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Making it in Ontario: The Official Podcast of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing
You can't beat a good conversation…
Given the dynamic nature of Ontario's advanced manufacturing ecosystem, the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing launched a podcast series called 'Making it in Ontario'. In it, host Nick Persichilli discusses the opportunities and challenges facing the advanced manufacturing ecosystem in Ontario with the people confronting them every day. Listen here or on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts or Apple Podcasts.
Season 9
Matthew Aiken — Toronto Global
Join Nick and Brendan in Toronto as they sit down with Matthew Aiken, the Sector Development Lead at Toronto Global, a foreign direct investment attraction agency. Brendan and Matthew discussed the concept of Ontario's industrial commons – the collective pool of knowledge, IP, management expertise, academic institutions, and companies that co-exist within a local economy. Learn more
Darryl Spector — Promation & Bharath Nangia — Nuclear Promise X (NPX)
In this episode, join Nick as he visits Oakville to chat with Darryl Spector, president of Promation, and Bharath Nangia, co-founder and CEO of Nuclear Promise X (NPX). Promation, founded in 1995, is an industrial automation company with a long history of automotive work. NPX, founded in 2018, uses advanced software to find efficiencies in nuclear refurbishment activities. Learn more
Spyro Cacoutis — Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR) & Michelle DeCoste — Centennial College
In this episode, Nick visits Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research (DAIR) at Centennial College to chat about workforce development in aerospace manufacturing. The discussion focused on DAIR's and Centennial College's activities in workforce development in Ontario's aerospace manufacturing industry. Learn more
Brett McQueen & Somila Kakshapati — Linamar
In this episode, Nick and Brendan visit Linamar's Innovation Hub (iHub) in Guelph to speak with Brett McQueen, Director of Innovation, and Somila Kakshapati, Innovation Lead. The iHub, with 50,000 sq ft. of manufacturing space and dedicated staff, is part of Linamar's Vision2100. Learn more
Stephen MacKenzie — Invest WindsorEssex
In this episode of Making It In Ontario, Nick and Brendan speak with Stephen MacKenzie, the President and CEO of Invest WindsorEssex. Under his leadership, Windsor-Essex has become one of the most resilient manufacturing regions in Canada. Learn more
Season 8
Jacquelyne Dounedara, Brian McIntosh, Michelle Sangster, Jules Topalian, Allan Medhurst, Ryan Szusz — Eclipse Automation
In this episode, Nick and Brendan take a drive out to Cambridge to discuss industrial automation with Eclipse Automation. Aside from being a fascinating episode, this episode also holds the record for the most guests in a single episode with six, plus Brendan and Nick. Learn more
Maryse Harvey, Andrew Petrou & Phil Arthurs — Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR)
In this episode, Nick visits Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR) to chat with Maryse Harvey, Executive Director, Andrew Petrou, Chair of the Board, and Phil Arthurs, Director of Operations. The conversation centred around their Green Fund – a $2.6M FedDev Ontario initiative intended to "…reduce the aerospace sector's environmental footprint and help SMEs be globally competitive." Learn more
Katarina Ilić & Matt Ewertowski — Voltera
In this episode, Nick drives out to Kitchener to chat with Katarina Ilić, co-founder and sales director at Voltera, and Matthew (Matt) Ewertowski, Voltera's product manager. We first met Matt in a previous podcast episode discussing the additive manufacturing of electronics and the advantages and innovations that it enabled. Learn more
Shawn Horton — AIS Technologies Group
In this episode, Nick and Brendan visit Windsor's AIS Technologies Group (AIS Tech) to chat with Shawn Horton, Director of Marketing & Business Development. AIS Tech is a manufacturing automation company working in the automotive, aerospace, agriculture, logistics, pharmaceutical, and food & beverage industries. Learn more
Mike Greenley — MDA & Patrick Brown — City of Brampton
In this episode, Nick and Brendan are joined by Mike Greenley, the CEO of Brampton-based space and robotics technology manufacturer MDA and Patrick Brown, the Mayor of Brampton. The conversation focuses on Ontario's role in the future space economy, developing a diverse and multi-generational workforce, and the advantages of advanced manufacturing in Brampton. Learn more
Scot Magnish — Harbour Technologies Inc.
In this episode, Nick chats with Scot Magnish, head of communications at Harbour Technologies Inc. Harbour Tech is a traditional automotive tooling supplier that has recently expanded its operations to supply other industries like nuclear, aerospace, defence, and PPE. In 2022, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. Learn more
Season 7
Paul Miller — Precision Record Pressing
In this episode, Nick and Brendan drive to Burlington to chat with Paul Miller, the Vice President of Sales at Precision Record Pressing. Initially a joint venture between Czech-based GZ Media and Burlington's Isotope Music, Precision Record Pressing has emerged as one of North America's largest vinyl record manufacturing facilities. Paul's experience as the owner and founder of The Record Jacket Corporation brought him to Precision Record Pressing in 2015. Learn more
Scott M. Fairley — Optimotive Technologies Inc
In this episode, Nick and Brendan drive out to Oldcastle to meet with Scott M. Fairley, founder and CEO of Optimotive Technologies Inc to discuss their IRIS2 Mk1 autonomous ATV. According to Scott, Optimotive focuses on automating data collection in "…muddy, dusty, or otherwise unpredictable environments" (like aggregate piles) replacing the need for a person to do these repetitive and often dangerous tasks. Learn more
Nour Hachem-Fawaz — Build a Dream
In this episode, Nick drives out to Windsor to chat with Nour Hachem-Fawaz, the president and founder of Build a Dream – a national organization helping companies diversify their workforce and their talent pipelines. In recognition of her work in this field, Nour was recently awarded the APMA's Workforce Leadership Award as well as the Top 100 Women of Canada award. Learn more
Sarah McKenzie-Picot and Diane Burchett — Kepler Communications
In this episode, Nick and Brendan chat with Sarah McKenzie-Picot, Space Systems Designer & Assembly, Integration & Test Lead, and Diane Burchett, the Vice-President, Engineering at Kepler Communications Inc. The company was founded in 2015 by two University of Toronto graduate students. Today, the company works out of a building that was once used to make clothing. Now, it's used to make satellites. Learn more
Derek Vella — Guelph Food Innovation Centre
On the heels of the Trillium Network's online map of Ontario Dairy Manufacturers, Nick and Brendan take a drive out to the University of Guelph to speak with Guelph Food Innovation Centre (GFIC) director, Derek Vella. While the centre's 100-year history focused on the science of dairy production, today they're working on innovations in almost all types of food production and processing. Learn more
Season 6
Jeff Cowling — Yorkville Sound
In this episode, Nick and Brendan sit down with Jeff Cowling, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Yorkville Sound. The company manufactures PA speakers, Traynor guitar and bass amplifiers, and is the contract speaker manufacturer for Canadian theatre icon, IMAX. Learn more
Steve Cox and Andrew Conway — Dimachem
In this episode, Nick chats with Steve Cox and Andrew Conway, respectively, the president and vice president of Windsor, Ontario's own, Dimachem, a supplier of industrial blended chemicals. First founded in 1972 and originally called Chemfil Canada Ltd., this year, the company celebrated their 50th year of operation. Learn more
Hussam Haroun — Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
In this episode, Nick chats with Hussam Haroun, Director of Automation at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. According to Haroun, the centre's goal is to bring modern technology (robotics, vision systems, AI, machine learning, etc.) to the sector and improve productivity in horticulture/agriculture. Learn more
Gerd Grau — York University & Matt Ewertowski — Voltera
In this episode of 'Making it in Ontario', Nick chats with Gerd Grau, professor of electrical engineering at York University, and Matt Ewertowski, product manager at Voltera. After 4 years of collaboration, they have found new and innovative applications for additive manufacturing: the 3D printing of electronics and electronic circuits directly into other components. Learn more
Sohrab Haghighat — SpaceRyde
In this episode of 'Making it in Ontario', Nick sits down with Sohrab Haghighat, the co-founder and CEO of SpaceRyde – Canada's first orbital class rocket manufacturer. SpaceRyde's goal is to build a rocket that will give Canada domestic access to space at a substantially reduced cost. What truly sets them apart is their solution for getting out of the lower atmosphere – traditionally, the most expensive, wasteful, and deadly part of the voyage. Rather than using more power, they simply use a balloon. Learn more
Jay Amer — Ontario East & Chris King — Quinte Economic Development
In this episode, Nick and Brendan are joined by Jay Amer, the Executive Director of the Ontario East Economic Development Commission (of which the Trillium Network is a member) and Chris King, the CEO of the Quinte Economic Development Commission. We discuss the competitive advantages associated with the 'not Toronto' parts of Ontario and Jay and Chris share their thoughts on the availability of industrial land in Ontario. Learn more
Season 5
Krystal Darling, Kory Graham & Grant Luszczek — Tri-Mach
The tools of the trade must themselves be designed and built. Here's how Tri-Mach is enabling innovation and improving quality in the food/beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. Since Tri-Mach's customers are primarily in the food/beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries, their products have very specific performance requirements. The ability to simply, efficiently, and effectively clean their equipment with a hose was a critical design element. Learn more
John Rawlins & Amar Zaidi — BIG-nano
In this episode of 'Making it in Ontario', Nick speaks with John Rawlins and Amar Zaidi from the BIG-nano Corporation in Cambridge, Ontario. The company recently expanded their meltblown textile technology operation (thanks to a grant from FedDev Ontario) where they manufacture fibres at the nano-scale. Shrinking the size of individual fibres allows increased functional surface area of their textiles using a much wider range of polymers. This technology also has uses outside of PPE. Learn more
Greg Major & Ed Wisniewski — NORCAT
The connection between advanced manufacturing and mining may not be immediately apparent. However, both industries have a lot in common: Both industries are struggling to recruit new talent due to perception challenges. Both are seeing an exodus of veteran workers as they retire. Both are working hard to adopt advanced technology to improve all aspects of their operations. In fact, testing and demonstrating new technology is one of the primary functions of NORCAT's Underground Centre. But there's more to it than that. Learn more
Season 4
Greta Cutulenco — Acerta Analytics Solutions
In this episode, Nick speaks with Greta Cutulenco. Greta is the co-founder and CEO of Acerta Analytics Solutions Inc., a Kitchener/Waterloo based artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning company. Their focus is providing AI solutions for manufacturing companies looking to improve quality control. In addition to her work with Acerta, Greta is also a sitting member of the Board of Directors for the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA). Learn more
John Komar & Paula Ambra — ACE at OntarioTechU
In this episode, Nick speaks with Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) – Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel's Executive Director John Komar and ACE's Project Manager for Project Arrow, Paula Ambra about the facility's testing capabilities. The ACE is the first climatic testing and research centre of its kind in Canada, and in many respects, the world. It is designed to provide a multitude of industries with world-class testing capabilities to validate prototype products. Learn more
Alex Tsoulis — DAIR
This episode focuses on the aerospace industry in Ontario. Nick sits down with Alex Tsoulis, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Canada Aerospace's Director of Business Development, Advanced Technologies. Alex also serves as the Advisor, Outreach and Membership Engagement for the Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research (DAIR) Hub. Alex has spent much of his career designing and developing structural components for commercial, military, and business aircraft. Through his work, he has built strong cross-sectoral relationships with government, academic, research, and industry organizations. Learn more
George Irwin & Danielle Cane — CAPPEM
In this episode, Nick chats with George Irwin and Danielle Cane from the recently formed Canadian Association of PPE Manufacturers (CAPPEM), an association that represents more than 27 companies across Canada aiming to ensure Canada will never again be vulnerable to shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The episode focuses on both the successes and the challenges faced by Ontario PPE manufacturers. Danielle and George remind us that local and domestic PPE manufacturers do not only create economic benefits, they are also an important source of innovation. Learn more
Christina Mack — Kingsway Food
On this episode of 'Making it in Ontario', Nick (and Brendan) are joined by Christina Mack, the President and CEO of Mississauga's Kingsway Food Limited. Kingsway Food Limited produces vitamin premixes, ice cream flavouring, dips and dressings (including Dip-a-Chip brand products), and a new series of plant-based products.
Food manufacturers employ more than 85,000 people in Ontario, and are second only to the automotive industry in terms of their impact on the province's economy. Learn more
Andrea Johnson & Jeff McIsaac — IdeaWORKS at Mohawk
On this week's episode of 'Making it in Ontario', Nick chats with Andrea Johnson, and Jeff McIsaac, from Mohawk College in Hamilton.
Andrea and Jeff are central to the team leading IdeaWORKS, Mohawk's hub of applied research and innovation. IdeaWORKS includes the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), Sensor Systems and IOT Lab, Medical Technologies Innovation Centre (MTIC), and Energy and Power Innovation Centre, among other research centres and laboratories. Learn more
Season 3
Moira Harvey — the OAC
Between 40 and 50 percent of the world's commercial landing gear is made in Ontario. Who knew?
On this episode, Nick is joined by Moira Harvey, the Executive Director of the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC). The OAC is a not-for-profit organization, is comprised of over 200 member companies, representing over 70% of the Ontario aerospace industry employment base and spans all tiers, business activities and sizes. Learn more
69th Annual APMA Conference
Throughout the episode, Nick's conversations focus on a range of themes related to the automotive industry and advanced manufacturing, including Industry 4.0, cybersecurity, and workforce diversity.
In this episode we also learn about the exciting work happening at Ontario Tech University's Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE), including their Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel and role in the APMA's Project Arrow. Learn more
Ian Howcroft — Skills Ontario
The only thing worse than training someone and having them leave is not training someone and having them stay.
On this episode, Skills Ontario CEO and Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing board member Ian Howcroft sits down with Nick to talk about promoting manufacturing careers to younger generations, the importance of investing in training, and how manufacturers can better access Ontario's skilled and talented workforce. Learn more
Learning about Ontario Economic Development
Ontario's economic development professionals play a critical role in supporting investments, job creation, and innovation.
In this episode, Nick is joined by three prominent economic developers: Wendy Stark (Director, Business Retention and Expansion – Invest Windsor-Essex), Cephas Panschow (Development Commissioner – Town of Tillsonburg), and Ken Scholtens (Manager, Business Development and Expedited Services – Niagara Economic Development). Learn more
Season 2
Linda Stephenson on cosmetics manufacturing
Linda has over 30 years of experience in the cosmetics industry, including a stint at one of Ontario's most successful cosmetics companies, Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC). Founded in 1984, MAC found a market niche by offering products that featured innovative colours and quality not available from their competitors. Thanks to a company culture of professionalism, celebrity endorsements, and a 'makeup counter experience' led by makeup artists, the company grew quickly. Learn more
Ed Dawson, Linsey Pecile & Yvonne Pilon — Windsor
In this episode of 'Making it in Ontario', Nick speaks with Ed Dawson and Linsey Pecile from Invest Windsor Essex, and Yvonne Pilon from WEtech Alliance about the Windsor-Essex's manufacturing ecosystem. Windsor today is seeing an evolution from 'automotive' manufacturing to 'automobility'. As the evolution continues, the technology used is also evolving. 'Digital Twins' is one of those pieces of technology and the focus of Ed and Linsey in the VR Cave. Learn more
Jon Azzopardi — Laval Tool & Mould
In this episode of 'Making it in Ontario', President and CEO of Laval Tool and Mould Ltd., Jonathon Azzopardi, shares his thoughts about the future of scale manufacturing. As he explains, chasing scale manufacturing contracts is addictive because, if successful, it means a lot of revenue for your company. However, he warns that if you can't land the next large scale contract (for whatever reason), you need a backup plan. Learn more
David Yeaman — Molded Precision Components
Nick speaks with the president and co-founder of Molded Precision Components (MPC), David Yeaman. They talk about MediCA Park, the challenges and opportunities of Industry 4.0, and the importance of company culture. According to David, a company's ability to adapt is directly linked to its culture. The example he gave was the adoption of lights-out manufacturing, which is only possible with Industry 4.0. Learn more
Paul Madden — 3M Canada
What kind of advanced manufacturing ecosystem should we aspire to have in Ontario? Don't ask us – ask our customers. Paul reminds us not to lose track of this. In this episode of 'Making it in Ontario', former Canadian and international 3M executive (and current Trillium Network board member) Paul Madden reminds us that to remain competitive, Ontario manufacturers – and the organizations that support them – must know exactly who their customers are and what it takes to keep them satisfied. Learn more
Eva, Talissa & Shannon — Trillium Network
The Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing's new report, 'Bridges, not Barriers: Advancing Racialized Women in Ontario Manufacturing', provides actionable recommendations for manufacturing companies to advance their workforce diversity efforts. This podcast episode of 'Making it in Ontario', features Nick's interview with three of the report's authors, Eva Kwan, Shannon Miller, and Talissa Watson, wherein they discuss in detail the six lessons of the report. Learn more
Season 1 Recap with Brendan & Nick
The general mood in the province has certainly changed since we launched 'Making it in Ontario', the official podcast of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, in April 2021. At that time, less than two percent of the population of Ontario was fully vaccinated – today we are nearing fifty percent. Restaurants, hair salons, and fitness centres are open or are preparing to open. It's time to enjoy the summer, it's time to get back to work, and it's time to identify what the 'new normal' will look like. Learn more
Season 1
Sandra Pupatello & Tony Clement — Reshoring Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic has invigorated debates about the importance of Canadian manufacturing and the challenges associated with international supply chains during crises. Over the last year and a half, these challenges have emerged as a top concern for industry stakeholders, whether they are related to semiconductors, vaccines, PPE, consumer goods, or building materials (in no particular order). Throughout all this, one organization has emerged in an effort to address these challenges: Reshoring Canada. Learn more
John Romano — Nickel Brook Brewing Co.
In this episode of 'Making it in Ontario,' Nick hands Brendan the mic for a conversation with John Romano, the president and co-owner of the Nickel Brook Brewing Co. John and Brendan's passion for Ontario's craft brewing industry is evident throughout the episode. This passion is reflected in their love of Ontario craft beer and their interest in the industry's explosive growth over the past two decades (the fastest-growing segment of manufacturing), which is documented in a recent Trillium Network report. Learn more
Jayson Myers — NGen
Nick and Brendan chat with NGen CEO Jayson Myers. As CEO, Jayson's task "…is to build world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities in Canada for the benefit of Canadians. And I think, perhaps over the past year or so, we've seen how important it is to make things here in Canada – it helps to save lives." With over 35 years of industry experience, Jayson has witnessed a lot of change in this sector. Learn more
Aaron Tisdelle — Girotti Machine
What's behind the door? Turns out, not enough people know what's behind the door of a machine shop. It's more than just a machine. It's also a rewarding career. If Ontario hopes to continue competing globally, it needs to attract more people to the jobs available in manufacturing. Aaron shares how he does it with his staff, and gives us his ideas on what he'd like to see done on a broader scale. Learn more
Kim & Simmie Thiara — AceTronic Industrial Controls
In this episode, we sat down with Kim and Simmie Thiara to discuss the challenges faced by women in manufacturing and the struggles of doing business in a pandemic. As the second generation owner of the company, Kim has had her share of challenges with gender discrimination. Her daughter Simmie has as well but her generation deals with it a bit differently. Learn more
Max Preston & Robert Graup — Axiom & Intex Tooling
Industry 4.0 has been described as the best tool in the belt for manufacturers looking to find production improvements. As our discussion with Max and Robert demonstrate, Industry 4.0 isn't a tool in the belt, it IS the belt. This belt can contain all the latest tools to help you find efficiencies in your shop floor, or it weigh you down. Powerful tools must be wielded carefully. Learn more
Brendan, Denise, & Nick — Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing
You can't beat a good conversation. And this is the first one we released. In it, host Nick Persichilli chats with Trillium Managing Director Dr. Brendan Sweeney and Operations Manager Denise Deschênes-McKay to discuss why we are podcasting, the reports published thus far, and the lessons learned from the Trillium Network's research. Learn more


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Lawsuit settled in big-rig crash in California
The Southern California woman that hung perilously in a crumpled vehicle — her two young daughters in the backseat — from a bridge's edge near Buellton has settled a civil lawsuit for $1 million against the Arroyo Grande trucking company whose driver caused the wreck.
Kelli and Jason Groves, of San Juan Capistrano, filed the complaint last year against R and R Auto Wrecking Inc. and the estate of Charles Allison Jr. The couple's daughters, Sage and Mylo, also were named in the litigation.
Allison, a Grover Beach resident, was the driver of the empty 18-wheeler gravel truck that caused the collision. He died in the Jan. 12, 2012, fiery crash.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Ultimate AML Compliance Checklist for FIs
A key mistake that many banks and financial institutions (FIs) make is to think of anti-money laundering (AML) compliance as a one and done activity. In reality, an effective AML compliance program takes planning and continuous attention to detail.
Our AML compliance checklist outlines the key components that go into building an effective AML compliance program. Review the checklist to make sure your FI checks all the boxes, including:
- Your FI's Risk Appetite: Be sure to set your FI's "risk appetite/tolerance" from the top;
- Appoint a Chief Compliance Officer: Name a CCO to take ownership of your AML compliance program;
- Train Your Staff: Ensure your staff is trained and will be re-trained in the latest AML policies.
Download the checklist!


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Why Hire These Residential Architects In Fort Worth At 5Design, LLC
How does one find the right residential architects in Fort Worth?
Each architect has his or her own style, approach to design, and methods of work and it is important to find a Fort Worth home architect who understands one's style and needs.
Provided one has already worked with a particular architect and feels comfortable, it makes sense to call him or her again and if not, one will have to do a little more work to find a compatible designer.
A little homework goes a long way in finding the right residential architects in Fort Worth:
– First, think carefully about one's building needs and goals, does one need more space?
– What activities will be housed in that space and how much can one spend on the project?
– How will one finance it and where will it be located?
– Does one plan to do some of the work themselves?
Do not worry if one does not have all the answers right now, one's residential architects in Fort Worth TX at 5Design can help one clarify goals, if necessary. The interview is very crucial because it gives one the chance to meet the people who will design one's project and to see if the chemistry is right.
Remember, one will work with residential architects in Fort Worth, for a long time so it is recommended to mesh well and feel comfortable with the designer on one's team.
The meeting might take place at the architect's office – helpful because one can see where the design work will be done, or the interview could be held at one's home or office – also helpful, because one's Fort Worth residential architect can learn more about one's project and needs, whichever feels right.
The top residential architects in Fort Worth, at 5Design, may show one slide or photograph of past work and describe how the firm's experience and expertise will help one get the style and look one is seeking.
Some great questions for a successful interview with residential architects in Fort Worth TX:
- How busy is the firm?
- Does it have the capacity to take on one's work or project?
- What is the firm's design philosophy?
- How does the home architect in Fort Worth, intend to approach one's project?
- How interested is the firm in one's project?
Talk about one's budget and find out the range of fees that residential architects in Fort Worth TX, would anticipate for one's project and needs. And lastly, before making a final selection, have one's architect take one to a recently completed project, to get an idea of what to expect as an end result and to ensure past client satisfaction.
Ultimately, one will choose residential architects in Fort Worth, whom one feels is right for the project and unlike buying a car, or a new appliance, one cannot see the final product and test it out, so to ensure one is working with the best designers, the "right one" will be the one who can provide a better judgment, technical expertise, and creative skill toward turning one's visions into reality, at a reasonable cost.
Media Contact
Company Name: 5Design, LLC
Contact Person: Terry M. Stephens
Email: Send Email
Phone: 800-725-4678
City: North Richland Hills
State: Texas
Country: United States
Website: 5designbim.com/residential-architects-fort-worth-tx.html


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Australian Hyatt hotels hacked, guest credit card details stolen
Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.
The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.
Hyatt Hotels is the latest hotel chain to fall victim to hackers stealing sensitive credit card information from guests around the world, including flagship properties in Australia.
The Park Hyatt Sydney, Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt in Melbourne, Hyatt Hotel Canberra and Hyatt Regency Perth were among the hotels targetted over a six month period from July to December 2015, along with Hyatt hotels in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, the USA and Europe.
According to Hyatt, cards compromised by 'malware' software include those used primarily at hotel restaurants but also at spas, golf shops, car parks and at "a limited number of front desks", with hackers collecting card numbers, cardholder names, expiration dates and verification codes.
"Protecting customer information is critically important to Hyatt," said Chuck Floyd, Global President of Operations at Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
"We have been working tirelessly to complete our previously announced investigation regarding malware that targeted payment card data used at Hyatt-managed locations. We now have more complete information we want to share so that you can take steps to protect yourself," he added.
It's not known if this wave of attacks is related to similar security breaches at Hilton and Starwood hotels revealed late last year but stretching back to November 2014, which saw similar details stolen from customer cards used at restaurants, gift shops and other point-of-sale systems.
Hyatt credit card hack: affected hotels, dates
Guest who stayed at any Hyatt hotel between July 30 2015 and December 8 2015 and presented a credit card at any time during their visit are advised to check the Hyatt website for the complete list of compromised hotels and the specific dates affecting each property.
(Being a US company, the dates on Hyatt's list are formatted as mm/dd/yyyy, not the dd/mm/yyyy system used in Australia.)
If one or more of your hotel stays corresponds with the dates provided on the website, pay close attention to your credit card statements and double-check them for any unauthorised transactions that may have occurred since your stay, or even in the future.
Should you spot any unfamiliar payments on your account, report these to your credit card issuer immediately and prepare for your card to be replaced – which also involves the hassle of updating any direct debits you may have for things like gym memberships and insurance.
Guests who stayed at Hilton and Starwood hotels in 2014 and 2015 may also have had their credit card details compromised through similar malware attacks.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.
The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.
I suspect I've been affected by this. One week after staying at one of the mentioned properties a number of fraudulent expenses popped up on the credit card I used. Of course it is a real pain to notify (or even remember) the new card number to all the direct debits and websites with your credit card details.
Why is anyone surprised ?
Any organisation that holds customer's credit card details or other personal data (i.e. dob, address, middle name etc) is vulnerable. The issue is not just someone having a crack at your Amex, but with a minimum of personal data people can play havoc with your life and identity.
I withdrew from most marketing/points schemes last year because of this threat.
I regularly use prepaid load and go cards to pay for hotels, tickets, and internet transactions. I get a new one every couple of months or so. They aren't fashionable and there's no points in it but the amount of damage someone can do with it if they get hold of the details is limited. As opposed to getting hold of my Mastercard or Amex.
All you QFFers with your card details held by Qantas on your profile... It's drama waiting to happen.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Nov 2012
Total posts 19
My business partner got a brand new business credit card issued and the one of the first things he put on it was hotels for staff who were travelling in the US two weeks later.
On the day they returned home his card was being used for fraud transactions, so he had the card for four weeks before it was used fraudulently.
We originally thought that somebody was being dodgy at hotels where he completed manual paper card authorisation forms but it seems that with this it could be either or.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Australian Hyatt hotels hacked, guest credit card details stolen


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BioZkin Blogs
Wonder oil - benefits of argan oil
Posted by David Fung on
The Wonder Oil Argan oil is gaining a lot of popularity in the beauty industry and for good reasons. It's a natural way to improve skin, nails, and hair! It is rich in Vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Vitamin E can help keep skin hydrated, boost effectiveness of sunscreen, and improve dry skin. Did you know that Argan oil contains 200-300% more Vitamin E than olive oil? Essential fatty acids are necessary for the health of our cellular membranes which keeps our skin firm and elastic. Argan oil is a source of natural antioxidants which protects our skin from...
Do You Know Topical Vitamin B12 is An Option in Dermatitis and Psoriasis Topical Steroid?
Posted by David Fung on
Topical steroid is one of the mainstays for treatment of skin conditions including eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis in adults and children. Steroid cream reduces itching, redness, and inflammation. However, chronic use has potential side effects such as thinning of skin. Biosense's clinical pharmacist expresses "getting frustrated with the symptoms flaring up again when stopping steroid cream? You are not alone. Now, there is an option for you, topical vitamin B12." Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin and cofactor in the body. It is responsible for lots of function to maintain the body's well being. More than that, when applying on skin,...
Steroid Free Topical Therapy for Eczema, Dermatitis & Psoriasis
Posted by David Fung on
Eczema is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin conditions. In Canada, every 5 children and 12 adults, there is 1 suffering from eczema or dermatitis. Dry, red, inflamed and very itchy skins are the characteristics of eczema. In severe case, skin may ooze, become scaly, crusted or hardened. It is prone to infection if skin is broken. Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disorder characterized by red, dry flakes, skin scales and plaques of raised skin. This skin disease affects over 6 million1 people in the United States. Many triggering factors cause dermatitis: pollution, chemicals exposure (e.g. detergents, soap),...


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The future of MVNO market: from a single niche to multiple niches of opportunities
Telecoms.com periodically invites expert third parties to share their views on the industry's most pressing issues. In this piece Dario Talmesio, Research Director, Omdia shares his thoughts on the future of the MVNO market.
The US and the global MVNO market are at a turning point. But it's not a single turn; the market is taking multiple directions and developing in numerous niches. The market that originated from many small and large long-distance, low-cost calling cards specialists, MVNOs are now growing into a different level of sophistication and re-carving new customer segments and customer propositions.
The transition from a low-cost consumer-centric market is gradual, but the direction of travel is becoming more noticeable as new partnerships are formed.
From legacy networks to 5G: firstly, the existing consumer MVNO market is becoming more sophisticated, and those MVNO brands that are still focusing on private customers will want to have access to the newest networks, as that is 5G. The affordability of 5G devices will reach the mass market faster than any other generation. MVNOs will have to ask their host operators access to 5G sooner rather than later if they want to remain relevant to their customers.
From people to things: with the global IoT market set to reach 2.6bn connections by 2025, according to Omdia forecast, there are 100s of sub-segments in 100s of markets that need vertical and application specialists able to address the multitude of business cases developing every day profitably. The market for thinks is even more in demand for focussed players than the consumer MVNO ever did.
From consumer to enterprises: besides the IoT segment, the emergence of mobile "self-catering" enterprises will provide opportunities for the MVNO ecosystem. Some enterprises are actively working to become mobile service providers for their employees and partners. An inspiring example is Uber in Brazil, where the gig economy giant aims to sell connectivity to its drivers and delivery partners.
From public to private networks: with the rapid evolution of private connectivity, some enterprises will prefer to work with players who specialize in their sector. According to Omdia's survey of 507 enterprises, 3% of them put most of their trust in partnership with and assistance from MVNOs and MVNEs to execute private LTE/5G strategy. While 3% seems small, but it confirms that MVNOs are niche and highly specialized players.
From independent to MNO-led: of course, the MVNO business model is also the favourite implementation of multi-brand strategies for service providers. As mobile markets are maturing and saturating, more MNOs are implanting branding segmentation supported by MVNE and MVNOs.
To find out more about the North American MVNO market at the upcoming MVNOs North America Digital Symposium, you can register your place here.


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After three successful A Nightmare on Elm Street films, short-lived spinoff series "Freddy's Nightmares" was launched in October of 1988. The series, which premiered the same year Dream Master was released, kicked off with a Tobe Hooper-directed episode that centered on Freddy Krueger's origin story, but from that point forward, Freddy (played, as always, by Robert Englund) mostly served as the host of the series rather than the star. The stories were set in the fictional town of Springwood, Ohio, and the dream demon only popped up from time to time.
One of the episodes that did indeed feature Freddy as a character in the story was the show's one and only Halloween special, which aired on October 29th, 1988. The episode, the fourth in the first of two seasons, was titled "Freddy's Tricks and Treats," and it was directed by none other than Ken Wiederhorn (Return of the Living Dead 2). A young Mariska Hargitay starred as a bookish medical student, Marsha, who chooses to study rather than party on Halloween night, and Freddy comes knocking when she falls asleep at the proverbial wheel.


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I'm thrilled to be launching Advocates for Life, a community for all who pursue happiness and advance the human right to life in culture, law, and policy. Advocates for Life is a website, a newsletter, and a membership community all in one.
As an advocate and attorney, I serve as President & CEO of Americans United for Life, where our vision is a world where all are welcomed throughout life and protected in law. I've committed myself to the cause for life.
We're launching at a historic moment in time. With the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the nomination of her successor, the future of our high court is at stake in an already-fraught election year. We'll be covering the Supreme Court nomination process as it unfolds.
Advocates for Life is where the Americans United for Life law and policy team and other advocates will share some of their best thinking to better equip both new and veteran members of the pro-life movement.
Our Advocate Briefs will be sent exclusively to members, and our public news, scholarship, and opinion will be available to all, 24/7. Advocates for Life aims to empower and equip through a comprehensive sense of what's happening now and what comes next for pro-life issues—not only when it comes to the White House or the Congress, but also when it comes to the judiciary nationwide and our governors and state lawmakers. And we'll consider international developments, too.
Follow along by bookmarking Advocates for Life, by signing up to receive our latest posts by email, and by becoming a member today for exclusive Advocate Briefs and to support our continuing work to advance the human right to life.
We're excited to stand alongside you as we advocate for those most vulnerable.


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Dental Anxiety in Dental and Non-Dental Students
|✅ Paper Type: Free Essay
|✅ Subject: Health
|✅ Wordcount: 3356 words
|✅ Published: 13th Mar 2018
Dental Anxiety in Dental and Non-Dental Students
Abstract- Objective: To compare levels of dental anxiety in dental and non-dental students and then relate it with degree of knowledge about dental treatment procedures. Method: Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to measure and analyze statistically the dental anxiety among dental students (n=30) and non-dental students (n=30). The participants include 28 (46.7%) males and 32 (53.3%) females of age ranging from 18-24 years (mean age 21±1.619). The data was collected in Islamic International Dental Hospital, Islamabad from patients under waiting treatment. Results: Education was associated with dental anxiety in patients. The dental students had a mean dental anxiety score of dental students was found to be 13.5 and that of non-dental students was 16.5. Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis that knowledge about dental procedures has a significant role to elevate dental anxiety levels.
Keywords: dental anxiety; degree of knowledge; dental students; non-dental student
"Dental anxiety is an aversive psychological response to poorly define, or not immediately present dental stimulus interpreted as potentially harmful or dangerous, usually within a dental context"(1). Dental anxiety is a common phenomenon amongst patients prior to obtaining dental procedures, often giving rise to a vicious cycle of fear leading to avoidance of treatment(2, 3). This potential hazard to treatment accounts for an understanding of its etiology, so as to help design and execute effective treatment regimens(4).Research establishes; prior experience of treatment, pain during treatment, age, gender, social class and lack of economic resources, negligence of oral health and inadequacy of and education as etiological factors of dental anxiety. Al-Omari et al. showed in their study that dental students had lowest anxiety levels as compared to medical and engineering students(5). Medical students were found to be the most anxious group and it was indicated that lack of dental information is directly related to increasing levels of dental fears. As per Curson and Coplans, anxiety is a major barrier in the dental treatments as children and adult avoid or delay attending the dentist except in emergency situations(6).Dental anxiety may have elevated levels amongst patients majorly due to lack of knowledge about the procedures and outcomes of dental treatment that would be carried out on them(7).Therefore, it is crucial to highlight dentally anxious patients in order to facilitate the course of treatment and to help accomplish it successfully. Different instruments for measuring dental anxiety include; Corah's dental anxiety scale, Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), Dental Fear Survey, State Trait Anxiety Scale, General Geer Fear Scale and Getz Dental Brief Survey(1). Humphris GM et al. (1995) suggested that MDAS is more comprehensive, highly valid and reliable, with a simpler and more consistent answering system(8).Therefore, modified dental anxiety scale has been used for the purpose of this study. The aim of the study was to understand how lack of knowledge of dental procedures may contribute to increased anxiety levels amongst non-dental students when compared to dental students. With the identification of existence of such differences, improved treatment techniques and management strategies may then be accomplished(7).
Materials and Methods:
The study was conducted at Islamic International Dental Hospital, Islamabad over a period of two months from May to June, on patients awaiting treatment while attending various departments at the hospital. This study is a cross- sectional study. Questionnaires were given to dental students (n=30) of first to fourth year (prior to receiving treatment) with their ages ranging from 18-24 years. Non-dental students (n=30) meeting the same age requirement were selected by purposive convenient sampling. The subjects were approached personally in clinical settings and questionnaire conducted after verbal consent. A total of 30 questionnaires were distributed to patients from each group. Data was obtained using modified dental anxiety scale, wherein extra items were added related to prior dental treatment experience and whether or not they had a dentist in their family. The modified dental anxiety scale consisted of five multiple choice items, including the following:
- If you had to go to your dentist for treatment tomorrow, how would you feel?
- If you were sitting in the waiting room (waiting for treatment), how would you feel?
- If you were about to have a tooth drilled, how would you feel?
- If you were about to have your teeth scaled and polish, how would you feel?
- If you were about to have a local anesthetic injection in your gum, how would you feel?
Options available as answers to each of the above question were ranging from not anxious scaled as 1 to extremely anxious scaled as 5. The scores of all the questions were summed up to give us the patient's dental anxiety score. Demographic details in the questionnaire included age gender and education. For the statistical analysis data was studied using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. For descriptive analysis of data mean and standard deviation was computed for age. Calculation of dental anxiety scores was made to compare differences in level of anxiety amongst both the groups. If the total score of 15 or more was obtained, it was indicated that the subject was highly anxious(9).
Test Statisticsa
Mann-Whitney U
Wilcoxon W
Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed)
a. Grouping Variable: Dental Student / Non-Dental Student
A total of 60 patients were included in this study; 30 dental students and 30 non-dental students. Out of this total of 60 patients, 28 (46.7%) were males and 32 (53.3%) were females. Their ages ranged from 18 to 24 years, giving a mean of 21 years with a standard deviation of ±1.619. There were 13 males (43.3%) out of a total of 30 dental students and 17 females (56.7%). In the non-dental category, there were 15 males (50%) and 15 females (50%) out of a total of 30 students. The results display that a total of 9 (15%) patients had mild anxiety, out of which 8(13.3%) were dental students and 1(1.7%) was a non-dental student. therefore it can be seen that anxiety levels among dental students correspond mainly to the lower level of mildly anxious. 22 (36.7%) of the total patients had a moderate category anxiety, out of these 12 (20%) were dental students and 10 (16.7%) were non dental students. 24 (40%) were highly anxious patients, out of those 2 (3.3%) were dental students and 3 (5%) were non dental students. There were no patients who showed a result of no anxiety levels (Fig.2). The graph for the mean dental anxiety scores of dental and non-dental students demonstrates a clear variation in the dental anxiety levels of the two groups. There is an increased average dental anxiety scores in non-dental students which urges the use of a statistical test to further analyze data. Accordingly the Mann- Whitney U test was undertaken. The p value obtained so forth was 0.003 which is less than the arbitrarily significant p value of 0.05, indicating a significant difference in DAS of the two groups. The (Fig.3) and (Fig.4) also, represent the percentage response in tabulated form.
The study was undertaken to examine the role of, awareness of dental procedures, on patient's dental anxiety levels. The purpose of the study was to acquire an understanding of differences in the dental anxiety levels amongst patients with sufficient prior knowledge of dental procedures as in the case of dental students and those without. Realization of the existence of any such differences would help dentists design strategies that would eliminate dental anxiety as a barrier to effective treatment. Dentally anxious patients often pose great difficulties during treatment(2).Such patients also are often resistant to going for treatment and may require behavioral pharmacological and educational interventions to allow for improved treatment and oral health statuses(10).The study was undertaken using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale. The use of MDAS allowed for validity and reliability in the data collected thus serving as strength of the study(8, 11). Standardization was also observed, with collection of all data in clinical settings. A major limitation of the study was its sample size. The survey comprised of only 60 patients, 30 being non-dental patients, receiving formal education in fields other than dentistry aged between 18-24 years. The second group comprised of dental students in any year of their study undergoing dental treatments and aged 18-24 years. The sample being selected randomly and by convenience also poses questions to generalizability of any findings as it is not representative of a much larger general
population. Dental anxiety is a vastly sought after topic with researchers attempting to understand its causative factors and its impact on oral health status of patients. An in-depth understanding of its causative factors would enable practice of newer and improved techniques with increased patient compliance and willingness to undergo the required treatments without making the task difficult. Inadequate knowledge of dental procedure has also been studied as a causative factor of dental anxiety. Abu Hantash et al. suggested that dental anxiety in non-dental students is due to previous traumatic dental experiences and fear of pain(12, 13).High levels of anxiety in non-dental students was also suggested due to lack of acquaintance with dental procedures(14, 15).On the other hand enhanced education and awareness has been positively correlated to dental anxiety(16). B. Peretz et al. (1994) showed in his study that anxiety in dental students is inversely related to the exposure of dental procedures and it tends to reduce from preclinical to clinical years(9, 15, 17). Imran Farooq et al. (2014) following this study, found it sensible to deduce that dental anxiety in students declines with gradual progress in education and clinical exposure(15).Dental anxiety has been understood to have immense impact on oral as well as general health of individuals(18).Those who succumb to dental anxiety are found to enter a vicious cycle of ill-being. wherein anxiety leads to avoidance seeking treatment, leading to increased severity of disease and hence worsened oral and general health status(19), as shown in Fig.5. Some other important considerations that were beyond the scope of this particular study was an investigation of any previous traumatic dental experiences, especially from the non-dental students as they would have led to increased fears. Also there has been no ranking of anxiety provoking stimulus for dental students who may have been equally anxious about pain, and injection as is true of non-dental students. According to Todd and Walker(20), it was reported by 43% of people that they avoided going to the dentist lest they experienced increased troubles with their teeth. In another study by Curson and Coplans it was found that DA amongst both children and adult patients led to avoidance or irregularities in going for treatment, or visiting dentist in case of emergency only(6). The findings from our study prompt the need of devising ways to increase patient knowledge of procedures to decrease anxiety. This may include arranging of educational workshops on awareness about dental procedures.
In conclusion there is existence of a difference in dental anxiety levels; among dental and non-dental students. With this difference it can be comprehended that dental anxiety owes itself to knowledge and awareness of dental procedures alongside other etiological factors. Know-how of dental procedures enhances patients' ability to cope up with required treatment by eliminating barriers created due to anxiety. Hence increasing patient knowledge may serve to reduce apprehensions and enhance patient confidence on treatment procedure and its needs, consequently reducing anxiety.
2.Cooper CL WJ, Kelly M. Job satisfaction, mental health, and job stressors among general dental practitioners in the UK. British Dental Journal. 1987.
3.Armfield JM. What goes around comes around: revisiting the hypothesized vicious cycle of dental fear and avoidance. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. Jun;41(3):279-87.
4.Taani DQ. Dental attendance and anxiety among public and private school children in Jordan. Int Dent J. 2002 Feb;52(1):25-9.
5.Al-Omari WM, Al-Omiri MK. Dental anxiety among university students and its correlation with their field of study. J Appl Oral Sci. 2009 May-Jun;17(3):199-203.
6.Curson I CM. The need for sedation in conservative dentistry. An investigation in the inner London area. 1970.
7.Appukuttan DP TA, Cholan PK, Subramanian S, Vinayagavel M. prevelance of dental anxiety among patient attending a dental educational institution in chennai, India. 2013.
8.Humphris GM, Morrison T, Lindsay SJ. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale: validation and United Kingdom norms. Community Dent Health. 1995 Sep;12(3):143-50.
9.Peretz B, Zadik D. Dental anxiety of parents in an Israeli kibbutz population. Int J Paediatr Dent. 1994 Jun;4(2):87-92.
10.Marya CM, Grover S, Jnaneshwar A, Pruthi N. Dental anxiety among patients visiting a dental institute in Faridabad, India. West Indian Med J. Mar;61(2):187-90.
11.Corah NL. Development of a dental anxiety scale. J Dent Res. 1969 Jul-Aug;48(4):596.
12.Abu Hantash AY, Al Aker Dental Anxiety and Fear among medical field students at Al Quds University
13.Mohammed RB, Lalithamma T, Varma DM, Sudhakar KN, Srinivas B, Krishnamraju PV, et al. Prevalence of dental anxiety and its relation to age and gender in coastal Andhra (Visakhapatnam) population, India. J Nat Sci Biol Med. Jul;5(2):409-14.
14.Serra-Negra J, Paiva SM, Oliveira M, Ferreira E, Freire-Maia F, Pordeus I. Self-reported dental fear among dental students and their patients. Int J Environ Res Public Health. Jan;9(1):44-54.
15.Imran Farooq SA. A cross sectional study of gender differences in dental anxiety prevailing in the students of a Pakistani dental college. 2014.
16.Kirova DG, Atanasov DT, Lalabonova CK, Janevska S. Dental anxiety in adults in Bulgaria. Folia Med (Plovdiv). Apr-Jun;52(2):49-56.
17.Peretz B, Mann J. Dental anxiety among Israeli dental students: a 4-year longitudinal study. Eur J Dent Educ. 2000 Aug;4(3):133-7.
18.McGrath C, Bedi R. The association between dental anxiety and oral health-related quality of life in Britain. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2004 Feb;32(1):67-72.
19.Attaullah AAK. PREVALENCE OF DENTAL ANXIETY AMONG UNIVERSITY
20.Todd JE WA. Adult Dental Health in England and Wales. 1980
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- Do you subscribe to Dharma Dog Training's Newsletter? You should.
- A Unique Campaign from The Humane Society of the United States
- Rabid bats in Omaha- Stay safe, prepared with these tips
- Springtime Activities in Omaha
- Mill Dog Monthly from Bailing Out Benji
- World Spay Day, Legislative Alert in Nebraska
- Attend the Nebraska Rescue Council's monthly meeting this Saturday
- Five Hard-to-Ignore Reasons to Adopt!
- Paws in Pink to Benefit Breast Cancer Foundation
- VCA, Inc. Acquires MidWest Vet Specialists from Kansas State University
Urgent Pet Care gains AAHA Accreditation
One of out pet partners, Urgent Pet Care, is proud to announce that they have recently become AAHA accredited. Only 15% of hospitals in the US and Canada are AAHA accredited and UPC is now one of them.
Accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is strictly voluntary and is not required. Hospitals that undergo the accreditation process are evaluated on over 900 standards in 18 different areas. "As an accredited hospital, we voluntarily uphold the association's high standards in 18 different areas including patient care, surgery, pharmacy, laboratory, exam facilities, pet health records, cleanliness, emergency services, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology and continuing education," says UPC's Debbie Newhouse.
To maintain its accreditation UPC must undergo a rigorous review by veterinary experts every three years.
Newhouse also tells us that "As a company, we felt this was an important step to ensure that we continually strive to provide the very best care for the pets that we see. AAHA accreditation is considered the standard for veterinary excellence and, as a company, we will strive to continually improve so that we can offer the care you and your pet desire and deserve."
Urgent Pet Care is open nights, weekends, and major holidays. UPC is always staffed with a veterinarian and personnel who are trained and equipped to handle any urgent or emergency care needs such as lacerations, limping, fractures, gastrointestinal issues, coughing, poisonings and many other serious injuries or illnesses.
Congrats to Urgent Pet Care!
For further information about AAHA accreditation please visit UPC's website at urgentpetcareomaha.com or AAHA.org.


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The PADI Bubblemaker Experience
What a great way to introduce children to scuba diving in a pool in less than six feet of water. Celebrate a birthday by throwing a memorable, exciting Bubblemaker party with friends and family at your local PADI dive shop or resort. It's fun, easy and safe.
The Fun Part
Typical sessions last about an hour (sign up, gear up and fun included)
Also available as a confined open water experience (2 metres/ 6 feet max. depth)
What You Learn
Kids get a chance to :
Experience what scuba diving is like under the direct care and supervision
of PADI Instructors
Take their first breath underwater
Learn about and use scuba diving equipment made for children – not adults
Children use all the basic scuba gear, which is made for their size and stature.
Check with your local dive shop about setting up a Bubblemaker experience today.
The Learning Materials You Need
Ready to blow bubbles? The Bubblemaker crewpak gives kids a memento of their visit to the underwater world and is full of fun surprises. The pack includes: a kid-sized beach towel, log book, certificate, temporary tattoo emblem and the adorable and a popular Bubblemaker "action figure." Adults love them, too.
No pre-training required
Your Next Adventure
Bubblemakers can continue the adventure to complete AquaMissions during the Seal Team program. Those who are 10-14 years old can take the Junior PADI Open Water Diver course and may want to pursue other advanced kids courses.
To purchase this product, contact me


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All I Want for Christmas … Is a Better Scientific Publishing Model
Scientific publishing is broken.
That may sound like hyperbole, but it's not – there's a rising tide of voices, in academic and policy circles, as well as from the general public, calling for change in how science is reported professionally.
The traditional scientific publishing model – the one that's rooted in "publish or perish" – requires that research scientists cycle through developing a scientific question, running experiments to prove or disprove that question, rigorously gathering data to support the conclusions reached in those experiments, then assembling all of it into a paper for peer review, and publication if the paper makes it through that peer review process.
None of what I just outlined is problematic. In fact, it's how science works. Ask a question, work on getting the answer, tell the story of that answer to the scientific community and the general public. Every scientific experiment that gets all the way to publication – which is a lot of experiments, with around 2.5 million papers published annually – adds to scientific knowledge, and gives other science geeks ideas to build on in their own work.
But the scientific publishing model is broken.
In the 21st century, the idea of paying over $1,500 for an annual subscription to the American Journal of Emergency Medicine (note that if you hit that link, you'll have to download an eye-straining Excel spreadsheet to see subscription pricing – consider yourself warned) is a little sticker-shocky for a thirty-something emergency medicine MD who grew up with the "content wants to be free" internet. But that MD's professional society membership(s) may include journal access, with the cost of that subscription baked into the not-insignificant annual membership fees.
Content cannot be actually free – I'm a writer, so I'm a "content creator" myself. Getting paid to do the work I'm professionally trained and experienced in is a requirement for my personal sustainability. I'm not suggesting that scientific publishing companies stop charging for the services they provide. I'm asking for a more reasonable approach than the current model.
The two main contributors to the content of scientific journals – the paper authors, and the peer reviewers – provide their work virtually free of charge. That free labor, in combination with the close to 40% profit margins in scientific publishing, have created dissention in the science ranks, particularly since career advancement in scientific fields, including medicine, relies on publication credits on your CV. Add to that the fact that government money, in the form of support for universities where most of the scientific experiments that wind up as published papers is done, and it seems like publishers are minting coin off of work provided by others.
As the author of that linked Guardian story says, "It is as if the New Yorker or the Economist demanded that journalists write and edit each other's work for free, and asked the government to foot the bill."
Enter open access journals, which started to appear as the web emerged in the 1990s. Open access journals charge paper authors to publish their work, then make the access to the paper "open," so anyone can read it – no paywall, sometimes a site registration is required, but no charge per article, "paywall," to read or download. All journals – traditional and open access – have production costs, which include everything from managing the peer review process to graphic design to printing physical copies of the journal. There is no "free" in scientific publishing, someone will always be paying for it.
Open access journals opened up publication options and ability to see the science being reported. However, that pay-to-publish thing also opened up the publishing marketplace to what are called "predatory journals," which in turn opened a seemingly bottomless can of worms, where publishers of journals identified as problematic threaten to sue those who maintain lists of suspect journals
Like I said, scientific publishing is broken. Fixing it will require some heavy lifting, and I don't mean lifting heavy journal issues – I mean the hard work of busting open the walls, the paywalls, that prevent wide dissemination of new scientific knowledge.
Cracks in the paywalls are widening, with large universities like the University of California system telling Elsevier they weren't paying $10 million a year to subscribe to their journals anymore. Six years ago, in 2013, Richard Van Noorden, the features editor of the journal Nature, wrote "Open access: The true cost of science publishing," which is a comprehensive assessment of the issue that's still relevant in 2019, and likely to remain relevant well into the next decade.
As science denialism rises across the globe, it's critical that scientific discovery be accessible to those interested in furthering that discovery. Which means being able to read scientific papers. Science is fun. It's also essential to our survival, and that of our small blue planet.
So, let's fix the broken scientific publishing model. We have to figure out how to fairly compensate publishers, while also keeping the scientific method firmly embedded in the publishing process. Somehow, I don't think 40% margins (which beat Apple's, by the way) are necessary here. What do you think?
Casey Quinlan covered her share of medical stories as a TV news field producer, and used healthcare as part of her observational comedy set as a standup comic. So when she got a breast cancer diagnosis five days before Christmas in 2007, she used her research, communication, and comedy skills to navigate treatment, and wrote "Cancer for Christmas: Making the Most of a Daunting Gift" about managing medical care, and the importance of health literate self-advocacy. In addition to her ongoing work as a journalist, she's a popular speaker and thought leader on healthcare system transformation from the ground up.


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Brands are driven by core and often common aesthetics. In the direct-to-consumer space, for example, the Warby Parker model – which strategist Ana Andjelic has described as "a crisp, minimal aesthetic with a touch of quirk that carries through every design element, from mail order boxes to stores" – has been replicated repeatedly, particularly by other DTC players. Such a homogenization is hardly confined to the DTC space, with luxury brands busy adopting lookalike logos in recent years, prompting the so-called "blanding" movement, and others offering up their products and services on markedly similarly-designed websites.
Beyond the immediate visual elements of a company, Warby Parker founder Neil Blumenthal has noted in the past that a brand is more than its trademark-protected word marks and logos, it is "a point of view, and that point of view needs to be lived," a notion that has lent itself nicely to the eyewear company's buy-one, give-one approach to selling and donating eyewear (a la TOMS), in furtherance of a mission (and marketing model) that aims to go beyond purely selling stuff to helping others.
This giving or charitable element has also caught on among burgeoning young brands. As creative consultant Thierry Brunfaut asserted in his article, The Branding Vaccine, "On startups' websites, mission statements ending with '… for a better world' became the norm. Purposes and values pulled out of thin air for vacuous brands, no matter if the brand is manufacturing socks, selling car parts, or trading oil derivatives." In their hallways, "We are bombarded with values and purpose texts plastered on the walls," while "in the board room or at the founders' table, common sense, candor, and sincerity have largely disappeared."
It is difficult not to notice the mission-centric leanings of so many startups in the retail space. "Businesses like Warby Parker and Everlane were part of a new group of companies, with younger and less polished leaders, that claimed to lead with a set of values and the belief that they could sell directly to their customers," Modern Retail's Cale Guthrie Weissman recently wrote. "Glossier, for example, has an entire page dedicated to its brand values, which include being 'inclusive,' 'curious,' 'courageous' and 'discerning," while Everlane has built an entire business on the tenets of "radical transparency" and "ethical" sourcing.
In short: this particular breed of startup has "taken great pains to make their marketing sound broadly moral."
Given the large-scale uniformity among brands both in terms of visual identity and mission-driven purpose, and in light of their dedication to staying within the bounds of that overarching aesthetic (look at their stores, websites, and Instagram accounts if you need proof), it should come as little surprise that even in moments of crisis, many of these companies look – and act – the same way.
"Brand apologies have begun to look homogenous," Weissman aptly asserts. For instance, on the heels of being called out for allegedly discriminating against employees of color, sustainable clothing brand Reformation posted an apology on Instagram with the words "I failed." The typeset mirrors that of previous posts, enabling the company's post to fit into the brand's carefully-curated digital universe.
"Onlookers noticed other brands also posting apologies that were intentionally designed to look 'on brand,' which is to say that much of the public facing work, as of now, has been on the marketing side," according to Weissman. As one Twitter user, writer Helen Donahue, asserted, "I'm losing it thinking about graphic designers being asked to design apologies but keep it 'on brand." Donahue also pointed to a similar apology posted by business coach Jenna Kutcher, which stated that she had been called out.
When Everlane was forced to speak out in response to claims that it had retaliated against employees for seeking to unionize, it issued a carefully designed series of Instagram posts, which – at first glance – appeared to mirror any of its other text-centric posts, such as those alerting followers about its plans to skip Black Friday or the recent post explaining why it is "going organic." Eyewear brand Krewe, which is said to be in the midst of a standoff with upwards of a dozen employees in regards to its approach to valuing (or better yet, not valuing) Black culture, just might follow suit.
It is almost impossible not to wonder whether these utterly-Instagrammable apologies are merely the latest efforts by brands to not only save face (and save their bottom-lines during an already-difficult time) but also to attempt to bolster the often-explicitly "mission" oriented nature of their operations. After all, aside from disrupting the traditional retail model by cutting out the middleman and going all-in on social media content-as-advertising, this morals or ethics-driven approach is a large part of what initially helped to set these companies apart from other, more established market entities.
The popularity of Reformation and Everlane, for instance, was helped along because of their self-professed dedication to sustainability (and in Everlane's case, transparency), particularly since market giants like Zara and H&M were coming under fire – and continue to come under fire – for their pioneering of cheap, disposable fashion, often made in sub-par workings conditions. These companies and their values-centric branding provided a cool alternative to that. As a result, such do-good elements have since become embedded in the identities of these brands and similarly-situated companies, which make them difficult to shed and also increasingly prove to be points of contention for consumers when they are not carried out consistently.
At the same time, broader expectations about how these companies conduct themselves have also entered into the mix given that they are marketing – and to some extent, profiting from – this larger message of morals, making allegations of racial discrimination and reported attempts to stand in the way of unionization efforts, for example, even more problematic.
With that in mind and considering the recurring need for these brands to make such apologetic statements (regardless of how heavily-branded they are), questions abound about the extent to which these companies' core consumer-facing value statements (i.e., the ones that they have build their brands upon at a truly foundational level) are anything more than good intentions paired with effective, millennial-targeted marketing; marketing that went largely unchecked until now.
Instances like this will almost certainly prove telling, particularly given that consumers are paying attention, maybe now more than ever before.


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A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) is Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, Goodness Agbi on Saturday accused the People Democratic Party (PDP) of deliberately manipulating the smart card reader during the bye-election to fill the vacant seat at the state House of Assembly.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted the bye-election as a result of the death of the former representing Isoko North Constituency and Majority Leader of the House, Tim Owhefere of the PDP.
Agbi said the initial mal-functioning of the card readers in some pulling units was the handwork of the ruling party in the state, alleging that the cards "were deliberately made not to work to give the PDP leverage to thumbprint ballot papers."
Alleging that there was massive thumbprinting of ballot papers in the various units by the PDP, Agbi said: "In Ozoro ward 02, they tore the clothes of one of our agents and it was the deliberate plan of the PDP to thumbprint."
But Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and PDP chieftain in the area, Nelson Egware described the allegations as part of the usual lies of the opposition party.
"Is PDP INEC? What is the fault of PDP? If card readers are not working, should PDP be blamed?
"When someone is falling, they usually look for something to hold on to. Those accusations are mere last kicks of a dying horse.
"In my unit, card readers worked and people voted. There was nothing like thumbprinting of ballot papers here and l believe that it is the same thing across the wards in the constituency," Egware said.
Addressing newsmen shortly after casting his vote in his Otibio unit 3, Chairman of the PDP in the locality, Godwin Ogorugba expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of voters for the exercise.
"I can assure you that PDP will win. This is a predominantly PDP area and the party candidate is well accepted. PDP has never lost any election in Isoko North.
"The performance of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has really energized the people to vote for PDP. The achievements of the governor speaks volumes," Ogorugba said.
On his part, the PDP candidate in the bye-election, Jude Ogbimi, who voted in Otibio unit 2, said he was impressed with the peaceful conduct of the election.
"My party, the PDP, is a great party. Delta State is PDP. "By the grace of God, l will win the election."
In areas monitored, the election was generally peaceful, with accreditation and voting commencing at about 8.30am.
Sun News


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After researching on-campus organizations, Sierra Boone was eager to join BlackBoard Magazine and the National Association of Black Journalists when she arrived at Northwestern University in fall 2013. But when she and a friend from her PA group, Jesse Sparks, spoke to Black upperclassmen, they were shocked to learn that there was no BlackBoard, and NABJ was functioning mainly as an exec board.
How could it be that one of the country's top journalism schools had no Black-interest student publication or thriving pre-professional group dedicated to Black student journalists? Alumni pointed out that during this time predominantly white publications didn't feel welcoming.
"A lot of people just wanted the opportunity to write and be Black and that was something that was not very easy to do," Boone says.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Boone approached Medill professor and former Blackboard editor-in-chief Charles Whitaker, an alum of both organizations, with a plan: revitalize NABJ and then BlackBoard. The next year, NABJ made its comeback and was nominated for Chapter of the Year. At an NABJ dinner at Professor Ava Greenwell-Thompson's house in fall 2014, Black faculty and students discussed the possibility of reviving BlackBoard.
"We were just talking about why BlackBoard had gone and what it was, and I remember Charles saying 'It's always just been about 10 kids and adults each year, and it hasn't gotten any better,'" says Princess-India Alexander, a Medill alumna who served as co-editor in chief of BlackBoard alongside Boone in the fall of 2016.
Over the next year, a core group of NABJ members — Sierra Boone, Carson Brown, Jesse Sparks and Rachelle Hampton, and Princess-India Alexander, Tyra Triche and Kali Robinson — turned NABJ exec meetings into BlackBoard planning meetings.
The complete story of how this handful of students resurrected Northwestern's second-oldest publication has not been well-documented. But they were certainly not the first to do so. In fact, the history of BlackBoard is a story of reviving legacies and voices in the Black community.
BlackBoard origins
"We had this beautiful legacy of a publication… and I'm like, 'We have to continue it. There was no other option."Sierra Boone
(Courtesy NU Archives and Shorefront Legacy Center)
Dino Robinson, Evanston historian and founder of Shorefront Legacy Center, pulled down several cardboard boxes filled with BlackBoard magazines. Before renovations began in 2016, these copies lived in the Black House, where BlackBoard refounders first discovered and reviewed them to determine what BlackBoard magazine should look, feel and sound like.
"We had this beautiful legacy of a publication," Boone says. "I was going to the Black House finding old issues of it from the 70s, the 80s, reading editors notes, and I'm like, 'this is literally some of the most beautiful history. We have to continue it. There was no other option."
In winter 1971, a small group of Black students labored over typewriters in the Black House to rush to the press their new, FMO-sponsored weekly newsletter: "The Black Board." They sought to renew Black communication across campus just as "Uhuru," Northwestern's first official Black student publication, had from 1968 – 1969.
Historically, Black students have enjoyed several overlapping Black publications. From 1970- 1973, FMO published a quarterly newspaper known as "Pajoma People." Until 2009, the Black Student Handbook provided information on all people, places and things to thrive at Northwestern. "New Senses," a Black student literary magazine, ran for 15 years and was briefly rekindled as "Visions and Voices" from 2006 to 2011.
As for BlackBoard, we can thank its longevity to a series of reincarnations in style and format, which were usually spearheaded by Black women.
Dean Whitaker ushered in one of its earliest formative changes in 1978 when he converted BlackBoard from a newspaper to a monthly news magazine. And, starting in 1983-1984, BlackBoard editors added a cover photo to each issue and a biweekly supplement called "BlackBeat" containing cartoons, editorials and poetry.
The update that ensured BlackBoard's survival into the new century began in December 1998, when it transformed into a glossy, 34-page magazine. And while BlackBoard's aimed to keep its diverse perspectives and urgent tone, staff experimented with font and design — to varying degrees of success, according to Robinson. As BlackBoard's advisor from 2001 to 2007, he set the layout, word counts, font, cover design and logo.
"I tried to make it like, 'Don't be intimidated by this,'" he says. "It can either go very easy or go very complicated; you can choose."
But as Robinson let go of the reins, the publication slowly faltered, especially without stable fundraising. While BlackBoard began publishing issues online starting in 2009, Dino doubted whether they could print many copies. In winter 2011, BlackBoard published its last issue for five years.
But besides a one-quarter gap, Black students didn't stop making a magazine. They simply renamed and rebranded. In the fall of 2011, a group primarily consisting of Black women founded "Pulse," a Black and multicultural publication. The constitution delineated expanded editing positions including for marketing, fashion, beauty and health, and writers.
They published five issues between then and 2014, before going completely online and fizzling out as seniors graduated. Many of those who would go on to restore BlackBoard initially worked on Pulse Magazine, but felt it could not measure up to having a publication specifically for and by Black students.
"There had been, lot of great initiative and effort to create something really cool of 'Pulse,' but we wanted to kind of take it back to its roots back to its origins," Sparks says.
Making the dream team
It was decided: BlackBoard would keep the mission statement of earlier iterations, and embody the artistry of the Black community in each issue. Sparks and Boone poured over indie magazines for inspiration. Sparks says this organic process set the precedent for design and layout that matched the content, not the other way around.
"BlackBoard had the opportunity and the ability to really evolve and change, and I think in some ways evolve and change at a much more rapid pace than some other publications," he says.
While envisioning the new magazine, Boone reached out to former BlackBoard editors hoping to gain wisdom and advice. Kyra Kyles, now CEO of YR Media and former editor-in-chief of Ebony, advised her to make BlackBoard "something that can cause us to have a dialogue with one another," Boone recalls. "Because uniting us doesn't mean that we all have to embody monolithic thoughts or beliefs."
Alexander remembers the moment when she came up with the magazine's theme, "Elevate," while scouring for inspiration pictures on social media. "It was like this group of these four Black people all dressed in white just jumping at once, and we had the same Medill, artistic, magazine geek moment," Alexander says. "Elevate! It has to be our theme!"
But the first revived edition of BlackBoard would not arrive until December 2016. But until then, the BlackBoard planning team mustered support from current and incoming Black Medill students. This wasn't difficult according to Alexander, who says, "there's so much Black talent on campus that it's like you could throw a stone and just hit someone."
Lauren Harris, thenfreshman and current artist and animator, created the website in March 2016. She also assisted fellow freshman and digital storyteller Courtney Morrison with the photoshoot for the first few editions.
"It was potluck style," Harris says. "Everyone has these various skills, and it's like, we're not picky."
That same spring, prospective student Debbie- Marie Brown, connected with NABJ treasurer and then-junior Carson Brown, who persuaded her by text to attend Northwestern and join BlackBoard instead of New York University. "She's like… explaining to me through texts this deep history of the Black community and Black journalism at Northwestern," she says.
Brown says she joined BlackBoard knowing that she would want to be editor-in-chief, which she was from fall 2018 to fall 2019. "I feel like BlackBoard wasn't huge on campus… but it was huge to me," Brown says. "I felt cool because these seniors wanted to take care of me."
However, there was still the everlasting hurdle: funding. In order to print at least 200 magazines, they needed to raise nearly $2,000 per issue. Some of that money came from FMO, motivating BlackBoard leaders to make letters from the FMO coordinator a staple in each magazine issue.
But the most memorable and culturally significant source of money came from cooking and selling soul food. For the team's first fundraiser, they spent hours in a cramped apartment kitchen chopping turkey legs and stewing 25 pounds of collard greens hauled straight from the Southside. Alexander says the whole experience incentivized them to stick to macaroni and cheese and cornbread down the line.
"We made mac and cheese over the winter, and we were trying to study for finals at the same time, and we burned a whole pot of mac and cheese sauce and had to start over at midnight, and then we pulled an all-nighter," Alexander says. "It was fun."
Midway through the fall quarter, BlackBoard reached out to Black students on campus to be models, searched Chicago Army Supply for cheap, size-inclusive clothing, and found student makeup artist Darcelle Pluviose, to pull the photoshoot together.
Still, challenges arose. Sparks, who was also juggling a full-time journalism residency, could no longer design the magazine as planned. Alexander says she designed much of the magazine, despite having "never designed a damn thing before."
Nevertheless, at the end of fall 2016, BlackBoard distributed hundreds of polished magazines across campus.
"When we got the copies back, that was kind of like the deep breath of happiness after all," Boone says. "I still remember standing at the arch with Princess-India and passing them out, and just being elated just to have something."
BlackBoard today
As leaders transitioned out of positions and graduated, however, remaining members had to work zealously to sustain the publication. Brown says Alexander was "so good at doing everything herself," that it left shoes too big to fill for everyone else, especially the next sole editor-in-chief in winter 2018: Aaron Lewis. In fact, that issue didn't get printed.
"At that time, the editor in chief was typically doing most of the work on the actual magazine design as well in addition to writing the cover story," Lewis says.
The next season, Kali Robinson and Tyra Ritchie split the editor-in-chief role before passing on the weighty role to Brown. Similar to Alexander, Brown began designing nearly the entire magazine herself — a situation she now regrets.
"When someone does all the work, it causes tension in the personal relationships," Brown reflected. "India carried that magazine, and you can't carry magazine and train staff at the same time."
Still, BlackBoard alumni say that they left their roles with the confidence that the magazine would continue to thrive. After all, no one thought there would be a shortage of Black creatives and writers on Northwestern's campus.
"If anything, the story of BlackBoard is so much more the story of Black women's ingenuity and commitment to reinventing something for themselves and creating a service that other people in the Black community can benefit from and invest in," Sparks says.
From FMO coordinators that funded the magazine into existence to the recent editors who create stories centered on the intersection of queerness and multicultural identities — BlackBoard archives document a legacy of visionary Black women. Whether through editorials, poetry, or photography, BlackBoard has also evolved throughout the ages to give Black students a platform to express, discover, and exercise creative control.
"The best part about the relaunch endeavors is just that it, If nothing else…it will always continue to be as a place for Black students to land, for them to learn, to grow," Sparks says.


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