Burnout linked to potentially lethal heart condition

The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has found that burnout can lead to atrial fibrillation. The 25 year-long study comes after the world health organization recognized burnout syndrome as an official medical diagnosis.

Scale it back for your hearts sake.

Burnout is not just an inconvenience. It can lead to a critical, possibly deadly heart condition, a new study has found.

Researchers surveyed over 11,000 individuals for burnout, or vital exhaustion, and then tracked their development of the heart conditionatrial fibrillationover the course of 25 years.

MILWAUKEE WOMAN DIES AFTER LEAVING ER DUE TO LONG WAIT, FAMILY SAYS

Those with the highest rate of burnout also had the highest rate of developing AFib, which causes an irregular, faster heartbeat and can lead to strokes, blood clots and other complications that may result in death, according to the findings published recently in theEuropean Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Vital exhaustion, commonly referred to as burnout syndrome, is typically caused by prolonged and profound stress at work or home, study author Parveen K. Garg, of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, defines in apress release. It differs from depression, which is characterized by low mood, guilt and poor self-esteem.

While the concept and discomfort of burnout is well known, it received added validation last May when the World Health Organization recognized burnout syndrome as an official medical diagnosis for the first time.

FIT MOM SUFFERS 3 HEART ATTACKS IN A WEEK: A MASSIVE SHOCK

The research brings more evidence that burnout is not just amentally debilitatingstate, but a physically crippling one, too.

The results of our study further establish the harm that can be caused in people who suffer from exhaustion that goes unchecked, says Garg.

The large study found that those with the highest vital exhaustion levels were at a 20 percenthigher risk for developing AFib.

The most common form of heart arrhythmia, AFib is estimated to currently impact up to about 6 million Americans, a number expected to rise as the population ages,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2017, 166,793 death certificates mentioned the condition, which can be permanent or occur in brief episodes.

Although the study did find a link between burnout and AFib, it failed to find a connection between the heart condition and anger, anti-depressant use or poor social support.

Garg concludes his commentary on the study with a recommendation that people invest in some self-care as a preventative measure.

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The importance of avoiding exhaustion through careful attention to and management of personal stress levels as a way to help preserve overall cardiovascular health cannot be overstated, he says.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --The global tabletop kitchen products marketsize is anticipated to reach USD 61.3 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 3.7%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing economic development coupled with luxury lifestyle is driving demand for tabletop kitchen products on account of increasing prominence towards buffet and self-service concept in the culinary world. It becomes an essential part of the table dcor and widely used in various applications such as weddings, family reunions, house parties, and home dinners.

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Read 80 page research report with ToC on "Tabletop Kitchen Products Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Dinnerware, Flatware, White Goods, Drinkware), By Application (Residential, Commercial), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025'' at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/tabletop-kitchen-products-market

Increasing demand for fancy serving ware owing to increasing influence of western culture is increasing traction in the market for different tabletop kitchen products for domestic use. In addition, developments in the food service and hospitality business particularly hotels, restaurants, resorts, and other service providers is expected to fuel demand for tabletop kitchen products over the forecast period.

The growth of travel industry across the globe is driving the hospitality sector, which is certainly boosting the sales of tabletop kitchen products in the market. Increasing growth in the hotel industry is generating a lucrative market for the commercial application of tabletop kitchen products. For instance, U.S. hotel gross bookings have increased from USD 116 billion in 2009 to USD 185 billion in 2017. Thus, indicating growth prospective for tableware and buffet products in the sector.

Additionally, China witnessed 1,062 projects of new hotel construction under operation. This, in turn, has significantly driven the hospitality sector in the country in 2019. Furthermore, travel and tourism also paves the way for innovative products in the tabletop category such as fancy drinkware and flatware. Increasing culture of wine drinking provides growth opportunity for drinkware segments owing to greater need for wine glasses. Boosting beer sales in Asian countries also drives the market for tabletop kitchen products.

Innovative developments in terms of compactness, portability, and convenience of using small kitchen appliances is attracting various consumers towards tabletop kitchen products including white goods. For instance, in 2017, Xiaomi Corporation introduced new extra light weight Mi electric kettle made of matte plastic and stainless steel, which can also be used while travelling. Additionally, Griffin Technology introduced new connected toaster, which is a smart toaster and can get connected to a smartphone as well.

In terms of product, the market is anticipated to witness fastest growth of drinkware category, registering a CAGR of 4.8% from 2019 to 2025. Shifting preference towards drinking wine in the developed countries owing to health benefits of the drink has surged the need for fancy drinkware particularly wine glasses among consumers. Also, increasing consumption of beer and alcohol in the Asian countries, particularly in India and China, is also helping in the growth of other drinkware products.

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In terms of application, the commercial sector dominated the market with a revenue based share of 64.6% in 2018. As increasing startups such as Oyo Rooms and FabHotels, the number of hotels has increased to a great extent in the last few years leading to upgrade in services to gain competitive edge. Moreover, increasing construction of commercial spaces such as clubs, marriage halls, and group centers also showcase growth opportunity for buffet and self-service concept, which is expected to boost the market in the forecast period.

Asia Pacific witnessed growth in the market with a revenue based market share of 4.7% in 2018. Presence of large number of manufacturers of tabletop kitchen products in the region is also one of the major driving factors for the market.

Grand View Research has segmented the global tabletop kitchen products market by type, application, and region:

Find more research reports on Homecare & Decor Industry, by Grand View Research:

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About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn| Twitter

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Brecht: Call and Respond from New Light Theater Project opens with almost excruciating tension. This trio of related one-act plays commences with Bertholt Brechts The Jewish Wife, a character study of a Jewish woman married to a gentile in Nazi Germany on the eve of the Holocaust. Contemporary playwrights Arlene Hutton and Kristin Idaszak respond to Brechts evocation of quiet despair with their own short plays sharing the themes of exile and belonging.

The three pieces make a neat temporal progression, from Europes not-so-distant fascist past, through the present-day America of Huttons Sunset Point, and into a climate-dystopian near future with Idaszaks Self Help in the Anthropocene. The sequence begins with the triptychs ur-figure, Brechts Judith (Susan Lynskey), packing a suitcase with exaggerated calm and laborious slowness. What should go into the bag? Which clothes? What about this framed photo of a man, presumably her husband? Time stretches by, painfully tautly, until she picks up the telephone and begins making arrangements for her absence. Then things start to become clear.

Under Jerry Heymanns silken direction, Judiths steady, dignified demeanor begins bit by bit to crack. We learn shell be gone for a few weeks. But no its a few months. Yet no again can she ever return? Does she really have friends in Amsterdam? Or is this trip a desperate flight to anywhere that seems safe? Will she ever again see her husband (Michael Aguirre), whose career (along with her own life) she hopes to save by absenting herself from his life?

Modern-day antisemitism emerges in Sunset Point, less violent (so far, anyway) but, like other prejudices and racisms, still terribly troublesome. Celebrated old novelist Henson (Gerry Bamman) returns from a conference greeted by his much younger fiance Rachel (Lindsay Brill), herself just back from a trip to help her mother after surgery. Judiths suitcase from The Jewish Wife has doubled both Henson and Rachel are on the move, and in more ways than one.

The main plot point takes too long to arrive I was wondering impatiently why I should care about these characters but when it comes its a surprise to us as much as to Rachel. Without consulting her, Henson has purchased a summer home for them in the titular club-like community. The house used to be in his family, hes sentimentally attached to it, but hes buying it back mainly because it comes with a cabin in the woods ideal for his attempt to break a years-long bout of writers block.

Hes all but indifferent when Rachel points out the clubs traditional and enduring antisemitism and asserts that it wont accept his new Jewish wife.

The key point isnt Rachels awareness, but Hensons selfish cluelessness. Bamman makes this randy old goat effectively self-absorbed, while Brills Rachel is a good contemporary analogue of the assimilated German Jews of Brechts milieu. Though not subject to state-sponsored murder or ghettoization, she feels the full weight of prejudice even from a distance. (This rang true for me, who grew up in a town with a large Jewish population but also a golf-course country club well known for its unspoken no-Jews policy.)

The two suitcases on the kitchen floor drive home the parallel between past and present, as the couple talks around each other, using the same words in entirely different senses.

The pace ratchets up with a knockout turn by Lucy Lavely in Idaszaks Self Help in the Anthropocene. Like Brechts play its mostly a monologue. But Joy (Lavely) is facing a different kind of danger and exile, in a near-future totalitarian state spawned by the chaos of climate crisis. Worrying over her wifes lateness in returning home, Joy is doing something consummately personal: de-cluttering her life according to the precepts of a Marie Kondo-like self-help guru.

Sorting through her possessions, she discards those that dont bring her joy which turns out to be nearly everything. Will her unnamed wife never get home? Will they be herded into a refugee camp? Is Joy even all there?

As she picks through avocado slicers and empty prescription bottles, the answers are less important than the trenchant writing and Lavelys monster performance. Idaszak isnt afraid to give Joy a self-conscious rather than a strictly internal monologue, one in which the character explains things for our benefit. This layer of artificiality works because the script, character, and situation are all larger than life to just the right degree, perfectly tuned to resonate with the real world we all know and the real darker and better sides of human nature. Credit must also go to Heymann for drawing from Lavely this marvelous embodiment of despair kept just at bay.

It isnt a flawless production. Sunset Point takes too long to get to its meat; its characters arent interesting enough in themselves to make for compelling theater over the length of time that elapses before we know why we should care about them. For that matter, the productions interpretation of The Jewish Wife itself is such a slow build that some may lack patience for it.

But the three plays accumulated weight and smartly realized parallels, wrapping up with a bang with Joys glacier-melting monologue, add up to an evening of firm substance and screeching contemporary relevance. Brecht: Call and Respond runs through 15 February at the Paradise Factory in NYC. Purchase tickets online or call 630-632-1459.

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Theater Review (NYC): Brecht: Call and Respond - Blogcritics

Left to Right: Leaders of the Black Heritage Celebration Nia Lartey, Guinevere Thomas, Bishop Walton and Raven Lucas said the funding will go toward nearly 20 events.

Updated: Feb. 3, 2020 at 10:01 a.m.

GWs 14th annual Black Heritage Celebration is kicking off with the most funding in its history and a slate of more than a dozen entirely student-led events.

Student leaders said this years theme, Reclaiming Our Renaissance: Our History, Our Culture, Our Legacy, honors the centennial anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. For the first time since BHC launched in 2006, the celebration is entirely organized by students and received a record $29,000 to fund nearly 20 different events, like discussions on black womens self care and a step show, student leaders said.

The celebration will begin Monday with keynote speaker Brittany Packnett Cunningham, a social justice activist, followed by about five events per week throughout the rest of the month. BHC will round out Feb. 29 with a formal event at the L2 Lounge, according to the BHC agenda.

Raven Lucas, the BHC programming co-chair, said most of the events change every year to match the theme. In previous years, BHC centered on themes like Im Rooting for Everybody Black last year and The Revolution will be Televised in 2017.

I would say as programming chairs, we just wanted a diverse array of programs throughout the month, she said.

Students lead BHC with record funding The SA dished out $29,000 to the BHC for this months celebrations, which organizers said were put toward funding speakers, providing food at events and lowering the price of tickets for the final event.

That also speaks to increased diversity within the Student Association, which shows that its becoming more diverse and starting to reflect what the student body looks like and represents, Lucas said. Theyre starting to see the importance of having this programming.

Nia Lartey, the BHC programming co-chair and a former Hatchet reporter, said the BHC committee received several event proposals from dance teams, graduate student organizations and for the first time, from academic departments and LATAM@GW.

That was a big thing last year because a lot of non-black people who were wondering if they could come to BHC events or if they were for them, and we really wanted to stress this year that the entire community is welcome to anything that is happening in February, Lartey said.

In past years, Lartey said George Rice, the former associate director of the Multicultural Student Services Center, was the administrative force behind BHC, but no official replaced his role in the planning process when he left last year. Lartey said graduate student Cassandra Allen filled in as an adviser to oversee the planning process, but all of the people planning the month are students.

While it was daunting in the beginning that we had to plan the month without the powerhouses that we had in past years, everything happens for a reason, and I believe we were able to give this years BHC some much needed new love, she said. We have free t-shirts, extremely discounted finale tickets and events with organizations we havent had the privilege to partner with yet.

She said BHC organizers send a form to apply to host an event at the end of September, and student leaders considered the proposals in the first week of November. The events must relate to the theme of the month, and organizers give greater focus toward new organizations that want to be part of the celebration, she said.

Lartey and Lucas said the BHC marketing committee, a subset of the planning group, runs an Instagram account, @GWUBHC, where they counted down the days to the start of the celebration and provide updates about events. She said the marketing committee also posts flyers in residence halls and around campus to spread awareness for the month.

Lartey added that organizers gave away five tickets to attend the celebration finale later this month for the first time to help promote the event. Finale tickets are currently $10 and will go up to $15 on Feb. 15.

Lartey said the Multicultural Student Services Center also helped to promote the month and BHCs programming by including information about the celebration in its newsletters and website.

New events on tap For this years celebration, 22 student organizations, departments and Greek councils are hosting, sponsoring and participating in events most of which incorporate the word reclaim into their names. Leaders said all of the events this month are new, except for the second annual step show, the end of month finale, the keynote and the soul revue, an R&B and hip-hop performance.

The Organization of Latino American Students and the Black Student Union have teamed up to hold the first Best of Both Worlds brunch on Feb. 9 at the Phi Beta Sigma townhouse. The event will be divided into two parts throughout the day, beginning with conversation with our communities and allies to take part in bridging the gap and wrapping up with brunch and conversation, according to the event schedule.

The GW Association of Black Journalists will host the event, Reclaiming the Mic in the Jack Morton Auditorium next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Radio personality Angela Yee from The Breakfast Club radio show and the Lip Service Podcast will join ABJ for a conversation about storytelling within the black community.

BHC will also honor Valentines Day with the event, Reclaiming Love on Feb. 14 in the Marvin Amphitheater at 7 p.m. RoughCut Productions will present The Golliwog, a student film directed by Guinevere Thomas, a senior in the School of Media and Public Affairs, a showrunner for RoughCut Productions and another BHC co-chair.

Thomas said she wants her film to inspire other people of color to create their own art. The horror film delves into how the black form is haunted by American history.

I want other artists to watch my film and feel empowered to create their own art because black children are so often told that this isnt a career choice for them and that there is no place for them in the creative space, and I wholeheartedly reject that, Thomas said.

During the event, guests will also hear from Imani Cheers, an associate professor at SMPA, on Feb. 14 as she examines the concept of double-consciousness and black female identity in film.

The Multicultural Business Student Association will host an interactive panel called Reclaiming Our Real Estate next Tuesday. MBSA treasurer and panel moderator Martin Haggray said the panels speakers will include black professionals from the commercial real estate industry who will explain the importance of black leadership and ownership in real estate.

I think the main goal is to bring a level of first-hand exposure for students to see professionals who are doing this business, who are vice presidents and directors at leading companies in D.C., Haggray said.

Howard Brookins, the president of the MBSA, said he has noticed a lack of black speakers coming to talk to students at GW, especially in connection to business and real estate. Brookins said panel focuses on encouraging people of color to pursue their goals in business or real estate by drawing attention to the people on the panel.

This is the whole purpose of the Black Heritage Celebration, to recognize that we are black and that we navigate through spaces differently and that there are people like us, who look like us, succeeding, Brookins said. You may forget that other people like you went through the same struggles.

This article appeared in the February 3, 2020 issue of the Hatchet.

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Student-run Black Heritage Celebration kicks off with record funding - GW Hatchet

Alan Dean, pictured Nov. 10, 2019, prior to attending the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Pointe-Claire City Hall. Dean passed away, Jan. 18, just shy of his 82 birthday. jpg

Alan Dean is being remembered in low-vision circles as a fellow who could get things done. Dean, who was president of the Low Vision Self-Help Association for 15 years, died Jan. 18. He was exactly one month shy of his 82 birthday.

I first met Alan in 2000. He was really struggling (with his vision loss) and was feeling pretty down, Irene Lambert said. I was able to pick him up and lead him through the process.

Lambert is a founding member of the 32-year-old Low Vision Self-Help Association a group that helps people with low-vision connect with the resources they need to live full and independent lives and organizes education and social events.

Dean soon became a large presence in the low-vision community.

He could get things done, Lambert said. He was great at organization.

Dean was born in Liverpool, the youngest of nine children. He had roots in Montreal through his mother and moved here in 1959 after serving as a Royal Air Force pilot, stationed in Singapore. He met his wife Norma at a dance at the downtown YWCA and they married in 1961. Norma Dean passed away in 2013. They are survived by three children and four grandchildren.

Dean was self-employed, working as an international freight forwarder.

He was an accomplished man, son David Dean said. And he was a good father. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader and was always trying to spark young minds.

Dean said his father loved knowledge and would set out to learn everything he could about a given subject, be it volcanoes or gems and minerals. He was an avid stamp collector and president of the Lakeshore Stamp Club. He played piano and was a great storyteller.

And then there were jokes, jokes, jokes, Dean said, laughing.

Deans stories were so good, he ended up as a guest on BBC Radio Merseyside on a show hosted by fellow Liverpudlian Billy Maher. (Not to be mistaken for American comedian and political commentator Bill Maher.)

LVSHA president John Ohberg first heard about Dean from a nurse who was caring for his wife Clora Delany, following her cancer diagnosis. (She passed away in 2010.)

The nurse was very impressed with Alan, what he could do, Ohberg said. He was the type of person people looked up to. When I first met him he was chairing the (low-vision) meetings and was completely blind. He was a man of many interests. He played the piano (at Chartwell Le Wellesley seniors residence in Pointe-Claire). He loved old movies. He was a collector. I was always impressed with how he managed himself.

Dean was diabetic and began to lose his sight in earnest in 1996, although there had been previous indications of vision loss. As his sight worsened, Dean became involved with the Montreal Association for the Blind, which, in turn, suggested he contact the Low Vision Self-Help Association.

Alan Dean sits beside a copy of the Canada Post braille stamp issued in April 2008, at the Montreal Association for the Blind. PHIL CARPENTER / The Gazette

Dean used his contacts in the stamp-collecting world to help facilitate the creation of a braille stamp to commemorate the centenary of the Montreal Association for the Blind in 2008.

He had an impact on different groups, the MAB, the low-vision association, the Lakeshore Stamp Club, Dean said. He was a man of action.

kgreenaway@postmedia.com

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Former low-vision president remembered as a fellow who got things done - Montreal Gazette

Interim coach of Enyimba FC Fatai Osho has stated that the Peoples Elephant will thread with caution ahead of this Sundays make or break trip to Cote divoire where they face already eliminated Ivorian side San Pedro FC in the final group stage game of the CAF Confederation cup.

San Pedro as at now are out of the competition completely and they stand to lose absolutely nothing. And when youre playing with no pressure, some teams tend to play better in that situation and thats why we have to be a bit careful, we have to bring in our A game to get the needed result.

We should not be of the illusion that the San Pedro team are out and hence will be an easy pick. Its not going to be that way.

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Enyimba will thread with caution away to San Pedro - Osho - Latest Sports News In Nigeria - Brila

Ma Anand Sheela has become a celebrity and it is probably not for all the right reasons. She is known for her work that she did under Oshos guidance and we all know that it was not very righteous. But Ma Anand Sheela never regretted being a part of the cult. She disappeared after Oshos cult dissolved itself and only reappeared recently.

Sheela has been giving interviews about her time with Osho and has been very open about her experience. She appeared on Netflixs show Wild Wild Country and is now even looking forward to her biopic. She recently sat for a chat with Neha Dhupia at the closing session of the 11th TiEcon in Mumbai. She talked about her life, her new business and urged businessman to live life on their own and build their business.

Talking about working with Osho, Ma Anand Sheela said, I worked for a mad man and I loved every minute of it. Every hour of my existence now is a fragrance of Bhagwans teachings that I have carried in my heart and brains. The way I ran my homes, I have run my homes, there is same love and same intensity. It began from small things like cleaning up, administration and implementation of laws. Before I did Bhagwans work, now I am my own boss.

She also talked about her famous statement that there are similarities between spirituality and criminality. There is a certain spirituality in criminality. What bigger crime is there than to sell you a product that has no guarantee? People sell meditation and enlightenment. Spiritual leaders make false promises.

I do not want to discourage anybody here who is meditating or who is spiritual or is into enlightenment, but I cannot be duped by that. If you understand the concept and logic, you will use the time that you used in meditation into self-reflection, she said.

Talking about her biopic, Priyanka Chopra will soon start shooting for it. The biopic on Ma Anand Sheela will be directed by Barry Levinson.

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Ma Anand Sheela Talks To Neha Dhupia On Working For Osho: There Is A Certain Spirituality In Criminality - Koimoi

Several years ago in this space I opened by saying, In case you hadnt noticed, today is Super Bowl Sunday, which is billed as the world championship of professional football. But the reason this is appearing on Page 2 instead of the sports page is that this is the one sporting event that can claim more non-sports viewers than any other.

That statement remains true today. In fact, given that the 49ers have returned to the grand stage for the first time in seven years, this years Super Bowl battle with the Kansas City Chiefs will be heavily watched in our town and throughout Northern California, even if no one east of the Mississippi has any interest at all in the outcome.

If you are not a football fan, but have been asked to bring seven-layer bean dip to the neighborhood party, what follows if for you. Its a little game we play in our home that keeps the kids interested from the National Anthem through the coin flip to the final gun and the obligatory bath of Gatorade for the winning coach..

What we have is a series of questions that relate directly to the game but dont require much knowledge about football itself.

Each question has a point value for a correct answer, with swell prizes at the end when the final point totals are tallied.

We let the kids play as one team, answering all questions ahead of time and them marking them off on a giant posterboard mounted directly above the living room television.

We light a fire in the fireplace, bring out the snacks and settle in for an afternoon of fun with our own version of that time-honored game Twenty Questions.

Basically, the alleged adults in our family put their heads together and come up with these questions and the points awarded for each correct answer.

The beauty here is that the kids are all on the same team, rooting for each other instead of against.

This years questions were released last night, which allowed for careful consideration throughout the 12-hour pre-game show that begins early Sunday morning.

The coin flip is the question that regularly kicks off this annual contest, offering a chance to earn valuable points before the game even starts.

Believe it or not, this is also a popular wager in Las Vegas, presumably because you dont need to know a lot about the 49ers and Chiefs to have a decent chance of coming up with the correct answer.

Given that there are four kids debating heads or tails, the possibility of a 2-2 split exists, which teaches them the value of negotiation and compromise, ideals theyve pretty much given up on after watching the United States Congress in action for the last several years.

Another chance to pick up points before the game starts comes with the length of the Star Spangled Banner. You can bet over 2 minutes or under 2 minutes.

Trust me, with all eyes glued to the TV and stopwatches running, this is perhaps the most exciting and stress-producing part of the entire telecast. Im serious. Try it and youll see what I mean.

Our kids routinely bet on the over 2 minutes, even though the historic average is 1:59.

The last few seconds, as The land of the free gets stretched out by whomever has been selected to sing the Anthem, is as intense as any fourth-and-goal with the game on the line.

This years game is in Miami, which lends itself to the question Will 49ers running back Raheem Mostert rush for more yards than the official high temperature in Miami today? A simple yes or no question with 30 valuable points on the line.

And just think, weve now introduced meteorology and scientific inquiry into an otherwise boring football game.

Other questions concern which team will score first, which team will score last, which quarterback will throw the first interception, will there be overtime and how many times the announcers will say It all depends on the spot when officials are measuring for a first down.

The festivities conclude in the early evening when we order a pizza, silence the TV and settle in for our own awards banquet.

This years prizes, which we vary from year to year, are as follows:

0 points: Uber to West Sacramento and back

50 points: Medium Jamba Juice

100 points: Trip to YoloBerry and two toppings

200 points: Dinner at Symposium

500 points: Weekend at Donner Lake

750 points: Hamilton matinee and lunch in San Francisco

1,000 points: Were going to Disneyland

And for those who do care about who wins this game, you should know that the final score will be 49ers 31, Chiefs 28.

You can bet on it.

Reach Bob Dunning at [emailprotected].

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Bob Dunning: Get everyone invested in the outcome - Davis Enterprise

Our countrys failings in comparison to other OECD nations have come as a major shock to Israels education establishment. The PISA results for 2018, announced in December, revealed Israeli students performing significantly worse than expected. Gaps between the strongest and weakest students across our country are more substantial than in any other participating nation. The gaps between Israeli Arab students and their Jewish peers are now the equivalent of three to four years worth of schooling according to the OECD. It is embarrassing how is it that in an advanced country, where our progress in cyber and tech are held aloft as a beacon, the performance in classrooms has fallen so far behind countries such as Estonia, with far more limited education budgets than our own? But these results do not reflect the reality I see when I visit our World ORT Kadima Mada schools in the north and south of Israel, nor the experiences of the hundreds of thousands of students we reach in more than 30 countries. For 140 years we have worked to bridge the gap between ability and opportunity. By unleashing the potential of young people, we assist them to lead fulfilling lives and have a positive impact on the world around them. And so at World ORT Kadima Mada, we are bucking the Israeli trend. Our Kfar Silver Youth Village near Ashkelon saw matriculation rates rise by 43% in three years higher than the national average and benefiting among others our Bedouin students who would otherwise not progress in their education in such a successful way. Our YOUniversity Excellence Centers across the country welcome more than 8,000 students a year. Aged six to 18, they come from secular, Charedi, Orthodox and Arab backgrounds. The subsidized science and technology after-school courses, with innovative hands-on education provided by highly-trained instructors using the most modern equipment, give students choice and the chance to be part of an elite learning group. Successful education takes many forms inside and outside the classroom. Karam Abo Mosa was a Bedouin student at our Kfar Silver Youth Village. He credits the school as being key to earning his bagrut because the teachers fought for him. He didnt speak Hebrew and initially struggled to integrate with Jewish students when he arrived. Now he is a successful, ambitious young man and the first Bedouin to attend the Derech Eretz Mehina ahead of entering the IDF in March. Students such as Karam represent the possibilities for our education system and our country. Israels Ministry of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galil, works closely with us to improve the educational opportunities available to children living outside central Israel. Last month ministry CEO Ariel Mishal acknowledged the equal opportunities we provide in the periphery. We picked Kadima Mada for a reason, he said. They gave the best offer of how to give the children the best opportunities, the best instructors. We know now that the children who go to the excellence centers stay there. They want more. In all the places we see the benefit. We are helping children fulfil their dreams. Over the past 12 years, we have invested more than $100 million in working to reduce gaps in Israels education framework. We are in the frontline in changing how Israel thinks about education and with it we will help improve the countrys performance in the international league tables. Avi Ganon is Director General and CEO of World ORT, a global education network driven by Jewish values which celebrates its 140th anniversary in 2020

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In order to adapt to the rise in e-commerce deliveries and tap into growing global e-commerce demand, FedEx (NYSE:FDX) management has made some costly decisions over the past several months. These decisions have included investments in a residential delivery system, seven-day delivery service, and the purchase of TNT Express.

While the company invests in these areas, this shipping company has seen its financial figures under stress, which has led to some concern from investors.FedEx's second-quarter fiscal 2020 unadjusted earnings fell to $560 million, or $2.13 per share, compared to $935 million, or $3.51 per share, the same quarter a year before -- a total of $1.21 loss per share.

Of course, a few external factors are also at work to dampen earnings. Weak global economic conditions, Amazon'sholiday-season ban on using FedEx for shipping (only recently lifted), and the later timing of the Thanksgiving holiday all played a part in lowering FedEx's bottom line.

Image source: Getty Images.

To better understand FedEx's 3 recent investments and their effects on the business overall, let's take a closer look at each.

Put simply, e-commerce has changed the way people shop, and therefore how delivery services operate. According to Statista.com, e-commerce sales totaled $3.53 trillion in 2019, and that number is expected to keep growing in the years ahead. For a company like FedEx, embracing this transformation is essential to remaining relevant.

But while shipping companies must make changes to accommodate modern buying habits, this isn't always good for business. Residential deliveries generally cost more and are less profitable than business-to-business deliveries.

Over the last year, FedEx has grown its Ground network to adapt to increased e-commerce deliveries -- and that's led to lower operating margins and profits. According to FedEx's fiscal 2020 second-quarter report, its operating margin dropped from 5.5% to 2.2%, and profits fell 40%.

But these drops seem to be temporary: FedEx management expects its Ground network to see an increase in its marginal profits within this year. "In the fourth fiscal quarter, we forecast FedEx Ground margin [percentages] will again be in the teens," FedEx founder and Chief Executive Officer Fred Smith said during the latest earnings call on December 17. Later in that call, Alan Graf, executive vice president and chief financial officer, shared that the company's "year-over-year adjusted operating profit comparison should improve in Q3 and Q4 relative to Q2."

Investors should watch the next earnings report, slated for March 17, for signs of progress in this area.

The pressure to match Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) rapid delivery time has many delivery services upping their game -- and FedEx is no different. FedEx officially switched from six days a week of delivery to a full seven-day delivery service in January 2020.

However, that extra delivery day, coupled with the loss of Amazon volume and the shift in holiday sales to the third quarter, led to a 60% margin decline for the company when compared to the same quarter the year before. "Clearly, we didn't do the greatest job of forecasting our cost," Smith admitted during the latest earnings call.

While the initial cost of Sunday deliveries was high, the company stands to gain a lot once the program stabilizes. FedEx rolled out its seven-day delivery service a few weeks early to compensate for increased deliveries during the winter holiday. During the second weekend in December 2019, management saw signs of the program's early success.

"(W)e delivered over 14 million packages on Saturday and Sunday. We weren't even delivering any packages on the weekend a couple of years ago," Smith explained on the December investor call.

Beyond delivering more packages, the seven-day service will also speed up some of FedEx's regular shipping routes by one and two full transit days. Compared to UPS ground service, FedEx is already faster by at least one day in 25% of its shipping routes. Quick shipping routes are especially valuable for shippers and consumers of perishable goods and healthcare items, which provides FedEx with a favorable advantage against its competitors.

In 2016, FedEx purchased Dutch delivery company TNT Express for $4.8 billion to boost its international presence and cut network costs.

Unfortunately, the merger is taking longer than predicted. Much of this delay is due to a 2017 cyberattack on TNT's network, which significantly affected its operations and communications systems. Rebounding from this attack has cost the TNT division around $300 million.

Going forward, FedEx believes the amount of business it will gain through this integration (TNT currently ships around one million packages daily) will outshine these setbacks. As FedEx grows its intra-European parcel business, the company will benefit from a lower pickup and delivery cost.

"We remain confident in the long-term strategic value of the FedEx Express/TNT Express combination," said FedEx's President and Chief Operating Officer Rajesh Subramaniam in a press release.

In the short term, FedEx's numbers don't look great, and the company has continued to lower its 2020 earnings outlook. The shipping giant expects to earn between $10.25 and $11.50 per share on an adjusted basis for the year, compared to its previous range of $11 to $13 per share.

That said, investors may not need to panic just yet. Most of FedEx's profit loss derived from these so-called "home improvement" efforts, and these negative effects should be temporary.

As noted, FedEx has already seen some success from its seven-day delivery service. However, the benefits of growing its Ground network and integrating with TNT remain to be seen. Investors should pay close attention to both the third and fourth quarter earnings calls, to see if FedEx forecasted its Ground margins correctly. Shareholders should also watch what happens once the TNT integration is complete during the first fiscal quarter of 2022.

If management's predictions prove correct, then now may turn out to have been a great time to acquire FedEx stock. But if its predictions are wrong, then FedEx's share price will sink to even deeper lows. Much is at stake for the company while these upgrades play out -- so investors should expect the recent volatility to continue in the next several months.

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FedEx Hopes Its 3 Big Investments Will Pay Off - Motley Fool