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Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium vivax Causing Epidemic Malaria in the Republic of Korea
Article information
Plasmodium vivax is more challenging to control and eliminate than P. falciparum due to its more asymptomatic infections with low parasite densities making diagnosis more difficult, in addition to its unique biological characteristics. The potential re-introduction of incidence cases, either through borders or via human migrations, is another major hurdle to sustained control and elimination. The Republic of Korea has experienced re-emergence of vivax malaria in 1993 but is one of the 32 malaria-eliminating countries to-date. Despite achieving successful nationwide control and elimination of vivax malaria, the evolutionary characteristics of vivax malaria isolates in the Republic of Korea have not been fully understood. In this review, we present an overview of the genetic variability of such isolates to increase understanding of the epidemiology, diversity, and dynamics of vivax populations in the Republic of Korea.
The Republic of Korea has recently made significant progress in eliminating the burden of vivax malaria since the re-emergence of infectious vivax malaria in 1993, and has been categorized as one of 32 malaria-eliminating countries [1]. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite which is transmitted via the bite of infected female anopheline mosquitoes. Of the 4 Plasmodium species comprising P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. ovale which routinely cause malaria in humans, P. vivax, a relatively neglected human malaria parasite, is the most widely distributed species in humans across the world causing an estimated 80–90 million cases each year [2]. Among the protozoa that cause malaria, P. falciparum is the greatest menace because of its high rate of mortality, mostly among children under the age of 5 in Africa. However, malaria caused by P. vivax is less lethal but has accounted for an enormous share of global malaria burden in recent years along with P. falciparum, greatly affecting the quality of life of several human populations in tropical, subtropical, and temperate countries [3,4]. P. vivax has evolved into a strain group with highly unique biological features, including a hypnozoite stage as a dormant and relapsing stage in the liver and a preference for invading reticulocytes (Duffy red blood cells) in as little as 0.5–1.5% normal blood; the lack of a convenient and continuous in vitro culture system for blood stages is an additional challenge [5]. In general, vivax malaria was thought to be benign and self-limiting, was not considered a priority in comparison with the significant burden of morbidity and mortality presented by P. falciparum, and was found to be harder to eliminate than P. falciparum [1,6,7]. However, the most geographically widespread distribution of P. vivax and recent evidence of severe and complicated vivax malaria across several endemic regions of the world suggest that this disease may have been overlooked as benign [8].
In the Republic of Korea, P. vivax is the most prevalent malaria species [9]. Vivax malaria has been endemic in the Republic of Korea for more than 2 decades after re-emergence. Since its re-emergence in 1993 [10], it has accounted for a total of 33,972 cases reported from 1993 to 2017 [9]. Ascertaining the P. vivax population structure is essential prior to establishing goals for control, elimination, and the rollout of interventions, and detailed knowledge of the spatial distribution, transmission, and clinical burden of P. vivax is required to act as a benchmark against which control targets can be set and measured [11–13]. The majority of studies on the genetic diversity of Plasmodium spp. have been based on P. falciparum, which is responsible for the most severe disease form, and on genes coding for antigenic determinants such as the circumsporozoite surface protein (CSP) and the merozoite surface protein (MSP). These antigenic genes are non-synonymous nucleotide polymorphisms and the multiple allelic forms differ in their ability to abrogate recognition by the host's immune response [14]. At the time of re-emergence, no heterogeneity was observed in malaria incidence or in the distribution of P. vivax cases across the Republic of Korea. In July 1993, a Korean Army soldier stationed near the DMZ in northern Gyeonggi Province was diagnosed with vivax malaria [15]. After this first re-emergence case, there was an exponential increase in vivax malaria cases with epidemic outbreaks from 1995 to 2000. Since then, vivax malaria has been recognized as a significant public health problem [16–18]. In this short review article, we will discuss the characteristics of the well-known polymorphisms in the genes from South Korean isolates of P. vivax. The genetic diversity of the Plasmodium spp. population can be a valuable resource to analyze parasite populations. The degree of genetic diversity and the distribution of that diversity, or its population structure, offer insight into drifts in parasite transmission and parasite population history, information that is pivotal to malaria control and elimination programs and assessing the impact of such interventions [19].
Because the high levels of polymorphism in Plasmodium parasites indicate the sophisticated immune evasion strategies of malaria parasites [20], understanding parasite population diversity is important for the strategic development and deployment of control measures [21,24]. Moreover, genetic diversity based on multiple gene polymorphisms in vivax parasites has been shown to greatly contribute to drug resistance [25]. Due to polyclonal infection of the same host by multiple parasite clones, to elucidate local population structure and genetic diversity, it is essential to be able to distinguish between distinct clones as well as between infections. In addition, P. vivax in the Republic of Korea displays relatively low parasitemia and low male-to-female gametocyte ratio, contributing to low transmission efficacy [26,27]. Further, the frequency of the polyclonal infection rate in the Republic of Korea is relatively very low (~3% vs 30–65% in Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and India) [28]. These unique biological characteristics are not well-understood. In fact, it is well-known that P. vivax displays much greater genetic diversity in terms of SNP diversity and microsatellite and gene family variability than P. falciparum [29], and this means that the global population of P. vivax may have a capacity for greater functional variation [29]. Understanding the genetic variation patterns of the parasite may help in analyzing trends and assessing the extent of malaria endemicity in the Republic of Korea [30]. This knowledge of the extent of correlation between the parasite population diversity and transmission intensity could also provide early warnings to identify populations living in endemic areas, facilitate the identification of new drug resistance genes, and eventually provide information essential for malaria control and elimination [31]. The well-characterized polymorphic regions in genes such as gam1 coding for the gametocyte antigen 1, csp coding for the circumsporozoite protein (CSP), msp1 and msp3α coding for the merozoite surface proteins (MSP)-1 and 3α, respectively, ama1 coding for the apical membrane antigen (AMA) 1, and dbp coding for the Duffy binding protein (DBP) have been extensively used to analyze genetic diversity patterns of natural populations of P. vivax (Table 1) [32,33].
The genetic diversity of South Korean P. vivax isolates has been extensively studied and characterized by several research groups. The population structure of P. vivax parasites in the Republic of Korea has been largely based on genetic analyses focusing on the mutation of antigen-coding genes. Initially, a combinational analysis of PvMSP-1 and PvMSP-3α clearly demonstrated the drastic genetic changes occurring in the South Korean P. vivax population. The MSP-1 and 3α are blood-stage vaccine-candidate antigens with repetitive arrays. In particular, PvMSP-3α is highly polymorphic and has been confirmed to be a molecular marker in several geographic malaria parasite populations [32]. From early re-emergence to 2000, PvDBP, PvMSP-1, and PvMSP-3α genotypes were found to be highly homogenous. However, since 2001, they have rapidly diversified. Based on the investigation of 30 samples from P. vivax patients in 1998, it was found that PvDBP had little polymorphism and only 2 genotypes of P. vivax coexisted in the Republic of Korea [34]. PvDBP is involved in the formation of an irreversible junction between P. vivax merozoites and its receptor, the Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines at the surface of immature reticulocytes, and is a prime blood stage vaccine candidate antigen for P. vivax. PvMSP-1 in South Korean isolates analyzed from blood samples collected in 1996 and 1997 was reported to be highly homogenous [35]. The PvMSP-3α locus of re-emerging Korean P. vivax is dimorphic with 2 allelic types coexisting in the endemic area [36]. In addition, 2 genotypes of PvAMA-1 genes coexist in the reemerging South Korean P. vivax [37], suggesting that 2 genotypes of P. vivax coexist in the endemic area of the Republic of Korea. PvAMA-1 is an immunogenic, type I integral membrane protein, which is expressed at the apical surface of merozoites and sporozoites. Because of the geographical linkage of the genetic variation of these genes in Plasmodium spp, P. vivax found in the Republic of Korea was unique and, based on molecular structure analysis, could be divided into 2 strains [38]. Of course, the molecular basis for the geographic linkage is poorly understood to-date. Based on the analysis of nucleotide diversity across the entire PvAMA-1 gene, South Korean PvAMA-1 as found to have limited diversity compared to global isolates and differed from other global isolates in its pattern of genetic polymorphism [39]. In case of polymorphism in GAM-1, a P. vivax transmission-blocking candidate antigen [40] no longer used as a reliable genetic marker [32], Korean isolates from 30 patients in 1998 showed only one genotype containing 4 33-bp motifs identical to the Belem strain [41]. However, an analysis of South Korean isolates from 1996–2007 based on the sequence analysis of PvMSP-1 and PvCSP genes revealed that most isolates after 2000 were different from the isolates during the initial re-emergence period [42]. The PvCSP is an abundant antigen on the surface of sporozoites, which is extensively used as a vaccine development target [43]. In the above study, 6 PvMSP-1 subtypes were identified in genomic parasite DNA from 632 patients and a new PvCSP subtype was found based on polymorphism of repeat regions. These authors also found that malaria parasites in the Republic of Korea were becoming progressively more genetically diverse. Interestingly, when PvCSP was loaded onto an RDT kit and applied with 121 patient sera, CSP antigen-antibody reactions were seen in up to 57% of cases [44]. Similarly, Kang et al. [45] suggested that the P. vivax population in the Republic of Korea has been diversifying rapidly and that new genotypes are appearing, based on combinational genetic analysis of polymorphic patterns of 2 major antigenic proteins, PvMSP-1 and PvMSP-3α. They also found that the PvDBP II in Korean isolates had a polymorphic nature and that 13 different PvDBP II haplotypes were present in Korean P. vivax isolates. This population is under natural selection, and PvDBP II showed limited genetic polymorphism at restricted positions with a lower genetic diversity [46]. However, PvLDH in Korean isolates, a useful antigen for a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), did not show any genetic variation except a single-nucleotide polymorphism with no effect on the amino acid sequence [47].
In summary, genetic analyses using antigen-coding genes such as PvDBP, PvCSP, PvMSP (MSP3α and MSP3β), PvAMA, and PvGAM-1 suggest that only 1 or 2 alleles existed in South Korean isolates before 2000. However, these antigens have shown their patterns by year genetic diversity since then. It is not certain why the South Korean P. vivax population structure has changed so drastically since the early 2000s despite rapid reductions in transmission and low multiple infection rates. The rarity of polyclonal P. vivax infection in the Republic of Korea [48] suggests that local outcrossing alone is unlikely to explain the increased genetic divergence observed in the antigen-coding genes. Thus, cases introduced from an external reservoir likely contributed to the increased diversity [28]. Because changing antigenicity is a major strategy for parasites to be protected from host immunity, antigenic diversity/polymorphism, which links the expression of different alleles of a gene in different parasite populations with outcomes of selection under immune pressure, would selectively expand [49].
P. vivax populations are more genetically diverse and more frequently comprise polyclonal infections than do sympatric P. falciparum, suggesting that frequent recombination between the clones in the populations may contribute to genetic diversity [50]. Although P. vivax surface antigens show high genetic diversity, antigen-encoding genes can be subject to strong natural selection due to the host immune system. In contrast, microsatellites (MSs) are putatively neutral markers that can be used to monitor parasite transmission patterns without the potentially confounding impact of host immunity or other selective pressures. Simple MSs (sequence tandem repeats) are a valuable resource for the study of genetic diversity. They are useful for fingerprinting an organism because they are genetically hypervariable, co-dominant and locus-specific, and are not directly subject to host immunity, making them compatible with an important assumption of population genetic theory which states that molecular markers should be selectively neutral [51]. In case of P. falciparum, microsatellite markers have been known to be extensively widespread occurring every 2–3 kb throughout the genome [52]. In spite of a limited number of polymorphic MS loci in P. vivax (a few dozens) rather than that in P. falciparum (~1,000), MS-based studies of P. vivax have provided pivotal information regarding population structure and diversity [32,53,54]. The recent markers of choice for large-scale population studies are highly polymorphic and short (1–6 bp-long) MSs [55]. P. vivax contains 14 chromosomes. There are now 5 reference genomes of P. vivax (Salvador I, North Korean, India VII, Mauritania I, and Brazil I) [29] and P. vivax chromosomes appear to significantly larger and have more stable GC-rich genomes (approximately 40%) than those of P. falciparum (19%) [56,57]. Using 13 MS DNA markers across 12 chromosomes in P. vivax from the Republic of Korea, only 2 major multilocus MS genotypes were found during 1997–2000 while numerous genotypes appeared in 2007, indicating a marked expansion in the genome-wide genetic diversity of the P. vivax population structure in the Republic of Korea [26,51]. In addition, Iwagami et al. [58,59] investigated P. vivax in South Korean soldiers using 14 highly polymorphic MS DNA loci and dividing the samples from soldiers and veterans into 3 different time periods spanning 1993–1998, 1999–2003, and 2004–2008 in a 15-year-long longitudinal study on P. vivax population genetics. Further, another population genetic approach using P. vivax positive blood samples from 98 autochthonous cases and nine tandem repeat markers showed a trend of increasing parasite divergence since re-emergence [48]. It is also reported that polyclonal infections were rare (~3%) suggesting that local out-crossing alone was unlikely to explain the high diversity. The South Korean Army introduced a strategy of mass chemoprophylaxis with chloroquine during the malaria transmission season and primaquine after the transmission season to reduce the number of vivax malaria cases in both the military and civilian populations. Chemoprophylaxis with chloroquine (300 mg/wk) and primaquine (30 mg/wk) began with approximately 16,000 soldiers in 1997 and was expanded to more than 200,000 military personnel in zones at high risk for vivax malaria [60]. In a process of monitoring for chloroquine-resistant P. vivax using single nucleotide polymorphisms in Pvmdr1 and microsatellite genotypes, P. vivax with newly identified SNPs in Pvmdr1 was introduced and the microsatellite-based study revealed higher genetic diversity in samples collected in 2012 than in those collected in 2011 [61]. The study determined microsatellite genotypes of the 55 isolates based on a combination of allelic data of 10 microsatellite loci. The findings revealed that 2 dominant MS haplotypes had been transmitted for several years, providing decisive evidence for a low recombination rate. This may be due to recent migrations of different genotypes from other geographic regions to the Republic of Korea, and suggests an increase in the genetic diversity of the P. vivax population in the Republic of Korea [45,48]. While the level of genetic diversity in the P. vivax population in the Republic of Korea is significantly lower than that observed in tropical and subtropical areas [62–65], the population diversity is consistently increasing and is associated with a decline in multi-locus linkage dis-equilibrium (LD) over time [28,48,51,59]. Declining LD may also result from inter-allelic recombination. For example, PvMSP-1 displays heterogeneity in its frequency of inter-allelic recombination events, leading to rapid decline in multilocus LD between pairs of synonymous sites [66]. This is to be possible that the appearance of a P. vivax parasite population with new genotypes from other external reservoir(s) has accelerated genetic diversity in the South Korean P. vivax population through recombination events. These facts might be consistent with the low polyclonal infections and the small numbers of imported malaria cases in the Republic of Korea (<20 cases per year except 52 in 2000) [9].
Based on the above-mentioned studies on genetic diversity and incidence, the evidence obtained supports a link between vivax malaria in South and North Korea [67]. Annual WHO Malaria Reports show that North Korea had a restricted capacity to eliminate malaria until 1998 and experienced its highest reported incidence of malaria in 2001, peaking at 296,540 microscopically confirmed and indigenous cases (43.4 cases per 1,000 population) [68]. The vivax malaria cases in North Korea coincided with peak incidence in South Korea (3,932 in 1998, 3,621 in 1999, 4,142 in 2000, and 2,556 in 2001) [9]. Several independent genetic studies have reached the conclusion that the extant P. vivax population is shaped by continuous introductions from an external source, possibly North Korea, although the exact genetic data on North Korean vivax populations is not available to-date. This scenario does not exclude the consideration that local transmission events may also occur in South Korea and contribute to the population structure. Importantly, this interpretation allows for local propagation to occur largely via inbreeding, which is concordant with the low incidence, low prevalence of infections, and limited seasonality (July-August) of the opportunity for recombination in the An. sinensis vector. This scenario also supports the longitudinal trends in the genetic diversity and structure of P. vivax in the Republic of Korea. Indeed, there is an example elsewhere similar to such genetic diversity in the Republic of Korea. Sri Lanka has remarkably reduced its vivax malaria incidence case by 99.99% with high levels of heterozygosity of P. vivax and large effective population sizes [69]. Moreover, local vivax populations are characterized by high levels of allelic polymorphism and significant LD indicative of reduced recombination. However, approximately 70% isolates in that study had polyclonal infections. The authors suggested that the imported malaria could by the most likely source of vivax malaria transmission. Overall, the significant diversity of the P. vivax population observed hampers the development of an effective vaccine against South Korean isolates of vivax malaria. In comparison to the very low endemic, pre-elimination settings of Sabah, Malaysia [70] and Southern Iran [71], there is lesser evidence of population bottlenecking in the Republic of Korea.
Therefore, further continuous monitoring of malaria parasites using various molecular markers including polymorphic DNA markers in the P. vivax genome is needed for the control and elimination of vivax malaria in the Republic of Korea. Such monitoring can also assess the population structure and dynamics of the parasite transmission.
This research was supported by the grants of a Research Grant from Inha University (56866-01, TSK).
The authors declare they have no competing interests.


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Today I will attempt to answer the age-old questions of a prior creation
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Did the earth actually become a ruined chaos sometime after its original creation? Were dinosaurs and other creatures killed and fossilized at the time. Had Satan already become "the god of this world" before Adam and Eve were given their "dominion"?
Were presently living animals, which can also be identified in the fossil formations, re-created during the days described in the remainder of Genesis 1? Was the supposed catastrophe of Ge 1:2 even more devastating, and thus geologically significant, than the Flood of Noah's day? These and similar questions cry out for solid biblical answers.
The Biblical Truth of the Pre-Adamic Age
The Pre-Adamic Age is the First Age of the Seven Ages in God's Plan for All. It began at the creation of the heavens and the earth, and ended at the start of the six-day creation week, during which Adam and Eve were created.
The Pre-Adamic Age was the age when angels were the key focus of God's dealings.
The First Age is an important age in God's Plan of the Ages. It helps us to appreciate and understand the following five important facts:
Our earth is much older than six thousand years.
When God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning, He created the earth in such a beautiful and perfect condition that the angels responded with joyful singing and shouting.
There was a massive cataclysmic global judgment of God against the world of Lucifer (Satan) and his angels when they sinned by rebelling against God during the Pre-Adamic Age. Since then, God has confined Satan and his fallen angels to earth and its atmosphere, awaiting their final judgment in the Lake of Fire.
Earth's Geology has been greatly impacted and shaped by this massive Pre-Adamic cataclysmic global judgment from God.
There will be another massive cataclysmic global judgment from God against this present sinful world, at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Let us now begin our study of this important First Age.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The heavens mean the whole complete universe consisting of billions of galaxies with billions of stars and planets. Our minds cannot even begin to grasp the wonders and limitless power of God, which the universe displays.
In this very first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, God singles out the earth as the most important planet in the entire universe. This is because God has a tremendous purpose to use the earth as the center of the universe. It is on earth that God will establish His Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth after He has first refined and cleansed the earth during the Lake of Fire Judgement Age.
So, how did God create the universe and the earth in the beginning? The Bible says that God simply commanded and they were created.
Psalm 148:2-5
2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! 4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created.
The creation of the entire universe, including the earth, must be understood as an instantaneous creation at the command of God. When God created the universe in the beginning, He also designed and created the Law of Gravity. God introduced the Law of Gravity for the stability and for the continual existence of the universe. All bodies in the universe are held together and maintain their orbits because of gravitation. Smaller bodies are held in their orbits by bigger bodies. Moon orbit planets, planets orbit stars, stars orbit galactic centres, and galaxies orbit other galaxies in clusters.
The important point to understand is that it is impossible for the moon to exist without the earth, and it is impossible for the earth to exist without the sun, and for the sun to exist without our galaxy, the Milky Way, and for the Milky Way to exist without other galaxies.
So, the whole universe must have been created instantaneously for it to exist, and this is exactly what God did in the beginning, as Psalm 148:5 above confirms, 'He commanded and they were created'.
Time began when God created the earth, the sun, and the moon with the rest of the universe, in the beginning. This is when God's Plan of the Ages began. How long ago was the beginning when God commanded and instantaneously created the universe with the earth? The Bible does not say. However, star distances and many other modern scientific methods, all show us that the beginning was many millions of years ago. It cannot have been around six thousand years ago, as believed by Young Earth Creationists.
Even Young Earth Creationists themselves admit that star distance is a problem when defending their belief in a young earth. Most probably, scientists have overestimated the age of our earth as being about 4.5 billion years old, but we can be absolutely sure that the earth is much older than six thousand years.
I will attempt to shall show you later why Young Earth Creationism confuses the beginning of the heavens and the earth many millions of years ago, as stated in Genesis 1:1, with the beginning of the Adamic Age, approximately six thousand years ago, as described in Genesis 1:3-31.
Let us now go on to understand the literal interpretation of the Genesis creation account as the Bible actually teaches.
What was the state of the earth when God created it along with the rest of the universe in the beginning? Let us see what the Bible says.
Job 38:4-7
4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
Job Chapters 38 and 39 show God humbling Job, who thought that he had a great fount of knowledge. In the verses above, God challenges Job about his knowledge of the creation of the earth. God did this to make Job acknowledge God's greatness and to show Job that he knew absolutely nothing about how and when God had created the earth.
Notice that all the angels sang and shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth. 'Morning stars' here also refers to angels.
The verses above reveal two important truths:
God created angels before He created the earth and the universe.
When God created the earth in the beginning, He created it in such a beautiful and perfect condition that the angels responded with joyful singing and shouting.
However, shockingly, in the second verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:2, we read that the earth had changed from its beautiful and perfect state, when it was first created in the beginning, to a totally different ruined state. It had become formless, empty, in darkness and submerged underwater.
Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was (hayah) formless, and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Since God did not create the earth in a formless, empty, dark, and flooded state in the beginning, then it must have become that way at a later date. This is exactly what happened to the earth, because an accurate translation of the Hebrew word hayah, in Genesis 1:2 above, is became as given in Strong's H1961.
Young Earth Creationism argues that Genesis 1:2 is the description of a stage in the construction of the earth. It is a Gross misunderstanding and misinterpretation of this verse to believe that God first had to create the earth in a formless, empty, dark state and totally submerged underwater in order to proceed and complete the rest of His beautiful creation on earth.
The truth of the Bible is that Genesis 1:2 is the description of the earth resulting from God's massive cataclysmic global judgment because of the sins of angels. It is not speaking about a stage in the construction of the earth, as mistakenly believed by Young Earth Creationists. Let us now have a closer look at Genesis 1:2 to understand that it is indeed a description of God's global judgment.
God's global judgment of rebellious angels in the Pre-Adamic Age
Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was (hayah, meaning became) formless (tohuw), and empty (bohuw), darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
The Bible is abundantly clear that the inspired Hebrew words tohuw and bohuw in Genesis 1:2 above, when used together, are the descriptive words for God's global judgment.
The Hebrew word tohuw occurs 20 times in the Old Testament with meanings of chaotic, nothing, confusion, waste, wilderness, emptiness, formless, and vain. The best meaning of tohuw in Genesis 1:2 is chaotic. Something that is in a confused, wasted, empty, flooded, and dark state is obviously in a chaotic state.
The Hebrew word bohuw occurs 3 times in the Old Testament with meanings of void and waste. I believe that God inspired the use of the Hebrew word bohuw in Genesis 1:2 to reinforce the meaning of tohuw, which we have just shown means chaotic.
The Bible specifically confirms in Isaiah 45:18 below that the earth was not created in the chaotic state that we see in Genesis 1:2.
Isaiah 45:18
For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain (tohuw, meaning chaotic), Who formed it to be inhabited: 'I am the LORD, and there is no other'.
So an accurate translation of Genesis 1:2 is:
Genesis 1:2
The earth became chaotic and wasted and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Please understand that God did not create the earth in the beginning (Genesis 1:1) in a chaotic, wasted, dark state submerged underwater. The earth became like that because a massive cataclysmic change took place on earth between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.
Believe what the Bible says that God did not create the earth in vain in an uninhabitable, chaotic (tohuw) state. As we have shown from Scripture, the earth was created in such a beautiful state that the angels sang and shouted for joy. Most certainly, the angels would not have sung and shouted for joy over the creation of a chaotic earth.
It is abundantly clear from Scripture that there was a gap of time between the creation of the beautiful earth of Genesis 1:1 and the totally ruined chaotic earth of Genesis 1:2. This gap of time is the Pre-Adamic Age, which lasted for many millions of years. So, the key question is: 'Why did the earth become chaotic and ruined as described in Genesis 1:2?
Understand that Genesis 1:2 is the description of the earth resulting from God's global judgment because of the sins of angels.
The sins of angels
2 Peter 2:4-6 is an account of three important historical judgments of God, which helps us to understand the consequences of sin.
2 Peter 2:4-6
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (tartaroo) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly.
Sin has consequences and it brings judgment from God in the form of death and destruction. Please note that God did not spare the angels who sinned, and He did not spare the sinful world of Noah or the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
In verse 4 above, the Greek word tartaroo is mistranslated as hell. Tartaroo is used only once in the Bible, and the context in which it appears reveals the meaning of the word as a prison of spiritual darkness.
Who sinned first, angels or man?
The fact that angels sinned before man cannot be disputed, because Satan was already a sinner and present in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve sinned. Young Earth Creationists deny this obvious and basic truth that sin first entered the world through angels. This obvious truth is confirmed by the historical sequence of the three judgments listed in the verses above, where the Bible places the sins of angels before the sins of man.
Young Earth Creationism misunderstands Romans 5:12 when it argues that sin and death first entered the world through man, and not through angels. Let us examine Romans 5:12 in detail, as it is one of three key 'proof-texts' used by Young Earth Creationists to support their belief. The other two key 'proof-texts' are Exodus 20:11 and Genesis 1:31, which we shall also fully deal with later in this chapter.
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
This verse specifically speaks about the sin of one man affecting the whole of the human race. Yes, sin entered the human world through one man, Adam, thus death spread to all men because of Adam's sin. However, please note that Romans 5:12 above speaks only about the sin and death which entered the Adamic world through the sin of Adam, but this scripture does not address the sin which entered the Pre-Adamic world through the sin of angels.
Young Earth Creationists misunderstand Romans 5:12 above to teach that man sinned before angels sinned. Remember that Satan was already a sinful fallen angel in the Garden of Eden when he tempted Adam and Eve to sin, thus, it is totally unscriptural and nonsensical to say that Adam sinned before Satan.
The Bible is clear that Satan is a fallen angel and he has the following of other fallen angels. Jesus Christ said that He beheld Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Luke 10:18
And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven".
When did Jesus Christ see Satan fall like lightning from heaven? It can only have been during the Pre-Adamic Age, and not during the Adamic Age. This is because Satan was already a sinful fallen angel at the start of the Adamic Age. There is absolutely nothing in the Bible to suggest that Satan was cast down to earth from heaven after God had created Adam and Eve, during the Adamic Age.
We will now examine relevant scriptures in some detail to see how sin first entered the Pre-Adamic world through Satan and his fallen angels.
Isaiah 14:12-15
12 How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (heylel), son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
This scripture confirms Jesus's statement in Luke 10:18 above that He saw Satan fall from heaven. It was indeed Satan (previously the holy angel Lucifer) whom Jesus saw fall from heaven.
Note that the Hebrew word heylel is translated as Lucifer in the NKJV above. Lucifer is a Latin word meaning 'Light Bearer', which first appeared in the Latin Vulgate circa 400 AD. This Latin word Lucifer has been retained by both the KJV and the NKJV, thus the Christian world has been familiar with the name Lucifer for over a thousand years.
Isaiah Chapter 14 refers to both the king of Babylon and Lucifer. However, it is important to note that Isaiah 14:12-15 above is specifically speaking about Lucifer, who became Satan. This scripture is not referring to the king of Babylon. It is referring to a fallen angelic being and not a man, as no man is capable of ascending above the heights of the clouds. Notice that Lucifer coveted the throne of God and he wanted to become like the Most High. However, God judged him for his sin of rebellion by casting him down to the lowest depths of the pit of this earth. As a result, the earth became chaotic, empty, dark, and submerged underwater because of God's tohuw and bohuw judgment, as previously described.
Let us now read a parallel scripture about the fall of Lucifer given in Ezekiel 28.
Ezekiel 28:12-15
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God: "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created." You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Until iniquity was found in you.
Ezekiel Chapter 28 begins by describing the king of Tyre whose heart was lifted up and who thought that he was god. The power and deceiver behind the king of Tyre was Satan himself. The scripture Ezekiel 28:12-15 above takes us on from speaking about the king of Tyre to speaking about Lucifer who became Satan, as these verses can only fit the description of a fallen angelic being and not a man. Lucifer was created perfect in his ways. He was the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, the anointed cherub, and perfect in beauty before iniquity was found in him when he rebelled against God. In contrast, the king of Tyre was born imperfect with a fallen, sinful Adamic nature (the old man), and he was not the anointed cherub.
Therefore, these verses can only refer to God speaking to Satan, who was the real influencing power behind the king of Tyre.
Conclusion: Young Earth Creationism has yet to discover the biblically correct 'answers in Genesis', answers that are not only very logical but also scientifically and geologically defensible, answers that not only protect but also enhance the credibility of the Bible as the true Word of God.
The correct biblical understanding of the Genesis account of creation and acknowledgement of the Pre-Adamic World is the best and the only way to fight the false theories of The Big Bang and Evolution taught in our schools and universities today.

subset: commoncrawl


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Burberry gives covid-19 update on protecting employees and communities
Luxury brand Burberry has given an update on the steps it is taking to support its employees, customers and communities throughout the coronavirus crisis.
The company has already put in place a range of measures to help prevent the spread of the virus in the workplace as it looks to ensure the safety of its employees. It is also helping in the national fight against the pandemic by using its trench coat factory in Castleford to manufacture personal protection equipment for medical and care workers. To date, Burberry has donated more than 100,000 items.
In a statement today, the company has committed to continuing to maintain base pay for all employees who are unable to fulfil their roles due to store or site closures. In addition, Burberry said it will not be relying on government support for jobs in the UK where more than a third of its employees are based.
Burberry also revealed that its senior team and board members will take a voluntary 20% pay cut from April to June. The equivalent cash amount from the board of directors' pay cut will be donated to the Burberry Foundation Covid-19 Community Fund.
Marco Gobbetti, Burberry chief executive, said: "Since the outbreak of covid-19, our priority has been the safety and wellbeing of our employees, our customers and our communities. While we continue to take mitigating actions to contain our costs and protect our financial position, we are also committed to safeguarding jobs and supporting the relief efforts during this global health emergency. I would like to thank our teams for their continued determination and resilience as we continue Thomas Burberry's legacy of protecting others and caring for the community."
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MURDER USA: Fu Tian Yan murdered during armed robbery of Laundromat; PG Police Charged Mekhi Loving with First Degree Murder
CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MD. – The thieving, murdering scum of Prince Georges County believe that they have every right to rob and murder clerks and owners of small businesses in Pretty Gory County. PG County Homicide Unit detectives report that they identified and charged a suspect in connection with a fatal stabbing that took place on Sept. 17, 2020 inside of a Capitol Heights laundromat.
The victim was identified by police as 59-year-old Fu Tian Yan of Upper Marlboro. Yan is an employee of the business.
The suspect is 17-year-old Mekhi Lowell Loving (DOB 07/30/2003) of 6844 Walker Mill Road #202 in Capitol Heights, Md. The suspect is charged as an adult and has a preliminary hearing on Oct. 2, 2020, in Upper Marlboro District Court.
On September 17th, at approximately 7:15 pm, patrol officers responded to the laundromat in the 6700 block of Walker Mill Road. The officers located the victim inside of the business suffering from multiple stab wounds. He died a short time later at a hospital.
Through the course of the investigation, Loving was identified as the suspect. He was arrested shortly after the murder. The preliminary investigation revealed he stabbed the victim in order to steal money from the business.
Loving is charged with first degree murder and related charges. He's in the custody of the Department of Corrections. A commissioner ordered him held on a no-bond status.
If anyone has information relevant to this investigation, they are asked to please call detectives at 301-516-2512. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), or go online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com, or use the "P3 Tips" mobile app (search "P3 Tips" in the Apple Store or Google Play to download the app onto your mobile device.) Please refer to case number 20-0043537.


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Bartram Trail High School, home of the Bears, is a public school located in St. Johns, Florida. BTHS is part of the St. Johns County School District with approximately 2,000 students and 25 varsity sports. Go Bears!
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Officials at the Maine Department of Transportation needed to quickly replace the 60-year-old Bath Viaduct on U.S. Route 1, which spans surface streets and a railway. To achieve their goal for smoothing summer traffic, they created a design-build, incentive-laden contract with a deadline of 220 days, versus the 720 days it took to construct the original bridge.
The project required demolishing the original 20-span structure and constructing a new 1,300-foot viaduct as well as modifying one abutment, adding drainage, and replacing a railway crossing at the intersection.
To meet this rapid timetable, designer VHB and contractor Reed & Reed incorporated a variety of Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques into their plan. Foremost was the use of precast concrete New England Extreme Tee D beams, which include a topped flange that serves as the wearing surface, eliminating the requirement to have secondary castings done in the field, reducing on site tasks, and schedule durations.
The viaduct features 20 spans, encompassing 80 NEXT beams in all. The beams were cast with 8,000-psi concrete requiring a release strength of 6,000psi. This requirement would normally create challenges for a precast producer especially achieving this on a daily basis, notes Andrew LeVatte, from Strescon Limited, the precast producer.
"As soon as we secured the contract and shop drawings were approved, we jumped into casting the NEXT beams," he says. "We poured, cured, and stripped the beams every day. Achieving the 7-day release strength of 6,000-psi concrete in 18 hours, never losing a day of production".
Precast Prestressed bridge beams naturally camber once the prestressing force applied to the prestressing strand is transferred into the concrete. In order to compensate for this, VHB Engineering calculated the amount of camber in the beam then adjusted the concrete thickness of the driving surface as it approached the beam end essentially creating a flat driving surface.
The NEXT beams, four per line, are 8'4" wide, with span ranging from 60 to 70 feet long and 75-foot spans over the rail tracks. The beams had rebar for deck curbs installed on fascia beams upon arrival at the site. The beams were unloaded with a 250-ton Manitowoc 999 crane and erected by two 150-ton Link Belt cranes. The beams were set, a pour strip was applied, and they were covered with a membrane and topped by a 3-inch wearing course.
The beams were manufactured throughout the summer and early fall and were ready for delivery through the winter. The existing foundations were reused to save time and material, and 19 hammerhead piers and pier caps were cast by Reed & Reed crews near the site, as they were too cumbersome to transport to the site, Lavatte says.
Traffic was detoured during construction and crews worked both day and night shifts to speed construction. Precast components arrived steadily and were quickly erected. In fact, the project beat its deadline of Memorial Day weekend in 2017 by nearly one month, maximizing the incentive payment.
Strescon Ltd., Saint John, New Brunswick
Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), Augusta, ME
VHB, Boston, MA
Reed & Reed Inc., Woolwich, ME
Key Project Attributes
Project/Precast Scope


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The body of Cafe Coffee Day founder V G Siddhartha, who went missing two days ago, was found by local fishermen and patrolling policemen on the banks of the Nethravathi river near Mangaluru on Wednesday.
A police official said "everything" points to suicide but nothing can be ruled out until the investigation is over.
Siddhartha, whose chain of cafes helped make coffee a lifestyle beverage and brought in latte, cappuccino, Americano and espresso into the urban Indian lexicon, was 69. He is survived by his wife Malavika and two sons.
His body was identified by his friends, said Dakshina Kannada district Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil.
Here is all you need to know:
-Born to a coffee plantation owner in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, Siddhartha has his association with the coffee business since he was young.
-He obtained a post-graduate in economics from St. Aloysius College in Mangalore and is married to the daughter of former Karnataka Chief Minister and former External Minister SM Krishna.
-In 1993, he set up a coffee trading company called Amalgamate Bean Company (ABC) with annual turnover over Rs 60 million and over the years it increased to over Rs 25 billion.
-Currently, Siddhartha has 200 exclusive retail outlets selling his brand of Coffee Day powder all over South India. ABC is India's largest exporter of green coffee.
-Expanding his business portfolio, Siddhartha ventured into IT sector too and founded Global Technology Ventures Limited that identifies, invests and mentors technology companies.
-He also entered the financial sector with the investment firm Sivan Securities Private Limited.
-The company has three subsidiaries - Chetan Wood Processing Private Limited, hospitality business Barefoot Resorts and timber trading - Dark Forest Furniture Company.
-Siddhartha has been witnessing rising debts, especially in the last few years. He was in news recently few months earlier following his stake sale in IT firm MindTree to L&T.


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Cybersecurity, Advanced Certificate
Program Director: Dr. David Hilmey
Email: email@example.com
|Total Credits
CYB-500 COMPUTER NETWORKS (3 Credits)
A study of computer networks based on the OSI model of a layered network architecture. The TCP/IP protocol suite is used to illustrate network protocols. The course includes an overview of local area networks, routing algorithms, and network applications. The course consists of three lecture hours and one two-hour laboratory per week. The laboratory component provides experience in network programming using sockets.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-500A COMPUTERS & CYBER WORLD (3 Credits)
Computer hardware and organization, number Systems, types of data, discrete mathematics and logic, algorithms, files and data structures, operating systems and compilers, virtual machines, Linux, security, privacy, threats, identity, introduction to technical, legal & policy issues in cybersecurity.
CYB-500B INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING (3 Credits)
The course introduces the object-oriented approach to software design using a programming language such as Python, R or Java. The programming language is used to implement software designs. No previous programming experience is presupposed.
CYB-500C INTRODUCTION TO DATABASES (3 Credits)
An introduction to database management systems, including database design and application development. Different database models are introduced, with emphasis on the relational model. The theoretical principles underlying the design of a database and the physical storage of data and its integrity are covered. Other conceptual points are covered such as relations in mathematics that form the bases of a relational model. Along with designing and implementing databases using Sequel Server, the student will create a GUI interface to a database using JDBC and JavaFX.
CYB-501 FOUNDATIONS OF CYBERSECURITY, ETHICAL HACKING, PENETRATION TESTING (3 Credits)
To provide students with a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity and an in-depth understanding of penetration testing and ethical hacking. This course will include intelligence gathering, assessment of software vulnerabilities and weaknesses, cross platform penetration testing, learning ethical hacking requirements, and data protection.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-502 ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY (3 Credits)
This course will expand on previous cybersecurity courses and delve deeper into its topics. Combining topics from computer science and cybersecurity, students will delve into system and network analysis, Diverse DDoS, DDoS and advanced persistent attacks, intrusion detection system development and control system. Students will be able to use quantitative and qualitative reasoning to solve problems with an array of different system vulnerabilities. Students will need knowledge of operating systems and advanced algebra before taking this course.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-503 Enterprise Security (3 Credits)
This course will expand on previous cybersecurity courses and introduce business and enterprise topics. This will be done through analysis of real-world business examples of cyberattacks and the needs businesses have in the areas of cybersecurity. This course will emphasize real-world developmental practices and aim to improve students' ability to work in a professional cybersecurity environment.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-504 CYBERSECURITY FORENSICS (3 Credits)
This course will give an in-depth look into the world of cybercrime and digital evidence. Throughout this course, students will use industry tools to perform forensic analysis of crimes to learn about how to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber-crime, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-predators. This course aims to both inform students of the types of crimes that exist as well as ways to catch those responsible even through virtual anonymity.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-505 SECURE SOFTWARE DESIGN (3 Credits)
This course aims to establish an understanding of proper software design for a secure product. This course will do so by comparing both secure and unsecure design structures to ensure that similarly made software programs are not vulnerable to known forms of cyberattacks or cybercrimes.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-506 ENTERPRISE NETWORKS (3 Credits)
This course will build an understanding of how networks function within a business environment and the threats that face networks if they are not properly protected. Networks are a cornerstone of a modern business of any size, and thus these networks must be made to be secure in order to ensure that these companies can function properly.
CYB-507 APPLIED CRYPTOGRAPHY (3 Credits)
This course will help students understand the fundamentals of cryptography as well as the applications that it holds in modern technology. Cryptographic methods and tools, such as encryption and digital signatures, will be studied to understand how to protect information within a program. This course will also explore the differences between symmetric and asymmetric cryptography and the benefits to both.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-508 APPLIED DATA MINING WITH APPLICATIONS IN CYBERSECURITY (3 Credits)
This course will help students understand the importance of data mining in the cybersecurity field and how to apply various data mining techniques. Students will learn about the fundamentals to data mining in general, growing their skills until they are able to later integrate data mining into cybersecurity applications and topics.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-509 MACHINE LEARNING WITH APPLICATIONS IN CYBERSECURITY (3 Credits)
This course will aim to enhance students' knowledge of the fundamentals of machine learning and how said technologies can be applied to cybersecurity. Different types of machine learning will be explored in the realms of cybercrime and cybercrime prevention.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-510 Risk Management & System Hardening & PROTECTION (3 Credits)
This course will aim to teach students skills required to perform cyber risk management for organizations as well as how to prevent systems from being breached to begin with. There are risks that accompany all forms of system, this course will both give students the tools to identify possible risks that can be impactful in the future and how to manage breaches once they occur.
Restrictions: RGP.123
CYB-512 CLOUD SECURITY (3 Credits)
This course provides a practical explanation of both the principles and practice of cloud security by describing the cloud security architecture and exploring the guiding security design principles from the threat and CIA model viewpoint. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the design and development of secure cloud services we will examine industry standards and applied technologies for delivering and managing secure cloud-based services specially Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This course also covers protection and isolation of physical and logical infrastructures, identity management, access control, monitoring and auditing processes. Students also learn mitigation techniques for attacks at many points in a GCP-based infrastructure, including Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks, phishing attacks, and threats involving content classification and use.
Prerequisite(s): Take CYB-501


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Apple will reportedly officially announce the iPhone 13 in September, but thanks to an onslaught of leaks, we already know quite a bit about its rumored specs and features. A new leak reveals a juicy, behind-the-scenes rumor that Apple was testing an under-display Touch ID prototype for the iPhone 13.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman tapped into his Apple insider sources and discovered that the Cupertino-based tech giant experimented with the concept of adding fingerprint sensors under the display, however, the design will not make it to the final production stage (via BGR).
In-screen Touch ID may come to the iPhone, but not this year
Four years ago, Apple ditched Touch ID in favor of Face ID, allowing Apple to offer more screen real estate to consumers. However, the Cupertino-based tech giant didn't foresee a life-altering pandemic sweeping the world, prompting legislators to enforce mask mandates. As such, having a Face ID-only device has become inconvenient and Apple users have been yearning for Touch ID's return.
Apple tried to rectified this issue by allowing mask-wearing users to unlock their device by using a watchOS device (opens in new tab), but not everyone wants to buy an Apple Watch just to access their iPhone. That being said, Apple tried to reintroduce an under-display Touch ID feature to the iPhone 13, but it did not perform up to Apple's standards.
"While Apple had tested in-screen Touch ID for the next flagship iPhones, it won't make the cut this year," Gurman said in the Power On newsletter. "I believe Apple is all-in on Face ID for its higher-end iPhones and its long-term goal is to implement Face ID in the display itself."
In other words, Apple may be redirecting its focus toward implementing a Face ID under-display feature — not a Touch ID one (though Touch ID won't be completely out of the picture). Apple reportedly plans to mimic Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 under-display camera design.
According to 9to5Mac, Bloomberg said Apple's under-display Face ID design could manifest in two ways: high-end iPhones will feature in-screen Face ID while the low-tier models get in-screen Touch ID or the pricier models get in-screen Face ID while the low-tier iPhones feature Face ID sensors in the notch.
Although we won't be getting any snazzy in-screen sensors with the iPhone 13, rumors are pointing to other exciting features, such as a 120Hz refresh-rate display, up to 1TB of storage in the top-tier models, a zippy A15 chip and brand-spankin' new camera sensors.
To keep abreast on all the latest iPhone 13 news, check out our oft-updated rumor hub here.


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For any business, an online presence has been essential for some time, even if they don't sell directly online.
A website can help to raise awareness and drive customers into physical stores and provide useful information on products, opening times and customer reviews.
However, if you can sell products or services online, then it can add an extra revenue stream and help your business reach a larger audience.
The importance of an online presence has also been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions placed on shops and businesses as a result.
Many businesses have been unable to trade for large periods of time over the past year, while a lack of customer confidence has meant a drop in footfall even when shops have been open.
In these challenging circumstances, some businesses have been able to use their websites to generate extra revenue, to keep customers informed about changes resulting from differing lockdown restrictions or simply to keep in touch with their customer base.
In this article, I'll look at the benefits of adding e-commerce functionality to your website and some best practices for offering products and services online.
Advantages of e-commerce
A website with no e-commerce function can still be valuable for businesses. It can raise awareness of a business and help to drive leads and visits to physical shops or provide useful information.
For example, a website for a handyman business can do a lot to drive interest by displaying information on services, pricing, pictures of work and reviews, even if it doesn't sell anything directly online.
However, adding the ability to sell online can have several key benefits:
- E-commerce opens up potential revenue opportunities for business. Even if your shop is successful, the ability to sell online opens up further options to increase revenues
- It can help you to survive difficult trading periods. COVID-19 is an obvious example, but with the trend towards buying online, e-commerce is a way to future-proof your business and ensure it can continue to run even when you can't sell offline
- It broadens your potential customer base. With a physical presence only, your customer base is limited mainly to those within a certain distance of your stores or other premises. Online means you can potentially sell to anyone around the world
- E-commerce means you can sell 24/7. With physical locations, you're limited to standard opening hours, and how much time you or your staff can spend serving customers
- It helps you to learn about your customers. One big advantage of being online is the data you can gather on visitor behaviour – their product preferences, buying habits and more. All of this enables you to market your business more effectively
- E-commerce can be more cost-effective. It offers a way to expand your business' income without the extra costs of staff and premises
- It helps you to build up a marketing database. Capturing emails and product preferences from online shoppers helps you to build up a useful list of interested customers to market to in future
Best practices for adding e-commerce functionality
There are various options when thinking of adding transactional functionality to your website – you could sell directly online, taking orders and handling delivery to customers. Or you could go for a click and collect option, where you can broaden your appeal but avoid the costs and time dealing with shipping.
A third option, which is relevant for businesses like cafes and restaurants, is to deliver locally and add extra revenue beyond that generated by diners.
Adding an online shop
Depending on the platform you currently use for your website, it can potentially be very easy to add e-commerce functionality online. Here are a few areas to think about.
Choice of e-commerce platform
An e-commerce platform allows you to manage your e-commerce activity, and there are plenty of options for all skill levels. This article looks at some e-commerce platform choices for new online retailers. It's important to choose a platform that matches your budget and skill level.
Product range
It isn't always necessary to sell every product online that you stock in store. Indeed, it can be more advisable (initially at least) to sell a limited range, or to consider things like profit margins and delivery costs before deciding what to stock online. For example, it may help to sell only products that offer a good margin once packaging and delivery costs have been accounted for.
Website design
E-commerce website design is important, as it creates an instant impression to visitors and affects how easy it is to find and buy products. It pays to start with a simple design and to match the experience on other sites as closely as possible. This means customers can instantly see how the site works, and don't have to work hard to shop.
The example below is a site from a local small butcher, but it looks professional, with clear product images, useful tools like filters and a good overall user experience. This can make the difference for small businesses.
A simple checkout is important for converting online shoppers. A good checkout that works on mobile makes your site look more professional and will minimise the risk that shoppers leave at this point.
It is also wise to offer alternative payments like PayPal. If customers have any concerns about payment security, PayPal and similar methods can reassure them, as well as reducing effort in entering payment details.
It's important to think about delivery and the options that suit your business and products best. Fast and convenient delivery options are attractive to shoppers, but they can be expensive for retailers.
If you're selling larger products, then packaging and delivery can become expensive so consider e-commerce shipping options carefully.
It's important to be clear with customers about shipping timescales, as disappointments and delays around delivery can deter customers from buying again. Be clear and don't over-promise.
It's also important to think about the environment when packing goods and choosing materials for use in packaging. Avoid excess packaging and use recycled and renewable materials where possible. This is not only good for the planet but can also be a selling point for customers.
Click and collect
Click and collect is a useful option to offer customers. Some shoppers find it more convenient to collect in person and it can be a good way to sell more online without having to deal with shipping and the associated costs.
In the past year we've seen a lot of shops and restaurants take this step, as it does offer a way to appeal to local customers.
Here are a few points to consider when offering click and collect:
Advertise the service prominently
Click and collect can be a sales driver, so it's important to make the option clear on your website so customers can take advantage of it.
Check stock availability information
Customers need to be able to order with confidence, so up to date stock information is vital. Even just a contact number so customers can call will help.
Fast click and collect options
If you are fulfilling click and collect orders from store stock, the ability to collect quickly can be a key selling point.
Clear information on the pick-up process
It's important to make the collection process clear, from time slots to in-store collection points. At a time like the present, it's also vital to clarify any safety procedures, such as limits on the number of people in stores.
Offering a range of delivery options can allow small businesses to expand their reach beyond their local customer base, but there are some key considerations and different options.
Delivery and packaging
You could simply start by fulfilling orders yourself through Royal Mail, as a low cost way of testing the service. As order volumes increase, you can look at different delivery options which are more cost-effective.
Packaging is important, both to ensure that products arrive intact and in good condition, and to leave a good impression. If packaging looks professional, this can build trust and convince customers to place future orders.
Again, it's important to look for environmentally friendly delivery options where possible.
Offer local delivery
This is an option that especially applies to businesses like restaurants, cafes and those who can deliver locally but are unable to offer wider delivery options.
With the pandemic leading to cafe and restaurant closures and reduced demand, delivery has provided a valuable extra source of income in difficult times.
Offering local delivery or takeaway/click and collect can be very easy to do and can be as simple as advertising options on a Facebook page and taking orders by phone or Facebook messages, as this pizza restaurant does.
This is a good short-term solution, but it's preferable to sell direct through your own website where you have more control. Here, you can provide better e-commerce functionality and display menus more effectively.
Clarity of information
For small businesses taking their first steps into e-commerce or providing limited offerings like local delivery or collection only, then customers need to understand their options.
Clear information, like that shown in the Waiting Room example above, avoids confusion, and helps customers to make orders without unnecessary hassle.
It's also vital, in difficult times, to provide clear information to customers looking to visit stores or physical locations. Some shoppers need clarity on whether shops are open, as well as reassurances on measures to ensure customer safety – social distancing, use of masks etc.
The importance of security
It's vital to consider security options when selling online and taking payments from customers. Trust is key to customer confidence when placing orders, especially when they're unfamiliar with the business. Just a few tips include:
- Ensure the site is secure. Security should be a key consideration when choosing e-commerce platforms and payment providers. It's a good idea to choose a platform that handles security or a hosted payment gateway that handles security
- Provide trusted payment options. Options such as PayPal and Amazon Checkout are secure and well-known by customers, with saved details and guarantees for shoppers. Familiar options like this can encourage them to make a purchase
- Clear security information. Trust badges and logos can help to show customers that you have security measures in place and reassure them that it's safe to shop with you
- Understand your legal obligations. If you're selling online for the first time or adding payment functionality to your existing website, it's important to understand what laws and key legislation will apply
In summary
Difficult trading conditions caused by the pandemic have emphasised the importance of an online presence, with online traffic and sales growing faster than ever.
According to ONS data, e-commerce in 2020 grew by 46% year on year, the biggest rise since 2008. At times during the year, online sales accounted for between 30% and 40% of all retail sales.
However, this isn't the only compelling reason to sell online. E-commerce has grown steadily for more than a decade and isn't showing signs of slowing yet. It offers a valuable extra channel for small businesses and can provide a way to keep pace with customer expectations and expand your customer base.


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Stock certificates and postcards in Holabird auction
- Published: Feb 27, 2017, 4 AM
The Prag Collection of stock certificates, postcards and vintage stereoscopic photos will be offered March 4 in an online auction by Holabird Western Americana LLC. The sale, comprising just over 900 lots, is being conducted over Icollector.com.
Among the lots offered are three late 19th century checks drawn on Wells, Fargo & Co. of San Francisco; a Bodie & Hawthorne stock certificate issued to Chinese merchant; and a lot of nine full-color post cards bearing images of coins.
Wells, Fargo & Co. checks
The three checks, each measuring 3 inches by 8 inches, were issued at Silver City, Idaho, by the Owyhee Mining Co.
One $300 check is dated Sept. 19, 1872, and a second for the same amount is dated Nov. 19, 1871. The third check, in the amount of $800, is dated Oct. 27, 1871.
Bodie & Hawthorne stock certificate
Dated Aug. 6, 1892, the stock certificate was issued for 10 shares in Bodie & Hawthorne Telephone and Telegraph Co. in Bodie, Calif. The certified was issued to Tong Sing Wo & Co.
The certificate is signed by Thomas H. Leggett as president and R.L. McCarthy as secretary. The certificate is pen canceled on the face. The back exhibits dividend stamps from J.S. Cain and transfer of shares to D.V. Cain.
Post card lot
Lot 1219 comprises nine post cards and prints all featuring coins. The lot includes an advertising card for Chicago Stove Works illustrating an 1890 gold coin, and four unused trade cards featuring illustrations with coins around the border.
Four post cards, three mailed, all have messages and illustrations related to coins ("I'm on the Scent" or "Counting His Pennies" and "It ain't the Two Cents I Spend, It is the Greeting I Send").
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Successful education is a three-faced one, which requires family education, school education, and social education, all of which are indispensable and interlocking. In today's diversified and open society with professional division of labor, parents' associations play a more important role. On the one hand, they must supervise school education in a timely manner and put forward suggestions. They must also actively participate in the operation of school activities, become assistants to school education, and practice education together Philosophy helps students grow up.
In Zhuohuan, the parent association and the school have the same goals. Their relationship is cooperation rather than checks and balances. The parent association is the school's advisory unit and consulting organization. The school respects the parents' association's right to suggest and cherishes its experience And trust. Zhuo Huan Parents' Association will always walk with Zhuo Huan and be Zhuo Huan's friends, and give Zhuo Huan the greatest care.
|First to Ninth
|Lin Dengmin
|October 51 to September 60
|Tenth ~ Thirteenth term
|Lin Changyong
|October 60 to September 64
|14th~20th term
|Lin Ma Duan
|October 64 to September 71
|Second term ~ 30th term
|Sun Guangming
|October 71 to September 81
|The third to the third and fourth terms
|Lin Changgeng
|October 1981 to September 1985
|The third and fifth term
|Lin Yaoguang
|October 1985 to September 1986
|The third and sixth term
|Lin Changgeng
|October 1986 to September 1987
|Third-seventh-Third-eighth term
|Chen Guomin
|October 1987 to September 1989
|The third and ninth term ~ the fourth term
|Lin Changgeng
|October 1989 to September 1992
|The fourth and second term ~ the fourth and third term
|Wu Guotai
|October 1992 to September 1994
|The fourth and the fourth to the fourth and fifth terms
|Lin Changgeng
|October 1994 to September 1996
|The 46th to the 47th term
|Wu Guotai
|October 96 to September 98
|The forty-eighth term ~ the forty-ninth term
|Lin Changzhang
|October 1998 to September 100
|Fiftieth Term
|Lin Yilan
|October 100 to September 101
|The Fifth First~The Fifth Second
|Chen Xinfu
|October 101 to September 103
|The fifth and third term
|Lin Changzhang
|September 103 to August 104
|Fifth and Fourth Term
|Chen Xinfu
|September 104 to August 105
|Fifth and fifth term
|Chen Xinfu
|September 105 to August 106


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Sign In or Password Problems? 10/09/2016If you can't Sign In, you need to reset your password. Use the Forgot Your Password link at the bottom of the Sign In screen, and the site will send you an email to reset it. If you have an AOL email account, use the Contact Us link at the bottom of the screen -- AOL is intermittently blocking email from the site.
Feedback Please! 10/28/2017See News and Announcements forum.
EricD's Deutz-Allis 1918
By EricD, 02/01/2017
- 474 views
- 0 comments
- Make Deutz-Allis
- Series Ultima
- Model 1918
- Year Tractor Was Made 1992
- Manufacturer (MFR) Number
- Tractor Serial Number
- Engine Manufacturer Kohler
- Engine Model
- Engine Serial Number
- Date Purchased 09/04/2009
- Purchase Price $$ 1300
- Condition at Time of Purchase 392 hours on working meter. Clean, runs excellent. Tight machine. Travelled about 5 hour round trip to buy. Came with original deck in good condition (couple small rust holes) and 42 inch blower in great shape. Willing to pay such a price for reliability and durability. 1000 lb size will also manage a trailer I'll haul my kids around in.
- Condition Now
- URL Link


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6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#01-41 Clarke Quay Central
Singapore 059817
11:00am - 09:00pm
Enjoy dining without burning a hole in your pocket, no membership required
Bought the cheesecakes for my boyfriend's family. My bf especially loved the oreo cheesecake 😋
Creating this festive treat is by no means an easy feat as the Yule Hee Hoo is made from a hazelnut chocolate praline base with a velvety pistachio cream cheese mousse paired with chocolate cream cheese and a fruity raspberry ruby centre for that tangy sensation. To balance the flavours, the logcake is finished with bittersweet matcha green tea sponge crumbles and a miniature reindeer topper. This indulgent treat has all the flavour experiences of sweet, nutty, and tangy all in a single bite.
The Yule Hee Hoo logcake is available for ordering now on the link below or you can visit any one of their twelve retail outlets island-wide to purchase today. From now to 19 December, enjoy up to 30% off the Yule Hee Hoo when you order from the retail outlets or online store.
✨ Cat & the Fiddle
📍 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, The Central at Clarke Quay, 01-41, Singapore 059817
🌐 http://www.catandthefiddle.com/
🍴 [Media Delivery]
It's festive game strong 🎄 with this Yule Hee Hoo! ($68.90)! Comprising of everything I love in one cake, this has got to be my favourite cake from them to-date! ❤
It features a fluffy hazelnut chocolate praline base 🍰 with a velvety pistachio cream cheese mousse 💚, enveloping a luscious chocolate cream cheese 🍫 & fruity raspberry ruby centre 💗, then coated in aromatic & bittersweet matcha green tea sponge crumbles 🍵! The tangy raspberry centre cuts the overall sweetness & the rich nuttiness 🥜 of the pistachio mousse won me over! 💯
Decorated with an adorable miniature reindeer topper 🦌 & edible chocolates 🍫, this will surely win praises on the party table! 🥳
We reckon Cat & The Fiddle is one of the best spots for cheesecakes in town. First created by award-winning pastry chef Daniel Tay, this spot now boasts several outlets across the island with an impressive selection of gourmet cheesecakes (almost 20!), ranging from faithful classic to more Asian and local-inspired creations.
Photo by Burppler goodfomood x
This is a Chinese inspired cheesecake, named after Emperor Xuanzong, the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty, who ordered his soldiers to transport lychees without rest to the Lady Yang Guifei (her favourite fruit) as a statement of his love and affection.
This concoction of rich cream cheese, ladyfingers / sponge fingers, lychees, raspberries, and rose petals, over a graham cracker base, has an airy soft texture and enticing floral fruity sweet flavour. Like a dream.
Cat & The Fiddle
More details in profile & blog
This is an Indonesian inspired cheesecake, made with rich cream cheese, butter sponge cake, whipped cream, and 3 servings of martabak cheese, over a graham cracker base.
With a fluffy soft texture and bold savoury cheesy sweet grainy flavour, this triple fromage dessert is so magical and decadent.
Cat & The Fiddle
More details in profile & blog


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Item is smaller than what appears in photo. Photo enlarged to show detail. Gemstone colors may vary slightly from photo. We only sell genuine natural diamonds and gemstones. All our items come with a beautiful Jewelry Box!Certificate of Appraisal available upon request. Designer Diamonds is engaged in the jewelry business and is authorized to manufacture and sell fine diamond and gemstone jewelry.
We certify that all our fine jewelry has been carefully examined, graded and valued according to the most stringent specifications. It is also certified that the precious metals, diamonds and gemstones used to manufacture the jewelry are genuine in accordance with the recognized jewelry industry quality standards. All of our diamond suppliers have provided guarantees that our diamonds used are conflict-free to the best of their knowledge. Check Sample of Certificate of Authenticity. Please include invoice number and reason for returning the item.
Do not mark or deface any of the packaging. The item "10k White Gold Genuine Oval Tanzanite and Braided Diamond Accent Ring" is in sale since Friday, July 14, 2017. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Fine Jewelry\Fine Rings\Gemstone". The seller is "designer-diamonds-nyc" and is located in Great Neck, New York. This item can be shipped worldwide.


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Have you been inspired by all the local garments so far? If not, I'll leave you with these tantalising tidbits from Europe!
I believe that all the European participants were surprised, firstly, at how difficult it was to find locally made textiles. And secondly, with a bit of persistence and digging, at the diversity of niche local textiles available. Charlotte is constantly adding to her fantastic list of resources here:
Some of the must read posts:
- Local Linen
- British Tweed
- On finding local thread
- Local wool – article in Seamwork
- Local Lace – article in Seamwork
- Dyeing with Tumeric
The wonderfully local completed garments so far:
Charlotte from English Girl at Home
Charlotte had started natural dyeing before she came to the project, and the diversity of her colour palette really reflects that experience. I am absolutely in awe of the local silk that she sourced for her dress! For Charlotte, buying local has become the norm and the full list of British garments she made can be seen here.
" Thanks to #1year1outfit, local (which in my case means British) fibres have become a real passion. The project led me to really question and explore exactly what fabrics and fibres are produced in Britain… Exploring currently available British textiles also led me to give greater consideration to the historic textile industry, both to celebrate the beautiful things produced and the skill required to produce them, but also to be aware of the conditions many of these textiles were produced under. In Britain that included child labour, serious health risks for workers, long hours for low pay, and exploitation of the Empire."
Also from the UK, the Steely Seamstress has been giving tantalising glimpses of her almost complete outfit. She is working on a naturally dyed silk top, linen pants complete with ceramic buttons and a tweed hacking jacket. She talks openly about all of the choices and compromises she has had to make along the way, making it a fascinating story.
Ute, like me, began 2015 with next to zero knitting skills. Her commitment to mastering this skills shows in her final outfit, complete with linen dress dyed with avocado pits.
"Sourcing yarn was the easiest, learning to make my own knitting pattern and knitting such a complex piece the hardest part. I had only knit scarves and shawls before.
Sourcing all German made fabric was quite difficult. Germany used to be an important producer of linen, but there are only a few mills left and most flax comes from European neighbouring countries or even China. Hemp and nettle fabric used to be manufactured in Germany as well, but only come from China and even Tibet now. I finally found a shop that sells German organic linen and used this for my dress."
See the Australian and NZ local outfits here, and the US outfits here.
A very humble thank you to all of those who have joined me on this journey, I look forward to the 2016 adventure! I will also share more completed outfit stories with you throughout the year as other participants finish their outfits.
If you want to follow along and are unsure how, follow our One Year One Outfit Fibreshed Affiliate Facebook Page or follow my blog via email or WordPress by clicking the little cross at the bottom of this page.


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We are excited to introduce slideshows for GiveSignup standalone fundraising campaigns! Slideshows allow you to add one or multiple images to your campaign page. This gives your nonprofit more opportunities to promote your mission and tell the story behind each fundraising campaign.
You can add a slideshow to your fundraising campaign on the campaign page. Click the plus sign at the top of the page to add your images. Note that you will only see this option when you are logged in and have access to the campaign.
You can drag and drop up to 10 images to display on the campaign page. When you upload an image, you can easily resize the image. As a best practice, we recommend using images sized 1500px by 600px.
Once you have uploaded your slideshow images click Save.
You can add, edit, delete, or disable the campaign slideshow at any time by clicking the Edit icon on the campaign page:
Nonprofits can raise more and save money with GiveSignup's new standalone fundraising campaigns, creating unlimited peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns that are not attached to an event or run/walk/ride. And like all GiveSignup features, fundraising campaigns are free.


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Time Magician 100% FTK Quick Combo
You might have heard that Time Wizard just got a new fusion version upgrade but have you heard that it can even work as an FTK? Here's some combos to check out!
Disclaimer: These combos are purely proof of concept and not meant to be used in tournaments.


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Wealthy Students in the Ivy League
Ivy Coach is featured today in America's oldest college newspaper, "The Dartmouth," the newspaper of Dartmouth College. The piece, by Alex Fredman, is entitled "New York Times reports on inequality at College" and its focus is on how Dartmouth students come from families of disproportionately wealthy backgrounds. We find it a bit ridiculous that Dartmouth happened to be singled out for attracting students of wealthy backgrounds since all highly selective colleges, including all Ivy League colleges, are guilty of the same, but the piece in "The New York Times" reports that the median household income for Dartmouth families is the second highest in the Ivy League. And Dartmouth ranks highest among Ivy League colleges with respect to having students whose parents are among the top 1% of earners.
Our Founder, Bev Taylor, is quoted rather extensively throughout the piece in "The Dartmouth" but here's one particular quote we thought was rather funny. Funny because it's true! "'Wealthy families can send their children to the best high schools,' Taylor said. 'They can get the best SAT, ACT, subject test and AP tutoring. They can hire the best consultants, and when their child is getting an A-, or worse, a B+, they can hire a tutor for that course.' Taylor added that parents with higher incomes often have college in mind even when considering preschool options for their children. 'You'd be amazed at how we get phone calls from parents who are just looking for nursery schools, and the right pre-K, because if they're not in the right pre-K, my goodness, they might not get into the right kindergarten and the right elementary school,' Taylor said."
But an article in which Ivy Coach is cited extensively would not be complete without our critique of so-called need-blind admissions. After all, need-blind admissions is a farce. If admissions officers didn't take into account a student's ability to pay, if admissions officers were truly blind to this detail, then why oh why on the vast majority of college supplements does it ask if students need financial aid? Wouldn't it be on a separate document that admissions officers aren't privy to? One would think. And that all leads us to the last word in the piece in "The Dartmouth," uttered by the college admissions industry disruptor, Ivy Coach's Founder: "'There is no such thing as totally need-blind,' Taylor said." And that's The Last Word with
Lawrence O'Donnell Bev Taylor.
You are permitted to use www.ivycoach.com (including the content of the Blog) for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not copy, download, print, or otherwise distribute the content on our site without the prior written consent of Ivy Coach, Inc.


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Why AKKA? Why Now More Than Ever?
May, 2020
To our valued customers
Over the many years of our customers' partnerships we have developed a powerful working relationship, defined by a common passion for technology, innovative ideas and shared pride in your success when the project is delivered. You have also challenged us to continuously adapt our service levels to your evolving requirements and we have invested in the development of a future-proof digital technology portfolio. Our relationship has contributed to making AKKA a stronger partner for your business – for this we are grateful.
As many countries relax their lock-down measures and businesses resume their operations, the time is ripe to remind our valued customers of the benefits of using AKKA as a partner to manage the fall-out of COVID-19. Most of our clients have engaged in furloughs and layoffs but now are faced with the challenge of having to accelerate and adapt strategic product roadmaps to new use-cases and technology and resume or right-size their manufacturing operations.
But regardless of how it feels to be "returning to normal," most experts see the potential for further spikes and issues in the COVID crisis. Such uncertainty historically should lead you to rely on us and our contingent solutions, fit for the "new normal".
Here are five reminders why using our services now can be in your best interest.
- Readiness: Whatever contingent labor capability you need we can likely provide it to you in hours, not days
- Flexibility: Our engineering, IT and technical talent can work from their home or from our premises
- Cash Flow: If you hire or rehire an internal employee, you must pay them shortly after they work. We can work together on credit terms preserving your valuable cash.
- Ease of Use: We are able to quickly scale up or down the level of resources you need, without you having to deal with the associated HR administrative tasks.
- Extensive Global Bench of skills and Capabilities: we provide services globally and offer you a mode of cooperation tailored to your needs
Notwithstanding COVID19, we still have the strongest combination of cutting-edge engineering talents ready and willing to undertake projects or assignments.
Notwithstanding COVID19, we can continue to support manufacturing operations, following your protocols and in line with local guidelines.
Notwithstanding COVID19, we are available to support any initiative where you need help.
We are confident that if Readiness, Flexibility, Cash Flow, Ease of Use and an Extensive Global Bench of skills and capabilities is what you need, we can help. As we have in the past, we will support you and we will continue to leverage our partnership to get through this together. We will be reaching out in the next few days to offer our support.


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April 1st is the official kickoff to Earth Month, but being friendly to the environment is a challenge that my family and I try to embrace all year long. A few years ago we implemented some simple changes to our lunchboxes that made a huge difference in the amount of waste we produce. These easy changes will make your lunchbox more eco-friendly, and they don't require very much time or effort!
(Also, lunchboxes aren't just for lunch! My family frequently packs "lunchboxes" for dinner or a substantial snack before our evening sports games and practices. They're great for on-the-go families!)
The #1 thing that you can do to make your lunchbox "greener" is to utilize reusable food storage options. Look for reusable bags and containers that are food-safe and BPA-free. It's even better if the containers are made from recycled materials, and you'll earn additional eco-friendly points if the storage bags and containers can be recycled again at the end of their lifetime.
To-go condiment containers are meant to be disposed of after a single use, but they can be rinsed and reused over and over again. They're great for transporting salad dressing, dipping sauces, yogurt, applesauce and more. Plus, many are recyclable once they become worn out!
Using cloth napkins instead of paper is another great way to cut down on waste. Many home decorating stores sell cocktail size cloth napkins that are perfectly sized for lunchboxes. My sons' school required their students to switch to cloth napkins a few years ago, and they reported over a 25% decrease in trash produced! Next up is a switch to reusable beverage containers that they predict will cut their trash by an additional 30% – that's an impressive total!
Skip the pre-packaged single-serving foods if possible, and opt for a larger box or package that you can portion out on your own (better for the environment and your wallet!). When you do choose single-serve packaging, look for squeeze pouches and tubes that can be recycled and/or have a smaller carbon footprint than bulkier traditional packaging. Several retailers now carry refillable pouches that you can fill with your own favorites!
So, what are our favorite lunchbox fillers? These new snack options from Horizon have quickly become family favorites, and they're a lunchbox staple in our house these days. The Peanut Butter Snack Crackers are my boys' #1 choice, and I'm loving the Cinnamon Snack Grahams myself (they're soooo yummy!). The Organic Mac (pasta shells with white cheddar cheese) is super tasty, and another great lunchbox item (one box makes enough for all three boys' lunches). For more information about these delicious new Horizon Organic snacks and foods, be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
To keep your lunchbox as eco-friendly as possible, remember the 3 Rs of sustainability – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! Making just a few small changes can result in great environmental benefits!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organics. The opinions and text are all mine.