up

Last Update

Left Varna for Sofia on Thursday and it's the first time I have nearly missed a plane I was literally the last person on the plane. If it had not been for someone coming to the Hotel and waking me up I would have missed it altogether. 2 uneventfull nights




up

New Zealand Taupo and Mordor

In Taupo we slept one Night near the Lake. The next Day was Hammer Time again. 15000 feet Skydive. Unbelievable Feeling. At the same Day we driven along the Desert Road Highway 1 to see Mt. Doom and Mordor from the Lord of the Rings. Very cool Scenerys




up

New Zealand Way to Taupo over Gisborne East Coast Road Opotiki and Rotorura

Arrived in Hasting we're slept on a nice Campsite near a Beach. The german Couple was 3 Days before us there. Manu and Vera are now 9 Month in NZ and have a Working Visa for 1 Year. On the next Day our 2 Vans heading to the North. We visit the Peninsula Ma




up

Tell them you cleaned up monkey poo...

Three weeks into our stint at Monkeyland. times are good sometimes too much spare time the volunteer house is very basic... and as sad as it sounds sometimes it is just nice to sit back and watch mindless or mindful TV. We keep ourselves busy though




up

'Cause I'm a Super Model

This is a frightening thought but I may be the most photographed person in all of China In my first few days here I kept catching people taking pictures of me on the sly and when I looked at them I noticed them waving but thought they wanted me to




up

Expo and a whole load of catch up

It has been 6 weeks since we all started at Dulwich College and the time has just completely and utterly flown away. I can't believe it has been almost 2 months since we moved into our lovely new apartment in Jinqiao and our new life on 'the dark side' if




up

Up the East Coast of USA Cape May MD

Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in




up

2014 is so horrible, nothing can cheer us up. Not even Simon Cowell with a bucket on his head | Charlie Brooker

Russia v Ukraine, Isis, Boris Johnson, Cliff Richard and Ebola – there's not much to be cheerful about right now, though the ice bucket challenge is working overtime

Ah. Right. Looks like I picked a bad week to draw inspiration from current affairs for this knockabout comedy column. The news is rarely a warehouse of carefree chuckles but at the moment it's like an apocalyptic playlist on perpetual shuffle, with one harrowing crisis overlapping another. Palestine, Libya, Syria … it's all horrifying and upsetting. Not a single nice thing has happened all year, except the recent stealth launch of Cadbury's Wispa Biscuits, and even "stealth launch of Wispa Biscuits" sounds like a terrible euphemism for breaking wind.

The planet is currently playing host to countless alarming crises. There's the nail-biting tension of Russia v Ukraine, a depressing standoff overseen by facial-expression-avoider Vladimir Putin. I don't know if all the strings connecting Putin's face muscles to his brain were accidentally severed during a tragic smiling accident years ago, but I've seen brickwork convey more emotion.

Continue reading...




up

Apple’s software updates are like changing the water in a fish tank. I’d rather let the fish die | Charlie Brooker

The all-new iPhones and Apple Watch can be easily avoided but there’s no escaping iOS 8

The past few weeks haven’t been great for Apple. First they were implicated in the stolen celebrity nude photo disaster, which reminded everybody how easily clouds leak. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the iPhone is generally marketed as a diabolical timewasting device with the potential to wreak a grotesque and devastating invasion of your personal privacy. They tend to focus more on all the cool colours it comes in.

Then they launched the horrible-looking Apple Watch, which does everything an iPhone can do, but more expensively and pointlessly, and on a slightly different part of your body. Only an unhealthily devoted Apple fanatic could bear to wear a Apple Watch, and even that poor notional idiot would have to keep putting their iPhone down in order to operate the damn thing. It’ll scarcely be used for telling the time, just as the iPhone is scarcely used for making calls. It’s not a watch. It’s a gaudy wristband aimed at raising awareness of Chinese factory conditions. Or a handy visual tag that helps con artists instantly identify gullible rich idiots in a crowd.

Continue reading...




up

Common setups to secure your networks from home

Need help with setting up your network to allow your remote employees to access internal business services securely?



  • <a href="https://blog.apnic.net/category/tech-matters/">Tech matters</a>

up

Germany: Supermarkets and Hospitals Hire More Security Guards

Amid the current public health crisis, hospitals and grocery stores have a growing demand for more security personnel. The guards will help to limit access to buildings -- and stop possible fights over goods.




up

Corona Challenge: Germany Reaching the Upper Limit of Testing Capacity

Every day, tens of thousands people in Germany seek to get tested for the novel coronavirus. Often, though, they run up against a lack of testing capacity. And it is likely to only get worse. By DER SPIEGEL Staff




up

Is the Supply of Charitable Donations Fixed? Evidence from Deadly Tornadoes -- by Tatyana Deryugina, Benjamin M. Marx

Do new societal needs increase charitable giving or simply reallocate a fixed supply of donations? We study this question using IRS datasets and the natural experiment of deadly tornadoes. Among ZIP Codes located more than 20 miles away from a tornado's path, donations by households increase by over $1 million per tornado fatality. We find no negative effects on charities located in these ZIP Codes, with a bootstrapped confidence interval that rejects substitution rates above 16 percent. The results imply that giving to one cause need not come at the expense of another.




up

Groups seek $200B for education in coronavirus bill

A group of 90 education and other groups wrote a letter to US lawmakers Wednesday asking for $200 billion in federal funding  -More





up

Corona: How People Around the World Are Supporting Each Other

The coronavirus is forcing us to keep our distance from other people. Yet these extraordinary times have also brought forth moments of warmth and solidarity. People are offering each other words of encouragement and banding together to fight their loneliness.




up

Dropouts Need Not Apply? The Minimum Wage and Skill Upgrading -- by Jeffrey Clemens, Lisa B. Kahn, Jonathan Meer

We explore whether minimum wage increases result in substitution from lower-skilled to slightly higher-skilled labor. Using 2011-2016 American Community Survey data (ACS), we show that workers employed in low-wage occupations are older and more likely to have a high school diploma following recent statutory minimum wage increases. To better understand the role of firms, we examine the Burning Glass vacancy data. We find increases in a high school diploma requirement following minimum wage hikes, consistent with our ACS evidence on stocks of employed workers. We see substantial adjustments to requirements both within and across firms.




up

Team Players: How Social Skills Improve Group Performance -- by Ben Weidmann, David J. Deming

Most jobs require teamwork. Are some people good team players? In this paper we design and test a new method for identifying individual contributions to group performance. We randomly assign people to multiple teams and predict team performance based on previously assessed individual skills. Some people consistently cause their group to exceed its predicted performance. We call these individuals “team players”. Team players score significantly higher on a well-established measure of social intelligence, but do not differ across a variety of other dimensions, including IQ, personality, education and gender. Social skills – defined as a single latent factor that combines social intelligence scores with the team player effect – improve group performance about as much as IQ. We find suggestive evidence that team players increase effort among teammates.




up

Monsanto Merger Migraine: Roundup Is Toxic for Bayer

German multinational Bayer underestimated the risks of acquiring Monsanto. Now, the company is desperately seeking to contain the damage by selling business divisions and cutting jobs. So far, though, none of these moves have helped.




up

Lufthansa CEO on How Coronavirus Has Radically Upended the Aviation Industry

The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted massive damage on the aviation industry. But Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr says that the German flag carrier is in a good position to survive, even if it will take several years for the industry to recover.




up

Live coronavirus updates for Thursday, May 7: Utah minorities especially affected by COVID-19, panelists say




up

Live coronavirus updates for Friday, May 8: West Jordan canceling the Western Stampede rodeo due to COVID-19 concerns




up

Thomas Toland Smart: Don’t ‘open up’ without seat belts and guardrails




up

Did you order a grocery pickup? Don’t expect that six-pack to be in your bag. In Utah, you have to buy beer inside.




up

Live coronavirus updates for Saturday, May 9: Five more Utahns die from COVID-19, bringing state’s death toll to 66




up

Supermarkets limiting meat purchases amid tight supply and buyer panic

Meat is going the way of toilet paper, and grocery stores are rushing to stay ahead of panic buying as supplies tighten during the coronavirus pandemic. Just as scared shoppers snapped up hand sanitizer, soap and yes, toilet paper at the beginning of the pandemic, now they are rushing to stock meat. Grocery chains across the country have begun limiting meat purchases in response to the dual pressures.




up

Ahmaud Arbery supporters are running 2.23 miles on what would be his 26th birthday

Supporters for Ahmaud Arbery, the unarmed black jogger who was fatally shot by two white men on a Georgia road in broad daylight, are planning to run 2.23 miles Friday to celebrate what would be his 26th birthday and call for justice in the case. Organizers of the virtual run are asking people to go for a walk, jog or run and post a photo, video or written message on social media with the hashtag #IRunwithAhmaud.




up

DC Comics superhero Hershey bars are coming but sent to frontline coronavirus workers first

Talk about a sweet gesture. A line of DC Comics superhero chocolate bars is coming, but before you can get your hands on them, Hershey’s is first giving them out to workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.




up

McDonald’s CEO expresses full confidence in chain’s meat supply

McDonald’s knows exactly where its beef is. The fast food chain’s CEO on Thursday expressed full confidence in the burger joint’s meat supply.




up

SYSTEM UPDATE: 5 Mother’s Day gifts for the ‘Gamer Mom’

You can always get your mom flowers for Mother’s Day, or chocolate, or your standard Mother’s Day gift. Or, if your mom is anything like mine, you can go in a completely different direction.




up

Costco shoppers upset the retailer is requiring customers to wear face masks during a pandemic

Some Costco customers are not happy about having to wear masks in stores.




up

Chris Cornell’s widow fires back at Soundgarden members in escalating legal war, says they’re tying to ‘browbeat’ her into giving up music

Chris Cornell’s widow is firing back at her husband’s Soundgarden bandmates, calling the lawsuit they filed against her Wednesday an attempt to “browbeat” her into giving up “copyrighted works.”




up

EU court hits back at German ruling on ECB support

The European Union's top court has said it alone has the power to decide whether EU bodies are breaching the bloc's rules, in a rebuke to Germany's highest court, which this week rejected its judgment approving the ECB's trillion-euro bond purchases.




up

Gov. Cuomo, don’t cry over spilled milk: Edie Falco says N.Y. shouldn’t prop up dairy farmers

Like many New Yorkers — indeed, many Americans — I’ve looked to Gov. Cuomo’s decisive leadership during the coronavirus crisis. But his Nourish New York initiative, while well-intentioned, is a step in the wrong direction. With federal funds stretched to the limit, why would the governor squander $25 million to bail out the dairy industry, which is rife with disease and cruelty?




up

One group of Nets workers is being left out in the cold

When Nets owner Joe Tsai pledged to continue paying the Barclays Center workers who make game day experiences possible through the end of May, it was a relief to many. One group has been left out in the cold, however, and is now speaking up for itself.




up

White House upgrade: First lady’s done a lot with the place

Like anyone who has ever spruced up their home, Melania Trump will have a few new touches to showcase Friday when guests visit the White House for only the second state dinner of the Trump presidency.




up

Supertall residential building will enter crowded NYC market

A New York City condominium tower will be the world’s tallest predominantly residential building when it opens next year, though it will be competing with other ultra-luxury buildings for billionaire buyers, the building’s developer said Tuesday.




up

Georgia mall featured in ‘Stranger Things’ to go up for sale

Most of the Georgia mall heavily featured in the latest season of Netflix's "Stranger Things" is going up for sale.




up

Iconic Las Vegas wedding chapel is no longer up for sale

The owner of a Las Vegas chapel where celebrity couples like Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have gotten married is staying wedded to her business.




up

First signs of disruption appear in housing; markets ‘calm’

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed as it continues to spread across the world. Here is a look at some of the latest developments Wednesday related to the global economy, particular economic sectors, and the workplace.




up

‘Be prepared for the Wild West’: As real estate’s busy season winds up, here’s how to buy or sell a home during the coronavirus pandemic

Real estate data suggests the market took a downturn in March that might already be rebounding. Here's what experts predict.




up

Former Halford inmate is a Playa in QEII Cup at Sha Tin

Playa Del Puente narrowly missed out in the Hong Kong Derby last time, but jockey Blake Shinn is hoping he can gain compensation in Sunday's FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin.




up

Koeman issues upbeat update after health scare

Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman is feeling "fit as a fiddle" after undergoing a heart procedure in Amsterdam at the weekend, the former Everton and Southampton boss confirmed.




up

Gambino capo, 10 cohorts picked up on federal racketeering conspiracy, loansharking, bribery charges

Veteran captain Andrew Campos, 50, was arrested only months after a search warrant uncovered multiple photos of the mobster and co-defendant Richard Martino making prison visits to imprisoned Mafioso Frank LoCascio, once the underboss to the infamous “Dapper Don” Gotti.




up

South Brooklynites are fed up with spotty R and D train service: report

The survey of more than 700 people in Sen. Andrew Gounardes’ district — which stretches from Bay Ridge to Manhattan Beach — found that half of those who take the subway to work need to transfer at least once during their commutes.




up

SEE IT: Boy violently struck by car in Brooklyn, then gets up and walks away

The frightening incident happened Wednesday around 8 a.m., on 55th St. between 14th Ave. and New Utrecht Ave. in Borough Park, according to Ezra Friedlander, who shared the video on Twitter.




up

After legendary 53-year career, Brooklyn Federal Judge Jack Weinstein hangs up his robe at age 98

Judge Jack Weinstein on Monday moved to inactive status, closing out a 53-year career. A highlight of his law career was working with Thurgood Marshall on the legal arguments that led the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in Brown v. Board of Education that school segregation was illegal. He was named a federal judge in 1967, and on his retirement was the last appointee of President Lyndon Johnson still on the bench.




up

Brooklyn Supreme Court worker tests positive for coronavirus, officials say courthouse will remain open

The employee, who works at 320 Jay St. in Downtown Brooklyn, tested positive for the illness Thursday night, prompting the Vera Institute to tell a majority of their employees to work from home.




up

Transgender woman housed with men repeatedly raped in Brooklyn federal lockup: lawsuit

A transgender woman awaiting trial on charges that she swindled elderly women out of their savings was raped repeatedly in jail after she was housed against her will with rowdy male inmates, according to a new lawsuit.




up

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams calls for express supermarket lanes for first responders, with Foodtown already onboard

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams called Saturday for all New York supermarkets to offer express lane treatment for those heroic New Yorkers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.