Friday, September 30, 2016

International Baking Industry Exposition By Chiara Mancusi

The grain-based food industry gathers every 3 years for the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE). This year, the most comprehensive event in the Western Hemisphere for baking returns to Las Vegas Convention Center, on 8th-11th October. Since its inception, IBIE continually strives to advance the baking industry through comprehensive access to innovative products from leading manufacturers and suppliers, and provide the common ground for collaboration amongst professionals in the field. This four-day event brings together more than 20,000 bakery professionals to network, learn and shop in more than 700,000 square feet of exhibit space. Sponsored by the American Bakers Association (ABA), the Baking Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) and the Retail Bakers of America (RBA), IBIE is a “working show” where millions of dollars of business is conducted daily; it brings the entire professional baking community together, offering the complete range of equipment, supply and ingredient solutions and showcasing the newest baking technology. Exhibitors include manufacturers and suppliers of baking/food equipment and systems; ingredients, flavorings, spices & fillings; ingredient handling systems; packaging materials & systems; technology; sanitation equipment; transportation & distribution equipment; refrigeration equipment; business services. Pasticceria Internationale

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Why the rich promise of Asia begins in Hong Kong

Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org
Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have long enjoyed rewarding relations. That is certainly true of trade and commercial ties. The UK was Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner in the EU and 12th-largest trading partner in the world last year, with trade exceeding £8.6bn. It is also the gateway to the Mainland of China. Last year, it was estimated that more than 8pc of trade between the UK and the Mainland, worth £4.8bn, went through Hong Kong, underlining its value to UK business.
Hong Kong’s intermediary role is evident in the more than 600 UK companies based there. They include some of the world’s leading corporations, in a wide variety of sectors, along with an increasing number of start-ups.
"Hong Kong, the fast-beating business heart of Asia, is where the world wants to be." Meanwhile, deepening economic integration with the Mainland continues to create opportunity for Hong Kong and the companies that work with it. The Outline of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, which was published in March, supports the enhancement of Hong Kong’s strengths as an international trade, transportation and financial centre. And the Mainland’s far-reaching Belt and Road Initiative, which is designed to boost connectivity among a total of 65 countries on three continents, offers unparalleled opportunities for Hong Kong business and finance. Beyond the Mainland, Hong Kong continues to expand its reach. It is now finalising a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner. The agreement, which is expected to be concluded by the end of the year, will boost Hong Kong’s trade and investment ties with ASEAN, one of the world’s largest trading blocs. British companies look to Hong Kong in building markets in the Mainland, and throughout Asia, for good reason. Like the rest of the business world, they trust Hong Kong. "Last year, it was estimated that more than 8pc of trade between the UK and the Mainland went through Hong Kong." In February, the Washington-based Heritage Foundation named Hong Kong as the world’s freest economy, for the 22nd year in a row. It helps that Hong Kong’s common-law legal system was modelled on Britain’s own. Hong Kong’s free-market economy invites a free flow of people, information and capital. That in turn boosts the city’s standing as a major international commercial hub and investment capital. Last year, Hong Kong was the world’s eighth-largest trading entity in goods. It ranked second in the world in foreign direct investment inflow. In short, Hong Kong, the fast-beating business heart of Asia, is where the world wants to be. For information on Hong Kong arts and culture, visit brandhk.gov.hk The Telegraph

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Icelandic author to publish two books with Penguin in the UK By K. Jóhannsson

Author Ragnar Jónasson has signed a two book contract with Michael Joseph at Penguin Random House UK. Orenda also a UK based publishing house, published Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series but MJ acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, including audio, to two new crime novels; The Darkness (Dimma) and The Island (Drungi). According to The Bookseller’s report, the new series revolves around female detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir, who in The Darkness is called to investigate when the body of a young Russian asylum seeker is found and the second book; The Island deals with the investigation of two murders, 10 years apart. “The series is set across a variety of Icelandic landscapes, in Reykjavik, the Icelandic highlands, in an isolated fjord and on one of Iceland’s islands.” according to the report. “Ragnar Jónasson has fast become one of the most respected authors of the crime genre and is one of the most talented. In this new series he promises even more. Hulda is a fantastic creation, a memorable, complex and emotionally engaging character, and one we are sure readers in the UK and beyond will want to follow for many books to come.” according to MJ publishing director, Maxine Hitchcock. Ragnar Jónasson was born in Reykjavik where he works as a writer and a lawyer. He also teaches copyright law at Reykjavik University, has previously worked on radio and television, including as a TV-news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service and has translated 14 of Agatha Christie’s novels into Icelandic. He is the co-founder of the Iceland Noir festival which takes place in Iceland in November and recently set up the first overseas chapter of the CWA, in Reykjavik. IceNews Ragnar Jónasson

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Royal Family

Def Leppard

Photo Credit: fanart.tv
Photograph Photo

World's first hydrogen train to go into service in Germany

Germany is set to host the world's first zero-emission, hydrogen passenger train when it gets into gear next year. 

The hydrogen, or hydrail, train is set to run on the Buxtehude-Bremervörde-Bremerhaven-Cuxhaven line in Lower Saxony starting in December 2017, Die Welt reported on Tuesday. The train - called the "Coradia iLint" - has been developed over the past two years by French company Alstom and was presented on Tuesday at the Berlin InnoTrans trade show. The hydrogen train operates using a hydrogen fuel tank, stored on the roof of the train, that in turn powers a fuel cell to produce electrical energy. This technology provides a new environmentally friendly alternative to the diesel trains that are still used across much of Germany. “Alstom is proud to launch a breakthrough innovation in the field of clean transportation which will complete its Coradia range of regional trains," said Alstom chairman and CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge, in a statement. "It shows our ability to work in close collaboration with our customers and develop a train in only two years.” Engineers have been developing ‘hydrail’ technology for the last 15 years, but mostly with freight trains. In 2006, the East Japan Railway Company gave the first test run for a hydrail railcar. And in 2015, a Chinese company introduced the first hydrail tram. The new Alstom train will be the first hydrogen passenger train to regularly operate on long-distance journeys. With a full tank, the new locomotive will be able to travel 600 to 800 kilometers. Because of its much larger fuel capacity, the train does not have to confront the same problems that hydro-cars face with refueling. Another advantage is its quietness: even at its top speed of 140 km/h, the only noise is that produced by the motion of the wheels and air resistance. Transport authorities in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia also want the trains for their states, and the company says other countries like the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway have also expressed interest. Alstom has not revealed what these new trains will cost, but they are known to be more expensive than the current diesel models, Die Welt reports. The Local - Germany

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Dido

Photo Credit: xtremewalls.com
Thankyou No drinking over here, maybe a couple of sips in my former life, but just to be with you is having the best day of my life  <[: *)

Monday, September 12, 2016

Gucci’s Renaissance Man By Rebecca Mead

Photo Credit: funny-pictures.picphotos.net

Alessandro Michele, the brand’s creative director, looks at modern fashion with a historical eye. The New Yorker

Lionel Richie ‘demands talk with daughter Sofia’s beau Justin Bieber’

Photo Credit: aufeminin.com
Music icon Lionel Richie has reportedly summoned Justin Bieber to his Beverly Hills mansion for a “talk”.
The Sorry singer has been partying and enjoying trips abroad with Lionel’s youngest daughter Sofia, who has just turned 18, and the “protective” father is allegedly concerned. In August Justin and Sofia enjoyed a trip to Japan, documenting their visit on social media, and later that month he whisked Sofia to a romantic getaway in Cabo San Lucas on a private jet to celebrate her 18th birthday where they were pictured kissing and cuddling. Sofia and Justin revealed their romance on the singer’s Instagram page, but he was forced to shut down his social media account days later after lashing out at online trolls who attacked the model. “Lionel is very protective of Sofia. She’s his baby. When she started dating Justin, she promised her dad they were just friends nothing more. But obviously that’s not true now and Lionel is demanding a sit-down with Justin,” a source close to the family told Britain’s Now magazine. Another friend added that they fear Sofia is going to be wilder than her older sister Nicole (Richie) as she’s started partying with Justin at “some of the wildest bashes in the Hills”. However, 67-year-old singer Lionel, who once dubbed Justin’s music “forgettable”, is no doubt concerned about the young pop star’s intentions after he was recently pictured walking around naked on a trip to Hawaii with model Sahara Ray. Further, while in London just after it emerged he was dating Sofia, the popstar was pictured partying in with model Bronte Blampied. “This is a reluctant meeting, but it’s going to have to happen now,” the insider added. “Everyone’s worried Justin’s leading Sofia down a bad path. She might come across all cool and hip, but she’s still daddy’s little girl and he wants answers.” Cover Media YOU

Billboard Style Issue: Sofia Richie on Lessons Learned From Her Famous Father (Yes, Lionel) & Her 'Special Relationship' With Justin Bieber - Billboard

Friday, September 9, 2016

The One and Only Tracy Chapman™

Photo Credit: michaelsguardian.blogspot.com
Baby Can I Hold You Tonight 
Tracy Chapman
(born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, known for her hits "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason", along with other singles "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Crossroads", "New Beginning" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist. Photo Wikipedia