The Bahamas Ministry of Health has begun spraying local communities, especially the more densely populated areas, and they have stressed to the public the importance of prevention.

The local government continues to combat this outbreak through greater public awareness of dengue and the importance of mosquito control.

What is Dengue Fever?

Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called “break-bone” fever because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking. Health experts have known about dengue fever for more than 200 years.

Dengue fever is found mostly during and shortly after the rainy season in tropical and subtropical areas of the Caribbean and Central and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and China, India, the Middle East, Australia and the South and Central Pacific. Worldwide, 50 to 100 million cases of dengue infection occur each year. This includes 100 to 200 cases in the United States, mostly in people who have recently traveled abroad. Many more cases likely go unreported because some health care providers do not recognize the disease.

Cause

Dengue fever can be caused by any one of four types of dengue virus: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. You can be infected by at least two if not all four types at different times during your lifetime, but only once by the same type.

Transmission

Dengue virus can be transmitted from the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite infected humans, and can later transmit the infection to other people. Two main species of mosquito, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, have been responsible for all cases of dengue transmitted in Mexico. Dengue cannot be transmitted from person to person without a mosquito as the intermediate vector.

Symptoms

Symptoms of typical uncomplicated (classic) dengue usually start with fever within 4 to 7 days after you have been bitten by an infected mosquito. These symptoms include: high fever, up to 105ºF, severe headache, retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain, severe joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, and rash. The rash may appear over most of the body 3 to 4 days after the fever begins, and then subsides after 1 to 2 days. There may be a second rash a few days later.

Symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever include all of the symptoms of classic dengue plus bleeding from the nose, gums, or under the skin, causing purplish bruises, which results from damage to blood vessels. This form of dengue disease can cause death.

How is Dengue Diagnosed and Treated?

Dengue can be diagnosed by doing two blood tests, 2 to 3 weeks apart. The tests can show whether a sample of your blood contains antibodies to the virus. However, in epidemics, a health care provider often diagnoses dengue “presumptively” by typical signs and symptoms without waiting for lab results.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for classic dengue fever, and most people recover within 2 weeks. To help with recovery, health care experts recommend:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control advises people with dengue fever not to take aspirin. For severe dengue symptoms, including shock and coma, early and aggressive emergency treatment with fluid and electrolyte replacement can be lifesaving.

Complications

Most people who develop dengue fever recover completely within 2 weeks. Some, especially adults, may be tired and/or depressed for several weeks to months after being infected with the virus.

The more clinically severe dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndromes can result in vascular (blood vessel) and liver damage, and can be life-threatening.

How Can I Prevent Dengue?

The best way to prevent dengue virus infection is to take special precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Several dengue vaccines are being developed, but none is likely to be licensed by the Food and Drug Administration in the next few years.

When outdoors in an area where dengue fever has been found, use a mosquito repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, and oil of lemon eucalyptus are less effective than DEET so are not recommended as a substitute unless there is an allergy or a contraindication to DEET or it is unavailable. Dress in protective clothing-long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes. Because Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, be sure to use precautions especially during early morning hours before daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark.

For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please contact the U.S. Citizens Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section, located 42 Queen Street (across from the British Colonial Hilton Hotel), Nassau; telephone: 242-322-1181; after hours emergency telephone: 242-357-7004; ACS unit fax: 242-356-7174; e-mail: ACSN@state.gov

Information provided courtesy of the U. S. Embassy – Nassau, Bahamas

In mid-July, Standard and Poors (S&P), one of the nations’ premier credit rating agencies, made very clear its position on the U.S. credit rating by placing the United States on negative credit watch. In that communication, S&P also made it very clear what would be required to avoid further action.

John Chambers, Managing Director, Sovereign Ratings for S&P stated that “…important that there be broad based buy in across the spectrum of Democrats and Republicans so you have some confidence that the program will be implemented over time…”. Furthermore, S&P provided clear direction on the components of a plan that would avoid a lowering of the credit rating. S&P stated that the plan would need to be on the “high-end” and in their estimates, that meant “around $4 trillion dollars, plus a credible plan to achieve it”

The approved plan of an intitial $1 trillion in spending cuts, plus the “promise” of an additional $1.5 trillions in cuts from a yet-to-be-formed bi-partisan super-committee still falls far short of the clear direction provided by S&P and supported by the other credit rating agencies.

Politicians and pundits have tried to twist this in every way imaginable to support their position from the right or left. The fact is, none of that matters. Credit Rating agencies are more likely to penalize nations for injecting politics into financial decisions. If you don’t believe me, take a look a Greece or Portugal.

Are we prepared for the fall out when S&P moves forward with lowering the credit rating of the United States?

To make sure that you get the message directly from the source, take a look at this interview with John Chambers from Standard and Poors.

Project highlights included:

• Engaging creative that includes home page motion and prompts viewers to click through and learn what exactly the Diversapack brand stands for.
• Utilization of the WordPress platform for content management that supports rapid and timely updates and changes, providing customers, prospects, partners, investors and viewers with a reason to constantly return to the site.
• Social-media inclusion allowing customers, prospects, partners, investors and viewers to connect with Diversapack through multiple social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Video-ready architecture, allowing Diversapack to develop and easily include industrial video that further establishes Diversapack’s position.

Check out the new site in the wild HERE.

Atlanta – April 18^th, 2011 – Concepts United, an Atlanta-based marketing communications and business development firm, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Cleveland Browns Safety T.J. Ward to develop and execute the NFL athlete’s professional brand strategy.

Concepts United, which provides a host of marketing and business development services to a wide variety of clients, will apply its extensive expertise in Web development, social media and media relations to assist the Ward camp in capitalizing on the success of the young player’s rookie year while preparing for a number of upcoming opportunities.

“I am very excited by the chance to work with Concepts United and take advantage of their strategic approach to branding,” said T.J. Ward. “I’ve got many positive things happening this year and Concepts United will help us make sure that we take advantage of them all.”

Ward’s storybook career in football began at prep powerhouse De La Salle High School, where he played a key role in the School’s 1992 – 2004 national record-setting 151 game winning streak. Despite a senior year injury that deterred many college scouts, Ward walked on at the University of Oregon. Red shirted in 2005, Ward earned a position as a two-year starter for the Ducks by the time his college career closed in 2009. In 2010 the 5-10” 211 pound Ward was drafted 38^th overall by the Cleveland Browns, where he would lead the team with 123 tackles in his rookie season. This would secure his position as the number one rookie Defensive Back in the NFL. Ward returns to the Browns in 2011 as an integral part of Cleveland’s secondary.

Under the terms of the agreement, Concepts United will develop and execute an online strategy (including a new T.J. Ward Website), assume responsibility of all media relations activities and consult on all other issues that affect the T.J. Ward brand, including the growth of the T.J. Ward Foundation.

“Professional athletes and entertainers who earn a living by sharing their talents with others need to manage and control their professional brands like any other company or corporate entity,” said Marcel Henry, Chief Operating Officer of Concepts United.  “T.J. Ward is a rising star in the NFL and is rapidly making a name for himself as both a player and a valuable member of the Cleveland community. He also has strong ties to his hometown of Antioch, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As companies and brands continue to demonstrate interest in working with this positive young role model, it is imperative that the T.J. Ward brand messages effectively and consistently reach their various audiences. Our process allows us to develop a true strategic approach that will ensure this delivery, yielding both short and long-term goals which in turn lead to new business relationships and earnings opportunities.”

About Concepts United

Concepts United is an Atlanta-based marketing and business development firm. We believe that there’s a gap between traditional marketing or business consulting services and the needs that most clients have today. While we believe in the power of marketing, our combined experience has proven that traditional marketing alone does not lead to success. There is, however, a unique combination of strategy, creative, social media, public relations, and partnership development that does. So we leverage our expertise and individual talents to develop overall business solutions for clients that bring together the right combination of these services. While we do a lot of complicated things for a lot of different clients, our goal is always the same – we help our clients Create, Build and Grow. Learn more at www.conceptsunited.com.

Atlanta – April 19th, 2011 – The White House announced today that Atlanta-based children’s music entertainer Little Beat Music will be performing at the 2011 Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 25, 2011.

Little Beat The #1 Chinchilla and DJ WILLY WOW! will be performing on the main stage alongside Colbie Caillat, Greyson Chance, Willow Smith, Mindless Behavior, John Lithgow and the Sesame Street gang, and DJ Willy Wow will be spinning tracks on the ellipse all day, getting everyone excited about the various Easter Egg Roll activities.

As the largest annual public event at the White House, the Easter Egg Roll draws more than 30,000 people. Members of the public from all over the country had the opportunity to enter an online lottery for a chance to win tickets to this year’s event. More than 200,000 tickets were requested via the online lottery, and guests from all 50 states and the District of Columbia were selected as winners.

An American tradition in its 133rd year, the theme for this year’s Easter Egg Roll is “Get Up and Go!” promoting health and wellness and encouraging children to lead healthy and active lives. This is a central part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative, a national effort to combat childhood obesity, and is directly inline with Little Beat Music’s focus on children and families and their respective health and progression.

“We are thrilled about the opportunity to perform for the second year in a row at the White House Easter Egg Roll,” said DJ WILLY WOW! “The First Lady’s focus on childhood obesity fits so well with our approach to healthy kids and families and we can not wait to perform again for the First Family, the 30,000 people that will be there and the rest of the world that will watch our performances online.”

Little Beat Music will release its third album “And The Winner Is” on Tuesday, April 26th featuring “Party on the Lawn (Egg Roll Anthem)”, a track written specifically for the White House Easter Egg Roll, and “Stop The Bullying,” a song that echoes the idea behind President Obama’s and the First Lady’s March 11th Conference on Bullying Prevention.

The entire Easter Egg Roll event, including all of the headliner music, will be broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov/live. A full schedule will be posted on the morning of April 25th so Little Beat Music fans all over the country can watch the various performances and participate in the event.

About Little Beat Music
Little Beat Music is an Atlanta-based children’s music entertainment group created by Producer, Artist and Entertainer William March (a.k.a. DJ Willy WOW!). Founded in 2005, Little Beat Music develops educational, kid-friendly entertainment that the whole family can enjoy. Over the last five years Little Beat Music has grown steadily and today creates and produces both award winning music and incredible live events. With two successful albums released, and a third album planned for April 2011, Little Beat Music is played regularly through a number of music outlets including SIRIUS XM Kid’s Radio Live.

Little Beat Music is committed to children and families and their respective health and progression is the basis for everything the team does. Little Beat Music is extremely proud to have performed at the 2010 and 2011 East Egg Roll at the White House, supporting the First Lady’s “Let’s Move!” Initiative, a national campaign to combat childhood obesity. To learn more, visit www.littlebeatmusic.com.

Solution: Concepts United recognized immediately that Little Beat Music needed a new online presence.  This included a new approach to ecommerce and online transactions. The new Little Beat Music site needed an online store that was flexible enough to allow the team to quickly add products and powerful enough to accommodate both expected and unexpected surges in traffic. Concepts United utilized the WordPress platform to quickly and efficiently build a new Little Beat Music Website that empowered the  team to manage its own content, both in the site and in the store, without the help of a third party. The site creative is designed to change with the season, so the site launched with a “holiday theme” connected to “The Holiday Album.” Once the new site was live, Concepts United engaged a strategic mix of media relations and direct-to-customer marketing to drive traffic to the new site, supporting Little Beat Music’s album sales initiatives.

Check Out Little Beat Music

Herman Cain

Herman Cain has taken a hiatus from his radio program to stick his toe in the presidential waters.  At first, I was perplexed by his decision.  But after giving it some thought, I think he has his eye on a different prize.

While Mr. Cain may have an exploratory committee to test the presidential waters, it’s hard to see how he stands any chance of winning the nomination, let alone a national election. People have forgotten (and so has he, according to his website), his failed attempt to run for US Senate in 2004. He ran against Johnny Isakson and only received 26% of the vote. If he can’t win in Georgia, how can he win a national election?

I’ve listened to his program, and I find it hard to distinguish any of his positions from any other leading GOP’er. When it matters most, Republicans will select a known candidate with a political track record over a radio talk show host/former corporate exec. To those who cringe at people calling him an Uncle Tom – that won’t be an issue. The GOP will make their decision and eliminate him in their primary. The GOP is “colorblind” and values any candidate willing to assimilate and be just like them, at least until it’s time to cast a private vote (according to Cain’s history in running for office)

As far as his credentials are concerned, I am happy to see him claim Morehouse as his alma mater. But I know literally dozens of Black executives in Atlanta with resumes that read like his. Before hearing Mr Cain, I had never heard of Godfathers Pizza. He may have difficulty making that experience sound meaningful in major metro areas where Godfather’s doesn’t exist.

I wish him luck. But I suspect the deal he’ll end up with at the end of his experience will be a better gig that late night talk radio at WSB. Look at how ‘successful’ Palin has become as the defacto leader and spokes-mama-grizzly of the Republican Party.

With the continuing trend of our nation’s make-up towards a minority majority, this will likely be the most important redistricting exercise of the century. It is of vital importance that we encourage our elected officials to fight to ensure that the Black vote is not diluted in the process of creative map drawing and that we continue to uphold the basic premise of one man – one vote.

Census data is used by the states to determine the congressional districts of the 435 men and women who represent our states and respective communities in the US House of Representatives. If Census Bureau estimates hold, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington (eight states) are expected to gain House seats. With today’s beginning of the 112th Congress, Republicans hold the edge in those states, 44 to 24.

Nine states are expected to lose seats: Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Democrats have the edge in those states, 45 to 28.

That adds up to 17 states gaining or losing seats and Republicans control the responsibility for redrawing the maps in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. In other states, control is divided or independent commissions draw the boundaries. If we care about the process by which our legislators are determined, we should all be paying close attention in those states that do not provide for an independent commission or bi-partisan process for redrawing maps. States will receive the detailed data needed to redraw districts in March 2011.

One thing to keep in mind is the SOURCE of the growth that has contributed to these population shifts. While the GOP believes that their recent gain of congressional seats will give them an immediate advantage in the redistricting process, it is important to note that the gains in population are largely minority. Minority populations are growing faster than the white population; counties where minorities are the majority are sprinkled throughout the country.

White populations have declined in more than half of the nation’s counties since 2000, helping fuel a rise in the number of communities where minorities are now the majority. Census data reflect how immigration, a population boom among Hispanics and the slowing growth of an aging population of whites are reshaping the nation’s demographic landscape…. In fact, Minorities made up more than half the population in 302 of the nation’s 3,141 counties last year. A continuing migration of African Americans to the South also is furthering this trend.

Without a doubt, the GOP will attempt to flex its legislative muscles to consolidate its wins. They will want to protect districts where they won by a close margin and creating additional seats where it can.

But that DOES NOT mean that legislatures can begin redrawing districts lines as they please. Despite the fact that the Supreme Court has refused to outright prohibit partisan districting, I have no doubt we will see some creative partisan gerrymandering in an effort to draw districts with equal populations. The primary constraint that will keep the process in check is the Voting Rights Act. I’m certain that election lawyers are already preparing their lawsuits in an effort to attack what was the most significant outcome of the civil rights movement, but we cannot let our country move backwards.

Two Voting Rights Act provisions matter for redistricting. The first is Section 5, which applies mainly to states in the Deep South. These states must either “preclear” their districting plans with the Department of Justice or go to court. Section 5 gives Department of Justice officials considerable sway over line drawing. The Justice department’s oversight has led to an increase in the number of black and Latino legislators in Congress—and perhaps to the election of more Republicans. Majority-minority districts tend to concentrate Democratic votes, thus reducing the party’s influence in other parts of the state.

The second provision that matters for redistricting is Section 2, which authorizes both the Department of Justice and private parties to challenge districting plans that dilute the voting power of racial minorities. While these fights tend to emerge after districts have been drawn, it is worth keeping a close eye on Section 2′s requirements while the lines are being drawn to ensure the spirit of the law is upheld.

The assault on limiting Black power has been in place since we the early days of slavery in this nation.
While the Constitution claimed to declare all men equal, that provision didn’t apply to Blacks. Even after the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870, whites immediately felt as if the rise of black power and the right to vote was a threat to their livelihood. The result: the surge of the Ku Klux Klan – specifically to threaten the progress of Reconstruction and strike fear into the hearts of Black men.

African Americans fought for the right to vote for the almost 100 years, facing untold stories of abuse, threats, and death. Literacy tests could be passed successfully by illiterate white men yet failed by professors from Tuskegee were just an example of the atrocities and injustices we faced. As a result of that, it was necessary to develop a Voting Rights Act just to enforce was should have been rightfully ours all along – the same right to vote as everyone else.

Just as the 15th Amendment contributed to the rise of the Klan and an outpouring of hatred, the Voting Rights Act has also come under assault. After the Voting Rights Act became law, voter registration went from 20% to 50% in Alabama and soared from 7% to 60% in Mississippi. Black men and women had the ability to vote for their chosen representative which has resulted in Black men and women being elected at all levels of government.

But, just as a counterattack was launched after the passage of the 15th Amendment, a similar attack has been underway since the passage of the Voting Rights Act. This time, it’s the sons and daughters of the same people who fought against civil rights during Reconstruction. Now, it’s systematic or institutional attacks rather than with hoods and burning crosses. At the city level, elected positions have been eliminated, or replaced with ‘at-large’ seats in an effort to dilute Black voting power. In what amounts to an accusation of Black voter fraud, the new “poll tax or literacy test” is now in the form of Voter ID laws. Requiring drivers licenses as a form or ID for the poor and elderly, or creating financial burdens to have a state ID just for the purpose of voting. Or worse, the systematic re-assignment of Black men from their communities through imprisonment, removing them from voter rolls in their neighborhood, and placing them amongst the census population is rural communities so that are counted in the creation of gerrymandered congressional districts, while being denied the right to vote.

Research has found that far too often, redistricting committees pad under populated districts by redrawing boundaries to include large prisons. The outcome of such a practice typically increases the political power of rural areas where prisons are built and reduces the influence of the urban areas to which inmates eventually return. According to a study by the Prison Policy Initiative, a research group, in some counties the phantom prison constituents makes up as much 20 percent of the population.

I have no doubt that the assault of the Voting Rights Act will continue – but let’s make one thing perfectly clear – the current state of segregation in our political process is not as a result of the Voting Rights Act, it is a direct result of the mass exodus of white men from the Democratic party – particularly in Southern states most impacted by the pre-clearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

This shift has created a two party state that is just as divided on ideology as it is on race. If we continue to let these lines blur, we will end up with a two party system – a White Party and a Black Party. This is unhealthy for our country, particularly in light on our recent past.

I’m encouraged by the interest of organizations such as the National Black Coalition of State Legislators (NBCSL). The issue was front and center during their annual legislative conference held last December in Atlanta. I hope that the Congressional Black Caucus and advocacy groups across the country express the same level of interest in this important issue.

One of the best ways to counter the march towards the racial polarization of our political system is through the fair and equitable formation of congressional districts. As states across the country begin the work of redrawing district maps we will be particularly vigilant to ensure that the basic premise of one man, one vote is maintained.

Twenty years later, many of the things I watched in that video have become a reality.   The speed at which we send and receive information has changed everything.  For many businesses, Cyber Monday is the major milestone that puts them in the black for the year.   Commuters by plane, train, and automobile have begun to rely on the availability of wi-fi to navigate their routes or help them remain productive while moving from point A to B.  Now is the time to ask, what is the next great leap in technology?

The next step is already underway.  We are beginning the convergence of the three screens we use to get information.  Our mobile device, computers, and televisions are beginning to merge into one seamless communications system.  With the implementation of 4G networks by wireless and cable providers, we can now watch full streaming video over handheld devices.  Clear’s 4G network freed us from the traditional wi-fi hotspot, so that we can use our laptops without being forced to cram into a Starbucks for access.

AT&T and the cable carriers are betting that the best use of 3 screen convergence will be the ability to watch a program and TV and then pick up that same program on your handheld device.  While that’s a nice thing to be able to do, I don’t see how practical that is if people are leaving home and then getting in their cars to drive.   I think the better path for convergence will be interactivity between the three devices.  That is, the real ability to interact with the programming you are watching.  For example, the popularity of reality TV programs that ask the viewing audience to vote for their favorite contestant is perfect for bringing programming together with laptops and handhelds.  The ability for live chat is a way to allow the viewing audience to interact with the program as it’s airing.   In Atlanta, the local news station 11Alive is experimenting with the ability to incorporate live chat as the news is being broadcast.  The next step will be to move that from a crawler at the bottom of the screen to a sidebar that gauges immediate reaction to news as its happening.

Convergence based on enhancing a user’s experience will have the greatest success as we move forward.  Applications for film and music festivals will allow attendees to preview content, follow the bands or films of their choice, buy tickets, and more.   This is the type of experience that will allow the convergence of the three screens to truly take hold.



If you don’t know,  Studio Outpost is a collective of creative organizations that work together to find engaging ways to communicate specific ideas. We are marketers, designers, film makers, puppeteers, creatives and all around problem solvers that share a really cool space in the East Atlanta Village.

The Studio includes a full sound and video editing/post-production suite that we lovingly refer to as ROBOT!

With out going into too many details ROBOT! has all the bells and whistles including Final Cut, the Adobe Master Suite, ProTools, Shake and Nuke, Maya and Cinema 4D and all the hardware needed to make really cool stuff.

In fact, a bunch of the filmmakers associated with the Studio got together to screen their individual short films last night at the Plaza Theater in the Virgina Highlands (yes, the films were awesome).

Michael McReynolds realized that this screening needed a short Studio Outpost promo and asked me to help him come up with a cool idea. Long story short, we started talking about how great it would be if we turned our internal idea of a robot mascot into a REAL mascot. I sketched the conversation on the whiteboard and we outlined several things – a robot, a hill, a sunset, the Atlanta sky line, dust, birds and trees. A visual promo that would capture the power of ROBOT! and of the Studio in general.

With the help of some truly talented folks like Jason Koch, our quick sketch quickly became a reality at the screening. I’m very proud to be a member of Studio Outpost and to be working with all the companies and individuals in the space.

There are some truly amazing things coming out of Studio Outpost and I am focused on getting the new Studio site up so we can share it. Check out the final product below and make sure it watch it in full screen mode. It’s better!

ROBOT! Begins! – Studio Outpost Shorts 2010 Show Opener from Michael McReynolds on Vimeo.