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This interview is part of the Wood Egg project, a series of guides for entrepreneurs covering 16 different Asian countries. I contributed research for the China guide and this was one of the interviews. For the complete WoodEgg Entrepreneurs' Guide to China 2014 version, please visit WoodEgg.com.
Today's guest is Fabian Knopf, senior associate at Dezan Shira, a consulting and advisory firm focusing on services for foreign direct investment in Asia. Fabian is an expert in legal structuring, cross-border taxes, as well as HR laws and practices for foreign companies in China and Hong Kong. Today, we discuss how to set up a Chinese company, the different options, and the pros and cons.
Episode Content:
Understand the different types of companies a foreigner can set up in China
Explore the advantages and disadvantages of the different company structures: Registered Office, WOFE, Joint Venture.
Briefly overview of business permits and taxes
Follow up:
You can connect with Fabian via LinkedIn or on Twitter @fabian_knopf
Dezan Shira publishes a great resource, China Briefing, which covers topics related to doing business in China
For the complete 2014 Entrepreneurs' Guide to China, check out WoodEgg.com
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Episode Transcript (provided by WoodEgg):
JP: Okay. Number one, options for business structures in China.
Fabian: Right. So, there are... You start at the bottom with the easiest form, essentially, which is a representative office which is not its own entity. It belongs to the investor outside of China. And you can employ people here. You can rent an office here. Everything is legal. The employment is through a third party and you're only allowed to do non-profit generated activities. For example, research, liaison suppliers, finding customers, market research in general. Just staying in touch, having an office, having a showroom, for example. Just being somewhat of a base in China for a company that doesn't want to make that jump.
The next step would be a wholly foreign owned entity which is a what is commonly referred to as WFE. That one is essentially a limited liability company as we know it as well, and can take the form of a limited liability company which is basically the most common one. It's all really like a pick and choose model, although, the options aren't very plentiful. And that's, as I said, essentially a limited a liability company. It has its own entity here in China. There's a registered capital or an investment connected to that. You can employ people here directly. There's basically a business scope that has to fall into a certain category, the foreign investment catalog. There's just three categories, essentially. It stays restricted. It stays encouraged and there's a [indiscernible 00:26:41] where it's not restricted, essentially. So, in everything within the restricted and with the non-restrictive category are encouraged that is feasible for the WFE to engage in. So, yeah, a really regular company as we know it everywhere else.
Then, the joint venture is essentially just the joining of two entities into one. Basically, the same for the WFE as well. The same characteristics. Other than that, maybe the foreign investment catalog might actually have a requirement for a joint venture with a certain percentage, with a certain ownership of one party toward another. That entity, that joint venture can then move into a more restricted investment category of the catalog. It's just a joint venture. Anywhere else, very similar for job placement as well.
There's a fourth one, essentially, which is a foreign invested partnership which is specifically for venture capital firms. For example, that one that invests in China. It's not an entity itself. It's more of a business structure. So, the FFE itself doesn't have an entity itself. It doesn't need to be registered. It's a bit difficult right now.
Legislation was passed in 2011 or came into effect, or 2010. Up until now, there's not that many in China. It's very difficult for authorities even in Shanghai or Beijing to grant approval of this. So, it seems to be a very, very controlled entity. There's [Collette (sp) 00:28:25] group has one with Folsom group in Shanghai. It's a $100 million fund. And there's a few other examples that have come up.
But, it's really, I guess it kind of relates to the financial development of China or the financial depth, the financial development in China of institutions, and the market in general which is not very progressive. So, that's also maybe why it's not been making much head way into the market. So, it's really the representative office, the WFE and the joint venture right now.
JP: Okay. Can you, just to give sort of perspective, most big companies when they come to China, if they're a big brand like PNG, for example, what are they using?
Fabian: They're using a WFE most of the time, exactly.
JP: I guess some of the things JV's are like Volkswagon.
Fabian: Exactly. So, the automotive industry was one of the restricted industries. That was actually redacted from last year, I want to say, so that's not a requirement anymore. For foreign, you know, they still have to be approved and it's certainly not an easy process.
JP: Right.
Fabian: To go through that. For example, one of the requirements is not necessarily Chinese ownership or part Chinese ownership anymore.
JP: So, before, there was a requirement that the Chinese had needed to own a certain percentage if they wanted to do automotives?
Fabian: That's correct, yes.
JP: I see. And then, so that's an example of JV. So, who has representative offices, like, research firms?
Fabian: No. Research is one of those that falls into the restricted category. Research is banned.
JP: Oh, I see.
Fabian: Yeah, it's one of those things where the authorities will ask further questions and when in doubt, not approve the entity. So, the representative office would be a typical model which is a sourcing model where you essentially have the typical South China model, I would almost call it. You have a company in Hong Kong. You have a representative office here in China and one more in wherever. And, essentially, you have people in that representative office that will go to the factories and do quality control and they run around with all the samples and make sure that whatever the Hong Kong company wants is being executed here.
And then, the factory ships to the Hong Kong company. So, there's no invoicing with the RO. The invoicing is always between the factory and the Hong Kong company. So, it's kind of a helper, I guess, if you like. And it's just like a market entry. You just kind of want to see is there... You have to [indiscernible 00:31:13] for market research essentially, not for other clients but for yourself, is there a demand for my product or my services and you just kind of start off with that. Also, law firms have to be registered as a special representative office. They can't register as a limited liability company, for example.
JP: Okay. What about those consulting firms that are international? Those are...
Fabian: There are different consulting firms and so the Big Four, for example?
JP: Yeah. So, like BCG has an office in Beijing.
Fabian: Right. Well, they are management consulting. So, they would most likely be WFE. I think it's the same for us. We're a consulting company which is a WFE in that sense.
JP: There are strict sort of... Well, I don't know if that strict. There are supposed limitations on the representative offices.
Fabian: Yes.
JP: And has the lease, like, has the enforcement gone more strict recently? Because there are probably people running around doing things with representative offices that they weren't supposed to, right?
Fabian: Yes. And there's many, many different ways that people have gotten creative in terms of... So, the problem is if you... I'm sure it isn't just one way of how people have misused the representative office in some way. If you want to buy something in China, you usually need an invoice. And with a representative office, you can actually buy something, essentially. So, in what way that really benefits the representative office now is up to interpretation, really.
But the could, for example, just get these invoices if the invoice is by [indiscernible 00:32:55] in some way through a legal channel, obviously, and then just pay with the money they receive from their mother company for a certain kind of product. And then, I'm not sure how they would be able to get it out of the country but I'm sure it's possible. Which, again, it's not from within the scope of the representative office.
JP: Right.
Fabian: So, yes, that has been something that's been cracked down on and actually been addressed by legislation in 2011 which basically limited the number of foreign employees that could be hired, and raised the tax rate, the effective tax rate on representative offices. And then, just make sure you are not, that you're explicitly saying, "This is not [indiscernible 00:33:34]. This is legal."
JP: Okay. And for companies looking to enter China, is there any advantage to setting in Hong Kong first? Is there any special advantage?
Fabian: Yes, but not to every company. One big advantage is, I guess, but this requires a bit of planning, is any business that benefits from the CEPA which is their close economic partnership agreement between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland which is essentially saying, for example, the tourism industry, again, a restricted industry in China. If you are a foreign entity that's been setup, I think, it has to be five years in Hong Kong with all the necessary licenses in Hong Kong as well, be registered as a tourism provider with all the chops and approvals. Then, when you then make an investment into China and say, "I want to do this now," and then be able to say, "Look, this is what I've done in Hong Kong. And on this agreement, I can do this, this and this now and I'm not restricted. I can actually do these things," then, that it beneficial to having a Hong Kong company and having a business there.
JP: So, what entity would they be once they come to China?
Fabian: They would also be a WFE. They would also be a WFE in that sense.
JP: Oh, okay. But, not everyone can just come and setup that WFE?
Fabian: Exactly. That's right. But, a lot of people come and say, "I have a China business," and they really only have a Hong Kong office, which it doesn't really matter whether you have that office in Hong Kong or in New Jersey. There's no difference. You know, exporting is all the same. You can't issue any official Chinese invoices. You're closer geographically, yes, but that's it.
JP: I see. Okay. So, the next one. We already talked about some of the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of businesses.
Fabian: I can go a little bit more, maybe, just into a quick comparison.
JP: Sure.
Fabian: So, the representative office is fairly low cost in starting up. So, you don't have to put up a registered capital. There's no initial investment. You, essentially, just feed it money every month, every quarter. And there's a limited business scope, although, of course. You're not, no profit making activity and it's not scalable. It's not scalable because, at least not from a monetary perspective, you pay an effective tax rate on costs. So, the higher your costs go, the more people you hire, the bigger office that you have to rent, the more cost that people generate, the higher your tax bill goes. So, there's are no [indiscernible 00:36:26] scale unless your profit margin in Hong Kong or wherever you are is dramatically increasing as well and you can make that justification for you internally. But, that's usually not the case. So at some point...
JP: It's much worse to get taxed on cost and on profits.
Fabian: It's awful. It's awful. Exactly. So, we've had clients that are, you know, they'd be occupying a whole floor of a building with over 100 people. You know, they were big companies too. But, it's not an efficient model. It's not what you want to run even mid-terms. It's something that you want to have in mind, okay, I need to move to a WFE. This is the much better, more suitable option here. So, WFE, relatively is high startup costs. You have the registration process is quite long and tedious and you have to put up a registered capital.
JP: Has there been a trend of that going up recently?
Fabian: Not by the law, no. The legislation doesn't have anything like that. They have a minimum that is written in the legislation bu it is the case that it's generally higher and especially in areas where clusters like CBE...
JP: Oh, it depends on the... Okay.
Fabian: Because you always have to see, the law is written by Beijing but it's being implemented by Fujing. So, the offices have a certain quota that they have meet in terms of foreign investment attractives. So, they will set that quota and they will set the registered capital according to the quota that they will have to meet. So, they have their own interest in that as well. So, that's something to keep in mind as well. The WFE has, also, in terms of compliance cost as well, you have to put up with taxes that are a bit more complicated than just for the representative office. But, you can be a full market participant. You're, essentially, free to do whatever you do within the business scope that you have chosen, essentially, within the restrictions of the foreign investment catalog.
And, joint venture, also has high startup costs which is essentially not much different from the WFE. There's a few more things that you have to do before the regular registration. You just kind of have to figure out yourself within the two partners, what you want to do. And there could be better market access with a Chinese partner, for example, that you can be introduced into a certain market to customers, to suppliers. It might also be easier dealing with authorities, although, you don't want to step over the line of being into a legality, essentially. [indiscernible 00:39:31] is nice but it's not always 100% clear whether or not this is legal. So, there are advantages and disadvantages to that.
JP: Okay. I think that's a good summary. Don't have any other follow questions with that one. So, let's move onto the next one. Any advice on naming businesses in China? Are English names okay or should they be localized? And maybe a little bit about how localization happens. It's kind of interesting but, like, [indiscernible 00:40:43] is sort of a fenetic localization. And Pizza Hut is a very odd localization which is like, "Must win customer."
Fabian: Yeah.
JP: These should cover the whole... I don't know if you guys advise companies on this. How does that process manage? Is it some dude at the company who decides or is it like a localization naming company?
Fabian: No. So in terms of registering the company as a legal entity, first of all, you have to have a Chinese name.
JP: Okay.
Fabian: You can pretty much pick whatever English name you want. You don't register that name. At least, not with the registration authority. So, that's has to be a name. And there's certain restrictions of what you can say. For example, you can't just use the name China like [indiscernible 00:41:42] or others. So, they have to be somewhat correspondent to what you do as well. Although, then again, you have a lot of freedom in a way but you can't just go and do whatever you want.
English names, then... When you essentially pick that name, and then think about what makes sense. And what we do here, and I'm sure that this is mostly what companies do, you kind of make sure that it's not something stupid, that it doesn't...
JP: It doesn't mean tampons.
Fabian: Exactly. When you want to sell... Right. But, I mean, we're not a marketing... I guess, that will be kind of a PR company's job.
JP: So, I guess, do they have to operate under the same Chinese name that they registered or can they have operating as Mike Dunlaw of McDonald's?
Fabian: I'm not 100% sure but I would think so. It might just be their brand. And I'm sure they obviously have that as a brand. So, it's definitely a brand and that's really important. And it doesn't really matter, you don't really have to put your company name up on the board if you're selling burgers. You have to have your business license in the shop and that you can see in every restaurant. And there, it has to be showing your real name. But, that is not going to hurt your or your customer experience in that sense.
JP: So, legally your company has to be Chinese but it could just be something you keep on...
Fabian: Exactly. It just has to be your company registered name. You don't have to go advertising with it. It just has to be on all the necessary documents which is usually just stuff you need in accounting or just legal compliance. It's not something you go marketing with necessarily. It's really all about brain building that you can do parallel.
JP: Right. Okay. So, let's talk about the next one which is how long does it take incorporate a business structure in China? I guess, we'd have to separate between the different types of...
Fabian: Right. Generally, a representative office will take about two months, maybe three months. And what I'm using here is when the company is all setup, it has bank accounts, it has a tax registration, it can essentially operate, you know. Same with the WFE. It's about four to six months. Within two or three months, within two months, you have a business license but you can't do anything with it yet. You don't have bank accounts. You don't have any money. So, you can sign the labor contracts. You can't do anything with them because you can't actually pay your employees. So, there's that differentiation between company that legally exist and you can actually use it.
JP: What's the most time consuming part of the two months to get a WFE setup? Is it just waiting to here back on approval?
Fabian: Yeah. I mean, one of the big problems that you have is that you havestep-by-step process. And so, you do have to get approval from two authorities here. It's Off-Tech and AIC. So, Off-Tech is a bureau of foreign trade and economic commission. And then, you have AIC which is [indiscernible 00:45:25] for industry and commerce. So, those two entities have to approve. That usually takes a month and a half.
And before that, there's a couple things. You need a lot from the investor. And there's a lot of paperwork for them to go through and it needs to be prepared. It needs to be signed. Lots of passports and it has to be all the right color and whatnot. So, there's a lot of things that need to be done before that. But, yeah, it actually does take that long, essentially, a month and a half for the authorities to come through. It's not all the client's, no.
And joint ventures is, essentially the same, about four to six months. The clients or the company that wants to setup, it will take them a lot longer than with a WFE. And the foreign invested partnership, the FIP, also is on paper and what's been done before. It doesn't take very long. It's a fairly easy registration process because there's not a lot of restrictions on it at all. But, again, it's just one of those things that doesn't get approved because the FRE's don't want to. They're not 100% sure. It's been very [indiscernible 00:46:47].
JP: Okay. So, next is the cost including service fees, government fees.
Fabian: I think it's anywhere between... I mean, the good thing is we do both. We setup companies and we're accountants. So when a company has been setup, not by us, we can still see how much somebody else charged them for it. And we've seen some pretty awful figures.
JP: Do you get a range of...?
Fabian: Right. Exactly. For example, a bad example or a very high example is like an American law firm was charging their client by the hour which is, I think they were somewhere at $200,000. I think that's probably the high end but I'm sure it's not the ceiling. I'm sure it gets higher. You can probably get it as cheap as maybe $10,000 or $20,000.
JP: With all the fees and everything?
Fabian: Well, yeah, maybe not that. But, I put a range down here from $20,000 to about $200,000. It really depends on which service provider you have, whether they have something of a foreign connection, whether they are Hong Kong or whether they are Chinese, whether they are multi-national. So, there's a big range as well.
And what I mentioned earlier, what exactly does it include? Does it include getting your business certificates that shows that company exists or does it also include bringing in the capital and opening bank accounts, these kind of things because that doesn't necessarily always is included in what people cloaked. So, you do need to make sure that compare and equals which is sometimes difficult because it's process of a lot of steps.
JP: Okay. I think that's a good description of the range. What is the, not the mean, but the median, what are the most common costs around? Is it closer to 20 or closer to 200. On that end, it's closer to 20.
Fabian: Yeah, I think, reasonably you can expect something between 50 and 100 probably. But, again, I think there are definitely Chinese firms who do it for cheaper and there's definitely foreign firms who do it for more. These are all ranges that are for simply trading companies that don't need any other licenses. For example, just a regular import/export license, it's nothing special.
But if it's high alcohol distribution license or a catering license, you know, things that are not within the regular business scope that does require other licenses, that would add to the costs, obviously. But just the business structure, essentially, that would allow you to do certain things without any exceptions, without anything special. That's what we're talking about here.
JP: Okay. Well, that ties into the next question which is how can new businesses find out which permits are necessary? So can you just in broad strokes, paint maybe the categories or the different things that might require permits? And then, obviously, they probably need professional help to understand.
Fabian: Right. Just initially, how can they find out whether there is anything? The fold answer is always you have to check with the authority that you want approval from. That's the best source, that there's nothing else really. Obviously, have people that have been working with that authority for some time and they would know that as well. But, the ultimate source is really the guys that don't look at the law because that is not necessarily helpful. But, the authority that will actually approve you.
And, as I said, anything in food circulation, for example. If you want to certify, you know, the certification company. Certain products, like food circulation, like I said, seafood, raw seafood, milk, so cultural goods. So, there's a lot of things.
JP: Are they all under the same branch of government that governs it?
Fabian: No. No, unfortunately, not. There's different bureaus that are in charge of that. So, yeah, if you're lucky, there is... So, everything is extremely de-centralized in China in a way. If you think about it, that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. But, that's kind of the Beijing consensus, that you have a lot of people in the room and all of them have to agree. So, it's kind of everybody has the same vote but the vote doesn't count if not everybody agrees. So, that's what you need to make sure.
And that's kind of one of things, also, in terms of accountability. Nobody is every accountable because there's not one party in charge. There's always at least two people that are involved in something or two organizations. So, that's what makes it difficult. And that's why it's extremely important to make sure that you plan such a process. So, if you, for example, sometimes it makes sense to get the license after you get the business registration and sometimes it makes sense to get it before. But, you need to make sure why is that and it depends on locality. It depends on the kind of license you're getting.
And some cities have setup one-stop service centers. Suzhou, for example, has it. I don't thing Shing Jing has it yet. I don't thing Juan Jong has it. There's several cities who've been forward thinking in that way and it's been very helpful, obviously.
JP: So, you just fill out one and open...
Fabian: You just go and you have the AIC right there. You have the office right there, the tax building. You have, essentially, all of the entities that you need to check in with. They have a counter and you just go there and talk to them. You can spend plenty of time there as well. But, you have them all in the same place. You don't have to drive from office to office.
So, those are the sources where you need to look. I'm sure there's plenty of online blogs that you can look at as well. We have one, ChinaBriefing. You can get a general idea but you will never, it's not legal advice in that sense. You should definitely always check with the source.
JP: So once you know which permits you need, how can a new business get it?
Fabian: Most of them, I guess, the regular channels. For some of them, the authority might not be accommodating. You might have to use an agent that has [indiscernible 00:54:15] or whatever you want to call it. And I'm using that term for a reason. And to make sure that it happens. That's a fairly, I wouldn't really say efficient, but it's a way that works. It's not efficient but it works.
JP: Tried and true.
Fabian: Right, exactly. So, those are the two ones that you can do.
JP: What is in terms of the trading company, what's the most common permit?
Fabian: Food is actually quite a bit recorded, just trading, importing, milk powders are huge.
JP: So, you need a special permit just to import milk powder?
Fabian: Yeah, that's right.
JP: Just milk powder?
Fabian: Right.
JP: All dairy products.
Fabian: Right, exactly. Dairy products. And then, customs needs to approve that. It's a very tight process that a company needs to go through. Not just with registration but also in every time customs is bringing them in. And what I said before, for alcohol, raw fish.
JP: Any kind of alcohol.
Fabian: Well, they differentiate between just regular alcohol like beer or them like high spirits.
JP: Yeah, I heard getting a wine importation license in China is very tough.
Fabian: Right. And then, I mean, importation is in just circulation. And then, you know, a restaurant needs a special license. For example, hygiene and to pass that is not that easy either. So, it's hard to make generalizations really. For trading companies, or the one that helps is really into food.
JP: Okay, cool. Let's jump to the next one and make good progress.
Fabian: We're half way through, almost.
JP: Yeah. What are the current tax rates for businesses?
Fabian: We have a corporate income tax at 25% and we have a business tax that ranges between 5-20% which is mostly 5%.
JP: What's the difference between the two?
Fabian: Well, corporate income tax is a tax that's levied on business profits. And then, a business tax is just a transaction based tax, actually. And it's all services. So, just for a service transaction like a consulting agreement, that... Although, business tax is slowly being replaced by VAT as well. So, VAT is kind of trying to... I mean, they've been starting to reform from last year in January in Shanghai and it's being implemented now across the country from this month.
What it does is take all services but not yet. For example, our services would be considered VAT tax already which means that's a 6% tax now. So, the business tax is kind of going into... It's going to be replaced sooner or later. So, the range is also due to different kind of businesses. Twenty percent, for example, is for entertainment businesses. They charge 20% on a dollar and charge 20%. So, that's business tax.
And that's a very simple transactional tax. You have a certain amount, you slap 5% on top of that. That's how it works. VAT is a bit more difficult. I'm not sure, it was Canada I have VAT or the goods and services has a sales tax.
JP: Yeah, business services tax is actually visible on every receipt.
Fabian: Right, exactly.
JP: So, we add it on top of the product. But, VIT, I've only ever heard of VAT being used in customs.
Fabian: Right. It's important as well because VAT is being taken into consideration when capitalizing the customs, for example. So, VAT is similar to a goods and services tax. It's also called that in Singapore, for example. VAT in Europe is run on the VAT system as well. I know the US doesn't. They have a sales tax but it depends on the state and even within the state, it's not 100% clear.
JP: Yeah, the county.
Fabian: Right. It's a bit of a mess. It's like India. So, the VAT system in that sense is you have a VAT input, you have a VAT output. So whenever you purchase something, you have a VAT in if it's a VAT taxable service or product that you have. And then, you sell it on. And then, you have a VAT out. The difference between those VAT values is going to be your VAT payable. The fact that there is a difference is because you obviously have a profit margin. So, with your profit margin, you're controlling your VAT taxable, VAT payable. That ranges between 3-17% while 3 is actually, in most cases, you can't consolidate that one. You can't have a 3% VAT in and a 3% VAT output. That doesn't work that way.
There's a consumption tax as well which ranges greatly. It's not even possible to put a range on it. You can say from 0% to about 56 or 59%. For example, it's like a luxury tax almost.
JP: Where does that get taxed?
Fabian: Like, the different points. Usually, an import is a big point but also in manufacturing. Not often in trading, for example. So, usually, where it enters. And that differs as well. So, the highest ones are in tobacco, for example. That's around the higher 50's. You have it on oil and on cars, watches that are being imported, for example. So, it's a fairly messy tax but it's also one that's easily just applied like business tax. It doesn't, there's not discounting system like in VIT. But, it doesn't get applied very often. That's one of the good things. So, regular businesses don't usually deal with it.
JP: I see. So, say you're a French grocery store or whatever. So, everything that is sold has a business tax?
Fabian: No, that would have a VAT on it because that's a goods and services tax. Everything that's a good, that's a product, that's definitely VIT.
JP: Oh, okay.
Fabian: And so, there's still services that are taxed with business tax but there are already some services that are taxed with VIT.
JP: Oh, okay. So, business tax was supposed to apply to services but it's...
Fabian: Exactly, it's being pulled away. And the idea is just to make... Actually, there's a tax saving for service providers because they can also use the VAT that they get in and reconcile it with the business that they have. It doesn't work everywhere. Like, the south, for example, hasn't gotten the memo yet. But, in Shung Lai, that's the case.
JP: Interesting. Okay. And then, if you're the French grocer and you're importing some luxury...
Fabian: Like watches or foods...
JP: Some certain things, spirits, then that would get another consumption tax added on top of it.
Fabian: Exactly. That would only be on imports, essentially, or the import is kind of stuck with that. They've paid that much and they want to get the cost back and they pass on to consumers. At the end of the day, whether it's consumption tax or corporate income tax, the consumer makes...
JP: That's why wine is so expensive in China.
Fabian: Exactly. That's why Porsche and Lamborghini is so expensive. They're about 40% more expensive.
JP: And then, at the end of whatever financial period, you also get taxed on your profits?
Fabian: Exactly. And that's the corporate income tax, 25%. That's correct.


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Stocks Tumble As Q2 Gdp Expectations Decline
Caution has rippled across Wall Street today, sending share prices tumbling in New York, with disappointing earnings from retail bellwether Wal-Mart sending alarm bells ringing about consumer behaviour, while a decline in industrial production last month has hurt expectations for GDP growth in the second quarter.
Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 00:00
Retailing giant Wal-Mart reported first-quarter earnings of $1.11 per share, short of analyst expectations and down from $1.14 per share achieved a year before. Revenue grew 0.8%, also missing forecasts. Though the company blamed its poor first-quarter performance on bad weather, it also disappointed with its guidance, saying it expects earnings for its second quarter to fall within the range of $1.15 to $1.25. Analysts had been calling for $1.28 per share. Shares in the Dow component were down 2.4% by early afternoon in New York.
The Fed's industrial production index shrank 0.6% in April, missing the consensus estimate that had pointed to an unchanged result, and a stark slowdown after the 0.9% rise seen in March. Historically industrial production has shown a close correlation with economic activity, and such a sharp decline can be considered a signal of weakness for both aggregate demand and GDP. The manufacturing component of the index sank 0.4%, while capacity utilization (a ratio of current industrial production compared to the sector running at full capacity) fell from 79.3% to 78.6%. While 78.6% is above levels that historically have been seen in downturns in the economy, a slide in the ratio does point to softer economic conditions nonetheless.
The downbeat industrial production data took the shine off earlier signs of improvement in the number of jobless claims. The number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance for the first time fell 24,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 297,000. This is the lowest reading for this time of year in seven years, and will provide a nice boost to May's labor report. The four-week moving average improves slightly to 323,250 from 325,250, but compare unfavourably to where it was a month ago. Inflation data on Thursday morning came in broadly in line with expectations, with a 0.3% rise in the Consumer Price Index for April. Year-on-year the change was 2.0%, the highest level seen in over a year, and this evidence of warmth on the inflation front tends to add credence to the Fed's decision to be well on its way towards exiting stimulus.
By early afternoon in New York, stock index benchmarks were deep in the red, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 index and the NASDAQ 100 all suffering falls of more than 1%. As we have seen several times in recent weeks, the declines have been led by so-called 'momentum' stocks. The risk-off sentiment of the day has benefitted the safe-haven Japanese yen, with USD/JPY falling 0.33% to 101.54. The yen was also supported by first-quarter GDP growth in Japan that exceeded expectations: Japanese GDP grew an eye-popping 1.5% in Q1, for a yearly change of 2.7%, driven to a large degree by business spending, though private consumption also improved. The increase in spending preceded an April 1 sales tax in Japan, though, and evidence of a slowdown has already been seen in retail sales data since the tax hike.
This information has been prepared by Nadex, a trading name of North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc., prepared by independent third parties contracted by Nadex or reproduced form third party news agencies. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. Nadex accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you have a Raspberry Pi connected to an external hard drive and you keep it on all the time then you may find that the external hard drive continues to stay spinning, even though you aren't reading anything from it. I have two problems with that:
1) Waste of energy (negligible but still)
2) Noise
The noise part annoys me the most because I like a little peace and quiet around the home 🙂
Anyway, I'm using a Seagate Expansion External Hard drive (3Tb) and it never stopped spinning…I found a solution! Follow these steps:
1) Run this command
sudo nano /etc/hdparm.conf
This will open the hdparm.conf file for editing.
2) Look for the line "# -B apm setting" and observe the line that follows. My one looked like this:
# apm = x
where x = some value.
3) Remove the # from the start of the line, and change the 127 to 1.
4) Hit Ctrl+X and press Y to save the file.
5) Reboot your RPi
That's it!
In Linux, the hdparam program is used to get/set hard drive parameter, see http://linux.die.net/man/8/hdparm. You can achieve the above by entering this:
sudo hdparm -B 1 /dev/sda2
/dev/sda2 is the hard drive's device path
1 means highest power management (254 is lowest power management)
The bad part is that you have to run that command each time you reboot your RPi. However, by editing the /etc/hdparm.conf file, it is automatically applied at boot time and it becomes the default setting for all hard drives.


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The Williamsburg-James City County Sheriff's Office strives to provide the highest levels of service, security and professionalism to more than 87,000 residents of our historic community.The Sheriff's Office is composed of 14 full-time and 5 part-time/on-call deputies, the Sheriff and 1 administrative assistant.
Visiting hours vary based on inmates housing location. Call to information inmates scheduled time.


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A podcast about all the obsessions, hobbies, crafts, lifestyles, and time sinks that we never knew existed until the internet told us so.
Look for the rest of Season 1 coming soon!
Ep3: Plectrums
Ep4: Planners
Ep5: Wool Dying
Ep6: Vintage Video Game Music
Who's making this nonsense?
Andy Tibbs is a data scientist and jack of all trades whose wanderlust has been trapped in the internet ever since middle age set in.
Follow Andy @biosplonk on Instagram for fun family photography and more.
Dave Leary is a copywriter in the music technology space with a background in radio production and a deep love of all things genrefied.
Follow Dave @freetoaster on Instagram or visit www.FreeToasterMedia.com for more shenanigans.


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To eliminate no-see-ums in the home, clean outdoor areas thoroughly, and install screens over all windows and doors. A bug zapper and homemade traps can be used to kill the pests both outdoors and in the home. The process of killing the pests may require a few days, depending on the severity of the infestation.
- Install window screens and other deterrents
To eliminate no-see-ums, install fine mesh screens over windows, and install screen doors at all entrances. A bug zapper can be installed outside entrances to prevent most types of flying pests from entering the home.
- Remove water sources
Standing water in front of the home attracts insects and should be removed to effectively control no-see-ums. Turn buckets, children's swimming pools and other receptacles upside-down if they are stored outdoors and not being used. Rake the lawn frequently to remove leaves and other debris that may hold water. If possible, store building materials vertically rather than on the ground.
- Make homemade traps
In a shallow container, such as a bowl, mix equal amounts of white vinegar and liquid dish detergent. Place the bowls in any area affected by the pests, and replace the mixture as needed. The traps can also be placed in outdoor areas.


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Outdoor Life ends McManus' contract
Humor is the latest victim in the economic tsunami that's sinking many outdoor industry markets.
Patrick F. McManus, Outdoor Life's iconic back page humor writer, says the magazine has terminated his contract for budget reasons.
The Spokane writer has written the "Exit Laughing" column for 28 years in Outdoor Life and for 12 years before that in Field & Stream -- the nation's top two hunting and fishing magazines.
Asked if there was anything special or inspiring about writing for those outdoor giants for so many years, McManus deadpanned, "They paid me a lot of money -- which I will miss."
Being among the most highly paid contributors apparently factored into the editor's decision to terminate McManus, a top name in outdoor humor across the country.
The top-selling writer has more than two million of his 18 books in print.
"The magazines are just running out of cash," he said. "We parted on good terms."
He said his last "Exit Laughing" column for Outdoor Life is already written and will be published in April.
"I'm 75, and it feels kind of good to wake up in the morning and not have a deadline," he said.
That doesn't mean he's retiring.
The former Eastern Washington University writing instructor has just finished his third mystery novel, due to be published in 2009 by Simon & Schuster.
"It's called The Double-Jack Murders," he said. "A double-jack is a two-man drilling operation from the old mining days. It's where the dumb guy holds the drill while the other guy hits it with a sledge hammer."
He plans to write for other publications, and he's started an autobiography as well as a new one-man comedy stage play, adding to the repertoire local actor Tim Behrens has performed across the country.
But maybe the days are numbered for new adventures featuring McManus characters Rancid Crabtree and Crazy Eddie Muldoon and the ripe humor always in stock at Grogan's War Surplus.
"My first magazine story was published in Sports Illustrated in 1968, and a couple of months later I sold my first humor piece to Field & Stream," he said, noting that the contrast was a revelation.
"I worked two or three months on the SI story, but I wrote the humor story for Field & Stream in something like an hour or two, just off the top of my head, with no research, no facts to check, no photographs required. I wisely realized this is the way to go."
At the peak of publishing collections of his outdoor magazine stories in books, McManus spent 100 nights one year in hotel rooms traveling across the country for readings.
"That was before the airlines deteriorated," he said. "I don't think I could do that again."
The outdoors has been the most fertile ground for McManus-style humor.
"I grew up in Idaho where hunting, fishing, hiking and camping were central to my life," he said, noting that insight is like a scalpel for reaching a person's funny bone.
"I came to have this pretty deep understanding of what motivates outdoors people -- and what scares the hell out of them.
"I remember getting a letter from a little kid who said he was thinking about sleeping out in his back yard, and he asked if I had any advice -- of course I did."
McManus found laughing matter in the ageless angle of the outdoorsman's quest for freedom and self-sufficiency.
"All outdoorsmen can relate to their first camping trip," he said.
"There's so much anticipation and excitement and then, 'Oh, how could I be so stupid as to forget that it gets dark at night?'
"There might be a lot of things about life I don't understand, but I understood that."


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We can deliver Flowers and Gifts to almost every place in China mainland.
The price includes delivery fee in city center. If the recipient is not in city center, $5-$20 USD will be asked as delivery fee.
If you have credits in our site when you choose Not Use this time you can use it any time in future.
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School Clubs
We run various clubs during the year which include netball, skateboarding, golf, kickfit, Reading Cafe, Crafts, Board Games and guitar.
These Clubs take place both at lunchtime and after school.
|Budding gardeners!
Showing off their skateboarding techniques!
After 3.30pm the extended school 'Sunshine' club hold various activities throughout the week.


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Project Archive
The CCA supports numerous arts-related events and projects each year.. Documentation from grant-supported projects completed and presented, artist award presentations, and CCA-initiated projects are archived, including exhibitions, performances, lectures, individual artist and department-generated projects, concerts, installations, and publications.
Listed below is a sample of projects supported by the CCA from 2001 to 2017.
Performance + Music
April 24, 2016; 8:00 p.m.
Barnes Hall
Presented by the Department of Music
Balinese wayang meets Apalachian "crankies." American old-time meets Indonesian kroncong. All this in Shadow Ballads, a multimedia collaboration of nine guest artists, including dalang (puppet master) Gusti Sudarta, violinist Danis Sugiyanto, and singer Peni Candra Rini from Indonesia, plus duo Anna and Elizabeth from the United States.
The event is preceded by the spring concert of the Cornell Gamelan Ensemble at 1:00p.m., with Javanese musicians Danis Sugiyanto and Peni Candra Rini as featured guests and a spcial appearance by Rumput (Richmond VA's only kroncong band).
Admission is free. For more information, call (607) 255-4760 or email Loralyn Light.
Related Links:
Cornell Gamelan Ensemble | Website
Rumput | Website


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Harbinger: Anything that foreshadows a future event.
"A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." Proverbs 22:3
Many of us are living comfortably, and so are not aware of the many dangers facing and affecting us personally at this very moment. It is really difficult for many people to accept that the institutions they have grown up trusting are now betraying us in many ways. So, one purpose is to alert you to these dangers, as you need to see reality as it is in order to know how to protect yourself and your loved ones.
". . . I am God, and there is none like me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; . . ." Isaiah 46:9-10. Another purpose is to "connect the dots" to show how many issues are moving us to a conclusion profesied millenia ago by God in the Holy Scriptures. From the evidence, I personally believe it won't be long until the conclusion.
Why another website to deal with current issues when there are so many already? Many websites go into great depth on a narrow set of issues, and that is very good, but few people have the time to read so much. Another purpose of this site is to deal concisely with a large number of issues and to relate them. That way you can get the big picture quickly and easily, and if you are interested in more details, you can follow the links or do your own web searches.
Some other purposes are to give me a forum to express some of my ideas on various topics, especially those related to the Bible, and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It seems that we are often admonished to "think outside the box." But when one expresses outside the politically-correct box, one is accused of all sorts of bad things, so I am sure I will stir up some controversy.
Political action may postpone the inevitable, and that is not to be discouraged, but a call to such is not the intent of this site, but rather to help you avoid becoming a victim of the times. Going forward it is going to become more and more difficult to protect yourself, but more and more necessary.
If you have been helped by this website, it would be an encouragement to me to receive your comments.


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Heating and air conditioning systems may not be something that you know a lot about. That is why when you need to have your system serviced you call the heating and air company Middleburg Heights, Ohio residents call when they need help—Jennings Heating and Cooling. We have factory-trained technicians who are knowledgeable about all of the latest advances in the HVAC industry, and they will make sure that your system is always in proper running order so that it is cost-efficient and provides you with plenty of warmth in the winter and cools your home in the summer.
Services Offered at Jennings
Why Ohio Residents Choose Us
We are the heating and cooling company Middleburg Heights, Ohio residents have trusted for decades, for a variety of reasons. When you call us for HVAC installation, maintenance or repair, you will find that:
- We offer a 100% guarantee on all parts and services.
- We will always have the parts needed so you don't have to wait.
- We are available 24-7, including weekends and holidays.
- You never have to pay additional charges for after-hours service calls.
- You never have to pay more than you are quoted.
- You will receive explanations as to what is wrong and how you can prevent similar problems in the future.
Request an Appointment
If you want to learn more about new HVAC systems and how they can help you save money, or you want to have your existing system serviced and maintained, you can call the heating and air company Middleburg Heights, Ohio residents have trusted for all of their home/business heating and cooling needs.


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Suspiciously perfect start to the day/
My son refused to allow me to pluck him from the crib this morning until I handed him a book and allowed him to read it first.
He's a little less than two years-old, and yet I still felt like he had done something terribly wrong and was attempting to score points with me before I found out.
Is it wrong for me to suspect that my 22 month-old son already possesses Machiavellian intentions?


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I am a Londoner – and with understandable bias regard London as the capital city of world gardens, garden design and gardening. As argued in the above video, the reasons for this are both geographical and historical. Britain was emerging from the Pleistocene when horticultural techniques were devised (about 12,000 years ago) and they did not reach Britain until c3,800 BC. The art of making pleasure gardens came to London with the Romans, ended when they left and resumed when the Normans invaded England in 1066. Since then, there has been a steady advance in the popularity of gardening. Long may it continue! Britain is always likely to have a hard time competing with the Mediterranean countries for beach holidays – but it has very considerable opportunities for developing garden tourism. We were delighted to hear of the 2013 Garden Tourism Conference to be held in Toronto, Canada, in March – and have entered the Gardenvisit.com Website in hopes of receiving an award in the Garden Tourism Website category. Further information on the London Gardens Walk – and free routemaps.
15 thoughts on "Garden tourism: 'Is London the World's Gardening Capital?'"
How charming the voice is!↓
The UK has an excellent claim to be the Garden Kingdom.
In Australia, Victoria lays claim to the title of Garden State [ http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/03/10/1205125821732.html ] as does New Jersey. [ http://www.state.nj.us/nj/about/garden/ ]. While Canberra, the capital of Australia, is known as a Garden City.
[ http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/6700/gardencity_values.pdf ].
The Gardenvisit website is certainly deserving of an award in the Garden Tourism Website category! Best of luck!↓
No, Hangzhou is the world's garden capital. London is in second place 🙂↓
Jerry, Anglo-saxon London is older than the late Song Dynasty Hangzhou. However, it is interesting to note that during the decline of the Song dynasty (which was hostile to Buddhism as a foreign religion prefering Confusianism) the Emperor paid tribute to Tibet. The Song dynasty was ultimately defeated by the Mongols.
It is interesting to note that:
"The great world cities in the year 1000 were Constantinople, Bagdad, Cordoba in Spain, Angkor Wat in Indochina, Tollán in Mexico, and Changngan and Kaifeng in China. In 1020, Kaifeng was home to around a half million people and featured tores that remained open all night, named streets and powerful merchants."
Kaifeng was the early Song Dynasty capital. Amongst the Song Dynasty achievements:
"Chinese engineers developed the spinning jenny and the steam engine, two inventions that were key to England the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Improvements in crop yields through innovations, improvements in techniques and intensification produced what has been described as the world's first green revolution."
It is believed that Kaifeng was the largest city in the world from 1013 to 1127.↓
When I came to the UK, I was told that British is mad for Gardening, I believe it. Before the 20th century, it was true, but now, do the british young generation is the same? It is certain that the british houses were built with a front/back courtyard, but whether the occupier could make it in to a garden is another problem. Garden is not only about planting herbs and vegetables and trees at all. Gardening is to create inspire space. Anyway, when I will tell you in the future, Tom. Also, a Garden city is not about: how many private gardens this city has, which is more about the 'natural striation of a city'-Shan Shui Structure, Maybe, it is difficult for you to understand. We could discuss some time when I am free.↓
Tom, I hoped your country had sent you to China to study for couple of years, then we could probably communicate about garden. Anyway, I was shocked you were at desk in such a nice weather. Please go out to meet some new-born flowers. Sometimes, even one flower belongs to you, you could feel that is a whole garden- a whole world.:)↓
Good, please, go, go and go out to meet the sunshine before it finished and do not forget to build a garden in your heart:) The real garden capital is not London, not Hangzhou… it is in people's heart.↓
Liz Logan
I think adding an audio soundtrack was a good idea Tom – but the psychedelic fade-editing to Greensleeves at the end was far too long and should be cut out.↓
Love this idea of London being the green city 🙂 My favourite place to stroll is Kensington Gardens and this blog helps draw attention to the greener, more picturesque side of London! Great blog↓


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In a perfect world, we would be surrounded by Kardashians. We would wake up and there would be one having breakfast alongside us in the morning, sitting next to us on the subway train, working alongside us in the office, checking us out at the grocery store, having a drink next to us at the bar.
We would think, smell, breathe, eat, dream Kardashian. And with a plethora of magazine covers, reality series, makeup brands and clothing lines, we are really only steps away. With the news that Khloe Kardashian is pregnant, as reported by TMZ, Kardashian world domination just became even closer.
Khloe, who has been dating Cleveland Cavaliers centre (and Canadian) Tristan Thompson since September 2016, is reportedly pregnant with her first child and Thompson's second (his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig gave birth to their son Prince Oliver in December 2016).
If you know anything about the Kardashians and have followed them along on their reality seriesKeeping Up with the Kardashians, then you know Khloe's fertility issues have been well-documented, particularly with ex-boyfriend Lamar Odom.
She will be, according to reports, expecting sometime in February, around the same time 20-year-old sister Kylie is set to give birth to her first child with boyfriend Travis Scott, as reported just days ago. Kim, meanwhile, is expecting her third child with husband Kanye West in January, meaning three new little Kardashians will be unleashed into the world at the same time.
But could Khloe be Kim's surrogate? It's certainly possible. In the KUWTK finale in June (filmed around March), Kim said to her sister, "I have a proposition for you. I'll give you the embryo; you carry the baby, then you give it back to me."
Khloe responded, "Carrying a child and not having it be mine? That's a huge decision."
However, she did say she would be interested (and has offered several times before), while Thompson said the decision was up to her. We then watched Khloe visit a doctor for a consultation for potential surrogacy, when he informed her she would be able to get pregnant herself if she immediately went off birth control.
She said at the time, "[Tristan] wants to have kids now. He wants to have like five or six kids with me, and that's lovely. We could start at one and we could grow from there. But now knowing I'm not on birth control is scary. It's like a really big step."
Until the family confirms — with Kylie's pregnancy also yet to be officially confirmed — everything is up in the air except for one thing: the Kardashian army is coming.


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A Model of Health and Healing
Above is a symbolic representation of the elements that make our life possible and components required to maintain our health and wellbeing.
©Evolution Natural Therapies & Wayne Parkin 2012
Welcome to the news blog. Here is a space that will start to provide interesting articles on how to maintain and improve all levels of your health and wellbeing


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Back to my food blog with yet another CFG Showcase. This time we were slotted for Showcase at the fairly new restaurant in Velachery, called "Peaches". Let me warn that this blog post will not have pictures…[Damn me! Forgot my camera and that too for Showcase…clear signs of aging…huh..?!]
First attraction to vegetarians like me is that this is an "All-Veg" or should I say "Only Veg" restaurant. 🙂 That said, with initial greetings & settling down, we had Chef Koushik starting the introduction about the cuisine type and introduced us to two welcome drinks :
Melon Cooler : Milk based drink with a fusion of nuts & ginger with melon balls immersed. Supposedly a summer drink. [Watch out for the ginger taste…not too hot don't worry :)]
Deep Blue Sea: A Citrus fruit based drink having the look like a blue curacua with sugar coatings on the rim of the glass. Idea is if one likes to have it with sugar can drink so or avoid those edges of the rim if not. Chef claimed that this drink is quite popular with the kids.
Of the two drinks, I personally liked the Melon Cooler.
Time for soup and we tasted Tomato soup – ok what's the big deal about this? Well, it was tomato soup with Basil but we found Basil taste too strong on the soup. Had some good bread pieces to chew in. The thickness that you normally find in Tomato soup was missing….or should I say the richness…no it wasn't watery either…but i felt it like thick rasam with Basil. Personally, feel this could have been a lot better.
Next started our "Paneer Parade" — Lol – yes next 3 dishes are Paneer based starters.
Malai Paneer Tikka: Nice texture of Paneer, bland in taste and had mild poppy seeds coating. [You will understand why i mention bland when you read further]
Achari Paneer Tikka: Paneer marinated in Sathrangi Pickle (mixed vegetables pickle) with mustard oil & Kashmiri chilli powder. Tricky part of this dish is — one needs to have a tongue for this. Wondering why for Achari Paneer? Well, it is the mustard oil — if you are not used to the mustard taste (oil or sauce types) you won't like it. Taste of pickle is evident. Though I liked the mustard taste, the pickle tangy taste kind of killed me. Yes some parts felt the spice level too.
Angora Paneer Tikka: Thick & dehydrated paneer slices with raisins stuffed inside & cooked. Sweet in nature yet felt tasty.
In all 3 Paneer starters, generously sized paneer were used. Liked that aspect 🙂
Moving out of our parade yet staying in the starter zone, next dish was Vegetable Malai Tikka – different vegetables coated with malai & made as tikka. Carrot appeared sweet (but that's usual) and best was Broccoli – simply loved the malai coating & tikka make. Malai coating is made with Cashews & white cream.
To break the taste monotony of malai / paneer based dishes, we were served "Chennai Kuchi Varuval" — before you get excited about the name it is nothing but our own French fries coated with spices / chillies. Spice level was a bit high if you bit upon those small coatings of red chillies 😉
Well…before I thought end of Paneer – came the next dish – Paneer Phuket 🙂 This is named so as they tried to mimic a vegetarian version of Phuket Fish using Paneer. [Now don't ask me about Phuket Fish…have no clue!] This was hard on the outer with soft Paneer inside. Coated with some finely cut mix of onions, chillies etc, this dish did not suit my taste buds. Coating doesn't get soaked into the Paneer unless kept for sometime but by that time the outer layer gains hardness 😦
Now moving away from the Indian line up of starters (oh yea, we are still in starters) – next dish was "Cheesy mushroom tortellini" – a dish with oriental filling but continental sauce. Nope I didn't try it…so try it if name sounds interesting 🙂
Well…when they say "World on your plate" — surely there must be something "American" isn't it ?! Yea, it was "Crispy American Corn" – nothing much to say here again as it is one of those usual dish you find.
Did you notice all this while, there wasn't much on the drink front except water. Yea, was time for another drink and we had a great surprise with "Bovonto with Vanilla Ice cream". Instant hit with some of us. Loved this totally. Nothing about Peaches customisation here. One can do it at home yourself. Watch out – if you are not a fan of Bovonto you might not like it 😉
Filling ourselves with all these starters, sure we did have some space left to take on the main course.
Main course had varieties of Parathas / Kulchas introduced – Til Kulcha, Garlic Paratha, Methi Paratha et al. Side dishes were Subz kohlapuri – mixed vegetables gravy and spicy one.
Dabhewale Dhal – Naming comes after the Dahl that is made on those Dabhas. This was truly a hit cooked with rich ghee 🙂
Dhal was so tasty that we urged the chef to bring rice as the best combo to go with and hence were introduced to "Shahi Kashmiri Jeera Pulao" — It was Jeera Pulav but with taste of saffron & smell of rosewater. Yes, cooked with those, the smell of rosewater can appear a bit too strong for some. Rice with Dhal was a nice combo & quite liked it.
Then came Kofta Biryani which was a let down personally for me. Biryani had cardamom taste dominating and the kofta was like cutlet in a small ball shape & salty. This dish had two types of Raitha – Sev Raitha & Pineapple Raitha to go with. Pineapple Raitha taking the sweet taste didn't go well with this Biryani 😦
Then it was turn for World wide – main course which I never touched – had space left in my stomach only for the desserts.
Two Desserts were showcased – one was Carrot halwa stuffed samosa type fry with creamy sauce and another dessert was called Oppan Gangnam — don't ask me what it was. Didn't bother to try.
Personally would have preferred the carrot halwa with creamy sauce without the fry. But then it's just my taste preference.
With that long list of items and lengthy showcase session, it was time to wind up & just head to bed. This I felt, was one long session and so much to eat.
Located in Velachery By pass road, it is a small restaurant with good ambience. Overall find it as a place where you can try it once and subsequent visits is up to your preferences.
Food: 7/10
Ambience : 7/10
Service : Nothing to write here as it was a showcase
Pocket Friendly : On the slightly higher end.
Suitable for : Family Lunch / Dinner
Reservation Required? : Not Mandatory
Will I go there again? : Not unless someone takes me there. Distance stops me.
Additional Details:
FB Profile: https://www.facebook.com/peachesrestaurant.velachery


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EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - Close Tuesday 16 October at 5pm - unless sold prior
In this gorgeous estate backing onto Chadwick Reserve, this light and airy 3 bedroom 2 bathroom single level home is perfect for young families or active downsizers wanting low maintenance living in a safe environment. Seeing is believing!
Set back from the street, this appealing haven enjoys a relaxing lounge with gas log fire, bright and cheery kitchen (Kleenmaid appliances) with spacious meals area, 3 lovely bedrooms (BIRs/WIR), 2 tasteful bathrooms (ensuite) and a fitted laundry.
French doors open onto a delightful deck with two sections undercover, and the deck steps down to a synthetic lawn garden and lovely greenery, while your eye draws upwards to a vision of endless sky and treetops.
A feel good home, this sun filled retreat boasts ducted heating, R/C air conditioning, white timber blinds and a double auto garage plus further parking.
In this whisper quiet pocket, a short walk to Kingswood Primary School, playgrounds and bus services, moments to Dingley Village Shopping Centre, Kingswood Golf Course and DFO shopping.


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Winter Break Recap for Koinonia Austin!
[flickr-gallery mode="photoset" photoset="72157628935154421"]
This past Winter Break, 37 students from Austin took part in mission trips to San Diego, Taiwan and Cambodia. Our team in San Diego took part in three intense days of campus outreach, culminating in 3 campus welcome nights happening simultaneously on the UCSD campus. Two of our members joined students from other Gracepoint churches to spend the first part of Winter break doing campus outreach in Taiwan at NCTU and NCHU, sharing the Gospel message and the meaning of Christmas with the Taiwanese students, many of whom have never heard the true meaning of Christmas. Many of our members also joined a mission team to Cambodia for a packed time of village outreach, teaching at Life University and village outreach, including an exciting Gospel Night! All three of our mission teams were able to see God work mightily and we're looking forward to the next mission trips this coming Summer.


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This one got me thinking: Chinese Factory Worker Can't Believe The Shit He Makes For Americans.
I know the sinking feeling I get when I fail to see the value in my work. I usually get that feeling after working long hours over a longer period, without any meaningful progress. Or when I am idle. But I can't imagine how this poor fellow really feels. How awful it must be to do worthless things, day after day.
Now, some of the items seems worthless due to cultural differences. I mean, to me it is just as unusual not to have a car, as it is for a Chinese to have one. So a soda-can holder is valuable if its usable and your car doesn't have one built-in.
But all that other crap, which clearly is not built to last. Why do we buy them?


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Hand Drawn Tiger Illustration using Microns, Copic Multi Liners, and a Pentel Ink Brush pen from Japan.
On Matte 8.5"x11" Paper.
Signed and sent in cardboard backing and plastic (comic book style) Packaging.
Part of my Half styles series. I wanted to create a visceral illustration that was both organic and mechanical. What better way to display them both through powerful animals. Iconic beasts done in one color.


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Deborah Humble
Mezzo-Soprano Deborah Humble is one of Australia's most successful international artists. She began her musical education in Adelaide gaining a Bachelor of Music Performance and continued her studies in Melbourne completing a Master of Music and Diplomas of Arts and Education. In 1995, she was a Young Artist with the Victoria State Opera.
In 2002, she became a principal artist with Opera Australia where her roles included Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Mercedes (Carmen), Clarissa (The Love For Three Oranges, recorded for Chandos Records), Sonyetka (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), Rosette (Manon) and the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe.
In 2004, Deborah was awarded the prestigious Dame Joan Sutherland Scholarship and, the following year, she became a Principal Mezzo with the State Opera of Hamburg. Her many roles for the company included Zenobia (Radamisto), Bradamante (Alcina), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Page (Salome), Suzuki (Madame Butterfly), Olga (Eugene Onegin) and Malik for the German premier of Henze's L'Upupa.
But it was for her Wagner roles in Hamburg's Ring Cycle that she received international acclaim. Conducted by Simone Young and directed by Claus Guth, Deborah began with Erda in Das Rheingold in 2008 and went on to sing Schwertleite in Die Walküre, Erda in Siegfried and both 1st Norn and Waltraute in Götterdämmerung. She recorded these roles for the Oehms record label and, in early 2011, repeated the roles in two complete cycles.
In 2008, Deborah was a finalist in the International Wagner Competition held in Seattle. Her international engagements include appearances with Edinburgh Festival, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg Easter Festival, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Lyric Opera, Seattle Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Hamburg Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, British Youth Opera and the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, in works as diverse as Handel's Messiah and Verdi's Requiem. Closer to home, she has performed with the State Opera of South Australia, Opera Queensland, the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras and the Adelaide and Brisbane Festivals.
In 2013, she appeared in further Ring Cycles in Hamburg, Halle, Melbourne and Ludwigshafen, sang Catherine in Honegger's Jean d'Arc du Boucher in Lisbon and Amneris in Aida for Opera Australia. 2014 engagements included Elijah with the Sydney Symphony, Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with the Queensland Symphony and Wesendonck Lieder in New Zealand; in 2015, Deborah sings Strauss' Elektra and Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au Boucher in Hamburg, Das Rheingold in Hong Kong and Siegfried in Boston


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Lowes Island Club, Island Course
- 20391 Lowes Island Blvd, Sterling, VA 20165
- (703) 444-4801
- www.trumpnationaldc.com
The Island Course at Lowes Island Club is an 18-hole regulation length golf course in Sterling, Virginia. This medium-length layout has adequate length for a regulation course. Overall this course plays quite difficult, at least from the back tees it does. Trouble surrounds many of the greens. There is another course at this same golf club, the River Course. Online tee times may be available at Lowes Island Club or at nearby golf courses, often at a substantial discount from the going green fees rate.
Notice: In some cases there may be inaccuracies, even though the info is most often right. If you see any problems, please fill this out.
Beneath this text, aerial imagery should load of Lowes Island Club at 20391 Lowes Island Blvd, Sterling, VA 20165. If you can't find the course, try panning around and looking at the surrounding area.
Other recommended courses in the area: Algonkian Regional Park Golf Course
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Shoe Campaign – Getting your school involved in the Walk4MD
The Walk for Muscular Dystrophy brings together friends, family, communities, companies, and even schools! The Mino Family wanted to get their son Christopher's school involved in fundraising for their Walk4MD team, Team Christopher. So in 2013, they approached the school about hosting a fundraiser. Chris' teacher, the school principle, and his parents worked together to create the shoe campaign. Since then, more schools have been joining in – and we think yours should too!
How it works
A school can support the Walk for Muscular Dystrophy and/or a specific team by hosting a shoe campaign. Students can purchase a paper "shoe" for $2.00-$5.00. The kids can write their name and decorate the shoe, with them then being proudly displayed in the hallway! Challenge the school to have shoes covering from one end of the school to the other!


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Song List
Show Review
Artist Bio
Son Little, born Aaron Livingston, is a guitar playing, songwriting genius. Next Friday, the Philadelphia based R&B musician will be releasing a new album called New Magic....
On his latest, self-titled album, Philadelphia-based musician Son Little (real name: Aaron Livingston) leans on a little bit of soul, a dash of the blues, and a sprinkling of hip hop elements to create music that's distinctive and personal....
About this Video
© 2019 Baeble Media. All rights reserved.


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Make sure you check back frequently to see updates to the Book List. There are fascinating new books on various mind-blowing subjects that you don't want to miss.
Welcome to Maitri House Yoga, a community resource for tools of change.
Maitri House Yoga promotes personal and social well-being along the intersection of spirituality, social justice, and psychology.
From the shared practices of Buddhism, Yoga, Ayurveda and Psychology we find the unlimited potential for Self realization, spiritual discernment, mental equanimity and social health. MHY offers classes, workshops and retreats on Yoga and Social Justice, Thai herbs and cooking, Vedic Athletics, Practical Buddhist Dharma, Yogic Philosophy, and Cultural Competency. We offer guidance on the whole health of body and mind through Yoga Nidra, meditation, breath work, listening, life-style planning and cultural introspection. We invite you to use this site to learn more about any of these topics, register for any event, and sign up for private mindfulness-based athletic training sessions.


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How to build an app in 8 steps
20 September 2017
No two app developers build an app the same way, but there are a number of common steps that must be taken in order to turn an app from being nothing more than an idea into something that can be downloaded to a user's mobile device.
Step one: It's about the people!
"Our process always begins with thinking about the users first, not the technology,'' says Guy Cooper, Wave Digital's Managing Director. "At Wave we believe in 'better lives' technology. Technology that focuses on the needs and dreams of people and how we want to live our lives. Starting with people first, not technology for technology's sake is how you successfully launch an app."
As such, step one in Wave's app development process is about your strategy - discovering who the end users are and how best they could derive value from a client's proposed app idea.
"We research the customer base and actually talk to a client's customers,'' adds Guy. "We document insights and try to articulate the problem our client is trying to solve. Once we have a thorough understanding of the problem, we try to craft a solution around it.
"That's when the real work starts!"
Step two: Think about your business goals
Once you know who you're targeting and why, it is time to think about your business goals.
What does a successful app look like to you? What is your business trying to achieve by developing this app and what sort of return does your business need to get out of its investment in this app? Is it insights? Data? A new audience? More sales? More customers? This varies depending on the business and a business may have more than one goal.
Step three: Product goals, product concepts and roadmap
Now we understand the problem, the users and the business goals, we then pull together an idea for a product concept and a product roadmap. It is important to have a very clear idea of what the 'product goals' are, and how groups of product features might hang together to create a product that is useful to the end user.
It is critical in this stage to focus on product goals (not features). The product concept might come in visual or written form but it is not a product design (that comes later).
"The combination of steps one, two and three is incredibly powerful,'' says Guy. "It provides a really clear path for the client and now that everyone is on the same page, you can start to bring all that information together visually."
Step four: It's time to get visual…
It is at this point – and only at this point – that Wave Digital starts talking about how a client thinks their app might look. However, stresses Guy, "it is crucial not to start at this point as so many people want to do."
"Many inexperienced app developers jump right into an app's design, but they need to take a few steps back because it is only once they understand the people who will be using the apps, the context of use and their client's needs that you can truly start to even think about creating an innovative solution."
The first visual designs are presented to the client at this stage.
Step five: The devil is in the detail
Towards the end of the design phase, a second layer of detail is added to the visual designs detailing how features are intended to work. This serves as the blueprint for all stakeholders during development and is crucial in ensuring all expectations are met for the remainder of the project.
Step six: bringing it to life
"This is where the sleeves are well and truly rolled up,'' says Guy. "We're bringing everything from the earlier discover and design stages together and coding it as an app.
"The early results of this phase are a basic, but working preliminary app. This is where actual users – and the client – gets to play with the first iteration of their app. We'll iterate through several app releases over a 1-6 months process, however, this varies from app to app and client to client." At Wave Digital, all our app development takes place at our Melbourne office by local developers.
Step seven: Testing, testing, testing…
"Testing is one of the scariest, but also most rewarding, phases of the app development process,'' says Guy whose team have been know to testing new apps for weeks. "Because we've done so much research in the previous stages and, because we've included the client at every stage, it's rare that we get any surprises here, so this phase is, primarily, about ensuring everything works as we all expect."
Step eight: It's launch time!
Once the testing phase is over and we've ironed out any issues or bugs, the big day arrives: it's time to launch the app.
Depending on the complexity of the app, this could be a simple as hitting the 'publish' button on the app store to hours/days of pre-launch development activities.
"At this stage, there's nothing more we can do, but cross our fingers and hope that all our hard work has paid off and that the users love what we've created".
Once an app is in a user's hands, there are, often, even with the most dedicated research, a few surprises.
"We might think something's effective, but once it's in the hands of a user, we might discover that they don't use certain features the way we anticipated.
"This is where the product goals and roadmap are important so that we can learn from the real users and continually iterate and improve the product for them. At the end of the day it is about launching apps that actually improve people's lives."
We'd love to help you build your app and make lives better. If you're ready to talk, get in touch.


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Our Mission
Books to Benefit is a local 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization passionately working to support literacy. The proceeds of our annual book sales benefit local literacy programs, including STAR Adult Literacy and YouthBuild McLean County's literacy programs, provide financial support for the Books to Benefit Community Service Scholarship award at Heartland Community College, encourage volunteerism through community service, and assure that works of scholarly importance and/or unusual publication history or content find appropriate homes offering ready access to these works.
Through the efforts of our volunteers we collect donations from our community drop boxes. Donated items become the exclusive property of Books to Benefit.
Our community partners are recognized online and in our print communications. To become a drop box partner, contact Books to Benefit at (309) 531-8320.
Donate books and media from spring cleaning, downsizing and moving and garage sales. Donations are tax deductible and benefit local literacy programs with the proceeds earned from semiannual book sales. Learn more about how Books to Benefit is making a difference in our community. Drop boxes are conveniently located throughout Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.
Copyright © 2019 Books to Benefit - All Rights Reserved.


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Welcome to Extended Arms!
Community Family Education Leadership
Extended Arms provides affordable, high quality, out-of-school time programing for Randolph students. We proudly service over 200 children every year, through our after school programs, summer camps, sports leagues, and other unique and engaging activities. At Extended Arms we pride ourselves on providing a variety of enriching programs, each with the goal of encouraging our students to reach their full potential. Extended Arms is committed to providing excellence in education, social awareness, personal development and after-school fun.


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If you purchased all of the Veterans Law Blog Training Guides and Video Programs, it would cost you over $600!
If you Buy Every Product from the Veterans Law Blog ….
in one secure purchase….and save more than $300*!
3 Reasons this Package is Our BEST Value:
- You're Going to Get EVERYTHING we publish: all our videos, training guides, field manuals and ebooks
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Here's What You Get in a Single Secure Purchase:
- 9 Field Manuals (Downloadable eBooks you can use on all your devices)
- 3 Training Videos (over 9.5 hours of streaming video)
- Access to the "How to Prove the 4 Pillars of a VA Service Connection Claim" (Estimated 5+ Hour Video Training...a $125 Value...available March 20, 2017)
- Access to the "How to Get & Use Your VA C-File Video Course (3 Hours of Video Training plus 14 forms...a $125 Value.)
- Access to the "How to File a VA Claim" Video Training (1 Hour of Video Training plus workbooks and forms...a $110 Value.)
- 50% coupon for an Annual Premium Membership on the Veterans Law Blog
You Save $300+ by Getting it All NOW:
- Save 33% off the cost of buying all the books and videos separately
- Get a 50% discount on the price of a Premium Annual Subscription to the Veterans Law Blog (Current Price: $104.95)
THESE eBOOKS ARE INCLUDED:
#1: VA Sleep Apnea Field Manual
In over 165 pages of information, I will teach
* How to Prove Sleep Apnea Claims using my "4 Pillars Method"
* Common Veteran Errors in Veterans VA Sleep Apnea Appeals and Claims
* How to Put it All Together – the 5 Most Common Service-Connection Scenarios.
#2: VA Claims Process Field Manual:
The VA Claims Process is complicated – some call it the Hamster Wheel.
If you know how something this complex REALLY works – in a clean and straightforward presentation – you can focus your energy on getting the right evidence to the right people at the right time in your VA Claim.
This Veterans Law Guide will teach you each of the major stages of the VA Claim and Appeal, so you can do just that.
#3: 10 Veterans Court Cases Every Veteran Should Know.
Veterans Court Cases are more than just boring statements of law and legalese.
Properly studied, they teach us how to prove and win our claims and appeals
This Veterans Law Guidebook teaches the 10 Cases that Every Veteran Should Know.
#4: VA Claims Evidence Field Manual (The Secret to Proving Your VA Claim).
You can't win your VA Claim or Appeal without evidence.
And my experience is that the Veterans that submit a certain type of evidence get their VA decisions more quickly.
I will teach my method of using 5-Star Lay and Medical Evidence to prove a VA Claim or Appeal – and share my unique Lay Evidence Worksheets and Sworn Declaration forms.
#5: 5 Reasons that the VA Keeps Screwing Up Your Claim
In the 7 years, I've looked at HUNDREDS — if not THOUSANDS — of C-Files in cases that the VA has denied a Veterans benefits.
There are patterns showing why the VA Keeps screwing up your VA Claims!
Here are 5 ways to break those patterns the VA isn't going to share!
#6: How to Choose a VA Claims Attorney
I see it all the time – a Veteran gets in over their head in their VA Benefits claim, and then scrambles to find an attorney.
Often, they make a choice that may not be ideal for their claim.
I teach Veterans 8 Things they should know before hiring an attorney in a VA Benefits Claims. Included is a 30-question checklist to use when interviewing attorneys.
#7: TDIU Field Manual
TDIU can be a complicated and sometimes overwhelming claim or appeal for a Veteran – even the VA regional offices and BVA get confused about what you need to prove to get this benefit.
Rather than overwhelm you with lawyer-talk, legalese, and convoluted analysis, this eBook presents the core information that a Veteran filing for TDIU needs to know.
This eBook will help you understand the process, law and strategy of the average TDIU claim – written in plain English.
#8: DRO Case Study
In this case study, the Veteran got to his DRO hearing and was told that his Major Issue – Ischemic Heart Disease resulting from exposure to Agent Orange on the Korean DMZ – was not on appeal.
This Case Study is a helpful look into how the DRO Process can help you achieve a positive outcome.
#9: Sworn Declaration
If you are going to submit lay evidence, wouldn't you rather the VA give it full legal weight? Of course you would.
Use a Sworn Declaration form that my law firm uses to add lay evidence to the Veteran's appeal.
The sworn declaration – according to 28 USC § 1746 – carries the same legal weight as a notarized affidavit.
#1: How to Get & Use Your VA C-file! (3 hr Streaming Video, with 14 downloads!)
This 3 hour video, broken into 10 easy-to-follow lessons, teaches you what your c-file is, where the VA keeps it, why you need to get a copy, how to get it, how to organize it, and how to USE the C-file to Take Back the Power in your VA Claim, including:
* INCLUDES My never-before-released C-File Review Template form and instructions (just like the one I use on every C-File at my law firm)
#2: How to Prove the 4 Pillars of a VA Service Connection Claim (5+ hr Streaming Video, broken into easy to follow and informative downloads!)
You will not find a more thorough or definitive guide to understanding and proving the 4 Pillars of a VA Service Connection Claim anywhere else. Not even the VA will give you this much information. Click here to see a sampling of the topics covered:
This 5+ hour video, broken into easy-to-follow lessons, teaches you everything you will need to know to have a strong understanding of VA Claims eligibility….the 5 Paths to Service Connection….how to prove an impairment rating….how to make sure you are getting the best ratings possible…how to fight for the earliest effective date…and much more.
#3: How to File a VA Claim (1 hr streaming video)
This may be the most information anyone has ever put together in a single tool on the topic of filing and proving up a Fully Developed Claim (FDC) for VA Service Connection. With the purchase of this video, you will receive:
* 54 Minute Video giving Step-by-Step Training
* 57 Page Workbook with over a dozen forms, templates, worksheets, & checklists
* My ONE-OF-A-KIND VA Claims Map
* Much More.
#4: Get to the Point! (1/2 hour Streaming Video)
This 25 minute video gives you MY 5-step method to persuasive writing. I use it in all of my cases, and for all of my clients. I'll teach you how to make your VA Claims arguments MORE persuasive…..and….how to give the VA written documents that are more clear and concise.
I'll teach how to use your writing to MAKE the VA want to issue a decision in your claim or appeal….and…..how to outline your writing, the facts you should add to support your argument
My goal is to teach you some basic writing tips so that you know how to tell the VA exactly what you want. PLUS, I'll share my 7 Tips for Editing your writing that will fix 80% of the problems in your VA Claims arguments.
* This package Includes a 50% discount on your first year Premium Annual Membership (a $50 value)


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'Bad rule!' Dog breeders tell USDA about new standards
Chihuahua breeders are snapping at new federal rules that regulate Internet pet dealers. And they're part of a larger pack.
From Russell terrier owners in Lexington, Ky., to miniature Australian shepherd fanciers in Red Oak, Texas, dog breeder organizations – and some feline allies – are challenging the Agriculture Department's imposition of tougher standards on pet breeders who sell to remote buyers.
The licensing and inspection standards imposed last year were billed as a crackdown on Internet puppy mills. Groups such as the Chihuahua Club of America, the American Russell Terrier Club and the Miniature Australian Shepherd Club of America, though, think the rules also burden innocent pet breeders.
"The rules are an unjustified regulatory overreach," attorney Philip Herbert Hecht said during a court hearing Thursday, adding that federal officials "have used a blunderbuss to kill a fly."
The new rules regulate "sight unseen" sales, where the buyer and seller are physically separate. The Agriculture Department estimated that the new rules cover 2,600 to 4,600 dog breeders and roughly 325 cat breeders. Skeptics say this underestimates the impact.
The Agriculture Department further estimates that covered breeders would have to pay only several hundred dollars to comply. Skeptics contend the costs could be much higher, particularly for breeders who must make physical modifications.
Covered breeders must ensure that their kennels meet requirements that cover space, sanitation, ventilation, lighting and other elements .
Betsy Atkinson, for instance, is a New York dog breeder who estimated in an affidavit that it would cost "between $10,000 and $15,000" to modify her kennel to federal standards. Seattle-area resident Kornelia Surmann declared in an affidavit that she stopped breeding the rare Kurilian bobtail cat because she couldn't afford the compliance costs.
The Obama administration defends the rules as appropriate, and well within the Agriculture Department's authority.
"The secretary of agriculture believes monitoring must be in place when there is a risk of animal mistreatment," Justice Department attorney Timothy A. Johnson said Thursday, adding that the costs are "more than outweighed by the benefit that animals will be treated humanely and well."
During the 50-minute oral argument Thursday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper didn't explicitly tip his hand. At times, though, he pressed the government's attorney about what evidence demonstrates the seriousness of the problem.
"How many complaints were there?" Cooper asked, following up later by asking, "What in the record supports the proportionality of the response?"
Johnson conceded he lacked specific information on complaints, while Hecht said documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed there have only been "a handful." Taken together, this could undermine the Agriculture Department's defense of the rules, which, Cooper said, impose "some fairly significant burdens."
The hearing was to consider a motion for summary judgment, on a lawsuit that's rooted in the Animal Welfare Act. The 1966 law imposed licensing and inspection standards but exempted retail pet stores, at a time when that meant traditional brick-and-mortar stores or small home-based breeders.
Online pet sales have since proliferated, leading the Agriculture Department's inspector general to warn in a 2010 report that "some large breeders circumvented" the law by selling animals over the Internet while calling themselves retail pet stores.
"An increasing number of these unlicensed breeders are not monitored for their animals' overall health and humane treatment," investigators noted.
Bills to regulate Internet pet sales were subsequently introduced, but the Agriculture Department in 2012 proposed eliminating the Internet sales loophole on its own. After chewing over more than 75,000 public comments, officials imposed the new rules in September 2013.
While brick-and-mortar retail pet stores where buyer and seller physically meet are still exempt, businesses that sell pets "sight unseen" over the Internet or through other means must now be licensed and inspected. The rules cover any owner who maintains at least five breeding females.
The rules cover other types of pets as well, including gerbils, rats, chinchillas and snakes.
"We know that if the federal standards are being met, the animals are getting humane care and treatment," Edward Avalos, the Agriculture Department's undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said when the rules were imposed.
The Humane Society of the United States has entered the case in support of the department's rules, declaring at one point that they mean vulnerable animals "will finally get the protection they deserve."
Hecht, based in Washington, and fellow attorney Franklin W. Losey, based in Navarre, Fla., filed the suit last December asking a judge to set aside the rule as unjustified and beyond the Agriculture Department's authority.
A key question for Cooper will be how much deference he owes the Agriculture Department experts who crafted the rules.


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FDA clears Freestyle test strips for use with OmniPod
Scott Benner
"The FDA has notified the company that the new Abbott Freestyle test strip has been cleared for use with the OmniPod," Insulet confirmed in an email to MassDevice. "The companies are in the midst of updating the product label and will be communicating with customers once that has been completed, hopefully next week."
It's official, after more then a year and I can only imagine how much cost to taxpayers, the FDA finally has said that we can use Abbott's butterfly test strips in our OmniPod PDMs.
I'm not all that excited and am about to be a bit snarky about this announcement because I figured this out over a year ago for free and it only took me two days.
I completely understand and support that medical devices, equipment and the like need to be safe, accurate and durable but come on - test strips? I asked myself last year, "why would Abbott develop and manufacture a test strip that wouldn't work with their business partner's testing devices". I found the common sense answer to simply be, "of course they wouldn't do that". Then I conducted my own test and began using the strips with Arden's PDM in December of 2010, we have never looked back.
I'd like to congratulate the FDA on once again turning something simple into a train wreck, you guys are nothing if not consistent. Maybe now they'll (FDA) have time to clear Insulet's latest OmniPod design, from what I understand it's being held up because the "documentation can be confusing". To be clear, I've seen the documentation, used the new pods and not only couldn't the documentation be any simpler but it's about 99% the same as the current generation's instructions. In my opinion the new OmniPod design is being held up because of bureaucratic and political BS.
Our representatives in D.C. love to say that business should allowed to thrive but they'll take any chance to stand in it's way. Insulet is not a huge or rich company. They make a wonderful product that every day helps countless people live easier and more healthy lives. I'd very much like to see the FDA give them a chance to make a profit so that their amazing insulin pump can be around until type I diabetes is cured. Hopefully that cure, when discovered, won't be held up by the FDA forever...
I assume that most of you, because of necessity, have already implemented the "new" strips but just in case you were waiting for official word, you can find it here it's entirety.
Insulet has posted a link to updated information.


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Just something I whipped up last night for a friend. I love making these yo-yo flowers, as I call them. They're great quick little exercises in color theory. Origami and other papers were used for the flower itself, paper and acrylics on canvas board for the background.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Yo-Yo Flower
Posted by Jackie at 5:03 PM No comments:
Home-made Gift Boxes
For my mom's birthday this year, I got her a necklace and earrings. It was only later when I got home that I realized I had no wrapping paper. So, I transformed those boring little white gift boxes I got at the store into something FABULOUS (as they say here in the Hamptons)! With a little paint, paper, glue, ribbon, and a couple silk rosettes, I turned the gift boxes into gifts themselves. This is a quick and easy way to make any gift way more special. Maybe when I have some extra time, I'll run a tutorial on this project...
Posted by Jackie at 4:53 PM No comments:
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Screensavers of flying through the clouds
Animated flying through the clouds screensaver
This free screensaver will make you feel like you were flying through the clouds, crossing them in a relaxing flight, with the clear blue sky in the background. Fly as if you were an airplane and live the flying experience for yourself. The man, from the beginning of history, has always studied the way of making the dream of flying like a bird come true, and that is nowadays possible thanks to airplanes and other aircrafts.