Corb7 International February 10, 2021 Newsletter

International Business

Feature

The Business of Valentine’s Day in 2021!

A Survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) projects a downturn in spending adapting to the long shadow of a pandemic.  Given that environment, it comes as no surprise that consumers are changing how they spend on Valentine’s Day this year. According to NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics’ annual Valentine’s Day consumers plan to spend an average $165 on Valentine’s Day gifts and celebrations — $32 less than they budgeted last year. Yet despite this drop, it is still the second highest Valentine’s Day in terms of expected spending and comes on the heels of a record-setting winter holiday season.

Even the most ardent Valentine’s Day enthusiast, however,  might not know just why this day designed for lovers to express their affections for one another is celebrated in mid-February. According to the Library of Congress, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14, though the date might have ties to the ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a spring festival celebrated each year on February 15.

The holiday was moved to February 14 after the spread of Christianity. The Christian faith had several early martyrs named Valentine, and each of them were celebrated with a saint day on February 14. But the unique history of Valentine’s Day and its association with February 14th as well as its romantic sentiments does not end there. The Library of Congress also notes that, in the Middle Ages, people believed birds selected their mates on February 14. As a result, it was not uncommon for lovers to recite prose to one another on this date.

In his 1382 poem, “Parlement of Foules,” English poet Geoffrey Chaucer became one of the first known to connect romance with St. Valentine’s Day. Over the next several centuries, the day’s connection to romance only grew stronger, and by the Victorian era in England, it was not uncommon for lovers to profess their affections through songs, poetry and even the giving of roses as gifts.

It was during the Victorian era that British chocolate manufacturer Richard Cadbury began searching for ways to use the cocoa butter that his company was extracting during the production of their drinking chocolate. In 1861, Cadbury decided to produce edible chocolates, which he even sold and marketed in heart-shaped boxes decorated with images of Cupid and rosebuds. It would be a few more decades before edible chocolates caught on in the United States, where they remain a must-have item for many Valentine’s Day celebrants more than 150 years after Cadbury first began selling them.

International Business

Executive Forum

2021 World Captive Forum

Celebrating its 30th year, the 2021 World Captive Forum will be hosted VIRTUALLY for the first time on February 24-25, 2021. Captive Business Insurance will host this year’s Forum in a virtual setting with more than 75 speakers and more than 25 sessions.

Industry experts will address such topics as an introduction to captive insurance, opportunities in a changing market, reinsurance and fronting, tax issues, cell captives, and employee benefits. In addition to live conference activities, World Captive Forum registrants will have access to pre-conference content and on-demand sessions. This year’s virtual World Captive Forum will also offer participants opportunities to network with attendees, speakers, and exhibitors through one-on-one chats or video conferencing.

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International Business

Business Tools

Swiss Friendly Approach to Crypto!

Switzerland is ranked number one of top ten European countries for starting a blockchain company due to its friendly regulation environment and supportive startup ecosystem with world-class service providers. It is rapidly emerging as a crypto paradise, supported by its banking skills, low-tax-system, elite universities and Switzerland as brand itself which has attracted a large variety of foreign cryptocurrency and blockchain startups. In Switzerland cryptocurrencies and exchanges are legal, and the country has adopted a remarkably progressive stance towards cryptocurrency regulations. The long-term policy regarding crypto-currencies on the part of the Swiss Financial Market Authority and its clarification of many aspects related to their business makes Switzerland one of the best places worldwide to lauch an ICO.

Crypto valley in Zug

The Swiss city Zug in central Switzerland, also known as Crypto valley, is one of the most crypto-friendly cities in the world. Perfectly positioned to get the most out of the decentralized, stable and predictable Swiss political system and its unique business environment, Zug is incomparable for an uncomplicated and pragmatic implementation of business ideas with world-class infrastructure. Zug offers a solid basis for global growth due to its business-friendly philosophy and the openness and easy accessibility of its authorities with short communication channels. With its low-tax-system, pro-business environment and fantastic quality of life Zug has attracted numerous multinationals, creating an international and cosmopolitan culture with an easy access to powerful global networks.

Swiss Trust company as perfect support for US-investors in engaging in business activities related to Crypto

The Swiss Trust company is one of the best known and respected vehicles in the business world. Swiss Trust companies can easily function as a holding entity and a flagship structure for any company and investment. They provide administrators with an excellent level of discretion and security and maintain a great number of types of assets, including shares, commodities, real estate properties, fixed income assets and cash. This flexibility combined with discretion, privacy and prestige makes the Swiss Trust company the perfect business vehicle for US-investors in engaging in business activities related to Crypto, such as ICO, participation and investing in ICO or crypto assets, acting as escrow agent or fiduciary in crypt assets related transactions.

Lifestyle

Executive Fitness

Foods to Fight Inflammation

The human body and its immune system excels at fighting foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. Signaling chemicals called interleukins tell cells whether they are needed to fight illness or they should wait in the wings. While these immune defenders are doing their jobs, soreness, fatigue and swelling can occur – the natural side effects of an immune system response – but will soon dissipate.

However, many people deal with immune systems that are consistently revved up, even when no invaders are present. This is the problem with many chronic diseases and immune system dysfunction. Unfortunately, the inflammation that is a hallmark of immune defense becomes a daily problem that may result in chronic pain and other complications. What many people may not realize is that the foods that they are putting into their bodies may exacerbate inflammatory responses, while others may help keep inflammation at bay.

People with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, Hashimoto’s, and other chronic illnesses may find that turning to the right diet can tame inflammation and other symptoms. Recently, many health experts, including Dr. Barry Sears, founder of the Inflammation and Research Foundation and author of the “Zone Diet,” and Dr. Andrew Weil, who offers the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid, have begun to tout certain foods that are purported to reduce inflammatory response over an extended period of time.

As beneficial as some foods can be, it’s important to note that individuals are unique and certain foods may produce a particular response in some but not in others. Systematically isolating certain foods can help paint a picture of foods that can be problematic. But generally speaking, refined carbohydrates, sugar-sweetened beverages, fried foods, and processed meats may increase inflammation, advises Harvard Health Publishing. Conversely, certain foods and beverages that have been identified as reducing inflammation for many people. These include:

· tomatoes

· olive oil

· green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables

· nuts, like almonds and walnuts

· fatty fish

· berries

· avocados

· green tea

· peppers

· grapes

· turmeric

· dark chocolate

Including these foods in one’s daily diet may help to relieve the pain, bloating and fatigue associated with inflammation.

It is important to speak with a doctor before making any dietary changes. Discuss any inflammation issues you have been having and which foods might help. Generally speaking, a diet full of diverse, antioxidant-rich foods can provide relief for those with various levels of inflammation.

Lifestyle

International Spirits & Cuisine

How Chocolate Became Tied to Valentine”s Day

Heart-shaped boxes filled with decadent treats are coveted gifts on Valentine’s Day. Chocolate lovers typically have a favorite type of chocolate, whether it’s creamy filled truffles or chocolate pieces with fruit or nut fillings.

The tradition of gifting chocolate is anything but new. Chocolate and other sweet treats have been offered for centuries as prized gifts. Even ancient Aztecs and Mayans celebrated chocolate and saw it as a hot commodity. Drinks made of cacao beans would be given as presents to people of high status. Chocolate also would be offered to the gods as a token of appreciation. Cacao beans were even used as a form of currency at one point.

During the 17th century, chocolate consumption grew considerably across Europe. Chocolate houses cropped up in London, and the French elite often indulged in chocolate. Chocolate’s popularity continued to grow, but the dessert was not linked to Valentine’s Day until nearly 200 years later. In the mid-1800s, an enterprising individual named Richard Cadbury was looking for a way to make chocolate even more popular than it already was. He sought out a method to make drinking chocolate more palatable and created “eating chocolates.” These chocolates were packaged in decorative boxes. Eventually, Cadbury saw the benefit of putting images of cupids and roses on the boxes. Cadbury even designed chocolate boxes in the shape of hearts that could be saved as mementos. These chocolates soon became intertwined with Valentine’s Day celebrations.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Milton Hershey dabbled in commercializing chocolate as well. Hershey began as a caramel maker, but experimented with covering the caramels in chocolate in 1894. Hershey would go on to develop one of the most successful brands of chocolate in the United States, which included the famous Hershey bar. In 1907, Hershey launched production of tear-drop shaped “kisses.” (The chocolates were given their unusual name because of the “smooching” noise made by the chocolate when being manufactured.) The kisses became wildly popular and made for affordable chocolate gifts on Valentine’s Day.

Many other chocolate manufacturers soon began packaging their chocolates in special boxes for Valentine’s Day. Russell Stover and Whitmans are two such manufacturers who have long specialized in heart-shaped boxes or other decorative Valentine’s gifts.

Traditionally, men have gifted women with boxes of chocolate for Valentine’s Day. However, that role is reversed in other areas of the world. For example, in Japan, women give gifts – namely chocolates – to the men in their lives to express love, courtesy or social obligation. This tradition first began in 1936 when confectioner Morozoff Ltd. ran the first ever Valentine’s Day ad in Japan through a local English newspaper. By the 1950s, other Japanese confectioners were following suit.

Chocolate has long been tied to Valentine’s Day gifting. Whether one believes that chocolate symbolizes heightened status, acts as an aphrodisiac or is just a special treat, chocolates will likely always be associated with the day of love.

Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

Motorcycle Tour this Summer?

Let’s be optimistic. Let’s assume that we all are going to be in a position to take a well- deserved holiday this summer and hopefully the world will be much closer to normal after a dreadful 2020 and beginning to 2021.  Yes, summer is not that far away although in may feel like it is in many parts of  the United States and Europe.  In any case, this is a perfect time of year to plan your summer adventure with the promise of something to look forward to.

Motorcycles are a great way to travel and might be worthy of your consideration. Bikes provide a multi sensory experience that many riders feel cannot be rivaled. Plus, during the time of a pandemic it is pretty easy to stay socially distanced. while on a bike

Motorcycles have a come a long way in comfort and features since creators Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach debuted the first motorcycle in Germany in 1885.

The popularity of motorcycles has fluctuated over the years, and the people who ride them have changed as well. In recent years, for example, women represented 14 percent of all motorcycle owners, states the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Generally speaking, motorcycle ownership has become a pursuit of the financially solvent, married and well educated. According to the finance and investment resource The Motley Fool, most new motorcycles sold in the United States are on-highway bikes, rather than off-roading styles. These bikes are ideal for motorcycle tours.

Recent technological advancements have pushed motorcycle comfort and safety to the forefront. Engineers continue to reimagine bikes and gear so that riders can enjoy the road that much more. The following are some features for riders to consider when buying a motorcycle.

Suspension

Fully active suspension systems are impractical in motorcycles because of the weight of the components, but some manufacturers, such as Ducati and BMW, are now offering semi-active suspension systems, which allow for a more stable ride and give riders greater control, particularly on rough terrain or uneven road conditions.

Cornering advanced braking systems

Also known as lean-sensitive, angle-sensitivity or race ABS, this technology employs data gathered from various sensors on the bike. The data is then transferred to a processing unit, which figures out the optimal amount of pressure to apply to the brake pads, as well as the proportional levels of braking force between the front and rear brakes. This is an important safety feature for any rider, regardless of his or her level of experience riding.

Adaptive headlights

Riding in the dark has long been a concern for bikers. In addition to the rider’s limited visibility, other motorists on the road often experience difficulty seeing motorcycles. Turning while riding at night proves problematic as well, because standard headlights on a motorcycle will only light up a portion of the turn. Adaptive motorcycle headlights, such as those produced by J.W. Speaker, are changing night riding. According to the American Automobile Association, adaptive headlights can make nighttime riding considerably safer. Such lights work when a bike leans into a curve and the onboard sensors calculate the angle at which the motorcycle enters the curve. The headlights then adjust the lighting array to illuminate areas where traditional headlights might provide inadequate lighting.

Liquid-cooled engines

Riding motorcycles on a hot day or when stuck in traffic can quickly become a steamy endeavor with air-cooled engines. Air-cooled engines dissipate heat directly through the fins on the exterior of the engine. This heat can radiate and make riding uncomfortable for riders. Liquid-cooled engines, however, have a streamlined and closed design, producing less noise and heat. They also transfer heat to a radiator near the front of the bike.

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