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forthewantofadatsun · 3 years

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Datsun Go: Still Worth Driving

Datsun is an auto manufacturer with a history. Dating back to Japan’s earliest days of car building, it has evolved to become a manufacturer recognised for its durable, attractive and trustworthy vehicles. The Datsun Go embodies the spirit of modern Datsun – perfect for young risers chasing their dreams.

The Story of Nissan Datsun Go South Africa

Nissan relaunched the Datsun brand in 2013 after a number of years of being inactive. Models have been available in South Africa since 2014.

The Datsun Go was introduced as a low-cost competitor in the hatchback market. Despite being low-cost, the Datsun Go features everything a young riser could need and want in their first new car investment.

Datsun’s return didn’t start with deciding which models to launch, but with the people in mind. Young risers: ambitious young people that are ahead of the curve, waiting for that one opportunity that will rocket their careers and futures forward.

A young riser realises that mobility relates to both physical and social access to opportunities. They deserve a car brand of their own – a brand representative of their tenacity to succeed.

Datsun has made their triumphant return to South Africa and the world in order to become the proud badge of the risers.

The Badge of the Risers reflects both Datsun’s heritage and guiding principles. The centre portion of the new badge honours the spirit of old Datsun by retaining the essence of its original logo. Modern robustness and confidence to succeed in a new world are conveyed by the surrounding portion of the badge, featuring a hexagon inspired by shiny bolts.

Datsun’s new way is all about forging a mutually rewarding and enjoyable relationship with risers, beginning from the moment of purchase on through the ownership experience. At Datsun, it’s all about growing a locally built, relevant brand that draws inspiration from the company’s global technological understanding and proficiency in both styling and engineering.

The core values Datsun aims to be known for can be summarised as: dream, access and trust.

Datsun wishes to turn risers’ investment into a purchase they will never regret – to be a car brand that allows young risers to love the car they are able to afford. To be a manufacturer that makes dreams come true, no matter what a customer’s budget. Datsun wants to offer quality, modern cars at an affordable price.

One of a riser’s main concerns is accessing opportunities that will drive them towards their dreams. Datsun aims to ensure that everything is friendly, easy and inviting: from the buying experience to own, not just the affordable price.

Lastly, Datsun wishes to be seen as a trusted automotive brand that is able to deliver in terms of durability, quality and reliability, because of our global expertise, as well as leveraging from our roots.

Datsun Go Prices to Rave About

Datsun’s new range of cars is made for modern living. They offer great fuel economy, spacious interiors, bold designs and the latest technological innovations. Risers can cruise through the city streets in style. The latest model variants of the Datsun Go available to consumers in South Africa are:

Datsun Go 1.2 MC Mid: Priced from R159 100

Datsun Go 1.2 MC Lux: Priced from R170 200

Datsun Go+ 1.2 MC Mid: Priced from R169 500

Datsun Go+ 1.2 MC Lux: Priced from R180 800

A new Datsun Go can be yours from as little as R 1 999 per month.

Low mileage 2019 Datsun Go demo models are available from R1 799 per month.

The New Datsun Go Range is Here to Impress

The new Datsun Go is the perfect new car solution for young risers. It’s everything you could ever want or need from a first car and more. Two trims levels are available: the upscale Datsun Go 1.2 MC Lux and the standard Datsun Go 1.2 MC Mid.

New Datsun Go overview:

Body style: Hatchback

Vehicle type: Passenger

Engine: 1.2 petrol engine

Transmission: 5-speed manual transmission

Colours: White, silver, grey, orange, red

Price: R159 100 (Datsun Go 1.2 MC Mid) or R170 200 (Datsun Go 1.2 MC Lux)

Length: 3,788 mm

Width: 1,636 mm

Height: 1,507 mm

Wheelbase: 2,450 mm

The Datsun Go Plus Range – Get More for Less

There are two models available in the Datsun Go+ range: the Datsun Go+ 1.2 MC Lux and the Datsun Go+ 1.2 MC Mid. The perfect affordable car solution if you need more space, but don’t want to compromise on style or break the budget.

Datsun Go+ 1.2 MC Lux overview:

Body style: Hatchback

Vehicle type: Passenger

Engine: 1.2 petrol engine

Transmission: 5-speed manual transmission

Colours: Ruby, grey, white, silver, gold

Price: R180 800

Length: 3,995 mm

Width: 1,635 mm

Height: 1,507 mm

Wheelbase: 2,450 mm

Datsun Go+ 1.2 MC Mid overview:

Body style: Hatchback

Vehicle type: Passenger

Engine: 1.2 petrol engine

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Colours: Gold, silver, white, grey, ruby

Price: R169 500

Length: 3,995 mm

Width: 1,635 mm

Height: 1,507 mm

Wheelbase: 2,450 mm

Datsun Go Reviews – See for Yourself

Datsun has made great strides in going above and beyond to improve the Go since its initial launch back in 2013. Listening to customers and their concerns have allowed Datsun to engineer a car that ticks all the budget car boxes.

Datsun Go Interior Design Will Blow Your Mind

The new Datsun Go is designed to function for the way you really live. The best part? It’s so accessible! You get a lot of bang for your buck with the new Datsun Go.

Spacious Interior

The Datsun Go’s best-in-class cabin length allows for everyone coming along for the ride to stretch out and sit comfortably. Rear passengers will feel as though they are nestled in a cosy sedan, with more than ample knee room and a well-cushioned seat.

In the front, you’ll find that the Datsun Go offers great shoulder and headroom compared to many of its competitors. The lidded glove box, door pocket and passenger side storage provide you with ample space to store your personal effects. Bottle holders in the doors will ensure that you keep hydrated during your travels.

Quiet Cabin

Strategically placed insulation throughout the solidly built cabin allows you to enjoy conversation and music on your drives. Your time spent behind the wheel can now also become quality time.

Generous Boot Space

Coming in at 265 litres, the Datsun Go is able to accommodate your luggage for a weekend getaway or those of your friends flying in for a visit.

Sleek Interior Design

A clean, simple and modern look is very desirable nowadays. Datsun Go placed emphasis on thoughtful details that reflect quality during the design process.

A bird’s wing inspired the elegant, dipping line of the dashboard. A touch of silver accents throughout the cabin, the gear-lever conveniently positioned within easy reach of the steering wheel on the instrument panel and the cool and comfortable shape of the door handles all combine to make the Datsun Go something special.

It’s not just easy to drive – it’s also easy on the eyes.

Leather-Feel Grain Pattern

An added detail like this is what makes the Datsun Go feel a class above its peers. The dashboard and the interior are trimmed with a leather-feel, soft to the touch grain pattern. Datsun puts a lot of care into selecting materials that will give our cars an upmarket feel. The materials used are chosen with the customer’s experience in mind.

7” Touchscreen

The Datsun Go’s touchscreen features integrated Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth, enabling you to take control of your world.

The system gives you access to everything on your smartphone in your car, including: navigation, your music, USB charging and hands-free calling.

Blue-Lit Speedometer with White Lettering

This striking combination provides you with enhanced visibility - so that you can remain in control and aware at all times.

The Datsun Go’s drive computer displays:

Distance to empty

Average fuel consumption

Fuel consumption

Datsun Go Specs and Features That Are Sure to Impress

The new Datsun Go model variants are kitted out with a variety of useful features and phenomenal specs, making them stellar competitors in the affordable new car market.

Datsun Go specs:

Hatchback

1.2-litre petrol engine

5-speed manual transmission

50 kW

5.5 L / 100 km

4,6 m minimum turning radius

265-litre boot space

ABS braking system

Ventilated disc brakes

Electric power steering

Some of the Datsun Go’s features include:

Drive computer

Average fuel consumption display

Instantaneous fuel consumption display

Independent slide and recline front seats

Air conditioner

Follow me home headlamp

7” touchscreen

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

USB and AUX

Bluetooth

Rear park distance sensors

Dual airbags – driver and passenger

Datsun Go Accessories to Set Your Car Apart

Want to add a personal touch to make your Datsun Go stand out? Datsun offers you various customisation options, including:

Datsun Go roof spoiler: Adding a spoiler to your Go will enhance its already sporty design.

Datsun Go scuff plate: This stainless steel plate will help to prevent scratches to the door sill area. It will also give you a warm welcome when entering the car.

Datsun Go seat cover art: These eye-catching and durable seat covers will provide your Go with a sleek finish, setting you aside from the rest.

Datsun Go Fuel Consumption Helps You Save More

The Datsun Go manages an impressive 5.5 L / 100 km. That’s especially competitive within its class, as the Go is bigger on the inside and outside than many of its peers. An impressive and extremely economic package.

Datsun Go Servicing

Looking after your car is important if you want to keep things running smoothly. The benefits of having your vehicle serviced at regular intervals includes:

Increasing your car’s lifespan

Having the utmost peace of mind when getting behind the wheel

Cars with a full servicing history are worth more when you want to sell later on

Your car is safe to drive

Long term costs are reduced

Your car’s warranty remains valid

We go above and beyond to make sure our clients are completely satisfied with the work we have done. You can expect a full and thorough service from us that includes routine maintenance, checking and changing all the important fluids, essential car care and all the necessary checks to ensure that you are safe and ready to hit the road again.

Article from https://www.datsunec.co.za/

#datsun #datsun go #datsun go plus #datsun go+#datsun cars #car review

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thecoroutfitters · 7 years

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Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: A guest submission from Megan Nichols to The Prepper Journal. The next Prepper Writing Contest Award is coming! As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award as well as being entered into the Prepper Writing Contest AND have a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, then enter today!

Whether you’re a committed prepper or just thinking about living more strategically, creating a financial plan is essential to prepare for a time when you may no longer have a job, and the banking system — and perhaps the government — no longer function like it does today.

Why might you be facing such a time? Because threats pile up every day. Cyber crime and cyber theft are on the rise. If hackers can steal your identity, is it really a stretch that they could cause a collapse of the banking system or the government?

ATMs could become disabled around the globe as cyber-hackers gain control of your accounts. Governments could be disabled and unable to function — and that’s just the beginning.

Let’s face it. We’ve already seen situations where people have lost their homes in natural disasters, like floods and hurricanes. Others have become sick and unable to work because of radiation, like those in Japan.

Job loss alone is a reason to have a financial plan, but across the world, people have been displaced by war, bombs and carnage. Think it can’t happen here? Think again.

On top of that, approximately half the people in the United States wouldn’t be able to come up with $500 for an emergency.

What would you do if any of the crisis scenarios above occurred? You need a financial plan. Here are three tips on how to create one.

Get a Handle on Your Expenses

Your first order of business is to create a budget. If you don’t know how much you spend every month, you can’t plan to either cut expenses or save.

If you don’t already have a budget, start with a spreadsheet. Enter all your fixed monthly expenses, like mortgage, utilities, groceries and any debts. Then, assess your budget. Sometimes, people find their budgets are fine and have disposable income to allocate to savings. But other times, people find they need to cut back on spending.

There are many ways to reduce your expenses. Simplify your cable package and stick to Netflix, or rent DVDs and books from your local library. Start a garden and grow your own food to cut back on grocery bills. Always shop on sale. Sew your own clothes. Reduce the number of times you eat out each week. Choose less expensive get-together and recreational activities. Can you hike with your family instead of going to a fancy lunch, for example?

The more you consider less expensive ways, the more cash you’ll be able to save. Plus, many of these methods will benefit you as a barter skill later on.

Create a Prepper Budget

Once you get a handle on how much you’re spending, you’ll need to create a prepper budget — that means you’re going to start saving and preparing for upheaval.

First, if you don’t already have a category for saving, start one. Your first goal is to have a three-month cash cushion in case you lose your job or banks are inaccessible. And, by the way, when we say cash, we mean cash — not digits in your bank account. Long and green and in a safe place.

Second, focus on paying down debt. You can either use the debt avalanche method or the debt snowball method. If you do a debt avalanche, you pay down the smallest amount of debt first. As soon as that is paid off, you move the debt service money to the next-smallest debt. If you do a debt snowball, you concentrate on the debt with the highest interest rate, as those cost more over the long run.

Third, start putting money toward what you’ll need to survive. Most people put between two and four percent of their income toward prepper activities. If you absolutely cannot save, consider taking a second job to generate income or relocating to a less expensive living area.

Stock Up on What You’ll Need

Once you’ve got your finances under control and a prepper budget started, it’s time to start stocking up on what you’ll need when a crisis happens.

Money

Although the banking system and the very governments that issue money may collapse, the fact is you’ll need some money, at least at first. Think about World War II in Europe, for example. People who had money to pay for transportation and even to bribe officials were better off than those who didn’t. If cities become uninhabitable here, you may need money to get to where it’s safer, to buy a home there and to buy whatever food and other supplies are available.

After your first three months of savings, keep your saving in cash. Ideally, you want at least a year’s worth of expenses.

Be sure to keep it in a secure place. It’s best to save a combination of small bills — for smaller purchases — and large bills — for deposits and more substantial expenses.

Precious Metals and Jewels

In times of peril throughout history, precious metals like gold and silver and precious stone jewelry have come to people’s aid. Why? Because you can use them as currency. Gold, silver and jewelry like diamonds hold their value throughout time, so you can trade them for items you need. Plus, they have a universal value — every society accepts them, no matter their currency.

You can save gold or silver in bars or coins. Silver is cheaper than gold, but both can be bought in small amounts. If you have jewelry, such as diamond rings or other precious stones, store them in a very safe place.

Bitcoin

Bitcoins are coins that can be used to pay for goods and services through a ledger called block-chain. Bitcoins are one of a class of crypto-currencies that rose considerably in value last year. They have been more volatile since then. Preppers who buy and hold bitcoin and other crypto-currencies do so because these exchange mediums are independent of government control. Although few merchants accept them as payment now, their usage might rise in the future.

Barter Skills

Banks and lending institutions like credit unions are, right now, the way we get what we need. We get money to pay for food, clothing, shelter and everything else. But what if we don’t have banks? What do we do when the money runs out, or if we’re trying to save for a more significant emergency?

The answer is simple. We will barter to get what we need. Bartering is a system people have used for centuries. Even during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, people traded chickens or produce in exchange for doctor visits.

Think about something you can offer other people in a crisis. Some examples are:

Planting a garden

Sewing, repairing clothing, tents, sleeping bags

Hunting for game

Wound care, holistic medical treatments

Gunsmithing, teaching survival skills

Food and Other Supplies

Stock up on food and other supplies, as well. Ideally, you should have a year’s worth of nonperishable food items. Other supplies include:

First aid kits and expendable contents

Hunting gear, to include spare rifle and pistol parts and ammunition

Survival gear like flashlights, binoculars, tents, solar batteries and rechargers

Water and food

Mobility gear, walking shoes, boots, walking aids

Knives, sharpening stones

A strong financial plan will see you through any crisis that comes. Stay strong and follow these three tips to always be prepared!

Follow The Prepper Journal on Facebook!

The post A Quick Guide to Creating a Preppers Financial Plan appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

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covid19updater · 4 years

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COVID19 UPDATES 04/22/2020

MORNING:

Mexico: UPDATE MEXICO Mexico has officially entered phase 3 Phase 3 is of rapid rise in the number of infections and large number of hospitalizations which could saturate the National Health System today 8,772 confirmed cases and 712 deaths

World: Major French study warns of second wave risk with only 6 per cent of population immune when the country starts lifting lockdown on May 11 “Our results strongly suggest that without a vaccine, group immunity will be insufficient alone to avoid a second wave at the end of lockdown. Efficient control measures must be maintained beyond May 11, it said.

US: New Covid-19 treatment guidelines from the agency led by Dr. Anthony Fauci undercut President Trump’s promotion of some unproven drugs LINK

US: Over 2,700 coronavirus deaths in the United States over the past day, making it the deadliest day so far.

NYC: Teen successfully treated for COVID with ECMO therapy. LINK

Texas: Texas investigating meat processing plants over coronavirus outbreaks. State health officials confirmed Tuesday that they are investigating an outbreak of the new coronavirus at the JBS Beef packing plant in the Texas Panhandle LINK

NYC: NYC Funeral home storing bodies out back under a tarp due to lack of space: LINK

RUMINT (Massachusetts): An employee at the Star Market grocery store in Belmont, Massachusetts has died from the corona virus. I have a friend whose wife works in this store and no one in the store was made aware of this prior to today that this individual was positive for the Corona Virus.

Japan: Japan's Nagasaki confirms 33 coronavirus cases on cruise ship docked for repairs (Costa Atlantica) 623 crew aboard. LINK

Massachusetts: 2 Massachusetts State Police academy trainees have tested positive for Corona Virus. LINK

China: Beijing is tightening quarantine measures again. The Chinese capital Beijing has again tightened its measures against the introduction of the corona virus. According to the authorities, people who come to the city have to go under “domestic observation” for a week after a two-week quarantine. This means that returnees are not allowed to take part in public life for a total of three weeks.

Idaho: Idaho Lt. Governor now demanding that Idaho’s shutdown to end and all business to reopen, LINK

World: Coronavirus lingered in a woman's eyes long after it cleared from her nose LINK

Spain: Spain registers slight increase in death toll. The Spanish Ministry of Health has announced 435 deaths in the last 24 hours due to the new coronavirus, an increase of five deaths since yesterday. Since April 19, there has been a slowdown in the increase in fatalities in Spain - that day 410 deaths were announced and the next day 399. The death toll now stands at 208,389.

Japan: Tokyo orphanage records eight positive cases among babies and young children

SIngapore: Singapore, a country that was used as an example in the beginning of the pandemic but that, with just two mistakes, saw the whole strategy of success in combating Covid-19 crumbling, this Wednesday passed the barrier of 10,000 infected. In relation to the last 24 hours, and according to data from the local Ministry of Health, there are 1,016 new cases registered in the country

China: In the Chinese city of Wuhan, there are increasing cases in which Covid 19 patients continue to carry the virus after they have survived the disease. They are considered a possible risk of infection. However, these people showed no symptoms of illness, explained doctors of the metropolis before which the pandemic had spread in December. All of them had been tested negative at a certain point in their therapy - the virus could therefore no longer be detected. However, they were later tested positive. According to the doctors, the corona virus was detected in some cases 70 days after the supposed recovery, in others the tests were positive again after 50 to 60 days.

China: Recovered, Almost: China’s Early Patients Unable To Shed Coronavirus LINK

US: First death in the United States occurred three weeks earlier than was estimated. The first death in the United States had been recorded in Kirkland, Washington, on February 29, but there are new data that prove that there had been victims in the country by Covid-19 before: according to CNN, which quotes statements from local authorities, autopsies done in the meantime prove that two people died of the new coronavirus in Santa Clara, Calif., on February 6 and 17. "The testing criteria at that time were limited only to people who had a history of illness and received medical treatment for specific symptoms," explained a state spokesman, adding that samples were also sent to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control from United States.

AFTERNOON/EVENING:

UK: #BREAKING UK #coronavirus hospital death toll rises 759 to reach 18,100: health ministry

North Korea: Taiwan media claiming China sending medical team to help treat Kim Jong Un and fly him to China for further treatment.

US: LATEST: As of 10:30 a.m. ET, April 22, there are 809,770 confirmed coronavirus cases in the US, and 44,825 deaths.

US: Source close to coronavirus task force said others on panel share concerns of CDC Dir Redfield that “second wave” of COVID-19 could be more devastating as it may combine with flu outbreak: “Influenza and COVID simultaneously could completely overwhelm the health care system.”

US: Coronavirus at meat packing plants worse than first thought, USA TODAY investigation finds LINK

Italy: Italy. Dead exceed 25 thousand. With 437 more deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, Italy has already surpassed the 25,000 deaths of Covid-19 (25,085). The most recent Civil Protection figures also report an additional 3,370 positive cases, bringing the cumulative number of infections to 187,327. This is the highest number in four days.

World: *WHO'S TEDROS SAYS HE HOPES U.S. WOULD RECONSIDER FREEZING FUNDS *U.S. WHO FUNDING HELPS FINANCE POLIO ERADICATION, IMMUNIZATIONS *WHO'S RYAN SAYS HOPES U.S. WILL JUST FREEZE SPENDING 60 DAYS

India: #INDIA suspends testing for antibodies to the coronavirus because of concern over the accuracy. The country has ordered more than 500 million testing kits from China.

UK: UK medical adviser Chris Whitty warns: - we are not seeing a steep fall in new infections. - expect many deaths in care homes. - Incredibly small chance of having effective vaccine or drugs in next year.

Texas: TEXAS COVID-19 CASES RISE 18% IN SECOND STRAIGHT DAILY INCREASE

NYC: NOT GOOD: Two cats in New York have tested positive for novel coronavirus making them the first pets in the US known to be infected

Florida: Walgreens employees test positive in Jupiter distribution center LINK

Sweden: BREAKING - Sweden recorded 172 new coronavirus deaths and 682 new #COVID19 cases today on one of its bleakest days since the crisis began.

France: France reports 544 new deaths in the past 24 hours with 5218 still in ICUs and 21.340 total deaths.

Iran: Cases in Tehran (9M) have been on the rise (6% in the last 24 hours) and they come in a more critical condition. Tehran's Emergency Services also says they get calls for much more critical #COVID patients.

World: “Silent hypoxia” killing covid patients who don’t even know they are ill until the damage has occurred LINK

Mexico: UPDATE MEXICO Mexico is expected to break the 10,000 confirmed COVID19 case mark today. Tomorrow should also break the 1,000 mark on deaths from COVID19. A family party in the state of Durango contributes to one family getting infected leading to 11 confirmed cluster cases and one death of a 33 year old healthy woman. While beer / alcohol service is suspended nationally, the desperate beer companies are selling bottled water and other non-alcoholic beverages to stay working.

Texas: Women quarantined because of a COVID-19 outbreak at ICE's El Paso detention facility tell @AngelaKBorder that the situation is more dire than ICE has acknowledged. El Paso public health officials appear to be doing little to track the situation.

Nevada: Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman, who has been openly advocating for Vegas casinos and hotels to completely open up, literally tells Anderson Cooper she has no responsibility to figure out how to do it safely. "It is up to them!"

World: A US government expert panel has formally recommended against using a drug combination promoted by President Donald Trump to fight the coronavirus, because of its potential harmful impact on the heart

Spain: #BREAKING: Spain sends back faulty coronavirus tests made in China... which had been sent out to replace an earlier batch of faulty tests

World: BREAKING - Researchers suspect a **protective effect** of nicotine on #COVID19. This assumption is based on the low number of smokers among coronavirus patients - worldwide the rate is only between 1.4 and 12.5 percent according to several studies. "The hypothesis is that nicotine attaches to cell receptors used by the coronavirus and thus prevents the virus from attaching," says Professor Jean-Pierre Changeux from the Institut Pasteur and the Collège de France. Thus, the coronavirus cannot penetrate the cells and spread in the organism. Nevertheless, people should not buy cigarettes now, because smoking endangers the health, the scientists warn.

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wewriteaboutdatsuns · 4 years

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The New Datsun Go Range is Here to Impress

Datsun is an auto manufacturer with history. Dating back to Japan’s earliest days of car building, it has evolved to become a manufacturer recognised for its durable, attractive and trustworthy vehicles. The Datsun Go embodies the spirit of modern Datsun – perfect for young risers chasing their dreams.

The Story of Nissan Datsun Go South AfricaNissan relaunched the Datsun brand in 2013 after a number of years of being inactive. Models have been available in South Africa since 2014.

A young riser realises that mobility relates to both physical and social access to opportunities. They deserve a car brand of their own – a brand representative of their tenacity to succeed.

Datsun has made their triumphant return to South Africa and the world in order to become the proud badge of the risers.

The Badge of the Risers reflects both Datsun’s heritage and guiding principles. The centre portion of the new badge honours the spirit of old Datsun by retaining the essence of its original logo. Modern robustness and confidence to succeed in a new world is conveyed by the surrounding portion of the badge, featuring a hexagon inspired by shiny bolts.

The core values Datsun aims to be known for can be summarised as - dream, access and trust.

One of the riser’s main concerns is accessing opportunities that will drive them towards their dreams. Group 1 Datsun aims to ensure that everything is friendly, easy and inviting: from the buying experience to own , not just the affordable price.

The new Datsun Go or Datsun Go demo is the perfect new car solution for young risers. It’s everything you could ever want or need from a first car and more. Two trims levels are available: the upscale Datsun Go 1.2 MC Lux and the standard Datsun Go 1.2 MC Mid.

New Datsun Go overview:

Body style: Hatchback

Vehicle type: Passenger

Engine: 1.2 petrol engine

Transmission: the 5-speed manual transmission

Colours: White, silver, grey, orange, red

Length: 3,788 mm

Width: 1,636 mm

Height: 1,507 mm

Wheelbase: 2,450 mmf

Datsun Go Reviews – See for Yourself

Datsun Go Interior Design Will Blow Your Mind

The new Datsun Go is designed to function for the way you really live. The best part? It’s so accessible! You get a lot of bang for your buck with the new Datsun Go.

Spacious Interior

Quiet Cabin

Strategically placed insulation throughout the solidly built cabin allows you to enjoy conversation and music on your drives. Your time spent behind the wheel can now also become quality time.

Generous Boot Space

Coming in at 265 litres, the Datsun Go is able to accommodate your luggage for a weekend getaway or those of your friends flying in for a visit.

Sleek Interior Design

A clean, simple and modern look is very desirable nowadays. Datsun Go placed emphasis on thoughtful details that reflect quality during the design process.

It’s not just easy to drive – it’s also easy on the eyes.

Leather-Feel Grain Pattern

7” Touchscreen

The Datsun Go’s touchscreen features integrated Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth, enabling you to take control of your world.

The system gives you access to everything on your smartphone in your car, including navigation, your music, USB charging and hands-free calling.

Blue-Lit Speedometer with White Lettering

This striking combination provides you with enhanced visibility so that you can remain in control and aware at all times.

The Datsun Go’s drive computer displays:

Distance to empty

Average fuel consumption

Fuel consumption

Datsun Go Specs and Features That Are Sure to Impress

The new Datsun Go model variants are kitted out with a variety of useful features and phenomenal specs, making them stellar competitors in the affordable new car market.

Datsun Go specs:

Hatchback

1.2-litre petrol engine

5-speed manual transmission

50 kW

5.5 L / 100 km

4,6 m minimum turning radius

265-litre boot space

ABS braking system

Ventilated disc brakes

Electric power steering

Some of the Datsun Go’s features include:

Drive computer

Average fuel consumption display

Instantaneous fuel consumption display

Independent slide and recline front seats

Air conditioner

Follow me home headlamp

7” touchscreen

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

USB and AUX

Bluetooth

Rear park distance sensors

Dual airbags – driver and passenger

Datsun Go Accessories to Set Your Car Apart

Want to add a personal touch to make your Datsun Go stand out? Datsun offers you various customisation options, including:

Datsun Go roof spoiler: Adding a spoiler to your Go will enhance its already sporty design.

Datsun Go scuff plate: This stainless steel plate will help to prevent scratches to the door sill area. It will also give you a warm welcome when entering the car.

Datsun Go seat cover art: These eye-catching and durable seat covers will provide your Go with a sleek finish, setting you aside from the rest.

Datsun Go Fuel Consumption Helps You Save More

Datsun Go Servicing

Looking after your car is important if you want to keep things running smoothly. The benefits of having your vehicle serviced at regular intervals include:

Increasing your car’s lifespan

Having the utmost peace of mind when getting behind the wheel

Cars with a full servicing history are worth more when you want to sell later on

Your car is safe to drive

Long term costs are reduced

Your car’s warranty remains valid

Original article from Datsun Ramblings.

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thechasefiles · 5 years

Text

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 11/2/2020

Good Morning #realdreamchasers ! Here is your daily news cap for Tuesday February 11th, 2020. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

BARBADOS TOPS EXPENSIVE PLACES – BARBADOS has been ranked as one of the world’s most expensive places to live. In its 2020 index of the countries where the cost of living was highest, international business publication CEOWORLD Magazine placed Barbados 12th out of 132 countries. Switzerland was deemed the most expensive place to live, followed by Norway, Iceland, Japan, Denmark, Bahamas, Luxembourg, Israel, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Barbados. The most affordable place to live in, the publication added, was Pakistan. The others in order or ranking were Afghanistan, India, Syria, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia, Venezuela, Kosovo, Georgia, Nepal, and Egypt. In the 2018 index, Singapore topped the most expensive ranking, and Barbados did not feature in the top 20. (DN)

TAX WARNING – GOVERNMENT WILL BE going after more tax evaders this year. Acting Revenue Commissioner Wayne Forde made this promise yesterday as he urged land tax defaulters to pay up. During the launch of a partnership between Card Services at Cave Shepherd and the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) at the latter’s Weymouth, St Michael office, Forde said there were 110 000 accounts, but the compliance rate was only 65 per cent. And he suggested that these delinquent accounts contributed to delayed payments to taxpayers. (DN)

SAGICOR PREPARES TO CUT JOBS IN BARBADOS, ST LUCIA - Job cuts at insurance giant Sagicor General’s Barbados - and St. Lucia appeared imminent Monday as the company announced that it will be undergoing a restructuring process. In a statement, president and CEO Keston Howell said the decision was taken after a strategic review of the company’s operations. On the fate of the staff in the two countries, he said: “We sincerely value the contributions of our team and will ensure that the affected team members receive the necessary guidance and support to assist them through this process.” He suggested the restructuring was a nod to an “ultra-competitive market” in which the firm sought to “improve customer experience and deliver superior value”. Sagicor General underwrites auto, home, travel and business insurance. “The company is focused on the delivery of exceptional service to its clients and is continuously reviewing operations to improve efficiencies,” the statement added. The news comes as Sagicor, the legacy of the Barbados Mutual Life Assurance Society nears its 180th anniversary. It operates in Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. (BT)

TRUDEAU MAY BE HERE NEXT WEEK – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to be in Bridgetown next week for talks with Prime Minister Mia Mottley, she hinted today. The revelation came from Mottley as she addressed the launch of an initiative designed to improve diagnosis, treatment and care for children affected by paediatric cancers and serious blood disorders, which is being lead by the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Addressing the function at Ilaro Court, Mottley said: “This Monday we have the opportunity to thank you as Canadians, and to thank the SickKids Foundation and to thank the High Commissioner, and next Monday I think we will do the same thing with the Prime Minister of Canada when he is here with us.” Mottley gave few details, but pointed to the longevity of the Canadian-based commercial banks in Barbados, saying the two countries would continue to build on their centuries-old relationship. But she gave an indication that the issue of climate change and climate resilience would be featured in their discussions. Mottley said: “The relationship between our countries is centuries long and I am happy to report that the temperature of that relationship is a good temperature. It is not in any means at risk of catching any kind of unfortunate problems that are facing the world today. “We look forward to working with our Canadian partners not just in the area of healthcare or philanthropy, but in a number of other areas of development, particularly the climate crisis which is bedeviling all of us at a rate and in a way that is really frightening some times.” Back in September 2018 the two prime ministers held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, as they discussed issues of interest to Ottawa and Bridgetown. (BT)

MIA WANTS NEW CDB STRATEGY – PRIME MINISTER Mia Amor Mottley is calling on the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to come up with new strategies for new times. Though complimenting the bank on its 50 years of existence at an anniversary thanksgiving service held at Frank Collymore Hall yesterday evening, Mottley said it could no longer be a case of all things to all people. She highlighted a need for the bank to involve the youth in its mission going forward, to create economic accommodation to deal with climate change, and to ensure a secure water source for the region. The Prime Minister said Barbados had benefited from almost $1 billion in development capital over the last 50 years from the bank. “But I speak to you here not only as governor of the CDB [for Barbados], Prime Minister of Barbados and chairman of CARICOM, but I do so conscious that if ever this region needed the oxygen of finance for the thrust of development, it’s now as we face a series of existential crises that threatened to destabilise our progress.” (DN)

VIRUS TEST SOON – TESTING for the deadly coronavirus could begin in Barbados this week. That was the word last night from Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic, as the death toll from the virus in China, where it was first reported last December 31, reached 811 yesterday, with 37 198 confirmed cases. It has spread to 27 countries and territories, infecting more than 330. Bostic was speaking to the media at the end of a public information session on the deadly virus, held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. He said the testing kits, which had been mentioned by acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George during the session, would be facilitated through the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). “We have a state-of-the-art public health laboratory here, the Best-Dos Santos [Public Health] Lab that has the capacity to do testing once we have the kits,” he said. George, in his closing remarks, had said the kits were on their way. “Barbados has taken an unprecedented step to try to have testing here in short order. And therefore, the Minister of Health and Wellness has been working closely with the Pan American Health Organization to have that facility in Barbados. The kits are coming shortly and after a quick verification and training of staff, Barbados should be able to test shortly,” George said. (DN)

WATER RATIONING FOR FARMERS – The Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) will once again be rationing the water supplied to farmers at its Spring Hall Land Lease Project amid the forecasted drought conditions threatening to wreak havoc on yet another crop. Dr Jamekal Andwele, Technical Officer at the corporation made the revelation during a recent press briefing with local climatologists and meteorologists. He revealed that the Barbados Water Authority’s (BWA) decision to ration water last year took farmers by surprise and forced the BADMC to reduce their own rations down to two hours per day in some cases. While stressing there was no need to panic this time around, Andwele admitted that a solution was desperately needed for many rural farmers whose wellbeing is directly tied to the success of their crops. “There were drought conditions, low water levels and even some instances where our levels went completely dry. We were facing new issues because our pumps were clogged with slush from the low water levels and because of that, many farming districts went without water for three months as we replaced the pumps and as the water levels slowly began to improve,” he disclosed. Hoping to prevent a repeat of the issues, the technical officer revealed the BADMC would soon be installing new water metric metres at Spring Hall St. Lucy which will allow them to measure the water usage of each farmer and limit their water use based on how much produce and livestock they are raising. “So a farmer with ten acres growing a crop that needs significant amounts of water, he would get more water to wet his crops compared to a farmer who has one acre of something like Cassava or Sweet Potato which might not require the same amount of water. That is a pilot project that we want to start in either February or March,” Andwele disclosed. He added that over the last three months, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture have been engaging with the BWA and funding from the Caribbean Development Bank, to help them capture surface runoff from gullies and drainage canals before reaching the ocean. The statutory body will also be carrying out research, which will guide them in a quest to catch and store their own water for irrigation. Since Andwele’s comments, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced an initiative that will see farmers planting more crops to supply institutions like the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and the School Meals department. Farmers from Spring Hall will reportedly be key stakeholders in the venture, but it is still unclear how drought conditions might affect the effort. Meanwhile Chief Agricultural Officer, Lennox Chandler believes poultry farmers will be hardest hit by impending drought conditions and have been urged to rethink their stocking practices.“A lot of heat is given off in pens because you could have as many as 30 000 birds, which adds to the situation. So we are advising them to lower their density to a level that they could get enough circulation in the pens,” he suggested. Chandler advised other livestock producers to store high quality foliage of the grass and conserve it by placing it in special containers. For planters of fresh produce, he suggested that the focus be crops like cassava, sweet potato and others which do not require large amounts of water. (BT)

FISH PRICE WORRY – While Barbadians are now paying $10 to $15 dollars less for a pack of flying fish, fisherfolks are hoping that they would be paying less at Easter. Last Christmas the fish which forms part of Barbados’ national dish was being sold at between $35 and $40 per pack of 10. But when Barbados TODAY visited the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex today, vendors were selling the fish between $20 and $25 dollars. Vendors who agreed that the price should be reduced even further, said they are hoping that when the Easter season arrives they can sell the fish for less. Fishermen lamented that the vendors might get their wish once the catch improves. Returning to the island this morning after spending 16 days at sea where he caught about 14 000 flying fish, fisherman Jerome Brathwaite said Barbadians can be assured that flying fish will be around for Easter. He said he caught between three and five crates (300 fish per crate) of flying fish per day while on his recent trip, but noted that he was accustomed to catching way more than that. “Fish will be around for Easter. The price may go back up or come down, but fish will be around for Easter. The people in Barbados can rest assured that they are going to get fish for Easter,” Brathwaite said. Another fisherman who requested anonymity also returned to the island today with what he described as a fair catch. That fisherman said “Once the catch continues on this trajectory Bajans will get fish at a reasonable price for the Easter holidays.” “The catch wasn’t bad but we accustomed to catching more fish than this and that is why the vendors got to sell it for the price them selling it at now. But what I can say is that the catch is much better than it was around Christmas time,” the fisherman said. Barbados TODAY understands that in recent weeks, fishermen have been selling flying fish at between $130 and $150 per hundred depending on the catch. Vendor Angel reported that customers were happy to see the reduction in the price from $35 to $25. She said several customers have indicated that they were anxiously waiting for a cheaper buy. “They are happy but not as happy as they are to see them come down to their price where they could get them at $15 per pack. “But I don’t think that they would get to that price so soon because the vendors still paying a high cost for the fish from the boat,” Angel said. Meanwhile, vendor Gad Taitt suggested that vendors who were able to sell flying fish at $20 would have to be buying thousands. “When we had flying fish in here last week and week before, people buy three, four and five boxes of fish, and them people might still got flying fish to sell at $20. “But the average Joe that does buy flying fish on a daily basis and clean and sell everyday would have flying fish at $25 because if we don’t have a lot of boats the price is going to be high. “The man that buying 500 and 200 and 100 flying fish from the boat, is not going to get them at the price as the person that buying 10 and 15,000,” Taitt said. Taitt advised Barbadians who know they want to have flying fish on their tables at Easter to purchase them now so they would not be disappointed if there were only few around later. “Right now the flying fish ain’t stabilizing. Dolphins and flying fish ain’t stable and the price is fluctuating. So one day you might come and hear one price and another day you might come and hear another price. But I telling you that if the flying fish continue to go down as far as the catching is concerned, there is a possibility that the price could go back there,” Taitt said. (BT)

15 EQUIPPED TO TACKLE DRUG TRADE – THE CHANGING FACE of the drug trade needs to be matched with the changing face of drug law enforcement. Executive director of the Regional Security System (RSS) Captain Errington Shurland said this was why it was so important for women to be trained in how to identify and safeguard against drug traffickers. He was speaking yesterday during the opening ceremony for the Drug Investigations for Female Officers course, where 15 regional female law officers from the police and military forces are being trained. It is a partnership between the RSS, Organisation of American States and the Canadian Government. (DN)

FORMER PM SUED FOR DEFAMATION BY CURRENT PM’S FATHER – The High Court today ruled that former Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Owen Arthur used words capable of defaming the father of Prime Minister Mia Mottley in the lead-up to the May 24, 2018 General Elections. On July 23, 2018, Queen’s Counsel Elliott Mottley, now Sir Elliott filed an action in the High Court claiming that words spoken by Arthur during a press briefing on May 14, 2018 were capable of defaming him, based on the meaning or meanings attributed to Arthur’s statement which was published by a number of news outlets. And when he handed down his decision in the Number 12 Supreme Court before attorneys for both parties this morning, Justice Barry Carrington agreed with Sir Elliott’s claim. “In the circumstances, taking guidance from the principals and noting what constitutes ‘defamatory’, I hold that the words used by the defendant are capable of having the meaning attributed to them in…the claimant’s statement of claim,” Justice Carrington ruled. Before giving his decision, the judge quoted from Sir Elliott’s statement of claim which Sir Elliott outlined as possible grounds for defamation. “In their natural and/or innuendo meaning, the words meant and were understood to mean that the claimant [Sir Elliott] requested the defendant, as Minister of Finance to act ultra vires and unlawfully and grant the claimant a waiver of income tax arrears on income of millions of dollars under the provisions of the Duties, Taxes & Other Payments (Exemption) Act, Cap 67B of the Laws of Barbados,” Justice Carrington said. He further told the court that the claimant alleged that Arthur’s words meant or were understood to mean that Sir Elliott made the request in circumstances where he knew or ought to know that the said request required the defendant to act ultra vires or unlawfully. The presiding judicial officer went on to cite another aspect of Sir Elliott’s claim for defamation in which the Prime Minister’s father alleged that Arthur’s statement was capable of conveying the meaning that he, Sir Elliott, had made an outrageous, egregious or highly improper request of the former Prime Minister. “[He] Made a request of the defendant which was corrupt and/or unethical in that it would have been necessary to take the claimant’s request to the Cabinet of which his daughter, Ms Mia Amor Mottley was a member and thereafter to Parliament of which she was also a member, for its approval subject to a negative resolution,” Justice Carrington quoted paragraph 6 (iii) of Sir Elliott’s claim as stating. The judge also noted that Sir Elliott’s claim went on to allege that what the former prime minister said about him could be taken to mean he was inviting Arthur to commit a crime, namely, conspiracy to defraud the revenue. Justice Carrington also referred to paragraph 6 (v) of the claimant’s statement in which he [Sir Elliott] suggested that Arthur’s words meant and were understood to mean that he “was able to have arrears of tax waived probably as a result of a conspiracy involving a public officer”. Through his lawyers, the former prime minister filed his defence in which he claimed the words he used were fair comment on matters of public, national and historical interest and importance. His counsel Vernon Smith, Q.C. in association with Hal Gollop, QC contended that the words their client used were true and therefore justified. The defendant argued he did not impute or imply any motive on the part of the claimant, rather, he gave his reasons why he did not entertain Sir Elliott’s purported application for a waiver. The defence also indicated that reference to a conspiracy did not mean or suggest that there was one. Arthur’s counsel further insisted that use of the word ‘outrageous’ did not refer to the claimant’s character or reputation, but to his application for a waiver of tax. The claimant had filed an application to strike out the defence in its entirety, while the defence countered with a Notice of Application for a ruling on “meaning”. And today, Justice Carrington ruled on what he concluded Arthur’s statement were capable of conveying in its natural and ordinary meaning. “That the claimant wrongly made an unreasonable request of the defendant to waive the payment of taxes on millions of dollars of income earned by the claimant that involved a process where Cabinet and Parliament approval were necessary and thereby placed the defendant in an invidious position since the claimant’s daughter was a member of Cabinet and Parliament. Further, if the claimant was granted the waiver, it was possibly through a conspiracy with a public officer,” the judge ruled. But immediately following Justice Carrington’s decision, Arthur’s counsel served notice of his client’s intention to appeal the court’s decision. Lead attorney for Sir Elliott, Roger Forde, Q.C. did not contest the defence’s application for leave to appeal. Attorney for Arthur, Vernon Smith, Q.C. acknowledged that he had 21 days in which to formally file the appeal application. In the meantime, Judge Carrington will await the outcome of the Court of Appeal’s decision to determine the direction of trial to deal with the substantive case of defamation. Sir Elliott wants the High Court to grant him relief in the form of damages, aggravated and/or exemplary damages for defamation spoken and published by Arthur on May 14, 2018 at a press conference. The Prime Minister’s father is also seeking an injunction to restrain Arthur, whether by himself, “his servants or agents” from further publishing or causing to be published, the same or similar defamatory statements and/or comments. Sir Elliott also wants costs and such further or other relief the court deems fit. Neither he nor Arthur attended today’s sitting. Forde appeared for Sir Elliott in association with Lyn-Marie Simmons and Stewart Mottley. Also in court today as observers were attorneys Gregory Nicholls, representing the state-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Shadia Simpson for Barbados TODAY. (BT)

POLLARD GOES ON TRIAL FOR MURDER –Twelve jurors empaneled to hear a murder case against a St Michael man have been urged to focus only on the evidence given in the High Court. Principal Crown Counsel Alliston Seale made the appeal in his opening remarks to the jury of six men and six women selected for the trial of Andrew Harclyde Pollard, of Mahaica Gap, Green Hill, St Michael. The Crown is alleging that Pollard, who is in his 30s, murdered Onicka Gulliver between March 11 and 14, 2014 in Vaucluse, St Thomas. The accused, who is being represented by attorney-at-law Sydney Pinder, has pleaded not guilty to the charge. In putting forward his case Seale, who is prosecuting the matter along with Crown Counsel Kevin Forde, told the jury that his side was also alleging that Gulliver was the “girlfriend or at least a friend” of the accused and sometime around March 11, 2014 she left her residence in Station Hill, St Michael in his company but never returned home. The prosecutor said as result, a missing persons report was issued and police investigations started. The prosecutors further alleged that during the probe the accused made “certain statements” which the police followed and were able to discover Onicka’s body in St Thomas. “Did anyone see him kill her? I tell you empathetically no,” Seale said. He added, “It is not any ‘I see’ witness . . but there is circumstantial evidence strong enough that you can make a reasonable inference from all of the circumstances. “You should focus on the evidence and only the evidence that comes from the witness stand.” However, he told the jury the case was being tried as a non-capital matter given the amendment legislation and as such there was no death sentence involved. The Crown expects to call 16 witnesses to give evidence in the case which will be tried in the No. 2 Supreme Court before Justice Randall Worrell. The matter will continue on Thursday February 13. Before that the two sides will make submissions in the absence of the jury beginning tomorrow. (BT)

REGIONAL – DAD KILLS EIGHT-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, HANGS HIMSELF – A man who allegedly beat his autistic daughter to death, killed himself on Sunday. Michael Maynard, 37, was found hanging from a tree outside his home at Boysie Trace, Kelly Village. The child, Makisha, was found dead in her bed. She turned eight-years-old last month. Maynard’s 11-year-old son alerted neighbours. At around 10.20 p.m. on Sunday, police were contacted and went to the Maynard house, a simple structure made of galvanised roofing sheets and wood. Police were told that around 7 a.m. on Sunday, Maynard used a cutlass to beat Makisha until she fell unconscious. The father changed her clothes, powdered her body and placed her to lie on her bed. Around 10 p.m. when the child did not regain consciousness, Maynard tied a length of rope to a mango tree and hanged himself. His son jumped through a window and alerted neighbours and relatives. Maynard’s brother cut the rope and placed the body on the ground. A district medical officer pronounced the father and daughter dead at the scene. Maynard’s sister told police that Maynard and his wife broke up about a year ago and he cared for his two children. President of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation Zahir Ali commented on the incident on a social media post, bringing attention to the issue of the parenting of autistic children. He said: “Autism is something that can lead you into Great Depression. No one knows how a autistic child can play on your mental, unless you in fact have a child with it. If you weren’t prepared for it, life can be quite frustrating. Only God knows what parents of autistic children are going through, especially in this third world country called Trinidad, where Autism has been around several years now and there is absolutely nothing put in place to help the less fortunate parents who can’t afford to pay for the occupational and speech therapy services”. (Trinidad Express)

SHORTAGE OF MALES WORRIES ERDISTON COLLEGE PRINCIPAL – A DEARTH OF MALES accessing adult education at Erdiston Teachers’ Training College has led its principal to consider launching a survey to examine what offerings might be more attractive to them. Dr Patricia Saul made this known when she delivered the principal’s address at the college’s Division of Continuing Education graduation ceremony for the year 2018-2019, at the Pine Plantation, St Michael campus on Saturday night. Of the 248 students receiving certification in 11 courses, only seven were men. “I don’t know if it’s that our offerings are not attractive to men. Probably we should be offering more things in the skills area, but [there is] SJPI (Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology] and so we do not want to go into their area . . . . “We want to have more males taking advantage of continuous professional development, if not the women are going to leave them behind. We’ve got to bring along the males,” she said. The overall pass rate for the graduates was 94.3 per cent, which Saul suggested was a reflection of the high level of commitment to the programme (DN)

LAND TAX CAN NOW BE PAID ‘THROUGH CAVE SHEPHERD’ – Land tax payers now have Cave Shepherd Card Services through which to make their payments to the Barbados Revenue Authority, the agency has announced.The revenue collection and tax administration agency announced that effective immediately, the over 110,000 taxpayers could use the send/receive feature on the Cave Shepherd App to make their land tax payments when they become due. The new Cave Shepherd App payment method is an addition to the authority’s digitization efforts, following on its recently implemented Tax Administration Management Information System (TAMIS), and the eZPay+ platform that is used to pay for various government services. Making the announcement at the BRA’s Weymouth, St Michael location today, Acting Revenue Commissioner Wayne Forde said the additional payment method was one of the ways the agency was seeking to become more efficient and effective. Stating that the changes were being made at a time when consumer expectations were changing and increasing while tax compliance regimes were being constantly changed, Forde said it was important that Barbados keep up with the developments. He said the continued digitization of various aspects of the BRA’s operation would lead to improved business facilitation and increased investment. Forde said: “For us at the authority, improving service delivery and integrating technology are deemed as two of our most important strategic goals. “With Government spearheading the modernization, digitalization and transformation of the public sector, this is but one aspect of how we at the revenue authority are helping to fulfill that vision. “This initiative with the Cave Shepherd Card Services is a good example of public and private sector partnership towards facilitating ease and increasing efficiency in our operations.” The revenue chief is hoping that the additional payment platform would help to improve tax payment compliance, adding that taxation was “vital to the functioning of our society”. He said the BRA would continue to build out its digital footprint, adding that plans were in the pipeline for enhancing the service experience of BRA and expanding online payment to the other taxes. Forde also disclosed that BRA was mulling the distribution of land tax bills electronically. There are currently just over 35,000 Cave Shepherd cardholders, and just over 20,000 of them have so far downloaded and are registered on the app. Once Cave Shepherd cardholders download the application on their mobile device they can make the payment through the send/receiver (peer-to-peer) feature. The land tax payer would need the last four digits of their account number, the BRA telephone number attached to that payment system. They would also fill out the map reference field with a unique set up numbers and the year the tax is being paid for. With the next issue of land tax bills around May, officials are expected to launch a marketing campaign soon to sensitize the taxpayers. Alison Browne-Ellis, Director of Card Services with the Cave Shepherd Card Services said the pilot phase started in December. She said: “With the growing concerns around productivity in our country, we see this partnership with the Barbados Revenue Authority as a step in the right direction”. “The ability to reduce foot traffic and long wait times across the various Barbados Revenue Authority offices builds a case for the future of digital payment across all government agencies.” She said during the next phase of the partnership, cardholders will be able to use the Cave Shepherd card mobile app within the BRA offices to make digital payments using QR code technology with tablets that are to be made available. Browne-Ellis said: These two digital payment methods will allow for enhanced experience, diversification of payment options and overall efficiency within the Barbados Revenue Authority.” (BT)

SICK KIDS TO GET INTENSIVE ATTENTION -Paediatric care in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean is about to get a major boost. Medical care for sick children at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is about to be overhauled in a seven-year initiative to create a regional paediatric centre, officials have announced. The “Centre of Paediatric Excellence for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean” is to improve diagnosis, treatment and care for children affected by paediatric cancers and serious blood disorders, they said. Under the initiative, the QEH paediatric care ward is to be refurbished and there will be procurement of furniture and up-to-date medical equipment. Patient and family areas at all polyclinics are also to be overhauled and the medical equipment is to be upgraded. Forty paediatric nurses are be trained in a special programme and deployed across the health system while four doctors are to be trained in targeted, high-need paediatric sub-specialties through fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children. There will be support for six international observer ships in quality improvement (BT)

TRAFFIC CHANGES FOR SPEIGHTSTOWN COME ALIVE – Special traffic regulations will be in place from 10 p.m. Friday until midnight Saturday when the We Gatherin’ event Speightstown Alive is held in St Peter.

No vehicular traﬃc will be allowed along Orange Street to Queens Street at its junction with Chapel Street.

To facilitate this road closure, the following traffic measures will be in effect.

1. No vehicular traﬃc will be allowed to enter Orange Street at its junction with Sand Street and Major Walk.

2. No vehicular traﬃc will be allowed to enter Orange Street at its junction with Church Street.

3. No vehicular traﬃc will be allowed to enter Queens Street at its junction with Goddings Alley.

4. No vehicular traﬃc will be allowed to enter Queens Street at its junction with Chapel Street.

During that time, vehicular traﬃc will be allowed to ﬂow in both directions along Church Street and Goddings.

Absolutely no parking of vehicles will be allowed on Church Street, Major Walk, Goddings Alley or Chapel Street.

(DN)

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Coronavirus Live Updates: China’s Death Toll Soars as Wuhan Plans Roundup of Infected

Death toll in China rises to 563 as lockdown enters third week.

The death toll and number of infections continued to soar in China, officials said Thursday. It has been two weeks since the authorities in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, declared that the city would be locked down as they tried to contain the virus’s spread. The cordon that was first imposed around the city of 11 million quickly expanded to encircle roughly 50 million people in the province of Hubei. The lockdown is unprecedented in scale and experts have questioned its effectiveness. Wuhan and the province of Hubei have borne the brunt of the epidemic as the sudden shutdown of transportation links into and around it slowed down the transportation of vital medical supplies. The fatality rate in Wuhan is 4.1 percent and 2.8 percent in Hubei, compared to just 0.17 percent elsewhere in mainland China. The Chinese government says the quarantine has prevented a broader outbreak in the rest of the country, but its impact on residents in Wuhan and Hubei have raised ethical concerns. “This is almost a humanitarian disaster” for the central Chinese region, said Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Center for China Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who cited insufficient supplies of medical equipment, food and other necessities. “The Wuhan people seem to be left high and dry by themselves.” Health officials said that 563 people had died from the virus, up from nearly 500 people the day before, and that 28,018 cases had been confirmed. On Monday, the number of confirmed cases was put at 20,438, meaning the number increased more than 35 percent in just a few days. Many doctors believe that the number of deaths and infections are undercounted because hospitals and laboratories are under severe strain to test for the virus. Local officials in Hubei Province, the center of the outbreak, have called on health care workers to speed up the process. Many sick residents in Hubei also say that they have been turned away by overstretched hospitals, which lack test kits and beds. The widening scope of the new virus has strained China’s health care system and brought the country to a standstill. The government has sealed off more cities, canceled public gatherings and shut down schools.

Wuhan told to round up infected residents for new mass quarantine camps.

A senior Chinese official has ordered the authorities in the city of Wuhan to immediately round up all residents in the city who have been infected with the coronavirus and place them in isolation, quarantine, or in designated hospitals. Sun Chunlan, a vice premier tasked with leading the central government’s response to the outbreak, said city investigators should go to each home to check the temperatures of every resident and interview infected patients’ close contacts. “Set up a 24-hour duty system. During these wartime conditions, there must be no deserters, or they will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame forever,” Ms. Sun said. The city’s authorities have raced to meet these instructions by setting up makeshift mass quarantine shelters this week. But concerns are growing about whether the centers, which will house thousands of people in large spaces, will be able to provide even basic care to patients and protect against the risk of further infection. Updated Feb. 5, 2020 Where has the virus spread? You can track its movement with this map. How is the United States being affected? There have been at least a dozen cases. American citizens and permanent residents who fly to the United States from China are now subject to a two-week quarantine. What if I’m traveling? Several countries, including the United States, have discouraged travel to China, and several airlines have canceled flights. Many travelers have been left in limbo while looking to change or cancel bookings. How do I keep myself and others safe? Washing your hands is the most important thing you can do. A lockdown across the city and much of its surrounding province has exacerbated a shortage of medical supplies, testing kits and hospital beds for those sickened by the coronavirus. Many residents, unwell and desperate for care, have been forced to go from hospital to hospital on foot, only to be turned away from even being tested for the virus, let alone treated. They have had to resort to quarantines at home, risking the spread of the virus within families and neighborhoods. The city has set up makeshift shelters in a sports stadium, an exhibition center and a building complex. Some went into operation on Thursday. The shelters are meant for housing coronavirus patients with milder symptoms, the government has said. When Ms. Sun inspected one of the shelters, set up in Hongshan Stadium on Tuesday, she emphasized that anyone who should be admitted must be rounded up, according to a Chinese news outlet, Modern Express. “It must be cut off from the source!” she said of the virus. “You must keep a close eye! Don’t miss it!” Photos taken inside the Hongshan sports stadium showed narrow rows of simple beds separated only by desks and chairs typically used in classrooms. Some comments on Chinese social media compared the scenes to those from the Spanish flu in 1918. A widely shared post on Weibo, a popular social media site, said on Thursday that “conditions were very poor” at an exhibition center that had been converted into a quarantine facility. There were power failures and electric blankets could not be turned on, the user wrote, citing a relative who had been taken there, saying that people had to “shiver in their sleep.” There was also a staff shortage, the post said, where “doctors and nurses were not seen to be taking note of symptoms and distributing medicine,” and oxygen devices were “seriously lacking.”

Xi orders crackdown on people who undermine efforts to fight virus.

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, said on Wednesday that the country was at a “critical moment” in its fight against the coronavirus epidemic and ordered a crackdown on people who undermine the country’s efforts to control the outbreak. Mr. Xi also said his government would crack down on people who assault medical workers and who manufacture and sell fake products, according to Xinhua, the state-run news agency. He also said that officials would take aim at those who resist epidemic prevention and control efforts, including by spreading false rumors. On Monday, Mr. Xi called the epidemic “a major test of China’s system and capacity for governance.” The epidemic has strained China’s health care system and brought the country to a virtual standstill. And the virus continues to spread.

In the quiet streets of Wuhan, the party tries to be heard.

From Chris Buckley, our chief China correspondent, on the ground in Wuhan: In the mornings, Wuhan is so quiet that bird calls sound down once busy streets. Stray dogs trot in the middle of empty expressways. Residents wrapped in masks creep out of their homes, anxiety flitting across their eyes. They line up at hospitals overwhelmed by a virus that most had not heard of until a few weeks ago. They line up outside pharmacies despite the door signs declaring they have sold out of protective masks, disinfectant, surgical gloves and thermometers. They line up to buy rice, fruit and vegetables from food stores that keep operating, while nearly all other shops are closed. Then they shuffle home to wait out this 21st-century siege. The unluckiest ones lie at home or in a hospital, stricken by pneumonia fevers that could spell death linked to coronavirus 2019-nCoV. “I’ve started to lose track of the days,” said Yang Dechao, a burly 34-year-old factory worker trapped in Wuhan. “Is it Sunday or Monday? You forget because all normal activity has stopped. Ordinary people have just their families and their phones.” Soothing recorded messages playing over loudspeakers say that the government cares, and admonish residents to wear masks and minimize outings. Red banners hang on road barriers and walls, telling residents not to heed hearsay about miracle cures. “Don’t panic,” says one banner. “Don’t allow rumors to make a mess of things.” But after Wuhan officials silenced early talk of the virus outbreak as “rumor mongering,” many residents are skeptical about the reassuring official message. “First, we need honesty and transparency now,” said Mao Shuo, a 26-year-old engineering company worker who had briefly tugged down her mask outside for a cigarette. “Who’s to blame, who gets punished, that must come, but now we just want to survive.”

Nintendo, Qualcomm and Yum China join list of companies hit by coronavirus.

Nintendo, the Japanese maker of video games and gaming devices, has become the latest company to get hit by the coronavirus. Citing the impact of the outbreak on China, where many of its devices are manufactured, Nintendo said on Thursday that shipments of its Nintendo Switch game console to customers in Japan would be delayed. It also said shipments of peripherals like its Joy-Con, the controllers that slide into either side of the Switch, and its Ring-Con, a device intended to allow players to exercise while they play a game called Ring Fit Adventure, will be delayed as well. Also delayed in Japan: A special Switch tied to Animal Crossing, a video game about a village populated by walking, talking, animals. As the coronavirus and government containment efforts spread through China, the world is acknowledging just how much it has come to count on the world’s No. 2 economy. On Wednesday, Akash Palkhiwala, chief financial officer of Qualcomm, told investors that the giant American chip maker reduced the low end of its earnings guidance for the coming three months because of the uncertainty created by the outbreak. The company is a major supplier of chips essential to running Chinese-made smartphone, including local brands. Also on Wednesday, Yum China, which operates KFC and Pizza Hut franchises in China, said that nearly one-third of its restaurants had been closed because of the outbreak. Andy Yeung, Yum China’s finance chief, said the company could post operating losses for the first three months of the year, and also for the full year “if the sales trend continues.”

Online rumors send Hong Kong on a hunt for toilet paper.

Rumors of an impending toilet paper shortage incited Hong Kong residents to make a furious dash to stock up on Wednesday night, despite little evidence supplies were running low. Across the city, shelves cleared within hours as messages claiming to have inside information from Wellcome, a supermarket chain, were passed around online. The messages claimed that suspended manufacturing in mainland China would cause most brands of toilet paper to run out soon. In a statement, Wellcome’s parent company, Dairy Farm Group, said the rumors were false and that it was “working closely with our suppliers to provide sufficient and diversified choices of products to our customers.” The sudden demand for toilet paper reflected a city on edge, fearful that what has so far been a modest number of confirmed cases could soon explode. It also reflected a distrust in the government, besieged by pro-democracy protests that have boiled for eight months, and its ability to respond to the crisis. Most residents of Hong Kong, scarred by the SARS outbreak of 2002, wear surgical masks in public, which has led to an actual citywide shortage. Outside a drugstore in the North Point neighborhood, a line of about 100 people snaked around a sidewalk on Thursday, despite a sign at the door saying no masks would be sold there. “Please do not queue up,” the sign said, to no avail. On Thursday, would-be visitors to the website for ParknShop, a grocery chain, were forced to wait in an online queue just to access the shopping site. At noon, the wait was more than an hour, with 25,000 people waiting their turn.

China warns Taiwan not to use the outbreak as an excuse for independence.

China’s government on Thursday accused Taiwan’s governing party of exploiting the coronavirus outbreak to push for Taiwan’s independence, referring to its effort to participate in World Health Organization discussions over the outbreak. Taiwan, which is self-governed but which China claims is part of its territory, has repeatedly lobbied to be included in panels held by the W.H.O., the United Nation’s health agency. The W.H.O. cannot share information about the virus independently with Taiwan, because the United Nations considers it part of China. “‘Taiwan independence’ separatists have seized on the opportunity to clamor for participation in the World Health Organization’s discussions, in an attempt to use the epidemic to expand the so-called ‘international space’ of Taiwan,” read a statement from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Thursday. In an apparent attempt to avoid taking sides in the dispute, the W.H.O. referred to the island as “Taipei and environs” in a list of Chinese cities and provinces with confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The United Nations body has previously referred to the entire island as Taipei — Taiwan’s capital city. It has also referred to it as Taipei, China, drawing a backlash from residents. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs mocked the W.H.O.’s new moniker. “W.H.O., what’s wrong with you?” a pointed tweet from the ministry’s official account said. Su Ih-jen, the director general of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, said the political definitions that led to the exclusion of Taiwanese medical experts in international public health meetings had hampered prevention efforts during the SARS epidemic of 2002-3. “The two sides of the Taiwan Strait must extend olive branches at this time, put aside political considerations and work together to fight the epidemic,” he wrote that in an opinion piece for The Times. The Taiwanese government has been taking tough measures to prevent the virus from infiltrating its borders. Health officials on Thursday banned all international cruise ships from its ports after a 60-year-old Taiwanese woman contracted the virus on a cruise ship now quarantined in Yokohoma, Japan.

Communist Party clamps down on the media as Beijing becomes a target.

As the number of coronavirus infections in China continues to surge without any sign of slowing down, the ruling Communist Party has clamped down on the news media and the internet, signaling an effort to control the narrative about a crisis that has become a once-in-a-generation challenge for leaders in Beijing. With frustrations running high across the country, China’s leaders appear to be strengthening information controls after a brief spell in which news organizations were able to report thoroughly on the crisis, and many negative comments about the official response were left uncensored online. In recent days, both the state-run news media and more commercially minded outlets have been told to focus on positive stories about virus relief efforts, according to three people at Chinese news organizations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal directives. Internet platforms have removed a variety of articles that suggest shortcomings in the Chinese government’s response or are otherwise negative about the outbreak. Local officials have also cracked down on what they call online “rumors” about the virus. China’s Ministry of Public Security this week lauded such efforts, which have continued even after one person who was reprimanded for spreading rumors turned out to be a doctor sounding the alarm about early cases of the illness. In the early days of the crisis, online vitriol had largely been directed at the local authorities. Now, more of the anger is being aimed at higher-level leadership, and there seems to be more of it over all, said King-wa Fu, an associate professor at the Journalism and Media Studies Center at the University of Hong Kong. Reporting was contributed by Elaine Yu, Daniel Victor, Sui-Lee Wee, Raymond Zhong, Tiffany May, Amy Qin, Elsie Chen and Chris Buckley. Read the full article

#Chinas #Coronavirus #Death #health #HealthNews #Infected #live #Plans #RoundUp #Soars #Toll #updates #Wuhan

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sanctobin · 5 years

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A quality suit is good, a nice watch is a must, but without a decent pair of shoes your first impression is likely to sink. Everyone says they’re the first thing people notice, well before your slick haircut. Shoes are meant to be serious business. Here’s a list of the leading global contenders and best shoemakers. 1. George Cleverley - England George Cleverley is operated by a (ridiculously stylish) father-son duo, George Glasgow Snr and George Glasgow Jnr, who inherited the intimidating legacy of the company from its eponymous creator. Cleverley have several workshops across England, including Northampton, and have serviced an eclectic group of clients ranging from Winston Churchill, to David Beckham and the Rolling Stone’s Charlie Watts. George Cleverley offer the distinctive English footwear experience, with Goodyear welting and masculine understatement, but you can find quirkier options like monk strap brogues and skull-and-crossbones slippers. These guys also decked out the cast of Kingsman, and are set to perform the same function in the upcoming sequel.

2. Carmina - Spain Outside the established triumvirate of shoemaking sits Spanish brand Carmina. Originating in 1866 as a family-oriented operation, Carmina have steadily expanded across the globe without sacrificing their demanding production values. Carmina shoes aren’t disposable fast-fashion pieces of crap you buy for a season and then toss into a donation bin. Their lasts – fifteen different variations accommodating differing foot shapes and aesthetic preferences – take several months to sculpt. Much of the process is performed by hand, using reputable and historic Goodyear welt stitching that’ll allow resoles every few years. Carmina shoes are priced around the 800 bones mark for an entry-level pair, making them a good starting point if your budget is a little tight but you’re keen to get around premium footwear.

3. John Lobb - England Founded in 1849 in England, John Lobb shoemakers are characterised by the hallmarks of traditional English shoemaking, primarily employing a Goodyear welt, premium leather, and over six weeks of painstaking handcrafting in their Northampton factory. Besides John Lobb’s fastidious production and local heritage, the brand has earned fame for being the preferred shoemaker of HRH Charles, who is known to sport a pair of bespoke oxfords that he’s owned since the early seventies (and they happen to look better at thirty years old than most department store shoes look fresh out of the box). A true investment, John Lobb shoes can be worn, resoled, and worn again without needing replacement. Buyer beware, however, in that a pair of readymade John Lobb stompers will set you back a shade over 3k. But we think that’s a small price to pay, for a pair of shoes that could accompany you through well over three decades of running for the bus and evaluating whether to take the lift or the stairs.

4. Crockett & Jones - England You’ve probably noticed there are a lot of posh English names on this list, but there’s a solid reason behind it. Founded in the late 19th century by Charles Jones and Sir James Crockett, the Northampton-based company is still owned and operated by the fourth generation of the original founding families. Like other English shoemakers, Crockett & Jones prefer a durable, long-lasting Goodyear welt. They also use a meticulous eight-stage construction process that ensures their shoes meet rigorous standards. Daniel Craig’s James Bond wore Crockett & Jones footwear in both Skyfall and Spectre, emphasising that C & J continue to enjoy contemporary relevance in a crowded footwear market.

5. Edward Green - England Edward Green was established with humble origins in 1890 by a former shoemaker’s apprentice, who managed a Northampton factory that quickly grew into one of England’s household names in shoemaking. Although no longer English owned, Edward Green is still based in Northampton, England, the traditional bastion of English shoemaking and one of the last remaining heritage producers of premium footwear. Edward Green prefer a more considered, protracted approach – only about 350 pairs are made by their local craftsmen per week. Appropriately, they use Goodyear Welts, luxurious full grain leather, and hand-cut patterns that don’t leave the production floor until they meet the unwavering standards that have guided production for over a century. Unsuited to the Fashion Week wanker, Edward Green shoes aren’t particularly trendy. Instead, they’re designed for the discreet, classically-minded gent that prefers tradition over novelty.

6. Hiro Yanagimachi - Japan Established in 1999, Japanese bespoke shoemakers Hiro Yanagimachi are relative newcomers to luxury footwear, but they’d be the first to tell you that they’re making up for lost time. Yanagimachi was trained in England at a technical college and by John Lobb, bringing English pedigree to a relatively young Japanese bespoke market. They use premium calf leather and are primarily handmade through the entire process. Unlike the other brands on this list that have ready-to-wear kit, H.Y. only offers made to order (MTO), semi bespoke, and full bespoke options, so they’re suited to guys with time to burn and a generous budget. Hiro personally fits most customers and offers two different lasts to accommodate difficult foot shapes. You can find him in his workshop in Tokyo or at international trunk shows.

7. Santoni - Italy Santoni originated as a family-operated workshop in 1975, and have retained this intimate focus through international expansion and collaborations with big names like IWC. Santoni employ Goodyear welting, a feature more common in English footwear, but this gives them the opportunity to re-sole shoes after prolonged use. They refuse to export construction, and still make their shoes by hand in Italy. Alongside the roster of traditional business shoes, Santoni also offer sneakers and loafers to bolster your casual footwear game. They can be found in boutiques or on Mr Porter if you can’t find a bricks and mortar location nearby.

8. Antonio Meccariello - Italy Established in 2012, Antonio Meccariello might seem young and untested, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Besides generations of family experience, he’s collaborated with Rubinacci and managed a workshop for luxury fashion house Kiton, before exploring a personal enterprise that many believe has helped return Italian shoemaking to international prominence. Meccariello personally consults and fits his clients in a workshop outside Naples. He uses a hand-welted construction method that completely excludes gluing from the process, promising additional durability. Meccariello offers everything from bespoke to a modest RTW selection, so there’s something for almost any budgetary or lifestyle requirement.

9. TYE Shoemaker - Japan A relatively obscure boutique, TYE Shoemakers are a bespoke-only outfit from Tokyo, founded in 2011. The TYE bespoke process occurs over three fittings: the first consultation involves taking measurements and discussing design, before a second fitting with a trial shoe and a final appointment to ensure no imperfections are present on the finished production. TYE prefers hand-welted construction, and consciously endeavour to avoid imitating European aesthetic choices in their design. The TYE Shoemaking experience isn’t for the impatient shopper, as their footwear has an eight-month turnaround. You can’t be a tightarse either. A pair of TYE’s will set you back well over three grand (you’ll also need to make the trek to Japan, no trunk shows).

10. Church’s - England A history which spans centuries and a brand which is one of my favourite is Church’s. Dating all the way back to 1675, the Church family hailed from Northhampton, a town which was known for it’s leather and shoemaking skills. Today Church’s is one of the world’s iconic footwear brands making some of the most sublime loafers, oxfords, brogues and boots. Most pairs are hand made in the UK, so you know you’re buying a top quality product.

#england #Italy #Japan #spain #style #fashion #shoes

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happysandwichparty-blog · 7 years

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Japan - Day 7 (Ikebukuro)

Starting out the day I didn’t honestly know a whole lot about Ikebukuro and how long we would be there. I just knew there were two places on my must to visit list there and that’s why we were going.

(Few pictures today!)

I woke up feeling like crap. The Gyoen Gardens adventure from the previous day was hitting my allergies hard. I wasn’t even sure how long I was going to make it before having to come back and sleep.

We got rolling a little bit later in the day, despite getting up at 4:30AM, we didn’t head out until about 9:30AM. It was the usual train rides - Ginza to Ueno, and the JR Yamanote over to Ikebukro. No rush hour today, we left too late - YAY!

Upon getting off the train our first stop was the Kit-Kat Chocolatory. We did take a little detour to get there. The store is in a department store attached to the train station but I seem to have a problem finding entrances from the train station so we exit and came back in through and outside entrance.

On our trek to find the store however we ended up in a grocery store in the station, the food there looked AMAZING! Wouldn’t it be great to be able to just get off the train, pick up your meal, and then walk home? One can dream. That will never be a reality in Arizona.

I digress, we eventually found the sweets area! More amazing cakes here, seriously ive never seen such beautiful little cakes. There were also many traditional Japanese sweet/dessert options to choose from.

Eventually we did find the Kit-Kat store! You aren’t going to find bags of Kit-Kats here, if you want those, hit up a convenience or grocery store! These are gourmet Kit-Kats in fancy boxes that you’d give as a gift. I picked up a box for my mom since they had special mothers day gift boxes. Mothers day is a little ways out, but it’s not like they will go bad in that time, plus we grabbed her a bag of matcha Kit-Kats to give her right away.

After the Chocolatory we wandered around to waste a bit of time in the station area. There was a restaurant I wanted to go to that opened at 11:00AM and was said to get busy very quickly so we were hitting it up right at opening time.

You may have see video’s of this place floating around on social media, it’s called Kura Zushi. Basically it’s a revolving sushi bar, which you can also order from, and you use your empty plates to play a gachapon game!

When we arrived (exactly at 11:00AM), there were already about 4 groups waiting. You walk up to the machine and get a ticket for your group. The machine is completely in Japanese, no English, as is the ticket. The staff is willing to help you get a ticket if needed, or you can just let someone go in front of your and watch. It was actually simple. Green button, party number, and then tap the final two buttons, done! - you now have a ticket!

They will call your number in Japanese so make sure you are paying attention. Basic understanding of numbers will probably do you good in Japan anyway.

On to the food! The sushi was very good for only being about $1 per plate.

They have some unique combinations - salmon with cheese? Surprisingly amazing.

We stuffed our faces, much more than we normally would. We have some revolving bars back home and it’s surprising if we eat more than 8 plates. Today we ate 16. Really I wanted a gatchapon and it took 5 plates to try your luck.

Spoilers. 3 tries. We did not win. The guy next to us won on his first try though, not fair! We do have a small vlog we filmed of this place so hopefully ill edit that and get it up pretty quick (i’ll link it here once finished).

One last thing about restaurants in general, many places have a pot of powdered matcha sitting on the table, cups, and a hot water dispenser so you can make your own tea! Surprisingly I actually like green tea, I don’t like many other teas.

This places is very convenient, when you are done you tap the check button on the tablet at your table, they come check your plate count, and you head off to pay up front!

After stuffing our faces we decided it was time to walk a bunch! Good plan. We were walking over to Sunshine City, which is a shopping mall. On the way we stopped at Round One and a few other game locations. There were a bunch. I found the Neko Atsume machine and again failed horribly. I also tried a Disney plush machine, had better luck but still didn't win anything.

We were once again off to Sunshine City. It’s a very traditional mall that we are all used to, and it was pretty nice! They had a fun water feature in the main atrium.

Our main goal here was to find the Pokemon Center! We did take a detour into the Disney Store though. Again, I wanted to buy so many things, but I will wait until we are at the Disney Resort. SOON!

After Disney we head up to the Pokemon Center. It was pretty busy, but all of the staff were super friendly and polite and did everything they could to make people feel welcome. We did end up buying quite a few things. I picked up 3 or 4 items for my Twitch giveaway, and also a few for myself! Included were a cute mug, a Ditto shirt tank top combo, and some socks.

Two side notes. Everyone in Japan has adorable phone wallet cases. They are everywhere and it’s making me really want one, the ones for sale at the Pokemon Center were super cute. Second, no one has face plates for the regular New 3DS, which is making me sad. Yodobashi is the only place and the selection was not great.

I digress, we went to purchase all of our items and it turns out there was some deal on socks! Who knew! I ended up getting a 3rd pair for free.

As mentioned the staff were great. They went out of their way to make customers feel welcome, they brought a basket of socks to the register for me to pick the 3rd pair instead of making me run through the store to find them. They make sure my items were double bagged so nothing would break, and they even offered me as many special decorative extra bags as I wanted in case I was getting gifts for people. I left very happy.

On the way out there were more Gachapon and penny presses. I did press a penny, which were provided in the machine, brand new and shiny! And of course another gachapon.

On our way out we stopped at Axes Femme. We visit their store in Shinjuku but it was small, this one was large! I did end up purchasing 3 items, mostly for work. This is a good store if you still like that lolita style, but want to be able to tone it down for real world situations.

After this we left Sunshine City and head across the street to the Animate. Which apparently had moved and was no longer an Animate. We still went inside because now there were 4 floors hat were cosplay stores.

This was a unique experience as a cosplayer. There were full costumes for sale, which wasn’t the awesome part to me actually, since I just make my own. It was the wide selection of wigs, contacts, props, shoes, glove, makeup and god knows what else that was all in one store easily accessible! Those small things are sometimes the hardest part of cosplay in the States because they are hard to get,you have to make them! Hell they had a prop violin you could buy!

Anyway! After having a moment we left to find the new Animate. Ikebukuro was bustling, it was a very fun area with a lot to do. There were a lot of teenagers and young adults around having a good time. It felt a lot like a less over the top Akihabara. I think I may actually like Ikebukuro a bit more.

We found the Animate! Which felt like it catered more to Women than the other one we went to. The whole area did really, a ton of women and girls around and a lot of people dressed up in alternative fashions. What I would have expected in Akihabara we actaully saw here.

We did not buy anything at the Animate but I did actually see things I liked in this ones. I think the thing holding us back from buying anything is that Idol anime and sports anime are super popular right now so it’s almost all you see. Neither of us are into those so we are left stranding. You wont find anything for older anime, if you do its in some corner and no one cares. It’s definitely what is popular now, which is understandable.

After leaving the Animate we head back to the station to head back to Asakusa. On the way in we ran into Ikefukuro, and owl statue, that like Hachiko is a place where a lot of locals wait when meeting up with someone.

We took the usual route home, JR to Ueno, Ginza to Asakusa. Upon getting off at Asakusa we found ourselves in a grocery and sweets store we hadn’t seen yet. We took this opporunity to get something sweet and yummy!

We spent much of the evening being lazy before going out to grab some food. We picked KFC because KFC is a suprisingly big deal in Japan (seriously they eat it as their Christmas meal), so I wanted to see what the differences were.

First major difference, no mashed potatoes. WHAT. Now I don’t really eat KFC at home, but mashed potatoes are a pretty big staple when it comes to fried chicken, at least in my opinion. Instead they have Coloneling Potatoes. Which are kind of just potato wedges in unique shape, they were actually pretty good.

The chicken itself was good quality, seemed better than home. The one difference with the chicken was the breading was lighter, it wasn’t as ticket and crunchy, which I honestly think was better, it wasn’t overbearing. The final difference on the food we tried was the biscuit, the honey was more like a maple syrup, still good though!

After dinner we ate our desserts and then I rolled off into bed at my allergies were starting to bother me again.

My sleeping area is starting to become a fortress of shopping bags from everything we’ve purchased. By the time we finish Disney I don’t think i’ll be able to get in my bed!

#Ikebukuro #PokemonCenter #Pokemon #PokemonCenterMegaTokyo #SunshineCity #KFC #Dessert #Japan #Tokyo #sushi #kurazushi #kurasushi #happysandwichpartyJapan

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nxjacbbnc-blog · 4 years

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thesevillereport · 4 years

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In Focus: Market Recovery Pt.1

On April 17, 2020 the S&P 500 closed up for the second week in a row. After the major market sell off that started February 20, 2020, and wiped out three years of market gains in a month, a normal person would think that all investors would rejoice two weeks of bullish markets, but that's not the case.

Wall street is divided on the current state of the markets. Some investors believe the market lows of March 23, 2020 set the bottom for the coronavirus market sell off. Since putting in that low, the S&P 500 has risen just over 28% as of April 17, 2020. On the other side of the coin, some investors believe that the markets quick rise is too much too soon, and the rally will peter out sending the markets to revisit the low from March 23, or even worse make new lows.

It took the S&P 500 all of 2019 to increase 30%, and the S&P 500 recently moved 28% higher over the last 18 trading days. Is that type of move in the markets sustainable? Can this recent market momentum take the S&P 500 back to where it was on February 19, 2020 (3,386.15)?

The likely answer to both questions is no. This move is not sustainable, and this current momentum will not take markets back to their all time highs.

When I think of what's taken place over the last 18 days, I still remain very pessimistic about this short-term market bounce. When I consider what's taken place since March 23, there were very few things that warrant an optimistic mindset towards the markets in the short term. The Global number of coronavirus related deaths have jumped from over 16,000 to over 153,000 between March 23 and April 17 according to OurWorldData. There are grumblings, but nothing official that China severely understated the number of deaths caused by the virus, and that the country's death toll alone could be in the millions. States are still fighting or testing kits and ventilators. Unemployment continues to move up quickly, with over 6 million U.S. workers filing for unemployment benefits two weeks ago, and another five million plus filing for benefits last week. In addition to the unemployment number continuing to increase, the stimulus money earmarked for small businesses has run out. Places like Japan and Singapore are seeing a second wave of COVID-19 cases in their country; and while shelter-in-place has worked in parts of the U.S. to slow the spread, other parts of the U.S. are fighting their local governments to resume their normal lives, which could put many who are trying their best to stay safe in jeopardy.

What bullish investors have gathered over the same period of time is that the number of coronavirus cases has peaked, and that the curve is flattening. These same investors have also been enthusiastic about President Trump's ideas of reopening the economy in the very near term. The Federal Reserves' save the economy at all cost approach has also given investors reason to get bullish. Also, the unemployment number dropping from six million two weeks ago to five million last week has sparked a small part of the bull run. In addition there is also the news that Gilead Sciences' (GILD) drug remdesivir has seen favorable results in treating people with COVID-19. In my view the news coming out of Gilead is the only thing to be somewhat excited about, I believe overreacting to curve flattening could lead to more unexpected market losses for overly bullish investors in the near term.

The fundamentalists in me wants to say markets aren't currently reflecting the underlying fundamentals, but if I'm honest with myself markets haven't reflected the underlying fundamentals for some time. Prior to the pandemic Apple shares traded to over $320 per share based on the iPhone + 5G story, which was and is a very weak story. None the less investors piled in. The Seville Report has been holding Apple since early 2018 and bought more in late 2018, and early 2019. I wasn't complaining that so many investors wanted to give me $320 for something I paid $160 for, but it was the moment I realized investors are grasping for anything to invest in a big name.

I should admit though that I am like the crazy scientist at the beginning of the movie telling you something bad is coming and that now is the time for overreaction. I don't feel we're anywhere close to being all-clear from this pandemic. I also think any move to rush back to normal will result in governments making things worse for themselves and their citizens.

Many investors and market strategists continue to look back at 2008 and 2009 for the signs that signaled March 9, 2009 was the bottom of the Great Recession. In 2008-2009 the economy still functioned, stores were still opened, people who had the means could still go to restaurants, bars, and the movies, those with less means didn't stop going to restaurants, bars, or movies, they just skipped the appetizer, ordered one or two less drinks, and saw the matinee.

Our current situation is vastly different. NYC looks like a ghost town. Those with and without means have been ordered to stay home. Those people with means will have money to spend when stay-at-home orders are lifted, but they may have fewer places to spend their money. Those with little means could have even less when stay-at-home orders are lifted, and they could be facing a tougher job market than the one that existed a year ago.

Shelter in place isn't stopping everyone though. Some restaurants have been able to make a go of it by doing deliveries, but bars are closed, clubs are closed, movie theaters are closed. This pandemic has hit the service industry and its workers especially hard. Overly bullish investors are investing now on a "this is the worst it can get" thesis and I don't think that is at all true.

I still believe we will have a financial fallout after it's all said and done, and any move to shorten shelter in place guidelines in an attempt to restart the economy will make the financial fall out on the back half of this pandemic even worse.

The millions of unemployed American's won't be rushing out to buy the iPhone 12 or the Surface Pro this year. Christmas will likely look a little different, with retailers doing less business on Black Friday and Cyber Monday than they had in past years. The instant economic snap-back that investors are eagerly anticipating and betting on isn't what I see happening, and that is why I'm still cautions about going all in, or claiming we've hit a bottom.

But Still Investing

I'm still investing though, I've never been an investor who tries to time the markets. I've been taking small bites of the stocks that were featured in our latest quarterly newsletter. I've moved some money into oil using the United States Oil Fund (USO) as my investment vehicle, because I don't think WTI crude oil stays under $20 per barrel forever. I've taken small bites of some beaten down bank stocks. Thanks to deregulation, banks are into everything, and in the U.S. if you want to live the American Dream, you'll likely need a bank to do it. Uber (UBER) has also made my hit list of things to buy on the cheap. I'm nibbling at the markets because my theory that things will get worse could be wrong.

This current divide in Wall Street is just one more in a long line of disagreements investors and analysts typically have. I'm on the side that believes this current rally in markets is too much too soon and not supported by the available information, scientific or economic.

I'm not telling investors not to invest here at these levels, but I am giving a warning to proceed with caution. The decisions made over the next few weeks by governments can make this another month or two of hell or another four to five months of hell, and at four or five months of shelter in place, the U.S. economy could take years to recover.

Invest with your head and not over it, and please stay safe.

#stocks #investing #investments #stock market #financial education #investment education #money #coronavirus #COVID-19 #earnings season #Apple #Uber #Oil and Gas

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coin-news-blog · 5 years

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3,000 7-Eleven Stores Get Blockchain-powered Air Monitors + More News

New Post has been published on https://coinmakers.tech/tech/3-000-7-eleven-stores-get-blockchain-powered-air-monitors-more-news

3,000 7-Eleven Stores Get Blockchain-powered Air Monitors + More News

Crypto Briefs is your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptocurrency and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.

Adoption news

More than 100 7-Eleven convenience stores in South Korea should be fitted with blockchain-powered air pollution and weather monitoring devices before the end of this year, reports Fn News. The retailer has struck a deal with a company named Observer, which will initially install weather and pollution monitoring devices at shops in the capital – and rollout at 3,000 stores nationwide in 2020. Observer says the devices will feed real-time pollution data to a blockchain-powered network that can be shared with companies and agencies involved in the fight against air pollution.

Blockchain adoption combined with IoT (the Internet of Things) adoption, while still immature and facing multiple challenges, is booming in the U.S. and moving much faster than expected, finds the major research and advisory company Gartner. Their recent survey says that: – 75% of IoT technology adopters in the U.S. have already adopted blockchain or are planning to adopt it by the end of 2020; – 86% are implementing the two technologies together in various projects; – 63% indicated that the top benefit of their combined IoT/blockchain projects is increased security and trust in shared multiparty transactions and data; – 56% said the top benefit is an increase in business efficiency and lower costs; – 43% chose increase in revenue and business opportunities; – 37% chose improved constituent or participant experience. (Learn more: Blockchains are Helping the Internet of Things to Move Beyond Hype)

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), an American multinational semiconductor company, has joined the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA), and it has made partnerships with blockchain technology providers Robot Cache and ULTRA to help promote the development and proliferation of new blockchain-powered gaming platforms. AMD plans to enable alliance members with computing technologies for next-generation blockchain-based gaming platforms that could potentially transform the way games are created, published, purchased and played, the company says.

ByteDance Inc., the owner of the popular social networking service TikTok, started a joint venture with a state-owned Chinese media group on December 10 in China’s Jinan city, in order to develop business lines that include blockchain and artificial intelligence, reports Bloomberg.

Decentralized storage provider Filecoin has launched their public testnet on schedule. The announcement explains that it is a live test network for interoperable implementations of the Filecoin protocol, as well as a period of significant testing, benchmarking, and optimizations. The goal is to evaluate Filecoin at meaningful scale before launching mainnet and to fix any potential issues that may arise. This testnet marks the transition to a new phase for the Filecoin project, that of ruthless prioritization, network launch, refining protocol-market fit, and growing the Filecoin ecosystem, they said.

The Minister of Finance in the Argentinian state of Misiones says the provincial government is keen to launch a local cryptocurrency. In an interview with Ambito, the minister, Adolfo Safrán, claimed that a Misiones-issued token would be the world’s first of its kind, perhaps hinting that the coin would not be a stablecoin pegged to the peso or the United States dollar. Safrán added that Misiones is eyeing a “medium or long-term launch” for the token, and is mulling the idea of backing it with material goods or USD-backed securities.

Tata Consultancy Services, a global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, launched its Quartz™ DevKit, a development kit for enterprises to "quickly build and deploy blockchain applications on any popular blockchain platform."

Exchanges news

Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck has announced it will end leveraged trading. In a blog post, the company says it will end all leveraged-related services on March 13 next year. Although the company did not explain why it had taken the decision, media outlet Crypto Watch has suggested that forthcoming regulatory changes are coming for existing leveraged trading laws in Japan. These amendments are expected to take effect in spring 2020 – meaning Coincheck’s move is likely preemptive.

The Japanese regulatory Financial Services Agency (FSA) has issued a warning to an overseas exchange that it says is targeting Japanese customers. Per an official release, the FSA has stated that the exchange, named BtcNext, is based in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The FSA says it has evidence that BtcNext has been providing services to Japanese customers based in Japan. Under Japanese law, all exchanges dealing with customers based in Japan must obtain an operating license – with platforms like KuCoin and Huobi previously heeding the agency’s warnings.

Regulation news

The AMLD5 (Anti-Money Laundering Directive) European Union regulation that will be coming into effect on January 10, 2020, has claimed three more victims. The UK-based Bitcoin payments startup Bottle Pay will shut down on December 31, saying that the amount and type of additional personal information they’d be required to collect from users would bring such a radical and negative change to the user experience, that they are not willing to force this onto the community. Online crypto gaming platform ChopCoin and mining pool Simplecoin also announced that they will be closing up shop in less than a month. They too cited the AMLD5 regulation, which requires companies to adopt a range of anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) measures, which the companies worry will jeopardize users’ privacy.

Digital fiat news

Sveriges Riksbank, the central bank of Sweden, developed an e-krona in a test environment. They said that they intend to sign an agreement by the end of the year with consulting company Accenture to develop the e-krona digital currency pilot project, the primary objective of which is to broaden the bank’s understanding of the technological possibilities for the e-krona. The contract lasts for one year, but can be extended up to seven years of testing. The Riksbank has not yet taken a decision to issue an e-krona.

Source: cryptonews.com

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michaelfallcon · 5 years

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Where To Drink Coffee In Sydney, Australia

The Harbour Bridge. The Opera House. Sydney has always been Australia’s premier city when it comes to sweeping views and iconic monuments. But for coffee? This huge part of the Australian identity has long been associated not with Sydney, but primarily with Melbourne, a city that’s home base to a host of internationally known coffee roasters and cafes, including Seven Seeds, Patricia Coffee Brewers, St. Ali, and many more.

Sydneysiders are hardly content to let this slide, and today the city is home to an impressive collection of boutique coffee roasters, many located within the city’s inner-west suburbs. You can see it every day walking around the city, but it’s especially evident during the weekend brunch hours, where lines snake outside and the city comes out to see and be seen.

Growth attracts growth, and now homegrown Sydney brands like Mecca and Single O have been joined by roasters from, yes, Melbourne, as well as Canberra. Syndey’s coffee scene has never had it so good. This is not our first guide to Sydney, and you can visit our Sydney archives for much more coverage from the sunny city. But for now, let’s go exploring.

Photo courtesy of Single O.

Single O Surry Hills

Single O has an outsized role in the growth and development of quality coffee in Sydney, and it all started at their Surry Hills location.

This was originally where Single O ran its roastworks, but those operations have since moved offsite. Instead, the space was converted to make way for this lovely and recently remodeled cafe. The latest version of the Surry Hills cafe includes a self-serve brew bar where those who want their coffees to go can fill up their cups with the choice of one of four batch brew coffee options, and then tap to pay at the card machine. This joins a host of single-origin pour-over, cold brew, or espresso of the week options. Feel free to geek out on coffee with the baristas, and check out the shelves for current roasts and take-home kits.

Their all-day menu is just as appealing, showcasing sustainable Australian ingredients with Japanese flavors, as a nod to Single Origin’s first Japanese outpost in Tokyo. Try dishes such as the “croc-ettes”: croquettes made with crocodile, potato, and corn croquettes with Japanese curry sauce.

Single O Surry Hills is located at 60-64 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Nikki To.

Mecca Alexandria Cafe and Roastery

Set in an industrial part of Sydney, Mecca’s headquarters in Alexandria serves as both a cafe and roastery. The grand space was given a makeover back in 2017 to take advantage of the venue’s high ceilings, split-level open floor plan, and garden out in the back.

Coffee is the main star here. Mecca has long been one of Australia’s best roasters, and that’s on full display here at this cafe, from pour-over bar to a keenly dialed in batch brew service, alongside ever-changing espresso options.

Beyond coffee, the venue is also licensed to serve natural wines, beer on tap, and cocktails. Try a bagel with ricotta and tomatoes, a bowl of house-made granola, or maybe some coffee-cured salmon. The space is also big enough to offer cupping classes on-site, which can help with those looking to learn a thing or two about coffee beyond simply enjoying it.

Mecca Alexandria Cafe and Roastery is located at 26 Bourke Road, Alexandria. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of ONA Coffee.

Ona Coffee Marrickville

Ona Coffee hails originally from Canberra, and at their Sydney cafe they specialize in brewing coffees by the cup. The ever-evolving list of coffee offerings is showcased in a bounded leather menu, similarly to how a wine list would be presented at a restaurant. Reading through it, you’ll find descriptions about coffees that have been roasted, aged, and then vacuum-sealed into individual servings until they’re required for brewing. It’s an impressive operation, and more or less completely unlike anything you’ll find in Sydney.

Unlike most cafes, the Ona Coffee Marrickville is set up similarly to a bar. There’s an island table that doubles as counter seating to allow for complete interaction with the baristas, who make each cup of coffee with great consideration. Food here is not the main focus, although there are lovely doughnuts delivered daily from Shortstop Donuts that are delivered daily to the cafe, and a small menu of breakfast savories.

Ona Coffee Marrickville is located at 140 Marrickville Road, Marrickville. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Prue Ruscoe.

Edition Coffee Roasters

The vibe is dark and moody. The design fuses Japan and Scandinavia. This is the new home of Edition Coffee Roasters.

Edition’s original (and very popular) store in Darlinghurst closed in October 2018, and their new space in Darling Square could not be more different. That space was all about soaking in the natural light; this new space takes on an all-black charcoal palette, inspired by an antique Japanese farmhouse aesthetic. Just like its first cafe, the team offers a range of single-origin coffees roasted in-house, giving coffee drinkers the option to have them as a batch brew, pour-over, AeroPress, Japanese drip, or cold brew.

The food menu leans on Japanese influences, with dishes ranging from bento boxes, to pork katsu burgers, to 12-hour roasted lamb glazed with miso. There are also the unmissable Japanese pancakes, so outrageously fluffy and light. Come Friday evenings, and the day-time eatery transforms into a natural wine bar along with an ever-changing set menu.

Edition Coffee Roasters is located at 60 Darling Drive, Haymarket. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Coffee Alchemy.

Coffee Alchemy

An unassuming brick corner shop sits behind drawn blinds and tinted windows. You’d hardly know it was a cafe at all if it weren’t for the line filling out the door.

This is Coffee Alchemy, whose coffee bar occupies a small space at the front of its roastery. The two areas are divided by a drawn curtain, which suggests an “order to go” decision encouraged sparse bench seating inside and out.

But people don’t come to Coffee Alchemy for the decor. Here, it’s about the coffee, overseen by owner Hazel de Los Reyes, whose local profile includes winning the Australian Cup Tasters and NSW Barista Championships. Coffee Alchemy was her first cafe; she also owns the excellent Gumption by Coffee Alchemy and Micro Coffee, both located in the CBD.

Coffee Alchemy is located at 24 Addison Road, Marrickville. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Double Tap Coffee

There’s nothing quite like a neighborhood cafe. A place serving locals with high-quality coffee, no-fuss food, and friendly service—that’s what Double Tap is all about.

On most days here you’ll find owner Daniel Karaconji running the front of the house, serving up coffee using beans from a local roaster, Panorama Coffee Roasters. He draws on his experience as being the former head barista of Coffee Alchemy. Meanwhile, his parents and wife can be found in the kitchen making generously sized sandwiches, such as poached chicken with avocado and chipotle or wraps of lamb mince with hummus, tabouli, and chili.

Karaconji’s mum is also responsible for the mouth-watering cakes that are on display daily, alongside other sweet treats including croissants and pastries. Cake choices can range from an orange and poppy seed to Persian almond and rose water.

The cafe is hidden in between industrial warehouses of the inner-west suburb of Marrickville. It sticks with a black and white theme, with hints of greenery and wood from the tabletops and matching chairs.

Double Tap Coffee is located at 54/56 Smith Street, Marrickville. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Aimee Chanthadavong is a freelance journalist based in Sydney. Read more Aimee Chanthadavong for Sprudge.

Photos by author unless otherwise noted.

Top image via Adobe Stock/Javen

Much, much more Sydney coverage is available in our archives!

Where To Drink Coffee In Sydney, Australia published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

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shebreathesslowly · 5 years

Text

Where To Drink Coffee In Sydney, Australia

Photo courtesy of Single O.

Single O Surry Hills

Single O has an outsized role in the growth and development of quality coffee in Sydney, and it all started at their Surry Hills location.

Single O Surry Hills is located at 60-64 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Nikki To.

Mecca Alexandria Cafe and Roastery

Mecca Alexandria Cafe and Roastery is located at 26 Bourke Road, Alexandria. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of ONA Coffee.

Ona Coffee Marrickville

Ona Coffee Marrickville is located at 140 Marrickville Road, Marrickville. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Prue Ruscoe.

Edition Coffee Roasters

The vibe is dark and moody. The design fuses Japan and Scandinavia. This is the new home of Edition Coffee Roasters.

Edition Coffee Roasters is located at 60 Darling Drive, Haymarket. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Coffee Alchemy.

Coffee Alchemy

An unassuming brick corner shop sits behind drawn blinds and tinted windows. You’d hardly know it was a cafe at all if it weren’t for the line filling out the door.

Coffee Alchemy is located at 24 Addison Road, Marrickville. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Double Tap Coffee

There’s nothing quite like a neighborhood cafe. A place serving locals with high-quality coffee, no-fuss food, and friendly service—that’s what Double Tap is all about.

Double Tap Coffee is located at 54/56 Smith Street, Marrickville. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Aimee Chanthadavong is a freelance journalist based in Sydney. Read more Aimee Chanthadavong for Sprudge.

Photos by author unless otherwise noted.

Top image via Adobe Stock/Javen

Much, much more Sydney coverage is available in our archives!

from Sprudge https://ift.tt/34tFVr4

#Sprudge

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makeover-blog1 · 5 years

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Macross +++ 1:72 Stonewell/Belcom VF-4A “Lightning III”, aircraft “(7)01 Red” of the VAT-127 “Zentraedi Busters” aggressor squadron; personal mount of Flight Leader Maxim Dadashov; Choir Flight Academy, Mongolia, 2016 (WAVE kit)

Some background: ]The VF-4 Lightning III began development in 2005 under the initial designation of the VF-X-4. Developed as a successor craft to the VF-1 Valkyrie, the VF-4 Lightning III was designed as a variable fighter that emphasized mobility in outer space.

The VF-4’s development began with the prototype VF-X-4 and the VF-X-3. However, when Earth was devastated in Space War I the loss of military facilities also resulted in loss of the VF-X-3. Amongst the airframes under development exist prototype No. 1 craft, VF-X-4V1 and the trial manufactured VF-4A-0 and thus the surviving VF-X-4 was developed and completed as the VF-4 Lightning III. A trial-produced variable fighter, designated the VF-4A-0, was also built using 25% VF-1 Valkyrie parts.

VF-X-4 underwent flight tests, including being test piloted by Space War I veteran Hikaru Ichijo. Once successful operational models were ready, the VF-4 began mass production on February 2012. Initial deployment began on the SDF-2 Megaroad-01 in VF-1 Skull and SVF-184 Iron Chiefs Squadrons on September 2012. When the SDF-2 Megaroad launched in the same month, Hikaru Ichijō flew a VF-4 alongside the new colonization vessel as the ship lifted from Earth and began exploration outside of the Sol system.

As a result of integrating existing Overtechnology and Zentradi-series technology, the VF-4 had a characteristic three-hulled-type airframe structure remarkably different from the conservative VF-1 Valkyrie design. The three-hulled style of the VF-4 increased fuselage volume, propellant capacity and armament load capability that all resulted in a 40% improved combat ability over the VF-1. Fully transformable, the VF-4 could shift into Battroid and Gerwalk modes like previous variable fighters.

However, the VF-4 did suffer minor mobility problems within an atmosphere and the new type was primarily deployed to the Space Air Corps of emigrant fleets to serve as the main fighter craft of the UN Forces in the 2020s. It was because flight performance within the atmosphere was not as good as the VF-1 that the VF-5000 Star Mirage became the main combat craft within atmosphere, while the VF-4 operated mainly in outer space.

Built as a space fighter, the VF-4 primary weapons became two large beam cannons, though the craft was capable of carrying a GU-11 gun pod in Gerwalk and Battroid modes. In addition to the powerful primary beam guns, the Lightning III also featured twelve semi-recessed long-range missiles, as well as underwing pylons for additional missiles and other stores. The VF-4 was only slightly heavier than the VF-1, but featured considerably more powerful engines, making the craft ideal for operations deeper out in space. The Lightning III was also much faster in the atmosphere than the older VF-1, although the VF-4’s flight mobility performance was not as great.

The VF-4 was also notable as the first production variable fighter to utilize a HOTAS system (Hands On Throttle And Stick) for the cockpit HMI (Human-Machine Interface). Furthermore, the VF-4’s cockpit was laid out as a single hexagonal MFD (Multi-Function Display) that proved so successful that it was retrofitted into "Block 6" VF-1 fighters, as well as providing the template for all future variable fighter cockpits.

By the end of 2015, mass production of the VF-1 series at last had come to an end. From 2020 onward, the VF-4 Lightning III officially replaced the VF-1 to become the main variable fighter of U.N. Forces. Production of the VF-4 continued for a decade and ceased in 2022, with a total of 8,245 Lightning III variable fighters produced. The VF-4 variable fighter remained in active service into the late 2040’s but was complemented or substituted in many branches of the UN Forces by the cheaper and more atmospherically maneuverable VF-5000 Star Mirage. The VF-4 Lightning III was eventually replaced as the main variable fighter of U.N. Spacy in the later half of the 2030s by the VF-11 Thunderbolt.

General characteristics: Manufacturer: Stonewell/Bellcom Equipment Type: Variable fighter Government: U.N. Spacy, U.N. Space Marines Introduction: 2012 Operational Deployment: September 2012

Dimensions: Accommodation: pilot only Fighter Mode: wingspan 12.65 meters; height 5.31 meters; length 16.8 meters Mass: empty 13.95 metric tons Structure: space metal frame, SWAG energy conversion armor

Powerplant: 2x Shinnakasu/P&W/Roice FF-2011 thermonuclear turbine engines, rated at 14,000 kg (137.34 kN) each 2x dorsal rocket engines (mounted on top of the main thermonuclear turbine engines) 2x ramjet engines (embedded into the inner wing sections) P&W HMM-1A high-maneuverability vernier thrusters

Performance: Fighter Mode: Mach 3.02 at 10,000 m Mach 5.15 at 30,000+ m Thrust-to-weight ratio: (empty) 2.01 (rating for turbine engine thrust ONLY) g limit: unknown

[Armament: 2 x large beam cannons in forward engine nacelles 12x semi-recessed long range missiles (mounted on engine nacelles and ventral fuselage) 8x underwing pylons for missiles, gun pods an/or drop tanks

The kit and its assembly: Well, this build has been lingering for almost 25 years in the back of my mind. It just took so long that a suitable IP kit (with a reasonable price tag) would materialize! The original inspiration struck me with a VF-4 profile in the source book "This is animation special: Macross PLUS" from 1994, which accidently fell into my hands in a local Japanese book store. Among others, a side and top view profile of an aggressor VF-4 in an all-brown, Soviet-style paint scheme was featured. At that time I found the idea and the scheme pretty cool, so much that I even built a modified 1:100 VF-1 as a ground attack aircraft in this paint scheme.

However, the original VF-4 profile from the source book had always been present, but for years there had been no affordable kit. There have been garage/resin kits, but prices would start at EUR 250,-, and these things were and are extraordinarily rare. Things changed for the better when WAVE announced an 1:72 VF-4 kit in late 2016, and it eventually materialized in late 2017. I immediately pre-ordered one from Japan (in a smart move, this even saved money) and it eventually turned up here in Germany in early 2018. Patience pays out, it seems… I had preferred a 1:100 kit, though, due to space issues and since almost any other Macross variable fighter model in my collection is in this small scale, but I am happy that a decent VF-4 kit at all appeared after so many years!

Concerning the WAVE kit, there’s light and shadow. First of all, you have to know that you get a VF-4A. This is mentioned nowhere on the box, but might be a vital information for hardcore modelers. The early VF-4A is a rather different aircraft than the later VF-4G, with so fundamental differences that it would warrant a completely new kit! On the other side, with a look at the kit’s parts, I could imagine that a VF-4B two-seater could be easily realized in the future, too.

The kit is a solid construction, a snap-fit kit molded in different colors so that it can be built without painting. This sounds toy-like, but – like many small scale Bandai Valkyrie kits – anything you ask for is actually there. When you use glue and put some effort into the kit and some donor parts, you can make a very good model from it.

The kit’s box is pretty oversized, though (any sprue is shrink-wrapped, horrendous garbage pile and wasted space!), and the kit offers just a single decal (water-slide decals, not stickers) option for a Skull Squadron VF-4A – AFAIK it’s Hikaru Ichijoe’s machine that appears in one of the Macross Flash Back 2012 music videos, as it escorts the SDF-02 “Megaroad” colonial ship after launch from Earth towards the center of our Galaxy.

The parts are crisply molded, and I actually like the fact that the kit is not as uber-engineered as the Hasegawa Valkyries. You can actually call the WAVE kit simple – but in a positive sense, because the parts number is reduced to a minimum, material strength is solid and the kit’s construction is straightforward. Fit is excellent – I just used some putty along the engine gondolas due to their complex shape, but almost anything else would either fit almost perfectly or just call for some sanding. Impressive!

Surface details etc. are rather basic, but very crisp and emphasized enough that anything remains visible after adding some paint. However, after all, this aircraft is just a fictional animation mecha, and from this perspective the kit is really O.K..

After building the kit I most say that it’s nothing that leaves you in awe, and for a retail price of currently roundabout EUR 50-70,- (I was lucky to get it for an early bird deal at EUR 40,-, but still pricey for what I got) the kit is pretty expensive and has some weaknesses:

The model comes with a decent (= simple) cockpit and a very nice and large pilot figure, but with no ordnance except for the semi-recessed long-range missiles (see below). The cockpit lacks any side consoles, floor or side wall details. If you put the pilot into the cockpit as intended, this is not a big issue, since the figure blocks any sight into the cockpit’s lower regions. However, the side sticks are molded into the pilot’s hands, so that you have to scratch a lot if you want to present the cockpit open and with an empty seat.

The landing gear is simple, too, and the wells are very shallow (even though they feature interior details). As a special feature, you can switch with some extra parts between an extended or retracted landing gear, and there are extra parts that allow the air intakes and some vectoring nozzles to be closed/extended for orbital operations. However, detail fetishists might replace the OOB parts with the landing gear from an 1:72 F-18 for an overall better look.

Provisions for underwing hardpoints are actually molded into the lower fuselage part (and could be punched/drilled open – another indication that more VF-4 boxings with extra sprues might follow?), but the kit does not come with any pylons or other ordnance than the dozen fuselage-mounted AAMs. Furthermore, the semi-recessed missiles are just that: you only get the visible halves of the only provided ordnance, which are simply stuck into slits on the model’s surface. As a consequence, you have to mount them at any rate – building a VF-4 for a diorama in which the missiles are about to be loaded would require massive scratch-building efforts and modifications.

Another problem indirectly arises when you put some effort into the kit and want to clean and pre-paint the missiles before assembly: every missile is different and has its allocated place on the VF-4 hull. The missiles are numbered – but only on the sprue! Once you cut them out, you either have to keep them painstakingly in order, or you will spend a long evening figuring out where which missile belongs! This could be easily avoided if the part number would be engraved on the missiles’ back sides – and that’s what I actually did (with a water-proof pen, though) in order to avoid trouble.

The clear canopy is another issue. The two parts are crystal-clear, but, being a snap-fit kit, the canopy parts have to be clipped into the fuselage (rear part) and onto a separate canopy frame (front part). In order to fit, the clear parts have cramps molded into their bases – and due to the excellent transparency and a magnifier effect, you can see them easily from the outside – and on the inside, when you leave the cockpit open. It’s not a pretty solution, despite the perfect fit of the parts. One option I can think of is to carefully sand the cramps and the attachment points away, but I deem this a hazardous stunt. I eventually hid the cramps behind a thin line of paint, which simulates a yellow-ish canopy seal. The extra windscreen framing is not accurate, but the simplest solution that hides this weak point.

The kit itself was built OOB, because it goes together so well. I also refrained from adding pylons and ordnance – even though you can easily hang anything from Hasegawa’s VF-1 weapon set under the VF-4’s wings and fuselage. A final, small addition was a scratched, ventral adapter for a 3.5 mm steel rod, as a display for the flight scene beauty pic.

Painting and markings: As mentioned above, the livery is based on an official profile which I deem authentic and canonical. My aircraft depicts a different machine from VFT-127, though, since I could not (and did not really want to) 100% replicate the profile’s machine from the Macross PLUS source book, "13 Red". Especially the squadron’s emblem on the fin would create massive problems.

For the two-tone wrap-around scheme I used Humbrol 72 (Khaki Drill) and 98 (Chocolate Brown), based on the printed colors in the source book where I found the scheme. The pattern is kept close to the benchmark profile, and, lacking an underside view, I just mirrored the upper scheme. The starboard side pattern was guesstimated. As a second-line aggressor aircraft, I weathered the VF-4 with a black ink wash, some post-shading with various lighter tones (including Humbrol 160, 168, 170 and 187) and did some wet-sanding treatment for an uneven and worn look.

Interior surfaces were painted according to visual references from various sources: the landing gear and the air intakes became white, while the cockpit was painted in RAF Dark Sea Grey.

In order to add some color to the overall brown aircraft I decided to paint the missiles all around the hull in white with tan tips – in the profile, the appear to be integrated into the camouflage, what I found dubious.

Most stencils come from the OOB sheet, but I added some more from the scrap box. The grey "kite" roundels come from an 1:72 Hasegawa Macross F-14 Tomcat kit sheet, which I acquired separately for a reasonable price. Even though it took four weeks to be delivered from Asia, the investment was worthwhile, since the sheet also provided some useful low-viz stencils.

The VAT-127 “Zentraedi Busters” unique tail insignia was more complicated, because these had to be printed at home. As a side note, concerning the fin marking, I recently found a translation of the benchmark profile’s text on mahq.net, which is interesting: "The Regult within the targeting reticle on the tail met with disapproval from micronized Zentraedi pilots, and so was only used for a short time." The comment also reveals that the original aircraft’s modex is "713", not just "13" as depicted, so I tried to reflect these details on my build, too.

I eventually settled for a solution that was partly inspired by the kit’s OOB fin marking and the wish for more contrast for the motif: I scanned the original Regult pod illustration from the source book and printed it on white decal sheet. This was sealed with two layers of glossy acrylic varnish (applied with a rattle can) and then cut into a white field that fills the fixed part of the fin (using the WAVE kit’s OOB fin markings as reference). Once in place and dry, two black outlines were added separately (generic decal material) which help blend the decal and the surroundings. Finally, thin strips of silver decal sheet were used for the fins’ leading edges.

This design variation, compared with the original “13 Red” illustration, led to the idea of a flight leader’s machine with slightly more prominent markings. In order to take this concept further I also gave the aircraft a white stripe around the front fuselage, placed under the kite roundel and again with black outlines for a consistent look. It’s not much different from “13 Red”, but I think that it looks conclusive and, together with the white fin markings and the missiles, livens up the VF-4’s look.

The appropriate flight leader tactical code “01 Red” was puzzled together from single digits from a Begemot Su-27 sheet, the rest of the bort numbers were taken from the OOB sheet (which incidentally feature a “01” code, too).

Concerning the OOB decal sheet, there’s much light but also some deep shadow. While the register is excellent and the carrier film flexible enough to lay down smoothly, the instructions lack information where to place the zillion of stencils (“No step” and “Beware of Blast” stuff) are to be placed! You only get references for the major markings – the rest has either to be guessed, OR you are in possession of the VF-4 source book from Softbank Publishing which was (incidentally?) released in parallel with the WAVE kit. This mecha porn offers an overview of all(!) relevant stencils on the VF-4A’s hull, and ONLY with this information the exhaustive decal sheet makes some sense…

As final steps, the VF-4 received some dry-brushing with light grey around the leading edges, some chipped paint was simulated with dry-brushed aluminum and, finally, light soot stains around the vectoring nozzles all around the hull and the weapon bays were created with graphite. Then the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).

Well, in the end, it’s not a carbon copy of the inspiring illustration, but rather another machine from the same squadron, with more creative freedom. I stayed as true to the benchmark as possible, though, and I like the result. Finally, after almost 25 years, I can tick this project off of my long ideas and inspiration list.

Considering the kit itself, I am really torn. I am happy that there finally is a VF-4 IP kit at all after so many years, but to me it’s a contradictive offer. I am not certain about the target group, because for a toy-like snap-fit kit it’s too detailed and expensive, but for the serious modeler it has some major flaws. The biggest issue is the kit’s horrendous price – even if it would be more detailed or contained some fine resin or PE parts (which I would not want, just a “good” plastic kit). Sure, you can put some effort into the kit and improve it, e .g. in the cockpit or with a donor landing gear, but weak points like the “flat” missiles and the lack of proper bays for them are IMHO poor. For the relatively huge price tag I’d hoped for a “better” OOB offer. However, the kit is easy to build and a good representation of the Lightning III, and I am curious if there are kit variants in WAVE’s pipeline?

Posted by dizzyfugu on 2018-06-09 15:34:26

Tagged: , wave , vf-4 , model , kit , wip , lightning , iii , macross , flash , back , 2012 , review , building , painting , anime , mecha , valkyrie , vat-127 , zentraedi , UN , spacy , desert , sand , brown , scheme , aggerssor , top , gun , training , fictional , aviation , vf-4a , this , is , animation , special , PLUS , choir , tschoir , mongolia , leader , flight , academy , fighter , interceptor , orbital , canard , wing , ramjet , red , star , regult , pod , emblem

The post Macross +++ 1:72 Stonewell/Belcom VF-4A “Lightning III”, aircraft “(7)01 Red” of the VAT-127 “Zentraedi Busters” aggressor squadron; personal mount of Flight Leader Maxim Dadashov; Choir Flight Academy, Mongolia, 2016 (WAVE kit) appeared first on Good Info.

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toomanysinks · 5 years

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GrubMarket raises $25M more for its farm-to-table food delivery service

Farmers markets have become a staple presence in many US cities, where there is a steady supply of smaller, often organic farmers and other food producers wanting a more direct channel to sell their goods, and a steady demand from foody types who like having the option of bypassing bigger grocery stores to amble around a group of stalls with a wider choice of items to cook and eat. Now, one of the startups that has turned that model into a profitable on-demand delivery business has raised some funding as it continues its expansion in the US, and beyond, en route to an IPO filing, potentially as soon as this year.

GrubMarket, which works with smaller farms and other suppliers to sell and deliver their items by way of its online store both to businesses — such as restaurants and stores of different sizes, as well as the plethora of food startups that prepare food for consumers — and consumers, has raised $25 million in an oversubscribed C1 round of funding (it was originally only going to be $15 million).

The investment is being led by WI Harper Group and Digital Garage, with participation from other new investors Evolv Ventures, University Growth Fund, Arancia International Inc, CentreGold Capital and existing investors ACE & Company, GGV Capital, Fusion Fund, Bascom Ventures, along with other unnamed participants.

Mike Xu, GrubMarket’s CEO and founder, would not comment on its valuation, but starting from its earliest days as a member of the Winter 2015 cohort of Y Combinator, the startup has raised $89 million. And according to PitchBook figures — which we have confirmed with a close source are largely accurate — the pre-money valuation in this round was $230 million, which would put the post-money at around $255 million.

Xu said the company is currently operating on a $150 million annual run rate — versus $100 million when it raised $32 million nine months ago — and it continues to be profitable. Because of this, Xu said GrubMarket doesn’t need any working capital. It plans to use this $25 million instead to invest in more technology and acquisitions.

There have been advances on both of these fronts even before the funding.

GrubMarket has built its own SaaS platform to manage and plan its accounts, CRM and suppliers and now — taking a page from the Amazon playbook — offers it as a product to other food industry suppliers and vendors.

It’s also continued to make acquisitions in markets like Los Angeles and San Diego, consolidating local B2B competitors that, like GrubMarket, also worked with farmers and wholesalers and connected them to restaurants, schools and other organizations. It’s also expanded organically (so to speak) laying down roots in New York and New Jersey to grow business there, but buying up and rolling up will be a key focus as it looks to bump up its valuation ahead of a public listing.

“We have a few more major acquisitions to close within the next a couple months,” Xu said.

The list of investors that GrubMarket is attracting speaks to some of the opportunities for it in the years ahead. Evolv is a $100 million fund backed by none other than food giant Kraft Heinz that invests interesting food startups. And Xu told TechCrunch that having Digital Garage — the Japanese marketing, payment and internet services holding company co-founded by MIT’s Joi Ito — in the round is the startup’s first step to working on expanding GrubMarket into Asia.

“Digital Garage has access to most of the restaurants in Japan through its business there,” Xu said, “and ours is a model that could be populated there.”

Hungry for growth

GrubMarket’s rise is coming at an interesting time in the food industry.

“Farm-to-table” and organic eating — where you can trace the origins of a meal’s ingredients as part of a bigger emphasis on higher-quality and healthier dishes and supporting smaller producers — have become popular themes both at restaurants and among consumers and what they look for when they shop, but it’s inefficient in many cases for businesses to always go out and source each food item they use or sell themselves.

GrubMarket, with its network of producers, meets that demand with economies of scale that benefits both sides of its marketplace. On the buying end, brings together demand from both small and large customers: one of the startup’s biggest store customers in California is Amazon-owned Whole Foods. There are also examples of how the economies of scale work on the supplier end: GrubMarket has become the biggest mushroom supplier and Hawaiian produce supplier in Northern California.

Not all trends work in its favor, though.

One of the biggest themes in food has been the explosion of services that make it possible (and in some cases financially viable) for people to reduce the work involved in cooking, or to opt out of cooking altogether but still continue to eat well.

Targeting consumers who are not physically going to restaurants for every meal, we’ve seen a huge rise in the number of delivery services like Postmates and Doordash, which help people order essentially anything they want to eat from a wide range of eateries, at the tap of a button.

For those who still want to cook but don’t want to shop, or think of what they want to eat or how to make it, there are now many choices of meal kits from the likes of Blue Apron.

All these become competitors to GrubMarket — they are all going after the same share of people’s wallets. It’s an area that GrubMarket says it doesn’t plan to enter right now.

“We are familiar with meal kit companies because we supply a lot of them,” he said. “The business has good customer demand but also it’s fairly difficult to maintain that retention, and we are focusing on building a sustainable business.”

For those who are still buying groceries, but also are tapping into the convenience of having them brought to their doors instead of going out, we have grocery deliveries directly from stores or by way of third party services like Instacart, and those that directly compete with GrubMarket like GoodEggs or PeaPod. And for those who are still going out to buy groceries like in the old days, there’s a chance that Amazon still has your number.

“If Amazon started to focus more on food logistics and working with the kinds of businesses we do, I would definitely be worried,” Xu said with a little laugh. “But right now there is a very high bar of entry to get involved in that and in food, I think Amazon is still more focused on consumers.”

The wider context for food and meal startups has been a little dicey, all the same, and some have definitely not been able to make the economics of their businesses work.

BlueApron has been struggling since going public and just this week appointed a new CEO in an effort to turn things around (HelloFresh, its main rival, is one of GrubMarket’s customers). Munchery (which had been a customer of GrubMarket’s), shut down earlier this year. Chef’d, Maple, Sprig and others all failed to make ends meet in their own takes on food delivery.

One thing that GrubMarket has been doing differently from the start is developing two different lines of business. One is B2C that sells directly to consumers themselves. And the other is B2B2C, where it serves restaurants, schools, stores and other large organizations that in turn serve consumers — meaning that even those who are potentially competitors on the consumer side potentially can become GrubMarket’s customers on the B2B side. (Blue Apron, like Whole Foods, is one of GrubMarket’s biggest customers.)

Xu said that the B2B2C remains the bigger and faster-growing part of its business, but it still very much has its eye on the consumer part and plans to focus on growing it more, likely after it goes public, which remains the company’s long-term goal.

“I think this company has the potential to make $100 billion in e-commerce by buying from farmers and selling to the kinds of customers we serve today, but even if we came close to that, we’d still only have a single-digit percentage of trillions of dollars in the food supply industry,” he said. Overall, the value of the food and agriculture industry globally was $8.7 trillion in 2018. “That likely means you’ll have multiple Amazon-style companies existing,” he added.

source https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/04/grubmarket-25-million/

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