Fashion Guide for Your Body Type

Thanks to the fashion industry’s obsession with young, waif-thin models, real women all over the country are saddled with guilt as they struggle to squeeze into that elusive size 0. But when it comes to women’s clothing, the key to feeling beautiful is choosing pieces that are not only fashionable but comfortable, too.

Knowing your body type and choosing the right clothes that complement your body are the next steps to this process. Instead of classifying women as “apples” or “curvy,” the Canadian women’s clothing line – Nygard – looks beyond these rudimentary labels and strives to treat women like unique jewels. Peter Nygard, the company’s founder and chairman, strives to design affordable, high-quality fashions for today’s real women: the emeralds, diamonds, opals and pears. Follow these fashion tips based on your unique body jewel:

Emerald: A boyish shape with shoulders the same width as the hips and an undefined waist, Nygard recommends that emerald’s get curvy — wear clothing that simulates an hourglass shape by emphasizing your shoulders and hips. Look for jackets that have strong or wide shoulders that make your waist appear smaller, or a peasant blouse that creates shape and interest on top. Rely on belts to pull the eye inward — wide, skinny or anywhere in between.

Diamond: Naturally well-proportioned shoulders and hips with a small and defined waist. Diamonds should seek out clothes that follow that basic frame and keep the shoulders and hips balanced. For instance, V-necks, sweetheart and scoop necklines that square off the shoulders will flatter a diamond’s collarbone and neck. Opt for fitted blazers instead of boxy, as well as full, pleated, A-line or pencil skirts with a wide waistband.

Opal: A swimmer’s body; broad shoulders and narrow hips. Nygard’s advice is to wear clothes that de-emphasize your shoulders and add contour to your bottom half to balance your figure. Jackets that cinch at the waist, and then flare out, create the illusion of curvy hips. Choose darker colors on top to narrow your silhouette, paired with low-rise pants with side pocket detailing or full, printed skirts.

Pear: Like it’s name, a pear-shaped body with narrow shoulders, a defined waist and a fuller bottom and hips. Add balance by creating wider shoulders, highlighting your waist and playing down your bottom half. Wear texture on top to create volume and interest, along with dark colors below the waistline. Boot-cut pants make hips look slender by balancing hip width to hem width. Most importantly, think vertical: Knee-length pencil skirts will hold curves in.

Workplace Ergonomics Get an Update in Today’s Working World

“Workplace ergonomics” used to be a buzzword in past years, which meant ensuring that employees were outfitted with what they needed to be comfortable at work. Nowadays however, more people are

working from home, be it by their choice or their employer’s. Regardless of the reason, one thing is obvious: It’s just as possible to injure yourself no matter where you physically work.

Consider this: When it comes to a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries caused by stress to the joints from repetitive tasks, overuse of muscles, and poor posture, what’s the difference if you’re slumping in front of an office computer or a home laptop? Knowing how to bend properly and lift objects of all sizes is important, wherever you work.

As the Society for Human Resource Management advises: “Employees who work from home or travel for work should be taught to assess their adhoc workplaces for ergonomic risks.”

If you’re experiencing pain, doctors of chiropractic — who have a minimum of seven years of higher education — focus on structure and function. They care for pain syndromes with a drug-free approach that includes spinal manipulation and exercises to help stretch out and strengthen core muscles. Meanwhile, here are a few tips that can help:

• Get a good chair, be mindful of your posture and learn proper lifting and stretching techniques.

• Keep your eyes at the same height as the computer monitor — without leaning forward — to help avoid headaches and neck pain.

• Take frequent stretching mini-breaks and stay hydrated with water.

“Back injuries are the most prevalent occupational injury, and studies have shown chiropractic patients have consistently better outcomes with high patient satisfaction results,” says the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress’ Gerard Clum, DC.

How to Prevent Mosquito Bites

Across the country, families are taking advantage of the warmer weather by spending more quality time outdoors. This year, as families prepare to host a variety of outdoor gatherings, mosquito prevention and protecting against mosquito bites should be top of mind.Mosquitoes transmit numerous diseases and are often described as one of the deadliest animals on the planet. This year, the Zika virus has made the mainstream news and has become a cause for public concern, especially for women who are or planning to become pregnant. As it is unknown how Zika will spread, particularly in the U.S., practicing caution is warranted."Proactivity and public cooperation are huge components of mosquito prevention," said Cindy Mannes, vice president of public affairs at the National Pest Management Association. "Homeowners play an important role in helping to reduce mosquito populations and can work to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds throughout the season."Fortunately, there are several important measures the American public can take in protecting against the diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. The NPMA is urging homeowners to help in eliminate mosquito breeding grounds on their properties and practice vigilance in wearing proper attire to protect against bites:* Remove all sources of stagnant water. Standing water can be found in areas such as gutters, buckets, flowerpots and bird baths. Mosquitoes only need 1/2 inch of standing water to breed, so it is essential to minimize these areas to reduce offspring.* Wear an insect repellent containing DEET or another EPA-registered ingredient to help prevent mosquito bites.* Minimize outside activity between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. Also take proactive measures during the day to protect against daytime biters like the Asian tiger mosquito, the main carrier of Zika.* When outdoors, wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants, socks and closed-toe shoes.* When hosting guests outside, keep the air moving. Using a fan where you and your guests may lounge makes it less likely mosquitoes will land on you. These pests are not strong fliers, so circulating air can make an outside gathering more pleasant.By following these tips and actively working to prevent mosquitoes on the home front, you will help reduce the risk of you and your family getting bitten by mosquitoes this season. 

Protecting Your Kid’s Identity Is Every Parent’s Responsibility

Child identity theft is on the rise and can go largely undetected for years. With the Gabriel app, you don’t have to worry about your children’s future because your children’s ID is protected from any third party and will remain safe and secure.

Content:    If only we could protect our kids from the world around them. Along with the normal worries any parent has for his or her child, you can add child identity theft to the list as wel

IdentityTheftFacts. com,  a website devoted to identity theft education, reports that on average, victims of child identity theft incur roughly $12,000 worth of fraudulent debt. To that point, it is imperative for parents to treat their children’s information in the same way they treat their own information in order to prevent identity fraud.

In addition, a recent Child Identity Fraud Report, sponsored by the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC) and conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research, found that 1 in 40 households with minor children (under the age of 18) had at least one child whose personal information was compromised by identity criminals. All of this is to say that, clearly, this is a problem that parents need to pay attention to.

Combine all of this with breaches affecting children in the commercial sector, such as that of VTech Holdings, Ltd., a Hong Kong-based digital-learning toy manufacturer, and you have a recipe for future financial disaster that could go undetected for years. In that case, the company admitted that in December of 2015, names, genders, and birth dates of 6.5 million of its child users were exposed in a data breach. About 2.9 million were U.S. children, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story.

“It’s a predatory crime that affects families,” Virginia State Police Lt. Robert P. Chappell Jr., of Roanoke, Va., told the Deseret News in a phone interview. “I know how to recognize it and the steps to prevent it, as well as how to deal with the emotional aspects of it,” he said.

One such way that parents can protect their kid’s identity is by keeping their digital footprint and information safe and secure. And now there is a simple, cost-effective way to do that with the Gabriel app.

The Gabriel app, available at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, was designed and built with personal privacy and security as its foundation by VirnetX, an Internet security software and technology company.

For only $50 per year for five users, family members are assured that their communications—be it talk, video, chat, text, email, or if they share photos or documents – are safe and secure.

No one will be able to see, hear, or intercept your communications, other than the party you are in contact with because Gabriel does not transmit or store its data with any third party, not even VirnetX. It is person-to-person, end-to-end encryption that all but eliminates opportunities for hackers.

Other benefits include:

• Making free voice or video calls or sending IMs (instant messages) to other Gabriel users.
• Receiving spamless email.
• Sharing pictures or files that are immune to interception.

FEDERATION ANNOUNCES ETIOPIAN PL FIXTURES

The fixtures of the 2016/17 Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) season were announced on Thursday at Capital Hotel and Spa.

The announcement ceremony and the drawing of lots were conducted in the presence of federation officials, representatives and managers of participating clubs and former players. Ahead of the announcement, the representatives deliberated on issues ranging from referees’ decisions to player transfers. They approved a different system for the upcoming premier league season. In that regard, the number of clubs that will be promoted to the premier league was decreased to 3, with winners of the super and leagues advancing along with a winner of the playoffs between the second placed teams.

Elsewhere, clubs’ representatives raised their concerns regarding registration fee for clubs taking part in the league. The federation accepted the concern and said that it will reconsider the decision. The league is scheduled to start play on October 30, 2016 with the dates for fixtures to be announced in the near future.

In the opening week reigning EPL champions St. George FC will entertain Arba Minch FC, while second-placed Ethiopian Coffee will play against Dedebit FC. In another match, third-placed Adama City FC will face Dire Dawa City FC.

In the 2015/16 EPL season, the Horsemen were crown champions for a record 13 times. The Horsemen ended the league with 55 points, Ethiopia Coffee followed with 45, while Adama City and Dedebit managed to collect 44 and 39 points, respectively.

Dedebit forward Dawit Fekadu finished the season with 14 goals, one goal behind Taffese Tesfaye of Adama City. 

Week one EPL fixtures

Saint George vs. Arbaminch City (Addis Ababa)

Sidama Coffee vs. Fasil City (Yirgalem)

Ethiopia Coffee vs. Dedebit (Addis Ababa)

Wolaita Dicha vs. Defense (Boditi)

Hawassa City vs. Addis Ababa City (Hawassa)

Jimma Aba Bunna vs. Electric (Jimma)

Woldia City vs. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (Woldia)

Adama City vs. Dire Dawa City (Adama)

Ethiopia: Hailemariam Desalegn Decries Use of Social Media to Spread Messages of Hate and Bigotry

As much as social media offers a digital platform to improve exchange of information and enhance popular participation, its attendant negative impacts simply cannot be ignored, Hailemariam Dessalegn, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, told the United Nations General Assembly today.

“In fact, we are seeing how misinformation could easily go viral via social media and mislead many people, especially the youth,” he said in his address to the annual general debate, adding: “Social media has certainly empowered populists and other extremists to exploit people’s genuine concerns and spread their message of hate and bigotry without any inhibition.”

On other global challenges, he said international peace and stability is facing greater risks with the rise of geo-political tensions and the growing threats posed by “all shades” of terrorist groups. Moreover, the global economy has not yet rebounded from the financial crisis.

Further, “it is critical to underline one critical matter which is usually given short shrift, both by the media and others. It is simply hypocritical to deny that some of our countries have been targets for destabilization activities carried out with no accountability by people and groups who have been given shelters by states with whom we have absolutely no problems,” he stressed.

It is under these challenging circumstances that countries are striving to implement the new UN transformational agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals, and, obviously, he said, there are no easy solutions to these complex issues. “The situation is much more pronounced specially for least developed countries like us which are making every possible effort to […] escape from the poverty trap.”

“We believe our vision is right and we are determined to get there. Whatever challenges and shortcomings we may have, we don’t have difficulty owning up to them and we will make every- possible effort to deal with them in close consultation, cooperation and participation of our people,” Prime Minister Dessalegn said, noting that there is no better testimony for the resolve Ethiopia had shown in this regard than the way it had handled this past year’s devastating El-Nino.

At the same time, he said Ethiopia could not simply “wish away” the challenges it is facing. Indeed, they need collective and coordinated responses “and we are always ready willing to continue to contribute positively in close partnership with others in our region and beyond in tackling these challenges.”

PETROLEUM DISTRIBUTORS PUSH FOR PROFIT MARGIN ADJUSTMENT

• Fuel adulteration triggers grave concern

Companies engaged in the distribution of petroleum products are persuading the government to make adjustments on the fuel sales profit margins.

Currently, the oil companies and dealers earn one percent sales margin from each litter of fuel sold to customers. The oil companies are complaining that the margin is the lowest in Africa affecting the profitability of the companies and discouraging investment in the industry. Major industry players such as Total, National Oil Company (NOC) and Oil Libya are pressing the relevant government bodies to revise the fuel profit margins companies earning from the sale of petroleum products. 

At a press briefing held on Thursday during the inauguration of a new state-of-the art fuel depot built by Total Ethiopia in Dukem town at a cost of 270 million birr Jerome Deschamps, Executive vice president Total Africa Marketing and services, revealed that major industry players are holding discussions with the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise and the Ministry of Trade on the possibility that the government could push the profit margin to two or three percent. Deschamps said Ethiopia has the lowest distribution margin in Africa adding that the second lowest margin is six times higher than that of, Ethiopia. “The margin is very thin and we are trying to bring the matter to the attention of the relevant government bodies,” he said.

Lassina Toure, Managing director Total Ethiopia SC, said that the one percent margin in Ethiopia is minimal when compared to the ten percent margin companies earn in other African countries such as neighboring Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. According to Toure, Total has commissioned a study on sales margins in Africa to a reputable international consulting firm. The study has been finalized and sent to various Ethiopian authorities including the Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation and the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas. “We are willing to have further discussions and we hope that something will be done very soon,” Toure told reporters. 

Deschamps explained that the meager profit margin is making investment in the petroleum distribution industry challenging. “It is the fuel distribution companies that invest on service stations, fuel depots and tanker trucks. The Ethiopian economy is growing very fast. The economy is growing at a rate of seven to ten percent every year. The fuel market is growing at the same pace 7-10 percent yearly. To cater to the growing fuel demand the distribution companies have to make additional investments on service stations and depots.  But today we are not in a position to invest as much as the market needs because of this margin issue.”  

According to Deschamps, Total has invested one billion birr in Ethiopia in the past five years and created more than 1,000 jobs for Ethiopians.  Other industry players are also investing and creating jobs. Each service station on average creates job opportunity for 30 citizens.

However, Deschamps said with the existing thin profit margin the oil companies would not be able to make additional investments and meet the growing demand.

“Sooner or later, we will have an issue if we are not going to have a higher margin because simply we will not be able as an industry to invest in stations and depots required meeting the growing demand which is growing at a rate of 7-10 percent a year.  At the end of the day the country’s supply chain will get sick.  But we do not want that to happen. That is why we are actively engaged with different government bodies. We hope that a win-win solution and way out will be found by the government authorities.”

Deschamps noted that if the government increases the price of fuel by 0.8 birr per litter, the sales margin could be equivalent to that of the region’s average margin. “In that case the industry will have the capability to build 300 stations in the next five years and create 10,000 jobs. The solution is there. If you push the profit margin to two, three percent, it is a mutual interest of the country and the industry,” he said.

In related developments, fuel adulteration has triggered a grave concern in the fuel distribution industry. Executives of Total claim that the recent kerosene shortage that hits some cities in the regions as well as Addis Ababa was caused by fuel adulteration.

Kerosene, which is subsidized by the government, is used for cooking by low-income societies mainly in rural areas. The price of kerosene is cheaper than that of gas oil and gasoline, at least three birr lower than the price of gasoline and gas oil as the government subsidizes the product. To take advantage of the subsidized product, some individuals including fuel station owners blend kerosene with gas oil or gasoline.

“We unfortunately have noticed some tricky games played on kerosene.  Some players blend kerosene with gasoil and gasoline to take advantage of the three birr price difference. The kerosene is used by fuel adulators and is no longer available for the poor. That is why you are noticing the shortage in the market. It is a big area of concern. The rules are not respected. They are not abiding by the law,” Deschamps told reporters.  

Toure on his part said that the illicit traders are fattening their pockets without paying tax. He said the blended fuel is a bad product that damages vehicles and inflicts harm on the environment. “And we must remember that the fuel is imported with hard earned foreign currency. It is imperative that the government should tackle fuel adulteration,” he said.

To curb the fuel adulteration, Total has introduced an initiative dubbed “Fuel Doctor.” Under the initiative trucks equipped with fuel inspection gadgets are dispatched to different parts of the country to randomly gauge the quality of the petroleum products sold at Total fuel stations.

“We check the quality of the fuel at different stations in Addis Ababa as well as in the regional cities. If there is any issue Total will take measures. This practice can be replicated in the industry,” Toure said.  

“Some competitors sell more kerosene than gasoil. How is that possible? This shows that there is an issue. But it is not our intention to blame x or y. We explain the matter and it is the government authority that needs to deal with the issue,” he said.  

 Established in 1950 Total Ethiopia S.C today operates 173 service stations across the nation. With a contracted fleet of more than 500 tanker trucks the company distributes 700 million liters of petroleum products yearly.  The company claims to have opened more than 8000 direct and indirect jobs in Ethiopia.