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Published: March 2, 2012

Coronary slow flow phenomenon

More bad news for overweight men: Research from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center suggests that being obese and male (and maybe a military veteran) are risk factors for a condition in which blood flows slowly through unobstructed coronary arteries.

The ailment, referred to as CSFP, causes chest pain, according to an OU news release. Severe cases are linked to heart attack, abnormal heart rhythm and sudden cardiac death.

It is a rather rare cause of chest pain, compared to the more common coronary disease, study author Stavros Stavrakis said in the release. However, in people with no coronary blockages, it may represent a more common cause of chest pain than previously thought.

The study was published in the Circulation Journal. It focused on 158 patients with unblocked coronary arteries and normal heart function who were admitted to the Oklahoma City Veteran's Affairs Medical Center from 2007 to 2009, the release states. Despite their otherwise normal heart health, 96 of the patients were diagnosed with CSFP after study.

That number is huge compared to other studies. An explanation may be that the VA patients share certain attributes: They are overwhelmingly male and have risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

We do not know exactly why male sex and obesity are independent predictors of CSFP, Stavrakis said.

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Health and fitness briefs

I'm 67 years old, retired and have $600,000 in investments. Will this be enough if I live to age 95? -- Judy

It's impossible to give a yes or no answer to your question because the length of time your nest egg will last depends on several factors, including how much you withdraw each year, how you invest and how sure you are that you can count on those withdrawals in the future.

A few online tools can give you a sense of the trade-offs involved. You can then come up with a plan for getting a reasonable amount of income from your investments without too high a risk of running through your money too soon.

One tool is Vanguard's Retirement Nest Egg calculator. Even though this tool uses a sophisticated forecasting technique know as Monte Carlo simulation, it's simple to use and interpret.

Begin by dragging the first of the tool's three sliders to specify how long you want your portfolio to last. Given today's long lifespans, you want to be careful not to enter too short a period. Your assumption of age 95, or 28 more years, seems sound.

Next, move the second slider to indicate the current size of your retirement portfolio -- $600,000 in your case. Then drag the third slider to show how much inflation-adjusted annual income you'd like. You didn't mention a figure, but let's assume $30,000 a year, adjusted for inflation.

Once you've done that, go to the portfolio pie chart at the top of the page and enter how you want to divvy up your retirement investments. I'd start with a moderate mix of 50% stocks-50% bonds. Click "Run Simulation," and voila!

How I'm easing into retirement

You'll get an estimate of the probability your nest egg supporting you for 28 years given the withdrawals and investment strategy you've chosen, or a 77% chance in this case.

You'll also see a graph showing a range of possible portfolio balances year by year over that 28-year span, forecasting what your portfolio's value might be in good and bad markets. Click on that graph, and it shows how rapidly the odds of your nest egg lasting tail off in the later years.

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Retirement investing

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire -03/02/12)- Individuals, couples and business owners approaching retirement age may think they've planned for everything.

They're probably wrong.

That was Dr. Robert Pokorski's message to an elite group of life insurance professionals in Austin this week. Speaking at Lion Street's invitation-only Designers Expert Network forum, physician and underwriting expert Pokorski highlighted the non-financial risks facing today's retirees. Among his warnings:

Pokorski -- recently profiled in a Smart Money cover story(7) -- holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He earned his medical degree at Creighton University and has authored more than 130 scholarly articles for publications like Nature, Cancer, American Journal of Human Genetics and Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. As The Hartford's chief medical strategist since 2010, Pokorski works to bridge the medical-business divide.

"We bring in top experts like Dr. Pokorski because our sophisticated advisor-owners need the latest information on underwriting trends," said Lion Street CEO Bob Carter. "Our carrier relationships give them access to the industry's brightest minds. Everyone leaves D.E.N. and our other meetings armed with valuable new ideas for today's competitive market."

The audience instantly saw opportunity. "As professionals, our job is to help people manage their risks," said Anthony Giordano, principal of Union Square Financial Partners and a Lion Street advisor-owner. Giordano shifted his New York firm's business to Lion Street last year. "The resources I get from Lion Street lead directly to peace of mind for my clients. I've gained a big edge over my competitors."

Giordano is in the vanguard of an underwriting revolution. Lion Street's extensive value-added services make cost-effective coverage possible in complex situations. "Our advisor-owners like Anthony have to deliver the best terms on large, complex cases," observed Carter. "With our network of resources, they can deliver state of the art solutions for affluent clients that demand the highest level of expertise and execution."

"This kind of open intellectual exchange is a big advantage," Carter concluded. "Unlike other producer groups, the interests of our advisor-owners are aligned through our unique capital structure. We all value the concept of idea exchange to work toward shared success."

ABOUT LION STREET: Lion Street, Inc. provides elite independent life insurance professionals access to the financial products, intellectual capital, and proprietary resources they need to meet the sophisticated needs of their high-net-worth and corporate clients. Over thirty advisor-owner firms nationwide have become part of the Lion Street network through its unique ownership structure. Founded by industry veteran Bob Carter in 2010, Lion Street surpassed its first year firm growth and revenue goals. It continues to actively recruit select firms in key geographic markets.

Lion Street is a portfolio company of Austin Ventures, a venture capital and growth equity firm with $3.9 billion of assets under management. To learn more about Lion Street, visit http://www.lionstreet.com.

Excerpt from:
"Expect Retirement Plan Surprises," Physician Tells Life Insurance Advisors at Lion Street Forum

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About a third of small-business owners do not have a personal or business-sponsored retirement plan such as a 401(k), a SEP IRA or deferred annuity, according to a new survey from non-profit the American College. Nearly the same number haven't estimated how much money they need for retirement.

Many workers feel unprepared for their golden years. But a lack of retirement planning by small-business owners is stunning because they "have no one else to rely on," says Mary Quist-Newins, director of the State Farm Center for Women and Financial Services at the American College.

Unlike government or company employees, who are eligible for 401(k)s or similar plans, small-business owners are often solely responsible for their retirement planning, she says.

And that can be a difficult task for a business owner who is already taxed time-wise. Saving for retirement falls to the bottom of the to-do list. "They are just so living in the moment," she says. "They are just trying to keep this (business) going." Other reasons business owners aren't better prepared for retirement:

Just surviving takes priority over saving. Businesses that are in the start-up and early growth phase often reinvest money into the firm, and don't put it into retirement funds, says Gary Kushner, CEO of human resources consulting firm Kushner & Co. And many owners even those of more mature businesses severed retirement funding during the downturn.

"Certainly when you're worried about your business surviving, you're not worried about funding your retirement," says Michael Preisz, an adviser with the non-profit Institutional Retirement Income Council.

They think the business will provide for their needs. Some owners solely plan on continued revenue from the business or proceeds from selling the firm to sustain them later in life. And there are those who prefer to rely on their business' returns rather than unpredictable stock and bond funds. But if the firm goes south, "They are left with nothing," Preisz says.

Setting up a company savings account appears daunting. Many haven't set up an employer-sponsored plan since the paperwork can seem time consuming and complex, Kushner says.

They don't consider retirement. Many entrepreneurs "love what they are doing and don't see the point of retiring," so they don't plan for it, says Patricia Greene, the Paul T. Babson Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies at Babson College. "It's hard for many of them to think what life would be like without (running) the business."

The rest is here:
Many Small Business Owners Aren’t Prepared for Retirement

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu3osMv2cNg

24-02-2012 12:44 Spotlight skier Jeremy Hecker discusses the CCSA meet, skiing on a young team, his personal success and looks ahead to the national championships in early March.

Link:
CSS Know Your Sports: Men's Nordic Skiing Feb. 24 - Video

His jokes are powered by a manic energy coupled with quick, acerbic wit.

To the casual observer, Todd Glass appears as if he could perform stand-up for days and never run out of topics.

Kmart. The dynamics of relationships. Being compared to famous actors.

I had a girl once tell me I look like John Goodman, Glass says as he sets up one of his more well-known bits.

I know it upset me because it happened 10 years ago and I havent shut up about it ... She goes, Oh no, a young, thin John Goodman. Young and thin. That doesnt make me feel any better.

Throughout his act, Glass, who begins a four-night stand at the D.C. Improv on Thursday, oscillates between different facial expressions and hand gestures, bringing each of his bits to life. He also has a penchant for launching angry rants, not afraid to call out societys faux pas, from racial insensitivity to bad personal hygiene.

Even infomercials cant escape his comedic wrath.

It seems like the later youre up, the more every advertiser thinks you have a problem, Glass says in another bit. Sometimes Im just up late. They come on with ads at four in the morning, Do you have genital herpes? ... No, Im just not tired.

Over the last decade, Glass, 47, has become a familiar name in the stand-up world, aided by two appearances on NBCs Last Comic Standing.

A native of Paoli, Pa., he began performing stand-up in Philadelphia while he was still in high school. After seven years on the Philly scene, he moved to Los Angeles in 1990 with just a car, his clothes and a thousand bucks. For his first two years out there, Glass stayed with the parents of a friend.

Original post:
Comic Todd Glass on stand-up, success and being true to himself

Attacks arent personal

Perhaps the core of the story recounted in "Personal attack makes developer reconsider" has been lost?

The issue surrounding Mr. Frank Haimbachs pending application is not whether he is wealthy or a member of the Board of Adjustment; it is whether anyone can guarantee that the plan is safe? The other question that lingers is whether this is another "Watchung/Marlboro Inn" development, albeit on a smaller scale?

As a member of the board, could he honestly be shocked by the frustration of his "neighbors" who knew nothing about his plans? This is far from a story about mean neighbors not wanting folks to retire comfortably. That is indeed a laughable angle.

Our friendly (really) neighborhood is unique. While worthy of a fight on the sustainable development issue alone, serious safety concerns attach specifically and uniquely to the parcel of land at issue, which has no direct public access. These concerns are heightened by the sheer size of the 4,500-square-foot home to be built on a wooded lot that slopes down to a creek and is home to owls, hawks and other wildlife.

Can anyone explain the effectively three business days notice of the hearing right before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend? Or why families that live literally 6 feet from the proposed house apparently knew nothing of it?

If the board deems that the variances are warranted and substantially outweigh any public and environmental detriment, and that is clearly its right, then let this serve as a public record that we will hold it responsible should a fire break out, our homes or families be harmed, and the green space that Montclair has committed to preserving via "Certified Sustainable Jersey" is lost due to overdevelopment.

Thank you for airing both sides publicly.

Anne Caldas

Montclair

Originally posted here:
Letter to the Editor: Attacks on developer aren't personal, they're about safety

March 2, 2012 - NBA Development League (D-League) NEW YORK, March 2, 2012 - The Dallas Mavericks today assigned forward Lamar Odom to the Texas Legends, the Mavericks' NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment marks the 41st time an NBA player has been assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-12 season and is the first assignment for Odom in his 13 year career.

Odom (6-10, 230, Rhode Island) has appeared in 32 games, four starts, for the Mavericks this season, averaging 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.4 minutes. He has missed the team's last three games due to personal reasons.

The 2011 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Odom was traded to the Mavericks from the Lakers prior to the start of the 2011-12 NBA season. He has appeared in 861 NBA games, averaging 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds for his career. A two-time NBA Champion with the Lakers (2009, 2010), Odom played with the USA National Team in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Originally selected with the fourth overall selection of the 1999 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, Odom was selected to the NBA's All-Rookie First Team in 2000 and played in the NBA Rookie Challenge that same year.

Mavericks fans can stay in step with Odom, who is expected to join the Legends today and be available when the team hosts the Austin Toros tomorrow at the Dr. Pepper Arena by logging onto nba.com/futurecast to watch all of Frisco's games live, online, for free.

Discuss this story on the NBA Development League message board... Digg this story Add to Del.icio.us

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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Dallas Mavericks Assign Lamar Odom to NBA D-League Affiliate Texas Legends

CHANDLER, AZ--(Marketwire -03/02/12)- The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the global leader in personal trainer certification, corrective exercise and sports performance training, has hired Andrew Wyant to lead NASM.

Wyant is tasked with leading the continuing development and implementation of NASM's solutions for the health and fitness industry, building well-respected content and outstanding relationships with individual trainers, athletes, schools and fitness/health club organizations globally.

"Andrew's vision, leadership and experience will help drive future growth at NASM," said Doug Krebs, president of allied health and international markets for Ascend Learning, NASM's parent company. "His background in the sports and fitness industries, his strong management skills and deep marketing expertise will help shape NASM as we continue to generate value in the fitness and wellness markets."

Before joining NASM, Wyant was vice president of marketing at LifeLock, the industry leader in identity theft protection. Wyant led the advertising and marketing efforts which helped bring the company from $3 million in annual revenues to $160 million in just three years, becoming number eight on the Inc 500 list of fastest growing private companies

Prior to LifeLock, Wyant was president, CEO and owner of Direct Spotlight Media, a direct-response marketing services firm that delivered programs to acquire customers and maximize customer lifetime value. The Ohio native also spent seven years as president, CEO and director of the Natural Golf Corporation.

"I am thrilled to join the leader in fitness instruction education and certification and believe the strong knowledge base of NASM will be a great platform for helping many more people achieve their fitness goals," said Wyant.

Wyant graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also served as a consultant with the Wharton Small Business Development Center.

To learn more about NASM, visit http://www.nasm.org or call 1.800.460.6276.

About NASM

Since 1987, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has been a global leader in providing evidence-based certifications and advanced credentials to Health and Fitness Professionals. In addition to its NCCA-accredited fitness Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certification, NASM offers a progressive career track with access to Advanced Specializations, Continuing Education courses, and accredited Bachelor and Master Degree programs. The NASM educational continuum is designed to help today's Health and Fitness Professional enhance their career, while empowering their clients to live healthier lives. To learn more, visit: http://www.nasm.org or call 1.800.460.NASM (6276).

Continue reading here:
Andrew Wyant Named President and General Manager at NASM

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoA2V6WTMps

24-02-2012 12:13 Training video- How to create an assignment

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5. How to create an assignment - Video