French luxury group Kering will no longer use models who are under the age
of 18.
The fashion company owns several major fashion houses, including Gucci,
Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen.
The policy will come into effect in time for the 2020-2021 Autumn/Winter
collections, the company said.
Kering CEO François Henri-Pinault said in a statement that the company was
“conscious of the influence exerted on younger generations” by its
images.
He said: “We believe that we have
a responsibility to put forward the best possible practices in the luxury
sector, and we hope to create a movement that will encourage others to follow
suit.”
Kering’s chief sustainability officer, Marie-Claire Daveu, added: “The physiological and psychological
maturity of models aged over 18 seems more appropriate to the rhythm and
demands that are involved in this profession.”
The company’s decision comes as fashion brands are increasingly trying to
become more ethical, both in their designs and in their working practices.
In August 2018, Condé Nast, which publishes Vogue magazine, announced that it would not use models under the
age of 18 in editorial shoots, unless they were the subject of an article.
An editorial in Vogue said at the
time: “This is partly the result of
an internal reckoning.
“Vogue, along with a number of
other publications, has played a role in making it routine for children – since
that’s what they are – to be dressed and marketed as glamorous adults.”
It continued: “No more: it’s not
right for us, it’s not right for our readers, and it’s not right for the young
models competing to appear in these pages. While we can’t rewrite the past, we
can commit to a better future.”
Last year, the Council of Fashion
Designers of America (CFDA) made a similar declaration. Its CEO Steven Kolb
said: “Young models are still
developing. There can be a lack of the confidence, strength, experience, and
maturity it takes to deal with the pressures of this work.”
In 2017, both Kering and a rival
fashion group LVMH signed a charter agreeing to – among other things – stop
hiring models who were under the age of 16.
A number of fashion designers have also pledged not to hire ultra-thin models and not to use exotic animal skins and fur in their designs.
It has long been common across the fashion
industry to cast models who were under 18 – and indeed, many supermodels got
their start in the industry at a young age.
Model Naomi Campbell, now 48, was
just 16 when she launched her career. Kate Moss, now 45, was discovered at the
age of 14. Brooke Shields was just 14 when she appeared on the front cover of Vogue in February 1980.
Currently, 17-year-old Kaia Gerber
is a rising star, while the late Karl Lagerfeld’s godson Hudson Kroenig, 11,
was regularly seen on the catwalk.
However, a spotlight was shone on
the treatment of young models in October 2017, when 14-year-old Russian model
Vlada Dzyuba collapsed backstage at Shanghai Fashion Week and later died in
hospital.
Vogue, in
making its decision, also cited a number of allegations of harassment in the
fashion industry, which were publicized as part of the #MeToo movement.
The publication added that in the mid-1980s, when Naomi Campbell launched her career, there were so few fashion shows a year that “a model could stay in school if she wished” – but nowadays the work is much more demanding.
Instagram is a famous social media platform
and every brand should consider using this app. It has add-on features for the
marketers like insights and sponsored ads. It keeps on rolling out the features
supporting the business accounts. Where Facebook is all about personal
connections with the friends and relatives, Instagram has upgraded its rank and
has supported the brands and companies to sell their products on the photo
sharing platform.
It is never too late to join any social
media platform. With the right strategy, brands can promote their products and
sell them online. Here is everything you need to know about the business
account on Instagram.
If you already have a personal account with
brand loaded content, then you can easily switch to the business account. It
can make switching for your followers seamless. If you are new to Instagram,
then you can create a business account and reach out to the suitable audience.
You need to be creative in the way you
craft your brand profile on Instagram. There is no specific way to build up a
right profile, but the basics can help you in building the business account.
Engage with the
Customers
Standing out in the mammoth of posts on Instagram is a real task at hand. Instead of looking for an increasing number of followers of the account you must start with a small bunch of customers. Engage them in your posts and interact with them on a one-on-one basis. Try and enter the niche markets where you can build your own following. To build up the market, you can buy followers on IG.
Hashtags play a key role in the Instagram
marketing strategy. They help in search of the followers and the brand. This is
true for the businesses and target audience.
Looks Towards your
Customers for Content
Using your existing customers or followers
as adverts on Instagram is a brilliant step keeping in mind the user generated
content. Running contests or incentives for the customers for tagging your
brand in their photos can speak a lot about your brand perception. Showing off
your customers can build up your business and a loyal customer base.
Be Active
You should often post the content through
your business account to maximize the engagement and the time when the
customers will be online. It should be well planned to save time for yourself.
Craft a Story
The biggest reason for the success of
brands on Instagram has been the narratives. It is the best way to captivate
the followers and keep them engaged with your business. Your posts can be the
story of your brand. You need not be the perfect story-teller. The customer
should come to know at a glance all about your business.
Product Showcase
At the end, business is all about selling
what you have. There are various ways to showcase your products to the
prospective or existing customers. Creativity is the major driving factor.
And it’s not too late to enter Instagram
business!
Businesses today face a wide range of security threats. Brick-and-mortar businesses are significantly more likely than residential properties to become targets for theft, with 8.8 percent of small businesses suffering burglary annually, representing nearly one in ten companies, according to insurance provider Insureon. The risk of digital security threats is even higher, with eight in 10 U.S. businesses anticipating a critical breach in 2019, a Ponemon Institute survey found.
Fortunately, even as thieves strive to find new ways to rob business owners, security technology providers are developing innovations to make their task harder. Here are three types of risks businesses currently face, and some security systems companies can use to protect themselves against these threats.
1. Hardening Physical Security with Barriers and Surveillance
While some security threats require high-tech solutions, when it comes to physical break-ins, your first line of defense is still a good solid door and lock. In half of all commercial burglaries, the thief gains entrance through a door, a Temple University survey found. When a door can’t be opened, picked or broken, burglars will look for another point of weakness, such as a window that can be smashed or opened with a crow bar. You can protect doors by using measures such as solid wood or steel doors with steel frames, deadbolt locks with throws at least an inch thick and supplemental protection such as security storm doors. For windows, use barriers such as roll-down grilles for front windows and iron works for side and rear windows.
High-tech surveillance systems and alarms are also integral to physical security. Burglars don’t like to be seen, so a good surveillance camera system coupled with motion-activated lighting can serve as a strong deterrent, as well as a means to identify thieves should a break-in occur.
For instance, security camera system provider Lorex has developed Nocturnals cameras with 4K Ultra HD resolution and color night vision capability, able to capture critical details such as burglar hair color and license plate numbers even in low-light conditions. This type of camera system can also be set up so that if the motion sensors are triggered, push notifications are sent to your smartphone via an app, allowing you to respond more quickly to an event in progress.
2. Countering Ransomware and Cryptojacking
On the digital front, ransomware was the biggest emerging cyberthreat to businesses a couple years ago. In a ransomware attack, hackers use attachments or links in emails, on websites and in social media messages to trick users into downloading malware. The malware then encrypts the user’s files and demands a ransom payment in order to restore access to the files, threatening to permanently encrypt the files if payment is not made.
Last year, cybercriminals took ransomware a step further by deploying a similar attack method called cryptojacking. Cryptojacking uses the same methods as ransomware to get on a user’s device, but then the malware covertly hijacks the device’s resources in order to “mine” cryptocurrency such as bitcoin online. This increases the device owner’s utility bills while slowing down their processing speed, effectively making them pay the expense of hosting criminal activity. Unlike ransomware, cryptojacking does not cause any obvious damage, so victims may not notice any symptoms other than a slowdown in performance. Cryptojacking now affects 10 times more businesses than ransomware, according to Check Point Research.
Both ransomware and cryptojacking can be countered by taking basic cybersecurity steps such as avoiding clicking on suspicious links and attachments, keeping software and antivirus programs updated to the latest versions and installing ad-blocker and anti-cryptomining extensions in browsers. In addition, you can protect yourself from losing files to ransomware by performing regular automated file backups using a service such as IDrive.
3. Blocking Business Identity Theft
Most people have heard of identity theft against consumers, but you might not realize that businesses can also have their identity stolen. Identity thieves who gain access to sensitive information about your business may use it to open up business lines of credit in your company’s name, open personal lines of credit in the name of your company’s personnel or customers, or apply for phony tax refunds in your company’s name. This can damage your company’s reputation and business credit rating, hurting your ability to get access to credit. Business identity theft is on the rise, increasing 250 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to the IRS.
Sound cybersecurity policies can help protect you from business identity theft. Some basic steps you can take include requiring employees to use strong passwords or password manager software, only using secure networks such as VPNs, keeping software and antivirus programs current with the latest updates and avoiding suspicious email attachments and website link. Thieves may also try to steal your information by intercepting your mail, so it’s also important to physically protect your mail. The US Postal Inspection Service advises taking steps such as picking up mail promptly after delivery, delivering outgoing mail directly to a postal carrier or a letter slot inside a post office rather than an unmonitored postbox and notifying your post office to hold your mail when you’re out of town.
Despite your best efforts, your business identity may be stolen anyway through means beyond your control, such as a hack of one of your service providers. Experian recommends using an identity monitoring service to alert you to suspicious activity so you can take appropriate steps in the event of identity theft, such as notifying financial providers.
Businesses are vulnerable to security risks in both the physical and digital arenas, and a sound security strategy needs to address all these areas. Strong barriers and motion-sensitive surveillance systems can help prevent physical theft. Smart cybersecurity policies can reduce digital risks such as ransomware and cryptojacking. Cybersecurity measures can also help prevent identity theft, in conjunction with physical mail security and identity monitoring. Implementing these tactics can greatly reduce business security risks.
Common Sense Tips to Use When Selling a Car Online
Having a reliable and appealing car is something most people view as a priority. Over time, a person may start to lose interest in their existing vehicle. The best way to find something new is by selling an existing vehicle to fund the purchase of a brand-new vehicle.
If the vehicle you are trying to sell is considered a luxury sports car, finding the right buyer may be more challenging. Generally, these types of vehicles will command a hefty price on the used car market. Neglecting to plan out this selling process in detail may lead to a sports car owner losing money.
Trying to sell a luxury sports car online? Check out these helpful tips for success.
Consider Selling to a Professional Buyer
One of the main goals most people have when selling a car is making this process as quick and painless as possible. The best way to achieve this goal is by selling to a professional online buyer. Companies like We Buy Exotics make selling a luxury sports car easy.
All a seller has to do is enter in the VIN on their vehicle and submit a few pictures to receive an offer in minutes. If the seller agrees to this offer, they get their money and the buyer will schedule a pickup.
Before using a particular professional buyer, be sure to research them to find out what type of reputation they have. Rushing through this process may lead to a person losing money on the sale of their luxury vehicle.
Image source Wikimedia
Getting a Vehicle History Report
Establishing trust with a potential online buyer is the biggest hurdles most luxury car owners will have. This is why providing in-depth information about the car is so important. Getting a car history report to put in the online listing is a good idea.
These reports will detail the accidents a car has been involved in as well as its maintenance history. Most online buyers will demand this documentation before making an offer. By putting the vehicle history report in the listing, it will be much easier to attract the interest of motivated buyers.
Detail the Vehicle Before Putting It On The Market
Over 17 million vehicles are sold in the United States each year. The key to attracting the attention of online buyers is providing them with plenty of pictures of the luxury sports car being sold. Before taking these pictures, you will need to get the vehicle professionally detailed.
The last thing a seller needs to do is put pictures of a dirty vehicle online. Most buyers want to make sure the vehicle in question is in pristine shape. The money paid to a professional auto detailer will be worth it considering the appeal it will add to a vehicle.
A Well-Written Description is a Must
Once a potential buyer looks at the pictures of a sports car, they will want to read the seller’s description of the vehicle. When crafting this description, be sure that all pertinent information is included. Details like the mileage, make and model are essential. Failing to include this information may lead to a potential buyer losing interest.
Preparation Goes a Long Way
The key to successfully selling a luxury sports car is properly preparing beforehand. Researching the market and proofreading your vehicle description can help you sell your automobile in a hurry.
Have you ever wondered why an alcoholic beverage makes you crave a cigarette?
You’re not the only one. 70% of U.S. drinkers also smoke. And almost three-quarters of alcoholics smoke over a pack of cigarettes every day.
Duke University Medical Center research revealed alcohol boosts the pleasing effects of nicotine. That’s why people enjoy smoking when drinking an alcoholic beverage.
Most people understand that tobacco smoking can cause cancer. Cigarette smoking contributes to over 480,000 deaths every year.
While the effects of tobacco are an obvious health risk, alcohol is confusing. Not every drink is dangerous in the same way each cigarette is.
The moderate use of alcohol can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. But, drink more and it increases your chances for cancer.
Keep reading to learn the dangers of combining alcohol and tobacco.
Risks of Alcohol Use
The moderate use of alcohol can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. But, when you drink more it increases your chances for cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) define moderate drinking as 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men per day.
Alcohol can increase the risk of cancer. It can cause inflammation in the liver and pancreas. Inflammation raises the chance of cancer in those organs.
Alcohol also produces acetaldehyde in the body. This substance prevents cells from repairing DNA damage.
Every cigarette causes damage to your body. A single cigarette can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.
Cigarettes increase blood pressure. Long-term high blood pressure adds to the risk of cancer.
Each cigarette starts a chemical chain reaction that results in carcinogenic compounds. The poisons in cigarette smoke weaken the immune system and damage DNA.
Smoking can both cause cancer, and damage cells so your body can’t fight it.
Lung cancer isn’t the only cancer smoking causes. The bloodstream absorbs the compounds from smoke and spreads them throughout the body.
Short-term Dangers of Combining Alcohol and Tobacco
Cigarettes and alcohol together create more risks than using either substance alone.
The primary risk is that alcohol is a depressant and tobacco is a stimulant. The nicotine in tobacco offsets the sedative aspects of alcohol.
If you smoke while drinking you may not realize how much alcohol affects your body. Poor assessment of inebriation leads to poor judgment and bad choices.
For example, you may continue to drink because you don’t feel drunk. Or, you might choose to drive your car.
Long-Term Effects of Mixing Alcohol and Tobacco
Mixing smoking and alcohol increases cancer in the mouth, throat, oesophagus, and colon. It’s no surprise that 80% of men and 65% of women with throat and mouth cancer combine smoking and drinking habits.
Studies suggest alcohol dissolves cigarette chemicals while they’re in the throat. That could trap carcinogens in the throat’s sensitive tissues.
Plus, smoking and drinking together slow metabolism. The carcinogens from the cigarettes stay in the bloodstream longer. Longer exposure to carcinogens increases the risk of cancer.
If you’re struggling with alcohol and tobacco abuse you can get help here.
Get Treatment for Tobacco and Alcohol Addiction
The fact that alcohol and tobacco are legal and accessible makes them easy to abuse. The effects of tobacco and alcohol mixed together are dangerous.
Abuse results in a shorter life span, respiratory problems, and higher risk for cancer. Rehab programs can help you end your addiction.
Ireland
has been on my bucket list for years. And it is always the weather that stopped
me. I have travelled through Scotland before and, despite being a wonderful
trip, I also remember how it rained every day.
In the
end, my curiosity about nature in Ireland outweighed my worries about the
weather, and I decided to go backpacking in Ireland alone.
Are you
also planning a backpacking trip to Ireland? Here is some first-hand advice.
It may
not sound as idyllic as this means you will need to have a travel itinerary,
but the truth is Ireland is not that cheap, and the options of public transport
are not available in huge numbers. Trains won’t bring you everywhere, but buses
will. Unfortunately, during summer months these buses can be overly crowded,
overbooked and very expensive.
Check the weather forecast.
Checking
weather forecast is particularly good advice if you are planning to see the
cliffs of Moher, and let’s be honest who doesn’t? Whether you are set on doing
the long cliff walk or just a quick visit, it is best to keep this activity on
a flexible schedule.
The
reason is you don’t want to see the cliffs in poor weather conditions with low
visibility. I stayed for two days in the region of the cliffs and went for the
best day. It was still raining in the morning, but I got blue skies in the
afternoon.
Unfortunately, I forget about the excellent advice when booking the boat trip along the cliffs. Let’s say my views were limited to hanging overboard and seeing the water surface. So it is always a good idea to visit Ireland during the best season and don’t forget to check the weather forecast.
Get a heritage card
If you
are the type of backpacker that loves visiting ancient and historical
attractions then we recommend purchasing a heritage cord. Heritage Card costs
about 25 euros and will save you lots of money as it offers free entrance to
all fee-paying heritage sites in Ireland. Even if you are only visiting Burren
National Park, Skellig Michael and a few castles it’s already worth the money.
Get Backpacker
Travel Insurance
Getting sick, loss of luggage or items, cancellation of the flight. Many things can go wrong when backpacking Ireland alone. Don’t let this ruins your trip and get backpack travel insurance in advance. Travel insurance from the trusted Ireland Insurance Company will cover most undesirable costs and will give you peace of mind.
Cheap Accommodation
A lot in
Ireland is aimed at students, including the accommodations that you can use
when you go backpacking. There are youth hostels everywhere, with common rooms
that are quite affordable. You can make contact here with other young people
from all over the world. Two great reasons if you are backpacking Ireland
alone.
If you
are hoping to get a bit more luxury, there is the option to sleep in one of the
many hotels or a bed & breakfast or a guest house. All these accommodations
have their star rating, which runs from 1 to 5 stars.
If you’re new to Orange County, even if you’ve lived in California for years, you have to be aware that driving in the Los Angeles metropolitan area is unlike anywhere else. It’s not just gridlock. Some traffic laws are unique to LA. Due to the size of LA, it can be difficult to navigate. To feel more confident on the road, be aware of these things to avoid needing a Santa Ana traffic ticket lawyer.
Road Etiquette
LA residents know and understand that traffic might move slowly.
Honking is reserved for imminent danger, but a light tap on the horn can let
someone know that the light is green. When you’re on the freeway, give yourself
lots of time to get across multiple lanes to exit. Don’t drive in the far-right
lane unless you’re going slower than traffic or need to exit.
Rules to Follow
Avoid getting a ticket by following some rules that are specific to LA:
Carpool/HOV lanes
High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes and carpool lanes have limited access and require
a minimum number of occupants.
Cell phones
California prohibits using your handheld
cell phone when driving. Use a hands-free device or wait until you can pull
over.
Don’t smoke in your car if you have a child with
you
It’s illegal to smoke in a vehicle that is
carrying a minor child.
Don’t drink and drive
The legal limit is 0.08 percent, but law enforcement will give you a ticket if
you are impaired at lower levels. Don’t have open alcohol in the car. Transport
it in the trunk.
Red light cameras
Many major intersections have cameras that will record your license plate if
you run the red light.
When You Get a
Traffic Ticket, Take It Seriously
Don’t just pay your ticket, but don’t toss it in the trash either. Get help from a traffic ticket attorney Orange County, when you contact The Ticket Clinic at 1-800-248-2846.
The way we live says a lot about us. Lifestyle means a
lot to us and is about more than how much fun you’re having or how much work
you’re getting done. It also has a profound effect on your mental health.
That’s why it’s smart to take a step back and examine
your own lifestyle. How is it helping your mental health? How it is hurting?
The consequences of a lifestyle that runs counter to your mental health
interests can be severe, so take action and build a better, healthier life.
Is your lifestyle
good for you?
Everyday, we make decisions (or follow through on
powerful habit loops) that affect our mental health, whether we realize it or
not. And, over time, these decisions can add up to a complete mental health
picture — for better or for worse. Let’s take a closer look at your lifestyle.
Mental health and physical health are much more closely connected than many of us realize, and a poor diet and lack of exercise can bring down your mood and make you more vulnerable to all kinds of common mental health conditions. If you are interested in trying licensed online therapy to improve your mental health, check out https://www.betterhelp.com/start/ today.
Consider stress. What about your environment — including
your home, your commute, and your work environment — might contribute to higher
stress levels? What about your work, your career, and your current work-life
balance (or lack thereof) might be raising your stress?
What about the place that you live in? Big cities with competitive work environments tend to lead to higher stress levels, so residents of places such as Washington, D.C., may want to be more proactive about their mental health than others, expert DC therapists point out — though they emphasize that virtually anyone can benefit from therapy.
Are you seeking treatment for any mental health issues?
Are you in therapy? You probably visit the doctor regularly for physical
checkups — do you do the same for your mind?
What a rough
lifestyle can do to your mind
All of the questions and concerns above are important
because, if you’re not careful, your wrong answers could lead to serious mental
health problems.
Anxiety disorders are, when taken together, the most common form of mental health issues. They can be triggered and exacerbated by stress — the same sort of stress that is caused by your lack of work-life balance or your busy, competitive life in a big city like Washington, D.C.
Depression is common, too, and it can be worsened by the
low moods you’ll experience when you fail to get proper nutrition or exercise
regularly.
And other, less common mental health issues can arise
from environmental factors — including basic, ongoing lifestyle decisions —
too. So get smart and change your life.
Building a better
life
The idea of changing your whole lifestyle to improve
your mental health can be overwhelming. But you don’t have to do all of this at
once, and reprogramming habit loops for the better will help you achieve
long-term, sustainable change.
Tackle bad habits first, and start fighting for the
little things that will improve your mental health, such as a vacation or a
rule against answering emails after hours. Leave a bit earlier to make your
big-city commute less stressful. Aim for sustainable changes — rather than
crash diets — and try adding vegetables in and swapping out a few unhealthy
favorites for healthier options. And, above all, get some professional help.
Your mental health is an important dimension of your overall health, and it
deserves the same professional care that you’d give your physical health.
Even if you don’t make much money or buy expensive things, the truth is, we are themost wasteful country on the planet.
A few decades ago, our waste and consumption of natural resources didn’t seem like a big deal, at least not to the general public. However, people are becoming aware of the inevitable ramifications of the way we live.
If we don’t start making changes fast, such as the majority of the population using eco-friendly products, our children or grandchildren may not live in the world as we know it.
But it’s not just us. The entirety of the civilized world has a hand in what’s happening to our planet.
But what exactly is happening to our planet?
Why Eco-Friendly Products Are Important
Regrettably, the subject of climate change or global warminghas become a political topic, which is bad news for our planet.
Why?
Because until climate change is looked at for what it is, a scientific fact backed by analytical data, our country cannot unite with the rest of the world to reverse the problem. Right now, it’s a topic for debate, commonly referred to as “fake news” by those who oppose using resources to fix the problem.
Top view of a rubber stamp mark printed on a recycled paper with room for text on the right
But here’s what is happening while we waste time debating over it:
Greenhouse gases are trapping heat in our atmosphere, steadily increasing the earth’s temperature every year. 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded.
Every second, we destroy an entire football field of the rainforest. Every day, we destroy anarea the size of New York.
Scientists surmise that we lose .01 to 0.1 species a year, which could be anywhere from200 to 100,000 based on low-end/high-end estimations of total species.
Climate change may be irreversible by 2030.
As glaciers melt and sea levels rise, we can expect to lose coastal cities and experience an influx of refugees from other countries.
Since we don’t control politics, what can we do?
The simple answer is to do everything you can, starting with this list.
In other words, we need to cut it out with the straws.
Fast food restaurants need to switch over to bio-degradable straws. Sit-in diners need to use any of the eco-friendly products out there such as metal and bamboo straws.
For us, we can also use the reusable straws for our drinking containers. It’s such a simple, yet important sacrifice.
2. Eco-Friendly Bottles
If you thought straws were bad, think about this—Americans use 1,500 plastic bottles every second. Now, you may not be very good at math, but you can easily deduce that the amount per day, week, month, and the year is unfathomable.
If we were to switch to eco-friendly products, such as metal, glass, and silicone water bottles to name a few, we could significantly cut down on waste.
Additionally, the amount of plastic found in the ocean is absurd. It’s also killing off marine species of fish and coral.
3. Reusable Shopping Bags
As we progress down our list, the numbers only seem to get worse. Worldwide, humans use over1 trillion plastic bags per year—roughly 2 million per minute.
Reusable bags are made of canvas, synthetic fibers, and natural fibers. Not only are these better for the environment, but you can load a ton more groceries and goods in them. Bigger, eco-friendly products like these will save you countless trips back and forth to your car while unloading groceries.
4. Solar Power
It’s a fact. Eventually, we will run out of natural resources such as gas, oil, and coal. When we run out of these fossil fuels, say goodbye to the world as we know it.
It means no more power or vehicles. We will return to a time of darkness.
However, as the world is recognizing the imminent threat of overconsumption, it’s also advancing its eco-friendly products, such as producing some of thebest quality solar panels.
5. Bamboo Products
Eco-friendly products made from bamboo are becoming ever more popular.
Nearly everything you can think of can be made out of bamboo. Some of the most popular bamboo products include toothbrushes, kitchen utensils, towels, speakers, toilet paper, floors, skateboards, and sunglasses.
Eco-friendly bamboo products are especially easy on the environment as they are rapidly renewable and harvested by hand, which helps prevent the accidental killing of animals and the use of heavy machinery.
6. Recycled Shoes
Buying recycled shoes helps the planet on multiple fronts.
First, eco-friendly products made from recycled goods prevents waste and over-usage of harmful materials such as plastic, rubber, and leather.
Leather is harmful because most tanning processes, including those in the U.S., use hazardous chemicals such as chromium and formaldehyde.
7. Meat-Replacement Products
The most effective change we could all make to save the planet won’t be a popular one. The answer, unfortunately for most, is to stop eating meat. Period.
Additionally, the vast majority of deforestation occurs to provide land for growing crops. Not crops for starving people across the planet, but for the animals destined for the butcher block.
Additionally, animal livestock and their byproductsaccount for 51% of all greenhouse gases. All forms of transportation exhaust in the world combined only accounts for 13%.
8. Rechargeable Batteries
Eco-friendly products such as rechargeable batteries are a no-brainer.
Batteries are made with natural, non-renewable resources. It’s hard to imagine life without batteries (no laptops, cell phones, tv remotes, video game remotes, garage door openers, car batteries, etc.), however, we may be risking it soon.
While rechargeable batteries aren’t perfect, they’re still a much better option. They still use the same non-renewable resources, but they last much longer. Rechargeable batteries aren’t thrown away after a single use, which greatly decreases waste.
9. Ceramic Nonstick Pans
There’s a popular documentary on Netflix right now called “The Devil We Know.”
This documentary explores the lies, deceit, and criminal acts by a company known as Dupont. Dupont is the company behind Teflon coatings. The primary chemical, C-8, is used in nearly everything you can think of that boasts a non-stick or water-repellent surface.
And while the company has repeatedly changed the name of its chemicals and products and even the name of the company itself, the fact is, they are still knowingly producing hazardous products.
For your health, and the health of the environment, use ceramic alternatives for your pans. Teflon pans emit toxic chemicals and gases when they are heated past a certain temperature, while ceramic pans tend to be free of harmful chemicals.
10. Composting Toilets
Traditional toilets in first-world countries use water for every flush. Now, before modern sewer systems and toilets, cities had astronomical health issues related to improper human waste disposal.
However, for those looking to have less of a water footprint on the environment, consider that toilet-use in the U.S. averages1.3 to 7 gallons of water per flush, depending on the toilet.
While composting toilets may come off archaic at first, they’re actually quite clean and sanitary. Our solid waste is mixed with a composting agent such as peat moss which rapidly evaporates and breaks down the material.
What’s left is virus and pathogen-free fertilizer, completely safe to handle and discard.
11. Low-Flow Showerheads
The average American shower uses over17 gallons of water, lasting about 8 minutes. However, on long days or mornings when we’re not in a rush to get off to work, we tend to take our time. After all, showers feel amazing!
Low-flow showerheads can trickle out as little as 0.75 gallons of water a minute, meaning an 8-minute shower would take only 6 gallons of water. Saving roughly 10 gallons of water every day would mean each person is saving 3,650 gallons of water a year.
If every American used only one eco-friendly product, a low-flow showerhead, we would save 1.2 trillion gallons of water a year!
12. Bio-degradable Trash bags
Finally, the average American produces over2,000 pounds of trash per year. Multiply that by our 327.2 million population and you get a lot of trash. A lot of trash means a lot of trash bags.
Bio-degradable trash bags use synthetic plastics made from corn, vegetable oils, and grains. In other words, they are renewable, compostable resources.
Respecting Our Planet
The whole point of using eco-friendly products is to show a little more respect for our planet. Mother Earth provides everything for us, and we are doing a disservice to her based on how we live.
Many of our normal ways of life in this society are causing irreversible damage to the planet we call home.
If something big doesn’t happen soon, if we don’t make major changes, our children and grandchildren will pay the consequences. We may likely not be around for it, but it is the fate we are leaving to them.
Start going green today. Don’t use laziness or inconvenience as an excuse. Before long, excuses or not, our planet will stop providing for us.
Click here for more articles on the environment and climate change to find out more about positive changes you can make!
You have to spend money to make money: We’re told that.
While that’s true in a lot of cases, it’s not always an absolute requirement.
With the right tips, you can improve sales and efficiency at your call center
by just spending smarter rather than spending more.
The main issue
The research indicates that 70 percent of people switch to a business rival not because they didn’t like your products or services, but because they didn’t like the customer experience. Increase your customer satisfaction and you will see sales go up accordingly. Here’s how to spend smarter to do just that:
Go omnichannel
Change out your multichannel call center software for omnichannel. Omnichannel seamlessly coordinates communications from your customers across all possible platforms. In practicality, that means your agents can communicate via IVR calls, video or audio calls, messaging, live chat, emails, and more.
Imagine this scenario: You have an issue with a
business, so you navigate to their website and pull up the live chat. After a
brief conversation, a chat agent advises you to call. You do so, and now you’re
talking with a whole new person.
This new person knows nothing about your issue, so you
have to explain the whole thing again. Once they hear the issue, they give you
another number or an email because they aren’t actually the one who can deal
with your issue.
This scenario is exactly how you lose customers to other
businesses, even if you have a superior product. Omnichannel call center
software is how you integrate all your channels for service that customers will
love.
Train your people well
All the software in the world won’t help you get sales
if you don’t have the best people on the job. Too many call centers make the
mistake of thinking that training is all about scripts, questions, and answers.
If you’re wasting money on this sort of training, it’s time to redirect your
resources.
Great call center agents need to keep their cool with an irate caller. They need to be good listeners. They need to be smart and capable with the kind of cognitive skills that make it possible to really understand and solve problems.
Great call center agents also need to know how to make
good decisions. They need to be warm, polite, and understanding. Some of these
traits are natural; others can be taught. Spending your money in recruiting the
right people and then training them in these skills is money well-spent.
Set up as many self-service options
as you can
Some people always want to talk with a live person when
they have a question or issue; but many of your customers would prefer to fix
their problems by themselves whenever possible.
Redesign your website by improving your FAQ section and making it easy to find. Provide a search bar that’s easy to spot and returns useful answers. Rewrite technical pages and information in layman’s terms.
You should also get good IVR call software capable of doing more with voice recognition. You want as many callers as possible to get the answer they need early on in a call. Chatbots on your website can provide a similar helpful function.
It will cost a bit to set this all up, but you make it
all back, and more, quickly as customers get their questions answered fast.
Better yet, pleased customers will start spending more and talk about their
good experience on social media.
The bottom line
You can do lots of things to slash costs here and there;
but nothing will make such a profound difference in the end as excellent
service. To improve your customer service, you don’t need to make drastic,
expensive changes. Instead just spend your money wisely, and then watch your
profits grow as satisfied customers come back again and again.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have
named their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
Introducing the royal baby to the cameras
earlier in the day, the Duchess of Sussex said: “He has the sweetest temperament, he’s really calm. He’s been the
dream.”
As they laughed, the Duke of Sussex
said: “I don’t know who he gets that
from.”
The announcement came after the Queen
and Prince Philip met their eighth and newest great-grandchild for the first
time at Windsor Castle.
By deciding to call their son Archie
Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have chosen not to
use a title for their first born.
As the first born son of a duke,
Archie could have become Earl of Dumbarton – one of Prince Harry’s subsidiary
titles – or have been Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, but instead he will
simply be Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
On which parent the baby resembled
more, Prince Harry said: “Everyone
says that babies change so much over two weeks.
“We’re basically monitoring how the changing process
happens over this next month really. But his looks are changing every single
day, so who knows.”
Pictures of the new family’s first photocall were then shared on the
SussexRoyal Instagram account.
The post said: “The Duke and
Duchess of Sussex are delighted to share their first public moment as a family.”
The images shared on social media were taken by Chris Allerton, who was the
couple’s private wedding party photographer, and took the picture of the
newlyweds watching fireworks in the grounds of Frogmore House at their evening
reception.
The royal baby, who is seventh in line to the throne, was delivered at 05:26
BST on May 6, with Prince Harry saying after the birth that he and Meghan were
“absolutely thrilled”.
Prince William has welcomed his brother to “the sleep deprivation
society that is parenting”.
The Duke of Cambridge – a father-of-three – said he looked forward to seeing
the new parents “when things have quietened down”.
Prince Charles has also expressed his joy at the birth.
During an official visit to Germany with the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince Wales said: “We couldn’t be more delighted at the news and we’re looking forward to meeting the baby when we return.”
Are you in the market for a new computer and trying to decide between Mac or PC? Read on to learn the pros and cons of each!
Mac or PC? That debate has raged for decades, ever since Microsoft and Apple have had the most dominant operating systems.
You might remember the 2006 ad campaign that put the cool Macs against the geeky and fumbling PCs. That sums up the cultural place of Macs and PCs.
There’s much more to the cultural debate when you’re deciding to get a new computer. You want to make sure that you get a computer that suits your unique needs.
Read on to find which side of the PC or Mac debate you should fall on when you’re buying a new computer.
1. What’s Your Budget?
The first thing you need to figure out is how much you can afford to spend on your computer. Macs are going to be up to three times as much as PCs. Of course, that will depend on the model that you want.
There are powerful PCs that can be just as expensive as Macs, too.
You need to know how much you’re willing to spend on a computer. If you’re using it for work, then you’re more likely to see the computer as a potential for a return on investment.
You can also consider getting a credit card to pay for your system, too. Many retailers will offer low to no interest credit cards for the first 6 months, allowing you to pay for your purchase over time.
2. What Do You Want to Do?
What do you need a computer for? Do you need to get a computer for a freelancing business? For designers and creative types, Macs certainly lead the way as far as usability and power.
That’s because some of the top design programs are built with Macs in mind. There’s also the cool creative factors that attract creatives to Mac machines.
For tasks like writing, keeping spreadsheets, email, and web browsing, you’ll want to invest in a PC. These are basic tasks that most affordable PCs can take on very easily.
For gamers, the question is a little more complex. You’ll need something that will be powerful enough to handle the needs of gaming. Gamers tend to gravitate towards PCs because they’re powerful, easily customizable, and they can connect to other devices, as we’ll explore below.
3. Connectable Devices
Each system has its own ecosystem of devices that you can connect to. For example, if you already have an Apple TV device and an iPhone and iPad, having a Mac will fit well with your other devices. It’ll be easier to send files between devices and mirror your screen to the TV.
On the PC side, gamers will love the ecosystem between the Xbox and PCs.
4. Security & Privacy
When was the last time you heard about a virus that targeted Mac devices?
It doesn’t happen nearly as often as PCs. PCs tend to be the dominant tool in businesses, making it a major target for hackers. They know that there is sensitive data to mine and money to be made in these machines.
Apple has also positioned itself as the defender of security and privacy of its users. It doesn’t make money from your data the way that other big the companies do.
5. Upgrades & Customizations
Are you a technical type that likes to customize computers and upgrade them yourself? It’s much easier to do on most PCs than Macs.
The parts tend to be less expensive and you can find instructions on performing upgrades everywhere on the internet.
This is a big deal for many computer users because new software always demands more computer resources. Your computer can be rendered obsolete in a matter of months unless you upgrade.
6. Portability
Do you need an all-in-one computer or desktop machine or do you need the portability of a laptop computer?
Both Macs and PCs have a great selection of laptops for all purposes. Macs tend to be designed for power in a smaller, sleeker package. PC laptops tend to be heavier and slightly bulkier, but you still have a lot of power packed in. Plus, you can easily customize the devices.
Gamers are likely to love having the power and portability of gaming laptops, which they can upgrade and customize themselves.
7. Technical Support
Are you a do it yourselfer when it comes to diagnosing computer issues?
PCs are known for having little to no technical support for devices outside of the warranty, which means you better learn how to solve your own computer problems.
Macs usually have better coverage and you can always take your device to an Apple store to get some help solving your issues.
8. Usability
No matter what you decide, if you switch from a Mac to PC or vice versa, you’re going to be in for a learning curve.
It will take a bit of time to adjust to using a Mac after using a PC, especially if that’s all you’ve known. You have to give yourself the time to adjust. If you’re buying a new system in a pinch because your old one broke down, then you might be more inclined to stick with what you already know.
Otherwise, you’re going to want to use your old computer and your new computer to maintain productivity and adjust to a new operating system.
Mac or PC: It’s Up to You
There’s no right or wrong answer to the Mac or PC debate. Fortunately, both systems offer users a lot in terms of computing power and stability.
At the end of the day, there’s only what’s right for you. You have to decide what your needs are, what your budget is, and whether or not you have the time and patience to adjust to a new operating system.
If you’re facing criminal charges, you are in serious trouble which can easily be quite stressful, scary and depressing. No one should go through such ordeal no matter what has happened to them. Hiring a domestic battery attorney to protect your rights, support you legally, and create a strong defense against the charges is a smart thing to do in such unfortunate occasions.
If you’re not sure how a criminal defense attorney can help
you, here are some reasons why you should hire one immediately.
Lawyer’s Know the Law
Criminal law in the United States is complex and vast. In many cases, it is impossible to understand the law if you have no educational background. And there is always a chance that the criminal charges against you are not easy to deal with. An experienced attorney, on the other hand, is very familiar with the law and they are good at collecting evidence, evaluating your plea bargain options and providing you with the best available defense. They know exactly what to expect when such cases go to trial.
They Have Strong Strategies
Every case is different from others and this is the real
challenge attorneys have to deal with. A criminal defense attorney spends a lot
of time investigating the nature of every case to find out the best results and
figure out specific strategies to protect you.
They Are Good At Finding
Witnesses
Since attorneys fight legal battles on a daily basis, they are
already related to expert witnesses in some way from the previous cases they
have fought. Even if they do not have a relation with a witness from a previous
case, they are able to get in touch and contact with such witnesses on a given
notice within their industry.
They Can Save You Money
And Time
In today’s world, time is money. The more time you lose, the
more money you lose. This is true for any legal battle as well. The more time
you spend on arguing your case, the less time you are working and the less
money you are making. A talented lawyer knows exactly how the legal process
works and they can figure out about the case on their own while you concentrate
spending time on your work. In the long run, you actually save a lot of money
this way.
They Work For Your Best
Interests
Unfortunately, in the world of law and legal battles, not every prosecutor is honest or follows the law. In fact, you may be surprised that some coach witnesses even hide evidence. With an experienced attorney to back you, it could mean a huge difference between being guilty and non-guilty.
As with any legal suit, it is very important to pick a lawyer carefully for your case. You must be aware of your rights and know the circumstances in which you’ll be needing a lawyer. Having good knowledge of this will help you dodge even the worst charges against you.
A medical malpractice attorney or a Miami medical misdiagnosis attorney protects you when a medical professional or a institution handled your case with negligence. Medical malpractice is a very common but a lot of people feel overwhelmed because they have been hurt by the very same person that set out to help them.
If you’ve been a victim of medical malpractice at the hands of
a doctor, a nurse, or an institution, you have every right to receive
compensation for additional medical expenses you have to go through to sort out
the new problems created by this negligence.
But proving a doctor or a medical institution is a very tricky business. Doctors and institutions have a strong legal team that protects them against cases of medical malpractice. This is why if you believe you have been hurt by a doctor’s negligence, you should seek help from a medical malpractice lawyer in Miami.
Here are 2 top reasons why should hire a medical misdiagnosis
attorney today.
Getting help from a medical malpractice lawyer is a lot of
relief from the stress you may have gotten from the negligence of the doctor.
These professionals have specialized knowledge about negligence law which they
apply to your case in order to help you win the the case against giant medical
institutions and popular doctors. With a medical negligence lawyer on your
side, here are some of the most common benefits you’ll enjoy.
Get the Full
Compensation You Deserve
Insurance companies have strong legal teams that try to reduce
the expenses of the company by making sure that compensation stays limited, no
matter what the case is. And no matter how hard you try, you cannot convince
them until you have a professional negotiator on your side.
As it turns out, medical malpractice attorneys are perfect negotiators
that do so well to win an argument that they almost always get you more
compensation that you could ever imagine. This is why having one at your side
in such a case is so important.
Higher Chances of
Winning a Case
So you have decided to sue a medical institution or a doctor
with accusations of medical malpractice? How do you know that you have a solid
case against them? Just being injured by the doctor isn’t enough to help you
win the case, it requires good knowledge of the medical system as well as the
negligence law.
Lawyers have spent years studying negligence law and they
practice it every day in the court to help victims like you. With one at your
side, you can be certain that you’ll have high chances of winning the case as
opposed to going out there alone.
Just like any other legal battle, you should always pick your attorney very carefully. No matter what the case is or how strong the opponent is, an experienced and talented lawyer will make a huge difference. This is why when you are hiring a lawyer, never be hesitant to ask them about their experience and achievements.
If you would like to take your business to a whole new level, you have come to the right place. You can use marketing automation to take your results to where you have always wanted them. Doing so is much easier than you might think, and many marketing automation companies are willing to help. Marketing automation gives you a range of unbeatable benefits to which you would otherwise not have access:
· Boost Your Profit
· Save Your Time
· Expand Your Reach
In simple terms, marketing automation consists of software and systems that do the hardest parts of your marketing for you.
Boost Profit
Since your profitability is one of the most vital aspects of your business, let’s cover it first. Most businesses that fail do so because they don’t get their marketing right. They focus on the wrong things and overlook the most critical needs of their target customers.
Even when they get it right, marketing takes a lot of time and energy to implement. You can boost your profit more than you once thought possible when you use the right marketing automation plan. You can learn about your prospects and give them what they want without much additional effort, and the outcome will impress you.
Save Time
All business owners and marketing experts know that time is a limited and valuable resource. Anything that steals time away from running your business also hurts your bottom line. Some tasks that take time are essential to your bottom line, and marketing is one of them.
The good news is that the right marketing automation plan reduces the amount of time you spend on marketing. You can then use that time to work on the other areas of your business, and the rewards are exponential.
Email Funnel
An email funnel is the perfect example of marketing automation. While it can include chatbots and social media autoresponders, we are going to focus on the email funnel. In a classic funnel, you send people to an opt-in page and collect their email addresses. You then send out emails to your prospects to build relationships with them over time.
You then pitch your offer and go for the sale. You lose people at each step of your funnel, but it acts as a filter. The people who remain at the end are your most valuable customers, and they will stay with you over the long run if you treat them right.
Lead Generation
Lead generation is the first step in your marketing automation plan. To automate your lead generation process, put tracking pixels on your website and social media pages.
Also, you can use web code that reads cookies on your prospect’s browser and show them benefits unique to their needs and desires. For example, imagine you sell weight loss videos and diet plans. Your lead generation page should give valuable advice and offer a free video. Require your prospects to enter their email address to access the video.
Email Automation
Most marketing automation companies that know what they are doing use email automation. Once people join your list, your marketing automation software automatically sends them emails over several days or weeks.
It can then send the sales email after building enough trust with your prospects, and you don’t need to put in any additional effort once your system is in place. You might, however, want to change a few elements to see what gives you the best results possible.
Conversion Tracking
The old way of email marketing involved sending the same content to everyone on an email list. This approach causes you to lose more sales than you can imagine. You defeat that problem with conversion tracking software, which is included with most reputable email responders.
This software tracks which of your customers buy something in your email offer and when they do it, but it also tracks the ones who don’t. Based on the system you set up, the software places your customers into different groups based on their spending habits. Knowing the different behaviours and spending habits of your prospects is a powerful way to improve your sales rate.
Upsells
Upselling is an effective tool that skyrockets your profit when you use it the right way. You upsell the people who buy your first offer right away. These are the ones who enjoy your products and have enough money to buy them. Going with the weight loss example, your first product could be a video course selling for $47.
Your upsell could be private coaching sessions with experienced fitness experts, or you could offer membership programs. As long as you offer solid advice that gets results, a lot of your past customers will pay several hundred dollars or more for your advanced products.
Downsells
If you have ever added an item to your online cart but did not buy it right away, you have seen a downsell in action. Downselling works because it helps you get sales from those who would otherwise not buy from you.
Some of these people don’t have the budget for your products, but others are not comfortable paying the asking price. To use downsells, separate the people who don’t buy your first offer into a group. You then send that group discount codes or offer them a cheaper version of your product. If you are selling digital products, you lose nothing by offering discount codes.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, marketing automation is an effective way to increase your sales and boost your bottom line. Investing the extra profit you earn back into your business lets you expand to new areas if that’s your goal. You can also use the time you save to come up with even more product or service ideas. You now have the information required to implement your own marketing automation plan.
As with most things in business and life, you go through a trial-and-error process while discovering what approach is the best fit for your business. You can skip the roadblocks by hiring a marketing automation company to do it for you, and you then enjoy the rewards much sooner. No matter the path you choose, marketing automation can do wonders for your bottom line.
An Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet-100 made an
emergency landing and burst into flames just after takeoff from Moscow’s
Sheremetyevo airport killing at least 41 people.
Two children are among the dead. The jet had 73 passengers and five crew
members.
“There are 37 survivors – 33
passengers and four members of the crew,” said Yelena Markovskaya, an
official involved in the investigation of the crash.
A flight attendant was also reportedly killed in the incident. Five people
are in hospital. One witness said it was a “miracle” anyone escaped.
Dramatic video shows passengers using emergency exit slides to escape the
burning Russian aircraft.
Survivors suggest the plane was struck by lightning, but Russia’s national
carrier said only that it returned to the airport for technical reasons.
Initial reports suggested the plane had landed on fire, but sources quoted
by Russian news agency Interfax said the jet caught fire after a very bumpy
landing.
The plane landed with full fuel tanks because the crew lost contact with air
traffic controllers and decided it was too dangerous to dump fuel over Moscow,
Interfax added.
PM Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a special committee to investigate the
disaster.
The aircraft left the airport at 18:02 local time, bound for Murmansk.
Its crew sent a distress signal when “malfunctions” occurred in
bad weather shortly after take-off.
After making an emergency landing at the airport, the aircraft’s engines
caught fire on the runway, Aeroflot said, adding that the crew “did
everything to save the passengers”.
Murmansk’s Acting Governor Andrey Chibis has reportedly said that the
families of those killed in the fire will each receive one million rubles ($15,300),
while the victims being treated in hospital will be given 500,000 rubles
($7,650).
With millions of commercial flights taking place every year, lightning
strikes in the air are relatively common.
Traditional planes, built using aluminum, are usually able to withstand such strikes as the shell or “skin” of the aircraft acts as a cage, distributing the electricity without causing damage and allowing them to continue their journey safely. Some newer aircraft are constructed using lighter materials that have lower electrical conductivity, such as carbon fiber, which need to be protected – often using wire mesh or foil.
A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has been
agreed between Palestinian militants and Israel after a weekend during which
Palestinians launched hundreds of rockets into Israel prompting retaliatory air
and artillery strikes.
At least four Israelis and 23
Palestinians were killed.
Israel has not confirmed the
ceasefire. However, reports say emergency measures have been lifted in southern
Israel.
The violence flared up on May 3
during a protest against the blockade of Gaza.
A TV station run by Hamas – the
militant movement which controls Gaza – announced that both sides had agreed
the ceasefire, beginning at 04:30 local time.
Egypt is said to have brokered it –
assisted by the UN and Qatar.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has
not mentioned the ceasefire. However, the Times
of Israel said that protective restrictions imposed on residents in
southern Israel since the flare up began were being lifted, including schools
reopening.
On May 6, the IDF said militants had
fired 690 rockets into southern Israel during the past 48 hours – 240 of which
had been intercepted by the country’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
In response, the IDF said, Israel
had targeted 350 sites belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
On May 5, Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to “continue its massive
strikes on terror elements” in Gaza.
Benjamin Netanyahu says the
country’s forces around the strip would be “stepped up with tank,
artillery and infantry forces”.
Israel had also closed all schools
within 25 miles of the Gaza strip and opened some shelters to the public.
The May 6 agreement comes as the
holy month of Ramadan begins for Palestinian Muslims and as Israel prepares to
mark its memorial day and independence day.
Four people have so far died from
the violence in Israel.
The Gaza health ministry says 23
Palestinians have died across the weekend. Most of the deaths came on Sunday.
The Islamic Jihad group said seven of the dead were its members.
Civilians, including a 12-year-old
boy and two pregnant women, were also among those reportedly killed.
Israel has contested the account of the death of one woman and her 14-month-old niece on Saturday. They blamed their deaths on a Palestinian rocket that fell short of its target.
China stocks tumbled on May 6 after President
Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on Chinese goods, putting a trade deal in
doubt.
President Trump announced on Twitter that the US would more than double
tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods on May 3 and would introduce fresh
tariffs.
Recent comments had suggested both sides were nearing a trade deal.
A Chinese delegation was due to travel to Washington this week for talks
aimed at ending the trade war.
However, according to recent reports, China is now considering cancelling
those talks, led by Vice-Premier Liu He, that were scheduled to resume on May 8.
Some reports said the Chinese were due to send a 100-person delegation to
the negotiations.
The Chinese government has yet to officially comment on President Trump’s
tweets.
In China, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 3.7%, while the Shanghai
Composite plunged 5.3%.
US stock futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street.
On May 3, President Trump tweeted: “For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50
Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods.
These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results. The
10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars….”
“The Trade Deal with China
continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!” he
continued.
After imposing duties on billions of dollars worth of one another’s goods
last year, the US and China have been negotiating and in recent weeks, appeared
to be close to striking a trade deal.
Last week US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin described talks held in
Beijing as “productive”.
So far, the US has imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods, having
accused China of unfair trade practices.
Beijing hit back with duties on $110 billion of American goods, blaming the
US for starting “the largest trade war in economic history”.
President Trump’s latest move will raise duties on more than 5,000 products
made by Chinese producers, ranging from chemicals to textiles and consumer
goods.
He originally imposed a 10% tariff on these goods in September that was due
to rise in January, but postponed this as negotiations advanced.
However, both US and international companies have said they are being harmed
by the trade war.
Fears about a further escalation caused a slump in world stock markets
towards the end of last year.
The IMF has warned a full-blown trade war would weaken the global economy.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a
“strike drill” testing various missile components on May 4, state
media has confirmed.
“A number of short-range projectiles” were also fired from the
Hodo peninsula into the Sea of Japan, the state media said.
Kim Jong-un gave the order of firing to “increase the combat
ability” of North Korea, the announcement said.
President Donald Trump tweeted he believed Kim Jong-un would not jeopardize
the path towards better relations.
He added that Kim Jong-un “knows that I am with him & does not want
to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!
President Trump tweeted on May 4: “Anything
in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong-Un
fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea and will do nothing
to interfere or end it.”
Donald Trump walked away from what he described as a bad deal offered by the
North Korean at a summit meeting in Hanoi in February.
In its report on May 5, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim
Jing-un had stressed the need to “defend the political sovereignty and
economic self-sustenance” of North Korea in the face of threat and
invasion.
The aim of the drill, which was testing “large-caliber long-range
multiple rocket launchers”, was to “inspect the operating ability and
the accuracy of striking duty performance,” the report said.
Kim Jong-un told troops to bear in mind “the iron truth that genuine
peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength”.
It is believed that latest test is intended to increase pressure on
Washington to move nuclear talks forward.
Last month, North Korea said it had tested what it described as a new
“tactical guided weapon”.
That was the first test since the Hanoi summit.
Analysts say a short-range solid fuel ballistic missile was fired on May 4,
making this the most serious test since North Korea fired an intercontinental
ballistic missile in November 2017.
However, the test does not violate North Korea’s promise not to test
long-range or nuclear missiles.
More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in Bangladesh
as Cyclone Fani hit the Asian country.
At least five people died and 63 were injured.
With more than a million people evacuated to safety, the director of the
Bangladesh Meteorological Department said “fear of a major disaster is
mostly over”.
Cyclone Fani was downgraded to a depression as it swept north-eastwards from
India into Bangladesh on May 4, but was still powerful enough to submerge
dozens of villages on the low lying coast.
Houses were also destroyed in the Noakhali district, where 30 people were
injured and two children killed, one aged 12 and another two years old.
India also moved more than a million people to safety to avoid Cyclone Fani.
A least 16 people were killed by the storm when it hit India on May 3, but
officials said the loss of life could have been far worse.
In 1999, a super-cyclone in the Bay of Bengal ravaged the coast of Orissa
for 30 hours and killed 10,000 people.
Early cyclone warning systems have since improved, giving authorities more time to evacuate people. The chief minister of Orissa said this was one of the largest evacuations in human history.
Staying healthy requires us to eat well, exercise, take
the right medicines and supplements, and regularly visit our doctors. But these
aren’t all things that we do consciously. If we had to check our schedules
every time we ate an apple or ran a mile, we’d never do any of that stuff. In
reality, of course, health is built on habits.
Our habits are incredibly powerful. They’re what we do when we’re not thinking. And when we’ve managed to shape our habits in a positive way, we achieve a healthy long-term lifestyle.
That’s a gift that we can share. We can dedicate our
lives — and our careers — to the healthy habits and products that have made
such an enormous difference in our own lives. Here’s how.
The health and
lifestyle industry
Businesses are started with purposes. If you’re a health
nut with the mind of an entrepreneur, your calling may lie with the health and
lifestyle industry.
You can’t take other people’s supplements for them or do their exercise routine
for them, but you can help them — while also making a few bucks for yourself.
In the health and lifestyle industry, you can guide customers to great healthy
products, supplements, and solutions.
The health and lifestyle space is a great choice for small-business owners and entrepreneurs. These sorts of businesses are things that you can run out of your own home. Start-up costs and overhead are manageably low. And the potential for real earnings is definitely there. Americans are waking up to the consequences of years of unhealthy living, and we’re seeing more and more trends that indicate just how drawn people are to exercise options, diet choices, health supplements, and other related solutions, services, and products.
If that sounds like your kind of thing, then you’ll want
to read on.
Getting started
Starting a business is never easy. Health and lifestyle
businesses are no exception.
Before you get started, you’ll need a business plan. You
need to work hard on your plan and do your research carefully and extensively.
Before you put your money and your future on the line, you need to know your
business’ target customer base, long-term goals, and immediate financial
situation.
Work with an attorney to set your business up properly. Making your business a legal entity can help to insulate you from potential financial stresses your business could encounter. It will also make life a whole lot easier — and whole lot less expensive — at tax time.
You’ll also need the right business partners. Running a store that offers supplements or branding products online does not require you to make your own vitamins in your basement (please don’t do this). You’re going to partner with supplement manufacturers and suppliers. They’ll keep you stocked with healthy products and, in many cases, can even help you brand your products. Your customers will know your brand, and you’ll know that they’re getting the finest supplements and health products.
Finding your
purpose
The health and lifestyle industry is a unique place to
be in. You’ll be working to make money, just like everyone else, but your
purpose will be greater than that. For those of us who dedicate our lives to
helping our customers live healthier, each day on the job matters. You’ll still
have tough days, of course, and regular business concerns. But the
entrepreneurs, managers, manufacturers, and others who make their living in
health and lifestyle products can know in their hearts that their work is
making life better for others, and that’s a truly wonderful thing.
If you or someone you know was a victim of medical
malpractice, you know how devastating and overwhelming these circumstances can
be. You might lose time, money, and functions you have otherwise grown
accustomed to having.
Many people think they can file a lawsuit against a
physician for anything they feel they did wrong. But the truth is that there
are specific requirements for a case to be considered malpractice and qualify
for a hearing.
Breach of
standard of care
Failure to deliver standard of care is one of the most important elements in determining whether or not an incident is malpractice. It’s an often misunderstood legal term that basically means the patient was treated with acceptable medical care by competent health care professionals. And if it can be proven that this was not the case, then it might be possible to bring a lawsuit for against the individual or establishment responsible.
Negligence
But breach of standard of care is not enough to present
a case. The patient must also prove that the physician or institution was
negligent in doing so. They must prove that their pain, injury, or death (in
the case of a family suing on behalf of a loved one) was the direct result of
negligence.
For example, let’s say there is a treatment available
that has been very successful with a certain type of cancer. If a physician
knows about it and does not use it, he or she could be liable if the patient
suffers in any way as a result.
While malpractice laws vary slightly from country to country, negligence is a fairly standard criteria for warranting a lawsuit. This means California lawyers and Kamloops lawyers, for instance, would be looking for the exact same evidence to build a case against a medical professional when there is suspected malpractice.
Damages
If both breach of care and negligence is found in a medical
situation, it must then be proven that they resulted in significant damages. In
some cases, even small amounts of damages can be approved for litigation. But
the legal fees to pursue it may not be worth the effort.
Damages can be broken down into economic and noneconomic categories. And either one is allowable for recovery, provided they meet all the criteria. Economic losses might include lost wages, medical expenses, funeral expenses, etc. And noneconomic damages can be things like mental anguish, disfigurement, death, or anything else that diminishes the patient’s quality of life.
Examples of
medical malpractice
One example of medical malpractice that could likely
meet all the above criteria is a misdiagnosis. For example, say a patient goes
to the emergency room with symptoms of a heart attack, but the attending
physician fails to run the appropriate tests. If this patient ends up actually
suffering a heart attack, the doctor could be held responsible. In this case,
you can clearly identify neglect and breach of standard of care.
Another example could be medication errors. Let’s say someone who just finished a medical assistant diploma program gave a patient in his care the wrong dosage of medicine. If the patient becomes ill because of this mistake, the caregiver will probably be liable. But in this situation, the case becomes a bit trickier.
For one thing, there are very few medical professionals
actually trained and allowed to administer medication. Many facilities do hire
medication aides with only certificates for this task. But if the person who
made this error was not trained, his supervisor and possibly attending
physician will also be held responsible.
Most adults dream of owning a home. In most cases, renting an
apartment is something a person will do out of necessity. When the
time to buy a home arrives, finding the right residence to invest in
will not be easy.
Roughly 5 million homes are purchased in the United States on a yearly basis. Once you have found and purchased the home of your dreams, the real work will begin. As a homeowner, you will have to focus on things like budgeting your money and performing routine maintenance.
Wasting
money is something first-time homeowners are bound to do. The
following are just some of the common things a new homeowner will
waste money on.
High Energy Costs Can Be
Reduced
While
having electricity is a necessity, you will need to avoid paying more
than you have to for it. Some first-time homeowners make the mistake
of settling for an energy provider before doing their homework.
Luckily, there are helpful websites like Texas Electricity Plans on the market. This website is designed to provide consumers with information about the rates certain energy companies in the state of Texas charge. You can learn more about Texas Electricity Plans and the services they provide by visiting their website.
Updating the Outside of a
Home Can Be Expensive
Modern
homeowners are notoriously impatient. While fixing up the exterior
portion of a home is a good idea, it needs to be further down on your
list of priorities. Adding things like a pond or intricate
landscaping elements will take time and money.
Rather than wasting money on these updates immediately, take the time to knock out a few outdoor projects over the course of a few years. This will not only help you save money; it can also minimize the amount of stress in your life. Oftentimes, hiring professionals to help with this process is a good idea. They will have the tools and experience needed to get this work done quickly and correctly.
Shopping Around For
Homeowners Insurance Is Crucial
Newcomers to the world of home ownership fail to realize how many different insurance policy options they have. Instead of rushing through the selection of a homeowner’s insurance policy, take your time to ensure the best decision is made.
When
meeting with an insurance agent, be sure to make a list of questions
you want to ask. Finding out things like what your deductible is and
what type of damage the policy in question covers is a good idea.
Once you have this information, you can begin the process of
narrowing down the list of insurance policies on the market.
Replacing Appliances That
Are Functional
Over
time, you will probably start to notice things about your residence
you want to change. Taking on various home improvement projects will
not only make your property look better, but it can also add value.
One of the most common home improvement projects is a kitchen
remodel.
Generally,
this project will include replacing cabinets and countertops. One of
the biggest mistakes you can make during this process is replacing
appliances that are functional. New appliances are extremely
expensive, which is why you need to keep your existing appliances in
operation for as long as possible.
Staying on Budget is Hard
Work
Avoiding
stress and worry as a homeowner is only possible with a detailed
budget. While it will be difficult to stay on this budget at times,
it is well worth the aggravation you face. Working with a financial
adviser is a great way to figure out how to properly structure a
budget.
Have you just decided
to start using e-cigs? You are about to join the
wonderful world of vaping. If you want to take up vaping in order to
stop smoking, you are on the right track. First, you have to know the
different products that you will require.
Electronic Cigarettes
The
most important vaping product is an e-cig. It works by vaporizing
flavored e-liquids into the vapor that you inhale to get a hit.
Nowadays, an e-cig does not just play the role of a vaporizer. It
also comes with several built-in features that make the vaping
experience much more enjoyable.
When
shopping for your first e-cig, you are bound to come across one that
falls within your price range. Advanced e-cigarettes contain high-end
tanks, rechargeable batteries, as well as some sophisticated
controls. If you have no idea where to begin, consider starting with
something simple and working your way up.
This
refers to a vaporizer that is highly customized. It is usually more
powerful than a typical e-cig and comes with more features. A vape
mod is a product that will cater to your specific vaping needs. If
you would like more flavor and thicker smoke, you can choose a vape
mod that meets these criteria.
On
the other hand, if you prefer an e-cig that is easy to carry and use,
you can have one just like that. Would you like to be able to perform
tricks? You can get a mod just for this purpose. For beginners, it
would be prudent to switch to another mod only when ready.
Make
sure that you do plenty of research about different mods to figure
out the right one for your needs. By doing this, you will know what
you want before you start shopping.
Vape Tank
You
can find a vape tank in vape mods. It holds vape juice and contains
coils that turn e-liquids into vapor. When you inhale, some tanks
automatically produce vapor but you have to trigger others manually.
You will come across four types of tanks in the market: RBAs,
standard, RDAs, and sub-ohm tanks.
This
classification has much to do with the tank’s suitability for
different vape mods. When it comes to buying vape products, choosing
the right tank is probably the hardest part. As a beginner, you need
to consider choosing a tank that will match your mod.
E-liquid
This liquid fuels your e-cig. If you want to stop smoking, you should opt for a vape juice with nicotine as it will allow you to reduce your nicotine consumption over time. When you inhale, an e-liquid turns into vapor thus mimicking traditional cigarette smoke. If you do not want to have nicotine in your e-juice, you should opt for nicotine-free varieties.
An
e-juice contains a few base ingredients: vegetable glycerin,
propylene glycol, or a mixture of both. VG and PG are usually
combined with natural and artificial flavors such as chocolate,
watermelon, and vanilla to create a satisfying and distinct recipe.
VG is a thick and sweet liquid that is based on veggies.
On
the other hand, PG carries flavor in food products. Combining it with
VG creates a better product than using 100 percent PG. If you have no
idea how to choose the right combination, you should consider
experimenting with different ratios. When you try different PG/VG
ratios, you will be able to find your favorite one.
Conclusion
As
you can see, the
world of vaping is not straightforward. You will have
to try different things to find the best vaping products for your
needs. Consider asking for advice from long term vapers.
