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Ao Giao Lanh is considered the earliest version of Ao Dai Vietnam which is recorded. This was a four-piece dress, wearing with a long black skirt and a colored fabric belt to tie around the waist.
Because of the convenience for farming and trading, Vietnamese people turned "Ao Giao Lanh" into a neat four-piece dress with two front flaps which is can be tied together. Ao Tu Than was mixed with a long skirt, a "Yem" – an ancient bodice like an undergarment of women and silk belt tied at the waist. This was the daily clothes for working class so Ao Tu Than was made from dark fabric to avoid getting dirty.
Meanwhile, urban women in Vietnam worn Ao Ngu Than (a five-piece dress) to distinguish themselves from the lower class. Ao Ngu Than looked like Ao Tu Than but two front flaps and two back flaps were sewn together, the fifth flap was hidden underneath the front flap. With this design, Ao Ngu Than became more charming and swanky. Therefore, this kind of Ao Dai was absolutely popular with the rich until the 20th century.
In 1939, a big breakthrough of Ao Dai from Ao Tu Than was made by Cat Tuong Artist. While, in the past, Ao Tu Than was like the traditional loose and baggy dress, Cat Tuong Artist changed the significantly its style to hug the curve of the body and added many western details such as puff sleeves, heart-shaped neck, and ribbons. Also, this new style of Ao Dai was worn with the white pants, a purse, an umbrella, and high heels. Is was named Ao Dai Lemur because Lemur is the French name of its designer – Cat Tuong Artist. However, Ao Dai Lemur is considered indecent and against traditional values, so only some modern women dared to wear it. Gradually, Ao Dai Lemur was forgotten.
In 1958, Mrs. Nhu (known as Mrs. Tran Le Xuan) who was the wife of Ngo Dinh Nhu – Chief Political Adviser of Ngo Dinh Diem, President of South Vietnam's First Republic designed a new version of Ao Dai. It was an open-necked dress decorated with elegant patterns on the fabric. Ao Dai Mrs. Nhu was very popular because it was more charming and extremely suitable with the hot weather of Southern Vietnam. However, it was strongly criticized as it was against the traditions and customs of Vietnamese people at that time.
In this period, Ao Dai became more fashionable. Therefore, Tight Waisted Ao Dai was widely popular among open-mind women in the urban areas as it could tone up their body curves. Also, for practical use and convenience, a mini version of Tight Wasted Ao Dai was designed with panels that reached only to the knee. This mini version was used mostly by female students.
With the development of the fashion industry and the effect of the globalization, nowadays, the modern Ao Dai Vietnam becomes more fashionable and more popular, but it still retains its traditional beauty and original form. Modern Ao Dai can be made from a diversity of materials and mixed with jeans or loose silk pants. Today, Ao Dai Vietnam is worn on special occasions, the traditional festivals, and the wedding.
2. History of Ao Dai Vietnam for men
In the past, Ao Dai was used to be the daily costume for Vietnamese men. It had a more simple design with a two-piece dress mixing with the loose pant. However, from 18th to 19th century, when the western clothes were imported in Vietnam, they have gradually replaced Ao Dai and have become the most popular costume for men in Vietnam because of its masculinity and practicality. Over time, the design of Ao Dai for men has not undergone much change. Today, it is just used in the traditional ceremonies or Tet holiday and worn most by Vietnamese men of the older generation.
II. The meaningful role of Ao Dai Vietnam in the culture
Tet holiday is the most important and biggest celebration of the year in Vietnam. Therefore, despite the convenience of Western-style outfits for daily chores, Vietnamese people believe that wearing Ao Dai Vietnam can create the festival's formal atmosphere, show the respect of the older generations in the family and maintain the Vietnamese tradition. These are the reason why in Tet holiday, it is easy to see people wearing Ao Dai on the street.
Today, to adapt to the diverse demand of Vietnamese people and the energetic festival's activities in Tet holiday, many kinds of stylized and fashionable Ao Dai Vietnam have appeared. Ao Dai worn in Tet holiday is simplified by cutting off the length of the front and back layers and also, is sewn by the cool and comfortable materials like silk, linen, etc. Red, yellow and the bright color are the favorite colors that many people choose for Ao Dai in Tet holiday because they are believed to bring the luck and good start in the new year.
In Tet holiday, not only women, all the members in the family including men and children also wear Ao Dai to carry out the New Year's ceremony, take the family photos and visit the pagodas to pray for a happy year. In some small villages in the north of Vietnam, the local people wear the ancient types of Ao Dai – Ao Tu Than to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Wearing Ao Dai Vietnam in wedding and engagement parties used to be the ancient tradition of Vietnam. However, with the globalization, the western wedding dress has imported to Vietnam and replaced the traditional Ao Dai in weddings because of its novel and modern beauty for a long time. Today, thanks to the development of the fashion industry and the creativity of Ao Dai designer, Ao Dai Vietnam for both brides and grooms becomes more and more charming and fashionable. As a result, many couples, these days, has combined Ao Dai with the Western dress at their weddings in which Ao Dai is for the traditional ceremony and the Western dress is for the party.
Apart from the bride and groom, the wedding ceremony, the parents of the couples, the close relatives, bridesmaids, and groomsmaids also wear Ao Dai. Ao Dai for the bride and groom are usually red to present for happiness and luck. Ao Dai for bridesmaids and groomsmaids are also a bright color like yellow, blue, pink, etc to create an exciting space for the wedding. Like in the Western countries, the price of wedding Ao Dai is quite expensive so the couples usually rent Ao Dai for their wedding and engagement party.
In the traditional festivals in Vietnam, especially the royal rites, the old men often wear Ao Dai to carry out the ceremonies. Moreover, in the important meetings with foreign partners, the Vietnamese women wear Ao Dai Vietnam to show their respect. In addition, the national costume – Ao Dai Vietnam is worn by both Vietnamese men and women in the international beauty contest to represent their patriotism and promote the Vietnamese culture for international audiences.
In Vietnam, female students in high school have to wear Ao Dai as a great way to maintain the Vietnamese tradition. Most high schools in Vietnam have the rule for female students to wear Ao Dai on Monday. Therefore, every Monday, you can see a lot of female students wearing Ao Dai in the street, which create pure and elegant beauty for female students. In Vietnam, students usually wear white Ao Dai mixing with silk pant to help them feel comfortable and cool at school.
To choose a suitable Ao Dai Vietnam, you should consider several elements below:
Taking photos with Ao Dai is a great idea when you coming to Vietnam. When wearing Ao Dai, its unique beauty can make you become a real Vietnamese woman and understand more about Vietnamese culture. Foreign tourists usually rent Ao Dai and take photos in historical sites to show totally the traditional and ancient charms of Ao Dai Vietnam. When taking photos with Ao Dai, you should pose elegant postures.
Today, Ao Dai is not only the traditional costume of Vietnam but also becomes the inspiration for many fashion designers including local and international designers. Therefore, in Vietnam, there are many Ao Dai Fashion Shows hold each year. If you are a big fan of Ao Dai Vietnam, you definitely come to these shows to enjoy the diversity of style and fashionable design of Ao Dai Vietnam.


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Join Mike Jarvis and myself as we embark on a series of Podcasts where we discuss some tips, tricks and insights for the best in marketing for holiday parks and campsites. Throughout the Podcasts we will share some thoughts and opinions alongside industry news or topical debate.
In this episode, I go it alone and offer up some great holiday park brochure ideas. Reflecting on the past decade we as an agency have seen a decline in parks embarking on an annual holiday park brochure. With rising costs of print and postage and indeed the effort involved for what essentially is a set-in-stone product, many holiday parks have diminished their brochure efforts or indeed in some cases removed it altogether from their marketing activities.
During the episode I provide thoughts on where websites and technology lead the way and ultimately where holiday park brochures still hold a strong advantage. Learn how you can re-imagine the holiday park brochure to create a valuable companion to your digital marketing activity and how also we can use technology to make a brochure more interactive and work hand in hand with our website.
If you are considering a new holiday park brochure design for next season, or simply looking for some ideas for holiday park brochures then this could be a great listen for you!
Get Involved…
Got questions you would like an answer to? We'd love to hear from you – tweet us your questions @pitchedforparks or post on our Facebook page and we will do our best to answer in future episodes.

subset: commoncrawl


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AC Milan on their website have officially announced the permanent signing of France international Olivier Giroud from Chelsea FC on a two year deal. As we reported previously, he joins for 1 million euros plus 1 million in bonuses. He will earn 3.5 million euros per year.
Giroud spent his youth career with Grenoble and made his first team debut in 2005. After playing for Istres and Tours, Giroud moved to Ligue 1 club Montpellier, where he scored 39 goals in 85 appearances in two years and where he won the league in 2011/12. In the summer of 2012, he moved to Arsenal, with whom he scored 105 goals in 253 games, winning 3 FA Cups and 3 Community Shields. In January 2018, Giroud moved to Chelsea FC, with whom he scored 39 goals in 119 appearances, winning one Champions League, one Europa League and 1 FA Cup.
Giroud made his debut with the France senior squad in November 2011, scoring 46 goals in 110 appearances and winning the World Cup in 2018.
The striker has won the Europa League, Champions League and World Cup in the past three years and has scored 39 goals for club in that time and 17 goals for country.


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This is possibly the easiest affiliate sale ever. Something that every website owner wants and needs. All you do is refer them to get their website featured in ComparisonShopping.com for free -- and we take it from there. No need to "pre-sell" people on why they should buy some new software, technology or eBook. Visitors to our sites come with anticipation about what's in it for them -- and not dread about how much it is going to cost.
ComparisonShop.com and ComparisonShopping.com have teamed up to develop the most comprehensive comparison shopping network in the history of the Internet... and want to partner with you.
That means with 10,000,000 websites offering products and services online today – each one of them is now an opportunity for you to make over $10 a pop!
The best part is you will be offering something that every website owner wants and needs… Exposure, Links and Traffic from reputable sources – all for FREE.
Each person you refer will be grateful that you introduced them to the service… and with over 10% upgrading to a paid membership, you'll make easy money at the same time.
Click Here to Add Your Site and Join as an Affiliate!
How do you make money?
We give everyone who adds their free listing an opportunity to upgrade to a Premium Membership at a fraction of the regular rate. It is a one-time offer and hard to pass up. As of this writing, the offer is a Lifetime Membership for $19.95 (discounted from $99.00) or they have the option to pay a measly recurring charge of $6.00 per year instead. Either way, you – as the referring affiliate – get up to a 75% commission. The first option obviously generates a nice lump sum, but the second can actually end up paying more in the long run as you build up a residual income for the life of each customer.
What makes this oppportunity so unique?
The important thing to remember is that Comparison Shopping is the essence of the Internet. It is one of the main things people do online...
Comparing Products/Services and Finding the Best Ways to Save or Make Money
When webmasters and online merchants enter to add their site, they quickly realize the value (it is free after all) and the sense of urgency kicks in because listings are placed in each category on a first-come, first-served basis.
As soon as they hit the submit button, we present them with strong incentives to upgrade to a paid membership and you earn up to a 75% commission!
Click Here to Add Your Site and Join as an Affiliate
Don't miss out! We provide a variety of marketing tools all embedded with your affiliate link, a toll-free hotline to call for support and real time statistics to track your traffic and sales. Most importantly, YOU ARE IN AT THE BEGINNING of a rock solid opportunity.
Again… for those who see the potential and take action today - this is a HUGE opportunity. We have a team of experts and considerable financial backing in place to revolutionize the way people shop online. Our brand new proprietary logic for the network is nearing completion and will be launched in the coming months along with a first-class, SEO friendly redesign.
Success Secret #1: Anticipate a Trend and Position Yourself Accordingly If you see the opportunity, add you site today and position yourself to reap the rewards by joining our team as an affiliate.
Affiliate Agreement


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To see or not to see, that is the question!
9/23/2016 (Permalink)
When it comes to dirt, it often masks itself in very inconspicuous ways, making it very hard to see when things are getting tainted. Most commercial carpets come in a blended pattern or knit making it difficult to see even the heaviest of stain. Although you're not able to see the traffic areas, they're there, screaming for you to clean them. Lying between your shoe sole and the carpet is a melting pot of germs, bacteria, mold spores, pollution and chemicals. All of these are naked to the human eye, but out of sight doesn't mean out of mind. In fact, the air you breath inside your home and office is filled with this contamination, so it's imperative to your health and the health of those around you that you have your carpets cleaned on a regular basis.
The following list is courtesy of Carlo Ruggiero, a social blogger and "green" aficionado.
"Here are the top 5 potential health issues associated with not cleaning your carpets.
1. Damp carpets can cause asthma.
The Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health conducted a recent study which conclusively found that damp carpets increased the incidences of asthma in an environment where people were constantly exposed to the carpet. Organisms known as volatile organic compounds and microbial growth were found able to flourish in an unclean, damp carpet, and the results were increased cases of bronchial asthma, one of the deepest forms of the disease.
2. Dirty carpets house dust mites.
Dirty carpets are well known to be a breeding ground for dust mites, in the same way that dirty hair is a breeding ground for lice. Dust mites feed off of the same fungi, bacteria, and human skin cells that naturally filter into a carpet and stay if the carpet is not cleaned on a regular basis. Studies have also shown that most people are allergic to dust mites, and as they die, their carcasses are inhaled by humans who come into contact with the dirty carpet. Inhalation of the dead bodies has been known to cause rashes, and eye and nose irritation.
3. Dirty carpets house mould.
Mold has not been proven to link to asthmatic attacks, but this does not mean that mold does not cause humans great discomfort if left unattended. Bacteria and allergens which live on the mold can build up on uncared-for carpeting, and when ingested, can cause allergies to surface via the respiratory system. Worse problems can arise if the body succumbs to the bacteria which live on the mold spores, which it is especially prone to do if already weakened by another disease. If you are experiencing cold-like symptoms more often than normal, it is most likely time to get your carpet cleaned.
4. Athlete's foot.
As before mentioned, dirty carpets house an incredible number of parasitic organisms which, if ingested into the respiratory system, can cause a number of health issues. The dust, fungi, and other organisms are kicked back into the air by movement on the carpet. However, another risk arises even if the movement on the carpet is not violent enough to move the organisms into the air, they can still cause athlete's foot by entering the body through tiny cuts in the foot.
5. Mycotoxins.
More serious health issues can arise if the body is exposed to too many mycotoxins, which dirty carpets are an attractive environment for. Buildings are a source of mycotoxins and people living or working in areas with mold increase their chances of adverse health effects. These can range from stomach infections to fatality, depending on the initial health of the exposed person, or over time, as the mycotoxins wear down the body's defenses. For example, Stachybotrys chartarum contains a higher number of mycotoxins than other molds grown in the indoor environment and has been associated with allergies and respiratory inflammation."
SERVPRO recommends a seasonal cleaning, and we can guarantee a cleaner, healthier environment to work and play. Our highly trained professionals use a hot water extraction thus eliminating any unwanted germs and funk that's been tracked in on your floors. We service all types of carpets and even clean hard floor surfaces as well!
If you've not scheduled a carpet cleaning lately, give us a call and let us help. Make the environment around you a healthy one!


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90.43 Acres
The Prairie Island Road Tract (#03019-03490) contains approximately 90.43 acres located on the Prairie Island Road (Bradley Road 59) and Bradley Road 60 in Bradley County, Arkansas, less than a mile north from Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge (33.243844, -92.131378). Some utilities can be found along this county road to allow for camp/home site potential within the Hermitage School District. About 70 acres of this tract consists of a pine plantation established in 2008 and the remaining acres are in hardwood bottoms! There are some utilities available on Bradley Road 60. The topography on the tract is gently rolling and in the floodplain on part of the tract. According to the USDA web soil survey, the property is based upon an assortment of sandy-silt loams that give the land a weighted average soil site index rating of 87.0 feet (base age 50) for Loblolly Pine. This tract has it all, immediate campsite potential, hunting, and timber investment opportunities!! Give United Country-Neeley Forestry a call today at (870) 836-5981.
Ricky O'Neill
Josh Barkhimer
John Neeley


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Financial Market Turbulence, comments by Robert Kuttner, Co-Editor, The American Prospect
Introductory comments to a panel on the financial crisis, OECD Forum 2008, 3-4 June, Paris
- 0806p_gf_kuttnerpdf
Financial Market Turbulence
Robert Kuttner, Co-Editor, The American Prospect
Moderator's Introduction
Welcome to the session on Financial Turbulence. We have five very distinguished panelists representing a broad spectrum of views. The OECD deserves our thanks for that, and let me begin by offering some questions as moderator. We want to allow time for questions, so we are asking our panelists to limit their remarks to eight minutes, and I will try to set a good example by holding my own introductory remarks to four.
I am working on a book titled Globalization and the Good Society. I have been meeting with senior people in Europe this spring to seek views from government, business, finance, NGOs, trade unions, and academic experts, on the challenge of how we maximize both economic dynamism and social decency in a global economy.
The current financial turmoil is at the very center of this issue. The idea that markets are by definition efficient, that nearly everyone can benefit from the fruits of that efficiency, has been central to the recommendations of the OECD, the Commission of the EU, the Washington Consensus, and the efforts of the WTO and its member nations to remove obstacles to global trade. These recommendations have generally urged greater liberalization of both labor markets and capital markets, perhaps complemented by social buffers, in the name of economic innovation, efficiency, and growth.
The financial crisis suggests that market liberalization may have its limits. No sensible person believes that the financial innovations that caused the subprime collapse added to economic efficiency. The losses will total on the order of a trillion US dollars, and it was only the intervention of central banks, not institutions of the free market, that prevented the losses of a credit crisis caused by market excesses from causing a general depression.
But of course, there are deep divisions over the remedy. Some believe that codes of conduct, industry self-regulation, and the wisdom of committees of eminent persons can limit the excesses, and that financial innovation and enrichment can then continue pretty much as before. Others believe that only direct government regulation can remove temptations that are bad for both efficiency and equality, as well as stability.
The recent report of the former Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of European Parliament, proposes in four succinct pages, strong remedies that use direct government regulation. These include capital requirements for all kinds of financial institutions including non-bank institutions that are now basically unregulated, limits on leverage, greater transparency, prohibitions of conflicts of interest, creation of an EU credit-rating agency and financial supervisor. This overlaps in some respects the views of the Financial Stability Forum, except that Rasmussen's version goes further and his constraints would be mandatory.
In my role as a financial journalist, I have interviewed many former and current officials who consider this regulatory approach is not just sound, but necessary. But to hear the reaction of much of the private financial community, you would think that this kind of thinking represented the second coming of Karl Marx.
So my first question to the panel is which reforms do we need; which should be mandatory; where can we trust self regulation, and to what degree is the sub-prime crisis and its spillover effects a broader impeachment of the premises of financial laissez-faire?
This raises my other question. It is interesting that the same Mr. Rasmussen is also the leader who is the father of the widely acclaimed Danish model of flexicurity. This is a model that relies heavily on free markets for entrepreneurship, places no restrictions on hiring and firing workers, maintains a fully open economy, the world's third most open according to the World Economic Forum, but uses very substantial social protections, generous outlays on human capital, and genuine social partnership with trade unions to make sure that flexibility is truly balanced with security.
Now, why did Mr. Rasmussen, with his belief in markets complemented by social outlays, also become a crusader for robust regulation of finance? Because as prime minister, he perceived that the Danish flexicurity model could co-exist from free trade, and could benefit handsomely from free trade, but that it was under assault from financial engineering—because financial engineers want quick returns, engage in excessive leverage, and have no interest in the kind of real social partnership that is the heart of the Danish model, except perhaps as public relations.
So my broader question is this. Should we consider excess financial engineering as something dangerous that needs to be harnessed, not just for financial stability and efficient allocation of capital, but also for the OECD objective of social balance? Is there a paradox--that to retain free trade, we need to constrain totally free finance, as my friend Jagdish Bhagwati who is speaking next door has long argued?
Is it accidental that the period of increased liberalization of speculative finance has also been a period of not just regulatory arbitrage, but also of tax arbitrage and wage arbitrage, and during this period that economic security and economic distribution have become far unequal in nearly all of the OECD countries except the Nordics? So, does extreme financialization threaten not just economic stability, but also does it undermine the instruments that we need to build secure societies? In sum, what is the connection between the appropriate regulation of finance and the broader goal of social balance?
And so with that well balanced introduction, now to the panel.


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Dear Dad Gift Journal (Tree Collection) - Personalise it for Daddy|Papa|Pops etc
An inspiring guided memory journal
*Made To Order*
An award-winning memory journal, filled with over 60 fun and inspiring questions, carefully compiled to make it easy for your father to tell his story and share his wonderful memories and aspirations with you. It's a priceless gift that's returned to you once completed!
All in his precious handwriting and on his own or with you, your father can recall moments, funny stories and memories that make up his life. The thoughtful questions are designed to help him enjoy telling his story, describing the past and the present, as well as thinking about the future. Alongside his handwritten memories, there's also space for him to add photos and memorabilia too.
*Just to let you know that this item is lovingly Made To Order and will take up to 5 working days to arrive at a UK delivery address (international deliveries will take longer).*
Once filled in, this journal will be a wonderful record of your father's story, one that can be treasured forever and passed on to future generations. Fathers will enjoy taking the time to fill in this journal to create a lasting record of their life, and children will enjoy finding out more about his life and getting to know him better. It's a great way to add life to any family tree, by asking those questions that you may never think or get the chance to ask in everyday life, but the answers to which are invaluable.
Find out what his parents were like, where he went on holiday when he was a child, how he met your mother and what that special piece of music was that they had 'just for them'. What about your relationship with him, what did he think of you as a child, what really made him proud and what advice would he give you now? Everyone has stories to share about their amazing life and it's so important to find ways to capture and treasure them.
When you get his completed journal returned to you, it'll be one of the most emotive gifts you'll ever receive, and therefore this is quite possibly one of the most valuable gifts you'll ever buy.
Some example questions from this journal:
• Tell me about the time and place you were born . . .
• What were you best at when you were at school?
• How did you meet my mother?
• How did you feel when you found out you were going to be a father?
• What were you most proud of about me when I was at school?
• What are the happiest or greatest memories of your life?
Everyone has a story to tell . . .
A great present for your father on his birthday, at Christmas, on Father's Day or just because you care. This guided journal would also be suitable for a father to buy for himself to complete and then give as a gift to his child.
You have the option to make this journal even more special by adding your personal touch and creating a personalised version.
Personalised features include (please type carefully as what you type is what will be printed in your journal):
• Name you call your father (appears on the front cover and inside the journal)
• Option to upload your own photos (appear on the cover and on the first internal page)
• Option to change some or all of the questions inside the journal
No stickers, labels or staples are used in the production of this product.
*Please note that the personalised version of this item is printed and hand-finished especially for you and therefore can't be returned. You're kindly reminded to please check your personalisation carefully as what you type is what will be printed!*
Also available in the Tree Collection: Dear Sister (personalisable), Dear Brother (personalisable) as well as Made To Order options, Dear Mum (personalisable), Dear Grandma (personalisable), Dear Grandad (personalisable), Dear Daughter (personalisable), Dear Son (personalisable) and Dear Friend (personalisable).
Made with paper & love, from you to me.
Why we love it
This is such a precious gift that enables you to ensure you've captured the memories of your loved ones for posterity. The ability to personalise the cover as well as load your photos to be printed on the cover and in the book make this a delightful gift to give – and then get back.
Portrait 20.7 x 14.3cm
128 pages of 110gsm uncoated, FSC paper
Hardback book
Matt colour cover with black and white internal pages
Ethically produced from sustainably sourced materials
Designed and published in the UK
Awards & Publicity
UK orders for Stock Items received before midday (Monday - Friday) are picked and packed the same day and shipped via a tracked* service, which has an expected delivery of 2 working days.
* Please note that this does not include the WOW! birthday books and Merry Christmas This Is Your Elf which are sent via a non-tracked service if ordered individually.
Overseas orders received before midday (Monday - Friday) are picked and packed the same day and shipped via a tracked service, where delivery timescales depend on delivery location.
During busy periods such as Black Friday and Christmas, this may take a little longer so please order early to avoid any disappointment.
UK Made To Order (including personalised) gifts are handmade and take 3 working days to create. They are shipped via a tracked service, which has an expected delivery of 2 working days.
Overseas Made To Order (including personalised) gifts are handmade and take 3 working days to create. They are shipped via a tracked service, where delivery timescales depend on delivery location.
During busy periods such as Black Friday and Christmas, this may take a little longer so please order early to avoid any disappointment.
If you order a Made To Order gift at the same time as a Stock Item gift, these will be shipped to you in separate parcels to the timescales outlined above.
All our products are sent out as letters or parcels and they rarely go missing as we use a tracked service, however if your order has not arrived within 3 working days of the expected delivery, please check to see if you have been left a card. Should your order fail to turn up, or there is a problem with it, please do contact us and we will be delighted to help sort this out for you.
Following changes resulting from Brexit, FROM YOU TO ME deliveries are made VAT paid so that additional local VAT should not need to be paid, on receipt, in EU countries. If additional charges are made in the country that the order is sent to, then these will need to be paid for by the recipient.
Our guide for Christmas last order dates shipped to UK locations is:
- Made To Order : Monday 16th December
- Stock Items: Thursday 19th December
For delivery to locations outside the UK, these are shipped via a tracked service where delivery timescales depend on delivery location.
We recommend you order as early as possible to avoid disappointment.


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When in Krusevo: Slow Food Guide
We've talked a lot already about history, culture and architecture in Krusevo, so we think that now is the perfect time to talk about traditional food here. When you travel around Macedonia you should have one thing in mind: everywhere in this country you can find really tasty food. The same is true about Krusevo. Starting with melted cheese in a pot to Krusevska pita (pastry with cheese, spinach or cabbage) and Krusevsko grne ( different kind of cheese mixed with mushrooms, ham and egg, baked in a pot) you can find a wealth of delicious options. Krusevo is also famous for the best homemade sausages in Macedonia - if you are barbecue lover this will be the perfect choice for you. After lunch or dinner, you should definitely try the best lokum in Macedonia – "krusevski lokum". We had the chance to try all of these culinary specialties and can confirm they are absolutely incredible. Thanks to Pizzeria Skar we also witnessed the preparation of the Krusevska pita, but unfortunately they didn't tell us the secret as to why it was so delicious. The pictures that you can see below will hopefully be more than enough to book your next trip to Krusevo and go directly to the restaurant.
Unique Lokum from Krusevo
Celuvki from Krusevo.


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Postman is a great tool but it might not fit everyone. Since it's a tool for developers you can be sure there are many other similar tools that do stuff a little bit different. So whatever the reason is that you want to replace Postman check the list below. Thousands of other users has provided their opinion about what they like the most.
1. Advance REST Client
Advanced REST client allows you to test your APIs. Easy and clean user inteface helps you focus on your API and not tooling. Store your requests and projects on Google Drive and share it with your team.
Website: https://install.advancedrestclient.com/install
2. Insomnia REST Client
A powerful REST API Client with cookie management, environment variables, code generation, and authentication for Mac, Window, and Linux.
Website: https://insomnia.rest/
The apiman project brings an open source development methodology to API Management, coupling a rich API design & configuration layer with a blazingly fast runtime.
Website: https://www.apiman.io/latest/
4. SoapUI
SoapUI is the only open source tool that covers the entire testing spectrum (functional, security, load, mocking). With its easy-to-use graphical interface, SoapUI is the entry point for API testing so you can validate REST & SOAP-based web services with ease.
Website: https://www.soapui.org/tools/soapui/
5. RESTClient
RESTClient is a Java application to test RESTful webservices. It can be used to test variety of HTTP communications. There are two executables:
– GUI version (restclient-ui-X.jar download)
– Cli version for batch execution of .rcq files (restclient-cli-X.jar download)
Website: https://github.com/wiztools/rest-client


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Luxury hotel or youth hostel, camping site or Bed & Breakfast - the overnight accommodations near the fair are suitable for every taste and every budget.
Accommodation near the fair ranges from luxury hotels to family guesthouses.
Come to Messe Stuttgart with a caravan or motor home: Stay overnight at our own camp site on the trade fair centre grounds or on one of the several camp sites located close-by.


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Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Alex Barre-Boulet to three-year contract
The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Alex Barre-Boulet to a three-year contract worth $758,333 AAV, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today. The first year of the contract is a two-way deal, and the second and third years are one way.
Barre-Boulet, 24, skated in 15 games with the Lightning last season, posting three goals and 26 shots on goal. He made his NHL debut on February 22 against the Carolina Hurricanes and scored his first career NHL goal on April 25 against Columbus. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward scored in back-to-back games on April 25-27. Two of his three goals came on the man-advantage. He also skated in 10 games for the Syracuse Crunch in 2020-21, posting eight goals and 12 points. Barre-Boulet registered at least one point in each AHL game last season, which included a five-game goal streak.
The Montmagny, Quebec native has appeared in 144 career AHL games, all with the Crunch over the past three seasons, posting 69 goals and 136 points to go along with 40 penalty minutes. Barre-Boulet represented the Crunch at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic, leading Syracuse for goals (27) and points (56) during the 2019-20 season. He won AHL Rookie of the Year for the 2018-19 season, posting a league-best 34 goals, while ranking sixth for points with 68.


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"Day." The personification of the day in Norse mythology. He is the son of Dellingr, according to the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, with the latter adding that he is Dellingr's son by Nótt, and that he was radiant and fair like his father. The Alföðr took Nótt, and Dagr her son, and gave to them two horses and two chariots, and sent them up into the heavens, to ride round about the earth every two half-days. Dagr's horse is called Skinfaxi.
The name also appears as that of a legendary king, a son of Hálfdan, from whom come the Dagling dynasty, according to Snorri Sturluson; and as that of the brother of Sigrún (see Dagr).
- Gylfaginning, 10.
- Hrafnagaldr Óðins, 24.
- Vafþrúðnismál, 12, 25.


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Evolution and current state of environmental assessment in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan inherited the Soviet State Environmental Review procedure, which was overly technocratic and lacked essential elements of effective EIA. A parallel system more closely conforming to the 'classic' EIA was created in 1996 and has been applied to dozens of major developments, particularly in the oil sector. This 'dual-track' system has helped to bridge the gap between external pressures for establishing modern EIA and the lack of internal capacity to do so in face of political and economic challenges. The drawback has been the system's non-mandatory character and associated potential irregularities in the application of EIA and utilisation of its findings. The success of the 'Azerbaijan model' will depend on whether the parallel EIA system is capable of continuous improvement,integration with existing formal procedures and institutions and of transforming into a mandatory environmental policy tool.


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Today was to be our adventurous day. Rosie had long wanted to go white-water rafting (she and Katherine had wanted to go in Spain 2 years ago) and I was persuaded to accompany her (not so much unwilling as unsure!). Meld and Bridget were to take a leisurely float down the North Thompson River, on a similar boat but without the white water.
We'd not got onto the morning boats, so we had a relaxed morning (interspersed with attacks of nerves) before driving "downtown" to Interior Whitewater Expeditions HQ.
All checked in, waivers signed, Meld and Bridget's transport arrived to take them up-river.
They were soon off and Bridget seemed quite happy to be on a boat!
The boat was skippered by Doug, the proprietor of IWE, who provided lots of interesting information along the way.
You often see wildlife on or by the river. Today it was a couple of eagles and an osprey.
The views of the river were relaxing.
Meanwhile Aid and Rosie, after a bit of a wait for the previous outing to return, boarded the same bus and travelled up the Clearwater River in teeth-rattling comfort. Down a steep incline to the riverside, they first showed us the Class 6 rapids just upstream from where we would start.
Then we donned our already-wet-suits (lovely). At this stage even my old camera went away in the bus as we added splash jackets, life jackets and helmets.
Luckily Luke, the bus driver, took some pictures that we were able to get copies of. So this is us heading though our first rapids - Class 4 they told us.
Rosie is the front of the 3 yellow helmets on the far side; Aid is 2nd from back on the near side (in the cool shades - I wasn't going to risk losing my best Armani specs in the river!)
Down we go!
Needless to say, we had an exhilarating ride, including a stop to hike to a 50 foot waterfall and jump into the pool beneath it, on the way back from which we tried wild huckleberries and freshwater chives. Dave, skippering our boat, was informative and fun.
Back to "base" for lunch at 5, then Meld and I went to church whilst the girls swam in the pool. We were made very welcome by the priest who spent 3 or 4 years in Southampton. Originally from Wales, his parish (from Kamloops in the south - 1.5 hours drive away) is bigger than his home country! That's how big and sparse this part of Canada is.
So now, off for supper, and to upload this to the web.
There is likely to be a gap while we're at the ranch - normal service should resume at Whistler - but keep looking, you never know where you'll find wireless internet these days!


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SARM MK-677 is an anabolic-anti-catabolic monopreparation containing MK-677 (Ibutamoren) - a grelinomimetic used to stimulate the secretion of somatotropin (growth hormone, GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and reduction of cortisol.
Immortal Science is a company that creates the strongest market forces. Minotaur is a combination of mk-677 and ostarine. This combination works synergistically to give a dry muscle mass.
SARM MK-677 is an anabolic-anti-catabolic monopreparation containing MK-677 (Ibutamoren) - a grelinomimetic used to stimulate the secretion of somatotropin (growth hormone, GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and reduction of cortisol.
MK-677 also improves the quality and depth of sleep, which in combination with a more favorable hormonal economy provides excellent regeneration, and eliminates signs of any fatigue, including mental fatigue. Another interesting advantage of Sarmu is a significant effect on the change of fat metabolism which will lower the level of body fat, and in the future may be used in the treatment of obesity.
The benefits that are associated with higher levels of growth hormone are undeniable. Its higher level with stable cortisol level is something that every trainer wants. There is no doubt that achieving such a state is an "anabolic dream" for our muscles. Thanks to the application of Sarm MK it became possible without the need to use HGH. What's more, to maintain adequate levels of Somatropin, HGH should be administered several times a day with perfectly balanced meals. However, the use of Ibutamorenu solves this problem with a convenient oral administration, without the use of problematic injections, due to the ideal 24-hour half-life.
Current data indicate that the use of MK-677 provides a durable and fat-free increase in body weight, which is surely related to the willingness to use further, more and more advanced tests and tests. It increases IGF-BP3 which leads to anabolic changes in body composition without raising catabolic hormones.
Ostarine, as a selective androgen receptor modulator, shows high, comparable to testosterone anabolic activity, with a simultaneous reduced androgenic effect. It intensifies the processes of building muscle tissue and improves skeletal mineralization.
((2S) -3- (4-cyanophenoxy) -N- [4-cyano-3- (trifluoromethyl) phenyl] -2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanamide) as a non-steroidal compound is not susceptible to reductase and aromatase, thereby minimizing side effects that are attributed to excessive amounts of testosterone needed to achieve a similar anabolic strength. Probably due to the effect on aromatase activity, it may slightly increase the level of estrogen. It does not cause male pattern baldness, cutaneous pimples, problems with joints. Probably, by intensifying the synthesis of collagen, it often leads to improvement of the skin and joints. It does not lead to prostatic hypertrophy.
At a clinical dose (3 mg / day), the use of Ostaryne for 12 weeks leads to an increase in total muscle mass and strength. It does not cause changes in concentrations of: free testosterone, DHT, estradiol, FSH and LH hormones. It leads to a significant decrease in the level of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), which is associated with a reduction in total testosterone. With no impact on insulin levels, it lowers fasting glucose and reduces insulin resistance, which enhances the activation of anabolic processes in the body and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. It reduces triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and improves the LDL / HDL ratio, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In practice ((2S) -3- (4-cyanophenoxy) -N- [4-cyano-3- (trifluoromethyl) phenyl] -2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanamide), used in higher doses more often allows a more noticeable increase in strength , muscle mass and significant loss of body fat. It improves the figure, creates more compact and sustained muscles. It does not significantly affect the level of free testosterone, however, depending on the dose and length of application, it may lead to slight blocking. It does not cause any significant changes in the level of libido. It significantly affects the lipid profile, leading in particular to a significant reduction in total cholesterol.
ostarine contained in the product Immortal science is a high bioavailability and relatively high safety of use, extremely effective selective androgen receptor modulator, characterized by high anabolic strength with a small androgenic potential. The product effectively supports muscle growth, loss of unnecessary fat tissue and skeletal mineralization. In this way, it helps to achieve and maintain a muscular, compact, well-drained and dry figure, with simultaneous care for the proper functioning of the whole organism.
1 capsule 3 times a day.


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Has the cause of the America's Cup accident been revealed?
Published on May 12th, 2013
He heard a crack, and the next thing (helmsman) Nathan Outteridge knew, the catamaran he was piloting was airborne.
As it rose and fell back into the San Francisco Bay, the 72-foot catamaran cracked into pieces, folding in on itself ''like a taco shell''.
Then the Olympic hero was in the water, along with 10 other crew members including his gold medal winning teammate Iain Jensen, their America's Cup boat – Artemis Racing's AC72 – in ruins and floundering.
A quick head count revealed one member of the crew was missing – Andrew Simpson – triggering a desperate search.
The British two-time Olympic gold medallist was trapped underwater, wedged underneath ''a few tonnes'' of carbon fibre, frantically trying to free himself.
His crew members could see him, fighting for his life and dived beneath the water to try to set him free.
They handed the man they called ''Bart'' emergency oxygen bottles – which hold about 10 breaths each – in a bid to keep him alive in the hope rescue crews would arrive in time.
They didn't. The 36-year-old Briton, who was a strategist for Artemis Racing, was pronounced dead at the St Francis Yacht Club, after spending between 10 and 15 minutes underwater. – The Herald, read on
Editor's note: So now we know. A structural failure initiated the falling dominoes, and Bart was conscious underwater but unable to free himself. It may take time to determine the 'why', but it seems that we now know the 'what'. Here are photos by Erik Simonson of the salvage.


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The Houston Outlaw's Alexandre 'Spree' Vanhomwgen is leaving the team. The off-tank player most famous for playing Zarya and D.Va in the Overwatch League has left the American team – we are yet to find out what his next move will be.
The Belgian off-tank has been playing for the Houston Outlaws since the beginning of the Overwatch League back in 2017 and has been a firm part of the squad ever since. The Houston Outlaws haven't been performing the best this year – although winning matches against teams like Florida Mayhem and the LA Gladiators, they haven't been able to keep up with the big players like Philadelphia Fusion, San Fransisco Shock, or Paris Eternal.
Spree made sure to leave with a heartfelt note to his fans and team, telling them he has appreciated his time on the roster but it was the best move for him. His TwitLonger post says, "As of today, I am no longer part of the Outlaws. This has been a really hard decision and I've been thinking a long time for this. But this is what is best for me.
"I have spent 3 years in Outlaws, so many fun memories and so much I have experienced that I'm thankful for. In season 1 and season 2 of OWL I got to play on stage and those were my most memorable moments. My goal has always been to go for more playtime and I would grind endless hours of other heroes. During the time on the bench I've spent a lot of time to work and reflect on myself. I feel my mental [sic] has improved a lot. I have personally learned and grown so much from all those experiences.
"I'm gonna miss my teammates, it was always a blast to hang out. I will keep supporting you guys, you have been so inspiring to me. Always trying your best no matter what and having a positive attitude. I want to thank the coaches for working so hard and putting the bar higher. I also want to thank the staff for helping me out when I needed something.
Thank you @Spree for being with the Houston Outlaws and our fans since the beginning. We wish you nothing but luck and happiness in everything. pic.twitter.com/LreB8h57YO
— Houston Outlaws (@Outlaws) July 15, 2020
"I wanna thank all the Houston Outlaws fans and supporters. Coming to our games and cheering for us whether we win or lose. Always trying to put a smile on us. I will never forget when I played on stage and the energy that was present. Thank you all for being a part of this journey.
"I'm free agent now, I don't have any specific plans for the future but surely I will keep on playing for now."
As the end of his statement says, there are no known plans for what Spree is going to do next. It might be moving teams within the Overwatch League, or he might even move on to playing Valorant like other Overwatch pros. Either way, Houston Outlaw fans have been wishing him the best on his next project.


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Executive Master's Program Helps Find the Right Balance at MercaSID
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In these difficult economic times, any innovation that aims to improve a company's efficiency while saving money is bound to be given serious consideration. At MercaSID S.A., a seventy-three-year-old food products company based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Emile Simon's approach to inventory management is proving right on target.
Simon, a logistics manager at MercaSID, is a 2009 graduate of Georgia Tech's Executive Master's in International Logistics & Supply Chain Strategy program (EMIL-SCS). The eighteen-month, residence-based program prepares executives to manage a multitude of global logistics and supply chain issues. Working either individually or as a team, EMILSCS participants develop a solution to a real-world problem instead of writing the traditional master's thesis. Simon chose to focus on a new approach to the product demand planning process as a means of achieving inventory reduction.
A producer of cooking oils and other agricultural-based products, MercaSID is also a major Caribbean distributor for consumer-product giants, including Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg, and Clorox. Its inventory is massive—too much so, Simon thought—resulting not only in excessive financial and warehousing costs, but also in less-than-optimal customer service.
The key is to strike a closer balance between demand and inventory while maintaining as high an order fill rate as possible.
"We needed to understand the demand side better," said Simon. "We had a lot of the right information, but we weren't using it properly."
His approach is comprised of two parts. The first involves data collection—basic number crunching—to come up with the projected demand for each product category, and then determine demand estimates for individual products. That information subsequently undergoes a value assessment by representatives of the company's sales, marketing, and operations departments.
The group arrives at a consensus on final product forecasts, which are used to determine the number of any given item to be maintained in inventory. This final number does not necessarily match the analytical forecast provided by a computer program, because it takes into account factors including market information, market situation, and the company's marketing plans.
"This process has helped us streamline our inventories and improve our service levels as well,"Simon noted.
The results so far are impressive. While maintaining or exceeding a 90 percent fill rate level across all product categories, inventory was reduced 15 percent last year and an additional 5 percent in the first half of 2010. Further reductions are likely when MercaSID's suppliers are brought fully into the planning process, probably next year, Simon said.
"We did get some supplier collaboration in the first phases of this new process, but we know we can take it further," he said. "That's going to be a little more difficult because it involves the participation and buy-in of other companies, not just ourselves." Simon expects MercaSID's finance department to become more active in the process as it evolves.
Buy-in within MercaSID itself was also crucial for the project's success, Simon added, pointing out that many people have to believe in the process for it to work. "It has taken discipline, but we did a lot of consensus building about how the process should take place," he explained. "After we proposed something, we didn't take it to the next level until all sides of the team—marketing, sales—were in agreement that that's the way we should go.
"We've had a thousand percent support from the highest levels of the company, and that's made a lot of difference too," he added.
Simon's experience is not uncommon among EMIL-SCS graduates. "It's the only program of its kind," said Greg Andrews, managing director of the EMIL-SCS program. Students, typically sponsored by their employers, participate in five two-week semesters spread out over eighteen months. The first semester is an "academic boot camp" held at Tech, where students are exposed to the "concepts of industrial engineering as applied to supply chains," Andrews said. Subsequent semesters are spent traveling to countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas for a combination of academic study, practical application, and real-world problem solving.
"The 2009 class that Emile Simon is a part of had seven global projects with a combined savings of about $250 million if implemented," Andrews continued. "That's a pretty good payback."
In a fast-moving consumer goods company, finding the right balance between customer service and the cost of doing business makes the difference between success and failure, noted Renato Cantarelli, MercaSID's vice president of operations. "Key to achieving this balance is to have a robust yet simple demand planning process where sales, marketing, procurement, manufacturing, and distribution are integrated, along with a consolidated operational plan. This was Emile's project—to conceptualize and implement our demand planning process. Now, after more than one year in operation, this process is fully operational and is well accepted by all levels of our organization. Furthermore, it is delivering the benefits we expected from the outset.
"The knowledge Emile brought with him from his experience at Georgia Tech was fundamental for him to successfully finish his project and for the business to accrue the benefits. It was money and time well spent—we are very happy!"
Gary Goettling is a freelance writer who writes for Georgia Tech's Research Horizons and other alumni publications.
- Workflow Status:Published
- Created By:Edie Cohen
- Created:12/01/2010
- Modified By:Fletcher Moore
- Modified:10/07/2016


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Strengthening Internal Audit and the Role of Audit Committees in Central Banks
Since the global financial crisis, central banks were called upon to take a more active role in crisis resolution and attributed broader mandates and accountabilities, including on financial stability. As a result of their greater involvement in policy areas beyond their primary objective of price stability, their operations are also under greater scrutiny.
What it was about
Entrusted with a public responsibility and being given political, operational, and financial independence, central banks strive to act and communicate transparently on their activities to different stakeholders. A cornerstone of this approach is their investment into strengthening internal and external governance.
Governance, as commonly understood as arrangements between boards, management, and other external and internal stakeholders, sets a structure through which objectives are agreed. In principle, it should also define the ways to achieve them, support their pursuit, as well as facilitate effective monitoring. With an effective governance system in place, central banks are able to reassure different stakeholders, i.e. the government, general public, and the economy and financial markets, on the conduct of policies and achieving objectives.
At this learning initiative we discussed how different functions of the central banks contribute to effective governance. Among various functions, we looked into roles and work of internal audit, role of external audit, and discuss a specific role and set up of audit committees.
Emphasizing on functions mentioned, we explored connections of these functions with other typical governance functions in central banks: board, other committees and advisory bodies, management.
Topics Addressed
This workshop provides an overview of functions in support of good governance and its role in the wider context of central bank governance:
- What are corporate governance principles
- How do corporate governance principles apply to the public sector
- How do these principles apply to the central banks
- What is the role of external auditors in central banks
- How do they interact with internal auditors and the board or its committees, such as the audit committee
- What is the role of internal auditors in central banks
- What are the pros and cons of various governance structures to support accountability
- Role of audit committees (and other internal and external oversight bodies), their mandate and composition;
- Steps for enhancing internal audit's role.
Darko Dolinar, Internal Audit Director, Bank of Slovenia
Before heading the Internal Audit Department, Darko worked as an IT auditor in the same institution. He is familiar with evaluating policies, risk assessment, and business process design and analysis. Experiences include the local audit as well as joint international audit engagements together with peers from other central banks members of ESCB (European System of Central Banks). He started his career as an IT staff member – programmer, moved through information system and database administration, and then he moved into banking industry as an IT auditor and now CAE.
In recent years, Bank of Slovenia on its own and as a member of the Eurosystem has played an important role in providing technical support to central banks in the Western Balkans. Within this framework, Darko has provided technical assistance to the central banks of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and FYR Macedonia. Occasionally he gives presentations at the professional events.
He obtained a Bachelor Degree in Organizational Sciences, with specialization in Organizational Informatics. During his professional career, he has attended many courses in the IT field, information security (ISO27001), project management, and internal auditing. He passed the CISA exam in 2005 and CIA in 2011.
Katarina Kadunc, Audit Director, Deloitte
Katarina joined Deloitte in 2003. Katarina is also the leader of the Centre of Excellence in Corporate Governance for Deloitte Adriatic and an active lecturer. She gives lectures on corporate governance within the Deloitte Academy and is responsible for managing assessments of quality of internal audit function and of supervisory board performance. Her key clients are Nova KBM Group, Deželna banka Slovenije, Banka Slovenije, Gorenje Group, Petrol Group, Zavarovalnica Triglav, Vzajemna d.v.z. and Mercator d.d.. She is actively involved in development of internal audit in Slovenia, regularly presents or attends internal audit annual conference. Themes as corporate governance, role of internal auditors are her regular topics for presentation at Deloitte Academy for clients, internal Deloitte trainings and at seminars organized by SDH.
Katarina graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana (with a major in finance, accounting and audit) and completed her studies at the Slovenian Institute of Auditors, receiving the title Certified Auditor. She acquired the ACCA license in 2009 and the title of CIA of the Slovenian Institute of Auditors in 2014.
Marie-Therese Camilleri, Senior Program Advisor, Center of Excellence in Finance
Nihad Nakaš, Senior Program Advisor, Center of Excellence in Finance
With support from workshop participants who hold interventions in a form of shorter presentations.
Keynote speaker
Boštjan Jazbec, Governor, Bank of Slovenia
Who was it for
The workshop was primarily designed for staff involved in corporate governance facilitation and design. Members of Audit Committees, or other oversight bodies, and internal auditors, were welcomed. The workshop was also relevant for those engaged in corporate governance like Governor's Cabinet Heads, Board Secretariats, and Heads of Legal Services are highly appreciated and for employees working on financial reports.
The workshop was delivered in English, and highly interactive, providing practical and workable solutions elaborated through a mix of expert-based learning, hands-on operational experience, and interventions of systematic exchange of knowledge and regional experience.
This learning initiative was supported by:


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Interview With Alexander Payne: "I Think About Paul Giamatti for Everything"
Alexander Payne opened the second edition of the Evia Film Project with a screening of "Downsizing", an environmental fable that has been re-evaluated over time.


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For many ophthalmology practices, special times deserve special actions.
In normal times, the physician sets the tone in developing and leading the professional culture of the practice organization. Collaborative partnering approaches between the physician team and the patient help foster efficient and effective patient care. Of equal importance are patient satisfaction and patient retention, which are fundamental to the financial success and sustainability of a practice, according to Suber Huang, MD, MBA.
However, the current times are not normal, and management during the coronavirus disease 2019 requires dealing with a different set of demands.
Related: Pearls for clinic flow in the age of COVID-19
Five-step plan
"Office management in the time of a crisis is fundamentally a challenge of leadership," Huang said and outlined 5 ingredients in the recipe for managing the office climate.
1. Knowledgeable reassurance.
Whether practicing in a solo or group practice, the managing physicians and/or senior administrative staff must set the tone regarding knowledgeable reassurance on handling all aspects of the crisis.
2. Work short term, think long term.
"Practice leadership must think carefully about all priorities over time, that is, what is immediately important, what is important in the medium term, and potentially what is important in the long term, with the recognition that the long-term outcomes are not at all clear," said Huang, president and CEO, Retina Center of Ohio, and voluntary assistant clinical professor, University of Miami, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
3. Flexibility. Developing flexible strategies for the office is necessary to educate patients, staff, and community as part of a larger public health perspective.
4. Work the problems.
Problems, then, must be prioritized and solved as they arise. "The goal is not to live in the past, not worry about the future, but do what can be done in the present," he advised.
The desire to assign blame is rarely productive. Understanding root causes, adapting to challenges, and making actionable plans is a much-preferred approach.
5. You make the weather.
When a physician is anxious, the anxiety will be communicated to the staff and diminish his or her effectiveness.
"This is the most important factor in leadership," Huang said.
Huang offered the following steps to aid employees and patients in an unsettled environment: (1) normalize anxiety by channeling energy into learning and action steps; (2) offer perspective by not over- or underestimating the dangers; (3) shift the spotlight, which has the effect of minimizing anxiety when attention is turned to helping others; (4) encourage distraction by taking a break from information seeking and giving your mind a rest; and (5) manage your own anxiety with the goal of reducing staff and patient anxiety.1Related: COVID-19: Companies offering new technology to connect physicians with patients
Productivity during downtime
Teamwork is important in a crisis. Take the time to understand your staff members' concerns and explore potential contributions.
Huang offered these practical strategies to keep staff engaged and productive by sending letters to patients, rescheduling all nonemergent and urgent patient appointments, developing telescripts for use during patient reminder calls, deep cleaning of the office, updating the procedural manual, and adding hygiene protocols-all things that may not receive sufficient attention in a normal environment.
"Managing during a crisis depends on developing a working plan of action that everyone in the practice can embrace and execute," he said.
This approach creates work for staff even when the practice income is in limbo. Projects also help alleviate anxiety regarding loss of patient volume.
Related: COVID-19: Survey finds Americans are embracing telehealth services
Focusing on the staff
Huang chooses to focus first on his employees when faced with such an all-encompassing problem such as the coronavirus disease 2019.
He pointed out that it is important to first address the largest looming concern for staffers, which, in this case, is their own health. The second issue is the worry that employees will infect their family members or friends, followed closely by the fear of infecting patients, and last but certainly not least, the effect of the crisis on the practice's livelihood.
During this time, staff members can work from home to minimize their exposure to the virus while they are engaged in contacting patients by mail or phone to reschedule appointments or answer health-related questions.
If the staff alternates between time in the office and time at home, this schedule may provide more of a feeling of control over their health and that of their families and give them a greater chance to socially distance from others outside of their families. Working from home also alleviates anxieties about maintaining their jobs and income by performing tasks that are meaningful to the functioning of the practice.
Read more coronavirus coverage here
Implementing change in crisis
Flexibility can differ in a solo practice compared with a larger practice that has satellite offices and larger staffs. In the former, decisions can be made and implemented instantly.
"In my practice, we huddle once or twice a day and we can change practices on the fly. In larger offices, there is flexibility but it is harder to move quickly," Huang pointed out.
In a 2-person group with 2 offices, the principles could consider alternating schedules.
"In this scenario, the staff members can isolate during the off-week and if no symptoms develop during that time, they can continue on with the alternating schedule," Huang suggested.
In a practice with 3 or more offices, a pod design is a possibility, in which each doctor would have 1 set of staff members and use 1 office. In this case, if the virus developed in 1 office in a clinician or patient, that office can be closed, quarantined, and the other offices can remain in practice and be unaffected.
Related: Caring for dry eye patients through the coronavirus pandemic
The gift of time
An unexpected blessing during this crisis is the availability of extra time.
Huang pointed out that during this period, most retina practices are open for emergencies or continuing care, that is, about 25% of the normal time. During the rest of the time, the staff can continue to engage with patients by calling directly from their homes to allay any patient fears about their care and keep them informed.
The patients who are contacted should include those engaged in clinical research studies as well as regular patients. Those in trials need to be reassured about the study visit protocol during the crisis, and those not in a trial need reassurance about their continuing care and their need for or rescheduling of an examination.
This slow period provides an opportunity to review office efficiency, drill for potential disasters, role-play regarding patient encounters, and prepare for when patients return to the practice.
"With planning, a surge of patients returning for care need not be overwhelming, instead, it could be a happy reunion of old friends looking to resume timely, compassionate, expert care, Huang concluded.
Read more by Lynda Charters
Suber Huang, MD, MBA
E: email@example.com
Dr. Huang has no financial interest related to this content.
Damour L. 5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus. New York Times. March 11, 2020. Accessed May 26, 2020. https://nytimes.com/2020/03/11/well/family/coronavirus-teenagers-anxiety.html
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Five dogs from a Rossendale training club will be part of this year's Crufts competition.
Rossendale Dog Training Club, based at Bacup Leisure Centre, will take five of its dogs to the world's most prestigious dog show.
Georgina Mawdsley with Tara the labrador, Katie Metcalf with cocker spaniel Bella, and Vicky Watts with labrador Evie hope to pass the bronze level of the Good Citizens training scheme.
Julie Burton is through to the final of a Good Citizen Scheme with Zeus the Dalmatian and hopes to impress judges in the show ring. And Wendy Johnson with Gracie Mae, an Italian Spinone, will represent the British pet charity The Blue Cross.
Chairman of the club and dog warden Dave East said this will be the first time Georgina, Katie and Vicky have been to the prestigious show.
He said: "I'm very proud of them.
"It's a privilege for anyone to go to Crufts but it's even nicer when you've got people representing Rossendale as well and representing the north west. Three of them have never been to Crufts in their life.
"Julie will be judged and hopefully she could come up with the best in the show but you don't know what could happen.
"We are all very much looking forward to it."
Crufts, which is run by The Kennel Club, takes place from March 11-14 at Birmingham's NEC arena.
The very first Crufts show, which was founded by Charles Cruft, was held in 1891.


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If you are looking to choose the best siding for your home, you can trust the James Hardie® siding experts in Raleigh to help you make that important decision. An important one for the well-being of your home's exterior, siding is a useful solution for not only protecting it but revitalizing its aesthetic and overall appearance.
The good news is that you have a number of useful options that can turn to when you want to install the right siding for your home. So, you're going to want to make some comparisons between some of the most popular options to determine which of these is ideal for your property and the region of the country in which you reside.
We're here to help with this handy guide to your different home siding options. The material you ultimately pick should be considered with many factors in mind: maintenance expectations, water-resistance, energy efficiency, versatility and durability, and of course, the cost of the siding. But with so many materials from which to select, you're going to want to read up on the advantages and disadvantages, if any, of each option.
Vinyl Siding
We'll start with vinyl, easily the most popular option you can have installed on the outside of your home with almost one-third of homeowners going with this option because of all the convenience and affordability it offers.
That convenience can be found in the ease of maintenance of vinyl, you won't need to do much more than take some soap and water to the surface to clean it. That can be done every once a year, more if you really prefer to do the work. It's also one of the easiest types of siding to install. Add to that its long lifespan, resistance to the elements, and the multitude of colors and styles that are available.
Wood Siding
Deciding to put wood on the exterior of your home brings the property a beautiful, natural appearance that works with many different architectural styles. But it's also the antithesis of everything that makes vinyl such a popular option among homeowners. That's because wood is one of the more expensive choices on the list and it requires far more in the way of care and maintenance to preserve the look and feel of the material.
You can find wood siding in many different wood species like spruce, redwood, fir, cedar, and many others.
Metal Siding
If you go down this road with your choice of siding, you have two primary options from which to choose, either steel or aluminum. Both bring a contemporary and modern appearance with just a hint of retro sensibilities. But the biggest reason why a lot of homeowners go with metal siding is because it can stand up to any amount of damage that could come from the environments around your home.
That means heavy precipitation and even heavy levels of salt in the air for those homes that have been built near the ocean. In addition, metal siding can ward off the damage that comes from the development of mold, mildew, and rot and it's an easy material to maintain with success. However, we are still talking about metal here, so it could rust if you don't take steps to reduce the possibility of the material becoming marred for the long-term in this respect.
Stucco Siding
This form of siding is manufactured using a mixture of things like sand, lime, and cement, all placed onto a wood and mesh foundation to hold it to your home's exterior. As a result, stucco can stand the test of time if you take care of it, giving you a lifespan up to as long as 100 years.
It's also a material that can be created with many colorways to make it a versatile form of siding that can complement just about any home. But choose your color wisely, you can't really paint stucco once it's been installed. So be sure you're pleased with the color you've chosen before it goes up. Trying to paint stucco after the fact will just have you repainting it over and over to little effect.
But stucco does dry fast after it rains or snows, so you need not worry about water damage impacting the look of your siding. It's also one of the most resistant materials to insects and rot. Even more encouraging, if your stucco siding becomes damaged, the repairs are not only easy to perform but they don't cost a whole lot either.


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Charter rates (low season / high season) per day, plus additional expenses.
Enjoy a memorable Fjord Cruise onboard the largest and the most exclusive yacht in Stavanger.
The yacht has 3 spacious VIP double guest-cabins, each with their own bathroom with shower, sink and toilet. Perfect for 3 couples. The crew has their own separate cabin. The interior also includes a fully equipped kitchen, a spacious dining area, a large relaxing area with seating, as well as a top exterior fly-deck with great views that has space enough for 12 people. On the back of the yacht there is also a dining/relaxing area with spacious seating. There is also a Williams 345 attached to the boat (with room for up to 5 people) to get more out of your adventure if you crave a little excitement.
The yacht can take 12 passengers + crew, has a maximum speed of 33 knots, with a cruising speed of 22 knots – which makes for a delightful and comfortable journey. Join us for a ride on our yacht and see some highlights of what you can expect to see during one of our tours. Get tempted by the delicious food, the stunning views, and the great atmosphere.
We pride ourselves on the ability to make the perfect cruise for almost any occasion. We deliver daily private sightseeing cruises as well as delivering a service which is completely customized, unique and personal. We understand compassion and careful planning are key factors.
Safety is always our main priority. You can be sure that we will take good care of your during your tour with us. We also accept all major credit cards and bank-transfer. Get in touch with us if you have any questions regarding the tours, or if you need more information.
Charter fee only | Unit | ||
From € 5'900 | per day | ||
Please enquire upon booking.


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Why We Have Dreams about the Future
I am going to focus in this post on why we have dreams that relate to the future. They may be dreams about some person we meet in the future, an illness not yet visible, an opportunity not yet seen, or a global event such as climate change. First, I want to repeat something I stated in an earlier post, which is the relative infrequency of dreams of global events. Most of our dreams relate to our personal lives in some way and do not extend beyond the sphere of family, friends, and coworkers. Very few of the psychic readings of the even famous psychic Edgar Cayce, who is often regarded as a prophet, related to global events. Most related to the individual for whom the reading was given.
I believe we have certain dreams about the future for several reasons. First, during the course of the day, and especially right before falling asleep, we may be thinking about some aspect of our future or the broader future such as for the economy. Our conscious focus triggers a subconscious response in the way of a dream, which may provide an answer to our concerns. As an example, if I am single, I may despair about ever meeting someone with whom I can share my life. If you have spent the day obsessing about this, you might have a dream that shows you with someone you do not now know, but will later meet as your future partner.
The subconscious is part of a universal consciousness and can receive information from an unlimited number of sources. It is not restricted by time or space. Your subconscious filters out most of the information it receives and does not pass it to your conscious mind through a dream. However, if you consciously seek some answer related to the future, the subconscious will reveal the answer based on current conditions and pass it to your conscious mind in a dream. Your conscious desire is the trigger for the dream. This applies to your personal life as well as for global events.
Another reason for a dream about a future event relates to the unconscious mind and its purpose. You have entered this life with a purpose, and your conscious choices may be taking you in the wrong direction. The subconscious creates a dream with a message that is intended to steer you into a direction consistent with your soul's purpose. Sometimes the message is subtle, and other times it comes as a stern reprimand.
Still other reasons for dreams of the future involve warnings and missed opportunities. If something in the future is a threat or danger, your subconscious sees the threat and creates a dream containing a warning. If dreams of warning are ignored, catastrophic results can occur. Also, sometimes we are shown the future we could experience, but are not experiencing, if we lived up to our potential. The dreams are provided as encouragement to more fully utilize abilities we possess.
Anything the unconscious mind thinks we need to know about the future will find its way into a dream, if the unconscious thinks that is the right way to inform us. However, the dream may not be remembered upon awakening, so the message may be lost. If the subconscious considers it important enough, the message is repeated in different ways in further dreams until we do remember them and get the message.
Dreams of the future can relate to the next day, or they can concern an event many years into the future. When I was thirteen or fourteen, I had an extremely vivid, powerful dream that showed me the entire course my life would take. Now in retirement, I realize that my life has evolved exactly as depicted in the dream. However, most of my dreams about the future relate to the next day.
When interpreting your dreams, you may have a tendency to see events depicted in the future as happening soon—within days or weeks at the most. Often this is the case, but time to the subconscious mind is not the same as to the conscious mind. The subconscious may see an event as a certainty and show it as occurring in a dream, but in our material word, the event may be years or even decades away.


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Curved safety signs or Curvo Plus icons are a beautiful execution to provide the safety signaling of your classic or modern building because the design fits perfectly with their functionality. Not only does a curved sign or Curvo Plus sign assure the safety or does it guide your visitors, customers of suppliers via the evacuation routes to the outside of the building, but at the same time it provides a professional charisma thanks to their unique look and feel.
When thinking about how the safety signalling of your residency, apartment or classic or modern building looks best, Curvo Plus icons are an excellent choice when one of the factors down below play an important role:
Unique design
Different to other systems (e.g. PVC icons) a curved safety icon has an unique and simple design so that it has a nice, elegant charisma. After all, the system consists of a softly curved holder of high-grade aluminium and accompanying vertical inox tabs so that Curvo Plus icons catch the eye quickly so that they add a modern twist to your building.
Some builders, owners or architects of buildings rather seek uniformity so that the signalling can be extended in one go. Even the do Curvo Plus signs offer a suitable solution seeing that this is easily compatible with the wider signage system in Curvo Plus, such as Curvo Plus door signs or Curvo Plus directories.
Can be used anywhere
Inside your building, a curved safety sign or Curvo Plus sign can be used anywhere thanks to the different mounting methods. Next to the flat mounting, there is as it happens the possibility to fix the desired number of signs both perpendicular to the wall as on the ceiling. That way, you have all things under control in terms of choosing where your signalling should be.
Are curved safety signs or Curvo Plus signs soon to be sighted in your building?
Request your free offer now and find out our prices quickly by:
Or do you rather order directly? Then click on 'ORDER IMMEDIATELY' and make your own choice in our webshop.


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An April 2022 release!
by Christopher M. Cevasco
"What a brilliant read! Christopher Cevasco is a truly gifted story-teller, and the 11th century has never felt darker or more alive. Beheld is one of the best historical thrillers I've read in a very long time." — Michelle Moran, international bestselling author of Nefertiti
"Cevasco lays bare the extraordinary history and myth of Lady Godiva and her age, melting them into a stirring vision of the birth to a legend." —Michael Livingston, award-winning medieval scholar and historical fantasy novelist
"In this swiftly moving story with spectacular attention to period detail, Christopher M. Cevasco removes Lady Godiva from the chocolate box and deftly returns her to historical context—a distant, brutal age when viking was a verb and secret pagan cults littered England's forests. Beheld's two obsessed lovers risk all in an erotic, forbidden affair, climaxing in an explosive plot that is nothing less than a battle for the soul." —Karen Essex, national and international best-selling author of Leonardo's Swans and Kleopatra.
Having survived a grave illness to become one of 11th-century England's wealthiest landowners, Godgyfu of Coventry remains forever grateful to the town whose patron saint worked such miracles. She vows to rebuild Coventry's abbey and better the lives of its townsfolk. But the wider kingdom is descending into political turmoil, and her husband, Earl Leofric, starts to break under the strain. Godgyfu finds her own plans unravelling the moment she meets Thomas, a Benedictine novice with perverse, secret desires. Three lives become dangerously entangled in a shocking web of ambition, voyeuristic lust, and horrid obsession. Can Godgyfu escape the monk's menacing wiles and Leofric's betrayals to secure her future in a changing kingdom? Perhaps, but first she faces a dark test of wills leading her perilously closer to a legendary ride…
Paperback, 242 pages
Cover design by Inkspiral


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Ryanair has just taken delivery of what might be one of the world's least comfortable jets…
In this post:
Ryanair takes delivery of world's first Boeing 737 MAX
European low cost carrier Ryanair's fleet consists primarily of Boeing 737s. In terms of fleet renewal, the airline has 210 Boeing 737 MAXs on order. The airline was first supposed to take delivery of these planes a couple of years ago, though that timeline was delayed due to the 737 MAX being grounded globally.
This week Ryanair has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX, which is being called a "game changer" for the airline. The airline will be taking delivery of these planes gradually — Ryanair Group will take delivery of 12 737 MAXs during the summer of 2021 (with six going to Ryanair and six going to Malta Air), and an additional 50 of these planes before the summer of 2022.
The efficiency of this plane is no doubt impressive compared to the previous generation 737-800 (which is the same size):
- The 737 MAX carries 197 passengers, which is 4% more than the 189-seat 737-800
- Per passenger fuel consumption is being reduced by 16% compared to the 737-800
- Noise emissions and CO2 emissions will be reduced by roughly 40% compared to the 737-800
As Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary describes the new plane:
We are delighted to take delivery of our first new technology Gamechanger aircraft. These new Boeing 737 aircraft will help Ryanair lower costs, cut fuel consumption and lower noise and CO2 emissions as we invest heavily in new technology to deepen our environmental commitment as Europe's greenest, cleanest major airline. Each B737 aircraft offers 197 seats (compared to our 189-seat current 737 fleet). However, our customers will enjoy more leg room, new Boeing "Sky Interiors" and lower fares, while reducing their environmental footprint by switching to these new aircraft.
Ryanair is the launch customer for the 737 MAX 8-200
Ryanair is far from the first airline to take delivery of the 737 MAX, though there is something that makes Ryanair's 737 MAX order unique. Ryanair is the launch customer for the Boeing 737 MAX 8-200.
The 737 MAX 8-200 is a higher capacity version of the 737 MAX 8. No, the plane isn't actually bigger, but rather there are more seats crammed into it.
Why is there a separate aircraft designation for these higher configuration planes? After all, typically an airline choosing to configure a plane with more seats has nothing to do with the aircraft manufacturer, and doesn't warrant a different aircraft designation.
The reason is because the 737 MAX 8-200 has an extra set of emergency exits, which are required due to the number of seats. As you can see below, there are four sets of emergency exits — the forward and rear doors, the over wing exits, and another set of exits between the wings and the back of the plane (with that exit in the middle rear of the plane being new).
Ryanair will have 28″ of pitch, and… more leg room?!?
Ryanair's new 737 MAX 8-200s will feature 28″ of seat pitch, which is in line with what you'll find on Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Frankly I'm surprised it took Ryanair this long to decrease pitch to 28″.
It's funny that Ryanair is reducing seat pitch to 28″ all while claiming that these new planes offer "more leg room." Admitted leg room and seat pitch aren't the same thing — seat pitch is the amount of space each seat takes up (measuring one point on a seat to the same point on a seat a row in front), while leg room is the actual amount of leg room you have.
But if you reduce seat pitch to 28″ all while increasing leg room, I can't even imagine how thin these seats are. They must make a piece of paper look thick by comparison. In fairness, a lot of the additional space here comes from galley space being reduced significantly.
Bottom line
Ryanair has taken delivery of its first of 210 Boeing 737 MAXs. The planes are so dense that they need extra emergency exits due to the number of seats. With just 28″ of pitch, Ryanair is ushering in a new era of 737 MAX discomfort.
I would be curious to see what the interiors of these planes actually look like, given the 28″ of pitch and alleged improved leg room.
What do you make of Ryanair's 737 MAX 8-200s?