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Sample cover letter for Internship position at Voice of Your Customer

Marketing Intern

I am an undergraduate student at Cincinnati Christian University (CCU) interested in potential summer internship opportunities at The Voice of Your Customer firm. My mentor, and her husband have mentioned that VOYC might be the perfect outlet for me to leverage my interpersonal, analytical,communication, and technological skills to contribute to your company's growth. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration by being willing to meet with me this Saturday to discuss possible options.

After researching the VOYC company website, I believe that my unique background, passions, and skill strengths would make me a good candidate for a minority-owned marketing firm. I was born in Beijing, China and moved to the United States at the age of four. I grew up learning to speak, read, and write fluently in both Mandarin Chinese and English. I also experienced first-hand the cultural and socio-economic challenges low-income minorities must overcome, as well as the value of relationship-building, being resourceful, and developing a strong work ethic. This perspective has motivated me to serve the needs of others in creative waysthat are often overlooked. For example, volunteering with Whiz Kids, a faith-based youth literacy program and BLOC Ministries, a faith-based organization that serves disenfranchised youth and women, has prompted me to brainstorm some new volunteering initiatives for the future. I believe my relational empathy and creative problem-solving skills will be greatly relevant to VOYC’s unique community-serving projects and client base.

My strong interpersonal, analytical, and communication skills are clearly demonstrated in my current work experience. At CCU, I tutor undergraduate, College of Adult Learning, and graduate-level students in the Academic Support office. Last semester, my biggest accomplishment as a tutor was offering extra support to a business major on academic probation. As a result, he avoided academic suspension by significantly improving his grades in English and business classes. In addition, writing is one of my academic strengths, so students come to me regularly for assistance with writing business case study reports, literary essays, and even graduate-level research theses. Students enjoy working with me because I patiently guide them through the writing process, giving students organizational and grammatical pointers while encouraging them to articulate their own ideas. As a summer intern, I see myself using these same skill strengths to contribute to the success of VOYC in many ways, including the creation of board level presentations, customer support, award submissions, grant writing, editorial capabilities, online research, analytics, and even international communication for focus groups.

The above are just some of the examples wherein my diverse array of interpersonal, analytical communication, and technological skills can be leveraged in an internship at VYOC. In addition to this letter, I have enclosed my resume and some writing samples. I believe these writing samples demonstrate personal passions and knowledge relevant to the wonderful work you're doing at the VYOC. It would be a great honor to intern for a marketing firm that engages hard-to-reach market segments and underserved populations through community empowering projects.  I look forward to meeting with you this Saturday.  Again thank you for your time and consideration.

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Atdhe Nuhiu believes Sheffield Wednesday can succeed against Arsenal where they agonisingly failed at Manchester City - and spring a mighty cup shock.

The Owls gave City a huge FA Cup fright by taking the lead in a third-round tie at the Etihad last January before bowing out to two late goals.

And that has fuelled belief in the blue half of the Steel City that Wednesday can turn over the Gunners when they arrive at Hillsborough for Tuesday's Capital One Cup fourth-round showdown.

Nuhiu said: “We will take a lot of hope and inspiration from that game into this tie.

“City are one of the biggest clubs in football, but we matched them for long periods and proved to ourselves that we can take even the top teams all the way.

In pictures - City 2-1 Wednesday

“And there will be no pressure on us because everyone expects Arsenal to win. We have got nothing to lose, so we can just go out and enjoy it.

It will be great to play against such a big team, and I am positive that we can hurt them and cause an upset.”

Nuhiu’s boss Carlos Carvalhal doesn’t share his 6ft 6in striker’s optimism.

Mind games? Carvalhal says Wednesday have 10% chance of victory in home match

He insisted: “Our chances of winning are not zero, but probably no better than 10 per cent.

“All we can do is grab that 10 per cent and try to do our best. But we will just play our football and we will fight because we are a competitive team.

“And we must believe that we can create damage. All teams have weak points, but Arsenal have 99 per cent of strong points.

The Owls are on an eight-match unbeaten run, and will be backed by a sell-out crowd for a clash against the team that beat them in the League Cup final 22 years ago.

In pictures: Arsenal train ahead of Wednesday clash

Carvalhal added: "It will be a fantastic night in front of a full stadium, which we hope can be normal for us in the future.

“We want to be back in the Premier League and playing against fantastic teams like Arsenal every week.”

Predicted Sheff Wed team to face Arsenal: Wildsmith; Hunt, Loovens, Lees, Helan; Bannan, Semedo, McGugan, Wallace; Nuhiu, Bus.

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Miter Saw Maintenance

Cleaning Saw Blades

What you will read below is a conversation that took place between me and a reader of mine via e-mail. I am publishing it here after doing some minor editing to make it more presentable for a website format.

When circular saw blades are used to cut green lumber or particularly resinous woods, these gums and resins can accumulate on the blade surfaces. This can cause rough cutting and dull the blade more quickly because of unnecessary overheating.

A quick remedy for this condition, which can be performed easily by any woodworker, is as follows:

Dissolve common household lye in water according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Soak gummed-up blades for about 20-30 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly in clear running water, using a stiff-bristled brush to help remove the gums and resins.

Best Miter Saw Reviews - 2014 - 2018 Sliding, Compound Ratings © 2014 - 2018

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Thank Your Lucky Stars: How To Navigate Your Dreams

Thank Your Lucky Stars: How To Navigate Your Dreams

For over 25 years, Lorelei Robbin has inspired people to realize their dreams by having the courage to DARE to dream, to release what’s in the way, and to surrender to Divine timing. With two graduate degrees, Lorelei’s unique combination of talents as a spiritual astrologer, counselor, professional interviewer, and minister are all in service to helping people manifest their heart’s desires in perfect Divine timing.

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Can sleep contribute to “closing the gap” for Indigenous children?

Sarah L Blunden and Danny Camfferman
Med J Aust 2013; 199 (1): 19-20. || doi: 10.5694/mja13.10302
Published online: 8 July 2013

Relatively simple interventions could make a significant difference

The wellbeing of Australian Indigenous children has long been an issue of concern and the subject of numerous national partnerships, action plans and government policies. This is primarily because of the high incidence of health problems and academic deficits among Indigenous children in comparison with non-Indigenous children.1 The aim of these government policies is to bring about a general increase in Indigenous children’s health and academic outcomes. We propose that poor sleep health may be a significant and, to date, poorly addressed factor that should be considered within the discourse around closing the gap in the health and wellbeing of Indigenous children and young people.

The body of literature on this issue provides very clear evidence that sleep problems in children (whether they have a physiological or non-physiological cause) have strong and causal associations with secondary deficits in academic performance, attention and learning, emotional regulation, behaviour and mood regulation, with increased likelihood of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, somatic health and psychological health.2 While there is a paucity of comparable data for Indigenous children, some studies are beginning to report similar findings. Recent findings on the sleep of Indigenous children suggest that this group may also be encumbered with a higher prevalence of sleep problems.3-7

Among physiological sleep disturbances, secondary sleep disturbance due to asthma has been reported in non-Indigenous children, but has yet to be fully explored in Indigenous children. This is despite the greater incidence of asthma among Indigenous children compared with non-Indigenous children.4 Sleep disordered breathing (ranging from primary snoring to obstructive sleep apnoea accompanied by nocturnal hypoxaemia) has known associations with daytime deficits in neuropsychological and psychosocial domains, and has also been found in one study to have a prevalence of 14.2% in Indigenous children.3 This study, one of the first to investigate sleep-disordered breathing in Indigenous children, found high prevalences of snoring, wheezing and restless sleep. Despite this, no further studies have been undertaken since 2004.4 Associations between all these conditions therefore remain to be explored in Indigenous children.

Not only must we consider the physiological aetiology of poor sleep, but also the impact it has on both the physiological and psychosocial development of Indigenous children. Recent findings suggest links between obesity and reduced sleep duration,2 and with the increasing and worrying prevalence of obesity among Indigenous children in Australia, their sleep profiles should be considered. In addition, there is a growing body of research showing associations between diabetes and sleep quality that have not been sufficiently explored in Indigenous children and young people.8

Some efforts to understand sleep in Indigenous children have been undertaken. In summary, data from various studies show that, compared with non-Indigenous children, Indigenous children report poorer sleep quality (eg, sleep scheduling, sleep fragmentation),5,7 decreased sleep duration,7 worse sleep hygiene,5 increased sleepiness,6 and more instability and irregularity in their sleep–wake patterns,5 particularly in “get up” times. Furthermore, these sleep problems were related to aggression,6 withdrawn behaviours,6 thought problems and internalised behaviours,6 reduced reading ability and numerical skills.7

What now?

Poor sleep, whether inferior in quality or quantity, is essentially modifiable. There are currently few data on which to base any assessment of how much poor sleep might contribute to poor health, wellbeing and academic performance in Indigenous children, but evidence in non-Indigenous children and young people suggests that not only is it significant, but also that it is amenable to treatment regardless of whether the sleep problem has a physiological cause.2 Treatment can have significant and positive outcomes. Considering that sleep is one of the key requirements of good health, it is only logical that it should be explored, investigated and improved, and that doing this might have positive impacts on these children’s lives. This may seem simplistic, but health-related lifestyle interventions have been shown to be successful in the past.9 Such interventions can be targeted at an individual or community level, and if they have a positive impact on even a single child, this would be an improvement on what is happening at present.

Clearly, there are considerable challenges to intervening to try to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health, including socioeconomic and demographic factors, cultural differences, preferences about sleep and sleep hygiene and parenting, and Indigenous scepticism about “white fella” interventions. However, exploring whether sleep interventions would be an acceptable method to bridge our divides might be worth the effort. Certainly careful and sensitive negotiations have previously allowed researchers to engage and work with community elders to facilitate the first objective investigation of children’s sleep in a remote Indigenous community.7

Poor sleep is inherently modifiable. Therefore, any contribution sleep has to downstream factors (eg, health, wellbeing, academic performance, behaviour) is also potentially modifiable. For this reason, research funding and cross-institutional and multidisciplinary research efforts into understanding Indigenous sleep are necessary if we are serious about investigating not if but how much sleep is a contributor to Indigenous wellbeing so we can attempt, through sleep, to close the gap.

Provenance: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Sarah L Blunden1
  • Danny Camfferman2

  • 1 Central Queensland University, Adelaide, SA.
  • 2 School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Closing the gap Prime Minister’s Report 2012. Canberra: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2012. (accessed June 2013).
  • 2. Blunden S, Beebe D. The contribution of intermittent hypoxia, sleep debt and sleep disruption to daytime performance deficits in children: consideration of respiratory and non-respiratory sleep disorders. Sleep Med Rev 2006; 10: 109-118.
  • 3. Glasgow NJ, Goodchild, EA, Yates R, et al. Respiratory health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the Australian Capital Territory. J Paediatr Child Health 2003; 39: 534-539.
  • 4. Valery PC, Masters IB, Chang AB. Snoring and its association with asthma in Indigenous children living in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area. J Paediatr Child Health 2004; 40: 461-465.
  • 5. Blunden S, Camfferman D. Sleep patterns in Indigenous vs. non-Indigenous children in a rural setting. Sleep Biol Rhythms 2012; 10 Suppl 1: A171.
  • 6. Blunden S, Chervin RD. Sleep, performance and behaviour in Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous children: an exploratory comparison. J Paediatr Child Health 2009; 46: 10-16.
  • 7. Cooper P, Kohler M, Blunden S. Sleep and academic performance in Indigenous Australian children from a remote community: an exploratory study. J Paediatr Child Health 2012; 48: 122-127.
  • 8. Valery PC, Moloney A, Cotterill A, et al. Prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in Indigenous Australians youths. Obesity Reviews 2009; 10: 255-261.
  • 9. Rowley KG, Daniel M, Skinner K, et al. Effectiveness of a community-directed “healthy lifestyle” program in a remote Australian aboriginal community. Aust N Z J Public Health 2000; 24: 136-144.

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Audeze Mobius Gaming Headset: Innovative and Revolutionary

By Christopher Coke on August 15, 2018 | Hardware Reviews | Comments

Audeze Mobius Gaming Headset: Innovative and Revolutionary

We review a lot of gaming headsets but today we’re sharing something special: the Audeze Mobius. It’s one of the most exciting headsets we’ve come across and nothing short of a game-changer. Audeze is well known for producing high-end headphones for musicians, engineers, and audiophiles, so coming into the gaming space, they knew they had to do something special. Well, they did, and it might just change the headphone industry as we know it.

  • MSRP: $399
  • Style: Over-ear, closed-circumaural
  • Transducer type: Planar transducer
  • Diaphragm: Ultra-thin Uniforce™
  • Phase management: FAZOR
  • Magnet type: Neodymium N50
  • Diaphragm type: Ultra-thin Uniforce™
  • Transducer size: 100 mm
  • DSP: Audeze Cipher DSP
  • Amplifier: Built-in balanced amplifier (output 1W)
  • Maximum SPL: >120dB
  • Frequency response: 10Hz – 50kHz
  • THD: < 0.1% (1 kHz, 1 mW)
  • Earpads: Contoured memory foam: artificial leather
  • Microphone: Detachable with separate volume control
  • Battery type: Lithium-polymer
  • Wireless Connection: Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, LDAC)
  • Wired Connection: USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm analog audio
  • Weight: 350g (including battery)
  • Key Features: Planar magnetic drivers audiophile-grade cinematic sound; Full 3D emulation with support for popular surround sound modes (7.1, 5.1, 5.0, 2.1, 2.0); Integrated head tracking that tracks the tiniest movements of your head 1000 times a second; Pinpoint sound localization; Anatomy calibration to tailor the sound to the user; Full room emulation; Mobius integrates Waves Nx technology for real-time 3D processing in hardware; Wired and Wireless Connections

That’s quite a statement, I realize, and don’t say it lightly. Over the last year, we’ve reviewed lots of gaming headsets. Everything from $40 budget cans all the way up to $500 audiophile headphones with a ModMic. The Mobius has phenomenal sound - that much is expected - but what I didn’t expect was just how fantastic its built in surround sound could be. Even calling it that is reductive. This is more than just surround sound. The Mobius is VR for your ears.

Hidden under its surface is a full sensor array that tracks the position of your head 1,000 times a second. Unlike normal headsets whose sound follows the position of your ears - the sound moves with you - the Mobius allows you move in the soundscape, keeping sound sources in the same position while you move your head within it.  It’s true to life in a way other headsets just aren’t and feels almost uncanny in use.

Imagine walking through the woods and hearing footsteps following your own; a deer creeping through the underbrush, perhaps. You’re not sure where, so you cock your head to the side, change the angle the sound hits your ear. It’s a natural, human behavior that allows us to pinpoint the direction that sound may be coming from. When you tilt your head and turn your body, the sound doesn’t move, you do. Without thinking, you use the science of your body and inherent understanding of sound to hone in.

It works and it’s the best surround sound I’ve ever heard. By a lot. In games, virtual surround sound varies wildly and even when it’s good can sometimes be off base. The Mobius takes your in-game audio and positions your head right on your avatar’s shoulders (so to speak). The small movements of your head when playing a game like Fortnite allow that sound source, like shots in the distance, to move ever so slightly giving you a much better idea of where it’s coming from and how far away it is almost immediately. For competitive games, it’s a true advantage and in single-player games makes the experience much more immersive and real. The Mobius is easily the best gaming headset I’ve ever used and may just be the best ever made.

That is the magic of the Mobius, and it works without any software. Now, there is software which allows you to perfect the math that makes it all work. You can dial in your own anatomy, like the radius of your head, to perfect exactly how it positions and presents that sound, and, of course, customize your EQ profiles. But the core 3D functions are baked into the headset itself.

That means that the same amazing surround sound can be applied to anything. The first thing I listened to was a live recording of Coheed and Cambria. The planar magnetic drivers deliver powerful bass and clear highs - so the fidelity was just fantastic - but it’s as if you’re floating above the audience facing the stage. Turn around and the sound shifts behind you.

For movies, it’s especially good. Your living room can feel more like a theater than ever before.

As you might imagine, these headphones are divine for VR. Even a simple headset, like the Gear VR or Oculus Go, is taken to a whole new level with the Mobius. It’s no exaggeration to say this is “audio VR,” so HTC and Oculus had better be taking notes. VR headsets need this technology.

Turning all of it off, you’re still left with an audiophile quality headphone. They feature massive 100mm planar magnetic drivers which are known for delivering rich bass without sacrificing clarity in the rest of the spectrum. Having used a number of high-end cans at this point, I’ve been extremely impressed at how full the sound is without drowning the intricate details in the mids and highs.  The design is also sleek enough that you could easily detach the mic and take them out of the house without drawing unwanted attention.

They’ll also connect to just about any audio device you might have. For PC, you’ll want to use the USB cable so you can take advantage of the software and apply firmware updates. When you’re on the go, you can also connect with a standard 3.5mm cable or through bluetooth, which includes LDAC, SBC, and AAC support for your hi-res audio files. Though, if the final retail product is the same as the version we received, you may want to replace these with something with a little more length. At my larger desk, each cable was just too short for me to sit comfortably in front of the monitor. Still, the Mobius is a multifunctional device that’s just packed with technology.

As a result, you’ll need to take some time to learn the controls. Everything is conveniently placed on each earcup. Buttons tend to have multiple functions, so tapping the 3D button, for example, will center the audio in front of you. Holding it will change the setting or turn it off. It’s the same thing with adjusting the volume and changing the EQ preset. It’s not hard to learn but worth reading the manual before using none the less.

I’m also very impressed at the build quality on display in the Mobius. It features a sturdy construction with articulating ear cups. The joints are reinforced for durability and the headband is quite flexible without creaking or straining. It should easily fit most users. The cushions also work fantastically for isolating sound at the expense of needing to be vented occasionally. The earcups are also closed-back so you won’t need to worry about bothering anyone else in the room and, thanks to 3D, can still experience a wide open sound stage.

Lastly, we have the microphone. It’s not as feature rich as the rest of the headset - it’s just a mic, after all - but it remains quite good. My teammates were able to hear me clearly and the capture featured a healthy amount of body, unlike many headset mics which are very thin and compressed.

Final Thoughts

Audeze has simply nailed it with the Mobius. Without question, it is the hands-down best gaming headset we’ve ever had in. The 3D surround sound is innovative and revolutionary; this is the headset we should be benchmarking against and the high-water mark other headset makers should be chasing. The biggest challenge to mainstream success is that price point, however. At $399, it’s about as premium as gaming headsets come and then some. Yet, when you consider how much technology it bears, how many R&D hours, and that, at the end of the day, this is still an excellent audiophile headphone, that price becomes much more reasonable.

If you can afford it, the Audeze Mobius is likely the best gaming headset money can buy.

  • 3D surround sound with head tracking is amazing - best in class
  • No software required to use 3D - works great for movies, music, and games
  • Great build quality
  • Full, rich sound thanks to planar magnetic drivers
  • Lots of connectivity options

  • Expensive compared to other gaming headsets
  • A tad heavy - can definitely feel it on the top of your head after several hours

The product described in this article was loaned by the manufacturer for the purposes of review.

Christopher Coke / Chris has been a fan of MMOs since the mid-1990s when he cut his teeth on MUDs. These days he scours the internet for the latest and greatest multiplayer gaming experiences.


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Supreme Challenge is a compilation that contains the following five games:

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formercontrib (159408) added Supreme Challenge (Commodore 64) on Oct 09, 2008
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Zeliard Screenshots (PC-88)

User Screenshots

PC-88 version

Title screen
Intro. Need some toothpaste?..
The princess alone in the rain...
Never trust mysterious bluish demonic faces
Duke Garland to the rescue!
Duking it out with the king
To infinity... and beyond!
Creating a user disk - normal PC-88 procedure
First town. Lovely mountains
This pirate sells weapons and has a short temper
Religion is the only karmic way, dude. Gnarly! Flower power
You need magic? Be with you in a second...
Opening a bank account. Really!
First dungeon. A frog leaps at you. You say: Hi!
Experienced hero. Underground cave city
Here you can save your game
Inventory and equipment
Visiting an inn
This guy shoots projectiles at me
Climbing ropes
Hmm, what to do here?..
Wee! Can't jump over there...
Zombies, evil plants... oh my!
Transition screen between town and dungeon


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Daggerfall Unity is an open source recreation of Daggerfall in the Unity engine, adding quality of life features and mod support.

Report RSS Streaming World - Improving Terrain Noise

Switched height sampling to large height map and implemented bicubic interpolation.

Posted by on

I decided to take a step back and have quick look at my base terrain generation. I wasn't very happy with the overall appearance and contours of noise, and smooth noise functions alone weren't enough to achieve the desired result.

To fix this, I changed my mind about using the the large height map data (sometimes called the noise map) which is also in WOODS.WLD. If you're not familiar with this additional map, it is a 5000x2500 version of the 1000x500 height map I showed in part 1. Not all of this map is usable as there is a grid-like pattern overlayed with an unknown purpose.

Below are 3x3 terrains with city of Daggerfall in the middle. I have increased height scale so any deformations are more visible. This is basically the terrain from my previous article with all noise removed. Bilinear interpolation is used to smooth transition between height samples.

This really isn't very interesting. Next I'm going to use the large height map, which has 3x3 samples per terrain instead of 1x1. This looks like the following when using nearest-neighbour interpolation.

There's definitely more sample points, but it resembles Minecraft more than Daggerfall. Let's smooth things out a bit using trusty bilinear interpolation.

Ouch, that's still really ugly. With more sample points, bilinear isn't really an appropriate choice anymore. The next best thing is bicubic interpolation.

Much better! Bicubic ensures a nice continuous curve through all sample points and provides a more interesting base terrain compared to the very first screenshot. I am much happier with this as a starting point.

So far, all this data is being read from Daggerfall's files. I haven't added anything besides scaling up the height. As before, I will use a bit of smooth noise to add fine details at ground level and flatten out the city areas.

Now that's out of the way, I can go back to improving other aspects of terrain quality.

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adidas running preps for another UB banger this summer with the adidas Ultra Boost 3.0 “Grey Four”. The colorway offers another fire iteration of the UB in Grey, and features a clear cage, white BOOST and solid grey heel cup. Look out for the adidas Ultra Boost “Grey Four” to release at adidas running retailers across the globe for $180.

adidas Ultra Boost 3.0
Color: Grey Four/Grey Four-Grey Three
Style Code: S82052
Release Date: June 1, 2017
Price: $180


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According to a Recent Study/Survey … Mid-October 2016 Edition

As part of our mission to be the go-to resource for on-the-go restaurant industry professionals, Modern Restaurant Management magazine (MRM) offers highlights of recent research. This mid-October edition features news about the Tech effect on guest experience, best and worst foodie cities and culinary trends for 2017  including Wake and Cake and Snackin’ Sardines.

Tech’s Impact on Guest Experience

Seventy-nine percent of consumers agree that technology improves their restaurant experience, according to a survey conducted by Toast Restaurant POS, the all-in-one restaurant technology platform. The finding was unveiled as part of the Toast Restaurant Technology in 2016 Dining Report, released today, which analyzes responses from more than 1,100 diners, revealing how they feel about consumer-facing technologies in the restaurant space – including identifying the technologies they use most frequently, and those they could do without.

According to the study, a significant 88 percent of participants report that they have placed an online order through a restaurant’s website, with 27 percent stating they use online ordering on a weekly basis. Further, 62 percent of respondents have chosen to place mobile orders using their smartphones or tablets when this technology option has been available.

Among the technology features consumers find most important, online reservations topped the list with 36 percent of votes, followed by free WiFi at 23 percent and mobile or online ordering at 19 percent.

“Consumers overwhelmingly agree that technology is improving the way they engage with restaurants and enhances their overall dining experience,” said Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast. “The study’s findings not only provide deep insight into the impact of restaurant technology tools and trends but also serve to help restaurant owners and managers prioritize how to invest in new capabilities for 2017 and beyond.”toastreport_keyfindings1

Additional findings include:

  • While 82 percent of diners still prefer receipts, 42 percent of diners today request to receive receipts via email, while 11 percent request mobile receipts;
  • 42 percent of respondents have used mobile payments such as Apple Pay, LevelUp, Samsung Pay, etc.;
  • Delicious food remains the number one factor in a good restaurant experience according to 60 percent of diners, while quality service ranked second at 22 percent.

To access the full report, click here.

Toast conducted an online survey from July 27 to August with 1,115 respondents drawn from a nation-wide consumer audience.

Best and Worst Foodie Cities

With Oct. 16 being World Food Day and Americans spending more money at food establishments than at grocery stores in 2015, personal-finance website WalletHub took a close look at 2016’s Best & Worst Foodie Cities.
To find the best and cheapest foodie scenes in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 150 most populated cities across 21 key metrics, ranging from “cost of groceries” to “affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants” to “number of food festivals per capita.”

  Best Foodie Cities    Worst Foodie Cities
  1 Orlando, FL   141 Garland, TX
  2 Portland, OR   142 Fayetteville, NC
  3 Miami, FL   143 Jackson, MS
  4 Tampa, FL   144 San Bernardino, CA
  5 San Francisco, CA   145 Aurora, IL
  6 Cincinnati, OH   146 Fontana, CA
  7 St. Louis, MO   147 Montgomery, AL
  8 Salt Lake City, UT   148 Grand Prairie, TX
  9 Richmond, VA   149 Moreno Valley, CA
  10 Seattle, WA   150 North Las Vegas, NV
  • Laredo, TX, has the lowest grocery cost index, 79, which is two times lower than in Honolulu, the city with the highest, 158.9.
  • Orlando, FL, has the most restaurants per 100,000 residents, 1,176.38, which is 9.8 times more than in Santa Clarita, Calif., the city with the fewest, 120.09.
  • Santa Rosa, CA, has the highest ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food establishments, 1.74, which is 3.1 times higher than in Jackson, Miss., the city with the lowest, 0.57.
  • Portland, OR., has the most coffee and tea shops per 100,000 residents, 103.92, which is 29.5 times more than in Laredo, Texas, the city with the fewest, 3.52.
  • Miami has the most gourmet specialty-food stores per 100,000 residents, 117.46, which is 14.5 times more than in Gilbert, Ariz., the city with the fewest, 8.08.
  • Cincinnati has the most grocery stores per 100,000 residents, 128.29, which is 13.8 times more than in Santa Clarita, Calif., the city with the fewest, 9.32.
  • San Francisco has the most cooking schools per 100,000 residents, 6.36, which is 28 times more than in Raleigh, N.C., the city with the fewest, 0.22.

In order to determine the best and cheapest foodie scenes in the U.S., WalletHub’s analysts compared the 150 most populated cities across two key dimensions, including “Affordability” and “Diversity, Accessibility & Quality.” They next evaluated these categories using 21 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the best conditions and costs for foodies. Then they calculated overall scores for each city using the weighted average across all metrics and constructed  final ranking based on the results. To view the full report, click here.

Consumers Want Human and Digital Interaction

Consumers spend twice as much in-store when they receive assistance from a retail sales associate and 2.2 times more when they visit the brand’s website in-store, according to new data from cloud-based customer experience (CX) optimization company, InMoment.

“For brands, it’s not about choosing one channel over the other, but rather leveraging each for their unique strengths. Online storefronts can showcase selection, while your people can provide personalized care. It’s this combination of the human and the digital that increases conversions as well as overall brand loyalty.”

In its 2016 Retail Industry Report, InMoment surveyed more than 25,000 North American consumers on their experiences throughout their shopping journey, from their decision to visit the store to the in-store experience and their feelings post-purchase. The report found that a consumer’s average single-trip spend increases nearly four times when engaged by both in-store staff and the brand’s website. This indicates that the more help a consumer receives, whether digital or human, the more he or she is willing to spend.

Other key findings include:

  • Consumers that visited another brand’s website while in store spent, on average, 1.2 times more than those who did not.
  • Of those who visit the brand’s website while in a store location, 72 percent were younger than 44 years old, with the highest proportion of visitors (26.1 percent) coming from the 35-44-year-old demographic.
  • Consumers ages 18-24 are almost twice as likely to visit the brand’s website before a store visit when compared to all other age groups.

“Despite fears that brick-and-mortar buying might lose its relevance, in-person shopping has transformed into an omnichannel opportunity to sell more, and deepen customer relationships,” said Dr. Paul Warner, vice president, consumer and employee insights at InMoment. “For brands, it’s not about choosing one channel over the other, but rather leveraging each for their unique strengths. Online storefronts can showcase selection, while your people can provide personalized care. It’s this combination of the human and the digital that increases conversions as well as overall brand loyalty.”

The study also includes insights on consumers’ shopping habits across industries. According to the report, the technology and entertainment sectors saw the largest increase in spend (3.9 times greater) when consumers reported having an interaction with staff versus those who did not. Fashion retailers in particular saw a significant increase in spend (more than 2.5 times) when consumers engaged with a competitor’s website and interacted with staff.

To download the study,  click here.

Top 10 Culinary Trends

Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) identified its top ten culinary trends that will stand out on restaurant menus, expand onto grocery shelves, and attract consumer attention across the U.S. in 2017.

Broad and growing interest in wellness and the environment, as well as a strong desire to connect with international cultures, continue to be significant key factors influencing the way U.S. consumers eat and drink. In 2017, chefs and foodies alike—seeking authenticity—will be inspired by ancient wellness philosophies and traditional cooking methods to create new and exciting menu items and elevated dining experiences.

Look for these culinary trends to expand and grow next year as they move from cutting edge to mainstream:

  1. Wake and Cake: Have your cake and eat it … for breakfast? With recent science and research endorsing this diet strategy, in the year ahead SRG expects more people to partake in this decadent post-breakfast trend.
  2. Dosha Dining: Long recommended as medicine by Siddha doctors (traditional Indian physicians), turmeric came into the spotlight in 2016 boasting its mega-health benefits and savory flavor. With sustained interest in food as medicine, consumers will take a deeper dive into the ancient practice of Ayurveda and eat for their doshas.
  3. Plant Butchery: Meat substitutes have graduated from seitan and soy with new options made from chickpeas, legumes, and fungi. Mock meats are popping up in their own butcher-style storefronts, enticing a new generation to consider Meatless Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
  4. Food Waste Frenzy: With approximately 40% of food in the U.S. going to waste, restaurants, and innovative food companies will increasingly serve up delicious food options using the whole fruit and vegetable—from seeds to rinds.
  5. Snackin’ Sardines: In 2017, consumers will fish for more protein-rich snacks. High in omega-3s, protein, and umami flavoring, sardines will move to the forefront as an uncomplicated yet elegant addition to any snacking situation.
  6. Noodle on This: Noodle lovers who have long embraced Thai pad see ew, Vietnamese pho, and fresh Japanese ramen are rediscovering Chinese lamian—or hand-pulled noodles—for both their taste and entertainment value. Watching a master noodle-smith knead, stretch, and swing dough into strands for soup will be a new experience for eaters who not only enjoy good food, but also a good show.
  7. Mocktail Mixology: From nonalcoholic happy hours to standalone mocktail menus, beverages are being positioned as intricate and unique experiences that can be had without the hangover.
  8. Goat! Get It. Low in calories, fat, and cholesterol, goat is poised to become the next go-to protein in 2017. A great foundation for spicy and sour preparations, look for restaurants to feature goat in dishes, such as empanadas and lasagna.
  9. Cook and Connect: Chefs, home cooks, and foodies are taking advantage of the sharing economy and coming together in a big and innovative way—from communal pizza ovens and outdoor kitchens to the fleet-farming movement.
  10. Migratory Meals: All over the world people are moving; some by choice, others under duress. By celebrating their rich heritages and cuisines, large refugee populations are beginning to make culinary connections with their new home countries.

The report was compiled by an in-house culinary team and SRG’s Culinary Council, a team of more than 175 chefs, restaurateurs, and foodies. An extension of Culinary Shifts, SRG’s annual proprietary report on key societal shifts driving long-term food trends, Culinary Trends provides insights that food industry companies can leverage to better develop, position, market, and sell their products.

For a complete look at cutting-edge Culinary Trends 2017,  click here

Home Cooking Quirks

One quarter of Americans would rather watch a cooking show than cook a meal, according to the results of a new survey from Wolf Appliance, Inc. The company surveyed American adults about their cooking attitudes and behaviors as part of its Reclaim the Kitchen initiative.

“More than one third of adults say they spend more time in the kitchen than they have in the past, but about 42 percent also say they would rather scroll through social media than cook,” said Brian Jones, Director of Marketing for Wolf Appliance, Inc. “This tells us that we have a gap to close. Americans are interested in home cooking, but there is a need for a basic, accessible means for them to get back into their kitchens. Reclaim the Kitchen is meant to inspire people to shift from admiring food, to having the skills and understanding to cook the types of foods that appeal to them.”

Reclaim The Kitchen has the goal of making the cooking process easy and accessible. Visit to learn more. (PRNewsFoto/Wolf Appliance, Inc.)

The survey findings also show that one in six adults will order takeout if a meal takes longer than 30 minutes to cook. Other cooking quirks include:

  • Adults are most comfortable using their microwaves and ovens, and nearly one in five adults use their oven only on occasion or during the holidays.
  • 43 percent of adults say they are too tired to cook, even when they have the time.
  • 50 percent of adults can’t name 10 items currently located in their pantry.
  • 39 percent of adults have set off the fire alarm when cooking.
  • Adults throw away $500 worth of food annually, and 56 percent are very concerned about food waste.

And while millennials strongly identify with food, they are more likely to avoid cooking:

  • Nearly 70 percent of millennials say learning to cook new dishes or cuisines is a personal accomplishment that is important to them.
  • 58 percent of millennials said they occasionally eat snack or junk food for dinner.
  • 21 percent of millennials have never boiled an egg.
  • Less than half of millennials know how to dice, sauté, broil, mince, sear or braise food.

The survey was conducted online for Wolf by Russell Research between August 5, 2016 and August 8, 2016 among 1,059 adults ages 18 and older. The margin of error is +/‑ 3.1 percent.

Bundle Trouble

A new survey of children’s and teenagers’ eating habits at fast-food restaurants suggests that consumption levels of sugary drinks are closely tied to their automatic inclusion in “combo meal” packages. According to the NYU Langone Medical Center researchers who led the survey, kids who ate at any of five major fast-food chains consumed 179 more calories on average when their meal deals included soda, sweetened tea or juice, or flavored milks, compared to those who drank non-sweetened beverages or nothing with their food.

In a summary of the results, published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers also found that purchasing drinks as part of bundled meals was tied to the consumption on average of 82 more drink calories than when the drinks were purchased separately. And, they reported, parents who bought combo meals were 24 percent more likely than those who did not to buy a high-calorie, sugar-sweetened beverage than a non-sweetened drink or no beverage.

“Our study strongly suggests that uncoupling sugary drinks from combo meal deals might reduce high-calorie beverage consumption and help to curb childhood obesity rates fueled by these kinds of liquid calories,” says study senior investigator Brian Elbel, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone, and at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

For the study, Elbel’s team surveyed fast-food restaurant eating choices of 483 boys and girls between the ages of 1 and 18 who dined in or took food to go from a McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Wendy’s or Subway between January 2013 and June 2014. All restaurants involved in the survey were located inNew York or in Newark or Jersey City, NJ, and the parents of all dining youth were interviewed about their purchases based on meal receipts.

The high calorie levels calculated by the research team among youthful diners mean it is highly likely that added sugar intake from such drinks causes many of them to exceed the maximum, recommended limit of between 120 and 180 calories set in U.S. national dietary guidelines, say the study authors. Elbel points out that about 17 percent of Americans under the age of 19 are estimated to be obese, a situation caused in part by people’s consumption of too many calories from sugar. The researchers say their analysis is the first to assess factors that may be driving sugary drink consumption at fast-food restaurants.

Overall, among those surveyed, fewer than half (42 percent) purchased a combination meal, but 74 percent of combo purchases were kids’ meals, Elbel reports. The survey also found that about half of all beverages (49 percent) were sodas. The rest were juice (38 percent), flavored milk (5 percent), regular milk (2 percent), and water (1 percent). Another 5 percent consisted of sweetened teas, lemonade, and hot chocolate. Those who bought their meals “to go” averaged 14 fewer drink calories than those who ate in the restaurant.

Age and gender mattered as well — but less so than combo meals — in the purchasing of sugary drinks, according to the survey analysis. Teenagers were 22 percent more likely to drink them than younger children, and males were 31 percent more likely than females.

The new analysis, Elbel says, comes in the wake of efforts by several cities to restrict access to supersized soft drinks, mainly by imposing higher sales taxes. Such taxes failed to pass in New York City in 2014, but were later that year introduced in Berkeley, Calif., and this year in Philadelphia.

“Although our study does not prove cause and effect with respect to obesity and bundled fast-food meals,” Elbel says, “policy-makers will ideally be able to use research like ours to guide them in formulating public health policies that may effectively decrease consumption of unhealthy sugar-sweetened beverages.”

Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health, including National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases grant R01 099241, and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant R01 HL095935. Additional funding support was provided by New York State Health Foundation grant 12-01682, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant 70823. In addition to Elbel, other NYU Langone researchers involved in this study are doctoral candidates Jonathan Cantor, MS; and Andrew Breck, MPA.

Food Policy Up for Debate

FoodMinds’ fourth “Food Temperance in America” survey found two out of three Opinion Leader Shoppers – registered voters that express their food values in the grocery store, in public forums and in their politics – support including food policy issues in the presidential debates, with 76 percent of Democrat Opinion Leader Shoppers and 50 percent of Republican Opinion Leader Shoppers thinking the presidential candidates should debate policy options around access to food, food assistance programs, food safety and education on healthy food choices. There was an uptick among Republican Opinion Leader Shoppers calling for the inclusion of food issues in the debates, with only 42 percent of this group favoring food policy deliberation in 2012, the last time FoodMinds conducted the survey.gi_61530_foodminds-food-temperance-graphic

While food policy approaches differ between Democrats and Republicans, there has been a significant shift since 2010 in Opinion Leader Shoppers’ thinking about who holds the primary responsibility for making the right food choices to stay healthy and avoid obesity.

“Since the FoodMinds Food Temperance Survey was first fielded in January 2010, there has been a steady shift in perceived responsibility away from the individual and toward other parts of society including food companies, government, health care and education,” said Grant Prentice, senior vice president, strategic insights, FoodMinds. “In fact, during this six-year time frame there has been a 15-point change among Opinion Leader Shoppers, with more than 50 percent of such shoppers now believing the primary responsibility for making the right food choices lies with society rather than the individual.” While Republican Opinion Leader Shoppers are more likely to place responsibility on the individual compared to Democrats, the percent of Republicans focused on individual responsibility dropped from 67 percent in 2012 to 59 percent in 2016.

The “Food Temperance in America” survey tracks opinions on food policy topics among registered voters and Opinion Leader Shoppers, a group of politically aware and socially active consumers who are registered voters and primary grocery shoppers for their households.Democrat Opinion Leader Shoppers show much stronger approval for government intervention to limit consumption of unhealthy foods, with 71 percent approving increased intervention relative to only 34 percent of Republicans approving of increased government intervention in food choice and efforts to limit consumption of unhealthy foods.

“It is clear that Republican and Democratic Opinion Leader Shoppers hold different opinions on food policy and these voters want Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to debate pressing food policy matters during this election. Given the significant difference of opinion on best policies to adopt, it is imperative that the country engage in this debate,” said Bill Layden, founder and executive vice president, FoodMinds.

Millennials Want Work-Life Balance

According to FlexJobs’ survey, travel is a surprisingly popular motivator for why people work: 70 percent of millennials say the desire to travel is a primary reason to work, second only to paying for basic necessities (88 percent). Gen X respondents ranked travel (60 percent) as the fourth most important reason for working, and boomers ranked travel (47 percent) fifth in importance. Fifteen percent of millennials in the survey identified as digital nomads/travelers, compared to 11 percent of gen X and eight percent of boomers.

While work-life balance, workplace flexibility, and salary are the top three factors the three generations consider when evaluating a job prospect, rankings vary: 82 percent of millennials cite work flexibility as a factor compared to 81 percent of gen X and 79 percent of boomers. Work schedule was also more important to millennials (65 percent), whereas only 57 percent of gen X and 62 percent of boomers said it was a consideration.

“Since millennials are now the largest generation in the U.S. labor workforce, it’s critical that companies pay attention to how, where and when they work best,” said Sara Sutton Fell, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “82 percent of millennials said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options and nearly a quarter would be willing to work more hours. So offering millennials work flexibility isn’t just a strategy to avoid negative consequences like losing talent–employers have a lot to gain by modifying their strict, traditional, office-based model of working.”

Other findings include:

Millennials Place High Value on Work Flexibility

Millennials place an extremely high value on work flexibility:

  • Work-life balance (84 percent) was ranked the most important factor when evaluating a job prospect.
  • Work flexibility came in as the second most important factor (82 percent), and salary ranked third (80 percent), all ranked well above other factors such as health insurance (48 percent), company reputation (45 percent), and 401(k)/retirement benefits (36 percent)
  • 34 percent have actually left a job because it did not have work flexibility
  • 14 percent have considered leaving a job because it did not have work flexibility
  • 24 percent are currently looking for a new job because of work flexibility issues

Workstyle Reasons Millennials Are Interested in Work Flexibility

Work flexibility appeals to different groups within the generation.

  • Millennials identified primarily with the following groups: working parents (40 percent), freelancers (26 percent), introverts (30 percent), entrepreneurs (18 percent), students (17 percent) and digital nomads (15 percent)
  • Millennials interested in work flexibility are highly educated and experienced workers. Seventy-four percent of respondents have a college or graduate degree and 20 percent are already manager level or higher.

Employer Benefits

Millennials report being willing to make bottom-line saving sacrifices in exchange for telecommuting options:

  • 35 percent of respondents said they would take a 10 percent or 20 percent cut in pay
  • 27 percent are willing to forfeit vacation time
  • 22 percent would be willing to work more hours
  • 82 percent of respondents also say they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options
  • 60 percent of millennials think they would more be more productive at home vs an office

Generational differences

  • While millennials tend to be associated with freelance work more so than other generations, these results showed they were less inclined: only 42 percent of millennials were open to freelancing as a flexible work arrangement with 47 percent of gen X and 44 percent of boomers expressed interest in freelancing.
  • Millennials report “needing and wanting to work” versus just “needing to work” at a higher rate (71 percent) than gen X (65 percent) and boomers (66 percent).
  • Millennials report being required to be at the office to work at a much higher rate (34 percent) than gen X (26 percent) and boomers (19 percent).
  • Yet, millennials show a stronger preference for working at a coffee shop, coworking space, library, or other place besides the office (11 percent) compared to gen X (8 percent) and boomers (6 percent).

Generational similarities:

  • None of the generations site the office during traditional hours as their location of choice for optimum productivity.
  • None of the generations seem to be overly concerned about the negative impact a flexible work arrangement might have on their career progression.
  • The three generations reported having been the victims of job scams at a similar rate (14 percent).
  • All three generations use social media similarly in their job search, with LinkedIn being the primary channel and Facebook a distant second.

There were: Millennials (678 respondents), Gen X (1,358 respondents), Boomer (845 respondents). For more information, click here.


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Supervisory Highlights, Fall 2015: Totally Sanitized Limerick Edition!

Posted in CFPB, Mortgage, Student Lending, Supervisory Highlights

Don’t know about you, but we’ve been dreaming about wrapping ourselves in a big cabled sweater, drinking a pumpkin-spiced beverage and cozying up to the Fall 2015 issue of Supervisory Highlights. Usually haiku is how we roll, but haiku really evokes spring, and in honor of everyone’s favorite season of decay, we’ve decided to give… Read More

Supervisory Haiku-lights, Summer 2015

Posted in CFPB, Credit Reports, Fair Lending, Mortgage, Supervisory Highlights

Break out the short shorts everybody: it’s summer! We know you could use a palate cleanser between the 50 Shades novels and Game of Thrones wikis you’re reading on the beach. Supervisory Haiku-lights to the rescue! The Summer 2015 issue of Supervisory Highlights includes supervisory observations on consumer reporting, debt collection, student loan servicing, mortgage… Read More

Fall 2014 Supervisory Haiku-lights

Posted in CFPB, Mortgage, Student Lending, Supervisory Highlights

A few times a year, CFPB Supervision publishes Supervisory Highlights, which provides general information about examination findings without identifying specific institutions. We know you readers are busy—and literary!—so below we present key takeaways from Supervision’s Fall 2014 report in one of our favorite poetic forms:  haiku. student lenders must allocate payments fairly not to increase… Read More


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Analysts warn of risk to AAA rating

Analysts have warned that the UK’s AAA rating could still be at risk despite Chancellor Alistair Darling’s optimistic growth outlook.

All three ratings agencies have previously warned that the UK’s AAA rating was at risk without significant spending cuts. Moody’s warned on Wednesday that “public finances are deteriorating considerably and may therefore test the AAA boundaries”.

It added that this would “have to be validated by actions in the not too distant future to continue to provide support for the rating”.

But experts are not confident that the pre-Budget report addressed the ratings agencies’ fears adequately enough.

Caxton FX senior analyst Duncan Higgins says: “This report has done little to assuage ongoing fears of the UK’s fiscal debt. With increased borrowing planned for next year, concerns will linger over the possibility that the UK’s AAA rating may come under threat.”

Royal London Asset Management economist Ian Kernohan says: “Perhaps we should be looking across the Irish Sea for a glimpse of the future.”

He warns that both Labour and the Conservatives are not being candid enough with voters ahead of a spring election when it comes to spelling out where cuts will fall.

Kernohan says: “Unless a deficit reduction programme is deemed credible by the rating agencies, the UK’s sovereign rating will come under question, which will push up gilt yields and the cost of debt servicing, making the problem worse.”

Schroders fund manager Warren Hyland says there is a clear difference in opinion on UK growth between the International Monetary Fund and the UK Government. The IMF says UK debt to GDP ratios will be at 98.3 per cent in 2014.

He says: “The debt/GDP ratio should fall from 2011 onward to be consistent with the AAA rating but that is clearly not the case. Overall, the Budget was negative for gilts and we expect that the yield curve will become steeper and that rates will rise. This is negative for a sovereign rating.”

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Clarkson Hill advisers left in uncertainty

Clarkson Hill advisers have been left in limbo following the FSA’s decision to remove the firm’s regulatory permissions.

The Cambridgeshire-based group, which has 114 adviser firms listed on the FSA register, announced to the stockmarket this week it was no longer able to undertake regulatory activities.

The FSA has told Clarkson Hill to inform all its clients in writing of the loss of permission by December 17.

Lawyers say the advisers could face Park Row-style delays before having their permissions reinstated if they try to move to another firm, depending on the FSA’s motivation for removing the permissions.

Foot Anstey Solicitors associate Alan Hughes says: “If I were a Clarkson Hill adviser I would be pushing back at the FSA hard and forcing my case as quickly as possible.”

The company’s compliance director Martin Field left on December 3, according to the FSA register, after a review by the regulator of its systems and controls in 2009 that resulted in “significant exceptional costs” of £230,787.

Money Marketing understands Clarkson Hill’s directors Mike Robinson and Ron Pritchard are in talks with several players to find a buyer for the firm but the major consolidators are not considering an acquisition.

A statement on Monday says Clarkson Hill is “reviewing a number of options, including the sale of the company, and is in continuing discussions with the FSA with the objective of resolving matters as soon as possible”.

Succession Advisory Services chief executive Simon Chamberlain says: “This is an old-style firm and providers of this kind are doomed to failure as they do not own anything.”

Perspective Financial managing director Damian Keeling says: “We only buy profitable, well run businesses and this is not our sort of thing.”

An FSA spokeswoman says: “We have told the company to tell us their plans for the business and for the advisers.”

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EU commission ban proposal overturned

The Association of Finance Brokers and Association of Mortgage Intermediaries have claimed victory in securing an amendment to the European consumer credit directive which would have banned commission.

Pada launches consultation paper on charging for personal accounts

The personal accounts delivery authority launched its consultation on choosing a charging structure to pay for personal accounts today.The consultation paper outlines a number of ways charges could be deducted including an annual management charge, a contribution charge and a joining charge.But Pada identified the fact that different charging structures favour different potential members depending […]

Standard Life announces extra £800m of with-profits bonuses

Standard Life has announced that an estimated £800m of bonuses will be added to its with-profits plans in 2008.Its with-profits bonus declaration states that bonus growth rates for unitised with-profits bonds will increase from 2 to 2.5 per cent per annum and from 1.5 to 2.0 per cent for other life plans.Standard Life says where […]

Paragon shareholders vote in favour of rights issue

Paragon has confirmed that its shareholders have voted unanimously in favour of its proposed rights issue at its Extraordinary General Meeting today.The buy-to-let specialist lender had announced to the stock market in November that it would have to do an emergency rights issue as a result of funding problems caused by the credit crunch.It has […]

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NPI claims the lowest pension fee

NPI is rolling out a regu lar-premium pension policy which it claims has the lowest annual management charge in the market at 0.15 per cent.

The move reflects NPI&#39s belief that too many pension customers are penalised for taking premium holidays or making their policies paid up.

The life office claims that the average annual charge of 1 per cent is reducing funds by up to 95 per cent if investors stop contributions.

NPI is focusing on charges rather than the industry trend of introducing policies with high early transfer values.

The trend towards high early transfer values continues despite PIA persistency figures showing that only 1 per cent of consumers transfer in the first three years.

NPI&#39s new contract has no penalties for stopping, reducing, increasing or suspending contributions. Investors can also make the policy paid up or take contribution holidays or early retirement without penalty.

NPI claims the pension will help IFAs compete against the direct-sales market and the bancassurers.

IFAs can choose to take no commission, boosting the allocation rate is 102.5 per cent. But IFAs can also take a flat rate of commission of up to 8 per cent, with the allocation rate reducing by one percentage point for each per cent of commission.

There is also an option to take full indemnity commission.

The plan has a £3 monthly policy fee and a 5 per cent bid/offer spread.

Head of IFA marketing Peter Byrne says: "We consider fund safety sacrosanct and, if you want to give value to customers, you have to reduce the annual management charge. This product will give IFAs the ammunition to show the value of advice."

Pearl backs F1 team with £1m

Pearl is to sponsor British Grand Prix team Jordan in a deal worth £1m. Pearl&#39s name will be seen on drivers Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher&#39s cars next season. Its staff will be given free trips to Grand Prix races. Head of PR Ken McKay says: “We used to sponsor snooker in the days that […]

Scottish Mutual has restored faith

As an alternative to the general carping and complaints directed at the insurance industry, may I, by way of a change, congratulate and compliment Scottish Mutual for a recent experience which underlines what I was taught when I first started in sales 40 years ago, which is that justified complaints should be welcomed as they […]

Critical decisions to be made over income drawdown

Some pension experts are warning of yet another glitch in income drawdown. The latest doubt is another spin on critical yields. In the past six months, some gurus have warned that high upfront commission could mean critical yields of 14 per cent or higher will be needed to ensure that the client is not worse […]

Life sales could be hit in long-term CGT shift

Sales of life insurance policies could be crippled following the Budget&#39s revamp of the capital gains tax regime which now favours unit trusts. The Chancellor is making a major reform of the capital gains system in a bid to change the tendency toward short-term investments by rewarding long-term investments. The change will hit many life […]

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There's a fairly common expectation of what new tech is. Shinier, thinner, faster. Cooler. But for many people on this crowded planet, new technology doesn’t need to be any of those things. The kind of simple tech we have consigned to the history books – or at least the drawer full of old mobile phone chargers in the kitchen - is being put to cutting-edge use...

So you’re a bit obsessive about new tech. You’re itching to fulfil fantasies in virtual reality, and have already chosen which friend you’ll buzz with a drone for fun. Your parents treat you as a 24/7 tech helpline, and as a caring offspring you have the appropriate IT Crowd gif on permanent standby to send them.

But new tech is only cutting-edge in relation to the needs of people who use it. A new smartwatch might smarten up your ability to dim smartbulbs in your smarthome, but technology gets really smart when it’s applied in the right way to change the lives of people in a powerful way.

So why are wind-up LED lights, SMS messaging, and — erm— tractors the cutting-edge technology which the world really needs? Maybe the question should be: “if there was a simple technology that could help make you smarter, better-off, and stopped your house from burning down — would you use it?”

Light, weight

Most of us take electric lights for granted, of course. But it’s an unattainable luxury for the 1.3bn people who don’t have access to power - and many of these households use kerosene lamps to provide light.

Kerosene lamps are fundamentally horrible things: a wobble of the table might send a lamp tumbling and your home alight. Oh, and the effects of constantly breathing fumes don’t really bear thinking about.

As far as day-to-day technology goes, GravityLight - a UK-based, crowdfunded company - is simple, effective and impactful. After fitting one to a wall and filling a dangling bag with 10 kilos of heavy stuff, it takes just a few seconds to hoist the bag up — and for an instant pool of light from the powerful LED bulb.

GravityLight’s effects go beyond the convenience of light. By replacing kerosene, not only are the twin dangers of fire and fumes removed, but the financial burden buying fuel too – vital for families with the least money to spare. With a basic piece of technology, a family might be 20% better off.

It’s not the first wind-up device to revolutionise the developing world — the wind-up radio famously helped spread HIV/AIDS education in the nineties — but GravityLight is different in that it frees users to help themselves.

The empowerment that safe lighting brings is the brightest hope here: within a safe, bright living space hovers the opportunity to use previously darkened hours for schoolwork or small business work

The empowerment that safe lighting brings is the brightest hope here: within a safe, bright living space hovers the opportunity to use previously darkened hours for schoolwork or small business work. Light can be a lifeline out of poverty, in both the short- and long-term.

Obsessive shed-enthusiasts, and owners of dark nooks and crannies take note — you too can buy them online - and help support the GravityLight foundation.

Crowdsourcing from the unconnected billions

The big smartphone apps are based around one thing: instant communication. Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram — they all simply shift a message from one person to another. It seems almost too trivial to note that phones are the gateway to mass communication and information.

In the age of WhatsApp and Messenger, 20 billion SMS messages are still sent every day

But here’s a well-actually nugget of info to remember for the next time someone mentions that, durrr, no-one sends SMS messages any more: 20 billion of them are sent every day.

One explanation for that huge number is that people in the developing world –where internet connectivity is often scarce, expensive, or both – rely on SMS messaging to share information. “Feature phones,” or non-smartphones, sell in vast quantities: nearly 400 million were shipped in 2016.

Here’s a problem that needs fixing: there are half a billion smallholder farmers in the world, most living on less than $1 a day — and they mainly live in remote areas with little or no internet access. We take for granted instant access to the sum total of human knowledge, but it’s beyond their reach – yet it would allow them to grow more food, or sell crops at a better price.

So WeFarm created a peer-to-peer network that anyone with a “dumbphone" can access via the universal magic of SMS. Not sure why your wheat crop is failing this year? Send a single text asking for advice, and a flood of expertise returns.

Or, as WeFarm puts it, “A farmer in Kenya can learn from someone in Peru… without leaving the farm, spending any money or having access to internet.”

Suddenly, vital information is loosened from its high-tech mooring - yet still takes advantage of it: not only can a farmer ask a question, but the best answers are collated from parts of the world they could never usually reach.

That’s a remarkable development, and it works: so far, over 5 million SMS messages have been sent through WeFarm. And the leaps forward are remarkable: by scouring the globe, innovative ideas, siloed in one location for generations, are quickly shared everywhere, for everyone’s benefit - and all via phones we call “dumb.”

Tractors. Wait, tractors?

The Internet of Things is generally a smart household object that either does something a bit better than it did previously, or, as demonstrated in the glut of examples collected by cult Twitter account @internetofshit, much worse.

But while we ponder whether we really need to see the inside of the fridge without simply opening the door, in Nigeria, the Internet of Things is transforming the work, lives, and yields of thousands of farmers. It turns out the smartest Internet-of-Things-thing is... a tractor.

It turns out the smartest Internet-of-Things-thing is... a tractor.

Buying a tractor is beyond the reach of most Nigerians: a cruel irony for people living in a country blessed with plenty of farming land. It means that working the land is hard, long and laborious. Now, another simple idea coupled with basic technology has the potential to liberate farmers and their families from back-breaking work.

Hello Tractor, despite a cute and colourful website, is a concept low on glamour, high on impact, and also works via SMS. Farmers who want to use a tractor at an affordable price send a text, and they’re connected with local tractor owners who will loan it to them for an affordable price. Their machines have sturdy GPS chips to help track when breakdowns occur and where the machines are working at any given time.

What’s so good about the system is that it’s a win-win for all involved. For small farmers, quicker tilling or ploughing of land means lower overheads, more food, and more profit; and tractor owners can safely rent out their machines, and make more money for their families.

It’s a solid business model where demand outstrips supply, thus also encourages budding entrepreneurship. To seed more tractors for Nigeria’s 35 million small farmers, Hello Tractor is also helping to connect people with local microfinancing services. Fairer loans for farmers to buy tractors means that they can be rented out to even more smallholders.

It’s heartening to see that human technological progress isn't just for some of us to try out brand new technology, but that the wider world can take advantage it, regardless of circumstance. It also sets a thoughtful benchmark for those of us fortunate to be relatively wealthy: by all means, enjoy exciting new tech - but maybe we can all think of ways of using it to empower those of us in greater need.


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What Is a Church Community?

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Do you want to chat with a missionary?

We are happy to answer any questions you may have. Start a chat or call us at 1-888-537-6600.

Hi I'm Stockton Ferguson

I'm 18 and going to serve a mission in the Marshall Islands. I enjoy playing football, hanging out with friends, and I'm a Mormon!

About Me

I am the second oldest of four children. I was born in Boise, Idaho and moved to California, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and back to Alabama. I am one of two Mormons in my high school class of 900. I enjoy playing football and am a two-time state champion. I am also an Eagle Scout. I am a member of my IT 4 academy.

Why I am a Mormon

I'm a Mormon and I know this church is true. I've seen Christ's hand in my life multiple times and continue to see Him bless others! As I am preparing to serve a mission, there can often be distractions that can throw us off the right path but as we put our faith and hope in Christ, He can help overcome those distractions. The happiness and joy I feel is from Him and members of His church.

How I live my faith

I'm one of nine mormons that go to my high school of 2500 students. Most people don't know what a Mormon believes. Naturally, they have questions about my faith and I get asked a lot of questions. I lead the music on Sunday's and sometimes teach lessons in Sunday School!


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Tom Lee is unhappy about journo-twittering:

As a cheap and fun SMS interface for media outlets I have no beef with it; as a means of personal marketing for journalists, the pretense and lack of honesty is dismaying….I’d say the median journotweet is something like “getting ready to sit down for an i/v w @spalin. the lady is a tough cookie!” when in fact it should be closer to “complaining abt blogs in line to pick up kids @ sidwell frnds. no poor people around!”

Peter Suderman concurs that journo-tweeting is “almost universally vapid and uninforming.”  No argument from me on that score, but I suppose there’s nothing really all that wrong with journalistic self-promotion either.  Having watched their demographics grow ever more AARP-ish for years, and having missed several boats already to get younger readers/viewers interested in their product, I suppose the news industry really, really doesn’t want to miss yet another one.  They probably figure that Twitter is helping them capture the news consumers of the future.

Plus there’s the fact that every once in a great while, a reporter puts something useful up.  And even if it happens only once in a thousand tweets, that still means you’d better be participating so you don’t miss out.  There’s nothing worse in DC than having someone ask “Have you heard about ______?” and being forced to admit that you haven’t.  Especially if the reason you haven’t heard it is simply because you’re too neanderthal and out of touch to have the right technology.  Thus are boomlets born.

(But is Twitter a bubble?  For those of you who think bubbles are easy to spot while they’re happening, you need to answer Right Now.  And show your work, please.  In a couple of years we’ll find out which of you was right.)


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More Coverage of Push Polling

The New York Times weighs in today on the GOP’s push polling efforts in contested districts, noting this gem from a recent smear on Jon Tester, the Montana Democrat who’s running against Conrad Burns: “Does the fact that Jon Tester says he would have voted against common-sense, pro-life judges like Samuel Alito and John Roberts, and Conrad Burns supported them, make you less favorable toward Jon Tester?”

According to the Times, ccAdvertising (a/k/a, which I reported on recently, has been robo-calling on behalf of an attack group called Common Sense Ohio, which “was formed in July to run issue advertisements in the governor’s race there, and it became involved in the Senate races in Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and Tennessee, and in the abortion referendum in South Dakota.” FreeEats, which is chaired by Donald Hodel, a Reagan-era cabinet official and the former president of both the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family, has also been working on behalf of the Economic Freedom Fund, a 527-committee bankrolled by Bob Perry (of Swift Boat Veterans fame).

The Times notes that “some experts question how much impact the calls will have amid the rest of the political fog, especially since some voters quickly get annoyed with the technique.” Gabriel Joseph, the president of FreeEats, would beg to differ. As he told me, “When you make 3 ½ million phone calls a day, we generally talk to more people than watch television, listen to the radio, or read the newspaper combined.”


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Niranjan Guha Roy was born
in East-Bengal, the 30 May 1920.
He was a Pilot in the Royal Air Force during the war.
In 1945 after the war he joined the Ashram of Sri Aurobindo in Pondichery where he remained upto 1984.
Then he went to France , Britany where he created a place called Motherland in honor of the Mother. He left his body in August 2005.
Niranjan Guha Roy has tried to express through his writings, paintings, music, photos and films his deepest spiritual experiences and aspiration and to give a body to his vision of the New World of beauty and harmony coming on earth.
But above all his work and life are an offering to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

Version : Français (French)


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Carpet Moth Powders – Hard Hitting Carpet Moth Killing Powders

Kill Moths, Larvae & Eggs with Effective Carpet Moth Powders.

Hard hitting Moth Powders are ideal for use in rooms where you have an ongoing moth infestation. Stop moths and larvae in their tracks and kill eggs before they hatch. Powders are especially effective when applied to areas of carpet that have been badly damaged and remain active long after application.

Our powders are all professional grade and certified safe for domestic use. Natural Powders are available for where chemical products are not suitable.

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Powder required to kill moths, larvae and eggs but where children and pets may have access All Rooms

Desi-Dust, Oa2ki Powder Puffer, Oa2ki Powder Aerosol

We recommend omitting children and animals from any room that has powder in place – even when using non-toxic options

We recommend the use of a Protective Respirator Mask and gloves when using any of our Powder products.

More About Carpet Moth Powders.

Carpet moth killer powders are extremely effective at getting deep in to the pile of carpets and rugs, as well as into the nooks and crannies under skirting boards and floorboards. Moth powder is hard hitting and can remain effective as long as it remains in place and dry.

Insectrol Powder is a very effective pesticide based powder and will aggressively attack larvae and eggs to rid your home of an infestation of carpet moths.

Our natural moth powders are Desi-Dust and Oa2ki Powder Puffer. They both contain the natural moth killer Diatomaceous Earth. These powders effectively breakdown the outer surface of the insects, larvae and eggs and desiccate them. We also sell the liquid emulsion aerosol powder Oa2ki Powder Aerosol, which works in the same way as our other natural powders, although it is applied in liquid form before drying to become effective. The advantage with this method of moth killing powder is that it gets deep into difficult to reach areas.

These products are all certified safe for domestic use and the chosen products of professional pest controllers.

Children and animals should be kept away from any form of powder treatment until it has been completed and removed. Powders can be vacuumed to remove.

We've helped thousands of customers deal effectively with moth prevention and damage by carpet moths - with great pre- and post-sale support so that you're not alone, fast and secure delivery service, clear advice guides and ensuring that you have the right products to deal with your moth infestation, fast! - The UK's Widest Range for Moth Control.

All backed by our unique 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!


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The City of Franklin offers a variety of indoor and outdoor recreational activities, and community celebrations that showcase the rich traditions of the City.

Nearby Listings

Copyright 2018 MetroMLS. All Rights Reserved. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use, and it may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information is supplied by seller and other third parties and has not been verified.

Updated: 20th November, 2018 2:37 PM.


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Biomarkers for early detection of postpartum depression

On the basis of molecule levels in the blood, researchers can predict the risk of developing postpartum depression at an early stage

February 05, 2014

Not every pregnancy and birth of a child leads to feelings of happiness. Some new mothers develop postpartum depression which can extensively influence the health of both, mother and child. Often the illness remains untreated because young mothers misinterpret the symptoms or cannot afford professional care. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich have now discovered biomarkers, which allow detection of at risk patients before birth and early treatment. Apparently, the hormone oestrogen plays a key role in postpartum depression since some of the biomarkers control the system of oestrogen in the body.

The birth of a child a very decisive life event. Women whose bodies are especially sensitive to oestrogen signalling are more likely to suffer from depression shortly afterwards.

About 70% of all women suffer from depression shortly after birth - the so-called “baby blues”. Instead of expected happiness, they experience sadness, tension and tiredness. Presumably the changes of hormonal levels can cause these emotions. After several days, the symptoms of baby blues subside and hormonal levels become rebalanced.

But about 13% of all women develop further symptoms within 6 to 12 weeks after delivery - the so-called postpartum depression. The symptoms include anxiety, aggression, despair, and the inability to build a secure mother-infant attachment. In some extreme cases women engage in substance abuse and experience suicidal thoughts. Children of postpartum depressed women often suffer from sleep disturbances, poor growth rates or malnutrition. They have a higher risk of developing depression or respiratory and bowel diseases and more often show social withdrawal and internalizing behaviour.

“Despite the severity of possible consequences, postpartum depression frequently remains untreated. Women may misinterpret the symptoms as to be related to stress of childbirth and changed life conditions.” states Elisabeth Binder, director of the Translational Research Department at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich. “Moreover, women at risk may fail to seek help due to lack of resources, social stigma or inadequate social support.” The scientific team of Elisabeth Binder therefore aimed at discovering biomarkers for detection of at risk patients before birth to allow early treatment or prevention.

In particular biological, psychological and social factors including hormonal changes, substance abuse, stress, marital disharmony or family violence have been associated with postpartum depression. Additionally, several genetic factors also appear to influence the risk of developing this disorder.

In collaboration with scientists of the Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta, USA) blood samples of 45 women were taken during the first and third trimester of pregnancy. These women were classified as high-risk patients according to their clinical or social history. Indeed, 17 women developed postpartum depression after delivery and 28 remained unaffected. Comparing the blood samples, more than 100 genes appeared to be differently regulated in subsequently affected women. Applying those biomarkers, scientists were able to predict postpartum onset depression with 88% accuracy from blood samples taken in the third trimester of pregnancy.

A further test involving another group of 24 pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy came to the same result. “Surprisingly, about 34 % of the detected genes were related to mechanisms linked to the female sex-hormone oestrogen”, explains Divya Mehta, associate scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry and first author of the study. “All women displayed comparable levels of oestrogen in the blood samples, but subsequently affected women appeared more sensitive to oestrogen signalling.”

Earlier studies already indicated the influence of oestrogen on mood symptoms via effects on the level of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness. In women displaying increased sensitivity, the drop of oestrogen after childbirth might lead to reduced levels of serotonin in the brain, affecting the mood in a negative way.

Thanks to the discoveries of the scientific team around Elisabeth Binder, medical practitioners may predict a woman's risk of suffering from postpartum depression already before childbirth.

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