The Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund (VSMGX) wins the award in the category of Best Mutual Fund for Investing More Than $3,000. This fund (hereinafter LS Moderate) requires a minimum investment of $3,000. If you are investing $1,000 – $3,000, the Vanguard STAR Fund wins the TFB Award in that category. Like the STAR fund, LS Moderate also invests in other Vanguard funds. It’s even less expensive than the already inexpensive STAR Fund. It’s more straight-forward and it more broadly diversified. The expense ratio on LS Moderate is 0.25% a year. This means that if you invest $3,000, you pay a management fee of $7.50 for the entire year for Vanguard to manage your investment. For this $7.50, you get to invest in these funds:
All together 5,789 stocks, both U.S. and international, and 2,733 bonds! That’s almost everything under the sun. With the broad coverage, you capture the return from the entire market. If someone tells you about a hot stock, be it Google or Cristalerias de Chile, you can nod your head and tell them “I’m already in it.”
LS Moderate follows a classic moderate allocation. It invests roughly 60% in stocks, 40% in bonds. Stocks include both U.S. (80%) and international (20%). Bonds include different issuer types (government, corporate) and maturities. It is therefore well balanced. The Vanguard Asset Allocation Fund component adds a small swing factor to the asset allocation. Right now the stock percentage is 70%, not 60%, but it’s a minor issue, nothing to sweat about. Over the last 10 years as of 9/30/2006, the average annual return on LS Moderate is 8.28%, only slightly less than the 8.56% return from the U.S. stock market over the same period. In other words, the LS Moderate achieved almost as good a return with only 60% in stocks as the stock market as a whole (100% stocks). Look at the picture below. It didn’t go up as high when the stock market was in bubble and it didn’t go down as much when the stock market crashed.
The Vanguard STAR Fund is a TFB award winner for Best Mutual Fund for Investing Less Than $3,000. It is still pretty good if you are investing more than $3,000 or if you started with STAR and wish to stay there. All the reasons for giving it the TFB Award for the other category are still valid. Its return in the last 10 years was higher than award winner LS Moderate, but the higher recent performance shouldn’t be a dominating factor because it could be due to pure luck. I didn’t give the TFB Award to STAR for this category because LS Moderate is less expensive and more broadly diversified.
You mention the expense would only be $7.50 for a $3,000 investment. But doesn’t Vanguard charge a separate $10 fee if you have less than 10k in a fund?
Still sounds like a good idea so you don’t have to pay two or three $10 fees to do the asset allocation yourself.
No, the $10 fee is only on index funds. LS Moderate and STAR are not index funds although LS Moderate invests in index funds. If you only have $3,000 in an IRA, there is a $10 fee for the IRA, but if you have $3,000 in a regular account in either LS Moderate or STAR, there is no fee.
As rural innovation is increasingly viewed as a complex process that defies simple solutions, it has become more and more difficult to identify the types of investment and policy interventions needed to make developing economies' rural regions more responsive, dynamic, and competitive. Hence, the requirement is there to identify where the most binding constraints to rural innovation are existing and how better to target interventions to remove such constraints.
THE REALITY: More than half of the global population live in cities. The number is projected to increase to 60 per cent by 2030. Very recently, the United Nations (UN) sounded a note of warning that half of the world's increase in urban population will occur in Asia over the next 20 years and two of the region's largest economies -- China and India -- will see the most extensive changes. In India, the loss of agricultural land to urbanisation, aided by insufficient planning for food supply lines, will place a severe stress on the country's future food security for its growing population as observed by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in its 'The Cities and Biodiversity Outlook report'.
No doubt, the policy shift towards integrated rural development has been there although at a snail's pace - reflecting a fundamental change so far as the objectives are concerned and a movement towards a more holistic approach to rural development inviting new tools of analysis. But the goings in the developing world cannot be given an excellent certificate as much as a number of inhibiting factors are still at large.
NO EASY GOING INDEED: The answer of course is a resounding no in as much as the development process itself has turned out to be more complex compared to the situation in a decade ago. It is virtually the urban-rural-management of integration process that would rule as the ultimate factor.
In fact, the rural regions in this 21st century are facing major challenges that arise mainly from globalisation, demographic change and the rural migration of young, well-trained people. Policies for rural areas desperately call for recognising and making use of strengths and opportunities.
It is not that in economies like India planning has been a futile exercise, but it is to be agreed upon that either plans are inadequate or implementation is poor. Supervision and control leave much to be desired.
Putting too much emphasis on agriculture and ignoring its linkages to the rest of the economy result in sub-optimal utilisation of resources. Integrated rural development provides supplements and complements to the farm sector, which, in turn, benefits all of the sectors - rural or urban. Inter-sectoral resource-flow starts zooming in such a business-oriented professionally managed environment.
MANY MORE CHALLENGES ARE BEING ADDED: Tinkering around the existing practices could not enable an economy to reach a higher level of equilibrium. Rural diversification, in turn, refers to the process aimed at reducing the risks of farming and is a logical consequence of the policy shift from direct agricultural price support - a synergy approach to rural development, incorporating both traditional network and institutional analysis, focusing on working mechanisms and processes. This paves the way for fostering cooperation between public and private actors to achieve sustainable development.
PLANNING IS A CONTINUOUS AND SPONTANEOUS PROCESS INDEED: So far as land-use planning is concerned - the most important factor to invite innovations - traditional notions still dominate crop competition but demand from other sectors has put the overall situation in a confusing state. The resultant effect is poor utilisation of productive land in the region.
In particular, agricultural lands require top attention in as much as sectoral competition may lead to diminution of farm land steadily in the absence of proper land-use planning. It will be pertinent to refer here to some global happenings. This is particularly serious in Egypt, where only 3.0 per cent of the total area of that country is of any use for agriculture, the rest being largely desert. It appears that every year, the country now loses 0.5 per cent of what remains as its agricultural land - a trend that cannot go on forever. The situation is similar in China. Indeed, it has already lost some 10 per cent of its agricultural land since the country kicked off industrialisation. Urban areas in China are increasingly encroaching on protected areas of the country. In the Latin American and Caribbean regions, where the number of cities has grown six-fold in the last 50 years, housing for low-income residents often occurs in areas vital for biodiversity and ecosystem services such as the wetlands or floodplains. These are mistakenly considered to be of marginal value by planners.
At the same time environmental concerns should have been considered and integrated during the planning phase of programmes of measures to support rural areas. A large share of policies targeted at land-use in rural areas should have served to promote agro-biodiversity and environmental measures in agriculture.
Side by side, it also remains a question as to why the TCG (Technological Consolidation of Holdings) model is not given due weight! Under this system, the individual ownerships remains undisturbed as such but the inputs/facilities that are extended are meant for all the owners who use their land for productive purposes. Accordingly, the rate for water use/machine use remains same and is calculated on total use vis-à-vis pro rata basis (i.e. keeping in account the actual individual shares).
Then, why not to recognise the local knowledge? Globally speaking: even the ancient combination of livestock and crop activities had helped farmers use the manure as fertiliser for crops, and the crop residues as feed for livestock. In place of this, now in many parts the practice has become less optimal - most of the manure usually lost up to half of its nitrogen content before it became nitrate and was readily available as fertiliser to plants. The quantity also became inadequate as the population increased, so chemical fertilisers and artificial feeds had to be purchased, eroding the minimal profits of the small farmers.
A CHANGE IN APPROACH IS A MUST: Yes, empowering rural population (that includes a large number of vulnerable groups, including women, indigenous people, fisherfolk, members of low castes, and ethnic minorities) still remains a far cry. Women are responsible for a vast majority of food production, household work, and care work. But they are yet to be actively included in designing and implementing the programmes that will enhance the security of their livelihoods. Poor educational facilities and awareness on this score stand in the way of achieving gender equality and equity. Manpower wastage, marketing hindrances, inadequate availability of quality inputs and managerial ineffectiveness, among others, just go on adding to sectoral and spatial imbalances.
Then what about access to services and infrastructure that should be available throughout the economy (drinking water supply, sewage treatment, mail, telecommunications, transport, access to broadband in the field of IT and telecommunications)? The quality of these services, however, differs from region to region. One field that urgently needs improvement is sewage treatment where, for economic reasons, the number of decentralised systems is growing. Furthermore, employment opportunities are not at all sufficiently available in rural regions. Then where are the various long lasting assets generating measures to improve the situation?
With the total urban area in the world expected to triple between 2000 and 2030 and urban population to double to around 4.9 billion in the same period, urban expansion would be putting tremendous pressure on water and other natural resources, and consume prime agricultural land. This piece of information makes a strong argument for greater attention to be paid by urban planners and managers to the nature-based assets within the city boundaries. Sustainable urban development, which supports valuable ecosystems, presents a major opportunity for improving lives and livelihoods, and accelerating the transition to an inclusive green economy.
Dr BK Mukhopadhyay is a noted Management Economist, an International Commentator on Business & Economy
With Florida’s annual legislative session reaching its midpoint last week, state lawmakers are working to finalize a number of key issues, including the state’s budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16. Both the House and Senate have released their respective spending proposals, which are $4 billion apart. However, a key issue remains contentious for both chambers and poses a threat to the resolution of the state budget before the required 60-day adjournment – federal funding for the state Low Income Pool (LIP), and whether the state will accept the draw down of federal Medicaid dollars. The Senate has expressed a willingness to accept the draw down while the House and Governor remain steadfast against it. With the federal government announcing its refusal to continue funding the state’s LIP program – used to compensate hospitals for treating uninsured patients – and negotiations between state and federal officials rumored to be at a standstill, there is much uncertainty surrounding the second half of the 2015 legislative session.
In addition to health care issues, Florida lawmakers are tackling a number of other key matters this session, including increased spending for K-12 schools, a priority highlighted by both Governor Scott and legislative leaders prior to the start of session, and funding the implementation of the recently passed Amendment One, which allocates 33 percent of revenues from certain existing state taxes to land and water conservation. On the legislative side, House and Senate members continue to discuss and debate policy initiatives relating to education accountability, gaming, medical marijuana, and tax relief for Floridians, among other issues. Members have also focused this session on education and employment programs for individuals and families of individuals with unique abilities. This issue is a priority for Senate President Andy Gardiner.
The health care issue has also caused a significant amount of contention between the two chambers. Members remain largely focused on this issue while other funding matters remain uncertain. As a result of this difficult dynamic between the House and Senate, only 14 bills had passed as of last week. State lawmakers on both the executive and legislative side continue working with federal officials on the LIP issue, but at this time there is no resolution in sight, with the recent announcement that the current breakdown between federal and state officials could last for several more weeks. These issues may well result in an extension of the current session or the call of a special legislative session to finalize and pass a state budget once the federal funding issues have been addressed. In recent news about the issue, Governor Rick Scott, who last session called for Medicaid expansion in the state, just this week reversed his decision, citing the uncertainty of the federal funds to cover the costs for the state’s Medicaid recipients.
Despite operating with a surplus in state revenues, the 2015-16 state budget will not be finalized without heavy debate over a number of key issues, particularly health care funding for low-income and uninsured patients in Florida. While original predictions indicated a budget surplus of around $1 billion for the coming fiscal year, the controversial issue of Medicaid expansion has loomed over the Legislature throughout the first half of session. If the federal government discontinues or changes LIP funding as it has committed to do, the hole in the state budget will be around $2.2 billion. The LIP funding is set to expire June 30th. Currently the House and Senate budget proposals differ greatly on health care spending, with the Senate spending around $5 billion more to cover the lack of LIP funding. The House, on the other hand, has included $2.2 billion for LIP and will only do so once the federal government agrees to extend the program. This issue will likely be a source of heated debate through the remainder of session.
Prior to the start of session, Governor Scott announced his $77 billion “Keep Florida Working” budget, including increased funding for Florida’s public schools and nearly $700 million in tax cuts, including a significant reduction in the state Communications Services Tax and a number of state sales tax holidays. Both the House and Senate plans include increased funding for K-12 schools, as well as higher education institutions. Last week members of the House Finance and Tax Committee heard the chamber’s $690 million tax cut package for this year, which includes a number of exemptions for different types of agricultural and farm equipment, as well as the extension of certain tax credits. In addition, proposals to repeal the sunset date for the tax exemption for industrial equipment, passed by members during the 2013 legislative session, are currently moving through both chambers.
While the House and Senate remain far apart in their plans for making up the potential lack of federal LIP funding beginning July 1st, the Senate plan includes a proposal to use a private health insurance system to provide coverage to those currently being served by LIP funding, known as the “Florida Health Insurance Affordability Exchange,” or FHIX. This would cover about 800,000 Floridians with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level. The House, however, remains steadfast in its refusal to do so.
Members are also looking to overhaul the state’s mental health services this session, allowing for the possibility of for-profit companies and Medicaid managed-care organizations to bid on substance abuse and mental-health service contracts at the regional level. These services are currently managed by seven entities statewide.
In addition, lawmakers are considering “Right to Try” legislation this session to allow terminally ill Floridians who have exhausted available drugs and treatments to use experimental medication. The measure in the Senate also allows for a “physician order for life-sustaining treatment” (POLST) provision between doctors and patients.
Members are also debating legislation in the House that would update state law to allow patients recovering from minimally-invasive surgical procedures in Florida’s ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) to stay for up to 23-hours for recovery, and to allow ASCs to provide extended care to patients in their facilities.
The controversial issue of legalizing the medical use of marijuana in Florida was hotly debated last session, with a constitutional amendment narrowly defeated during the general election last November. While the amendment failed, members did pass 2014 legislation to allow use of a hybrid, non euphoria-inducing form of marijuana known as “Charlotte’s Web,” mostly used to treat seizures and severe forms of epilepsy.
Lawmakers are currently addressing the medical marijuana issue again this session. Under the law that passed, only nurseries that have been in business for at least 30 continuous years and cultivate a minimum of 400,000 plants are eligible to apply to be one of five “dispensing organizations.” The measure crafted this year by the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, chaired by powerful Orange Park Republican Rob Bradley, would increase the number of dispensing organizations to 20 and expand the types of eligible patients who can purchase the products.
The topic of potentially expanding gaming in Florida has been debated by lawmakers for the past several years. Measures to expand gaming in the state, particularly in South Florida, have been strongly backed by Vegas-style casinos but have ultimately failed to pass through the legislative process.
This session, members are currently debating whether or not to extend the state’s current gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which nets the state around $300 million per year in general revenue. The agreement with the Seminole Tribe expires in July. Regulated Industries Chair Rob Bradley recently filed legislation to extend the gaming compact for one year to buy more time for negotiations with the Seminole Tribe. Sen. Bradley’s legislation is a much more scaled-down version of the House’s legislation, filed by House Majority Leader Dana Young (R-Tampa). Rep. Young’s originally sweeping legislation, known as the “Gaming Control Act of 2015,” initially included two destination resort casinos in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, as well as the addition of slot machines at dog tracks in Palm Beach and Lee Counties, but the bill was recently stripped of these provisions. Her legislation has now been watered down to include decoupling of greyhound tracks and poker. Rep. Young’s measure does not, however, address the compact with the Seminole Tribe. Her legislation will be heard this week in committee but she has indicated she is not proceeding with the bill further. This probably ends the possibility of destination resort casinos in Florida this session.
During the 2014 general election in November, Florida voters overwhelmingly supported Amendment One, which requires that during the next 20 years, a minimum of 33 percent of the revenues derived from documentary stamps on real estate transactions be used to buy and manage Florida land for conservation efforts. State lawmakers are tasked this session with determining the best way to implement the new law and distribute the funding. Prior to the start of session, legislative leaders announced that the focus would be shifted from buying additional state lands and instead toward conservation lands already owned by the state for projects like parks and trails. Amendment One requires more than $740 million be set aside for land and water projects over the next fiscal year. Both chambers have passed their respective plans implementing the new law, but critics want more funding set aside.
Members are also considering legislation requiring the state to develop rules regarding permitting for high-pressure well-stimulation, including hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” as well as a measure to protect springs and other water resources in the state.
One of the biggest issues on the education front this session has been the debate over standardized testing in the state’s K-12 schools. Many have long argued that students in Florida schools are forced to take too many exams, leading Governor Scott to issue an executive order prior to the start of session suspending a standardized test for 11th graders.
School accountability and testing has become one of the most hotly contested and debated issues since session kicked off in early March. Last week the Senate took up and amended a sweeping accountability measure sent over by the House, which would put the following on hold relating to student testing: school grades, teacher evaluation, and fourth grade promotion for students. However, many argue that the measure does not go far enough and push for scrapping the testing requirements altogether. Senator Tom Lee (R-Brandon) filed an amendment to allow students in high-level and advanced placement classes to be exempt from the state tests, but eventually withdrew it.
In addition, the House has passed a bill requiring school districts to share their construction and maintenance funds with charter schools. The charter school bill also eases penalties for schools that fail to comply with the class size amendment, encourages school districts to adopt uniform policies for students and would allow for high-performing charter schools to replicate themselves in high-need areas.
On the higher education front, one of the biggest issues lawmakers will address this session will be dealing with state colleges in Florida. Senator Joe Negron is pushing for an overhaul of the institutions, altering their degree-granting abilities and changing the names of state colleges, among other provisions, but will likely meet resistance in the House.
In addition, members have been considering controversial measures relating to carrying guns in schools. One proposal would give school superintendents the ability to designate individuals to carry a concealed weapon on school property. It has moved through all assigned committees in the House but still needs to be approved through the committee process in the Senate. Another bill in the House would allow people with concealed weapons licenses to carry guns on the campuses of Florida’s colleges and universities. The National Rifle Association is strongly supporting these bills.
Each session the House and Senate transportation committees put forth their respective legislative packages, which include priorities outlined by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the year. Members in both chambers are discussing their proposals for this session, which are unlikely to be passed until the final days or hours of session. The transportation “train,” as it is called, is a perennial favorite for lawmakers to heavily amend throughout session.
One key issue being debated by members this session is the state’s Enterprise Zone program, which will sunset this year. Members in various committees have expressed reluctance to extend the program after reports indicate a lack of Return On Investment.
Members are also working on legislation relating to incentives for the film and entertainment industry, as well as legislation restructuring the state’s approach to entertainment. In addition, members are considering proposals to cap annual economic development incentive awards and implement a “pay-as-you-go” model to distribute money after projects are completed. This move is opposed by Governor Rick Scott.
There is much to be decided and much at stake in the Florida legislature in the coming weeks, with the state budget and the future of the state’s health care programs hanging in the balance. Members will continue in the coming days and weeks to address filed legislation and craft amendments to bills on various issues. State officials and other interested parties will also be eyeing federal officials closely for a ruling on the all-important LIP funding, which could be the deciding factor between session ending on time or members being forced to extend beyond the 60-day limit to pass a state budget.
Currently the session is scheduled to adjourn on Friday, May 1st. However, at this juncture an extended session or special session is looking more and more likely.
Day number two of our stay in Las Vegas brought us to the Neon Boneyard bright and early via the double decker Deuce bus which offers a nice flat fee of $7.00 for 24 hour service from the time of purchase. The museum consists of a wide variety of neon and light bulb signs from vintage Las Vegas hotels, most of which have since been imploded. At the time of this entry the Boneyard only allows public access through scheduled tours but hopes to allow more accessible visits in the future as well as completely rehabbing the signs with the ability to be lit up at night. This however is not a cheap feat so at the current time a donation of $15 is suggested for the tour price.
After our visit to the Boneyard we made our way to a wonderful seafood place called Mickie Finnz located on Freemont Street which we ended up returning to later that evening (pictures of the Freemont Street Experience will be featured in the next post) after we recharged at the hotel and proceeded to do a little more sightseeing along the strip.
Shoot! magazine lifted the lid on the transfer swop between Brighton and Leeds United in March 1983:
Andy Ritchie believes he has gone up in the world, despite stepping down into the Second Division to join Leeds United from Brighton.
That’s why he had no hesitation leaving the South Coast club, despite the fact that Brighton had reached the F.A. Cup Semi-Final.
“Sure there was a chance of a Wembley appearance but nothing is certain in football,” he said after succumbing to Leeds manager Eddie Gray’s persuasive tongue.
“Missing out on Wembley is a bit of a blow. but as I see it it’s only a matter of time before I’m back in the First Division – with Leeds.” The former England Under-21 striker explains: “Let’s face it – Eddie is a player I’ve always admired. He’s proving a first-class manager and I’m certain he will lead United to promotion next season.
“Ive only played a handful of games with them but I’ve seen enough to realise that there are some highly-promising youngsters in the side – midfielders John Sheridan and recent Scottish signing John Donnelly, for instance.” Gray, who says Ritchie has the potential to become a top-class striker, commented: “I have a high regard for the boy’s ability. I have played against him several times so I know what he is capable of.
“I remember him scoring a hat-trick against us when he was only 18 when he was with Manchester United. He was brilliant that day.
Twenty-two-year-old Ritchie, who was soon among the goals at Elland Road, cost Brighton £500,000 when they signed him from Manchester United and was their top scorer with 14 goals last season.
But this campaign hasn’t seen him at his best, perhaps because he was in and out of the side and managerial upsets did not help.
So he was delighted when Leeds moved for him just before Easter. And the man who played a key role in persuading the Manchester-born striker to move back North was Brighton team-mate Nell McNab, who spent a month on loan with Leeds in mid-season.
“Nell was very impressed and happy during his stay at Elland Road and I think he would have been happy to stay there, had the financial aspect been sorted out satisfactorily,” says Ritchie.
“After I’d flown up to see Eddie Gray I could see why. He has a marvellous knack of getting on with people and he communicates with players. That’s half the battle of being a successful manager.'” So Ritchie has committed himself to Leeds United’s promotion cause!
But the man involved in the no cash exchange deal, coloured striker Terry Connor, was immediately plunged into a desperate relegation battle with Brighton.
After making his debut at 17, when his early burst of goals helped to keep Leeds in the First Division, Connor went on to make 107 first team appearances, scoring 22 goals.
Always a favourite with the fans, who love a local lad, Connor’s ambition was to.help the club back into the First Division.
“‘I’d never imagined myself playing for anyone else but Leeds,” he said. “I was born and bred in the city. My parents and friends live there, and really Elland Road was a second home to me.
“So it was a bit of a shock when I was told to fly to Brighton to discuss terms with their manager, Jimmy Melia.
“But once the fact had sunk in that Leeds were willing to sell me I decided to throw in my lot with the Seasiders.
“1 knew I wouldn’t be able to play in the F.A. Cup because I am Cup-tied, but I was encouraged by their faith in me and their belief that I could act as a foil for big Mick Robinson.
Gerry Ryan, Chris Hutchings, Justin Fashanu and Terry Connor posed before Brighton’s match with Blackburn at the Goldstone in September 1985:
Making up a ‘plaster cast’, the photo illustrated how Chris Cattlin was down almost to a bare minimum of players from which to choose his team. Ryan’s injury was caused by the terrible challenge by Crystal Palace’s Henry Hughton in the previous season. He never played for the Seagulls again and eventually had to retire, receiving a benefit match in August 1986.
By contrast, Hutchings recovered by October, eventually making 29 League appearances, mainly as right-back. Even so, he was surprisingly dropped for the FA Cup Quarter-Final against Southampton in March, a decision that Cattlin readily admitted was a mistake, before being restored for the rest of the campaign.
Fashanu also enjoyed an extended run after the controversial striker made his return in the 4-0 defeat by Liverpool in the Milk Cup at the end of October 1985. While never quite hitting the heights of form, he was ever-present in the number 9 shirt in December and January. His last game for the Seagulls was in the memorable FA Cup tie at Peterborough in February 1985 before he fell foul of recurrent knee injury problems.
It was Connor, though, who made the biggest impact upon his return. He had limped off against his former side Leeds in the 1-0 home defeat at the start of September. It took two months to recover and yet the centre-forward plundered a very creditable 14 goals in the rest of the season, one short of top scorer Dean Saunders.
Signed from Leeds United in March 1983, as a direct swop with Andy Ritchie, the powerful centre-forward struggled to find his range at first. Nevertheless, he got the winner against Coventry on 23rd April 1983, Brighton’s last ever victory in the top flight.
Over the following four seasons in Division Two, Connor blossomed at the Albion, hitting 50 goals in 146 League appearances. The strikes mark him out in history as Albion’s most prolific striker in the second tier. However, I doubt this bustling forward scored many headers as spectacular as this one past Perry Digweed in Brighton’s match against Norwich at Carrow Road in April 1986:
A season before, in 1980/81, Brighton bested mid-table Leeds to secure their Division One status. The following season, the positions were reversed as the sides faced each other in the penultimate fixture.
Injury had hampered Michael Robinson in the campaign. However, he was fit enough to give Brighton the lead at relegation-threatened Leeds in the fixture on 15th May 1982. It was his 30th goal for the Seagulls in the top flight:
Bravely, the Albion striker even had the cheek to give Leeds supporters the thumbs up. However, bolstered by Terry Connor up front, the home side did hit back in the final few minutes to come away with victory:
The Leeds match in 81/2 was one of the most terrifying experiences of all time. When Robbo scored and gave the thumbs down sign to Leeds, if the score had remained the same they would have been relegated, as it was their last home game of the season.
Their fans went mental, and the nutters in the opposite end to their kop spent the next 20 minutes giving the 80 or so of us Albion fans in the away end cut throat signs. The police were genuinely worried about protecting us at the end of the match.
Fortunately Leeds scored twice in injury time, their relegation fight was still on, and all was forgotten in terms of kicking shit out of us.
Four days later they went to West Brom, lost, were relegated, and burned down part of one of the stands at The Hawthorns in a fit of wild and indiscriminate hooliganism.
Worn by the likes of Steve Foster below, this all-yellow Adidas number was Brighton’s away kit in the First Division from 1980/81 to 1982/83:
Its most famous appearance came in the 1983 FA Cup Semi-Final when Brighton beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1.
By then, though, with Albion in the Second Division, pinstripes and V-necks were all the rage. Here’s young winger Steve Penney showing his trickery while donning Albion’s sublime new white away kit with blue and red pinstripes:
However, there was a sartorially tricky League fixture in the 1983/84 campaign at Blackburn Rovers, and a cup tie at Bristol Rovers (Milk Cup) that meant both the blue home shirt and the white away top could not be used as change kit.
Instead, Albion were forced to reuse the previous season’s yellow shirts, minus reference to the lapsed sponsorship deal with British Caledonian Airways, of course. Despite the flakey picture quality, you can just about make out those flappy blue collars here in the Bristol Rovers second leg in October 1983, where Albion prevailed 5-4 on aggregate:
In the next round of the Milk Cup, in November 1983, Brighton travelled to Upton Park, Again they revived their old yellow kit, this time going down 1-0. Here’s Alan Young on the ball:
By the following season, 1984/85, adidas launched a new yellow change shirt for the Seagulls. It was worn in this 2-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers:
Fast forward three more seasons, to 1987/88, Spall took over the supply of Albion’s playing and replica kit, introducing a snazzy yellow shirt with shadow stripes. It was the first yellow away shirt worn in a promotion season since the Bukta design under Alan Mullery all those years ago.
In November 1986, Terry Connor was selected as an over-age player for England Under-21s, and scored an excellent goal in the 1-1 draw with Yugoslavia in Peterborough. That month, the powerful centre-forward was interviewed in Shoot! magazine:
Brighton’s new England Under-21 cap Terry Connor – an over age player – is horrified at the thought of being called a “veteran”.
A veteran he isn’t, but it’s a common mistake to assume that he might be older than 24 – his birthday coming just two days before the European championship game with Yugoslavia.
At least one club visiting the Goldstone Ground this season thought he was probably a few years older.
Explained manager Alan Mullery: “You tend to forget that Terry was only 17 when he made his debut for Leeds United:’ “I got such an early break at Leeds because the club were rebuilding their side after those days when they were riding high,” says Connor.
“Eddie Gray was still in the team when I came in. He was the model professional. It was terrific to have someone with his experience alongside you.
“It was Eddie who sold me in part exchange for Andy Ritchie. It turned out to be a good move for both of us. Andy is still scoring at Leeds and I’m happy at Brighton.
“I would like to get 2O goals this season – that’s my target. And if we get it together we could challenge for promotion,” adds Connor.
“We played ever so well against Nottingham Forest in the Littlewoods Cup at Brighton, drawing 0-0, but then went to O1dham and were terrible.
“It’s a problem for us finding consistency. In some matches we’ve learned we just cannot rely on our football. We’ve got to battle. That’s a point Alan Mullery has driven home.”
But Connor doesn’t even use spikes, revealing: “A lot of players wear them to help their speed but not me.
“I train in boots. And when do you ever sprint 100 yards in a match? It’s short distance speed that’s important. Quickness off the mark is one of the most vital assets in a striker’s armoury.
“I’m delighted with my international recognition but it’s success at Brighton that’s important for all of us.”
Despite that encouraging showing against Nottingham Forest at the Goldstone, success proved elusive for the Seagulls as the season became increasingly traumatic. In an infamous stitch-up, Alan Mullery was replaced by Barry Lloyd in January 1987 and it was all downhill from there. Bearing the full force of a cost-cutting drive, the depleted Albion side plummeted down the Division Two table and were relegated.
Connor performed admirably, though, amassing a very creditable nine goals in 38 League matches for a struggling side. Unsurprisingly, he was voted ‘Player of the Season’ before joining Portsmouth, newly promoted to the First Division, in July 1987. The fee was £200,000. Not bad for an old man!
Pathfinder Tales are the official novels set within Golarion, the canon setting of the game. They’re like Wizards of the Coasts Forgotten Realm novels, designed to tell stories set in the world of the game, and in the process flesh out details about it. In more recent stories as well, Paizo has been tying some of the Tales novels back into the current or upcoming Adventure Paths. For example, King of Chaos actually ties directly into the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path, with the artifact the heroes are searching for being of vital importance in the AP; and the upcoming novel Reign of Stars (a sequel to the earlier City of the Fallen Sky) is confirmed as tying into the next AP to be published, Iron Gods (and on that note, you have no idea how excited I am for Iron Gods… BRING ON THE SCI-FANTASY!).
One thing I found with the D&D novels was that they almost never managed to pull me in to the story, to make me feel invested in it. The Ravenloft novels, and some of the Dragonlance ones (the original trilogy, the Legends stories and the War of Souls trilogy are the ones that spring to mind) are the only real exceptions to this. Not really sure why that was the case, but it was. Anyway, that’s never been a problem for me with the Pathfinder Tales novels. Each one I’ve read has been enjoyable from start to finish, and although they’re not exactly masterpieces of literature, they’re not meant to be. They’re just well written, exciting fantasy romps in a setting which is basically a fantasy kitchen sink, and that’s perfectly fine by me.
So, with that said, let’s get this started. I’ll try to avoid spoilers as much as possible, but there may be minor ones given that I kind of need to talk about the book to review it.
From author Wendy N. Wagner comes a new adventure of vikings, lycanthropes, and the ties of motherhood, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Skinwalkers is Wendy N. Wagner’s first full length novel. She’s done Pathfinder Tales work before, but it was part of the short fiction that Paizo publish on the blog, usually as prequel stories to some of their novels (both Winter’s Wolves and Mother Bear are related to Skinwalkers, and can be found here). Her bibliography shows numerous other short stories, poetry and non-fiction that she’s worked on. For a first full novel, I’m seriously impressed. It’s not my favourite of the Pathfinder Tales, but it’s exciting, fun, and extremely well written. I also enjoyed that the story was set in the Ironbound Archipelago, as it’s part of the Land of the Linnorm Kings, an area that I find particularly interesting in the setting, since it is essentially the land of vikings.
The protagonist, Jendara Eriksdottir, is a former pirate who gave up her life of crime and became a trader after the death of her husband, so that she could raise her son in peace on the islands where she was born. She doesn’t like who she once was, and is determined to make up for her misdeeds by helping her community and raising her son as best she can with the help of his uncle and the other families in the village. During a stop on a regular trading trip, she comes across a scene of carnage at a quarry that reminds her of a scene from long ago in her past… The novel deals with Jendara’s struggle to defend her people and home against raiders who threaten everything she loves.
I think one of the biggest strengths of this novel is the characters. Credit where credit is due, Ms. Wagner knows how to write some believable characters. Jendara in particular felt real to me. Her desire to change who she was, the demons of her past (both due to her life as a pirate, and other events in her life); the disgust she feels when she starts to revel in violence again; the protectiveness she feels for her son; her strength in the face of adversity, even when she sometimes feels doubt; and her rejection of the traditional worship of ancestor spirits and clan totem animals… it all comes together to paint a vivid portrait of her in my mind. We’re introduced to her while she is out on a hunt, and the scene immediately starts to give a feel for her character, interspersing the dialogue and descriptions with flashbacks of a traumatic event. It’s a very effective introduction, and made me want to know more about her immediately. Just as an aside, I was quite amused when I opened up my copy of Inner Sea Combat at lunch today and found Jendara listed in the second on notable martial characters of the Inner Sea region. For those that are interested, she’s apparently a level 6 Fighter, which based on her prowess in the novel sounds about right. I really like that they’ve tied her into the canon that way. Other characters, like her husband’s brother Vorrin, her son Kran, and the crew of her ship, while not as strongly developed, still give that same sense of being real, tangible characters you can relate to. Kran, as the eleven year old boy who desperately wants to prove his worth and show that he can be trusted to join the hunting parties, really struck a chord with me. Even the minor characters, like the unhelpful steward of White Estrid (one of the Linnorm Kings), or the librarian of the Basalt Library, have their own motivations and feel like more than just bit pieces.
Something I’ve noticed a couple of people complaining about in reviews of this novel is the increased level of violence, and the lower than normal use of magic. Pathfinder Tales have, in general, been fairly high magic and haven’t had particularly graphic descriptions of violence in them, and some people didn’t seem to appreciate this shift in tone, which is fair enough. Different strokes for different folks and all that. That said, I’d argue the idea that it doesn’t feel like a Pathfinder story. While magic may be common for Pathfinder gaming groups, with most groups having at least one caster, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be absolutely everywhere in the world. I find it perfectly believable to see that there’s a number of islands where there aren’t any clerics, wizards or sorcerers (I’m assuming that the wise women, with their herb lore and healing ability, aren’t actually clerics, as they seem to have much more restricted powers). That’s also not to say that there isn’t any magic in the novel. Certainly it starts to pop up more and more after the halfway point of the story, just not in a flashy “fireballs and lightning” kind of way. I think the increased focus on the description of the physical combat and it’s aftermath actually worked very well for this story, since it focuses entirely on characters who are non-magical and have to rely on their wits, skill and strength at arms to get them through. I don’t feel it’s too graphic, especially not compared to some low-magic fantasy I’ve read. There’s the occasional scene where Jendara may go overboard, but it’s usually prompted by fear for the lives of her friends and family; other than that the worst of it is the descriptions of the state some of the bodies that are found are in. I’ll put it this way, it’s definitely no Game of Thrones.
The biggest weakness in the story for me? The twist midway through the plot. Not that it’s not well written, and it works in the context of the story, tying everything back together and making sense of a number of plot elements. The problem was that I saw it coming from very early on, around the time of the quarry scene. Now whether this is because it is an obvious twist, or because I just spend too much of my time on TV Tropes and have started to pick up on these sort of things faster, I couldn’t say. But rather than a moment of “Oh my god” shock, I got a moment of “hah, called it” satisfaction. Not a bad thing, just an observation.
In terms of writing style, I found the book to be clearly written, easy to understand, and engrossing. There are a couple of little oddities here and there, but overall it’s a slick read. Wendy N. Wagner has a good grasp of how to describe combat to keep it interesting, and does well with the interactions between the various characters as well. I read it in an evening, but given that I’ve been known to read up to two books a day on the weekends, don’t let that make you think it’s too short. The story is the perfect length. Long enough to get everything it needs to done, but not so long that it starts to drag.
Long answer: Yes, so long as you don’t have a problem reading a fantasy novel that doesn’t contain huge amounts of magic (no healing potions here!), does contain (somewhat) graphic violence. It’s not meant to be anything more than an exciting romp through the world of the Pathfinder RPG, and at that, it succeeds admirably. I actually hope we get to see some more work from Wendy N. Wagner soon, either continuing Jendara’s story or with something brand new.
Alright everyone, that’s it from me for now. I’ll be back in a couple of days with a review of the latest Tales novel, The Redemption Engine, by James L. Sutter. Til then, take it easy, and keep the dice rolling.
Written while listening to the album Dummy, by British trip-hop group Portishead. While I like their second and third albums, titled Portishead and Third respectively, Dummy is still by far my favourite. It’s a great album to just chill out to. Moody, brooding, emotional and subdued, without the harshness that emerged in their second album or the bizarre experimental style of the third. I think my favourite songs on the album would be Wandering Star, Glory Box and Roads
This entry was posted in Fiction, Reviews and Playtests and tagged Barbarians, Fantasy, Fiction, Golarion, Paizo, Pathfinder, Pathfinder Tales, Skinwalkers, Vikings, Wendy N. Wagner. Bookmark the permalink.
Gift Cards are the perfect way to let someone know you care! Buy one now and make someone’s holiday whilst supporting local business. We send them out within 24hrs of receiving your order.
If you love frozen desserts, July’s an ideal month to indulge. August isn’t a bad time either. The weather’s hot here in the desert of Arizona (and maybe wherever you live as well), making it an especially refreshing dessert. It’s also National Ice Cream Month, a designation made by president Ronald Reagon in 1984. The third Sunday of the month is National Ice Cream Day. If you missed the chance to observe the event with appropriate ceremonies (I did!), now’s as good a time as any to indulge… after you’ve eaten your protein and veggies, of course.
If you like food trivia, here are some ice cream stats courtesy of The International Ice Cream Association, a constituent of the International Dairy Foods Association (www.idfa.org), and Cowabunga Ice Cream. My Ice Dream Cookbook contains some ice cream trivia but these figures are even more current.
The average American consumes 23.2 quarts of frozen dairy products per year, including ice cream, ice milk, sherbet, ice milk or other frozen desserts. Yep, that’s about two quarts per person per month. If you’re not eating that much, rest assured someone else is doing it for you.*
For example, people in the Northern Central states consume 41.7 quarts of ice cream and related frozen desserts per person, per year. Hmm, they’re eating almost 3 1/2-quarts per person, per year.*
Kids aged two through 12 and adults in the 45 year-old-and-older group have the highest per capita ice cream consumption.*
Ice cream and related frozen desserts are allegedly consumed by more than 90 percent of households in the U.S.* Is yours one of them?
Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are the three most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S.* Pretty plain, I know. Homemade strawberry ice cream or ice dream has a lot more fruit in it than store bought. (See recipe below for a dairy-free, fruit-ful version.) You could make it every more fruity by serving it in cantaloupe halves or alongside Avocado, Peach, or Basil Ice Dream with chocolate sauce.
* NOTE: These facts came courtesy of The International Ice Cream Association, and Cowabunga Ice Cream.
If you follow a dairy-free or mostly dairy-free diet, you have a lot of commercial options for ice cream alternatives; however, your best option is to make the frozen dessert yourself so you can leave the ingredients you don’t want and substitute the ones you do. Soy-based frozen desserts sometimes have a beany-aftertaste. Consuming large amounts of soy products may contribute to thyroid problems or hormonal imbalances. Rice-milk based ice creams contain large amounts of refined and polyunsaturated (omeg-6-rich) vegetable oils, which can also leave an unpleasant after taste in your mouth. They’re also very high carbohydrate.
You can buy non-dairy coconut-milk based frozen desserts but they’re much higher in sugar than what you could make at home using the recipes from my most recent cookbook, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces. I use a combination of honey and stevia, which lowers the total sugar content by one-third to one-half. My book also includes recipes for flavors of dairy-free coconut milk “ice cream” I’ve never seen in stores, e.g., Date-Rum Pecan, Dried Apricot Pistachio with White Wine, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Macaroon Madness, Basil, Avocado, Pumpkin Pie, and Orange Cream, and gluten-free Vanilla Brownie Crumble.
If you want to make your own frozen desserts and you don’t yet have an ice cream maker, you can still use this and other recipes from my book. You can freeze the custard-like mixture in popsicle molds. It won’t turn out as light and fluffy as what you’ll create using an ice cream maker, but it will still taste delicious.
If you belong to Costco, check to see if they’re running a seasonal special on a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker with two pre-chill canisters (so you can make two flavors on the same day) for $40. If you have Bed, Bath & Beyond Coupons, take one to the store nearest you for a $5 off or 20% deal. Or, you can look online for other deals on ice cream makers with pre-chill canisters. Or, if you really want to splurge look for a machine with a built in condenser that doesn’t require pre-freezing a canister. These babies cost more but they don’t require saving freezer space for a canister and they allow you to make a frozen dessert on demand. I describe the various options in the front of my Ice Dream Cookbook.
Look for strawberries that smell sweetly aromatic and have dark red skins with moist green leaves. Avoid berries with white or green shoulders and wilted leaves; they were picked long ago and far away—before they had a chance to fully ripen. For a treat, top this Ice Dream with Hot Fudge Sauce or Chocolate Sauce (see The Ice Dream Cookbook for recipes).
FYI: Ever wonder what it means to hull strawberries? Simply cut off the stems with a small, sharp paring knife. Mystery solved.
Pour into one or more wide mouth jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before churning or use an ice bath to cool it faster. (The custard-like mixture should feel cold to the touch before it goes into the ice cream maker. Chilled for 6-8 hours it will thicken to a custard or soft Jello-like consistency, creating an even loftier frozen dessert.)
often solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Social networking sites — Twitter and Facebook — are flooded with tweets and status in support of Dr Govinda KC, who was arrested yesterday on the charge of contempt of court.
Dr KC, a senior orthopaedic surgeon at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, was arrested for allegedly making contemptuous remarks against the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Social media users also questioned the impartiality of judiciary over some controversial verdicts and criticised its order to arrest and produce Dr KC before the apex court.
Senior leader of CPN-Maoist Centre Narayan Kaji Shrestha said, “To make contempt of court a weapon against a satyagrahi (peaceful protester) is extremely wrong and I reiterate that the court is not the God. This is the result of keeping the court as it was at the time of state restructuring. All concerned people should understand it,” he said.
Former prime minister and coordinator of Naya Shakti Party-Nepal Baburam Bhattarai wrote on Twitter, “The law on contempt of court is also called ‘Dog’s law’ my Lord! Issue verdict on Dr KC’s case after reading a sensational article of former justice of Supreme Court of India, my Lord!”
Nepali Congress Youth leader Dhan Raj Gurung said he had not heard of overnight arrest of any person in a contempt of court charge in the past. “I wonder what kind of contempt has Dr KC’s done through his remarks? What necessitated his overnight arrest without even giving a prior notice to the government?” he asked.
CPN-UML leader Pradeep Gyawali said discussion could be held over Dr KC’s demands and the way he staged protest. “But the way the court behaved/and has been behaving with him can not be considered right. The court’s dignity will not shine, if it is found passing biased verdicts.”
CPN-UML leader Ram Kumari Jhakri said the court’s reputation had been tarnished through its verdicts on cases relating to NCell capital gains tax, release of Chudamani Sharma and Gopal Khadka, IGP case and dozens of other cases, including Dr Shashi Sharma’s appointment as IoM dean.
Columnist Jhalak Subedi writes, “I am a supporter of Dr KC’s campaign to improve medical education. Dr KC’s arrest for his remarks against the court verdict is not justifiable. Dr KC’s statement about his arrest has diverted his case. Frustrated!”
Police giving security after student unions padlocked Dadeldhura Education Campus, in Bagkhor, Dadeldhura, on Sunday; a view of the padlocked Dadeldhura Education Campus after
student unions locked the campus on the issue of political pressure for staff appointment. Photo: THT
Political meddling is taking a heavy toll on Dadeldhura Education Campus at Dadeldhura headquarters Baghkhor.
Tribhuvan University had issued directive to all its constituent campuses to appoint staffers working on daily wage basis on contract some time back.
With the directive, the campus had forwarded the appointment process inviting political pressure. The political pressure and interference have halted classes for the last few days.
More than 5,000 students from Baitadi, Darchula, Bajhang, Doti, Achham and Dadeldhura are studying at the campus.
Free Students Union President Bipin Ojha said that political meddling had adversely affected classes. “It is wrong to play with students’ future on the row over employees’ appointment,” said Ojha.
Ojha said that the trend of appointing anyone ranging from Campus Chief to the staff on the ground of political quota sharing had been aggravating the situation of the college for the past five years.
“In the first few years, the admission ratio was good, the enrolment, however, has dropped with political meddling”, Ojha said.
Sabitri Khadka, a B Ed student from Baitadi complained that unnecessary political interference had disrupted classes almost on a daily basis. “My classes have been disrupted from the first year itself. I do not know how I am going to pass the exam”, Khadka wondered.
BEd first year student Khemraj Awasthi complained that political intervention had hit classes. “Classes are held less and agitation takes place most of the time. We may not be even be able to fill in the exam if the situation persists,” Awasthi said.
Campus Chief Netra Prasad Paneru, however, claimed that appointment of staff was going in a transparent manner. “Political interference is obviously there. But, we are trying to hire the staffers independently,” Paneru said.
With the row over staff appointment lingering, four student unions including All Nepal National Free Students’ Union, All Nepal Independent Students’ Union (Revolutionary) padlocked the campus administration and Campus Chief’s office today.
They warned they would not allowing classes to resume unless the staffers were appointed in a transparent manner.
This entry was posted in Christ, Icon, Uncategorized and tagged Face of Christ, Suffering Servant by Ann Chapin. Bookmark the permalink.