comprise the largest share of international homebuyers in Cen tral Texas, per a new report by the Austin Board of Realtors. Why it matters: As their population
I moved my mother to an assisted living facility in India. It’s a deci sion I can justify intellectually, but cannot rationalize emotionally.
I looked closely into my mother’s (Continued On Page 03)
Gupta, have been featured in For tune’s annual ’40 Under 40′ list, which comprises influential indi viduals, including founders, execu tives, investors and activists, shap ing business in 2022.
Kanav Kari ya, 26, is the presi dent of Jump Crypto; while Ankit Gupta, 25, is the founder and CEO of Bicycle Health. (Continued On Page 14)
Youth voices prioritize justice, re silience, and health in conversa tions about compounding climate hazards affecting our communities. Austin’s Youth Climate Equity Council, established to give a plat
form to youth voices and connect them to city initiatives and leaders, has selected its second cohort of students.
Twenty-five local youth, ages 14–18, representing 11 schools, in cluding public, private, and charter schools, will work on the council this academic year. ( Page 20)
Community Focused.
(Continued From Page 01)
1.
Give outdoor play an upgrade with KidiGo NexTag from VTech, de signed for ages 5 and up. Way more than just tag, it’s a high-tech spin on 20 different backyard games in cluding capture the flag, freeze tag and hide-and-seek.
To play, all you need are the four included electronic units and ad justable arm bands. A friendly voice explains the quick and easyto-learn rules and no referee is re quired -- the game lets you know who got tagged, who’s safe and who’s it.
With single- and multi-player op tions, the whole family can get in on the fun, especially when you combine two systems. Play indoors or out with a 135-foot range be tween units. All you have to do is press the big button and tag, you’re it!
2. Kitchen assistance:
Introduce adults and kids alike to the fundamentals of baking with a family-friendly baking kit sub scription.
Each month, a new kit is mailed to your recipients’ home with recipes, activity booklets and all the ingre dients needed to create something delicious.
The weather may be frightful, but that’s no reason why families can’t enjoy a delightful day at the pool.
Consider gifting your favorite fam ily with a day pass to an indoor aquatic center or water park.
For families with young children, look for a facility that offers splash pads and swim lessons.
For those with older kids who are already proficient swimmers,
check for amenities like water slides and wave pools.
Want to take it a step further? Sign your recipients up for an indoor pool membership until summer re turns.
4. Inspiration: Give families all the ideas and inspiration they need to beat boredom, create new tradi tions and make memories with “The Adventure Challenge: Family Edition.”
This journal offers 50 adventures in different categories, along with space to share thoughts and photos about each experience.
5. Board--not bored: Encourage some good old fashioned family fun with board games.
From chess and checkers to mod ern classics to the latest trendy games, this is a gift option that’s sure to engage family members of all ages. (StatePoint)
Diabetes can impact the body in a number of ways, especially creating potentially serious complications for your feet.
“Foot care is a central component of over
While still relatively rare, Charcot foot seems to be growing in prevalence as more Americans develop diabetes. This sudden destruction and erosion of the foot’s bones, caused by severe nerve damage, can trigger
and ensure your socks aren’t bunched up. Wear lighter colored socks so you’ll notice blood or drainage if they occur.
• Be temperature aware. Never use heating pads, hot water bottles, ice or electric blan kets, and never put your feet in hot water without testing the temperature; you can easily burn your feet without noticing.
• Stay active. Improve circulation by wig gling your toes and moving your ankles for five minutes, two to three times a day.
• Control blood sugar levels. Good diabetes management reduces your risk of develop ing complications.
• Book an appointment. Visit a foot and ankle surgeon to determine if you have lost any feeling or circulation. Periodic foot exams can also help prevent complications.
“Advanced therapies for foot wounds, such as the use of bioengineered skin substitutes and negative pressure wound therapy, are saving limbs and restoring mobility for peo ple who suffer from nonhealing foot ulcers,” says Dr. Paschold.
For more information and to find a foot and ankle surgeon near you, visit FootHealth Facts.org, the patient education website for the American College of Foot and Ankle Sur geons. (StatePoint)
(Continued From Page 01)
the same one that had been folded at the foot of her bed in our house for years.
all diabetes care,” says Bryce Paschold, DPM, FACFAS, a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon and a fellow member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Sur geons. “Without precautions, even small foot problems can lead to amputation or be life-threatening.”
To help those living with diabetes under stand potential complications and how to avoid them, ACFAS is sharing these impor tant insights:
Nerve damage that affects arms, hands, legs and feet known as diabetic peripheral neu ropathy not only makes you more likely to experience numbness, burning, and loss of your protective sensation, but losing sensa tion in your feet can also make it easier to miss common minor skin pathologies and other foot issues while they’re still relative ly easy to treat.
With diabetes, the blood vessels below the knee often become narrow and restrict blood flow, causing infections that don’t heal. This common and serious complication can lead to the loss of your foot, leg or your life.
Stress fractures and sprains are common place among all athletes, but those living with diabetes who experience neuropathy are more likely to be unaware of foot and ankle injuries and exacerbate them by con tinuing their activities.
an avalanche of problems, including joint loss, fractures, collapse of the arch, mas sive deformity, ulcers, amputation and even death. Symptoms appear suddenly and in clude warm and red skin, and swelling, but commonly without pain.
You can play a vital role in reducing your risk for complications. Here’s how:
• Inspect feet daily. Check for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling and nail problems. Use a magnifying mirror to look at the bottom of your feet. If you need assistance, have someone else do it for you. Be proactive by knowing what is going on with your feet on a daily basis.
• Don’t ignore pain. Seek care immediately if you experience pain in your leg at night or with little activity. It could mean you have a blocked artery.
• Don’t perform “bathroom surgery.” Never trim calluses or corns yourself, and don’t use over-the-counter medicated pads. See a foot and ankle surgeon for proper treatment.
• Keep floors clear. To prevent injury, make sure no needles, insulin syringes or other sharp objects are on the floor. You should also always wear shoes, indoors and out doors.
• Prevent Irritation. Shake shoes free of small objects you may not be able to feel
dearly familiar face, taking inventory of the changes: the big bruise near her eye, her weight loss, mosquito bites on her neck, her freshly combed hair, and the sweet smell of
Nee yaaru? (Who are you?) my mother asked in Tamil, and her question gouged at me.
“I am your daughter,” I said. She stared into my face, then turned to look at her caregiver, Vinitha, before turning back.
Suddenly, she smiled, and her face lit up. “When did you come?” she asked softly.
talcum powder.
With moisture gathering in my eyes, I took in the spidery veins tracing unforgettable patterns on the paper-thin skin of her fore arms, her milk-white hair, the hooked nose, and those same murky eyes that I hadn’t looked into for four months and 14 days; our longest separation in 16 years.
My 89-year-old mother had lived in our home in California since 2006. However, it had taken a complicated series of events and considerations that resulted in her occupy ing Room 211 at Athulya Assisted Living in Chennai, India.
The air-conditioner blasted on high, abating the heat and moistness of August in Chen nai. My mother sat on the easy chair I’d bought in March. A blue blanket that my brother gifted was tucked around her. It was
Vinitha fussed around her, ad justing the blanket, her chair, the neckline of her nightgown, and the footstool. I told my mother that I had arrived that morning from California.
“California?” she asked, and her voice was higher-pitched. “Have you come to take me back?”
I paused. That option was no longer a pos sibility. “Yes, Amma, if you want to come back,” I responded.
In the early years, my mother participated in my life in big and small ways, helping raise my children, cooking and managing the kitchen, worrying over sniffles and coughs, and showing up for my daughters’ ball games and dance performances. (Continued On Page 08)
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is an extremely contagious bacterial in fection that can lead to severe, sometimes life-threatening health problems, such as exacerbation of chronic medical conditions -- including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Fall is one of the times of year that pertus sis peaks in North America. Coinciding with COPD Awareness Month in November, it’s a good time to learn about your pertussis risk and that vaccination can help you to stay healthy. Here’s what to know:
What are the symptoms of pertussis? Pertus sis usually begins with cold-like symptoms. It’s not until the disease progresses in sever ity that it can differentiate itself from other respiratory illnesses. After a week or two, a harsh repetitive cough may develop, some times accompanied by a “whooping” sound that happens when all the air is gone from your lungs and you inhale as you cough. These coughing spells, which can be so in tense they can even break ribs, will often re sult in loss of bladder control, vomiting and exhaustion, light-headedness and headaches.
The lips and areas around the lips may even turn blue due to lack of oxygen.
When should I see a doctor? Treatment for pertussis is easily available and highly en couraged. If started early, it can help reduce the severity and duration of illness and re duce the risk of complications. Once a di agnosis is made or suspected exposure has been determined, you should start on antibi otics immediately.
Who is impacted? Pertussis is often thought of as a childhood disease, however it also impacts adults. Those with underlying lung
disease need to be especially care ful, as pertussis can worsen these diseases to the degree that patients may become hospitalized, even fighting for their lives.
How can I stay healthy? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to protect against pertussis is by getting vaccinated. Childhood immunization reduces the risk of catching pertussis and there’s a vaccine for adults as well. Unfor tunately, only 30% of U.S. adults received a pertussis vaccine in the past 10 years, leav ing many people vulnerable.
Tdap, which protects against tetanus, diph theria and pertussis, is covered free-of-charge by most insurance plans. Recommended for people of all ages in the United States, it’s especially important for high-risk adults, such as those with asthma and COPD, and for older adults who will be in contact with babies less than 12 months old. Talk to your physician to find out if you are up to date on vaccination for pertussis.
What other prevention measures can I take? Like many other infectious illnesses, having good health habits can reduce your chanc es of becoming ill with pertussis. Properly wash your hands with soap and water often, especially if you come into contact with an individual with a respiratory infection. Always cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and clean your hands afterward. Staying home when you’re sick will help prevent the spread of infectious re spiratory diseases.
I have a chronic lung disease, what else should I know? While anyone can get per tussis, adults living with asthma are at four times greater risk of infection and complica tions. For those with COPD, symptoms often worsen after a respiratory infection. Asthma and COPD both cause your airways in your lungs to swell, and pertussis can further in crease airway swelling making breathing difficult. Speak with your healthcare provid er to ensure your adult vaccinations are up to date. For more tools and resources, visit Lung.org/Pertussis. (StatePoint)
Looking for the perfect baby shower gift? A few go-to ideas can make welcoming little ones into the world a breeze. Here are some creative ones to consider:
• Cute, Cuddly and Customizable: Making perfect friends for little ones, My Pal Scout and My Pal Violet Smarty Paws from Leap Frog are no ordinary stuffed animals.
Their touch-sensitive front paws feature sensors that activate silly reactions, music, games and mindfulness exercises to intro duce cause and effect, and touching their ears plays more than 40 songs, lullabies, melodies, games and activities.
Best of all, this is a gift that can be personal ized for a new baby by programming Scout and Violet with the child’s name, favorite foods, colors and animals.
Introducing children to first words, count ing, and feelings and emotions, they’ll even teach a child how to spell their own name.
With a nighttime mode that soothes little ones to sleep with lullabies, this thoughtful gift helps to promote restful nights for par ents and babies alike.
• Memories, milestones and mementos: For parents who are crafty, sentimental or who love preserving family history in a tangible way, consider a scrapbooking kit designed to document a baby’s first year.
From first words to first solid foods, parents will be able to memorialize every milestone creatively. And with so many designs avail able, you’re sure to find one in a style your recipients will love.
• Easy clean-up and travel: New parents will have their hands full, so anything to make clean-up easier will be appreciated. Play&Go toy storage bags are durable draw
string playmats that make it easy to transport toys and tidy up.
Available in a range of colors and styles, they make a great addition to nurseries and playrooms.
• Practical and prepared: As many parents soon discover, it’s never too early to start a college savings fund. Ask the parents-to-be if they plan to open a 529 plan for their fu ture scholar.
These plans grow tax-free, and withdrawals used for qualified educational expenses are also untaxed, making this a smart, practical and meaningful way to celebrate a newborn.
Coming up with unique gift ideas for every occasion can be challenging.
But having a few ready to go items that are cute, thoughtful and customizable to the re cipient will make preparing for each baby shower simple. (StatePoint)
While it can be tempting to think of the pan demic as something that occurred in the past, the reality is that COVID-19 continues to be a significant burden in the United States. As of November 2022, there are more than 39,000 new cases, more than 3,000 hospital izations and about 350 deaths attributable to COVID-19 each day.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” says Al bert A. Rizzo, M.D., chief medical officer for the American Lung Association. “That’s why it’s so important for those at high risk to understand when to test for the disease and to learn more about available treatment op tions.”
In response to the evolving science, the American Lung Association, with support from Pfizer, aims to encourage older adults, people living with chronic lung disease and other high-risk individuals to speak with their healthcare provider about their treat ment options if they test positive for CO VID-19.
Cold and flu season is upon us, and we will continue to see increased cases of infectious respiratory diseases, including flu, respira
tory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19.
If you experience symptoms that could be COVID-19, get tested right away.
Keep in mind that many infectious respira tory illnesses have similar symptoms, so during flu season, it’s especially important to get tested to find out which virus you have and which treatment is right for you.
If you’re exposed to COVID-19 but don’t experience symptoms, you should also test at least five days after the exposure, with day 0 being the day of contact. You may also con sider getting tested prior to visiting someone
at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
If you test positive for COVID-19 and are high risk, speak with your healthcare pro vider right away about available treatment options.
Treatment may help prevent severe illness and reduce the risk of hospitalization. De pending on your situation, your healthcare provider may prescribe one of the following:
• Oral antiviral medications, which may re
duce the spread of COVID-19 throughout the body by stopping the virus from making copies of itself. This medication should be taken as soon as possible after diagnosis and within five days of symptom onset.
• Monoclonal antibody treatment, an IV in fusion antiviral medication, can help your immune system fight off the virus by block ing and limiting the amount of virus within the body. This medication should be given as soon as possible, and within seven days of when you started feeling ill.
After treatment, be sure to monitor your condition and report any lingering or wors ening symptoms to your healthcare provider.
If you begin having difficulty breathing or any other symptom indicating severe illness, seek urgent care.
For more information about COVID-19 test ing and treatment, visit Lung.org/treatingCOVID.
“While effective treatments can help prevent severe illness after infection, vaccination is still the best protection against COVID-19,” says Dr. Rizzo. “Keep your vaccinations up to date. Check with your healthcare provider to see if you’re eligible for an updated boost er.” (StatePoint)
During the long dark nights of fall and win ter, concerns about personal safety may in crease.
Whether commuting for work or class, get ting in an evening run or walking the dog, you likely need to carry out daily activities long after the sun goes down.
To help keep you safe, David Nance, found er of the SABRE Personal Safety Academy, shares six essential tips, along with safety product recommendations:
1. Make a plan before going out. Tell some one you trust your plans and be sure to keep them posted of your whereabouts.
2. Plan for darkness. When it matters most, you don’t want to be fumbling around in your bag or on your bedside table for a way to protect yourself. A first-of-its-kind tool, the SABRE Glow in the Dark Pepper Spray with Quick Release Key Ring is easy to find. Charged for as little as five minutes by any light source, the neon green illuminance can shine for as long as two hours, helping you stay prepared.
3. Use night walking safety rules. Don’t walk in the street. Use well-lit sidewalks, avoiding
dark areas with lots of shrubbery. Go in the opposite direction of traffic so you can see what’s coming and whenever possible, walk with a friend. In a dark parking garage? Be extra alert.
4. Get tech support. Though looking at a smartphone while walking isn’t safe, your tech devices can actually help protect you from dangerous situations when used wise ly. For example, the free SABRE Personal Safety App sends help alerts to selected con
tacts with your location when the in-app alert button is pressed or when SABRE SMART Pepper Spray is deployed.
5. Light your way. Practically speaking, you may not always be able to stick exclusively to well-lit areas, but a multifunctional tool can keep you prepared to protect yourself against threats while also helping you stay aware of your surroundings. Serving dou ble-duty, the SABRE PepperLight includes a maximum strength pepper spray while il
luminating any dark area with 750 lumens, visible up to 540 feet. Another illuminating tool is the brand’s Personal Alarm With LED Light And Snap Hook, which also features an alarm audible up to 1,250 feet, giving us ers an additional level of protection.
6. Wear reflective gear. Make yourself visi ble to cars and cyclists whenever you’re run ning or walking in the dark with reflective apparel and gear, such as the SABRE Pepper Gel Runner Series with UV Marking Dye.
Its adjustable hand strap and reflective logo offer protection and visibility. It’s also a good choice as winter winds howl. Unlike pepper spray, pepper gel resists wind blowback.
Products from SABRE are available nation wide at Walmart, Target, Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lowe’s, Menards, Acad emy and Bass Pro Shops, among other na tional retailers. While it’s legal to carry these safety products in all 50 states, check local laws. For more information and safety tips, visit www.sabrered.com.
“While cold dark nights can create a sense of unease, the right tools and safety strategies can give you confidence and peace of mind this season,” says Nance. (StatePoint)
‘Tis the season for gatherings ga lore. Whether you’re an all-star en tertainer or a first-time host, having the right tools will set you up for success—meaning you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with loved ones. Here are a few must-haves to add to your holi day shopping list:
Create memorable cocktails or mocktails that everyone will be talking about with uniquely shaped craft ice. Tovolo offers a variety of craft ice molds to fit every oc casion—from spheres and sports balls to novelty and holiday orna ment shapes.
The easy-to-use, durable, stackable molds are dishwasher safe for easy clean-up.
Plus, the slow-melting shapes keep drinks cool for longer. So, drop them in for fun and festive drinks at your next gathering.
Popsicles aren’t just for summer time. In fact, they’re a great option for a holiday crowd since you can prep them well in advance, and they make for a light dessert after a night of feasting.
With Tovolo Stackable Pop Molds, simply puree some fruit – straw berries, kiwis, etc. – pour the mix
HE will not do what all you want, HE will do what is right for all.
HE may not give all you desire, HE surely give what you deserve.
HE answer not prayers at once, HE at apt time answer prayers.
HE warns who spoil His creations, HE punish through same creations.
ture into the molds, stack them in the freezer, and voilà, you’ve got a delightful treat that basically made itself. Better yet, guests can add the fruity pops to a glass of champagne or cocktail of choice to add flavor and keep drinks cool.
When hosting a dinner party, dish
es will inevitably pile up in the sink.
One way to cut down on dirty dish es is to use a set of kitchen utensils that is both styl ish and attractive, so you can go from the stovetop to the dining table with out needing to dirty any additional tools.
Another tip is to make the meal family style, which allows your guests to choose what they want and reduces the need to portion
out individual servings, ultimately giving you more time to enjoy the party.
From cookie batters to mashed po tatoes, everyone needs a quality spatula to whip up their favorite holiday dishes.
And now you can add both fun and function to your feast with Spatu lart Spatulas featuring double-sid ed holiday designs and puns.
With a nylon core, these high-qual ity spatulas provide strength for the heaviest mixing jobs and silicone edges that remain flexible for easy scraping.
Plus their FSC-certified wood han dle makes them an environmental ly-conscious way to add a touch of
whimsy to the kitchen roster. Functional and Fashionable Bowls
Despite the name, mixing bowls can be one of the most versatile kitchen tools, used for mixing, prep, storage, and if you choose a stylish design like stainless steel, even serving!
Why dirty multiple dishes when you can opt for one-bowl recipes?
When it comes to entertaining, it’s best to work smarter, not harder.
Having the right tools makes all the difference when you’re preparing to be the host with the most.
Be sure to equip yourself right for a season of easy and festive holiday prep, and don’t forget that when it comes to hosting, versatility is the name of the game. (StatePoint)
‘Tis the season for fun and fes tivities, which means more party attire, kids’ toys and decorations coming into the home. Family or ganizing expert Jessica Litman, the CEO and founder of The Or ganized Mama, shares her tips to keep your space clean and under control during the holidays.
“When the party invitations, gift lists and schedules start to pile up in the kitchen, it’s time to designate one area where everything should go,” Litman says. “This will make it easier to keep the counters clear and for everyone in the family to know where to find their things be fore running out the door.”
Litman says to collect all the pa pers and store them in a tray. For a DIY organizing system, try hang ing a couple of clipboards on the wall in the entryway to hold im portant reminders and leave mes sages, or empty out a drawer and use shallow baking pans as bins for each person to place their graband-go items.
With all the time spent in the kitch en cooking, baking and cleaning up after family parties, make sure that you’re set up for easy maintenance.
A Lazy Susan is a great way to create more room in a cabinet and store ingredients and utensils in one place for quick access, while keeping the mess to a minimum.
Litman suggests lining it with the Duck brand Smooth Top EasyLin er Lazy Susan Kit to keep surfaces free from sticky residue. The pre-cut, circular shaped liner is
simple to in stall, prevents items from falling over and is easy to wipe clean without hav ing to remove the Lazy Su san from the cabinet.
Litman also suggests de cluttering drawers and stocking up on to-go containers so you can send guests home with leftovers.
Store the Décor
There will likely be an excess of bows, ribbons, gift bags, tape, scis sors and wrapping paper around your home in the coming months. Instead of using a cabinet or draw er to store these items, Litman sug gests hanging an over-the-door or ganizer in the closet and using the compartments to keep extras neat and tidy.
When the holidays are over, Lit
man says to store small ornaments in egg cartons and wrap breakables in bubble cushioning for safekeep ing until next year.
All of the gift wrap means the kids will have new toys that need to be stored. Before the holidays begin, Litman says to go through your little one’s playroom and donate items they no longer use or have grown out of.
Once the room is clear of clutter, wipe and line storage bins and cub bies with machine-washable Easy Liner with Clorox. The liner con tains antimicrobial protection that resists the growth of odor-causing mold and mildew, keeping surfaces spotless throughout the cold season and ensuring there is always a tidy spot to put holiday crafts, games and puzzles.
Following these simple tips will allow you to enjoy neat spaces all season long. (StatePoint)
As the new year approaches, many people will begin considering their resolutions. Some will choose to focus on setting health and fitness goals, while others may identify DIY projects to improve and or ganize their homes. But why make DIY projects part of your New Year’s resolution when you could easily complete them before the year’s end? Check out five home projects that can be completed in one day before the new year ar rives.
If there’s one area in desperate need of a refresh, painting is a great place to start. With the right planning (and an early start), you can easily paint a room in a day. Purchase the materials you need, including primer, the paint color of your choice, brushes and rollers, and a high-quality painter’s tape like FrogTape Multi-Surface paint er’s tape. Made with PaintBlock Technology, FrogTape ensures crisp and professional paint lines,
so there will be no time wasted on touch-ups. Once you have your supplies, tape the walls, apply primer and paint away. In just one day, a fresh coat of paint will have the room feeling brand new. Enhance the Entryway
Your entryway should give your guests a warm welcome. A few simple solutions for sprucing up this area are organizing shoes, hanging up coats and adding a pop of color by laying a rug at the door. If you have the space, time and
budget, you could consider larger improvements such as adding a bench, shoe storage or a coat rack. Complete the look by adding deco rative pillows to the bench or add ing frames to the wall.
One way to make a space look more contemporary is to update the hardware and fixtures. This works particularly well in bathrooms where showerheads, faucets, towel bars and cabinet handles can be swapped out for matching, ontrend matte black or gold finishes. Other small, easily replaced items include shower curtains, towels, bathmats, soap dispensers and toothbrush holders. These swaps may seem minor to make, but they can make a big difference in the look and feel of the room.
Organize Cabinets, Drawers and Shelves
Once the hardware has been re placed on cabinets and drawers, open them up and get things in
order. Start by going through what you have and deciding what can be eliminated. Clearing out clut ter is particularly important for open shelves that are visible in the room. Once you’ve decided on what to keep, replace items in an organized manner so they’re easy to find going forward. Sorting out these small spaces can help keep things running smoothly into the new year.
Sometimes you just need to look at what you already have with a fresh perspective. Rearranging the furniture in a room can make it feel brand new. It can be as easy as switching which side of the bed the nightstand is on or moving the dresser to another spot on the wall. Best of all, this approach doesn’t require spending money on new items or supplies – all you need is your creativity and imagination!.
(StatePoint)
Scams and fraud are more deceiv ing these days, reaching you in more ways than ever before.
The FTC reported 2.8 million fraud reports from consumers in 2021 alone, with reported fraud losses increasing 70% from 2020 and more than $5.8 million.
Scammers begin their traditional uptick at the start of the holiday season, and identity theft protec tion expert Carrie Kerskie says be ing aware of what new cyber and phone fraud trends to look out for is your biggest defense against un wanted fraud.
“The more that we can get this information out there the better,” Kerskie recently told T-Mobile Stories, “Unfortunately when it comes to technology, privacy and identity theft, the same old advice that was given 10, 15 years ago is still the gospel of what you’re sup posed to do. And that is outdated. None of it works. It’s not true, it’s not relevant anymore.”
Scammers have expanded from targeting consumers with only tra ditional email and phone calls. The
most recent trending scams are occurring using person-to-person payment platforms or P2P, remote access software and even public Wi-Fi.
Kerskie says the most desirable ac counts to criminals include bank accounts, mobile phone accounts, credit card accounts and Amazon accounts.
Now, with P2P payment platforms, criminals can get access to your bank account and use it to transfer money within moments. The latest tactic that concerns Ker
skie is using remote access soft ware to gain access to everything on your computer without having to directly ask you for things like your social security number, bank account or credit card number. While many workers use remote access software safely from their companies’ IT departments, crimi nals are also using this software in their scams. Criminals also try to access your information in settings like coffee
shops or libraries using public WiFi.
A laptop or smartphone using pub lic Wi-Fi can easily fall victim to scams. An easy fix is to use your smartphone’s wireless data and hotspot to help keep your personal information secure.
Kerskie says there are ways to keep scammers and fraud at bay ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Prioritize Privacy: Kerskie says, if it’s easy for you, it’s easy for a criminal. Privacy means having strong and unique passwords with a minimum of 12 characters, and for pins using random numbers and taking advantage of extra security. Enabling multi-factor authentica tion on your various apps and ac counts will also protect yourself from potential threats.
Use Available Resources: Take advantage of the free anti-fraud safeguards offered by your mobile carrier. In the case of T-Mobile’s
Scam Shield, services include en hanced caller ID, scam ID and blocking, which flags suspicious calls and gives customers the op tion of blocking those numbers.
Additionally, customers can get a free second number to keep their personal number personal, or even change their primary number com pletely.
Validate or Eliminate: Whatever potential threat you come across via email, text message, letter or even a phone call, try to validate the information.
If you cannot confirm the informa tion is true or confirm the senders’ validity, throw it away, block the phone number or email address and report it as spam or junk mail.
Understanding how potential cyber threats and fraud work will help protect you this holiday season and beyond. (Statepoint)
(Continued From Page 03) But gradually and inevitably, she began to decline.
In 2019, after a nasty fall that caused multiple pelvic fractures, I became my mother’s pri mary caregiver.
Caring for my mother was studded with special moments. On weekends, when I cooked her favorite meals, she would stop and inhale the aroma of a simmering radish sambhar, aviyal, or pumpkin kootu, chuckling with pleasure and requesting a taste even before the dishes were done, telling me, repeatedly, how much she enjoyed my cooking.
On our weekend grocery drives, she’d exclaim over holiday lights and shop displays, chat tering throughout the trip, repeating stories that she’d told me many times. Once, at Madras Groceries in Sunnyvale, she was offered coffee and given a chair to sit on. She glanced at me meaningfully, as though to say, “Look how they like me!”
But as my mother’s physical needs compounded — chronic gastrointestinal disorder, diabe tes, failing eyesight, almost no hearing, and rapidly advancing dementia — she plummeted emotionally and cognitively.
More often than not, she sat in her room, staring dully at the walls.
One day, I asked her to sign some documents. Her trembling fingers hovered over the paper for several seconds. Then she looked at me, her eyes shimmering with tears. She had forgot ten how to sign her name. The misery on her face was unbearable.
My mother began staying up at night, begging for sleep aids, and calling my name through out the day. Her dark moods often led her into an intolerable labyrinth of suspicion and accusation. Managing her needs at home became overwhelming. (Courtesy: https://indiacur rents.com/)
The holiday shopping season is here. What do you give a loved one to show them just how much you care? It’s time to think out side the box. Here are four presents you can give to special young people in your life now that they may not appreciate in the moment but will thank you for later.
1. Savings bonds. This is the gift that
affordable way to protect loved ones and help them pay off debts, living expenses and even medical bills. To learn more about life insur ance, contact your agent or visit erieinsurance. com/life-insurance.
3. 529 plan. Anyone who wants to save for a child’s education can open or gift money to an existing 529 plan account. The best part is the
keeps adding in value. Savings bonds can be purchased for as little as $25 and their value grows over time with interest and as the bond matures.
Considered one of the most reliable ways to grow wealth over time, you’ll be guar anteeing recipients are able to help fund the important things they want later in life, such as that new car, their college educa tion, first house, wedding or honeymoon.
2. Life insurance. This is probably the last thing on a young person’s list of wishes but buying a life insurance policy now when they’re young and healthy will en sure coverage later in life when they may not be insurable. Having a life insurance policy through Erie Insurance with a Guar anteed Insurability Option rider (GIO) can bring peace of mind that kids, or grand kids, are covered should they develop a life threatening condition. A policy is an
contributions grow tax free and can be used for K-12 tuition, college expenses and even stu dent loan repayments.
4. T-shirt quilt. For more of a sentimental gift, gather all your kids’ old sports or other event tshirts and turn them into a quilt. They may not love it today as much as they would the hot test gadget, but they’ll treasure the memories as time goes on.
“As you look for that perfect gift, don’t over look presents that have long-term benefits,” said Louis Colaizzo, senior vice president and division officer of Erie Family Life, Erie In surance. “Life insurance, along with savings bonds and 529 plans, can put your kids on the path to financial security.”
Avoid the holiday crowds at the stores this year and channel your money into a gift your loved ones will truly appreciate for years to come. (Statepoint)
Falls are the leading cause of in jury-related death in U.S. adults aged 65 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The economic impact of falls is immense, with fatal falls estimated to cost $754 million and nonfatal falls $50 billion annually. As the aging population enters long-term care facilities, fall prevention will become an increasingly important public health priority. The good news is a novel approach has re cently come to light.
A first-of-its-kind, two-year study conducted by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders—a division of Harvard University—and the Midwest Lighting Institute (MLI) found that dynamic, tunable lighting systems, when implemented at long-term care facilities, reduced falls by
43% compared to facilities that retained traditional lighting. The study focused on the positive ef fects of lighting on alertness, cog nitive function, and sleep and how this affects fall risk.
For people who seldom get out
side to experience daylight, such as older adults living in nursing homes, the body’s natural sleepwake cycle is disrupted. While this disruption can cause dangerous falls leading to injuries and worse, the results of this study show how institutional settings can imple
ment lighting changes to their en vironment to make it safer for both residents and workers.
“The lighting we used in the study implemented specific spectrum and intensity levels timed to regularize sleep-wake cycles and boost the daytime alerting effects of light,” says Brian Liebel, director of re search at MLI, the non-profit or ganization that designed the study as part of its mission to improve lives by putting existing scientific findings about light into real-world practice.
“When residents experience im proved alertness and cognitive function during the day and better sleep at night, it not only improves their well-being, but also improves the working conditions for staff.”
The system was installed in several long-term care facilities with goals of maximizing the home-like en
Whether your festivities include immediate family or bring together relatives from around the coun try, the holidays are about making memories with loved ones.
From the first days of the season to the last, many families spend their precious time together with favor ite activities and the best foods the holidays have to offer.
This year, you can change things up and start new traditions with a fresh ingredient like Envy apples, which provide an easy way to up date classics due to their sweet taste and availability.
The sweet, sophisticated flavor; uplifting, fresh aroma; delight fully satisfying crunch; beautiful appearance; and naturally white flesh that doesn’t brown as quickly as other apples all lend themselves to shareable recipes like this Apple Wreath Salad or Roasted Apple Macaroni and Cheese, both perfect for holiday parties.
Because cherished memories are made with sweet ingredients, you can turn cozy movie nights into
festive and memorable events year after year by pairing Hallmark Channel’s popular “Countdown to Christmas” holiday movies with delicious desserts like Apple Cus tard Sponge Trifle and Brown But ter Apple Pie.
Find more memory-making reci pes at EnvyApple.com.
Apple Custard Sponge Trifle Servings: 8-10
6 Envy apples
2 tablespoons golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, water
1 tablespoon corn flour
1 large plain sponge cake
2 cups vanilla bean custard
1/2 cup caramel or butterscotch sauce, plus additional for garnish, divided
1/2 cup cream fresh apple slices fresh strawberry slices
Peel, core and dice apples; place in large saucepan. Add caster sugar, cinnamon and 1/2 cup water. Sim mer apples 5-8 minutes until ten der.
Combine corn flour and remaining water. Stir corn flour mixture into apples until apples are syrupy.
Cut sponge cake into 2-centime ter diced pieces. Arrange 1/3 of sponge pieces in base of serving bowl.
Add half of cinnamon apple piec es, including syrupy juices. Add 1 cup custard and drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel sauce. Repeat with re maining ingredients, finishing with sponge cake; chill.
Whip cream and spoon dollops over sponge cake to cover top. Garnish with apple slices, straw berry slices and caramel sauce.
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad: 10 ounces baby arugula 3 Envy apples, sliced 9 ounces goat cheese, crumbled 3 ounces pomegranate arils 3 ounces pecans, toasted
To make balsamic dressing: In small serving bowl, whisk honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Place dressing bowl in center of large board or platter. Arrange arugula around dressing bowl in wreath shape.
vironment and helping residents, especially dementia patients, with “sundowning,” which is the in creased confusion, exit seeking, anxiety and verbal/physical ag gression many experience in the afternoon and evening.
“There was just a general calmness at 6 p.m. with the lights dimmed, noticeably different as soon as it was installed,” says Jennifer Nel son, dietary aide at Maple Ridge Care Center in Wisconsin. She noticed a tremendous difference in terms of behaviors such as exit seeking and anxiety, especially among dementia patients.
Current strategies to reduce falls typically include complex, multi component interventions requiring significant resources, staff time and resident education.
The study’s promising results, published in the “Journal of the American Medical Directors As sociation,” provide a noninvasive and relatively inexpensive method for lowering the risk of falls in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
“What we know now is that mod ern lighting technology can pro mote the body’s health and overall well-being, resulting in a decreased risk of falls among seniors.” says Rodney Heller, president of MLI.
“We believe these findings could pave the way for improving the health outcomes of those not only in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, but also in schools, hospitals, office buildings and in industrial environments with 24hour shifts.”
Apple Wreath Salad Recipe courtesy of “The Produce Moms” (@theproducemoms)
Balsamic Dressing: 1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, finely ground 1 large garlic clove, minced
Place apple slices on top of arugu la. Sprinkle on goat cheese, pome granate arils and pecans.
Brown Butter Apple Pie
Streusel Topping: 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2inch cubes
(Continued On Page 11)
To learn more about this patented lighting system and how to get it installed in your institution, con tact bliebel@midwestlightinginsti tute.org.
In the years ahead, fall preven tion will become an increasingly important public health priority.
The good news is that we have a solution to reducing falls and it has enormous potential to improve well-being and save lives. (State Point)
With stay-at-home holidays a thing of the past for many families, they’re now busy preparing for full-blown celebrations. The re turn of traditional festivities brings seemingly never-ending to-do lists and pressure to be the perfect host.
From mastering a mouthwatering menu and donning your home with decadent decor to ensuring guests enjoy the evening to the fullest, hosting duties bring plenty of re sponsibilities.
This year, though, you can avoid those anxious feelings with some preparation ahead of the big day. To help pull off a sensational seasonal soiree, consider these tips from the entertaining experts at Sun-Maid to make the holidays brighter and more manageable so you can navi gate the stresses of hosting.
Especially with stay-at-home holi days in recent years, some friends and family members may have
developed their own special tradi tions from new recipes and foods to seasonal games and activities.
Inviting your guests to bring or share something that represents their favorite part of the holidays can help everyone feel welcome.
Remember to make time for your self so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor right alongside guests. The busyness of this time of year
can add stress but reflecting on the true meaning of the season and rev eling in your favorite parts of the holidays can help you avoid feel ing overwhelmed.
While pairing this year’s turkey or ham with the classics provides comfort and calls to mind holiday memories of the past, cooking with new ingredients and adding fresh
recipes to the menu can put a fun spin on the season and maybe even create your own traditions to carry forward.
For example, baking with an op tion like Sun-Maid Raisins pro vides a whole fruit option with zero grams of added sugars per 1/4-cup serving.
They’re an easy, better-for-you substitution to reduce overall sugar intake without compromising fla vor or texture when compared with dried cranberries, which contain 27 grams of added sugars per 1/4-cup serving. The natural sugars of rai sins make them a versatile, useful addition to a wide variety of holi day-worthy dishes.
One of this year’s most popular trends in the kitchen is food boards, a fun and easy way to elevate flavor while incorporating favorites like cured meats, cold cuts, cheese slic es and cubes, dips, nuts and more.
Plus, you can keep your board bal anced with nutritious items like vegetables and fruit, such as rai sins, which provide sweet flavor without the added sugars.
A Time for Truce Gathering for the holidays is about coming together with loved ones, family, friends and neighbors - and pulling it off means catering to ev eryone’s needs and wants. It’s a time for compromises and truces.
To help add a little extra spark this year, try incorporating a theme to the party or coordinate fun activi ties and games that can be enjoyed by all.
For example, holiday-themed cha rades, a seasonal “name that tune” game and gift exchanges all give guests ways to get in on the excite ment.
To find more holiday entertaining inspiration and recipe ideas, visit SunMaid.com/PullOffTheHoli days. (Family Features)
(Continued From Page 10)
Filling:
4 tablespoons butter
2 pounds Envy apples, cut into 1/4inch slices
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons flour
1 deep dish frozen pie shell
Preheat oven to 375 F.
To make streusel topping: Mix flour, chopped pecans and light brown sugar. Stir in butter using fingertips until incorporated with small lumps of butter visible. Re frigerate.
To make filling: In large skillet over medium heat, melt butter un til amber, stirring often. Set aside to cool. In large bowl, stir sliced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla and flour us
ing spatula. Pour brown butter over apples and mix, scraping skillet with rubber spatula to incorporate brown butter bits.
Place frozen pie shell on baking sheet. Add 2 cups apple mixture into shell, gently pressing apple slices for even base. Add remain ing apple slices and gently press. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over apples.
Bake 30 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake
35-45 minutes until topping is golden and apples feel tender when pierced with fork.
Roasted Apple Macaroni and Cheese
Salted water
1 pound macaroni noodles
4 tablespoons butter
1 Envy apple, peeled and diced 4 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream 2 cups milk
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grat ed
1 cup Romano cheese, grated 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
Topping: 2 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add noodles and cook until just tender. Drain and set aside.
In large pot over high heat, melt butter then saute diced apple until caramelized and tender. Sprinkle in flour and stir. Cook 1 minute, stir ring frequently.
Whisk in heavy cream and milk; bring to boil, whisking frequently so milk doesn’t burn.
Once boiling, turn heat to low and whisk in cheddar cheese, Romano cheese, gruyere cheese, salt and Worcestershire. Continue whisking
until cheese is melted thoroughly.
Carefully pour mixture into large blender and blend on high until smooth.
Pour cheese sauce over noodles and stir.
Pour macaroni and cheese into 9-by-13-inch pan and spread even ly.
Heat oven to broil.
To make topping: In medium bowl, melt butter and stir in panko bread crumbs.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over maca roni and cheese; broil until golden brown.
#16429
Source: Envy Apples (Family Features)
Between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and sky-high oil and gas prices, a significant pellet fuel supply shortage is likely this win ter season. Industry experts say
than 1 million homes nationwide.
Pellets are a renewable, cleanburning fuel made from the waste streams generated by the manufac turers of products like dimensional
the largest residential wood pel let manufacturing company in the United States, notes that taking ad vantage of the surplus while it lasts will allow producers to run at full throttle and build inventory before usage begins to outpace production in the depths of winter.
Because pellets are competitively priced nationwide, consumers who opt for this method of heating will save hundreds of dollars over the course of a winter season com pared to heating oil or propane, and thousands of dollars compared to electric heat.
“Many have already turned to wood pellet heating and many more are expected to do so amid the current energy crisis,” says Brett Jordan, CEO of Lignetics Group.
Are you hosting a holiday party and looking for a simple way to impress your guests? The Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop is shar ing steps for building an eye-catch ing and mouth-watering charcute rie board that will add color, flavor and variety to your holiday table.
them to your board.
5. No charcuterie board is complete without some crunch. Add two to three options like pita crackers, crusty breads or toasted baguettes that will stand up to the weight of your meats and cheeses.
you should plan ahead and secure your fuel now for the cold winter months. The good news is that, currently, there is plenty of supply to stock up.
As Tim Portz, executive director of the Pellet Fuels Institute ex plains, Russia is the second largest producer of wood pellets globally, supplying more than 2 million tons to global markets in 2020. But sanctions and restrictions due to the invasion of Ukraine have re quired U.S. pellet producers to fill the gap.
What’s more, the sticker shock Americans may experience this winter when reviewing their energy bills will likely have many switch ing to pellet heating in search of a better deal, and those with multiple heating options may start opting for pellets, putting extra demand on potentially short supplies.
“Wood pellet demand fluctuates year to year, however with heating oil, natural gas, electric and pro pane prices at near historic highs, we could see record sales of pellets in 2022-2023,” says Portz.
“Consumers will need to be savvy. To ensure their annual supply is se cured, they should stock up now.”
Wood pellets are used as primary or secondary space heat in more
lumber, hardwood flooring, wood pallets and cabinetry. Although supplies are strong right now, pel let producers are highlighting the importance of keeping inventory moving through the system.
With the capacity to produce more than 1 million tons of wood pel lets each year, Lignetics Group,
“However, these consumers will need to take their wise choice a step further by being prepared.
Fueling up now on your normal pellet supply will mean being able to take advantage of this sustain able and cost-efficient option all winter.” (StatePoint)
City of Austin encourages the community to prepare for winter weather in advance this year. The last few weeks of cooler temperatures are a chilly reminder to begin stocking up on supplies and planning ahead for winter. The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Office (HSEM) is prepared to respond to an emergency if needed. HSEM updates the Win ter Weather Plan annually. This plan is designed for emergency response in the event of severe winter weather so that the City can provide resourc es like shelter, food and water distribution and other lifesaving resources.
The City’s annual tabletop planning exercise for departments is sched uled in December. This year, HSEM has also pre-deployed shelter-ready supply kits at nine City-owned recreation centers to ensure resources are ready to be activated throughout Austin when needed. “The Central Texas area has historically had mild winters, but over the last few years we have seen extreme cold weather conditions that have had severe impacts on our community,” said Juan Ortiz, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department Director.
“Our staff has been working to ensure we are better prepared to respond during an emergency, and we are asking the community to be more pre pared as well. Our level of preparedness will make us more resilient.” Community members can also help themselves be ready for cold weather this season. Follow the four P’s for winter weather safety.
Check on People especially children, elderly, and those outdoors. Don’t leave Pets outside and bring in your Plants, too. Protect your Pipes from freezing and causing damage to your property. (Continued On Page 16)
1. Grab a platter or surface to dis play your charcuterie. Anything will work, even a simple cutting board. Just be sure to choose a size that you can fill completely.
2. Use dishes or ramekins of mis matched sizes, shapes and colors to hold dressings, toppings and sauces. This will keep your board clean and add fun visual details to the display.
3. Include two to four cheeses of contrasting flavors and textures to please all palates, and to comple ment other elements of the board. The varieties you select should rep resent these basic categories: hard cheese, (such as Chardonnay Bel lavitano) soft cheese, (such as brie) and blue cheese (such as French Roquefort).
4. While a traditional charcuterie board typically sticks with cured meats, the holiday season is the perfect occasion for adding depth and richness to your feast with grilled meats, such as filet, sliced into strips. Those from Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop are lean, flavorful, and melt in your mouth, making them a natural choice for a hearty holiday spread. Whether you are firing up the grill or prepar ing on a cooktop, allow any cooked meats to rest well before adding
6. Now, add some brightness and sweetness to your board. Fresh fruits like blueberries, strawberries and green grapes, and preserves such as peach pepper jam, will add contrast to rich, salty meats and cheeses. Don’t forget seasonal sweets and treats like soft pep permints, peanut brittle, chocolate dipped pretzels and candied nuts.
7. You’ll want your charcuterie board to look as if it’s overflowing. So, as you’re building it out, start with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats first, followed by smaller items like crackers, fresh produce and sweets.
Fill in any holes with sprigs of aromatic rosemary for trimming, along with additional portions of the smaller items. The various ele ments of the board should pair well together, so it’s okay if they touch. For additional hosting tips, or to shop for seasonal gifts and your holiday spread, visit trbutchershop. com. For 15% off your order, use the promo code PARTY15. To wow your guests and their taste buds, take your charcuterie board to the next level with seasonal treats, grilled meats and a cornu copia of sweet and savory flavors. (StatePoint)
Earth is able to regulate and sta bilize its own temperature across vast timescales – 100,000 years or so on average – even after dra matic shifts in climate caused by ice ages, solar radiation shifts, and intense volcanic activity, new re search suggests.
This ‘stabilizing feedback’ is part of the reason Earth has managed to keep life going for the past 3.7 billion years or so, the team be hind the new research says. This feedback has been hypothesized before, but there’s now some direct evidence too.
To find that evidence, researchers dug deep into existing paleocli mate data collected over the last 66 million years, applying mathemati
cal modeling to determine whether swings in Earth’s average tempera tures might be limited by one or more factors.
Technology (MIT). “Why did life survive all this time?”
“One argument is that we need some sort of stabilizing mecha nism to keep temperatures suitable for life.
has consistently controlled Earth’s climate.”
operates on, up to around 400,000 years. The record left by fossils and ice cores suggest that this weather ing is indeed keeping temperatures in check.
Without this geological feedback mechanism, the researchers sug gest, our planet would be going through fluctuations in temperature that get more and more extreme. Knowing how this works is crucial for understanding the planet’s past, and its future.
But it’s never been demonstrated from data that such a mechanism
The team thinks that silicate weath ering is a crucial mechanism here: as silicate rocks weather and erode over time, deeper layers of mineral are consistently exposed to the at mosphere. Chemical reactions with the silicates draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, trapping it in rock and ocean sediment. Higher rates of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere ramp up weathering activity, increasing the amount of exposed silicates that in turn remove more of the green house gas from the atmosphere, limiting future weathering. Sure enough, the timescales of the tem perature stabilizations match the timescales that silicate weathering
The most thoughtful holiday gifts are often those that show your loved one you support their hob bies and passions. To brighten the season for grilling enthusiasts, check out the following gift guide:
From perfectly aged bone-in ri beyes to tender, juicy NY Strip steaks, the Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop is an ecommerce site that specializes in restaurantquality beef any home chef will be delighted to throw on the grill or stovetop.
With prices to meet all budgets, you can order specific cuts for your recipient -- which will arrive in a Styrofoam cooler, packaged with dry ice and individually sealed -or opt for a gift card, so they can make their own selections.
Each order helpfully comes with preparation instructions and tips -from the thawing and seasoning to the grilling temperature and done ness.
The brand also offers a wealth of recipes and resources on its site to guide gift recipients as they create delicious meals. To learn more, visit trbutchershop.com. For 15%
off your order, use the promo code: GRILLGIFT15.
“You have a planet whose climate was subjected to so many dramatic external changes,” says climate scientist Constantin Arnscheidt, from the Massachusetts Institute of nect to apps, so that enterprising cooks can step away from the grill to attend to other food prepping tasks.
Even the best cuts of meat can be compromised when they aren’t cooked to the ideal temperature. To help your gift recipient achieve perfectly grilled steaks and other meats every time, take the guess work out of the equation for them with a grilling thermometer.
Beyond all the features you’d ex pect in a grilling thermometer, to day’s high-tech options also con
Whether you go for a standard monogram, a full name or include a catch phrase or other design, a personalized apron makes a great gift for home chefs and grill mas ters.
Just be sure your choice is made from a material that conducts heat poorly and is durable, stainresistant, low-maintenance, and
features pockets of various sizes to stash mitts, tools and other kitchen supplies.
An adjustable neck strap and back tie can also help ensure the apron fits as intended.
High-quality grilling tools are only useful when the griller knows where they are. For easy organiza tion, deck out your gift recipient’s deck or patio with a stylish mount ed tool rack where they can keep their tongs, spatula, grill brush and other supplies handy.
Let your recipient take the show on the road with a portable grill. Great for camping, tail gating and other adven tures, handy lightweight designs travel well and set up in a snap.
With charcoal and gas varieties available, you are certain to find a mod el that fits your recipi ent’s needs and prefer ences. (StatePoint)
“To some extent, it’s like your car is speeding down the street, and when you put on the brakes, you slide for a long time before you stop,” says geophysicist Daniel Rothman, from MIT.
“There’s a timescale over which frictional resistance, or a stabiliz ing feedback, kicks in, when the system returns to a steady state.”
There’s something else going on though: when the team looked at longer timescales, across more than a million years, no such stabi lizing feedbacks were observed in the data. It’s likely that chance has still played a big part in why life endures.
The researchers conclude that while silicate weathering is enough to provide stabilization in the (rela tive) short term, we have been lucky that temperature fluctuations over longer periods haven’t been severe enough to interrupt this feedback loop.
Of course, the findings also play into predictions for the future of the planet. It’s likely that life on Earth is going to be able to weather whatever damage humans do to it – but we may not be here long enough to see it happen.
“On the one hand, it’s good because we know that today’s global warm ing will eventually be canceled out through this stabilizing feedback,” says Arnscheidt.
“But on the other hand, it will take hundreds of thousands of years to happen, so not fast enough to solve our present-day issues.”
The research has been published in Science Advances.
Are you struggling to find thought ful gifts for everyone as you make your holiday shopping list? Well, it’s time to get personal!
By giving a personalized gift, the recipient will feel special knowing it was created and picked just for them. Here are a few customized gift ideas that they’re sure to love that won’t break the bank.
1. Make Their Holidays Magical with Video Greetings. Perfect for spreading holiday cheer, Smash Ups from American Greetings are highly personalized, smile-induc ing, shareable videos.
There are options for everyone, like a message from Santa that calls the recipient out by name and location, or a customized win ter greeting delivered by a talking penguin.
SmashUps can check the box for holiday greetings, or you can in clude a digital gift card to fulfill
your gift giving needs.
With a subscription, you’ll unlock access to all of American Greet ings’ digital offerings, meaning you can send unlimited Smash Ups year-round. Subscriptions are $6.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
2. Photo Finish. Photos are a sim ple and affordable way to person
alize gifts. Start by choosing your favorite pic with the recipient and then determine how you’d like to deliver it.
Whether it’s in a unique frame, or printed on a personal item, such as a mug, blanket, keychain, phone cover or even an ornament for their tree, the recipient will know how much they mean to you each time they view it.
3. Initial Thoughts. While not everyone wants to be in pic tures, adding person alization to a gift item by using your recipi ent’s name, initials or monogram, can be a great alternative.
And with a wealth of online sites, from boutique stores like Marley Lilly to major retailers like Amazon offering this service, you’ll have endless options—at various price points— to meet your shopping needs.
4. Eat, Drink and Be Merry. They often say the way to the heart is through the stomach. So, whether it’s a foodie friend or a family mem ber who has it all, making their fa vorite meal, treat, drink or dessert can be the ultimate thoughtful gift.
Plus, it can provide you quality time together as you deliver the de licious treats to their home or host them at yours -- that is… if they’ll share!
5. Write a Message by Hand. In an age where everything is digital, seeing a loved one’s handwriting— whether it’s scribbled by a child or printed by a grandparent—can be a special memento and unique way to customize a gift.
Gift ideas could be handwrit ten messages and affirmations; a recipe book of your family favor ites; or your handwriting could be inscribed onto a gift item like a keychain, picture frame or neck lace.
Just remember, it’s the thought that counts. And luckily many person alized gifts don’t have to be costly to be remembered. (StatePoint)
(Continued From Page 01)
As per Fortune, the individuals on this year’s list are creating and seizing opportunities.
They are empowering others. They are exploring new treatments for diseases that affect millions.
“They’re connecting people. They’re building upon their suc cesses as athletes and entertainers.
They’re trailblazing in their indus tries. And they’re even building new ones.”
The ’40 under 40′ list is divided into five categories - ‘Venture and Startups’, ‘Culture and Society’, ‘Finance and Crypto’, ‘Tech and Innovation’, and ‘Health and Bio science’.
Kanav Kariya, who is the president of Jump Crypto, has been included in the ‘Finance and Crypto’ cat egory; while Ankit Gupta, who is the founder and CEO of Bicycle Health, has been included under
the ‘Health and Bioscience’ cat egory.
Kanav Kariya, who is 26 years old, is the president of Jump Crypto. He has been featured in Fortune’s ’40 under 40′ under the ‘Finance and Crypto’ category.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign.
Kanav Kariya started as an intern at a Jump Trading startup incubator for crypto companies, but last year, the company handed him the reins of its rebranded, 170-person digital assets division, Jump Crypto.
Since then, he’s overseen billions in investments in the crypto space and helped position the company as a major player in Web3.
Kariya told Fortune that he wants Jump Crypto to be a “key infra structure builder that is part of the furniture of the industry as it scales”.
Even as the crypto downturn rages on, Kariya’s Jump Crypto is unde terred. In just about a year, it has invested in more than 100 crypto companies.
Ankit Gupta, who is 25 years old, is the founder and CEO of Bicycle Health.
He has been featured in Fortune’s ’40 under 40′ under the ‘Health and Bioscience’ category.
He graduated from the Indian Insti tute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, with a Bachelor’s in computer sci ence engineering.
He then did his Master of Science (MS) in computer science from Stanford University, with speciali sation in machine learning. Founded in 2017 with a single clin ic in Redwood City (California),
Ankit Gupta’s Bicycle Health aims to provide specialised telehealth services for opioid use disorder.
Before this company, Gupta was co-founder and chief technology officer of Pulse News.
In 2020, government regulations were relaxed to allow for more opioid-treatment medications to be prescribed online.
Since then, Bicycle Health has ex panded to 29 states, treated 20,000 patients, and raised $83 million in venture funding, according to For tune.
Bicycle Health says, as per For tune, it has a 40 per cent higher rate of retention than standard inperson clinics, as well as a lower cost for many patients, owing to the ease of access via telehealth.
The company received $50 million in funding in June 2022. (Courtesy: https://www.news18.com/)
Before this, between November 8 and 18, the member countries of the “Quad” will conduct the Mala bar exercise off Yokosuka in Japan.
Indian and the US militaries will conduct the battalion-level “Yudh Abhyas” exercise between No vember 15 and December 2 at Auli in Uttarakhand, just 100 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Before this, between November 8 and 18, the member countries of the “Quad” will conduct the Mala bar exercise off Yokosuka in Japan, a report in the Times of India (TOI) said. The ‘Quad’ includes the US, Japan, Australia and India.
Earlier in 2022, the Quad had de clared that it would “deter” any “coercion” in the Indo-Pacific with
an eye on China’s expansionist pol icies. “Yudh Abhyas” will include “high-altitude warfare drills”, the report added.
Around 350 soldiers from each
country are expected to take part in the military exercise.
“With around 350 soldiers from each side, Yudh Abhyas will wit
ness employment of integrated battle groups in mountains and ex treme cold climate, along with he liborne elements and an integrated surveillance grid,” an official was quoted as saying by the TOI.
The US and Indian forces had con cluded the “Vajra Prahar” exercise at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh in August. It involved the special forces of the two countries.
These forces undertake covert, specialised operations including counterterrorism.
In early October, the National Se curity Strategy (NSS) of the US said that China was its “only com petitor with both intent and capa bility to reshape the international order”. It added that US and India
will work together to “support our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
India will also conduct the “Aus tra-Hind” infantry combat exercise at the Mahajan range in Rajasthan between November 28 and Decem ber 11.
Recently, the two countries con cluded the “Pitch Black” air com bat exercise at Darwin.
India and Singapore will also con duct the “Agni Warrior” exercise at Deolali in Maharashtra between November 13 and 30. (Courtesy: https://www.business-standard. com/)
While the US gets most interna tional students from China, Indi ans this year (till July) got about twice the number of students visas as the Chinese, showed an analysis of non-immigrant visas issued by
The US also issues M-1 visas for international students, who wish to study at vocational or other rec ognised non-academic institutions, other than language training pro grammes.
This is followed by India and South Korea at the second and third plac es, respectively, the IE report said.
In 2021, 99,431 Chinese students got F-1 visas, while from India, 87,258 got the visa and from South Korea, 16,865.
This number for the year 2020 was at 4,853 for China and 21,908 for India, The Indian Express report stated.
The figures were significantly hit in 2020 due to Covid-prompted lockdowns in different nations and China’s severe movement restric tions on its citizens.
terparts.
In the July 2021-June 2022 period, the UK issued 486,868 sponsored study visas, out of which, 117,965 accounted for Indian students — an 89 per cent rise from the previ ous year, reported IE.
Meanwhile, a total of 115,056
study visas were granted to Chi nese students.
Compared to 2019, Indians stu dents saw a 21 per cent increase in study visas from the UK, while for China, the number dipped by 4 per cent, the report stated. (Courtesy: https://www.business-standard. com/)
the US State Department, reported The Indian Express.
A total of 77,799 Indian students received F-1 visas from January to July this year, while in China, 46,145 got the visa, the report said.
The F-1 visa is issued to those who wish to study at a US university or college, high school, private ele mentary school, or, other academic institutions.
This report by IE has only taken F-1 visas into account.
Even though the number of Chi nese students going to the US for higher studies has declined since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pan demic,
China still accounts for highest number of international students studying in America.
The US economy benefits greatly from international students, as in 2019, before the pandemic, foreign citizens studying in America con tributed $44 billion to the nation’s economy.
Out of this, $16 billion came from Chinese students and nearly $8 bil lion from Indians, the report said.
After the US, the UK attracts a lot of foreign students, and the nation too witnessed a sharp increase in Indian students getting education visas against their Chinese coun
Indian-origin Nishad Singh is under scru tiny for financial practices that caused the stunning collapse of FTX, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchang es, which is now staring at bankruptcy. He, along with 9 others, lived with FTX founder.
Nishad Singh joined Alameda Research, FTX’s sister organisation which is at the centre of the controversy, in December 2017. Before this, he worked as a soft ware engineer at Facebook for close to five months. His LinkedIn profile says he worked on machine learning at the social media giant.
At Alameda Research, he was Director of Engineering for 17 months. He then moved to the cryptocurrency exchange FTX in April 2019, and has been there in the same top engineering post since.
Nishad Singh was in the inner circle of 30-year-old founder of FTX, Sam Bank man-Fried. “Gary (Chief Technology Of ficer Gary Wang), Nishad and Sam control the code, the exchange’s matching engine, and funds,” a person familiar with the
matter told crypto news website CoinDesk on the condition of anonymity.
“If they moved them around or input their own numbers, I’m not sure who would no tice,” they said.
Reuters reported that former FTX CEO Sam Bank man-Fried had se cretly transferred $10 billion of cus tomer funds from FTX to Alameda.
Caroline Ellison, CEO of Alameda Research, told em ployees in a video meeting that she, Sam BankmanFried, and two other executives, Nishad Singh and Gary Wang, were aware of the deci sion to move cus tomer funds to Alameda, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he studied at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Califor
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed global and regional develop ments in a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Indonesia, India’s for eign ministry said.
Modi and Biden “expressed satisfaction” about close cooperation between India and the United States in new groupings such as the Quad, which includes Aus tralia and Japan, and the I2U2, which in cludes Israel and the United Arab Emir ates.
“They reviewed the continuing deepening of the India-U.S. strategic partnership,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Modi also exchanged courtesies with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of a G20 dinner, according to government sources.
A video footage of the event aired by In dian news broadcasters showed the two leaders shaking hands and exchanging words in an informal setting, surrounded by other officials.
Relations between India and China have soured since deadly border clashes between troops in June 2020 in the Galwan area of Ladakh region in the western Himalayas, in which at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand fighting.
Modi and Xi came face-to-face previously at a summit of regional security group Shang hai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbeki
stan in September.
The two leaders have not held not held any bilateral meetings since the 2020 clashes.
The Indian premier has also met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, World Bank president David Malpass, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva, among other leaders, at the G20 summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.
nia and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 2017. (Courtesy: https://www.ndtv.com/)
(Continued From Page 12)
Austinites can also be more prepared by following the Four Pillars of Preparedness. Make a Plan: Before an emergency sit down with your family to plan out what you may need to shelter at home or what you need if you have to evacuate. Use the Neighborhood Preparedness Guide to help you get started. Build a Kit: Once you know your plan and have your supply list, build a kit of needed emergency supplies in a go-bag so it can be used quickly. Include items like medi cation, pet supplies and use a check list to help get started. Know your Neighbors: In an emergency, your neighbors are the closest resource and can often be the fastest to re spond. Making friends with your neighbors can also have more benefits than just during an emergency.
Stay Informed: There are many ways to stay informed before, during and after an emer gency. Follow readycentraltexas.org for emergency preparedness information. Other recommendations include:
Sign up for emergency alerts at warncentral texas.org.
To get Emergency Alerts in American Sign Language (ASL) through the City’s Acces sible Hazard Alert System (AHAS) reg ister here, or for quick SMS registration text AHAS to (737) 241-3710. Austin and Travis County AHAS subscribers in an area affected by an emergency or disaster will be able to receive an accessible alert message in ASL and English voice and text.
Download the Ready Central Texas app on your smart phone to get alerts and a digi tal copy of the Neighborhood Preparedness Guide. Get real time emergency information in multiple languages by saving austintexas. gov/alerts to your favorite websites. Com munity members may also notice the Emer gency Preparedness Super Hero supporting preparedness efforts streaming in 12 prior ity languages across multiple channels. Our mission is to ensure that everyone has access to critical information before and during an emergency. (Continued On Page 18)
Kallanai (also known as the Grand Anicut) is an ancient dam. It is built (in running water) across the Kaveri river flowing from Tiruchi rapalli District to Thanjavur dis trict, Tamil Nadu, India.
The dam located in Thanjavur district. Located at a distance of 15 km from Tiruchirapalli, 45 km from Tanjavur, the dam was origi nally constructed during the reign of Chola king Karikalan in c.150 CE.
It is the fourth oldest water diver sion or water-regulator structures in the world and the oldest in India that is still in use. Because of its spectacular architecture, it is one of the prime tourist spots in Tamil Nadu.
The dam was originally built by
King Karikalan of the Chola Dy nasty in c. 100 – c. 150 CE. It is lo cated on the river in Thanjavur dis
trict, exactly 14 km from the city of Tiruchirappalli and 45 km from the city of Tanjavur. The idea behind the construction of the dam was to
divert the river to the delta districts thereby boosting irrigation.
This dam was re-modeled by the British during the 19th century.
In 1804, Captain Caldwell, a mili tary engineer, was appointed by the British to make a study on the Kaveri river and promote irrigation for the delta region.
He found that a large amount of water passed onto the Kollidam leaving behind a small volume for irrigation purposes. Caldwell ini tially proposed a solution by rais ing the dam and hence raised the dam stones to a height of 69 centi metres (27 in), thus increasing the capacity of the dam.
Following this, Major Sim pro posed the idea of undersluices
Tenali Raman was once walking along a forest path when he was stopped by a merchant. “I’m look ing for my camel which has strayed away. Did you see it passing by?” asked the merchant.
“Had the camel hurt its leg?” asked Raman.
“Oh yes! That means you have seen my camel!” said the mer chant.
“Only its footprints. See, you can see footprints of an animal with three legs,” said Raman, pointing out the footprints on the ground. “It was dragging the other leg be cause it was hurt in that leg.”
“Was it blind in one eye?” Raman asked the merchant.
“Yes, yes,” said the merchant ea gerly.
“Was it loaded it with wheat on one side and sugar on the other side?” asked Raman.
“Yes, you are right,” said the mer chant.
“So you have seen my camel!” ex claimed the merchant.
Raman looked upset. “Did I say I saw your camel?”
“You have given the exact descrip tion of my camel,” said the mer chant.
“I saw no camel,” said Raman.
“Do you see those plants lined up
on both sides of this path? You can clearly see, some animal has eaten leaves of plants on the left, but the plants on the other side remain un touched. So the animal could see with only one eye.
“Look down. You can see ants lined up on this side which means, the animal was loaded with sugar bag on this side. The bag had a hole, which allowed the sugar to fall off.”
“You can see grains of wheat fallen on the other side. The bag on this side also must have holes in it,” said Raman.
“I can see ev erything you showed me,” protested the merchant,”but I still don’t see my camel.”
“You follow this trail and soon you will catch up with your animal. After all it is hurt in one leg and you seem to be hale and hearty,” said Raman.
The merchant took his advice and followed the trail left by the camel.
Soon he caught up with the poor animal, limping along.
“Rani!” the merchant shouted in happiness, as he ran to his camel.
across the river with outlets lead ing to the Kollidam River (Coler oon) thus preventing formation of silt. The Lower Anaicut built by Sir Arthur Cotton in the 19th century across Coleroon, the major tribu tary of Cauvery is said to be a rep licated structure of Kallanai.
The Kaveri river splits into two at a point 20 miles (32 km) west of Kallanai. The two rivers form the island of Srirangam before joining at Kallanai.
The northern channel is called the Kollidam (Coleroon); the other re tains the name Kaveri, and empties into the Bay of Bengal at Poompu har. On the seaward face of its delta are the seaports of Nagapattinam and Karaikal.
The purpose of the Kallanai was to divert the waters of the Ka veri across the fertile delta region for irrigation via canals and to its northern delta branch Kollidam/ Coleroon.
Downstream of the barrage, the river Kaveri splits into four streams known as Kollidam Aru, Kaveri, Vennaru and Puthu Aru. However, the flood waters can be allowed, by opening the barrage/anaicut gates, to pass through the other three del ta branches also to join the sea.
It is constructed from unhewn stone spanning the Kaveri and is 329 m (1,079 ft) long, 20 m (66 ft) wide and 5.4 m (18 ft) high.
The dam is still in excellent condi tion, and supplied a model to later engineers, including Sir Arthur Cotton’s 19th-century dam across the Kollidam, the major distribu tary of the Kaveri.
The area irrigated by the ancient irrigation network is about 69,000 acres (28,000 ha). By the early 20th century, the irrigated area had been increased to about one mil lion acres (400,000 ha).
The delta farmers of Tamil Nadu have demanded the Tamil Nadu government to honor Karikala Cholan, who built this dam.
(Continued From Page 16)
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Across the City, departments are preparing for colder weather. Fol low winter weather safety guid ance to keep your most precious resources safe this winter.
Austin Code Winter Weather Safe ty Guidance
Common weather-related issues related to property damage may include no hot water, burst pipes, and cracks in the ceiling or walls. One way to prevent damage is to proactively follow the following property maintenance tips: Test your gas service lines annu ally for possible leaks.
Check if your furnace is operating correctly.
Check if the boilers are working as intended.
Check if you have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Tenants who experience unre solved code violations, can request a Code Inspector by calling Aus tin 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000. Visit the Austin Code Safe and Sound webpage for more property main tenance winter tips.
Austin Water Winter Weather Safe ty Guidance
Austin Water encourages custom ers to take steps now to prepare for winter. Following a few, easy steps now will help customers protect their property and prevent dam age when freezing weather does arrive in Austin. Locate your wa ter shutoff. Locate the water main shutoff valve and keep it clear of debris and obstacles at all times. For most homes, the property owner’s shutoff valve is on your side of the water meter at the me ter box. For renters, please consult with your property manager. If you cannot find your shutoff valve or if
it is damaged, then you should be prepared to access the City shutoff valve in the meter box in an emer gency. You may need a water meter key to open the meter box, which can be purchased at most hardware stores. Watch a video about how to locate your water shutoff.
Weatherize to keep out cold air. Make repairs to broken or drafty windows, doors, and walls. Seal all leaks in crawl spaces and base ments. Winterize unheated spaces and be prepared to close garage doors for the duration of the freeze. Gather supplies to cover vents on your home’s foundation. Weather ize exposed pipes and water heat ers. Prepare to insulate pipes in un heated and drafty areas, such as an attic or garage. Also check manu facturer recommendations for your tanked and tankless water heaters. Hardware and plumbing supply stores carry insulation to help keep
pipes from freezing. Get all sup plies now so you are ready to wrap pipes and water heaters when a winter storm is approaching.
Learn how to drip faucets prop erly. After the measures above are taken, drip one cold water faucet slowly if you feel your pipes may still freeze. The faucet you choose should be the one that is the great est distance from your main shut off valve. It does not need to be a running trickle. If you do drip your faucet, capture the water for fu ture use. Watch a video about how to drip faucets properly. Outside faucet protection. Austin Water en courages all customers to turn off irrigation systems during the win ter months to help conserve water. Prepare supplies to wrap outside faucets with towels or a Styrofoam insulator.
Gather supplies to be prepared. Having one gallon of water per person and pet per day for seven days on hand to help avoid the rush at stores when the first winter storm of the season approaches. Stay Informed:
Sign up for Austin Water’s My ATX Water customer portal Austin Water’s 24-Hour Emergen cy Hotline can be reached at 512972-1000, Option 1 Customers are also urged to tune in for Austin utility emergency alerts by bookmarking COAUtilities. com and austinwater.org. Follow Austin Water on social me dia: Facebook.com/austinwater Instagram.com/austin_water Twitter.com/AustinWater
Austin Energy Winter Weather
In case of a power outage:
Unplug appliances and turn off most lights to avoid overloading circuits when power is restored. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed during an outage and follow FDA guidelines for food safety.
Electrical Safety Tips:
If using an electric space heater, be sure it has an automatic shut-off switch and non-glowing elements, and make sure to keep away from flammable materials. Never heat your home with a gas
oven or burn anything in a stove or a fireplace that is not vented. Do not burn paper in a fireplace. Do not drive over or go near a downed power line, as it could be energized. Call 311 if you see a downed line to report it. If the line is sparking, call 911.
If you see limbs on wires or see downed tree limbs, please call 311 to report them.
To report a power outage, text OUT to 287846 or visit outagemap.aus tinenergy.com. You can also report an outage by calling 512-322-9100. Register for Austin Energy’s Out age Alerts by texting REG to 287846
Learn more about how to stay warm, stay safe, and save on your utility bill during winter weather at austinenergy.com/go/winter. Monitor ERCOT grid conditions at ERCOT.com for information impacting local and statewide elec tricity service.
Customers are also urged to tune in for Austin utility emergency alerts by bookmarking COAUtilities. com, austinenergy.com.
Follow Austin Energy on social media:
Facebook.com/austinenergy Twitter.com/austinenergy YouTube.com/austinenergy Austin Transportation Winter Weather Safety Guidance
Low temps, ice and wintery weath er can make driving hazardous. Be fore driving in inclement weather this season, be sure to:
Check for updated weather condi tions
Avoid bridges and overpasses
Check tire pressure + tread Make sure windshield wipers + lights are functioning
Keep a winter emergency kit with the following items in your ve hicle:
Jumper cables
Flares or reflective triangle Ice scraper
Car cell phone charger
Cat litter or sand for better tire trac tion.
The public may call the Cold Weather Shelter hotline to check the activation status: 512-305ICEE (4233).
There are 2.5 million children in the United States growing up in “grandfamilies,” meaning they’re being raised by relatives or close friends without their parents in the home, and they face higher rates of hunger and food insecurity, accord ing to a new report.
The Generations United report, “Together at the Table: Supporting the Nutrition, Health and Well-Be
eas, services are often more limited or challenging to access.
What’s more, grandfamilies are disproportionately Black, Latino and American Indian and Alaska Native, populations that already have disproportionate rates of food insecurity due to years of systemic racism.
Recently, the White House re
only” benefit that is based on the needs of the child as opposed to household income and by increas ing outreach to grandfamilies.
• Ensuring automatic access to free and reduced school meals for chil dren living in grandfamilies.
• Improving outreach of the Spe cial Supplemental Nutrition Pro gram for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to help reach more grandfami lies and connect them with ben efits for which they are eligible.
• Creating joint meal programs for grandfam ily caregivers and the children they raise.
Holiday shopping for families with children? Check out these five to tally screen-free gift ideas that are sure brighten the season by get ting families to spend some muchneeded quality time together.
1. Upgraded outdoor games: Give outdoor play an upgrade with Kidi
friendly baking kit subscription. Each month, a new kit is mailed to your recipients’ home with recipes, activity booklets and all the ingre dients needed to create something delicious.
ing of Grandfamilies,” highlights the particular struggles of such households, which are often unpre pared financially for the unexpect ed job of raising a child, and may encounter difficulty accessing food and nutrition programs designed to help.
In fact, 25% of grandparent-head ed households experienced food insecurity between 2019 and 2020, which is more than twice the na tional rate.
The long-term health implications of food insecurity -- including dia betes, hypertension, heart disease, obesity and eating disorders -- are dire. Additionally, food insecurity negatively affects a child’s ability to learn and grow.
While families from all areas of the country face food insecurity, for the large number of grandfamilies living in the South and in rural ar
leased a sweeping national strategy to reduce hunger. While advocates describe the plan as welcome and comprehensive on many levels, and say that it identifies the im portance of improved outreach to grandfamilies, they also believe it must go further.
According to Generations United, some key policy changes to reduce food insecurity for grandfamilies include:
• Developing quality kinship navi gator programs that connect grand families to support and services in their communities.
These programs should provide food and nutrition support to grandfamilies outside the child welfare system.
• Expanding access to the Supple mental Nutrition Assistance Pro gram (SNAP) by making a “child-
“Research shows that being raised by family mem bers or close friends is the best option for chil dren who can’t be raised by their parents,” said Don na Butts, the executive director of Generations United.
“But unfortunately, these families face hunger and food insecurity at much higher rates than the average family.
The need for basic nutrition and adequate food is universal, and ev ery family deserves to be healthy and thrive.
The fact that many of our policies and programs to reduce hunger were not designed with grandfami lies in mind should not stand in the way of this right.”
To read the full report and learn more about issues affecting grand families, visit https://www.gu.org/. (StatePoint)
Go NexTag from VTech, designed for ages 5 and up. Way more than just tag, it’s a high-tech spin on 20 different backyard games includ ing capture the flag, freeze tag and hide-and-seek.
To play, all you need are the four included electronic units and ad justable arm bands. A friendly voice explains the quick and easyto-learn rules and no referee is re quired -- the game lets you know who got tagged, who’s safe and who’s it.
With single- and multi-player op tions, the whole family can get in on the fun, especially when you combine two systems. Play indoors or out with a 135-foot range be tween units. All you have to do is press the big button and tag, you’re it!
2. Kitchen assistance: Introduce adults and kids alike to the funda mentals of baking with a family-
3. Swim time: The weather may be frightful, but that’s no reason why fami lies can’t enjoy a delightful day at the pool. Con sider gift ing your favorite family with a day pass to an indoor aquatic center or wa ter park. For fami lies with young children, look for a facility that offers splash pads and swim lessons. For those with older kids who are al ready proficient swimmers, check for amenities like water slides and wave pools. Want to take it a step further? Sign your recipients up for an indoor pool membership until summer returns.
4. Inspiration: Give families all the ideas and inspiration they need to beat boredom, create new tradi tions and make memories with “The Adventure Challenge: Fam ily Edition.” This journal offers 50 adventures in different categories, along with space to share thoughts and photos about each experience.
5. Board--not bored: Encourage some good old fashioned family fun with board games. From chess and checkers to modern classics to the latest trendy games, this is a gift option that’s sure to engage family members of all ages. (State Point)
(Continued From Page 01)
The students will design solutions to initiatives related to sustainabil ity and the implementation of Aus tin’s Climate Equity Plan, adopted by the City Council in September 2021.
“As a member of this youth council, I hope to help affect real change,” said Amber, a newly ap pointed youth council member.
“It is so difficult to see that there is a major problem facing our society but not have the resources to help.
This youth council will be a unique opportunity to create solutions, fight for our planet, and work with like-minded individuals.”
The mission of the Austin Youth Climate Equity Council is to em power Austin’s next generation of climate champions with the tools to engage in community issues around climate change, environ mental policy, and environmental
justice.
The young leaders selected for the council will learn about sus tainability, civic procedures, envi ronmental justice, and how these relate to improving their commu nity’s health and well-being.
They will use Y-PLAN (Youth –Plan, Learn, Act, Now), an awardwinning educational strategy, to tackle real-world challenges in partnership with City departments, local community members, and or ganizations.
Council members will meet biweekly through May to connect with and learn skills from local leaders, changemakers, and activ ists.
“Providing pathways for youth to lead the way on climate change is a critical step,” said Lucia Athens, the City of Austin’s Chief Sustain ability Officer.
“Their sense of urgency is under
standable given the state of the world we will be passing on to them. There is much to be gleaned from youth energy and ideas.”
“The Austin Youth Climate Equity Council fosters intergenerational dialogue and bridges the diverse perspectives, knowledge, and re sources found across communities within Austin,” said Brittany Jay roe, Director of Youth Programs at EcoRise.
“These young leaders are essential voices in the community of prac tice of Austin city planners, aca demics, organizers, and communi ty leaders that strive to improve the well-being of those that call Austin home.”
The Austin Youth Climate Equity Council is led and facilitated by the national sustainability education nonprofit EcoRise in partnership with the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability.
Austin-area sustainability profes
sionals can also get involved by ap plying to mentor the youth council members.
About the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability
Austin’s Office of Sustainability works to ensure a thriving, equita ble, and ecologically resilient com munity by providing leadership, influencing positive action through engagement, and creating measur able benefits for Austin.
The office works to achieve netzero community-wide green house gas emissions by 2040, a healthy and just local food sys tem, resource-efficient strategies for municipal operations, tangible projects that demonstrate sustain ability, and a resilient and adaptive city. Find out more at www.austint
EcoRise mobilizes a new genera tion of leaders to design healthy, just, and thriving communities for all.
The national nonprofit organiza tion elevates student voices and ad vances student-led solutions to re al-world challenges with programs focused on environmental literacy, climate justice, and equitable ac cess to green career pathways.
EcoRise is currently support ing more than 8,400 teachers and 467,000 students through a range of curricula, programs, and grants. To learn more about EcoRise, visit www.ecorise.org.
512-828-6709
Shreyas Hallur, Atharv Gupta, Veer Sangha, Amisha Kambath, and Jupneet Singh are among 32 schol ars who will begin their graduate studies at Oxford in October next year.
The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full time graduate fellow ship awarded by the University of Oxford since 1903.
The selected scholars can come to the UK for two or more years and can apply to study most full-time postgraduate courses offered by Oxford University.
Five Indian-American students have been selected from a pool of 840 applicants to join the ranks of Rhodes Scholars Class of 2023.
Shreyas Hallur, Atharv Gupta, Veer Sangha, Amisha Kambath, and Jupneet Singh are among 32 schol ars who will begin their graduate studies at Oxford in October next
year.
The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full time graduate fellow ship awarded by the University of Oxford since 1903. The selected scholars can come to the UK for two or more years and can apply to study most full-time postgraduate courses offered by Oxford Univer
sity.
Hallur of Phoenix, Arizona, is a senior at Duke University with majors in Statistics and in Public Policy. He plans to continue his passion for healthcare reform by studying medical anthropology and evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation at Oxford.
Hallur has also taken a leap in making STEM education more inclusive for autistic children, hav ing won a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation for his work at the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.
“I wanted to learn more about this unique culture as a student in the UK and the Rhodes scholarship would really allow me to pursue these studies at one of the UK’s best institutions - Oxford!” he told Duke Chronicle.
Sangha of Columbia, Missouri is a senior at Yale College with majors in Computer Science, Statistics and Data Science. He will pursue a D Phil in Health Data Science at Oxford, as he aims to explore how artificial intelligence can revolutio nise health care.
Jupneet K Singh of Somis, Califor nia, is a senior at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology where she majors in Chemistry.
A cadet lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force ROTC program, she plans a career as a military sur geon. At Oxford, she will pursue an M Sc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy. Kambath of San Ramon, California, is a se nior at Harvard College where she majors in Social Studies. A Truman Scholar, who is passionate about criminal justice reform, Kambath intends to do M St in English (Eng lish and American Studies).
Gupta of Fairfax, Virginia, is a senior at Georgetown University, where he is majoring in Science, Technology, and International Af fairs. At Oxford, Gupta intends to do the MSc in Social Science of the Internet.(Courtesy: https://the newsmen.co.in/)
There’s no better time than right now to prep yourself and your family for the unexpected. Don’t wait until torrential rain and high winds beat on your windows or wildfire flames glow on the hori zon. In those moments, your only thought will be getting your family to safety.
According to the Association of International Certified Public Ac countants, nearly 30% of people have not taken any steps to prepare their family for a natural disaster, yet more than 60% of Americans believe they will likely be impact ed by one in the next three to five years.
While no one likes to dwell on worst-case scenarios, taking time now to prepare your family for any unexpected event will save you precious time when a disaster strikes, and help you evacuate at a moment’s notice if need be. Here are a few ways to start.
Pack Your “Go Bag”: A “Go Bag”
is a disaster kit that ensures that you and your family have every thing you may need in an emergen cy. The American Red Cross rec ommends packing an emergency radio, water container, food supply
ID tags and even a crate or kennel in case you need to evacuate to a public shelter. Some other items to include are a flashlight, batteries, multi-tools, duct tape, exam gloves and hand sanitizer.
an estimated 1,000 tornadoes touch down every year. Knowing what natural disasters your region is prone to can help you best prepare.
Stay Informed: There are various apps and alerts you can sign up for to stay on top of any weather developments. You can get the latest storm forecasts online from NOAA’s National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center. You can also download the Federal Emergency Management Agency app to send notifications to loved ones, locate emergency shelters in your area and more. T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers can call 611 or visit T-Mobile.com to stay up to date on response and re covery efforts.
phone’s camera as a scanning de vice. The DHS recommends you capture important documents like insurance policies, identification documents, medical records and pet information. You can also scan memorabilia like family photos in case the physical copies are de stroyed.
Stay Charged: To stay connected during a storm, keep your phone fully charged. Make sure you have fully charged portable power banks to keep your smartphones charged and the correct charging cables. Doing so will help you reach loved ones and find safety when disaster strikes. To maintain an optimal bat tery level, set your phone to power saving mode and use airplane mode when your phone is not in use.
for three days, a personal hygiene kit, a first aid kit and any medica tions your family needs. If you have a pet, ensure you have enough food, medications, a leash, collar,
Know What Natural Disasters Could Affect You: According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 90% of disasters within the United States involve flooding and
Use Tech to Protect Your Essen tials: Using technology to store all your important documents on a se cure jump drive or in cloud storage can help keep you protected during an emergency. There are several apps available like Google Scan Drive that allow you to use your
Don’t wait until an emergency is looming to prepare. Taking key ac tions now can help you stay safe, informed and connected during a natural disaster, and help you re cover in the aftermath. (StatePoint)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – Nov. 9, 2022
— Last night, Austin voters ap proved $2.44 billion in bond fund ing for Austin ISD — the largest school bond package ever to pass in Central Texas.
“This historic investment will en able us to make significant im provements to aging facilities that will free up millions of dollars a year in our operating budget — money that can help us reach our goal of becoming the highest pay ing school district for teachers in the region,” said Interim Superin tendent Dr. Anthony Mays.
“The bond funds also will allow us to provide the upgraded security and modern technology that all of our students and teachers deserve.”
The district anticipates that it will complete the majority of the proj ects included in the bond package within five years and deliver all of the projects within six years.
Districtwide safety and security
upgrades will be prioritized with projects beginning next summer that include the design of secure
munity members, architects, gen eral contractors and district offi cials, CATs provide critical input on planning, designing and imple menting each project.
The first school modernizations and open concept school modifica tions are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2023 with the first delivered in the second half of 2024.
filling out their online form.
Austin ISD is Austin’s home for in clusive learning: high expectations for all children, and high outcomes for every student.
The district has more National Board Certified Teachers than any school district in Texas.
AISD is recognized as the largest No Place for Hate school district in the nation by the Anti-Defamation League.
entry vestibules at schools across the district and installation of secu rity fencing and new locks.
In the coming weeks, district of ficials will begin working to form the Campus Architectural Teams (CATs) at schools that will undergo modernizations as well as open concept schools slated for modifi cations.
Composed of principles, staff, teachers, students, parents, com
“Austin ISD is ready to hit the ground running, building on the valuable experience gained and systems put in place during our work for the 2017 Bond,” said Geronimo Rodriguez, Board of Trustees President. “We appreciate the trust that the community has again placed in us, and we will continue to act with transpar ency and provide regular updates on our progress as we move for ward.”
For more information on the 2022 Bond Program visit AISDFuture. com or contact Let’s Talk Bond by
AISD is the largest school district in central Texas and our students’ SAT and ACT scores exceed state and national averages.
Follow AISD on Facebook at www.facebook.com/austinisd, Ins tagram at @austinisd or on Twitter at @AustinISD. For more informa tion, visit austinisd.org.
Austin’s Watershed Protection De partment has completed the first phase of code updates.
The City of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department has been working on environmental code updates to Austin’s Land Develop ment Code over the summer and fall.
The code updates introduce criti cally important initiatives that will help Austin maintain its high standards of water quality resource protection, including increased use of Green Stormwater Infrastruc ture and expanded protections for wetlands on Lady Bird Lake.
The Planning Commission con ducted a public hearing on October 11. The Austin City Council con ducted a public hearing and ad opted the new code on October 27.
An amendment related to water quality controls will go into effect on November 1, 2023, unless Wa tershed Protection brings forward other recommendations before then. The first phase of updates to Austin’s Land Development Code are related to:
Stormwater Management
Green Stormwater Infrastructure is now required as the primary method of stormwater pollution prevention for most site plans and subdivisions.
Stormwater within parking lots is required to drain to parking lot is lands and medians where feasible.
In-channel detention and wet ponds are prohibited unless proposed as part of a public infrastructure proj ect or public/private partnership.
Wetlands are now protected ev erywhere on Lady Bird Lake, as they elsewhere in town outside of downtown.
Additional changes that simplify and improve the clarity and orga nization of environmental regula tions; and
Minor code amendments that fur ther policy goals. The following changes will be brought forward during a later phase:
Landscaping for highly urban
ized developments, also known as Functional Green landscape re quirements
“Missing Middle” housing, which would hold small residential proj ects being built on single-family lots to the same environmental standards as a single-family home
Expanded protections for the Col orado River downstream of the Longhorn Dam
Requirements for urban slope protections; and
Reducing flood risk by applying greenfield development standards to redevelopment projects
Staff will need additional time to conduct the necessary stakeholder engagement related to any pro posed changes as well as consider options for additional entitlements to offset potential impacts to devel opment.
We will continue to send updates regarding the next phase of code amendments. To learn more about the environmental code updates, visit austintexas.gov/department/ environmental-code-updates.
The City of Austin’s Grant for Technology Opportunities Pro grams (GTOPs) offers $400,000 a year through four distinct grant pathways. GTOPs was created to encourage and extend digital equi ty through new and creative com munity initiatives.
The Core grant, the largest grant pathway, is now open and accept ing letters of interest until Jan. 8, 2023 from nonprofits operating in the Austin area. Local nonprofits can submit a maximum of three letters of interest for the GTOPs Core grant. Once the letters are reviewed and feedback given on those ideas, interested local non profits can submit one application.
“Our GTOPs grants have made a tremendous difference in the com munity,” said Rondella Hawkins, the City of Austin’s Telecommu nications and Regulatory Affairs Officer. “It’s provided seed money and assistance to set up computer literacy classes, help with work force development and job place ment as well as providing comput er devices for those in need.”
Mr. Yudhveer Bagga Ms shrinkhla srivastava
The four grant pathways are:
· GTOPs Core – awards up to $275,000 a year with grants award ed between $10,000 and $35,000 per organization. It is geared to wards larger organizations work ing on a new program or intensive project. The Core grant application deadline is Feb. 12, 2023.
· GTOPs Mini – awards up to $50,000 a year with grants between $5000 and $10,000 a year. It is de signed to support smaller organi zations working on a shorter-term digital inclusion project. The ap plications process begins April 1, 2023
· GTOPs Capacity – a non-clientserving micro grant of $25,000 a year. It awards between $150 to $2,500 to help nonprofits build ca pacity by funding technology infra structure, staff training and devel opment opportunities. Interested local nonprofits can begin applying May 1.
· GTOPs Connect – awards one $50,000 grant to an organization helping individuals and families el igible for Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefits. This sup port can be monthly internet cost support, device support, or support with signing up for the ACP pro gram. June 23, 2023 is the first date that applications can be submitted.
Additional information and help, including a video with grant writ ing tips, is available at Grant for Technology Opportunities Pro gram | AustinTexas.gov. Since its inception in 2001, the City of Aus tin has awarded more than $3 mil lion in matching GTOPs grants to 197 organizations.
Ms, Ketika Tyagi
The GTOPs community invest ments were combined with other funds resulting in $13 million worth of unique initiatives and projects for expanding digital in clusion in Austin. These include workforce development programs, creative media training, computer labs, STEM programming and technology training programs for people with learning challenges.
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Details: Homebuyers from India comprised the largest share of in ternational homebuyers (21%), with Mexico (10%), China (6%) and Canada (4%) rounding out the countries of origin for foreign buy ers.
Of note: International homebuyers include non-U.S. citizens who are here on a green card or are here on a foreign work or student visa. More than half of the foreign buyers have a U.S. green card, signaling they’re lawful permanent residents.
By the numbers: International homebuyers spent $613 million on properties in the greater Austin area from April 2021 to March 2022 — or 3% of the residential sales total value during the period.
The median home price among foreign buyers was $513,900, slightly higher than the AustinRound Rock MSA median price
($500,000) during the survey pe riod. Between the lines: The Indian American population of Austin is growing as a portion of an overall
booming Asian American popula tion in Central Texas.
People of Indian origin comprised 41% of the 165,000 Asian Ameri can individuals in greater Austin in 2019, up from 30% of the popula tion in 2010.
Dig deeper: 59% of Indian buyers were purchasing a primary resi dence, and 35% of the homes are used as rental property, per the re port.
What they’re saying: Driven by the growth in Austin’s tech sector, the number of Indian homebuyers is “exploding,” says Hem Ramachan dran, who has worked as a realtor for two decades in Austin and says most of his clients are Indian.
Worth noting: Ramachandran tells Axios that many Indian buyers pre
fer south or east facing homes, in keeping with vastu shastra, which he describes as an Indian version of feng shui.
The bottom line: “Our quality of life and economic opportunity make us one of the most desir able places to live in the world, and we’re seeing that reflected in a consistent level of international homebuyers purchasing property here,” Cord Shiflet, the Austin Board of Realtors president, said.
“This is another sign of Austin’s evolution from a college town into a global economic and lifestyle destination.” (Courtesy: https:// www.axios.com/)
Professor Venki Ramakrishnan is among six appointments made to the historic order by the late Queen Elizabeth II before her death in September and the first to be ap pointed by King Charles.
India-born Nobel laureate Profes sor Venki Ramakrishnan has been awarded the prestigious Order of Merit by Britain’s King Charles III in recognition of his distinguished service to science.
The 70-year-old UK-based molec ular biologist is among six appoint ments made to the historic order by the late Queen Elizabeth II before her death in September and the first to be appointed by Charles.
The Order of Merit is an exclusive mark of honour conferred by the British sovereign.
“His Majesty The King has been pleased to make six new appoint ments to the Order of Merit. Ap pointments to the Order are made in recognition of distinguished ser vice to the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture,” Buckingham Palace said on Friday evening.
“The individuals were chosen by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in early September,” it said.
Professor Venki was born in Chi dambaram in Tamil Nadu and studied biology in the US before moving to the UK where he is the Group Leader of the leading re search hub MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge University.
He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for his work on ribosomal structure and was knighted by the Queen in 2012. He was President of the UK’s Royal Society from November 2015 until
November 2020.
“Ironically, the first [Royal Soci ety] Fellows to come into contact with India were colonisers like Robert Clive and Warren Hastings, or colonial administrators like Thomas Macaulay and Richard Temple.
They certainly did not regard Indi ans as their equals in any way, and would frankly have been aston ished that one day, someone born in India would go on to become a fellow, let alone a President of the Society,” Prof. Venki noted in his farewell address to the Royal So ciety two years ago. He is also a
More recently, he has been using electron microscopy to visualise ribosomes in action in higher or ganisms. This work has advanced human understanding of how the ribosome works and how antibiot ics inhibit it.
In the past, he has also worked on histone and chromatin structure, which helps understand how DNA is organised in cells.
The Order of Merit, founded in 1902 by King Edward VII, is con ferred on individuals of exception al distinction in the armed forces, science, arts, and literature, or for the promotion of culture based on the personal choice of the monarch.
It is restricted to 24 members at any
given time and the other new re cipients this week include: broad caster Baroness Floella Benjamin, architect Sir David Adjaye, nurs ing expert Dame Elizabeth An ionwu, University of Oxford pro fessor Margaret MacMillan and geneticist and biologist Sir Paul Nurse are the other recipients of the honour.
Other members of the Order in clude Sir David Attenborough, the famed British conservation ist, artist David Hockney, for mer House of Commons Speaker Betty Boothroyd and World Wide Web founding computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee. (Courtesy: https://www.ndtv.com/)
everyone,” she tweeted after the victory.
She also thanked Wes Moore, who selected Miller as his running mate and was elected Maryland’s first Black governor on Tuesday.
“[F]rom the moment I met you, I knew you were going to be an incredible leader but what I didn’t know was that you were going to be an exceptional friend. Thank you for your friendship and trust,” she wrote.
Miller graduated from the Missouri Univer sity of Science and Technology with a de gree in civil engineering, the Moore-Miller campaign website said.
She worked as an engineer for Maryland’s Montgomery County Department of Trans portation for 25 years before retiring in 2015. She also represented District 15 in the Mary
land House of Delegates for eight years be fore losing a race for Congress in 2018 in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, the campaign’s website said.
Twitter users and organizations shared their excitement with Miller’s historic victory.
The state’s outgoing governor, Larry Hogan, a Republican, congratulated Moore on Twit ter.
“There is no higher calling than public ser vice, and no greater honor than to serve the people of this great state,” he tweeted. (Cour tesy: https://www.nbcnews.com/)
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lieutenant governor. Miller, who emigrated from India in 1972 at age 7 and became a U.S. citizen in 2000, is also the first immi grant to win the lieutenant governor’s office and the first Asian American elected state
wide in Maryland, according to The Associ ated Press.
“Ever since I came to this country in 1972, I’ve never stopped being excited for the promise of America. I will never stop fight ing to make sure that promise is available to
For many, the holidays are filled with friends, family and constant celebration. People put socialization on overdrive and seem to take no breaks. However, for others, the holidays can feel lonelier than any other time of year.
Not everyone has close friends and family to spend their time with during these cold few months. Some may have it reserved for extra alone time, and not by their own choice. Tak ing more time for yourself during the holi days is not unhealthy on its own, but doing so too much can lead to negative emotions and feelings of isolation.
Balancing alone time during the holidays There is a difference in taking some alone time to avoid being around others.
“Taking some time alone is kind of like tak ing a break at halftime of a football game,” says Megan Williams, Director of Suicide Prevention for Centerstone.
“You’ve been chatting with people, trying to keep the conversation going for a couple of hours, and you need to take a 15-minute break to step away and recharge your bat teries.”
Alone time can be healthy as it provides time to focus on yourself and what makes you happy. There are several ways you can
Start a new tradition! Try creating a new holiday tradition for yourself, such as bak ing a holiday treat or watching a new holiday movie.
Rediscover an old talent. Pick up that dusty old guitar, put on those dance shoes, or do anything else that makes you feel like your self.
Do something out of the house. Go explore that museum you’ve heard so much about or, if weather permits, spend some time out in nature.
Write letters and make phone calls. You may just be alone for the holidays because you’re loved ones are too far to see this year. Spend some time talking to them on the phone or
writing to them to stay connect ed. Even one short call can be uplifting.
While having meaningful alone time is good for the soul, it is important to know your limits and when you need to recharge socially.
All people, whether introverted or extroverted, need some level of socialization to be healthy.
Being alone can become unhealthy when alone time turns into avoidance or prolonged isolation. Feelings of anxiety and loneliness can cause us to avoid social interaction alto gether as a coping mechanism. This isolation can lead to depressive symptoms, which end up further increasing feelings of loneliness –it’s a cycle.
Other ways to cope with holiday loneliness
One of the best ways to cope with holiday loneliness is seeking out time with people. “If being around others could alleviate any loneliness you feel, seek social interactions out,” says Megan Williams. “You can always take a break or limit those interactions as you see fit to ensure good self-care.”
If you don’t have loved ones nearby, this
may take more initiative on your part.
Look for volunteer opportunities. There are plenty of ways to help others, and opportuni ties only increase during the holiday season. Volunteering allows you to make a positive difference while socializing without all the pressure.
Say yes. Accept invitations from friends and coworkers to do things, even if they’re not people you usually spend much time with. You don’t have to say yes to everything, but putting yourself out there in this way can help you feel less isolated.
If you’re feeling sad and lonely, try to not exacerbate these feelings by comparing your plans to others’. Stay off social media – it’s only a “highlight reel” of someone’s life and can make you feel small in comparison. Practice healthy coping strategies, and re mind yourself what is best for you, even if that’s spending some extra time on self-care.
If the holidays have you experiencing in creased mental health challenges, Cen terstone is here to help. You can call us at 1-877-HOPE123 (877-467-3123) to get con nected with care. (Courtesy: https://center stone.org/)
Megastar Chiran jeevi was recently honoured with the Indian Film per sonal ity of the year tiitle at the 53rd Interna tional Film Fes tival of India. He is re garded as one of the most success
ful and influential actors of Indian cinema.
Chiranjeevi made his acting debut with the 1978 hit film Punadhirallu. He then went on to star in several big-budget Telugu films, most of which turned out to be box-office success. In a career spanning of over four decades, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including 10 filmfare awards and 4 Nandi awards.
The superstar is currently awaiting the release of two films - Bobby’s ‘Walter Veerayya’, and Meher Ra mesh’s ‘Bholaa Shankar’, which is the Telugu remake of the Tamil superhit film, ‘Vedalam’. He was last seen in Godfather alongside Salman Khan and Godfather. (Courtesy: https://timesofindia.in diatimes.com/)
the makers had made it official with a new post er from the film. But with the shooting of the film yet to be com pleted, looks like the mak ers didn’t want to fas ten the film’s process to disturb the director’s plan.
January end or earlier in February.
‘Pathu Thala’ final schedule is cur rently happening in the outskirts of Chennai, and the film is expected to be wrapped up in a week.
The post-production work for the film will begin in December, and the promotions for the film will kick start once the film reaches the final stages.
Silambarasan is reprising the role of Shiva Rajkumar’s role in the re make version, and the makers are said to be re-filming some of the initial shot portions of the actor to match his current physique.
Veteran actor Dharmendra talked about the late legendary actor Dilip Kumar and how he became an in spiration for him.
He said: “I have huge respect for Dilip Saab and now that he is no more, even the mention of his
logue from his classic film: “Kaun kambhakt hai wo bardasht karne ke liye peeta hai”(Who the hell drinks to tolerate), from the 1955 Bimal Roy’s directorial film ‘Devdas’ based on Sarat Chandra Chatto padhyay’s novel of the same name. Dharmendra and Govinda are join
Silambarasan is next working on ‘Pathu Thala’, which is directed by Obeli N Krishna, and he plays a gangster in the Tamil remake of the Kannada film ‘Mufti’. Now, the latest report suggests that Silam barasan’s ‘Pathu Thala’ will move out from the December release. ‘Pathu Thala’ had been announced to release on December 14th, and
So, ‘Pathu Thala’ will reportedly be post poned from the earlier announced date, and the film is now expected to hit the theatres in
‘Pathu Thala’ also features Gautham Karthik, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Teejay, Gautham Menon, and Kalaiyarasan in crucial roles, while the film’s music is scored by AR Rahman. (Courtesy: https:// timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
name overwhelms me. But as much as I’ve seen Dilip Saab, Raj (Kapoor) Saab , and Dev (Anand) Saab, whatever I’ve learnt, I’ve learned from them.”
He also recited the famous dia
ing the show as celebrity guests along with Govinda’s wife Sunita Ahuja and son Yashvardhan Ahuja for ‘Heroes No. 1’ special episode of ‘Indian Idol 13’. (Courtesy: https://timesofindia.indiatimes. com/)
There is no need to reintroduce the global success of RRR, a roaring blockbuster helmed by the pride
of India SS Rajamouli. Starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR in the lead roles, the movie got excellent reviews from every corner of the world.
The latest news is that SS Raja mouli has attended the 13th annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles.
He graced the ceremony by wearing a black suit. Many Hollywood ac tors also graced the event. Later, SS Karthikeya, son of the star direc tor, took to his social profiles and posted pics in which they look royal in black suits. The pics are now doing rounds on social media.
On the other hand, SS Rajamouli will commence his next big movie with Mahesh Babu in 2023. More details about the details will be unveiled in the coming months.
(Courtesy: https://www.123telugu. com/)
The stars from the 80s, who, as a practice, have a reunion every year to celebrate their friendship and ca maraderie had suspended the prac tice after 2019 due to the outbreak of the pandemic.
Over 30 stars from the south Indian film industries and bollywood at tended a reunion hosted by actors Jackie Shroff and Poonam Dhillon at their home in Mumbai.
The stars from the 80s, who, as a practice, have a reunion every year to celebrate their friendship and ca maraderie had suspended the prac tice after 2019 due to the outbreak of the pandemic.
The 10th year reunion in 2019 was hosted by Chiranjeevi in his Hyderabad home. Nearly 40 stars from South India and Bombay had attended that reunion.
However, after that, due to the pan demic, the event was not held. This year, they revived the practice and met in Mumbai for their annual re union.
from bolly
Just like ev ery other year, the get to gether had a colour theme.
This year, the theme was sil ver and orange for women and grey and or ange for men.
The venue decoration was Maharashtrian and the spread on the table included Ma harashtrian delicacies.
The hosts, Poonam Dhillon and Jackie Shroff, did not spare any
effort to prepare the venue in the theme colours and welcomed their guests.
The get together went on till the wee hours of the morning. The ac tors from the South performed for a medley. Poonam Dhillon had or ganised games and quiz. It was a fun-filled evening.
The celebrities who were part of the 11th 80s actors reunion include Chiranjeevi, Rajkumar, Sarathku mar, Baghyaraj, Venkatesh, Arjun, Anil Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Naresh, Bhanuchandar, Su hasini Maniratnam, Khushboo, Ramya Krishnan, Lissy, Poorn ima Baghyaraj, Radha, Ambika, Saritha, Sumalatha, Shobana, Revathy, Nadia, Meenakshi She shadri, Tina Ambani and Madhoo. (https://www.dtnext.in/)
‘Kantara’ has been the talk of the town and everybody including all the celebrities are praising it.
After Superstar Rajnikanth heaped praises on the film, Kamal Haasan too has come ahead to applaud the film.
The star saw the film ‘Kantara’ yesterday and has highly appreci ated the film.
He found the film to be appealing that he called Rishab Shetty and said that this kind of storytelling is very inspiring.
‘Kantara’s storyline has been spreading like a wildfire and the audience around all quarters are appreciating it.
The movie has completed 50 days and is still running on 1000+ screens globally.
The film has completed 50 days in Australia, the UK, Canada, UAE, and the USA as well. In India, the movie is still being played across
900+ screens.
This shows the strength and the
character of the movie which de fied all the odds amidst all the big releases from Bollywood and Hol
lywood. The Sandalwood industry has
peaked and peaked with an epic tale in ‘Kantara’. Kantara is a delcious t treat for movie buffs hat one should not miss.
It is a perfect cul mination of craft, culture and techni cal brilliance at the display.
It is that rare piece of Southern India that you would have barely wit nessed or heard about.
And is worthy of every piece of ac colade and appreci ation, it is received from everywhere.
(Courtesy: https:// timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)
