This Saturday, New York City will once again host the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, as it has every year since 1877.

But this year, cats will be included in the week-long event, which has long been one of the most prestigious competitive dog shows in the world.

Yes, cats.

When that was first reported, some seemed to think that dogs would be sharing the stage —  and the competition for the title of “Best in Show” — with felines.  Disgruntled dog lovers were dismayed and took to Twitter to express their opposition.

One columnist even opined in an op-ed published by the Chicago Tribune that the news put the United States in danger.

“It pains me to say this,” author Rex Huppke wrote, “But our country is in peril.”

Of course, Huppke was just kidding.  Even so, it was hard to imagine what cats would do at a dog show.

“It is just for public education and fun,” explained Gail Miller Bisher, director of communications at the Westminster Kennel Club and a dog show analyst for Fox Sports.

In short, the show is a combination of two events — the formal dog competition and what is known as the “meet the breeds” event.

“The American Kennel Club’s “meet the breeds” is really a public education offering, so there are booths of every breed for the public to learn about,” Bisher said. “The whole point is to touch the dogs, and learn about the breeds from the groomers, owners and handlers, so that [ticket holders] can know more about dogs before possibly bringing one into their home.”

This year, the educational part of the dog show has been extended to cats.

According to Bisher, there’s no master plan or ulterior motive to cats being at a dog show.

“The AKC has worked with The International Cat Association (TICA http://www.tica.org/) in the past; so they invited TICA to bring up to 40 breeds of cats as part of that public education offering,” she said.

Still, it’s too close for comfort for some dog lovers, such as Rex Huppke, who writes:

“I’m calling for an immediate ban on any felines seeking to enter the Westminster Dog Show festivities. We just need to shut it down until we can figure this thing out….

This country was founded by people who loved dogs. It’s an accurate historical fact, according to something I found on the Internet, that a 25-year-old Pilgrim named John Goodman brought both his mastiff and English springer spaniel with him on the Mayflower.

(There are also reports of a cat on the Mayflower, but I think that’s just fake news).”
…

From: MeNeedIt

Private intelligence companies are part of a booming business in London and the British government complains it is having trouble retaining talented agents who are being drawn by high salaries and more growth opportunities in a blossoming industry estimated to be worth $19 billion.

“Our mission is to fill a gap of knowledge or information in any situation,” said Patrick Grayson, founder and CEO of GPW, a respected mid-sized London intelligence firm. “There’s always something people should or could know in addition to what they do know. Our job is to answer that question. To fill that gap in knowledge.”  

With legal firms as their key clients, Gray’s company has set up shop on London’s Chancery Lane in the heart of the city’s legal district, where solicitors and judges dressed in the traditional court garb that includes white wigs and black robes can be seen walking between the courts and their offices in the medieval Inner Temple area.   

The business of private investigations was once regarded as less than respectable and downmarket – that of the stereotypical private eye in a trench coat under a streetlight; but industry observers note the private investigators of today have been pulled from the gutter and into the boardroom, where they take their places next to lawyers and accountants.

The man some in the industry credit as the inventor of the modern private corporate investigations sector is former prosecutor Jules Kroll, a New Yorker who in 1986 started Kroll investigations. The company’s revenues now top $1 billion.

It is at Kroll’s company that Grayson and other big names in the field learned the trade and brought it to London, where the city’s strategic geographic location between the United States and Asia and its long-established history as a center of espionage made it the right locale for the new industry.

Crowded playing field

Industry observers say the playing field has become crowded, mostly with small firms of as few as three people; but the sector continues to grow as big corporations expand operations overseas and seek to minimize risks in environments they do not fully understand.   

“Large companies draw on us because they don’t have the investigative capacity internally and where that capacity has its work more recently is in the international context. Our firm understands cultural sensitivities,” says Nicholas Connon, director of Quintel Intelligence, a London firm.  

Clients include companies taking new clients and investing in emerging markets of Africa, eastern Europe, and east Asia that are unfamiliar territory and where things are sometimes not what they appear.

“We’re actually getting lots of requests, with the basic question, ‘can you tell me what’s going on,’” said Alex Bomberg of International Intelligence, which works in faraway places like India. “Even if you look at the books of the company, it’s not necessarily going to give you the full picture.”   

Among their services, companies like Bomberg’s provide pattern of life studies that give a picture of the people in a company that can be different from the image portrayed on its website, and insight on how a company is really doing. “A swan might look great above the water line, but how people are living their lifestyle within that company can be a different kind of fish,” Bomberg said.

Usually not James Bond stuff

The work of corporate intelligence agents is more often not the exciting stuff of James Bond movies.  It can involve combing through individuals’ credit histories and analyzing personal habits – work that can include going through people’s trash. “We’re talking about what car they drive, what’s going into their dust bin, where their wives are shopping,” said Bomberg.

Although the modern industry had its start in New York, London is a breeding ground for firms, and one where they naturally thrive. The city has for centuries been a center of espionage and the British are credited with being in the spying business perhaps longer than anyone else.   

One reason is the nation’s history as a great colonial power.

“Britain has been a very fertile place for information, intelligence gathering, and that has to do with our position in the globe, the British tradition of exploring foreign parts and relying on accurate information to expand its interests,” said Grayson.

Getting that accurate information requires tools that are reminiscent of the movies. Gear commonly used include jamming equipment to ensure that boardroom discussions are not being recorded and bug-searching devices.

$1,000 an hour

Intelligence company officials and operatives interviewed agreed there is no piece of equipment that beats the human eyeball, and the knowledge and experience to know what to look for.

Observers say the British government faces a brain drain as agents employed by police forces, the military and civilian intelligence agencies leave their jobs for better paying positions in private sector firms that often bill at rates of more than $1,000 an hour.

“If they’ve been working for a government agency for a long time, the draw is money. There’s not a lot of money working for the government. Even the pensions are not great these days. You could quite easily double that overnight,” Bomberg said.   

It is not only former intelligence officers who seek out firms. Recruits include financial advisers with backgrounds that include things like experience in property or construction, lawyers, and sometimes academics.

When the companies recruit people, they essentially buy experience.

“We recruit among whoever is the best,” said Connon. “We draw our expertise across the board to get into the specific situation.”
…

From: MeNeedIt

One of the major U.S. credit ratings agencies says the Trump administration represents a risk to international economic conditions and could alter global sovereign credit fundamentals.

The Fitch Ratings agency says risks have increased because U.S. policy predictability has diminished under Donald Trump, raising the prospects of unanticipated policy changes that could have global economic consequences.

The economic implications include the possibility of disruptions to trade relations, reduced capital flows and limits on migration and remittances, all of which could lead to heightened currency and financial market volatility.

But Fitch says parts of Trump’s agenda could be positive for growth. That includes the president’s promise to boost infrastructure investment, decrease regulations and cut taxes. Fitch says a lot will depend on whether those policies lead to bigger deficits or expand the U.S. debt.

All told, the balance of risks points toward a less benign outlook, given the administration’s abandonment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and its desire to renegotiate established trade deals with Canada and Mexico. Much could still change, but Fitch says the aggressive tone from the White House is likely to make negotiations or compromise with other countries more difficult.

Countries most at risk from increased U.S. unpredictability are those with close economic ties that are now under scrutiny because of perceptions of unfair trade arrangements or exchange rate practices. They include Canada, China, Germany, Japan and Mexico.

Fitch says that, due to the size of the U.S. economy and its integration in the global supply chain, any actions Washington takes to limit trade in one country are bound to have effects on other countries.
…

From: MeNeedIt

The Google Chromebook, a type of stripped-down laptop, isn’t a practical mobile device for many people – mostly because it basically turns into an expensive paperweight whenever it can’t find a Wi-Fi connection.

Yet Chromebooks have defied expectations and made major inroads in an unexpected environment – U.S. schools.

In retrospect, that shouldn’t be too surprising. Chromebooks are cheap and easy to manage, making them popular with budget-constrained schools with limited tech-support staff. And Wi-Fi is now common enough in U.S. schools and homes to make an internet-dependent device practical for students.

Google doesn’t want to stop there. It’s releasing new models in partnership with Samsung that are designed to appeal to a broader range of consumers. They have several tablet-like features, including a stylus, touch controls and a 360-degree hinge that allows you to turn the screen faceup. One starts selling Sunday for $449; a more powerful version comes out in April for $100 more.

Google and its manufacturing partners are trying to shed the Chromebook’s perception as underperforming budget devices. But even with premium models, expanding beyond U.S. schools won’t be easy.

Chromebooks get schooled

For personal computers and tablets, Chromebook’s share of the U.S. education market was 49 percent last year, up from 40 percent in 2015 and 9 percent in 2013, according to IDC figures released this week.

But education accounts for just 14 percent of the 110 million devices shipped in the U.S. last year – and Chromebooks make up just 9 percent of that broader total. Their numbers are also low abroad, even in schools.

The Chromebook’s popularity in U.S. education is also largely limited to grades K-12, analysts say. Macs and Windows laptops are still dominant on college campuses.

Rough start

Chromebooks use a lightweight operating system designed to get people online faster, without having to wait around for the computer to start up. Much of the heavy lifting on Chromebooks gets done on Google’s remote servers, so Chromebooks themselves don’t need fast chips or lots of storage.

Early on, though, that made Chromebooks seem cheap and underpowered, which “soured consumer expectations right off the bat,” IDC analyst Linn Huang said.

Online storage for photos and documents online was much less common in 2011 when Chromebooks launched, so their limited local storage was initially unappealing. And the few apps available for Chromebooks didn’t work offline, at least at the time.

Differing needs

But what constrains consumers can actually be liberating in education. Most kids don’t need laptops on the bus or other locations where they can’t connect to Wi-Fi. And they don’t miss business software like Microsoft Office; Google’s online apps for documents and spreadsheets do just fine for homework.

“What surprised us was how quickly it took off in education,” said Kan Liu, who oversees Chromebooks at Google.

Apple’s iPad was hot at the time, but Google sold the Chromebook on convenience. They’re easier for classrooms to share; just sign in with a Google account, and a student’s apps and documents instantly appear. Teachers also have online tools to lock down what apps and sites students can use.

And with models available for less than $200, schools can get a few Chromebooks for the price of an iPad or a rival laptop.

“It allows us to put more devices in students’ hands,” said Aaron Slutsky, chief technology officer for McDowell County Schools in North Carolina.

Far from universal

But Chromebook’s success story in schools is largely an American one, and it’s likely to stay that way. Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa notes that Chromebooks are useless in China because the device depends on Google services that aren’t available there. And in emerging countries, where a budget laptop would be ideal, she said internet access isn’t reliable enough.

Even in the U.S., the iPad is better for many creative tasks such as recording and editing movies. Students studying engineering, robotics and graphics won’t be able to use Chromebooks to run the kind of specialized software that’s available for Macs and Windows laptops.

“But that’s not needed for 98 percent of our students,” said Tracy Dabbs, coordinator of technology and innovation at the Burlington-Edison School District near Seattle.

Many school districts limit Apple and Windows computers for the students who specifically need them, then provide Chromebooks for the rest. McDowell County, for instance, has 5,500 Chromebooks, 1,200 iPads – and only 100 Macs and 200 Windows PCs.

Rivals stage comeback

Last year, Apple gave iPads in schools some Chromebook-like features unavailable to the general public. That includes ways to let multiple people use a single tablet and management tools for tech-support staff. A new Classroom app lets teachers control what apps students run and track their progress.

Apple also provides classroom tools for teachers and students. Free e-books offer teachers step-by-step guides on using iPad apps and curriculum suggestions for everyday subjects. A separate app lets kids learn programming using the same language developers use to build iPad apps.

Meanwhile, Microsoft announced last month new online apps and management tools for schools, along with Windows PCs priced similarly to Chromebooks.

Beyond schools

Huang said some businesses are giving Chromebooks a second look, especially in retail, banking and other settings where people share computers.

But in many offices, the lack of business software such as Office is a major hurdle. Google’s alternative lacks many advanced capabilities found in Office, and habits are hard to change.

Google is trying to make Chromebooks more palatable by letting them run Android apps designed for phones and tablets. It’s testing this capability on a handful of Chromebook models, including the new ones from Samsung. That makes it possible to install Office, Adobe Photoshop and many apps on a Chromebook, though these tablet versions have limited features compared with versions for Macs or Windows laptops.
…

From: MeNeedIt

Delta Air Lines has announced plans to hire as many as 25,000 workers over the next five years.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement Thursday that the Atlanta-based company is growing its ranks as it expands and upgrades its hubs at several of the nation’s airports. Bastian’s statement was released after he and other airline CEOs met with President Donald Trump at the White House.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the 25,000 figure includes a combination of growth and backfilling attrition, but Delta didn’t specify the breakdown. Delta currently has about 80,000 employees.

Likely referring to competition from Middle East carriers, who receive subsidies from their governments, Bastian said the hiring could be contingent on the support of the government in establishing “a level playing field.”
…

From: MeNeedIt

Евровидение – с 1956 года самое популярное неспортивное мероприятие в мире! Аудитория составляет более 600 миллионов зрителей!

Станьте и Вы частью легендарного шоу! Окажитесь в числе счастливчиков, которые смогут присутствовать на одном из ярчайших шоу 2016 года в мире!
Мы уже позаботились о входных билетах и забронировали наиболее зрелищные места за разумную цену, чтобы вы смогли поддержать нашу страну на Евровидении!

Джамала представляет Украину на втором полуфинале. Именно шоу жюри второго полуфинала вы сможете увидеть. Места в фанзоне !

Красочное шоу! Непередаваемые ощущения! Мировое шоу с вашим участием!
Возможно в этом году Вы станете свидетелем того, как рождается новая мировая звезда.

И увидеть это все вы сможете в одном из самых интересных городов мира – в Стокгольме!!!

Экскурсия по Таллину и Стокгольму в стоимости тура!!!

День 1. Львов
08.30 Сбор на экскурсию на Львовском ж.д. вокзале.
09:00 Автобусная экскурсия по Львову “Только во Львове…”. Мы увидим и остановимся на фото паузу возле Церкви Святого Юра, проедем по улочкам Старого Львова, совершим небольшую пешеходную прогулку по центру древнего града, подъедем к Высокому замку и по улице Личаковской закончим нашу экскурсию на вокзале.
13.30 Для туристов, НЕ желающих посещать экскурсию- сбор на Львовском ж.д. вокзале. Трансфер на Терминал «А».
14:30 Отправление в тур осуществляется с Комплекса Терминал «А». Пересечение границ.
Ночной переезд в Эстонию.

День 2. Таллин – Стокгольм
Нас приглашает «Рыцарь Балтийского моря – Таллин». Его история началась более 850 лет назад. Столица Эстонии – это город-музей под открытым небом. С первых минут нам становится ясно, что мы попали в другую эпоху. Таллин совместил в себе старинные площади, современные высотные отели, огромное количество зелени и живописный порт. Свободное время. Можно посетить (оплата по меню) пивоварню Beer House, чесночный ресторан Balthasar, рестораны со средневековой кухней Peppersack , Kuldse Notsu Körts. Ресторан “Old Hansa”. Выезд в Украину.
18:00 – Отплытие в Стокгольм на пароме. Ночлег на пароме.
Красивый лайнер идеально подходит для круизных путешествий -это настоящий город на воде который сделает ваше путешествие незабываемым. Шикарные рестораны, уютные, современные кафе и стильные бары, магазины, в которых можно приобрести все, что вашей душе угодно. Сытно поесть и посмотреть феерические танцевальные шоу. Для тех, кто любит сам потанцевать обустроена дискотека. На борту судна оборудована прекрасная игровая комната.
Последние 2 часа перед Стокгольмом паром идет через архипелаг. Швеция насчитывает более 20 тысяч островов, некоторые из них могут быть не более 100 кв.метров. Паром буквально лавирует между островами и маяками, отдельные острова обходит буквально в 50-100 метрах от борта.
Вы можете совместить Вашу поездку в Швецию с праздничной атмосферой на пароме!!!

День 3. Стокгольм
Завтрак на пароме (оплачивается дополнительно). 09:30 – прибытие в Стокгольм.
Стокгольм – столица Швеции, известная не только своей красотой, но и тем, что является самым большим городом в Скандинавии. Мы хотели в сказку… и поэтому мы здесь. Пешеходная экскурсия по центральной части города «Gamla Stan –сердце Стокгольма». Откуда возникло название Старый город? Средневековые улочки и площади здесь имеют особую магию. Прогуливаясь по ним, с головой окунемся в атмосферу уникальных и неповторимых архитектурных сооружений, соборов, памятников и скульптур, которые сохранили память о множестве исторических событий, тайн и загадок, поразительных историй и удивительных фактов. Свободное время. Для желающих экскурсии на выбор:
День 3 – Стокгольм Автобусная экскурсия с фотопаузами «Город на воде – Стокгольм» (18€/10€). Королевский дворец, набереженая озера Мелерен, фото на фоне озера и Ратуши. Мы поднимемся на обзорную площадку, откуда откроется панорамный вид на город, увидим дом, в котором Нобель изобрел динамит, Оперный театр на острове Юргарден, посольский квартал, сделаем замечательные фотоснимки.

«Стокгольмская Ратуша» (13€+билет). Это не только место заседаний правительства города, но и место проведения знаменитого Нобелевского банкета.
«Тайный Фрегат Vasa» (18€+вх билет). Нас ждет единственный в мире сохранившийся до наших дней корабль 17-го века. Он должен был олицетворять..

Славутич-Тур

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Zuji

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From: MeNeedIt

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From: MeNeedIt