Dark spots can be treated with topical vitamin crèmes but much larger doses are needed.
Way back in 2013 a poll by Penn Schoen Berland revealed that women’s worries about wrinkles, dark spots and other aging skin concerns aren’t all vanity. Forty-two percent of women ages 50 to 59 believed they needed to look young to be successful at work.
“Increasingly, both men and women have anxiety about looking older, but the good news is that science has developed natural tools to help us look younger longer,” say Drs. Rick and Arlene Noodleman, the husband-and-wife physician team at Silicon Valley’s Age Defying Dermatology, national leaders in medical and cosmetic dermatology and integrative medical treatments.
Something we all battle daily is damage from free radicals, a term that has entered the public lexicon with little understanding by most people.
“Free radicals are oxygen molecules that have lost electrons through oxidation, making them unstable. If your body doesn’t have enough antioxidants to stabilize them and render them harmless, they can damage cell membranes, which eventually breaks down the proteins that support and plump the skin,” explains preventive medicine specialist Dr. Arlene Noodleman.
“We’re bombarded by free radicals every day”, she says. “We produce them when we metabolize food and even when we breathe. They’re also in the environment – diesel exhaust, air pollution, UV radiation (from the sun) and cigarette smoke are all major producers.”
“What’s worse, those free radical oxygen molecules are always looking to stabilize themselves by swiping electrons from stable molecules, which creates even more free radicals,” says dermatologist Dr. Rick Noodleman. “We have lots of natural defenses against free radicals, but as we age, we begin to lose them,” he says.
Some vitamins are antioxidants, meaning their molecules provide electrons that stabilize the free radicals.
Clinical studies have found that certain of these are effective in preventing damage, or correcting damage such as reducing wrinkles and dark spots. In certain cases, “taking your vitamins” means applying them on your skin so they can work from the outside-in, the physicians say.
• Vitamin A – “There is significant scientific evidence that the form of vitamin A called retinoid, when applied topically, can treat damage caused by sun exposure,” says Dr. Arlene Noodleman. “It can soften fine lines and wrinkles and lighten dark spots.” In one study, subjects had significantly fewer fine wrinkles after applying a prescription-strength retinoid cream (0.1 percent isotretinoin) once a day for 36 weeks. “Of the over-the-counter retinoid products, Retinol appears most effective”, Dr. Noodleman says.
• Vitamin C – “Vitamin C applied topically is much more effective than taken orally”, says Dr. Rick Noodleman. “That’s because vitamin C is relatively unstable — it quickly oxidizes when exposed to air and in certain other conditions. So, to get the full benefit, you would need it in much greater amounts than you would normally consume in a tablet. You can get that benefit by using a topical formulation,” he says. “Look for ‘stable’ vitamin C of the L-ascorbic variety, which offers the best protection against sun damage”, he states. “It reduces lines and wrinkles, protects against sun damage, and encourages production of collagen, one of the proteins susceptible to free radical damage. Importantly, collagen makes up 75 percent of our skin and gives it support and volume.”
• Vitamin B3 – “As a ‘damage corrector’, test-tube studies have shown that vitamin B3 boosts collagen production and clinical studies have shown that it reduces dark spots”, says Dr. Arlene Noodleman. In one significant study, 50 Caucasian women applied a 5 percent vitamin B3 solution to one side of their faces every day for 12 weeks. They had a marked reduction in dark spots, redness and yellowing, and increased elasticity.
It might seem like “too much” but topical vitamin crèmes need to be applied relatively heavy in order for them to be effective.
The two doctors advise that, for best results, people should buy these topical vitamin products at concentrations that have proved effective
– and use them for the length of time recommended.
Dr. Rick Noodleman, a board-certified, Stanford-trained dermatologist, is an expert in the medical and surgical management of skin disease, aging skin, and advanced cosmetic techniques. Dr. Arlene Noodleman, board-certified in preventive medicine and fellowship-trained in integrative medicine, is a healthy aging expert who focuses on the whole person and strategies that facilitate the body’s innate healing response. Together,the Noodleman’s created the Revercel cosmeceutical and neutraceutical product line which includes products containing vitamins in the amounts and forms scientifically proven to be effective. They include Eye Perfection and Intensive Repair Serums with Retinol and Vita-C Emulsion. For the Silo, Ginny Grimsley.
There are now a seriously wide variety of online casino games available for players to participate in, and it can be somewhat daunting for those of us with little or no experience of the exciting pastime. Online casinos have been around for quite some time now, but over the years the offerings from operators have improved significantly. The days of huge downloads are gone, and now instant access while on the move is all the rage. Sites like novibet.co.uk are able to provide a real casino experience in the palm of your hand, or the comfort of your own home. Let’s take a look at some of the games on offer.
Blackjack
An American card game which is seriously popular around the world, Blackjack is often the purists’ game of choice. In simplistic terms, Blackjack is a head to head battle against the dealer, where the best possible score available is 21. Each player is dealt two cards, with the dealer usually receiving one card face up. Players must then take the decision to ‘Hit’ (take another card from the dealer) or ‘Stand’ (stick with what they currently have). The dealer’s second card will then be revealed, with the winning hand then taking the spoils. There are some slight rule variations depending on where you are playing, but that’s the basics of the game of Blackjack covered.
Roulette
Roulette takes its name from the French word meaning little wheel, and is very much a game of chance. Players are able to mitigate or spread the risk as much as they like, either selecting one of 36 numbers, or splitting chips over a variety of different selections. The winning number is selected when the croupier releases the ball onto the roulette wheel in one direction, and spins the wheel itself in the other. The ball will eventually come to rest in a specific slot, and players are paid out accordingly. Various other bets can be placed on the roulette table, including red or black and 1st, 2nd or 3rd twelve. Some players will also choose to cover the green zero, as this is a loser on any red, black, or block of 12 combination.
Craps
A particularly versatile dice game, craps lends itself well to the online casino setting. Players make wagers against the house or bank as to the outcome of the roll or rolls of two dice. Although this may sound like a very simplistic game, it has the potential for great excitement with players looking to roll ‘the natural’ 7 or 11, while avoiding crapping out! Competitors take turns of rolling the two dice, with wagers placed on the pass line, or the don’t pass line. A roll of 2, 3 or 12 is referred to as craps, which results in anyone wagering on the pass line losing. Those having had a bet on the don’t pass line win on a 2 or 3 and tie on the 12. The shooter can continue to roll until a seven is hit, at which stage the shooting responsibility moves to the next player.
With upcoming summer temperatures in North America forecast as “lingering on the high end of the spectrum”, many are still out and about enjoying the longer days and extra leisure time. Of course, during the summer our desire for gadgets and gear that eases our travels, enhances our self-care regime, and just makes life more enjoyable is always in high demand. With that in mind, I’ve found some noteworthy gifts and gets sure to improve the rest of your season and far beyond.
Maybe the best accessory for smartphones since the PopSocket is myFlipShade—a newly launched item that provides a pop-up shield that prevents glare and other weather conditions from affecting your ability to see your screen.
It attaches to the back of your phone using an adhesive strip and flips around to not only prevent annoying glare, but also serve as a privacy shield to block peeping eyes from reading your screen. It also functions as a horizontal and vertical smartphone stand. Even though the shade is an all-in-one phone accessory, it can still be used with other accessories like credit card holders and stands. myFlipShade is compatible with iPhone 6 and up, including Plus models, and comes in several fun colors and patterns to match various mood or personalities: black, pineapple, summer print and marble white.
Speaking of stylish phone accessories, you can express your unique style with Skinit’s authentic case collections and premium vinyl decal skins featuring your favorite iconic brands, characters, and professional sports team…or you can custom-create your own! Skinit collaborates with Marvel, DC Comics, Looney Tunes and Hello Kitty to offer you official and original artwork, so you can let your inner character shine and express yourself with killer pop-culture brands and characters. Skinit is also an official licensor of the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS so you can show off your team pride and let your team passion be known. Skinit iPhone Cases can also be fully customized, including personal photos, and also provide maximum protection from damaging falls. Featuring a dual-layer case construction, the Skinit Pro Case will provide maximum style and solid protection for any iPhone model. No matter what device you have or who your all-time favorite character is, Skinit will likely have you covered.
Leave your cellphones behind, disconnect from the world, and embrace quality family time this summer—and as often as you can, really! Goliath Games has introduced a new generation of spinning top toys called i-Top. Using smart technology, this high-tech top keeps track of the number of spins while LEDs light up the display. Spin your way to the top score by competing in multiple challenges. Unlock hidden features by spinning the top an exact number of spins to show special animations, or you can challenge your friends and family to a high score. With over ten different ways to play and tons of animations, the fun with i-Top can be non-stop. Have a friendly family competition to see who can spin the highest score and unlock the most hidden challenges and determine who’s the ultimate i-Top master? Also super portable and travel-friendly, the i-Top—available in Mega Gear Blue, Infinite Purple and Vortex Red—has a spinner that folds down so it easily fits in a pocket or bag. Keep it handy for hours of fun and laughter. Kudos to Goliath, which celebrates and facilitates quality family time and bringing people together.
There’s no better time than summer to catch up on your sleep and with RCA’s Sound Soother device you can relax and get a good night’s slumber (or daytime nap) while listening to your favorite of 10 pre-loaded sounds. You can also use it block out ambient noise, so it’s great for hotel use and while studying among other scenarios. Users can choose from white noise, waves, rain, brown noise, pink noise, campfire, Canon in D, Clair De Lune, Gymnopedie No. 1 or Greensleeves. Set your sleep timer for 30, 60 or 90 minutes or keep it on constantly to keep you sleeping soundly through the night. AC powered with included adapter or use anywhere with 3 AAA batteries and of course adjustable volume controls. You can also enjoy your own music from your smartphone through the aux input—making this a totally customizable product for your preferences.
Photo Ownership/Copyright: VOXX International Corporation
During the summer months there’s nothing better than having that perfect, sun kissed glow.
So it’s great news that Aussie self-tanning powerhouse Minetan has landed in the U.S. This one-hour self-tanner contains skin loving, PETA-approved ingredients that truly benefit skin, including moisturizing antioxidants and oils like argan oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, coconut water, shea butter and more. Every product is free of parabens, contains 100% natural DHA, and is even vegan friendly—all quite unique for a tanning brand. You can achieve a streak-free, bronzed babe look in just one hour, or leave it on longer for a darker result. Minetan has an inclusive color range, challenging the industry-wide standard of three size-fits-all (light, medium, dark) approach to tanners, by exploring the nuances of undertone. Offering a comprehensive range of highly advanced tanning products, Minetan’s one-hour tan is just one of their many world-first, skin-friendly formulas that’s been introduced to North American customers—both online and in Ulta Beauty stores. Other notable groundbreakers include a range of nourishing coconut-water based tans, a fitness tan, and a personal spray tan kit. With all of their one-hour tans, you choose your preferred custom color depth skin finish by deciding when you shower after application. You wash off for 45 seconds and you are good to go, with a personalized tan that looks and feels great and is actually good for your skin.
Want dramatically whiter, brighter teeth without a trip to the dentist, without messy strips and trays, and without sensitivity?
No problem! Luster Premium White offers just that with its Pro Light Dental Whitening System. Developed by dentists and clinically proven to deliver results, this trusted brand lets consumers enjoy peace-of-mind and professional-grade teeth whitening right at home…quickly, safely, conveniently and comfortably. Luster Pro Light Dental Whitening System is unique among teeth whitening brands in that it uses a patented Dual Power Xenon Whitening Light and Stain Lifting Serum to whiten teeth up to 6 shades in 30 minutes! It gently whitens without sulfates (SLS) and is enamel-safe. The system includes everything needed to deliver amazing results: Dual-Energy Whitening Light, Accelerinse, Stain Lifting Serum, Power White Pro Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste in Mint. The Pro Light Whitening System can be purchased online as well as neighborhood retailers such as Walmart and Walgreens.
The OMM Collection was inspired by the provincial South of France approach to “naturalism” and the company’s natural “farm to beauty” concept.
Indeed, OMM Unique hair formulas are blended with revolutionary Green Apple Stem Cell and Clover Flower Seed Extract to stimulate natural growth, strengthen hair follicles and deliver nourishment and thickening. The Shampoo is formulated with this Apple Stem Cell Extract with natural oils of Marula, Moringa, Amla and Prickly Pear. It’s a gentle concentrated light wash without sulfates. The Serum is a powerful infusion of hair treatment with Apple Stem Cell Extract and Capixyl, which preserves the hair follicle, providing thicker, healthier hair. The company’s Hair Mask is a rich, deep conditioning, weightless leave in treatment to rejuvenate, strengthen the overall health of hair. The Body Butter Soufflé is a rich, velvety and ultra-hydrating body butter containing natural ingredients that moisturizes the skin and locks in hydration. In addition, their Hand and Body Milk Crème is a rich, non-greasy, hydrating body cream enriched with Shea and Cocoa butter to help nourish, protect skin. The company also offers OMM signature fragrance essential oils of White Tea Jasmine and Dark Chocolate that were custom-developed with exclusivity and excellence in mind by a globally recognized international fragrance house.
Liquid I.V.’s Hydration Multiplier is a great-tasting, Non-GMO electrolyte drink mix that utilizes the breakthrough science of Cellular Transport Technology (CTT) to deliver hydration to your bloodstream faster and more efficiently than water alone. So effective, Liquid I.V. can provide the same hydration as drinking 2 to 3 bottles of water! Just add the electrolyte powder to your water and let CTT do the rest. Proper hydration allows your body to perform at the highest level, increase calorie burn, helps you stay mentally alert and energized, and even reduces signs of aging. Liquid I.V. is available in three flavors: Lemon Lime, Acai Berry, and Passion Fruit. I also love that Liquid I.V. is committed to defeating dehydration at a global level. With every order received, they donate one serving of Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier electrolyte drink mix to someone in need around the world. This includes the poorest regions of countries like Haiti and refugees in Uganda to helping those in need during emergency and disaster situations such as Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and the Southern California wildfires.
For refreshment of a different sort, try the Empower Cosmopolitan Martini for happy hour, while lounging by the pool or whenever you’re in the mood for a tasty spirit.
While the distilled beverage market is a booming industry, it’s one that continually targets men while often leaving women out as an afterthought. But Empower Cocktails seeks to change all of that. This new disruptor puts celebrating and empowering women at the forefront of its mission, while dazzling and delighting with its ready-to-pour line of delicious cocktail drinks. They recently launched their first cocktail, the refreshing but not too sweet Empower Cosmopolitan Martini. The beverage contains Sweet Potato Vodka that’s locally-sourced from a family-owned farm in Northern California, as well as triple sec, cooling white cranberry and zesty lime. It is best-served refrigerated; all you need to enjoy it is a martini glass and—if you so desire—your favorite garnish. The drink is 25 proof and contains only 80 calories per three ounces. Also cause-conscious, Empower Cocktails partners with several non-profits that champion women’s initiatives including the Voss Foundation, Dress for Success Boston, Kicked it in Heels and the Metro-Manhattan Community Foundation to name a few.
Photo Ownership/Copyright: Empower Cocktails
For the Silo, Merilee Kern. As the Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationally-regarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority—a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products and services across all categories. Reach her online at www.TheLuxeList.com, on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/LuxeListEditor, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheLuxeList and on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/LuxeListReviews.
***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided at no cost or sponsored to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***
Mangroves are disappearing at an alarming rate, with conservationists across the Commonwealth striving to save them from local extinction.
These nearshore forests that straddle land and sea provide a range of vital services to both humans and fish, such as coastal protection.
In a recent webinar organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat to mark World Mangrove Day , scientists and policy experts discussed how to “unlock” the wealth of mangroves, by regenerating these extraordinary ecosystems.
Rare ecosystems
Hasanthi Dissanayake, Director of Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Sri Lanka, set the scene: “Mangroves are rare ecosystems that support the rich biodiversity and provide a valuable nursery for fish and crustaceans. There is a range of livelihoods connected to mangroves, ranging from fisheries to tourism.
“They also act as form of natural coastal defence against tsunamis, rising sea levels, storm surges and erosion. Their soils are highly effective carbon sinks, sequestering vast amounts of carbon.”
Despite their ecological and economic value, mangroves are perishing at least three to five times faster than overall global forests. Half of the world’s mangroves have already been lost over the last 50 years due to human activity such as coastal development and pollution.
Reversing this decline has not been easy and is one of the main focus areas of the Commonwealth Blue Charter – an agreement by 54 countries to actively work together to solve some of the world’s most pressing ocean issues.
Case studies, lessons learned
During the webinar, experts shared their experiences in preserving and regenerating mangroves around the world.
Rahanna Juman, Deputy Director at the Institute of Marine Affairs in Trinidad and Tobago cited a mangrove-replanting project in an area that had been cleared to construct a pipeline. To bring back the mangroves, her team first restored the natural topography and flow of water to the area, then replanted more than 260 seedlings.
However, very few survived in comparison to mangroves that naturally recolonised the area, once it was back to the original environmental conditions. Dr Juman advised: “Mangrove planting should be the last option”.
Achini Fernando, a specialist at Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority, showed how “rapid assessing techniques” can be used to map species diversity as well as vulnerability of mangroves.
She added that this leads to better decisions on eco-tourism plans in Sri Lanka, saying: “Scientific data forms the foundation for good management.”
Leah Glass, global lead on mangroves from Blue Ventures, explained how her organization is working with the UK Government to empower coastal communities to manage mangroves in a way that also fights climate change.
This is done by placing a monetary value on the carbon stored by mangroves and selling these “carbon credits” to global buyers who want to make a positive impact on the environment. The returns are then used to fund community-led mangrove conservation, restoration and management.
Judith Okello, an ecologist from Kenya’s Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, echoed the importance of engaging local communities. In her research, local actors have been a key source of information to guide mangrove restoration work.
Collaboration
The Commonwealth Blue Charter lead at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Jeff Ardron, welcomed the insights shared by panellists, and encouraged countries, partner agencies, and all interested to further collaborate through the Blue Charter Action Group focused on mangroves.
He said: “The work Commonwealth Blue Charter is driven by 10 action groups, led or co-led by 13 champion countries. These action groups are valuable platforms to share experiences, strategies and best practices – both what works and what doesn’t – to make country actions more effective.”
What once was a successful pairing between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has changed course and their dirty laundry is playing out in real time all over the world. Whether real or as a way to get each back into the limelight and boost their careers, the court case has proven to be entertainment on a level that has at times even had the judge laughing. One thing unfolding is that Amber appears to have her heart set on acquiring one, if not all, of Johnny’s fabulous L.A. penthouses.
What’s so desirable about them? Find out more via this article sent along to us from our friends at toptenrealestatedeals.
Known for being a somewhat dark, idiosyncratic actor, Depp has followed his own instincts in his choice of parts since his first role in Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984.
A Florida high school dropout at age 15, he played in several garage bands and married early. When he and his new wife took a trip to Los Angeles, in a stroke of good luck he happened to meet Nicolas Cage who suggested he go into acting. This led to his first film role in 1984’s Nightmare on Elm Street and quick successes in Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He then moved on to more serious parts portraying drug and gangster criminals in Blow, Public Enemies and Black Mass.
Widely considered one of Hollywood’s best actors and box office stars with Golden Globe and Screen Actors’ Guild Awards, Depp has made headlines from his movies, love life and his interesting real estate holdings, which include an island in the Bahamas. At various times engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss, Depp had a long relationship with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis. During his Paradis years, he purchased an entire French village which was recently on the market at $55.5 million usd. After he split with Vanessa, he married Amber Heard in 2015, but divorced just one year later. Listed after the $7 million usd divorce settlement with Heard is Depp’s unique collection of penthouses in downtown Los Angeles.
Depp acquired the five multi-storied, side-by-side penthouse units over a period of years after the building had been refurbished in 2007.
Decorated in his unique style, he never joined the units, but instead lived in them as though going from room to room, or lent to relatives to use.
Whether or not it was a conscious real estate business decision or a happy fluke, it means that the collection of units can be resold as a whole or individually. The group includes five condo units: four two-bedrooms and a one-bedroom, totaling approximately 11,500 square feet.
The 13-story Eastern Columbia Building was designed by Claud Beelman in 1930, considered to be one of the city’s best examples of Art Deco architecture still standing.
Johnny Depp’s collection of five penthouses in the famous Los Angeles Eastern Columbia building were available in 2016 as a group for $12.78 million USD; they are not currently on the market. For the Silo, Genelle Brown.
Photos: James Lang, Berlyn Photography for Partners Trust (now Compass) Video Credit: Sean Evans, @evvo1991
A mattress is a vital component of comfort in your home.
A poor-quality mattress can cause body aches and affect your life. It’s, therefore, crucial to purchase the right mattress from a reputable store at a reasonable price. For the best mattress sale in Toronto, you need to consider some factors to help you make the right decision. If you’re looking for a deal on your next mattress or bed set, keep reading for tips on finding the best mattress sale in Toronto and get the most significant savings with no compromise on quality.
Identify a Reputable and Reliable Mattress Store
When shopping for a mattress sale in Toronto, it’s essential to identify reliable and reputable retailers. If you have friends or family members who have recently gone through a mattress purchase, they can give you good advice about specific stores that they found reliable. Local blogs or online forums dedicated to mattress purchases can also be good resources when looking at different brands and retailers.
Once you’ve identified some potential stores, it’s time to look into their sales policies. Most reputable retailers will offer sales periodically throughout the year—especially around major holidays like Black Friday and Christmas—so knowing how long those sales last is critical to ensure you get a good deal. A good mattress store in Toronto like the Queensway Mattress will provide overall satisfaction from good customer service to quality products and after-sales services. So, look out for any complaints about delivery times, damaged goods, or unsatisfactory services before finalizing your decision.
Try Out Before You Buy
Getting out of bed and trying out a mattress is an excellent way to be sure you’re making an informed decision. You can check how it feels, whether it’s too soft or too firm, and see if you like how it looks. If you want to buy a new mattress, try one out before purchasing—you may even decide that you can get by with what you already have. Leave enough time for your test drive; going from store to store will likely take more than a few hours.
Ask about return policies: Most stores won’t accept returns once you take off mattresses from their premises. Asking these questions up front can save you time and energy later on. Therefore, if you’re looking for a mattress sale in Toronto, it’s crucial to ensure they allow you to sleep on your new mattress before deciding whether it meets your needs.
Go for The Best Quality and Comfort
You might assume that high-quality, comfortable mattresses are expensive, but that’s not always true. You can get quality mattresses from reliable stores at reasonable prices if you know how to shop around. However, you need to know your needs and requirements before shopping for a new mattress to avoid wasting money on a product that doesn’t suit your needs.
For example, if you need a mattress that can help you relieve some pressure points on your body, then you can invest in a Latex or Memory foam mattress. If you have problems with allergies, then it is better to buy a hypoallergenic mattress from a reputable store. It’s good to match your needs with quality, comfort, and economical pricing to decide what type of mattress you should purchase.
Check The Warranty
Before you finalize your deal on a mattress sale in Toronto, check to see what kind of warranty it comes with to be safe. If your mattress wears out within five years and doesn’t have a solid product warranty, you might pay a lot more than you bargained for in the first instance. It’s also worth asking about details like return policy and restocking fees: some businesses are notorious for charging steep return fees or simply refusing to accept used or damaged products.
Buying mattresses supported by the most reliable warranties will keep you from paying extra money later. Also, ask how long those warranties last; sometimes, they expire just months after purchase. Dedicated warranty periods may range between 2 and 15 years.
Take Advantage of Free Delivery and Removal
When buying a mattress, ask about free delivery and removal. If a retailer doesn’t offer such services or charges too much for them, you can probably find them elsewhere. The point of getting great deals on mattress sales is not to deal with additional hidden fees. Just be sure to factor in other costs, like transportation and set-up, when you do your comparison shopping.
For example, if one store offers free shipping, but another delivers right to your door at no extra charge, you might pay more overall by Option 1. However, some people prefer picking out their mattress; they say they can test it out before purchasing. You can also benefit from some retailers offering a mattress sale in Toronto who let customers try out mattresses at home—so check around!
Look for Economical Pricing and Flexible Payment Methods
Many of us choose to buy mattresses online since they tend to be less expensive. However, if you’re going to buy a mattress online, make sure you find one with an economical pricing structure and flexible payment options. You don’t want to spend even more money paying interest or other fees because you bought your mattress online; shop smart and get a good deal.
You can also search for reputable stores that offer mattress sales in Toronto at monthly installments and no-interest financing plans. This way, you won’t have to pay all at once but will still get to enjoy your new mattress immediately after making your purchase.
Conclusion
Those who know how to find deals on mattress sales in Toronto are doing a service to themselves, whether they choose to purchase online or offline. There are so many choices that come with different prices, but if you know where to look and what questions to ask, you can get what you need at a price that won’t break your bank. A reputable mattress store in Toronto will have all of their products clearly labeled and will be able to answer any questions you may have about their products. You need not settle for less than what you want when purchasing mattresses; do your research, ask your questions, and use these tips as a guide when looking for a deal on a mattress sale in Toronto.
“Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth” –Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) was one of the most well-known artists of the 20th century. Throughout his long and prolific career, Picasso both innovated and participated in important artistic movements such as realism, cubism and surrealism. In comparison to Vincent van Gogh, the infamous starving artist, Picasso was one of the first modern artists to achieve great wealth and celebrity in his lifetime.
Possibly the most important work that Picasso produced was Guernica (1937).
This large scale black and white mural (approximately 12 x 26 feet), was commissioned for the Spanish Pavilion in the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris and was completed by Picasso in under a month. In it, the artist depicted a catastrophic incident from the Spanish Civil War, wherein the Nazis conducted carpet bombing experiments on the town of Guernica, in the Basque region of Spain.
Historically, Spain had been ruled by a monarchy up until the 1930s, at which time it was replaced by a republican government that promised social and economic reform and a redistribution of goods and land. Spanish conservatives disliked this idea and headed by General Francisco Franco, they launched an insurrection that led to the Spanish Civil War. Aided by the Fascists and Nazis, General Franco assumed dictatorship of the country and ruled until his death in 1975.
During this time of turmoil, Picasso was not in Spain but working in Paris.
This is important to note when considering his choice of palette. He would have been paying attention to the events taking place in his native country largely through newspapers, transforming the black and white newsreel into a large scale canvas. Also, by choosing a dichromatic colour scheme, Picasso allowed the subject matter to stand out over colour.
Prominently positioned in this work is the Minotaur (a half-bull/half-man monster), an important symbol for Spanish people representing the tyranny of General Franco and his Nazi and Fascist supporters. Picasso used distortion in the imagery and figures to portray the horrors and suffering of innocent civilians massacred by the carpet bombing. This, in combination with the palette, evokes in the viewer the sensation of a stark nightmare, tying the work to the surrealist movement.
On a final note, Picasso was adamant that this work not be displayed in Spain until democracy was restored.
On loan to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Guernica was returned to Spain in 1981. For the Silo, Eve Yantha.
Study: Lots of Canadians use smartphones while on the toilet
A digital privacy expert provides tips on protecting your phone on and off the john:
A recent survey by the cybersecurity company NordVPN revealed that as much as 65.6% of Canadians bring their smartphones with them into the toilet. That’s a bit less than the average of all surveyed countries. While most Canadians (60%) scroll through social media during that time, barely anyone thinks of growing threats online and hackers’ attempts to compromise people’s phones.
“Canadians seem to need smartphones a lot.”
“Our previous survey already showed that Canadians spend a lot of time online- more than 22 years per lifetime which is a third of their lives,” says Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN. “Even though the majority (83%) name smartphones as the device that tracks their online behavior the most, Canadians still haven’t developed good cyber habits to protect their online lives,” he says.
Using social media and gaming — top activities for Canadians while on the toilet
The majority of Canadians admit that their time on the toilet is mostly spent scrolling through social media (60%), gaming (40%), and reading or listening to the news (35%). This shows that Canadians like entertaining themselves while in the bathroom.
Among other activities, Canadians also watch videos, movies, or television programs (33%) check work email and other tools, for example, Slack, Microsoft Teams (33%), and call or message other people (31.5%).
“While most of Canadians’ time on the loo is spent on social media, people also feel concerned about Facebook (80%) and Instagram (40%) collecting the biggest amount of their users’ data. Social media networks, ISPs, third-party organizations, websites, and governmental institutions regularly collect users’ personal data and track browsing habits for marketing or other purposes,” says Daniel Markuson.
Cybersecurity refresher for Canadians
Smartphones are evolving at a rate that is beyond belief, making us stay connected even while on the loo. However, Canadians are encouraged to not forget about their online safety, even while immersed in social media, conversations, games, or the news.
Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN, shares key tips on protecting your phone on and off the john:
Keep apps and the phone’s operating system (OS) up to date. Don’t skip software updates.
Do your research. Never download unknown apps — read up on them first.
Avoid unofficial app stores. They’re more likely to contain malware-ridden apps.
Avoid using unknown Wi-Fi. And always use a VPN when you do.
Be vigilant. Don’t click on suspicious links, don’t give out your number to strangers, and be wary of unknown numbers.
Methodology: The survey was commissioned by NordVPN and conducted by the external company Cint on January 19-26, 2022. The survey’s target group was residents of France, USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania aged 18+ (nationally representative), except for Lithuania (18-74) and the sample was taken from national internet users. Quotas were placed on age, gender, and place of residence. 9800 people were surveyed in total, made up of 800 people from Spain and 1000 people from each of the remaining countries.
Come on, you have to admit. It’s a lot of fun to stumble around YouTube with that old pre-internet habit of television channel surfing surprising you with random discoveries.
When I do, I particularly enjoy reading comments left by others who have somehow found their way to whatever it is I happen to be watching. This comforts me because I know that this method of purposeful and accidental consumption of media is not exclusive to me [many comments start with: “Not sure how I ended up at this video but….” or ” __________led me here.”] but perhaps I’m alone in the belief that spontaneous discoveries help connect me better to the production. I think what I’m talking about is called “verisimilitude” and no doubt as I type this out there’s someone trying to figure out how they’ve discovered the same excellent BBC synth documentary that I discovered by chance: Synth Britannia.
Donna Summer’s synth programmer in 1977 brought the sounds of the future to disco with I Feel Love
Not one to beat around the bush, Will wanted to know what had happened to the future? Specifically the future suggested if not promised in comic book ads to the then pre-adolescent Will Ferrell. He asked, where were the Jet packs, autopilot-flying cars and robot butlers? It occurred to me that if Will was an electronic musician he would have come to the same conclusion that the producers of Synth Britannia did while they drew up the plans to make their excellent documentary: The future did come, it just wasn’t so literal.
1970’s Northern Britain looking like a scene from Blade Runner, one of the birthplaces of future synth music.
To compound matters this future somehow passed by all of us, unless perhaps you were a student of history or an existentialistic, free-radical electronic acolyte or computer programmer back in the golden age of dystopia vision. I call this era the ‘other’ 1970’s.
I have added the qualifier: ‘other’ 1970’s, because today’s media mistakenly focuses on reinforcing the bell-bottom, disco driven qualities of the 1970’s but there was a much more robust, artistic movement running against the grain in the same way that meaningful art has always done. This movement bridged fashion, art, cinema, sound design and of course music and if you want to learn more while being thoroughly engaged, then spend some time paying attention while you watch Synth Britannia.
You might even find yourself considering an impulse purchase of a mini Korg 700S. I know I did.
Supplemental- While I polished this article, one thing became apparent. New music or to be specific, those new artists that are being profiled on national television as new music agents are all lacking the one thing that characterizes the heroes of this column. Simply put, today’s music heroes are not a unity of ideas and expression. They are not bands. They are performers representing wish fulfillment with no sense of genuine attitude or social commentary and perhaps even worse, no sense of daring inventiveness. So far, most (but not all-there are exceptions) of today’s star performers are ‘safe’, predictable and lacking in terms of communicating their alienation. They have become game show contestants. This is because media business (in other words the television networks) has formulated and created what is palatable to an audience. The home video game market further suggests and reinforces created fantasies with interactive games that essentially boil down to a form of karaoke or twister. Simply put, new consumer habits are being engineered and I’m sure they always will be.
So, as listeners, is it fair to say that we no longer think for ourselves and we no longer question what is ‘good’ or ‘impactful’? With today’s de rigueur promise of dream and wish fulfillment (in terms of television shows that empower an audience with voting privileges to create the next pop star) that most crucial artistic ingredient: “individualized commentary” has been eradicated. Even more alarming is that consumers’ freedom of choice is being challenged.
That’s likely because the major media corporations feel wholly threatened by what the internet promises: a vast sea of content that is discoverable and searchable by desire or by chance.
Vince Clarke- Depeche Mode’s keyboard player and future visionary.
So-is it fair to say that we have become woefully inadequate in identity and informed choice? If there is art, angst and message, where can we find it? Try channel surfing around YouTube and follow what catches your interest. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
Did Hollywood glorify smoking? Sophia Loren sharing an on screen moment of smoking.
Yes, I have quit smoking . . . again. I know – I know, you have lost your faith in me because I have stopped and started and stopped and started over and over and over. You have to give me props for my perseverance though right?
It is now day 16 and I am feeling great although I have to admit, cravings still come over me, especially when I have a glass or two of wine and I realize that I have smoked for far too long.
I had my first cigarette when I was a teenager and now that I am midway through my life I am motivated for my health and for my children.
For the last five years I wasn’t a heavy smoker and to be honest I would never have classified myself as a heavy smoker in all the 26 years that I was smoking. Wow, I can’t believe I have smoked for that long. You know, I gave up a couple times? – when I was pregnant with both my children and last year I quit for a couple of months as well.
My incentive and push was the Quit and Get Fit Program which is sponsored by the Lung Association of Ontario. “Quit and Get Fit is based on scientific studies that demonstrate how physical activity, and even deep breathing, can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.” I will readily admit that I do not consider myself to be very fit, although my trainer has expressed his amazement at how strong I am, considering I have never really followed any type of fitness regime on a regular basis.
It must be my First Nations blood.
Whatever the reason, the program allows “get fitters” to take part in personal training sessions at a participating health and fitness club. Basically, you get a sponsored two-month membership and 16 sessions with a trainer. It is a really good opportunity to get familiar with your local fitness center staff and equipment. Many successful quitters will tell you that after stopping smoking they inevitably gain weight and training is a perfect way to prevent this from happening.
If it’s too late to register or your local fitness center is not participating I would highly recommend taking up some type of fitness activity. For me, I hope that these two months will turn into years of taking care of myself and becoming a happier and healthier Julie. For the Silo, Julie Mallon.
Nearly six out of 10 adults have suffered mental health problems during the pandemic
Stress and anxiety are the biggest concerns, international research shows
Taking more exercise and online gaming are the two main ways people globally are tackling mental health issues driven by the pandemic, new international research* from the leading digital board game publisher Marmalade Game Studio shows.
Its study across the US, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and Singapore found nearly two out of five people (38%) have turned to exercise to address mental health concerns while 30% are using online gaming to relieve stress and anxiety.
Marmalade Game Studio’s research found mental health issues have soared across all countries during the pandemic with nearly six out of 10 (57%) saying they have developed mental health concerns during the pandemic and the same number say they are currently suffering from a range of issues. People in Singapore (65%) and Hong Kong (64%) are the worst affected followed by France (57%), Germany (56%) and the US (52%).
The biggest issues internationally are stress and anxiety with 38% saying they are currently affected by stress while 30% say they are suffering from anxiety.
However more than one in five (22%) say they are depressed and 4% say they have suicidal thoughts.
Marmalade Game Studio has recently introduced a new feature on its games in response to demand from customers for more ways to stay connected with family and friends – its Bubble in-game video chat allows gamers to add friends and family to group chats, start games from these, and video chat whilst playing.
Cristina Mereuta, co-CEO at Marmalade Game Studio, said: “The pandemic has had a huge effect on mental health globally and millions have at points suffered from a range of conditions caused by worries about their own and others physical health as well as financial worries.
“Many people are clearly taking action with increased exercise and online gaming appearing to be the most popular ways of relieving stress and anxiety.
“It is important however that people seek professional help where appropriate and it’s worrying to see that some people are doing nothing.”
The mental health impact has not all been negative – around 7% of French people say their mental health has improved during the pandemic followed by 6% of Americans, 5% of people in Hong Kong, 4% of Germans and 2% of people in Singapore.
The table below shows the ways people across all countries are addressing mental health issues.
ACTION TAKEN?
PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WHO HAVE TAKEN THESE STEPS
Doing more exercise
38%
Playing online games
30%
Trying to see friends and family more
29%
Getting help from my doctor
27%
Talking to loved ones
26%
Getting help from mental health professionals
25%
Talking to close friends
19%
Doing nothing
14%
Digital gaming has proved to be important for mental health – 16%** of European Union gamers say being able to play games online and connect with others particularly families helped during lockdowns and 42% say playing multiplayer games during lockdown made them happier.
* Marmalade Game Studio commissioned independent research company PureProfile to interview 1,000 adults aged 18-plus across the US, France, Germany, Singapore, and Hong Kong in November 2021 using an online methodology.
You may have only recently heard about esports and esport athletes but professional video game sport competitions have been around for over half a decade. Since 2018, Prodigy Agency carries the mission to bring 360° support to esports players by guiding more than 170 talents around the world.
Are you an accomplished esport athlete? Prodigy can help you become a professional and compete against the world’s best. Much like a physical world professional, you can find your way to the top and earn sponsorships, awards and a real world salary. Read on…..
The author’s sister utilizes her mullet dress by “showing off a little leg-party in the front, and keepin’ them guessing with a little train-business in the back.” photo: H. Richards
“Business in the front, party in the back.”
We’ve all heard the mullet mantra. However, I’m pretty sure mullets were only cool for a short period in the 80’s, and that was still only true if you were in a rock or heavy metal garage band. Once the mullets-are-acceptable-period passed, they were never a socially acceptable hairstyle again.
For whatever reason, over the past few years the fashion gods have decided to bring back the mullet, only this time, in a way-cool form. Yep, I’m talking about the mullet shirt, skirt and dress. Instead of a poor choice hairdo, the mullet can now be worn as an article of clothing. And in further ‘good’ news, “mullet wear” is surprisingly figure flattering for all body types, since it can be worn in such a variety of forms.
1973 early mullets for Linda and Paul McCartney in this Japanese TV special.
Mullet shirts are typically bo-ho style, sometimes with a flowy batwing sleeve, and give you a comfortable look that pairs perfectly with a mid-rise or high-rise pant (which are also coming back in style in every colour known to the human race).
You can also find mullet shirts that are more tailored with a collar, or in the form of a sweater that is longer in the front, and both are work-appropriate looks. Just remember, if you are wearing a loose-fitting top, make sure your bottoms fit well in a straight leg or skinny leg style.
For the younger crowd looking for some extra summer-loving fun, you can also take advantage of mullet crop tops by covering most of your belly with a high-waisted pant, skirt or shorts, and let just a hint of your midriff show, this way you can wear crop tops without showing your whole stomach and saving yourself from potentially looking trashy, like the aforementioned hairstyle. Or, if you’re out on the beach with friends and simply want to make a poutine run, go ahead and rock the crop top however you like. You will find yourself feeling vivaciously vintage, ready for a beach day, relaxing on the weekend or for a fun night out, depending on your choice of footwear and accessories.
But the mullet fun doesn’t stop there!
You will also be seeing skirts and dresses that attest to the mullet mantra, only reversed: Show off a little leg-party in the front, and keep them guessing with a little train-business in the back. Mullet skirts and dresses will give your outfit a unique, fashion-forward twist, and allow for a little behind modesty, yet are still playful and fun. The potential styles are endless, from maxi-mullet dresses for a beachy vay-cay, as well as high-waisted skirts that you can tuck a fitted shirt into and be ready for work. All of these styles will be available to you in a rainbow of bright colors, pastels, floral, and graphic prints. As fashion expert, Carson Kressley says, “If you look like a bag of Skittles, you’re doing it right.”
The moral of this story is, fashion repeats itself, trends come and go, and come back again.
The best part of the cycle is when a style comes back in a new, more polished form. Mullet madness is indeed back again, and you can leave the scissors behind. For the Silo, Hannah Richards.
Kindred Group brand Unibet continues its sponsorship with five-time World Champion in chess, Magnus Carlsen, and extends its partnership with Offerspill, the Norwegian chess club, founded by Magnus Carlsen.
Kindred Group plc (Kindred) has signed a two years extension of its partnership with the world’s best chess player, Magnus Carlsen through its flagship brand Unibet. The Group also extends its sponsorship of Offerspill, Norway’s largest chess club. Both sponsorships will promote and support Kindred’s long-term ambition to reach zero per cent revenue from harmful gambling by 2023.
“We see great potential in engaging the best chess player of all time, and the world’s highest-ranked chess player, as a global ambassador in the fight to combat problem gambling,” says Nils Andén, Chief Commercial Officer, Kindred Group.
“It is also natural for us to involve Offerspill, Norway’s largest chess club in our work. This partnership is an important contribution to raising awareness of chess as an exciting global sport, while also engaging in the local community in Norway.”
“Just as I have set a hair-raising goal of becoming the first chess player in the world to reach 2,900 rating points, Kindred, as the first global gambling operator, has set itself an ambition of zero revenue from customers with harmful gambling behavior. This is an ambition I would like to contribute to achieving and a message I am happy to support,” says Magnus Carlsen, five-time World Champion.
“In top sports, it is about pushing the boundaries, but at the same time, you have to know your limitations and know when to stop. The same thing is important when gambling; you need to stay in control and know when to stop,” says Carlsen.
“Over the last two years, Offerspill made an impressive effort to lift Norwegian chess to a new level, especially during the pandemic.
Such a boost requires funding, and we are proud to contribute, and at the same time promote our message of safety, sustainability and responsibility in entertainment-based gambling through the club,” concludes Nils Andén.
In 2014, Unibet was the first gambling operator to introduce odds on chess, at the same time as Magnus Carlsen defended his World Cup title for the first time.
Throughout the years, Kindred has also sponsored a number of international tournaments and major championships. Magnus Carlsen founded Offerspill in 2019 and has been a Unibet ambassador since 2020. The same year Offerspill and Kindred Group signed a partnership. Today, Offerspill is the largest chess club in Norway with 400 members. For the Silo, Maria Angell Dupont.
Kids enjoy sports and they have a very good time with the entire process. The coolest thing about showing off various sports to your child is that you never really know what they will like the most. That’s why it’s a good idea to present all kinds of sports and just see what they are picking. That way you know they enjoy their time and that’s what matters.
Karate
There are tons of karate classes for munchkins out there, and kids love karate a lot. It’s the type of sport that can be great for workouts. It also boosts confidence levels and it manages to keep kids safe too. That’s why you may want to show them karate, because it’s very interesting and it also has great benefits associated with it. Of course, it can also be a tad violent, so maybe it might be a good one for older kids.
Football
Football is nice, it encourages teamwork and it also brings in a lot of workouts too. Plus, it’s just a great sport that you can enjoy and you will like it as it’s super intricate, with great ideas and tremendous options. Simply put, if you are passionate about sports in general, football might be a good pick for your child.
Bicycling
Going on the bike and just exploring the world is great. It allows kids to just enjoy life and have fun, while also appreciating their time and working out. It’s definitely the best of both worlds, and you will find the results to be second to none all the time due to that. Just check it out and give it a try, you will be very happy with the results and the entire process.
Jiu Jitsu
Entering your kids in the brazilian jiu jitsu training world can seem intimidating at first. But this really is an amazing sport. It’s great for boys, but girls also tend to like it just because it encourages them to take good care of themselves.
Skating
Skating is cool since it boosts your agility and it also encourages you to boost your confidence too. You will love it just because it’s super interesting and just a pleasure to check out all the time. Just consider giving it a try with your child!
Running
Running offers a great workout, it’s the best cardio approach and it does have the potential to pay off big time. Plus, it reduces the risks of flu, not to mention it can be performed anywhere.
These sports are great for your child, so you should present them and see what your child likes the most. It helps a lot and you will also appreciate the great experience that comes with it. Just check it out, give it a try and the results on their own can be second to none. Plus, your child can try them all and then you can see what you enjoy the most. Just check them out and you will be very impressed with the process! For the Silo, Michael Adams.
Acousmatic music is defined by the use of recorded environmental, or “everyday,” sounds as raw compositional material; thus, questions regarding the relationship between sound and source (or implied source) are raised, leading to an investigation of concepts of mimesis in this music that stirs up nineteenth-century debates over absolute versus programmatic music.
Issues of sound and source and how they may evoke a sense of virtual space or place in the listener play a part in analyses presented for Dennis Smalleyj’s Wind Chimes (1987), Hildegard Westerkamp’s Cricket Voice (1987), Judy Klein’s The Wolves of Bays Mountain (1998), as well as a discussion of Yves Daoust’s Mi Bemol (1990) and Jarrod Barker’s Audiocosm (2008) and captured sounds employed in Jarrod Barker’s Insects (2008).
Such music poses special challenges for the music theorist and analyst, as conventional analytical tools often emphasize pitch structures and the study of scores—elements often absent in acousmatic music. Attention to listening as an analytic tool has therefore gained prominence within existing theoretical literature concerned with electroacoustic music in general and acousmatic music in…….. click here to read the full essay by Cathy Lynn Cox.
SOMERVILLE, Mass.—While the United States likes to claim it has the gold standard of arms export control measures, in practice the measures offer few restrictions on U.S. presidents’ ability to ship arms wherever they like, according to a new report from the World Peace Foundation (WPF) at Tufts University’s The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
The Arms Export Control Act (AECE) of 1976, as well as the United States’ international obligations, are meant to ensure decisions to export arms take into account the potential to escalate conflict or fall into the hands of U.S. enemies. The AECA sets up Congress as a check on presidential decisions.
“The potential for arms sales to exacerbate a conflict rarely stops a sale,” said report author Jennifer Erickson, associate professor of political science and international studies at Boston College. “When we do restrain exports, more often than not, political calculations are at work, rather than the legal checks and balances Congress put in place.”
Among the key findings of On the Front Lines: Conflict Zones and U.S. Arms Exports:
Conflict is not a consistent deterrent for U.S. arms exports. The United States usually prioritizes diplomatic and economic ties in export decision making—regardless of the conflict status of the recipient.
Presidents face few restrictions on using arms sales to meet policy goals. U.S. law sets an almost unreachable vote threshold for Congress to block or modify arms sales.
Even when the U.S. chooses not to supply weapons to conflict zones, it can and does use alternative means, such as common allies, to get arms to combatants.
There is no realistic way for the U.S. government to guarantee the weapons it sells are used only by the buyer, in ways that conform with U.S. interests. We cannot ensure weapons are only used defensively, for instance. And arms have staying power. Years after initial sales, they may be used instead for priorities the U.S. opposes.
Interpretation of regulations may become looser still as the U.S. enters a “New Cold War” with China or Russia.
In coming to these conclusions, the report examines U.S. arms sales, and restraint, connected to recent conflicts in Libya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The World Peace Foundation commissioned similar studies on arms sales by the governments of the United Kingdom and France.
These studies follow earlier research by the WPF on which nations send arms into conflict zones, available on the website, Who Arms War?
“The United States has all the regulations and policy tools it needs to ensure we do not make already dangerous places even more deadly,” said Alex de Waal, World Peace Foundation executive director and research professor at The Fletcher School. “We have mechanisms that can minimize the risk of America arming deadly actors. What we don’t seem to have is the political will to actually use those mechanisms. On numerous occasions American arms have made the world a more dangerous place, including for Americans.”
ABOUT THE WORLD PEACE FOUNDATION
Established by the publisher Edwin Ginn in 1910, the World Peace Foundation aims to “educate the people of all nations to a full knowledge of the waste and destructiveness of war and of preparation for war, its evil effects on present social conditions and on the wellbeing of future generations, and to promote international justice and the brotherhood of man, and generally by every practical means to promote peace and goodwill among all mankind.”
NESCONSET, New York – (March, 2022) –Over 10 million people have fled Ukraine in the last three weeks, many of them taking their beloved pets. As they cross the border, escaping to safety, they need all the help they can get for themselves and their pets. The majority fled with just a few possessions and nothing to care for their pet. Paws of War has teamed up with its overseas partners to be there at the border, ready to provide refugees with what they need to care for their pets. They are desperately seeking financial donations from the community to help support their refugee relief efforts.
“The flood of refugees crossing the border has overwhelmed the limited resources available. Many organizations have come together to help with the crisis, Paws of War has focused on caring for people’s pets. For some, their pet is all they have left, and it would be devastating for them if they could not care for their pet or were forced to leave it behind,” explains Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War. “We are glad that we are able to help bring some comfort and relief to the people fleeing the Ukraine, clutching their pet in their arms. Being a refugee with a pet makes everything 10 times harder. We will do everything we can to help them.”
Paws of War volunteers have been scrambling to source the supplies so desperately needed, and are rushing them to the aid stations they have set up on the border.
They provide people with pet food, water, crates, leashes, toys, and giving out critical vaccines for dogs otherwise they will be stopped at the border. They are also providing assistance getting the animals travel passports which includes the necessary vaccines so they can continue their journey to the EU. Some refugees are asking if they can foster their pet or have made the heartbreaking decision they cannot care for their pet and hope we can relocate them to a great home in America. They have also assisted with the set up an emergency animal makeshift shelter near the border, which has already taken in over 50 dogs and numerous cats.
They are seeking financial donations to help support the humanitarian crisis and bring relief to those fleeing Ukraine.
Getting supplies to the area has been extremely challenging and the only option has been to obtain them in the surrounding countries. 100% of the donations collected will be used to help Ukraine refugees care for their pets. Currently they are not collecting supplies as there is no readily available way to get them where they are needed the most, and the situation on the ground is constantly evolving. They hope to have a supply drive once a more permanent location is set up for this ongoing crisis.
“We are already low in supplies and are getting many requests for help, as the refugees are desperate, and more keep arriving each day,” added Misseri. “Our mission is to be there at the border to provide some much-needed relief. We can’t do it alone, though. We would love and appreciate every person reading this to make donations to help support the mission, no matter how much it may be.”
Paws of War has helped veterans with numerous issues, including suicide, service and support dogs, companion cats and dogs, food insecurity, veterinary care, and animal rescue for deployed military.
As the demand for Paws of War’s services grew, traditional fundraisers like galas and golf outings were sidelined, putting a crimp in the needed funding to keep these services going. Paws of War has a large loyal following of supporters and looks forward to working with new corporate sponsors to keep these life-saving programs running.
Educational Insights, a leader in manufacturing toys that ignite passions and inspire imaginations, offers two innovative new baby dolls.
Beyond being crafted from the highest-quality European standards, Baby Bijoux and Baby Doux foster nurturing-care and imaginative play while exposing children to the realities of their world. The dolls come in a wide variety of just-like-me skin-tones and ethnicities, and Baby Bijoux features anatomically correct body designs.
Both dolls were awarded the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award and are already catching the attention of influential moms like @kcstauffer, with over 3.2 million followers, who has shown her daughters playing with the new dolls twice on her Instagram channel.
Baby Bijoux is a beautifully crafted, anatomically correct 15.75” (40 cm) doll which encourages self-discovery, nurturing and empathy.
Available in both boy and girl in just-like-me skin tones and hair types of African American, Asian, Caucasian and Hispanic. This baby will be sure to encourage curiosity and answer kids’ natural questions about the human body while helping to develop language and vocabulary skills and encouraging social and emotional development.
Age range: 3-6 years
MSRP:$64.99usd
Baby Doux is a 12” (30.5 cm) soft bodied baby doll available in multicultural skin tones including Hispanic, African American, Asian and Caucasian. With movable arms and legs and realistic baby details, the just-like-me skin tones promote real world connections. Encouraging your little ones to care for their baby helps teach empathy, social and emotional skills as well as promoting imaginative play.
Which digital currency originated from the Doge meme and was originally introduced as a joke?
Is it the same currency that quickly developed into an online community and that was capitalized a few years ago at over $240 Million USD? Take this pop quiz challenge and find out.
Featured image via- darkwebnews.com
UPDATE- How Pi aims to democratize digital currency.
Paris, France 3 March – Following the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Resolution on Aggression against Ukraine, and in light of the devastating escalation of violence, UNESCO is deeply concerned by developments in Ukraine and is working to assess damage across its spheres of competence (notably education, culture, heritage and information) and to implement emergency support actions.
The UNGA Resolution reaffirms the paramount importance of the UN Charter and commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, and it demands “that the Russian Federation immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine.”
The Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, fully concurs with the opening remarks made by the Secretary-General at the Special Session of the General Assembly, during which he said that “this escalating violence — which is resulting in civilian deaths, including children – is totally unacceptable.”
In addition, she calls for the “protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage, which bears witness to the country’s rich history, and includes its seven World Heritage sites – notably located in Lviv and Kyiv; the cities of Odessa and Kharkiv, members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network; its national archives, some of which feature in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register; and its sites commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust.”
“We must safeguard this cultural heritage, as a testimony of the past but also as a vector of peace for the future, which the international community has a duty to protect and preserve for future generations. It is also to protect the future that educational institutions must be considered sanctuaries.”
Consistent with its mandate, UNESCO demands the immediate cessation of attacks on civilian facilities, such as schools, universities, memorial sites, cultural and communication infrastructures, and deplores civilian casualties, including students, teachers, artists, scientists and journalists. These include women and children, girls especially, disproportionately impacted by the conflict and displacement.
In the field of education, Resolution 2601 adopted in 2021 by the UN Security Council states that UN Member States are to “prevent attacks and threats of attacks against schools and ensure the protection of schools and civilians connected with schools, including children and teachers during armed conflict as well as in post-conflict phases”. The General Assembly Resolution of 2 March expresses grave concern at reports of attacks on civilian facilities including schools. In this regard, UNESCO strongly condemns attacks against education facilities, with the damaging of at least seven institutions in the past week, including the attack on 2 March on Karazin Kharkiv National University.
The nationwide closure of schools and education facilities has affected the entire school-aged population — 6 million students between 3 and 17 years old, and more than 1.5 million enrolled in higher education institutions. The escalation of violence hampers the protective role of education, and the impact may be far-reaching including in neighbouring countries.
In the field of culture, UNESCO underlines the obligations of international humanitarian law, notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols, to refrain from inflicting damage to cultural property, and condemns all attacks and damage to cultural heritage in all its forms in Ukraine. UNESCO calls also for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2347.
In this respect, UNESCO is gravely concerned with the damages incurred by the city of Kharkiv, UNESCO Creative City for Music, and the historic centre of Chernihiv, on Ukraine’s World Heritage Tentative List. UNESCO deeply regrets reports of damage to the works of the celebrated Ukrainian artist, Maria Primachenko, with whose anniversary UNESCO was associated in 2009.
UNESCO condemns also the attack that affected the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial, the site of one of the largest mass shootings of Jews during World War II, and calls for the respect of historic sites, whose value for education and remembrance is irreplaceable.
In order to prevent attacks, UNESCO, in close coordination with the Ukrainian authorities, is working to mark as quickly as possible key historic monuments and sites across Ukraine with the distinctive emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention, an internationally recognised signal for the protection of cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict. In addition, UNESCO has approached the Ukrainian authorities with a view to organising a meeting with museum directors across the country to help them respond to urgent needs for safeguarding museum collections and cultural property. In cooperation with UNITAR/UNOSAT, UNESCO will be monitoring the damages incurred by cultural sites through satellite imagery analysis.
In the field of access to information and freedom of expression, UNESCO recalls its previous statement underlining obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 2222 to protect media professionals and associated personnel. It further notes, as in the same resolution, “media equipment and installations constitute civilian objects, and in this respect shall not be the object of attack or of reprisals, unless they are military objectives”.
In this respect, UNESCO is deeply concerned about reports of the targeting of media infrastructure, including the shelling of Kyiv’s main television tower on 1 March 2022, with multiple reported fatalities, including at least one media worker, as well as cases of violence against journalists and attempts to restrict access to the Internet.
In a conflict situation, free and independent media are critical for ensuring civilians have access to potentially life-saving information and debunking disinformation and rumours.
At the request of a group of Member States, the UNESCO Executive Board will hold a Special Session on 15 March “to examine the impact and consequences of the current situation in Ukraine in all aspects of UNESCO’s mandate”.
An interesting new trend is on the rise—colouring in a Bible.
What was once frowned upon, is now encouraged. This new trend is called Bible journaling. Bible journaling is the act of doodling in one’s Bible, as a way to creatively express one’s faith. However, some people choose to illustrate outside their Bible; as for some, doodling on the Bible itself is still prohibited.
Over the past few years, the movement has grown significantly with many online groups, forums, Facebook communities, blogs, and church groups creating groups where people share their Bible journal artwork, offer techniques, and provide a supportive boost.
People even discuss where to get Bibles with the largest margins so that there is room for their designs, creating an interesting demand on publishers and retailers.
Complete Guide to Bible Journaling: Creative Techniques to Express Your Faith (Fox Chapel Publishing), by designer, inspirational speaker, and author of the best-selling Zenspirations® book series Joanne Fink, was created in response to this amazing trend.
The book features the works of top Bible journalers, offers drawing tips, the best tools to use, and even offers traceable vellum sheets to use on your own Bible. For the Silo, Elizabeth Martins.
California’s San Francisco Bay area is the United States’ most expensive real estate market, with a median home-sale price of USD$1.3 million (CAD$1.7 million). Toronto and the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is Canada’s most expensive real estate market, with a median home-sale price of CAD$1.3 million (USD just under $1 million).
Unlike its southern neighbor Los Angeles, the pricey San Francisco mansions belong not to movie and TV stars but to the movers and shakers of the technology industry. The Bay Area boasts the country’s highest concentration of tech companies and tech jobs, earning the region the nickname “Silicon Valley” after the material used to make computer chips.
A home in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood sold for USD$43.5 million (CAD$55.8 million) in 2021, which is the current record for the area’s biggest sticker price, but a new listing in the ultra-exclusive town of Woodside aims to shatter that record. Styled like an Italian villa, the spectacular compound has been listed for USD$110 million (CAD$141 million).
65 foot pool.
Sitting on over three acres of some of the most sought-after real estate in the world, the grounds feature a 65-foot pool with spa, an entertainment zone with an outdoor kitchen and fire pit, landscaped gardens that include fountains, a vineyard with more than forty olive trees and a rose garden with over one hundred roses as well as a private hiking trail. Nestled behind high-tech gates, the compound offers a 14,000-square-foot main home as well as a separate executive office and conference center, a fitness center/massage/hair salon building, and a two-bedroom guesthouse.
Golf simulator? Check.
Retractable glass walls, French oak floors, and hand plastering on every surface complement rare Italian marbles inside the luxurious mansion. Crystal chandeliers and marble fireplaces feature throughout. The enormous main kitchen features two waterfall-wrapped islands, marble counters, top-of-the-line Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and custom-built-steel-and-glass cabinetry, while a separate chef’s kitchen offers extensive storage space plus a BlueStar range with two ovens.
Master suite.
The primary suite is a work of art featuring a barrel-vaulted foyer with leather-front and glass-display cabinets that conceal a refrigerator and Miele laundry and a cathedral-beamed ceiling with chandelier. The sectionalized wardrobe room is couture-worthy. A two-sided Davinci fireplace is shared with the bathroom, which also has heated limestone floors and a marble bath for two. Each additional bedroom includes a customized walk-in closet, outside entrance, and en-suite marble bath.
Designed for the high-tech lifestyle, the home is controlled by state-of-the-art automated systems that take care of every need for comfort, convenience, and security from behind the scenes. The home’s fantastic amenities include an Atmos Dolby screening room, a golf simulator, indoor-and-outdoor lounges, and an epic wine salon for 6,000 bottles.
Woodside is a small town with only 5,000 residents and a median home price above USD$5 million (CAD$6.4 million). Most residents are tech investors and innovators. Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle Corporation and the world’s tenth-richest man, lives down the street from the villa in a 23-acre, Japanese-themed estate.
Known as an equestrian community, Woodside retains a rural residential character despite being only a short commute to Silicon Valley and Stanford University.
The town is ringed with nature preserves, including the Purisima Open Space and Skaggs Point. Options for entertainment include the Michelin-starred Village Pub and Bucks of Woodside, a famed hotspot for Silicon Valley’s most powerful, where many important venture capital deals have been signed. The real estate listing is held by Scott Danser of Compass. For the Silo, Genelle Brown/Top Ten Real Estate Deals dot com.
Tesla has been the fastest growing automobile brand over the course of the pandemic with astounding brand value growth of 271% in the last two years, according to the latest report by leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance. Tesla’s impressive growth continued this year with its brand value up by 44% to US$46.0 billion ( CAD$58.55 billion) which saw it move from 6th to 3rd in the Brand Finance Automobile 100 2022 ranking.
Tesla was the only brand in the Top 10 of the ranking to see significant growth this year.
Every year, Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes nearly 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The report ranks the world’s top 100 most valuable and strongest automobile brands, the top 20 auto component brands, the top 15 tire brands and the top 10 car rental service brands.
Musk at Tesla event in China.
Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has played a huge part in the growth of the brand with his charismatic, and at times controversial, behaviour keeping it firmly in the limelight. Tesla’s transformation into a household name has seen other brands try to connect themselves to the brand to benefit from the Tesla effect.
2021 saw Tesla increase its footprint in China, to ensure it continues to compete in the booming Chinese market.
It opened a new research and development centre, its first outside of America, in addition to a data centre at its Gigafactory in Shanghai. The brand also built a second delivery centre in the city, which incorporates sales, test driving and delivery of Tesla vehicles. Looking to this year 2022, Tesla announced it would launch no new models this year due to the global chip shortage, as doing so would reduce its overall output. Instead, the brand will focus on its full self-driving software as well as scaling up its production capabilities.
Electric revolution sees Chinese brands surge
Chinese brands account for eight of the top 10 fastest-growing brands in the ranking . The increasing popularity and adoption of electric vehicles in China has been a key driver behind the impressive growth for these brands, with China accounting for most electric vehicles sold globally. Several Chinese brands are looking to capitalise on the momentum by expanding their global footprints, with several of these brands launching in Europe in 2021.
While Tesla has seen the fastest growth over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Great Wall is the fastest-growing brand in the ranking this year, with its brand value increasing by an impressive 109% to US$2.6 billion (CAD$3.3 billion). As well as launching in Europe last year, Great Wall announced it will be launching nine electric vehicle models in Thailand over the next three years, where demand is expected to grow considerably. Great Wall plans to use Thailand as a base to launch its expansion into the ASEAN region. The auto marque’s CEO, Jianjun Wei, was also the top ranked automobile CEO in the Brand index, which ranks the world’s top 250 Chief Executives according to how well they manage and grow their company’s brand, and placed 3rd overall across all industries.
The BYD EA1 Dolphin.
BYD was the second fastest-growing brand in the automotive ranking with its brand value doubling to US$6.4 billion (CAD$8.15 billion), an increase which saw it overtake Haval (brand value up 55% to US$6.1 billion or CAD$7.76 billion) to become China’s most valuable car brand. BYD, which specialises in electric vehicles, saw sales accelerating 232% in 2021 with 603,783 models sold – making it the best-selling new energy vehicle manufacturer in China for the ninth year.
Joining Great Wall and BYD in the Top 10 fastest-growing brands is Song (brand value up 90% to US$1.7 billion or CAD$2.16 billion), Qin (up 89% to US$475 million or CAD$604 million), Tang (up 88% to US$630 million or CAD$802 million), NIO (up 79% to US$2.6 billion or CAD$3.3 billion), Dongfeng (up 67% to US$1.4 billion or CAN$1.78 billion), and WEY (up 56% to US$613 million or CAN$780 million).
Toyota holds on to pole position as most valuable automobile brand
Although Chinese auto brands have seen impressive growth, Japan’s Toyota has held on to the top spot in the Brand ranking with a brand value of US$64.3 billion (CAN$81.9 billion).
Whilst the Japanese brand wasn’t immune to the global chip shortage that ravaged the industry, Toyota was better placed than most to weather the storm thanks to its contingency stockpiling.
The foresight allowed the brand to keep production levels high when others faltered and resulted in Toyota outselling General Motors in North America in Q1 2021 – the first time any brand has outsold General Motors in the region since 1998. Toyota remains the world’s top-selling automaker, the only manufacturer selling over 10 million vehicles globally.
Toyota was one of the early adopters of hybrid technology, with its Prius model dominating the hybrid segment for years, but it has fallen behind in the increasingly competitive electric vehicle arena in recent years. To regain ground, last year it announced it would be investing US$35 billion (CAD$44.6 billion) in electric vehicles, focusing on both battery technology and car development. The investment forms part of Toyota’s ambition to sell 3.5 million electric vehicles a year by 2030.
Fellow Japanese brands Honda (brand value US$28.2 billion or CAD$35.9 billion)and Nissan (US$14.6 billion or CAD$18.6 billion) join Toyota in the Top 10 of the ranking, though both brands saw a 10% decrease in brand value this year. Honda held onto its position in 7th, and despite the loss in brand value Nissan actually climbed two spots from 11th to 9th, as it fared better than Sweden’s Volvo (down 20% to US$14.2 billion or CAD$18 billion) and Germany’s Audi (down 20% to US$13.8 billion or CAD$17.6 billion).
Mercedes-Benz remains most valuable European brand
Sitting behind Toyota, Mercedes-Benz remains the second most valuable brand in the ranking, and the most valuable European brand, with a 4% increase in brand value year-on-year to US$60.7 billion (CAD$77.3 billion). Amid challenging market conditions due to the pandemic and an industrywide semiconductor shortage, the brand prioritized electromobility and has seen great results from it. The German automobile giant confirmed that their electric vehicles sales saw a 90% increase this year.
In 2021, Mercedes-Benz launched the sixth generation of the C-class series with a new interior design and is planning to implement autonomous driving features. At the same time, an industry-wide trend to make a transition to electric vehicles and a sustainable approach to production and distribution is on the rise.
2022 Mercedes C class.
A key development to strengthen the Mercedes-Benz brand is the rebrand of Daimler AG to Mercedes-Benz Group AG. The focus of the rebrand is to enhance passenger cars and vans in the luxury segment. The strategic move to rebrand was to fulfil the brand’s objective to focus on financial and mobility services by offering insurance and rental subscriptions and digital fleet management systems.
Other German brands did not fare so well in the ranking this year, with Volkswagen (brand value down 13% to US$41.0 billion or CAD$52 billion), BMW (brand value down 6% to US$37.9 billion or CAD$48.2 billion), and Audi (brand value down 20% to US$13.8 billion or CAD$17.6 billion) all seeing losses in brand value. With lockdowns, network contractions in production and the ongoing semiconductor shortage, the industry has been faced with many challenges. Apart from sector wide disruptions, the German automakers who were reliant on diesel-powered vehicles have had to deal with regulatory challenges and the transition to electric mobility and electric production methods, resulting in rolling back on production to meet industry trends.
Porsche most valuable among luxury and premium, but Ferrari strongest across the whole table
Porsche is the most valuable luxury and premium automobile brand in the world with a brand value of US$33.7 billion (CAD$42.9 billion). The automobile giant celebrated the 50th anniversary of the iconic Porsche Design with a limited-edition sale of 750 cars to pay tribute to the iconic design by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.
The brand’s aim to transform into an agile company has led to leveraging digital transformation by enhancing online sales. To adapt to new formats of sale in the automobile sector, Porsche has invested in e-commerce for 100 markets globally to adopt an omnichannel strategy to connect digital services and retail sales.
While Porsche is the most valuable brand in the luxury and premium segment, Ferrari was named the strongest automobile brand in the world with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 90.9 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA+ rating. Apart from calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Certified by ISO 20671, Brand Finance’s assessment of stakeholder equity incorporates original market research data from over 100,000 respondents in more than 35 countries and across nearly 30 sectors.
2021 was Ferrari’s best-ever year in terms of sales, with the company paying bonuses to all employees as a result, and the projected growth for 2022 remains high. The automotive brand’s historic pursuit of controlled growth has helped to preserve its exclusivity within its sector, however, last year Ferrari expanded its target market to a younger demographic by launching a new high-end fashion line. The aim of creating a brand that can cater to Italian luxury lifestyle in the high-end category will help expand and strengthen its brand portfolio into new avenues, whilst enhancing brand awareness amongst the younger generation.
Denso most valuable auto components brand
Car sales picked up following the loosening of lockdown restrictions, and auto component brands saw demand rise in turn. It has been far from clear sailing for the industry with the global chip shortage disrupting production, but the overall outlook is positive, evidenced by the vast majority of brands seeing good growth.
Denso has retained the title of most valuable auto components brand in the world for the 5th consecutive year, with brand value up 12% to US$4.2 billion (CAD$5.4 billion). The brand continued to play its part in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, creating respirator components in collaboration with Ford, as well as hosting over 50 vaccination clinics for employees across North America. Looking forward, the ever-increasing adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles is good news for Denso, which has over two decades worth of experience in the manufacturing of hybrid car parts.
Michelin most valuable and strongest tyres brand
As the world opened back up and travel increased throughout 2021 the tyre sector regained traction, with almost every brand in the ranking now more valuable than they were pre-pandemic.
Michelin has retained the title of the world’s most valuable and strongest tires brand, with a brand value of US$7.7 billion (CAD$9.8 billion) and a brand strength index score of 85.8 out of 100.
Despite continued disruption within the industry, Michelin saw a 15.6% year-on-year increase in consolidated sales in the first nine months of 2021 and exceeded expectations in the third quarter of the year thanks to a rebound in demand for tires for agricultural machinery. The brand also announced an extension of its partnership with the MotoGP World Championship, remaining the exclusive tire supplier for the competition until 2026.
SIXT is fastest-growing car rental services brand
The car rental brands have gained momentum in 2021 after a steep decline in brand value at the start of the pandemic. As the demand for vehicle hires increases, brands in this industry are presented with the opportunity to innovate and capture a high market share.
SIXT is the world’s fastest-growing car rental brand of 2022 with a 115% increase in brand value over the year to US$1.3 billion (CAN$1.7 billion), according to the Brand Finance ranking. This year’s increase is the continuation of an impressive growth trend for SIXT, which has seen its brand value increase 265% over the past five years. The brand has built a strong international growth strategy, expanding rapidly in the United States and entering new markets, such as Australia.
Enterprise has retained the position of the world’s most valuable car rental brand with a brand value of US$7.1 billion (CAN$9 billion) with a 6% increase in brand value over the year. Despite COVID-induced travel restrictions, the brand has performed well by launching new mobility hubs and undertaking fleet electrification, but it remains below its pre-pandemic brand value of US$7.4 billion (CAD$9.4 billion). For the Silo, James Haggis.
Featured image: Great Wall Ora Concept Electric Car Made In China
As a technology writer for the Silo, I am always focusing and thinking about the evolution of technology. I write about how computers and video games have changed over the years, but of course, many other things change around us and the one I have been thinking about a lot lately is shopping. ( Consumers Distributing may be back, the relaunch namesake follows us on Twitter )
CD had some serious PPMP’s (Portable Personal Music Players)- notice how the colour and graphic schemes are totally late 80’s/early 90’s?
When I was a kid, I remember getting the Consumers Distributing catalog and taking it into my room to read thoroughly. Of course, I tended to go directly to the toys section and more specifically I looked at the video games and computers. I dreamed about the day I would own some of these items, and I patiently saved my pennies from my job as a paper route carrier. Life can be tough when you are 12.
Started in 1957, Consumers Distributing tried to save costs for consumers by creating a warehouse like environment that allowed them to operate in smaller locations.
Customers would typically shop through a catalog (which they could take home or use in-store) and fill out a request form. This form was taken to the counter where a customer service representative would go fetch your item(s) and ring up the sale.
At its peak the chain would grow to 243 outlets in Canada and 217 in the United States. By 1996, however, the customers were fading as frustration grew with items being out of stock (or, more accurately, the customer perception was that items were always out of stock). In 2006, the company appeared to emerge from bankruptcy protection but little has been done to revive the stores to the way they once were.
Nothing says vintage or captures the ‘aura’ of shopping in a Consumers Distributing store quite like a polaroid.
Even though the end of the chain could be considered a failure, the evolution of the concept continues to this day. Stores like Home Depot and Costco operate in a warehouse-like environment, there are just no catalogs.
Canadian retail giant Hudson’s Bay Company also thought it was a pretty good idea since they purchased and ran a competitive chain of stores called “Shop-Rite” that were open from 1972 to 1982.
.At its peak, Shop-Rite had 65 stores in Ontario before conceding defeat to Consumers. It wasn’t the competition that was really the problem, it was the concept.
With the recent closing of the retail operations of Blockbuster and Rogers Video, we are seeing another step in the evolutionary process. Decades from now, people will probably think it was quite strange to obtain our movies from a retail store because everything will be digitally beamed into our homes and the physical disks and tapes we use now will be completely gone.
My friend Dave Thielking is a lot like me and he remembers the days when we were kids flipping through those catalogs.
So when he obtained some old catalogs I knew we could work together to put them online and share with our other friends who remember the old days of shopping and the great toys and items we wanted to save our pennies for. The result is a new website called the Consumers Distributing Archive and you can find it at http://www.cdarchive.ca.
We are never going to be able to stop evolution – of any kind – but it doesn’t mean we have to like it, or that we can’t go back to the way things were even just for an afternoon or two. For the Silo, Syd Bolton.
Mobile apps using ‘metaverse’ in their description surge fivefold in 3months
Various mobile application developers are increasingly aligning their products with the growing metaverse concept after Facebook popularized the term following the company’s rebranding to Meta. Although metaverse is a work in progress, several appsol are associating with the concept in their descriptions.
Data presented by Burga indicates that between November 2021 and January 2022, a monthly average of 28 mobile applications added metaverse to their description, a fivefold growth or 460% spike from the five average recorded between June 2021 and October 2021. The highest number was registered in December 2021 at 30.
Elsewhere, games with 107 applications lead in the number of app categories referencing the ‘metaverse’ keyword. Finance ranks second at 101, followed by social at 70. In the tenth slot, there is education with 11 apps. Data on mobile apps referencing metaverse is provided by mobile intelligence platform Sensor Tower.
Why app developers are focusing on metaverse
Mobile phone applications adding metaverse to their description were seemingly triggered by Facebook’s rebranding to Meta in October 2021. Most companies and applications have followed suit after the social media giant also announced that it plans to invest heavily in the metaverse. The apps are aligned with the metaverse even as players in the sector explore industry standards.
Generally, the metaverse concept is a network of virtual worlds focused on social connection as a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal virtual world supported by virtual and augmented reality headsets.
Although the metaverse is still gaining ground, app developers are using the concept as a critical marketing tool as different sectors await the actual technical requirements for the metaverse to emerge. It can be argued that the applications are working towards having an edge once the technology’s full potential is realized.
A significant share of the metaverse will likely be enabled by apps, which explains developers’ decision to associate with the virtual concept. Notably, apps in the metaverse are touted to potentially harness the most critical features of smartphones, wearables, headsets, and IoT.
Furthermore, virtual interactions offer enticing financial opportunities for businesses and could potentially open new revenue streams for companies diving into this new venture. At this point, with the shift towards a digital life, the opportunities offered by the metaverse are limitless.
Why gaming apps are leading the metaverse
It is no surprise that the gaming apps are leading in adding metaverse to their description. Notably, games have long been associated with VR and AR technology which is at the core of the metaverse. Game engines are likely to be foundational technologies and a critical building block for creating virtual world applications.
In this line, some of the big players in the tech space led by Microsoft are increasing their involvement in the metaverse. According to the company, the metaverse is all about creating games, a key driver for its acquisition of video game company Activision Blizzard. Additionally, gaming platform Roblox has long been viewed as the metaverse frontrunner.
Besides games, the metaverse is also expected to have several implications for different industries. Metaverse technologies have found practical applications among sectors like finance. For instance, VR and AR can be deployed in finance in data visualization, which can aid in analyzing financial risks providing more precise services to customers.
Although app developers are getting ready for metaverse, realizing the concept on a large scale might be extensive. For instance, access to high-speed Internet and the cost of reliable VR hardware remains a challenge.
Additionally, the high scale of interoperability required to build various aspects of the metaverse is yet to be achieved. In this line, tech companies will have to partner with other entities on factors such as metaverse laws. For the Silo, Gytis Gelzinis/BURGA.
Salk researchers pinpoint a sound-sensitive mammalian protein that lets them activate brain, heart or other cells with ultrasound
LA JOLLA—Salk scientists have engineered mammalian cells to be activated using ultrasound. The method, which the team used to activate human cells in a dish and brain cells inside living mice, paves the way toward non-invasive versions of deep brain stimulation, pacemakers and insulin pumps.
The findings were published in Nature Communications on February 9, 2022.” Going wireless is the future for just about everything,” says senior author Sreekanth Chalasani, an associate professor in Salk’s Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory. “We already know that ultrasound is safe, and that it can go through bone, muscle and other tissues, making it the ultimate tool for manipulating cells deep in the body.” About a decade ago, Chalasani pioneered the idea of using ultrasonic waves to stimulate specific groups of genetically marked cells, and coined the term “sonogenetics” to describe it.
In 2015, his group showed that, in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, a protein called TRP-4 makes cells sensitive to low-frequency ultrasound. When the researchers added TRP-4 to C. elegans neurons that didn’t usually have it, they could activate these cells with a burst of ultrasound—the same sound waves used in medical sonograms. When the researchers tried adding TRP-4 to mammalian cells, however, the protein was not able to make the cells respond to ultrasound. A few mammalian proteins were reported to be ultrasound-sensitive, but none seemed ideal for clinical use.
So Chalasani and his colleagues set out to search for a new mammalian protein that made cells highly ultrasound sensitive at 7 MHz, considered an optimal and safe frequency.” Our approach was different than previous screens because we set out to look for ultrasound-sensitive channels in a comprehensive way,” says Yusuf Tufail, a former project scientist at Salk and a co-first author of the new paper.
The researchers added hundreds of different proteins, one at a time, to a common human research cell line (HEK), which does not usually respond to ultrasound. Then, they put each cell culture under a setup that let them monitor changes to the cells upon ultrasound stimulation. After screening proteins for more than a year, and working their way through nearly 300 candidates, the scientists finally found one that made the HEK cells sensitive to the 7 MHz ultrasound frequency.
TRPA1, a channel protein, was known to let cells respond to the presence of noxious compounds and to activate a range of cells in the human body, including brain and heart cells.
But Chalasani’s team discovered that the channel also opened in response to ultrasound in HEK cells. “We were really surprised,” says co-first author of the paper Marc Duque, a Salk exchange student. “TRPA1 has been well-studied in the literature but hasn’t been described as a classical mechanosensitive protein that you’d expect to respond to ultrasound.” To test whether the channel could activate other cell types in response to ultrasound, the team used a gene therapy approach to add the genes for human TRPA1 to a specific group of neurons in the brains of living mice.
When they then administered ultrasound to the mice, only the neurons with the TRPA1 genes were activated.Clinicians treating conditions including Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy currently use deep brain stimulation, which involves surgically implanting electrodes in the brain, to activate certain subsets of neurons.
Chalasani says that sonogenetics could one day replace this approach—the next step would be developing a gene therapy delivery method that can cross the blood-brain barrier, something that is already being studied. Perhaps sooner, he says, sonogenetics could be used to activate cells in the heart, as a kind of pacemaker that requires no implantation.
“Gene delivery techniques already exist for getting a new gene—such as TRPA1—into the human heart,” Chalasani says. “If we can then use an external ultrasound device to activate those cells, that could really revolutionize pacemakers.”For now, his team is carrying out more basic work on exactly how TRPA1 senses ultrasound.
“In order to make this finding more useful for future research and clinical applications, we hope to determine exactly what parts of TRPA1 contribute to its ultrasound sensitivity and tweak them to enhance this sensitivity,” says Corinne Lee-Kubli, a co-first author of the paper and former postdoctoral fellow at Salk.
They also plan to carry out another screen for ultrasound sensitive proteins—this time looking for proteins that can inhibit, or shut off, a cell’s activity in response to ultrasound.
The other authors of the paper were Uri Magaram, Janki Patel, Ahana Chakraborty, Jose Mendoza Lopez, Eric Edsinger, Rani Shiao and Connor Weiss of Salk; and Aditya Vasan and James Friend of UC San Diego.
The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01MH111534, R01NS115591), Brain Research Foundation, Kavli Institute of Brain and Mind, Life Sciences Research Foundation, W.M. Keck Foundation (SERF), and the Waitt Advanced Biophotonics and GT3 Cores (which receive funding through NCI CCSG P30014195 and NINDSR24).
About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Every cure has a starting point. The Salk Institute embodies Jonas Salk’s mission to dare to make dreams into reality. Its internationally renowned and award-winning scientists explore the very foundations of life, seeking new understandings in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, plant biology and more. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark: small by choice, intimate by nature and fearless in the face of any challenge. Be it cancer or Alzheimer’s, aging or diabetes, Salk is where cures begin.
Featured image: Neurons (magenta) in the mouse brain. The Chalasani lab made specific neurons express TRPA1 (white), so they can be activated by ultrasound.
Despite a fluctuating legal status since 1892 when the first Criminal Code of Canadawas established, Canadians have remained firmly welded to the idea of a bet. Whether it is a matter of sports betting or the more calculative games provided by casinos, and more recently over the internet, Canadians, it seems, love to gamble.
What it is in the Canadian national psyche that drives this appetite is far from clear.
Those reports that have dealt with the question have tended to look at the administrative and legislative conditions that have enabled the industry to establish itself, rather than asking the more fundamental question of where the appetite for this form of recreation stems from.
There is no doubt that the way the gambling industry in Canada is managed at a state level has meant that local pockets of gambling activity have been allowed to flourish. Smith points to the way that two Criminal Code of Canada amendments (1969 and 1985) were ‘pivotal’ in enabling the expansion of the industry. The first was because it decriminalized lotteries and casinos and the second because it allowed electronic gambling devices whilst also allowing provinces to operate and regulate the industry within their territories. In essence, because there was no one-size-fits-all brake on the industry it was allowed to extend into all those areas where it was not explicitly barred.
Against that historical backdrop the emergence of the internet and the de-territorialised markets it has allowed to develop have seen the Canadian appetite for gambling further supplied.
Such is the extent of the market that European based providers, such as Bet365, the UK’s leading online provider, are going out of their way to woo Canadian punters. Specialist sports books focusing on Canadian sports as well as a long list of games and pursuits that are already well-established across North America – not least poker and blackjack – mean that what these providers are offering is a perfect fit for the Canadian market.
There is a sense that with the US gambling industry seemingly at a tipping point in terms of the full deregulation of online gambling, these global providers are doing everything they can to achieve a presence and a profile on the continent. The basic thinking is that something akin to a gold rush is set to take place once the US marketplace truly opens up, and that rolling out into the US market will be easier from Canada than from Europe.
If this makes it sound as though the Canadian gambling market is somehow merely a stepping stone that is far from the case. Canada’s gambling market is itself measured in the billions of dollars and it is an entirely viable proposition on its own merits.
Of course, what it is that makes Canadians so happy to gamble remains an open question.
. Amidst such a diverse and heterogeneous population is it possible that enjoying a gamble in one form or another is one of the things that unites us as a nation? For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
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For the Silo, Merilee Kern. As the Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationally-regarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority—a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products and services across all categories. Reach her online at 
