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We just started the school this year 2014. We have a child in kindergarten, and another in Pre-k. So far, We are extremely happy with EVERYTHING about the school. When we recently attended a meeting for the kindergarten class, the teacher went over the curriculum for the year, very very impressive!! The staff has always been very nice and helpful. First day of school went like this, walking into school, there was a police officer directing walking traffic, my heart leaped, with all the craziness that goes on in today's world, it was nice to see an armed police officer (they also have armed security) We then had convocation, student body and parents gathered in the church, the head of the school spoke to the students about, God, Maturity, responsibility, respect, reputation, leadership, choices, character, and so on, and so on... In the end, the entire staff held hands, and made a circle around the students and prayed. It was very moving!! If you are looking for a school, instills values, teaches Christianity and how to apply in ones daily life, as well as an excellent advanced curriculum, then I would highly recommend Second Baptist!
—Submitted by a parent
If your child is a good student, they will not challenge or support their learning because they are not important. No matter how much money you donate. There are occasional teachers in the lower school who understand excellence. However, there is no communication between parents and teachers after elementary school. They do not even have scheduled conferences. Maybe for elementary, but not for middle or high school.
—Submitted by a parent
My son graduated from Second Baptist School and my daughter is still in Upper School. Both have attended Second Baptist School and Second Baptist Church Mother's Day Out since one and two years old. Second Baptist School has truly been their second home. I substituted for seven years and have worked for five years in administration. Second Baptist School is not a perfect school because there is no such thing but it is the closest thing to perfection because of the careful planning, direction and desire to truly educate and train students in preparation for college and to succeed in life. Second Baptist School firmly plants students in their Christian walk through Bible classes and life application of God's principles. I thank God for Second Baptist School and for the opportunity my family has had throughout the decades of belonging to the Second Family. I would recommend this school to all parents wanting to mold their children in a structured, safe, and Christian environment.
As a parent of a graduated SBS student, I can say without a doubt this was the BEST choice for our family. My child thrived at Second and was challenged through each school level to strive for excellence, to follow Jesus, to seek right choices and to reach for the stars. Teachers were engaged with my child in and out of school, and to this day, are still interested in the accomplishments of my (now adult) child's life. There are good teachers and there are great teachers. And while there may have been some minor bumps here and there, our family would whole-heartedly agree that the experience of attending SBS from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade was OUTSTANDING. Being part of the SBS community goes far beyond attending school there. Second becomes part of your family and you become part of theirs. We wouldn t trade it for the world!
—Submitted by a parent
Is there a way to give this school less than a star? Second Baptist ruined my middle school life. I was mentally and emotionally suffering until I moved to a better, and more welcoming Houston private school. I was a well liked kid, and I was not bullied, but all the teachers want to do is prove you wrong. The kids are snobby and like people to know how wealthy they are. If you haven't gone to this school for your whole life, be prepared for a long hard struggle to find a group that will accept you. Favoritism is a fact of life over there with the sbsers. If you are loaded and are what they call a "lifer" expect to pass, and be the lead in all the musicals, and make the sports team of your choosing. The elementary school is alright, but that's it. Drugs are EVERYWHERE in the highschool, though they hate to admit it. All the athletics are lacking, and the only kids at this school are kids who's parents won't let them leave (for God knows what reason.) After leaving this school, I faced about a year in therapy. I'm not joking when I say the kids at this school ruin lives. You realize later the effects they had on you. Second is disgusting. The church is good though
My three children have attended Second Baptist School their entire educational lives. I can not think of a better educational envionment for my children. Academically, athletically and socially they have flourished.
—Submitted by a parent
I am a 7th grader at SBS and have been going her since Pre-K. I HIGHLY suggest for you to bring your child here. I have gotten tired of the people here, yet they are still nice. The teachers help you learn so much! They also give you laptops. Even though you have to give the computer back when you graduate or leave the school, you still have it after school, and in the summertime. They are strict on what you have on your computer because they have to give your Macbook Air back to Apple once you change computers. They make sure your not doing anything bad in class on your computer and can look at your screen which I think is just invading your privacy because they can look at your history whenever they want. I hope to grow up to be an actress. Second Baptist School has given me MANY chances to work on my musical theatre. They have elective classes including choir, musical theatre, music, drama, and band. Also, in middle and high school, you have the chance to take part in a musical or play. There are nice and mean teachers, just like most schools. I suggest taking your children to SBS in lower school but maybe taking them out in middle or high school. Thank you for reading this!!!
The lower school is definitely worth the tuition because students get an exceptional foundation. Middle School is very very hit or miss with educators. Mostly miss with a diamond here or there. High School is to be avoided at all costs. The faculty is extremely arrogant and intolerant of any parental issues or concerns....and I've only had very very few over the course of many years at SBS. I honestly think that when interviewing MS and HS teachers the questions are: 1) Do you have a teacher's certificate? 2) Are you a Christian? Welcome to SBS!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent
Amazing staff and teachers! They love the children and work as unto the Lord. The curriculum is integrated and reading and writing are a vital part of each subject. They do many projects and use technology to differentiate and make it individualized. I am so thankful my kids got to be in this loving, highly academic environment.
—Submitted by a parent
LOVE. Defines SBS! They all really care about how students learn and about the whole child. The teachers take time individually and the students learn robotics, Latin, use lots of technology and projects. It is challenging, but just right....not busy work, but relevant.
—Submitted by a parent
Your child will be miserable here. We pulled our child out and went to a better christian private school. Children's creativity is stifled at Second Baptist. You can chooses to ignore this comment at your own risk. god help you if you do.
—Submitted by a parent
Second Baptist not only prepared my child academically for college (Class of 2010), but also gave her the Christian foundation to stand on when faced with obstacles that came up while away from home. She commented that Second Baptist was, at times, harder than college.
—Submitted by a parent
Beware of the Lower School. My daughter developed anxiety attacks and nightmares. I soon found out that Revelations was one of their Bible verses. She began having bad dreams about lambs blood and some of her non Baptist friends going to hell. I do not believe that Revelations is age appropriate for the younger children. In addition, the teacher decided that she was ADHD. I had her tested at several places and non of the doctors said she had ADHD. But did have anxiety. The pressure became so great to put her on drugs, that I finally lied and told them she was on ADHD meds. Immediately her grades skyrocketed to 100's and I was told how great she was now doing. I had several conferences with administration. I got zero support there. Similar things happened to other parents as well. This is a high pressure school. Too much pressure.
—Submitted by a parent
I attend the Second Baptist middle school. The Bible program is actually very serious and detailed. If your child is not Christian or not religious they will be very uncomfortable. The school definitely forces Christianity. Let me be honest, the boys here are very rude. The girls are typically kind, though. The teachers also force the idea of being a conservative Christian republican, and the children don't learn to have their own opinion. There is no diversity here. People are not unique, creative, artistic, or willing to stand out, speak up, and be themselves. I feel like the school has no vibrancy. But the education is very good. It is tough and challenging. There will be stressful days of work, though. The grammar and math is especially good. Although the experience has been good, I'm looking for a school that is more artistic and unique.
—Submitted by a student
I love this school. It is classically Christian with a great Bible program, but Christianity is not 'forced' on anyone. Discipline is good, and the teachers are warm and fun (at least in lower school!) Academics are wonderful. The math in lower school is challenging, but very well integrated between grades. Reading, spelling and grammar are great too. Science and social studies are great fun and my kid knows so much already. One thing that I really like that was unexpected, is the athletic program. Football games are a whole lot of fun for the little ones, who cheer, play in the playground, eat hot dogs and just generally get to enjoy the school spirit that most of us didn't get until high school. The cheerleaders and football players are sweet and gracious to the little ones. Great place.
—Submitted by a parent
I have a daughter who is graduating this year and has been at Second Baptist School since she was in Pre-K. It is an exceptional school with exceptional teachers. For the 70 students graduating from the class of 2009, 12 got into UT and 12 into A & M. So much for the 10% rule. The colleges love the students coming out of Second Baptist because it is a College Preparatory school and the kids are well prepared for the academics in college.
—Submitted by a parent
We had a hard decision to make for our daughter. We are zoned to Spring Branch Memorial Drive Elementary School (which is a great school i am told) and in the wonderful Spring Branch ISD. We ended up making the decision to send our daughter to Second Baptist. Can't count the number of times my husband and i said how glad we were that we chose SBS. I know it's only Pre-K so far but we believe they totally have it mastered. She amazes us daily on what she knows about the Bible. She is reading. The teachers are very loving and firm too. Discipline and respect are hand and hand. We are continuing on at Second. Love it!
—Submitted by a parent
Incredible School, highly recommended! High quality education, challenging curriculum, loving teachers, and effective preparation for college. I credit this school's academic preparation for helping me earn academic scholarships. Honestly, my honors degree classes at tx A&M were comparable to the AP classes in high school at second, and because of the AP program, I Started my Freshman year with 41 hours of credit. Parents are extremely involved, and overall, the school provides a very loving Christian environment for its students.
—Submitted by a former student
Great School! My niece and nephew attend there and love it. They always rave about the teachers and my niece scored over 1350 on her SATs! She totally credits the excellent education she feels she received from Second Baptist School. She has attended from Kindergarten, and is now entering her senior year, looking forward to attending an excellent university next year, hopefully with an academic scholarship.
—Submitted by a parent
Second Baptist has a warm, caring environment. The school is worth the money just for the bible program.
—Submitted by a parent
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4 year college - 100%
6410 Woodway
Houston, TX 77057
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Until a safer, saner alternative is available, we're stuck with an insecure, outdated authentication technique. Here's how to make the best of a bad situation while we wait for services to get serious about verifying identities.
With continuing security threats, the days of using the same passwords all the time are over. Grab one of these apps to manage your passwords across your devices and secure your digital life.
Every web service requires a username and password. To be more secure, try out LastPass, which does the heavy lifting of creating unique passwords and stores the data for you.
Watch out, LastPass and 1Password. Google is experimenting with its own password maker for the Chrome browser, though it's not clear if it will become a permanent fixture.
Today we'll follow up on the iCloud hack and ponder a world without passwords, plus we're covering all the major product announcements from Samsung and Sony!
Today we'll follow up on the iCloud hack and ponder a world without passwords, plus we're covering all the major product announcements from Samsung and Sony!
This top-rated password manager is a great solution for anyone who's still relying on sticky notes.
Accessing 1Password takes a bit of work to set up on a Chromebook, but it's worth it.
Normally $36, this robust utility will not only manage your existing passwords, but also generate new and potentially much safer ones.
You don't have to be an online security expert to know that usernames and passwords are not cutting it. It's time to completely re-think how we manage our online identities.

subset: commoncrawl


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Halloween is right around the corner...or at least it feels like it! The frightening holiday is starting early this year. You may have noticed the costumes and decorations already in stores. Plus the Niles Haunted House Scream Park opened Friday night.
FOX28's Melanie Yuill visited the Niles Haunted House and Fun FX Friday. Both places said not only does Halloween get bigger every year but more and more people start shelling out cash sooner.
But wait...Halloween already? The kids just went back to school. But Fun FX owner Victor Cao says it's what the customers want. "It's not so much that we want to get it out earlier we're kinda forced to by our customers."
Cao said every year people start coming into his store earlier and earlier to ask about Halloween items. "Halloween is such a fun event, it grows every year so people want to out do what they did last year."
And there were some Halloween shoppers Friday. Rebeka Henderson was in the aisles at FUN FX with Kaitlyn Henderson and said, "we're looking for Halloween costumes." The reason for their early shopping? "Cause we just couldn't wait to start," said Henderson.
Neither can a lot of people apparently. The Niles Haunted House and Scream Park opened early this year because of Friday the 13th and it's their 40th Anniversary. But Virgil Taylor with the park said they'll have plenty of business to support the early opening day. "I think it's gonna be good cause seems like the buzz on the internet is everybody's excited and looking forward to coming out."
What's behind the early excitement? People aren't just celebrating on October 31st. Cao said, "It's not just a single day holiday anymore. There's parties going on throughout the whole month." Taylor said, "you got the whole month so you can really get into it...why not celebrate it more than once?"
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Seleccion Especial is a late harvest wine made from vines that are over 40 years old. The mountainside vineyards are located in Axarquia between 400-750 m in elevation (1200-2250ft). The vineyards are bound by the Sierras Almijara and Tejeda in the north and the Mediterranean Sea in the south.
"Even more spectacular is the 2012 Seleccion Especial No. 1, which has the same amount of residual sugar, but is thicker and richer.
This pioneering project of the Ordonez family in Malaga reflects the visionary aspects of Jorge Ordonez and his family. Jorge Ordonez and his sister, Victoria, are behind this project, but one should not discount the influence and consulting work of Gerhart Kracher, a member of Austria's well-known Kracher family. These amazing wines must be tasted to be believed."
95 Points
The Wine Advocate
With the harvest of 2004, came the birth of the first bottles from our winery, located in the village of Almáchar, which lies nestled in the heart of the Axarquía region of Málaga. This mountainous region of steep slopes and slate soil near the Mediterranean is considered one of the oldest viticultural areas in Europe.
Ours is the first winery to be established in the local...Read More About Jorge Ordonez
The third largest country in production, Spain ranks first in land under vine. Diversity and innovation are the key factors bringing Spain back into the world wine market.
The most popular red varieties of Spain include Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache). Whites don't garner quite as much recognition, but there are some regional varieties not to be missed, like Albarino...Read More About Other Spain
Other Dessert
Beyond Port and Sherry, here are a few of our favorites:
Sauternes - the golden wine of the Sauternes region in
Bordeaux, these wines are made with botrytis-affected
grapes and produce a rich, honeyed concoction with an amazing balance of sweetness and acidity.
Don"t discount Sauternes'
neighbor, Barsac, or even the region across the river,...Read More About Other Dessert
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In this post we collect a wide selection of fresh wordpress resources from the month of June. All of the resources in this post are categorized and hopefully you will find a number of new resources that will be practical for your own work.
Read More : 35+ Fresh WordPress Tutorials and Resources of June 2010


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New Panasonic TZ6 (aka ZS1) grows a 12X zoom lens!
As expected, and as we spotted earlier on, the next Panasonic fun-zoom duo would be the TZ6 and TZ7!
And they are now becoming real! Focus Numerique discusses the new Panasonic TZ6, which has 10mp 1/2.5" sensor and a 12X optical zoom Leica-branded lens (with MegaOIS image stabilization of course) that expands from 25mm to 300mm, as opposed to 28-280mm of the previous TZ-series models. Perhaps this is in-response to the 24-240mm Samsung HZ10w.
The display is 2.7" (230K). The camera is available for pre-order at Amazon for $330 and it is available in black or silver.
Interestingly, the TZ6 (ZS1) has not been announced in Japan just yet. Or it may never get announced in Japan. We do not. Panasonic may know :)


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USENIX Tips for Admins: Virtualization and HPC Don't Go Together
At the USENIX LISA conference in San Diego, Lee Damon and Mike Ciavarella presented a foundation workship as a tutorial for admins with tips and tricks for working efficiently. The presentors didn't agree on all points, but one commonality was that they advised against running High Performance Computing (HPC) together with virtualization.
Virtualization was one of the main themes at the California conference, where workshops on the subject ranged from the open source Hypervisor Xen and virtualization with VMware ESX Server to a training session for programming virtual infrastructures. All this information prompted Damon and Ciavarella to warn against making rash decisions without first thoroughly testing a solution. Damon came up with a study in point. As sysadmin at the University of Washington, he has been maintaining huge clusters with HPC. Although he doesn't doubt the usefulness of virtualized systems, he feels that combining them with HPC can be problematic. His Australian colleague Ciavarella concurs in that he has had similar experience at the University of Melbourne.
In their often entertaining presentation, the two colleagues waxed skeptical in general about some of the new fashions in IT. One example is the iPod, which they observed some sysadmins using even as a backup solution. Damon cited another example where a sysadmin asked him for advice how he could reduce his workload, admitting that he often put in 120-hour weeks. This overtime was mainly because of downloads and patch updates for the countless open source applications he needed to administer. The response from Damon and Ciavarella was "Think of it, free software isn't necessarily free, even with no licensing fees. It costs labor hours!" On the one hand not all updates make sense. On the other, it might be best to calculate whether commercial support contracts easily offset working time best used otherwise. In the experience of the two presentors, many sysadmins forgo this calculation in favor of existing support contracts.
The overall consensus was that working time is a major issue among sysadmins, who even during the conference were incessantly juggling laptops, beepers and cell phones. Many of the tips that came out of this tutorial revolved around this issue and documentation was presented as one major bit of help. In fact, Ciavarella is dedicating another tutorial Wednesday on the subject with the title "Documentation Techniques for Sysadmins."
The streaming video of the LISA'08 conference is available at a cost from here.
Issue 168/2014
Buy this issue as a PDF
Tag Cloud
Mozilla Labs Shuts Down
Mozilla's product think tank sinks silently into history.
Internet Giants Launch Collaboration to Improve Open Source
TODO group will focus on open source tools in large-scale environments.
Fedora Announces New Partition Manager App
New tool will look like GParted but support a wider range of storage technologies.
Mozilla Releases a New Firefox
New public key pinning feature will help prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
Tool Predicts Which Websites Will be Compromised
Carnegie Mellon researchers say 3 million pages could fall down the phishing hole in the next year.
SSH Key Management Guidelines
The US government rolls new best-practice rules for protecting SSH.
Knoppix 7.4 Released
Klaus Knopper announces the latest version of his iconic Live Linux system.
PHP Attack Puts WordPress and Drupal at Risk
All websites that use these popular CMS tools could be vulnerable to denial of service attacks if users don't install the updates.
Heartbleed Bleeds On
According to a report, many potential victims of the Heartbleed attack have patched their systems, but few have cleaned up the crime scene to protect themselves from the effects of a previous intrusion.
Drone Brain Goes Open Source
DARPA and NICTA release the code for the ultra-secure microkernel system used in aerial drones.


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Home > Shop by Brand > GATCO Sharpeners > GATCO Serrated Knife Hone
These GATCO Serrated Knife Sharpening Hones work with all GATCO Knife Sharpening Systems. Whether you need to add to your set or replace an old stone, these stones are perfectly matched for any of the GATCO Systems using the Knife Clamp Guide System. Please select your Grit.
Q. Can I mix and match these hones with other GATCO Kits?
A. Yes, it doesn't matter which GATCO Kit you own. These serrated sharpening stones fit each of the GATCO kits.
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Reader Story: My Roth IRA Sprint
Published on - September 16th, 2012 (by J.D. Roth)
This guest post from Vermont Moose is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success or failure. These stories feature folks with all levels of financial maturity and income. Want submit your own reader story? Here's how.
I'm less than a year into the real world and have been enjoying the ride on the personal-finance rollercoaster. After graduating from college last fall and getting a good job in my field (having chosen a difficult and demanded major), I soaked up advice from personal-finance and investing blogs and learned lots of little lessons along the way. My biggest lesson so far has come from a combination of my go-big-or-go-home attitude and J.D.'s urging that the perfect world in my head is holding me back.
I'm an optimist, which can be really painful when it comes to budgeting. I find that I'm chronically overestimating my salary, saving more than is reasonable, and feeling generally wealthier than it seems that I am. While oversaving isn't the worst problem to have, it can lead to unnecessary financial stress. This past winter, I found myself on good footing thanks to advice from GRS; I had an emergency fund well on its way, I was going above and beyond in my 401(k) contributions, and had seriously beaten back my college debt. I was feeling great and looking for the next step, so when Betterment offered IRAs at the end of the year, I ambitiously decided to max out my 2011 Roth IRA.
Learning to Love the Roth IRA
It wasn't hard to decide on the Roth IRA as the next PF step; it's definitely the best thing since employer matched 401(k) contributions. I knew I needed in and since I didn't want to screw around with my retirement saving, I wanted to go all in. My reasoning was as follows:
- I'm young and at the bottom of my corporate food chain so getting taxed now made sense.
- I expect to outgrow the Roth IRA limits in a handful of years which means that I only have a finite amount of time to make Roth IRA contributions.
- I have a solid job with enough income to dollar cost average my Roth IRA up to the limit every year.
- On average (assuming the whole world doesn't turn upside down) long term tax advantaged investment will be more valuable than holding off on my other goals for a few months, even those pesky student loans.
It took me a couple of weeks to settle on my max out goal, which left me with ten weeks to get $5000 into my brand new account. I chose Betterment because it answered most of the questions I knew would prevent me from committing to the goal: I didn't have to worry about choosing investments (they have a diversified portfolio of index ETFs balanced according to your risk tolerance) and I could dollar cost average $500 in each week before the April 17th deadline. I was super motivated about this plan and not at all worried about pulling $500 a week out of my existing budget.
Unrealistic Goals
Could you cut $500 a week out of your current spending? Neither could I! I wasn't even spending that much money on things that I could cut out. Things went well for a few weeks and the arrival of my tax return kept my plan on track, but after a month, things began to slip. I was starting to worry about the balance of my checking account, which was starting to get dangerously low between paychecks and under a constant barrage of automated weekly payments to savings and investment accounts.
To get by, I started cutting out my recurring deposits. I slashed the amounts going to taxable investment accounts which lead to some worthwhile reflection on the importance of tax advantaged saving. I cut out a couple of "extra credit" percentage points from my 401(k) contribution. I dropped the amounts going to my emergency fund and targeted accounts to token levels, figuring that I could justify the reduction in savings in exchange for my long view retirement savings strategy. I dialed my student loan repayment down to the minimums. The one thing I didn't address was my spending.
At the end of my first month, I started to get credit card bills. I've always spent a little more than I really want to, but I've always cleared the balance on my card every month. Now I was looking at a low balance on my checking account and credit card bills that I couldn't pay in full. At first, I decided to hold off paying really far in advance of the deadline like I was used to, but then I realized that it wasn't going to be enough. Fortunately, since I was so new in my personal finance adventure, I had brand new cards with more than a year of 0% financing left, so I decided to double down on my Roth IRA Sprint and not pay off the entire balance until I was back to my normal monthly spending. Which brings me to today…
Back to Normal
Now that the April deadline is past, I have successfully maxed out my 2011 Roth IRA and am well on my way to doing the same with my 2012 Roth IRA with each week's successive deposit, automatic funding for my emergency fund and other savings accounts has returned to normal, my student loan payments are getting cranked back up and I am finally less stressed out about keeping my checking account above the empty line. Unfortunately, for every dollar that ended up in stocks and bonds for my distant retirement, there's a dollar of interest-free credit debt that I have to pay off over the upcoming months.
While I never did get a great handle on my spending (it stayed within my regularly sustainable levels), life eventually threw me a couple of curveballs with a minor car accident and some unbudgeted spending on things that are hard to pass up (lots of live music and the annual ski pass sale). Those are things that the emergency fund and targeted savings should go towards, but I've found that once you allow yourself the guilty pleasure of 0% interest credit it is hard to not want to float those expense as long as possible and keep your cash stash growing. I have the cash sitting in my savings accounts to pay off most of my interest free debt, but I really don't want to return to the insecurity of having nothing in the bank and partial payoffs with savings doesn't seem worth it.
A Lesson Learned
Ultimately, I have discovered that each incremental dollar that you throw at your savings gets less exciting; at the end of my Roth IRA Sprint I could barely feel the elation that the first deposit brought. Would I do it again? Probably not, but that may be the side of me that has been subjected to completely unnecessary financial strain and has to pay off a credit card before the interest kicks in at the end of the year. Fortunately, I'm willing to bet that the 59-1/2 year old me will be pretty thankful.
This article is about Reader Stories, Retirement, Savings
Kudos to you for doing all the right things…it is indeed easier and more profitable to start off with a bang like you are doing (you have to love compound interest and a whole life ahead of you). Just be careful in your quest that you don't missing any payments or racking up credit card debt to save. Sounds like you've figured that out on your own but don't create a problem where there is none. Continued success on your pf journey!
I have a really hard time not funding our IRAs even when we shouldn't ( http://nicoleandmaggie.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/we-may-not-contribute-to-the-ira-this-year/ … we did anyway.). Somehow it always works out with cutting spending or getting windfalls (like a tax return, or being forced to sell a taxable stock). I'd feel really weird about carrying a balance even on 0% interest cards without at least that amount saved in cash.
I think that it's interesting how you identified your optimism as one of the major factors of your financial planning. I also consider myself an optimist and think that I would have done the exact same thing in your situation – unnecessary financial stress and all. I can say, however, that right out of college I would not have thought to leverage a 0% interest card to make it all happen. Good for you for working the system. Hopefully you'll find you never have to do it again.
"I expect to outgrow the Roth IRA limits in a handful of years which means that I only have a finite amount of time to make Roth IRA contributions."
Technically there are no income limits, since 2010, which would limit contributions to a Roth IRA (whether those contributions are deductible is another story). If you are above the Roth IRA income limits, you can contribute to a traditional IRA with after tax income and then convert to Roth.
You may also, since it sounds like you have 401k match, find out if your plan offers a Roth 401k. Since it sounds like you may not be maxing out your 401k, if your plan has a Roth option, you may figure out that you can get more match and still get the benefits of the Roth. My company doesn't match, but Mr. Sam's does and we both have our 401k set up 2/3 regular and 1/3 Roth. Obviously the Roth is after tax money so you need to take that into consideration as well.
It sounds like you have a good handle on your personal finances for one so young. But, as others have mentioned utilizing debt to permit investments sounds like a bad idea to me. I would work on coming up with a more sustainable spending plan or budget such that you have are putting those tax advantaged savings as a priority in your savings plan.
So this is inaccurate?
Seems unlikely. Can you reference something from the IRS that states there is no income limit?
See where it says "conversion limit" in that wikipedia article? That's what Sam is talking about.
So you technically need to open a new IRA every year and then convert the 5,000 to a Roth? Can someone confirm they did this multiple years in a row? What happens the 100k conversion limit is reinstated?
I'm very fortunate to have the Roth 401(k) option on my workplace plan, so I've been throwing a few token percentage points at that as well. Otherwise, going through the conversion process every year sounds exactly like the unnecessary financial stress that I've been learning about. It's probably worth it, since Roth is awesome, but sounds like a pretty big hassle to me.
On the budgeting note, I've definitely been getting better, but many of my endeavors have involved the same spending to save theme. For example, my biggest budget overflow is usually dining out, so I bought a CSA share to incentivize myself to cook, which has been mostly successful. So much kale, but at $25 a week, it costs as much as an unplanned meal with friends at a local brewpub.
Kale chips are delicious. Really!
divorce is of course one of the worst thing that you could experience but you could get over it~
ANY contributions is amazing at your current place in life. And double-contributing (401k AND IRA) is way ahead of the curve.
The wife and I are currently at the point of weighing our spending-power/life-enjoyment vs. bumping up our set-asides. We're not anywhere near trying to "sprint" to max out our IRA contributions this year, but we've started bumping up our savings rates 1% each month and will make adjustments on the fly until it just becomes unacceptably "tight."
I love the idea of monthly increments! I keep thinking about the boiling frog anecdote, but instead of being cooked, you end up hitting the maximum without missing your extra budget. For a while I was toying with the idea of a weekly $1 increment (because who would really miss that?) for all sorts of debt payments/savings/investments. That really adds up after a while! Unfortunately, there's no way to automate that (probably for the best).
It seems like you have learned the credit card lesson at a great time when you had 0% interest and doubt you'll charge it up again so that is a good thing.
The other awesome thing is that you reached your Roth IRA goal and now have a longer time period to max out your 2012 Roth IRA so you shouldn't be in such a financial pinch.
Keep it up! I now max out my Roth IRA in calendar years and that is a nice feeling as well. Maybe shoot for that in 2013?
Agreed, spreading those contributions out over the remaining 8 months of the year feels much better, and I'm really looking forward to next year when those payments are spread out over the whole year. Betterment has an awesome check box that sets your contribution amount to max out over the remainder of the year at the contribution frequency you choose. (as an aside, since there are no transaction fees and money gets invested immediately, I still trickle that into the account weekly to take advantage of superior DCA granularity, which also syncs up better with my fortnightly paychecks)
I'm definitely going to keep it up!
another sprinter here cheering from the sidelines. go go go!
I think I deal with big pushes better than slow grinds, which is probably why I'm addicted to climbing mountains.
The view from the top is AWESOME and it's even better because you pushed your limits getting there!
You are taking a very mature and reasoned approach to saving. I only wish I had been as far sighted at your age. I dabbled with retirement savings since I was twenty or so but didn't really go whole hog until twenty years later. My budgeting didn't start until I was 40. Now at 50 I am well off now, no debt and saving a great deal, but my retirement prospects are looking a bit dim, considering the economy. Good luck to you in the future.
First and foremost, as others have already said, great job getting started with retirement contributions so early on in your career. Keep up the strong work!
Beyond that, I'd just caution you that not all 401k plans are created equal. Keep a close eye on expense ratios and hidden fees and loads inside the funds offered by your company's 401k plan. As a general rule I think it makes sense to contribute into a 401k up to the employer match (free money, baby!!), then fully fund your Roth, then consider increasing your 401k contributions depending on which funds your company's 401k plan offers (assuming high interest debt is paid down and a 3-6 month emergency fund is in place). I know with my employer's 457 plan the fund options aren't that great, but a 457 has the big advantage of not having the 59.5 age requirement. So I hedge and contribute to both my 457 and my Roth, with my defined benefit pension acting as the 3rd leg of my retirement stool.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Every sprint I've done has caused major reorganizing (or not organizing and just guessing) which always ended up messing with a credit card (sometimes including extra costs). Its frustrating, but somewhat nice to see I'm not the only one jockeying snd making mistakes. Even though I'm not to the debt free point yet I can really relate to this post.
About this quote:
>>>Ultimately, I have discovered that each incremental dollar that you throw at your savings gets less exciting; at the end of my Roth IRA Sprint I could barely feel the elation that the first deposit brought. Would I do it again? Probably not, but that may be the side of me that has been subjected to completely unnecessary financial strain and has to pay off a credit card before the interest kicks in at the end of the year. Fortunately, I'm willing to bet that the 59-1/2 year old me will be pretty thankful.<<<
I think that reaction, probably a very natural reaction, to 'additional' money in the Roth as "barely…" and combined with thinking ahead to
59-1/2" exemplifies all that is wrong with current PF thinking.
IMHO, we should not expect nor preach to recent graduates to fund their retirement. It is almost impossible for someone in their twenties to think that far ahead without losing perspective.
What SHOULD be taught and emphasized to everyone, especially those at that age is to save and invest in order to BUILD WEALTH. I think the concept of building wealth can be grasped by anyone at any age. And it could be much more embraced by younger people than focusing on retirement.
A young person who focuses on saving and investing to build wealth will end up with a much broader world view than one that focuses on saving and investing for retirement.
And those who focus on building wealth will be wealthier when they get to retirement age than those who focused on saving for retirement.
I agree with this. 59.5 is difficult for me to even imagine… and therefore I never found 401(k) or Roth IRA goals incredibly motivating.
But what about the financial actions I can take NOW that will have an impact on my life NOW? For example, what could the author have done to avoid the stress he subjected himself to because of his decisions? What does he need to do to get his spending down to a level where he doesn't need to float any credit card charges?
Furthermore, if you do enough digging into your relationship with money, you'll probably find goals that really do speak to you. For me, that is early retirement. For others, that may be putting a ridiculous down payment on a house. For still others, it may just be having things under control to the point where they don't worry about finances or even really spend too much thinking about finances. All amazing stuff.
I totally disagree. The sprint isn't for everyone, but the habit of setting aside for retirement is a good, solid step that is a great wealthbuilder for a lifetime.
It's not like that Roth money disappears – if everything changes in the writer's life as expected, with a high income, lots of extra money to sock away, maybe a partnership to build, the early Roth contributions can be an opportunity fund or just a reason to not invest as heavily in the future and use that future cash flow for some other investment.
But if things don't go as expected, and there are bad/lean years in there, the money might be necessary for retirement and will definitely be appreciated by that future 59 1/2 year old.
It's a win-win situation. It's not like the writer dropped out of law school to put the tuition money aside for retirement.
I agree with this whole thread. Obviously there is a lot of life in between now and that 59.5 year old that I may not even recognize, but this definitely qualifies as wealth building for all of those years in between. One of the nice things about the Roth IRA is that my money isn't necessarily gone forever, maybe I'll use the exceptions to help pay for a house or need the money in terrible medical emergency. I love the comment about having this money set aside so future income can be used for other investments, which to me would eventually be a business.
One of the reasons it was difficult to run the Roth Sprint was that I do have lots of other goals which I am trickling money into. I have to admit that it was hard putting that ridiculous dim view of the future ahead of targeted savings for much more tangible things. Honestly, I'm not even that interested in retirement in the traditional sense, but it seems like a good idea to have that taken care of regardless. I've always assumed that this is something that I can do alongside my other goals (remember that part about optimism?)
I definitely agree with the NOW approach, but I also don't want to be constantly thinking about improving my financial situation. I no longer need to check Mint everyday, which is definitely a step in the right direction.
I'm recently out of school and in to the "real world" as well.
While I'm not in a position to max out my Roth IRA at the moment, this article DID inspire me to increase my contributions from $100 to $150 a month.
I've got to agree with the seemingly overwhelming sentiment in the comments… the fact that we're young and even conscious of long-term investing is a good sign for how secure we'll be in the far future, regardless of the details of how we're doing it. At least, that's the feedback I constantly get from older mentors when I bounce my investing strategies off them.
It's definitely nice to find kindred spirits among our generation. Maxing out the contribution is really just a silly metric (like they have at my company, from which I'm posting discretely.) I always love referring to the perfect is the enemy of the good philosophy or the 85% solution in these situations; any action at all is amazing and proves that you care!
Like anything, you have to start somewhere and chances are that you'll get better as you continue. Overcoming the fear of starting is the hardest part, after that, the rest is practice. (which reminds me of SO MANY THINGS I've gone through in life, but I'm well on my way to becoming a more dynamic and confident person)
Kudos to you. I wish I had done the same early in my career instead of concentrating on paying off my 20 year mortgage in 7 years. I would have been money ahead now, in my mid 50′s. I'm still doing better than ok but I could have been doing awesome.
Uh, you paid off a house in 7 years, that's incredible! We never chose the "optimal path" through life since it doesn't exist until we've past it. Instead, we do the best we can do at the moment and hope for the best. No regrets: they just aren't that helpful. Maybe you've discovered the need to accumulate more invested savings in the time since your house sprint, but the fact that accomplished such a feat should make you feel pretty rich on its own.
I have complete faith that you will be doing awesome before too long.
"We never choose the optimal path through life since it doesn't exist until we've past it" I love that. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to use it sometime. It's a great perspective. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your story! I try to do what Ramit says and find the points in each article which I could broadly apply to my own life. So even though I'm 30 and have just started contributing 50$ a pay period to my Roth IRA, and am terribly jealous that you maxed yours out, I appreciate your candor about the sacrifices you made in order to do so. I think many of us financial optimists have put too much in savings one month, only to have to buy groceries on credit right before our next check!
Thanks again.
What a great philosophy! It's nice to be able to learn from all sorts of different perspectives. I completely hear you on the dangers of automating borderline realistic savings amounts, it feels so good but can be so stressful!
While you may be expecting to make more money as your career progresses, that doesn't actually make a Roth IRA always advantageous. What you really should be looking at is how much money you plan to spend each year in retirement from your IRA (your "income"). This "income" is often significantly less than what you are making now. In which case it would make more sense to pay the taxes when you pull the money out in retirement, not now when you are in a higher tax bracket. Most places that offer an IRA have calculators to help you determine if Roth or Traditional is the way to go.
You definitely have more guts than I do. not paying my credit card balance off every month gives me the sweats.
Some of the other comments are talking about how it makes sense to have a regular IRA and pay taxes when you take distributions. That only makes sense if you plan on your income being significantly less in your retirement than in your working years… I for one plan on making lots of money during retirement. thanks for posting your story! great read.
I completely agree; who wants to make less money in retirement, that just doesn't sound like a lot of fun. If I'm going to have more spare time, I'm going to need more money to keep up with all of my adventures!


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Thoroughly Modern Millie - 2003 West End Page 6
Nick Blaemire, Joe Iconis, Anne L. Nathan, Taylor Trensch & Alysha Umphress to Perform Works of Jonathan Larson at City Center, 6/28
by BWW News Desk - Jun 9, 2014
The Lobby Project, a series of free pre-show events presented in conjunction with New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center series, will feature a free pre-show event before the Saturday, June 28 performance of Jonathan Larson's tick, tick� BOOM!. 54 Below Meets 55 Above will feature selections of Larson's rarely heard work, curated by Jennifer Tepper (programming director of the cabaret venue 54 Below) sung by Broadway performers Nick Blaemire, Joe Iconis, Anne L. Nathan, Taylor Trensch and Alysha Umphress. (more...)
Cheyenne Jackson to Make Provincetown Debut, 7/4-6
by BWW News Desk - Jun 9, 2014
Cheyenne Jackson has starred on both 30 Rock opposite Tina Fey and Glee where he played the voice coach for the group Vocal Adrenaline, and will next be seen starring opposite Gena Rowlands in the feature film "Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks" releasing in theaters in early 2014. On Broadway, Cheyenne most recently starred in Encore's production of "The Most Happy Fella" at City Center, "Finian's Rainbow" (Drama Desk nomination), "Damn Yankees," "Xanadu" (Drama League , Drama Desk nominations), "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and," "All Shook Up" (Theater World Award, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle nomination). Off-Broadway he was seen in the orignal cast of "Altar Boyz". On July 4, 5, and 6, he makes his anticipated Broadway@ The Art House debut. SiriusXM radio star Seth Rudetsky joins him as pianist and host. For tickets please visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 508-487-9222. (more...)
BWW Countdown: You Tweeted, We Counted Your Favorite Sutton Foster Roles
by Matt Tamanini - Jun 6, 2014
Last week we asked you to rank your favorite Sutton Foster roles in our first BWW Countdown. Well, you took to Social Media in huge numbers and we have the results. What do you think of the list? If your favorite isn't as high as you would have liked, make sure to vote more next time! (more...)
Kate Baldwin & Jason Danieley to Lead Broadway-Bound CAN CAN at Paper Mill Playhouse; Performances to Begin 10/1
by BWW News Desk - Jun 6, 2014
Paper Mill Playhouse will open its 2014-2015 season with the Broadway-bound, world-class revival of Can-Can starring Kate Baldwin as Pistache and Jason Danieley as Aristide. (more...)
Leslie Uggams to Lead GYPSY as 'Mama Rose' at Connecticut Rep, 7/10-20
by BWW News Desk - Jun 5, 2014
In April 2014, Artistic Director Vincent J. Cardinal announced that Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Leslie Uggams would be starring as Rose in Connecticut Repertory Theatre's (CRT) production of GYPSY: A Musical Fable July 10-20. This announcement quickly spread through social media circles and the theatre community and set off a firestorm of discussion on message boards and Twitter about casting an African American actress in this iconic role. (more...)
West Johnson High's THE WIZARD OF OZ Tops 2014 Triangle Rising Star Awards; DPAC Announces Winners!
by BWW News Desk - Jun 4, 2014
Along with Theatre in the Park, Playmakers Repertory Company and ABC 11, DPAC hosted this year's Triangle Rising Star Awards onstage on Sunday evening, June 2. The Triangle Rising Star Awards (TRS) is a program that brings together area high school musical theater students to perform together and compete against one another for educational scholarships. Last year's winners, Sam Hamashima and Anna Higginson, presented the awards for Best Actress and Best Actor, while awards were also given for Best Ensemble and Best Musical. (more...)
Photo Coverage: Leslie Uggams Previews CLASSIC UGGAMS at 54 Below
by Walter McBride - Jun 4, 2014
Broadway legend Leslie Uggams returns to 54 Below for two performances only! Best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Hallelujah, Baby!, as well as the groundbreaking miniseries, Roots, Ms. Uggams' storied career has spanned television (her own CBS variety show), film (Skyjacked) and Broadway (Her First Roman, Blues in the Night, Jerry's Girls, Anything Goes, King Headley II, Thoroughly Modern Millie, On Golden Pond). This June, look for Leslie delighting audiences on West 54th Street. Get your tickets now - they'll go fast! $40-50 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum. (more...)
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE to Open 2014 Mercury Summer Stock Season, 6/13
by BWW News Desk - Jun 4, 2014
Filled with fun-loving flappers, dashing leading men and a dragon-lady of a villainess that audiences will love to hate, Thoroughly Modern Millie is a perfectly constructed evening of madcap merriment. Thoroughly Modern Millie runs June 13-28, 2014, and all seats are under $20. (more...)
VIDEO: First Look - Cheyenne Jackson Stars in New Comedy MUTUAL FRIENDS
by Movies News Desk - Jun 30, 2014
Below, check out the trailer for MUTUAL FRIENDS, starring Broadway's Cheyenne Jackson. (more...)
David Harris to Bring TIME IS A TRAVELLER to Brisbane Powerhouse, Aug 9
by BWW News Desk - Jun 30, 2014
Son of a coal-mining dad and a secretary mum, this is the story of an Aussie country kid and what lead him to tread the boards in some of Australia's biggest musicals. Following an extended and sold-out season at Sydney's Hayes Theatre, leading man David Harris, tours the east coast with performances in Melbourne, Brisbane and Newcastle. (more...)
Fairchild, Cope, Cox, Paice, Uranowitz & von Essen to Star in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS!; Plays Winter in Paris, Spring 2015 on Broadway!
by BWW News Desk - Jun 30, 2014
Principal casting has been announced for the upcoming world premiere production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. The cast will include Robert Fairchild as Jerry Mulligan, Leanne Cope as Lise Dassin, Veanne Cox as Madame Baurel, Jill Paice as Milo Davenport, Brandon Uranowitz as Adam Hochberg, and Max Von Essen as Henri Baurel. (more...)
Moonlight Stage Presents the Southern California Premiere of Disney's MARY POPPINS, 7/16-8/2
by BWW News Desk - Jun 30, 2014
Moonlight Stage Productions' 34th summer season is well under way, and Artistic Director Steven Glaudini is proud to present the Southern California Regional Premiere of the smash hit Broadway musical MARY POPPINS, co-created by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh. Performances are July 16 to August 2. Single tickets are priced $15 to $52 and include price levels for student rush, military, senior, and family discounts. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (760) 724-2110 or visit moonlightstage.com. (more...)
Theater People Podcast Welcomes MATILDA's 'Queen' Lesli Margherita
by Matt Tamanini - Jun 29, 2014
On Monday, June 30th the Theater People Podcast welcomes 'Matilda' star Lesli Margherita. Topics discussed include her Olivier award winning turn as Inez in 'Zorro The Musical' in London's West End, the day her friend Eden Espinosa called her to insist that Lesli be seen for the role of Mrs. Wormwood in 'Matilda', and her emotional Broadway debut in the show. The episode is available now to iTunes subscribers. (more...)
David Pittu Joins Stephen Bogardus, Jenn Gambatese, and Heather MacRae for Prospect's Gala, 6/30
by BWW News Desk - Jun 27, 2014
Prospect Theater Company (Cara Reichel, Producing Artistic Director / Melissa Huber, Managing Director) presents its 2014 annual gala, New York In June, in the Harbor View Room at Battery Gardens, a beautiful and unique waterside location nestled at the southernmost corner of Battery Park. This special one-night-only event will be held on Monday, June 30 with an 8pm concert performance featuring Broadway and Prospect stars. The evening's program will include songs from Prospect's 15 years developing and producing new musical theater by emerging artists, including recent productions of Jasper in Deadland, Tamar of the River, and Unlock'd, as well as sneak peak performances from upcoming shows! Proceeds from the evening will benefit Prospect's ongoing mission to develop and produce new American musical theater works. (more...)
The Production Company's GUYS AND DOLLS Comes to Arts Centre Melbourne, July 19-27
by BWW News Desk - Jun 27, 2014
One of Broadway's best musicals, the award winning Guys and Dolls opens on July 19 at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne for 10 shows only. Starring in this new production are Verity Hunt-Ballard, Martin Crewes, Chelsea Plumley, Adam Murphy, Bobby Fox and Christopher Horsey. (more...)
Jessica Grove, Alan Mingo Jr. and More to Star in Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID at North Carolina Theatre, 7/29-8/3
by BWW News Desk - Jun 25, 2014
North Carolina Theatre (NCT), the region's premier producer of professional Broadway musicals now celebrating 30 years, has announced the casting for their upcoming original production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, their final show of the 2013/14 season. This will be the professional regional premiere of the production, running from July 29 to August 3, 2014 at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. (more...)
Russell Grant to Star in the UK Fringe Premiere of THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, Oct 1-29
by BWW News Desk - Jun 25, 2014
Russell Grant, star of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and one the country's best loved celebrities, is to star as the mysterious and sinister Mrs Meers in the UK fringe premiere of the six-time Tony Award-winning tap dancing musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie. (more...)
Scott Ripley, Alanna Saunders, Amandina Altomare & More Join Leslie Uggams in GYPSY at CT Repertory Theatre
by BWW News Desk - Jun 23, 2014
In April 2014, Artistic Director Vincent J. Cardinal announced that Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Leslie Uggams would be starring as Rose in Connecticut Repertory Theatre's (CRT) production of GYPSY: A Musical Fable July 10-20. This announcement quickly spread through social media circles and the theatre community and set off a firestorm of discussion on message boards and Twitter about casting an African American actress in this iconic role. (more...)
Cheyenne Jackson Joins Cast of BEAR WITH US
by BWW News Desk - Jun 23, 2014
Cheyenne Jackson has signed on to play 'Hudson' in William J. Stribling's upcoming feature film Bear with Us, which stars Christy Romano, Mark Sullivan, Alex McKenna, Kevin Carolan, and Collin Smith, and features Alice Ripley. (more...)
Photo Flash: Final Four Performances of THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE at Mercury Summer Stock, Now Thru 6/28
by BWW News Desk - Jun 23, 2014
Mercury Summer Stock presents the final four performances of Thoroughly Modern Millie at Regina Hall, Notre Dame College. 1857 S. Green Rd. South Euclid, OH 44121. The performances are June 25-28. (more...)
BWW Reviews: Jobsite's RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET at the Jaeb
by Peter Nason - Jun 23, 2014
What do you do when a production is first rate, when everyone onstage is absolutely stellar, but the forced camp of the script grounds the entire enterprise? (more...)
BWW Interviews: Adam Zelasko from JERSEY BOYS Tour Answers Our Silly Questions
by Michael L. Quintos - Jun 23, 2014
Currently playing Nick Massi, a member of the talented quartet better known to the world as The Four Seasons, Adam Zelasko is now in his third year of touring with JERSEY BOYS, the hit Tony award-winning musical, which will be returning to Orange County for a two-week engagement at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts starting June 24. Before the show's arrival in Costa Mesa, Zelasko agreed to play 20 questions with us... (more...)
En Garde Arts at BAM Presents Venteran Stories BASETRACK, 11/11-15
by BWW News Desk - Jun 20, 2014
When I was in Afghanistan, all's I wanted to do was come back to America. But when I got home to America there was this empty feeling and I just wanted to go back to Afghanistan. When your life is so extreme every single day, and you're just adrenaline pumping every day, and then you just come home to this perfect little world, it kind of just sets you off balance.�-Lance Corporal Kevin Daly. (more...)
STAGE TUBE: On This Day 6/20- THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
by Stage Tube - Jun 20, 2014
Today in 2004, Thoroughly Modern Millie closed at the Marquis Theatre, where it ran for 903 performances. Thoroughly Modern Millie is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan, and a book by Richard Morris and Scanlan. Based on the 1967 film of the same name, it tells the story of a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York City to marry for money instead of love - a thoroughly modern aim in 1922, when women were just entering the workforce. The production subsequently won six 2002 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for Sutton Foster. (more...)
Transcendence Theatre to Open 2014 Season with ONE SINGULAR SENSATION, 6/27; Features Actors from MORMON, PHANTOM, WICKED, A CHORUS LINE & More!
by BWW News Desk - Jun 17, 2014
Transcendence Theatre's first offering of their concert series is 'One Singular Sensation' which debuts on June 27, 2014 at Jack London Historic State Park. (more...)
Mercury Summer Stock Hosts Special Performance Events for THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE on 6/19, 6/20, and 6/25
by BWW News Desk - Jun 17, 2014
Thoroughly Modern Millie, the high-spirited musical romp that has everyone dancing the Charleston, will play host to the Girl Scouts of Cuyahoga County on Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30 pm. The musical, with Book by Dick Scanlan and Richard Morris, and new music by Jeanine Tesori, and based on the Julie Andrews movie of the same name, is the perfect theatre outing for a young performer, theatre newbie, and anyone who could use an honest-to-gooness laugh (or two). (more...)
Theater People Podcast Welcomes RENT, IF/THEN Star Anthony Rapp
by Matt Tamanini - Jun 15, 2014
On Monday, June 16th the Theater People Podcast welcomes 'If/Then' and 'Rent' star Anthony Rapp. Topics discussed include Rapp's two year journey helping to bring 'If/Then' to the Broadway stage (he's been with the show since even before the workshop phase), collaborating with the show's creators Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt to create the character of Lucas, and reuniting with friend and 'Rent' co-star Idina Menzel (he has high praise for her work ethic, talent, and ability to maintain her status as one of Broadway's few 'marquee names'). (more...)
La Jolla Playhouse Adds THE DARRELL HAMMOND PROJECT World Premiere to 2014-15 Season
by BWW News Desk - Jun 13, 2014
La Jolla Playhouse announces a new production for its 2014/2015 season: The Darrell Hammond Project, written by Saturday Night Live star Darrell Hammond and Elizabeth Stein and directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. Performed by Hammond, this world-premiere, one-man show will run February 6 - March 8, 2015 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. (more...)
La Jolla Playhouse Announces Casts/Creative Teams for THE ORPHAN OF ZHAO and ETHER DOME
by BWW News Desk - Jun 12, 2014
La Jolla Playhouse announces the casts and creative teams for its upcoming productions of The Orphan of Zhao and Ether Dome. Tickets for both productions are available by calling Playhouse Patron Services at (858) 550-1010 or at LaJollaPlayhouse.org. (more...)
Photo Coverage: Producer Hal Luftig Unveils Sardi's Caricature!
by Walter McBride - Jun 12, 2014
The beloved Broadway tradition continued yesterday, June 11, as Sardi's added a caricature of Hal Luftig to its legendary walls. Friends including Jerry Mitchell, Billy Porter, Roger Rees, Rick Elice, William Ivey Long, Lawrence O'Keefe, Nell Benjamin, Marc Shaiman, Charlotte St. Martin, Charlotte Wilcox, Orfeh, Ted Chapin and more came to celebrate the special event, and BroadwayWorld brings you phtoos from the festivities below! (more...)
Michael Cerveris and Laura Osnes to Join Randy Newman in Encores! FAUST: THE CONCERT, July 1
by BWW News Desk - Jun 11, 2014
Michael Cerveris, Isaiah Johnson, Randy Newman, Laura Osnes, Vonda Shepard, Brooklyn Shuck, Tony Vincent and Broadway Inspirational Voices have been cast in Randy Newman's Faust: The Concert, which will be performed on July 1 as the second Encores! Off-Center presentation of the 2014 season. Faust will be directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Marcos Santana. Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off-Center artistic director; Chris Fenwick is its music director. (more...)
STAGE TUBE: Sneak Peek at Playhouse on Park's THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, Opening Tonight
by Stage Tube - Jun 11, 2014
Put on your thinking caps and get ready for an entertaining competition! Playhouse on Park is finishing its 2013-2014 season with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In this hilarious hit musical, six quirky adolescents have their eyes on the spelling championship. Along the way they learn that winning isn't all you expect.and neither is losing. In 'an utterly charming look at one of the screwier manifestations of the American Dream' (TIME), audiences will cheer on a whole group of underdogs. Click below to get a sneak peek at the cast! (more...)
VIDEO: First Look - Sutton Foster Stars in New TV Land Series YOUNGER
by TV News Desk - Jun 10, 2014
Sutton Foster will star in the new TV Land series YOUNGER, co-starring Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, and Miriam Shor. (more...)
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE to Open 7/18 at the King Center; Tickets on Sale 6/20
by BWW News Desk - Jun 10, 2014
King Center for the Performing Arts of Eastern Florida State College and The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, through special arrangements with Music Theatre International (MTI) and under the direction of Anastacia Hawkins-Smith, presents Broadway's musical comedy hit Thoroughly Modern Millie, featuring a cast of students from the five-week long Summer Musical Theatre Project. (more...)
The Transcendence Theatre Company with Benziger Family Winery Presents PAINT THE UNIVERSE
by BWW News Desk - Jun 10, 2014
The Transcendence Theatre Company (TTC) has partnered with Benziger Family Winery to develop their very own Meritage blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel called PAINT THE UNIVERSE. PAINT THE UNIVERSE is the guiding theme for the Transcendence 2014 season, reminding us all that the power to change the world lives in each and every one of us. (more...)
Christopher Chew and Amelia Broome to Star in SWEENEY TODD at The Lyric Stage; Cast Announced!
by BWW News Desk - Jul 9, 2014
The Lyric Stage Company of Boston's 2014-15 Season begins September 5 with Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece SWEENEY TODD, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The musical thriller runs September 5 through October 11, 2014. The opening is set for September 7 at 3 p.m. (more...)
Adam Gwon and Sarah Hammond's STRING, Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond's 'HOWARD BARNES' and More Set for NAMT's 2014 Festival of New Musicals
by BWW News Desk - Jul 2, 2014
The National Alliance For Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today its selections for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Beautiful Poison, Cubamor, Great Wall, How To Break, Mary Marie, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes, String and Stu For Silverton make up the eight new musicals that will be presented at the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 23, 2014 and Friday, October 24, 2014 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street). (more...)
Dee Buchanan Studio of Dance, Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre & Children's Theatre to Host Team Sydni Benefit Concert, 7/20
by BWW News Desk - Jul 16, 2014
The Dee Buchanan Studio of Dance and Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre and Children's Theatre will present a free concert A Magical Musical Adventure on Sunday, July 20 at 7 pm, on the Knight Stage at Middletown High School. Forty-one local dancers ranging in age from 3 to 18 will perform together to raise money for Team Sydni. The concert features many of well-loved fairy tale characters, and includes a variety of song-and-dance styles. There is no charge for admission. Free-will donations will be accepted at the door, and during intermission the dancers' parents have organized a basket raffle, which includes donations from many Middletown merchants in an effort to further help Sydni. This is the second annual summer production of the Dee Buchanan Studio and Way Off Broadway. Last year's concert raised over $2,600 to help another local student, TJ Rufty. (more...)
Ciara Renee, Natalie Weiss & More Set for Broadway Gets GLAAD Benefit Concert at Joe's Pub, 8/4
by BWW News Desk - Jul 16, 2014
On Monday, August 4th, eleven emerging and established Broadway performers will star in Broadway Gets GLAAD, a concert to benefit GLAAD, the leading organization in support of a positive LGBT image in the entertainment industry. (more...)
MISS SAIGON, HAIR & More Set for Clocktower Players' 2014-15 Season
by BWW News Desk - Jul 15, 2014
On Thursday, June 26, 2014, Westchester Magazine unveiled their annual Best of Westchester issue announcing the very best of what Westchester County has to offer. Clocktower Players, the resident theater company of Irvington Town Hall Theater, received two prestigious awards: Best Local Theater Group and Best Children's Theater. (more...)
Quartet of Broadway, West End Talent to Lead KISS ME, KATE at BBC Proms This August
by BWW News Desk - Jul 15, 2014
Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returns to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman lead the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This is the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sing the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement. (more...)
Transcendence Theatre to Host 'Fantastical Family Night,' 7/25
by BWW News Desk - Jul 15, 2014
Transcendence Theatre's "Fantastical Family Night" on July 25 and 26 at Jack London Historic Sate Park is a fun family evening with lots of surprises. It is the second of four separate themed Broadway Under The Stars concerts in Jack London State Historic Park this summer. The music is all familiar material that everyone knows and loves, and your family will be able to sing along and become a part of the magic. (more...)
Born for Broadway 5 Set for Merkin Concert Hall, 10/13
by BWW News Desk - Jul 15, 2014
Born for Broadway has announced that its fifth annual celebrity cabaret, featuring Broadway and TV stars donating their time and talent, will take place at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th Street, on Monday, October 13, 2014 at 8 PM. Proceeds will benefit Unite 2 Fight Paralysis, a nonprofit that supports international advocacy, education, and spinal cord injury research. (more...)
Rob McClure and Jenny Powers Lead THE ADDAMS FAMILY at The Muny; Show Begins Tonight!
by BWW News Desk - Jul 14, 2014
The Muny presents the fourth show of its 96th season, The Addams Family, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, choreographed by Vince Pesce, with musical direction by Ben Whiteley. The show begins tonight, July 14 and runs through July 20, 2014. (more...)
Theater People Podcast Welcome's Tony-Winner Tonya Pinkins from HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME
by Matt Tamanini - Jul 14, 2014
On Monday, July 7th, the Theater People Podcast welcomes Tony Award-winner Tonya Pinkins. Pinkins is currently co-starring on Broadway in HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME, a mostly rapped-through musical featuring the music, lyrics, and poetry of Tupac Shakur. (more...)
STAGE TUBE: On This Day 7/12- Cheyenne Jackson
by Stage Tube - Jul 12, 2014
Happy Birthday Cheyenne Jackson! Jackson has been featured in Broadway shows including XANADU, FINIAN'S RAINBOW, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and AIDA. His first Broadway leading role in ALL SHOOK UP earned him a Theatre World Award for 'Outstanding Broadway Debut.' He's been seen in such television shows such as 30 ROCK, GLEE, UGLY BETTY, and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. (more...)
Shapiro Sisters' LIVE OUT LOUD Live 54 Below Album Gets 9/9 Release
by BWW News Desk - Jul 11, 2014
The Shapiro Sisters announced today that their debut album Live Out Loud: Live at 54 BELOW will be released on September 9th, 2014. The Shapiro Sisters, 11-year old Milly Shapiro (Matilda, Original Broadway Cast of Matilda The Musical) and older sister, 14-year-old Abigail Shapiro (Cindy Lou Who, How The Grinch Stole Christmas), recorded the album live at the famed 54 BELOW over a series of three performances this past May and June. (more...)
Scott Ripley, Alanna Saunders, Amandina Altomare & More Join Leslie Uggams in GYPSY, Beginning Tonight at CT Repertory Theatre
by BWW News Desk - Jul 10, 2014
In April 2014, Artistic Director Vincent J. Cardinal announced that Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Leslie Uggams would be starring as Rose in Connecticut Repertory Theatre's (CRT) production of GYPSY: A Musical Fable today, July 10-20. This announcement quickly spread through social media circles and the theatre community and set off a firestorm of discussion on message boards and Twitter about casting an African American actress in this iconic role. (more...)
Kelly McCormick, Beth Malone, Jason Graae, Brent Barrett and More Set for Music Circus' 2014 Season; Casting Announced!
by BWW News Desk - Jul 10, 2014
California Musical Theatre released casting for the remaining shows in the 64th Music Circus season, a roster of actors including Broadway veterans, Tony nominees and audience favorites from previous Music Circus seasons, as well as actors with Sacramento-area ties. The five-show season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion includes the Music Circus premiere of the beloved Disney classic Mary Poppins, which runs through July 13, as well as other Tony Award-winning shows including Rodgers and Hammerstein's lush South Pacific, Lerner and Loewe's mystical Brigadoon, Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's hilarious La Cage aux Folles, and the singular sensation A Chorus Line, which ended its week-long run on June 29. Music Circus casting for the season is determined after auditions are held in New York City, Los Angeles and Sacramento. (more...)
Bay Area Local and Broadway Actress Lexy Fridell to Bring BRACE YOURSELF to Transcendence Theatre, 7/12-13
by BWW News Desk - Jul 1, 2014
The Transcendence Theatre Company announces Lexy Fridell's one-woman show "Brace Yourself! Tales of Braces, Broadway, Dating & Drool," as the first concert in the 2014 Transcendence Artist Series this summer. This series of concerts is a collection of transcendent performers presented in intimate and breathtaking locations throughout Sonoma County. (more...)


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How This Retailer Got its Mojo Back, and Why There is More Upside
Chris is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
When "showrooming" became the buzz word that would describe the broken business model for Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), it felt as if the end was near. Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) and NewEgg were two of the e-tailers who benefited from Best Buy's inability to compete. Fixed commercial real estate costs and higher prices made it easy for e-tailers to grow their online sales quickly. It looked like Best Buy would not survive. Shares traded as low as $11.29 by the end of December 2012.
Since then, Best Buy shares are up nearly 45% in 2013, outperforming even Amazon.com, whose shares have a forward P/E of over 70. Best Buy's forward P/E is just 7. In the last three months, fellow traditional retailer Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is flat:
(Chart Source: Kapitall.com)
There are a number of reasons Best Buy may have found its lows for the year.
1) Best Buy started price matching online retailers during the holidays last year. Analysts thought that this practice would hurt the company. Real estate costs would hurt profits, giving e-tailers an advantage. This assumption turned out to be wrong. Best Buy reported quarterly earnings of $1.64 per share, beating analyst estimates by $0.11. Revenue in the previous quarter was $16.7 billion. Same-store sales grew 0.9% in the quarter. Price-matching was so effective that Best Buy will continue the practice.
2) The Amazon effect is over-rated. Amazon sells more than just electronic goods. Companies outside of the domain of electronics are being hurt even more. Investors still seem to believe Amazon has an advantage over bricks and mortar, assigning Amazon with a much higher P/E than that of Best Buy.
3) A privatization is still on the cards. The company was so undervalued that Best Buy turned down proposals from three private equity firms. The firms wanted to take a minority position valued at $1B in the retailer.
4) Advertising and capital spending are still effective. In the last quarter, Best Buy ran sales promotions during the pre-Super Bowl season, which helped improve sales. In fiscal 2014, Best Buy will spend $700 million to $800 million for capital expenditures.
In contrast to Best Buy, Wal-Mart provided guidance that was light. In February 2013, sales were lighter than expected. Wal-Mart blamed tax refund delays as the reason why consumers spent less at stores. Despite a weak month, Wal-mart grew revenue by 6.9% to nearly $38B. The steady sales of Wal-Mart illustrate that Best Buy can still stay relevant in the bricks and mortar retail business. Online sales will continue to outgrow traditional retailing, but consumers still need to try goods at a physical store.
Bottom line
Much of the gains made in Best Buy has already been made, but Best Buy's business has stabilized. The market will continue to reward shares with a higher multiple as talks of privatization continue throughout 2013. The electronics retailer is more attractive than Amazon, due to excessive valuation of the latter. Wal-Mart is another investment option for investors who want exposure to retailing.
Wal-mart increased its dividend to $1.88, up from $1.59 per share. This gives investors a yield of around 2.6%. Best Buy also pays a dividend that yields 4.1%. A combination of a likely turnaround and a higher dividend makes Best Buy a more attractive investment than Wal-Mart.
chrispycrunch has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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Energy & Collaboration
The girls at reception often get comments from guests of clients such as "wow, the vibe and energy is this place is amazing". And this is true. The Cluster is a great place to locate your business.
For entrepreneurs and freelancers who choose The Cluster for offices or desks (permanent spaces or casual spaces), it doesn't take too long before they get to know others around them. The Cluster facilities introductions via speed greeting lunches and Friday night drinks, plus many other events. Getting to know others within the space, greatly improves the experience.
Friendships naturally happen as time passes. We are also proud of the odd romance here and there! But most importantly, conversations start and ideas are formed. Business services are offered and accepted, and new businesses are born from conversations in the kitchen or lounge. New teams are formed and ideas turned into reality and money. Work is often passed onto teams within The Cluster. Whatever service is needed, someone at The Cluster can usually do it!
To view Entrepreneurs/Business to watch, click here »


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well done sister your fantastic you make's me cry,keep it up thankyou!
Million Dollar Bill
Hi Whitney,
You are the best singer im coming 2 see u at the o2 Arana on wednesday i won the tickets on heart radio the londons heart radio,
Im sooooo looking forward 2 coming 2 see u live i saw u on tv on the x factor u were great i love you sooo much and ur music 2, Im a big big big big fan of urs? So can not wait 2 see u and meet u 2? I have got the v.i.p tickets i think they are and i am taking my friend with me aswell?, I have always wanted 2 come and see u and i neaver got around 2 it so i thought i was not going 2 miss this one no way.
Anyway take care and See u on wednesday
Karen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Whitney when I was 18 in high school back in 1986 I had the biggest crush on you.To me there was noone as pretty and as sweet as you.Now I am 43 and I have to say when I see you and I hear your voice I still get butterflies.You make me fall in love with you all over again.Whitney I wish you all the best and want you to know you have got a fan for life.So sweet,so beautiful.Such an angel.
whitney, you have a voice beyond compare You R B A D no matter what! you are the ultimate QUEEN . keep doing what you do healthy sing-------- . love nikki D
Whitney...please stop touring, you're making yourself look like a fool. I don't understand why your people continue to let you embarrass yourself. You made the bad choices, so live with the consequences. Girl...you can't sing anymore...that beautiful voice is gone. STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God has given you an amazing gift. Comeback is not easy but you have worked very hard to get to this point. God is with you. Don't give up and don't give in. Keep singing. God has a plan that will not go astray. Keep up your daily devotional times and listen for him to speak to you as only he can. Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) states, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Samson made a huge mistake in his life but in the end God gave him back his strength and he was victorious against his enemies. I've been praying for you for years. I'm still praying and I know that God answers me. God is your strength and your redeemer.
Be blessed always in Christ.
Is Whitney planning a US tour after she rests from the long hard European tour? I can only speculate how hard this tour has been for you but I also know that your American fans want to see you and share the love with you as well. Keep the faith and always be true to your higher power and yourself. Hope to see you in the states, my husband promised me he would take me. Don't let any negative comments get you down, some people have to find fault with everyone or everything. You look and sound great!!!!!!!!
Dear Whitney,
I would like for you to consider doing something so unique that no one would have expected this from you. Go to Pine bluff, Arkansas, Pick the best location, build a large Gazebo with an extended dance floor with table and benches ON THE ARKANSAS RIVER BANK. Use solar energy to power bathroon and other features of the site. Name it after a college of your choosing. Next to the Gazebo, build a Kiosh with your name.
In this situation, the unexpected is the captivator. There no rush on this project, talk to different ones.
Freddie N. Verner
45 Lancaster Street, Apt. 2
Cohoes, NY 12047
Whitney darling, give up before the time comes that people won't come to see you anymore.
I was at the O2 on Sunday night and I'm sorry, but I walked out after 45 minutes. It was a 2 hour drive and £120 totally wasted. She didn't sing one song in its entirety and not one was in tune.
Give Up


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Product Details
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- Contents: 1 Weekly planner
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- Materials: Cream paper stock
- Recipient: For Her
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Essential Info
Mechanical Sound
Since the late nineteenth century, the sounds of technology have been the subject of complaints, regulation, and legislation. By the early 1900s, antinoise leagues in Western Europe and North America had formed to fight noise from factories, steam trains, automobiles, and gramophones, with campaigns featuring conferences, exhibitions, and "silence weeks." And, as Karin Bijsterveld points out in Mechanical Sound, public discussion of noise has never died down and continues today. In this book, Bijsterveld examines the persistence of noise on the public agenda, looking at four episodes of noise and the public response to it in Europe and the United States between 1875 and 1975: industrial noise, traffic noise, noise from neighborhood radios and gramophones, and aircraft noise. She also looks at a twentieth-century counterpoint to complaints about noise: the celebration of mechanical sound in avant-garde music composed between the two world wars.
Bijsterveld argues that the rise of noise from new technology combined with overlapping noise regulations created what she calls a "paradox of control." Experts and politicians promised to control some noise, but left other noise problems up to citizens. Aircraft noise, for example, measured in formulas understandable only by specialists, was subject to public regulation; the sounds of noisy neighborhoods were the responsibility of residents themselves. In addition, Bijsterveld notes, the spatial character of antinoise interventions that impose zones and draw maps, despite the ability of sound to cross borders and boundaries, has helped keep noise a public problem. We have tried to create islands of silence, she writes, yet we have left a sea of sounds to be fiercely discussed.
About the Author
Karin Bijsterveld is Professor of Science, Technology, and Modern Culture at the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
"Karin Bijsterveld's Mechanical Sound is an extraordinary achievement, simultaneously an inquiry into our deepest assumptions about the sounds that surround us and an exemplar for future scholars of noise."
—Jon Agar, Senior Lecturer in Science and Technology Studies, University College London
"Karin Bijsterveld is a pioneer in the new field of sound studies. In Mechanical Sound she traces the various national approaches toward dealing with the increasing problems posed by the new technological sounds of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Rich in insights from science studies, and with wonderful period photographs including teams of immaculately dressed British citizens judging aircraft noise in the 1950s, this book teases out the nuances of sound and its effects on why we as a society find it so hard to legislate effectively against noise."
—Trevor Pinch, Science and Technology Studies, Cornell University
"Complaints about noise are as much a part of modern sound culture as noise itself, and yet we know little of the history of noise. Karin Bijsterveld's Mechanical Sound changes all that; it is unprecedented in topic and scope. At once episodic and ambitious, Mechanical Sound places noise as one of those 'modern problems' that reformers, legislators, and scholars have triedunsuccessfullyto control. The book shows how decades of reform, measurement and regulation attempts have resulted in a m