the jury would like to motivate Vaude interdisciplinary design and product development team to continue along this path.”
Vaude’s Green Shape Core Collection offers 19 products, including apparel, shoes and backpacks, that are sustainably designed for many outdoor activities. Roughly 90 percent of the textile materials used to produce the collection’s products are bio-based, recycled or purely natural, including raw materials like cow’s milk, wood and castor oil. Three of the collection’s products—the Green Core M backpack, the Green Core Mid Shoe and the Green Core Fleece Jacket—received the ISPO Award for their eco-friendly elements. The jacket featured a newly developed material with Tencel fiber that’s completely biodegradable and doesn’t release microplastics into the world’s oceans.
Following its debut at ISPO last month, the collection will be available at specialist sports retailers in August.
[Read more about ISPO Munich: Sustainability, Comfort and Tech on Equal Footing at ISPO Munich]
“Our Green Shape Core Collection impressively proves that sustainability promotes innovation. For this collection, Vaude has developed innovative materials that are high performing and environmentally friendly, while at the same time offer solutions for global environmental challenges such as microplastics pollution,” said Antje von Dewitz, Vaude’s chief executive officer. “In this fashion, the company has emphasized its pioneering position and demonstrated the scope of possibility for the future of outdoor gear.”
Vaude was also recognized by the ISPO Munich awards jury for its innovative Trail Spacer 8 backpack. For the backpack, Vaude created a seamless knitted back section that adapts to the person wearing it. The backpack’s 3-D stretch knit construction offers comfort, freedom of movement, physical support and ventilation for outdoor adventures. The ISPO jury selected Vaude’s backpack for its functional and sustainable properties—including enabling people to have better excursions and using less materials in the manufacturing process. Consumers can purchase the backpack on Vaude’s website.


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Last year, a vigilante hacker broke into the servers of a company that sells spyware to everyday consumers and wiped their servers, deleting photos captured from monitored devices. A year later, the hacker has done it again.Thursday, the hacker said he started wiping some cloud servers that belong to Retina-X Studios, a Florida-based company that sells spyware products targeted at parents and employers, but that are also used by people to spy on their partners without their consent.
Retina-X was one of two companies that were breached last year in a series of hacks that exposed the fact that many otherwise ordinary people surreptitiously install spyware on their partners’ and children’s phones in order to spy on them. This software has been called “stalkerware” by some. This spyware allows people to have practically full access to the smartphone or computer of their targets. Whoever controls the software can see the photos the target snaps with their phone, read their text messages, or see what websites they go to, and track their location.A Retina-X spokesperson said in an email Thursday that the company hasn’t detected a new data breach since last year. Friday morning, after the hacker told us he had deleted much of Retina-X’s data, the company again said it had not been hacked. But Motherboard confirmed that the hacker does indeed have access to its servers.Friday, Motherboard created a test account using Retina-X’s PhoneSheriff spyware in order to verify the hacker’s claims. We downloaded and installed PhoneSheriff onto an Android phone and used the phone’s camera to take a photo of our shoes.“I have 2 photos of shoes,” the hacker told us moments later.The hacker also described other photos we had on the device, told us the email account we used to register the account, and then deleted the data from our PhoneSheriff account.“None of this should be online at all,” the hacker told Motherboard, claiming that he had deleted a total of 1 terabyte of data.
“Aside from the technical flaws, I really find this category of software disturbing. In the US, it's mainly targeted to parents,” the hacker said, explaining his motivations for going after Retina-X. “Edward Snowden has said that privacy is what gives you the ability to share with the world who you are on your own terms, and to protect for yourself the parts of you that you're still experimenting with. I don't want to live in a world where younger generations grow up without that right.”In the first Retina-X data breach last year, the hacker was able to access private photos, messages, and other sensitive data from people who were monitored using one of Retina-X’s products. The private data was stored in containers provided by cloud provider Rackspace. The hacker found the key and credentials to those containers inside the Android app of PhoneSheriff, one of Retina-X’s spyware products. The API key and the credentials were stored in plaintext, meaning the hacker could take them and gain access to the server.This time, the hacker said the API key was obfuscated, but it was still relatively easy for him to obtain it and break in again. Because he feared another hacker getting in and then posting the private photos online, the hacker decided to wipe the containers again.Shortly after Motherboard first reported the Retina-X breach in February of last year, a second hacker independently approached us, and said they already had been inside the company’s systems for some time. The hacker provided other internal files from Retina-X, some of which Motherboard verified at the time.
Answering a series of questions about what Retina-X changed after last year’s hack, a spokesperson wrote in an email that “we have been taking steps to enhance our data security measures. Sharing details of security measures could only serve to potentially compromise those efforts.”“Retina-X Studios is committed to protecting the privacy of its users and we have cooperated with investigating authorities,” the spokesperson wrote. “Unfortunately, as we are well aware, the perpetrators of these egregious actions against consumers and private companies are often never identified and brought to justice.”
At the end of 2016, the hacker gained access to the servers of Retina-X, which makes several spyware products, and started collecting data and moving inside the company’s networks. Weeks later, the hacker shared samples of some of the data he accessed and stole with Motherboard. But he didn’t post any of it online. Instead, he wiped some of the servers he got into, as the company later admitted in February of 2017.The new alleged hack comes just a few days after the hacker resurfaced online. At the beginning of February, the hacker started to dump online some of the old data he stole from Retina-X in late 2016. The hacker is now using a Mastodon account called “Precise Buffalo” to share screenshots recounting how he broke in, as well as raw data from the breach, though no private data from victims and targets.
In February of 2017, a Motherboard investigation based on data provided by hackers showed that tens of thousands of people—teachers, construction workers, lawyers parents, jealous lovers—use stalkerware apps. Some of those people use the stalkerware apps to spy on their own partners without their consent, something that is illegal in the United States and is often associated with domestic abuse and violence.Retina-X was not the only spyware company hacked last year. Other hackers also breached FlexiSpy, an infamous provider of spyware that has actively marketed its apps to jealous lovers. At the time, the hackers promised that their two victims—FlexiSpy and Retina-X—were only the first in line, and that they would target more companies that sell similar products.Additional reporting by Joseph Cox and Jason Koebler.Read more: When Technology Takes Hostages: The Rise of 'Stalkerware'Got a tip? You can contact this reporter securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, OTR chat at firstname.lastname@example.org, or email email@example.comGet six of our favorite Motherboard stories every day by signing up for our newsletter.


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(Photo, appearing left to right: Jolene Thomas, Daniel Spedden, Betsy De Vore, and Audrey Vargason)
Visit Hagerstown–Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau recently brought home the award for Best Digital Marketing Campaign at the annual Maryland Tourism Coalition’s Tourism and Travel Summit. Visit Hagerstown accepted the award, during the conference’s Annual Awards Banquet held Thursday, October 29, at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD.
A digital campaign was launched to promote the Hagerstown Sun’s 35th Anniversary this year and ran from April to August. The campaign resulted in a positive increase in attendance at Suns games, by nearly 10%, which had been showing declining attendance numbers for the past two years. The Hagerstown Suns is a top attraction in Washington County for residents and visitors.
The four-month campaign was launched in partnership with local media company, Manning Media Inc., broadcasting five radio signals, streaming online at key103radio.com and 1069theeagle.com, and owner of a digital marketing division, distributing digital ads through a wide variety of digital products and services in cooperation with over 48,000 web publishers and mobile applications.
Behavioral and geographical targeting, and the use of specific key words were the driving elements of where ads appeared. Very high profile websites, such as Travelocity, Sports Illustrated, and many others, displayed the ads. Also involved in the project was Interfuse, Inc., a national tourism media/development firm, which distributed sponsored articles to assist in creating overnight stays that included the Hagerstown Suns as part of a family trip to the area.
“We constantly strive to create and implement marketing strategies across all platforms and it’s gratifying to have our hard work recognized among our industry peers and partners,” said Daniel P. Spedden, president of Visit Hagerstown. “This year marks the first year that the CVB has entered into the digital marketing world, and the results are impressive.”
Several destination marketing organizations from across Maryland competed for this award. The Maryland Tourism Coalition (MTC) awards committee reviews each application and makes selections based on demonstration of outstanding tourism marketing efforts in several categories. Each year, the MTC Tourism Summit’s awards are given in the professional and marketing categories to honor colleagues, employees and associates whose skill, dedication, and talent bring innovation and professionalism to Maryland tourism.
About Visit Hagerstown:
Visit Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau is a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization whose mission is to help attract visitors to Hagerstown and Washington County. The CVB helps to create vibrant growth for the local economy by promoting, developing and expanding the local visitor industry.
About Maryland Tourism Coalition:
From the MTC website: “MTC strives to create the most productive statewide tourism climate possible. Members from all segments of the industry work together to promote business, participate in professional development activities, and enhance our economic impact for the benefit of all Marylanders. Together…as a tourism coalition, we can strengthen our industry and positively affect our economy, which benefits all Marylanders.”


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Small Business Advocates Rally for Support on Main Street: A Call for Action this Holiday Season
In an effort to underscore the crucial role of small businesses in the U.S. economy, the Co-Chairs of Small Business for America’s Future are rallying for increased support for Main Street this Small Business Saturday and throughout the holiday season. These advocates are urging consumers to shop small and encouraging lawmakers to implement policies that foster an environment conducive to small business growth.
Small businesses play a pivotal role, employing nearly half of America’s private sector and contributing 44% to the national GDP annually. Despite successfully navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic, entrepreneurs now face obstacles such as labor market constraints, limited access to capital, and impending federal budget negotiations. To overcome these hurdles, they need the backing of both consumers and policymakers.
This holiday season presents a unique opportunity to support local businesses that bring character, jobs, and economic vitality to communities. November and December alone account for almost 19% of annual retail sales. Interestingly, there has been a recent resurgence in small business startups, with each month in the first half of this year experiencing a growth rate of at least 15% compared to the respective month over the past four years.
To ensure the continued success of these businesses, creating a stable environment that promotes growth is essential. As the federal budget deadline looms, prompt resolution is imperative to safeguard the economic progress achieved and prevent potential fallout that could jeopardize the livelihoods of many on Main Street.
Lawmakers are also called upon to advance policies such as tax reform and paid family leave that directly bolster small businesses. Noteworthy legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law addresses crucial expenses like health insurance and prescription drug costs, positively impacting the bottom line and facilitating the growth of Main Street.
The Co-Chairs of Small Business for America’s Future include Shaundell Newsome, Founder of Sumnu Marketing; Erika Gonzalez, M.D., CEO, President, & Founder of South Texas Allergy and Asthma Medical Professionals (STAAMP); Anne Zimmerman, CPA, Founder & Owner of Zimmerman & Co CPAs Inc.; and Walt Rowen, President of Susquehanna Glass Co. These individuals are at the forefront of advocating for policies that support small businesses and drive economic growth.
As Small Business Saturday approaches on Nov. 25 and throughout the holiday season, the call to action is clear: support Main Street, shop small, and engage with lawmakers to ensure the prosperity of the businesses that form the backbone of our communities.
The World’s Best Import Markets for Powdered Milk


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The recall of its Galaxy Note 7 has rocked Samsung. The disaster has pushed the company’s shares down. However, it is not it is not in any financial trouble. Parent Samsung Group is 23% of South Korea’s economy.
Business Korea recently reported:
According to business performance appraising agency CEO Score, Samsung represented 23% of the country’s GDP in 2012, and Hyundai Motor 12%.
Samsung Group had total revenue of over $300 billion. It ranks number 20 on the Forbes list of the world’s largest public companies. It owns Samsung Electronics, which makes smartphones and an army of other devices. Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) is one of the largest ship builders in the world. The company has a huge Financial Services Division, which is in the bank, create card and commercial loan business. Samsung Group even has a business that makes medical devices.
A recent press release from Samsung seems light years away from the business well-known in America:
- SHI won an order to build two offshore platforms from Norway-based Statoil
- Contract covers 46,000 tons of oil production facilities, including the process platform and riser platform
SHI announced on the 30th that it had signed a deal with Statoil worth about USD 1.17 trillion to build two offshore platforms.
Under the deal, SHI will provide the two offshore platforms to be deployed at the oil field Johan Sverdrup located 140km off Stavanger, a port city in southwestern Norway. The platforms will be completed by the end of 2018.
The two platforms consist of a “process platform” for refining and producing crude oil and a “riser platform” for transporting the crude oil extracted from the oil well to the process platform. The individual platforms weigh 25,000 tons and 21,000 tons, respectively.
One of the world’s largest oil fields, the Johan Sverdrup is estimated to hold up to 1.7 to 3 billion barrels of oil. It is believed that it will account for about 25 percent of Norwegian oil production in the future.
Meanwhile, Samsung Heavy Industries has posted nearly USD 4 billion in sales to date; this figure includes the above-mentioned deal.
The people who operate the oil wells probably don’t even use Samsung phones.