Commemorating a milestone with an enchanting orb

A Snow globe captivates the attention of the seeker and is an enchanting sight especially for a child. It’s a perfect present to both grant and receive especially around the winter holiday season as the snow in the globe symbolizes the serenity and peacefulness that appears when everything is blanketed in the sheer white snow. Snow globes are designed in a way that they have a replica of snow at the base, and when the globe is jiggled the snow floats and twirls around the figures inside. Multicolored glitter comprising of white, green, blue and red is also blended with the swirling snow. Some snow globes are not just a memento but are also considered to be a pleasant musical ornament. It can be thereby, very heartbreaking to be parted with a melodious and fascinating snow globe. Here is a story of a man who lost his snow globe at the airport due to authority restrictions and gave up all hope of ever being reunited with it.

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Michael Moore was travelling to Ohio through airlines. He was at the Florida airport having his baggage inspected at the security checkpoint, when the security staff forbade him from carrying along the snow globe with him. They explained the laws as to why even a cherished globe could not pass through the checkpoint. The snow globe was a prized gift for Moore’s daughter from her grandparents. This gift was to celebrate and honor a highlighting point in the little girl’s life. Katie was being adopted by her new parents. Bewildered and heavily dejected, Moore implored the staff to permit him to leave the orb in a lost and found area rather then hurling it in the trashcan but the officers would not empathize. The heartbroken father had no choice but to cast it in the trash bin though it was beyond his comprehension as to how such an inoffensive souvenir could pose a danger to the security.

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Unbeknownst to him, strangers were witnessing this distressing episode from a distance while they killed time until their departure was announced. Marveling at the preciousness of the item, one of the strangers retrieved it out of the bin. The snow globe sparkled vividly and engraved were the words “We love you Katie” “from Nana and Papa, 1/25/16.” The stranger Ivelise Amarri Hernandez immediately deciphered the worth of the item, knowing how this could be Katie’s dream. She vowed to return it to the rightful owner.

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As soon as she returned home, Hernandez posted the details of the episode on social media expecting to discover the owner. She recounts that she thought her post would be shared a few hundred times but she was surprised to see the numbers going up. After the post had been shared almost 50,000 times, the message was viewed by the executive of the company, Things Remembered, which had designed the snow globe. The executive was positive that she could uncover the name of the owner in her record of sales. The employee after a little digging was able to identify Linda Modry as the buyer and helped Hernandez to connect with Modry. Hernandez was jubilant to return the special keepsake to Linda Modry who was Katie’s Nana.

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Modry arrived at Hernandez’s home situated in Tampa. Modry recounts “it was raining when I picked it up and it was a good thing because we were all crying.” Modry explained that this snow globe had a special meaning for her granddaughter Katie because January 25^th marked a phenomenal milestone in her life. She was being adopted by her son on that day. Modry was overpowered with happiness and couldn’t believe that a complete stranger would be so concerned with the distress of the father and would take such great steps to restore the silver orb back to the family. According to Modry her granddaughter had been distraught when the globe hadn’t reached her. Modry was euphoric to be reunited with the treasured orb. She said that she and her husband would travel themselves with the globe properly packaged to present it to their granddaughter.

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Hernandez is proud to have gone to such great lengths. She knew she was doing the right thing. She says “My mom always raised us to always be good to people. If it was me and I lost my snow globe, I’d want the same thing to happen to me.”

A story with a happy ending always brings smile and happiness in the hearts of the listeners. This is one such story where the finale was unexpectedly very blissful and joyful.

Bridging the gap of communication

If you have been employed at a firm where you have to collaborate with employees planted in other companies dispersed around the globe, or if you want to connect with a home based contractor or vendor residing in a different place, you definitely require a platform which allows you to connect and pool resources with your team and in some cases even reveal yourself through webcam. The internet no doubt has made communication straightforward and simple and today our day to day interactions whether on a personal or professional level are dependent upon the virtual means. A few clicks of the mouse and you are staring at someone who is far across the globe from your spot. For business owners, embracing the virtual platforms is a very cost-effective technique to accomplish innumerable goals amongst which webinars, conferences and training programs are taken account of. Though it’s highly unlikely that online group meeting will entirely substitute the need of industrialists to be introduced to each other personally, its ease of implementation can work towards increasing the productivity of a business. Online group meetings have eliminated the distances and revolutionized the meaning of long distance interactions. Although there are lots of online group meeting platforms available, some are costly while some are totally free. Here is a list of 7 online group meeting platforms that are amongst the best.

1.      Google Hangouts:

The recent addition of Google’s screen sharing and the collaboration of document on Google Hangouts have made it the leading service in the online group meetings. This service is constantly improving itself and the free voice calls and excellent clarity of the video has multiplied its ratings. You can not only view your friends with flawless clarity but also arrange a meeting with them and through collaboration share documents on Google docs free of cost. The only thing you require to access this online group meeting platform is a Google account, a webcam and a microphone. 

2.      Team viewer:

One of the best online group meetings platforms is TeamViewer, where you can assemble a virtual team together, share your screens, and work collectively on the documents or chat. You can begin instantaneous meetings, or schedule advanced meetings, inform your meeting attendees through email as to when they should join and let them know the code that is requisite to access your screen. The attendees of the online group meetings can also share their own screens and even video stream through your webcam to the group. The TeamViewer mobile app allows you to be present at online meetings from your Smartphone at all times. 

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3.      OpenVoice:

Another great platform for online group meeting is OpenVoice which lets you arrange open calls for groups of 500 people or more. It’s a very easy to use service and one of its prominent features is that it permits you to form particular call groups and you have easy access to statistic reports. The mobile application of OpenVoice has made online group meeting very trouble-free and simple.

4.      eZ Talks Meeting:

eZ Talks Meetings is an online group meeting platform which lives up to the reputation of providing excellent audio and video quality. When you connect to this service, you can, without complication join any meeting. Besides, sharing screen with the attendees of the online group meeting, you can also access its online built-in whiteboard tool to draw your thoughts on it and share it with the group. This feature is very valuable in a meeting as the brainstorming of ideas and thoughts along with tutoring and training can boost the productivity of any online meeting. With eZ Talks Meeting you can schedule your meeting in advance and can dispatch invitation to the participants and visitors. One of the best online group meetings platforms in the market, eZ Talks has simplified the idea of video conferencing and distant collaborations.
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5.      Cisco WebEx ($19/mo - $49/mo)

One of the most reliable online communication services Cisco Web Ex is a superb online meeting service tool. With a user friendly interface and with flexible control options Cisco WebEx is a supreme online scheduler choice. Just begin by installing the WebEx plugin on to your desktop and you can embark on hosting or participating in meetings. Joint work with a team has never been easier. With the screen sharing and documents flowing options, you can lead a group conversation and have a relatively flawless group meeting anytime you want. In addition to its pc version WebEx provides android and smartphone application to provide multitude ease to the users. Scheduling a meeting or an urgent appointment is just a click away. You can add a meeting to it and email all the group members to request their presence or even participate in a meeting anytime. WebEx comes with a variety of exclusive features for its customers but since there is a hefty fee for it, businesses can decide according to their set specifications and demands which features they desire to solicit.

6.      GoToMeeting ($49/mo):

Another one of the hallmarks in online group meeting scheduler is GoToMeeting used widely by enterprises to organize online group meetings, collaborate and to discuss documents and screens together. This tool enables its users to benefit from a vast array of scheduler and meeting tools such as HD video conferencing, desktop and screen sharing and mobile apps for Androids and iOS. All that is needed is to get the application installed on your PC or smartphone and team up a meeting with just a click. You can then command a completely simulated online group meeting that is not dependent on any country, time zone or boundaries limitations. The meeting invitation can be sent to as many people as required and pool resources to share ideas and work information across the globe. But to join attendees have to install a tiny plug in to become a participant of the online group meetings but once done, their group meeting dream is just a click away. 

Although there are a variety of online group schedulers that offer multiple user friendly features but these are some of the desired best. Communication is no longer a deterrent aspect in online group interchange of ideas. These platforms have completely revolutionized the idea of group meetings.

Book of Ra Review – a tale of myth and adventure

The most famous slot released yet by Novomatic is the Book of Ra, which has given prestige and brand recognition to the company. With classical Egyptian theme and portraying the dusty and ancient aura of the kingdom of Pharaoh, the game has the classical symbols which depict the entire theme of the game. With a scarab, a Pharaoh, Archeologist, Goddess Cleopatra, as well as all the generic symbols like the Ace, Queen, King, Jack and 10, the game is a popular hit.  

Book of Ra Paylines and Bet:

The game is highly versatile and offers players great deal of flexibility in account of paylines and bets. It is up to the player to decide how many lines he wants to activate. The number is 9 in the classic version, while the Deluxe version offers 10 paylines. The players are allowed nine different credits for each line which means that there are 81 credits available every time the gamer spins. The number of paylines can easily be adjusted at any point during the game.

The same goes for the bet per line, which can be easily changed at any time during the game.  The buttons -/+ at the bottom of the game allow user to assign the exact amount of the bet during the game. Unlike other slot games, Book of Ra is a fascinating Egyptian paradigm where the lowest amount of bet is £0.02 so the gamers with even the lowest budget can be compelled to try their luck at it.

Once the user finds 3 Book of Ras, 10 free games are unlocked at the completion of that round. 

Bonus features:

With a winning amount of bonus features, the game is a win-win option. The big payouts keep the gamers motivated. The game can be played at any Novoline casino. Like other slot games, the Book of Ra doesn’t have many bonus options which the gamers can entertain themselves with. The main bonus feature in the Book of Ra is that the gamer needs to get three Scatter symbols at once. This will enable the gamer to activate 10 free rounds at the end of the current game.

 The other option is the gamble option which allows gamers to double their winnings. The gamers get a chance to select red or black cards and wait to see which one is flipped. The gamers are allowed to gamble 5 times in a row to multiply their cash up to 5 times after every win.  

Jackpots:

The best jackpot can be unlocked in the Book of Ra. The most worthwhile symbol of the game is the Explorer. Finding it five times in a row will reward the gamer with 5000 tokens. The next most estimable symbol is the Pharaoh. Getting it five times in a row will earn 2000 tokens. 

Downside of Book of Ra:

Like other slot games, Book of Ra bonus feature is extremely simple and it does not have any side features for additional entertainment but it is still a great money slot game for beginners and advanced players alike.

Overview:

Highly esteemed in the gaming circle, the Book of Ra has earned its value for its simple and basic interface and it’s easy to learn feature. The game can now be played worldwide online and through mobile apps easily. You can easily have it downloaded in your mobile to enjoy the great Egyptian theme.

Black Scholes Model in layman’s terms

The developers of the Black Scholes Model, Fischer Black, Myron Scholes and Robert Merton designed this mathematical formula to assign prices to European options. It was designed in 1973 to create a valuation model for stock warrants. 

Background history of the celebrated founders:             

Myron Scholes completed his Ph.D. in 1968 and joined the MIT Sloan School of Management in the field of academics where he met Fischer Black who was an independent consultant and had obtained a PhD in applied mathematics from Harvard University. They both later met Robert Merton who joined MIT in 1970. The years that followed the three geniuses did groundbreaking research on a model for pricing stock options and came up with their own mathematical formula known today as the Black Scholes Merton formula. In 1981 Scholes went to Stanford University where he held the position of a teacher till his retirement in 1996. In the year 1997 the he and Robert Merton were awarded a shared Nobel Prize for Economics. The Nobel Prize Committee paid special tribute to their co founder Fischer Black and said that he too would have shared in the glory had he not had passed away at that time. Meanwhile Robert Merton completed his doctorate in economics and moved on to the MIT Sloan School of Management where he taught till 1988. After then he moved to Harvard University and retired in 1998. After that he rejoined MIT Sloan School of Management. 

 For a layman the greatly engineered formula may be difficult to grasp as it involves many complex mathematical rules. However to comprehend its purpose and consequences, it is important to look at the formula in simplified version.

What is meant by Option?

In simple terms European call option is to employ your right to enter into a contract to buy an asset but not being held obligatory to buy it at a certain given time only. The asset will have to be bought at a predetermined price and at a predetermined time but the authority to choose the right time and right price to buy that asset remains with the buyer of the asset.

But to enter into the contract, the buyer has to pay an upfront amount which is called the Premium. The premium for each asset will be different and will be dependent on its performance in the stock market. 

Expected value of an option:

To calculate the right value of your option contract you would have to check its volatility. Volatility is simply the amount of times a stock moves over. If a certain stock moves abundantly then it is said to have a higher volatility and therefore its options will be tagged with a higher value in the market. 

Understanding strike price:

The strike price can be defined as the price at which the option contract can be implemented. It is very important to understand strike price as it is the basic element of the Black Scholes Model. At the date of expiration the difference calculated on the market price of the stock and the option’s strike price is the profit earned on implementing the option.

The Black Scholes Model uses these five basic inputs to determine the price of the financial tools:

These inputs are:

·         Underlying price

·         Strike price

·         Days left till the expiry date

·         Dividends

·         Current volatility

The Black Scholes Model

The model is used to determine the value of options. It theorizes that the option price follows a Brownian motion with continuous drift and volatility. When used on a stock option the model inserts the price variation of the stock which is constant, the value of money in relation to time, the strike price of the option and the time left till option’s expiry.

The Black Scholes Model does not require the understanding of calculus for correct interpretation and accurate results. However, the knowledge of the above explained terms in mandatory to understand the concept behind the Black Scholes Model.

The advantages of the Black Scholes formula:

It is known as one of the most accurate financial formula in the market as it calculates the price of the option quite accurately. The calculation usually matches the actual price very closely. Moreover it provides investors an insight to options price and its relation to stock price movements. This in turn maximizes the security platform for the investors as they can implement portfolio insurance more effectively. 

The model is a great way to keep the market consistently peaceful as it can accurately sum up the equilibrium pricing relationships. 

Some of the disadvantages of Black Scholes formula:

It sometimes misquotes options that are paying a high dividend stock. Furthermore, it also takes into account the under rated fact that the risk free rate and the stock’s volatility are constant. Moreover, it states that the prices of stock are steady and are not subjected to major changes such as a merger, or a takeover. Lastly the model signifies that no dividends are received on stocks until the date of expiration. These are some of the limitations of the Black Scholes formula which dampen its uniqueness and accuracy. 

However, it is quite effective in comparing prices of the options. The pros and cons are always a major consideration in any mathematical formula but the advantages of the Black Scholes Model definitely outweigh its disadvantages thus giving investors a clearer picture of the option pricing and stock market.