Now is probably the only time that a film as strange as The Last Valley could ever have been made in Hollywood. It seems that any glorified technician is able to gain a camera and a crew if he can convince some producer-hipster that he has a personality and a moral. How provocative must the Thirty Years War have sounded to allegory-minded capitalists trying to pull their finances out of a contemporary historical version and into a filmed one! What is most enjoyable about The Last Valley is the way it upsets one's expectations and tries to transcend its genre. What is most ironic is its obvious linkage with various past movie eras.
First, it is most possible that producer-director-writer James Clavell was able to get the six million-plus cash backing for the film only because of his last work: the dreadfully successful To Sir, with Love. If not for his track record, he would not have been able to make a full-blown medieval epic whose hero is a rationalist mercenary who urges idealists to kill if they want to preserve any happiness and falls in love with a Satan-worshipper. And Clavell went straight to major financing: ABC pictures and its affiliated Cinemara releasing company. It reminds one of the runaway productions made by "hot" directors in the fifties and sixties: most were, if trashy, weirdly fascinating, dealing with all sorts of subjects, ranging from elephant-preservation to sun-worshipping, the only two requisites being violence and exotic setting. Set in a hidden valley during the Thirty Years War, The Last Valley meets both terms.
Second, Clavell clearly has not been affected by any of the hysteria over recognition of film as a visual art which has forced some old pros and inchoate apprentices to strive hysterically for a "look": more specifically, a "now" look. From his work, I assume that Clavell would think even the serious theories to be so much drivel. I don't know if I'd call him a "good storyteller" as Pauline Kael did, but that is precisely what he intends to be, and at times he is successful. He is crude in the sense that a Michael Curtiz or Roaul Walsh was crude, aiming for direct actions which are emotionally arousing but possess a sort of integrity: they don't score moral points. At one moment, a Teutonic Savanarola is thrown onto a witch's pyre of his own fashion, but there is no audience gratification-this though the priest, aside from the town merchant, is the film's leading villain. The motivations are too involved, and the action itself is one which goes beyond personal conflict; it is treated as such. Like a good old Warner Brothers hack, Clavell lets the atmosphere seep in as his story rides, doesn't try to obfuscate the dialogue, and relies squarely on his camera only in climactic moments. Since the film is an epic, there are many of them: gruesome treks, battle scenes and fatal individual combats. There is little of the David Lean-William Wyler pretension strangling itself in technicolor and wallowing in bathos.
Third, Clavell's all-precious story itself hearkens back to movie times previous even to those implied by the details of its production. The dirty Western has been with us for a long time, especially since The Wild Bunch made it artistically valid; Clavell's new film is an attempt to make a dirty swashbuckler. Clavell fails, but not totally without honor; he fails, in fact, because of his integrity. There was always a kind of folk realism to the Western. Audiences related to the films historically: this was their image of their past, a totally moral one, and the Western was as popular during good times as during bad. The swashbuckler, which was regarded as epic only when stricken with elephantiasis, was always a totally escapist form: it transported the audience to a never-never land where evil baron Basil Rathbone could say to rebel Errol Flynn, "You speak treason!"; to which Flynn could add: "Fluently." What creative rapport could Hollywood establish with twelfth-century England or Italian buccaneers? All they could do was film the material as excitingly as they could, and spice it up with Campish or currently idiomatic dialogue.
Clavell's intentions are above that order: his story does have real possibilities as a vehicle for communicating the hypnotic attraction of humanist gemiitlichkeit amidst deteriorating world situations. Cross The Seventh Seal with Lost Horizon and you have a good idea of the conception's attractiveness. But it is in his attempt not to play with the material that Clavell manages to kill his situation's bite.
THE OPENING scenes are effective. Omar Sharif, as one of the wandering scholar-saints that people Hollywood history, witnesses the destruction of a harmless farm village by a group of barbaric soldiers never identified by political affiliation; their only purpose is to pillage, and the peasants are murdered and raped as a matter of course. Sharif literally has to claw his way past slain corpses and Black Plague victims; the blight is so baldly presented that Sharif's ultimate arrival at the one unblemished valley in the Balkans proves enchanting: it's one of those great, outlandish movie ideas which only a philistine could conceive of, and only a moron botch. The Last Valley is the first film in a long time to present effective bucolia, even if John Barry's music, today's answer to Max Steiner's, rumbles ever-ominously in the background.
And, when Michael Caine's hordes first stumble onto the same agricultural treasure-lode, there is no indication that the film will seriously falter. Sharif persuades Caine that wintering in the valley village might prove more beneficial to the soldiers than sacking it. Caine promptly murders two dissenters. The remaining twenty are none too perturbed; after all, Caine's unnamed Captain is a rather tough, cool cookie, and as one soldier remarks, strongman Korsky "was a turd."
CLAVELL does not have the artistry for stylization, and he cannot invent a full folk idiom. His dialogue remains strictly functional, hardly, in any dramatic sense, dialogue at all. He is tough-minded, and is very matter-of-fact about Satanism, religious fanaticism, and brutal deaths; but there is so much dynamic material that we are not sure of how we should respond to anything.
There are several fine moments: a peasant father rubbing spit in his eye and kissing his crucifix when he suspects Sharif of Satanic evil, or a ritual killing of the hothead who breaks away from Caine and attempts to destroy the village. He charges at the Captain, brandishing a battleaxe; his target calmly raises a pistol, and fires at his groin. A child strikes the felled warrior two glancing blows with a mace; the villagers look on. The rebel dies in agony.
These scenes, surprising in their candor and spareness, merely show up the longueurs of the rest of the film. The Last Valley wanders into confusion. Caine leaves Sharif in charge of the town, and Sharif, too "humane" to kill the priest and the merchant, falls prey to their machinations. A cogent ambivalence is presented but finally discarded: Caine has advocated the burg's destruction during the spring thaw, feeling that its inhabitants were under the thumbs of their traditional leaders, and that it would merely become a refuge for future foes. Sharif-perhaps enchanted by the mere physical beauty-opposes him. Caine is finally ambushed, which would have proved him correct, and pointed to the need for constant political redefinition-had he not been fatally wounded previously, it seems, in the battle he left the village to fight in. For some reason, Caine tells Sharif that he was perhaps right; and then dies.
By this time, the film itself has died, and it's a pity. We need men able to create visionary works which are not directly applicable to current times, but which play out our ethical fantasies for us; or indeed help to direct them. Clavell lacks a high degree of intelligence or artistry, but his recognition of that need in itself deserves applause.
Perhaps, also, we should remember that good, honest hackwork is hard to come by, though I don't expect those brought up on Antonioni to understand this. As written and performed, there is more humanity and intelligence in Caine's and Sharif's characters than those who fall into the snob-trap are apt to admit. I take Clavell's work on these two characters as a good sign for commercial moviemaking. And to hell with the characters in the Gary audience who laughed when Caine's Captain died. May they greet death as gracefully. The sooner, the better.


US stock markets on Wednesday faced their worst sell-off since February.
Traders are paying close attention to key technical levels, and right now the 200-day moving average is in focus.
The S&P 500's 200-day moving average has been tested three times this year, and has so far managed to hold.
The Nasdaq has already plunged below the technical level for first time since June 2016.
US stock markets witnessed their heaviest selling since February on Wednesday, with all of the major averages tumbling to their lowest levels in three months.
Amid the recent selling, the Cboe Volatility Index, which measures market volatility and is commonly referred to as its "fear gauge," has more than doubled in the past week. It jumped another 6% early Thursday as fears of a major market correction remain at the forefront of investors' minds.
And one place investors are paying close attention to for clues to if this sell-off has further room to go is the 200-day moving average, a key technical level. Simply put, the 200-day is an indicator traders use to determine the overall trend of the market. The market is in an uptrend as long as it's above its 200-day, and it's in a downtrend if it's below the measure.
"The S&P 500 is testing the 200 day moving average," said Hussein Sayed, chief market strategist at FXTM, an online forex trading broker.
"This key support level has been tested three times in 2018 and managed to bounce again higher. However, a close below for two or three days may intensify the selloff for a couple of more days."
So what happens if the market falls below the 200-day moving average and stays there? We can look to the last time that happened — from August 2015 to February 2016 — for some clues.
In August 2015, the US stock market suffered a shock amid the fallout from Greece's default on an IMF loan payment and China's "Black Monday", the day the country's benchmark Shanghai Composite index fell more than 8%.
The S&P 500 quickly tumbled into a correction, down more than 10% from its recent high, after sliding below its 200-day moving average. Shares would make back nearly all of their losses before taking out those lows a few months later. The drop extended to a total of more than 15% by February. The benchmark index wouldn't make a new high until June, just after the UK's Brexit vote.
Before that, the previous time the S&P 500 spent an extended period of time below its 200-day was during the summer of 2011, when it plunged into a brief bear market following the US losing its "AAA" rating at the ratings agency Standard & Poors. It wouldn't make new highs until February 2012.
"I will start paying attention when the S&P hits its 200 day moving average," Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial Network, said in a note sent out to clients on Wednesday. "I won’t worry then, just start paying attention. Until then, this is very likely admitted loud noise."
He better start paying attention.


OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) � Republicans are in position to extend their recent gains among governors as they compete for seats they haven't won in a quarter-century.
Of the 11 states with gubernatorial elections in November, eight are now led by Democrats, and each of the most competitive races is a GOP pickup opportunity. The numbers suggests that Republicans soon will claim 30 to 33 governorships after holding just 22 a few years ago � an advantage not reflected in the divided Congress or competitive presidential race.
"It says that when people are choosing the government closest to the people, they're choosing Republicans," Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, said in an interview. "They realize the CEO of the state has got to be someone who's fiscally conservative and is going to focus on jobs."
North Carolina, the most likely state to flip, is trending toward a Republican governor for the first time since 1988. In Washington state, which hasn't chosen a GOP governor in more than three decades, new polls show a toss-up.
"The candidates matter," Greene said. "As political scientists, we have to remind ourselves about that sometimes."
Republicans have been aided by a cash advantage, with the RGA raising about twice as much as the Democratic Governors Association during this election cycle. Both sides have invested in three other states held by Democrats � Washington, New Hampshire and Montana � that are seen as too close to call.
�In Washington, which has an open seat due to departing Gov. Chris Gregoire, Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna has painted himself as a moderate and promoted plans to increase funding for public schools. His Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, has moved to the center, breaking from other party leaders on issues like taxes.
�In New Hampshire, Republican Ovide Lamontagne is seeking to retake the governor's seat after eight years under Democratic Gov. John Lynch, who is retiring. Former state Senate Majority Leader Maggie Hassan is campaigning on the Democratic side. After going for Obama in 2008 by 10 percentage points, the state has swung back toward Republicans and is now considered competitive in the White House racel.
�In Montana, Democratic Attorney General Steve Bullock is looking to protect the governor's seat from former Republican Rep. Rick Hill. Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who has been in office since 2005, is popular in the state but must leave the post due to term limits.
Republicans are to compete in Missouri and West Virginia, but haven't found as much success.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon entered the final weeks of the race with a substantial cash advantage over St. Louis businessman Dave Spence. Nixon has highlighted his spending cuts, government job cuts and budgets balanced without tax increases as a reason for re-election in the state that typically favors conservatives.
West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is favored, but GOP nominee Bill Maloney and the RGA have tried to link the incumbent to Obama.
Similarly, the Democrats had modest hopes of taking over the governorship in Indiana, where Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels is stepping down, but polling has consistently favored the GOP's Mike Pence.
Republicans already have the advantage among governors, holding 29 states. Victories in North Carolina and the three toss-up states could push that number to 33, the highest since the 1920s. The party had 32 governors in the 1990s.
Kate Hansen, a spokeswoman for the DGA, acknowledged that the realities of the electoral map make 2012 a difficult year for Democrats, since they have more seats to defend.
"We're pleased with the shape of the more competitive tossup races going into the homestretch � because we have excellent candidates focused on creating jobs and expanding opportunity, and we've made smart and early investments throughout the year," Hansen said.


During their weekly training, members of the Summit County Rescue Group dig out a vehicle buried beneath two meters of snow during avalanche burial scenario with multiple vehicles Wednesday, March 20, at the High Country Training Center in Frisco. "After these last few weeks of extremely hazardous avalanche conditions causing buried roads and broken gas lines, a scenario to mimic these real-life threats only seemed fit," said SCRG's Liaison Officer, Sage Miller.
During their weekly training, members of the Summit County Rescue Group conduct avalanche burial scenario with multiple vehicles buried beneath two meters of snow Wednesday, March 20, at the High Country Training Center in Frisco.
During their weekly training, members of the Summit County Rescue Group dig out a dummy victim buried beneath two meters of snow during avalanche burial scenario with multiple vehicles Wednesday, March 20, at the High Country Training Center in Frisco.
Summit County Rescue Group team member handler Doug Lesch, with avalanche rescue dog, Keena, take a break following the training session Wednesday, March 20, at the High Country Training Center in Frisco.
A vehicle, dug and evacuated, is seen beneath two meters of snow for the Summit County Rescue Group training scenario involving avalanche burial with multiple vehicles buried Wednesday, March 20, at the High Country Training Center in Frisco.
During their weekly training, members of the Summit County Rescue Group evacuate a victim on a stretcher from a buried vehicle beneath two meters of snow Wednesday, March 20, at the High Country Training Center in Frisco.
On Wednesday evening, 30 members of the Summit County Rescue Group rushed to search and dig out vehicles with live patients inside buried beneath 20-foot piles of snow at the High Country Training Center in Frisco. As part of the weekly training, the rescue group took it to the next level due to recent events in Summit County with historic high snowpack. “Training with hyper-real scenarios like this; which are high risk, low frequency, allows us to induce the stresses and critical thinking required in a real event and allows a safe training environment to practice and assess the skills needed,” says SCRG training director Helen Rowe. Funded almost entirely by grants and donations, the group is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization to provide backcountry rescue services.


NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Detained in a California lockup with hundreds of other immigrants seeking asylum, Duglas Cruz faced a choice.
Immigrants and activists say facilities such as Adelanto, owned by Boca Raton, Fla.-based Geo Group Inc (GEO.N), the nation’s largest for-profit corrections company, deliberately skimp on essentials, even food, to coerce detainees to labor for pennies an hour to supplement meager rations.
You “either work for a few cents an hour or live without basic things like soap, shampoo, deodorant and food,” detainee Wilhen Hill Barrientos, 67, said in a class-action lawsuit filed last year by the Southern Poverty Law Center against Nashville-based CoreCivic Inc (CXW.N), the nation’s second-largest for-profit prison operator. In the complaint, Barrientos said guards told him to “use his fingers” when he asked for toilet paper at the Stewart Detention Center, located in rural Lumpkin, Georgia.


Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair told European Union leaders they should offer to reform the bloc.
LONDON • Former prime minister Tony Blair has said that Britain and the European Union should prepare for a second Brexit referendum because Parliament will probably fail to agree on a divorce deal and the public will need to break the deadlock.
Almost 33.6 million people - a turnout of 72.2 per cent - cast a vote in the June 2016 referendum. The result saw 52 per cent vote to leave the EU and 48 per cent back remaining in the bloc.
Less than four months before Britain is due to leave the EU, Prime Minister Theresa May called off a parliamentary vote on her deal with Brussels this week after admitting it would be heavily defeated.
Addressing EU leaders who were meeting in Brussels yesterday, Mr Blair said they should offer to reform the bloc to make it more attractive for Britain to remain.
"Now should be the time of preparation: Parliament to make sure it can canvass the options in a sensible manner, one by one, to reach agreement on an option or a referendum; Europe to ensure that if Britain is ready to think again, Europe is ready also to think again," Mr Blair, who was Labour prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said in a speech in London.
An offer by the EU to reform would show "that the political leadership of Europe and Britain had listened to the underlying concerns of those who voted (for) Brexit, not disrespecting the concerns but meeting them in a way which is not damaging", he said.
Mr Blair has repeatedly called for reversing Brexit since the 2016 referendum, echoing other critics, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who have suggested that Britain could still change its mind.
Mr Blair said it is perverse that Britain and the EU are preparing for a potentially economically damaging Brexit without any deal, but not another referendum.
"We know the options for Brexit. Parliament will have to decide on one of them. If Parliament can't, then it should decide to go back to the people."


Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Vince Williams is a perfect example of why draft hopeful players should take part in the annual Senior Bowl if given the opportunity.
Williams, who wound up being drafted by the Steelers in the sixth-round last April, really caught the eyes of the coaching staff and front office last January when he was added as a mid-week injury replacement, according to general manager Kevin Colbert.
“He came in on Tuesday and joined practice, and right away he kind of jumped out,” Colbert said in an interview for the official website. “Everyone was asking, ‘Who’s this new guy?’ We had grades on him, and then he started to do some things, he practiced very hard.
Colbert went on to say that he amended Williams’ evaluation that they already had on him based on what they observed of him during the week of the Senior Bowl and that they made sure to attend the Florida State Pro Day as a result, because the linebacker wasn’t invited to take part in the combine.
The Steelers figure to be in need of a lot of defensive help this year during the draft, so it stands to reason that a few players not high on the national radar that were in attendance in Mobile last week could wind up hearing their name called in May when the Steelers are on the clock.
Phil Savage, the Executive Director of the 2014 Reese’s Senior Bowl, recently reported that Steelers representatives talked to at least 60 players last week and according to Colbert, head coach Mike Tomlin was involved in those interviews this year.
In case you missed it, here is the initial list of players that took part in the 2014 Senior Bowl along with their official measurements.


The reimagining of Shakespeare’s 'Hamlet' also stars Naomi Watts and Clive Owen.
IFC Films has picked up U.S. rights to Ophelia, the reimagining of Shakespeare's Hamlet by Australian filmmaker Claire McCarthy and Covert Media.
Star Wars leading lady Daisy Ridley plays the protagonist. George MacKay co-stars as Hamlet, alongside Naomi Watts as Gertrude and Clive Owen as Claudius.
IFC Films plans a theatrical release later this year. The film, which had its world premiere at Sundance in 2018, was adapted for the screen by Semi Chellas, from Lisa Klein’s 2006 young adult novel Ophelia.
Set in the 14th century, but spoken in a contemporary voice, Ophelia puts the focus on the drama’s young female character as she is taken into Elsinore Castle under the wing of Queen Gertrude. Soon Ophelia captures the attention of Gertrude’s son, Prince Hamlet, and as she learns the ways of power, an undeniable love between the couple blossoms in secret. But when the murder of Hamlet’s father drives the Prince into a downward spiral of vengeance, Ophelia struggles to protect a dangerous secret amid gathering palace intrigue. She must ultimately decide between her true love and her own life.
Ophelia was produced by Daniel Bobker, Ehren Kruger, Sarah Curtis and Paul Hanson, while Elissa Friedman, Sasha Shapiro, Anton Lessine and Bert Marcus, who co-financed the picture, share executive producer credits.
The U.S. rights deal was negotiated by IFC Films executive vp acquisitions and productions Arianna Bocco, Linda Benjamin at Covert Media and CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.


WEST POINT — Alex Michael Anderson died cold. And then he stayed cold. The gully near the Middle Fork Mokelumne River where the 15-year-old’s body was found Jan. 23 lies in deep shade. It had been cold enough over the previous month or so that his remains were “well preserved” and it may be impossible to ever tell exactly when he died, said Calaveras County Coroner Kevin Raggio. Anderson’s mother, who lives not far away, said she last saw her son alive several weeks before Thanksgiving.
Anderson might have died in December. Maybe even on Christmas. And it might even have been the cold that killed him. Raggio said an autopsy and X-rays found no broken bones, no bruises to suggest violence. Investigators say toxicology reports due in a few weeks might or might not offer clues to what killed the boy.
But while authorities may never know exactly what killed Anderson, his mother and teachers do know something about why he was perpetually outside, homeless and a runaway. Katie Anderson and others who knew her son agree he disliked being indoors, whether in school or in court. What he loved were animals, wildlife and fishing.
“I know that my son was found in the woods. He’s the original survivor man. I don’t think he just walked out there and was high and died,” Katie Anderson said.
Read Saturday’s Record for more on this story from staff writer Dana Nichols.


Durban - Eskom has warned of load shedding to continue for most of Sunday as they battle with constrained resources.
The power giant has said, despite several units being returned to service, the risk of load shedding remains.
In a statement issued to the media on Sunday morning, Eskom said the constraints follow on from the effects of the recent industrial action and will remain so in the coming week.
According to the statement, some employees continue to work around the clock to restore stability to operations and supply.
“We assure customers that all available emergency energy resources are used, before load shedding is implemented. We would like to apologise but equally thank our customers who are helping us to improve, by reporting variations in Eskom’s load shedding schedules. As a result these schedules are being revised,” the statement read.
Eskom encouraged residents and businesses to continue using electricity sparingly.
Please switch off geysers during the day especially during peak periods; 7am - 10am and 6pm - 9pm, as well as all non-essential lighting and electricity appliances to assist in reducing demand.
Remember to treat all electrical points as live during a power outage.
Customers are advised to keep checking their load shedding schedules on the Eskom and their municipal website, and plan on the assumption that load shedding will take place.
Meanwhile, readers of The Mercury have commented on how they are dealing with the power outages.
Think about your safety and communication by keeping your cell phone/laptop/tablet always fully charged when power is available and keep temporary lighting readily available.
Watch the World Cup at a pub or at a family or friend who is not on the day’s load shedding schedule.


When a hapless insect lands in a spider web, the more it struggles, the more entangled and doomed it becomes. It’s kind of twisted, because of course not trying to free itself is also certain destruction. Only rarely does a bug escape that kind of effective trap. Luckily, you have two things going for you: First, you are more intelligent and rational than an insect. Second, despite the fact that it closely resembles one, this snare is nowhere near as efficient and foolproof as a spider web. Although it’s true that the more you mindlessly flail the worse off you’ll be, a little careful, methodical effort on your part should have you flying free in no time.
Most of your preparations for the supposedly inevitable outcome have been pointless. It should be obvious by now that what you thought would happen isn’t going to. Instead, you’ll be thrust into a totally unexpected situation, for which your careful plans will be utterly useless. Time to improvise! Luckily, you’re very good at that, provided you don’t fixate on all that fruitless work you did. It’s time to let that go, completely, or you won’t be able to think on your feet. And if you’re not able to think on your feet right now, you may as well lay down and cover your face and wait for people to just walk all over you.
If the tool you had at hand was a thick black marker, the kind of picture you’d draw on a post-it would be incredibly different from the one you’d draw on a wall-sized mural. Similarly, if you had to fill out that wall mural with a fine-tipped watercolor paintbrush, you’d lose interest or run out of time way before it was done. This week, make sure your “canvas” is the appropriate size for the point you want to make, and that the tools you use are the right ones for the job. It’d be far too easy to choose incorrectly on both counts if you’re not careful.
Wealth is all relative. All but the poorest of poor Americans are still pretty well off compared to the poor of more impoverished nations. Most Americans have multiple changes of clothes, shoes, transportation, a telephone, television, and access to affordable fresh food, clean water, and resources like the Internet, for example. Perspective is very important here. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, please. As bad off as things are, they could always be much, much worse. Keep that in mind this week. You’re incredibly lucky and blessed. Isn’t it time you let yourself feel that way?
Recall a situation when you had to meet and get to know a large number of people all at once – first day at school or a new job, for example – and remember how there were people who stood out at once, and some you had trouble telling apart at first. Those two generically pretty blonde girls, for example. Later you’d learn that one is brash, slutty, and hilarious, the other a boring prude, but on that first day you couldn’t for the life of you remember which was which. There are always people who have trouble standing out. If you are one of them, Aquarius, you are not doing your job.
Because you’re so socially weird, you sometimes have trouble discerning what is or isn’t appropriate behavior. This has not only allowed some serious kooks some prime real estate in your life, it’s also caused you to make some hilariously dramatic gaffes that have earned you a kind of notoriety in your circle. While being the eccentric amongst your friends is a fun role to play, it can sometimes erode your credibility with certain acquaintances. You may have to tone it down this week, and you may need help doing it. When playing your most normal self, make sure you have an able partner-in-crime. Enlist one, pronto.
If you were an exiled prince(ss) whose parents’ throne had been stolen by evil usurpers, stranded in a strange land with no money, no allies, few friends, and no other assets besides your royal blood, what would you do? Would you give up quietly, marry a local, and lead a peaceful, unthreatening existence? Or would you make a play for the crown, even if it seemed doomed to failure? Although the stakes are nowhere near so high, that is something like the choice you may have to make this week. I can’t tell you which is the way to go – only that you should never give up on anything until you’ve tried it; either the quiet life or the burdens of tremendous responsibility may yet be yours, if you choose.
You are fond of your habits and rituals, aren’t you? Doing things a certain way every day certainly adds to your stability and well-being – most of the time. Sometimes, however, it can certainly start looking an awful lot like a rut. I’m not sure how much new stuff you really want coming into your life; no point in introducing a lot of novelty or many fresh new faces if you’re just not in the mood. However, even creatures of habit such as you require a little variety and innovation. Make a token effort in the next few weeks to ensure you’ve got at least that much.
Yes, I suppose burning down the house and trying to collect the insurance money is one possible solution to getting out of debt, but it’s not the best one. The antidote to what ails you is probably a lot more complex and tedious than that, but it’s also far more likely to work. The scheme you’ve been contemplating is not only highly likely to fail, epically, but it’s got the added bonus of making your life even more miserable and screwed up than before. Take the long, sure route to where you need to go. Believe me, however lame, boring, and annoying that path is, it’s still far superior to any supposed shortcuts you think are available.
Just take things as they happen. You have much less than your usual ability to influence events right now, so the control freak in you really needs to take a vacation. Trying to direct the action at the moment will just lead to frustration and misery for all concerned, because this stuff does not need a director, least of all you. Get all Zen about it if you can. Just allow things to unfold as they naturally want to, and enjoy them to the best of your ability. You can go back to making sure everything happens just the way you like it soon enough, but for now try to like it just the way it happens, instead.
Embrace the unpleasant. Since you’re stuck with the less savory aspects of your existence in any case, go ahead and celebrate them as best you can. They’ll develop your character, especially if you learn to deal with them with grace and dignity. The good news is, the more beauty and serenity you can inject into these situations, the less unpleasant they’ll be. What was forced at first may become natural soon enough. And it’s like a positive feedback circle. The happier you are with things as they are, the more things you will discover to be happy about. In other words, this kind of thing just gets easier and easier, and better and better.
You need a tutor, mentor, and guardian angel, rolled into one, who’ll help you navigate the wild, unexplored territory you’re venturing into. Unfortunately, there are none available. You may simply have to make one up. Imaginary friends can be very useful, as long as you don’t take them too seriously. Your own judgment may not be as reliable as usual, so you will have to simulate someone else’s. I don’t care if you ask what Jesus, Brian Boitano, or Wonder Woman would do. Choose someone you can vividly imagine, then heed what they say. It’ll serve you well.


What you need: An all-white outfit and a marker. Be the life of the party and have your friends sign their names on your costume.
What to say when someone asks what you are: "I'm a blank space baby . . . so write your name."


Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood | The Grand Rapids PressGood with fibers: Grand Rapids Fiber Artist Beth Ann Williams poses with some of her work, including quilts, dolls and fabric books. She teaches craft classes at Lakeshore Sewing, where she is creative director.
In West Michigan and beyond, Beth Ann Williams is known among fiber artists for her gift of being able to teach her students the skills they need to express themselves creatively with fabric and thread.
If you think you’re “not creative” or “can’t do it,” she’ll correct you and tell you what you really lack is confidence — and then she’ll help you work on that, too.
Williams has built a career on overcoming obstacles, which makes her work all the more remarkable.
Like many children with artistic relatives, Williams always was making things as a child. Her sketch books ranked among her most prized possessions while growing up in a series of far-off places while her parents worked as missionaries.
“When we were evacuated out of Africa, I had one change of clothes and my sketch books,” said Williams, who was born in New Jersey moved 20 times by age 20.
Williams studied communication arts in college, along with psychology and science. The plan was to return to Africa with her husband, John, to work as a linguist. But, after a series of miscarriages and nearly dying during the birth of her oldest daughter, Caryl, now 20, it became clear living in a place with limited medical care was not an option.
Williams, now 44, was diagnosed with neurological and heart problems as a teenager and then a variation of multiple sclerosis after her health problems got more severe during her 20s.
After the birth of her second daughter, Connor, now 18, she lost mobility and the ability to speak. Her prognosis was uncertain.
“It was a complete loss of identity,” she said.
The linguist who studied multiple languages was struggling to communicate in basic English.
A fourth-generation quilter who learned the basics from her grandmother during the 1970s, Williams turned to quilting as a way to communicate and leave a legacy for her children as she struggled to regain language skills and mobility.
Working with the encouragement of an artistic family friend and mentor named Thelma Baldwin, Williams developed machine quilting techniques that allowed her to create beautifully pieced and appliqued quilts that she was not able to stitch by hand.
Books by Beth Ann Williams; Published by Martingale & Co.
With compromised health, quilting was challenging, but healing at the same time.
Three years later, Williams was showing her work and teaching classes. Before long she published three quilting books and joined the national teaching circuit. She has since contributed to several more books.
“In my life it’s been a consistent pattern of things that looked really horrible at the time that lead to really wonderful things,” she said.
The woman who once worried about her legacy has bloomed into a nationally known artist and created dozens of intricate and breathtaking quilts despite physical challenges that sometimes force her to stay home and rest.
Williams has lived with severe chronic pain for more than 30 years, but you wouldn’t know it when you see the cheerful way she goes about life.
Most days, Williams gets around with the aid of a cane. On bad days, she’ll put on bright red shoes that match her bright red wheelchair and get on with her day.
“If you have to have (a wheelchair) it might as well be a fashion accessory,” she said.
Williams traveled the nation extensively, teaching quilting workshops until 2006 when she found herself on the verge of a seizure in an airport terminal. Her vision was fuzzy and she was slurring her words. She was alone and struggling to find her gate.
She credits “a lot of grace” with getting her home safely and decided to stop traveling alone after that.
When Brian Collins, owner of the local Lakeshore Sewing stores, heard that Williams was no longer on the national teaching circuit, he offered her a full-time job as creative director. The job is flexible enough for her to work from her Grand Rapids home on days when she needs to.
When making large quilts started to get too challenging, Williams started making smaller art quilts, fabric books and art dolls. No matter what she always finds a way to continue making art.
Contact Williams at bethann@lakeshore-sewing.com or call 531-5561 to sign up for her classes and free demos at Lakeshore Sewing.


The Taliban have claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a funeral near Peshawar on Wednesday. The attack killed 37 people. Video courtesy Reuters.


Iraqis head to the polls to cast their votes on who will govern their country for the next four years. Why is this election so important? We'll ask Amb. Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi, deputy permanent representative of Iraq to the United Nations.
Everyone knows that dogs are man's best friend. But are they also man's best healers? We'll ask Dr. Peter Kross if dogs can really lick wounds away.
Then, still mulling over a holiday gift for an important man in your life? Matt Trainor, senior editor for Cargo magazine, has some nifty ideas.
And, a 37-year-old Georgia woman is facing child molestation charges after getting pregnant by — and marrying — her 15-year-old boyfriend. Is this a criminal matter or true love? We'll get a read from Dr. Georgia Witkin, FOX News analyst.
It's history in the making, as 15-million registered Iraqis put the foundations of democracy in place. Will their vote help secure their country? We'll get a read from U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad.
When we last saw the outspoken Raj Bhakta during the second season of "The Apprentice" he was dodging 50 mile-an-hour tennis balls. Raj joins us to explain why he's still running.
Plus, Don Feder, president of Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation, explains why he doesn't take offense to the phrase, "Merry Christmas."
And, what would you do if your loved one was deployed to serve in the military and you were left home all alone? Navy wife, Suzy Walker took a unique approach to keep her husband in her life and literally by her side.


"he didn't care at all about attempting to verfiy the information that he was putting out or determine whether or not it would hurt anyone."
[M]y job isn't to assess the government's information and be an independent intelligence analyst myself. My job is to tell readers of The New York Times what the government thought about Iraq's arsenal.


San francisco: Macintosh computer fanatics won't have Bill Gates to kick around anymore.
The Microsoft co-founder and driving force in the company, whose boyish face and nerdy manner epitomizes the US software colossus, spends his last day at the office on Friday, reported Times of India.
However Gates, 52, remains chairman of the Microsoft board of directors and the company's largest shareholder.
After decades devoted to Microsoft, Gates turns his attention full time to the philanthropic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation he established with his wife.
Paul Allen, who teamed with Gates to start Microsoft in a garage in 1975, will be among those "roasting" his childhood friend at a gala dinner affair Friday night.
Gates leaves Microsoft to wrestle with a fast-changing computer era and growing challenges from Internet juggernaut Google and longtime rival Apple, which makes Macintosh computers.
Three people will essentially fill the void Gates leaves behind at Microsoft.
Gate's job as chief software architect is being handled by Ray Ozzie. Craig Mundie inherited Gate's chief research and strategy officer duties, while former Harvard University classmate Steve Ballmer is chief executive officer at the software colossus based in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft is losing Gates at a time when "cloud computing" is shaking the packaged software foundation on which the company's fortune is built.
Cloud computing refers to a trend in which firms such as Google and Salesforce.com let people use programs on the Internet instead of having to install and maintain software on their own machines.
Microsoft competes in the "software as a service" arena, but tends to combine offerings with packaged products in a "software-plus" marketing model, according to analysts.
Vista loathing is heightening interest in free Linux open-source software and Macintosh computers, which use operating systems built by Apple.
Rivalry between Microsoft and Apple is legendary in Silicon Valley. Apple ads and press conferences routinely take swipes at Microsoft and devotees of competing systems.
The culture-shifting popularity of Apple's iPods and iPhones is credited with increasing interest in Macintosh machines.
While Windows is still used on 90 percent of the world's computers, Macintosh computers have grown to more than five percent of the market.
Microsoft began selling Zune brand MP3 players in September of 2006 to compete with Apple's market-dominating iPods, but the devices haven't been a hit with customers.
Microsoft failed in a recent bid to buy Yahoo for nearly 50 billion dollars in order to combine online resources to better battle Google in the booming Internet search and advertising.
Microsoft's server and tools division is its most profitable unit. Its entertainment unit, which sells Xbox video game consoles and gaming software, has yet to make a profit.
Gates is expected to maintain the ears of Microsoft leaders. He bequeathed them a legacy that includes focusing in-house teams on what Gates expects to be major technology trends, such as an "Internet tidal wave."
"At some point the firm has to take the essence of what made Bill Gates successful and make sure that is preserved," said analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley.


The singer, who was about to turn 39 on April 22, was found in a helpless state on Wednesday with a broken nose.
The legendary director, Agnes Varda, one of the prominent representatives of the New Wave in French Cinema, died Thursday night at the age of 90, the France press reported.
British vocalist of The Prodigy Keith Flint died at the age of 49, the Sun newspaper reported.
The iconic fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is dead, French news site Pure People reported on Tuesday, quoted by the INDISEDER.
Swiss actor Bruno Ganz died at his home in Zurich after fighting cancer, his agent quoted Reuters as saying.
The King of Serbian Music Saban Saulic was killed in a severe car crash in Germany.
Ivan Laskin passed away at the age of 48 years .
Mario Segale, the man after whom video game hero Super Mario was named, has died aged 84, reported BBC.
The great Bulgarian director and screenwriter Dimitar Petrov has passed away.
French singer and songwriter Charles Aznavour has died at 94 after a career lasting more than 80 years, a spokesman has confirmed.
Burt Reynolds, the wisecracking 1970s movie heartthrob and Oscar nominee, has died at the age of 82.
AFP - Former United Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan died Saturday after a short illness at the age of 80, his foundation announced.
(CNN)Stephen Ditko, co-creator of Marvel Comics superheroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, has died at 90 years old.
Chinese tycoon Wang Jian, co-founder and chairman of the giant Chinese conglomerate HNA Group (Hainan Group), died after an incident in France, the company said on Wednesday.
At the age of 72 the former director of the Historical Museum Prof.
Bulgarian director of animated films Rumen Petkov has passed away said Nadezhda Slavova, a student, a colleague and a relative.
Swedish artist and producer Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii, has died, aged 28, his spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
Barbara Bush, the former First Lady married to George H.
Two-time Oscar winning Czech director Milos Forman has died at the age of 86 according to Reuters and reports.
(CNN) - Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid campaigner and former wife of the late President Nelson Mandela, has died at age 81.


The FINANCIAL -- Intercontinental Exchange announced that ICE Futures U.S. plans to launch a new London Silver Daily Futures contract on September 5, 2017, pending regulatory review.
The contract offers physical delivery of unallocated silver held in a London Precious Metals Clearing Limited vault.
The launch of the Silver Daily futures contract coincides with the recent news that ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) has been chosen as the new administrator for the LBMA Silver Price Auction, which is expected to commence in autumn 2017. The Daily Futures contract will enable participants in the LBMA Silver Price Auction to exchange their auction positions for cleared futures contracts held with ICE Clear U.S., consistent with the LBMA Gold Auction positions. This will help open the Silver Auction to a broader cross section of market participants and facilitate greater volume in the auction, according to Intercontinental Exchange.
The ICE Silver Daily Futures Contract will be a physically settled contract traded in one-half U.S. cent ($0.005) per ounce increments. The contract calls for delivery of 5000 fine troy ounces of silver of quality satisfying the LBMA Good Delivery Rules.


Mesut Ozil has hit back at speculation he wants to leave Arsenal.
The Germany star has been linked with a move to Fenerbahce.
Jack Wilshere made his Arsenal return last night and insists he’s still got summer dreams of the Euros.
And finally Arsenal are finally set to bolster their strike force with a top European hitman, in the form of Alvaro Morata, according to the Daily Mail.


Will you be able to retire? Maybe not.
Politicians in Connecticut, New Jersey and Illinois are especially irresponsible when it comes to not funding pension plans, but most every municipality has promised more than it will have.
"The money hasn't been set aside for years and years," says City Journal editor Daniel DiSalvo in my new internet video. "Nobody was paying attention."
His colleague Steve Malanga complains that the media rarely report on the coming crisis.
"To a certain extent, I have sympathy with the media, because the media's looking for what happens next," says Malanga. "This is not something that's going to happen next week."
But the collapse is coming. Current retirees may find their pension check is cut by 10 percent or 50 percent.
"We just don't have enough money, and the amount of money that we have to put into this is just mountainous," says Malanga.
Neither party wants to make the tough choices involved. "Both Democrats and Republicans have incentives to short the pension fund," says DiSalvo. "For Democrats, if we can not put as much in, we can free up more money for greater public spending on public programs that we think are good. If we're Republicans, we probably want to cut taxes."
"Ten years from now, they're gonna have a problem," says Malanga. "But 10 years from now somebody else is in office!"
Some pension plans are promises that should never have been made, but few politicians will say that. At most, they talk about making small changes to "keep our promises."
Small changes won't be enough.
Detroit and several California cities already ran out of money and declared bankruptcy.
"At some point, your debts are so great that you can't afford to provide basic services to people," says Malanga.
"Police force, fire protection -- all will be on the chopping block," added DiSalvo.
Instead of making cuts now to avoid crisis later, some politicians increase retirement benefits.
New Jersey passed 13 separate benefit enhancements between 1999 and 2003.
I assume politicians make these unsustainable promises because powerful municipal unions demand them.
"Public employee unions regularly lobby and seek to elect politicians who offer them better compensation packages. They've been intimately involved in the whole system from the beginning," says DiSalvo.
But Steven Kreisberg of AFSCME, the biggest government workers' union, tells me that unions didn't create this problem.
"There's plenty of money to pay our people."
What about the $5 trillion in unfunded liabilities?
That's "a figure that's used by some anti-pension zealots," replied Kreisberg. "It's fake news."
But it's the number (actually, now $6 trillion) you get if you use accounting standards that the federal government demands from private pension plans.
Unions fight to keep every penny that politicians promised. But Detroit's bankruptcy changed the rules on that.
"The federal bankruptcy judge created a precedent that said pensions could actually be cut," says DiSalvo. "That was a shock to the unions. (It) called into question these strong legal protections that public pensions have so long enjoyed. They can't just sit back and say, well, we're going to get paid no matter what."
Some politicians hoped that a rising stock market would fund their promises. Many assumed their investments would grow by more than 7 percent per year. Do you make that much on your savings? I don't. Seven percent seems like wishful thinking.
Malanga says it was "more than wishful thinking. It borders on criminality, frankly. If after nine years of a bull market we haven't begun to fix this, when are we gonna fix it?"
Malanga and DiSalvo argue that the only honest way to fix it is to reduce benefit levels and switch to individual retirement accounts like private sector 401(k)s.
That way, instead of a promise backed by nothing more than political hot air, there's an actual account with money in it, and people can track how well their retirement investments do.
The politicians and union bosses, by contrast, would like to ignore the problem – until one day, no matter what promises they've made, they simply won't be able to keep them.


The December monthly meeting will be taking place on Mon 21 Dec @ Bristol Youth Hostel on Narrow Quay nr Pero's Bridge/Arnolfini Art Gallery @ 7.30 pm.
We will be running the Write for Rights 2015 campaign, writing letters to a number of global cases. Also there will be the local monthly action and a brief discussion on the Human Rights Act campaign.
There will be Amnesty merchandise such as diaries, calendars, cards and lovely little stocking fillers to buy.
Please bring nibbles and drinks to share.


Better focus, improved memory -- those are the benefits touted by a booming cottage industry of nutritional supplements.
Earlier this week, the Criterion Channel launched as a brand new streaming service for classic movies. It offers a library of over 1,600 titles from one of the most well-known and respected film archives around, the Criterion Collection, which partnered with WarnerMedia to develop the service.


The Parker Planner app for iPhone is a calendar, to-do list, and note-taking app all in one. This home screen shows the current day (the current day always appears with color; flip to another day, and that red bar turns gray) in three panes for your calendar, to-do list, and notes.
Parker Planner can pull in your iPhone's calendar appointments.
You can also see the Parker Planner calendar in list view.
Another viewing option is the month calendar. The various colored dots represent entries from different calendars.
The to-do list can also be viewed in list form, where you can see more of what you wrote about your tasks.
This screen in Parker Planner shows the different calendars on this iPhone that you can import into the Parker Planner calendar.


ONE name certain to be mentioned next Monday when MPs choose someone to replace Betty Boothroyd is Speaker Lenthall.
He was in the chair when King Charles I burst into the chamber in 1642 to arrest five members for treason and his reply to the monarch is still quoted as the archetypal assertion of Parliament's independence.
The King asked where the traitors were and Lenthall replied: "May it please Your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see, nor tongue to speak in this place, but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here." It was a polite version of "Get lost" and the King left empty handed.
Many of the Speakers who have held office since the title was created in 1377 did not live up to the example set by Lenthall. The Speaker's job was to preside over the meetings of those commoners gathered together to advise the King and some of Betty Boothroyd's predecessors acted principally as agents for the Palace.
Others were more outspoken, but this approach carried its own risks. Between 1399, when Sir John Bussy met his end, and 1535, when Sir Thomas More fell out with the Executive, seven men who had held the office of Speaker were beheaded. An eighth was murdered and a ninth was killed in battle.
In the 18th century the Speaker was associated with the Government and often held office. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that it became normal for the Speaker to be above party.
Some MPs believe that there is now a convention that the Speaker should come from the Opposition benches, as Miss Boothroyd did when she was elected in 1992. But in fact she was the only Opposition MP in the 20th century to be dragged to the chair to uphold the Lenthall tradition.
The introduction of radio broadcasts from the Commons in the late Seventies and television broadcasts in the late Eighties has turned the Speaker into a media celebrity. However, as Tony Benn reminded the Commons in the debate before the election of Miss Boothroyd, the Speaker wields many other formidable powers.
Mr Benn said: "Apart from keeping order, the Speaker can allow or disallow questions to ministers, and thus expose or protect them; accept or refuse closure motions, which can prolong or stop debates; select or reject backbench motions or amendments, and thus deny a minority view in the House from ever being put in the lobby; permit or deny private notice questions or emergency debates; and give or withhold precedence to privy counsellors, which is the source of much anger."
"He can determine which Bills are hybrid and which are not; use a casting vote if there is a tie; recall the Commons in a recess in the event of some international crisis; certify a money Bill; and rule on matters of privilege."


Google has opened up its charity wallet once again. This time, the search giant has donated $2,000,000 to the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that runs and maintains Wikipedia.
The donation, in true social media fashion, was announced via tweets from Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales and Wikimedia Foundation advisory board member Mitch Kapor. Neither Google nor the Wikimedia Foundation have made an official announcement yet — it's supposed to come tomorrow.
The donation's definitely in line with Google's generosity to foundations that promote a faster and more open web. However, we think it's interesting that Google is giving money to the Wikimedia Foundation now, only a year and a half after the search giant launched its own Wikipedia killer, Google Knol.
Back then, we said it was doomed to fail, and so far Knol's stagnation has proven us right. Is this a sign that Google's abandoned the project and is embracing Wikipedia as the web's center for knowledge? Hopefully we'll get some answers tomorrow.


LONDON – One of the most oft-repeated arguments of the anti-wind lobby is that turbines produce electricity only intermittently, when there is enough wind to turn them.
This, the wind critics argue, means that so much gas has to be burnt to provide a reliable back-up supply of electricity that wind power's overall benefit to the environment is erased.
But extensive research in Spain means this claim can now definitively be declared a myth. Wind, the researchers found, is a very efficient way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The anti-wind campaigners claim that fossil fuel plants have to be kept running at a slow speed, continuously producing CO2, just in case the wind fails. At slow speeds these plants are less efficient and so produce so much CO2, wind opponents say, that they wipe out any gains from having wind power.
Not true, according to a report published in the journal Energy by researchers at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. There are some small losses, the researchers say, but even if wind produced as much as 50 percent of Spain's electricity the CO2 savings would still be 80 percent of the emissions that would have been produced by the displaced thermal power stations.
Spain is second behind Germany in wind energy production in Europe, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. The country regularly obtains 25 percent of its electricity from wind, reports Renewables International, a trade magazine.
The study looked at 87 of the country's coal and gas plants and how they were run alongside Spain's wind industry. Adjustments made by the fossil fuel plants as they compensated for variable wind strengths had little impact on the plants' C02 emissions.
This is the opposite of reports reproduced repeatedly by right-wing think tanks and campaigners opposed to renewables.
The Spanish report adds that even the small losses caused by running thermal power plants at less-than-maximum efficiency to safeguard the grid can be reduced by better renewables management. Spain for example has wind, solar and wave power among its portfolio of renewables, each of which can support the others.
The findings are important for governments trying to calculate the amount of CO2 they have saved by the introduction of wind power. Countries like Spain, struggling to meet EU targets on reducing emissions, need to know how much CO2 saved can be credited to their wind industries. This research provides the answers.
The paper says: "The finding has generated the first comprehensive analysis on interaction between wind parks and thermal power plants in Spain and has concluded that the global balance of CO2 reduction is still significant. Besides, the study suggests how to enhance the effectiveness of potential sources that can be helpful for promoters of renewable technologies.
"Renewable energy is capable of replacing fossil fuels and of reducing emissions dramatically."


The richness and depth of our corporate partnerships is one of Northeastern University’s great strengths. At Northeastern’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business, the Corporate Alliance program was established to reflect our commitment to meaningful corporate partnerships and to facilitate mutually beneficial engagement in a variety of ways. Corporate Alliance members provide the school with valuable support that has significantly helped us garner national recognition. In exchange, members enjoy access to our exceptional resources.
Membership offers numerous opportunities for your company to raise its visibility and brand profile among our students. Examples include participating in our MBA Executive Luncheon program, participating in career panel discussions, sponsoring student clubs, and sponsoring other special events organized specifically for your company.
As a member, you may invite D’Amore-McKim School of Business faculty to address a management topic of your choice in a setting of your choice on an annual basis. Faculty can be invited to deliver executive briefings, speak at management meetings and conferences, or participate in discussions and panels.
Each year, your company can nominate employees for scholarships worth over $40,000 for our premier MBA programs designed for full-time working professionals.
Senior leaders in your organization will be invited to attend such events as our CEO Breakfast Forums, seminars and symposia sponsored by our research centers and institutes, and other special events.
Discover new ways of looking at business issues with a company-specific case. Business case writing can be used for internal training and development.
As a member, you qualify for preferred rates at our three off-campus conference facilities: Warren Conference Center in Ashland, Batterymarch Conference Center in Boston’s financial district, and The Henderson House in Weston.
Whether we work jointly to address an issue of concern to your organization, or if you need to raise your visibility among some of the best talent entering the workforce today, we look forward to exploring how you can make the most of your partnership with us.
Membership fees may be credited toward the School’s custom executive education services or other fee-for-service programs.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss your interest in becoming a member of the Corporate Alliance.


Lyft is announcing a partnership with Starbucks that goes a lot deeper than your last cup of coffee. Users can now earn points just for catching a Lyft ride, and all drivers will get Starbucks Gold status.
Riders can also gift their drivers with coffee from within the Lyft app, and drivers will earn Starbucks rewards stars just for giving Lyft rides.
It’s a clever partnership, and the second major one for Starbucks this week. Just yesterday, we learned The New York Times would be pushing select articles to the Starbucks app for Rewards members. Looks like we’ll be reading on the go, now.
Starbucks isn’t playing favorites, though; it also works with Uber to let users hail rides from within its app.


Texas receiver Collin Johnson announced last week that he’s going back to Austin for another year, but fellow receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey won’t return with him.
Humphrey announced Tuesday he’s forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
“It’s not been an easy decision, but after a lot of thoughts and prayers, I have decided to forgo my senior season and enter the 2019 NFL Draft,” Humphrey wrote on social media.
Humphrey made 86 catches for 1,176 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018, becoming the ninth player in school history with 1,000 receiving yards.
He finished his three seasons with 125 catches for 1,622 yards and 10 touchdowns.
So happy for him. Great kid with a great future.
Bummer for Longhorn Nation but can’t blame him. Take the money while you can.
Wait thats really his name? lol. Lil Penny is somewhere smiling.


Dolphins center Mike Pouncey is not expected to face any disciplinary action from the NFL over his role in Miami’s bullying scandal that plagued the franchise during the 2013 season, according to a report from the Miami Herald.
Pouncey was implicated along with Richie Incognito and John Jerry as players that bullied Jonathan Martin, other teammates and staff members. Pouncey is the only player still with the Dolphins, so avoiding a suspension is a relief to the organization.
While this is good for Pouncey’s playing status, his image took a hit last weekend as two assault victims claimed he, and brother Maurkice Pouncey, punched them. However, no charges have been filed and neither Pouncey brother has been implicated as a suspect.


Photo: Carbon tax repealed: AGL says it has begun work applying changes to their gas and electricity rates.
Consumers can expect to save between 20 and 50 cents each day on their electricity bills now the carbon tax has been repealed.
Refunds will be issued for bills that included the carbon tax issued from July 1 this year - the timing of the refund will depend on individual bill cycles.
Energy Australia says the carbon component in its bills will be removed from prices by mid-September and will be applied as a credit on household bills.
Executive manager of corporate affairs Clare Savage says electricity prices for residential and small business customers will fall.
"We understand customers are facing cost-of-living pressures and the repeal means electricity prices will now drop," Ms Savage said.
"We have been clear [in saying] we will pass on the savings to households once the Federal Government stops collecting the tax from us.
"The carbon price removal will impact electricity and gas costs differently for each user as it will depend on their current tariff, where they live and how much energy they use.
Legislation to repeal the carbon tax is headed for the Senate. Fact check investigates the Government's claims that households will be significantly better off.
"We will notify customers in the coming weeks about the pricing changes and what that will mean for them."
Ms Savage says work has already been done to remove the carbon component from the hundreds of different products and tariffs.
"Unfortunately implementing system changes to remove carbon is not as simple as pressing a button - altering prices is a highly complex process and it's important we make sure the changes are done correctly," she said.
A spokesman for energy company AGL told the ABC: "AGL Energy will communicate directly with customers about their price reductions due to the removal of the carbon tax.
"We have begun work to apply the relevant changes to our gas and electricity rates.
"Once changes to our billing system have been implemented and tested, price reductions will be backdated to 1 July 2014. We expect this process to be complete in August or September."
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has been allocated $10 million over three years to monitor prices before and after the carbon tax, and to make sure savings are passed on to consumers.
Under the arrangement announced earlier this year, the ACCC was directed to consult with business and industry to seek information about prices, price-setting practices, and how the carbon tax scheme has impacted on pricing structures and carbon component costs.
Look back at the tortuous history of the carbon tax, one of the most divisive issues in Australia's contemporary politics.
Energy Supply Association of Australia (ESAA) chief executive Matthew Warren says repealing the carbon tax in July has made it much easier for consumers to see savings sooner.
"Most energy companies should have already provided a significant amount of information regarding their carbon costs to the ACCC," Mr Warren said in a statement.
"Energy companies have already had significant scrutiny by the ACCC and we expect this to continue until the repeal process is completed."
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has long criticised the carbon tax, and executive director Russell Zimmerman is pleased with today's repeal.
"We have given direct evidence to both the former and new governments over how much this tax impacted retailers," Mr Zimmerman says.
"There is no doubt this boost to retailers' bottom lines and the pockets of consumers will assist the sector to overcome pressures from excessive costs and be a boost to current low consumer confidence."
Choice spokesman Matt Levey said beyond electricity, consumers were unlikely to notice much direct reduction in prices.
"The most noticeable impact for households will be a reduction in energy bills. This will vary across Australia and across households, but on average it will be around $200 to $260 per annum.
"This does not mean that prices will go back to pre-carbon price levels, because both gas and electricity have increased for a range of reasons, of which the carbon price is only one.
"In fact, in the case of gas, prices on the east coast are set to increase dramatically, while most recent electricity rises have been driven by spending on poles and wires."


Tim Price didn't achieve the worldwide fame of his younger brother, Nick, whom he coached in the Hall of Famer's formative years. But he was a well-known golf fixture in Zimbabwe and the rest of southern Africa as a player (representing Zimbabwe in the World Cup of Golf in 1982, 1988 and 1992), instructor (from tour players to juniors) and administrator (founding the Zimbabwe Open and managing his home country's tour).
In recent years Tim Price, 60, who died Oct. 28 in Harare, Zimbabwe, after battling cancer for six months, was best known and admired for his tenacity in trying to keep golf alive in his home country even while it deteriorated under the rule of Robert Mugabe. "My commitment has been to soldier on, but, boy is it tough," Price wrote in an e-mail late in 2008, when asked to appraise life in Zimbabwe. "... As much as we operate in ever decreasing circles, there is a still a belief that change will come."
Price was professional at Borrowdale Brooke GC at the time of his death, where he had come after a spirited - but ultimately unsuccessful - fight along with his wife, Felicity from 2003-2005 to save Harare South G&CC amid chaotic conditions. "At times it was a genuinely death-defying act for us," Price recalled in 2008, "and we committedly endeavored, prolonging the final agony - in hopes that sanity would somehow prevail."
At Borrowdale Brooke, where he sought to nuture budding golf talent, Price was known for his friendly and helpful nature, as club captain Carl Varga recalled. "Tim was a gentleman and golfer, and his influence can, and will always, be seen and felt in every part of Borrowdale Brooke," Varga told The Herald newspaper. "He was the Brooke's best friend and his fun spirit and presence will be sorely missed around the club. I personally will always think of the tall man every time I drive into the car park, seeing him out on the driving range doing what he loved most, passing on his knowledge."
Price's ashes, according to The Herald, were scattered on the shore of Darwendale Dam, where he enjoyed fishing. A "Festival of Life" is scheduled for Nov. 3 at Borrowdale Brooke. In an announcement of the occasion, attendees were urged to wear golf or fishing attire along with one other request. "Everyone to please bring a golf ball, with your name on it, which we shall donate to the next generation of champions."


Course: Albany (7,400 yards, par 72).
Purse: $3.5 million. Winner’s share: $1 million.
Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Saturday, 9-11:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9-11 a.m.) and NBC (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.).
Field: Paul Casey, Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas, J.B. Holmes, Billy Horschel, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Chris Kirk, Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar, Anirban Lahiri, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker, Bubba Watson.
Last year: Spieth won by a record 10 strokes at Isleworth in Florida.
Notes: The top-ranked Spieth and Scott tied for second last week in the Australian Open. Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open, led the PGA Tour with five victories, took the FedEx Cup and was selected the player of the year. The 22-year-old Texan made a tour-record $12,030,465, earned a $10 million bonus for the FedEx Cup and won the Vardon Trophy for lowest adjusted scoring average.


A spokeswoman for the bureau said the bureau was proud of its traditional interfaith party, which aimed to bring the various religions closer together and increase tolerance.
It may be the season to be jolly, but an interfaith party planned for the children of Haifa's Jewish, Christian and Muslim lawyers has failed to capture the holiday spirit, reports Yediot Haifa. The Jewish lawyers have objected to the idea of their children sitting on Santa's knees, saying the fat man's shadow hangs over the murders of hundreds of thousands of Jews. According to the report, the Haifa district lawyers' bureau recently decided to hold an inter-faith party in honor of Hanukka, Christmas and Ramadan. But some Jewish lawyers were less than enchanted with the idea of Santa Claus and a fir tree appearing at the party. One Jewish lawyer wrote to the bureau, complaining that "in his shadow hundreds of thousands of Jews were murdered in the course of history." The lawyer added that parents and grandparents of the children at the party had fought wars or been killed in concentration camps because they did not worship Christian symbols. A spokeswoman for the bureau said the bureau was proud of its traditional interfaith party, which aimed to bring the various religions closer together and increase tolerance. She said it was "a shame" that some people were trying to plant discord instead of working toward harmony.


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Ever since Amazon launched the Kindle Voyage, buying an e-reader has been a complicated process. The Voyage is amazing: high-res, super smooth to use, lots of memory. But it's expensive, and the Kindle Paperwhite is a fantastic device in its own right.
The decision should be a little easier now, because Amazon just announced a new, $119 Paperwhite that includes the best thing about the Voyage: that amazing display. The new Paperwhite has a 300ppi screen—double the pixels of the previous version—which should be just as crisp and sharp as the Voyage. It's still just showing shades of gray, but if the Voyage is any indication, it really does improve the reading experience. And, lest we worry, the Paperwhite's battery life is still absurdly long even with all the extra pixels.
It's not like the Paperwhite's screen was horrid before, of course. This upgrade is for the persnickety reader who whines about the jagged edges of a "z" while sipping red wine and peering through glasses perched atop the tip of their nose. In fact, there are lots of upgrades for that reader. The new Bookerly font, which Amazon designed specifically for reading, is now available on the Paperwhite too. And the Kindle's formatting tools have been overhauled as well, to make the size and spacing feel a little more intentional. You know how sometimes, a line would only have about five words, all spaced way too far apart? That should be gone now.
If you already own a Kindle, especially if it's a Paperwhite, there's probably no pressing reason to upgrade. That these features constitute an entirely new version of the Paperwhite is a signal of how mature, and how dominant, the Kindle really is. What's left to solve are the small problems, the nuances and bits of the interface that occasionally remind you that you're not reading a printed book. With custom typefaces, higher-res screens, and automated layout tools that don't feel automated at all, you might start to forget a lot more often.


Judges of the international student competition to design a new library alongside Alvar Aalto's in Seinajoki, Finland, have decided to extend the first stage of the competition and eliminate the second. The judges have selected nine anonymous entrants to submit developed ideas by 3 February 1999. A winner will be invited to form a partnership with a Finnish practice (originally all first-stage finalists would have done this) to develop a buildable design. The results of the competition will be announced in March and construction should start in 2000.


Nicole Richie will unveil the sister collection to her Winter Kate line, The Nicole Richie Collection, on QVC this Friday and ET has your first look!
Ranging from $75.00 - $257.00 per piece, Richie describes her self-titled, budget-friendly line as "bohemian chic."
"I want women to feel like they are having top style and not paying top dollar," says Nicole of her blouses, maxi skirts, dresses and handbags.
Don't miss The Nicole Richie Collection's debut this Friday, February 24 at 9 p.m. on QVC.


MANUEL PELLEGRINI has rubbed salt into the wounds of his desperate Premier League title rivals by boasting that he is so happy with his squad at Manchester City he is unlikely to make any signings or sales when the transfer window opens tomorrow .
City's Abu Dhabi owners bankrolled a £90 million spending spree last summer and were ready to get the chequebook out again if Pellegrini felt he needed reinforcements. But with key defender Vincent Kompany, right, appearing to be over his injury problems, Pellegrini is ready to shelve his interest in Porto centre-half Eliaquim Mangala.
While Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool look set to scratch around for January signings to bolster their title bids, Pellegrini will even refuse to consider the sale of unsettled striker Edin Dzeko - a target for the Gunners among others - because Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic are both injured .
He will also not sanction loan moves for fringe men Jack Rodwell and Joleon Lescott in order for them to resurrect their England hopes.
With City battling for honours on four fronts and facing a 60-game season, Pellegrini wants to keep his squad together. He said: 'For the moment, we are not talking about that [the transfer window]. We are always analysing what we need and what we don't need.
'There is the possibility for every club in the transfer window. We will see what we are going to do in the next days. At this moment nobody will be leaving."
And Pellegrini said there was never a chance of Dzeko leaving in January even before the recent injury to Aguero, above. 'He is not playing as often as he wants because of Aguero and Alvaro Negredo but you will see that he has played several games in December," said Pellegrini.
'Every player wants to play every game but, given the number of games we have, it is impossible for that to happen.
'I repeat that I think he is happy. He is an important player and there may be offers, but he won't leave.
'With Aguero and Jovetic injured at the moment, we only have two fit strikers so we must split them. Edin got his chance against Crystal Palace and it was important for him to score."
Pellegrini hopes the new year signals the end to the injury nightmare that has dogged Jovetic since his £22 million move from Fiorentina last summer.
Montenegro international Jovetic has made only one Premier League start after a succession of niggling problems which have prompted suggestions he is not strong enough for the English game.


The federal government has said it is working with the Indian Government to access $100 million concessional loan to develop the country's rural broadband connectivity.
The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, said this in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day held in Abuja Thursday night.
Shittu said that the loan to be accessed would be part of India's $10 billion concessional loans to African countries for the implementation of projects of their national priority.
The minister said that the rural broadband connectivity in India "inspired" his application for the $100 million loan for the project.
"Nigeria must be prepared to take advantage of the available opportunities, one of which is in securing of credit line for the development of rural backbone infrastructure.
"In India, as expansive as the country is, every area has sufficient broadband connectivity; everybody has access to online connectivity.
"This is the opposite in Nigeria. We have barely exceeded the 30 per cent connectivity rate.
"However, with this initiative, I believe within the next two months, we will have the opportunity of getting a credit line of $100 million from India to develop rural infrastructure.
"Such that without electricity, telecoms masts can function, as masts to be constructed via the credit line funding will be renewable based - that is solar-based," he said.
He explained that Indian companies would be the installers of the equipment "because it is their technology that we will use the credit line to acquire".
Shittu, however, said the timeline for the implementation of the project was yet to be determined.
He added that repayment of the loan would be "ironed out" by the Ministries of Finance and Budget and National Planning.
$100 million was made available to Nigeria in 2017 to execute projects in the power sector including solar energy and rural electrification in three states: Kaduna, Cross River and Enugu.
In his response, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Abhay Thakur, told newsmen that the high commission had received a written project report from Nigeria and would examine it.
He said: "We (Nigeria and India) are working very closely on the rural broadband network project.
"India is deeply interested because we genuinely have a lot of expertise in the area of broadband network building and reach to the Indian masses.
"We will examine the written report, and I am sure very soon, we will be in a position to tender out the project under the India Development Assistance, which is a very attractive soft loan funding for Nigeria."
Thakur also said the pilot phase of the project if considered, would start in Oyo and would be replicated in the other 36 states.
He expressed optimism that the project would lead to other spin-off projects in the areas of IT trainings and e-governance to rural populations.
"This is something India has achieved, and hopes to cooperate on with Nigeria with the support of the Nigerian government," he said.
Speaking on the ITEC Day, the high commissioner said that 315 training slots in the ITEC short-term programme had been made available for Nigeria in 2019.
He explained that this included 100 training slots under the India Africa Forum Summit and 20 scholarships for undergraduate, post-graduate and higher courses.
He said the high commission also covered Benin, Cameroon and Chad in addition to Nigeria.
"This year, we are offering 50 ITEC slots and five degree scholarships to Benin, 63 ITEC slots and eight degree scholarships to Cameroon, 20 ITEC slots and eight degree scholarships to Chad, and five ITEC slots to ECOWAS.
"We give full details of these slots because we want every opportunity to be utilised, we will like to see 100 per cent utilisation, so we can increase the slots in the next year.
"We are open to nominations from all Nigerian organisations," he said.
During the third Africa-Indian Forum in 2015, the Indian Government announced 50,000 scholarships for African students in India.
Since the second forum in 2011, more than 24,000 scholarships across 300 training courses conducted at 60 training institutions in India were utilised by African nationals in diverse areas.
The ITEC programme instituted in September 1964 is a flagship programme of the Indian government's capacity building efforts.


The recent announcement about negotiations for Saudi Aramco’s acquisition of one of the automotive fuel retailers in the Kingdom is heartening. How marvelous it would be to see Saudi employees working at Saudi Aramco gasoline stations. The oil giant would be able to transfer to the fuel retail sector the training, safety and professionalism for which it is well known.
The world’s gas stations account for about 13 percent of oil profits per barrel, while refineries capture less than 11 percent. In other nations it is not unusual for oil companies to have an interest in automotive fuel retailers.
Although there are respectable profits to be made, there will be challenges for Saudi Aramco in entering the fuel retail industry. Currently, all jobs in this sector are held by expatriates, who are paid low salaries and work long hours. If Saudi Aramco owned gasoline stations, Saudis in cities and villages would be willing to take employment in such operations, confident that they would receive a decent wage and dignity in their workplace. For that to happen, adjustments will have to be made in the employment environment of these gasoline stations, to better match the jobs to Saudi cultural norms. These upgrades will no doubt take immense effort, but many benefits are to be expected.
Saudi Aramco’s management and operations of gasoline stations would ensure optimal performance, attractive working conditions for Saudis, training for them to create the right workplace atmosphere and minimal reliance on foreign staff. It would also help to reduce the potential for commercial fraud in the mixing of fuel types and octanes, curtail the manipulation of the calibration mechanism for fuel pumps, and improve overall, design, efficiency and safety.
If Saudi Aramco owned gasoline stations, Saudis in cities and villages would be willing to take employment in such operations, confident that they would receive a decent wage and dignity in their workplace.
Saudi Aramco is well able to take on such a challenge. It succeeded first in the petroleum sector. The massive infrastructure projects it has tackled are legendary. The company has had other notable successes in the shipping industry, refining and now trading. An interest in the fuel retail sector would complement Saudi Aramco’s oil industry achievements. It can look to its experience with South Korea’s S-Oil and Motiva in the US for effective business models to use as inspiration.
Individuals continuing to own gas stations won’t be an obstacle. They can become branded independent fuel retailers and sign contracts in which they are allowed to have access to the brand name based on adhering to certain specifications by Saudi Aramco. They would get priority in gasoline deliveries and benefit from marketing activities.
While there has been much emphasis on moving to self-service gasoline stations, in Saudi Arabia such operations will take time to build and find acceptance. They will face obstacles due to cultural objections and should not be a priority.
If Saudi Aramco were setting the standards for gasoline stations, it would gradually bring in technologies from CCTV systems to automated payment mechanisms. The implementation of such modern infrastructure would create jobs as technicians would be needed to install and maintain such systems.
There is no convincing argument for any objection that Saudi Aramco would attempt to displace competitors and create a monopoly in the domestic fuel retail market. For decades, the Kingdom’s driving public has waited for a company to introduce gasoline stations with decent amenities and consistent quality standards. Perhaps if one company makes an effort to introduce modern fuel service stations, other companies will follow.
In Saudi Arabia, gasoline stations are not thought of as attractive businesses that add value to consumers. In other nations, this is not the case. Japanese gasoline stations have a reputation for excellent service, which includes cleaning the vehicle’s windscreen and side mirrors. The services and products offered by gasoline stations in many countries are myriad, ranging from branded restaurants and groceries to express parcel pickups.
There are many examples of the high-quality businesses that gasoline stations can be. It’s long overdue that an optimal service station model is developed to suit the Saudi culture and consumers’ satisfaction. Saudi Vision 2030 looks to capitalize on economic reforms across the business community. Saudi Aramco is more than welcome to show us what it can offer by putting its operational excellence into the fuel retail sector. And with our sisters now driving in the Kingdom, it’s long past time that safe, modern facilities are available to serve and assist everyone who gets behind the wheel.


It's thought that his ex had one final conversation with him before the big day.
We were just as surprised as anyone when we noticed not one but two of Prince Harry's ex-girlfriends turning up to his wedding at the weekend, but it seems one of them nearly didn't come along at all. Apparently, Chelsy Davy was in tears over the phone to the new Duke of Sussex just days before he wed Meghan Markle.
Harry dated Zimbabwean heiress Chelsy between 2005 and 2010, but eventually split due to her discomfort with royal life. According to reports, they spoke on the phone before the wedding and Chelsy appeared heartbroken the her ex was about to be married.
There was also a matter of her being upset about not being invited to the reception, though the source added that she 'promised Harry she wouldn't try and gatecrash the party'. Still, we hardly think she'd want to swap places with Meghan in reality; of course, it's easy to feel jealous, but Chelsy already knows she couldn't cope with what it means to be royal.
Also at the royal wedding was Harry's ex from 2012 to 2014, Cressida Bonas - the granddaughter of Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe - though there's been no word that there was any sort of heartbreaking phonecall between them. She didn't attend the evening reception either. In fact, nor did Harry and Meghan's matchmaker Violet von Westenholz - though that could have been by choice rather than because of a lack of an invite.


Martin Shkreli has appeared to put up the Wu-Tang Clan album he bought for $2 million on eBay.
The self-styled ‘Pharma Bro’ – who was convicted of fraud last month – notoriously purchased the sole copy of the legendary hip-hop group’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’ album back in 2015.
Shkreli has entered into a war of words with the Wu Tang since purchasing the album, including one threat he made in February 2016 when he said he’d “smack Ghostface Killah right in the face”.
The latest development in the saga is now being played out on the battlefields of eBay, where Shkreli has appeared to put ‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’ up for auction.
Auctioning under the name @martishkrel_7, the listing comes with a photo of Shkreli apparently holding the album in question. The auction will end on September 16, with the bidding currently at $95,000 and rising – Shkreli is also charging $22.50 for postage.
“I decided to purchase this album as a gift to the Wu-Tang Clan for their tremendous musical output,” it reads. “Instead I received scorn from at least one of their (least-intelligent) members, and the world at large failed to see my purpose of putting a serious value behind music. I will be curious to see if the world values music nearly as much as I have. I have donated to many rock bands and rappers over the years to ensure they can continue to produce their art when few others would.
Shkreli claims to have “not carefully listened to the album”, and says that he will “pay legal expenses for the buyer up to $25,000 to ensure the final purchase details are mutually agreeable”.


Rising acting royalty dropped by TRL this morning, as Noah Centineo and Jackie Tohn joined host Sway Calloway in the studio to talk about their respective Netflix projects.
Noah spilled all the details to Sway about appearing in Camila Cabello's music video for "Havana," which just got nominated for Video of the Year at the 2018 Video Music Awards. He revealed that it took no convincing for him to agree to act in the video, and fanboyed about the moment he finally met Camila. Plus, his shoutout to Camila's mom Sinu was stan-worthy!
Noah's been keeping busy, as he's starring in the upcoming Netflix original movie Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and another film, The Stand-In, to be released in 2019. With all this work on his plate, Noah only agrees to play characters he's super excited about, and he revealed to Sway why these two films spoke to him.
Jackie Tohn is an absolute star on Netflix's GLOW, but her real acting chops were put to the test in Doin' Too Much Theater, where Sway gave her the most outlandish scenarios to act out. After watching Jackie's incredible performance, I'm immediately requesting a meet and greet with her iconic mom. See Jackie impersonate her mom in Doin' Too Much Theater below. TRL airs on weekdays at 8:00am ET.


Tax deductions on severance pay are calculated the same way as tax deductions on regular payroll. Therefore, to calculate deductions on severance pay, treat these sums as payroll amounts, and calculate withholdings as you otherwise would.
Calculate the Social Security deduction for severance pay by multiplying the amount of the severance payment by 0.062, unless this payment bumps your employee's annual earnings over $132,900, the maximum annual amount subject to Social Security withholding in 2019 (up from $128,400 in 2018). If your employee has already reached this threshold, don't withhold Social Security tax. If the severance pay amount takes your employee's annual earnings over threshold, withhold Social Security tax only on the portion below $132,900 for the year.
Calculate the Medicare deduction by multiplying the first $200,000 in severance pay by 0.0145 ($250,000 for joint returns or $125,000 for married taxpayers filing separate returns). Any deduction on pay over $200,000 can be calculated by multiplying the excess amount by 0.0235. Remember that you're liable for matching employer contributions on amounts withheld for Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Withhold state and federal income taxes from severance pay as you would from regular pay. For state income tax, withhold taxes at your state's regular rate. For federal income tax, you can use the percentage method, which calculates tax as a percentage of paycheck or severance amount based on estimated annual earnings, including severance pay.
Alternately, use the tax table method by finding the tax table page in IRS Circular E that corresponds to the information provided on the employee's W-4 form – such as single or married filing jointly – and the column on that page corresponding to the number of withholding allowances that your employee specified on the same W-4.
Divide the severance pay amount by the number of pay periods it is intended to cover. Find the line on the chart that corresponds to the earnings per pay period, and then multiply the income tax withholding per pay period by the number of pay periods.
The amount of income tax your employee will actually owe at the end of the year depends on variables in addition to the amounts you have withheld, such as employment opportunities later in the year and individual circumstances like number of jobs held and amount of mortgage interest paid. These amounts will be reconciled on the employee's annual tax form, and there will either be a balance due or the IRS will refund the amount of the withheld overpayment.
Accounting Coach: What is the Maximum Amount of Earnings Subject to the Social Security Tax in 2018 and 2019?
United States Department of Labor: How is Severance Pay Calculated and When is it Due?
Gartenstein, Devra. "How to Calculate a Severance Pay Deduction." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/calculate-severance-pay-deduction-16706.html. 08 April 2019.
Do Severance Checks Have to Be Distributed in a Certain Way?