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Site contents:
Academic papers mainly actuarial mathematics and insurance economics
Free Capital book biographical profiles of private investors
Loss Coverage why insurance works better with some adverse selection
Blog very occasional posts, mainly investment strategy (no stock tips!)
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Can price collars increase insurance loss coverage?
ABSTRACT: Loss coverage, defined as expected population losses compensated by insurance, is a public policy criterion for comparing different risk-classification regimes. Using a model with two risk-groups (high and low) and iso-elastic demand, we compare loss coverage under three alternative regulatory regimes: (i) full risk-classification (ii) pooling (iii) a price collar, whereby each insurer is permitted to set any premiums, subject to a maximum ratio of its highest and lowest prices for different risks. Outcomes depend on the comparative demand elasticities of low and high risks. If low-risk elasticity is sufficiently low compared with high-risk elasticity, pooling is optimal; and if it is sufficiently high, full risk-classification is optimal. For an intermediate region where the elasticities are not too far apart, a price collar is optimal, but only if both elasticities are greater than one. We give extensions of these results for more than two risk-groups. We also outline how they can be applied to other demand functions using the construct of arc elasticity. full text
Long-term option pricing with a lower reflecting barrier
This paper considers the pricing of long-term options on assets such as housing, where either government intervention or the economic nature of the asset limits large falls in prices. The observed asset price is modelled by a geometric Brownian motion ("the notional price") reflected at a lower barrier. The resulting observed price has standard dynamics but with localised intervention at the barrier, which allows arbitrage with interim losses; this is funded by the government's unlimited powers of intervention, and its exploitation is subject to credit constraints. Despite the lack of an equivalent martingale measure for the observed price, options on this price can be expressed as compound options on the arbitrage-free notional price, to which standard risk-neutral arguments can be applied. Because option deltas tend to zero when the observed price approaches the barrier, hedging with the observed price gives the same results as hedging with the notional price and so exactly replicates option payoffs.
Hedging schemes are not unique, with the cheapest scheme for any derivative being the one which best exploits the interventions at the barrier. The price of a put is clear: direct replication has a lower initial cost than synthetic replication, and the replication portfolio always has positive value. The price of a call is ambiguous: synthetic replication has a lower initial cost than direct replication, but the replication portfolio may give interim losses. So the preferred replication strategy (and hence price) of a call depends on what margin payments need to be made on these losses.
full text Some R Code for Monte Carlo evaluation of the option and demonstration of the associated replication schemes.
When is utilitarian welfare higher under insurance risk pooling?
ABSTRACT: This paper considers the effect of bans on insurance risk classification on utilitarian social welfare. We consider two regimes: full risk classification, where insurers charge the actuarially fair premium for each risk, and pooling, where risk classification is banned and for institutional or regulatory reasons, insurers do not attempt to separate risk classes, but charge a common premium for all risks. For iso-elastic insurance demand, we derive sufficient conditions on higher and lower risks' demand elasticities which ensure that utilitarian social welfare is higher under pooling than under full risk classification. Using the concept of arc elasticity of demand, we extend the results to a form applicable to more general demand functions. Empirical evidence suggests that the required elasticity conditions for social welfare to be increased by a ban may be realistic for some insurance markets. full text
Will genetic test results be monetized in life insurance?
ABSTRACT: If life insurers are not permitted to use genetic test results in underwriting, they may face adverse selection. It is sometimes claimed that applicants will choose abnormally high sums insured as a form of financial gamble, possibly financed by life settlement companies (LSCs). The latter possibility is given some credence by the recent experience of "stranger-originated life insurance" (STOLI) in the United States. We examine these claims, and find them unconvincing for four reasons. First, apparently high mortality implies surprisingly high probabilities of surviving for decades, so the gamble faces long odds. Second, LSCs would have to adopt a different business model, involving much longer time horizons. Third, STOLI is being effectively dealt with by the U.S. courts. Fourth, the gamble would be predicated upon a deep understanding of the genetic epidemiology, which is evolving, subject to uncertain biases, and cannot predict the emergence of effective treatments. full text
Valuation of no-negative-equity guarantees with a lower reflecting barrier
ABSTRACT: If the general level of house prices falls a long way, policymakers may introduce new policies which seek to support prices. This paper considers the effect of such interventions on the valuation of no-negative-equity guarantees (NNEG) in equity release mortgages. I model interventions by a reflecting barrier expressed as a fraction of the current level of house prices. Reflection at the barrier is instantaneous, so the no-arbitrage property is preserved, and hence risk-neutral valuation of NNEG is possible. The reflecting barrier can alternatively be justified as a representation of the different economic nature of the underlying housing (and particularly freehold land) assets in NNEG valuations, compared with the underlying equity assets in many other option valuations. full text Some R Code for Monte Carlo evaluation of the option and demonstration of the associated replication schemes.
Whistleblowing and power: a network perspective
ABSTRACT: This article presents a network perspective on whistleblowing. It considers how whistleblowing affects, and is affected by, the preexisting distribution of power inside and outside an organization, where power is conceptualized as deriving from the network positions of the key actors. The article also highlights four characteristic features of whistleblowing: third-party detriment, local subversion, appeal to central or external power, and reasonable expectation of concern. The feature of local subversion succinctly explains why whistleblowing is difficult. The feature of appeal to central or external power highlights that contrary to the perception of a democratizing phenomenon, whistleblowing tends to redistribute discretion away from local power toward more central power. This suggests a need for caution about institutional measures to promote whistleblowing in contexts where governance is already highly centralized. full text
Why insurers are wrong about adverse selection
ABSTRACT: Insurers typically argue that regulatory limits on their ability to use genetic tests will induce 'adverse selection'; they say that this has disadvantages not just for insurers, but also for society as a whole. I argue that, even on its own terms, this argument is often flawed. From the viewpoint of society as a whole, not all adverse selection is adverse. Limits on genetic discrimination that induce the right amount of adverse selection (but not too much adverse selection) can increase 'loss coverage', and so make insurance work better for society as a whole. full text
Insurance loss coverage and social welfare
ABSTRACT: Restrictions on insurance risk classification may induce adverse selection, which is usually perceived as a bad outcome, both for insurers and for society. However, a social benefit of modest adverse selection is that it can lead to an increase in 'loss coverage', defined as expected losses compensated by insurance for the whole population. We reconcile the concept of loss coverage to a utilitarian concept of social welfare commonly found in the economic literature on risk classification. For iso-elastic insurance demand, ranking risk classification schemes by (observable) loss coverage always give the same ordering as ranking by (unobservable) social welfare. full text
Insurance loss coverage and demand elasticities
ABSTRACT: Restrictions on insurance risk classification may induce adverse selection, which is usually perceived as a bad outcome. We suggest a counter-argument to this perception in circumstances where modest levels of adverse selection lead to an increase in 'loss coverage', defined as expected losses compensated by insurance for the whole population. This happens if the shift in coverage towards higher risks under adverse selection more than offsets the fall in number of individuals insured. The possibility of this outcome depends on insurance demand elasticities for higher and lower risks. We state elasticity conditions which ensure that for any downward-sloping insurance demand functions, loss coverage when all risks are pooled at a common price is higher than under fully risk-differentiated prices. Empirical evidence suggests that these conditions may be realistic for some insurance markets. full text
Insurance loss coverage under restricted risk classification: the case of iso-elastic demand
ABSTRACT: This paper investigates equilibrium in an insurance market where risk classification is restricted. Insurance demand is characterised by an iso-elastic function with a single elasticity parameter. We characterise the equilibrium by three quantities: equilibrium premium; level of adverse selection; and 'loss coverage', defned as the expected population losses compensated by insurance. We find that equilibrium premium and adverse selection increase monotonically with demand elasticity, but loss coverage first increases and then decreases. We argue that loss coverage represents the efficacy of insurance for the whole population; and therefore, if demand elasticity is sufficiently low, adverse selection is not always a bad thing. pdf (29 pages)
Loss coverage in insurance markets: why adverse selection is not always a bad thing
ABSTRACT: This paper investigates equilibrium in an insurance market where risk classification is restricted. Insurance demand is characterised by an iso-elastic function with a single elasticity parameter. We characterise the equilibrium by three quantities: equilibrium premium; level of adverse selection; and 'loss coverage', defned as the expected population losses compensated by insurance. We find that equilibrium premium and adverse selection increase monotonically with demand elasticity, but loss coverage first increases and then decreases. We argue that loss coverage represents the efficacy of insurance for the whole population; and therefore, if demand elasticity is sufficiently low, adverse selection is not always a bad thing. pdf (17 pages) This paper was awarded a prize In June 2015 by the International Actuarial Association!
Genetics and insurance in the United Kingdom 1995-2010: the rise and fall of "scientific" discrimination
ABSTRACT: Around the millennium there was extensive debate in the United Kingdom of the possible use of predictive genetic tests by insurance companies. Many insurance experts, geneticists and public policymakers appeared to believe that genetic test results would soon become widely used by the insurance industry. This expectation has not been borne out. This article outlines the history of exaggerated perceptions of the significance of genetic test results to insurance, with particular reference to the United Kingdom, suggesting reasons why they arose and also why they have declined. The article concludes with some speculation about how policy on genetics and insurance might develop in future. full text (20 pages)
Non-risk price discrimination in insurance: market outcomes and public policy
ABSTRACT: This paper considers price discrimination in insurance, defined as systematic price variations based on individual customer data but unrelated to those customers' expected losses or other marginal costs (sometimes characterised as 'price optimisation'). An analysis is given of one type of price discrimination, 'inertia pricing', where renewal prices are higher than prices for risk-equivalent new customers. The analysis suggests that the practice intensifies competition, leading to lower aggregate industry profits; customers in aggregate pay lower prices, but not all customers are better off; and the high level of switching between insurers is inefficient for society as a whole. Other forms of price discrimination may be more likely to increase aggregate industry profits. Some public policy issues relating to price discrimination in insurance are outlined, and possible policy responses by regulators are considered. It is suggested that competition will tend to lead to increased price discrimination over time, and that this may undermine public acceptance of traditional justifications for risk-related pricing. pdf (19 pages)
Demand elasticity, risk classification and loss coverage: when can community rating work?
ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the effects of high or low fair-premium demand elasticity in an insurance market where risk classification is restricted. High fair-premium demand elasticity leads to a collapse in loss coverage, with an equilibrium premium close to the risk of the higher risk population. Low fair-premium demand elasticity leads to an equilibrium premium close to the risk of the lower risk population, and high loss coverage - possibly higher than under more complete risk classification. The elasticity parameters which are required to generate a collapse in coverage in the model in this paper appear higher than the values for demand elasticity which have been estimated in several empirical studies of various insurance markets. This offers a possible explanation of why some insurance markets appear to operate reasonably well under community rating, without the collapse in coverage which insurance folklore suggests. pdf (25 pages)
Loss coverage as a public policy objective for risk classification schemes
This paper suggests that from a public policy perspective, some degree of adverse selection may be desirable in
some insurance markets. The paper suggests that a public policymaker should consider the criterion of 'loss coverage', and
that in some markets a policymaker may wish to regulate risk classification with a view to increasing loss coverage.
Either too much or too little risk classification may reduce loss coverage. The concept is explored by means of examples,
formulaic and graphical interpretations. An application to the UK life insurance market is considered.
pdf (22 pages)
Powerpoint (46 pages)
On the value of not taking advice
ABSTRACT: Conventional wisdom commonly exhorts non-experts to take expert advice when dealing with specialist fields. This works well in relation to the physical or biological world, because theories of these worlds are generally neutral: popular acceptance of a theory does not change the phenomena it describes. In contrast, theories of social phenomena such as finance are often reflexive: popular acceptance of a theory does change the phenomena it describes. Reflexive theories can be either self-fulfilling or self-negating. Advice based on self-negating theories is not likely to be useful. Expert advice is therefore less useful in fields such as investment, which are dominated by self-negating theories. pdf (9 pages)
Taxable and tax-advantaged portfolio management for UK personal investors
This paper makes some observations on the interaction of United Kingdom taxation and portfolio decisions by a
personal investor managing his own investments in quoted company shares. I consider five holding vehicles: three
types of tax-advantaged account (ISAs, SIPPs, and spread bets); and two types of taxable account (a company
controlled by the investor, and direct holdings in the investor's personal account). I note some ways in which portfolio
management for a taxable account differs from management of a tax-advantaged account. I use simple models to
illustrate the difficulty of producing post-tax out-performance from active management of a taxable account. I suggest
some heuristic guidelines for allocating different types of investments across the five types of accounts. I also provide
some guidance for decisions on switching between investments in a taxable account. I note several quirks in the CGT
legislation which are useful for the active personal investor to know. Readers who want to read just results should go
directly to sections 9 to 11 of the paper.
full version (46 pages) or
published version (23 pages) (updated for April 2008 changes).
Some novel perspectives on risk classification
ABSTRACT: This paper considers a number of novel perspectives on risk classification, primarily in the context of life and critical illness insurance. I suggest that the terminology of "adverse selection" is often misleading, because from a public policy viewpoint adverse selection may not always be adverse. I suggest that public policymakers should consider the criterion of "loss coverage," and that in many markets a socially optimal level of adverse selection is that which maximises loss coverage. A review of empirical studies suggests that adverse selection is often difficult to observe in practice; this leads to the concept of propitious selection, and various psychological perspectives on risk classification. I suggest that competition between insurers in risk classification can sometimes be characterised as a malevolent invisible hand, and that public policy should direct competition towards areas which are more clearly beneficial to all insurance customers. I also consider the perspectives of risk classification as blame, the conflict between risk classification and human rights, and the fallacy of the one-shot gambler. pdf (28 pages)
An earlier version pdf (28 pages) presented at DIW Berlin in June 2005 included graphs of market prices.
Accident compensation: compensation culture? No! Justice culture.ABSTRACT: The Actuarial Profession in the UK has a policy (as explained on its website here) of campaigning against what it calls the "compensation culture." This involves the Profession in making various insinuations against accident victims - for example, that it is in some way blameworthy if accident victims receive compensation for negligence; or that the costs of such compensation are excessive, or rapidly increasing, or otherwise unjustifiable.
I believe that this campaign is inconsistent with the data on accident compensation in the UK, which show the costs of accident compensation to be lower than in almost all other industrialised countries.
See Tony Silverman's article Justice culture and my Letter to The Actuary; and then my article Better routes to redress and the response. The Actuary refused to publish my succinct reply.
Morris Review of the actuarial profession
ABSTRACT: My response to the Interim Report of the Morris Review, focusing on actuarial research. pdf (3pages)
Pricing zero-dividend preference sharesABSTRACT: Zero-dividend preference shares (zdps) are the simplest type of security issued by UK investment trusts (closed-end funds). Zdps have option-like properties, but there sometimes seems to be little awareness in the investment trust world of option pricing concepts. This three-page working note makes some rudimentary observations on the factors which should affect zdps prices. pdf (3 pages)
Genetics and insurance: further notes to the Human Genetics CommissionABSTRACT: An examination of actual premium rates suggests large variations for identical insurance covers, both between companies and over time. In this context, the impact on insurance markets of outlawing access to genetic tests is likely to be very small. pdf (7 pages)
Genetics and insurance: an actuarial perspective with a differenceABSTRACT: This is a response to a public consultation by the Human Genetics Commission (HGC) in Februry 2001; a revised version was given to the International Congress of Actuaries in Mexico in March 2002. Many individuals or organisations capable of commenting technically on insurance discrimination have a commercial interest in promoting such discrimination. Technical expertise is therefore directed to the promotion of discrimination for commercial ends, but little technical expertise is applied to counteract it. This paper attempts to redress the balance. Its central section comprises a point-by-point rebuttal of some of the myths and half-truths which are promulgated by those wishing to legitimise insurers' access to genetic test results.HGC version pdf (15 pages) or ICA version pdf (17 pages)
A non-linear stochastic asset model for actuarial use ( with SP Whitten)ABSTRACT: This paper reviews the stochastic asset model described in Wilkie (1995) and previous work on refining this model. The paper then considers the application of non-linear modelling to investment series, considering both ARCH techniques and threshold modelling. The paper suggests a threshold autoregressive (TAR) system as a useful progression from the Wilkie (1995) model. The authors are making available (by email, on request) a collection of spreadsheets, which they have used to simulate the stochastic asset models which are considered in this paper.pdf (33 pages) This paper was awarded a prize by the Institute of Actuaries!
Positive theory and actuarial practice (with AD Smith)ABSTRACT: Most of the extant theory which is used to justify actuarial practice is normative. This short paper proposes a positive approach to explaining actuarial practice, explains how this differs from a normative approach, and highlights the importance of the "market for excuses." pdf (5 pages)
Actuarial values (with CD Sharp)ABSTRACT: This paper seeks to identify the characteristic values implicit in contemporary actuarial thought and practice. 'Values' is used here to mean fundamental concepts which we use, largely intuitively, to guide our patterns of thought and behaviour. We consider to what extent these values are characteristic simply because actuarial work attracts individuals who already subscribe to them, and to what extent these values may be inculcated by actuarial training. We then consider whether the characteristic values we have identified are congruent with the changing values of wider society, and whether they are likely to be conducive to the continuing success of the profession in the 21st century. pdf (16 pages)
The right to underwrite? An actuarial perspective with a difference (with TA Moultrie)ABSTRACT: For a very long time, underwriting has formed part of the actuarial canon. With increasing frequency, challenges are being issued against the right of insurance companies to underwrite their applications for new business, arguing that certain aspects of the practice are undesirably discriminatory. This paper explores the role of the actuary in the underwriting process, and the challenges that are being set for the profession (as opposed to the life insurance industry) as a result of this role. pdf (12 pages)
Indemnities for long term price risk in the UK housing marketABSTRACT: Discusses the features which distinguish the market for residential property from the markets for other assets. Proposes that financial institutions should offer house buyers indemnity policies which pay out an amount related to any fall in the level of a general index of house prices, on the sale of the house at a loss at any time during the mortgage term. To facilitate hedging the risk of a portfolio of such policies (and therefore, the pricing of the policies), a market in 'perpetual futures' on indices of housing assets is proposed. Discuss possible users of these contracts, and outlines further research. pdf (17pages )
loss coverage blog no negative equity guarantees. guy thomas, no negative equity guarantee


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Sunny, warm, humid. With only 3 days so far this month with measurable rain (average for September is 7.2) and none in the past 12 days, the Washington metro area is wondering if we'll get anything significant out of a frontal system that's barely moving out of the Ohio Valley. (In the 18 hours ending early this afternoon, it moved only across the state of Ohio.) By mid afternoon, a line of thunderstorms had fired up across far western Maryland and eastern West Virginia, prompting a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Allegany County until 4:45. East of the mountains, however, activity has been minimal at best in the dry tongue extending across the central Mid Atlantic region.
Temperatures this afternoon are running a couple of degrees less warm at regional observing stations with fewer 90s than in the last couple of days, but humidity is still noticeable with dewpoints mainly in the mid and upper 60s.
Infrared satellite image at 3:30 this afternoon from Unisys
Tonight and Tomorrow
Warm and humid, chance of showers. Warm and humid conditions will continue with a 30% chance of showers or thunderstorms through this evening and overnight lows from the upper 60s downtown to the mid 60s in the 'burbs. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy in the morning and a little cooler, with decreasing clouds and lower humidity in the afternoon. Highs will be 78-83°.
For the outlook through the weekend and beyond with Larson's Long-Range, scroll on down to Josh's post below.
Tropical Topics
Tropical Storm Karen is a little weaker today with maximum winds of 60 miles per hour as of 5pm, and further slow weakening is likely as it continues on a west-northwesterly track which should keep it from threatening land.
TD 13 was promoted to Tropical Storm Lorenzo early this afternoon in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Its maximum winds are now around 70 mph, and it is expected to hit the Mexican coast as a hurricane.
Capitol Climate
Today's WaPo has several items of interest in the climate policy area:
- "Kaine, O'Malley Urge U.S. Action on Global Warming": Both local governors testified yesterday at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on the effects of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay. The Dog Bites Man Award goes to this article for the statement, "One contrary note in the hearing came from Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), who has said he thinks climate change is a hoax."
- "The Climate Change Peril That Insurers See": An op-ed piece co-authored by state insurance officials from Montana and Florida discusses the economic implications of global warming on the insurance industry in widely differing venues.
- "White House Taking Unearned Credit for Emissions Cuts": The administration is playing games with data and semantics on the subject of mandatory vs. voluntary emission controls.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thick plumes of smoke wafted west over the Pacific Ocean on powerful winds on November 19, 2005. The smoke was pouring from wildfires, marked with red boxes, burning just south of Tijuana, Mexico.
Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem in the shrub lands of northern Baja California, particularly in the fall, when hot, dry Santa Ana winds blow from the east. The winds sweep dry air from the Sonora Desert of northern Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico out over the Pacific Ocean. The winds dry out plants, making them more prone to wildfire. Once a fire starts, the fast-blowing winds can easily fan the flames into an uncontrollable wildfire. In Baja California, such fires are often allowed to burn themselves out. To the north, in the United States, state and federal land management agencies control fires near populated areas more aggressively, stamping out the fires as quickly as possible. However, such tight control may eventually result in larger fires because dead wood, weeds, other fuels accumulate between infrequent burnings.
The Santa Ana winds were blowing strongly on November 19, 2005, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite acquired this image. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Southern California, warning of warm, windy weather that would allow small fires to explode out of control quickly. On November 18, Santa Ana winds gusting past 50 miles per hour drove a rapid-growing fire in the mountains around Ventura, California. It is likely that similar conditions fueled the fires just south of the border as well.
The large image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. The team also provides daily images of the region.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC


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Is it Time to Sell Your Vacation Home?
The travel industry is one of the major sectors that's been hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, it's hard to know how long it will take for summer travelers to be back in action and for the industry to fully recover. Homeowners who rent their secondary properties on their own or through programs like Airbnb, which has over 660,000 listings in the U.S. alone, have been impacted in this challenging time. Some of these homeowners are considering selling their vacation homes, and understandably so.
A recent CNN article indicated:
"With global travel screeching to a halt during the pandemic, a number of Airbnb hosts are planning to sell their properties…These desperate moves come as hosts face the possibility of losing thousands of dollars a month in canceled bookings while bills, maintenance costs, and mortgage payments pile up."
If you're one of the property owners in this position, you too may be feeling the pain of decreased travel, especially as we prepare for the typical busy summer vacation season. A recent survey notes that 48% of Americans have already canceled summer travel plans due to the current health crisis. In addition, 36% indicated they don't have vacation plans, and only 16% said they did not cancel their summer travel.
The same survey also asked, "How long will you wait before traveling again?" Not surprisingly, only 29% of respondents are planning to travel within the next 6 months. That means 71% are putting their plans on hold for at least 6 months, or are still unsure about future travel. That can continue to add to the significant income loss that many property renters felt this spring.If you're considering selling your rental property, know that there are two key factors indicating that selling your vacation home now may be your best move as a homeowner.
1. Inventory Shortage
The inventory of overall homes for sale is well below the demand from potential buyers, so many eyes may be searching for a home like yours. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), total housing inventory, meaning homes available to purchase, is down 19.7% from one year ago (see graph below):Inventory across the country continues to be a challenge, with only a 4.1-month supply of listings available at the current sales pace. For a balanced market, where there are enough homes available for interested buyers to purchase, that number would need to bump up to a 6-month supply. This means we don't have enough inventory for the number of buyers looking for homes, so selling in this scenario is ideal. Buyers are looking now, and some vacation homes make a great primary residence or second home for those eager to escape from more populated urban areas.
2. Home Prices
The lack of inventory is also keeping homes from depreciating in value. Today, prices are holding strong and experts forecast home price appreciation to continue throughout this year. Selling your home while prices are holding steady is a sound business move. You'll likely have equity you've earned working for you as well. If your home has been vacant for the past few months, the forced savings you have built in your equity may help balance out possible rental income loss due to the slowdown in the travel industry.
Bottom Line
We don't know exactly when heightened summer travel will return or what it will look like when it does. If you're considering selling your vacation home, let's connect today to determine your options in the current market.


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From Kanye West to Karl Lagerfeld, over 200,000 brands will see your space
Here's what our landlord partners say about us.
Appear Here continues to build valuable tools that better support our team in reviewing and accepting booking requests from innovative brands.
Peter Cooper, Hammerson
Appear Here have brought a number of exciting and relevant brands to our diverse portfolio of assets, helping us activate a variety of spaces while also saving us time by managing multiple bookings simultaneously.
Mark Warne, Land Securities
Appear Here are a young, dynamic company and we work closely with them on developing Pop Up projects at BOXPARK.
Roger Wade, Boxpark
Rent and deposits are transacted securely online before a brand moves in. You set the amount, we handle the rest.
Each landlord gets their own landlord partner who will ensure you get the most out of using Appear Here.
Legal agreements, financials and deposits are automated online, so there's one less thing to think about.
Turn your space into a destination by hosting some of the most exciting ideas from across the world.


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The taste and texture of a tomato, plucked directly from a backyard vegetable garden, combine wholly into an experience that cannot be explained in words. Subtly sweet, just-right acidity, firm but yielding juicy flesh. That same tomato, stewed slowly and lovingly by your old-world Nonna, becomes a sauce that no jar could ever match.
It's not a miracle. It's a 39 cent pack of seeds, tended by hand under the right ratio of sun, water, and soil – low tech, and thousands of years old. I'll bet, however, that most of you have never experienced a real tomato, still dusted with earth and worthy of eating whole like an apple.
This simple pleasure was one relatively unavailable in urban centres for much of the 20th century. Its doppelgänger, the supermarket tomato, more outwardly attractive and abundant than its garden counterpart, contains none of its inner beauty.
photo: Flickr
Mass production, long travel-times, and scientific nips and tucks were well-intended. They were efforts to bring pretty produce on a massive scale to everyone, everywhere. Now, food in the United States will have travelled an average of 1500 to 2500 miles before hitting the table. It's a trip that takes a toll – the cost to our palates is obvious, but our spiritual connection with food is the real loser.
(Re)enter the farmers' market. The old way, made new again by a widespread culinary awakening. Pushing up like spring daisies, markets are growing steadily in number, giving urbanites a welcome break from cardboard carrots. They offer the opportunity to shake the hand of the person who cultivated the earth and tended the bees and ground the grain, cutting the miles and middlemen out of the farm-to-table equation.
A Brief History of Markets
photo: Old Photos Blog
The first documented farmers markets are credited to Egypt, when, about 5000 years ago, farming yields surged beyond the needs of the producers' families. In North America, instances of these markets first appeared in 1600s Boston. In 1730, city planners in Lancaster, Pennsylvania designed a 120 square foot public market space in the town's centre, giving birth to the Lancaster Central Market. The market still stands, 276 years later, making it the oldest of its kind continually running in the US.
But not all markets survived the mid-century urgency to supersize. The first grocery chains emerged in the 1850s, and, in 1930, King Kullen opened doors of its first location, becoming widely considered the first "supermarket". The emphasis of the supermarket boom was on volume, with little attention paid to aesthetic, driving prices down. Many local markets couldn't compete. Other chains followed suit, amalgamating multiple small locations into larger stores. Supermarkets after-partied into the 1950s and 60s.
photo: Piggly Wiggly, Flickr
Discount and warehouse stores debuted in the 1970s, followed by mergers and consolidations that popularized one-stop shopping (think Walmart, with full grocery offerings).
Consumer distaste for anonymous factory food began to bubble up around the same time, answered by the seeds of what would later bloom into the locavore movement, a surge in support for farmers, and the first sightings of fresh-focused chain stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in the 1980s.
The number of farmers markets in the US jumped from 1755 to 5274 between 1994 and 2009 – an increase of 300% over 15 years. Local food ballooned into an 11 billion dollar industry by 2014, and today, the USDA Farmers Market Directory contains 8526 listings and counting.
Defunct market spaces are now rising from the dead, enjoying reincarnations as modern food markets, supported by the community and the increasing government efforts to encourage local production.
In 2016, over 8500 farmers markets are operating in the US alone.
photo: Flickr
Ultimately, any burgeoning industry will find its niche on the web. The internet however, an utterly impersonal expanse of commerce, poses a challenge for a movement so dependent on human connection. This was a challenge faced, and conquered, by one passionate Shopify merchant: she recreated the spirit of the farmers' market by pushing the producers to the forefront, telling their stories, and sharing the deep meaning behind the food they create.
Many Kitchens
Valentina Rice envisioned a world where everyone had access to food made with hands and love. And sauce made from real tomatoes. She quit her job three years ago to launch Many Kitchens, a farmers' market for the internetting masses.
Many Kitchens is curated marketplace of local, sustainable, and artisanal foods created by small producers. Its founder helps her partners grow their businesses while allowing them to focus on what they do best. She brings them before a community looking to "live the full journey from farm to fork".
Valentina Rice, Many Kitchens
The business was born out of a love of good food. Valentina spent 15 years in publishing, travelling the globe in support of books. She'd tack weekends on to business trips to explore the culinary uniqueness of each place, and, back home in New York, she'd find herself lost in the city's abundant markets.
"I had this idea one day that came from living in New York City and having access to so many amazing foods in all of the great markets. I started thinking that the rest of the country doesn't get these and vice versa: what was going on elsewhere that we can't access in New York? I noticed that these small batch producers in farmers' markets had incredibly loyal followings, but perhaps not a reach beyond their local area. I decided I could try to give them a larger audience."
She spent the first six months in research phase, polling producers, and tinkering with the site before leaving the security of her salaried job to pursue Many Kitchens full-time. Entrepreneurship didn't run in her family, but she credits her father – a successful businessman and feminist – for instilling in her a strong work ethic and ambition. The move to self-employment had its usual hurdles.
"I worked for a very, very large global corporation and when your computer breaks down, you just call the IT department or if your printer doesn't work, it gets fixed for you. Now i'm doing everything myself – it's just me and one part-time person. As an entrepreneur, you have to learn every single aspect of running a business."
I've learned more in the last three years as an entrepreneur than I had in 15 years at my old job.
One of the company's first partners was a brother and sister team behind Pipsnacks popcorn. She discovered the brand at the cusp of their success, and in turn discovered her own knack for predicting trends and winners.
"They had launched three weeks earlier and were still making their popcorn out of their pasta pot in a small commercial kitchen. Three months after we started working with them, they were discovered by Oprah and went stratospheric. This happened with a few producers that we found early on in their careers. We felt that it was our niche – finding great products before they went nationwide. That was a big turning point, I think."
Over the next three years, Valentina and one part-time employee curated a collection of hundreds of products, selecting only the best in each category from small producers across America (and beyond). Her foodie roots built a discerning palate that she stands behind – 95% of the picks are based on her own tastes, she tells me, with the rest validated by experts in the industry.
"We've always been very clear that we want to not compete within each category. Whether it be tea towels or sauces, we want to be very sure that we've found the best because we're so highly curated. We've only ever had one popcorn. We would only have one chicken pot pie. We didn't have a chocolate chip cookie on the site for so long because each one we tried just wasn't good enough. We actually finally found two and it was so hard to choose between them. So we tested and tested and tested and had everyone we know test and blind test, until we finally decided on the one we love the most."
Ninety-five percent of the curation is based on what I like.
photo: Dona Chai
Product discovery is a combination of happenstance (stumbling upon gems at markets), active searching, and now, as Many Kitchen builds its reputation, via samples sent from producers.
"There's this beach plum jam in Cape Cod that I absolutely love. I've never seen anywhere else. I don't think it exists outside of Cape Cod. It just made me think there were these hidden culinary pockets of incredible foods that are hiding around the country that I'd love to discover and share. I've started doing little expeditions, but mostly I'm researching and finding them online. Now people are finding us and sending us samples directly. We've been so lucky with receiving interesting products from everywhere."
While Valentina has ironed out most of the business kinks by now, working with small producers has its continued challenges, especially when it comes to scaling. Many Kitchens operates on a drop shipping model for about 90% of the business, leaving fulfillment in the hands of over 50 producer partners. Because of their sizes, stock shortages can and do happen.
Pipsnacks had trouble with demand after their Oprah exposure, leaving Valentina to manage the expectations of her customers. Her approach in humanizing the brands with which she works extends to her customer service strategy.
"I'll explain (to customers) that Pipsnacks has their mother and their father and their siblings all in popping corn 24 hours a day, and that they're doing their best to keep up with demand."
"The great thing about this business is that I'm not working with mass-produced food, so customers understand that a human being is making their food and that sometimes they run out. I think people are incredibly patient when you give them the real story behind why their order won't be shipped for another two weeks."
To alleviate the burden on the producers – some of whom have no ecommerce experience – she simplifies and templates the order process. Each order, along with the shipping label is emailed to the producer, allowing Valentina to track each one end to end. She also supplies Many Kitchens labels and postcards for each package, to ensure that the branding is consistent.
"We believe that producers should stay focused on what they should be focused on: making the best product they can make. We try to make the order processing and fulfillment piece so incredibly easy for them."
photo: Many Kitchens producers, Nate of Zia Green Chile, Paula of My Sweet Brigadeiro
The remainder of the products are shipped from her own NYC apartment. She's had to be clever with the space which also serves as her office and studio for photo shoots.
"We sell certain things that we love but for whatever reason the producer isn't able to do drop shipping so there's stock of certain things hidden around my home. When I left my job, I sold all my bags and shoes on eBay because I didn't need them anymore. And instead, the cupboards are now filled with tea and coffee and shipping boards."
"I can flip my apartment between office and home very quickly. We shoot the whole blog here, and all the food. We shot the cookbook here, too. There are props, backdrops, and photographic equipment hidden in the most bizarre places."
Among the 10% of the business that is not drop shipped are Many Kitchens' gift boxes. It's a natural add-on for a business built on great curation. The process is, and always be manual, but Valentina feels that the personal touch helps to further humanize the brand. She invites friends over for pizza, wine, and gift box assembly, and includes a handwritten note in each box.
On The Business of Food
Starting a business always comes with a standard set of challenges, and those challenges are often amplified with food. Shipping, especially internationally, and inventory become doubly complicated. From her apartment in NYC, she shared with me some of her learnings over the past three years – valuable advice for any would-be entrepreneur entering culinary ecommerce:
Much of what the company learned about marketing a food business is attributed to trial and error.
"Google AdWords were interesting for us – I saw the traffic increase dramatically, but the bounce rate was also through the roof. For example, if the keyword was "chicken pot pie", it was working really well and people were coming to the site, but they were immediately leaving. And I realized it doesn't work well for food because people were looking for a recipe."
Recipes for Success
From Valentina's AdWords experience was born a dedication to blogging regularly, with a focus on recipes which all link back to product pages. The move has helped with bounce rate and has become a powerful selling tool.
"The dream is for every product to have a recipe attached to it. We circle back if a producer hasn't had much love recently and we try and create a recipe that goes along with the product. Another great thing about recipes is showing customers how to use each item. For example, with the Somali sauces, the date and tamarind chutney is so delicious but isn't something everyone would immediately know how to use."
Press On
Press has been a huge sales driver for the business, it didn't magically happen at first. Valentina wielded her publishing knowledge to seek out press opportunities through sites based on contributor posts.
"When I've been a contributor on a publication, that has made the biggest impact on referrals. I've contributed to Very Short List a couple of times – they've now been bought by The Observer. Not only did it hugely increase traffic and orders, it's also how I ended up getting a book deal. We used these to tell little stories about our producers – short lists of three things that would be sent to hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Getting this exposure has contributed the most to our success."
Visual Appeal
When taste tests aren't an option, food purchases are often inspired by brand, packaging and visual appeal. Does it look like it will taste good? Photography for online food sales, is therefore critical, and the conventional products-on-white approach might not be the best in this case.
"There's this wonderful Swedish party ham that we have. If I showed it photographed wrapped in the plastic, no one's going to buy it. So, on our site, it's pictured beautifully cooked with a glaze, sliced on a platter. It's much more appealing, and it's easier for someone to consider buying it."
"We've specifically decided not to be consistent. We wanted to mix it up so it's not just rows and rows of similar looking products on white. For example, the blueberry jam is pictured on a spoon and actual blueberries around the jar because it's a lot more inviting."
Photography is very, very important for food – you have to almost feel like you're tasting it.
Packaging is an important consideration while curating, but Valentina admits that she's made an exception for some products that are just too good to pass up, despite ugly exteriors.
"We work with some producers who like our eye and our curation, and have come to us for help with their packaging and branding. We work with a wonderful designer in London who has helped us help other producers who need a little bit of an update on their design."
Community First
Valentina attributes much of her success to what she has learned from the community of producers.
"I did a TED talk based on a quote that Claire Marin of Catskill Provisions casually said to me in conversation: 'competition is so last century'. It became my ethos. We organized meet-ups with our producers where everyone was able to share their knowledge around the same challenges, whether it's getting into Whole Foods or figuring out inventory and warehousing. They could talk honestly with each other, because they weren't competitive. It was very collaborative."
I really believe that we're more than the sum of our parts, and as a community we can all grow.
Get Physical
Most businesses can benefit from a little customer face-to-face. How they interact with your product can help inform business decisions. Valentina gets IRL occasionally, as a great way to discover new products and meet emerging small producers.
"I've looked at spaces but the rent is just so astronomical and our margins are very, very small. We're not selling diamonds. We're selling $8 jars of jam. You'd have to sell a lot of jam to make rent in New York. Instead, we've done pop-up markets."
"The pop-ups allowed me to meet great producers that are now on the site, and that I probably wouldn't have found otherwise. During the downtime, that was when we all sat around sharing ideas. It's lovely. The best part of any market is getting to know people."
photo: Flickr
The Future of Fresh
In my urban neighbourhood, a farmers' market sprouts up Wednesday afternoons during temperate months (which, in Canada, is about three). This inconvenient window means that I miss it most weeks, and frequently buy produce in the drug store's inexplicable "fresh" grocery aisle.
I'm optimistic about the future, though. The way we grow and buy and consume food continues to trend in favour of small businesses and local farmers.
In New York, Valentina tells me, the future is now.
"Large, empty industrial buildings on the piers are being turned into markets for artisans or small batch producers, be it food or crafts. And they seem to be where everyone's going now. It'll be interesting to see what happens to grocery chains – I hardly go to the supermarket anymore."
Read more
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- Vanguard- This Artist Conjured a Magical World of Black Anime Characters
- He Runs a Business—From His Bike
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- A Uniquely Creative Collective from Toronto—and Nowhere Else
- Vanguard- The Lengths This Indigenous Jeweler Went to for Her Craft


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HydraCalm moisturizer
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HydraCalm moisturizer is a rich and restorative hydrator packed with natural calming ingredients specifically formulated to relieve redness-prone and sensitive skin. Sea whip, boswellia, aloe and honey soothe skin.
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50mL /1.7 fl oz e
DIRECTIONS OF USE: Twist pump left to open and right to close. After cleansing and applying AlumierMD serums, apply 1-2 pumps to hands and gently massage into face, neck and décolleté in an upward motion. Use twice daily AM and PM.
Caution: For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes, eyelids and mucous membranes. Keep out of reach of children.
Sea Whip: The active ingredient gorgonian extract is derived from a marine organism known as sea whip, which is a renewable resource in the Caribbean Sea. Gorgonian extract has powerful anti-irritant and soothing properties. This makes it an excellent ingredient for redness-prone and sensitive skin.
Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid: A complex sugar molecule occurring naturally in the body, hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrates by drawing water into the skin. It holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water, and makes skin plumper, softer and smoother. Unlike conventional HA, which tends to sit on top of the skin due to its large molecular size, low molecular weight HA helps to replenish the lost HA in the deeper layers of the skin that occurs during the aging process, which firms and hydrates the skin.
Niacinamide (vitamin B3): Niacinamide increases ceramide and free fatty acids in the skin, which are key components of its protective lipid barrier. Along with keeping in moisture and boosting hydration, it also calms redness and brightens skin.
Copper Peptide: A peptide with a high affinity for copper, this ingredient strengthens skin and accelerates repair.
Tetrapeptide-14, Tea Extracts, Boswellia Serrate Extract, Honey: A mixture of a redness-reducing peptide combined with the antioxidant properties of tea and the soothing qualities of honey and boswellia serrate.
Aloe: Extracted from the aloe vera plant, soothing aloe contains amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
Full Ingredient List: 'WATER/AQUA/EAU, PROPANEDIOL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, GLYCERIN, SHEA BUTTER ETHYL ESTERS, SHOREA STENOPTERA SEED BUTTER, SEA WATER (MARIS AQUA), C12-16 ALCOHOLS, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OIL, NIACINAMIDE, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE, SEA WHIP EXTRACT, TETRAPEPTIDE-14, COPPER TRIPEPTIDE-1, HINOKITIOL, CRAMBE ABYSSINICA SEED OIL, DIPOTASSIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, HYDROLYZED HYALURONIC ACID,OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) OIL UNSAPONIFIABLES, BOSWELLIA SERRATA GUM EXTRACT, HONEY EXTRACT (EXTRAIT DE MIEL), CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, ASPALATHUS LINEARIS (ROOIBOS) EXTRACT, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, PINUS CEMBRA WOOD EXTRACT, PORPHYRIDIUM CRUENTUM EXTRACT, PALMITIC ACID, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, CETYL PALMITATE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, XANTHAN GUM, DIMETHICONE, MALTODEXTRIN, HYDROXYACETOPHENONE, CETYL MYRISTATE, CETYL STEARATE, TERT. BUTANOL, DISODIUM EDTA, CAPRYLHYDROXAMIC ACID, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, 2-ACRYLAMIDO-2-METHYL-1-PROPANESULFONIC ACID, N-VINYL-2-PYRROLIDONE, TRIMETHYLOL PROPANE TRIACRYLATE, CITRIC ACID,
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Odonata Atlas of Africa
Date started: 22-Sep-2010
Web page:
OdonataMAP is a Virtual Museum project aiming to: (1) map the current distribution of the insect Order Odonata, i. e. Dragonflies and Damselflies, occurring in Africa; and (2) to serve as a repository of all existing distribution data for this group in the geographic extent of the project.
To participate in the Odonata VM you need to be a registered ADU observer. Close-up photographs of dragonflies or damselflies, along with date and locality information, including geographic coordinates are submited to the VM in the data upload section (available to logged users). The Virtual Museum allows you to upload a maximum of three images per record.
Please take the GPS coordinates as accurately as possible; alternatively you can also find your position on the Google Map available in the upload page, but this may be difficult if you are away from good landmarks.
There is no metadata for this project


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The Fx group at Carnegie Mellon has worked with various applications groups to develop a suite of programs that can benefit from a mix of task and data parallelism. The suite has been extremely helpful to the Fx project, and I thought other research groups might benefit from it as well.
The suite consists of 5 programs from the domains of scientific, signal, and image processing:
The suite is distributed in a single directory. Each program is a single Fortran 77 source file of less than 500 lines, and an include file. Potential tasks are explicitly identified as calls to subroutines from within a DO loop in the main program, so we have found that porting the codes to a task parallel dialect of HPF (Fx in our case) is not too difficult. We invite other researchers to rewrite these programs in their favorite task parallel dialects.
The suite is available as a Unix tar file that expands into a directory that contains the task parallel program suite and a companion tech report. There are also directions that describe how to dearchive the suite once you've copied it. Or you can just download the companion tech report.
Many people contributed to the suite, including Peter Dinda, Thomas Gross, Edward Segall, Jim Stichnoth, Jaspal Subhlok, Jon Webb, and Bwolen Yang, as well as Takeo Kanade's vision group at Carnegie Mellon, Dennis Ghiglia's imaging group at Sandia, and G. Shaw's radar group at MIT Lincoln Labs.
Questions and comments can be directed to Dave O'Hallaron at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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We're here to help you dream up your next trip, figure out the details, and reserve experiences at over 3,600 facilities and 103,000 individual sites across the country. There's something for everyone on Recreation.gov, so get out there, experience the USA, and bring home a story!
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Check here for the latest updates and access to Recreation.gov news, events, and contests.


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So, you think this whole anti-gentrification thing is unique to the Mission? Think again. It's happening in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, as you can see in this found racist rant accusing a loosely-defined group of people of being racist.
i don't know, man astutely points out:
Pilsen is named for the Czech town of Plzen — Pilsner, a delicious type of lager beer is, too — because it was populated mainly by Czech immigrants in the early part of last century. As Czechs made a better life for themselves and probably moved out of the city to the suburbs, Chicago's growing Latino population moved in.
What we have here is a chicken-or-the-egg problem. Who's the most entitled to live anywhere? Amoebas floating in primordial soup, I reckon.
Anyway, I'm glad Asian hipsters are off the hook (not that I am one).
[chicagoist via beerandrap]


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Director, Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology
Oded Lipschits was born in 1963 and he is a professor for Jewish history in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures. Oded also serves as the Director of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University, the director of the Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition, and the head of the international program in Ancient Israel Studies: Archaeology and History of the Land of the Bible.
His Ph.D. dissertation dealt with the Province of Judah in the sixth century BCE (The Babylonian Period), analyzing the archaeological data and the Biblical narratives in order to reconstruct the historical reality of that era. The second project lead by Prof. Lipschits is the administrative system of Judah during the eighth to second centuries BCE, centered along the excavations at Ramat Rahel (in the area of Jerusalem), where the cooperated Tel-Aviv and Heidelberg University project unearthed a monumental administrative center. Nowadays, Prof. Lipschits is leading several research projects dealing with the Judean Lowland, surrounding the ongoing project at Tel Azekah. These projects and more were published in numerous books and papers.
Oded lives with his wife Yael and their four (!) children in the beautiful Galilee in northern Israel. In many respects, he is the "father" of many M.A. and Ph.D. students, who worked at Ramat Rahel and who are now involved with the Azekah project.


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Castle Black - 床上用品套装
✓ 100% Egyptian Cotton
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The Noble Black Bedding Set is rich luxury at its finest. Perfect for people looking to cultivate a dark, moody room with a classic appeal, this set makes a bold statement and exudes a classic confidence.
Need Design Inspo?
- Read out blog post about How to Create a Classy Black Bedroom
- Check out our Black Bedroom Ideas for Men Pinterest Board
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4-Piece Set includes:
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- Do not soak for extended periods
Most orders are processed within 1-3 business days and are delivered in 5-8 business days.
See more about our order processing and shipping policies.
We are pleased to offer a 30 day satisfaction guaranteed return policy. To learn more, please read our Returns & Refund Policy.
Have questions?
Get in touch with us at any time, or use our live chat.
Need Design Inspiration?
Check out our blog post on How to Create a Black Bedroom for Men.
Egyptian Cotton
Renowned for its silky softness and superior breathability, Egyptian Cotton redefines luxury sleep. Each thread balances strength with delicacy, creating bedding that's both lightweight and durable. It is easy to clean for long-lasting luxury, and its cool, dry comfort makes it the ideal choice for discerning sleep enthusiasts.
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Reviews from Our Customers
Frequently Asked Questions
Castle Home Bedding stands out for its commitment to luxury and quality, using only the finest Egyptian Cotton to create bedding that's not just comfortable but also durable and easy to care for.
Yes, all our bedding sets are crafted from high-quality Egyptian Cotton, known for its softness, strength, and exceptional breathability.
Our bedding is designed for easy care. We recommend washing in cold water on a gentle cycle and tumble drying on low heat. Avoid bleach to maintain the fabric's integrity.
Our luxury bedding is exclusively available in carefully curated sets to ensure a cohesive and elegant look. We currently do not offer individual items for sale.
Consider factors like your preferred comfort level, bedroom decor, and any specific fabric sensitivities. Our customer service team is also available to help with personalized recommendations.
We accept returns within 30 days of purchase, provided the items are unused, in their original packaging, and in the same condition as received.


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Integrating your BigCommerce store and Etsy store at ZapInventory lets you synchronize products, categories, and orders between both platforms.
START A FREE TRIAL REQUEST A DEMOConnect your BigCommerce and Etsy store with ZapInventory in few clicks. You can also integrate your BigCommerce store and Etsy store in no time.
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Sync the data from Etsy store to BigCommerce and from BigCommerce to Etsy too. Furthermore, BigCommerce and Etsy data can be pushed and pulled from ZapInventory as well.
Users can now merge the SKUs from different channels like BigCommerce and Etsy. A final merge can then be made in ZapInventory as well.
Syncing BigCommerce and Etsy and merging their SKUs help the users to correctly track the quantity of items coming in and going out from both the channels without any confusion.
Simple, yet powerful
Manage product batches with their Manufacturing date, Expiry date, Batch number and Quantity in that batch.
ZapInventory POS helps you to make Sales and record payments. Convert your tablets, mobiles into POS.
Convert quotes to invoices, add your logo and branding. Choose from different Templates or create your own.
Generate Sales, Inventory, Customer, Purchase reports for different ranges like week, month and custom dates.
It made us possible to manage purchase and sales orders from a single framework to such an extent that it's packed with order tracking tools, invoice management tools, inventory controls tools and so on.
Very easy to use and set up. My staff who have little experience with inventory management was able to figure out the system without much difficulty. We have an ISP business here in Belize that has been a manual entry of inventory for over 18 years.


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Shopping Safely Online
Why do online shoppers have to take special precautions?
The internet offers convenience not available from other shopping outlets. You can search for items from multiple vendors, compare prices with a few mouse clicks, and make purchases from your home. However, the internet is also convenient for attackers, giving them multiple ways to access the personal and financial information of unsuspecting shoppers. Attackers who are able to obtain this information may use it for their own financial gain, either by making purchases themselves or by selling the information to someone else.
How do attackers target online shoppers?
There are three common ways that attackers can take advantage of online shoppers:
- Creating fraudulent sites and email messages — Unlike traditional shopping, where you know that a store is actually the store it claims to be, attackers can create malicious websites or email messages that appear to be legitimate. Attackers may also misrepresent themselves as charities, especially after natural disasters or during holiday seasons. Attackers create these malicious sites and email messages to try to convince you to supply personal and financial information.
- Intercepting insecure transactions — If a vendor does not use encryption, an attacker may be able to intercept your information as it is transmitted.
- Targeting vulnerable computers — If you do not take steps to protect your computer from viruses or other malicious code, an attacker may be able to gain access to your computer and all of the information on it. It is also important for vendors to protect their computers to prevent attackers from accessing customer databases.
How can you protect yourself?
- Do business with reputable vendors — Before providing any personal or financial information, make sure that you are interacting with a reputable, established vendor. Some attackers may try to trick you by creating malicious websites that appear to be legitimate, so you should verify the legitimacy before supplying any information. (See Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks and Understanding Web Site Certificates for more information.) Attackers may obtain a site certificate for a malicious website to appear more authentic, so review the certificate information, particularly the "issued to" information. Locate and note phone numbers and physical addresses of vendors in case there is a problem with your transaction or your bill.
- Make sure your information is being encrypted — Many sites use secure sockets layer to encrypt information. Indications that your information will be encrypted include a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that begins with "https:" instead of "http:" and a padlock icon. If the padlock is closed, the information is encrypted. The location of the icon varies by browser; for example, it may be to the right of the address bar or at the bottom of the window. Some attackers try to trick users by adding a fake padlock icon, so make sure that the icon is in the appropriate location for your browser.
- Be wary of emails requesting information — Attackers may attempt to gather information by sending emails requesting that you confirm purchase or account information. (See Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks.) Legitimate businesses will not solicit this type of information through email. Do not provide sensitive information through email. If you receive an unsolicited email from a business, instead of clicking on the provided link, directly log on to the authentic website by typing the address yourself.
- Use a credit card — There are laws to limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, but you may not have the same level of protection for your debit cards. Additionally, debit cards draw money directly from bank accounts, unauthorized charges could leave you with insufficient funds to pay other bills. You can minimize potential damage by using a single, low-limit credit card to make all of your online purchases. Also, use a credit card when using a payment gateway such as PayPal, Google Wallet, or Apple Pay.
- Check your shopping app settings — Look for apps that tell you what they do with your data and how they keep it secure. Keep in mind that there is no legal limit on your liability with money stored in a shopping app (or on a gift card). Unless otherwise stated under the terms of service, you are responsible for all charges made through your shopping app.
- Check your statements — Keep a record of your purchases and copies of confirmation pages, and compare them to your bank statements. If there is a discrepancy, report it immediately. (See Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft.)
- Check privacy policies — Before providing personal or financial information, check the website's privacy policy. Make sure you understand how your information will be stored and used. (See Protecting Your Privacy.)


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The enrollment link below will be used for Lenox Corporation. Your corporate ID number is BZC0055.
From this document your corporate travelers can instantly enroll in National's Emerald Club program with the $50.00 fee waived. You will receive an Emerald Club number in just minutes and your Emerald Club card will arrive in the mail shortly. Once your information is verified, you can make reservations and enjoy Emerald club benefits.
The Emerald Club Aisle lets you bypass the counter and choose any vehicle on the Emerald Aisle by simply reserving a mid-size car. Because National is committed to bringing you the newest fleet in the industry, you can rest assured knowing that our Aisle will have the most up-to-date mid-size vehicles from which you can choose. Emerald Club Aisle Service is available at most major U.S. airport locations.
Current Emerald Club members can continue to use their Emerald Club number that is on file with National, but if you have changed companies, you need to call
National with your new corporate ID number listed above. You can reach National Emerald Club at 800-962-7070 to update your information. You will also need to update your Concur profile with your Emerald Club number.
Thank you for taking the time to enroll or update your National Emerald Club membership.


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The Craft Den design team have decide to take a break.
The Anything Goes Challenge blog started way back on 31st May 2010 and has run non stop ever since. In the beginning the challenges were weekly, then the over whelming amount of entries we were getting every week forced us to go to fortnightly to enable us to keep up with the commenting. We are all proud of our challenge blog and what it has achieved over the years. We are also proud to have on board a very talented and creative DT with out who's support and commitment there would be no Anything Goes. With all this in mind and the fact that the Craft Den website is having a makeover have decided that now is a good time to take a well earned break and recharge our batteries. We will all be back in the New Year. Please don't delete us from your side bars as we will be doing the odd post on here.
Thats all for now take care and keep crafting.
Love and hugs Lynne xox