MALONES' BIG DONATION - NOT REALLY

A couple of clips from today's Boulder Daily Camera - entire on line article is here.

John and Leslie Malone's $42.5 million gift, announced Monday, will create the CSU Institute for Biologic Translational Therapies in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, a 100,000-square-foot facility to develop stem-cell research into commercially viable treatments for animals and humans. 

The Malones, who raise and train dressage and jumping horses on a ranch near Kiowa, last year donated $6 million to the school to establish the Leslie A. Malone Presidential Chair in Equine Sports Medicine.

John Malone, who made his millions at the helm of Tele-Communications Inc. and now chairs the giant Liberty Media Corp., and his wife, Leslie, could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Extremely interesting is what was left out of the online version of the article that was in the paper version of the Camera - Malone's net worth of approximately $7.4 billion and he is the largest landholder in the USA.

Admittedly, $42.5 million is a lot of cash, and the Malone's are certainly under no obligation to share any of their wealth.  But, I am always interested in the math regarding large donations by exceedingly wealthy people.  Let's take off three zeros, which leaves us with an equivalent donation of $42,500 for a net worth of $7.4 million.  Now, taking the net worth down to a more reasonable million dollars, the equivalent donation is about $6,000.  However, the median net worth of a typical US household is slightly less than $100,000 which would then mean the gift-equivalent is $600.  Not too impressive.  Another way to look at this is that the Malone's gift represents 0.0057 of their net worth.  I consider that a proportionally puny gift.  

To me, what adds to this glorification of the wealthy is the following tidbit:

Shifting the address of his Liberty Global Inc. from Colorado to London last year didn’t just put billionaire John C. Malone in a position to reduce his company’s tax bill.

He also took precautions to avoid the capital-gains hit that the so-called inversion would trigger for him and other investors. The day before the deal was announced, Malone -- the company’s chairman and controlling shareholder -- transferred $600 million of his shares into a tax-exempt charitable trust. He avoided paying taxes on his remaining stake, worth about $260 million, by exploiting IRS regulations meant to block a different loophole. 

All told, Malone escaped about $200 million in personal taxes, and Liberty Global’s U.S. shareholders together likely saved more than a billion dollars, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. 

“He’s congenitally averse to paying taxes,” said Robert Willens, an independent tax accounting analyst.  Curmudgeon note - I bet that he is a conservative Republican.

Read the rest of the article here - it's disgusting.  I offer the following for the rich folks consideration:

Mark 12:41-44

The Widow’s Offering

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

I would also speculate that the widow was considering human needs, not equine joints.

NCAA ACADEMIC BRACKET - 2014

Seems I have been a real slacker the past two years in posting the March Madness Men's NCAA Basketball Bracket with the outcome based on academic performance rather than b-ball talent.  So here it is, and please go here to see an expanded version that you can more easily read.

NCAA ACADEMIC BRACKET - 2013

Any of you who pay attention to trivial details will have noted that the Number One post here regarding page views is the NCAA Academic Bracket - 2012.  [see list on the right side under Popular Posts].  I am fairly sure that the reason for this is that oodles of people search for the NCAA basketball playoffs bracket and sometimes end up here, finding the academic bracket.  So, is a shameless ploy for visits, I will now post the March Madness Academic Bracket for 2013 - visit this site for an expandable version of the bracket so that you can actually read it!!

 

UCCS 69 - METRO STATE 66

The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, aka UCCS, is where I spent nearly 20 years of my academic life.   It was a great place to work - nice size, fine colleagues and students, beautiful location, decent facilities, and athletics that were not dominated by the Division I machine.  I was there for the birth of intercollegiate basketball, and it would be an understatement to say that there were not too many victories in the early years.  However, many of us supported the teams because we knew that the players were obviously students first and athletes second - truly student-athletes.  As the years have gone by, the athletic program has continued to improve, both team- and facility-wise.  However one thing that has never happened is for a UCCS men's basketball team to defeat Denver's Metro State Roadrunners.  Going into last Friday night's game, the Mountain Lions were 0-45 against Metro.  Thus - on the evening of December 12 at the Gallogly Events Center on the campus in Colorado Springs, history was made.  UCCS 69 - Metro State 66.  Another first for the evening is that I was able to watch the game on the Comcast Sport TV network.  As the article below notes, things looked pretty bleak for UCCS for most of the game, but they rallied at the end to secure the victory.  Kudos to the team, coaches and fans!!

From the Colorado Springs Gazette:

Fans stormed the court at Gallogly Events Center after Colorado at Colorado Springs made school history Friday, ending the men's basketball program's 26-year, 45-game streak in futility against Metro State with a 69-66 victory.

For the players, it was a night to remember. They know they can't live too much in the moment, though.

"It's huge, but we have to remind ourselves that one win doesn't make our season," Mountain Lions junior forward Alex Welsh said. "We can't get too high on this win. We have to validate it. If we go out and lose (Saturday against Regis), then it means nothing. We have a lot of team goals that we still have yet to reach."

Derrick White, last week's player of the week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, exploded for 23 of his 32 points in the second half, and Welsh added 12 points grabbed a key offensive rebound - one of his game-high 11 - in the game's closing seconds as No. 5 UCCS (9-0, 3-0 RMAC) at last got the best of the seventh-ranked Roadrunners (6-2, 1-1).

"They have Derrick White; it's as simple as that," Roadrunners coach Derrick Clark said. "They have a really good player over there, and that's no disrespect to their other players. That kid has gotten better every year and puts the team on his shoulders."
The Roadrunners led 41-28 with 18:07 in the game before UCCS started its comeback. White's 3-pointer gave the Mountain Lions a 51-50 lead with 7:23 left, their first lead since 7-6.
His last 3 with 1:30 to go put UCCS is front 64-63 and didn't trail again.

"They have a really good player who knows how to finish games," Clark said.

HAL A. HUGGINS 1937-2014

 

The email message was rather shocking because I did not know that Hal was ailing:

Hi Dr. Swartzendruber,

I wanted to inform you of Dr. Hal Huggins passing on Saturday 11-29-14. He passed away peacefully in his home, and is free of any pain and suffering. I have attached the obituary and service details. We appreciate all of the love and support that we have received, and do ask for patience for return calls and emails at this time. If you would like to send condolences, you are welcome to email or send cards to the office at 5082 List Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80919.

Sincerely,

The obituary that was attached reads:

Dr. Hal Huggins passed away peacefully at his Colorado Springs home Saturday, November 29, 2014. He was 77.

Dr. Huggins rightfully earned the title of "Elder Statesman" of Holistic Dentistry. He is also known as a leading pioneer and the "Grand Father" of identifying and treating medical problems caused by toxic dental materials.

Dr. Huggins received his DDS degree over 50 years ago at the University of Nebraska and practiced for decades in Colorado Springs. Continuing his education in 1990, he received his post-doc master's degree from the University of Colorado.

He presented over 2500 lectures in 47 of the US States and 16 foreign countries. He authorized many books, wrote over 50 articles and gave over 1000 radio/TV interviews, including 60 Minutes Australia (1989) and 60 Minutes New Zealand (2007).

As founder of the Multi-Discipline Alliance of Professionals he ensured continuing education for dentists desiring to learn the Huggins dental protocol. Training includes helping their patients avoid and recover from ailments caused by harmful dental procedures.

Dr. Huggins was a caring and sensitive man who dedicated his life's work to helping humanity. He was loved by his patients, professional colleagues and staff for his compassion, generosity and willingness to give of himself.

His greatest joy was helping those on their quest to recover from the many degenerative diseases caused by silver (mercury) fillings and heavy metal toxicity from other dental materials.

He is survived by his three children, David Huggins and Elizabeth "Chip" Huggins, both of Colorado Springs, and Holden "Denny" Conover of Alaska; two grandchildren, Patricia and Michael Conover; and one great grandchild.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 1:00 pm at the Center for Spiritual Living, 3685 Jeannine Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80917.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Toxic Element Research Foundation (TERF), 5082 List Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919.

_________________________________________________________________________________

I first met Hal when he came to my office at CU-Colorado Springs to inquire about my course on immunology.  I did not know him from Adam and I had never of the 'amalgam wars' that I wrote about here.  Thus, I was a bit taken aback when Hal began to explain that dental fillings are approximately 50% mercury - like most folks, I had presumed that since they are called 'silver' fillings that they were indeed mainly silver.  Wrong.  Amalgams generally contain around 20% silver, 50% mercury, and the remainder being other miscellaneous metals.  I immediately had to think "This is crazy" because I was well aware of the toxic effects of mercury.  

Hal enrolled in the immunology course and then went on to take other relevant courses, eventually fulfilling the requirements to earn a master's degree.  I could probably write a short novel about all of the adventures related to working with Hal, but that will have to wait for another day.  Hal was a complex person, part dentist, part anti-amalgam evangelist, part self-promoter, and a large part caring health care provider.  I will close with the thoughtful remarks of a former student, to which I add "Amen" and Godspeed HAH.

Hal was an interesting person, and his work an important example of science in action.  Dr. Huggins' willingness to test his apparently common sense hypotheses in the glaring light of international scientific debate suggests not only personal courage, but also a dedication to the search for truth through the use of the scientific method that can be very difficult to find in a world that often seems to be  immersed in apparent self serving propaganda.

As a person who has participated in numerous invasive human research studies, my experience with Dr. Huggins was that he appeared to be focused upon the collection of viable data and its objective analysis rather than the advancement of his own point of view or personal status.

Dr. Hal Huggins passed away peacefully at his Colorado Springs home Saturday, November 29, 2014. He was 77.

Dr. Huggins rightfully earned the title of "Elder Statesman" of Holistic Dentistry. He is also known as a leading pioneer and the "Grand Father" of identifying and treating medical problems caused by toxic dental materials.

Dr. Huggins received his DDS degree over 50 years ago at the University of Nebraska and practiced for decades in Colorado Springs. Continuing his education in 1990, he received his post-doc master's degree from the University of Colorado.

He presented over 2500 lectures in 47 of the US States and 16 foreign countries. He authorized many books, wrote over 50 articles and gave over 1000 radio/TV interviews, including 60 Minutes Australia (1989) and 60 Minutes New Zealand (2007).

As founder of the Multi-Discipline Alliance of Professionals he ensured continuing education for dentists desiring to learn the Huggins dental protocol. Training includes helping their patients avoid and recover from ailments caused by harmful dental procedures.

Dr. Huggins was a caring and sensitive man who dedicated his life's work to helping humanity. He was loved by his patients, professional colleagues and staff for his compassion, generosity and willingness to give of himself.

His greatest joy was helping those on their quest to recover from the many degenerative diseases caused by silver (mercury) fillings and heavy metal toxicity from other dental materials.

He is survived by his three children, David Huggins and Elizabeth "Chip" Huggins, both of Colorado Springs, and Holden "Denny" Conover of Alaska; two grandchildren, Patricia and Michael Conover; and one great grandchild.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 1:00 pm at the Center for Spiritual Living, 3685 Jeannine Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80917.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Toxic Element Research Foundation (TERF), 5082 List Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/gazette/obituary.aspx?n=hal-huggins&pid=173352946&fhid=6097#sthash.HG3P29Wc.dpuf

Dr. Hal Huggins passed away peacefully at his Colorado Springs home Saturday, November 29, 2014. He was 77.

Dr. Huggins rightfully earned the title of "Elder Statesman" of Holistic Dentistry. He is also known as a leading pioneer and the "Grand Father" of identifying and treating medical problems caused by toxic dental materials.

Dr. Huggins received his DDS degree over 50 years ago at the University of Nebraska and practiced for decades in Colorado Springs. Continuing his education in 1990, he received his post-doc master's degree from the University of Colorado.

He presented over 2500 lectures in 47 of the US States and 16 foreign countries. He authorized many books, wrote over 50 articles and gave over 1000 radio/TV interviews, including 60 Minutes Australia (1989) and 60 Minutes New Zealand (2007).

As founder of the Multi-Discipline Alliance of Professionals he ensured continuing education for dentists desiring to learn the Huggins dental protocol. Training includes helping their patients avoid and recover from ailments caused by harmful dental procedures.

Dr. Huggins was a caring and sensitive man who dedicated his life's work to helping humanity. He was loved by his patients, professional colleagues and staff for his compassion, generosity and willingness to give of himself.

His greatest joy was helping those on their quest to recover from the many degenerative diseases caused by silver (mercury) fillings and heavy metal toxicity from other dental materials.

He is survived by his three children, David Huggins and Elizabeth "Chip" Huggins, both of Colorado Springs, and Holden "Denny" Conover of Alaska; two grandchildren, Patricia and Michael Conover; and one great grandchild.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 1:00 pm at the Center for Spiritual Living, 3685 Jeannine Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80917.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Toxic Element Research Foundation (TERF), 5082 List Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/gazette/obituary.aspx?n=hal-huggins&pid=173352946&fhid=6097#sthash.TKClLEFb.dpuf

Dr. Hal Huggins passed away peacefully at his Colorado Springs home Saturday, November 29, 2014. He was 77.

Dr. Huggins rightfully earned the title of "Elder Statesman" of Holistic Dentistry. He is also known as a leading pioneer and the "Grand Father" of identifying and treating medical problems caused by toxic dental materials.

Dr. Huggins received his DDS degree over 50 years ago at the University of Nebraska and practiced for decades in Colorado Springs. Continuing his education in 1990, he received his post-doc master's degree from the University of Colorado.

He presented over 2500 lectures in 47 of the US States and 16 foreign countries. He authorized many books, wrote over 50 articles and gave over 1000 radio/TV interviews, including 60 Minutes Australia (1989) and 60 Minutes New Zealand (2007).

As founder of the Multi-Discipline Alliance of Professionals he ensured continuing education for dentists desiring to learn the Huggins dental protocol. Training includes helping their patients avoid and recover from ailments caused by harmful dental procedures.

Dr. Huggins was a caring and sensitive man who dedicated his life's work to helping humanity. He was loved by his patients, professional colleagues and staff for his compassion, generosity and willingness to give of himself.

His greatest joy was helping those on their quest to recover from the many degenerative diseases caused by silver (mercury) fillings and heavy metal toxicity from other dental materials.

He is survived by his three children, David Huggins and Elizabeth "Chip" Huggins, both of Colorado Springs, and Holden "Denny" Conover of Alaska; two grandchildren, Patricia and Michael Conover; and one great grandchild.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 1:00 pm at the Center for Spiritual Living, 3685 Jeannine Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80917.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Toxic Element Research Foundation (TERF), 5082 List Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/gazette/obituary.aspx?n=hal-huggins&pid=173352946&fhid=6097#sthash.TKClLEFb.dpu