Monthly Archives: March 2021

In Competition No. 3188, a challenge designed to make us all feel better about the looming prospect of another enforced staycation, you were invited to submit a postcard from a friend on holiday abroad that makes you relieved you arent there.

Whenever I find myself dreaming of a trip to see the Northern Lights, I console myself with Northern Dark, Geoff Dyers hilarious account of the crushing disappointment of his pilgrimage to the Svalbard Archipelago (only on the return journey do the stars of the show, those swirling geysers of psychedelic green, make an appearance but on the opposite side of the aircraft from which Dyer and his wife are sitting).

I enjoyed Paul Freemans account of guillemot and periwinkle stew atop Halls Ledge, Rockall, and Brian Murdochs valiant attempt to look on the bright side of hotel quarantine: the view from the window is a restfully empty car-park, so no crashing waves to keep us awake all night. Honourable mentions also go to John Plowman, Alan Millard, G.M. Southgate, P.M. Davidson and James Jackson. The winners, printed below, are rewarded with 30 each.

You are invited to submit a Shakespearean soliloquy reflecting on the news that the Bard has been cancelled by some US academics. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 17 March.

Continued here:

Spectator competition winners: the hell of a foreign holiday - Spectator.co.uk

In a new interview with HipHopDX, E-40 opened up about his admiration for Kendrick Lamar.

The legendary California MC, who said hesknown Lamar for over a decade, mentioned that it meant a lot for K. Dot to shouthim out on Money Trees. He added that Lamarwill be going down in history as one of the best that ever did it.

Just to hear somebody like that saying one of his favorite albums of all time, his top 25 albums, one of them was mine,Charlie Hustle: The Blueprint of a Self-Made Millionaire. Its a beautiful thing, E-40 said.It make me feel good. That quote was so raw Living life like rappers do, bump that new E-40 after school. He said Earl Stevens, the whole woo-ha. That was one of the biggest shout-outs, ever. I love Kendrick, man.

E-40 also spoke on some of his earliest encounters with the Compton rapper, one of them being on a 2010 tour alongsideJay Rock andMixedByAli.

I think it was called the Independent Tour, he said. It was Strange Music then, so it was me, Tech N9ne, Big Scoob, Glasses Malone. Who else was on that thing? Of course, Kendrick, Jay Rock, Ali. You know, Krizz Kaliko, just everybody you can name. We was all one big [family] for two and a half months Just every day, I would open up the studio. After we perform or before and after, I had a portable studio, so I have it on my tour bus. Id have it in the room, so Id get a suite. Kendrick can hang out with me, him and Jay Rock. All of us, we really hung real tough, and this was 2010. You feel me? Just showing love.

That love between Lamar and his label, Top Dawg Entertainment, E-40 said, is part of the reason why theyre now succeeding today. He also mentioned his first impressions of Lamar.

He was cold on that microphone, he said. He might seem quiet, but that muthafuckas got hella character to him. He knew how to act and all. You seen him inPower, when he played the dope fiend dude. He was woke. He was ganged up. You know what Im saying?

Check out more of E-40s chat with HipHopDX here.

Go here to see the original:

E-40 Calls Kendrick Lamar 'One Of The Best That Ever Did It' - Complex

The Internet Banking Market report offers the size of the market, market share, and market segmentation, an in-depth research study of the global demand. The report further identifies the most recent disruption in the area of Internet Banking Market and includes a detailed market intelligence survey. Similarly, the Internet Banking Market article discusses the cost structure and production process in detail. The Internet Banking Market study also describes import and export intake, production and supply estimates, profit margins, prices, sales, and rates. The Internet Banking Market analysis also offered a comparative summary of the landscape, development patterns, and a significant regional growth structure in the case of international economies.

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The Internet Banking Market research study also contains unique predictions, volume analysis, supply & demand study, industry information, strategic analysis, and consumer dynamics. The Internet Banking Market analysis offers a detailed description of the market landscape as well as the industry chains structure. The Internet Banking Market analysis also provides a quick description of the market dynamics as well as predictions for the Internet Banking Market based on consumption, product, and geographic regions. Product features, business portfolio, product price, sales, and contact details are all included in the keyword analysis.

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Some of the Important and Key Players of the Global Internet Banking Market:

Microsoft Corporation (US), Fiserv, Inc. (US), ACI Worldwide (US), Tata Consultancy Services (India), Cor Financial Solutions Ltd. (UK), Capital Banking Solutions (US), Edge Verve Systems Limited (India), Rockall Technologies (Ireland, Temenos Group AG (Switzerland) and Oracle Corporation (US)

Complete Summary with TOC Available @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/industry-reports/internet-banking-market?utm_source=re

Insights offered in the Internet Banking Market research report are supported by quantitative and qualitative data by industry experts, and major inputs from entrepreneurs and market participants such as leading manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and producers.Determinants of economic growth and other influential factors, macroeconomic indicators that study the performance and structure, and market trends have been portrayed in the report. Qualitative impact of influencers on the Internet Banking Market across geographic regions is also detailed in the report.

Internet Banking Market Segmentation

Type Analysis of Internet Banking Market:

retail banking & investment banking

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The report examines and forecasts the power of Internet Banking Market with regards to its value, and segments the Internet Banking Market depending upon its products and services, technology applications, industry verticals and geographical topography.The report summarizes the crucial factors determining the growth of the Internet Banking Market such as market drivers, key constraints, feasible opportunities, and challenges hindering the growth of the Internet Banking Market.The report is a summary of the value chain analysis of the relevant Internet Banking Market industry.Each submarket is strategically analyzed with respect to growth trends and contribution of the submarket to the overall growth of the Internet Banking MarketThe report highlights the major players in the Internet Banking Market and performs a comprehensivestudy of their main competenciesThe research provides a detailed analysis of the target marketIt studies the strategies adopted by the market players and new product developmentsThe report highlights the potential players and niche segments, along with a regional analysis which gives a clear understanding of the similarities and differences

For any queries get in touch with Industry Expert @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/27?utm_source=re

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Internet Banking Market COVID-19 Projected to Hold a Massive Impact on Sales in 2021 NeighborWebSJ - NeighborWebSJ

Sony Pictures Virtual Reality and XR Games are teaming up once more to bring players another VR experience based on a Sony movie, and this one looks like it might actually be half-decent.

Zombieland 2 may have been a little bit poop but theres still some life to be squeezed out of the zombie-comedy franchise yet, and Sony is having another stab at it with Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever.

Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever has been announced for Oculus Quest, Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and PSVR, though the PSVR release will come after the game has launched on other headsets.

According to the presser, Zombieland VR is inspired by light-gun games of the 90s (think Time Crisis) and the racing games of today. The trailer, which uses footage captured on Oculus Quest, gives us a look at some of the gameplay areas and weapons that can be used, and even on the Quest, it looks quite good.

Familiar characters like Tallahassee, Wichita, Columbus and Little Rock all return, though it doesnt sound like theyre being voiced by their original actors.

The premise of the game is that the Zombieland crew have found you holed up in a tech billionaires mansion, locked away in the panic room. They decide to take you on and train you up to take part in the Zombieland Invitational a zombie-killing racecourse where slick killing is rewarded with big points, upgrades, and a top spot on the leaderboard.

With this VR game, were bringing the zombie apocalypse right to you in a totally new way while preserving the humor and wit of the hit movie franchise. Now Zombieland fans can feel what its like to stare down an onslaught of Zombie hordes and make split-second gameplay decisions in order to blast their way to survival., said Jake Zim, SVP, virtual reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment. The team at XR Games not only retained the action, characters and humor of what made the films so successful, but theyve given fans a new way to become part of the Zombieland universe.

Being trusted with bringing an iconic Sony Pictures franchise to life is extra rewarding and exciting when youre a huge fan of Zombieland, says Bobby Thandi, Founder and CEO of XR Games. The Zombieland world is a no-nonsense kind of place, and to this end weve made one of the purest shooting games for VR. We handcrafted the content, upping replayability, and incorporated mechanics from racing games such as time splits so you know exactly how well youre doing. Its about practising til youre perfect. Your speed and accuracy with each shot is imperative to score the fastest time (pro tip: remember the Navy SEALs quote slow is smooth and smooth is fast). And your performance is being assessed via the witty banter of Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock. Theyre not gentle with their opinions!

Go here to see the original:

Zombieland VR Aims for the Head in New Announcement Trailer - Pure PlayStation

Which One Of Three Legends Will End Up Receiving The Biggest Pop Of Wrestlemania 37? (Photo Credit: Instagram/Dwayne Johnson & IMDb)

Wrestlemania has always been a special and event to anticipate for all WWE fans. After going through the nightmare of 2020, this years event i.e. Wrestlemania 37 is being waited like anything. But what if stars- Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock, all mark their presence this year? What would be the crowds reaction? Yes, its a bit difficult thing to happen but theres no harm in imagining it, right?

First, lets talk about what makes this years Wrestlemania special. This year, unlike last year, there will be a presence of the live audience. No matter what, WWE has promised that they will bring back the arena to make mania memorable. Reportedly, around 30,000 will be allowed to attend the event. So, just imagine, how will they react when all of the aforementioned stars grace the show.

Now, back to our topic, who will get the biggest pop in Wrestlemania 37? Well, we give you the power to decide, but before that, take a look at points why Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Dwayne Johnsons return is anticipated like crazy.

Brock Lesnars return is very much on the cards for Wrestlemania 37. Taking into consideration the amalgamation of speculations and logic, he will be facing Bobby Lashley on the biggest stage of pro-wrestling. The beast had last appeared at Wrestlemania 36, and now he is a free agent. Just imagine Brock making a return after a year. People are bound to go crazy!

John Cenas return is unlikely to happen as he had already stated of being jam-packed with movie schedules. But as we and all WWE fans know, loyalty isnt just a word written on Cenas sweatbands but its something he has always followed throughout his life. And theres no inch of doubt on 16-time world champions loyalty towards WWE. Till now, we havent witnessed a single Wrestlemania event without Cena (since he joined), and he might just end up making a special appearance at Wrestlemania 37 too. Show up big boy, fans are waiting!

Just like Cena, Dwayne Johnson too is caught up with Hollywood projects. He is working on Black Adam and other films. Not just that, he is busy than ever-expanding his business empire. So, will he be able to take out some time to entertain his WWE fans? Yes, its possible! As we all know, The Rock is known as peoples champ for a reason. No matter what, The Rock is always ready to appear (at least for a short period) inside the ring. And what would be a better occasion than this years mania when the crowd needs a boost after a passable 2020 year.

Must Read: Friends Reunion Is Finally Happening & Its Sooner Than You Think! David Schwimmer Reveals Details

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Wrestlemania 37: Brock Lesnar, John Cena Or Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock? Who Will Receive The Biggest Pop (If Only They Return) - Koimoi

By Athandile Siyo Mar 2, 2021

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Cape Town - A suspected drowning at Seaforth Beach in Simons Town has prompted residents to start a petition calling for the City to deploy lifeguards.

But the City says it is impossible to cover every stretch of the coastline, and Seaforth Beach was rated a relatively safe swimming environment.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that the Simons Town duty crew were requested to respond to the drowning in support of the Cape Medical Response (CMR) and the police at 11.03am on Sunday.

CMR paramedics conducted extensive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts on the male from Belhar, who is believed to have been rescued from the water by bystanders but, sadly, he has been declared deceased.

There are security guards but they are not trained to deal with incidents that include drowning

JON MONSOON Co-director of Shark Warrior Adventures

The body of the man was taken into the care of police and Western Cape government health forensic pathology services, he said.

Simons Town resident and co-director of Shark Warrior Adventures, Jon Monsoon, said the death had prompted them to start a petition calling for the City to put safety measures in place at the beach in an effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

I have been at the beach every day because of the project that we are doing there, teaching children to swim, but I have never seen a lifeguard at the beach. There are security guards but they are not trained to deal with incidents that include drowning, guarding people to swim in safe areas and avoid rocks, or even basic signage because at this stage we cant say the man drowned because it also seems like he was diving and hit his head on the rock. All we need is for basic safety measures to be put in place.

Mayco member for community services Zahid Badroodien said the City reviewed the placement of lifeguards annually, and up to 340 seasonal beach lifeguards worked at 29 beaches, tidal pools, and stretches of coast along the vast 260km expanse under the management of the City.

It is impossible for the City to cover every stretch of coastline. Each location is carefully selected based on a number of factors including the average number of visitors, accessibility, risk for incidents, swimmer hazards (e.g. rip currents), and historical incident data.

Based on these criteria, Seaforth Beach is rated a relatively safe swimming environment, taking into account that the bay is sheltered with offshore rocks and reefs. The risk of drowning is ranked comparatively low and, subsequently, lifeguards were not allocated to this beach when the seasonal plan for 2020/2021 was rolled out.

The department, in consultation with other stakeholders, continuously assesses drowning incidents during the season and, if deemed necessary, will make adjustments to lifeguard allocations. It needs to be noted, though, that these changes will have an impact on other sites from where the lifeguards will have to be withdrawn, he said.

To sign the petition, visit: https:// http://www.change.org/

Cape Times

More here:

Petition for lifeguards to be placed at Seaforth Beach - IOL

Auckland staff at Mecca Cosmetics will now be reimbursed for pay they thought they might lose during this weeks lockdown, due to a clause in their contract.

Mecca told First Union on Thursday that the issue had been resolved after some staff complained they had been told to use up any leave before the company would top up their pay.

They had a clause in their contract which indicated the company was not obliged to pay their workers in exceptional situations such as a pandemic.

The use of pandemic clauses in workers' contracts has been noted in other workplaces.

READ MORE:* Covid-19: Wage subsidy to make return on Thursday, payments go out Monday* H&M continues to underpay staff citing delays in wage subsidy* Can my boss cut my pay during a Covid-19 lockdown?* Covid-19: OPSM's 25pc pay offer to employees during Auckland lockdown 'appalling'

A worker at Amazon Surf told Stuff that some staff were not being paid at all during the lockdown because their contracts stated that they needed to take unpaid leave if a pandemic closed the business.

The worker, whom Stuff has agreed not to name, said the company required staff to take unpaid leave if either they could not work or the business required them to not to work, for three days or longer, due to unforeseen circumstances beyond either party's control.

Ministry of Health

Grant Robertson announces wage subsidy plan for Auckland businesses.

Events included a pandemic or other act of God unless the parties otherwise agree.

When the worker queried whether the company would apply for a government wage subsidy, they were told the company was unsure it would be eligible.

The worker said they and their co-workers were understandably fuming because they had also gone without pay during Auckland's August and February lockdowns.

They were on minimum wage, and the worker said they were finding the company's reasoning hard to swallow if its revenue had not fallen greatly.

I have savings that I rely on. A lot of my co-workers, who are young and studying, live at home but I know my 2IC was really, really stressed about the potential for another lockdown because she has rent to pay.

Were just kind of living on breadcrumbs, really.

The worker was also not a union member and said they were unsure how to go about it.

We're all under 23, minimum wage workers, studying at the same time. We're not really sure of our rights.

Amazon Surf has been contacted for comment.

Rob Stock/Stuff

First Union retail secretary Tali Williams says it's immoral use pandemic clauses to not pay staff.

An employment lawyer said the worker's clause was probably enforceable, but Tali Williams, First Union's retail spokesperson, said it was immoral to apply force majeure-style clauses in a lockdown.

These types of clauses are meant to deal with situations of devastation, of earthquakes that rock all the buildings to the ground, creating nowhere where they can operate. Thats the kind of disaster scenario that force majeure is for, not for a seven-day lockdown.

If you can afford to pay people, which a lot of employers can, then they should. That's their commitment to the community and the consumer.

Regarding the Mecca situation, Williams said she believed it was an unlawful situation.

That's not what annual leave is for. This is the very reason the Government introduced the wage subsidy, was to ensure workers were paid and didnt have to dip into leave.

Supplied

The key is whether the worker understood their contract when they signed it, employment lawyer Susan Hornsby-Geluk says.

An Australian-based spokeswoman for Mecca said where it was unable to provide work due to the current lockdown, it was paying workers their rostered shifts from Mecca's Covid support fund.

Mecca was working hard to ensure staff and customer safety and to 'adhere to legislative requirements for all locations in which we operate.

Employment lawyer Susan Hornsby-Geluk of Dundas Street Partners said the leave clause in the Amazon Surf case was probably legally binding, but the employee needed to have understood it when they agreed to it.

Where employees freely enter into an employment agreement which provides that they will not be paid in certain circumstances, including during a Government lockdown or pandemic, it is likely this will be enforceable. In other words, they will not be entitled to be paid.

Another employment lawyer, Chris Scarrott of Cullen Law, agreed that in general, an employment agreement could provide for a stand down in the case of a pandemic-related shutdown.

We are (unsurprisingly) seeing these clauses more frequently since the emergence of Covid-19. They are likely legal. In essence they are setting the hours of work for the employee.

A more straightforward example would be a school bus driver having hours of work only during the school term.

The difference with these stand down clauses is the unpredictability of when they will be activated. The clauses do disadvantage the employee, so there would also likely be an obligation to consult before starting the stand down.

Williams said it was important staff knew that their contract was a two-way street when they signed up.

My concern is all of the un-unionised sites out there, where people don't know their rights and there might well be stuff going on and they don't realise it's wrong. I don't know the scale of that problem because we're not in touch with those people.

Retail NZ spokesman Greg Harford said retailers had rules to follow.

You can't unilaterally reduce your employee's wages without getting their agreement. But there had been confusion about the lack of information about the Governments new wage subsidy.

The Government announced on Wednesday that it had reinstated the wage subsidy for employers who had suffered a major drop in revenue since mid-February.

Other retailers to be criticised for underpaying workers during lockdown are OPSM, which is said to be paying workers 25 per cent of their usual pay, and H&M, which is paying its workers 60 per cent.

Go here to read the rest:

Rise in 'pandemic clauses' leaving workers without pay - Stuff.co.nz