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Furloughs Will Shut Ohio Air Force Wing on Fridays
Officials say a U.S. Air Force reserve wing that flies troops around the globe will start shutting down on Fridays when civilian furloughs begin at Ohio's largest military base.
That's the word at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where around 13,000 civilian employees will be subject to furloughs because of defense budget cuts.
The Dayton Daily News reports that the Air Force Reserve 445th Airlift Wing relies on hundreds of civilian air reserve technicians, who serve double duty as reserve military personnel, to keep nine C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets flying.
Wright-Patterson union leaders welcomed the Department of Defense's announcement Thursday that civilian furloughs would be up to 14 work days beginning in June, eight fewer days than originally anticipated.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jim Young has been Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Schools for the last 24 years. He first began his ministry after graduating from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. Next, he earned his Master's degree in Physical Education at Nebraska University and then taught at Lutheran High School in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, he coached football and baseball. Later, Jim attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was ordained as a pastor into the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Pastor Jim believes it is fun to be saved and has a passion to help people come to know and then grow in their faith and love for Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Jim and his wife, Betty, have been married forever and have two children and five grandchildren who are the joys of their lives. He still enjoys playing ball and watching sports with his family. Even though Pastor Jim grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he now likes the San Diego Padres and has discovered that God is a San Diego Charger fan!


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Have Great Expectations of FairwayApril 23, 2018 12:00 am
You deserve to work with the best, and I believe you will have the best experience working with Fairway. I wanted to take a moment today to tell you what you can expect when you do business with me:
- I will always treat you with respect and take the time to explain the lending process.
- My communication will be top-notch from the time you submit your application and for years to come. I want you to think of me as a resource on whom you can always rely.
- With my FairwayNOW app, pre-approval* has never been easier, and you will be prepared to make an offer when the right house comes along.
- I am your mortgage planner, which means we will work together to create a realistic monthly payment that will allow you to live comfortably in your new home. I will offer you several different options and weigh out the pros and cons of each with you.
- I will always answer all your questions quickly and thoroughly.
- If you need references for a real estate agent, an insurance agent or any other professional while buying your home, you can trust me to suggest someone terrific.
- You can rely on my expertise and trust in my advice. You may also equally rely upon my operations team which will be working hard on your behalf to close your loan quickly and easily.
- I will work closely with your real estate agent to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks and that there are no problems.
- You will receive a copy of your Closing Statement in advance of closing so that you can review it and have time to ask questions.
- I will always be here to answer questions you may have going forward, and I'll take the same exceptional care of anyone you refer to me, as well.
If you are interested in purchasing a home or refinancing your current home, I would love to help you by providing top-notch service in planning for your financial future. Call me today to set up an appointment.
*May not be applicable in the state of Texas. Please check with your mortgage planner for more details about programs that are available for homebuyers.Fairway, Homebuying


text: This website is dedicated to Toho and their films and characters, including Godzilla. This website is for noncommercial use only and is not affiliated with, or authorized or endorsed by Toho Co. Ltd. Godzilla, Gojira, the character designs and King of the Monsters are trademarks of Toho Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, duplication or distribution of these materials is expressly prohibited.


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We've just published a new release of our WHQL-certified driver for SpringCard PC/SC products. This new version (code name: SDD480-BB) fixes a few bugs that have been experienced with the earlier release: – corrected a memory leakage that used to … Continue reading
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New WHQL-certified PC/SC driver
By johann.d on 14/06/2011 in CSB6, H663, Software announcement, Windows
Edited 24/04/2012: an updated version has been published to correct a few bugs. Please read this article. Our new PC/SC driver is now online and ready for download! This driver (code name : SDD480-BA) has been certified my Microsoft's Windows … Continue reading →


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Wells Fargo Advisors (WFC) confirmed late Thursday that its core payout grid is largely unchanged for 2013. The biggest change is that the first $11,000 in monthly fees and commissions for which reps get the lower 22% payout, rather than the higher 50% payout, has been expanded to $12,000 per month.
Also, WFA says, it is adding a new way for reps to earn compensation above the grid, other than through long-term deferred compensation.
The award to be rolled out next year will be based on client acquisition, and WFA will receive it by reaching a net-asset-flows target or by obtaining the target for new "key households."
Those FAs who qualify using the latter method can earn up to $100,000 and can elect to receive the total value of this award and their traditional deferred compensation upfront in cash (via a loan and bonus structure.)
"This is the largest potential award we've ever had in our compensation plan," according to a company source.
Comp Picture
Experts say that Wells Fargo's shifts should prove positive for its business results.
As for the core grid change, "This is a consistent, small tweak, which they make every year or so," said Andy Tasnady, a compensation consultant, in an interview with AdvisorOne. "It affects when their higher [50%-payout] rate kicks in, which started out several years ago as being only after the first $8,000 or $9,000 per month and is getting extended upwards every year."
Though this "tweak" may not make a huge difference, it could reduce some advisors' payouts by $3,000 or more a year, the compensation expert notes.
The bigger picture, he says, is that Wells—and other firms like UBS (UBS), Merrill Lynch (BAC), and Morgan Stanley (MS) —"are focusing their changes on [specific] behavioral goals for their financial advisors," according to Tasnady.
In Wells' case, the aim is to bring in new clients above a certain asset size to improve FA productivity and provide additional financial services. "Like others," Tasnady said, "Wells is tweaking and shifting more money toward these behaviors. We see it as efficient way to spend their compensation dollars."
Wells Fargo Advisors, led by Danny Ludeman, said its headcount was 18,277 as of Sept. 30, down 109 from 18,386 in the second quarter of 2012. The number of traditional advisors as of Sept. 30 was 10,857 vs. 10,913 in the previous quarter.
In mid-November, Wells Fargo said it recruited 24 advisors with $2.2 billion in assets in recent months for its traditional Private-Client Group channel. Its independent-advisor channel, FiNet, noted that it added seven advisors with about $1.3 billion in assets in November.


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2nd layout - for balance I had to use Yaara's picture :-)
We call her 'the stylist' and she loves it!
In a family celebration she took my sunglasses and put it on her glasses - double is better :-P
In the word 'Look' I used 'g' (stickers by #BellaBlvd) instead of 2 o's - and it looks like glasses - cute effect, ah? :-)
Thanks for looking
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
New layout: She's got the look
8:30 PM Posted by Unknown
labels American Crafts, Bella Blvd, Cuttlebug, layout, Nestabilities, Sharpie, Thickers, יעל יניב, נתנאלה
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2009-2016 Nissan GT-R R35 AF-2 Rear Diffuser ( GFK ) 1 Piece (S)
Special Price $119.00 Regular Price $149.00
Out of stockPart#: ed_108922
2009-2016 Nissan GT-R R35 AF-2 Rear Diffuser ( GFK ) 1 Piece (S)
2009-2016 Nissan GT-R R35 AF-2 Rear Diffuser ( GFK ) 1 Piece (S)
Dry fit the part before making any modifications. Chips and cracks in the gelcoat or fiberglass will exist and can be easily fixed during the prepping process. The primer finish must be sanded and other prep work will be required prior to painting. Fiberglass parts are hand made, they are not machine made and therefore not perfect. Be sure to use hood pins if installing a fiberglass hood. Due to the hand laid nature of fiberglass, this product is NOT a direct bolt-on. Fiberglass requires prepping, sanding, shaving, filling gaps, cutting, or other types of body work. These modifications may also include removal or cutting of the reinforcement bar. A professional body shop with extensive knowledge of custom fiberglass is required for installation. Primer finish. Hand layup is the manufacturing process used for the majority of our fiberglass parts. Made with fibeglass and plastic resin. We do not offer any guarantee of fitment on vehicles that have been in involved in accidents and/or have body damage or customization.
2009-2016 Nissan GT-R R35 AF-2 Rear Diffuser ( GFK ) - 1 Piece (S)
Note: All Overstock products are sold on a first come, first serve basis. Overstock products are sold as is, and all sales are final. Overstock products may not be returned or exchanged.
Fits the following models: Fits All Models, Base Model, Premium, Black Edition
- Five-Stage Aero Function Quality Control Assurance Manufacturing System
- Double-Layered Signature Gray Primer For Ease Of Preparation
- Honeycomb Black Mesh Grille (where applicable)
- 3-Year Limited Aero Function Manufacturer's Warranty
- Extensive Aero Function Ship-Safe Packaging And Protection System For Reduced Freight Damage
- Aero Function Exclusive Limited Production Availability
- Highly Durable And Impact Resistant Glass Fibre Komposites
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Ask Dr. Silver
The following are past questions and answers from Dr. Larry Silver on this topic.
My son's accomodations will change when he starts middle school. Who should I talk to about this transition?
I have a son who's 12 years old now. He has moderate LD mainly in visual processing, working memory, and expressive language. If he has no ADHD, should I still consider medication? He will start his middle school next week. In elementary school, he was pulled out for 45 minutes a day each week. Now, he will go to special education class for his language arts and social class.
I don't know whether it is good idea to place him in non-mainstream classes. Would this destroy his self-esteem? Should I insist on putting him in the regular class (though only push-in service will be provided)?
If your son does not have ADHD, he should not be considered for an ADHD medication. I cannot answer your questions on placement in middle school without knowing more details. You should be meeting with the special education (IEP) team to discuss what he will need for middle school. Has this happened yet? If you are unsure of the recommendations made by your school, seek a private consultant who can help you decide what is best for your son.
Can learning disabilities and ADHD get worse in high school?
Help! I am a sophomore in a private school. When I was in first grade I was diagnosed with ADHD and a visual processing disorder. I got help, medication, and accommodations so I eventually worked my way up through the system.
By eighth grade I was a straight-A honors student with almost no late assignments and not that many late nights. The perfect success story until this year. It was like I hit a brick wall a quarter into the year.
All of a sudden I was staying up until 2am or 3am every night trying (and often failing) to get my work done. I frequently only had time to eat one actual meal a day. My parents and I were a little less than pleased and talked to my guidance counselor and the learning support teacher at school. We are pursuing retesting. I now have preferential seating and can get extensions on due dates.
But the problem isn't gone. At all. I am still up late and stress and my parents and I still donít like it. Can learning disabilities and ADHD get worse? I didnít think that they could. What can I do to work better and focus better? I'm really tired of it taking me up to an hour to write a one-page paper. I've read everything on this Web site about visual processing and have done extensive research on ADHD. What do I do now? What else can I try? I'm running out of ideas.
Here's what I have tried: multiple types and doses of meds; assistive technology with reading; keeping a planner; prioritizing; using a timer when working; outlining and other organizational techniques for papers; taking notes; placing an object under the text; quiet work space; consistent work time; taking breaks; taking notes/ highlighting while reading; writing on the computer or with different paper/pens/pencils; being well rested; no cell phone distractions; working early in the morning after sleeping; caffeine; different lighting; classical music; enlarged print; underlining; reading/saying it aloud; and color coding.
I suspect that you have executive function disorders. These problems often become an issue starting in middle and then high school. Problems might include difficulty organizing your school materials, papers, reports, and assignments. Thus, you might lose or misplace things or leave things at home when you go to school.
You might also have difficulty organizing and keeping track of your personal belongings (backpack, coat, pencils, etc.) and keeping your personal space organized. Often, there is a problem with monitoring time.
Added to these problems might be difficulties with retaining what you have read or with organizing your thoughts when you need to write something.
If this description sounds like you, you will need updated psycho-educational testing to clarify how best to help. Usually, an organization coach is needed but often more is necessary. Show my answer to your parents and ask that they arrange such studies. Good luck!
My son is on Concerta for his ADHD, but still struggles with multi-tasking and is falling behind in class. What is causing this?
I have a 9-year-old son in the third grade. He has ADHD and is on Concerta. The meds definitely help calm him down so he can focus more at school.
Academically, he is very smart but he constantly needs help from the teacher or a student to keep up with the class. According to his teacher, he is always many steps behind the rest of the kids in class. He does not do well with multi-tasking and this often causes him to fall behind. And he's very slow at finishing every assignment.
At the same time, his teacher says that he is the hardest working person in the classroom and he'll keeping working until it's done. He does no goofing off whatsoever. Any idea what might be causing this? Could it be the meds he's on?
About 50% of children with ADHD also have learning disabilities. It sounds as if your son might have both. Discuss this concern with his school professionals and ask that they evaluate for this possibility.
My high school son is off ADHD meds but now he's struggling with organization and self-motivation. What should I do?
Dear Dr. Silver,
I have a high school senior who has a learning disability, not ADHD. He was thought to have ADHD and was medicated when in middle school. However, when he started high school things changed and we stopped the medication due to behavioral misconduct that appears to have resulted from the medication.
As parents we have tried to help him with his behavioral problems. They have improved, but his grades have not. He starts off well but by the end of each semester he always falls short.
I am lost as to what to do. My son wants to be successful but is lacking the determination and motivation to get there on his own. He constantly needs reminders and supervision. How do I groom him to become independent, determined, and self-motivated?
Your description of his problems sound like a possible executive function disability (problems with organization and time planning). This disability might be a reflection of ADHD or of LD and often begins to be a problem in middle and high school. Discuss this possibility with the professionals at his school.
Can ADHD meds help with an auditory processing disorder?
My fifth-grade son failed two subtests for auditory processing. I do not know if we are dealing with ADHD. We have tried ADHD meds and he says that he can hear the teacher better.
Is there any evidence to indicate that ADHD meds would impact auditory processing? Everything I've read seems to indicate no, but he insists that is the one difference for him.
You ask good questions; however, I cannot be specific. You need to sit down with the person who diagnosed him with an auditory processing problem and ask these questions. Usually, such an area of difficulty would interfere with reading skills and writing skills (e.g., spelling).
There are other questions to ask this person. What two tests did he fail and what does this mean? Did you do any other studies to see if he has areas of learning difficulty? Push to get clarification.
My son has an auditory processing disorder and is struggling but the school is only offering a 504 plan. What can I do?
My son is 12 and has been diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder. He has a hard time comprehending the material in school. I'm told he doesn't focus or engage in asking questions. I wonder if he has ADHD, although the doctor said he only has an auditory processing disorder.
What can I do to help him in school? He can't retain the information and the workload is too much. I'm not getting any help from the school. My son is a good kid who tries extremely hard. I don't want him to give up. He is extremely nervous giving a presentation or performing in front of people to the point that he hunches over and starts crying. Please help me! The school would not give him an IEP. They recently said they may consider a 504.
My first question: Who diagnosed him with an auditory processing disorder? This person should be advising you. Such a disorder often causes learning disabilities. Was he evaluated for this? If not, this needs to be done. Where are his skills in reading, writing, math, and organization? What you describe does not sound like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
I support your not accepting a 504 Plan. This plan would provide accommodations but not remedial services. You need to be assertive about wanting a full assessment leading to an IEP. Under an IEP, he should get both accommodations and services. Maybe you need a special education consultant to advise you on your rights under the education law and how to approach your school.
(If you want to read more on this, look in my book, The Misunderstood Child, Fourth Edition, published by Random House/Three Rivers Press.)
Good luck. Don't give up. If all of the above fail, e-mail back.
My son forgets things everywhere. Is this a sign of a disability?
Hi Dr. Silver,
My son forgets things in school, on the bus, in the park etc. He needs a reminder or he will forget things.
Is this related to any disability? If so, how can he be helped? Also, could it be possible that he can't process multiple tasks at the same time?
Without your son's age, I cannot be specific. But the behaviors you describe suggest that he might have what is called an executive function disorder. He has difficulty organizing schoolwork, and loses, forgets, misplaces papers and other materials. He gets to school and leaves things at home. Then he leaves school and forgets things that need to come home. He might have similar difficulties with his personal belongings (coat, pencils, etc.).
If he has executive function disorder, it might be a reflection of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Inattentive Type or it might be a reflection of a learning disability. I would discuss these problems with his teacher. If the teacher notices the problems as well, speak with the principal about the possibility of having a special education team evaluate him.
(If you want to read more about these problems, look in my book, The Misunderstood Child, Fourth Edition, published by Random House/Three Rivers Press.)
My son is in kindergarten and cannot write his name, but the psychologist says he's on track. Should I request testing anyway?
My son is 5 and is having difficulty in school. He started in a child development program last year at age 4 and had a lot of trouble learning anything. We thought it was due to his ADHD and behavior. He could not spell or write his name, did not know colors, numbers, or any of the alphabet.
This year he is doing much better with his behavior. But he has been in school for nine weeks so far and still cannot spell or write his name without assistance. He only knows three letters of the alphabet and can only recognize the numbers one to five. He has trouble gripping a pencil tight enough to write.
He is in speech therapy and has been since last year. My husband was LD in school. My son has been evaluated by the school psychologist but she thinks that even though he has attended school for over a year, he is where he should be. Should I be concerned and request additional testing for him, or is he too young to be diagnosed with dyslexia or other LD?
I share your concerns. Yes, he might be too young to meet the school requirements to be identified as having a learning disability. (Most schools use a model that requires a child to be about two years behind and he is only five.) But, there is the opportunity to evaluate and help a 5-year-old without needing to conclude why the problems exist. If testing shows that he has areas of deficit, services can be provided without the formality of testing. Speak with the principal about getting such help.
If you are not successful, you have two options. First, you could get psychological and educational testing done privately and then take the results to the school, insisting on help. Or, you could set an appeal process in motion. To do this, send your principal a letter, requesting a meeting to discuss the need to evaluate your son. The principal must call such a meeting within 30 days (based on education law).
At this meeting, request an evaluation. If the team does not agree and does not agree to informally provide services, ask for the guidelines on how to appeal the team's decision. Such a process is required by law. Then, appeal to the next level within your school system. If the principal refuses to call a meeting, comment that IDEA, the federal education law, requires that the principal call such a meeting. If he or she still refuses, ask for information on how to appeal.
(Should the principal refuse, I would meet with your superintendent of school or an assistant. Bring your notes about each step you went through and ask what your rights are.)
Good luck.
How do we make sure our daughter with ADHD does not get bullied in middle school?
My daughter will be 13 in September and is going to middle school. I am very worried because she has ADHD and has a hard time making and keeping friends. She gets bullied a lot of the time. I don't want that to happen as she enters middle and high school. So how do we help her make friends, hang with the right crowd, and not get bullied?
I share your concerns. One option is to speak to the counselor who works at the middle school she will be attending. Ask for guidance and for help when she arrives.
The other option is to speak with the professional who is treating your daughter for her ADHD. Ask for a referral to a mental health professional who works with middle school students who have ADHD and social problems.
What do I do about teachers who belittle my son in front of other students and do not follow his IEP?
I have a 9-year-old son, who was diagnosed with dysgraphia and ADHD in second grade. He has a special education plan, which his teachers usually follow, but because he is in lots of special groups, math help, reading help etc., he has lots of different teachers.
I am really having issues getting them to positively reinforce him. I fight with them all the time and it is just the same thing over and over — he gets a new teacher who is supposed to follow his IEP and instead they make fun of him or belittle him because he does not learn the same as other children. I am so sad and frustrated, I want to just follow him around and stop anyone who hurts him, but I can't do that.
Is there anything I can do to help his beaten self-esteem? Or maybe a different way to approach the teachers? He is just a little boy and he learns a little differently than others. I have had teachers use him as an example, saying things like, "If you don't do your homework, you'll end up like him." They have told him, "If you don't stop making your letters backwards, you will never have a job or a drivers license." Any help or advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
If your son has an IEP that clarifies your sons disabilities and the services needed, do not tolerate any teacher acting the way you describe. Keep a log of each occurrence. When you have enough examples, request an IEP meeting to discuss your sons progress. At this meeting, present your log and ask that this issue be addressed.
If your son has a 504 Plan, based possibly on the ADHD, follow the same process. Here, you would request a 504 meeting to discuss his progress.
Do not allow this to continue. But, you must document, document, and document. If your only data is from your son, see if you can get validation from another student, an aide, or someone else.
How can I get my daughter to stop procrastinating and do her homework without a fight?
I have a 12-year-old daughter who procrastinates terribly when she is supposed to be doing homework or studying and we are constantly threatening, bribing, reasoning with her to get her to do her work. She is often up late at night still doing it and we're always fighting. She frequently refuses when told to do things she doesn't want to do and I just can't make her.
Her behavior is so stressful to the rest of the family and we are all constantly on edge. How can I get her to complete her assignments without all the defiance and yelling? She is on Focalin and is a good student (with a lot of our badgering to do her work).
Please stop the arguing, bribing, threatening, etc. It is not working and does not work. Shift your focus to why she is acting this way rather than trying to make her change. I have yet to meet a 12-year-old who really wanted to fail or to disappoint his/her parents. There must be a reason and it is your job to find out what it is.
For example, I assume she is on Focalin because she has ADHD. If she takes the medication in the morning, it has probably worn off by about 4 or 5pm. Could this be a reason she struggles at night? Second, if she has ADHD, there is a high likelihood that she also has learning disabilities. Has she been tested to see if she might? If not, do so.
The answer to your question is not to increase the consequences and hope she will change. The challenge is for you to find out why she is struggling and to address the reason. Have you ever sat down with her and said, "I know you don't like to do poorly in school and I know you don't want to disappoint us. Let's work together. Help me understand what is hard about doing the work. Let's figure out together what we can do to help you be more successful."
Our second-grade daughter is struggling with depression and ADHD. What do we do?
I have a 7-year-old girl who is in second grade and struggling. She was diagnosed with Adjustment Depression and ADHD last March. She was treated for depression with an SSRI and counseling. She is currently on an ADHD medication and has stopped the depression meds. The counseling was stopped this fall because her counselor could see no reason to continue.
We have struggled since she started school. She is a very strong-willed little girl who knows a lot more than what she is willing to show us or the teachers. Her work at school fluctuates from day to day. She can do the work with ease one day and then struggle the next with the same work. Her teachers are as perplexed as I am. I have tried many different things for her such as Hooked on Phonics, Sylvan, special tutoring at school, and working with her in different ways at home. The things we try seem to make an impact the first couple of weeks but then she no longer is interested in them and does not want to participate. There seems to be a battle of wills.
How do we go about finding the thing that will allow my daughter to be as bright as we know she is without traumatizing her or bringing back the depression and making things worse? Her teachers feel she should continue counseling. They are disagreeing with the diagnosis of ADHD even though we went through several hours of testing. I fear that if she is held back (which I am thinking may be next) that she will be traumatized from this and will not recover.
Her social skills are lacking. She avoids crowds and does not warm up to people like a typical 7-year-old. She would much rather play with younger kids and avoid group activities. She has no problems making new friends as long as it is just her and the other child. Could her social behavior be contributing to her academic behavior and, if so, how do we go about making changes?
Your questions and concerns are on target. You need to find out more about why your daughter is struggling. It is possible that her depression was the result of her frustrations and difficulties at school. Once some of these were addressed, her depression went away.
If you feel that you are not getting the answers you need from her school professionals, you might have to seek help from others. First, meet with the person who did the hours of testing to conclude that your daughter has ADHD. Discuss your concerns with this professional. Why is she struggling in school? Why is she inconsistent? Were there any test results that might suggest that she has a learning disability or is at risk for such a disability? Discuss the fact that her school staff do not agree with the diagnosis of ADHD and ask for help in responding to the teachers.
If these efforts do not help, seek a private special education consultant who can review all of the records and testing (by school and privately) and advise you on what is best to do.
One added thought: Many professionals within the school and private sector use a guideline for diagnosing someone as having a learning disability. They must be significantly behind expected grade level. If a student is in second grade and a year behind, he or she might be shown to have difficulties, but the degree of deficit is not great enough to use the formal term learning disabilities. Discuss this theme with both school and private professionals. Challenge them by asking, "Are you saying that I have to wait until she fails third grade before you can identify her as having a disability?"
Does my inattentive disorganized teenage son have ADHD?
My question or questions concern my son who is now 15. He has had struggles his entire tenure as a student thus far. His teachers say that he is to often off of the task at hand. He tells me he has trouble concentrating at times. Having him sit by himself is very little help in terms of him not getting distracted. I had him tested four years ago for ADD and he doesnt seem to be a ADHD candidate because he has no problem staying still, with the exception of his concentration problems. He gets good grades at times and then it seems at testing time he fails. Teaching methods attribute to some of it, but not all.
He is very disorganized and even if I take the time to get him set-up to be organized (i.e. notes), he often gets classes mixed up. This leaves him with a result of mixed-up paperwork that needs to be deciphered for determining which notebook it goes in. The doctor who gave him the test years ago said that the results were such that he didnt think he was ADD or ADHD and that he would probably always be a high maintenance student. He is now a freshman struggling and I cant help but feel he is slipping through the cracks. He does not cause problems, although when he is off task and tries to socialize during class, it can cause additional distraction for his teachers. Please advise on where I should go from here.
Your son is fortunate to have a father who cares and is concerned. Your worries are appropriate. How would a 15-year-old reflect that he might have ADHD? First, he would have difficulties with activity level, ability to attend, or with impulsivity. For adolescents, we often also find problems with organization and with time planning. You describe him as distractible and inattentive. He is also disorganized.
The second step in establishing the diagnosis of ADHD is to show that the identified behaviors have been present since early childhood (chronic) and that they occur in most life situatiions (pervasive. I believe that you describe such a chronic and pervasive pattern. Finally, you need to show that these behaviors are having a significant impact on areas of his life — home, school, peers. The answer again is yes.
Based on your description, your son seems to have ADHD. I encourage you to see a physician who is knowledgeable about ADHD. If my impression is correct and he does have ADHD, treatment will make a significant difference.
How can I help an ADHD child with "sluggish cognitive tempo?"
After extensive testing by various places, my son has been diagnosed by a psychologist with ADHD-PI and sluggish cognitive tempo. He has just started taking band and playing the flute. Band is held at the end of the day when the other students have a study hall. As expected, he is having difficulty finishing tasks and tests in class.
The teachers want me to withdraw him from band to give him extra time to finish these things. He wants to continue band. He does not have an IEP yet. I am waiting for the written report from the psychologist to schedule an appointment with the counselor. The school tells me that with ADHD he does not qualify for additional resources.
Is sluggish cognitive tempo considered a learning disability? Will the diagnosis qualify him for additional resources, such as a resource teacher or just an IEP? Should I withdraw him from band and make him concentrate on academics or should I insist that the school make other accommodations to allow him to finish his unfinished assignments?
It appears that the school has done formal testing, called psycho-educational testing. These data should clarify why he has "sluggish cognitive tempo." The most frequent causes are weaknesses in what is called processing speed or in what is called working memory. If these are the reasons, targeted special education tutoring should help.
You are correct — ADHD is not a disability under education law, thus, an IEP will not be done. ADHD can be considered under what is called a "504 Plan" and would include some assistance, such as the study hall.
Your options: You might let him stay in the band and provide a private special education tutor to work on his areas of difficulty. If formal psycho-educational testing has not been done, you might request that the school do these studies (or have them done privately).
What's wrong with a child who throws tantrums, refuses to listen, and can't concentrate?
I am worried about my five-year-old grandson. He refuses to listen, has trouble concentrating, throws tantrums, and asks the same question over and over. He is very bright, cute, funny, imaginative and loves to be the center of attention. He doesn't sit still if there is external stimuli. I literally can't take my eyes off of him. He doesn't know boundaries. He doesn't sit to eat a meal. The doors have to be locked from the inside, he may decide to visit the neighbor or go on a journey. Two years ago, I thought it was a phase, but it is getting worse. It's as if he has no control.
Please help!
The behaviors you describe suggest a possible Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Have your grandson's parents explored this possibility with their family physician? If not, you might suggest that they do. If they are resistant, ask them to learn more about this disorder. Have them check the ADHD Basics section of LD Online, ADDITUDE and CHADD.
My child went on ADHD medication and is now depressed. What now?
My daughter, who is now 7 years old, has been diagnosed with ADHD, Dyslexia, Motor Function delays and Executive Function disorder. This diagnosis came after about four months of testing and evaluation. The ADHD diagnosis came as a surprise, not just to us, but to her teachers and specialists as well. They just didn't see it.
The plan of action included continuation with what we are already doing and medication. We tried the medication and were told we would see an immediate change. The medication did nothing other than make her depressed. She is known for her sweet personality so the change was obvious. We tried other meds with the same result.
I am wondering if she has been misdiagnosed. She is now reading and writing through the help of a specialist as well as at home. She is also doing well with math. She is still struggling with her ability to stay focused and follow directions (ie. if I ask her to face me she will turn around with her back to me). At this point in her treatment, do you have any advice as to what I can do next? Thank you, in advance, for you time and consideration.
I would trust your observations and judgment. It is possible that her inattention is the result of her learning, motor, (and probably language) disabilities. If so, medication may not help; remedial tutoring, OT, Speech-Language will help. I suggest that you hold off on trying medication and give the interventions a chance to help. If the professionals working with her feel that her inattention is a major concern, you might want to have her reassessed by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist to explore why the medications did not work and to find if other interventions might help.
If a nine-year-old suddenly starts having trouble focusing in school, is it ADHD?
My gifted nine-year-old, who is an advanced reader, writes and illustrates stories, finds patterns and relationships in math problems, and likes to have theological discussions, has suddenly started having extreme difficulty focusing in school. For example, his teacher often saw him staring off into space for long periods of time during standardized testing and his gifted teacher said that on a recent assignment he wrote only 12 words in one hour without one complete sentence!
He still has all A's in classes except for Science, in which he has a low D. Lately, the Science assignments have been done on your own during center time while the teacher helps small reading groups. The gifted teacher has mentioned the possibility of ADD since this seems to go beyond occasional daydreaming and reminding him to focus really isn't cutting it.
Do I ask the school to test him? Do I take him to our pediatrician or ask that his office's psychologist test our son in some way? Should I go first to an eye doctor since he recently mentioned seeing double at times? Where do we start? I would like to look into this before he goes into fourth grade next year (known to be harder and faster paced).
ADHD is a neurologically-based disorder. Key to making the diagnosis is to establish a chronic and a pervasive history of the behaviors noted. That is, if inattentive, there needs to be evidence of inattention/distractibility since preschool or kindergarten. And, these behaviors should be noted in most situations (home, school, with friends, on vacation , etc). If the problem of focusing "suddenly started" at age nine and seem to be related only to "difficulty focusing in school," other possibilities need to be considered.
I would start by meeting with his teachers and other school professionals to explore what might be the cause. Ask that someone come to the class and do observations to clarify when this problem is present and to explore for possible causes. Don't rush to have further studies done until you have more observational data.
Why would a child diagnosed with ADHD have trouble retaining letter sounds?
My 7-year-old son has ADHD and an IEP in class at his school. He is very good in math, but when it comes too letter sounds, he cannot retain them so he can't read or write. How do I, as his mom, help him too remember from one day to the next? And why is it he can retain all the things to do with math and not reading? I am confused?
About 50 percent of children with ADHD also have Learning Disabilities. Your son sounds like this might be true for him. If not yet done, a comprehensive psycho-educational evaluation will clarify why he is having difficulties and clarify how best to help him.
I'm fifteen and think I have ADD. What are your ideas?
Hello! My name is Rebecca Phipps, and I'm 14 years old, almost 15. I recently got accepted into this awesome new high school, West Florida. It's a difficult new school, and most people would just die to go there. I've always had a little bit of ADD, but because of the new stresses and other components, it's gotten worse. It's really embarrassing when I am talking to the teacher and I randomly forget what I was talking about.
My mom knows about this, and my brother has ADHD. I talked to my older sister about it and I tell her a lot of things I don't tell mom. The other day we were talking about my situation, and I want to talk to my doctor about getting the medicine for it. I figured there's not very much to lose. I was wondering if you had any suggestions about opening up a conversation with my mom about really considering talking to my pediatrician. Could you please help?
Thank you for trying to understand yourself. Yes, please talk to your mother. Explain what you describe above. Ask her to set up a consultation with your family doctor. When you have this appointment, list your observations and your concerns. Best of success.
How does the doctor figure out medication dosage?
My question is in regards to my son's ADHD med, Adderall XR. He seemed to be doing really well with it for the past four months. However, he has been having trouble lately focusing. Our physician suggested raising it to 15MG, which didn't seem to help. He then suggested 20MG. I don't feel really comfortable raising it that high, as our son is only six years old.
Is it possible another medication may work better, even in the same stimulant family, like Focalin that can be sprinkled? Is it unusual for a child to do really well on a medication for four months and then have difficulties again? Thank you!!
The dose of any of the stimulant medications used for ADHD (Ritalin, Adderall, Focalin, etc.) is not based on age or body weight. Thus, the only way to know is to start at a low dose, usually 5 mg. Then, about every 5 7 days, the dose is increased to 10 mg, then 15 mg, then 20 mg until the best dose is found. (Be aware that Adderall XR __ is an eight hour release form. Thus, Adderall XR 20 means that it releases about 10 mg initially and about 10 mg four hours later for a total of 20 mg).
What is the relationship between ADHD and sleep apnea?
Recently my seven-year-old son has been diagnosed with ADD and dysgraphia. He also has enlarged addenoids that have to come out. He only has 1 mm airway when he should have 10 mm. He has notable sleep apnea and is an aggressive snorer. Could his sleep apnea be playing into some of his focus and attention issues?
Sleep apnea can cause the child to be tired during school hours. If tired, he might be inattentive. I suggest that the sleep apnea be treated first. If, after he no longer has sleep apnea you still find him to be inattentive, it would be helpful to speak to his family physician about further evaluations.
How can a parent help their teenager with ADHD (and/or LD) who has trouble staying organized?
My 15-year-old son was diagnosed approximately three years ago with the inattentive form of ADHD. He is also a gifted honor student in a very competitive public high school. We should have addressed this issue much sooner, but he was always able to overcome his difficulties so I never gave a thought that he had any learning disability.
His main difficulties are that he constantly forgets things, has difficulty staying on task, misplaces things including homework on a regular basis, and is easily distracted. We have never tried medication, nor have we sought special accommodations in the school.
Ever since he was in the second grade and required to turn in homework, we have received notes home from teachers each quarter of every year about my son failing to turn in work that we know he did. He also forgets to write down assignments and sometimes even forgets that he has a test or quiz in a given class. We have purchased planners but he inevitably loses them or doesn't use them effectively. Although never diagnosed, I too have many of these same symptoms, so it is difficult for me to assist as I would like.
The main problem at this juncture is that he is seeking a Navy ROTC Scholarship. Therefore, by the Navy's rules, in the year prior to his being medically evaluated for the scholarship, he cannot take medications to treat ADHD, nor can he receive accommodations that other children do not get, or he will be medically disqualified.
What suggestions do you have, without using medications or school accommodations, for us to help our son be successful? He desires to study Engineering, which is an extremely rigorous program. We are very worried that his disorganization and lack of focus will make things very difficult for him to succeed without using medication or accommodations. Thank you for any help you can provide.
May I first answer the question for all students and then for the specific issues related to your son. Organizational problems might result from ADHD, from a Learning Disability (LD), or from a combination of both. If the problems are secondary to the ADHD, stimulant medication can make a significant difference. If the problems are the result of LD, medication will not help but special education tutoring will help. If the problems are the result of both, medication and special education tutoring will be needed.
The easiest first step for most students is to try a stimulant medication. If successful, great. If not, a psycho-educational assessment will be needed to clarify the issues.
Now for your son. It might be best to get a psycho-educational evaluation first. If the problems relate to LD, a private special education tutor (without accommodations) might be all that is needed. ADHD medications or ADHD accommodations would not be on records.
Note from LD OnLine: Visit our Tech Expert section to see Dr. Tracy Gray's response to the same question.
How can a teacher help a child with ADHD who has trouble reading and speaking?
I am a fifth grade teacher and I have a student who is medicated for ADHD with a patch. He shows an attention rate of about 85 percent throughout a school day. However, I have found that he experiences trouble in reading and in speaking at times. When called upon to orally read in class, he must stare at the text for approximately 20 seconds in order to verbalize his words. He also experiences this at times in beginning communication. Do you have any ideas of what the causes may be, or how I can assist him? Maybe games or skills practices that could help.
About 50 percent of students with ADHD will also have a learning, language, and/or motor disability. If your student is in fifth grade and struggling with reading, has he been evaluated by your school system for a possible learning disability? You also describe difficulties processing what he hears and what he must organize in his head before he can speak. Has he been evaluated for a language disability?
I think it is wonderful that you want to better understand and help. Start with getting psycho-educational and speech-language evaluations. These data will help guide your classroom efforts.
How should ADHD be treated when there is also an anxiety disorder?
My eight-year-old son was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). He has always been a shy anxious child and uncomfortable socially. We have been trying different stimulant medications for him that have helped the inattentiveness, but have exacerbated the anxiety (separation anxiety and peeling his finger tips particularly).
We are now going to try Straterra. Should he get a formal diagnosis for anxiety disorder and be taking something more like Wellbutrin, or should we see how he responds to the Straterra? I have always been bothered by his anxiety issues and feel that the professionals I have seen seem to focus more on the ADD issues. Only now is the present doctor recommending he also has therapy for anxiety.
Thank you,
When someone has ADHD and also has an anxiety disorder, it is not uncommon for the medication used to treat the ADHD to exacerbate the anxiety disorder. It is best, therefore, to treat the anxiety disorder first.
Once this disorder is under good management, it should be possible to reintroduce a stimulant medication to treat the ADHD. The most frequent medications used to treat anxiety disorders are called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Discuss this approach with the prescribing doctor.
Can a really busy person get diagnosed without spending much time at it?
Is there a way I could be diagnosed without having to go to my general practitioner? During the week, I have college and have to work so I never have spare time to go to the doctors. But I want an official diagnosis that I have ADD or ADHD. It would help me get a little extra help in college
There is no easy or quick way to diagnose or treat ADHD. You need to be seen by a physician to establish the diagnosis and to receive treatment. Maybe you could find someone at your college's Health Services so that you do not have to travel. Again, if you have a problem that is impacting on your success, you must find the time to get the proper diagnosis and treatment.
What happens when family members have ADD and other disabilities such as depression, anger-control problems, and anxiety disorders?
My daughter, who is 11 years old, was diagnosed with ADD. She is on Focalin. For the most part she is doing pretty good but she has her occasional breakdowns. How do you help get a person out of a meltdown without a lot of screaming, yelling, crying from that person?
My wife suffers from depression and also is ADD. She is on medication which does not help when my daughter has one of her meltdowns. Then my wife starts to have a meltdown. Sometimes panic attacks arise from what my daughter is saying etc during a meltdown. Any suggestions would be grateful in dealing with my wife and daughter.
It is important that you learn about what is called comorbidity with ADHD, as I discussed in my book, The Misunderstood Child. Fifty percent of children with ADHD will have one or more of a pattern of emotional regulatory problems. These include anxiety disorder (with panic attacks), depression, anger control problems, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
These comorbid conditions are neurologically-based as is the ADHD. Usually, each of these problems existed over many years and can occur in school as well as at home. The medication may have made each worse but may not be the cause. Often, there is a family history of similar problems. It sounds as if your daughter might have one or more of these regulatory problems. I recommend that you have her evaluated by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. It is essential that you clarify all of her problems so that a comprehensive treatment plan can be done.
What happens if medication does not seem to be working well?
My son was diagnosed with ADHD and learning disabilities at the end of third grade. He is now in ninth grade and gets very frustrated to the fact that he can't concentrate and do well in school. I feel frustrated myself because I don't know how to help him get out of his frustration.
He used to take Concerta until last year. He now refuses to take the medicine because it makes him feel a different person and he gets angry and aggressive when he takes it. I stopped giving it to him.
Please provide me with some feedback as to how I can help him succeed.
Let me focus first on the ADHD. Maybe he can't concentrate in school because his ADHD is no longer being treated. You should know that there are two consequences of being on too high a dose of Ritalin (Concerta). First, the individual may be more emotionally fragile - more angry or upset. Second, the individual may feel spacey - like someone flattened his personality. Perhaps if he saw someone who knew how to adjust the dose and monitor the medication, he would not resist. Discuss this with your physician.
Second, he has learning disabilities. And, now he is in high school. Does he have the compensatory strategies to handle high school work? Does he have the necessary accommodations in class? Could his frustration also be because he is no longer receiving adequate services?
Where can an adult be formally diagnosed with ADHD?
I have been diagnosed with adult attention deficit. I am currently taking Concerta. Where can I take a diagnostic test? Is it a formal test in which I can take so I can seek professional help? I just retired from the military and I would like to be able to go to college and able to really learn and not only pass a test.
I am getting ready to go to college this fall and I am assuming they would like some type of formal evaluation, test type documentation. The more a read about ADHD the more I see myself back in my early age.
Thank you,
The formal criteria for diagnosing someone of any age with ADHD is in a diagnostic manual called the DSM-IV.
The first step is to confirm the presence of hyperactivity and/or inattention and/or impulsivity. Then, it is necessary to show that these behaviors have been present since childhood (chronic) and that they exist in many aspects of your life (pervasive).
Finally, it must be clear that there are no other disorders that might explain the problems. A physician makes the diagnosis. Check around to find out which physicians, often psychiatrist, are knowledgeable about ADHD.
Do you have any tips for teenage drivers with ADHD and/or LD?
I am a 17-year-old girl who has been diagnosed with ADHD and a type of LD. I have had my license since August of 2005. Since then (not including the minor bumps against the garage), I've had two severe car accidents resulting in totaling both cars. The first one was inexperience, but the second one was failure to pay attention and my reaction time.
My parents are restricting my driving right now but they don't want to take it away because they don't want me to lose my freedom. Do you know of any tips or books for teenagers living with ADHD and driving?
You are wise to ask for help.
Start by learning what type of LD you have. Hopefully your parents or a school professional will know. You need to find out if this disability might be contributing to your problem. For example, if you have visual-spatial or visual-motor difficulties, you might have trouble judging distance, closeness.
Then, clarify in what ways you have ADHD. Are you hyperactive? Are you inattentive and easily distracted? Are you impulsive? If you are any or all of these, it would be important that you be on the proper medication when you drive. This medication would reduce or stop such behaviors.
Now, to be more practical. Ask your parents to check with the driving schools in your area. Ask if any program has a teacher that works well with students who have ADHD or Learning Disabilities. Even though you already have a license, it would be helpful to take more practice lessons with someone who understands and who can give you practical advice.
Good Luck.
How can I get a good diagnosis for my child who might have a learning disability?
My 5-year-old son was recently referred for testing by teachers. We filled out forms and brought him to the pediatrician who promptly diagnosed my son as ADHD and prescribed Focalin.
I asked about other possibilities related to LD maybe being part of the problem as his skills are severely delayed (about 1.5 years behind other children). I was told it was possible he had an LD that caused him to lose interest and focus OR it could be ADHD that caused him to have problems learning. I asked how do we know which it is and was told the solution was to medicate and see if it works or not.
I described in detail his ability to learn and retain information verbally just not visually so much. I asked about testing for learning disabilities before we started medicating my child.
The pediatrician referred me to a developmental clinic who does not take private insurance, only Medicaid, and costs around $10,000 for a full screen for LDs. I need to have an alternative as I cannot afford this screen and am hesitant to make my child a guinea pig with medication that he may or may not need.
Please help - what do I do? What resources exist for us?
Thank you,
You ask good questions. Your son's problems might be due to evolving Learning Disabilities or due to ADHD or due to both. It is important to clarify.
Did your pediatrician do a full assessment? Did he/she use the required criteria to diagnose ADHD? (Presence of hyperactivity and/or inattention and/or impulsivity that has been present for several years and that are noted at school, home, with friends.) If not, don't accept the diagnosis.
I would suggest you find a good educational diagnostician, experienced with early childhood. You will not have to guess. If there are developmental delays or LD, testing will clarify. This assessment should not cost more that $1,500 to $2,000, depending on what is done. (I have no idea what a developmental clinic would do that would cost $10,000).
How do we help a child with ADHD and auditory processing deficit?
We are trying to decide which therapy would be better for our daughter who has been diagnosed with a mild case of ADHD and a possible auditory processing deficit. We are currently considering the NILD Discovery program or neurofeedback. We cannot find information comparing the two.
Thank you so much for replying.
First, and most important is that the diagnoses are correct and that other possible causes for the problems have not been missed. Has she had formal psycho-educational testing? Has she been diagnosed with ADHD by a professional who uses the criteria required to make this diagnosis? Please do not jump into any type of treatment until you know what it is that you are treating.
For ADHD, medication is the treatment that works best. For auditory processing problems or learning disabilities, speech-language or special education therapy works best.
Don't spend your money and your daughter's time on NILD Discovery or neurofeedback as an initial step. Neither has been documented as being effective treatments for ADHD or for auditory processing problems.
If you want more information on evaluation, diagnosis, treatments, you might want to read the book, The Misunderstood Child.
Should ADHD medication be given only when a child is at school?
My step-son is taking Concerta. Shouldn't he take it every day? His mom only gives it to him through the week, not on the weekends, or only when he's in school. When we have him, he says he feels weird on Monday at school. I want to know if it is harmful to him because he's on and off it so much.
Medication for ADHD, such as Concerta, should be taken whenever the hyperactivity, inattention, and/or impulsivity could interfere with the child's ability to function and perform.
If weekends are casual and there are no sports activities or homework to do, he might be ok without medication. If you notice that his ADHD behaviors create behavioral, social, or academic difficulties when he is with you, it might be important for him to be on the medication.


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It's with good reason that alternative investments are becoming increasingly popular with retail investors. The asset class has been important to institutions for years, and it's only right that a variety of alternatives are showing up as a 'slice of the pie' in traditional asset allocation models. That's not to say, however, that amid the growing acceptance of alternative investments in modern asset allocation models, questions don't remain as to how those strategies are best used. There are plenty of considerations to be sure, but establishing a framework for implementing alternative investments in a retail portfolio starts with the basic tenet that there is no 'free lunch.'
Plenty of Choice
No matter how you look at it, investment return comes from taking on some kind of investment risk. In a traditional, diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds, the major sources of risk are essentially equity beta and interest rate. Alternatives, too, bring along risk, but the risk—and reward potential—differs greatly depending on the strategy. A wealth manager must identify the kind of risk a particular strategy brings, and diversify that risk across an investor's portfolio.
How different are the strategies? Here are just a few examples…
- Merger-Arbitrage managers invest in the securities of companies in the midst of an acquisition or merger. Generally, the strategy makes money if the deal closes and loses money if it doesn't. Obviously there is risk involved here, but the payoff has little to do with the direction of the stock market or interest rates.
- Managed Futures strategies are based on sophisticated trend models. A manager will buy and sell futures across multiple asset classes based on whether he or she can identify a directional trend in an asset class. Similar to Merger-Arbitrage, the payoff for a Managed Futures strategy is not contingent on whether the market goes up or down, but if the manager is right about the trend.
- Long/Short Equity strategies attempt to buy stocks that are attractive and sell those that are not. Generally, managers of these strategies will end up buying more than they short, leaving them with overall exposure to the equity markets. Long/Short Equity differs from the previous two examples in that the payoff is sensitive to the up and down movements of the stock market. In this way, long/short strategies have similar, albeit potentially less, risk exposure as long-only equity strategies.
They're Called Alternatives for a Reason
So how does an advisor go about implementing any one or all of these strategies in a client's portfolio? There is no exact answer, of course, but here are very distinct considerations, starting with the assumption that the composition a retail asset allocation model including alternatives would have of 50% equity, 30% fixed income, and 20% alternatives.
If alternatives are being added to equally reduce the equity beta and interest rate risks, then 20% of the allocation could be thought of as 10% "equity-replacing" alternatives and 10% "fixed income-replacing" alternatives. In this framework, the goal is to replace equity and fixed income investments with alternative strategies that can provide similar return and volatility levels without the same risk exposure.
A Merger Arbitrage strategy with low leverage and low volatility might make a good fixed income replacement. A well-run strategy could provide a volatility and return profile similar to bonds, but not contribute to further interest rate exposure in the overall portfolio. Similarly, a Managed Futures strategy might be plugged into the portfolio as an equity replacement because it provides a similar volatility and return profile to equities without being subject to swings in the stock market. A Long/Short Equity strategy, meanwhile, will not only offer similar return and volatility potential as equities, it will add to the equity beta exposure already present in the portfolio.
There are other alternative strategy types available in the marketplace, Convertible Arbitrage and Global Macro to name a couple, and they will expose portfolios to different risks, like liquidity and off-balance sheet leverage. An advisor will want to explore and understand the types of risks these alternatives bring to investors and determine if they are appropriate equity or fixed income replacements in a client's portfolio.
Alternative Strategies Are Not Created Equal
One way or the other, the increasing popularity of alternatives means more portfolios are carving out space for a dedicated alternatives allocation. The best way we know to approach this task is to identify the existing risk exposures in a portfolio and select alternatives that have similar volatility and return profiles with non-correlated risks. It's a good bet choosing alternatives within this framework will help reduce the overall volatility in the portfolio by diversifying its overall risk.
Author's disclaimer: Past performance is not indicative of future results. The opinions expressed herein reflect our judgment as of the date of writing and are subject to change at any time without notice. They are not intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice or a recommended course of action in any given situation. Investment decisions should always be made based on the investor's specific financial needs and objectives, goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Information obtained from third party resources are believed to be reliable but not guaranteed. Any mention of a specific security is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or advice regarding the specific security mentioned.


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Finn hacker steals personal info in cyber strike
(AP)—Helsinki Police say they detained a hacker last weekend suspected of accessing thousands of usernames and passwords of visitors to more than 300 websites.
Police spokesman Jukkapekka Risu said officers arrested an unnamed local man, who allegedly acknowledged his actions. Officers are analyzing his confiscated computers. They declined to give more details.
The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority warned Friday that the suspect might have accessed "usernames and passwords of hundreds of thousands of Finns," mostly from chat forums, adding that the attacks were not aimed at banks.
Erkki Mustonen from global computer security company F-Secure Corp. said it was one of the biggest hacker attacks in the Nordic country to date and could have been prompted by a desire for the hacker to demonstrate his skills.
Explore further
© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Today's Concept Art Writing Prompt has a simple setting with all sorts of story possibilities: the mall. What sorts of tales take place inside this futuristic temple of commerce? Write a story and share it in the comments.
Digital artist Anas Riasat created this future shopping mall (found via reddit). Riasat is the founder and art director of the concept art shop LucidConcepts, and this mall is just one of his many scifi concept art pieces. You can see more of his work at his deviantART gallery.
Over the course of the weekend, I'll be posting the stories from the comments directly into this post. As always, if you don't want your story included, make a note in your comment.
Here's my tale from the futuristic shopping mall:
Sho pulled away from his mother, his moccasined feet padding softly down the tile floors. "Look at this!" he squealed, sliding to a halt in front of a glowing screen. When Petra caught up with him, she folder her arms and peered over his shoulder. The screen was playing commercial after commercial: cars rolling into view carrying big bows, a dozen specialized kitchen devices that would have done the work of one knife, tap water reinvented into an object of desire thanks to a handsome bottle. There was no sound, but a dull, nearly forgotten corner of Petra's brain could still supply the music and voiceovers. She frowned as she saw Sho's transfixed gaze, but the mall curators had assured her that children Sho's age lacked the context to be swayed by advertising.
"Did you really have one of these in your house?" Sho asked, leaning so close to the screen that Petra could see the light reflected on his cheeks.
She tried to smile. "We had three."
He looked back at her, eyes wide as saucers. "Three!" he whispered, then he dashed off again, dodging the actors pretending to hawk application codes, home cellulite reduction kits, and programmable fiberoptic wigs.
You couldn't actually buy anything from the mall, except from the sweet shop near the exit, which sold remarkable approximations of Nik-L-Nips and Peachy Penguins. The mass produced clothes and crude bumper stickers, the flashing edutainment toys and moldering sports jerseys were mere exhibits in this Museum of Commerce. A reminder of the time before the Credit Wars.
Petra plodded after Sho, watching as he darted from window to shop window, pressing his grubby nose against the glass. Then he paused at a window, pointed, and yelled back, "Hey, Mom, look at this funny furry coat!"
Petra picked up her pass to meet him, then followed the line of his finger and froze. "Isn't it funny?" Sho asked. "Who would want to look like a big shaggy dog?"
It was the jacket. Genuine mammoth hair lined with mammoth leather. The jacket she'd had but never really owned.
How many times had she dreamed of that bit of skin and hair? When she was a teenager, she was sure that jacket would change her life, and it had. It was the reason she'd taken out the Indenture Card, the reason she'd been sent to work at the Swinging Antelope Ranch, the reason she'd gotten caught up in the Indenture Freedom Movement. During the first days of the Credit Wars, she had stepped into a stream of anti-riot foam and the jacket had been ruined. She smiled bitterly at the memory.
Sho was far away already, screeching at a pair of radio-controlled zeppelins shaped like dinosaurs. Before turning away, Petra pushed her fingertips against the glass, as if checking to see if it would hold.
For Not_Too_Xavi's protagonists, the mall and its endless ads inspire destruction:
"The edges are showing," David whispered. "It won't be long now, right?"
Victoria took a moment. David's young eyes were much better than hers. The longer she looked, the more the edges seemed to peek through. "That's right. Not long now at all. You going to be ok?"
"I think so," David replied in a tremulous voice. "I'm just not sure how close the ceiling will be when the HD cuts out."
"That makes two of us," Victoria smiled. She clasped his shoulder, turning him gently towards her. "When they do go off you won't be the only one having trouble, ok?" David nodded. "What you have that they don't is this," Victoria pointed to his heart. "This," she pointed to his forehead. "And this," she pointed to herself.
David smiled, comforted for the moment. Claustrophobia was the least of his worries, and Victoria was glad it was only that at the moment. There were so many other things he should be worried about.
"What was it Mom and Dad said again," David asked, his arms crossed as he leaned on the rails.
"They said to love you more now that we knew what you could do."
"Not that, I mean after."
"They said to tear it all down."
David exhaled, after a moment he looked up to her, his sister standing tall and protective over him. "Then we tear it down."
Victoria smiled. "Whenever you're ready."
David nodded. He held out his arms and Victoria wrapped him in a hug. "I'm ready."
A hum rose around them, low at first and then rising atonally from a subaudible depth. "V?" David muffled.
"Stay close?"
The hum had risen in pitch and frequency. The multitude of lights advertising everything a person could want or need began to flicker. Lines began to appear throughout the ads. Sparks fell at points, some from within the ads themselves.
A different roar had started up below them. The people living in this virtual cathedral were having their sense of place and self snuffed out.
Victoria looked down at David. The hum, which was his doing, was still rising around them and their world was collapsing, yet he looked up at her, anxious for her reassurance.
"I'll always be close D."
He closed his eyes and the hum shot through the remaining audible frequencies. The illusory sky, a prussian blue above the ads, exploded with the rest of them.
There were two things Victoria noted before the underground world went dark. One was that they really had brought it all down. The second was the last thing she saw before the dark closed in and roar of screams from a million people engulfed them. She saw the lines and the dark screens and thought, "It never was as big as I thought."
corpore-metal imagines retail spaces as a retro experience:
Gramps fumbled off his smart glasses and looked around in a mixture of horror, anger and disgust. "Seriously, who'd in their the right mind would want to go shopping in this hellish, dank, humid, drug addled nightmare of Syd Mead and Ridley Scott?"
"Who?" I asked with only a fraction of interest.
"Never mind. You don't really care anyway. Who are they trying to fool here? It's broad daylight outside. How much did they waste on this retrofuture nonsense anyway?" he fumbled his glasses back on, visibly relieved as the ad blockers settled into place.
He was a bit Parkensonian but his waldo compensated for that. He was one hundred and eight and sharp as a tack. He often said he was going to outlive us all. Medicine kept proving him right. He wasn't really anyone's grandfather, never had kids. He just liked being called Gramps. His close friends said he was born grumpy and old.
"A few million dollars, I don't know. But it doesn't matter; it's really only a tourist attraction these days. Who could afford jacked prices to pay for human clerks?"
Gramps just grunted in agreement.
We were in Macau, witnessing the twenty year collapse of the Chinese real estate boom. Nearly sixty years ago the Internet dealt a mortal blow to hardspace retail. JIT drones and autofacs skeletonized the corpse. But five years ago some bright spark at Bailian Group, which by this point owned nearly fifteen percent of the land in all major Chinese cities, had the silly idea of bringing back the experience of shopping malls. It was a stupid idea. But back then China was powerful and had money to throw away.
"I've seen enough. Come on, the mist is fucking with my filters. Africa! I can't wait to see Africa! That's where all the action is now."
cadburychalk puts a wonderfully demented spin on holiday shopping:
Olive tensed his hands around the moto-stool grips and looked eagerly to his left and right, taking in the palpable sense of anticipation rising off the assembled orphans. Only the day before, his poverty palace had won the yearly lottery, and so all the orphans living in public housing module D-MI5483 were whisked away to the upper city, where they would have the honor of being first in line for the sacred rite of Black Friday.
They couldn't actually buy anything, of course, since they were orphans and orphans are poor as shit, but their desire would be fed, via fiber optic-empathy line, directly into the facescreens of the adult ideology enforcers working down below, so that they would know exactly which prizes to battle for in the Holiday Present Dome that occurred every Christmas Eve. In the month preceding the Present Dome the bookies would usually tally a list of the most desired presents, because when the bloodshed started it was usually good to have an idea of what you would and would not die and/or kill for.
After what seemed like an eternity, a bright red orb appear on the massive glass doors. It blinked, changed to yellow, and blinked once more before turning green. The entire mass of orphans seated upon their moto-stools lurched forward, but the movement abruptly halted, and Olive could hear screams echoing back. As always, a few of those in front were not fast enough off the line, and so it took a moment for those behind them to press their moto-stools up and over the broken bodies. By the time Olive reached the entrance most of them had been ground down to mush, although an arm or a few fingers could be seen sticking out of the dark red pulp.
Once inside the mall, however, the floor opened up, and he was free to twist the moto-stool grip all the way back, feeling the cool rush of the conditioned chemical haze wash over him: as he passed by the pretzel shop, his nose was greeted by the smooth yet tangy aroma of cinnamon, butter, and human sex pheromones; the knife store gave off the heady mix of blood and the tears of minorities; but finally, Olive found his favorite store, and basked in the warm scent of excrement and terror emanating from the row upon row of sharpened metal cages, each containing a small animal whose body weight forced its flesh into the razor wires.
Oh the joy of the pet shop! Most of the other orphans had rushed to see the newest technobaubles and electro-gizmonics, gawking over the fully-functional rape victim dolls or My Lil' Genocide playsets, but for Olive, true happiness came from the old-fashioned pleasure of watching animals suffer. He drove his moto-stool back and forth in front the pet shop for the rest of the day, touching himself all the while, and only left when security finally came to reclaim the moto-stool. They shot Olive with a tranquilizer and threw him over the railing, and it was a whole minute and a half before his body exploded onto the spires of the poverty kingdom below.
angusm envisions the mall as a virtual — and forbidden — space:
The year Joe unlocked the Mall, I was about eight. My sister Marla was nearly sixteen. Joe was probably nineteen or twenty, and even at eight I sensed that there was something vaguely creepy about the amount of time he spent hanging around my teenage sister. In hindsight, I realize that Marla knew all along what Joe wanted too. But he had promised that he would unlock the Mall.
All three of our parents were away a lot. Jean - Marla's bio-mom - traveled for business. Cindy - my bio-mom - and our dad both worked on-site at the Hydro-Gro station five days a week. That meant that Marla and I spent a lot of time at home, technically alone, but actually socketed into the VILLE.
VILLE? Virtual Interactive Localized Learning Environment: they used to be the big thing, before someone decided that kids had to actually interact face-to-face if they were going to grow up properly socialized. In the VILLE, you could take classes anywhere. Push a button, and you could go tramping through a virtual Cretaceous swamp with kids from Missouri, Malta and Myanmar, or learn physics on the moons of Jupiter, or get taught fractions by a friendly six-foot grasshopper, or ... you get the idea. It sounds fun, but we grew to hate it. Everything was a teaching point. Everything was a lesson. You haven't seen remorseless education until you've seen a VILLE. Marla, who'd had eight more years of it than I had, dropped one 'L' and called it VILE. 'Time to get locked up in durance vile', she used to say every morning after our parents left for work.
Our doting parents didn't want us goofing off while they were away. The entertainment channels were strictly locked down. From 9 until 6, Marla and I did our lessons in the VILLE, under the watchful eye of the house systems. Our parents had big plans for us. Goofing off was not permitted.
So when Joe (who was actually Jean's clone nephew, which is how he had access to the house) told Marla that he knew how to unlock the Mall, we were ready.
"The best part," he said, "is that I can make it look like you're still both in the VILLE."
Sold. I don't blame Marla for turning a blind eye to Joe's dishonorable but transparent intentions. I would have done the same in her place.
Getting access to the Mall was like being handed the keys to Aladdin's cave. There were four thousand virtual shops. Marla would stand in the center of our studyspace for hours, waving her hands to summon up stores, strolling into them, then dismissing them with another wave of her hand. She could shop all day and never grow bored.
Joe didn't get bored either. Joe liked to watch Marla try on different outfits, robing herself in intangible garments made out of light. In the end, I was the one who found it dull. I wanted to visit the toyshops, but Joe and Marla were calling the shots, so we spent the afternoons in one clothing store after another, trying everything but never buying. After the first excitement had worn off, I was ready to go back to my Cretaceous swamp.
The whole thing came to an end quite abruptly one afternoon, when Joe finally suggested to Marla that she might be ready for a new interactive educational experience. He described it in some detail, whereupon Marla screamed and the house systems kicked in. While Joe was able to dupe the low-level routines into ignoring our unauthorized shopping trips, an actual scream woke up the security sub-process, setting off a wave of consistency checks that exposed the whole scheme and brought our parents flying back from their jobs post-haste.
So, no more Mall. No more Joe, either. His permissions were revoked and he was sent to live with his other clone-family in Reykjavik. Marla and I were sent back to the VILLE.
I wasn't too sad about the way things turned out, but Marla was heart-broken. For the rest of that summer, she shuffled around the house hollow-eyed and haunted. Sometimes in the VILLE I would see her staring at rows of quadratic equations - her lessons were even less fun than mine - her eyes unfocused, as if somewhere behind the thickets of numbers she could still see the glowing shops and plazas, the dressing rooms and the window displays, the numberless treasures of the Mall.
Faz.Alam imagines this scene would serve as a future teaching tool on the evils of advertising:
The class filed through the museum, looking at each of the flickering displays with as much disinterest as they could muster. Billy B took a short degree of disinterest in a display showing the history of McDonalds, picking his nose and smearing the snot against the screen. In the background a large holographic vista of the twenty first century skyline was visible.
The Teacher raised her voice, as if something exciting were happening.
"And here we enter the twenty first century" she said animatedly. "Can anyone tell me any major events that happened in this era ?"
Sally A put her hand up, and didn't even wait to be acknowledged by the teacher before screaming out her answer.
"Generation Ships !"
"Ah no," replied the teacher "Those only came in the twenty second century. Actually the twenty first century is referred to as the dark age of space travel, as very little of it happened"
Billy B nodded to himself. That's why the twenty first century was so boring. He drifted off again and gazed upon another exhibit, letting the teachers voice fade into the background once more.
This one was a massive touch screen, showing a ton "advertisements" from the twenty first century. They were squares of moving pictures, populated by unbelievably happy faces. Some of them people, some of them cartoons, all of them emitting a low chatter about the various products they were selling. One of them in particular caught his attention, of a woman excitedly proclaiming at how sexy a brand of toilet roll made her feel. Billy B reached out and touched it, and suddenly it exploded in a cacophony of noise, as several other adverts popped up out of nowhere, three of them with a woman talking about a plant known as "The Live Jasmine".
He suddenly felt an arm pull him away.
"Beware with the adverts" said the teacher. "They are an ancient evil from the very birth of the net. They would pounce on unsuspecting users and subject them to mental torture"
Now the class began to become more interested.
"From what we know of these early days of the net, these programs would roam the net, and attack unsuspecting users. In some cases, they even stole their user information"
The class gasped.
"The adverts would often depict humans in the midst of incomprehensible behaviour, and lure users into clicking"
"Like the Spambots " said Sally A, still desperate for the teacher's attention.
"Exactly, That's another thing the 21st century gave us. Although the Spam bots back then were nowhere near as dangerous as the ones we encounter today."
"Did the 21st century actually give us anything good ?" asked Billy B in what he imagined to be a sarcastic way.
The teacher laughed.
"Of course not"
Jesse_Pluim describes the fall of an elite mall security officer:
Big guns. Bigs guns with two barrels, laser guided bayonets, double explosive shells, and a red/white/blue racing stripe. That's what you're probably thinking when you hear: Mall Cop. I bet you're also thinking about devil-may-care swaggers, leather jackets, shiny platinum badges, and long hours spent signing portriat shots for orphans. Well, stop thinking. Who told you to think in the first place? Why don't you shut up for a second and give someone else a chance?
That's right, I used to be a Covert Undercover Mall Technician. A CUMT. I was the top CUMT; probably the biggest CUMT in all of California. Until I lost it all.
At first, I thought all my problems had to do with that owl I hired to cover for me so I could hang out in the bathroom and drink a bunch of gin, but really they started when I got addicted to drinking gin in the bathroom. It's so easy to blame the owls.
There I am, bottle and funnel in hand, laughing at some really funny graffiti about my mother, when in walk a couple of guys in sharp suits. I recognized Mr. Thompson right off: a thin, balding, pleasant looking old mafioso; but in my experience nothing about the mafia is pleasant-except for the hats. Some of the hats are quite nice. I stood still. Maybe they wouldn't see me in plain sight if I stood still.
"Jerry's out. He got nabbed sticking up a record label this morning," Thompson said.
"What are we going to do, boss? The senator's ship is spinning in now."
"Shad up, will ya?! I'm plotting over here!" He paced. "We need a patsy, see? A big dumb guy that can whip an extension cord around, actin' all crazylike while we climb aboard."
"Do you want me to call Todd?"
"Na, he's gettin his hair re-greased today. Can't call in a man on grease day."
"What about the bum?" The lackey said, pointing to me.
I wanted to tell him that I wasn't a bum, but an undercover mall agent. Then I remembered I was an undercover mall agent. I'm not making that mistake a seventh time.
"You want to make twenty bucks, bum?" Thompson turned to me. Oh man, did I?! I figured I could get some work done in the process.
"Oh man, do I?!" I said.
"Good, when the senator makes his speech at the Jamba Juice, I need you to whip this extension cord around really fast. Hit a few people, scare the children, you know, one of 'em good ol' fashioned terror jobs."
"I understand completely." I didn't understand anything, but when you've got twenty dollars like me you don't need comprehension. Also, I was drunk.
"Any questions?"
"Yes. How many weeks of vacation do I get?"
"Any other questions?"
"About that vacation…"
"You don't get a vacation."
"You're on in ten minutes."
"But what if I'm a cop?" I blurted uncontrollably. Damn it! Strike one.
They both laughed. Then I started laughing. I laughed louder and harder and longer than they did to make sure they didn't think I was a cop. Smooth. Real smooth.
They repeated my instructions another three times. I didn't tell him that I would be writing all this down later and putting in on the internet. These criminal types tend to tense up and and get all quiet when they're recorded for posterity. I practiced swinging the cord around a few times and, after cracking in the lackey's front teeth, I was ready to roll.
One day, a lot of people will ask me how I walk the hard line between criminal and a CUMT. No one has actually asked me that yet, but I spend a lot of time thinking up snappy answers like, 'The tight rope of justice ain't got a net, dame." Things like that. That's not really a great example. I have better ones at home. I'll show you later.
Anyway, I approached this job one step at a time. My plan was to let Thompson get his twenty dollars worth of extension cord whippings and, then when things got hairy and/or illegal(er), my cop training would naturally kick in. Instinct.
The mall was polished white plastic illuminated by white light behind white frosted glass with latex white logos applied with white gloves by white people. It looked like heaven or the restroom at a fancy strip club. The kind of strip club that will throw you out for tipping strippers with cabbage. The kind of strip club in San Francisco. At 320 Broadway. Last Tuesday. Bastards.
There I am swinging my cord like a billy club (some things are just in the blood) at the back of the Jamba Juice when I see Thompson and his lackey rubbing their hands maniacally. What's their game? I thought.
Oh! The senator is coming up. Shut up, Brain! No time for questions.
"Good day, fellow Jambians! I am so pleased to be surrounded by such great Californians and such delicious, all-natural, healthy snack alternatives! Who would have thought? Me, a simple boy, from a simple mansion and simple summer homes in Malibu, Tahoe and Shasta would be the front runner of the Jamba ticket and the next president of this great state! From where, by the way, our all-natural berry extract and banana slurry is processed by hard working Oregonians. God bless them, and let's hope they survive long enough to get their citizenship."
Thompson gave me the cue and I started twirling the cord up to whipping speed. I had my eye on a group of teenagers horsing around in the corner. Yeah, I'm going to whip them good, I thought.
"My friends! I came here today to warn you of a great threat to our democracy, our freedoms, our children, and our cutest pets. I am of course talking about the factory chemical drenched toilet creature, Cinnabon." The crowd booed, myself included. "Cinnabon wants to raise your taxes! Cinnabon wants all your guns for itself! Cinnabon thinks it's fine for bleached flour and artificial flavoring to mix! Cinnabon-"
I let loose right into the teenager's ironic Star Wars shirt. He squealed as I wound up for another go. The crowd was screaming things like "Get Down, he's got a whip!" and "Save the the children!" and "Oh, that's where that bum smell was coming from!" On about the third or forth wind-up the end snapped and shattered an expensive looking juicer. So far it was no going as planned. But you can't sit around complaining about it, just because it's not going your way. There's no whipping money in that. So I shortened the cord and started hack-whipping the furniture. Shoddy production is the mother of innovation.
I was pretty into my violence, but I managed to catch a glimpse of Thompson and his gang roughing up the senator, stealing his keys, wallet, and cigarettes. I thought that I should probably do something about that, being a cop and all, but I had only given about $17.30 worth of lashings. Five more minutes and I would go after the gang.
But it was too late. They had taken off in the senator's ship seconds before I finished. Damn it! Another case slips though my fingers. I stepped over the senator's swollen, wheezing body on my way back to the bathroom to finish my gin. What a day.
I finished off the bottle and counted my twenty dollar bill. One. One bill. It was all there. I let the owl have the rest of the day off and told it to go get a Jamba Juice on me. Not because I felt bad for it for being stuck in that dumb owl body or anything. I had called the real police and planned on framing it for the whole whipping fiasco.
I still got canned. Basically, it came down to the owl's word against mine and the jury believed the owl. Story of my life.
They eventually caught Thompson and his gang. Apparently, they were hired by the Committee to Reelect Sbarro's Pizza to wire tap the Jamba National Committees's telephones on board the senator's ship. I'm not big on the details. The closest I get to government is when I print my own currency. And I haven't done that in weeks. But I digress.
As for me? Well, here I am, sitting in a public library telling my story to new friends on the America's Most Wanted message board … Wait, got to go. Some fat kid with a walky-talky is telling me I can't drink in here. Goddamn liberals.