text:
Discover the best things to see and do in Nagorno Karabagh, one of the most unexplored regions of the Caucasus.Read more...
Armenia - Background information
Natural history
People and culture
Abridged from the History section in Armenia: the Bradt Travel Guide
Visitors to Armenia are confronted by the country's history everywhere they look, and not just in the prehistoric sites and splendid medieval monasteries that have long underwritten the country's traditional tourism offer. Other aspects of Armenia's history are reflected in the legacy of Soviet-era apartment blocks identical to those in Kaliningrad or Omsk, and in the huge investment in modern Armenia funded by the country's large, important and wealthy diaspora.
The temple at Garni looks Greek rather than Armenian © Karen Falyjan, Shutterstock
Further observations soon strike the visitor: that the oldest surviving building in the country, at Garni, looks Greek rather than Armenian and quite different from any other; that there are no Roman remains; that the old churches and monasteries were built within certain very restricted time periods interspersed with long periods from which nothing seems to have survived; that different foreign influences seem to have been significant at different epochs; and that the country's post-Soviet spate of church and monastery restoration shows no signs of stopping. Visitors will also see everywhere signs written in a distinctive and unique alphabet and language, the use of which is a large factor in determining what it means to be Armenian. Beginning to make sense of all this jumble of impressions necessitates gaining some understanding of Armenia's long and varied history.
During this history there were periods of independence as an Armenian nation, though often with the nation divided into separate kingdoms because of internal struggles for supremacy by individual families. These periods were separated by much longer spells of foreign rule, by a whole host of different peoples at different times. The 20th-century regaining of independence after centuries of foreign rule, briefly at first from 1918 to 1920 but then lastingly since 1991, owes little to the nations, notably Britain, which repeatedly let down the Armenian people between 1878 and 1923. However, perhaps the West can take some of the responsibility for the Soviet Union's bankruptcy and collapse.
Natural history
The number of species of animals and plants in Armenia is unusually high, with WWF International labelling the Caucasus one of 35 global biodiversity hotspots. Despite covering just 6.7% of the so-called Caucasus Ecoregion, it is home to 60% of the flora and fauna diversity, according to the UN Economic Commission for Europe. This is largely accounted for by the great altitudinal variation and the diversity of vegetation zones. Armenia is normally described as having six distinct zones: semi-deserts, dry steppes, mountain steppes, forest, subalpine and alpine. Semi-deserts account for about 10% of the country and occur in the Ararat Valley and adjacent mountain slopes up to elevations of 1,200–1,300m, as well as in the Arpa Valley around Vayk, and in the Meghri region. The land has generally been cultivated for millennia except for a few patches where sand has accumulated and a semi-desert landscape has resulted.
The caucasian green lizard can be seen in a variety of habitats across Armenia © Deirdre Holding
Cultivation has required extensive irrigation and these irrigated areas now account for most of the fruit, vegetable and wine production. Dry steppes are found at higher altitudes than semi-deserts (above 1,500m) in the Ararat Valley and some other areas, but are also found at lower altitudes (above 800m) in the northeast in areas which were originally forested. A range of soils is found and in the Ararat Valley these are mostly stony. Irrigation of dry steppes has allowed some cultivation of crops and fruit. Mountain steppes are the dominant landscape for most of the country, particularly at altitudes above 1,500m. In the northeast of the country and also in the south, ridges among these highland meadow steppes often contain patches of forest.
Elsewhere forests are usually found on the mid-zone of mountains though in some regions the forests were much affected by the cutting of trees for fuel during the energy shortages of the early 1990s. The most extensive forested areas are now in the northeast. Subalpine meadows occur at higher altitudes than steppes and forests, including highland mountain ranges. Alpine meadows occur higher still and are important pasture lands during the relatively short summers at these elevations. So-called azonal landscapes (meaning that the soil type is determined by factors other than the local climate and vegetation) cover the remaining 10% of the territory of the country and include wetlands, as well as saline and alkaline areas in the Ararat Valley where the underground waters are close to the earth's surface, resulting in water vaporisation and salt precipitation.
Armenia's mammal list was recently increased from 76 to 83 when seven additional species of bat were identified. However, one of the mammals on the list, striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), is probably extinct in the country and the status of Caucasian birch mouse (Sicista caucasica) is unknown. Another six are officially classified as endangered: the distinctive Armenian subspecies of mouflon (Ovis orientalis gmelini), Persian ibex or wild goat (Capra aegagrus aegagrus; often referred to as the Bezoar goat or Bezoar ibex), marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna), otter (Lutra lutra), Pallas's cat (or manul; Felis manul) and Syrian brown bear (Ursus arctos syriacus).
Despite bears being classified as endangered, their droppings can often be encountered while walking in the mountains, particularly in the Vayots Dzor region, sometimes surprisingly close to habitation. Other interesting mammals include the critically endangered Persian or Caucasian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana), the ongoing subject of a WWF protection programme in Armenia; lynx (Felis lynx); wild cat (Felis silvestris); wolf (Canis lupus); porcupine (Hystrix indica); roe deer (Capreolus capreolus); wild boar (Sus scrofa); and golden jackal (Canis aureus). However, none of these large mammals – except perhaps the Bezoar goat – could be described as common sights, and the visitor is perhaps more likely to come across smaller and more abundant species such as red fox (Vulpes vulpes), brown hare (Lepus capensis), European souslik (Citellus citellus) and Vinogradov's jird (Meriones vinogradovi), the jird being one of five species of gerbil found in Armenia.
Identified so far in Armenia have been 388 species of algae, 4,166 fungi, 2,600 lichens and 430 mosses in addition to the very large total of more than 3,200 species of vascular plants, including some endemics – plants found only in Armenia. Vascular plant diversity is highly concentrated in Khosrov Forest State Reserve, which plays host to 1,849 species – more than half of the total – despite occupying just 1% of the country's territory. Since Armenia's flora is very large it is perhaps surprising that gymnosperms (basically conifers) should be poorly represented by a mere nine species: five junipers, one pine, one yew and two shrubby members of the family Ephedraceae whose American relatives include Nevada joint fir and desert tea.
People and culture
You'll often see locals playing music in the street © Artem Avetisyan, Shutterstock
Both traditional folk music and classical music have fallen on hard times since 1991 with the reductions in state funding. Folk music can now most often be heard on national holidays but a more convenient option is to go to one of the traditional Yerevan restaurants where a folk ensemble plays each evening. The oud is a 12-stringed (two strings for each note) ancestor of the lute and guitar with a distinctive bent neck. The tarr is another lute-like instrument but smaller than the oud. The kemenche is a three-stringed violin played with the instrument held vertically resting on the lap. The duduk makes the sound most often associated with Armenian music. It is a low-pitched woodwind instrument, with a large double reed, made from apricot wood. The shvi (whistle) by contrast is a high-pitched woodwind instrument without a reed and with eight holes, seven for playing plus a thumb hole. The dhol is a cylindrical drum with one membrane being thicker to give a low pitch and the other thinner to give a higher pitch. Other distinctive instruments which may be encountered include the zurna, a higher-pitched wind instrument than the duduk but also with a double reed and made from apricot wood; the kanun, a box zither, trapezoid in shape, which is played resting on the player's knee or on a table, the strings being plucked by plectra attached to the fingers; and the dumbeg which is an hourglass-shaped drum with a membrane made of lamb skin at only one end, the other end being open.
Dance in Armenia can broadly be divided into traditional dance and classical ballet, the latter considerably influenced by the Russian school. The traditional dances which are encountered in Armenia today are those of eastern Armenia and as such differ in some respects from the dances of Armenian groups abroad which usually represent the western Armenian tradition. The energetic men's dance Jo Jon (also called Zhora Bar) comes from Spitak province. Mom Bar, meaning 'Candle Dance', was originally from the Lake Sevan region and is now traditionally the last dance at wedding parties. The candles are blown out at the end of the dance signalling that it is time for guests to leave.
Women's solo dances called Naz Bar, meaning 'Grace Dance', are improvisatory with intricate hand gestures used to tell stories of love, betrayal, conflict and triumph. In Yerevan in particular choreographic schools and song and dance ensembles preserve the tradition in a form suitable for stage presentation, although funding is more difficult than in the Soviet era. The musical accompaniment can be played on traditional instruments or sung (or both). Costumes for women are invariably sumptuous, whether based on medieval court dress or on simpler peasant dress. Brightly coloured shimmering dresses are decorated with gold embroidery and pearls. A light lace veil surmounts the embroidered hat. For men costume is simpler. Full trousers and embroidered tunics or else the cherkessa, traditional Caucasian dress similar to Cossack style, with red, white or black silk trousers, leather boots, woollen or fur hat, and a dagger in the belt. Men's dances are martial and vigorous; women's are graceful with elaborate gestures.
Funding is also more difficult for classical ballet, performed at the Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet Theatre. The standard of dance remains high but many Armenian dancers are making successful careers in western Europe and North America and the pool of talent remaining in Yerevan has diminished.
Armenia articlesView all
Learn more about khachkars, one of Armenia's most important and conspicuous architectural features.Read more...
The best monasteries in Europe
From stunning landscapes to sites of historical and cultural importance, monasteries provide a wealth of interest for the avid traveller. Here is our selection of six of the best monasteries in Europe.Read more...


text:
Peer to peer (P2P) lending is a billion dollar industry all over the globe but in India it is yet to gain acceptance. Like Crowdfunding, P2P Lending also lacks a coherent legal framework for startups to operate in. All this is set to change in the coming days with a new breed of startups taking the sector by storm. We profile i2ifunding below who are on their way to emerge as India's largest p2p lending platform. Excerpts given below:
- Who are the founders of the company. Why did you start a p2p lending website?
i2ifunding is co-founded b Vaibhav Pandey , Neha Aggarwal & Manisha Aggarwal.
- Vaibhav did his MBA from IIM Ahmadabad and has 10+ years of experience in growing business, setting up new processes and driving operational efficiencies.
- Neha completed her MBA from XIM-Bhubaneswar and graduated from SS CBS, Delhi University with distinction in Finance. She has worked on brand management in the FMCG sector also on product development in the financial sector.
- Manisha is a Chartered Accountant and brings with her over 8 years of domestic and overseas work experience in various fields.
I have always been looking for an idea which really creates value and benefits a large section of the population. I once came across a situation where I saw one of my colleagues borrow money from money lenders after his personal loan request was rejected by Bank. He had to borrow at a monthly interest rate of 4%, to meet a financial emergency. This incident left me pondering about how I can provide an alternative which can help people meet their financial requirements at an affordable interest rate. This is how we started working on the concept of i2ifunding.
We started our operations in October 2015 and our head office is in Noida, with another office in Mumbai.
- Do you use a credit bureau to profile clients? If yes which one?
Yes. Right now, profiling of clients / borrowers is done on CIBIL. Whenever we receive a loan request we do a risk profiling of the borrower. We have developed a proprietary risk evaluation model to evaluate risk involved with any borrower. This is a robust model which considers more than 30 parameters to determine the risk involved in terms of borrower's ability to pay and also the intention to pay. Only about 20% of the loan applications are approved. Thus only quality borrowers get selected. Also, risk involved with each borrower is transparently conveyed to lenders.
- How do you deal with credit risks like non repayment of loans and fraud? What percentage of loans have gone bad till date.
We conduct a physical verification of borrowers before the money is disbursed. Also we sign a loan agreement on a stamp paper along with promissory notes. We also collect 3 postdated cheques against each investor from the borrowers. During physical verification we verify the original documents of the borrower. Some of the data which is available with third party sources gets verified independently as well. So our verification process is very tight, and we make sure that every loan that goes live on our platform is verified thoroughly.
We send reminders to a borrower for the repayment of EMI's and also follow up on the same. If the borrower does not pay the EMI then the cheque is deposited in the bank and if the cheque bounces then legal proceedings are initiated against the borrower. Till now we've disbursed loans worth more than Rs 75 Lakhs to individual borrower, and there are no bad loan, or delayed EMI's from our borrowers as of now.
- Once an investor gives a loan how are repayments collected back?
Repayments are collected in the form of monthly EMIs. Similar to how we pay EMI's to banks, similarly borrowers pays monthly EMI's towards their loans, which are credited to each individual investor / lender on monthly basis. Investors can not withdraw their money in between or before the completion of the loan tenure.
- Are you planning to tie up with a banks to offer loans.
Yes. We are in discussions with a few NBFC's and banks to offer loans.
- How do you make money? Do you charge a processing fee, I don't think the registration charge of Rs 100 covers your operating costs?
Yes you are right. So in order to overcome our operational expenses we charge a one time registration fee. An investor can invest up to 50,000/- after registration. After that they will have to pay a fee of one percent of the amount if you want to lend on our platform. From the borrower side we deduct a percentage of the loan amount as processing charges.
We are investing a lot time and money in setting up the technology and automating lots of manual processes in our platform. This will reduce our operational costs in the long run.
- What is the Reserve Bank of India's stance on Peer to Peer lending?
Currently RBI does not regulate the P2P lending segment. In a press release on 5th April, RBI has mentioned that they will come up with a concept note to regulate this sector and later form the policies for the same in consultation with SEBI. This is a positive development from the sector and the formulation of a progressive looking framework by RBI could take the sector to inflection point in India.
- Who are the established players in this space whom you will be competing against?
P2p lending is a very new concept in India. Although it is a very successful model in countries like China, US and UK. All the players in India are startups , most of them began operations in the last 1-2 years and are still trying to find their feet in this segment. We are mainly competing with Faircent, Lendbox and i-lend.
- Are you looking to raise funding? How much of your own funds have you invested and how much are you planning to raise?
Yes we are in advanced stages of discussion with a few angel investors for raising the our first round of funding. As of now we are a self-funded.
- What are your plans for the future?
While P2P lending is still at a nascent stage in India, it is one of the leading means of financing in countries such as the US, the UK, Germany and China. Many p2p players like Prosper and Lending Club have grown to become billion dollar companies. The sector has been growing by leaps and bounds all around the world, thanks to an increase in the internet penetration and the growing acceptability of e-payments.
In India also, I expect P2P lending to follow a similar growth trend that has been witnessed by the e-commerce industry in recent years. We currently have investors from all across the country; however, our borrowers are mainly from Delhi NCR and Bangalore. We are looking to expand to all the major cities of India in the next couple of years.
With the RBI's concept note on P2P lending expected to be released next week, peer to peer lending is all set to emerge as the next big financial sector innovation in India. Watch this space for more updates !

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In a "precedent-shattering" 51-47 vote on Wednesday that could set the stage for the GOP to kill a slew of longstanding consumer and environmental regulations, Senate Republicans—joined by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)—approved a measure to repeal a 2013 CFPB guidance aimed at protecting minorities from auto lending discrimination.
"The CRA never was intended to be used against older, settled rules. Today's Senate vote sets a dangerous deregulatory precedent that stretches the CRA far beyond its original intent."
—Amit Narang, Public Citizen
"Apparently the Senate majority is more interested in helping vulnerable incumbents raise campaign cash from the powerful and well-heeled auto lobby than in protecting consumers who are being charged more for car loans based on the color of their skin," Amit Narang, regulatory policy advocate at Public Citizen, said in a statement following the vote.
While the GOP and President Donald Trump have been working tirelessly to dismantle a wide variety of regulations since taking full control of the federal government last year, the measure approved by the Senate on Wednesday was characterized as uniquely dangerous because it uses the Congressional Review Act (CRA)—a law intended to allow Congress to repeal new rules only "within 60 legislative days of their enactment"—to roll back a five-year-old guidance.
"The CRA never was intended to be used against older, settled rules," Narang explains. "Today's Senate vote sets a dangerous deregulatory precedent that stretches the CRA far beyond its original intent, allowing Congress to overturn regulatory protections that have been in place for years or even decades [and] opening up a new front in the right's war on regulations."
According to a Politico report published Tuesday, that is precisely what the GOP-controlled Congress is aiming to do.
Because policy guidances like the one the Senate voted to roll back on Wednesday are not submitted to lawmakers like formal rules, the 60-day clock to repeal them using the CRA technically never starts.
Republicans believe that if they can "retroactively" determine a guidance meets the legal definition of a rule, they can start the 60-day clock and proceed to repeal the guidance with a simple majority using the CRA.
Never Miss a Beat.
Get our best delivered to your inbox.
"This may end up being the most vicious hardball escalation and norm-breaking of Trump's first two years," Mike Konczal, a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, said of the GOP's "bad faith" legal maneuvering. "Courts shouldn't buy this hardball."
If you told me 3 years ago they'd try this I wouldn't have believed it, nor would most disinterested regulatory observers. It's telling that conservatives, at the height of their power, are only capable of making change through ratfucking guidances, not putting forward a vision.
— Mike Konczal (@rortybomb) April 17, 2018
The notion that regulators in the 1990s forgot to submit a guidance for 25 years (they just didn't get around to it!) and nobody in any Republican Congress noticed until January 2017 (because they were busy too?) is so obviously bad faith courts shouldn't buy this hardball.
— Mike Konczal (@rortybomb) April 17, 2018
As Politico reports, other Republican lawmakers are beginning to "test the waters" to see what other long-standing regulations they can kill.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), for instance, is looking to overturn the Bureau of Land Management's 2016 Eastern Interior Resource Management Plan, which protects some of Alaska's "most remote and pristine public land" from oil and gas exploitation.
"Expanding the power of the CRA to overturn guidance from decades ago will threaten protections hardworking families rely on, making it harder for middle class Americans to get ahead and responsible businesses to follow the law," Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) concluded in an interview with Politico on Tuesday.


text:
call us
for pricing
Our ref: # 18812
This prestigious business center is home to a number of functional office spaces in Chula Vista, California. This location is popular for business, with excellent local transport links and plenty of amenities close by. The building itself is striking and provides a great first impression with clients and guests, with a curving red brick facade and a contemporary interior. There are also plenty of major companies based here, which creates ideal networking opportunities.
Offices are fully furnished and serviced, and are ready to use and well-equipped for business with high speed internet access and dedicated phone lines. Meeting rooms are available on request, accommodating groups of various sizes for anything from client meetings and workshops to training or special events. Meeting rooms are fully-equipped with state-of-the-art conferencing and presentation equipment.
This location is less than a mile away from the I-5 and I-805 freeways, offering routes through the city, and local bus routes are just a few minutes walk away.
What next?
You will receive a free report on your selected offices and guidance through your search.


text:
Register Today!
Don't miss out on getting a VIP upgrade
Auto insurance is on the verge. OEM-carrier partnerships create omnipotence. You either collaborate or disappear, because customers won't hang around. Technology dictates that anything's possible; If we can control data. If we can provide personalization. If we can guarantee safety…
So what now? Auto Insurance USA in Chicago is providing you an opportunity. Your chance. Your 2020 game changer. A place to operationalize telematics, deliver outstanding auto products, and control claims lifecycles entirely. The industry's most senior carrier and OEM executives. Imagine that. Your pathway to becoming a leader in a new age of auto insurance.
But to claim your trophy, to make your company's vision a reality, we must operationalize all available data, leverage innovative tech and forge new partnerships now; because worse than anything, the single most disastrous thing you could do right now, is to do nothing at all.
Join us in Chicago, and shape the future of auto insurance.
The optimal place to cut through the noise
The optimal place to cut through the noise
Don't miss out on getting a VIP upgrade before they all run out. Only a handful left.
Undeniably the USA's biggest and best carriers. The OEMs impacting the space right now. The supply chain leaders that serve this market. Nowhere else in North America challenges the market leaders in each field to define the future of auto insurance. You can be part of the auto revolution.
Partnerships. Partnerships. Partnerships. This event is designed to put the right mix of experts under one roof as to encourage collaboration. Personal and commercial lines leaders, insurance heads and connected vehicle experts from the OEMs, supply chain and connected technology providers make this happen. We see handshakes turn into millions of dollars.
This event focuses on operationalizing strategy not just dreaming of what my be… We want you to operationalize multiple telematics schemes, layer new technologies into your operations like AI, ML and blockchain; change the way you use data and engage with your customers, partner with OEMs and streamline your claims process. Don't miss out!
Behind every event statistic is a senior, leader in their field. North America's most senior auto insurance executives, 175+ from the big carriers (of which fleet and personal are represented), 40+ carrier speakers, 25+ real-life case studies of auto innovation.
You will experience engagement with your community like never before: The presentations, panel debates, roundtables, workshops and networking is inclusive and designed to give you a voice amongst your peers. We use a pre-event networking app so that you can set up 1:1 meetings and host a drinks reception so that you can meet everyone you set out to.
Hear from Personal Lines and Commercial Lines leaders, Auto Claims Directors, Product Development innovators and Technology pioneers- Telematics, Connected Car and Claims Tech.
Managing Director, Automotive & Mobility Strategic Partnerships
Commercial Telematics & Connected Business Director
Director, Global Digital Transformation and External Partnerships
Director, Chief Product Owner, TSP
Director, Auto Claims
Senior Vice President, Head of Auto Claims
Senior Vice President, Head of Operations
Head of New Business Development
IT & Architecture Lead
Senior Vice President, Business Insurance, Business Solutions
Senior Vice President, Auto Field Operations, GRM U.S Claims
There has never been a greater call for collaboration in our industry. Internally, heads of personal and commercial lines are co-ordinating innovation across technology, product and claims so that Auto customers have ultimate choice in how they engage with their insurer, and how their data can impact on policy, experience and value-add services.
Meet your equivalent job roles and map out your next steps on site. Aside from the biggest carriers, meet the leading OEMs making impact right now and North America's leading technology experts. Come together to address core challenges and transform the industry.
This inaugural board was developed in 2019 as a way to ensure Insurance Nexus continue to bring you the most valuable, relevant insight through our events and content. We are excited to have the backing and involvement from the Auto industry's most experienced and influential experts. These leaders are passionate about our mission for the event and are helping me to drive our vision forward.
Reuters Events has created a 'can-do' hub for carriers and leading tech players to converge. This is Auto specific, so there's no time wasted in getting to product customization and claimstech. Simply, we match the leading carrier decision-makers with the tech players ready to do business.
There is no chance of getting lost in a sea of irrelevant contacts. If you are selling into this market, you will meet the heads of personal and commercial lines, and those charged with innovating Auto claims and product at speed, so come prepared to further discussion into action plans.
Don't miss out- enquire now, and discover how you can be positioned as a thought leader in this industry.
The journey through capturing and operationalizing data, integrating technologies, forging new partnerships and meeting escalating customer expectations is challenging. Over two days, uncover your strategy for integrating new technologies like those highlighted below:
What a time to work in Auto insurance! The stakes have never been higher, have they? To secure market reputation and deliver personalized product and seamless claims, carriers are tearing up the rule book and it's exciting to see first-hand.
Why? Undoubtedly OEMs have changed the game. By providing high volume, quality data, and therefore insight on customers and their driving behaviours, customers' expectations on what 'insurance' should look like have changed forever. Not to be outdone, carriers and the power of technologies like mobile, automation, AI, telematics are opening up even more opportunity to give the customers what they expect, and at an efficiency level that is seemingly unprecedented.
Ultimately, data mastery will determine market share and foster strong business models to boost operational efficiency and satisfy customer demand for service excellence. New opportunities are emerging to personalize customer choice, modify behavior and deliver a faster, more accurate claim service. But the journey through capturing and operationalizing data, integrating technologies, forging new partnerships and meeting escalating customer expectations will be challenging.
Which is why Auto Insurance USA is bringing together the industry's most senior executives, business leaders from across four key functions- personal and commercial lines strategists, product, claims and innovation; to enable all participants to shift gears from insurance to protection and become digital, customer-centric businesses.
With focussed tracks for product and claims teams, over 20 carrier case studies and networking opportunities including a drinks reception, lunches and 1:1 meetings via our event app, Auto executives explore how innovation and technology are converging so that more efficient and customer-centric processes are actually reached.
Auto Insurance USA is North America's most dedicated, senior event for the entire Auto line, and the breeding ground that allows innovation plans to become reality. Bring your teams and make your 2020 and beyond extraordinary.
Until Chicago-
Graham Proud
Head of Connected Auto Research
Insurance Nexus by Reuters Events
Phone: +44 (0) 207 375 7221
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Hear the insights and strategies from insurance key decision makers on what carriers need to do TODAY in order to succeed over the next 5 years
Every talk is inspiring, concise and memorable. Lasting no more than 20 minutes, our senior speakers will share exclusive insights that will leave you on the edge of your seat!
Hear from a panel of experts and work with your peers to get the blue-print of how to create new sources of revenue and maximize data by partnering successfully with OEMs as part of new Auto ecosystems
Join a focussed group that looks at the practicalities of setting up and improving driver behaviour apps that improver customer experiences and drastically impact on operational efficiency
"Fantastic coverage of the most pressing issues"- AXA
"Critical insight and guidance for designing the future architecture"- QBE
"Great meeting of minds and networking opportunity"- USAA
"Great discussions from thought leaders in IoT."- Liberty Mutual
"This event is much needed."- Farmers
In light of the rapidly evolving impact of the coronavirus globally - and having sought feedback from participants, local health authorities and government bodies - we have made the difficult decision to postpone the event until later this year.
Insurance Nexus is a trading name of FC Business Intelligence Ltd. Registered in England and Wales no.4388971. Registered address 7-9 Fashion Street, London, E1 6PX, UK. Contact Us.
Website Development by Fruitbowl Media Ltd.
Transforming Underwriting
Customer-Centric Claims: Efficient, Digital and Flexible
Creating an Outstanding Customer Experience
We are bringing three open design workshops to live solve an industry challenge with your peers. In a truly interactive session, experience the opportunity of group problem-solving. Led by three industry experts, voice your challenges, and leave with practical solutions.
By joining one of these open design workshops, you'll have the opportunity to directly discuss with industry leaders on:


text:
The fields marked with a red star are required.
Bosch permits you to extend the warranty period of your appliance to ensure more efficient operation and to prolong the service life of the appliance with annual maintenance options.
Bosch provides options which meet your expectations with a variety of combined warranty packages, eases your budget, and gives you peace of mind with free-of-charge maintenance advantage and the assurance of being able contact customer service.
You can choose and get the advantages of 1, 2, or 4-year supplementary guarantee packages, as you wish, for Conventional and Condensing appliances.
- The opportunity to extend the standard warranty period of your appliance for an additional 4 years
- Free of charge annual maintenance for the period of the additional guarantee
- Protection of the efficiency and performance of your appliance with regular maintenance
- Reduction of repair and maintenance costs
- Service for your appliance by expert and authorised technical service agents and the peace of mind that comes with Bosch
- Problem free heating with peace of mind
You can request that our experts contact you by filling out the form below.


text:
Rajasthan has many traditional crafts, including block printing (if you own an Indian style printed skirt it probably came from here), leather work using camel leather, hand paper making, carpet making, precious and semi-precious stone jewellery, miniature painting and Jaipur blue pottery. The local dress of the nomadic people is colourful, with block printed or tie-dyed fabric, shisha mirrors, bright colours and bangles, always bangles.
While we've been in Jaipur we've had the opportunity to visit several local crafts workshops and also the Anokhi Museum of Block Printing http://www.anokhi.com/museum/home.html.
Housed in a restored havelli in the shadow of the Amber Fort this museum shows the history of block printing, with examples of regional variations and stitched textiles.
Traditional designs
We saw the block-maker's designs
and watched blocks being carved
Then we had chance to have a go ourselves - this is a three-colour design. The maximum is seven colours.
Ingenious ink trays have wire mesh to prevent too much ink clogging the blocks
Also whilst in Jaipur we visited two other block printing workshops, the first in Amber, at a collective that also includes rug making (more in a later post).
The guy on the left is making the first print in this three-block process ...
closely followed by his colleagues with blocks two and three. Registration is done by eye (there are hidden dots for the first block so spacing remains consistent) and they work so fast, making it look really easy (it isn't!).
A selection of blocks on display - the four below make up the elephant.
In this tiny shed fabric for duvet covers and pillow cases was being printed using three blocks. They kindly stopped to show is the process and let us have a go.
Fascinating! Even Shyam our driver couldn't resist a look through the window - either that or he was trying to hurry us up so we got to Pushkar before dark!
More pictures over on InStitches blog.


text:
How tight hip flexors and hamstrings purpose decrease. If a few quick hip flexor stretches is your idea of mobility paintings, you're reducing your self quick. Make hip mobility a priority, and your praise might be a higher. Hip flexor sports five easy stretches greatist. Without the hip flexors, we wouldn't be capable of lift our knees, bend on the waist, or even walk not to mention run! However notwithstanding their energy, these little muscles are. Gluteal muscle mass, psoas and piriformis brianmac. Additionally attempt. Sitting and tight hip flexors somastruct. Tight hip flexors are regularly implicated as a primary purpose of low lower back ache and horrific posture, however is sitting the real purpose of the problem? Tight hips? Recommendations to loosen your hip flexors. Apr 20, 2011 3 stretches to remedy tight hip flexors funk roberts. Subscribe subscribed unsubscribe ninety eight,208 98k. Loading loading working add to. enhancing hip flexor mobility and power. A pair of awful hip flexors can do a lot to make a screw up your performance in the weight room. You'll be aware weak hip flexors thru low knee elevate when sprinting. easy restore series tight however vulnerable hip flexors smr +. · easy restore series tight but susceptible hip flexors smr + wall marching + glute marching/bridging.
12 exquisite stretches for tight hip flexors fitbodyhq. Most people have tight hips, however simply because they're tight does not imply they need to stay that way. Loosen the ones hip flexors and open your hips up with 12 of the. Tight and vulnerable hip flexors pacific nw pilates. Hello i examine the publish above..I'm able to relate. I am looking to free my left hip which may be very tight i'm able to't bend while seated to tie my left shoe something is limiting me. Tight and weak hip flexors pacific nw pilates. Extra hip flexors tight or weak pix. 3 stretches to therapy tight hip flexors youtube. Susceptible gluteal muscle groups (hip flexors psoas) emerge as short and tight, glutes and middle while challenging your hip flexors. how to enhance hip mobility mark's each day apple. I'm surprised that an entire conversation about hip mobility could leave out any point out of yoga! The whole exercise of yoga is designed to create our bodies which can sit down. how to stretch hip flexors ehow. A way to stretch hip flexors. You interact your hip flexors, many of the maximum active muscles for your frame, in lots of ordinary actions while you take a step, rise.
back pain and tight hip flexor muscular tissues the. Of the various troubles involved in bad squat approach, terrible glute manage is easily the most important factor. Motion disorder is a recreation of repayment. a way to fortify hip flexors youtube. · take 20 reps of each workout to bolster your hip flexors. Lunge with twist mountain climber slides. Tight hips? Recommendations to loosen your hip flexors laurens. When you have tight hip flexors and be afflicted by hip pain, begin including those sports and stretches into your workout, and. Hip stretches it is not unusual to broaden muscle. Tight hips + tight low again = susceptible glutes and vulnerable abs. Weak abdominals, end up tight in the hip flexors and coffee lower back and overstretched/susceptible in the gluteus. continual neck pain postural causes and a unique repair. Postural sporting events in quick neck enhance neck flexors correct forward head/kyphotic posture with restoration the shoulder blade exercise. With this exercise the. The significance of hip mobility mark's day by day apple. I assume a variety of hip issues stem from lack of awareness of all the opportunity for movement around the vicinity. You've got two femur heads with a big range of. greater hip flexors tight or susceptible movies. release your hip flexors. The surprising approaches that tight hips are keeping you back which you won't believe. Here's the reality most of the people don't recognize the motive in their troubles is tight hip.
continual neck pain postural causes and a unique repair. Postural sporting events in quick neck enhance neck flexors correct forward head/kyphotic posture with restoration the shoulder blade exercise. With this exercise the.
Squats and hip dysfunction 2 not unusual issues and. Dec 18, 2011 clean restore series tight but weak hip flexors smr + wall marching + glute marching/bridging. Squats and hip disorder 2 not unusual problems and how. Of the various troubles worried in terrible squat technique, poor glute control is easily the most important component. Movement disorder is a sport of repayment. Why your hip flexor fitness is important / health /. Again ache and tight hip flexor muscle tissues the connection domestic → structural integration → again pain and tight hip flexor muscle mass the connection. eight hip flexor stretches and exercises for healthy hips. When you have a stiff, tight or painful hip then hipflexors will release your hip flexors and restore motion the manner it must be. Unlocking your hip flexors.
8 ways to selfmassage tight hip flexors a way to do self. On every occasion you practice yoga, you are probable engaging and stretching your rectus femoris muscle. This hip flexor, running from your hipbone on your kneecap contracts. eight hip flexor stretches and sports for healthful. Your hip flexors and hamstrings. Up to date march 2016 sherwin nicholson sn fitness assets how they have an effect on your first-rate of life. easy restoration series tight but susceptible hip flexors smr. This query become sent and replied to via electronic mail, however we idea others might be involved! Hello. My call is connie bruce and i'm a stott certified teacher in. Hip flexors tight or weak video outcomes. When you have a stiff, tight or painful hip then hipflexors will unencumber your hip flexors and repair movement the manner it must be. Unlocking your hip flexors. Hip flexors tight or vulnerable image results. The hip flexors are a regularly overlooked however very critical muscle organization. Pretty much any form of mobility involves the hip flexors so it's far essential we contend with them. a thousand+ thoughts about hip flexor ache on pinterest hip. Hip flexor ache? No problem! Kt tape tape beneath the garments this simply show placement. Psoas stretch on pinterest hip flexors, stretching and. Discover thousands of photographs about psoas stretch on pinterest, a visual bookmarking device that facilitates you find out and store innovative thoughts. See more approximately hip flexors.
men's health weak hyperlink training get more potent hip. Also attempt. Hip flexors power & flexibility fleet ft. And rotators can turn out to be tight, and gluteal muscular tissues emerge as weak. Tight hip flexors inside the elderly hip stretches of tight hip flexors or due. Do tight hip flexors correlate to glute weak spot? Mike. Janda defined lower crossed syndrome to explain how sure muscle agencies inside the lumbopelvic area get tight, even as the antagonists get susceptible or inhibited. susceptible posterior chain. On pinterest glutes, tight. › sports medicinal drug nook › hip flexors electricity & flexibility. Tight hip flexors other commonplace issues that are associated with hyperlordosis are weak. How tight hip flexors and hamstrings purpose decrease lower back. Your hip flexors and hamstrings. Up to date march 2016 sherwin nicholson sn health assets how they have an effect on your nice of lifestyles. Tight hips + tight low back = vulnerable glutes and weak. Tight hips? Guidelines to loosen your hip flexors. 164 feedback [ez_two] what's lengthy and difficult and as stiff as a plank of wood? Tight hip flexors, susceptible glutes, Flex the ones flexors 3 steps to effective hips. If your hip flexors are overdeveloped, tight, stiff or short, you'll suffer from lower returned pain and hip pain. You may enjoy a limited variety of movement inside the.


text:
Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers! All of our positions are filled for 2020. Please come back in late fall to sign up for 2021.
To ensure a successful Festival, we need the help of scores of volunteers! The duties are mostly physically light and social. Please see below for a specific list of jobs available before and during the Festival. A number of volunteer opportunities with varying time commitments are available. The Festival runs February 11-14, 2021.
- Venue Usher
Be an SBF ambassador on Festival Saturday and assist with venue transition and audience seating for a morning or afternoon shift as a venue usher.
Dynamic diplomatic skills and friendly attitude are a plus. A $5 lunch voucher for the food trucks is your reward!
- Logistics Team
Help the SBF staff get the Festival Saturday venues ready on Friday afternoon and then assist with line management for a 2-hour shift on Saturday.
Smiling faces are required! A $5 lunch voucher for the food trucks is your reward!
- Utility Player
No specific duties, but availability and flexibility are required as you may be asked to fill in for any of the above positions at any time…always exciting!
A $5 lunch voucher for the food trucks is your reward!
Become a part of the SBF family by being a volunteer! All volunteer positions will include detailed instruction via email.


text:
Why use RC Limited?
- Get rid of your Rubbish in Audley End today!
- Competitive Prices
- Fully Insured up to £10 Million Pounds
- Cheaper than a skip in front of your Audley End home!
- No Item Restrictions for Audley End orChignall St James
- Rubbish Removal & Waste Clearance Services For Domestic & Commercial Customers In Audley End orHenham
Call or email for an immediate price and same day collection in CB11


text:
Ancient flavors of Belluno
The food of Belluno is a mountain food, which has its origins in the Dolomitic ground: sober, simple, essential, but that does not mean poor, thanks to all those natural ingredients, that sometimes seems to be really rare.
Herbs are worthy of the maximum attention and use; vegetables, pulses, fruit allows delicious first courses: soups beans, nettles, mushrooms, barley, or rice with pumpkin or milk. Stale bread with olive oli, salt and sage make a typical dish of the area: the panada; pumpkin dumplings with grated smoked ricotta (unsalted cheese), all soaked in melted butter.
Extremely tasty, especially when gone with potatoes, sausages, fried and not fried cheese, is the polenta made with the maize flour, cooked in the copper pot, that, once poured on the taier, let the croste (crusts), that can be soon turned into a delicious soup with the add of garlic and spinach. These are all simple suggestions by those who have to face the few things they have at their disposal.Traditions are respected also in the main courses with lamb cooked with different herbs and spices, chicken, and the unfailing game and the classic pastin, the salami kneading flavoured with sage and then browned; or the cabbage gone with pork cutlets.
Take delight in the kodinzon, delicate apple sheets dryed at the sun, in the sbatudin, a very tasty energy-giving made with youlk and sugar shaked together.
After-dinner liqueur ant the "queen" grappa (a rough, strong brandy) takes wonderful flavours from fruit.
Discover also the culinary traditions of South Tyrol and Trentino!


text:
5 Stunning Sights in Arizona
By Nicole Grimes
Arizona, the 6th largest state in the US is home to some of the most breathtaking views in the world. While the state is best known for its desert landscape, incredibly picturesque mountains and plateaus are found in more than half of the state. These photos below capture some of the unbelievable beauty found here:
1. Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering 120,000 square miles! Some of it is in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, but most of it lies in the western half of the state of Sonora, Mexico. This is the hottest of North America's deserts, but a distinct rainfall pattern produces a high biological diversity. The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species ( including the roadrunner and the only population of Jaguars in the US), 350 bird species, over 100 reptile species, over 1000 native bee species, and more than 2000 native plant species! You may be able to spot some wildlife yourself while enjoying a desert Hummer tour with or enjoying a breath-taking hot air balloon ride with Hot Air Expeditions.
2. Paria Canyon
This mind-boggling photo is a picture taken at Coyote Buttes – a section of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness that spans South Central Utah and North Central Arizona. The Coyote Buttes area is an exposure of Jurassic Navajo sandstone. The area includes dramatic swirling erosional rock formations such as The Wave. Additionally, a dinosaur trackway is found in the area and actually provides evidence of a variety of dinosaurs! However, you would have to be very fortunate enough to visit here. You must obtain a hiking permit in advance to visit Paria Canyon and this is not easy to come by. However, if you do obtain a permit, several companies host tours here including Vermillion Cliffs and Dreamland Tours.
3. Monument Valley
Monument Valley is officially a large area that includes much of the area surrounding Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, a Navajo Nation equivalent to a national park. You must pay an access fee and drive through the park on a 17-mile (27 km) dirt road (a 2-3 hour trip). Parts of Monument Valley are accessible only by guided tour, such as Mystery Valley and Hunts Mesa.
4. The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a geological masterpiece carved by the Colorado River and managed by Grand Canyon National Park, the Hualapai Tribal Nation, and the Havasupai Tribe. It is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and the second largest canyon in the world. The picture above is of the scenic Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado.
Havasu Falls, pictured above, is a waterfall of Havasu Creek, located in the Grand Canyon. It is located within Havasupai tribal lands. Arizona's all-time record high is 128°F (53°C) recorded at nearby Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994, and also on July 5, 2007. There are several wonderful, and economical, Viator tours to see the Grand Canyon either from Las Vegas or from Phoenix.
5. Sedona
While exploring the Grand Canyon is a thrilling experience, you won't want to miss Sedona as part of your Arizona adventure. Sedona, located in the north east of the state, offers inspiring overlooks, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails and beautiful red rock vistas. It is home to its own haven of impressive canyons – including Bell Rock (pictured above), Oak Creek Canyon & Cathedral Rock. One must-see attraction in Sedona is The Chapel of the Holy Cross, a Roman Catholic chapel built directly into its buttes! You can check out www.VisitSedona.com for more travel tips.
With sights like these, a trek to Arizona will clearly be an exciting and unforgettable one!
Nicole Grimes
Education is my love but travel is my soulmate. I cannot live without either. Hence, I travel often and it's always intense. Jam-packed. Not much sleep happens and I return home to New York with hundreds of photos. Amongst those moments captured, you will rarely find pool or beach pics, happy folks with brews in hand.. Instead, to some of my friends dismay, there are endless photos of buildings, bridges, towers, churches, monuments, signs, terrain, animals etc. When I am away, I am eager to consume everything around me. I refuse to spend one waking moment seated in a hotel room or lobby passing valuable time.. Hopefully, this totally geeky travel maniac can provide some helpful tips and insights for you fellow travelers out there.
Want more?
Get exclusive, unpublished tips from Travel Noire's CEO to help you get off the beaten path, into the hearts of locals and onto a better, more cultured life.
Adventures You Should Take #WhenCoronaIsOver
Last month, Polaris, the top manufacture of power sport vehicles, invited me and a group of fellow travelers out for 3 days of fun in Snow Boat Springs, CO. Before this trip, it was never on my bucket list to ride a snowmobile through the mountains in Colorado but this experience totally changed my idea […]
CEO Loses Job After Calling Uber Driver The N-Word
An Arizona CEO was forced to step down from his position after surveillance video captured him calling his Uber driver a racial slur. It all started when Hans Berglund, former CEO of Tempe fertilizer company, Agroplasma, insisted on sitting in the front seat next to his driver when he was picked up, as reported on […]
Woman Claims To Have A Bomb In Her Luggage After Not Being Allowed To Board Plane
It was a scary moment for passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor after a woman allegedly made a "false terrorism report," police said. Authorities have identified the woman as 53-year-old Hope Webber. She was charged with false emergency reporting, a class one misdemeanor, and making a false terrorism report, a class three felony. Webber was not […]


text:
Many players who visit an online casino will be drawn in by the awesome progressive games that are supported. Since there are so many legal casinos operating, players will find they have many choices when choosing a game that can offer a huge paying jackpot amount. The progressives in US online casinos can offer millions of dollars to players and are among the most popular games available. With so many people accessing these casinos on a daily basis, players will watch the jackpots grow until one lucky winner hits the combination for a life altering win.
Most players will immediately associate progressive games with slots. The majority of the jackpots that are offered are actually on these games. When players enter a casino, they will be impressed with the selection of slot games that are offering progressive amounts. In an RTG casino, players will benefit even more because there are many slot games that have random progressive jackpots. With a standard progressive slot, players will often have to place a maximum bet to be eligible for the large payout. When choosing a random progressive, players will not have to place a large wager. They do not even need a specific winning combination. These random jackpots are awarded at the end of spins and any player who is accessing the game could be the next big winner.
New players who are interested in playing a progressive game shoddily begin with these random progressive slots. Since new players will usually have a smaller budget than others, the maximum bet required on most games can be costly. With a random progressive game, players can place any wager they desire so that they can stay within their casino budget while still having the chance to win a progressive payout.
For those that cannot withstand temptation and are drawn to the large paying slots, they should make sure to have a casino budget and always adhere to it no matter what. Some of the progressive games that can be found in top sites like Bovada Casino and Grand Eagle Casino can offer thousands, if not millions in winnings, which is very appealing to players. However, there are other things besides the amount of the available jackpot that should be considered.
When choosing a progressive in a US online casino, players should try to find the games that offer decent payouts during the base game. It is important for players to generate some returns while playing so they do not lose their money quickly by placing maximum bets. For new players, it may be best to select a game with a lower jackpot amount and better regular game payouts.
Players will also benefit from choosing a progressive that is offered on a video slot. With these games, players will have the chance to collect payouts from the bonus rounds in the game. While slots are definitely the main choices for progressives, there are also other games in US online casinos that can offer a progressive win.
Many online casinos will have some table and card games that are also linked to the progressive network. With blackjack, video poker and some other games available, there is something for all players. This assortment will allow all players, regardless of their game preference the chance to win some stunning jackpots. The key to being a successful player when choosing a progressive game is to select a game that offers the best odds of winning. Players should always make sure they can afford the bet required for the progressive win and then choose games that have the best payout percentages.
Copyright © 2018 investyukon.com. All rights reserved.


text:
This property Closed on 04/23/18
Close Price: $308,500
Original Listing Price: $339,900
List Date: 09/15/17
Incredible Home in immaculate condition! Incredible & Breath taking views to enjoy from multiple decks & covered porches! 3 finished floors, with access & bedrooms on basement & main level. Upstairs has bedroom, bath & office.House has 4 bedrooms, but only 3 bedroom septic permit. House has been recently updated & is move in ready. Lots of light & open floor plan. Great fireplace, & cathedral ceiling!Home is on west side of town, close to Asheville!
Listed by Teresa Bryant Brown at Burnsville
Directions: West of Burnsville, on 19E, approx. 5 miles to Possum Trot Rd, .9 mile to left at Pinnacle Road and go straight to end of road.
Disclaimer: The map service includes search results such as listings and related information provided by third parties. Beverly-Hanks makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by these third parties.
Burnsville, NC is located among some of the highest mountains to be found in Western North Carolina—and in the eastern U.S., for that matter. The town offers living situations and outdoor experiences that go above and beyond the norm, presenting you with many opportunities to Live the Life You Choose.
Quick Link: Burnsville Homes and Land For SaleRead More
Burnsville, NC is located among some of the highest mountains to be found in Western North Carolina—and in the eastern U.S., for that matter. The town offers living situations and outdoor experiences that go above and beyond the norm, presenting you with many opportunities to Live the Life You Choose.
Quick Link: Burnsville Homes and Land For Sale
Just a few miles from Burnsville is one of the most unique communities in the South: Celo, a settlement and land trust founded in 1937. There, some 40 families adhere to a loosely defined humanist ethic and help run a collective farm and the Arthur Morgan School, a progressive middle school with roots in Quaker values and the Montessori educational approach.
Quick Link: Find a Burnsville real estate professional
Beverly-Hanks has an office located in north Asheville, just half an hour from Burnsville. If you're searching for homes and land in Burnsville, our expert real estate agents are available to help. Your Beverly-Hanks & Associates REALTOR® is backed by an outstanding support staff and committed to the highest standards of customer service.
Find the homes in Burnsville that allow you to Live the Life You Choose. Click below to search Burnsville, NC real estate for your ideal listings.
Quick Link: Burnsville Market Information
For home mortgage services through Beverly-Hanks & Associates, visit our Mortgage Services office in downtown Asheville, NC.
Burnsville (population 1,700) is the largest of the 11 townships in Yancey County, as well as the county seat. Located in the center of the county, Burnsville is 35 miles north of Asheville and 50 miles west of Johnson City, Tennessee. Burnsville offers many amenities within minutes of town, including county and regional libraries, public and private schools (elementary, middle, and high school), Mayland Community College, and a growing number of shopping, entertainment, and dining options. Several health centers are nearby, including a branch of the Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. Nearby Mount Mitchell is accessible by foot via several hiking trails or by bike or vehicle on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a sightseer's and cyclist's haven.
Mars Hill: 24 minutes
Spruce Pine: 23 minutes
Barnardsville: 31 minutes
Weaverville: 33 minutes
Downtown Asheville: 42 minutes
Marion: 51 minutes
Asheville Regional Airport: 52 minutes
Black Mountain: 55 minutes
Yancey County is an elevated county that offers living situations and outdoor experiences that go above and beyond the norm. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north and a stretch of the Appalachian Trail to the south. Just a few miles away from Burnsville looms Mount Mitchell, the tallest peak east of the Mississippi (6,684 feet above sea level). The mountain is surrounded by the 2,000-acre Mount Mitchell State Park, which is full of choice spots for hiking, camping, picnicking, and outdoor education.
Tax rates are per $100 of assessed valuation.
Yancey County: $ 0.6000
Burnsville: $ 0.5050
North Asheville is a collection of active, historic, and growing communities. Read about recent news, events, and real estate market updates for the area on the Beverly-Hanks blog.
Email: [email protected]
Office: (828) 678-9944
Direct: (828) 691-1045
Beverly-HanksNorth Asheville
Email: [email protected]
Office: (828) 273-2264
Direct: (828) 273-2264