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When Ian and Wendy Jackson moved into an adult-lifestyle bungalow in April they were thinking future tense.
Both 62, they are still in good health and working. But they also know that in 10 or 15 years they won't be as spry. Anything from creaky hips to being dependent on a walker is possible. Staying in their large, single home would have, sooner or later, become impractical.
So they moved into Larco Homes' upscale Solera community near Hunt Club and Albion roads (larcohomes.com), where their bungalow includes design features like an open concept and extra-wide doorways that mean even a wheelchair won't present a major problem.
"We were looking ahead, getting the moving-and-settling-in done now," says Ian.
Adds Wendy, "We didn't want our children to worry about us. We wanted to be self-sufficient. And we can totally live on this one level. There's a second bedroom we can use as a den, and the laundry room is on this level."
The Jacksons, who felt a condo or apartment wouldn't be large enough to accommodate overnight visits from their grandchildren, have decided to be proactive about staying in their own home as they age, a concept known as aging in place or aging at home.
It's an example the rest of us boomers who are still tooling around our two-storey, maintenance-heavy houses would be wise to heed.
But there are two main problems: Many boomers are in denial about their greying hair, and home builders for the most part haven't yet clambered on the aging-in-place bandwagon.
"No one wants to think about getting older, about (it) being harder to get around," says Scott Puddicombe, owner of Puddicombe Access Solutions in Ottawa (puddicombeaccess.ca).
He employs principles of universal design, ideas like easy-to-grasp lever handles, walk-in showers with no thresholds, and wheelchair-and walker-friendly entrances to create homes where anyone with a physical limitation can live more easily.
Whether we want to think about it or not, the reality is that more of us than ever can look forward to agerelated physical hurdles. According to a 2006 study from Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians over age 65 will double by 2036, increasing seniors' share of the population from 13.2 per cent to 24.5 per cent.
The Canadian Association of Gerontology says that the majority of aging Canadians want to stay in their own homes. Programs like Ontario's Aging at Home Strategy can help by providing financial assistance for community support programs, assistive devices and the like.
However, most of our homes are built for young, active families who can readily negotiate stairs, narrow halls and high kitchen cabinets. They are simply not geared to aging in place.
Builders have been generally slow to respond to the shifting demographic and its need for universal design. A number of them do build adult-lifestyle bungalows, but those get snapped up quickly and don't usually offer much more than an open concept and wider passageways.
"We have both an opportunity and a responsibility to take (aging in place) into the market as quickly as possible," says John Kenward, chief operating officer of the Canadian Home Builders' Association.
A 2008 survey for the association found that, nationwide, the majority of builders had included features for clients with disabilities in fewer than six per cent of their projects in the past year. Those project included new homes and renovations.
Ottawa-based Phoenix Homes (phoenixhomes.ca) would like to expand its portfolio to include aging in place features, says vice-president of operations Rahul Kochar. But "we haven't had requests from many people. The top end for us right now would be our adult-lifestyle bungalow."
Tartan Homes president Ian Nicol concurs. "In a perfect world, we'd have two or three models we could easily convert to universal access, but we only get an inquiry every two or three years. It is buyer-and market-driven, but if we're smart, and I think we are, we'll get ahead of the curve."
He adds that Tartan (tartan homes.com) is open to customizing a home to meet special needs, and hopes to have a standard package of universal design upgrades available in the next few months.
One problem is that while builders are good at responding to consumer demand, they are also "very conservative," says Avi Friedman, an architecture professor at McGill University. He designed the Grow Home and Next Home, universal design dwellings that have resulted in thousands of homes in Montreal and inspired similar projects throughout North America.
"(Developers) will go on selling single-family homes until there is no more demand," he says.
Friedman predicts that within a decade most homes will have to be designed to accommodate an aging population.
He says Europe and Asia, where respect for the elderly is ingrained, are far ahead of us. In Japan, for example, the drive to put technology to the aid of older citizens has resulted in innovative housing ideas. They include a bedside device that takes blood pressure and even a blood sample and digitally transmits the results to a nurse who can follow up if necessary.
On the other hand, if there's not much demand, it's hard to blame builders for not jumping all over aging in place.
Eric Cosgrove, a real estate agent and member of the board of directors at The Council on Aging of Ottawa, says he sees builders wanting to contribute to affordable seniors' housing but hamstrung by the need to make a profit - not always so easy when you're building affordably - and the tangle of bureaucracy when they apply to the city for project approvals.
Richmond-based Courtyard Developments seems to have found a way around the affordable part by building the not-for-profit Hyde Park (hydeparkrichmond.com), an adult community of bungalows, apartments and retirement suites in Richmond that use a life-lease model. That model is an increasingly popular way of funding the construction of communities for elderly people who have assets but not a lot of income.
Basically, residents buy shares in the development, giving them a return on investment, and the developer uses the investment to construct the homes. Depending on the unit, residents may have a choice of buying or just renting.
As they age, Hyde Park residents can move from independence in the adult-lifestyle bungalows to the apartments or the comprehensive care available in the retirement residence. There's also a medical facility planned for the site.
"We are constructing a community, not building houses and apartments," says president Steve Hyde. "Our goal is that people don't have to move out of the community at all."
However, hold ups in municipal approval - the result of amalgamation and new water regulations - delayed the project for 18 months when it started a decade ago. Intense lobbying of City Hall by two potential residents helped finally move the approval process along.
Still, the Hyde Park units don't come equipped with a lot of universal design features: The bungalows, for example, are basically open concept and wheelchair-accessible. The current site has sold out its bungalows, but Hyde has another, similar project planned for south of Ottawa. It will have upward of 300 bungalows starting around $200,000.
Ashlar Homes (ashlarconstruction.ca), a custom and pre-designed green builder working in Merrickville and other communities, includes an "Ease-of-Access" package in its offerings. Targeting the aging-in-place market, the package includes a roll-in shower, grab bars where specified, an easy-access kitchen and other design ideas.
Yet, says Ashlar president Stefan Hamed, "I haven't had any takers yet. People seem more interested in granite countertops."
Longwood Building Corporation (longwoodbuilders.com) has also been targeting the aging market. Like other builders, it's constructed adult-lifestyle bungalows in a number of Ottawa communities. It's also building the Montage, a condo near Billings Bridge Plaza. Most of the buyers so far are 50-plus, with one in his 80s, says Longwood sales manager Darice Greene.
The condo units feature lowthreshold patio doors that swing open, rather than sliding, for ready wheelchair access. At Greene's suggestion, the design of the ensuites was changed from a large corner tub and small shower to a fourfoot shower with a swing door. The company will also arrange custom kitchen cabinetry with pull-down shelves.
One alternative to buying a new home is to build custom. In that case, you can include features like stacked closets that can later be converted to an elevator shaft, an option that custom builders say is growing in popularity.
Such features recall Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) FlexHousing, a concept developed in the 1990s.
A FlexHouse is one that allows easy conversions - for example, turning one bedroom into two or an attic into a family room - as a family evolves. It also incorporates universal design features like sinks and cooktops that are open underneath to allow wheelchair access. A family could theoretically live in a FlexHouse for decades rather than upsizing and downsizing as needs change.
Rather than buying or building new, some are renovating their homes.
Lynda and Colin Welch did a bit of both by basically rebuilding their 30-year-old cottage in the Madawaska Valley into a year-round home. Both are still working, but Colin has had a knee replacement and suffers from arthritis.
Their home now features a dumb waiter to haul groceries and other heavy objects up to the main level, a raised toilet and grab bars in the bathroom, lever handles on most doors, and pullout kitchen cabinetry for dishes, pots and pans.
"It gets harder to do all these things as you get older," says Lynda.
They've also installed stairs with a wide tread and low risers that are easy to navigate and they've minimized floor coverings to avoid tripping on carpet edges, a common problem as we age and no longer step lively. Totally wheelchair accessible, the Welchs' home is also energy efficient, an important factor as they shift to the fixed incomes of retirement.
"We can also section off parts of the house that we won't use, so that keeps heating costs down," says Lynda.
They've done all this without sacrificing esthetics. Their home is warm and comfortable, with features like a sunroom and a large, sheltered porch for outdoor meals and relaxing.
Ottawa-based HealthCraft Products (healthcraftproducts.com) is helping us age in style. Its Invisia Collection of grab bars and other bathroom accessories is sleek and contemporary. That's a far cry from the soulless institutional look these items often have, a look that actually discourages people from installing them because they just about shriek, "You're getting old!"
Other aids include interior stair lifts with a chair to transport you from one level to the next.
"The number one response when people get them is, 'I can't believe how much energy I have,' " says Puddicombe. "They say they used to use so much energy just going up and down the stairs."
A system for a straight staircase runs around $3,400, including installation, at Canada Care Medical in Ottawa (canadacaremedical. com). Curved stairs require a custom-built system running $10,000 to $20,000. The stairs usually need to be at least 81 centimetres wide.
The company also sells porch lifts. Resembling an open elevator, they're usually installed at the back of the house and will accommodate a wheelchair or even a scooter. They run $5,000 to $7,000 at Canada Care Medical but do require a concrete pad.
Some boomers who are adding secondary suites, also known as granny flats, to their homes for their aging parents are thinking even longer term.
Christopher Straka of Vert Design, an Ottawa sustainable design and development firm (vertdesign. ca), mentions an Alta Vista couple that's adding an accessible suite for the wife's 90-year-old mother. When the mother passes on, their children may take over the suite or the couple might themselves, turning the main house over to one or more of their children.
"They are thinking of design for multiple generations. Doing things like building the suite at grade with wheelchair access, it doesn't matter if you're 25 or 55 or 95; it will work."
The City of Ottawa encourages the building of secondary suites by offering a tax incentive. CMHC offers a forgivable loan of up to $24,000 in southern Canada to build a secondary rental unit for a low-income senior or adult with a disability.
CMHC also offers a forgivable loan of up to $3,500 to low-income seniors and landlords making other minor adaptations to allow aging in place.
From adult-lifestyle bungalows to closets that become elevators to designer grab bars, the components to allow aging in place are out there. So is a rapidly greying cohort of boomers, who traditionally haven't been shy about making their wants known.
The hitch is putting all the pieces together. As the Council on Aging's Cosgrove notes, "It's a long-term project to turn the Queen Mary around."


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With over fifteen years in the business of skateboarding, Adidas are no longer an industry outsider but are a pioneering brand who invest in skateboarding and help to further its development. Boasting an expansive skate team with legends like Mark Gonzales, Lucas Puig and Mark Suciu mingling with the up-and-comers like Alec Majerus, Adidas continue to push skating further and they of course bring their expertise in footwear manufacturing to the more niche field of skateboarding, holding their own at all times.View All Adidas


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One of the best things about what I do is getting to talk with very smart, knowledgeable people, who tell me really interesting things. Over the past 30 years, I've certainly been blessed with my share of those conversations. But right at the top of the list is a phone conversation I had just this week with Dr. Harry Markowitz, the father of modern portfolio theory.
I'd heard that talking with Dr. Markowitz (Harry, as he made me call him) was like talking with Albert Einstein, and while I obviously never had that honor (nor, I'm pretty sure, did the person who told me that, as Dr. Einstein died in 1955), I quickly understood the reference. At 85, the Nobel lauriate still has a razor-sharp mind, able to move from subject to subject, reeling off facts, reference and statistics faster than I could type. As you might imagine, I was particularly interested in getting his response to the current criticisms of modern portfolio theory in the wake of the 2007-'08 mortgage meltdown when many MPT-allocated portfolios failed to preserve capital. What I got was what would qualify at least for a master's thesis on the measurement of risk and the management of investment portfolios.
As I hope you're well aware, modern portfolio theory came out of two papers that Dr. Markowitz wrote in 1952 and 1959. His general idea was how to create the best possible diversification strategies by selecting a collection of assets that together have lower risk than they would individually. But it wasn't until the 1980s, when the stock market began its long bull run, that allocated, fee-paying client portfolios, based on MPT and Brinson, Hood, Beebower's 1986 paper, became the foundation of today's independent advisory industry.
Dr. Markowitz still consults with advisory firms, such as Loring Ward in San Jose, Calif., helping advisors to maximize returns and minimize risk in client portfolios. "Perhaps the most important job of a financial advisor is to get their clients in the right place on the efficient frontier in their portfolios," he told me. "But their No. 2 job, a very close second, is to create portfolios that their clients are comfortable with. Advisors can create the best portfolios in the world, but they won't really matter if the clients don't stay in them. "
I know: I was shocked, too. Like many people, over the years, I'd been led to believe that behavioral economics (the study of how investors actually behave in the real world) was at odds with modern portfolio theory. Not so, said Markowitz. "In fact, Hersh Shefrin [professor at Santa Clara University] once told me that I was the 'father of modern portfolio theory' and the 'grandfather of behavioral economics.'"
Dr. Markowitz explained this surprising (at least to me) revelation this way. "There was a big difference in my views about how and why to use mean variance analysis (that's academic-speak for MPT) in my 1952 paper and in my '59 paper. In the '52 paper the only portfolio constraints I was concerned about were to avoid negative returns. But by 1959, I was concerned about [how investors would react to] the portfolio construction: For the comfort of the clients, we put constraints on 'risky sounding stuff,' such as junk bonds, etc. We knew that might dampen returns, but it was better than if they chicken out in a down market."
Dr. Markowitz also revealed that his version of modern portfolio theory included increasing standard deviations "to reflect uncertainty," and "forward-looking estimates of sample frontiers, to make sure things are coming out plausibly. We all have intuitions about relationships between assets. If we use our best estimates of the current risks, and we end up with a portfolio that seems extreme, maybe there's something wrong with our estimates. The final step is choosing constraints [on certain assets]: we test them, and if we don't get what we want, then we think about what's missing in the constraints."
This is a view of asset allocation that I hadn't seen before. It further underscores the need for professional advisors to create allocated portfolios that are right for each client. "The risk/return calculations in a portfolio are always a tradeoff," Dr. Markowitz concluded. "What's right for one investor might not be right for another."


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Adding new technology into your advisory firm can be a huge step, whether you're installing or upgrading a portfolio management system, CRM, planning tool, rebalancing software, client portal or any other application.
Yet for all the bells and whistles, the applications themselves are not the guarantors of success. Rather, it's the smooth, seamless flow of data through your organization—from system to system—that makes for an effective and well-oiled operation.
How does the data move from app to app? Is the flow integrated? To put it simply, does your workflow work?
As an example, visualize, for a moment, installing a feature-rich application to aid your staff and serve your clients.
Suppose it's a portfolio management system that's designed for maximum functionality. But…to feed data into the app, your staff needs to intervene manually. They need to "touch the data" and spend valuable time inputting the necessary information.
What's the point of that? In a case like this, buying the expensive app is like buying new tires for a car in which the engine doesn't work. Technology without integration is no solution at all.
Yet in today's advisory world, this type of disconnect happens all the time.
Instead, imagine a data flow that was "hands off." You and your staff arrive in the office every morning and refreshed data is just waiting for you—always accessible, easily managed, and moving seamlessly from system to system.
The right person gets the right data at the right time. And through it all, the data flow is application-independent—running like clockwork regardless of what tools you want to use.
Pie in the sky? Hardly. It is achievable—without back-breaking work or bank-breaking expenditures.
Five Steps for Implementing an Integrated Workflow Now
- Map your needs. What types of data do your various tools need? Why do they need it? How often? How much is too much and won't be used? Don't worry about the tech side here. We're talking business drivers and figuring out what you need to make your business run better. By the way, this shouldn't be a major undertaking—a half day of mapping should suffice.
- Perform a gap analysis. What is the gap between what you can do and what you need to do? This is a necessary step for gauging how much work is ahead of you and beginning to set expectations.
- Put together an action plan. What do you need to change in your operation and why do you need to change it? Here's where you list the steps and assign responsibilities.
- Reach out to the vendors you need. Who can help you with data gathering, transformation and delivery? Is your vendor purely in the data world, and not tied into specific applications in order to maximize performance? And ultimately, can you count on them for the effective flow of data necessary for your firm and clients to make timely decisions?
- Pace yourself. Don't do it all overnight. Approach any modifications to your data flow realistically—one system at a time. At this pace, it's absolutely do-able.
Data has become a strategic asset to financial firms. The firms with the best data workflow will have the richest analytics, reporting and insights. This shift is why we are seeing increased demand from global financial institutions to use aggregation technology to streamline the flow of data within their organization—taking it from one internal system and delivering it to another—so all stakeholders have efficient access to the information, reports and insights they need.


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Mariners - 000 310 000 - 4 8 0Boston rallied to tie and take the lead the instant Morrow (6-6-3-2-7, 98) was pulled from the game. Three singles and three walks against Miguel Batista and Mark Lowe (who threw only four strikes among his 15 pitches) gave the Sox five runs and avoided a sweep.
Red Sox - 200 001 50x - 8 9 1
The first three Boston runs came on solo dongs: Dustin Pedroia (#3) and David Ortiz (#9) in the first and Jacoby Ellsbury (#5) in the sixth.
Nick Green began the seventh by flying out to center. J.D. Drew walked on five pitches and Pedroia (who also doubled in the fifth) singled to left. Youkilis flied out to the track in left for the second out. Batista fell behind Ortiz 3-0 and Flo got the green light, ripping an RBI single into right to tie the game.
Lowe relieved Batista and could not find the plate. He walked Jason Bay on four pitches to load the bases, then walked Ellsbury on five pitches to force in the go-ahead run. He fell behind Mark Kotsay 3-1 before Kotsay grounded a full-count pitch into right field for two more runs.
Sean White, Seattle's third pitcher of the inning, struck out Jason Varitek, but not before Kenji Johjima's passed ball brought home Ellsbury with the fifth run of the inning.
An infield error prolonged the Mariners fourth inning and Lester (6.2-8-4-3-9, 122) gave up a bases-loaded triple to #9 hitter Ronny Cedeno. Only one of the four runs allowed was earned. The 122 pitches was a season-high for Lester.
Justin Masterson faced four batters and collected three strikeouts. Hideki Okajima pitched a perfect ninth to nail down the win.
The Yankees beat the Blue Jays 10-8 to stay 1 GB.
Brandon Morrow (5.14, 83 ERA+) / Jon Lester (4.35, 107 ERA+)
It's bad enough the Red Sox are assured of losing a series to Seattle at Fenway for the first time August 14-16, 2001.
But the possibility of getting swept at home by the Mariners is:
It would also be unprecedented. Seattle has never swept a three-game series at Fenway Park. Ever.
Morrow had made 16 relief appearances this season before starting on June 13 at Colorado. In four starts, he has pitched only 16.2 innings, allowing 19 hits and 11 walks, while striking out 18.
His ERA as a starter is 3.79, but opponents are hitting .297/.395/.391. Poor control has led to high pitch counts and limited his innings to 3, 4, 5 and 4.2 in those four starts.
Complete list of Red Sox players who have stolen 35+ bases in consecutive season:
LBJ is also the first AL player to steal 35 or more bases before the All-Star break in back-to-back seasons since Rickey Henderson (1988-90).Harry Hooper 1910-11
Tris Speaker 1912-13-14
Jacoby Ellsbury 2008-09
The Yankees are 1 GB. They host the Blue Jays at 1 PM (Cecil/Chamberlain).


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I try to work within my patient's means as much as possible. If they have crappy (or no) insurance, I try to use the cheapest generic medication possible.
Dr. Cortex, however, uses a lot of brand-new, pricey Wonderdrugs, mainly because he has samples to give out. The problem here is that he also sees A LOT of Medicaid-subplan indigent patients, and once the patient runs out of samples there is NO FREAKING WAY the plan will pay for the prescription.
Normally, this is a problem between he and his patients. Except when he's out of town. Like now.
So Mr. Ictal runs out of expensive Wonderdrug samples for his epilepsy. Dr. Cortex's nurse calls in a script to Local Pharmacy. Local Pharmacy finds out Wonderdrug isn't covered by his Medicaid plan, and tells Mr. Ictal it'll be $400.
So Mr. Ictal calls Dr. Cortex's office. And his staff closed the office to take a 4-day New Year's weekend (which they weren't supposed to, but figured the boss was in Brazil, so who cares?). And so the answering service routes him to me (my office is closed for the 4-day weekend, too).
Wonderdrug won't be covered without a doctor begging, pleading, and filling out a 30 page form. I call the Medicaid subplan to at least beg. But I'm not contracted with that subplan myself, so they won't even talk to me.
The pharmacy (understandably) can't afford to take the loss on a $400/month pill that they know won't get reimbursed. And Mr. Ictal can't afford this at all. And he has 1 sample pill left, and it's pretty damn dangerous for epilepsy patients to stop their meds cold turkey. And he has no idea what he's taken in the past. And I really hate to change meds on a patient I know nothing about. And his chart is locked up in Dr. Cortex's office until next week.
I feel bad for Mr. Ictal. This insanity (mostly) isn't his fault.
What did I do?
Fortunately, I live close to my (closed) office. So I drove down there this morning to meet Mr. Cortex, and gave him enough samples of Wonderdrug so he won't run out before Dr. Cortex can get back and decide what to do. But this is me (and at least I had samples). In all honesty, most other docs wouldn't care, and say they can't help him. Or would tell him to put the pills on a credit card. Or say it's the pharmacy's issue and to call them. Or to go to an ER (I have no idea why he should go to ER for this, but it's amazing how many docs send patients there for stupid shit like this).
The bottom line here is that you should try to work within your patients' means as best you can. It prevents crap like this from happening, and your call partners will be grateful.


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Announcement: Allspark.com 2012 Charity Drive!
In what has quickly become my favorite and proudest time of year around here at the Allspark, I'm excited to announce the beginning of our 2012 Charity Drive to benefit the Hasbro Children's Hospital! Our first drive in 2010 was a surprise - a grassroots effort that sprang forth after we pooled money to buy a rare vintage toy catalog and then went on to donate nearly $2500. Last year we raised nearly $6400 and were then stunned when it was personally matched by Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner.
This year's goal: $8000. The deadline is 11:59pm on Sunday, February 26. $5 minimum suggested, but any amount is appreciated! Donate using the donation sig below, or continue to the post below for alternate payment methods.
We'll once again set out to buy a sponsorship of the Hasbro Children's Hospital annual fundraising gala being held on March 3 in Providence, RI. It's entitled the "Battleship Ball," based upon Hasbro's board game and upcoming movie property. Our sponsorship will earn us recognition at the event and in print materials, as well as 8 tickets to the gala. Read here to see Powered Convoy's report and photos from last year's awesome event.
It's a big number, and an ambitious goal. Higher even than last year's already surprising total. But this community - the strongest I've ever seen on fan forums - has done nothing short of the amazing in so generously giving support to sick kids and their families. I have a lot of confidence in this community, and I think we can do it!
Edited by Daytonus, 24 February 2012 - 01:58 PM.


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TILLAMOOK A Tillamook County dairy family whose cows were slowly poisoned by bad feed has been awarded $750,000 in damages after a five-week trial.
A jury decided that a salesman for Land OLakes Purina Feed, a leading national supplier of cattle feed, provided feed that contained six times the standard level of copper and at one point removed phosphorous from the mix.
Dairy farmers Neal and Nancy Kaste began buying feed from the company in 2005 and soon noticed milk production dropped. By November 2007, many of their cows were ill or dying, according to court records.
The dairy stopped buying feed from the company in 2008, but by then the damage was apparently done. Between 2009 and 2013, 62 cows died and 78 more had to be put down or killed for beef because they were in poor health or no longer produced enough milk.
Portland attorney Anne Foster, who represented the Kastes, said copper is a standard ingredient in cattle feed, but is toxic at the levels and duration provided by Land OLakes.
The salesman compounded the problem by removing phosphorous from the mixture, causing the cows to essentially draw the mineral from their bones as they struggled to produce milk, Foster said.
The cows started demineralizing their own bodies, she said. Phosphorous was returned to the mix, but the cows could not recover.
The salesman did not intend to harm the herd but was not trained as an animal nutritionist and the company did not oversee the mixing process, Foster said.
Land OLakes was letting the salesman mess with the formulas, the ration recipes, without having a nutrition background, she said.
Land O Lakes refused to disclose the feed ingredients even though state law requires it, Foster said. The Kastes ultimately paid to have the feed tested and learned it contained toxic levels of copper.
The company was ordered to pay attorney fees in addition to the damages. A company spokeswoman, Becky Lentz, said Land O Lakes will prepare a response. The company had not responded as of Dec. 23.
Foster, a partner in the Portland law firm Dunn Carney Allen Higgins & Tongue, was assisted by Blair McCrory. Foster is part of the firms agriculture and natural resources practice group.
In 2005, an Idaho jury awarded damages to ranchers after 130 calves died from drinking tainted powdered milk replacement produced by Land OLakes.


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News on the government shutdown and a motorcycle vs. SUV road rage incident in New York.
News to know
Most government workers are getting paid during the government shutdown, but the people who caused it will get their paychecks. According to the 27th Amendment, Congress can't get itself raises, freeze pay or cut pay, so the shutdown doesn't affect their pocketbooks.
Quote of note
"(It's) strange that one party would make keeping people uninsured the centerpiece of their agenda." - President Barack Obama, in a statement on the first day of the government shutdown, talking about Republicans. The House continued to pass bills that keeps the government running but also defunds "Obamacare."
Hot video: Road rage caught on video
Wife says motorcyclist was paralyzed in a New York road-rage incident that was caught on video.
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So, it was a while ago that I posted anything here, mostly because my eye or sauron has been fixed upon other stuff (me and my wife bought a flat, Bash and APL), but also because I am trying to build an open TDD Exercise repository with language agnostic problems.
I will mainly update the repo but also try to post here more frequently when I come across something interesting.
The repo solutions have been Makefile and non-OTP centric to keep it simple and on a level comprehensible for all.
However, I will be including more and more of the standard production level tools and components.
As for now, the aim is to keep it weekly or bi-weekly if I notice that I don't have the time. Right now it's that way.


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If an index is rising, people want in, which is one reason indexed annuities remain a bright spot in an otherwise struggling industry. Although rebounding, total annuity sales remain below 2012 numbers.
Annuity sales were $56.5 billion in the second quarter, 9% higher than the first quarter of 2013 but down 1% from a year ago, according to LIMRA's second-quarter 2013 U.S. Individual Annuities Sales survey.
"This quarter's results are encouraging for the annuity industry — every product line improved from the first quarter of 2013," Joseph Montminy, assistant vice president of LIMRA Annuity Research, said in a statement. "Observing the economic improvements, including interest rate increases, we believe variable annuity sales have stabilized while fixed annuity sales will continue to improve for the remainder of the year."
In the first six months of 2013, total annuity sales were down 4% to $108.2 billion.
Variable annuity sales were 1% lower in the second quarter 2013 compared with the second quarter of 2012, totaling $38.2 billion. However, VA sales rebounded from the prior quarter, up 8%. Year-to-date, VA sales totaled $73.7 billion, a 3% decline from prior year.
Deferred income annuities surpassed $500 million for the first time, reaching $535 million in the second quarter of 2013, 155% higher than in the second quarter of 2012. Year to date, DIA sales grew 151% to nearly $1 billion. DIA sales are on pace to reach $2 billion by the end of the year — doubling 2012 results.
Fixed annuity sales reached $18.3 billion in the second quarter, down 1% compared with prior year. Yet, LIMRA says it is important to note that this is 13% higher than the first three months of the year. In the first half of 2013, fixed annuities fell 6%, totaling $34.5 billion.
For the first time ever, quarterly indexed annuities topped $9 billion. Second-quarter sales were up 5% compared with last year. Year to date, indexed annuities improved 1%, to reach $16.8 billion.
Guaranteed lifetime withdraw benefit riders continue to help propel indexed annuity sales. Indexed GLB rider election rates also hit an all-time high of 76% in the second quarter of 2013.
Single premium immediate annuity sales were flat in the second quarter of 2013 compared to one year ago, to reach to $1.9 billion. This is 12% higher than results in the first quarter of the year. In the first six months of 2013, SPIA sales totaled $3.6 billion, 3% lower than in 2012.
Keep reading for the top 20 companies in variable, fixed and total annuity sales in the second quarter.
Top 20 Companies for Variable Annuity Sales
Top 20 Companies for Fixed Annuity Sales
Top 20 Companies for Total Annuity Sales
Check out these top 10 lists on ThinkAdvisor:


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It's 80° today, perfect day for grilling so I thought I would highlight this recipe from the archives. Turkey burgers with a cayenne pepper kick! Here's a fun way to turn boring turkey burgers into something with a little more exciting. If you're a buffalo wing fan, you'll love the flavors in this turkey burger topped with a broccoli slaw tossed with my very own homemade blue cheese dressing[1].
Someone recently emailed me and gave me this idea, she took my zucchini turkey burger recipe[2] and dipped it in hot sauce after. I decided to add it to the turkey meat instead, and figured you can always serve more on the side if you wish!
And by the way, there's carrots in these burgers but I promise, you can't even tell. It's a great way to add more fiber and vegetables into your diet whether it's for yourself or your family.
I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so Frank's hot sauce is perfect for my taste, but if you really like it hot you could use Tabasco or your favorite cayenne hot sauce.
To make these burgers gluten free, you can sub the breadcrumbs for gluten-free oats.
Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 Burger • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 10 pts (8 pts no bun)
Calories: 358 • Fat: 15 g • Protein: 38.3 g • Carb: 22.7 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Sugar: 5.9
Burger and slaw only – (no bun, no cheddar cheese):
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 burger w/ slaw • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts (no slaw, 5)
Calories: 208 • Fat: 9.5 g • Protein: 24.3 g • Carb: 6.7 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Sugar: 1.9 g
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli slaw
- 1/4 cup skinny blue cheese dressing[3]
- 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
- 2/3 cup grated carrots (grate in food processor)
- 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp red onion, grated
- 1/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
- salt and fresh pepper
- oil spray
- 5 slices reduced fat cheddar
- 5 whole wheat burger buns (I used Martin's 100 calorie Potato Whole Wheat Buns)
In a medium bowl combine broccoli slaw and skinny blue cheese dressing. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, carrots, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Makes 5 equal patties, 5.5 oz each.
Heat a large skillet on high heat. When hot, lightly spray the oil. Add burgers to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook on one side until browned 4-5 minutes, then flip. Cook another 4 minutes or until burgers are cooked all the way through (keep heat medium-low to prevent burning); top with cheese and place on a toasted burger buns topped with broccoli slaw.
If grilling, clean grill well before cooking and spray with oil spray to prevent sticking.
Freezer Tip: To freeze raw, place them on a baking sheet with wax paper in between, when frozen transfer to ziplock bags.
To freeze cooked, you can fully cook them, then freeze in ziplock bags for quick meals; to re-heat you can microwave or thaw first then place on a skillet.
- ^ homemade blue cheese dressing (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
- ^ zucchini turkey burger recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
- ^ skinny blue cheese dressing (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
This recipe has already been read 386 times!


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Van Eck Global introduced a new corporate bond ETF that hedges against rising interest rates.
The Market Vectors Treasury-Hedged High Yield Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:THHY) aims to combine the income potential of high-yield corporate bonds while simultaneously shorting Treasury notes.
"With THHY, investors have the ability to better position their bond portfolios now for a rising interest rate environment, but they can do so while still earning income on the fund and even have upside potential during a low interest rate environment, said Fran Rodilosso, fixed income portfolio manager with Market Vectors. "I believe it is not a question of if, but rather when, we will begin to see rising interest rates."
THHY is linked to the Market Vectors U.S. Treasury-Hedged High Yield Bond Index. It contains below-investment grade corporate bonds, denominated in U.S. dollars, and, through the use of 5-year U.S. Treasury notes, a hedge against the price sensitivity to interest rate fluctuations of the bonds included in the index. The fund and its underlying index do not currently use any swaps or derivatives.
Market Vectors points out that an investment of this kind carries risks associated with high-yield securities, such as sensitivity to adverse economic changes or individual issuer developments, as well as liquidity concerns, credit risk, interest rate risk and risks associated with hedging.
THHY has a net expense ratio of 1.45% with the fund's expenses capped at 0.50% until September 1, 2014. Cap excludes certain expenses, such as interest.


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- Our Mattress Cleaners are experienced, certified and trained in all types of mattress cleaning services.
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Dirty Mattress could be home for harmful bacteria, germs, fungi etc. These harmful germs may lead to various health-related issues. At back 2 new mattress cleaning Alonnah, our cleaners can 100% remove all the harmful germs from your mattress. Along with helping to eliminate dust, dirt and dead skin cell flakes, cleaning a mattress will get full night sleep, that's our guarantee. Some additional benefits of cleaning mattress includes:
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Normally we spend about one-third of our life on the bed then we want our mattress to be clean and healthy. Mattresses are one of the most unclean items in the home, with each one containing millions of dust mites and their excrement, dead skin flakes, bacteria and moulds. Mattress cleaning is very important for your health and the health of your family giving you a good night sleep, feeling comfortable and able to breathe well. This can cause the symptoms of asthma, eczema and other allergies. This can cause irritable sleep.
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Same Day Mattress Cleaning Alonnah
You can try to clean the mattress right away; you may even succeed in removing the odour from the mattress by placing it out in direct Sunlight and by spraying some pleasant-smelling spray, but mattress urine stain removal almost impossible, the top reason you need expert mattresses cleaning services in Alonnah that is us. Here are our services that Back 2 New Cleaning Alonnah provides to clients:
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A clean mattress will drastically improve your sleep, and should be treated to a yearly cleaning to keep it looking in top shape as well as to maintain a healthy sleeping environment.
Mattress Dust Mites Removal Alonnah
The cleaning team of our professionals offer the best services for mattress dust mites treatment in Alonnah. Dust mites inside your mattress lead to various harmful disease and make your life unnecessarily difficult. When you want to prevent these disease from spreading in the home, you must consider hiring the professional services for mattress dust mites treatment. With all the resources, we make your mattress are completely sanitised and free from any kind of allergen or contaminant. So, what are you waiting for? Pick your phones now and bring the experts home for a safe and allergen-free environment.
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We at Back 2 New Cleaning offer a wide range of services for mattress cleaning Alonnah and stain removal is one of them. Stains on the mattress are least bothered by most homeowners. The cleaning team of our professionals understand that mattress stain removal is an important task to do. You may not be able to clean the stain on the mattress with DIY methods completely. You may need professionals like for the effective and safe removal of stains on your mattress. Call now to hire the best services for mattress cleaning and stain removal.
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We follow a classified way to clean the mattress which includes the following steps:
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- Post Job– Powerful air movers significantly reduce drying time.
We created this cleaning system because mattresses can't be washed easily. Through high-frequency vibrations of an electronically controlled vacuum machine that adapts to any type of mattress dirt particles are first loosened within the mattress, then pulverized and vacuumed.
Simultaneously, UV- C radiation disinfects the surface of the mattress. This function ensures that all viruses, bacteria and moulds are virtually eradicated. This safe disinfection system provides excellent results for maintaining good health.
Emergency Mattress Cleaning Alonnah
In an emergency, our mattress cleaners work 24 hours in Alonnah. Atleast one time mattress cleaning per year is suggested, but for people who suffer from allergies and asthma, cleaning should be done every 3 months. To keep mites gone, Spray should be sprayed on the mattress before every change of sheets, until the next cleaning.
Even though we consider the yearly cleaning of the mattress necessity, it is also vital to achieve constant sanitation and to keep away the generation of mites and germs. Changing sheets, pillow-cases and bed-covers often is not a solution for this. In fact, they only cover the problem, until infested and that only takes a few hours. Bed-covers are not 100% impermeable, so micro-particles and mite excrement can pass through it. Unfortunately, a bed-cover that is impermeable to mites and allows transpiration does not yet exist.
Allergen Test: Before our process for mattress cleaning Alonnah, we initially do an entire analysis in our small laboratory to check the number of allergens. To pinpoint the level of sanitation and state of allergens, we do the same test. Within minutes test results from our micro-lab reveal the population quantities of mites and their excrement that inhabit the mattress.
After the mechanical cleaning procedure, the mattress will be treated with the biological sprays for mattresses and it will regain a fresh, clean fragrance. The cleaning system is not aggressive and is adaptable to almost every mattress. It does not produce any noise or dust and is innocuous for humans and the environment. The cleaning procedure can be performed whilst the mattress rests in its bed-frame and it can be used immediately after.
Clean it Test Control Seal- After cleaning your mattress, a control seal will be attached to it as proof and guarantee of a clean and hygienic mattress. Sustain healthy living by utilizing the appropriate products for a home virtually free from mites, germs and viruses.
Urine Stain Removal
It is only the professional mattress who can actually provide you with the services of mattress pee spot removal. Don`t just settle with cleaning the top of the mattress with a cloth or brush and a washing solution yourself; Go for the professional bed spot removal services.
Your child must be going through one of the most difficult situations of his time which is why they may have reverted to bed-wetting leading to urine stains. A child is sensitive during such periods. These urine stains must be removed by professionals so that they don`t serve as a horrid reminder and torrent him for even longer periods.
It is also possible that the urine stains are those of pets and not of children in some cases, the cleaning and removal of urine, urine stains becomes necessary. Kittens and pups who are also going through the phase of potty training often disappoint their owners by discharging their urine and feces at places other than litter box, and very commonly mattresses get stained by pet litter.
The services of pee stain removal for the mattresses are provided by Back 2 New Cleaning Company in Alonnah. Our team is well trained and specialized in Mattress Cleaning. Once you have your mattress cleaned, your mattress is not only free of stains but also from dust mites and bed bugs.
Difference Between Professional Mattress Cleaning and Home Cleaning
When it comes to cleaning homemakers often trend to go with small steps to clean the mattress at home. But using the DIY techniques to clean the mattress at home can be unsuccessful to deal with both the dust mites and bacteria and also for some powerful stains. Not to overlook the fact that the techniques of home cleaning are often not as intense and powerful as the professionals once and may require the use of hazardous chemicals. And if you end up utilizing the wrong chemical or quantity, the mattress could react worse.
Cleaning a mattress the right and efficient way can only be done through professional Mattress cleaning service. Back 2 New Cleaning only uses non toxic eco-friendly methods which are superior to home products and get out the toughest stains.
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Back 2 New Cleaning Company Alonnah offers a vast range of services which have been especially customized for you at a very affordable and cheapest price. It includes mattress steam cleaning, mattress dry cleaning, mattress hygienic cleaning etc. Back 2 New Cleaning Company Alonnah always use a eco- friendly products for mattress cleaning
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Other Steam Cleaning Services in Alonnah
We also offer steam cleaning services like:
- Carpet Cleaning Steam Cleaning
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Location: Alonnah, Tasmania, Australia


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RF + Microwave
For most of your RF & Microwave measurement needs, you can find application & solution information here.
Be sure to check the library of application notes for detailed information on using your equipment and successfully completing the measurements you need.
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Transport of Vocs through Bioflim in Biotrickling Filters
Realising the interlinkage of nature and engineering are of paramount essential while comprehending the basics of system's performances. Application of biotechniques in air pollution control is one such emerging scientific area, where the understandings of these complex systems demand more utilisation of computing softwares. Recently, biofiltration is a versatile biological air pollution control technology for treatment of organic and inorganic malodours. Though the systems can be easily build, they are very difficult to operate successfully due to deprived knowledge on understanding the engineering aspects of the system such as the flow of air and water, energy balances and influence of other key parameters. The present study focuses on elucidating the effects of various operating parameters such as biofilm thickness, liquid film thickness, gas film thickness on overall system performance. On first case, biofilm thickness was presumed to be constant along with variation of gas and liquid phase thickness. And on second case, both the gas and liquid phase was presumed to be constant and the biofilm thickness alone was varied. These studies were carried out to understand the impact of hydrodynamics on solute concentration profile across biofilm and its effects on gas flow and pressure drop.


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Good day glad to see you on our website.
Everyone faced with the problem of choosing a gift for family and friends or just friends. We created our website to help you find the best gift. If you run out of mothers day gift ideas dont be discouraged we will help you with this.
Best mothers day gift ideas.
On this page, we gave a few examples of the best gifts. If you are having difficulty finding and choosing a gift, consider our version of the mothers day gift ideas.
Our team spent a lot of time and effort searching for a better mothers day gift ideas. When selecting a gift, we tried to take into account many factors and moments when searching and selecting gifts.
If you think you have a better idea, please contact us. We are always open to new versions of mothers day gift ideas.


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The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors announced Wednesday that its board of directors has elected certified financial planner Linda Leitz to be national chairwoman for NAPFA's 2013-2014 board term.
Leitz (left), who is founder and co-owner of the fee-only financial planning firm It's Not Just Money in Colorado Springs, Colo., had served since Jan. 31 as NAPFA's chair-elect. Leitz was a member of the NAPFA West Region Board and has presented at conference sessions.
In her new role, Leitz will advance NAPFA's "grand goal" of becoming "the recognized and unquestioned leader in supporting the professional growth and business development of extraordinary financial advisors."
She plans to focus on two objectives:
- Enhance NAPFA's membership communities, providing more opportunities for members to develop their practices and share their experience with one another.
- Broaden and strengthen NAPFA's educational offerings, including the spring and fall national conferences, the new NAPFA-Forbes iConference, webinars and regional symposiums.
"I am honored that the board has chosen me to lead this group of extraordinary professionals during a time of growth for both the association and the fee-only profession," Leitz said in a statement. "I am excited to use my experience within NAPFA and most recently as chair-elect to help this association achieve key objectives and continue to offer the highest levels of service to its membership."
Leitz succeeds CFP Lauren Locker, who filled the position of national chairwoman after Ron Rhoades stepped down from the position after committing a compliance violation.
"Lauren has been an incredible advocate for NAPFA and the fee-only profession, calling on all of us to continue pushing the fiduciary standard to the forefront," said NAPFA CEO Geoffrey Brown in a statement. "Under her leadership, we made our membership standards even more rigorous by requiring all NAPFA-registered financial advisors to hold a CFP certification."
In addition to being a CFP, Leitz is a certified divorce financial analyst, and is enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service as an enrolled agent. Her career in financial services includes experience as a state bank examiner, banker, investment registered representative and branch manager. She has a degree in business administration from Principia College and an MBA from Southern Methodist University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the personal financial planning program at Kansas State University.
Check out Ron Rhoades' Exit From NAPFA Shocks Fee-Based Advisor World on ThinkAdvisor.


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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Venturini Gets First Primetime Special
Update: For those readers who watched this program, please share your thoughts by using the COMMENTS section below. Thank you for telling us your opinion of Hometown Heroes on SPEED.
This week begins the build-up to the All-Star race on SPEED. Since that network does not carry any Sprint Cup or Nationwide Series points races, this week means a lot to the entire SPEED on-air staff.
The network is physically located in South Charlotte, right off Interstate 77. Having the All-Star festivities happening around town keeps everything right in the network's own backyard.
This year, SPEED has invested in a very interesting program that will be hosted by Wendy Venturini. The show will air on Wednesday, May 14th at 9PM Eastern Time. The official title is NASCAR Sprint All-Star 2008 Hometown Heroes. Despite the long name, the show may be one that deserves to find a place on your TiVo or DVR.
The format is simply a great idea and one that perhaps only SPEED and the NASCAR Media Group could create. Venturini asked the drivers who will be participating in the All-Star race to identify their "hometown hero." The single person who was a key mentor in their life. It could be someone racing-related, but not necessarily.
Venturini then hit the road, traveling to the hometowns of the drivers and finding the "hometown heroes" that were selected. The result should be an interesting look into the lives of unknown Americans who profoundly affected some of the highest-profile NASCAR stars.
Some of the folks interviewed include one of Ryan Newman's high school teachers, a 71-year old friend and fellow race of Ken Schrader and David Ragan's dad, former racer Ken Ragan. The list of other interviews is very diverse.
Venturini has worked hard to establish a style of interviewing that allows her subject to open-up and add emotion to an answer that may have only contained facts for another reporter. Before we call her the Barbara Walters of NASCAR, Venturini needs to put some more specials like this one under her TV belt.
She will be playing a key role in the upcoming coverage of the All-Star festivities, and a more detailed list of SPEED's special programming will be available on TDP early in the week. This special should be a good program to get things underway.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy directions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thank you for stopping by.
37 comments:
- Anonymous said...
This seems like it will be a good show.
JD, Since all these programs will be on HD on SPEED, I want to bring that topic back into the spotlight. My cable Co. Still does not carry SPEED HD, so I will miss the HD versions of this show and others, INCLUDING this weeks upcoming race. I called my Cable Co. many times about this and they have said they will put SPEED HD on a requested list. But it still has NOT been added to my lineup after many months of calling. I am surprised SPEED has not done more to encourage cable co.'s to carry the channel. JD, can you ask them about this?
Thanks for the site.
- May 11, 2008 at 12:45 AM
- Anonymous said...
I'm looking forward to this :). Have the DVR set :)
- May 11, 2008 at 1:07 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
SPEED continues to say that cable companies have their own agenda. They only add HD channels when they feel the need from the consumer. It is frustrating.
SPEED is mostly a digital pay channel on a tier, and right now the basic cable networks are finishing the transition to HD.
The feed is up from SPEED, it is just a matter of the big Major System Operators deciding that racing on the weekend and lifestyle shows during the week is a priority.
- May 11, 2008 at 1:32 AM
- Anonymous said...
I think Wendy is GREAT. JD, is it possible that Newscorp sees a double benefit in making Speed HD very expensive for Dishnetwork and cable competitors while preserving exclusivity of Speed HD on DirectTV.
- May 11, 2008 at 11:32 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Nope. The goal of SPEED HD is distribution, but they are in a long line of other cable TV networks doing the same thing.
I do not want to get this section off-topic any more, so I will get together a HD update for Monday.
- May 11, 2008 at 12:10 PM
- Sophia said...
I look forward to Wendy's special, JD. I heard her mention it in passing on Race Day.
- May 11, 2008 at 12:33 PM
- Anonymous said...
I love Wendy and her reporting. She's awesome! It's nice to see that SPEED lets their on-air people let the fun side of their personality show, too, and that they are not forced to be an uptight, stuffed shirt like other network peeps.
This is one show I'm really looking forward to seeing. DVR is set!
- May 11, 2008 at 1:28 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 1:28PM,
I am hoping that this type of show can lead SPEED to understand how many human stories are out there in a sport this big.
NASCAR really loses a lot in translation by having NASCAR.com located in an office building in Atlanta. Turner Interactive pays to run it, but they have almost no presence in Charlotte or Mooresville.
This void trickles down into the lack of any non-competition stories on NASCAR.com or SPEED during the week. Maybe with Wendy showing the broad effect this sport has on the nation as a whole, it may lead to some additional TV programming or NASCAR.com content.
- May 11, 2008 at 1:36 PM
- Anonymous said...
I can't say enough good things about Wendy. She does an outstanding job. But pleeze-no comparisons to Barbera Walters. Hers are typically puffball interviews
- May 11, 2008 at 2:04 PM
- Anonymous said...
Why doesn't SPEED just give Wendy her own interview show like Chris Meyers has on FSN?
- May 11, 2008 at 3:17 PM
- Newracefan said...
Can't wait. Wendy has always been a favorite and this show sounds like the very thing I enjoy about Nascar the personal side of the Nascar community
- May 11, 2008 at 8:25 PM
- Anonymous said...
Where did Wendy V. come from? All of a sudden SHE is getting all of this face time while the veterans that have been there for years get stuck doing the grunt work.
Ah, to have a pretty face...
- May 13, 2008 at 3:40 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 3:40PM,
If you Google Ms. Venturini, you will find that your statement is off-base.
She is one of the most experienced TV personalities on SPEED, a college educated professional who has been working both behind and in-front of the scenes for years.
Her website, wendyventurini.com will give you some background as well.
- May 14, 2008 at 12:45 AM
- Anonymous said...
Thanks a million for the writeup on this show, JD.
Wendy is a consummate pro, and I never find myself wondering if her questions are fed to her by a producer in her earpiece like some other ill-fated SPEED reporters of the past.
Though I usually don't care for this type of feature on race day, and espcially dislike them during a prerace show, this program positioning seems well-suited to get at least my own eyeballs on it.
Looking forward to it!
- May 14, 2008 at 3:39 AM
- Anonymous said...
I enjoy Wendy Venturni's work and realize that she is one of your favorites, but I have to make one comment. Her wardrobe needs to be toned down a bit. She always looks like she is off for a night of clubbing right after she finishes interviewing people in the studio. Her huge earrings, sleeveless outfits, and heavy makeup are distracting. She is an intelligent, beautiful woman but these things take away from her work. Please do not take this the wrong way as I truly do enjoy her interviews and think she is very talented.
- May 14, 2008 at 11:28 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 11:28,
I think each female on-air talent goes through a period where they discover what works best for them.
Krista Voda and Wendy Venturini dress completely different, but both are effective in delivering their information on-camera.
As Venturini continues to build her resume of new programs and a higher-profile, I believe you will continue to see change and growth in several different areas.
- May 14, 2008 at 11:55 AM
- Vince said...
Oh, oh. Here we go with the Annon wardrobe PC police again. Give it a rest already. Wendy's a great reporter with a long family history in the sport. She can report in jeans and a t-shirt for all I care. Keep up the good work Wendy.
Vince in Mich.
- May 14, 2008 at 8:46 PM
- PammH said...
As an older female, I can tell ya that I wanted to tell Wendy more than once that the BLUE EYESHADOW was abit overdone!! I have just seen the opening of this show & someone has given her this info!! Can't wait to watch this show...:)
- May 14, 2008 at 9:03 PM
- Newracefan said...
If the only negative for Wendy is her make up she's doing pretty good. I remember from the off season blog that Wendy does her own at the track, perhaps the lighting is not that great in some of those ladies rooms.
Now back to the real subject. I'm enjoying the show so far. A friend at work use to watch Buzzy race when he ran in the northeast and says he was a well respected nice guy. It's good to see how much David takes after him.
- May 14, 2008 at 9:19 PM
- Anonymous said...
Standing Ovation for the Hometown Heroes special !!!
I can't say how much of a pleasure it was to see such a program.
Plus it was nice to see something other than the "normal" SPEED TV NASCAR programs that have turned into a TV circus.
Wendy was presented perfectly for that special and it showed a side of these drivers that we normally dont get to see - BUT SHOULD !!
The NASCAR garage is full of great stories and nobody seems to take the initiative to produce them for TV. Let's see more !!
By the way, this show was SO GOOD that I didn't even notice Wendy's make-up or attire... now thats good TV.
- May 14, 2008 at 10:21 PM
- Newracefan said...
Loved the show, great mix of drivers. Wendy does a fantastic job with this type of inside look, I wish she could do a 30 min show (or even 60 but that might just be a little greedy) every week. Hey how about showing it every Monday with TWIN. It was Real Deal on steroids and in a good way. Go Wendy!
- May 14, 2008 at 10:32 PM
- Geeze said...
This show was a grand slam. I can't think of anything else to say right now.
- May 14, 2008 at 10:51 PM
- Tracy D said...
What a lovely program. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
- May 14, 2008 at 11:12 PM
- Anonymous said...
I love Wendy and her reporting. She's awesome! Need more of her.
- May 14, 2008 at 11:27 PM
- Sophia said...
Loved this show! It was fantastic that she did not focus on 'the most talked about drivers' that are yapped about every week.
I LOVED seeing Schrader featured!!
Well done and I liked getting to see the human, non-racing side of the drivers.
Speed should really do this on some sort of quarterly basis and for GOD's SAKE PROMOTE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Had it not been for JD, i would not have known or remember this show or the special WT was on. SPEED is so busy hyping the "ALL STAR RACE" that I saw NO PROMOS for these shows..and I do not watch SPEED during the week.
Thanks for giving us insight and a reminder of the shows this week on SPEED that I NEVER would have known about JD!!
(I remember Despain mentioning his special on WT last week but not this past sunday.)
Anyway, great show tonight.
- May 14, 2008 at 11:38 PM
- Anonymous said...
This was a really great show. The production was very well done, and Wendy just solidified her place in Nascar TV. She's incredibly talented and did a wonderful job with the entire production. I was especially touched by Matt Kenseth's father, who got very choked up during Wendy's interview. All in all, this has been the best of the All Star Week shows.
- May 14, 2008 at 11:43 PM
- Glenn said...
WONDERFUL! Best show of the week. I think Wendy is just a classy gal livin' in a male dominated world. Great work,
- May 15, 2008 at 12:42 AM
- Karen said...
Got choked up with the first segment on Reut and his dad Buzzie. Excellent show.
- May 15, 2008 at 1:16 AM
- Karen said...
Also find David Ragan a well-spoken, polite young guy. His dad was very handsome in his 20's-30's. Think David will turn out that way.
As for Brian Vickers, I knew he had a penchant for reading. I bet he walks or flies around with a couple, three books in his duffel bag. Getting up at 5:30 a.m. for extra credit or tutoring in geometry, WOW. Heard he's extremely smart.
It just amazes me that these 21-,22-,23-year-old young men look and talk with such great ease in front of a camera. I sure didn't sound like that when I was 21.
- May 15, 2008 at 2:33 AM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- May 15, 2008 at 9:38 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 9:38AM,
Would you drop me an email when you get a chance at firstname.lastname@example.com please? Thanks.
- May 15, 2008 at 10:26 AM
- Lou said...
He who waits is lost. Oh, yes, did not record. Now have to wait for the 5:00PM reair. Thanks for the great comments. Looking fwd to the show. Thanks to all. Oh yea, JD a thanks to you for this blog.
- May 15, 2008 at 10:35 AM
- Anonymous said...
I really enjoyed John Roberts, Steve Byrnes and Krista on All Star special tues. and wed. Very well done, fun, and informative.
Everyone on here is always complaining there isn't a weeknight NASCAR show. They provide one and now there is no mention. How are we ever going to get what we want if there is no mention?
Wendy's show was OK, but it was a little to canned and formulaic for me. Been there, seen it. I think it used to be called NASCAR 360.
- May 15, 2008 at 11:40 AM
- Anonymous said...
Saw only part of the show, but what I saw made me regret I didn't tape it.
Hope SPEED re-airs it..
And I missed Schrader!!!
Oh, no!
- May 15, 2008 at 11:48 AM
- Eric - The Maine PC Doc said...
Wendy is awesome!!! Anything she does I want to watch. Hope they do replay this - soon - since I missed it!!!
- May 15, 2008 at 1:54 PM
- Anonymous said...
This show was awesome! For anyone to say "been there, seen it" has no clue. It was nothing like NASCAR 360. That was a reality show.
This show is a reason why I wish SPEED would sell DVD's of some of their shows. This was a can't miss. And yes thanks to JD for talking about it. SPEED never promotes stuff like this.
- May 15, 2008 at 4:51 PM
- Anonymous said...
anonymous said...
. . . And yes thanks to JD for talking about it. SPEED never promotes stuff like this.
May 15, 2008 4:51 PM
hey jd? any idea why that is? maybe you could tap some of your sources and ask?
- May 16, 2008 at 11:56 AM


text:
Rainfall over Vascoas-Phoenix (Mauritius) as simulated by 30 climate models from 1951 to 2100 with (RCP4.5) and without (RCP8.5) climate change mitigation policy. City rainfall data are from a single site, corresponding to the center of a grid box. Read more technical information in the Specifications tab above. rainfall vascoas-phoenix mauritius
Data are available in Raw (free) and Ready to use versions. Differences are illustrated below (learn more).


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The true royal bloodline is fractured but most sources believe it is as follows. The Royal source created the Royal King. The Royal King had two sons. One founded the ShadowHawks. The other was Richard the Leoheart. Richard the Leoheart had a son, Prince, and a daughter, Princess. Princess grew up to become Wilma the Hag. Prince grew up and took the name of his grandfather, The Royal King. The Royal King's son was named King Leon. King Leon's daughter was Princess Rain. Princess Rain's son was named Morlan and he founded Mocia. Morlan's son was named King Meth. King Meth gave the kingdom to Jacko for foolishly defeating VladTron. Jacko's son was The Mildly Good but Mostly Sidetracked King. He ruled the Crown Knights and had the best case for being the true heir to the throne. The Majistik #13 also claimed the throne. He might have been Richard the Leoheart's third son, making him the eldest heir and the true Royal. After the death of The Mildly Good But Mostly Sidetracked King and the Majistik #13, the power struggle begun anew between the returned Morlan and The Mildly Good But Mostly Sidetracked Princess (daughter to The Mildly Good But Mostly Sidetracked King).
The Royal factions can be seen in the Royal Bloodline Chart.
Castle of All Ages
In the 1,978th Rekonstruktion, the ancient royal empire, whose symbol is the Crown, perfected the art of hinged castlery with the construction of their royal fortress, Yellow Castle 375. While the fates and possible yellowness of the previous 374 castles have been lost to history, Yellow Castle remained the unchallenged pinnacle of castle-building for generations to come, until its fade into obscurity and final mysterious disappearance in R. 1,983. This left no clear heir to Galactik Civilization.
In ages since, rumors and sightings of Yellow Castle in far-flung mist-shrouded frontiers have been reported from remote explorers, pirates, and fugitives; none have been confirmed. It is believed that Yellow Castle will one day return in glory to restore the true Royal king. Until then, the noble bloodlines descended from the true Royal source have fractured and vie for supremacy and familial bragging rights.
Age of Conflict
Two competing factions lay claim to inherit the Royal bloodline, the Leos and the ShadowHawks. The Galactik Civilization is fractured and torn apart, with whole regions of space lost, cut off, or reduced to a primitive barbarism. On many worlds, technology such as yellow castlery is forgotten, but forces loyal to the two houses continue battling at a medieval level.
In R. 1,984, LEG-Ore was first formed into more "realistic" castles, knights, and colors (such as gray castles rather than yellow). These castles came no where near the magnificence of Yellow Castle 375. These new castles were equipped with pieces and weapons such as horses, saddles, helmet visors that both protect the wearer and severely limit line of sight, feather plumes plucked from birds of strange colors, waving flags and bow and arrows. These advancements impressed many in the realm. They copied these items and used them to further their war for power.
The factions fighting for the dynasty each had strongholds. The Leos spent most of their time in the Night's Castle. Their symbol was a blue or yellow lion. Blue and yellow lions must have been running around a lot those days. King Richard the Leoheart had a son and daughter conveniently named Prince and Princess. These two were were nicknamed the Crusaders for their crusades against wolves, the polar opposites of lions.
The ShadowHawks also claimed to inherit the royal bloodline. They resided in the ShadowHawk's Fortress. The army of the ShadowHawks contained units of light and heavy infantry, shock troops and cavalry.
Thieven Hood and his band of merry men left Firewood Forest in R. 1,987. They realized that stealing from the same people over and over again was an easy way to get caught and sent to jail. Thieven Hood was typically seen as a contemporary and supporter of the king Richard the Leoheart, Thieven being driven to outlawry during the misrule of Richard's evil cousin John the Yellow while Richard was away at the Third Crusade. Thieven Hood denounced woman's rights and commanded that there be only one woman in his entire faction, the lovely Maid Maryanne.
King Richard created the knights of the round table as a way of stabilizing power in the land before he left on the crusades and satisfying the Geometric Cult of Doom. This group included knights like Sir Swordalot, Sir Palinad, Dynasmon, Crusadermon and the Black Knight. This Black Knight was a woman who had a nice little family. Her husband was secretly a member of the DarkTron Conspiracy, though. He was a compulsively addicted to joining secret organizations. This led the descendants of the Black Knight to form a faction in R. 1,988. They imaginatively called themselves the Black League. They built themselves a large castle of hinged castlery called Game Master's Castle and invented much of modern horse technology including barding and armor. Their symbol was a blue dragon. Somehow, blue dragons were connected to black knights. Those residing in Game Master's Castle were the first faction the have enough manliness to grow facial hair. The Game Master ruled his faction with an iron fist, but was willing to submit to King Richard.
In R. 1,992, Prince and Princess ran out of wolves to terrorize. King Richard was returning from the Fourth Crusade and the two needed to have proof that they were worthy of inheriting the empire they were going to create and conquer. They decided to show they had power over the people, so they made a goal of turning the humanitarian group that protected wolves into their slaves. By the end of the Rekonstruktion they had spread propaganda that said that the pack of humanitarians were renegades against the royal dynasty. Almost all factions have turned against the pack.
Age of the Ancient Dragons
The battle between the Leos and ShadowHawks ended with both sides losing horribly large numbers. A new faction grew out of the losses with a new policy towards magic. Their royals were the Majistik 12 Wizards. These powerful wizards controlled the fearsome fire breathing dragons that could fly with their red wings. All the other dragons couldn't fly because they didn't have red wings. The Majistik 12 lived mostly in the Majistik Tower, but they had a summer home that they called their "Workshop". The Majistik wizards were seen leaving the kingdom carrying their favorite wands and traveling with carts (loaded with treasure chests), in R. 1,995.
Age of the King Formerly Known as Prince
Prince grew up over time and abandoned his sister, Princess. He stole control of the Realm after the Majistik 12 disappeared with the secret of red winged dragons. He took upon himself a name more indicative of his new position, the Royal King. He used the symbol of his father, the lion. These new Leos created more powerful weapons that were shiny. Shiny armor and swords are more powerful, of course. This faction was the first to clean the insides off of a minifig, creating the first skeleton.
Thieven Hood and his band of merry men were aging by R. 1,996. They were still loyal to the Leos and spent most of their time telling jokes, performing party tricks and dealing with anyone who remained from previous factions.
Age of Eternal Night
As all remaining factions are eliminated with extreme prejudice, a new Royal emerges from the wild forests. He had been raised by bats and they had revealed secrets to him. They had named him "Zubat," which means Bay Leaf. Bay Leaf used the secrets to recreate the flying dragons with not red wings, but transparent orange wings. It is believed that these wings are related to the Orange Transparent Chainsaw. Bay Leaf was also a humanitarian activist for bats. He almost worshiped them like a religion. Princess returned with a new name as she aged, Wilma the Hag. She was Bay Leaf's lady friend until he began to fall into insanity. He thought himself to be a bat and often made sounds and pretended he could see things by yelling supersonically at them. She eventually left him and seeped into the underground revolution. She disappeared.
Final Age of Leos
The underground revolution centered upon reinstating the Leos as supreme. The Royal King had a son and gave him a family name on his dying day, King Leon. King Leon had a wife and a daughter, Queen Lionora and Princess Rain. They resided in King Leon's Castle, built upon the ruins of the Knight's Castle. King Leon's main enemy was Cowdrick The Cow, a money obsessed advisor who hoped to institute a Royal Bank of Leo. The two fought bitterly over this issue and eventual fell into an all out war. Pincess Rain, meanwhile was courting with a few fellows in the castle. She had a son and named him Morlan. The two of them ran off to the East on the day Bay Leaf was captured and put in jail. They found a village of merry men and settled down there.
Dark Age
Castle civilization is in ruins. With the threads of nobility lost, the universe succumbs to the effects of the Gray Shift and the Peachpocalypse, while the Bionidor Abominations pave the way for the Negaverse's ultimate victory in the Poop Dragon Invasion.
Rainbow Age
The village grew into a kingdom and Morlan grew to be its leader. He named it Mocia, for the sheer mass of MOCs that came from it. It was a primitive society that was blocked off from other more advanced factions by extremely improbable mists and jagged landscape formations. Bay Leaf lived out his life in the West and his faction died out with a whole ton of technology. Mocia turned into a primitive society with little technology and innovation.
Among primitive civilizations, the earliest ABS creations are marked by haphazard construction and wildly clashing colors. Minifig sociologists, who label this stage of cultural development as the "Rainbow Age," believe that this is evidence of primal religious archetypes seated deep within the primitive minifigs' psyches.
Among more advanced civilizations, Rainbowism and Rainbowist systems of belief are viewed as backwards, pagan, and even heretical. Nonetheless, in R. 2,004, the reigning families of the true Royal bloodline had grown decadent and hedonistic, and fell into the libertine Neo-Rainbowist Revival. Forgetting his historic principles and standards of decency, and seduced by the thrill of just slapping MOCs together however he wanted, King Meth instituted a new order of Mocian Rainbow Knights.
King Meth had inherited Mocia from Morlan after Morlan had disappeared. He used the family symbol of the lion to represent himself. How original, right? His first Rainbow Knights were Vulfie, Jacko, Rascal and Cowdrick the Cow. Cowdrick the Cow had spent the time from his war with King Leon till King Meth's ascension to the throne by training and playing chess. VladTron and his forces were hailed as heroes across the galaxy for their series of rebellions against the Rainbow Knights. Jacko was able to temporarily subdue VladTron after one of his most successful attacks. King Meth was impressed and gave Jacko the nobility. King Meth became invisible after Jacko's crowning and spent the rest of his life whispering in people's ears and laughing at their reactions.
Vulfie finally got some common sense sometime around R. 2,006. He left the Rainbow Knights and is thought to have become the protector of the Skully Grail. He joined the Space Knights to quest for the 9 Artifax of Pre-Creation. He was officially entered into the organization when he located the Grail. He is destined to spend an eternity and a half watching over the Skully Grail to ensure that no one unworthy gets it.
To help win the fight against VladTron, Cowdrick the Cow trained two more Rainbow Knights, Ken T. and Rick. The two of them foolishly help King Jacko fight VladTron. They travel to a citadel where they receive the power of heart from a mysterious blacksmith, whom Jacko automatically recognizes as Morlan. Jacko and the new Rainbow Knights trap VladTron inside the Orb of Mocia. The whole kingdom rejoices until new inventors come out of hiding. They bring with them new ideas for color schemes and more sensible armor. These inventors embrace the magical teachings of former leaders like Bay Leaf, Willma the Hag and the Majistik 12.
Age of Modern Dragons
In R. 2,007, the mysterious 13th Majistik Wizard arrived in the realm. On his travels out of the realm he figured out how to shoot lightning. He first plugs a microwave into his wand, then he places tin foil inside the microwave. He sets the microwave for 1:00 and as the tinfoil cooks, it releases the power of purple lightning!
The Majistik #13 ruled the barren wasteland to the East from the roof of Skeleton Towing and Car Repair. His goal was to conquer the other kingdoms and rule them all with his magic. The dark sorcery of his lightning microwave let him create undead car repairmen and control powerful dragons, and his magic 8-ball let him predict what his enemies will be doing. Some say he was related to Ogle, every secret agent's worst fear. Others say he was Richard the Leoheart's illegitimate son, cast to the side because he didn't choose an animal to represent him.
No more factions existed at this point. All races were united. The dwarves kept to themselves, mining strange metals from the mountains. Some other races think these "metals" were a new type of addictive drugs.
The trolls found a box under a table in which there was a cake with the words "EAT ME" on it. Some ate it, thinking that if it made them smaller they could creep into peoples heads and if it made them larger they could smash stuff. The cake made the trolls grow so tall that their heads squished their brains.
The humans united into a super-faction called the Crown Knights. Their royal was The Mildly Good but Mostly Sidetracked King. He was the wise and noble ruler of the King Leon's former kingdom. All the peasants and farmers of the kingdom respected him, and his army of Crown Knights protected him and followed his every whim. When the Majistik #13 sent his undead car repairmen army to attack The Mildly Good but Mostly Sidetracked King's castle, the Crown Knights fought back with siege weapons. Ever since the Rainbow Age, knights have loved catapults so much that it overrides every other design consideration; at one point they were even mounting catapults on the horses.
Age of Restored Leos
In R. 2,010, The Mildly Good But Mostly Sidetracked King was slain in battle against the skeleton hordes. The Crown Knights hoped that his daughter (The Mildly Good But Mostly Sidetracked Princess) would become the land's new ruler, but she had fallen in love with the Majistik #13 thus making herself an enemy of the kingdom. Everything seemed lost.
But suddenly Morlan arrived in the kingdom! He explained to the astonished Crown Knights that he, after getting tired of the rampant Rainbowism in R. 2,004, had left Mocia in secret. For six R.s he lived a hermit's life, until he felt secure that Royal society had advanced.
Morlan took command of the Crown Knights just as the Majistik #13 made a final assault on the kingdom. In the ensuing battle, Morlan sought out the Majistik #13 and killed him. The undead army became unemployed and slowly crumbled to dust. Morlan was hailed as hero and crowned the new King. As a true Leo descendant, he made the Lion the kingdom's new symbol.
But everyone was not happy. Many Crown Knights believed that The Mildly Good But Mostly Sidetracked Princess, as the heir to the last king, was the true ruler of the kingdom. The kingdom was divided by civil war. And to make things even worse, the 12 sons of the Majistik 12 appeared, taking the Princess' side (since she had had the good taste of falling in love with their uncle). All 12 sons had a pet dragon, and in need of a symbol, the Princess' army took the Dragon as their motif.
Return of the Peach
In R. 2,012, the armies of Morlan and the Princess had nearly wiped out each other with intense killing. Good fun had been had by all. But then, disaster struck. A grand army of peaches marched into the Royal lands, claiming them for themselves. They were lead by a peach from the north called Aragore who claimed to be the one and only true heir to the Royal throne. All yellow minifigs found it utterly preposterous that a peach would be a Royal heir, but their exhausted armies could not stand against his hordes.
Help arrived from an unexpected direction, however. The trolls, having distanced themselves from the affairs of the world for a long time, now saw fit to take action. Their armies clashed with the vile peaches, and it remains to be seen if green can save yellow from peach.
Recently, the great evil known only as "Movie Tie-ins" has bolstered the peach forces with an ever increasing horde of either short peaches, or peaches who look short after hours of hair styling and photoshop. Wolfpack's estranged cousin, Warg, has been seen helping the forces of troll.


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If you're like three-quarters of the investment advisors in the 2011 Fidelity RIA Benchmarking Study, you don't have a succession plan for your business, or you have one, but it's not ready to be implemented.
Ask yourself: How would you feel if 75% of your clients did not have wills and estate plans for their families?
You wouldn't let it happen to your clients, so don't let it happen to you.
A succession plan is like a will for your business, so why wouldn't you protect the asset that you've built and the families that you serve through a thoughtful succession plan?
Something is holding you back.
I've heard a lot of different theories from speaking with advisors across the country, such as "I'm not going to retire," "I can't figure out the financial payout," "I'm too busy with clients," and the more far-fetched, "I'm not going to die any time soon."
These may all be factors, but often what underlies them is one core concern: "I don't know what I want."
Succession planning is often seen as analogous with the "end state" or technical phases of selling, which involve determining the appropriate valuation and creating timelines.
Too many advisors are focused on the how and when of succession planning, but they should really start at the why: the reasons and personal motivations behind their strategy. Understanding this first not only helps ensure more successful implementation of a plan, but it also can drive more value to your business, based on what's most important to you.
This is the same approach you would apply to retirement planning. You're likely not starting client conversations with how much money they need in retirement. Rather, you're starting with the personal motivations behind retirement.
To get at the what and the why of succession planning, we've identified three core tracks for consideration. To help clients envision their future, post-transition state, we guide them through a creative imagining exercise. We've also developed a series of exercises and simple self-assessment tools advisors can use to identify the track that's best for them.
Track 1 | Internal Transition
Based on our experience, we have seen that advisors who select this track are typically interested in handing over the reins to a junior advisor, family member or internal staff member. These advisors are generally confident that they have the ability to select, hire and mentor someone who will share their same investment philosophy or planning approach. Retaining the firm's brand culture and client base after the transition is important. This is the path that 60% of firms with gross revenue between $1 million to $3 million intend to take, according to the 2012 FP Transitions Valuation and Transaction database.
If you're interested in this track, ask yourself: Does my current situation allow for transition?
Other questions to consider:
- Do you have the staff identified and in place?
- If not, do you know where to find them?
- Are you a good coach and mentor?
- Have you considered the financial aspect?
Track 2 | Merge and Stay Involved
Advisors who select this track are typically interested in finding like-minded advisors to complement each others' strengths, leverage similar business cultures and benefit from integrated staff, tools and technologies. These advisors generally have a desire to continue to work after the transition, are willing to meld their investment process and, in some cases, may consider revising their investment philosophy. Being able to take the time to find the right partner firm and deal with the complexities involved in merging two firms are important.
If you're interested in this track, ask yourself: Do I want to stay involved but find another like-minded advisor?
Other questions to consider:
- Have you identified a partner firm?
- Do you know your own culture well enough to assess another firm's culture?
- What level of control will you sacrifice?
Track 3 | Sell and Move On
Finally, we have seen that advisors who select this track are typically interested in making a complete exit from the firm and are comfortable with turning the reins entirely over to someone else. There is little or no concern about retaining the firm's name or brand, and these advisors generally understand that their clients may be redirected into new investment strategies and products. Realizing close to the strategic fair market value of the firm is important.
If you're interested in this track, ask yourself: Am I ready to leave the business altogether?
Other questions to consider:
- Do you know how to find a firm that is right for your clients?
- Are you ready to figure out your next move and get out of the business?
- Do you know how to establish your firm's value?
Whether you are early in your practice or thinking about retiring, having a plan to realize the value that you've built is critical. Caring for your clients and employees through a transition also requires forethought. The path you take depends on your personal definition of a succession plan. Take some time to consider the what and why of your succession plan.
To quote the author Gary Collins, "We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision."
Ask yourself one more question: Is that the right decision for your business, your clients and your family?


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