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These would seem like unsettling times for agribusiness.
Everyone from soy growers to meat packers now faces a mounting list of new hurdles. Commodity prices have never been more volatile. Arable land, water constraints and climate change pose increasing challenges. Food safety and sustainability have surfaced as major concerns. The industry requires lengthy investment cycles, but investor patience is diminishing. There's the continuing threat of unpredictable government intervention that could distort global trade. And amid these daunting challenges, companies are also struggling to understand the growing role that digital capabilities will play in the years ahead—and how to adapt.
Yet despite this scenario, agribusinesses are generating attractive returns. In the years from 2004 to 2014, according to Bain & Company analysis, the top five companies in each of four segments (crop inputs, crops, animal products, and trading and logistics) achieved average total shareholder returns (TSR)1 that ranged from 7% to 42%. However, this is an industry with a huge variation in performance (see Figure 1). Our research showed that the best performer among the largest crop companies enjoyed a TSR of 53%, and the worst performer, negative 34%. A similar pattern played out in the animal products segment: The best performer saw TSR of 67% while the worst delivered negative 29%.
In some ways, there's never been more reason to be optimistic about the road ahead for agriculture. Despite the many challenges, the industry fundamentals paint a bright future. Over the next 40 years, global demand will require a 60% increase in major crop production. Supply and infrastructure gaps suggest that prices are likely to recover and even rise over time. Moreover, this is one industry in which many companies have just barely scratched the surface in their efforts to boost yields, improve supply chain efficiencies and increase value-added activities.
Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, which has grown 23% annually during the past two decades, will continue to consolidate the major players, making the industry more global and integrated—and changing the rules. No longer a local game, agribusinesses must now have a worldwide perspective to compete effectively, with the nimbleness to adapt to shifting production sources and end markets.
Consider the changes in coffee production. Twenty-five years ago, 61% of the world's coffee came from the top five producing countries. By 2013, the top five accounted for fully 73% of all coffee produced. However, production has shifted from country to country. In 1990, Vietnam was not even near the top of the list. By 2013, it had eclipsed Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and Indonesia to become the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, contributing about 20% of the world's coffee crop. Meanwhile, end markets are swiftly changing, too. Increasingly, the customers of a particular crop are in a location other than the country where it is produced. There's mounting demand for more sustainable, healthier and safer food. Consumption in developing markets is growing dramatically; China is already the largest consumer of several commodities. If the OECD's and Euromonitor's projections are correct, and Asia and Africa add more than 2 billion people to their middle classes over the next 20 years and grow the number of city dwellers by more than 1 billion, the end markets for most crops and animal products will be transformed.
Looking to winners
Winning companies are keenly aware of these opportunities, and they fully acknowledge that tomorrow's agribusinesses will bear little resemblance to the agribusinesses of the past. Look at the recent success of global nutrition company Glanbia, based in Ireland. The company embarked on a new strategy to reduce commodity exposure and focus on higher-margin, lower-volatility, value-added sectors like the B2B market for whey protein, a by-product of its cheese production, and the B2C market for nutrition drinks. To solidify its position, Glanbia acquired companies in the whey and sports nutrition markets. The strategic shift exceeded expectations: The company grew its earnings 6% annually from 2004 through 2014, and its nutrition brands and ingredients businesses now account for three-quarters of its revenues from wholly owned businesses.
Look also at the CP Group. Starting as a pure-play animal feed business in Thailand in the '50s and '60s, the company thoughtfully expanded along the entire poultry value chain and across geographies. In Indonesia, one of CP's most successful markets, the company has grown revenues from $500 million in 2004 to $2.4 billion in 2014, delivering nearly 70% TSR over that period, according to Capital IQ.
In this steadily shifting landscape, with widely varying company performance, there's no easy path to joining the ranks of winners. But based on our research and experience working with agribusiness companies across the globe to develop winning strategies for the future, we've identified eight rules that successful companies follow (see Figure 2).
1. Shape your battlegrounds
To achieve profitable growth, it's important to know where to play. Agribusinesses need to define clearly their battlegrounds along three dimensions: value chain integration, portfolio participation and geographic footprint. Value chain integration and portfolio and geographic expansions benefit companies by giving them access to new profit pools and by creating cost synergies across the value chain. It also allows companies to build competitive advantages by securing sources and customers, ensuring quality control and access to market intelligence through increased market visibility. With agriculture supply chains increasingly globalizing, companies should shift from being pure producers to smartly integrated global players. As they make this shift, the best companies invest to understand their customers' needs, as well as market and competitor dynamics across the supply chain, and they use those insights to shape their business models.
Take Singapore-based Wilmar International. It started primarily as a trader in palm oil, but over the past two decades, the company systematically integrated its businesses across the value chain to tap into higher-margin profit pools, such as plantations and refining.
It is now one of the largest palm oil plantation owners in Indonesia and Malaysia and the world's largest processor and merchandiser of palm and lauric oils. Integrating has provided several benefits to Wilmar, including economies of scale due to co-location of facilities; efficiency in the logistics and distribution network; trading arbitrage and flexibility, enabled by visibility of the entire value chain; and security of offtake from their plantations and midstream refineries. This strategy has helped Wilmar outpace industry growth. From 2005 to 2011, Wilmar's revenues grew tenfold, from $4.5 billion to $45 billion, making the company nearly three times larger than its nearest competitor.
Such smart integration requires an understanding of profit pools that vary by sector and shift over time. Indeed, companies that succeed in shaping their battlegrounds determine where and how far to expand, by anticipating potential shifts in profit pools along the value chain. They also balance their organization's capacity to handle the additional complexity of new businesses and locations, and they execute effectively to truly realize the expected benefits.
2. Build and capitalize on fortresses
In a future marked by increasing globalization and intensified competition, companies need to be able to depend on proprietary assets. The best agribusinesses dynamically identify, secure and build on those assets—everything from factories to licensed intellectual property—to grow and defend their market shares. Companies need to be first movers and also continually nurture and strengthen proprietary assets, both physical and nonphysical. Winners fortify them by layering multiple related adjacencies on top of their core offerings and by reacting quickly to market changes. For example, CHS, the US agricultural cooperative, controls key logistical assets like grain elevators, unit train loaders and ethanol plants that are natural delivery points for local grain producers. CHS capitalizes on these assets by selling agronomic inputs such as fertilizer to farmers, capturing incremental profits and further securing its relationships with farmers.
Consider again the CP Group in Thailand. As the company expanded along the value chain to become an integrated poultry player, it made several strategic moves to build proprietary assets. CP provides financial support to farmers by extending guaranteed loans to farmer collectives and implementing buy-back contracts with guaranteed returns of more than 12% with farmers—a move that creates high switching costs for them. Additionally, CP maintains an exclusive contract with a distribution channel of 7-Eleven convenience stores, in which it has a 70% share, and Makro hypermarkets, where it has a 35% share. These contracts help CP lock up distribution, preventing other competitors from entering the market. CP's focused strategy of building fortresses has helped it become the market leader in Thailand, with 35% share and $5.2 billion in revenues from its poultry operations.
3. Decommoditize or be commoditized
Commoditization is a natural consequence of maturity in many industries. However, in businesses today, where it comes down to the simple choice of decommoditize or be commoditized, companies shouldn't be afraid of being different. Instead, they should be afraid of being the same as everyone else. This requires a fundamental shift in thinking. In the past, many companies took a producer's mindset, considering their products as commodities and focusing on how to get the most out of their assets. Now, many winning companies adopt a customer-led approach, understanding and working with their customers to differentiate their products and services.
Consumer mega-trends, such as the push for quality and food safety, open up opportunities to decommoditize. Dairy producer Yili developed supply sources outside of China to improve the quality and counter local concerns over milk safety. The emphasis on quality, bolstered by partnerships with foreign brands, has delivered higher margins and improved the brand's value. Yili's revenues have risen by 17% annually since 2010. Italian coffee producer Illy also differentiated itself by taking more control of sourcing: It buys directly from farmers, ensuring traceability, and pioneered the certification of coffee beans. European B2B chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has also made big strides in its effort to decommoditize. The company works closely with customers and consumers to understand their bespoke needs and then makes the most of its fully integrated model to develop, source and sell differentiated products like cholesterol-free cocoa butter and tooth-friendly chocolate to large food companies like Mondelez and to artisanal chocolate manufacturers.
4. Maximize upstream yields
Demand for agricultural products is relentlessly increasing, but supply constraints mean top agribusinesses must radically think about how they can produce more with less. New research indicates that nearly 33% of the world's adequate or high-quality food-producing land has been degraded due to erosion or pollution over the past 40 years—a rate that far outstrips the pace of natural processes to replace diminished soil. Large tracts of arable land also have been damaged due to pollution across Asia and Africa, diminishing their potential for farming. The scarcity of high-quality arable land means companies will need to improve yield to support growth. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that over 80% of future production growth will need to come from yield improvements (see Figure 3).
There are three key ways to improve yields: reduce variability of realized yields, structurally improve yield potential through genetic enhancements and adopt next-generation precision agriculture techniques for optimizing yields.
In our experience, reducing yield variability can create significant value. Working with a large plantation player in Indonesia, we found that yields could vary tenfold across adjacent plots, despite uniform soil and weather conditions. This is caused by a lack of codification of agronomy best practices—for example, land preparation, equipment preparation, fertilizer application and so on—and an inconsistent quality in supervision across plots. In this instance, improving the yields of underperforming plots was worth a 30% to 40% increase in overall yields, creating tremendous value for the business.
In addition to reducing variability and generating continuous improvements in genetic materials, one of the key techniques for improving yield is to deploy new precision agriculture techniques. Precision agriculture involves using technology solutions to collect and analyze a large amount of detailed geospatial and temporal crop information to enhance agronomy practices. The information collected and analyzed may vary widely, including such inputs as farm topographical data, soil density, nutrient information, fruit quality and maturity. Sophisticated analytics and control systems then allow farmers to implement optimal agronomy practices, taking advantage of such new developments as GPS-enabled self-driving machinery to pinpoint accuracy in field locations.
One fruit producer uses farm topographical information for field traffic control and water management. Analysis of farm topography allows better planning of vehicle paths through the fields, increasing overall yields and improving costs. In addition, this data is also being used to improve water drainage, which reduces waterlogging and allows better growing conditions. For another company, precision agriculture helps manage fertilizer and water quality. Data captured through sensors placed in fields at varying depths provides a real-time look at surface and ground water pollution. The faster, better-informed decisions enabled by precision agriculture helped the company increase its yield of fresh fruit bunches of oil palms by 5% in a single year.
Precision agriculture can help agribusinesses increase yields while lowering inputs, with applications throughout the entire farming process, from farm preparation and planting through to harvest. While these techniques are still nascent and it will take time for them to become economical, winning companies will innovate on this front, finding profitable models that allow them to capture value.
5. Get to cost leadership in midstream operations
Scratch a leader in any industry, and you will likely find a low-cost position. Cost discipline is essential to generate margins to reinvest in growth, especially in commodity markets. As agribusinesses struggle to deal with intensified competition and capture value across processing operations, a sustainable low-cost position is a big factor separating the winners from the laggards. Our research has found that costs can vary widely across manufacturing plants, both within and across companies. For example, when we analyzed operations at two competing palm oil producers in Southeast Asia, we found that milling costs at a plant at one company was nearly three times more than that of a plant at a rival company.
Scale is a key factor in cost position. And the role that scale plays is different in different situations. Facility scale matters in industries like fertilizers. For example, in China, companies are building large facilities that are much more efficient than small facilities at spreading fixed costs. But local scale is more important in retail agronomy. A multisite presence can allow sharing of labor, equipment and logistical assets. Finally, in many downstream sectors, such as milling and crushing, regional or national scale is important. It allows facilities to specialize in certain products or have the flexibility to serve customers from multiple facilities to optimize logistics and inventories.
To stay competitive, companies also need to minimize processing costs through strategic sourcing, supply chain optimization, operations excellence and by relying on mechanization and data analytics to improve efficiencies.
6. Make sustainability a way of life
Over the past decades, a growing awareness of resource scarcity and climate change has raised the importance of sustainable agriculture. It is now top of mind for consumers, customers, suppliers and their communities, as well as for millennial generation employees, who are demanding that their employers demonstrate sustainable practices.
Sustainability and other environmental issues are increasingly impossible to ignore. The FAO estimates that more than 40% of the world's rural population now lives in water-scarce regions. Even traditional agricultural centers in developed markets like California face water constraints. In a recent case, the months-long haze over Southeast Asia, caused by Indonesian farmers burning their land, cost that country's economy an estimated $50 billion. Companies need to factor environmental costs into their business equations, especially as governments prepare to impose taxes on carbon usage and other environmental stressors.
Indeed, governments are swiftly enacting legislation aimed at requiring sustainable products. Many European countries now only allow certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) in their stores, for example. And as a result, CSPO sales have grown by an annual 24% since 2009. In the years ahead, sustainability will become a must to play in several crops.
Some agribusinesses have already learned how to make sustainability a core part of their strategies, even using it as an opportunity to create differentiated value and competitive advantages. Consider the enduring benefits achieved by New Britain Palm Oil Limited (NBPOL) after the company opted to construct its business model around CSPO and embed sustainability into its operations. (A core element of how NBPOL achieved this was by reaching out proactively and working closely with leading environmental organizations.)
NBPOL entered into long-term contacts with customers seeking sustainable palm oil. Linking its brand with CSPO has positioned the company to grow its customer base when the market completely demands the sustainable product. NBPOL was recently acquired by Sime Darby, a large Malaysian palm oil company, at an 85% premium—paid in part because of the company's unique expertise in CSPO.
Indeed, when done right, sustainability can be a source of significant value. But it doesn't happen by accident. Truly embedding sustainability requires making it a top corporate priority and communicating its importance throughout the organization. It also requires setting the right key performance indicators and factoring the cost of sustainability into project assessment and reporting, measuring the impact and being transparent about progress. Companies also need to adjust their operating models and supply chains to incorporate sustainability. For example, Nestle established a sustainability governance and advisory structure to guide its sustainability commitments.
7. Win the people challenge
To survive and thrive, agribusinesses need to operate in dispersed locations, diversify and integrate their value chains—a new reality that adds complexity to their businesses. They also live in a world of long investment horizons and high levels of uncertainty due to price volatility and regulatory uncertainty. This combination of complexity and uncertainty requires many companies to revisit their operating models and streamline their decision-making processes.
However, the major organizational challenge for agribusinesses now and in the years ahead is the scarcity of talent. The industry's cyclical nature, the need to often accept assignments in rural areas and the misconception that this is a sleepy industry have all presented challenges in competing for top talent throughout the value chain. It's not surprising that the average age of farmers approaches 60 in developed countries, where populations are also maturing. But surprisingly, that's the same average age for farmers in Africa, where 60% of the population is younger than 24. And just as farmers are aging, the number of agriculture graduates is on the decline; it dropped nearly 40% in the past two decades. Meanwhile, farmers in countries as diverse as Japan and South Africa continue to leave farm work to seek higher-paying jobs in the city.
The talent crisis comes at a time when the industry is becoming much more sophisticated and top performers have the ability to exert a bigger influence than ever before. Some companies are leaping ahead of others in devising solutions to address these challenges. Olam, which operates in more than 60 countries, has a unique talent model for managing far-flung operations. The company has assembled an international cadre of about 900 managers called the Global Assignee Talent Pool (GATP). Olam invests heavily in recruiting, training and creating fulfilling careers for its GATP managers, who are empowered to make decisions locally, in keeping with Olam's distributed leadership model. In an industry struggling with a huge talent deficit, Olam's approach is a major competitive advantage.
8. Embrace the digital age
In India's rural state of Maharashtra, a group of 400 farmers relies on smartphones and WhatsApp to participate in an online network that helps them connect with one another and with experts to learn ways to become more effective. They use their smartphones to reach customers, to discover new markets for their goods and to share real-time information about such matters as pricing and pesticide effectiveness.
These Indian farmers are ahead of the curve. The fact is, many agribusinesses lag when it comes to using technology in their internal processes and systems, particularly across diverse, dispersed and remote operations. However, as regulators, suppliers and customers demand higher levels of visibility and transparency, the digital imperative is more important than ever.
Whether it's about getting the basics right, such as digitalizing documentation, or implementing more advanced systems, like real-time inventory tracking and Big Data, agribusinesses can learn from digital-forward industries like financial services and consumer products.
We see three key ways that companies can use technology to enhance their business. They can interact digitally with stakeholders, providing an online platform where farmers, suppliers and customers can digitally connect. They can create a "smart view" of the entire value chain to help them reduce waste and optimize product flow. Finally, they can invest in Big Data and analytics to capture the full potential from their operations—be it in precision agriculture, trading strategies or consumer preferences.
Winning consistently in the dynamic and evolving global agricultural sector can be difficult, and financial outcomes vary greatly among key industry participants. Lessons learned from those that consistently succeed show that these eight imperatives can help guide agribusinesses through uncertain times. If the past has taught us anything, it's that in agriculture, as in so many other industries, leading companies are those that proactively plan to operate in a new and unfamiliar landscape. They invest to understand clearly the dimensions of their mounting challenges and the shifting opportunities. From soy farms to beef processors, from coffee plantations to olive oil processing plants, amid commodity price fluctuations and new government regulations, water shortages and emerging digital capabilities, the message for the future couldn't be clearer: Standing still is not an option.
Satish Shankar is a Bain & Company partner based in Singapore. François van Raemdonck is a partner based in Kuala Lumpur. Dalton Maine is a partner based in Chicago.
The authors would like to acknowledge the following contributors to this report: Usman Akhtar, Aadarsh Baijal, Francesco Cigala, Scott Duncan and Till Vestring.
1 TSR is defined as stock price changes, assuming reinvestment of cash dividends


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Toddlers can benefit from preoperative planning, education, and explanations. This should take place 1 or 2 days before surgery since doing it too far in advance can cause more anxiety. Recognizing what is stressful to your toddler while in the hospital can guide you in preparing them for the surgical experience. Common stressors and fears in the hospital may include the following:
Being left alone
Having to stay in a strange bed or room
Loss of comforts of home, family, and possessions
Being in contact with unfamiliar people
Painful procedures
Medical equipment that looks and sounds scary
Feeling helpless
These suggestions will help you prepare:
Read books to your toddler about going to the hospital.
Interactive play with dolls and stuffed animals can help your child be more secure in the hospital environment. The child life department in your hospital can provide this service directly or provide guidance to parents preparing their children at home.
Give very simple explanations, and be careful of the words you use. For example, say, "The healthcare provider is going to fix your arm." Don't say, "The healthcare provider is going to make a cut on your arm."
Let your child decide which security item they want to bring to the hospital. Include a favorite book and soothing music.
Stay with your child during hospitalization. Your touch and voice will comfort them more than anything else. Let the nurses know about your child's usual schedule and their likes and dislikes.
Be patient with your child. It's normal for toddlers to cry and be fussy during this stressful time. Your child may be very clingy and become hard to comfort. It's not unusual for your child to regress and have angry outbursts and tantrums. Give a lot of love, and let your child know that you will be nearby. Try not to leave the hospital if possible. If you must leave, let them know and that you will return as soon as you can.
Remember, too, to take care of yourself. Simplify your life during this time, and don't be afraid to ask for help from family and friends. Remaining positive and calm can help reduce your toddler's anxiety.
Fred Rogers. 1997. Going to the Hospital. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Deborah Hautzig. 1985. A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Richard Scarry. 1995. A Big Operation (The Busy World of Richard Scarry). Aladdin Paperback.
Joanna Cole. 1990. The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body. Scholastic, Incorporated.
Anne Civardi. 2005. Going to the Hospital. Usborne Publishing Ltd.
Margret Rey, H.A. Rey. 2010. Curious George Goes to the Hospital. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

subset: commoncrawl


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The snapshot
Supporting students and teachers by going digital
Easy to use platform for users
Providing high-value features through user tests and research
The challenge
With more than 200 years in the business, Gleerups is at the forefront of the Swedish educational system. While Gleerups is the owner of more than 40% market share for digital learning, more should be done in staying ahead of the competition.
Partnering with Devoteam on this project, Gleerups wanted to create the next generation educational Cloud-based web platform. This way, providing more benefits to both teachers and students while remaining the leader in the future of learning.
The solution
Devoteam's creative tech team's know-how and Gleerups' education reputation made for a perfect combination in creating the future of interactive learning including exercises, videos and specific tools.
This was done by conducting user research, feature-focused workshops, and AWS and Kubernetes-managed apps.
Gleerups also opened up as a free for all platform as COVID-19 spread in the spring of 2020. This led to a drastic increase of users in a short time, revealing the platform's strengths and weaknesses.
Changes will be made accordingly to further simplify the user experience from user tests and data.
The better change
Creating an accessible, user-friendly platform
Using pioneering techniques to promote innovation in education
Establishing a better operations system and providing continual support


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The Albany Plan of Union was a plan to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. The plan was adopted on July 10, 1754, by representatives from seven of the British North American colonies. Although never carried out, it was the first important plan to conceive of the colonies as a collective whole united under one government.
Representatives of the colonial governments adopted the Albany Plan during a larger meeting known as the Albany Congress. The British government in London had ordered the colonial governments to meet in 1754, initially because of a breakdown in negotiations between the colony of New York and the Mohawk nation, part of the Iroquois Confederation. More generally, imperial officials wanted to sign a treaty with the Iroquois that would articulate a clear colonial-Indian relations policy for all the colonies to follow. The colonial governments of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire all sent commissioners to the Congress. Although the treaty with the Iroquois was the main purpose of the Congress, the delegates also met to discuss intercolonial cooperation on other matters. With the French and Indian War looming, the need for cooperation was urgent, especially for colonies likely to come under attack or invasion.
Prior to the Albany Congress, a number of intellectuals and government officials had formulated and published several tentative plans for centralizing the colonial governments of North America. Imperial officials saw the advantages of bringing the colonies under closer authority and supervision, while colonists saw the need to organize and defend common interests. One figure of emerging prominence among this group was Pennsylvanian Benjamin Franklin. Earlier, Franklin had written to friends and colleagues proposing a plan of voluntary union for the colonies. Upon hearing of the Albany Congress, his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, published the political cartoon "Join or Die," which illustrated the importance of union by comparing the colonies to pieces of a snake's body. The Pennsylvania government appointed Franklin as a commissioner to the Congress, and on his way, Franklin wrote to several New York commissioners outlining "short hints towards a scheme for uniting the Northern Colonies" by means of an act of the British Parliament.
The Albany Congress began on June 19, and the commissioners voted unanimously to discuss the possibility of union on June 24. The union committee submitted a draft of the plan on June 28, and commissioners debated aspects of it until they adopted a final version on July 10.
Although only seven colonies sent commissioners, the plan proposed the union of all the British colonies except for Georgia and Delaware. The colonial governments were to select members of a "Grand Council," while the British Government would appoint a "president General." Together, these two branches of the unified government would regulate colonial-Indian relations and also resolve territorial disputes between the colonies. Acknowledging the tendency of royal colonial governors to override colonial legislatures and pursue unpopular policies, the Albany Plan gave the Grand Council greater relative authority. The plan also allowed the new government to levy taxes for its own support.
Despite the support of many colonial leaders, the plan, as formulated at Albany, did not become a reality. Colonial governments, sensing that it would curb their own authority and territorial rights, either rejected the plan or chose not to act on it at all. The British Government had already dispatched General Edward Braddock as military commander in chief along with two commissioners to handle Indian relations, and believed that directives from London would suffice in the management of colonial affairs.
The Albany Plan was not conceived out of a desire to secure independence from Great Britain. Many colonial commissioners actually wished to increase imperial authority in the colonies. Its framers saw it instead as a means to reform colonial-imperial relations, while recognizing that the colonies collectively shared certain common interests. However, the colonial governments' own fears of losing power, territory, and commerce at one another's expense, and at the expense of the British Parliament, ensured the Albany Plan's failure.
Despite the failure of the Albany Plan, it served as a possible model for future attempts at union: it attempted to establish the division between the executive and legislative branches of government, while establishing a common governmental authority to deal with external relations. More importantly, it conceived of the colonies of mainland North America as a collective unit, separate from the mother country but also from the other British colonies in the West Indies and elsewhere.
Source Citation:
"Albany Plan of Union, 1754." n.d. Office of the Historian. U.S. Department of State. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/albany-plan


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Nintendo launching 'amiibo' toy-game franchise with 12 characters, including Mario and Link
Pikachu and Link will be among the first characters coming to "amiibo."
Nintendo says 12 characters will be part of its upcoming toy-game line set for release later this year. The initial line-up will include Mario, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Samus Aran, Kirby, Marth, Fox McCloud, the "Wii Fit" Trainer and the Villager from "Animal Crossing."
The figures in the "amiibo" toy-game line will each cost $12.99 and work in tandem with such upcoming titles as "Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker" and "Super Smash Bros."
The characters' virtual histories will be stored on the plastic figures and transmitted through the touchscreen controller for the Wii U console, similar to "Skylanders" and "Disney Infinity."
Nintendo is hoping the new toy-game line will help boost sales of its beleaguered Wii U console.


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We will only process your Personal Data, including sharing it with third parties, where (1) you have provided your consent which can be withdrawn at any time, (2) the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party, (3) we are required by law, (4) processing is required to protect your vital interests or those of another person, or (5) processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate commercial interests, except where such interests are overridden by your rights and interests.
Personal Data that you give us
We may use Personal Data that you provide directly to us for the following purposes:
- to carry out our obligations arising from your membership, or any other contract entered into between you and us and to provide you with the information, products and membership services that you request from us;
- to organize events that you have purchased or registered for, and to provide you with information, and other materials, relating to the content of the event, the speakers, sponsors and other attendees;
- to provide our newsletter and other publications, provided you have given your consent;
- to respond to your questions and provide related membership services;
- to provide you with information about other events, products and services we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased, provided you have not opted-out of receiving that information;
- to provide you, or permit selected third parties to provide you, with information about events, products or services we feel may interest you, provided you have given your consent;
- to transfer your information as part of a merger or sale of the business;
- to notify you about changes to our membership service; and
- to ensure that content from our Site is presented most effectively for you and your computer.
Information we collect about you
We will use Personal Data that we have collected about your use of our Site:
- to administer our Site and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes; to improve our Site to ensure that content is presented most effectively for you and your computer;
- as part of our efforts to keep our Site safe and secure;
- to measure or understand the effectiveness of advertising we serve to you and others, and to deliver relevant advertising to you; and
- to make suggestions and recommendations to you and other users of our Site about goods or services that may interest you or them.
Personal Data we receive from other sources
We will combine this information with information you give to us and information we collect about you. We will use this information and the combined Personal Data for the purposes set out above (depending on the types of information we receive).
When we share and who can access your Personal Data
We may share your Personal Data for the purposes described in this Notice with:
- a member of our group
- partners, suppliers and sub-contractors, for the performance of obligations arising from your membership, or any other contract we enter into with them or you or to provide you with the information, products and membership services that you request from us
- analytics and search engine providers that assist us in the improvement and optimization of our Site
- trusted third-party companies and individuals to help us provide, analyze, and improve the Site and our membership services (including but not limited to data storage, maintenance services, database management, web analytics and payment processing)
- in the event that we sell or buy any business or assets, in which case we will disclose your Personal Data to the prospective seller or buyer of such business or assets
- if ASAE or substantially all of its assets are acquired by a third party, in which case Personal Data held by it about its customers will be one of the transferred assets.
We will only transfer your Personal Data to trusted third-parties who provide sufficient guarantees in respect of the technical and organizational security measures governing the processing to be carried out and who can demonstrate a commitment to compliance with those measures.
Selling your Personal Data
We will never sell your Personal Data to third parties without your opt-in consent.
Although we use security measures to help protect your Personal Data against loss, misuse or unauthorized disclosure, we cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted to us over the internet.
All information you provide to us is stored on secure servers.
Any payment transactions will be encrypted using SSL technology.
Transfer of Personal Data outside of the European Economic Area ("EEA") and International Users
We are headquartered in the United States. Your Personal Data may be accessed by us or transferred to us in the United States or to our affiliates, partners, merchants, or service providers who are located worldwide. If you are visiting our Site from outside the United States, be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located, and our central database is operated. By using our Service, you consent to any transfer of this information.
How Long we Store your Personal Data
We will store your Personal Data, in a form which permits us to identify you, for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which the Personal Data is processed. We may retain and use your Personal Data as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements and rights, or if it is not technically reasonably feasible to remove it. Consistent with these requirements, we will try to delete your Personal Data quickly upon request.
We will retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our Site. If you wish to cancel your account or request that we no longer use your information to provide you service, contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com. We will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. We maintain one or more databases to store your Personal Data and may keep such information indefinitely.
Where we store your personal data
The Personal Data that you provide to us is generally stored on servers located in the United States. If you are located in another jurisdiction, you should be aware that once your Personal Data is submitted through our Site, it will be transferred to our servers in the United States and that the United States currently does not have uniform data protection laws in place
Cookies and Do Not Track Policy
Our cookie policy and Do Not Track Policy are available at https://www.asaecenter.org/asae-home/privacy-notice/cookie-policy.
Children's Privacy
Our Sites are not directed to children under the age of 13, if you are not 13 years or older, do not use our Site. We do not knowingly collect Personal Data from children under the age of 13. If we learn that Personal Data of persons less than 13 years-of-age has been collected through our Site, we will take the appropriate steps to delete this information. If you are a parent or guardian and discover that your child or a minor under the age of 13 has posted, submitted or otherwise communicated Personal Data to our Site without your consent, then you may alert us at email@example.com so that we may take appropriate action to remove the minor's Personal Data from our systems.
Links to Third Party Sites and Services
Our Sites may contain links to third party websites, applications and services not operated by us. These links are provided as a service and do not imply any endorsement by us of the activities or content of these sites, applications or services nor any association with their operators. Company is not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of any third party including websites or services directly linked to our Service. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third party site that you link from our Service.
Your rights
Correction and removal
If any of the information that we have about you is incorrect, or you wish to have information (including Personal Data) removed from our records, you may do so by visiting the your ASAE Profile, or contacting us at email@example.com.
Opting Out
Additionally, if you prefer not to receive marketing messages from us, please let us know by clicking on the unsubscribe link within any marketing message that you receive, by visiting your ASAE preferences page, or by sending a message to us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Your European Rights
FOR EUROPEAN RESIDENTS ONLY. You have the right to ask us not to process your Personal Data for marketing purposes. We will usually inform you (before collecting your Personal Data) if we intend to use your Personal Data for such purposes or if we intend to disclose your information to any third party for such purposes. You can exercise your right to prevent such processing by checking certain boxes on the forms we use to collect your Personal Data. You can also exercise the right by contacting us using the Contact Us section on our Site.
Under European data protection law, in certain circumstances, you have the right to:
In addition, where you believe that ASAE has not complied with its obligations under this Notice or European law, you have the right to make a complaint to an EU Data Protection Authority, such as the UK Information Commissioner's Office.
You can exercise any of these rights by contacting us using the Contact Us section on our Site.
Your Californian Rights
FOR RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA ONLY. Section 1798.83 of the California Civil Code requires select businesses to disclose policies relating to the sharing of certain categories of your Personal Data with third parties. If you reside in California and have provided your Personal Data to ASAE, you may request information about our disclosures of certain categories of Personal data to third parties for direct marketing purposes. Such requests must be submitted to us at one of the following addresses: email@example.com org
Attn: California Privacy Rights
1575 I Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington DC 20005
Changes to this Notice
If we make any material changes to this Notice or the way we use, share or collect personal Data, we will notify you by revising the "Effective Date" at the top of this Notice, prominently posting an announcement of the changes on our Site, or sending an email to the email address you most recently provided us (unless we do not have such an email address) prior to the new policy taking effect.
Any changes we make to this Notice in the future will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notification sent to you by e-mail. Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to this Notice.


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Call today, 813-452-5068, Amana Oven Repair in Gibsonton for a same day or next day appointment for a Oven Repair. If you are located in Gibsonton or around in the Hillsborough County area and need Amana Oven Repair, please call Gibsonton Appliance Repair Men. If you need an experienced Amana Oven Repair technician in Gibsonton, we can send out a service technician to diagnose your Oven. All Amana Oven Repair technicians have extensive experience servicing all types of models and type of Ovens including Amana Over the range Oven, Amana Commercial Oven, Amana and Amana Oven Installation,.
Trying to fix your Amana Oven at home can damage or hurt your appliance. The technician will not be able to work on your Amana Oven if it has been handled or taken apart by another technician. Gibsonton Amana Oven repair technicians are available the majority of time for same day appointments especially when it comes to Ovens as we know how important it is to send a technician out there.
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Call today, 813-452-5068, Amana Oven Repair Service and book a same day or next day appointment for a small diagnostic fee cheaper than the industry average.
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Call today, 813-452-5068, for a Amana Oven repair and lock in a same day or next day appointment for a competitive diagnostic fee that can be put toward the repair cost. You want a local factory-trained technician that is located in Gibsonton that services the entire Hillsborough County especially when dealing with Amana Oven repair.Don't hesitate, please contact The Appliance Repair Men today for your Amana Oven repair
. Amana Electric Wall Oven A024SE1, Amana Electric Wall Oven A024SEW, Amana Oven ACF3325A, Amana Oven ACF3355A, Amana Oven DCF3305A, Amana Oven Gas Range, Amana Oven The Big Oven Gas Range, ARR6102 - Amana Oven User Manual, ARR6202, ART6002, ART6112, VENAIR AOCS3040, RS23 Electric Smoothtop Range ACF4255A, Wall Oven - Amana Use and Care Guide Wall Oven, 8113P454-60 - Amana Double Oven User Manual, AMC7159TA - Amana Microwave Oven User Manual, AMC7159TAB0, AMC7159TAS0, KEBV208
Range Vent Hood
Amana RSB2TK27 Trim Kit
Other Communities serviced: Plant City, Tampa, Temple Terrace, Apollo Beach, Balm, Bloomingdale, Boyette, Brandon, Carrollwood, Carrollwood Village, Cheval, Citrus Park, Clair-Mel, Dover, East Lake, Egypt Lake-Leto, FishHawk, Gibsonton, Keystone, Lake Magdalene, Lutz, Mango, Northdale, Orient Park, Palm River-Clair Mel, Progress Village, Pebble Creek, Riverview, Ruskin, Seffner, Sun City Center, Thonotosassa, Town 'n' Country, University, Valrico, Adamsville, Alafia, Antioch, Bay Crest Park, Del Rio, Durant, FL, East Lake, East Tampa, Egypt Lake , Fort Lonesome, Gulf City, Hopewell, Keysville, Knights, Lake Fern, Leto, Limona, Lithia, Nowatney, Orient Park, Palma Ceia, Palm River, Picnic, Pinecrest, Florida, Port Sutton, Rattlesnake, Remlap, Florida, Rocky Creek, Snows Corner, Florida, Sulphur Springs, Sun City Center, Sydney, Sweetwater Creek, Trapnell, Turkey Creek, Bullfrog Corner, Bullfrog Corner, Bone Valley, Branchton, Callsville, Chataocolea, Chicora, Clarkwild, Coronet, Cork (Now Dover, not to be confused with two other Cork's), Cork (Now Plant City), Cosme, Dillon, Diston, Drew Park, absorbed by Tampa, East Cove, Edeson, Flora, Fort Brooke, Fort Foster, Fort Sullivan, Gardenville, Gary, Gulf City, Harney, Hillsboro, Ichipucksassa, aka Ichepucksassa, Hitchipucksassa (now Plant City), Idlewild Park, Jackson Springs, Keystone Park, Knights Station (absorbed by Plant City), Knowles, Lake Fern, Lighthall, Littlebridge aka Lilliebridge, Lillibridge, Magdalene, Magnolia, Mangrove Point, Manhattan (absorbed by Tampa), Marvinia, Midway, Mullins City, Nicholls, Oliphant, Orient, Peck, Pelot, Peru, Prairie, Riverhead, Rocky Point, Sparkman, Stemper, St Helena, Trapnell (absorbed by Plant City), Welcome, Weldon, Willow, Youmans,


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"Why me, Lord? You made other men out of clay. Mine, you made out of s$%#." – Cholla, Black Widow Leader
At this point in his career, only two of Clint Eastwood's films had received direct sequels: A Fistful of Dollars and Dirty Harry. Both had come to help define his persona and cinematic footprint. But given the rabid financial success of Every Which Way But Loose, a sequel was not only understandable – it was inevitable.
Any Which Way You Can follows a very similar formula to its earlier predecessor. Philo Beddoe (Eastwood) is still bare-knuckle brawling alongside his corner bookie, Orville (Geoffrey Lewis, reprising his role) and they're both still side-stepping the bumbling and cantankerous Black Widow Gang. Along for the ride too is the faithful orangutan, Clyde and Orville's ornery Ma (Ruth Gordon). Not to be left out, the pair also cross paths once again with Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Sondra Locke), who had left Philo broken-hearted and wounded-ego'd in the last film.
What's different this time around is that Philo is genuinely wanting out of his brawling habits. He's starting to become addicted to the pain and does not want to spend the rest of his days in a brawl with himself. He's coaxed out of a self-imposed retirement by the representatives of the undefeated Jack Wilson (played by William Smith) who believe the underground fighting arena would pay huge sums to see the pair do battle. When Philo refuses, they kidnap Halsey-Taylor as leverage, which sparks a madcap series of chases in the film's latter half as Orville and Philo pursue a rescue, the Black Widow Gang pursue revenge, and the bare-knuckle brawling bookies pursue a major payday.
Directed by long-time Eastwood stunt double, Buddy Van Horn (whose most prominent on-screen appearance had been in High Plains Drifter), Any Which Way You Can is, pound for pound, a funnier, faster, and generally more entertaining film than Every Which Way But Loose. Its elements are more absurd and less credible, but the laughs are sharper and the final fist-fight has more interesting stakes (not to mention a genuinely better matched opponent in Wilson). In purely objective terms, it's a lesser film for all of its outrageousness; but it's also a difficult film not to enjoy.
There isn't much to credit in terms of performance that wasn't there in the first film except that the leader of the Black Widow Gang (a buffoon named Cholla played by John Quade) is given a surprising glut of comedic opportunities. Quade was in the first film playing the same character, but that earlier film tried not to push the absurdity boundaries very much whereas this film embraces the looney tunes nature of the gang of knuckleheads. Cholla's lines (as well as the overall narrative arc of the gang) are better in this film and the film is better for their continued presence.
Eastwood, Lewis, Gordon, and Locke are each as watchable and engaging as they were the first time around (if not more so). One element of this entry that I enjoyed tremendously was that the final fight sequence between Philo and Wilson is evenly matched and genuinely tense. Eastwood has had a multitude of fist-fights in nearly all of his films, and in almost every one of them he single-handedly mops the floor with his opponents. However, in the fight in this film, he's not only evenly matched, there is a genuine question through out the whole fight as to whether or not he will win. I won't spoil the outcome for you here, but there are some anxious surprises in the midst of it that I frankly found refreshing.
There is an element to the film which is worth noting, although it is sad and disturbing. There is an on-screen fight between a ferret (called a mongoose in the film) and a rattlesnake. The American Human Society gave a pass to the fight sequence (even though it looks uncomfortably realistic) because the rattler had been milked and defanged and therefore posed no real threat to the ferret. In my opinion, the fight looks too realistic to have been anything but traumatic for the animals whether or not they survived. However, the real tragedy of the film is that the orangutan who portrayed Clyde was beaten to death by his trainer shortly after filming wrapped (reportedly for stealing donuts from the set). It is tragic to think of the basic care and respect that was denied these animals on set and regardless of the justifications of a different sociological climate, it is upsetting to hear of such horrific behavior in an otherwise delightfully joyful and silly movie.
With the sincere asterisk pinging the treatment of the animals on set (which may understandably upset certain viewers beyond excuse), Any Which Way You Can is an otherwise fun, delightful and charming entry for Eastwood. If viewers were remotely a fan of Every Which Way But Loose, viewing this sequel is a no-brainer, but it's even easy to recommend for the casual viewer looking to see a bit of Eastwood's lighter side.
Reed Lackey is based in Los Angeles, where he writes and podcasts about film and faith. His primary work is featured on the More Than One Lesson website and podcast, as well as his primary podcast, The Fear of God (which examines the intersection between Christianity and the horror genre). Follow him on Twitter or on Facebook to receive updates on his reviews and editorials.


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weed vaporizer
dry herb vaporizer
No Flavor Cart Instructions
Battery voltage must be at least Blue 3.1V and Battery must be Pre-heated, so before Pre-heating, change the voltage to BLUE, which you will see the button will illuminate Blue, after pre-heating is done, give it a few hits to get going.
If after Pre-heating, you still have issues, then up the voltage to its max which is RED 3.6V. And repeat, once voltage is changed, pre-heat, and give it a few hits to get it going.
*Do not remove sticker from all cartridges, removing the sticker may void the warranty.
What is the Weed Vape Cart charged with?
90%-95% THC Delta-9 DISTILLATE : What it is and why it delivers a superior vape experience?
Preloaded for Convenience
When you're in need of a smoke, the last thing you want to do is go through several steps to get relief. That's why BC Weed Pen carts are so fantastic. It only takes seconds to take a perfect hit, and you won't have to compromise on the quality of the smoking experience, either. Our vape pens are designed for equal quality and convenience.
Highest Quality Concentrate – Butane Free
Our proprietary THC concentrates offer you a cleaner and stronger smoking experience that is more enjoyable overall. They'll leave you pain free and level headed so you can tackle anything that life brings to you. Our high-quality THC concentrate is extracted from B.C. Canada-grown Weed.
Here's how we make our concentrate: First, the herb is packed into a narrow tube. An extract artist uses Short Path Distillation, leaving behind the cannabis plant's THC-infused resins. The end product is pure and contains 90 to 95% THC!
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If someone were to see your BC Weed Pen in your pocket, they would have no idea it contained cannabis. They would think it was just an elegant-looking pen. The subtle and discreet design lets you take your dab pen with you just about anywhere!
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If you're in a hotel room or an apartment where smoking cannabis is not allowed, or if you are out in public, it's very important to have an odor free way to smoke. These cannabis vaporizers are the perfect answer. They're odor free, which means that the weed smell won't be detectable to the people around you and won't linger on your clothes and furniture.
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We only use the very best shatter in our preloaded herbal vaporizer pens. Plus, we manufacture our pens for lasting quality and durable design so you never have to worry about the safety and effectiveness of your cannabis vaporizer.
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If you want your cannabis vaporizer to taste simply like cannabis, choose our popular Black (No Flavor) option. Otherwise, choose from any of our fun flavors. You'll find that the subtle flavor adds to, doesn't detract from, the weed vaping experience.
Ordering Our Products
At BC Weed Pen, we strive to make the shopping experience as seamless as possible. Ordering cannabis vaporizers online is the best way to purchase cannabis discreetly, quickly, and easily. We accept payment in the form of Interac Online, and our payment methods are safe and secure.
Once you place your order, your weed pens will be sent out either the same day or the next business day! Shipping is fast, and it's FREE if you spend $249 or more!
If you have any feedback about our products or if you have questions about our weed vaporizers or THC concentrate, simply contact us and one of our friendly representatives will get back to you as soon as possible!


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An exotic blend of heritage, styling, and engineering—the refined 2024 Suzuki KATANA is poised to revolutionize your cherished motorcycle collection.
Named after the legendary samurai sword, the KATANA retains its iconic design and features technical updates designed to enhance the riding pleasure of this distinctive motorcycle.
The 2024 KATANA gains more peak power, new Ride-by-Wire electronic throttle bodies, and Bi-directional Quick Shift System. This modern beauty now hosts the latest Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.) that includes the three-mode Suzuki Drive Mode Selector and the updated, five-mode Advanced Traction Control System* plus the convenient Easy Start and Low RPM Assist systems.
The new KATANA offers discerning owners a centerpiece to express individuality, passion, and appreciation for creativity within the realm of motorcycles. Elevate Your Collection with this limited-run masterpiece.
This is not an offer for credit and should be used for estimation purposes only based on the information you provided. You should not base your decision on this estimate alone. Title, registration, tax and other fees, and personal circumstances such as employment status and personal credit history, were not considered in the calculations.
Dual front with fully floating 310 mm disc and Brembo Monobloc calipers with four 32 mm opposed pistons
Front / Rear - Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Front - 120 / 70ZR17
Rear - 190 / 50ZR17
Dunlop Roadsport 2 radial
For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing when riding any motorcycle. Never ride under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Study your owner's manual and always inspect your Suzuki before riding. Take a riding skills course. For the MSF street course nearest you, call 1-800-446-9227. Off-road riders can enroll in the Dirt Bike School SM by calling 1-877-288-7093. Suzuki engineered the GSX-Rs™, GSX1300R, and LT-Z400 for experienced riders.
We are in the process of adding model data for the new 2024 and 2025 Suzuki models. We do everything we can to ensure that all of our information is correct; however, during the initial entry process, we reserve the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to model specifications, features, images and prices displayed on this and any associated webpage at any time without prior notice. Please contact your local dealer to confirm the information.
Due to continued challenges across supplier networks as well as increasing logistics costs, product pricing, freight charges, specifications, and features are subject to change at any time without prior notice. Please confirm all information with your local dealership.
Images, where available, are presented as reasonable facsimiles of the offered unit and/or manufacturer stock images. Non-standard options or features may be represented. No guarantee of availability or inclusion of displayed options should be inferred; contact the dealer for more details.
Price, if shown and unless otherwise noted, represents the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) or dealer unit price and does not include government fees, taxes, dealer vehicle freight/preparation, dealer document preparation charges, labor, installation, or any finance charges (if applicable). MSRP and/or final sales price will vary depending on options or accessories selected; contact dealer for more details.
Images, where available, are presented as reasonable facsimiles of the offered unit and/or manufacturer stock images. Non-standard options or features may be represented. No guarantee of availability or inclusion of displayed options should be inferred; contact dealer for more details.


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(DIGITIAL DOWNLOAD) SivaSivaa-Siddha Guided Chakra Meditation Teachings with Nandhiji
Digitial Download: SivaSivaa Teachings: Light your Inner Fire. Be the Yogi! Power Meditation Teachings of the Siddhas with Nandhiji Buy/info Complete Set: SivaSivaa- Meditation Teachings with Nandhiji (2 CD Set) = Light the Inner Lamp Initiation - be the Yogi. Lighting the Inner Lamp, we awaken our own inner Guru...Read more
Digitial Download:
SivaSivaa Teachings: Light your Inner Fire. Be the Yogi!
Power Meditation Teachings of the Siddhas
with Nandhiji
Buy/info Complete Set: SivaSivaa- Meditation Teachings with Nandhiji (2 CD Set)
= Light the Inner Lamp Initiation - be the Yogi. Lighting the Inner Lamp, we awaken our own inner Guru.
= Learn a simple, powerful & joyful 24/7 meditation utilizing yogic breath techniques.
= Tune into a journey within that blossoms each wheel of Consciousness - the chakras - to recreate dynamic realities.
= Receive the empowering grace connect of lineages of Siddha Masters/Gurus through the mantras, the Deeksha (grace blessings).
= Join our privileged Ariven Circle member to interact, upgrade, learn, be guided continually with Nandhiji and the Community- upon doing the SivaSivaa initiation.
= Atain the Super-mind Consciousness states of "turiya" to create optimal realities for ourselves and all of humanity.
Nandhiji is a mystic, yogi, visionary, humanitarian, artist, ecstatic chant musician, author and teacher. Nandhiji represents the path of the Liberated. Nandhiji shares the rare wisdom and teachings of the seldom revealed source of yogic wisdom of the Siddha Sages, the liberated mystics of South India. Nandhiji was gifted with a childhood experience of the Divine when he was four years old. Later as a young adult while leading an active life of family, he was initiated through a death experience by his first Guru, and his journey into the mystical realm of the Siddhars as a yogi began. After years of seeking "wholeness" through connection with the inner world, Nandhiji woke up to understand his highest purpose: to uplift humanity in consciousness. Nandhiji's experiences ranged during these times from firm yogic resolve in undertaking pilgrimages to sacred temples and hidden sanctuaries across India, to epic adventures in the spiritual wilderness of South India, to sojourns in forest shrines and caves—all under the guidance his Gurus, and through yoga, worship, meditation and solitude, to attain the wholeness to know his purpose and serve in the doings. The fruits of his journey are offered in Nandhiji's teachings, in his book, Mastery of Consciousness. Nandhiji's message is, "Awaken the inner lamp of wisdom and self-mastery, which has the power through JOY to birth Genius." Nandhiji envisions a humanity of 'Consciousness in Action' and a Planet Earth of Compassion through Yogic wisdom, enterprise and community. Download the short Autobiography of Nandhiji here |
About Siva Sivaa Meditation Digital Download
CD One Downloads: Initiation Inner Journey with Nandhiji
CD Two Downloads: Ancient Siddhar Mantra Chants
Detailed 20 Page E-Booklet leads you through each step in an easy to understand way for clarity in mantras, yogic techniques and explanations.
"I cannot say enough about this CD set and booklet. Honestly, I can't even put into proper words how transformational it is. Going through this process, has been the most profound spiritual event of my entire life. Thank you!"
Alicia Kaemer
"Siva siva is like Taking an elevator up to the penthouse and looking out over the world. I chant every morning and feel the grace flowing through."
"While my inner journey was jump-started by Kundalini awakening before I connected with you, Nandhi, your Siva Sivaa teachings and mantra practices (which I do every day) help to "focus" the fire, to raise the Light, and point to the Be. It's my sense that anyone who would want to take the inner journey and receive our Guru's grace, would find Siva Sivaa a gentle and profound path which to follow."
Christine Onga Dehlinger


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About Us
Team Honey Badger, Where your dreams become reality.
Job Description
GENERAL MANAGER- Earn $46-$70k per year!
Are you ready to be part of the action and key person in a successful operation? We are looking for active, motivated people in the restaurant world with pizza or equivalent experience. If you are looking to move forward in management with room for growth, we are interested in you. As a large franchise, we have opportunities and possibilities for management with stores of various sizes and locations. Our stores can provide a fast paced and challenging setting that will allow you to exercise your experience and expand your abilities. We have an excellent training program with the tools to develop yourself and your team. Domino's Pizza is the #1 pizza company in the world. With your help, we can become #1 in every neighborhood.
• Independently self-driven
• Ability to handle a high stress, fast paced work environment
• Confidence and strong leadership abilities
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Reliable transportation
• Valid license, registration, and insurance
-Oversee the daily operations of your 4 walls
-Train and develop your team
-Set and support store goals, and create a productive and positive work atmosphere while maintain company expectations
-Adhere to Honey Badger standards
-Recruit, hire, train, develop, support, repeat
At Domino's Pizza, Our Most Important Ingredient is Our People! Take the first step in joining our team, and you'll find opportunities you won't find anywhere else!
Additional Information
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
This job posting is for a position in a store owned and operated by an independent franchisee, not Domino's Pizza LLC, Domino's Pizza Franchising LLC, or Domino's Pizza, Inc. ("Domino's Corporate"). This means, among other things, that the independent franchisee is alone responsible for and will independently make all decisions concerning employment matters for the store, including those relating to hiring, firing, discipline, supervision, compensation and benefits, staffing, and scheduling. Domino's will not receive a copy of any application you submit for this job posting and will not have any control over whether you receive an interview and/or are ultimately hired. Further, Domino's does not control and is not responsible for the employment policies and practices of independent franchisees. If you are hired for this job posting, the independent franchisee will be your only employer, and you will not be an employee of Domino's.


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China Airlines has been approved by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to become a participating airline of the TSA Pre✓® program, effective February 22, 2019. Travelers approved by the TSA Pre✓® , U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI program may use the TSA Pre✓® service. For China Airlines flights departing from the United States, eligible travelers may use designated lanes for security screening and do not need to remove their shoes, belts, jackets, laptops or liquids during screening. Travelers will be able to enjoy an expedited security screening process and spend less time waiting in line.
A. What is TSA Pre✓® ?
TSA Pre✓® is an expedited security screening service managed and operated by the TSA. When departing from the United States, eligible travelers will be able to enjoy an expedited security screening process and do not have to remove their shoes, belts, light jackets, laptops or liquids. You can spend less time waiting in line for security check.
B. How do I participate in the TSA Pre✓® program?
TSA Pre✓® is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Citizens, nationals, and legal permanent residents of the United States may apply for TSA Pre✓® directly and obtain their Known Traveler Number (KTN). Foreign travelers must first receive approval from a Trusted Traveler Program, which includes the CBP Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI programs. Eligible individuals will receive a 9-digit PASS ID that serves similar purposes as a KTN.
For application details, please refer to the Department of Homeland Security's Trusted Traveler Programs website.
C. How do I enter my Known Traveler Number (KTN)?
Upon the verification of their identities, travelers can provide their KTN/PASS ID to the travel agency that will be booking a flight for them, or one of our staff members when booking a flight. Travelers may also inform our staff of their KTN/PASS ID when checking in at the airport to enjoy the expedited security screening service. We also provide the option for travelers to enter their KTN when purchasing their tickets from our website.
D. How do I know if I can use TSA Pre✓® or not?
If you have been approved and can use TSA Pre✓® , a TSA Pre✓® indicator will be printed on the boarding pass by your name. This means you have been approved to use the TSA Pre✓® service.
- Example boarding pass:


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The Linux Virtual Server is a highly scalable and highly available server built on a cluster of real servers, with the load balancer running on the Linux operating system. The architecture of the server cluster is fully transparent to end users, and the users interact as if it were a single high-performance virtual server. For more information, click here.
The Linux Virtual Server as an advanced load balancing solution can be used to build highly scalable and highly available network services, such as scalable web, cache, mail, ftp, media and VoIP services.
This site hosts the Linux Virtual Server kernel patches and related programs, released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). This site also provides various information about the Linux Virtual Server cluster: how it works, how to use it, and its ongoing development.
Latest Press News... Wednesday, August 8, 2012The FULLNAT and SYNPROXY feature was added for IPVS in Linux kernel 2.6.32 by Jianming Wu and Jian Chen. It introduces a new packet forwarding method FULLNAT other than NAT/Tunneling/DirectRouting, and defense mechanism against synflooding attack. The ipvsadm-1.26 was released on February 8, 2011, for handling with the new features in IPVS such as SCTP support, one-packet scheduling, and SIP persistent engine, and also fixing some bugs. IPv6 support for IPVS was included in the Linux kernel 2.6.28-rc3 on November 2, 2008. Many thanks to Julius Volz and Vince Busam at Google for adding IPv6 support. Click the wiki page of IPv6 load balancing for more information. The LVS Chinese web site was online on February 4, 2006. Click http://zh.linuxvirtualserver.org/ for more LVS related information in Chinese. The CVS repository of LVS was migrated to the Subversion repository on January 4, 2006. Li Wang released TCPHA version 0.2.0 on August 27 2005, which adopts multiple-thread event-driven architecture for high performance and includes some bug fixes. See the TCPHA Project for more information. Karl Kopper published a book entitled "The Linux Enterprise Cluster: Build a Highly Available Cluster with Commodity Hardware and Free Software" in May 2005. The book has several chapters about LVS. Li Wang released the LVS On FreeBSD module version 0.4.0 on May 28 2005, which has all the schedulers ported and one bug fix. See the LVS On FreeBSD Project for more information. Li Wang released the LVS On FreeBSD module version 0.3.0 on May 16 2005, which includes the LVS/TUN load balancing support. See the LVS On FreeBSD Project for more information. The LVS wiki site was online on May 8 2005, located at http://kb.linuxvirtualserver.org/. Let's build a valueable knowledge base for LVS and load balancing technologies together. Li Wang started LVS FreeBSD port project, and released the ipvs_freebsd version 0.1.0 on April 16, 2005, which supports the direct routing method and the round-robin scheduling algorithm. It is a long-awaited load balancing solution for FreeBSD, see the LVS On FreeBSD Project for more information. Li Wang released TCPHA version 0.1.4 on January 10 2005, which includes some new features and bug fixes. See the TCPHA Project for more information. The IPVS Netfilter module (version 1.2.1) was in the offical kernel 2.6.10 released on December 25, 2004. It's a Christmas version, click the IPVS software page for more information.


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We're taking time over the following weeks to get to know the members of the GSA's Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us every week to learn more about our early career scientist advocates.
Filomene Morrison
Diversity Subcommittee
Boston University School of Medicine and VA Boston Healthcare System
Research interest
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severely debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 7.8% of the general population, with higher rates of PTSD (up to 23%) reported among combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Strikingly, rates of PTSD reach up to 46% in individuals living in neighborhoods with high levels of violence and in inner-city neighborhoods. A large body of research performed over the course of the last couple of decades has shown that both PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are characterized by significant alterations in the inflammatory system; that is, individuals with these psychiatric disorders have an increased baseline level of circulating pro-inflammatory players in their blood as compared to healthy individuals.
My research aims to further understand these changes in the inflammatory profile of the periphery (blood) and the brain in individuals with PTSD and depression. To do this, I use data and biological samples from large cohorts that collect biological samples from individuals across time. I also analyze brain tissue samples from the VA National PTSD Brain Bank, which allows us the unprecedented ability to look for markers of inflammation in the brain of individuals who had PTSD and/or depression during their lifetimes.
I am really interested in how genetics interact with environmental factors (such as exposure to trauma) to influence the development of PTSD, depression, and, potentially, this heightened inflammatory state. Our lab uses sequencing techniques to look at changes in DNA, RNA, and methylation. By using multiple approaches to study psychiatric disorders and the onset/progression of PTSD and MDD across a lifetime, our field aims to identify potential interventions and/or targets for therapeutics with the goal of improving the lives of individuals living with these disorders.
What career paths interest you the most?
I am interested in a career where I positively impact the health and well-being of our communities through scientific progress—and where I can work as part of a team to creatively approach tough questions. For these reasons, I am most interested in pursuing a career as an independent investigator in academia with a research focus on better understanding psychiatric disorders. My PhD research on fear and anxiety-related disorders in mouse models and my current work studying PTSD in humans have highlighted the importance of translational research. Translational research tackles a problem in human populations by dissecting its mechanism through basic bench biology and animal models before translating these findings back to the clinic; I believe this cross-talk between disciplines holds the greatest promise for developing treatments for psychiatric disorders.
I hope to pursue a translational research career that bridges the gap between basic research in animal models and human clinical and postmortem research to study trauma, PTSD, and other fear and anxiety related disorders. I am also really interested in the public health implications of these disorders; I want to better understand the genetic and environmental factors that make some individuals more susceptible to developing psychiatric disorders than others, and I want to find ways that research in this area can be used to advocate for improved health of affected communities. Finally, I'm excited to serve as a mentor in academic research settings and to continue science educational outreach efforts in K-12 settings as a way to make scientific research more relevant and approachable to the next generation.
How else do you want to advance the scientific enterprise?
In my work as a mentor scientist and teacher with the Boston Science Club for Girls (SCFG), I helped lead after-school programming in science topics for elementary and middle school-aged girls. The goal SCFG programming is for all lesson plans to be interactive, dynamic, educational and fun; as a mentor scientist, I helped the girls in the club design, execute, and discuss the results of experiments; work as a team on their projects and experiments; and gain confidence in thinking, discussing, and getting excited about science. We also designed lesson plans where our students learned about prominent female scientists, and they had the chance to ask their mentor scientists about their career paths, challenges, and day-to-day lives as scientists.
Often, young students have visions of a scientist as a lone white-lab-coat-frocked person (usually a man) in a basement—it was really important for us to share that science is for everyone and to give them examples of scientists from all kinds of backgrounds. I plan to continue mentoring and doing outreach in K-12 settings and hope to continue improving as an educator while instilling creativity and excitement about science in the next generation. Through these efforts, my goal is to improve access to science education and research for women and underserved communities. I have benefitted from incredible mentorship throughout my career, and I look forward to giving back to my community by mentoring others.
As a leader in the GSA, what do you hope to accomplish?
I believe that increasing community engagement and understanding of science goes hand in hand with increasing diversity in scientific research. As a member of the Diversity Subcommittee, I am looking forward to helping establish a mentoring program to support GSA members in forging connections within the GSA community. Progress in science is dependent on the exchange of ideas that comes from active discussion between individuals with diverse backgrounds and upbringings. I hope to contribute to the creation of supportive and inclusive spaces within the GSA to help support graduate students, postdocs, and early career investigators in their research and career development. I also plan to continue my work in scientific outreach and public engagement by working with other subcommittees within GSA to learn how to best enhance community participation and engagement with science.
Previous Leadership Experience
- Volunteer—Association for Women in Science (AWIS), Massachusetts Chapter
- Washington Fellow—American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
- Coordinator—McLean Hospital Neuroscience Education Outreach Program
- Mentor—Boston Science Club for Girls (SCFG)
- Vice President—Emory Women in Neuroscience (EWIN)


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It goes without saying that the kitchen is one of the hardest-working rooms in the home. For most, it's the heart of family life and usually the one room where everyone gathers together. With so much hustle and bustle, it's no wonder that the kitchen runs the risk of looking overworked.
A remodeled kitchen not only reinvigorates the space, but the home overall. This isn't always easy to accomplish though, as a full-blown renovation can be quite expensive and time-consuming. However, even on a tight budget, there are plenty of ways to spruce up the room without breaking the bank.
A remodeled kitchen not only reinvigorates the space, but the home overall. This isn't always easy to accomplish though, as a full-blown renovation can be quite expensive and time-consuming. However, even on a tight budget, there are plenty of ways to spruce up the room without breaking the bank.
As dirt and grease build up over time, appliances around the kitchen can appear old and dull. The easiest way to rejuvenate those appliances without spending a fortune on new ones is by giving them a thorough cleaning. Since the stove is often used most, it's a good place to start. Clean the entire surface inside and out using a product that is safe for all surfaces. Try Goo Gone Foaming Kitchen Grease Cleaner to cut through the baked-on grease and stuck-on grime clinging to your stove without needing to scrub. Get into every nook and cranny until it sparkles.
After the stove is clean, repeat the process for the microwave, backsplash, oven hood, sink and countertops. All of your kitchen appliances will begin to look like new again, and your kitchen won't seem so worn and outdated.
Once finished with the kitchen surfaces, consider some other affordable updates that can make a huge impact:
Paint the cabinets - A lackluster room can quickly become re-energized with a vibrant new color. Repaint the cabinets a lively hue to brighten the space or freshen the existing paint color with a new coat.
Update fixtures - Don't expect that the faucet handles you installed more than 10 years ago will last another 10. In addition to being practical, kitchen fixtures can add style and enhance overall design. Look for fixtures that fit your kitchen motif, whether it's modern and sleek or shabby chic.
Change existing hardware - Think of hardware as jewelry for the kitchen. Add new glass or metal knobs, or bars to highlight cabinets and enhance the overall style of the room. If using metal hardware, choose one type and stick to it for a clean, uniform look.
Create shelving - Removing cabinet doors to create shelving can provide a sense of openness and additional space. Simply remove cabinet doors and fill in holes with wood filler. Then, sand until smooth and paint as desired. You can also paint the inside of the newly open cabinets as a decorative treatment.
Introduce new fabric - Are your cushions looking dingy and outdated? Re-cover chairs or stools with bright, patterned fabric that reflects your personality. Also consider framing the space with new curtains that liven up your "new" kitchen.
Find your green thumb - Instead of buying fresh herbs at the grocery store or farmers market, plant them in pots in your kitchen. They will help add freshness to both the atmosphere and your food (while saving you money).
Don't forget about the floor - Update floors without the significant cost associated with new flooring by simply adding a rug. Find a rug that's durable to high foot traffic, but also complements your kitchen style.
Complete all the updates, or pick and choose to make a difference even on the smallest budget. This process will certainly work on other areas of the home as well. Just as with the kitchen, always start with a good cleaning to instantly revitalize the items in your home. To save time and money, use products designed to clean multiple surfaces - including carpeting, upholstery, hard surfaces and more. Then, look around to see what can be updated without a complete renovation. Your home will have a fresh appeal in no time.


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BOULDER, Colo. – It's been more than 18 months since Ingrid Encalada Latorre first stepped into the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, seeking sanctuary following a deportation order from U.S. immigration authorities.
For the past several months, the mother of two has been silently working closely with immigration advocates, hoping to teach undocumented immigrants living in the shadows about their rights and to hopefully help them avoid possible mistakes that led her to seek sanctuary in the first place.
On Wednesday, however, she decided to step to the forefront of the immigration debate after receiving a letter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Washington, D.C. headquarters, with a notice of intention to fine her $4,792 in civil penalties (adjusted for inflation) for disobeying her deportation orders, according to a copy of the letter provided to Denver7 by Latorre.
The Peruvian native says the letter from ICE is nothing more than a new tactic by the Trump administration to scare immigrants and appease his base as he campaigns for a second term in 2020.
"To me, it's unjust and ridiculous that they're charging me money without any assurance that they'll give me a stay in this country," Latorre said. "They know my situation, they know where I live – I'm not hiding, my case is public. They know that we would not be able to pay those large sums of money they're charging us."
ICE is allowed under the Immigration and Nationality Act to impose civil fines against immigrants who have been ordered to be removed or who have been granted voluntary departure and do not leave the country, a spokesperson from its headquarters said.
To do that, ICE has to issue those immigrants a Notice of Intention to Fine first, after which the immigrant has 30 days to respond and argue why they should not be fined, something Latorre says her attorneys are taking care of by appealing the notice of citation to the Supreme Court.
Latorre and others across the country who've received the letter are unsure of what it will mean for their cases if they end up paying the potential fines.
"I don't know if I'll be receiving other letters or not," Latorre said. "Let's hope not because it's an impossible amount they're charging us."
Before a ruling can be made, however, an ICE headquarters supervisor will determine if the notice to fine was issued properly and will then make a decision along with the local field office director. But Latorre can also appeal that decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals, according to the ICE spokesperson.
Latorre isn't alone in this fight. She said others across the country whose she's been in contact weekly, have said they've also received the same letter – including an unnamed undocumented immigrant in Colorado who faces a potential fine of approximately $500,000.
"Some were crying, some were sad, others laughed because this government is attacking us," she said, recalling weekly conversations she's had with other people seeking sanctuary across the nation.
Immigrants who have already been ordered deported face fines of up to $799 per day for each day they stay beyond their removal date, while immigrants who have been told to voluntarily depart typically face a penalty of $3,000, according to ICE.
If they do not respond to the notice, the civil penalty cannot be appealed and the penalty will count as a formal debt to the U.S. government and Treasury Department, an ICE spokesperson said.
Latorre said the recent move from the Trump administration, coupled with the threat of looming immigration raids, feel like an attack that keeps growing day-to-day.
"He's attacking us, (he's) closing doors and it's something quite ridiculous and new that they're charging these citations," Latorre said. "These are tactics that we didn't hear of in the past and now we're learning about them, so we're very much upset that they're attacking us."
As her fight for her stay in the country continues, Latorre is focusing on educating Colorado's immigrant community through advocacy, both by speaking at the church and through a website she created as part of her "No Más Chuecos" campaign, where she talks about things immigrants should know and where she also informs them on their rights.
Latorre entered the U.S. in 2002. She first sought sanctuary at a Quaker meeting house in Denver between November 2016 and May to avoid deportation for a 2010 conviction for possessing falsified or stolen identification papers.
That deportation order was put on hold so she could appeal her conviction. A judge denied that appeal, and former Gov. John Hickenlooper subsequently refused to issue Latorre a pardon.
ICE then granted Latorre a 30-day stay, ending on Oct. 17, 2017, to leave the country. The agency paid for Latorre's ticket to Peru, while Latorre purchased tickets for her children.
She had a last-minute change of heart and instead sought refuge at Foothills Unitarian Church in the Fort Collins, where she remained until mid-December of that year before she moved to the Unitarian Universalist Church in Boulder, where she currently remains.
This story was originally published by Óscar Contreras on KMGH in Denver.