text:
When John Lennon of the Beatles was tragically murdered in 1980, his controversial widow, Yoko Ono, took charge of his legacy and his fortune ... but where did that leave his two sons? As arguably the most successful songwriter of all time, what did Lennon leave behind?
And what did the King of Pop have to do with John Lennon's legacy?
This is installment #5 of our weekly Estate Planning Lessons From The Stars series, which is based on the Celebrity Legacies TV show for which we provide commentary as the estate legal experts. See other articles in the series here.
He famously sang "All You Need Is Love." When it came to leaving money for his first-born son, John Lennon must have had that song in mind, because he apparently didn't believe that Julian needed money. In fact, according to Lennon's first wife, Julian's mother Cynthia, the man known as the "cool" Beatle was a cruel negotiator during their divorce. Cynthia says he refused to give more than 75,000 pounds for her and Julian, supposedly telling her she wasn't worth any more.
As part of the 1967 divorce, Lennon created a trust for Julian to receive 100,000 pounds when he turned 21, but he had to split that equally with any other children born to Lennon. From then on, Lennon saw his son Julian no more than once per year, and sometimes went years without seeing him at all.
The story was much different before the divorce. Julian and Cynthia lived with Lennon for Julian's first five years of life. Reportedly, Lennon set up a trust at that time, with about 250,000 pounds for Julian to receive when he turned 25. But when Yoko Ono came on the scene -- helping to end Lennon's first marriage -- Lennon's relationship as a father to Julian, for all practical purposes, ended as well.
Cynthia wrote in a book that Julian and his father started to become closer at the very end of Lennon's life. But, in a 1980 interview -- not long before he was shot and killed -- Lennon said that Julian was born from an unplanned pregnancy. He even said Julian "came out of a whiskey bottle," unlike Lennon's son born later from his marriage to Yoko Ono.
So it should not have come as a surprise that when John Lennon's will was revealed, it left everything to a trust controlled by Yoko Ono and an accountant, the beneficiaries for which are believed to be Ono and their son, Sean. Julian was reportedly left out in the cold. Also, because Ono was named as the sole executor of John Lennon's estate, it gave her complete control over John Lennon's image, legacy, and much of his song rights.
Of course, Lennon had also given Ono similar control while he was still alive, by giving her power of attorney. Ono used that power to invest Lennon's money in real estate, art, Egyptian artifacts, and even livestock (including 122 cows and 10 bulls).
Despite Ono's unique investing style (or, perhaps, because of it), Lennon died with an estate worth a reported 220 million pounds. Ono has continued to manage the estate, along with Lennon's image and royalties, to bring in around $12 million per year in earnings. It could have been higher, except that much of the Beatles catalog of music was sold in 1985, for $47.5 million. Who was the buyer? Michael Jackson, of course!
Julian did not take being snubbed from the John Lennon estate lightly. He sued, engaging in a long battle against Ono for a share of the fortune. Julian felt that Ono had improperly influenced Lennon. Eventually, they settled the dispute, but not until 1996 -- 16 years after Lennon was killed. While the amount of the settlement is confidential, media reports place the figure at around 20 million pounds.
For his part, Julian said he couldn't disclose how much he received, but says what he received wasn't what he considered to be fair. He felt it was much preferable to the alternative -- facing a lengthy court battle against Ono when she had the wealth of the estate behind her.
The John Lennon estate teaches a critical lesson about estates. Often, no one wins when a family faces a long and expensive probate fight, which are far more common than most people realize (especially in second-marriage families). Julian was probably wise to settle when he did, allowing him to get on with his life and save a small fortune in legal fees.
It's usually not easy to challenge someone's will or trust -- at least without strong evidence of mental incompetency or undue influence. These can be hard to prove, especially when the will was prepared for a person who was young. Lennon was just 39 years old when he signed his will, about 13 months before he died.
Sometimes, other family members (or even non-family members) can force your hand and leave you no choice but to battle it out in probate court. If so, be prepared for emotional turmoil, many stressful months or even years, and a big financial hit. If you have a chance to reach a reasonable settlement, it is usually much better than the alternative.
Celebrity Legacies is a documentary series airing on the Reelz cable channel, Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. and Sundays afternoons, featuring Danielle and Andy Mayoras and other experts, to explore the lives, legacies, and estates of a different celebrity each week.
Danielle and Andy Mayoras are co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! and attorneys with the Michigan law firm, Barron, Rosenberg, Mayoras & Mayoras, P.C. Click here to subscribe to their e-newsletter, The Trial & Heirs Update and learn more about their book. You can reach them at firstname.lastname@example.com.
So how long exactly does it take to resolve the dispute over the estate of an 89-year old Texas oil tycoon who married a 26-year old stripper and Playboy Playmate? Shouldn't the case end when both the stripper (Anna Nicole Smith) and her "step-son" (Pierce Marshall, who was 27 years older than she was) die?
And is this really important enough to be heard by the United States Supreme Court, not once, but twice?
This is installment #3 of our weekly Estate Planning Lessons From The Stars series, which is based on the Celebrity Legacies TV show for which we provide commentary as the estate legal experts. See other articles in the series here.
While we monitor, write about, and provide commentary for media outlets around the country about many complicated celebrity estates, this one takes the prize. We call it "The Grand-Daddy Of All Estate Battles." We've written several articles about this case so far, which you can read here.
Anna Nicole Smith | Celebrity Legacies | Movie Trailer | Review
To summarize, J. Howard Marshall's son, Pierce, inherited everything -- about $1.6 billion. That is, he did until Anna Nicole Smith challenged the estate plan (as did Pierce's brother, J. Howard Marshall, III) in Texas probate court.
But Anna Nicole filed for bankruptcy in the federal court system in California. Pierce then sued Anna Nicole for defamation in the California bankruptcy case (big mistake there), which opened the door for Anna Nicole to counter-sue Pierce Marshall.
In the counter-suit, Smith claimed that Pierce wrongly interfered with her expected inheritance, by tricking and otherwise preventing her loving husband from leaving her any money. Anna Nicole alleged that her elderly hubby was going to create a trust for her that would include one-half of the value by which his assets appreciated during their 14-month marriage (including a robust rise in the value of Koch Industries stock).
In part due to Pierce Marshall's alleged altering, destroying, and hiding evidence in the case, Anna Nicole won in bankruptcy court (to the tune of $475 million). With that victory in hand, she dropped the case in Texas probate court ... or, at least, she tried to. Pierce asked the Texas jury and probate judge to decide the case, despite Anna Nicole's attempt to back out of it. The jury and probate judge ruled for Pierce and against Anna Nicole Smith (and against J. Howard III, too).
So this of course led to a conflict -- one court ruled in favor of Pierce and one in favor of Anna Nicole. Which ruling should win out -- the one from the California bankruptcy case (and subsequent federal court case that upheld $88 million of the judgment in Anna Nicole's favor) or the Texas probate case?
That question has taken years ... and years ... to resolve, including two separate trips to the United States Supreme Court. During the second trip, the highest court in our country analyzed complex bankruptcy and jurisdictional laws, at great length, to side with Pierce Marshall and against team Anna Nicole. By then, both Pierce and Anna Nicole had passed on, but their two estates kept fighting each other.
The Recent Federal Court Rulings
Then, in 2013, the California federal court judge issued a new ruling in favor of Anna Nicole Smith's estate and against Pierce Marshall's estate. But that new ruling was put on hold. The California judge was unsure what to do with the conflict between the Texas court's ruling in Pierce's favor, the lengthy delays which made it difficult for both sides, but balanced against his own beliefs that Pierce committed significant wrongdoing during the California proceedings. Eventually, earlier this week, the California court decided to reverse its prior ruling and dismiss the sanctions request against Pierce's estate.
But that didn't end the battle, contrary to popular belief. It only ended the California proceedings, but Anna Nicole Smith's estate still had the right to an appeal of the Texas court. That appeal was put on hold years ago, until the California court process was concluded.
Anna Nicole's legal team recently asked a Texas appellate court to reverse the Texas probate verdict, which would allow the California rulings to be reinstated. At least, they could -- if that appeal wins and doesn't get overturned by an even higher appellate court. If that happens, then the entire basis by which the Supreme Court ruled against Smith would be thrown out of the window, because then the California ruling should take precedence.
Complicated? You bet. Almost over? Not even close. After 19 years, the battling still has another 2 to 3 years to go, if not longer.
Trial & Heirs Lesson
If this isn't a lesson for 89-year olds to stay out of strip clubs, then we don't know what is!
It's also a lesson in how costly probate litigation feuds can become. While 19+ year-long battles don't usually happen (except when more than a billion dollars is on the line, of course), even modest estates can face estate battles that last a year or two, even without an appeal. It happens all the time in our country, and not just to estates of the rich and famous.
While nothing can absolutely prevent an estate fight from happening among your heirs, the best thing you can do to minimize the chances is thorough estate planning with a good attorney, experienced in drafting wills and trusts.
Pierce Marshall convinced his father to sign new estate planning documents, with the help of his father's estate planning attorney, who has been accused of serious fraud multiple times (and who referred to Anna Nicole Smith as "Miss Cleavage"). If J. Howard Marshall had employed a better estate planning attorney, then this feud may have been avoided — and the oil tycoon's true wishes (whatever they may have been) could have been honored without years and years of expensive litigation.
You can learn more about Anna Nicole Smith's Estate and the fight for the oil tycoon's fortune in this week's episode of Celebrity Legacies, on the Reelz channel.
Celebrity Legacies is a documentary series airing on the Reelz cable channel, Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. and Sundays afternoons, featuring Danielle and Andy Mayoras and other experts, to explore the lives, legacies, and estates of a different celebrity each week.
Danielle and Andy Mayoras are co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! and attorneys with the Michigan law firm, Barron, Rosenberg, Mayoras & Mayoras, P.C. Click here to subscribe to their e-newsletter, The Trial & Heirs Update and learn more about their book. You can reach them at email@example.com.
The initial shock of Robin Williams' tragic death, apparently from hanging himself, is giving way to reflections of his memory and legacy. Another question many people are asking is what happens next for his family and his estate. He was survived by his third wife, Susan Schneider, to whom he was married for three years, and three adult children from his prior two marriages, whose ages range from 22 to 31. There is a realistic fear that Williams' death left may have left them in financial distress.
In an interview with Parade Magazine in 2013, Williams lamented how he was required to change his lifestyle because of how much he lost in his two divorces (reportedly, $30 million). He said he returned to TV because of "bills to pay." Williams also admitted to listing his Napa Valley estate for sale because he could no longer afford it.
Robin Williams' publicist recently said that he was not in financial trouble and his comments were not to be taken seriously. Regardless of whether his publicist is trying to protect his image, or if Williams was being truthful in the interview, Robin Williams family members will be far from destitute.Public records about Williams' real estate show that they have significant value. His Napa Valley mansion, which rests on 653 acres and is named Villa Sorriso (translated to the Villa of Smiles), has been listed for sale since April for almost $30 million. Williams also left behind a 6,500-square-foot waterfront home in Tiburon, California, valued at roughly $6 million. The two properties are subject to mortgages, according to public records, that totaled $7.25 million as of 2011. This means that Williams left behind real estate with equity of around $25 million, depending on what Villa Sorriso can command in a sale.
How much more than that did Williams leave behind for his heirs? While he was reportedly worth around $130 million two years ago, that figure seems very high since Williams later said that he was close to bankruptcy. Recent estimates have pegged his net worth at $50 million, which may also be off based on his reported financial struggles, if those reports are true.
Any estimate of his net worth before he passed away would only be part of the financial picture. Lifetime estimates would not factor in the death benefit from life insurance, which would still likely pay out even with the suicide, for policies at least two years old. This could be substantial — especially considering that high wage earners are often required to take out insurance policies to protect their families as part of divorce settlements.
The good news for his family is that Robin Williams appears to have done solid estate planning, including at least two different trusts. Both of his valuable pieces of real estate are held in the name of the "Domus Dulcis Domus Holding Trust." This is a latin phrase meaning "home sweet home." He set up this Trust to own his real estate, tabbing New York accountant Joel Faden and Hollywood producer and entertainment promoter Stephen Tenenbaum and as the co-trustees.
Additionally, TMZ reported that someone had leaked a copy of a different trust, which Robin Williams created in 2009. This was in the midst of Williams' divorce Marsha Garces Williams, his second wife. The trust reportedly names Williams' three children as beneficiaries, splitting their trust funds into three equal distributions for each of them, set to pay out when they reach ages 21, 25, and 30. Because this trust reportedly transfers the money to them whether Williams was already passed or still alive, this was likely established as part of his divorce rather than purely for estate planning. It is not known how much money was in this trust.
Regardless of the motivation behind this trust, it (and his real estate holding trust) show that Williams took advantage of sophisticated estate planning to protect his loved ones. Many celebrities, like Philip Seymour Hoffman, feared using any type of trust. Williams had at least two trusts, and it appears that the Domus Dulcis Domus Holding Trust was created, at least in part, to minimize estate taxes. Real estate holding trusts, when made irrevocably and drafted and used the right way, can often carve valuable real estate outside of someone's taxable estate. With the $25 million or so in equity, this could add up to a substantial savings for Williams' heirs.
Even if this trust was not set up with estate taxes in mind, if nothing else it worked to safeguard privacy for Williams and his family members. When used properly and not leaked to the media or revealed due to litigation, trusts allow everyone to avoid probate court and keep their affairs private. Even non-celebrities usually prefer privacy, instead of having their affairs made public for nosy neighbors to see.
While the real estate, the children's trust funds, and any life insurance will not technically be part of Robin Williams' estate, his ongoing royalties, earnings from new deals over his image and likeness, and future releases of his comedy material would be managed by the administrators of his estate, unless he had previously assigned those rights to another trust or a corporate entity. These should add up to significant value.
According to numbers compiled by ABC News, his movies grossed over $6 billion throughout his career, more than half of which came with Williams as the leading man. While he earned a modest $75,000 payday for voicing the Genie in Aladdin (despite the film's $500 million earnings), he was paid $165,000 per episode for his one season of The Crazy Ones.
There can be no dispute that Robin Williams was a comic genius, as his four Golden Globes, two Emmys, and his Oscar attest. The early indications are that he displayed some genius with his estate planning as well. While nothing can make the tragic loss of Robin Williams better for his family, at least he appears to have taken the proper steps with his legal planning to avoid the pain from becoming worse.
It's a lesson that others can learn from. While few people need the sophisticated type of estate planning that Williams used, a revocable living trust can help almost anyone who wants to help their loved ones avoid the publicity, costs, aggravation, and pain of probate court.
Because of his foresight, Robin Williams' family should be able to focus on grieving and not have to worry about unnecessary complications with his estate. His estate will be far from broke.
Danielle and Andy Mayoras are co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! and attorneys with the Michigan law firm, Barron, Rosenberg, Mayoras & Mayoras, P.C. Click here to subscribe to their e-newsletter, The Trial & Heirs Update and learn more about their book. You can reach them at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Who opened the door to battles over the Jim Morrison Estate? Who won ... and what did they win when the dust settled? And does drinking your loved one's blood constitute a valid marriage ceremony?
This is installment #2 of our weekly Estate Planning Lessons From The Stars series, which is based on the Celebrity Legacies TV show for which we provide commentary as the estate legal experts. See other articles in the series here.
Legendary Doors singer Jim Morrison died young at just 27 years of age, in 1971, from a heroin overdose. While his estate had limited cash when Morrison died, the assets in his estate became worth around $80 million.
Despite his young age, hard-partying lifestyle, and free spirit, Jim Morrison took some steps to protect his estate ... sort of. Two years before he died, Morrison created a will. It was a simplistic and poorly-drafted will, but a valid will nonetheless.
At least, it appeared to be valid initially. It left everything to his long-time girlfriend, Pamela Courson. The will provided that if she failed to survive Morrison by three months, then his assets would pass to his brother and sister. Even though Courson did survive Morrison by more than three months, she was never able to enjoy the inheritance.
After Jim Morrison died, his estate was tied up in probate court. Dozens of women came forward with paternity claims. To make it worse, the three other members of The Doors also sued, seeking a bigger share of royalties from The Doors.
Courson received a modest allowance to live on during the probate proceedings, but it wasn't enough to support her lifestyle, or even pay for Morrison's funeral. She was a known heroin addict, and according to some, Courson turned to prostitution because she was so desperate for money.
Then Courson died only three years after Morrison -- also from a heroin overdose and also at age 27. Because she died without a will, the Jim Morrison fortune would pass to her heirs under intestate law. That means Courson's parents stood to inherit the entire Jim Morrison legacy.
So Jim Morrison's parents lit a fire on another round of litigation, attacking Morrison's will and fighting about whether the common-law marriage to Courson was legitimate.
It was a valid question, for two reasons. One, the marriage certificate was from Colorado was unsigned. California, where they lived, did not recognize common-law marriages.
Second, Morrison had, only a year before, gone through a prior wedding ceremony with another girlfriend, Patricia Kennealy. Unlike the relationship with Courson, Morrison sealed the deal with Kennealy by undergoing a pagan marriage ritual that involved walking over fire and drinking each other's blood.
Despite this extraordinary level of commitment, the probate court eventually determined that Morrison's marriage to Courson was valid, despite his exchange of blood with Patricia Kennealy. How is that justice?!?
And still the fighting continued. Courson's parents not only had to prove she was legally married to Morrison, they also had to defend against the will contest brought by Morrison's parents. The parents of the late Doors frontman claimed his will was invalid, questioning whether he was incompetent when he wrote it, due to the influence of narcotics.
In the end, the Morrison war ended with an out-of-court settlement. Reportedly, they split everything 50/50. But it was the Coursons who walked away with the all-important rights to control and manage and control Morrison's music, royalties, and image.
And what about the alternate beneficiaries -- Morrison's brother and sister? They received nothing, because of the three-month clause. Would Morrison really have wanted them to be left out, in favor of two sets of parents he didn't like?
Probably not! Mr. Courson reportedly disliked Jim Morrison, did not approve of his daughter's relationship with the singer, and even blamed Morrison for Courson's death. And Morrison's parents were not exactly close to him before he died, either. Morrison's dad felt his rock-star son had a "complete lack of talent" in music and should have chosen a different career. Morrison publicly claimed that his parents were dead.
The lesson from this saga (for Doors fans and non-Doors fans alike): A simple will is usually not enough. While it is very unusual for a will done by a 27-year old to be challenged on the basis of incapacity, it is almost always easier for disgruntled family members to challenge the validity of a simple will, rather than a trust done by an experienced estate planning attorney.
Wills have to pass through probate court, which often lead to complications, delays, and extra fighting -- as Pamela Courson learned. Overly-simplistic wills, unlike well-drafted trusts, often fail to address the many "what-ifs" that can occur when someone dies. Such as, what if Courson was to survive Morrison for three years, but not long enough for the estate to be distributed -- who would Morrison have wanted to inherit his money then? Questions such as this can easily be addressed in a proper trust.
You don't need to be worth $80 million to follow this advice! Almost everyone with assets of significance should take the time to meet with an experienced estate planning attorney to find out if a trust is right for them. This can give you the piece of mind that the people whom you want to receive your assets will do so, in the way you want, instead of allowing your wishes to be derailed by probate court complications.
If you want your heirs to "break on through to the other side" of probate drama, meet with an experienced estate planning attorney to do the proper estate planning.
Celebrity Legacies is a documentary series airing on the Reelz cable channel, Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. and Sundays afternoons, featuring Danielle and Andy Mayoras and other experts, to explore the lives, legacies, and estates of a different celebrity each week.
Danielle and Andy Mayoras are co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! and attorneys with the Michigan law firm, Barron, Rosenberg, Mayoras & Mayoras, P.C. Click here to subscribe to their e-newsletter, The Trial & Heirs Update and learn more about their book. You can reach them at email@example.com.
We all know about the estates of Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith, right? But what about Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Heath Ledger, Elvis Presley, and John F. Kennedy, Jr.? Last week, the Reelz Channel premiered a new television series called Celebrity Legacies.
The documentary series explores a different celebrity each week, discussing their legacies, estates, and what they left behind: Feuding heirs? Mounting debt? Or a golden legacy glittered with fame and fortune?
The premiere episode delved into James Gandolfini. The late Soprano's star died shockingly in 2013, leaving behind two young children — from two different marriages — and an estate plan that was, well, not exactly perfect.We appear on each of the 26 episodes of Celebrity Legacies, providing legal and financial commentary and analysis. On the premiere, we talked about how James Gandolfini's will was initially done as a Band-Aid measure, after his daughter was born. Instead of using a revocable living trust to keep his affairs private and outside of probate court, Gandolfini relied primarily on his will.
That means his family was subjected to media scrutiny over his estate. Wills must pass through probate court (called Surrogate's Court in New York), which means they are more expensive, stressful, and prone to family fighting than when legacies are protected through revocable living trusts. This is especially risky when there are children from two different marriages involved.
In Gandolfini's case, we learned how his estate (estimated between $70 million and $80 million) was divided among his family members and others close to him, but he did not properly address his Italian property or think through whether his children would be ready to inherit millions of dollars when they are in their early twenties. His daughter, for example, will receive 20% of the balance of his assets that pass through probate court at the young age of 21. What if she's not mature enough to handle it? It doesn't matter; that's what the will says, so that's when she gets the money.
While we always like talking about celebrity legacies and estates, celebrity estate stories can be used to educate people (including families and financial professionals) about how celebrity errors can help them protect their heirs. Many people mistakenly believe that estates of the rich and famous could never relate to them. In reality, we see the very same mistakes that celebrities make with their estate planning with regular families — often ending up in the exact same type of estate court battles — on a regular basis.
So, each week when an episode of Celebrity Legacies airs, we will share our thoughts about the lessons that you can learn from each featured celebrity estate. These are great conversation starters to share with stubborn loved ones who may be reluctant to do their estate planning, or — for financial and legal professionals — opportune times to spark new dialogues with clients and prospects to help them.
What can you learn from Gandolfini's Estate (even if you don't have 70 million dollars)? Gandolfini was only 51 years old. He started his estate plan before he left for vacation, intending to complete it later. Six months passed by and he never completed his planning. Then, tragically, Gandolfini suffered a sudden heart attack while in Italy with his son. His incomplete estate planning led to the complications, publicity, and estate taxes that he could have (and should have) avoided.
Far too many people make the mistake of thinking they can worry about wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents down the road. Why wait until someday? Gandolfini's heirs would have been much better off if he had completed his estate planning the right way and not procrastinated.
Does this seem obvious? For too many people, it's not. In fact, studies show that as many as two-thirds of adults in our country don't even have a simple will. So Gandolfini was actually ahead of the curve, even though his planning left much to be desired.
Celebrity Legacies airs Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. and Sunday afternoons, on the Reelz Channel.
Danielle and Andy Mayoras are co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! and attorneys with the Michigan law firm, Barron, Rosenberg, Mayoras & Mayoras, P.C. Click here to subscribe to their e-newsletter, The Trial & Heirs Update and learn more about their book. You can reach them at email@example.com.
It appears that the life of famed Top 40 Countdown host Casey Kasem is nearly at an end. Last Wednesday, a Los Angeles Judge ruled that Casey Kasem's daughter, Kerri Kasem, could suspend the artificial delivery of food and water to Casey due to his grave suffering.
Specifically, according to the Los Angeles Times, Kerri Kasem's attorney filed documents with the court reporting the doctors' conclusion that "continuation of artificial nutrition and hydration is not in the patient's best interests because it will at best prolong the dying process for him and will certainly add suffering to an already terribly uncomfortable dying process."
On Tuesday, the same Judge granted the request of Casey's wife, Jean Kasem, who asked that Kerri be ordered to resume infusions of food, water and medicine for the ailing Casey. He has been hospitalized in critical condition with sepsis (serious infections that have reached the blood stream), other infections, bed sores, and late-stage dementia from Lewy Body disease, among other complications.That ruling was short lived, however. Another court hearing was held on an emergency basis yesterday, during which the Judge reversed his prior decision after reviewing the medical records. He gave permission to Kerri to allow Casey's suffering to end, by removing his artificial life support.
Jean Kasem, Casey's wife of 34 years, was so upset she stormed out of the courtroom, yelling "You have blood on your hands!" Her attorney then said, "You just imposed a death sentence." Jean has issued frequent dramatic statements of this nature. During the prior day's hearing, Jean's attorney accused Casey's daughter, Kerri, of deliberately hastening Casey's death so that she could cash in on a large life insurance policy — a charge which Kerri's attorney strongly refuted.
The big question that will need to be explored, likely after Casey passes, is how he deteriorated to this critical condition so rapidly. Contrary to Jean's attention-grabbing accusations, she — not Casey's daughter — will be the one to answer this difficult question. Her management of Casey's care in the last few weeks has been troubling, to say the least.
Casey Kasem's Rapid Descent Into Critical Condition
On May 6th, Kerri and her sister were allowed to visit Casey in the nursing home he resided in. They found him doing fairly well and in good spirits, despite his confusion, memory loss, and trouble speaking. Physically, at least, he appeared to be fine, according to Kerri at the time.
Just after that visit, however, Casey Kasem was suddenly missing. Jean had secretly removed him from the nursing home, even skipping a court hearing about Casey's care. Because of Casey's unexplained whereabouts, Kerri was given legal authority by the Judge to make his medical and other decisions, through a conservatorship.
Kerri reached out to authorities in a frantic search to find her father, eventually learning that he had been staying with friends in the State of Washington. Jean reportedly took him there "on vacation."
Kerri was finally able to see him again on June 1st, after a Judge in Washington ordered she could visit and have Casey evaluated by a physician. Kerri arrived with paramedics, concerned over Casey's well-being. She found Casey to be in serious condition, and instructed that her father be taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Jean became so irate, she yelled at Kerri in front of several witnesses and threw a pound of raw meat towards her.
Jean explained her action by telling NBC News that she had been following what was (according to her) a King James verse: "In the name of King of David, I threw a piece of raw meat into the street in exchange for my husband to the wild rabid dogs." Jean complained that Casey was being ripped from his family and was very upset to leave, even though he could not talk or otherwise communicate.
When he was hospitalized, Casey was found to have serious bed sores and infections in his lungs and bladder. These are conditions that typically can be prevented with proper care (such as that available in a good nursing home), and can potentially be fatal to someone of Casey's condition and advanced age (82).
Indeed, based on the events of this week, it certainly appears that Casey will not survive. Instead of striving to continue efforts to keep him alive (and suffering), Kerri gave permission for comfort care to be provided. While Jean obviously blames Kerri for this, it was Jean's recent actions that may have caused his terminal condition. If he had remained in the nursing home, bed sores and infections could have been prevented, or at least prompt medical care could have been provided when they were first discovered.
Casey Kasem Signed A Critical Health Care Directive
The reason that Kerri was able to win legal authority to end Casey's suffering stems from a legal document he signed in 2007, called a health care directive. Sometimes, documents of this nature are called living wills or medical power of attorney, but they all can play the same role — allowing a trusted loved one to end life support when it appears that the suffering is too severe and the hope of recovery too slim.
In 2007, after Casey Kasem was diagnosed with Lewy Body disease, he executed such a document and appointed Kerri, his daughter from a prior marriage, instead of his wife, Jean, to make his medical and end-of-life decisions. The document stated that Casey did not want to be kept alive if it "would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning." Casey's document nominated Kerri, not Jean, to make the important decision of when it was time to honor this wish and effectively end Casey's life.
This is a sad story, with what certainly appears to be a tragic ending. No one knows how long Casey could have lived, or how much enjoyment he could have had during the rest of his life, if he had remained in the nursing home. Casey, through his 2007 health care directive, and two different judges felt that Kerri — not Jean — should manage his care. Yet Jean's act of transporting Casey to Washington deprived Kerri of the chance to treat his terminal medical conditions sooner.
Hopefully Casey Kasem's dramatic story can teach important lessons to others about end of life planning. Every adult over the age of 18 — especially older adults — need to execute health care directive documents, such as Casey Kasem's, in case they ever suffer a debilitating injury or disease. Very few people would want to suffer indefinitely with no quality of life or reasonable hope of recovery. Because Casey planned ahead and chose the person he most trusted to make the right decision, his suffering can now end.
But the question of whether Jean's actions constituted elder neglect or abuse that resulted in Casey's suffering and, ultimately, his death is one that cannot yet be answered. Perhaps there is more to this story than has come to light publicly, to justify Jean's actions. If not, and if the reports of the last few weeks are accurate, then Jean should be held to answer for what happened. Elder abuse is a silent epidemic in our country, and it comes in all shapes and sizes.
Mickey Rooney's family knows about it all too well. In his sad story, the harm was primarily financial, not physical. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Casey Kasem.
Everyone should be on guard against elder neglect and abuse, especially when there is a family member with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Lewy Body disease, or advanced Parkinson's disease. Kerri was proactive and seems to have done all she could to protect her father, in spite of very unusual circumstances. But her struggle is not uncommon. Milllions of seniors are abused every year. This is not a problem confined to the rich or famous — far from it, in fact.
Perhaps others can be saved by increased awareness caused by Casey Kasem's tragedy.
Update: Casey Kasem passed away on Father's Day, June 15, 2014. We express our sincere condolences to the entire Kasem family.
By Danielle and Andrew Mayoras, co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! For the latest celebrity and high-profile cases, with tips to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your clients, click here to subscribe to The Trial & Heirs Update. You can "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Google+.
For legal help in Michigan, visit Danielle and Andy's law firm.
It seems that everyone wanted Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell the team, after his racist remarks about Magic Johnson and African Americans became public knowledge. The NBA Commissioner, owners, players, Clipper fans, and Sterling's own family did everything in their power to force him out. Last week, the news broke that Sterling's estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, reportedly accomplished what everyone wanted — an agreement has been reached for the Clippers to be sold for a reported $2 billion dollars to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
But how did Shelly manage to do this without going to court — which would undoubtedly air Sterling family dirty laundry that no one in the Sterling family or the NBA would want to see made public?
Reportedly, Shelly Sterling relied on a fairly standard provision in the Sterling family trust, which owns and controls the Sterling's interest in the Clippers. According to ESPN and others, Shelly and Donald were co-trustees with equal authority over their trust. This gave them equal say in running the Clippers, including when to sell the franchise. But, after the recent events, Shelly had her husband evaluated by doctors to determine if he was mentally competent to remain serving as one of the co-trustees.
TMZ reports that the trust agreement signed by the Sterlings included a provision that if either of them were found, by two qualified doctors, to have, "an inability to conduct business affairs in a reasonable and normal manner" then he or she would be removed as a co-trustee. This would leave the remaining Sterling in place as the sole trustee, with legal authority to sell the team and otherwise manager the business. While not specified by TMZ, normally a clause like this would include language indicating that such a finding would have to be due to mental incompetency or a similar condition (otherwise, it could be invoked over anyone who is a bad business manager).
Again according to TMZ, two neurologists conducted a battery of tests on Donald, including a CT and PET scan. Competency testing would normally include some form of neuropsychological or other mental questioning designed to measure competency. Both neurologists determined Donald is incompetent under the standard of the trust agreement due to Alzheimer's disease, which he may have been suffering from for the last five years.
One of Donald Sterling's attorneys told ESPN that reports of the neurologists findings have been "grossly exaggerated" and that Donald is "far from mentally incompetent." Recently, Donald has vowed to fight against any sale of the Clippers, even though he previously signed a letter to the NBA agreeing that his wife could do so.
So what happens next? Donald and his legal team have to decide if they want to start a court action to challenge the reported findings of the neurologists. California law presumes competency, but that law must be applied consistent with the terms of the trust agreement. Depending on how that document is worded, Donald Sterlingmay or may not have legal grounds to challenge the reported doctor findings. Even if he can challenge it, he would have to provide other medical testimony to contradict and overcome the findings of incompetency.
Even if Donald Sterling does bring such a legal challenge and prevail, that still does not mean he would stop the sale. Rather, the NBA owners have the option of taking control of the situation and forcing a sale under the NBA owners' agreement, which gives them the right to do so in the best interests of the league, upon 75% vote of the owners. Sterling could try to challenge that action in court too, but only if he can first reinstate himself as a co-trustee. As long as his wife remains as the only trustee, Sterling likely has no legal standing to challenge the NBA's actions in court.
Will Sterling continue to fight by filing a court proceeding to determine if he really is competent? If so, he would have to be prepared for many details of his personal life to be exposed in a public court process. This would likely include other embarrassing actions and decisions he's made, which could be brought up in court to help support the neurologists' conclusions.
And there is another reason for him to back down — two billion reasons, actually. This staggering sum is more than has ever been paid for an NBA team, and is almost four times the recent sale price of the Milwaukee Bucks. Even though Sterling is — at least for now — out as a co-trustee, that doesn't mean he won't get his share of the money. That figure, plus the reality of how messy a public court fight about his competency would be, means that Sterling will likely back off his his threats, sooner or later.
Certainly everyone affiliated with the NBA hopes he will.
Donald Sterling's situation is a prime example of why everyone with a significant amount of assets (even in the hundreds-of-thousands of dollars range, not just millionaires and billionaires), would benefit from a well-drafted revocable living trust. Without the trust language in place, Shelly Sterling would have been required to go to court to have her husband removed from controlling the team, even if it was clear that he was not mentally competent to act as an owner. Donald could simply have refused to sign off on any sale agreement, and the NBA would have been forced to take control. The Sterling family trust helps resolve a very messy situation.
Trusts can provide a similar benefit for everyone with assets, because passing control of a lifetime of savings is always better down outside the court system, using a document created based on the wishes of those involved. Even without control of a two billion dollar sports franchise on the line, no one wants to have control of their assets decided by a judge. A well-drafted revocable living trust can alleviate that concern for anyone.
By Danielle and Andrew Mayoras, co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! For the latest celebrity and high-profile cases, with tips to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your clients, click here to subscribe to The Trial & Heirs Update. You can "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Google+.
For legal help in Michigan, visit Danielle and Andy's law firm.


text:
Personal Brand Builder, Stylist & Blogger, Wardrobe Expert and activist for Couture for Cancer. Came on board at BagBliss March 2010.
Brighten up your day and night with the Anya Hindmarch Roslyn Clutch and the Floyd Beach Case in Fuchsia! Typically, I'm not a matchy-matchy girl, but this selection ...
CHANEL Jumbo Flap Bag
CLARE V. Haircalf Fold Over Clutch
REBECCA MINKOFF Mini Mac
SAINT LAURENT Sac De Jour in neon
MICHAEL KORS Hamilton
TORY BURCH Thea
SAINT LAURENT Cassandra
MICHAEL KORS Selma
© 2013 Bag Bliss. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
↑ Top
Page 1 of 45
" if it is useful to do so, you must abandon your identity and start again. sometimes, it's the only way."
julien smith
i'll never be happy.
i believe i'll die alone.
i would want it that way. i've been a loner all my life with my secrets and my pain.
i'm really lost, but i'm trying to find myself.
i just want to escape.
mike tyson
↓ Next page Something went wrong, try loading again? Loading more posts


text:
CATAMARAN DESIGN and BRIDEDECK CLEARANCE
View Single Post
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 200
Thanks: 35
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Rep Power:
Re: CATAMARAN DESIGN and BRIDEDECK CLEARANCE
[QUOTE=tdw;906246]I don't know enough about the bridge deck issue to comment on specific heights but insufficient height is a major problem from what I do know.
Regarding the interior, I'd favour a downstairs galley. My biggest complaint about catamaran layouts is the restricted seating space in the saloon where much space is taken up by the galley and/or nav station.
[Agree my thoughts exactly]
Must say I do like the layout of the Schoening 1320 though I know nothing about the boat itself. The 1700 is for my money absurdly large
,[ I think you need it if your doing offshore passages and have extra crew to help with watches so one does not get tired and irritable, and depending on your age.]
but then I only think about space for a couple plus very occasional guests.
The way I figure the galley is this. Down below gets it out of the way with one major drawback being heat in warmer climes. For me that is negated by the fact that in summer we always cook outside and with a cats cockpit even preparation outside is simple
[ Most boats these days have a BBQ,s hanging from the stantions or pushpit.]
Others might say that the galley in the saloon allows more interaction twixt the cook and the crew. Fair enough I guess but I still don't think that outweighs the other issues.[/QUOTE
][ Good point agree.]
"Let the sun shine
, let the rain cease,
let the lakes and rivers run dry
they are good vintage years and
gold, elite gold medal winning years for N.Z.wines"
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
View Public Profile
Send a private message to piclarke
Visit piclarke's homepage!
Find all posts by piclarke


text:
By Wainwright Jeffers - bio | email ALBANY, GA (WALB) – The Dougherty County School System is backtracking on strict enforcement of a policy that forced some students to change schools.
Some parents of Westover High School students were upset when their kids had to transfer after school started because the school system said they don't live in Westover's zone.
Students zoned for the county's other three high schools were allowed to petition to go to Westover since it's the only high school that meets AYP standards.
They had to do that before the school year started, so the students recently forced to transfer didn't have that opportunity.
Wednesday, school leaders decided to let them come back to Westover.
"The purpose of the letter was to make sure all of our students are residing in the proper zone, and give the parents an opportunity to come in and talk to us and provide that documentation. There was some discussion about those students being reassigned to their current school, but at this time that process is on hold," said William Chunn, Westover High Principal.
Principal Chunn said they will start strictly enforcing the zoning policy in the ninth grade to prevent future problems.
©2010 WALB News. All rights reserved. Feedback
P.O. Box 3130
Albany, GA 31706
(229) 446-1010
FCC Public File
(229) 446-4005
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Definition of homicidal in English:
homicidalSyllabification: hom·i·cid·al
Pronunciation: /ˌhäməˈsīdl /
Of, relating to, or tending toward murder: he had homicidal tendencies
More example sentences
- He is not a homicidal maniac, but a violent, evil man made even more so by his addiction to unnamed drugs.
- If we keep telling this homicidal maniac what we're doing as police, he's going to be one step ahead.
- I know without a doubt that if provoked my mother could become a homicidal maniac in defence of her animals.
murderous, violent, brutal, savage, ferocious, vicious, bloody, bloodthirsty, barbarous, barbaric; deadly, lethal, mortal
literary fell
archaic sanguinary
Definition of homicidal in:
- The British & World English dictionary
- The English Synonyms
- The US English Synonyms
Get more from Oxford Dictionaries
Subscribe to remove adverts and access premium resources
Word of the day hypnopompic
Pronunciation: ˌhɪpnə(ʊ)ˈpɒmpɪk
relating to the state immediately preceding waking up


text:
Own a Business? Get Listed for free!
Hosting an Event? Get Listed for free!
Sample wines, attend seminars and enjoy live music from James Bazen Big Band, Gail Marten, Paul Carr, Larry Brown Quintet and David Bach.
|Admission Price
|General admission: $10; Wine sampling admission, advance purchase: $25, Wine sampling admission, event day purchase: $30. Tickets sold at 2910 on the Square (2910 O'Donnell St.) and Canton Management Company (2912 O'Donnell St.).


text:
Multiple cages for sale. Sizes range from a 30"L x 18"W x 18"H down to one about 11" x 9" x 23"H. They are appropriate for several finches up to a larger parrot size bird. Some of them can be used for a hamster, rat or other small animal. They are in fair to excellent ...
Sep 5 -
Baltimore :
Severn - Accessories
White-capped pionus parrots. Handfed babies just weaned and yearlings that are beautiful birds that are sweet, and quiet (no squawking) and great talkers. They learn multiple words, and don't require huge cages. $350-$450
Handfed baby gold-capped conures just weaned - 1 yr. ...
Aug 27 -
Atlanta :
Cleveland - Birds
I have 18 new bird cages for sale. Their size is 9"D 12"W 18" Tall This is a good size for parakeets or finches. I will take $100 for all 18 or will sell them seperate for $6 each Call 843-307-6203
Aug 20 -
Columbia :
Mc Bee - Birds
Red faced Parrot finches for sale. Almost 2 yrs old. Didn't get any babies out of them, because did not breed them right. I will sell or trade, let me know what you have. 2 pairs and extra male, so $200 for all or make cash offer. 4237970070
Aug 19 -
Tri-Cities (TN) :
Mountain City - Birds
Young Parakeets or Zebra finches For Sale At $10.00 Each Mostly Blue Colored With White.
Very Healthy Birds. Or two with a cage $45.00 We Are Located In Hendersonville NC. 828-697-0956
Or You Can Buy 25 Parakeets For $150.00.
Please Note
These Birds Are Not Tame
Jul 31 -
Asheville :
Hendersonville - Birds
Canarys for sale including timbrados, raza espanola, Parisian, woldien, Jaba finches. Males and females available. Email [email removed] for details
This ad was posted with the eBay Classifieds mobile app.
Jul 24 -
Washington DC :
Alexandria - Birds
We'll be sending text message alerts for your subscription to


text:
By Holly Brantley
STODDARD CO, MO (KFVS) - It was a powerful and deadly storm, one that ripped apart homes and lives in Stoddard County. Yet, in the wake of it all, there is hope and families thankful to be alive.
Families, like the Tanners: "It sounded like ten trains," said husband and father, Rusty Tanner. "I got my family up and as I grabbed the basement door, it came apart in my hand," he recalls.
"It just blew us apart," said his wife, Stacey Tanner. "Rusty and our oldest daughter and little boy ended up on one side. Me and the baby ended up on the other. I was holding our four month old in my arms. I could feel things flying around us."
Sunday afternoon they met with us, bruised and banged up, but alive.
"God was there," said Stacey.
"I was just thinking I hope I live," said Rusty.
Rusty says he was sound asleep until seconds before the twister hit the family's two story home near Puxico. He says he woke up his wife and kids and made a run for the basement. They never made it there.
"There are parts I don't remember, but a lot if it I do," said Rusty.
Rusty says he reached for the basement door as the storm reached their home, shredding it. The family says they were thrown into two different directions on their property: Rusty, one year old Mayson, and 8 year old Macey on one side, Stacey and four month old Skylar to the other.
"I stood up and tried to grab my little boy but my arm was broken," said Rusty. "I saw my daughter running across the yard. We made it to the car and we started driving and looking for my wife and our baby."
Somehow the five of them found each other. Stacey ended up driving the family out of the storm's wrath to the hospital.
"I was just praying for daylight," said Stacey.
Besides plenty of scratches, Rusty suffered a broken arm, so did 8 year old Macey. Stacey's two ankles are cracked, little Mayson has staples in his forehead, and baby Skylar who survived in her mother's arms, has nothing but a couple of bruises near her feet.
All are alive and well, and for the Tanner's they say that's all that matters.
"That's all we are thankful for," said Rusty. "My wife and kids are alive. That's everything."
The family wants to thank everyone who's reached out to help them.
Meanwhile the community is rallying. You can donate to the Tanner relief fund at the Bank of Advance with locations in Dexter, Advance, and Bell City.
We are also learning more about the storm that hit Stoddard County on Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service, the twister was an EF3, with peak winds of 140 miles per hour.
Emergency Management Director Kent Polsgrove tells Heartland News he hopes to hear from FEMA teams who survey damage quickly
He says this storm has his office and first responders considering some changes to procedures, including when to sound storm sirens.
He says they did not set the one off near Puxico Wednesday because the twister was never spotted. However, he says in discussions at night it's next to impossible to spot a tornado, so they are considering another form of protocol.
It is important to note, Polsgrove and those who live in the affected area north east of town say that siren's sound never would have reached them because they are too far away.
Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.
1115 Mt. Auburn Road
Public File Contact:
FCC Public File
Local News
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2014 WorldNow and WFIE. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.


text:
Gifts that give back! For vegans and beyond! »
That's right errrybody, a Vegansaurus Gifts That Give Back list! Because there is nothing like secretly imposing your values on others! I think I've got something for everyone on here. I'm kind of known for being the best gift-giver in the world so you're pretty lucky I'm here. Now, it's not as easy to recommend stuff for strangers but I found some good presents. Let's do this!
First up, this is a present for your fashionable dog-lover. What? Why, yes, I guess that does describe me very well! And I can assure you I would love to get this:
This is the "found my animal" set and it's available at Uncommongoods.com and on the manufacturer's site. It celebrates all the adopted pups out there! Totally leather-free, each leash has a little brass tag with a number on it, counting your dog among the league of the proud rescue dogs. They have super-cute harnesses on their site too, all totally cotton. The best part, 25 percent of their profits go to the Louis Animal Foundation. Awesome!
Now for the "foodie" ("foodie" is like more stigmatized than "hipster" in my mind) or tea-lover, Douglas Fir tea! You can purchase the tea from my favorite vegan sneaker company, Keep! Made by the Juniper Ridge, 10 percent of sales go toward "protecting the western wilderness." Ha! You thought I was only going to do animal charities, didn't you! Well, guess what: lots of animals live in the wilderness so it's important to protect our environment, too! Plus, I know lots of people that care about the environment and don't care about animals so they will like the extra benefit from the gift and not know that you are secretly supporting the vegan agenda. Ha! Ha-ha!
Above we have a nice gift set from Aveda. Toiletry gift sets rule. I said it. Plus with this set, you get a little tagua nut accessory, sustainably made by women in Colombia: "Aveda's alliance with indigenous people and women artisans in Colombia helps support BETTER FUTURES FOR 400 FAMILIES, and helps PRESERVE 400 RAINFOREST ACRES." Dope!
For the bambino in your life, here's a super great gorilla from miYim:
A portion of the proceeds go to everyone's favorite ape-woman, the Jane Goodall Institute. I'm really into the description of the stuffed animal: "…this thoughtful and realistic looking Gorilla…" Does he look thoughtful? Or realistic? Doesn't realistic mean we'd see his frank and beans?
Here's another good gift for kids or a family:
The Mission: China board game, available at Amazon, is all about endangered animals! Plus, a portion of the proceeds go to Conservation International. I will admit that I totally enjoy playing board games with my family on holidays. Don't tell anyone!
Now this next thing, I'm totally into:
A wildlife habitat kit! Awesome! Perfect for the gardener or just I guess anyone with a house or backyard. It's available from the National Wildlife Federation. So cool! Shut up, it is cool.
For my next trick, candles that give back!:
With Jimmy's candles, five dollars from every candle goes toward charity. You get to pick the charity from a list that includes Paws SF and the ASPCA, so that rules. I know candles aren't the most exciting thing ever but you can kind of give them to anyone and they are actually useful, unlike 90 percent of presents. Oh! And all the candles are soy. Shweet.
OK, OK, this list is getting long! I will leave you with one final idea:
OK that's two but they are from the same place! This is the Treahouse crossbody and the Mend messenger from the Mend collection and they benefit Invisible Children. See, I don't only care about animals! I care about kids too. But that's where I draw the line! Kids and animals. They are innocent and we should take care of them. Plus, these bags are FLY! Come on, you know I'm right.
There you have it! A nice list if I do say so myself. Happy holidays!
∞ posted at 11:21 by youtalkfunny
Dane with a mission »
One of my favorite dogs on twitter is @Mozartdane. Yes there are dogs on twitter and yes I have a favorite one. Why is Mozart my favorite? Because he's an amazing artist! Mozart is a puppy mill rescue dog who now lives at the Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue in Ohio and it's there where he discovered his love of painting. Mozart sells his paintings on his website and all proceeds go to the dog rescue.
Here's his artist mission statement:
I am the Harlequin Haven Great Dane
Rescue Spokesdog against puppy mills pet stores, and homeless dogs. I have dedicated my life to this cause and in doing so I create art by painting with my paws. Painting helps me to overcome my pain of my early days in a puppy mill and also helps with bringing awareness to these issues.
Mozart came from one of the MANY Amish country puppy mills that are all over Ohio and Pennsylvania. People think the Amish are all nice just because they don't use electricity—it's just not true! I mean I'm sure there are nice Amish people, but Amish country hosts some of the largest and most horrifying puppy mills in the United States. It's madness! Good thing Mozart is here to raise awareness.
This painting is one of my favorites: "Dane-berry Fields," $65.
And if you aren't ready to buy a painting, Mozart also sells great stuff like this bandanna, modeled by my cat Mitsy. It's signed by Mozart himself! Awesome.
∞ posted at 11:00 by youtalkfunny


text:
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A healthy, candy-like cookie.
1 cup quick-cooking oats (250 mL)
1 cup unsweetened coconut, (250 mL)
finely desiccated
1/4 cup cocoa (50 mL)
10 SPLENDA® packets
2 tbsp whole OR skim milk (25 mL)
2 tbsp unsalted butter (25 mL)
2 tbsp peanut butter, no sugar or (25 mL)
salt added, OR almond butter
1/2 cup Da Vinci® Sugar Free (125 mL)
Chocolate Syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)
In large bowl, combine oats, coconut, cocoa, SPLENDA® and whole or skim milk powder.
In cereal bowl, microwave butter and peanut butter or almond butter 1 minute. Stir in Da Vinci® Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup and vanilla extract.
Add peanut or almond butter mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until well combined.
Line cookie sheets with wax paper. Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper. Flatten with back of spoon. Refrigerate.
Nutritional Analysis: 24 cookies, 1 cookie:
57.6 calories; 1.2 g protein; 4.5 g fat; 2.1 g carbs
2 comments:
Hi Jen,
I love the look of your Easter Brownies! I even ordered some erythritol from Netrition. . . along with a few other goodies. I am anxious to see what customs will have to say about that!?
You have had a lot of company lately. Must be very busy! We are going to Alberta for Easter. Plan to be gone April 8 - 15. Hoping to see ALL the kids this time.
BTW is almond flour same thing as ground almonds??
Talk to you soon.
- Monday, April 06, 2009 9:44:00 PM
- Jennifer said...
Hi Margaret,
For a moment I thought I lost your comment (Waaaah, my only comment in a while! lol)! Then I found you under the next post. Phew!
That is so cool that you're ordering from Netrition. They are great. I am also curious as well to see what customs will have to say about that.
Almond meal is supposed to be ground almonds and almond flour is supposed to be finer, however, I use them interchangeably, usually without problems. My almond flour that I ordered from Netrition says: Almond Meal/Flour. However, remember that health food store next to Shoppers Drug Mart and across the way from the old Safeway? They have pretty good, finely ground, blanched almond flour in the bins on the left-hand-side of the store, towards the back. I miss the candy store as well with the sugar free chocolate chips. Those are awesome, although I never lost weight eating 'em. Figures! I am going to be working on some homemade chocolate chips using my erythritol.
Yes, it has been very busy with company and more coming tomorrow 'till Friday.
So happy you will be having a nice little holiday shortly to see your family. It will be spring-time in the Rockies - almost! :)
Keep well and happy. Think of you often and miss you guys lots!! (((HUGgggggggggssss)))
- Tuesday, April 07, 2009 7:05:00 AM


text:
This is not an intellectual game. Even if we know what is true – and we don't – you cannot reduce life to a set of provable realities. Humanity is too complex for that. In the end, it comes down to whether the world would be a better place without religion; and that is a matter of judgment, not certainty.
Is a car a crutch? Is a microwave a crutch? A remote control, direct deposit, air conditioning - are those things crutches?I don't know... Let's ask Urban Scout!
Most of those who are making use of this word would be highly confused if required to explain its meaning. For since it has become fashionable, people cheerfully declare that this musician or that painter is "existentialist." A columnist in Clartes signs himself "The Existentialist," and, indeed, the word is now so loosely applied to so many things that it no longer means anything at all. It would appear that, for the lack of any novel doctrine such as that of surrealism, all those who are eager to join in the latest scandal or movement now seize upon this philosophy in which, however, they can find nothing to their purpose. For in truth this is of all teachings the least scandalous and the most austere: it is intended strictly for technicians and philosophers. All the same, it can easily be defined.posted by nasreddin at 9:02 AM on September 2, 2007 [6 favorites]
The question is only complicated because there are two kinds of existentialists. There are, on the one hand, the Christians, amongst whom I shall name Jaspers and Gabriel Marcel, both professed Catholics; and on the other the existential atheists, amongst whom we must place Heidegger as well as the French existentialists and myself. What they have in common is simply the fact that they believe that existence comes before essence – or, if you will, that we must begin from the subjective.
The word humanism has two very different meanings. One may understand by humanism a theory which upholds man as the end-in-itself and as the supreme value. Humanism in this sense appears, for instance, in Cocteau's story Round the World in 80 Hours, in which one of the characters declares, because he is flying over mountains in an airplane, "Man is magnificent!" This signifies that although I personally have not built aeroplanes, I have the benefit of those particular inventions and that I personally, being a man, can consider myself responsible for, and honoured by, achievements that are peculiar to some men. It is to assume that we can ascribe value to man according to the most distinguished deeds of certain men. That kind of humanism is absurd, for only the dog or the horse would be in a position to pronounce a general judgment upon man and declare that he is magnificent, which they have never been such fools as to do – at least, not as far as I know. But neither is it admissible that a man should pronounce judgment upon Man. Existentialism dispenses with any judgment of this sort: an existentialist will never take man as the end, since man is still to be determined. And we have no right to believe that humanity is something to which we could set up a cult, after the manner of Auguste Comte. The cult of humanity ends in Comtian humanism, shut-in upon itself, and – this must be said – in Fascism. We do not want a humanism like that.
But there is another sense of the word, of which the fundamental meaning is this: Man is all the time outside of himself: it is in projecting and losing himself beyond himself that he makes man to exist; and, on the other hand, it is by pursuing transcendent aims that he himself is able to exist. Since man is thus self-surpassing, and can grasp objects only in relation to his self-surpassing, he is himself the heart and center of his transcendence. There is no other universe except the human universe, the universe of human subjectivity. This relation of transcendence as constitutive of man (not in the sense that God is transcendent, but in the sense of self-surpassing) with subjectivity (in such a sense that man is not shut up in himself but forever present in a human universe) – it is this that we call existential humanism. This is humanism, because we remind man that there is no legislator but himself; that he himself, thus abandoned, must decide for himself; also because we show that it is not by turning back upon himself, but always by seeking, beyond himself, an aim which is one of liberation or of some particular realisation, that man can realize himself as truly human.
You can see from these few reflections that nothing could be more unjust than the objections people raise against us. Existentialism is nothing else but an attempt to draw the full conclusions from a consistently atheistic position. Its intention is not in the least that of plunging men into despair. And if by despair one means as the Christians do – any attitude of unbelief, the despair of the existentialists is something different. Existentialism is not atheist in the sense that it would exhaust itself in demonstrations of the non-existence of God. It declares, rather, that even if God existed that would make no difference from its point of view. Not that we believe God does exist, but we think that the real problem is not that of His existence; what man needs is to find himself again and to understand that nothing can save him from himself, not even a valid proof of the existence of God. In this sense existentialism is optimistic. It is a doctrine of action, and it is only by self-deception, by confining their own despair with ours that Christians can describe us as without hope.
- Sartre, "Existentialism is a Humanism" (1946)
the Levitican laws are pretty ridiculous and it's the height of hypocrisy to simply pick one out at random and try to force it on othersI'm having a hard time understanding what's "hypocritical" about it. Asinine, sure. Idiotic, yeah. Jerky, of course.
sotonohito: In America religion is considered to be the norm, so a lot of people who don't need it do it anyway.This cultural mish-mash 'churchianity' is actually one of the curious aspects of the whole thing. It's one of the pieces of the puzzle that explains why fundamentalists flip-flop between claiming they're part of the silent majority, and claiming that they're part of a small remnant of the faithful that have to help save the world from sin.
« Older The Midwest Teen Sex Show... | Two stunning minutes of MTV... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments


text:
West Indies
Shivnarine Chanderpaul scores 30th Test century at 40 as West Indies defeat Bangladesh
Simon Evans Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored his 30th Test ton for the West Indies as Bangladesh collapsed to a 2-0 series defeat.
Bangladesh fight to stay in second Test against West Indies
Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque defied the West Indies through a shortened afternoon session as Bangladesh, set a victory target of 489, reached 2-114 at tea on the fourth day of the second and final...
Kraigg Braithwaite scores double ton for West Indies
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite's maiden double century helped West Indies amass 407 for three on the second day of the first test against Bangladesh at Arnos Vale in St Vincent on Saturday.
West Indies tighten grip on first Test
West Indies tightened their grip on the first Test against Bangladesh reducing the visitors to 4-105, in reply to their first innings 7-484, at tea on the third day at Arnos Vale Stadium on Sunday.
West Indies thrash Bangladesh in first Test
West Indies overcame their own atrocious catching and a defiant hundred by Mushfiqur Rahim to defeat Bangladesh by ten wickets before lunch on the fifth and final day of the first Test at the Arnos...
Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin rescue West Indies from ODI loss to Bangladesh
Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin saved the West Indies from a humiliating defeat and engineered a three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first one-day international at the National Stadium in...
Bangladesh collapse to 177-run defeat by West Indies
Sunil Narine and Kemar Roach took three wickets each as Bangladesh were bowled out for 70 to give West Indies victory in the second one-day international by 177 runs on Friday.
Rain stymies New Zealand during third Test against West Indies
The Black Caps toiled hard for little reward after persistent rain prevented play for most of the afternoon on Friday's second day of the third Test against the West Indies in Bridgetown, Barbados.
NZ edge ahead of West Indies
Kane Wiliamson and Brendon McCullum lifted New Zealand to 3-123 at stumps on day three of the third and final Test against West Indies at Kensington Oval on Saturday.
New Zealand win third Test to clinch West Indies series
Attacking captaincy from Brendon McCullum and an inspired bowling effort have carried New Zealand to a Test series-clinching win over the West Indies.
West Indies beat New Zealand by 39 runs in T20
New Zealand's batting collapsed under the pressure of an ever-increasing scoring rate as the West Indies claimed a 39-run victory in the second and final Twenty20 International on Sunday.
India ease past West Indies to inch closer to semi-finals
Amlan Chakraborty India inched closer to a World Twenty20 semi-final spot after half-centuries from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli secured a seven-wicket victory over holders West Indies in a super 10 stage match on...
Twenty20 World Cup: West Indies rout Bangladesh
Dwayne Smith smashed 72 off 43 balls before spinner Samuel Badree claimed 4-15 as the West Indies thrashed hosts Bangladesh by 73 runs in a Twenty20 World Cup match in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Sammy lifts West Indies to victory
West Indies skipper downs Australia with two sixes in the final over.
West Indies destroy Pakistan to make T20 semis
Defending champions charge into the World Twenty20 semi-finals with a spectacular 84-run win over Pakistan.
West Indies on brink of winning second Test against New Zealand
West Indies were on the verge of winning the second Test against New Zealand despite a stubborn fightback from the visitors on the fourth day in Trinidad on Thursday.
West Indies dump Darren Sammy as Test captain
Denesh Ramdin was on Friday named as the new captain of West Indies' Test team in succession to Darren Sammy, who had been in charge since October 2010.
Darren Sammy retires from Tests after being dumped as West Indies captain
West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy has announced his retirement from Test cricket after he was replaced as captain by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.
Shaky second innings start for New Zealand in First Test against West Indies
New Zealand's hopes of a rare overseas Test win were shaken by a challenging final hour on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.
Mark Craig impressive as New Zealand beat West Indies
Offspinner captures the best figures by a New Zealand bowler on debut as the visitors beat West Indies by 186 runs late on the fourth day of the First Test.


text:
An, Z. 2010. Monoclonal antibodies—a proven and rapidly expanding therapeutic modality for human diseases. Protein Cell 1(4):319-330.
Animal Welfare Act (New Zealand). 1999. Public Act 1999, no. 142. Date of Assent 14 October 1999.
Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council. 2003. Policy on the use of non-human primates for scientific purposes. http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/ea14.pdf (accessed October 213, 2011).
AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Ape TAG. 2010. Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) care manual. Silver Spring, MD: Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Bailey, J. 2008. An assessment of the role of chimpanzees in AIDS vaccine research. ALTA 36(4):381-428.
Bailey, J. 2010a. An assessment of the use of chimpanzees in hepatitis C research past, present and future: Validity of the chimpanzee model. ALTA 38(5):387-418.
Bailey, J. 2010b. An assessment of the use of chimpanzees in hepatitis C research past, present and future: 2. Alternative replacement methods. ALTA 38(6):471-494.
Bassett, S. E., K. M. Brasky, and R. E. Lanford. 1998. Analysis of hepatitis C virus-inoculated chimpanzees reveals unexpected clinical profiles. J Virol 72(4):2589-2599.
Bassett, S. E., D. L. Thomas, K. M. Brasky, and R. E. Lanford. 1999. Viral persistence, antibody to e1 and e2, and hypervariable region 1 sequence stability in hepatitis C virus-inoculated chimpanzees. J Virol 73(2):1118-1126.
Bateson, P. 2011. Review of research using non-human primates: Report of a panel chaired by Professor Sir Patrick Bateson FRS. Medical Research Council (MRC). London, England.
Beck, A., T. Wurch, C. Bailly, and N. Corvaia. 2010. Strategies and challenges for the next generation of therapeutic antibodies. Nat Rev Immunol 10(5):345-352.
Becker, P. D., N. Legrand, C. M. van Geelen, M. Noerder, N. D. Huntington, A. Lim, E. Yasuda, S. A. Diehl, F. A. Scheeren, M. Ott, K. Weijer, H. Wedemeyer, J. P. Di Santo, T. Beaumont, C. A. Guzman, and H. Spits. 2010. Generation of human antigen-specific monoclonal IgM antibodies using vaccinated "human immune system" mice. PLoS One 5(10).
Bem, R. A., J. B. Domachowske, and H. F. Rosenberg. 2011. Animal models of human respiratory syncytial virus disease. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 301(2):L148-L156.
Ben-Yehudah, A., C. A. T. Easley, B. P. Hermann, C. Castro, C. Simerly, K. E. Orwig, S. Mitalipov, and G. Schatten. 2010. Systems biology discoveries using non-human primate pluripotent stem and germ cells: Novel gene and genomic


text:
Seven Lessons Before I was Able to Become Love. Lesson #3: Patience
About the new blog series: "Seven Lessons Before I was Able to Become Love" is a collection of eight short articles where I share eight values I consider the origin of the person I am today. After the eight articles are all published on my blog, I will be offering a free mini e-book with these as chapters that will easily connect and complete the sequence in one little self-help book that you will be able to download at no cost as my way of saying thank you for letting me be a part of your world and making it possible to HealThruWords®.
If you missed lesson #2, please click here.
The fact that my daughters weren't living with me any longer was one of the most painful circumstances I have had to confront so far. Back in 2004 when I had accepted the invitation to study my last master's degree program in Washington DC, my intention had been to leave Bogota, the city where I lived at that time, and bring them with me so that the three of us could be together and study at the same time. My ex-husband refused my proposal and did all things possible so they couldn't travel abroad. As they were still minors and they needed his legal consent for visa and immigration purposes I was faced with the toughest decision of all: If I stayed I would lose the opportunity of liberating from the poisonous tentacles of this man who still had not forgiven me for divorcing him four years before and who would do anything to see me failing at whatever I'd do to succeed without him. And if I'd leave I would have to leave my girls with their father and additionally, pay him to do so. I never understood this behavior of his, it wasn't that he needed the money, he was a multi-millionaire for goodness' sake! Much less I understood my daughters' attitude after finishing my degree in 2006 and wanting to go back and live with the two of them. They rejected me saying they would only live with their dad from there on.Read More


text:
LiveGCSE results out today!
This live event has finished
- Students across the area are expecting their GCSE results today. We will be adding statements from schools as they come in here.
Bishop Perowne Church of England College, deputy head Dave Kling:
"Bishop Perowne students improved on our previous best results with 86 per cent of the year group achieving a minimum of 5 A*-C grades, once again surpassing the challenging target of 81% set by the Local Authority. This builds on, and takes forward, our good Ofsted report of May 2012 and consolidates a sustained and significant upward trend in achievement.
"Furthermore we are delighted to announce that in 10 GCSE subjects, including Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Art, Music, History and Geography over 50% of students gained an A or A*
Hereford Cathedral School:
94.9 per cent of results were at A* to C with 38 per cent at A*.
King's School Worcester, headmaster Tim Keyes:
"This is a very good outcome for a hard-working group of students and sets them up very well for A level and for university applications in due course. I am very impressed with the mature and dedicated approach that they have taken towards their exams. They know how important they are to their future and this concentrates the mind. They also get on really well with their teachers who, for their part, are always ready to go the extra mile."
All 134 pupils gained at least five A* to C grades.
@worcesternews i got 6 A's, 4 B's, and a C #WNGCSE— @Aimee_Merrygold 23 August 2012
Droitwich Spa High School, headteacher, Natalie Waters:
"This is great achievement and brings credit to the candidates and to all who have taught and supported them in various ways. What we have to remember two things as we look at this improvement. That increase of 11% is not just a statistic. It represents 33 individual young people who now have a greater range of opportunity as they move on to the next phase of their lives.
"We should also remember that success comes in different forms. Within our 300 candidates there are very many individual achievements. As I study the results I am delighted to see that so many of their efforts have been rewarded."
62 per cent of pupils achieved at least five A* to C grades, including English and maths.
Bishop Perowne CE College:
86 per cent of pupils achieved at least five A* to C grades.
Dodderhill School, Droitwich, headteacher Catherine Mawston:
"I am absolutely thrilled with all of the girl's achievements this year; they have all worked tremendously hard and should be extremely proud of themselves, not just for their GCSE results but how they have developed as young women, now ready to face the next chapter of their lives.
"GCSE's can often make it hard to encourage the girls to explore different paths or deviate from a set plan due to the rigidity of the 'perfect answer'. At Dodderhill, I try to encourage the girls to take risks so that they can learn positively from failings, build up resilience and have the courage to go onto succeed in the future."
71 per cent of students gained A* to B grades and 43 per cent achieved A* or A grades.
93 per cent got five or more A* to C grades.
Dyson Perrins CE Academy, Malvern, assistant headteacher Stuart Wetson:
"We are understandably proud of and delighted with their achievements as they reflect the hard work and effort that has been put in by our students and their teachers. We are now looking forward to helping them to develop in our sixth form as they begin their post-16 courses in September."
76 per cent of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades and 56 per cent gained five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.
Malvern St James, headmistress Patricia Woodhouse:
"All credit to the girls and their teachers who have given their School so much to be proud of today. Following on from our outstanding A Level results last week, this level of academic success is fitting testament to our vibrant, ambitious learning environment and a positive 'can-do' culture which offers every girl the opportunity to achieve her personal best. We wish these young women ongoing success with their A Level studies here at MSJ, where their future is clearly very bright."
58 per cent of all grades were A* to A
Love how my nan is crying #gcseresults— @shelbyHawksy 23 August 2012
Evesham High School, headteacher Caroline Browne:
"Whilst politicians continue to demand on the one hand that students do better every year, yet on the other hand decry a so-called dilution of standards if they do improve, we know that our students have worked hard to achieve results that are better than the average and have done themselves proud. Congratulations to them all and to staff who worked hard so that they could achieve their best. They can now go on confidently to the next stage in their education."
The overall pass rate for pupils with five or more A* to C grades was 79 per cent and 54 per cent achieved five A* to C grades including English and Maths.
Bredon School, headmaster John Hewitt:
"We are delighted. Our pupils' hard work and determination has been rewarded this morning. In the school's 50th year, it's very pleasing to see the happiness and relief of both students and parents."
81 per cent of pupils attained five or more grade A*–G passes.
Students from RGS Worcester.
The Chase School, Malvern:
The amount of pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at A* to C has now been amended to 74 per cent.
Prince Henry's High School, incoming headteacher Tony Evans:
"I would like to offer my congratulations to the students, and everybody who has supported them, including their teachers and families. These results highlight once again the outstanding standards here at Prince Henry's, and they are a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the pupils, the quality of the teaching, and the continuous support provided from parents and families. I would like to pay tribute to the leadership provided by Mr. Roberts and I am now very much looking forward to working with everyone associated with the school community over the coming months and years."
Overall 84 per cent of students achieved five or more A* to C grades, with 68 per cent gaining five A* to C passes including English and maths.
RGS Worcester, headmaster Andy Rattue:
"These excellent scores continue the pattern set by our A Level students. They buck the national trend away from academically challenging subjects and show what can be achieved by motivated pupils, first-rate teachers and supportive parents. The results are all the more remarkable when you consider how much these students have also achieved beyond the classroom in sport, drama, music and adventurous outdoor pursuits."
The overall pass rate at A* to C was 97.6 per cent with every candidate achieving five A* to C grades.
61.1 per cent of all passes were at A* to A.
Queen Elizabeth Humanities College, Bromyard, headteacher Michael Goodman:
"I am pleased that we have consolidated the progress we have been making over the past three years and I am confident that next summer will see another record year for results. QEHC has certainly turned the corner and achievement is now part of the culture of the school."
65 per cent of students achieved five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths.
Have just read Clive Corbett's (Head of Pershore High) comments on lower % of 5 A*-C inc English and Maths. It is devastating for students!— @cllrfranoborski 23 August 2012
John Masefield High School, Ledbury, headteacher Andy Evans:
"These impressive results have are a product of consistent application and dedication from our students. Whilst the number of A* and A grades are particularly high, I am equally proud of every one of the students and know how hard they have worked to achieve their grades. I am extremely grateful for the continued support of parents and for the countless hours given up by staff to ensure that all students were so well prepared for their examinations. The results were well above national averages and represent what can be achieved through committed partnership and a desire to achieve the very best."
97 per cent of all students achieved five A* to C grades with 61 per cent achieving five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.
A, B, B, B, B, B, B, B, C, C :) #GCSEResults— @SarahMalkin1D 23 August 2012
Malvern College, headmaster Antony Clark:
"We are delighted with the success of our candidates who have as a group exceeded our expectations. Well done to the students concerned as well as their teachers who have worked so hard with them."
61.8 per cent of subjects returned grades of A* or A, with 34.5 per cent at A*.
Overall 97.3 per cent of subjects achieved grades of A* to C.
Alcester Grammar School:
All students achieved five A* to C grades including English and Maths and 36.3 per cent of all results were marked at A*.
Sooo I got 3 A*'s , 5 A's, 1 B and 1 C 😃 so unbelievably happy!!! #results #GCSEresults #GCSE— @lauramorrison_ 23 August 2012
2D's 6c's 2B's 2a's aaaaah not to bad then :) #gcseresults— @Gwennan_W 23 August 2012
Bromsgrove School, headmaster Chris Edwards:
"To have recorded our best ever A level and GCSE results in the same year is a champagne moment in our 500 year history."
More than a third of all results were at A*, 63.5 per were at A* to A and 87.5 per cent at A* to B.
The Chantry School, Martley, deputy headteacher Darren Reynolds:
"We are extremely pleased with these results and would like to express our congratulations to our students and dedicated, hard working staff who have made these results possible."
77.2 per cent of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.
90.44 per cent gained five or more A* to C grades.
St Mary's Worcester, headmistress Catherine Jawaheer:
"I am proud of every single one of our GCSE candidates this summer, from our most academic students right through to those who find life in the classroom a bit of a struggle! A combination of the girls own hard work, together with the very personal support and motivation given by our dedicated staff through our mentoring scheme, has resulted in another strong set of results across the curriculum.
"The results in science are particularly pleasing and show that when in a culture and environment free from gender stereotyping, girls are able to get stuck into and excel in those subjects traditionally associated with boys. Together with our A level results, our best for eight years, these results demonstrate the achievements that can be made when education is focused on identifying, encouraging and challenging the specific gifts and talents of each student which is exactly what we aim to do here at St Mary's."
96 per cent of all candidates gained five or more A* to C grades and 48 per of all grades were A* to A.
Nunnery Wood High School, headteacher Alun Williams:
"We are absolutely delighted with these outstanding results that our students have achieved. They worked very hard indeed for them and they thoroughly deserve their success. We could not be happier for them."
66 per cent of all students achieved five or more A* t0 C grades including English and maths, and a third of all results gained an A* or A.
The Chase School, Malvern, headteacher Kevin Peck:
"The school is delighted that students of all ability levels again achieved their potential, proving once more that, whilst offering an outstanding extra-curricular programme, The Chase also provides students with every opportunity for high academic achievement. These results are justified reward for the hard work over many years of students and staff, as well as for the support of parents. Congratulations and celebrations are well-deserved all round, especially given the increased expectations imposed at the end of the two year GCSE course by the exam authorities."
68 per cent of pupils gained five or more GCSEs at A* to C, with 55 per cent gaining five or more A* to C including English and maths.
Hanley Castle High School, near Malvern, headteacher Lindsey Cooke:
"We are all so proud of our students. They have worked exceptionally hard throughout their school careers, and today's fantastic results are exactly what they deserve. It is a real credit to them that a number of our Year 11 gave up their summer holiday to work on educational projects in Tanzania. We are looking forward very much to hearing their stories as they commence a new stage in their school careers as members of our sixth form in September. I would also like to pay tribute to the very high levels of support provided for these students by both teachers and parents. It is the partnership between the students, their parents and their teachers which makes outstanding results like these possible."
70 per cent of students gained five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths.
The overall pass rate was 99.9 per cent.
Pershore High School headteacher, Clive Corbett:
"Instead of celebrating a marvellous set of GCSE results we are trying to get justice for the young people whose futures are being played around with. These global figures of course mask a huge number of extraordinary individual results, achieved by hard working students supported by very committed staff. I would again like to congratulate all concerned. It is a great shame this year that our overall performance has been significantly affected by a serious anomaly with our English Language results. We are working very hard with the examination board and other national bodies to rectify this."
70 per cent of all pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades, with more than 72 per cent of all grades being C or higher.
The five A* to C rate including English and maths was 50 per cent compared to an expected 68 per cent.
I was in the very 1st yr to take GCSEs. I remember my results well. If I rearranged the letters I could have almost spelled my name #WNGCSE— @murraykelsoWN 23 August 2012
Press Association news alert :
The proportion of GCSEs awarded at least a C grade has fallen for the first time in the exam's history, official figures revealed today.
Getting your GCSE results today? Tweet us with #WNGCSE and tell us how you did!— @worcesternews 23 August 2012
Tenbury High School
The figure for students gaining five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths, was 67 per cent.


text:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Health Center
Web Therapy Helps With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
'Web-Based Therapy More Accessible' continued...
Web-based behavioral therapy may have important advantages over traditional therapy in situations where flexible treatment times are needed and when there are barriers to delivering face-to-face care.
"What is exciting about this trial is that these researchers have made the delivery of an effective treatment for CFS more convenient, more accessible, and possibly more cost-effective," says longtime chronic fatigue researcher Peter D. White, MD, of St. Bartholomew's and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
White tells WebMD that the greater accessibility and more frequent interaction with therapists may explain the better results for Internet-delivered treatment.
Patients sent their therapists an average of 66 emails over the course of treatment, and therapists sent an average 29 email "consults" per patient.
He adds that if greater accessibility improves outcomes, an Internet-based treatment strategy may be as effective in adults as it is in teens.
"It is important to repeat this study in adults," he says.