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Who are the new media institute's managers?
A week later, the formation of the Institute of Journalism in New Media is still sending ripples through the Philadelphia journalism community. So many questions remain as journalists wonder if and how this unique idea will shape the future of an industry in transition.
There's still much to learn about the Institute, but at least now we know who's who on the board that H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest chose to govern it. The Board of Managers, who have yet to hold their first meeting, consists of academics and former journalists both within and outside the Philadelphia area.
Lenfest will serve as the initial chairman of the board, and will provide $20 million for its endowment. The Philadelphia Foundation will house the three news organizations: the Inquirer, the Daily News, and Philly.com.
"You heard from Mr. Lenfest and others, [and from] the leadership of the three large newspapers that all print news media is critical but undergoing a lot of change in the digital age," Pedro Ramos, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Foundation, said in a recent interview with Al DÍA. "To be part of such a big endeavor to ensure that our democracy continues and that independent journalism both nationally and locally is a great privilege and great opportunity, and I think we will be a great benefit to all of Philadelphia."
Ramos will also serve as a member on the board, but added that the Philadelphia Foundation will not have anything to do with running the media company.
"Mr. Lenfest endowed the Institute for Journalism and New Media to help journalism identify sustainable models for the long-term, and also to provide a way of having extra funding for public interest journalism," Ramos said.
David Boardman, the dean of Temple's School of Media and Communication, told Al DÍA last week at the National Constitution Center that he felt that there is great potential for the Institute to boost local and regional journalism for the benefit of the entire country. But he emphasized that, despite their new nonprofit status, the papers will still need to turn a profit.
The formation of the Institute also will not undo the layoffs of journalists that took place at the three news organizations just last year.
"It really doesn't fix any of the challenges short term, but I think builds the foundation for a much longer runway to reinvent their business," Boardman said. "The company is still going to have to show a dollar of profit. It's tragic that journalists are losing their jobs and I think the people who run PMN are determined to minimize that kind of reduction in the future."
In addition to Boardman and Ramos, the newly formed Board is comprised of other noticeable figures from the Philadelphia area, such as Michael X. Delli Carpini, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania; David W. Hass, vice chairman of the Wyncote Foundation; Rosalind Remer, vice provost and founding Lenfest executive director director of the Center for Cultural Partnerships at Drexel University and Leonard Tow, founder and chairman of the Tow Foundation.
Steve Coll is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of seven books of nonfiction, and a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Long before the New Yorker, Coll was a reporter, foreign correspondent and senior editor at the Washington Post from 1985 and 2005. It was there that he covered Wall Street, served as the paper's South Asia correspondent, and first international investigative correspondent in London. He served as the Post's managing editor between 1998 and 2004.
David M. Schizer is Dean Emeritus and Harvey R. Miller Professor of Law and Economics at Columbia University Law School. He is considered to be one of the nation's leading tax law scholars, whose research also focuses on energy law and corporate governance issues.
Schizer serves on the board of Seacor Holdings Inc., an NYSE listed company, as well as on the board of the Philadelphia Media Network (PMN). Schizer served as dean from 2004 to 2014. He was the youngest dean in the Law School's history when he began his service at the age of 35. He recruited 43 new faculty members, added a ninth floor to the main Law School building, and led a $353 million capital campaign, which represented a substantial increase over the Law School's prior $150 million campaign.
Sarah Bartlett is the Dean of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY). She joined the university in 2002 as the Bloomberg Chair of Business Journalism at Baruch College and then moved to the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in 2006, after serving on its founding curriculum committee.
Bartlett created and oversaw both the urban, business and economics reporting, and helped found the university's Center for Community and Ethnic Media.
"I came to this project very favorably and when I met with [Lenfest] him and learned sort of the nature of what he was attempting to do I was just so impressed with his determination to keep the publications strong and understanding their role in the community," Bartlett said.
"It was just sort of a combination of believing in tradition," she said. "I do feel that I bring something to the party with my own background in journalism and the work that we are doing at our own school which is very much focused on business models and community journalism and accountability journalism. So all of the things that I care about and then just wanting to be helpful."
Still in its early days, it has yet to be seen how the Institute's untried methods will work, but Bartlett added that journalism is a great "marketplace" to try new things — especially with this exciting new experiment.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Full Caf Americano®
In the surprise of the evening last night, 12 Years a Slave won the Oscar for best picture. Gravity won just about everything else. Which begs the question, WTF?
Okay, I'm joking. Everyone knew Slave was going to win. A few years ago George Clooney proudly informed us that the Academy first recognized an African American when it gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939.
And Regular Right Guy remembers thinking at the time, And she had to sit in the back of the room on the night you gave it to her.
Even forty years later Morgan Freeman won for playing a janitor, rather than the brilliant Alex Cross.
But Denzel Washington!
So is Slave Hollywood in a nutshell or what? The actual work isn't nearly as important as how you feel about yourself after you've voted for the PC favorite. You know? How does Gravity win best director, original score, visual effects, sound editing, best sound mixing, best cinematography, best film editing and not be best picture?
Then Cate Blanchet wins best actress for Blue Jasmine and Matthew McConaughey and God win best actor for Dallas Buyers Club? How does Slave win best picture? What was left, best Best boy?
The real surprise of the evening was McConaughey. I've never been a fan but the guy totally won me over last night.
Wanna talk bold and risky. Giving praise to that Interloper? Everyone in Hollywood knows the Coen brothers are god.
The RG is very proud of Mr. McConaughey.
And for the record let's get something straight; there is only one Steve McQueen, and he was neither black nor British. Someone needs to tell this clown to put an initial between Steve and McQueen.
There were a few other surprises. Did any of you guys know that Ellen DeGeneres is gay? All right, it was a joke!
Mrs. Ellen DeGeneres, the former mostly out-of-work actress Portia de Rossi, used to date George Clooney, but apparently something was missing in the relationship. Maybe if George could've figured out a way to make it vibrate.
I know, I know. I'm sorry. Because homophobe.
Finally, why is it conservatives are the only ones who are remembering Kim Novak for her stellar career today?
Yes, Miss Novak's most recent cosmetic surgery may have been unfortunate, but she gave us something so rare in Hollywood nowadays.
Movies we actually want to remember.
Liberal ageist prigs!
Generously reblogged by our buddy Mr. G Guy
Mad Jewess
"Genocidal" Yanukovych, USA's Fav Boogeyman: NO Proof Of Any Genocide. #SouthAfrica Is In Stage 6 Genocide
The Other McCain
British Group Claimed 'Research' Showed 'No Identifiable Damage' of Child Sex
Something For The Evangelical Atheists To Contemplate
Kim Novak's Oscar Appearance Sparks Remarks About Age, Plastic Surgery
Kevin Zeese, Neal Rauhauser and the 'Occupy Infiltrator' Frame-Up
Lonely Conservative
UNC May Cut Hours Of 6,500 Employees Thanks To Obamacare
Blackmailers Don't Shoot
Bob Belvedere
Hey, @ProteinWisdom – You're Not The Only One
Hot Air
Mr. G Guy
WH Releases Publicity Photo Of Cowboy Obama On The Phone With Putin
The High Stakes Chess Match Between Obama And Putin
Donald Douglas
Kim Novak's 'Frozen' Appearance Sets Twitter Aflame — UPDATED AND BUMPED
Domestic Geek Girl
Is Your Toothpaste Toxic? A Closer Look At Fluoride
We've always suspected the Academy Awards show was mostly political and rarely based on talent and creativity; however, Sunday night just drove the point home once and for all. Similar thought as yours, how can you award the Best Actor award and the Best Supporting Actor award to people appearing in the same movie, the vehicle allowing them to give award worthy performances, and not give that movie an award? Oh, I know, the word "slave" was in the title of the winning movie, that made all the difference! Hollywood can feel good about itself and the rest of us just had crap rubbed in our faces. The winner……that's one movie we won't be paying to see.
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Director Spike Jonze is finally gearing up to shoot his first film since 2009's Where the Wild Things Are, and a casting change is underway. Carey Mulligan was set to star opposite Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, and Samantha Morton in the mystery project, but scheduling conflicts have forced her to drop out. Not to fear, though, because Oscar nominee Rooney Mara is now in final negotiations to take over the role. Previous synopses had the satirical film centering on a gathering of world leaders meeting to discuss global events from the changing price of oil to the timing of wars, but Variety's report notes that the story centers on a man who falls in love with the voice of a computer. Hit the jump for more.
Given the odd (and fantastically original) nature of Jonze's past projects, it's not hard to see either of these potential loglines being true. Mara is coming off a transformative turn in David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and she's landed some highly impressive projects in the wake of Sony's big-budget adaptation of the Swedish novels. She's currently filming Steven Soderbergh's Bitter Pill with Channing Tatum and Jude Law, and she's poised to shoot one of two new projects Terrence Malick is filming this year. Her role is in the formerly titled Lawless, which stars Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale and takes place in the Austin music scene.
Variety says that details on Mara's role in the Jonze project are unknown, but it's obvious that she's choosing to work with immensely talented and undeniably auteur directors following a double dose of Fincher. I thought she was swell in both The Social Network and Dragon Tattoo, so it'll be interesting to see her tackle some decidedly different characters. After wrapping on Bitter Pill, the actress is expected to move straight into filming Spike Jonze's new flick.


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If you are new to this blog I have a deep, deep passion for Marketing and Advertising. I will forever appreciate this field and any business that really use the basic skills to advance their companies and their products. I appreciate it so much because it is the only thing I know.
Advertising has been a sore point for many people. The impact advertising may have on potential viewers is great. Creators of advertisements understand this fully and they will exploit the opportunity while being legal to persuade the consumer to purchase a product or to buy into a service. Consumers therefore have a responsibility to take these advertisements with a grain of salt. There is a line in advertising that ad creators try not to cross and this is being deceptive. I have an issue with adverts deceiving people, misleading them to the point where they consume the product and it does not perform the way it was intended to.
We live in the 21st century where everything has to look posh, awesome, appealing and appear to be the best. With demands from companies and an emphasis on profits to be made, pressures are placed on creative teams to create an advert that will rival the competitor. Not only to compete but also to make the advertisement so appealing those consumers will demand the product. Creating an advertisement should take time. Determining the image of the product, partnering that with the right talents, choosing the music, the lighting and the camera angles are all some of the factors which the creative team has to take note of. A whole slew of other considerations which make the final product appealing and persuading.
Can you imagine the thoughts that go in to advertise fashion and products for the face and hair? In developed markets like London, Europe and United States of America where the quality of advertising is high, it takes much effort to produce.
An advertisement in question in recent days is one produced by L'Oreal. The ad features Cheryl Cole (judge on X Factor, huge celebrity in the UK) who in the advertisement praises the product Elvive Full Restore 5 hair care line for making her chestnut "full of life, replenished with healthy shine". The fact is Cheryl Cole's chestnut was not entirely her real flowing hair. Should we be having an issue with advertisements like this?
Beauty has come under scrutiny many times before and this will never be the last. I have an issue with people having an issue with this advertisement. First and foremost females who wear extensions do not refer to their hair as fake especially when it blends in with their 'real' hair especially when their real hair accounts for much of what you actually see. Females can also confess that when commenting on a friend's hairstyle they don't say "Your wig looks good!" instead they say "your hair looks good." This is in the context of wearing extensions coupled with your real hair. Now if your entire head of hair that I am seeing is from a plastic package then we can conclude that your hair is fake and you are indeed wearing a wig.
Personally I do not see anything wrong with the advertisement because an advert of that nature for it to be effective it has to have some form of fantasy (lies oops) to it. In the advertisement clearly not all of the talent's hair is false and you would have only known that if you know what extensions look like and if you have worn them before or read it online. The celebrity in question has made extensions apart of her routine look so to say she has done this and it is deceiving to people is ridiculous.
I also have an issue with advertising critics who claim that adverts should be appealing to the normal person. Therefore, advertisements of this nature – fashion related will make ladies feel insecure and affect their self esteem. Rubbish! If an advertisement is going to make you feel bad, you felt bad long before you saw the advertisement. I will not buy the argument that advertisements should ever start using normal people to sell the products. If this worked more companies would have been doing it. Dove has started that trend – saw the features of Oprah but I do not like it. It contradicts the image and position of what the product has established. L'Oreal mentions in their ads 'because you're worth it.' The marketing campaign works because they use celebrities who everyone seems to aspire to be. That image of everything looking right cannot be compromised. It is not by chance the make-up is always right. It is not by chance they are always smiling and telling you how wonderful the product makes them feel and look. It is all a strategy to make you walk to the retail store and purchase the product.
Stop complaining oh how she isn't wearing her real hair. I must confess I know nothing about hair extensions and rightfully so. However, the first time I saw the advertisement I did not think about her extensions, I thought about the obvious she has great hair and any girl who uses the product will experience the same thing because they are worth it. When I buy facial products which I desperately need to look the way I do lol I don't want to read or see that the product will make me look normal. I am looking for it to say it will give me clear skin and all those good things. So consumers gravitate to products which makes them look, feel better than they previously did – takes them to a higher level.
Stop again, did you see the advertisement. Really? Watch again and look at 0:21 seconds. At the bottom of the screen it says "styled with some natural hair extensions." That is all the advertisement needed. Of course in that 30 second advertisement all you were looking at is her 'real-hair' and the outcome after using such a product. From an advertising, model-talent's perspective that's all that matters – you looked at her hair and wished you had it.
Click reply at the top of the post or Reply located at the right of the first comment to have your say.


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HMRC has outlined the eligibility requirements for the Job Retention Bonus.
On 21 July, the Treasury set out the next steps in its plan to extend Making Tax Digital (MTD) to all businesses and those taxpayers that file self assessment returns.


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B&H has the Tamron SP 28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di lens for $369 (reg. $499) as one of its Deal Zone deals for today only. The lens is available in Canon and Nikon mounts and is compatible with full-frame and APS-C format cameras. Check it out while it lasts here at B&H Photo.
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For more great deals in the coming weeks, be sure to check out Photography Bay's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Camera Deals page.


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Christmas Giveaway now live! See post under Forum and Website Discussion.
And we had some fantastic lunches in Souda and Damoni - really lovely authentic
Ahhhhh - Glaros!It was a tradition with us to always have our first and last evening meals there - and a few in between.Now - well we followed Nikos, and it will be Spphia for us - hope he'll have our table ready next tuesday!Stavros was all part of the Glaros magic - and I'm so pleased he's doing well still.If you're not sure of the guys we are talking about, then CLICK HERE (Nikos' remarkable skills in dispensing and drinking raki remain in the Gold Medal class!)[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2260\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
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Recorded October-November, 1930. Transfers by David Lennick.
[1995, Mono, 2-CD, 100 minutes]
Opera in Three Acts
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave,
after La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas
Violetta Valéry - Anna Rosza
Alfredo Germont - Alessandro Ziliani
Giorgio Germont - Luigi Borgonovo
Flora Bervoix / Annina - Olga de Franco
Gastone - Giordano Callegari
Marquis d'Obigny / Doctor Grenvil - Antonio Gelli
Baron Douphol - Arnoldo Lenzi
Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Carlo Sabajno, conductor
Vittore Veneziani, chorus master
Copyright © 2020 Video Artists International, Inc.. Powered by Miva


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A complicated look at uncomplicated topics to ameliorate your day.
Dental hygiene is important. Not just because it provides another vital item on the list of things mothers can nag their children about; 'Have you brushed your teeth yet?'/'We're not leaving this house until you've brushed your teeth!' but because dentists also say it is important. And dentists wear fancy white coats, spend a long time learning about teeth at university and have a lot of shiny equipment that can inflict a lot of pain, specifically to your back pocket, so it is wise to listen to what they say.
Dentists also have the highest suicide rate of any profession. This is clearly because no one is actually listening to them when they tell us that the plaque we let fester inside our gums is actually fatal to our teeth. So they spend all day looking into our mouths at evil looking items such as plaque, which I am led to believe looks like a cartoon box of popcorn and a donut (thanks Extra Chewing Gum Ads for that one), that is eating away at our tooth enamel whilst we shroud them in bad breath. Don't be fooled, your dentist is not wearing his little white mask so he doesn't breath on you, he's just wearing it so he doesn't pass out when you open your mouth and his olfactory senses are assaulted by twelve months of below par dental hygiene practices on your part.
With this in mind and with a somewhat misplaced affection for the dental profession and the mental health of my dentist, I like to keep my toothbrush habits tip top. Recently, a toothbrush of mine became rather dog-eared. Being the God fearing, plaque fearing, well actually just not wanting for fork out a holiday to Asia's worth of funds on filings type, I trotted off to the supermarket in search of a new toothbrush.
Dental hygiene is often depicted with war-like analogies. I don't know why I expected the purchasing of a toothbrush to be any different. It is clear from this laissez faire sentence that A. I was not adequately prepared and B. Have never really listened to a word my dentist was saying about the 'seriousness' of dental hygiene…
The Brush Head
The heads of toothbrushes are huge. There are only certain heads of things of that size that should go in someone's mouth. And they are ice-creams. Beyond that, nothing of that size should be put in a human mouth covered in white stuff and then pushed in and out with vigour.
Soft, Medium and Hard Heads
The bristles in toothbrushes are classified according to hardness (and here I was thinking the Mohs scale of hardness was limited to gemstones). There seems to be a plethora of Soft and Medium options on the market, but very few hard heads, which is a shame because if we're honest, no one really wants to put a soft one in there.
The Reach
89% of toothbrushes advertise that they will reach all of the hard to reach places. Last time I checked, a hard to reach place was the back of the cupboard above the kettle, and the human mouth hadn't grown a hidden cavity that needed the technological skill of a Navy SEAL team to remove food scraps for it. And yet, the crusade for dental health would have you believe otherwise.
Designs such as the 'Reach Between Toothbrush' give the impression that your mouth is actually the Grand Canyon of Dental Plaque and you do need to launch a military precision operation just to remove the remainders of tonight's dinner. The irony here is that with the size of the heads of toothbrushes these days, most people barely get them past their eye teeth before their gag-reflex kicks in.
I can only conclude that this feature is for the 'post-life' of a toothbrush, when after many mouths massaging your gums it then graduates to scrubbing the hard to reach places in the Shrine of Bums. Otherwise known as the toilet.
The Handle
The suspension on your average toothbrush now rivals that of my $6000 mountain bike. It is spring loaded for flexi-action, it has fancy zig zag patterns which I can only assume assist its aerodynamics and extra cushioning for finger support, which is vital because clearly pumping up and down for 45 seconds is exhausting.
To think that all those times that Wile E. Coyote couldn't figure out how to jump across the Grand Canyon to catch the Road Runner could have been solved if he'd just listened to his mother and remembered to pack his toothbrush.
The Motorised
I am not sure when the idea of pushing long, hard, motorized sticks of plastic in and out of our mouths became socially acceptable, but dental hygiene companies have taken to the idea with a sense of gusto usually reserved for other kinds of motorized items.
My favourite is the 'Oral B Triumph 5000 Wireless Smart Guide Toothbrush', which in an unprecedented feat of engineering, includes a wireless display that provides 'while-you-brush' feedback to help promote optimized brushing performance. With 5 customised brushing modes including; Daily Clean, Sensitive, Polish, Massage and Deep Clean for the bargain price of $230, I have concluded that this is purchased by people who have a dentist who looks like 'Rob the Dentist' from the Oral B ads, that they desperately need to impress.
Lucky for them, no matter whether they want it to oscillate, pump or vibrate – there is a motorized toothbrush option available. And yes, they also come with hard heads and pink sparkles, in case you were wondering.
Extra Features
Toothbrushes have more special features than my 2014 Limited Edition VW Golf. (And it's German).
Here's a few examples…
The 'Colgate 360 Power Surround' Toothbrush – cleans teeth with such vigour that the vibrations also double as the bass line for an Avicii track.
The 'Oral B All Rounder Fresh Clean' – not only can it clean teeth but it can brush your hair and comb your eyebrows while it's at it.
The 'Colgate Plus Twister' – for those of you who want to boogie while you brush, this toothbrush loves a good dance.
In conclusion, it took me 17 minutes to purchase my toothbrush. For the record, not only does it clean and pump firmly, making me foam at the mouth daily – it also does the cha cha and makes the bed.


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13 thoughts on "cute doll shoes"
Erica says:
Don't you wish we could just write a letter to Tom Skilling and have him transform this into proper sweater weather? Sigh.
carol says:
I could not agree with you more! I was so mad that I had to turn on the air. I hate air conditioning and have had it in use way too much this summer. Oh- it's fall, right? When can I break out the sweaters?
Michele says:
Be thankful you're not in Texas, that is all I have to say. I'm sick and tired of the heat. It is supposed to be chilly in October, how can one get into the Autumn spirit when it feels like summer still?
Kim says:
I covet your 87 degrees.
Julia says:
Berkeley is way hot for October as well. But in the evening a nice, brisk, fall wind kicked up and we do have dead leaves everywhere, so it's fall-like enough. I love your legs shot, It reminds me of the wicked witch of the east (west?) crushed under Dorothy's house, hehe.
rebecca says:
Ick! That kind of heat definitely is NOT fair. Especially since you are also guaranteed a frigid winter! Love the feet — can't wait to see the rest of your next little creation.
maria says:
oh i don't miss that about living in chicago one bit…
i was always stumped when we had the odd 80 or 90 degree day in october. i feel that pain. hang in…
sarah says:
shoes! i sense a potential cutie-pie on the horizon…..
Kate says:
Just love those cute shoes. Looking forward to seeing her.
kelli says:
Hmmm… maybe you should be cranky more often. Those shoes (and presumed softie attached) are so darn cute!
I'm in Arizona. I feel your pain with the heat.
rosa says:
amazing shoes as always 🙂
hannah says:
i know!! 83 here in kc, what the freak??? i wish i would have made something so cute while cranky…
patricia says:
ooh, i love those shoes…


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Don founded Kamakura Corporation in April 1990 and currently serves as its chairman and chief executive officer where he focuses on enterprise wide risk management and modern credit risk technology. His primary financial consulting and research interests involve the practical application of leading edge financial theory to solve critical financial risk management problems. Don was elected to the 50 member RISK Magazine Hall of Fame in 2002 for his work at Kamakura. Read More
Written by:
Donald van Deventer
It is common practice among credit analysts to use historical default rates published by rating agencies as a proxy for a true forward-looking firm-by-firm set of modern corporate default probabilities. Part 1 of this series showed that such approximations of true portfolio losses are grossly inaccurate. In this installment of our three-part series, we try to remedy the situation by replacing historical default rates associated with credit ratings over the last quarter of a century with forward-looking "big data" default probabilities that represent best practice. Using the Kamakura Risk Information Services' most accurate default probability model as a base, we show that ratings do an exceptionally poor job of explaining the variation in default probabilities over the universe of all 2,764 rated firms world-wide. We conclude again that the introduction of ratings into the credit portfolio management process seriously degrades the accuracy of risk assessment. Using the default probabilities themselves, ignoring ratings, provides the best practice standard.
In part 1 of this three-part series, we found that using historical one-year default rates associated with each credit rating grade seriously understated portfolio credit risk for the universe of rated firms world-wide for a one to four-year horizon. Over a five to ten-year horizon, the use of historical ratings-based default rates dramatically understated the total portfolio risk by a very large amount. In this note, we seek to salvage the common use of legacy credit ratings, invented in 1860 and largely unchanged since then, by correcting two obvious sources of inaccuracy. The first source of inaccuracy was a lack of granularity, even by the standard of a rating system with 20 grades. When one restricts the data used to free public sources, the most recent reports on historical ratings grades (S&P Global, Inc., 2017) had data for 7 aggregated ratings grades: AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB and CCC/C. In this note, we employ all 20 grades. The second source of inaccuracy is that historical default rates are, well, historical. They look backwards for 25 years or more, rather than forward over the modeling period of interest. The aggregate credit risk of the rated universe will only be the same if, by coincidence, the future is exactly like the past. We ask the question, "Can we remedy the backward-looking nature of the default rates used by assigning forward-looking default probabilities for each ratings grade instead?"
Part 1 summarizes our methodology and provides visual evidence of the correlation between 20 ratings grades and modern big data default probabilities. Part 2 reports on the ability of ratings to explain the variation of default probabilities among the rated universe for all common modeling horizons. Part 3 previews the results of a 10-year forward-looking valuation of traded corporate bonds in the U.S. market using both the default probabilities directly and ratings-based valuation. We discuss that exercise in more depth in part 3 of this series. Part 4 summarizes our conclusions.
1. Methodology
In order to replace the backward-looking historical default rates, we use the most recent and most accurate version of the Kamakura Risk Information Services ("KRIS") default probabilities, the Jarrow-Chava version 6.0 reduced form default probability model. While the default probabilities are based on 2.2 million observations and more than 2600 corporate failures since 1990, the default probabilities are forward looking in two senses: they incorporate the current values of the explanatory variables for each public firm and they incorporate the insights of Jarrow, Lando and Yu [2005] about the links between regression-based default probabilities and risk-neutral default probabilities used for valuation. On June 15, KRIS default probabilities were available for 38,931 public firms, but we use only those default probabilities for the 2,764 firms with credit ratings.
As in the initial stages of almost any complex analysis, we review the visual evidence first to assess the nature and the difficulty of the problem at hand. The graph below, taken directly from the KRIS daily updates, shows the break-down of 1-year default probabilities by default probability level (displayed by row) and credit rating (by column) on June 15.
The graph makes a number of things quite clear. First, there is a high degree of dispersion in default probabilities, even given that the maturity and rating are the same in a given column. Second, rather than a straight diagonal line showing perfect correlation between default probabilities and ratings grade, the display of the combination by rating and default probability is more square than linear. This means that we should expect to find a fairly low correlation between ratings and the best available KRIS default probabilities.
We seek to quantify that relationship in the next section.
2. Measuring Ratings' Ability to Fit the Default Probabilities of the Rated Universe
As in section 2, we continue to use the 1-year time horizon for KRIS default probabilities in this section. Although 1 year is fairly short by traditional risk management standards, it is a very common time horizon for credit portfolio managers and we conform to that standard for our first example.
We seek to model predict the default probability of all rated firms as a function of their rating. There are two common choices for explanatory variables:
a. An ordinal variable, with values of 1 for AAA, 2 for AA+, 3 for AA and so on.
b. A series of dummy variables with a 1 if the firm is a BBB firm, for example, and 0 otherwise.
Most analysts who have tried this exercise find that the ordinal variable very often leads to predictions of negative default probabilities. To avoid that problem, we use the following relationship to fit the Kamakura Default Probabilities (KDP) by a series of dummy variables for each rating using a log form like this:
Here I is an indicator function that is 1 if the company has a given rating and 0 otherwise. For each of the 2,764 firms, we seek to find the 21 coefficients (the constant α and one value of the coefficient β for each of the 20 ratings grades) and measure the goodness of fit for all firms with ratings at a default probability maturity of one year. We use Stata version 15 and generalized linear methods with a log link function to perform this analysis. Note that the best estimate of the expected value of the fitted KDP is not exp(predicted ln[KDP]) with mean[ei] set to zero, because the variation in the error term, not just its expected value, affects the expected value E[KDPi].
The accuracy of this fitting exercise is reported in the graph below:
At a maturity of 1 year, ratings explain less than 26% of the variation in the KRIS default probabilities over the 2,764 firms with credit ratings. Note that the default probabilities are displayed after being sorted first by ratings grade and second by default probability level. Given that display, you can see that, at almost every ratings level, there is a skew in the default probabilities and that a single point estimate within each ratings grade does a very poor job of predicting the Kamakura Default Probability level.
The Kamakura Default Probabilities are constructed from a term structure of 120 monthly default probabilities. The first default probability is the probability that the firm fails in the first month. The second default probability is the probability that the firm fails in month 2, conditional on surviving month 1, and so on. From these monthly default probabilities, the annualized KRIS default probabilities for maturities of 1, 3, and 6 months and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 years are constructed.
The graph below shows that the accuracy of credit ratings' prediction of KRIS default probabilities peaks at year 7. At no maturity, however, do the 20 credit rating levels explain more than 35% of the variation of default probabilities within each maturity category. This is a shocking indictment of the basic tenet of credit ratings: that a grouping of firms into 20 "buckets" is sufficient for credit portfolio management. The appendix shows the detailed results for each of the maturities summarized in the chart below. Please note that these graphics are produced daily by Kamakura Risk Information Services as part of Kamakura's on-going model validation process. They are available upon request by clients and friends of the firm from firstname.lastname@example.com.
3. Default Probabilities versus Ratings for Valuation and IFRS9
Above and beyond the ability of ratings to predict default probabilities, we are interested in the ability of ratings to determine "fair value" bond prices compared to the use of other methodologies, like the use of Kamakura Default Probabilities for valuation explained by Jarrow and van Deventer [2018]. Fair value is essential to credit risk-related accounting standards like International Financial Reporting Standard 9 and the U.S. standard regarding Current Expected Credit Losses. Over more than 70,000 observations of traded bond prices in the U.S. corporate bond market, valuation using Kamakura Default Probabilities is more accurate in over 89% of the comparisons. Ratings provide a very weak foundation for determining fair value. We address the reasons for this in part 3 of this series.
4. Conclusions
In this note, we ask the question "Can the replacement of historical default rates by ratings grade with forward-looking default probabilities by ratings grade significantly improve the accuracy of credit portfolio management?" The answer is clearly no. First, in order to map default probabilities to ratings, one must have the default probabilities. Second, ratings explain less than 35% of the variation in default probabilities at every maturity tested. Third, given that ratings simply obscure a clear view of default risk, it's obvious that one should ignore them and simulate credit risk with the default probabilities directly. This is confirmed by valuation analysis that we discuss in the third and final installment in this series.
Hilscher, Jens and Mungo Wilson, "Credit Risk and Credit Ratings: Is One Measure Enough?" Management Science, October 17, 2016.
Jarrow, Robert, David Lando, and Fan Yu, "Default Risk and Diversification: Theory and Applications," Mathematical Finance, January 2005, pp. 1-26.
Jarrow, Robert and Donald R. van Deventer, "The Ratings Chernobyl," Kamakura Corporation blog at www.kamakuraco.com, reproduced by the Global Association of Risk Professionals and www.riskcenter.com, March 9, 2009.
Jarrow, Robert and Donald R. van Deventer, "The Valuation of Corporate Bonds," Kamakura Corporation and Cornell University memorandum, May 1, 2018.
S&P Global Ratings, "Default, Transition, and Recovery: 2016 Annual Global Corporate Default Study And Rating Transitions," April 13, 2017.
United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, "Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse," April 13, 2011.
van Deventer, Donald R. "How Stale are Credit Ratings?," www.seekingalpha.com, July 8, 2013.
van Deventer, Donald R. "'Point in Time' versus 'Through the Cycle' Credit Ratings: A Distinction without a Difference," Kamakura Corporation blog at www.kamakuraco.com, May 9, 2009.
van Deventer, Donald R. "A Quantitative Assessment Of Errors From The Use Of Credit Ratings In Credit Portfolio Management, Part 1, Kamakura Corporation blog at www.kamakuraco.com and www.seekingalpha.com, June 17, 2018.
This appendix contains the visual confirmation of the ability of ratings to predict Kamakura Default Probabilities using the methodology described above for each maturity in the summary chart in Section 3.


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How to Effectively Move Your Items Into San Diego Storage Units
Moving can be a very stressful experience. Relocating possessions to another place is often time-consuming and frustrating. Sometimes, people have to rent San Diego storage units for their items when they don't have enough room for all of their possessions where they are at or when they simply need to store their stuff. There are some practical tips to follow to make this task easier and more efficient. These guidelines will help save time, money, and space.
When deciding which items to move to a storage unit at 5 Star Storage of San Diego, gather all of your boxes and packing supplies such as tape, bubble wrap, and scissors. This will allow you to see what you need to acquire along with which boxes need to be discarded. Clear an area for packing. Make sure there is sufficient space to wrap and organize items before you put them in their respective boxes. Move similar items into groups to make packing simpler.
Before you actually start putting items into boxes, make sure all important items are accounted for. It's advisable to clearly print the contents of each box on each side of the box. Print this in large, black letters so it's clearly visible to whoever reads the box. Have a specific box labeled "open first". This box will contain necessary items such as dish soap, toilet paper, a few kitchen items, and other necessary stuff. Each member of the household should have boxes labeled with their names on them to quickly identify which items belong to which person.
As you are packing the boxes to move to San Diego storage units, keep these simple tips in mind. put heavy items in small boxes if possible. This keeps larger boxes from becoming too heavy to carry and keeps boxes from breaking. Also, pack fragile possessions with care. You may want to use bubble wrap or newspaper to pack fragile items and to fill in empty spaces in boxes. Remember that moving your items into affordable storage units at 5 Star Storage of San Diego will take some planning. Writing down the details of the move can help you with this endeavor.


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How I make Yogurt
I am currently on a big yogurt kick, primarily fueled by having bought an Instantpot®. Yes, I've joined that cult. No, I don't cook everything in it, but when it comes to beans or yogurt, I'm a believer.
My daughter bought me a lovely yogurt maker that I used for years, but it used 7 little jars, which I always ended up combining. I often wished there was a way to make a BIG batch of yogurt at one time, but keeping the temperature correct, which is the key, seemed too iffy. The yogurt making feature of the Instantpot was half the reason I bought it, with it's 8 quart capacity. IF you say to me, "why make it when you can buy it", I reply, it is cheaper, and I get a great deal of satisfaction, and I get the whey. More about that later.
So what I do is heat the milk first in the microwave, using a very large bowl. I am not certain about the reason for this, my understanding is that it eliminates foreign bacteria that could spoil it, or possibly it changes the nature of the protein, making the yogurt thicker. In any case, I do it and it has always worked. I have never worried too much about the temperature, I get it good and hot, over 160 F on my thermometer. I used to do one qt. at 11 minutes, I do 2 qts. at 15 minutes on high and all seems well.
Next I let it cool to 120 F. I made two batches this week, one using frozen whey, the other fresh, and the first I added the frozen whey when it was at 140 F, hoping the fact the whey was frozen would prevent it from killing the bacteria, the second it was cooler than 120 F, as I had forgotten it, and they both turned out fine.
A note on the whey. I have gone from feeding it to my dogs, plants, compost, etc., to hoarding it for myself. Using a half cup or so to start the next batch is about all I'll spare from eating it myself. It does make for a more liquid yogurt to use it for the starter, but I strain my yogurt anyway, so I get it back.
Next you add the starter to the warm milk, either in the pot you heated in, or the Instantpot. The starter can be whey from a previous batch, yogurt from the store, as long as it is plain and says live cultures, or yogurt from your previous batch. If you don't plan on straining your yogurt, don't start it with whey.
The next step is to throw it in the instant pot on the yogurt setting for 12 hours. You can do 8-10, but I like to give the little critters all the time they might need. I have no idea if there is such a thing as too long. Put the lid on, go to sleep and wake up to yogurt the next day. When you take the lid off, take a peek and see if it is jelly like with chartreuse liquid about. Don't worry if you don't see any liquid, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
Now I pour it in a strainer lined with paper towels set over a LARGE bowl. I set it in the fridge until I remember to look at it again. Seriously. I always forget about it at this stage. It can get too thick for my liking, so I get aggravated at myself if I forget it too long. It has to be a large bowl. You will be shocked at how much whey is in there. Cleaning whey off of the fridge shelf is not my idea of fun. I left it for 6 hours yesterday and that was pretty good. I usually do it for 4-8 hours.
Don't panic if the paper towel sticks when you go to dump the yogurt
out to it's final home. For whatever reason, yogurt sticks better to itself than to the towel. I've never had a big problem with separating the two.
Here is the final product in all it's glory, ready to eat. I don't know if you can see in the picture, but more whey continues to come up even after all that straining.
Now, about all that whey. I tried soaking my everyday loaded oatmeal in it overnight and now I'm hooked. I try to keep sugar to a minimum, and somehow the whey makes the oatmeal taste sweeter, and makes the texture creamier. If that idea does not appeal to you, you can still use it for your pets or plants, or even as the liquid in baking bread, it'll give the yeast a boost and condition the dough.


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She tripped over a tree root and stumbled.
He caught her by an elbow to stop her fall, steadied her
With a hand on each shoulder and a kiss on the nose.
He looked up at the sky.
Brought his hands together sharply- twice.
A moment of darkness before he repeated the motion just once
Stars burst back into brilliance; the moon shone brighter than a copper pot.
"Why didn't you do than an hour ago?" she asked.
"I'd kind of forgotten I could," he said.
He reached for her hand and they walked on.
Posts Tagged 'revealing
She tripped over a tree root and stumbled.
You Never Know
On rickety legs and sturdy canes they cross the parking lot. Well-groomed but unassuming. The old man sporting a crisp white shirt and bolo tie; the old woman in a newly de-pilled green cardigan. She is not wearing a head scarf because she is not Russian and the weatherman has not predicted rain. (She has several at home though. One is very similar to that worn by Helen Mirren in the film "The Queen". Another has been treated with a Japanese water repellent which according to the label renders the scarf impervious to rain, snow or sleet.) Neither is he, in truth, a cowboy but he likes the affectation and- on days they go to the doctor- it gives the young receptionists something to comment on and to talk to each other and to him about while his wife is digging in her purse for their insurance cards.
Today they are going to the doctor. No one pays them any attention except a small middle-aged woman who seems to think she's a French sailor. She looks them up and down then winks. The old man and old woman nod pleasantly at her in greeting and all three continue on their way. The middle-aged woman- being the kind who likes to have a story to tell about wherever she happens to have gone and whomever she may have met- will later describe the couple to her friends and they will say "aw" and coo about how sweet they sound and how wonderful it is to find a soulmate and lifelong companion in this mean old world. The old couple, on the other hand, will never think of her again.
After the doctor's visit they may have lunch at the community center set up especially for old folks- they're known as "50 or Better" as if Life were one big poker game and you had to waste half your years sitting by without being able to open- or they may go home and have some soup and a sandwich or some leftovers. Then the afternoon stretches before them like a patient anesthetized upon a table and their choices are limited only by their energy and the amount of gas in the car. Bingo, bunko, movies, classes, museums, shopping- they are 70 or better with disposable income so the world is their oyster. Today they settle on liver and onions at the community center then staying for a showing of a remastered copy of "It Happened One Night." Tomorrow it may be lunch eaten watching the barges on the river then a walk along the banks looking for the new family of ducks.
But every night at 8:30- except for Wednesdays when they go to prayer meeting at the church- they put the car in the garage, lock all the doors, and flip on the porch lights. He puts Richard Wagner's "Ring Cycle" on the stereo and turns the volume up so it fills the house, very nearly shaking the vases on the end tables and the special occasion dishes in the china cabinet. The old man and old woman go to their bedrooms and close the doors. When they emerge minutes later, they have been transformed! They are wearing black pants and white ruffled shirts made from the finest silk which has been harvested from the most select silkworms who were cruelly and unceremoniously plunged into hot water to meet their deaths. (This does not bother the couple because someday- they have no doubt- they too will unceremoniously and possibly cruelly meet their deaths.) The old woman has tucked her hair under a large hat with an even larger feather on it. Thus attired they advance towards each other until they are only a few feet away. They bow. They turn their backs to each other, walk three steps, pull the lower third of their canes away from the handle end, and shout "En garde!" Then they fence. The roaring and crashing of the instruments performing Wagner's masterpiece barely drowns out the clanging and shouting of the swords and those wielding them.
After perhaps twenty minutes of their clash, their bodies dampen with perspiration and their elderly throats grow dry. The old man pours each of them a glass of chilled wine, they quaff it and take up their weapons again. Wagner rages as they fight and drink deep into the night until they are too tired or stiff or glowing to go on. Then the old woman turns off the stereo and the old man sweeps her up and into his arms, deliberately dislodging her hat so that her silver locks tumble down to frame her face then to tickle his forearm where it peeps from his shirt sleeve. He carries her the half-dozen steps to the bottom of the stairs, they climb at their own pace, and she stops at the top to wait for him to sweep her up again and carry her into the guest room.
They shed their clothes with great eagerness- music still ringing in their ears and wine flowing in their veins. Some nights they make love then; other nights the intimacy is spiritual and emotional instead. Later, one after the other they'll rise to visit the bathroom and make the quiet return to their own bedroom to sleep the rest of the night.
In the morning, they'll awaken, dress, breakfast, and go about their errands, indistinguishable from any other couple a decade or so past middle age that you might happen to see. Then again…you never know.
Partly Right But Seriously Wrong
She said
You craved love- too
Much was never enough.
Turns out I misheard. What she'd said
Was "blood."
This poem was inspired by a prompt by @robertleebrewer as I'm working my way through his 2010 Poem A Day site. The challenge was to write a poem with the title "Partly (blank)." Thanks, Robert.
thirsting for blood, cat
rolls on her back, sings to us:
"Come… Rub my tummy."
Pick One
Either take her name
Off your bicep or unstake
Your claim on my heart.


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M'Vila banned from playing for France until 2014
He is set to miss the 2014 World Cup, which runs June 12-July 13, the FFF said after a disciplinary committee meeting, which M'Vila attended.
Although four others also left their Le Havre training camp in the early hours for a Paris nightclub last month, M'Vila's experience - with 22 full caps - made him the senior player in the squad.
Defender Chris Mavinga, who is M'Vila's club teammate at Rennes, Real Sociedad's Antoine Griezmann, AC Milan's Mbaye Niang and Wissam Ben Yedder of Toulouse - all forwards - were suspended until March next year.
Previously, the 22-year-old M'Vila was suspended by for one match after refusing to shake the hand of coach Laurent Blanc and substitute Olivier Giroud when he was taken off against Spain during the European Championship in June.
M'Vila has seen his club career nosedive after being linked with a move to Arsenal last season, and his international career is now in tatters as he has no chance of playing at the World Cup in Brazil if France qualifies. M'Vila was also arrested earlier this year for slapping a 17-year-old boy following an argument.
Deschamps had dropped him to the under-21s as a way of getting him to reflect on his actions at Euro 2012, and show responsibility toward younger players. But it had little effect.
"I don't know if the word `disappointed' is enough, and not just for him, but for all five,'' Deschamps said earlier Thursday, when announcing his squad for France's friendly against Italy next week. "What they did is incompatible with the France shirt.''
A strict disciplinarian, Deschamps instilled a rigid work ethic in the France team during his time as captain. The central midfielder set the example with his tireless work rate and competitive attitude as he led France to victory at the 1998 World Cup and at Euro 2000. He also captained Marseille to the Champions League trophy in 1993.
The behavior of national team players has been heavily scrutinised in France - even all the way up to government level - since an infamous training ground strike at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The squad refused to train in protest at Nicolas Anelka being sent home from the squad for insulting then coach Raymond Domenech. Former captain Patrice Evra and Franck Ribery were suspended for five and three games respectively.
Blanc also had his problems with the players at Euro 2012.
Midfielder Samir Nasri was banned for three games for insulting a journalist in an expletive-laced tirade, winger Jeremy Menez got a one-game ban for using inappropriate language toward his own goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, and winger Hatem Ben Arfa escaped a ban but was reproached for speaking on his mobile phone when Blanc was issuing his post-match talk following the 2-0 defeat to Sweden.
Nasri has served his suspension, but neither he nor Ben Arfa have been called up to the France squad since Deschamps replaced Blanc after Euro 2012.


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Episode 535: Goblin Rock - interview with Claudio Simonetti's Goblin
It might be just days before Christmas but around the RAM offices it's still feeling a lot like Halloween. The legendary 70s prog rockers and horror film soundtrack composers Goblin need no introduction. The band has scored beautiful music for such classics as "Suspiria", "Dawn Of The Dead", and "Profoundo Russo". Mainman Claudio Simonetti is basically the John Williams of extreme cinema. Now touring as "Claudio Simonetti's Goblin", we were treated to a unique screening of "Suspiria" with the band playing the music parts live!! After the show we sat with Mr. Simonetti with a glass of red wine and we talked about this unique tour, working within the Metal scene, and his take on the recent "Suspiria" remake. Musical royalty!! In our "News, Views, and Tunes", we address the bizarre Pat O'Brien thingy and crank some Goblin, Cast The Stone, Mother Feather, Slasher Dave, Expire, Zombie Assault and (of course) Zombi. Finally, we feature veterans The Last Ten Seconds Of Life in our "Indie Spotlight". Horns!!
This Episode is sponsored by Trve Kvlt Coffee. Summon the coffee demons to possess yourself a cup today!
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Listen Live Thursday's at 8pm eastern on Pure Rock Radio
Drop us a line at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Author: Sniper_E
Extension Description: Posts an animated smilie holding a sign up with your message in it.
Tested on phpBB 3.1.10 - Has a collection of over 100 smilies to choose from. Style dependent.
Advanced BBCode Box 3.1.3, Posting Buttons 1.0.1 and Quick Reply Reloaded 1.0.0-beta5 Ready
Setup for both mChat and Ajax Chat
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/Sniper-E/smiliesigns
Extension Download: smiliesigns_1.0.2.zip
- Download the latest release and unzip content.
- Copy the contents to
- Enable extension in the ACP


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|Haley channels Lady Gaga on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition
Previously on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition, (AUDC) eleven dancers between the ages of 10 and 13 arrived in Los Angeles to compete for $100,000 cash and a full scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet School of New York. One dancer was cut, so this week on season 2, episode 2 of AUDC, there are ten aspiring dancers competing under the theme "Dare to be You". All of the routines are inspired by Lady Gaga, who makes an appearance via video, and the dances are choreographed by judge Richy Jackson, who works with Gaga.
The nine remaining contestants gather to stretch and prepare for this week's competition. Jessalynn and her daughter once again find a good spot front and center; Shari (McKaylee's mom) says, "Last week's competition was crazy hard, you have no clue who's going to be on the chopping block," and Melanie cautions her daughter Haley, "This is it – if you don't make it happen this time, we're going home." Jessalynn thinks Melanie is "crushing her daughter's self-esteem," and that "Gianna is a hot mess."
Abby Lee Miller arrives and gets the competition in gear. Every week the Group Dance Challenge (GDC) focuses on a specific skill or attribute: this week it's "Individuality", and the dancers are expected to show what makes them special. Gianni says everyone in the competition has something different about them: Ally has her hair, Kalani is flexible, and while she's not sure what her defining character is, right now, she says she's the girl who fell. Abby asks the group what three qualities stand out about her, and they answer "confidence", "bold" and "mouth". That last one comes from Cindy, Gianna's mother.
Abby introduces judge Richy Jackson, the choreographer for this week's challenge. Before he starts rehearsal, he has a video message from his friend… Lady Gaga! Gaga is in angelic mode with long, flowing locks and a fluttery chiffon top. Her message for the young dancers is "Stay focused, stay true to yourself, this is your time to shine."
Abby tells the group that this week's competition theme is "Dare to be You", and all of the routines will be inspired by Lady Gaga. Tiffany feels this theme is especially meaningful to her and her daughter Ally, who is biracial.
Chloe struggles because she's used to lyrical, not hip hop, and Melanie admits that hip hop is not her daughter's strong point. Like last week, Abby runs the routine and eliminates dancers one by one. When she is down to six, she has them dance in trios, each with one of the twin boys in the center. Finally, Gianna, Travis and Tyler are the last three standing. The boys are eliminated, and Gianna wins! Yay! I'm happy for Gianna because she gets to redeem herself from falling last week, plus, her family is from Philly, the home base for Glamorosi Magazine.
Abby calls Gianna's Mom down to the dance floor – together they are going to choose what dance Gianna will do in the competition. Their decision will be based solely on the costume; they will not know the style of dance. Gianna is hoping to pick something jazzy or contemporary, but not hip hop. She winds up with a contemporary lyrical duet. Fantastic! Abby dismisses the rest of the contestants, and says to Gianna, "You, I wanna work with." Cindy says, "I'm not afraid, I'm from Philly. Who the hell does she think she is?" That's how we roll in Philly.
Abby looks down at Cindy's feet, and calls her out for wearing flip flops on the stage, which is "sacred, holy territory." Abby says, "If I see those flip flops on my stage one more time, that woman is gone." Abby wants Cindy to "clean up this act." Cindy responds, "Abby makes fun of my flip flops, but I hate to tell her that she's wearing the same black pants every time I see her, day after day, so at least I'm changing my outfit up a little bit."
Travis, Jojo and Tyler work with choreographer Erik Saradpon; their routine is called "Fashion Addicts" and it's about being addicted to shopping. They wind up in prison for shoplifting. Abby is there observing, and when JoJo inserts herself in a conversation between Sheryl and Abby (who has asked Sheryl how she tells her twin boys apart), Abby tells her mom if that was her kid, she'd take her outside. Sheryl says, "JoJo is a ball of sunshine, who could probably use a little reigning in," and she expresses concern that JoJo will take the focus off of her boys.
Ally and Kalani work with choreographer Anthony Burrell on their "Piano Performance" duet. Kalani says Anthony is "kinda hard on us". Kira (Kalani's mom) says that Tiffany (Ally's mom) is freaking out because Ally isn't a technical dancer. Abby enters the room and gives the girls corrections. Afterward, Ally cries, and Tiffany yells at her, "Where is Ally? Point your toes, close your rib cage, stop crying! Whattya want me to say to you when we're in the damn bungalow packing to go home?"
Gianna and Trinity work with choreographer Tessandra Chavez on a routine called "Two Sides of a Star". Gianna plays the star, and Trinity is Lady Gaga in everyday life. Tina (Trinity's mom) says her daughter is getting the choreography right away, but that Gianna is not getting it at all. Cindy says that because she got off to a bad start with Abby, there's a lot of pressure on her daughter Gianna. Tessandra grills Gianna on why she keeps forgetting the moves, and tells her that she has to earn her trust. Cindy dries Gianna's tears and says her daughter gets flustered, so she's used to the drama.
Haley, Chloe and McKaylee work with choreographer Tarua Hall on a number called "Bleeding Heart." The routine features a set piece inspired by Lady Gaga's egg (during her grand entrance at the 2011 Grammy Awards, Gaga was carried in inside of an egg). Shari and Melanie get in a brief spat, but it's not completely evident what it's about. Later Shari tells her daughter, "I need you to be the leader today because Haley's mom is a nervous wreck, and it's making Haley is a nervous wreck." Angela doesn't have time for drama - she's not going to take her focus off of her daughter Chloe for a moment because "that just gives Satan enough time to come in and bring fear to the situation."
Abby goes to the costume room where Jessalynn and Sheryl are working, and tells Jessalynn she needs to talk to her about JoJo's mouth. Abby thinks JoJo's behavior is due to the fact that she's home schooled, and that if she went to public school and got teased and thrown in her locker a few times, she might work on it. Abby also thinks no-one ever tells JoJo no, which is probably true. Abby says she knows Lady Gaga is really big on anti-bullying and being different, BUT, being teased and thrown into a locker IS exactly the bullying Gaga is trying to stop. Meanwhile, Jessalynn says "JoJo is very opinionated, and Abby is going to have to get used to it."
It's time for the competition, and host Kevin Manno introduces judges Abby Lee Miller, Rachelle Rak, and Richy Jackson, who references Lady Gaga's song, "Edge of Glory", saying it's about giving all that you have, and he wants the dancers to "show everything they are amazing at." Meanwhile, Abby shows her individuality by wearing soda cans as rollers in her hair.
Ally and Kalani go first with their "Piano Passion" duet; their choreography is cool. Abby praises Kalani for her beautiful leg extension and nice ending pose, and tells her to worry about her right leg, then chides Ally for her "lazy releve." Richy tells Ally, "I need you to go harder, because I know you can." Rachel says Kalani's performance was "very present," but that Ally danced "safe." Abby points out to Ally that last week the girl who went home was the girl who forgot choreography, and "you missed a step." Ally is frustrated with herself. Kira (Kalani's mom) says the judges were extremely hard on Ally, but "Oh well, not my problem."
Gianna and Trinity are next with their "Two Sides of a Star" number. Gianna is in a silver hooded outfit; Trinty wears a flowing chiffon skirt. Abby compliments both girls on how great they look in their costumes, but then asks, "How do I look? I'm asking you that because you never looked at me." She also busts them for less-than perfect foot positions. Richy says Gianna let her spirit guide her, and says Trinity needs to let go. Rachelle is impressed, and says they both created a character. Abby says she is disappointed.
Travis, Tyler and JoJo take the stage for their "Fashion Addicts" jazz trio. They are dressed in black and white costumes, and they are energetic and entertaining. Abby applauds, and says JoJo "rocked it out," but isn't sure the boys stood out next to JoJo. Richy says JoJo was "on fire" and selling it, that Travis looked like he was having a good time, but Tyler was "almost too serious." Rachelle thinks JoJo looked "Fantastic." Then, instead of simply taking the compliment, JoJo starts talking and complimenting Richy's outfit and Abby's hair. I think JoJo is adorable, but she shouldn't talk at judges panel.
Haley, McKaylee and Chloe go last with their "Bleeding Heart" number. They look good, but their performance lacks energy. The judges clap, but Abby says they aren't exactly Lady Gaga material, and she gives Chloe corrections on her legs. Richy tells Chloe she has a bright star in there dying to come out, and he asks her what's stopping her from being all she can be. She starts to answer that she just needs to get comfortable, but Abby stops her and tells her not to "play the pity, poor me card." Rachelle thinks there was a missed connection between the dancers and the story. Richy wants to know who told the girls to make "monster faces" through the whole number, and the girls say that no-one did. From the wings, the judges can see there is some disagreement on that point, and then, Melanie comes out on stage and says that McKaylee's mom told them to do it. Abby listens for a minute, then tells her to get off the stage. Afterward, while they're backstage, Angela says she doesn't have time for dance moms and their issues. Apparently though, Melanie does, and she warns Shari, "If my kid ends up going home today, I swear to God…"
The judges deliberate, and they do not agree on who should go home. Before they announce the results, Abby tells the dancers that she "didn't see any little Lady Gagas... No-one came out and blew the judges away, everybody failed."
Then, names are called: JoJo, Kalani, Tyler, Gianna and Travis; these are the contestants who are safe, the rest are the bottom five. Tiffany complains, "What kills me is JoJo's getting another free pass, whereas Ally is standing down there, staring into he judges eyes."
Abby calls on Trinity to step forward, and says, "You never looked me in the eye and your feet were sickled. You barely squeaked by. Go ahead and join your mother."
Next, Abby says, "Ally you disappointed me. Last week the girl who forgot the steps went home. Tonight the girl who forgot the steps gets to stay." Ally is safe.
Kevin requests the moms of the bottom three to stand with their girls. Abby reiterates that she didn't like their faces during their number, then says, "McKaylee, you are a great technical dancer, that's why you are staying."
Abby addresses the bottom two, Haley and Chloe, and tells them "You certainly didn't pay tribute to Lady Gaga. Chloe, today is not your day. You need to push that envelope a little bit further." Through tears, Chloe, who is a darling, polite young lady, says, "Thank you so much for this opportunity and giving me my corrections. Sorry." Before she can finish, Richy interrupts and uses his call-back card to save her. He praises Chloe saying, "Every artist that I've ever worked with has always come in like a broken bird... there's so much good inside there... Chloe, I believe in you, so please don't let me down." Chloe's mom, whose name is Angela, says the save was "a direct path between Chloe, God and Richy." Amen.
Coincidentally, or maybe not, next week's theme on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition is "God and Mortals."
To see all of our AUDC recaps click here.
To see all of our Dance Moms recaps click here
To see all of our Lady Gaga coverage click here.
Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on Lifetime
Photo courtesy of Lifetime


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How the 2010 Estate Tax and Gift Tax Rules Remain Relevant
The year 2010 was an important marker for estate tax and remains relevant today. Thanks to the passage of the estate tax provisions of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (TRUIRJCA or TRA 2010), in 2010, the heirs of decedents who died during that year were offered the choice: use the modified carryover basis rules or apply the retroactively reinstated estate tax. Among the other results were implementation of the largest estate tax exemption ever, at $5 million, and the smallest estate tax rate ever, set at 35 percent.
In 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA), rendered most of the changes to TRA 2010 permanent, though the tax rate increased.
In 2015, even more beneficial terms were laid out for estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions. All three were indexed for inflation from 2012 through 2015.
Here are the terms:
The estate tax exemption increased from $5 million in 2010 to:
- $5.12 million in 2012
- $5.25 million in 2013
- $5.34 million in 2014
- $5.43 million in 2015
The lifetime gift tax exemption increased from $1 million in 2010 to:
- $5.12 million in 2012
- $5.25 million in 2013
- $5.34 million in 2014
- $5.43 million in 2015
The maximum generation-skipping transfer tax rate went from zero to:
- 35 percent in 2012
- 40 percent in 2013 and for future years
Fast-forward to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which passed on Dec. 20, 2017. The federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions increased to twicetheir size, but will revert to pre-2018 exemption rates on January 1, 2026.
Here's a summary of the changes made to the federal estate and gift tax laws under the terms of TRA 2010:
Modified Carryover Basis Rules
Under the provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA), the federal estate tax exemption was gradually increased, and the estate tax rate was gradually decreased until 2010 when the federal estate tax was scheduled to completely disappear for that year only. In place of the federal estate tax, EGTRRA introduced the "modified carryover basis rules," which affect the income tax consequences of inheriting property.
Under the modified carryover basis rules, the income tax basis of inherited property could be stepped up by $1.3 million, as opposed to an unlimited step-up in basis under prior estate tax laws. In addition, if the property was inherited by a surviving spouse—either directly or through a qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust—then the property could receive an additional $3 million step-up in basis.
Under the terms of TRA 2010, the estate tax is the default rule for people who passed away in 2010. So in order for the heirs of 2010 to opt into the modified carryover basis rules and out of the estate tax rules, the heirs would have needed to file a new IRS form called Form 8939, Allocation of Increase in Basis for Property Received from a Decedent. It is an information return only, as opposed to a tax return, and was due on or before Jan. 17, 2012. Extensions of time to file Form 8939 were granted, and amended forms had to be filed only in limited circumstances. Information on extensions and amendments can be found in the instructions and Notice 2011-66.
Which 2010 estates should have chosen to apply the modified carryover basis rules as opposed to the estate tax rules? In general, the heirs of a 2010 estate that exceeded $5 million would have had to run the numbers to determine if applying the modified carryover basis rules versus the estate tax rules made sense, since there would be a breaking point at which it would make more sense to apply one instead of the other.
2010 Estate Tax Rules
Under the provisions of TRA 2010, the federal estate tax—which, as previously mentioned, was supposed to completely disappear for the 2010 tax year under the terms of EGTRRA—was resurrected and retroactively applied back to January 1, 2010, for all 2010 estates. The kicker to this new estate tax law is that it offered the largest estate tax exemption ever—$5 million—and the smallest estate tax rate ever, set at 35 percent. Aside from this, the heirs of 2010 decedents who opted to make use of the estate tax rules instead of the modified carryover basis rules would have received a full step-up in basis of their inherited property.
The estate tax rules are the default rules for 2010 estates. If the gross estate did not exceed $5 million, then the heirs did not have to do anything and received a full step up in basis in their inherited assets. But if the estate exceeded $5 million in value; the death occurred between Dec. 1 and Dec. 17, 2010; and the heirs wanted to apply the estate tax rules instead of the modified carryover basis rules, then the heirs would have needed to file a federal estate tax return, IRS Form 706, United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return, on or before Sept. 19, 2011. But the IRS created confusion by not releasing the final version of 2010 Form 706 until early September.
For the heirs of 2010 estates that exceeded $5 million and whose deceased benefactor died between Dec. 18 and Dec. 31, 2010, if they wanted to apply the estate tax instead of the modified carryover basis rules, then they would have needed to file IRS Form 706 on or before nine months after their deceased benefactor's date of death, except that, as mentioned, the form was not released until early September.
For this reason, the heirs of 2010 estates who needed to file Form 706 but could not get it prepared and filed on time should have filed IRS Form 4768, Application for Extension of Time To File a Return and/or Pay U.S. Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Taxes, in order to receive an automatic six-month extension of time to file Form 706 and pay any taxes that may be due.
2010 Gift Tax Rules
While TRA 2010 made significant changes to the rules governing federal estate taxes, it did not affect the lifetime gift tax exemption, which remained at $1 million. However, under the provisions of EGTRRA, the gift tax rate was supposed to be reduced from 45 percent in 2009 to 35 percent in 2010, and TRA 2010 did not affect this reduction in the gift tax rate.


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Food Allergies: Top 8 Triggers
Food has become so much more than a nutritional necessity in today's culture. It is a big part of special celebrations like birthdays and holidays, as well as everyday gatherings with family and friends. It provides a bonding experience and can be highly enjoyable. However, food can also be a major point of contention and loathed by those on a diet or with certain dietary restrictions, such as people with food allergies. Unfortunately, the latter group with allergies has continued to grow in recent years.
An estimated 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies, including almost 6 million children under the age of 18. This equates to about 1 in 13 children, or nearly 2 children in every classroom. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reported that between 1997 and 2011, food allergies in children increased by 50 percent. Fortunately, more awareness means more prevention of serious side effects, and restored enjoyment with eating!
What are the Most Common Food Allergies?
While any food could theoretically cause an allergy, just a few are known to trigger nearly 90% of allergic reactions to food, as reported by WebMD. These include:
- Milk (mostly in children)
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, brazil nuts, and pecans
- Soy
- Wheat and other grains with gluten, including barley, rye, and oats
- Fish (mostly in adults)
- Shellfish (mostly in adults)
An allergic reaction can happen within just minutes of eating, or it may happen hours later.
What are Symptoms of Food Allergies?
A food allergy is when the body's natural defenses perceive exposure to a certain food as a threat, triggering an immune response to fight it known as an allergic reaction, according to WebMD. The provoking substance that causes a reaction is known as an allergen, and are most commonly some form of protein. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that allergic reactions can be mild or severe, and symptoms may include:
- Vomiting and/or stomach cramps
- Diarrhea
- Hives or a skin rash
- Wheezing
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Repetitive cough
More severe reactions and symptoms include:
- Trouble breathing or swallowing
- Swollen lips, tongue, or throat
- Feeling weak, confused, light-headed, or passing out
- Chest pain or a weak, uneven heartbeat
The most serious allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction that sends the body into shock and requires emergency treatment.
While food allergy symptoms are most common in babies and children, they can appear at any age. They are also sometimes perplexing, as it is possible to develop an allergy to foods previously eaten for years with no problems, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
What the Difference between Food Intolerance vs. Food Allergies?
These phrases are often used interchangeably, but there is a distinct difference between food intolerance and food allergies. A food intolerance is generally a mild form of irritation or sensitivity to a certain food, such as gas after eating beans, diarrhea after dairy (lactose intolerance), or a headache after drinking wine. A food allergy, on the other hand, is actually triggered by the immune system, as the body mistakenly perceives the food as a threat and reacts to it, according to WebMD.
How to Prevent & Manage Food Allergies
Research published in the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that feeding solid foods to very young babies could promote allergies. This might include mixing rice and cereals into infant formulas to make them thicker and heartier. Therefore, researchers recommend against introducing solid foods to babies less than 17 weeks old. They also suggest exclusively breast-feeding for as long as possible.
The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) took special care to investigate the increasingly popular peanut allergy, creating guidelines to help identify moderate and high-risk infants for food allergy development. Infants at are the highest risk of developing peanut allergies when they already have severe eczema and/or egg allergies.
For older children and adults, the best way to help prevent food allergies is by learning to recognize mild to moderate food allergy symptoms, and avoiding the problem food(s) before the allergies have a chance to cause more severe symptoms. Allergy testing is also an option.
The good news is that children can outgrow allergies to milk, egg, soy and wheat, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Further, new research indicates that up to 25 percent of children may outgrow their peanut allergy, with slightly fewer expected to outgrow a tree nut allergy. Similarly, adults with milder allergies to certain foods may avoid the foods for years and later come to find that they can eat them again without reactions.


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2020-2021 Service Hour Dates
Service Hours Due Date is Friday, March 19, 2021 for all students. Late deadline for seniors is May 11, 2020, and all other students is May 22, 2020.
Theological Reflection Due Date is April 24, 2020, with late deadline for seniors May 11, 2020 and all others May 22, 2020.
500 Bonus Points Awarded if Service Hours are turned-in on or before September 9, 2019.
300 Bonus Points Awarded if Service Hours are turned-in on or before January 21, 2020.
2018-19 Service Awards
2019 Service Awards
All SCC students are required to serve a minimum of 15 hours of service in order to pass their Religion class. However, many SCC students go above and beyond the minimum requirements. The goal of this program at St. Charles Catholic High School is to enable each student to serve others and fulfill the commandment of Jesus to love one another as He has loved us.
Congratulations to the following SCC students who received Service Awards for this school year by going above and beyond the minimum requirement:
BRONZE Award (3,000 – 5,999 points)
Nathan Abadie; Kirsten Anderson; Morgan Hibbard; Hunter Lowry; Amelia Mouton
Kaitlyn Abair; Gabrielle Connor; Alexia Desselles; Julia Gilberti; Joseph Haydel; Alisha Hernandez; Jenna Hickman; Jake Jeandron; Ryan Laiche; Lawrence-Michael Nelson; Karen Trichell; Zack Vicknair; Aubrey Westbrook; Tiffany Williams
Destiny Ducote; Logan Forsythe; Kristen Gray; Blakely Heltz; Miranda Hotard; Troy Johnson; Alexis Jones; Dominic Joseph; Taylor Perilloux; Lauren St. Martin; Justin Turcuit; Riley Weber; Rustin West
Gregory Bergeron; Owen Bourgeois; Evan Brady; Kelly Campbell; Katelynn Decker; Mallory Fernandez; Vladimir Fiffie; Marcus Forest; Keyon Harvey; Olivia Keating; Wintress Landry; Edward Lowry; Caroline Roberts; Madelyn Schexnaydre; Madeline Wilkie
Sutton Bourgeois; Shelby Britt; Hannah Edmonds; Cameron Fabre; Chloe Faucheux; Sara Guidry; Joseph Hebert; Ashlynn King; Logan LaBorde; George Louper; Ellie Nelson; Kirian Robertson; Sophia Robichaux; Destiny Romious; Eden Simoneaux; Brooke St. Pierre; Madison St. Pierre; Kirsten Tassin; Jenna Toups; Madonna Trinh; Kacie Veal
SILVER Award (6,000 – 9,999 points)
Alexis Monistere; Mia Oncale; Reyondalin Smith; Shae Waguespack
Adrien Dixon; Luke Lobue; Hunter Monistere; Lauren Oncale; Jeanne St. Martin; Lauren Weber
Kamren Campbell; Jeremiah Emery; Logan Falgout; Keenan Gauff; Melody Newsom; Sara St. Pierre; Jacob Todd; Calvin Trinh
Taylor Abair; Collin Cedotal; Trevor Lasseigne; Kaile Levatino; Sydney Pfister; Kelsey Villeret
Halle Bourdonnay; Peyton Broussard; Keri Clement; Kehara Hill; Tommy Lasseigne; Nicholas Lorio; Hailey Louque; Hannah Lowry; Madeleine Millet; Bryce Newman; Mary Tran; Lauren Trichell
GOLD Award (10,000 or More points)
Mya Brown; Samantha DeFrancesch; Hayley Falgout; Erin Powell
Hailey Boeckl; Amari Coleman; Eric Magee; Emma Peppo; Allison Powell; Margaret Powell; Evan Roussell
Gabriella Portillo; Grace Vicknair; Ashleigh Zaidain
Brianna Allen; Tyler Delaneuville; Hailey Hilbun; Brejan Walker; Kirstin Wilson
April Bourlet; Madeline Brignac; Brooke LaBorde; Joseph Mamou; Mary Margaret Morton; Robert Newsome; Mikkal Peterson; Alyssa Portillo; Angel Taylor; Grant Vicknair; Kelsie Williams


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Thomas KiktaChair of Contemporary Music Media & Jazz Department; Associate Professor, Music Technology; Area Coordinator, Sound Recording Technology; Area Coordinator, Classical Guitar
Mary Pappert School of Music
Guitar Department
School of Music 312
Phone: 412.396.5486
Education:B.M., Classical Guitar Performance, North Carolina School for the Arts, 1984
As a Classical Guitarist, Vocalist, Composer, Pedagogue, Producer, Audio Engineer and Author Thomas Kikta is a versatile artist who has been the director of the Classical Guitar and Recording Arts and Sciences at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. for thirty years.
A native of Pittsburgh, he studied Classic Guitar performance with Aaron Shearer at both the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He has performed around the country, including collaborations with the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center, Ricardo Cobo, Manuel Barrueco and for such dignitaries as Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison. As an audio engineer and producer Mr. Kikta's credits include The New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Visa /Mastercard, Seth MacFarlane/Family Guy, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Dr John, MCG Jazz, BMG Classics, Leonard Bernstein, Pepe Romero, Sean Jones, Jacob TV, Jeff Bergman and the New Century Saxophone Quartet, to name a few. As an artist on the Alanna Records Label he is a writer and performing member of the duo group "Colourtime Project".
After working closely with Aaron Shearer for over 28 years, he with Mr. Shearer coauthored the 3rd edition of the best selling and benchmark work "Classic Guitar Technique Vol 1" published by Alfred Publications, which was nominated for "Best Instructional Book or Video for 2009" by Music and Sound Retailer.
He was invited to write "The Complete Idiots Guide to Classical Guitar Favorites" which was published by Alfred Publications in 2010. This work provides supplementary lessons to 30 favorite selections for a student working with a method book. It also gives historical perspective to the composers and selections with fun facts and a guitar historical time line. His most recent works are "The Shearer Method Classic Guitar Foundations", "The Shearer Method Classic Guitar Developments" and "The Shearer Method Learning the Fingerboard" all multimedia experiences with over 140 high definition videos, 150 new compositions by Alan Hirsh, active online support and new writings by Aaron Shearer prior to his passing in 2008. Published in cooperation with The Aaron Shearer Foundation and Alfred Publishing this book stands out in starting the student to read and play while following a graduated step-by-step curriculum that supports positive habits for efficient study. Mr. Kikta has also written for Alfred's Masterwork Editions, Carcassi: Melodic and Progressive Etudes Op.60 (2016) exploring the fingerings, lessons and performance notes from the perspective of Aaron Shearer's teachings
Mr Kikta is also active in the dance community working for Twyla Tharp, Hubbard Street Dance, Lynn Stanford, Salvatore Aiello, Chautauqua Institute Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, North Carolina Dance Theatre, and The New York Choreographic Institute. In 2014 The School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center commissioned Kikta to write the music for a new ballet. The ballet "Inverno" premiered at Lincoln Center for the 2015 Winter Ball; featuring 20 dancers and choreographed by Peter Walker, it set the record for funds raised at an SAB gala event. In 2016 Mr Kikta has been commissioned to write a ballet for The New York City Ballet, again paired with Peter Walker, the ballet will premiere at Lincoln Center at the Fall Gala event and will continue to be performed in NYCB's 2016-2017 season.
As an Alanna Records Recording Artist, Thomas Kikta has recorded on numerous internationally released albums with the New Century Saxophone Quartet, Stephen Pollock, Amanda Ford, and Ken Karsh. Working with six time Grammy Award winning engineer Jay Dudt, Kikta wrote, performed and produced the 2015 released album 2Believe with the Colourtime Project, winner of Best Jazz Album and Best Music Video by the Akademia Music Awards.
As Vice-President of the Aaron Shearer Foundation, Mr Kikta lectures around the country at conservatories, conventions and music festivals including "The Shearer Summer Institute at Zion National Park", a weeklong festival that combines guitar and the love of high country hiking into one amazing event.
Thomas Kikta is an artist endorsee for Alfred Publishing, Alhambra Guitars, D'Addario Strings, Line 6 and Fishman Electronics. As a Co-founder and Board Chairman of the Guitar Society of Fine Arts, Pittsburgh audiences enjoyed a decade of world class guitar music as well as free music lessons for underprivileged children. Thomas Kikta along with members of the Shearer family founded The Aaron Shearer Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving and propagating the teachings and legacy of the revolutionary guitar pedagogue, Aaron Shearer.
Classic Guitar Technique Vol I 3rd edition (2008)
Complete Idiots Guide to 30 Classical Guitar Favorites (2010)
The Shearer Method Classic Guitar Foundations (2012)
The Shearer Method Classic Guitar Developments (2014)
The Shearer Method Classic Guitar Learning the Fingerboard (2015)
Carcassi: Melodic and Progressive Etudes Op.60 (2016) Shearer Fingerings and Lessons
The Aaron Shearer Foundation
Artist Endorsee - Daddario Strings
Publishing Company Alfred Publishing
http://www.alfred.com/Products/RefinedListing.aspx?q=Kikta, Thomas&type=Author
Artist Endorsee - Fishman Electronics
Official website
Duquesne University
Facebook pages
Thomas Kikta
Colourtime Project


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New Roads Auto Loans Terms and Conditions
By using any of the "CPS websites" (domains consumerportfolio.com, newroads.net, autoloantoday.net, newroadsautoloans.com) you agree to these terms and conditions.
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Muriel at the back of the British Queen in the 1930's
Sylvia Gipson
Evelyn, Sylvia and Norman (can you see him?) in a field near Meldreth Church in the 1920's
John (in the white hat) and Sylvia outside the British Queen around 1930
Chris Duguid
Norman harvesting at Mettle Hill in the 1960's
Evelyn, Muriel, John, Sylvia and Norman in the garden of 63 High Street in September 1990
Frederick (Fred) Thurley was born in Meldreth in 1838, the son of William and Mary Thurley. He ran the British Queen Public House from before 1886.
He married Ann Beck, a widow with two daughters, Hannah and Flora. Ann and Fred had a daughter Elizabeth (known as Dolly); she was born in London St Luke's, an area of Islington, in 1874.
Ann died in 1891 age 57 years and is buried in Meldreth Churchyard.
Frederick married Charlotte Gipson in 1892, a widow, and they went on to have a daughter, Gladys, born 1893. Gladys married Cyril Jarman from Kneesworth in 1927.
Fred died at the British Queen in 1909 aged 71 years.
Charlotte's son Herbert came to the British Queen with her. He was given the name Antonious Dore Van Dyke Gipson at birth. But when he came to live in Meldreth, aged 6 years, he was known as Bertie Thurley. He then became known as Herbert Gipson and lived at the British Queen for the rest of his life. He was a skilled Carpenter and also farmed a small holding on Mettle Hill in Meldreth.
Charlotte ran the British Queen until her death in 1932.
Herbert married Agnes Ransome, daughter of John and Susannah, in Cambridge in 1908. He was 21 years old and Agnes was 25 years old. They lived at the British Queen with Herbert's mother Charlotte Thurley and went onto have five children all born in the Public House.
Agnes died at the British Queen in 1952 and Herbert died at the British Queen in 1966.
Muriel, their first child was born in 1910. She lived and worked in the British Queen until 1966. She then went to live in a bungalow in Woolpack Way, with her sister Sylvia, until her death in 2002.
Norman was born in 1912 and lived in Meldreth all his life. he married Dorothy England in 1938. They lived in the coachman's cottage at the Court when they were first married and then moved to Southfield on Whaddon Road, which Norman built. He was a farmer and fruit grower. Norman died in 1995 is buried with Dorothy in Whaddon churchyard.
Sylvia was born in 1916 and has lived all her life in Meldreth. In 2010 she was one of the guests of honour at Meldreth School Centenary celebrations.
Evelyn was born in 1920. She married Jim Webb and they had a daughter Linda. Evelyn died in 1997 and her ashes are interred in Fowlmere churchyard.
John was born in the British Queen in 1923. He left Meldreth school aged 14 years and was an apprentice at Bridge Garage Shepreth and then to Jack Wedd at South Cambs Motor Company in Melbourn.
In 1942 John joined the army and served in India and Burma with the REME where he ran a mobile workshop.
In 1947 he returned to Meldreth and opened a repair workshop in the barn at the rear of the British Queen pub – despite his fathers reservations, as only a handful of people in the village had cars!
In 1960 he purchase the Woolpack farm from the estate of HOS Ellis and built a garage workshop and filling station on the site which opened in 1961.
In 1979 he retired and dedicated much of his time to bell ringing and restoring not only Meldreth & Melbourn church bells but also bells around the UK. He also installed a ring of 8 bells in Philadelphia USA for the Whitechapel Bell foundry.
He served on the Parish Council for 31 years and was Churchwarden for 35 years. He has sung in Meldreth church choir since he was 11 years old and has rung over 1500 peals on Meldreth Church bells – a world record achieved and celebrated in 2008 at the age of 85. John died in 2017.
My father owned three horses when I was a boy. William Waldock, Eddie Waldock's father worked for him. Every morning Old Will would get them out of the stables and harness them ready for work. My father, Herbert, farmed a small holding up Mettle Hill. This particular morning one of the horses came out of the stables and its back legs went from under it. Later it died and Phil Jude from Barrington came with a horse drawn cart with a hoist. He collected dead horses. In 1933 my father, Herbert, bought a Fordson tractor at a cost of £100. It had iron wheels because my father said rubber was no good - they would slip when it was wet. That was the end of horses on the farm.
Meldreth History > http://www.meldrethhistory.org.uk/
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