Acting and modelling are notoriously fickle industries often trading on perfection, but in the 1990s one woman challenged the status quo by setting up a professional talent agency for disabled people. It was 1993 when Louise Dyson’s agency was approached by Sunrise Medical for disabled models to promote its wheelchairs.
Month: February 2017
Paralysed tractor driver: ‘It’s a lifestyle, not a job’
Matthew Evans worked as a tractor driver on his family farm in North Wales. Three years ago, he was hit by a car and paralysed from the chest down. It might have spelt the end of his working life, but Matthew had his tractor adapted with a hoist and special controls that he can work by hand.
5 Taboo Topics That the World’s Wealthiest People Won’t Discuss
When much of the world has the means to share any opinion it wants at any time, it’s far more challenging to find a topic that people won’t discuss A recent survey by international financial advisory agency deVere Group discovered that the wealthier classes covet civility as much as any luxury item. It recently asked 830 clients who have investable assets of more than $1.3 million which subject was the most difficult to discuss with family, friends and colleagues.
‘Lego Batman’ Stays No. 1, Conquers ‘The Great Wall’
“The Lego Batman Movie” commanded the Presidents Day weekend box office, staying No. 1 for the second straight week, while the China-focused “The Great Wall” failed to show much muscle in North America.
Kraft Withdraws Offer to Merge with Unilever
U.S. food company Kraft Heinz Co has agreed to withdraw its proposal for a $143-billion merger with larger rival Unilever Plc , the companies said on Sunday. Kraft had made a surprise offer for Unilever in a bid to build a global consumer goods behemoth, although it was flatly rejected on Friday by Unilever, the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap.
SpaceX Launches Supply Rocket From Historic Apollo Pad
Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. successfully launched its second rocket in as many months on Sunday, bringing it a 10th of the way to its goal of deploying 20 to 24 rockets this year. The Falcon 9 rocket that launched SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on Sunday separated minutes after liftoff and landed upright on Earth in its designated area.
Kraft Heinz withdraws $143B bid to buy Unilever
Despite rejection, ketchup, cheese and lunch meat maker Kraft Heinz said last week it was still interested in the deal. The deal would have brought together Kraft Heinz brands such as Oscar Mayer , Jell-O and Velveeta and Unilever’s Hellman’s, Lipton and Knorr.
Kraft Heinz Dumps Blockbuster Unilever Offer Before Things Get Fun
Kraft Heinz said on Sunday that it has agreed to withdraw its bid for Unilever . “Kraft Heinz’s interest was made public at an extremely early stage.
18 Really Cool Toys From This Year’s Giant Annual Toy Fair That You Must Have
The annual toy fair kicked off in New York City this weekend amid continued strength in the toy industry. The U.S. toy market grew 5% to $20.36 billion last year, according to The NPD Group.
Hawthorne-based SpaceX launches rocket from historic Cape Canaveral site
Hawthorne-based SpaceX has launched a spacecraft carrying supplies to the International Space Station today, its first launch attempt from Florida’s Cape Canaveral since one of its rockets exploded in September. SpaceX Falcon rocket blasted off Sunday morning from.
Recent change by the FCC could cause cost of inmate phone calls to surge in South Carolina prisons
The already high cost for inmate phone calls in South Carolina’s prisons could skyrocket now that federal regulators have abandoned a proposed cap on rates. A recent change by the Federal Communications Commission has South Carolina regulators scrambling to figure out how high the costs of calls from inmates to family might head.
Reinvigorate Your Financial Life With Laser Focus on Market Risk and Shortfall Risk
By James E. Wilson via Iris.xyz The financial world is noisy and it’s easy to become distracted from your most important long-term goals. One way to cut through the noise is to focus on just the two factors that ultimately determine your approach to everything else in your financial life; namely, Market Risk and Shortfall Risk.
SpaceX Launches Rocket from NASA’s Historic Moon Pad
A SpaceX rocket soared from NASA’s long-idled moonshot pad Sunday, sending up space station supplies from the exact spot where astronauts embarked on the lunar landings nearly a half-century ago. It was the first flight from NASA’s legendary Launch Complex 39A since the shuttle program ended almost six years ago, and SpaceX’s first liftoff from Florida since a rocket explosion last summer.
Washington-area appointments and promotions for Feb. 20
Bean, Kinney & Korman of Arlington appointed Jennifer Schiffer , Lauren Rote , Andrea Davison , Jennifer McCammon and Zach Williams shareholders. DLA Piper of the District appointed Sean Robinson associate, Edward “Smitty” Smith partner and Melissa Gierach policy adviser.
When Sears Eventually Dies These Companies Will Be Huge Losers
As a result, there is major risk — both in terms of headline risk and financial risk — to companies with exposure to the once iconic retailer. Investors need to understand the linkages.
How the Benefits of the DOL Fiduciary Rule Have Already Taken Root
By Lauren Klein via Iris.xyz When Linda and Bill came into my office, I could sense their hesitancy right away. And when they told me their story, I could understand why they were so apprehensive about meeting with a financial advisor.
SpaceX Launches Supply Rocket From Historic Apollo Pad
Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. successfully launched its second rocket in as many months on Sunday, bringing it a 10th of the way to its goal of deploying 20 to 24 rockets this year. The Falcon 9 rocket that launched SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on Sunday returned to Earth soon after liftoff.
Week Ahead: Fed Is Expected to Toe the Party Line
Investors will be watching a newly hawkish Federal Reserve in the coming week for clues as to the likelihood of a move on interest rates in March. The central bank will release minutes from its January meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Stocks Under $10 Portfolio: Earnings and Yellen in the Spotlight
The following is an excerpt from the Stocks Under $10 Weekly Roundup originally sent to Stocks Under $10 subscribers on Jan. 20. Click here to learn more about this dynamic portfolio managed by David Peltier. U.S. stocks closed higher for the sixth time out of the past seven weeks, as earnings season pressed on.
Whata s Wrong With Earning a Commission From the Sale of a Financial Product?
By Rick Kahler via Iris.xyz What’s wrong with earning a commission from the sale of a financial product? Nothing. It isn’t any more inappropriate than a car salesperson earning a commission when you buy a vehicle.
FCC head: Turn on smartphones’ FM radio capabilities, aid users
Millions of Americans use their smartphones every day to stream music from services such as Pandora or Spotify. Others use mobile devices to access podcasts or radio shows.
China’s CNPC Buys Stake in $22 Billion Abu Dhabi Oil Venture
China National Petroleum Corp. bought a stake in Abu Dhabi’s largest oil concession as the Middle Eastern emirate with 6 percent of global crude reserves looks increasingly to Asia, its biggest market, for investment to raise output capacity. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
Utah Republican argues against equal pay for women: It’s ‘bad for
NBC News reports that a GOP official in Utah has apologized for a letter that he had sent to two newspapers, criticizing a State Senate bill, which defines employee payment criteria and calls for a study to be conducted, to analyze whether or not there is a discrepancy in pay between men and women. James Green’s letter, titled “Equal Pay for Women Has Consequences,” was published on Feb. 15. In a letter criticizing a bill that addresses pay gap in the workforce, a Utah Republican said that men have traditionally earned more than women and, citing “simple economics,” argued that things should stay that way.
Insider Q&A: Hydro Flask CEO Scott Allan
This photo provided by Hydro Flask shows company president Scott Allan. Hydro Flask, the Bend, Ore.-based maker of insulated stainless steel beverage bottles, was founded in 2009 with one product line that was sold at a local market.
UAE seals deal with China’s CNPC for onshore oil project
The United Arab Emirates’ main state oil company has signed a deal giving China National Petroleum Company an 8 percent stake in a major onshore oil project. ADNOC has set aside 40 percent of the ADCO project for foreign partners.
The Real Reason Why Clients Choose You
By Megan Carpenter via Iris.xyz Some advisors say they want to stand out from the crowd-but they’re fibbing. They really want to look and sound like everybody else.
Where to Start if You Dona t Have a Retirement Plan Yet
By Michael Kay via Iris.xyz When it comes to retirement and planning, I’ve heard them all: “I love what I do. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Plex’s Bold Plan To Take On The Streaming Goliaths
Plex’s media server software has millions of tech-savvy fans, but can it survive the decline of DVDs and downloads? For digital media hoarders and pirates, Plex is a household name. The nine-year-old Los Gatos, California, startup makes server software for streaming media files from one device-usually a PC-to phones, tablets, computers, game consoles, and TVs.
PSA May Vow to Maintain Opel Sites as Chief Tours for Support
PSA Group Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares will meet with government leaders in the U.K. and France this week to discuss the potential purchase of General Motors Co.’ s Opel and Vauxhall brands.
UN Syria envoy seeks momentum in upcoming Geneva talks
Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Syria, speaks on the last day of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Sunday Feb.19, 2017. Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Syria, speaks on the last day of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Sunday Feb.19, 2017.
School budget: more for at-risk, less for cyber/private kids
In this Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017 photo, state Rep. Tim Kelly, a Saginaw Township Republican, speaks at a House GOP news conference in the Capitol in Lansing, Mich. Kelly likes parts of Gov. Rick Snyder’s K-12 budget plan but has concerns about proposed cuts to a program that gives public schools funding for non-core classes offered to private and home-schooled students and reductions to cyber charter school funding.
Relax, Your Smartphone Probably Isn’t Destroying Your Relationships
In a 2011 study at Stanford University , researchers asked a group of girls ages 8 to 12 by to surf the internet for up to five hours, then share how happy and socially comfortable they felt. The results weren’t encouraging.
Trump launches another blistering attack on media while he and…
President Donald Trump launched another attack aimed at “the dishonest media” in an extended rant during a rally in Melbourne, Florida, on Saturday, criticizing the publishing of recent stories detailing a chaotic first month in the White House. “The dishonest media, which has published one false story after another, with no sources, even though they pretend they have them – they make them up in many cases, they just don’t want to report the truth and they have been calling us wrong now for two years – they don’t get it, but they are starting to get it,” Trump said.
Startup to market foldable sheets of solar cells
In this Jan. 25, 2017, photo, scientist Murat Okandan holds a flexible, miniature solar cells prototype, called Dragon SCALEs, also known as “solar glitter” that fit into and power devices or sensors of any shape or size in Albuquerque. Okandan left Sandia National Laboratories to start mPower Technology Inc., whose primary product is Dragon SCALEs miniature solar cells.
7 Great Reasons to Buy Netflix, Inc. and Never Sell
The stock has provided a 62% return over the last 52 weeks, 714% in five years, and a hair-raising 4,300% gain in a decade. The good times are not drawing to a close, either.
The top 20 presidents in US history, according to historians
It should come as little surprise to anyone that, for the third time in a row, historians agree that Abraham Lincoln was the best US President. As part of C-SPAN’s third Historians Survey of Presidential Leadership , almost 100 historians and biographers rated the 43 former presidents on ten qualities of presidential leadership: Public persuasion, crisis leadership, economic management, moral authority, international relations, administrative skills, relations with congress, vision, pursued equal justice for all, and performance within the context of his times.
Here’s why Snap is playing it safe with investors
Snapchat executives hit the road on Friday to lure investors into what could be the biggest tech-sector stock offering in years. The schedule of meetings will take them to London on Monday, and New York on Tuesday, and eventually across the US.
A Wall Street performance coach who’s consulted on Showtime’s…
For some of Denise Shull’s clients, being in a slump might mean losing millions of dollars of other people’s money. Shull is the founder of the ReThink Group , a performance coaching group that specializes in clients on Wall Street.
15 Least Stressed Cities in America
Nirvana is a real place-or series of places-according to WalletHub ‘s recent survey of stressful locales in the U.S. The “bottom 15,” so to speak are the ones where you will find a whole lot of relaxed Americans, happily going about their lives. WalletHub’s findings coalesce around five major ranking categories .
What to Watch in Europe Next Week
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