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Lesson #6: Add Tactics to Technique to Become Brilliant
Now we have covered the important technical points so in the next three lessons we will focus softer skills (tactics, drills and mental strength).
If you get the technical things right you will be good, but add the softer skills and you will become brilliant.
We start with tactics.
We can talk for months on end about spin bowling tactics, but as I'm sure you do not have months right now we will pick two important points and discuss them. Bowling and field placement tactics:
While you are bowling plan a few balls ahead, only think about one ball at a time when you bowl.
Does that make sense? Let me put that another way; between deliveries and overs you have to plan how to work the batsman over with a sequence of planned deliveries. But, when you bowl the bowl you should only be thinking about the particular delivery you want to bowl right then.
But, how you should you plan a few deliveries ahead?
Well, there are so many ways to do this (I go a more in depth on this topic in my Guide), but you can first try and see where the batsman's weak points are.
For example, watch his feet to see if he is a slow mover (bowl a few stock balls and then a fuller quicker one to trap him LBW on the crease),
Or does he fish at wide deliveries? (Then bowl a few straight balls and a slow, big spinning wide delivery to tempt him).
So, watch what the batsman does for a few overs. See, where he has a weak point or likes to take risks. Then you plan around that.
Use the surprise element, so do not feed him wide balls if he tends to have a swash at them (he will soon realise what you are up to). Rather, like I just explained, slip one wide at a different speed to tempt him.
A few fielding placement tactics
Oh, fielding placements. Do you have time? This could take months as well.
I have tried to make it a bit easier in the Guide and gave you plenty of field placement diagrams for study and quick reference.
In the email I will limit this to a few rules though:
- When you come on to bowl for the first time, do not drop men to the boundary right away. Let the batsman have a go. Let him take the risk to see if he can hit you over the top. Start with your field in.
- If the pitch is turning and you are an offie, rather have a bat-pad position than a slip (if you only have one close in fielder)
- If the pitch is not turning then place your fielders straighter. If it is turning then place them squarer.
- Put pressure on a new batsman at the crease and always get a few close men in for the first few deliveries he faces.
- Put your best catchers in the deep (common mistakes for younger teams to try and 'hide' the poor fielders on the boundary).
Right, that was a few quick pointers. We go into much more depth on these issues in my Guide but this should set you off in the right direction.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Truth be told it is not about the messages flowing between systems or the integration of new systems, nor is it even about saving money for the sake of saving money.
No, the main benefit of an ESB is that it helps reduce chaos in an IT department. It imposes an underlying structure, unifying how systems work together and sometimes even making new systems bend a little bit to confirm.
At XQuadro we have been building ESB systems based on IBM MQ and Broker since 2002. Our services include (but are not all limited to):
- Planning and creating an architecture and detailed design of an ESB of any size: from single Queue Manager installation to ensure effective communication to an MQ enabled system to large heterogeneous systems that include multiple IBM Integration Bus installations, supports multiple protocols and system, and are possibly distributed across different geographical locations.
- Implementation of new IBM Integration Bus and IBM MQ installations. Building Highly available installations based on different cluster technologies including Microsoft Cluster Services, Power HA, Linux clustering solutions, and different solutions for Linux on z.
- Redesign and upgrade of existing IBM Integration Bus and IBM MQ installations including version upgrade of 24×7 productions systems and retrofitting Disaster Recovery and High Availability capabilities.
- Monitoring and maintenance of 24×7 production installations of IBM Integration Bus and IBM MQ.
- Design and development of new Message Flows. Maintenance, redesign, and upgrade of existing Message Flows.
- Providing aggressive 24×7 SLA levels.
We have accumulated a wealth of ESB experience over the ensuing years – please excuse our immodesty here, but we feel that we have earned it:
We've worked for clients building new systems from scratch. (Well, not quite.) We've worked for clients that had multiple fragmented ESBs running different versions in the same organization and we helped them consolidate thiss, building in DR and monitoring the processes. We've built interfaces between various collaborating organizations that did not necessarily trust one another all that much. And we have built geographically distributed systems spanning multiple time zones.
The major lesson that we have learned from all this is that every client is different. You will throw a different challenge at us.
So go ahead and prove us right. Give us a call.


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To marinate the beef
1 tsp. sweet dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp. crushed, chopped ginger
1 pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 or 2 pinches five-spice powder
Marinate the sliced beef for 30 minutes or more in soy sauce and the other ingredients listed above.
While the beef is marinating, make the sauce by dissolving the cornstarch (fécule de maïs) in the soy sauce. Stir in the mirin (or other wine), garlic, hot red pepper flakes, and some of the broth or water (you can add more just before serving if you need it). Set the sauce aside.
Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat, pour in some vegetable oil, and heat it until it just begins to smoke. Stir-fry the beef in the oil in small batches for 1 minute, or until it is no longer pink. Set the beef aside in a bowl or on a plate.
Add the remaining vegetable oil to the wok, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and then stir-fry the garlic and onion for a minute or two. Add the broccoli and stir-fry the mixture for another minute or two.
Pour some hot water into the wok, put on a lid, and let the broccoli steam for 2 or 3 minutes, until it is tender but still crisp. Remove the cover and let most of the water evaporate.
Then stir the cooking sauce well to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved and add it to the wok, along with the beef and any cooking juices it has released as it rests. Cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened, the beef is heated through, and the broccoli is done to your taste. Add a small amount of broth or water as needed to finish the sauce.


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Officer Spotlight – Martin Figueroa
Martin Figueroa is Parole Agent Supervisor with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation supervising one of the largest groups of former inmates on parole in the United States. His work includes supervising a large group of peace officers who monitor parolees and focus on rehabilitation, as well as the enforcement of laws. As part of this rehabilitation process, State Parole facilitates one of the only lifer mentoring groups in North America, which has received national recognition.
In 2002, Figueroa was hired by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Adult Parole Operations as a Parole Agent I (i.e., Peace Officer, State of California) and assigned to the San Francisco Parole Unit. Early on, he identified the dual role of a Parole Agent—to help enforce the laws for the good of public safety while also working to ensure ex-offenders successfully re-integrate into society. Figueroa was later assigned to the sex offender unit, as well as other assignments, including supervising violent offenders, those with mental health issues, and long-term offenders.
Figueroa holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's in Counseling Psychology from Holy Names University. He graduated from SCI's Public Safety Leadership Program (PSLP) in 2018. He was also the recipient of a certificate and award for exemplary work promoting Victim's Right from the State of California, Office of Victim's Services, as well as a 2019 award from the Jefferson Awards Foundation for Public Service.
Thank you for your service!


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(Washington D.C.) – Sports and politics collided today when – in a move long called for by many on the left – the Washington Redskins NFL team finally succumbed to the pressure and changed their team name and mascot.
"We believe both sides will be happy with this. Not only have we removed the moniker that some Native Americans find hurtful, we have replaced it with a similar one that honors the much beloved President of the United States," the team's owner Dan Snyder told reporters on a Thursday morning conference call.
Financial Incentive
The name controversy erupted in recent weeks when retailers Nike and Amazon stopped selling Redskins merchandise.
A Nike spokesman appeared unsure if the company found the new name acceptable.
"We know orangeman bad, but is orangeskins bad?," Nike Chief Diversity Officer Zufan Massawa told The Fake Scoop.
"We have legal looking into it right now," he added.
Trump Happy
"THE ORANGESKINS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!," President Trump tweeted upon hearing the news.


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Ensure your employees are fully protected
The most important stage when implementing a new lone worker solution is training. If your employees are not using their device, or they're using it incorrectly, this will not only leave your lone workers vulnerable but it's also a waste of your investment.
Device training
Your employees must be confident and comfortable with their lone worker devices/apps. Lone workers shouldn't be burdened with hard to use, complicated devices, or have to undergo lots of training just to understand how to use them. That's why our lone worker devices are simple to use and training is equally as easy – your employees will be comfortable with their devices within a couple of hours.
Safety training
Sometimes, it's difficult for employees to understand why they need a lone worker device, especially those who've never experienced an incident or threat at work.
This is why we're happy to give your employees some general lone worker safety training. This will cover the following:
- The dangers of lone working
- The importance of personal safety
It's a great way to show your employees that your priority is to keep them as safe as possible.
Managers training
A good internal safety culture comes from the top and filters down through teams, that's why we find working in partnership with your team leaders leads to a more effective lone worker solution. In our experience, having your internal employees handle your device estate, provide new user details, and work with us in the case of an alert, is more effective. Manager's Training ensures those designated managers are informed, equipped and confident.


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The Czech government on Friday evening declared a new state of emergency that will start from Saturday and last 30 days until March 28, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
In the past weeks, coronavirus infections in the country continued to increase, with 14,457 new cases confirmed in the past 24 hours. To date, the country has recorded a total of 1,212,780 cases and 19,999 deaths, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
To control the spread of the virus, the government also decided to adopt a stricter lockdown from Monday, including limit of people's movement, shutdown of more shops and full closure of schools.


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Connect With Your Community / Community
Hedland follow the dream program
Check out this fantastic review of the Follow the Dream Program that's been supporting a number of Indigenous students in Hedland to gain new experiences, prepare for their futures and become leaders and role models for the community.
Supporting education and work readiness are key priorities of the Hedland Collective. The Polly Farmer Foundation are great supporters of the Hedland community, and we love their work in this space!
For more information ,visit the article here.


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Context configuration Configure the JNDI DataSource in Tomcat by adding a declaration for your resource to your Context.
<!-- maxActive: Maximum number of dB connections in pool. Make sure you configure your mysqld max_connections large enough to handle all of your db connections. Set to -1 for no limit. --> <!-- maxIdle: Maximum number of idle dB connections to retain in pool. Set to -1 for no limit. See also the DBCP documentation on this and the minEvictableIdleTimeMillis configuration parameter. --> <!-- maxWait: Maximum time to wait for a dB connection to become available in ms, in this example 10 seconds. An Exception is thrown if this timeout is exceeded. Set to -1 to wait indefinitely. --> <!-- username and password: MySQL dB username and password for dB connections --> <!-- driverClassName: Class name for the old mm.mysql JDBC driver is org.gjt.mm.mysql.Driver - we recommend using Connector/J though. Class name for the official MySQL Connector/J driver is com.mysql.jdbc.Driver. --> <!-- url: The JDBC connection url for connecting to your MySQL dB. --> <Resource name="jdbc/TestDB" auth="Container" type="javax.sql.DataSource" maxActive="100" maxIdle="30" maxWait="10000" username="javauser" password="javadude" driverClassName="com.mysql.jdbc.Driver" url="jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/javatest"/>
<resource-ref> <description>DB Connection</description> <res-ref-name>jdbc/TestDB</res-ref-name> <res-type>javax.sql.DataSource</res-type> <res-auth>Container</res-auth> </resource-ref>
The secret of how to be miserable is to constantly expect things are going to happen the way that they are "supposed" to happen. You can have faith, which carries the understanding that you may be disappointed. Then there's being a willfully-blind idiot, which virtually guarantees it.


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What can I do to stop a bad landlord's bad behavior?
When landlords make life miserable, you may be able to take legal action. However, before getting legal, you may want to start by reviewing your Lease Agreement to find exactly what lease term is being violated, then sending a Complaint to Landlord. If there are unhealthy or unsafe conditions, you may want to submit a more detailed complaint to your landlord. If you give your landlord a written complaint, keep a copy for your records as it may be helpful for the authorities or the court to see.
If written complaints are not solving the problem, talking to a lawyer can help you figure out your next steps. If laws are being violated, or there is a local rent board, you may be able to get help from the authorities.
Can my landlord kick me out?
No, a landlord cannot just kick a tenant out of a residential rental. To kick a tenant out, a landlord must have an official court order, and even then, law enforcement must do the actual kicking out. If a landlord tries to kick you out without a court order and law enforcement, you may want to contact the police yourself. It is important to note that, depending on state and local laws, the same eviction process may not apply to nonresidential rentals, like hotels, motels, short-term vacation rentals, and commercial rentals. However, even in nonresidential situations, landlords generally will still need to have law enforcement do the physical kicking out.
To get a court order to evict a tenant, a landlord must go through the formal eviction process. This process typically requires giving you an Eviction Notice and filing an eviction lawsuit. At each step in this process, tenants may try to stop an eviction from moving forward. For example, after receiving an Eviction Notice due to unpaid rent, a tenant may pay the rent owed. Most of the time, after fixing the problem identified in the Eviction Notice, a tenant can avoid eviction.
Even if you have a bad landlord, if you receive an Eviction Notice or lawsuit, you need to take it seriously.
What happens if I ignore an Eviction Notice or lawsuit?
If you do not respond to an Eviction Notice, or a lawsuit, you are very likely to end up being evicted. Unfortunately, if this is due to a roommate or other tenant hiding these matters from you, you may not have much recourse. However, if it is due to your landlord not providing you with either the Eviction Notice or the lawsuit, you may still be able to challenge the eviction.
Fighting an eviction can be complicated. If your landlord made up fake claims, or created the problem themselves by not cashing rent checks, tenants can usually benefit by taking prompt action and from asking a lawyer for help. If a landlord is lying, abusing the legal system, or just not doing things properly, you may be able to fight back.
Can I add new door locks to keep my landlord out?
Although it may seem like a good idea to change the locks so your landlord does not have a key, doing so may be a violation of your lease. Often leases will require tenants to provide landlords with a copy of the key if a lock is changed or added. Additionally, landlords may require any changes to the property be approved before installation, and this includes adding locks.
If a landlord has a history of entering without providing notice, you may have other legal options to stop them from doing so. While a landlord may own the property, entering without permission may still be illegal. The same may be true if your landlord is harassing you, or doing other bothersome things.
If you have a bad landlord, it may be worthwhile to talk to a lawyer to learn about what you can do to protect your rights as a tenant.
This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. The law is complex and changes often. For legal advice, please ask a lawyer.


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Helen in a floatie:
Helen gets a peptalk from Brock, her swimming instructor:
Helen swims ALONE for the very first time!!!
Alice is worn. out.
Helen doesn't really like the swim lessons but she adores her swim instructor, so that helps. Because of her crush on him, we figure she'll be swimming soon. Alice, for some reason, is less enchanted — every time Brock talks to her she covers her eyes so that she's "invisible."


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Table of Contents:
Olinaturis oil serum is a cosmetic with versatile action that rejuvenates and eliminates wrinkles, as well as nourishes the body and hair.
The secret of its operation is a very rich composition, full of oils and extracts.
4 advantages of Olinaturis
- Natural blend of oils and extracts
- For face, hair and body care
- Nice smell
- Light formula
What are the indications for the use of Olinaturis?
The oil effectively slows down skin aging and reduces wrinkles, but it can also be used in other skin problems and more. The manufacturer recommends using the oil in such conditions as:
- acne, acne scars
- seborrhea
- skin discoloration
- psoriasis
- dilated capillaries
- atopic dermatitis
- loss of firmness
- dry skin
- cellulite
- stretch marks
- dry hair, lacking shine
- split ends
How does the Olinaturis serum work?
The product works naturally, does not contain chemical compounds, therefore it does not irritate the skin and does not cause allergies.
Its action is three-step , which is why it is distinguished by higher efficiency. Women who used Olinaturis oil noticed that after 2 weeks their wrinkles became 96% less visible !
They also noticed intense hydration and improvement in skin condition.
- Moisturizing – contains natural emollients that moisturize and moisturize the skin. In addition, they create a protective layer on its surface, preventing water evaporation.
- Nutrition – extracts and oils contain vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, organic acids and many other ingredients that regenerate the skin and are able to remove it for up to 10 years!
- Anti-aging protection – free radicals are responsible for the formation of wrinkles. Olinaturis contains flavonoids and antioxidants that neutralize their harmful effects.
Composition of Olinaturis – power from nature for your skin!
- Sweet almond oil ( sweet almond oil ) – extracted from delicious almond nuts not only has a pleasant smell, but also a high content of saturated fatty acids. It is very gentle on the skin, so it can be used in babies, as well as in people with delicate and sensitive skin. It deeply moisturizes the skin, restores the balance of the lipid barrier and provides a protective layer.
- Argan oil ( Argan oil ) – a very precious oil, which is extracted from the seeds of the argan tree, which occur in Morocco. It is a real mixture of beauty and health. Perfectly moisturizes the skin, smoothes it and reduces wrinkles. It inhibits the harmful effects of free radicals. It soothes acne lesions, eczema and psoriasis.
- Macadamia oil ( Macadamia oil ) – pressed from macadamia nuts, which resemble hazelnuts. It is an oil rich in vitamin A, B vitamins, phenols, lecithin and minerals. It deeply nourishes the skin and inhibits its aging. It surrounds the skin with a protective barrier against free radicals. It helps to reduce wrinkles, stretch marks and other skin problems.
- Lemon grass oil ( Lemongrass Oil ) – gives the product a pleasant aroma and gently disinfects the skin without the irritation and desiccation. It is even suitable for sensitive and dry skin. This ingredient is popular for its cleansing and antibacterial properties. It does not disturb the lipid layer of the skin.
- Witch hazel extract – has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It works well in the care of couperose skin because it strengthens blood vessels. For this reason, it is recommended for varicose veins, broken capillaries and swelling. It contains many flavonoids that have antioxidant properties and protect against the negative effects of UV radiation.
- Plantain extract (Plantago lanceolata ) – contains a very high content of mucous compounds (up to 10%), iron compounds, tannins, organic acids, carotenoids, vitamins C and K and minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc salts).
- Tahitian gardenia extract ( Gardenia taitensis ) – in folk medicine it is a unique extract with a beautiful, unique aroma. It was used as a natural compound to accelerate healing – believed to have healing effects. This extract is obtained by hand from Tiare gardenia flowers.
- Myrrh extract ( Myrrh ) – regulates the level of skin hydration, also influences the secretion of sebum. Myrrh has strong antiseptic, bacteriostatic and fungicidal properties.
- Sunflower seed oil – a very popular oil with wide properties. Its advantage is that it contains a very high content of the vitamin of youth, i.e. vitamin E. It inhibits aging at the cellular level. It moisturizes and tones the skin, which also slows down and eliminates wrinkles.
- Clove oil ( Oil of clove ) – has a delicate warming properties. It facilitates the penetration of active ingredients into the skin. It also disinfects and kills microorganisms that are harmful to the skin.
- Sage extract ( Salvia officinalis ) – contains many chemical compounds with health-promoting properties that give the extract a specific smell. It has antiseptic (disinfecting) and fungicidal properties. It contains a lot of tannins, organic acids, minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, iron) and vitamins (A, C and B group).
- Coconut ( Coconut oil ) – oil with a beautiful exotic coconut fragrance. It is widely used in cosmetics, not only for skin care, but also for hair care. Regenerates the skin and moisturizes it strongly. It surrounds the skin with a protective film, preventing water loss from the epidermis.
How to apply Olinaturis Rejuvenating Oil?
The use of the preparation is very simple, because each package contains a convenient dispensing pipette.
The oil can be used both for the care of mature skin, but also for the care of body and hair. The product is intended for external use only. Do not use on damaged skin or if you are allergic to any component of the oil.
- Face: Apply a few drops to the face and massage gently. Leave until absorbed. Apply at least once a day, preferably in the evening.
- Hair: Apply gently to hair and scalp, massage. Leave it on overnight. In the morning, wash your head thoroughly. It can also be used to discipline hair ends.
- Body: Apply to parts of the body that require special hydration, e.g. elbows, feet, hands.
Opinions on the effectiveness of Olinaturis – what do people who bought the oil say?
- The elixir of youth! – I do not know the composition of cosmetics, but also the product works brilliantly. I had various oils before, but they clogged me up, they were very greasy. Olinaturis is brilliant! It absorbs quickly, smells beautiful and, above all, really works. The skin becomes smooth, wrinkles disappear in the eyes! – Kate, 43
- Versatile and effective – There is a huge selection of cosmetics in stores, but it's hard to find something that actually works. I bought Olinaturis oil with pleasure, because firstly I liked its natural composition, but also the fact that I use one cosmetic to deal with body, hair and face care. I must admit that in each of these roles it works great! It's worth buying! – Anna, 35 years old
Where to buy Olinaturis? Our recommendation
The product is only available online. Due to innovation, it can only be purchased on the official website of the distributor in our country. Free shipping is guaranteed with every order.
If you come across Olinaturis offers on ebay or Amazon, be careful as they may be counterfeit.
NOTE: For a limited period of time, the official OLINATURIS distributor has a special offer for our readers. It comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Try OLINATURIS oil with a 50% discount
use THIS link to get FREE SHIPPING
Promotion ends today!


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It's easy to pick and choose our best tattoos and body piercing pictures to put in our portfolio section. That doesn't show you what we do on a daily basis, so we wanted to give you a window inside Studio City Tattoo & Los Angeles Body Piercing. We want you to see what we do on a daily basis, and that way we can give you an idea what we're really about. We hope you like what you see.
Studio City Tattoo Bumper Sticker
Don't forget your FREE bumper sticker!


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Jharkhand High Court: Rongon Mukhopadhyay J., rejected anticipatory bail to the ground in light of facts and submissions in the instant case.
The facts of the case are such that the petitioner who is a government employee wrote derogatory remarks in a Facebook post regarding a woman of Malaysian origin which was further circulated on Whatsapp prompting comments targeting a single community. The petitioner apprehends his arrest in connection with the instant case and seeks anticipatory bail before the Court.
The petitioner was represented by Advocate Kumar Amit and the respondent was represented by A.P.P Ruby Pandey.
Court observed that the man being a government employee took a screenshot of his Facebook post and he himself circulated that on Whatsapp group inciting derogatory remarks against a particular community. The allegations leveled are serious in nature and the fact that it was done by a government employee makes the entire incident all the more grave.
Hence the court held that in light of the aforesaid facts and observations petitioner is not liable to be granted anticipatory bail.
In view of the above, the bail was rejected and the petition disposed of.[Shesh Nah Yadav v. State of Jharkhand, 2020 SCC OnLine Jhar 790, decided on 09-09-2020]
Arunima Bose, Editorial Assistant has put this story together


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1. Aussie Skyrockets As Worries Over US-China Trade Deal Ease
The yen slipped and the Australian dollar rose on Wednesday as concerns over the U.S.-China tariff war receded further following a Financial Times report that the two sides have resolved most of the issues standing in the way of a trade deal. The AUD/USD was last seen trading 0.84% higher at 79.35 as of 7:00 GMT.*
2. DEB Shares Tumble 9%
Debenhams PLC shares tumbled on Tuesday to close almost 9% lower at £2.56 after a report that two shareholders lowered their respective interests in the company last week. Specifically, in a deal completed on Thursday, JPMorgan Chase & Co lowered its interest in the company to below the minimum threshold from a previously held 5.13%. Separately, Brandes Investment Partners LP on Friday reduced its stake in the department store chain operator to 4.44% from 9.93%.**
3. Brent Headed For $70 As Oil Prices Rally For Fourth Consecutive Day
Oil prices rose for a fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, supported by OPEC-led supply cuts and U.S. sanctions, and overshadowing an industry report showing an unexpected rise in U.S. inventories last week. Brent futures (CL_BRENT) rose 41 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $69.78 a barrel by 7:00 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (USOIL) rose 22 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $62.80 cents a barrel.***
4. Litecoin (LTC) Price Rallies +20% To New 6-Month High
Litecoin price rallied by more than 20% today amid a broader cryptocurrency surge as investors seem to have renewed their faith in the digital assets. LTC/USD added 20.4 percent to last trade at $80.731 as of 7:00 GMT. Meanwhile, EOS/USD was also last seen trading significantly higher at $5.2420, having added 13.05, while Zcash (ZEC/USD) was last up 10.86% at $71.34.****
5. GBP Recovers After May Says Is Prepared To Work With Opposition
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said that she would work with the opposition Labour Party on a joint plan for Britain's withdrawal from the E.U., and that she would seek a second delay. The move is likely to mean a softer Brexit, perhaps even compromising Mrs. May's long standing demand to exit the customs union with the bloc. May's statements supported the sterling, which added against its peers in early Wednesday trading. Indicatively, GBP/USD was last seen trading 0.5% higher at $1.3190 as of 7:05 GMT.*****
You can find and trade all of the above mentioned CFD assets on BDSwiss Forex/CFD platforms.
*CNBC April 3, 2019 2:48 AM ET
**Reuters April 3, 2019 3:53 AM ET
***Blockonomi April 3,, 2019 03:07 AM ET
****CNBC April 3,, 2019 05:25 AM ET
*****NYT April 3,, 2019 06:33 AM ET


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We're good through 2032 at the following link.
Destiny 2 is keeping my attention. Easily noticeable by the fact that it was really the only thing I played all week. They've given us some strings to keep pulling us along week by week, but if it's not enough they risk losing our interest early cause we finished, and if it's too much, they risk losing us to not wanting to put in the time for what we eventually get for it. I can see the tough act of balancing they have to figure out, but I'm still enjoying it so I'll still carry on. For now.
We won't be having a show next week. Most of us – actually, ALL of us will be out of town for the weekend, but when we return we'll be one week out from E3. Plenty to speculate on for the return episode and plenty to actually talk about from the E3 fallout on the one after.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS


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Edelbrock Victor Series water pumps are cast at the Edelbrock Foundry and machined at Edelbrock's manufacturing facility in California for the best quality and performance. These two water pumps are designed for GM LS applications and feature the same great characteristics in all Victor Series products.
These pumps are reverse rotation and available for right or left return line configuration. A black anodized pulley is also available separately to complement these pumps.
- Cast with quality A356 aluminum
- Heavy duty 3/4″ bearing
- Durable 3/4″ pilot shaft
- Billet steel hub
- Improved impeller design that increases coolant flow
- Black anodized pulley available separately
- Designed, cast and machined in the US for the best quality


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The Department of Health and Social Care's (DHSC) programme to combat childhood obesity may be unable to reduce rising rates due to multiple reorganisations and strategy changes, a report by the National Audit Office has suggested.
According to the report, in 2018/19, 9.7% of 4 to 5 year olds and 20.2% of 10 to 11 year olds in England were obese. Children in deprived areas are twice as likely to be obese than those in less deprived areas: nearly 13% of 4 to 5 year olds in the most deprived areas compared with 6.4% in the least deprived areas. At ages 10 to 11, this gap is greater with 26.9% in the most deprived areas classified as obese, compared with 13% in the least deprived.
'Tackling childhood obesity is a major challenge, and one that governments have struggled with since the 2000s. It is clear that children living in deprived areas or from ethnic minorities are far more likely to be obese and the problem is worsening,' said Gareth Davies, head of the National Audit Office.
'Progress with the Childhood Obesity Programme has been slow and many commitments are not yet in place. The new strategy announced in July has signalled a greater intention to tackle obesity but the government will need to follow through with more urgency, commitment and cohesion if it is to address this severe risk to people's health.'
Obesity rates for children in different ethnic groups vary considerably. For example, just over 9% of white children were classified as obese in 2018/19 at age 4 to 5 years old, compared with more than 15% of black children. These rates increase to more than 18% and nearly 29% respectively by age 10 to 11. Public Health England (PHE) and DHSC do not know how large a role deprivation plays in this variation between ethnic groups and acknowledge that further work is required.
'Nursing staff see the impact of obesity every day and it is clear that urgent targeted action is needed to tackle what is clearly a growing problem. Yet, as this report lays bare, successive governments haven't taken this important issue as seriously as is required,' said Susan Masters, RCN Executive Director of Nursing, Policy and Public Affairs.
'We need action to reduce levels of obesity and protect the long-term prospects of those most at risk. This requires investment into health and care services which support healthier lifestyles, and a commitment to redress the balance for these services which have seen their funding cut.'


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Benefits of Restaurant Management Software to Boost Your Business Today
Opening a restaurant and serving delicious food to loyal customers is a dream of millions of people. Everyone wishes to have the repetitive visits of loyal customers. In order to turn this dream to reality, there is a great deal of sweat, blood, and tears that are behind the scenes. The restaurant manages all the major restaurant-keeping operations right from hiring and managing employees to bookkeeping and marketing campaigns.
Despite heavy efforts going into running the restaurant, many of the managers or owners tend to perform the tasks of accounting, tallying cash receipts, excel spreadsheets, and much more manually. This is not only inefficient but also introduces errors that can cost you money or lead to a breakdown in the workflow. In modern times, restaurant managers need to spend more time seeing the business instead of wasting time and energy on mistakes and errors.
Being an owner or manager, opt for the restaurant management software that has the potential to revolutionize the restaurant by making the work and employees more efficient and productive.
You might be confused regarding what restaurant management software is? In this article, we will discuss a few benefits of using restaurant management software for your restaurant to bring the best to your business.
Benefits of Restaurant Management Software
Wondering how to select the restaurant management software for your business? It majorly depends on the features you need the most. Below are a few of the benefits that may be advantageous to your business too.
Employee management and attendance
Running a restaurant is often a delicate activity and balancing is equally important. If required to coordinate the front-of-house employees such as hosts, servers, and bartenders with the back of houses such as line cooks, chefs, and dishwashers. In addition, the restaurant managers need to handle staffing concerns such as firing, hiring, training, and scheduling to ensure efficiency.
Even if you manage your employees effectively, you may not be able to retain them if you don't pay them their wages accordingly and on time. Calculating the wages for servers is especially a challenging task as you have to deal with tips and taxes making them complex.
If you pay your servers too much or too little can cost your business money or lead to theft. By opting for the restaurant management platform including payroll functionality can avoid the risk of costly mistakes and paying the employees the right amount.
Finance and reporting
Payroll is one of the many accounting and finance challenges. You need to monitor the cash flow, keep operating costs low and keep the expenses maintained and make sure to set the best price points for the menu items.
The average profit margin usually lies between 2 and 6 percent. With minimal errors here, every possible optimization counts and every error counts against you.
Restaurant management software offers a variety of finance-related features reducing mistakes and helping you to balance the checkbook and close the book faster.
Inventory management
You can hire the best chefs and pay them a fair wage but none of this works if they are not able to cook meals. Inventory management is crucial for any restaurant to keep track of ingredients and supplying and ensuring enough on hand.
If you notice that you are running out of particular food ingredients, it can be due to a positive response of that item in the market or due to an inventory error. It can be known through the restaurant management software. This software gives you more visibility into the restaurant inventory and hence saves you from getting out of stock.
Ordering and billing
Behind every restaurant, there is a supply chain populated by third-party vendors and the suppliers providing the raw materials. Ordering and billing restaurant vendors and suppliers is a major concern in inventory management and are not less critical.
The best restaurant management software can process invoices and track the orders automatically, hence you don't need to waste hours thinking regarding the no arrival of shipment. Many of these systems also integrate with your finance and POS and allows you to easily track the flow of money throughout the restaurant.
Payment processing
Unless you only deal in cash, you need a way to accept credit and debit cards. According to the survey, 68% of the dinner customers prefer to pay using cards at a sit-down restaurant while only 18% prefer cash.
The majority of customers include a built-in POS system to help make the payments smoother saving the costs of purchasing the separate device. Many of these systems accept mobile wallet payments like Google pay and Apple pay.
Customers remain highly worried about the security of their payment information while eating at restaurants. Always look for a payment processing system that is compliant with the PCI DSS set of standards to protect the confidentiality of customer's personal and financial information. It includes chip card technology reducing 76% fraud.
Feedback and customer service
There is no shortage of platforms for the customers to express their thoughts regarding your restaurant such as Facebook, Google reviews, Twitter, Yelp, in-house surveys, and many more. Whether it is a review or complaint about any of your dishes or your services, customer feedback is critical to understand the performance of your business.
Feedback and customer service are essential sections of restaurant management, and hence a growing number of restaurants are using live feedback platforms. Such software captures real-time data that helps to build better customer relationships and change the menu according to demand and highlight the areas of improvement for employees.
These were a few of the benefits of using the restaurant management software to boost business activities. There are a lot more benefits of using it and hence it is suggested to use software to upgrade and manage the activities of your restaurant efficiently.


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How to calculate net profit margin to better understand your business's profitability
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Calculating profitability is an exercise that all businesses should perform frequently. Financial numbers change often when costs go up or down, so monitoring expenses is a big part of this. Revenue is the other primary variable. The tools that your company uses for spend control and revenue tracking need to be accurate, transparent, and reported in real-time for the best results.
Net profit margin is one of a handful of metrics used to measure business profitability. In this article, we'll explain what it is, how to calculate it, and why it may be a better option than other profit margin calculations for some businesses.
What is net profit margin?
The net profit margin of a business is the percentage of revenue that is net profit. It's the most complete measurement of profit because it takes all expenses into account, unlike gross profit margin, which only uses cost of goods sold (COGS). Investors generally look at net profit margin because it directly affects share prices.
Net profit margin is calculated by deducting all expenses from net revenue. Expenses include COGS, overhead, operational expenses, administrative expenses, debt payments, interest payments, and one-time payments such as lawsuits and taxes. Revenue includes total revenue from sales, investment income, and any income from secondary operations.
By measuring a company's profitability using the net profit margin formula, investors can determine if a company is managing cash flow properly and generating enough sales revenue to sustain itself. This directly affects their decision to buy or sell stock in the company. It also gives management the insights they need to start cutting costs or boosting sales.
Net margins are published quarterly and when the company does their annual report. Lower profit margins don't necessarily mean the company is not a good investment, but they could be a warning sign that they need to reduce operational costs.
It's important to understand that a net profit margin is a percentage and not an itemized report. There are limitations to what you can do with it, which we'll go over below. Another thing to consider is that smaller margins could be the result of poor spend management, excessive debt payments, or rising costs that are beyond the control of the company.
How do you calculate net profit margin?
The formula to calculate net profit margin (NP) is Net Income divided by Revenue (R). Net income is calculated by subtracting cost of goods sold (COGS), operating expenses (E), interest (I), and taxes (T) from total revenue (R), then multiplying by 100. It looks like this:
Both the net income and total revenue can be found on the company income statement if you want to do this on your own. The multiplier of 100 turns the decimal into a percentage, which is how net profit margin is most often expressed. This makes it simpler for internal employees and investors to evaluate the profitability of the business.
Keep this formula handy because net profit margin is a key element when developing financial management strategies. The main reason for starting a business is to make money. That only happens when revenue exceeds costs. This calculation shows you whether your company is accomplishing that.
What does net profit margin tell you?
The net profit margin of your business reveals how much profit you're making from each dollar of revenue. For instance, if your company's net profit margin is 20%, you're making 20¢ profit on each dollar. Lower net margins are an indicator that your business needs to either reduce costs or increase revenue.
Of course, the percentage by itself doesn't show where cost reduction needs to happen or how sales revenues can be increased. It should be considered a starting point for any evaluations of inflows and outflows. In other words, the net profit margin lets you know if changes are necessary. Figuring out where to make those changes requires more data.
Timeliness is also an important factor here. Net profit margin is useful for reporting on periods that have already passed, but not the best metric for projecting future profits. A net margin of 20% is calculated using existing costs and revenues. Those will change going forward, so expect the margin to change also. This can be caused by inflation, new suppliers, and market demand.
Treating net profit margin as a fluid number is the best approach for assuring continued profitability. After calculating it for several periods in a row, a pattern should emerge that gives you a net margin "range" for profitability. This range is what investors are looking for. A net profit margin from one period tells them very little.
There is a model where you can calculate net margin by using projected costs and revenue. This is often done when a business is going to raise prices on their own goods and services or plans to switch to a more expensive/cheaper supplier. This is a useful spend analysis tool for evaluating the impact of those changes on the company bottom line.
Higher net profit margins are an indicator that a company can effectively manage business expenses, but it could also mean that they're not spending enough to build the business. The latter can be determined by looking at the total revenue number. If that number is not growing and margins remain high, the business may need to invest more in sales and marketing.
How to put net profit margin in context
Frequently calculating the net profit margin is particularly important for companies that are looking to scale. It's a step towards more effective small business expense management and a measuring stick for what the company can afford to spend on growth programs. The projected net margin exercise we outlined above can show how that growth can turn to profit.
As we've mentioned several times already, net profit margin by itself doesn't tell you everything you need to know about a company's profitability. There are other metrics that can help you complete the picture. Once you've determined the net profit margin, calculate the gross profit margin and the operating profit. Here's how to do that:
- Gross profit margin: For this metric, you'll need two pieces of information from the quarterly income statement. The first is called COGS, an abbreviation for cost of goods sold. It's the breakdown of all the costs involved in the production and sales of goods. The second number is the net sales number for the period. To calculate the gross profit margin, divide COGS by net sales.
- Operating profit: Where gross profit margin measures the profit margin of a company on just their goods sold, operating profit is determined by dividing the total overhead costs (salaries, advertising, rent, etc.) by the total net sales number. Overhead expenses are also known as SGA (salaries, general, and administrative) expenses. Operating profit, like gross and net profit, is expressed as a percentage.
To put this process in perspective, the net profit margin lets you know whether a company is profitable. The gross profit margin and operating profit show where that profit is coming from. If you're viewing this as a business owner, you'll still need to do some real-time expense management to see cost breakdowns, but these three metrics are a good place to start.
These metrics are important for investors also. They can be combined with tracking revenue growth to get some real insights into where a company is going. It's also useful to review the statement of cashflows and balance sheet, in addition to the income statement that you've already examined. These numbers will help you make an investment decision.
How to quickly improve net profit margin by controlling expenses
Revenues are dependent upon sales and customer adoption. Expenses, on the other hand, can often be controlled internally. A low net profit margin is a warning sign that expenses may be too high. Use that data point to evaluate your outflows and get spending under control. There are several ways to do this, including expense automation and corporate cards for employees.
Automation won't change your actual costs, but it will help you organize them and create a level of transparency. Expense automation can also help you with tail spend—a $1.8 trillion problem in the United States.
Cut down your costs and your profit margin will go up. Instead of allowing employees to use their own credit cards for company expenses, issue corporate charge cards with spend controls. It will eliminate those "borderline" expenses you've been reimbursing on manual reports and allow your company to more effectively budget employee expenses.
For cost of goods sold (COGS), consider automating the vendor negotiation process and tracking existing spend to look for waste or duplication. Real-time expense tracking can show you when you're spending money you don't need to spend.
Ramp's corporate cards can streamline employee spending, while our integrated dashboards can show you expenses in real-time and provide insights into where you can cut costs.
The formula to calculate net profit margin (NP) is Net Income divided by Revenue (R). Net income is calculated by subtracting cost of goods sold (COGS), operating expenses (E), interest (I), and taxes (T) from total revenue (R), then multiplying by 100. It looks like this:
Net profit margin measures the profitability of a company based on all revenue and costs. Gross profit margin tracks the profit on net income from sales, deducting only the COGS (cost of goods sold). Administrative costs, salaries, and overhead are not factored in.
Net profit margin can be used to narrow down a list of potential investments, but it should never be the only metric evaluated before making a final decision. Investors should also look at the quarterly financial reports, gross profit margin, operating profit, and revenue growth.


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WHO Says 95 Percent of Coronavirus Deaths in Europe Were People Over 60 Years Old
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According to data compiled by The New York Times, there have been more than 946,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and some 47,000 deaths worldwide, as of April 2.
Several European countries have been hit hardest by the virus, including Italy with 13,155 deaths and Spain with 10,003 deaths, according to the New York Times.
Earlier this month, a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that, even if they are less likely to die, young people are not immune to becoming seriously sickened by COVID-19.
The CDC findings, according to the Times, showed that 38 percent of patients hospitalized by the virus at the time were between the ages of 20 and 54.
And since symptoms don't even present themselves in a portion of those infected by the virus, someone seemingly healthy could spread the virus to more at-risk people if not practicing social distancing and proper public health protocols.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.
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She's been in a band since the age of 13, but on her newly released album How We Made It she's on her own. We chatted to Anne Lise Frøkedal about the tight-knit music community in Norway, cutting diplomacy out of her song writing, the love for drums and that time she attempted to write a metal song.
Anne Lise Frøkedal is a charismatic musician. Having established herself as a dynamic front-woman with outfits Harry's Gym and I Was A King, she's currently enjoying life as a solo-artist, although several band members from her other project, Frøkedal and Familien, remain heavily involved. She released her solo debut album, Hold On Dreamer, to widespread critical acclaim in 2016, drawing comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Fleetwood Mac. Fast forward a couple of years, and Frøkedal has once again found herself receiving well-deserved praise for her second solo album, How We Made It. We got the opportunity to catch up with her recently during her UK tour and found her in a delightfully forthcoming mood, and what quickly became evident is how conscientious and humble Frøkedal is as a singer and songwriter – almost unaware of her prominence as one of Norway's most exciting and talented musicians.
"I realised that all of my previous lyrics were very diplomatic. Now I wanted to write without trying to reason with my surroundings, to see if I could make the music a bit more energetic."
How We Made It itself is both musically and lyrically more diverse than the melancholic and folksy sounding Hold On Dreamer. This time around, there's hopeful optimism on last year's single Stranger, wistful honesty on Cracks and barely disguised anger on both Treehouse and I Don't Care. Explaining the wider range of emotions that we hear on this album, Frøkedal says "I kind of felt that I wanted a bit more temperature…After the last album I realised that all of my lyrics were very diplomatic, so I wondered, what if I just talk from an emotional point of view without trying to reason with my surroundings, to see if I could make the music a bit more energetic."
That ambition has certainly been achieved and reflects Frøkedal's discerning approach to selecting songs for the release, admitting to a painstaking 20 versions of the album track list before deciding on its final form. One stand-out track is Hybel. It's a long and largely instrumental pipe-organ driven song, with a warmly familiar sound, reminiscent of the ELO and packing a psychedelic punch. It's a majestic number that gets better with every listen, almost addictively so. It also provides Frøkedal with a welcome break during performances, with her commenting that "normally I end up singing so much, because there's so much vocal stuff in my music, so Hybel is a really nice break for me. I sit down and I can't even look at the audience because I have to focus on playing the organ, so it's really liberating."
David, which Frøkedal describes as another single she was particularly keen to include on the album, features her sister Linn on bass, who's better known as one quarter of the Megaphonic Thrift. Although she joined Frøkedal on stage at Øya festival last year, this is the first time they've recorded together. It's also unlikely to be the last, with Frøkedal declaring "I definitely hope I'm gonna do more stuff with her in the future." On the topic of collaborations, Frøkedal talks happily about contributing vocals to Thea and the Wild's recent album, Ikaros. Thea Glenton Raknes, of course, used to play drums in Frøkedal and Familien and forms part of a close-knit community of musicians in Oslo that Frøkedal sits firmly in the middle of. "Everyone knows everyone. The music scene is not big in the grand scheme of things, even though it's the biggest in Norway. That's nice, because there's a lot of unlikely collaborations, so the fact that it's very small helps to build the bridges."
Despite 'going solo', it remains obvious that Frøkedal still relies heavily on the presence of familiar faces in her career. She is, however, also mindful about the challenges and freedoms associated with writing alone. "I still play in I Was A King and I'm very happy I have that band element in my life because it means you get to share the worries and try to make the songs work with another human being, so you end up making things that you wouldn't have made on your own. But doing a solo project makes me feel a lot more peaceful. I don't have to compromise – I don't have to accept a weird beat, or a weird key part that I don't like – It's up to me now. And I have never really tried that before, because I've been in a band since I was 13 years old. It's really amazing to see that I can be completely not angry with anyone, and it's quite peaceful, and what happens in the end is still music, and it doesn't sound that weird!"
Discussing her personal musical inspiration, Frøkedal explains that she often goes through phases. Growing up, it was "all the classics, like Led Zeppelin and Joni Mitchell and the Beach Boys." She spent a long time listening to Elvis Costello, "learning how to write a great song" and lists The Velvet Underground & Nico as an album that's followed her around, saying "it's still an interesting album. I still think 'Oh, I want the drums to sound like they do on Venus in Furs or whatever', so I still refer to that album and find it fresh and interesting. It's been an important one."
"Everyone knows everyone in the Norwegian music industry. That's nice, because there's a lot of unlikely collaborations, so the fact that it's very small helps to build the bridges."
During the time of writing Hold On Dreamer, John Cale was on heavy rotation, and is high up the list of artists Frøkedal would be keen to collaborate with given the chance. That list also includes the American Indie-Rock band Big Thief. "I've been dying to get a support slot with them. I just want to be where they are. I think they're so good. I guess if they called me and wanted to do a collaboration, I would faint. And then say yes, of course!" As for Norwegian acts to look out for in 2019, she offered three tips: Psych pop duo Misty Coast and the instrumental avant garde band Moon Relay, both of whom have an album out soon, and prog-rock band Needlepoint who have just released theirs.
During the conversation, we got glimpses of what direction Frøkedal's own music is likely to take in the future too. She talks of her love for the drums, admitting "I've been sitting down and playing drums recently and it makes me happier than anything right now…I kind of think the drums are the dream instrument of most people." Then there are several references to an admiration of heavy metal music, from secret sing-a-longs in her room aged 10 to embracing it as the only alternative to the pop that was available on the radio in Etne, the town where she grew up. Her eyes light up when talking about the "group of local metalheads" who turned up at her gig in Bryne the night before we spoke and she admits to attempts at writing a metal song previously, before adding "I don't have the language for that yet. I'm still trying to figure out what I can do. I just like the scene and the way people are committed. It has nothing to do with what's trendy, it's just pure simple love for going to shows and listening to the music."
With a Norwegian tour well underway and a London headline show just around the corner, Frøkedal explained that one of the things she enjoys most is the opportunity to speak to people after the show. "When you make music and work long hours in the studio, the point of all that is to play these songs to people, or at least for me it is. I guess just meeting the audience and talking with people after the show is what I enjoy the most. There's so many interesting people who come to the shows and they have all these different things. I've started to tell people that you don't have to buy anything, just come for a chat!" Until Frøkedal returns to the UK, get yourself a copy of How We Made It (released via Propeller recordings in the UK). It's a highly accomplished album which is certainly going to feature prominently on the soon-to-arrive Album of the Year lists and will rightfully cement Frøkedal's reputation as a remarkable musician. Even if she doesn't realise it herself.
Top photo: Julie Naglestad
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"Luke Ford reports all of the 'juicy' quotes, and has been doing it for years." (Marc B. Shapiro)
"This guy knows all the gossip, the ins and outs, the lashon hara of the Orthodox world. He's an [expert] in... all the inner workings of the Orthodox world." (Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff)"This generation's Hillel." (Nathan Cofnas)
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The Islamic Assault On Freedom
When will people in the West stop propagandizing that Westerners need to become sensitive to Muslim sensibilities and instead demand that if Muslims want to live among us, they sensitize themselves to our values, which include freedom? Why aren't Muslims … Continue reading
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Tagged Dennis Prager, editorial cartoonist, freedom in the world, group citizens, muslim extremist, prophet mohammed, world death
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What better way to countdown to Christmas than with a boozy advent calendar? Let us introduce the Drinks by the Dram Vodka Explorer Advent Calendar (2020 Edition).
We were kindly sent this to review by Master of Malt however all thoughts are our own.
We asked Mandy from our team to review this advent calendar and Mandy said: "I love advent calendars, there's nothing better than counting down the days in December until the big day, so I was really excited to give Vodka Explorer Advent Calendar a try and see what it was like.
Firstly I did like the packaging, it was very wintery/frosty looking and it looked very modern. On the front, there are 24 squares with a push point so that I could easily access whichever vodka was behind that door. This was easy to push in and not difficult to get the 30ml of wax-sealed vodka which was lurking inside. I was quite surprised when I started lifting out the vodka that it wasn't in the brand's original bottle but in a glass bottle with the same label on the front of them all, the only difference was the name and flavour of the vodka inside.
I really did like this as it added another layer of mystery having to remove it from the box before I could see which vodka it was. As I went through the advent calendar I was highly impressed with all the premium brands that were included, I will just mention a few as I don't want to ruin the surprise of the whole advent calendar. The vodka included Cîroc Mango, Square One Basil Vodka, Beluga Noble Russian Vodka, Hepple Douglas Fir Vodka and Snow Leopard Vodka. After trying each of these my favourite had to be the Snow Leopard vodka, it was very smooth to drink and was enjoyable, although I will say that the Cîroc Mango was a very close second.
Overall I was impressed with the design, the amount of premium vodka included and the fact that I could try lots of different vodkas that if I'm honest I might not have tried but now I know what I like and I will definitely be buying a few full-size bottles of some of the vodka included in this Drinks by the Dram advent calendar."
Drinks by the Dram Vodka Explorer Advent Calendar (2020 Edition) is available to buy online for £99.95 from Master of Malt.


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Matching mask and outfit
There are colder days on its way, but don't worry! We've got you covered ;)
We have three options that will give you the perfect matching fashionable outfit! We know some of you have that struggle where your mask doesn't match your outfit, so we decided to give you a solution!
This ribbed jersey and matching mask is perfect for layering in this cold weather. It's super comfy and ideal for this kind of #sweaterweather.
Layer your outfit for the day with this wrap! Super easy to throw it over any outfit to give it that little bit of texture and glam.


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Fracture of the patella is almost always caused by a direct blow to the knee. This injury can occur in any sport and cause significant disability.
Patella fracture cause immediate pain, swelling, and reduce motion such as from a fall or motor vehicle collision. The patella can also be fractured indirectly. For example, your thigh muscles can contract so violently that it pulls the patella apart.
Major symptoms of a patellar fracture include pain and swelling in the front of the knee. Additional symptoms include:
- Bruising
- Inability to straighten the knee
- Inability to walk
- Immediate intense knee pain
If the fracture does not cause significant misalignment of the patella, 4 to 6 weeks of immobilization (by bracing or casting) is recommended. If surgery is required, the is immobilized postoperatively for a shorter time, which allow earlier range-of-motion exercises. Weight bearing should be avoided for about 4 to 6 weeks, which could cause atrophy and weakness in the knee. Being with resistance above the knee and progress to the ankle as long as no stress is felt on the knee. See the doctor if the injury still persist.


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🏊♀ Jayhawks Set for Fifth Virtual Cup on Friday
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas swimming and diving is set for its fifth KU Virtual Cup presented by Capitol Federal on Friday, as they compete in their ninthh meet of the 2020 season.
The KU Virtual Cup is set to begin at 4 p.m., inside Robinson Natatorium in Lawrence, Kansas, as the Jayhawks will compete in the 400 yard medley relay, 500 yard freestyle, 100 yard butterfly, 100 yard backstroke, 100 yard breaststroke, 100 yard freestyle and 200 yard individual medley. The Virtual Cup will be Kansas first in a series of virtual meets streamed on Facebook Live.
Kansas has competed in four Virtual Cups prior to Thursday's meet, where they have put together several strong performances. Most recently, Kansas competed in its second dual of the 2020-21 season, defeating Omaha, 189-103, in Omaha, Nebraska on November 7.
In addition to their virtual competitions, the Jayhawks are 2-0 in duals this season, also defeating TCU, 187-112 on October 17. Following Friday's virtual cup, Kansas will be back in action on Thursday, November 19 as they compete in their sixth and final KU Virtual Cup Presented by Capitol Federal. The meet will stream live on Facebook Live.


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Motivating Your Employees in Online Training
By Admin
Online training is only effective if employees are receptive to the overall experience of eLearning. Even if you've invested resources into the implementation and design, the employees need to be fully engaged and motivated to learn if you want it to be successful. Here are some tips from E-Learning Industry that you can use to motivate your employees in online training, no matter the subject.
1. Emphasize the benefits of the online training session.
They need to be aware of the value and benefits that the training will give them. Highlight the important things they will receive from the course to keep their motivation up and their attention focused on absorbing the key takeaways from the training.
2. Offer them a way to track their progress.
Create periodic quizzes or exams that test their knowledge after every module. This will make them pay attention to the training and give them the ability to track their progress throughout the course.
3. Encourage an online training culture within your company.
Online training needs to be more than a mandatory activity. It needs to be a part of your company's culture. Employees need to realize the benefits of it professionally and personally. Stress the benefits of the courses and motivate employees to get excited about improving themselves.
4. Give them a variety of opportunities to interactive within the course.
Everyone learns differently. While some prefer to observe and study, others prefer videos and interactive learning. It's important to provide a wide range of interactive training opportunities to get them actively learning.
5. Set up a reward or incentive program.
One big way to motivate employees is to offer them rewards or an incentive system that allows them to earn credits or points towards something. It gives them an extra boost to complete the training.
6. Develop learning activities focused on group collaboration.
Employees like to collaborate with each other. Getting them to work together is a great way to improve performance and encourage innovation.


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!!! My website has moved: please update your bookmarks to
Fennel-Sesame Cookies with Pomegranate Molasses
I was bored with my usual cookie recipes, and Bracha said, how about making a cookie that combines fennel and sesame? And maybe pomegranate too?
They're crisp and spicy and rather addictive.
If you mill the wheat yourself:
Mill these together:
375 grams of soft white wheat
75 grams of short grain brown rice or sweet rice
4 teaspoons fennel seeds
6 cloves
OR, if you do not mill the wheat directly....
375 grams soft wheat pastry flour plus 75 grams rice flour or 450 grams of unbleached all purpose flour, about 3 cups
1 tablespoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon clove powder
Whisk into the flour mixture and set aside:
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon oil or the zest of 2 lemons
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2/3 C sugar
Beat the molasses and oils together with the egg and water. Beat in the sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour just until the mixture is smooth. It should be a fairly stiff dough. You can proceed or chill the dough until you're ready for the next step.
Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick. If you roll it out by thirds you should get a rectangle about 10x18 inches or so.
Cut with your favorite cutter or just draw a knife through it to make diamonds or squares. Place on parchment or silicone lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 370 degrees about 10 minutes.
For the crispest but scorch-free cookies, turn the oven off at the end of baking. When it cools down to 250 degrees, return the cookies to the oven and let them remain until it is completely cool OR set them in a 150 degree oven for an hour or two.
This cool, slow baking phase will crisp the interiors without scorching edges or thin spots.
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BioInvestors First Edition
Welcome to BioInvestors (Part 3). This is PIR International's panel with members from the global life science investor community aimed at sharing insights and reflections, provoking thought and asking questions about the life science and healthcare sector at large.
The response of the life sciences sector to the COVID-19 crisis has been extraordinary; its collaboration, determination and agility to provide solutions to get us out of this global crisis is unprecedented. This has brought renewed impetus to investment in companies involved in healthcare and COVID-19 related treatments. In particular diagnostics, the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, digital health and telemedicine, all historically underinvested and unvalued markets.
PIR International is excited to see the sector continue to flourish in 2021 after a record-breaking investment year, and have engaged with respected healthcare investors, across the US, UK, Europe and Asia, to understand what the investment landscape looks like post COVID-19 and what investors will be looking for in 2021.
For the first edition of BioInvestors, we are pleased to be joined by prolific expert investors:
- Hakan Goker, SVP Healthcare, M-Ventures (https://www.m-ventures.com/)
- Stefan Luzi, Partner, Gilde Healthcare (https://gildehealthcare.com/)
- Isabel Fox, Co-Managing Partner, Luminous Ventures (https://luminous.vc/)
- Niall O'Donnell, Managing Director, RiverVest Venture Partners (https://www.rivervest.com/)
PIR International:
What measures can be deployed to protect M&A valuations, given the newly adopted Zoom culture, and potential focus on local geographies where HQs are based? Do you see regional VC investor syndicates and strategic partners becoming more important in 2021?
Hakan Goker, M-Ventures
"Apart from recruitment which has been perhaps the most 'localised' over the year due to travel challenges across continents, we have not seen any behaviour change on M&A interest, execution, or investor foci narrowing to regional limitations. Healthcare being a global need and business perhaps has minimised the need for such regional attention. VCs continued investing globally or non-locally as may have been defined in their existing strategies. We as M Ventures have not changed our focus being a global investor, executing investments in China, UK, Germany, Netherlands, and USA as a few examples with VCs from around the globe as syndicate partners."
Stefan Luzi, Partner, Gilde Healthcare
"The Zoom culture has not changed the world per say for Gilde Healthcare as we are a transatlantic fund and we have always reached out to companies and industry contacts based in different geographies. However, as people are now more versed in digital tools, interactions are now a bit easier and we have seen a rich international deal flow in 2020.
When thinking about local sources of funding, these could be regional subsidies and grants, programs like incubators and accelerators, business angels and local institutional and strategic investors. The investment conditions and valuation expectations of these parties might vary a lot and are often different from traditional larger investment firms.
With regards to local investors and strategics, Gilde Healthcare often works with these parties and we like to have a local investor in the syndicate and also like to work with strategic VCs. These groups can assess situations from a different angle, have an extended network and internal resources which you can tap into. While the bulk of the investments are being led by more traditional VCs who set the valuation, I believe that local and strategic investors do add value to syndicates and, ultimately, the start-up companies we invest in.
I also think that current valuations in the US are priced to perfection, meaning very high, in comparison to Europe where you still can invest in excellent companies at a relatively reasonable valuation. Having said this, it is a truly global market with demand and supply and what we see is that more US institutional and cross-over investors are coming to Europe to search for investment targets. This global competition might drive up valuations of European companies in the mid to long term. Traditionally, it has been business angels who have put in high valuations and impaired investment cases for VCs. That is not to say this is true for all but could, and still does happen in some cases. Going forward, I think that valuations of European companies will be more likely driven up by competing syndicates consisting of different combinations of European and US institutional and strategic investors.
An increasingly important syndicate consideration relates to crossover investors because of the enormous number of IPOs on NASDAQ we are seeing. There have been more than 20 pre-clinical stage IPOs in 2020 and therefore it is important to engage with crossover investors early on. If crossovers are on-board, committed to the investment and can subscribe for most of the IPO amount you can list on NASDAQ very quickly. Even if you are a European company this is the case, so the value crossovers can bring is clearly recognised and important for the public valuations of these companies."
Isabel Fox, Luminous Ventures
"Luminous have not seen valuations adversely affected, we have had a lot of competition, a mix of US VCs, Asian investors, plus the corporates, pharma and device manufacturers. The corporates have definitely had an increased interest in our space this year and all of them are super knowledgeable, we have not seen any, what we would call, new dumb money around any of the deals. The valuations have been pretty spot on, no one has done crazy pricing they have all been fair but on the upper mark of where you would put these businesses. If you look at the tech scene in the US at the moment with the likes of Tesla 600% up this year alone, this space is super punchy. Europe is different, it is solid but not over the top, when we look at companies they are getting fair valuations but probably a lot less than they would get in the US if they were there. I think this is why we are seeing so many of the US VCs coming in, for example Northpond, Founders Fund, Sequoia, and they are coming in earlier and earlier. We are seeing them on seed deals now which would typically not have had a huge amount of competition. The Luminous model has always been to find great stuff coming out of the universities at seed and then accelerate them as quickly as possible through a tested playbook to Series A when typically we would have asked a US investor to come in, but now they are coming in earlier and earlier. We believe this is because the valuations are a lot more justifiable here and they know that the talent is super good."
Niall O'Donnell, RiverVest Venture Partners
"I am a little bit concerned to see money, non-traditional sources of capital, moving into life sciences because they perceive the sector as being an easy way to make money. This is starting to drive up valuations and I am seeing companies that should be at $20/25 million pre- now commanding $100 million pre- and raising more money than they need. In my experience this doesn't end well. So, I am a little bit concerned but this is my third cycle so it will be what it will be.
I think that the COVID situation is a short-term shock to the system, it is not the same as an economic depression it has been painful and there will be new ways of doing things, hopefully with greater efficiencies. I am not seeing a great impact and again maybe this is because we are always in a 10-year fund cycle and whilst one or two bad years are not great you can survive it so long as the companies are well funded to get through to the good years. The worst thing would be if there was an economic downturn and your companies were running out of cash and you were trying to fundraise. At Rivervest we try to make sure that our companies have 24 – 36 months of cash on the books at all times and we will fundraise well before we need to fundraise."
Thank you for reading Part 3 of the first edition of BioInvestors. Join us again in two weeks for Part 4.