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Valuable finds? l

Antiques appraiser Luke
to appear at Lanier Mansion

Fundraising event includes
dinner party on the lawn

By Kristi Whitehill
Contributing Writer

(September 2008) – The second annual fundraising event for the Lanier Mansion State Historic Site on Sept. 5-6 will feature a lecture and appraisals offered by Tim Luke of HDTV’s “Cash in the Attic” show. Luke’s vast experience in the antique business includes public television’s “Antiques Roadshow” and serving as the director of the Collectibles Department for Christie’s Auction House in New York City, N.Y.
Luke writes for several publications and has also written and edited more than a few books. He has appeared on “The Today Show,” “The View,” “Oprah,” “Good Morning America,” “CBS This Morning,” CNN, Lifetime Television, and the Discovery Channel. Luke resides in Florida, where he co-owns an auction and appraisal business, TreasureQuest Appraisal Group Inc.

Gerry Reilly, Tim Luke and Greg Strahm

Photo provided

From left, Lanier Mansion curator
Gerry Reilly poses with Tim Luke
and Greg Strahm, both of TreasureQuest Appraisal Group Inc. of Hobe Sound, Fla.,
pose at the 2007 Black and White Party.

Luke will be at the wine-and-cheese reception in the Old Masonic Building on Friday, Sept. 5. The reception begins at 6:30 p.m. Following the wine-and-cheese event will be a presentation, “Turning Trash into Cash.” Luke will give advice on recognizing valuable items in our own attics, which is also great advice for garage sales and estate sales.
An example of the information given is advice on commemorative pieces. Luke advises to steer clear of most commemorative pieces.
“They have no value because they can be reproduced and are not limited,” Luke said. “What makes pieces valuable are items such as a brick from the Berlin Wall because it is an original piece; it is real. All others are manufactured. Never collect for investment purchases.”
He also said that included in the presentation will be what people go through behind the scenes of his television shows.
Included in the Friday night activities is an auction, hosted by Luke, of donated items from area businesses. The highlight of the auction is the opportunity to bid on a private in-home appraisal with Luke following Sunday. Tickets are $10 for the presentation and are on sale at the Lanier-Madison Visitors Center Gift Shop or at the door.
The appraisal day lasts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Visitors Center, 601 W. First St. The appraisal fee is $10 per item or three items for $25 (excluding guns, knives, coins, stamps and fine jewelry), with a limit of four items per person. If the item is too large to haul in, a picture with the exact dimensions can be used. Waiting attendees will be able to watch videos of “Cash in the Attic.”
Luke narrated stories of unusual items that the owners did not think were worth much.
“What people think are not valuable are in fact valuable,” Luke said.
While working on an estate action, he found a painting that was not even on the inventory. The owner had the bought the painting when the artist was little known, and the owner did not think much about the painting. He was just storing it in an upstairs closet. When the artist died, the price of the painting went up to $100,000.
A set of six hard plastic Madison dolls that a woman was given by her father fetched $75,000. These dolls were called mystery portrait dolls and were the only known set of all six in one collection.
A group of pottery jugs that Luke said “looked like a craft project gone wrong”
brought more than $10,000. The only reason the owner thought it might be worth something was because it was signed “Turner.”
A steiff German Teddy Bear, which had belonged to the person’s mother, was in excellent condition from 1910-1915 and sold for $7,500.
Last year in Madison after Luke had said that family Bibles are not worth much, a rare German church Bible was appraised at $7,000.
Not only does Luke appraise the items, he also gives advice on where to sell them and offers places to get the best possible price. He can also put you in touch with a buyer.
Luke warns that some treasure may have “much sentimental value more than monetary value.” However, if your item has value, Luke will disperse the “information to take it from the attic to the bank.”
Later that Saturday, Luke will be a guest of the “Black and White Gala,” a fundraiser that will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the north lawn of the Lanier Mansion grounds. Fun, formal or crazy dress is the proper attire for the gala.
“We want people to have fun so they are encouraged to wear any combination of black and white clothing,” said Gerry Reilly event organizer. “Some people tell me they will wear tuxes; others say they will wear T-shirts and jeans; and still others say they will create their own imaginative outfit.”
A prize will be given for the most creative black and white outfit.
The admission of $30 per person includes substantial hors d’oeuvres and two complimentary drink tickets. A cash bar for beer and wine will also be available.
Entertainment will be provided by the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Quartet from New Albany, Ind. They will play popular jazz favorites from the 20th century. Aebersold is an internationally known saxophonist and authority on jazz education and improvisation. Aebersold also plays the piano, bass and banjo.

• Proceeds from the event benefit the Lanier Mansion Foundation. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Visitors Center or by calling (812) 273-0556.

Back to September 2008 Articles.

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text:
90th Birthday Service of Thanksgiving: Kent Family Part 2

Royal Hats

I’m going to conclude our look at the wonderful hats worn today for the Queen’s 90th birthday service of thanksgiving with those worn by remaining members of the Kent family. Don’t worry, however- some of the best hats have been saved until last!

Princess Alexandra repeated her natural straw hat with white stripe around the brim and natural straw bows edged in the same primary colours as her coat. this hat’s crown is not as tall as many of Alexandra’s other has- a change that works really well here” and the embellishment is just fun. It’s an ensemble that just feels happy

 Princess Alexandra, June 10, 2016 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats  Princess Alexandra, June 10, 2016 in Rachel Trevor Morgan | Royal Hats

Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: June 17, 2015

Alexandra’s daughter-in-law, Julia Ogilvy, repeated her cream straw picture hat with tall crown and large, carthweel brim. The scale of this hat, along with its huge looped straw bow, makes it a dramatic piece while the colour keeps it elegant. I love this mix of drama and elegance and just wish there were some better photos to admire it more.

Julia Ogilvy, June 10, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: June 11, 2011; April 30, 2011

If it’s dramatic millinery we’re looking for, we can always count on Princess Michael of Kent to bring it (and bring it she did). She repeated her white straw picture hat with ostrich feather boa wrapped around the hat and trailing down the back. One of our guest milliners for Ascot last year described this hat as “just on the right side of overdone” and I think that sums it up very well.

 Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: John Boyd
Previously Worn:June 17, 2015;  June 6, 2015; June 7, 2014

Princess Michael’s daughter-in-law, Lady Frederick Windsor, topped her tangerine coat with a percher cocktail hat in pale peach. The design, with a straw beret-style base, is decorated with silk flowers, curling feather spines and bursts of orange net tulle. The colour goes well with Sophie’s colouring and the balance of embellishment on the piece works well.

 Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This hat is new

One of my favourite hats of the day is the final one we will look at, worn today by Lady Gabriella Windsor. The large saucer-shaped picture hat in cream straw featured an oval brim that extended wide around the back of Gabriella’s head. While the shape makes quite a statement on its own, the hat is extravagantly decorated with a large mass of silk roses and curling ribbons of straw and crin. A large swath of open-weaved tulle veil completes the piece, which was shown off so very effectively by Gabriella’s cerise coat dress. It’s a show-stopper design to be sure.

Lady Gabriella Windsor, June 10, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats  Lady Gabriella Windsor, June 10, 2016 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Philip Treacy OC 157 from SS 2016
Previously Worn: This hat is new

This completes our look at the twenty-seven royal hats worn for the Queen’s service of Thanksgiving today. What designs here stood out to you? Do you like Lady Gabriella’s hat as much as I do?

I’ll be back tomorrow with coverage of Trooping the Colour where we get to do this all over again!

Photos from WPA Pool/Getty via Zimbio;  BBC TV1; WPA Pool and Mark Cuthbert via Getty; Getty as indicated

23 thoughts on “90th Birthday Service of Thanksgiving: Kent Family Part 2

  1. My favorite hat of this group is Princess Alexandra’s. I love Lady Gabriella’s hat, but would like it even better without the netting. Thank you for your coverage, HatQueen.

  2. I wonder if the Countess of St. Andrews and Lady Marina’s hats are from Philip Treacy. There is some interesting lattice printed crin in his collection this year (see an example of it here) that is fairly distinctive- both their hats today look to feature it (or something very similar). Thoughts?

  3. Lady Gabriella looks stunning. Her hat suits her perfectly and the coat is impeccable. I think she oozes royalty! The Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice look terrific from head to toe!

  4. Princess Alexandra’s hat is just fine, but I am ambivalent about the multi-colored bow loops.
    Julia Ogilvy’s hat is nice, but very tall!
    Princess Mike looks like her usual self, and I can’t fault her for that.
    I like Lady Freddy’s percher, it has enough going on that it doesn’t look pedestrian.
    Lady Gabriella’s hat is busy as can be, but it totally works!
    Well done, Kent family!

  5. I really liked Lady Gabriella’s hat, but I do wish she had worn her hair up instead of in a ponytail. A ponytail to me is a ‘little girl’, a ‘cheerleader’, or someone in ‘every day life’ and not for a special occasion. This is not meant to be a criticism as I thought she looked wonderful, but with her hair up…the look would have been perfect in my opinion.

  6. Alexandra- cute. It’s a great hat with that coat
    Julia- have no idea who she is but it’s a serious hat so I like her already
    Princess Mike- she always looks like she’s coming from the set of Dynasty and you gotta love that about her. She seems like the type of person who should go everywhere surrounded in a cloud of feathers. Someone’s gotta always be OTT and she seems up for it.
    Lady Fred- peach is SO 1990s. It’s OK but nothing special.
    Gabriella- LOVE LOVE LOVE! Yeah maybe tilt it a bit but with that pink coat it’s SO FABULOUS.

  7. So far the Kents win. Lady Fredericks’ hair part shows too much though with her hat.either the part or the hat worn on the opposite side may have been a touch better.

    Thanks Hat Quuen your work is appreciated.

  8. I agree with you, Hat Queen, that Lady Gabriella hat is lovely. I also like that the cream color can go with a variety of clothing colors. Case in point-the beautiful red coat she chose to wear with this beautiful hat. I am not a fan of her mother’s hat, however. Lady Frederick’s hat looks wonderful with her dress, but wish a bit more of the dress was showing so we can see how the orange coat and peach hat are related. Princess Alexandra looks lovely as usual. I really thought Julia Oglivy’s hat looked wonderful with her outfit–very elegant.

  9. Just to say thank you, Hat Queen, for your detailed and extensive coverage, it must take you ages, but is very much appreciated by your fellow hat lovers!

    • Are you perhaps thinking about this one? The two are different although very easy to confuse.

      Embed from Getty Images

  10. Wow! Fabulous hats! Gosh, I wish we had more hat wearing occasions in the US. I’ve got half a dozen that I’d love to show off, but I lead such a quiet life that they never get out of the closet!

    Thank you for all your hard work and identification. I love your blog!

  11. In the past I’ve not been a huge fan of the trim on Alexandra’s hat (it seems a bit comical to me for some reason), but I like it much better here. Perhaps it’s her huge smile that is helping! I love this coat too.

    Julia’s hat is lovely, but having seen it multiple times, it’s nothing exciting.

    Marie-Christine, I do love this hat for you, but seriously, when are you going to bring color back into your wardrobe? This black and white phase you’ve been stuck on is kinda bumming me out since I know how fabulous you really are (but that brooch is divine).

    Sophie is wearing another of my favorite looks of the day. These colors are beautiful on her and the hat is great! My only complaint is I wish her hair was styled slightly more.

    Gabriella also looked awesome, but I agree that this hat should be tipped back a bit more so we can actually see her face. This hat is also almost identical to the one Marie-Chantal wore last year at Ascot (just with netting attached).

    A great showing by these Kent ladies!

    And many thanks to @HatQueen for her awesome coverage of this event. Definitely did not expect to see this many hats from this many royal ladies, but it was definitely one of the best shows we’ve had in a long time, and it definitely rivaled many royal weddings we’ve seen. Brava!

  12. These ladies are a wonderful improvement over their cousins! I really like Lady Frederick’s whole look. The hat is lovely and I love that coat, especially the neckline. I was surprised to like it so much until I realized that all the other pictures id seen had her and lady Gabriella in the same frame. I think the bold nature of lady Gabriellas large (lovely) hat and bright red dress draws your eye and when they’re together in the picture it looks like Lady Frederick’s coral clashes. Really though I like her overall look far better.

  13. I love Gabriella’s hat, but not tilted down over her face.

    Thanks again from me, too, HatQueen. I didn’t expect this event to be as much of a hat show as a royal wedding. While I’m eager for your report on the Trooping, I hope you take some time off first.

  14. Princess Alexandra looks lovely – and so happy in these photos. Gorgeous.

    Julia Ogilvy looks dashing (and if those are pearls around her neck, perhaps even spectacular). Was Marina Ogilvy a no-show? Shame, if so, but that’s families for you.

    M-C is, well, M-C and we wouldn’t want it any other way. And while I don’t like this hat one bit, I rather love her stonking brooch!

    Lady Gabriella looks lovely (and the lower part of her face is remarkably like her aunt Alexandra, isn’t it?), although I’m on the fence about the brim extension at the back. She has more successful tries than, for example, the York girls so I’m always interested to see what she wears.

    Lady Freddie looks lovely. And nice coats from her and Gabriella too, very chic.

  15. Am loving Lady Frederick Windsor’s choice of outfit and agree entirely that the colour palette of tangerine, coral, peach hues is just lovely on her. Nice choice.
    Sorry to say though HQ that I am not sharing your love for her sister in law, Lady Gabriella’s hat choice. I just want to push the hat right back off her face….or at least tilt it or something. Too low and straight across for me, but I realise obviously that the oval shape would prevent that. Many thanks for your coverage as always.

  16. Thank you so much for your wonderful descriptions of all the hats – I just love your turn of phrase! I agree with most of your comments and always look forward to seeing Princess Michael and her daughter – they seldom disappoint! I must admit I was disappointed that The Duchess of Kent was a no-show – does anyone know why? Also, where is Princess Alexandra’s daughter, Marina, these days? I think the York girls have FINALLY got their fashion sense after so many misses………..The Duchess of Cambridge needs a helping hand, though and needs someone to show her the difference between white and cream! Congratulations, HatQueen!

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Chicken “BOO”dle Soup

Halloween Night is filled with lots of candy and yummy goodies. I TRY to have something healthy to fill my trick or treater’s tummies before I send them out into the neighborhoods. I found this soup on Pinterest and it can get the whole family into the Halloween spirit.

Chicken Bouillon – because I am usually rushing to get food on the table I make my broth with bouillon cubes. Follow instructions as to how many cubes you add based on how much soup you want to make. To thicken the broth, mix a table spoon or two of cornstarch with cold water then add to your pot of boiling broth.

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Celery (moons) – Wash and slice the celery into little moons. Cook in boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain. Add to soup.

Serve with cheese and crackers on the side. Eat and Trick or Treat!!!!

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Featured Image

3D Printed LES PAUL Guitar

A 3D Printer for Christmas gift, a lack of challenge, what can happend ?? 🙂 Shopping list, because every parts will not be printed: AMAZON ULTNICE LES PAUL Guitar Neck mahogany & rosewood, 22 frets (to test, if everything work fine, I will invest into a custom and fully scappuled warmoth neck) Head mecanics Neck… Read more »


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by hex6

DOUBLE A BATTERIES is an artist out of Canada with a variety of styles. He does Hip Hop & Rap, R&B, and Trap (even does his own mixing). His styles go from aggressive to more mellow. He’s got it all. Check him out.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My real name is Aaron. I’m a rapper and singer from the Greater Toronto Area in Canada. I grew up and spent most of my life in a city west from Toronto called Brampton. My childhood was boring, but also like a rollercoaster. It had its ups and downs.

Why did you start rapping / creating music? Who or what inspired you?

Funny enough, I grew up on EDM music. I didn’t get into rap until a friend introduced me to it in middle school with people like Drake, Eminem, Kanye, and so on. Back then, I also had a lot of hobbies (which I grew out of), and really wanted to make one of those hobbies a career instead of working a normal 9-5 job my entire life. Music was one of those careers.

I’ve always wanted to get into music from as young as 14, but I was put on the path of an engineer growing up. Eventually, I decided to take music full time because as expected, being an engineer does make you a lot of money, but the amount of loneliness you feel trying to get through school really got to me. I’d rather make less doing something I love.

Why rap? Well, I don’t plan on just rapping. I plan on exploring different genres of music as I grow in the industry.

How did you come up with your name “DOUBLE A BATTERIES”?

My first name has two As in it. The name “Double A” would be way too common and simplistic, so I added “Batteries” at the end because it’s unique and it makes sense. I have a lot of other names I could have used, but I thought this one was the best.

You have some different styles of rapping, which makes you very versatile. For example, on your newest track “THE PATH OF XENON”, the sound is more aggressive, whereas “Sunday the 999th” is more mellow. Which style do you prefer and why?

First off, thank you for that. My goal in music is to express every emotion I have, whether it be happy, sad, anger, confusion, and so on. I hate sticking to one style, and feel like music would get boring quick if I stayed the same throughout my career.

Personally, I prefer my more aggressive songs because they’re more fun to make, show a more deep down side of myself than what I show people, and I like how I can jam out to them in my car in order to hype myself up.

We’re all curious. Your song “Diamond Safes and Heartache” has a feature with Adamn Killa. What was that process like?

Actually, not that difficult. He hit me up first, which was a surprise. I’m guessing he noticed me because I was always liking his posts, but he likes to work with small artists often. He does put prices for his features up often, but I just bargained the price down to something I could afford, and that’s it.

After I sent the money, he sent me an email with the info, and I sent him an open verse to the same email with a song I’ve been shelving for awhile. My goal for the song was to make it a hit, and I feel like he did a good job with the result. I mixed the vocals and presto.

The song is on all platforms and is gaining views slowly, but it’s currently my second most popular song on Spotify, so, hopefully, I should start seeing traction soon. (BTW Shouts out to Adamn Killa I’ve been chill with him.)

When writing lyrics, do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I get this often. There are many ways I overcome it, some ways work one day and fail the next. It really depends. Usually, in order to help motivate myself, I’ll listen to beats I get sent, and play some of them on repeat instead of my usual playlists until I get an idea. After that, I’ll freestyle random words to keep the idea in my head until I’m in the mood to write again.

Half of my songs were written this way, and I feel like it’s the best way to make a hit. Another way I get over writers block is to step off of music all together, and do other stuff like play video games or find music from other people to listen to.

I’ve gotten pretty good at managing writers block because a year ago, it would take me 4 months to upload songs, but nowadays, I drop a new song every 2 weeks, a month at most.

What are your favorite genres of music? Who are you currently listening to?

My two favorite genres of music are Hip Hop and EDM. I’ve recently been listening to new drill (rest in peace to Pop Smoke by the way) and alternative hip hop. Some people that have caught my attention are:

Pop Smoke

Deko and Yameii

Playboi Carti

Duke Deuce

AUXXK and vii as a whole

Robb Banks

Night Lovell

Lastly, I always got at least one Juice Wrld and XXXTENTACION song on my playlist. Rest in peace to all of them.

Where can people find you?

I got my songs on most streaming platforms.

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Ayurvedic Treatment for Neck Pain in Kerala

Neck Pain Management

Pain Management Clinic of Saatwika provides effective Ayurvedic treatments for neck pain, cervical spondylosis etc in our Kerala Centre.

What is Neck Pain

Reasons for Neck Pain

A strain, stiffness or severe pain felt over the neck is called a neck pain.

Sometimes there may be a radiating pain felt to the hands, numbness or tingling sensation in fingers or pain radiating to head or shoulders or arms.

In some cases, the heaviness of head or vertigo is also seen along with neck pain.

For some people, the neck may become almost stiff making it difficult to move even.

Inflammation and swellings in the back of the neck and restricted movements is a common symptom present.

The neck consists of bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, nerve, blood vessels etc.

Any problem affecting these structures may lead to neck pain.

The superior part of the vertebral column is the cervical spine, starting from the base of the cranium to the base of the neck.

The problems affecting this area is often known as cervical pain.

To cure this we provide best ayurvedic treatment for neck pain in Trivandrum Centre Kerala.

What are the Major Reasons for Neck Pain?

Let have a look at our activities that causes neck pain.

Some of the simple reasons for neck pain is poor posture, overuse of computers and smartphones, writing notes for so many hours, carrying heavy loads on the head (labour work), sleeping in bad positions, using of very high pillows etc.

Other reasons are given below

  • Muscle spasm or strain (a continuous strain of muscles may lead to severe neck pain)
  • Degenerative disc disorder
  • Cervical spondylosis( due to degenerated spine)
  • Cervical spondylitis (Inflammation of cervical spines)
  • Cervical spondylolisthesis    (slipping of cervical vertebrae over the other )
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Injury (neck injury can occur when the head is suddenly moved )
  • Herniated disc (IVDP  or slip disc in the cervical spine)
  • Fracture of the cervical spine
  • Osteoarthritis (it causes the cervical spine to degenerate)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis (it may cause severe inflammation and neck pain)
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Tumours in the spine or head and neck may also cause pain.

Different Types of Neck Pain

Acute neck pain

It occurs suddenly and lasts for a few days to 3 weeks.

It usually heals by its own.

Chronic neck pain

It persists for more than weeks to months. It may worsen sometimes with some activities, they need to take proper treatments.

Cervical spondylosis

it is the most common disease of the neck.

Osteoarthritis of the neck is called cervical spondylosis.

The wear and tear of intervertebral discs lead to this.

Degenerative changes lead to stiffening of neck, limits the range of movements, radiating pain to arms due to compression of nerve roots, inflammation, severe pain, general tiredness etc.

Herniated discs, injuries, ligament stiffness and bone spurs also can contribute to this.

To overcome this we give the best ayurvedic treatment for Cervical Spondylosis in our Trivandrum Centre in Kerala.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Cervical Spondylosis in Kerala
Ayurvedic Treatment For Neck Pain In Kerala

Ayurvedic Treatment for Neck Pain In Kerala

Ayurvedic treatments for neck pain in Kerala include both internal medicines and external therapies.

Treatments are based on the cause of diseases.

It may slightly vary according to each case and body type.

Herbal Ayurveda medicines are given internally for reducing inflammation and to balance vitiated doshas  (Vata, Pitta, Kapha).

As well as external panchakarma therapies like podikizhi (choorna pinda swedanam), medicated steam bath , abhyangam (oil massages ) , elakizhy (patrapodala swedanam),

Greevavasthi ( retraining of lukewarm oil in the cervical spine), Nasyam(a distillation of nasal drops) Njavarkizhi etc are given according to condition.

benefits of Ayurvedic Treatment For Neck Pain In Kerala

These treatments will help to reduce the inflammation and stiffness of the cervical spine.

The process like greevavasthi and special neck massages may help to manage the disc bulge and other problems.

As a result, the nerve compressions may get relieved and patients feel relieved.

Ayurvedic treatments for neck pain in Kerala helps to regain the muscular strength,  repair the damaged structures,  nourishes the bones and associated structures.

It helps to relieve nerve compressions and patients may be free from radiating pain towards the head, shoulder or hands.

Treatment for neck pain is one of the major Ayurvedic Treatment in Kerala

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Leo Durocher

This article was written by Jeffrey Marlett

From his birth in 1905, in West Springfield, Massachusetts, to his death in 1991, in Palm Springs, California, Leo Durocher witnessed a great deal of social, political, and international change, some of which he helped bring about. Durocher played an important supporting role in the integration of major-league baseball. His frank assessment of African American baseball talent remains a simple, if coarse, endorsement of the American belief in meritocracy. He stood in the third-base coach’s box for one of baseball’s most memorable home runs, Bobby Thomson’s 1951 “Shot Heard ’Round the World” off Ralph Branca. He led the New York Giants to a surprising World Series victory in 1954.

More than a decade later Durocher piloted the Chicago Cubs through 6½ frustrating seasons, always falling short of the postseason. Along the way Durocher kept company with movie stars, entertainers, and an entire retinue of shady underworld characters. He had legal difficulties, four divorces, and fights with fans, jilted women, and angered husbands, fathers, and boyfriends. Through it all he maintained the utmost confidence in his own ability to come out ahead. Then as now, many have seen Durocher’s competitiveness as an excuse for playing dirty.

Durocher found success in both playing and managing, winning World Series titles while playing shortstop for the 1928 Yankees and 1934 Cardinals, and then as the manager of the 1954 Giants. He won National League pennants, but no world championships, with the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers and the 1951 Giants. Finally, the famous phrase “nice guys finish last,” attributed to him, has achieved recognition throughout American culture.

Leo Ernest Durocher was born on July 27, 1905, to George and Clarinda (Provost) Durocher in West Springfield, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of four sons, but at 5-feet-10 grew to be the tallest. His French-Canadian parents often spoke French at home. George Durocher worked on the railroad, for the Boston & Albany Railroad. Like his older brothers, Leo served Mass at the local Quebecois parish, St. Louis. Durocher said he “went through grammar school and then began at Springfield Technical High School, but he got into a fight with a male mathematics teacher in his second year, was suspended for 30 days and never went back.”1

Durocher also became quite adept at playing pool, and soon frequented the local pool halls to hustle money. His athletic abilities also became evident. While playing several sports, Leo became a local baseball prodigy, playing for the Merrick Athletic Association, in the Catholic Junior League, and in a local industrial league. Company teams offered him increasingly lucrative and easy jobs if he would play for them and not for competing companies.

In 1925, bird-dog scouts Jack O’Hara and Arthur Shean recommended the 19-year-old Durocher to play for the Hartford Senators, where he struggled at the plate but played sparkling defense.2

Leo had previously caught the eye of Yankees chief scout Paul Krichell while playing semipro ball, but Krichell failed to sign the raw talent on the spot, and instead shelled out $7,500 to purchase Durocher’s contract at season’s end in time for a two-game trial that October.3

Durocher broke into professional baseball with Hartford of the Eastern League in 1925, and earned a call-up to the Yankees that season. He got into two games and had one at-bat. Durocher spent the next two seasons in the minor leagues, at Atlanta of the Southern Association (1926) and St. Paul of the American Association (1927). He came back to the Yankees in 1928 and never completely left the major leagues until his retirement in 1973.

Durocher’s time with the Yankees was volcanic. Protected by manager Miller Huggins, he quickly made enemies with his incessant yapping, extravagant living, and antagonizing of Yankees stars like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Ruth nicknamed Durocher the “All-American Out” for his diminutive batting average. Ruth also accused Durocher of stealing his watch, a charge Durocher denied vehemently.

Durocher lost his protective mantle when Huggins died in 1929, and he was waived to the Cincinnati Reds before the 1930 season. In Cincinnati he found his gambling appetite even more easily indulged than in New York. He married Ruby Hartley in 1930 and fathered a child. The marriage quickly fell apart, and the couple divorced in 1934. Durocher omitted this first marriage — and his only biological child — in his 1975 autobiography. Midway through the 1933 season, mired in debt and a dissolving marriage, Durocher was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He became captain of the famous Gas House Gang, the 1934 Cardinals team that fought with one another as much as with the opposition and won the World Series against Detroit in seven games.

On September 27 Durocher took time to remarry, this time to Grace Dozier, a prominent St. Louis businesswoman and fashion designer who paid off Leo’s substantial debts. After the 1937 season, friction between Leo and the Cardinals’ player-manager, Frankie Frisch, led to a trade to the Brooklyn Dodgers. There Durocher reunited with Larry MacPhail, who had traded him from Cincinnati to Branch Rickey’s Cardinals. After the 1938 season Durocher became the Dodgers’ player-manager.

Leo received his nicknames “The Lip” or “Lippy” during his first full year in the majors, 1928. The roots for these names, and the behavior that spawned them, reached back to his boyhood days in West Springfield. Durocher dutifully idolized Walter “Rabbit” Maranville, the Boston Braves’ diminutive shortstop who hailed from nearby Springfield. Maranville, only 5-feet-5 and weighing 155 pounds, recognized that smaller players needed a mental edge to compensate for their lack of size.

Maranville came to know of the neighborhood’s emerging star. He once told the young Leo, “Never back up,” because “the first backward step a little man takes is the one that’s going to kill him.”4 Maranville obviously meant this advice to apply to fielding the ball, but one might wonder if Leo took Maranville a bit too literally. George Durocher and his other sons exhibited the rock-ribbed but nonetheless quiet stoicism that French-Canadian immigrants were known for in the Northeast. Maranville’s words could also be understood as “don’t back down from a fight,” advice Leo often took to heart.

The tutorials in baseball’s mental game continued as Leo progressed through the minor leagues. Miller Huggins completed Leo’s apprenticeship when he reached New York. During the 1928 season with the Yankees Durocher became a full-blown loudmouth bench jockey. The verbal assaults continued through his managing years. Boyhood friends who visited Durocher for games would note that almost every one of Leo’s sentences included several obscenities. Branch Rickey once remarked of Durocher, when pushed into a corner, “He’s still that kid from West Springfield with a pool cue butt in his hand.”5

From the earliest days of his playing career to the end of his managing days, Durocher loved to yap. Miller Huggins had encouraged the 160-pound youngster to compensate for his weak bat with hustle. Huggins, Leo said, “kept telling me I’d stick around for a long time if I kept my cockiness and my scrappiness and that fierce desire to do anything to win.”6 Durocher willingly obliged his mentor. First as a player then as a manager, he never shied away from verbal combat. As of 2014, Durocher ranked third all-time for the most times ejected from a major-league game as a player or a manager. Strictly as a manager, Durocher ranks fourth.

As a player Durocher also distinguished himself with quick fielding. Throughout his managerial career he often reverted to his boyhood games, playing pepper with players several decades younger than himself. Even when he managed the Cubs in his 60s, Durocher surprised two of his stars, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, with his ability to keep up with the younger players.

Durocher was certainly not a threat with the bat. He was a career .247 hitter, with just 24 home runs. His highest batting average came in 1936, when he hit .286 for the Cardinals. Overall, though, he performed better the preceding year, hitting .265 in 143 games. That season (1935) included career highs in home runs (8), slugging percentage (.376), and RBIs (78).

Durocher’s already limited productivity tailed off significantly in the 1940s. In 1940 he played in little more than half the games (62) he had the year before, and came to bat only 175 times. In 1939 Durocher came in eighth in the MVP voting, and he was second among shortstops. In 1941, 1943, and 1945, his last three years playing, he appeared in only 26 games total, batting just 67 times. (He managed, but did not play for, the Dodgers in 1942 and 1944.) In 1941 Brooklyn won its first pennant since 1920, but lost the World Series to the Yankees in five games. The next year, the Dodgers won 104 games but lost the pennant to the Cardinals. Brooklyn finished third in 1943, the same year Durocher and Grace Dozier were divorced.

With the players who had been in the military returning in 1946, Leo shifted over to managing full time. It was in that season that he purportedly made his well-known statement “nice guys finish last.” Aimed at the last-place Giants and their manager, Mel Ott, the phrase quickly took on a life of its own, appearing in all sorts of publications, popular and scholarly, ever since.

The groundbreaking 1947 season was noticeable for Durocher’s absence. He had been present during spring training in Havana, Cuba, playing along with Branch Rickey’s orchestration of Jackie Robinson’s promotion to Brooklyn. Throughout the winter Rickey had planted stories that Durocher was “pressuring” him to add Robinson to the Dodgers’ roster. However, just when Rickey was ready to announce that Robinson would in fact start on Opening Day, Durocher’s past threw Rickey and the Dodgers an exploding curveball.

On the very day Robinson was to be introduced, Commissioner Albert B. “Happy” Chandler suspended Durocher from baseball for a year. Chandler claimed that Durocher had once again associated with known gamblers. Prior to a 1947 spring training game in Havana, Durocher noticed two such men sitting with Yankees owner Larry MacPhail. Rickey and Durocher complained to Chandler about double standards. MacPhail responded by decrying the charges as slanderous. Chandler fined both owners and suspended Durocher, a move that astonished Rickey, Durocher, and Brooklyn’s fans.

This latest fiasco concerning Durocher only added to Rickey’s headaches. In January Leo had been in the papers again — this time for his marriage to the actress Laraine Day, whom he had met in 1945. The Utah-born Day was already married to Ray Hendricks, but in January 1947 Day divorced Hendricks in Mexico, then married Durocher the next day in El Paso, Texas. Back in California, Durocher and Day, who still had a year to wait before her California divorce from Hendricks was final, had to plead before a judge so she could avoid conviction for bigamy.

Compounding the scandal’s impact was a boycott of the Dodgers by the local chapter of the Catholic Youth Organization. The director of the Brooklyn CYO, Rev. Vincent Powell, removed CYO support for the Knothole Gang and published a letter in the newspapers on March 1, 1947, charging that Durocher was “undermining the moral training of Brooklyn’s Roman Catholic youth.”7 The CYO contributed both youths and money to the Brooklyn Knothole Gang, the team’s adolescent fan base. Supported by US Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy, the Brooklyn Diocese had presented Rickey with the ultimatum: fire Durocher for his moral turpitude or face a boycott.

Durocher’s suspension solved the boycott issue; nevertheless, with the beginning of the 1947 season a week away, Rickey had no manager for his new team. Eventually he named Burt Shotton as interim manager. Shotton promptly led the team to the National League pennant.

Before he left, Leo did manage to contribute significantly to the Dodgers’ 1947 season. In Havana the Dodgers learned of Rickey’s plan to integrate the team with Robinson. Some players circulated a petition protesting Rickey’s move. As soon as he heard of it, Durocher called a team meeting — at midnight. Surrounded by sleepy and cross players, Durocher flatly told them to “wipe your ass” with the petition.  Finally, Leo concluded, many black players shared his own fierce desire to win. They were hungry, and unless the Dodgers and the other white players themselves played harder, they would find themselves replaced. Leo cared about winning, and if that meant starting black players, he had no problem doing so. He went public with his support for Robinson: “I don’t care if he is yellow or black or has stripes like a fucking zebra. I’m his manager and I say he plays.”8

Underneath his coarse language, Leo believed in meritocracy. Those who are most able are the ones who start, regardless of appearance or background. This managerial approach led him to start three African Americans in the 1951 World Series (Monte Irvin, Willie Mays, and Hank Thompson). When he arrived at the Giants’ spring training camp, Hank Thompson recalled Durocher’s introduction: “I’m only going to say one thing about color: You can be green or be pink on this team. If you can play baseball and help this team you’re welcome to play.” Thompson concluded: “And it was true.”9

Throughout the 1947 season, Rickey assured Durocher that he would get his manager’s job back. Shotton’s performance — winning the pennant and pushing the Yankees to seven games in the World Series — made Rickey reconsider his promise, but in the end he kept it. When Leo arrived at spring training in 1948, he did seem changed. Reporters, players, and even Rickey himself noticed that the marriage (and perhaps the suspension) had mellowed him. The old Leo resurfaced briefly when Jackie Robinson reported to camp. Over the winter Robinson had gained significant weight. Durocher reverted to his older hectoring self, badgering Robinson incessantly. Robinson lost the weight and regained his playing form.

Rickey, though, remained unsatisfied. Wishing perhaps for a managerial change himself, Rickey often mused aloud that the team needed shaking up. The season’s start bore out Rickey’s worries as the Dodgers stumbled to a 35-37 record. When Horace Stoneham, owner of the crosstown archrival Giants inquired about Burt Shotton’s availability as a replacement for Mel Ott, Rickey had his chance. With Durocher away in Montreal on a scouting trip, Rickey and Stoneham met. While Rickey did not offer Durocher’s services, he also did not refuse when Stoneham asked for Durocher instead of Shotton.

Thus, the Dodgers’ irascible manager switched in midseason to manage their hated rivals. Fans of both teams were stunned, as was Leo, who did not learn of the managerial trade until he returned. The night the deal was completed, Stoneham visited Laraine Day at the couple’s Manhattan apartment. When she learned the news, she switched off the radio broadcast of that night’s Dodgers game, saying, “Then why am I listening to this?”10

Many of Ott’s players were slow-footed veterans, and Durocher’s aggressive, gambling style did not sit well. He did manage the team to a .519 record (41-38) for the rest of the season. That was only good enough for fifth place in the National League. The next season, 1949, was Durocher’s worst with the Giants; the team finished fifth again, but this time with a 74-83 record. From 1950 through 1955, though, the Giants and Durocher enjoyed five winning seasons, never finishing lower than third. During that span the Giants won two National League pennants and the 1954 World Series. In 1951 they made up a 13-game deficit in August against the Dodgers and forced a three-game playoff for the pennant.

The Giants won the third game, 5-4, on Bobby Thomson’s famed home run. According to author Joshua Prager, Leo did more than just watch; his rudimentary telescope-and-bell system rigged in the Polo Grounds offices 483 feet away from home plate had tipped Durocher, Thomson, and the Giants that Branca was about to throw a fastball. The Giants then lost a hard-fought World Series to the Yankees in six games. In 1954 the Giants swept the heavily favored Cleveland Indians in four games. The next year they finished third, a distant 18½ games behind the Dodgers. After that 1955 season, Stoneham replaced Durocher with Bill Rigney.

Durocher’s stint with the Giants ranked second only to his time with the Dodgers. He managed the Giants for almost 7½ seasons and finished with a .549 winning percentage (637-523). He managed the Dodgers for 8½ seasons and finished only slightly better (738-565).  After the Giants replaced him, Durocher pursued his long-desired goal of shifting careers to show business. However, despite his several celebrity friends, most endeavors quickly fell through. His attempt to host a variety show on NBC flopped. Durocher appeared on several television shows, but he made more money doing baseball broadcasts on radio and television. Day divorced him in 1960. Durocher coached for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1961 to 1964. True to form, he often criticized manager Walter Alston for indecisiveness and tentative leadership.

In 1966 the Chicago Cubs named the 60-year-old Durocher manager. That season Leo suffered through his worst year as a manager, going 59-103. But much like his stint with the Giants, Durocher then led his team through several winning seasons. From 1967 to 1971, the Cubs enjoyed five straight winning seasons.

Leo DurocherThe club stood at 46-44 when owner Phil Wrigley fired Durocher midway through the 1972 season. Durocher’s time with the Cubs is remembered mostly for what did not happen. For several years the talent-laden club finished below expectations. The 1969 season was the best example. The Cubs led the National League East division for over 100 days, and were 9½ games ahead of the Mets in August. However, the team faltered badly.

As the season wore on, Durocher he misused his pitchers, and his tendency to berate players often backfired. Once again his hard-driving style had begun to wear thin. During two weeks in September, the Cubs fell from five games ahead of the Mets to 4½ games behind them, and eventually finished eight games back. The Cubs finished second again in 1970, albeit without the spectacular meltdown. In 1971 they wound up third. That year the locker room finally boiled over with fights between Durocher and the players. Unlike previous stints with the Dodgers and Giants, Leo never related well with the Cubs’ African American players.

One of his most common managerial tactics was to belittle and enrage players so that they played better. He had picked up this technique from Miller Huggins, and it worked quite well with stars like Jackie Robinson and Sal Maglie. With the Cubs, it backfired. Pitcher Ken Holtzman took offense at Durocher’s repeated use of anti-Semitic remarks. In the years after Curt Flood’s legal challenge to the reserve clause, Durocher’s well-known hostility to union organizing appeared shockingly retrograde. Halfway through the 1972 season, owner Phil Wrigley had enough and replaced Durocher with Whitey Lockman. Leo did not remain idle for long. The Houston Astros made him skipper for the last 31 games of 1972. As before, he wrangled with the team’s established stars, in this case pitcher Larry Dierker. Durocher managed the entire 1973 season, going 82-80, before retiring for good.

Leo moved back to California and waited for the Hall of Fame recognition he felt he was due. He and his fourth wife, Lynne Walker Goldbatt, divorced in 1981, but the couple had already separated years earlier. Durocher had married the Chicago socialite in 1969.

As the years went by, Leo rediscovered his Catholic faith. He served faithfully as an usher at the Saturday evening Mass at his local parish. He also became increasingly bitter over his perceived slight by the Hall of Fame. He died on October 7, 1991, and was buried in Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. The Hall of Fame recognition finally came in 1994. On Induction Day, Laraine Day accepted the award.

Durocher’s posthumous election to the Baseball Hall of Fame rested exclusively on his managerial career. In 24 seasons, he amassed 2,008 victories and 1,709 losses, a .540 winning percentage. However, Durocher’s effectiveness as a manager exceeded the raw numbers. Throughout his managerial career, he took a tough, scrappy, take-no-prisoners approach to the game. Only at the end of his managerial career did Durocher encounter significant player resistance to his style. When he retired, he seemed a relic from an earlier baseball age.

Claerbaut, David, Durocher’s Cubs: The Greatest Team That Didn’t Win (Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing, 2000).

Day, Laraine, Day with the Giants, Kyle Crichton, ed. (Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Co., 1952).

Durocher, Leo, The Dodgers and Me: The Inside Story (Chicago: Ziff-Davis, 1948).

_________, with Ed Linn, Nice Guys Finish Last. (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1975).

Eskenazi, Gerald, The Lip: A Biography of Leo Durocher (New York: Quill, William Morrow & Co., 1993).

Feldmann, Doug, Miracle Collapse: The 1969 Cubs. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2006).

Prager, Joshua, The Echoing Green: The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca, and the Shot Heard Round the World (New York: Pantheon, 2006).

Tygiel, Jules, Baseball’s Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy. 25th Anniversary Edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008).

Hazucha, Andrew, “Leo Durocher’s Last Stand: Anti-Semitism, Racism, and the Cubs Player Rebellion of 1971,” in NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture 15 (#1, Fall 2006), 1-12.

Heidenry, John, The Gashouse Gang: How Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Branch Rickey, Pepper Martin, and Their Colorful, Come-From-Behind Ball Club Won the World Series and America’s Heart During the Great Depression (New York: Public Affairs, 2007).

Mandell, David, “The Suspension of Leo Durocher,” The National Pastime: A Review of Baseball History #27 (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 2007), 101-04.

Mann, Arthur, Baseball Confidential: Secret History of the War Among Chandler, Durocher, MacPhail, and Rickey (New York: David McKay Company, 1951).

Marlett, Jeffrey, “Durocher as Machiavelli: Good American, Bad Catholic,” in William M. Simons, ed., in The Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 2007-2008 (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2009), 38-50.

_______, “Don’t Give Me No Lip: Durocher’s Management Style and the Integration of Baseball,” in NINE: A Journal of Baseball and American Culture 20:2 (Spring 2012), 43-54.  muse.jhu.edu/journals/nine/v020/20.2.marlett.html.

Shaplen, Robert, “The Nine Lives of Leo Durocher,” Sports Illustrated, June 6, 1955.

Treder, Steve, “A Legacy of What-Ifs: Horace Stoneham and the Integration of the Giants” in NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture 10 (#2, 2002), 71-101.

Williams, Peter, “You Can Blame the Media: The Role of the Press in Creating Baseball Villains,” in Alvin L. Hall, ed., in Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 1989 (Westport, Connecticut: Meckler Publishing and State University of New York College at Oneonta, 1991), 343-60.

Woodward, Stanley. “That Guy Durocher!” Saturday Evening Post, June 3, 1950, 25-27.

Thanks to Rod Nelson for information on the scouting of Leo Durocher.

1 Robert Shaplen, “Beginning: The Nine Lives of Leo Durocher,” Sports Illustrated, May 23, 1955.

2 Gene Schoor, The Leo Durocher Story (New York: Julian Meissner, 1955) , 30-33, 40.

3 The Sporting News, June 12, 1957, 28.

4 Leo Durocher, Nice Guys Finish Last, 34.

5 Rickey quoted by Red Smith in William Marshall, Baseball’s Pivotal Era, 1945-1951 (Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1999), 103.

6 Gerald Eskenazai, The Lip, 248.

7 “Durocher Versus the CYO,” Catholic Digest 11 (June 1947), 96; reprint from The Catholic Mirror (April, 1947).

8 Gerald Eshkenazi, The Lip (New York: Quill, 1993), 248.

9 Leo Durocher, Nice Guys Finish Last, 46. Gerald Eskenazai, The Lip, 248.

10 Arthur Mann, Baseball Confidential: The Secret History of the War Among Chandler, Durocher, MacPhail, and Rickey (New York: David McKay Co., 1951), 182.

Full Name

Leo Ernest Durocher

July 27, 1905 at West Springfield, MA (USA)

October 7, 1991 at Palm Springs, CA (USA)

If you can help us improve this player’s biography, contact us.

© SABR. All Rights Reserved


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Confined Space Training

Confined Space Low to Medium Risk Training

This course is designed to meet the requirements for working safely in confined spaces in line with the Confined Space Regulations 2001, code of practice 2010 along with other key legislation.

Course Content: Learning Outcomes

To enable delegates to understand and effectively comply with the relevant legislation and regulations associated with confined space working in low risk areas.  They will be trained to understand how to safely select, use, visually inspect and maintain confined space equipment, enter and work safely in low risk confined spaces and act on an emergency ensuring that arrangements are in place.

This will include:

  • Prepare to enter and work safely in low risk confined spaces
  • Enter and exit confined spaces safely
  • Use equipment and tools safely and in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions
  • Follow procedures and work safely
  • Deal with emergencies
  • Use appropriate behaviour for working in low risk confined spaces in the specific industry
  • Use appropriate industry knowledge for working in low risk confined Spaces
  • Apply relevant industry standards for working in low risk confined spaces
  • Confined space regulations
  • Hazardous Environments
  • Gas and environment monitoring
  • Risk assessments and Method Statements
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Safety equipment
  • Safe entry procedures & Safe working procedures
  • Safe exit procedures
  • Emergency arrangements
  • Practical exercise
  • Company/industry specific confined space policy and procedures.

Delivery Method

A combination of classroom-based activity, including Presentation/demonstrations, practical application.

A wide range of video and photographic material is used to enhance the learning experience for delegates.

Each Delegate will receive a and question and answer paper.

On successful completion of this course a Safety Matters Certificate will be issued.


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Paul Partridge, RFC® reveals why so many men and women are confused about Social Security filing – and why 9 out of 10 recipients don’t get all the benefits they’ve earned.

Q: Paul, how can a financial advisor help with Social Security planning?

PAUL: A recent Harris Poll found that people who work with a financial advisor receive almost 20% more in Social Security benefits than those who do not. Yet less than 1 in 5 people have a financial advisor who is helping them with Social Security guidance.

Q: These days it’s common for retirees to live into their 90’s. How important is it to make sure we make the right decisions when it comes to how and when we file?

PAUL: You could be collecting benefits for 20 to 30 years or more.  The additional money you can receive over your lifetime – tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars – can have a dramatic effect on the quality of your retirement.

Q: What are your professional qualifications?

PAUL: Both Ian and I are certified by the NSSA® (National Social Security Advisors). This is the only ACCREDITED Social Security Certificate program in the nation.

Q: Besides answering questions, how else do you help clients?

PAUL: We use sophisticated software that calculates all the possible ways you and your spouse (or you alone if you’re single) can file – and determines the top three ways for you to get the highest benefits. We also look at how taxes impact your benefits – especially at age 70½ when Required Minimum Distributions begin. Without proper planning, your taxes owed could triple. We call this the “Tax Torpedo” and we help our clients avoid it.

Q: What kind of results do you typically see?

PAUL: I saw a couple this week where we showed them how they can collect an extra $187,000 in benefits versus how they were planning to file.

Q: That’s a big difference.

PAUL: It’s not unusual to see a six-figure improvement.

Q: I read that 445,000 people call the Social Security Administration every day. Is it true that Social Security employees are not allowed to give advice?

PAUL: Correct, giving advice is prohibited. And they will NOT let you know if you mistakenly file for a lower benefit than you’re entitled to. The responsibility is left to us to make sure we get all the benefits we’ve earned and deserve.

Q: How can people learn more about the best filing strategies for their situation?

PAUL: A 12-page Social Security Review & Report is automatically included in every RETIREMENT READINESS ANALYSIS. People can schedule their appointment by phone or online (see below).


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Our Mission

An overflow of a wide stream of news and information is suppressing the essential issues which would be highlighted. We filter all the stuff to get out the truth because we believe that you deserve to know the truth.

Educating People

A human without knowledge is void. Anything can be misleading if a person is not fully aware of it.

We enlighten humans with knowledge in such a way that judgment of right and wrong, understanding of the world and becoming creative turn easy for them.

Team of Professionals

We are a team of professionals from different fields and write to help people making their life informed, moderate, happy and easy.

We are coming with a lot of new stuff about news opinions, cultural values, lifestyle, science, technology and tools.


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Salamander Issue #49 Release Party

Please join Salamander for the
Issue #49 Release Party

Thursday, February 20, 2020
6 PM
Suffolk University Poetry Center
Mildred F. Sawyer Library, 3rd Floor
73 Tremont Street, Boston

Please join us to celebrate the release of Salamander #49, with readings from contributors Moira Linehan, Sonya Larson, and David Moloney. Light refreshments will be served. The evening is free and open to the public.


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Writerly Wednesday Welcomes Angela Meadon

7. What is your favorite word processing program and what other tools do you use, pen, notebooks, white board, index cards, finger on fogged bathroom mirrors?

I write my first draft in MSWord. Then I put it into PowerStructure during my first edit. After that I use PowerStructure until the novel is complete.

I am using an iPad app called A Novel Idea to plan and track my ideas. If I don’t have my iPad handy I use my phone to take notes.


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Turkey vs Italy LIVE: Updates as Euro 2020 gets underway in Rome | Football | Sport

7:00pm: The teams are in!

TURKEY (4-1-4-1): Cakir; Zeki Celik, Demiral, Soyuncu, Meras; Yokuslu; Karaman, Tufan, Yazizi, Calhanoglu; Yilmaz

ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Florenzi, Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola; Barella, Jorginho, Locatelli; Berardi, Immobile, Insigne

6:20pm: Turkey’s head coach Senol Gunes says he hopes his side can “cause confusion” from the very start of the tournament by upsetting the Group A favourites.

“The result we get in the first match is important; a draw or a win can cause confusion in the group,” he told UEFA.com

“I hope so. I want to see our strength in the first match; even if we lose, it’s important to play well.

“I hope it’s going to be a great game, an enjoyable game, and that we win!”

His opposite number, former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, was typically cagey ahead of the opening match of the tournament, but he said he wanted his team to play without pressure as their campaign gets underway with many fancying the Azzurri to go a long way in the tournament.

“We must respect Turkey, they are a side full of talent,” he said.

“The opener is always difficult, and there will be plenty of emotions, but you can’t get too carried away.

“I don’t think there is an excess of enthusiasm. The fans can have that; we know who we are up against.

“The desire to be protagonists at this Euro is huge but this is a match to be played with lightheartedness. We can do it!”

6:08am: Tonight’s matchup will feature two teams in excellent form. Turkey are unbeaten from their last six outings, having won four and drawn two of their recent fixtures.

Italy, however, are in ominously strong form heading into the tournament. They’ve won each of their last six matches, and will be hoping to kick off their Euro 2020 campaign with a seventh straight win tonight.

6:00pm: Good evening, and welcome to Express Sport’s live coverage of the opening match of Euro 2020, as Turkey take on Italy in Rome.

Per the draw, Turkey are technically the “home” side, but it’s Italy who will be playing on home soil, with the match taking place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

We’ll bring you live updates throughout the night as we bring you the first night of 30 glorious days of top-level international football.

Read original article here

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an open letter to the absolutely fantastic troll who visited my blog the other day

Dear troll who visited my blog the other day,

I understand that in writing this post, I am engaging with you, which is the exact opposite of how you’re supposed to deal with trolls.  However, I don’t feel like you’re a “personal” troll.  You seem more the type who peruses tags of subjects you like to troll about, where you commit your troll-y acts as you see fit, and then move on to other troll opportunities.  Thus, I am fairly confident that you will never visit again and won’t ever read these words.  Unless, in a plot twist, you actually found the post through my Facebook, meaning that I have unwittingly been Facebook friends with an anti-feminist troll for an indeterminate amount of time.  If this is the case, please feel free to delete me from your friends list at the earliest opportunity.

On my previous post, Feminist Mythbusting, Part II, I received minor attention from people who found my blog through means other than my incessant Facebook posts.  I very rarely get actual WordPress comments on my blog, so when I do, I get pretty excited.  I’d already received a friendly comment, so when another notification popped up in my WordPress menu, I was hoping for another feminist sister congratulating me on a job well done – or, at the very least, someone with legitimate criticisms for my work.  Instead, I was met with this impressive display of eloquence:

Having frequented a number of video game forums and YouTube comments sections in my day, I know a troll when I see one.  Knowing that the best way to interact with a troll is to not, I promptly clicked “trash”.

Shortly thereafter, you struck again:

Oh my goodness!  Really?!  You think my blog has such a wide scope that, if it weren’t for its existence, there would be unanimous worldwide respect for feminists?  You’re so right; it has absolutely nothing to do with the centuries of ingrained social structures that have painted women as hysterical screeching harpies!  Literally, feminists were universally revered up until I burst on to the Blogosphere a year ago.  I single-handedly broke feminism!

Despite the revolutionary assertions of your comment, I somehow managed to look past them and, again, trashed it.

Mere minutes later, you struck a third time, though with an altered approach:

Aww, playing Mr. Nice Guy, were you?  There’s no way that this was a thinly-veiled attempt to get me to approve the positive comment so you could turn around with a pointed finger and a “HA!”, ready to call me out for my inability to accept such nuanced criticism as yours.  But, since I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent person, I saw through your deceit and once again trashed the comment.

Not being one to give up, you soon had something new to say:

Ah, Sir Privilege Checker.  You caught me.  I am actually a secluded mole person sequestered away from society since birth, and I have thus never met a woman.  Not even my own mother.  I’m not even sure if am a woman.  Surely, this is the reason I am so passionate about women’s rights; I have never met a woman to experience what horrible subhuman monsters you likely would claim them to be. Of course, I was completely mentally stumped on how to answer such a thought-provoking inquiry with dignity, as prideful mole people such as myself are wont to be, so I chose to trash it.

Sadly, as there was a bit of a delay between the submission of this final comment and my trashing of it, I presume you became bored in the interim and moved on to new trolling horizons.

And so ended my interactions with you, Privilege Checker, of the email address  My very first troll.  I feel like a virgin, touched for the very first time.  Such excitement!

Now, I have no false impressions of myself or my blog.  I know my readership basically consists of a few curious Facebook friends and my parents.  But, Mr. Troll, I have to tell you: You made me feel special.  You made me feel relevant.  Someone actually took a solid forty-two minutes out of their life to send me insulting comments and keep track of the fact that I was trashing them as they came in.  I am so flattered that you deigned to halt the adorning of your overgrown moustache and neckbeard with Cheeto dust long enough to slap on a fedora and construct such amazingly sick burns.

Obviously, I’m not going to be making a habit out of personally responding to each troll that pays me a visit; but, as you were my first, I just had to make an exception.  Feel special.  Feel as special as you made me feel.

I thank you, Privilege Checker the Troll.

A Rather Tickled-Pink Sam

3 thoughts on “an open letter to the absolutely fantastic troll who visited my blog the other day

  1. I read your blog to my friends when I want to have a laugh. Keep up the good work. It’s actually my homepage.

    1. Dear, Mr misogynistic you truly make us other men cry with your distasteful comments, and to ridicule such a fine woman who is sharing her thoughts is not only disgusting but shameful. I for one Mr. Misogynistic hope that you’re misguided friends see what a distasteful person you are. I am a feminist myself, and I am a male but I realize the importance of feminism and the hardships women face around the world. It would do you right to educate yourself on such things before making such comments.

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text:
The contents of this article were factored into a micro-talk, The Next Normal.

📹 Watch it here!

COVID-19 has normalised working from home in a way unthinkable prior to the pandemic. We now have the opportunity to radically rethink how we conduct our work, ensuring that our spaces work for us, not against us.

Before diving into how we can go about this, we should acknowledge that this is not "normal" working from home. This is something mandated, rather than a voluntary choice. Aside our work we're having to juggle childcare, our partner's work schedules and lining up at the shops for loaves of bread. Pre-lockdown levels of productivity cannot be expected. Deadlines set prior to the pandemic but not revisited since are worthless. Call them out!

The lockdown has given us the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the tech, explore how to work remotely and forced the hands of employers to strengthen their working from home setups. Us in tech community might not have seen much of a difference, but in other industries this has involved a significant effort just so that businesses can keep the lights on.

Uncertainty reigns supreme over the timetable for returning to 'normality'. Questions exist as to whether the old 'normality' is even possible or desired. Politically a lot of topics well outside the Overton Window are back up for grabs. I think that the opportunity is now present for a large rebalancing of how we work. I will explore:

  • why I think the "old way" of sitting in rows in an open office is harmful
  • why we shouldn't return to this any time soon
  • how we can better utilise these spaces to work for us, not against us.

The Old Open Plan Office

The idea was to tear down barriers, to allow for collaboration - but this didn't work out as planned. The space changed us. Face-to-face communication decreased significantly, with electronic interactions taking over. If someone's looking like they're busy, they won't be deliberately interrupted. That said, distractions in an open plan office are commonplace - another team's loud phonecalls or discussions, for example - leading many to purchase noise-cancelling headphones and further withdraw. Focus-based activities have a cognitive cost - if you get distracted, it takes a while to find your groove again. One meta-study showed consistent negative impacts on creative thinking, productivity, stress, motivation and concentration.

An Open Plan Office (Image by [K2 Space](, licensed [CC BY 2.0](

So why did we continue to persist with this way of working? There's two reasons I can think of:

Seen to be Doing Work

Bentham's Panopticon prison was designed to be a space-efficient means for a security guard to observe all prisoners, without a single prisoner knowing whether they were actively being observed. Architecturally, the structure enforced compliance. Less dramatically, the same concept appears within open plan offices. When you're physically present, you can be "seen" to be working by your colleagues and managers.

Whether you're working on the right thing, or whether you're missing out on other opportunities is difficult to quantify. This can manifest in subtle ways, but the idea that an employee is not being productive because they're reading a book or watching a training course, can discourage those kinds of activities from being performed. Ultimately this is a short-termist practice, discouraging innovation.

Office space is expensive, especially in city centres. Positioning your office at a transportation nexus has a strategic advantage, enabling employees to easily travel from home to the office. These two competing forces then balance out with wanting to get a return on investment from the office space - a high yield of employees who will earn money. Open plan offices are the optimal usage of the space, with their rows of desks and lack of boundaries. You get the most bang for your buck; the most sardines in the tin.

I've worked with organisations who've "downsized" and saved on cost by cramming into open plan offices and enforcing desk rotas. Staff would work from home so that the desk space could service multiple members of staff over a week. The result? There was little to no personalisation of the space. You didn't "own" this space, you existed in it.

Remote By Default

So now we're working from home, more or less, let's look at what we'll need to do as lockdowns are restricted. It's looking likely that social distancing in some or other will be with us for quite a while. Returning to the big open plan offices is essentially a non-starter.

Large companies like Facebook and Twitter are acknowledging this new state of play by shifting to "remote by default" working practices. The days of travelling in a box to sit in another box with other people, to do work we now know you can do in your own box, are over. We have the means, motive and opportunity to create a happier, healthier and more productive working environment for all staff - giving them the flexibility to work in the ways that they need.

Embracing home working gives you the ability to have focus time. If you need to get your head down and do something - you're not going to have the unnecessary distractions. If you need to read a book, go through some research papers, catch up with some virtual conferences (plug: NE-RPC) or Pluralsight/Safari training courses, you can plan your day to accommodate for these long-form activities. You can do so knowing the panopticon won't be criticising your work choices.

It gives you the chance to own your space and customise it. My office has a whiteboard, photos, a minifridge and a sofabed (yes, I'm privileged to have the space; your mileage may vary, etc).

Finally, the commute is much easier. You're giving staff the gift of time. More time with the family. More time for leisure. More time to get the housework done. This is a considerable improvement to work-life balance that people won't want to give up.

The Virtual Water Cooler

You're not a one-person army. Despite working from home, you're still part of a team. Developing the appropriate techniques to still work effectively as a team takes time. Embedding these practices into the company culture won't be doable in a day. I've found the following things useful:

  • Switching many email, or text-based conversations into video calls
  • Turning the webcam on by default (and encouraging others to do so)
  • Doing code reviews as video calls
  • Pairing on features over video calls!
  • Prefixing or suffixing calls with a bit of personal chat. Simple things such as asking how the day is going builds morale
  • Putting on a group chat when I'm wanting a break. This often spins up "ad-hoc" video calls where the team can socialise together
  • Encouraging Mario Kart tournaments on the Nintendo Switch (other game systems and racing games are available)

A balance still needs to be struck between being private and being present.

When We Still Need In-Person Meetings

(Image by Christopher Huffman, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

That said, I'm skeptical that we can do all work remotely. Or more correctly, that we should. There are some interactions that I've found to be more productive when conducted in person.

Agile Retrospectives are collaborative meetings which need to be performed in safe spaces. The physical boundary of the room acts as that barrier of safety. It also allows the team to feel the 'energy' of the room - reading body language, emotions, etc. Retrospectives often utilise co-operative activities to build understanding. Having physical space to conduct this and display any artefacts is vital for spotting trends and patterns from what's produced. Sprint planning and user story mapping sessions utilise space in a similar way. Physical artifacts are an output of those meetings. Moving things around the space - in scope, out of scope, high priority, low priority, grouping things together - is integral to those meetings not being boring.

Think on that, as we draw some conclusions.

Design for Collaboration

The pandemic leaves companies paying a LOT of monthly rent, and not much of a need to cram in rows of desks. How could we instead utilise this space, given our new constraints, our new desires, and a bit of blue-sky thinking?

The answer lies in creating environments that foster creativity and collaboration. That's going to mean private office space - for teams or individuals will depend upon circumstance. Allow for in-person collaboration through hot-desking, for those cases where you just need to prototype something or work together side-by-side. Create breakout space. Have quiet rooms, spaces for social interaction, spaces for people to create. Allow the space to be owned physically by those using them. The work will then follow.

Frankly, if I'm going to travel to an office in the future, I want to go there for the right reasons. That is, to spend time having interactions best suited for those environments. It's obviously clear that I can do the programming from home.

One-size-fits-all approaches don't exist here. Most importantly, design your spaces to promote positivie, constructive, collaborative interactions. Give your employees what they need to work in a happy and healthy way, then watch their productivity and morale increase.