‘Beauty And The Beast’: Delightfully enchanting
“Beauty and the Beast” is a delightful presentation. Everyone knows the engaging tale: Belle finds herself in an enchanted castle where the Beast and all the inhabitants are trapped in an animated state because of a witch’s cruel curse that only Belle can break. And as in all fairytales, everyone lives happily ever after. But getting there is delightful fun.
Temporary tax provisions set to expire in 2014
At the end of every year, certain federal tax breaks face a sunset. Some are renewed, some expire. As 2014 will soon start, here is a list of some of notable tax provisions that may go away next year - offering some opportunities that you may want to take advantage of this year.
Hunting ministry provides fellowship
There is no doubt that gun ownership is very controversial these days. The anniversary of the Newtown massacre and continued gun violence across the country have led to calls for tighter regulation of firearms, such as the recent legislation passed in Sunnyvale. Others counter that their Second Amendment Constitutional rights not be tampered with.
Bridge: Bidding for slam
Previously, we talked about one of the most interesting actions in bridge - bidding for slam, which is definitely a whole level higher and even more exciting because the stakes are very high. In order to bid and make slam (six-level bid) you need a total of 33 points between your two hands - or a really fantastic distributional fit. Since it is unlikely one hand will hold 30-plus points, the key to slam bidding is communication between the two partners.
Feral cats are killing our native birds
Full disclosure: I love cats. My family had pet cats for much of my childhood. However, there are far too many feral cats - cats that were once domesticated but have returned to the wild, or ones born in the wild - out there.
Painful year brings forth new sense of self
With just days left in 2013, I’ve been ruminating on the past year and wondering what the future may hold. Personally, it’s been a tumultuous year and a half and I’m hopeful the winds will begin to shift come 2014.
