Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, December 30, 2017

B2 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 30, 2017 
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS B2 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 30, 2017 
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS 
Jeff’s Book PicsBy Jeff Brown FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett 


matter of days, despite predictions of aShattered Peacock: A Story of

recovery, Willie dies and is laid to restLife and Revolution in Iran by 

in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poorLisa is a Sierra Madre resident! Like 

Lisa Di Vita 

boy, he was too good for this earth,”
2012’s Academy award-winning 

the president says at the time. “GodBest Picture, “Argo,” starring

has called him home.” NewspapersBen Affleck, “Shattered Peacock” 

report that a grief-stricken Lincolnchronicles Persia’s devastation as 

returns, alone, to the crypt severala result of Mohammad Reza Shah 

times to hold his boy’s body.FromPahlavi’s fall from the Peacock 

that seed of historical truth, GeorgeThrone. As seen through the eyes of

Saunders spins an unforgettablethe wealthy Sultan family, the reader

story of familial love and loss thatfollows the havoc wreaked on the 

breaks free of its realistic, historical 
Shah’s supporters, and in particular,

framework into a supernatural realmupon Soraya Sultan, who faces the

both hilarious and terrifying. Williechallenge of saving her life and the

Lincoln finds himself in a strange 
lives of her family, and who learns

purgatory where ghosts mingle, 
strength and determination in the

gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and 
face of danger. Along with the story of

enact bizarre acts of penance. Withinpersecution visited upon its fictional

this transitional state—called, in 
characters, “Shattered Peacock” 

the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a 
depicts historical figures set as they

monumental struggle erupts overlived, inside an authentic, historical 

young Willie’s soul.Lincoln in thetimeline. Experience the demise of the

Bardo is an astonishing feat ofrich and dramatic world of imperial

imagination and a bold step forwardPersia. Live the disintegration of the

from one of the most important and“Last Shah’s” rule. Feel the Iranian 

influential writers of his generation.
Revolution choking the life out of

Formally daring, generous in spirit,
Iran’s long succession of Persian kings.

deeply concerned with matters 
Learn about the brutal, subsequent

of the heart, it is a testament to 
rule of Ayatollah Khomeini and how

fiction’s ability to speak honestly andSharia law changed the character of

powerfully to the things that reallyIran, even as it walled off Western 

matter to us. Saunders has invented 
influence. Today, Iran’s theocratic

a thrilling new form that deploys aIslamic government stands on the

kaleidoscopic, theatrical panoramabrink of nuclear capability, and 

of voices to ask a timeless, profoundis a major sponsor of worldwide 

question: How do we live and loveterrorism. “Shattered Peacock” 

when we know that everything werecounts how it came to be. This 

love must end? 
historical novel invites the reader to 
consider why the West faces violence

Instructions for a Secondhand 

Heart by Tamsyn Murray from Iran as a result of allowing Shah

A moving novel about grief, guilt,
recommended for history buffs, book

Pahlavi to fall from his throne. It is 

and the unpredictability of love, forclubs, students interested in Iranian 

fans of Everything, Everything andstudies and for any reader who enjoys

All the Bright Places.Jonny knowsan exciting and emotional plot. 

better than anyone that life is full of

cruel ironies. He’s spent every dayLincoln in the Bardo: A Novel by George in a hospital hooked up to machines to keep hisSaunders heart ticking. Then when a donor match is foundNamed One of the Ten Best Books of the Year for Jonny’s heart, that turns out to be the cruelestby The Washington Post, and USA Today. Thisirony of all. Because for Jonny’s life to finally start,
is the long-awaited first novel from the author ofsomeone else’s had to end.That someone turns out 
Tenth of December: a moving and original father-to be Neve’s twin brother, Leo. When Leo was alive, 
son story featuring none other than Abrahamall Neve wanted was for him (and all his glorious,
Lincoln, as well as an unforgettable cast ofovershadowing perfection) to leave. Now thatsupporting characters, living and dead, historicalLeo’s actually gone forever, Neve has no idea howand invented.February 1862. The Civil War isto move forward. Then Jonny walks into her lifeless than one year old. The fighting has begun inlooking for answers, her brother’s heart beating inearnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is inhis chest, and everything starts to change.Together,
for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, PresidentNeve and Jonny will have to face the future, noLincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie,matter how frightening it is, while also learning tolies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a heal their hearts, no matter how much it hurts. 

All Things By Jeff Brown 

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS 

Seek out an opportunity to help every day. Holdreturn. Random acts of kindness are essential 
open a door, offer assistance, help someone tryingto our wellbeing, as they liberate us from self-
to get a stroller down the steps or take any randomobsession, selfishness, and isolation; they are theacts of kindness. Wikipedia says that a randomeffect of an open and loving nature. True generosityact of kindness is: “...a selfless act performed byis giving without expectation, with no need to bea person or persons wishing to either assist orrepaid in any form. This is the most powerful act ofcheer up an individual... There will generallygenerosity, as it is unconditional, unattached, andbe no reason other than to make people smile,free to land wherever it will. Whether we give toor be happier.”Perhaps it is the use of the worldour family, friends, or to strangers, it is the same.
random that is misleading, and that it wouldWemay feel we have little to offer, but whether itbe easier if we used the word spontaneous oris a few pennies or a whole bankroll, a cup of teaimpulsive instead. Spontaneity means we are actingor a banquet is irrelevant—it is the act of givingon an impulse, in the moment, freely; particularly,itself that is important. As Mahatma Gandhi said,
that we are moved to do something for someoneAlmost anything we do will seem insignificant, butwithout any thought of receiving something in it is very important that we do it. 


(RE)DEFINING FAMILY:
ESTATE PLANNING FOR 
THE POST-NUCLEAR 
FAMILY 

Blended families, unmarried couples, assistive 
reproductive technology (ART) and same-sex 
marriages all challenge the traditional concept 
of “family” – at least as it’s been known for legal 
purposes. 

Significant changes in the way we define family 
culturally means families are often left without 
the valuable protection they need, in the event of 
a death or incapacity of a loved one. 

As these legal definitions and our personal 
situations expand, so do the priorities of the 
modern estate plan. 

No longer is estate planning just for the wealthy, 
who wish to save money on their taxes; it’s for 
all of us who want to ensure our legal system 
recognizes and protects the one’s we love.

For example, if you are in a life partnership you 
may be “married” in the eyes of your community, 
but not in the eyes of the law. As such, your partner 
would have no legal right to see you or make 
decisions on your behalf, if you were hospitalized. 

Even if you are married, your spouse or partner 

would not be able to access your financial accounts 
without court intervention, without proper legal 
planning in advance. And, if you are not married, 
the Court is unlikely to give a non-legal spouse 
access and would instead appoint a professional 
fiduciary before allowing your unmarried partner 
access. 

If you are part of a blended family (meaning 
one or both spouses have children from a 
prior relationship) or have children who aren’t 
biologically both yours and your spouse’s (or non-
spouse partner), you need to include provisions in 
your estate plan that clearly define the inheritance 
rights of all children, biological or not. 

It is vitally important that you clearly state any 
legally established relationships between you, 
your spouse (or non-spouse partners and loved 
ones) and your children, biological or otherwise, 
to ensure your wishes will be carried out in the 
event of your death or incapacity. If you do not 
do this, your kids could end up in the care of 
someone you would never want and taken out of 
the home of the non-biological parent they are 
living with. 

Whatever your family’s configuration may be, 
estate planning is your chance to safeguard the 
people you love and your assets on your own 
terms and per your own definitions. With the 
uncertainty of the current political and social 
climate, developing a carefully crafted plan 
tailored to your family’s needs is more important 
now than ever. 

Dedicated to empowering your family, building 
your wealth and delivering your legacy, 


A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on 
a mission to help parents protect what they love 
most. His office is located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., 
Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an 
appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a 
legacy of love and financial security for your family 
by calling 626.587.3058 or visit www.GarlettLaw.
com for more information. 

By La Quetta M. Shamblee, MBA 

BUSINESS TODAY 

The latest on Business News, Trends and 
Techniques 
INSANE ENOUGH TO BE AN 
ENTREPRENEUR IN 2018? 

Have you thought about starting your own business?what is normal to everyone else.
Whether it is your interest to turn your hobby into anThey would rather work 20 hours a day to buildextra source of income, or to build the type of thrivingtheir own enterprise, than to work 8 hours a day tobusiness you have always dreamed about, there comesbuild for someone else. Seems odd, but one of the 
a time to press go if you’re serious. “I want to be mytrade-offs is a sense of relief, pride and satisfactionown boss,” is one of the reasons most commonlyknowing that they are doing what they really want tocited by individuals with an interest in running theirdo. Some of them find their niche, build a business 
own business. There may be thoughts of relief at notand operate it for decades until they decide to sell it,
having to report to a boss, but be mindful that thepass it on to family or close it after enjoying years asshift to being an entrepreneur means that you willthe creator of their own livelihood. 
have numerous bosses, that’s right, your customers.Others are serial entrepreneurs, leaving a trail ofThe great thing is, as long as you deliver a qualitymultiple business ventures. Some of the ventures are 
service or product, coupled with a reputation forsuccessful, but some are relegated to the collectivegreat customer service, you will keep your customersheap of business failures. But again, a difference inhappy and hopefully coming back for more.perspective – the entrepreneur interprets each failure

If you are considering taking the leap into youras a lesson learned, information to help them makebusiness full-time as your primary livelihood, youbetter decisions the next time. Like the inventor 
will join the ranks of entrepreneurs who have left theand entrepreneur, Thomas Edison, 10,000 “failed”
“security” of a regular paycheck from an employer.experiments to create the light bulb are simply viewedThis is one of the main reasons that most peopleas discovering all of the ways it didn’t work.
will never take the plunge into business ownershipThe correlation of failure to success is evident across 
as their primary income. Clearly, a level of risk isthe landscape of all accomplishments, large andinvolved, however, there are varying levels rangingsmall. It is something we all understood as children,
from cautious, calculated risks, to those who seem but as we get older we forgot this fact. How manycrazy enough to leap from a cliff with the belief theytimes did you fall before you learned to skate or ridehave wings to fly. You will find examples of extremea bicycle? Remember the frustration you felt as thesuccess at all levels of risk, but the entrepreneurs whoolder kids whizzed past you, and perhaps your mom,
seem to be wired to tolerate risks that appear illogicaldad, or another kid encouraged you to keep trying.
to most of us, see life through a different lens.Or, you simply convinced yourself to try until finally,

To observers it may appear that an entrepreneuryou were skating and riding along with everyone else.
willing to take risks has no fear, but that isn’t the case.So too, is the plight of risk-taking entrepreneurs 
They have simply decided that the risk is worth thewho may find themselves, low on funds with bruised 
anticipated reward. Most people can’t relate to thiscredit ratings, watching other whiz past them with 
because of the fear that prevents them from everthe comfort and security of a steady paycheck. 
moving beyond a pre-defined comfort zone. The Those destined for success will get up and try again, 
comfort zone of a 9-to-5 for the majority can feel likeknowing that they need to move beyond this latest 
a prison to a free-thinking entrepreneur. They thinklesson of what didn’t work to keep searching until 
“outside the box” and are therefore driven to venture, they discover what does. Are you ready to join 
seek and experiment outside of the boundaries of them? 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com