Investing Your Wealth With Transparency & Simplicity

(This article originally appeared in the January 8th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)

By Michael Douglas Carlin
When it comes to wealth planning strategies in and around Century City you don’t have to look too far to find many competing voices. But what do you do with a pile of money today? It seems very complicated. Preservation of capital has become a risky business in today’s climate. Do you invest in real estate? Spanish bonds? The stock market? Europe? China? Or stuff your money in your mattress? What was once so easy has become confusing. Developing a strategy to mitigate risk and earn a return on a portfolio of investments seems to be the common desire among the wealthy. How to achieve this?

Beverly Hills Wealth Management, Founded in early 2010, has answers to the tough questions today’s investors ask. Looking at BHWM as a startup can be misleading. The company was formed by Mag Black-Scott former Vice-Chairman of Morgan Stanley. I recently got a chance to sit with her for a few moments. Mag and the BHWM Investment Management team get it! They understand what is happening on the global landscape and the need for investors to employ a global strategy in their financial plan. Mag and her company facilitates and enhances this on every level. The three years for Mag has been a whirlwind of activity as she has navigated the complexity of investing to boil it down for her clients to make it simple and understandable. BHWM now has five locations including their flagship office on Beverly Drive just south of Wilshire. Now there are San Diego, Roseville, CA, Phoenix, and Jacksonville-Florida offices. Soon there may be New York, Chicago, and San Francisco offices.

None of these offices handles any cash. They partner with global, trusted custodians who transparently look after their client’s wealth with their global reach. The relationship between wealth management advisors and clients is a sacred trust. This trust is the cornerstone upon which BHWM is built. Simplicity comes from transparency and honoring this sacred trust. Though their approach is sophisticated nothing ever needs to be too complicated to understand. But all of that comes from the wealth of experience learned over decades in the financial services industry by each of their hand-picked investment advisors and the management of the company that includes Mag. Currently they are handling the investments of private investors, institutional investors, small and medium sized businesses, and public agency funds and all of their services are geared toward facilitating the largest of clients as well as the smaller investor with a growing portfolio of a few million dollars and everything in between. “Behind the construction of client portfolios is a clear and concise approach which speaks to the underlying philosophy and process…In line with client objectives, we create diversified, less volatile portfolios that offer the potential for higher returns with lower risk over time. Thoughtful Portfolio design, risk management and planning are of the utmost importance in optimizing the best outcomes for our clients.” ….says Mary Kusnic, BHWM Wealth Advisor

The company is about to unveil a new proprietary software application called Maestro. This will provide an entire array of products to investment managers that will level the playing field by providing them with all of the advantages of larger institutions. One of the features is that they can provide instant access to an entire range of products and services under a password single set of credentails. This application should be unveiled in the first quarter of 2013. Says Chief Information Officer, John Stuart, “Educating clients on the importance of business process, security, and governance at their wealth management relationship is not something that has been important in the past. Professionals with the ‘Maestro Federated Advisor’ designation will be offering an enterprise level of infrastructure , security and access to clients that demand an independent advisory relationship.”

Mag was previously officed in the Sun America Center from 2004 – 2008. Mary Kusnic is a longtime Century City resident and stakeholder that gives back to our community. I have included both of these amazing women’s bios here.

Mary Kusnic
Wealth Management Advisor
Mary Kusnic has over twenty years experience working with mid-market, emerging and growth-oriented companies, including private and public financing. She provided administrative and portfolio management services for Registered Investment Advisors, Business Managers, Non-profit Organizations, High Net Worth Individuals and Families, Family Offices and Corporate Clients.

As a consultant to Institutional and High Net Worth Clients and Families, her work includes retirement and estate planning, wealth and liquidity management, philanthropic and tax-advantaged strategies; and asset management for tax exempt asset pools including Foundations, Corporate and Private entities, Public Pension and Taft Hartley organizations.

Mary holds the 7, 22, 63 and 65 licenses and is a CFP candidate. Prior to joining Beverly Hills Wealth Management, LLC, Mary was a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Beverly Hills, CA. and Merrill Lynch’s Private Client Group in Century City, CA.

Margaret (Mag) Black-Scott is the founder of Beverly Hills Wealth Management LLC, a Registered Investment Advisory firm. Formerly she was a Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley & Co. Mag has over 35 years of financial services industry experience.

Mag was born and educated in England receiving a diploma in Business Administration from Rotherham Technical College, England. She earned her MBA at Jacksonville University, FL. and completed post-graduate work at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard Business School.

She was adjunct Professor at Jacksonville University, teaching both credit and non-credit courses. She has given financial and estate planning seminars all over the country, and is a past recipient of the coveted “EVE” Award as Jacksonville’s Business Woman of the Year.

She presented a daily television program on financial affairs in Los Angeles, California for 2 years. In Jacksonville, she was Business Editor of Channel 7 (PBS) and made regular guest appearances with WJXT TV Channel 4, a CBS affiliate at that time.

BHWM History
Beverly Hills Wealth Management (BHWM) was formed by Mag Black-Scott, former Fortune 50 Vice Chairman, to meet the needs of High Net Worth clients, Trusts, and Institutions across an open environment with experienced advisors, offering advice that is appropriate, understandable, transparent and beneficial to clients. Each of our employees has an extensive history in the financial services business, and an impeccable professional and personal record.

Our Culture
“Ours is a culture of shared values, attitudes, and practices with the goal of helping clients achieve their stated objectives. We have a culture of mutual respect, of our colleagues, our clients and the source of their wealth plus the trust they place in us to manage that wealth to their own benefit. We strive to serve client needs well and promptly and to exceed their expectations – in short to conduct first class business in a first class way.”….Mag Black-Scott...

BHWM Private Trust
Beverly Hills Wealth Management (BHWM) Private Trust (CA domiciled) provides trust solutions for clients whose financial, family, or business needs require the services of a professional fiduciary through its association with National Advisors Trust Company, the largest federally chartered trust company created by registered investment advisors for the benefit of their clients. Beverly Hills Wealth Management, LLC is a shareholder of National Advisors Trust and intimately involved with their operations and Trust expertise, a true Trust partnership between Client, Trust Administration, investment management. BHWM Private Trust works with estate planning professionals on a local level to provide the consistent Trust services required by our multi-generational clients.
By working together, BHWM Private Trust, National Advisors Trust and the estate planning professional are able to build a strong foundation for the client by providing a solid trustee and investment management solution while helping clients protect their wealth and remain confident about the future of their estates. BHWM and BHWM Private Trust affords the opportunity for bi-furcation of the duties and responsibilities – trust administration & investment advisory.

Beverly Hills Wealth Management “Trust | Simplicity | Experience”

Keith Chagall Plays Century City

(This article originally appeared in the Jan 15th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)
by Michael Douglas Carlin



I met Keith a number of years back at what I consider to be the magical summer of my time spent in Century City. There was an entire group that hung out on the patio at the Century Plaza Hotel where he would play during happy hour. He truly made our time there happy and this led to a friendship as I have followed him throughout the number of gigs where I have enjoyed his music.
My aunt is a Keith Chagall groupie. I got into her car the other day and on the CD Player was Keith’s new album, “She’s Incredible.” My aunt was singing along with Keith and she knew all of the lyrics to his
music. It brought a smile to my face that I was able to introduce music to her that is making her happy.

Now Keith plays at Westfield Century City on Fridays and Saturdays from 12 – 2pm. I like to end my week listening to his music and relaxing in the food court and grazing on all of the new food options available inside the mall. It is a great way to reward myself for every action packed week.

Keith also plays other luxury high-end venues such as the Fairmont, Huntley Penthouse, etc. where is tropical lifestyle music sound appeal have prospered all of his clients.



American Federale

(This article originally appeared in the Jan 8th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)
By Melody Johnson

The typical L.A. Story. Michael Carlin is sitting with a friend at a sushi bar and in walks Oliver Stone. It sounds like the set up to a joke but it is in reality a true story. Stone told Carlin to follow the story. And that advice brought us American Federale.

Twelve years ago this story began on a street corner in El Paso, Texas. A Suburban arrives and equipment is stowed in the back. A blindfold is placed over Carlin’s eyes and the adventure is afoot. The interview proved worth the risk as former Federale, Lobo, told his story that included torture, extortion, bribes, and over 22 gun battles during his time in the Chihuahua State Police as well as the Mexican Federal Police.

Lobo gives us insights into his many exploits and shows us a glimpse into the culture of corruption that exists in Mexico today. He tells us about working to protect Drug Lords and take them down when they fall out of favor. He was complicit only because going against the grain would have cost him his life. What began as a youth’s quest for excitement and a life of rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful transitioned into Lobo being tortured to within a breath of losing his life. How he escaped death is still unexplained and qualifies as a miracle. His life was often spared during his ten years by mere chance. He tells us that all of his friends from that era are now dead and they all died very violent deaths. Many of them with their entire families… “Capone Style.”

Carlin also takes us into Border Mexico as he risks his life to capture images that bring this story to life. His many trips into Juarez and Ojinaga bring us behind the scenes where we see Military, Federal Police, State Police and Municipal Police that are known to be on both sides of the law. The blurry lines we see in this documentary teach us that Anarchy truly isn’t the answer. We learn from the film that the blurring of lines that is happening in America today may lead us to bad places and we have the ability to make choices today to lead us to more defined lines and a more orderly and peaceful society.

What I learned from my interview with Carlin is that corruption touched his family during America’s own lawless period in the 20’s when his great grandfather worked for Al Capone. “My grandfather used to pick me up and put me on the counter when he would make me pancakes and tell me stories about his childhood. When he was young his father received a telephone call and went off to work for Capone and was never heard from again.” Carlin’s grandfather drowned his sorrows in alcohol and that dysfunction touched every generation of his family down to and including him.

The ramification of the violence in Mexico has led to a hundred thousand widows and orphans and the impact will never be fully comprehended. Fixing corruption may take many generations at a cost of billions of dollars. Is the quick money from the drug trade really worth the immediate gratification? The audience can draw their own conclusions.

This film is not for the weak willed or squeamish. It is a hard-edged film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Anyone wondering about Border Mexico, Immigration, Drug Policy, or lawlessness must add this film to his or her watch list. The film is set to be released in early 2013 and will be entered into the Cannes Film Festival.

The film is available on Amazon, iTunes, and GooglePlay.

The Secret of the Holy Grail

Dear Knights and Prospective Knights,

You are part of the making of history. The Knights of Malta have a legacy of rendering aid on the field of battle, and that tradition continues today with every Knight that declares a life of service to help the plight of the less fortunate. The oath as it is written in this book, Rise a Knight, when exercised by Knights, leaves humanity and the planet better off.

But there is a more profound principle at work here—a secret that will change the world and bring about an unprecedented era of world peace.
Dan Brown touched on this in his book and subsequent movie, The Da Vinci Code, but slightly missed the mark. He correctly postulated that the Holy Grail is the vagina or female form. He also glossed over the true motivation behind the Inquisition—the oppression of women. Smart men knew that the only way to control humanity and leave power in the hands of the few was to oppress women. Peace and prosperity comes from women being empowered and equal.

Our new order is one voice to empower women, as all who take the oath agree not to discriminate against any human for any reason. Imagine a playing field level for all of humanity. Moving in this direction brings us closer to Thomas Jefferson’s postulation where he declared, "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men (humans) are created equal."

It wasn’t true when he wrote it. It isn’t true now…but it ought to be. We are part of the historic event ushering in an era during which it will become true. All humans will be created equal, and opportunity will leave no one behind.
We are also part of an era of responsibility, in which every human takes an oath to "first do no harm," and all of us police each other from harming our environment.

Plants, animals, and humans will all benefit from the coming era of peace and prosperity.

Each and every time you Knight someone (men and women) and get them to take the oath, we incrementally move toward more peace and prosperity. We move toward a better world than has ever existed.

This movement is the Holy Grail. It is the "Stone Cut Without Hands" that rolls forth until it consumes the entire world. It is what men and women have dreamed of for thousands of years, and it is within our reach.

I invite you all to share this message with everyone you know and to ask them to take the oath, kneeling as a mortal and rising to a life of service wearing the mantle of Knighthood.

Where men have oppressed and exploited women in the past, I invite you to embrace a new, unprecedented era of empowerment and equality for all of humanity that will lead to greater harmony between flora and fauna and the greatest peace and prosperity the world has ever known.

THE PONZI BOOK: A LEGAL RESOURCE FOR UNRAVELING PONZI SCHEMES

(This article was published in the Century City News on April 17, 2012)

By: Kathy Bazoian Phelps and Hon. Steven Rhodes


Now Available at www.lexisnexis.com/ponzibook

Electronic versions also available
www.theponzibook.com

“The Ponzi Book is an invaluable resource for lawyers and judges enmeshed in the thicket of Ponzi scheme litigation. Clearly written and accessible, the book provides key insights into Ponzi cases and how they differ from ordinary bankruptcy litigation.”

Kenneth N. Klee
Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern LLP
“The Ponzi Book is one stop shopping for the facts needed to understand the complex fall-out from a collapsed Ponzi scheme as well as the legal strategies that exist and are required to unravel it.”
Irving H. Picard
Trustee of Bernard L. Madoff
Investment Securities, LLC


Sign up for The Ponzi Blog at www.theponzibook.blogspot.com

“There’s little doubt that Charles Ponzi would be proud of how his infamous brainchild has grown and developed over the years, becoming more complex in execution and breadth. Indeed, the perpetuators of his schemes have grown ever more sophisticated in their efforts, making Mr. Ponzi’s modest beginning look almost quaint in retrospect. With the multi-billion dollar Ponzi schemes that have become unearthed since the capital market meltdown of mid-2008, the legal and financial complexities in their unwinding have become a specialty unto themselves in the law.
“Fortunately for the professional faced with the daunting task of unwinding (or defending) the Ponzi scheme, help has finally arrived! The Ponzi Book: A Legal Resource For Unraveling Ponzi Schemes by Kathy Bazoian Phelps, Esq. and Judge Steven Rhodes is a unique, and the definitive, resource in this area. The book is well organized, exhaustively researched, and covers areas well beyond the obvious in such matters, such as privilege issues, litigating against foreign nationals and obtaining discovery from abroad (as we now know, fraud knows no national boundaries), and the tax issues that come with such schemes. It is in all respects the ‘go to source’ in these matters, and my law firm will have copies in all offices where we have bankruptcy professionals. Frankly, I wish I had written it!”

Thomas J. Salerno
Partner, Co-Chair International Insolvency Practice Group,
Squire Sanders

Worldwide Board President of Legal Administrators Keynoted Leadership Luncheon

(This article was published in the Century City News on April 17, 2012)

Legal Volunteer of the Year Awards - April 10

The International Board President of the Association of Legal Administrators presented the Volunteer of the Year award to Luci Hamilton, Director of Administration and Finance at Karlin & Peebles in Beverly Hills, at the Leadership Luncheon hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) on April 10, 2012 from 11:30-1:30 at the Omni Hotel located at 251 South Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles.

Keynoting the luncheon was Karen Griggs, CLM, the National President of the Association of Legal Administrators, an organization with over 10,000 members worldwide. Griggs is the Executive Director of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, L.L.C., in Kansas City, Missouri, named as a 2012 “Go-To Law Firm.”

As Volunteer of the Year award recipient, Hamilton is recognized for her work with GLA including her life-changing “Members-In-Transition” program chaired by Hamilton. Hamilton held educational and inspiring gatherings for administrators looking for work and for anyone who believes that we all are in transition as we grow as professionals and leaders. Dedicated to the pursuit of continuing education, Hamilton tirelessly shares her knowledge and expertise for those seeking the ALA service mark of a Certified Legal Manager or CLM. Hamilton attended almost all of the CLM classes, teaching several herself. Hamilton was GLA ALA’s 2004-2005 Board President and additionally volunteers in local and national organizations including Pasadena City College, the Veterans’ Affairs Department, the “Women at Work” high school outreach programs and UN Women – The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Shaun Morrison, of Glendora, Office Administrator for Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Century City, was installed as the 2012 GLA ALA President. Says Morrison of her new role, “GLA has inspired excellence in our profession and I am proud to be President of this compelling organization.”

Cost of the luncheon was $30 for members, $35 for non-members. Event question contact Terri Oppelt, toppelt@strook.com.

For more information, contact:
Shaun Morrison - smorrison@allenmatkins.com - 310-788-2400
Luci Hamilton - lhamilton@karlinpeebles.com - 323-648-4645

ABOUT GLA ALA: The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) is a 350-person nonprofit membership organization that provides opportunities for educational enrichment, professional and personal development, community service, and the exchange of information to improve the quality and professionalism of management in legal services organizations. www.glaala.org

ABOUT KAREN GRIGGS, CLM: Karen Griggs, CLM, is the Executive Director of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, L.L.C. in Kansas City, Missouri and the 2012-2013 Association of Legal Administrators National President. Griggs has been a member of ALA since 1984.

ABOUT SHAUN MORRISON: Shaun Morrison is the incoming Board President of GLA ALA. Morrison serves as the Office Administrator for Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Century City.

GLA ALA 2012 President Shaun Morrison, Office Administrator for Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Century City, with keynote speaker and the National President of the Association of Legal Administrators, Karen Griggs, CLM, and GLA ALA 2011 Past President Jean Jewell, CLM, Administrator of Kelley Drye/White O’Connor, at the Leadership Luncheon hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) on April 10, 2012 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. During the event, Luci Hamilton was presented with the Volunteer of the Year award and Shaun Morrison was installed as the 2012 GLA ALA President. Photo by Jess Block

How to Curb Distraction during Family Time: No Cell Phone Day

5 Tips for Enriching Bonds from Musical Maestro Delfeayo Marsalis

If you're like jazz trombonist and music producer Delfeayo Marsalis, a member of the acclaimed Marsalis family from New Orleans, you appreciate the "old-school" ways of doing things.

For Marsalis, that means doing without automated music created and played at the push of a button, cooking without a microwave and not being too quick to replace a lost cell phone.

"Some people ask, 'How could you go weeks without replacing your phone?' But for me, I look at it as a much needed vacation," he says.

"At the same time, I'm like most other people: when I have a smart phone on me, I find myself checking it frequently."

While Marsalis isn't anti-technology, he fondly recalls a time when more people interacted with others who are right in front of them, rather than staring at a gadget in their hand – especially when it comes to family. The father of a young teenager, he offers the following tips for improving quality time by doing without the ubiquity of cell phones.

•  Consider a "No Cell Phone Day." In fact, that's the name of his new children's book, (www.KidsTownPress.com), about a tech-entrenched father who spends a happy birthday exploring New Orleans with his daughter – without his cell phone. A monthly "no cell phone day" allows you to fully engage with the people around you, whether they're your kids, your parents, or your friends. Without the distractions of work and spam email, you'll can have meaningful conversations and simply spend time laughing with the people you love. You'll have those memories to cherish for a long time to come. If you really want to connect with yourself and loved ones, plan on a regular No Cell Phone Day.

•  Play dates that don't require cell phones. When Marsalis takes his 13-year-old daughter and her cousins out for a fun day out at the mall, followed by a movie and dinner, he makes a deal with them to leave their phones at home.

"We're all together on these occasions, so there's no concern for safety, and it would be sad to go through all the trouble of spending the day together while, half of the time, they're preoccupied with their phones," he says. "In addition to the occasional outing, we set aside time at home when we can't use cell phones."

•  Make dinner time a cell phone-free zone. While food is especially important to any self-respecting son or daughter of New Orleans, sitting down to eat together is a sacred time for every family. Children and adults alike face significant stress and pressures every day in the world outside the home. Closing the doors on that world and coming together for an hour each evening to relax and refresh in the comparative safety of those who most love us is essential to our well-being. 

•  Play "What Do I Know without My Cell Phone?"Research suggests cell phones are compromising the short-term memory of children. More and more of us – children and adults alike – rely on our smart phones, rather than our memories, to retrieve information. Exercising our brains with trivia, math and other cognitive games can help all of us stay mentally sharp.  

•  Most importantly – don't be afraid to be bored! Life doesn't have to be a sci-fi movie all of the time. Ask your child to reflect on their greatest memories to date; chances are 0 percent that the content of those memories will involve cell phones.

About Delfeayo Marsalis

While Delfeayo Marsalis (dmarsalis.com) is known primarily for his work as a jazz trombonist and music producer, and has been involved with youth education for many years. In 2000, he founded the Uptown Music Theatre to provide arts education for the youth of New Orleans. UMT has staged 16 of his original musicals. Inspired by his autistic younger brother, Mboya, Delfeayo has volunteered and presented shows at Children's Hospital of New Orleans, including the therapeutic, "Swinging with the Cool School." "No Cell Phone Day" is his first children's book.

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Joint Statement by Secretary Kerry and Secretary Hagel on the ISIL Meeting

The following is a joint statement by Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) meeting:

This morning we had a meeting with some of our key allies and partners on the serious threat that ISIL poses to Iraq, the entire region, and the international community.

We and the ministers agreed here today that there is no time to waste in building a broad international coalition to degrade and, ultimately, to destroy the threat posed by ISIL.

The formation of a new and inclusive government in Iraq will be a critical step in this effort. We are hopeful that this process can be completed over the coming days, and we discussed in detail how NATO allies can extend immediate support to a new government in its efforts to unify the country against ISIL.

To be effective, an international coalition to defeat ISIL must coordinate across multiple lines of effort. These include:

• Military support to our Iraqi partners;
• Stopping the flow of foreign fighters;
• Countering ISIL's financing and funding;
• Addressing humanitarian crises; and
• De-legitimizing ISIL's ideology.

 

We discussed each of these lines of effort today, and how to build on the contributions that many NATO allies and partners are already making in Iraq.

We agreed to engage in an immediate conversation with a new Iraqi government about accelerating these efforts, including the potential for additional training and equipping of the Iraqi Security Forces at the federal, regional, and provincial level.

We also discussed further cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, and noted the shared effort by the military forces of the United States, France, Australia, and the UK to deliver humanitarian supplies to the citizens of Amerli in northern Iraq. This town had been surrounded for two months by ISIL, but today is receiving humanitarian aid and supplies led by a UN team on the ground. Such a common effort will be essential as we move forward.

Across the other lines of effort, we and the ministers noted the strong Chapter 7 UN Security Council Resolution enacted last month that calls on all member states to take decisive action to stop the flow of foreign fighters, counter ISIL's financing, and combat its incitement. We agreed today that NATO allies in particular should work in concert towards these goals.

Specifically, we will form a multinational task force to share more information about the flow of foreign fighters into Syria and from Syria into Iraq. These foreign fighters represent an acute threat to our NATO allies. We also agreed to work in concert to stifle ISIL's sources of revenue, including any trade in petroleum products, and hold accountable those who violate international prohibitions on such trade.

As President Obama has said, the effort to degrade and destroy the threat posed by ISIL will take time and persistence. It will also require a unified approach at the international, regional, and local level combining military, law enforcement, intelligence, economic, and diplomatic tools. Our NATO allies and partners today have confirmed their readiness to be a full part of this coordinated approach, and over the coming days, we will continue the discussion with our partners in the region, who have an important role to play across these lines of effort.

This effort will also be a focus of the UN General Assembly later this month as we work to establish a truly global coalition. Acting together, with clear objectives and common purpose, we will degrade and destroy ISIL capabilities and ensure that it can no longer threaten Iraq, the region, and the world. 

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Better Buying Power 3.0 Shifts Emphasis to Innovation

By Amaani Lyle

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

NEWPORT, R.I., Sept. 5, 2014 - The projected release next month of Better Buying Power 3.0, the latest iteration of a Pentagon initiative designed to achieve dominant capabilities through technical excellence and innovation, will shift the Defense Department's focus, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics told an audience of defense industry leaders here yesterday.

Frank Kendall spoke at the Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance's Defense Innovation Days conference.

Though sequestration spending cuts are scheduled to kick back in for fiscal year 2016 will affect planning and investment, Kendall said, long-range research and product development must continue.

"A lot of the things we've been doing are going to continue, ... but we're going to move to the product side of the house," he said. "We have to focus more on innovation, and we have to get better capability in the hands of the warfighter."

Achieving affordable programs

With inputs from industry, think tanks and Capitol Hill, Kendall said, Better Buying Power 3.0 will offer guidance on topics such as achieving affordable programs and dominant capability and providing greater incentive to the commercial sector to better leverage technology. "We need a variety of contract types, business skills, incentive structures and different ways of doing business to be mutually beneficial to government and industry," he explained.

Industry and government innovation such as prototyping at the system level will advance technology, preserve design teams and reduce the lead time to future capabilities, he added.

Pentagon officials aim to ensure there are insertion points in DoD programs to bring new technology in as a product in service over its lifetime, the undersecretary said, including tapping into small-business innovative research. But in recent years, DoD has needed to pare costs across the board after a period of living on a large overseas contingency operations budget, spurring the need for the first round of Better Buying Power, which focused on efficiencies and best practices, he added.

"We cannot afford to start things that we cannot afford," Kendall said. "We've canceled ... programs over the years we started with great ambitions and aspirations that we should have realized earlier on were not [affordable in the long term]."

Better Buying Power 3.0 will not represent a shift in direction as much as a shift in emphasis, Kendall said.

"We tend to buy high-cost things in small numbers, which means we've created lucrative targets for somebody to attack," he noted. "Those can be things like aircraft carriers or things like air bases."

Better feedback, business-focused tools

The updated initiative will emphasize better feedback to industry and will give people business-focused tools to improve work performance, promote long-range planning and focus resources into strategic areas that will enable DoD to maintain its advantage, Kendall told the industry leaders.

In addition to collaboration with industry, internal ties will be a critical part of the process, Kendall said. "We want to build stronger cooperation and partnerships with our requirements and intelligence communities, as well as with acquisitions, so that we're more responsive to threats," he said.

Ideally, he added, Better Buying Power 3.0 will improve the professionalism of the total acquisition workforce, with a focus on technical proficiency and excellence.

"If you're going to run the development program, you really have to be an engineer," Kendall said. "You wouldn't supervise surgeons if you weren't a surgeon."

And far before the professional and technical excellence stage, a focus on science, technology, engineering and math education should remain at the forefront, Kendall asserted. "It's crucial to the success not just of our military, but of our country as well," he said.

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Future air superiority in anti-access area denial (A2AD) environments requires improved network connectivity supporting manned and unmanned teaming.

Gallium Nitride technologies used in communications equipment allows the Air

Force to support manned and unmanned teaming and achieve air superiority in A2AD

environments. (PHoto provided by the Air Force Research Lab/Released)

In response, engineers from AFRL's Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division (ManTech) completed an advanced communications affordability (ACA) program that significantly improves the manufacturing readiness level and affordability of advanced Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs).

Advanced GaN technology provides superior solid-state power amplifiers (SSPA) in V/W-bands. The intrinsic breakdown and current densities of GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) enable two to five times the output power of gallium arsenide MMICs. GaN HEMT MMIC technology has evolved rapidly over the past decade; however, no high-yield, low-cost V/W-band GaN HEMT MMIC fabrication facility is currently operating.

This capability is critical for the U.S. military to have affordable GaN SSPAs for airborne communications systems and other Department of Defense (DoD) applications.

These integrated circuits are processed on 100 mm silicon carbide substrates (wafer) for performance from V through W-band (up to 100 GHz).

ManTech engineers worked with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems to execute the program at Northrop's microelectronics facility in Redondo Beach, California. The facility conducts research and produces products for DoD air and space systems. The manufacturing approaches for the program focused on up scaling the wafer fabrication process from approximately 76 mm to 100 mm diameter wafers in a production-relevant environment.

Eliminating unnecessary manufacturing steps and automating other manual steps reduced fabrication cycle times by 43%. Larger wafer size, improved capital equipment, and implementation of 14 manufacturing improvements over the course of the project reduced production costs by three times and doubled the yield of GaN HEMT MMICs.

This ACA program demonstrated improved W-band performance and record V-band performance greater than 32 decibelmilliwatts of output power (1.6W) and 10-decibel power gain from 60-64 gigahertz. Providing highly reliable, zero-maintenance systems minimizes the Air Force's overall operations and maintenance costs.

The GaN HEMT MMICs demonstrated reliable operation under high-temperature and radio-frequency driven accelerated life testing, with a projected median lifetime failure at 200 degrees Celsius junction temperature of over one million operating hours. A long-term operational life test of the GaN HEMT standard-evaluation circuits showed very good stability, with less than 0.5-decibel change in output power after 8,570 hours of testing under nominal operating conditions.

Silicon Carbide wafers at 100 mm in diameter contain multiple V-band Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits. The chart shows power in/power out (PiPO) performance in terms of output power (Pout), power-added efficiency (PAE), and power gain (Gt). (Figure illustration provided by the Air Force Research Lab/Released)

ManTech assessed Manufacturing readiness levels (MRL) several times during the program, and improved from MRL 2 to MRL 6 upon completion. This ensures GaN HEMT MMICs can be produced in a production relevant environment.

Recently, ManTech provided GaN technology to the Air Force's Jetpack program. The Air Force used GaN HEMT MMICs in aircraft communications equipment, allowing fourth generation aircraft to receive information from fifth generation aircraft using the multifunction advanced data link (MADL) and intra-flight data link (IFDL) in an A2AD environment.

The jetpack program validated the ability to simultaneously link and translate both the F-35 Lightning II's MADL and the F-22 Raptor's IFDL to a common terminal.

The Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies division is responsible for management and execution of the Air Force industrial preparedness programs in manufacturing technology and industrial base analysis.

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Wild monkeys learn by watching TV

Scientists have found that wild monkeys have the ability to learn new tricks – after watching videos of other monkeys in action.

The new study, led by the University of St Andrews and University of Vienna, reveals for the first time, that wild marmoset monkeys are capable of learning to perform tasks by watching others - even monkeys they do not know.

The researchers have already discovered that captive animals can accomplish tasks after watching others perform them, but this is the first time that scientists have been able to show that the same applies to wild animals.

The research was carried out by Wardlaw Professor Andrew Whiten of the University of St Andrews in collaboration with Dr Tina Gunhold and Professor Thomas Bugnyar of the University of Vienna.

The team filmed a group of trained wild marmoset monkeys perform different foraging techniques to open an "artificial fruit" to gain food inside, either by pulling open a drawer or lifting a lid.

These recorded sessions were then replayed to groups of wild monkeys living in Pernambuco, Brazil. Placed in a protective case in the jungle, near where the wild monkeys live and play, a laptop was positioned just above a transparent box containing the treat.

Twelve groups of monkeys were were shown clips of the monkeys successfully opening the fruit, either by opening the drawers or lifting the lid off the box – while one group was shown a still image. The experiment revealed that 12 of the monkeys were able to open the box and 11 of those had watched it being done in the video. The marmosets were also likely to copy whichever way of opening the fruit they had seen.

Professor Whiten, of the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, explains,

"Culture pervades our human lives so thoroughly it may seem like it separates us from the rest of the natural world. But our research is showing that the basic elements of social learning and creation of different regional traditions is shared much more widely amongst primates and other animals".

Vienna's Dr Gunhold added, "These new findings could open up a range of possibilities for experimentally introducing behaviours and studying the basis of culture in animals."

The study, Video demonstrations seed alternative problem-solving techniques in wild common marmosets, is published in scientific journal Biology Letters.
 

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Cameroon: Prevention Is Better than Cure

Cameroon's apparent stability belies the variety of internal and external pressures threatening the country's future. Without social and political change, a weakened Cameroon could become another flashpoint in the region.

Thirty-two years into the presidency of Paul Biya, Cameroon is weakened by social discontent and political deadlock. In the north and east, security forces struggle to keep at bay incursions by Nigeria's Boko Haram and armed groups from the Central African Republic. With its security forces under pressure and tensions rising within the ruling party, the pillars of the regime have begun to crack. President Biya is giving no indication that this is his last term in office and no plans are in place to ensure a transition before or after the 2018 election. Neither the opposition nor civil society is strong enough to foster social and political change. In its latest briefing,Cameroon: Prevention is Better than Cure, the International Crisis Group examines the risk of violent transition and outlines urgently needed meas-ures to prevent a conflict that could impact on regional stability.

The briefing's major findings and recommendations are:

• While relying on well-tried mechanisms to control the opposition, the regime bets on the population's resilience. But in the face of high youth unemployment and corruption, social protests – so far limited – could turn into a violent uprising against the regime, led by an alienated younger generation.


• To reduce the risk of violent transition, Cameroonian authorities, the opposition and civil society need to reopen dialogue, negotiate a political and institutional reform package, and reach an agreement on a post-Biya transition, guaranteed by the African Union.


• This agreement should include: 1) President Biya's promise not to contest the 2018 presidential election in exchange for a guarantee that no legal actions will be undertaken against him and that he can retain his assets; 2) new appointment mechanisms for the members of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Council and the electoral commission to enhance their independence; 3) introduction of age quotas to inject new blood into leadership structures and political parties; and 4) primaries for all political parties before 2018.

"Cameroon needs a reality check" says Hans Heungoup, Cameroon Analyst. "With growing militant threats at its borders, the country can no longer afford political uncertainty, institutional fragility and the disenfranchisement of its youth".

"A badly managed succession could plunge Cameroon into a dangerous conflict and would prove detrimental for West and Central Africa by creating an axis of instability from north-east Nigeria to Central African Republic and South Sudan", says Thierry Vircoulon, Central Africa Project Director. "Cameroon's political establishment should put its disputes aside and agree on the fundamentals of what could be a post-Biya transition before it is too late".

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110 Stories, portrayals of real-life 9/11 Survivors

 

Every American older than 25 has harrowing memories of the events on September 11, 2001.  Sarah Tuft found a way to turn those painful memories into positive reflections   She wrote an inspiring original play called "110 Stories" about the people who became inadvertent heroes that day.  

 

Tuft describes her play as "the human side of history, without politics or agenda, giving voice to those who experienced [9/11] directly."  

 

To commemorate the 13th Anniversary of 9/11 JAG Productions will present "110 Stories" at the James R. Armstrong Theater, 3330 Civic Center Drive N, in Torrance at 7:00pm on Thursday, September 11, 2014.  Sarah Tuft, the playwright, will be present.

 

Based on firsthand survivor accounts, 110 Stories will be directed by Michael Dotson.

 

The cast will feature Elya Baskin (Spider-Man 2 and 3), Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), and Broadway's Doug Carfrae (as the narrator), as well as Karole Foreman, Wilfred Gelin, Daniel Guzman, Damon Kirsche, Tom Mesmer, Jody Mortara, Lee Purcell, Matt Purzycki, James Torcellini and Courtenay Turner.

 

Beneficiaries of the production will be two 501(c)(3) organizations, Operation Gratitude, known for its care packages to the troops overseas, and Politiquest, known for debates and political education.

Tickets are available online at www.Itsmyseat.com/110stories. Prices: $50 for general admission; $125 for VIP tickets - 20 percent discount for students with ID, senior citizens and first responders.

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New Report Shows U.S. Solar Industry Nearing 16 GW of Installed Capacity

The United States' solar market hit a major milestone in the second quarter of this year, with more than half a million homes and businesses now generating solar energy. According to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association's (SEIA) Q2 2014 U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, the U.S. installed 1,133 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in the second quarter of this year.

The residential and commercial segments accounted for nearly half of all solar PV installations in the quarter. The residential market has seen the most consistent growth of any segment for years, and its momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

Across the United States, cumulative PV and concentrating solar power (CSP) operating capacity has eclipsed 15.9 gigawatts (GW), enough to power more than 3.2 million homes.

"Solar continues to soar, providing more and more homes, businesses, schools and government entities across the United States with clean, reliable and affordable electricity," said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch.  "Today, the solar industry employs 143,000 Americans and pumps nearly $15 billion a year into our economy.  This remarkable growth is due, in large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), net energy metering (NEM) and renewable portfolio standards (RPS).  By any measurement, these policies are paying huge dividends for both the U.S. economy and our environment – and should be maintained, if not expanded, given their tremendous success, as well as their importance to America's future." 

Showing continued strength, the utility PV segment made up 55 percent of U.S. solar installations in the second quarter of the year. It has accounted for more than half of national PV installations for the fifth straight quarter. In just two years, the utility segment has quadrupled its cumulative size, growing from 1,784 MW in the first half of 2012 to 7,308 MW today.

 

"Solar continues to be a primary source of new electric generation capacity in the U.S." said Shayle Kann, Senior Vice President at GTM Research. "With new sources of capital being unlocked, design and engineering innovations reducing system prices, and sales channels rapidly diversifying, the solar market is quickly gaining steam to drive significant growth for the next few years."

GTM Research and SEIA forecast 6.5 GW of PV will be installed in the United States by the end of this year, up 36 percent over 2013.

Key Findings:

• The U.S. installed 1,133 MW of solar PV in Q2 2014, up 21 percent over Q2 2013, making it the fourth-largest quarter for solar installations in the history of the market.
• Cumulative operating PV capacity has now eclipsed the 15 GW mark thanks to three consecutive quarters of more than 1 GW installed.
• As of the first half of 2014, more than half a million homeowners and commercial customers have installed solar PV.
• 53 percent of new electric generating capacity in the U.S. in the first half of 2014 came from solar.
• Growth remains driven primarily by the utility solar PV market, which installed 625 MW in Q2 2014, up from 543 MW in Q2 2013.
• For the first time ever, more than 100 MW of residential PV came online without any state incentive.
• We forecast that PV installations will reach 6.5 GW in 2014, up 36 percent over 2013 and more than three times the market size just three years ago.
• Q1 2014 was the largest quarter ever for concentrating solar power, due to the completion of the 392 MW_ac Ivanpah project and Genesis Solar project's second 125 MW_ac phase. While Q2 2014 was dormant for CSP, a total of 857 MW_ac is expected to be completed by year's end, making 2014 the largest year ever for CSP.

***

About U.S. Solar Market Insight:
The U.S. Solar Market Insight report is the most detailed and timely research available on the continuing growth and opportunity in the U.S. The report includes deep analysis of solar markets, technologies and pricing, identifying the key metrics that will help solar decision-makers navigate the market's current and forecasted trajectory. For more information, visit www.seia.org/smi

About GTM Research:
GTM Research, a division of Greentech Media, provides critical and timely market analysis in the form of research reports, data services, advisory services and strategic consulting. GTM Research's analysis also underpins Greentech Media's webinars and live events. Our coverage spans the green energy industry including solar power, grid modernization, energy storage, energy efficiency and wind power sectors.

About SEIA®:
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2014, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to champion the use of clean, affordable solar in America by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

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Earth’s Moon is the Focus of International Observe the Moon Night

Media and the public are invited to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. CDT/6:30-9:30 EDT at NASA's Education Training Facility in Huntsville, Alabama. The free event will include moon-related exhibits and hands-on activities for children and adults. An inflatable planetarium show will allow visitors to learn more about the moon's shape, colors, and terrain. Several large amateur telescopes will be set up to view the moon, stars, and other visible planets. Visitors can also take a virtual 3-D trip to the moon with the astronomy van, offering a magnified, command-module-like view of the lunar surface.

From 6:15-7 p.m. CDT/7:15-8 p.m. EDT a lunar science discussion will be held with planetary scientists Dr. Renee Weber and Dr. Barbara Cohen to learn more about the moon's origin and surface features including craters, mountains and lava flows that can be observed with the naked eye, through telescopes and by orbiting cameras.

The lunar science discussion will be shown live via U-stream. To watch live, visit: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc

Questions can be asked during the event by attendees or via Twitter or Ustream using the hashtag #moonnight.

News media interested in covering the event should contact Kim Newton in the Marshall Public & Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0371 no later than 3 p.m. CDT/4 p.m. EDT Sept. 5, 2014. Media must report to NASA's Education Training Facility to participate in the event.

Directions: Take Interstate 565 to exit 15 for Madison Pike toward Sparkman Drive/Bob Wallace Avenue. Keep right at the fork, follow signs to the Space & Rocket Center. Take the first left after the Marriott entrance.

For more information, follow Marshall Space Flight Center's social media channels:

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NASA Launches Satellite to Study How Sun's Atmosphere Is Energized

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) spacecraft launched Thursday at 7:27 p.m. PDT (10:27 p.m. EDT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The mission to study the solar atmosphere was placed in orbit by an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL rocket.

"We are thrilled to add IRIS to the suite of NASA missions studying the sun," said John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administrator for science in Washington. "IRIS will help scientists understand the mysterious and energetic interface between the surface and corona of the sun."

IRIS is a NASA Explorer Mission to observe how solar material moves, gathers energy and heats up as it travels through a little-understood region in the sun's lower atmosphere. This interface region between the sun's photosphere and corona powers its dynamic million-degree atmosphere and drives the solar wind. The interface region also is where most of the sun's ultraviolet emission is generated. These emissions impact the near-Earth space environment and Earth's climate.

The Pegasus XL carrying IRIS was deployed from an Orbital L-1011 carrier aircraft over the Pacific Ocean at an altitude of 39,000 feet, off the central coast of California about 100 miles northwest of Vandenberg. The rocket placed IRIS into a sun-synchronous polar orbit that will allow it to make almost continuous solar observations during its two-year mission.

The L-1011 took off from Vandenberg at 6:30 p.m. PDT and flew to the drop point over the Pacific Ocean, where the aircraft released the Pegasus XL from beneath its belly. The first stage ignited five seconds later to carry IRIS into space. IRIS successfully separated from the third stage of the Pegasus rocket at 7:40 p.m. At 8:05 p.m., the IRIS team confirmed the spacecraft had successfully deployed its solar arrays, has power and has acquired the sun, indications that all systems are operating as expected.

"Congratulations to the entire team on the successful development and deployment of the IRIS mission," said IRIS project manager Gary Kushner of the Lockheed Martin Solar and Atmospheric Laboratory in Palo Alto, Calif. "Now that IRIS is in orbit, we can begin our 30-day engineering checkout followed by a 30-day science checkout and calibration period."

IRIS is expected to start science observations upon completion of its 60-day commissioning phase. During this phase the team will check image quality and perform calibrations and other tests to ensure a successful mission.

NASA's Explorer Program at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., provides overall management of the IRIS mission. The principal investigator institution is Lockheed Martin Space Systems Advanced Technology Center. NASA's Ames Research Center will perform ground commanding and flight operations and receive science data and spacecraft telemetry.

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory designed the IRIS telescope. The Norwegian Space Centre and NASA's Near Earth Network provide the ground stations using antennas at Svalbard, Norway; Fairbanks, Alaska; McMurdo, Antarctica; and Wallops Island, Va. NASA's Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for the launch service procurement, including managing the launch and countdown. Orbital Sciences Corporation provided the L-1011 aircraft and Pegasus XL launch system.

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Space Station Crew Members to Visit NASA Goddard Sept. 17

Recently returned to Earth space station astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Koicha Wakata will tour NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, at 10 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Reporters are welcome to join the tour and meet the astronauts.

While at Goddard, Mastracchio and Wakata will see the new Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) control room and other satellite control centers. The GPM Core Observatory was launched into orbit while the two astronauts were aboard the space station. Mastracchio, Wakata and the media will learn about GPM's collection of rain, snowfall and other types of precipitation data. As of today, Sept. 4, 2014, those data were available to the general public.

News media representatives will have an opportunity to follow the astronauts as they tour Goddard. There will also be a brief Q-and-A opportunity with the astronauts. The tour and media interview opportunity is expected to begin at 10 a.m. and conclude no later than 11:30 a.m. 

The visit is part of several days the two men will be spending in the Washington, D.C., area for events and activities to highlight their participation as Expedition 38/39 crewmembers during 188 days in orbit.

U.S. reporters and green card-holding foreign media representatives desiring to participate will need to contact Ed Campion in Goddard's Office of Communications via e-mail at edward.s.campion@nasa.gov or by phone at301-286-0697 by close of business on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Please Note:  Non-green card holding foreign media representatives need to supply passport/visa information by 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8, to allow time for processing and approval for access to the Goddard facility.

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