Unveiling the Origins: The Country of Origin of FTMO
In the world of proprietary trading, where aspiring traders seek opportunities to access funding and showcase their skills in the financial markets, platforms like FTMO have emerged as prominent players offering innovative models and structured approaches to funded trading. While traders engage with FTMO to pursue their trading ambitions, questions about the platform’s origins and country of origin often arise. Delving into the background of FTMO reveals insights into its roots and the factors that have contributed to its growth and success in the global trading landscape.
The Genesis of FTMO
FTMO, short for Forex Traders Made Successful, traces its origins to the Czech Republic, a landlocked country in Central Europe known for its rich history, cultural heritage, and entrepreneurial spirit. Founded in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, FTMO has evolved into a leading provider of funded trading opportunities, empowering traders worldwide to realize their financial goals and aspirations.
The Czech Republic: A Hub for Innovation
The Czech Republic has emerged as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, attracting talent, investment, and technology-driven startups from around the world. With a thriving economy, skilled workforce, and supportive business environment, the Czech Republic provides an ideal setting for companies like FTMO to thrive and expand their presence in the global marketplace.
FTMO’s Presence and Impact
Since its inception, FTMO has established a strong presence in the global trading community, earning recognition for its transparent, merit-based approach to funded trading and its commitment to empowering traders with resources, support, and opportunities for growth. With a dedicated team of professionals and a growing community of traders, FTMO continues to make significant strides in shaping the future of proprietary trading.
The Benefits of FTMO’s Czech Republic Base
The Czech Republic’s strategic location in Central Europe, coupled with its robust infrastructure, skilled workforce, and favourable business climate, provides several advantages for FTMO as a trading platform:
- Accessibility: Situated in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic offers convenient access to markets across the continent and beyond, facilitating communication, collaboration, and connectivity with traders and partners worldwide.
- Regulatory Framework: The Czech Republic maintains a stable regulatory environment characterized by clear rules, regulations, and standards governing financial services and trading activities. FTMO operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements, ensuring transparency, integrity, and investor protection.
- Talent Pool: The Czech Republic boasts a highly educated and skilled workforce, with expertise in areas such as finance, technology, and software development. FTMO leverages local talent and expertise to deliver innovative solutions, exceptional service, and value-added experiences to traders and partners.
- Innovation Ecosystem: The Czech Republic fosters a dynamic ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity, with initiatives, programs, and resources designed to support startups, scaleups, and technology-driven enterprises. FTMO benefits from this ecosystem, leveraging insights, networks, and opportunities to drive innovation and growth in the trading industry.
Looking Ahead: FTMO’s Continued Evolution
As FTMO continues to expand its presence and influence in the global trading landscape, its roots in the Czech Republic serve as a testament to the country’s legacy of innovation, excellence, and resilience. With a steadfast commitment to empowering traders, fostering collaboration, and driving positive change, FTMO remains dedicated to shaping the future of proprietary trading and empowering traders worldwide to achieve financial success and prosperity.
In conclusion, FTMO’s country of origin, the Czech Republic, reflects not only its geographical location but also its values, culture, and aspirations. Rooted in a legacy of innovation and driven by a vision of empowerment, FTMO embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship and excellence that defines its Czech heritage and propels it toward a future of growth, impact, and success in the global trading arena.


The 4th Middle East & North Africa Conference for Information System: 11-14 November 2021, Agadir, Morocco
CONFERENCE THEME: BRIDGING THE GAP: THE FUTURE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS
MENA – AIS is a chapter of the Association for Information Systems (AIS). It is the premier academic association for individuals and organizations who lead the research, teaching, practice, and study of different areas of information systems in the MENA region.
Every year, MENA – AIS organizes MENACIS, the Middle East & North Africa Conference for Information System, a regional conference affiliated with AIS.
This year, MENACIS 2021 will be held on 11-14 November 2021 in Agadir, Morocco in hybrid format. MENACIS 2021 invites academics and researchers from all over the world, but also especially from the MENA region, to reflect on innovative research in information systems, from the point of view of a rapidly changing world.


Sean brought his extensive knowledge of GIS environments and project life cycles to Spatial Technologies in 2007. He leads the downrange GIS projects for the 45th Space Wing and he manages the GIS Database Support for the 45th Civil Engineering Squadron. Downrange projects include GIS database implementation, data conversion, site plan development, custom programming and cartographic design. Sean has generated geospatial products that enhance logistical, flight-line, and utilities maintenance operations at Antigua and Ascension Air Stations.
Prior to joining Spatial, Sean excelled as a program manager at Data Mapping Solutions, where he was responsible for implementing a $20,000,000 parcel identification and mapping project, leading a team of over 100 analysts and the coordination of over 50 field agents. As part of the project, Sean created a custom land base layer using DOQQ aerial imagery and USGS Quad Maps. He oversaw the collection, conversion, and georeferencing of ESRI, Microstation and AutoCAD files to the MapInfo format. Sean’s GIS knowledge is broad and cross-platforms. Sean is also well-versed in site development, layout and permitting and has proven experiences in the civil engineering field.
Areas of Expertise:
Data Processing and conversion between platforms
Projections and transformations
Data storage and website management
GPS Data Capture and integration
Time and cost accounting
Project management and tracking
Software and Technical Capabilities:
Operating Systems: Unix, Windows Vista/NT/XP/2000/98, Windows Server 2000/03
Databases: Oracle, Oracle Spatial, MS-SQL, IMB DB2, Access, Geodatabases, Smallworld
ESRI: ArcGIS 8/9.x, ArcInfo 7.x, ArcGIS Server, ArcIMS, ArcSDE, Map Objects
AutoDesk: AutoCAD, MapGuide
Other: Intergraph GeoMedia, MapInfo, ERDAS, Microstation, VISION


Join startup missions of Up!Rotterdam
Our partner Up!Rotterdam is gearing up for an incredible journey this year as they are going to startup missions to some of the most prestigious tech and startup events.
🇫🇷 First stop: Hello Tomorrow. Together with Techleap, get ready to witness groundbreaking innovations and connect with visionary entrepreneurs from around the world in the French capital city - Paris.
🇺🇸 Next up is the US Expansion Expedition: San Francisco - Salt Lake City. This expedition is organised by Techleapwith the help of ScaleNL, where you will access the insights and connections necessary to thrive in the US market.
🇫🇮 Followed up by Slush. Join us in Helsinki as we immerse ourselves in the vibrant startup ecosystem of Northern Europe during the world’s leading startup event.
🇺🇸 Last but not least: CES. Las Vegas will welcome us as we dive into the heart of innovation at the world's largest tech show.
If you are curious to learn more about other missions organised by Netherlands Enterprise Agency , follow the link for more information: https://lnkd.in/eBagQ_UZ
Want to join any of these events? You can reach us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


3 Travel Tips from Someone With Experience
The Ultimate guide to Choose the Best Galapagos Cruise
If you are planning a trip to the Galapagos islands, it is important that you choose the right cruise to professionally plan your trip so you can have an exceptionally Galapagos experience. Here is a guide for choosing the right Galapagos cruise.
There are different types of Galapagos cruise boats that you need to choose from. Catamarans, sails boats, motorboats and monohull are the main boat types for Galapagos cruises. Catamarans have a smaller capacity of around 16 people hence providing flexibility and comfort and are excellent to those who are prone to sea sickness. Monohulls on the other hand are more safe, stronger and economical than the catamarans. Sailboats are very small enabling passengers to have an intimate experience and adventure more.
Before booking with a company for your Galapagos tour, it is wise to conduct a background search on them. For a more rewarding experience, make sure you are dealing with a reliable cruise company. It is advisable to book with companies that specialize in the Galapagos as they will have the expertise to plan your trip and ensure that you have an unforgettable experience. Each operator has its own rules that you familiarise with before choosing your cruise company.
When choosing a Galapagos cruise for you, you need to decide on the length of trip. Some cruises can take 3 days while other can go for as long as 4 weeks depending on the policy of different companies. 4 to 5 day cruise is a good opportunity to visit the islands of Galapagos and do only a few of the main activities including hiking and swimming. A 7 to 8 Galapagos cruise has a higher price tag but is great opportunity to discover new things like visiting tourist sites, engage in a lot of activities and thoroughly enjoy the geographical areas of the different islands. However if you want to explore each of the major islands of Galapagos and have a more fulfilling experience, consider choosing a 15 day or more cruises.
When deciding which Galapagos cruise to pick, find out which itinerary is on their list. Most of the 8 day and 15 day cruises follow itinerary that are controlled by the Galapagos National Park allowing you to visit various places. Although they have the same protocol, check the itineraries so you can decide if the cruise is suitable for you and your family and whether you can visit specific places on your wish list.
Determine how much you want to spend on the cruise so you can chose the right agency for your trip. There are different types of yachts to suit various budgets such as liveaboard cruises, budget yachts, first-class cruises, luxury cruise ship and many others.


About the Hotel
Shri Ganesh Hotel, Mount Abu is a delightful retreat away from the hubbub of the metropolitan life. Modern yet sophisticated, this smart hotel is a fine find in the prominent location of the city. Its rooms blend style and comfort with stylish furnishings to exude a classy appearance. Being in the eminent location, the hotel has proximity to some exciting tourist destinations and allows its guests to travel around with ease.
Shri Ganesh Hotel is opportunely situated near the Sophia School and has some exciting tourist attractions in the vicinity. To name a few, they are Nakki Lake (200m), Dilwara Temple (2kms), Chacha Museum (700m), Museum and Art Gallery (150m), Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary (4kms), Amba Mata Mandir (50kms), Abu Water Park (41kms), Chamunda Temple (110kms) and Sarvadham Temple (87kms).sunset point ( 800m) honeymoon point (450m)
Udaipur Airport- 230kms (Approx.)
Morthala Railway Station- 28kms (Approx.)
RSRTC Bus Stand- 1km (Approx.)


All UK Mainland orders – £8.50 per order
(These charges apply to all UK addresses with the exception of Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Wight, Channel Islands and Northern Ireland; for deliveries to these locations please call/email us for a quote)
All other EU countries orders – £20 per order
Rest of the World
Please call/email for details of international delivery charges.
Alternatively you can arrange collection yourself – either in person or the courier company of your choice.
We aim to dispatch within 1 working day on receipt of payment, using DPD Local or FedEx.
All orders for outside the UK are dispatched on the same basis with a delivery time of 2-3 working days.


Greenmount hotel - Coolangatta
After having an incredible NeonFur here in 2019, we're coming back for 2020!
“Nestled on a headland between the magnificent Rainbow Bay and Coolangatta beach, Greenmount Beach Hotel is perfectly positioned to take advantage of its idyllic tropical climate and spectacular coastal panorama. Located on the southern end of the Gold Coast, the fabulous Greenmounth Beach Hotel epitomises what the ‘sunshine state’ is all about… fun, surf and relaxation.”
10 minutes drive from the Gold Coast Airport
1 minute walk to the beach
5 minute walk to the state border monument
Physical metal keys for rooms
Buffet breakfast included when you book through us
Freakin’ waterslide in the pool
ZERO deposit to book!
CONVENTION SPECIAL RATES
$169 per night for Single/Twin Share with buffet breakfast included!
Extra guests are $20 per person up to 4 people per room.
Special includes days surrounding the convention dates!
HOW TO BOOK
Call them on (07) 5536 1222, and mention you are booking with NeonFur to get the convention rate and be put in our room block. See you there!


St. Peter, BB 26027
Barbados, West Indies
Tel / Fax: (246) 422 1524
MUSTIQUE HOUSES VOLUME I
The tiny Caribbean island of Mustique has long been known as a playground of the rich and famous. With a land area of just 1400 acres and some ninety private homes it boasts an incredible diversity of architectural styles and includes some of the worlds most expensive and most coveted real estate. This book looks at 23 of those homes in detail and gives a brief history of how and when they came to be.
Appx. 10" x 13", Hardback, 382 pages with over 300 photographs.
Published 2010, ISBN 978-976-8233-00-4
CARIBBEAN STREET FOOD - BARBADOS
This is my third collaboration with local writer Peter Laurie and is part of a trilogy of Caribbean Street Food books. No frills, no cutlery and no service charge, tis is the real thing. It's what Bajans miss when they're away and what visitors love to sample. Rum shops, food vans, back yard barbeques, street stalls and beach bars are among the culinary venues covered while Pudding and souse, cou-cou, steppers, buljol and itals just a few of the local delicacies you'll encounter.
Appx. 5" x 7", Softback, 112 pages with over 90 photographs.
Published by Macmillan Caribbean, ISBN number 978-14050-8427-7
HISTORIC HOUSES OF BARBADOS
This is the third edition of the Henry Fraser/Ronnie Hughes book first published in 1982 that details some of the most significant buildings to be found (or not anymore in some cases) in Barbados. Over fifty properties were photographed during the course of 2008 and these pictures join Henry's orginal pen and ink drawings from some twenty-five years ago to provide what we hope will be a lasting record of the country's architectural heritage.
Appx. 12”x 10”, Hardback, 152 pages with over 60 photographs.
Published by Wordsmith International, IBSN 978-976-9515-33-8
BARBADOS - AN ISLAND PORTRAIT
Written by well-respected local writer Peter Laurie this book provides a fascinating insight into the Barbadian way of life. Quirky and informative it is a compelling read from cover to cover. Its extensive visual content is drawn from fifteen years of the photographer’s time in Barbados.
Appx. 13”x 10”, Hardback, 192 pages with over 200 photographs.
Published by Macmillan Caribbean, IBSN 0-333-94596-4
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN IN BARBADOS
This book takes a look at two-dozen of the islands most unique properties, from the inimitable Oliver Messel houses such as Mango Bay and Maddox to the Neo -Classical splendour of the Sandy Lane Hotel. It provides an otherwise unattainable guided tour through some of the country’s most exclusive homes.
Appx.11”x 11” Hardback, Deluxe slipcase, 272 pages with over 300 photographs.
Published by Wordsmith International, ISBN 976-8078-93-6
Click here for more details...
THE RESTAURANTS IN BARBADOS
This book features over twenty of the island’s top restaurants and captures their food, ambiance and personality. It includes behind-the-scenes photography from the kitchen, notes from the chef, favourite recipes and is a must for lovers of fine food everywhere.
Appx.11”x 11” Hardback, Deluxe slipcase, 310 pages with over 300 photographs.
Published by Wordsmith International, ISBN 976-8079-77-0
S T. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
This book meanders through the almost forty islands that comprise this beautiful Caribbean archipelago. From the tiny uninhabited islands of the Tobago Keys to the hustle and bustle of downtown Kingston it charts the development of the country from it’s first Stone Age inhabitants to the present day.
Appx. 13”x 10”, Hardback, 176 pages with over 200 photographs.
Published by Macmillan Caribbean, IBSN 0-333-93415-6


Every year, the different postal administrations of various countries (Post Office, Italian Post, Singapore Post, Correios…) issue the annual stamps of their country. These issues are called “philatelic novelties” and they cover all the stamps issued in the current year. There are two different ways to collect them, by country or by theme.
News by countryThe stamps are a reflection of the country of issue. Their observation provides us with data about their origin, the peculiarities of the country that issues them and many other aspects of interest. Collecting stamps from a given country helps us to learn more about its culture, history and events. A subscription to the philatelic world news allows us to receive all the stamps that a certain country (Spain, France, Vatican…) issues.
Thematic newsOn the other hand, the themes give the opportunity to know a lot of information about a specific content. It doesn’t matter if you are an architecture forum, you love mycology or you are passionate about cinema. Fauna, comics, Walt Disney… the thematic stamps open up a world full of knowledge. A subscription to philatelic thematic news gives you the opportunity to receive all the stamps of your favorite theme, regardless of the country that issues them. If, on the other hand, you are interested in a particular theme, but you only want stamps from certain countries, you can also request them.
If you want to know more about a country (Spain, Hungary, USA…etc.) or about a subject (Felines, Castles, Costumes…etc.) we give you the opportunity to do it through the philatelic world news, that month by month the different postal administrations around the world offer us. To get it, you only have to send us the form below and we will contact you. Tell us what you like and we will take care of the rest. Once agreed, you only have to make a payment of 50 ?, we will give order to the corresponding postal administrations and you will begin to receive your favorite stamps. Periodically we will send them to your home without any shipping costs and we will give you a direct debit receipt for the amount delivered. In the case of most countries and in the case of some subjects, you will also be able to receive, if you request it, the annual sheets to keep them. If at any time you do not wish to receive any more issues, just let us know one month in advance, as there may be “ready” stamps that the administration has not yet sent us. Once the subscription is cancelled, your initial deposit of 50 ? will be returned.
Philatelic collections are very varied, with different purposes, conservation methodologies and classification. It can be said that each personal collection has its own characteristics. However, the collections that participate in competitions organized by the different associations must comply with the regulations that classify them in well-defined areas.
This denomination defines a collection of stamps ordered by country and by historical period and, therefore, without a specific theme. In general, it is the initial form through which one approaches philately. Some collections may be specialized in elements such as indentations, color variations, watermarks and different types of printing, or in the variety and errors caused by the printing machine.
This is a collection of philatelic material (stamps, postcards, cancellations and others) that aims to illustrate the history of the mail. Due to the large amount of collectable material, collections generally specialize within precise limits of space and time, or by specific topic of interest (among which the most common are postal rates or different postal services, or military mail).
It is a collection formed by franked envelopes with stamps that carry a cancellation with the date of the day of issue. A widespread collection in the United States, the First Day Cover (FDC) collection has been gradually established in Italy after World War II. These envelopes can also be prepared with illustrations referring to the theme of the issue; in Italy, the oldest company is the “Venetia Club”, founded in 1948 , followed by Capitolium, Filagrano, Chimera, AICFDC, Roma and Rodia.
L ‘ aerophilic or aerophilic, is in charge of collecting the philatelic material related to the air trips of the postal service. Airphilatelic collections can be further specialized, both by subject and by type of mailing material. In addition, the collection may also include material that is not strictly philatelic, such as cartoons, labels, posters, postcards.
The collection consists of stationery and postal documents in which the price of the mail is printed directly. It can be further specialized according to the categories of documents, such as postcards, postcards, aerograms, etc. In addition, the collected materials can be new and already used.
The collection aims to collect all the stamps representing a specific theme, which can be a character (e.g. Giuseppe Garibaldi) or a plant or an animal (e.g. orchids or butterflies), an object (e.g. the bicycle), a party (e.g. Christmas). Within the collection, the stamps are ordered in series and divided by country and year of issue.
The collection covers all philatelic documents and materials related to a subject. The themes that can be developed are the most varied, ranging from music to history, from sports to technology, from nature to art, according to the interest of the collector. The theme is developed according to a well-defined program, reported in an introduction with index, and the collected material should be ordered in such a way that it allows an organic development of the chosen theme.
Thematic collections have been developed since the late 1940s. Their international codification took place in 1958, with the presentation of the first competition of thematic classes regulated by the IFJ. They are mainly found in North America and in North and Eastern Europe.
This definition includes collections in which philatelic material is accompanied by other objects (but to a lesser extent than 50% of the total), such as telephone cards , postcards, stickers, photos, dry sheets, newspaper clippings, and anything else that can be pasted. a sheet The theme and development methods are free.
The collection consists of philatelic materials related to space travel, space research and the precursors of these, such as rockets and balloons. The collection can be divided into different themes: the pioneer era, rocket mail, special programs (USA, USSR, Europe), possibly with or without men on board. In addition, the collection may also include material that is not strictly philatelic.
The collection consists of a maximum number of cards that meet the requirements, in terms of the card itself, the postage stamp, which must have been placed on the front and not on the back, and its cancellation. Of particular interest is the presence of the same theme, or related themes, on all three elements. The collection can be organized by theme or country.
The collection of state or local (municipal and regional) tax stamps. Tax collection is numerous and aesthetically interesting, also recently the result of in-depth studies and evaluations. The marks, especially, have all the characteristics of the stamps, including the various types of watermarks .
For some time now in the United States, the Scott Catalog has been reporting U.S. tax rates through the 1950s in a comprehensive catalog. In Italy, both the Sassone Catalog and the Unified Catalog have reported taxes used by mail, but recently special catalogs have been created for all brands and taxes.
Various uses and types of taxes make this collection a kind of curiosity of mine.
The collection refers to cancellations or other signs attached to postal documents. Generally, signs placed on the stamp are collected by geographic area, by subject, or by function.
Red mechanical postage, commonly called in postal documents, has been used to replace postage stamps since the early 20th century by post offices themselves, or by companies and organizations. They consist of a print with the value, another with the place and date and a possible advertising plate, all printed with the characteristic color red. Generally, the collection can be specialized by place or date of issue, by theme (e.g., bank postage), by subject of drawings (state symbols, coats of arms, industrial products), by technical characteristics (presence of cancellations in terms of postage stamps, different types or different forms of use).
Military mail is the postal service that benefits military personnel working outside the national area in both peacetime and wartime; mobile post offices are assigned to departments and postage has special rates or exemptions from regular rates. For military prisoners of war, there are postcards delivered by the Red Cross, which refer not to the unit to which they belong but to the detention camp. Normally the object of interest for collection is not the postage stamp used for mailing, since it belongs to the series usually used, but the complete letter.
Christmas stamps, or Christmarks, are special adhesive labels that are placed on envelopes during the Christmas period to raise funds and spread awareness of TB research.
In 1904, Einar Holboell, an official at the Danish Post Office, developed the idea of adding a postage stamp to envelopes during the Christmas season to raise funds for tuberculosis. The idea was approved by the post office and the King of Denmark, and the first stamp had the effigy of the Queen and the words “Merry Christmas. More than four million were sold the first year.
They were introduced to the United States by Emily Bissell in 1907, after reading news of the project in an article by Jacob Riis, a Danish journalist and photographer. Bissell hoped to raise money for a sanitarium on the Brandywine River in Delaware.
Over time, the initiative grew into a national program of the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis (NASPT) and the Red Cross in 1908. The stamp was sold at post offices, initially in Delaware, for 1 cent each. The net income was divided equally between the two associations. In 1920, the Red Cross withdrew from the project and sales were made exclusively by NASPT, then known as the National Tuberculosis Association (NTA). The NTA took its current name as the American Lung Association in 1973.
Today, the Christmas stamp supports the American Lung Association and other lung-related projects. Tuberculosis has gradually declined, but has recently begun to spread again (tuberculosis remains the most common serious infectious disease).
In Italy, this use has spread since the 1920s, thanks to the Red Cross and other charities. However, the use of Christmas letter closures has spread mainly in English-speaking countries, particularly in Great Britain , Australia , South Africa and New Zealand , as well as in many states in the USA .
However, these types of stamps should not be considered official and are not valid as postage. The postal uses of these erinophiles should be considered fraud if they are not accompanied by a regular postal delivery. They are often stamped because they are placed near the stamps, and these specimens have some interest, especially if they are stamped with a non-philatelic hand stamp. However, their potential value may not be particularly noticeable, except in the case of mail fraud.
Many states issue Christmas postage stamps, particularly Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, also combined in Christmas brochures or leaflets that are widely used during the vacations. The Nordic countries accompany classic themes like Santa Claus or the Christmas tree with Nordic symbols, snowy landscapes, small animals. Even the Soviet Union in the 1980s started to make specific Christmas stamps and finally the Asian countries are also slowly considering some theme related to Western Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations and traditions. There is a large production of postage stamps which by now is a splendid subject that concerns hundreds and hundreds of copies from all over the world.
A little bit of curiosity, in the 80’s Great Britain issued some Christmas stamps with the blue stars printed on the front, contained in brochures. They are a type of their own in the English collection and are hardly an achievement repeated in other countries.
On April 27, 1859, the President of the Granada Confederation, Mariano Ospina Rodríguez, signed the Organic Law of the National Post Office that reorganized this service and established the use of stamps as of September 1, 1859, when the first issue circulated, with 5 values and a total of 258,465 stamps valid for circulation until August 31, 1860.
This same law, in article 23, established the services of a P.O. Box and a Mailman at a monthly cost of $1.00 and $0.80 respectively. At that time, correspondence was not delivered to the home but had to be claimed by the interested parties at the post office. As shown in the following images, these services substantially reduced their cost in the 1860/70 decade to $ 1.20 quarterly and $ 0.40 monthly, respectively.
In each of the issues of 1866/68 and 1868/1872 there was a 2.5c. triangular stamp that served to pay the home delivery service of the letters. In 1917 a stamp with a value of 5c. was issued, whose motive was a child letter carrier and served for urgent home deliveries. This stamp, which was issued in only 72,000 copies, was rarely used.
On July 18, 1861, with the capture of Bogotá by General Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera, four times President, the civil and military chiefs signed a union pact and declared the formation of the United States of New Granada. With this name a series of 5 values circulated with a total of 52,380 stamps.
The Rionegro Convention officially declared the creation of the United States of Colombia (EUC) on February 3, 1863, a very innovative period in the provision of mail services and therefore of great philatelic wealth. The first United States of Colombia stamps are printed by contract on July 26, 1862, still technically under the United States administration of New Granada.
On July 1, 1865, large size (13 x 6.5 cm.) “Value Declared” or “cover” stamps, as they were also called, were given to the service and were the first five colored stamps in the world. They were used for sending values, up to $100, documents, coins and bills. They were not sold to the public and were placed on the back of envelopes once the office employee verified the contents. The receiving office had to return them, duly signed by the recipient as proof of receipt. They were in use until 1912 and in 1924 they were replaced with the “Declared Value Envelopes” used until 1967, when the last design was launched.
Also in 1865 the “Recommended” service was started with the issue of two “A” and “R” stamps, for the “Annotation” and “Registration” service. Annotation consisted in writing down the receipt of the letter in the post office books, and the Registry a commitment of the mail to maintain a supervision during the whole journey. A “registered” letter had to be stamped with a “notation” stamp, not the other way around. With UPU admission, the notation service is eliminated and only the “Recommended” stamp is required. These were issued until 1925, when the stamp was replaced by the official UPU label indicating that the letter was “recommended”.
At the beginning of 1881 the whole EUC postcards came out to the public and were quickly, in July 1881, relegated to national service only and replaced by the UPU card which could be used at home and abroad. Its design changed over the years and the last issue was in 1903. It is worth mentioning the cards of Ernesto Pehlke from 1899, who with government authorization engraved ten striking tourist motifs in color.
In July of the same year, the country commemorated the adhesion to the UPU with an issue of five values, which simplified the handling of foreign correspondence and implied national rates according to the determinations of this organism.
Before this adhesion, the stamps called “Sobreporte” or “maritime mail” had to be used, since this was the only means of transport abroad. From that moment on they were not necessary for this purpose and their use was authorized for internal mail.
The EUC Constitution allowed sovereign states to have their own postal service to serve those routes not covered by the national post office and they were authorized to issue their own stamps, if required. This privilege continued with the Republic of Colombia, now called departments. In 1863 Bolivar was the first to issue stamps, the smallest in the world, followed by Antioquia (1868), Cundinamarca (1870), Tolima (1871), Panama (1878), Cauca (1879), Santander (1884) and finally Boyacá (1899). The use of departmental stamps ceased in 1909.
In 1878 in the Sovereign State of Cauca, province of Chocó, Prefect Demetrio Toral requested the State Secretary of Finance to issue a stamp to carry the mail between Quibdó, capital of the province, and the city of Riosucio, seat of the provincial courts. The request was approved and Toral used an old stamp from the provinces of the Republic of New Granada to print these stamps, called “Camisa del Cauca”. This is perhaps the most controversial stamp that exists and because of the small quantity issued (100 copies) and the poor survival due to the humidity and heat of the area, it is one of the most valuable in Colombia. In this same vein, in 1883/85, the then Prefect of Chocó, Salomón Posso, issued stamps using the monogram of his initials. These are of three types. No value, with a value of 5 cents and no value framed in pencil. It is also likely that the same Posso issued a stamp in 1890 called “mail to Carmen”, which Posso signed the act granting the title of municipality to Carmen de Atrato.
During the existence of the EUC were issued 15 sets of stamps. The last issue, in 1882, used for the first time the perforation in the sheets to separate the stamps.
On August 5, 1886 a new Constitution was adopted that lasted until 1991, and changed the name of the country to Republic of Colombia, the name it currently holds. In order to exhaust stocks, the use of stamps with the name EUC was allowed until July 31, 1889. As a result of the change of name, stamps were issued to cover the needs until 1890. Given the multiple impressions, an infinite variety of paper and tonalities are produced. Also this year a stamp was issued to cover the penalty (2.5c.) to ensure the dispatch of letters that were delivered outside the hours of reception, called “Delay”. This service lasted until 1914.
The most curious thing about this issue is that it breaks the custom of honoring only deceased persons and includes a 10c. stamp with the image of Rafael Núñez, four times President, a true example of presidential egocentricity or flattery of the postal administration? A similar case is the stamps issued with the portrait of President José Manuel Marroquín in 1904. I must mention a beautiful stamp issued in 1959 to honor in life a deserving person, Luz Marina Zuluaga, who won the title of Miss Universe for Colombia. Only 20,000 copies of the $5 stamp were issued, making it very scarce and sought after by philatelists.
In 1889 the city of Bogota issued a 1/2c. stamp to collect local mail deliveries. Medellín, Manizales and Palmira also issue Urban Mail stamps.
When the postal species of the EUC were demonetized on July 31, 1889, a large inventory was left that was to be incinerated in Bogotá. Faced with this situation Gustavo Michelsen Uribe proposed to the government the purchase of this material, and contrary to the law, they sold him 222,380 postal species for a value of $ 1,230. Not content with this enormous loot, Michelsen in complicity with employees of the post office administration, obtained the original stones of several issues from 1868 and in an obscure manner negotiated with the original printer Demetrio Paredes, the printing of these stamps in enormous quantities. Because of his international recognition as a diplomat and philatelist, Michelsen sells a huge amount of his fakes, causing great damage to Colombian philately once his fraud is discovered. Even today, Michelsen’s forged copies are offered.
The issues are spaced in time: 1890, 1895 and 1899. Interesting during this period was the printing of whole postal envelopes of Correo Fluvial and Correo Férreo, to circulate correspondence by these means of transport. Telegraph cards were also issued to serve as payment receipts and to claim in case the telegrams did not arrive within the promised time.
In 1893 a new service was inaugurated, Acknowledgement or Acknowledgement of Receipt, by which the post office was obliged to return a document duly signed by the addressee. A stamp was issued with the letters AR in the center and with a value of 5c. The last stamps issued for this service were in 1917.
On October 17, 1899, the Thousand Days War broke out, which ended on November 21, 1902. This contest was chaotic for the country but a bonanza for Colombian philately. Resolution 456 of October 24, 1899, suspended service on the routes affected by the conflict and required the delivery of open letters to be censored.
The liberal rebels cut communication routes between Bogotá and the provinces, making it impossible to supply postal species to Antioquia, Cauca and the Caribbean coast. Faced with this situation, the government authorized the issue and local printing of stamps in Medellín, Popayán, Barranquilla and Crtagena, in addition to those printed in Bogotá.
For their part, the rebels issued stamps in Cúcuta and Tumaco.
During the conflict, with the excuse of not having stamps, some postal agents printed labels to be used as stamps, mainly in Tumaco and Cauca. The illegality of this action in Tumaco is not in doubt, but the letters circulated without any problem in UPU countries. The correct procedure was to place on the envelope the notation “no stamps. He paid … cents” and the signature of the postal agent.
At the end of the war the country was bankrupt and could not invest in printing new stamps, so it decided to continue using locally printed stamps. Curiously, and perhaps due to lack of funds, he authorizes the use of the stamps issued by the rebel government in Cúcuta.
The monetary situation reached such a disaster that on October 1, 1903, by means of Law 33, the government created the Peso Oro with a conversion of 100 “old pesos” for one gold peso. By decree 1197 of December 15, 1903, it authorized the carrying of postage stamps denominated in old pesos at the same exchange rate as bills, starting January 2, 1904. This generated the first “inflation envelopes” in the world, pieces very appreciated for their rarity and scarcity. It is estimated that some 200 have survived.
In 1904, stamps denominated in gold pesos were issued on thin paper, which were used at the same time as the old peso stamps. Curiously, there is no mention that they are in gold weights. An oversight?
In 1910, to commemorate the centenary of independence, a series of eight securities was issued and printed abroad for the first time by the American Bank Note Co. of New York, which was put into circulation on July 20. Interestingly, the stamp of Recommended, whose motif is “the Cartagena firing squad by order of the Spanish Government” was removed 17 days later and later incinerated by the protest of the Spanish Government. Due to their short life of circulation they are very difficult to find in envelopes.
Foreign printers are hired for the following issues. Due to the logistical problems caused by the First World War and in order to solve the lack of stamps, local printing is again used at the National Printing House and several “provisional” issues are made until 1926.
In 1919, two national aviation companies were created, the Compañía Colombiana de Navegación Aérea (CCNA) in Medellín (September 16) and the Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aéreos (SCADTA), in Barranquilla (December 5). With this event, Colombian air mail was initiated on February 22, 1920 by CCNA and in September of the same year by SCADTA. Each society is authorized to issue its own stamps to cover the cost of its postage, but all correspondence must also bear the corresponding national postage stamps.
CCNA had a short life while SCADTA lasted until 1939 when it merged with Pan American and formed the society Aerolíneas de Colombia AVIANCA. SACO (1933-1935), TACA (1944-1947), LANSA (1945-1951) and TAXADER (1948-1965) were involved in the transport of mail by air but had a short life and were absorbed by SCADTA or AVIANCA.
Decree 192 of February 2, 1926, authorizes the ground transportation of mail by private companies other than SCADTA, through a surcharge and the use of their own stamps. The permission to use one’s own stamps was revoked as of October 1933. There were some 64 companies that offered the service, but few printed their own stamps. The main ones were the Land Transport Company, the Ribon Express and the Tobon Express.
COSADA is an example of cooperation between the public and private sectors. Founded in Bucaramanga on March 5, 1923, by SCADTA and the department of Santander. Its objective was to connect by air to Bucaramanga with Puerto Wilches and from there connect to the SCADTA system. To handle the correspondence from the cities and towns of Santander and Norte de Santander each department formed a company, Correo Rápido de Santander and Correo Rápido de Norte de Santander respectively, which carried the correspondence to the COSADA offices in Bucaramanga. COSADA was liquidated on July 29, 1930.
Until 1959 different stamps were required for letters going through the National Post Office and those going through air mail. From this year onwards these two types of services were unified and the stamps served to pay for both.
In 1937, the Government introduced the use of specially resealed stamps with the word OFFICIAL to be used by government entities.
Since the fifties and until today the production of Colombian stamps has been a parade of beautiful pieces, in quantity of topics like anniversaries of historical events, historical and current personages, autochthonous mythology, archaeological patrimony, nature, fauna, cartography, transport, architecture, landscapes, art, customs festivities, communications, post office, religion, civility, etc., that have served to make known our beautiful country and to enlarge our philately.


Clark Commercial Group provides expert brokerage service, professional property management of office, retail and industrial properties, and solid tenant leasing. In addition, the staff are on call for consulting services to property owners and investors, whether the commercial property is already in operation or is to be built.
THE BIG ISLAND’S COMMERCIAL PROFILE
Buying and developing commercial property on Hawaii’s Big Island is a bit different than in other communities. We know because we work with off-island investors regularly. Based on their questions, we have developed some basic information that we hope will help you with your property research.
The Big Island has strict height limitations for both commercial and residential buildings. This means that you will find no 30 story high rises here. In fact, most buildings are limited to two or three stories, depending on zoning. The reason for the County’s low-rise standard is that it helps to preserve the island’s spectacular views for the whole community and reflects the relaxed “outer island” life style which is highly valued by residents.
The result is that most commercial buildings, though low profile, are spread over a sizeable area to achieve the critical mass needed for reasonable investment returns, usually as several detached buildings within the complex.
This is feasible on the Big Island because it is geographically larger than all of the other Hawaiian islands combined. In fact, the Big Island is roughly the size of Connecticut and has a current population of approximate 165,000 full-time residents plus a fluctuating number of tourists and part-time residents.
If you keep these things in mind as you look at the various properties available, it may help you evaluate your options realistically based on community standards.
And, of course, please contact us directly if you have questions or if we can help you further.


Please note that we are currently offering telehealth therapy only.
Lionheart Therapy at Sondermind Wellness Center
6200 South Syracuse Way, Suite 260, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Phone: 720 588 3101
I offer a brief phone or video consultation for free of charge.
If you would like to schedule a consultation, please email or fill out the contact form below.
You can also click the online booking button at the bottom of this page.


A Comprehensive Guide for Tenants in BC, Canada
Finding the perfect rental home in any city can be an exciting yet daunting experience. And the thought of scouring Vancouver, Victoria and Surrey for a rental property can be downright scary.
Welcome to your ultimate guide to landing the perfect rental home in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Whether you’re hunting for your first apartment or exploring investment properties in Real Estate Canada, we’ve got you covered.
The rental market in BC is buzzing with opportunities, but we understand it can sometimes feel overwhelming. And that’s why we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to help you navigate the process confidently. So, sit back and get ready to start your journey toward securing your dream rental home in BC.
Tip 1: Be Clear on Your Needs and Budget
Before diving into the chaotic world of renting a home in BC:
- Narrow down what you’re looking for.
- Take time to determine your preferences – location, amenities, and how much you can spend each month.
- Remember to consider additional costs like utilities, parking, and insurance.
Tip 2: Scope Out the Rental Market
Time to do some research! Get to know the rental market in BC by checking out average prices in your desired area. Use online platforms, classified ads, and real estate websites to find rentals. Don’t forget about social media groups, forums, and local networks—they can be gold mines for leads and recommendations.
Tip 3: Explore and Ask Questions
When you go for viewings, pay close attention to the condition of the place. Check plumbing, electrical, and appliances, and note any damages. Don’t be shy—ask questions to clarify doubts about the unit or the lease terms and conditions.
Tip 4: Get the Rental Application Right
Found something you like? Gather all the necessary documents, such as ID, employment verification, references, and proof of income. Be quick on your feet because popular rentals go fast. You may also write a cover letter explaining why you’d be a great tenant.
Tip 5: Dive Deep Into the Lease Agreement
Before you commit:
- Read the lease agreement carefully.
- Ensure you understand everything, like the lease term, when to pay rent and your rights and responsibilities as a tenant under BC’s Residential Tenancy Act.
- If unsure, consult a lawyer or a tenant rights organization for clarification.
Tip 6: Lock Down Your Dream Rental
Congratulations! You found your dream rental home in BC. Now it’s time to seal the deal. Discuss any concerns or modifications to the rental agreement with the landlord before signing and finalizing the lease. Sort out the security deposit and first month’s rent. Protect your belongings by obtaining renter’s insurance coverage.
Tip 7: Take Care of Your Place
This is the most important tip of all!
Once you move in, it’s important to maintain a good relationship with your landlord. Treat the place respectfully, follow the rules, and promptly report any maintenance issues. Keep the lines of communication open for a smooth and enjoyable renting experience. Remember – a good track record is vital to being a desirable tenant for future landlords.
Rinse and Repeat…
In May, the average rent for purpose-built and condo apartments in Vancouver reached $3,137, The average rent across the province touched $2,468.
Rental prices in BC and Canada have seen a general upward trend, and Vancouver stands out as the most expensive city in Canada. However, other BC cities such as Victoria, Abbotsford and Surrey offer a range of amenities that can match the Vancouver experience.
While rent increases in BC have started to moderate, the growing population contributes to increased rental housing demand. The recent rise in housing prices and interest rates has made homeownership less affordable, prompting more Canadians to seek rental accommodations. These factors suggest that the rental market in British Columbia will experience ongoing challenges, and rents are expected to remain high.
There is no denying that renting your dream home in BC requires careful planning, research, and attention to detail. Follow the tips outlined in this comprehensive guide to increase your chances of finding and securing the perfect home for your needs. Remember, patience and persistence are key, and with the right approach, you can make renting in BC a rewarding and enjoyable experience.
As always, Save Max suggests consulting with our experienced Vancouver Realtors for advice on navigating the tricky housing market in British Columbia.


To help us get our products to users worldwide, Slingshot Biosciences, Inc. has direct sales personnel and partnerships with the distributors listed below. Our direct sales teams cover the following countries: Canada, the USA, and Mexico.
If you are in any of these countries, please get in touch with our sales team at email@example.com for your product inquiry and support questions.
If you are in other parts of the world, please work with our distributors listed below.
|BIOKÉ||The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg||https://www.bioke.com/|
|BioCom Africa||All Africa, minus Sudan and Egypt||http://www.biocombiotech.com/|
|Cambridge Bioscience||The United Kingdom and Ireland||https://www.bioscience.co.uk/home|
|Chameleon Science||Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore||https://chameleonscience.com/|
|I.T.A.-Intertact, s.r.o.||Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland.||https://www.ita-intertact.com/o-nas.html|
|Kem-En-Tec Nordic A/S||Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland||https://kem-en-tec-nordic.com/|
|OMNI Life Science||Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy||https://www.ols-bio.de/|
|Palex /LusoPalex||Spain and Portugal||https://www.palexmedical.com/en/|


The Law of the Sea Institute of Iceland and the Korea Maritime Institute welcome you to attend the Conference on New Knowledge and Changing Circumstances in the Law of the Sea in Reykjavik, Iceland, 28-30 June 2018.
The Nordic Council of Ministers, the Netherlands Government and the K.G. Jebsen Centre for the Law of the Sea are Associate Sponsors.
The Conference will focus on topics where there has been a particular advancement in knowledge from the time when the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was negotiated, including marine genetic resources, the continental shelf, and deep seabed mineral resources. Attention will also be given to issues where circumstances in the oceans are changing due to global warming, for example, sea level rise and Central Arctic Ocean fisheries.
The Conference will be held in the new building of the University of Iceland, Veröld – the House of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, on 28 and 29 June. In the evening of 28 June there will be a Reception in Harpa, the beautiful concert and conference centre at Reykjavik harbour. On 30 June there will be an Excursion to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula which includes a walking tour along a spectacular coast and a boat trip from Stykkishólmur.


Module 4 - Global Energy Perspectives.mp4 from Indigenous Clean Energy on Vimeo.
Global Energy Perspectives will introduce participants to energy systems, policy, and technological innovation outside of Canada. The module will specifically focus on Indigenous led energy initiatives across the globe and explore intersectional lens that influence global energy systems such as gender and environment. Participants will expand their understanding beyond the Canadian context and be inspired to look more broadly when exploring energy solutions and innovations. Participants will explore global energy perspectives through case studies and analysis of Indigenous led energy projects in jurisdictions outside of Canada.


May 27, 2011
A day before the Figawi Regatta
|Hyannis Yacht Club-Skippers Meeting
This morning I drive down to Fairhaven, Massachusetts, where the sailboat-Bite belonging to
Sail Buzzards Bay is docked. Crossing the drawbridge I take notice of the harbor with its
blanket of thick fog. The hurricane barrier gate out to Buzzards Bay is not visible. Fog
enveloped houses greet me as I turn off Route 6 and head down Main Street. Soon all ends
are finalized and I head for the boat –– must remember everything. Warm clothes are very
important, regardless of the date. Water temperature is still in the low to mid fifties.
And the temperature gradient between land and sea is about twenty degrees. Must pack warmly
just in case. Anyhow, the idea is to sail over to Cotuit on Cape Cod via Woods Hole, best
tide and favorable current midday. Four hours sailing to Woods Hole.
–– Set sail!
In fog, we set sail at 850 hours. The water is fairly calm, small waves, light south,
southwestern breeze. The fog is denser, as we leave the harbor. The harbor entrance, along
with the seawall and the entire coastline, quickly fade out of sight. Only fog surrounds us.
Patches of even denser fog stream by. Foghorn in constant use. Everybody remains watchful,
can’t miss any boats, must stay vigilant at all times. Fishing vessels appear just as quickly
as they disappear. An hour into the trip, heading 110° to Woods Hole; in the fog.
At some point, the sun tries to break through. The forecast is for conditions to improve. My
first encounter with the fog leaves me straining my eyes, using binoculars, constantly
observing the perimeter, the invisible horizon. Some stretches are mightily dense; the foghorn
sounds at short intervals. A silhouette of a trawler creeps stealthily out like a ghost,
figures visible on deck wave – almost undetected it sails across the sixty or so yards of
visibility and, without a trace, disappears back into the fog. All fog yet again. That same
white view all around. Eyes constantly watchful, ears alert.
|Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound
–– Woods Hole
At the channel entrance, the fog starts to dissolve and a few masts become visible. The outline
of the shore and a line of trees slowly come into focus, then the contours of the beach.
Momentarily, the red and green buoy serrated channel looms ahead. Suddenly, it is clear.
The sun is out. On both sides, sharp details of the coastline are now visible. Just above the
sandy beaches, amongst the trees a few big houses are perched up on the bluff. Now clearly
visible is the caravan of sailboats heading for Nantucket Sound. The current in the channel
is still strong, not entirely slack time yet. In an hour or so, we cross the channel without
any incidents, and soon fade back into the fog.
–– Nantucket Sound
Fog. Less fog. No fog. Shoreline clearly visible. Heading for Cotuit Bay.
May 28, 2011
Day of the Race
–– Morning at Cotuit Bay
The morning comes with thick fog yet again. It is heavy and hangs low, surrounding us. We dress,
change the jib to Genoa jib, drink coffee, have a bite to eat, and soon after push off into
foggy Cotuit Bay. Start time 1000 hours. Bite –– the slowest boat in the class. Let’s hope
we make the course in time, get in a good sail, and complete it.
|Figawi - The Competition
-At Cotuit Bay get lost in the fog,
-run aground, managed to get off,
-once again foghorn in constant use.
-The race is three hours delayed,
-we have an incredible start!
-Run first to the 17th buoy,
-run out of wind and withdraw.
-No winners in our class,
-not many finishers in general.
-At the docks about two hundred and fifty sailboats,
-the party is alive, smiling faces in the street.
-It would not let up for the next two nights.
May 29, 2011
Day on the Island
|Foggy Nantucket Harbor Morning
–– Nantucket Island
The morning is quiet and the docks are empty. The revelry is in respite. We awake early and
breakfast at the Fog Island Café. Later rent bikes and explore the island. The sky is clear
and the sun is out. We walk the cobbled streets full of restaurants and gift-shops, past old
Victorian houses embowered by tall trees, and once on smooth pavement make time. The countryside
is idyllic with rolling fields of low shrubbery, indigenous pine trees, and wooden summer
cottages. We ride about twelve miles to Madaket beach, western shore of the island. Here
enjoy the sandy beach and watch the fog roll back in off the ocean. After a short rest, we
pedal back to town, which by now is alive yet again.
Back on the boat, we sit back and have a few drinks. The fog has crossed the island by now
and is slowly tumbling over full-leafed trees and slanted rooftops. The last rays of the
orange sun disappear leaving no trace.
–– At the docks
The atmosphere here is alive. People pull notes on the other side of the dock. A Jolly Roger
halfway up a backstay flies stiff in the breeze. It is that kind of a vibe. Noisy, rowdy crowds
heard all around. The commotion permeates the docks, the streets, the ice-cubes are melting,
the party is on.
May 30, 2011
In the morning, there is a stiff South-Southwest breeze. The docks are quiet compared to
the last two days, only rigging and flags make a pleasant, harmonious sound. There are a
few patches of fog. The temperature is climbing. It is difficult to say what awaits us out
on the water. Soon everything on deck is set and we are ready to head out. Boat after boat,
the docks empty. Shortly, we are in the channel heading for the start line. Only two classes
finished Saturday, so today's race counts. The start…not so good…we are the last boat in the
pack. The boats in front are off and running, many with spinnakers on a downwind leg. About
six miles to the first mark. At first, we hesitate, but after a short discussion, we decide
to hoist the big drifter sail. With the bigger sail to maximize the wind –– our speed increases
to seven knots. By the first marking, we have caught up and pass two boats. At the first tack,
the fog returns. In the thickening vapors, we are close-hauled into the
|Martynas and Louisa at the Helm
teeth of the wind, still making about six knots. Fog all around, hard to make out any boats.
Here, due to poor visibility, navigational skills are key, must rely on the GPS. In four
tacks, we reach the mark. We ease and heading on a close reach, stream toward the finish line.
About a mile and a half to go. The fog is even denser, precise navigation is paramount to a
good finish here. Finally, we spot the buoy and the committee boat marking the line. The gun
goes off as we cross. We exclaim, high fives, we have completed the course.
Later we found out we had come in first in our class.


From humble beginnings in 2000, ASE began as a break-fix computer troubleshooting organisation in the back of a university lecture hall. Twenty plus years later, ASE delivers a full suite of technology services and solutions to meet customer challenges in markets including Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, UK, Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong and other regions of Asia.
ASE has been growing, resulting in requiring more space for the ever-growing team. To accommodate everyone, and to have more space to host clients for workshops and socialising, the team is excited to have now moved into a brand-new head office in St Leonards, Sydney.
The office is situated in the IBM building, a modern, sustainable, and vibrant office space, with sweeping views of Sydney CBD. With a short five-kilometre route to Sydney’s CBD, ASE is looking forward to hosting clients nearby and in the new office space.
ASE CEO, Andrew Sjoquist said, “We are looking forward to this new chapter in ASE’s timeline. It’s great to see the team settling into the new space as we continue to deliver upon our promise to customers and stakeholders by Asking, Solving, and Evolving our client’s challenges and businesses.”
“If you’re a Sydney local, drop on by! We have a fantastic kitchen space and balconies at the ready for a coffee, or a sneaky bevvie.”


Reinvigorating the Chabahar port
GS Paper 2: International Relations
Prelims exam: Chabahar Port location
Mains exam: Importance of Chabahar Port for India
Why in News
After months of what appeared to be a “go-slow”, the Union government has revved up its interest in using Iran’s Chabahar port to connect to Afghanistan and Central Asia for trade, with the visit of the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways.
Why is Chabahar back in the news?
• The recent visit of the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways to Iran would be a chance to “strengthen ties and the maritime relationship” between the two countries.
• Due to the pandemic, there were less number of visits from India to Iran and vice-versa. This visit will also highlight the importance of Chabahar as a gateway for Indian trade with Europe, Russia and CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries.
What is India’s strategic vision for Chabahar?
• When the first agreement for Chabahar was signed by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003, the plan had a three-fold objective:
o to build India’s first offshore port and to project Indian infrastructure prowess in the Gulf;
o to circumvent trade through Pakistan, given the tense ties with India’s neighbour and build a long term, sustainable sea trade route;
o to find an alternative land route to Afghanistan, which India had rebuilt ties with after the defeat of the Taliban in 2001.
• Subsequently, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government constructed the Zaranj -Delaram Highway in Afghanistan’s South, which would help connect the trade route from the border of Iran to the main trade routes to Herat and Kabul, handing it over to the Karzai government in 2009.
• In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Tehran and signed the agreement to develop Chabahar port, as well as the trilateral agreement for trade through Chabahar with Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani.
• In the last few years, a fourth strategic objective for the Chabahar route has appeared, with China’s Belt and Road Initiative making inroads in the region.
• The government hopes to provide Central Asia with an alternate route to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through Iran for future trade.
Linking with International North South Trade Corridor (INSTC)
• Speaking a few days earlier on the occasion of a “Chabahar Day” function in Mumbai, Union minister for ports said that it is India’s vision to make the Shahid Beheshti port a “a transit hub” and link it to the International North South Trade Corridor (INSTC), that also connects to Russia and Europe.
Why is the Chabahar dream taking so long to realise?
• Iran’s relationship with western countries: Since the beginning, the development of the Shahid Beheshti terminal in Chabahar as well as surrounding infrastructure has hit geopolitical road-block after road-block; the biggest issue has been over Iran’s relationship with western countries, especially the United States.
• US sanctions on Iran: In years when western sanctions against Iran increased, the Chabahar project has been put on the back-burner.
• Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA): While in the years when nuclear talks that resulted in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015 came into being, the Chabahar port has been easier to work on.
o In 2018, the U.S. Trump administration put paid to India’s plans by walking out of the JCPOA and slapping new sanctions on dealing with Iran. This led to the Modi government “zeroing out” all its oil imports from Iran, earlier a major supplier to India, causing a strain in ties.
o Despite the fact that the U.S. made a special “carve-out” on sanctions for Chabahar, on the ground, it has been difficult to source equipment for the port construction from infrastructure companies that continue to fear secondary sanctions, as well as to engage shipping and insurance companies for trade through Chabahar.
• The Taliban’s capturing the power: The government also snapped ties with Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, which put an end to the humanitarian aid of wheat and pulses that was being sent to Kabul via Chabahar. When India restarted wheat aid to Afghanistan this year, it negotiated with Pakistan to use the land route instead.
With the government now reopening the Indian Embassy in Kabul, and establishing ties with the Taliban government, it is possible that the Chabahar route will once again be employed, another reason for the recent flurry of activity at the Iranian port terminal that India has pinned so many hopes on.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]


Embrace everyday comfort with the cozy, luxurious Jude Alpaca Pants.
Knitted with 100% baby alpaca yarn and a beautiful double face stitch, these cozy pants feature functional pockets and an elastic waistband for all-day comfort and unrestricted movement.
So soft and warm - you might not ever want to get out of them!
Fabric - 100% Baby Alpaca
*** Dry Clean for best results ***
Made in Lima, Peru
Size Guide - flat measurements
XS/S - Waist 12.5" / Rise 9" / Hip 20.75" / Inseam 26"
S/M - Waist 13.5" / Rise 10" / Hip 21.75" / Inseam 26.25"
M/L - Waist 14.25" / Rise 10.5" / Hip 22.75" / Inseam 26.75"
L/XL - Waist 15.75" / Rise 11" / Hip 24" / Inseam 27.25"
Why does Zinnia love Bare Knitwear?
In 2012 the first Bare Knitwear collection was created from a small studio on the West Coast of Canada. As the brand expanded the search began for honest, small-scale production, sustainable fibers and artisan craftsmanship. This led to the exploration of the rugged landscapes of the Peruvian Andes, known for their high quality fibers and talented artisans.
After weeks spent working with local producers in remote regions, the production finally found its home in Ayacucho, a tiny Peruvian town tucked in the south central Andes.
Today, each Bare Knitwear garment is still brought to life by hand through a collaborative development process merging the ancient heritage of Peruvian techniques with modern design. The brand continues to work with small producers throughout Peru for the sourcing of their signature alpaca, wool and Pima cotton collections.
The proudest achievement of all is the personal relationships the brand has forged with their partners who employ and empower local Peruvian artisans. Over time Bare has witnessed the difference quality employment can bring to a community, providing sustainable employment for local artisans and the opportunity for them to have true autonomy over their future.
The wool used by Bare Knitwear has a free of mulesing certification and their suppliers hold the RAS (Responsible Alpaca Standard) and RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) certificate.
Where possible, they choose to work with un-dyed, natural materials. When dyes are used they use low-impact, OEKO-TEX certified dyes that are heavy metal and azo-free, ensuring consumer and environmental safety.


Peaceful and private, featuring magnificent views of Vancouver and the Southern Gulf Islands. Experience sunrise and sunset at 1000 feet above sea level — truly “top-of-the-world” vacation living!
Each of our elegant guest rooms has been beautifully decorated with its own special touches. All have private entrances, private bathrooms, patios, and indoor sitting and dining areas. All feature luxurious queen size beds with feather mattresses and pillows.
Our Mount Maxwell Room is a sweet little home base for a couple or single person. Our Arbutus Room has more room, a bigger balcony, and a full-sized bath tub. Our Sky Suite is our biggest suite featuring two queen size beds, a queen sofa bed and living room. Our Ocean Vista corner suite offers a stunning view and a jacuzzi bathtub.
Armand Heights Bed and Breakfast is centrally located on beautiful Salt Spring Island. Peaceful, private, adult-oriented and just a short drive to lakes, ocean beaches, and the main village of Ganges where you will find a variety of restaurants, coffee shops and artisans stores. On Saturday be sure and visit our well-known farmers’ market. For nature lovers, we are only a short walk from the Mount Maxwell hiking trail with its breathtaking views over the Gulf Islands.
Enjoy beautiful Salt Spring Island and find what you want to do.


Hope you are all well.
I have had a busy few weeks including a wonderful holiday in Madeira at the beginning of February. It was lovely to get away to that beautiful island and we really enjoyed the fact that it was so much warmer than here! Lots of sun too.
This card was one that Barbara Gray created on her blog a while ago and I liked it so much I thought I would have a go! Needless to remark it is nowhere near as professional as Barbara's but I still am reasonably happy with the result.
For the background I used Distress ink pads - several different colours of yellow and orange. I then spritzed it with water before adding the mountains which were created using Pebble (I think) Adirondak. The stamp is Clarity Stamps from the "Butterfly Tree Set".
Hope you like it.
Hugs Di xx


Florida is a popular destination wedding location for many couples. Often times, due to travel plans or unfamiliarity with the local area, many brides and grooms wish to obtain their Florida Marriage License in advance of their arrival. There is currently a lot of contradictory information on the Internet as to whether or not a couple can obtain their License to Marry in the State of Florida without having to appear in person before the Clerk of Court. Some websites say you can while others say you cannot. Surprisingly, there are even some Clerks of Court in the State of Florida who are unfamiliar with the Statutes.
Simply put, there is a provision in the Florida Statutes for obtaining your Marriage License by mail in advance of your arrival but there are several special conditions that must be met beforehand. The process for obtaining your license in this manner is referred to as a "Plea In Absentia". It is a little-known provision in the Statutes designed to assist those brides and grooms with special circumstances.
Generally speaking, the following conditions must be met:
The Marriage License is valid for 60 days from the date it has been issued. The date of issue counts as the first day so care should be taken to ensure the couple allows a few extra "slack days" on the back-end of the valid period for the license in the event of travel delays or last minute changes to their wedding date. If the license expires prior to the wedding ceremony a new one must be obtained before the officiant can legally sanction the union of the couple.
Currently, there are only two County Clerks of Court in the State of Florida that allow for Plea in Absentia filings as they pertain to Marriage Licenses. Fortunately, however, a Marriage License issued by any County Clerk of Court within Florida is valid in any other county. For example, you may use a courthouse in Central Florida for your Plea in Absentia filing and still get married in the Florida Keys, Miami, Panama City Beach, or elsewhere within the State.
We hope this article helps to clear up any confusion on this issue. For further study, we would recommend a review of the Florida Statutes, section 741. We wish you the best for your visit to the Sunshine State and for your upcoming wedding.


We all have used online food app to get delivered delicious food from the best restaurants in the city. Ever wondered, how can you track the food when it leaves the restaurants? The answer is a GPS tracking system – a vehicle tracker. Actually, GPS stands for Global Positioning System, the technology that communicates with the electronic device in the vehicle to the satellite revolving around the earth. The technology is cool and available for public use. It was first introduced to the world for the US army later in the time got civil access as well. Most of the fleet business across the globe are utilizing this technology for their business and keeping track of their fleets to enhance their services to the customers.
Here is the thing, GPS Vehicle tracker is not just for fleet business. There are various other industries utilizing this technology to keep track of their vehicles such as Production, Manufacturing, Food and Beverages, Hospitality, Oil and Gas etc. It depends on needs, not on the Industry type.
Here in this piece of writing, I am emphasizing more on fleet business as it is the major impacting source in this business:
- Selection of Appropriate Route
Most of the drivers are visiting a new route every time. Therefore finding an appropriate route becomes crucial for delivering the load on time. Vehicle Tracker not only tracks the position for you but also suggests the fastest and appropriate route depending on the vehicle. Hence, it not only helps the fleet management company but also to the drivers as well. It also gives the luxury to you to suggest routes to your drivers avoiding fatal accidents, road construction, traffic jams and other unavoidable calamities.
- Deliver Goods at the right time at the right location
Vehicle tracker provides the real-time location of the vehicles on your web interface giving you the opportunity to choose the right vehicle nearest to the delivery location. Choose the best vehicle for the location and load to deliver stuff more promptly. It eliminates the hassle to look into the long and heavy data location logs when you can do the trick in just a few clicks.
- Safety comes to life – Theft Protection
The major threat to the fleet management business is vehicle theft. Lots of business across the world face the issue and reported this problem. According to a report published by Wikipedia in 2012, the United State has witnessed the estimated motor vehicle theft of around 300 per hundred thousand inhabitants of the country. There are still few cases are pending from 721, 053 which are reported in the year 2012. GPS Vehicle tracker is also available in the form of Mini Vehicle Tracking Device. The size doesn’t matter when it comes to security.
- Proper Analysis and Reporting
A GPS tracking system will not only monitor the real-time location but also stores data of the journey in the tiny memory card placed in the device. Later, this data can be downloaded and can be used for reporting and analysis of cost, time and fuel efficiency. Do you own a fleet management business? What are you waiting for? Go to the best-customized Vehicle Tracker for your business now.


For chefs Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking, Heat Seekers is a tongue-testing odyssey to discover the most deliciously spicy food across the country and to figure out why these dishes are so fun to eat. From Los Angeles and Santa Fe to Miami and New Orleans, the dynamic duo discovers the secrets of spicy dishes of all kinds from Mexican to Korean to Indian cuisine and then subjects themselves to a test of who can handle the heat. Indulging in spicy ceviche and flaming-hot cocktails, Roger and Aaron put their taste buds to the test, and the results are either tears of laughter or tears of pain usually both.
Heat Seekers is broadcast by the following broadcasters in the following territories:
USA & The Caribbean – Food Network
USA & The Caribbean – Cooking Channel
United Kingdom – Food Network UK
Indonesia – Asian Food Channel on TelkomVision
Italy – Fine Living Italy
Philippines – Asian Food Channel
Portugal – Food Network HD on ZON Portugal
South Africa – Food Network
Check your local listings for air dates and times.


The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently awarded approximately $20 million to 11 organizations for the first year of a five-year program to provide on-the-ground training and education about the Quality Payment Program for clinicians in individual or small group practices of 15 clinicians or fewer. CMS intends to invest up to an additional $80 million over the remaining four years.
Small practices with 15 or fewer clinicians, including those in rural locations, health professional shortage areas, and medically underserved areas are a crucial part of the health care system. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) provides direct technical assistance to help individual Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians and small practices in these settings participate in the Quality Payment Program.
The training and education resources are available now, at no cost to eligible clinicians and practices (15 clinicians or fewer).
- MIPS expectations and timelines
- Understanding the MIPS feedback report
- Creating a MIPS-score improvement plan
- Evaluating your practice readiness for joining an Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM)
- Assessing and optimizing your Health Information Technology
- Change management and strategic planning
- Developing and disseminating education and training materials
- Peer-to-peer learning and local partnerships
These organizations were awarded CMS contracts to provide customized quality payment program help and training:
If you are in an individual or group practice with 15 clinicians or fewer, you are eligible for this technical assistance, authorized and funded under MACRA. You can locate the contact information of the local or regional organization servicing your state below.
If you are in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin, or Minnesota:
Altarum – Altarum can be contacted through Francois de Brantes: 734-205-6102, firstname.lastname@example.org
If you are in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, or South Carolina:
Georgia Medical Care Foundation (GMCF) – GMCF can be contacted by calling 678-527-3100
If you are in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, or Vermont:
Healthcentric Advisors – Contact the New England Quality Payment Program Support Center at email@example.com
If you are in Arizona, California, Hawaii, or New Mexico:
Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG) – Click on “Meet the Experts” for direct contact information by your state
If you are in Alaska, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, or Wyoming:
NRHI – NRHI is partnering with HealthInsight and Mountain-Pacific Quality Health to provide technical assistance to small practices in these states. Eligible clinicians can request this support by contacting the following:
- For providers in Utah, Oregon and Nevada: firstname.lastname@example.org
- For providers in Montana, Wyoming and Alaska: email@example.com
If you are in Tennessee or Alabama:
Qsource – Contact Brooke Tweddell, Phone: 901-273-2646 or 901-270-4870 or via email: firstname.lastname@example.org
If you are in Idaho or Washington:
Qualis Health – Qualis Health can be contacted via email at email@example.com.
If you are in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or West Virginia:
Quality Insights (West Virginia Medical Institute) – Quality Insights can be reached via email at firstname.lastname@example.org
If you are in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota or North Dakota:
Telligen – Program details such as how to enroll are forthcoming. In the meantime, questions can be directed to Susan Brown, Health IT Director at Telligen (515-440-8215) or submitted to email@example.com.
If you are in Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma or Puerto Rico:
For more information on the Quality Payment Program, visit qpp.cms.gov or contact the Quality Payment Program by calling 1-866-288-8292 or emailing firstname.lastname@example.org.
Download the CMS Fact sheet with US Map containing contact information for the organizations above.


Dr. Michael Aiello and our team can meet your dental health needs at our conveniently located Clinton Township practice.
Our family-friendly dental practice is located at the following address:
43630 Hayes Rd #230
Clinton Twp, MI 48038
West of Anchor Bay and Lake St. Clair, our Clinton Township dental practice is surrounded by beautiful buildings and local shops. You can find us in close proximity to Lakeside Village Apartments and St. Sharbel Church. Our building is on the corner of Hayes Rd. and Lakeside Village Dr., and directly across the street from Olivewood Drive.
We Are Conveniently Located
Our state-of-the-art dental practice is north of 19 Mile Rd and the east side of Hayes Rd. Arriving via M-59 W:
- Head west on M-59 W/Hall Rd. toward Riverwoods Dr.
- Use the left lane to turn left onto Hall Rd.
- Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto Hayes Rd.
- Turn left at Olivewood Dr., and you’ll see our building!
For the convenience of our patients, we have ample parking in front of and behind our contemporary, single-story building. We provide handicapped parking spaces near our front doors.
Our office is located inside of the Atrium Office Center, which shares a building with several local businesses, including Michigan Rehabilitation Services and Michigan Works.
Call Us To Book Your Dental Appointment
If you have been searching online for a “dentist near me,” look no further than Clinton Township dentist, Dr. Aiello!


H&H Land & Estates discuss the region’s thriving property market, currently experiencing the fastest rising house prices in 14 years.
In May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced that the typical UK home cost an average of £23,000 more than it did in the previous year. This equated to a 10% rise - the fastest rate of growth since 2007 - bringing the average UK home cost up to £255,000. In the North West of England, however, house prices have instead increased by 15.2% year on year, with the North East close behind with a rise of 12%. Here Kate Patrick, Head of Estate Agency for H&H Land & Estates evaluates potential reasons why.
“The surge in both prices and demand within the North’s property market can be attributed to a number of likely factors, many of which are linked to the pandemic. Many people came to re-evaluate lifestyle choices while working from home and for a huge number, priorities significantly changed. Many found themselves wanting more space, both inside and out, while others chose to swap urban living altogether in favour of a more rural lifestyle. The North is a highly desirable location for people looking for peace, privacy and beautiful surrounding scenery, offering many buyers the chance for a new way of life.
“Stamp duty holidays offered by the government also drove sales, with many people seeking to capitalise on the saving and complete at the start of this year ahead of the scheme winding down. When demand for houses began to outstrip those up for sale, prices climbed and competition in the housing market grew.
“Property prices in our area still continue to rise, and demand to buy property remains very high. With fewer properties coming to the market, we are seeing viewings on certain houses doubling and sometimes tripling as a result. This is obviously leading to offers over the initial asking price. In terms of how this trend is impacting buyers and sellers alike, some potential buyers are missing out on the house of their dreams as they are not in a position to proceed. Buyers with a complete chain or cash/mortgage purchasers are instead snapping up property.
“I would encourage anyone looking to sell to call us to arrange a market appraisal as we have a significant number of buyers waiting for property to come to the market. There are pockets of the market where we are seeing price sensitivity as the incentive to buy up to £500,000 before June 2021 has come to an end.
“H&H Land & Estates use all the comparable evidence available to us to provide all our customers with the most up to date valuation, especially in these fast-moving times. Our experienced team have a specialist, in-depth understanding of our region and would be happy to assist you, whether you are a buyer, seller or are keen to know more about the thriving property scene across both the North East and the North West.”
H&H Land & Estates have a reputation as one of the leading independent rural property advisory firms operating across the North of England and the Scottish Borders, with a well-established client base across offices in Carlisle, Penrith, Kendal, Keswick, Durham and Cockermouth


The Flower Bar
Plants and Flowers
About The Flower BarWe are located in the Byron Bay hinterland in the bustling village of Bangalow. We pride ourselves on great customer service, the freshest of flowers and prompt service.
Our flowers arrive fresh in everyday from local growers and markets, with an abundance of scent, colour and choice. We also provide beautiful locally sourced hampers and deliver daily throughout the Bangalow and Byron Bay area.
Our 24 hour BUY ONLINE website helps you deliver fresh flowers 7 days a week to all of the below areas: Byron Bay, Bangalow, Newrybar, Ballina, Lismore, Goonellabah, Binna Burra, Clunes, Eltham, Mullumbimby, Kingscliffe, Cassuarina, Pottsville, Brunswick Heads, Ocean Shores, New Brighton, Lennox Head and surrounding areas.
We also arrange flowers for weddings, please contact us for more details.


Emerald Air Service is the oldest guided bear viewing company based in Homer and have had the pleasure of sharing respect, understanding, and love for Alaska’s Coastal Brown Bears with many thousands of guests while maintaining a perfect safety record in over 30 years of operation.
We operate out of two turbine de Havilland Otters on floats; spacious seats–each with a window and a headset. The areas of Katmai National Park which we visit are a scenic hour's flight past volcanoes and glaciers lining Kachemak Bay and the Cook Inlet. Keep an eye on the water as we commonly see whales and sea otters. Spend a day in Katmai's back-country with a small group lead by our naturalist guide or come with us to Brooks Falls to see the iconic moment of salmon leaping up waterfalls only to be caught in the jaws of Coastal Brown Bears. Either trip you choose, you will have 5 hours on the ground with these awe-inspiring bears.
One of Emerald Air Service’s defining attributes is that our main goal is to educate guests about Katmai’s majestic residents, the Coastal Brown Bear, and the country in which they live. We hope everyone who takes one of our trips leaves with not only great photos, but with an understanding of bears, with knowledge of how to move respectfully throughout their world, and with a love for wild places.


Dr Joe Thomas is one of the leading social commentators on HIV and AIDS in Asia Pacific region. He has contributed towards HIV-AIDS related program and policy developments in Australia, India, Indonesia, East Timor, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Mongolia and Rwanda. He has served as the HIV-AIDS Advisor to the Ministry of Health in East Timor, served as a technical advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) and as the regional manager of the Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council in Darwin, Australia. For the last eight years he has edited two popular e-forums. AIDS INDIA and AIDS ASIA e FORUM. Dr Thomas is the founding co-convenor of the largest Asia regional multi sectoral alliance for HIV response. Asian People’s Alliance for Combating HIV-AIDS (APACHA). He is the author of the two books and has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals. As an Indian immigrant living and working in Australia, Dr Thomas is acutely aware of the vulnerabilities of migrant and other marginalised population groups and its implications on their health and wellbeing. He is at the forefront of fighting stigma, discrimination, racial and other intolerances. He is the founding Director of the International Centre for Health Equity Inc. based in Melbourne, Australia.


The upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday August 21 is exciting, but not because total solar eclipses are scientifically rare. In fact, an average of once every 18 months, a total solar eclipse is visible from some place on the Earth’s surface. What makes this rare for humans is that these usually occur over water or in sparsely populated areas. Consider this – the last time a total solar eclipse impacted the lower 48 states was in 1979 and another one will not have such visibility across the U.S. until 2045. This one is very special because it’s the first time in American history one will be visible across a 70-mile wide swath from coast to coast. NASA estimates 500 million people will be able to see this eclipse, either partially or in totality: 391 million in the U.S., 35 million in Canada, and 119 million in Mexico.
What is a Total Solar Eclipse?
A total solar eclipse occurs during the phase called a New Moon; the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth, but this only happens when the moon is at its closest position to the Earth. Although the moon orbits the Earth about once every month, it’s orbit is tilted at about 5 degrees from the Sun-Earth orbital plane and elliptical, so the moon rarely casts a shadow on the Earth’s surface. Normally, the bright yellow surface of the sun (photosphere) is all we see. When the moon blocks out this intense light, this enables observation of the much dimmer solar atmosphere (corona), which appears as a pearly-white halo. This is a beautiful sight to see, but be careful as explained later.
A solar eclipse as it travels across Earth’s surface can last as long as 3 hours in partiality, however, the longest period the moon will completely block the sun at any given location will be about 2 minutes, 40 seconds. Against one’s intuition whereas the sun and moon rise in the east and set in the west, the shadow cast by a solar eclipse moves from west to east. The first landfall of the eclipse in the USA will be Lincoln Beach, Oregon starting at 9:05 a.m. PST, with totality starting at 10:15 a.m. During the next hour and a half, the path of totality will cross through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. The total eclipse across the USA will end near Charleston, South Carolina at 2:45 p.m. EST.
Protecting Your Sight
Perhaps you remember your parents or teachers warning you to never look directly at the sun. Some people are under the misconception because most of the sun is blocked during a total eclipse, it is safe to look at it. That is absolutely false except for the few moments of totality. Looking at the Sun without protective solar eyeglasses can cause permanent damage to your sight. Because of the overall darkness, the pupils dilate which allows a great deal of powerful sunlight light to enter ones eyes. It only takes 30 to 60 seconds staring at an eclipse to cause retinal damage, called solar retinopathy. The retina absorbs the intense light from the Solar Corona thereby damaging cells. It is painless, so people may not realize they incurred damage until later on. Symptoms include loss of visual acuity (sharpness of vision), blind spots, changes in color vision, or distortion when looking at straight lines or grids.
Eclipse Sight-Saving Tips
- Don’t wear ordinary sunglasses because even dark ones are not strong enough to protect your eyes.
- Be aware of fakes – Amazon recently discovered unscrupulous dealers were selling unsafe solar eclipse glasses and they’re issuing refunds.
- Only wear welding glasses if they are #14, which is much darker than an arc welder typically wears.
- Don’t use solar filters that are scratched or damaged.
- Don’t wear solar eyeglasses and look through a camera, telescope, or binoculars because this magnifies the rays and negates the glasses’ protection. However, you can use these instruments if they are equipped with special solar filters.
- Do build your own pinhole box in a matter of minutes, which some eye experts say is safer than using solar eclipse glasses (and it’s a great kid-friendly activity!).
- Do use specially designed solar eclipse glasses and viewers to block the sun’s harmful rays. To date, only four manufacturers sell eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers that meet international safety standards:
Of course, Mother Nature can ruin even the best laid plans. If it is completely overcast, the eclipse won’t be visible, but it will be eerily dark outside. So, by all means, if you are one of the 500 million people who is able to see this on August 21, go ahead and enjoy this rare event. Just be careful – and don’t look at the eclipse unless you follow the aforementioned precautions.


Southern Africa Regional Food Security Specialist – Livelihood
- Post Date:September 14, 2021
- Apply Before: September 27, 2021
- Views 154
- Career Level SpecialistQualification DegreeExperience 1-3 Years
- Industry Non Governmental
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Early Warning Team (EWT) seeks a full-time regional food security specialist – livelihood (RFSS-LH) based in Harare, Zimbabwe. FEWS NET is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food security early warning information and analysis.
Chemonics International (Chemonics) implements the FEWS NET EWT, a team charged with integrated emergency food insecurity analysis through a Washington-based technical office and more than 20 field offices. The Southern Africa regional food security specialist – livelihood will support the effective execution of technical activities in the regional office. The Southern Africa RFSS-LH will work with the regional representative (RR), the rest of the regional team, the country teams in the region, and partners to design, execute, and coordinate regional activities in livelihoods and HEA.
Minimum qualifications for this position include:
- Proficiency in written and spoken English is required; French, Portuguese, or other local language skills are desirable;
- Bachelor’s degree in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, anthropology, or social geography is required; advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) is desirable;
- At least two years of relevant experience (with PhD), four years of relevant experience (with Master’s degree), or six years of relevant experience (with Bachelor’s degree) is required. Relevant experience includes working on food security information systems, food security analysis, early warning, or other related fields; experience working with UN agencies and/or NGOs is desirable;
- Excellent computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint) are required; ability to effectively use statistical software packages and/or GIS applications is desirable.
Please refer to and view the full job description for the regional food security specialist – livelihood position by clicking on the “Apply Now” button below. To apply, please complete the general application form and upload your CV and cover letter at https://fewsnet.formstack.com/forms/ewt_sa_rfss by September 26th, 2021 (11:59 p.m. EDT).
All application materials, including responses to the general information form, CVs, and cover letters, should be provided in English. No telephone inquiries. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
For applicants located in the EU, please see Chemonics Data Privacy Notice linked here: https://chemonics.com/eu-recruiting-data-privacy-notice/
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We Come To You
Our healthcare providers will come to your home, office, dorm, hotel room, or wherever you are! We currently serve Washington, D.C. and Maryland, and expect to expand more soon!
Care When You Need It
Our TeleCheckup service connects you with providers from your phone or computer.
Our TeleCheckup appointments start at $49 and our basic Checkup At Home appointments are only $99, no insurance necessary. We expect to accept insurance in the near future.


Elite Design made for 2019 North American Nationals
Black velvet Elite with red and grey embroidery and tan shoulders. Dress has stretchy sequin sleeves and a red tool skirt.
Worn for 5 majors and about 6-7 feis. Dress is stored flat and well take care of. Length from V-neck to bottom of skirt is 28 in, Length from top of shoulders to bottom of skirt (front) is 30.5 in, Length from top of zipper to bottom of skirt is 31.5 in. Dancer is 5′ 4″. Dress is located in Atlanta, Georgia
(Purhase through Amazon to help support FeisDresses.com)


Byrd Tractor is your dealer for land, lawn and construction equipment in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas. We're your local authorized dealer for Kubota Equipment,
Landpride Implements, Encore Mowers, Anderson Trailers and many more.
We offer sales, rentals, parts and service including pickup and delivery, road service and custom fabrication.
Serving: Arlington, Alexandria, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Dale City, Fairfax, Falls Church, Great Falls, Herndon, Lake Ridge, Manassas, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, Tysons Corner, Vienna, Woodbridge and more...