Tag Archives: WHO

News, Politics, Government

WHO holds off raising MERS alert level as Muslim hajj looms

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The World Health Organization on Wednesday held off from calling for travel restrictions related to the MERS virus striking hardest in Saudi Arabia, after emergency talks on the mystery illness.

In a statement following a session of the UN health agency’s emergency committee — the rarity of which underlined global concerns about MERS — the WHO said that there currently was no reason to step up its level of alert.

“It is the unanimous decision of the committee that, with the information now available, and using a risk-assessment approach, the conditions for a public health emergency of international concern have not at present been met,” the WHO said in a statement.

The emergency meeting, which took the form of a telephone conference of officials from affected countries and global experts, was held in two parts, the first on Tuesday last week and the second on Wednesday.

It came amid mounting concern about the potential impact of October’s Islamic hajj pilgrimage, when millions of people from around the globe will head to and from Saudi Arabia.

The WHO stuck to its stance that countries around the world should remain vigilant, monitoring any unusual patterns of respiratory infection, notably if patients have been to the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, however, has already indicated that at-risk individuals should consider staying away, in order to head off the spectre of a spread of the virus.

On Saturday, health authorities in the kingdom urged elderly and chronically ill Muslims, as well as children and pregnant women, not to perform the annual pilgrimage.

Officials in France, which has a large Muslim community, meanwhile said they had been informed that Saudi Arabia would not be issuing visas to such individuals.

MERS, short for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, claimed its first victim in Saudi Arabia in June 2012.

Since then, a total of 82 cases have been recorded worldwide, with 65 of them in the kingdom and most of the rest with a history of travel to the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia also accounts for 38 of the globe’s 45 confirmed MERS deaths.

Experts are struggling to understand MERS, which does not appear to spread easily but which has raised major concern because of the high fatality rate — currently almost 55 percent.

The disease is a cousin of SARS, which erupted in Asia in 2003 and went on to infect a recorded 8,273 people, nine percent of whom died.

Like SARS, MERS is thought to have jumped from animals to humans, and shares the former’s flu-like symptoms — but differs in that it causes kidney failure.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Saudi urges elderly to avoid hajj over virus fears

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Saudi Arabia on Saturday urged elderly and chronically ill Muslims not to perform the hajj pilgrimage, to curb the spread of the MERS coronavirus which has killed 38 in the kingdom.

The health ministry issued a set of conditions for people wanting to perform the annual hajj, which this year falls in October, or the year-round omra or minor pilgrimage.

They recommend postponing the omra and hajj this year “for the elderly and those suffering chronic illnesses, like heart, kidney, respiratory diseases, and diabetes”.

People with immunity deficiency, as well as children and pregnant women, are also listed, according to a ministry statement posted on its website.

The statement did not set an age limit, and it was not clear if the recommendation implies that no visas will be issued for such pilgrims.

The ministry said that the conditions were part of “preventive measures special to the MERS coronavirus”.

The kingdom is battling to contain the spread of the SARS-like coronavirus, which has infected 65 people in Saudi Arabia and led to 38 fatalities.

Those figures represent the majority of people affected worldwide — 81 cases of infection and 45 deaths — according to the World Health Organisation.

The Saudi decision comes after the WHO convened emergency talks on MERS last week, with concerns expressed about its potential impact on the hajj when millions of Muslims head to and from Saudi Arabia.

Experts are struggling to understand MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

The WHO has not recommended any MERS-related travel restrictions, but says countries should monitor unusual respiratory infection patterns.

The first recorded MERS death was in June last year in Saudi Arabia.

Like SARS, MERS appears to cause a lung infection, with patients suffering from fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.

But it differs in that it also causes rapid kidney failure.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Intuit & LinkedIn Invite Bay Area Small Businesses to 'Hire Smart'

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Intuit & LinkedIn Invite Bay Area Small Businesses to ‘Hire Smart’


Expected 400+ small businesses to get expert advice, free resources and a chance for free local advertising

–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Intuit Inc. (NAS: INTU) :

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Small businesses make up 99% of all U.S. employer firms, employing more than 19 million people across the country.
  • Small business employment is a leading indicator of the country’s general economic recovery – last month, firms with less than 20 employees added 10,000 new jobs in March.
  • 41% of employers report that a bad hiring decision cost them at least $25,000 in the last year.

WHAT:

Intuit (NAS: INTU) and LinkedIn (NAS: LNKD) have teamed up for a first of its kind event – ‘Hire Smart‘ in Mountain View, which is dedicated to providing small businesses with the resources and advice needed to hire their first employee.

Led by small business experts, the event will provide insights and tips on how to navigate the challenges of hiring and retaining staff for small business owners – at zero cost to the 500+ expected in-person businesses as well as 1,000+ businesses across the country watching the live streaming online.

WHO:

  • Hundreds of small businesses sharing and learning from each other and experts, joined by more via the web from across the U.S.

  • Bill Rancic
     , Entrepreneur, Writer, and Winner “The Apprentice”

    • Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Health

40% of Bird Flu Victims Didn't Touch Birds: Report

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By Kevin Spak H7N9 is growing no less mysterious: Roughly 40% of those infected in China‘s bird flu outbreak have never actually come in contact with poultry, according to a leading Chinese scientist, and the World Health Organization yesterday backed up that claim. WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl acknowledged “there are people who have…

From: http://www.newser.com/story/166454/40-of-bird-flu-victims-didnt-touch-birds-report.html

Articles of Interest

No Poultry Contact In Some China Bird Flu Cases: WHO

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

* Some infected with H7N9 had no contact with poultry
* Chinese scientist says this was 40 pct of cases
* Can’t rule out human-to-human spread, the WHO says (Adds new WHO quotes and expert comment)
GENEVA/BEIJING, April 17 (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that a number of people who have tested positive for a new strain of bird flu in China have had no history of contact with poultry, adding to the mystery about the virus that has killed 16 people to date.
Chinese authorities have slaughtered thousands of birds and closed some live poultry markets to try and stem the rate of human infection, but many questions remain unsolved including whether the H7N9 strain is being transmitted between people.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl confirmed that “there are people who have no history of contact with poultry”, after a top Chinese scientist was quoted as saying about 40 percent of those with the H7N9 flu had had no poultry contact.
“This is one of the puzzles still (to) be solved and therefore argues for a wide investigation net,” Hartl said in emailed comments, though he did not know the exact percentage.
Several avenues should be explored by an international team of experts going to China soon, including the possibility that the virus can be spread between people, although there is “no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission”, Hartl said.
“It might be because of dust at the wet markets, it could be another animal source beside poultry, it could also be human-to-human transmission,” he added by telephone.
Wendy Barclay, a flu expert at Imperial College London, said it was likely to be very difficult to determine and rule out people’s exact exposure to poultry – and to wild birds, which could also be a possible source of infection.
“The incubation time might be quite long so visiting a market even 14 days before might have resulted in infection,” she said.

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/poultry-contact-china-bird-flu_n_3099870.html

News, Politics, Government

China's Bird Flu A Problem For Yum! Brands, Co Says

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By Kenneth Rapoza, Contributor

China‘s latest bout with a new strain of avian influenza does not bode well for Yum! Brands, the company said in its 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday. March same-store sales declined an estimated 13% for their China operations. This included an estimated decline of 16% at KFC and a 4% growth at Pizza Hut. Within the past week, publicity associated with bird flu in Shanghai and surrounding areas has had a negative impact on KFC sales, the company said.   “Historically in these situations, we have educated consumers that properly cooked chicken is perfectly safe to eat, and we will continue to do so,” the company said in its filing. Further updates regarding Yum! Brands’ China sales will be released with first quarter earnings on April 23, 2013.  April same-store sales for China will be released on May 10 after market hours. So far, the share price of Kentucky-based Yum! Brands has held up okay from the scare. The stock is up around 0.8% over the last five days but down 1.82% over the last month. China is Yum’s most lucrative market. According to its third quarter report, China accounted for more than half of its overall revenue of $3.57 billion, and the country also generated around 40% of Yum’s profit. Since opening its first KFC branch on the Chinese mainland in 1987, Yum has nearly 5,000 restaurants in more than 800 Chinese cities. Over the last month, 43 people from Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and Shanghai have been diagnosed with the new H7N9 strain of bird flu. Eleven people have died, most of them in Shanghai, the World Health Organization said Friday.  New cases are popping up daily. On Friday, Beijing News reported that people carrying the H7N9 virus may have entered Beijing in recent days from East China due to an increased flow of tourists, but no cases of bird flu have been reported there as of Friday. While this is a new strain of bird flu, WHO said there has been no evidence of human to human transmission. And even though the disease does not survive in cooked meats, many restaurants in Shanghai have outright banned selling poultry dishes in an attempt to curb fears by the public.

From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2013/04/12/chinas-bird-flu-a-problem-for-yum-brands-co-says/

Articles of Interest

More Air Pollution Deaths Per Year Than From AIDS, Malaria: UN

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

OSLO, April 9 (Reuters) – Air pollution is an underestimated scourge that kills far more people than AIDS and malaria and a shift to cleaner energy could easily halve the toll by 2030, U.N. officials said on Tuesday.
Investments in solar, wind or hydropower would benefit both human health and a drive by almost 200 nations to slow climate change, blamed mainly on a build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from use of fossil fuels, they said.
“Air pollution is causing more deaths than HIV or malaria combined,” Kandeh Yumkella, director general of the U.N. Industrial Development Organization, told a conference in Oslo trying to work out new U.N. development goals for 2030.
Most victims from indoor pollution, caused by wood fires and primitive stoves in developing nations, were women and children.
He suggested that new U.N. energy goals for 2030 should include halving the number of premature deaths caused by indoor and outdoor pollution.
A 2012 World Health Organization (WHO) study found that 3.5 million people die early annually from indoor air pollution and 3.3 million from outdoor air pollution. Toxic particles shorten lives by causing diseases such as pneumonia or cancer.
“The problem has been underestimated in the past,” Maria Neira, the WHO‘s director of public health and environment, told Reuters. Smog is an acute problem from Beijing to Mexico City.
The data, published as part of a global review of causes of death in December 2012, were an upwards revision of previous figures of 1.9 million premature deaths caused by household pollution a year and 1.3 million outdoors, she said.
The revision reflects better measurements and changes in methods, such as including heart problems linked to pollutants, she said. The numbers cannot be added together because they include perhaps 500,000 from overlapping causes.

SIX MILLION
“Still, it means more than 6 million deaths every year …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Citrix to Present at HDI: "The New Job of IT in an Increasingly Mobile World"

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Citrix to Present at HDI: “The New Job of IT in an Increasingly Mobile World”

Session Offers Support Strategies for Maximum Uptime of People, Devices and Apps in the Mobile Workforce

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Citrix announced today that it will present at the HDI 2013 Conference & Expo, the industry’s leading technical service and support conference, in a session titled “The New Job of IT in an Increasingly Mobile World.” The session on April 18, 2013 will cover the impact of mobile workstyles on IT support delivery, IT‘s renewed business significance, and strategies for maintaining uptime and delivering superior support experiences. David Baeza, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships – Mobility at Citrix, will speak. Baeza leads mobile strategy and platforms for the company’s Online Services Division.

The Citrix team will also be at Booth 217 on the HDI Exposition floor, April 16-19, 2013, providing demos of its new Citrix GoToAssist integrated toolset with mobile support functionality.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

WHO:

      Citrix IT Support Line of Business at HDI
Articles of Interest

Bird Flu Vaccine? World Experts Debate Whether To Make Shot For New H7N9 Strain

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

* Experts in daily talks on risks posed by new China virus
* Researchers analysing samples to find vaccine candidate
* Decision to make vaccine depends on whether H7N9 spreads
By Ben Hirschler and Kate Kelland
LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) – Experts from around the world are in daily talks about the threat posed by a deadly new strain of bird flu in China, including discussions on if and when to start making a vaccine.
Any decision to mass-produce vaccines against H7N9 flu will not be taken lightly, since it will mean sacrificing production of seasonal shots. And scientists warn it will take months to get any finished bird flu vaccine to the market.
But the groundwork is being laid.
The virus has been shared with World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centres in Atlanta, Beijing, London, Melbourne and Tokyo, and these groups are analysing samples to identify the best candidate to be used for the manufacture of vaccine – if it becomes necessary.
It is still a big “if”, even assuming the continued spread of the new disease, which has killed five of the 14 people that it has infected in China.
“It is an incredibly difficult decision because once you make it you have to change from making seasonal flu vaccines and go to making a vaccine for this virus,” said Jeremy Farrar, a leading expert on infectious diseases and director of Oxford University’s research unit in Vietnam.
That could mean shortages of vaccine against the normal seasonal flu which, while not serious for most people, still costs thousands of lives.
Sanofi Pasteur, the world’s largest flu vaccine manufacturer, said it was in continuous contact with the WHO through the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), but it was too soon to know the significance of the Chinese cases. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post

News, Politics, Government

Scientists say new China bird flu strain likely a silent threat

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Scientists taking a first look at the genetics of the bird flu strain that recently killed two men in China say the virus could be harder to track than its better-known cousin H5N1 because it might be able to spread silently among poultry without notice.

The scientists said Wednesday that the H7N9 virus seems troubling because it can generate no symptoms in poultry while seriously sickening humans.

Dr. Masato Tashiro, a WHO scientist studying the virus’ genetic data, says the virus also appears to have mutated into a form that enables it to more easily infect animals such as pigs, meaning they could serve as hosts that spread the virus more widely among humans.

H7N9 is previously known only to have infected birds.

The preliminary findings need further testing.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

SymphonyIRI to Moderate Panel on Real-Time Marketing and the Fast-Paced Digital World at IAB Social

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

SymphonyIRI to Moderate Panel on Real-Time Marketing and the Fast-Paced Digital World at IAB Social Media Agency Day

Phil Ripperger to Lead Discussion with Executives from BabyCenter, Everyday Health and Unilever

–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SymphonyIRI Group:

WHO:

 

Phil Ripperger – Vice President of Sales, New Media Solutions, SymphonyIRI Group, Inc.
 

WHAT:

Phil Ripperger will be a featured panel moderator at the IAB Social Media Day event, “Planning for Real Time.” He will lead a discussion with executives from leading health …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
News, Politics, Government

Iowa newspaper accused of endangering kids with school security map

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Iowa’s biggest newspaper is under fire after publishing a map that showed which public school districts have police or security — and which ones don’t.

Critics said the Des Moines Register, which quickly pulled the interactive map off of its website, was making it easy for a deranged killer to know where to launch a Sandy Hook-style attack.

“What they did yesterday was provide a shopping list for every nut job in Iowa,” WHO radio host Simon Conway, who said his phone lines “blew up” as soon as he began discussing the map with his audience, told Fox News Channel.

The paper’s investigation, which Editor Rick Green said was mounted in response to the Dec. 14 attack in Newtown, Conn., which left 20 children dead, found hundreds of schools have no police or private security during portions of the day. Of the state’s 25 largest school districts, only three do not utilize school resource officers, a survey by the by Des Moines Register newspaper found. The online map that originally accompanied the story allowed readers to identify more than 100 public schools, including high schools and community college campuses with varying degrees of security.

Green told Fox News Channel that the map was only on the paper’s website for 20 minutes, after which it was taken down amid an avalanche of angry phone calls.

“My team alerted me to it, and we took it down,” Green said.

Green said the paper wanted to show how security resources were being deployed across the state, but later changed to a map that showed the 54 districts that have full-time security. But some law enforcement and school authorities in the state said that the number of officers in the schools could increase as officials continue to update security plans.

“This was a deliberate decision” at Linn-Mar’s school system, Superintendent Katie Mulholland wrote in response to the Register’s survey. “However, the Marion Police Department makes rounds in our school buildings on a regular but varied schedule, about every five days where they walk the building and their squad cars are visible in the school parking lots.”

Most districts shared the cost of the resource officers with a local law enforcement agency, the newspaper found.

Green acknowledged that he wished the map had been presented differently, but said it was meant to be a “revelatory look” at an issue that concerns parents and taxpayers.

“When taxpayers and residents are calling us to inquire about how safe their children’s schools are, we have to investigate,” Green said.

Click for more from the Des Moines Register.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Network Now Available In and Around Presque Isle, Maine

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Network Now Available In and Around Presque Isle, Maine

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Verizon Wireless:

WHO: Verizon Wireless, operator of the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network

WHAT: Verizon Wireless‘ 4G LTE network has launched in and around Presque Isle, Maine. Verizon Wireless customers with compatible devices in Presque Isle and 12 additional surrounding communities are now able to experience the speed and capabilities offered by the nation’s largest 4G LTE network.

WHERE: The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network has further expanded to the following Maine communities:

  • Aroostook
  • Benedicta
  • Caribou
  • Hodgdon
  • Houlton
  • Island Falls
  • Mapleton
  • Mars Hill
  • Masardis
  • Portage Lake
  • Presque Isle
  • Smyrna
  • Stockholm

BACKGROUND: Two years after its launch, the Verizon 4G LTE network is available to more than 273 million people across the U.S. – close to 89 percent of the U.S. population. For a full list of 4G LTE markets please visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.

Verizon Wireless also ranked highest among all other national wireless providers in New England, which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, in the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study(SM), Volume 1, issued March 7. This is the 17th consecutive reporting period that Verizon Wireless ranks highest in the Northeast region.

In 2012, Verizon Wireless completed $256 million in wireless network enhancements across New England, increasing the company’s regional network investment to more than $3.3 billion since its inception in 2000. By mid-2013, the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network will be available in the vast majority of markets where the company currently offers …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Ultimate Software to Host Webcast on Healthcare Reform for 2013

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Ultimate Software to Host Webcast on Healthcare Reform for 2013

WESTON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Ultimate Software (NAS: ULTI)

WHAT: Ultimate Software will host a complimentary, hour-long webcast presentation that focuses on helping HR, benefits, and payroll professionals prepare for the latest changes related to healthcare reform.

In 2013, healthcare reform has become a top business issue that organizations need to prepare for. Effective January 1, 2013, the Medicare tax rate increased by 0.9% on single filers’ earnings over $200,000 and joint filers’ earnings over $250,000. Additionally, the amount of money employees can shelter in an FSA will be restricted to $2,500. These 2013 changes are already in effect, and there are many more coming in 2014 such as the individual mandate and the employer’s shared responsibility that require employers to be prepared and take action.

This webcast, approved for one credit hour from the HR Certification Institute, will help participants understand and navigate through the large amount of information on healthcare reform in 2013, and then conclude with a live Q&A period.

WHEN: Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time

WHERE: Click here to register for Healthcare Reform: What Employers Need to Do Now

WHO: Cecile Alper-Leroux, vice president of product strategy and development at Ultimate Software, is responsible for defining and carrying out the global vision and strategy for Ultimate’s human capital management solutions. She has over 20 years of experience as an HR practitioner and with HRMS product strategy.

Pat Pickren, senior director of product management at Ultimate Software, has more than 14 years of experience in building and delivering software in the HR technology industry. He oversees the company’s product management team, which is responsible for Ultimate’s most important product initiatives.

Ultimate Software, Weston
Public Relations Contact: Darlene Marcroft, 954-331-7444
darlene_marcroft@ultimatesoftware.com
or
For Sales Information:
Ultimate Software, 800-432-1729
Web site: www.ultimatesoftware.com

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Florida

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article Ultimate Software to Host Webcast on Healthcare …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Media Reminder: BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and BRIO Tuscan Grille to Celebrate National Ravioli Day Marc

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:


Media Reminder
 : BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and BRIO Tuscan Grille to Celebrate National Ravioli Day March 19, 2013. Offering Ravioli Entrees at 50% Off All Day

–(BUSINESS WIRE)– BRAVO | BRIO Restaurant Group Inc.:

BRIO Ravioli Di Bello (Photo: Business Wire)

WHO:

BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and BRIO Tuscan Grille (NAS: BBRG) locations nationwide.

WHAT:

In honor of National Ravioli Day, BBRG locations are inviting guests to indulge in ravioli entrée selections offered at 50% off. Available at lunch and dinner for dine-in only, BBRG is excited to share and celebrate with their guests.

WHEN:

Tuesday March, 19th 2013. Available at lunch and dinner. Hours vary by location.

HOW:

Visit your local BRAVO! or BRIO location for lunch or dinner. All ravioli entrée items will be available at 50% off for dine-in.

BRIO Tuscan Grille

BRIO (meaning “lively” or “full of life”) is an upscale affordable restaurant serving authentic, northern Italian cuisine. The subtitle, “Tuscan Grille” is descriptive in the menu that features wood-grilled and oven-roasted steaks, chops and seafood, similar to what one would find in an authentic ristorante in Tuscany. BRIO‘s philosophy is “to eat well, is to live well”; which is why it only uses the finest and freshest ingredients. BRIO is part of Columbus-based BRAVO | BRIO Restaurant Group (BBRG). Please visit the website, BrioItalian.com for a list of locations, and follow the restaurant on Twitter (@brioitalian) and Facebook (facebook.com/brioitalian).

BRAVO! Cucina Italiana

BRAVO! is an upscale affordable restaurant offering classic Italian food amongst the shadows of Roman ruins. The subtitle “Cucina Italiana” means Italian kitchen, in which all cooking is done in full view of the guest, creating the energy of a live theater. BRAVO‘s popular …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Media Alert: BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and BRIO Tuscan Grille to Celebrate National Ravioli Day March 1

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:


Media Alert
 : BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and BRIO Tuscan Grille to Celebrate National Ravioli Day March 19, 2013. Offering Ravioli Entrees at 50% Off All Day

–(BUSINESS WIRE)– BRAVO | BRIO Restaurant Group Inc.:

BRIO Ravioli Di Bello (Photo: Business Wire)

WHO:

BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and BRIO Tuscan Grille (NAS: BBRG) locations nationwide.

WHAT:

In honor of National Ravioli Day, BBRG locations are inviting guests to indulge in ravioli entrée selections offered at 50% off. Available at lunch and dinner for dine-in only, BBRG is excited to share and celebrate with their guests.

WHEN:

Tuesday March, 19th 2013. Available at lunch and dinner. Hours vary by location.

HOW:

Visit your local BRAVO! or BRIO location for lunch or dinner. All ravioli entrée items will be available at 50% off for dine-in.

BRIO Tuscan Grille

BRIO (meaning “lively” or “full of life”) is an upscale affordable restaurant serving authentic, northern Italian cuisine. The subtitle, “Tuscan Grille” is descriptive in the menu that features wood-grilled and oven-roasted steaks, chops and seafood, similar to what one would find in an authentic ristorante in Tuscany. BRIO‘s philosophy is “to eat well, is to live well”; which is why it only uses the finest and freshest ingredients. BRIO is part of Columbus-based BRAVO | BRIO Restaurant Group (BBRG). Please visit the website, BrioItalian.com for a list of locations, and follow the restaurant on Twitter (@brioitalian) and Facebook (facebook.com/brioitalian).

BRAVO! Cucina Italiana

BRAVO! is an upscale affordable restaurant offering classic Italian food amongst the shadows of Roman ruins. The subtitle “Cucina Italiana” means Italian kitchen, in which all cooking is done in full view of the guest, creating the energy of a live theater. BRAVO‘s popular …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Articles of Interest

A Christian’s Response To Cries Of “Discrimination”

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By Anthony ‘AC’ Castellitto

Christian cross SC A Christians Response to Cries of Discrimination

What is compassion? What is tough love offered out of good will to a fellow sinner? One who also struggles with urges and desires that, although of a different variety, run contrary to God’s sanctioned, intended purpose?

Here’s my response to Phil, a self-declared homosexual, who openly expressed his frustration with ‘intolerant’ Christians.

“Brother Phil,

If a Christian acts morally, spiritually, or naturally superior in any way to another, they are not coming from a place of genuine, spirit-led humility.

However, if the God of the Bible is true, then so is Original Sin. Hence, we all struggle with dispositions and tendencies that run counter to God’s natural, desired, and created order.

If you don’t keep that in mind, in your discussions with Orthodox Christians, you will be frustrated.
But we are not Islamic. We desire you peace and the salvation of your souls! We just can’t embrace the lifestyle. We don’t believe this to be a state issue, but a personal one.

However, all sinners need grace that their spiritual eyes be opened. Then the issue of sexual predisposition no longer matters. I am not saying that there is no struggle, but a much greater good takes precedence.”

I am left to wonder if my words are that of a bigot or of a concerned, sober-minded Christian. If what we believe is true, we must hold fast to truth in a charitable, honest, and loving manner.

As WE remain consistently honest about these truths, WHO are the ones with blood on their hands?

Think about it….

Unfortunately we are living in a time where science is now replacing accountability. I don’t believe we need to be defined by our sexual predispositions. Fornication, infidelity, divorce, sodomy, etc. are all sins (in fact, infidelity and sodomy are still on the books as criminal offenses in many states).

The fact that openly gay individuals want to embrace their same-sex desires and marry proves they have no concept (or are simply in denial) of essential spiritual realities. We wind up simply talking past each other. That’s why apologetics is so important, that we may declare the historical veracity and fantastic, absolute claims of the Triune God of the Bible. Without this understanding, all kinds of madness will prevail. What we have today is a complete denial of the sin and depravity of man, despite the fact that we are living in a day when the evidence abounds like never before.

Christianity provides the most historically reliable and reasonable explanation of our natural order, the existence of all things, and our ultimate purpose in this life. Unlike those nations that encourage the discrimination and persecution of gays in their midst, we are merely making our case for a healthy, well-ordered, civil society. However, we remain supportive of those with same-sex desires, and they’ve remained free to do whatever they will in their personal lives. But you can’t tell us that we have to support or even accept gay marriage as good for society…because we don’t.

We are not going to just casually adhere to those …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Western Journalism

Articles of Interest

Europeans On A Whole Are Getting Healthier — But Major Disparities Still Exist, WHO Says

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

By Kate Kelland
LONDON, March 13 (Reuters) – Europeans can expect to live longer and their overall health has improved in recent years, but “unjust” health inequalities persist between men and women, East and West and rich and poor, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday.
In an update on the 53 countries in its European region, the United Nations health body said its 900 million people were living longer and healthier lives, with average life expectancy increasing by five years since 1980 to reach 76 years in 2010.
This was mainly due to decreases in some causes of death, such as road accidents and maternal mortality, and to efforts to reduce some health risks and improve socioeconomic conditions in the region, which for the WHO stretches across the EU to central Asia.
“But there are persistent and widespread inequities in health across the region, which in some cases are worsening,” said Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO‘s regional director for Europe.
“These are unnecessary and unjust and must be a priority for us to address collectively,” she said.
The WHO‘s European health report, issued every three years, showed the leading health risk factors for Europeans today include tobacco and alcohol use, with alcohol accounting for an estimated 6.5 percent of all deaths, and some 27 percent of the adult population smoking.
So-called non-communicable, or chronic, diseases such as heart disease, and cancer account for 80 percent of deaths, with cardiovascular diseases the cause of about 50 percent of deaths and cancer accounting for around 20 percent.
And while infectious diseases kill fewer people, some “remain a concern” – particularly tuberculosis, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, the report said.
It also found that while life expectancy for women in the region reached an average of 80 years in 2010, for men it was only 72.5 years. And premature death rates, although falling overall, vary considerably across the region, with the highest rates in eastern part and the lowest in western countries. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post

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Verizon Wireless Enhances 4G LTE Network in Holliston, Massachusetts

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Verizon Wireless Enhances 4G LTE Network in Holliston, Massachusetts

WHO:

      Verizon Wireless, operator of the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network
 

WHAT:

Verizon Wireless recently activated new fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network coverage in southern Holliston, Massachusetts along the Holliston/Mills/Medway border. 4G LTE empowers Verizon Wireless customers with compatible devices to surf …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance