Can Good Financial Behavior Be Taught In High School?

With Americans struggling to rebound from the recent financial crisis, questions of how the public manages its money have become a hot topic.  In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act responded to these concerns by establishing the Office of Financial Education, reasoning that if individuals can learn how to make smart economic choices, we might yet avoid the next onset of rack and ruin.

At a glance, mandatory classes in personal finance seem like a no-brainer: the students learn money management; we benefit from all of the sub-prime mortgages that they don’t proceed to buy.  Moreover, high school seems an ideal milieu for this practical education: an environment which virtually every U.S. teenager will pass through, typically before they seize meaningful economic clout.    As of 2009, 44 states had leapt at the chance to include “personal finance” in their high school curriculums.

Democratization of information; intervention before catastrophe strikes; help for the one and strength in the many— while it may sound like a brilliant plan, there’s one downside: it doesn’t actually work.

While it is standard practice to offer financial literacy courses at a high school level, new research shows that these classes have no impact on whether students will grow up to commit a series of costly fiscal missteps or turn into financial superstars.  Instead, schools would do well to offer students extra math classes, according to the working paper High School and Financial Outcomes:  The Impact of Mandated Personal Finance and Mathematics Courses by Shawn Cole, Anna Paulson, and Gauri Kartini Shastry. It turns out that mathematical ability, not financial literacy, predicts economic success.

In their research, Cole, Paulson, and Shastry analyzed three datasets: the 2000 U.S. census, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Consumer Credit Panel (FRBNY CCP), and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).  They compared the financial histories of students who had graduated before the mandatory classes were offered against students in the same state who had graduated after the mandatory classes were offered.  Using this method, they found that mandatory personal finance classes had “no effect on investment income, the value of financial assets owned, or home equity.”  In other words, high school personal finance courses do nothing to safeguard against bankruptcy, foreclosure, and unmanageable credit ratings.

Meanwhile, the data showed that one additional high school math class reduced the probability of the students experiencing foreclosure by 0.3 percentage points (base of 9%), reduced the probability of bankruptcy over a 22 year period by 0.4 percentage points (base of 20%), and reduced the fraction of quarters the students were delinquent on their credit card bills over a 10 year period by 0.2 percentage points (base of 12%).

Historically, those in support of mandated personal finance courses point towards evidence showing an association between financial literacy and sound financial decisions.  Yet it is almost impossible to attribute financial literacy to general wealth and security, as there are so many other aspects of the problem to consider.  Financially-illiterate households tend to have less education, be poorer, and work for different employers than wealthier households, making it difficult to tease apart any of these factors as a definitive case of cause-and-effect.

The research by Cole and his colleagues provides a solid correlation between financial decision-making and overall cognitive ability.  Individuals with the lowest-measured math abilities are more likely to make a series of potentially ruinous financial mistakes.  Mathematical aptitude is a big factor in wealth accumulation, as math-savvy individuals are more likely to actively participate in their own financial matters.  Personal finance classes look to be a wash, but getting high school students to take just one extra math class could be the solution, increasing students’ ability to succeed financially, while reducing the possibility that they’ll make any number of expensive, easily-avoidable mistakes.

As the economy continues to experience sweeping changes, consumers are faced with a series of increasingly complicated choices if they wish to stay afloat and competitive.  And when we choose the wrong choice, the results can be costly.  According to the paper, 12% of U.S. households will be unable to finance a retirement that falls above the poverty lines, while another 9% will be only tuppence away from poverty.  The average amount of debt borne by households is on the rise, with nearly 50% carrying outstanding credit card balances (the average amount for which is $7,300.)  To make matters worse, households with low financial literacy tend not to plan for retirement, are more likely to borrow at high interest rates, and end up acquiring few, if any, assets.

 Instead, we had a window that had to be cranked down by hand. And if you didn’t get your butt in the car fast enough, you were stuck with the side that had the broken crank, and so you couldn’t roll your window down for a breath of fresh air when the car got a bit “fragrant.”

When I was a kid, there were no personalized playlists on shuffle mode on your iPod.  You know what the music was?  Either crackly local stations which would last roughly ten minutes until you’d sped past the broadcast range, or, even worse, your dad’s cassette tape of Abba or Kraftwerk played on a never ending loop.

True story: on one fateful six-hour trip from Detroit to Buffalo, my dad played Abba’s Gold album the entire time.  (Yes, the perky harmonics of those adorable Swedes on six-hour permaloop.)  When we were stopped in traffic on Grand Island, 20 minutes from our destination, my mom suddenly ejected the tape, dangled it out the open window, and threatened to drop it on the highway if my dad ever played it again. He looked at her in surprise and said, “What?  I’ve been playing it the whole way because I thought you liked Abba.  I can’t stand them!”

When I was a kid, there was no “Angry Birds” or “Temple Run” or “Cut the Rope” to play. Rather, we kept ourselves entertained by playing car bingo: a medium-sized cardboard square with a series of drawings depicting objects one would ostensibly find on a road trip.  Once you found an object, you slid a red cellophane window over the object to mark it on your card.Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en!

Who Will Win in September?

When we gave our way-too-early Emmy predictions last May, we correctly predicted the winners in four out of seven races.We’re kind of proud we called Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ and Claire Danes’ wins two months before the nominees were even announced.

This year’s races, though, are much harder to call because of a huge wild card: Netflix, the streaming service that entered the game with the year’s best new drama, "House of Cards," and the return of "Arrested Development."

Will TV industry professionals roll out the welcome mat for an online service that could cost them their jobs? We have no idea. So with that caveat in mind, here are our very early, for-entertainment-purposes-only guesses about who will take home gold statuettes four long months from now.

"Girls" always kept viewers guessing in its second season, taking almost as many risks as FX’s "Louie." It is a fiercely intelligent and challenging show, but it’s only occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. "Veep," meanwhile, has just crackled. Not a word of dialog is wasted. "30 Rock" will probably score another nomination, but not a win, for its final season. The show as a whole was one of the best ever, but it refused to go soft with its goodbye season. The admirable lack of sentimentality will cost it. "The Office" may also get a nod, simply because its latest season was its last one.

"The Big Bang Theory" will probably get another nod for delivering inoffensive comedy and being the most popular sitcom on TV.

The big question, again, is whether the Academy might recognize Netflix’s long-delayed fourth season of "Arrested Development," which was just released in one chunk, just before the Emmy deadline. Nominating "Arrested" would be a huge step: The TV industry would be essentially bringing its online competition into the Indoor Positioning System, and Emmy voters could celebrate a great show that never quite got the audience or awards it deserved during its run on Fox.

The race is between Julia Louis-Dreyfus, last year’s winner for "Veep," and Lena Dunham for "Girls." But Louis-Dreyfus will probably get an easy repeat for two reasons: First, she’s excellent as the unabashedly self-centered title character. And second, voters will ding Dunham for being naked a lot when she arguably doesn’t need to be and for her character’s carefully crafted annoyingness.

They may also capriciously and unfairly decide that at 26, the whip-smart writer-director-actress has plenty more time to win things.

Laura Dern, on HBO’s brilliant and painful comedy/drama "Enlightened," gave perhaps the best performance by any actress in the past year. Personally, I’d vote for her in a heartbeat. But I don’t think Emmy voters will even think to nominate her, given that she wasn’t nominated last year, and her show has been canceled.

So who else will round out the category? Amy Poehler deserves another nod for her to-be-treasured turn on "Parks and Recreation." Past winner Tina Fey should be nominated again for the final season of "30 Rock." Zooey Deschanel may be back for being so “adorkable” on "New Girl," but I’d rather see Mindy Kaling score a nod for "The Mindy Project." And we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the return of past winners Melissa McCarthy for "Mike & Molly" or Edie Falco for "Nurse Jackie."

Actually, the time was last year or the year before, but that’s OK. The comedian and his brilliant FX series, "Louie," were still new and unfamiliar to viewers then. Now he has reached the media saturation point, and voters may be ready to recognize his -- not using this word lightly -- genius.

He won in two writing categories last yeargood job, Emmys, but C.K. the performer has to sell the bits he writes, and some of them are extraordinarily difficult.

As for the other contenders: Not many people predicted Jon Cryer’s win last year for "Two and a Half Men," which was essentially an acknowledgement that he kept the show steady after Charlie Sheen’s exit and Ashton Kutcher’s addition. He’s unlikely to repeat -- and may not even get another nod.

Emmy voters are under no pressure to give another Emmy to Alec Baldwin, either, but the "30 Rock" star does deserve another nomination for staying ruthlessly funny to the end. Always endearing "Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons has won twice already.

Don Cheadle will probably be nominated again for Showtime’s "House of Lies," but this doesn’t feel like his year to win. That leaves room for at least one more nominee. It wouldn’t be a shock for Johnny Galecki, Parson’s co-star, to return to the running, given that their show is still surging in popularity.

"House of Cards" got critical raves this season, so this will be another test of whether the industry is ready to give Netflix its blessing. Since we published this story in our EmmyWrap magazine earlier this month, I've been reminded that FX's "The Americans" also scored with critics and is very much in contention, and Sundance's "Rectify" has earned lots of buzz for its short first season.

This is a potentially wild category. Last year’s winner, "Homeland," was perceived by many critics to suffer a sophomore slump. If Emmy voters agree, that could throw open the race. The "Homeland" win broke a four-year streak for AMC’s "Mad Men," which likely won’t win again until next season, its last one.

It’s absurd, meanwhile, that "Breaking Bad" has never won. But the first half of its final season, which aired in the eligibility period, felt too much like a setup for the fireworks to come. I'd nominate it in a second, but don't know if Emmy voters will.

Perpetual nominee "Downton Abbey" will likely be back after a particularly eventful season. And HBO’s "Game of Thrones" and "Boardwalk Empire" deserve to return as well. FX’s Soviet spy drama "The Americans" keeps getting better, but it may have too much action and not enough weeping for Emmy voters’ tastes.

"The Walking Dead" provided some of the most gripping, scream-at-your-screen moments of the year, but Emmy voters can’t seem to get past the gore and zombies.

So if "House of Cards" or other new shows join the category, what will they bump? Perhaps -- I know this sounds crazy -- "Breaking Bad." The same voters adventurous enough to vote for the meth drama may also be willing to give Netflix its due -- while making plans to recognize "Breaking Bad" next year, finally, for its final episodes.

Now, a new problem that could delay start of monorail

With the country’s first monorail service all set to start by September this year, agencies are now squabbling over its traffic dispersal system. And this could potentially delay your promised ride in the A/C monorail by a few more months.

There is no consensus between the traffic police, BMC and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) over traffic management, with the MMRDA’s plan being junked as “impractical and too difficult” to implement by the traffic police.

On Monday, the Empowered Committee (EC) on the Mumbai Makeover project, which discussed this at length, saw agencies disagreeing with each other before chief secretary Jayant Kumar Banthia finally intervened and asked officials to go to the site and sort out the issue instead of finalising plans in a Mantralaya boardroom.

Banthia asked joint commissioner of police (traffic) Vivek Phansalkar, joint metropolitan commissioner of the MMRDA Ashwini Bhide, and additional municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta to visit the site to discuss the plan and sort out differences between the Indoor Positioning System.

The MMRDA presented its plan for traffic dispersal at the seven stations of the first phase of the monorail corridor that is expected to be opened to public in September this year. The 8.8-km route from Chembur to Wadala crosses some of the most congested areas in the city, and the plan — which envisioned creating traffic medians, side pavements and parking bays for giving way to commuters — was criticised by many present as being feasible only on paper. Funding for the traffic management system has also not yet been finalised with the government hoping that every agency involved pitches in.

“The monorail project has been delayed and now traffic dispersal threatens to delay it further. Traffic dispersal and management should have been planned and worked out in advance along with the project and not at the last minute,” said a member of the EC.

Banthia told HT, “In a city like Mumbai, we will always face the challenge of space, but we have to make the best of what is possible. All the agencies will revisit the plan at the site and modify it if required. Funding details have not yet been finalised.”

 According to the published agenda, the council will discuss ordinances to appropriate $53.4 million and $68.9 million in tax increment funds for reinvestment in multiple zones throughout the city for affordable housing costs, administrative expenses, project costs, payment to the Houston Housing Finance Corp. and payments to certain redevelopment authorities.

The council will also discuss a resolution to adopt a drought contingency plan; an ordinance related to exemptions for paying for parking meters for law enforcement vehicles; and an ordinance approving an application to the Department of State Health Services for immunization and vaccines for children.

The agenda also includes resolutions designating several sites as historic landmarks, including the Baldwin-Riddell house, 3963 Del Monte Drive; the Cooper-Bland house; 3262 Ella Lee Lane; the William B. Ferguson house at 3003 Chevy Chase Drive; and the Herbert A. and Elizabeth Kipp house, 2455 Pine Valley Drive.

Several ordinances are expected to be approved, including a contract between the city and AIS International Ltd., for a laboratory information management system for environmental health testing; an ordinance awarding a $3.11 million contract to Synagro of Texas for onsite water treatment, sludge de-watering and disposal services; and an ordinance appropriating $788,621 for the purchase of police emergency vehicle equipment for the Houston Police Department.

It's a miracle that no one was killed when a bridge span dropped into the Skagit River last week after being clipped by an Alberta trucker, cutting off the I-5 north of Seattle. The bridge is one of more than 1,500 in the state considered to be functionally obsolete, that is, not necessarily unsafe but not constructed to current standards and/ or handling more traffic than it was designed for.

As our American neighbours figured out how to get around a blocked section of the state's major artery, politicians lamented how much work there is to be done on roads and bridges and how little money there is to tackle the job. Just a few days before the collapse, the Seattle section of the American Society of Civil Engineers released a report card on infrastructure in Washington state, giving bridges a C-and roads a D+.

We've got our own challenges in B.C., and while the risk of sudden death by bridge collapse may not be as high as beyond the Peace Arch, the decision-making gridlock over new sources of funding for TransLink is contributing to the slow strangulation of traffic in the Lower Mainland.

Now that Premier Christy Clark has performed her political magic, her new government will be in a position to carry out the campaign promise of a referendum on TransLink that would be held in conjunction with the civic election in November 2014.

Clark says the people affected should have a say in how they pay for transit. That's a nice principle, but in practice it's another stick being tossed by the province into the spokes of regional transit.

TransLink was formed by the provincial government in the late '90s to turn responsibility for regional transit over to the region. Part of that responsibility was raising money to operate and expand the system.

But time and again, when the regional management has come up with a fundraising scheme that offends the government in Victoria, whether New Democrats or Liberals, it has been quashed. Among the proposals that have been turned down are a vehicle levy, a parking stall tax and region-wide road pricing.

Under the latest plan, the province is going to work with the TransLink mayors' council to come up with new funding sources that would then be put to a vote.

Given how this issue has been batted about over the past two decades, it seems more likely that they will find new ways to get blood out of a stone.

In February of last year, Trans-Link prepared an extensive shopping list of potential new taxes and fees. It included higher gas taxes, higher fares, new vehicle registration fees, an employee tax, a tax on traffic through the port and an attempt to capture some of the increase in property value that usually occurs along a new transit line.

Atlanta, by the guidebook

Immediately after landing, I wandered over to Map 14, Grant Park/Summerhill, to experience the “oddest Atlanta tourist attraction.” I had placed my utmost faith in this guidebook, and it honored that trust. At least when it came to Page 292.

While travel appsters hover over their gadgets, squinting at a tiny screen, I hoisted my low-tech guidebooks all over Atlanta. I ruffled through their pages on sidewalks, in my rental car and even inside a bathroom at a bar, searching for whatever I needed next: food, culture, a cab, coffee, the police. Though the weight of the books crocheted a knot in my back, at least I didn’t walk into a parking meter.

To cover the entire spectrum of Atlanta, I toted around a small library of guidebooks: Moon Handbooks (for standards and staples), Not for Tourists Guide to Atlanta (as comprehensive as a phone book) and Wallpaper City Guide (sybaritic and stylish).

Each book spoke its own patois, yet sometimes they came together in a cohesive voice – a valuable consensus for an indecisive traveler. Case in point: the Georgian Terrace Hotel, the august early 20th-century property that appeared in all three softbacks, including the very discerning Wallpaper. Leave the equivocating to Yelpers and Trip Advisors.

 And yet sometimes they didn’t endorse equally – a conundrum for a waffling traveler. The Cyclorama, considered the largest oil painting in the world, was too anti-aesthetic for Wallpaper, which avoids the campy and the common. Moon provided a thorough write-up, but its description lacked flash. NFT went straight for the superlatives. I go weak for “-ests.”

Neither book truly captured the Cyclorama’s essence, but maybe they were intentionally holding back to protect the secret sauce. I stumbled into the museum unprepared, except for knowing the basic info. To view one of three intact Cycloramas in the country, I had to wait for the next tour. Guests aren’t allowed inside the amphitheater unattended; perhaps the temptation to jump into the painted scene and play Civil War soldier is too strong.

The painting measures 42 feet high and 358 feet in circumference and includes a Natural Museum of History-ish diorama that was added to the foreground in 1936.

Oakland Cemetery, built in 1840, is a living history museum of the Indoor Positioning System, housing the remains of such famous personalities as Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell and Maynard Jackson, the city’s first African American mayor. The main objective of my pilgrimage, however, was to pay tribute to Joseph Jacobs, the pharmacist who introduced Coca-Cola to the world in 1887. Before entering the gates, I stopped into Ria’s Bluebird for a Diet Coke. I later learned that according to my guidebooks, Ria’s serves smokin’ Southern cuisine and is a coveted brunch spot.

Jacobs’s site was devoid of fan souvenirs. Two large urns flanked the simple white marble mausoleum. I grabbed my bottle of soda, took a swig, then sprinkled the rest around his grave. May your fridge be stocked with Coke for all eternity.

Maybe I trusted too much. Yet both Moon and Wallpaper touted the Thursday-night cocktail gatherings at the Museum of Design Atlanta. Free drinks with admission. Maybe I should have called first.

The guidebooks deserted me on a few other occasions as well. Eighty Eight Tofu House, a 24-hour Asian vegetarian restaurant, was out of business, despite its mention on Page 321 of NFT. And the Red Light Cafe no longer hosts hip-hop shows, contrary to Moon’s description.

Nonetheless, the tiny stumbles didn’t overshadow the guidebooks’ great strides of discovery. For example, I owe NFT for lighting the way to the art museum at Spelman College, the historically black college for women.

Wallpaper also earned a hearty handshake for leading me to Westside Provisions District, an urbane collection of clothing stores, restaurants and furniture shops.

I do, however, take all the credit for missing the turn to Westside and ending up at Goat Farm, an artists’ colony established in an old wheelmaking factory. I didn’t find any four-legged barnyard animals, but I bumped into some chickens and artists loafing around a coffeehouse.

 I don’t want to sound like an old-timer here–in part because I don’t feel like one mentally or emotionally (physically is sometimes another matter)–but mostly because what I aim to write is not passé or irrelevant to the current situation. The Left has been here before. The historical circumstances were different, but the static situation was eerily similar. Although I could be referring to the 1950s in the United States, when anti-communism was the national faith and leftists were considered on a par with Satan and his dominions by the mainstream media and most of its readers, the period I want to talk about is the 1970s and 1980s.

The New Left was in retreat. A combination of victories and half-victories, massive repression, a retooling of the Democratic Party, and the demise of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) had created a situation where a multitude of organizations existed on the US Left. All too many of them considered their line to be the correct one. None were very willing to compromise, preferring instead to fine tune their particular interpretation of Marx, Lenin and the rest to such a point that instead of gaining adherents, they slowly but surely lost them. By the end of the 1970s, some of these groups were working on the left end of the Democratic Party, hoping to expand the small opening created by George McGovern’s 1972 campaign into creating a genuine left parliamentary opposition in the US. Other groups were fighting amongst themselves, listening to provocateurs in their midsts, or just dissolving into thin air, as it were. Meanwhile, the US right wing was consolidating its forces behind millions and millions of corporate dollars. The result was the election of Ronald Reagan to the White House and the portrayal of Jimmy Carter, the creator of the Carter doctrine (which further bound the Empire’s military to the authoritarian regimes under whose lands the energy industry’s oil profits lay), as a leftist and wimp.

Nothing has been the same since. The Left waged successful campaigns against US support for apartheid, but hardly bothered to oppose the US invasion of Grenada. It was also fairly successful in opposing US support for the Contras in Nicaragua and the bloody regime killing thousands in El Salvador and elsewhere in Central America. Unfortunately, their activities did not foresee the creation of an extralegal funding process for the Contras or the emptiness of the legislation against the human rights violations of the El Salvadorian government. Also, despite one of the broadest campaigns against nuclear weapons in history, the Pentagon and its corporate cohorts placed their missiles throughout Europe. By 1989, the response of the Left to the Bush administration’s invasion of Panama was barely a whimper. Then came Bill Clinton–the popular pretender to the progressives’ throne. In a litany fairly well known, Clinton pushed the neoliberal wet dream known as NAFTA through Congress. Then he “reformed” public assistance to the poor. Then he pushed through the Omnibus Crime and Terrorism Bill, making federal crimes out of a multitude of political activities and increasing the number of federal crimes that were punishable by death. Oh yeah, he reneged on LGBT equality and injected racial coding into his campaign as if he were a modern day Republican. Meanwhile, he and Tony Blair maintained a deadly sanctions regime on Iraq while bombing it at will. Besides all this, Clinton lobbed cruise missiles much like Barack Obama launches armed drones. On top of all this, he helped create the situation that provoked the crash of 2008. No, he wasn’t solely responsible, but the illusion of money where there wasn’t any greatly expanded during his rule. And the Left was rather silent.

In donating to Marathon victims, take care

From Malden sixth-graders who sold homemade earrings and origami flowers to a Wayland Islamic center’s appeal to members and a town-sponsored road race in Plymouth, residents and organizations across the region are raising money to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

The ways to donate are numerous, from the One Fund Boston set up by Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino to crowd-funding sites like GoFundMe and GiveForward, where friends and families of individual victims are collecting money, and to golf tournaments and shopping events.

But experts on nonprofits and officials from the Massachusetts attorney general’s office also warn that donors should be careful and informed about where their money is going, and how it will be used.

“We want the public to be smart,” said Brad Puffer, a spokesman for Attorney General Martha Coakley. “Most fund-raising efforts are honest efforts to help.”

After other national tragedies, however, fraudulent fund-raisers have cropped up, Puffer said. Investigators from Coakley’s office have been monitoring the various appeals and websites set up to raise money for the Marathon bombing victims. They have contacted some of the online fund-raisers to make sure they are legitimate. Officials haven’t discovered any problems thus far, Puffer said.

The flood of fund-raisers comes as Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of the One Fund Boston, said he is planning to distribute the more than $30 million raised by the fund to victims next indoor positioning system.

The outpouring of small gestures and large donations reflects a desire by people to help, show their support, and take action after an event that left the region in shock and then frustrated, event organizers said.

“People were thinking about the runners and they couldn’t do anything,” said Gary Maestas, superintendent of Plymouth’s school system and an organizer of We Run for 1, a 5K run and walk planned for Saturday morning. “It’s difficult for people to express themselves. This gives people a chance to say they’re doing something.”

For the students, the craft sale was a way to address an event that touched them deeply. When the sixth-graders returned after April vacation they wanted to talk about the bombings, which had happened while they were on break, and to do something, Gordon said.

“Instead of being a bystander, I think they’ve been able to deal with it better,” Gordon said.

Many fund-raisers have said they plan to donate to the One Fund Boston. Coakley’s office has recommended that donors ask event organizers how much of the money raised is going to the charity, and how much pays for overhead costs of putting together the benefit event.

Several businesses in the region, from hair salons to bagel shops, are also showing their support for the bombing victims by donating a portion of their profits to various charities.

Sandra Miniutti, the vice president for Charity Navigator, a national nonprofit evaluator, said those types of appeals are fairly common. Miniutti recommends only giving to the crowd-funding sites if you know who set up the fund and are confident that the money will get to the right place.

"But with increasing online fraud and phishing attempts, MasterCard wants to remind consumers to be vigilant when it comes to shopping online and handing over their payment details. As MasterCard’s recent Online Shopping Survey research shows, payment security continues to be one of the top considerations Kiwis have when shopping online, so its important consumers understand how to reduce their exposure to risk.

"Whilst we are seeing a real openness to new technology, it’s important to note that 88% of Kiwis cite security as their key consideration when it comes to shopping online, so the ability to provide consumers with a secure and convenient payment facility actually becomes a key component for retailers looking to drive purchases via the online channel. Without the capability to demonstrate to consumers that their payments are secure, retailers can offer the best products at the best prices and still not reach optimal sales.

The Aces & Eights have announced that they will be holding a "patching in" ceremony for AJ Styles. Has the TNA original really decided to throw in with the group that has been bedeviling the company with which he's synonymous?

In other club business, Mr. Anderson will be the latest member to try and get Kurt Angle off their backs and out of their business. These two have a history dating back well before this current storyline, and many of the Green Bay native's best performances have come against the Olympic gold medalist.

Mickie James gets a title shot at her "friend" Velvet Sky. Will hardcore country be able to do whatever it takes to reclaim the Knockouts championship?

The GutCheck tournament to determine which newcomer gets into the Bound for Glory tournament (I love tournaments, but...) continues when Sam Shaw battles Alex Silva. Were all of these guys really on Impact before? I have no recollection of either of these dudes.

Auckland make it three in a row

They may have been second-best all season in the Super City rivalry, but Auckland City today won the one that really mattered to earn another trip to the Club World Cup.

Auckland won their third Oceania Champions League title in a row, edging old sparring partner Waitakere United 2-1 at Arena 2 at Mt Smart Stadium today.

Having lost four of six matches against Waitakere this season, Auckland turned the tables of their neighbours thanks to first-half goals from Adam Dickinson and Alex Feneridis. Waitakere equalised before halftime, but defender Tim Myers' dismissal inhibited any attempted comeback.

Despite the two teams' duopoly on the competition having previously seen the Auckland sides win five of the last six O-League titles, today was the first occasion the rivals met in the tournament showpiece.

It was hardly a thriller, unlike Waitakere's 4-3 win in the ASB Premiership final, but that will not concern the champions. They will again be able to test themselves against some of the world's best teams, while Waitakere will have to be content with their three-trophy haul from this campaign.

 Having been successful in the previous two finals, Auckland were the only side in the game in the opening 15 minutes as their opponents battled into a stiff breeze.

Dickinson was lively in the front third for Auckland and he was rewarded for his toil after quarter of an hour, left with a simple finish after Robinson could only parry Manel Exposito's low cross.

Waitakere needed to respond to the goal but, instead, Auckland had soon doubled their lead. Little looked on when Feneridis received the ball some 25 metres from goal, but his fierce drive skipped past Robinson, who should have done better.

Facing a long way back, Waitakere finally tested Tamati Williams after 20 minutes, though Roy Krishna's long-range shot lacked the venom of rtls.

Waitakere were still struggling to string together passes in difficult conditions, but the breeze soon came to their aid. Krishna ran onto a dinked pass over the top in the 40th minute and, with the ball holding up in the wind, Williams was left in no-man's land, allowing Krishna to square to Coombes for a tap-in.

The goal saw Waitakere head to the break well in the game, knowing they would also have the wind at their backs in the second spell.

But, if anything, Auckland were looking the more likely to add to their tally when the half got underway, with Exposito shooting wide from a tough angle and Dickinson having another effort saved by Robinson.

That white hat has been off for quite a while now. There has been a lot of darkness and devastation--death, political maneuverings and manipulations, broken hearts, darkened souls and all kinds of torture from the physical to the psychological and especially the emotional. The much anticipated Shonda Rhimes-penned Scandal season finale opens quite a few new doors and twists an intense story in a truly entertaining and involving way. A triumphant end to an amazing second season that has Gladiators everyone perplexed, frustrated, amazed, emotional and possibly all of the above. Shonda has done quite a number on us all, sending us on an excellent ride this entire season and ending with even more drama bombs that totally shift the direction of the entire series and raises the stakes! It’s not an ideal season finale, but it does some extraordinary things in progressing an already OMG-filled story that is packed to the brim with OMG moments. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. This is how Olivia Pope earned her White Hat back…

The DC5 is back together! And Fitz’s is replacing Verna in a strong-armed attempt to settle their biggest threat: Billy Chambers. The reveal last week that Billy Chambers was in fact the mole had some fans split. Many thought it was an obvious story reveal that insulted the fans’ intelligence and others were convinced that Mr. Chambers’ return was a mere red-herring of some sort, and even others were perfectly happy with it. As one of the Gladiators who fell in the middle of all three fan reactions, the continued developments certainly opened my eyes to the destruction Billy Chambers and David Rosen could do to the administration and the entire country by revealing Defiance to the world. The newly reunited DC5 are at odds with one another, but Fitzgerald Grant quickly comes to the authoritative rescue with the help of his Gladiator and lover, Olivia Pope, much to Mellie’s annoyance. That Cytron card is the root of all problems and many fans have voiced that it was quite stupid to even keep it, but I feel like Olivia’s decision to keep the card is actually kind of smart (if not a bit risky) just in case she needs it as some sort of leverage. However, Olivia’s eye should have stayed focused on David Rosen to avoid this whole mess. And even then, Fitz is more so focused on the prospect of moving Olivia into the White House. Fitz’s confidence is exuberant and quite fun to watch. There is a glow, both in him and Olivia as they map out the most efficient way to maneuver their love into their legacy--a new legacy that Fitz appoints Olivia to fix. A fact that I love because this is Fitz still allowing Olivia to be who she is; a fixer.

Google Wallet Rolls Out To More Devices

Google sadly scrapped its plans to introduce a plastic “universal” credit card that works at point-of-sale as a way to use its Google Wallet service out in the real world, but the company has not given up on its NFC-powered payments solution just yet. The company announced Wednesday evening that the Google Wallet app now works on more phones: the Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy Note II and HTC One on Sprint and the Samsung Galaxy Note II on US Cellular.

As you may have noticed, there’s a looming problem with Google Wallet, and no, it’s not international support. It’s that Google still can’t roll the app out across the U.S. Of the big four mobile carriers here, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile, all but Sprint are backing a competing NFC-based payments initiative called Isis. Though this program is only in pilot trials in Austin and Salt Lake City, it’s clear the carriers are hoping to delay and impede progress of competitive solutions when they can, using regulatory red tape and any other legal loopholes they can find.

In Verizon’s case, the company skirted around the FCC’s 2012 decree which said it couldn’t block applications from download, with a few exceptions. (Initially, the carrier blocked the installation of the application from Google Play entirely.) According to Verizon, the secure element being used in Google Wallet is the issue. The carrier told the FCC that the app requires integration with the secure element on the device – something that makes it different from other m-commerce apps like Square or PayPal. And this is a “secure and proprietary piece of hardware” that’s “fundamentally separate from the device’s basic communications functions or its operating system,” said Verizon.

“Verizon has a straightforward process under which Google or others could launch devices on Verizon’s network with Google Wallet included,” Verizon responded at the time of the FCC inquiry.

In a sense, the carrier is positioning the Google Wallet app as something that requires additional oversight and control because of the way it integrates with phone hardware. Nevermind that the Verizon-backed Isis solution works in almost exactly the same way.

Well, before we all smugly pat ourselves on our backs, consider the awkward truths about contemporary racism replete in Bruce Norris’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “Clybourne Park,” the regular-season finale at Long Wharf Theatre, where it runs through June 2.

Deftly directed by Eric Ting, “Clybourne Park” nimbly proposes that the PC Police may have censored speech in “mixed” company, but have only stuffed our unspoken fears and prejudices beneath our “Kumbaya” countenance of acceptance.

“Clybourne Park” is not only a dramaturgical treat, for, indeed, it is expertly crafted, baldly honest and briskly entertaining, but it also genuinely earns its poignancy and humor. It is, furthermore, a delightful acting exercise, as Norris calls upon seven actors to magnificently portray two sets of characters — one in 1959 and another 50 years later.

The fact that all these characters spring from the shadows of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” via Norris’ fertile imagination (save one, Karl Linder, a small but pivotal character of Hansberry’s creation), adds welcome intrigue to kindle our attention.

Ting, whose staging denies none of the play’s splendid subtleties, deals himself a killer seven-card-stud cast, a seamless ensemble in which each actor stands out while maintaining balance.

Daniel Jenkins and Alice Ripley are Russ and Bev, a troubled, married couple living in the very same house that Hansberry’s Younger family purchases at the conclusion of “A Raisin in the Sun.” Linder (Alex Moggridge), the character who, in Hansberry’s play, tries bribing the Youngers out of moving into the titular neighborhood, here tries dissuading Russ from selling to the Youngers, whom Russ doesn’t realize, are African American.

Smart ID plan for Suvarnabhumi

Thai citizens represent no more than 5% of all international travellers passing through the airport. They would still need passports once they left the country and critics will say it could cause confusion. Some travellers may assume they will not need a passport at all.

The proposal is on the table, but far from finalised. The airport has installed automatic passport checkpoints for Thai citizens, a system that is now working efficiently. There was a long learning curve and a reluctance to use the unmanned gates, but the immigration bureau hired personnel to assist passengers.

The TrustPoint 3-factor biometric reader is a flexible solution, offering a variety of security options including biometric, PIN and optional PKI challenge-response authentication for increasing or decreasing the assurance level of site security, depending on the user’s requirements. It is the only solution of its kind that is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) compatible, using a design that is made to authenticate Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials and mitigate electronic cloning.

“The coupling of AccessNsite with the innovative technology behind Bridgepoint’s TrustPoint 3-factor biometric reader will provide a high assurance, biometrically authenticated security system,” said Rick Foster, director of marketing and sales for Quintron’s Security Systems Division.

AccessNsite is a Java-based application that is built on a modular, object-oriented design, providing unlimited system scalability, flexibility and reliability. The software supports real-time credential evaluation at initial enrollment and full-time authentication via TrustPoint 3-factor biometric readers and compatible control panels that are installed at one location or many sites worldwide. This leverages Quintron’s enroll local-access global advanced data sharing capabilities between globally distributed systems and rtls.

According to Tom Corder, president and CEO of Bridgepoint Systems, the collaboration with Quintron will facilitate efficient enrollment by taking advantage of AccessNsite’s open architecture to offer an intuitive, user-friendly application. “In designing our product with the latest PKI standards in mind,” said Corder, “we created an authentication mechanism that is not only impenetrable, but easy to administer and manage. We are pleased to unveil this latest innovation in smart card reader technology, offering the highest level of security and access control.”

Foster also pointed out that “the 3-factor Bridgepoint reader makes it possible for security personnel across town, across the country or across the globe to deny access -- one badge, one face, one fingerprint at a time.” By coupling the AccessNsite system with Bridgepoint’s cryptographic PKI challenge-response technology, he added, the TrustPoint 3-factor biometric reader offers efficient data entry as well as image and signature capture from any location in real-time.

When a user enters his or her PIN, the solution performs a “one-to-one” match between the biometric template stored on a PIV credential and the “live-scan” of a user’s finger. When the sensor is ready for a scan, it lights up with a bright red glow and the LCD display then guides the user through the authentication process. The reader can also be configured to work automatically or manually with the PKI challenge-response in the ON or OFF mode. This feature allows the customer to use the reader with PACS in security levels I and II, and later implement higher security including levels III and IV.

Bridgepoint, a pioneer in the physical access field, was the first U.S. company to develop smart card readers for use by the Department of Defense in a physical access system. It was also the first to integrate the Department of Defense’s CAC with biometrics in a real world deployment and the first to install an interoperable personal identification reader in a government, multi-tenant facility. Some of the nation’s largest government contractors and systems integrators use the company’s technology.

I think it’s getting there. I would not say it’s ready yet. And that’s really for two reasons: Atlanta and the South in general is a particularly car-centric culture. Now, one of the interesting things about bike sharing is that it’s been proven in other places that just putting the program out there is an effective tool of education and cultural change. If you sort of throw it at people, they’ll say, “Oh, there are just bicycles everywhere, I have to respect them as a driver.”

The bigger issue is making sure the proper infrastructure is there, and there is some work to be done, but there’s also been a lot of positive development. Josh Mello over at the City of Atlanta has been awesome since he joined that organization. The city just approved $2.5 million for bike infrastructure funding, new lanes. The BeltLine is a huge component. So it’s happening.

I’ll be the first to tell you there are pros and cons to each solution, and what we’re doing is not perfect yet. It was a little surprising to see the focus on convenience. I think some of that came from the fact that they looked at smart-bike systems almost a year before the final results came out, and the technology was at a much earlier stage.

[With ViaCycle] you can still put a kiosk in high-traffic areas. We’ve gone out and designed that. At the risk of oversimplifying, it’s basically an iPad on a stand with a credit card reader. You can put it anywhere, that way if you have a station Downtown or in a place with a lot of tourists, they have access to all that same functionality.

But I agree with you. Mobile is where the world is going, and while the need for a physical presence in advertising is still very strong, there’s no reason you need things controlled by heavy, standalone, stationary equipment.

Absolutely. When we started the project I’d say half the people we talked to would shake their head at us and go, “Bike sharing, what’s that?” Now almost three years later, people know what it is and they know the value it can have, and for us it would mean so much. We want to make Alanta a better place. It’s what gave us our start, and it would be really awesome to see that come full circle in moving toward a more connected city.

Something that’s been really interesting to watch has been the rise of collaborative consumption startups. Broadly you can apply that label to Airbnb (a website for travelers seeking non-hotel accommodations), which is probably the largest and best known. Companies like Uber doing shared ride services. The founders are based out of Atlanta of a California company called InstantCab doing the same thing—sort of disrupting the taxi industry. There’s a company called Scoot doing electric scooter sharing.

Kroger seeks bigger Marketplace slice

It’s just a few paragraphs in an 87-page financial report, but in the annual 10-K document that the Kroger Co. filed on April 2 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the fierce battle for market share that the Cincinnati-based retailer is waging with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. practically jumps off the page.

“Based on Nielsen Homescan Data, our estimated market share increased in total by approximately 20 basis points in 2012 across our 19 marketing areas outlined by the Nielsen report. … Wal-Mart Supercenters are a primary competitor in 17 of these 19 marketing areas. In these 17 marketing areas, our market share increased in nine and declined in eight,” the report states.

Wal-Mart has been muscling in on Kroger’s supermarket turf since 1988, when the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer began developing its Walmart supercenters, which carry a full line of groceries. In the Toledo area, Wal-Mart added groceries to its stores in 2006.

The addition of groceries pushed Wal-Mart further into the concept of “hypermarkets” — a format that combines a supermarket and a department store. In theory, it gives customers a one-stop shopping experience — and it gave Wal-Mart a significant advantage over pure supermarket chains such as Kroger, Aldi, Safeway, and Hands free access.

But Kroger, which learned a thing or two about hypermarkets after acquiring the consummate hypermarket chain Fred Meyer stores in 1998, has not been idle while Wal-Mart stocks up on groceries.

In 2004 in Columbus, the retailer built its first Kroger Marketplace store — a 125,000-square-foot store with full-service grocery and pharmacy departments, but also an expanded general merchandise area that includes outdoor living products, electronics, home goods, and toys. The Marketplace stores have evolved to include gourmet coffee stands, a bank, a jewelry store, apparel, and baby clothing and furniture.

Last year Kroger began converting its 68,000-square-foot supermarket in Lambertville into a 128,000-square-foot marketplace. The project is about 80 percent complete. In its first phase, it expanded the store’s produce area, added a bakery and a fresh seafood area, and built a “bistro” area with a coffee, beverage, and olive bar and made-to-order sandwiches.

Grocery industry analyst Bill Bishop, head of Illinois-based Willard Bishop Consulting, said it isn’t surprising that a traditional supermarket chain such as Kroger has been deploying a concept that adds more general merchandise because retailers are always seeking new categories that will help attract customers, as Wal-Mart did when it added groceries to its lineup of general merchandise.

“Every retailer is trying to get into, to the extent they can, completely new markets because that’s a kind of pure growth for them. So when you go to a [Kroger] Marketplace store and see furniture — which shocked me the first time I saw it — it’s pretty evident that having bigger stores has let capable retailers put their toes into new markets for growth,” Mr. Bishop said. “And I think what you’re going to see is a lot more of that.”

Last week on Da Vinci’s Demons, Rome steps up with some power plays preparing Pazzi as their plan B while sending Riario in to massacre everyone at Florence’s alum mine save for a boy whom he sends to Lorenzo with the message of what he did. Lorenzo sees this act of war and focuses on Leonardo’s guns while becoming ever more paranoid about betrayal since Becchi’s supposed deception, taking it out on anyone who he deems a traitor (except for Leonardo, of course.) Meanwhile, Giuliano shows some maturity and intelligence and visits Becchi attempting to get some answers and realizes the spy is still in their midst. While Giuliano begins his search for the remaining spy, Donati becomes worried about what Becchi will say to convince them of his innocence (and maybe a little concerned about essentially sentencing him to death by the wheel …maybe) so she kills him with hemlock in a show of “mercy.” All the while, Lorenzo and Leonardo work to thwart an all-out war with Rome, until Leonardo blows up the forge (and gets away with it). Leonardo saves the day with a completely ridiculous new invention and just as he’s being honored for his heroics and genius, Pazzi has Dragonetti arrest Leonardo for sodomy based on an anonymous denunciation.

After being locked up in prison due to the accusations, Leonardo attempts to sleep and dreams of visiting the cave as a boy, seeing flashes of dead bodies and a man hanging from the ceiling of the cave until he suddenly wakes. Another prisoner taunts him a bit about being a sodomite while Leonardo notices a bat fly into the cell used for solitary confinement and inquires about them, finding out that the bats nest in the cell.

In the castle, Lorenzo shows King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella around attempting to win over the King and Queen to have them invest with the Medicis since Rome had pulled their funds and business out of Florence. Lorenzo easily impresses Ferdinand with his banking ability while Clarice shows Queen Isabella around. After presenting Donatello’s David to her, Isabella’s friar denounces the statue and Isabella is quick to agree and states the statue is lewd, asking to cover it up “for the remainder of her visit.” When they talk about the visiting couple, Clarice suggests they merely need a distraction and to let Giuliano create a production.

Back in prison, Leonardo picks a fight with another prisoner in an obvious ruse to get into solitary confinement. The guards quickly beat him down and place him there where his father visits to discuss Leonardo’s defense in court, which still has me wondering about Becchi’s or the servant that was killed on the wheel’s trial. I don’t know laws of Florence in that time, though. Maybe treason just doesn’t get a trial. Sent by Lorenzo, Piero attempts to talk to him about his plea, but Leonardo insists that the charges must and will be dropped as he looks through the food Piero brought him at his request. He specifically looks for the Marcgravia evenia, which reflects sound better than other plants and attracts bats, which he demonstrates as a bat flies into his hands. His childlike amusement at the bat landing in his hands causes Piero to tell him they could always use insanity as a defense, but obviously Leonardo is up to something here. You’d think somebody would notice his unusual interest in the bats. Or is it that they simply don’t care and think the eccentric genius is merely crazy?

Police arrest 11 in connection with identity theft

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office announced the arrest of 11 individuals on May 3 who operated an identity theft ring that left more than 70 victims in mroe than 30 different towns with a loss of more than $150,000.

Thirteen police departments, including Englewood Police Department, took part in an identity theft task force in partnership with the "White Collar Crimes Units" of the prosecutor's office.

Throughout 2012 and 2013, police received complaints that unknown individuals had applied for credit accounts under victims' names for various institutions, including Comenity Bank, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Kohl's, Lowe's, and Sears. The victims also received notice in the mail that "Authorized Buyers" were added to these new Hands free access.

Police were able to identify a connection between all the victims, who had recently refinanced or applied for mortgages at NJ Lenders Corporation, a mortgage brokerage company based in Little Falls. The company kept customer files in a Paterson warehouse called C. Marino Records, where warehouse employee and Paterson resident Kyle Davis would pick up records from NJ Lenders Corporation to store at the facility, said Molinelli.

The 48-year-old Davis would allegedly sell victim profiles for approximately $300 a piece to 32-year-old Paterson resident Shontera Jennings, said Molinelli. Jennings would then allegedly use the information to apply for credit card accounts and add "Authorized Buyers" to the accounts, which gave a "bust out crew," or the remaining nine individuals arrested, the ability to purchase items utilizing an "account look-up" method and a proof of identification.

"Account lookup" does not require the use of the physical card to purchase items and instead allows a buyer to purchase items just by showing identification that they are an authorized buyer. This method allowed the crew to buy items before a physical card was issued and the victim became aware of the fake account, said Molinelli.

"Shontera Jennings uses that float time in between when the authorization is given by Macy's for charges to be put onto that card to the time where [the victim] will get [the card]," said Molinelli.

The bust out crew, who would buy everything from pajamas and home goods, would sell these items on the streets of New York City. Since the items were sold on the streets, police were not able to track down the goods, said Molinelli.

The bust out crew, who would buy everything from pajamas and home goods, would sell these items on the streets of New York City. Since the items were sold on the streets, police were not able to track down the goods, said Molinelli.

"The bust out crew is pretty smart," said Molinelli. "They know what sells easily on the streets of New York."

Molinelli said knowledge of the identity theft cases were made possible by victims calling their local police departments. He urged members of the public to not just call their credit card companies when they experience a case of identity theft, but to let the police know so they can work on catching the perpetrators.

Austin Cunningham was known as a champion for Orangeburg, a dedicated man who did more than observe from the sideline. He became involved, from efforts to build a new hospital in the early 1980s to building better race relations across his decades here. He was a driving force behind the Community of Character campaign that others have modeled from Orangeburg County. He was an avid reader, always an individual with wide knowledge and an ability to articulate it.

A non-practicing attorney, Cunningham was a successful entrepreneur and businessman before his retirement focused him solely on public service. The death of the renaissance man in 2009 left a big void for Orangeburg. But he lives on through his many influences — and his writing. Excerpts from his “Nuts and bolts commencement address” are sound advice for those marching into the work world.

“My talks have evolved under four headings: your body; your mind; your money; your character. Your body: It’s the only one you’ll ever have. For the rest of your life, exercise three hours a week. Don’t regard it as time you can’t spare. You can be listening to educational audio tapes. Exercise brings with it vibrancy, vitality, energy, relaxation, serenity. It’s addictive. If you stop it, you miss it.

“For the rest of your life, eat and drink intelligently. If you do, you’ve had your last glass of sweetened tea. Tea is good for you. Drink it plain or stir in the zero-calorie alternative. You have to stir vigorously. Consider it exercise. Sugar contributes only empty, harmful calories. Don’t tell me it doesn’t taste as good. Get used to it! The good life is made up of adjustments. No alcohol in anything approaching excess. Of course no tobacco in any form. Never use fattening dairy products. Skim milk is the only milk for you and me. It has all of the good and none of the bad. Read the advice columns about taking care of your only body.

“Your mind: Read a newspaper every day, seven days a week. Not just the comics, sports, entertainment but the editorial page and news. It will, over five years, give you the equivalent of a college education. If you can’t afford one, run by the library. Change your TV viewing habits. Get accustomed to both C-Spans, Discovery, History, Travel channels. The more you know, the more you want to know. Your mind is precious, the more it’s stretched, the more efficient it gets. Memorize something daily. (Ask yourself. Are you ambitious? Do you really want to get ahead? If so, keep on reading.) Be more curious, more observant. Are you handicapped by walking through life with blinders on? Many young people are. Don’t sleepwalk your life away.

Ryback and Stars Who Desperately Need to Win at PPV

With WrestleMania XXIX firmly in the rear-view mirror, the WWE is now focused on building up a multitude of different stars for the upcoming summer season. Scoring a big victory at Extreme Rules is a great way to start.

While the card is only halfway complete, it is fairly obvious which matches will be added if they haven't been announced already. Some bouts such as Mark Henry vs. Sheamus or a potential Randy Orton vs. Big Show match could go either way without consequence, but other tilts will feature one Superstar who clearly needs to win in a bad way.

Perhaps winning isn't everything in professional wrestling, but there comes a point when Superstars have to win and look strong in order to get over properly with the fans. The WWE has the potential for a highly entertaining summer provided the creative team books Extreme Rules logically.

That isn't always the case, but with CM Punk out for the time being and part-time guys such as Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker and The Rock not as prevalent, smart booking will be of the utmost importance moving forward.

The WWE backed itself into a corner last year when John Cena got injured as it pressed Ryback into the main-event scene against CM Punk and had no choice but to make him lose. Rather than allowing him to rebound,rtls, the losses have continued to pile up for Ryback over the past several months.

The WWE had a golden opportunity to give Ryback a huge victory on the WrestleMania stage over Mark Henry, but Henry inexplicably won the match. That ultimately led to Ryback's heel turn, but losing to Henry wasn't really necessary to make that happen. Whatever the case, it's very difficult to take Ryback seriously knowing how putrid his record is.

Since WrestleMania, Ryback has been made to look strong, but it's time for the WWE to put its money where its mouth is. If the writers are going to continue to herald Ryback as the most unstoppable force in wrestling, then he needs to win at Extreme Rules.

Ryback will be facing Cena for the WWE Championship in a Last Man Standing match, which could set the stage for a title change. The Shield has been heavily involved with Cena and Ryback as of late, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the group lay out Cena and help Ryback win the title after stifling him so many times in the past.

Even though Ryback would be getting help, he would still get a major rub simply by beating Cena. It isn't as if Cena ever loses cleanly anyway, so a win of any kind over Cena is huge.

Fans hoped that the schizophrenic booking would change when Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship, but that hasn't been the case, as Ziggler continues to lose despite having gold around his waist.

Over the past several weeks, Ziggler has won matches here and there over the likes of Kofi Kingston and other midcarders, but he has lost to both Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio, who will be his opponents at Extreme Rules. It's understandable that the WWE wants to make it seem as though the title could potentially change hands, but jobbing out Ziggler isn't the way to do it.

The WWE has a penchant for making its heel champions lose constantly. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett is dealing with that currently, and Antonio Cesaro was mired in a losing streak for months before dropping the United States Championship to Kingston.

Perhaps the worst part about it is the fact that he has A.J. and Big E Langston constantly influencing matches, so he should never lose. He loses quite often, however, and even when he does win, it is usually due to outside interference. If the fans are to believe that Ziggler is as good as he says he is, then he needs to go on a prolonged winning streak.

Look for that to begin at Extreme Rules, where Ziggler will face Swagger and Del Rio in a ladder match. Hopefully it marks the start of a big run for Ziggler rather than serve as a one-off victory.

That isn't to say that The Shield will be sunk the second it loses, but there is honestly no point in having the triumvirate lose right now. The likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, Ryback, Sheamus, Randy Orton, Big Show, Chris Jericho and countless others have tried to stop The Shield, but each and every on them has failed.

Although The Shield hasn't yet been put in an Extreme Rules match officially, it is almost certain that at least two of them will challenge Team Hell No for the Tag Team Championships. Also, based on the events of Raw, Dean Ambrose could potentially face Kofi Kingston for the United States Championship. The Shield beat Kofi and The Usos in a six-man tag on Raw and the announcers made a big deal out of Ambrose pinning Kingston, so something has to be in the works.

There is some concern among WWE fans about where The Shield goes from here, but the next logical step involves winning titles. Perhaps the Tag Team Championships and United States Championship aren't as prestigious as they once were, but The Shield can undoubtedly legitimize those belts and make people care about them again.

The Latest from Clarion Marine

In recent years, most of the major 12 Volt manufacturers have separated their marine offerings from their current models.  Which is a good thing.  Engineering poured into the rigors of surviving the salt water environment is always welcome.  Also welcome is the forethought into wired remote controls and wireless controllers that let mariners crank their tunes with ease.  For example, if you are in the cockpit (yeah- it doesn’t make sense to me either but the cockpit of the boat is where the guys on Wicked Tuna reel in the fish) and the head unit is located in the helm, how are you going to change SiriusXM stations?

Clarion has poured a lot of their knowledge into this marine lineup.  I am especially digging the six-channel XC6610 Class D amplifier.  Clarion Marine amp XC6610These can be great for today’s ultra-efficient outboard motors that are constantly monitoring alternator draw to deliver the most nautical miles per gallon.  Give me one of those six-channel amps on a nice 22′ outboard, a CMD8 controlling the works, two sets of CMQ coaxials, and a 10″ subwoofer encased in a custom fiberglass box for a fiberglass boat and I’ll be rocking in the redneck yacht club.

Clarion Corporation of America, a market leader in marine audio electronics, announced introduction of the largest assortment of all-new marine products in their history with over a dozen new rtls. The new product line-up includes high-performance marine systems from source units to speakers and amplifiers as well as remote controls.

“Nearly a decade ago, Clarion developed the industry’s first watertight marine stereo which became the benchmark other products compared to for years,” stated Allen H. Gharapetian, Vice President of Marketing for Clarion Corporation of America. “Our passion and commitment for designing and engineering the world’s most reliable, high-quality marine products have positioned Clarion as one of the best known and most trusted brands in the marine industry.”

The new M303 is a single DIN CD Player/Receiver featuring Parrot? Bluetooth for hands-free calling and stereo audio streaming. The built-in microphone and external microphone ready option ensure loud and clear hands-free communication. M303 is designed with an integrated drip shield and features a humi seal coated PCB to help protect against elements. The new M303 is SiriusXM-Ready? and capable of receiving SiriusXM’s commercial-free music, premier sports talk and live events, comedy, news, exclusive talk and entertainment as well as SiriusXM Latino, the most comprehensive Latin music, sports and talk programming in radio. Features include iTunes? Tagging; SiriusXM Replay? for pause, rewind and replay of up to 60 minutes of live SiriusXM content, and Song Alert and Artist Alert for notification when a favorite song or rtls is playing on any channel.

Both CMD8 and M303 models include Pandora internet radio access via an iPod or iPhone USB connection 2-channel RCA auxiliary audio inputs (rear) with rear USB and water resistant caps, and meet or exceed ASTM B117 (Salt/Fog Exposure) and ASTM D4329 (UV Exposure) standards. Both units are also designed to deliver exceptionally smooth sound courtesy of Magna BAS EX dynamic bass enhancement, built in high and low pass filters and Beat EQ 3-Band Parametric Equalizer.

Clarion’s 2013 full range XC series Class D amplifiers are designed with the demanding marine environment in mind. The all-new XC6610 is a 6-channel amplifier while the XC1410 is a 4-channel model offering a truly compact form factor for easy installation and sporting sleek new cosmetics. The XC6610 is designed specifically to protect electronic components, endure the harsh saltwater environment with its corrosion resistant ABYC connectors, and fully comply with the ASTM 4329 (UV Exposure) standard. The XC1410 is a revolutionary compact model at only 7 inches wide, 2 ? inches wide and 1 3/8 inches deep, allowing it to be installed in tight spaces. Clarion marine amplifiers add great looks and powerful, balanced sound to any boat or yacht, enhancing the overall cruise experience.

For 2013, Clarion offers two brand new marine speaker lines, the CMG and the CMQ series. Both series meet or exceed ASTM B117 (Salt/Fog Exposure) and ASTM B4329 (UV Exposure) standards and feature high impact BASF 778 grill and frame, liquid drainage system, rubber mounting gaskets and gold plated terminals to ensure durability in the harsh marine environment. To deliver accurate sound with high efficiency, the units feature ferric oxide magnets and magnetic shielding integrated in the baskets. Power is rated at 100 watts for CMG and 160 watts for CMQ models and there is an impressive 350 watts of power available for subwoofers.

“I hope the opposition accepts the result with an open heart and will allow the democratic process to continue,” Mr. Najib told a press conference after his party’s win was announced. “The results show a trend of polarization which worries the government. If it is not addressed, it can create tension or division in the country."

The 59-year-old Mr. Najib has been prime minister since 2009 but was running in his first election as party leader. He campaigned on his party’s reputation for stable governance and sound economic management, including 5.6 per cent growth in 2012.

Despite the win, three well-known members of Mr. Najib’s cabinet looked likely to lose their parliamentary seats. The National Front appeared to do particularly poorly among ethnic Chinese, who make up almost a quarter of Malaysia’s population but resent the government’s affirmative action policies that favour the Malay majority.

The debate over the fairness of the election seems unlikely to quickly fade. Mr. Anwar told The Globe and Mail before the vote that the government would face “the wrath of the people” if there was evidence the election result had been manipulated.

A tally conducted Sunday by the People’s Alliance showed a dead heat, with each coalition winning 80 seats and 62 more seats not yet decided. Two major pre-election polls had given a slight edge to Mr. Anwar’s coalition, although the lead was within the margin of error in both cases.

Two hours after polls closed – and as results were only starting to trickle in – Mr. Anwar claimed victory via his Facebook and Twitter accounts. “[The People’s Alliance] has won,” he wrote. “We urge [Mr. Najib’s party] and the [Election Commission] to not attempt to hijack the results.”

Once it became clear that the official results would contradict that claim, Mr. Anwar told a press conference about a host of alleged electoral violations.

He said the supposedly indelible ink that was supposed to prevent voter fraud was actually easy to wash off and charged that the results of advance voting by security services had suspiciously favoured the National Front. He also alleged that the government had given identification papers to foreign nationals so they could cast ballots on Sunday, a claim the ruling party denied.

Steering my grandson in the right direction

My 16-year-old grandson, Andrew, just received his driver's permit. This means that another teenager will soon be gracing our roads. While this is considered worthy of recognition, the rest of us -- his parents and I -- approach this milestone with trepidation and the realization that life is moving by much too quickly.

His sister Caroline, 15, thinks it's all so "cool." She has become Andrew's staunch ally, anticipating the day when she, too, can get behind the wheel of a car and drive us to distraction.

Andrew is a great kid. Caroline, equally so. But greatness aside, driving a car is an act that evokes such anxiety that driver's permits should include therapy sessions for parents and grandparents to get them through the ordeal.

Andrew waves his permit at me as a constant reminder of this potentially death-defying feat. Despite the fact that he hasn't cleaned his room since the Clinton administration, he's appropriately proud, and congratulations are in order. And so I pass along kudos with as much enthusiasm as I can muster. He has, after all, passed the test and has plastic proof of his rtls.

But I am frightened, not only because he will soon be on the road with maniacal drivers and substance abusers, but because the world these kids are facing is even more dangerous and challenging than what they will encounter in the driver's seat. And we, who have little control over protecting them, suddenly feel overly protective.

If it were up to me, I would shield my grandchildren from the pervasive destruction in a world run amok. I would step in and remove them from irrational predators, insane terrorists, and unexpected bomb explosions intent on killing off not only innocent victims, but our spirits as well. I would whisk my kids off to places that guarantee their safekeeping. But I can't. At best, I can only offer my own experiences as blueprints to those of a different generation vastly removed from mine.

In spite of us, children grow up, and for better and for worse, we can only hope that somewhere along the way, a nugget of our excessive ranting will have sunk in, and steered them in the right direction.

My hope is that by the time Andrew gets his license, and is officially deemed worthy of operating a vehicle, the rules will sink in: That he will pause at stop signs and approach yellow lights not as an invitation to race ahead, but to linger for a moment, heeding my cliche warning: "Better safe than sorry."

I am counting on the fact that his newly acquired status will teach him responsibility and patience -- that he won't be in such a hurry to race through life when he doesn't yet understand the importance of slowing down. I want to tell him that these are the years to savor -- to rein himself in, rather than propel himself forward at breakneck speed, and that maneuvering a steering wheel warrants more insurance than what air bags can provide. He will be road-tested beyond his wildest imagination.

When my shaky sanity is being tested by the image of a grandson in a car, it is then I need to get a grip on reality, imagining him making wise decisions as he navigates along bumpy roads, seat belt attached, his vision clear, hands steady and instincts well intact.

For now, however, the heady excitement of owning a driver's permit is all that matters. He's a typically normal and engaging -- if sometimes cocky -- adolescent, who now has the goods to prove his worth. For a while, he needs to luxuriate in his newly acquired sense of achievement: That he has made the grade as a full-fledged member of the Big Boys club. And I, a minor player in this scenario, have become the target of his amusement as he pushes his permit in my face, assuring me he's got it all under control.

"While the Supreme Court and the rest of us are all focused on the human right of marriage equality, let's not forget that the fight doesn't end with same-sex marriage. We need to legalize polygamy, too. Legalized polygamy in the United States is the constitutional, feminist, and sex-positive choice. More importantly, it would actually help protect, empower, and strengthen women, children, and families."

Keenan is not playing the "same-sex marriage is a slippery slope" card to argue against same-sex marriage. In fact, she ridicules that argument as a "tired refrain." Instead, she brands herself as a feminist who believes polygamy is in the best interest of women and society and perfectly in keeping with the arguments for same-sex marriage.

Besides the 2011 lawsuit to decriminalize bigamy and polygamy in Utah filed by the stars of TLC's "Sister Wives," the discussion of polygamy and its connection to the same-sex marriage debate has been fairly silent. Keenan, however, wishes to end that silence.

While admitting that the argument against polygamy has generally been that it hurts women and children, Keenan believes legalization would actually benefit them. She claims that polygamists live in the shadows and fear the authorities. If they were allowed to live in the open, they would be more likely to report instances of abuse.

The current battle over marriage involves the definition of marriage. Proponents of same-sex marriage (and supporters of polygamy) consider marriage to be an intimate, emotional relationship between individuals. They offer no basis for discrimination according to gender or number. Thus, the "new" definition of marriage would allow for same-sex marriage and polygamy. If culture, and specifically the government, adopts this new definition of marriage, then Keenan is right. There will be no choice but to legalize polygamy as well as same-sex marriage. However, Keenan does not go far enough. Incest is the next step of progression. We could add to her argument above: "If a woman wants to marry a man, that's great. If she wants to marry another woman, that's great too. If she wants to marry a hipster, well -- I suppose that's the price of freedom." The next line should read: "If she even wants to marry her brother, that's her choice."

This is the direction of the debate. Keenan has opened the door and publicly stated what others have been ridiculed for saying. The definition of marriage matters. A redefinition of marriage will undermine the entire concept of marriage that has been recognized throughout human history. As Chief Justice John Roberts stated during oral arguments before the Supreme Court: "If you tell a child that somebody has to be their friend, I suppose you can force the child to say, 'This is my friend.' But it changes the definition of what it means to be a friend." If we tell people they can marry whomever they wish no matter the gender, number, or blood relationship, I suppose we could call that marriage. However, it changes the definition of what it means to be married.