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dailynewswebsite · 4 years ago

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American timber industry crippled by double whammy of trade war and COVID-19

Douglas fir, a invaluable industrial timber, dominates the Oregon coastal forest. Picture by Eric Muhr on Unsplash, CC BY-ND

The forestry sector – landowners, logging corporations and sawmills – have misplaced an estimated US$1.1 billion in 2020. Devastating wildfires and Hurricane Laura have performed an element, however the COVID-19 pandemic has additionally contributed to important losses. If employees are required to remain house, then no timber might be felled or logs sawed into lumber.

These losses have been exacerbated and amplified due to a longstanding commerce warfare that has severely curbed the sale of U.S. forestry merchandise to international markets, notably China.

I’m a professor of economics with a specialty in worldwide agricultural commerce, commerce coverage and international meals demand. My work on the College of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is knowledgeable by my practically 10 years as a senior economist with USDA researching worldwide commerce points affecting agriculture and forestry.

The US-China connection

Forest product exports within the U.S., together with logs and lumber, have been valued at $9.6 billion in 2018, in keeping with the U.S. Division of Agriculture. Forest merchandise are the third main U.S. agricultural export sector after soybeans and corn. In 2018, China accounted for practically $Three billion of U.S. forest product exports.

Logs and extra logs prepared for market, a few of which can find yourself in international nations like China for furnishings manufacturing. Picture by Mildly Helpful for Unsplash, CC BY-ND

The forest merchandise relationship between China and the U.S. is advanced. The U.S. sells logs and lumber to China; China makes use of the logs and lumber to provide completed wooden merchandise, reminiscent of furnishings and hardwood flooring; and China exports these completed wooden merchandise to the world. Apparently, the U.S. market is the main vacation spot for these exports. In 2018, U.S. imports of picket furnishings and different wooden merchandise from China exceeded $9 billion, in keeping with the U.S. Census Bureau.

This raises an apparent query: Why doesn’t the U.S. merely make furnishings and flooring? The reply is wages. The wage differential between U.S. and Chinese language employees makes it extra worthwhile to promote logs and lumber to China after which purchase again completed wooden merchandise.

Because the demand for merchandise like logs and lumber is immediately linked to the demand for completed wooden merchandise like furnishings and flooring, any decline within the latter negatively impacts U.S. forest product exports. To say that what occurs in China doesn’t essentially keep in China is an understatement.

A weak trade takes the hit

COVID-19 has induced a significant disruption on U.S. forest exports and hindered manufacturing due to lockdowns, enterprise closures and manufacturing stoppages. Many of those provide disruptions began in China, the place lumber was being changed into furnishings, chairs and different items the place the pandemic started.

Nevertheless, one other main issue has been the interruption of demand due to decreased incomes and delayed purchases by shoppers. Within the U.S., furnishings gross sales decreased as a lot as 66% in April 2020 when stay-at-home orders went into impact. As of August of this 12 months, U.S. imports of wooden furnishings and different wooden merchandise from China have been down by practically $2 billion, or 40%.

COVID-19 has hit U.S. furnishings gross sales onerous, reducing the worldwide demand for U.S. timber, a main enter in furnishings manufacturing. Picture by Nareeta Martin for Unsplash, CC BY-ND

Consequently, U.S. forest product exports as of August 2020 had dropped by greater than $670 million general, with exports to China down by greater than $100 million. Geographically, most of those losses are within the South, a lack of $246 million, adopted by the West, with losses of $183 million, and the Northeast, with losses of $143 million. As well as, these substantial losses are compounded by a multiplier impact that transcend the uncooked export numbers.

In my state of Tennessee, as an example, the forestry sector supplied practically 100,000 jobs and had an annual financial affect of greater than $24 billion in 2017, accounting for practically 3% of Tennessee’s economic system. This, in fact, was earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. commerce warfare, which has devastated the forestry sector. When contemplating the associated actions related to the forestry sector, reminiscent of trucking or gear, whole earnings and job losses are seemingly double the direct losses from export gross sales.

The financial fallout of the commerce warfare

Previous to the pandemic, the U.S.-China commerce warfare had already made the forestry sector weak due to the tariffs that the Chinese language authorities imposed on U.S. timber and the ensuing loss in exports. The trade was in a disaster when COVID-19 hit.

In 2018, President Trump ordered that tariffs be imposed on Chinese language imports, together with a 10% tariff on furnishings and associated items from China. In retaliation, the Chinese language authorities imposed tariffs on many U.S. agricultural items, together with 25% tariffs on U.S. logs and lumber. This double taxation resulted in practically halving the export to China – from $Three billion in 2018 to $1.6 billion in 2019. The commerce warfare, compounded by COVID-19, has had a significant destructive impact on forest merchandise export gross sales – from timber harvest and lumber manufacturing to timber exports – which hurts working individuals together with loggers and mill employees. Sawmills, particularly, have taken a severe hit.

How is that this associated to the present pandemic? In January 2020, the U.S. and China signed the Part One Commerce Settlement. Based mostly on the main points of the settlement, timber and different forest product exports to China have been anticipated to succeed in greater than $four billion in 2020. The truth that present export gross sales to China, as of August of 2020, have been solely $1 billion means that COVID-19 is having a good bigger affect than the numbers reveal.

Andrew Muhammad doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that will profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/american-timber-industry-crippled-by-double-whammy-of-trade-war-and-covid-19/ via https://growthnews.in

#Growth News

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hub-pub-bub · 7 years ago

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McCarthy Tetrault’s Barry Sookman, left, and former Canadian Supreme Court justice Marshall Rothstein in in conversation at the Copyright Modernization Act conference. Image: Amy Cormier

Rights holders remain frustrated by the Canadian Copyright Modernization Act’s exceptions, now due for a five-year review. In this conference on the subject last week in Toronto, attendees were told, ‘The world is watching.’ —Porter Anderson

By Carla Douglas | @CarlaJDouglas

In Danger of a ‘Bestseller Economy’

At the Toronto conference “In the Balance: Looking Forward Five Years After the Copyright Modernization Act,” speakers and panelists provided context for the original language of Canada’s copyright act. They also discussed the current status of the legislation, how individual creators have fared since 2012, and what might be the way forward.

Canada’s Copyright Modernization Act (CMA) of 2012 is one of the most controversial adjustments to copyright protection in several parts of the world.

The program was presented last week by the Canadian Copyright Institute and sponsored by the law firm McCarthy Tetrault.

Canada’s act was introduced with a stated intention of bringing copyright law into the digital age, and it promised to balance the needs of creators and users. Now, five years on, the act and its many “user-friendly” exceptions have become the focus of international attention for perceived damage, as evidenced by declining royalties for creators and the closing of educational publishing houses.

A particularly troublesome aspect of the CMA is its expansion of the scope of “fair dealing”—called “fair use” in some cultures—to include education. Vague and imprecise language in the act has resulted in universities setting their own fair-dealing guidelines, eventually creating a “10 percent” rule, which other educational institutions, including K–12 schools, have then adopted. In short, they wrote their own rule enabling them to copy up to 10 percent of a book, or a full chapter, and distribute this copied material to students without the publisher’s permission and without paying a licensing fee or tariff.

As we reported in August, a federal judge ruled in favor of Access Copyright in its action against York University, stating that the university’s policy of copying without permission or payment is not fair or reasonable.

And that’s the backdrop for last week’s conference. The Copyright Modernization Act is due to be reviewed in 2017. It’s referenced in the Creative Canada Policy Framework (section 1.5), but as yet the review has not been launched, nor has Canadian Heritage, the country’s cultural ministry, indicated when that review will happen.

The half-day event in Toronto included an interview conducted by McCarthy Tetrault’s Barry Sookman with former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Marshall Rothstein, CC, QC. The program also featured a summary of the future of Canadian copyright by Lui Simpson, executive director of the International Enforcement and Trade Policy Association of American Publishers; and a panel discussion led by the Globe and Mail’s film critic and arts columnist, Kate Taylor, featuring novelist and journalist Christine Fisher Guy, singer/songwriter Damhnait Doyle, and playwright-composer Scott White.

‘The Importance of Balance and Technological Neutrality’

“We create opportunities via copyright and patent. Creative areas are affected by new technologies never thought of. …These are big, important societal issues, technology and copyright.” -Marshall Rothstein

During the interview with Sookman, Rothstein emphasized more than once the importance of giving people an incentive to spend their time creating and inventing. “Protections of copyright and patents provide, or help to provide, that incentive,” he said.

Their discussion ranged widely, but essentially focused on the thinking behind the justices’ decision to grant the education exemption in the Copyright Modernization Act and how these decisions are reached. Here are some highlights, with all comments paraphrased.

Barry Sookman: There are so many cases where the court is split. Why is copyright so controversial?

Marshall Rothstein: Patent is controversial, too. We create opportunities via copyright and patent. Creative areas are affected by new technologies never thought of. Technology comes along and changes everything. Old statutes without knowledge [of tech] need to be adapted. These are big, important societal issues, technology and copyright.

BS: Is there anti-intellectual-property sentiment among the justices? For example, by including “education” as an exemption, is there hostility toward IP? Hostility to creative rights?

“In copyright law there’s an ebbing and flowing–at some points in time, user rights are more predominant, and at others, it’s creators’ rights.” - Marshall Rothstein

MR: Eighty to 90 percent of law is statutory today, and so the judges’ job is to interpret statute…to acknowledge that laws should be created by parliament, not by the nine judges of the supreme court…Judges must deal with the act as it’s written and adhere to the agenda of interpreting the text. Concepts like “incidental exceptions” are not justified and not a part of the copyright act.

BS: And what about the concept of user rights?

MR: The supreme court emphasizes the importance of balance and technological neutrality. In copyright law there’s an ebbing and flowing–at some points in time, user rights are more predominant, and at others, it’s creators’ rights. We’re probably in a period now where user rights are becoming more predominant. There’s an ebb and flow, and not necessarily permanent.

BS: How do clients and lawyers approach the concept of balance and technological neutrality? Where does “balance” fit?

MR: Start with the text. Look at the context and purpose, all with the objective of determining parliament’s intention. Balance and neutrality are considerations, not statutory provisions. Balance and technological neutrality don’t trump text and context.

A 91-Percent Reduction in Licensing Revenues

Lui Simpson, Association of American Publishers

The Sookman-Rothstein interview detailed some of how Canada came to have the Copyright Modernization Act. And in the session that followed, few words were minced about how the act is perceived internationally by Lui Simpson, who is the executive director for international enforcement and trade policy with the Association of American Publishers.

“The rest of the world is monitoring the Copyright Modernization Act,” Simpson said. “It needs a solution.”

The act is, Simpson said, a stark illustration of how much damage can be done to the creative community. Canadians need to spur their government to address the unfortunate education and fair-dealing exemptions in the act, she said. “The mandated review process should be in November this year, but we haven’t heard when that’s coming.”

Simpson highlighted some of the damage the act is said to have been responsible for:

School districts and universities engaged in the systematic reproduction of creative works

A 91-percent reduction in licensing revenues

Unbridled copying

Simpson placed responsibility on the Canadian government to acknowledge that creative works and cultural products are not just entertainment. How does the government truly value creators?

“Rights holders and authors try to engage in a truthful dialogue but are continually out-maneuvered by technology shills.” -Lui Simpson

Other countries are watching, she said, and other jurisdictions are looking at draft legislation for exceptions and contract override provisions that favor chaos, with no clarity on the rights of the user vs. the rights holder. “Rights holders and authors try to engage in a truthful dialogue but are continually out-maneuvered by technology shills.”

The Canadian challenge, she said, is to determine what to do to arrest the decline. Some suggestions:

Correct the education as a fair-dealing exemption

Find and demonstrate evidence of the harm the CMA has done–for example, the closing of some K–12 educational publishers and others seeking bankruptcy protection

Draw attention to the damage done in the case of York University

Find more data to support the need for more robust protection for creators

The harm is no longer theoretical, Simpson said. “The world is looking to Canada as an example of how not to do copyright. The world is watching Canada. The Canadian government itself should be conducting its own study.”

Copyright, she said, is not glamorous. Politicians look bad when they’re taking something away from users. People expect things to be free. But copyright is balance. Users are afforded the privilege of using content, but they must pay a price for that privilege.

Panelists discussing the impact of Canada’s Copyright Modernization Act are, from left, moderator Kate Taylor of the ‘Globe and Mail’; Christine Fisher Guy; Davnet Doyle; and Scott White. Image: Amy Cormier

‘If the Government Won’t Protect My Work, Who Will?’

In the afternoon’s final session, the conference heard directly from a panel of content creators whose royalties have dwindled to a fraction of what they were five years ago.

Led by Kate Taylor of the Globe and Mail, panelists reiterated what had been heard before, but this time from a stark first-person point of view: Royalties are down 80 percent or more. Musicians are more often being asked to perform for “exposure” rather than pay. And everyone, it seems, is being paid except for the creators.

Novelist and journalist Christine Fischer Guy left journalism for teaching, because, she said, she had become a “content provider” who wouldn’t give up the e-rights to her content. What’s more, she was aware that her novel was being pirated but could do nothing to stop it. “If the government won’t protect my work, who will?” she asked.

Singer-songwriter Damhnait Doyle reported a similar decline in revenues because of music streaming, and playwright-composer Scott White told of an instance in which he appeared at a school to conduct a workshop and found the students working from photocopies of his script. “Schools used to pay licensing fees for plays and music,” he said.

In a culture that expects content to be free of charge, the Globe and Mail’s Kate Taylor asked, how do we change attitudes?

The answer she proposes is education, challenging the myth that “creators will always create.”

“Find examples of things,” she suggested, “that will not exist if artists/creators aren’t supported. We’re in danger of producing a bestseller economy. We have people coming to the roulette table to try their luck. Canadian content? There won’t be any.”

About the Author

Carla Douglas

Carla Douglas is a writer and editor, and most recently is the author of You’ve Got Style: A Writer’s Guide to Copyediting. She was a contributing researcher for the first edition of The Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage, and is co-author of the Don’t Panic series of literacy resources for high school students.

#copyright modernization act #copyright #publishing #net neutrality #canada

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shrinecanvas0 · 5 years ago

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Nutrients, Vol. 10, Pages 1692: Use of a Smartphone Application Can Improve Assessment of High-Fat Food Consumption in Overweight Individuals

Nutrients 2018, 10(11), 1692; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10111692 (registering DOI)

Institute of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-624 Poznań, Poland

Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 30 August 2018 / Revised: 26 October 2018 / Accepted: 30 October 2018 / Published: 6 November 2018

Full-Text | PDF [791 KB, uploaded 6 November 2018] |

Background: We evaluated the feasibility of an application for measuring the frequency of consumption of high-fat foods and compared this application with standard methods. Methods: Twenty-six females and thirty six males aged 20–40 were enrolled in Poland. Participants completed the Block Screening Questionnaire for Fat Intake (BSQF; Q1) and a second questionnaire (Q2) with additional high-fat foods. The participants were then monitored for ten days in a real-time manner using a smartphone application that employed the same lists of food as Q2. Results: Most subjects (84%) gave replies to at least three prompts on at least 5 days. The results from Q1 and the application were correlated (r = 0.42, ppView Full-Text

►▼ Figures

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).

MDPI and ACS Style

Chmurzynska, A.; Mlodzik-Czyzewska, M.A.; Malinowska, A.M.; Czarnocinska, J.; Wiebe, D. Use of a Smartphone Application Can Improve Assessment of High-Fat Food Consumption in Overweight Individuals. Nutrients 2018, 10, 1692.

AMA Style

Chmurzynska A, Mlodzik-Czyzewska MA, Malinowska AM, Czarnocinska J, Wiebe D. Use of a Smartphone Application Can Improve Assessment of High-Fat Food Consumption in Overweight Individuals. Nutrients. 2018; 10(11):1692.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chmurzynska, Agata; Mlodzik-Czyzewska, Monika A.; Malinowska, Anna M.; Czarnocinska, Jolanta; Wiebe, Douglas. 2018. "Use of a Smartphone Application Can Improve Assessment of High-Fat Food Consumption in Overweight Individuals." Nutrients 10, no. 11: 1692.

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Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.

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Source: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/11/1692

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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youzicha · 6 years ago

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From Occupying Iraq. The occupation government (CPA) ran at around 50% of the intended number of staff, and the staff that they did manage to hire usually left after a few months, so everyone was inexperienced and overworked.

Journalist and author George Packer attributed the State Department’s failure to send its first team in sufficient numbers to Iraq to resentment at the leading role given DoD in running the civilian aspects of the occupation. Packer writes that “during the life of the CPA, the State Department didn’t send all its best people to Iraq, even after the Pentagon’s influence waned and Bremer began to use his back channel to Powell more and more.” Packer goes on to quote an anonymous State official’s confession:

We didn’t do our best job to get things uncocked or to help. I watched [Near Eastern Affairs], for example, essentially say, ‘Okay, you don’t want us—[F] you.’ And then from there on out it was, ‘Let’s see what impediments we can put in their way. Let’s see how long we can be in delivering this particular commodity or individual or amount of expertise. Let’s see how long we can stiff ‘em.’ [Packer, The Assassins’ Gate, p. 396.]

These allegations are certainly plausible, given human nature and the cavalier fashion in which Rumsfeld had rejected the initial slate of State nominees for ORHA in early 2003. Yet Bremer, McManaway, and Kennedy all recall State as one of the most responsive agencies in meeting the CPA’s staffing needs.

Rumsfeld occasionally became directly involved in trying to encourage people to work for the CPA. In a memo to Douglas Feith, Rumsfeld said he had recommended a particular individual for consideration to go to Iraq. This person had banking experience, Rumsfeld noted, and possibly spoke Arabic. Rumsfeld was later informed that the individual’s services were not needed by the CPA. “I would be curious to have someone check into that and explain to me what in the world is going on,” Rumsfeld then wrote, obviously perturbed. “I thought we needed people out there.” [Memo from Donald Rumsfeld to Doug Feith, CC: Reuben Jeffery and Larry Di Rita, “Subject: Kevin Woelflein,” August 21, 2003.] Recalling the incident, Fred Smith, then the deputy head of the CPA’s Washington office, said that the individual in question was about 80 years old, did not want to go to Baghdad, and had connections with some shady banking dealings in the Middle East. “This was the kind of issue that drove us nuts,” Smith commented. “Rumsfeld would ask some stupid question about an individual or minor issue and we’d spend three or four hours chasing it down.” [Author interview with Fred Smith, December 14, 2008.]

The CPA’s hiring procedures were famously partisan, asking the job applicants who they voted for in 2000 and whether they support Roe v Wade. According to this book the civil service was to blame: because other government agencies sent too few people, the CPA relied on Republican Party affiliated organizations for recruiting.

#modern history of iraq

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adambstingus · 6 years ago

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7 of the best flight hacks to help make air travel less miserable

An improved economyand cheaper fuel costsmeans more people can afford air travel, and airfare is cheaper than usual.

If you’re waiting for a catch, here it is: Everyone and their mother will be at the airport the next time you’re waiting to check-in. And I mean everyone. Endless lines to get through security, overbooked flights, andinflexibleairlines are just some of the many daily realities of air travel in 2016. Cheap airfare can also carry hidden fees for everything from carry-on baggage to food to headphones. Staff cuts have further contributed tounbearable TSA wait timesat most large airports around the nation, although the agency has promised to hire more officers.

Luckily, there’s a way to navigate around the day-to-day miseries of air travel. Here are some hacks to make your next trip less miserable and maybe even (dare I say it) pleasant.

1) Download your airlines’ mobile app

Now the Fly @Delta app is just mocking me via passbook. pic.twitter.com/6dkmXiAFgV

Ally Williams (@itsallyduhh) August 5, 2015

Your airline’s mobile app is a valuable time-saver for more reasons than you’d expect. There’s the obvious benefit of being able to check-in with and use your smartphone as a boarding pass. This can shave off precious minutes you’d waste waiting in line at a kiosk, checking-in with an agent, or digging through your belongings for your paper ticket. Most apps save your boarding pass for you or allow you to save it to your iPhone‘s Passbook; a lifesaver given that the free Wi-Fi and cell service at most airports are less than stellar. You don’t want to be stuck trying to pull up your email at security or before boarding a plane.

But there’s an even greater advantage to your airline’s mobile app: You’ll get the quickest notification of gate changes and flight status updates. If your connecting flight is delayed or there’s been a gate change, apps like Delta Airline’s FlyDelta or American Airline’s mobile app will send you an update by text message and change the information on your mobile ticket. No need to frantically hunt for an arrivals/departure screen once you disembark.

2) Consider applying for Pre-Check or Global Entry

Having fast pass at @WaltDisneyWorld is like having Tsa Pre- check at the airport #soooneccesary

68 & Douglas (@FollowFern) June 2, 2016

I keep putting off Getting TSA pre-check.. procrastination is real

Dj Kam Bennett (@KameronBennett) June 1, 2016

Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check are like the airport’s version of Disney World’s Fast Pass. If you’ve ever longingly glanced at the empty TSA Pre-Check line at the airport, you’ve no doubt wondered what the requirements could be for such a vaulted perk.

Luckily, the application process for TSA Pre-Check (domestic airports only) and Global Entry are both pretty simple. If you have a U.S. passport or permanent resident card and have a clean criminal history, you’re eligible to apply. You’ll have to shell out $85 for TSA Pre-Check or a mere $15 more for Global Entry, but the clearance lasts for five years. Both programs have a relatively simple online application where you’ll give your employment history and other personal information. A 15-minute interview at your nearest Global Entry office (most U.S. airports have one) is required; that’s where you’ll be photographed and fingerprinted. You’ll receive an identification number in the mail in a couple of weeks.

Congrats! Long airport security lines are now a thing of the past.

Is TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry worth it? According to Travel and Leisure’sStephanie Wu:

“The last time I flew internationally into JFK, I went from my airplane seat to the back of a taxi in less than 25 minutes. (And yes, I was flying coach, so the majority of that time was deplaning.) Do I really need to say anything more?”

3) Get an estimate of wait times with Miflight

MiFlight

Have you ever rushed to get ready on the morning of a flight only to discover the airport is practically empty when you get there?MiFlight crowdsources wait-time estimates from other travelers to give you an idea of how long the wait will be at security. Depending on large your nearest airport’s user base is, this app could prove to come in quite handy and prevent you from over-estimating how early you need to get to the airport. The app allows you to specify your exact terminal and gate number so it can target your exact security checkpoint.

4) Whiz through customs with the Mobile Passport

Mobile Passport

You’ll never have to borrow a pen to fill out those pesky customs forms ever again. If you don’t want to pay for Global Entry, the Mobile Passport app by U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a great free alternative that might end up saving you as much time. The app lets you input your passport details and answer the customs questions once you land. You’ll be able to skip the regular line and go through a special line just for Mobile Passport holders.

5) Vent your frustration with the #iHatetheWait hashtag

Once again, made it through security at @fly2ohare in about 10 minutes! Keep up the good work, @TSA. #Chicago #iHateTheWait

Kelli Nakagama (@kelli_nak) June 2, 2016

If all else fails and you’re stuck in a long security line, there’s only one real solution: Vent on social media. Thanks to airline industry group Airlines for American, frustrated travelers have been tweeting photos of the epic long lines at airports across the country.

This is the TSA line at the Orlando International Airport aka MCO. Cattle Call Insanity! #iHateTheWait pic.twitter.com/Og1hpbgD4d

Kristl Wong (@KristlWong) May 10, 2016

The goal is to bring the long wait times to the TSA’s attention and alert other travelers of what’s to come. Think of it as performing a public service that might remove some of the pain of standing in a long line.

6) Skip the long line to check-in your baggage and gate-check your bags for free

Hey Aldon, you can’t say BOMB on an airplane, even Ben Stiller knows that! pic.twitter.com/CE5lf4VKRF

Packers Water Boy (@PackersWaterBoy) April 14, 2014

Most airlines charge you $25-$30 dollars to check-in baggage. Most passengers (very rightly) think this fee is ridiculous and avoid checking-in any baggage. The end-result is the overhead compartments being full by the time the last passengers board the plane. To remedy this problem, airlines will then gate-check the remaining bags to their final destination for free.

Instead of holding on to your bag with a death-grip, just give it up already! Admit it: It’s no fun hoisting a rollie the weight of a third-grader above your head while avoiding hitting other passengers. It’s also no fun holding other people up when the plane lands as you attempt to retrieve your baggage. If you check your bag, you’ll be able to leave the plane as soon as the pilot gives the OK.

The best way of ensuring that your bag gets gate-checked is to meander around the airport until the last five minutes of your boarding time. You want to make sure you’re among the last passengers to board the plane. Kill time by speed-reading the latest Game of Thrones book at the airport bookstore or ordering another beer at the airport bar. Once you’re done, grab your rollie and make a beeline for the gate. The airline employee will congratulate you on not missing your flight and relieve you of your bag.

One downside to this method is the wait at baggage claim. Luckily, you’ve already arrived at your final destination and can use that time to catch up on emails, make travel arrangements, or use the bathroom. Unlike the line to get through security, baggage claim is a free area where you can roam and do what you wish. Go nuts.

7) Know your rights if your flight is cancelled, delayed or bumped

Flight is cancelled for Sydney due to unusual raining in Gold Coast !Extremely bad weather here since yester evening pic.twitter.com/L1fDhmYJ95

Hiraan Chatterjee (@hiran_chatterji) June 4, 2016

Overbooked flights are more common during busy seasons like summer and the holidays, where you’ll find that few passengers want to miss their flight back home or to Disney World. Airhelp is a startup that assists passengers in receiving compensation from airlines for bumped, delayed, or cancelled flights in the European Union. If you’re traveling abroad in Europe, be sure to file a free claim with AirHelp.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has stiffened the rules for what airlines must offer passengers if their flights are cancelled, delayed or if they are involuntarily bumpedto the passenger’s benefit. If you’re involuntarily bumped in the United States and the airline rebooks you on a flight that gets you to your destination by at least an hour later, you could be entitled to anywhere from 200 to 400 percent of your original fare in cash or by check, as well as a full refund.

Unfortunately, airlines are not required to compensate passengers for flights that get cancelled or delayed due to bad weather according to DOT. If this happens to you, ask your airline if they will cover the cost of another flight. Some airlines will endorse you if you find an alternate flight from another airline that gets you to your final destination on time. There’s no DOT rule asking them to do this, so prepare to get told no.

Photo via josephdepalma/Flickr (CC-BY)

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/7-of-the-best-flight-hacks-to-help-make-air-travel-less-miserable/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/181374908712

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allofbeercom · 6 years ago

Text

7 of the best flight hacks to help make air travel less miserable

An improved economyand cheaper fuel costsmeans more people can afford air travel, and airfare is cheaper than usual.

Luckily, there’s a way to navigate around the day-to-day miseries of air travel. Here are some hacks to make your next trip less miserable and maybe even (dare I say it) pleasant.

1) Download your airlines’ mobile app

Now the Fly @Delta app is just mocking me via passbook. pic.twitter.com/6dkmXiAFgV

Ally Williams (@itsallyduhh) August 5, 2015

2) Consider applying for Pre-Check or Global Entry

Having fast pass at @WaltDisneyWorld is like having Tsa Pre- check at the airport #soooneccesary

68 & Douglas (@FollowFern) June 2, 2016

I keep putting off Getting TSA pre-check.. procrastination is real

Dj Kam Bennett (@KameronBennett) June 1, 2016

Congrats! Long airport security lines are now a thing of the past.

Is TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry worth it? According to Travel and Leisure’sStephanie Wu:

3) Get an estimate of wait times with Miflight

MiFlight

4) Whiz through customs with the Mobile Passport

Mobile Passport

5) Vent your frustration with the #iHatetheWait hashtag

Once again, made it through security at @fly2ohare in about 10 minutes! Keep up the good work, @TSA. #Chicago #iHateTheWait

Kelli Nakagama (@kelli_nak) June 2, 2016

This is the TSA line at the Orlando International Airport aka MCO. Cattle Call Insanity! #iHateTheWait pic.twitter.com/Og1hpbgD4d

Kristl Wong (@KristlWong) May 10, 2016

6) Skip the long line to check-in your baggage and gate-check your bags for free

Hey Aldon, you can’t say BOMB on an airplane, even Ben Stiller knows that! pic.twitter.com/CE5lf4VKRF

Packers Water Boy (@PackersWaterBoy) April 14, 2014

7) Know your rights if your flight is cancelled, delayed or bumped

Flight is cancelled for Sydney due to unusual raining in Gold Coast !Extremely bad weather here since yester evening pic.twitter.com/L1fDhmYJ95

Hiraan Chatterjee (@hiran_chatterji) June 4, 2016

Photo via josephdepalma/Flickr (CC-BY)

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/7-of-the-best-flight-hacks-to-help-make-air-travel-less-miserable/

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samanthasroberts · 6 years ago

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7 of the best flight hacks to help make air travel less miserable

An improved economyand cheaper fuel costsmeans more people can afford air travel, and airfare is cheaper than usual.

Luckily, there’s a way to navigate around the day-to-day miseries of air travel. Here are some hacks to make your next trip less miserable and maybe even (dare I say it) pleasant.

1) Download your airlines’ mobile app

Now the Fly @Delta app is just mocking me via passbook. pic.twitter.com/6dkmXiAFgV

Ally Williams (@itsallyduhh) August 5, 2015

2) Consider applying for Pre-Check or Global Entry

Having fast pass at @WaltDisneyWorld is like having Tsa Pre- check at the airport #soooneccesary

68 & Douglas (@FollowFern) June 2, 2016

I keep putting off Getting TSA pre-check.. procrastination is real

Dj Kam Bennett (@KameronBennett) June 1, 2016

Congrats! Long airport security lines are now a thing of the past.

Is TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry worth it? According to Travel and Leisure’sStephanie Wu:

3) Get an estimate of wait times with Miflight

MiFlight

4) Whiz through customs with the Mobile Passport

Mobile Passport

5) Vent your frustration with the #iHatetheWait hashtag

Once again, made it through security at @fly2ohare in about 10 minutes! Keep up the good work, @TSA. #Chicago #iHateTheWait

Kelli Nakagama (@kelli_nak) June 2, 2016

This is the TSA line at the Orlando International Airport aka MCO. Cattle Call Insanity! #iHateTheWait pic.twitter.com/Og1hpbgD4d

Kristl Wong (@KristlWong) May 10, 2016

6) Skip the long line to check-in your baggage and gate-check your bags for free

Hey Aldon, you can’t say BOMB on an airplane, even Ben Stiller knows that! pic.twitter.com/CE5lf4VKRF

Packers Water Boy (@PackersWaterBoy) April 14, 2014

7) Know your rights if your flight is cancelled, delayed or bumped

Flight is cancelled for Sydney due to unusual raining in Gold Coast !Extremely bad weather here since yester evening pic.twitter.com/L1fDhmYJ95

Hiraan Chatterjee (@hiran_chatterji) June 4, 2016

Photo via josephdepalma/Flickr (CC-BY)

Source: http://allofbeer.com/7-of-the-best-flight-hacks-to-help-make-air-travel-less-miserable/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/12/24/7-of-the-best-flight-hacks-to-help-make-air-travel-less-miserable/

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wikiuntamed · 1 year ago

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On this day in Wikipedia: Friday, 8th September

Welcome, 你好, שלום, 안녕하세요 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 8th September through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

8th September 2022 🗓️ : Event - Elizabeth II Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom dies at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. Her son Charles, Prince of Wales, ascends the throne upon her death as Charles III. "Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states over the course of her lifetime and remained the monarch of 15 realms by..."

Image by Donald McKague

8th September 2018 🗓️ : Death - Gennadi Gagulia Gennadi Gagulia, Prime Minister of Abkhazia (b. 1948) "Gennadi Leonidipa Gagulia (Abkhaz: Геннадии Леонид-иҧа Гагәлиа, Georgian: გენადი გაგულია; 4 January 1948 – 8 September 2018) was an Abkhazian politician who was three-time prime minister of Abkhazia and the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He served as the first prime minister of..."

Image licensed under CC BY 4.0? by Aleksei Panov

8th September 2013 🗓️ : Death - Goose Gonsoulin Goose Gonsoulin, American football player (b. 1938) "Austin William "Goose" Gonsoulin (June 7, 1938 – September 8, 2014) was an American professional football player who was a safety in the American Football League (AFL) for the Denver Broncos and in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers. The football player was raised in Port..."

8th September 1973 🗓️ : Event - World Airways Flight 802 World Airways Flight 802 crashes into Mount Dutton in King Cove, Alaska, killing six people. "On September 8, 1973, a Douglas DC-8 operated by World Airways as World Airways Flight 802 crashed on high ground while on approach to Cold Bay Airport, Alaska, killing all six people on board.The official accident investigation concluded that the probable cause was the captain's non-adherence to..."

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Aldo Bidini

8th September 1923 🗓️ : Event - Honda Point disaster Honda Point disaster: Nine US Navy destroyers run aground off the California coast. Seven are lost, and twenty-three sailors killed. "The Honda Point disaster was the largest peacetime loss of U.S. Navy ships. On the evening of September 8, 1923, seven destroyers, while traveling at 20 knots (37 km/h), ran aground at Honda Point (also known as Point Pedernales; the cliffs just off-shore called Devil's Jaw), a few miles from the..."

Image by U.S. Navy, photographed from a plane assigned to USS Aroostook (CM-3).

8th September 1822 🗓️ : Birth - Karl von Ditmar Karl von Ditmar, German geologist and explorer (d. 1892) "Karl Bernhard Woldemar Ferdinand von Ditmar (sometimes Carl von Ditmar) (8 September [O.S. 27 August] 1822 in Vändra – 25 April [O.S. 13 April] 1892 in Tartu) was a Baltic German geologist and explorer, who travelled in and contributed to the scientific understanding of Kamchatka...."

Image by Unknown authorUnknown author

8th September 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian Feast Day: Corbinian "Saint Corbinian (Latin: Corbinianus; French: Corbinien; German: Korbinian; c. 670 – 8 September c. 730 AD) was a Frankish bishop. After living as a hermit near Chartres for fourteen years, he made a pilgrimage to Rome. Pope Gregory II sent him to Bavaria. His opposition to the marriage of Duke..."

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whitejeweler · 7 years ago

Video

youtube

Welcome to Music Monday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, a love-struck Brad Paisley is about to propose to his girlfriend, but accidentally leaves the engagement ring at home in 2001's "You Have That Effect On Me."

In the song, Paisley assumes the role of a young man who is so head-over-heels in love that he can hardly think straight. He tells his girlfriend how anxious he's been during the past few weeks — that he's been haunted by the vision of getting down on one knee and forgetting what to say. Each morning, while brushing his teeth, he's rehearsed the lines, but still can't get them memorized.

He purchased the ring of her dreams, but when it was finally time to pop the question, something was still not right...

Paisley sings, "You've had your eyes on a 2-carat ring / I finally went out and I bought it / Right now it's at home sittin' on my TV / Would you believe I forgot it."

Our hero tells us why he deserves a free pass for his absentmindedness: "You can't blame me 'cause it's plain to see that you have that effect on me."

The role of an awkward suitor comes naturally to Paisley, who famously fell in love with actress Kimberly Williams in 1991, but didn't get the courage to call her until 10 years later. Williams starred in 1991's Father of the Bride, and Paisley developed an instant crush when he saw her on the big screen. His feelings only grew stronger when he saw her in Father of the Bride II in 1995. It took another six years before he would finally contact the actress and convince her to go out on a date.

Williams told QPolitical.com that they "fell for each other fast." They met in 2001, were engaged in August of 2002 and tied the knot in March of 2003.

"You Have That Effect On Me" was the 11th track of Part II, his second studio album — a release that rose to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #31 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

Born in West Virginia, Bradley Douglas “Brad” Paisley was introduced to country music by his grandfather, Warren Jarvis, who gave the eight-year-old his first guitar, a Sears Danelectro Silvertone. Jarvis taught his grandson to play, and by the age of 10 Paisley was already performing at his church.

While in junior high, Paisley was doing a show at a local Rotary Club, when he was discovered by a program director for a Wheeling, W.V., radio station. He was invited to be a guest on the popular radio show “Wheeling Jamboree” and the rest is history.

Paisley has sold more than 12 million albums, won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards and two American Music Awards. In 2001, at the age of 28, he became the youngest artist ever to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

In 2010, Paisley performed at the National Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (see photo, above).

Please check out the audio track of Paisley performing "You Have That Effect on Me." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"You Have That Effect On Me" Written by Brad Paisley and Frank Rogers. Performed by Brad Paisley.

Every morning the last couple of weeks In between shaving and brushing my teeth I'd lean on the sink and practice my lines By now you would think they'd be memorized

But leave it to me to come all this way Get down on one knee and forget what to say I'm at a loss, should have known this is how it would be 'Cause you have that effect on me

I must admit I still don't understand Why I lose my head holding your hand There's no explanation, no simple excuse For this intoxication I feel around you

And now truth be known since I've met you girl I've been walkin' around in my own little world One look in my eyes and darlin' any fool could see That you have that effect on me

You've had your eyes on a 2-carat ring I finally went out and I bought it Right now it's at home sittin' on my TV Would you believe I forgot it

But you can't blame me 'cause it's plain to see That you have that effect on me Yeah, you have that effect on me Girl, you have that effect on me

Credits: Image by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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wikiuntamed · 1 year ago

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On this day in Wikipedia: Thursday, 24th August

Welcome, 你好, שלום, Bienvenida 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 24th August through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

24th August 2021 🗓️ : Death - Charlie Watts Charlie Watts, English musician (b. 1941) "Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician. He was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an interest in jazz at a young age and joined the band Blues Incorporated. He also started..."

Image by Olavi Kaskisuo / Lehtikuva

24th August 2017 🗓️ : Event - List of government space agencies The National Space Agency of Taiwan successfully launches the observation satellite Formosat-5 into space. "Government space agencies are established by Governments of countries or regional groupings of countries to establish a means for advocating for and/or engaging in activities related to outer space, exploitation of space systems, and space exploration. The listings summarize all countries and..."

Image by NASA

24th August 2013 🗓️ : Death - Muriel Siebert Muriel Siebert, American businesswoman and philanthropist (b. 1928) "Muriel Faye Siebert (September 12, 1928 – August 24, 2013) was an American businesswoman who was the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, and the first woman to head one of the NYSE's member firms. She joined the 1,365 male members of the exchange on December 28, 1967. Siebert..."

Image by Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc.

24th August 1973 🗓️ : Birth - Carmine Giovinazzo Carmine Giovinazzo, American actor "Carmine Dominick Giovinazzo ( KAR-myne jee-OH-vin-AH-zoh; born August 24, 1973) is an American actor, writer, painter and musician, known for his role as Detective Danny Messer in CSI: NY...."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0? by Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald, cropped by MachoCarioca

24th August 1923 🗓️ : Death - Kate Douglas Wiggin Kate Douglas Wiggin, American author and educator (b. 1856) "Kate Douglas Wiggin (September 28, 1856 – August 24, 1923) was an American educator, author and composer. She wrote children's stories, most notably the classic children's novel Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, and composed collections of children's songs. She started the first free kindergarten in San..."

Image by George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress)

24th August 1821 🗓️ : Event - Treaty of Córdoba The Treaty of Córdoba is signed in Córdoba, now in Veracruz, Mexico, concluding the Mexican War of Independence from Spain. "The Treaty of Córdoba established Mexican independence from Spain at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence. It was signed on August 24, 1821 in Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. The signatories were the head of the Army of the Three Guarantees, Agustín de Iturbide, and, acting on behalf of the..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Jaontiveros

24th August 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: August 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) "August 23 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - August 25 All fixed commemorations below are observed on September 6 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.For August 24, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on August 11..."

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wikiuntamed · 1 year ago

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On this day in Wikipedia: Wednesday, 2nd August

Welcome, أهلا وسهلا, Willkommen, Velkommen 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 2nd August through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

2nd August 2022 🗓️ : Death - Vin Scully Vin Scully, American sportscaster and game show host (b. 1927) "Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster who was the play-by-play announcer for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning in 1950 and ending in 2016. He is considered by many to be the greatest baseball broadcaster of all time.Scully's tenure with..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Unknown authorUnknown author

2nd August 2017 🗓️ : Death - Judith Jones Judith Jones, American literary and cookbook editor (b. 1924) "Judith Jones (née Bailey; March 10, 1924 – August 2, 2017) was an American writer and editor, best known for having rescued The Diary of Anne Frank from the reject pile. Jones also championed Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She retired as senior editor and vice president at Alfred..."

2nd August 2013 🗓️ : Death - Alla Kushnir Alla Kushnir, Russian–Israeli chess player (b. 1941) "Alla Shulimovna Kushnir (Hebrew: אלה שולימובנה קושניר; Russian: Алла Шулимовна Кушнир; 11 August 1941 – 2 August 2013) was a Soviet-born Israeli chess player. She was awarded the FIDE titles of Woman International Master (WIM) in 1962 and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) in 1976. In 2017, she was inducted..."

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2nd August 1973 🗓️ : Event - Summerland disaster A flash fire killed 50 people at a leisure centre in Douglas, Isle of Man. "The Summerland disaster occurred when a fire spread through the Summerland leisure centre in Douglas on the Isle of Man on the night of 2 August 1973. Fifty people were killed and 80 seriously injured. The scale of the fire has been compared to those seen during the Blitz. ..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0? by Stuart Taylor

2nd August 1923 🗓️ : Event - Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge became the 30th president of the United States after Warren G. Harding suffered a fatal heart attack. "Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872 – January 5, 1933) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed the ladder of..."

Image by Notman Studio, Boston. Restoration by User:Adam Cuerden

2nd August 1823 🗓️ : Death - Lazare Carnot Lazare Carnot, French mathematician, general, and politician, president of the National Convention (b. 1753) "Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot (French pronunciation: [lazaʁ nikɔla maʁɡəʁit kaʁno]; 13 May 1753 – 2 August 1823) was a French mathematician, physicist, politician and a leading member of the Committee of Public Safety during the French Revolution. His military reforms, which included the..."

Image by Louis-Léopold Boilly

2nd August 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Peter Faber "Peter Faber, SJ (French: Pierre Lefevre or Favre, Latin: Petrus Faver) (13 April 1506 – 1 August 1546) was a Jesuit priest and theologian, who was also a co-founder of the Society of Jesus, along with Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. Pope Francis announced his canonization in 2013. ..."

Image by The original uploader was Bwag at German Wikipedia.

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