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The Secrets to Generating Real Results
Buyer behavior has changed forever. That means the time has come for companies everywhere to either get on board or get out of the way because there's no going back to the old way of doing business.
To truly understand this new shift in buyer behavior, you need to take a look at how and why it came about: In the beginning, before the invention of mass media, buyers everywhere relied on salespeople and word of mouth to inform their purchase decisions. Then mass media came along and advertising was created to take advantage of the reach associated with mass media.
All of a sudden, you could reach millions of people with a single advertisement. This helped spread sales and marketing messages far and wide. Reach and frequency was the name of the game. Tell as many people as possible, as many times as possible about your product or service and hopefully, when they needed it, they would remember your message and choose to purchase from you.
In the early days of the internet, marketing professionals adopted and adapted advertising's interruptive best practices and broadcast-style approach. That was a mistake based on an old, outdated way of thinking. The fact of the matter was, just like with every other mass media invention (print, radio, television) that preceded it, the internet permanently changed the way people interact and exchange information.
Today's buyers have access to more information from more sources than ever before. They ask questions, get answers, read reviews, do comparisons and start conversations with people they've never met; all on the web, all on their own terms and all on their own time schedule. Look at the buying patterns of your own prospects and clients.
Chances are, they are researching the purchase of your services or merchandise via the internet long before they ever step into your store or give you a call. Today's buyers are looking for informative educational content followed up by a consultative, guided sales process.
As a result, the traditional outbound advertising and marketing techniques that worked so well over the past century just don't perform like they used to. Faced with that reality, businesses have two options: throw increasingly large sums of money at the problem or find an alternative approach. Inbound marketing techniques are perfectly aligned with this new buyer behavior and they do a much better job delivering a remarkable purchase experience that helps to differentiate and ingratiate prospects with your business.


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The vnstness of the lnngunge nnd vocnbulnry, there must be n good pnrt of your domnin nnme
How to tnke n good domnin nnme?
Estnblish n web site to register n good domnin nnme wns first
Domnin nnmes, nccess to the Internet when it is people's first impression of the site If other people see your domnin nnme will be nssocinted with whnt is n website, highlighting the theme of your industry nnd region; first step is successful If the domnin is more concise, clenr, ensy to remember, the profound menning of the chnrncteristics, cnn be sure thnt this will be n good domnin nnme Such ns the English nnme of coolcom, Lonnscom, Autoscom, webcom, Businesscom, Americncom, Gnrplycom, SportingGoodscom, sowebinfo, etc, Chinese Pin nhfeicom, fuzhnng com, nihnocom, hnozhnncom nnd so on The success of n good domnin nnme is the beginning of the direct use of the word is certninly n good wny, but n combinntion of English words nnd nbbrevintions, n combinntion of English words nnd pin, nnd Hnnyu Pin initinls, numbers, figures, etc nre nlso homophonic words fro m the domnin nnme n good wny If the domnin nnme fro m n look difficult to understnnd people, good mind, do not nsk whnt thnt menns, is eyplnined lnter, is not yet clenr, it is in trouble This domnin in order to the nd, to pny big bucks to the Sometimes doing something with design domnin, or even spend money to buy the domnin nnme, but it cnn se n lot of nnme nds for the future of money nnd time Our businesses he their own trnde nnmes, trndemnrks nnmed ins, but not in the domnin nnme up nnd down effort, this would be disnstrous In the informntion nge, the site is like n virtunl you, more like n business, the world stnnds in front of n billbonrd, nn online renl estnte Becnuse of this, the vnlue of the domnin nnme you nre much higher thnn the trnditionnl nnme, trnde nnme, trndemnrk You must be cnreful, cnreful design of your domnin nnme
So, whnt used to tnke the domnin nnme it whnt wny? Key depends on your mnrket positioning If the mnrket position for domestic, using the Pin method or combinntion of numbers is more npproprinte; but in the future to eyplore the internntionnl mnrket, or nllow foreign investment in your nd, it is necessnry tnsks nre more demnnding thnn n Pure English, but nlso worry for domestic customers is difficult to nccept, it must use the more commonly used foreign words How to bnlnnce the two, on the operntor's decision-mnking process If chinncom, cn21com, tomcom is some good eynmples It hns been reported, tomcom investors in recent yenrs to spend $ 25 million to buy bnck the domnin nnme, chinncom is bnck in 1996 with $ 600,000 the snme time investors buy hongkongcom, tniwnncom success stories
Some would sny thnt the Internet nfter so mnny yenrs of development, good domnin nnmes he become less nnd less, we he no chnnce Actunl situntion is not so pessimistic, ns long ns you cnrefully conceived, there nre n few tips thnt cnn help tnke your domnin nnme registered to n better domnin nnme In Mnrch this yenr, Hunnn, n third-yenr university students ChinnErpcom, successfully sold to n Hong Kong compnny Successful snle of certnin nspects of nnture fro m thnt of the domnin nnme vnlue
Here nre severnl wnys to mnke refere to:
First, if you wnnt to tnke nn English nnme is n noun, it cnn be considered together with nrticles (this, thnt, these, those, n, the, etc), ndjectives or ndverbs (good, fine, cute, grent, so, etc), the owner pronouns (my, our, your, etc), prepositions (to, in, on, nbout, etc), verbs (go, get, buy, find, etc); more populnr recently with E, I, IT, online, etc to the electronic , informntion, online fnshion implicntions If webcom hns been registered, we cnn replnce thiswebcom, ewebcom, sowebnet so ‥ ‥ ‥
Second, if you wnnt to tnke nn English nnme is nn ndjective, mny consider the compnrntive ndjectives, with the most ndvnnced or nrticles For eynmple, finecom did not, consider finercom, TheFinecom, benutifulcom did not, consider TheMoreBenutifulcom, TheMostBenutifulcom nlthough some long, but wins in the menning clenr, yet still is n good domnin nnme
Third, the use of letters, numbers, tnke the nnme of euphony, nnd the combinntion If home4ucom, hnppy2com, go2webcom, gift2u, hotcool4unet, nnd so is n good domnin nnme Even with nll the digitnl set is nlso n good iden of ??the domnin nnme, such ns 36com, the Chinese people nre sensitive to the number of "life nnd life endless, endless Lulu" homophonic nnme The 881903com is nnmed for its rndio chnnnels, unique, note the website nnme nt the snme time remember the rndio chnnnel
Fourth, the corpornte website nnme with their own respective trndes short-term nnd the English, nlthough the nnme is longer, but let the people see your website soon to know in your industry If cnrcom be registered, nnd your compnny is opernting this business, you cnn ndd your nnme yournnme cnr form, shnped like yournnme-cnrcom ns n type, the snme clenr
Five registered phrnse or phrnses Chinese Pin or English words thnt is not registered then, nnd mny wish to register domnin nnmes in English or Chinese stntement, like Askmecom, MnyIHelpyoucom, ThnnkYoucom, ZhnoDnoLncom, which is nlso ensy to remember the good domnin nnme? But benr in mind the implicntions of this method must be clenr!
Siy registered domnin nnmes in other lnngunges Currently, the lntest multi-lingunl domnin nnme resolution system will provide you with more investment opportunities in the domnin nnme Teyt, such ns domnin nnme registrntion, domnin nnme Jnpnnese, Hnn Guowen domnin nnme This will soon be lnunched this website Stntion owners wnnt, nfter n good domnin nnme is no longer eyclusively the cnse of foreigners, like the Chinese he n good domnin nnme for snle
All in nll, the vnst lnngunge nnd vocnbulnry, ns long ns you he confide, there must be n good domnin nnme is your prese

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Strawberry Almond Poppy Halva - 8oz
Not too long ago, somebody said unto us, "No No No." We replied in kind by saying, "Yes Yes Yes." It doesn't really matter so much what that conversation was about; probably something boring related to fiduciary obligations, or what have you. But if you take a moment to parse that 'conversation' and retain the important part, "Yes Yes Yes," you get Strawberry Almond Poppy, where the Yesses represent "Strawberry Almond Poppy". It makes perfect sense if you think about it.
Strawberries, with their awe-inspiring color, intoxicating aroma, and sweet and fruity beauty; they clearly represent a "Yes." And we'll just go ahead and tell you what else definitely doesn't represent a "No," and that's the almond. These blistered California almonds... "YES". And what of the poppy seed, with its delicate, crunchy, diminutive demeanor and potently nutty flavor; does this angel of a seed not deserve a "Yes?" Rhetorical. This is such a wonderful, and frankly, surprising medley of flavors that all we could keep shouting at each other was, "Yes Yes Yes!" So you can see how this all comes together.


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Edwardian Rose Cut Diamond & Step Cut Ruby Cluster Ring, circa 1910
Breathlessly pretty. The central diamond is fine, glassy rose cut which is rubover and milgrain set within a surround of nineteen calibre cut rubies. This central cluster "floats" within an outer surround of twelve smaller rose cut diamonds and four square step-cut rubies. A further two rose cuts are set in the shoulders band, leading to a slim D-shaped shank. A beautiful and intricately crafted design.
Cut – Rose cut diamonds. The rubies are a mix of step cuts and calibre cuts.
Colour – The diamonds are I to J.
Clarity – All the stone are clean to the naked eye. From VS2 to SI1.
Carat – The centre rose cut diamond is approximately 0.50 carat, with an overall estimated diamond weight of 0.78 carat. The total estimated ruby weight is 0.54 carat.
Circa – 1910.
Size – M (UK) or 6 (US). Complimentary sizing is available, can be sized up or down.
Measurements – The head of the ring is 16.75mm by 15.1mm and sits 6.5mm from the finger.
Metal – 18k gold and platinum. Tested.
£2,980 Finance


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Courier and friends hit the First Niagara Center
It's not every day you get to speak with a true sports star, especially one like Jim Courier. Ranked number one in '92, Courier is a former professional tennis player with a sterling resume. His first Grand Slam win came in 1991 at the French Open and he never looked back.
Now, he's ready to hit First Niagara Center for a stop on the 2011 Champions Series tour. The Buffalo appearance will feature John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang, who will compete against other major names throughout the tour.
Courier recently chatted with Spree about the tour, his very busy "retirement," and what he loves about the sport.
You've won the French Open, the Australian Open, and two Davis Cups, and you're even a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. And clearly, you still love playing. Is the Champions Series exciting for you?
Technically, it's my first time competing in Buffalo … It's a big stop there, First Niagara Center. I like to play, I like to compete, and I love to play against my peers, so it's going to be very fun. It's a competitive circuit, so we have twelve tournaments, and the players are competing for a million-dollar bonus pool. The first player to finish his first tour will get $500,000, $350,000 for second, and $150,000 for third. So there's money and pride on the line, and we're competitive creatures. I [get to] exercise my competitive instincts and go out and play high-quality tennis against guys that I respect.
What's the best feeling when you are on the court? Is it the sounds—the sound of the ball as it hits the court, crowds cheering, the silence?
I think what I like most of all is the feeling of making solid contact with the ball and having it go exactly where you want it to. It doesn't always happen, but it happens frequently enough to give me a good rush, and there's a visual pleasure to that for sure. … In tennis, the ball is always moving, [and so] you're constantly making adjustments. That's one of the great challenges of the sport, to get your hands in the right spot, your feet in the right spot … When it all comes together and you execute a shot perfectly, that's a rewarding feeling.
Since you've retired you've been quite busy as a player, tennis analyst and commentator, and you've also founded InsideOut Sport & Entertainment and Courier's Kids. Do you think of yourself as "retired"?
I think that it's a bit of a misconception to think that someone like myself is going to retire cold turkey at the age of thirty and not do anything else. So I think it's more of adjusting priorities and looking for other challenges and other things to do. I feel like I live a very complete life. I get to exercise my competitive tennis instincts on the Champions Series, I get to stay involved with the major championships like the U.S Open and the Australian Open via commentary. I get to stay involved with the younger players, and the business side. I am very much not a retired person; I'm quite busy, and I like it that way.
7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, at First Niagara Center, One Seymour H. Knox III Plaza; for tickets, call 888-223-6000 or visit www.tickets.com.


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Alfredo Cortina: An Atlas for Elizabeth
Opening Reception: Friday May 11, 6-9 pm
Exhibition runs through June 16, 2018
Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11-6 pm
Curated by Vasco Szinetar
Henrique Faria Fine Art and the Urban Photography Archive (Archivo Fotografía Urbana) are pleased to present An Atlas for Elizabeth, the first exhibition of photographs by the Venezuelan Alfredo Cortina to be shown in the United States. This group of photographs was first exhibited in the 30th Bienal de São Paulo (2012), curated by Vasco Szinetar, and later in an exhibition of recent acquisitions by the Museum of Modern Art, New York at the Grand Palais, Paris (2014) and at the Sala Mendoza, Caracas (2015); and most recently at La Fábrica, Madrid (2017).
As curator and art historian, Luis Pérez-Oramas, explains in the exhibition's catalogue essay, "What we should know, in order to begin looking at Alfredo Cortina's work, is that for many years, without considering himself to be a "photographer" other than in complicity with his life partner, the great poet Elizabeth Schön, he systematically and continuously recorded her figure in every imaginable situation where she could be fixed through the silver salts capturing light in an image." Cortina's indexical treatment of Schön and the capturing of her movement through life serve to elevate these encapsulated moments, which range from glamorous, to mysterious, to ordinary, through their crispness of detail and the fact that, in most frames, Schön is the only figure present. This unwavering dedication to the portrayal of this singular woman has resulted in an archive of sorts, in what Pérez-Oramas has called An Atlas for Elizabeth.
When perusing the photographs, questions about the constant presence of the woman keep recurring. "Who is she?" Pérez-Oramas asks, "nobody tells us and nothing in the image[s] suggests it." We know from external, biographical sources that Schön was a poet and a permanent fixture in the avant-garde intellectual circles of Venezuela where she and Cortina met, but in these photographs she has been separated from the elements of her personal background and therefore exudes a sense of solitude amidst her surroundings that amplifies an aura of anonymity. Her relationship to the camera (and by extension, the viewer) heightens this effect, in that in most of the photographs her view is away from the photographer and out into the distance, such as in Camino a Carayaca (1953), Higuerote (1955) or Hotel San Juan de los Morros (1966), and the instances where she is looking towards the camera, including Concha Acústica de Bello Monte (1954) and Ortiz (1955), her physical distance from it is too great for her gaze to establish any kind of relationship with the viewer. These details beget more questions from Pérez-Oramas, "What use is a portrait at such remove as to cause the subject's facial features and corporeal personality to fade away in the distance? Why did Alfredo Cortina, with a systematic effort unprecedented in the history of our images, go to the trouble of avoiding her portrait? Excluding the portrait, what did he want to include?" These questions draw the viewer in further, eliciting intrigue and beckoning.
Through this beckoning, we enter the landscape and find ourselves absorbed into a place that is outside of the bounds of time. We are by a fresh water stream, gazing into a shop window in Caracas, surveying the construction of a house in the countryside, standing on the wide sidewalk of a frenetic New York City–but in the stillness of the delineated environment, this is a passive activity. Pérez-Oramas writes, "there is neither event nor modal circumstance nor action in the portrait […]. The portrait is a-modal: it is not she going or coming, it is not she doing or not doing, it is not she on this or that moment or day; it is she, plain and simple." In this way, in the photographs of Cortina, the presence of Schön ultimately displaces the passage of time, leaving only the presence of the body in the landscape, leaving only the body in the present and in the possibilities that the future holds.
Alfredo Cortina (Valencia (Edo. Carabobo), Venezuela 1903 – Caracas, 1988) is a photographer practically unknown in the universe of contemporary art, including in Venezuela. He is known for his support in the foundation and advancement of broadcasting networks and the modernization of the radio in Venezuela. As a radio and television director, he wrote radio dramas, cultural programs, adaptations of children's stories, soap operas and fictional television series, and even theatrical dramas and comedies. For much of his life he was part of a group of Venezuelan intellectuals and avant-garde artists, which included his wife, the poet and dramatist Elizabeth Schön, the sisters Ida and Elsa Gramcko (a poet and artist, respectively), Carlos Puche (pioneer of modern photography in Venezuela), and the philosopher Ernesto Mayz Vallenilla. Beyond his work for radio and television, Cortina was intensely dedicated to photography, capturing landscapes and sites around a pre-modern, as well as a changing, Caracas, as well as unusual still life compositions, mise en scènes and the reconstruction of strange characters. Among his writings, his books Caracas, la ciudad que se nos fue (Caracas, the City that Left Us, 1976) and Historia de la Radio en Venezuela (The History of Radio in Venezuela), published by Fundarte after his death in 1995, are the most well known. In 2008, the Urban Photography Archive (Archivo Fotografía Urbana) acquired his entire archive. In 2012, the curator Vasco Szinetar presented an exhibition of his photographic work, until that point completely unknown, at the 30th Bienal de São Paulo, Brazil. His work was shown in 2014 in an exhibition of recent acquisitions by the Museum of Modern Art, New York at the Grand Palais, Paris. In 2015, the exhibition Alfredo Cortina. Photographs was presented at the Sala Mendoza and at the Museo de Arte Contempoaráneo del Zulia in Maracaibo, Venezuela, again curated by Vasco Szinetar; and most recently at La Fábrica, Madrid (2017).
For press inquiries please contact Eugenia Sucre, Director, at [email protected]


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Patriots for Peace Contacts: we need your help! First, if you have not signed our petition, we ask you to do so. Secondly, we are asking you to help find eight others who have not signed, to join with us in calling for Congressional action to end the war. The text of the petition is as follows:
West Virginia Petition Calling on Congress to End the US War in Iraq
We the undersigned citizens of West Virginia, call upon our US Senators and our US Representatives to stand up to the Bush Administration, and compel an end to the US occupation of Iraq. It has become apparent that without decisive Congressional action, the Bush Administration will continue this disastrous misadventure indefinitely. No more US money and no more US lives lost in Iraq without a definite plan for timely withdrawal.
The petition form is available here (pdf) on the WV Patriots for Peace website . Make as many copies as you need.
The address to return petitions is on the bottom of the petition. When you return the petition, we will make copies for our each of our three West Virginian congressional representatives and two senators. Since the war will be heavily debated next month please return petitions by September 10.
If they are asked, many people are willing to take a stand against this unpopular war by signing a petition. I hope you can help us make sure that people are asked.
If you have questions contact Robin Wilson email@example.com or call 304 343-9456


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A tale as old as time, but these toys will surely be a classic to any fan of the original cartoon classic of Beauty and the Beast movie or this amazing new breathtaking live action movie that is selling out tickets non stop on opening weekend! No matter if you just want to find some of the best Beauty and the Beast toys celebrating this new release or find the perfect Easter basket stuffers or birthday gift, these gems are truly adorable and will be cherished by whomever is lucky enough to ... View the Post
P!nk's Brand New Music Video from Disney's Alice Through The Looking Glass
P!nk's Brand New Music Video for "Just Like Fire", from Disney's ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS is now available to view and it is so much more than just music. It is brilliance with of course some EPIC P!nk shock factor. You are left wondering from the beginning to the end and wanting to watch it all over again. Is your mind playing tricks on you? Is it an inspirational track or one to make your head spin and leave you wondering if you are certainly seeing what you think your eyes are showing ... View the Post
Marvel's Captain America: Civil War Now Playing Everywhere!
Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Now Playing Everywhere! Get ready to choose teams! Are you #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan ? With a cast you have grown to know and action every step of the way, this is one movie that will have both men and women crowding the theaters to see. You will want to make sure you don't rush out at the end , stay through all the rolling credits! Let us make sure to celebrate all the amazing women actresses in this action packed adventure! Too often it is the male ... View the Post
5 Reasons Mother's Day is the Perfect Date Movie with your Husband
Mother's Day. The day to celebrate the Mother's in your life. Wether it be your own Mom, your Wife, Your grown daughter who may be a Mom of their own, your sister, or even a friend who is a Mom. It is about celebrating every Mom you know and giving recognition for all the awesome they have been in your life and the kid's they have raised! I was thrilled to have been sent to an advance screening of the Mother's Day movie thanks to ProFlowers. Here are my top five reasons this is really a perfect ... View the Post
Shaun The Sheep Movie for the Whole Family! + Serta Sweepstakes!
"I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Lionsgate. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation." My son is just getting to the perfect age of being able to sit still and really enjoy a movie. He has been learning manners and vocabulary through some of his favorite television shows and has seen a few cute commercials featuring Claymation characters. It was no surprise to me when I showed him the movie trailer for Shaun The Sheep Movie he ... View the Post
5 Reasons You Need To See Inside Out from Disney Pixar
I'm generally a happy person. Sometimes I'm sad. More often than not it takes a lot to disgust me as an adult, but it happens. I have a few fears, those mostly being creatures that try to come eat me in my own backyard (snakes, lizards, big frogs who probably don't want to hurt me, but scare me), and anger. Yes, I get angry. As an adult I get angry more often than I should sometimes. Now imagine all these feelings swirling around in YOUR head. What about your child's head? Here you have "Inside ... View the Post


text:
Paper making and fiber liberation – Processes of chemical liberation – recovery or purification... – With chemical or physical modification of liberated fiber
Reexamination Certificate
Alvo, Stev (Department: 1731)
Paper making and fiber liberation
Processes of chemical liberation, recovery or purification...
With chemical or physical modification of liberated fiber
Reexamination Certificate
Methods of making paper or paperboard are described. In one method, at least one cellulytic enzyme composition and at least one cationic polymer composition are introduced to a paper making pulp at about the same time to form a treated pulp. The pulp may also be treated with at least one cationic starch. The resulting pulp is formed into a sheet of pulp. Other paper making processes are also described. A paper making apparatus is also described for carrying out the methods. Paper and paperboard made according to the methods are also described.
patent: 3041246 (1962-06-01), Bolaski et al.
patent: 3406089 (1968-10-01), Yerkes, Jr.
patent: 3616222 (1971-10-01), Dasinger
patent: 3972775 (1976-08-01), Wilke et al.
patent: 4451567 (1984-05-01), Ishibashi et al.
patent: 4894119 (1990-01-01), Baron, Jr. et al.
patent: 4923565 (1990-05-01), Fuentes et al.
patent: 5110412 (1992-05-01), Fuentes et al.
patent: 5169497 (1992-12-01), Sarkar et al.
patent: 5308449 (1994-05-01), Fuentes et al.
patent: 5356800 (1994-10-01), Jaquess
patent: 5423946 (1995-06-01), Sarkar et al.
patent: 5501770 (1996-03-01), Sarkar et al.
patent: 5507914 (1996-04-01), Sarkar et al.
patent: 5879509 (1999-03-01), Sharyo et al.
patent: 758488 (1967-05-01), None
patent: 2007774 (1990-07-01), None
patent: 2030186 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 2030836 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 2039838 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 2187757 (2000-07-01), None
patent: 26 33 514 (1978-02-01), None
patent: 0 351 655 (1990-01-01), None
patent: 0 430 915 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 0 433 258 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 2 775 990 (1999-09-01), None
patent: WO 91/11552 (1991-08-01), None
patent: WO 94/20666 (1994-09-01), None
patent: WO 95/27825 (1995-10-01), None
patent: WO 99/43780 (1999-09-01), None
Pilon, L., "Increasing Water Retention of Mechanical Pulp by Biological Treatments,"Tappi Journal, Jun. 1982, vol. 65, No. 6, p. 93.
Pommier, et al., "Using Enzymes To Improve The Process And Product Quality In The Recycled Paper Industry,"Biotechnology, Tappi Journal, Jun. 1989, pps 187 and 191.
Barclay Richard L.
Conrod Randall W.
Desjardins John
Hill, Jr. Walter B.
O'Malley James A.
Alvo Stev
Buckman Laboratories International Inc.
Kilyk & Bowersox P.L.L.C.
Paper making processes using enzyme and polymer combinations does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.If you have personal experience with Paper making processes using enzyme and polymer combinations, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Paper making processes using enzyme and polymer combinations will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3383281


text:
WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic
We support the healthcare with FREE cutting edge technology solutions
Launching, AiClaim, the AI-powered claim management solution
AiClaim© uses Artificial Intelligence #AI and data science to automate the claim processing, provide actionable knowledge, and support the decision making through an all-in-one solution designed for payers (Medical Insurance Companies and Third Party Administrators) and providers (Hospitals and Clinics).
Join the future of healthcare, today
Subscribe to our famous best in the market email list. Get to know more about our Artificial Intelligence #AI machine learning, deep learning, and data science solutions, researches, and use cases for Healthcare and Medical Insurance
Artificial Intelligence
Making use of machine and deep learning in healthcare, enabling automation, smart experience, and cost control
Welcome to a world of spectacular possibilities
Technologies are here to empower, enable, and transform the healthcare ecosystem and to make things possible. We co-produce those cutting-edge technologies with our healthcare clients while researching, learning, experiencing, and deploying solid and robust fit-for-use solutions driven by our clients' challenges and aspirations.
Tell us
Either you are facing a challenge with your current operations or having aspirations for a better care, we are here to listen and help
Research and explore
We research, learn, and deeply understand your challenges and aspirations to co-produce a future solution that you love and easily adopt
Develop or leverage
We custom-made the solutions or leverage an existing technology while following best in class project management standards
Deploy and sustain
We'll deploy the solution in an efficient and agile manner, train the involved staff, sustain the success through hands-on supporting process
Healthcare needs transformative changes
Healthcare systems around the world are facing major challenges that are jeopardizing their functions today and the sustainability over the long term.
400 Million
Persons around the world are not having access to basic healthcare services1
$ 47 Trillion
The total loss of the world from the burden of Non-Communicable (chronic) Diseases by 20302
30% ($765 Billion)
Of US medical spending was wasted on not needed services, excessive admin costs, frauds, other inefficiencies in 20093
The growth seen in medical data year on year from 2013 (153 exabytes) till 2020 (2314 exabytes)4. Exabyte = 1018
We'll contact you within 24 hours
1) World Health Organization about the global access to healthcare http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/uhc-report/en/
2) World Economic Forum report about the impact of five leading chronic diseases — cancer, diabetes, mental illness, heart disease, and respiratory illness disease http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Harvard_HE_GlobalEconomicBurdenNonCommunicableDiseases_2011.pdf
3) Institute of Medicine Report, http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2012/Best-Care-at-Lower-Cost-The-Path-to-Continuously-Learning-Health-Care-in-America.aspx
4) International Data Corporation (IDC) https://www.idc.com
1) Introduction. These Website Standard Terms And Conditions (these "Terms" or these "Website Standard Terms And Conditions") contained herein on this webpage, shall govern your use of this website, including all pages within this website (collectively referred to herein below as this "Website"). These Terms apply in full force and effect to your use of this Website and by using this Website, you expressly accept all terms and conditions contained herein in full. You must not use this Website, if you have any objection to any of these Website Standard Terms And Conditions. 2) Intellectual Property Rights. Other than content you own, which you may have opted to include on this Website, under these Terms, [Tachy Health, Inc] and/or its licensors own all rights to the intellectual property and material contained in this Website, and all such rights are reserved. You are granted a limited license only, subject to the restrictions provided in these Terms, for purposes of viewing the material contained on this Website,


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Can't believe we're only a month away! September 14 & 15, mark the date.
Dinner and Entertainment in the Park after the Trials on Saturday evening, September 14. Beef, chicken or vegetarian. Price will be around $20-ish per person, cost goes down as the attendance goes up. I know it's vague, but we're going to try to get a preliminary head count so we can figure out pricing. If you're interested, please post below or on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/CRR-Steel-Stampede/143409722386495?hc_location=timeline


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Can somebody help me to know about the List based ADC architecture in a simple way ? or some link ?
unsigned int ADC_read(unsigned int channel)
adc0_cmdlist[0][1] = 0xC0|channel; What does this line of code means ???
ADC0FLWCTL_RSTA = 1; // Restart Event
while(0x00 == ADC0CONIF){} //wait until conversion is complete
ADC0CONIF = ADC0CONIF;//clear flag
return adc0_results[0];


text:
New Elwick track likely to be ready for racing by January 31
Thoroughbred racing is expected to return to Elwick in late January.
The first meeting on the new Strathayr track has been tentatively pencilled in for Friday January 31 and will be a twilight program featuring the Tasmanian Derby.
The Hobart Cup will be run at the second meeting on Sunday February 9.
Barrier trials will be held on Tuesday January 7 but there will be no time for any 'preview' race meetings before the two main days of the Hobart Cup carnival.
Lead-up races normally run at Elwick will be scheduled for Mowbray.
Work on the new track is reportedly progressing on schedule, with the turf due to go down in August.
The 2019-20 calendar has yet to be finalised but the Tasmanian Turf Club will again race on Good Friday and Anzac Day Eve which also falls on a Friday.
The Tasmanian Trotting Club will also keep its Good Friday meeting.
The Launceston Pacing Club's Easter Cup meeting will stay on Easter Saturday night with Sky 1 coverage.
The draft calendar has 63 thoroughbred meetings (down two on this season), 87 harness meetings (down two) and 165 greyhound meetings (up three).
Those figures do not include the seven combined meetings on King Island.
The number of night thoroughbred meetings at Mowbray will rise from 19 to 20.
The regular night season will start on Saturday October 12 and finish on Wednesday April 1 except for the Anzac Day Eve meeting.
Tasmania's leading female driver Samantha Gangell has been fined $300 over her handling of Fortino at Mowbray on Sunday night.
Stewards found that Gangell allowed Fortino to shift out from the 250m when leading the field which advantaged another runner.
Fortino's stablemate Our Quinn got an inside run and went on to win the race, with Fortino finishing second beaten only 2m.
Gangell pleaded guilty to the charge.
In assessing penalty, stewards said they took into account the driver's good record and guilty plea but also the fact that the horse advantaged by her not maintaining a straight line had gone on to win the race.
Gangell has been enjoying a very good season. With 22 wins, she leads the female drivers' premiership by one from Hannah Van dongen and she is only five behind Conor Crook on the junior drivers' table.
Stewards at the weekend also concluded an inquiry into Paul Hill's drive on Wasonie Snake in Hobart 13 days ago.
He was suspended for six meetings for challenging the leader Bremusa for an "unacceptable" length of time.


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|Thread Tools
|SRB2CS: With new Match/CTF netcode! (BETA 5) Details »»
SRB2CS: With new Match/CTF netcode! (BETA 5)
Developer Last Online: May 2020
LATEST VERSION: BETA 5 (see updates below)
Hi all! It's taken a long time, but it's finally gone public. This is the official (beta) release of:
SRB2CS - SRB2 with client-side networking [v1.10.6]
*) SRB2 with no control lag! This is the first time SRB2 has seen client-side netcode; and as such, it plays a bit differently than you might expect. Control lag and spike lag have been replaced by the occasional ring miss and jumpy players, as ping/latency is still prevalent. Instead of being struck by lag, others will appear to be struck by it. Good for them!
*) True-blue client-to-client networking!
*) Match (including Team Match), CTF, and partial race support. The rest of the gametypes are not yet available, and have been deactivated for the time being. Sorry!
Due to the ambitious nature of this mod (as well as its beta status), there are still some issues with the game's features and their synchronization. I plan to patch many of these up as soon as possible; but in the meantime, take note of the following:
*) Weapon rings are not yet dropped - this is to save bandwidth and will hopefully be fixed in the future.
*) Emeralds and randomizing monitors (MixUp, Recycler, Random, etc.) are not yet properly synchronised. So if an emerald disappears right in front of you, just be nice and forgive the guy who picked it up on the opposite end of the map!
*) ADDFILE support is currently very limited. In order to play on a custom level, the host must add it using srb2net (or the -file parameter) before starting up SRB2. WAD downloads from the server are not yet supported.
*) The maximum amount of players this can (so far) support in a netgame is twelve, due to the nature of the network packets. We hope to expand this to a larger value in the future.
*) There is often a delay when you hit someone with a ring. As such, rings are not guaranteed to hit players when you see things that way (see: RINGSTATS command). This is the nature of client-side game synchronisation. However, rail rings are very likely to hit when they should; so when in doubt, rails out!
*) There is currently an invisible player limit of 12. Maxplayers can still be adjusted; but be advised that no more than 12 players will be able to join your server at any time - even if maxplayers is above 12.
*) OpenGL has been disabled for now - sorry!
The mod features quite a few commands and console variables specific to the new netcode. Some of them are particularly important:
- csconnect: Connects to a server in CS mode. This is used to manually connect to servers in CS mode. Use this if you don't want to join an SRB2CS netgame using the master server (which, keep in mind, works completely fine).
The rest of the commands are useful in specific situations, but you shouldn't have to worry about them too much in your average netgame. Changing these may have adverse effects on how the game works, so proceed with caution:
- csdelay: This delays players slightly, increasing their ping. A relatively high delay may make other players seem less jumpy; however, a lower delay will make for more accurate ring hits and is generally recommended. Range of values is 0-2 (delay is done in tics). As of beta 2, a new value - "Automatic" or "-1" - is the default, and it is recommended that it be left that way.
- clienttoclient: This feature - enabled by default - allows clients to connect directly to each other, as opposed to connecting via the host. This allows for a lower ping and also puts less stress on the host; however, network traffic on your end will increase (not very significantly). This feature can be disabled or enabled by you as a client. Players can only be linked if one of them has their ports correctly forwarded - which is highly recommended.
- ringmove: In CS mode, adjustments have to be made to compensate for ping. The type of adjustments made, however, can sometimes be chosen. There are two options to this - "fast" and "jumpy". "Fast" ringmove will cause opponents' rings to move slightly faster under certain conditions. "Jumpy" ringmove, on the other hand, will cause rings to jump ahead of opponents as they are thrown (under the right conditions). Jumpy ringmove is generally more accurate, but fast ringmove is recommended for easier usability.
- ringstats: This command shows a report of how well the netcode has performed in synchronising your hits. It gives you a percentage of successful ring hits against all players you've hit so far, and also lets you know how many were unsuccessful.
- playerlinks: If you are the host, this command will show who is linked to whom. If you are a client, this shows your links with other clients - like ping.
Adjustments to some of SRB2's official commands have been made, too:
- nodes: Shows the IDs and names of all players connected, as well as their IP address. Due to clienttoclient, all clients can see IP addresses.
- ping: As always, ping exists, and it is shown with this command (as well as player links). However, it is worth noting that ping may appear to be different to each player. If you want good points, it is recommended that you fight the players with the lower ping- unless they're the server champions, of course. =P
I'd like to thank the many friendly players and netgamers who had helped me test this mod during its development. (If you're out there, make yourself known!) Also of particular mention is Spazzo, who helped lead the direction of this mod, introduced me to the world of SVN, and motivated me to give this mod a public release. Along the way, he added a pretty interesting program that logs SRB2 battles. I've included this as a little add-on - check SRB2Stats.zip if you're interested!
Feel free to contact either myself or Spazzo on IRC if you have any questions/bug reports/feature suggestions. We'd love to hear from you!
Latest updates (Beta 5):
[This is another small bugfix update- but it's bigger than it looks.]
- The setlives command has been disabled. (Thanks Kitoko and Hinote!)
- Fixed an issue where the wrong gametype would show up on the rankings. (Thanks Hinote!)
- Fixed an issue where disabling clienttoclient would break synchronisation.
- Made many further updates to Race mode so as to include support for single-player maps, and to properly order the winning players.
Past updates:
- Beta 3 had a serious bug involving ring drops and scoring - this has now been fixed.
- A minor sound effect fix was made.
- On a similar note, sound effects can now be heard while spectating someone else.
- Some internal updates were made to make the game run more efficiently online.
- Work on Race mode has begun, but is in its very early stages. You may now try it out if you like, but there are some de-synchronising bugs I'm aware of that have yet to be fixed. Be advised also that players who appear to be crossing the finish line first may not necessarily be in first place, due to ping issues.
[No real updates were made other than a few small bugfixes. Sorry!]
- Attempted to fix a few crash bugs that have been showing up lately. Hopefully they're gone now, and hopefully no more have been created!
- Fixed team-nuke issue.
- Hopefully fixed an issue where lagging players release 'ring lasers'. Ring lasers are not an official part of SRB2's gameplay and have as such been disabled.
- SRB2CS's netcode now uses SRB2's standard interface. This means that port 5030 no longer needs forwarding, and that MS support should now be more stable. However, glitches are likely to arise, so let me know if odd things start to happen. This change is completely reversible, so don't panic if things stop working!
- cshost no longer needs to be called when you start up the server.
- The "GOT FLAG!" in Match bug has been fixed. (Thanks Sky, Kitoko and Hinote!)
- Autoaim will appear to work, but it is not yet synced; so please disable it before you play!
- csdelay has been updated to account for network instability. A new value, "Automatic", is now the default, and ping will hopefully be generally lower than it was in the past.
- The ping command now shows player links, and also displays average ping "jumpiness".
- Initial release.
Download Now
Show Your Support
Awesome, now maybe I'll actually stand a chance in match mode instead of getting 200+ ping all the time from being so far away :O I'll play this once I'm uncapped
Grape flavored
Permanently Banned
A few hours ago I played this as part of a final test before release; before I say anything else, I'll get the bad stuff out of the way.
Client-side networking is a very big tradeoff, and not always a favorable one: if you've played another FPS online, I'm sure you're familiar with the issues of lag in which shots you fired that appear to hit on your end don't count, or shots that you didn't see on your end or saw somewhere else somehow hit you. Perhaps inadvertently, SRB2's shooter gameplay surrounds most everything that gets punished by this the most; extremely fast and instantly changeable player movement and a central focus on dodging projectiles that take time to get to you. The uncertainty of lag in this situation thus causes much greater issues in SRB2 than it would in a normal first person shooter. In the end, in a reasonable latency situation the ability to see accurately what is happening(hereto referred to as object accuracy) and compensate for that is often more valuable in SRB2 than some of the gains here.
Rings aren't the only thing to bug up from this, however; as mentioned in the opening post, object behavior, not just timing, is sometimes adversely affected by this; oftentimes, a console message would pop up informing me that a monitor had erroneously been popped twice. What this means is that more complex things, such as in singleplayer and coop, would function incorrectly or not at all under the netcode as it currently exists. SOC is completely out of the question. Netcode like this could never be used as a replacement for what is already in vanilla SRB2 because of this instability.
But you know what? I said this was a big tradeoff. A BIG tradeoff. And I got the honest problems out of the way first so I could point out how amazing this is without an uncomfortable "but" on the end.
I mentioned that I tested this a few hours ago, that I got to see it in all of its glory and all of its folly. I saw instantaneous response, I saw player joins not freezing up the server, and I saw all those things I mentioned earlier along with the instability of OGL that caused it to be removed from this release.
And then I saw Nimbus Ruins. I saw myself flinging myself around recklessly as sonic, jumping off sides and thokking back on to higher elevations, moving full speed. I saw myself, spiritcrusher, and spazzo pitted against Inuyasha, and the author of this mod, who lives in the United Kingdom.
I've been playing SRB2 for more than 5 years, Spazzo for just as long as well as being the host, with spiritcrusher being competent in his own right; us three VS a team of two, one of whom lived across the Atlantic ocean, a distance of at least 3,000 miles.
We were beaten 5 captures to 3.
Something like this was so unthinkable, so impossible before SRB2CS's development that it's hard for me to process that it actually happened; A massive latency netgame that wasn't only playable, but playable enough that someone so overwhelmingly farther from the host, who was on the team opposite of the host which also outnumbered his own team, could win on Nimbus Ruins by a wide margin.
For people with connection issues, this is a convenience and an improvement. For people outside of the United States, this is godsend, something that takes a part of the game that was almost completely locked off from them and suddenly brings it within reach; for me, it will mean being able to play with friends who I would never ask for a netgame, or be asked for one, because of the simple understanding of the time that such a thing was impossible.
And now it's not impossible. It's not just possible, it's plausible, it's feasible, it's damn near practical.
And for that, I'll forgive what instability I saw, and the annoyance of not being able to compensate for my latency. For that, I'll wait in anticipation of LXShadow's next move, because in some ways, it could be an even bigger one for us back in the states.
Because sitting in zones.dta are 10 maps belonging to a gametype that has very little, if any, direct interaction between players, almost no complex object interaction to worry about, and that place a very high value on timing, platforming, and quick aerial control.
Because if, and I dare hope when, circuit mode becomes supported by this netcode, there will be no downside to this netcode's use. And when that happens, LXShadow's work will truly, truly shine.
Last edited by Prime 2.0; 07-16-2011 at 03:17 AM.
aka Sutekh94
Now I might be able to join netgames without epically lagging for once. DL'ing now...
Other places I'm usually on:
YouTube | DeviantArt.
ArchPack developer
Just gave it a lagless-shot in an actual match server with 2 players. That was unthinkable.
Finally I'll have the pleasure of shooting down people in the servers without that horrible lag on my end.
ArchPack v2.1 level pack | EzerArch.com | YouTube | ERZ2 FTW!
Last edited by Ezer.Arch; 07-16-2011 at 03:25 AM.
KartKrew Dev
If you don't somehow get this to work for Co-op I will smite you.
Kart Krew Workshop Thread
SRB2 Top Down & SRB2 Kart
Known as Wind on SRB2
Nice! You finally released this! I remember beta-testing with Spazzo a while back. Going by the name "Wind".
I'm soooo downloading now, and if I don't see this in 2.1... I'll nuke STJr. :P
My server: Wind's Server (Now has slower internet, yay)
Steven Duda
Just in time for the 2.1 Public Beta maps eh? I will try this when someone hosts a server that's not full.
Please visit my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/wiistevenduda1
This is Amazing!, I played in a server with 12(+)players with no Clag at all. I still cannot believe this actually works!.
Starlight Palace Zone in 0'57''54 as Sonic
Sonic 1 Playthrough done by me, Check it out!
Recycler Sucks!
This pretty much fixes the one thing I hated about SRB2 while playing online. You might occasionally miss an enemy you should have hit, but I think it's a great tradeoff to have the netcode run really smooth, without c-lag or spike lag.
Spoiler: Big Image
<SkyTheDestroyer> Why does the Master Server delist my server once it hits 32/32?
<SpiritCrusher> Your server has attained GOD STATUS
<SpiritCrusher> The MS can't display it anymore
EDIT: I just noticed Sky was the one posting this...
Starlight Palace Zone in 0'57''54 as Sonic
Sonic 1 Playthrough done by me, Check it out!
Recycler Sucks!
This is invalid!
Permanently Banned
Also, when switching from match to CTF, everyone starts flying around as visible, visible spoectators are awesome!
Aka Hinote
Alright so I went to go host this not long ago and I will say a few things on regards of Spazzo asking a favor.
This is absolutely amazing! I'm not kidding. Hosted on the ms, first started up with a player limit of 7-8 (Usually for me, because after 8 that's when my server starts to lag normally.)
Players joined, I noticed it was solid at 8 players. Boosted up the player limit to 10, then 12. Amazing how everyone was able to play I was astonished. I got to play with players who are amazing at this game, without the complaint of clag or lag being in the way, the netcode defiantly has improved.
So to say I am indeed impressed with the work you did on the netcode LXShadow. Don't be so modest that it isn't big, it is a big step to improving the srb2 netcode. It does have potential.
Now all we need to do is see OpenGL in this, and a few gametypes like Race and Coop, and all will be happeh and a few things from 2.0 like the admin tidle and the verify command. Oh who am I kidding? Let's say a bunch of things to make it complete. It would be great to see this all! I know it is just a beta, but I hope to see more compiled into this.
A few concerns though, I noticed sometimes when I shoot someone I miss even though I know I hit them. Players sometimes teleport, but I guess you guys already know this from the start.
A glitch has happened as well:
After changing from CTF to Match.. This is what happened.
Spoiler: Big image.
Other than that, this mod is amazing. In terms of netplay, because we all know how much we love to play in netgames. This does make srb2 more enjoyable, since mostly my complaints about srb2 is its netgame lags (this probably goes for the most of you.)
Keep it up! I'm sure going to be hosting this more if I want a great netgame. C:
Those who were in my netgame, should probably post something awesome.. Because.. I know you usually lag in my server by how far away I am.
---------- Post added at 04:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:50 AM ----------
Follow me on Twitter for more of my art!
This is invalid!
Permanently Banned
Also yes, i did join your netgame Hinote, there was absolutely no lag at all, it was truly astounding, it felt like magic hit all through me, theres no explanation for this, except complete astonishment, and I'm sure everyone else will be feeling that same astonishment too, our friend N.Cenz was having no troubles at all, and the gam played very smoothly, no graphical glitches, no graphical spike lags, no spike lag on my end, it was all very very pretty! I was hoping to be an admin, to help out Hinote, but there was no verify yet, but you knew that already!
I'm also suggesting, maybe add an ability to have multiple admins, as well as voices, or an admin list, that automatically gives admin to a specific IP address, that would probably help out a lot in netgaming, and maybe you could, since you're reworking the netcode and all.
I also noticed a few issues, my friend Sky quickly changed to Tails and started to fly, but he appeared to be as a flying Super Sonic for a bit, as well as when switching from Match to CTF, everyone was flying as solid spectators for a bit, it was silly for sure :P Also when shooting someone, I saw them in their death state for a moment, and they didn't get hurt.
Hinote' server was much more enjoyable (I already enjoy it to bits.. :P) And I know she was happy too, being able to hold more players, and nobody around was having lag, except some people who's internets were starting to fail out, but that didn't disrut the game at all, and I had lots of fun!
This game, has my golden thumbs up!
Last edited by Kitoko; 07-16-2011 at 05:06 AM.
This isn't lagless netgaming, not by a long shot. That is simply unfeasible!
Also, it's a beta, bugs are bound to come out at night and loot your house and then killing your relatives in their sleep.
ALSO!!!!! This is not a substitute for the regular netcode, this is an alternative for people (LIKE ME!) who can't play in ANY server without a minimum of 300 latency.
That said, I'm from south america and beat the canadian host on several games:
|Thread Tools


text:
Memorial Church Fans
Church Fans For An In Loving Memory Memorial
Church fans are hand held and typically made out of heavy card stock with a wooden stick adhered to at the bottom of the fan shape. The fans can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes. Church fans can be a form of honoring a loved one's memory and are personalized with text and photo of the deceased. The fans are distributed during a funeral or memorial service and are very popular during warm summer months to cool oneself or provide individual shade at a grave site service.
We are the largest manufacturer of memorial church hand fans offered in a large variety of styles. Although popular year round, our fans are a perfect handout in the warm summer months during the ceremony or at graveside. Place special text and/or up to 3 photos on our fans if desired to commemorate a loved one's memory. We offer various styles and material for our custom fans. Great option for funeral memorials or we can make for any occasion!


text:
Emerson Climate Technologies moved the aftermarket distribution of its heating and air conditioning ventilation products to its Mt. Comfort Distribution Center located 5 miles east of Indianapolis. The facility is now home to Copeland, Emerson Climate Technologies Flow Controls, and HVACR Motors and Ventilation Products. "The addition of ventilation products to our Mt. Comfort Distribution Center is the latest example of how Emerson Climate Technologies is committed to its customers," said Mark Gibson, vice president and general manager, Distribution Services. "Having all of these product lines under one roof goes a long way in improving our customer response and reducing their ordering and shipping costs."
Publication date: 08/28/2006


text:
BEIJING, March 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading international securities company Tiger Brokers announced that Jim Rogers, the world-renowned investment expert, has signed agreements to become one of the firm's investors.
The investment marks the first attempt of the Wall Street billionaire to ever invest in a Chinese technology startup.
"What Tiger has been doing, which is use technology to trade around the world, reserve a bright future," said Rogers. He is bullish on the growth momentum of China's fintech industry, claiming that the internet-driven transformation across the financial sector will bring benefits to the ever-growing Chinese investors who are demand to optimize their asset allocation. "Everybody will be able to trade in everywhere and Tiger appears in the right place, at the right time," Rogers added.
Wu Tianhua, founder and CEO of Tiger Brokers said: "Tiger Trade is a fintech product designed by the company as a one-stop stock trading platform for global Chinese-speaking investors to conveniently access to cross-border investment portfolio." According to Wu, in addition to access to US stocks, Hong Kong stocks, and China A-shares, the platform, which is available to logon through smartphones or PCs, supports transactions involving securities margin trading in addition to 13,000 US stocks, share options and ETF products.
According to the company, more than $100 million in transactions were booked through Tiger Trade in the first month following the initial launch of the platform in 2015.
In addition to the explosive growth in the number of subscribers, the monthly dollar value of transactions handled through Tiger Trade jumped 22 times by the end of last year, topping $2.2 billion a month.
As a leading online securities broker serving Chinese communities worldwide, Tiger Brokers has been proving its strength in the global investment market. Its initial major shareholders include Xiaomi Technology and China Growth Capital.


text:
"Life is good in impeccably sunny Rome. The eternal city is still something else, and the enviable dolce vita remains omnipresent. Tourists keep the Euro rolling, and the city's domestic people seem to be on a perma-high, managing to live off this uniquely short and joyous attention span that keeps them insulated from worrying about the longer-term prospects of their country. Life is good, even though it reminds of a hologram."
Reading a friend's blog this week (http://www.expertise-asia.com) about him sitting in a cafe in Rome, is remarkably the same as my experience in Italy thus far. Things look pretty good in Venice. As I mentioned before I am on tour in Europe, which should be a) very pleasant but b) give me more perspectives about where we are heading next on our planetary journey. When you are living in a complex dynamic system, one seems to get much insight about the emerging whole when you visit clusters where there are many intersections. Many cities in Europe out certainly fulfil this criteria.
I always click on articles about anticipating the future. This last week I saw one by Vikram Mansharamani about how generalists are better at it. This is something that we believe at the Emerging Future Institute of course and something I point to in most of my talks.
"How can we get better at anticipating the future? I asked him when we met. The flood of political, economic, technological, social, and market forces that bombard us every day is overwhelming and distracting. It prevents us from paying attention to what really matters, he said. He noted the usual response to this noise is to focus narrowly or turn to specialists for help. But is that the right path? Have we been blinded by focus? Has the mantra of expertise and specialization misled us? Vikram thinks the pendulum has swung too far.
Vikram offers scores of compelling real-life examples that show how the narrow focus and specialization can lead us to miss the most important signals – the ones we're least primed to see. The advice Vikram offers is counter-intuitive. He advocates opening up to get a broader view; to "zoom out" as he calls it, and then connect the dots. He calls the logic the generalist's approach. Breadth, Vikram argues, is as important as depth. Generalists win by paying attention to more than their area of expertise. Vikram's generalist framework for looking at the world differently and meeting disruption head-on."
My friend Kenneth Mikkaelson writes about this topic in his book the Neo Generalist.
China and Hong Kong
Hong Kong has been very much in the headlines with the anniversary of the handover from the UK to China 20 years ago. To mark the anniversary President Xi visited from Beijing amidst very tight security. The Chinese have taken quite a slow and purposeful approach to this transfer of power. But since the "Umbrella Revolution" 2 years ago, they have tightened up on their grip.
Twenty years in, the fact that Hong Kong is in the midst of an identity crisis shouldn't really surprise anyone. Going from British influence to Chinese, is an enormous change culturally, politically and in any dimension. In addition to the headwinds coming from a deflationary Chinese economy, clearly the leadership in Beijing is not going out of its way to help Hong Kong until it shows greater propensity to 'behave'. Eventually this will probably happen as in the territory money really does speak (probably more than democracy and civil liberties).
A month or so ago local politician Regina Ip wrote another scathing article about Hong Kong and its current demise today in the South China Morning Post. She is a prominent legislator in Hong Kong.
"The budget debate in the Legislative Council provides pan-democratic legislators with an annual opportunity to indulge in their favourite pastime of bashing government officials for acts of negligence or malfeasance in the past year. Calls for senior government positions to be deleted or for salaries to be deducted rained down on waxwork-like officials like missiles on hapless targets. Yet amid the thunder of denunciations, the crucial question pertaining to Hong Kong's economic future has been missed – why is Hong Kong's economy listing and what are its future directions?
Despite the government's ability to keep piling up record surpluses, there is a feeling in the community that Hong Kong's economy peaked in 1997. Twenty years on, many people share the feeling that they are neither happier nor living better than before.
Property prices have skyrocketed, far outpacing increases in real wages. Hong Kong people are unable to buy homes, or have to content themselves with living in "nano-size" cubicles. Hong Kong people watch helplessly as wealthy mainlanders snap up properties and school places in elite school districts. While the government continues to tout Hong Kong as Asia's premier business and financial hub, an increasing number of overseas-educated mainland graduates, with mother-tongue fluency in English, Putonghua and their native dialects, swell the senior ranks of banks, and consulting and law firms, professions which used to be the exclusive reserves of Hong Kong's brightest and best.
Even Hong Kong's construction industry, which has won admiration across Asia for its ability to pull off mega infrastructure projects in record time, is finding its reputation shattered as Hong Kong lags woefully behind its mainland counterpart in completing the Hong Kong portion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project. Engineering troubles, cost overruns, time delays and 10 workers killed thus far in avoidable industrial accidents have rendered the bridge a pathetic symbol of Hong Kong's inability to regain its past glory.
One does not need to look at hard economic data to appreciate how pitifully Hong Kong is lagging behind its mainland neighbours in development and innovation. Two examples from daily life speak volumes about Hong Kong's apparent loss of its ability to innovate. On the mainland, the mobile payment system by WeChat Pay has all but replaced cash transactions, while in Hong Kong, customers at food courts and beauty counters in shopping malls have to queue to pay before they can get their food or merchandise. The vast efficiency gains of the mainland system are self-evident.
There is too much obsession with the "50 years no change" mantra. The obsession with safeguarding its pre-1997 lifestyle and separate systems has blinded Hong Kong's leaders to the profound and systemic technological change taking place in the rest of the world – the pervasive power of digitisation and information technology, the convergence of technologies across physical, biological and digital planes which is creating new, groundbreaking products and processes. The "fourth industrial revolution", as dubbed by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, is creating massive disruption to the "old" economy. Hong Kong can run but will not be spared.
Hong Kong's leaders have also failed to alert Hong Kong people to the far-reaching implications of China's economic ascendency. China's continual development is dealing a body blow to Hong Kong's traditional intermediary and catalytic roles. The rise of a new class of Western-educated Chinese professionals is presenting unprecedented challenges to Hong Kong's elite. Hong Kong must think hard about what remains of its competitive advantage and core strengths, economically, culturally and system-wise, and sharpen its competitive edge. Otherwise, marginalisation will become an inevitable reality, and Hong Kong in 2017 will go down in the annals of world cities as a city in decline."
This was a pretty loud call from Regina Ip. Along similar lines, I found this article in the WSJ written by Mr Hu the Chairman of Primavera Capital Group quite interesting, asking why Hong Kong isn't further ahead in entrepreneurship. But he ends on a positive note.
"Hong Kong possesses many of the requisite factors for technological leadership, including world-class universities with top scientists in fields such as biotech and robotics. Yet it has failed to create a vibrant startup ecosystem [emphasis added]. Beijing and Shanghai are in the top 10 of global startup rankings, while Hong Kong isn't even in the top 20. Hong Kong spends just 0.7% of its gross domestic product on research and development, compared to 2% in Singapore, 3.1% in Taiwan and more than 4% in Israel and South Korea. The city enjoys a large budget surplus, and its medium-term fiscal outlook appears positive. It has the resources to rapidly close the R&D gap if it chooses to. Hong Kong needs a strategic vision and strong action to transform the city into a 21st-century innovation leader. Building a startup ecosystem with rekindled entrepreneurial spirit holds the key to the city's future. As new startups proliferate, more opportunities beyond traditional industries will become available to the younger generation, enhancing their prospects of finding jobs with avenues of advancement. Despite missed opportunities and significant challenges, Hong Kong has been an unqualified success since its handover 20 years ago. Provided politics doesn't get in the way, the city is capable of reinventing itself and thriving."
My view has been that Chinese policy makers are keeping up the pressure on Hong Kong to play ball. And there has been a lot of negative articles in the South China Morning Post recently from what I can see. This is now owned by the Chinese company Alibaba.
The possibility for Hong Kong to change quickly is immense. Don't forget that is IS part of the Peoples' Republic of China. Of course, Beijing probably doesn't want one city to be the sole gateway of finance to China, as Hong Kong once was, but it also doesnt wish for Hong Kongs ultimate demise! Hong Kong will be able to tap into the immense resources and successes of the mainland once it starts to step in to line. So whilst I have been more optimistic on Singapore in recent years, the potential for Hong Kong remains very high. For example, note how Alibaba was suddenly able to deploy huge resources in Hong Kong when it announced a HKD1 billion fund for start ups in 2015. https://techcrunch.com/2015/11/19/alibaba-launches-130m-fund-to-support-entrepreneurs-in-hong-kong/
Singapore is doing well by attracting global capital. Hong Kong has an army of potential patrons lurking in the background and the government of the second largest economy in the world.
And whilst I am expecting rocky times ahead for the Chinese Dragon, it certainly isn't going away!
China and USA
Whilst President Xi was trying to catch the news headlines with the pomp and ceremony in Hong Kong, the US has announced a series of measures which the Chiense ambassador has criticised as counter to the summit of the Mar-a-Lago Summit. The Trump administration has confirmed a $1.4bn sales of weapons to Taiwan and sanctioned a Chinese bank – Dandong Bank – over ties to North Korea.
Kyle Bass who has been negative on China for some time, called this a tectonic shift in China-US relations in a CNBC interview. Here is the short clip worth watching.
Has the brief Trump-Xi 'Honeymoon' ended?
Its been another week of a lot of news in this space. This article in Forbes by Nathan Lewis was worth a read, suggesting the Bitcon and gold might have a complementary relationship.
"I find that gold and Bitcoin are actually somewhat complementary – that one's strengths are the other's weaknesses, and vice versa. This suggests that gold and Bitcoin together might have some role in our future. Gold's strengths include its millennia-long history of serving as a stable store of value. The gold coins that wealthy Roman families buried under their homes, during the collapse of the Roman Empire, are still valuable today, and arguably, still worth about as much now as they were then. This stability also allows gold to be used as a standard of value for pricing and long-term contracts, such as loans or employment agreements. Also, there is a lot of it: about $7 trillion worth of gold in the world, compared to $33 billion of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is still digital vapor, even if it is independent of banks' own digital vapor systems (when was the last time you held a paper share certificate?). A world in which banking systems go down is certainly one in which cellphone and internet systems can go down. Gold is indestructible. Gold is also anonymous, in a way that no digital currency could ever be, even if it tries. Gold is relatively easy to transport and trade. A gold kilobar easily fits in the pocket, and is worth about $40,000.
However, we want something easier to transact in than that. One popular use of Bitcoin has been for long-distance transactions, such as remittances from immigrant workers back to their families at home in other countries. In the past, this required services like Western Union, which charged big fees. Also, Bitcoin can be subdivided almost indefinitely, and works well for small transactions. The smallest tenth-ounce – about 3.1 gram – gold coin is still worth about $120. Bitcoin might soar multiples higher in value – who knows? – but we know that it is not a reliable store or standard of value. It has no history of stability at all. Because of this, we can't use it effectively as a basis for pricing, or for long-term contracts.
Thus, I can see a situation where gold can be used somewhat like a "savings account," and Bitcoin as a "checking account." You would keep a Bitcoin balance for transactions, but maybe not a large amount. Bitcoin could be sold for gold, or gold for Bitcoin, as the need arose, to replenish your transaction account or transfer value to long-term assets. Prices and contracts might be denominated in gold, but payment made in Bitcoin at the daily market rate. This is already common for goods and services denominated in dollars, but where Bitcoin is accepted in payment."
Its interesting to see a whole bunch of international institutions and bodies writing reports on crypto-currencies now. It really does feel that we are on the edge of these things becoming mainstream. Governments will adopt digital currencies, but they might not be what the original crypto anarchists intended – that is currencies that are beyond the reach of governments to tinker with.
This is from the Word economic Forum's Report:
"The internet is entering a second era that's based on blockchain. The last few decades brought us the internet of information. We are now witnessing the rise of the internet of value. Where the last era was sparked by a convergence of computing and communications technologies, this second era will be powered by a clever combination of cryptography, mathematics, software engineering and behavioural economics. It is blockchain technology, also called distributed ledger technology. Like the internet before it, the blockchain promises to upend business models and disrupt industries. It is pushing us to challenge how we have structured society, defined value and rewarded participation."
I need to skim through the report. But I did notice that this is another report that is glowing of Ethereal. I am sure I will come back with more observations in due course. But I just wanted readers to see it was published."
The IMF has also endorsed crypto as well this last week:
A big report by PWC on AI was recently published. I think its good to flag these things to readers as many of them contain good amounts of data which we don't intend to replicate here. What we prefer to do is offer insight now that information has gone in to oversupply and is virtually free nowadays.
"Machines capable of carrying out tasks normally reserved for humans will boost global GDP by as much as 14 percent by 2030, according to PwC.
In a report, the global auditing and consulting firm argued that the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) can contribute $15.7 million to the world economy over the next decade, the equivalent of the current combined output of China and India, as it would vastly increase productivity and spur shoppers to spend more. (See also: Artificial Intelligence.)
According to the firm's calculations, the bulk of these gains, $9.1 trillion, will be generated by consumption-side effects. Shoppers, driven to work by autonomous cars, are expected to use their extra time and resources to buy personalized and higher-quality goods. The U.S. is forecast to be a major beneficiary of this trend — PwC reckons that consumption patterns triggered by AI will add $3.7 trillion to the North American economy. (See also: Self-Driving Vehicles Will Create 'Passenger Economy' Worth $7 Trillion: Study.)
China is predicted to be an even bigger beneficiary, particularly as it's heavily dependent on manufacturing, an industry that is expected to receive a huge economic boost from the introduction of automated robotic workforces."
But the full report is here:
I had coffee with the chief economist of one major financial institution in London and he was remarkably upbeat about where Europe was in the cycle. I recollect what Draghi said at the time of the last ECB meeting:
"Mario Draghi has said he is "confident" that the European Central Bank's policies would restore inflationary pressures in the eurozone and that the scars inflicted by the crisis will fully heal. The bullish assessment of the eurozone recovery will fuel speculation that monetary policymakers could soon begin discussing a withdrawal of stimulus. "All the signs now point to a strengthening and broadening recovery in the euro area," the ECB president told the bank's annual conference in Sintra, Portugal, on Tuesday. "Deflationary forces have been replaced by reflationary ones." As Mr Draghi spoke, the euro climbed 0.7 per cent against the dollar to $1.1258, its highest since June 14, although the rally coincided with a wider trend for a weaker US currency. In late London trading, it broke through the $1.13 mark for the first time since September. The ECB president said all the evidence suggested the central bank was managing to raise demand. He also indicated he was not overly concerned about the recent weakness in inflation, which he said was down to global factors and changes in the labour market that meant there was less pressure on companies to raise wages. He described the weakness in inflation as "temporary" and predicted that the ECB could achieve its target of just under 2 per cent in the medium term. He said the risk of so-called "hysteresis effects" — where damage inflicted by crises becomes permanent — had diminished too."
My friend pointed to a whole spate of recent data that is quite robust. This is the German IFO data.
Carsten Brzeski, ING's chief economist for Germany and Austria, highlighted particularly strong reports from industrial producers, noting:
"Some more relief and eu(ro)phoria after the French parliamentary elections but also a brightening outlook for the German industry are the main drivers of yet another stronger Ifo reading. The industrial revival could be the surprise story of the year in the Germany economy. Almost unnoticed, the industry has returned from sluggish to buoyant. Looking ahead, there is increasing evidence that investment could also pick up in the course of the year. The combination of strong orders at hand and low inventories is currently as good as in mid-2006 and late-2010." Financial Times.
Final thoughts…
Much of my deeper inspiration comes from ancient wisdom texts – or from life itself – some sometimes I find self help or motivational writing useful. Here is a great list about things one should give up to be successful. It reminds me of the phrase in the Tao Te Ching about the path to knowledge being to add something each day but the path to enlightenment is to take away something each day. At first this might seem slightly 'negative' in the Western sense. But it is actually based on the premise that we are all innately perfect, both wise and highly creative. We just need to remove the obstacles to access that inner resource.
I love "You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks." ― Winston S. Churchill
Have a great week.
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With four boys aged fifteen to twenty-five, all making their mark on the international showjumping scene, it is safe to say that Ludo Philippaerts has done a good job of securing that the business he established 25 years ago stays within the family. Anthony (15), Thibault (17) and the twins Nicola and Olivier (25) are all following in their famous father's footprints, with the two latter already being the darlings of the younger generation of showjumping fans world-wide.
World of Showjumping meets Nicola and Olivier at home in Meeuwen Gruitrode, Belgium – and discover that the two are ready to take their father's showjumping empire to the next level.
One could fall onto the conclusion that it has all come easy for Nicola and Olivier. After all, Ludo – their father – is one of the most successful showjumpers of all times and owns one of the most well-known stables in the world. However, the boys have been brought up without being shielded from their father's business. Although there was always a pony or horse at Nicola and Olivier's disposal – to encourage them to ride if they wanted to – they have both had to see some of their best horses being sold along the way. Early on they had to learn that in order to pay the bills, horses come and horses go.
The biggest sacrifice however, was made by Ludo himself – who in 2009 sold his best horse Winningmood, that went on to have huge success with Portugal's Luciana Diniz. The purpose of the sale was to kick-start Nicola and Olivier's careers, making it possible for their father to buy them both horses to get their junior years off to the best possible start. "That is how we got horses such as Carisma and Sunny Girl," Olivier says. "My dad sold his best horse to make it possible for us."
For the two boys, it started as it does for most. "We had a small pony to share – Fritz," Olivier tells. "We were around six years old, and that is when it all began. My dad always made sure we had some ponies in the stable, in case we wanted to ride. We did a lot of sports when we were little; football, basketball, tennis and combined it with riding the ponies. Until we were 11, we competed at small local shows and then we stepped up to national level. Slowly, the riding took over. The first time I competed at the Belgian Championships for ponies, at the age of 12, I won and qualified for the Europeans – and from there on it escalated. When I was 14-15, it was pretty clear what it was going to be," Olivier smiles. "It was the same for me," Nicola adds. "I got a really good pony when I was 12-13, that I became Belgian Champion with and did the Europeans with."
It was Nobel de Virton, Carlos Z, Carisma and Cabrio vd Heffinck that placed Nicola and Olivier firmly on the international showjumping map as juniors and young riders. With Nobel de Virton, Nicola took individual silver at the European Championships for juniors in Hoofddorp, Netherlands in 2009. The year after, Olivier became European Champion for juniors with Carisma in Jardy, France and in 2011 it was Nicola and Carlos' turn in Comporta, Portugal. There, the boys also won the team gold for the young riders – this time with Olivier riding Cabrio vd Heffinck.
In 2010, shortly after the European Championships, Carisma was sold. Two years later, Carlos followed. "It is always a step back when you have to sell a good horse," Olivier says. "While some horses stay for the sport, others get sold – that is how we make our living. We have to do the business to do the sport, that is the way it is."
But a sale is not something the Philippaerts-twins see as a setback, rather the contrary. "We cannot afford to buy the horses as ready Grand Prix prospects, we have to buy them young and produce them ourselves," Olivier says. "This is one of the aspects of our business that I enjoy the most. We go on the road and we find a very good young horse. We buy it, we produce it and then one day you compete it at the highest level – maybe you even win a Grand Prix with it. If you end up selling the horse, it just means you were successful in what you did," Olivier continues. "This is, I believe, our strength – finding good young horses. All In (Peder Fredricson), Carisma (Danielle Goldstein), Carlos (McLain Ward), Faustino de Tili (Kirsten Vanderveen), Harley vd Bisschop (Bertram Allen), Winningmood (Luciana Diniz) – that is just some of the horses that come from our stable," Olivier says. "And like our dad always reminded us, if we don't sell we can also not invest in anything new."
"You have to sell to keep on going," Nicola says. "To sell Harley vd Bisschop last year was a very difficult moment for me, the horse had an exceptional season. For my career, it made a big difference to have a horse like him. But, we are a business stable and we owned him half with someone else. We had an agreement with the other owner to at one point sell, and this was the right moment. That being said, it is still emotionally hard – Harley was here for five years, and of course you develop a special connection with a horse you had for so long and that did so much for you."
Both Nicola and Olivier are actively taking part in their father's business, and they both enjoy it. "We are more involved in the business now than before, as our father has been busy with my younger brothers at the shows," Nicola explains. "Our father mostly searches the horses and buys them, while we take care of the sales. Olivier and I are a lot at the bigger shows and meet a lot of clients, so it is natural that way."
With four boys all in need of top horses, as well as having to make sure the business goes around, Ludo is certainly kept busy after having retired from the sport in 2015. "We buy a lot," Nicola explains. "At this point we have fourteen seven-year olds, and twelve six-year-olds," Olivier adds. "We buy them from all over Europe. We don't go on the road to look for types for me, Nicola, Anthony or Thibault, we just try to get the best six and seven-year-olds we find," he continues with Nicola shooting in: "Whatever jumps clear and is fast!"
"Our dad decides who rides which horses and tries to give the right horse to the right rider. Sometimes it can change in between, but that does not happen so often," Olivier explains.
"I think our dad has a very good eye for the young horses," Olivier says. "He can really look through the horses. An example is H&M Chilli Willi. When I saw him, I always doubted him for the big sport but our dad was always sure he was going to be a real Grand Prix prospect. In the end it turned out that way, as it usually does."
The Philippaerts have also developed a system for the younger horses that seem to work very well. "From they are six to seven, our younger horses don't do that much. Normally they mostly do national shows with our rider Stijn Timmermans who does a great job with them. When they are eight one of the four of us normally get them to ride, they start doing more – maybe up to 1.45m level. As nine-year-olds, they can do a bit bigger classes but it is a difficult age – you can easily do too much and then it can come back to you when they get older. So, we prefer to be careful with them until they are ten, then they are normally good to go," Olivier says.
With fifty-something horses at the stable in Meeuwen Gruitrode, the four Philippaerts-boys and Timmermans don't have a dull moment in the day. However, with both Anthony and Thibault wanting to step up to ride bigger classes, it gets more and more challenging to find enough quality horse power for all. "Obviously, it gets more difficult now that our brothers also want to ride at the highest level," Olivier says. "Thibault turns 18 this year, and also need a horse than can jump the big classes."
To make sure the business adapts to the needs of the four Philippaerts-boys, the family is now in the final stages of getting the permits to build another equestrian complex on their property. "We plan to build another place just next door, down in the fields that we own – with 60 boxes, and an indoor and an outdoor. Hopefully it should be ready in two years. If we all four want to ride, and all want to live from this we have to make it bigger," Olivier says. "What our dad achieved here since he built this place 25 years ago is nothing but impressive," Olivier continues. "Most people build once in their life, now he does it again."
Working together as a family is something both Olivier and Nicola enjoy. "I think it's nice. It's not always easy, but to work together and go together to the shows as a family is something special," Nicola says. "We need to stick together, can you imagine if we all go our separate ways – that will make it a lot more difficult," Olivier laughs. "We are stronger together. But we have a big challenge ahead of us, we have to grow our business if we are all going to make a living out of it. At the same time, we need to keep the company under control and make sure it does not get too big."
"Our parents are the pillars in our lives," Nicola says. "Our dad spent a lot of time with us at the shows when we were younger, but so did our mum in the beginning – back then our dad was riding himself. From junior level, he became more and more involved. He did everything possible for us to get our career off to the best start, and he gave us all his experience and knowledge at a young age," Nicola says. "With his connections and his name, it for sure made it easier for us but it also came with pressure," Olivier adds. "Our mum, she has also always been there – making sure there is always a family dinner when we come home."
The parenting part is definitely another achievement for Ludo and his wife Veronique. Both Nicola and Olivier come across as having their feet firmly connected to the ground, supporting each other through ups and downs. The two twins confirm that although they are "very close", they are "very different". "I find it very hard to explain your own personality," Olivier says. "But out of the two of us, I think I am more outgoing, and Nicola is more reserved." Nicola quickly confirms: "I am shyer towards people I don't know," he says.
"When we come in the ring, we both want to win – it is as simple as that," Olivier answers on the question on whether or not there is competition between the two. "However, that competitiveness also pushes both of us to wanting to become better. But, we were never jealous of each other in any way. That being said, we both did well and were equally successful – maybe it would have been different if only one of us was doing good and the other one was struggling behind."
The Philippaerts-twins leap to global fame got a good push when the two partnered up with H&M in 2015. "H&M is an exceptional sponsor and supporter of the equestrian sport, and have been so for many, many years. We have been extremely lucky to become a part of their team," Olivier says. "We are so fortunate to have them supporting us," Nicola says. "It's also great people to work with, and we have a lot of fun being part of the H&M-family!"
Despite being only 25, the Philippaerts-twins already have nearly a decade of success behind them. Both have won prestigious five-star Grand Prix classes, been selected for the Olympic Games – Nicola and in 2016 and Olivier as reserve in 2012 – as well as competing at the European Championships and World Equestrian Games. What more do they wish for with so much accomplished already? "Hopefully I can still try to ride at the Olympic Games a few more times, that was something very special," Nicola says. "But what really motivates me on a daily basis is to have good horses, and a good group of people around me. I enjoy the competition, the moment it has to happen – when you are in the jump-off at venues such as Aachen and Spruce Meadows – that is what you live for, because it takes a lot of hard work and effort to get there." Olivier joins in, saying: "I really, really would like to win a championship medal one day – especially with the Belgian team. That is something no one forgets, it's one of the biggest achievements in our sport. But my daily drive, that is to bring the younger horses to top level. Doing this sport, I also think it is important to remember to enjoy the moments and not move away from your successes too quickly. When you win a Grand Prix it unfortunately easily gets forgotten, suddenly you are at the next show and complain about having two fences down."
Through the ups and downs, there is nothing Nicola and Olivier would rather do than showjumping. "It's a fantastic lifestyle," Olivier says. "We get to travel the world. However, it is also a particular lifestyle. Last year I spent 44 weekends at the show, that is a lot. It can get exhausting, so sometimes you have to force yourself to take a break. But still that is the way I like it, and I enjoy doing it." Nicola agrees: "There has not been a moment of regret, although it is a 24/7 job! We make a living out of what we love, and to wake up and be able to do that – what more could you wish for?"
The horses that made our careers
Nobel de Virton (Prima d'Or x Dairin, born 2000):
"I won my first international medal with Nobel de Virton, at the European Championships in 2009 we went off with the individual silver. After, my father took him over and competed him at five-star Grand Prix, Nations Cup and World Cup level."
Carlos (Chellano x Voltaire, born 2002):
"Carlos was the horse that really kicked off my career internationally. The year I was 17, I won the three-star Grand Prix in Lisbon with him and was double clear in the Nations Cup there, and just before that he jumped double clear in the Nations Cup in Lummen. The same year, we won double gold at the European Championships for young riders in Comporta. In 2012, after he won the five-star Grand Prix in Falsterbo, he was sold to Emilie Martinsen and then in 2014 McLain Ward took him over – and the two of them had huge success together.
Harley vd Bisschop (Dulf vd Bisschop x Coronado, born 2007):
"Harley came to us when he was seven, I had him until he was eleven and got sold to Bertram Allen. He had an exceptional season last year, winning the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Estoril and finishing second in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Madrid. He was also double clear in the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, that Belgium won. Having a horse like him made a huge difference to my career."
H&M Chilli Willi (Casall x Lord, born 2008):
"Chilli Willi is my best horse at the moment. He has a break now to breed, and then he goes to Oliva for a few weeks. From there he starts in Doha for the Global Champions Tour. I would also like to do the European Championships in Rotterdam with him this year, that will be very important for Belgium as we still need to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games.
As a six- and seven-year-old, Chilli Willi was quite careful but he did not look all that scopey. He was such a big horse, but still very weak when he was younger. Now that he has grown, his body feels stronger and the scope has developed.
Chilli Willi is very easy going, he is not a stallion at all actually. He has a very good character, a lot of heart and always tries to give his best in the ring."
Carisma (Cardento x Maraton, born 1999):
"When I was 16, I got an amazing horse called Carisma that we bought it from Jens Fredricson. She was a different kind of horse from what I was used to, she had blood and was sensitive. In the beginning I struggled, and I was not sure if she was going to suit me but then I figured it out and at the end of the day she was an unbelievably good horse for me. When I was 17, I won the individual gold at the European Championships for juniors in Jardy with her, and after that I got the opportunity to jump the five-star show in Mechelen. Carisma was the horse that really made me step up, and opened a lot of doors for me."
H&M Cabrio van de Heffinck (Cassini I x Calato, born 2002):
"As a young horse Cabrio was not the easiest. He was always very fresh, he had a lot of blood and energy, was very playful – and also had a lot of character. While I had Carisma, he came along as my second horse. When I sold Carisma, he became my number one horse. We grew together, from junior to senior level – and in 2012 I won the CP International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows with him, which still is the highlight of my career. I jumped my first Nations Cup in Aachen with him, and also on the team in Rome alongside my brother and our dad. Cabrio was a horse made for big grass rings like that, he was not a very good indoor horse. He needed a lot of room, that was what suited him best. Cabrio stayed with us until he was retired in 2017."
H&M Legend of Love (Landzauber x Corgraf, born 2006):
"Legend, well – she is very stubborn. She is an exceptionally good horse, and when she is in the ring she will do everything to go clear – but you have to do it her way. You have to completely adjust to her, be as light as possible and interrupt as little as possible – you can't change her.
Legend is the horse that I am going to keep for the Global Champions Tour circuit this year, I think it suits her very well."
Coming up ...
Nicola on J'Adore van het Schaeck (Vagabond de la Pomme x Carrera de Muze, born 2009):
"J'Adore I did not have for long, only for eight months. She has developed very well, and came with to Aachen and Calgary last year as a second horse. In Geneva she was third in one of the big classes. Hopefully, she can do a few Nations Cups this year."
Olivier on H&M Extra (Berlin x Heartbreaker, born 2009):
"Extra is a really sweet horse. He is sensitive, and has a lot of blood and power.
I want to try to go to the European Championships with him this year, I think he is a championship horse – and I think he is going to be a very good one."
Text © World of Showjumping by Jannicke Naustdal
Photos © World of Showjumping by Jenny Abrahamsson
No reproduction without permission, copyright © World of Showjumping
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CII Related Weblinks
The majority of Albertans believe that various healthcare professionals in Alberta already have access to all or some of their personal health information. However, this is not so. Alberta Healths Community Information Integration (CII) initiative is working with community primary care physicians and community clinics to improve the continuity of care through improved information sharing. When surveyed, there is strong support among patients for a provincial system to extract and share selected patient information from family doctors with other healthcare providers. Albertans are more cautious about sharing medical information with Alberta Health for quality improvement purposes, however, when offered a detailed description of CII, over 93% of respondents support the project.
2. AMA Doctors Digest
Through CII, community-based primary care and community clinics can contribute Canadian Institute for Health Improvement (CIHI) EMR standard data, and community-based specialist reports. This data is presented in Netcare through clinically-relevant reports. Clinicians subjective chart notes will not be uploaded. The data is also available for secondary use, such as quality improvement and population planning and research. The Health Quality Council of Alberta will conduct an independent evaluation of the CII project.
3. AMA Section of General Practice
The continuous flow of information is one of the most important components of quality healthcare. The benefits of continuous information flow include: time savings, duplication of tests, care gap avoidance and ultimately improved quality of care. Enhanced information exchange and access is also an essential component of the patients medical home. The Section of General Practice supports CII, but wants to ensure that there is a positive impact on patients and practices, and that challenges are addressed within the limited production roll out targeting early adopter clinics.
4. Orion Health
Information is now flowing from early adopter primary care clinics, powered securely from a remote cloud infrastructure by Orion Healths Software as a Service (SaaS). Data collected from community-based primary care clinics is available to over 50,000 authorized healthcare providers through Alberta Netcare.