Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
How Much Money is Enough for a Comfortable Retirement?
How Much Money is Enough for a Comfortable Retirement?
By Ronald Delegge
5 hours ago
In
2011, the oldest members of the Baby Boom generation reached retirement
age and over the next 15 years, around 8,000 Boomers per day will turn
65. And as more Americans contemplate life in retirement and preparing
for it, they need to have a clearer picture of what their income (AGG) needs will be after they’re done working full-time.
Although
overall retirement income adequacy for Baby Boomers and Generation X
households improved last year, helped by rising stock prices (VTI),
the gap between haves and have-nots in retirement readiness is still
very wide. Various factors, especially access to 401(k)-type retirement
plans, can produce significant individual differences, according to the
Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).In my latest retirement planning video, I talk with Ron Surz at PPCA about calculating the exact sum a person will need to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. I also examine strategies for people who haven’t saved enough, in addition to reaching a feasible money accumulation goal for individuals who are still working.
Longevity and high health care costs still play huge roles in retirement income planning.
For
both of these factors, a comparison between the most “risky” quartile
with the least risky quartile shows a spread of approximately 30% for
the lowest income range, approximately 25% to 40% for the highest income
range, and even larger spreads for those in the middle income ranges.
“It
would appear that while retirement income adequacy depends to a large
degree on the household’s relative wage level and future years of
eligibility in a defined contribution plan, a great deal of
the variability in these values could be mitigated by appropriate
risk-management techniques at or near retirement age,” said Jack
VanDerhei, EBRI research director.
What to buy at Walmart and what to avoid
By Dan DiClerico
5 hours ago
Walmart winners
White Cloud 3-Ply Ultra toilet paper. Our top-rated toilet paper is sold only at Walmart. Its strong, soft, and disintegrates cleanly, so it shouldn’t pose a problem for plumbing. What more could you ask for? How about a very competitive price of 29 cents per 100 square feet? Add it to the shopping cart!
Great Value Strong & Absorbent paper towels. These paper towels just missed our recommended list, but we’ll still call this a Walmart-exclusive winner as they scored highly for absorbency, scrubbing, and wet strength. Plus they're true to their name, with a low price of a just over $2.
Equate Ultra Protection SPF 50 sunscreen. Hot sunny weather is still a fantasy in many parts of the country, but when it does arrive, this Walmart-exclusive sunscreen will be an excellent option. It was very good at blocking UVA raditation and costs just $9.00 for a 16-ounce bottle.
Grill King 810-2545-C gas grill. Grilling season is just around the corner. Here’s a very good Walmart exclusive model to consider. The $260 grill is fairly quick to preheat, offers great high temp evenness and very good low temp evenness, and its coated-cast-iron grates should resist corrosion.
GE AEW06LQ air conditioner. Also looking ahead to summer, this GE air conditioner offers exceptional comfort at a very appealing price. Several models scored better in our tests, but they often cost a lot more. Plus the GE’s score was dropped by the fact that it doesn‘t blow air well to the right, which might not be an issue depending on your room configuration.
Great Value Naturals laundry detergent. This detergent is safe for use in all types of laundry machines—just don’t expect sparkling results. Indeed, it is the lowest scoring of all tested detergents, only a bit better than plain water at tackling soils. Though they missed our recommended list, Great Value Original Clean and White Cloud laundry detergents are much better options.
Better Homes and Gardens BG1755B gas grill. Here’s a Walmart grill you should probably pass on. The $360 midsize gas grill got a poor in our tests for high and low temperature evenness, and it was only so-so at preheating.
Bissell Rewind CleanView Pet 18M9W upright vacuum. You can’t beat the price on this $90 bagless upright vacuum, but you can definitely find a better performing model. It was especially poor at emissions, or a vacuum’s ability to hold on to the dirt and dust that it picks up.
Farberware FP3000FBS food processor. This
$60 food processor does some things well, including chopping, slicing,
and shredding. But it was subpar at puréeing, a function that many
people look to when making soups, sauces, and other blended foods. Plus
it was one of the noisier models we tested, which could grate on your
nerves over time.
GE 169210 toaster.
This $25 two-slice toaster was among our lowest-scoring models. It was
especially bad at maintaining consistent results over successive batches
of toast. It also was merely average at making an evenly browned single
slice of toast.
—Daniel DiClerico
Israeli airstrikes escalate tensions with Syria
Israeli airstrikes escalate tensions with Syria
By DANIEL ESTRIN
29 minutes ago
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli
warplanes unleashed a series of airstrikes on Syrian military posts
early Wednesday, killing one soldier and wounding seven in one of the
most serious clashes between the countries in the past four decades.
The airstrikes
came in retaliation for a roadside bombing a day earlier in the Golan
Heights that wounded four Israeli soldiers on patrol along the tense
frontier with Syria. The overnight raids marked a sharp escalation of
activity for Israel, which largely has stayed on the sidelines during
Syrian President Bashar Assad's battle against rebels trying to topple
him.
It is unclear which of the many groups fighting in Syria may
have planted Tuesday's bomb. But Israel has said it holds Assad
responsible for any attacks emanating from his country, and accused his
forces of allowing the attack to take place."Our policy is clear. We hurt those who hurt us," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Assad would "regret his actions" if attacks continue.
Israel captured the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau overlooking northern Israel, from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war. It later annexed the area, though that move is not internationally recognized.
Gunfire and mortar shells from the fighting in Syria have occasionally landed in the Golan in recent years. Israel has said much of the fire was errant, but has responded with artillery fire in several cases. None of those reprisals, however, were as intense as Wednesday's airstrikes.
The Israeli military said its warplanes hit a Syrian army training facility, an army headquarters and artillery batteries. Israel also had carried out artillery strikes against Syrian military targets shortly after Tuesday's bombing.
The Syrian military said the raids early Wednesday targeted three army posts near the town of Quneitra, on the edge of the Israeli-occupied part of the Golan. It confirmed the death of one soldier and said seven were wounded.
The Syrian army denounced the airstrikes as Israel's "desperate attempt to escalate and worsen the situation" and to divert attention from Damascus' advances on the battlefront, especially the military's capture last weekend of a key rebel stronghold near the Lebanese border.
"Repeating such hostile acts (airstrikes) would endanger the security and stability of the region and make it open to all possibilities," a Syrian military statement said.
Analysts
said they did not expect the situation to deteriorate, since neither
Israel nor Syria is interested in a full-fledged war. Assad is focused
on his battle against the rebels and Israel has little desire to upset a
period of relative quiet. Syria's ally, Hezbollah, possesses tens of
thousands of rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.
Even so, the area has seen an increase in tensions in recent weeks.
Last week, a roadside bomb exploded near an Israeli military patrol along the Lebanese border, causing no injuries. Israel responded with tank and artillery fire at suspected Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
Earlier this month, the Israeli army said it killed two militants affiliated with Hezbollah — whose forces are fighting in Syria alongside Assad's troops — as they were trying to plant a bomb along the frontier.
Also, an Israeli airstrike last month reportedly targeted a suspected Hezbollah weapons convoy in northeastern Lebanon, though officials in Israel never confirmed it. Hezbollah said it would retaliate for the airstrike, which killed a Hezbollah official overseeing the operation.
Israel stopped short of blaming Hezbollah outright for Tuesday's bombing, but defense officials said the group remained the main suspect.
Israel and Hezbollah are bitter enemies. They fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate, and both sides have been gearing up for another confrontation.
Israel
has said it will not allow sophisticated weapons to flow from Syria to
the Iranian-supported Hezbollah. Since the Syrian war broke out, Israel
has carried out a series of airstrikes in Syria that destroyed weapons
shipments believed to be headed to Hezbollah.
While the Israel and
Syria have largely refrained from direct confrontation since the 1973
Mideast war, Israel has shown a readiness to act.
In
2007, Israeli warplanes bombed a suspected nuclear reactor in Syria,
and on two previous occasions, Israeli warplanes buzzed over Assad's
palace in a show of strength. In 2003, Israel also bombed a training
camp belonging to a Syrian-backed militant group that had carried out a
suicide bombing in Israel.
Israel
also remains concerned that an ouster of Assad could see power in Syria
fall to Islamic militants there, particularly al-Qaida-linked groups,
and further destabilize the region.
Israeli
analyst Ephraim Kam said neither Syria nor Israel want war, and that
Hezbollah and Israel are interested in only limited confrontations.
"What
can Israel achieve by going to war?" asked Kam, a researcher at the
Israeli Institute for National Security Studies. "Syria is not in a
position to go to war now, with civil war taking place."
___
Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
12 Spring Cleaning Tips Your Mom Never Told You
Shine from Yahoo 
Need simple solutions for sprucing up your home and wardrobe this spring? Our experts will get you decorganized in no time flat. By Monique John, REDBOOK.
1. Give Stained Clothes a Second Chance
Before shelling out big bucks on a new wardrobe for spring, do a quick survey of the beautiful clothes you already have. Have a shirt you love but can't wear because of an ink stain? Before cleaning it, soak it in solution with two-parts milk and one part white vinegar overnight. Stain, be gone.
2. Clean Your Toilet-With Kool-Aid
It may be better known as one of America's favorite juice mixers, but Kool-Aid can be used in another very important way: as toilet bowl cleaner. "Kool-Aid is natural and non-toxic. It's full of citric-acid that will clean the toilet," cleaning guru Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan says. The cherry flavor is his favorite. Before you go to bed, flush your toilet and pour in a packet of Kool-Aid. Let it sit overnight and flush in morning. Don't worry about stains; because it's being used on a porcelain surface, the color won't bleed. A can of Coca Cola or Pepsi can also do the job, according to Todd Saunders, president of the Cleaning Specialists of America. Who knew!?
Related: The 15 Best Budget-Friendly Design Secrets
3. Have an Arsenal in Each Room
Don't waste time trying to find your cleaning supplies. "If you have multiple bathrooms, I recommend putting products in buckets in each bathroom," cleaning specialist Laura Wittmann says. "It saves you the time running around from the kitchen.
4. Swap Paper Towels for Newspapers
Paper towels are not always the most effective for wiping surfaces, especially glass. "There's oil on glass, and that's where the streaking comes from, Gillingham-Ryan explains. While paper towels simply smear the oil, newspapers can penetrate it, making the glass shinier. For cleaning windows, Gillingham-Ryan suggests, "Use dry bundles of newspaper and solution with alcohol to cut the grease. It scrapes the window, removing the grease, and then it wipes the window once it's reached the surface."
For a stronger window cleaning solution, try mixing 1/2 cup of ammonia, 1/2 cup of alcohol and a couple teaspoons lf Down in a gallon of lukewarm water. Anthony Barnes from Glo-Pro Cleaners says that mix is more effective than Windex, which may not be compatible with the kind of window you have.
5. These Colors Won't Run
The most dreaded part of doing laundry is definitely the tedious task of gathering and sorting--once the clothes are actually in the machine, it's smooth sailing. Wittmann says it doesn't have to be that way: "I don't sort my laundry. I wash each child's laundry separately with vinegar to keep the colors from running. I don't even need to use fabric softener."
Acid in distilled white vinegar is strong enough break down detergent's alkalies, making it more effective in cleaning your clothes-yet still mild enough to preserve and soften fabrics. The acid also makes your clothes smell fresher because it cuts through perspiration and residual deodorant. Don't worry about the vinegar's odor--it goes away as the clothes dry.
Make sure you have individual baskets for each person in the house. When it's time to wash, add a half a cup to a cup (depending on the size of the load) of white vinegar with laundry detergent when filling up the washing machine. Be sure to separate red items and new denim for the first wash.
Related: The 25 Best Snacks for Weight Loss
6. Run on Empty
If you find spots on your glassware, it's time to run an empty cycle. Gillingham-Ryan suggests clearing the dishwasher and running a cycle with a package of citric acid crystals you can find at the drugstore or supermarket in the canning or spice aisle. Then, run another cycle with regular detergent. Make sure to rinse and soak stained dishes in Clorox and water before putting them in the dishwasher. This will stop stains from spreading to other plates and flatware.
7. Improve Your Flow
After you've cleaned the air vents in your house, wax them with car wax. "This way the dust won't build up as quickly, and the air will pass through better," Gillingham-Ryan says.
8. Keep it Dry
Most people would think to wipe their walls with a wet rag, but Gillingham-Rhyan suggests otherwise. "[Use] a dry microfiber towel on a wall and stay dry on the wall in general. Then on smaller, more detailed surfaces like knobs and molding, use surface cleaner with the microfiber towels." Gillingham-Ryan suggests using Magic Erasers from Mr. Clean on tough stains.
9. Ditch the Funk
There's nothing like warm spring air coming through open windows to get rid of winter stuffiness. However, it might take more than fresh air to ditch the smell. "At the end of the day, nature is your best answer," says Gillingham-Ryan, who suggests an "all-natural beeswax candle with a mild scent to clean the air." Avoid using chemically-laden cleaning products when cleaning floors. Gillingham-Ryan suggests using lavender rather than citrus. "Lavender is much nicer than citrus; it's more of a food smell than a cleaner one." Since winter funk tends to settle in fabrics, try sprinkling your carpet with baking soda before vacuuming. For an elegant final touch, place a vase filled with fresh flowers and light some beeswax candles on your countertop.
Related: The Secret to Completely Transforming Your Home
10. Fight Stains With Toothpaste
Did your little one get crayon stains on the wall again? Saunders suggests dabbing some toothpaste onto a damp napkin to wipe it out. "But don't lather it on," he warns, "or it'll get pasty." Saunders also says you can use the same technique to clean scuffs off your shoes, the bottom of an iron, or on chrome surfaces in the bathroom to make them shine.
11. Rub Away Pet Hair
No one likes a couch coated in pet hair, but who wants to pick it up strand by strand? Luckily, Saunders says you can get if off by using a dishwashing glove. "Wear any latex or dishwashing glove and rub it rapidly [on the upholstery]. It builds up an electrical charge and the hair will stick to it." When you're done, just take the glove off and throw it in the trash.
12. Create a Self-Cleaning Tub
No one enjoys dealing with mold and mildew that builds up in the shower, so add some booze to the equation. Saunders suggests spraying the area with vodka-its acids will cut right through the grime. Let the vodka sit for 10 minutes, then clean normally. It'll cut down on scrubbing-big time.
If you have a whirlpool, let Gillingham-Ryan's cleaning solution do the work for you. Fill the tub with hot water halfway to the top so jets are covered. Add 1/2 cup of bleach to disinfect and 1 tbsp powdered dishwashing detergent to lift grease. Run the jets for 15 minutes. Then, clear out the tub and rinse the jets by refilling the tub with cold water and running the jets for another 15 minutes.
1. Give Stained Clothes a Second Chance
Before shelling out big bucks on a new wardrobe for spring, do a quick survey of the beautiful clothes you already have. Have a shirt you love but can't wear because of an ink stain? Before cleaning it, soak it in solution with two-parts milk and one part white vinegar overnight. Stain, be gone.
2. Clean Your Toilet-With Kool-Aid
It may be better known as one of America's favorite juice mixers, but Kool-Aid can be used in another very important way: as toilet bowl cleaner. "Kool-Aid is natural and non-toxic. It's full of citric-acid that will clean the toilet," cleaning guru Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan says. The cherry flavor is his favorite. Before you go to bed, flush your toilet and pour in a packet of Kool-Aid. Let it sit overnight and flush in morning. Don't worry about stains; because it's being used on a porcelain surface, the color won't bleed. A can of Coca Cola or Pepsi can also do the job, according to Todd Saunders, president of the Cleaning Specialists of America. Who knew!?
Related: The 15 Best Budget-Friendly Design Secrets
3. Have an Arsenal in Each Room
Don't waste time trying to find your cleaning supplies. "If you have multiple bathrooms, I recommend putting products in buckets in each bathroom," cleaning specialist Laura Wittmann says. "It saves you the time running around from the kitchen.
4. Swap Paper Towels for Newspapers
Paper towels are not always the most effective for wiping surfaces, especially glass. "There's oil on glass, and that's where the streaking comes from, Gillingham-Ryan explains. While paper towels simply smear the oil, newspapers can penetrate it, making the glass shinier. For cleaning windows, Gillingham-Ryan suggests, "Use dry bundles of newspaper and solution with alcohol to cut the grease. It scrapes the window, removing the grease, and then it wipes the window once it's reached the surface."
For a stronger window cleaning solution, try mixing 1/2 cup of ammonia, 1/2 cup of alcohol and a couple teaspoons lf Down in a gallon of lukewarm water. Anthony Barnes from Glo-Pro Cleaners says that mix is more effective than Windex, which may not be compatible with the kind of window you have.
5. These Colors Won't Run
The most dreaded part of doing laundry is definitely the tedious task of gathering and sorting--once the clothes are actually in the machine, it's smooth sailing. Wittmann says it doesn't have to be that way: "I don't sort my laundry. I wash each child's laundry separately with vinegar to keep the colors from running. I don't even need to use fabric softener."
Acid in distilled white vinegar is strong enough break down detergent's alkalies, making it more effective in cleaning your clothes-yet still mild enough to preserve and soften fabrics. The acid also makes your clothes smell fresher because it cuts through perspiration and residual deodorant. Don't worry about the vinegar's odor--it goes away as the clothes dry.
Make sure you have individual baskets for each person in the house. When it's time to wash, add a half a cup to a cup (depending on the size of the load) of white vinegar with laundry detergent when filling up the washing machine. Be sure to separate red items and new denim for the first wash.
Related: The 25 Best Snacks for Weight Loss
6. Run on Empty
If you find spots on your glassware, it's time to run an empty cycle. Gillingham-Ryan suggests clearing the dishwasher and running a cycle with a package of citric acid crystals you can find at the drugstore or supermarket in the canning or spice aisle. Then, run another cycle with regular detergent. Make sure to rinse and soak stained dishes in Clorox and water before putting them in the dishwasher. This will stop stains from spreading to other plates and flatware.
7. Improve Your Flow
After you've cleaned the air vents in your house, wax them with car wax. "This way the dust won't build up as quickly, and the air will pass through better," Gillingham-Ryan says.
8. Keep it Dry
Most people would think to wipe their walls with a wet rag, but Gillingham-Rhyan suggests otherwise. "[Use] a dry microfiber towel on a wall and stay dry on the wall in general. Then on smaller, more detailed surfaces like knobs and molding, use surface cleaner with the microfiber towels." Gillingham-Ryan suggests using Magic Erasers from Mr. Clean on tough stains.
9. Ditch the Funk
There's nothing like warm spring air coming through open windows to get rid of winter stuffiness. However, it might take more than fresh air to ditch the smell. "At the end of the day, nature is your best answer," says Gillingham-Ryan, who suggests an "all-natural beeswax candle with a mild scent to clean the air." Avoid using chemically-laden cleaning products when cleaning floors. Gillingham-Ryan suggests using lavender rather than citrus. "Lavender is much nicer than citrus; it's more of a food smell than a cleaner one." Since winter funk tends to settle in fabrics, try sprinkling your carpet with baking soda before vacuuming. For an elegant final touch, place a vase filled with fresh flowers and light some beeswax candles on your countertop.
Related: The Secret to Completely Transforming Your Home
10. Fight Stains With Toothpaste
Did your little one get crayon stains on the wall again? Saunders suggests dabbing some toothpaste onto a damp napkin to wipe it out. "But don't lather it on," he warns, "or it'll get pasty." Saunders also says you can use the same technique to clean scuffs off your shoes, the bottom of an iron, or on chrome surfaces in the bathroom to make them shine.
11. Rub Away Pet Hair
No one likes a couch coated in pet hair, but who wants to pick it up strand by strand? Luckily, Saunders says you can get if off by using a dishwashing glove. "Wear any latex or dishwashing glove and rub it rapidly [on the upholstery]. It builds up an electrical charge and the hair will stick to it." When you're done, just take the glove off and throw it in the trash.
12. Create a Self-Cleaning Tub
No one enjoys dealing with mold and mildew that builds up in the shower, so add some booze to the equation. Saunders suggests spraying the area with vodka-its acids will cut right through the grime. Let the vodka sit for 10 minutes, then clean normally. It'll cut down on scrubbing-big time.
If you have a whirlpool, let Gillingham-Ryan's cleaning solution do the work for you. Fill the tub with hot water halfway to the top so jets are covered. Add 1/2 cup of bleach to disinfect and 1 tbsp powdered dishwashing detergent to lift grease. Run the jets for 15 minutes. Then, clear out the tub and rinse the jets by refilling the tub with cold water and running the jets for another 15 minutes.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Letters to my Inbox "Dear Abe"
“Am really enjoying your posts...thanks for your willingness
to share...”
Think how much more you would enjoy them if you put a monetary value on them and send it with your next missive.
Think how much more you would enjoy them if you put a monetary value on them and send it with your next missive.
“After eating foods how do i stop acid in my tummy to stop wanting to come up? I've tried bred excep it only works for a little bit and how do i eat foods without getting an upset tummy? Its becoming a very huge problem my mom keeps getting mad at me for wanting to get food that don't make my tummy upset as bad and thats veggie's with pasta's and chicken mixed into it like popcorn chicken or chicken nuggets or white canned chicken yet the canned chicken with the water or what they put in it like chicken noodle soup upsets my tummy and the acid has a hard time staying down. Whats wrong with me? I've had this problem for a very long time i'm unable to remember when i didn't have it its why i never enjoy food i enhail it even thou it tastes great or bad it never seems to agree with my tummy.”
My advice to you is to get a tummy tuck, back up from the
table, get your lazy butt off the couch and get a job.
“I need some kind of help, I have some problem where I get
really tired then like an hour later it goes away. I don't know what's wrong,
and it's been happening for a week.”
I would suggest that you pace 4 and ½ steps forward and pirouette
about face and pace 4 and ½ steps back.
Fold your hands behind you as if you were contemplating something which
might be difficult as reasonable assessment doesn’t seem to be one of your
strong suits. Do this until you have
worked up enough lather that you fall on the ground, and while there just go to
sleep.
“Am thin and i want
to put on weight ,what should i do?”
Throw out your Ken doll since you obviously are not happy and get a
cabbage patch doll and lower your standards of expectation. You can visit person #1 above since they can’t
stop eating.
“Was wanting to know what is a fatty liver and what causes
it?”
Look you gluttonous pig, quit
worrying about your fatty liver and get out there and worry about someones
skinny liver because they don’t have enough food on the table.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
This man wants to spend the rest of his life in prison
Maurice Cemond, 38, listened to his attorney tell how long
the prison sentence might be for the latest bunch of forgery raps. Cemond thought a moment, then spoke.
“I want you to get me as much time as possible.” he said.
“You what?” the attorney asked.
That has been Cemond’s problem lately. Nobody seems to
understand his ambition, his goal.
Cemond, you see, has decided he wants to spend the rest of
his life in prison. He wants solitary
confinement too, if it’s no bother.
“I’ve thought it through,” he says “My mind is made up.”
Maurice Cemond didn’t start out hoping for a life sentence
at some slammer. He was a bright and cocky ghetto Kid, in fact, with the sense
that he could be “somebody great.”
Then one day he shoplifted, unsuccessfully, at a Chicago clothing
store. “I just wanted to look
presentable,” he said.
That began a life of crime—and a life of custody. Cemond’s felonies were nonviolent, mostly
thefts and bad checks, but they were enough to put him in nearly a dozen jails
and prisons during the next 23 years. Statesville,
Leavenworth, Terre Haute. He’d no sooner get out than be invited back in.
And during all
the moving back and forth, he began to notice something. He couldn’t cope on
the outside. Cope? He had never really
learned how the outside worked.
“I just couldn’t never seem to catch up,” he said. “Oh, I’d
go to the halfway houses, but they’d just get my $50 (release money) and that’d
be all from them. I tried to get work.
“But I’d always fall right back in that big hole. You see, they got a big hole just outside every prison.
And the only way to get past that big
hole is if somebody’s waiting on the other side with his hands out. There ain’t
nobody, so I fall back in.
Cemond never married. He wasn’t ever outside long enough to woo
anybody. His grandmother and two sisters
are still in Chicago. But Cemond said he hates to be a burden. And nobody seems
ready to hire him for the one profession he says he could really excel at. “BANKING.”
He said. “The banks could save millions if they’d hire me. I could teach
them a lot about security.”
Besides, Cemond said, he has learned to live adequately, if not quite
grandly, in prison. It is where the world leaves him alone. And maybe that’s enough.
Leavenworth
prison in Leavenworth, Kansas.
“Prison ain’t Cloud Nine” he said. “but the system seems to
work better for me. I’d just get off alone-what I’d do is volunteer for
solitary-and read. I’d read the dictionary,
I’d read the Bible, I’d find peace. I really would.”
Cemond sat in the County Jail as he reminisced. He had been
released from Statesville in 1978. Now he teetered at the big hole’s brink once
more, awaiting three separate trials on multiple counts of forgery and
attempted theft.
Cemond said there was no reason to feel sorry for him. If he
was going down again, he said, just let’s make if for keeps, that’s all.
“He is an unusual client,” observed his attorney, Herbert
Abrams, who is respecting Cemond’s wishers.
“I know I won’t forget his first words in court.”
“Give me liberty or give me life.” Cemond told Circuit Court
Judge Daniel Ryan at a July 25 pretrial hearing.
Cemond’s attorney stood there quietly. The entire court, as
he recalls it, was now suddenly quiet.
The Judge and prosecutor listened transfixed as Cemond
explained that he simply wanted to get in one lump[ what he had been getting
piecemeal the life of a lifer. He was prepared to pleads guilty, in fact, if he
could be promised forever in the slammer.
The judge, still transfixed, did some scribbling. The best
Cemond could hope for was 30 years. Tops.
“That’s not good enough.” Cemond said.
It will take several more months to sort out the tangle of forgery
charges. The first trial is set for Sept
18. Cemond, meanwhile, is biding his
time. If he’s found guilty, he will plead for no mercy. If he’s found innocent,
what the hell, he might just appeal.
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