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whiteheademborg99-blog · 6 years ago

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Thirteen Best Moving Companies In Charlotte NC

Reviews For Movers - Charlotte Van & Storage Evaluations

T-N-T Moving Methods has been serving to residential and commercial clients move for greater than two many years. When growing the Shifting Simplified concept, our main focus was easy: easy methods to remove stress from our clients throughout shifting time. The most important cities I've been to; downtown Charlotte and Raleigh are kind of like a mini Manhattan with fewer and smaller buildings and also present higher/inexpensive parking options. Whether you are planing planning a long distance or a local transfer in Charlotte, NC, hire us for a quick, honest and reliable shifting service. I could not have requested for this transfer to go any more easily than it did. Would positively recommend this crew to anybody who asked. Veterans who have had at the least eight years of actual expertise in the development, installation, and modification of computer working techniques will find themselves properly-outfitted to assume company key positions. Based mostly in Charlotte, N.C., T-N-T Transferring Techniques has moved countless couches, credenzas, and china cabinets. Hornet Shifting of Charlotte, NC is highly professional and will make your transfer painless. 16,000 in a transfer aimed at corporations that move large-salaried jobs to the state.

17.Eight million to create 2,250 jobs in a Charlotte enlargement project. 484 million deal this month). I recommend getting more data up front and detailing how much stuff you could have first. Over 9 further stuff is added, and that is because I was advised it's made this fashion for shelf-life. They called letting us know they have been on their method the morning of the transfer, worked tirelessly all the time and took great care with our belongings. The way in which they wrapped every little thing ensured that our furnishings got delivered in the identical condition that it was packed in. I rant and rave about a number of things in this nation, and there are times when humor will accomplish the same result. Also examine our worldwide movers checklist if you are moving to a different nation. Residential moving services supplied from the Charlotte, NC movers can be found on your local, in state, long distance, or international relocation.

485 Movers, Inc

3020 Prosperity Church Rd. Suite 253, Charlotte, NC 28269

6256693 (T) 12-01-2018 I wouldn’t use your providers again

6161775 (E) 11-29-2018 The crew was nice, they have been fast and environment friendly

Need Charlotte, NC movers? Create an “Arrival Box” containing snacks, basic instruments, cleaning supplies and private care gadgets you have to instantly upon arrival. Whether or not your want is for a Charlotte Mover or shifting long distance from Charlotte, Citywide can get you moved quickly and affordably, local (ncpianomovers.com) and nationwide moving is our specialty. Local moving corporations in Charlotte, NC perceive that even if you’re about to set out on a neighborhood relocation, there continues to be a tremendous quantity of hassle included, not to mention stress! Transferring to Charlotte, North Carolina means a number of issues: mild winters, scenic selection, die-onerous sports followers, and lots of worries, questions, and stress that come with relocating your life. Twinkies and Oreos will be on this planet after life has develop into extinct, they are totally indestructible. The Geminids are gradual movers in comparison with different meteor showers — traveling at about 20 miles a second — so the streaks should last longer, for at the very least a second or two, National Geographic experiences. The National Weather Service predicts principally cloudy skies that night in the Charlotte metro region. If you're a lifetime New Yorker like me, you will miss the pizza and bread products of all kinds you were accustomed to virtually wherever within the NY Metro area.

There are large numbers of airports current within the Charlotte and there are numerous companies working for offering one of the best travel providers to the airport in charlotte NC. Just fill the free shifting quote kind on the left if you want to estimate your North Carolina shifting prices or discover out the best possible transferring charges in your space. Straightforward Movers received the 2008 Charlotte Magazine BOB award, best of the most effective in Charlotte the category of moving & storage, as voted on by the readers of Charlotte Journal. “Today is a landmark day for the city of Charlotte and the state of North Carolina, one that can impression our business panorama for years to come back,” mentioned N.C. Charlotte NC Local movers will enable you out with every side of the relocation. We're very comparable you know, because I am truly working on a Hub that may hopefully assist to de-code the loopy substances on "meals" labels.

movers charlotte nc

I additionally do not read meals labels because I don't carry my studying glasses with me when I am going shop for meals. Why did you may have to choose Ranch dressing of all things to go "first" in what I'm guessing to be a series of meals additives and the like? In any case, I buy food to eat, and because I’m hungry. I am one that reads virtually each label of product I buy. And i wished them there at 9 am however they put me in for 830. However for my first time with movers it was a great expierence and for the worth it was great. The one difference is that my husband arrange the first transfer. Two Sturdy Dudes Transferring gives residential moving companies and we are able to move you regionally (less than 50 miles) or lengthy distance (anywhere within the US). We understand how important the correct assist will be in the course of an enormous transfer, and we’re devoted to doing all we can to make your upcoming relocation fast, easy, and stress-free. I was amazed after i began doing genealogy analysis how many really lived to a reasonably good ripe previous age. I had hassle contacting somebody in the beginning and thus four instead of 5 stars; nevertheless, after i did speak to someone, they had been superb and accommodating.

6243900 (D) 11-30-2018 Pleasant and good with my belongings,!

Please someone reply. I might have to rethink our move. 6186789 (E) 11-30-2018 The transfer was excellent. 6243900 (D) 11-30-2018 Friendly and good with my belongings,! Jonathan, Miguel and Manu had been our movers they usually have been great and pleasant. All our movers have years of shifting expertise and know the way exactly to transport your belongings with out posing any form of damage to them. We focus on transferring your belongings to your desired location on time and to your satisfaction. 6196026 (T) 12-02-2018 Guys were very nice however didn't care for my belongings injury quite a few factor. 6256265 (T) 12-02-2018 Polite Environment friendly Exremely professional. 6204096 (D) 11-30-2018 Movers had been wonderful, Robert and Dupree have been very wonderful, and professional. 6221348 (E) 11-30-2018 Delayed supply time. This was our second time using New Beginnings. Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about New Beginnings Moving And Storage. We moved from a 2-bedroom to a 2-bedroom but weren't asked (apart from appliances) what was being moved. Our decision to move to Charlotte still depends” on the incentives package deal being accredited, he stated.

6229234 (T) 12-02-2018 Staff was a bit tough with furnature and took longer to move then ought to have. I might be able to do extra hubs then. Author's Bio: Find the details about airport shuttle charlotte NC and in addition extra information about Charlotte limo service. Be it administrative or discipline occupations, there’s a job to land in these potential civilian career posts after navy service. Portability - Perhaps the biggest advantage that 4G wireless service has over DSL is its portability. But here is my biggest problem with ranch dressing. A salad dressing could be made at house from healthy ingredients very quickly. I simply look for merchandise with the least quantity of unpronounceable components. Therefore, the management qualities of ex-army servicemen are highly regarded in this key place for the manufacturers and distributors of products in the commercial sector. As an agent for Stevens Worldwide Van Traces, we are part of a worldwide company network of capable of handling your transfer throughout the country or across the world.

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liveonthisplanetanymore-blog · 6 years ago

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How Much Does Bark Box Cost a Month?

There are several more exciting things which are possible to teach your dog to do. If your pet will end up being outside in sunlight you then must take that extra methods to guard them from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Your dog demands special services to make certain it stays happy and healthy. Dogs are believed of as man’s greatest friend. Other dogs may be excitable or superior strung. Aging dogs must have brain games merely to continue to keep their minds sharp. Just about everyone loves to observe a sweet dog. After the dog is recent its typical lifespan, it normally shows a lot of the signs of human old age. The puppy has to find out how to have the smaller sized toys out. People that say that it’s costly to adopt pet canines may have observed the problems linked to an ill pup. There are certainly apt to be a great deal of techniques you may obtain your pet dog to avoid the behavior. I’ve always loved buying Klaus toys because his excitement is so apparent really. This is a pup who appreciates the actual fact that I purchased something for him really, or at least it appears enjoy it. Unlike my cats who actually couldn’t care much less about obtaining presents that aren’t edible. Obviously, when Barkbox reached out to discover if Klaus want to execute a review I jumped on the opportunity.

bark box working

Let’s execute a quick run-down of what BarkBox is and what they provide; BarkBox is a regular monthly subscription box for dogs of all sizes. Each box comes with two bags of treats, one chew, and two toys. Everything is tied with a theme together. All of the treats are organic and manufactured in the Canada or US. BarkBox monthly is billed, and decreases in cost if you invest in 6 or 12 month plan. You additionally have the option to become listed on the excess Toy Club for yet another $9 per month. The first box ships immediately and subsequent boxes ship on the 15th of each month.

Klaus getting a whole box of things was the absolute cutest! He would take a toy, run over to the other side of the living room, set it down, and run back to see what else we had for him. The box he received was New York City themed. Actually “Poo York City! ” I must say i enjoyed all of the silly takes on on words within the package. “Pawsonalize. ” “Guaranpeed. ” “ BarkBox r Middle. ” So cute! He’s not really picky about treats so that it was no surprise that he loved those (As seen in one of the photos above, Professor was also very interested in the bag of treats. A few days later he would rip open the bag and try to steal them. ) The toys were a huge hit too. I’ve mentioned in the past how much Klaus loves squeaky toys so I was stoked to find that both of the toys in his box had squeakers.

I was a little bit worried about the toys not holding up for very long though. Klaus is a selective plaything destroyer meaning there are playthings that he shreds instantly but something of an identical quality might last for weeks for no particular cause. Been in regards to a couple weeks it’s, and surprisingly plenty of he hasn’t destroyed either plaything. Better still fresh is that he discovered a fresh favorite toy, a ball shaped like the statue of libertyHe literally carries it everywhere, and is constantly placing it on my arm in hopes that I’ll try to steal it from him. Mmm. I love soggy toys. He is currently laying beside me on the couch with that ball under his chin. When he finally does destroy that toy I could purchase him another from the BarkBox actually, which is a real way to buy toys and treats without the subscription.

Klaus really, enjoyed the complete experience really. So much to ensure that I would feel guilty not doing this for him every month honestly. Barkbox was strike! At the chance of sounding cliche, and using the same silly expression everyone who provides ever written an assessment has said probably, I believe Klaus would up give it two paws! xoxoBarkBox Review

If you keep running out of doggie treats and goodies, or maybe you get the wrong ones, you need help. Thanks to Barkbox’s monthly plans, your furry best friend could have all the treats it requires because of its size and age. Barkbox may be the ultimate monthly pet dog subscription box program that will deliver playthings and treats for the one you love dog when they require it most.

Why a Monthly Pet dog Subscription bark box is necessary?

Dogs, like individuals get uninterested in the same toys and treats just. Barkbox offers not simply a variety of items but also an array of canine themed goodies. Different every month, think of it as a doggie present box!

What Comes in a BarkBox? Toys and Treats?

The themed goody boxes come with at least two impressive toys, a chew, and two bags of all-natural treats. Every month, the pet subscription box holds a different surprise for your dog, which they will love!

How do you Bark Box get started?

We can see that you currently need to get started - it's the best option ever designed for dog fans and dogs! To get started with, you need to simply take one of the plans available that are detailed below.

THE DOGMANS IN THE CITY BarkBox

This theme represents the miracle on the 34th squeak. It is the perfect festival package. If you forgot to get your honest and loyal furry dog a gift for Christmas, or you were unable to obtain the right present, this Barkbox: The Dogmans In The City awaits.

The featured toys for BarkBox this theme include:

Howliday Spectacular Dancers

This is a tug toy with other toys in it. The dancers have safe and sound T-clothing rope for a good tugging and grip. It is filled with three traditional squeakers shaped like lighting which your beloved will receive a kick out of.

Holly, Jolly, and GabeShould you have a chewer in the homely house, permit this plaything indulge it. Holly, Jolly, and Gabe come in one size and perfect for small to medium sized dogs. They also have different squeakers perfect for sinking teeth.

But these three colorful heroes Holly, Jolly and Gabe independently don’t hang, they hold on a pup, tummy safe, t- clothing rope well suited for tugging and gripping. They shall light your pup ’s spirits.

Squeaky Wish List

Everybody knows that pup that treats toys just like the most complex puzzles ever created, right?

Why not fulfill BarkBox that dog’s curiosity with the Squeaky Desire List?

This toy includes a squeaker mat with irresistible crinkly texture, and also a space to cover up treats. Hiding treats in the envelope will keep your loved one captivated for hours definitely!

Dogsmas Tree Delivery

This multi-part toy supplies the right dose of multi-part joy. It includes a gentle and squeaky car and also a detachable, fluffy tree that is squeaky too.

Canine Carols Collection BarkBox

This is the healthiest treat your pup needs. It is free of wheat, soy, and corn. It also has options for sensitive tummies and allergies.

Other than the squeaky toys, every dog needs a chew-thingy. This Six-In . Duck Chew is all organic and made with US-sourced meat.The plans available for you start from as low as $20 monthly. The best part is normally that the goodies you will receive every month are valued at over $40! All the boxes cost the same amount, no matter what the size of your loved one. Other than the monthly plan, there are six-month and total annual plans, which you can cancel from at any time. Note that you get free Barkbox shipping for all Barkbox plans any place in the United Canada and Claims. For clients, your first container gets delivered out between 2-8 business times. Then simply because a normal Barkbox subscriber your boxes will be shipped from the 15th of each month.

For a month’s membership of Barkbox, you can pay just $29.

The six a few months ’ subscription costs $25 per Barkbox. This course of action needs you to pay in advance with a discount - six months would be $142 in advance.

The total annual plan will cost you $20 per Barkbox. Once again like the 6 month plan if you pay for the whole year to begin it will only cost you $239!!!If you would like to gift a box to another dog lover then Barkbox have you covered as well! They have the option to send one box as a gift which includes a gift note for

You need to remember that every time you sign up for a plan, you are getting into a commitment that lasts the entire duration of the program.

The plans are renewed in the event that you don’t cancel the program automatically. Cancellation is suitable, at any right time. Worth mentioning may be the truth that you cannot get yourself a discount if you join the 6 or the 12 months strategy but cancel it throughout the subscription.

CHEWRASSIC Bark Box

This theme is filled with all sorts of dinosaurs that may arouse your dog’s interest once you open the box - your pet has been looking forward to 65 million human years for these treats so please usually do not delay them any more from these yummy doggy treats?

Some of the top prehistoric, never fossilized dinosaurs making up this theme include:

TOYS and BarkBox

This is an adorable, squeaky, plush dinosaur that comes with a crinkly shell. This toy promises to make your canine friend the happiest dog around, regardless of the mood they were in before!

Herbert the Herbivore

The use of unique and safe materials to make this toy ensures that your dog has the best tugging experience. Herbert the Herbivore has a super-durable spiky bonus toy inside and a pull-through, stomach-safe t- shirt rope.

Airborne Archie

Sounds fascinate dogs, and this toy makes that special sound that will fill your dog with joy. Airborne Archie includes a crinkly mat body and an enormous plush head.

Jurassic Pork and BarkBox

You cannot vacation to the prehistoric times without visiting the Jurassic Park, is it possible to? This deal with is delightful and manufactured in the USA. It has sweet potatoes, pork, and pumpkin, and it is free from corn, soy, and wheat. Pawfect for your loved one!

Dinosaur Meat, Basically

Since not all dogs have the strong teeth of a T-Rex, this soft and easy-to-chew chicken is perfect. It is dried up for the maximum chewiness and sourced froYour dog deserves the very best quality toy, which bone may be the best chew it could get. It is long lasting, nontoxic, and made out of great focus on detail. Though hard, thisall-natural nylon chew is certainly safe, and a very tasty is had because of it smoky flavor.

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thuthu220100 · 4 years ago

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Rice is a major component of many of our favorite dishes. It serves as a foundation for delicious curries, adds texture to soups and fills out our menus when made as a side dish.

As common as this ingredient is, it often can give even regular cooks some trouble (raise your hand if you’ve ever scorched a pot of rice!). Even if rice doesn’t present major problems for you, keeping an eye on the pot while you’ve got other parts of your meal in the works is a pain. That’s where finding the best rice cooker comes in. A good rice cooker takes care of making this grain perfectly tender and keeping it warm while you finish up that stir-fry.

What to Look for When Shopping for a Rice Cooker

There are what seems like limitless rice cooker options out there. While we’ve provided some of our favorite options below, there are a few considerations you should keep in mind when you make your selections:

Capacity: How many people do you typically cook for? Look for rice cookers that produce four cups or more if cooking rice as a side for the family.

Settings: Do you want your rice cooker to just cook rice? Do you regularly cook other grains as well?

Cleanup: What level of clean up would you prefer? Some models offer nonstick surfaces and dishwasher-safe inserts. Others require hand washing.

Price: Keep in mind how much you want to spend. There are good options at any price point. You’ll find worthwhile rice cookers starting at just $30.

The Best Rice Cooker Based on Your Cooking Style

We know that everyone is looking for something different when it comes to appliances. Check out our Test Kitchen’s top picks for small kitchens, multiple grains and more.

Best Basic Model: Zojirushi 6-Cup Rice Cooker

Love rice? Make it all the time? Don’t need any frills? You’ll want to snag a Zojirushi Rice Cooker. This brand produces reliably good rice whether you prefer white, brown or even wild rice. With just a single setting, this rice cooker manages to cook and steam these different grains perfectly. The texture is terrific and the cleanup is a cinch thanks to the nonstick insert.

Capacity: 6 cups, though 3- and 10-cup models are also available

Features: Nonstick insert, keep warm setting

Price: $67

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Best Budget Option: Aroma Housewares 2-8-Cup Rice Cooker

The rice cooker that most Taste of Home staffers keep in their kitchens is from Aroma Housewares—and it’s also a great budget-friendly option.

The Aroma rice cooker is compact—about the size of a coffee canister—and can be easily stashed away when not in use. And when you are using this rice cooker, it’s a dream. The intuitive controls make cooking tender rice simple and the keep warm function is triggered as soon as your rice is done. We love that functionality in case the rest of your dinner isn’t quite ready yet—the rice will be toasty but not overcooked.

Capacity: 8 cups

Features: Four preset options, keep warm setting, dishwasher-safe nonstick insert

Price: $30

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Best Splurge Option: Zojirushi 5.5-Cup Rice Cooker

Are you really serious about your rice? Do you eat it more than once a week? Then you should consider spending a bit more on your rice cooker. Just like with any other appliance, if you use it frequently, you won’t regret leveling up a bit. When it comes to luxury rice cookers, try this 5.5-cup option from Zojirushi—the original rice maker manufacturer.

This rice maker has perfect reviews, with many customers raving that this easy-to-use appliance has them cooking more grains than ever. With this Zojirushi model, you can choose from various settings including white rice, sushi rice, brown rice, porridge and steaming (perfect for dumplings!).

Capacity: 5.5 cups

Features: Non-stick finish, LCD display, multiple rice settings

Price: $180

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Best for All Sorts of Grains: Instant Pot Zest Plus Rice Cooker

If you find yourself cooking grains often, you’ll be happy investing in a rice cooker that cooks more than just rice. The Instant Pot Zest Plus Rice Cooker has settings for white and brown rice, of course, but you’ll also find presets for other grains: quinoa, couscous, barley, bulgur, oatmeal and risotto.

These one-touch settings are super convenient if you like to start your day with a bowl of oatmeal or keep fueled with popular grain bowl recipes. These options are also helpful if you’ve been trying to incorporate more grains into your diet but aren’t entirely sure how to properly cook quinoa or barley; this Instant Pot takes out all the guesswork.

Capacity: 20 cups

Features: Dishwasher-safe removable parts, settings for nine different grains, delay start and keep warm options

Price: $60

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Best Rice Cooker for Small Spaces: Dash 2-Cup Mini Rice Cooker

If you don’t have much space to spare but love the idea of rice made easy, grab a Dash Mini Rice Cooker. This compact appliance cooks just enough rice for a pair—ideal for when you make Chinese takeout-inspired recipes for your date night in. The Dash rice cooker isn’t fancy or flashy (outside of the cute color options), but it does its job well.

Capacity: 2 cups

Features: Nonstick insert, keep warm setting

Price: $30

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More Than Just a Rice Cooker: Instant Pot Duo Electric Pressure Cooker

We get it: Many folks don’t want to invest in a one-task wonder for their kitchens. But if you snag an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, you get an appliance that does a lot. The Instant Pot pressure cooks, slow cooks, steams, sautes, makes yogurt and much more—including making rice.

Our Test Kitchen loves the Instant Pot and its multifunctionality. Just like the pressure cooking and sautee functions, the rice setting performs well. And when dinner is done, the insert can go right in the dishwasher. Another big win!

Capacity: 24 cups (though you can get smaller and larger models)

Features: Seven functions, 14 one-touch programs, dishwasher-safe components

Price: $100

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How to Make the Most of Your Rice Cooker

Our Test Kitchen’s recommendation: Use your rice cooker whenever you can! This set-it-and-forget-it gadget makes your rice perfectly and with near-zero effort. Start with some white rice recipes then move on to brown rice and wild rice dishes.

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Southwestern Rice

I created this colorful side dish after eating something similar at a restaurant. It complements any Tex-Mex meal wonderfully. Sometimes I add cubes of grilled chicken breast to the rice to make it a meal in itself. —Michelle Dennis, Clarks Hill, Indiana

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Lemon Chicken and Rice

On our busy ranch, we often need meals we can put on the table in a hurry. This all-in-one chicken dish - with its delicate lemon flavor - fits the bill and it's inexpensive to boot. —Kat Thompson, Prineville, Oregon

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Texas-Style Spanish Rice

The original version of this recipe was given to me by a Mexican friend, but I've modified the spices to suit my family's tastes. It's become a favorite at our house—see if it doesn't do the same at yours! —Melissa Pride, Plano, Texas

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Stuffed Pepper Soup

Some of the cooks at the restaurant where I work were talking about stuffed pepper soup. We decided to stir up similar ingredients for a stuffed pepper soup recipe. Customer response was overwhelming! —Krista Muddiman, Meadville, Pennsylvania

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Herbed Rice Pilaf

This savory side dish has been a family favorite for years. Our 12-year-old daughter, Jennifer, is an expert with this recipe, which is a great help for a busy working mom like me. We sure enjoy this rice dish in the summer with a grilled entree. -Jeri Dobrowski, Beach, North Dakota

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Forgotten Jambalaya

During chilly months, I fix this slow cooker jambalaya recipe at least once a month. It’s so easy…just chop the vegetables, dump everything in the slow cooker and forget it! Even my sons, who are picky about spicy things, like this easy jambalaya. —Cindi Coss, Coppell, Texas

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Black Bean Chicken with Rice

This spicy family favorite calls for just a few basic ingredients, so it’s quick and easy to stir up in your skillet on a weeknight. —Molly Newman, Portland, Oregon

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Korean Beef and Rice

A friend raved about Korean recipes for bulgogi—beef cooked in soy sauce and ginger—so I tried it. It's delicious! Dazzle the table with this tasty version of Korean beef and rice. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota

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Rice-Stuffed Peppers

Mother used to fix this wonderful, easy dish when we had company. She was from a family of fantastic Cajun cooks, so our food was always well-seasoned. In Louisiana, rice is part of many meals. The cheese sauce sets these stuffed peppers apart from any others I've tried. —Lisa Easley, Longview, Texas

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Wild Rice Soup

As the oldest of eight girls growing up on the farm, I began cooking at an early age! This soup—which I first had at my sister's house—brings me compliments no matter where I serve it. —Elienore Myhre, Balaton, Minnesota

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Makeover Shrimp Rice Casserole

The cooks at Taste of Home made a lightened-up version of my shrimp casserole, and I love it. The makeover has only half the calories and sodium of my original recipe, and less fat, too. —Marie Roberts, Lake Charles, Louisiana

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Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

I love Mexican food, but I'm always looking for ways to make it more healthy. I "renovated" a dish that I have enjoyed in restaurants to suit my taste and lifestyle. —Christie Ladd, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

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Tilapia with Jasmine Rice

This tender, full-flavored tilapia with fragrant jasmine rice is absolutely to die for. And it gets better—each serving has only 5 grams of fat! —Shirl Parsons, Cape Carteret, North Carolina

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Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup

Years ago, I fell hard for a lemony Greek soup at Panera Bread. It was just a special back then, and I re-created it at home so we could eat it whenever a craving hit! —Kristin Cherry, Bothell, Washington

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Spicy Chicken and Rice

As a working mom with two kids, I have little time to prepare something hearty during the week. This recipe is easily tossed together in the morning and fabulous to come home to at night. Both of my picky eaters love it! —Jessica Costello, Westminster, Massachusetts

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Corn, Rice & Bean Burritos

No one will miss the meat when you dish up these satisfying burritos bursting with a fresh-tasting filling. They’re fast to fix and won’t put a dent in your wallet. —Sharon W. Bickett, Chester, South Carolina

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Contest-Winning Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

While this special chicken and wild rice casserole is perfect for a company dinner, it's so good that I often make it for everyday family meals. We think it is very nice served with some crusty rolls or French bread. —Elizabeth Tokariuk, Lethbridge, Alberta

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Cranberry Chicken and Wild Rice

Tender chicken is baked in a sweet-tart cranberry sauce for this elegant entree. This chicken is delicious, and it’s so easy to prepare and I love that I can do other things while it bakes. —Evelyn Lewis, Independence, Missouri

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Mexican Rice with Chicken

This skillet supper comes together with leftover cooked chicken and a packaged mix. After I prepared this rice, I served the extras on tortillas with cheese and sour cream the next day. Both meals were a hit. —Debra Rzodkiewicz, Erie, Pennsylvania

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Lemony Turkey Rice Soup

While growing up in Texas, I spent a lot of time helping my grandma cook. Lemon and cilantro add a deliciously different twist to turkey soup. —Margarita Cuellar, East Chicago, Indiana

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Spanish Rice with Ground Beef

I don't know the origin of this recipe, but it's one that has been in my family for a long time. I can remember eating it often as a little girl.—Beverly Austin, Fulton, Missouri

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Turkey a la King with Rice

I like to make this dish with our leftover turkey. It's a nice change from casseroles and so simple. Serve over rice, noodles, biscuits or toast. —Pat Lemke, Brandon, Wisconsin

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Super Quick Chicken Fried Rice

After my first child was born, I needed meals that were satisfying and fast. This fried rice is now part of our regular dinner rotation. — Alicia Gower, Auburn, New York

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Sirloin Strips over Rice

I found this recipe in a movie magazine some 20 years ago. It was the favorite of some male star, but I don’t remember which one. Its great flavor and the fact that leftovers just get better have made it a family favorite! —Karen Dunn, Kansas City, Missouri

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Peachy Pork with Rice

Peach preserves sweeten the spicy salsa in this delicious dish that’s nice enough for company. Adjust the heat level to taste by using mild or spicy salsa and seasoning. —Melissa Molaison, Hawkinsville, Georgia

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Quick Bean and Rice Burritos

These hearty and zippy burritos can be whipped up in a jiffy. —Kimberly Hardison, Maitland, Florida

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Salsa Rice

It's a snap to change the spice level in this popular rice side dish by choosing a milder or hotter salsa. It's a delicious way to round out burritos or tacos when the clock is ticking. —Molly Ingle, Canton, North Carolina

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Chicken & Wild Rice Strudels

I wanted the buttery crunch of layered pastry without the sweet filling of strudel. Using rotisserie chicken from the store, I found my savory answer. —Johnna Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona

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Cumin Rice with Avocado

Cumin, picante sauce and avocado do a terrific job of perking up rice in this any-day side dish. —Margaret Allen, Abingdon, Virginia

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Shrimp Fried Rice

This delectable shrimp dish is filled with color and taste that makes it vanish fast. Our family of four can't get enough of it. Bacon adds crispness and a hint of heartiness. Consider it when you need a different main dish or brunch item. —Sandra Thompson, White Hall, Arkansas

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Apple-Balsamic Pork Chops & Rice

Thanks to tangy balsamic vinegar and sweet apples, this one-pot pork chop lets you have a little something special anytime. —Greg Hageli, Elmhurst, Illinois

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Beef & Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This recipe is special to me because it’s an easy one-pot meal that tastes like you spent the whole day in the kitchen. My family loves it. —Lynn Bowen, Geraldine, Alabama

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Chicken Rice Skillet

Pleasant seasonings and plenty of vegetables highlight this traditional chicken and rice pairing. Leftovers are great reheated in the microwave. —Jan Balata, Kilkenny, Minnesota

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Mushroom Wild Rice

This is one of my favorite recipes from my mother. With only seven ingredients, it's quick to assemble in the morning before I leave for work. By the time I get home, mouthwatering aromas have filled the house. —Bob Malchow, Monon, Indiana

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Gulf Coast Jambalaya Rice

As the stew of the South, jambalaya is a definite staple. For ages, home cooks have been making their own tweaks on the traditional recipe. This rendition is my favorite. —Judy Batson, Tampa, Florida

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Skillet Ham & Rice

Ham, rice and mushrooms make a tasty combination in this homey stovetop dish. It goes from start to finish in just 25 minutes. —Susan Zivec, Regina, Saskatchewan

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Wild Rice Stuffing

Since trying this stuffing recipe from my sister, I haven't made any other kind. It's so moist and tasty. When a big bowlful starts circulating around the table, happy holiday smiles get even bigger! —Connie Olson, Green River, Wyoming

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Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

For some extra flavor, I like to add bouillon to the dish while the peppers bake. It also steams them a little. If I make these with ground chicken or turkey, I use chicken bouillon; if I make them with ground beef, I use beef bouillon. —Hope Huggins, Santa Cruz, California

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Quick Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

My mother-in-law raves about the chicken and rice soup we serve at our house. I tweaked the recipe several times to get it just right. —Teresa Jacobson, St. Johns, Florida

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North African Chicken and Rice

I'm always looking to try recipes from different cultures, and this one is a huge favorite. We love the spice combinations. This cooks equally well in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. —Courtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas

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Wild Rice Stuffed Squash

I made this recipe when we invited both our families to celebrate our first Thanksgiving in our new home. There were 37 of us, and those who tried this dish raved about it. —Robin Thompson, Roseville, California

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Curry Chicken and Rice

I updated this chicken and rice dish by adding veggies and cashews to give it fresh and crunchy appeal. The green chilies in the tomatoes give it just the right little kick, but if you really like spice, add fresh, diced jalapeño. —Denise Klibert, Shreveport, Louisiana

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Mushrooms & Peas Rice Pilaf

Anything goes in a rice pilaf, so I add peas and baby portobello mushrooms for extra color, texture and a touch of comfort. —Stacy Mullens, Gresham, Oregon

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Lemony Chicken & Rice

I couldn’t say who loves this recipe best, because it gets raves every time I serve it! Occasionally I even get a phone call or email from a friend requesting the recipe, and it's certainly a favorite for my grown children and 15 grandchildren. —Maryalice Wood, Langley, British Columbia

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Broccoli, Rice and Sausage Dinner

The first recipe my kids requested when they left home was broccoli with sausage and rice. If fresh zucchini or summer squash is available, add it to the mix. —JoAnn Parmentier, Branch, Michigan

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Turkey Curry with Rice

When I have leftover turkey and a hankering for non-holiday food, I make turkey curry with carrots, cauliflower and mango chutney to spoon over rice. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Shrimp & Broccoli Brown Rice Paella

Years ago my husband and I were vacationing in France and came across an open market where a man from Spain was making paella in a skillet; we've been hooked ever since. I love to whip this up for a large group, but if the gathering is small, I know I can easily freeze leftovers for another time. —Joni Hilton, Rocklin, California

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Caribbean Shrimp & Rice Bowl

I had a similar rice bowl on vacation and re-created this lighter version at home. It takes me back to the islands every time I make it. Try grilling the shrimp for more beachy flavor. —Lauren Katz, Ashburn, Virginia

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Broccoli-Chicken Rice Soup

I transformed leftover chicken and rice into this tasty soup. It even passed the company test. —Karen Reed, Middletown, Ohio

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Rice Pilaf with Apples & Raisins

I love making bulgar pilaf with apricots. So glad I tried it with dried apples and golden raisins! —Elizabeth Dumont, Madison, Mississippi

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Lemon Rice Pilaf

No need to buy premade pilaf mix when you can easily make your own in 20 minutes. The lemon zest adds a welcome burst of tang. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Grilled Peach, Rice & Arugula Salad

This hearty salad was created when I needed to clear out some leftovers from the fridge—and it became an instant hit! The grilled peaches are the ultimate "tastes like summer" salad booster. —Lauren Wyler, Dripping Springs, Texas

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Spicy Rice Casserole

Stirring up pork sausage, wild rice and jalapeno to taste makes this a terrific side. Or serve it with cornbread to turn it into a main dish. It’s easy to make ahead and reheat for a potluck meal. —Debbie Jones, California, Maryland

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Pesto Rice-Stuffed Chicken

Juicy stuffed chicken is perfect for basil fans, but I've just as easily used shredded cheese in place of the pesto for my pickier eaters. —Rachel Dion, Port Charlotte, Florida

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Southern Pork & Rice

At our house, we're big on healthy eating. These ultra tender chops with colorful rice and black-eyed peas are a meal fancy enough for a dinner party. —Annie Holmes, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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Hearty Turkey 'n' Rice Soup

Use the leftover cooked turkey in the fridge to speed up dinner. You'll be ladling up bowlfuls of goodness in only 30 minutes. —Maggie Brewer, Canandaigua, New York

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Pork & Rice Meatballs

My appetizer meatballs combine two of my favorite Asian dishes —Chinese pork dumplings and steamed chicken balls. —Elizabeth Dumont, Madison, MS

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Cajun Pork and Rice

I created this recipe upon returning home from traveling. With little food in the house, I used what was there. My husband loves this dish because it's tasty, and I love it because it's easy. —Allison Gapinski, Cary, North Carolina

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Asian Chicken Rice Bowl

This super flavorful, nutrient-packed dish makes use of supermarket conveniences like coleslaw mix and rotisserie chicken. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for large families. —Christianna Gozzi, Asteria, New York

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Northwoods Wild Rice Salad

This is my Minnesota version of a vintage German slaw served at church suppers. The wild rice has a nutty flavor that’s perfect with tangy sauerkraut. —Jeanne Holt, Mendota Heights, Minnesota

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Wild Rice, Quinoa & Cranberry Salad

This fragrant salad is a vitamin and protein powerhouse. Toss in leftover cooked turkey to make it a meal the next day. —Jerilyn Korver, Bellflower, California

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Festive Rice

My mom and I transformed plain rice by adding feta, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and cayenne. We wound up with a sweet and spicy crowd-pleaser. —Lisa de Perio, Dallas, Texas

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Slow-Cooker Spinach & Rice

I started making this in the slow cooker to save oven space during the holidays. It's so convenient, I no longer reserve it for special occasions!—Erica Polly, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

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Chicken & Vegetable Wild Rice Soup

This go-to weeknight recipe is one I tweaked over and over till it was just right. It has morphed from a labor-intensive wintry bowl to a steamy, comforting, slow-cooked favorite for our family. —Courtney Riggin, Hatchechubbee, Alabama

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Glazed Cornish Hens with Pecan-Rice Stuffing

Cornish hens bake up with a lovely golden brown shine when they are basted with my sweet and tangy glaze. The traditional rice stuffing has some added interest with crunchy pecans and sweet golden raisins.—Agnes Ward, Stratford, Ontario

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pierrehardy · 4 years ago

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The Looming Tech Schism

We rely on global cooperation to innovate on modern technology. This is because most modern tech relies on network effects: the product gets better only if more people use it. Think, Facebook. It’s useless if you’re the only one using it, but awesome when all your friends do; at least it was awesome. The same goes for setting standard formats and conventions. Like, say, electricity. It would be insane if every country has its own different voltage coming out of their sockets.

But what we see now is a trend away from this kind of integration. The most significant tech leaders now are the West and China, and if you’ve seen the news, you’d know that they haven’t been the best of buds for a long time now, especially with America. People have been predicting that their souring relationships will lead to two disconnected tech bubbles in the world: a Chinese one and a Western one.

But is it, though?

If you look at how things are right now, it’s hard to believe that statement. The world is burning, but that’s precisely what enabled the tech industry to have its own golden age. Both the Chinese and Western tech companies are enjoying rising stocks, with the global market capitalization of tech industries reaching ¼ of the pie worldwide.

Apple sales in China are still going strong. Huawei has been posting record revenues. The adoption of 5G and sudden demand for telecommuting has been a boon to the tech industry. So are we really sure that we’re headed to such a gloomy outlook technologically? Well, maybe. Hear me out.

The cracks

Let’s start to enumerate the little things because they do add up. A lot of tiny cracks can make a house collapse.

Let’s start with a couple of small ones: Facebook and Microsoft temporarily suspended cooperation on data sharing with Hong Kong police after China passed their draconian National Security Law over HK. Facebook doesn’t stand to lose much since they have little business there, but more so for Microsoft. The other crack is America’s mulling over banning TikTok, a Chinese app. India also banned TikTok plus other Chinese apps in retaliation to their little Himalayan skirmish.

Here’s a bigger crack, and also what spurred me to write this piece: the British are reversing their earlier commitments to let Huawei build some of their 5G networks. This U-turn is not an easy decision since Huawei is the leader in 5G technology. The next alternative would be Nokia or Ericsson, who are pretty behind and would delay everything by a few years.

The UK’s official reason is that its Government Communications Headquarters recommended canceling the plans because of upcoming American sanctions towards China. These sanctions, they say, will make Huawei’s supply chains more vulnerable and would make them less confident that they can fulfill their contract to the UK. Reasonable, but that’s probably not the only reason.

Lately, relations between the UK and China have been bumpy. The British offered Hong Kongers paths to citizenship after the passage of the National Security Law. They also bolstered the screening of foreign investments to prevent or hamper the Chinese shopping spree of international companies. Some lawmakers also wanted to put Carrie Lam, the CEO of Hong Kong, into the country’s own version of the Magnitsky list.

The Magnitsky Act is an American bill dedicated to Sergei Magnistky, who was a thorn in the side of corrupt Russian oligarchs. He was arrested and tortured to death in prison. The Magnitsky Act sanctions individuals with gross human rights violations. People in this list, mostly Saudia Arabian and Russian, can have their assets frozen in the country and be barred entry.

There has also been more mounting pressure for the British to go cold on Chinese relations. As mentioned, China’s law in Hong Kong was a blatant violation of the handover treaty between the two countries. British politicians were also appalled by the repression of Muslims in Xinjiang. There’s pressure from allies (the Five Eyes, an Anglo intelligence alliance, between America, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand).

Historically, when James Cameron was the prime minister of the UK, and when Boris Johnson was the mayor of London, they were warm and optimistic towards China. By being closer to them, the British thought they can influence China to be more liberal, just like a girl wanting to be with a bad boy because she can change him. Sorry to disappoint, but China just got more repressive since then.

To be fair, China also assumed wrongly about the UK. After Brexit, Chinese negotiators mentioned that they expect the British to be more billable and malleable. They expected the British to be scrambling and desperate to make trade agreements with the rest of the world and are easier to bend to their will. Safe to assume that’s now unlikely to happen. China has already started to react angrily, regarding the Huawei reversal and the Hong Kong citizenship thing.

China will probably follow its usual thing whenever a country displeases them. Step one, cancel all meetings with that country. Step two, apply the pain through economic sanctions, which is potent given China’s trading heft. They were never afraid to use it to bully other nations. Especially with the fact that 5% of British trade is with the Chinese, making it their 3rd largest trading partner. China has plenty of leverage.

Probable targets are British whiskeys, cars, and insurance. But most vulnerable would be big British banks with colonial ties with China like HSBC and Standard Chartered. Those two earn more than or equal to half of their profits in China.

Personally, however, I hope this doesn’t deter the British from standing their ground on morals they personally value. After all, these pains are usually temporary. Profit is profit to businessmen, even to the Chinese. The real costs though, are the opportunity costs and the blunting of British competitiveness in the world. They do have the virus, Brexit, and now a spat with China going for them.

Before I end this part, I want to talk about another sizable crack: the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMCI). This company is China’s bet on being the champion for Chinese semiconductors. It recently delisted in the New York stock exchange and instead raised capital in the Shanghai stock exchange. That’s a pretty obvious sign of the oncoming division.

The capital raised by SMCI is defense from the sanctions that America imposed on the company. America just cut off its American supply of high tech components. This move is to hurt Huawei, which uses SMCI chips for their phones. This is also disastrous for SMCI since if they can’t provide for Huawei, that’s 20% of their revenue source is gone.

So its fate depends on whether SMCI can catch up to the leaders like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Investors seem to think it has a chance. Last time I checked, it has a high Price/Earnings ratio of 73 (industry average is 21). This means that investors believe in its idea and its future benefits even though it’s not earning a lot at the moment. It does have the complete backing of China, and others seem to interpret US attacks against it as acknowledgement of a real threat.

How bad will it hurt?

The next thing to talk about is how technologically entangled China and the West is in the first place? In other words, how badly will it hurt?

Well, software-wise, not so much. American stocks only earn 3% of their profits in China. Banning TikTok won’t hurt any workers, except the teens who use it. I mean, really, China censors the internet from the very start. They never had the chance to couple together from the very beginning.

Maybe except Google. They did offer Android for Huawei until America said nope to that. This spurred Chinese developers to make their own marketplace and apps, though, further dividing the world.

Hardware would be another thing, though. The supply chains of computers are so entangled all across China. Most prominent is Apple, with its Chinese made iPhones. But as with the SMCI push, works are underway for a slow untangling.

What will happen to us?

So what even is going to happen if all of these predictions come true? Why should you care?

Firstly, technological advancement will take a hit. Innovation, as I mentioned, benefits from network effects. Just imagine this extreme example, if everybody in the world used Tesla, this will give Elon a buttload of data to improve their products. If more researchers are studying a particular field and are on the same page and are freely sharing notes, we get new technology faster. And also better technology as everyone works and improves on the same thing.

Second, the resulting world will be more divided. There would just be a giant wedge between all the computers in the world. Like half of the world’s networks can’t speak to the whole other half. This is an extreme case, but we can expect something like that. Incompatibilities would be rampant, giving us inferior tech. Network effects are prevalent today, and it affects this too. Your future technology would suck more than it should.

Finally, this will be another source of geopolitical issue, as if we needed another one. Smaller countries would have to pick which side to go to. Maybe India will make their own sphere since they don’t like America so much either. But smaller and weaker countries won’t have that choice. Separating countries into allegiances are literally what separates wars from world wars. Do we really need to increase the chances of getting another one of those?

#economics #international business #current affairs #politics #britain #business

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acontrarianmind · 7 years ago

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The Man in the Mirror

It’s been a long time since I wrote anything. Every time I write, it’s been a long time since I’ve written. It’s a reflection of my attitude in life, to give it all or give it nothing. To one minute be passionate, determined, confident, and the next minute hopeless, insecure, and lost.

I don’t know why it happens, but I’m starting to tell when, at least. It’s like a mood swing, but more pronounced: Like a gigantic lead pendulum that’s hanging from a steel chain a mile away. From the distance it looks like it moves slowly, but it amasses great momentum. When it swings by, like a freighter ship, it brings with it a massive, delayed wake. This pendulum holds my feelings, my ambitions, my outlook on life.

Right now, I’m depressed. And I say it like if I were a schizophrenic: “At this moment, it’s the depressed me talking.” It really does feel like it isn’t me controlling this person, it’s more like a parasite that’s been digging into my brain for a few years, and now its found its nest. Like a demagorgon! It’s incredible to realize that I’ve actually always felt this way, since I was a few years old. But it used to just be called sadness, feeling down. It would go away on its own, and when it came it was never paralyzing. I never thought I’d write about it, honestly.

When it prevents you from moving on in life, from starting a new project, or applying for jobs, you begin to feel handicapped. How come everyone else gets interviews, scholarships, they do a million things at a time? You begin to compare, and the anxiety of competing against everyone in the fucking world presses onto your chest like an anvil.

What is my portfolio lacking, did I say something wrong in my résumé? Why don’t I wake up and sketch, or do one of those 100 day challenges like every asshole on instagram? Fuck, I hate those people. Daily vloggers, wake up at 5 am, record your entire awesome day, sponspored by Louis Vuitton, fly in a jet, run 3 companies, go do a ted talk, fly back home, take care of your kids, edit the vlog, post, sleep 3 hours and repeat. How? Just fucking how?

I can’t find that consistency, to wake up every day with a routine. Even if its setting a goal to start an app, or to design something new today. I can’t dedicate even my day, sometimes even an hour to it. Once the idea has passed through my head, I’ve designed it manufactured it packaged it and sent it away. I no longer care. If an Idea cannot last a minute in my head, I can’t even put it on paper. How the hell am I supposed to start a company? With years worth of effort, a 365 day challenge for a few years. The idea alone eats my mind up, my breathing gets shorter, my heart starts pounding, and all of a sudden I feel weak, small, powerless.

I go through the whole checklist of things to do. Try to meditate, fail. Put on a Tony Robbins TED Talk, hate him immediately; read an Eckhart Tolle quote, new age crap; listen to Alan Watts, remember when it used to help; read some Tim Ferriss, he’s just showing off now; watch a Casey Neistat video, feel useless. I just can’t get inspired. I can’t say “Ah! That’s my thing”, what I’m going to pick at for the foreseeable future. It’s too much of a weight on my shoulders to decide what I’ll be doing for the next month. So how can I decide what I’ll be doing in a year? A lot of these power-motivators just tell you to think of doing something for tomorrow. And then tomorrow a little bit more: Make the goal accessible, and daily. Small steps. But every step is huge, slow, like I have an iron vest on and a copper helmet scuba diving in the 20’s, where every breathe counts.

One of the things I read from Tim Ferriss is to start writing. I guess he was where I am today once, and he started writing shit down. Maybe it helps. I’ve always enjoyed writing to an unknown audience. At least it puts my thoughts somewhere the fuck out of my head. It clears the cache. I just wish I could say today I’m starting a daily blog post where I’ll raise awareness on depression, start a foundation, yada yada yada, and I’m making millions out of motivational talks.

It’s probably not gonna be the case. But maybe today I’ll go for a run, blow off some steam. The other day I ran like 10 miles and felt like a champion, showed it off on Instagram trying to be one fo those assholes who you hate. The next day I had a depressive episode where I was catatonic and hopeless, for no apparent reason. Today, I’m depressed, but I’m ok. I can move around at least, try to enjoy the sound of the ocean which I have close by for a few more days. Sometimes its difficult to enjoy just that. Even the simple things weigh you down. It’s a piece of shit. It’s a parasite, and it’s not me, it’s not who I am. I’m not going to let it win, and I’m not going to let it control my life. As Michael says, I’m starting with the man in the mirror.

#depression #realtalk #goals #timferriss #caseyneistat #selfhelp

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shirlleycoyle · 5 years ago

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Why This 20-Year-Old CRT Monitor Is Better Than a 4K LCD

Let's say you have $1,000 to burn on a desktop PC gaming monitor. You could buy a brand-new 4K display with quantum dots, high dynamic range, and a fast refresh rate, or splurge on a curved QHD monitor so wide that it stretches into your peripheral vision while playing.

Alternatively, you could venture onto eBay and spend similar money on a CRT monitor from 20 years ago.

The latter option might not be as ill-advised as it seems. Within PC gaming circles, some people insist that cathode ray tube monitors, despite their lower resolutions, smaller screens, and considerable bulk, are superior for games because they respond to input faster and have less motion blur than LCDs. Although this argument's been floating around for years, it just got a new wave of attention from Eurogamer's Digital Foundry, which recently created a video extolling the outdated display tech.

"Today's premium-priced gaming LCDs are trying very hard to recapture CRT's major benefits—low latency, high refresh rates and reduced input lag—but as good as many of these screens are, for our money nothing beats a good old-fashioned cathode ray tube display for desktop gaming—not even the very best LCD screens on the market," Digital Foundry editor Richard Leadbetter wrote.

Unfortunately, getting a CRT monitor that works well with modern PC games is a lot harder than buying a 4K LCD monitor on Amazon. While CRT TVs and monitors are readily available on Craigslist or your local thrift store (sometimes even for free) only a handful of models support the widescreen aspect ratios that some modern games require. The most prized CRT monitor of them all, Sony's GDM-FW900, recently sold for $999 on eBay, and buying a compatible graphics card or video adapter could raise the final cost even further.

The payoff, however, will be imperceptible input lag and no motion blur, along with a feeling, perhaps, that you've kept another aging monitor out of an e-waste graveyard. PC gamers have arguably spent more for less before.

The case for CRT gaming

On a CRT monitor, the screen is coated in millions of phosphor dots, with one red, green, and blue dot for every individual pixel. To light up each pixel, an electron beam scans across the screen, focusing electrons on individual phosphor dots and causing them to emit photons. Applying more voltage to the system generates more electrons, in turn causing each dot to emit more light.

That's a lot to wrap your head around, but the thing to keep in mind is that the electron-to-photon exchange happens instantly. While CRTs do have some sources of lag⁠—namely, the time spent buffering each video frame and scanning each line of the frame from top to bottom on the screen⁠—those delays are on the order of microseconds. When you move your mouse or press a button on the keyboard, the response time is imperceptible.

"It's the chemistry of the phosphors," said Barry Young, a longtime CRT display analyst who is now the CEO of the OLED Association. "You hit it with an electron, and it creates a photon immediately."

By contrast, an LCD requires physical movement on the part of every pixel. On an LCD, the back of the display emits a constant stream of white light, which passes through a polarizer and onto an array of liquid crystals. Applying voltage to each crystal causes them to twist, altering the amount of light that comes through the screen's front polarizer.

Compared to electron-photon conversion, the physical movement of liquid crystals inside an LCD display takes a lot more time, introducing input lag. It also creates blurriness when there's a lot of motion happening across the screen.

Raymond Soneira, the president of display research firm DisplayMate, has found that this issue even persists on panels with faster refresh rates than the usual 60 Hz. This may explain why Digital Foundry's John Linneman described the CRT experience as "cleaner, smoother, [and] nicer" compared to even the best LCDs.

"The issue here is that you're comparing an electronic conversion—that is, from an electron to a photon—with physically twisting the liquid crystal," Young said. "The faster something moves across the panel, the less capable an LCD is with keeping up with the movement."

In fairness, LCD panel makers have done a lot to close the gap with CRTs. Young points out that liquid crystals twist faster than they used to, and LCD panels can further reduce latency and motion blur by buffering an additional frame in their timing controllers or inserting artificial frames.

As the CEO of the OLED Association, he also argues that OLED displays provide the same responsiveness as CRT monitors because they also involve electron-to-photon conversion, only with organic chemicals (the "O" in OLED is for organic) receiving the voltage instead of phosphor dots.

"There's really no difference between OLEDs and CRTs," Young said.

Still, large-screen OLED panel makers to date have focused nearly all their energy on televisions, so the only OLED monitor on the market today is a 22-inch panel from Asus that costs $4,000. Young said the manufacturer of those panels, JOLED, is building a larger factory next year, bringing down costs, It may be a while until OLED monitors can compete with even the best LCDs on price.

Hunting for the CRT holy grail

If you're convinced that a CRT monitor is the way to go, you'll still have a lot of competition in finding a great one.

Adam Taylor, who creates educational tech videos under the name EposVox on YouTube, has spent years trying to find a Sony GDM-FW900 in decent condition. He's set up multi-keyword searches on sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace, and regularly puts out feeler posts in his area to see if anyone might have any leads. For a monitor that doesn't need any repairs and doesn't have any major cosmetic issues, Taylor said in an interview that he's willing to pay up to $500.

The FW900's big selling point, Taylor said, is its 16:10 aspect ratio, which is much wider than the 4:3 aspect ratio of most CRT monitors. Although a 16:9 aspect ratio is more common among LCD monitors today, most games still support 16:10, which would fill the entire screen on a FW900. The monitor also has a maximum resolution of 2304×1440 at a refresh rate of 80 Hz—pretty good even by modern standards—and it can hit a super-smooth refresh rate of 160 Hz when the resolution is cut in half.

"It can do ridiculous things while still supporting a modern workflow, because it's 16:10," Taylor said.

Beyond the FW900, Taylor said the same monitor has sold under different makes and models, including the HP A7217A, SGI GDM-FW9011, and Sun GDM-FW9010, but those are no easier to come by. A couple 16:9 CRT monitors also exist, including the Intergraph InterView 28HD96 (famously used by John Carmack to code Quake) and 24HD96, but they're even rarer.

Even if you can find one, you'll need a graphics card with an analog output, such as Nvidia's 900 series and AMD's 300 series cards, or a digital-to-analog converter. You'll also have to go in knowing the monitor may not last. As the phosphor inside a CRT ages, it will naturally lose its luminance, and that's assuming it doesn't suffer any other issues along the way. Repairing a CRT can be tedious and dangerous, Taylor says, and repair shops are practically nonexistent.

"It's one of those things, you don't get to keep it forever," Taylor said. "You know that getting into it, because it's very old technology that is very prone to problems and needing maintenance."

Still, Taylor is he's glad to see CRT monitors getting another round of attention. That's not always the case with some of his fellow CRT enthusiasts, who fear that more media coverage will inflate prices and bring in too many newbies, Taylor said. But outside of some occasional instances of people capitalizing on the hype (like the FW900 that sold for $999 on eBay) he hasn't seen much evidence of price gouging. Most CRT monitor sales, he said, come from people who've hoarded them in garages and basements and just want to get rid of them.

Besides, getting CRTs into the hands of people who want to play with them is better than having them wind up in warehouses, waiting for a recycling solution that never comes.

"We have no way established, at least in the U.S., to get rid of these things, and so to see people use them and have fun with them in a way that keeps them from just being destroyed pieces of glass and lead in the streets is a super good place for me," Taylor says. "There's a whole elitist, 'This is better,' aspect to it, but just using the screens and having fun, I think, is really important."

Why This 20-Year-Old CRT Monitor Is Better Than a 4K LCD syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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theherblifeblog · 6 years ago

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Spotlight Series: Julie Jacobson at Aster Farms

How did you get involved in the cannabis industry?

My husband’s family has been cultivating cannabis for over 50 years in CA, so it was something we understood. We’re both repeat entrepreneurs and had been using cannabis medicinally, as well as noticing people from all parts of our life getting interested in trying it out. We didn’t see a brand that spoke to our demographic, a conscious consumer willing to pay a little more for a clean, sustainable product. We launched Aster Farms to bring organic cannabis to the mainstream.

Tell us a little bit about your product or service

Aster Farms is a sustainable cannabis brand from CA. We grow the cleanest, meanest and greenest flower around. We value good genetics, clean cultivation and the power of nature, providing our customers with safe, clean and responsibly grown cannabis.

What time does your day typically start and what does a normal day look like to you?

On business operation days, my day starts at 7am with a quick news brief and hearty breakfast. On days when we’re up at the farm, my day starts at 5:30am and ends when the sun goes down. It’s great to be able to split my time between getting my hands dirty on the farm and crunching numbers in Excel. In any given week, we spend one to two days at the farm, visit our distributor at least twice to check on inventory, packaging and sales, do at least three press interviews and talk to at least one of our six lawyers. The rest is a crazy mixed bag of everything from financial modeling to researching terpenes. What I didn’t expect going into this was how much driving there would be.

What is your vision for your company going forward?

Our mission is to bring organic cannabis to the people, and inherent in that is education. Whether it’s participating in round table discussions or posting information on social media, Aster Farms is dedicated to educating consumers. We strive to be a hyper local brand that cares about and engages with our communities regularly. Last year, we launched a give-back product, Harry’s Harvest, with $2 of every sale going back to the volunteer firefighters in our counties. We plan to continue Harry’s Harvest by donating to other causes and organizations as well— from the opioid crisis to social justice in cannabis. We care about our consumers and community and have built this company for them.

What would an ideal post prohibition society look like to you?

An ideal post prohibition society, from my perspective, would be one in which farmers and people of color are sitting at the same table with the decision makers, where big ag only takes over the commoditized sectors of cannabis (biomass for extraction and hemp), and where medical research and consultation is accessible to people of all ages, colors and kinds.

What was your first experience with cannabis like?

Apparently, I took way too much. I was opposed to smoking weed in high-school while many of my friends were experimenting with it. Senior year, my best friends convinced me to try edibles instead of smoking and I felt comfortable with that. Unfortunately, they had no idea how to make weed brownies and advised I “eat a couple” an hour before a massive all school party. I remember the moment it hit and spending the rest of the night splashing water at my face, trying to get most of it in my mouth.

Tell us about some of the challenges you face working in the cannabis industry

Packaging and banking are our biggest challenges. Most people are aware of the banking challenges and everyday we get closer to legislative solutions. The SAFE Banking Act passed committee and is now going to vote on the House floor and we see similar progress on the state level. Packaging challenges however, have no end in sight. Cannabis companies are beholden to the few cannabis specific packaging providers due to the extensive and unique requirements. Additionally, the combination of packaging regulations changing so frequently and the long lead time for producing packaging, results in thousands of unusable materials and a lot of last minute scrambling. If you inspect products on the shelves of legal dispensaries in CA, you’ll see a lot of labels pasted on top of other labels due to this problem. On top of this, there continues to be a world-wide shortage of products like pre-roll cones and 3oz glass jars. The cannabis packaging world did not anticipate the flood of demand.

What are some solutions you've found?

We haven’t actually solved our packaging challenges. The good news is the regulations seem to be set at least for the next few months so we can settle into a few packaging models and designs. However, the few cannabis packaging companies operating are over capacity, resulting in delayed orders, mistakes and even broken palettes of jars. So far, we’ve pivoted our jar template design three times now and are about to try a fourth option. Hopefully, by 2020, we’ll have our core packaging products down.

What is one thing you wish everyone knew about cannabis?

That cannabis is really complex— from the biology and medicinal effects, to its history of social injustice. In some circles, cannabis is being touted as the cure-all and in others it’s being carefully scrutinized for potential psychological and addictive properties. On one side, normalization of cannabis includes using the scientific word “cannabis” instead of weed, marijuana, or the various other terms. On the other side, the normalization is complicit in covering up the torrid history and tough conversations we need to have. Whether you use cannabis recreationally or medicinally, you think it’s a cure-all or potentially dangerous substance, or you are knowledgeable about terpenes and the other cannabinoids or not, there is so much we all have to learn and it’s our responsibility, being leaders in the industry, to make sure these conversations are happening.

What is one thing you wish everyone knew about your product or service?

Sungrown, outdoor flower is not only just as good as indoor...it’s better. With only organic inputs, the sun and the soil, we are still able to produce potency above 20% THC. Our flower is just as dense and is covered with crystals just like an indoor bud. In fact, getting full spectrum sunlight and growing in live soil further develops the cannabinoid profile and we’re able to get terpenes levels over 2-3%. Terroir is a real thing for outdoor cannabis. Lastly, indoor grow operations are responsible for 1% of the nation’s energy consumption and the process of flushing water and soil with every harvest is wasteful. Hands down, if you’re a good grower, the product you’ll produce outdoors far surpasses the quality and sustainability of indoor.

If you could go back in time and do it all over again, what (if anything) would you do differently?

Create more fire defensibility on the farm. On July 27th 2018, our farm was hit by the Mendocino Complex Fire. Our neighbor’s house, which was barricaded with 100 foot bulldozed space, survived — ours did not. At the same time, nature is not something you can control. It is what it is and in California you will be touched by the fires in someway or somehow. Just try to be prepared the best you can.

What is your favorite way to consume cannabis?

My ideal consumption method is joints, but I’m concerned about inhaling smoke, so I primarily vaporize flower with a Pax 2 vaporizer. I also consume indica gummies at night to help me fall asleep.

Concentrate or flower? Why?

Flower only. I’m a purist in that sense and also concerned about the lack of research on the health effects of current extraction methods — especially with butane. I want my weed to be clean, sustainable, local and organic. Flower seems to fit that bill the best for me.

Do you think cannabis legalization will change the world for the better? Why?

Absolutely. Ending the war on drugs will change the world we live in and legalization is the first step. It’s not the end-all fix, but it’s the foundation to beginning to right the wrongs of the past. Additionally, cannabis has changed many people's lives for the better, mine included. Whether it’s replacing pharmaceuticals with a natural product or taking medically prescribed doses of CBD and THC for serious illnesses, cannabis’ healing properties are real.

What advice would you offer to another woman who is looking to get into the industry?

Follow your strengths. This is an entire industry starting from ground zero — we need marketers, lawyers, accountants, manufacturing workers, you name it. Don’t try and reinvent yourself, bring the strengths and skills you have to this new industry. Also, have a sense of humor. The roller coaster roll out of the industry can make you crazy and knock you down if you don’t.

#aster farms #organic smokable herbs #organic #california #cali farms #west coast weed

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ecotone99 · 6 years ago

Text

[SF] My first short story: ERS 176-0505/013

Disclaimer: I am not a native speaker. I have been learning English for ~10 years. For the last 6 years it is an integral part of my day-to-day life. But it might show at some points.

CnC welcome!

The automated checklist only found two issues. Remarkably few for a transport of this age. The backup starboard data bus had a connection issue and one of the xenon tanks is losing some pressure again. Nothing too serious. It‘d be enough for the departure burn. After that, I‘ll pump the remaining fuel into other tanks. I will have to take a look at that data bus issue in a few days anyway and while there I can check on that tank. When I arrive at the science station at Mars L2 I‘ll either know which replacement parts to get or have fixed the issue. Knowing my technical skills: Probably the former.

The departure burn will take almost an hour. The acceleration is barely noticeable. No wonder with my decades-old half eroded ion engines pushing 56 standardized interlocking space transport containers (SISTCs). The computer ignites the engines automatically at the correct point in time. The only reasons humans are still present in spaceflight is because we are pretty darn good at fixing problems and improvising and even the best computers are not. Remote control is not an option either, due to the speed of light delaying communication. It is going to be a long flight. About 260 days. There are a few other cargo ships using the Earth-Mars transfer window today. The next time a transfer will be this cheap is in two years. So I could chat with those. But most of the pilots are annoying idiots. I prefer solitude anyway. You kind of have to. The flight would be unbearable otherwise. I could watch the movies being broadcast over the solar system. I definitely will. As always. But I decided to read more. So I downloaded a whole bunch of books. I actually brought some of the expensive physical ones. I once considered bringing a cat. But most adapt poorly to the lack of gravity and their hairs clog the air filters. And the naked ones look like I imagine aliens looked if they existed. Also, their food costs too much money for me to afford. So I lean back into my gravity couch, pull one of the monitors towards my face from what could be considered above my head and open up the first book. I feel at home here. I love my ship. I have never given it a name, even though I have lived here for years. I mean it has a name. “ERS 176-0505/013”. One of the previous owners had called it “Hercules”. It is written on some of the inventory badges and previously the outside of the ship, although that has been painted over by another – or the same – previous owner. The computer informs me that one of the engines is slightly underperforming, extending the burn another 6 minutes and leading to a 13% reduction in my fuel margin. But there is nothing I can do about that now. It’ll be fine.

It has been 28 earth days since my departure. Well, my sleep cycle extended, so it has been more like 20 days for me. The data bus issue just magically resolved itself. I have no clue what it could have been. I thought it was a stuck bit due to the Van Allen radiation in one of the container’s interface controllers. I have no clue where that container had been previously. But these don’t usually fix themselves. I am no engineer.

FUCK. Something just happened. We are just over the halfway point. In case you were wondering. The ship just shook. It is not supposed to do that. It is supposed to stay basically motionless throughout the entire transfer. Something just got fucked. One of the SISTCs sends an error message over the bus. “TSCE-0451”. Very descriptive. I check the transport manual of that container. Wow. It is the top secret one. Second from the back. I scroll through the pages. Destination. Legal shit. Acceleration limits. Handling instructions. Error codes... 451... “Breach of main pressure vessel”. That does not sound good. “Material: Unspecified [Non-corrosive]”. That’s at least something. I am pulling down the digital periscope. The crew “department” (room really) is at the very front of the ship. It is shaped more or less like a cube with things sticking out. I am looking along the two rows of containers locked into one another. At the very end of the ship, there is the drive section containing most of the tanks, a small reactor, and the engines. I zoom in on the periscope. I can see the leak. A white container on the very back has a cone-shaped white plume coming out of a valve integrated into the shell. SHIT. This is gonna throw me off course. I am gonna miss Mars by gigameters or even worse crash into it. I hit some buttons on a touch screen to turn back on tracking on the ship to determine the course. The maneuvering thrusters should be able to handle that. Only a fraction of a meter per second difference. What does the manual say on how to seal the leak? Go out there and close a valve manually‽ Are they kidding? Why is that not motorized? Shit.

I started cleaning up all the loose stuff floating around the cabin and packing it into random pressurized and unpressurized lockers. I should have really taken more care of the cabin. I never thought I’d need it. I knew there could always be a situation where I’d have to depressurize the cabin with only little preparation time. Like, as an abstract concept. My previous EVAs had always been planned. Not now. And it had to happen quickly. Wrappers. Unused underwear. Tools. Detachable tablets and other devices not in their correct slots. Where does that screw belong? It’s not important right now. I unhook the rubber bands holding the spacesuit inside the little niche in front of the hatch. How I hate this thing. It is probably even older than the ship. The inside reeks of other people’s sweat. All the rubber joints that have probably never ever been very loose have hardened over time. It also has quite a lot of technical issues. One of the helmet lights is broken and I don’t think anyone manufactures these bulbs anymore. Worst of all: The backup oxygen scrubber has been clogged for as long as I had had that suit. So if the main one blows I’m screwed. I have to contort myself to get into the suit. It was made for people of a totally different build. After minutes of struggling, I finally get in the suit sealed up. I turn off the safeties and depressurize the cabin.

Two minutes later the green lamp lights up and I can pull the rectangular hatch into the cabin. I stick my head out into space. The sun is blinding without an atmosphere in the way. I look down the length of the narrow ship. I cannot even see the leak from here. It is hundreds of meters away at the end of a seemingly endless chain of SISTCs. I hook my safety carabiner into a wire on the outside of the cabin and grip the first handrail. This is going to take a while. I sigh and turn on the audio newsfeed broadcast all the time. I have a button set up for that on my underarm display. Nothing interesting seems to be going on outside of my little ship. I reach the first container, hook my safety tether to the handrail running down the SISTC and push myself along its edge. NOVASTEEL INDUSTRIES. Never heard of them. Probably some low-end asteroid ores. I should really have read the cargo manifest.

Parallel to the handrail, there are a few tubes and wires. Not in any sort of casing since this is pretty much the cheapest SISTC you can get. They carry power and oxygen from the reactor in the back to the front where the cabin is. Each SISTC interfaces with the next and thus provides a continuous system. The containers can also tap into the power and gas supply. Some are pressurized with nitrogen to not expose their contents to the vacuum of space. The faulty container seems to tap into the ship’s oxygen supply. I am losing pressure in that system since the malfunction half an hour ago. And apparently there only is a manual valve connecting it to the main pipe. Those things should be illegal. I should have locked down the port side oxygen pipe and hoped that I can resolve the issue before anything in the other containers gets damaged from a lack of oxygen. Well, it is too late now. The text to speech voice on the newsfeed calmly informs me that an iron refinery on Mars had a minor meltdown with no casualties. Nothing really too important.

I reach the faulty SISTC. There is an access panel near the leak. I rip it open. The panel is not hinged and floats off into space. Shit. A tiny monitor displays the same error code I got in the cabin. I think. Or at least something similar. There are a bunch of valves. I start turning the one labeled “oxygen master valve”. The venting stops after a few seconds. What caused that malfunction anyways? I open up a bigger panel on the side of the container. Carefully this time. The inside of the container looks like the engineering section of a spaceship. There are wires and pipes running everywhere, connecting tanks and computers housed inside. Way too many LEDs blinking in different colors. Can anyone actually tell anything about the status of the payload by looking at these? I think not. At the core of the container is another huge pressure vessel illuminated by my helmet light. I recognize this. It is a modified livestock transporter. What the frack‽ I don’t ever transport living things. I don’t even have a license to do that. I am going to report this first thing when I get back! Frustrated I close up the access panel and turn the handle to lock it into place.

While I am back here I might as well check on the xenon tank issue. I make my way over the last container to the engine section. One of the peripheral tanks used during refueling or fuel pumping indicates an issue with a red LED. I examine it closely. One of the connecting hoses became brittle and has tiny cracks. Maybe I can just get that hose replaced. It might be cheaper than replacing the entire tank. So I can make my way back. I turn around. Did I not lock the access panel on that faulty SISTC? For some reason it has swung open again, suspending the door into the void of space. Something else appears to be there. Dark tentacles, barely contrasting with the blackness of space behind. One of them opening the hatch to its fullest. They push against the walls of the SISTC and something massive starts to pull itself out of livestock transporter, extending some if its tentacles towards me.

submitted by /u/Kamik423 [link] [comments] via Blogger http://bit.ly/2VhjhCx

#Blogger #Story

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paullassiterca · 6 years ago

Text

Outgoing Commissioner Unloads About Marlboro Vaping Lies

The Marlboro brand owns nearly 40 percent of the cigarette market share.1 Marlboro is owned by Philip Morris, which in turn is owned by Altria. Altria also owns U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, makers of Copenhagen and Skoal chewing tobacco. In December 2018, Altria announced a $12.8 billion investment in Juul Laboratories, in exchange for 35 percent ownership in the company.

The acquisition also promised Juul services to accelerate the mission of the e-cigarette (e-cigs) company.2 With a declared mission to change “the lives of the world’s 1 billion adult smokers by eliminating cigarettes” and develop Juul to be “a satisfying alternative to cigarettes,”3 it may come as no surprise the company has garnered the vast majority of the e-cigarette market.4

Unfortunately, this is being achieved on the backs of children, the tobacco industry’s prime target market. If you have an addictive product, the best markets are those who will purchase it longer — or those with the longest life expectancy.

In other words, it costs more to acquire a customer who is 65 and may smoke for 15 years, as opposed to a 15-year old-who may smoke for 40 years before succumbing to an early death.

The rising number of children using e-cig vaping devices, especially the USB-shaped Juul products filled with fruit and candy flavored nicotine liquid, has been the focus of Scott Gottlieb since becoming the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner in 2017.5 As he prepares to resign, Gottlieb expressed anger at how the industry has continued its long career of lying.

Rising Rates in Tobacco Target Market Trigger Threats From FDA Commissioner

At a recent meeting at the Brookings Institution,6 Gottlieb described how Altria, one of the world’s largest producers of tobacco products, including brands like Philip Morris, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco and John Middleton, went back on their promise to withdraw pod-based products from the market.

In a 15-page response to the Commissioner’s7 plan to address the vaping epidemic, Altria promised to hold pod-based sales for FDA approval. They withdrew some of their products but then acquired Juul months later in a $12.8 billion investment. Gottlieb commented at Brookings, saying:8

“It was a difficult meeting … It concerned me that a company that affirmed what we believe, which is that the pod-based flavored products are driving youth use, went so far as to take the product off the market and publicly make that statement … then made a substantial investment that also guaranteed that they’re going to expand the market share of the leading pod-based flavored products that’d been used by children.

There seems to be a disconnect. I assume it’s just a business decision they made to withdraw a product that didn’t have good market penetration and go on to make an investment in a similar product that did have the market penetration.”

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Youth Tobacco Survey9 show there are 3.6 million middle and high school students who currently vape, over 1.5 million more than last year.10 The meteoric rise of vaping has overshadowed tobacco use in teenagers, escalating by 900 percent from 2011 to 2015.11

In the age group of 18- to 20-year-olds, 40 percent had not been smokers before using a vaping device. Morgan Stanley analyst Pamela Kaufman told investors,12 “Juul’s success underscores the potential for disruptive technology to undermine U.S. tobacco’s reliable business algorithm.” With the rising number of youth using Juul devices and then transitioning to traditional cigarettes, Gottlieb warns:13

“You’re going to be at overall tobacco use among children in this country, of 40, 45 percent … That is simply intolerable. I went back and looked at data back to 1950, and we haven’t seen that level of tobacco use among kids. And e-cigarettes are a tobacco product.”

Tobacco Industry’s History of Lies and Deceit Documented in Court

Beginning with what Bloomberg14 characterized as a “cautious approach,” the FDA attempted to ease regulations on the e-cigarette industry in 2017 to “encourage development of more products that could help adults quit smoking.”

However, this move didn’t do enough to prevent children from purchasing e-cig products like Juul, who reportedly owns over 75 percent of the market.15 Sidestepping the issue of selling flavored nicotine pods to teenagers is just the last in a long series of lies the tobacco industry has been telling for decades.

In 1999, the U.S. Government16 sued several large tobacco companies, including Philip Morris, now owned by Altria. For many years the tobacco industry understood the dangers to a person’s health and yet continued to sell the public on the idea that smoking was safe.

In the same lawsuit, it was claimed cigarette advertising to children younger than 21 was aimed at getting a new generation addicted to nicotine,17 to ensure new customers would replace those who died.18 In 2006, a judge found the tobacco company violated civil racketeering laws and ordered them to tell the truth in paid advertising.19

The industry delayed the court order for over 11 years and now has been forced to publish corrective statements that should appear in 50 newspapers and on major broadcast networks.20

A large challenge is most teens do not see ads in newspapers or television any longer as they consume most of their news and entertainment online. According to U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler, examples of how the industry misled the public include:21

Tobacco companies falsely denied they can and do manipulate the level of nicotine in their products to create and sustain addiction, and have been since at least 1954.

Tobacco companies “falsely denied, distorted and minimized” the link between cigarette smoking and disease, even though they internally recognized its existence.

Tobacco companies concealed evidence and publicly denied nicotine is addictive.

Tobacco companies “falsely marketed and promoted low-tar and light cigarettes as less harmful” than regular cigarettes to keep people smoking and sustain revenues.

Tobacco companies internally acknowledged secondhand smoke is hazardous to nonsmokers, yet still gave false and misleading public statements denying the fact.

Altria Holds to the Letter of Their Promise but Not the Intent

In the words of Truth Initiative, the court ruled the companies22 “systematically defrauded the American people by lying for decades about, among other things, the health effects of smoking and their marketing to children.”

According to Altria,23 “Our companies include some of the most enduring names in American business …” Despite a long and lurid history of lies and deceit, the FDA believed this zebra had changed its stripes when Altria promised to remove flavored pods from the market.

Holding true to the letter of their promise, they removed pods from some existing companies, but defied the spirit of intent when they invested in Juul to take advantage of Juul’s market value and lend Altria’s asset distribution channels to Juul.

Juul Seeking Expansion in the European Union

Even though the tobacco industry was found guilty of civil racketeering and deliberately addicting their consumer base to a product they knew would ultimately cause their death, Juul has been working to develop a product to get around the European Union (EU) rules regulating the amount of nicotine delivery in e-cigarettes.24

They reportedly hope to develop a pod with lower nicotine, but increase the voltage in the device to essentially deliver a similar “hit,” as they seek to expand their market in the EU. This is yet another demonstration of the tobacco industry’s desire to circumvent the law and its lack of regard for consumer safety.

Additionally, research has found exposure to nicotine during teen years may increase the risk of addictive behavior. Researchers25 used an animal model to evaluate if rats exposed to nicotine during adolescence would grow up to drink more alcohol than those who were not exposed. They discovered exposure changes the neurological circuitry in the brain within the reward pathway.

During adulthood this function did not change in the same way it does during adolescence. The alterations in neurotransmitters are responsible for sending signals during stress, or recognizing reward. Long-term changes in the midbrain reward center may also be a gateway to other addictive drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and morphine.26

Gottlieb supports the proposed rule to cut nicotine in cigarettes to nonaddictive levels as it may cause up to 5 million adults to quit smoking within the first year after the regulation is enacted.27

City Takes Matters Into Its Own Hands

In a unique moved to protect the citizens in their city, San Francisco officials are seeking to crack down on Juul and other e-cig manufacturers. Legislation has been proposed to ban the sale of e-cigarettes within the city limits and prohibit e-cigarette companies from occupying city-owned property in the future.28

The bills’ authors are city attorney Dennis Herrera and supervisor Shamann Walton in a district that includes Juul’s corporate headquarters. This proposal is part of several actions the city is undertaking. San Francisco already bans candy- and fruit-flavored tobacco products. Voters passed that bill in 2018.

The proposed bill to ban companies selling, manufacturing or distributing tobacco products from city owned property would not be retroactive. This means Juul would maintain its current office space but would be prevented from selling within the city limits. Herrera said:29

“These companies may hide behind the veneer of harm reduction, but let’s be clear, their product is addiction. They’re in the business of getting people addicted, or keeping them addicted.”

Juul has efficiently overtaken the e-cig market with a product that effectively delivers more nicotine. To read more on how Juul’s technology has made their pens more addictive than regular nicotine e-cig pods, see my previous article, “Why the New Nicotine is Super Addictive.”

Vaping Linked to Depression and Heart Attacks

Recent research reveals vaping is taking a large toll on health, and researchers say switching to e-cigarettes is not eliminating any health risks. Data was gathered in one of the largest-ever studies conducted on the health effects of vaping to be presented at the American College of Cardiology 68th Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans.30

The research reveals adults using e-cigarettes have a significantly higher chance of myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and depression. Previous research has been mixed, with tobacco companies advertising e-cigs as a method to help traditional smokers kick the habit.31

However, these authors compared those who do not smoke against adults who vape and found those who smoke e-cigs were 56 percent more likely to have a heart attack and 30 percent more likely to suffer a stroke.32 They were also 55 percent more likely than nonusers to suffer from depression or anxiety.

Digging deeply into the data, researchers discovered the risk rose with vaping, despite the measured frequency. Dr. Mohinder Vindhyal, assistant professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, and the study’s lead author, commented on the results:33

“Until now, little has been known about cardiovascular events relative to e-cigarette use. These data are a real wake-up call and should prompt more action and awareness about the dangers of e-cigarettes. When the risk of heart attack increases by as much as 55 percent among e-cigarettes users compared to nonsmokers, I wouldn’t want any of my patients nor my family members to vape.

When we dug deeper, we found that regardless of how frequently someone uses e-cigarettes, daily or just on some days, they are still more likely to have a heart attack or coronary artery disease.”

Avoid using e-cigarettes and seek other options to help you quit smoking. In my previous article, “Vaping Shuts Off Protective Cells in Your Lungs,” I share strategies to help make quitting smoking easier.

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/03/marlboro-vaping-lies.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/183907302086

0 notes

jerrytackettca · 6 years ago

Text

Outgoing Commissioner Unloads About Marlboro Vaping Lies

The acquisition also promised Juul services to accelerate the mission of the e-cigarette (e-cigs) company.2 With a declared mission to change "the lives of the world's 1 billion adult smokers by eliminating cigarettes" and develop Juul to be "a satisfying alternative to cigarettes,"3 it may come as no surprise the company has garnered the vast majority of the e-cigarette market.4

Unfortunately, this is being achieved on the backs of children, the tobacco industry's prime target market. If you have an addictive product, the best markets are those who will purchase it longer — or those with the longest life expectancy.

In other words, it costs more to acquire a customer who is 65 and may smoke for 15 years, as opposed to a 15-year old-who may smoke for 40 years before succumbing to an early death.

Rising Rates in Tobacco Target Market Trigger Threats From FDA Commissioner

At a recent meeting at the Brookings Institution,6 Gottlieb described how Altria, one of the world's largest producers of tobacco products, including brands like Philip Morris, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco and John Middleton, went back on their promise to withdraw pod-based products from the market.

In a 15-page response to the Commissioner's7 plan to address the vaping epidemic, Altria promised to hold pod-based sales for FDA approval. They withdrew some of their products but then acquired Juul months later in a $12.8 billion investment. Gottlieb commented at Brookings, saying:8

"It was a difficult meeting … It concerned me that a company that affirmed what we believe, which is that the pod-based flavored products are driving youth use, went so far as to take the product off the market and publicly make that statement … then made a substantial investment that also guaranteed that they're going to expand the market share of the leading pod-based flavored products that'd been used by children.

There seems to be a disconnect. I assume it's just a business decision they made to withdraw a product that didn't have good market penetration and go on to make an investment in a similar product that did have the market penetration."

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Youth Tobacco Survey9 show there are 3.6 million middle and high school students who currently vape, over 1.5 million more than last year.10 The meteoric rise of vaping has overshadowed tobacco use in teenagers, escalating by 900 percent from 2011 to 2015.11

In the age group of 18- to 20-year-olds, 40 percent had not been smokers before using a vaping device. Morgan Stanley analyst Pamela Kaufman told investors,12 "Juul's success underscores the potential for disruptive technology to undermine U.S. tobacco's reliable business algorithm." With the rising number of youth using Juul devices and then transitioning to traditional cigarettes, Gottlieb warns:13

"You're going to be at overall tobacco use among children in this country, of 40, 45 percent … That is simply intolerable. I went back and looked at data back to 1950, and we haven't seen that level of tobacco use among kids. And e-cigarettes are a tobacco product."

Tobacco Industry's History of Lies and Deceit Documented in Court

Beginning with what Bloomberg14 characterized as a "cautious approach," the FDA attempted to ease regulations on the e-cigarette industry in 2017 to "encourage development of more products that could help adults quit smoking."

However, this move didn't do enough to prevent children from purchasing e-cig products like Juul, who reportedly owns over 75 percent of the market.15 Sidestepping the issue of selling flavored nicotine pods to teenagers is just the last in a long series of lies the tobacco industry has been telling for decades.

In 1999, the U.S. Government16 sued several large tobacco companies, including Philip Morris, now owned by Altria. For many years the tobacco industry understood the dangers to a person's health and yet continued to sell the public on the idea that smoking was safe.

The industry delayed the court order for over 11 years and now has been forced to publish corrective statements that should appear in 50 newspapers and on major broadcast networks.20

Tobacco companies falsely denied they can and do manipulate the level of nicotine in their products to create and sustain addiction, and have been since at least 1954.

Tobacco companies "falsely denied, distorted and minimized" the link between cigarette smoking and disease, even though they internally recognized its existence.

Tobacco companies concealed evidence and publicly denied nicotine is addictive.

Tobacco companies "falsely marketed and promoted low-tar and light cigarettes as less harmful" than regular cigarettes to keep people smoking and sustain revenues.

Tobacco companies internally acknowledged secondhand smoke is hazardous to nonsmokers, yet still gave false and misleading public statements denying the fact.

Altria Holds to the Letter of Their Promise but Not the Intent

In the words of Truth Initiative, the court ruled the companies22 "systematically defrauded the American people by lying for decades about, among other things, the health effects of smoking and their marketing to children."

According to Altria,23 "Our companies include some of the most enduring names in American business …" Despite a long and lurid history of lies and deceit, the FDA believed this zebra had changed its stripes when Altria promised to remove flavored pods from the market.

Holding true to the letter of their promise, they removed pods from some existing companies, but defied the spirit of intent when they invested in Juul to take advantage of Juul's market value and lend Altria's asset distribution channels to Juul.

Juul Seeking Expansion in the European Union

They reportedly hope to develop a pod with lower nicotine, but increase the voltage in the device to essentially deliver a similar "hit," as they seek to expand their market in the EU. This is yet another demonstration of the tobacco industry's desire to circumvent the law and its lack of regard for consumer safety.

City Takes Matters Into Its Own Hands

The bills' authors are city attorney Dennis Herrera and supervisor Shamann Walton in a district that includes Juul's corporate headquarters. This proposal is part of several actions the city is undertaking. San Francisco already bans candy- and fruit-flavored tobacco products. Voters passed that bill in 2018.

"These companies may hide behind the veneer of harm reduction, but let's be clear, their product is addiction. They're in the business of getting people addicted, or keeping them addicted."

Juul has efficiently overtaken the e-cig market with a product that effectively delivers more nicotine. To read more on how Juul's technology has made their pens more addictive than regular nicotine e-cig pods, see my previous article, "Why the New Nicotine is Super Addictive."

Vaping Linked to Depression and Heart Attacks

"Until now, little has been known about cardiovascular events relative to e-cigarette use. These data are a real wake-up call and should prompt more action and awareness about the dangers of e-cigarettes. When the risk of heart attack increases by as much as 55 percent among e-cigarettes users compared to nonsmokers, I wouldn't want any of my patients nor my family members to vape.

When we dug deeper, we found that regardless of how frequently someone uses e-cigarettes, daily or just on some days, they are still more likely to have a heart attack or coronary artery disease."

Avoid using e-cigarettes and seek other options to help you quit smoking. In my previous article, "Vaping Shuts Off Protective Cells in Your Lungs," I share strategies to help make quitting smoking easier.

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/03/marlboro-vaping-lies.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/outgoing-commissioner-unloads-about-marlboro-vaping-lies

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samuelfields · 6 years ago

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The 10X Investment Consumption Rule To Fix Bad Spending Habits

Once your housing expense is under control, the next thing to tame is your consumption habits. The most common waste of money today is buying an automobile. New cars are simply too expensive for the median household income. But because car manufacturers have created ways for consumers to stretch with financing and leasing deals, consumers succumb to marketing persuasion and buy cars they cannot comfortably afford.

If consumers follow my 1/10th rule for car buying, almost all of one’s financial problems, as it pertains to a car, will go away. If you spend only 10% of your gross income on the current value of a car, you won’t sweat paying insurance, paying tickets, or paying for maintenance or damages. If you want a $30,000 car, you should find a way to make $300,000.

Now that we have a viable solution for automobile buying, the next bad consumption habit to slay is everything else you don’t need i.e. wants. From buying $3,000 Louis Vuitton handbags to spending $9,000 on a Panerai watch, there are a lot of wants that will prevent us from achieving financial freedom sooner, rather than later.

Therefore, to solve this problem of mindless consumption, I’ve come up with The 10X Investment Consumption Rule.

The 10X Investment Consumption Rule

Before I explain to you the rule, let me share a comment from a reader in my post, Here’s When You Know You’re Not Yet Rich Yet. The post talks about wasting 2.5 hours of my life because I was unwilling to spend an extra $100 to fix my cracked iPhone due to sunk cost fallacy. Nate’s comment inspired me to come up with this consumption solution.

Apple continues to be really, really good at social-engineering sheeple to buy their products and services. It has perfected marketing and social engineering. Its users are willing to buy overpriced phones that require overpriced dongles and overpriced support. And even when the users get kicked in the gut, they’ll continue buying Apple over and over again. It’s irrational; it’s also great social engineering that you fell for.

So yes, I am a sheeple for using Apple products. I fell for their marketing and social engineering because I realize their products are so much more expensive than generic PC products. But because their iPhone was so revolutionary when I first got one in 2008 and because Apple built an ecosystem of apps that made their software and hardware easy to use and integrate between a laptop and a mobile phone, I stuck with it.

Unfortunately over this time period, their products seem to be worsening in quality, and their customer support has declined as well. Going to an Apple Store is almost like going to the DMV, a nightmare place.

But after the comment, I realized one of the reasons why I keep buying Apple products is because I’ve owned Apple stock since 2008 and I love supporting companies I invest in.

Owned Apple stock since Aug 22, 2008

The first iPhone came out on June 29, 2007 and I was a skeptic. I had been a heavy Blackberry user since 1999 and couldn’t fathom a buttonless device being good enough for work correspondence. Some of the e-mails I had to write on my Blackberry were extremely lengthy due to the amount of research analysis I had to provide to my clients.

But after a year passed, I decided to give it a shot. And after a couple months of giving it a shot, I bought $10,000 worth of Apple stock. Over the years I’ve ended up buying about $100,000 worth of Apple stock that has since provided a healthy return as the stock is near an all-time high. During this time period, my overall net worth increased as well.

I can basically frame my family’s Apple product consumption of iPhones, Macbooks, and iPads as free since 2009 + a profit thanks to my returns in Apple stock.

The 10X Investment Consumption Rule simply states that before you buy any product or service you don’t need, you must first make an investment return equal to at least 10X the cost of such product or service.

Example #1: Overpriced Mobile Phone

You want to own the absurdly priced iPhone X for $1,000. To do so, you must first make a $10,000 return on Apple stock. You could also make an investment in Apple’s downstream component suppliers as an alternative.

If you follow my rule, you’ll need to review your existing liquidity in order to determine how much you can afford to invest. You’ll have to do a deep dive net worth allocation overview to see where you are currently exposed. You might even run a cash flow analysis to see how long you need to save before you will come up with the investment capital.

If you can’t afford to invest, how can you afford to buy a $1,000 phone? If you’ve only got $10,000 to invest, you realize that you’ll need to return 100% to be able to afford a $1,000 phone. Such a time delay will make you think thrice before buying something you don’t need.

But if you have $100,000 to invest, it might be easier for you to make a 10% return to afford a $1,000 phone. And since you have $100,000 to invest in one stock, that must mean you have much more behind, which means you absolutely can afford to splurge.

The goal is to transform from a consumer mindset to an investor mindset.

Example #2: Basketball Sneakers For Show

You want to own the latest colorways of the Jordan 3, Jordan 4, Jordan 5, and Jordan 6 shoes. The total cost for this box set is $900. Before you waste money on basketball shoes you’ll use to just walk around in, you’ve got to return at least $9,000 in Nike stock.

I swear to goodness, every time I go to a Footlocker or Nike Store when a new Air Jordan retro drops, there are lines out the door filled with teenagers and 20-somethings, the poorest demographic in our country.

By spending hours researching the company that’s taking all their money, Air Jordan consumers will understand more about how a business is run. Sometimes, they’ll discover some products have a 90% gross profit margin, which makes them stop consuming for not wanting to feel stupid. Other times, they might be inspired to start their own business to capture such profit margin.

Standing in line for the latest retro Jordans

Example #3: European Vacation

Instead of driving an hour to the beach for just $10 of gas, you just have to fly to Santorini for $1,000. The trip will be fabulous for your Instagram and Facebook profile.

The 10X Investment Consumption rule means that you’ll have to make $10,000 in an airline stock like United Airlines (UAL). That’s no easy task, especially with oil prices moving higher, but that’s the whole point.

By the time you finish researching and investing in your favorite airline stock, you’ll understand how to measure available seat miles (ASM), revenue per available seat mile (RASM), cost per available seat mile (CASM), break-even load factor, and earnings sensitivity to a dollar in oil price change.

Or maybe you might want to do research on TripAdvisor (TRIP) to figure out when the slow season is to find the best Santorini deals. After all, you’ll also have to spend money on lodging, food, and entertainment.

Adopt The Investor Mindset

Having a savings + investing mindset will always ensure that you make enough money before spending. If you can do this, you will never go broke. Instead, you’ll likely grow rich beyond your wildest dreams.

The Proper Asset Allocation Of Stocks And Bonds By Age

Why Stocks Are More Attractive Than Real Estate For Certain Investors

Ready to take on the 10X Investment Consumption Rule? What are some flaws you see in this rule? Would you feel bad buying an iPhone if you made over $100,000 in Apple stock? What are some consumption rules you follow to keep your spending in check?

https://www.financialsamurai.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-10X-Investment-Consumption-Rule-To-Keep-Spending-In-Check.m4a

The post The 10X Investment Consumption Rule To Fix Bad Spending Habits appeared first on Financial Samurai.

from Finance https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-10x-investment-consumption-rule/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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ronaldmrashid · 6 years ago

Text

The 10X Investment Consumption Rule To Fix Bad Spending Habits

Therefore, to solve this problem of mindless consumption, I’ve come up with The 10X Investment Consumption Rule.

The 10X Investment Consumption Rule

But after the comment, I realized one of the reasons why I keep buying Apple products is because I’ve owned Apple stock since 2008 and I love supporting companies I invest in.

Owned Apple stock since Aug 22, 2008

I can basically frame my family’s Apple product consumption of iPhones, Macbooks, and iPads as free since 2009 + a profit thanks to my returns in Apple stock.

Example #1: Overpriced Mobile Phone

The goal is to transform from a consumer mindset to an investor mindset.

Example #2: Basketball Sneakers For Show

Standing in line for the latest retro Jordans

Example #3: European Vacation

Instead of driving an hour to the beach for just $10 of gas, you just have to fly to Santorini for $1,000. The trip will be fabulous for your Instagram and Facebook profile.

Adopt The Investor Mindset

The Proper Asset Allocation Of Stocks And Bonds By Age

Why Stocks Are More Attractive Than Real Estate For Certain Investors

https://www.financialsamurai.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-10X-Investment-Consumption-Rule-To-Keep-Spending-In-Check.m4a

The post The 10X Investment Consumption Rule To Fix Bad Spending Habits appeared first on Financial Samurai.

from https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-10x-investment-consumption-rule/

#Financial Samurai

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gloriakim1b-blog · 7 years ago

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Anti-aging skin care Aesthetic

One of the most interesting topics on skin care is ‘anti aging skin care’. As one gets older, the natural defense of our skin (and in fact of the whole body) weakens. ‘Anti aging skin care’ is about protecting your skin from the negative effects of aging process. ‘Anti aging skin care’ helps in maintaining a young and fresh look for a longer period of time. However, ‘anti aging skin care’ doesn’t end just here. Besides maintaining your looks (good looks), ‘anti aging skin care’ is also about retaining the resistance to disease. Though the awareness about anti-aging has increased over a period of time, still a lot of people are unable to recognize the aging symptoms (and hence are unable to determine if they are in need of additional anti-aging skin care measures).

Here is a list of visible anti-aging symptoms that will help you in the planning and execution of your strategy for anti-aging skin care: baldness, forgetfulness, graying hair, wrinkle formation, loss of eyesight or hearing loss and menopause. The occurrence of one or more such symptoms is an indicator for upping the ante on anti-aging skin care. Note that we are talking about the introduction of additional measures for anti-aging skin care, we are not talking about starting ‘anti aging skin care’ altogether. ‘Anti aging skin care’ actually starts much before the symptoms of anti-aging appear. Serious anti-aging skin care is building and following a proper skin care routine much earlier in life (say in your teens). Anti-aging skin care doesn’t mean adoption of any special skin care procedure but just following a normal procedure in the right earnest. Eating a lot of fruits, avoiding stress, drinking a lot of water and using natural therapies can delay the aging process.

Once the signs of aging start showing up, you should start using some additional measures in the form of anti-aging skin care products. The market is full of anti-aging skin care products. In fact, there are so many anti-aging skin care products that they will probably find you even before you find them. Also, with age, the skin undergoes significant change. So you will need to analyze your current skin care procedure to check if it still holds good i.e. if it is still suitable for your skin.

You should remember that aging is a natural process and there is nothing that can stop it from happening. All these anti aging skin measures can just help in delaying the aging process.

Anti-aging skin care products remind me of the song ’18 till I die’. Indeed, anti-aging skin care products are very popular today especially from Korea; and why not, who doesn’t want to look young forever?

Talking of anti aging skin care products, the first thing that comes to mind is vitamin C based anti aging skin care products. These products work by enabling the synthesis of collagen (a structural protein that is found in skin). This category of anti-aging skin care products is related to anti-oxidants. Anti-aging skin care products that are based on vitamin C are, however, posed with the danger of getting oxidized themselves (as they come into contact with air during their usage). So some anti aging skin care products are based on the derivatives of vitamin C, which are more stable and less expensive. However, the effectiveness of such anti aging skin care is not as much as it is for vitamin C based anti aging skin care products.

Besides vitamin C, vitamin E and lipoic acid are anti-oxidants too. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is found in human blood and helps in building resistance against infection. Vitamin E is also known to inhibit cancer. Lipoic acid is known to combat the signs of aging very effectively by reversing the skin damage caused by the aging process.

Phytochemicals form the other category of anti-aging skin care products. Phytochemical are special chemicals that are extracted from plants. There are a variety of phytochemicals that are in use today. Phytochemicals prevent the occurrence of cancer of certain types; these include prostate cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer. That is why they find their place in anti-aging skin care products.

Some B-vitamins like B5, B6, and B12 are also in use for anti-aging skin care products.

The field of anti-aging skin care products is vast and needs a lot of research. Though the currently available products are effective, they still have challenges to combat. Hopefully, these challenges will get resolved in due course and help get better and cheaper anti aging skin care products.

However, anti-aging skin care products should be used only as a supplement to the natural ways of skin and body care. So, drinking a lot of water, getting a good night sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy eating habits and keeping stress at bay are essential means of delaying the aging process. No anti aging skin care product can replace them really. The best Products are from Korea again and in Malaysia, there's one shop sells Pure Korean Skincare products. BBS Korean Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Center in Damansara. However, the products don't last long because it has natural or quality materials.

If you’re serious about anti-aging facial skin care, you owe it to yourself to investigate all the alternatives. While cosmetics might seem to be the logical solution, over time their cost might prove prohibitive. Korean Botox injections, Filler, chemical peels or microdermabrasion can give superior (and more immediate) results that often justify the additional cost.

Botox injections relax the muscles that create wrinkles like the “frown lines” on your forehead. The treatment lasts three to six months, and lines and wrinkles either disappear or dramatically diminish during this period. Besides frown lines, Botox is effective on crow’s feet, laugh lines and forehead wrinkles. A medical doctor must administer Botox injections. After several treatments, some doctors report that the period of effectiveness is extended.

Chemical peels are meant to improve skin appearance and diminish wrinkles by removing one or more of the skin’s outer layers. Like Botox, chemical peels are done by a medical doctor and usually consist of phenol, TCAs (trichloroacetic acids) or AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids). Phenol is the strongest of the chemical peel agents and provides the most dramatic results. TCAs are the next strongest, but several treatments are usually required. AHAs are the least strong and are generally used for skin brightening and smoothing, rather than wrinkle removal. Phenol and TCAs will remove wrinkles and blemishes, and even out skin tone.

Microdermabrasion does not require a medical doctor. It can be performed by a trained aesthetician. In this procedure, tiny crystals are sprayed against the face with a device similar to a sandblaster, producing a gentle polishing action that removes the dead outer layer of skin on the face. Microdermabrasion is less harsh than chemical peels and works well for women with sensitive skin. Treatments must be repeated for maximum effectiveness.

While not for everyone, Botox injections, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion are all valid methods of anti-aging facial skin care. If you want fast results and are willing to spend the money, these treatments can provide significant improvements in skin texture and appearance. BBS Korean Aesthetic and anti-aging center do offer high-end quality treatments. Founder Gloria Kim offers to women who want to be beautiful, healthy and younger.

Despite what you may think, the unsightly signs of aging don't play favorites. With every coming day, your skin sheds more and more signs of aging. The older you become, the more your skin loses its radiance and firmness, and thus nears its approach towards fine lines and wrinkles. These are the horrible signs of aging.

One of the biggest fears amongst the human population is the loss of youth. Many individuals attempt to evade this natural phenomenon by utilizing the plethora of cosmetic products currently available. Signs of aging will appear despite any futile attempts to wage war with mother nature. However, one can do several things to delay the onset of aging skin by taking proper care of his/her skin.

Most of us are more than ready to spend massive amounts of money to keep ourselves looking young. Realizing the large interest in anti-aging products, thousands of companies have staked their claim in the cosmetics industry, making numerous anti-aging creams which satisfy the obsessions of everyday people, who believe their skin is developing new wrinkles by the day. These companies have large streams of cash flowing their way by the day. Many of the "miracle products" which these companies manufacture promise to completely eradicate signs of aging. Unfortunately, many consumers are left to find that the majority of these claims are false.

Knowing this, consumers should take care to conduct the proper amount of research before buying a specific anti-aging product. We recommend scouring the internet for any product reviews which you can get your hands on. Also, be sure to ask friends and family for any recommendations they may have. Or you can ask to advise from Gloria Kim who has 20 years experience in Aesthetic and Anti-Aging.

Age, it's a natural part of life. But just because you're getting older doesn't mean you have to look like it. With a few simple steps, anyone can look and feel younger than they actually are. One of the biggest steps someone can take in the battle against age is to lead a healthy lifestyle. Anti-aging health is all about your lifestyle, eating habits, fitness, and a number of other factors which can affect how well person ages. Maintaining such a lifestyle requires a certain level of commitment and dedication.

Eat Those Vegetables

A major step in combating age is committing to healthy eating habits. It's important not to indulge too much on one food or another, especially when it contains a lot of fat or grease. Each person is individual in their dietary needs, and it's a good idea to find out that which best suits you, and you can find many books that will help you to determine which foods will be most beneficial for your body type. But generally speaking, a healthy cycle of fruits, vegetables, and grain along with moderate portions of meat is suggested for those wishing to live a more healthy life. Dietary needs are key to slowing the aging process to some extent, and the more efficient and healthy your body, the less work it requires to do its job.

Choosing a lifestyle

Another very important step in anti-aging health is lifestyle habits. Things like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and some eating disorders can all affect the way a person ages. Smoking, for instance, inhibits the body's ability to process oxygen, preventing the body from feeding your cells. It is direly important that any person concerned with their health and especially their age, maintain healthy lifestyle habits.

Exercise is perhaps one of the most important factors concerning anti-aging health. Exercise in moderation gives the body numerous benefits like more efficient blood flow, healthier muscles, increased bone stability, and even oxygen to the brain is increased during exercise. Anyone concerned with anti-aging health should be prepared to set an exercise regiment. It is important to be willing to stick with this regiment after you start; just occasionally going to the gym doesn't count.

Set reasonable goals, as starting out on a 10k run is probably not the best idea and can cause more harm than benefit. Of course in the fight against aging, there can be any number of factors to consider. But for anyone generally concerned with their age and health, these few tips can be the key to adding a few extra years to their life.

#Gloria Kim #Anti-Aging

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jeromechill1 · 7 years ago

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Actovegin use for poststroke cognitive impairment prevention: can purified calf blood help people with stroke?

This blog is a critical appraisal of the following randomized controlled trial: Guekht A. et al (2017). ARTEMIDA Trial (A Randomized Trial of Efficacy, 12 Months International Double-Blind Actovegin): A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Actovegin in Poststroke Cognitive Impairment.

Lyrical Digression and Background

I wonder if you have ever heard about Actovegin, because it is rarely used outside the post-Soviet countries and China. You may have heard of the scandal with a famous cyclist, Lance Armstrong, who was banned for doping, which included the use of Actovegin as well as other agents. Although it doesn’t justify his usage, the performance-boosting effect of Actovegin, and indeed any other effects or usage, have not been proven by any well-designed, or otherwise, experiments or trials.

Nevertheless, it is a popular medication in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, and is used primarily in patients with neurological conditions, particularly stroke. Actovegin is a deproteinized pyrogen- and antigen-free hemodialysate manufactured from calf blood by ultrafiltration, and is produced by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company/Nycomed. The manufacturer states it to have antioxidative, repairing, neuroprotective and cognitive boosting properties, and recommends it for treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, peripheral vascular diseases and diabetic polyneuropathy.

Actovegin was released without any clinical trials, and so far there are only a few randomized controlled trials (RCT) on its effect for acute oral mucositis after a chemoradiotherapy, diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes patients and organic brain syndrome, which had certain methodological flaws. Older trials published before 2000 are also of questionable quality.

The ARTEMIDA trial (2015) assessed efficacy of Actovegin in poststroke cognitive impairment. ARTEMIDA was a first major multi-centre Actovegin trial to be conducted, and it was published in May 2017 in “Stroke”, which is a very authoritative journal of American Heart Association.

It is a shame I have only recently heard of this trial, because the popularity of this drug, despite absence of a strong evidence base, strikes me. I am very curious to know if it is truly effective at least for something. Would you ever allow someone to administer you a substance intravenously with unknown composition and unknown effectiveness stated to be “calf hemodyalizate”, even “highly purified”? To say honestly, I wouldn’t :)

Study

The study aimed to ask if Actovegin could improve cognitive function in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

The participants were the patients with a diagnosis of acute (less than 1 week from onset) supratentorial stroke aged more than 60 years (including) and having NIHHS score of 3-18, who were screened against exclusion criteria and proved to be eligible. The patients were randomized to receive intravenous Actovegin 2000 mg daily for ≤20 infusions followed by 1200 mg/d orally up to 6 months, or a placebo.

The primary outcome was the change in Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale, extended version (ADAScog+) at 6 months. The secondary outcomes were the change in ADAScog+ at 3 and 12 months, change from baseline in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the NIHSS during screening, 3, 6, 12 months, and at the end of the infusion period; the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) at 3, 6, and 12 months; the Barthel Index at 6 months; and the EuroQoL EQ-5D questionnaire at 6 and 12 months.

Results

248 patients were allocated to the Actovegin group, 255 to the placebo group. 36 patients from the Actovegin group and 34 patients from the control group discontinued the study. Study groups were relatively similar in terms of participants’ age, gender, medical history and smoking status.

There were 2 patients from the placebo group who, after unblinding, were found to have received Actovegin. They were included as randomized for the intention-to-treat analysis and as treated in the adverse effects analysis. 71 patients also had at least 1 protocol deviation.

At month 6, the primary endpoint, the Actovegin group showed more improvement than the placebo group in ADAScog+ scoring (the least squares mean change from baseline −6.8 for Actovegin and −4.6 for placebo; the estimated treatment difference −2.3 [95% confidence interval, −3.9, −0.7; P=0.005]).

As for the secondary endpoints, ADAScog+ score at the 3rd month didn’t reach statistical significance, but at month 12, the mean change in scoring increased even more for Actovegin group (-8.2 vs. -4.5 in placebo group). There were more “responders” (patients who reached more or equal to 4-point improvement) in the Actovegin group (62.5% vs. 52.3% in the placebo group). MoCA improvement difference was small (0.7 at months 3 and 6 and 1.0 at month 12), but statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences in other secondary outcome measures.

The most frequent adverse effect was a recurrent ischemic stroke, but researchers found no statistical significance in stroke reoccurrence between groups.

What were the strengths and weaknesses of this study?

Let us now see how well was the study conducted. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) RCT tool was used for guidance.

So, it was a large multicentre trial with a large amount of participants. As mentioned, there was no difference between the groups in terms of participants’ age, gender, medical history and smoking.

Besides the inclusion criteria listed above in the “Study” section, there were some additional inclusion criteria. Among them was a bit of a confusing one: patients “were conscious and considered legally competent, but had symptoms or signs indicating cognitive impairment according to the investigator’s opinion”. I think such a subjective approach could bring bias in the selection process. Although it could be diminished by subsequent objective testing with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment – patients should have scored 25 or less with adjustment for education level to be included in study – some participants who were eligible could be dropped before this point.

Uncertain exclusion criteria

There were also many exclusion criteria, such as diagnosis of dementia, history of psychotic disorder or major depression and a list of concomitant conditions. Among these criteria was also a list of prohibited medications – let’s look closer. “Peripheral vasodilators, amantadine derivatives, psychoanaleptics in entirety, with the exception of antidepressants, including …, parasympathomimetics, cholinesterase inhibitors, cholinesters, other parasympathomimetics, other compounds with effect on the nervous system, gangliosides and ganglioside derivatives, remaining compounds with effect on the nervous system, Cerebrolysin”.

What was meant by “other” and “remaining”? In my opinion, this is unnecessary extensiveness, which enhances the vagueness of the formulation even more. What drugs are prohibited during the study is unclear. Do, for example, H1-antagonists fall into this list? And why does Cerebrolysin (which is another drug without evidence for use, porcine brain extract that is considered to have neuroprotective effect) appear after the “remaining…” statement?

Intervention

Formulation of intervention procedure also raises questions. People in the study group might receive an unequal total amount of drug during the study period. 1 and 19 are both less or equal to 20, and, according to such formulation, it is possible that some patients received only one injection while others got 19 or 20. Of course, the overall injectable part of the dose is less than the overall oral part of the dose, but it was administered in the early period when the ischemic cascade reaches its peak, the fate of penumbra zone is decided and the most devastating complications, such as hemorrhagic transformation and brain oedema, can occur.

Thus, I think it is a considerable flaw in the experimental design. It was not reported what the mean quantity of injections were in both groups.

Outcome

Speaking of the outcome measures: ADAScog+ is designed and validated for assessing cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. In the study design article published by the authors in 2013 in Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra journal, they admitted that the scale they intend to use is not validated in stroke, but still they “…considered it to be the most appropriate tool to assess cognition in both the acute and delayed period of stroke” .

By the way, the study design article is an open-access article published online on 14th December 2013. The study began, as the study article states, in June 2012, so 18-19 months passed before the design was published. The revision process before publishing may take a while, but I wonder if it can last for more than 1.5 years. Could it be the study design was sent to the journal after some patients reached 3, or even 6 months threshold, and preliminary conclusion on significance could be made? Who knows.

The primary outcome result was relatively prominent, considering that the mean baseline score was 29.4 (12.5) for intervention and 29.9 for the control group. The maximum score in ADAScog+ (indicating the worst possible result) is 70. Thus, there was on average 23% improvement in scoring in the Actovegin group in relation to average baseline score and 9.7% in relation to worst possible variant.

Randomization

Randomization was well-performed. Researchers used a computerised central randomization system, “Interactive Voice Response System–Interactive Web Response System”, to randomize the patients; it also helped to blind physicians and patients.

Protocol deviations

There were many protocol deviations, and 2 patients received incorrect kit – they were included as randomized for the intention-to-treat analysis and as treated in the adverse effects analysis.

Funding and support

The Study was funded by the manufacturer, Takeda. The Interactive Voice Response System–Interactive Web Response System was provided by Pharm-Olam International Ltd, an independent organisation which also managed data and performed statistical analysis with supervision of Takeda.

Conclusion

Despite the results obviously showing an advantage of Actovegin over placebo, I think it is too early to make final conclusions on its efficacy relying only on this study. Overall, it had good technical support and statistical processing, but there were flaws in terms of study process (deviations from protocol and delivery of incorrect kits), as well as a few unclear things about the study design. Finally, the study was funded and supervised by the manufacturer, which adds over 9000 to the bias score.

So, this paper didn’t convince me that calf blood [extract] is really beneficial when taken by people with stroke. What about you?

Literature

USADA v. Armstrong, Reasoned decision, section IV B 3.e (pp. 42–45) (USADA 10 October 2012). Available from: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9YzclxcT0NHNHNQTUV4MkpSSWc/view

Machicao F, Muresanu DF, Hundsberger H, Pflüger M, Guekht A. Pleiotropic neuroprotective and metabolic effects of Actovegin’s mode of action. J Neurol Sci. 2012;322:222–227. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2012.07.069.

Wu SX, Cui TT, Zhao C, Pan JJ, Xu BY, Tian Y, Cui NJ. A prospective, randomized, multi-center trial to investigate Actovegin in prevention and treatment of acute oral mucositis caused by chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Radiother Oncol. 2010 Oct;97(1):113-8. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2010.08.003.

Ziegler D, Movsesyan L, Mankovsky B, Gurieva I, Abylaiuly Z, Strokov I. Treatment of symptomatic polyneuropathy with actovegin in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care. 2009 Aug;32(8):1479-84. doi: 10.2337/dc09-0545.

Kanowski S, Kinzler E, Lehmann E, Schweizer A, Kuntz G. Confirmed clinical efficacy of Actovegin in elderly patients with organic brain syndrome. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1995 Jul;28(4):125-33.

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