David “AWOL” Miller’s Famed A.T. Guidebook
When my partner and I were planning an extended A.T. hike, we stopped by our local outdoor shop and asked the manager what to bring. “Foremost thing you’ll need is this,” he said, reaching for a plain green book which otherwise looked a lot like a high-end car manual: David ‘AWOL’ Miller’s The A.T. Guide.“This guy, David ‘AWOL’ Miller practically lives on the trail.”Who was this AWOL? And how did the little green manual come to be?Back in the late-90s, working as a high-powered software engineer, Miller got turned on to the notion of an A.T. thru-hike via a newly retired, Katahdin-conquering ex-coworker. Miller soon viewed the 2,181-mile adventure as a potentially kickass springboard into his own retirement. But being married, a proud father of three, and not quite 40 years of age, Miller couldn’t conceive of himself as being capable of responsibly hanging up the corporate boots for at least another two decades.However, despite the pragmatic rationale—must clock the time, take max. advantage of IRA + 401k plans, continue gratingly, monotonously grinding along toward reaping the so-called Golden Years bounty—the A.T. had already infiltrated his system. Miller found himself facing an inconvenient truth: “I remember becoming increasingly aware this thru-hike was something that couldn’t wait. My life had grown precariously normal… It had to be done now.”In the spring of 2001, having procured a greenlight from the familial quintet, Miller quit his nine-to-five and lit out for Springer Mountain, the A.T.’s southern terminus.“My wife was actually happy for me to have the break from my job,” chuckled Miller. She and the kids set out to have a memorable summer of their own—beach trips, camping, and visiting relatives. I missed them, but they were aware I was doing something important I had to do for myself, and that was something they wanted to support.” He quickly earned his trail name AWOL after telling his life story to fellow thru-hikers of quitting his job and setting out for the woods. After he completed his thru-hike, he penned a memoir: AWOL On the Trail.A few years later, in 2007, Miller heard Dan “Wingfoot” Bruce was retiring from the business of maintaining his yearly-updated Thru-Hikers’ Handbook. As a software engineer, Miller realized he could present the trail data in a fresh, new way that was both functional and aesthetic.“For the next year, I spent every spare moment available working on the book, to the point of enlisting my wife and kids,” he said. His efforts yielded the most intricate, detailed, and stunningly resourceful trail guide yet produced.The popularity of The A.T. Guide is not surprising. Every year, Miller or a member of his team personally hikes each section and travels to each town to ensure the information is 100 percent accurate and updated.Miller himself isn’t planning another thru-hike anytime soon. “But if one of my kids wanted to do it and wouldn’t mind having me along, I’d definitely go with them.”
Foundation asks court to amend IOTA rule Mark D. Killian Managing Editor The Florida Bar Foundation will seek a rule change that would throw open the IOTA program to financial institutions other than banks and require those holding the trust accounts to pay interest rates or dividends commensurate with those offered to their non-IOTA depositors. That, according to Foundation board member Kathy McLeroy who chaired the ad hoc committee studying the proposed change has the potential to double the money generated by the IOTA program. McLeroy said if the rule changes are adopted it would “allow us to be treated as similarly situated bank customers would be treated and, therefore, increase IOTA revenue to what I understand could be in the neighborhood of $26 million.” Meeting recently on Amelia Island, the Foundation board voted without dissent to ask the Supreme Court to amend the IOTA rule to allow financial services companies such as Morgan Stanley Dean Witter or Merrill Lynch to hold IOTA accounts. The change also would require any institution that wants to handle IOTA accounts to offer the same market rate of interest or dividends on products available to non-IOTA depositors with comparable balances. Authorized investments would include FDIC insured accounts, daily bank repurchase agreements (REPOS) or appropriate safe- guarded investment products such as money market accounts, money market funds or mutual funds. Currently, IOTA funds can only be held in federally insured checking accounts or REPOs. “I think this is a big step for this Foundation to take,” said Foundation President Hamilton Cooke, noting that currently most banks do not offer the same products to lawyers’ IOTA accounts as they do to other large customers. In short, said Foundation Executive Director Jane Curran, banks generally are not treating lawyers’ IOTA funds the same as other customers who might take their business to a bank paying higher interest rates. Curran also said the Foundation recognizes there is no broad consumer demand for higher checking account rates, which is why the Foundation obtained Supreme Court approval for REPOs. “Unfortunately, only two major Florida banks SunTrust and AmSouth have agreed to offer, on a limited basis, REPOs to law firms with large IOTA accounts,” Curran said. In tailoring the proposed change, McLeroy said the Foundation worked to put the onus of meeting the new standards on the financial institutions and not the lawyers. Cooke said the Foundation will now have to put together an education plan and strategy to get the changes adopted. “Obviously there are going to be road blocks,” Cooke told the board. “Bankers, we are probably going to hear from them, and we are probably going to hear from some lawyers.” Under the current program, total IOTA revenue will amount to about $11.1 million this year, and has been steadily falling since the mid-1990s as interest rates have waned. At its peak, IOTA was generating about $19 million a year for legal aid, administration of justice and law school assistance programs. Board member Bill Davis of Tallahassee said it’s a good idea to require banks wanting to hold IOTA accounts to provide market interest rates. “I can’t help but think that IOTA accounts are being discriminated against in the market place by some banks,” Davis said. “I think this rule is really what attorneys have been asking for,” said board member Drew O’Malley of Tampa, noting lawyers are reluctant to “beg” their banks for higher IOTA rates. “This rule takes the lawyer out of the equation.” Several lawyers on the board agreed that attorneys are often not willing to push banks to increase their IOTA interest rates because it would jeopardize side business relationships they have with their banks. Bill Thompson said one of the “great aspects” of the rule is it will create some competition for IOTA accounts. Thompson also said as the Foundation drafts the proposed rule for the court’s consideration, the board must keep in mind the large number of small-firm lawyers to make sure they are not burdened by the changes. “We tried to make it so there would be very little impact on the lawyers themselves,” McLeroy said, adding that allowing IOTA accounts of any size to be opened at eligible financial services companies was made in response to the Supreme Court’s directive that the Foundation continue to investigate alternative investment opportunities that would accomplish the dual goals of increasing IOTA revenues and safeguarding trust funds. “That is something the Supreme Court had asked us to consider a number of years ago and we think is significant in this proposal,” McLeroy said McLeroy said requiring that IOTA accounts earn the highest interest rate available to non-IOTA depositors with comparable balances at the same bank or financial services company would make IOTA voluntary for institutions. And by meeting the standard, banks would become eligible for participation, and lawyers and firms would be required to deposit IOTA funds only in eligible institutions, she said. As part of the plan, McLeroy said the Foundation also will independently work with banks and financial services companies to develop appropriate products which are in compliance with the IOTA rule. McLeroy said that will include providing them computer and technical support needed to remit IOTA earnings to the Foundation and conduct the required reporting. McLeroy said the Foundation, not the lawyer, will be responsible for monitoring usage of banks’ and financial services companies’ existing products available to non-IOTA depositors, with respect to rates being paid on individual attorney and law firm IOTA accounts as reported by the Foundation on IOTA remittance reports, in order to determine compliance with the IOTA rule. The proposal calls for no action to be required of law firms by the proposed amendments to monitor their institution’s compliance and unless and until an attorney’s or law firm’s bank becomes ineligible to hold IOTA funds because of its unwillingness to offer products in compliance with the rule. In that instance, the Foundation would advise the attorney or law firm that their financial institution had become ineligible to hold IOTA funds. “However, in the event a bank is in compliance with the comparable interest rate or dividend provisions of the rule, but is unwilling to remit interest directly to the Foundation, in order to accommodate law firms, the firm would be permitted to maintain their account where it was situated and remit directly to the Foundation rather than be forced to change institutions,” McLeroy said. McLeroy said the proposed IOTA rule changes provide that IOTA funds are as safe or safer than in the current IOTA rule. For example, if not FDIC insured or in the currently-approved REPOs, which are collateralized by U.S. government notes, bonds or agency debt, then the Foundation would indemnify attorneys and law firms. That would provide, in a sense, “deposit insurance” against market loss of client funds held, for example, in government money market funds. The Foundation would purchase private insurance to cover the cost of such indemnification, if any. Foundation asks court to amend IOTA rule February 15, 2001 Managing Editor Regular News
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A bedroom.The space has been reconfigured into four apartments, each offering a refreshing take on life at Golden Gate and each with their own distinctive floor plans.More from news02:37Purchasers snap up every residence in the $40 million Siarn Palm Beach Northless than 1 hour ago02:37International architect Desmond Brooks selling luxury beach villa20 hours agoOne of the apartments has an upstairs bedroom, while another features a lower-level master bedroom with ensuite.The one-bedroom apartment offers a spacious 78 sqm of living area while the largest apartment comprises 152 sqm, offering two bedrooms plus study, and two bathrooms. One of the lounge rooms.Golden Gate, a gateway property on the northern end of Surfers Paradise, offers resort-style facilities including two pools, tennis courts and barbecue areas dotted across the manicured grounds of the property. The apartments are being marketed by Jackson Paradise and Jordan Thams of Ray White Surfers Paradise. Four renovated apartments in the Gold Coast’s landmark Golden Gate building are being served up at auction on January 28, 2018.FOUR newly renovated apartments in the Gold Coast’s landmark Golden Gate building are being served up at auction on January 28.The garden-level apartments, a one-bedroom and three two-bedroom residences, are in an area once occupied by a Chinese restaurant.
The dining room and kitchen.They are being offered with vacant possession, and would suit both owner-occupiers or investors.“The location ensures strong returns for investors, and all the benefits of a cosmopolitan lifestyle for owner-occupiers,” said Mr Paradise.“The owners are motivated, so we expect these properties will sell. They will be looking at all offers.”The apartments are going to auction at Ray White Surfers Paradise Group’s The Event, which kicks off today at 11am.
Denmark’s AP Pension has said it cut pension costs for scheme members by 10% in the first six months of this year on the back of the continuing cost-saving effects of its merger with financial sector scheme FSP Pension two years ago.Costs per member fell to DKK1,016 (€136.27) in the first half of 2014 from DKK1,133 in the same period last year.Reporting a few interim figures ahead of its official first-half report, AP Pension also said regular pension contributions increased by 6.9% to DKK2.4bn in the January-to-June period from DKK2.3bn in the first six months of 2013.Søren Dal Thomsen, managing director of AP Pension, said: “We can already see that the result in the period after we closed the books at the end of June has been very good, and that is making a further contribution to the positive development.” He described the fall in costs as one of the most positive elements of the half-year figures.“It shows us the merger with FSP Pension, which we conducted in 2012, is working and that the expected savings are continuing to materialise,” Dal Thomsen said.Traditional guaranteed with-profits pensions produced a return of 7% in the first half, and unit-link pensions generated an average 4.7% return.In the first half of 2013, traditional pension products made a 1.9% investment loss while unit-link products produced returns of between 3.1% and 7.3%.In other news, the chief strategist of Denmark’s largest commercial pension provider PFA Pension warned that shares in social media companies should be viewed with caution and were too expensive.Even though both Twitter and LinkedIn recently reported positive interim financial figures, the sector is high-priced, he said.Henrik Henriksen, chief strategist at PFA Pension, said: “The shares are very expensive in relation to how much the companies are actually earning, so this is not an area we are particularly keen on.”Last week, Twitter reported revenue of $312m (€234m) for its second-quarter financial period, up 124% from the same period the year before.This was followed by LinkedIn’s report of a 47% year-on-year increase in sales to $534m.Henriksen said that, while the interim reports from both companies had prompted fillips in their share prices, this had simply been a reaction to the fact the numbers were better than expected, and also the fact that the shares had performed badly so far this year.The high prices of shares in social media firms were driven in particular by hopes about the amount the companies could earn in future, and this made them unsafe investments, he said.“It is true that, compared with before, these companies have some exciting and more sustainable business models,” he said.“But the question remains how much will they cost, and how much future growth is priced into the shares.”
Officials lostcontact with the plane, owned by Canadian firefighting company CoulsonAviation, shortly before 13:30 local time (02:30 GMT). SinceSeptember, Australia has battled a bushfire crisis which has now killed atleast 33 people. Over 70 bushfires are still raging across NSW alone.(BBC) Captain IanMcBeth, first officer Paul Clyde Hudson and flight engineer Rick A DeMorgan Jr.were killed in New South Wales (NSW) on Thursday. SYDNEY – ThreeUnited States firefighters who died when their air tanker crashed whilebattling blazes in Australia have been identified.
The victims (from left) were Ian McBeth, Paul Clyde Hudson and Rick A DeMorgan Jr. They are United States firefighters who died when their air tanker crashed while battling blazes in Australia. REUTERS The cause ofthe C-130 Hercules crash is not yet known.
The 7th grade BMS volleyball team lost a tough match against Sunman Dearborn: 25-15 and 25-19. Cayman Werner made 8 out of 10 serves with 4 of them being aces. Laney Walsman had 7 great serves and Ashlee Cornn made all 4 of her serves! Laney Walsman, Kennedy Westrick, Jenna Honnert, and Isabelle Westerfeld did a great job passing. Jadyn Harrington had 2 good hits. Following with one good hit was Kaitlyn Sarringhaus, Megan Meyer, and Tiffany Hawker. Their record is 3-5.Courtesy of Bulldogs Coach Megan Werner.The BMS 8th grade volleyball team played well against an undefeated Sunman Dearborn team. In game 1 the Bulldogs come close 25-21. In game 2 the team had the lead, but fell short 25-24. Gabby Elston, Syndee Schaafer, and Ellen Bauer played hard in the back row against their strong serves and attacks. Earning point for the Bulldogs was Shelby Westerfeld with 10 service points. Brayleigh Patterson brought in 5 service points and Sophie Lee had 4 service points. Katie Shane earned 2 kills. The team is now 5-3. They face St. Louis at home tonight. Come out and support your Bulldogs.Courtesy of Bulldogs Coach Angie Ehrman.
The lockdown has meant that the race for this year’s Eunisell Boot remains under wraps, though the battle for the biggest individual prize in Nigeria’s top division is expected to resume soon.This season, strikers in the Nigeria Professional Football League are proving to be prolific in front of goal. With the season just past the halfway mark, four players are already in double figures so far and the projection is that one of them could reach the 20-goal mark.The most goals in a season in the NPFL still stands at 23, a feat which was achieved by a former winner of the Eunisell Boot, Mfon Udoh, six years ago.However, the field for this season throws up different contenders, with Rangers forward, Israel Abia, the frontrunner with 12 goals.On his heels are Ndifreke Effiong of Akwa United, Auwalu Ali of Kano Pillars and Plateau United’s Ibrahim Mustapha on 11 goals apiece, while Enyimba’s Victor Mbaoma is on nine goals.Top league writer, Fisayo Dairo, believes only three of the five players are frontrunners in the Eunisell Boot race. Dairo picks Abia, Effiong and Mbaoma ahead of others and posits that Abia looks likely to reach 20 goals this term.He said: “The front runners for me will be the trio of Israel Abia, Ndifreke Effiong and Victor Mbaoma.“Abia because he was already settling in perfectly at Rangers and scored twice in his last game.“The unfortunate death of Ifeanyi George also avails him the chance to play all games.“So you can fancy him to get up to eight goals in the remaining 14 matches for Rangers. “Ndifreke Effiong also because he seems to have mastered how to score in the nooks and crannies of the league.“Having to play with a forward together, sometimes Akarandut Orok or Saidu Salisu, has also helped him to do less physical work and concentrate on finishing.“For Mbaoma, Enyimba have now gelled under Fatai Osho, his manager when he was one of the top scorers three years ago.“I believe with the number of chances that Enyimba create each game, especially from someone like Cyril Olisema, Mbaoma and Dimgba will still score plenty more goals before the season ends.”RelatedPosts NPFL: Coach Dogo leaves Sunshine Stars NFF sanctions NPFL 2019/2020 final table Ex-Eagles’ keeper joins Kwara United However, Auwalu cannot be dismissed as making up the number.He has been Kano Pillars’ mainstay for goals – scoring five in his last three matches before the lockdown.Mustapha has also thrown his hat in the ring, scoring thrice in his last two matches for Plateau United following about a month’s spell without a goal.With the League Management Company a few days ago stating its plans to restart the top division and run it within six to eight weeks following the lockdown by the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the battle to claim the Eunisell Boot this year will take shape as the run-in to the season looms.TOP-FIVE EUNISELL BOOT SCORERS12 GOALS Israel Abia (Rangers)11 GOALS Ndifreke Effiong (Akwa United) Auwalu Ali (Kano Pillars) Ibrahim Mustapha (Plateau United)9 GOALS Victor Mbaoma (Enyimba).Tags: Eunisell BootGoal Scoringnpfl
Irish siblings Sam and Chloe Magee had to settle for badminton mixed doubles bronze after losing their semi-final to French pair Gaeten Fontaine and Audrey Mittel on Saturday. The Magees rallied in the second set, but were beaten 21-12 23-21, giving Sam a second bronze medal having also reached the podium with brother Josh in the men’s doubles on Friday. And the Letterkenny 25-year-old pronounced himself “over the moon” with his haul after revealing he had been struggling with a back injury since arriving in Baku. Magee said: “I injured my back and the doctor told me I had to pull out, but the team said to come just to see what I can do. “I had no expectations at all. A week ago I couldn’t bend my back forward and I had given up on my dream of winning a medal. But once you get that close to gold, you want more.” Ireland’s Katie Taylor strengthened her claim to be the greatest women’s boxer of all time as she outpointed Estelle Mossely of France to claim the 18th major title of her career at the European Games in Baku. Taylor’s triumph was much more expected, and now only India’s six-time world champion Mary Kom can come anywhere close to eclipsing the Bray 28-year-old’s career achievement in women’s competition. Taylor said: “I felt a bit tired after my previous bout but I managed to pull through. My main goal is to go on to defend my Olympic title – I want to go down in history as the greatest female boxer of all time.” While Taylor enjoyed an easier final than her wafer-thin semi-final verdict over Azerbaijan’s Yana Alekseevna on Friday, she was still tested by Mosseley and admitted the strain of the competition had left her some way short of her best. The favourite struggled to find her range in a first round which one judge gave in favour of her opponent, but she was far more accurate with right hooks in the second, and pressed home her advantage in the second half of the contest. Taylor added: “I felt like she was causing me a small bit of trouble. I’ve had great preparation for this competition so it wasn’t the fitness at all, but yesterday’s bout took its toll mentally and physically really. “Sometimes you go into the ring feeling more tired than usual but you have to dig deep and pull through and I think that is the mark of a great champion.” If Taylor’s win was to be expected the same could not be said of 22-year-old Portlaoise middleweight O’Reilly, a relative newcomer to the Irish elite programme who was not given much of a chance against World Series of Boxing finalist Musalov. But O’Reilly caught his opponent off-guard with a furious start to claim the first round, and although he showed signs of tiring in a second which swung Musalov’s way, a rousing finale saw the unassuming O’Reilly scrape a deserved victory. Press Association Taylor conceded she was not at her best following a recent wrist injury but she still proved a cut above her competition as she added the inaugural lightweight gold to her Olympic crown and five world championship titles. And team-mate Michael O’Reilly made it double boxing gold for Ireland when he shocked home favourite Xaybula Musalov to claim the middleweight title in a rousing scrap in front of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev. 
COLORADO STATE-COVID-19-INVESTIGATIONColorado St investigates athlete claims on COVID reportingFORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado State President Joyce McConnell says she will launch an investigation into how the athletic department handled COVID-19 safety protocols amid a report that players were told not to reveal symptoms. The investigation stems from an article published in the Coloradoan on Tuesday. According to the newspaper, Colorado State football players and members of the athletic staff say coaches told them not to report coronavirus symptoms and threatened players with reduced playing time should they quarantine.McConnell promised a swift investigation and full transparency. August 5, 2020 The Browns promoted Gossett from the practice squad late last season. His loss will hurt Cleveland’s depth and likely force general manager Andrew Berry to look for free agents.Gossett is the second Browns guard to opt out, following Drew Forbes. The team also will be without offensive tackle Drake Dorbeck and defensive tackle Andrew Billings.The deadline for players opting out is Thursday at 4 p.m.MLB-NEWSCOVID-stricken Cards shuffle roster — Nationals slugger Juan Soto could return to the starting lineup Wednesday after a stint on the COVID-19 injured list. Soto was sidelined on opening day following a positive test and returned to team workouts Saturday. He was available to pinch hit Tuesday in the opener of a two-game series against the Mets. He didn’t play, but he made his presence felt. When Howie Kendrick homered in the first inning, Soto hopped atop the home dugout and boogied as the speakers blared Montell Jordan’s 1995 hit, “This Is How We Do It.” Soto repeated the celebration an inning later when Josh Harrison delivered his first homer of 2020.— The Yankees and Phillies are scheduled to play two seven-inning games in Philadelphia. New York will be the “home” team in the opener after last night’s game in the Bronx was postponed due to weather. The Yankees have won seven straight — the equivalent of a 19-0 stretch in a 162-game season.— Cleveland manager Terry Francona is undergoing medical tests for a gastrointestinal issue, and there remains no clear timetable for when he’ll return to the team. President Chris Antonetti, who is with the team in Cincinnati, doesn’t know when Francona will be back but doesn’t think he will be sidelined for a significant period. Cleveland is scheduled to open a two-game series at home with the Reds. UNDATED (AP) — The coronavirus-ridden Cardinals are expected to make more transactions after placing six players on the injured list, including confirmed COVID-19 cases Yadier Molina, Paul DeJong, Edmundo Sosa, Junior Fernandez and Kodi Whitley.St. Louis also put pitcher Carlos Martinez on the injured list and activated reliever Brad Miller from the injured list. The Cardinals have been out of action since Friday due to an outbreak that resulted in the postponement of their three-game weekend series at Milwaukee as well as a four-game series with Detroit. The club is hoping to resume play by hosting the Chicago Cubs on Friday.The Cardinals who have tested positive have returned home while the rest of the team remains isolated in Milwaukee hotel rooms. In other MLB news: Update on the latest sports
Share This StoryFacebookTwitteremailPrintLinkedinRedditUCONN-SEASON CANCELEDUConn becomes 1st FBS program to cancel football over virusSTORRS, Conn. (AP) — The University of Connecticut has canceled its 2020-2021 football season, becoming the first FBS program to suspend football because of the coronavirus pandemic. UConn athletic director David Benedict made the announcement Wednesday, saying competition would place student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk. UConn had been scheduled to play its first season as an independent after leaving the American Athletic Conference. The Huskies had already been taken off the schedules of Illinois, Indiana, Maine and Mississippi by those schools, and games against North Carolina and Virginia remained uncertain. Many of the Power Five conferences are playing league-only games this season.The Huskies began spring practice on Feb. 4 and were one of the only teams in the country to complete a full spring schedule. The team returned to campus in early July and UConn officials say no one has tested positive for the coronavirus.Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont had expressed reluctance to allow the football team to travel to any state with a high virus infection rate. He said the team would be subject to the state’s 14-day quarantine rule upon its return to Storrs from away games.Connecticut, New York and New Jersey have travel advisories that require visitors from more than 30 states and Puerto Rico to quarantine for 14 days, with certain exceptions. Associated Press Colorado State voluntarily paused football team activities on July 29. The school said there have been 16 positive cases among all student-athletes, including 11 in football. On Monday, Colorado State announced it had conducted 150 tests on student-athletes for the coronavirus. The results are expected later this week.NFL-NEWSGossett becomes 4th Browns player to opt outUNDATED (AP) — Cleveland Browns guard Colby Gossett has opted out of the 2020 season, becoming the fourth player on the team — and third offensive lineman — to decide not to play because of the coronavirus pandemic.Gossett qualifies for the high-risk opt-out agreed to by the NFLPA and will receive a $350,000 stipend for not playing. He was due to make $675,00 this season. 