Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, January 6, 2018

B2 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 06, 2018 
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS B2 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 06, 2018 
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS 
Jeff’s Book PicsBy Jeff Brown FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett 


beneath the river—or in the ones The Absolutely True Diary of a

you know and love the most.As wordPart-Time Indian by Sherman 

spreads that neither the immune norIn this National Book Award Winner, 

Alexie & Ellen Forney

the gifted are safe from the authoritiesauthor Sherman Alexie tells the 

who patrol the ravaged streets, andstory of Junior, a budding cartoonist

with nothing left to count on but eachgrowing up on the Spokane Indian

other, Lana and Max make their wayReservation. Determined to take his 

out of a wrecked New York City. At thefuture into his own hands, Junior 

same time, other travelers are headingleaves his troubled school on the rez 

west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, 
to attend an all-white farm town high

a tech genius trying to hack his wayschool where the only other Indian is

through a world gone offline. Arlys, athe school mascot.Heartbreaking,

journalist who has lost her audiencefunny, and beautifully written, The

but uses pen and paper to record theAbsolutely True Diary of a Part-

truth. Fred, her young colleague,
Time Indian, which is based on the 

possessed of burgeoning abilities andauthor’s own experiences, coupled

an optimism that seems out of placewith poignant drawings by Ellen

in this bleak landscape. And RachelForney that reflect the character’s

and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a 
art, chronicles the contemporary

paramedic who fend off despair withadolescence of one Native American 

their determination to keep a youngboy as he attempts to break away

mother and three infants in their care 
from the life he was destined to live. 

alive.In a world of survivors where 
With a foreword by Markus Zusak,

every stranger encountered could beinterviews with Sherman Alexie and 

either a savage or a savior, none ofEllen Forney, and four-color interior

them knows exactly where they areart throughout, this edition is perfect

heading, or why. But a purpose awaitsfor fans and collectors alike. 

them that will shape their lives andthe lives of all those who remain.The 
end has come. The beginning comes 

Year One: Chronicles of the 

next. 
Year One is an epic of hope andhorror, chaos and magick, and a

One, Book 1 by Nora Roberts 

This Timeless Moment: A 

Personal View of Aldous journey that will unite a desperate

Huxley by Laura Huxley group of people to fight the battle of

Long before “turn on, tune in, 
Eve.The sickness came on suddenly,

their lives…It began on New Year’s

drop out” became the credo of theand spread quickly. The fear spread

American counterculture, Aldous 
even faster. Within weeks, everything

Huxley was using mescaline and LSDpeople counted on began to fail them.

in controlled, carefully documentedThe electrical grid sputtered; law and 

experiments. Accounts of those 
government collapsed—and more 

psychedelic experiences, along withthan half of the world’s population

his interest in Eastern mystical 
was decimated.Where there had been 

religions, accompany the movingorder, there was now chaos. And as 

story of Aldous Huxley’s later yearsthe power of science and technology

with his wife, Laura. Huxley’sreceded, magick rose up in its place.

fascination with the spiritual worldSome of it is good, like the witchcraft

remained with him throughout his

worked by Lana Bingham, practicingin the loft apartment she shares with her lover,
Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it canlurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels 

All Things By Jeff Brown 

life and never wavered through hisfinal illness in 1963. The book takes the reader 
into the lively mind of one of the most profoundthinkers of any generation. 

OUR BEAUTIFUL (& VOCAL)PARROTS 


The California Parrot Project is a scientificorganization whose purpose is to monitor, 
document and research aspects related to wildparrot populations in California.With thirteenspecies of parrots found in California, it isoften difficult to identify a particular speciesespecially among those with similar traits. Theiridentification guide at the Parrot Project website is provided as a quick reference to identifynaturalized parrots by showing the visual 
differences between species.

Q. How did the wild parrots get here? No 
parrots have occurred naturally in California 
. Our birds are either escapees or, more often,
descendants of birds originally imported (eitherlegally or illegally) into the United States for thepet bird trade. There was no single event thatresulted in the release of parrots into Californiarather, dozens or hundreds of instances of 
escape or release ultimately led to the breedingpopulations we have today.
Q. How do they survive? Parrots in California 
mainly eat seeds, fruits, and nectar from the hugevariety of non-native (often tropical) trees andshrubs we have planted around our urban andresidential areas. We have provided the food andthe nest sites (generally cavities and hollows intrees) that they require. Although most parrotsare tropical or subtropical in distribution, theysurvive in California’s dry and (in winter) relativelycool climate because the food resources they needare available year round. Also, they are free fromthe intense predation pressures (e.g. from nestpredation by snakes) that they experience in theirnative habitats. 

Q. Why are the parrots so loud? It’s true 
parrots can be heard from great distances, but 
their loud calls are essential to their survival. 
Parrots are highly social creatures and their 
calls are used to locate others in densely wooded 
areas and from a distance. Living exclusively in 
the trees, the parrots use their skilled voices to 
maintain contact with their flock, their mates, 
and their young. 
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM 
ESTATE PLANNING IN 
2018 

2017 is now fading into the rearview mirror. As weall look ahead to 2018, let’s consider a few things towatch regarding estate planning, so you and yourfamily can be completely protected. 

* The death tax. The death tax has been in a 
state of flux ever since the early 2000s when theBush administration’s first tax cuts changed theexemption and tax rates. The recently-passed TaxCuts and Jobs Act is the latest significant change.
Starting January 1, 2018, the estate tax exemptionamount will double to $11.2 million per person(married couples have $22.4 million of combinedexemption). Like the current exemption, this 
amount will adjust annually for inflation. 
However, this enhanced exemption expires onDecember 31, 2025, at which time it will return 
to an amount similar to the $5.49 million perperson exemption we’ve had in 2017. Similar towhat happened when the Bush tax cuts phased in(and were scheduled to expire) during the 2000s,
we’ll face the same situation over the coming years 
– the law provides a deadline and timetable, butpolitical activity may result in something entirelydifferent. Regardless of your stance on this new taxlaw, if you have a plan based around the now-oldrules, it’s time to visit with us, so we can make sure 
your plan still meets your needs and goals whilemaximizing the benefit to your family, charities,
or other beneficiaries. 
* Incapacity planning. What happens if you don’tdie? Historically, much of estate planning focused 
on what happened to your assets after your death.
With cognitive impairment at near epidemicproportions, you must plan for the contingencythat you don’t die and instead require assistancemanaging your affairs. Depending on yourcircumstances, this could range from a relativelysimple matter of ensuring you have a trustedperson authorized to make decisions to extensiveplanning to become eligible for help paying fornursing home care. Either way, now is the time toreview your plan with us to ensure that it protectsyou, even if you don’t die. 

* Giving your family lifelong financial security.
Although you may not consider yourself “wealthy”,
you probably have an IRA or a life insurance policy.
A modest IRA or life insurance policy could be thefoundation for lifelong financial security for yourfamily. To make this a reality, you need to set upyour affairs with the proper structures to ensuremoney avoids costs, taxes, and the risk of financialimmaturity or ignorance. We are here to help youensure that the savings you’ve spent a lifetimebuilding will be there for your family. 

* Fixing broken or old trusts. Many people haveinherited assets from parents, aunts, uncles, andothers through a trust. Some of these trusts mayuse old strategies or be expensive or difficult toadminister. The law recognizes that old trusts mayneed some refreshing. There are many optionsavailable to modernize an old trust, and the best 
way to get started is to meet with us so we canexplore which option is best for you and the trustyou inherited.
2018 will likely be an exciting, dynamic year.
No matter where you are on the estate planningjourney, carve out some time to talk with us tomake sure that you and your family are fullyprotected. 

Happy New Year! 


A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on amission to help parents protect what they love most.
His office is located at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra 
Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an appointment tosit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of loveand financial security for your family by calling626.587.3058 or visit www.GarlettLaw.com for 
more information. 


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