East Lake December, Vol. 11, Issue 12 Tampa Bay News and Lifestyles by Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles Magazine

Vol. 11, Issue 12, December 2018

Your community. Your magazine.™

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 18,000 Homes In Trinity & Surrounding Areas

This Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To: Anchorage, Bay Arbor, Boot Ranch, Brookers Landing, Crescent Oaks, Cypress Cove, Cypress Lakes Estates, Cypress Run, Cypress Trails, Deer Hollow, Grey Oak, Eagle Cove, Eagle’s Cove at Lake Tarpon, Eagle Ridge, Eagle Trace, Eagle Watch, East Lake Oaks, East Lake Woodlands, Hunters Wood, Keystone Bluffs, Keystone Palms, Keystone Ranchettes, Lansbrook, Lansbrook Village, Meadow Ridge, Nature’s Watch, Oak Hill Acres, Pine Ridge, Regina Estates, Ridgemoor, Tarpon Woods, Wentworth, Whispering Lakes, Woodfield

See how so many are getting in the shape of their lives through Rejuvenation Medicine at NRC! By Tom Bostock

If you can’t answer the question, “are you a better version today of your former 20-year-old self,” with a resounding “yes,” you should seriously consider visiting National Rejuvenation Centers in Palm Harbor. If you are over 40, female or male, and your “get up and go” has “got up and went” and you’re not sure where

it can be found, this is definitely the place for you to get that spring back in your step through the proven, state of the art methods employed by Dr. Kerr and his staff of medical professionals based upon the latest and most respected medical research, studies and techniques. According to Dr. See “NRC” on page 28

Matt T (above) lost over 41 pounds and 21% body fat in under 4 months!

East Lake Insurance and Taxes: Customizable Options to Meet all Your Insurance & Tax Needs By Lisa Stephens

If your holiday wish list includes a new insurance carrier, look no further than East Lake Insurance and Taxes. Agency owner, Besne Ceylan has an early “gift” for you! Because her agency is an Independent Agency, she and the staff at East Lake Insurance and Taxes offer See “ELIT” on page 20

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the Editor..............................5 River Cruising and Golf..................6 Tampa Bay’s Christmas Town™....8-9 Grout Tech...............................10-11 SAT/ACT Improvement...........12-13 Urologist Dr. Paul Arnold........16-17 Tech Talk with Bob........................18 Epilepsy Services Foundation......24 Christmas Tree Cookies...............26

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I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! With the holidays comes the pure joy of spending quality time with family and friends, often those that live far away. For my husband Matthew and I, this will be our first time hosting a Christmas party at our new home in Tarpon Springs. I personally love spending time with my relatives, I love Christmas and I love cooking, so I jumped at the chance to have everyone over for this magical Holiday. Little did I know what I was getting myself into! I knew we would have to entertain a lot of people since my husband has a big, wonderful family, but I was not counting on having some of my own relatives fly all the way from Italy and others from Venezuela so they could come and spend the Holidays with us. What an unexpected, nerve wrecking blessing! Add my sister’s husband’s family that’s coming down from Maine and my sister in law’s husband’s Cuban family to the mix, and we have around 51 guests coming over and one big MULTICULTURAL CHRISTMAS PARTY in the making! My mom and I are coming up with a “multicultural” Christmas menu. It will include pulled pork, beans, rice and fried plantains (Cuban/ Venezuelan), Seafood/Lobster (Maine), Lasagna / Pasta (Italy)

and many different kinds of desserts! There will be something for everyone to enjoy. I have slowly started buying some Christmas decorations, prepping the guest rooms and bathrooms, I’m also waiting on some quotes to rent some tables and chairs, and I am calling my friend Brandon from Mosquito Hunters so he can send his team to spray our backyard. We don’t want anyone getting bit by those little suckers. It’s been over a decade since I spent the Holidays with some of these relatives, and it will be the very first time our families are meeting each other. A lot has changed in the past 10 years... we’ve lost quite a few loved ones, but we’ve gained well over 50 amazing relatives! Incredible people from different generations, backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnicities interacting with one another, telling stories, sharing laughs and making new, beautiful memories… that’s what the Holidays

are all about. Christmas should not be about lavish gifts, the best gift of all is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. Before I wrap up, I want to say Happy Birthday to my cousin Jose Francisco! Jose is turning 23 on Christmas day, so we’re having a cake to celebrate not only Jesus’ birthday but Jose’s as well. Jose Francisco has always been like a brother to me, he was the one who flew from Italy back in September 2017 to walk me down the aisle at Sacred Heart church, after my father unexpectedly passed away a couple of months before our wedding day. Happy Early Birthday Jose! I love you a lot! The memories you make with the ones you love is not just an important thing, it’s everything! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Tampa Bay News and Lifestyles! Carla Selby.

River Cruising and Golf – A Great Combination!!! Save the date: February 28th, 2019

AmaWaterways Is an amazing river cruise company. You may not have heard about them because they don’t advertise like some of the other cruise lines but Berlitz actually rates their ships as the best in the industry. Ama Waterways does river cruises all over the world and now they have started a great golf program that combines the beauty of the Danube River with some of the world’s nicest golf courses along the way! They are offering their golf program on one of their newest ships and there are plenty of non-golf activities in all the beautiful ports in case your traveling partner doesn’t like golf as much as you do! Imagine golfing at worldclass courses in different countries all on one trip.

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Imagine not having to organize tee times, transportation, club cleaning and so on. Imagine having your favorite luxury hotel follow you wherever you go with everything you need for the perfect vacation. AmaWaterways has created a match made in heaven to enable you to do just that— luxury river cruising and golf. AmaWaterways’ Exclusive Concierge Golf Program includes 7 nights on board our newest and most innovative ship to date, AmaMagna, sailing along the iconic Danube and taking you to some of Europe’s most prestigious golf courses. With this seamless golfing experience, guests are transferred from ship to course and back by private luxury Mercedes. Once on the course, you need only golf and enjoy—your tee time, practice balls and golf cart are

prepared in advance, and after your round enjoy lunch in the course clubhouse. When it’s time to transfer back to the AmaMagna, your clubs will be cleaned and ready for the next course on your golf adventure. In addition to the wonderful selection of experiences and amenities available during your river cruise, both on board and ashore, our Exclusive Concierge Golf Program provides a seamless golfing experience from the moment you arrive to the moment you

bid us farewell. Pinnacle Travel has now partnered with Expedia Cruiseshipcenters to be able to offer you great travel promotions. Please come join us for an enlightening travel talk with AmaWaterways to learn about all the wonderful river cruise itineraries they have to offer. The presentation is February 28th from 6p-7:30p. Please call us at 727-330-2040 to RSVP for this talk as seating is limited.

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IT’S CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY AT BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY’S CHRISTMAS TOWN™

Experience the joy and wonder of the holiday season every day at Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay’s Christmas Town™. New this year, guests can enjoy millions of twinkling lights, Christmas shows and Sing-ALong Train, and of course visits

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with Santa and Rudolph® - now EVERY DAY of the season - now through Dec. 31. Christmas Town features extended hours on weekends and additional select dates with even more new experiences, including an all-new holiday show, indulgent culinary

treats, visits to Rudolph’s® Winter Wonderland, nighttime experiences on Florida’s best thrill rides and so much more. Christmas Town is included with any daily admission or annual pass, and is open until 10 p.m. on select dates.

There is so much to experience and see during Christmas Town. New this year at Dragon Fire Grill is the holiday spectacular “Christmas Is...” featuring contemporary music that celebrates seasonal traditions. The new show joins

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a festive line-up of returning favorite shows including Christmas on Ice, Elmo’s Christmas Wish, the Holiday Hills Band, Carol of the Bells light show and the Christmas Town Sing-A-Long Train. The NEW Brunch with Santa is a Christmas-themed dining experience that’s perfect for the entire family. Adults can enjoy unlimited mimosas or “build your own Bloody Mary” upgrades, and everyone can

delight in a menu bursting with delicious holiday delicacies. No Christmas celebration is complete without a visit from St. Nick and guests will have the opportunity to take a photo with Santa as part of their experience. Brunch with Santa is available at the Serengeti Overlook Restaurant on select dates beginning Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come early with the whole family and make Christmas Town

the unforgettable backdrop for your holiday card! Santa will be awaiting your visit at Santa’s House presented by Coca-Cola®. Additional amazing photo opportunities are around every corner: the enchanting twinkling light tunnel leading into Stanleyville, all your favorite characters at Rudolph’s® Winter Wonderland, Ice and Poinsettia princesses along pathways, larger-than-life Cookie Monster® and Elmo® nutcracker figures along the Sesame Street® Safari of Fun walkway, and playful penguins at the holiday-themed Penguin Point. Guests will discover even more merriment in the Christmas Town Village, celebrating the season in a new location. Greeted by friendly snowmen, guests will be immersed in festive fun along the Gwazi pathway, including merry merchandise and tasty holiday treats. In this enchanting realm, little ones can even take a ride on the fan-favorite Jingle Bell Express miniature train. Indulge in winter whiskey and wine tastings while completing your holiday shopping with unique

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gifts from artisans around the world at the Artisan Market at Xcursions and around the park. For a gift that gives all year, shoppers can select a new Busch Gardens Annual Pass with benefits to enjoy exciting events, world-class coasters, and up-close animal encounters. From Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, guests can select the pass with perks they want most – all with no down payment. For a limited-time, Busch Gardens Annual Passes start as low as $9.99 per month for Florida residents. In 2019, Pass Members can look forward to unique benefits, the park’s 60th anniversary celebration and exclusive ride time for the spring opening of Tigris, Florida’s tallest launch coaster. For complete event information, including dates, times and packages, visit ChristmasTown.com. Be the first to know about events, special deals and future announcements by following Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s blog and social media channelson Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Grout Tech - Your Tile and Grout Specialist!

By Katie Thomas

Grout Tech is a family owned business serving Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties. Grout Tech specializes in cleaning and sealing tile and grout, re-coloring grout, recaulking showers and tubs, and repairing grout and broken tiles. Throughout the years, Grout Tech has grown through its many referrals from happy customers. People really appreciate that Grout Tech saves them time and money, but it is the excellent service provided that has really helped this business grow. You may think you need an entire new floor due to broken tiles or just overall dinginess, but Grout Tech asks you to consider saving money and time by using their cleaning and repair services. Grout Tech can renew existing grout and tile to its original beauty by cleaning and maintaining the tile and grout lines. John Cole and his wife

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were ready to re-tile their entire bathroom before calling BJ at Grout Tech. John shared, “Our bathroom tile was over 40 years old it was looking grungy and very dull. We called Grout Tech and we are extremely pleased with our results! We saved so much money by having the grout in our shower resurfaced and the tile cleaned and it looks brand new.” Before you spend thousands of dollars remodeling and re-tiling your bathroom or kitchen be sure to call Grout Tech for a FREE estimate on cleaning or repairing old dingy tile and grout. Grout Tech can breathe new life into your existing tile work, making everything shine like new at a fraction of the cost. The floors in our homes, especially in heavy foot traffic areas such as the kitchen and bathrooms, take a daily beating. After a few years, they just aren’t as beautiful as they once were. To renew the dull back to beautiful, Grout Tech works with you to find

Before out what fits your budget and which services will get you the most bang for your buck. Because grout is a porous material, trying to remove stains is seemingly impossible. Grout Tech owner BJ explains, “Color sealing grout lines is one of the many services we offer and it is definitely the most effective way to create a perfect, new look.” Using a step-by-step process, Grout Tech begins by using a

After cleansing product to remove all bacteria and surface dirt with special machinery. They will then apply a color seal (of your choice). Once the sealer is applied the grout lines will be permanently protected from any stains. The color seal also guarantees against cracking, chipping and peeling. Additionally, they will also cosmetically fix or replace chipped or cracked tiles, making your bathroom or kitchen tile like

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Before new again. BJ from Grout Tech is happy to set your appointment, come out and give you a free estimate. She stresses, “It is important for me to be respectful of our customers’ time so I will always arrive at the time we set.” In addition to always arriving in a timely manner, BJ says that they can keep their prices low because they are a family owned

After business and not a franchise. She explains, “What many people don’t understand is that franchises are often forced to charge more for their services because they have to maintain their franchise fees, but not with Grout Tech.” Not only does Grout Tech keep its rates competitive, but the company will also honor any other quote as long as it is in writing. Carla Bartow, a satisfied

customer, shares her experience, “When BJ came out to give us a quote, she looked at the job and I could tell immediately that she knew what she was talking about. We had our family room, kitchen and dining room re-grouted. They also re-grouted the tub, shower and base of our toilet in our bathroom. They were fantastic! Not only were they professional and reliable but they also completed the job much faster than we had anticipated.” Repeat customer John C. says, “I had Grout Tech come out to my place three years ago. The service was excellent and the price was great too. I recently rehired Grout Tech to come out to complete my other two bathrooms, which they’ll begin working on in June. I chose Grout Tech once again because their professionalism and skill is unbeatable.” Another satisfied client, John F. says, “My wife and I had a bad experience with a grout service company we hired off Craigslist. The work was terrible and they lacked professionalism. My wife found Grout Tech and we

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were so happy the connection was made. Grout Tech worked miracles on our floors and solved all our grout and tile problems. They performed work for us back in 2014. We loved that they were great with our pets and felt really comfortable having them in our home working. We hired them again in 2016 due to their excellent service and we were again completely satisfied with the service they provided. I wouldn’t consider using any company other than Grout Tech.” If you need assistance in cleaning and sealing tile and grout, re-coloring grout, recaulking showers and tubs, and repairing grout and broken tiles - Grout Tech is at your service! If you are tired of scrubbing until your hands are sore trying to clean stained, old grout, call Grout Tech today! It is amazing just how much better your bathroom and kitchen areas look with crisp, clean grout lines! To find out more about Grout Tech’s services or for a free estimate call BJ at 727-7686828.

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SAT AND ACT IMPROVEMENT: BRIGHT FUTURES By Dr. Wayne Adams As we move into the holidays, soon seniors will have completed and submitted most, if not all, of their college applications with their SAT and ACT scores. Some may be delaying to take the SAT again and “cherry pick” the top scores from multiple exams and submit them as if they were achieved in one exam (yes, you can do this if you know how). About this time, I receive many phone calls about seniors whose parents want them to qualify for Bright Futures at one of the two levels. This is affectionately called, “Dialing for Dollars” because qualifying can mean from $18,000+ to $24,000+ over four years at a public university in Florida. In addition, having this backup gives more ability to negotiate

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with private universities. The major reason students do not qualify for Bright Futures is the SAT or ACT Score. The SAT required level is 1170 for the 75% Bright Futures level, and 1290 for the 100% level. The ACT required level is 26 for the 75%, and 29 for 100%. About this time, many juniors start preparing for the next ACT and/or SAT because these exams are graded on a curve and, in my opinion, the competition is not as strong. My students normally score 15 percentiles higher on one or the other of these exams. The problem is we cannot really predict until they have prepared for and taken both. Sometimes the preference is clear from prior test scores, but not always. So I have a combination class that saves 15 class hours from preparing separately for the

SAT and ACT. About 75% of my students prefer the ACT, and 25% prefer the SAT. This depends on their academic background, how they think, and test taking aptitudes. Sometimes a student is very strong in one area, and

clearly weaker in the other. For this situation, I do “skill strengthening” where we focus on the weak area to bring it up as much as possible. One recent example is a student who came with an SAT score of 1410, the verbal score combination

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was 740, and the math 670. We concentrated on the math with a little “technique and maintenance”. A few days ago I received a nice e mail from that student letting me know he had scored a 770 on verbal and 770 on math for a 1540. Sometimes a student simply has difficulty taking standard exams. Several years ago I had a student who could not pass the FCAT, her best ACT score was 14, and she had to score an 18 on the last ACT exam to graduate with her senior class. Here major impediment was that she processed information too slowly for a timed exam, but could do quite well with enough time. But her parents had not gotten her extra time on the exam, so we had what we had. She learned how to quickly identify questions she could quickly answer, skip those that required more time, and use a guessing strategy that maximized here statistical

probabilities of getting the correct answer. She scored a 20 on the ACT, and graduated. Every student I have is special. They come to me with different combinations of academic background, test savvy, personality, and other elements. Part of my job is to quickly assess how to help each student do their best, and then help them to achieve their best possible scores. And I am as proud of the young lady who went from 14 to 20 as I am of the young man who went from 1410 to 1540 not because of their scores, but because they did their best given the time and the priorities they had. If you would like to talk further with me about you student, please call me at 727253-0639 or send an e mail to wwa0811@mykolab.com. December and January are good months to prepare for the first ACT and SAT exams of the spring.

Dr. Wayne Adams is one of the leading SAT and ACT tutors in the country. His students normally improve 200 – 350 points on the Writing, Reading, Writing and Essay, and Math, and 4 – 7 points on the ACT composite. They have been admitted to eight of the top ten universities in the country, eighteen of the top twenty-five, and many schools in Florida. These schools include Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, U Chicago, Duke, U Penn, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Notre Dame, Emory, UC Berkley, UCLA, USC, UNC (Chapel Hill), University of Virginia, NYU, Northeastern (Boston), Boston College, Georgia Tech, Air Force and Merchant Marine Service Academies, Penn State, Purdue, Ohio State, LSU, Auburn, UF, U Miami, FSU, USF, UCF, Palm Beach Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, FIU, New College of Florida, Stetson, and Julliard – Manhattan - New England

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- and Berkley Conservatories of Music. Many have received academic, athletic, or music scholarships. This year, he also tutored three juniors who scored at the national merit finalist/ semi-finalist levels on the most recent PSAT. He is a former Dean of a Graduate School of Business and Full Professor, and began college teaching at the University of Maryland in 1968. He has degrees and advanced studies at Harvard, Yale, Vanderbilt, Columbia International, and Luther Rice. His additional publications to help his high school students also include How To Write College Application Essays Colleges Will Love (104 pages), How To Survive And Thrive Your First Semester At A Secular University, and How To Negotiate With Colleges (that has saved families from $1,000 to $10,000 a year in college costs).

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Palm Harbor Urologist Dr. Paul Arnold Introduces New Prostate Cancer Therapy To Bay Area Residents Palm Harbor urologist Dr. Paul Arnold has been specializing in treating prostate cancer for nearly two decades. Based at Florida Hospital North Pinellas where he recently served as Chief of Staff and his own clinic located in Palm Harbor, Dr. Arnold has recently become one the country’s select surgeons licensed to practice HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound), a groundbreaking minimally invasive outpatient procedure for the treatment of prostate cancer. “What attracted me to HIFU is the minimally invasiveness of the technology, and how it represents an effective cancer control that addresses the biggest fears of men have in undergoing the more traditional treatments such as incontinence or lack of

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sexual fitness.” Dr. Arnold first came to discover HIFU nearly a decade ago when he was among the first urologists to train using the new technology offshore prior to the procedure’s FDA approval. During those early years, Dr. Arnold successfully treated over 40 patients using HIFU. “When you compare HIFU to other conventional therapies that are available, you have an effective cancer control therapy that allows men to live without devastating side-effects like incontinence and impotency that can result from more traditional surgery or radiation options. It’s an outpatient procedure with minimal postoperative pain or discomfort,” he says. A Florida native, Dr.

Dr. Paul Arnold Arnold received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of South Florida and his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, Gainesville. He went on to The Ohio State University

where he served as a Surgical Resident and Urology Resident before returning to his home state to begin his practice. Dr. Arnold encourages men to get screened at least annually once they turn 50, and especially if there is a family history of prostate cancer. “Over the last several years it has become easier to screen patients for prostate cancer. I will reiterate that prostate cancer is the most common diagnosed cancer in males outside of skin cancer, and the third most common cause of death. That said, prostate cancer is very important for any man over the age of 50.” Cleared by the FDA for prostate tissue ablation in October 2015, HIFU is a noninvasive treatment that uses

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sound waves to heat and destroy tissue in the prostate, including cancerous tissue. It is a one-time, outpatient procedure that allows men to return to their normal lifestyle within a few days. Dr. Arnold uses the Sonablate device for HIFU procedures, recognized as the most precise device for prostate cancer available and the only device that can deliver a completely customized treatment for each patient. The Sonablate software helps physicians locate the precise location of nerves responsible for a man’s potency so they can avoid them during the treatment. Additionally, the rates of incontinence with HIFU are extremely low. Because Dr. Arnold has been working with HIFU patients for many years, he knows how to select the best candidates for the procedure. “HIFU candidates are those that are in the early stages of the disease and

are nonmetastatic, where the cancer has not spread from the primary site where it started to other places in the body,” he observes. While there is a limit to the size of a prostate that can be treated with HIFU, Dr. Arnold applies other surgical and medical treatments to reduce the size of the prostate to make the patient a candidate for the procedure. He also turns to HIFU as an FDA-approved procedure for salvage therapy, when prior cryotherapy or radiation failure occurs. “HIFU has shown itself to be a very effective treatment as a follow-up procedure and is covered by Medicare and other insurances as salvage therapy.” Dr. Arnold pointed to a recently-completed European multicenter study that demonstrates how HIFU has achieved success rates similar to more traditional prostate cancer surgical procedures while at the same time

significantly exceeding surgery in the areas of side effects, including complete pad-free urinary continence and erectile function. Conducted over a 5-year follow-up period, the study of 625 medium to high-risk clinically significant nonmetastatic prostate cancer patients reports failure free survival at one, three, and five years was 99%, 92%, and 88% respectively, equivalent to that achieved with surgery. In addition, the study reveals that 98% of men maintained pad-free urinary continence after their procedure and 85% maintained erectile function, both significant improvements over that seen with surgery and radiation therapy.

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With a patient success rate of over 95 percent, Dr. Arnold is quick to list the benefits of HIFU, including effective cancer control, the ability to maintain erections, minimal to no incontinence, fast recovery and no post-operative pain. “I have worked with prostate cancer patients for nearly 20 years and have seen everything in the way of treatment options and related side effects. That is why I am so excited to be able to offer men a less invasive treatment option with significantly reduced side effects.” Appointments can be arranged with Dr. Arnold by calling his Palm Harbor clinic at 727-771-0600.

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Tech Talk with Bob: SSD’s...The Gift of Speed

When computers first came out, we were all amazed by the cool things they could do. Over the years, computers could do more and more. Today we are not amazed as much as what tasks computers can do but how quickly they can do them. Typically, what has been done in the past is to speed the computer up by replacing its central processing unit (CPU) with a faster one and/or adding more random access memory (RAM). Those methods are still used today. But now we have another option to speed up our computers… the solid-state drive (SSD). Your programs and data are stored on the computer’s HDD which is comprised of mechanical parts and electronics. A SSD is comprised of only electronics so it is not subject to the physical constraints of having mechanical parts. The HDD has spinning platters that hold your data and a read/write head that

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transfers data back and forth to the platters (similar to a record player’s platter and tone arm). The HDD’s moving mechanical parts make the HDD’s response time slower than a SSD. Which in turn makes your waiting time for a program to boot up or a file to load considerably longer. A computer with a SSD will serve up those files and programs much faster. I always get asked, “how fast?” I hate to put myself on the spot because everyone will experience different results. I will tell you this. My computer boots up four times faster

with a SSD than it did with a HDD. Everyone that I know who upgraded from a HDD to a SSD were amazed with the performance increase and were happy they decided to upgrade. In addition to being fast, SSDs are lighter than HDDs because SSDs do not have the HDD’s mechanical parts. Instead, SSDs use microchips similar to the well-known flash drive. No moving parts also means that SSDs do not generate any noise or vibrations that the HDD’s spinning platters are known to produce. SSDs also create less heat where HDDs can get very hot. Another benefit is SSDs are durable. The HDD is one of, if not, the most fragile component in your computer. HDDs are susceptible to damage caused by the computer being dropped or banged around when it is moved. SSDs can tolerate a greater impact; a real benefit to laptop users. SSDs also consume less energy. Another major

benefit for laptop users because battery life will increase. How much? My battery life doubled on my laptop. Again, your results may vary. If you are looking to increase your loading speeds or want more battery time between charges, this is one of those rare times when you can have the best of both worlds. Be advised that SSDs cost more than HDDs but most people have found them to be a worth-while investment in their computing experience. Have a tech question? Email it to TechTalk-TBNL@ BobTheComputerGuy.NET. Questions will be selected by the popularity of a topic and answered in this column. If you have a more urgent need or have a unique situation you may schedule an appointment with one of my Professionally Certified Technicians by calling 727-534-4000. Until next time, stay safe on the internet!

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“ELIT”-

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multiple lines of insurance from multiple agencies. “We are not obligated to offer one company,” she explained. This enables her to select the best level of coverage from the company that best suits her client’s needs. After working in the industry for another company, she saw the limitations that an exclusive agency faced. “I wanted to offer more options for my clients,” she explained. Besne opened East Lake Insurance and Taxes in 2017. She shared that she and husband joke that 2017 was a lazy year since she had given birth in 2015, 2016 and 2018! “The year I didn’t give birth to a child, I decided to give birth to

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my business,” she said. In an effort to provide options to her clients, Besne offers auto, home and property insurance. And it doesn’t end there! She can also provide insurance coverage for flood, life, business, boat and other recreational items. Keeping all your insurance needs with one agency eliminates a lot of hassle trying to keep up with different agents covering different policies for you. And the ability to select different companies with just one agent makes it even better! The most common type of insurance is auto insurance. East Lake Insurance and Taxes currently offers Progressive, Safeco, Mercury, Foremost and Gainsco. “We’re

looking to add a few more carriers, with limits specific to the client’s needs,” she explained. For homeowners insurance, they offer more than a dozen carriers! While you might not be familiar with a few of those carrier names, don’t let that discourage you. Many lesser known companies offer similar coverage to those companies with larger

marketing budgets. “We believe in catering options to our client’s needs and budget,” she said. There is a lot to consider when selecting insurance coverage and for some, those decisions can be daunting. How much coverage do you need? Are you overspending? Are you spending enough to cover your loved ones or

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out on the main purpose of insurance, which is to protect yourself.” Besne stresses that she does not push one line of insurance over the other and understands that one size does not fit all when it comes to coverage. “I help my clients understand their needs and offer them multiple options based on their needs and budget,” she said. Do you need help with your taxes? They can help you with that as well! Besne explained they have CPA’s on staff that can handle all your tax needs. They offer advisory, taxes, book keeping and payroll for corporations and individuals in need of those services. East Lake Insurance and Taxes LLC is located at 3033 Ridgeline Blvd, Suite B2, Tarpon Springs 34688. Walk-ins are welcome but they also take appointments to ensure clients do not have to wait upon arrival. Call today to set yours Besne will treat you like you are family while trying to find the best coverage that suits at 727-437-0725. They your needs and family is everything! Pictured above with her three beautiful children and can also be found on Facebook at elinstax East her husband, Baskal. Lake Insurance & Taxes your property in the event into consideration as well. never went into detail as Tarpon Springs. Office of an accident? Besne Instead of offering coverage far as how much liability he hours are Monday-Friday feels it is important for plans her client may not be needed either. So my client, 8:30am until 5:30pm. clients to realize insurance able to afford, she offers for years, kept renewing is to protect you from solutions and plans that can his policy not realizing he losing everything you protect the assets that need was paying for property have acquired in life; protecting. coverage and higher liability both monetary and nonShe shared the story of a coverage than he needed.” monetary. Her goal is to new client who felt betrayed As a small business help clients access the by his former agent. “He owner, extra expenses like information needed to had a General Liability this can mean the difference make the best decisions. To Policy with his prior agency of staying in business or do this, she considers the and had told that agent that going under. “I can’t makeup of the household he didn’t need property stress how important it is to and the possible liability coverage since he didn’t understand your policies, that can be associated with own the building. He rents not just to avoid overpaying them. She also takes the the warehouse and needs but also to properly protect household income level liability only. The agent yourself so you don’t lose For Advertising Info 727-943-0551 I info@nnlflorida.com or visit tbnewsandlifestyles.com

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Community Announcement Epilepsy Services Foundation is Celebrating 45 Years of Service!

On August 1, 2018 the Epilepsy Services Foundation and Brittany Vanhook, Brittany’s Blankets, visited St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. As part of ESF’s outreach program, they presented warm and cuddly blankets and epilepsy stuffed animals to hospital employees for children at St. Joseph’s and those on the neurology floor. For children/teens, it is often a frightening experience to be in a hospital. Sometimes a simple gift like a cuddly blanket and stuffed animal can lift their spirits.

With great pride and sincere gratitude, the Epilepsy Services Foundation (ESF) is now celebrating 45 years of service.

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Since 1973 ESF has served children, teens, young adults with epilepsy and their families. Its mission is to create a better

future and environment for persons affected by epilepsy. To do this ESF provides community education & awareness programs, information & referral support, support groups for each age group, a “Train-the-Mentor” epilepsy education program, a hospital visitation program, a camp program, and two family retreat programs, college & medical scholarships, medical support services and charity events. For more information about their mission and a list of future events please visit the website listed below. As part of our 45th anniversary, we are celebrating Tom Orth’s significant contributions to our organization, and welcoming Alysia Peddy as ESF’s new Executive Director. Alysia has served ESF as a board member for ten years and brings a wealth of knowledge

and a passionate commitment to our families. She is the mother of two children affected by epilepsy and has served as an advocate for families with special needs throughout Florida. Together Tom and Alysia form a cohesive team and we are excited about the many lives they will touch in the coming years. ESF is a 501(C) (3) corporation and was incorporated in the State of Florida on May 4, 1973. The ESF State of Florida corporation document number is 726327. For the last five years, the Great Nonprofits Organization selected ESF as one of the top-rated health non-profits in America. Contact ESF: Epilepsy Services Foundation 4628 North Armenia Avenue Tampa, FL 33603 https://epilepsysf.org/

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DECEMBER 2018 25

Holiday Recipe - Christmas Tree Cookies Cookies are basically the point of Christmas, right? Whether you’re making them for a party, Santa, or just a cozy night in by the fireplace, there’s always a reason to whip up a batch of cookies during the holidays. Ask yourself, would you rather decorate a real tree, or a sugar cookie Christmas tree? YIELDS: 16 - 18 I TOTAL TIME: 0 HOURS 30 MINS INGREDIENTS COOKIES • 3/4 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1 c. sugar • 1 egg • 1 tsp. vanilla extract • 1 tsp. almondt extract • 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour • 1 tsp. baking soda • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

• Make three sizes of cookie dough balls: 1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons, and 3 teaspoons. (You should have an even number of each.) Place medium and large cookies on a cookie sheet and press down slightly on each. Bake until center looks mostly cooked, 7 to 8 minutes. Place smallest balls of dough on another cookie sheet and press down slightly. Bake until center looks mostly cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. When cookies are done, remove from oven and let cool 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a cookie rack to finish cooling. • Make frosting: Beat butter until smooth. Add half the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons water and mix until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add green gel icing color to frosting and mix until your desired shade of green.

FROSTING • 1 c. butter • 4 c. powdered sugar • 1 tsp. vanilla extract • 3 tbsp. water or milk • Green gel icing color • 3 tbsp. red and white pearl sprinkles • 18 yellow star sprinkles DIRECTIONS

• Assemble cookies: Get one size of each cookie. Fit a piping bag with a medium sized star piping tip (I used Wilton 32) and fill bag with green frosting.

• Preheat oven to 350º and line two cookie sheets with parchment. • Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla and almond extracts. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry

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ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Dough will be thick.

• Pipe a swirl of frosting onto the largest cookie, then add the second medium sized cookie on top. Pipe a swirl of frosting onto the second cookie, then top with the smallest cookie. Pipe a swirl on top of the final cookie and decorate with a star and round ornament sprinkles. Continue building cookie trees, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Visit tbnewsandlifestyles.com for more Holiday Recipes!

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DECEMBER 2018 27

“NRC”-

continued from page 1

Kerr, founder of National Rejuvenation Centers and best-selling author of the book, “Rejuvenation: Live Healthier, stronger and happier through Nutrition, Hormone Optimization, Exercise and More,” he is “a lifelong “student” of hormones, exercise and nutrition.” A pioneer in his field, he has combined hormone “optimization” with exercise and routines to help people over 40 become a better version of themselves, allowing them to have the energy and ability to do all the things that they want to do. As the founder of Rejuvenation Medicine, Dr. Kerr states that within weeks of treatment, patients lose body fat, gain muscle and energy and sleep fantastic! “When hormones are optimized in patients over 40 to the levels of athletic twenty year olds (the demographic that usually has the best hormone levels), exercise and nutrition do not have to be excessive, as it is much easier to shed body fat and gain muscle.” Dr. Kerr says, “Many people are initially drawn to NRC to improve their physiques, but are impressed that the program is designed to not only make them look better, but improve their overall health from their blood profiles to their bone densities!” Dr. Kerr also states that it is very rewarding to him and his medical team to help both men and women with the symptoms of age related decreases in hormone levels. “It is a very big deal for a woman to no longer have hot flashes, to have enough energy to get through the day, and for her

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time in the gym to actually look like it “did something.” Dr. Kerr says. “It is same for the men. It is nice to be able to finally get rid of belly fat and get that “V” tapar. It is great for them to have the energy they want and improve their overall health.” Both men and women typically enjoy “ decreased body fat, increased muscle, better mood, increased libido, better mental acuity, etc.” while on the program at NRC. Logan University in St. Louis, Missouri will now be sponsoring continued education courses with Dr. Kerr and his staff of physicians to educate doctors on the exciting new field of rejuvenation medicine. Dr. Kerr says, “ I was very flattered and honored when the people from the University evaluated the current studies and literature that is the back—bone of rejuvenation medicine and overwhelmingly approved of my courses! The good news for patients is that in the not too distant future, it will be much easier to see a RM (Rejuvenation Medicine) physician in their part of the country!” Dr. Kerr says, “Every time a patient comes in to me, tells me how they feel and show me their blood work, I get flashbacks to how I felt before doing the program. I really feel for them because they have worked hard all of their life to be able to enjoy middle age and beyond, but they are tired, their mood is down and many have weight issues and are starting to get health issues. It doesn’t have to be that way!” Dr. Kerr considers every

aspect of his patient’s profile. Following a series of blood tests to determine hormone levels, Dr. Kerr and his team provide Bioidentical Hormone Optimization Therapy, as well as additional individualized protocols in nutrition and exercise to help his patients achieve their goals. “We don’t want hormone deficiencies, we don’t want blood profiles “in range,” we want optimization, which is much harder to achieve but what is best for our patients and what we do well!” Dr. Kerr works through his ground-breaking protocols to make his patients act and feel a younger, more vibrant version of themselves. His affordable programs are a combination of hormone optimization, individualized exercise and nutrition protocols. He

Bartley Harvard Kerr, DC, founder and CEO of National Rejuvenation Center and author of the Amazon best seller “Rejuvenation”

refers to this as the “trinity of rejuvenation,” with each component a crucial part of the patient’s success. “We start with the general and

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Mike P, (above) had a 16 week transformation!“Thanks NRC for putting it all together for me to get in shape quickly and giving me the energy to do it! Great experience!”

go to the specific to find the perfect hormone/nutrition/ exercise fit specifically designed for the patient.”

Don’t despair if there isn’t a National Rejuvenation Clinic near you. Since his groundbreaking, proven

Amy (above) says, “After starting hormone optimization therapy I have never felt better in my life. I have so much energy. I work out regularly, and I do not feel like I require as much sleep. I have energy to complete full workouts everyday. I am happier in my personal life and my menstrual cycle is now very regular. I feel like a new person!”

programs are meant to be shared, after 20 years of practice, Dr. Kerr is franchising his clinic model across the country. In addition to offices located in Palm Harbor, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri, additional facilities in San Diego,

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California, Denver, Colorado and Las Vegas, Nevada should be up and running soon after this article reaches publication. Confused about what “Rejuvenation Medicine” means? Consider purchasing his best-selling book, Rejuvenation, on Amazon. It is written in simple, easy-tounderstand language without the “medi-speak” that usually confuses the average reader. Dr. Kerr says that he “wrote it the way that he talks,” in hopes that the reader gets an abundance of information while at the same time be uplifted and motivated with the RM philosophy! In today’s interview, Dr. Kerr wants to challenge both children and adults to exercise regularly to be able to lead longer, healthier lives. “When Dad watches his teenager doing multiple pushups, and says, “I used to do that” and proceeds to do only one, it might be time to hit the gym, or better yet, come into NRC!” National Rejuvenation Centers is located at 34278 US 19N, Palm Harbor and is open from 9 AM to 4 PM, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 AM to noon on Tuesday. Call 727 785 5652 for a happier, healthier you!

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