Q. I recently retired as a customer service specialist in the healthcare industry. I loved my work, the connection to people and feeling I made a difference. I have been slow to look for volunteer work. When I finally decided to do so, I could not find the right fit. Any suggestions? L.G Great news, you made the decision to volunteer. In addition to doing good for individuals or organizations, volunteering in later life has many personal benefits, and that’s for the volunteer. Here are a few reasons to volunteer: Promotes physical and mental health. We know aging ultimately is a declining and gradual process. Volunteering can counter the risk of decline of one’s physical health, reducing risks of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment and even mortality. That’s according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine . The National Institute on Aging reports that volunteering also can affect cognitive aging by keeping the brain engaged, thereby lowering the risk of dementia. Prevents loneliness. Social isolation is a major challenge for many older adults and is considered a public health crisis , according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Volunteering can be part of the solution by providing opportunities to socialize and even make best friends. It can support those suffering from depression. Those who volunteer report their depression is shorter compared to those who do not volunteer, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service . Provides a feeling of purpose. For many, retirement can be a period of relief and at the same time, uncertainty about one’s purpose. In the workplace, purpose typically is well defined. In retirement, not so much. Volunteering can be a reason to get up in the morning, to make a difference or have an opportunity to learn something new. It can help a person feel recharged and needed. Reduces the rate of aging. Individuals age at different rates. According to a study by Associate Professor Cal Halverson at Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, even a small amount of volunteering is linked to slowing the acceleration of biological aging among retirees, even more than for working folks. Volunteers in the study just aged a bit slower. Bridges the generation gap. Interacting with younger generations provides older adults the opportunity to share life lessons. At the same time, younger generations can offer older adults a new way of looking at life that incudes technology. Respect and affirmation are most often shared by both. Here are a few resources that promote intergenerational relationships. CoGenerate, a nonprofit organization, features new multigenerational initiatives and research. See https://cogenerate.org/ . Then there is Sages and Seekers that connects young people with vetted older mentors for weekly virtual conversations. Eldera is a global virtual village where generations come together to connect, learn from each other, have fun and at the same time, create a better future. Now ask yourself a few questions. What do I love to do? Is it working with older adults, children or those with challenges? Do I prefer an outdoor volunteer experience as opposed to spending time in an office, workroom or even remotely. Do I want a hands-on experience or working at a board or policy level?? How many hours a week or days do I want? Am I comfortable making a commitment? Most communities are rich with volunteer resources. One example is the South Bay, Harbor and Long Beach Volunteer Center. It connects volunteers to over 20 organizations that need and welcome volunteers in areas of gardening, education, those with special needs, history and the arts. Also check out Volunteer Match with opportunities linked to your geographic area. AmeriCorps Seniors , a network of volunteer programs for Americans 55 years and older, is another option. Volunteers work in their community and are engaged in academic tutoring and mentoring, elder care, disaster relief, and more. They also are the umbrella organization for the Foster Grandparent Program, RSVP and Senior Companion Program. And don’t forget to check volunteer opportunities at your local hospital, library, school district, botanical gardens as well as art museums. Use your network. If you know someone who has an interesting volunteer position or experience, meet with that individual and learn about possibilities. Finding the right volunteer position takes research, networking and more than that, it involves taking a risk. Know you have nothing to lose. One thing is clear, whatever you chose, you are bringing your life experience and knowledge with you. So, before you even begin, you are an asset. Stay well, enjoy the holiday season and know, “No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of others.” ~ Joseph Addison, English poet, playwright and politician. (1672-1719). Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com . Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity

Driving home for Christmas (or to family) in an electric car? How to avoid charging queues and top-up for less Which services are best for rapid charging? How to avoid queues? A guide By FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL Updated: 11:29, 22 December 2024 e-mail View comments The car's packed, you've taken time off work and you're about to embark on the journey to see friends and family for the festive period; it's the trip that signals Christmas is underway. But while it's a journey that should have a very happy destination and merriment at the other end, it can be a taxing annual voyage because the roads are at their very busiest. And the Christmas road landscape is rapidly changing as electric vehicle uptake increases and more and more battery-powered cars join the roads. For thousands of new EV owners, this year will be the first pilgrimage home over the festive period driving an electric car. So, what do you need to know before embarking on a festive trip in your EV and what's the best way to go about charging? Here are our tips and tricks to make sure you have the smoothest journey possible, whether you're an electric car newbie or a long-time convert. What do you need to know before embarking on a festive trip in your EV? Here are our top tips Will there to be massive queues for charging stations at Christmas? During the festive period, the number of cars on the road surges exponentially: the RAC estimates there will be 29 million leisure trips taken over peak Christmas period. And with 2024 marking the year the one millionth electric car hit the road, that means more EVs than ever will be driving home for Christmas this year. Be.EV predicts that there will be 300,000 new EV drivers on the roads this Christmas - so plenty who haven't experienced the rigors of a holiday season schlep home. And this has caused chaos in previous years. No one needs a repeat of the 2022 festive EV charging drama, when EV drivers - in particular Tesla owners - were forced to wait in three-hour queues. Luckily, this hasn't repeated since, and is highly unlikely to happen again because the EV rapid charging network has grown dramatically in the last 24 months. The ultra-rapid charging situation in England has never been better To ease a bit of pre-Christmas charging anxiety, recent research shows that ultra-rapid charger provision has grown at a particularly high rate in 2024. There were 60 per cent more ultra-rapid chargers at the end of September 2024 than there were in December 2023. Half of motorway services in England have six or more ultra-rapid chargers – and 2,300 devices have been installed already this year. The 150kW+ chargers can deliver 100 miles of range in as little as 15 minutes. Each motorway services has an average of seven 50kW+ chargers, meaning there is a total of 818 at 114 sites. Looking only at ultra-rapid chargers, there's an average of five at every services in England (595 at 114 sites). Ultra-rapid chargers have grown at a particularly high rate, with more than 2,300 installed this year. There are 60% more ultra-rapid chargers at the end of September 2024 than there were in December 2023 RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Half of motorway services now have six or more ultra-rapid... Charge anxiety overtakes range as biggest barrier to EV... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to save money on car insurance: Ten top tips to cut the cost in just a few minutes Which are the worst times to rapid charge at service stations? Days and hours to avoid around Christmas Last year, charging provider Gridserve crunched the numbers to work out the busiest times at chargers. December 23 was highlighted as a possible pinch point as families look to beat the Christmas Eve rush. Chargers are then predicted to emptier across the Christmas bank holiday, with demand jumping again on 27 and 28 December, as people head home after spending a few days with loved ones. Across its motorway public charger network, Gridserve also pinpointed 1pm as the busiest time. It says 10am is quieter, by 19 per cent, while 5pm sees demand drop against the peak by 25 per cent. Pre-9am and post-6pm is even quieter, it says. Based on these timings, if possible, it's best to plan in a motorway rapid charge either early to mid-morning, or late afternoon to ensure you can access a device almost immediately – especially if you are planning to travel on the busiest days. Which motorways are predicted to be the worst? According to Be.EV, the M1, M5, M6 and M60 all expected to face severe traffic over the festive break. The M25 anticipated to be worse off as Londoners flee the city to visit friends and relatives. 200 additional 150kW+ ultra-rapid EV chargers have been installed at motorway services in England since the beginning of the year, research from Zapmap and the RAC shows Best service stations for ultra-rapid charger provision (and the ones to avoid) There are six well-located motorway services that have more than 12 150kW+ devices: Reading, M4 east and westbound; Cobham M25; Exeter M5; Gloucester M5 northbound; and Frankley M5 southbound. The two services with the most 150kW+ chargers are Frankley on the M5 southbound, which has 28 ultra-rapid chargers, and Reading on the M4 westbound with 25. And many locations also have additional Tesla chargers. Only four service stations do not have any charging provision over 50kW at present. These include: Leicester Forest East M1 north and southbound; Sedgemoor M5 northbound; and Telford M54. Ultra-rapid chargers near the busiest service stations (so you can avoid the service station charging queue) Be.EV has compiled a list of charging hubs within ten minutes of motorway junctions for EV drivers to combat potential queues. Those heading through Manchester this Christmas can use the 16 ultra-rapid charging bays at Sale Water Park, accessible by exiting at Junction six of the M60, and 15 ultra-rapid bays at Decathlon Stockport, next to Junction one of the M60. If you’re needing to do some last minute Christmas shopping, the 10-bays of White City Retail Park is ten minutes from Junction seven of the M60, and is home to the likes of Curry’s, PC World and an M&S Food Hall. All sites are equipped with ultra-rapid Kempower chargers that can add up to 165 miles of charge in a short 20-minute stop. Be.EV has compiled a list of charging hubs within ten minutes of motorway junctions for EV drivers to combat charging queues If drivers are looking to charge on their way through Birmingham, then they can venture ten minutes from the M6 to BP Pulse’s NEC East 40-bay ultra-rapid charging hub. Drivers taking the M6 all the way up to Carlisle can find eight ultra-rapid charging bays available to use at IMO Carlisle, which is minutes from Junction 44. Further south, along the M25, there are ultra-rapid charging bays in Cobham, Watford, Waltham Abbey, Chafford Hundred, Dunton Green and Redhill - all within a ten minute drive of their respective motorway exits. On the M1, Leicester has three ultra-rapid charging hubs within minutes of Junction 21, and for those driving as far North as Nottingham, there are two hubs a short drive from Junction 26. Just past Nottingham, the IMO Car Wash in Alfreton is host to eight ultra-rapid charging bays, whilst those travelling through Sheffield can head towards the Charging Hub at Parkway Central Retail Park with nine ultra-rapid charging bays. Here, drivers can grab a coffee at nearby Starbucks, or a bite to eat at Burger King or Greggs before heading back on the road. What is the correct EV charging etiquette? Rule one: Never jump the queue. Even when you've planned ahead there can be a line of people waiting, especially during peak time, so be patient and and polite - i.e. treat your charging neighbour as you'd want to be treated. This is especially the case as there's no real queuing system. Rule two: don't hog bays Once your EV is charged move it as soon as possible, or even better be there as it reaches full charge so you can take it off as soon as it's done. Check your app so you keep an eye on it and if you're leaving it for a while you can always leave a note. Charging speed slows after 80 per cent so if there's a big queue or someone waiting consider pushing on and topping up again if you need rather than going to 100 per cent. Tesla Supercharger Membership is now open to non-Tesla EV owners, who'll now be able to benefit from the same cheaper kWh charging rate as Tesla owner Read More Best public EV charging - these are the operators with the most reliable devices across Britain The Tesla Supercharger network is now open to non-Tesla EVs Two years ago, Tesla opened up 15 of its Supercharger network sites to non-Tesla drivers in the UK. This year, another 27 sites were added - meaning 477 Superchargers are now open to non-Tesla cars. And Tesla has also for the first time opened its Supercharger network membership up to non-Tesla EVs. Since 13 April, all electric vehicle (EV) owners (Tesla or non-Tesla) have been able to access lower rates with Supercharger Membership, a nd the monthly membership cost has been slashed from £10.99 to £8.99. Until this announcement non-Tesla EV drivers had to pay a higher kilowatt-hour price for charging than Tesla Supercharger members (£2 per month more expensive), but EVs with CCS charging could still top-up at these sites. Plan your charging stops and check live availability on charging apps These days it's not necessary to religiously plan your route with charging stops scheduled because the rapid and ultra-rapid charger network on motorways is so well stocked with devices. And because almost all new electric cars have satnavs that will plan your journey with charging stops en route, the work is done for you. However, at Christmas it's sensible to have a couple of alternative charging options earmarked just so you have a backup if you turn up and there's a rush. But crucially don't forget to use either your EV's onboard system to give you live updates or apps like Zapmap that show you in real time whether a charger is in use or not - that way you can see before you pull in and adjust accordingly. One or two trips with 100 per cent won’t be enough to hurt battery health but will give you that extra piece of mind Ignore the 80% charge limit and charge your battery to 100% It’s well drilled into EV drivers to only charge to 80 per cent usually to extend battery life, but on this occasion its worth ditching that rule and charging to 100 per cent. To get as much range as possible out of your car, and to avoid having to stop and charge during the busy period, then it’s worth it to charge all the way and have a full battery. One or two trips with 100 per cent won’t be enough to hurt battery health but will give you that extra piece of mind. Pre-condition your EV's cabin while it finishes charging to save range This is one of the easiest ways to save charge. Many electric cars have pre-conditioning modes which allow you to set the cabin temperature of your EV while it finishes charging and whack on the heated seats or steering wheel so it's as toasty as possible before you unplug and set off. You can also defrost the windows in this way. Share or comment on this article: Driving home for Christmas (or to family) in an electric car? How to avoid charging queues and top-up for less e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.London, Dec. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pixalate , the global market-leading ad fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform, today released the Q3 2024 Global Invalid Traffic (IVT) and Ad Fraud Benchmark Report . The report analyzes the invalid traffic (IVT, including ad fraud) rates for programmatic advertising on desktop and mobile websites, mobile apps, and CTV. In addition to the Q3 2024 global report, Pixalate released IVT benchmarks for the U.S., Canada, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, China, Japan, Singapore, and India. Key Findings: Global CTV traffic had the highest IVT rate (23%) , followed by mobile apps (23%) and web (14%), according to Pixalate’s data CTV IVT rate +44% YoY Mobile App IVT rate +30% YoY Web IVT rate +7% YoY An estimated $1.5B of programmatic mobile app ad spend and $1.4B of programmatic CTV ad spend were lost due to invalid traffic (IVT) and ad fraud, according to Pixalate’s data and estimates Safari had the highest IVT rate for desktop web traffic (30%), compared to 13% for Google Chrome, per Pixalate’s data Google Play Store apps have a 25% IVT rate, compared to Apple App Store apps at 16%, according to Pixalate’s data IVT Benchmarks in Programmatic Advertising in APAC IVT Benchmarks in Programmatic Advertising in EMEA IVT Benchmarks in Programmatic Advertising in LATAM IVT Benchmarks in Programmatic Advertising in North America To compile this research, Pixalate's data science team analyzed 100+ billion global programmatic advertising impressions in Q3 2024. The report benchmarks IVT and ad fraud across these devices and platforms by various criteria, including country, device type, app category, and app-ads.txt files. Pixalate's datasets — used exclusively to derive these insights — consist predominantly of buy-side open auction programmatic traffic sources. Download all of Pixalate’s Ad Fraud Benchmarks Reports Global United States Canada United Kingdom Germany France Spain Mexico Brazil China Japan Singapore India About Pixalate Pixalate is a global platform for privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and data intelligence in the digital ad supply chain. Founded in 2012, Pixalate’s platform is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is MRC-accredited for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). www.pixalate.com Disclaimer The content of this press release, and the Q3 2024 Global Invalid Traffic (IVT) & Ad Fraud Benchmark Report (the "Report"), reflects Pixalate's opinions with respect to factors that Pixalate believes can be useful to the digital media industry. Any data shared is grounded in Pixalate’s proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate’s opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees. Pixalate is sharing this data not to impugn the standing or reputation of any entity, person or app, but, instead, to report findings and trends pertaining to programmatic advertising activity in the time period studied. Pixalate does not independently verify third-party information. Per the Media Rating Council (MRC) , “‘Invalid Traffic’ is defined generally as traffic that does not meet certain ad serving quality or completeness criteria, or otherwise does not represent legitimate ad traffic that should be included in measurement counts. Among the reasons why ad traffic may be deemed invalid is it is a result of non-human traffic (spiders, bots, etc.), or activity designed to produce fraudulent traffic.” IVT is also sometimes referred to as “ad fraud.” Per the MRC , “'Fraud' is not intended to represent fraud as defined in various laws, statutes and ordinances or as conventionally used in U.S. Court or other legal proceedings, but rather a custom definition strictly for advertising measurement purposes.”

Venezia’s Gaetano Oristanio had a goal disallowed on Sunday for what is arguably one of the closest offside calls that Serie A has ever seen. The offensive midfielder set up Francesco Zampano’s opener in the first half and thought to have doubled his side’s lead shortly after the break, only to see his net disallowed due to an offside position from his teammate Joel Pohjanpalo. Referees needed the help of technology to make the right call with images from the SAOT (Semi-Automatic Offside Technology) showing that a stud of Pohjanpalo’s trailing boot was beyond the last Cagliari defender when the Finnish striker received the ball with his back to goal, before giving it to Oristanio. A youth product of Inter with a stint at Cagliari last season, the 22-year-old had refused to celebrate the goal scored against his former side before understanding it was ruled out. È stato annullato un gol al Venezia per un fuorigioco di tacchetto. Ora ditemi voi se si possono decidere partite da lotta retrocessione (ma anche eventualmente per scudetto o coppe europee) per fuorigioco così...🤷🏻🤷🏻 — ComeFosseAntani♏️ (@niccoristo) However, defender , with the visitors failing to complete a late comeback despite Leonardo Pavoletti’s goal."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.

Alex Berenguer prodded the hosts ahead after 53 minutes before Mbappe – who failed to convert a Champions League penalty against Liverpool last week – sent his kick too close to Bilbao goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. Jude Bellingham appeared to have rescued a point for Real after scoring for the fourth successive league game 12 minutes from time. 📸 PORTERAZO. JULEN, JULEN! JULEN JULEN! 🦁 — Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) But Federico Valverde’s mistake two minutes later gifted Gorka Guruzeta the winner in front of a delirious San Mames crowd. On a busy night of second-round Copa del Rey action, Villarreal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Pontevedra while there were wins for Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia. Fiorentina went out of the Coppa Italia to Empoli on penalties on an emotional night at Stadio Artemio Franchi. Viola were back in action after Edoardo Bove’s health scare forced their weekend league fixture with Inter Milan to be abandoned during the first half. Midfielder Bove collapsed on the pitch and required emergency medical treatment. He was taken to hospital but regained consciousness in intensive care. Esposito's penalty books Empoli's place in the next round 💪 — Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) Empoli led at half-time through Emmanuel Ekong’s fourth-minute opener before Moise Kean and Riccardo Sottil put Fiorentina ahead. Sebastiano Esposito struck 15 minutes from time to make it 2-2 and take the last-16 tie into extra time, Empoli eventually winning 4-3 on penalties. Benjamin Sesko opened the scoring and Luis Openda struck twice as RB Leipzig brushed aside Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 in the German DFB Pokal. Second-half goals from Denis Vavro, Jonas Wind and Yannick Gerhardt saw Wolfsburg beat Hoffenheim 3-0. Cologne knocked out Hertha Berlin 2-1 after extra time with Dejan Ljubicic converting a penalty in the final seconds, while Augsburg prevailed 5-4 on penalties against Karlsruhe after a 2-2 draw.