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What Is It?
Genital chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States today. When diagnosed, chlamydia is easily treated and cured.

Genital chlamydia (pronounced kla-mid-ee-uh), a bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is the most frequently reported communicable disease in the United States today.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chlamydia occurs most often among teenagers and young adults. In fact, the highest rates of chlamydia occur in girls aged 15 to 24. Overall, an estimated one in 20 sexually active young females aged 14 to 24 is infected with chlamydia, according to the CDC.

Initially, in females, the bacteria invade cells lining the endocervix (the opening to the uterus). If chlamydia remains untreated, it may spread into the upper reproductive tract and can eventually lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain.

Chlamydial infections in women are usually asymptomatic. It has been estimated that chlamydia causes no symptoms in 90 percent of males and 70 percent to 95 percent of females. It is sometimes called a "silent" disease. Because chlamydia is usually silent but can lead to serious complications, such as infertility, routine annual screening of all sexually active females younger than 25 years of age is recommended.

When diagnosed, chlamydia is easily treated and cured. Left untreated, it can lead to significant medical problems for females, one of the most serious being pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is a generic term indicating various inflammatory disorders of the upper genital tract, including endometritis (inflammation of the endometrium or lining of the uterus) and tubo-ovarian abscess (infection involving the fallopian tube and ovary). Acute PID can be difficult to diagnose. Its signs and symptoms vary widely, and many females have only subtle symptoms.

In addition to PID, chlamydia can lead to proctitis (inflamed rectum) and conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eye lining). It also increases risk for HIV and other STDs, as well as cervical cancer.

Chlamydia and PID

The following factors may increase your risk for developing PID:

  • previous episodes of PID or STDs
  • multiple sex partners or a partner with multiple sex partners
  • being under age 25
  • douching

It's a common misconception that the use of an intrauterine device (IUD) increases the risk of developing PID. The risk of developing PID is minimally increased during the first 20 days after insertion of the device, but after that time the risk returns to baseline. This risk can be reduced by testing for STDs before IUD insertion and treating appropriately. IUDs are an extremely safe and effective means of preventing pregnancy, with less than 1 percent unintended pregnancies per year.

Chlamydia infection is one of the most common causes of PID. It has been estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of females with untreated chlamydia will develop symptomatic PID. Some females with PID will become infertile. Other potential complications include chronic pelvic pain and life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, which is a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths for American females in the first trimester.

Annual chlamydia screening for sexually active females under 25 years old is cost effective because it can prevent serious reproductive complications.

Chlamydia and HIV

Research has shown that females infected with chlamydia are up to five times more likely to acquire HIV if exposed to the virus. The reason for the increased risk may be that chlamydia causes a spike in the number of white blood cells at the site of infection. Some of these immune system cells, while needed to fight the infection, also happen to be the main target for HIV.

Chlamydia and Cervical Cancer

Some studies have shown an increased risk of cervical cancer in females who have had chlamydia. A 2016 review of 22 studies published in the journal Medicine concluded that infection with Chlamydia trachomatis may increase the risk of cervical cancer in infected females. Although infections with cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) remain the prime cause of cervical cancer, infection with certain subtypes of Chlamydia trachomatis may contribute to that risk, according to the review.

All medical professional associations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association of Family Physicians, recommend routine chlamydia screening annually for all females under 25. As a result, more public and private health care professionals have been screening young females.

However, most young females are still not tested regularly for chlamydia, leading health officials to estimate that the actual number of infections is much higher than reported.

Reported female cases greatly exceed those for males. The reasons for this are unclear, yet it may be that fewer men are tested routinely for chlamydia, often presenting for testing only when they have symptoms.

Fortunately, increased awareness of the seriousness of chlamydia has put pressure on health care professionals to offer regular screening to younger females. In the year 2000, chlamydia was added to the list of performance measures for the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, known by its acronym HEDIS. This tool rates how well managed care organizations perform on a variety of clinical measures, including prevention efforts for breast cancer, controlling blood cholesterol levels and childhood immunizations. While this step does not make chlamydia screening mandatory, managed care organizations are evaluated on how well they meet the established guideline of offering yearly chlamydia testing to sexually active females between ages 16 and 24 years.

In addition, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to cover the cost of chlamydia screening, as well as some other STD testing and prevention counseling.

Chlamydia in Pregnancy

A small percentage of pregnant females are infected with chlamydia. In pregnant females, untreated chlamydia has been associated with pre-term delivery. Transmission to the newborn results from exposure to the mother's infected cervix during birth. All females should be screened for chlamydia as part of routine prenatal care.

Infants with chlamydia may be born prematurely. They also may experience eye inflammation (conjunctivitis) and breathing problems. Chlamydia infection also can involve the oropharynx, genital tract and rectum. Infection sometimes can cause pneumonia during an infant's first months. Recommended treatment for neonatal chlamydia is erythromycin base divided in four daily doses for 14 days. The alternative treatment is azithromycin, one dose daily for three days.

Part of what makes chlamydia so difficult to diagnose is that it is largely asymptomatic; in other words, someone can be infected for months or longer and never know they have the infection.

When symptoms do occur, they often are mild—a burning sensation when urinating and/or a discharge from the vagina or penis are typical symptoms. Females may also experience pain in the pelvic area or discomfort or bleeding during sex. Health care professionals may not address these symptoms, possibly leading to the chlamydia infection remaining untreated. If left untreated in females, it may result in PID and its complications.

PID can occur within days or several months after being infected with chlamydia. At this point, symptoms still may go unnoticed in some females, yet they do have an active PID infection. Other females, however, may experience bleeding between menstrual periods, lower back pain, pain during sexual penetration, increased vaginal discharge and severe pelvic pain.

Testing is the only way to know whether you have chlamydia. The CDC recommends annual screening for all sexually active females under 25 years of age and for older females with risk factors (such as, those who have a new sex partner and those with multiple sex partners). All females with signs of infection of the cervix and all pregnant females should be tested.

The most sensitive chlamydia tests, called nucleic acid amplification tests, can be performed on a urine specimen or a self-collected vaginal swab. For a female with no symptoms, an invasive genital exam is usually not required. However, a chlamydia test can also be performed on a swab of the cervix collected as part of a pelvic exam or a urethral swab collected on males. It may take several days before you can get a test result.

If you test positive for chlamydia, your infection can be cured with antibiotics. Depending on several factors, your health care professional may prescribe a single dose of 2 or 4 pills of azithromycin, or may prescribe doxycycline, which requires one pill twice a day for seven days.

If you are pregnant and infected with chlamydia, you still can be treated without harming the fetus. The recommended regimen for pregnant females is azithromycin pills taken in a single dose. Doxycycline is not recommended during pregnancy. As with any antibiotic treatment, it is important that you take all prescribed pills.

Too often, females become reinfected with chlamydia because their partner has not been treated. Studies have shown that females who are reinfected with chlamydia have a much greater risk of developing PID. Therefore, it is important that you abstain from sexual contact until a week after your partner has been tested and completed treatment, meaning seven days after a single-dose azithromycin regimen or after completion of a seven-day doxycycline regimen.

In addition, you should return to your doctor for a repeat test three to six months after you are treated to be sure that you have not been infected again.

In general, treatment is recommended for any partner or partners you had sexual contact with up to 60 days prior to having symptoms or a diagnosis of chlamydia, or the last partner you had sexual contact with before you were diagnosed. Some clinics and doctors' offices offer what is called expedited partner therapy (EPT). Patients are given a prescription or the medication that treats chlamydia to give to their partner(s) without the clinician assessing the partner. There are legal and ethical debates about this approach, and it does have some limitations (including loss of screening and counseling opportunities and the rare potential for adverse reactions to antibiotics), but in some cases it may be the most effective way to stop the spread of chlamydia, because many infected partners have no symptoms and are reluctant to seek treatment.

EPT is legal in many U.S. states and cities. Learn more about the Legal Status of Expedited Partner Therapy.

In some cases, people infected with chlamydia are also infected with gonorrhea. Therefore, testing for gonorrhea is often done at the same time as testing for chlamydia. If a person tests positive for both infections, additional treatment is necessary.

PID Treatment

PID treatment begins with an antibiotic regimen that provides broad coverage against several bacteria. Treatment should begin as soon as a diagnosis is made, because immediate therapy has been shown to reduce the risk of long-term consequences of PID.

Antibiotics may be given by mouth or injection. There are several treatment options recommended by the CDC. Regardless of which type of therapy is chosen, hospitalization is no longer recommended, however, it may be considered in certain circumstances including:

  • Surgery is needed.
  • An oral outpatient regimen cannot be tolerated.
  • A patient is pregnant.
  • A patient does not respond clinically to oral antimicrobial therapy.
  • A patient has severe illness, including high fever and vomiting.
  • A patient has tubo-ovarian abscess or a weakened immune system.

While medication can stop PID, some females may need surgery to remove scar tissue and blockages caused by long-term infection.

Protecting yourself from chlamydia requires the same care and attention needed to prevent other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). If you have already been infected, you should be vigilant in preventing reinfection, which can increase your risk of infertility.

Abstinence is one sure way not to become infected, as the spread of chlamydia is almost always limited to sexual contact. If you have sex, make sure you use a latex condom from the beginning to the end of sexual contact every time you have sex. Latex condoms offer the best available means of reducing your risk of contracting an STD when they are used consistently and correctly. Polyurethane condoms are available for latex-sensitive or allergic individuals which provide similar protection against STDs, HIV and pregnancy compared to latex condoms.

Also know that your risk for chlamydia infection increases with the more sexual partners you have. If you are sexually active and under 25 years of age, or if you are older but have any risk factors for chlamydia, you should ask your provider to test you at least once a year. Risk factors include being young and sexually active, having multiple sex partners and having previous infection with other STDs.

Women who have sex with women—either exclusively or in addition to male partners—are also at risk for chlamydia. Women who have sex exclusively with women may be at a decreased risk, but they should still take precautions.

Sexually active individuals should consider the following precautions to protect themselves from contracting these diseases:

  • Reduce your number of sex partners.
  • If you have sex with a male partner, always use a condom from start to finish during any type of sex (vaginal, anal and oral). Use latex condoms rather than natural membrane condoms. If used consistently and correctly, latex condoms offer greater protection against STD agents, including HIV. Polyurethane condoms are available for latex-sensitive or allergic individuals.
  • Use only water-based lubricants. Oil-based lubricants such as petroleum jelly and vegetable shortening can destroy condoms. If you decide to use a spermicide along with a condom, it is preferable to use spermicide in the vagina according to manufacturer's instructions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a warning on the labels of over-the-counter vaginal contraceptives that contain the spermicide nonoxynol-9. The warning states that vaginal contraceptives containing nonoxynol-9 do not protect against infection from HIV/AIDs or other STDs. The FDA's warning also advises consumers that the use of vaginal contraceptives containing nonoxynol-9 can increase vaginal irritation, which may increase the possibility of transmitting HIV and other STDs from infected partners.
  • Get tested for chlamydia once a year if you are 24 years or younger or have other risk factors.
  • Ask your sexual partners to get tested if they are 24 years of age or younger or have other risk factors.
  • Get tested more frequently if you or your sexual partners develop symptoms such as discharge from the vagina or penis, burning with urination or bleeding during sex.

Scientists are looking for better ways to diagnose, treat and prevent chlamydia infections. Researchers supported by the National Institute of Health recently completed sequencing the genome for Chlamydia trachomatis. The sequence represents an encyclopedia of information about the organism. This accomplishment will give scientists important information as they try to develop a safe and effective vaccine. Developing topical microbicides (preparations that can be inserted into the vagina to prevent infection) that are effective and easy for females to use is also a major research focus.

Facts to Know

1. Nearly two-thirds of new chlamydia infections take place in individuals aged 15 to 24 years old.

2. Studies have shown that routine chlamydia screening and treatment can significantly reduce the incidence of lower genital tract chlamydia, as well as PID, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain and infertility.

3. An estimated 70 percent to 95 percent of infected females and 90 percent of infected males have no symptoms of chlamydia, and the majority of cases go undiagnosed.

4. According to the CDC, in 2015, there were 1,526,658 reported cases of chlamydia. These numbers are on the rise. However, rather than evidence of an uncontrolled epidemic, part of this trend reflects increased screening of asymptomatic females and improved reporting.

5. Research has shown that females infected with chlamydia are significantly more at risk of acquiring HIV than females not infected.

6. It has been estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of females not treated for chlamydia will develop PID. Left untreated, PID may lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain or life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.

7. The Southern region of the United States has the highest reported rates of chlamydia. Rates of chlamydia have consistently been the lowest in the Northeast.

8. According to CDC, the rate of chlamydia among African-American females is 5.9 times higher than the rate among Caucasians.

Questions to Ask

Review the following Questions to Ask about chlamydia so you're prepared to discuss this important health issue with your health care professional.

  1. If chlamydia is often without symptoms, how do I know if I have been infected?
  2. If I don't treat chlamydia, what will happen?
  3. What treatments are available?
  4. What should I tell my partner?
  5. How long should I abstain from sex after treatment begins?
  6. What are the symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease?
  7. Is it possible I am infected with gonorrhea as well?
  8. Is chlamydia transmitted by sexual intercourse only?
  9. Do I need to be retested after treatment to be sure I am cured?

Key Q&A

1. What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia infection is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis. The bacterium can be transmitted during sexual intercourse or by oral-genital contact with an infected person.

2. If so many people with chlamydia don't have symptoms, why is it necessary to get treated?

Even though infection often is asymptomatic, it can still cause serious consequences for females, and for pregnant females and their infants. Also, the only way to stop the epidemic is by treating everyone infected, whether they have symptoms or not.

3. How will chlamydia infection affect my chances of getting pregnant?

It depends on several factors, such as how long you have been infected and whether the infection has migrated into your upper genital tract. Pelvic inflammatory disease, which is often caused by chlamydia infection, can lead to infertility.

4. Does having chlamydia put me at greater risk for other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?

Yes. Chlamydia infection increases your risk of HIV by producing more of the type of white blood cells to which HIV attaches itself. Individuals are also frequently infected with more than one STD at a time. These STDs are often transmitted at the same time, so if you have acquired chlamydia, you may also be at risk for having other STDs.

5. What are the side effects of chlamydia treatment?

Chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics without causing significant side effects. The most common side effects are upset stomach, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

6. How is pelvic inflammatory disease treated?

In most cases, the first line of treatment is oral antibiotics. More serious cases or special circumstances may require intravenous drugs and hospitalization.

7. Why are more females diagnosed with chlamydia than males?

One reason is that unless they have symptoms, most males are never tested for chlamydia. Females, on the other hand, although they are more likely not to have symptoms of the disease, do have annual exams and therefore more opportunities to be screened for infection.

8. Can a pregnant females pass chlamydia to her infant?

Yes. The infection can be transmitted during birth and can cause eye and lung infection in a newborn. Fortunately, a pregnant female can take medication that will cure chlamydia without harming her or her child.

Lifestyle Tips

1. Prevent pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, occurs when untreated infection, often a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia, spreads to the uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries. Although many females have mild or nonexistent symptoms, some notice pain in the lower abdomen, vaginal discharge or bleeding, painful intercourse, nausea and vomiting and fever. Untreated PID can lead to tubal infertility, chronic abdominal pain or ectopic pregnancy. To prevent PID, make sure you are screened annually for chlamydia if you are 24 years or younger or have other risk factors. Also, your partners should be screened for STDs, particularly chlamydia and gonorrhea. You should also limit the number of sex partners you have, and use condoms every time you have sex.

2. Practice the best protection
After abstinence, the best protection against any type of STD is a latex condom. Polyurethane condoms are available for latex-sensitive or allergic individuals. However, condoms don't provide 100 percent protection against STDs—only abstinence does. If you use a condom, make sure you use it properly. Human error causes more condom failures than manufacturing errors. Use a new condom with each sexual act (including oral sex). Carefully handle it so you don't damage it with your fingernails, teeth or other sharp objects. Put the condom on after the penis is erect and before any genital contact. Pinch the tip of the condom to leave room for semen collection. Use only water-based lubricants with latex condoms. Ensure adequate lubrication during intercourse. Hold the condom firmly against the base of the penis during withdrawal, and withdraw while the penis is still erect to prevent slippage.

3. Get tested for STDs
No single test screens for all STDs. Some require a vaginal exam, others a blood or urine test. A negative test does not always ensure you do not have an infection. Still, it's important to ask your health care provider to regularly test you for STDs if you're sexually active in a non-monogamous relationship (or have the slightest concern about your partner's fidelity). You can get tested at your health department, community clinic, private doctor or Planned Parenthood. Or call the CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or visit the CDC website to find free or low-cost clinics in your area.

5. Know whether you have an STD
While some STDs are accompanied by symptoms such as sores/ulcers or discharge, most, unfortunately, have no symptoms. You can't always tell if you or a partner has an STD just by looking. Don't rely on a partner's disclosing and assume that will prevent you from acquiring an STD; many infected persons do not know they have a problem. They may think symptoms are caused by something else, such as yeast infections, friction from sexual relations or allergies. Educate yourself about your own body and, in turn, learn about your own individual risk for contracting an STD. One way to do this is to schedule an examination with a health care provider who can sit down with you and help you learn the principles for staying safe and sexually healthy. Don't allow fear, embarrassment or ignorance to jeopardize your future.

6. Talk to your children about STDs
Sexually transmitted diseases are particularly common among adolescents. And it's an issue kids are concerned about. As a parent, you can play a large role in an adolescent's behavior, both in terms of the behavior you model yourself and in terms of the communication between you and your teen. Talk to your kids. Study after study proves that when parents talk to their kids about sexual issues, their kids listen. Don't worry that talking about sex is the same as condoning it; numerous studies dispute that theory. In fact, studies show that when parents talk about sex, children are more likely to talk about it themselves, to delay their first sexual experiences and to protect themselves against pregnancy and disease when they do have sex. Also, make sure your daughters or sons see a medical professional who is sensitive to adolescent health issues at least once a year, if for nothing else than to talk about STDs and pregnancy.

Organizations and Support

For information and support on coping with Chlamydia, please see the recommended organizations, books and Spanish-language resources listed below.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
Website: http://www.acog.org
Address: 409 12th Street, SW
P.O. Box 96920
Washington, DC 20090
Phone: 202-638-5577
Email: resources@acog.org

American Social Health Association (ASHA)
Website: http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/
Address: P.O. Box 13827
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Hotline: 1-800-227-8922
Phone: 919-361-8400
Email: info@ashastd.org

ASHA's STI Resource Center Hotline
Website: http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/premium-services-2/
Address: American Social Health Association
P.O. Box 13827
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Hotline: 1-800-227-8922
Phone: 919-361-8400

CDC National Prevention Information Network
Website: http://www.cdcnpin.org
Address: P.O. Box 6003
Rockville, MD 20849
Hotline: 1-800-458-5231
Phone: 404-679-3860
Email: info@cdcnpin.org

Guttmacher Institute
Website: http://www.guttmacher.org
Address: 1301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Hotline: 1-877-823-0262
Phone: 202-296-4012
Email: info@guttmacher.org

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp
Address: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
Hotline: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA)
Website: http://www.nfprha.org
Address: 1627 K Street, NW, 12th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-293-3114
Email: info@nfprha.org

Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Website: http://www.plannedparenthood.org
Address: 434 West 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001
Hotline: 1-800-230-PLAN (1-800-230-7526)
Phone: 212-541-7800

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)
Website: http://www.siecus.org
Address: 90 John Street, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
Phone: 212-819-9770

Sexual Health Questions You Have...Answers You Need
by Michael V. Reitano, Charles Ebel

Sex: What You Don't Know Can Kill You
by Joe S. McIlhaney, Marion McIlhaney

Spanish-language resources

Medline Plus: Chlamydia
Website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/ency/article/001345.htm
Address: Customer Service
US National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
Email: custserv@nlm.nih.gov

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Devils club in a dark forest

Herb of the Month: Devil’s Club, Oplopanax Horridum

I just finished tincturing my spring-harvested Devil’s Club roots, much of which I will use in my ‘Guardian’ tincture formula (sold at Heart & Hands), and so I figured I’d feature this very special herb in June’s newsletter!  Without further adieu meet the swoon worthy Devil’s Club!

With long-limbed largeness, Devil’s Club stands it’s ground and stakes it’s place in the forest of things with it’s cathedral of leaves the size of dinner plates and long spiney reach.
Though I use it mainly for mental and emotional purposes, it is probably best known for its abilities to help folks with Type 2 Diabetes, pre-diabetes symptoms and blood sugar issues.  Symptoms here may include dizziness, nausea, and intense cravings, of which Devil’s Club has a wonderful ability of easing through it’s grounding nature.  More than this, Devil’s Club is a powerful adaptogen, and thus wonderful for renewing depleted adrenals, and stimulating energy.  For this same reason it’s important to not overuse Devil’s Club in order to maintain a burn-out lifestyle.

Devil’s Club is also a strongly protective medicine for folks who are involved in intense situations or do difficult work, by helping people to maintain their personal boundaries. Devil’s Club is for folks who not only need to, but are also ready to find their greatest strength, power and magic. Devil’s Club forces us to be our biggest selves, and this can coincide with a warrior-like defense of space and integrity.

Devil’s Club is not necessarily kind medicine for those who get in it’s way, or for the person who chooses to ingest it; the noble path of becoming your biggest self can mean facing yourself in uncomfortable, if not brutal ways.  For this reason I love using Devil’s Club for people who are at a cross roads, and are finally ready to break through past patterns, addictions, and entanglements, and choose a new path.  Devil’s Club can provide the right amount of strength, energy and integrity to enter a new stage, a process that is never easy, but so worth it.  The situations I have seen it work wonders are ones where the person knows what they want to do, whether that means leaving a long term relationship, quitting a job, or standing up to an abuser of power, but they needed the extra push and support.
I’ve literally seen people’s posture straighten and expand after ingesting a few drops of Devil’s Club.

Devil’s Club is a sacred medicine to many indigenous peoples of the North West– a medicine to be approached with great respect, reverence and a keen understanding of it’s cultural significance. For this reason I only use small doses, 1-5 drops, in order to preserve it’s magic.

Jenny McCartney, Medical Herbalist,

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Displaying items by tag: babies go to congress

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst to Speak at Heartbeat International's 2018 Babies Go to Congress

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Monday | Jan. 15

Contact: Jay Hobbs, Director of Communications and Marketing
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — As four mothers and their babies visit Capitol Hill to tell lawmakers how pregnancy centers changed their lives for the better Thursday, Jan. 18, they’ll also have the opportunity to hear directly from U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, at Heartbeat International’s 16th Babies Go to Congress.

A Republican from Iowa, Sen. Ernst spoke at the 2016 and 2017 March for Life and is a key sponsor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—which ends most abortions at 20 weeks and beyond and is expected to go before the Senate the week of this year’s March for Life, Jan. 19.

Each of the four mothers participating in Babies Go to Congress overcame significant challenges to choose life in the midst of an unexpected pregnancy, thanks to the help of a locally funded and operated pregnancy center affiliated with Heartbeat International.

“We are honored to welcome Sen. Ernst to this year’s Babies Go to Congress,” Jor-El Godsey, Heartbeat International president, said. “Like pregnancy help leaders and volunteers at the local level, Sen. Ernst puts her pro-life beliefs into compassionate action. Every woman deserves the compassionate help and hope she needs to make the healthiest choice for everyone involved in an unexpected pregnancy.”

Tweet This: @joniernst to headline event #PlannedParenthood could never pull off. #prolife #whywemarch @HeartbeatIntl

An event abortion industry leader Planned Parenthood would never dream of pulling off, Babies Go to Congress has brought 155 mothers and their children into congressional offices since Heartbeat International took its initial group to the nation’s Capitol in 2009. Overall, mothers with their children in tow have visited 315 congressional offices representing 25 states.

This year’s group is made up of mothers and children from North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri and Florida. One of the mothers, Kelsey Hedges from Missouri, refused abortion when the father of her twin girls pressured her to end their lives in the womb.

Thursday, Jan. 18, Hedges and her 15-month-old daughters will tell their story to the Senate offices of Republican Roy Blunt and Democrat Claire McCaskill, as well as the House offices of Republicans Blaine Luetkemeyer and Jason Smith.

“I was in love from the moment I laid eyes on both of them,” Hedges writes. “They are such a blessing to my life, and bring so much joy to myself and the rest of my family. I thank God often for my girls and for Pregnancy Resource Center of Rolla who saved me and my pregnancy.”

Click here to learn more about the 2018 Babies Go to Congress participants and follow their journey to Capitol Hill.

7 Moms to Tell D.C. Lawmakers Why They Chose Life

"This is one event Planned Parenthood could never dream of pulling off."

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Monday | December 12, 2016
Contact: Jay Hobbs, Director of Communications and Marketing
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

COLUMBUS, OHIO – In what it hails as the most powerful pro-life event on Capitol Hill, Heartbeat International is bringing seven mothers—and their children—to Washington, D.C. this January to tell elected officials how they chose life with the help of a community-funded pregnancy center.

The event, “Babies Go to Congress,” takes place Jan. 26, the morning prior to the annual March for Life, and is Heartbeat International’s 15th such visit to the nation’s capitol since 2009. In the previous trips, 113 mothers and their children have visited a total of 265 offices—including those of both Democrats and Republicans.

In each visit, a mother who has rejected abortion with the help of a pregnancy help organization has the opportunity to tell her story, alongside both her child and the staff from the center that helped her choose life.

“This is one event Planned Parenthood could never dream of pulling off,” Heartbeat International president Jor-El Godsey said. “Pregnancy help centers empower women to make the healthiest choice for everyone involved in an unexpected pregnancy. This is a powerful platform for us to both show and tell the truth that pregnancy help centers are good for America.”

The group this year is made up of two mothers from Ohio, as well as one each from North Carolina, Missouri, Arizona, Texas and Wyoming. Though six of the mothers are bringing with them children 4 years old and younger, one mother—Nikki Pinkley from Branson, Mo.—is bringing her 14-year-old daughter to the event.

Together, Nikki and her daughter, Alexis, illustrate the positive life-long impact of that nation’s 2,600 pregnancy help centers.

Nikki was raised in the church and had recently graduated high school when she found out she was pregnant. Finding help at Options Pregnancy Clinic in Branson, she not only chose life for Alexis, but the staff at Options encouraged her to keep pursuing her education and career goals.

Today, Nikki is a closing in on a decade as a licensed professional counselor and is working on her doctoral degree in psychology.

“My hope is that every young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy will find the help she needs to face the challenges of being a single mom,” Nikki, who later married, said. “It’s not easy, but I am living proof that the future is what you make of it. Sometimes you just need someone to believe in you. I found the help I needed, plus a lot of inspiration at Options Pregnancy Clinic.”

About Heartbeat International

Heartbeat International is the first network of pro-life pregnancy help organizations founded in the U.S. (1971), and the largest network in the world. With 2,100 affiliated pregnancy help locations—including pregnancy help medical clinics (with ultrasound), resource centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies—Heartbeat serves on all six inhabited continents to provide alternatives to abortion. For more information, see www.HeartbeatInternational.org.

Capitol Hill, Get Ready to Meet Christiana

13-year-old saved from abortion to meet with law-makers at Babies Go to Congress

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Monday | December 22, 2014
Contact: Jay Hobbs, Director of Communications and Marketing
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – A little child shall lead them. This well-loved statement will get plenty of airtime this Christmas season, but the phrase may end up becoming the theme of Heartbeat International's Babies Go to Congress® when the most powerful prolife effort on Capitol Hill takes place January 22-23, 2015.

An entourage of five former pregnancy help center clients and their children, rescued from the threat of abortion, will be highlighted by 12-year-old Christiana Pablo from Bowie Crofton Pregnancy Center in Bowie, Md., who is already blossoming into an outgoing champion for the life-affirming support offered by the more than 2,400 pregnancy help organizations rescuing 3,000 babies each week in the United States alone.

Faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Christiana's mother, Victoria Chan-Pablo—only 15-years-old at the time—found the support she needed to welcome Christiana into the world at Bowie Crofton Pregnancy Center. Her eldest daughter has been joyfully repaying that debt, sparking fundraising and community-building efforts for the center, which has served over 24,500 women and families since opening its doors in 1982.

"I say that Bowie Crofton Pregnancy Center saved my daughter's life because they opened up our eyes and gave us the knowledge, the strength and the encouragement to help us carry out our decision in keeping our baby," Victoria said.

Christiana and Victoria will have a chance to tell their story to their elected congressional representatives, along with centers from Ohio (Pregnancy Decision Health Centers), North Carolina (LifeLine Pregnancy Help Center), Indiana (Matrix Pregnancy Resource Center), and Arizona (Living Hope Women's Center). It is the first time in the history of the program that North Carolina will be represented.

Since beginning the program in 2009, a total of 109 women and children representing over 50 centers have visited 222 congressional offices from 23 different states.

"It's difficult to imagine a more empowering experience for a woman than Babies Go to Congress," Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., President of Heartbeat International, said. "This is an event that drives to the very heart of what life-affirming work is all about: every mother feeling loved and supported, both during her pregnancy and into parenthood."

How You Can Make the Biggest Impact this Election Season

Mid-term election season. The idea may strike more placid acceptance than the inspiring, engaging sense of civic involvement of a presidential election year.BGTC Email adSmall

But, as champions of life with our citizenship in two worlds, even a mid-term election should call us to attention, action, and mobilization on behalf of our fellow countrymen—both born and pre-born.

This is why we make it a priority to vote our beliefs, off-year or not. We realize lives, futures, and legacies are at stake in our communities, states, and nation. These elected officials represent not only you, but your organization's staff, volunteers, donors... and clients.

In addition to your vote, your elected representatives need to know the truth. Each of them needs to hear from you and your clients—their constituents—the truth that Pregnancy Help Organizations are Good for America.

[Click here for Top 5 Benefits of Babies Go to Congress]

When a pregnancy help organization succeeds, lives are saved. That's an undeniable reality. A beautiful reality. A miracle. Something your elected representative needs to know.

That's the goal of Heartbeat's Babies Go to Congress, taking place January 20-22, 2015. It's your opportunity to sit down with your elected officials and not only tell the story of your organization's life-saving work, but—side-by-side with a client and her baby—to show the story of rescue that happens every day in organizations like yours.

Since 2009, a total of 109 women and children from over 50 organizations in 22 states have visited 222 congressional offices.

The babies are at it again January 20-22, 2015. Click here to find out how you and your organization can get involved.

Fresh from Washington D.C.

Fresh from Washington D.C.

by Peggy Hartshorn, Heartbeat International, President
(from Take Heart Volume 2, Issue 2)

I’m excited to share with you our encouraging news “fresh from Washington, D.C.”! I spent almost a week in our nation’s capital for meetings with national pro-life leaders, for the annual March for Life, and for our Babies Go To Congress™ (BGTC) event. What a magnificent week! Click here for a quick picture album of our March for Life team.

First, our BGTC was full of glory. We took several Heartbeat affiliates and their clients with babies – five Heartbeat teams totaling 27 people – to meet with to key Congressional representatives in 23 offices. We delivered the message that “pregnancy centers are good for America.” And our mothers were able to tell their stories as well and present to their elected officials a copy of the powerful report A Passion to Serve, A Vision for Life (researched by Family Research Council with the help of Heartbeat and other organizations in our movement). Walking the halls of Congress with our affiliates, mothers, and babies, was an honor and blessing for me personally.

Ripples, turning into currents, as a result of this trip will be many! Here are excerpts from a thank you letter to Heartbeat from just one of our mothers who came with her husband and baby:

“I wanted to thank you and Heartbeat International for the love and commitment to healthy babies and families you showed to me and every lady in attendance (and the thousands of others that benefit from all that Heartbeat does). I personally praise God for you!

Anthony and I experienced so much while in Washington, DC, I am still processing/taking all of it in… I am a counseling student and I will be obtaining my School Counselor Certification. After my professors heard of my pending trip and involvement in BGTC, they advised me to submit a proposal to present at this year's Illinois School Counselor Association Annual Conference… School Counselors in Chicago need to be able to "Connect the Dots" and know about community resources that their students may need.

I must share that before coming to Washington, DC I was not 100% committed to the pro-life movement. Although I do not believe in abortion and would never advise or financially back someone in their decision to get an abortion, I just was not comfortable in completely taking that right away from women either. However, I was challenged to really think about not only what I believe but WHO I believe in.”

I would estimate that about 350,000-400,000 people came to Washington for the March this year, probably the largest in recent history. Perhaps 50 percent of the Marchers were young people. A Washington Post columnist went to the March thinking he would see a “quaint” gathering with a hopeless cause. He admitted his surprise when he found otherwise! An excellent column by Cal Thomas (January 27), highlights the youth pro-life movement, and mentions TWICE the role of our pregnancy centers: “Thousands of pregnancy centers are winning a new generation to their views.”

I hope that each of you will experience in 2010 the personal “refreshment” I experienced during this intensely pro-pregnancy center week, feeling the Hand of God at work in the halls of Congress and at the March for Life. Clearly, our united labor, gifts, prayers, and strategic initiatives are winning our fellow Americans over to the truth and goodness of our Cause.

Learn more about BGTC at HeartbeatInternational.org.

Return to Take Heart Volume 2, Issue 2.

A Dozen, A Hundred, and the Power of Two

In the teeth of a bitterly cold week in Washington, D.C., Heartbeat International brought along eight moms and eight babies to deliver a single message to their elected representatives.

Their message? Pregnancy help centers are good for America!

This year’s entourage was the largest contingent Heartbeat has ever brought to the nation’s capitol, bringing the total number of moms and babies to over 100 throughout our 12 trips since we initiated Babies Go to Congress® in 2009.

While a look at big numbers like these (plus the more than 200 congressional offices we’ve visited!) certainly provides a breath-taking view of God’s goodness, no number quite drives the point home like… Two.

That’s because, every day in the pregnancy help centers, medical clinics, maternity homes, and non-profit adoption agencies Heartbeat International serves, the lives of women and their unborn children are being rescued, protected, and preserved… Two lives at a time.

Take Diana and Jaycee, for example. Single and 19, Diana felt as if her “whole world stopped” as the pregnancy test read Positive.

Afraid to tell her family and desperate to find a way out, abortion was a real option for Diana’s mind as she typed in the words, “pregnant and scared” into her Google search engine. What she found was a nearby Heartbeat affiliate pregnancy center whose after-hours phone number routed automatically to Option Line®, Heartbeat’s 24/7 pregnancy helpline (800-712-HELP).

Patiently listening to Diana’s story, the caring voice on the other end of the line helped schedule an appointment for the following week at the pregnancy help center.

In Diana’s words:

I went into (the center) knowing there were other options like an abortion and thinking that was my only way out. My thoughts of having a baby were overshadowed with unanswered questions and I felt like I had hit a dead end.

That day now four years behind her, Diana was all smiles as she shared her story with her Rhode Island congressional offices in Washington.
Of course, she didn’t come alone, as she was joined by her 3-year-old son, Jaycee, whose life was both spared and nurtured because Diana found the emotional support and practical resources she desperately needed through Option Line and Heartbeat’s network of life-saving local partners.

Like Diana, every woman facing an unexpected or difficult pregnancy desperately needs the emotional support and practical resources that only pregnancy help organizations provide.

Over 100 moms and babies thank you… Two at a time.

by Jay Hobbs, Communications Assistant

Public Impact

Spreading the good news... Pregnancy help is doing great work

Heartbeat is constantly trying to get the word out about the excellent work of pregnancy help organizations around the world. Whether it's consistently sharing recent news about pregnancy help organizations over at PregnancyHelpNews.com or sharing the real story of pregnancy centers in a world where the media is biased against them at PregnancyCenterTruth.com, we are committed to making sure that the pregnancy help movement has a voice in the public conversation.

Over at Pregnancy Help News, we share daily news, opinion, and commentary related to the pregnancy help movement and it's place in the larger pro-life movement. You can even sign up for a weekly email update of what's going on in the movement to be delivered to your inbox every Monday. Or... share a story about something new or interesting happening at your center. In other words, we want to share what you may need to know and tell your story here!

Pregnancy Center Truth is built to combat the lies told by Big Abortion about the pregnancy help movement. There, anyone can see the reality laid out clearly with studies to back up claims and sharable quick stats built for social media. It's just one way we defend the reputation of pregnancy centers around the world.

Commending the pregnancy help movement... Babies Go to Congress

Every year, Heartbeat International brings moms and their children to Washington, D.C. to remind our congressmen and women that pregnancy help centers are good for America. Babies Go to Congress, held every year close to the March for Life, shows our elected officials at the federal level the amazing way lives change with the help of grassroots organizations like yours. There's no replacement for the flesh-and-blood testimonial of a mother holding her child to show lawmakers that pregnancy centers are good for america.

A key piece of information Heartbeat International always hopes to underscore through the event is the privately funded, non-profit status of pregnancy help organizations. Unlike most meetings congressional offices hold with their constituents, there is never any request for public funds as part of the event, a fact that also stands in stark contrast to highly profitable, publicly funded abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood.

Since beginning the program in 2009, over 100 women and children representing over 50 centers have visited over 200 congressional offices.

Your center can benefit from participating in Babies Go to Congress this January. Click here for more information and take this opportunity to share during a truly historic moment in our nation's history!

Defending the life-savers... Heartbeat has your back

aoshieldOver the years, pregnancy centers have been under attack by abortion advocates from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and many others. Heartbeat International is there to both officially refute the unfounded claims (through news coverage at PregnancyHelpNews.com), and to pass along needed information to affiliates through emails, conference calls, live or recorded webinars, and more.

So wether it's a protest from "The Handmaids", a "glitter bomb" in the mail, or a campaign of false reviews on your organization online, Heartbeat International is always there to help affiliates respond appropriately.

Learn more about Heartbeat's work of defending the pregnancy help movement here. (Note: Must be a Heartbeat affiliate to access)

Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress Speaks Life to Power

Babies Go to Congress

Shelly and KireeShelly and daughter Kiree at the Capitol.

Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress in the news:

Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress® puts a face on the very divisive issue of abortion, or, more precisely, what to do with an unexpected child. This July, Heartbeat International brought its tenth group of moms and babies to our nation’s capital at a critical time to speak life to power.

Once again, God equipped those whom He called to Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress. We had four affiliates participating from California, Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas, bringing four moms, two infants, and two children. Dividing into teams, we held 14 congressional meetings in one day.

July’s Capitol Hill adventure brings our total number of participants to 150 since Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress began in January 2009.  That includes 34 affiliates from 23 states along with 86 moms and babies. We have held nearly 200 congressional meetings.

Those in attendance were thrilled with this Heartbeat event describing it as “a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

The moms involved did a fantastic job of explaining how pregnancy help organization staff and volunteers cleared away obstacles so they could welcome a new little life. Each mom, in her own engaging way, explained to her elected officials that even though there was pressure to abort her baby, the pregnancy help network made it possible to embrace motherhood.

One of the things that made this event unique is that we had a mom representing the Choctaw Nation.

Shelly Louis of Durant, Okla., not only had the opportunity to meet with her representative, but was very well received by U.S. Representative Cole, who happens to be the only Native American congressman. Shelly also met with both of her U.S. senators. Senator Coburn even took her aside and, with his hand placed affectionately on her shoulder, thanked her for choosing life for little Kiree.

Additional highlights included a meeting with Congresswoman Bachmann who shares our passion for life. Congresswoman Hartzler shared a wonderfully touching adoption story with our group. She also encouraged everyone to keep up the good work.

While the most pro-abortion administration in U.S. history promotes taxpayer sponsored abortion and mandates anti-child policies – because childlessness is cheaper – every pro-life American has a heightened responsibility to clarify the importance of providing alternatives to abortion.

Through Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress, we provide this opportunity for moms to let policy makers know that pregnancy help centers are good for America. It is our goal that U.S. lawmakers from every state understand that alternatives to abortion prevent coerced abortions.

Click here to find out how you can be considered for our next trip to Washington D.C. January 23-24, 2013.


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March 21 - The London P&I Club has highlighted a recent increase in incidents of deck cargoes shifting in heavy weather to support a recommendation that a warranty surveyor is appointed to supervise high-risk marine construction and transportation project

Paul Walton, a director with international marine consultant LOC (Hong Kong), said: "In the past year, LOC has seen many deck cargoes shifting in heavy weather. Invariably, after further investigation, it has been discovered that the stowage and securing of these cargoes did not comply with the ship's Cargo Securing Manual (CSM) or the practices laid down within the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code) or other applicable codes of safe practice.

"Such losses have prompted the view that a suitably qualified marine warranty surveyor should be recommended to attend such load-outs. This would ensure that the port captain carries out the operation correctly, and that the master is satisfied with the stowage, securing and tensioning requirements, as is his responsibility under SOLAS."

The London P&I Club says that there is a fundamental objective to employing a marine warranty surveyor to provide independent third-party technical review and approval of high-value and/or high-risk marine construction and transportation project operations, beginning at the planning stage. That is to make reasonable endeavours to ensure that the risks associated with the specified operations are reduced to an acceptable level in accordance with best industry practice.

Walton said: "By appointing an independent third-party marine warranty surveyor to review the whole operation from start to finish, carriers and charterers will reduce the high-risk factor associated with deck cargoes. The attendance of a marine warranty surveyor will ensure that the regular areas of failure within a deck stow such as poor lashing equipment, insufficient use of lashing equipment, and non-compliance with all relevant safety codes will be avoided."

Paul Walton during a marine warranty survey of ferries being loaded on deck


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March 27 - ALE has completed the transportation of 11 engines from Port Louis, Mauritius to Madagascar.

The engines, which weighed 57.2 tonnes each, were transported from the port to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport, using six axle lines of conventional trailers.

Once all the engines were delivered at the Mauritian airport they were loaded onto an Antonov AN-124 aircraft and flown to Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo, Madagascar, where they were offloaded, with assistance from Volga-Dnepr, the aircraft operator.

The next phase of the project see the units transported 36 km by road from the airport to a heavy fuel oil power station in Antananarivo. The engines will be transported using eight axle lines of self-propelled transporters (SPT), after which they will be installed using a jack and slide system.


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The Stock Market: What Was, What Is, And What Will Be – Minyanville

The Stock Market: What Was, What Is, And What Will Be – Minyanville

Editor’s Note: Todd posts his vibes in real time each day on our Buzz & Banter.

Good morning from Minyanville East, where I’m settling in after a stretch of some much-needed balance. I was off the grid in Cuba at the end of last week — someone is going to make a lot of money when the embargo is lifted — and have been playing ‘ketchup’ on the tape in my absence.

This is what I’ve garnered, in no particular order:

Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) priced at $26, opened at $45.10, rallied to $50 in short order, and retreated to close at $41.65. That little birdie is now worth a shade under $24 billion despite not yet earning a profit. I learned long ago not to buy or short on valuation alone, but the numbers are staggering as these things go.

GDP was better, but due to unusually high growth in inventories; and the non-farm payroll data was strong, although the BLS removed furloughed federal government employees from the sample set so it wasn’t a “clean” report.

The ECB cut rates, and while a ‘surprise,’ it was more psychological than structural and begs the question “why” given we’re at all-time highs in several major markets.

On Twitter Thursday, the S&P (INDEXSP:.INX) opened 10 points higher and closed 24 points lower, which was a “major daily engulfing candle” that wiped out the prior nine sessions. That pattern gave the bears a leg to stand on — it typically indicates a change in trend — but the late-day melt-up on Friday more or less negated that, or so the thinking goes.

With 35 sessions left in the calendar year, the performance anxiety is good and thick. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) is up 20% for the year, the S&P 500 is 24% higher and Nasdaq (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) is almost 30% above where it started 2013. Those returns are not too shabby and fund managers are on edge, for if they underperform their benchmark, they could be looking for a new job when the ink dries on their year-end letters.

S&P 1730 and NDX 3255 remain important technical support levels for the major averages, and until those are breached, the bulls will buy the dips with reckless abandon. You may not agree with the price action, but you should most certainly respect it; there are a lot of motivated agendas in play, from politicians to policymakers to investors and back. Manage risk rather than chase reward as we together find our way.

What Would Bennet Do?

I’ve been trading 23 years and have experienced my fair share of drama; I’m not sure I’ve ever been as exasperated as I was last week prior to my work-related yet enjoyable respite in Cuba.

It wasn’t about positioning (my risk has been managed) nor was it any one particular item. It was more of a cumulative sense of financial fatigue and what constitutes news in today’s digital age.

Last week, the biggest story making the rounds was that Goldman (NYSE:GS) economist Jan Hatzius suggested that the Fed will lower the level at which it would begin to hike rates when it meets in March. He believed the Fed will lower the employment threshold from 6.5% to 6.0%, which is effectively “easing,” if such a thing is possible given the Zero Interest Rate Policy, or ZIRP.

Taken in isolation, you may have wondered, “What’s the big deal?” When viewed in the context of $5 trillion of quantitative easing — and the increasing likelihood that the Federal Reserve will try to make all that inventory magically disappear — the imagery of officials moving the goalpost off the field, through the stands, and toward the other side of the parking lot — until such time the bears threaten to score — comes to mind.

I’m all for making money — I love it, actually — and I get that there are structural imbalances in the system that need to be addressed or otherwise rectified. What is maddening, at least to a card-carrying free-market capitalist, is that the rules of engagement continue to change in the midst of the game. And I use that term loosely — this is anything but a game.

The stock market is at all-time highs. Traders who broke the law have been tarred, feathered, and altogether hung in the public court of opinion. Credit markets are greased to the gills as corporations lock rates in for 50 years into the future. It’s Kumbaya, Festivus, and Woodstock rolled into one, with little if any semblance of perceived risk.

I hearken back to six years ago, when Bennet Sedacca and I dove deep into the topic of moral hazard. I think of Bennet often, wondering what he would say if he was around to witness the current day. We are lucky to channel him through his son Michael, who is a chip off the old block, but Bennet had a gruff honesty to him that cannot be replicated. I often ask myself, “What would Bennet Do?”

That question will remain unanswered, but we can glean wisdom from his musings, one of which is that “bailouts delay ‘Social Darwinism’ and the natural business cycle, and artificially delaying the cycle will create a more horrific final event.” This is a concept I have written about extensively and believe in my core; it’s also one that has cost me great opportunity and provided a fair share of humility.

I don’t how long ‘this’ will last (or how we’ve come so far, so fast) but unless everything we’ve ever learned about the business cycle — or cycles in general — can be erased… unless the laws of motion are being rewritten before our very eyes… we must see the other side and prepare in kind. A rising tide, in addition to lifting all boats, has the potential to create a very damaging tsunami.

Food for thought on a Monday — and I know, it won’t matter until it does. In the meantime, I’ll share some Random Thoughts for your consideration:

Random Thoughts:

How in the world does Chipolte Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) have a $16 billion market cap in an efficient market?

Can we agree that crude $50 is a lot more problematic than crude $150?

Do JC Penney (NYSE:JCP) and BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY) get interesting on the long side into year-end as funds purge them from their sheets?

I mean, didn’t bulls make money buying BlackBerry on 12/31 the last five years, if only for a trade?

Or can the same be said about most stocks?

Did Bill Ackman do his Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) stock replacement (on the short side) to free up capital? Why else would he assume so much theta?

Randolph and Mortimer Duke used to debate the bigger influence: genetics or environment. No such discussion is needed on Wall Street — the bulls are higher and the bears are lower.

One step at a time; the trick is to enjoy it.

Twitter: @todd_harrison

Follow Todd and over 30 professional traders as they share their ideas in real-time with a FREE 14 day trial to Buzz & Banter.

See the article here:

The Stock Market: What Was, What Is, And What Will Be – Minyanville

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The IP Team of Eversheds/Heinonen & Co awarded again by Managing Intellectual Property

The IP Team of Eversheds/Heinonen & Co has been chosen as the Winner of Trade Mark Contentious, Firm of the Year 2018 Finland. The selection was published at the Managing EMEA Awards 2018 ceremony in March.

Eversheds/Heinonen & Co has reached the following positions in the Managing IP 2018 rankings:

Trade mark contentious Tier 1 – Eversheds Sutherland
Trade mark prosecution Tier 1 – Heinonen & Co
Patent contentious Tier 3 – Eversheds Sutherland
Patent prosecution Tier 3 – Heinonen & Co

The Managing IP Awards are annually granted to the leading firms behind the most challenging client assignments in the field of IP by Managing Intellectual Property, the leading source of news and analysis on all intellectual property developments worldwide.

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HelloFresharrow right iconarrow right iconRecipesarrow right iconarrow right iconGü Inspirations Chocolate And Honeycomb Dessert Bundle
Gü Inspirations Chocolate and Honeycomb Dessert Bundle

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Purple Sage
Salvia officinalis 'Purpurea'
Uses: Culinary/Medicinal/Beverage/Aromatic Duration: Perennial (hardy in zones 6-9)
The main culinary varieties popular with onions for poultry stuffing and for flavouring rich meats like pork or duck. Also in homemade sausage, omelettes, cheese and bean dishes. Sage tea gargle is valuable for sore throat. Aromatic purple foliage. Used in stuffings, sausages, omelettes, soups, stews. Winter mulch.
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Stevia rebaudiana
Uses: Culinary Duration: Perennial (hardy in zones 11+)
When to Sow: Anytime Ease of Germination: Difficult
Herbal sugar substitute containing steviosides that are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar without the calories. Leaf powder can be used in place of sugar in drinks, baked goods, desserts, preserves, etc. Has a pleasant flavour of its own that never dominates or overwhelms.
P6030 Plants $7.95/ea, $19.20/3 plants
Currency: United States Dollar

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Copyright © 1997-2022 Otto Richter and Sons Limited. All rights reserved.