Daily Archives: April 28, 2017

Both Conventional and Integrative Medicine Can Make You Healthier – Newsmax

Posted: April 28, 2017 at 3:04 pm

Conventional medicine is necessary to treat disease, but if you really want to prevent health problems and stay well, you might consider integrating practices from the field of holistic medicine as well, a top expert says.

The field of integrative, or complementary, medicine, grew out of what used to be known as alternative health, but the concepts we use today are based on scientific evidence, Dr. Ashwin Mehta tells Newsmax Health.

"Conventional medicine," known also as "Western medicine," is a system in which medical doctors and other health care professionals treat symptoms and diseases using such means as drugs, radiation, and surgery.

The term "alternative medicine" describes a range of medical therapies that are not regarded as orthodox by many in the mainstream medical profession, such as herbalism, homeopathy, and acupuncture.

"In the 1970s, the alternative medicine gained traction in the U.S. as a pushback against the biochemical paradigm that was becoming associated with medicine, says Mehta, medical director of integrative medicine at Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Fla.

'But, on the other hand, the realization was growing that there might be something of value in these ancient healing traditions, and so we should scientifically evaluate them."

When some alternative therapies were held up to this scrutiny, they were found to be baseless, says Mehta. On the other hand, others were proven to work. These have since been known as integrative, or complementary therapies, he adds.

"Doctors who practice integrative medicine uses only the evidence-based therapies that have been found to have scientific validity, says Mehta.

He likes to explain this concept by using an example in cancer treatment.

If the body is a garden and cancer is an unwelcome weed, the job of the oncologists [cancer doctors] is pluck out the weed and our job is to make the soil of the garden inhospitable to the weed ever coming back, he says.

One of the most valuable adjuncts that integrative medicine offers todays patient is the ability of these therapies to reduce inflammation.

Inflammation is the same reddening process you see if you cut your finger. But there also is an invisible type of inflammation, known as chronic bodily inflammation, which occurs inside your body and cannot be seen.

Such inflammation is increasingly viewed as the culprit in the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well.

Today, we use the term metabolic syndrome,' to describe a number of conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood sugars, high blood pressure, and obesity, that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, says Mehta.

What these conditions have in common is that they cause a predominance of inflammation, he adds.

To combat inflammation, follow these five principles of integrative medicine, he says:

2017 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.

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Nearly eight in ten Canadians have used alternative medicines … – The Nelson Daily

Posted: at 3:04 pm

More than three-quarters of Canadians 79 per cent have used at least one complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or therapy sometime in their lives.

More and more Canadians are using complementary and alternative medicines and therapiessuch as massage, yoga, acupuncture and chiropractic careand theyre using them more frequently, finds a new survey by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Alternative treatments are playing an increasingly important role in Canadians overall health care, and understanding how all the parts of the health-care system fit together is vital if policymakers are going to find ways to improve it, said Nadeem Esmail, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author ofComplementary and Alternative Medicine: Use and Public Attitudes, 1997, 2006 and 2016.

The updated survey of 2,000 Canadians finds more than three-quarters of Canadians 79 per cent have used at least one complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or therapy sometime in their lives. Thats an increase from 74 per cent in 2006 and 73 per cent in 1997, when two previous similar surveys were conducted.

In fact, more than one in two Canadians (56 per cent) used at least one complementary or alternative medicine or therapy in the previous 12 months, an increase from 54 per cent in 2006 and 50 per cent in 1997.

And Canadians are using those services more often, averaging 11.1 visits in 2016, compared to fewer than nine visits a year in both 2006 and 1997.

The most popular complementary and alternative treatments used by Canadians in 2016 were massage (44 per cent), followed by chiropractic care (42 per cent), yoga (27 per cent), relaxation techniques (25 per cent) and acupuncture (22 per cent.)

In total, Canadians spent $8.8 billion on complementary and alternative medicines and therapies last year, up from $8 billion (inflation adjusted) in 2006.

Interestingly, the survey finds a majority of respondents 58 per cent support paying for alternative treatments privately and dont want them included in provincial health plans. Support for private payment is highest (at 69 per cent) among 35- to 44-year-olds.

Complementary and alternative therapies play an increasingly important role in Canadians overall health care, but policy makers should not see this as an invitation to expand government coverage the majority of Canadians believe alternative therapies should be paid for privately, Esmail said.

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New Wave Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: NWAV) In Expansion Mode – Insider Financial

Posted: at 3:04 pm

New Wave Holdings, Inc (OTCMKTS: NWAV) started off 2017 with a strong upward move that took the stock to $.0295. The stock has since retraced roughly 60 percent of the move, and is holding steady at a support level of $.0070 where it is trading now. The last time we analyzed the stock on March 28, 2017, the stock seemed to be recovering from the initial retracement following the high of the upward move at the beginning of the 2017. From a technical analysis point of view, the stocks price action is forming a descending triangle with the support level at $.0070. If the stock does not break-down through the support level, and recovers at least 50 percent of the retracement from the high of the triangle pattern, a favorable buy setup will present itself. The financials and status of the company will need to support the buy signal.

For those not familiar with the company, New Wave Holdings, Inc. (NWAV) is a publicly traded holdings company dedicated to the development and launch of PAO Group alternative medicine clinics focused on non-traditional patient care solutions. The realm of treatment solutions include cannabis, acupuncture, chiropractic, biofeedback, and other solutions depending upon patient needs. NWAV has recently merged withPAO Group, Inc., a physicians practice management company actively developing alternative medicine clinics focused on the proper use of cannabis for treatment of chronic and terminal patients.

When we last reviewed New Wave Holdings, Inc, the company was in the process of getting Alternative Medicine Centers of America clinics in Orange Park, Jacksonville Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida up to speed. On April 11, 2017, the company announced the opening a clinic in the state of Ohio where the number of overdose from opioid deaths is alarming. Nearly 2,000 people died from opioid overdoses in Ohio in 2014. According to a University of Michigan study, patients reported a 64% reduction in their use of opioids when using medical marijuana lieu of the opioids to control chronic pain. Another study by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health indicated that in states where medical cannabis has been legalized, opioid overdose deaths have decreased by 25%.

Alternative Medicine Centers of America Sandusky is its first corporate clinic in Sandusky, OH. The clinic will focus on opioid alternatives, including the proper use of cannabis for terminal patients as well as patients who suffer from chronic pain. The company will soon be opening another clinic in Cleveland, OH and expect significant demand there. New Wave Holdings CEO Robert Weber commented.

As more and more physicians and patients look for opiod alternatives in treatments the demand for alternative therapies continues to grow. Findings of many recent medical studies show the dangerous side effects of opiod medications further increasing the demand for this growing market of alternative pain therapies. New Waves PAO group is expertly positioned to meet the demands of this emerging market.

At the Companys first corporate location in Saint Augustine, FL, the corporate team is arranging a build-out of the facility, aiming for an opening June 2017. The second quarter will focus on the opening of new corporate and affiliate locations and overall growth of the company.

Fourth quarter financials for 2016 have been reported, however, revenues expected from the series of Alternative Medicine Centers of America clinic openings that the company has engaged in have yet to come to fruition. Once revenues are realized, growth will follow. Current market capitalization stands at $4.84 million, on 605.18 million shares outstanding as of August 24, 2016. We will be updating our subscribers as soon as we know more. For the latest updates on NWAV, sign up below!

Disclosure: We have no position in NWAV and have not been compensated for this article.

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Global Probiotics Dietary Supplements (Food Supplements, Nutritional Supplements, Specialty Nutrients, Infant … – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 3:04 pm

DUBLIN, April 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Probiotics Dietary Supplements Market Analysis By Application (Food Supplements, Nutritional Supplements, Specialty Nutrients, Infant Formula),By Regions (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East,Africa, CSA) And Segment Forecast 2014-2025" report to their offering.

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The global probiotics dietary supplements market is expected to reach USD 7.0 billion by 2025

Rising preference towards preventive healthcare coupled with inherent health benefits of probiotics is anticipated to benefit the market growth over the forecast period.

Probiotics are a healthy microorganism that benefits the body when taken in sufficient amount. Probiotics dietary supplements are supplements manufactured by incorporating various strains of probiotics to treat or prevent the occurrence of diseases. Companies have developed customized products to suit diverse customer needs.

Recent advancements in R&D have led to the development of efficient probiotic strains that can sustain different environments and can be used in combination with other ingredients. Furthermore, improvements in delivery systems such as capsules, and sticks have led to the development of more efficient products. Such trends are expected to favor the overall market growth from 2016 to 2025.

In terms of application, nutritional supplements led the market in 2015 closely followed by specialty nutrients. The broad product offering of probiotics nutritional supplements, easy availability and effectiveness in maintaining proper body health has benefitted the demand from application segment in the past, and this trend is anticipated to continue over the forecast period.

Further Key Findings from the Study Suggest:

Key Topics Covered:

1 Methodology and Scope

2 Executive Summary

3 Probiotic Dietary Supplements Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1 Probiotic dietary supplements market segmentation 3.2 Probiotic dietary supplements market size and growth prospects, 2014-2025 3.3 Probiotic dietary supplement market value chain analysis 3.4 Probiotic dietary supplement market dynamics 3.4.1 Market driver analysis 3.4.1.1 Increasing awareness of consumers toward preventive healthcare 3.4.1.2 Growth of the global functional food industry 3.4.1.3 Effectiveness of probiotic bacteria 3.4.2 Market restraint analysis 3.4.2.1 Lack of awareness regarding efficacy and usage of probiotics 3.4.2.2 Unorganized standardization parameters 3.5 Key market opportunities - Prioritized 3.6 Probiotic dietary supplements market- Porter's analysis 3.7 Probiotic dietary supplement market- PESTEL analysis

4 Probiotic Dietary Supplement Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis 4.1 Global probiotic dietary supplement market share by application, 2015 & 2025 4.2 Global probiotic dietary supplement demand by application, 2014 - 2025 4.2.1 Food supplements 4.2.2 Nutritional Supplements 4.2.3 Specialty Nutrients 4.2.4 Infant Formula

5 Probiotic Dietary Supplement Market : Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis

6 Competitive Landscape 6.1 Probiotic Dietary Supplement, Competitive Heat Map Analysis 6.2 Vendor Landscape 6.3 Competitive Environment 6.3.1 Company Market Positioning 6.3.2 Strategy Framework

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Can Small Dietary Supplement and Food Brands Also Build … – Nutritional Outlook

Posted: at 3:04 pm

In March, I wrote about how the new Amazon Elements supplements line is promoting traceability, including featuring a QR code on packaging so customers can verify where a products ingredients were sourced, when the supplement was made, and how it was tested. Amazon is a giant, with significant resources, one assumes. Can smaller brands also afford to create ambitious traceability initiatives like this?

The quick answer is yes. It can be done, and it has been done. In fact, as I pointed out in March, Amazon was actually not the first dietary supplement company to roll out a QR-code traceability program; Gaia Herbs, a smaller firm, was actually the first way back in 2010 with its Meet Your Herbs program, complete with QR code. During that time, Gaias founder and CEO Ric Scalzo says, we were not the $50 million company we are today. We were substantially less than that, so that probably put us at a small company (but certainly not a start-up, by any stretch).

For Gaia, says Scalzo, establishing a traceability platform was challenging but doable because the company controls its entire supply chain.Were a seed-to-shelf company, meaning we control the seed selection, the supply chain, horticultural development, the farms, the extraction, the testing, the whole processeverything thats building up to the pinnacle of the quality of the finished product, Scalzo explains. We had all of the inputs already controlled here at Gaia. All of that data had already been collected for years and years, and the challenge for us was figuring out how to compile it, report it, and bring it all under one platform.

Scalzo says, It took us a long time to write a software program to harness all this data, from several locations. Most of it was coming from our operational management system, but some of it was coming from separate types of data platforms, and we had to link it all together and then somehow command access to the data and then report it in a way that was meaningful to the consumer.

Scalzo does acknowledge that for an emerging brand, implementing this kind of traceability can be a challenge because most start-ups and smaller companies do not have control back to the field like Gaia does; instead, companies are more likely buying finished extracts from a raw-materials supplier or distributor, and because of that, a big part of the traceability story [may be] cut off, Scalzo says.

Traceability is still possible for some companies because they are doing it on a smaller scale.In March, boutique freeze-dried fruit and veggie brand Crunchies announced that it had launched its own traceability platform that allows customers to learn about the region, including climate and topography, where each bag of fruit/veggie was grown by entering a lot code from the packaging on a website.

CEO Scott Jacobson says, I think a larger corporation would have a tougher time implementing a project like this. We are a one-ingredient snack, so from a practical standpoint, we have a lot less to track. He adds that once Crunchies figured out how to get the technology to jive with its current lot-tracking and production procedures without duplicating data entry, it came together quite well. And, he says, moving forward, with the infrastructure in place, our next phase should be a little easier.

Both Scalzo and Jacobson say their companies have seen the payoff from investing in traceability. It continues to separate us from our competitors, says Jacobson. Since we are the only vertically integrated freeze-dry brand in the U.S., we wanted a way to clearly highlight that benefit to our customers and, more importantly, the consumer.

Scalzo says the investment in Meet Your Herbs has benefited Gaia Herbs in every way, sales included. Its definitely catapulted the brand to a much, much higher status of respect and as a brand leader for quality and certainly traceability, he says. Not only that, he says, We saw how outside companies began to look at Gaia from a point of reputation. We also saw how FDA began to look at Gaia as a responsible leader.

All around, at every level, everything was lifted up in terms of brand integrity, he concludes. Can traceability do the same for your company?

Also read:

Amazon Elements Dietary Supplements: Fear, or Follow?

Is Full Traceability Possible in Todays Dietary Supplement Supply Chain?

Natural Products Expo West 2016: Dietary Supplement Firms Arent Just Talking about Transparency; Theyre Acting on It

Jennifer Grebow Editor-in-Chief Nutritional Outlook magazine jennifer.grebow@ubm.com

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Minto mine’s life extension welcome news in Yukon – North – CBC … – CBC.ca

Posted: at 3:03 pm

Yukon contractors are "pretty excited" that the territory's only operating hard rock mine will likely stay open for a few more years.

Capstone'sMintomine, nearPellyCrossing, was expected to go into care and maintenance mode later this year, but this week the company announced it would keep mining at the site until at least 2020.

Pelly Construction, the mine's main contractor for over 22 years, has 70 people working at Minto. Those workers were only expecting towork until the end of June, to finishup work atan open pit deposit.

But a recentupswing in copper prices is making Mintoviable again.

'That mine influenced us a great deal so we are pretty exited that we get to stay there 'til 2020,' said Jennifer Byram of Pelly Construction. (Philippe Morin/CBC)

Jennifer Byram, vice president of community affairs for Pelly Construction, says thenews from Capstone couldn't have come at a better time.

"[We're]just celebrating our 30years in operation as PellyConstruction, and having 22 years being at Minto mine. That mine influenced us a great deal, so we are pretty excited that we get to stay there 'til2020," Byram said.

Pelly Construction is involved inall the surface mining and construction at Minto, including blasting, hauling ore to the mill, and removing waste rock.

Byram says the majority of her company's employees are from the Yukon.

Samson Hartland, executive director of Yukon Chamber of Mines,also welcomesthe news. He says the306 workers at the mine144 Minto employeesand 162 contract employees help Yukon's economy.

Samson Hartland of the Yukon Chamber of Mines says the mine benefits the Yukon economy by employing a lot of people. (Paul Tukker/CBC)

"Not only are people employed by the mine, but [there are] the contractors, the service and supply companiesthat provide goods and services to the mine," Hartland said.

"You've got theSelkirk First Nation given that the mine is located oncategory Asettlement land, the resource royalties flow directly to that First Nation."

Yukon's Energy Mines and Resources Minister Ranj Pillai agrees that the mine benefits the community and the territory as a whole.

"We are very pleasedthat Capstone'sMintomine plans to continue production for another 3 years, and hopefully beyond 2020," Pillai said.

Government officials are now reviewing plans for Capstone to mine additional areas on the Minto Property.

That review includes consultation with the Selkirk First Nation.

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Bill McKibben: Trump should fear a people’s awakening – Deutsche Welle

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Deutsche Welle: April 22 wasEarth Dayand theMarch for Science, and one week later on April 29 the People's ClimateMarchmarks100 days of the Trump administration. Have these events taken on added meaning this year?

Bill McKibben: I think they have taken on different meaning. The plan was to go march, no matter who was president at the end of April - but if it was Hillary Clinton, it would be a real effort to get her to do the things she promised to do.

In the case of Trump, it's part of this large resistance that's been forming around so many issues, and a real reminder that people will not idly sit by and let their future be completely compromised. So it will have a very different flavor than I think we thought it would six to eight months ago.

Do you think proposed budget cuts to scientists' work and the changes at the Environmental Protection Agency will mobilize more scientists, and get them involved in politics?

Bill McKibben says people power is a potent force

Yes, I think scientists are becoming more politically engaged. I think they're beginning to understand they have no choice.

It's not an ideal situation. In a rational world, we'd let scientists do their work, and then when they offer explicit warnings as they did 20 years ago around climate change, the rest of our political system would go to work acting on those warnings. But as we've all learned, that's not necessarily what happens. Power, money and influence can get in the way and that's, I think, why scientists are now mobilizing.

Trump focuses a lot on jobs, the economy and security. Do you think the environmental movement has been successful at appealing to his constituency? What needs to change in its "sales pitch" to enable the movement to compete for public opinion?

I think action on climate change is more popular than Donald Trump at this point. But that has as much to do with Trump's unpopularity as anything else. I think it's important for the environmental movement to keep stressing the upside to big change.

Jeff Merkley, the senator from Oregon, and Senator[Bernie]Sanders, themost popular politician in America, are introducing a bill at the end of the month that calls for 100percent clean energy by 2050. I think that will be the real rallying cry - and part of that rallying cry will be about the 4 or 5 million jobs that would get created along the way.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets for the last People's Climate March, in New York in 2014

Could a slowdown ofUS action on climate change result in more Americans taking the government to court over climate change?

There's a couple of important court cases already working their way through, especially this case from what's called Our Children's Trust. Court action takes a long time and in the end, to a large degree, courts are moved when politics moves. The job of the environmental movement is to continue to try and shift the zeitgeist around climate change in a powerful direction.

You've been heavily involved in protests against the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines for the past several years. What are you planning to do now that Keystone has been formally approved?

The Keystone Pipeline's been formally approved by the State Department and the White House, but it's got some hoops to jump through yet, mostly in states like Nebraskawhere there's not even a route approved for this thing - and there's a lot of organizing and anger.

It also has some financial hoops to jump through - it's not as if the price of oil is doing any favors to people in the tar sands where that pipeline begins. So I don't think we've seen the end of that story yet.

The Keystone XL Pipeline has been the target of protest - which hasn't ended since Trump approved the pipeline

Trump's climate position has so many implications. Where do you predict the biggest resistance will come from?

I think that you're seeing resistance from smart scientists and from people in frontline communities who deal with the effects of climate change already. I think the thing Trump needs to fear most is the awakening of all those normal people in the middle who don't normally think that much about politics, but know enough about the future to know that what we're doing is not safe, is not smart, and is putting their children at risk. And that's a potent force, once awakened.

I assume you'll be out protesting this weekend - what do you hope to see when you're out there?

I hope to see a lot of people!

Bill McKibben is an author and environmentalist. In 2014, he was awarded the Right Livelihood Prize, sometimes called the "alternative Nobel." He is a founder of350.org, a grassroots climate movement thathas organized thousands of rallies around the world.

Theinterview was conducted byCharlotta Lomas.

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Forget money; Bitcoin makes the world go around – Pulse Headlines

Posted: at 3:01 pm

Something big happened on March 2, 2017 the price of one unit of bitcoin overtook the price of one ounce of gold. For comparison, one bitcoin equates to around $1250. Although the cryptocurrency did drop back below the auric heavy metal minutes later, the overtaking even for a short time was worth its weight in gold.

Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency developed in 2008, but soaring into the publics periphery in 2013, takes advantage of not being connected to any government or private entity to eliminate the necessity of a third party in financial transactions. Bitcoin also offers anonymity more so than traditional forms of payment which adds to its appeal.

Bitcoin by Zach Copley(CC BY-SA 2.0)

Investment banker and asset manager Spencer Bogart claims that, the price of bitcoin benefits from two main sources of demand: its value as a digital gold and its utility as a payments channel. Without having to rely on the stability of economy when exchanging finances, Bitcoin allows a more secure way of linking money. Bitcoins failsafe is that the mining (the method used to create bitcoin) prevents bitcoin from exceeding 21 million bitcoins, relying on a resource-based economy method.

Is the upsurge in bitcoins worth a sign of whats to come? Japan reportedly recently allowed bitcoin to become legal tender, and Russia, China, and India are looking to utilize the positives of bitcoin for their own economic futures. As three-quarters of the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China countries rapidly on the rise), having bitcoin at the forefront of development seems a positive sign for the cryptocurrency.

Credit: Pixabay.

Bitcoin is already prevalent in the Western world when it comes to buying and being paid online through online casinos. Bitcasino, for example, offers bitcoin slot games online that make financial transactions easier. We can learn more about how bitcoin operates by seeing it in successful action.

With the introduction of major brands such as Starbucks integrating bitcoin payment into their services, it should start to see an upsurge in engagement from the general, non-tech-savvy public. This was made available through iPay You, a service that allows bitcoins to be transferred seamlessly.

Bitcoin is not without its share of detractors, who, for whatever reason, condemn the cryptocurrency and its uses. But, Venture Beats Jacob Donnelly claims that the ebbs and flows of bitcoin and its future is reminiscent of another tech boom: the World Wide Web. In comparing bitcoin to the internet, critics should take some peace of mind. The internet faced its share of challenges, but it persevered and pretty much rules everyday life. Give bitcoin some time to iron out the creases and itll be a word as synonymous with modern day as selfie, meme or GIF.

With Coin Dance reporting that over half of bitcoin engagement occurs within 18 34 year olds, and with online engagement in search engines constantly on the increase, it can only be said that bitcoins popularity will grow. Bitcoin may not be the new money just yet, but its certainly a wise investment for the future.

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In Focus | Ian Atkinson – KelownaNow

Posted: at 3:01 pm

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name? Ian Atkinson.

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna? I am originally from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. I moved to Kelowna 11 years ago, planned on only staying for a summer and never ended up leaving.

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why? That is definitely my wife, Lisa. Weve had a lot of fun together over the last 10 years.

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why? Ive done quite a bit of travelling and Im always looking for somewhere new. Its cold and rainy here right now, so maybe somewhere hot and dry. Dubai is on my list to get to in the next couple of years, so I would go there.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why? Underground Music on Ellis. Im a fan of vinyl and every time I go in there I find something I didnt know I needed, but suddenly cant live without.

What is your favourite activity? I love to travel and try to do it as much as possible. I have been to Europe a couple of times, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, a bunch of different islands. My favourite part of travelling is when I can spend some time really living in a destination.

If you had to choose: pizza, tacos, or burgers? Pizza. Easy choice.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you? I crashed my car into my in-laws garage door a few years ago and everyone has been making fun of me ever since.

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you? I went to Fiji when I was 16 and through meeting some locals and seeing their lives, learned that concepts like friends, family and good jokes were universal, while material things, no matter how nice, won't make you happy.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory. My family had a little cabin in Northern Saskatchewan where we spent our summers. I have a lot great memories trekking through the woods with my friends, boating and sitting around the fire at night.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community? My wife is great at finding local organizations and causes that need help. I try to donate the skills I have, whether its print and web design, photography or just simple manual labour to whatever is important to her at the time.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be? Just one thing? Thats a hard one. Id be interested to see if a resource based economy would work in the real world. I think that might have the potential to fix more than one problem.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna? Im easy. Give me a nice waterfront patio on a sunny day and a cold drink with friends and Im happy.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone? I like to go up to Postill Lake at least once a year. There is no internet or cell reception which is such a nice break to have these days.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why? There is a huge challenge in Kelowna right now for young people and low income families to find affordable housing options. I dont know how someone with a minimum wage job or a single person supporting a family can possibly afford to live here.

What do you think makes Kelowna great? Kelowna has a great mix of people who have moved here from other places, and most of them seem pretty happy to be here.

What are 3 things on your bucket list? 1) Live in another country for a year 2) Vacation on a private yacht 3) Go into space (once the kinks are worked out and its like booking a cruise)

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you. Im terrible at basketball. Im 67 so everyone assumes Im great at it. Im not at all.

What is the name of your business/organization? Kelowna Photo Editing.

Why did you get into/start this business? Both of my parents are excellent photographers, so I got my start with photo editing a long time ago. For the last 11 years, I have been doing a lot of editing work with real estate and property photos. Personal photo touch-ups were the next step.

What is the goal of your business? Photos dont always turn out the way we expect. Luckily we live in the digital age where we have the technology to fix almost anything. My goal is to work on any photos that are important to people; weddings, portraits, vintage photos, real estate.

What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life? Finding the time to do all the things I want is always my biggest challenge. No matter how full my schedule is, there are always a few more projects I want to take on, but I still have to find time to sleep and get away from the computer screen a bit.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different? I am happy with how things have turned out for me, so I think I would keep it the same.

What do you always find yourself saying? 'I can fix that', it doesnt always turn out to be true, but I usually give it a try.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select? Neil deGrasse Tyson. Im kind of a science geek and I think I could learn a few things in a day.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally? Coming from a smaller town, Ive seen how supporting local businesses benefits your own community. Shopping online or at the big box stores may save you a few dollars, but when you can put money into a local business, it ends up coming back your way.

What has been your proudest accomplishment? Tricking my wife into marrying me. Im still not sure how I pulled that off.

Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why! I want to give a shout out to my wife Lisa Taylor and her business partner Jewels Ferris. They have just moved into a new office space downtown on St. Paul and both continue to be very active members in Kelownas business community.

My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is: I would like nominate Jennifer ' Jenner' Simpatico, who owns Petal and Vow, which specializes in Wedding and Event Floral Design. Jenner was one of the first people I met when I moved to Kelowna, we worked together for years and I think she does excellent work.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna.

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In Focus | Ian Atkinson - KelownaNow

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Ian Jefferies: Revitalizing transportation systems starts with sensible … – Topeka Capital Journal

Posted: at 3:01 pm

Leaders in Washington, D.C. are turning their attention toward revitalizing an American infrastructure system recently graded a D-plus by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The same group rated Kansas infrastructure a C-minus.

Privately owned freight railroads, which spend their own money so taxpayers do not including $635 billion since partial deregulation nearly 40 years ago believe progress will be made through public policy solutions that both enhance public spending and spur private infrastructure investment. Our industry perhaps understands best that optimum performance requires steady capital investment.

Therefore, as lawmakers turn their attention to actual legislation, our industry offers recommendations as a starting point in this sure-to-be lengthy process, simply for the transportation portion of Kansas and U.S. infrastructure:

Stop applying band aids to the insolvent Highway Trust Fund, the pool of money funded almost solely by the gas tax and which is used to fund federal and state transportation infrastructure projects. Because the gas tax does not cover operating expenses, and because commercial users such as trucks do not pay for their proportional use of roads, taxpayers have subsidized the fund to the tune of $143 billion since 2008. We need measures such as a weight distance fee that accounts more realistically for commercial road use.

Do not make things worse by pushing heavier trucks onto transportation networks. Any federal program that boosts truck weight limits at the federal level further subsidizes commercial highway users at the expense of taxpayers, exacerbates deterioration of crumbling infrastructure and tilts the policy scale against a critical freight rail industry. Trucks today dont cover their current impact and heavier trucks will only force taxpayers to further bankroll the underpayment of even heavier trucks, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

Enact tax reform to spur economic growth and generate revenues needed for sustainable funding. We need a simpler and fairer tax code, reducing the business rate to a globally-competitive level to broaden the tax base, enhance U.S. economic development and promote growth. Divisive items related to tax reform must not impede the larger goal to enhance competition, which for railroads and American industry in general, will lead to more domestic spending.

Streamline government processes that will similarly unshackle the business community and fuel an American renaissance not seen for decades. By generating policies that focus more on desired outcomes than prescriptive steps, cutting red tape in the permitting process and by actually communicating with the private sector, long-delayed infrastructure projects may finally come to fruition. Not by eradicating regulation, but by instilling good government principles transparency and complete and sound science railroads, trucks and other transportation stakeholders would gain efficiencies that make room for greater innovation and investment.

Ensure the vitality of private infrastructure, namely a freight rail network that serves nearly every industrial, wholesale, retail and resource-based sector of the economy, including energy and farm products, water treatment and fertilizer materials, and a host of goods used in manufacturing in Kansas. This means Washington regulators ditching numerous proceedings to re-regulate freight rail, most notably a proposed measure called forced access, which would allow the government to order one rail company to use its own privately owned facilities on behalf of a competitor. Unneeded government meddling in the operations of this 140,000 mile network that keeps trucks off the road, reduces emissions and employs nearly 5,500 Kansans, is in direct opposition to the larger goal at hand.

To be clear, raising the GPA of Kansas and U.S. infrastructure is no small task. Myriad stakeholders have varying views and solutions. But these principles embody a premise that should be followed in this process: avoid changes in public policy that make things more difficult and increase funding needs.

Ian Jefferies is senior vice president of government affairs at the Association of American Railroads.

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