Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Fighting Words by Steve Vernon Was Billy Merchant actor Mark York disabled in real life? Was Billy Merchant actor Mark York disabled in real life? Mark had been a paraplegic since 1988 after he was involved in an automobile accident. This left him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But this didn't stop him pursuing his goals and, as well as an acting career, he also earned a triple major in Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work from Anderson University, Indiana. Mark was also a devoted volunteer for such organizations as the Spinal Cord Research Foundation, The Red Cross, The United Way, and March Of Dimes, He was all about raising money and awareness to find a cure for paralysis. He once told Dayton Daily News how the cast and crew of The Office was all about his efforts: "The line producer, Randy Cordray, approved a ‘set visit’ for our foundation to be able to raffle off as a prize in order to bring in the needed funding to cure paralysis. “Steve Carell even suggested that we (he) shoot a PSA right there on the set of The Office. “Also, Oscar Nunez verbalized to me that he is open to being included in it as well.” When did Mark pass away? It was revealed on May 24, 2021, that Mark had died. According to TMZ, he passed away at Miami Valley Hospital in Ohio. However while his death is said to have come quick, an exact cause of death has not been confirmed. Pernell Whitaker’s death dredges up memory of tragic anniversaries. Whitaker’s tragic death comes on the 10th anniversary of one of the most heart-breaking months in boxing history. Former champions Arturo Gatti, Vernon Forrest and Alexis Arguello were among eight boxers who died in July 2009, some from ring injuries, some by suicide, and some through criminal or unsolved circumstances that still haunt their family and friends today. Gatti, a junior welterweight and welterweight champion known for his courage and determination in the ring, was found dead on July 11, 2009, in a condo in Brazil, where he was on vacation with his wife. Gatti, 37, had retired two years earlier. His wife, Amanda Rodrigues, was initially held as a suspect in his death, but Brazilian authorities ultimately ruled Gatti committed suicide by hanging himself with a bag strap. Gatti’s manager, Pat Lynch, launched a private investigation on behalf of Gatti’s family into the circumstances surrounding the boxer’s death, but the suicide ruling still stands. “I still don’t think he committed suicide,” Lynch told The Post on Tuesday. “He was murdered. How and by whom I do not know. But it’s very difficult for me to grasp the fact that he committed suicide. I just don’t see it.” see also. Pernell Whitaker is boxing great who should've been much more. Forrest, a two-division world champion, was shot to death on July 25, 2009, in Atlanta when he was hit with eight bullets while chasing thieves who had robbed him as he put air in his tires. Forrest was 38 and popular in his community for his charitable work. DeMario Ware, Jquante Crews and Charman Sinkfield, the shooter, are all serving life sentences in connection with Forrest’s murder. “He was smart and opinionated,” said Forrest’s long-time publicist, Kelly Swanson. “He had to fight hard to get the championship opportunities he got. His boxing career wasn’t easy. But people genuinely liked him and respected him.” Arguello was 57 when the legendary featherweight champion committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest on July 1, 2009, in his home in Nicaragua. Arguello, best known for his brutal fights with Aaron Pryor, battled depression. Vernon Forrest AP. If alive, Gatti, Forrest and even Arguello would be enjoying the time in their lives when they would be celebrated for their careers. Boxing fans are loyal and love to see their heroes of the past. Whether it’s a Hall of Fame banquet or a mega-fight weekend, boxers of the past are becoming a cherished commodity as the sport tries to link the past with the present. Whitaker, 55, was a gold-medal winner and one of the best fighters of his era. He was set to make several appearances in Las Vegas this weekend related to the welterweight championship fight on Saturday featuring Manny Pacquiao against Keith Thurman. “They got robbed,” Duva said. “When you’ve got a legacy like those guys have, you really do get to be that person for the rest of your life and enjoy a lot of things you don’t think about when you’re young.” How Do You Want To Be Remembered? How do you want to be remembered by your relatives and friends when you leave this earth? Surprisingly, more than two-thirds (69%) of Americans say they most want to be remembered for the memories they’ve shared with loved ones, according to a recent insightful report prepared by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave. This finding held constant regardless of the amount of wealth held by survey respondents. The Merrill Lynch/Age Wave report defines the four pillars people could pass on to heirs and loved ones: Values and life lessons Instructions and wishes for late-life care and distributing assets Financial assets and real estate. All are important, but when forced to choose, 59% of survey respondents said that values and life lessons are the most important part of one’s legacy. Not providing sufficient details on all these pillars, however, can cause difficulty and strife among heirs, or leave them without a sense of closure. Yet less than one in five (18%) of survey respondents age 55 and older have prepared the recommended essentials: a will, healthcare directive, and durable power of attorney. Americans’ attitudes about financial giving have shifted. The study also revealed that most Americans now favor the idea of “giving while living,” which is one of the biggest shifts regarding inheritance. Two-thirds say they prefer to distribute part of their estate while still alive. This gives seniors both a say on how their estate is deployed and the chance to see the next generations benefiting from the inheritance. Prior generations tended to distribute all of their financial legacy after their deaths. Another shift is Americans’ views on distributing their estate, given the family realities prevalent in the 21 st century. Historically, Americans have distributed their financial assets in equal shares to their children. Yet two-thirds of Americans currently say that an adult child who provided them with care should receive a larger inheritance than children who didn’t. Nearly one-fourth of Americans also say that an adult child who has his or her own children should receive a larger inheritance than one who does not. And more than half (60%) say that stepchildren should receive the same amount of inheritance as biological or adopted children. “These wishes, if implemented, could have the potential for family discord, depending on expectations they might have around inheritances,” observes Surya Kolluri, Head of Retirement Thought Leadership at Bank of America Lynch. If any of the above views – or any others that your descendants may not be expecting – are important to you, it’s critical that you express your wishes clearly in writing, including the reasons for these wishes. It’s also best if you explain your wishes personally to all concerned while you’re still alive. Don’t leave a mess. “Think beyond the ‘get your affairs in order’ perspective that we often see in the movies, where a person waits until they’re on their deathbed to start thinking about distributing their estate.” That’s sage advice from Ken Dychtwald PhD and CEO of Age Wave, one of the authors of the study. The reality is that you should be preparing your wills and directives in your 60s, if you haven’t already, well before you think you need might them. The trouble is, many people would rather do anything else but think about what will happen after they die. But if you don’t leave clear instructions about how to distribute your estate, along with a clear roadmap to all your assets, you could leave a messy situation for your heirs to untangle. “If you leave a mess when you pass away, and if your heirs are fighting amongst each other, that might be the lasting memory that you leave,” Dychtwald asserts. “In this case, their heirs might not hold those fond memories that most Americans would prefer they leave behind.” Nobody said that living, retiring, and dying in America today would be easy. But if you take the necessary time to express your wishes, organize your assets and paperwork, and prepare all the recommended legal documents, you’ll have done your best to lay the right groundwork. The Merrill Lynch and Age Wave full report provides a good road map to guide your thinking. It also helps to explain your wishes – and the reasons – to your loved ones face to face. That can help get all your loved ones on the same page when the time comes for them to carry out your wishes. Then go enjoy your life, knowing you’ve done all you can to leave a lasting legacy for your family and friends. Ellen Foley's new album includes Michael Jung (Alice Donut) and Steve Goulding (The Mekons) Singer Ellen Foley is going to release a new album. as you may know, Foley has been active in the music scene since the early punk days, and recorded vocals on The Clash's Sandinista . Foley's 1981 album Spirit of St. Louis also featured the Clash as a backing band. Foley has also recorded with Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Meatloaf, and Joe Jackson. Her new album is called Fighting Words and includes contributions from Michael Jung (Alice Donut) and Steve Goulding (The Mekons). That's out august 6 via Urban Noise records. The record was produced by Paul Foglino Recorded, mixed by Michael Jung at Hizhaus and was mastered by Scott Anthony at Storybook Sound. Long-Term Care: What Are the Real Risks? My post last Monday -- Should You Buy Long-Term Care Insurance -- kicked off a series of posts on this important topic. This post helps you assess the likelihood that you'll incur high costs for long-term care. For some time, insurance companies selling long-term care insurance have cited statistics like these: Two-thirds of people aged 65 and over will need long-term care in their lifetime. A stay in a nursing home can cost over $70,000 per year. The first statistic may include stays at skilled nursing facilities that are covered by Medicare, for instance, or they can include people who receive care from friends and families -- both of which would significantly reduce one's out-of-pocket requirements. And not everybody who needs long- term care will have a lengthy stay in a nursing home that costs $70,000 per year. So while two-thirds of people may need long-term care at some point in their lifetime, not all of them will have trouble paying for it. A more useful set of statistics come from a comprehensive paper written by researchers and academics entitled Long-Term Care over an Uncertain Future: What Can Current Retirees Expect? This report, released in 2005, estimates the full range of out-of-pocket expenditures that people might expect to spend over their lifetime. For instance, according to this study: 42 percent of people turning age 65 will have no private out-of-pocket costs for long-term care over their lifetime. 19 percent of those turning 65 will have out-of-pocket costs under $10,000 over their lifetime. 8 percent will have costs between $10,000 and $25,000. 14 percent will have costs from $25,000 to $100,000. 11 percent will have costs over their lifetime from $100,000 to $250,000. 5 percent will have costs of $250,000 or more. Let's dig a little deeper on assessing the threat of ruinous long-term care bills. What are the odds you'll need long-term care in your lifetime, and for how long? The report cited above estimates that for people turning age 65 in 2005, 69 percent of this group will need some form of long-term care over their lifetime, for three years on average. Of this period, 1.9 years will be provided at home, with 1.1 years provided at any type of formal facility. Looking at the most expensive facilities - nursing homes and assisted living facilities - nine percent of this group will need care for two to five years, and eight percent will need care for more than five years. The above estimates tell us that most people will be able to afford to pay for long-term care services, possibly with some modest hardship. However, there is a small group of people who could have very high long-term care expenses. For example, the study cited above estimates that 5 percent of the post-age 65 population will have long-term care expenses of $250,000 or more. This illustrates the classic need for insurance -- an event that has a low chance of occurring and is somewhat unpredictable, but with high costs if the event occurs. Let's get back to assessing the financial threat. Different circumstances call for different solutions. For example, people with substantial financial resources most likely can self-insure by paying for long-term care expenses out-of-pocket. For this purpose, I suggest that you consider "substantial assets" to be over $1 million for an individual, and over $2 million for a couple. One exception to this guideline: If your goal is to pass along all your assets to your heirs, you might want to buy long-term care insurance so that your assets aren't depleted by long-term care expenses. On the other end of the spectrum, people with low income and minimal assets can't afford to pay for long-term care insurance premiums, and they can't pay much out-of-pocket for long-term care expenses, either. These people will need to rely on friends and family or government assistance. This leaves the vast middle and upper-middle class, where the threat of long-term care expenses is greatest. Given the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles, coupled with the geographic separation of family members, millions of older Americans are vulnerable to the threat of high long-term care expenses. That's the bad news. The good news is that you have a few strategies for dealing with the threat of high long-term care expenses, including, but not limited to, buying long-term care insurance. As part of my continuing series on long-term care, my post next Monday will summarize various ways to obtain long-term care services and their costs. Subsequent posts will summarize strategies for addressing the threat of long-term care expenses, and I'll make use of the study cited above to help guide you to the strategy that might work best for you. Two of my favorite expressions are particularly apt for the threat of long-term care expenses: Worry is not preparation, and Hope is not a good strategy. First published on July 19, 2010 / 10:20 AM. © 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. View all articles by Steve Vernon on CBS MoneyWatch» Steve Vernon helped large employers design and manage their retirement programs for more than 35 years as a consulting actuary. Now he's a research scholar for the Stanford Center on Longevity, where he helps collect, direct and disseminate research that will improve the financial security of seniors. He's also president of Rest-of-Life Communications, delivers retirement planning workshops and authored Retirement Game-Changers: Strategies for a Healthy, Financially Secure and Fulfilling Long Life and Money for Life: Turn Your IRA and 401(k) Into a Lifetime Retirement Paycheck .