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Discussion in 'Ride Reports - Epic Rides' started by salcar, Dec 12, 2012.
Enjoyed your South American report and looking forward to
your new adventure
This should be one awesome trip report; an adventure for a cause!
Hey Salvador !always riding with a good cause , will be following your RR
We will do our best to keep you entertained and to inspire you
Hola Mario! que bueno saber de ti!
Hi Paul!
I have realized over the years that each long motorcycle journey is like growing a tree. The rider and his bike are the seed. In order for the seed to grow it needs soil, water and light. I have found Advrider to be the most fertile soil for any rider willing to venture out in the world. The community in this forum is like an extended family always providing the encouragement, support and advice needed. I would like to dedicate this thread to all the Advriders that have supported me to "grow".
I would like to dedicate this post to Cooltours who is currently going out of his way to help me ship the bike from Switzerland to Cape Town while I'm here in Indonesia. Thank you very much! I owe you one
I got the picture above from Cooltours when the biked arrived at his house. His daughter is making sure that all is under control. The bike will be shipped to Cape Town in the upcoming days
Every 60 seconds, a child in Africa dies of malaria. According to the World Health Organization, 216 million people suffered from malaria in 2010; 655,000 of them died, and 85 percent of the dead were children under 5 years old. Innocent children are dying of a disease that can be prevented and cured.
Project Description & Objectives:
We will document our experiences meeting malaria patients, health workers and caregivers across Africa in order to increase malaria awareness among young professionals in developed and developing countries. We will use our background in the healthcare industry to help drive innovation, expand mutual knowledge-sharing and help achieve malaria elimination.
We will travel across Africa on a motorcycle, visiting rural villages, health clinics and health organizations. We will contact media channels as we travel to share the lessons learned and to publicize an online platform that enables knowledge-sharing, facilitates research and promotes constructive debate to drive innovation at www.researchmalaria.com
Journey Overview:
The Ride for Malaria starts in January 2013. We will travel across 11 countries in Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo. The trip will last approximately 6 months or more, depending on funding.
Salvador Carlucci and Tarciana Caricio grew up in developing countries and were fortunate to advance both academically and professionally overseas. We both have worked in the healthcare industry. We are grateful for the opportunities life has given us and feel compelled to give back to a cause we believe in.
The bike:
A BMW F800GS built in 2008. It was used by the dealer as a demo bike and I bought it in 2009. Since then I've used it for a few rides in preparation to the Ride for Malaria. Below is a picture of a trip to Tunisia where I got to play in the Sahara Dessert.
Incredible, thanks for posting
...This thread needs pics!
Title: Pick me up! I'm ready!!
feliz navidad Salvador, hope you are having a good time and ready to ride very soon, Africa is an amazing place that i know having lived there twice myself.
As you are doing your ride for a cause it is just an added bonus for all the people that you share this with and others that have the opportunity to meet you as you head north thru an amazing continent
First of all Happy New Year everyone!
Second, I have no words to express the excitement to know that CoolTours dropped the bike at Swiss Air Cargo just a few minutes ago and the bike is ready to be shipped to Cape Town.
These past few weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions. A good mix of frustration, gratefulness, excitement and also quite a bit of concern.
As we get closer to reaching Africa the fear of something going wrong is increasing and also I'm a bit worried of riding in new third world countries where I don't speak the language. On the other hand it is hard to believe that I'm finally riding across Africa like many before me have done.
Riding in Africa is a dream that started several years back and it was fueled by many ride reports on this site. Today I feel extremely fortunate that life has given me this opportunity.
Anyway, there are many things that I could ramble on about. Let me know how I can keep you entertain Any particular topics that you want me to cover? If not I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.
Thank you cooltours and I look forward to seeing more pics
bring it on! In South Africa, go onto www.wilddog.za.net, to talk to local adventure riders, for help, onformation, or just to meet some locals, enjoy,,,
Well, yes, it is true; the bike is crated and there is no other direction for it anymore but southbound, at least for a bunch of thousands of miles. BUT
: Just to let readership know; I kind of had to convince her quiet a bit into this big adventure. Well, not alt least what beemer leaves behind is not less than this
to be exchanged against who knows what
loads of uncertainity, very, very hard work and thousands of miles of dirtroads crossing countless deserts, jungles or bushland all that on foreign soil
Is this REALY what you want? I asked.
The answer came short anyway: YES, I DO! Not surprising to me at all, as exactly this IS the pure natural environment for such rig as an almost brand new 800GS is. It also might have helped to decide, as for this afternoon rain is announced and for tomorrow a dramatically drop of the temperatures is the outlook.
So I went down to the garage early this morning. The plan was simple, getting her naked: Unscrewing the windshield and mirrors made her look, well, nude.
Than I started to pack everything into the last free space inside of the topbox. This, of course, not before having wrapped everything carefully into some (Italian) newspaper, which already made a great job on covering finest Italian Salami for the transportation from mother in laws home in northern Italy to what, for the motorcyclist at least, is the Heart of Europe.
The rest of the panniers have been packed full to the top a bunch of days before already.
The box than went straight up to be attached to the bike and the only thing left to do was somehow strapping Salcars helmet and ridingjacket onto the pillow. Ready!
As I find, shes looking quiet sexy the way she currently looks. Even more; Riding a GS in its travel-trim, loaded and ready for a lot of dirt, adventures and unknown ground, gosh yes! THAT feels simply fantastic! Seriously: I find these motorcycles by far smoother and more comfortable, even more safe to ride in the trim they have been designed for, though they are already awesome to ride w/o any load and on pavement.
After only a few meters out of the shelter of an ugly grey, concrete, unheated garage in Zuerichs suburbs, troubles popped up! Big. This picture shows all three of theme at once:
1. Almost noon. I wont make it in time to the airport before their lunchbreak.
thats 37.4°F
Thats not only f..n cold, but gets also close to be dangerous.
And finally, 3. This is what worries me most: The tank is half full, still! The guys from Swiss clearly pointed out: That the tank must be nearly empty for the airfright
. Well, still with even the best willing, this is sure NOT nearly empty.
Darn! The bike has been services before christmass and instructions was clear: Hook of the battery and leave one liter of gaz in the tank only
. Thatd be the moment to use the first words I learned in English to describe what went through my mind.
So I went over to the do-it-yourself shop and bought a pump to pump a bit of gaz over to my car. To keep even this part of the story short: I failed.
But back to the delivery now.
I missed to be there before noon, arrived at the warehouse 15 before they opened for the afternoonshift. So I decided to burn a bit of gaz and made a short loop around the airport for some last pics:
Than I was back at the warehouse right when they opened the gate:
Swiss Cargo is specialized in shipping motorcycles worldwide. I have seen their booth on many motorcycle-shows within the last few years and the few short but precise instructions gave us already a very good feeling about their professionality.
It felt very good here, like being awaited and very much appreciated. All here just was waiting for us, the GS and its bringer.
One guy showed me how to get onto the ramp and into the hall, than he called Bettina, the lady from swiss-cargo which Salcar was dealing with via email.
Only a few minutes later, the four of us, including Bettina , started to fix the bike onto the pallet. A thing of 10 only maybe, intentionally extended by all involved, just because of the pure pleasure and excitement this situation and all the phantasies one can have all around this thing.
All in all after half an hour, the thing was fixed, wrapped, packed and tagged and all what was left to do was taking pics, as all of us know of course about the duty of reporting to he interested public, which comes with an undertaking like this.
The very nice, kind, professional and down to earth guys from swiss-cargo:
Now, Salva, Traci... its your turn! I am full of respect for your undertaking and also the fact you are dedicating a part of your trip to a greater, humanitarian purpose fits perfect in my picture. Good luck to you! Well gladly welcome you after your return for the first Cervelat-Salad which for sure you miss already now;-)
Cooltours thank you for updating the thread!
We haven't talked much and I was curious to know the details about how it went with the Swiss Cargo guys. I'm glad that it was a smooth process.
In less than 24 hours we will be boarding the plane from Bali, to Singapore to Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Johan, from Horizonsunlimited will be waiting for us and I think we will go directly to the cargo terminal to see if we can get the bike out and hit the road early next week.
After a very long flight from Bali to Cape Town fellow rider Johan Naude was there waiting for us. Luckily we we arrived early in the morning and we headed directly to customs to pick-up the bike. The process was very smooth and a lot easier than many other customs that I have been through. In about 1 hour the bike had clear all the paper work, we unpacked it, hooked up the battery and put back the windshield and mirror.
Johan lives in Worcester about 120 km outside of Cape Town so I got to ride It was the perfect day with blue sky, perfect temperature, amazing scenery and little traffic.
I'll post more pics and more details soon. Above is Tarci with the bike. We still need to buy Tarci's riding gear and ship some stuff home. As soon as we do that we will start riding along the coast and then up north.
As we finalize all the gear and discuss with Johan our route we decided to go for a 360 KM (approx. 230 miles) loop around the mountains, vineyards and ocean. Here are a few pics of the ride:
Today we hope to finish buying the gear for Tarci, then tomorrow get a GPS (mine somehow didn't make to South Africa) and the day after we start heading North/East.
Clarence drive, beautiful piece of road, enjoy


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1. Guest: Michael Williams www.michiganspringbookfestival.com
Guest summary: Michael Williams of the Author Collective, hosts the Spring Book Festival happening this weekend.
2. Guest: Rosemarie Wilson "One Single Rose" www.onesinglerose.com
Guest summary: Rosemarie Wilson a/k/a One Single Rose is an award winning poet, writer, advice columnist, singer, actress and a staunch advocate of integrity and fidelity. She has written two poetry books, with the latest, Out of Darkness into Light, just released last month.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Articles authored by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam are scattered all over the internet on various websites, blogs and forums. However, please note that the only articles AUTHENTICALLY ATTRIBUTED to him are the ones on this website, OF WHICH SOME HAVE BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED AND EDITED. There is no guarantee regarding the authenticity of the ones available on other pages


text: ok my fly box's are not out of control! every time i find a new fly i like i add a couple to my box. well now i carry 3 box's crammed full and i fish some remote, back woods places that require hard hiking! on a typical day i do not use but 3 maybe 4 different fly's yet i still con not bring myself to reduce weight and carry just one box! i have my Wheatly for dries and nymphy's, an Orvis for muddlers and wooly buggers and a Perrine for big dries and streamers, its a sickness i tell ya!!


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Jean Folger | 11-14-2013
Buying a house usually goes something like this: figure out what you can afford, find a lender, hire a real estate agent, make a list of your must-haves, view properties, view more properties, make an offer, secure your mortgage, close on your new home. Although time consuming and at times frustrating, viewing properties first-hand is considered by most buyers to be a fundamental part of the home buying process, and many would never dream of purchasing a home without first inspecting the neighborhood, home and yard.
There are buyers, however, who are willing to purchase homes without seeing them first. For various reasons, these buyers and investors are willing to skip this part of the process, relying instead on multiple listing service (MLS) descriptions, Internet photos and virtual tours. With the number of distressed homes on the market, some real estate investors purchase homes sight unseen in an attempt to score great deals.
Buyers might also snatch up homes while they have the chance in markets that have a limited supply of properties. Because of competition – from buyers to aspiring first-time investors and institutional firms that buy up entire blocks of property – there is an increase in the frequency of sight-unseen real estate purchases in certain markets across the nation. While you can get lucky and spin a nice profit when it's time to sell, there are significant risks that need to be acknowledged before engaging in this type of real estate investing.
Distressed properties are generally damaged or in poor condition, and are under foreclosure or advertised for sale by a bank or lender. Most banks try to unload these properties as quickly as possible, because they are expensive to hold: between property taxes, maintenance and legal fees, it can cost banks $1,000 per day to maintain each property in its inventory.
Because a quick sale makes financial sense for the bank, these properties are often offered at a significant discount, and it's not unusual for some homes to sell for pennies on the dollar. This creates an excellent opportunity for both buyers and investors to get properties at below market prices.
Markets with limited supply can compel buyers and investors to purchase houses sight unseen. Instead of finding great deals, however, here buyers can expect to pay market value or higher just to secure a property in a desirable area. In tight markets, such as Boston and New York City, it is common for sellers to receive multiple, competitive bids, which can significantly drive up the price. Many of these offers come from buyers who have never stepped foot on the property but who know they want to buy in that particular market.
Pre-construction properties also provide opportunities for buyers and investors. A pre-construction property is on the market even though it has not yet been built. This type of property can be beneficial to both sellers and buyers: sellers (most commonly the builders) get money they need to continue construction while proving the viability of the project to lenders and other potential purchasers, and buyers are able to purchase at a lower pre-construction rate with the ability to sell afterwards at market value (or above, depending on the project).
Investors looking for great deals or prime properties may be up against tough competition from flippers, wholesalers and institutional buyers. Flippers are real estate investors who aim, much like stock market investors, to buy low and sell high. Typically, flippers purchase properties at a discount, make repairs and renovations, and sell within a short time-period for a profit. A property's After Repair Value (ARV), an estimate of its fair market value after repairs and renovations, is used to determine if a property has profit potential.
Flippers calculate potential profits by taking the ARV and subtracting the purchase price, repair and renovation costs, and carrying costs (expenses incurred for holding onto the property, including mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance and utilities). Because flippers depend on these calculations to determine if they can make a profit, some will not purchase sight unseen. Others, however, focus on foreclosed properties that can be bought at a steep discount but that are sold at auction with no opportunity to view before signing the papers.
Similar to flippers, real estate wholesalers attempt to profit from properties in a short period of time. Unlike flippers, however, wholesalers don't purchase and rehab properties. Instead, they generally put properties under contract with contingencies (so they are able to terminate the contract if needed) and then assign or sell the properties to other investors for a profit. A wholesaler can be considered a "middleman" who rounds up properties for established investors.
After putting the property under contract, a wholesaler markets the property to find a willing buyer and, in many cases, the wholesaler has a buyer lined up even before putting a property under contract. The spread between what the wholesaler pays for the property and the price he or she sells it for is the wholesaler's profit. Because wholesaling doesn't involve time-consuming repairs and renovations, many wholesalers look for smaller, more frequent profits than flippers.
Institutional investors purchase large inventories of properties, sometimes entire blocks of distressed properties. Institutional investors, backed by deep pockets, can purchase dozens or hundreds of homes, driving down inventories and consequently driving up prices in a market (and increasing the likelihood of selling at a profit). Institutional investors can have such massive buying power that they can make it quite difficult, if not impossible, for smaller investors and individual homebuyers to find good deals within a target market.
In addition to flippers, wholesalers and institutional investors - a smaller group of buyers will purchase homes sight unseen out of necessity. This most often involves an individual who, for business or personal reasons, is relocating to a new area but does not have the time to shop for a new house. Typically, these buyers work with real estate agents who send them detailed descriptions, photos and videos (or virtual tours) of properties that meet the buyers' criteria. Because the agent essentially becomes the buyer's eyes and ears, it is vital that buyers specify their exact needs, not only in terms of what features the home should have, but also requirements for schools, commutes, public transportation and nearby amenities.
Homebuyers and investors may purchase homes sight unseen, but the practice is not without risks. One of the biggest risks is that there will be something wrong with the property that doesn't show up in photos. Furniture and camera angles can easily hide many defects, including water damage, infestation, mold and structural damage. While many properties are in disrepair because the owners did not have the time, expertise or money to properly maintain the home, some properties are intentionally damaged by previous owners. Often, this is a misguided attempt to "get back at the bank" by making it more difficult to sell the property. Other times, people rip out whatever they can – appliances, fixtures, copper wiring, even landscaping – for the money.
Regardless of motivation, destruction after foreclosure can involve relatively inexpensive fixes such as holes in the drywall, or extensive and costly repairs. In a particularly ugly incident from 2011, a home in an upscale gated-community in California needed about $250,000 in repairs after its previous owners lost the home to foreclosure. Chemicals and cement had been poured down the property's drains and water was left running for what may have been months – leading to extensive mold throughout the home and a floor that caved in under the weight of water-soaked items. In addition, the property's appliances, cabinets, sinks and toilets had been removed.
Another reason buying sight unseen can be risky is that photos and virtual tours don't allow you to see undesirable features of the home, such as nearby high-tension wires, traffic, neighborhood noise levels and unusual odors (from things such as mold or the 100 cats that used to live in the house). A walkthrough is the only way to be sure that you'll like the house, the yard, the neighbors and the area.
Flippers, wholesalers and institutional investors have the added risk of not being able to sell the property in a timely manner because of the need for extensive repairs. For investors, the longer the house is held, the more money is lost in terms of carrying costs. The premise of real estate investing is often to buy and sell quickly, and when this doesn't happen – for whatever reason – the investor can end up taking a loss, especially when unexpected and expensive repairs are needed.
Ways to protect yourself
A contingency clause is one of the best protections when purchasing a home sight unseen. A contingency defines a condition or action that must be met in order for a real estate contract to become binding. One of the most important contingencies when purchasing a home without seeing it first is an inspection contingency, which gives the buyers the right to get the home inspected within a specified time period, such as 5-7 days. This protects the buyer who can cancel the contract or negotiate repairs based on the findings of a professional home inspector. An inspector examines the home's interior and exterior, and evaluates the condition of the electrical, finish, plumbing, structural and ventilation elements.
Depending on how the contingency is worded, the buyer can:
- Approve the inspection report and move forward with the deal
- Disapprove the report and back out of the deal
- Request additional time for further inspections
- Request repairs or concessions
Buyers can also ask for a walkthrough contingency. This type of contingency allows you to do a final (or first) walkthrough of the property before signing the papers at closing. Keep in mind, as with all contingencies, seller do not have to agree to any contingency, and they often expect a higher purchase price to compensate for the added risks to the seller (i.e. the risk that the buyer will back out of the contract).
Buyers and investors can both add a layer of protection to buying sight unseen with the aid of an experienced real estate professional. It is important that the agent be on your side of the deal (working on your behalf as a buyer's agent) and not working on behalf of the seller. The agent should have a fiduciary responsibility to you to make sure you get the best deal. Many buyers and investors vet several agents before finding one who understands their needs and who they feel they can trust.
The Bottom Line
Some people purchase homes sight unseen out of necessity, while others do it for the profit potential of a real estate investment. In any case, buying a home without first seeing it involves risks: the property could have defects or damage that may result in extensive and expensive repairs. Also, the home might be in an undesirable location (e.g. next to a busy road) or have other detrimental features. Whether you are buying sight unseen out of necessity or as an investment, you can limit your risks by working closely with a trusted and experienced real estate agent, and by including certain contingency clauses in the offer to purchase real estate.Back to News | View Related Link
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The perfect date for me would be a nice workout at the gym, followed by a stroll in the park. Finally cooling off under a tree with a nice picnic in the park.
A round of golf or a morning cup of java on a beautiful morning can make for a joyful meet and greet. I am always in on either with conversation and laughter at the forefront.
Golf, paddle board... There are so many fun things to do!
Bowling, miniature golf inside , painting , something fun but inside !
Hitting a few tennis balls or playing a mixed doubles match. Also like nice dinners.
we could ice skate, then go to the music, listening to some music
hiking or walking or biking
Nine holes of golf followed by lunch
I like to Participate in Sports followed by a Picnic Lunch or outdoor Restaurant
Top fun date ideas: 1. Have an early tee time followed by a leisurely afternoon of brunch., 2. Live music, tapas and a cocktail or glass of wine, 3. museum exhibit and cocktails
In the weather. Snow, sun, wind, water, salt....
I like to do new things and be adventurous. I love to laugh and just have fun and enjoy my time and life!
A trip to Tayto Park. or an arcade or any amusement park. Or a night playing Call of Duty in zombie mode or some other multiplayer game.
Something fun and active, like ice skating or riding. The more active and fun, the better.


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It may come as a surprise to know that air pollution from coal-fired power plants is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but water pollution is not. A smorgasbord of toxic compounds from coal smokestacks, including high levels of lead, arsenic and mercury, are deposited in ponds that are in many cases located just yards from rivers and streams.
For the next week, the EPA is taking comments on a proposed regulation called Subtitle C that would enforce strict guidelines on lining and maintaining these toxic water ponds. Unfortunately, due to heavy lobbying effort from coal companies, the EPA is required to also consider an alternative regulation, Subtitle D. Subtitle D is similar in wording, but removes the EPA's authority to inspect and enforce for compliance, leaving that deed to the power producers.
If you want an example of how great utilities are at regulating themselves, flash back to the horrific Tennessee Valley Authority's coal ash spill in Kingston, Tenn., in December 2008, when more than 1 billion gallons of slurry literally flooded the region in toxic sludge. The residents of Kingston would likely agree that a little EPA regulation could go a long way in preventing such disasters in the future.
The just-launched EPAcoal website provides more info and will send an automated letter directly to EPA head Lisa P. Jackson in support of Subtitle C.
The creators of this campaign, As You Sow, e-mailed me a list of great factoids and are asking everyone to tweet and facebook as many of these facts as possible to raise awareness about this important issue and to let people know that they can do something by sending a comment. The more comments in support of Subtitle C, the stronger the case for the EPA to get to work in cleaning up the mess of unregulated coal power.
Here are the suggested tweets and factoids from the group, www.epacoal.org:
- EPA has proposed two rules for storing coal ash. Rule C is for CLEAN. Rule D is for Dirty. Tell the EPA Yes on C.
- Burning coal makes toxic ash full of arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals.
- Every year, 130 million tons of coal ash is produced in the U.S.
- We have until Nov. 19 to tell EPA Yes on C – store coal ash properly for Safe American Communities.
- 130 million tons: If you stacked it all on a football field, it would be 20 miles high.
- Coal ash is stored in massive sludge ponds. Toxins leach into the local water supply.
- Children are more susceptible to the health impacts of coal ash; 1.54 million children live near coal sites.
- There are thousands of sludge ponds in the U.S. near coal-burning power plants.
- The EPA says people living near coal ash ponds have cancer rates 2,000 times the acceptable risk.
- The EPA says that living near a coal pond is more dangerous than smoking 10 packs of cigarettes a day.
- Toxins from coal ash are linked to organ disease, cancer, respiratory illness and neurological damage.
- At least 137 sites in 34 states have been polluted by coal ash or scrubber sludge.
- The TVA coal ash spill destroyed the town of Kingston, Tenn. Don't let that happen again!
Let the Twitter storm in support of coal regulation begin!


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This Aquarius case looks sleek, but it`s tough. Its solid construction fits your phone perfectly, and it protects from scratches, dust, oil, and dirt. The smooth finish also makes it stylish and easy to hold. our Copper Zodiac Aquarius iPhone cover is made of a hybrid Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Polycarbonate (PC) material, with a Solid, durable polycarbonate back and flexible, rigid thermoplastic polyurethane sides. Each case has precisely aligned cuts and holes that match your phone`s functions, and is easy to take on and off. The case has a 0.5 mm raised bezel that keeps your phone`s screen and camera from scratching on surfaces. The Copper Zodiac Aquarius graphics are UV printed onto the case with a smooth, matte finish.


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The Board of Directors of Digital Systems Corporation, the parent company of Galaxy Control Systems, a leading provider of integrated access control and security solutions, announced the appointment of Rick Caruthers to the position of president at Galaxy Control Systems. Effective immediately, this appointment reflects the company's long-term planning and succession strategies.
"Rick has essentially been working in the capacity as president of Galaxy Control Systems for the past several years, and with this appointment will be able to execute his vision and goals for the company," Robert Laughlin, chairman of Digital Systems Corporation, said in the announcement. "After 17 years of proven service and dedication to Galaxy Control Systems, we are most confident that Rick is the person best suited to be at the helm of this organization moving forward."
Caruthers' extensive experience and proven track record in the professional security industry spans over 28 years, where his career was initiated on the integration side of the business then migrated into the manufacturing space. Over 17 years to date, Caruthers has risen through the ranks in positions ranging from regional sales manager, government sales director, vice president of sales, executive vice president, to his current role as president of Galaxy Control Systems.
"I am extremely honored with the Board's decision to entrust me with the continued expansion and growth of Galaxy Control Systems," Caruthers said in the announcement. "There are so many exciting opportunities that lie ahead for Galaxy as we continue to evolve and supplement our portfolio of on-premise based and cloud access control solutions, and expand internationally. And we will maintain our focus on the core values that have propelled Galaxy Control Systems over the years, including exceptional customer service and outstanding quality hardware and software offerings that will remain designed, developed and manufactured in-house in the USA."
The Galaxy Control Systems portfolio is centered on the company's System Galaxy v11.02 and Cloud Concierge access control platforms, which accommodate the latest reader technologies and technology trends, as well as holistic VMS integration. The versatile offering provides resellers and users with the unique ability to implement the access control solution that best fits their specific needs and budget.
Caruthers told Security Systems News that some of his short-term goals for the company include bringing both the on-premises and cloud solutions together to provide one platform.
"Early on, our cloud development team worked to get the product up and running so I had two engineering efforts—our on-premises team and our cloud team," he explained. "What we are doing now is merging the two together, so our focus is to let everyone know that the Galaxy product can be used on premises and in the cloud. We are basically building a platform around the philosophy that the only thing you need to decide is where your database is going to reside: Is it going to reside on a server on site, or is it going to reside in a hosted cloud environment, or in a hybrid set-up?"
He continued, "So all of the tools, the web interfaces, the client stations—every bit of the software behind that—works simultaneously and seamlessly with both. So we are moving those two platforms to one starting in 2019 and hope to have our software in at least a beta format by ISC West, along with a couple of new mobile apps."
A key long-term effort is "strengthening our core intelligence inside our technology group to reflect that next generation of developers that is going to take us to the next 20 years," said Caruthers, who noted that more and more clients are embracing cloud-based solutions.
"While SMB companies are certainly embracing cloud, some of our bigger corporate clients are adopting cloud for all of their applications," he noted. "And many are doing it for cost savings, especially when considering the continual investments in refreshing servers and hardware that are required with on premises data centers or server rooms."
Mission 500 recently hosted a service trip in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where volunteers from the professional security industry worked on repairing the homes of two families still suffering from the effects of hurricane Maria in October of 2017.
Hurricane Maria caused $92 billion in damage, leaving millions of families without everyday necessities. Volunteers spent several days repairing roofs, siding and plumbing; installing new windows; and removing trees capable of causing additional damage to the affected structures. Additionally, Mission 500 volunteers bought food, supplies and toys for the children.
"Our team of Mission 500 volunteers, including several of our children were able to not only improve the living conditions of these two families, we also helped to restore their sense of dignity with a little happiness and hope for a brighter future," Alan Forman, president of Altronix Corporation, said in the announcement.
This year's service trip to Ponce, Puerto Rico took place from Oct. 31 through Nov. 4 and raised $12,000, which was used to provide two families with extensive home renovations.
"The trip to Ponce, Puerto Rico was Mission 500's third service trip, which aim to help families in need whether located here in the United Stated or abroad," George Fletcher, advisory board member of Mission 500, said in a prepared statement. "In providing assistance to people in crisis, Mission 500 continues to bring together the growing community of security industry professionals who are looking to give back and make a difference."
Tom Nolan, director of Strategic Partnerships for Mission 500, told Security Systems News that these trips end up being very rewarding for those who volunteer.
"At our first team meeting in Puerto Rico we instructed the team that as you participate in the work of helping those in desperate need it is very likely that the experience will have a greater impact on your life, personally, than on those you seek to help," Nolan told SSN. "In our daily end of the day debriefing time we heard many personal stories from our team about the effects that serving had on their lives. One great story came from Stephanie Mayes from Synectics. As she spoke at the SIA night of Honors dinner, Steph stated that participating on the past Mission 500 Service Trip was the most impactful experience of her life." Nolan pointed out that while in the past Mission 500 scheduled one service trip per year, in 2019 and beyond it would like to schedule two per year. "After the trip to Puerto Rico we all realize how important it is to join together from many different organizations as one industry to get involved with some of the tragic situations we see happening around the U.S.," he said. "As we pulled our team together, we were all amazed at how much work we accomplished in a short one-week experience."
Mission 500 extends a big thank you to the individuals who donated their time, financial support and gifts to ensure the success of this trip, as well as to corporate sponsors including: Aiphone, Altronix Corporation, Axis Communications, BRINKS Home Security, ESA, Hikvision USA, Milestone Systems and Synetics Global.
Mission 500 is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the security industry to serve the needs of children and communities in crisis. Mission 500's primary goal was to focus security industry efforts on sponsoring more than 500 children through World Vision's humanitarian outreach.
For more information on Mission 500 or on how to become involved in supporting Mission 500, contact Tom Nolan at [email protected], or call 516-903-7291. For more information on contributions or sponsorships, please visit mission500.org or contact Jeff Eichenlaub at [email protected].
ONVIF, a global standardization initiative for IP-based physical security products, celebrated its 10th anniversary at its annual membership meeting in early November, reflecting on its past while looking to the future.
Attendees heard presentations on the final release of Profile T in 2018, an advancement that represents how ONVIF keeps pace with technological advancements that affect product development and interoperability between IP-based physical security products.
In an acknowledgement of its 10th anniversary, ONVIF chairman Per Björkdahl highlighted the forum's achievements over the past decade, including an overview of the six ONVIF profiles, with emphasis on the newly released Profile T for advanced video streaming. Collectively, the profiles provide support for the more than 10,000 conformant products that are increasingly included in various bid and specification processes in projects around the world, he said. Björkdahl also cited the continued involvement of ONVIF as part of the work of the International Electrotechnical Commission's TC79 for international standardization.
ONVIF also recognized the contributions of four individuals from various ONVIF technical committees for their work on different profiles and committees. Fredrik Svensson of Axis and Dora Han of Hikvision were recipients of the ONVIF award, which acknowledges individuals and companies who have made significant contributions to ONVIF. As chairman of the Profile T Working Group, Svensson was a leading force in the development and successful final release of the Profile T specification. Han received the award for her extensions to the specification, and for supporting the development of other members' extensions to the specification.
One of two 2018 ONVIF Distinguished Service Awards was given to Baldvin Gislason Bern of Axis for his role in developing and proofing the evolution concept as chair of the Technical Services Device Test Tool Evolution. Joining him in receiving this award is Dr. Hasan Timucin Ozdemir of Panasonic, who served as chairman from 2009-2018 of the ONVIF Video Enhancement Working Group, which is responsible for formulating and prototyping new features for the ONVIF specification.
"All of our honorees have shown their significant and long-term commitment to the organization as a whole, and in turn have directly and positively impacted the work of ONVIF," said Björkdahl. "The success of our organization would not be possible without the innovative contributions and hard work of our members, and for that, we say thank you."
ONVIF Technical Committee chairman, Hans Busch of Bosch, spoke to members about the specification development roadmap and its alignment to the standardization activities within the IEC TC 79 working groups for video surveillance and physical access control standards. Technical Services Committee (TSC) chair Andreas Schneider of Sony gave an overview of the committee's work on new and existing profiles, client and device test tools, updates to the conformance process and tools and Developers' Plugfests.
ONVIF Communication Committee chair, Tim Shen of Dahua, provided a recap of ONVIF communication efforts in 2018, with a continued focus on market education about the specific profiles through presence at industry events and media activity. He also reported on the success of the first ever ONVIF Open Source Spotlight Challenge that took place earlier this year.
At the meeting, the results of the annual elections for committees of ONVIF were announced by ONVIF executive director Kevin Schader. Re-elected to the ONVIF Steering Committee were Mayur Salgar of Honeywell and Stuart Rawling of Pelco by Schneider Electric. For the Technical Committee, Hanwha Techwin's Sujith Raman, Pelco by Schneider Electric's Steve Wolf, and Tyco Security Product's Stephen Serplus were re-elected, while Hikvision's Dora Han joined the committee as a new member. Bob Dolan of Anixter and Giri Guntipalli of Honeywell were re-elected to the Technical Services Committee, along with new member Marwan Obeidat of Pelco by Schneider Electric. Tim Shen of Dahua, Jens Berthelsen of Hikvision and Xinming Kang of Honeywell were re-elected to the ONVIF Communication Committee, while Cathy Zhou of Huawei joined the committee as a new member. Founding members Axis, Bosch and Sony automatically retain seats on the Steering, Technical and Technical Services Committees.
Founded in 2008, ONVIF is an industry forum driving interoperability for IP-based physical security products. The organization has a global member base of established camera, video management system and access control companies and more than 10,000 profile conformant products. ONVIF offers Profile S for streaming video; Profile G for recording and storage; Profile C for physical access control; Profile Q for improved out-of-the-box functionality, Profile A for broader access control configuration and Profile T for advanced streaming. ONVIF continues to work with its members to expand the number of IP interoperability solutions ONVIF conformant products can provide.
EMERgency 24, a network of wholesale monitoring centers headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., recently named Steve Mayer its vice president of operations and administration. Mayer will replace long-time executive, Patrick Devereaux, who has retired but will remain with the company in an advisory role.
Prior to joining EMERgency24, Mayer served as the VP of operations for Cook's Direct, an Illinois-based distribution company. He has also worked in finance, operations, corporate real estate and procurement at United Airlines, Bally Fitness and Career Education.
"Steve's diverse professional experience will allow him to delve into Emergency24's operations with a unique and fresh perspective," Baird Larson, E24's vice president and director of technology, said in the recent announcement. "We selected Steve because he demonstrated the ability to achieve strong financial, operational and customer-service performance. He has in-depth experience in strategic planning, financial analysis and process improvement."
Like his predecessor Devereaux, Mayer is a "numbers person" and he says the company will continue to measure itself and implement ways to further strengthen operations, the company said.
"I'm excited to join a well-running and long-standing operation that is already a market leader with its people, service and technology. The culture is a great fit with my continuous improvement philosophy," Mayer said in a prepared statement. "Emergency24 has many strengths and a tremendous future. It is very clear that our people and our technology are what attract new customers and have retained existing customers for decades. What excites me most is our opportunity to use these core strengths to grow and improve our services and customer experience."
The Monitoring Association announced today through its blog that AvantGuard's president and COO Justin Bailey has joined TMA's board of directors, representing contract monitoring companies.
Justin Bailey has worked with AvantGuard Monitoring since 2010. Bailey was promoted to the role of president and COO mid last year, prior to that he served as the company's COO. Bailey is also a Security Systems News "20 under 40" award winner from the Class of 2011.
"I'm excited to join the TMA board, after having served on committees for a number of years," Bailey said in TMA's blog. "I see the pace of change increasing from within the industry as well as from disruptors, and know we need to evolve more quickly as an industry to remain relevant. I look forward to working with the other TMA board members to that end."
AvantGuard Monitoring, a wholesale central station with locations in Ogden, Utah, and Rexburg, Iowa, offers a variety of monitoring services, including security, fire, PERS and mPERS, and IoT monitoring. In addition, the company has also been creating hybrid monitoring options, for security companies that would like to use their own central station part of the time.
Johnson Controls International announced a definitive agreement to sell its Power Solutions business to Brookfield Business Partners L.P. in a cash transaction valued at $13.2 billion.
"Today's announcement marks a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of the Johnson Controls portfolio," JCI chairman and chief executive officer George Oliver said in the announcement. "The sale of our Power Solutions business will create value for investors by streamlining our portfolio and giving us increased financial flexibility to strengthen our balance sheet, return capital to shareholders and create optionality in our Buildings business. This focused portfolio will allow us to capitalize on secular growth trends and to deliver strong financial performance through improved free cash flow conversion, lower capital intensity and continued margin expansion."
Net cash proceeds are expected to be $11.4 billion after tax and transaction-related expenses. JCI expects to deploy $3.0- to $3.5 billion of proceeds toward debt pay-down and retain an investment grade credit rating. The remaining proceeds will be available to return to shareholders, with more specific details to be announced around the close of the transaction.
"With this transaction, Johnson Controls becomes a pure-play building technologies and solutions provider that is better positioned to lead the integration and evolution of the connected building and to capture strategic opportunities in the HVAC industry," Oliver said. "I would like to thank the Power Solutions team for their significant contributions over the years and their dedication throughout the strategic review process."
Johnson Controls' Power Solutions business, and 15,000 Power Solutions employees create, manufacture and distribute "the most advanced battery technologies for virtually every type of vehicle. These technologies deliver uniquely sustainable, next-generation performance," JCI said.
In fiscal 2018, Power Solutions generated $8.0 billion in revenue and $1.68 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The transaction price of $13.2 billion represents a multiple of 7.9x trailing twelve month EBITDA, according to JCI.
The transaction is expected to close by June 30, 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals. Power Solution's operating results will be reported in discontinued operations beginning in the first fiscal quarter of 2019.
Centerview Partners and Barclays served as financial advisors to Johnson Controls, and Simpson Thacher served as legal advisors.
Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and multi-industrial company with 120,000 employees serving a wide range of customers in more than 150 countries.
WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J.—COPS Monitoring recently hired Joe Parisi to its leadership team as director of project management. Parisi has more than 20 years of alarm industry experience and will play a key role on the company's management team by leading technological projects related to COPS' network of monitoring centers, the company said.
"The last two years have been very dynamic for us," Jim McMullen, president and COO of COPS, said in the announcement. "As a result of our sustained growth, we believe it's best to narrow the areas of responsibility of executives to ensure we maintain high quality support and throughput from their respective departments."
Parisi's new role of director of project management is a newly created position, designed specifically for his skill sets, according to COPS. Key areas of the job will include facilities, alarm receiving equipment, and telephone system infrastructure. Parisi will also oversee the COPS technical support team that is designed to support COPS' alarm dealer customers in troubleshooting communications related to signal transmissions.
Parisi will also spearhead large-scale initiatives such as facility expansions/updates, infrastructure upgrades, and other special projects, including the imminent launch of COPS' Mobile Personal Emergency Response System division.
McMullen explained that the restructuring strengthens further its management team as it "adds depth to the bench." Parisi is one of three competent and focused leaders in COPS' technical department who help position COPS and its customers for the future.
"My career in the United States Marine Corps has been the foundation of my technical and leadership skills that have been instrumental behind my successful 20-year career in the security industry," Parisi said in a prepared statement. "My extensive electronics training in avionics lead to an electrical engineering degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. I joined Radionics [now Bosch] after graduation as a Research and Development Engineer. I was fortunate to be a part of the team of engineers who developed the state-of-the art D6600 central station receiver utilized by today's leading monitoring companies."
Parisi is a Security Systems News "20 under 40" award winner, Class of 2013.
After his time with Radionics, Parisi shifted his focus of expertise to wholesale monitoring where he integrated new technology, trained operations personnel and field support, and converted central stations onto a single platform.
He has also volunteered with the Electronic Security Association. "I had the pleasure of leading the New Jersey Chapter as President of the New Jersey Electronic Security Association (NJESA), now one of the largest chapters in the country," Parisi said. As NJESA president, the national ESA recognized Parisi as 2013 Chapter President of the Year at the Leadership Awards.
Security Systems News is excited to announce the education program for our TechSec Solutions conference, Feb. 25-26, 2019, in Delray Beach, Fla., at the Delray Beach Marriott.
This year's TechSec Solutions' theme—Securing a Connected World—looks at how new technologies are being used in real-life scenarios and how they are leveraged by security professionals—integrators, consultants, manufacturers and end users—to provide cost-efficient and highly effective security services and solutions, all for the betterment of the entire security industry.
Last year, attendees gave the program strong marks, with 100 percent of attendees who completed our evaluation saying they "Would recommend TechSec to others" and "TechSec exceeded or met their expectations."
Some of the highlights of this year's program include two keynote speakers. On day one, Bill Bozeman, CEO and president, PSA Security, will deliver an Integrator State of the Union, giving a unique glimpse at the key technology trends impacting integrators and the industry today, while looking at which ones have the greatest potential and present the greatest challenges moving forward. And on day two, Rob Simopoulos, founder and president, Defendify, will present Cyber and Security: Together, a Shared Vision, looking at how physical and cybersecurity are coming together like never before, creating both challenges and opportunities.
In addition to two stellar keynotes, this year's Mega Panel to start day two brings leaders from the industry's top associations—the Security Industry Association (SIA), ASIS International and the Electronic Security Association (ESA)—together with keynote speaker Bozeman, head of the world's largest system integration collaborative, to look at the current state of the industry, new trends and technologies that are impacting, disrupting and shaping the industry, and what the more successful companies are doing to stay relevant and profitable.
In support of this year's theme, there are two sessions looking at "Securing a Connected World," as well as sessions on securing, storing and leveraging data, and one on protecting critical infrastructure featuring Colby Meshey and James Ell from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, who will join Kevin Didden, senior manager, Security Programs and Administration, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, and Joe Morgan, Business Development Manager for Critical Infrastructure, Axis Communications.
Plus, Gretchen Gordon, president and sales team transformation expert, Braveheart Sales Performance is presenting "How to Train and Retain a Tech-Savvy Sales Force" on day one. In this session, Gordon will explain how security companies, integrators and manufacturers can improve sales performance, giving attendees an effective strategy on hiring and retention, while showing them the importance of adapting to stay profitable and relevant.
And, as always, one of the highlights of the conference is the "20 under 40" Award Reception on the evening of day one, where this year's class of 2018 winners will receive their awards and just have some fun by the pool. There will be several winners, both previous winners such as Simopoulos, and current winners, including TechSec Speakers Meshey (Pentagon), Didden (MTA) and Josh Cummings, director, Engineering Services, VTI Security, to name just a few.
All told, this year's program has something for everyone. We hope to see you in Delray Beach Feb. 25-26.
Pivot3, the hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) performance and technology company based in Austin, Texas, announced that it experienced more than 50-percent growth in bookings in Q1-Q3 2018 over the same period in 2017, with significant growth among large enterprises and complex, mission-critical use cases.
With IT requiring automation and intelligence to manage increasingly complex workloads and multi-cloud environments, Pivot3 saw high demand for its hybrid cloud solutions. Pivot3 also experienced continued expansion with Internet of Things use cases, particularly with smart and safe city initiatives.
"Q3 2018 was remarkable for Pivot3, from our growth in sales and introduction of new products to the announcement of our global strategic partnership with Lenovo," Ron Nash, CEO, Pivot3, said in the announcement. "Enterprises are demanding more from IT, and our growth indicates that the market is increasingly aware of Pivot3 and the power of our Intelligence Engine to simplify management at scale as well as deliver the security and resilience needed to support mission-critical workloads."
Pivot3's developments in Q3 2018 include:
• More than 50-percent growth in bookings in Q1-Q3 2018 compared to the same period in 2017, with 86 percent of new bookings in Q3 comprising large enterprises.• A 95-percent increase in average deal size in Q3 2018 over the 2017 average.• Nearly 65 percent of 2018 sales to date have come from satisfied existing customers expanding their deployments to include multiple mixed workloads. Additionally, more than 70 percent of new customers deployed multiple mixed workloads on Pivot3's platform, indicating that customers are increasingly—and repeatedly—relying on Pivot3's Intelligence Engine to automate and manage multiple mission-critical applications on a single platform.• Continued adoption of its hybrid cloud solutions, representing more than 60 percent of new sales in Q3.• Named a Strong Performer in Hyperconverged Infrastructure in The Forrester Wave: Hyperconverged Infrastructure, Q3 2018. Pivot3 ranked within the top three vendors in the current offering category and achieved the highest scores possible for the criteria of built-in security, customer support options and quality of operations and support.• Announced a global strategic partnership with Lenovo to develop, market and sell solutions optimized for mission-critical smart city applications and use cases, both in the core datacenter and at the edge.• Continued growth of mission-critical smart city initiatives, including with the City of Bogotá, Colombia, which is deploying a highly efficient Lenovo/Pivot3 solution to achieve maximum infrastructure efficiency and scale as its surveillance needs grow.• Launched Intelligent Edge Command and Control, a new ruggedized and SWaP-optimized hybrid cloud solution to support sophisticated analytics, VDI and IoT use cases for defense, intelligence and other extreme operations at the "tactical edge."• Released a new large-scale IoT solution designed to support mission-critical deployments of 500TB or more with greater resilience, scale and ease of use, fundamentally altering the economic equation for customers in large IoT data-capture scenarios.• A diverse range of new customers, including numerous military and federal agencies as well as local governments, a nuclear research facility, multiple educational institutions, a large manufacturing organization and a major sports and entertainment complex. The top industry verticals represented in Q3 sales include government, logistics and transportation, energy and utilities, hospitality, and education.• Certified its infrastructure solutions for mission-critical IoT, safe cities and smart building environments operating with Milestone Systems video management software. This allows organizations to gain access to infrastructure proven to deliver the performance, resilience and scale required in mission-critical environments.
"Pivot3 has led the industry in supporting mission-critical use cases where security, resilience and management simplicity are required at enterprise scale," said Nash. "As customers turn to IT to solve their most pressing business challenges, automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning will become key drivers in enabling the next wave of enterprise-scale digital transformation. Pivot3 is positioned to support this evolution with a foundation of Hybrid Cloud and IoT solutions for the enterprise's most critical environments."
Mike Leone, senior analyst from Enterprise Strategy Group, said in the Pivot3 announcement, "IT organizations need new levels of automation in their infrastructure to provide the resiliency, availability and low latency required to support rapidly expanding volumes of data and the proliferation of applications and business services. The key to Pivot3's differentiation in the HCI market lies in their Intelligence Engine, which delivers advanced resilience and security, and automates manageability at scale for customers' most demanding workloads."
ATLANTA—Apartment Guide, a resource for renters and part of the digital marketing solutions company RentPath, recently published a blog highlighting security as an amenity many renters are looking for.
The blog included data from RentPath surveys including an "online, blind survey of 2,000 renters … conducted by Egg Strategy in conjunction with RentPath in 2017, with the final analysis completed in February 2018," and an "online, blind survey of 750 renters conducted by RentPath Research between November 10 – December 4, 2017." In addition, the blog referenced The 2017 Kingsley Nationwide Renter Report, which was conducted in July 2017 in partnership with the National Multifamily Housing Council and surveying 269,332 renters.
Angie Amon, director of research for RentPath, talked with Security Systems News about the trends among these reports. "People are looking for their home. It's not a car that they're going to rent for a few days, or even a car they're going to buy that they could easily get rid of if it didn't work out. It's their home, and the things that they're trying to do is make it feel like home. They want to feel safe, they want to feel secure … and that it's not a hassle to live there," Amon said.
RentPath distributed surveys to people seeking apartments, specifically renters that were open to developments with 50 or more units. "We really drilled down into a specific segment of renter population," Amon said.
Despite prompting survey takers to "think big" and be imaginative, many still put emphasis on practical conveniences like having a washer and dryer in their unit, Amon said.
RentPath also asked survey respondents to select an item that most interested them and one that least interested them out of larger groups. "Out of that came the gated access, the security measure," Amon said, and this group was the highest at 35 percent. "That was the number one 'most interested' thing that people mentioned, and had the fewest votes of 'least interested' in."
The company recognized another trend of people looking for app-controlled door locks, rating at 25 percent.
Property managers and companies could benefit from emphasizing the security measures at their properties, according to Amon. "It comes up over and over and over again in both the quantitative and the qualitative work that we do, where people talk about wanting to be in a safe area. And they define that in different ways, some of it has to do with what security measures are at the property … others define it by what kind of activity is going on in the area."
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We've come a long way since the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Today, there are safe and effective drugs on the market to treat HIV that are easy to take and have fewer side effects. By working with your health care provider and accessing care and treatment you can live a long and healthy life with HIV.
HIV/AIDS HIV Prevention
Prevention 101 Safer Sex Safer Injecting Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) PEP and PrEP Vaginal and Rectal MicrobicidesHIV Treatment
Finding a Doctor and Accessing Care Understanding Your Lab Work (Blood Tests) Starting HIV Treatment HIV Medications TAF Versus TDF: What's the Difference? HIV Treatment Recommendations HIV Treatment Adherence Switching HIV Treatment HIV Drug Resistance HIV Treatment Interruptions HIV Clinical Trials Paying for Care and Treatment HIV Drug Assistance ProgramsSide Effects
Changes to Your Face and Body (Lipodystrophy & Wasting) Feeling Tired (Fatigue and Anemia) Nausea, Vomiting and Diarrhea Peripheral NeuropathyHIV and Your Whole Health
HIV and Your Bones The New Coronavirus and COVID-19 HIV and Your Brain (HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder) HIV and Your Heart HIV and Your Kidneys HIV and Your Liver HIV and Your Lungs HIV and Your SkinOpportunistic Infections
Aphthous Ulcers (Canker Sores) Aspergillosis Bacterial Diarrhea (Salmonellosis, Campylobacteriosis, and Shigellosis) Bacterial Pneumonia Candidiasis (thrush, yeast infection) Coccidioidomycosis Cryptococcal meningitis Cryptosporidiosis Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Herpes Simplex Virus (oral and genital herpes) Herpes Zoster Virus (shingles) Histoplasmosis HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND) Human papilloma virus (HPV) Isosporiasis Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) Lymphomas Microsporidiosis Molluscum Contagiosum Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) Mycobacterium Kansasii Oral Hairy Leukoplakia (OHL) Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP) Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) Syphilis Thrombocytopenia (low platelets) Toxoplasmosis Tuberculosis (TB)HIV and Hepatitis HIV in Specific Populations
Newly Diagnosed HIV and Aging HIV and Women HIV and Family Planning HIV and Transgender People HIV and Children HIV and African Americans HIV and LatinosLiving with HIV


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Sometimes, no matter how busy spring gets, something crosses my desk that makes me stop and drool.
This time, it's another book: "Grow Fruit," by Alan Buckingham. Apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, sure, but also currants (which do very well here in Colorado) and peaches (which struggle a bit unless you get the right variety and sometimes even then) and grapes and gooseberries (also great here, if you get the right variety) and kumquats (grow 'em indoors on a sunporch) and kaffir limes (inedible fruit, but you can use the leaves in Thai cooking) and quinces and and strawberries and figs. Did I mention apricots? Plus blueberries, which are next to impossible here (the soil is just too alkaline), and melons, which are a bit challenging given our short growing season, but why not try?


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When the temperature or heat index in the District reaches 95 degrees, District Government, through the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), will implement the Heat Emergency Plan and activate cooling centers for residents to seek relief. Residents and visitors should take extra steps to beat the heat by staying in the shade or air-conditioning, drinking plenty of water and visiting a cooling center. Periods of high heat and humidity can cause medical problems such as heat exhaustion and stroke.
Interactive map: Click here for the 2019 cooling center map
DC Recreation Centers, DC Public Libraries and Senior Wellness Centers are open to the public and places you can go to beat the heat. For more information on where to go, call 311 or text 311 to 32311.
The Department of General Services (DGS) advises caution when using recreational services throughout the District during heat emergency. For more information on our field safety guidelines, click here.
A list of cooling centers: 2019 Heat Emergency Plan
Hot and humid conditions can cause medical problems such as heat exhaustion and stroke. If you or someone you know needs transportation to a cooling center, call the hyperthermia hotline at 202-399-7093.
These conditions can also be particularly dangerous for pets. For all animal emergencies, including animals left outside in extreme temperatures or in vehicles, call the Humane Rescue Alliance at 202-576-6664. For additional pet safety tips, visit ready.dc.gov/extremeheat or ready.dc.gov/pets
DC Water and DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) officials remind the public that unauthorized use of fire hydrants is unlawful, dangerous and damaging.
Additional Heat Emergency Information Sources
- Learn how to keep cool during a heat emergency
- View the District's 2019 Heat Emergency Plan: The Heat Emergency Plan includes lists of cooling centers, spray parks, pools and libraries. It also contains resources for senior residents and the homeless.
- District's Interagency Working Group on Artifical Turf and Playgrounds website: The Interagency Working Group on Artifical Turf and Playgrounds provides policy recommendations to enact decisions from District leadership related to artifical turf fields and playgrounds maintained by the Government of the District of Columbia.


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"In Lieu of Flowers" made its debut at the 14th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival in Southern California on April 28th 2013. This drama/romance is about the typical boy meets girl while going through some of the most difficult times a human being can go through in their life. Some well-known actors such as lead Eric, played by Josh Spence (The Social Network) and Rachel, played by Spencer Grammer (Greek) may give this movie some interest as the acting was very well played out.
With a few bits of comedic relief from supporting characters, this movie is about two average people who meet in a support group to cope with the grief and loss of their significant others. Throughout the movie Rachel believes that Eric "lost his girlfriend suddenly" a few months ago but has no further explanation on what happened, while she is still trying to move on from the loss of her husband who died in a plane crash two years prior.
A question that was posed during the film that I found to be very thought provoking was when Eric asked his group counselor (to the affect of) what was the difference between losing someone and dying yourself? Another scene that I think people who have lost someone in any manner might find very relatable is when Eric addresses a recurring dream he has about his girlfriend Gretchen, played by Bonnie Swencionis that he lost. He admits that he has the same dream about her over and over again where no words are ever exchanged but an intense connection is felt and that he will never feel this feeling again, at least not while he is awake. What is interesting is that Eric seems to be a little disillusioned about the sort of relationship he had with Gretchen when he eventually discovers that he had contracted an STD, which leads to suspicions of infidelity on Gretchen's part. Eric is also confronted by his roommate, Tony, played by Nathan Corddry, about his view on Eric's relationship with Gretchen and that it was not healthy for him.
To anyone who has every felt a great loss in their lives they will certainly be able to appreciate Spencer Grammer's performance in this movie. She really shows how terribly lonely she is by cutting off the outside world as much as possible (until she befriends Eric). She makes a few valid attempts to move on from her loss but seems to be constantly disappointed by others, including Eric.
There are many moments in the movie where there are clever witty lines by the characters as the two lean on each other for support through this painful time in their lives. Their relationship with one another slowly evolves but it seems that neither one of them are fully ready to move on to a new relationship. This is unfortunate because it seems that Eric and Rachel finally found someone that can understand them through one another. This movie can be viewed as quite depressing, as it seems the pain of these two can never end but in the end it is shown that "life goes on."


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Hearing rumors from some pretty good sources that the McQuay brand will no longer exist in the US come the end of August. It will now be Daikin across the board, and I am assuming that with the recent purchase of Goodman it will be re-branded as well.
What are you guys hearing?