The queue coming out the Whitcoulls, Northlands Mall, Christchurch, New Zealand store. Image: Gabriel Pollard..Low turnout at a German bookshop. Image: Rnt20..Stacked boxes of the embargoed Harry Potter book open. Image: Gabriel Pollard..People of all ages turned out to buy their copy of the latest and last book. Image: Gabriel Pollard..
The final Harry Potter book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, has gone on sale today. The book was launched simultaneously across the world.
The book launched first in the UK, where the book went on sale from midnight. Fans in one central London bookshop started joining the queue from 10:30 p.m., which soon reached the door of the shop and out onto the street. The book chain Waterstone’s held ‘Harry Potter parties’, giving out free glasses of wine and snacks. The mood was good-natured and jolly, with some fans dressed up in costume.
New Zealand fans of the series had a launch time of 11.01 a.m. (NZST). Due to high competition among major retail chains, the book was being sold for as little as NZ$32.99 at Whitcoulls; a profit margin of four cents with each book sold. The recommended retail price was NZ$55.00. Many supermarkets in the UK cut prices even further as a publicity stunt with, for example, ASDA selling copies at a loss, at about 1/4 of the recommended retail price.
It was also an early release for Australian fans of the series, at 9.01 a.m. (Sydney). A Sydney Borders store had a line reaching out halfway across the street. In Brisbane City, Borders had a line from the shop, down the street and around the corner.
150 fans in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, were waiting outside a Border’s bookstore at 8.00 a.m. to be some of the first to get their hands on a copy. A bookstore nearby, Dymocks, also had a large crowd, an estimated 100 people were waiting. One person arriving there at 6.30 a.m. At one New Zealand Whitcoulls store, they had a entertainer/magician keeping fans entertained while waiting for 11.01 a.m. In Germany, however, some bookshops were disappointed with the turnout for the Harry Potter book launch events.
The Harry Potter series has already sold 325 million copies worldwide. 1.3 million of those were sold in New Zealand, a quarter of New Zealand’s population. The Wikipedia article on the latest book became disabled for editing by unregistered and newly registered users within 5 minutes of the book’s release.
Head lice; defined as common insect infestation of the human head hair. Most likely, you remember when you were young and had your own little encounter with this little pesky insect.
Head lice lay eggs in the human scalp and can only survive on human hair. Of course, despite contrary belief, it doesn t even matter if your hair is silky clean or greasy dirty everyone is susceptible to head lice.
The reason why it doesn t matter the status of your hair is because each little lice has long front legs which grip into your scalp. Neither shampoo, water, nor hardly anything else can shake it of its home.
The head lice has adapted over millions of year to suit the environment of the human head. Even back in the times of mummies in Ancient Egypt, they showed evidence of retaining head lice.
They can not survive anywhere else besides your head and so if they do happen to fall out, the lice surely die within 48 hours.
Head lice can lay over two hundred eggs in their lifetime, easy enough to begin an entire colony on your head.
This head lice is frequently found in children, ages 4 11, especially if they attend after school programs. Kids can easily contract head lice and share it with their peers, because really; kids what don t they share?
So the first thing that you might hear is a complaint of my head itches or you might notice your child consistently scratching their head.
Once your children have a lice infestation it is very common and rather easy for them to pass it on to you and other family and friends.
If they do happen to pass these little critters on to you don t worry. Head lice, although annoying, are not dangerous or carry disease. They only are an irritant and create irritation and give your scalp rashes.
Another inaccurate head lice myth is that they can fly. Can head lice fly? No, head lice do not have wings and therefore do not fly around from head to head. Lice may only change hosts through human contact; a hair brush, clothes where hair has been left, etc.
Dead or empty louse eggs are called nits. Even when most of the living lice have been destroyed from the scalp, the nits may still remain. Generally in school districts today, any child with nits are not allowed to attend schooling until they are nit-free.
Lice live for so long in the human hair by feeding off human blood. To do this they must penetrate the scalp and you d never even know it. In fact, nearly 5% of the United States population contracts head lice each year.
Do the math on that one; that s nearly 12 million people! Head lice may be small but they sure are getting attention all around the world.
About the Author: For more important information on getting rid of
head lice
be sure to visit www.rid-headlice.com where you will find advice and tips on
Microsoft announced on Thursday they are partnering with KIND Financial to help governments track the production and distribution of legal marijuana. Kind Financial, a California-based start-up company, began selling its Agrisoft Seed to Sale software three years ago. Microsoft is admitting Kind’s software on the Government portion of its Azure cloud service.
Although Kind Financial CEO David Dinenberg stressed to The Guardian they “absolutely do not touch the plant”, his company does business with growers and distributors of marijuana, as well as the governments that regulate it. State law in twenty-five US states — but not US federal law — has legalized marijuana, whether medicinally or for recreational use. Kimberly Nelson, Microsoft executive director of state and local government solutions, said they expect significant demand for technology to help states make sure cannabis distribution within their state is done according to their laws.
Kind also provides kiosks similar to automated tellers (ATMs) to facilitate marijuana transactions in dispensaries. The distribution of marijuana is often done only with cash or through machines like the ones Kind offers since many banks in the United States shy away from the marijuana industry entirely. Microsoft is not interacting with this part of Kind’s operations, however.
Microsoft and Kind will apply for contracts with state governments for their software. Currently, they have applied to Puerto Rico, a US territory, where medical marijuana has recently been made legal. BioTrackTHC, a company similar to Kind Financial, already has contracts with Washington, New Mexico, and Illinois.
Dinenberg said his company’s partnership with Microsoft is a major step in advancing the legitimacy of cannabis-related businesses.
Ian Narev, the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, this morning “unreservedly” apologised to clients who lost money in a scandal involving the bank’s financial planning services arm.
Last week, a Senate enquiry found financial advisers from the Commonwealth Bank had made high-risk investments of clients’ money without the clients’ permission, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars lost. The Senate enquiry called for a Royal Commission into the bank, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Mr Narev stated the bank’s performance in providing financial advice was “unacceptable”, and the bank was launching a scheme to compensate clients who lost money due to the planners’ actions.
In a statement Mr Narev said, “Poor advice provided by some of our advisers between 2003 and 2012 caused financial loss and distress and I am truly sorry for that. […] There have been changes in management, structure and culture. We have also invested in new systems, implemented new processes, enhanced adviser supervision and improved training.”
An investigation by Fairfax Media instigated the Senate inquiry into the Commonwealth Bank’s financial planning division and ASIC.
Whistleblower Jeff Morris, who reported the misconduct of the bank to ASIC six years ago, said in an article for The Sydney Morning Herald that neither the bank nor ASIC should be in control of the compensation program.
Rf Ablasion Moore uses high-energy waves in order to interrupt pain signals. While there are a number of areas of the body that this treatment can be used on, one of the most common is for destroying uterine fibroids. When this is used, the uterus is able to be preserved.
The procedure is considered a minimally invasive one that is done in an out-patient setting. If you opt for this type of treatment for uterine fibroids, you can expect:
* The surgeon you use to map out your uterus for the fibroids.
* A small incision to be made to insert the hand piece of the machine into the uterus. Then small needles will be inserted into every fibroid to apply the energy.
* The tissues that are normal in the uterus will not be affected and the tissue that is destroyed will be reabsorbed.
Is this procedure safe?
Using Rf Ablasion Moore for the treatment of uterine fibroids has been proven extremely safe. Prior to administering the procedure, your doctor will cover all of the treatment possibilities with you in order to discuss the benefits and risks of each option.
What are the specific advantages of this treatment over other options for getting rid of uterine fibroids?
There are a number of advantages offered by this treatment for uterine fibroids, which include:
* A much shorter recovery period and the ability to return to your normal activities quickly.
* Reduction of all symptoms related to or caused by fibroids.
* Improvement of your quality of life.
* Very low rates of complications.
* The need for smaller incisions than other procedures.
* Only a small possibility of scarring.
Will the treatment be painful?
The treatment will be completed after you are giving general anesthesia, which means that you will not experience any pain while it is being done. After completion, there may be some mild discomfort in your abdominal area.
If you are interested in the treatment, talk with Dr Darryl D Robinson for more information. He will be able to provide you with the results you need. You can also discuss if this is the right treatment option for your particular needs. Visit website for more information.
Modbury Hospital, where the first case in South Australia’s COVID-19 cluster presented.Image: User:AussieHero.
With five active cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19, South Australia begun a one-week lockdown on Monday. Announcing the lockdown, state Premier Steven Marshall declared “we have no alternative but to impose some fairly heavy and immediate restrictions”.
The first case out of South Australia’s active cases was presented to Modbury Hospital on Sunday night, having returned from Argentina earlier this month. The fifth, which Premier Marshall noted as “far more worrying”, visited The Greek on Halifax restaurant at the same time as someone who was later confirmed to be carrying the virus. Chief Public Health Officer for the state Nicola Spurrier said “if anyone has been at The Greek on Halifax they need to get into quarantine and get tested”.
In accordance with new regulations, there are only five reasons for South Australians to leave home: essential work, shopping for essential goods such as food, exercise, but only with people from the same household and within 2.5 kilometers (2 mi) of home, medical reasons (which includes testing and vaccination against the coronavirus, but excludes elective and cosmetic surgery), and caregiving.
Schools have closed for all but children of essential workers, with online learning having begun on Thursday. Face masks are also be mandated for those who leave home. ABC News reported that “support for businesses is expected to be announced…”, with all non-essential retail required to close under the new regulations.
After a press conference in London from the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London, more details are emerging about the attacks in London on Thursday.
Data from the Underground system’s power and control systems have revealed that all three bombs went off within 50 seconds of each other, at 8.50am, with the managing director of Transport for London, Tim O’Toole saying the bombs went “bang bang bang, very close together”.
The first bomb to detonate was on the Liverpool Street train soon after it left for Aldgate on the Circle line, seconds before the others. The blast tripped out the power system, visible in the control room. The first call the police received that morning reported “a bang” at Aldgate East, coming within a minute of the blast.
The Edgware Road train, leaving for Paddington and also on the Circle, exploded opposite a train coming from the other direction, making people think at first that it was a derailment. The first call to the Police spoke not of an explosion, but of a person falling under the wheels of the train. The confirmation of a bomb did not come until 9.17am, but by that time the emergency services were already on scene.
Transport for London’s new TrackerNet software is fully opertational on the Circle line, which allows for precise tracking of trains, but is not yet fully installed on the Piccadilly line. The first indication of the Piccadilly line bomb was when the tunnel telephone system wires were cut by the blast, an event logged by other software. The cutting of the lines then tripped out the track current. The tunnel itself suffered only slight damage and is safe, but the train – which was packed with commuters heading for Russell Square – is very badly damaged.
London Underground declared a ‘code Amber’ within minutes, moving trains to platforms and opening all doors. A ‘code Red’ – full evacuation – was set at around 9.15am. O’Toole described the decision to evacuate as being “very grave, not taken lightly”. When questioned as to whether everything possible had been done on the day to save lives, the managing director of Transport for London was “very proud” of the choices made that morning.
As investigations continue, all bodies have been removed from the sub-surface Circle line trains, but the carriages themselves are still in situ while a painstaking forensic investigation takes place.
Currently, work is on-going to retrieve bodies and forensic evidence from the carriage of the train in the deep tunnel of the Piccadilly line near King’s Cross. Teams of rescue workers looking for human remains are working alongside forensics experts in a “meticulous” search to find evidence.
Conditions are described as being very difficult, with high temperatures and lots of dust. Work was halted over Friday night when conditions became too bad, and resumed this morning. Efforts have been made to improve the ventilation.
Work will continue throughout tonight and possibly into Sunday. The exact number of bodies still in the wrecked carriage is unknown.
Access from King’s Cross is impossible, so workers are taking the longer route from Russell Square station to get to the front of the train.
Police have revealed that the bombs were ‘high explosives’ – not homemade. However they are declining to be specific about their composition as the information could be useful when they interrogate suspects.
Police will not confirm or deny if any parts of a timer have been found, but have said that “any device will now be in a million pieces”. Police believe the use of timers more likely than suicide bombings as the blasts were so closely timed, but are not ruling out anything.
Larry Stevens is running for the Libertarian Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Kitchener-Conestoga riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.
Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.
Many people do not really realize the distinction between a warehousing and storage facility. There is not much to differentiate between the two. Realistically the two could be associated with each other. A warehouse indicates the availability of large empty space that could be used for the purposes of storage. The type of commodity stored does not really matter.
These storage spaces are often abandoned but a lot of money can be made from them. Instead of letting these spaces go to waste, one could rent them out to businesses that need them and in that way a handsome sum of profit can be realized. This is a very wise business venture for all involved.
These spaces are especially helpful to businesses that need to keep many items away but they do not have the space they require to do so. This situation happens to many businesses especially those that cannot afford to have huge storage spaces. To store their inventory items successfully, this would require spaces that are safe and easily accessible.
For one to look for a space that is suitable for their business, they have to consider a few things. One such thing would have to be location. Where a business decides to put up their commodities is important. Those that constantly require the use of their commodities should have their storage spaces near them. It would be senseless for a business owner to rent out a place far away and have to make numerous trips to go there.
Close locations can be easily found in local directories that are often available in bookshops and in libraries. For those that have an eye for technology, several sites exist that can prove helpful in making the ultimate decision for a storage site. The size of the commodities should also be a contributing factor in making a decision.
Large spaces are suitable for manufacturers that have many items such as raw materials and finished goods. It would not make sense for a manufacturing company to rent out a small space and have to cram all of their inventory items in it. Manufacturers require these spaces because they have a tendency to produce their commodities in large quantities and they do not have the space to store all of them.
It is often advised for businesses to get spaces that are secure. Places in areas that are prone to crime should be avoided. Chances of robbery are higher in these areas. Gated communities are always the better option for business owners seeking commodity spaces. This is because these areas are secure and little or no harm often comes to the commodities in question.
For businesses that require their commodities kept for long periods of time, owners of the warehousing and storage facilities give leases that allow their clients to rent for long periods of time. These spaces tend to be taken by companies that store non-perishable commodities.
In summary, warehousing and storage spaces are helpful to businesses that need to keep many items away but they do not have the space they require to do so. This situation happens to many businesses and it is often advised to get spaces that are secure and easily accessible.
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U2 perform at the King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels. Mark Mulligan, a music and digital media analyst at Forrester Research, said in an interview that “at a time where we’re asking if digital is a replacement for the CD, as the CD was for vinyl, we should be starting to see a hockey-stick growth in download sales. Instead, we’re seeing a curve resembling that of a niche technology.” Image: Bertrand Perron.
Every September, the Apple iPod is redesigned. Last year saw the release of the iPod Nano 5th generation, bringing a video camera and a large range of colours to the Nano for the first time. But as Apple again prepares to unveil a redesigned product, the company has released their quarterly sales figures—and revealed that they have sold only 9m iPods for the quarter to June—the lowest number of sales since 2006, leading industry anylists to ponder whether the world’s most successful music device is in decline.
Such a drop in sales is not a problem for Apple, since the iPhone 4 and the iPad are selling in high numbers. But the number of people buying digital music players are concerning the music industry. Charles Arthur, technology editor of The Guardian, wrote that the decline in sales of MP3 players was a “problem” for record companies, saying that “digital music sales are only growing as fast as those of Apple’s devices – and as the stand-alone digital music player starts to die off, people may lose interest in buying songs from digital stores. The music industry had looked to the iPod to drive people to buy music in download form, whether from Apple’s iTunes music store, eMusic, Napster or from newer competitors such as Amazon.”
Mark Mulligan, a music and digital media analyst at Forrester Research, said in an interview that “at a time where we’re asking if digital is a replacement for the CD, as the CD was for vinyl, we should be starting to see a hockey-stick growth in download sales. Instead, we’re seeing a curve resembling that of a niche technology.” Alex Jacob, a spokesperson for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the worldwide music industry, agreed that there had been a fall in digital sales of music. “The digital download market is still growing,” they said. “But the percentage is less than a few years ago, though it’s now coming from a higher base.” Figures released earlier this year, Arthur wrote, “show that while CD sales fell by 12.7%, losing $1.6bn (£1bn)in value, digital downloads only grew by 9.2%, gaining less than $400m in value.”
Expectations that CDs would, in time, become extinct, replaced by digital downloads, have not come to light, Jacob confirmed. “Across the board, in terms of growth, digital isn’t making up for the fall in CD sales, though it is in certain countries, including the UK,” he said. Anylising the situation, Arthur suggested that “as iPod sales slow, digital music sales, which have been yoked to the device, are likely to slow too. The iPod has been the key driver: the IFPI’s figures show no appreciable digital download sales until 2004, the year Apple launched its iTunes music store internationally (it launched it in the US in April 2003). Since then, international digital music sales have climbed steadily, exactly in line with the total sales of iPods and iPhones.”
Nick Farrell, a TechEYE journalist, stated that the reason for the decline in music sales could be attributed to record companies’ continued reliance on Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, saying that they had considered him the “industry’s saviour”, and by having this mindset had forgotten “that the iPod is only for those who want their music on the run. What they should have been doing is working out how to get high quality music onto other formats, perhaps even HiFi before the iPlod fad died out.”
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When Jobs negotiated a deal with record labels to ensure every track was sold for 99 cents, they considered this unimportant—the iPod was not a major source of revenue for the company. However, near the end of 2004, there was a boom in sales of the iPod, and the iTunes store suddenly began raking in more and more money. The record companies were irritated, now wanting to charge different amounts for old and new songs, and popular and less popular songs. “But there was no alternative outlet with which to threaten Apple, which gained an effective monopoly over the digital music player market, achieving a share of more than 70%” wrote Arthur. Some did attempt to challenge the iTunes store, but still none have succeeded. “Apple is now the largest single retailer of music in the US by volume, with a 25% share.”
The iTunes store now sells television shows and films, and the company has recently launced iBooks, a new e-book store. The App Store is hugely successful, with Apple earning $410m in two years soley from Apps, sales of which they get 30%. In two years, 5bn apps have been downloaded—while in seven years, 10bn songs have been purchased. Mulligan thinks that there is a reason for this—the quality of apps simply does not match up to a piece of music. “You can download a song from iTunes to your iPhone or iPad, but at the moment music in that form doesn’t play to the strengths of the device. Just playing a track isn’t enough.”
The most recent incarnation of the iPod Nano. While digital music sales have been decreasing, the iTunes store now sells television shows and films, and the company has recently launced iBooks, a new e-book store. The App Store is hugely successful, with Apple earning $410m in two years soley from Apps, sales of which they get 30%. Image: Matthieu Riegler.
Adam Liversage, a spokesperson of the British Phonographic Industry, which represents the major UK record labels, notes that the rise of streaming services such as Spotify may be a culprit in the fall in music sales. Revenues from such companies added up to $800m in 2009. Arthur feels that “again, it doesn’t make up for the fall in CD sales, but increasingly it looks like nothing ever will; that the record business’s richest years are behind it. Yet there are still rays of hope. If Apple – and every other mobile phone maker – are moving to an app-based economy, where you pay to download games or timetables, why shouldn’t recording artists do the same?”
Well, apparently they are. British singer Peter Gabriel has released a ‘Full Moon Club’ app, which is updated every month with a new song. Arthur also notes that “the Canadian rock band Rush has an app, and the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, led by Trent Reznor – who has been critical of the music industry for bureaucracy and inertia – released the band’s first app in April 2009.” It is thought that such a system will be an effective method to reduce online piracy—”apps tend to be tied to a particular handset or buyer, making them more difficult to pirate than a CD”, he says—and in the music industry, piracy is a very big problem. In 2008, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry estimated that 95% of downloads were illegitimate. If musicians can increase sales and decrease piracy, Robert says, it can only be a good thing.
“It’s early days for apps in the music business, but we are seeing labels and artists experimenting with it,” Jacob said. “You could see that apps could have a premium offering, or behind-the-scenes footage, or special offers on tickets. But I think it’s a bit premature to predict the death of the album.” Robert concluded by saying that it could be “premature to predict the death of the iPod just yet too – but it’s unlikely that even Steve Jobs will be able to produce anything that will revive it. And that means that little more than five years after the music industry thought it had found a saviour in the little device, it is having to look around again for a new stepping stone to growth – if, that is, one exists.”
