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Behind veterans, Spurs will be favorites to repeat
Popovich, Duncan seem ready to return for another season
SAN ANTONIO – They never felt obligated to explain themselves in great detail, the San Antonio Spurs' coach and the best player in franchise history.
However, Gregg Popovich and forward Tim Duncan were pretty clear about something the last few days. Neither is ready to retire, which makes the Spurs a good bet to successfully defend the NBA championship they secured Sunday night with a 104-87 victory over the Miami Heat.
A day earlier, Popovich, 65, said "I'd like to continue to coach."
On Sunday night, Duncan said, "As long as I feel I can be effective, I'll continue to play."
Popovich and Duncan won their fifth championship together, again earning the Spurs the respect and admiration of their peers.
Still, one thing the Spurs have not done is win titles in successive seasons.
Now, remarkably and unexpectedly, they have another chance. Duncan is 38. Guard Manu Ginobili turns 37 on July 28. Guard Tony Parker is 32. It was years ago that Popovich said his team was "older than dirt," but general manager R.C. Buford surrounded the core veteran with younger players, including developing star Kawhi Leonard, a forward who is a mere 22.
The Spurs won the two games in Miami by an average of 20 points, prompting Parker to say, "That's the best basketball we've played in the last five or six years."
As the Spurs head to the offseason, Popovich and Buford have one major question: Can they re-sign their key free agents, forward Boris Diaw and guard Patty Mills?
Their chances seem better with the 32-year-old Diaw, a gifted complementary player who revived his career in San Antonio after a bad experience in Charlotte.
Mills, 25, might be tougher to sign. He flourished this season as Parker's backup, so he should receive some nice offers from other teams.
Even so, the Spurs have fewer concerns than other top teams, including Miami, which won the previous two NBA championships.
The Heat's Big Three -- forward LeBron James, guard Dwyane Wade and center Chris Bosh -- all can opt out of their contracts and become free agents. Several role players, including guard Ray Allen and forward Rashard Lewis, are free agents.
Even if everybody returns, it might not be enough. James had no reliable help as Miami lost in the Finals four games to one. He needs more support.
After Sunday's game, James gave no indication of how he is thinking.
"You guys are trying to find answers; I'm not going to give you one," James said. "I'll deal with it when it gets to that point."
1. San Antonio Spurs -- The emergence of Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is a major development for the Spurs, but the young forward needed a nudge from his coaches and teammates to become assertive on offense. Will he do that without prodding next season? Even he doesn't, if the Spurs can keep forward Tim Duncan and guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker healthy, and maybe add some size around the basket, they will be good to go.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder -- Many regarded the Thunder as the second-best team in the NBA this season. Forward Kevin Durant and guard Russell Westbrook are among the best players in the league, but the team does have some issues. Keeping Westbrook healthy and under control when he has the ball are among them. Durant could use a low-post game to take advantage of his height and length against smaller defenders. At times, the Thunder rely too much on Durant and Westbrook.
3. Los Angeles Clippers -- The Clippers also have two of the best players in the league -- forward Blake Griffin and guard Chris Paul -- and one of the top coaches, Doc Rivers. They had a tough, six-game, second-round series with the Thunder. However, Paul failed to come through at times in the clutch. He will need to be better in those situations.
4. Miami Heat -- Assuming forward LeBron James returns, the Heat must be taken seriously. But James needs more help than he received this season, and guard Dwyane Wade is an old 32 with bad knees. The Heat could use an infusion of youth and depth.
5. Three main candidates for this spot: the Houston Rockets, if they can sign free-agent-to-be forward Carmelo Anthony; the Golden State Warriors, if center Andrew Bogut avoids injuries; and the Indiana Pacers, if center Roy Hibbert and guard Paul George become more consistent and guard Lance Stephenson grows up.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting and The Sports Xchange. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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I still haven't made up my mind yet. Whilst I really appreciate and welcome the design aesthetics as a much needed change, I am having a really hard time browsing feeds "horizontally". It just takes way much more time than it should to get through everything.
Maybe that's the point though? Actually take the time to comprehend what it is you're looking at — rather than glancing at it for 2 seconds and giving it the thumbs up, never to be seen or likely remember again.
At this point I think I'll give it another week of testing. But it's not looking good.

subset: commoncrawl


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"The Treasury of Knowledge excellently presents the entire corpus of the sutra and mantra traditions from the paths of the common sciences all the way up to the uncommon Great Perfection or Atiyoga, which is the culmination of the nine vehicles."—H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche
"Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Tayé was one of the leading scholars of the nineteenth century. He broke through sectarian constraints and achieved a deep understanding of the the different philosophical approaches in Tibet. I have no doubt that by studying Kongtrul's works readers will be inspired to emulate his great qualities of humility, dedication, patience, and nonsectarianism."—H.H. the Dalai Lama
"This crucial section of Jamgön Kongtrül's seminal masterpiece, The Treasury of Knowledge, will fill a long-standing critical gap in our understanding of Buddhist tantra. Never before has there been such a thorough and systematic exposition of the subject available in a Western language. Elio Guarisco and Ingrid McLeod have done an excellent job in translating this profound work to make it accessible to both scholars and practitioners. Finally we might know what we are doing!"—Sarah Harding
"A magnificent overview of the Vajrayana traditions of Tibet. . . Yet another jewel in the setting that is the expression of Kalu Rinpoche's intent—the complete English translation of The Treasury of Knowledge."—Chökyi Nyima
"Upon seeing the Treasury of Knowledge, the first Khyentse Rinpoche (a contemporary of Lodrö Thayé) said that it was so inclusive of all knowledge that it did not seem to be composed by a human being but must have been written through the blessing of the dakinis."—Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
"In his monumental Treasury of Knowledge, [Jamgön Kongtrül] presents a complete account of the major lines of thought and practice that comprise Tibetan Buddhism. . . . By studying Kongtrül's works, readers will be inspired to emulate his great qualities of humility, dedication, patience, and nonsectarianism."—The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies
"A superb resource for advanced Buddhist practitioners students and scholars striving to better understand the wisdom and path to inner peace handed down through centuries."—The Bookwatch
"Jamgön Kongtrül is considered to be one of the great leaders of the nonsectarian movement in Tibetan Buddhism and his Treasury of Knowledge is considered to be one of the most important texts for reference and study in Tibetan Buddhism. Many Tibetan teachers have a compact edition of this monumental work in their travel bags in order to consult it again and again for detailed questions of all types, and not infrequently whole chapters serve as the basis for courses."—Cornelia Weishaar-Gunter
"With this publication, Elio Guarisco and Ingrid McLeod have contributed to the field of Buddhist and Tibetan studies an important and welcome translation. . . The sheer scope of Jamgön Kongtrül's Treasury sets it apart from comparable works which have been previously translated into English. . . . An astoundingly rich text."—ARC: The Journal of the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University
"Systems of Buddhist Tantra is not just an advanced teaching or commentary, but a systematic textbook on how to define practice and teach the various tantras. Its likely readership comprises not only advanced students and scholars but Western lamas. . . . A gold mine of information. . . . It is also at times eloquent and moving. It is animated throughout by the motive of bringing beings to enlightenment, or rather of helping us to realize that we are already enlightened. . . . Unfold[s] to us the majestic sweep and depth of tantric learning one of the great riches of world culture."—Thar Lam


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Ever wonder why French-Canadian baptism, marriage, and death records are usually so complete, and that they go back to the 17th century?
Well, this year marks the 475th anniversary of the signing of the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts in 1539, which stated that priests were required to register baptisms and burials. In 1579, another ordinance was signed which required that marriages be registered.
And in 1667, the Ordinance of Saint-Germain-en-Laye introduced a practice that has proven to be very important to genealogists – that is, the practice of keeping duplicate copies of the baptisms, marriages, and deaths. One copy was kept by the priest, and the second was filed with civil authorities at the end of the year.
Furthermore, in Quebec, civil status registers have the following characteristics -
· There are three types of acts: baptism, marriage, and burial.
· The acts are drawn up by parish priests.
· They are presented chronologically, usually within a single register.
· They are subject to two separate regulations: ecclesiastical and civil.
The Library and Archives Canada has a very good website explaining Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages and Deaths at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/vital-statistics-births-marriages-deaths/Pages/births-marriages-deaths.aspx
Ancestry.ca also has the Drouin Collection online, which contains Catholic baptisms, marriages, and deaths – including some Protestant records, also.
The website is http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=1091


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The music executive who was shot during last Friday's rampage in Hollywood has lost his life. John Atterberry died on Monday afternoon.
Atterberry was reportedly shot three times in the face and neck during the shooting spree.
He had been listed in critical condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center until his death Monday.
Over the course of his career, Atterberry worked with such stars as Brandy, Jessica Simpson, and the Spice Girls.
He had also worked as an executive at Death Row Records.
Twenty-six-year-old Tyler Brehm reportedly fired several shots at passing motorists last Friday in Hollywood. Two other people were injured in the attack, while Brehm was eventually shot and killed by police. Brehm and his girlfriend had broken up earlier in the week, but police are not saying if that was the reason for the shooting.
Spotted @ CarltonJordan
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Tagged with: died • Hollywood Rampage • John Atterberry • Tyler Brehm
Filed under: Breaking News • Celebrity Death • Hollywood News • News


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You don't become the father of the lightbulb without having a few decent ideas! Learn more about the power and potential of solar energy here.
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I was wondering how these QBs can have HUGE college career/number and be such a bad NFL prospect.
I'm french and know/watch football for 5 years now... I'm not bleeding football it's obvious and I have no experience (never play, I watched like 150 games in my life...) so it may be obvious for you guys but not for me and I'd like to know why these guys can't be NFL star like they use to be in NCAA. I know about size (wtf RW3!) and arm strengh (hasselbeck!) but it can't be just that?


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Assets That Earn: Revenue-Generating Content
By: Gretchen A. Peck
It's been a year since Steve Jobs passed away, and yet it's still easy to be reminded of his legacy in the publishing industry. It's omnipresent in the equipment used to create content, especially the operating system that enabled right-brain types to flourish. It was Jobs and his Silicon Valley venture that inspired consumers to buy into the notion that content has real value — first music, then television, podcasts, books, periodicals, and more. Apple's iTunes — and all the competitive, e-commerce-driven, digital media sources that have entered the market since — made it de rigueur to pay for content.
Indeed, Jobs and other tech pioneers made strides against strong opposition not only from consumers who'd been able to access content for free online, but from fellow stakeholders in the proposition — record labels, publishers, even the content creators themselves. But Jobs believed in his vision of the future; he believed in the value of content. And he was right.
Looking back; looking forward
Publishers of newspapers, books, and magazines headed down the digital path in pursuit of better, faster, and cheaper means of producing content — both in print and for what was then known as "new media." As the Internet blossomed, they feared its impact but were titillated by its promise. Twenty-five years ago, the questions whispered in industry circles were: "If we build it, will they come? If we invest in this new way of distributing information, will our readers want to consume it in this way? Will they even want to read a newspaper on a computer monitor, on their laptop, or on their PDA?"
Who could forget PDAs? Well, it turns out, everyone. Now there are smartphones, tablets, and e-readers to contend with. The adoption rate for consumer electronic devices is remarkable. By 2010, 76.7 percent of American households owned a computer of some variety, according to "Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2010," published by the United States Census Bureau.
By May 2012, Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project estimated that 46 percent of American adults own a smartphone. And by August of this year, Pew reported that an estimated 25 percent of American adults own some breed of tablet computer. For publishers, there is no longer a debate about whether people wish to consume digital information.
The audience has assembled. Now the dilemma becomes: What's the best way to deliver the content they desire without giving away the farm?
Paywalls, meters, and digital subscriptions, oh my!
"Content monetization" means many things to many people. There is no shortage of strategies to choose from: paywalls, digital subscriptions, micropayments, syndication, video, advertorials; you name it. And the jury is still out and arguing over which one wins the "Most Lucrative" tiara. Make no mistake, none of this is settled, but it's important to be mindful of what is working.
One year after launching its paid digital subscription strategy, The New York Times Media Group reported that it had amassed a digital following of 454,000 paid subscribers across its spectrum of digital brands and platforms. In the wake of the one-year anniversary, chairman and chief executive officer of The New York Times Co. and publisher of The New York Times Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said, "Last year was a transformative one for the Times as we began to charge for digital access to our content. Today, close to a half million people are now paying for digital content from the Times and the [International Herald Tribune]."
The digital growth was so encouraging that Sulzberger subsequently announced that in April 2012 the paper would adjust the nytimes.com "pay gate," to allow visitors to access 10 free items per month ("including slideshows, videos, and other forms of content"), versus the 20 it had been allowing previously. Once a visitor exceeds the 10-item limit, he or she is prompted to consider a digital subscription.
This strategy is mimicked across The New York Times Co.'s smartphone and tablet applications, as well. "Top News" items remain free of charge, but beyond that, users are asked to buy in. The publisher smartly realized that a limitation of this kind could potentially hinder its own marketing abilities, so the paywall allows readers who are directed to Times' articles through links from email, blogs, and social media, for example, to access them — even if they've already exceeded their free-access allotment.
Allies in content valuation
To newspaper publishers, it may feel as though there has never been more competition for consumers' attention. However, with other players in the digital media space now starting to charge for their content, the newspaper industry actually has much to be grateful for. The competition is helping to change the consumer culture, too.
Take Vimeo, LLC, for example. The creator and host of the vimeo.com video portal reported this September that it had amassed more than 13 million registered members and boasts more than 75 million unique monthly visitors, based on Google Analytics. To assist its content suppliers with monetization, Vimeo introduced two e-commerce opportunities. The new Tip Jar feature allows viewers to make voluntary monetary contributions to video creators whose work they value. Vimeo retains 15 percent of all tips.
In addition to Tip Jar, Vimeo is planning to introduce a pay-to-view service that "allows creators to sell their work behind a paywall," the company reported in a Sept. 19, 2012 press release.
Speaking of video, newspaper publishers are looking to multimedia content to engage readers in new ways. If examples such as Vimeo prove to be popular and prosperous, it bodes well for newspaper publishers that are bringing stories to life in this manner.
In February 2012, nytimes.com began producing a daily video broadcast, "Business Day Live," which offers complimentary insight and analysis from the newspaper's reporters and columnists.
More recently, The Washington Post unveiled The Fold, a nightly news broadcast based on contributions from the newspaper's editorial team. Consumers can tune in via washingtonpost.com, or with PostTV, a Google TV app designed for portable e-media devices.
Low meter; high price
When leadership at The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., became determined to change the paper's digital strategy, Steve Wagenlander, audience development director, said the paper considered a variety of options. "If you decide that you're going to charge for your content online, how are you going to do that?
"The first choice is to not raise your print prices, but to charge anyone else who would like to access your (digital) content in increments. So the print edition of your newspaper may remain $10 a month, for example, but if you'd like to access our online content or apps, it's going to cost an extra $2, $3, $4 a month — whatever the cost may be," Wagenlander said. "Option two is membership, or a bundled approach. Say, the previous print subscription was $10 a month. Now, everyone will pay, as an example, $13 a month, and they'll not only receive their print subscription, but they'll have unlimited access to our content, regardless of platform."
The Post and Courier opted to launch a membership model with the help of Press+, a content monetization service of RR Donnelley. "We have our meter set very low, and we charge a high price for our digital memberships," Wagenlander said.
"When the publisher and I were having these discussions about why we were doing this, it boiled down to the same answer every time: We are a content-generating company. We're not a delivery company. We're not a printing company, nor a marketing company. We are a content-generating company," Wagenlander said. "We knew what we were doing wasn't working, by giving away our content on the Internet and surrounding it with ads. We thought that was a good way 15 years ago, but it turned out that it wasn't (sustainable)."
Wagenlander challenges newspaper publishers to consider successful business models and says that few — arguably, none — promise a long, healthy life by giving away their products or services for free. Inherently, consumers can relate to this basic principle.
"What we tried to do … is change the value equation for our members," Wagenlander said. "We didn't look at what we were doing as raising the price of the print subscription. That's not how we viewed it here, and it's not how we explained it to our readers. What we did was put together a comprehensive bundle that included content but also included lots of other great things, such as membership events, access to archives, a savings club, and other nice benefits."
Take the membership events, for example. According to Wagenlander, these events have manifested as opportunities for the newspaper's team to interact and network with the community it serves. "And the comments we've been receiving have been very encouraging," he said. "They tell us how much they enjoy reading the Post and Courier, and how much they appreciate why we're not giving it away for free on the Internet anymore. It's been very fulfilling for us and really changed the way people looked at us." Really, what the Post and Courier has asked of its readership is more than just to pay a little bit more; it's more than just asking them to buy into a new pricing model. It's asking them to invest in the newspaper — in the brand, and the very idea of its worth to the community.
"You're going to encounter naysayers, but in general, I can tell you that we've had success changing the way that people view our product," Wagenlander said.
Looking back at the past five months since rolling out the membership model, Wagenlander said the Post and Courier management is more than happy with the transition. "We're delighted, absolutely delighted," he said. "The conversion to membership has been a chance to reconnect with our base of readers and sort of have them fall back in love with us. … We've worked very hard to prove to them that spending money with us is a good investment, and they're getting a lot for it."
Prove your worth
Perhaps the most important part of the content monetization equation is the content itself. Publishing is no different than producing any other product or service in one critical way: Like any other business, newspaper organizations have to continue to demonstrate their value, to showcase their relevance, to prove their worth. Once a newspaper appears to have lost its focus — to have become less than a consistent provider of engaging, distinctive information, in print or otherwise — no "monetization" strategy will matter, because readers won't buy it.
For more than 15 years, Gretchen A. Peck has written about the business of publishing, printing and graphic communications. She formerly served as editor-in-chief and editorial director for Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines. Her byline has appeared in more than 50 international magazines, newspapers, and online publications.


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Steve Lopez
Steve Lopez is a California native who has been an L.A. Times columnist since 2001. He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards for his reporting and column writing at seven newspapers and four news magazines, and is a three-time Pulitzer finalist for commentary – in 2012, for his columns on elder care; in 2016, for his columns on income inequality in California; and in 2018, for his columns on housing and homelessness. He is the author of three novels, two collections of columns and a non-fiction work called "The Soloist," which was a Los Angeles Times and New York Times best-seller, winner of the PEN USA Literary Award for Non-Fiction, and the subject of a Dream Works movie by the same name. Lopez's television reporting for public station KCET has won three local news Emmys, three Golden Mike awards and a share of the Columbia University DuPont Award.


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One of the fun things about sports is that you never know what you're going to see on any given night. Most nights, you will experience varying degrees of excitement and/or disappointment, depending on the result and the action on the field, but every now and then, you get to witness something that feels special. There are always special events, of course, such as stadium openings or championship games, all of which have their own built-in gravitas, but I don't mean those. I mean the chance to see something special on some otherwise random day.
These outliers can take the form of lightning strikes of brilliance. For example, I personally witnessed the eleventh 99-yard touchdown from scrimmage in NFL history, and the fourteenth unassisted triple play in MLB history. The outliers can be team-oriented rarities, such as a miracle comeback (Crew vs. Revs pitch invasion in 1996) or a record-shattering blowout (the Crew's 6-2 loss in Seattle when Jeff Cunningham set the MLS career goal scoring record.) Sometimes you will see a jaw-dropping individual performance, such as Dante Washington's 3-goal, 2-assist whopper against Tampa Bay in 2001. You may see something inexplicable, like the Browns losing a game because Dwayne Rudd tossed his helmet in celebration, thinking that the game was over. Or you might see something truly weird, like Eddie Gaven playing goalkeeper a week after William Hesmer scored a goal.
And apart from team allegiance, unpredictability is a big part of why we love sports, isn't it? There's always the chance that you might see something special. Or there's the risk that you might miss it. One year ago today, I was supposed to attend the Cleveland Indians' game against the Los Angeles Angels. With first pitch at noon, I decided that morning that I didn't feel like getting out of bed and making the drive up to Cleveland. The Angels' Ervin Santana pitched a no-hitter. It still annoys me to know that I was supposed to be there.
On Tuesday night, I was the beneficiary of a different twist. Because I missed the Crew's 1-0 win over D.C. United on Saturday, I didn't have a Notebook to write. And since I didn't have a Notebook to write, I was free to attend the Crew's friendly with Stoke City of the English Premier League. I wasn't there to work. I just thought I'd stop by and take in an exhibition game for the fun of it. Win or lose, I had no expectations whatsoever.
And then, like everyone else in the stadium, I saw something special. Aaron Horton and Ben Speas, the Crew's two homegrown field players, scored goals to lead the Crew to a 2-1 comeback victory. Although it's obviously an unofficial match, it was the first goal each player scored with the big team. And it happened at Crew Stadium. Against an EPL club.
Horton is an Olentangy Orange graduate who grew up idolizing Crew scoring legend Jeff Cunningham. Speas is a Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy graduate who had the seeds of a professional soccer career sewn into his mind while watching from the Crew Stadium bleachers in 2004. They developed their games through the Crew Academy and signed homegrown deals to play for the hometown team.
And then on Tuesday night, they each shared a milestone moment, not only with each other, but with the cheering fans that they themselves used to be.
Horton tied the game in the 71st minute when Emilio Renteria chased a ball to the endline, managed to keep it in, and then cut a diagonal pass back toward Horton, who had curled his run back out to the penalty spot. Horton calmly slotted the ball into the far side of the net.
"It felt reeeeeal gooood," Horton said with a giddy, giggly laugh. "I saw Emilio with the ball and I saw him about to cross the ball, so I just wanted to make a play on the ball. I had a feeling it was going to go where I ran to, and when it did, I just wanted to get it on goal and keep it low to give myself a chance. I hit it, and hit it well, and it went into the corner. Then I ran to the Nordecke right after that."
One had to assume that scoring his first goal at the Nordecke end would have been his preference.
"Definitely, if I had to say," Horton said. "I mean, I want to score on ANY side, but if I had to pick, I'd pick the side that I scored on. Me and Gehrig talked before the game that if I scored, we were going to do the jerk. I scored, so we did our dance moves. We did the jerk, and then after that, it was just a big mob."
More smiles. More giggles. More giddiness.
"I'm on cloud nine," he said. "I can't lie. I'm on cloud nine. I've always dreamed of scoring a goal for the Crew, and on that side too, so for it to happen, it's a dream come true. To do it against Stoke City is great."
Speas won the match for the Crew in the 87th minute. Aaron Schoenfeld knocked down a Renteria cross, dropping it to Speas near the edge of the penalty box. Speas lasered the ball toward the far post, but it picked up a deflection and wrong-footed the helpless goalkeeper.
"I thought we kept the ball well, which is why we were able to score that goal," Speas said. "We were moving the ball side to side. It went out to Emilio, and he whipped it in to Schoenfeld. He laid off a great ball at the top of the box. I was just trying to get forward because I knew that there wasn't much time left. I knew that if we were going to have any chance to win, we would need to push a little. So I was at the top of the box and I struck it. I was going far post to keep it on goal, but then it deflected and went near post. It was pretty cool."
"Any goal is great," he continued. "It was just good to be out there. I was happy to be playing and to be out there with the guys. I thought everyone played well. It wasn't just the goal, it was everyone. And it was fun to play against a Premier League team."
Speas' rookie year hasn't gone according to plan. Sports hernia surgery caused him to miss the first half of the campaign, so it's been a long game of catch up. The goal was a happy moment for Speas after months of rehab.
"The injury was unfortunate," he said. "It took longer than I wanted for sure. I've been back for about a month now. I've been training and I feel like I've got my fitness back. I feel healthy. I don't feel my injury at all, which is a blessing. I feel comfortable."
Horton said his eyes got big on Renteria's original cross that set up Speas' goal.
"It was kinda funny because Aaron Schoenfeld had the assist on that one," Horton said. "I was screaming 'Leave it! Leave it!' because I was coming in again, but instead he laid it off to Ben. Then Ben smashed it and I was so happy for him. I was happy for the win, and then for me and Ben to both score, it was a happy night. I'm very happy."
More smiles. More giggles. More giddiness.
Speas seemed amused by Horton's giddiness, and also gave a shout out to fellow homegrown player Matt Lampson. The goalkeeper didn't allow a goal in 45 minutes of action.
"Matt did well, and Aaron finished his well," Speas said. "It was good that both of us could score. I'm proud of him. He's been working hard. Aaron's got a smile almost every day. He's pretty giddy."
This prompted more smiles. More giggles. More giddiness.
Crew head coach Robert Warzycha was happy for the young players, knowing that they will be a part of the future growth of the club. He also felt that they did their part to make an impression in the present time.
"I'm sure they're going to remember this game for a long, long time," said Crew head coach Robert Warzycha. "They got their feet wet a little bit playing against a good team. I'm sure it's a starting point for them. They proved to themselves they can contribute to the team and play a good game and score goals.
"They are all competing on the field. If you get a chance to play, show what you can do, because in the coaches' eyes, you need to see what players are capable of doing on the field. Aaron finished his chance well and had another opportunity with a header to score but he was in the right place at the right time. The same with Ben – I think he was good in the middle. Next time you're going to decide the lineup you're not going to be afraid to play them."
To say that Julius James was all smiles over Horton and Speas would be stating the obvious. James is always smiling. But some smiles are a little bit bigger. Julius' smile was smiling.
"It's amazing," he said. "Aaron has been training for so long without playing. If you come to practice and watch, you will see that he is always getting kicked. He's always on the floor. We beat him up, you know? It's not because we want to; it just happens. You do the things you normally do, but the effect on him is bigger because he's smaller. But he's also shifty and quick. He did really well today. I try to encourage him that the more you get kicked, the better you are. Guys are threatened by you, so they're going to foul you. Or if you're too quick, guys are going to foul you. You are doing something right if guys are kicking you.
"Aaron deserved his goal today. He got one in a reserve game too. He has a knack for scoring. I'm really, really happy for him. I'm happy for Ben too. He has been doing fitness every day after practice and working on himself. He's been focused and he has been gaining the trust of the coaches. I told him that it's tough as a rookie, and that you just have to become consistent. He's kept his head down and he has kept working. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Ben and Aaron. They work really hard and I am really happy for both of them."
After Speas put the Crew up 2-1, I tweeted: "Matt Lampson is the only homegrown Crew player without a goal tonight. Step it up, Lampson!"
Rest assured that I didn't just cowardly hide behind twitter. As he walked off the field after the game, I personally confronted Lampson, face to face, about his disappointing lack of goal scoring on the night.
"I thought about running up there and Hesmering the (crap) out of the ball," Lampson said, referring to Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer's legendary equalizing goal at Toronto in 2010. "But with a one-goal lead, I realized that it wouldn't have been the best tactical decision, so I stayed back."
Starting goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum assured me that he would have run up and Hesmered the (crap) out of the ball, but suggested that perhaps I was being too hard on Lampson for not scoring a goal.
"It was his job to keep a zero, and he did it, so it's all good," Gruenebaum said. "A zero on his end at least. It wasn't a team zero because I messed that up for him. But he did a good job."
So, wait, the fact that he was "goalless" could be applied to the other end of the field as a positive? Was not allowing a goal his position-specific version of scoring a goal?
"Yes, 100 percent," Gruenebaum said. "I'm not going to talk any dirt about Matt tonight. I already get him enough. I'm going to let him live this time."
McCULLERS ON THE HOMEGROWNS
Crew President and GM Mark McCullers found himself wrapped up in the same enthusiasm as everyone else in the stadium.
"I was really excited for Aaron when he scored that goal," McCullers said. "You know how excited he is about it and you know what it means to him. He's going to tell his grandkids someday that he scored a goal against an EPL team. I think both he and Ben are going to be good players in this league. I had a feeling about Ben tonight. I had a feeling that Ben was going to score tonight, so I was glad to see it happen."
Apart from the players themselves, McCullers felt that it was a special night for the Crew organization as a whole.
"That's what you want to see," he said. "Two homegrown kids score goals and then Matt Lampson did well in goal. It's a proud moment is what it is."
Due to first-half injuries to Josh Williams and Nemanja Vukovic, the Crew had to alter their plans to play a split-squad game. At halftime, starters Carlos Mendes and Julius James learned that they would be required to share the second half, meaning one of them would have to do something no pro soccer player ever does— re-enter a game after being subbed out. Ultimately, it was James who had to work the split shift.
"It was kind of draw-the-straws between Carlos and I to decide who was going to stay in and who was going to come off and then come back on," James said. "Carlos was like, 'I'm older, so I'm staying on.' So I was like, 'Okay, fine.' You don't want the older guy to get cold then have to come back on, so he got what he wanted because he's older, and I got what I didn't want because I am younger."
For James, it was a totally foreign experience.
"Usually, you come out, you cool down, you stretch, and then you just chill and watch the rest of the game," he said. "Last time I saw (re-entry) happen was in college, and that never happened to me. Either I played or I didn't play. I wasn't prepared for that to happen, but we had injuries on top of injuries, so you have to do what you have to do to help the team. You have to bite the bullet and pray to God that you come out of the battle with no wounds. That's what happened, and we won the game, and that's that."
Rookie forward/midfielder Ethan Finlay added left back to his resume. It was that kind of night. James got extra-smiley again when asked about Finlay's impromptu defensive performance.
"The thing about Ethan is that he is such a hard worker and he's a good listener," James said. "It's easy to play with Ethan, you know? He will never give you anything less. I really much enjoyed playing with him tonight. He locked up that big guy! That big guy couldn't do anything! It was fun. Ethan has wheels and he's aggressive for a smaller guy. He has a bunch of bite to him. It was fun to see this little kid going [cartoon sound effect] like the roadrunner, you know?"
Postgame treatment on the go can result in some interesting fashion choices. Speas kindly let me take a photo of him sporting the "suit pant leg pulled up over the ice bag wrapped around your calf" look. His pants wouldn't fit over the ice bag. He said he only had to wear the ice for about ten more minutes. I presume he then used it to chill that bubbly in his hand.
The message scrawled on the white board in the Crew locker room….
Questions? Comments? Still hearing Aaron Horton's giddy giggles echoing around town? Feel free to write at email@example.com or via twitter @stevesirk
Sirk's Notebook: Homegrown Night
One of the fun things about sports is that you never know what you're going to see on any given night. Most nights, you will experience varying degrees of excitement and/or disappointment, depending on the result and the action on the field, but every now and then, you get to witness something that feels special. There are always special events, of course, such as stadium openings or championship games, all of which have their own built-in gravitas, but I don't mean those. I mean the chance to see something special on some otherwise random day.


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I was the very lucky recipient of a package containing 4 complimentary boxes of gluten-free cookies from Glow Gluten-free the other day. First I have to say that Jill from Glow Gluten-free is so sweet. She is great to follow on Twitter and we have had some good laughs over the past few days. Some of these giggles came from Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-free Mom finding out that I had received & tasted a Double Chocolate cookie from Glow Gluten-free. I had tweeted that I loved the cookie & Heidi caught wind of that & then began the tweets back that I must try the Snickerdoodles immediately! Take about peer pressure! 😉 LOL! Of course I had to oblige. I couldn't not try them at this point. By the end of the night I had eaten 1 whole cookie & multiple bites of the other cookies to taste them all. Jon was the lucky recipient of the remaining cookie parts – a job he did not complain about. Good thing I am training for a marathon! Talk about carb loading. Maybe I will have to stock up on these cookies closer to the race. 😉
Now, down to the details. Not only are Glow Gluten-free cookies gluten-free, but they are casein-free, trans fat free and preservative free. Each cookie contains 100 calories and is between 5 – 6 grams of fat. They also contain 2 grams a fiber – bonus! I love that the ingredient list for the cookies is easy to read & the flours used are garbanzo bean & fava bean. Healthier than using a white rice, tapioca or potato starch (though they do have their place). Also, notice the adorable packing – how cute is that? Very eye catching & clever.
Chocolate Chip – These remind me of Chips Ahoy, which I loved to eat as a child. Jon adored these cookies! I needed a glass of milk to dip these in!
Snickerdoodle – The cookie that Heidi made me eat. 😉 These rock! They have an amazing cinnamon flavor & as Heidi suggested this morning, I should crumble them up as cereal because they taste like Apple Jacks! I see these as a topping to my oatmeal in the very near future.
Double Chocolate– I want to say enough said, but that wouldn't be doing these cookies justice. They are so chocolately, crunchy & exciting! They wake up your taste buds & would be awesome paired with a glass of merlot.
Gingersnap – Classic gingersnap cookie. I have always loved gingersnaps and these did not disappoint. I would say that they would be great as a pie crust, but I don't think that I am willing to sacrifice them for that! LOL!
I think I am going to take the plunge & say that these now rank up there as one of the best gluten-free packaged cookies that I have tasted. Both Jill and her daughter have Celiac Disease. I love that Jill says in her brochure that she was trying to recreate their old favorites (Mrs. Field's, Chips Ahoy, Famous Amos), not create a packaged gluten-free cookie to resemble something you make at home. I think that Jill & Glow Gluten-free hit that recreation spot on. Job well done.
Had to share one more picture – can you see that sugar on top of the gingersnap? Mmmmmm!
Thanks Jill & Glow Gluten-free for sending us these samples to review. We thoroughly enjoyed them. You can find Glow-Gluten-free cookies at these locations.
Filed under: Family, Gluten-Free, Gluten-free Products | 6 Comments »


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Joyce Oudkerk Pool
Trout rule the mountain streams of America. I remember the fantastic flavor of freshly caught trout in Wyoming cooked over a campfire. They were so delicious, we had trout for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This recipe echoes that experience, sans the stinging nettles and porcupines. If you like, you could also stuff the trout with an herb or horseradish butter, fresh lemon slices, or a cornbread stuffing.
As for the smoking, for trout I prefer the sweeter smoke flavor of alder or even grapevine, which you can gather from the wild or buy as prepackaged wood chips. I use them dry in this recipe, as the trout doesn't take long to smoke. This recipe works for any whole, cleaned fish; the rule of thumb for smoking is 30 minutes per pound at 225° to 250°F.
- Yield
- Serves 4
- 4 whole trout, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds each, cleaned
- Canola oil for brushing
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup dry wood chips
- Fresh rosemary or sage leaves for garnish
- Fresh lemon wedges for garnish
- 1. Fill your charcoal chimney with briquets, set the chimney on the bottom grill grate, and light, or prepare a fire in your smoker. For a gas grill, turn half the burners to medium. Rub the trout all over with the canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- 2. When the coals are ready, dump them into the bottom of your grill, and spread them evenly across half. Scatter the wood chips on the hot coals, or place them in a metal container close to a burner on a gas grill. Place the trout on the grill grate on the indirect-heat side of the grill. When the smoke starts to rise, close the lid.
- 3. Smoke the trout at 225° to 250°F for 45 to 60 minutes or until the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork in the thickest part and has a smoky aroma. Garnish with rosemary or sage leaves and lemon wedges.
Reprinted with permission from 25 Essentials: Techniques for Smoking by Ardie A. Davis, (C) 2009, Harvard Common Press


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Stanced cars and "artistic rust" are not usually my thing. But for some reason this Volkswagon Caddy pickup truck has just the right amount of grime, damage, and swagger to be... awesome. But the mower in the bed perfects the picture.
I love it. This thing looks like something that might be hauling droids around Mos Eisley Spaceport. Hauling a lawn mower around New York is pretty much the same thing, anyway (no it isn't).
For those who ain't know; a "stanced" car is really low. No I mean, really low. The idea is to make it look like the entire car, not just the wheels, is on the ground. This is accomplished with lowering springs, adjusting wheel camber so the wheels poke out, and other methods that drastically weaken practical usability of the car. Some say it looks cool.
Hat tip to llanopa for sending in this wonderful picture.


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Pocket Sprung Mattress
This Pocket Sprung Mattress consists of a series of springs, each isolated from each other in their own pockets - meaning that the mattress will provide amazing comfort and support as each spring a...
Sprung Mattress
This open coil Sprung Mattress consists of a linked series of springs covered in a layer of foam, a layer of mixed poly fibre and a polycotton cover. The open coil mattress features rodded edges to...
Thuka Trendy Bunk Bed A
The Thuka Trendy Bunk Bed A is a solid pine bunk bed in an attractive whitewash finish to compliment any room decor. You can choose between a straight or slanted ladder to access the top bunk, which can be set on either the left or right hand side of the bed. You can also choose the colour of the panels that run the length and width of the bed, either a matching whitewash or in blue or purple.
The strong construction of this bed means that it can be used for years, and when no longer required as a bunk bed it can be concerted into two single beds.
NB: Small clip on table shown is not included, but available separately along with other bed accessories.
Thuka Trendy Bunk Bed Features
- Bunk bed frame
- Sturdy frame construction from solid pine
- Can split into two single beds
- Ladder can be on left or right side
- Choice of coloured panels
- Wooden slatted bed base
- Requires European size single mattress measuring 90 x 200 cm
- Delivered flat packed for home assembly following quality instruction manuals.
- Professional home assembly service available
Thuka Trendy Bunk Bed Dimensions
- Length: 210 cm
- Width: 106cm (straight ladder) 147cm (slanted ladder)
- Height: 151 cm
- "Clearance" distance between bunks is 76cm
These beds is requires standard European size mattresses measuring 90 x 200 cm, available separately among the accessories. NB: If buying or using your own mattress elsewhere please note depth of mattress for raised beds should not exceed 18cm/7 inches.
Please see our "premium delivery service" page for details. All beds are delivered using a dedicated "white glove" room of choice delivery service. You will be called to book in the delivery in advance. Please allow up to 3 weeks for delivery. Adding the assembly option may add an additional week.
About Thuka
Still one of Europe's most important children's bed brands, Thuka have been leading the market for more than 50 years. The new Trendy range continues their famous modular approach to design, allowing beds to be re-built into different models as the child grows. Manufactured from the high quality pine and sealed with a child-friendly wipe-clean lacquer, all Thuka bedframes come with a one year guarantee and meet the stringent European safety requirements.


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I've been hauling makeup here and there from the drugstore and decided to show you guys what I picked up! Most of the products are the things I've been wanting to try out for a long time but waited for them to go on sale :P Shopping on a budget is always a good thing - even for drugstore makeup!!!
So here are the products I picked up - if you tried any of these out, let me know how you guys like them!!!
- Ardell Lashes: 120 Demi
- Prestige:
My Blackest Lashes Mascara
Total Intensity Long Lasting Eyeliner
- Maybelline:
Falsies Flared Mascara (WP)
Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer: Light
- Loreal Lacquer Liner
- Milani Brow Fix Brow Kit: 02 Medium
- Rimmel:
Stay Matte Powder Foundation: Silky Beige
Lasting Pro Finish Nail Polish: Crushed Pearl
- EcoTools Bronzer Brush
- Simple Vital Vitamin Restoring Night Cream


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You came from a long flight and you want to get to the hotel as soon as possible but there is a large list of passenger going to different hotel which could extend dramatically your journey to the hotel,or someone is having issues at customs,and the bus won't leave without that unknown person to you. Plus the scenario where your luggage is mishandled and get dropped at the wrong hotel. It's not nice either when you're watching everyone starting their vacation while you have to stick on the bus and counting how many hotel there is in Punta Cana.
Punta Cana Now ( DR Airports Transfers) gives you the possibility to bypass these situations with an easy private transfer,a non-shared and personalized service,on late model clean vehicle with working A/C,free baby safety seat and a bottle of purified drinking water. We operate from Punta Cana Airport, La Romana Airport, Santo Domingo Airport to all resorts in Punta Cana, La Romana, Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo Port, La Romana Port and other areas of the Dominican Republic.
So go ahead,book your private transfer and start enjoying your vacation as soon as you see one of our drivers holding your name on a sign!
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Quote:You sucked. You didn't do ANYTHING, you just stood there and held your hands near your face and took all the blows. It's a wonder how you could last the first round.
Night club fight footage and street fights captured
with the world's first bouncer spy cam
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for as little as $10 per disk.
Self Defense
Stun guns, pepper spray, Mace and self defense products. Alarms for personal and home use.
Stop An Urban Gorilla: Get 2 FREE TASER M26C Replacement Air Cartridges With Each New TASER M26C!


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K, have never seen one of these things so I have no idea what the format is supposed to be. But I have one question for each of your characters So here goes nothin;
Eggman: What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?
Amanda: Where did you grow up?
Rai: What is the true path to enlightenment?
Liam: What is the worst thing you have ever done?
Quinn: How do you do that thing with the wings?
Dratyon: If you had the option, what one person would you squish?
Valkyrie: Do you actually like Eggman?
Oog: When you become supreme ruler of everything, what will you do fo us peons?
Aryck: What kind of flower do you like?


text: Tulsa, Oklahoma – When Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin joined Teach for America right after college and found themselves utter failures in the classroom, they vowed to remake themselves into superior educators. They did just that --- and much more. In their early twenties, by sheer force of talent and unrelenting determination, they created the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), which today consists of more than 60 schools nationwide (including one here in Tulsa). KIPP schools incorporate what Feinberg and Levin have learned from America's best, most charismatic teachers: lessons need to be lively; school days need to be longer; and the completion of homework must be sacrosanct. On this edition of StudioTulsa, we hear about these two bright, very committed young men from Jay Mathews, the education columnist for The Washington Post. Mathews has a new book, just out in paperback, concerning Feinberg and Levin and their great, wildly successful creation. The book is "Work Hard. Be Nice. How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America."


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Electronic Arts, the company behind the popular Madden NFL video game franchise, announced the results of its annual simulation of the teams playing in this year's Super Bowl. According to the simulation, people watching the big game this Sunday can look forward to a 30-27 victory by the Los Angeles Rams.
Based on the simulation run by EA, the game looks like it will be a compelling one. The Rams have the edge, thanks largely to defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who earns the imaginary MVP honors with four sacks of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
According to EA's simulation, the Patriots take the lead in the first half of the game, running up a 17-3 lead over the Rams. After the half, the Rams' offense comes alive, tying the game 20-20 by the time the fourth quarter rolls around.
The Rams kicker, Greg Zuerlein is able to make a 53-yard field goal, giving L.A. the edge. But, EA has the Patriots fighting back, with Tom Brady throwing a touchdown to give the Patriots a 27-23 lead. But, once Goff gets the ball back, the Rams march their way down the field for a final touchdown, with running back Todd Gurley running in the winning goal.
EA is also betting on Rams quarterback Jared Goff matching Brady and his crew of receivers. The simulation has Goff with 303 passing yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Rams receiver Robert Woods is good for eight catches for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Patriots receiver Julian Edelman had eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.
And while the Madden NFL game has had a good track record in the past, guessing correctly 10 of the 15 time, you probably shouldn't run out to bet the farm on the game's predictions. Last year, EA predicted the Patriots would beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20. Instead, the Eagles crushed the Patriots, 41-33.
The video game did get things right with Super Bowl LI, even calling the Patriots' dramatic come-from-behind win.
Super Bowl LIII is scheduled to kick off on Sunday, February 3rd at 6:30 p.m. on CBS. You can stream the game online here.
Photo: Getty Images


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Mercer County, NJHome Menu
- Mercer County Board of Social Services
- Mercer County Community College
- Mercer County Improvement Authority
- Mercer County Park Commission
- Mercer County Library System
- Mercer County Prosecutor's Office
- Mercer County Technical Schools
- Mercer Property Information Portal
- New Jersey Courts
- Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County
- State of New Jersey
- Cure Insurance Arena
- Trenton Thunder
- Wildlife Center Friends
- Airport Development
Duties of an Executor or Administrator
A timetable of events in every plan for administering an estate is dictated in part by statutory filingperiods within which tax and non-tax events must occur. At a minimum, the events will include thefollowing items that should take place within the periods shown:
Appearance at Surrogate's office to probate Will
Any time after death, but letters may not be issued sooner than 10 days after death (except when there is no Will then five days after death is the required time lapse)
Marshalling of debts and assets; preparation of calendar for administration; obtaining appraisals
Immediately after letters are issued (acts of fiduciary before Letters issued, if in good faith are permissible)
Notice of Will to interested parties
No later than 60 days after probate
Completion of post-mortem tax analysis (subject to Later revisions)
5th to 7th month after death
Communications to beneficiaries regarding all steps to be taken in administration
Throughout administration
Surviving spouse or domestic partner or civil union partner right to file for elective share expires
6 months after appointment of personal representative (may be extended by court order only)
Alternate valuation of assets
6 months after death
Filing of New Jersey inheritance tax return with request for waivers and payment of direct tax
Before 8 months after death
Filing and service of disclaimers
Must be filed within 9 months of death to be effective for tax purposes but can be filed later for non-tax purposes
Filing decedent's final income tax return
By April 15th of the year following the year of death
Filing of Federal Estate Tax return and payment of tax
Before 9 months after death
Distribution of tangible personal property
As soon as practical
Distribution of specific bequests
Distribution of income and remainder
Based on post-mortem tax plan
Closing of Federal estate tax proceedings
On audit
Closing of New Jersey estate tax proceedings; payment of compromise tax, if any
On audit
Payment of New Jersey estate tax, if any
Before 9 months after death
Filling of New Jersey Estate Tax Return
Before 10 months after death
Filing of fiduciary income tax returns (State and Federal)
If estate's tax year is calendar year then by April 15th of the year following death. If estate elects a fiscal year, then within three and one-half months of end of fiscal year.
Final accounting, including formal or informal approvals
When all above are complete
Payments on account of fees and commissions
Based on post-mortem tax plan except that amount of commissions which can be paid prior to the approval of the accounting is limited by statute.
Perform Child Support Judgment Search on each beneficiary
Before distribution of balance of residue to beneficiaries
Filing of Release and refunding bond (available on website) and filed in Surrogate's Court
At completion of administration of the estate and before distribution of all assets
Distribution of balance of residue; payment of balance of fees and commissions
When accounting approved


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The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has released a photograph of a male jaguar taken by a remote camera trap in Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve. Activated by motion or heat differentials, camera traps "capture" pictures of secretive and elusive animals in the wild. Because each jaguar's pattern of spots is unique, the photographs can be used to identify individuals and estimate abundance. Integrating experience from more than 80 jaguar surveys, WCS has issued an updated version of its 2004 manual of methods to estimate jaguar population density using camera traps. The new manual — available in Spanish and English at: http://www.wcsguatemala.org/en-us/wildlife/jaguar.aspx– shares lessons learned and recommendations for design and analysis that can improve density estimates. Because jaguars roam widely seeking prey, the manual notes that density estimates require huge sample areas. In keeping with that recommendation, WCS is leading a survey in Guatemala using 50 stations of paired camera traps to cover a 500-square kilometer area of community-managed forest to learn more about these elusive creatures, including how many exist in the region.
"By protecting jaguar populations in globally significant, strategically located strongholds, our program contributes to range wide conservation of this species," said WCS Jaguar Coordinator Dr. John Polisar. "The jaguar in this photo is secure because its home is defended against illegal encroachments that would clear its forest habitat, and uncontrolled hunting that would reduce its prey. The intent of the new manual is to share the knowledge we have gained, and it provides guidance on design and analysis for a next generation of jaguar population studies that are essential to informing conservation actions." WCS's jaguar monitoring advances in Guatemala are being made possible through the generous financial support of: the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation; the US Agency for International Development/Rainforest Alliance — Climate, Nature, and Communities in Guatemala Program; and the US Department of Interior — International Technical Assistance Program. The Andean Bear Conservation Alliance is enabling this large scale jaguar survey through sharing equipment.
Science Daily
June 11, 2013
Original web page at Science Daily


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WEDNESDAY, June 29, 2011 (HealthDay News) -- In 2009, a 60-year-old American lab researcher was mysteriously, and fatally, infected with the black plague while conducting experiments using a weakened, non-virulent strain of the microbe.
Now, a follow-up investigation has confirmed that the researcher died because of a genetic predisposition that made him vulnerable to the hazards of such bacterial contact.
The new report appears to set aside fears that the strain of plague in question (known by its scientific name as "Yersinia pestis") had unpredictably mutated into a more lethal one that might have circumvented standard research lab security measures.
"This was a very isolated incident," said study co-author Dr. Karen Frank, director of clinical microbiology and immunology laboratories in the department of pathology at the University of Chicago Medical Center. "But the important point is that all levels of public health were mobilized to investigate this case as soon as it occurred.
"And what we now know," Frank added, "is that, despite concerns that we might have had a non-virulent strain of virus that unexpectedly modified and became virulent, that is not what happened. This was an instance of a person with a specific genetic condition that caused him to be particularly susceptible to infection. And what that means is that the precautions that are typically taken for handling this type of a-virulent strain in a lab setting are safe and sufficient."
Frank and her UC colleague, Dr. Olaf Schneewind, reported on the case in the June 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
According to the National Institutes of Health, prairie dogs, rats and other rodents, and the fleas that bite them, are the principle carriers of the bacteria responsible for the spread of the deadly plague, and they can infect people through bites.
In the 1300s, the so-called "Black Death" claimed the lives of more than 30 million Europeans (about one-third of the continent's total population at the time). In the 1800s, 12 million Chinese died from the illness. Today, only 10 to 20 Americans are infected yearly.
As first reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Feb. 25, the case of the American lab researcher began in September 2009, when he sought care at a hospital emergency room following several days of breathing difficulties, dry coughing, fevers, chills, and weakness. Thirteen hours after admission, he was dead.
An autopsy and blood tests showed that the man had an underlying blood disorder called hemochromatosis, which involves harboring too much iron, according to the CDC report. The strain of the microbe he was working with in the lab was weak because it didn't have enough iron. But once the bacteria entered his body, his extra iron might have been enough to overcome the bacteria's weakness, rendering it as virulent as some of its cousins.
The case was the first since 1959 involving plague transmission in a laboratory setting -- and it remains unclear exactly how the virus entered the lab researcher's body. It was also the first ever to be linked to a weakened plague strain that had not been considered a threat to human health.
The strain was thought to be so safe that it was routinely used as a subject for basic scientific research. Such experiments are typically conducted under relatively moderate security conditions, compared with those in place when researchers are in contact with highly communicable diseases.
In the new report, the investigators emphasized the need for vigilance in following lab safety protocols and suggested that researchers consider testing for the hemochromatosis mutation before coming into contact with Y. pestis.
Dr. Steven Hinrichs, chairman of the department of pathology and microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, noted that genetic research advances now allow investigators to rapidly assess epidemiological concerns in such cases.
"Our ability to investigate this kind of situation, and perform the genetic tests that identify the underlying susceptibility of an individual, would not have been possible even a few years ago," he said.
"In fact, just a few years ago we might have been very, very concerned about this," Hinrichs said. "But because we could actually genotype this individual and prove that he had this mutation, the explanation for this outcome is totally acceptable and understandable."
More information
For more on the plague, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.


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Harrisburg, Pa (CBS21) - GIANT Food Stores has announced the introduction of robotic assistants to all of its 172 stores.
"Marty" is a tall gray robot with googly eyes that will move around the store unassisted to help identify and report hazards, such as liquid, powder and bulk food-items spills.
This will help free up employees to spend more time on customer service, according to GIANT's press release.
Over the past year, GIANT has been piloting the robot assistants in its stores located at 4211 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg and 255 Spring Garden Street, Carlisle.
GIANT will be deploying "Marty" to its 172 GIANT and MARTIN'S Food Markets stores in waves over the coming months and is expected to be completed by mid-2019.


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Thank you everyone who has given this story a shot! I've been writing it like crazy so I hope you enjoy!
This chapter is dedicated to this hottie's collar bones.
Sneaking out was less thrilling than I thought it would be, considering I just opened the window, climbed out, and was back on the deck. Scorpius was where I left him. It was darker now, but I could still see his bare torso and purple boxers.
"You're lucky I'm a kind person," I muttered, throwing his clothes to him.
"I really thought you'd make me traipse through the forest in this." He quickly pulled on the pants and the shirt. It stretched a little over his chest. I stared. I was a girl. So what. I was seventeen. Comes with the territory.
"I should have." I motioned to his feet. "Sorry about that though."
"I'll just numb them." Scorpius shrugged and whipped out his wand. "Rubber boots wouldn't have gone over well anyway."
"Just use transfiguration." I sat on the edge of the deck and hopped off, landing on my feet, but only just.
"Not my best class. This is fine." He flicked his wand and then kicked his feet a little. "Brilliant. Are you ready?"
"Considering I have no idea what's happening, I don't know if I'm ready." I avoided his eyes. "I still don't know why I'm not inside reading."
"I do." Scorpius smirked and made his way down the small slope of dirt and into the trees.
"Care you enlighten me?"
"Put on a brave face, Gryffindor. I'll let you figure it out for yourself."
I groaned and followed him into the forest, hoping I wasn't about to get killed, mauled, or seriously injured. Mum would not be proud. The further I stepped, the darker it got until it became difficult to identify trees from boulders from Scorpius Malfoy. Thankfully, I took out my wand and illuminated the space around us.
The woods were spooky at night. It wasn't like the magical Forbidden Forest. No, it was much more alive. I heard various animal noises. Snapping twigs. Leaves rustling. Scorpius swearing as he stubbed his toe.
"The further we go the more I'm convinced you took me out here to kill me," I said, gasping for breath since he was going so fast. Stupid mountains.
"I could have just killed you up there," Scorpius said. "Not that I know anything about killing. Would you care to be my test subject?"
"I'd rather not."
"What is your biggest fear, Rose?" he asked loudly.
I pointed my wand at his back, illuminating the red and beige of his clothes. He didn't so much as flinch. "Storms."
"Biggest? I don't believe you."
"I haven't spoken to you in six years!" I cried. "How would you know?"
"Just because we haven't talked doesn't mean I don't know you." Scorpius shrugged a little. "I just think you have to fear something more than storms. Are they really that scary? Booms of thunder?"
"Shut up." Ever since I was a kid storms had bothered me. I would cuddle up on the sofa, away from windows, and pull a blanket over my head. Dad would sit and pull me onto his lap. Then we would watch some Muggle television show and I'd fall asleep to the sound of the rain against the windowpanes.
"Scarier than a cliff?"
I was glad he said something, as I wasn't paying attention and I almost ran into him. Scorpius had stopped even with a line of tall trees. Just ahead of him was about two meters of grass, followed by the land vanishing.
"I wasn't aware there were cliffs in the Smoky Mountains," I said shortly, heart beating a little. I didn't hate heights. It was like everyone hated heights. Everyone's biggest fear was heights, which I found perplexing since I figured it would be the falling. It wasn't mine, but this cliff was testing that.
The only way I could see the water below was by moonlight, which didn't help. I tried pointing my wand, but it barely caught the calm waves.
"Found this place three days ago," Scorpius explained. He leaned against a nearby tree, eyes away. "Almost fell in."
"I bet there are rocks." I stared over the edge. That was a long drop. Fifty meters? Not that long. I wasn't sure. I needed better measuring skills.
"There aren't."
"How do you know?"
"Because after I almost fell in, I jumped."
I turned. "What's your story?" I asked. "You're being mysterious. No one likes a mysterious boy. You're blond, so there goes the tall, dark, and handsome."
"But I am handsome, am I?" Scorpius said, his lips curving into a grin.
"I bet you're still afraid of squid," I shot back.
Finally, his cheeks turned pink in the darkness. "We haven't warmed to each other." He kicked his foot against the dirt, swirling it with his toes. "My story is that I am hours and hours away from home and I will either take advantage of spending it with someone my own age, or I'll go back to the cottage and spend thirty days in fear my father is going to light the place on fire testing charcoal."
I thought about being in the house with Hugo and my parents, who were probably being awkward. I then compared it with being on a cliff with Scorpius Malfoy, who was not dark, but had the tall and handsome thing going for him.
"Similar to my story, down to the days, though my dad won't mess with the grill." I paused. "Did you really jump?"
"I really jumped."
"Let me guess. Leap of faith?"
"Why are you skeptical of everything?"
I turned. His eyes were on mine, though it wasn't easy to tell. My wand was at my hip. "I don't see the point, I guess." Was there one? Jumping off a cliff blind? Spending five hours in a stream with a net? I'd much rather read or paint.
"Maybe this will help." Scorpius pushed himself off the tree trunk and started toward me. He was quiet, but each step rustled the twigs and fallen leaves below. I heard a few owls in the distance, but didn't look away.
There was something about his eyes that both put me at ease and scared me.
"Maybe what will?" I found myself a little out of breath as he approached, heart starting to beat faster.
Scorpius took my hand and squeezed it, but then let go. "Do you trust me?" he asked.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Trust sounds a bit forward, doesn't it?"
"Do you trust me, Rose?" Scorpius repeated, his expression not faltering. He was serious.
I hesitated, lips parting. He was less than a meter from me, eyes on mine. I could see the his brows crease, the locks of hair falling over his ears.
"Your biggest fear is taking risks," Scorpius said into the silence.
Before I could disagree, he pressed on both of my shoulders and pushed me over the side of the cliff.
The fall was something I'd never experienced before. Weightlessness as air crashed over my sides. Then I hit the cold sheet of water and everything went dark. Darker than it already was anyway. When I surfaced, my body stung and I looked around. I saw the outline of the shore from the moonlight, but that was blurred with my choking on water.
A moment later and there was a large splash beside me. Scorpius flipped his hair away from his face. I could tell he was grinning.
"It's cold!" he announced, laughing.
"You are aware I'm going to kill you, right?" I asked, treading water before swimming for shore. Ignoring him was the best option now.
"You can't kill me yet," he called.
"And why bloody not?"
"You'll be stuck with your family for a month." There was a smirk in his voice I hated.
"Maybe that would be better." Eventually my feet found the muddy lake floor and I hoisted myself out of the water. I felt frozen. Everything was cold and instantly my body began to shake. "I cannot believe you just pushed me in the water. I definitely don't trust you now."
Scorpius patted my shoulder. "Loosen up a little, Rose. You act like you live behind bars or play by the rules."
"What's the point of breaking the rules?" I shot back. "Well, they're there for a reason. It's not like I can't break rules. I just snuck out, didn't I?"
"When was the last time you snuck out?" he asked. I faltered. "Exactly."
I reached into my back pocket and tugged out my wand, performing a drying spell. It tingled all the way into my fingertips. After pulling my hair back up, I turned, eyes widening.
Why was this boy always half-naked?
Scorpius had his shirt off and was wringing it out over the edge of the lake. His pants were dry, wand sticking out of his pocket. It really wasn't appropriate that the light was reflecting off his back muscles.
Not appropriate at all.
"You having a staring problem, Rose Weasley," he commented without turning around. My intake of breath may have tipped him off.
"You have a naked problem," I said just as easily. "In case you haven't noticed, we're at the bottom of a cliff. It's late."
"So you're scared."
"I'm not." My eyes narrowed.
"Then just relax for a minute." Scorpius draped his shirt around his neck and moved toward the trees. He picked up a few logs and twigs and starting piling them beside the shoreline. "Is it always go, go, go for you? Always have to complete a task and move onto something else?"
I paused, watching him. He moved slow, draping each log in a pyramid before standing back to survey the structure. "It's not always like that," I said.
Scorpius used his wand to light the logs, flames erupting so high he had to calm them before sitting beside it. He patted the spot next to him. "Tell me what it is like then."
"Okay, am I the only one who finds this strange?" I said, a little stubbornly. "We're on vacation in the same place. We haven't really spoken in six years other than borrowing a potion's ingredient or two, and now you're asking for my life story next to a fire in the Smoky Mountains?"
He glanced up, smiling a little. "Can you think of a better place?"
I caved and fell beside him, pulling my legs up to my chest. I couldn't figure him out. He was shrouded in a strange mystery. Like he answered every question with another question.
"You go first," I said.
"With what? My life story?"
I shrugged. "Just go first, okay?"
Scorpius was quiet for a moment and the wood was beginning to crackle. "I don't know what to say." He laughed a little and I noticed his cheeks begin to darken. "I'm pretty regular, really."
I shot him a look.
"Okay!" Scorpius said, laughing. "I'm not that regular. When my grandparents died, my parents sold the big manor because Dad said it reminded him too much of his childhood. And before you ask, yes, I do know all about it. My dad isn't a bad person. He was just put in a bad situation." He shrugged, his laughter gone. His gaze was focused on the lake. "He doesn't talk about it, so I don't talk about it."
"So why are you talking about?" I asked quietly.
"Can you think of a better place?" Scorpius repeated, letting out a breath.
"My family talks about it," I commented. He looked over. "About what happened when they were at school. The battle. All of that. Dad says it helps you move on when you talk about something." I felt a little uncomfortable with him watching me. "Do you get along with your parents?"
"I think everyone expects me to say no when they ask that," Scorpius replied. "But yes, I do. We don't go on fishing trips with matching tackle boxes, but we do get on okay."
"My family says I favor my mum, but I get along better with my dad."
"Daddy's girl?"
"You could say that." I smiled. It was true. Since I was little I'd always gone on adventures with Dad, sitting atop his shoulders. We went everywhere together. Even at the Burrow we sat together after I punched James in the face for being a twat.
Scorpius hadn't looked away. "I'm sorry we never got to talk before now, you know."
"We've barely talked now." I shrugged, feeling heat on my cheeks again. "We don't exactly have the same friends or do the same things. You're a Prefect and I'm not."
He shrugged again. "Still. We should make up for lost time." He nudged me in the ribs and I flinched. "Tell me about all of the brave things you've done since the sorting hat told you that you were a Gryffindor." Scorpius was grinning again, that charismatic grin that ensnared so much of Hogwarts.
"I have stopped a puppy from digging up the garden at Grandmum's," I noted with a cheeky smile.
"Did you have a cape? You should have had a cape."
"Will you make me a cape?" I asked.
Scorpius bit down on his bottom lip. "Scarlet and gold?"
"How about a nice rosy red?" I asked, nudging him back with my foot. I had to admit, this wasn't horrible. Not that I thought it would be (though my mind was momentarily swayed by being pushed off a cliff), but I was still comparing it to being at the house with Hugo's button-mashing.
"Done." He shifted in the sand and turned his attention back to the fire. "Do you still like squid?"
"Are you still afraid of them?" I was impressed he remembered the conversation. I wondered if it had been on his mind for the better part of six years like it had mine. I was still trying to figure out exactly what he meant. I was plenty brave. Or maybe I wasn't. What did he mean by girls should be brave and not boys?
He smiled almost sheepishly. "I told you we haven't warmed to each other yet."
"Meaning you haven't even been in the lake," I countered, smirking.
I couldn't disguise the laughter. "You're kidding!"
"It's huge, okay?" Scorpius said, his calm demeanor vanishing. "It's a huge squid that could kill me!"
"You're a wimp." I shot him a grin. "Tell me more about you. I like having something to use against you."
"I case of what?" he asked.
"In case I need it."
Scorpius leaned forward and tossed a stray twig into the fire. "I like people. I like working with people, talking to people, and making people happy."
"What about you?" The fire was crackling louder, sending barely visible plumes of smoke into the darkness. "Do you like to make yourself happy?"
"That's why I spend five hours in a creek fishing."
I moved to lie back in the sand. "Do you fish at home?" I asked. I tried to picture him in a nice house, standing out front in a ditch with a net, pants rolled to his knees. It made me smile.
"No." Scorpius stretched his back and it popped. "No, I don't. I'm usually pretty busy during the summer at home tending to…things. And at school..."
"Don't want to catch a mermaid," I teased. "Or a squid."
"I can't believe you remember that," Scorpius said softly, kicking at the sand.
"Who do you think I am, Scorpius?" I asked, sitting up. My back was covered in sand and of course my eyes were on his bare torso. "Really. What do you think of me as you have so carefully observed me over the course of six years." It was hard to think about that. What else had he noticed?
I had my first boyfriend third year and he broke up with me in the middle of dinner. I fell off my broom during flying lessons. I had my heart broken last summer by the Muggle boy who lived across the street. How much did Scorpius Malfoy know?
"Who are you?" he echoed. He picked up another twig and began drawing in the damp sand. Squiggles and swirls. "You are very good at Defense Against the Dark Arts. According to a girl who overheard you in the bathroom, you outscored me on every OWL. You bite your lip when you don't know the answer to a question and you're afraid of being called on. And you live in fear of being happy."
My eyes snapped over. "What? I am happy. Are you daft?"
He didn't reply for a minute. "You asked who I think you are. You got your answer."
Annoyed, I got to my feet. "Well you can think by yourself then," I said and marched off into the trees.
He didn't follow.
Day Five
I walked into the kitchen in time to see Dad casting a concerned glance at the ceiling. Then the pancake dislodged itself and fell right onto his face.
"That's a good look for you," I said calmly, taking a seat at the table. "Need help? It's too early so the most I'll do is offer."
"You're a peach," Dad said, peeling it off his face and tossing it back into the pan. "That one's Hugo's." He finished it and tossed it onto a plate. "How many? One?"
"All of the pancakes." I yawned. "Dad, how many cottages are up in these mountains?"
"Hard to tell. There were dozens through the company we used." He squeezed batter into the pan. "I know there are a lot of companies too. Probably at least twenty on this mountain, but this is a big one."
"How far apart are they?"
"Worried about being robbed? Just lock your window at night." He chuckled. Like he was really funny or something. "I don't know, Rosey. Few kilometers? Want to borrow a measuring stick? It'll give you something to do. Better yet, let's have Hugo do it. He's already being a pain this morning."
"What this time?" I stretched my legs out on the chair across from me. Pancakes smelled amazing, especially when Dad made them.
"He's mad there are bugs here and no girls," Dad said, smirking. "I don't know where he got that, you know. Not from your mum and me."
"Uncle George," I said, thinking about the pretty girls Uncle George hired for the shop.
"Good point. I'll tell Hermione to give him a swirly when we get home." Dad smirked and plated another pancake. "Here you go, Turkey." He ruffled my hair and poured me a glass of milk, placing it on the table as well.
"Thanks." I poured way too much syrup on top. "Hey, out of curiosity, are you still in contact with Mr. Malfoy?"
Dad looked over, his ginger brow raising. "I haven't saved him from a fire recently, but we speak at events." He paused and shoved my feet off the chair so he could sit down. "Why do you ask?"
"I was just wondering. I thought about him yesterday." Thought about him in an apron trying to work a grill.
"You want to go say hi when we get home?" He smirked and nudged me with his foot. "Maybe go play in the pool at the Malfoy Manor?"
"They don't live in the manor anymore," I noted.
"They don't? Yeah, I guess that sounds right. Your mother probably told me while I was watching Quidditch or something." Dad shrugged a little. "So what are your plans for the day, Turkey? Are you going to help me weed outside? Or perhaps devise a plan to get Hugo out of my hair?"
"You're not that lucky," I said, smirking. I thought for a minute about going back into the woods and who I might run into. After leaving the lake, it wasn't something I was looking forward to. Besides, I was completely content here. With my family. On vacation.
Dad opened his mouth to reply, but jumped as the kitchen door banged open.
Enter: Hugo.
He was still in his pajama shorts, which hung loose off his body, and a large t-shirt. His hair, the same messy brown as mine, was lopsided from whatever product he had been using to set it in place. Dad noticed this too and wrinkled his nose. He always teased Mum about performing a maternity spell so his kids didn't have red hair.
"What's for breakfast?" Hugo grunted, pulling open the fridge and grabbing a carton or orange juice. He tipped it back and started drinking.
"Clearly we'll mark that one with your name," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
"Pancakes. Brilliant." He replaced the carton and grabbed the plate with the ceiling-pancake. He slathered it with syrup, found a fork, and disappeared back into the living room without another word.
"Being that it was on a ceiling gives me a small victory as a parent," Dad said, turning his attention back to me.
"Kicking him in the face would give me a large victory as a sister." I finished off my own pancake and stood, placing the plate in the bubbly sink.
"You just let me know when and I'll make myself scarce so there's no evidence."
Only twenty minutes into trying to relax and read on the back deck, Hugo was blasting music from speakers I didn't know he brought with him. I stuffed several items in a tote bag, annoyed, and headed into the trees.
I could tell myself all day that I was just walking away from the house to escape Hugo, but that was a lie. I could have gone in any direction. Instead, I took a now-familiar path, expecting someone else to be on the other end of it. When I reached the shallow creek bed, however, I found it empty.
I wasn't sure what I thought would happen. That Scorpius would magically be out there for another five hour netting trip? He was annoying regardless. He talked to me like he knew something I didn't. Like he was Merlin's gift to me or something. I had been alive seventeen years, same as him, and he had very few rights to have an opinion on me.
Besides, I took plenty of risks.
I pulled off my shoes and placed them in the sand. It was a hot, muggy day and my body was already covered in a sheen of sweat. One look over my shoulder told me I was very much alone.
Well, good.
I abandoned my tote bag on the shore and then wiggled out of my shorts. I also tugged off my shirt and tossed it aside, still thankful it was a more recent purchase instead of one from when I was twelve.
This was as good as a bathing suit anyway. Both undergarments were black and structured well. Dom constantly made fun of me for wanting to be comfortable.
"What's the point in that?" she asked on more than one occasion. "You don't need to be comfortable to look good."
"Yeah, but who's going to see it?" I countered.
I mean, boys had seen my undergarments. Once I did blush because the boy was so excited to see lingerie, only to feast his eyes on a plain, black bra. He wasn't impressed.
The water was cool when I stepped into it, but not freezing like the day before. It felt good under the sun. I moved in up to my knees in the center of the creek, water brushing against my skin. It was a serene environment, but almost loud as I let my ears adjust. Birds, leaves, water.
I wondered what my friends were doing. Usually Cynthia went on her Caribbean vacation around the same time I did mine. Dominique was being wined and dined by her latest flame with his family in Italy (must be nice) and Bonnie was probably lounging in her garden getting sun. I wasn't sure they'd believe I was in the Smoky Mountains, now sitting in a creek as the water rushed against my shoulder blades.
"You're going to scare away the fish, you know."
Accompanied by Scorpius Malfoy.
My head jerked around, neck almost snapping, and spotted him on the shore. He was in nice, black trousers and a collared shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. It felt a little warm for that, but he looked nice. In one hand he carried his net, in the other a bucket and a paper bag.
Quickly, I sank into the water up to my neck. "What're you doing here?" I asked, voice strained, considering I was in my bra and underwear in a creek. Oh, hell.
"These your clothes?" Scorpius pointed to my pile, though it was obvious. He grinned. "I could take these, you know. Like you did for me."
"Except you're not going to do that." I spoke slowly, eyes dodging over to my clothes. I couldn't imagine traipsing to find Scorpius in my undergarments. Talk about nightmare.
"How do you know?" He placed his bucket in the sand, bag beside it, and chucked the net nearby. "I am a Slytherin, after all. You're just Gryffindor prey."
"I thought you didn't think like that," I said.
"I guess you'll see how I think, hmm?" Scorpius met my eyes, smirking, and grabbed the clothes, tucking them under one arm. He waved before he started off back into the trees. "Any means to achieve my ends, Rose."
A/N: Thanks again for everyone who has started to read this! Like I said, I've been writing it like crazy and I'm already pretty far in! It's my first truely fluffy story so it's pretty amusing! Anyway, feel free to leave your thoughts.
NEXT UP: Blushing, straddling?, rubber boots, and Scorpius finds true love.
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text: Seattle Tattoo Expo: On the Road in Washington By Nicki Kasper My trip to Seattle started a little rough… I was trying to get to my hotel to pick up all my boxes and drop them off at the venue before they closed at 7 p.m. but apparently there are two Roy Streets in Seattle, and my navigation system had other plans for me. After I got all the boxes loaded into my car, I made my way to Super Genius for Damon Conklin's pre-funk party... I didn't stay long, but I was there long enough to witness Henry Lewis challenge Damon to trade places with him the next day. Henry would comb out his hair and spray it silver, and Damon would dye his black and twist it. I thought Henry was joking, but the next day he was actually dressed as Damon and it was great. This show was fun for me, because it was the first show I worked that I had several friends attending. I hung out with Jeff Gogué, Cory Norris, Jon Highland, Nephtali Brugueras, Jesso Lange, Sierra Colt and Jared Driscoll all weekend, and laughed so hard my face still hurts. I won't name names, but one member of the group thought he was a real ninja when he was a kid. He even had an authentic ninja uniform complete with Tabi shoes, and he's got stories… good, hilarious ninja stories that made me laugh until I cried. I saw a couple familiar and friendly faces in Seattle from past Conventions. Jason Kundell kept me company at the booth here and there over the weekend, and that was fun. I also met Atom Messmer, Seth Ciferri, Shawn Barber, Jeff Houston and Matt Lentz for the first time in Seattle. They were all super cool... Atom stopped to chat with me often and even sent his apprentice, Ryan over to keep me company a couple times. Thanks for that guys! The show was great. High-fives to Gloria Connors of Connors & Co. and Damon Conklin for putting on a great show and having an amazing staff. Thanks again for squeezing TAM in. I'd love to do it again next year! Oh, and one more thing… to the Seattle hooligan who stole Cory's backpack… I hope karma kicks your ass! (Nicki Kasper is a contributing blogger for Tattoo Artist Magazine.)


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niko2pico wrote:Jake that is not at all biased in the least. It was honestly a moral event horizon that he crossed by doing something so completely inexplicable evil, just for the sake of doing something evil (I would argue that he didn't entirely cross it until he tried to blow up the party.)
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As congressional budget negotiations over the need for increased tax revenue heat up, some of the tools that your clients have grown accustomed to including in their estate planning strategies are taking center stage once again.
The popularity of the Obama Administration's proposals to cap the value of tax-deferred retirement accounts is fading—and the focus has shifted to proposals that would eliminate the "stretch" IRA instead. With widespread support gathering behind eliminating the extended tax deferral associated with stretch IRAs, preparing clients today can prevent surprises in the future—and there are a few simple steps that these clients can take to minimize the fallout should the death of the stretch IRA be near.
Stretch IRAs in Estate Planning
Under today's tax rules, the beneficiary of an inherited IRA can usually elect to withdraw the funds in one lump sum or receive payments over a number of years, based on his or her life expectancy. The tax benefits are substantial if the beneficiary "stretches" the withdrawals out over his or her lifetime because the value of the IRA continues to grow tax-deferred (or, in the case of a Roth IRA, the growth is tax-free).
Each year, the IRS requires that the beneficiary of an inherited IRA take a required minimum distribution (RMD) from the account. Because the RMD can be based on the beneficiary's age, rather than the original account owner's age, the stretch IRA has become a valuable estate planning tool for transferring tax-deferred wealth to younger generations.
Proposals to Kill the Stretch IRA
However, these valuable estate planning tax benefits have put the stretch IRA on the Congressional chopping block today. Many argue that, because IRAs are afforded tax benefits as a part of the tax policy behind encouraging retirement income planning, they should not be entitled to the same benefits when used as wealth transfer vehicles. While the Administration proposal to cap tax-deferred accounts at $3 million would have deterred the use of IRAs to transfer wealth, many have criticized that method as discouraging retirement savings.
As such, proposals that would limit the "stretch" period for a non-spousal inherited IRA to five years are gaining widespread support. This proposal is perceived as a way to limit the IRA to its intended use while still encouraging clients to save to fund their own retirement expenses—with the added bonus that the five year limitation period would speed up the recognition of the IRA funds for tax purposes.
Preparing Your Clients
With these proposals on the table, it is important that your clients prepare. They may want to examine their beneficiary designations—naming any children or grandchildren as secondary beneficiaries to a spouse can allow a surviving spouse to decide whether he or she wishes to continue the IRA (the proposals would not eliminate a spousal stretch IRA). This also allows the spouse to decide whether the funds should pass directly to the non-spousal beneficiary despite the possible five-year limitation—perhaps a child is in college and could use the funds over a five-year period to pay for related expenses during or after college.
Further, a Roth conversion might not be attractive if the IRA is going to be subject to a complete distribution within five years of the client's death—especially if it is possible that the beneficiary will be in a lower income tax bracket than the client's bracket at the time of conversion.
While it is far from certain that any of the administration's proposals with regard to IRAs will become law, the growing popularity of these plans means that it is important to prepare your clients with an alternate plan. If the rules do change, having a backup plan in place will allow for an orderly reshuffling of your clients' estate plans.
For additional coverage of this issue and similar ones, we invite you to sign up with AdvisorOne's Summit Business Media partner, National Underwriter Advanced Markets, for a free trial.
You may also be interested in signing up for a free trial with another Summit Business Media partner, Tax Facts Online.


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Crosby & Malkin have never scored on Nabokov.
Guinness wrote:Since the highest level of sports I played was high school, so maybe this is at that level, but what I would do if I were Dan Bylsma is have highlights from the brawl fest playing in the room after each practice. And I'd ask Mr. Lemieux to stop by and just re-iterate the pain of last year's loss, and the '93 loss, too.
Men like Morrow and Iginla are now on this team, and they are apparently hungry for the Cup.
Crankshaft adds a much needed element of physicality to a blueline that has gotten a tad soft over the past 4 years. Bringing back Eaton also brings in a steady if not flashy role as well.
I don't expect Sidney Crosby to have forgotten last year's disaster. I don't believe he is a vocal leader, but I think he will pay close attention to the mood of this squad as the series wears on. Brooks Orpik plays a role here too, I think.
Play responsible, defense-first hockey the way they did over the 7 game win streak.
Serious business, boys. You're out of your early twenties, for the most part. You've won a Cup. Now it's time to settle down, bear down, focus for 2.5 months and become legends.
Let's GO PENS!
PensFanInDC wrote:http://www.thepensblog.com/2013-archives/april/why-the-1993-loss-means-so-much.html
Good stuff from TPB about 1993
IanMoran wrote:I think they're veterans who have had a very workman like attitude about them......... I don't think they need any extra motivation for the playoffs
As for the Isles playoff history, the '93 Volek goal was heartbreaking. The classic reminder that no matter how good your team is, upsets are real and happen in hockey.
ExPatriatePen wrote:I just found out that Nabokov has never given up a goal to Crosby or Malkin... Do you think they're aware of that?
pcm wrote:Who will get the assignment on Tavares? Orpik-Martin? Or Letang if Orpik's not ready to go?
IntangibleBeer wrote:ExPatriatePen wrote:I just found out that Nabokov has never given up a goal to Crosby or Malkin... Do you think they're aware of that?
I predict Malkin will light him up like a Christmas tree.
Gaucho wrote:james neal @jneal_18 5m
Here we go!!!!
DocEmrick wrote:Little known fact:
Crosby & Malkin have never scored on Nabokov.Spoiler:And they're both well aware of it
bringitonhome wrote:Other than 93(I was 13) and the stupid brawl game, I'm finding it hard to hate the Islanders as much as I normally hate our playoff opponents. Can anyone help me?
Guinness wrote:bringitonhome wrote:Other than 93(I was 13) and the stupid brawl game, I'm finding it hard to hate the Islanders as much as I normally hate our playoff opponents. Can anyone help me?
Yeah. Never forget that punk Jack Capuano orchestrated the brawl.
That embarrassing farce, and the fact that slob didn't receive any kind of disciplinary action, is reason enough to want to see these little two-bit nobodies ground into powder in 4 games, sent home embarrassed to show their faces to their mothers.
Those idiots considered that game to be their little "coming out party". I'm all for seeing PGH welcome them to the show, in grand fashion.
jwest21 wrote:So what Wal-Mart is Gillies working in these days?
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|Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Remarks on Failed Bid to Assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
Q: On August 4 local time, there was an failed assassination attempt on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. President Maduro later said in a speech that the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the far right of Venezuela were responsible. Colombia's government has vehemently denied this. What is your comment?
A: We have noted these reports and responses from relevant parties. The Venezuelan government is stepping up investigation into this. China opposes all forms of extreme and violent acts and supports the efforts made by the Venezuelan side to ensure peace and stability in its country.