You have a significant retirement portfolio. You're an experienced investor. You've done pretty well at picking stocks. You probably even own a few of Zacks Top Retirement stock picks like:

Independent Bank (IBCP), AT&T (T) and Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASR).

If that sounds like you, should you actively trade your own retirement assets?

Perhaps ...if you're the "one in a million" investor who can expertly manage risk and maintain unflinching emotional control in volatile markets. But for most, there may be better strategies to achieve long-term retirement investing goals.

Active stock trading requires a very different investing approach and risk - reward mindset than investing for retirement.

Managing Retirement Investments: Stock Picking vs. Diversification

While stock picking can potentially result in outsized returns, its outsized concentrated risk can pose significant hazards for retirement investors.

A study done by Hendrik Bessembinder of equity markets over nine decades found that just 4% of the best-performing U.S.stocks generated all the market's gains. The rest were flat - the gains of the next 38% were wiped out by the bottom 58%, which lost money.

For even the most expert stock pickers, the chances for long-term achievement are thin.

Is Successful Investing a Mind Game?

Investors feel they can make sensible choices, however research demonstrates that the opposite is what often happens. A DALBAR study analyzed investors from 1986 to 2015 and found that the average investor significantly underperformed compared to the S&P 500. Over 30 years, the S&P 500 produced a return of 10.35%, while the average investor return was only 3.66%.

It is worth noting that this period included the 1987 crash and enormous bear markets in 2000 and 2008, and the positively trending market of the 1990s as well.

This study indicates that one key explanation behind investor underperformance is attempting to time volatile markets - and that irrational emotional biases are likely to compound investor botches.

Interestingly, even savvy traders tend to underperform because they can't help but allow emotions to drive investment decisions. They may be overconfident and misjudge risk, latch onto a price target, or perceive a pattern that isn't there. This "behavior gap", over the long-term, can be catastrophic with potential underperformance of hundreds of thousands of dollars sabotaging your retirement.

The Bottom Line for Retirement Investors

When it comes to managing your assets for retirement, you must look at performance over the course of years and decades - not weeks or months. Because most traders generally tend to focus on the short term, they may not have the right mindset to achieve successful long-term outcomes.

Does that mean you should quit trading? Not really. One plan is to take 10% of your investable resources and trade to create alpha and look for outsized returns.

However, the major part of your wealth - those assets reserved for retirement - ought to be invested utilizing a more careful, conservative, risk management strategy to produce steady, compounded returns so you can securely achieve your retirement objectives.

Did you know that one in six people retire a multi-millionaire?

Read our just-released report: 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multi-Millionaire.

This report can help you maintain and increase assets heading into retirement while avoiding costly mistakes. Click here for a free report>>Independent Bank Corporation (IBCP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportGrupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A. de C.V. (ASR) : Free Stock Analysis ReportAT&T Inc. (T) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research

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Signs That Your Trading Will Ruin Your Retirement - October 21, 2019 - Yahoo Finance

Q. Im retired. I have a pension of just under $30,000 and additional retirement income from my 401(k) and gains on investment accounts. The total is less than $100,000. Can I claim the pension exclusion?

Happy senior

A. Weve got good news for you, but the exact amount of income you can exclude will depend on the total income and the year.

Pensions and retirement account distributions can be excluded from income in New Jersey.

Up to $60,000 could be excluded for 2018, $80,000 for 2019, and it rises to full $100,000 by 2020, said Martin Hauptman, an attorney with Mandelbaum Salsburg in Roseland.

He said many retirees will pay zero income tax under this new tax law.

Importantly, the exclusion is only available to those with New Jersey taxable income of $100,000 or less, Hauptman said,

If you go even $1 over the $100,000 income limitation, you will owe New Jersey income tax on all of your income - except Social Security- not just the income over $100,000, he said.

Hauptman notes that New Jersey taxable income does not include Social Security income, but it does include all other sources of income such as wages, pensions, retirement plans, interest, dividends and more.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.

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Im retired. Do I have to pay tax on my retirement income? - NJ.com

Social Securitycurrently pays benefits to more than 60 million Americans, and the majority of them receive money from the old-age side of the program. The most common age for people to claim their retirement benefits is 62, and many of them still keep their jobs and decide to supplement their income by claiming their Social Security.

You don't have to stop working to receive your retirement benefits from Social Security. However, there are some provisions that will affect some workers who take early retirement benefits while still earning a paycheck. Specifically, if your earnings from work are above the limits that Social Security sets each year, then you might have to forfeit some of your benefits back to the Social Security Administration. Fortunately, those earnings limits typically go up every year, and workers in 2020 will be able to make a little bit more money before they'd have to give anything back.

There are a couple of aspects to the Social Security earnings test that recipients should understand -- ideally before they claim early retirement benefits. First, the provision only applies to those who are younger than full retirement age. If you've already reached that key age, then you can earn as much as you want and still get your full Social Security benefits.

Image source: Getty Images.

Also, there are two sets of earnings test numbers that apply to people of different ages. If you'll remain younger than your full retirement age throughout 2020, then you'll be able to earn up to $18,240 over the course of the year without having to give up any of your benefits. That figure is up $600 from 2019's numbers. Above the $18,240 mark, you'll have to give up $1 in annual benefits for every $2 you earn over the threshold. So if your earnings come to $20,000 for the year, then that's $1,760 over the limit, so you'd have to forfeit half that, or $880.

Those who will reach full retirement age at some point during 2020 face a different set of numbers. You can earn up to $48,600 in 2020 without triggering forfeiture provisions, and the reduction is $1 in benefits for every $3 above the threshold. The $48,600 figure is $1,680 higher than the corresponding number for 2019. One other thing to keep in mind is that only the portion of earnings you have before reaching full retirement age counts toward the limit. So if you hit full retirement age in June 2020, then you can earn as much as you want during the second half of the year without any adverse effects on your benefits.

Giving back money to the federal government always sounds like a bad move. However, with the earnings test, there is a silver lining if your benefits get taken away.

Here's how it works: For every month's worth of benefits you have to pay back to the Social Security Administration, you'll be treated as if you had claimed your retirement benefits a month later than you actually did. When you reach full retirement age, your benefit amount will get adjusted upward to account for the extra time the SSA credits you with after forfeiting benefits. Over time, those higher payments can eventually catch up with the amount of money you lost.

The best strategy to follow with Social Security when you're still working depends on how much money you make. If your earnings are squarely below the limits, then you can make an informed decision based on your financial needs and other factors. However, if you make more than the limit, you might want to think twice about taking early benefits at all. The more of your Social Security you end up having to give back, the less it makes sense to make your Social Security claim early in the first place.

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Earn More in 2020 and Keep Your Social Security Benefits - The Motley Fool

After 39 years of anchoring KPRC (Channel 2)s evening news, Bill Balleza is ready to do absolutely nothing when he retires in January.

No deadlines. No suits. Nothing.

He might sport a beard and let his hair grow, but aside from that, he has no plans.

Im going to spend the next part of my life not having to report to work, said the 72-year-old San Antonio native, who announced his retirement Wednesday.

I dont have any more chapters. Ive worked in this business the better part of 50 years, my whole lifes work. Ive loved it. I dont plan to do anything else, Balleza said as he settled in at the news desk in the KPRC studio.

Balleza is one of Houstons longest-running and most respected TV anchors. Hes covered nearly every major news event, including the death of Pope John Paul II from the Vatican in 2005 and the Conclave to elect Pope Francis in 2013. He also covered the Murrah Federal Building explosion in Oklahoma City and the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in New York one month after the 9/11 attacks. He earned an Emmy Award for his reporting on the deadly explosion of a fertilizer company in West in 2013.

Theres such an endorphin rush when you are on assignments like that, he said. You get these great people stories on deadline. There is nothing like that feeling in the world. Thats the biggest high. Thats what its all about for me. Im going to miss that.

Home: Southwest Houston

Style: Classic

In your closet: I own 10 suits, 20 shirts, 30 ties, and I buy Allen Edmonds shoes. Thats it.

Best book: Anything by Elmore Leonard. Ive never been much of an academic reader, but I love those kinds of funny crime stories.

Favorite movie: I love the Rambo war, high-action, high-adventure, extremely violent movies. Thats the kind of thing that drew me to the Marine Corps.

Must-have food: Mexican or Cajun

Favorite local restaurant: Pappas Bros. Steakhouse

Favorite travel destination: Europe. I love Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany

What brings you joy? Family. My kids, my grandkids, my wife. Yeah. Thats everything to me.

With his clean-cut, classic style, you would never know Balleza was a bad boy destined for a troubled life before he stepped in front of a TV camera.

The oldest of six children, Balleza got expelled from the ninth grade twice for fighting and being involved in gangs. He was kicked out of high school a final time in the spring of his senior year after he got into a brawl with the football coach. At that time, Ballezas father banished him from the familys house, so he was forced to live at the downtown YMCA in San Antonio.

My dad wasnt expecting great things from me. In fact, I wasnt expecting great things from myself either, Balleza said.

With no other options, Balleza enlisted in the U.S. Marines, where boot camp changed his life.

It was overnight. In fact, I really owe my life to the Marine Corps because I was heading in the wrong direction, he said. You think youre such a tough guy, then they show you just how tough you thought you were. They straightened me out.

Balleza thrived in the military and was such a good marksman he was sent to sniper school in Virginia. He went on to serve in the Vietnam War.

Im one of those guys who came back from Vietnam with no PTSD, nothing to get over or reconcile. Its so weird to say, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed being in the Marines and being in Vietnam. I would do it all over again, he said.

He thought hed make a career out of the military, but his first wife, Irene, had other plans and secretively submitted a letter on his behalf to San Antonio College. He was admitted under the G.I. Bill on the condition he take the GED and the ACT tests after his military tour.

Though he had been an academic disaster his entire life, Balleza made the deans list every semester in college and eventually earned an associates degree in broadcasting because it required as little math as possible, he said. A school counselor told him hed never find work in TV because no people of color were hired in the media at the time, but he got a job as a TV cameraman at a San Antonio station while in college.

I fell in love with broadcasting. It was just something about it that really caught my interest and captivated me, he said.

Community activists nationwide began challenging the TV industrys lack of representation of Mexican Americans, and soon Balleza had offers to join newsrooms across the country. Although he had a scholarship to attend Trinity University in San Antonio for a bachelors degree, he took a job as a TV reporter in San Francisco. After two years, Balleza returned to Texas as a reporter and anchor at KHOU (Channel 11).

Not having a bachelors degree was unsettling, so he tried taking classes at the University of Houston while working at KHOU. A professor discouraged him, saying that having a professional anchor in the classroom was a disruption for the students. Besides, he told Balleza, getting a degree at that point would be useless.

I spent a lot of my initial years here in Houston talking to junior high and high school students about doing well and staying in school. I told them I dont have the degree, and by a miracle, it worked out for me. But it doesnt for most people. Its like the NBA. Its a miracle.

In 1980, Balleza joined KPRC as an anchor, replacing the retiring Ron Stone. Hes been co-anchoring the evening news with Dominique Sachse for nearly 20 years.

Im trying not to think about Bill leaving because I dont want to cry, Sachse said at the station. Its the end of an era. We count our blessings that we got in this business when we did. It was this beautiful, glorious, exciting and prosperous environment. I know Bill feels the same way. Our timing was perfect.

Balleza wanted to leave on his own terms and before he was told he was too old, he said, though his body has been sending him signals for a while.

After almost 30 years of doing the 10 oclock news and walking down that sidewalk toward the building, my knees hurt. My back hurts. I just had my third back surgery in August. I didnt want to get really old on air, he said.

But hes candid about how he cheated a bit with a face-lift six years ago.

I was upfront about it on social media. I had a jowly face, a double chin, and I wanted it corrected. I was scared to death the day of the surgery, but I was in the sink washing my face, and I looked up in the mirror to remind myself why I was having this done. I had these jowls hanging down under my neck and on my cheeks. Then in one day that all went away.

Since announcing his retirement, Balleza has heard from many viewers and followers on social media, telling him how much theyve trusted his work over the years.

That means everything, he said.

Retirement also means hell have more time for his passion making wooden boxes.

I like cigar boxes, jewelry boxes, keepsake boxes because they are small and I can give them away right away. So Ill be making a lot more boxes when I retire.

His grandfather was a home builder who taught Balleza a love for woodworking. Over the years, hes made cabinets, entertainment centers, desks and more for family and friends and even for the Habitat for Humanity houses that his station supports. Balleza mills his own lumber and works with a variety of woods, including walnut, cherry, maple and mesquite.

He wants to have his own woodworking studio one day. Now that he and wife, Missy, are empty-nesters with three adult children and two granddaughters, theres time.

As he prepares to sign off of TV news, Balleza hopes hes remembered for his work.

I want people to know I loved this city, cared about this city, cared about the people in it. And that I cared enough to try to make things better. Nothing more.

joy.sewing@chron.com

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Retiring KPRC 2 anchor Bill Balleza looks back on his nearly 50-year career - Houston Chronicle

Four years ago Stella Abrera danced the lead in Giselle for the first time at American Ballet Theater. For her farewell performance with the company, on June 13, she will take on the role again at the Metropolitan Opera House. Her retirement, after 24 years with the company, was announced on Monday.

It feels like a good time, like the right thing, Ms. Abrera said in an interview about her decision to retire.

Giselle is particularly meaningful to her. When she danced the lead in 2015, she was stepping in for an injured Polina Semionova. It happened to be the companys alumni night. About 200 ex-A.B.T. dancers were in the audience, so they all very much knew what was up, she said. I had to put all the fears aside and get on that stage and do what I had been dreaming of doing my whole life.

In his review for The Times, Alastair Macaulay commended Ms. Abreras performance. Some of her dancing was luminous, and all of it was stylish and heartfelt, he wrote. Her work in Act II received special praise: She made it clear that dance was a spiritual act.

Ms. Abrera, 41, joined Ballet Theater in 1996. Five years later she was promoted from the corps de ballet to the rank of soloist. A serious injury in 2008 made further advancement difficult, but she fought her way back to health and was made a principal dancer in 2015. Ms. Abrera, who was promoted on the same day as Misty Copeland, became the companys first Filipino-American principal.

In recent years, Ms. Abrera has had lead roles in Kenneth MacMillans Romeo and Juliet, Frederick Ashtons Monotones I and Twyla Tharps Bach Partita, among other productions.

Ms. Abrera said that after retirement what she would miss most is the connection with her fellow dancers. Theres nothing like creating a bond with people who you work with in live performance, she said. Its a sense of community unlike any other.

Ms. Abrera said she would remain involved with dance: I plan on continuing to contribute to the dance world from a different angle than with point shoes. She added that shes also excited to explore other dance projects as a performer.

She is to perform once more during American Ballet Theaters fall season. Shell appear on Tuesday as The Spirit of the Corn in Alexei Ratmanskys The Seasons.

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Stella Abrera of American Ballet Theater to Retire in Spring - The New York Times

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I put together the weekly USA TODAYs Best-Selling Books list. Whenever I am asked what I do for a living, I invariably get the exact same follow-up question: What should I read?

But I have a secret weapon in my back pocket: The list.

Every weekI see what books make the list. Some titles flash on the list briefly while others slowly simmer, building an audience over time. It's the books that slowly simmer that resonate most with readers emotionally, intellectually or culturally. These are some of the books I recommend.

The latest book I would recommend is a self-help title that tells it like it is.

The book has sold more than 8 million copies and been translated into 43 languages.After debuting briefly at No. 29 on our list in 2016, it fell off for three months then climbed back, returning to the top 50 in March of 2017and remainingever since.

Originally pitched as a book for millennials, its influence has extended well beyond. One of the really surprising things is how universally embraced it has become, Manson told USA TODAY,and that was very unexpected and pleasantly surprising. I think it taps into something universal.

Author Mark Manson(Photo: Maria Midoes)

Mansons approach in "Subtle Art" is direct and honest.The advice heoffers is simple and critical, without being condescending."When you read a self-help book, it is like you are reading the author's greatest-hits album. Nobody can relate to that, explains Manson. Instead of filling the book with the highest moments in my life, I wanted to fill the book with the lowest moments.

So he wrote abouthis girlfriend leaving him, a close friend dying and his parents divorcing. I wanted to make a point to leave them unresolved, saidManson. In lifeyou dont resolve that stuff. You suffer. And then, as time goes on, you suffer a little less and you learn a couple of things from it, and thats it. There is no secret. The whole point of the book is that you have to figure it out for yourself.

'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson(Photo: Harper)

Manson noticed that in most of the countries where the book has resonatedthere had also been some political crisis or controversy. I think there area lot of people that are identifying with that more negative viewpoint. But he also concedes the book's popularitycould be tied to the technological state of ourworld.

Thanks to the internet, we live in a world where we have access to almost everything and everyone at any time. As a result, we ask ourselves "what is worth paying attention to and what is worth caring about? Those are fundamentally philosophical questions," says Manson. "We are all online all day every day and exposed to so much stuff that we need to devote filters to know what to care about. And that fundamentally is what 'Subtle Art'is about. Itshow do you create that filter for yourself?

Manson's pragmatic and philosophical approach has been influenced by others. Not a huge self-help book fan himself, when asked what one he would recommend, Manson recommended his favorite,"The Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck.Originally published in 1978,"It is all about how choosing the less comfortable path is what is healthiest for us."

Manson's most recent book, "Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope" was released in May of this year.

"Get Over It!" by Iyanla Vanzant. The author has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and as host of Oprah Winfrey Network's "Iyanla: Fix My Life." In this book, according to the publisher, Vanzant reminds us that "anything and everything we experience is a function of what and how we think."

"Ego Is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday(Photo: Portfolio)

"Ego Is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday. The writer and blogger writes that while most of us think the main impediment to a successful life comes from the outside world, it is actually, more often, ourselves that get in the way.

"The Four Agreements" byDon Miguel Ruiz. The basic four agreements the author tackles and expands upon in his book are be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions and always do your best.

"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. Chroniclinghis life in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, the neurologist and psychiatrist focuses on how one's mindset affects one's future and finding meaning in almost any circumstance.

"Daring Greatly" by Bren Brown.Manson has often recommended this book to others. Subtitled "How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, , Love, Parent, and Lead"Brown writes that vulnerability is not a weakness, butperhaps our greatest strength.

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'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck' and 5 other self-help books to help us get over ourselves - USA TODAY

For as long as I can remember, Ive been that person obsessed with all things self-help and productivity. Ive read self-help books with a notebook in hand, dutifully working my way through the exercisesbecause there are always exercises involveduntil I got bored and another book caught my eye.

When it became my job to sift through, write, and edit productivity content, I began to view any new productivity book with a dose of skepticism, alongside cautious optimism. Part of my skepticism arose out of its repetitive nature. Anytime a book claimed to provide a novel solution to inbox zero or procrastination, I generally found the same advice over and over again.

But I also realized another less-obvious theme that irked me. The narrative that many productivity books touted often left me feeling stressed, unsure of myself, and inadequate for not being as productive as they claimed I can be. No doubt the glorification of work and obsession that Americans have with quantifiable achievementsplayed a huge part. But I also questioned whether part of it was because many productivity books were intended for (and written by) young affluent white men.

It turns out Im not alone in feeling this way.Jason Shen, cofounder of esports and gaming analytics company Midgame (and a Fast Company contributor), also observes that much productivity advice rests on the assumption that an individual has the flexibility, privilege, and freedom to structure their life and how they work. He gave the example of writing shorter responses to cut down ones email time. It may be acceptable for men to do this, says Shen, but a woman who chooses to be curt in her communications may face backlash.

In a recent article for the New York Times, Smarter Living editor Alan Henry unpacked how the success of productivity hacks is highly dependent on a persons privilege. For example, a woman or person of color who chooses to set boundaries around emailing after hours might not be seen as organized or productive, but are instead viewed as unmotivated, lazy or disengaged.

Cassandra Lam is the CEO and cofounder ofThe Cosmos, an online community that organizes events, retreats, and book clubs for Asian women. She sees mainstream productivity advice as generally targeting white, college-educated millennials with access to a Chase sapphire credit cardnot so much the person who is living at the poverty line, or the person who didnt go to college. Melanie Santos, a wellness entrepreneur, writer, and speaker, agrees. Right now, I feel like most [productivity] articlescater to mostly millennials, white males, someone working in an up-and-coming company.The things that affect my environment are totally ignored.

These narrow assumptions mean that mainstream advice doesnt often apply to a significant segment of the population. Sometimes, they can perpetuate stereotypes (like the example Henry provides) or do the opposite of improving productivity. For instance, telling a sleep-deprived single parent to get up earlier to meditate and exercise may be frustrating at best. And if they were to follow such advice, they might find themselves more tired and less productive than before.

At its core, Lam believes that most mainstream productivity advice centers on one problematic tenet, and thats the idea that wellness and productivity is a personal problem that one can optimize or solve with a tool or app.It doesnt challenge or question enough the structures and systems that are in place.These articles are a Band-Aid, when we have cultural forces that have normalized and glamorized the way were living right now.

Lam discovered the futility of mainstream advice when she was an overworked management consultant, living out of a suitcase and working long hours. I really began questioning, why am I working so hard to survive, and why am I working so hard just to be at my job? When youre in an environment where everyone seems to be doing just fine, you begin questioning whether its you that is the problem. At The Cosmos, Lam and her cofounder Karen Mok lead conversations around what it means to thrive as Asian American women. Because productivity advice is often framed in the context of personal responsibility, Lam says, it often ignores the cultural pressures and conditioning that certain groups have to contend with when it comes to taking control of their lives or advocating for themselves.

Speaking of her experience as an Asian American woman, Lam believes that the struggle within her community has never been about finding the time to get everything done. We have the opposite problem where people are burning themselves into the ground, she says. According to Mok, what Asian Americans really need are resources and spaces to have conversations about what they need to do to stop burning out in the workplace.

Lestraundra Alfred, a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and host of the podcast Balanced Black Girl, believes that in the context of entrepreneurship, theres a narrow definition of what it means to be successful and productive.Most advice, Alfred says, tends to center on achieving financial growth.I dont think theres enough conversations around work-life wellness integration and teaching the everyday person, [who] maybe doesnt want a six-figure business, says Alfred.Everyones definition of success looks a little bit different, buttheres a narrative that if you arent striving to be your own boss or living a four-hour workweek, then theres something wrong with you.

While Santos says that she is starting to see more and more productivity adviceaimed at women of color, she is somewhat troubled by just how much of that advice centers on dealing with emotions at work. Theres an assumption that women of color are emotional, she says, and thats the barrier that they face when it comes to improving productivity. I dont know if thats positive. Why is there an assumption that were not productive?

At the end of the day, productivity advice is often written by (and for) people who are obsessed with getting more out of their day. As a result, this advice often speaks with that audience in mind. Shen doesnt necessarily see this as a problem, but he does challenge people to think about why they feel the constant need to achieve. Is it because youre genuinely excited to do more, or is it because you feel an expectation to be maximally productive? For immigrants, Shen said, the feeling that you have to be successful is very intense. Your parents took tremendous risk to allow you to be in a better place. Theres a certain amount of guilt that if youre not maximizing what they provided for you, youre letting their effort go to waste.

Mok acknowledges the pressure that drives a lot of the people she works with, but cautions that for Asian Americans there is a danger in continuing to perpetuate the model minority myth. Thats why its important to have nuanced conversations around wellness and productivity that balances those pressures and realities, she argues, while acknowledging that the prescribed model of success isnt always conducive to ones mental health and ability to thrive.

For Alfred, the key to having these conversations is to expand the voices that dominate the productivity space. Not only from people of different genders, ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic groups, but also people across a range of industries who have different thought processes. For example, Alfred says that she often struggles with the organized, analytical approach that experts tout as the gold standard of productivity, and it can be helpful to hear from people who may not be naturally productive but have found a system that works for them.

Having those kinds of representations, Alfred says, can go a long way in dispelling the myth that hard work is all it takes to be productive. Not everyone has the same 24 hours, she points outs. Things like having to take care of a family, having to have multiple jobs to make ends meets to be in the same place financiallythose things factor in how much time you have.

Read more here:
Bias in mainstream productivity and self-help advice - Fast Company

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Monday, Oct. 21, and heres a quick look at the week ahead:

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Major League Soccer will be in Sacramento on Monday for a major announcement alongside Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Darrell Steinberg. Sources have previously told the Sacramento Bee that the city is expected to be awarded the leagues 29th franchise.

The 2019-2020 NBA season begins on Tuesday with the Los Angeles Lakers facing off against the L.A. Clippers in Los Angeles. (The World Series will also begin on Tuesday, but the Dodgers are out, so who cares?)

On Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before the House Financial Services Committee about Facebooks Libra cryptocurrency.

On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors will have their first regular season game at the new Chase Center in San Francisco. They will be playing against the L.A. Clippers.

Also Thursday: The Los Angeles Philharmonic will have its centennial concert, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the philharmonics first performance.

On Saturday night, Grand Park and Self Help Graphics will present a traditional Noche de Ofrenda (night of altars) ceremony at downtown L.A.'s Grand Park. The Da de los Muertos event will feature a large-scale community altar and more than 30 smaller altars produced by artists and community organizations. The altars and art installations, which are curated by Self Help Graphics, will remain on view through Nov. 3.

And now, heres whats happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Southern California was back on fire watch over the weekend amid winds and warm temperatures, with Southern California Edison warning of possible preventive power outages. Los Angeles Times

After Newsom bans pot use in limos and for hospital patients, cannabis advocates are angry. Newsom led the campaign to legalize marijuana in California three years ago but has since angered some in the industry. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

The nightlife outlaws of East Los Angeles: Club Scum, a monthly party that embraces punk and drag, is a distillation of the fringe-friendly gay underground on the Eastside. New York Times

Learning Spanish at a Boyle Heights hair salon reminds columnist Steve Lopez of what he loves about L.A. Los Angeles Times

Want to own a piece of Blue Line history? Some classic Metro signage from the soon-to-be-renamed light rail line to Long Beach will be up for auction this week. LAist

A sampling of Metro signs from the Blue Line retired by the agency.

(Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

They came to L.A. to chase a Hollywood dream. Two weeks later, they were homeless. Columnist Nita Lelyveld talks to the young couple from Detroit whose journey began with great hope. Los Angeles Times

The center of the NBA universe has shifted to Los Angeles, as the Golden State Warriors reign is challenged by the Lakers and Clippers. New York Times

Speaking of the Lakers and Clippers: Who will win the battle for Los Angeles? Los Angeles Times

A man sprayed demonstrators with bear repellent during a scuffle between supporters and protesters of President Trump on the Santa Monica Pier. Los Angeles Times

Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Gov. Newsom promised unprecedented action to solve Californias housing affordability problem. But nearly all of his highest-profile initiatives have stalled or failed. Los Angeles Times

Modesto is investigating its city manager, city attorney and a councilman after the city clerk made allegations against them. No one will say what the allegations are. Modesto Bee

San Francisco voters will weigh a $600-million affordable housing bond, the biggest in city history. San Francisco Chronicle

San Gabriel Valley cities will soon be able to band together to seek local, state and federal funding to build housing and fund services to reduce homelessness across the region. Pasadena Star-News

CRIME AND COURTS

The city of Sacramento will probably be sued over an April incident in which police officers placed a spit mask over a 12-year-old African American boys head while they detained him. A video of the incident went viral internationally. Sacramento Bee

California is bracing for a deluge of child-sex-assault lawsuits under a new state law that allows victims more time to report allegations of abuse and to take legal action. Los Angeles Times

Orange County residential care homes will pay $1.1 million in back wages and penalties to 66 workers in a federal lawsuit settlement, as experts cite widespread abuses in the industry. Los Angeles Times

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. warned that power shut-offs could continue for a decade. California officials dont like it. Los Angeles Times

Marin County health officials are scrambling to identify medically fragile residents before the next PG&E emergency power shutdown. Marin Independent Journal

A sprawling homeless camp has overrun a public trail in west Santa Rosa and become the latest flashpoint over government response to homelessness in the area. Santa Rosa Press Democrat

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

For those in search of seasons: Fall colors are almost at peak in Big Bear Lake, two hours north of downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times

Does a Forever Marilyn statue with an upturned skirt belong in the #MeToo era? Some women say no. Desert Sun

Du Tu Le, the beloved Vietnamese poet who came to U.S. as a refugee, died at his home in Garden Grove, leaving behind 77 volumes of poetry one for each year of his life. Los Angeles Times

Can Bakersfield take tourism lessons from Clarksdale, Miss.? A columnist wonders whether the town thats become an essential Mississippi Delta Blues pilgrimage site can offer a blueprint for drawing visitors to the home of the Bakersfield Sound. Bakersfield California

Wine caves are apparently a thing on the Central Coast. Here are five of the best underground experiences from Santa Maria to Paso Robles. San Luis Obispo Tribune

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles: sunny, 91. San Diego: sunny, 85. San Francisco: sunny, 74. San Jose: sunny, 81. Sacramento: sunny, 87. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

This weeks birthdays for those who made a mark in California: TV personality Kim Kardashian West (Oct. 21, 1980), the late writer Ursula K. Le Guin (Oct. 21, 1929), actor Jeff Goldblum (Oct. 22, 1952), Rep. Brad Sherman (Oct. 24, 1954), rapper Drake (Oct. 24, 1986), former Rep. Mary Bono (Oct. 24, 1961) and singer Katy Perry (Oct. 25, 1984).

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes.

Read more:
Newsletter: NBA season will begin with all eyes on the West Coast - Los Angeles Times

(WJCL) - Bluffton Self Help works to serve neighbors in need providing food, clothing and education to folks in the Lowcountry.And now theyre able to reach even more people thanks to a generous gift from the community. According to feeding America, theres about 35 million Americans facing food insecurity everyday, and thats no different here in our community," says Kim Hall, Executive Director of Bluffton Self Help.Bluffton Self Help serves 5,200 people each year helping families in the Lowcountry put healthy food on their tables.Now theyre able to serve those who cant come to them through a new mobile food pantry generously donated by Palmetto Electric Cooperative and the Belfair Charitable Fund.We could not do what we do without our supporters and without our community. We are 100% funded by this community, and we depend on those who help us. And were so grateful for their generosity and for being part of the solution," says Hall.The meals on wheels will travel to neighborhoods and rural areas where theres a need making the nonprofits services even more accessible to folks all over Beaufort County.It is one of the wealthiest counties in the state, but its also the most expensive county to live in in the state, and so we know that about 40-50% of our neighbors right here live paycheck to paycheck and are probably one paycheck away from crisis, living at or below that livable wage," says Hall.This mobile pantry will also be used for food drives to stock the shelves of Bluffton Self Help.You can track where the van will be for food collections or distributions here.

(WJCL) - Bluffton Self Help works to serve neighbors in need providing food, clothing and education to folks in the Lowcountry.

And now theyre able to reach even more people thanks to a generous gift from the community.

According to feeding America, theres about 35 million Americans facing food insecurity everyday, and thats no different here in our community," says Kim Hall, Executive Director of Bluffton Self Help.

Bluffton Self Help serves 5,200 people each year helping families in the Lowcountry put healthy food on their tables.

Now theyre able to serve those who cant come to them through a new mobile food pantry generously donated by Palmetto Electric Cooperative and the Belfair Charitable Fund.

We could not do what we do without our supporters and without our community. We are 100% funded by this community, and we depend on those who help us. And were so grateful for their generosity and for being part of the solution," says Hall.

The meals on wheels will travel to neighborhoods and rural areas where theres a need making the nonprofits services even more accessible to folks all over Beaufort County.

It is one of the wealthiest counties in the state, but its also the most expensive county to live in in the state, and so we know that about 40-50% of our neighbors right here live paycheck to paycheck and are probably one paycheck away from crisis, living at or below that livable wage," says Hall.

This mobile pantry will also be used for food drives to stock the shelves of Bluffton Self Help.

You can track where the van will be for food collections or distributions here.

More:
Bluffton Self Help unveils new mobile food pantry, aiming to serve more people in the Lowcountry - WJCL News

In 2009, Tyra Banks, known for her long, sandy blond lace fronts, appeared on the first episode of the fifth season of her talk show wearing her natural hair, slicked back. I felt like I needed to solve this mystery, she told the audience. Ive worn weaves and wigs and pieces and clip-ons and clip-outs and clip-downs and arounds since I was 17, 18 years old.

All of this spurred conversations, which continue today, about the ways black people are showing up in professional settings, and what is acceptable.

Girlfriends was important in more ways than one. Rea Ann Silva, who invented the Beauty Blender, was the head makeup artist and spent hours cutting sponges to achieve a flawless foundation finish.

The show was shot in high definition, which was rare at the time. Ms. Ross would dress herself and do her own hair, waking up three hours before call time to let her hair air dry. So, end of Season 2, I started to realize that Joan and Tracee looked the same, she said. Same clothes, same hair.

The experience prompted Ms. Ross to want to start a hair care line in 2008, the year Girlfriends ended. But not everyone thought she had enough credibility, so they offered alternatives. A manager suggested a line of wigs; someone else suggested a TV show on hair. Ms. Ellis tried teaming up with a beauty brand, but she got herself out of the deal when it didnt go in the direction she expected.

Although Ms. Ross was lauded for her natural hair, she noted that Girlfriends was still at the beginning of a larger natural hair care movement. In the early years of Girlfriends, Ms. Ross attended the Essence Music Festival, a series of events and performances at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans that started in 1995. It has been called the mecca trip for black women, a trip all should take.

Read more from the original source:
The Real Queen of Wellness - The New York Times