Category: CONSUMER NEWS

NextFab Returns With Annual Gift Guide

Just In Time for Small Business Saturday

Philadelphia, PA (November 2019)

– Start checking holiday gifts off your list with

Nextfab’s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide

, filled with local, handmade products, perfect for

Small Business Saturday

. NextFab operates locations in South Philadelphia, Downtown Wilmington, Delaware, and NextFab’s new 30,000 sq.ft. North Philadelphia location will open in Spring of 2020. NextFab is a network of membership-based makerspaces that provide access to tools, technology, education, events, and services for makers.  With a new location in North Philadelphia opening soon and its fundamental mission in driving artisan entrepreneurs in building their business, this Gift Guide showcases the talent of many of those already successful and budding artisan entrepreneurs. NextFab’s members have a wide range of products that showcases their creativity and craftsmanship. This year\’s

Gift Guide

is divided into six categories.

38 local makers

are included in the guide that provides a little something for everyone. The categories are:

In The Kitchen:

Handcrafted kitchen items from local businesses such as

Pellegrino Cutlery

and

Ben Doar Studio

aspire to provide you with high-quality affordable items. The Gift guide features customizable kitchen items from

Destined Goods

that are a daily reminder of life’s best moments. From customizable travel mugs to tumblers,

Mark Brandon

provides buyers with the ability to commemorate milestones.

Home Goods:

Featuring home good items,

The Fox and Sun

make customizable farm-house style signs that are personable to your home. The high-quality affordable signs are available for purchase online. The Gift Guide also features local makers such as

Marsau Botanicals

,

Plaid

, and

Untitled_Co

.

Children:

Between

Pal Socks

and

Twee Made

, these two makers have cultivated gifts that children will love. Former Philadelphia preschool teacher,

Kate Leibrand

, created Twee Made to focus on a child’s mental health and physical growth. Leibrand designed the sidewalk chalk with eco-friendly ingredients to help children stimulate artistic ability and to encourage imaginative thinking.

Jewelry:

Jewelry makers like

Cody Heller

and

Idol Light

craft their jewelry pieces directly in NextFab space. The guide also features affordable unique jeweler

Kpellé Designs

. The jewelry line made for women to feel inspired and empowered within their cultures.

Small Gifts:

With the passion for the art form of hand lettering, Lauren Gagliardi Kelley created

Girl Holding A Pen

. The unique handcrafted products started with stationery and invitation designs but now offers small personalized home items. It’s not always about the size of the gift. The Gift Guide also includes small gift ideas from

Philly Phlights

,

Loma Living

, and

Techcharge

.

Custom Furniture:

DNL – DSN

features custom commercial and residential furniture by Dan Saldutti. Saldutti created DNL – DSN in 2012 with a mission to find a solution to every problem by using creativity. This section also features custom furniture like

Design Studio 312

and

Marc DiGaimo Design

.

To explore the Gift Guide and see all the companies featured please visit:

https://nextfab.com/blog/2019-holiday-gift-guide/

“At NextFab, we believe in local artisan entrepreneurs and our team dedicates itself to helping more people to make things for themselves – and to feel empowered, to create new art, new products, and new businesses. With the opening of our new North Philadelphia space, we will be able to do that at an unprecedented level.”

Evan Malone, President, NextFab

The working space gives the opportunity for makers to craft innovated creations and incredible stories within the NextFab community. With the new North Philadelphia location opening, this gives NextFab the ability to expand their impact reach. Not only does the

Gift Guide

provide exposure for craft makers and online businesses within the local community it provides everyone a chance to “shop local” and support these local entrepreneurs.

Anyone can enjoy the access to NextFab features by becoming a member at

Join

. Stay up to date on what is happening at NextFab by following them on

Facebook

,

Twitter

, and

Instagram

. NextFab can also be found through #NextFabMade. Explore the creations and ideas that were created at NextFab for the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide at

https://nextfab.com/blog/2019-holiday-gift-guide/

. This Holiday

Gift Guide

is filled with incredible stories and projects that were created in the NextFab community.

For media inquiries, please contact by email at

HannahVendetta@PhillyPRGirl.com

.

About NextFab

Founded by Dr. Evan Malone in 2009, NextFab provides professional services and is dedicated to supporting small-scale local manufacturing. The network consists of membership-based makerspaces that allow local community members services to fabricate their needs. NextFab owns and operates three locations in the mid-Atlantic Region that provide access to tools, technology, education, events, and services for makers.

Coast Guard closes search for missing kite surfer near Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, N.J. (Nov. 29, 2019)-—The Coast Guard has closed the search for a missing kite surfer near Ocean City, New Jersey, after the missing individual called and reported themselves to be safe, Friday morning.

Coast Guard Station Atlantic City watchstanders received a call from 911, notifying them of a kite surfer reportedly wearing all black, seen drifting out to sea after falling off a kiteboard approximately 500-yards off Corson Inlet, at around 3:20 p.m., Thursday evening.

At approximately 10 p.m. this morning, the missing kite surfer contacted Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders to inform them that after his kite malfunctioned, he had cut it free and used the board to paddle ashore and return home.

Involved in the search were:

Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew

Station Atlantic City 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew

Station Cape May 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew

Ocean City Police Department members

New Jersey State Police helicopter aircrew

Coast Guard members searched an area covering approximately 550 square miles over a period of 16 hours.

\”This case highlights the effectiveness of the interagency search and rescue system,\” said Petty Officer 1st Class Alex Castonguay, a watchstander at the Sector Delaware Bay command center.  \”Cases like this also illustrate the importance of labeling your kayaks, canoes, kite boards and other recreational marine vehicles, so that in the event they are lost, or you are missing, we can reach out to contact you or return it.\”

-USCG-

A Glimpse From The First Cannabis Café in America

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 28, 2019)–Cannabis has been recognized for both its benefits and contributions to one’s society. With this, the usage of marijuana has extended into different sectors and services. Alongside this growth and development, the first-ever Cannabis Café in America has become available for service and open to the public.

A weed café, similar to other cafeterias and shops, is a place that offers food and various marijuana products to consume. A guest can afford to order any food from their menu with several marijuana offerings. Upon the establishment of the first weed café, the importance and dominance of cannabis can’t be neglected. Other people choose to visit such a place to obtain

the advantages of taking CBD oil

and marijuana.

Here’s What To Expect From The Lowell Café

Lowell Farms is the first legal business that has a complete cannabis-consumption license. This place allows its customers to smoke weeds while enjoying its ambiance and served food. At the same time, the said restaurant is also believed to create history. It was able to successfully surpassed government negotiation and processes for more than three years before its operation.

This café has also been recognized for its trendy and aesthetic ambiance. Its design is based on the Californian inspiration. With this, it has brick walls, thick ferns, olive trees, and neon signage. The only thing that differs in this shop is its huge air purifiers that help maintain the environment despite the smoking of its customers. Thus,

marijuana

users can continuously consume the plant while enjoying the services and products offered in this restaurant. To explain further, here is a list of things to love from the Lowell Café:

Unique and One-of-a-kind

The legality of marijuana allowed people to consume the plant in the comforts of their home. However, similar to other foods and drinks you consume, several people would also want to try cannabis outside their home. Other people might want to try the plant served and made by professionals. At the same time, customers might also be limited in their homes and can’t use cannabis at home. It may be caused by having children or elderly in the house. Lastly, tourists may seek to visit the country to try cannabis legally. For whatever reason, the establishment of the first café had made a landmark for both long-term and first-time users of marijuana.

Welcoming and Safe

In

an article

posted by CNN, the Lowell Café is created to have an open place for anyone to enjoy cannabis. Thus, the owners seek to offer a welcoming destination for everyone. With this, it can be your go-to place even if it is your first time to try cannabis. At the same time, the café also seeks to provide a safe environment for its customers. Having a legal world of cannabis, this café has proven the success of creating a community that believes in the wonders of the plant.

Well-Served Food and Drinks

This café is more than just the availability of different variants, tools, and flavor of cannabis that you can enjoy. Instead, it also provides its customers with quality food and drinks for everyone to enjoy. By having such, it has proven that it is indeed a café with delicious food to consume and fill one’s tummy.

Powerful Vents

One of the common fear of its potential customers is the threat of smoke due to the vaping and burning of marijuana. There are industrial-sized vents around the restaurant to extinguish the odor of the plant and cigarette that solves this issue. Thus, customers are guaranteed to have clean scenery and ambiance instead of plumes of smoke. At the same time, the café also ensured that the odor and smoke would not get in contact with its neighbors.

The Bottom Line

The significant development established by America’s first weed café paved the way to the changes in view and acceptance to Cannabis users. Despite being limited by state policies, it is considered as a stepping stone towards the acceptance of people regarding marijuana use. At the same time, the creation of the Lowell Farms made a safe and fun place for users to establish its community and for users to interact. With this, it had made history changed negative perspective taken against marijuana.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

Mikhail Peleg: Soon, Machete will please fans with new hits

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 28, 2019)–After a long creative work hiatus, the popular Machete band intends to return to the big stage.

This information was shared by Mikhail Peleg, the band’s producer.

The leader of the band, Yaroslav Malyi, said that a creative break was necessary for the group. They traveled around the world, absorbed the energy of ancient countries, meditated, and learned new things. But not only had the rest from the multimillion audience helped band members to grow. They had constantly rehearsed, wrote lyrics and music. Machete visited Israel, Bali, Singapore, and India, the soloist of the band reviewed his life values ​​and began to think differently. The guys do not hide the fact that Machete will present a new album soon, on which they have worked so long.

Frontman Yaroslav Malyi shares his travel experiences. He says that such breaks in creative work are necessary for everyone. For four years, the members of the band studied spiritual practices, practiced yoga, and read books. Lyrics were written for new songs, and musical accompaniment was invented in unusual conditions. Such a long renunciation from popularity yielded results. Completely new, wiser artists are returning to the stage.

Yaroslav Malyi admits that to refuse the attention of fans was a united band decision. Indeed, in order to break new ground and become the best, you need to radically change something in life. While traveling around the world, the band managed to get to know many talented performers, work with them and learn from valuable experience.

The producer of Machete band, Mikhail Peleg

https://genius.com/Dave-yaroslav-maly-machete-and-producer-of-the-band-mikhail-peleg-spoke-about-new-projects-annotated

, does not hide his enthusiasm for the work of Yaroslav Malyi and his team. He notes the unprecedented determination and talent of the band members. According to Mikhail, fans of the band will be able to see several Machete projects very soon.

It is not a surprise that after such a long break, the group will daze its fans with something new. The frontman of Machete has so far only announced that their new songs will combine different styles and genres. The compositions will cover topics that are important to all people.

The first track from the new album will be the song \”Sky is my home.\” Yaroslav says that he tried to put everything in simple but powerful words that could make people think. He tells about important and secondary, temporary, and permanent. According to Yaroslav, this particular song will be the key to understanding the meaning of the entire album.

Modern people are busy with the routine of everyday life. They are always in a hurry and do not pay attention to simple joys. A few adults will be able to say what real happiness is. The leader of the band says that everyone will be able to find the necessary answers to important questions in the song “Sky is my home.”

The comeback of the famous Machete (

Mikhail Peleg: Machete band launches new successful projects

) became public not so long ago. The founder of the band also noted that not only the style of their work has changed, but also the members of the group. Alexander Zinger (drums) and Mikhail Lisov (guitar) joined the band.

The rock band Machete was founded in 2010. Initially, it was an Internet project of Yaroslav Malyi, who was already a soloist of another group. But the very first songs became so popular that they went beyond the Internet and began to be broadcasted on television and radio. As a result, the independent Machete records label was created. The hits “Do not part with your loved ones” and “Dad” were gaining popularity every day, and the video for the song “Tenderness” gained nearly 34 million views on the YouTube channel.

How to Plan the Ultimate Solo Vacation

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 28, 2019)–Sometimes life just gets to us, and that’s alright. Needing an escape is not a problem; it’s just a chance to treat yourself to a new routine. It’s healthy, it’s fun, and no, you don’t need to try to organize a trip with friends. If you find it’s difficult to get everyone to agree on dates, on destinations, on what to do or where to go – then go without them. Solo travel is very invigorating when you’re stressed, and can help you have the perfect trip that you’ve always wanted.

To ensure you get a full, rounded, enriching vacation, however, you’re going to want to follow these tips:

Choose a Destination with the Right Weather

There is always going to be great weather somewhere. If the temperature matters to you, then the temperature is going to dictate when and where you can go. If you need a sunny escape during winter, then heading south to

great destinations like Australia

is definitely the way to go. By choosing the weather first, you won’t be disappointed and instead can soak in the sun.

Read Local Guides Before You Go

The best way to learn about what there is to do is to read local guides written by local people. Try to stay away from big corporate travel sites, as their recommendations are going to be skewered. If you want a real, authentic, quality experience, then going where the locals go is your best bet. You can do this for nights out, for food and drink, and even for finding some hidden treasures in your destination that don’t get featured a million times on Instagram.

Be Aware of What is Available in Your Destination

Travel out of state, and the rules will be different. Travel out of the country, however, and you can enjoy a wholly unique experience that is simply not afforded to you back home. Head over to Australia for vacation, for example, and you’d be surprised to learn that brothels like Brisbane’s

cleosonnile.com.au

are exhilarating, legal, and safe. This keeps the experience safe and pleasurable for everyone.

Each country has its own set of rules, and knowing what you can (and cannot) do on vacation is a good way to make the most out of your trip and to ensure you don’t accidentally get in trouble.

Find Events and Book Tickets

Always check to see what events will be going on when you are in town. A great concert, a festival, your favorite comedian – there are so many opportunities at any given time. Going to an event will make your trip more unique and special.

Keep Your Trip Simple

Overdoing your itinerary

is going to be the death of you. Yes, you’ll be fully in charge of what you do, where you go, and what you see, but you don’t want to rush from place to place. You need to take some time to enjoy yourself and soak in the experience and quiet your mind. Regardless of how fun and exciting your trip is, taking some moments to be still will help you relax and rejuvenate so that you can return home well-rested in the mind and spirit.

4 Amazing Technologies Improving Our Health Every Day

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 28,2019)–

We’ve come a long way from leeches. The high-tech boom of the Information and Innovation Ages has melded with the healthy-living craze. Cutting-edge technologies help us live longer, happier, and healthier lives.

Here are four amazing technologies for improving our health every day …

1. Software as a Medical Device

We get it—you already had to learn what SaaS means, but now you have to learn SaMD? Nevertheless, according to

Orthogonal

, “SaMD is proving to be a major disruptive force in the way healthcare professionals do their work, in areas such as bioinformatics, drug discovery, genomics, point-of-care diagnostics, robotics, and therapeutics.”

SaMD basically uses software to perform one or several basic medical functions. Examples include:

Artificially-intelligent software that examines MRI scans for signs of cardiovascular disease.

Software that recommends insulin dosage for a diabetic patient based on inputs from a patient’s cloud-based food log.

Software that determines the correct dosage of the medication for an individual, based on that individual’s cloud-based medical records.

Software that identifies signs of respiratory conditions based on breathing patterns recorded by the microphone.

Software that tracks the risk factors contributing to epileptic seizures.

SaMD should be distinguished from SiMD (software

in

a medical device) which includes programs that automate surgical robots or the magnets inside an MRI machine.

Instead of performing these mechanical functions, SaMD apps work in tandem with cloud-based data and wearable devices to provide medical professionals with a wealth of actionable data they couldn’t possibly get from a brief clinic visit (or the clipboard you fill out before the visit).

2. Wearable Health-Tracking Devices

There’s no need to guess when the doctor asks you whether you lead an active or sedentary life. Why guess when a

cheap pedometer

will tell you exactly how many steps you have taken over the course of a week? A month? A year?

In a way, wearable tech started with the wristwatch or pocket watch and took a long leap forward with the cell phone and then the smartphone. Technologies like the Apple Watch have made a clunky transition into the mainstream, but FitBits made a huge splash. HuffPo estimated that by 2018, 130 million wearable devices would have been delivered to consumers.

According to Business Insider Intelligence, a whopping 80%+ of consumers express a willingness to wear fitness technology.

It’s not just about tracking steps, though. Wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors stand to make a huge difference for patients living with heart conditions. A wearable ECG monitor can transmit data directly to your doctor, as well as your atrial fibrillation and details like your elevation, distance, and pace.

This year, Omron Healthcare debuted the first wearable blood pressure monitor to track daily blood pressure readings for patients at risk of hypertension, correlating it with geographical, environmental, and physical exertion data.

Phillips also released a wearable biosensor patch, like those given to astronauts, which shows the promise of an almost 89% reduction in preventable respiratory or cardiac arrest. What a time to be alive … and, presumably, stay alive.

3. Blockchain

No, we don’t mean we will pay all our medical bills with Bitcoin.

Blockchain technology usually makes the news for its role in the cryptocurrency craze. But while crypto is built on blockchain,

blockchain is not crypto.

The reality is far less sexy … and far more revolutionary.

“Blockchain” refers to a process where “blocks” of data exist on a “chain,” a digital, decentralized, and public ledger that exists simultaneously on thousands of individual computers.

As a result, blockchains are

easy to audit and almost impossible to hack or falsify.

This is why people trust it with systems of currency.

Where else do you need transparency, security, and integrity of data. All over the medical profession, of course. According to

Healthcare Weekly

, “Digital blockchains stand to revolutionize how the medical industry creates drugs, runs clinical trials, gathers medical records, and renders care.” In other words, pretty much the whole shebang.

How does blockchain do this? In many ways:

Warehousing of Pharmaceutical Data.

Blockchain and AI technology could standardize and maintain the integrity of the data that pharma companies use to create drugs.

Fighting Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals.

Pharma companies could reduce the $200+ billion in losses they suffer from counterfeit drugs by shoring up the supply chain with unhackable, unimpeachable blockchain records.

Siloing Clinical Trial Data.

No technology shows more promise than blockchain to create unalterable, auditable, secure databases of clinical trial data, which can be browsed by AI for relevant patterns. Blockchain could also bring data integrity to the identification of viable trial subjects.

Managing Patient Consent.

Blockchain’s biggest contribution to the business community may be “smart contracts”—e-signature records beyond reproach. This could apply to patient consent, as well as other hospital contracts.

Patient Intake.

Hey, what if you

didn’t

have to fill out a clipboard in every hospital waiting room and then wait for that data to be input before the doctor sees you? Blockchain offers a secure solution for patient intake

before

you arrive at the doctor’s office.

Verifying Physician Credentials.

Fraudulent physicians and unlicensed quacks are a real liability for hospitals. A transparent, easily-audited blockchain database could replace “scout’s honor” or burdensome research to verify a provider’s qualifications.

The global healthcare marketplace is expected to spend $5.61 billion on blockchain technology by the year 2025 …

and save $100-$150 billion as a result.

Online medical records facilitated by blockchain could work together with wearable devices and SaMD to completely change how patients track their health and how medical professionals deliver care.

4. Genomics

The mapping of the first human genome in 2003 was a medical milestone. The next frontier is the mapping of

your

own genome. Yes, each person’s unique genome, which contains its own inalterable “blockchain” of data about that person’s physiology.

Genomics stands to take personalized medical treatment to the next level. Doctors can take a much less scattershot approach to treatment, therapy, and medication, instead of tailoring a treatment plan to the data found in the patient’s genome. It really is the application of a data-driven age to the very cells of our body and the DNA inside of them.

Genomics stands to:

Reduce our intake of inefficient medications.

Reduce the application of unnecessary surgeries.

Revolutionize the treatment of cancer.

Provide treatment options for genetic disorders like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Angleman’s Syndrome, and many more.

5 Things That Could Go Wrong During Your Next Trip to Vegas

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 28, 2019)–It is not called Sin City for nothing. Las Vegas is a great place to go to for fun, gambling, entertainment and yes, some good, old fashioned debauchery. While the thrill-seekers paradise in the desert has become a lot more family-friendly over the last few decades, there is still plenty that can go wrong during a trip to Vegas. While the worst-case over-the-top scenario looks something like the movie

The Hangover

, there are plenty of other, more realistic things that can ruin your next Vegas vacation. Here are 5 things that could go wrong during your next trip to Vegas.

Get banned from a casino

Nothing will sour your trip to Sin City like getting tossed out of and banned from the casino. Aside from trying to cheat to win money (which we will discuss later), there are a few guaranteed ways to be asked to leave not so nicely by very large security guards.

Gambling News Magazine

has a pretty comprehensive list of the faux pas that will earn you a swift exit. These things include the number one reason, getting too intoxicated, as well as things like acting inappropriately at the tables, forgetting casino etiquette, or taking pictures on the casino floor.

Get caught cheating

There are a lot of ways to win in Vegas which also means there are a lot of ways to try to cheat to win. Getting caught by casino security or the “eye in the sky” trying to scam the casino is a surefire recipe to be ejected from the casino and not allowed back in here is what the casinos are looking for in the different table games to find cheaters.

Blackjack

– Card counting is the biggest way of cheating in blackjack. This is when players keep a running tally of what cards have come out and what cards have not. When the odds are against the player they bet less and when they are in their favor, they bet more. While not technically illegal, if you are accused of this you will get kicked out of the casino. The most famous example of card counting the

MIT Blackjack Team

in the mid-1990s who took the casinos for millions and inspired the book and movie, Bringing Down the House.

Roulette

–

In roulette, there are multiple ways to cheat and win big. All of which will get you a swift exit from the casino.

Gambler Daily Digest

lays out all the ways you can chest the spinning wheel. This includes everything from working with another player to using technology and modifying the wheel itself. There are even more technical ways included such as past posting and sector targeting.

Poker

– There are also multiple ways to cheat in poker including working with another player and the use of technology. While not in Vegas, there is currently a

major scandal

going on in the poker world that includes allegations of cheating by a player who plays in televised games in a casino in California.

Losing money

Everyone goes to Vegas in the hopes of winning big but, unfortunately, many players walk away with their wallets much lighter than when they started. One of the games people lose at the most is the slots. While it may feel like you are not losing big because you are only playing small bets, these can add up. While lots of people love the one-armed bandits, they can also be a money drench. If you want to play the slots anyway, you really need to learn how to give your chance the best odds to win.

Weekly Slots News

has a great guide on how to get better at slots and have a much better chance of winning that jackpot.

Getting married

Tons of people go to Las Vegas to get married every year. In fact, there are over 120,000 marriages performed in the city annually which translates to around 10,000 per month. While many people come to the desert specifically for this purpose, there are some who have no intention to do so but end up with a husband or wife anyways. Steve Lewis from

Online Casino Gems

says, “I have seen a lot of quickie weddings over the years. Everything from couples who have been engaged forever deciding spur of the moment to hit the chapel to couples who literally just met that night. It is one of the things you will ONLY see in Las Vegas.”

Being burned by the elements

If you were not already aware, Las Vegas is right in the middle of the Mojave Desert. It is one of the things that makes the city so unique but also what can make outdoor conditions very dangerous. Inside all the hotels and casinos, you will find a perfectly air-conditioned atmosphere. However, when you venture outside, there could be potentially dangerous conditions to deal with. A desert climate is known for very hot days and cold nights. Depending on the season, temperatures during the day can soar into the 100s. At night, they can drop to near freezing at times.

Make sure you are prepared for whatever the elements will bring if you decide to venture out of the temperature-controlled casinos. If you are lounging by the pool or going on a day hike, you will need to wear plenty of sunscreen to protect you from burns. Nothing can ruin a Vegas trip faster than second-degree sunburn. If you are going out to explore the natural surroundings and will be out past sundown, make sure you have warm clothing available to put on.

Conclusion

Yes, there is a lot that can go wrong during your next Vegas trip but do not let that scare you away. For most, Las Vegas is an amazing time with unforgettable experiences that will last a lifetime. If you follow the rules, don’t try to cheat, respect the desert, set yourself a budget and stay away from unplanned wedding ceremonies, you will have an amazing time that will keep you coming back to Vegas again and again.

Pennsylvania Senator Wants to End Practice of Changing Clocks within the State

Pennsylvania senator calls for end to Daylight Saving Time

By Dave Fidlin |

The Center Square

Nov 25, 2019

Pennsylvania Sen. Scott Martin is on a quest to end the twice-annual practice of changing clocks – not just within the state, but across all of the U.S.

Martin, R-Lancaster, went before the Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee recently and discussed why he was introducing

Senate Resolution 179

. At its core, the document calls on federal lawmakers to abolish the long-running practice of Daylight Saving Time.

“I think it’s a process that’s well past its time,” Martin said. “I think we can do better.”

In his recent remarks to the Senate panel, Martin described the practice of changing clocks back an hour in November and ahead in March as an “archaic tradition.”  Many believe Daylight Saving Time began to help farmers, but this is a misconception,” Martin wrote in a

co-sponsorship memorandum

outlining the rationale for the resolution.

“The practice began temporarily during World War I as a fuel-saving measure and was reinstated briefly during World War II,” Martin said. “It was made a permanent fixture for most American states and territories in 1966 when President [Lyndon] Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act.”

Martin said there were other reasons he drafted the resolution and is asking his Senate colleagues to forward the call on to federal lawmakers for a vote.

“Some studies show that the twice-a-year change actually leads to an increase of car accidents, work-related injuries, risk of stroke and heart attacks and a loss of productivity, costing the United States economy over $400 million a year,” Martin wrote in the memo.

During his testimony before the Senate panel, Martin laid out other reasons he believes Daylight Saving Time should end, including concerns of student performance from time shifts and interference with family activities in the evening.

“I think, in general, from a family perspective – who wouldn\’t like to see a little more daylight?” Martin said.

The Senate State Government Committee voted unanimously in favor of forwarding Martin’s resolution on to the full legislative body.

“Thank you for bringing this forward,” said state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Greene Township, who serves on the panel. “It needs to go away.”

While most Americans routinely change their clocks twice annually, there are exceptions. Arizona, for example, has not recognized Daylight Saving Time since 1968. Hawaii is another state that currently maintains a standard time throughout the year

Pennsylvania lawmakers are not the only ones who have discussed ending Daylight Saving Time. Similar state-specific proposals have been considered in the past in Maine and Massachusetts.

Also, Florida lawmakers last year passed the so-called Sunshine Protection Act, which calls for an end to Daylight Saving Time in the state, though federal approval is required since the proposal also includes a call to shift time zones.

published here with permission

Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice Hosted Special Educational Conference

on Moral Injury and Veteran-Centric Care with Local Experts

Marlton, NJ

–

Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice

, in collaboration with New Jersey Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, HeroCare Connect and the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA), recently hosted the

Moral Injury and Veteran-Centric Care Conference

at The Samaritan Center in Voorhees.

VetConference– Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice, in collaboration with New Jersey Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, HeroCare Connect and the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA), recently hosted the Moral Injury and Veteran-Centric Care Conference at The Samaritan Center in Voorhees. Pictured here, from left: Mary Ann Boccolini, President and CEO, Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice; Reverend Chris J. Antal, Staff Chaplain, Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia and Keynote Speaker of the conference; and Kim Rumaker, Manager of Social Work, Spiritual Support & Center of Grief Support, Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice.

“The purpose of this conference was to bring together local experts in order to educate and, ultimately, improve quality care for our veterans across the healthcare continuum,” explained Mary Ann Boccolini, president and CEO of Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice. “Samaritan is proud to host a conference highlighting the unique needs of those who have served our country. By openly discussing topics such as moral injury and PTSD, we are breaking down barriers and raising awareness of how we can best serve our growing veteran population.”

The keynote address was delivered by Reverend Chris J. Antal, staff chaplain at the Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia where he co-leads a group for veterans experiencing moral injury. Accompanied by fellow veterans who shared their own personal experiences, Reverend Antal, who served in the Army Chaplain Corps from 2008-2016 and is a veteran of the United States’ war in Afghanistan, presented the concept of moral injury and then led conference attendees through a series of exercises to bring the concept to life.

The conference also included presentations from local experts on a variety of topics pertaining to veteran-centric care:

The Importance of Veteran-Centric Care

Presented by Dr. Stephen Goldfine, Chief Medical Director of Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice

The Evolution of Caring for Our Military – A Case Study

Presented by Christine Carlson-Glazer, MPH, Government and Community Relations Liaison of Deborah Heart and Lung Center and HeroCare Connect™ and Louis Bezich, MPP, Senior Vice President, Strategic Alliances of Cooper University Hospital and HeroCare Connect™

Navigating Moral Injury – Stats and Stories

Presented by Dr. Mary Ditri, Vice President of Community Health of the New Jersey Hospital Association and Dr. Michael Mimms, Veteran Mental Health Care Navigator of the New Jersey Hospital Association

Connecting Veterans to Services in NJ

Presented by Christopher Wambach, State Supervisor of Veteran Service Offices of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veteran Affairs

Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice is a four-star provider of the

We Honor Veterans

and

Hospice Veterans Partnership (HVP) of New Jersey

.

We Honor Veterans

is a joint program of the Veterans Administration and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization that focuses on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful recognition for those who served our country.

HVP of New Jersey

, an affiliate of the Homecare & Hospice Association of New Jersey, establishes a network of hospice and VA professionals in efforts to provide outstanding end-of-life care for New Jersey’s veterans and their families.

To learn more about the services Samaritan provides to members of the veteran community, visit

www.SamaritanNJ.org/hospice-care/veteran-hospice/

.

European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS)

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 27, 2019)–With the expansion and debatable success of the European Union, the supranational state has become evident that it’s possible to successfully coordinate policies across multiple jurisdictions. Trade wars and tax competition has always eroded the notion of collective behavior, but the E.U. proves this is not the case. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), though not strictly the E.U., is evidence that coordinated policy can work too.

On September 5th, 2018, The European Council passed a regulation that would better control European borders. This system was designed to mitigate security threats to European countries by making sure Europe as a collective can identify who, when visiting or moving, may pose as a security threat. If this is the case, they can deny such people the authorization to travel.

So, what does this mean for visitors?

The systems mean that all visa-exempt countries are required to go through ETIAS –

https://www.etias.info/

. For a small fee, you can apply online, meaning the application is processed quickly. This isn’t exactly like a visa, it’s separate – as well as being faster and cheaper. In fact, it\’s a visa waiver program. In this sense, the E.U. is being generous here, maintaining an accessible system as well as high-level security.

Who needs an ETIAS visa waiver?

All in all, there are 60 nationalities that need an ETIAS visa waiver. That’s good news, as 60 countries need not apply for a visa. For a quick example, 7 of these origin countries include:

Australia

Hong Kong

USA

Canada

Argentina

Singapore

UAB

The link above shares the remaining 53 origin countries. So, if you’re from one of those and are looking to visit a European ETIAS country, then your life just got easier with a 5-minute application. It’s important to note that not every country in Europe or the E.U. uses ETIAS. For example, Monaco, Sweden, and Vatican City all use ETIAS, along with most European Union States, but not the UK.

It is known as the Schengen Area – the area in which 26 countries are a part of the ETIAS program. This is 22 out of the 24 EU countries, along with the inclusion of four non-EU countries. The Schengen Agreement was signed over 30 years ago in 1985 (at that point it was just 10 countries).

The entire process is designed to be hassle-free, with no necessity to go to a consulate or embassy. You can visit 400 million KM^2 with very little friction. Of course, you will need a valid passport – ideally with at least 6 months left on it. These details will be required to fulfill the ETIAS application.

Europe is a hugely popular holiday destination, with an extremely rich history and interesting economic developments. Not only is a great holiday, but a great blueprint of how to work in unison towards common goals, such as national security, green energy and taxation. Now it’s not just EU citizens that get to freely move about without a visa, but much of the rest of the world too. It’s important to keep an eye on the eligible origin countries for the ETIAS, as the list will continue to grow.