text:
The Bacteria Battle: Manufacturers Struggle to Keep Food Safe During COVID-19
While the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact lives and businesses across the country, the government has been suspending regulations, canceling inspections, and rolling back protocols that experts at the nation's leading private food testing firm say are necessary to keep the food safe for consumers. In fact, these deregulations may even be responsible for some of the major salmonella outbreaks we've seen in recent months, warns Microbac's pathogen and bacteria testing expert Trevor Craig.
"Right now there's a big push in the food industry to meet deadlines and get food out to the market, but that doesn't necessarily mean getting the food on the shelf that quickly is safe," explained Craig. "Making sure you're upholding the correct precautions for food safety is just as important as having food available."
COVID Consequences
As agencies such as the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have placed rules meant to prevent foodborne illnesses and environmental damage on hold, Craig and his team worry that some companies may have grown lax due to the high demand and do less to uphold safety protocol.
"Because of the demand on grocery stores caused by the shutdowns, businesses have been rushing to get their food products into people's hands," stated Craig. "And we know that for a period of time during the pandemic, there was a serious pause on routine inspections. I think there has definitely been some slack in attention to detail and that's caused more outbreaks in foodborne illness than we're normally used to seeing."
During these routine inspections, the FDA will visit food manufacturers, farms, and factories where they can collect microbiological samples to monitor food-borne illnesses. When the shutdown began in March, the FDA announced it would temporarily suspend these inspections – a decision that at the time, made sense considering the travel restrictions. Unfortunately, six months later, we are seeing the consequences of those suspensions.
This pause in regulatory oversight of food earlier in the year began to show in the summer months, most notably by the first nationwide FDA recalls of onions and peaches – linked to the Salmonella bacteria.
Salmonella Hiding in More than Meat
Salmonella bacteria are often found in meat like poultry, beef, and can even be found in eggs, but it can grow in many foods including pork, vegetables, fruits, and even in processed foods. Normally you don't have to worry about these bacteria in dry products like rice or pasta because they go through a cooking phase before consumption that kills bacteria. What you really have to be cautious of are items that have the right amount of water activity to support growth. For example, Salmonella is common in raw ingredients, but the way you control the bacteria is by cooking the products. Unfortunately, many of these high-water content foods aren't always cooked before consumption.
The CDC estimated there are 1.35 million Salmonella infections each year in the US, causing 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths, but cases are "probably much higher," stated Craig, "because not everyone knows they have Salmonella poisoning. For every person with Salmonella confirmed by a lab test, there could easily be more that are not reported."
It's no wonder that recalls and food-borne illness during the pandemic seems to have increased. With more American's cooking from home than ever before there's a heightened pressure on food manufacturers to keep the grocery store shelves stocked. But these aren't the only reasons recalls and bacteria like Salmonella have spiked – according to Craig the demand on manufacturers to adapt their facilities to COVID-19 protocol is also to blame.
"Many facilities are putting new protocols into place to help reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 within the facility because, unlike many businesses, these food producers are essential, we still need these facilities to function," explained Craig. "They're building plastic shields, reducing staff, requiring a heightened level of sanitation on everything from door handles to break rooms. Any time you go into a food manufacturing facility and add that kind of workload on top of reduced staff, you're going to see an increase in bacteria and pathogens falling through the cracks."
We have seen the consequences of these changes in recent months from recalls of common foods like peaches, lettuce, and red onions. In fact, the Salmonella outbreak linked to red onions is still ongoing. As of the beginning of September, the outbreak sickened 1,012 people and caused 136 hospitalizations – a tragedy that Craig says can be avoided if food manufacturers take the time to partner with an accredited food testing laboratory.
Finding The Best Lab For You
"Most food laboratories across the world have the same accreditations and similar testing methods," stated Craig. "What's really important when selecting a food laboratory is your relationship with that testing team. If you own a growing company, a huge laboratory may not be able to spend one-on-one time with you like a private lab can. Our team connects really well with growing companies who need help with the ins and outs of testing for food safety."
Nobody wants to feel like just a number. This can often happen when working with a multi-national, publically traded lab. On the other hand, some laboratories are so small they simply don't have the capacity to meet the full breadth of a company's food testing needs. With 30+ laboratories nationwide, Microbac's influence is far-reaching, and yet it remains private/family-owned.
"Partnering with smaller clients means more to us than it would to a huge laboratory," said Craig. "We have 30+ locations now but we came from a single dairy laboratory in Pennsylvania. We remain family-owned and operated to this day. To some of these huge labs, smaller clients are just a single drop in the bucket – to us, those smaller food manufacturing clients are our lifeblood. Nothing slips through the cracks."
If you're a decision-maker looking for assistance with food testing, connect with our testing team here. To check out our full food testing catalog, click here.
This document is not intended to provide scientific or other advice to be used in a specific fact situation and is intended for general information purposes only. While we encourage you to share this document with others, this document or any portion of it may not be quoted, used in, or referred to in another publication without our express permission.
All photography by Cara Chancellor
Article, Food Testing
COVID19, Salmonella
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Based loosely on the Swiss Army, Foraz is a pack where peace is incredibly important. Strength and respect are both valued highly in this military-based group of wolves, and these are both often used in order to keep peace among one another and others. Though Foraz is a force to be reckoned with, it is rare that they will enter into wars and alliances, as they prefer to remain neutral and keep peace instead of cause destruction and spread war. Every wolf within the pack is expected to participate in some form of military service, though there can be exceptions from time to time. Those wolves that choose not to participate, however, are suspect to lower ranks and are often given the more tedious and difficult work to make up for their lack of military cooperation. When the pack is at peace, their Corps are always training, preparing for any altercation that may happen, as well as offering a stable and secure foundation for peace when it is needed.
Fawn and Olympus founded Foraz on the back of friendship and family, with a strong sense of duty and a need to protect those they love. These ideals are very important to the pack and though laws and commands are enforced with an iron fist, it is not uncommon to find affection and love within their ranks. Where uncertainty and chaos roam free throughout a dangerous world, Foraz stands as a pillar of confidence and protection for those that seek peace and wish to make the world a more secure and safe place. Where they are peaceful, they can also be fierce. These wolves are not to be messed with, and will stop at nothing to keep their military strong and sovereign. From time to time the Military Security may be contracted out as "guards" to assist other packs when necessary inside or outside of alliances, though the pack remains unbiased and neutral towards other packs as a whole. Overall, Foraz is a sanctuary of peace and prosperity in a world full of uncertainty and darkness.
The history of Foraz may not yet go far back in time but it is still riddled with several important events that has effected it's formation. Two of its founders have known each other since they were very young, growing up in the same shadow of Kairos, both chaffing under its rule as they grew into adulthood. At first they desired to honor their birthplace by standing out in battle or cunning but it seemed it was their fates to constantly fall through the cracks.
Olympus had managed to secure himself a high rank, but it was nothing like what he believed it to be. Fawn struggled to even make her name known among her own family. The only true exception for the dappled girl was her dearest brother, Hyperion. He always managed to make her feel special and loved when it seemed the rest of their rather sizable family just forgot she even existed. Still they stayed, finding solace with each other and riding out the treacherous destiny that seemed to be their only option. Until one day they met Miska, a kind hearted healer that tended to Olympus' wounds after a rather nasty fight with a Moa which Fawn had tried to steal from. That day would shatter everything those wolves thought they knew.
They all woke up on a strange island with no knowledge of how they had gotten there. Yet, in all the confusion, something seemed to finally fall into focus. As Olympus and Fawn ventured out together to find Miska, they also came upon Balthazar and Cimeries. These were also children of Kairos who seemed to have been forgotten by the hoards of warriors and giants of their common ancestry. It's when then that Olympus uncovered what their purpose in life truly was: Break off from the restrictive ties of Kairos and make a new pack together. A pack where they were free to exhibit what their talents truly were in an honorable and open manner instead of falling through the cracks of their massive birth pack.
This is when Foraz was born.
In a time of uncertainty, when many felt lost and hopeless these small band of wolves tied themselves together to survive as a whole, survive as a family, and survive as a pack.
1. Respect and Obedience are a must. Orders must be followed out without question in all Military and Civilian tiers.
2. Wolves must seek out either the Commander or Chancellor for acceptance.
3. Members must seek permission for litters and pairings from the Chancellor and Commander.
4. Army Wives are to be respected to the same level as their military partner's rank.
These rules are subject to change without notice at any time.
Commander: The highest ranking wolf in the pack. The Commander has the final say in everything and decides on laws, punishments, and other important business for the entire pack. He is to be obeyed and respected without question. This rank is not only highest in the military, but also among the civilian ranks as well.
Chancellor: The second highest rank within the pack. This is often the Commander's mate, though it does not necessarily have to be. This wolf makes decisions and upholds the laws in the absence of the commander, as well as alongside of the commander during peacetime. This is an honored and respected position and severe punishment and even death are well within his/her reach for those that fail to uphold the proper pack hierarchy.
Captain: These are the highest ranking wolves below the Commander and Chancellor and oversee the majority of the militarized function of the pack during wartime. These are often seasoned and experienced warriors. Captains will be assigned to command of different groups of wolves for multiple functions throughout the pack and during wartime. Away from the Commander and Chancellor, their word is law and their decisions must be obeyed and respected.
Lieutenant: Carries out and enforces the Captain's orders within group. These wolves are often in charge of 3-4 wolves within their band and must ensure proper training of those beneath them and are the tactical leaders that carry out commands from the band's Captain.
Master Sergeant: Head of the military police. All laws and rules broken as well as problems within bands and military ranks will be handled by the Master Sergeant before they are taken to the Chancellor and Commander.
Sergeant: Military police. These are overseen by the Master Sergeant and are the wolves that carry out punishment deemed necessary by the Master Sergeant, Commander, and Chancellor. These wolves will also oversee the confinement, care, and possible torture of prisoners (from within and outside of the pack).
Covert: This is a small group of wolves within the pack that are often outside of the pack borders who carry out rescue missions as well as secret and highly classified missions for the Commander and Chancellor. They must show respect to officers, but they report directly to the Commander and Chancellor.
Corporal: This is the general warrior rank. These wolves will be sectioned off into different bands under specific Captains and Lieutenants. The Corporals make up the majority of the strength of the pack and are often the first into battle alongside their Captains and Lieutenants.
Private: These wolves are the speed and the eyes of the military. They are often sent out as scouts or spies and are capable of stealth and speed in order to complete their missions. Though they will be placed in bands and overseen by Captains and Lieutenants, they will frequently work alone or in small groups or pairs.
Recruit: These wolves are training to become Corporals or Privates. They are often young, inexperienced wolves or wolves that have been put through the MP system and are attempting to regain honorable position within the pack.
Physician: This is the highest ranking wolf within the Medical Corps tier. These wolves are often experienced and seasoned healers and are in charge of most of the care and healing of injured and sick wolves in the pack. They are the ones that oversee the Nurses, Chaplain, Orderlies, and ER ranks and ensure the safety and health of the pack as a whole. Though not the highest ranking position, these wolves are to be honored and respected, for they are often the final stop between life and death for many.
Nurse: This rank makes up the majority of the pack's healers. Although not as experienced as the Physician, the Nurse rank is respected as they are the ones that often do the grunt work and the majority of the tedious healing. They gather herbs and prepare things for the Physician as well as assist them when needed, but they are also capable of doing minor healing on their own or in groups if the need arises. The Nurses answer directly to the Physician.
Chaplain: This wolf is often an older, more experienced wolf within the pack. It is their job to ensure every member of the pack has someone to turn to if they need counselling or encouragement. This rank requires an immense amount of patience, as the military lifestyle is often taxing both physically and mentally. This can be a religious wolf, though this rank does not necessarily have to be based on relgion and can be more of a counselor or therapist role.
Orderly: These wolves are the muscle behind the Medical Corps. It is often their job to transport patients and sometimes restrain them for the nurses and Physician. They are often large and powerful, but not necessarily inclined to participate in active military functions outside of the Medical Corps.
ER: These wolves are the first responder nurses on the field of battle during wartime. They are the ones that patch up wolves and ensure they remain alive until they can be taken to the Physician and Nurses for further care. This is often a brutal and dangerous job, so many wolves within the Medical Corps do not prefer it.
Army Wife: Although every wolf within the pack is encouraged to find a rank that fits them the best, from time to time a Military wolf will take a mate (or a few - harems are not necessarily encouraged, but they are not prohibited) that does not wish to participate in the military lifestyle of the pack. These wolves are still required to aid the pack when necessary, though they have no specific jobs or duties other than what their Military mate deems necessary for them. These are, however, untouchable to all other wolves within the pack with the exception of the Officers in rare cases. (this means that they are protected from advances from other males/females and offenders will be punished if caught/accused).
Veteran: These are wolves that have spent the majority of their lives fighting with and serving the military of Foraz. They are honored and respected and often maintain the respect of their former rank even into retirement. They are cared for by the entire pack and are often sought out for advice and guidance by even the highest ranking wolves of the pack.
Provider: These are the pack's hunters and gatherers. It is not only their job to bring food and other supplies to the military, but also to hunt and care for the civilians. This is an important and heavy task, and it is often one of the most populated ranks to ensure that the entire pack is well fed and strong.
Cadet: Young wolves that wish to join the military in their future are ranked as Cadets. Though they occasionally participate in drills with the military wolves, they are inexperienced and very young and are never allowed to enter the field of battle during wartime and often remain home with the civilians if the military is called out to service.
Youth: These are the pups within the pack from birth to six months of age. Though they may wish to follow a specific path through the pack's hierarchy, they are taugh multiple skills and trained in as many areas as possible before they reach half a year of age.
Inferior: This is the lowest ranking wolf in the pack and this rank is often reserved for those that have shamed themselves of their family or have been dishonorably discharged from the military.
Prisoners: These are wolves that have either been captured in battle, or have been imprisoned for breaking the law of the pack. They are overseen by the Military Police and are often treated poorly and with no respect. This is the lowest ranking position other than Inferior, though both ranks tend to be seen in the same light throughout the pack.
This plot will likely require at least 4-5 wolves.
This plot will require at least 1 (probably more) wolf.
This will require a character (or a group of characters) joining Foraz peacefully and integrating themselves into the pack in order to ultimately challenge Tethys and the group and take over. This will likely require IC fighting (likely mediated). This will likely also require an alpha challenge cost, so keep in mind it might require points down the line. If successful, I am willing to talk about changes in the pack and leadership (of course), and even handing over the pack if things go that way. Message me to discuss if you're interested!


Will Hammersla of Victoria was appointed National Coach by Sport Climbing Australia on 1 January.
The 26-year-old is an experienced coach. Hammersla started coaching young kids at local football clubs before taking on Bayside Rock Climbing Gym's Development Squad (the gym's top performers) in about 2011. The following year, he progressed to coaching Bayside's Junior Team, and in 2013 formed and coached the Victorian State Team.
Hammersla also envisions building a support network for state and regional coaches. "One person can only do so much, but if that one person can empower 20 people across the nation, we'll have much better coaching being delivered to athletes at their home gyms," he says.
At this year's National Youth Team Tryouts being held at Bayside Rock Climbing Gym in Carrum Downs, Victoria, on 28-29 March, he's holding a National Coaches' Conference. "I want to get all coaches in the same room so we can talk about what visions we have individually," he says.
On 23-25 January, a National Youth Training Camp will be held at Bayside Rock where participants can experience climbing to the standard that will be set at the National Youth Team Tryouts in March, where young kids will vie for a spot on the National Team.
Hammersla originally hails from Iowa, United States, but has been living in Australia for the past 16 years. Outdoors, he has onsighted grade 26 in the Grampians, Victoria, and bouldered V10.


text:
Topics Health and Medicine
Date November 7, 2016 2016-11-07
David Orenstein
After Australia cut drug copays for indigenous people, hospital use declined
When the Australian government reduced drug costs for indigenous people with or at risk for chronic conditions, they became substantially less likely to need hospitalization to treat those health problems.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new study finds that in regions where indigenous Australians most readily accepted a government incentive to lower drug copayments, hospitalizations to treat the population's chronic conditions declined by 40 percent in just two years.
The study doesn't definitively prove that the lower copays caused the reduced hospitalizations, but the government's goal with the program was to chip away at the enormous health disparities affecting indigenous people, and the data suggests that's what happened, said lead author Dr. Amal Trivedi, a professor in the Brown University School of Public Health. There are several lines of evidence in the study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, that suggest the reduction in copays may deserve at least some credit.
Disparities for indigenous people remain evident by many measures, including in hospitalizations related to chronic conditions. But the study's findings are positive, Trivedi said, and could bolster the evidence base for disparity-fighting policies not only in Australia but elsewhere. The United States, for example, provides specific subsidies to reduce copayments for Native Americans who receive coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
"I think it's encouraging news for public health in Australia that there were reductions for this high-risk population in the areas that had higher uptake of the incentive," Trivedi said. "By whatever mechanism this occurred, it's good news that there were fewer hospitalizations for chronic conditions."
A positive outcome
The "Closing the Gap Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme" (PBS) was part of a suite of programs meant to improve upon the the stark 13-year average difference in lifespan between indigenous and non-indigenous people in Australia. With $1.6 billion, the government between 2008 and 2012 launched several measures, including PBS, to improve care for chronic conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.
Under the PBS, implemented in July 2010, indigenous people determined by a doctor to have, or to be at risk for, chronic conditions could have drug copays lowered to $5.40 from $33.30 per prescription. Those who were receiving subsidized copays of $5.40 before the program could now get medicines with no copay at all. The copay reductions applied to all drugs, not just ones for chronic conditions.
To determine what impact the program might have had, Trivedi and four Australian collaborators analyzed data on regional participation in the program and hospitalizations by condition for indigenous and non-indigenous Australians both before and after the PBS. The data came from a larger study done by members of the study team and others.
Overall the team found that among indigenous people years 15 and older, the rate of hospitalizations for chronic conditions dropped to 61.2 per 1,000 in 2011 from 82.3 per 1,000 in 2009. Virtually all of the benefit, however, accrued in the regions with higher than average uptake of the PBS benefit. There, the hospitalization reduction was to 60 per 1,000 from 103.4 per 1,000, or about 40 percent.
Meanwhile, the team found that the precipitous drop in hospitalizations was mostly specific to indigenous people and to chronic conditions. Among non-indigenous people with chronic conditions, for example, the drop over the same timeframe was only 12.9 percent. And among indigenous people in the high-uptake regions, hospitalizations for acute conditions dropped 13.5 percent between 2009 and 2011.
Trivedi said the magnitude of the hospitalization decline surprised him but prior studies on the effects of lowering copays have shown they help some people acquire and adhere to medications and reduce hospitalizations.
Other studies have found that hospitalization for chronic conditions can cost more than subsidizing drug treatment. And there are many studies that have found other benefits to reducing hospital trips. Hospitalization is disruptive for patients and exposes them to potential problems such as hospital acquired infection.
Trivedi hopes to continue the research. The next step, he said, would be to dig deeper into data, such as individual medication claims, to determine whether people who received subsidized copays were in fact more likely to take their medications.
In addition to Trivedi, the study's other authors are Ross Bailie, Jodei Bailie, Alex Brown and Margaret Kelaher.
The Commonwealth Fund and the Australian Department of Health funded the study.
Open details for After Australia cut drug copays for indigenous people, hospital use declined

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Lecture Details: In the second aliyah (section) of Parshas Tetzaveh, the choshen (breastplate) is described. This breastplate that the Kohen Gadol wore was attached to the ephod (apron), which had stones with the names of the Shevatim (tribes) on the shoulders. The ephod is mechaper (forgives) for the sin of idol worship, while the choshen serves as a mechaper for improper judgment amongst people. Aharon carried the names of the Shevatim on his shoulders and on his heart, symbolizing these two elements of hashraas Hashechinah(resting of Hashem's presence) and bringing together the Jewish people.


What is the largest event Pine Cove puts on?
The largest event is our Free Family Days, which is basically an open house. Families can come out to Pine Cove, see what we do, experience the activities, meet our staff and attend an outdoor concert. And it's totally free. It allows us to reach out to the communities that we're a part of in Tyler and Columbus, and not only have fun, but have them get to know us. We've been doing them for five years in Columbus and three in Tyler. And we've found that people will come out, have a good time and then register as campers. Free Family Day in Columbus averages about 3,000 attendees, and Tyler about 7,000 attendees.
When and why did Pine Cove Global Ministries start?
We started doing Global Ministries in 2005, and we take college kids on mission trips in Latin America to work with campers who are elementary to high school age. We partner with a facility in Latin America for three consecutive years. In year one, we go down with our team, put on a camp and train the staff at that facility. In year two, we do a little less of the program, and their staff does more. In year three, they do the majority of the program, and we're just there to help facilitate what they want to do. We partner with an organization called Christian Camping International, and they have a Latin American branch that finds these facilities.
Is there one piece of advice you would give to faith-based event planners?
Help your attendee share why your event is special. Give them platforms. It's their testimonial that is probably going to be the most impactful, so give them that opportunity to share.


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Capital gains come about from changes in the value of an asset. In other words, when you buy a home and over time it appreciates $50,000 in price, that appreciation is a capital gain. Just about everything you buy for personal use, such as home furnishings, home office equipment and your home are considered capital assets. Your investments, such as stocks and bonds, also fall under the capital asset umbrella.
When you decide to sell any of these assets, the difference between your cost and the sale price represents the capital gain. Your cost, known as the basis, might be what you originally paid, but it could also be adjusted or "stepped up" to the asset value on the date of the asset donor's death, if you inherited the asset, such as a family vacation home.
If you sell the asset for more than its adjusted basis, you'll have a capital gain. You can find out more about calculating and handling an adjusted cost basis in IRS Publication 551, Basis of Assets_;_ which in part explains, "Basis is generally the amount of your capital investment in property for tax purposes. Use your basis to figure depreciation, amortization, depletion, casualty losses, and any gain or loss on the sale, exchange, or other disposition of the property."
Suppose you buy up 500 shares of XYZ stock at $10 each, for a total investment of $5,000. You make the purchase in January, and sell the stock in June for $5,200. You've just made a profit of $200, which the IRS considers a short-term capital gain.
You then start completing your tax return and list your annual income of $85,000, which includes the $200 stock gain. Because of your total income amount for the year, you end up in a 24-percent income tax bracket. After paying 24 percent of your $200 to Uncle Sam, you're left with $152.
However, suppose that you change your mind and hold on to your stock until January of the next year. At this point, your investment has increased by $400, and you sell the stock, taking your long-term capital gain. Your income, including your capital gain, puts you in the 15-percent tax bracket for long-term capital gains. You'll pay 15 percent tax on the $400 gain, netting you a $340 profit. By hanging on to your investment for a full year, you've made more than double the net profit by taking advantage of the more favorable long-term capital gains tax.
What is considered a long-term capital gain? Any gain on the sale of an asset that you've held for more than one year. Short-term capital gains come from any assets that you buy and sell within the same 12-month period.
You'll pay taxes on short-term capital gains as if they were part of your regular income, which is always a higher tax rate than the long-term capital gains rate. The government gives taxpayers a tax break on long-term capital gains to encourage buying and holding investments for longer periods of time, which helps to stabilize the economy. Speculating, or flipping investments in less than 12 months may reward you with a quick profit, but you'll have to offset that with the higher short-term capital gains tax rate.
If your total income for the year falls into the 10-percent or 15-percent ordinary income tax brackets, you'll enjoy a 0-percent tax on your net capital gains. For higher income brackets, you'll typically pay 15 percent tax on your net, long-term capital gains. If your taxable income exceeds the 39.6-percent threshold for the highest tax bracket, you'll pay a 20-percent tax on your net long-term capital gains.
What Counts as Capital Gains?
Any profits that you earn from selling assets are typically called capital gains. This includes selling physical or tangible assets including cars, artwork, boats and anything else that you sell for more than the original price you paid.
There is one caveat, and that is in the case of possessions such as a standard car; it depreciates over time, so it's rare that you'll make a profit on the sale and trigger any capital gains tax. When you sell real estate, you will also pay tax on capital gains, although the IRS allows some exemptions to the tax for your principal place of residence.
If you hold dividend-paying stocks in your investment portfolio, the dividend payments also qualify as capital gains. If your portfolio includes a good number of dividend-paying stocks, you could benefit from working with a financial planner to reinvest that money in a way that helps you reduce your tax bill.
Are Capital Gains Unearned Income?
The IRS considers any money you make from sources other than your employment as unearned income. This includes dividend income, taxable interest, alimony and unemployment income. These forms of income aren't derived from your efforts. The IRS considers the income from your wages, tips, a salary or any other form of taxable compensation as earned income.
Unearned income receives a different tax treatment than earned income. While it won't be subject to any forms of the payroll tax, you will have to pay capital gains tax on your unearned income. And just in case you were wondering, you won't be able to contribute any of this unearned income to an IRA.
Some forms of unearned income, such as the proceeds from a life insurance policy, won't require you to pay any taxes at all on the money. Other forms of unearned income, although less common, include gifts, lottery winnings and any money coming from an inheritance once the estate has been settled.
As an example of unearned income and capital gains, say that Joe has earned $85,000 this year in salary and bonus, plus another $6,000 in dividend income from his stock portfolio. While his salary and bonus are earned income, the $6,000 dividend money is considered capital gains and also unearned income. Once Joe retires, he'll get money from his retirement accounts and Social Security. These payments are also unearned income and will be taxed accordingly.
When calculating your investment income, the capital gains tax is applied only to your net income from Investments. If you have had more losses than gains, you won't owe any taxes, and you'll get a usable tax credit for your net investment loss. This applies to both long-term and short-term capital gains. However, the IRS does not allow you to take a capital loss on your personal-use property such as cars or your primary residence.
If you find yourself in a position where your net investment results in a loss rather than a capital gain, you can claim the amount of your loss on line 13 of your IRS Form 1040 and use it to lower your income. You can apply losses in amounts less than $3,000, or $1,500 if you are married, filing separately. Your net loss will be the result of combining both short-term and long-term capital gains or losses, and you will need to show the details of these amounts on Schedule D of Form 1040.
If you have several transactions, you can add the details and do the calculations on Form 8949, Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets, and carry the results of this worksheet over to your Schedule D.
If your net loss for the year exceeds $3,000, you can carry this loss forward to future tax years. The IRS provides a Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet, which you can find in IRS Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses or in the instructions for Form 1040, Schedule D. Either of these methods can help you figure out the amount of loss that you can carry forward to future years.
The recent changes in tax laws have left the long-term capital gains tax rate unaffected, and short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income as they've been in the past. The overall amount of tax paid on short-term gains may change, but it will be caused by the changes made to the IRS tax rates in the seven existing tax brackets.
Under the new tax rules, most taxpayers will end up owing less money on their annual return, according to analyses performed by the Tax Policy Center think tank. Additionally, although a "first-in, first-out" method was proposed in the Senate tax bill to calculate the cost basis for investments, this provision did not make it into the new tax law.
How Do Taxpayers Minimize Capital Gains?
Many different strategies exist to minimize capital gains; among them, hanging on to your investment for a full year, which allows you to more than double your net profit by taking advantage of the more favorable long-term capital gains tax. However, your best bet is to discuss with your financial advisor or CPA how to best manage your situation. If you have capital gains, you will want to invest in more than one tax-saving strategy.
One of the easiest ways to minimize long-term capital gains is to take advantage of the 0-percent tax rate that you'll receive if your ordinary income falls under $77,200 for Married, filing jointly; or $38,600 if filing Single. Once you factor in the $24,000 standard deduction, assuming you don't itemize expenses on your tax return, you can make over $100,000 in income while still taking advantage of the 0-percent, long-term capital gains tax rate.
For retirees who happen to have a year with an abnormally low income while waiting for their pension or deferred compensation to kick in, being in the lower tax brackets offers an opportunity to sell off stock positions and other assets to maximize the 0-percent, long-term capital gains tax rate.
Some people may want to sell off losing stocks in their portfolio, and if you can offset any capital gains with a larger amount of capital losses, this is the time to harvest those losses and sell.
You can use your home as a capital gains tax break, by excluding $250,000 of capital gains on your primary residence. If you're married, you'll get to exclude a whopping $500,000 from the capital gains tax. If you've made improvements to the home, such as a new bathroom, kitchen or roof, keep the receipts so that you can update your home's cost basis and shrink your capital gains amount.
If you're thinking of moving soon, consider moving to a state that has tax-friendly laws. For example, Florida and Nevada do not have state income tax, so wait until you relocate to sell off your assets so you won't be triggering any capital gains tax at the state level.


It is just about a year ago when Google announced the launch of Android Nougat. And this year in March Google launched the first developer preview build of the next major Android Operating system the Android O and later on Google releases the second developer preview of Android O at Google I/O conference 2017 last month.
A major difference between the Android N and O previews is that Google made over-the-air updates of Android N that is available to anyone who is willing to give it a shot. This time around, it has not launched the new release directly into the Android Beta Channel. Despite that the developers own Nexus 5X, Pixel XL, Nexus Player, or Pixel C device, they have to download and flash their devices manually.
As far as new features of Android O are concerned, following are the top 6 features that were announced at the launch of Android O developer preview 2 at Google I/O 2017.
It won't be wrong saying that fluid experiences are a Google's way of helping you to be more productive and make the most of the multitasking tools in your everyday use. Google's machine learning tool, TensorFlow introduced its new scaled-down version called TensorFlow Lite. It is used to keep up the lower powered devices with the today's demanding processes.
With the use of techniques like LSTM, TensorFlow Lite improves its users' experience. Android O has a new framework that helps to keep some AI components on the device, hardware accelerates the neural network features, and avoid the need of finding an online server that may compute actions on text selections and more likely things.
Many users of custom Launcher are already aware of a notification's icon power on top of an app icon. Android O will make its users see a small dot that appears on top of application icons that show active notifications.
It is where the magic of Android O starts, when you log-press the app icon showing notification dot, it gets you a short list of immediate actions that you may perform. It also includes the viewing of notification in a tiny pop-up window.
Google has added a picture-in-picture mode to Android O. now, you can just tap the home button with even a YouTube video playing, and the video would pop into a small window while you can navigate through other apps on the device. You can slide that video around for your best place, and then similarly slide to terminate it off the screen. Now, the features are available in the Android O Beta.
You would have seen the basic feature of text highlighting; in another sense, the copy/paste dialogue in Android. But now there is much more. The feature of highlighting text has been modified with Android O that you can use Google AI to act on the words intelligently.
For example, it allows you to tap to dial if highlighted a phone number, and a single tap starts navigation if an address is highlighted. Most of all, it has made highlighting more intelligent itself; like it selects the whole phrase or address rather than just a single word.
For the most frequently used apps on your device, Android O helps to log into the services quickly. The app devs must code in the feature of Auto-Fill, but once it is installed, Android O remembers your usernames and also password in some cases. Such a feature helps you jump into apps on your device easily and quickly.
Who doesn't want a better battery life? Android O includes an excellent feature under the banner of Vitals, which further offers security tools, OS optimization as well as tools for developers to better suit their device usage.
Optimization in the OS has a team reporting that the Pixel devices boot up in hardly half the time as before. Such speed bump goes for apps too. The prominent difference in the runtime includes things concurrent and compacting code locality and garbage collection. But in Google's language, your app just runs much faster, and more later on.
From all the above discussion what we see so far is that Android O has shaped up a lot to follow the Nougat's footsteps. It is completing some of the work that Nougat has started and more empowering the granular nature of control in Android.
User-facing notification has become a way better than ever before. Also, Android is intending to take more aggressive actions against the apps which treat valuable system resources with recklessness.
Dr. Phil Merchant is an impartial freelance blogger. In 2009, he joined Chicago State University as the Director of Human Resources. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing all the activities running in the Human Resource department of the University. He is determined for several improvements to the functions of University's HR. The improvements include designing a comprehensive HR website, an electronic applicant tracking, automating the payroll process, and a lot more. For his all hard-to-find services, he is rewarded with an accredited online life experience degree.


Stroud Theatre, Phoenix, 1883 | | Search for the Famous Blonger Bros.
Another piece of the puzzle — Blonger & Co. goes to Phoenix.
We have reams of information on Sam and Lou in 1882, when Sam was marshal of New Albuquerque, and the brothers had numerous and varied exploits, dutifully chronicled by the town newsmen.
The years that directly follow have been a bigger mystery. The brothers left Albuquerque sometime around the end of 1882. But to where?
Over time a few details have emerged. In 1884, Lou owned a saloon in San Bernardino, California. For Sam's part, he raced his ponies in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico in 1885. A later Supreme Court case(!) revealed testimony that Sam lived in Dodge City, Kansas that same year – bolstering earlier rumors of a Blonger visit to that town.
According to the Phoenix Weekly Republican, in February of 1883 Ira Stroud sold a city lot to Gus Ellis & Co. The buildings on this prime piece of downtown property, a saloon and theater, were slated for destruction.
The lot itself, on the northwest corner of what are now Washington St. and 1st St., was at one time the location of the first store building to be erected in Phoenix, Hancock's Store, opened in July 1871. It served as the town hall, county offices and general meeting place of early Phoenix.
Curiously, a week later, there were still performances at Stroud's Theatre, and in March James Allen was busted in Stroud's saloon for firing his weapon "in a promiscuous manner". His prosecution was noted as the first of its kind in the territory. He got 6 months and fined $250.
And finally to the point. In March and April, more ads for the theater were run, but this time with new proprietors – Blonger & Co.
Was this Lou? Sam? Both? Neither? Surely not the latter.
In his pension request, Lou doesn't mention living in Phoenix (or San Bernardino, for that matter). But what about Sam? He did spend time in Arizona during this period. Sold a racehorse to Earp nemesis Johnny Behan in March of '83, so there you go.
Anyway – a new star on the map, a new advertisement or two for the gallery, and a new joint for the list, a theater, no less. That's a good day.
P.S. – Soapy Smith was in town that year as well, hawking his soap. Small world.


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curiosity rover
Paul R. Williams' Signature Architectural Style
Paul R. Williams not only worked on high-end design, he also worked on civic projects that carry his signature style.
The Future Fulfilled? Modernism's Effect on the California We Know Today
In the early post-1945 period, California served as the emblem of the American dream, the ideal of modernity and purveyor of modernism, which it broadcast to the nation and larger world. Did it manage to live up to its promise?
WPA Mural Studies
Are six large paintings part of a mural project commissioned by the WPA?
A Glimpse of Prohibition-Era L.A. at King Eddy Saloon
Explore the world beneath King Eddy and see how alcohol got into L.A. during Prohibition.
January 3, 2020 - PBS NewsHour Full Episode
Friday on the NewsHour, a targeted U.S. attack in Baghdad kills a top Iranian general, raising ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran to new heights.
Thursday on the NewsHour, Australia is still burning amid a record fire season that has destroyed millions of acres and killed 17 people.
Rhiannon Giddens pulls out her banjo for Walter Isaacson to illustrate the rich history of the instrument in American music.
Wednesday on the NewsHour, a standoff outside the U.S. Embassy in Iraq ends -- but tensions over American involvement in the country remain high.
curiosity rover | KCET
KL Featured Category
KCET Re-Launches Exciting Space Exploration Films in October
Angelica Alumia
Post date: 2012-10-01T02:25:19-07:00
SoCal Focus
A Walk in the Mojave: NASA Tests Mars Rover on Desert Dunes
Scarecrow was brought to the Dumont Dunes to give rover operators a little more data to aid in negotiating the sand traps of the Red Planet when the Mars Science Laboratory Lands in August.
Mars and the Mojave: Death Valley & NASA Announce Festival Dedicated to The Red Planet
Zach Behrens
What "Star Wars" creator George Lucas saw as a stand-in for an alien planet is what today's scientists see as an analog location for studying Mars.


NEW HANOVER – Earlier today Sheriff Ed McMahon and District Attorney Ben David addressed members of the media and provided an investigative update in two significant ongoing investigations.
Detectives have charged Amy Blanche Stewart with two additional charges for obtaining property by false pretense, a Class I Felony under North Carolina Law. Amy Stewart was charged in December for the concealment of death after Deputies found the body of her mother being kept in a bedroom since June of 2009. Investigators have released the concealment was for monetary gain. Amy Stewart accepted and deposited just under $8400 in benefits from annuity retirement and social security benefits.
Detectives, working closely with the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office have charged Mary Douglas Bruno with accessory to murder after the fact. This comes as a result of additional information based on numerous witness statements and the review of physical evidence. Mary Bruno first told investigators she was drugged and held in an incoherent state for two days, this information has been verified as inaccurate. Dennis Benjamin Roy was charged last week with first degree murder after the discovery of Carmine Bruno's body was found beaten to death in his garage.
The news conference may be viewed in its entirety by clicking on the video links located under the NHSO Video Gallery. You may also view the news conference by visiting our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/newhanoverso.


The University of Minnesota Center for Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) has long-standing partnerships with the nation's leading pork organizations. Each organization plays a crucial role in ensuring global swine health and safety, and each relies on CAHFS to execute research and analysis that enables these organizations to stay ahead of the biggest threats facing the industry today.
Partnering with these three swine producer organizations is crucial in applying CAHFS research to the real world. These organizations make sure the most cutting-edge information reaches people who can apply it to the industry; they're the ones who can change policy, disseminate the latest outbreak news, and implement technology that makes the swine industry safer.
The National Pork Board (NPB) based in Clive, Iowa, is the industry leader in strategic, long-term, projects and programs. When CAHFS Director Andres Perez, DVM, PhD, Endowed Chair of Global Animal Health and Food Safety and professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, approached NPB shortly after China's recent African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak with a research proposal, the organization understood the impact the partnership would have.
With funding from NPB and the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), Perez and his team quantified the ASF risk of meat products being brought into the U.S., focusing on pork products from China. The data will be presented to policy makers who have the power to modify the inspection process and drastically reduce the chance that ASF enters the U.S. through meat products brought in by visitors.
When the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) in Ames, Iowa, was created in 2015, one of the first things it did was partner with universities. With SHIC's help, the U of M was able to expand the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project, which aims to build the capacity of industry to respond quickly and effectively to swine disease.
"Partnering with universities is crucial in improving swine health throughout the country," says Paul Sundberg, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVPM, executive director of SHIC.
SHIC puts out a monthly report on national swine disease status generated from analytics coming from the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the U of M and three other universities. SHIC has also partnered with Perez in a joint effort to track swine disease globally.
"Dr. Perez and his team are central to this. He's put together a team that can monitor multiple different sources of international disease information and then synthesize it into a report to tell us what swine diseases are circulating around the world, where they are, and the status of circulation," says Sundberg.
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) in Urbandale, Iowa, collaborates with governmental organizations and CAHFS to generate global solutions that protect the pork industry from significant losses during a swine disease outbreak.
One of these solutions is compartmentalizing. When a country detects an ASF outbreak, it must report the disease to an international database that alerts foreign traders to the disease.
An outbreak financially hurts every pork producer, but in a compartmentalized system — that is, a system in which farms all use a certain harvest facility to meet standards that allow them to continue international trade without risk — the impact would greatly diminish. The council's collaboration with CAHFS focuses on risk analysis within this system.
"The CAHFS set-up, with residents already on hand, makes the process incredibly nimble. We have both faculty and residents as a resource, so they can pick up a project quickly, concentrate on it, and complete it in a timely matter," says Liz Wagstrom, DVM, chief veterinarian with NPPC.
CAHFS News is a compilation of current topics and news updates in animal health, food safety, and veterinary public health.


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Exhaustion of rights consultation
The launch of the consultation
The UK Government has launched a consultation on the UK's future exhaustion regime for Intellectual Property (IP) rights. The consultation aims to collate information as to what the most appropriate exhaustion regime for the UK to adopt would be.
The exhaustion of IP rights for goods exported from the UK into the European Economic Area (EEA) was one of the biggest changes brought about by Brexit and the UK currently has a system where goods can be freely imported from the EEA to the UK without fear of IP infringement but not from the UK to the EEA.
The consultation seeks to gather data from businesses and consumers regarding:
The extent, value and impact of parallel trade in different sectors;
Businesses control over their supply chains and infringements of their IP rights;
Price differences and influencing factors;
How aware respondents are of the change to the exhaustion regime that occurred at the end of UK-EU transition period on 31 December 2020 and;
The costs and benefits of the current exhaustion regime.
What is "exhaustion of rights"?
Exhaustion of IP rights is rooted in the principles of parallel trade. The principle of exhaustion means that once a product has been lawfully been placed on the market with the IP rights owner's permission, that product can subsequently be re-distributed or re-sold within a certain territory by a parallel trader without infringing the owner's IP rights. In essence, the principle of exhaustion aims to set a limit on the ability of IP right holders to control the distribution of goods protected by those rights.
What is "parallel trade"?
Parallel trade is the import and export of legitimate goods (protected by IP rights) across borders. Parallel trade occurs when the IP right owner puts, or consents to the goods being placed on the market in a specific geographic territory. When this occurs the IP rights of the goods are classed as "exhausted". This is because the owner cannot rely on the IP rights of those goods to prevent the goods being re-sold or re-distributed to other territories.
The position in the UK pre and post the end of the Brexit transition period (31 December 2020)
Pre-Brexit
Before the end of the Brexit transition period, the UK was part of the EU's regional exhaustion of IP rights regime. The rule under the regime provided that any goods first placed on the market by (or with the consent of) the IP rights holder would be considered exhausted in the rest of the EEA and this included the UK as it was part of the EEA at the time. Therefore the rights-holder could not re-assert its intellectual property rights to prevent this or charge a second fee for doing so. In practice this meant that that the goods could be parallel imported into the UK from the EEA, and vice-versa: parallel exported out of the UK into the EEA.
Post-Brexit
Following the end of the Brexit-transition period (31 December 2020) the UK is no longer part of the EEA's exhaustion of IP rights regime. Since then however the UK has participated in the EEA's regional exhaustion regime meaning that the IP rights in goods first placed on the market in the EEA are considered exhausted in the UK. The goods can therefore be parallel imported into the UK from anywhere in the EEA without the permission of the IP rights holder. However, conversely the IP rights in goods first placed on the market in the UK are not considered exhausted. Therefore, a rights holder may stop the parallel export of goods first put on the market in the UK into the EEA. In practical terms anyone wanting to parallel export goods from the UK to the EEA must obtain permission from the IP rights holder.
The four options set out in the consultation
The consultation paper sets out four options for a future exhaustion regime in the UK and discusses the potential impacts of these options. A summary of the options is as follows:
Unilateral EEA (UK+) regime: This provides that the current regime would stay in place and there would be no further changes; i.e. parallel imports would be permitted only from the EEA to the UK, except to the extent that any other EEA member state chooses to reciprocate and allow parallel imports from the UK. The consultation paper notes that this option is considered compatible with the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
National regime: A national regime provides that only IP rights in the UK are to be exhausted. This would mean that parallel imports from outside the UK are prohibited. This regime is considered to be incompatible with the Northern Ireland Protocol, which allows goods to move freely from EU member states (including the Republic of Ireland) into Northern Ireland. A benefit of a national regime may be that IP owners gain greater control over their products. This may also assist in enforcement action against infringements, as well as potentially meeting regulatory quality and safety requirements. However, the regime may negatively impact consumers as is likely to result in reduced supply and consumer choice and, in-turn, an increase in the price of products.
International regime: An international regime provides that IP rights are exhausted in the UK if they are placed in the market of any other country (and not just the EEA). Goods may freely be imported into the UK from the rest of the world without the permission of the right-holder, while the extent of parallel exports being permitted from the UK would depend on the law in the destination country. This option may reduce the value of IP rights (including their value to licensees) and could cause product safety and quality issues, and possibly impair access to certain goods such as pharmaceuticals and educational books). This may also increase the incidence of shipments of legitimate parallel goods being used to mask counterfeit goods. However this regime could benefit consumers in that it may improve consumer choice and reduce prices. The regime may also be a benefit to manufacturers who have a complex supply chain.
Mixed regime: A mixed regime provides that specific goods, sectors or IP rights are subject to one regime, while others are subject to a different regime. The consultation paper notes that a mixed regime may be difficult for businesses and consumers to understand, and might be difficult to apply if a product embodied IP rights that were variously subject to both regimes.
The consultation paper notes that the Government does not have a preferential option for the UK's future exhaustion regime and it will assess all of the options in light of the evidence and feedback received from the consultation. It does however highlight that any new regime will need to comply with existing treaty obligations such as the Northern Ireland Protocol therefore a national regime may be less appropriate.
A link to the Government's consultation document can be found here. The deadline for responding to the consultation is 11.45 pm on 31 August 2021.
If you have any questions, please contact Nick Phillips or any member of the Intellectual Property team.
Intellectual property law is a vital tool in the creation an...


Former Republic of Ireland international Alan McLoughlin believes Seamus Coleman is unfortunate to miss out on the 23-man Euro 2012 squad.
Coleman had to be content with a place on Giovanni Trapattoni's five-man standby list ahead of the finals, which take place in Poland and the Ukraine next month. And McLoughlin, whose goal at Windsor Park in 1993 sealed Ireland's qualification for the 1994 World Cup finals, is of the opinion the 23-year-old from Killybegs will be the first added to the squad, should the situation arise.


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Nissan 370Z Back to the Future
2009, Nissan, 370Z cpe
The new 2009 370Z looks to the past and to the future in delivering an exciting yet affordable driving experience.
"This exciting new Z represents the essence of the Nissan brand, just as the original 240Z did nearly 40 years before," says Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc.
After its introduction, the original Z grew, culminating in the 1990s' 300ZX-a handsome but heavy boulevardier. Nissan retired the Z, but went back to its origins with the trim 350Z of 2003.
The freshly-drawn 2009 Z improves on this car in a multitude of ways. It's more powerful, but lighter too, thanks to a new engine and many weight-saving actions. The 3.7-liter V6 puts out 332 horsepower-26 more than its 3.5-liter predecessor-and torque is a strong 270 lb.-ft. You can get a six-speed manual or a new 7-speed automatic transmission.
Fuel economy is 18 mpg City/26mpg Highway for both the manual and automatic transmissions-increases of 1 mpg City/2 mpg Highway for the automatic and 1 mpg Highway for the manual transmission versus the 2008 350Z.
The EPA Green Vehicle Guide gives the 370Z a 7 for Air Pollution (good) and a 5 for Greenhouse Gas (average).
The new Z weighs less, thanks to extensive use of aluminum. More weight was cut by considering every component. For example, the fuel tank weight was reduced by 13.9 pounds, the exhaust system by 3.8 pounds and the 19-inch wheels by approximately seven pounds each for the fronts and six pounds for the rears. These efforts removed a whopping 225 pounds in all.
The new car looks very much like a Z, but all new at the same time. The upward curve of the tiny rear side window actually resembles the '70 more than the '03 did. Rear visibility remains poor, unfortunately.
I parked my Pearl White tester next to a white previous-generation car and the differences stood out. In the old car, the bottom line of the windows went directly to the top edge of the taillamps. In the '09, the top window line runs back and cuts an elliptical slice out of the boomerang-shaped taillamps. The carved-up light theme is echoed in the headlamps as well.
In back, the new model flaunts a larger, trapezoidal license plate area and sporty twin exhaust cutouts. Up front, the new grille cutout features fangs from the Z's mighty sibling-the GT-R.
Inside, it's fresh and historical, with the main gauges on a pod that moves up and down with the steering wheel. Small circular oil pressure, voltmeter, and clock dials poke out of the center top of the dash. Like everything else in the car, these look familiar but the styling has been enhanced.
The new three-spoke steering wheel features baseball-stitched leather. The leather shift knob has been carefully analyzed and padded differently for more accurate shifts and more comfort. The well bolstered seats, which are different for driver and passenger, have been reconfigured.
It's obvious that the team spent lots of time evaluating and improving every aspect of the car. They even relocated the rear strut brace that used to bisect the cargo area, making it easier to carry things.
With abundant power, close-fitting seats and a rewarding six-speed manual, I looked for back roads where I could wring the car out a little, more-or-less legally. It's there where the Z's mission shines true. Climbing in and out of the low slung car is annoying when you're out running errands in town, but on the open road there's a lot of joy in this car.
The 370Z Coupe lineup is simple: just the regular, Touring and NISMO models. The Touring adds upgraded, power-adjustable heated seats of synthetic suede and leather, a 6-CD Bose audio system with eight speakers (includes dual subwoofer), XM® Satellite Radio, Bluetooth®, the HomeLink® Universal Transceiver and a passenger seat map pocket.
The NISMO, from Nissan's sport division, slightly improves engine performance and tunes the suspension and exhaust, adds a front strut brace and body dampers, and outside, installs a body kit and extra light 19-inch alloys. Inside, there's the signature trim to distinguish it.
The 370Z and Touring models can be ordered with the Sport package, which features body mods, including front and rear spoilers. You also get the The SynchroRev Match™ function for the manual six-speed transmission, which blips the throttle for you automatically when shifting to the next gear, smoothing out any up/down shifts.
The price of my tester included one option--$115 carpeted floor mats-and came to a surprisingly reasonable $30,740. The Touring starts at $34,460. The NISMO model begins at $39,130. Add $720 for shipping.
This is the best Z ever.
By Steve Schaefer
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Images of the 2009, Nissan 370Z cpe
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Box Office International The Race Heat Vision Behind the Screen THR Presents
Elmo Williams, Oscar-Winning Film Editor on 'High Noon,' Dies at 102
2:10 PM PST 11/25/2015 by Mike Barnes
He received another nom for '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.' Olivia de Havilland is now the oldest living Academy Award winner.
Elmo Williams, the celebrated Hollywood film editor who won an Academy Award for his clockwork, minute-by-minute efforts on the classic 1952 Gary Cooper Western High Noon, has died. He was 102.
Williams, who received another Oscar nomination for his editing on the 1954 sci-fi film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, died peacefully Wednesday at his home in Brookings on the coast of Oregon, the Curry Coastal Pilot newspaper reported.
With his death, Olivia de Havilland, 99, is now the oldest living Oscar winner, according to film researcher Rhett Bartlett.
Williams' editing on High Noon, directed by Fred Zinnemann, is particularly remarkable as "the running time of the story almost exactly parallels the running time of the film itself," as a 1986 Criterion Collection article points out. "This effect is heightened by the frequent use of clocks throughout the film that remind the characters — and the audience — of the imminent arrival of Frank Miller, the villain, on the noon train."
In fact, some over the years have claimed that Williams "saved" the drama with his deft touch.
He also directed a handful of movies, including The Tall Texan (1953), starring Lloyd Bridges, and served as a producer on the war films The Longest Day (1962) starring John Wayne, The Blue Max (1966) with George Peppard and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), co-directed by his 20,000 Leagues director Richard Fleischer.
A native of Lone Wolf, Okla., Williams came to Los Angeles and got his start as a protege of Merrill G. White (The Brave One, The Fly), whom he met while serving the film editor a meal as an employee of a Westwood drive-in.
Much of Williams' early work came at RKO Studios, and his résumé as a film editor included Nurse Edith Cavell (1939), No, No, Nanette (1940), Nocturne (1946) starring George Raft, Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947) and Cleopatra (1963), on which he went uncredited.
In 1990, Williams received a career achievement award from the American Cinema Editors.
With his late wife, Lorraine Williams, he produced, directed, photographed and edited the documentary The Cowboy (1954).
According to the newspaper, Williams and his family celebrated an early Thanksgiving on Tuesday, toasting him with his favorite German wine. Survivors include his daughter, Stacy.
A memorial is scheduled to start at — quite appropriately — high noon on Dec. 12 at the Brookings Elks Lodge.
Twitter: @mikebarnes4
Mike Barnes
mike.barnes@thr.com mikebarnes4


Most states in the United States have moved away from "legitimate" and "illegitimate" terminology to refer to children of married or unmarried parents. However, in the state of Georgia any child born out of wedlock must be "legitimated," a process which can only be completed by the child's father. Once genetic paternity has been established, the father files a petition to legitimate the child, which is how he gets legal rights to the child.
Receive a voluntary paternity acknowledgement (PA) form. If the child is born in a hospital, staff typically will provide the mother with a PA form shortly after the birth of the child. If you need the form after the child is born, you can get one from your county's vital records office.
You also can download a form online by visiting the website of the Georgia Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) at cse.dhr.state.ga.us.
The form requires information about both the mother and father of the child, as well as information about the birth of the child.
A completed PA form establishes you as the father of the child. This means you may be responsible for paying the mother child support.
A PA form does not address custody of the child, or grant you any visitation rights.
Complete the form. Both you and the mother must complete the PA form to acknowledge your paternity of the child. There also is a section of the PA form through which you can voluntarily acknowledge the legitimacy of the child. However, paternity and legitimacy are two different things in Georgia.
If you want to legitimate the child as well as establishing your paternity, you must complete both sections of the form.
Don't sign the form unless you are certain that you are the biological father of the child. Although the form can be cancelled, this must be done within 60 days of the date it is signed and you'll have to go through additional processes to amend the child's birth certificate accordingly.
You will need to provide information about yourself including your full name, address, date and state of birth, Social Security number, and employer. The child's mother will have to provide the same information about herself.
Sign the form. Once you and the mother have provided all information required on the PA form, you both must sign it in the presence of a notary public. If you're signing the form at the hospital, they typically will provide a notary for you.
If you're completing and filing the form after the child's birth, you can fill it out and sign it at the office of vital records. A notary is on staff and will verify your identity and notarize the signatures.
Make sure you have a valid state-issued ID for the notary to use to verify your identity.
After you and the child's mother have signed the form, make copies so you each have one for your personal records.
Submit the form to the State Office of Vital Records. Once signed and completed, the form must be filed so the information can be entered correctly on the child's birth certificate. If you're completing the form at the hospital, the hospital typically will take care of submitting the form for you.
If you've completed the form on your own, for example by downloading the form online, you'll have to find your county's office of vital records.
You can take the form into the office in person or mail it to the office.
Amend the child's birth certificate. If you completed the PA form after the child was born, you may want to have the child's birth certificate amended so that you are listed as the child's father. However, being listed as the father on the child's birth certificate does not by itself give you any legal rights to the child.
You only have legal rights to the child if you and the child's mother completed the voluntary legitimation portion of the PA form.
If you did not complete that portion of the form at the time you signed the PA form, you must go through the process of filing a petition with the courts to legitimate the child.
To amend your child's birth certificate, contact the vital records office and follow their procedures. You may have to pay a small fee.
Contact the nearest DCSS office. The DCSS office in the county where the mother lives typically has jurisdiction over the child, and will attempt to find the father of the child so child support can be established.
Establishing paternity doesn't grant the father any legal rights to the child, even though he may be paying child support.
In Georgia, you must go through the legal legitimacy process before you have legal rights to the child, including visitation rights.
DCSS may already have initiated the process of finding the child's biological father. If you believe you are the biological or genetic father of the child, contact the DCSS office that services the county where the child's mother lives.
DCSS offices are divided into nine regions. Each regional office may service several counties. If you're unsure which DCSS office you need to contact, visit georgia.gov and click on the DCSS link to find the list of DCSS offices.
Provide specimens for testing. Complete DNA testing requires biological samples from the mother, the alleged father, and the child. Typically you'll have to visit the lab where testing is being completed to provide your specimen.
Typically this is done by taking a swab of your cheek. Blood samples may be taken instead in some instances, depending on the preference of the lab.
The child does not have to be any particular age to be tested, although labs typically won't take a blood test of a child younger than six months old.
Receive the results of the test. The lab should have the results of the DNA testing within a few weeks. After analyzing the specimens, the lab concludes whether you are the genetic father of the tested child.
If you contacted a lab on your own to get the testing done, the lab will notify you when the results are ready.
For tests conducted through DCSS, the results will be sent to DCSS. The office will then notify you of the results and let you know what your next steps should be.
Reimburse DCSS for testing fees. If you had genetic testing completed through the DCSS, the division pays the testing fees initially. DCSS determines who is responsible for paying for the test based on the results of the test.
Complete testing through DCSS results in fees typically under $100.
If the test determines that you are not the biological father of the child, the mother must reimburse DCSS for testing.
However, if the test establishes that you are the father of the child, it will be your responsibility to reimburse DCSS.
DCSS typically does not require reimbursement of testing fees if the person responsible for reimbursement is a recipient of public benefits.
Consider hiring an attorney. The legitimacy process is a fairly simple process that you typically can complete ion your own without an attorney. However, if you believe the child's mother will contest your petition, or if the child's mother already has an attorney, you may want to hire one to represent you.
You also may want to hire an attorney if you don't know where the child's mother lives, or anticipate that you will have difficulty contacting her or having her served with your court papers.
If you want to hire an attorney, consider using the searchable directory on a state or local bar association's website.
Georgia Legal Aid also provides legal assistance if you're concerned about your ability to afford an attorney. Even if you don't qualify for full representation, they can still help you fill out your forms and prepare for your hearing.
Keep in mind that many family law attorneys give a free initial consultation, so it typically won't require any money to simply talk to an attorney and find out if you need legal representation or if you can handle the matter on your own.
Search for forms or templates. The Georgia court system has pre-approved forms that you can use to file a legitimacy petition. Make sure you're using a form that has been approved for use in the county where you're filing your petition, as there may be local variances.
You typically can find and download these forms on the court website, as well as Georgia Legal Aid's website.
The forms come with detailed instructions on how to complete the forms properly and file them with the court.
Make sure you read the instructions carefully and ask a court clerk or legal aid representative to help you if there's something you don't understand. Court clerks can't offer you legal advice, but they can explain forms and court procedures.
Draft your petition. If you're using court-approved forms, you'll draft your petition by filling in the blanks on the form. Ideally you should type your answers, but you also can handwrite your answers. Print legibly and use blue or black ink.
You are the petitioner, while the child's mother (or the child's legal guardian) is called the respondent.
You must provide information indicating that the child's mother is a resident of the county in which you're filing your petition. This is necessary to establish the court's jurisdiction over the matter.
If you don't know where the child's mother is, you must file your petition in the county where you live and fill out an additional affidavit that establishes you have conducted a diligent search for the mother.
You also must include information about the child, including his or her date of birth and current county of residence.
Your petition also describes your reasons for believing that you are the child's father, including information about any DNA testing that has been completed to establish paternity.
Finally, the petition asks the court to declare that the child is your legitimate child, and that you have all legal rights to the child that a legitimate father would have, including the right to custody or visitation.
File your petition. Once you've completed your petition, take the original and two copies to the clerk of the court in the county where the child's mother lives. You will have to pay filing fees, typically around $100, to file your petition with the court.
If you cannot afford the filing fees, you can complete an affidavit that provides information about your income and assets.
If you fall within the state's established poverty guidelines, or if you're currently receiving public benefits, the court may waive the fees for you.
The clerk will file-stamp your originals and copies, and assign a case number to your petition. If you request a hearing as well, it may be scheduled.
The clerk will keep the originals for the court's files and give the two copies back to you. One copy is for your records, while the other must be served on the child's mother.
Have the child's mother served. After the petition is filed, you must arrange to have it delivered to the child's mother using the legal "service" process. This process is designed to ensure that you can establish legal proof that the child's mother knows about your petition.
Typically, you pay a small fee to a sheriff's deputy to have them hand-deliver the documents to the child's mother. You also can use a private process serving company. These professionals specialize in delivering documents to people who are difficult to find or have served.
After service is complete, a proof of service document must be completed and filed with the court.
Along with your petition, a blank consent form will be included in the documents served on the child's mother. If the child's mother completes this form indicating that she consents to legitimating the child, you typically won't need a court hearing.
Attend your hearing. If the mother did not complete and sign the consent form, the court will hold a hearing to determine whether to legitimate the child. If you do not attend this hearing, your petition will be denied.
At the hearing, the judge will ask you questions about the child and your claim of paternity.
If you previously completed DNA testing, you can introduce the results of that test as evidence.
The judge also will hear from the child's mother if she is contesting your petition. Keep in mind that you will have the opportunity to cross-examine any witnesses, including the child's mother herself, who testify against your petition.
Receive the judge's order. After hearing all the evidence, the judge will decide whether to legitimate the child. The judge also may address other matters, including child support, custody, and visitation.
While the judge may announce his or her decision immediately following the hearing, you typically will have to wait a few days before the written order is ready.
If you asked the judge to determine custody, child support, and visitation as part of your petition, these matters may be addressed in the order. Otherwise, you'll have to file additional petitions to have these matters determined.
Once the order is entered, make sure you get several copies of it. You'll want at least one copy for your records, but you'll also need copies to submit to DCSS or to the vital records office to have the child's birth certificate amended.
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* 2-for-1 Tuesdays at Video Isle. Not only do the staff there remember my name, recommend great movies, and give me free popcorn when I have the craving, but they also remind me when it's 2-for-1 Tuesday so I can take home twice the DVD fun.
*Four places to buy milk and eggs on my walk home from work. Yes, my life is that charmed. Because Queen Anne has such a vibrant main street, I have four choices for fresh eggs and milk on my less than 10-minute commute, plus two more options if I just go a few extra blocks.
*A community that shops locally. Without this, I wouldn't have my job. Without this, I wouldn't have all the fantastic shops and restaurants that Queen Anne so fun. Without this, my friends from other neighborhoods wouldn't be so eager to come to my home turf. And without this, yes, I would have to leave the hill a lot more.
*A downhill walk to just about anywhere! I love setting off down the hill– north, south, east, or west, and seeing where my feet take me. Getting back up is a challenge, but it saves me the cost of a gym membership.
*People who make eye contact and smile as you pass them on the street. I am grateful for you all!!! Thank you for making my day, one smile at a time.
*THIS THANKSGIVING WINDOW at Hilltop Yarn. Dancing turkeys in a bed of feathers, waving cooking utensils? Cool. Knitted dancing turkeys in a bed of feathers, waving cooking utensils? Brilliant!!!


Brampton is a city that's constantly growing and developing, and now, a brand new manufacturing facility is opening that's creating hundreds of new jobs. And, it's attached to a few very important projects in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area (GTHA).
Minister of Economic Development (and former Minister of Transportation) Steven Del Duca and Mayor Linda Jeffrey made the major announcement on Tuesday April 10, 2018.
French international company Alstom, a world leader in rail transport, is opening a light-rail vehicle manufacturing facility at 7 Blair Dr. in Brampton, which will create 100-120 new, full-time jobs at the facility itself and 400-500 spinoff jobs as a result.
"In May 2017, Ontario announced a contract with Alstom to provide 61 vehicles for light rail transit (LRT) projects in the GTHA, with an option to acquire an additional 44 vehicles," reads a recent release.
The contract is worth a whopping $528 million.
According to Del Deuca, the facility will be part of the project generating $50 billion over 25 years.
In context of the Hurontario LRT -- which will run from Port Credit GO in Mississauga to Brampton Gateway Terminal in Brampton -- Alstom is set to provide the system with its Citadis Spirit light rail vehicles.
"Alstom is thrilled to announce today we are opening a second industrial site in Ontario for the production of our 'made for North America' Citadis Spirit light rail vehicle," said Angelo Guercioni, managing director, Alstom Canada. "This second facility confirms Alstom's commitment to the ongoing transformation of the Canadian transportation landscape and the trust our clients have in the quality of our technology."
The Citadis Spirit is a customizable car (the exterior and interior look and feel can be changed for any particular city) that's made in America, has an interior without steps or ramps, can carry 200-300 passengers, and has 100 per cent low-floor design for easier accessibility from a street or a curb, with speeds at up to 65 miles per hour (just over 100 kilometres an hour).
After some controversy in early 2017 with Bombardier -- originally, Bombardier vehicles could have been used on the LRT, but Metrolinx cancelled the massive contract after Bombardier had trouble meeting deadlines -- it's exciting to see that the project is still barreling towards a finish line.
The Hurontario LRT project is part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history and the province is providing $1.4 billion to build it in Mississauga and southern Brampton (Brampton famously turned down additional funding to carry the route further down Main Street into the city's downtown core).


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Column | Next level nowhere in sight under Narduzzi
Thomas J. Yang | Senior Staff Photographer
Football head coach Pat Narduzzi, is in his sixth year as a head coach at Pitt.
By Kyle Saxon, Staff Writer
While the unprecedented circumstances of the 2020 college football season have raised reasonable questions regarding how to evaluate a coach's performance, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi has made this task quite easy.
This season's fate remained in question for most of the offseason, inciting stress and struggle for football programs across the country. To this end, every coach faced problems of diminished time and vast uncertainty while preparing for the season, and these do not serve as justifiable excuses for losing.
Pat Narduzzi is in his sixth year as the head coach at Pitt, and he's shown a great deal of positives and negatives up to this point. Despite holding a winning regular-season record of 39-32, Narduzzi has gone just 1-3 in bowl games, and has failed to lead the Panthers to a better record than 8-5 in any given season. Much like any coach, he has received his fair share of praise and scrutiny for the decisions he's made in his time at Pitt, both in terms of in-game decisions and overall philosophy on offense and defense.
When evaluating Narduzzi's performance thus far, one thing remains abundantly clear –– this Pitt football season has already turned into a bonafide disappointment. Quite frankly, he's had more disappointing seasons than positive ones as Pitt's head coach. While a few of the Panthers' woes in 2020 can be attributed to the pandemic, the majority of them resemble problems that have stayed unsolved throughout Narduzzi's tenure.
Two main issues are direct products of the pandemic –– offensive chemistry and the absence of defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman. While the Panthers returned 18 of their 22 starters from 2019, two of their major departures included wide receivers Maurice Ffrench and Aaron Mathews. Kenny Pickett has a versatile arsenal of new offensive weapons, but keeping on the same page is crucial in the sport of football. Some of Pitt's struggles moving the ball down the field could be consequences of Pickett having insufficient time to build a rapport with his pass catchers.
Additionally, Twyman made a strong case as Pitt's best player coming into this season, and the defense took a huge blow when he opted out. While depth on the defensive line is one of the team's major strengths, Pitt's performance without its best player can't be ignored.
But these two factors only explain so much. Many would've seen an 8-3 2020 record as a disappointment prior to the season. Now, through six games, the Panthers must fight for their postseason lives. How did Pitt go from hopes of reaching the ACC title game to facing the serious prospect of missing a bowl game entirely?
Pat Narduzzi.
To anyone who watches Pitt football closely, it comes as no surprise that Pitt averaged significantly more rushing attempts than passing attempts in the first four seasons under Pat Narduzzi. Pitt averages 39.3 pass attempts per game and 37.0 rushing attempts per game through six games this year. Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple has adopted a more balanced approach since he arrived in 2019, but 37 rushes per game still shows a clear affinity for running the football. This mindset represents Narduzzi's whole career.
While Narduzzi is a defensive-minded coach, the offense led his teams until 2019. He believes in the ground-and-pound style offense, which worked extremely efficiently when players such as James Conner, Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall got the ball in their hands. Pitt's offense has struggled immensely to run the football in the past two seasons, however.
Pitt averaged 3.5 yards per rushing attempt on 33.7 attempts per game in 2019. The offense has only averaged 2.9 yards per carry this year. For a team and a coach that have attempted to form an identity in running the football, those numbers are atrocious.
While the offense has struggled the past two seasons, the defense has excelled. Pitt entered this season with one of the most talented defenses in the country. It unsurprisingly leads the nation in sacks and boasts an excellent run defense thus far, but pathetic coverages, miscommunications and penalties in the secondary have played big roles in all three of Pitt's losses. This trend appears in most of Narduzzi's career losses.
Penalties and missed assignments don't necessarily reflect on coaching until they become repeated problems. Pitt even struggles to keep players with the same jersey number from taking the field at the same time. The Panthers beat themselves with blown coverages and gifting their opponents penalty yardage in their losses to NC State and Boston College. Good teams do not beat themselves.
This doesn't include all of Pitt's struggles, but a clear set of core issues with Narduzzi's performance this season have doomed the team. The Panthers run the ball almost 40 times a game, yet can't even muster 3 yards per attempt. No running game leads to no passing game. On the other end, Pitt's defensive line applies more pressure on quarterbacks than any team in the country, yet the Panthers have allowed an average of 305.3 passing yards and 3.7 passing touchdowns per game in its three losses. Combine this with constant penalties and poor play calling in the red zone, and it becomes clear that Narduzzi has failed this season.
Perhaps the most prominent concern surrounding Pitt football is the desire to emerge from the middle of the pack. Narduzzi has produced four winning Panther teams in his five full seasons, and his sixth team looked poised for a breakthrough. All this season has produced, however, is the guarantee of perennial mediocrity under Narduzzi. If Pitt truly wants to take the next step as a football program, they must find a head coach that can get them there.
narduzzi
Kyle Saxon, Senior Staff Writer