Quadruples Previous Record with Nearly 4 Times More Shots in One Day
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kaiser Permanente?s seasonal flu clinics set The Guinness World Records today with 47,259 vaccinations given in an eight hour period at multiple sites throughout Southern California. Averaging the tally, that?s almost 100 arms a minute being offered to receive protection from influenza.
More than 600 Kaiser Permanente nurses and medical staff administrated vaccines to members at 48 Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout the Southern California region today, and having reached 20,000 vaccinations by 2 pm, easily surpassed the previous record of 12,851 set by Vanderbilt University. A real time tote board tracked the progress throughout the day and was confirmed by a Guinness World Records adjudicator.
This year?s flu vaccine will protect against three strains of influenza, including the 2009 H1N1 strain, plus a different H3N2 and B strain. The flu shot is recommended for all individuals ages 6 months and older, but certain groups are at higher risk of developing complications from the flu and are highly encouraged to get immunized, including young children, pregnant women, people 65 years and older, or anyone with heart or lung disease or chronic health conditions like asthma or diabetes.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, each year approximately 5 to 20 percent of U.S. residents get the flu and more than?200,000 people?are hospitalized for flu-related complications.
Kaiser Permanente members in Orange County are encouraged to visit the Drive-Thru Flu Clinic tomorrow, Sunday, September 30, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.
Kaiser Permanente San Diego's clinics confirmed a total of 12,085 vaccinations, exceeding their previous record set in 2010 of 6,215 in one flu clinic day.
The Guinness World Records plaque presentation for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California regional record took place this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at the Vandever Medical Office Building, 4405 Vandever Avenue, San Diego, CA 92120.
Seasonal flu clinics are free of charge to Kaiser Permanente members. For a complete list of clinic locations and times, and for more information about preventing or treating the flu, visit www.kp.org/flu.
Pictures and interviews for each medical center areas are available upon request by contacting Mayra Suarez, cell 310-710-8479.
About Kaiser Permanente Southern California
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America?s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 3.5 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
SACRAMENTO (Reuters) - Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill banning a controversial therapy that aims to reverse homosexuality in minors, his office announced on Sunday, making California the first state to ban a practice many say is psychologically damaging.
The move marked a major victory for gay rights advocates who say so-called conversion therapy, also called reparative therapy, has no medical basis because homosexuality is not a disorder.
Brown said in a short message on Twitter that he supported the bill because it "bans non-scientific 'therapies' that have driven young people to depression and suicide."
The bill's sponsor, state Senator Ted Lieu, a Democrat from Torrance, said the law was a gesture of remembrance for a man who committed suicide after undergoing the therapy.
The measure prohibits children and teens under 18 from undergoing sexual orientation change efforts. It received support from the California Psychological Association and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, among others.
"LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) youth will now be protected from a practice that has not only been debunked as junk science, but has been proven to have drastically negative effects on their well-being," Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a statement.
He urged other states to follow California's lead.
Lieu said the psychiatrist who pioneered the therapy, Dr. Robert Spitzer, has since renounced it and has apologized to the gay and lesbian community.
"If anyone had any doubts such practices were evil, they need only listen to accounts of victims who went through this abusive practice," Lieu said in a statement.
During the legislature's consideration of the bill, people who had undergone the therapy as minors testified about why they wanted the practice banned.
"As a young teen, the anti-gay practice of so-called conversion therapy destroyed my life and tore apart my family," witness Ryan Kendall told legislators.
Several openly gay legislators gave emotional speeches in support of the measure, sharing how they were bullied because of their sexual orientation as youths.
All major medical and mental health organizations including the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association have denounced the practice, supporters said.
Opponents said the bill encroached on the rights of parents to make choices for their children. They also said politicians should not regulate what they considered to be a matter for medical boards to decide.
The measure will take effect on January 1.
(Reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Jackie Frank and Todd Eastham)
CHINA - China?s beef production in 2013 is forecast to increase less than one percent to 5.58 million metric tons
(MMT) due to slightly higher calf production and slaughter.
The government?s subsidy to support beef
cow production will no doubt help beef cow stocks and calf crop production in coming years.
Total beef
consumption is expected to shift upwards in response to steady imports and slightly higher domestic
beef production. Beef imports are expected to increase 12 per cent from the revised 2012 estimate to
34,000 metric tons (MT), carcass weight equivalence (CWE), driven by robust demand from the rising
middle class.
However, decreased consumption of lower-income consumers is offset by increased
middle-class consumption. As a result, per capita consumption remains only about four kilograms (kg).
Live cattle imports are forecast at 115,000 and 120,000 head in 2012 and 2013, up 21 percent and four
per cent, respectively, with breeding cows accounting for 90 per cent, driven by strong demand for dairy
genetic improvement.
Beef exports will likely decline seven percent from the revised 2012 estimate to
43,000 MT given slow economic growth in export markets and high Chinese export unit price.
Beef
exports to Hong Kong, China?s largest export market, are strongly challenged by Brazilian exports to
Hong Kong because of competitive export prices, while exports to Japan will likely be dampened by
Japan?s relevant level consumption, higher stocks, and greater volume of imports of US beef cuts.
Cattle exports are expected to remain the same due to flat demand in Hong Kong and Macau, the only
exports markets.
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) ? Six teenagers were in custody Friday on charges they brutally beat a neighbor on her stoop "just for fun" and then posted cellphone video of the attack on Facebook, authorities said.
Four 16- and 17-year-old girls were charged as adults in the attack on the 48-year-old woman, a crime that has shaken this struggling city of about 30,000 residents just outside Philadelphia. The girls were charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, burglary and harassment. Another teen girl and a 19-year-old woman were also arrested later Friday afternoon.
The woman, whom police described as "mentally challenged," was punched, kicked and hit with a shoe and chair, and suffered cuts and bruises but no broken bones, authorities said. Her name was not released.
The attack occurred Tuesday at a two-story stucco house, where the woman lived, down the block from a small grocery. No one answered the door at the building Friday.
"It appears just for fun," Chester police Detective James Nolan said. "There hasn't been a discernible explanation as to why."
Police Commissioner Joseph M. Bail Jr. said the victim was doing better Friday and being treated for lacerations and abrasions at a crisis unit.
The Delaware County Daily Times first obtained video footage from police on Thursday.
It showed a group of girls walking down a sidewalk then suddenly attacking a woman sitting on her stoop. The teens follow the woman into her home as she tries to escape, taking turns punching and beating her. They quickly flee.
In the neighborhood where the woman lives, cashier Crystal Pate said she knows two of the girls ? one babysits her daughter ? and said they were not bad kids.
"I can't comprehend it. I trust her with my daughter's life," the 29-year-old Pate said. "Obviously, they were showing off. That's not something you do for fun."
Pate said the woman regularly sits on her front stoop and sometimes curses people or asks for cigarettes.
Chester has long battled high rates of crime and poverty. Mayor John Linder said youth should understand that attacking people will not be tolerated.
"This is an egregious attack," Linder said. "It's unbearable."
Janet Purnell, 55, whose elderly mother lives down the street from the attack, said it is hard for her to understand why a group of girls would want to attack a woman like that.
"It really doesn't make any sense," Purnell said. "It's ignorant."
ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2012) ? Many white sharks shift from fish to marine mammals as they mature, but individual sharks show surprising variability in dietary preferences.
White sharks, the largest predatory sharks in the ocean, are thought of as apex predators that feed primarily on seals and sea lions. But a new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, shows surprising variability in the dietary preferences of individual sharks.
The researchers described their findings in a paper published online September 28 in PLoS ONE. They analyzed the composition of growth bands in shark vertebrae to trace variations in diet over a shark's lifetime. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen incorporated into an animal's tissues serve as a natural tracer of dietary inputs.
"We did find that white shark diets changed with age, as expected, but we were surprised that the patterns and extent of change differed among individuals," said Sora Kim, who led the study as a UCSC graduate student and is now at the University of Wyoming.
The researchers analyzed vertebrae of 15 adult white sharks that had been caught along the west coast (14 off California and one off Baja California). Sharks in this population consume a wide range of prey, including seals, sea lions, dolphins, fish, and squid. But not every shark eats the same mix of prey, said coauthor Paul Koch, professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UCSC.
"We confirmed that the diets of many individuals observed at seal and sea lion rookeries shift from fish to marine mammals as the sharks mature," he said. "In addition, we discovered that different individual sharks may specialize on different types of prey. These two types of flexibility in feeding behavior are difficult to document using traditional methods, but may be very important for understanding how the population is supported by the eastern Pacific ecosystem and how it may respond to changes in that ecosystem."
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced that it will consider whether to protect the west coast population of white sharks under the Endangered Species Act.
Tagging studies have shown that the white sharks found along the California coast have a regular migratory pattern, cruising coastal sites from late summer to early winter and moving to offshore areas during the rest of the year. While sharks within this population may have predictable movement patterns, the new study shows that there are important dietary and behavioral differences among individual sharks.
The study relied on vertebrae obtained from white shark specimens in various collections. The sharks had been caught at different times and places along the coast from 1957 to 2000. "Interestingly, we do see a small shift in diet as marine mammal populations increased after the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972," Kim said.
In addition to Kim and Koch, the coauthors of the paper include James Estes, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCSC, and Tim Tinker, a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and adjunct professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCSC. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Santa Cruz. The original article was written by Tim Stephens.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Kim SL, Tinker MT, Estes JA, Koch PL. Ontogenetic and Among-Individual Variation in Foraging Strategies of Northeast Pacific White Sharks Based on Stable Isotope Analysis. PLoS ONE, 2012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045068
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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Researchers find multiple similarities between cancer cells and induced pluripotent stem cellsPublic release date: 28-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Charles Casey charles.casey@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9048 University of California - Davis Health System
Findings have important implications for helping scientists create safer stem cell therapies and may open door to new cancer therapies
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) UC Davis investigators have found new evidence that a promising type of stem cell now being considered for a variety of disease therapies is very similar to the type of cells that give rise to cancer. The findings suggest that although the cells -- known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) -- show substantial promise as a source of replacement cells and tissues to treat injuries, disease and chronic conditions, scientists and physicians must move cautiously with any clinical use because iPSCs could also cause malignant cancer.
The article, "Induced pluripotency and oncogenic transformation are related processes," is now online in the journal, Stem Cells and Development.
"This is the first study that describes the specific molecular pathways that iPSCs and cancer cells share from a direct comparison" said Paul Knoepfler, associate professor of cell biology and human anatomy, and principal investigator of the study. "It means that much more study is required before iPSCs can be used clinically. However, our study adds to a growing knowledge base that not only will help make stem cell therapies safer, but also provide us with new understandings about the cancer-causing process and more effective ways to fight the disease."
Since 2007, cell biologists have been able to induce specialized, differentiated cells (such as those obtained from the skin or muscle of a human adult) to become iPSCs. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are a type of stem cell that is able to become any cell type. This "pluripotent" capability means that iPSCs have the potential of being used in treatments for a variety of human diseases, a fundamentally new type of clinical care known as regenerative medicine.
iPSCs are considered particularly important because their production avoids the controversy that surrounds embryonic stem cells. In addition, iPSCs can be taken from a patient's own skin and induced to produce other needed tissues, thereby evading the possibility of immunologic rejection that arises when transplanting cells from a donor to a recipient. In contrast to therapies based on ES cells, iPSCs would eliminate the need for patients to take immunosuppressive drugs.
Earlier research indicated that both ES cells and iPSCs pose some health risks. Increasing evidence suggests that pluripotency may be related to rapid cellular growth, a characteristic of cancer. iPSCs, as well as embryonic stem cells, are well known by scientists to have the propensity to cause teratomas, an unusual type of benign tumor that consists of many different cell types. The new UC Davis study demonstrates for the first time that iPSCs -- as well as ES cells -- share significant similarities to malignant cancer cells.
The investigators compared iPSCs to a form of malignant cancer known as oncogenic foci that are also produced in laboratories; these cell types are used by medical researchers to create models of cancer, particularly sarcoma. Specifically, the scientists contrasted the different cells' transcriptomes, comprised of the RNA molecules or "transcripts." Unlike DNA analysis, which reflects a cell's entire genetic code whether or not the genes are active, transcriptomes reflect only the genes that are actively expressed at a given time and therefore provide a picture of actual cellular activity.
From this transcriptome analysis, the investigators found that the iPSCs and malignant sarcoma cancer cells are unexpectedly similar in several respects. Genes that were not expressed in iPSCs were also not expressed in the cancer-generating cells, including many that have properties that guide a cell to normally differentiate in certain directions. Both cell types also exhibited evidence of similar metabolic activities, another indication that they are related cell types.
"We were surprised how similar iPSCS were to cancer-generating cells," said Knoepfler. "Our findings indicate that the search for therapeutic applications of iPSCs must proceed with considerable caution if we are to do our best to promote patient safety."
Knoepfler noted, for example, that future experimental therapies using iPSCs for human transplants would most often not involve implanting iPSCs directly into a patient. Instead, iPSCs would be used to create differentiated cells -- or tissues -- in the laboratory, which could then be transplanted into a patient. This approach avoids implanting the actual undifferentiated iPSCS, and reduces the risk of tumor development as a side effect. However, Knoepfler noted that even trace amounts of residual iPSCs could cause cancer in patients, a possibility supported by his team's latest research.
Encouragingly, the UC Davis team also found important differences between the cell types that could provide clues to making iPSCs safer. As part of this study, the researchers transformed tumor-generating cell types into iPS-like cells by manipulating their genetic make up. Although the reprogrammed cancer cells did not behave identically to iPSCs, and had reduced ability to produce different cell types, the findings are exciting because they suggest that cancer cells can be reprogrammed into more normal cell types, possibly opening the door to new cancer therapies.
"We found that we could reprogram the cancer cells to behave more akin to normal stem cells," said Knoepfler. "This suggests that such cancer cell reprogramming could become a new way of treating cancer patients, in essence telling their tumors to turn into normal stem cells."
Knoepfler said the team is continuing to study the differences and similarities between iPSCs and cancer cells, as well as investigate possible ways to make iPSCs safer. It appears that targeting specific metabolic pathways may enhance iPSC formation, while modulating other pathways may improve safety.
###
Other study authors are John Riggs, Bonnie Barrilleaux, Natalia Varlakhanova, Kelly Bush and Vanessa Chan, all of the UC Davis Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy.
The study was funded by grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and from the National Institutes of Health (NIH grant 5R01GM100782-01).
UC Davis is playing a leading role in regenerative medicine, with nearly 150 scientists working on a variety of stem cell-related research projects at campus locations in both Davis and Sacramento. The UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures, a facility supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), opened in 2010 on the Sacramento campus. This $62 million facility is the university's hub for stem cell science. It includes Northern California's largest academic Good Manufacturing Practice laboratory, with state-of-the-art equipment and manufacturing rooms for cellular and gene therapies. UC Davis also has a Translational Human Embryonic Stem Cell Shared Research Facility in Davis and a collaborative partnership with the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California. All of the programs and facilities complement the university's Clinical and Translational Science Center, and focus on turning stem cells into cures. For more information, visit www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/stemcellresearch.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Researchers find multiple similarities between cancer cells and induced pluripotent stem cellsPublic release date: 28-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Charles Casey charles.casey@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9048 University of California - Davis Health System
Findings have important implications for helping scientists create safer stem cell therapies and may open door to new cancer therapies
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) UC Davis investigators have found new evidence that a promising type of stem cell now being considered for a variety of disease therapies is very similar to the type of cells that give rise to cancer. The findings suggest that although the cells -- known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) -- show substantial promise as a source of replacement cells and tissues to treat injuries, disease and chronic conditions, scientists and physicians must move cautiously with any clinical use because iPSCs could also cause malignant cancer.
The article, "Induced pluripotency and oncogenic transformation are related processes," is now online in the journal, Stem Cells and Development.
"This is the first study that describes the specific molecular pathways that iPSCs and cancer cells share from a direct comparison" said Paul Knoepfler, associate professor of cell biology and human anatomy, and principal investigator of the study. "It means that much more study is required before iPSCs can be used clinically. However, our study adds to a growing knowledge base that not only will help make stem cell therapies safer, but also provide us with new understandings about the cancer-causing process and more effective ways to fight the disease."
Since 2007, cell biologists have been able to induce specialized, differentiated cells (such as those obtained from the skin or muscle of a human adult) to become iPSCs. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are a type of stem cell that is able to become any cell type. This "pluripotent" capability means that iPSCs have the potential of being used in treatments for a variety of human diseases, a fundamentally new type of clinical care known as regenerative medicine.
iPSCs are considered particularly important because their production avoids the controversy that surrounds embryonic stem cells. In addition, iPSCs can be taken from a patient's own skin and induced to produce other needed tissues, thereby evading the possibility of immunologic rejection that arises when transplanting cells from a donor to a recipient. In contrast to therapies based on ES cells, iPSCs would eliminate the need for patients to take immunosuppressive drugs.
Earlier research indicated that both ES cells and iPSCs pose some health risks. Increasing evidence suggests that pluripotency may be related to rapid cellular growth, a characteristic of cancer. iPSCs, as well as embryonic stem cells, are well known by scientists to have the propensity to cause teratomas, an unusual type of benign tumor that consists of many different cell types. The new UC Davis study demonstrates for the first time that iPSCs -- as well as ES cells -- share significant similarities to malignant cancer cells.
The investigators compared iPSCs to a form of malignant cancer known as oncogenic foci that are also produced in laboratories; these cell types are used by medical researchers to create models of cancer, particularly sarcoma. Specifically, the scientists contrasted the different cells' transcriptomes, comprised of the RNA molecules or "transcripts." Unlike DNA analysis, which reflects a cell's entire genetic code whether or not the genes are active, transcriptomes reflect only the genes that are actively expressed at a given time and therefore provide a picture of actual cellular activity.
From this transcriptome analysis, the investigators found that the iPSCs and malignant sarcoma cancer cells are unexpectedly similar in several respects. Genes that were not expressed in iPSCs were also not expressed in the cancer-generating cells, including many that have properties that guide a cell to normally differentiate in certain directions. Both cell types also exhibited evidence of similar metabolic activities, another indication that they are related cell types.
"We were surprised how similar iPSCS were to cancer-generating cells," said Knoepfler. "Our findings indicate that the search for therapeutic applications of iPSCs must proceed with considerable caution if we are to do our best to promote patient safety."
Knoepfler noted, for example, that future experimental therapies using iPSCs for human transplants would most often not involve implanting iPSCs directly into a patient. Instead, iPSCs would be used to create differentiated cells -- or tissues -- in the laboratory, which could then be transplanted into a patient. This approach avoids implanting the actual undifferentiated iPSCS, and reduces the risk of tumor development as a side effect. However, Knoepfler noted that even trace amounts of residual iPSCs could cause cancer in patients, a possibility supported by his team's latest research.
Encouragingly, the UC Davis team also found important differences between the cell types that could provide clues to making iPSCs safer. As part of this study, the researchers transformed tumor-generating cell types into iPS-like cells by manipulating their genetic make up. Although the reprogrammed cancer cells did not behave identically to iPSCs, and had reduced ability to produce different cell types, the findings are exciting because they suggest that cancer cells can be reprogrammed into more normal cell types, possibly opening the door to new cancer therapies.
"We found that we could reprogram the cancer cells to behave more akin to normal stem cells," said Knoepfler. "This suggests that such cancer cell reprogramming could become a new way of treating cancer patients, in essence telling their tumors to turn into normal stem cells."
Knoepfler said the team is continuing to study the differences and similarities between iPSCs and cancer cells, as well as investigate possible ways to make iPSCs safer. It appears that targeting specific metabolic pathways may enhance iPSC formation, while modulating other pathways may improve safety.
###
Other study authors are John Riggs, Bonnie Barrilleaux, Natalia Varlakhanova, Kelly Bush and Vanessa Chan, all of the UC Davis Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy.
The study was funded by grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and from the National Institutes of Health (NIH grant 5R01GM100782-01).
UC Davis is playing a leading role in regenerative medicine, with nearly 150 scientists working on a variety of stem cell-related research projects at campus locations in both Davis and Sacramento. The UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures, a facility supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), opened in 2010 on the Sacramento campus. This $62 million facility is the university's hub for stem cell science. It includes Northern California's largest academic Good Manufacturing Practice laboratory, with state-of-the-art equipment and manufacturing rooms for cellular and gene therapies. UC Davis also has a Translational Human Embryonic Stem Cell Shared Research Facility in Davis and a collaborative partnership with the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California. All of the programs and facilities complement the university's Clinical and Translational Science Center, and focus on turning stem cells into cures. For more information, visit www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/stemcellresearch.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
There's a new (Web) address for all things X-rated. ICM, the company behind Search.xxx, Thursday launched its porn-only search engine that corrals porn sites inside a single .xxx domain.
While some members of the porn industry weren't too happy with Internet authority Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' (ICANN) decision to authorize the xxx master domain, it may help parents prevent curious kids from seeing adult material.
ICM has made its launch page as convenient as possible for the user ? with no ads, a big search box and three buttons to select a language, a sexual orientation and a light or dark screen (the latter is preferred by experts for?nighttime reading ). The only protection is an age gate that asks users to indicate whether they're 18 years of age or older ? standard protocol on the Internet ? and insufficient to prevent minors from accessing it.
Many porn site operators are using the new .xxx extension. Parents can block this top-level domain from browsers used on family computers and other devices.
Metacerf, the security software company that has partnered with ICM to identify adult pages, offers a free plug-in for Firefox and Chrome?browsers ?that block .xxx websites, as well as other pages found to have adult content. (Porn sites were allowed to keep their .com addresses, so porn can still be found outside the .xxx domain.) A version for Internet Explorer and Safari will be released soon. And, Metacerf also has a family-friendly browser in the works, called Olly, for iPad and iPhone devices.
It's worth mentioning that you can also block .xxx and any other sites you find objectionable from?Google search results. Open a Google search page, click the gear icon at the upper right of the page to select options and then select "search settings." Scroll down the page and click the link "block unwanted sites." Type search.xxx in the box and click the Block button. Competing search engine Bing does not allow users to block specific sites, but like Google, it offers filters designed to eliminate showing links to adult material in search results.
To set the Bing and Google Search filters to "strict," go into your search settings by clicking on the gear icon. Choose "search settings" to see your filter options and set to "strict." That's it for Bing, but Google also lets you lock in your choice. While it's not really a lock that keeps kids from changing the stricter filter, it does add a big graphic element that indicates safe settings are on and sites are blocked. Big bouncing balls at the top of every search page are easy to see even from across the room.
Copyright 2012 TechNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Netanyahu shows an illustration during his speech at the U.N. on Sept. 27, 2012. (Keith Bedford/Reuters)
During his speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the completion of Iran's nuclear enrichment program threatens the stability of the Middle East, Europe and the United States?and urged world leaders to draw a "red line" to prevent Iran from continuing on.
In a highly unusual move, Netanyahu wielded a prop to illustrate his point: He literally drew a red line across a poster that showed a cartoon of a bomb.
"Iran is 70 percent of the way there and ... well into the second stage," Netanyahu said while displaying the chart. "By next summer, at current enrichment rates, they will have finished the medium enrichment and moved on to the final stage. From there it is only a few more weeks before they have enriched enough for a bomb.
"Each day, that point is getting closer," he warned.
As you might expect, a few Twitter users mocked the display.
"Okay, it's official," The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg wrote. "Netanyahu has no idea what he's doing. He has just turned a serious issue into a joke."
Goldberg continued: "Netanyahu's bomb cartoon is the Middle East equivalent of Clint Eastwood's chair."
"Apparently Netanyahu took a chart-making course from Paul Ryan," the comedian Rob Delaney tweeted.
"I didn't realize nuclear bombs looked like the bombs from Super Mario," Buzzfeed's Andrew Kaczynski quipped.
"Netanyahu has reduced nuclear war diplomacy to cartoons and markers," Sam Stein tweeted.
Many Twitter users questioned the wisdom of bringing clip art to the U.N., while some referenced a Roadrunner comparison.
"Excuse me, Prime Minister Netanyahu?" Rex Huppke wrote. "Wile E. Coyote called. He wants his bomb back."
"From what I can tell," ? @AGFlores tweeted, "Iran is seeking 1950's cartoon bombs made by Acme."
"Internets: Quick!" Jodi Williams wrote on Twitter. "We need a photo mashup of the StringRay photobomb and #Netanyahu's bomb chart."
Owned and operated by a single individual.? All income and expenses are reflected in their personal (individual) tax return.? The business is not a separate entity and does not shield the individual from personal liability.
Corporation (C Corporations)
A separate legal entity (fictitious legal entity), most commonly used for operating a large business.? The benefits are that corporate law is well developed in most states.? The corporate form can generally protect owners from individual liability, providing that corporate formalities are followed.? Corporations are sometimes used in small businesses (closely-held) because the owners wish to insulate themselves from personal liability.? However, there is separate tax at the corporate level.
Partnerships
General Partnership
The partners have unlimited liability and generally are bound by the acts of the other partners.? General partners ordinarily are personally liable for partnership debts and liabilities.
Limited Partnership
In this entity, there are both a general partner(s) and a limited partner(s).? The general partner manages the business and the limited partners typically have no role in management.? The general partner has unlimited liability, however the limited partners are not personally liable for partnership debts (except to the extent of their capital contributions).
Limited Liability Partnership
These are permissible in some states.? In California, the LLP is used for personal service corporations such as a law firm.? They are similar to an LLC (discussed below).
Limited Liability Company
More commonly known as an LLC, is a non-corporate entity.? It is permitted under the laws of every state.? LLC?s are owned by their ?members?, and enjoy limited liability for the debts of the LLC (liability is generally limited to their capital contributions).? An LLC is organized by an operating agreement (similar to a partnership agreement).? Unlike a partnership, an LLC can have one member (often referred to as a ?single member LLC?).? However, when an LLC has more than one member, they are treated as partnership for tax purposes.
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TAX CONSIDERATIONS
Subchapter C
All corporations other than ?S? corporations are ?C? corporations.? C corporations are a seperate taxpaying entity.? The taxable income of a C Corporation is subject to tax at graduated rates.
Subchapter K
This section covers partnerships and LLC?s.? They are not treated as separate taxpaying entities (similar to S-Corporation with some major differences).? Partnership income and deductions pass through to the individual partners and are taxed at the partner level.? However, a partnership is treated as a separate entity for accounting purposes and must file informational returns with the IRS, which shows how all items of income and deductions are allocated to the partners.
Subchapter S
This section governs the tax treatment of ?S corporations?.? S corporations are pass through entities and the entity is generally not subject to tax (however there are a few exceptions).? Unlike an LLC, an S corporation is formed as Corporation and then elects tax treatment under Subchapter S.? In order to qualify for subchapter S, S corporations can only have one class of stock and no more than 100 shareholders, all of whom must be US citizens or residents.
DOUBLE TAXATION
The earnings of C corporations are taxed once at the corporate level when earned and again when distributed as dividends to shareholders.? Partnerships and S corporations, as pass through entities are generally not subject to an entity level tax on either operating income or asset appreciation.? This is a major incentive to many individuals chose either S corp. status or partnership status over the more traditional C corporation.
NEW YORK (AP) ? The S&P Dow Jones Indices said Wednesday that Kraft Foods Group, which is being spun off from Kraft Foods Inc., will replace Alpha Natural Resources Inc. on the S&P 500.
Kraft Foods Group is a food and beverage business based in Northfield, Ill.
Kraft Foods Inc. is being renamed Mondelez International Inc. and is changing its ticker symbol to "MDLZ." It will remain in the S&P 100 and the S&P 500.
Alpha, which produces steam and metallurgical coal, will replace Korn/Ferry International in the S&P MidCap 400. Alpha is based in Abingdon, Va.
Staffing firm Korn/Ferry, which is based in Los Angeles, replaces Pulse Electronics Corp. in the S&P SmallCap 600.
S&P Dow Jones Indices says that Alpha's and Korn/Ferry's market capitalizations are more representative of the mid cap and small cap market spaces, while Pulse is ranked No. 600 in the S&P SmallCap 600 and is no longer deemed appropriate for inclusion in that index.
The changes will take effect after the market closes on Monday.
Among other actions, InterDigital Inc. will replace Quest Software Inc. on the S&P MidCap 400 after the market closes on Friday. Quest is being purchased by Dell Inc. in a $2.4 billion deal that is expected to close soon.
InterDigital, based in King of Prussia, Pa., licenses patents on wireless technology.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. is replacing Collective Brands Inc. in the S&P MidCap 400, as Collective is being bought for $1.32 billion by a group that includes Wolverine World Wide Inc. Greenwich, Conn.-based Genesee & Wyoming owns and runs freight railroads and provides railcar switching services.
Audio specialist Sennheiser has officially announced a new universal U 320 gaming headset, promising compatibility with the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, Mac and PC platforms.
Designed to provide comfort during extended gaming sessions, the U 320 uses an open-acoustic design to create a broader sound - an improvement over full closed-ear headphones - while the 'CircleFlex' soft-padded ear pads are designed to adjust automatically the the contour's of the listener's head. Weighing 284g and with a Frequency response rated at 15-23,000Hz, it's well equipped for gaming audio.
The built-in noise-cancelling microphone designed to cut out ambient sounds for improved recording clarity - a key feature of headsets designed for in-game voice chat - includes an automated mute function which kicks in when the microphone's boom-arm is raised. A volume control is included on the cable, providing control of both the earphone volume and the microphone volume, while a side-tone switch allows the player to monitor his or her voice while playing.
The headset's biggest feature is its promise of cross-platform compatibility. Unlike some gaming headsets, which need to be purchased for a specific platform, Sennheiser's U 320 is compatible with all major gaming platforms including the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and PC.
"The U 320 ensures the best conditions for enjoying your favourite game," Christian Ern, Sennheiser's product manager, said at the unveiling. "We've worked hard to develop a consistent sound, regardless of the platform, and believe that our efforts will contribute to players everywhere enjoying a better sound experience."
A 4m cable with 2.5mm connector for use with the Xbox should be long enough for most armchair gamers, a pair of RCA jacks for connection to a TV or games console and USB connectivity for the PlayStation 3, PC or Mac.
The Sennheiser U 320 is launching this month, priced at ?109.99.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The FBI laboratory has reduced its backlog of forensic DNA cases by 87 percent in two years, from 3,211 cases to 403 cases.
The Justice Department's inspector general attributes most of the decline to increased staffing and using automated technology. Also, the FBI is focusing on cases where DNA testing of biological evidence is more likely to yield useful information.
The lab conducts DNA tests on biological evidence taken from crime scenes and items like envelopes, clothing and drinking glasses.
Most reductions took place in the nuclear DNA Unit, which examines fluids, blood and semen. Also reducing its caseload was the mitochondrial DNA unit, which analyzes hair fragments, bones and teeth. The inspector general reported Tuesday that the backlog was reduced from March 2010 to March of this year.
If you thought things were headed in a bad direction for Melissa Gorga and her frequently feuding sister-in-law Teresa Giudice on the season finale of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," well, that was just the start of it.
Sure, Melissa concluded that Teresa set her up with all the talk about Melissa's alleged stripper past -- thus ending their brief peace -- but things took an even uglier turn when the cameras were rolling.
During a visit to "The Wendy Williams Show," Melissa recalled a birthday party she attended for Teresa's daughter, Gia. And while things started out fine at the bash, they didn't stay that way.
"I went with a smile on my face," Melissa said. "I was letting it go. My daughter had a beautiful time with the girls and my sons had a good time."
But according to Melissa, Teresa wasn't so welcoming, even though she sent out the invitation.
"I don't think she was happy that I came," Melissa explained. "I think she was looking for a press opportunity to say that I wasn't going to come. And at the very end, she -- you know -- roughed me up a little bit and got in my face."
In fact, Melissa said it was actually worse than that. The alleged roughing-up happened while Melissa held her son.
"I had baby Joey in my arms, and she took my arm and twisted it," she claimed.
As for how she feels about Teresa now, between that incident and the stripper rumors (which Melissa denies), the reality star isn't quite ready to forgive and forget.
"I can't say that I fully have forgiven her yet," she said. "I still have issues with it and I can't get past it. ? I can't look at her in the eyes yet. ? The reunion -- you will see that. It was crazy and very hard."
Part one of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" reunion special airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on Bravo.
Are you surprised by Melissa's claim? Do you think Teresa and Melissa will ever be able to really make peace? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.
SAO PAULO???An elections court in Brazil has ordered the arrest of Google's most senior executive in the country after the company failed to take down YouTube videos attacking a local mayoral candidate.
Google is appealing the order, which follows a similar decision by another Brazilian election judge. In that case, a judge found another senior executive responsible for violating local election law. That decision was overturned last week.
The legal challenges underline broader questions about Google's responsibility for content uploaded by third parties to its websites, such as an anti-Islam video that sparked a wave of protests and violence in the Muslim world.
A spokesman for the regional elections court in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state said on Tuesday that a judge had ordered the arrest of Fabio Jos? Silva Coelho, Google's top executive in Brazil, unless the videos attacking a mayoral candidate were removed.
"Google is appealing the decision that ordered the removal of the video on YouTube because, as a platform, Google is not responsible for the content posted to its site," the company said through a spokesman in Brazil.
The arrest warrants for Google executives follow the filing of criminal charges in March against Chevron Corp and Transocean Ltd and 17 of their employees and executives, in a case that showed the Brazilian justice systems' willingness to target senior executives for alleged misdeeds.
Public prosecutors, who have almost total independence to bring cases in Brazil, are seeking jail terms of up to 31 years in the case, which resulted from a November oil spill. Chevron is the No. 2 U.S. oil company. Transocean is the world's largest offshore oil-drill-rig operator.
'What an idiot'?
In Google's case, judges have held executives responsible for resisting the removal of online videos in violation of a stringent 1965 Electoral Code. The law bans campaign ads that "offend the dignity or decorum" of a candidate.
Earlier this month an electoral court in the state of Paraiba ordered the arrest of another senior Google executive, Edmundo Luiz Pinto Balthazar, after the company refused to take down a YouTube video mocking a mayoral candidate there.
The video clip loaded by the user "Paraiba Humor" seized on a verbal slip by a candidate in a montage remarking, "What an idiot ? give him an F!"
Within days another judge overturned the order to arrest Balthazar, writing that "Google is not the intellectual author of the video, it did not post the file, and for that reason it cannot be punished for its propagation."
The company also defended users' political rights in a statement at the time.
"Google believes that voters have a right to use the Internet to freely express their opinions about candidates for political office, as a form of full exercise of democracy, especially during electoral campaigns," the company wrote.
Google faces frequent legal scrutiny over the limits of users' expression in Brazil, where it opened an office in 2005.
Over the years, the company has received repeated requests from Brazilian authorities to reveal the identity of bloggers and users of its social networking site Orkut, whose posts violated local libel and anti-racism laws.
In the second half of last year, Google removed four Orkut profiles after an electoral court order, the company said on a portion of its website called the Transparency Report.
This story was updated at 8:40 p.m. ET.
(Story by?Brad Haynes?with?Additional reportingby Jeb Blount;?Editing by Tim Dobbyn)?
(c) CopyrightThomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at:?http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp?
Students will experience the effects of the Affordable Care Act firsthand with the new health insurance plan offered by the University. While students may remain on their parents? health insurance until age 26, they can elect to purchase the revamped student plan, which aims to provide affordable coverage for student health needs.
?The two biggest changes are an increase in benefit for medication and mental health as a result of the Affordable Care Act,? said Jake Rapp, a graduate student from Lawrence. ?The plan was designed for the student health insurance market, which assumes students are young and healthy single people.?
Rapp served on the Student Insurance Advisory Committee to the Kansas Board of Regents, which was tasked with making a student insurance plan that complied with the health care reform.
Because most students just need prescription drug coverage and access to general care, Rapp said, the new plan at $104 a month is much lower than standard plans. Rapp finds purchasing the student plan less expensive than being covered by his wife?s health insurance offered by her professional employer.
Currently, more than 3,000 KU students purchase the Regent?s insurance plan, and Diana Gillespie, associate director of KU Student Health Services, expects this number to only increase. While insurance companies are required to allow students to remain on their parents? plan through age 25, the increased premiums may make the Regent?s plan more affordable, she said.? Gillespie pointed to pharmaceuticals covered up to $100,000 previously capped at $2,500, full generic contraceptive coverage and congenital conditions covered up to $20,000 as changes that make the revised plan more competitive for students.
Mary Beth Chambers, spokesperson for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, said staying on a parent?s policy or using the Regent?s plan would likely be most cost-effective for students. Although students may remain on their parents? plan longer, Chambers did not anticipate a significant impact on the cost of health insurance.
?It?s been the trend for the cost of health insurance premiums to increase substantially based solely on students remaining on their parents? plans,? Chambers said.? On the Blue Cross and Blue Shield website, students can view the plans available based on their age, gender and benefits desired.
Travis Wentworth, a graduate student from Berwick, Maine, has been satisfied with his student insurance so far, especially after he injured his knee last year.
?I had knee surgery, and the insurance covered about 80 percent of the surgery cost,? Wentworth said. He has heard other graduate students complain about the Regent?s plan not covering some of their health needs, though.
The plan currently covers treatment for each condition up to $100,000, which will increase to $500,000 in 2014 and will become unlimited in 2017 because of the Affordable Care Act provisions.? While $100,000 might not be enough to cover a catastrophic condition such as cancer, Rapp said the statistical probability of such a condition is very low for students.? And if students want catastrophic coverage, he recommended purchasing it separately from an independent provider.
Students should be able to use their insurance most everywhere, Gillespie said, since the plan?s provider, United Health Care, is accepted across the country. Even if students choose a different insurance policy, Gillespie encourages all students to be covered at all times.
?Unexpected medical expenses are one of the biggest reasons students aren?t able to complete their education,? Gillespie said. ?We want to make sure they have the protection they need to avoid those expenses.?
FILE - In this March 23, 2010, file photo, participants applaud in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 23, 2010, as President Barack Obama, flanked by Macelas Owens of Seattle, left, and Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., right, signs the health care bill. Americans may not be all that crazy about President Barack Obama?s health care law, but a new poll shows they don?t see it going away. The Associated Press-GfK poll finds that about 7 in 10 Americans think the overhaul law will go into effect fully, with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations. Behind the president, from left are, Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., Vice President Joe Biden, Vicki Kennedy, widow of Sen. Ted Kennedy, Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., Ryan Smith of Turlock, Calif., Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Md., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., and Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
FILE - In this March 23, 2010, file photo, participants applaud in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 23, 2010, as President Barack Obama, flanked by Macelas Owens of Seattle, left, and Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., right, signs the health care bill. Americans may not be all that crazy about President Barack Obama?s health care law, but a new poll shows they don?t see it going away. The Associated Press-GfK poll finds that about 7 in 10 Americans think the overhaul law will go into effect fully, with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations. Behind the president, from left are, Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., Vice President Joe Biden, Vicki Kennedy, widow of Sen. Ted Kennedy, Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., Ryan Smith of Turlock, Calif., Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Md., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., and Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Chart shows answers to health care questions
WASHINGTON (AP) ? They may not like it, but they don't see it going away. About 7 in 10 Americans think President Barack Obama's health care law will go fully into effect with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds.
Just 12 percent say they expect the Affordable Care Act ? "Obamacare" to dismissive opponents ? to be repealed completely.
The law ? covering 30 million uninsured, requiring virtually every legal U.S. resident to carry health insurance and forbidding insurers from turning away the sick ? remains as divisive as the day it passed more than two years ago. After surviving a Supreme Court challenge in June, its fate will probably be settled by the November election, with Republican Mitt Romney vowing to begin repealing it on Day One and Obama pledging to diligently carry it out.
That's what the candidates say. But the poll found Americans are converging on the idea that the overhaul will be part of their lives in some form, although probably not down to its last clause and comma.
Forty-one percent said they expect it to be fully implemented with minor changes, while 31 percent said they expect to see it take effect with major changes. Only 11 percent said they think it will be implemented as passed.
Americans also prefer that states have a strong say in carrying out the overhaul. The poll found that 63 percent want states to run new health insurance markets called "exchanges." They would open for business in 2014, signing up individuals and small businesses for taxpayer-subsidized private coverage. With many GOP governors still on the sidelines, the federal government may wind up operating the exchanges in half or more of the states, an outcome only 32 percent of Americans want to see, according to the poll.
Finally, the poll found an enduring generation gap, with people 65 and older most likely to oppose the bill and those younger than 45 less likely to be against it.
"People are sort of averaging out the candidates' positions," said Harvard School of Public Health professor Robert Blendon, who tracks polling on health care issues. "The presidential candidates are saying there's a stark choice, but when you ask the voters, they don't believe that the whole bill will be repealed or implemented as it is today in law."
Republicans remain overwhelmingly opposed to the overhaul and in favor of repeal. But only 21 percent said they think that will actually come about.
Romney supporter Toni Gardner, 69, a retired school system nurse from Louisville, Ky., said that until a few weeks ago she was sure her candidate fully supported repeal, as she does.
But then Romney said in an interview there are a number of things he likes in the law that he would put into practice, including making sure that people with pre-existing medical problems can get coverage. The Romney campaign quickly qualified that, but the candidate's statement still resonates.
"If Romney gets in, he'll go with parts of it," Gardner said, "and there are parts of that he won't go with."
Gardner thinks expanding coverage will cost too much and may make it harder to get an appointment with a doctor. Besides, she doesn't believe the government can handle the job. She's covered by Medicare ? a government-run health system ? but says "that wasn't a choice that I had."
At 26, Santa Monica, Calif., web developer Vyki Englert has only bare-bones health insurance coverage. Her parents, a preschool teacher and a self-employed photographer, are uninsured. Englert says she thinks the law will largely go into effect as passed. (Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 60 percent think it will be implemented with only minor changes or none at all.)
Englert says that she supports guaranteeing coverage to people with health problems and that provisions such as broader coverage for birth control will help younger women such as her.
"I kind of see a day-to-day way where this law could benefit me," she said. Englert says the health care law dovetails with a trend toward consumerism in her generation. Older Americans "don't have the context of the young people," she added. "They are looking more at the theoretical impact on the budget and the country."
Overall, the poll found Americans divided on the question of repeal, with neither side able to claim a majority. Forty-nine percent said the health care law should be repealed completely, while 44 percent said it should be implemented as written.
The notion that the law will be implemented with changes, captured in the poll, mirrors a discussion going on behind the scenes in Washington, particularly among some Republicans.
"Whoever wins the election, the (health care law) is going to be modified," Mark McClellan, who ran Medicare under former President George W. Bush, said in a recent interview.
Congressional Republicans say if tax increases are on the table in a budget negotiation with a re-elected Obama next year, changes to the health care law ? including possible delays in implementation ? also must be considered. For now, White House officials refuse to be drawn in on that question.
Some parts of the law already are in effect; its big coverage expansion for the uninsured doesn't come until 2014.
Public opinion about the law itself has barely budged since the summer of 2010, soon after it passed. At the time, 30 percent supported the law. It's now 32 percent. And 40 percent opposed the overhaul. That's now 36 percent.
And misconceptions about the law that reigned two years ago continue to live on, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's widely debunked charge that it would create "death panels" to decide on care for the elderly and disabled. In 2010, 39 percent believed the law would set up committees to review individual medical records and decide who gets care paid for by the government. Forty-one percent currently hold that view, according to the poll.
The poll asked people to say whether 18 different items were in the law or not and to rate how certain they were about their answers. Just 14 percent were right most of the time and sure of it.
Still, knowledge about what the law actually does is growing. More people are aware of provisions that allow adult children to stay on their parents' coverage until age 26, impose insurance mandates on individuals and businesses, and protect those with pre-existing medical conditions.
The poll was conducted Aug. 3-13 and involved interviews with 1,334 randomly chosen adults nationwide. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
The survey was conducted online by GfK using its KnowledgePanel sample, which first chose people for the study using randomly generated telephone numbers and home addresses. Once people were selected to participate, they were interviewed online. Participants without Internet access were provided it for free.
___
AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.
After arriving in Nairobi you will board a short flight to Lewa.? You will be greeted on the other side by an Extraordinary Journey?s representative who will drive you to your accommodation, Tassia Lodge.
Tassia Lodge is set located in the Il Ngwesi Vally in a stunning wilderness area within the 60,000 acre Lekurruki Community Ranch, adjoining the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. ??The area is raw scrub, sometimes green after the rains, often brown between the bushes and trees.? When it is green, thousands of elephants converge to eat the succulent new grass. The ranch is effectively a private wilderness and there will be very few other tourists making it the perfect setting for travelers seeking an outdoorsy and walking focused safari experience.
Tassia Lodge is owned by Martin Wheeler and Antonia Hall and sits on land leased from the Mokogodo people of northeastern Kenya. The Mokogodo are a Cushitic (of Ethiopian origin) people who over time have married into and largely adopted the Maasai culture, traditions and language.
The lodge itself is dramatically perched on the edge of a rocky bluff that overlooks a valley filled with Acacia and Newtonia trees, with spectacular mountain views. Tassia?s rooms are open and airy with vistas in every direction. To the north is the Mathews Range and snow-capped Mt. Kenya lies to the south. Sitting in your room at midday, the silence is pierced by the call of a hornbill, the rustling of the cool breeze, and the constant chirping of finches and weavers.
Walking is the major activity here where exploration on foot takes you along rivers and gorges, across open plains, and into the forest. Explore the caves and pools used by the Makogodo people, stroll thru a village as the goats and cattle are brought in for the evening, or take a longer trek in the wilderness area where you will encounter everything from lion to elephant. This is real adventure, far from any tourist route. The knowledge and experience of Martin and his excellent trackers make the walks a fascinating experience.? Return in the evening to amazing home cooked food and perhaps a little rest by the pool.
Overnights at TASSIA LODGE.?Includes: All meals daily, drinks other than premium wines or spirits, game drives and walks, village visit.
Days 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 ~ Maasai Mara ~ Serian Camp
Today you will fly back to Nairobi in time for your flight to the Masai Mara.? When you arrive at the Mara airstrip, your driver will meet you and take you to Serian Camp.
The Maasai Mara is Kenya?s most famous nature reserve, and one of the settings for the film Out of Africa. In this classic savannah grassland the animals are plentiful and the vistas breathtaking. The Mara covers 700 square miles and is part of the Serengeti ecosystem. Each year it hosts the world famous spectacle of the annual migration of up to two million wildebeest, thousands of zebra and an escort of carnivores from the Serengeti plains, following the rains and new grass. Whether or not you are in the Maasai Mara during the migration, your wildlife viewing will be spectacular, as the resident population of zebra and wildebeest will be there, along with the predators. The reserve is known for lion, cheetah, elephant, leopard, black rhino and hippo and over 500 species of birds including ostrich, lark and sunbird.?The area around the reserve is home to the Maasai, a pastoral tribe whose traditional boma-style villages dot the landscape.
Serian is the private camp of Alex Walker. A fourth generation Kenyan and child of a professional hunter, Alex spent his childhood in the bush learning from local trackers. A highly respected guide and wildlife documentary filmmaker, Alex has made Serian his home, and you will feel that you are his private guests. ?The tents are huge, white and tastefully decorated. Each has an outdoor bathing area a short distance away with flush toilets and hot water. In the evening your tent is softly lit by kerosene lanterns.
In addition to the included daily game drives you may wish to indulge in a hot air balloon ride (at additional cost). As the sun rises, float over the plains and the Mara River. Check out hippos, crocodiles and elephants from above before landing for a champagne breakfast in the reserve.?Other exciting optional activities include nature walks in a private reserve that is accessible only on foot, honey gathering with the Maasai, or fishing.? Serian is also the base for the Mara Predator Project and if you like, you can learn how to identify lions and submit your photos to contribute to the project.
Overnights at SERIAN MARA CAMP.?Includes:? All meals, house wines, soft drinks and beer, laundry, game drives in open 4X4 vehicles and laundry.
Day 8 ~ Depart Nairobi
Today you will bid farewell to Africa for now as you fly from the Maasai Mara back to Nairobi in time for your international flight home.
The price for this trip is between $5000 and $6000 per person depending on season (2012 prices).
Flights within Kenya as described in the itinerary.
Superior accommodations throughout as indicated or similar.
All meals, drinks and laundry while on safari and as indicated.
All wildlife viewing by 4 X 4 open roof vehicle shared with other guests, driven by a highly qualified naturalist guide.
Complimentary soft drinks and water in vehicles.
All applicable hotel and lodge taxes.
All game park entry fees.
International Flights
Foreign airport taxes.
Passport and visa fees and service charges for obtaining visas.
Excess baggage charges levied by airlines.
Meals and beverages, other than specified.
Gratuities to driver/guides and other conveyance attendants.
Laundry and other items of a personal nature.
Personal and baggage insurance.
Cost for anything not specifically mentioned in the listing above.
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Tassia Lodge is set located in the Il Ngwesi Vally in a stunning wilderness area within the 60,000 acre Lekurruki Community Ranch, adjoining the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. ??The area is raw scrub, sometimes green after the rains, often brown between the bushes and trees.? When it is green, thousands of elephants converge to eat the succulent new grass. The ranch is effectively a private wilderness and there will be very few other tourists making it the perfect setting for travelers seeking an outdoorsy and walking focused safari experience.
trees, with spectacular mountain views. Tassia?s rooms are open and airy with vistas in every direction. To the north is the Mathews Range and snow-capped Mt. Kenya lies to the south. Sitting in your room at midday, the silence is pierced by the call of a hornbill, the rustling of the cool breeze, and the constant chirping of finches and weavers.
The Maasai Mara is Kenya?s most famous nature reserve, and one of the settings for the film Out of Africa. In this classic savannah grassland the animals are plentiful and the vistas breathtaking. The Mara covers 700 square miles and is part of the Serengeti ecosystem. Each year it hosts the world famous spectacle of the annual migration of up to two million wildebeest, thousands of zebra and an escort of carnivores from the Serengeti plains, following the rains and new grass. Whether or not you are in the Maasai Mara during the migration, your wildlife viewing will be spectacular, as the resident population of zebra and wildebeest will be there, along with the predators. The reserve is known for lion, cheetah, elephant, leopard, black rhino and hippo and over 500 species of birds including ostrich, lark and sunbird.?The area around the reserve is home to the Maasai, a pastoral tribe whose traditional boma-style villages dot the landscape.
childhood in the bush learning from local trackers. A highly respected guide and wildlife documentary filmmaker, Alex has made Serian his home, and you will feel that you are his private guests. ?The tents are huge, white and tastefully decorated. Each has an outdoor bathing area a short distance away with flush toilets and hot water. In the evening your tent is softly lit by kerosene lanterns.
Serian is also the base for the Mara Predator Project and if you like, you can learn how to identify lions and submit your photos to contribute to the project.