The client required oversized freight to be transported seamlessly from Victoria, Australia to Port Longbeach, USA, including fulfilment of permits, road and ocean freight tasks.
Firstly, Visy completed a comprehensive transportation plan with the help of relevant authorities, mapping out a route survey including every step of the journey from Shepparton to Long Beach.
Visy then needed to ensure the tank was secured safely for transport to avoid any movement or damage on its long journey. The tank was first lifted onto a fit-for-purpose cradle and then secured to flat rack before being shrink wrapped with thick plastic.
Visy's experienced staff then worked closely with the Port of Melbourne to ensure all customs clearance preparations and paperwork were in order and the tank was safely stowed for ocean shipment.
The client was highly satisfied that the over-dimensional tank arrived in Florida on time with no damage and that all regulatory and export requirements were handled professionally and efficiently by Visy. The project was also completed within the specified budget.
Visy undertook meticulous planning to fully understand the domestic and international freight requirements, for 150 containerised and break-bulk movements.
Throughout the six month project, Visy worked closely with Ex Works suppliers in Asia and Europe, ocean carriers, specialised domestic transport providers and customs clearance on both export and import ends.
All of the scheduled logistics timelines were met, which allowed all staged project dates to be met with no delays or setbacks.
Visy's task was to project manage domestic and international end-to-end logistics within strict timelines, so as to not disrupt the carefully staged and scheduled upgrade project.
Visy coordinated with Ex Works suppliers in Asia and Europe, along with ocean carriers and specialised domestic transport providers to coordinate component moves accordingly.
Visy was also responsible for ensuring seamless customs clearance for all exports and imports.
All scheduled timelines were met throughout the 4 month transportation project. With no delays or setbacks, the paper mill upgrade proceeded as planned.


We ran this news earlier, but now David Frey at New West has a comprehensive article on the nomination.
HOMER WHO? Obama Stuns with Forest Service Nominee. "With little forest credentials, is Wilkes the right man to oversee the Forest Service?" By David Frey. New West.
Of course we are coming off a particularly active period in which the old Undersecretary (Mark Rey) played a high profile in setting Forest Service policy. Technically, the Forest Service is headed up by the (supposedly) non-political Chief of the Forest Service, who has traditionally been a career Forest Service employee. It will be interesting to see how the dynamics between the professionals in agency and the political appointments shake out. I know very little about the current Chief, who was appointed in 2007 and is I think from Montana.
Chief Kimbell is a career bureaucrat. She has done more in the last two years to dismantle the forest service than any other chief. She was found liable in the civil case against her for retaliating and harassing employees of the Bighorn National Forest. For her fervent work there, she got a slot in the Washington office. She then replaced Dale Bosworth when he didn't want to play Bush's or Rey's (a timber lobbiest) games.
Wilkes has his hands full with Kimbell. She is no one to turn your back on. Wilkes comes from NRCS; an agency that placates and pays off farmers to NOT cultivate parts or all of their property. We'll see if Wilkes can rein-in Kimbell and her devious ways. Or whether he will even encourage her and her minions to further turn the forest service into the Girl Scouts. Time will tell. Personally, I think we're screwed.


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Despite some bumps and bruises, and despite a healthy dose of pessimism, Rochester still maintains a passionate fan base. The obvious draw to the region is a relatively hassle-free life normally associated with a small city combined with a culturally rich life normally associated with a booming metropolis. In many cases, the offerings of Rochester may not be immediately apparent or heavily advertised. Yet in Rochester's usual understated manner, a small amount of exploration can lead to remarkable discovery. A perfect example is the local architecture. Numerous American architectural styles can be found, often in remarkable proximity to one another. And while Buffalo has been more of an architectural destination, Rochester holds its own, even when it comes to the big names. Here are a few examples:
The Powers Building in downtown Rochester was designed by Andrew Jackson Warner. Warner, a noted architect in his own right, served as the supervisory architect for Buffalo's Richardson Olmsted Complex, designed by H.H. Richardson (think Richardsonian Romanesque.)
Frank Lloyd Wright graced Rochester with his work in the form of the Edward E. Boynton House. Unlike most of his other gems, the house remains a private, single-family residence today.
The First Unitarian Church of Rochester was designed by none other than Louis Kahn, whose work includes must-see architectural treasures such as the Salk Institute in La Jolla (San Diego.)
Rochester's third tallest building, a relatively unique structure called The Metropolitan (formerly Chase Tower), was designed by John Graham & Company, best known for designing the Space Needle in Seattle.
As noted previously, landscape architecture in Rochester is the real deal. Famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed multiple local parks including Highland Park, Genesee Valley Park, Seneca Park, and Maplewood Park.
Posted by Amol Shrikhande at 5:00 AM 2 comments:
More on Downtown
As recently indicated, Rochester is just one of many American cities which has experienced population loss over the past 65 years. Yet a look around the Northeast and Midwest seems to suggest that Rochester's downtown renaissance is behind the times. While other cities hit a population nadir in the 2000 Census, Rochester's has yet to officially occur. Obviously, the region's loud pessimistic voice (which has hopefully all moved to the Carolinas and Florida within the next few years) can take this statistic and run with it. What if, however, a reasonable explanation exists? Could it be that Rochester's downtown decline occurred later than average? And if so, wouldn't logic have it that a rebirth would also occur later than average? Here is some evidence, albeit soft, that Rochester is actually following the standard timeline:
Most American cities which have undergone the cycle of growth, decline, and renewal hit rock bottom in the early to mid-1980s.
Most cities which nadired in the early to mid-1980s began to experience growth in the early 2000s, or about 20 years after reaching their floor.
Certain evidence points to Rochester's valley occurring in the early to mid-1990s. For example, McCurdy's and Forman's closed in 1994. Wegmans closed its downtown branch at about the same time. In fact, Midtown Plaza didn't formally close until 2008.
If Rochester's low point did in fact occur in the early to mid-1990s, we would expect that its awakening should be beginning basically now.
A look around downtown might suggest that we're right on track.
Posted by Amol Shrikhande at 8:00 AM No comments:
The Sports Factor, Gone Wrong
As previously noted, Rochester does not benefit from the free advertising which comes along with a major sports team. To add insult to injury, it could be argued that the region's brand has actually suffered based upon mere proximity to an NFL team: the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo, quite unfairly, is the posterchild for being reputationally challenged. Rochester, being just one hour east, comes along for the ride. The Bills cannot be said to have assisted in shaking this reputation. The franchise is best known for losing four consecutive Super Bowls. (As a recent ESPN 30 for 30 notes, making four straight Super Bowls was a remarkable feat. Unfortunately, the losses remain entrenched in sports conversation.) More recently, the Bills have the longest playoff drought in all four major American professional sports. Barring a minor miracle over the next three weeks, this drought does not appear to be ending anytime soon. The Bills suboptimal performance has fueled Buffalo's suboptimal stature. This rocky relationship has dwarfed the following features of a (hopefully) soon-to-be great-again city:
As per The Washington Post, Buffalo is considered a must-see among fans of great architecture. Three of America's greatest architects, namely Louis Sullivan, H.H. Richardson, and Frank Lloyd Wright, had a hand in Buffalo's elegance.
In art circles, Buffalo's Albright-Knox Art Gallery is recognized as having one of the most significant collections of modern and contemporary art in North America. Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol are a few of the names represented.
Buffalo's park and parkways system, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (think Central Park in New York City), is recognized as one of the best urban green spaces in the world.
In 2007, Buffalo's Elmwood Village was recognized by the American Planning Association as one of 10 Great Neighborhoods in America. This recognition placed Elmwood Village in the company of neighborhoods in Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; Austin, TX; Brooklyn, NY; and Seattle, WA.
Posted by Amol Shrikhande at 3:58 PM No comments:
Alive and Well
The city of Rochester's population loss is well-documented and often cited as evidence for the region's supposed decline. As a consequence, Rochester has occasionally landed itself on lists identifying America's "dying" cities. Ignored is the fact that the city represents less than 20 percent of the region, and the metro area continues to exhibit slow growth. Also ignored is the fact that many of America's great cities have experienced a decline in population since the middle of the 20th century. Rochester naysayers might be disappointed to note a few surprising examples of cities which experienced significant population loss between 1950 and 2010:
Chicago: A 1950 population of 3,620,962 had dropped to 2,695,598 in 2010.
Philadelphia: A 1950 population of 2,071,605 had dropped to 1,526,006 in 2010.
Washington, DC: A 1950 population of 802,178 had dropped to 601,723 in 2010.
Boston: A 1950 population of 801,444 had dropped to 617,594 in 2010.
Minneapolis: A 1950 population of 521,718 had dropped to 382,578 in 2010.
It should be noted that the above cities are now in the process of repopulation. Of course, Rochester is free to follow suit.
Posted by Amol Shrikhande at 7:32 PM 2 comments:
Rochester, NY vs. Portland, OR
As may have been apparent in previous posts, I have Portland envy. Not that Portland, ME, is any slouch, but I'm referring to Portland, OR. Granted the Portland, OR, metro area is over twice the size of the Rochester metro area, is around 90 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, and has mountains. On the other hand, Rochester is reasonably sized, is on Lake Ontario and very near the Finger Lakes, and holds its own when it comes to outdoorsiness. Furthermore, Rochester is beginning to mirror Portland's beer and coffee scene, and it abuts a formidable wine region just as Portland does. The demographics of the Rochester region are somewhat similar to those of Portland, and educational attainment is nearly identical. Both cities have an inferiority complex, with Portland's self-doubt stemming from proximity to Seattle and Rochester's insecurity deriving from its Northeast neighbors. Both areas have ample precipitation, with Portland actually taking the edge in terms of cloudiness.
Why, then, is Portland viewed as remarkably desirable while Rochester gets the shaft? Appearance goes a long way, and downtown Portland's appearance essentially crushes that of Rochester. Which demands yet another question: WHY?
Many factors may be in play, but regional planning, or lack thereof, is quite possibly the key. Portland has a directly elected regional government (aptly called Metro) which takes a broad view on metropolitan development. Logically, the health of the core is prioritized over the health of the periphery. Unfortunately, Rochester has opted for persistent fragmentation. The result of Rochester's system is a wide array of geographically connected entities which are in economic competition. Perhaps someone more informed than myself can explain the following (and correct me if I'm wrong):
Rochester's fastest growing suburb, Victor, is not in the same county as the city of Rochester. Victor, in Ontario County, has attracted many young families with its lower property taxes compared to Rochester's Monroe County. As such, Victor residents benefit from the economic and cultural assets of the region without having to contend to the same extent with supporting the urban core.
Within Monroe County, Rochester's suburbs seem to compete with the city of Rochester. A new development in a suburb is not on the city's tax roll and vice versa.
The city of Rochester and Monroe County enjoy bickering over who pays for what, apparently ignoring the fact that they may have a common interest or two.
Because of this fragmentation, Rochesterians have to point to data to sell the area, while better managed regions can allow aesthetics to do the talking.
Smugness and Beer
In 1957, Rochester was officially declared "Smugtown." In that year, Curt Gerling published his book entitled Smugtown U.S.A., a scathing commentary on the business and social life in Rochester during that era.
As a transplant from the BosWash corridor over 50 years later, my initial impression has been that any smugness in the Rochester region pales in comparison to that found along the East Coast. Rochester seems to have done quite well in combining intelligence with down-to-earthness.
Yet there is one source which suggests that snobbery in the area is alive and well. As the local beer scene has blossomed, it appears that snootiness has come along for the ride. Here is a list of the Top Beer Snob cities (unclear if cities or metro areas), i.e. the locations with the highest percentage of bars and restaurants that do NOT serve Bud Light, Coors Light, or Miller Lite. The top 10 are:
Bellingham, WA (92%)
Oakland, CA (89%)
Washington, DC (85%)
Sacramento, CA (83%)
Los Angeles, CA (81%)
San Francisco, CA (81%)
Pasadena, CA (80%)
Rochester, NY (79%)
Berkeley, CA (78%)
Louisville, KY (76%)
Every few months, we receive a friendly reminder about the critical level of poverty in the city of Rochester. Obviously, the issue warrants significant concern, though a recalibrated perspective never hurts. As previously shown, redrawing the boundaries of the city such that it includes 45.8% of the metro area (as is the case in many parts of the country) would suddenly turn one of the poorest cities in the country into a relatively "wealthy" city.
Unfortunately, the probability of enlarging the land area of the city is exceedingly low. As such, the only hope for a geographically restricted entity such as Rochester is to either (a) hope that excessively harping on poverty makes it disappear, or (b) repopulate the city with residents who are above the poverty level.
The city of Rochester had its highest rate of population loss between 1970 and 1980. In 1970, the population was 296,233, and in 1980 it had declined to 241,741 (a loss of 18.4%.) What if Rochester's population moved from its current 210,000 back up to the levels seen between 1970 and 1980?
Adding 72,857 residents above the poverty level would move Rochester's population to 282,857 and drop the poverty rate from about 33% to 24.5%, i.e. the same as Dallas.
Adding 56,538 residents above the poverty level would move Rochester's population to 266,538 and drop the poverty rate from about 33% to 26%, i.e. the same as Philadelphia.
Obviously such repopulation might seem like a pipe dream. On the other hand, Boise, Idaho, has added 90,544 residents over the past 24 years.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Novak Djokovic to be taken into detention on Saturday morning
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will be taken into detention on Saturday morning. On Friday, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercised his power and cancelled the visa of Djokovic. Djokovic escaped the immediate detention but he will be detained at 8am on Saturday morning after being interviewed at the Department for Home Affairs.
Djokovic will then be able to spend some time with his lawyers but he will be taken back into detention on Saturday night. The Australian Open starts in two days and Djokovic was drawn to meet Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.
Hawke decided to cancel the visa of Djokovic
"Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so," Hawke said in a statement on Friday.
"This decision followed orders by the Federal Circuit and Family Court on 10 January 2022, quashing a prior cancellation decision on procedural fairness grounds. "In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border For.
and Mr Djokovic. "The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia's borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. "I thank the officers of the Department of Horne Affairs and the Australian Border Force who work every day to serve Australia's interests in increasingly challenging operational environments."
After winning his appeal on Monday and getting his visa back, Djokovic said in an Instagram post. "I am pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened in the past week, I want to stay and to try to compete at the Australian Open.
I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. For now I cannot say more but THANK YOU for standing with me through all this and encouraging me to stay strong "


The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts Volunteer Guild typically meets at the museum on the fourth Monday of every month. Meetings include a "Mix and Mingle" time beginning at 9:30am (light refreshments & coffee provided), followed by a short business meeting at 10:00am and an arts-related lecture by a guest speaker. Special events include the annual Fall Membership Coffee, Holiday Open House, and Spring Luncheon.


During the month of September the lovely blogger from anonymousblogger999.wordpress.com and I will post things that are related to getting back to school, work or your normal daily routine after a long and hot summer. Do not forget to follow @a_blogger2017 on Twitter as well as her blog on anonymousblogger999.wordpress.com to read her ideas for our 'Back to Blair' Series.
I do not know about you, but I could not be happier that the summer is over. So grab your Pumpkin Spice Latte, a cosy sweater and light a candle and embrace the fall season aka. the best season of the year!
In my first 'Back to Blair' post, I wanted to include books. We all know how much Blair loves art, fashion and history. We also know how much she admires powerful women throughout history, so I thought it would be great to create a wish-list packed with books that I would love to read and Blair of course would approve. Here on Waldorf Dreams, we do everything according to the Blair Waldorf standard, if Blair would not do it, then it is probably not good enough. Only the best of the best things are good enough.
The following books are on my personal wish-list and maybe you can get a few ideas for Christmas. We all have that one friend that has more books than clothes... in my case I am the friend. I hope that you like my little selection of books. Enjoy!
This book is perfect for anyone who enjoyed the Six Wives and wants to get to know Anne Boleyn better.
We all know how much Blair loves fashion and Audrey Hepburn. I feel like Blair would read this book over and over again, make notes, sketches and historical references in the margins of the page.. or at least that's what I will be doing.
Blair: I've never been Bette Davis before. I'm Audrey Hepburn! Not some plain baby Jane.
Chuck: We both know this is about NYU. Now it may take time, but one day you will hold that school in the palm [kiss] of your dainty hand.
Blair: I'm Audrey. I'm Audrey!
I think this is self explanatory. I do not have to tell you why Blair would like that book.
"Whoever said that money doesn't buy happiness didn't know where to shop"
I always say you should learn from the best, and there is no one better than Gabrielle Chanel. I feel like blair Would have this book in her livingroom, and look through it every night while drinking a lavender tea.
Blair: Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It's movement, design and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we'd like to be. Just like your scarf suggests that you'd like to sell used cars.
I could add book after book, but I think i will stop now and save my other suggestions for the Christmas wish list. I hope that some of the books might interest you.
No matter what, always ask yourself: 'what would Blair Waldorf do?' and like I said in my very first blogpost, do not forget to remember the Queen of Paris: Coco Chanel.


The study compares diagnostic parameters of different commercial serological kits based on three different antigen types and correlates test results with the status of the patient's Borrelia infection. In total, 8 IgM and 8 IgG kits were tested, as follows: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Euroimmun) based on whole-cell antigen, 3 species-specific enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) (TestLine), Liaison chemiluminescence (DiaSorin), ELISA-Viditest (Vidia), EIA, and Blot-Line (TestLine) using recombinant antigens. All tests were performed on a panel of 90 samples from patients with clinically characterized borreliosis (53 with neuroborreliosis, 32 with erythema migrans, and 5 with arthritis) plus 70 controls from blood donors and syphilis patients. ELISA based on whole-cell antigens has superior sensitivity and superior negative predictive value and serves as an excellent screening test, although its specificity and positive predictive values are low. Species-specific tests have volatile parameters. Their low sensitivity and low negative predictive value handicap them in routine diagnostics. Tests with recombinant antigens are characterized by high specificity and high positive predictive value and have a wide range of use in diagnostic practice. Diagnostic parameters of individual tests depend on the composition of the sample panel. Only a small proportion of contradictory samples giving both negative and positive results is responsible for discrepancies between test results. Correlation of test results with the patient's clinical state is limited, especially in the erythema migrans group with high proportions of negative and contradictory results. In contrast, IgG test results in the neuroborreliosis group, which are more concordant, show acceptable agreement with Borrelia status.
Lyme borreliosis, the most abundant tick-borne human disease in the world, is caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex (1). During the course of infection, a skin lesion can appear after a tick bite, and clinical manifestations of this multisystemic disease (which comprise musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and nervous system involvement, subsequent arthritis, and skin damage or chronic central nervous system [CNS] inflammation) vary widely, most often manifesting with a variety of signs and symptoms, such as erythema migrans (EM), neuroborreliosis, and Lyme arthritis (2). The case definitions for European Lyme borreliosis emphasize the recognition of clinical manifestations supported by relevant laboratory criteria (3). Because clinical signs are not always unmistakable and since other laboratory methods, such as PCR, play only an auxiliary role according to the majority of diagnostic guidelines (3–6), a diagnosis of "Lyme borreliosis" is often based on serology tests.
Hand in hand with improved antigen composition and the introduction of more sophisticated systems, the accuracy of serological testing has significantly increased over the last 2 decades, and accuracy improvement by combining more tests, like two-tiered testing, is recommended by most guidelines. However, the basic problem of serological diagnostics of Lyme borreliosis, nonexistence of a gold standard, makes it virtually impossible to standardize diagnostic tools and find a reliable correlation between the results of serological tests and the clinical status of a patient. There is a full spectrum of different variants of immunoenzymatic and analogical tests (e.g., chemiluminescent tests) appearing on the market, as well as different immunoblot assays using whole-cell or recombinant antigens of different species of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, whose objective diagnostic parameters are unknown. Without information on the relative sensitivity of the test used, results cannot be adequately interpreted. Antigenic heterogeneity of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex can also complicate the situation; inappropriate species or even geographic origin of the antigen used could be the cause of false-negative results in some samples (7–9). As a result of these or other difficulties, the predictive value of serological tests is far from optimal, leading to incorrect diagnosis in some cases. Inadequate interpretation can result not only in superfluous antibiotic therapies targeting Lyme disease but can also fail to solve the patient's problems (10), whereas false-seronegative patients can remain untreated.
The aims of the present study are to compare diagnostic parameters of different commercial serological kits based on three different antigen types (recombinant, whole-cell Borrelia species mixture, and species-specific whole cell) and to correlate the test results with the status of the patient's Borrelia infection. These data are of great importance for pertinent selection of serological method appropriate for a required examination and correct interpretation of serological test results.
The study was approved by the local Ethics Committees of Na Bulovce Hospital and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic, and was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards laid down by the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki, as revised in 2008.
Borreliosis group.Borreliosis group specimens (n = 90) were collected from patients of the Na Bulovce Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic in Prague, Czech Republic, with recent clinical symptoms of borreliosis manifested as erythema migrans (EM) (n = 32), Lyme arthritis (LA) (n = 5), or neuroborreliosis (NB) (n = 53). EM diagnosis was established by the clinical picture (typical rash of >5 cm in diameter), a history of tick bite, and a delay in appearance of symptoms of at least 2 days following a tick bite. Antibody testing was performed 33 to 112 days after initiation of treatment. Neuroborreliosis criteria were as follows: (i) lymphocyte pleocytosis of >5 cells/mm3, (ii) intrathecal synthesis of anti-Borrelia antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (antibody index CSF/serum), and (iii) clinical symptoms compatible with neuroborreliosis (3). Only patients completely fulfilling all of the criteria were included in this group. Patients with joint swelling and antibody or PCR positivity in synovial fluid (3 patients) or other current clinical manifestations typical for Lyme borreliosis (LB) (EM and/or NB, 2 patients) were included in the Lyme arthritis group.
Control group.Control group (n = 70) samples were obtained from persons with no clinical signs of Lyme borreliosis, comprising samples from healthy blood donors (BD) (n = 60) at the Transfusion Centre of the University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, and from patients with serologically confirmed syphilis (CS) (n = 10), supplied by the National Reference Laboratory for the Diagnostics of Syphilis (The National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic).
All samples supplied to the laboratory were anonymized. All patients agreed to participate in the study and signed an informed consent form.
Serological methods.A total of 16 serological tests from four manufacturers were used in determining antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, namely 8 tests for determining specific IgM and 8 for determining IgG (Table 1). The primary criterion in selecting tests for comparison was the type of antigen on which is the test was based. As representatives of recombinant and whole-cell antigen methods (not the species-specific ones), particular tests used frequently in Central Europe were chosen. Tests were carried out and evaluated exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Statistical methods.The outcome of individual diagnostic methods is presented as percentages of positive and borderline results in individual groups. Agreement between methods is expressed as follows. When all 8 tests (IgM or IgG) yielded a congruent positive/negative result, this was defined as "unanimously positive/negative." If a given sample showed negative or borderline test results via different methods, the result was defined as broadly negative. In the case of positive or borderline results, the result was expressed as broadly positive. Samples in which 3 to 5 results were positive and the remainder were negative or borderline were defined as contradictory.
Statistical comparison of the concordance of individual serological test results was based on Bowker's test of symmetry in the contingency table with three categories (negative, borderline, and positive). Comparison was made for all test pairs. Due to the low frequencies in some categories, the exact P values were computed. P values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
To evaluate the predictive value of individual diagnostic methods, the results of serum evaluation were compared with the clinical classification of persons from whom the serum was obtained. For this purpose, the borderline results of serological tests were included with the positive ones. The results are characterized by the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the positive and negative tests.
Stata 9.2 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX) statistical software was used for evaluation.
Results from tests used for samples taken from an individual group of patients with Lyme borreliosis and the control group are shown in Tables 2 and 3. The distribution of positivity rates is considerably variable. Consequently, the proportion of negative results differs substantially among groups; in blood donors the ranges were 71.1 to 100.0% and 68.3 to 95.0% for IgM and IgG tests, respectively. The respective ranges in the neuroborreliosis group were 18.9 to 52.8% and 11.3 to 20.8%, and for the EM group, 31.3 to 75.0% and 37.5 to 71.9%, respectively.
Qualitative results of examinations by all compared tests correlated in the majority of samples. Taking together all (both unanimously and broadly) negative and positive IgM test samples, we find general concordance in 89 (55.6%) samples for IgM and in 107 (66.9%) samples for IgG. For IgM and IgG, 44 (27.5%) samples reacted negatively, of which 29 (18.1%) samples had unanimous test concordance and 15 (9.4%) samples had broad test concordance. Only in 19 (11.9% for IgM) and 17 (11.6% for IgG) cases were the individual tests contradictory. The highest number of contradictory IgM test samples was in the neuroborreliosis group (20.7%) and the highest number of IgG contradictory IgG test samples was in the erythema migrans group (28.2%) (see Table S3 in the supplemental material).
Tests based on different principles and using different antigens reacted differently to the same samples. Bowker's test of symmetry showed prevailing conformity between various tests with recombinant antigens, both in IgM and IgG tests; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with whole-cell antigens was also in agreement with almost all tests. On the other hand, most species-specific enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) were statistically different from all other tests. These conformities and differences go hand in hand with parameters such as sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values which characterize test performance (see Tables S1, S2, and S3 in the supplemental material). In the highly sensitive ELISA method, using whole-cell antigen (WEE), a high percentage of samples in the borreliosis group was positive or borderline in anti-borrelial IgM and/or IgG tests. The sensitivity and predictive values of a negative test are high. However, a large number of control samples tested positive, and thus the specificity and positive predictive values are low (Tables S1, S2, and S3).
The opposite is true of some species-specific tests, primarily WSB-IgM and WSG-IgG tests, which have low sensitivity. When a sample is captured by such a test, the response is highly specific, and the predictive value of the positive test is high, whereas the negative test has a low predictive value.
Tests based on recombinant antigens, such as those with an immunoenzymatic or chemiluminescence base, are sufficiently sensitive and at the same time achieve high specificity while the predictive values of negative and positive tests are similar. Blot RBT-IgG has such balanced parameters, whereas the parameters of the RBT-IgM test are closer to the characteristics of a sensitive method. A certain balance between sensitivity and specificity is seen in some species-specific EIAs, primarily the WSG-IgM. If all three species-specific tests, (WSA, WSB, and WSG) were evaluated in summary, the result was considered positive if at least one of the tests was positive. Data show that their sensitivity approached that of methods using recombinant antigens, albeit with somewhat lower specificity (data not shown). The characteristics of the borrelial IgM tests come out generally worse in comparison with those of IgG tests. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of individual IgG tests are far more balanced and there are usually markedly smaller intertest differences. In the neuroborreliosis group, higher sensitivity was achieved in IgG tests, and, by contrast, specificity was higher for IgM tests. Likewise, predictive values of negative and positive IgM and IgG tests depend more on the group of samples than on the serological test used. For the neuroborreliosis group, the characteristics are more favorable than in the problematic EM group. In this group, the characteristics of individual tests are the least balanced and without a clear conclusion in relation to classes of IgG and IgM antibodies.
Due to the lack of a serological gold standard, our study evaluated parameters of all 8 tests on the basis of samples taken from patients with clinically manifested borreliosis (where a positive reaction is expected) and of control samples (where a negative result is anticipated). According to the comparison of the concordance of individual serological test results based on Bowker's test of symmetry and in accordance with the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of negative and positive tests, it is possible to divide these tests into four groups, which differ in the following attributes and possibilities of application.
Immunoenzymatic tests based on a mixture of whole-cell antigens (EUROIMMUN) have high sensitivity and predictive value for negative tests detecting anti-borrelial IgG and IgM, and statistical agreement with other tests is high. On the other hand, their specificity and positive predictive value are low. Quite a high percentage of these results are borderline, reducing the predictive value of the test. Whole-cell ELISA serves as an excellent screening test, but must be confirmed by specific methods, usually immunoblotting.
Immunoenzymatic tests based on whole-cell species-specific antigens of Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, and B. burgdorferi (TestLine) have widely differing parameters and low statistical agreement with other tests. Generally, they have low sensitivity and low negative predictive value, whereas specificity and predictive values of positive tests are high. Because of their very low sensitivity, they are unsuitable even as confirmation methods. Sensitivity increases when all three species-specific tests are performed simultaneously, and a positive result from at least one of them counts for summarizing positivity. The inconveniences of this procedure are reflected by the necessity of performing each test three times and by the deteriorating specificity and predictive values of the positive test. The fact that individual species-specific tests give different results for different categories of patients favors them for research use. Not even serotyping of Borrelia in patients with the help of species-specific immunoenzymatic methods or Western blotting is possible. For common, routine diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis, species-specific serological tests are not beneficial.
Blot-Line with recombinant antigens (TestLine) reaches high sensitivity and negative predictive value, even where the specificity and predictive value of positive tests is high. The disadvantage of this assay is a high percentage of hard-to-interpret borderline results.
Immunoenzymatic (TestLine and Vidia) and chemiluminescence (DiaSorin) tests with recombinant antigens are characterized by a combination of high specificity and predictive value of the positive test. According to Bowker's test of symmetry, there is no statistically significant difference in results from these methods, which have a wide range of use in diagnostic practice.
Some of the compared tests, like Liaison chemiluminescence (Diasorin) (11, 12), ELISA by Euroimmun (11–13), and EIA Borrelia garinii and EIA Borrelia recombinant IgM and IgG (TestLine) (14) have already been evaluated. According to published studies, serological tests based on a whole-cell antigen (15, 16) or on detergent extracts from Borrelia (17) came out as the most sensitive but were less specific. On the contrary, systems based on recombinant antigens showed the highest specificity, along with low but acceptable sensitivity (16–18). On the other hand, Ang et al. (13) could not find clear relationships between assay and the fraction of positive tests or between the specificity and the nature of the antigen used for serological tests. The low number of assays using each type of antigen limits the scope of the present study.
Resulting sensitivity and specificity values and other characteristics of individual tests are directly dependent on the composition of the comparison sample panel. Most samples show concordant results in all 8 compared tests. On the other hand, only a small proportion of samples (1/8 of panels in IgM tests and 1/10 in IgG tests) giving contradictory results is responsible for discrepancies. If the problematic samples were removed from the panel, the sensitivity and specificity would be balanced and hence closer to 100% in all tests, as claimed by some manufacturers in their promotional material. However, in real-life diagnostic practice it is necessary to examine real samples, including problematic ones, and so ideal parameters cannot be reached using any method.
The most problematic group was erythema migrans, which had the highest percentage of contradictory and negative samples (15.6% samples unanimously or broadly negative for IgM and IgG) and a low test sensitivity, fluctuating between 25.0% and 68.8% for IgM and 28.1% to 62.5% for IgG. It is evident that not every patient with EM will necessarily produce anti-borrelial IgM and IgG, as expected in the sensitivity calculation, and the predictive value of both negative and positive tests provides the worst results. Similarly poor test parameters, also indicated by other authors (18–20), are the reason why detection of antibodies is not an ideal method for EM diagnostics (3).
On the contrary, the tests were far more successful in diagnosing neuroborreliosis. The sensitivity of individual tests ranged from 47.2% to 81.1% for IgM and 79.2% to 88.7% for IgG; 69.8% of samples were unanimously or broadly IgG positive, no unanimously negative samples for IgM and IgG were seen (Tables S1 and S2). This confirms a relatively reliable production of antibodies, particularly of IgG, in neuroborreliosis.
Meta-analysis (20) reveals that the average sensitivity of a serological test is the lowest during the erythema migrans stage of infection (46.5% of seropositive patients), whereas in neuroborreliosis the percentage of seropositive patients increased up to 87.3% and in Lyme arthritis IgG it increased up to 95.8%. The contrasting low proportion of seropositive patients in our Lyme arthritis group could be due to the low number of included patients; two patients with recent EM refused examination of synovial fluid, so their diagnosis remained highly probable only.
Blood donors were 71.7 to 100.0% negative for IgM and 68.3 to 95.0% negative for IgG, whereas 53.3% of samples contained no anti-Borrelia antibodies (or gave borderline values only) in any IgM or IgG test. When samples in this group are positive, they are frequently discordant but never unanimously or broadly positive. It appears that the cause of sample positivity was nonspecific reactivity rather than ongoing borreliosis or remainder antibodies persisting after previous clinical or subclinical infection (21). Nonetheless, the possibility cannot be excluded that some of the results presented here as false positive could be the consequence of infection. The presence of specific antibodies does not prove the presence of disease. Specific antibodies usually fade away over a period of months (IgM) or a few years (IgG) but may persist for 10 to 20 years. Moreover, a relatively high background seroprevalence of both specific IgG and IgM can be found in the healthy population of an area where Borrelia is endemic (22).
Another cause of false-positive results could be cross-reactivity of the serological test. Some studies have indicated that Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus are the main causes of false-positive reactions in IgM EIAs (23). It is possible that some tests are cross-reacting with anti-Treponema antibodies. Each method declared 1 to 3 positive reactions in the syphilis group for both classes of antibodies. Although only 3 of 10 samples were absolutely negative (and it cannot be excluded or confirmed that some of the patients of this group really underwent Lyme borreliosis), the question concerning cross-reactivity cannot be conclusively answered. Because of low specificity the results of antibody testing can only be interpreted together with clinical data and CSF inflammation parameters. Therefore, antibody testing should only be carried out in patients with symptoms suggestive of Lyme neuroborreliosis (5).
Especially in Europe, where several pathogenic species of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex occur, the heterogeneity of the immunodominant epitopes of infecting strains can result in lower test sensitivity if an inappropriate antigen is used (7). Different strains and geographical origins of Borrelia samples that are used for preparation of diagnostic antigens may likewise play a role. The conclusion that the use of a Western blot (WB) analysis with a European strain for detecting Lyme borreliosis will provide higher sensitivity for a European serum panel than a WB with an American isolate (8, 9) was not confirmed (23).
Our pilot study did not confirm the hypothesis that serological test sensitivity is reduced by species and antigen-bound borrelial variability (24). On the contrary, it turned out that species-specific tests are able to detect antibodies against other species of Borrelia. Tests with recombinant antigens and even other tests, including species-specific ones, do not present greater problems with detection of antibodies in patients infected with other species of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato than the basic triad. Furthermore, in cases of seronegative results from patients with PCR-confirmed borreliosis, sequencing confirmed infection by the most common species, whereas even species-specific tests were negative (24).
A bigger problem than lower sensitivity is low test specificity, particularly in the case of IgM. In practice, physicians are always worried by positive findings of IgM, which is able to persist in repeated blood samples without formation of IgG for months or years even if there is no onset of borreliosis (25). In our study, this is demonstrated by the considerably high percentage of borderline and positive test results (IgM and IgG) in control groups.
It can be concluded that the selected antigens influence diagnostic test parameters to a considerable degree. Whereas ELISA based on whole-cell antigen mixture has superior sensitivity and negative predictive value, its diagnostic value is limited by low specificity and positive predictive value. Species-specific tests have volatile parameters, and low sensitivity and negative predictive value handicap them in routine diagnostics. In comparison, tests with recombinant antigens characterized by high specificity and positive predictive value have a wide range of use in diagnostic practice.
Diagnostic parameters of individual methods depend on the samples tested. Correlation of test results with a patient's clinical state was only limited in the EM group, while in the neuroborreliosis group the agreement was acceptable.
We thank Hana Zákoucká, M.D., of the National Reference Laboratory for Diagnostics of Syphilis and Chlamydia Infections, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic, and Jitka Kracíková, M.D., of the Blood Transfusion Centre, Královské Vinohrady Teaching Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic, for their laboratory cooperation.
This study was supported by the Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic (IGA MZ ČR; grant NT/13467-4) and by MH CZ-DRO (The National Institute of Public Health [NIPH]; grant 75010330).
The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and interpretation, or decision to submit the work for publication.
Returned for modification 13 May 2018.
Accepted manuscript posted online 5 September 2018.
Supplemental material for this article may be found at https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00601-18.
Copyright © 2018 Kodym et al.
. 2009. Epidemiology of Lyme borreliosis. Curr Probl Dermatol 37:31–50. doi:10.1159/000213069.
. 2009. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Curr Probl Dermatol 37:51–110. doi:10.1159/000213070.
. 2011. Lyme borreliosis: clinical case definitions for diagnosis and management in Europe. Clin Microbiol Infect 17:69–79. doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2010.03175.x.
. 2004. Guidelines for the diagnosis of tick-borne bacterial diseases in Europe. Clin Microbiol Infect 10:1108–1132. doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2004.01019.x.
. 2010. EFNS guidelines on the diagnosis and management of European Lyme neuroborreliosis. Eur J Neurol. 17:8-e4. doi:10.1111/j.1468-1331.2009.02862.x.
. 2011. Lymeská borrelióza: doporučený postup v diagnostice, léčbê a prevenci. Klin Mikrobiol Infekc Lek 17:144–149.
. 2005. Improvement of Lyme borreliosis serodiagnosis by a newly developed recombinant immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM line immunoblot assay and addition of VlsE and DbpA homologues. J Clin Microbiol 43:3602–3609. doi:10.1128/JCM.43.8.3602-3609.2005.
. 1997. Interpretation criteria for standardized Western blots for three European species of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. J Clin Microbiol 35:1433–1444.
. 1998. Diagnostic value of proteins of three Borrelia species (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato) and implications for development and use of recombinant antigens for serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis in Europe. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 5:456–462.
. 2014. Feedback on difficulties raised by the interpretation of serological tests for the diagnosis of Lyme disease. Med Mal Infect 44:199–205. doi:10.1016/j.medmal.2014.03.009.
. 2015. A Dutch nationwide evaluation of serological assays for detection of Borrelia antibodies in clinically well-defined patients. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 83:222–228. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2015.07.007.
. 2012. Evaluation of commercial screening tests and blot assays for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 73:246–245. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2012.04.001.
. 2011. Large differences between test strategies for the detection of anti-Borrelia antibodies are revealed by comparing eight ELISAs and five immunoblots. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 30:1027–1032. doi:10.1007/s10096-011-1157-6.
. 2016. Improvement of diagnostic approach to Lyme neuroborreliosis in children by using recombinant antigens in detection of intrathecally produced IgM/IgG. Epidemiol Mikrobiol Imunol 65:112–117.
. 2006. Comparison of five different immunoassays for the detection of Borrelia burgdorferi IgM and IgG antibodies. Clin Microbiol Infect 12:648–655. doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2006.01448.x.
. 2016. Lyme borreliosis serology: Performance of several commonly used laboratory diagnostic tests and a large resource panel of well-characterized patient samples. J Clin Microbiol 54:2726–2734. doi:10.1128/JCM.00874-16.
. 2005. Comparative evaluation of two enzyme linked immunosorbent assay methods and three Western blot methods for the diagnosis of culture-confirmed early Lyme borreliosis in Italy. New Microbiol 28:37–43.
. 2016. The diagnostic accuracy of serological tests for Lyme borreliosis in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis 16:140. doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1468-4.
. 2014. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato serology in the Netherlands: guidelines versus daily practice. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 33:1803–1808. doi:10.1007/s10096-014-2129-4.
. 2016. Commercial test kits for detection of Lyme borreliosis: a meta-analysis of test accuracy. Int J Gen Med 9:427–440. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S122313.
. 2007. Microbiological and serological diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 49:13–21. doi:10.1111/j.1574-695X.2006.00139.x.
. 2014. Borreliosis in Prague: prevalence in ticks, blood donors and patients of the National Reference Laboratory as compared with reported incidence data, p 32. In Oros, M., Vasilková, Z. (ed), V4 Parasitological Meeting: parasites in the heart of Europe: book of abstracts. Slovak Society for Parasitology at SAS Košice, Slovakia.
. 1999. Evaluation of fifteen commercially available serological tests for diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 18:551–560. doi:10.1007/s100960050347.
. 2015. Specificity and.sensitivity of species-specific serological tests for diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis, p 137. In 14th International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases: book of abstracts. 27–30 September 2015, Vienna, Austria.
. 2001. Persistence of immunoglobulin M or immunoglobulin G antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi 10–20 years after active Lyme disease. Clin Infect Dis 33:780–785. doi:10.1086/322669.


RAVEN is a beautiful Northern Marine Long‐Range Trawler, capable of crossing oceans but easily handled by a husband and wife team. She is a full displacement vessel with a bulbous bow providing long distance economy and a safe, comfortable ride.
United Yacht Sales New Jersey would love to guide you through a personal showing of this 57' Northern Marine Pilothouse Lrc 2004. This yacht for sale is located in Charleston, South Carolina and priced at $948,000. For a showing please contact us by filling out the form on this page and we will get back to you shortly!
A custom‐built Expedition Style (Anacortes, WA) that is specifically designed for Owner/ Operator Long Range Cruising.Wide and safe walk around decks on both sides lends to the ease of docking and maneuvering.Large aft deck leads into a comfortable main salon with large over‐sized windows, L‐shaped sofa, occasional chairs and twin bar stool facing the fully furnished Galley.A large curved staircase (port side) is pathway to the Master stateroom with full walk‐around King bed and large ensuite head.Hallway aft from Master stateroom leads to full width Engine room with 7' headroom.Pilot house located forward of the Galley. The twin port and starboard wing doors, and over‐sized windows afford excellent visibility. Centerline helm chair with settee and table behind complete this spacious and very important space.The Guest stateroom if located down a spiral stair case on the starboard side. The room has a large tapered Queen berth (centerline) with an ensuite head. As found in the Master stateroom, there is an abundance of drawer and hanging storage.The Boat Deck is accessed by built in steps on the port side. In a word, it is massive! The Flybridge deck is three steps above the boat deck and features a centerline helm station and L‐ shaped seating.
Bose Surround Sound system in salon and 1000‐watt stereo, with volume controls, throughout the vessel.
RAVEN has remained "far ahead" of routine maintenance schedules. Her recent haul out (May 2018) included new bottom paint, running gear stripped, prepped, serviced and painted. Bar stools removed, re‐coated and mounted.New non‐skid paint on decks etc.Within the past two years, her carpets and window treatments have been replaced and many upgrades to systems throughout the vessel.


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William Penn basketball player fatally stabbed after minor traffic crash, police say
A William Penn University basketball player was fatally stabbed Thursday in an off-campus fight that stemmed from a minor traffic crash.
William Penn basketball player fatally stabbed after minor traffic crash, police say A William Penn University basketball player was fatally stabbed Thursday in an off-campus fight that stemmed from a minor traffic crash. Check out this story on desmoinesregister.com: http://dmreg.co/2FO2pID
Luke Nozicka, lnozicka@dmreg.com Published 6:43 p.m. CT March 2, 2018 | Updated 3:48 a.m. CT March 3, 2018
USA TODAY file photo.(Photo: Getty Images)
A William Penn University basketball player was fatally stabbed Thursday night in an off-campus fight that stemmed from a minor traffic crash, authorities said.
Marquis Todd, 22, of Woodridge, Illinois, died at a hospital after he was stabbed during a fight at about 10:50 p.m. at 603 N. 3rd St. in Oskaloosa. The dispute began following a minor traffic crash about 30 minutes earlier, police said.
Minutes after the 911 call, officers found Todd with friends at a nearby Jiffy Mart gas station at 315 A Ave. He was taken to a local hospital for a stab wound, but died shortly afterward.
No arrests had been made as of Friday afternoon. Mike Motsinger, a special agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said "all parties" had been interviewed, but declined to comment on what charges could be filed.
Todd was a basketball player at the private, liberal arts university in Oskaloosa. In a statement on Facebook, the university said the basketball team decided to play in a game scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday in his honor, and that a candlelit vigil would follow outside the gymnasium.
"Today has been a hard day for us," the university said. "We have heavy hearts."
Authorities called the incident an isolated one. Todd had not met those involved in the fight before the crash that day, police said.
The city's top cop described the stabbing as unusual for the community.
"I got to say, I can't remember an incident like this," Jake McGee, the city's police chief who has worked with the force for 30 years, said during a press conference that was streamed by WHO-TV Channel 13 News. "Obviously, it's a shock."
Authorities released few other details Friday afternoon.
Todd's body was taken to the medical examiner's office in Ankeny for an autopsy. DCI, Mahaska County Attorney's Office and Oskaloosa police are investigating.
Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/2FO2pID
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The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities has today launched a new national newspaper advertising campaign across some of the UK's most read print publications. Coordinated by Media Agency Group's print advertising division Press Mag Media, the campaign draws attention to the controversial commercial sale of a piece of unique Egyptian art; The Statue of Sekhemka.
The irreplaceable statue was blocked from being exported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport earlier this year in an effort to allow potential UK buyers to put forward a serious bid to keep it in the country. However, this embargo is due to expire on 28 August. The Egyptian Ministry has issued this outcry in order to maintain the export ban on such a historic and cultural gem to prevent it from falling into private hands.
The press campaign will see the Ministry's message reach millions of readers across the country, with some prime advertising space secured in national publications including The Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Times, The Independent and Metro.


Life after retirement is one of the most sensitive topics that seniors avoid. Some are just to confident and stubborn, thinking that they will not need help at some point of their lives in the future. Even if they insist that, I suggest that you should take advantage of this holiday season to sit down with them and start discussing about their future plans. I do agree that being reasonable is the key in helping your aging parents plan for their future. Always remember that it's their lives and not yours so you need to consider their opinions as well. Introduce them to their options carefully and explain to them the different types of long term care services. For your guide you can find the different kinds of care settings here: http://www.ltcoptions.com/elder-care-services/. Help them make the right decision and make sure that they still have a little independence left once they move to a facility.
Q: I think I know what my parents' wishes are when it comes to care as they get older but now it's time to be having this conversation with my parents I really don't know where to begin. They don't what to end up in a Nursing Home, and it's getting to the point that they need some help. My brother lives in Dublin and my sister in Australia so it's going to be up to me to start addressing this arising issue. Where do I start?
The research you do ahead of time combined with a respectful and supportive approach to the conversation will go a long way toward a successful outcome. Prior to talking to your parents it would be a good idea to discuss your concerns with your brother and sister. If all the siblings are united, it will really help the situation.
There's no question that the Internet's favorite commercials are from body care company Old Spice. The company's ads have been spoofed, parodied, and copied countless times over the years, and for good reason. They are simply irresistible marketing gold!
That makes the ridiculous and outrageous commercials perfect to be shown to the The Fine Brother's group of Elders for their Elders React series.
The New York Times today takes a look at the work-life balance challenges facing a new generation—the AARP demographic. According to a new study, women aren't just more likely to make career sacrifices to spend time caring for their kids. They're more likely to drop out to care for their parents, too.
The study, led by University of Calgary social work professor Dr. Yeonjung Lee, is based on data from the National Institute on Aging's 2004 Health and Retirement Study, which recorded the activities of more than 5,000 Americans between the ages of 50 and 61. It found that women were much more likely to provide care for elderly parents than men were. Seven percent of the women in the sample "assisted with parents' personal needs," compared to 3.6 percent of men; 20 percent of women "helped parents with chores, errands, and transportation," compared to 16 percent of men. And female caregivers were much more likely to exit the workforce to execute these duties. Women who cared for parents, grandchildren, or more than one relative were significantly less likely to be employed than their peers, but when men took on caregiving roles, their employment status was unaffected.
Why are female caregivers more likely to opt out than their male counterparts? One possibility is that they're more dedicated caregivers. Since the study included all caregivers who invested at least 100 hours over a two-year period, it lumped in full-time family caregivers with family members who provide more casual help. Caring for a relative's "personal needs," like bathing, might constitute a greater investment than running errands (a task where men pick up some of the slack). Another possibility is that older women are more likely to drop out of work, and assume more time-intensive caregiving duties at home, because many of them make less money than their male partners do—a lingering consequence of career sacrifices made earlier in life.
When we talk about women exiting the workforce, we tend to focus squarely on early motherhood. A 2012 study in Demography found that a wage gap emerges when women become mothers because "the accumulation of work interruptions and breaks in schooling" depreciates their value as workers early in their careers, and impedes their ability to secure promotions and raises later on. Mothers may also seek out lower-paying jobs that accommodate part-time hours or flexible schedules to make time for childcare. But as this new study shows, women are also more vulnerable to dropping out a second time, as retirement looms. And while taking leave or reducing hours early in life can have a significant effect on women's earning potential, dropping out late in life can pose an even greater financial crisis.
The debate over women leaving the workforce is often framed in abstract terms—it's either an issue of "fairness" (men and women should share childcare duties equitably!) or one of "personal choice" (women should be free to do what they want!). But the lived reality behind the debate is this: Bearing the brunt of unpaid care for children and parents compromises women's financial independence and contributes to poverty in old age. We need to reframe the debate away from the individual choices men and women make in "balancing" their lives, and focus on how our government can ease the childcare and eldercare burdens that put women at risk, and aren't going away.
People fear life after retirement because they think that they will just become a burden to their family. Nobody wants to be in that position and the best way to dodge this is by planning as early as now. Based on the numbers mentioned at http://www.ltcoptions.com, about 70% of Americans 65 and above will need long term care. This is very alarming and thus people should make a move now. The cost of long term care is becoming more expensive and paying for this out-of-the-pocket will just deplete your assets. So what's the best way to beat the high cost of long term care? By purchasing long term care insurance, one can avoid becoming a burden to their families and can successfully secure their future financially while receiving long term care.
If you ask what most people fear most in retirement, it's being a burden. Long-term care insurance can alleviate that fear, but it doesn't come cheaply.
About 70% of all retirees need long-term care at some point, although that includes help from family and friends as well as assisted living and nursing homes, says Jamie Hopkins, professor in the Retirement Income Program at The American College.
When to buy long term care insurance greatly depends on your current age and health as the two are highly correlated. As a person ages, the health gradually becomes frailer. These two factors play an important role if you are intending to apply for long term care insurance. There is one fact that most people tend to overlook about long term care insurance application—you need to be health qualified. The healthier you are, the bigger the chance that you'll be granted this policy. As the popular saying entails, it is your money that pays for long term care insurance premiums, but it's your health that actually buys it.
A lot of people are wondering at what age to buy long term care insurance. It is advised that you purchase while you're in your 50′s. First, your health is still in great shape during this time. Second, age is also a basis whether you'll qualify for long term care insurance or not. Annual increases on your premiums are also parallel with your age. For people who are in their 50′s, rates can increase by about 2-4%. Meanwhile, for those who are in their 60′s, it can go as high as 6-8% percent. Applying early lets you save and this savings can go to other investments or your retirement nest.
A superb health condition greatly works for your benefit when it comes to long term care insurance. Companies usually offer discounts if you buy LTC coverage while your health is still at its prime. More so, this discount is locked-in. This means that your discount remains, regardless if you get ill or diagnosed with a medical condition in the future. As per the American Association for Long-term Care Insurance 2010 Sourcebook, there are a great percentage of people being qualified primarily because of good health. 62% of applicants between the ages of 40-49 have been granted. Same goes for the 46% of applicants between the ages of 50-59 and 38% of people aging 60-69.
There are two scenarios that you might face if you have preexisting conditions and you want to apply for long term care insurance. First, you may not qualify at all. Second, your application can be accepted but you're premiums will cost higher. Data from the American Association for Long-term Care Insurance 2010 Sourcebook, 14% of applicants between the ages of 50-59 who have preexisting conditions have had their applications refused. Meanwhile 23% of those aging 60-69 has also been declined. Even if you qualified while having underlying medical conditions, there can still be drawbacks on your end. Some companies can offer coverage for your preexisting condition, but it will set a waiting period before that certain benefit will start to kick in. If you want to get the best deal out of long term care insurance, use your age and health to your advantage. You may have the means to pay for the cost of premiums, but that will be all for naught if you can't qualify simply because of your age and the state of your health. So to the question, when should I buy long term care insurance: purchasing early will no doubt make the application process smooth for you. Apart from that, it can also be advantageous to your wealth, as applying early can generate savings on your end.
Long term care insurance partnership program is another option for people who will need long term care in the future. According to http://www.ltcoptions.com, this is also known as Medicaid Asset Protection. This is perfect for people who have assets to protect but need to qualify for Medicaid without having to meet the program's minimum asset requirement. So even if you have high income and you have a lot of assets, you can now purchase long term care insurance under the partnership program. However, your policy should have inflation rider to become eligible for this program.
In a Long-Term Care (LTC) Partnership program, a state government and private health insurers work together to make available to residents of that state LTC policies that are "linked" to Medicaid. If a buyer of a Partnership LTC policy later faces long-term care needs that exceed the policy's limits, he or she may apply for assistance from the state's Medicaid program under more relaxed eligibility rules. This means that the policyholder may keep larger amounts of assets than would normally be allowed under the standard Medicaid guidelines. Please note that these relaxed eligibility rules only apply to assets that may be retained – all other standard Medicaid qualification guidelines apply.


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Busiest year for innovation: Godrej's Sunil Kataria on navigating a tough 2020
by amit bapna | Jan 4, 2021 | Uncategorized | 0 comments
2020 was an year like no other. Sunil Kataria, chief executive officer, India and SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products, chats with The Drum and looks back at the tough calls taken in the wake of the pandemic and also how some of the problems were resolved. He also looks at new category forays and what the year 2021 could look like.
GCPL is a part of the over 120-year-old Godrej Group, an Indian conglomerate with a global footprint across many categories.
A look back at the year 2020
We will remember 2020 as the year that changed pretty much everything, we thought we knew. The year that forced us to dig deeper and be more purposeful. The year that scared us. Equally, the year that showed us how to be stronger than we think. The biggest takeaway: the 'challenger mindset' of our team to emerge stronger. The muscle and the heart to experiment, learn, adapt and share quicker and better than ever before.
Navigating new set of challenges and problems
In March this year, after the pandemic broke, everyone including us was grappling with the unimaginable nation-wide lockdowns. The production and distribution had been brought to a halt. Time for action. The sales and manufacturing teams promptly swung into action and started getting the operations up with hyper agility, ensuring the supply of essential products like soaps, handwashes and household insecticides was being done.
The marketing teams, however, had their own share of challenges for which no past playbooks had the answers. The biggest challenge: 'while essentials were in huge demand, how to market non-essential products to consumers in a lockdown?'
Looking at marketing and problem-solving from a new lens
Marketers were challenged with all that was going around and what emerged was the ability to think beyond the obvious while looking for solutions that had possibly not been considered before. This included sharing information on brands to enabling engagement and consumer trials and taking a disruptive leap on the digital journey. Here are a couple of used cases.
Problem: The hair colouring category was challenged on account of the pandemic.
Solution: The insight uncovered was that while consumers were locked in their homes and could not visit salons due to restrictions but looking good was still key to uplifting their mood. With this insight, GCPL launched a #ColourlikeKaran campaign with the famous Bollywood director, Karan Johar. Johar posted an Instagram video of his hair colouring regime using the DIY Godrej Expert Rich Crème.
Another popular actress-influencer Neha Dhupia also joined in the campaign. Backed by their combined social media footprint, the digital videos reached over 6 crore viewers in two months.
A post shared by Neha Dhupia (@nehadhupia)
Another marketing initiative #ColouratHome challenge was conducted with 50 macro and micro social media influencers, drawing in over 2.5 million views. Learning: Digital is opening up opportunities to micro-segment and tailor content and provide the reach that is sometimes difficult to create with traditional media channels.
Solving the consumer research challenge
Consumer research is key to generating insights and is an integral part of marketing decision-making. It has been done in markets, and in consumer homes and has been the heart of the company's explorations. However, social distancing restrictions prevented research from being conducted in the usual way.
Solution: Understanding the shift, the conversations were moved online. The consumer connect program, Conquest, was adapted to facilitate consumer interactions via WhatsApp video and audio calls. The app allowed teams to schedule consumer interactions from 30 minutes to two hours with a heads up of only 48-72 hours. This turnaround time was a big shift given it would take four-five days pre-Covid. Over 2,000 consumer connects were conducted in six months – almost three times the number done last year.
Learning: The virtual conversations are going to be a large part of the approach even going forward.
Reimagining innovation for a post-Covid world
Back in 1918, the year of the Spanish flu pandemic, Godrej was the company that made first soap in the world using vegetable oil (and not animal fat).
Our purpose was and remains clear – the best way to serve is to innovate for our consumers. This year, it was democratizing handwashing with Magic, the revolutionary powder-to-liquid handwash, which costs just 15 rupees (or 20 cents).
And we needed more products. Typically, any new product development (NPD) would take 18-24 months with product testing, consumer immersions, technology approvals and quality checks. The need of the hour, it was realised, was to be much more efficient without cutting corners or skipping steps. The team worked hard and managed to bring down the NPD cycle to two-three months. As a result, over 15 products got launched in 90 days, as well as a foray into the entirely new 'Hygiene' category that includes the just launched ProClean range of bathroom and floor cleaners. The company has launched a complete hygiene-suite for home, kitchen and personal use with new products that include Germ Protection Fruit and Veggie Wash, Germ Protection Dish Wash Liquid, INR One Hand Sanitiser Sachet, Air & Surface Disinfectant Spray, On the Go Disinfectant Spray, Surface & Skin Anti-bacterial Wipes, and Multipurpose Disinfectant Solution. 2020 has been our busiest year on innovations and all these products will be critical to the future of our categories.
2021: What lies ahead
It seems ironic with the hindsight of 2020, to suggest we know what lies ahead. It would better to be cautiously optimistic about the 'new normal'. India's digital journey has been accelerated by five years and e-commerce got a shot in the arm. There are more agile and meaningful ways to connect with consumers directly. People will engage more with brands and experiment to make up for the gap. New categories will develop, and more nuanced products will come to market.
But more importantly, harder questions will be asked of us – of our purpose and contribution as companies, how we can and must be more sustainable, how we build stronger public-private-government collaborations for larger community benefit. And here lies our opportunity, because the best tribute to 2020 will be a stronger legacy to pass forward.


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Mirage Resorts Incorporated es una corporación americana que opera casinos-hoteles y espectáculos alrededor del mundo. Fue fundada en 1889, y anteriormente llamada Golden Nugget Companies. La compañía forma parte del grupo MGM Resorts International a partir del año 2000, integrando así uno de los conglomerados de la industria más grandes del mundo. Esta compañía es mayormente propiedad del desarrollador de Las Vegas, Nevada, Steve Wynn.

Mirage Resorts administra reconocidos hoteles y espectáculos en la ciudad de Las Vegas y en muchos países del mundo.

Historia
Fundada en 1989 por Golden Nugget Companies.

Fusionado con MGM Grand el 31 de mayo de 2000.

Hoteles y casinos operados por Mirage
 Golden Nugget Las Vegas
 Golden Nugget Laughlin
 Golden Nugget Atlantic City
 The Mirage
 Treasure Island Hotel and Casino
 Bellagio
 Beau Rivage
 Boardwalk Hotel and Casino
 Monte Carlo Resort and Casino (50%)
 Anunciado Le Jardin en Atlantic City. En la cual pasó al 50% en intereses y pasó a ser el Borgata.
 Wynn I & II (hotel and casino)

Empresas de Las Vegas
Empresas de juegos de azar de Estados Unidos
Empresas de juegos de azar desaparecidas
Empresas desaparecidas de Estados Unidos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
package org.infinispan.protostream;

/**
 * <b>Experimental</b> hook for re-mapping type ids during reading/writing of WrappedMessages. TypeIds are supposed to
 * be constant over the entire evolution of a schema, but in case they need to be changed we provide this hook to smooth
 * the transition.
 *
 * @author anistor@redhat.com
 * @since 4.3
 * @deprecated since 4.3.1 because it does not suit the intended purpose. Will be removed in 4.4.x with no replacement.
 */
@Deprecated
public interface WrappedMessageTypeIdMapper {

   /**
    * Called during decoding.
    *
    * @param typeId a positive integer, the type id of the message being decoded
    * @param ctx    the serialization context
    * @return the same TypeId or a different one
    */
   default int mapTypeIdIn(int typeId, ImmutableSerializationContext ctx) {
      return typeId;
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   /**
    * Called during encoding.
    *
    * @param typeId a positive integer
    * @param ctx    the serialization context
    * @return the same TypeId, a different TypeId, or -1 to force dropping the use of TypeIds for current WrappedMessage
    * and use the type name instead
    */
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      return typeId;
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Gholamreza Takhti
Gholamreza Takhti (Persian: غلامرضا تختی, August 27, 1930 – January 7, 1968) was an Iranian Olympic Gold-Medalist wrestler and Varzesh-e Bastani practitioner.[1] Popularly nicknamed Jahān Pahlevān ("The World Champion")[2] because of his chivalrous behavior and sportsmanship (Javanmardi in Iranian culture),[3] he was the most popular athlete of Iran in the 20th century, although dozens of Iranian athletes have won more international medals than he did.[1] Takhti is still a hero to many Iranians.[4] He is listed in the FILA wrestling hall of fame.
Jahān Pahlevān
(1930-08-27)August 27, 1930
January 7, 1968(1968-01-07) (aged 37)
Resting place
Ibn Babawayh Cemetery, Rey, Iran
1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
79 kg (174 lb) to 97 kg (214 lb)
Event(s)
Poulad Club
Achievements and titles
1951 World Championships: Freestyle 79kg – Silver
1954 World Championships: Freestyle 87kg – 5th
1959 World Championships: Freestyle 87kg – Gold
Regional finals
1958 Asian Games:
Freestyle 87kg – Gold
Pahlevan of Iran (3):
Olympic finals
1952 Summer Olympics:
Freestyle 79kg – Silver
1956 Summer Olympics: Freestyle 87kg – Gold
1960 Summer Olympics: Freestyle 87kg – Silver
1964 Summer Olympics: Freestyle 97kg – 4th
Representing Iran
Men's freestyle wrestling
1952 Helsinki 79 kg
1956 Melbourne 87 kg
1960 Rome 87 kg
1959 Tehran 87 kg
1961 Yokohama 87 kg
1962 Toledo 97 kg
1958 Tokyo 87 kg
2.1 Character on the wrestling mat
3 Social and political activisms
4 Death and legacy
Early lifeEdit
Takhti, the youngest child of an Iranian traditional family was born in Khaniabad neighborhood of south Tehran. [5] on August 27, 1930. At the age of 15, he entered Poulad Club in Southern Tehran and was trained in wrestling. He soon left Tehran to become a manual laborer in the oil-rich city of Masjed Soleiman. When he was called up for military service, his potential in wrestling was discovered and he began to train seriously soon after he was recruited as an Iran Railways employee in 1948.[1]
CareerEdit
Takhti won his first Iranian championship in 1950,[4] and on his first trip abroad in 1951, he won a silver medal at the world freestyle championships in Helsinki - the first international medal ever gained by an Iranian wrestler.[1] One year later, he won another silver medal, again in Helsinki, this time in the 1952 Summer Olympic Games.[4]
The subsequent highlights of his career were the gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, a gold in the world championships in 1959 (Tehran), another silver in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome and a silver in the 1961 World Championships in Yokohama.[1] His Olympics career finished with one gold medal & two silver medals. He did however finish fourth in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as well.
Takhti started as a middleweight wrestler in the 79 kg and 87 kg categories, as he was getting heavier, he decided to move up to the next weight, 97 kg, for the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. He was unable to win a medal and he finished in 4th place.[4]
Character on the wrestling matEdit
Takhti tended to act fairly when competing against rivals during his career, something which originated from traditional values of Zurkhaneh, a kind of heroic behaviour that epitomizes chivalrous qualities known as Javanmardi.[3]
For instance, he once had a match with Russian wrestler Alexander Medved who had an injured right knee. When Takhti found out that Medved was injured, he avoided touching the injured leg and tried to attack the other leg instead.[3] He lost the match, but showed that he valued honorable behavior more than reaching victory.[6]
Another example of his character comes from a match in Moscow. After defeating the then-world champion Anatoli Albul, Takhti saw the sorrow on the face of Albul's mother. Takhti went to her and said, "I'm sorry about the result, but your son is a great wrestler." She smiled and kissed him.[6]
Social and political activismsEdit
Takhti was known for his anti-regime views. He was a pro-Mossadegh activist and member of Second National Front and his death sparked a number of anti-Shah demonstrations.[2]
In 1962, a terrible earthquake occurred in Bou'in-Zahra in western Iran, killing over 12,000. Takhti was deeply touched by the suffering. Already one of Iran's biggest stars, he began to walk one of the main avenues of Tehran, asking for assistance for the victims. He inspired other champions to follow in his footsteps, and thousands gave to alleviate the suffering.
Death and legacyEdit
Takhti's tomb, Ebn-e Babvieh
Takhti was found dead in his hotel room on January 7, 1968. The Iranian government officially proclaimed his death a suicide.[7] However, some claim that he was murdered because of his political activities against the Pahlavi regime, accusing SAVAK, the Iranian intelligence agency at that time. Because he was a national hero his funeral, organized by Hossein Towfigh, editor in chief of the late Towfigh magazine, drew hundreds of thousands of mourners. Towfigh magazine issued a special edition of their popular weekly magazine where they caricatured Takhti with angel wings flying high above the throngs of Iranian mourners at his own funeral with a caption that read "Don't cry for me, cry for your own plight." Towfigh magazine was shut down by the Shah for several months after printing this cartoon. He is buried at Ebn-e Babooyeh cemetery in Southern part of Tehran, near Shahr-e Ray, where he is commemorated every year by his fans.
After the 1979 political upheaval in Iran, many of the Savak officials, including its chief torturer Bahman Naderipour commonly known by his masked name Mr. Tehrani, were put on trial by the new regime. In an open court hearing published in the then-open newspapers (Keyhaan and Ettela'at were the two most popular outlets reporting the court hearings at the time), Tehrani publicly confessed in the court that Takhti was arrested due to his open support of and collaboration with 'Nehzat Azadi' (Freedom Movement), a moderate anti-government movement lead by Mr. Bazargan and Ayatollah Taleghani during the Shah's rule[citation needed]..
Takhti was survived by his wife and son, Babak Takhti, an author and translator. The movie Takhti,[8] begun by Ali Hatami and finished by Behrooz Afkhami, examined some of the theories about Takhti's death.
^ a b c d e Houchang E. Chehabi, "TAḴTI, Ḡolām-Reżā", Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition, originally published July 20, 2005
^ a b Behrooz, Maziar (2000). Rebels With A Cause: The Failure of the Left in Iran. I.B.Tauris. p. 197. ISBN 9781860646300.
^ a b c Sarrafi, Khashayar. "Modern Pahlevan: Jahan Pahlevan Takhti" (PDF). Shanghai University Sports Research Center, College of Physical Education. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2012. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ a b c d "Gholamreza TAKHTI (IRI): Biographie". Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées (FILA). Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
^ "اسطوره و پهلوانی برخاسته از دیار الوند، پهلوانی برای همه دوران". خبرگزاری برنا.
^ a b "Iranians honor wrestling legend Gholam-Reza Takhti". Tehran Times. 8 January 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
^ Iole, Kevin (June 23, 2013). "The cruel tragedy of The Iron Sheik". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
^ ideensadr (25 October 2002). "Takhti (1997)". IMDb.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gholamreza Takhti.
Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill. "Gholam Reza Takhti". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-06-20.
Takhti on IMDb
A poem by Siavash Kasrai about Takhti
Mohtāj Rasouli, In Memory of Jahān Pahlavān Takhti, in Persian, Jadid Online, 7 January 2008, [1].
Shokā Sahrāi, an audio slideshow, Jadid Online, 7 January 2008, [2] (3 min 47 sec).
Some reminiscences of Gholamreza Takhti by his friends, in Persian, Jadid Online, 7 January 2008, [3].
Bahār Navā'i, Takhti at British Museum (Takhti dar Muzeh-ye Britāniā), in Persian, Jadid Online, 2 March 2009, [4].
An audio slideshow, Jadid Online, 2 March 2009, [5] (3 min 57 sec).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gholamreza_Takhti&oldid=932787027"


The impact of the arts on our community in the First Franklin district is significant. Here, the creative economy is thriving. For example, Montague has experienced a renaissance in the arts following the creation of River Culture and the restoration of the Shea Theatre. By supporting the arts, this community has transformed into a vibrant cultural destination for residents and visitors alike. Shelburne Falls, Ashfield, and Chester are also cultural destinations.
Many of the towns in our district enjoy magnificent natural resources such as white water rafting, hiking, and biking. Linking information about our natural resources and our creative resources will only increase the impact and desirability of these towns as tourist destinations and home. The impact is growing as people from outside our region seek to escape and connect with nature and the creative economy and residents seek new and exciting experiences in their own communities.
Additionally, artists and workers in the creative economy are looking for places to escape from the city permanently. Excellent educational opportunities and beautiful natural resources coupled with a thriving artistic community encourage many to create a life here, significantly impacting our local economy.
One of the most important growth areas for our district is the creative economy. This has been true for years and certainly since Congressman John Olver conducted the Northern Tier study.
At a time when retail and manufacturing are suffering, there is significant growth in the areas of tourism, entertainment, and culture. People are increasingly interested in the "experience." As Executive Director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, one of sixteen Regional Tourism Councils across the state, I strive to bolster that growth by fostering the arts and culture. We are very fortunate to have growing artist communities in many of our towns in the First Franklin District.
Artists are choosing to locate in the region and we must provide the necessary scaffolding to connect the artists with one another and present more of their work. As State Representative, I can help communities as they inventory underutilized buildings that could be used for studios, galleries, and performance space. Providing the funding to restore older buildings is a win-win for communities and artists; lifting them up through creative place-making.
The sense of camaraderie and connection that is created through artistic expression and attendance at artistic events is well proven. We have the antidote right here and the First Franklin district is uniquely positioned to take full advantage of that healing power. We must create more opportunities for artists to create. The creative community is doing the work but they need advocacy, financial support, and publicity to expand their health and healing.
It has been heartbreaking to observe the lack of support that the arts have received in public education in Massachusetts. Our teachers work miracles with almost no resources. Financial support can create powerful arts programs that will improve humanity. The artists are here in the First Franklin District. They create curricula and an enormous impact with very limited resources. As State Representative, I will advocate for the inclusion and expansion of the arts in our local schools.
As State Representative, I would fight to increase funding for the MCC. Level funding is not acceptable.
As State Representative, I would fight to support the MCC and would work to increase the Cultural Facilities Fund to $75 million for five years. The return on investment in these programs is significant and should be expanded accordingly.
What's bad for Boston may be good for First Franklin District. The increasingly high cost of living is driving artists to our region. We can support artists by transforming underutilized buildings and factories into studio, gallery, and performance spaces. Concurrently, we must address the need for affordable housing. I hope to support the creative economy across the region as State Representative.
We all know that public art changes our lives and our communities for the better. As State Representative, I will advocate for this new program and encourage others to lend their support. Public art in the First Franklin District has been thriving through volunteerism and in spite of shoestring funding. Harnessing this energy to put it to work in a sustainable, supported way would significantly impact our local, rural communities.
Western Massachusetts houses a national model for rehabilitation and social services: Recovery Theatre. This is a performing arts experience for young people overcoming trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression and other behavioral health challenges. It is a space where teens struggling with mental health issues are valued as artists, not patients. Part of its strength lays in the fact that it is not a clinic, agency or hospital. It is a home for anyone living with circumstances that present barriers to them becoming their fullest selves. As State Representative, I would support programs like this one across the Commonwealth.


text:
"Bring Home a Friend Is Now Officially Open!"— DOT
* If you cannot open the video here on this site you can watch it here.
The Bring Home A Friend (BHAF) is a referral incentive program wherein Filipinos or Philippine expats who invite foreigners to visit the country would have a chance to win a prize which started 1994 from the leadership of former Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor.
Three sponsors and invitees would be selected on the grand draw," the DOT-BHAF website disclosed.
Those who are qualified to join in the sponsors category are legal aged Filipinos of or 18 years old and above;
Filipinos with dual citizenship living in the Philippines or abroad as residents or overseas contract workers of legal age;
and foreigners (expatriates) living in the Philippines permanently or temporarily for a minimum of six months prior to the raffle, of legal age.
Those who are qualified to join in the invitees category, on the other hand, are the ones holding a foreign passport or dual citizenship living abroad for a minimum of six months prior to the event; and have traveled to the Philippines during the specified period of time.
All DOT and sponsor company employees – its affiliates and their relatives up to the third degree of affinity or consanguinity – are not qualified to join the promo.
A condominium unit from Megaworld Corporation would be given for the first prize in the sponsors category; a Toyota Vios for the second prize; and P200, 000 gift certificate from Duty Free Philippines for the third prize.
For more info about the campaign and to know the mechanics and requirements, click here.
Source: Manila Bulletin
Tags Bring Home A Friend, DepartDOT: Bring home a friend to PH win a car a condo or P200k GC, DOT, free ticket, invite foreigners, invitee, prizes, raffle draw, sponsor, tourism, travel and leisure


There are many options when it comes to animal bedding, but none offer the superior combination of benefits provided by Espoma Sani-Care. Once you experience Sani-Care, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
Sani-Care is an all-natural product, manufactured using a blend of NIH approved premium hardwoods that includes beech, birch and maple. Sani-Care contains no perfumes or paper sludge.
Sani-Care's advanced absorbency is the result of heat treatment and a proprietary manufacturing process we call MicroCube Technology™. Essentially, this process improves absorbency by making more surface area available on the Sani-Care media particles to absorb moisture, but without creating dust.
Unlike some horse bedding materials, that allow a large amount of urine to pass through, absorbed moisture forms clumps in Sani-Care that can be easily and quickly sifted away from dry material, greatly reducing (if not altogether eliminating) the need to strip the stall and replace all the bedding material. By sifting out only the waste, there is much less material to be disposed of. The result is a cleaner, drier, healthier stall that requires less time and effort to maintain.
Sani-Care can be applied at your desired depth. It cushions hooves with a fine, non-irritating granular texture and no sharp edges to get caught and cause discomfort.
Sani-Care comes in 1.7 cubic foot bags and lasts four to eight times longer than other bedding materials. Factor in health benefits, reduced time and labor and Sani-Care represents an excellent overall value.
Sani-Care is ready to use right out of the convenient and weather resistant plastic bags. Just pour out the coverage desired. For clean up, rake or sift out the clumps, which are easily disposed of or composted. Unlike pine shavings, Sani-Care brushes off of animals and blankets easily.
Sani-Care is extremely absorbent, thanks to the premium hardwood species blend, heat treatment and proprietary MicroCube Technology™ manufacturing process—absorbing over 300% moisture per unit weight.
Sani-Care contains no perfumes. It helps control odor by absorbing the offending liquid for removal.
Fine, soft granules present a neat appearance.
Only premium NIH approved hardwoods are used. Sani-Care is clean and dry, right out of the bag. Like all Espoma natural products, it's backed by an 85-year reputation of excellence.
As a natural product that does not contain harmful additives, Sani-Care is safe and biodegradable. Decomposition rate is relatively rapid, due to the large available surface area of our MicroCubes. Generally speaking, since almost all of the bedding material is left behind after removing manure and urine, little waste is generated for disposal, composting or applying to the pasture fields.
*Sani-Care meets all standards set by NIH except for sizing. It is purposefully manufactured with smaller cubes to provide greater surface area for rapid urine absorption necessary with large animals.
Coverage for a 12′ x 12′ stall, 2″ deep, is about 14 bags of Sani-Care.
See the chart below to help calculate your needs.
Typically, after removing clumped material and waste, you can leave the remaining Sani-Care in the stall for as long as you like, adding more as needed. You may also mix fresh product in with damp product, or mix in with existing dry material to redistribute moisture and extend product use. We recommend heavily urine saturated Sani-Care be completely removed to maintain sanitary conditions for your animals.
When first applying Sani-Care, start with a fresh stall.
Determine your coverage needs (number of bags).
Pour Sani-Care directly out of the bag onto the stall floor in an equi-distant fashion.
Sift out clumps and manure with a fine-tined manure fork and collect into a muck bucket, wheel barrow or manure spreader.
Rake remaining material to maintain even distribution.
Add more Sani-Care as needed or if desired.


Join us for the Towne Crier Dance Jam. Enjoy a vibrant mix of R&B, Latin, Soul, Funk, Reggae, Rock, Disco & much more played by DJs Rhoda and Al in the rear performance room. New song selections are added at each dance, always aiming for the music to be moving, exciting and beautiful. Song requests welcome.
The restaurant specializes in mid-priced, farm-fresh cuisine using local ingredients whenever possible, and desserts are made fresh daily by acclaimed pastry chef Mary Ciganer. Full bar service is also available.


We are very excited to announce our next Judo Seminar with Judo Super Star Yarden Gerbi of Israel. Yarden is a 2015 World Judo Champion and Olympic Bronze medalist from 2016!
We will be hosting her at our dojo on Sunday January 15th 2017!
Yarden Gerbi is one of the best female Judoka on the planet. We look forward to having her share not only her techniques but the story of her Olympic Journey.
The kids seminar is reserved for kids 7-12 years All teens should attend the Adult Seminar. 6 year olds that are already participating in the Junior Fundamental Class will be welcome to attend as well.
Tickets for the Seminar can be purchased here. We do expect space for this Seminar to sell out pretty quickly.