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Shelter in need of donations to pay for vet bills – Times Herald-Record

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

By Mary Esparra| For the Times Herald-Record

Another week, and more cats in need of medical care. Mid Hudson Animal Aid cat shelter in Beacon is struggling to pay for vet bills for two of its felines.

Rocky came to MHAA June 16 with a spiral humeral fracture in his right arm. The 3-month-old brown tabby kittens arm was dangling.

It was a pretty serious injury, said MHAA Manager Jamie Martinez. He had to see an orthopedic surgeon.

Within two days, Rocky had surgery at the Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers to repair the fracture, which included putting in screws and a plate.

Its one of those things, when somebody shows up with an injured kitten, you know its going to be expensive, said Martinez, but you cant turn away. We couldnt just live with a broken leg like that. The other option wouldve been to amputate, you can do euthanasia, but when the surgeon says its repairable, thats something were going to do for him.

After surgery, Rockys arm was iced multiple times a day, and he was put on pain medication.

Rocky is healing, walking well and Martinez hopes he will be back to full activity after his next recheck.

Hes a very sweet, friendly kitten, she said. Hes playful but a bit needy, always wanting attention and affection. He gets some supervised time in a playpen every day. He enjoys that, but he cant be running and jumping. For a young kitten, its a faster healing process than for an adult cat.

Although MHAA has an approved application on Rocky, applications are still being accepted on him. He hasnt been tested with other cats, dogs or kids but is a happy, playful kitten who would probably do well with everyone.

Gloria, a 4-year-old feral brown tabby, came to MHAA in May after a good Samaritan found her in Beacon with mouth issues.

She looked horrific, said Martinez, with a horrible drool. This cat really needed some help.

Gloria was trapped and brought to the vet, who thought it could be cancerous. After a biopsy, it turned out to be stomatitis, a severe inflammation of the gums and mouth.

That is something treatable, said Martinez. She had to have a dental with all her teeth extracted, as well as the inflamed tissue.

Gloria no longer needs a feeding tube and eats without pain. She is still on medications and will have another recheck with her vet in August.

She is available for adoption or foster to a quiet home willing and able to continue her medication and vet visits. She hasnt been tested with kids, other cats or dogs, as she has been in isolation.

Shes healing well, and she will stay here (if she doesnt find a home), she said. She couldnt stay living on the streets like she was; she desperately needed help.

Donations are needed to help with Rocky and Glorias vet bills and can be sent to Mid Hudson Animal Aid, 54 Simmons Lane, Beacon, NY 12508 or at midhudsonanimalaid.org.

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Shelter in need of donations to pay for vet bills - Times Herald-Record

This ‘dying’ ex-FTSE 250 share has crashed 90%. I think it may be a bargain! – Yahoo Finance UK

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

One of the most unpleasant investing clubs is the 90% Club, which includes companies whose share prices have fallen by nine-tenths or more. Many FTSE 250 and even FTSE 100 firms have tumbled into the 90% Club.

A few of these fallen angels rise again, and some go on to greater glory. A sizeable proportion become fallen devils and their share prices never recover, as an old rule of the stock market says, A share that has fallen 90% can fall another 90%. The 90% Clubs worst members go on to lose all of their value.

One recent recruit to the 90% Club is former FTSE 250 member Dignity (LSE: DTY), which has lost its good name as well as over 90% of its market value.

After Co-op Funeralcare, Dignity is one of the UKs leading funeral directors. (By the way, never confuse Dignity with Dignitas, which is the Swiss euthanasia assisted dying provider.)

When Dignity floated in 2004, I recommended its shares to Fool readers (article since archived). I argued that customers were quite literally dying to use its services at a rate of 50,000 a month.

By raising prices steadily above inflation, Dignity and other funeral providers made their services ever more expensive. By October 2016, its shares had risen more than tenfold, peaking at around 2,820p. This valued Dignity at around 1.4bn, placing it firmly within the FTSE 250 index.

Endlessly pushing up prices worked a treat for Dignity shareholders until it didnt. In March 2019, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an in-depth investigation into funerals. This sent its shares plunging, coming on top of steep falls in 2017 and 2018.

Dignity shares now trade at 270p, down 90.5% from their all-time high. During the market collapse earlier this year, they dipped to 210.5p on 6 April. Also, they are down nearly three-fifths (58%) over the past 12 months. Today, Dignity is worth a mere 135m.

Youd expect a much higher death rate to be positive for funeral-care providers. But lockdown restrictions mean that big, well-attended events are forbidden. As Dignity makes big profits from extras and add-ons, having basic, low-priced funerals has brutally bashed its business model.

For many firms, the 90% Club is a lobster pot they fall into and never escape. But a few hardy survivors turn their situation around and get out of this trap. While its extremely difficult to differentiate between recovery shares and fallen devils, I think Dignity has a decent chance of becoming a defensive business again.

Dignity expects continued downward pressure on the average price of funerals and cremations. At todays 270p, its shares are priced more for Armaggedon than heaven, but they are cheap as chips.

In 2019, Dignity turned over 339m and made pre-tax profit of 44.1m, which generated earnings per share (EPS) of 69.8p. If EPS dived to just 50p in 2020, Dignity shares would have a price-to-earnings ratio of just 5.4. The dividend, cancelled in 2019, is unlikely to reappear before late 2021 at the earliest.

For me, Dignitys shares can grow sustainably from this rebased level, not least because its a fairly simple business. Also, many of its smaller rivals may go bust or be taken over to boost Dignitys market share. As a high-risk bet, this former FTSE 250 share is not suitable for all, but Id buy Dignity shares today.

The post This dying ex-FTSE 250 share has crashed 90%. I think it may be a bargain! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Both the COVID-19 pandemic and excessive heat advisories has brought forth many challenges to Concho Valley Paws – ConchoValleyHomepage.com

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

The pet adoption center will continue to provide updates accordingly

by: Mark Brown

SAN ANGELO, Texas From the excessive heat advisories to the recent increase in daily COVID-19 cases, Concho Valley Paws could be dealing with some of their greatest challenges ahead.

Even though things may be shutting down and hours can be restricted, we have to continue to move animals, because animals continue to come into the shelter, Concho Valley Paws executive director Jenie Wilson said. And so its really easy to get into a population crisis. If animals are coming in, then we dont have them going out for adoption and transport.

Being in a high population area like San Angelo has kept Concho Valley Paws away from euthanasia, which is their number one objective. COVID-19 concerns forced the pet adoption center to make adjustments.

We have changed our services and changed our hours, so that its very friendly to the volunteer and the adopter, Wilson said. Everything can be done online, and through the phone and we just arranged for you to pick up the pet.

With daily heat advisories not disappearing anytime soon, C-V Paws will do everything they can in keeping their pets safe.

All of the animals are inside an air controlled environment so theyre comfortable in the air conditioning, Wilson said. We have outdoor kennels here that we utilize to showcase animals, but then we restrict their time unfortunately. When we have a lot of heat like this we see a drop in volunteers.

This pandemic has caused a lot of uncertainty amongst the entire pet adoption service, meaning theyll constantly issue new updates to potential pet adopters.

Since we cant have our adoption events every Thursday at 10am, were doing virtual adoptions where were showcasing animals that the staff selects their favorites, Wilson said. Those animals are offered for free for that week from Thursday to Thursday.

For more information, visit https://cvpaws.org/

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Both the COVID-19 pandemic and excessive heat advisories has brought forth many challenges to Concho Valley Paws - ConchoValleyHomepage.com

Dad survives mauling by 450-POUND bear that wandered into familys kitchen – The Sun

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

A COLORADO dad survived a vicious pummeling by 450-pound bear that was wandering around the kitchen this week.

On Friday, Dave Chernosky, 54, miraculously lived after coming across the enormous animal checking out the contents of his fridge.

Chernosky described his shocking encounter with the dark brown bear in Aspen after a suspicious noise alerted him to its presence downstairs.

"I was asleep and heard something in the kitchen. And I just kind of laid there thinking, 'Okay, something's wrong,'" Chernosky told Good Morning America.

"So I went to the kitchen, saw the bear there. He was already in the fridge and cupboards and stuff like that.

"My kids were in the basement, so I wanted to make sure he stayed upstairs."

The brave father-of-two recalled he tried to coax the wild creature into the garage and away from his loved ones.

But the frightened animal panicked when he hit the garage door opener, ran back inside, and attacked him.

"I literally thought I might be dead," Chernosky told ABC11. "It felt like a brick hit me in the head.

"As soon as we looked at each other, he just smacked me with his paw one time.

"And after I got out of the way and started yelling, he left," said the dad who suffered cuts to his face and neck.

He dialed 911, telling the dispatcher "a bear came in here and he hit me with his paw so I'm bleeding."

It felt like a brick hit me in the head.

Chernosky was rushed to Aspen Valley Hospital before being transferred by ambulance to St Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction.

There, he had stitches on his cheek, jaw, ear and back but is set to make a full recovery after his wild encounter.

"Luckily, the bear wasn't really after me," he said.

Matt Yamashita, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) area manager, said authorities responded to the incident at around 3am.

The investigation into how the nosy bear entered the home is underway but the department found the animal and euthanized it.

Chernosky's battle with the black bear marks the second attack in recent days.

Near Manitou Springs, an area south of Denver, a woman was attacked by a bear on Saturday morning.

Officers caught the bear near the scene of the attack using trained dogs to sniff her out.

The sow was put down with "humane" euthanasia when wildlife officers caught it nearby.

Wildlife authorities there said the woman was "very lucky" to leave the attack with minor injuries.

The bear's baby cubs were taken to a rehabilitation center and will be trained to avoid human contact to avoid meeting the same fate as their mom.

Local authorities have urged people not to leave trash or food out where the hungry animals can access it.

"Black bears are not naturally aggressive, but they are strong, powerful animals," CPW notes on its Camping and Hiking advisory. "A bear intent on getting a meal can easily injure someone who gets in its way.

"Every year, bears that become too comfortable around people have to be destroyed.

"Every time were forced to destroy a bear, its not just the bear that loses. We all lose a little piece of the wildness that makes Colorado so special."

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Bears have to eat 20,000 calories a day to prep themselves for the lean winter season, which is a late summer or early fall feeding frenzy known as "hyperphagia."

There have been 1,809 bear reports in Colorado and 1,323 of these have come in since June 1, according to CPW records cited by The Coloradoan.

But the last fatal bear attack on a human there was over a decade ago in 2009.

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Dad survives mauling by 450-POUND bear that wandered into familys kitchen - The Sun

Heartbroken daughter had to watch dad die like ‘a tortured animal’ – Nottinghamshire Live

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

A heartbroken daughter said she had to watch her elderly dad die like "a tortured animal" and has called for an inquiry into assisted dying.

Jo Bucklow, 60, from Gedling, witnessed her father, Ian Bucklow, 94, suffer a painful death from terminal prostate cancer in the summer of 2019.

Mrs Bucklow, a shiatsu practitioner, said she believes that had assisted dying been an option for terminally ill adults then he wouldn't have gone through seven days of torture leading up to his death.

Her dad - who flew Spitfires in World War II and was also responsible for visiting crash sites of RAF pilots - was described as "a very brainy, academic type" and was a teacher up until the point he got really sick in 2018.

The cancer had spread to his lungs and he was sent from a hospital to a hospice for his end of life care.

But when the medication failed to stablise him, Mrs Bucklow said she was forced to watch him die painfully rather than peacefully.

She said: "The hospice was amazing.

"On one Sunday night, he was chatty, normal and pretty awesome and then I came back on the Monday morning and he was in an absolutely appalling state.

"He was thrashing around. We had to hold him down while the medication took effect.

"But the medicine did not work. He showed constant signs of distress and looked like a tortured animal. You could not believe that is legal.

"If I did that to my dog I would be prosecuted. Assisted dying could have been there to help my dad. There was no peace at all.

"He had the most wonderful life but the worst death imaginable."

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She added: "My dads carers would continue to up the dose of drugs he was on but it never seemed to be enough to make him comfortable or alleviate his suffering.

"My dad was still conscious when began to gasp for breath, and kept displaying signs of distress up until his death. It must have been utterly torturous for him.

"I have been present at the death of other people, and in comparison, my fathers suffering as he died was traumatising.

"It was the most horrific thing I have ever witnessed and I am still recovering from the experience."

Both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal under English law.

She said assisted dying would give terminally ill people another option when their pain at the end of life cannot be managed or tolerated any further.

"It is unspeakably cruel that we deny dying people this choice and an inquiry into the ban on assisted dying is urgently needed," she added.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said: "The coronavirus pandemic has made all of us confront our own mortality.

"We have had to come to terms with a sense of powerlessness, fear, and anxiety over an uncertain future. We have been shocked at how some have died from Covid-19: frightened; isolated; feeling like doctors are making decisions for them, not with them. But this is precisely what terminally ill people already face under the UKs ban on assisted dying.

"Our dying citizens are denied choice and control at a time they need it most and are instead forced to resort to drastic measures which often leave them dying in secret, alone, terrified and in pain.

"And what were already limited options fraught with risk and stress, such as travelling to Dignitas, have been made even more so by current restrictions.

"As we begin to emerge from the worst of this pandemic, the time is now for a grown-up conversation about the fact we are getting dying wrong in this country, and how we can at last fix our broken laws."

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Heartbroken daughter had to watch dad die like 'a tortured animal' - Nottinghamshire Live

Astronomers Spot Strange Space Object, Have No Idea What It Is – Popular Mechanics

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

An international team of astronomers claims to have discovered a new type of celestial object.

Scientists first spotted the objects, which they've dubbed "Odd Radio Circles" (ORCs), in the heaps of data that were collected during a preliminary survey by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder's Evolutionary Map of the Universe project, reports Live Science. The ORCs are mostly circular (one is shaped like a disc) and three of them are brighter around the edges.

The mysterious objects can only be spotted with radio telescopes. They're completely invisible to X-ray, optical and infrared telescopes. What's more, they "do not seem to correspond to any known type of object," the researchers write in their paper, which was published on the preprint website, arXiv.

"Circular features are well-known in radio astronomical images, and usually represent a spherical object such as a supernova remnant, a planetary nebula, a circumstellar shell, or a face-on disc such as a protoplanetary disc or a star-forming galaxy," the researchers write.

Norris et. al, 2020

The team combed through other sources of data to see if they could spot anything similar. That's when they found the fourth circle, tucked away in data gathered in 2013 by the Giant MetreWave Radio Telescope in India. The ORCs have been spotted in data from other radio telescopes around the world, ruling out the possibility that a telescopic glitch could have caused the readings.

So what could these strange sightings be?

In their paper, the team runs through a list of scenarios that could account for the mysterious ORCs. They rule out supernova remnants and galactic planetary nebulas because of their rarity. Several of the ORCs were spotted in one image, so if they turned out to be supernova remnants or galactic planetary nebulas, that would suggest that these objects are way more common than previously thought.

"[I]f the ORCs are [supernova remnants (SNRs)], which they strongly resemble, then this implies a population of SNRs in the Galaxy some 50 times larger than the currently accepted figure, or else a new class of SNR which has not previously been reported," they write.

Instead, the team suspects that ORCs may be a type of circular spherical wave which appeared in the aftermath of an extra-galactic transient event, like a powerful neutron star merger. They could also be a combination of different phenomena.

Alternatively, we could just be looking at a known object from a different perspective. "It is also possible that the ORCs represent a new category of a known phenomenon, such as the jets of a radio galaxy or blazar when seen end-on, down the barrel of the jet," they write.

One thing is clear: we need a lot more observations to unravel what exactly these objects might be.

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Astronomers Spot Strange Space Object, Have No Idea What It Is - Popular Mechanics

AWAKN Life Sciences Partners with Drug Science in the UK – Yahoo Finance

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

Science-led Drugs Charity Invites AWAKN to Join Its Working Group on Psychedelics

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 16, 2020) - AWAKN Life Sciences Inc ("AWAKN"), the psychedelic healthcare company focused on the UK and European markets, announced the new partnership to coincide with Drug Science's inaugural Psychedelics Working Group meeting that took place this week on 14th July 2020.

Founded in 2010 by Professor David Nutt, Drug Science works to provide evidence for widespread application of psychedelic drugs within public health models. Its aim is to break the barriers of 50 years of medical censorship by creating a rational and enlightened approach to psychedelic research and clinical treatment.

AWAKN's Chief Medical Officer, Psychedelic Psychiatrist Dr. Ben Sessa will be the representative for the company alongside patient representatives, policy makers, scientists and healthcare professionals. The group shall be designing campaigns that will ultimately lead to the rescheduling of all psychedelic drugs for research and medical purposes.

Dr. Ben Sessa said of the new partnership, "A systematic overhaul of the current scheduling of psychedelic compounds is required so these medicines can be used to heal, not harm. We must reverse the nonsensical censorship of psychedelics so that life changing medicines and medical pathways can be realised. Working with Drug Science will exponentially assist progress."

The invite to join Drug Science comes following the recent appointment of Drug Science founder, Professor David Nutt, as chairman of AWAKN's Scientific Advisory Board.

About AWAKN Life Sciences Inc

AWAKN is a UK and European focused company that is dedicated to integrating psychedelics into mental healthcare. We work across three business lines of clinical research, therapeutic clinics and practitioner training.

More Information:

Anthony Tennyson | CEOanthony@awaknlifesciences.comawaknlifesciences.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/59911

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AWAKN Life Sciences Partners with Drug Science in the UK - Yahoo Finance

Netflix’s ‘Have a Good Trip’ Takes an Unbiased Look Into Drug Use – Study Breaks

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

Post Views: 846

Millennials and Gen Z alike have grown up hearing about the trippin hippies of the 1960s. For many, drugs like LSD remain a tie-dyed, kaleidoscope-filled idea most commonly associated with the decade. However, psychedelics arent as stuck in the 60s as one might think. There are still countless people experimenting with psychedelics today, and with a number of qualified experts and investigators engaging in extensive research on various hallucinogenic drugs, it is likely that it will only become that much more common.

Surprised? Intrigued? Scared? The good news is that you dont need to be a qualified scientist or even come within a 10-mile radius of the drug to learn about LSD. The 2020 Netflix documentary, Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics is a one hour and 25-minute film dedicated to exploring the world of hallucinogenic drugs. Written and directed by Donick Cary, the documentary provides its audience with a wide variety of anecdotes, opinions, tips, facts and myths about psychedelics.

With a resemblance to Bill Nye the Science Guy, the documentary successfully balances both humor and knowledge. While the use of hallucinogens is controversial (and not to mention illegal in many places around the world), Have a Good Trip attempts to give viewers unbiased information to assess the pros and cons of getting high, or tripping, on hallucinogenic drugs.

Perhaps the most alluring aspect of the documentary is the impressive array of celebrities willing to share their experiences with psychedelics. With names like Sting, Sarah Silverman, Carrie Fisher, Nick Kroll, Anthony Bourdain and A$AP Rocky, Have a Good Trip becomes engaging, personable and modern. Each star gives a personal anecdote, along with some hard-learned lessons they feel are important to pass on.

From the start of the film, it becomes apparent that there are a variety of ways that people might experience tripping. Some stories are hilarious. For example, writer and actor Nick Kroll joins the cast to recount the day he took magic mushrooms at the beach with his buddies. He explains that he knew the drugs had kicked in when his friends covered him in seaweed and he didnt care. As a matter of fact, he loved it.

I became The Kelp Monster. I couldnt even fathom wanting to remove this fing detritus from the sea, said Kroll. The next day I woke up covered in red welts because I had been covered in sea kelp for 45 minutes. Krolls story is interrupted by his own laughter and intentional self-deprecation.

The tone shifts in an interview with singer and songwriter Sting, who seems to have had a much more spiritual experience.

Sting recalls a time when he took peyote (a small species of cactus with hallucinogenic properties and a rich history of spiritual and medicinal usage) and found himself in a barn near his house assisting a pregnant cow in giving birth.

When we finally got the steer out, his mother breathed a sigh of relief, and for me, the entire universe had cracked open. It was like the meaning of life, Sting explained. I think what the psychedelic experience does is it takes the me out of me and it. You realize that everything [] is connected.

While most of the interviewees in Have a Good Trip seem to feel enlightened by, or at the very least, have enjoyed psychedelics, there is a noticeable effort to show both sides of the coin. Most of the celebrities have a metaphorical asterisk attached to their stories and the documentary makes sure to emphasize these addendums with viewers safety in mind.

For example, comedian Sarah Silverman thinks its an important rule to never drive while tripping. While this may seem obvious, she and many others give specific details of how dangerous it can be.

Silverman confesses about a time when her friend drove her home while the pair tripped on acid. We get to a stoplight [] and he has forgotten how to drive. We were thinking, How do cars work? We know how cars work?

Although there is a consistent comedic edge to the majority of the interviews, it is pieces of advice like Silvermans that provide sincerity and thoughtfulness to the film. Some tips might be as small as to never look in a mirror while tripping, while others might be as big as to never experiment with psychedelics at all.

Actor Ben Stiller describes his bad experience with LSD. Unlike Sting, Kroll and many others, Stillers piece of advice is to forgo hallucinogenic drugs altogether.

I was hoping for some sort of psychedelic revelation [] with some amazing imagery and some sort of opening into some other form of consciousness, says Stiller. It was not that at all. It was just fear and anxiety being amplified. Who needs that?

Stillers warning proves that, while viewers can certainly learn a lot by listening to the films interviewees, there isnt one consistent experience that all people have while tripping.

Along with the opinions of various stars, there are also a handful of qualified experts to give their two cents. Most notably is Dr. Charles Grob, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA. Grob is an investigator of hallucinogens as medicine and focuses much of his research on the way that psychedelic drugs can treat mental illness.

With published work, including an FDA-approved experiment helping cancer patients with reactive anxiety, Grob is one of the many scientists working to understand the way certain stigmatized drugs if used correctly may actually open a world of healing opportunities.

I think it was a shame that the prior generation of psychedelic investigators were abruptly stopped in their tracks because they were onto some very important discoveries, said Grob. He and many others hope for a future with an increase in safe and approved research of psychedelic drugs.

Whether or not you want the same future as Grob is up to you. In the meantime, Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics is the perfect documentary for those interested in learning about the world of psychedelics from a distance.

Without officially approving of those who choose to experiment with hallucinogens, the film offers an unbiased insight into psychedelic drug use. The only clear stance made by the people of the film is this whether high on acid or on life, they want you to have a good trip.

Americans Increase LSD Use–and a Bleak Outlook for the World May Be to Blame – Scientific American

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

In the years leading up to the roaring 2020s, young people were once again dropping acid. Onetime Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary died almost 25 years ago, after which some of his ashes were launched into space. But from 2015 to 2018, the rate of turning on and tuning in with LSD, to paraphrase Leary, increased by more than 50 percent in the U.S.a rise perhaps fueled by a need for chemical escapism. Those results were published in the July issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The authors of the study suspect that many users may be self-medicating with the illegal substance to find relief from depression, anxiety and general stress over the state of the world.

LSD is used primarily to escape. And given that the worlds on fire, people might be using it as a therapeutic mechanism, says Andrew Yockey, a doctoral candidate in health education at the University of Cincinnati and lead author of the paper. Now that COVIDs hit, Id guess that use has probably tripled.

To arrive at their findings, Yockey and his colleagues turned to data collected from more than 168,000 American adults by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual, nationally representative questionnaire. They analyzed trends since 2015, partly because of the timing of the 2016 presidential election.

The researchers found that past-year LSD use increased by 56 percent over three years. The rise was especially pronounced in certain user groups, including people with college degrees (who saw a 70 percent increase) and people aged 26 to 34 (59 percent), 35 to 49 (223 percent) and 50 or older (45 percent). Younger people aged 18 to 25, on the other hand, decreased their use by 24 percent.

A 1960s-level drug-fueled counterculture revolution probably will not be sweeping the nation anytime soon; the number of Americans using LSD in a given year still remains less than 1 percent of the total adult population. LSD is a lot less popular today than it was in the late 1960s and 1970s, says Joseph Palamar, a drug researcher at NYU Langone Health, who was not involved in the new study. In the late 1970s, for example, Palamar says, 10 percent of high school seniors reported ever using LSD, compared with 6 percent today.

Palamar says the drop in use over that longer period was not necessarily driven by declining interest in psychedelics. Rather it likely occurred because there are newer drugs available, such as the psychedelic 2C-B, that have displaced LSD. However, LSD is perhaps the most popular psychedelic of all time, and its never going away, he adds.

Similar to psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms), recreational LSD users may turn to the drug not only to escape but also to understand the full capacity of their minds and to improve their well-being, says David Nutt, a neuropsychopharmacologist at Imperial College London, who was not involved in the new study. LSD is often easier to acquire than psilocybin, thoughand it is also easier to carry around than a bag of dried mushrooms, he notes.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health does not ask users why they took LSD or how large of a dose they consumed. Nutt suspects that the rising popularity of microdosing could explain the overall increase in LSD use. Microdosing involves taking amounts ranging from less than one tenth to half of a trip dose of a psychedelic drugusually in an attempt to sharpen the mind, increase creativity or reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Palamar, on the other hand, hypothesizes that an uptick in LSD use is more likely related to growing participation in the dance festival scene. In a study published in April, he and his co-author found that past-year LSD used increased from 10 to 17 percent among attendees of electronic dance music parties in New York City between 2016 and 2019.

Yockey points out that the increase in LSD use does not have to be attributed to either microdosing or partying alone; both could be playing a role. Maybe people are going to a Phish concert and taking a full dose of LSD, or theyre going to work and microdosing, he says. And some may also be encouraged to use the drug after reading about studies exploring the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances. Most of this research centers around shorter-acting psilocybin, which is in current or planned clinical trials for treating depression, anxiety, anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, certain severe headaches, and addiction to smoking, cocaine and alcohol. Studies involving LSD are more limited, not because the substance lacks potential as a therapeutic agent, Nutt says, but because research on it is virtually impossible in most countries. And in turn, the drug appears to carry more stigma as a result of having less research associated with its therapeutic use.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies LSD as a Schedule I drug, or one defined as having a serious risk of abuse and no accepted medical value. Significant research shows that the substance is not physically addictive, however, and that LSD overdoses are generally not considered life-threatening and subside within 72 hours. In some cases, people who accidentally overdose on the drug have even reported long-term improvements, according to a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. In 2015, for example, a 49-year old woman reportedly took 550 times the normal recreational dose of LSD because she mistook it for a line of cocaine. According to CNN, after being incapacitated for about a day, the woman said that chronic pain she had suffered in her feet and ankles, caused by Lyme disease, had significantly improved. It just shows that LSD is not that harmful drug that everyone makes it out to be, Yockey says. Of course, there are well-publicized exceptions: for example, the drug can worsen symptoms of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Of the handful of studies that have been conducted on LSDs effects and therapeutic potential, many findings are encouraging. A 2014 paper concluded that LSD administered in a medical setting is safe and can bring lasting benefits. Meanwhile a 2015 study observed that the drug enhanced the emotion evoked from listening to musican effect the authors believed could be useful for psychedelic-assisted therapy. And a 2017 paper found that LSD, when taken in a controlled setting, increased sociability, trust and feelings of openness. The authors also reported that it reduced anxiety for two months in patients with life-threatening diseases and did not cause complications in a medical context. Similar to psilocybin, other evidence indicates that LSD could be used to alleviate depression and anxiety, treat alcohol dependence and reduce symptoms of autism.

LSD might be a panacea to anxiety and other psychological disorders, Yockey says. But as a Schedule I drug, theres just so much red tape behind that that some researchers Ive talked to who want to do LSD research say its not even worth it.

Yockey calls for a depoliticizing of LSD, which would make studies of its therapeutic potential and its effects on recreational users possible. At the same time, he says, efforts to reduce drug use should focus on more harmful substances such as methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanylall of which also seem to be on the rise. These drugs can kill you, LSD cannot, Yockey says. We need to rectify our messaging.

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Americans Increase LSD Use--and a Bleak Outlook for the World May Be to Blame - Scientific American

Stigma Cited As Primary Obstacle In Women Gamblers Seeking Recovery Facilities – Inkedin

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

Research commissioned by GambleAware and conducted by YouGov has been published, with the goal of establishing adeeper understanding of womenand gambling experiences.

The study found that more than one-third (35 percent) of female gamblers, experiencing high rates of harm and having an 8 + PGSI score, are from a BAME background, compared to 12 percentof the overall female population.

tThis same pattern is also observed among male gamblers, with 29 percent of men with an 8 + PGSI score coming from a BAME background, compared to 12 percentof men overall.

Stigma was cited as an overwhelming reason not to access treatment services, with researchers reporting that this rationale had been cited by a higher proportion of women than men.

Two in five (39 percent) female problem gamblers said feeling ashamed or not wanting people to find out about their gambling was a main obstacle, compared to just over one in five (22 percent) male problem gamblers, among those who didnt want medication, advice or encouragement to help them cut their gambling.

However, it is especially important for female problem gamblers to realise that counselling and care will be confidential, with one in five (20 percent) believing this would be a key motivating factor.

GamCare CEO Anna Hemmings explained: This report has highlighted not only the challenges that need to be overcome, but also the opportunities available to service providers to help increase take-up of treatment and support to help reduce and prevent gambling harms among women.

Across our treatment network, in line with the National Gambling Treatment Service, we are working with women to better understand the barriers they may face when it comes to seeking advice or help for their gambling, or experience as an affected other, so that we can continue to ensure they have access the services they need, regardless of their gender or background.

In addition, it was also found that eight percent of women fall into the category of affected others, those who experience harm as a result of gambling by someone else, and that 16 percent of them came from a BAME background

Researchers have found that women are more negatively affected by a close family members gambling than men, with 35 percentof all females affected, compared to only 9 percentof males, being negatively affected by a spouses or partners gambling.

It was found, however, that men were more likely to be affected by a friends or flatmates gambling than women, with 33 percentciting this, compared to just 9 percentof women. Among those affected by a parents gambling, 88 percent of women said this had a moderate or severe negative impact, compared to 75 percent of men.

GambleAware CEO Marc Etches said on the findings: This research indicates that women, particularly in the capacity as an affected other, experience gambling harms in different ways to men and this report is an important first step in understanding those differences.

This research was commissioned to help treatment providers, such as those operating via the National Gambling Treatment Service, address any barriers people may face when it comes to accessing help and support for their gambling and it is essential that services are flexible and meet the needs of individuals.

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Stigma Cited As Primary Obstacle In Women Gamblers Seeking Recovery Facilities - Inkedin

Former Mountaineer executive Ted Arneault joins start-up gambling firm – The Daily Times

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

WHEELING Gaming executive Ted Arneault has joined a start-up companys efforts aimed at bringing gambling and additional revenue to West Virginias bars and restaurants.

Officials with PropMe has announced they and Arneault have finalized a partnership that brings him on as a partner to provide advisory services for PropMes licensing and financing efforts.

PropMe has plans to bring gambling in the form of wagering to bars and restaurants in the state. Their games wouldnt be limited to just sports wagering, but would involve pick em type contests and questions.

PropMe is presently seeking a license to operate in West Virginia, and its partnership with Arneault should provide both needed clout and capital, according to David Ealy, creator and co-founder of PropMeLLC. The current coronavirus pandemic caused delays in the companys licensing pursuits, he said.

Really, we are recovering from COVID-19, Ealy said. What it did was give us the opportunity to meet with Ted Arneault. He was interested for a number of reasons, and the break actually gave us a chance to introduce ourselves and meet with him.

We came to an agreement to bring him on board for cash and equity play in PropMe, so he will be on our team.

Ealy said Arneaults role will be to raise significant cash needed by PropMe.

The not-so-subtle implication is Ted raised $450 million for his bid for Mountaineer (Racetrack and Gaming Resort in Hancock County), he said. It gives us immediate access to Teds investment banking network.

Those people who are considering working with us to get licensing can be rest assured that we will have access to capital. We will be able to expand and grow.

Arneault also has a wealth of experience in the gambling industry, according to Ealy.

Ted has navigated these waters for over 25 years. His official title is going to be adviser he is going to be on the advisory board. His primary responsibility will be helping us with the financing and plugging us in to his investment banking network. His second role will be strategic stuff on the board. It will be a great fit for him, based on his experience.

The down time resulting from the coronavirus pandemic also forced PropMe to refocus its business plan, Ealy said.

Instead of working with more than 1,200 individual bars and restaurants in the state, it has struck a relationship with the West Virginia Amusement & Limited Video Lottery Association a trade group of which many of the businesses are a member.

Were just like any other vendor. We just want a license, Ealy said. Were changing our focus from signing up restaurants to working with the LVL association and allying ourselves with them, rather than going to them individually.

Our initial (plan) to work with the bars and restaurants was so we could get users and share revenue with them. That is still in play. Were just going to reframe that.

Financial agreements with the bars and restaurants will be framed through the LVL association, he explained.

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Alberta’s gambling profit should be used to create new welfare payment, says think tank – Western Standard

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

Albertas more than $1.4 billion in gambling profits should be used to give the provinces poor a monthly payment, similar to welfare, says a national think tank.

Think tank Cardus, in a report released Wednesday, said the lowest-income households in Alberta pay the provincial government an estimated 7% of their annual incomes through gambling triple the proportionthat the wealthiest Albertans pay.

Those at the margins of society are paying disproportionately into the coffers, the report concludes.

The report, called Royally Flushed, outlined ways to turn Alberta Gaming and Lottery Corporation (AGLC) revenue toward reducing poverty instead of mixing it in with the provinces general tax revenue.

It recommends creating a gaming equality benefit, which would re-direct AGLCs $1.4 billion annual contribution away from general government revenues toward low-income families through monthly support payments similar to the provinces social assistance system.

It also says AGLC profits be used to incentivize savings one of the best ways to ensure families dont turn to usurious payday loans. This can boost the savings accounts of low-income families, following a model similar to government top-ups of RESPs contributions or through prize-linked savings accounts.

I hope Albertas government takes this research seriously and seizes the opportunity to turn bad habits into good, says Johanna Wolfert, a Cardus researcher and report co-author.

The report also found:

Alberta made a mistake in 2019 when it started shovelling AGLCs casino, lottery, and slot machine proceeds into general government revenues, says Brian Dijkema, Cardus Vice-President of External Affairs and co-author ofRoyally Flushed.

That simply solidified the status of Albertas gambling system as a regressive form of taxation, disproportionately taking money from those who can least afford it.

Royally Flushed: How gambling can work for, not against, Albertais available online.

Cardus is a non-partisan, faith-based think tank and registered charity dedicated to promoting a flourishing society through independent research, robust public dialogue, and thought-provoking commentary.

Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard

dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com

Twitter.com/nobby7694

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Alberta's gambling profit should be used to create new welfare payment, says think tank - Western Standard

Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup – July 16, 2020 – CalvinAyre.com

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

In the fast moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure youre all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, were rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.

Dont miss out on all of the latest announcements. Our Press Release section is updated constantly.

ThunderSpin and BetConstruct strike 25+ game content agreement

ThunderSpin, continues to expand its global reach following an agreement which will see the integration of its portfolio comprising more than 25 high-quality, critically acclaimed and innovative games to BetConstructs aggregation platform.

Joining forces with such a well-respected industry leader continues the ThunderSpin strategy of expanding the number of its content partnerships in order to enter more international markets and build what is a rapidly growing community of players based throughout the world.

ThunderSpin has adopted a segmented content development programme with the portfolio catering for a broad cross section of tastes and game complexities covering both plot and mechanics. Popular hits includeBook of Treasures,Kingdom of Glory,Vikings: Frozen Godsas well as arange of mobile first games.

Playson extends Italian reach withSignorBet

Casino software supplier Playson has announced a deal to deliver Italian operator SignorBet with its popular slot games.

The partnership sees a selection of Playsons titles directly integrated with the online casino, includingRome: Caesars Glory,Solar Temple, andSolar Queenas well as the providers Funky Fruits series and its Timeless Fruit Slots portfolio.

The agreement also covers the implementation of Playsons full suite of engagement tools, which will allow the operator to sharpen its player retention rates. The integration-free features, including bonus spins and regular tournaments with daily prize drops, will be available across all of the developers games.

Booongo extends Mexican market reach with Big Bola partnership

Games provider Booongo has signed a new agreement to provide its vast array of video slots to established Mexican operator, Big Bola.

More than 40 popular Booongo slots will soon be available to the developers latest operator partner, along with its latest hitreleases, includingDragon Pearls, Great PandaandMoon Sisters.

Accompanying Booongos fully mobile and tablet adaptive suite of games, Big Bola will also have access to the companys wide range of popular promotional tools, such as in-game Tournaments and exciting Jackpots which are proven to enhance player retention.

BETBY inks Advabet deal for sportsbook and esports solutions

Sports betting supplier BETBY has taken its sportsbook and Betby.Games esports offering live with igaming solutions provider Advabet.

Advabet offers both white label and turnkey online casino solutions, which will now be bolstered by BETBYs sportsbook offering which covers over 50,000 sporting events monthly across more than 80 sports around the globe.

The suppliers new esports offering, Betby.Games, will also be available through the Advabet solution. The growing product range includes FIFA, NBA 2K and Rocket League competitions, with more events, including tennis and combat sports, to be added shortly.

Pragmatic Plays live casino portfolio available with Reactive Games

Pragmatic Play, a leading content provider to the gaming industry, has seen its Live Casino product added to the portfolio of software solutions supplier, Reactive Games.

Pragmatic Plays Live Casino offering has continued to grow at a rapid-fire pace since its launch in early 2019. The impressive portfolio includes casino staples such as Baccarat, Roulette and Blackjack, along with innovative takes on the classics. With Speed variants of the games and localised Roulette tables, players all over the world can now receive the casino experience online, in a live-host environment.

Triple Cherry partners with We Are Casino

The Valencian studio Triple Cherry and the We Are Casino platform have just signed a commercial alliance. So, in a few weeks we will be able to see and play Triple Cherry games in all the casinos that the WAC platform represents.

This new relationship will bring benefits to both companies. On the one hand, Triple Cherry will have the opportunity to expand into new markets. And on the other hand, WAC will have a new reliable provider as well as twelve new slots with completely different backgrounds thanks to Triple Cherrys team of programmers who are committed to offering an unbeatable synergy between programming and graphic design.

MGA Licenses SoftGamings

SoftGamings is proud to announce its latest milestone that comes in the form of the B2B Critical Supply License from the esteemed Malta Gaming Authority. This B2B service license will help SoftGamings to expand the reach of its casino and sports betting solutions further across the Malta Gaming Authority jurisdiction.

Cellxpert expands its iGaming business with onboarding Ellmount Gaming LTD

Ellmount Gaming LTD, leading gaming and mobile entertainment provider in Sweden, chose Cellxperts platform to track, manage and optimize their affiliate program for their 2 global brands; CasinoRoom.com and HighRoller.com

Cellxpert offers advanced affiliate tracking software. Our solution was designed to help our customers drive growth and optimize their business performance.

Developed by a team of veterans, our SaaS solution includes, everything from detailed reporting, to compliance tools to mitigate risk and a frictionless integration and migration process.

Kalamba Games continues expansion through new deal with SoftGamings

Kalamba Games has signed a new deal with SoftGamings to supply its casino content, further underlining the suppliers commitment to global growth.

Kalambas substantial games portfolio will be made available on SoftGamings platform, giving access to hit titles such asMiami Bonus Wheel,Blazing Bull, Sky Huntersand the newly-releasedGriffins Quest.

Playson lands content deal with BOSS. Gaming Solutions

Casino software supplier Playson has extended the reach of its popular games after securing a content distribution agreement with BOSS. Gaming Solutions.

The independent provider of online and land-based solutions is set to enhance its casino offering by integrating Playsons portfolio of slots onto its iGaming platform.

Online casinos powered by BOSS. Gaming Solutions platform will soon have access to entertaining releases such asSolar Temple, Solar QueenandPearl Beauty: Hold and Win, along with Playsons Funky Fruits series and the Timeless Fruit Slots portfolio.

The platform provider will also have the opportunity to utilise a wide range of engagement tools developed by Playson that are proven to enhance player retention, including seamless play, free spins, jackpots and regular tournaments with daily price drops.

Gamevy commits to YG Masters and ground-breaking GATI technology

Innovative games supplier Gamevy has joined Yggdrasils rapidly expanding YG Masters programme with access to the ground-breaking GATI technology, designed to allow swift scalability and growth.

The YG Masters programme enables the worlds most innovative independent studios and game developers to design, develop and distribute best performing content using Yggdrasils proven technology and global network.

As a YG Masters partner, Gamevy will access Yggdrasils GATI technology, a standardised, language agnostic solution which allows developers to swiftly and safely create content, with easy distribution across the suppliers entire distribution network.

YG Masters partners can also collaborate and cross-sell titles to any YG Franchisee, leading to new global revenue streams.

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Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup - July 16, 2020 - CalvinAyre.com

Police in Northern Thailand Take Down Foreign Gambling Website – Chiang Rai Times

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

Police in Northern Thailand announced the arrest of 2 men from Singapore and 2 Thai for allegedly running a gambling website in Chiang Mai province. Immigration Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of the Singaporeans at a house in Chiang Mais Saraphee district.Immigration Police received a tip-off from local villagers of an illegal online gambling operation. They requested a search warrant from Chiang Mai provincial court to investigate the house.

Upon serving the warrant Police found the four suspects using laptop computers to run an online gambling website.

They also used several mobile phones to contact customers. The 4 suspects were arrested and police seized all the computers and mobile phones as evidence into their investigation.

Police said the suspects had revealed that the gambling website was financed by a Malaysian businessman. The Malaysian allegedly hired famous Thai pretties to host live sessions online. Above all to attract customers into gamblers to the gambling website.

Police are investigating the website to track the owner as well as the money trail for clues of money laundering.

The Royal Thai Police have also been on a crack down on gambling, on site and online.

Police said that last year, it has shut down more than 750 online gambling sites, and illegal transactions made at 670 million U.S. dollars.

Gambling operation in Thailand is regulated by the Gambling Act of B.E.2478, which prohibits all Thai citizens from playing any casino or betting games, betting on animal fights, dice games, slot machines, roulette, and other card games.

Despite strict anti-gambling law, illegal gambling is widespread in Thailand. Pasuk Phongpaichit who wrote the book Utsahakam Kan Phanan (The Gambling Industry) says. He estimates 70% of Thai people are regular gamblers.

All over the country gambling can be found. In major cities casinos exist in the basement of buildings and rented upscale apartments. In villages casinos are often at peoples homes. Some are just a mat spread out to play dice or Card games. Furthermore sports betting with bookies, or numbers draws with non official sources are also common.

A Centre for Gambling Studies (CGS) survey has found that more than 700,000 people who gambled this year were first-time punters, with the youngest being only seven years old.

CGS director Nualnoi Trirat said the centre has been studying the gambling habits of Thais across the country since 2017.

According to Ms Nualnoi, the study found that as of this month, 30.42 million Thais, equivalent to 57% of the countrys population, engaged in some sort of gambling. This was an increase of 1.4 million gamblers since the the study began in 2017.

Our study found that more than 700,000 people who gambled this year were first-time gamblers and the youngest of them was only seven years old, she said.

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Police in Northern Thailand Take Down Foreign Gambling Website - Chiang Rai Times

UK closures, Atlantic City and gambling blockers: The week in numbers – Casino Beats

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

Each week,CasinoBeatsbreaks down the numbers behind some of the industrys most interesting stories. In our latest edition we take a look at casino closures in both Australia and the UK, reopenings in Atlantic City and Kindreds revenue expectations.

100

After being given the green-light to reopen by GovernorPhil Murphy, Atlantic City casinos have subsequently began welcoming patrons back through their doors in recent days.

Permitted to resume operations from July 2, after more than 100 days of closure, the familiar sights and sounds returned, albeit with a series of heightened initiatives designed to ensure the safety of all involved.

Lauded asa critical moment for our industry by theCasino Association of New Jersey, not all properties have returned, however, withBorgata Hotel Casino & Spadeciding to remain closed given the impact the executive order will have on the experience they are accustomed to providing.

Researchers have compiled a blueprint for change that contains five key recommendations, after a new report found that an estimated 28 million personal current accounts in the UK do not have the option to block gambling expenditure.

GambleAwarehas published the findings of the new research, undertaken by researchers at theUniversity of Bristols Personal Finance Research Centreto review the availability, uptake, and effectiveness of bank card gambling blockers.

Recommendations pinpointed include a call on theFinancial Conduct Authorityto recommend that gambling blocks are standard on debit and credit cards, as well as a recommendation that there is a cross-sector consumer awareness campaign that places bank card blockers alongside other forms of self-exclusion and player controls.

It also says that firms and regulators need to work with experts by experience so they can design products, services and interventions for people who are negatively affected by gambling.

Casinos are standing by to aid the UKs economic recovery, but must be allowed to resume the action again by the close of July maintains theBetting and Gaming Council.

Continuing to mount pressure on the government to reopen casinos this month, venues were dealt a blow after being told they would not be permitted to return to action when other parts of the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industry could do so on July 4.

Having been closed since March 23 as part of the national effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, a number of measures have since been implemented including perspex screens, hand sanitisers, sophisticated track and tracing systems and strict social distancing rules.

The latest plea comes asChancellor Rishi Sunakannounces that businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector are to benefit from a cut in VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent until January 12.

Australias largest casino, theCrown Melbourne, will not be reopening afterVictoria Premier Daniel Andrewsconfirmed that the city of Melbourne was re-entering stage three lockdown for another six weeks.

The renewed lockdown will see residents barred from leaving their homes for any purpose other than work, food, exercise, or medical care. Furthermore, restaurants and cafes must return to takeaway and delivery services only with all other entertainment venues forced to shutdown operations.

In an announcement made on its official website, the property said: In line with the Victorian Governments reintroduction of stage three restrictions, Crown Resorts wishes to advise all our guests that Crown Melbourne will be temporarily closed from July 9 until further notice due to COVID-19.

The closure of Crown Melbourne is to protect the health and safety of Crown patrons, employees and the broader community.

Crown Melbourne had been closed since March 23 but reopened its in-person dining on June 1 as part of its phased reopening.

235

Kindred Groupis anticipating a 3.89 per cent increase in gross revenue for the second quarter of the year despite a plethora of cancelled and postponed sporting events having a continued significant impact across the industry.

Publishing a trading update for the period, ahead of its interim Q2 report on July 24, the gambling operator estimates that revenue for the period will be approximately 235m, up from 2019s 226.2m.

Underlying EBITDA for the quarter is predicted to reach a bracket of 48m-53m (2019: 30.5m), driven by cost reduction actions undertaken in connection with marketing, content and other direct costs.

In spite of the protected short-term profitability, as sports resume the group is expecting the marketing cost model of the business to normalise.

See the article here:

UK closures, Atlantic City and gambling blockers: The week in numbers - Casino Beats

8000 sign up to try to kick gambling habit – Eng.Lsm.lv

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

More than 8,000 people have signed up to break their problems with gambling, according to a release from the government agency overseeing the innovative scheme.

Since it launched onJanuary 1,the "Self-denied persons register" has received8,233 applications from people wanting to break the gambling habit. The voluntary scheme blocks access to gaming halls and casinos both in the real world and online, helping people with compulsive or addictive behavior to avoid repeating earlier mistakes.

In June alone, the register received more than 1,100 applications.

Participants can register quickly and easily online at the official state portal with their name and personal identity code for a minimum of 12 months, as shown in the video above.

Similar schemes have been running in neighboring Estonia and Lithuania for two years, and around 13,000 people have signed up in each country.

Photo: Publicity image

Voluntary gambling register

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8000 sign up to try to kick gambling habit - Eng.Lsm.lv

I filed a joint tax return with my estranged wife because she is a gambler and her finances are a mess. But I got NO stimulus check what can I do? -…

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

I am a full-time student and Im 50 years old. I graduate in December 2020 and maintain a 4.0 GPA so I work hard to achieve academic success. Due to achieving such academic prowess, I was limited to work hours throughout the 2019 year and my combined income was $13,000.

I separated from my wife, Sharon, four years ago. She inherited a pension worth $172,000 as a result of an untimely death of her ex-husband. Sharon lives in Oklahoma and I live in Arkansas. Sharon had a gambling issue and exhausted all of this income throughout the 2019 tax season.

I never saw any of that money other than a birthday cake, a gift, and a night at the casino that she gave to me as part of my birthday present. It was brought to my attention in November that her money was gone. I was not happy, but it is her money and she has to live with it.

Related: Im astounded that I have NOT received my payment: When will I receive my stimulus check?

To help her, I filed a joint tax return.

Although we are separated, we are good friends and I try to look out for her in any way that I can. We filed in February and, shortly thereafter, the pandemic hit. Her pension worth $171,000, other income totaling $21,000, her gambling winnings of $29,000, and my annual salary of $13,000 put us over the threshold for receiving any CARES Act assistance.

In helping Sharon out, I ended up getting screwed. Is there any form of grievance I can file for to obtain the $1,200 I believe I am owed? If so, how can I? Also, will we miss out on the second stimulus, if there should be one?

I am out of work as of April and, due to the economic crisis countrywide, jobs are sparse, to say the least. I hope to obtain work at the University this fall in the work/study program, but that will not be until August, if we are allowed on campus.

It is proposed at this time that school will resume normal operations this fall, but we all know how suddenly this could change. To top it all off, my income will be even less than $13,000 this year and Sharons will be less than $20,000.

Mr. Nice Guy

Dear Mr. Nice,

Sometimes, I come across a needle on vinyl moment in letters when the music suddenly stops and theres an almighty screech of the steel against the record. Its usually a moment thats crucial to the problem and the solution, one that is directly related to the financial problem and the emotional issue that will hopefully help ensure that you do not make the same mistake again. Sometimes, it seems like we are dealing with a completely separate situation, but then we find out that subsequent challenges are actually the same needle on vinyl moment happening again and again, and again.

Did your wife appreciate it? She likely did and made you feel like a nice guy, and that is gratifying, for a time. Plus, it's true! You are a nice guy. But is the nice thing also the most honorable one?

Here was that moment: To help her, I filed a joint tax return. Your estranged wife has a gambling problem and you swooped in and helped her out. Did your wife appreciate it? She likely did and made you feel like a nice guy, and that is gratifying, for a time. Plus, it's true! You are a nice guy. But is the nice thing also the most honorable one? Appreciation is like cotton candy. It tastes sweet, but it quickly disappears and leaves an odd, sticky taste in your mouth that we cant quite identify. Thats when you realize that appreciation like that fairground sugar-on-a-stick is both ephemeral and cheap.

You didnt get screwed. Thats a fundamental error in your thinking and your interpretation of the CARES Act. You punkd yourself, my friend. It was your decision to file jointly and, therefore, its your responsibility. You didnt get screwed by the CARES Act either. The stimulus check is effectively a tax credit on your 2020 income-tax return, so you should be made whole in 2021. True, you wont receive your check(s) this year, but you should not lose out on your stimulus entirely. If file your 2020 tax returns as a single filer next year, you are likely to receive the tax credit(s) at that time.

Related:I told my family I boycott Chick-fil-A over its support of anti-LGBTQ causes now they like it on Facebook and go there for lunch

Now to the ethics and etiquette part of your question. This is the trickier part. Sharon made the mistake. You took the fall. A problem shared is a problem halved, right? If only lifes conundrums, mathematics and the governments economic stimulus payments worked like that. When the solution addresses the symptoms rather than the cause, a problem shared is often a problem doubled, tripled and quadrupled. It will keep happening again, my friend, until your wife deals with the source of her gambling addiction, assuming another addiction does not pop up replace this one.

It will keep happening again, my friend, until your wife deals with the source of her gambling addiction, assuming another addiction does not pop up replace this one.

How many times have any of us thrown our hands up and cried to the Heavens, I was just trying to do the right thing! Thats not enough. We must also ask ourselves: Why did I do it? No one wins. Your wife doesnt win: You enabled her to gamble another day. You dont win: You could have received $1,200 at a time when you clearly needed it to pay your bills. So why did you help her out? Why did you protect her? Perhaps you can tell this story, engender sympathy from friends and family who can shake their heads and say, Once again, she done him wrong.

Its important to help people. Thats what we do. But there is a line that you can draw with your wife in future, and there is another better way you can help her, by stepping back and telling her that she needs to stand on her own two feet, and face her problems head-on. You didnt cause her gambling problem, you are not responsible for it and you cant cure it. Thats not your job. There is a valuable lesson for you here, my friend, and its worth a hell of a lot more than $1,200.

You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions related to coronavirus at qfottrell@marketwatch.com

Want to read more?Follow Quentin Fottrell on Twitterand read more of his columns here

Would you like to sign up to an email alert when a new Moneyist column has been published? If so, click on this link.

Hello there, MarketWatchers. Check out the Moneyist private Facebook FB, +0.27% group where we look for answers to lifes thorniest money issues. Readers write in to me with all sorts of dilemmas. Post your questions, tell me what you want to know more about, or weigh in on the latest Moneyist columns.

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I filed a joint tax return with my estranged wife because she is a gambler and her finances are a mess. But I got NO stimulus check what can I do? -...

Aegean Airlines Will Test Cabin Crew And Employees For Covid-19 Regularly – Greek City Times

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

Aegean Airlines announced that cabin crew and employees will undergo preventive diagnostic tests for Covid-19 every fifteen days.

The tests will be performed in collaboration with the Laboratory of Clinical Virology of the Medical School of the University of Crete, one of the designated COVID-19 Reference Laboratories in Greece.

This initiative by AEGEAN, aims at further enhancing the health and safety of passengers and crew and is part of the additional precautionary measures already taken by the company for the new, adapted travel experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our people are our strength, which is why protecting their health is always our utmost priority. From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, following the guidelines of the State and the competent authorities, we implemented enhanced health measures at all stages of the travel journey, and initiated additional precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of our passengers and employees. In this effort, we are pleased to collaborate with the Laboratory of Clinical Virology of the Medical School of the University of Crete. We are also proud that through this initiative, we associate with such a remarkable scientific and research institution in Crete, said Panos Nicolaidis, Ground Operations Director at Aegean.

The sampling will be held at the airliners ground bases in Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion in Crete.

The Director of the Laboratory of Clinical Virology of the Medical School of the University of Crete, Professor Giorgos Sourvinos, stated: From the very beginning of the pandemic, our Laboratory has offered its services for the laboratory control of COVID-19 by carrying out thousands of molecular tests. The collaboration of our Laboratory with AEGEAN, as part of the Preventive Molecular Testing Program for COVID-19, is a special honour while it also highlights the companys high sense of responsibility and human-centred approach, both for its staff and its passengers. The Laboratory of Clinical Virology would like to thank AEGEAN for its trust. We strongly believe that with our know-how and competent scientific staff, we will assist AEGEAN in achieving the objectives of the Program.

Aegean Airlines new A320neo lands at Athens airport

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Aegean Airlines Will Test Cabin Crew And Employees For Covid-19 Regularly - Greek City Times

Evolution On Evolutionary Computation – Discovery Institute

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

Photo credit: Photo by John Karlo Mendoza on Unsplash.

Editors note: Dr. Yampolskiy is Associate Professor in the department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science at the Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville. In this series, he asks: What Can and Cant Darwins Algorithm Compute? See also yesterdays post, the first in the series, What Can and Cant Darwins Algorithm Compute?

Inspired by Darwins theory1 of biological evolution, evolutionary computation attempts to automate the process of optimization and problem solving by simulating differential survival and reproduction of individual solutions. From the early 1950s, multiple well-documented attempts to make Darwins algorithm work on a computer have been published under such names as Evolutionary Programming12, Evolutionary Strategies13, Genetic Algorithms14, Genetic Programming15, Genetic Improvement16, Gene Expression Programming17, Differential Evolution18, Neuroevolution19, and Artificial Embryogeny20. While numerous variants different in their problem representation and metaheuristics exist21-24, all can be reduced to just two main approaches Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Genetic Programming (GP).

GAs are used to evolve optimized solutions to a particular instance of a problem such as Shortest Total Path25, Maximum Clique26, Battleship27, Sudoku28, Mastermind23, Light Up29, Graph Coloring30, integer factorization31, 32, or efficient halftone patterns for printers33, and so are not the primary focus of this paper. GPs purpose, from their inception, was to automate programming by evolving an algorithm or a program for solving a particular class of problems, for example an efficient34 search algorithm. Software design is the type of application most frequently associated with GPs35, but work in automated programming is also sometimes referred to as real programing, object-oriented GP, algorithmic programming, program synthesis, traditional programming, Turing Equivalent (TE) programming or Turing-complete GP36-38.

The sub-field of computation, inspired by evolution in general, and the Genetic Programing paradigm, established by John Koza in 1990s, in particular are thriving and growing exponentially. This is evidenced both by the number of practitioners and of scientific publications. Petke et al. observe enormous expansion of number of publications with the Genetic Programming Bibliography passing 10,000 entries By 2016 there were nineteen GP books including several intended for students 16. Such tremendous growth has been fueled, since the early days, by belief in the capabilities of evolutionary algorithms, and our ability to overcome obstacles of limited computational power or data as illustrated by the following comments:

Tomorrow, State-of-the-Art in Evolutionary Computation.

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Evolution On Evolutionary Computation - Discovery Institute

Spread Offense Analysis: Oregon’s XYZ Receiver Evolution – FishDuck

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Danzig

If youve ever tuned in to football commentary youve probably heard talk about X, Y, and Z receivers. While these position names can change based on the system, theres a history behind this labeling method. And the Oregon offense has played a part in the evolution of these positions over the past decade.

The video above exemplifies the historical transition from traditional offensive sets to more modern spread sets. Georgia Tech was one of the last teams to run the Flexbone offense at the college level with the retirement of Paul Johnson in 2018. Georgia Tech made it evident they were going to join the modern era when they lined up in the Flexbone and then shifted into a spread formation on the first play of their 2019 spring football game.

Today, offenses have fewer running backs in the backfield and more players outside the tackles. With this change, wingbacks and fullbacks of yore have morphed into the X and Y receivers you see today.

X This wide receiver can be on or off the line of scrimmage. The first and third play above show how a passing play will be designed to open up space to get the X receiver the ball on intermediate and longer routes. The most recent example of a good X receiver is Dillon Mitchell in 2018.

Z The Z receiver has also been referred to as a slot or flanker. This player can also be on or off the line of scrimmage but is typically a smaller, quicker receiver. The second play above shows the Z being used in a shorter route when the defense focuses on stopping the X receiver. Oregon may not have had a prototype X receiver before the transfer of Juwan Johnson, but theyve had good Z receivers in Mycah Pittman, Jaylon Redd, and Johnny Johnson III.

Y The Y receiver is more of tight end type of player. However, modern offenses have hybridized the traditional tight end into player that can align with the lineman, split out wide, or line up in the backfield to block right or left. The final play above shows the versatility of theY position as Oregon utilizes Jacob Breeland as a run blocker and receiver.

Certain remnants of traditional offenses like the Wing-T and Flexbone are still utilized today, such as the jet sweep (video above) and pulling guards. With the spread offense, however, teams utilize one running back instead of three and now have two hybrid positions in the Z and Y receivers. That evolution has changed the game.

In the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Oregon brought the evolution of the hybrid athlete to an impressive level. Byron Marshall rushed for 1,038 yards in 2013, yet when Oregons all-time leading rusher Royce Freeman joined the team, the Ducks switched Marshall to the Z receiver position. Marshall proceeded to amass 1,003 yards and six touchdowns receiving.Oh, and he also rushed for 392 yards and a score.

Though it would be fun to imagine the Wing-T or the Flexbone offense with Marcus Mariota, Royce Freeman, Thomas Tyner, and Byron Marshall, the coaches at Oregon have evolved the receiver positions for the Ducks to take advantage of their unique spread offense and rush the nation by storm.

Coach Jeremy MosierGeneseo, Illinois Top Photo by Harry Caston

Phil Anderson, theFishDuck.comVolunteer editor for this article, is a trial lawyer in Bend Oregon.

Spread Offense Analysis: Oregon's XYZ Receiver Evolution - FishDuck

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