Top Five

Our Three Hundredth edition of Rink Rats, and they said it couldn’t be done.

It is only fitting on this our 300^th edition we celebrate our Top Five.

Top Five Reasons to move to Canada:

5). Molson Export Ale

4). Hilary Clinton

3). Bernie Sanders

2). Ted Cruz

1). Donald Trump

Top Five Reasons to not to move to Canada:

5). Snow

4). Mounties

3). Don Cherry

2). Sudbury, Ontario

1). Toronto Maple Leafs

Top Five Reasons we do not like Tax Day:

5). Audits

4). Itemized Deductions

3). Pay first, then request an extension

2). Obama Care

1). Accountants are boring

Top Five Highest paid CEOs:

5). Salesforce.com's Marc Benioff, $33.4m

4). Disney's Bob Iger, $44.9m

2-3). Oracle co-CEOs Safra Catz and Mark Hurd, $53.2m each

1). Viacom's Philippe Dauman, $54.2m

Top Five Kentucky Derby Favorites:

5). Zulu

4). Mor Spirit

3). Danzing Candy

2). Mohaymen

1). Nyquist

Top Five SCIAC Endowment Values as of June 30, 2014:

5). Scripps (#237 overall) $311 million

4). Occidental (#200 overall) $406 million

3). Claremont McKenna College (#136 overall) $699 million

2). California Institute of Technology (#42 overall) $2.09 billion

1). Pomona College (#41 overall) $2.1 billion

Top Five Professional Golfers:

5). Rickie Fowler

4). Bubba Watson

3). Rory McIlroy

2). Jordan Speith

1). Jason Day

Top Five Reasons Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will be impeached:

5). FIFA

4). “Car Wash” Scandal

3). Zika outbreak administration

2). Longest economic downturn in decades

1). Defection of Democratic Movement Party

Top Five Reasons Crime is up in Claremont, California

5). Walter’s Dance Club on Saturday Nights

4). All Male City Council

3). Buffalo Inn closed

2). Two lines at Some Crust Bakery, what is that all about???

1). Who wants to go to Upland!

Top Five Post Governor jobs for Jerry Brown:

5). Angry old man

4). Mayor of Upland, CA

3). First civilian astronaut to Mars

2). Life guard in Malibu, CA

1). Provost of University of California at Berkeley

Top Five Reasons Adjunct Faculty are Cool:

5). Free parking

4). No Faculty meetings to attend

3). No research

2). You do not have to wear socks

1). They can laugh at themselves

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to: Jennifer Garner (44) Malibu, CA; Gene Hasse ….The Man; Ashley Judd (47) Knoxville, TN; Jack Nicholson (78) Beverly Hills, CA.

COLLEGE CHRONICLES – A new report out last week from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology stresses the importance of cross-collaboration between departments to improve online learning. The study, "Online Education: A Catalyst for Higher Education Reform," recommends that higher education professionals understand the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration; consider online education a scaffold, rather than a replacement, for in-person learning; cultivate a skilled workforce specializing in digital learning design; and ensure changes are made on the highest institutional levels to enable change.

One of the goals of the report is to try to help frame the discussion and to pull together some of the pieces of the conversation that are taking place in different arenas but are not necessarily considered in an integrated way," Karen Willcox, an MIT professor and coauthor of the report, said in a statement. The authors noted that drawing together fields that may not be traditionally linked, such as education experts and neuroscientists, can better provide ways to optimize the online learning experience. The online learning report and its findings will be presented today at the National Academy of Sciences headquarters.

SYLLABUS - Attention students: put your laptops away. A study shows there are still advantages to taking notes the old fashioned way. NPR: http://n.pr/1qQ6NOD

'YALE NO' TO ENDOWMENT TAXES: Three higher ed groups that combined represent most of the country's colleges and universities say no way to a Connecticut proposal to tax Yale University's endowment. The Association of American Universities, the American Council on Education and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities issued a joint statement saying they were "deeply troubled" by the bill. "Taxing a large university would set a precedent for taxing not only other private colleges but also every nonprofit, from local churches and soup kitchens to the Red Cross and Salvation Army," the statement said. "Nonprofit charitable organizations are part of the foundation of American society. If we begin to tax them, we erode that foundation."

CHINESE GOODS BYPASS CALIFORNIA - Chinese exporters are sending more of their goods to the U.S. Southeast, bypassing the California ports that have long served as the gateway for Asian imports. The reason: the Southeast is home to a growing number of factories that import parts from China, and it's cheaper to bring them into the country via Savannah, Houston and other ports in the region, said Jock O'Connell, an international-trade economist at Beacon Economics.

TAXING TIMES - New Treasury rules limiting the ability of U.S. companies to do international deals to lighten their tax burdens drew cries of protest from corporate boardrooms and conservative critics yesterday. While companies around the globe raced to assess the impact, Pfizer and Allergan swiftly condemned the action after terminating their planned $150 billion merger. Both companies now must look to do deals of their own. The Treasury pushed back against the claims that its new rules put U.S. companies at a global disadvantage, arguing that the regulations shut down unfair loopholes. The Obama administration and congressional Republicans agree that the U.S. should cut its corporate-tax rate, but there are few signs that Congress will act in an election year.

CALIFORNIA POLITICS – Loretta Sanchez closes Gap on Kamala Harris for US Senate; within 4 Points on SurveyUSA Poll: Harris is proving to be one of the most uninspiring candidates for Senate in decades. Her campaign makes little news outside of emails begging for money. Sanchez has been bolstering her bid through showing voters she knows how to get things done in Washington and logging in lots of cross country miles.

GOOD READS - The Fight for the Future of NPR," by Leon Neyfakh in Slate: "A slow-moving bureaucracy. An antiquated business model. A horde of upstart competitors. Can National Public Radio survive?" http://slate.me/1p4LuHA

POTUS ROAD TRIP: On Tuesday, the President will depart ... en route Ramstein, Germany on his way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, the President will arrive in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the afternoon, the President will meet with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. The President will remain overnight in Riyadh. On Thursday, the President will meet with leaders and delegations from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In the afternoon, the President will depart Riyadh and travel to London, United Kingdom, where he will remain overnight.

On Friday, the President will have lunch with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom at Windsor Castle. In the afternoon, the President will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom. Afterward, the President will participate in a press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron. The President will remain overnight in London. On Saturday, the President will participate in a town hall discussion with British youth at the Royal Horticultural Halls. The President will remain overnight in London.

On Sunday, the President will depart London and travel to Hannover, Germany. In Hannover, the President will have a bilateral meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Afterward, the President will participate in a press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel. In the evening, the President will deliver remarks at the Hannover Messe Trade Fair Opening Ceremony. Later in the evening, the President will participate in a dinner with Chancellor Angela Merkel and business leaders. The President will remain overnight in Hannover.

OUT AND ABOUT – One of the best kept secrets in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California is the series “Sundays At The Morgan” held monthly (during the academic year) at The University of La Verne Stephen and Ann Morgan Auditorium. This past Sunday I had the extreme pleasure of listening to Vijay Gupta.

Vijay Gupta joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007 at the age of 19, after completing a Master’s degree in Music from Yale University, and a Bachelor’s in biology from Marist College. Gupta is a passionate and dedicated advocate for the presence of music in ostracized communities. He founded and serves as Artistic Director for Street Symphony, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing free, live music to men, women, and youth living in homelessness and incarceration. A gifted spokesperson for human and mental health advocacy through a musical medium, Gupta is a TED Speaker, and a 2011 TED Senior Fellow.

PANAMA PAPERS IMPACT - Mohamed A. El-Erian: "The revelations about offshore accounts that came to light in the so-called Panama Papers will reinvigorate government efforts to rein in not just tax evasion, which is illegal, but tax avoidance, too. They will also add to popular frustration that will challenge the authority of some government officials. The uproar will bring about enhanced enforcement measures.

"Yet there also will be unintended consequences that will further erode the credibility and effectiveness of the political establishment, including its ability to govern from the center, which is already being tested."

NFL CALENDAR - Super Bowl rematch: Panthers-Broncos opens season: The rematch will be on Thursday night, Sept. 8 in Denver. ... It is the first Super Bowl rematch on opening weekend since 1970, when Minnesota beat champion Kansas City 27-10. ... Among the highlights for opening weekend is the Rams' return to representing Los Angeles as they visit San Francisco in the nightcap of a Monday night doubleheader. Pittsburgh is at Washington in the first game. ...

The Rams get their first home game in the LA Coliseum in Week 2, hosting Seattle. That night, the Vikings open their new stadium in Minneapolis against Green Bay. ... Week 16 will feature most games on a Saturday because Sunday is Christmas. There will be two games on Christmas Day: Baltimore at Pittsburgh in late afternoon, Denver at Kansas City at night. ... Houston hosts Cincinnati in a Christmas Eve night game. A tripleheader on the other major holiday, Thanksgiving, will have the traditional home games for Detroit (vs. Minnesota) and Dallas (against Washington). The prime-time matchup is Pittsburgh at Indianapolis. ...

Four games will be played abroad. Jacksonville will host Indianapolis in London on Oct. 2, at Wembley Stadium. On Oct. 23, the first NFL game at Twickenham Stadium will have the Rams hosting the Giants. And the following Sunday, Cincinnati will host Washington at Wembley. The NFL returns to Mexico City for the first time in 11 years when Oakland hosts Houston on Nov. 21. ... Houston hosts the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.

THE SWAMI’S WEEK TOP PICKS –

National Basketball Association Playoff Picks:

Eastern Conference: #1 Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1) over #8 Detroit Pistons;  #7 Indiana Pacers (4-3) over the #2 Toronto Raptors; #3 Miami Heat (4-2) over the #6 Charlotte Hornets; #4 Atlanta Hawks (4-3) over Boston Celtics.

Conference Semis – Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1) over the Indiana Pacers; Miami Heat (4-2) over the Atlanta Hawks.

Conference Finals – Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1) over the Miami Heat

Western Conference: #1 Golden State Warriors (4-0) over the #8 Houston Rockets; #2 San Antonio Spurs (4-1) over the #7 Memphis Grizzlies; #3 Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) over the #6 Dallas Mavericks; #4 Los Angeles Clippers (4-1) over the #5 Portland Trail Blazers.

Conference Semis – Golden State Warriors (4-2) over the Los Angeles Clippers; San Antonio Spurs (4-3) over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Conference Finals – Golden State Warriors (4-2) over the San Antonio Spurs

NBA Champs – Golden State Warriors (4-2) over the Cleveland Cavaliers

Season to date (32 -18)

MARKET WEEK - So far, 1Q earnings season has contained mostly positive results relative to low expectations. For the 35 reporting firms, median year/year EPS growth equaled 6 percent versus 3 percent expected by consensus. This week is the first major reporting week, with 101 S&P 500 firms representing 28 percent of market cap scheduled to release earnings.

DRIVING THE WEEK – New York votes on Tuesday with 95 delegates at stake for Republicans and 291 for Democrats ... Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Monday will preside over an FSOC meeting with asset management on the agenda ... Index of leading indicators on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. expected to rise 0.4 percent ... Morgan Stanley reports first-quarter earnings on Monday, Goldman Sachs on Tuesday. Will their trading results be better than expected? ... ECB makes a policy announcement Thursday with no changes expected to rates or its asset purchase program.

Next week: Jack Ass of the month.

Until Next Monday, Adios.

Claremont, CA

April 18, 2016

#VI-38-300

CARTOON OF THE WEEK –Argyle Sweater