Jazz event is a highlight for Black History Month

Jazz is popular music that originated among black people in New Orleans in the late 19th century. It’s a mix of blues, folk, march and ragtime, and it helps define the black experience in America. This year, for the second time, Jazz On The Green, a Black History Month program, will be held at Plymouth Congregational Church in Coconut Grove. The Feb. 10 presentation will again benefit The United Negro College Fund.

During a 10 a.m. church service, three educators will be recognized for their community service: Leona Cooper Baker, a retired teacher who works quietly and diligently to preserve and promote the historically black West Grove; Chester Fair, a college administrator who is active in the local and national Pan Hellenic Council, and who travels from Richmond Heights to Miami Gardens promoting youth programs; and retired school administrator Dorothy Wallace, who helps provide young women a second chance in life. The D.M. Wallace COPE Center-South, a Miami-Dade County Public School Academy of Health Science & Medicine, is named in her honor.

At 11:30 a.m., the jazz set begins. Featured artists include local favorites the Jesse Jones Jr. Quintet, vocalist Brenda Alford, musicians from the FIU Jazz Quartet, and Plymouth Congregational Church.

The public is invited to attend and donations to the United Negro College Fund are encouraged.

Why Black History Month?

Black History Month began in February as Negro History Week. The idea for the week was conceived by Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson. He founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History later renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

The week selected contains the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14). The first event was held in 1926. Fifty years later, in 1976, during the nation’s bicentennial celebration, Negro History Week was expanded to the entire month of February. Then-President Gerald R. Ford encouraged all Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Every president since then has dedicated February as Black History Month. The 2013 proclamation is online.

Programs nationwide celebrate national figures who made sacrifices in order to help advance society and recognize local figures working in the community to help improve life for future generations. Locally, Plymouth Church’s Black History is one of many program that carries out President Ford’s request.

At Plymouth, the activities of the event’s chair, Henry Givens, and co-chair Leatrice Taylor Damus are noteworthy. Both are active members of Plymouth Congregational Church, supporters of the United Negro College Fund, and each is recognized in a variety of community organizations for their outstanding leadership.

Committee chair Henry Givens, a native Miamian “born down south in Princeton,” is a Miami-Dade County Capital Inventory Specialist. He is Vice President of the Bahamas Education, Culture and Science Foundation, past chair of the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board and the first black person to chair the Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce.

Co-chair Leatrice Taylor Damus, was born in River Rouge, Michigan outside of Detroit. One of American Airlines’ first black stewardesses, she and her husband moved to Miami in 1972.

She is a member of the Young Patronesses of the Opera, The Links Inc., Opera America, American Red Cross Ball Committee, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens Gala Committee and the advisory committee for the University of Miami’s Friends of the Young Musicians’ Camp. Affiliated with Girl Scouts since childhood, in 2012 she received a signature award at the 100 anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America luncheon.

With their skills, the committee was able to have this event underwritten again by members of the Plymouth Church congregation and corporate sponsors. The goal is to help black college students continue their education. The public is encouraged to participate by making checks payable to The United Negro College Fund and sending them to Plymouth Congregational Church, 3400 Devon Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133.

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State of Union to focus on economy

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will focus his State of the Union address on boosting job creation and economic growth at a time of high unemployment, underscoring the degree to which the economy could threaten his ability to pursue second-term priorities such as gun control, immigration policy and climate change.

Obama also may use Tuesday's prime-time address before a joint session of Congress to announce the next steps for concluding the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Obama's State of the Union marks his second high-profile speech to the nation in about three weeks, after his inaugural address Jan. 21 that opened his second term. White House aides see the two speeches as complementary, with Tuesday's address aimed at providing specifics to back up some of the Inauguration Day's lofty liberal rhetoric.

The president previewed the address during a meeting Thursday with House Democrats and said he would speak "about making sure that we're focused on job creation here in the United States of America." Obama said he would try to accomplish that by calling for improvements in education, boosting clean energy production, and reducing the deficit in ways that don't burden the middle class, the poor or the elderly.

While those priorities may be cheered by some Democrats, they're certain to be met with skepticism or outright opposition from many congressional Republicans, especially in the GOP-controlled House. The parties are at odds over ways to reduce the deficit. Republicans favor spending cuts; Obama prefers a combination of spending cuts and increasing tax revenue.

The president said he would address taxes and looming across-the-board budget cuts, known as the sequester, in the speech. The White House and Congress have pushed back the automatic cuts once, and Obama wants to do it again in order to create an opening for a larger deficit reduction deal.

"I am prepared, eager and anxious to do a big deal, a big package that ends this governance by crisis where every two weeks or every two months or every six months we are threatening this hard-won recovery," he said last week.

The economy has rebounded significantly from the depths of the recession and has taken a back seat for Obama since he won re-election in November. He's instead focused on campaigns to overhaul the nation's patchwork immigration laws and enact stricter gun control measures following the massacre of 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn., in December.

The president also raised expectations for action this year on climate change after devoting a significant amount of time to the issue in his address at the inauguration.

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Hedge funds deserve a (close) look

When constructing a new house, you need to begin with a solid foundation. Otherwise, your home will always be a bit shaky and prone to collapse in a storm. That same principle applies when you start investing. Rather than taking a random approach – like buying a "hot" stock or keeping your money "safe" in a low-earning savings account – you need to start with a solid foundation. In the investing world, that means developing an investment plan and perhaps an investment policy – two basic tools that can help you build a solid financial "home."

First, let's look at an investment plan, which is often prepared with the help of a financial advisor. The plan typically has three basic elements: your goals, your risk tolerance and your desired return.

Usually, your financial goals will be closely aligned with your personal objectives in life. Perhaps you want to have $2 million in assets to support a comfortable retirement. Or you might be aiming to save $150,000 for a bigger house for a growing family or $100,000 to put your son or daughter through college. If you already have accumulated a large nest egg, you might focus on how best to pass your investments on to your children or grandchildren.

Having a clear goal in life – and in your investment plan – may be one of the essentials in building wealth. Rather than spending every dollar from your paycheck, you can start putting away some of that incoming money to prepare for the future.

Next, you should consider both your tolerance for risk and your desired return on your investments. Some people are willing to make higher-risk investments, while others prefer to sleep soundly at night knowing their investments are comparatively more secure. After all, assets like stocks and commodities are usually more volatile than bonds or other fixed income instruments, and rise or fall more steeply from day to day.

However, many of the more volatile assets can also generate higher returns over the long term. That's an important consideration because inflation can reduce the purchasing power of the dollars you stash away in money market accounts or other low-earning securities.

That's why a solid investment plan usually incorporates a diversified mix of assets, including stocks, bonds, cash-like securities, and possibly real estate, commodities, hedge funds and managed futures. Building a diverse portfolio reduces the risks associated with putting all your eggs in one basket

with the potential to generate positive returns over the years and keep you moving steadily toward your goals.

Now, let's look at your investment policy. This is a written statement designed to guide both you and your financial advisor when making financial decisions. It can help you balance investment issues related to risk and reward, perhaps ruling out certain assets as "too risky."

At the same time, developing an investment policy helps you reality-test your financial goals and current savings and investment plans. For example, you might be overly optimistic and expect a 12 percent annual return on your portfolio. Or you might be overly pessimistic, not realizing how your investments will grow with even a 5 percent annual return.

An investment policy can also clarify the roles of your financial advisors, as well as your own decisions. In that regard, it can help you avoid making investment mistakes based on emotions like fear or greed. In other words, it helps you maintain a disciplined steady course toward your goals, regardless of market ups and downs.

Finally, the investment plan and policy can provide tangible evidence of your financial progress. Your advisor can send you quarterly and annual statements(as well as discuss in person)that clearly show whether your portfolio has grown or declined, and where the changes occurred. This is information you need to know in order to make good decisions about your financial future.

So, consider your financial plan and policy as a road map. You may not yet be close to your goals, but at least you know you're on the right path!

•  Benefit amount. This is the maximum payment you would receive from the policy, such as $100,000, $500,000 or $1 million. Since five years of care in a nursing home or memory disorders unit could easily total $500,000 or more, a larger benefit amount is usually preferable, provided you can afford the premiums.

•  Benefit period. This is the maximum number of years that the coverage remains in effect. That might be five years, 10 years or the rest of your life.

•  Elimination period. Like a deductible amount in a life insurance policy, the elimination period specifies how long you would pay the cost of care before the policy kicks in. Typically periods are 30, 60 or 90 days.

Andrew Menachem, CIMA, CWS is a wealth advisor at the Menachem Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Miami and Aventura and teaches at the University of Miami.

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Miami-Dade woman apologizes to judge for flipping the bird

After apologizing Friday for flipping the bird to a judge earlier this week, 18-year-old Penelope Soto saw her $10,000 bond and remaining jail sentence vacated.

But Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jeffrey Rosinek also ordered Soto to attend drug addiction counseling.

Soto had appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat earlier this week on a Xanax possession charge. During the hearing, Soto had giggled and stroked her hair when questioned by the judge.

After the judge initially setting her bond at $5,000 and saying “bye-bye” to Soto, she replied with a laugh and an “adios.”

Irritated, he reset her bond at $10,000.

To that, Soto offered up the rude gesture and an expletive.

That time, Rodriguez-Chomat issued a 30-day sentence for contempt of court.

Soto wasn’t laughing Friday when she apologized to the judge.

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House of Lies Exclusive Clip Lisa Edelstein First Look

Lisa Edelstein became one of the most adored actors on television after spending seven years playing Dr. Cuddy on House. But for her latest small screen endeavor, Edelstein is trading one "House" for another as she guest stars on Showtime's sensational House of Lies, beginning February 17 -- and ETonline has your exclusive first look at her in action!

RELATED - 12 Actors You Didn't Know Were on The West Wing

On Lies, Edelstein plays Brynn, a smart and sexy political consultant whom comes up against The Pod. And as you can see from our first look video, Marty instantly takes a shine to the bold and brash brunette.

RELATED - Kristen Bell & Don Cheadle Talk House of Lies

But how brave will Marty be with his heart? Watch House of Lies every Sunday at 10 p.m. to find out!

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Jesse Jackson Jr. signs plea deal, may face jail time: report

Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has signed a plea deal regarding the inappropriate use of official funds, according to a Fox News report.

Details of the deal are unclear, but the network says the deal also pertains to a "social acquaintance" of the former Illinois Democratic congressman.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the deal -- at least one being considered earlier in the week -- includes "significant jail time."

Jackson resigned last November shortly after being reelected to the House. The son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson Sr. had been treated for bipolar disorder, but also has been the subject of an ongoing federal investigation over campaign funds.

AP

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2011 file photo, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill., is seen during the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington. A spokesman at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota said Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012, Jackson has left the clinic, where he was being treated for bipolar disorder for the second time since taking a leave of absence in June. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

The Sun-Times reported that the probe has split into two separate investigations, with one into Jackson's wife Sandi. Sandi recently resigned as a Chicago city alderman.

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Sign up for Feb. 21 Miami Herald Small Business Forum

Prepare your best pitch for the Miami Herald’s Small Business Forum, Feb. 21 at the south campus of our sponsor, Florida International University.

In addition to how-to panels and inspirational stories from successful entrepreneurs, our annual small business forum will include interactive opportunities with experts to learn about financing options and polish your personal and business brands.

During our finance panel, audience volunteers will be invited to explain their financing needs to the group. During our box-lunch session, they will be invited to pitch their business or personal brand to our coaches.

Those who prefer just to listen will be treated to a keynote address by Alberto Perlman, co-founder of the global fitness craze Zumba. Panels include success stories from the local entrepreneurs who founded Sedano’s, Jennifer’s Homemade and ReStockIt.com; finance tips from experts in small business loans, venture capital, angel investments and traditional bank loans; and insiders in the burgeoning South Florida tech start-up scene.

Plus, it’s a real bargain. $25 includes the half-day seminar, continental breakfast and a box lunch.

Register here.

Program

8 a.m.

Registration and continental breakfast, provided by Bill Hansen Catering

8:30 a.m. Welcome

Host: David Suarez, president and CEO, Interactive Training Solutions, LLC

•  Jerry Haar, PhD, associate dean & director, FIU Eugenio Pino and Family Global

Entrepreneurship Center

•  Alice Horn, executive director, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE South Florida)

•  Jane Wooldridge, Business editor, The Miami Herald

Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge Overview:

•  Nancy Dahlberg, Business Plan Challenge coordinator, The Miami Herald

8:45 a.m. Session I – Success Stories

Moderator: Jerry Haar, PhD, associate dean & director, FIU Eugenio Pino and Family Global

Entrepreneurship Center

Speakers:

•  Jennifer Behar, founder, Jennifer’s Homemade

•  Matt Kuttler, co-president of ReStockIt.com

•  Javier Herrán, chief marketing officer, Sedano’s Supermarkets

10 a.m. Session II – All about Tech

Moderator: Jane Wooldridge, Business editor, The Miami Herald

Speakers

•  Susan Amat, founder, Launch Pad Tech

•  Nancy Borkowski, executive director, Health Management Programs, Chapman Graduate School of

Business, Florida International University

•  Mark Slaughter, CEO, Cohealo.com

•  Chris Fleck, vice president of mobility solutions at Citrix and a director of the South Florida Tech Alliance

11:15 a.m. Keynote

Speaker: Alberto Perlman, CEO and co-founder of Zumba® Fitness

Introduction: Jane Wooldridge, business editor, The Miami Herald

11:45 a.m. Session III – Show me the money: Financing your small business

An interactive session featuring audience volunteers who will be invited to make a short investment pitch before a panel, including experts in microlending, SBA loans, traditional bank loans, venture capital and angel investing. Audience volunteers should come prepared with a two-minute presentation that includes details about current backing, how much money they are seeking and a brief synosis of ow that money would be used.

Moderator: Melissa Krinzman, founder and managing director, Venture Architects

Panelists:

•  Marjorie Weber, chairman, SCORE of Miami-Dade

•  Cornell Crews, Jr., program director, Partners for Self Employment

•  Darius G. Nevin, co-founder, G3 Capital Partners, a mid-market and early-stage investment company

•  Boris Hirmas Said, chairman of the board, Tres Mares S.A. (Santiago, Chile) and entrepreneur in

residence at the Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center

1 p.m. Lunch session - Polish your Pitch, Brighten Your Personal Brand

An interactive session featuring audience volunteers who will be invited to make short pitches about their businesses and themselves. Audience volunteers should come prepared with a two-minute presentation.

Coaches: Melissa Krinzman of Venture Architects and Michelle Villalobos of Mivista Consulting

advise audience volunteers on how to best pitch themselves and their products.

Box lunch provided by Bill Hansen Catering

All speakers confirmed unless otherwise noted. Agenda is subject to change without notice .

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Murder charge dropped in Miami Gardens self-defense case

Prosecutors on Thursday dropped a murder charge against a man who claimed self-defense in fatally shooting an armed teen during a June 2010 brawl in Miami Gardens.

Travis Cooper, 28, had been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Gregory Gant, 16.

The men were part of two groups of fighting men. Cooper claimed Gant pistol-whipped a friend of his, then “pointed the gun in his direction.”

Cooper, a security guard who had a concealed weapons permit, shot and killed Gant. He later called police.

“It’s a relief. They charged me with second-degree murder for no reason,” Cooper said Thursday, flanked by lawyers Andrew Rier and Jonathan Jordan.

Prosecutors decided they could not defend a request for immunity filed under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which gave judges greater leeway to throw out criminal cases.

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Heidi Klum Fashion Week amfAR Kickoff Party

Fashion Week kicked off Wednesday night in New York at a black-tie gala in support of amfAR's efforts to end the AIDS epidemic, and ET was there! Watch the highlights as the stars share their fashion enthusiasm and remember where they were one year ago when Whitney Houston unexpectedly passed away before the Grammys…

Pics: Who Wore What

Held at Cipriani Wall Street, the event honored the Chairman of the Board of amfAR, designer Kenneth Cole, legendary performer and amfAR Ambassador Janet Jackson, and supermodel Heidi Klum. The night also featured performances by CeeLo Green, Santigold and others.

Video: Heidi Klum Dances of Leno's Desk

Since 1998, the amfAR New York Gala has become one of New York City's most successful and high-profile AIDS benefits and has raised nearly $13 million to date for essential AIDS research, prevention, and education. For more on amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, go to www.amfar.org.

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Lawmaker: Subway deaths a 'wake-up call'

A lawmaker says a spate of recent deaths on New York City subway tracks should be "a wake-up call to our transit system."

City Council Transportation Committee Chairman James Vacca made the remark at a hearing Thursday on safety in the nation's busiest subway network.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority runs the subways that carry 5 million riders on an average weekday. Officials say they're working toward testing barriers on platform edges and technology that sounds alarms when someone or something is on the tracks.

The subway drivers' union has suggested lower speed limits for trains entering stations. The MTA says that would lengthen commutes and make platforms more crowded.

Fifty-five people died last year after falling, jumping or being pushed onto the tracks. Two recent pushing deaths have drawn attention.

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Miami startup that turns text to video receives $1 million in seed funding

Guide, a new technology startup based in Miami, announced Tuesday it has closed a $1 million round of seed funding from investors including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Sapient Corp., MTV founder Bob Pitman, actor and producer Omar Epps, and early Google employee Steve Schimmel. The Knight Foundation is supporting Guide through its new early-stage venture fund, the Knight Enterprise Fund.

Led by CEO and founder Freddie Laker and COO Leslie Bradshaw, Guide’s team of seven is focused on turning online news, social streams and blogs into video for users who may be cooking, exercising, commuting or getting ready in the morning. The free application offers consumers a selection of about 20 “anchors” — including a dog, a robot and an anime character — that will read the article and present the accompanying photos, pull-out information and video clips in its video presentation. Revenue drivers for Guide could include in-app purchases, advertising-based anchors and customizations from publishers, said Laker, a former vice president at SapientNitro.

Laker and his team plan to launch a public beta next month, which they plan to do with a splash at the huge technology conference South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

Read more about Guide here on the Starting Gate blog. Follow Nancy Dahlberg on Twitter @ndahlberg

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Sen. Marco Rubio will deliver Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address

Adding to his growing political influence in Washington, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is scheduled to deliver — in English and in Spanish — the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address next Tuesday night.

The announcement was made Wednesday by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell R-Kentucky.

“Marco Rubio is one of our party’s most dynamic and inspiring leaders. He carries our party’s banner of freedom, opportunity and prosperity in a way few others can. His family’s story is a testament to the promise and greatness of America,” said Boehner in a statement.

“Marco Rubio embodies the optimism that lies at the heart of the Republican vision for America. On Tuesday, he will contrast the Republican approach to the challenges we face with President Obama’s vision of an ever-bigger government and the higher taxes that would be needed to pay for it,” said McConnell in a joint statement with Boehner. “Marco’s own experience as the child of immigrants has always informed his belief in limited government and free enterprise, which is why he has helped lead the fight against out-of-control spending and job-destroying tax hikes that continue to hold our economy back and stifle opportunity for millions. He was a natural choice to deliver the Republicans’ alternative to the administration’s reliance on government and debt.”

Said Rubio in a statement: “I’m honored to have this opportunity to discuss how limited government and free enterprise have helped make my family’s dreams come true in America.”

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Grammy Awards Host LL Cool J Promises Plenty of 'Surprises' During Sunday's Show

LL Cool J takes the stage again this year to host the Grammy Awards and we caught up with the rapper/actor to get an update on his preparations for music's biggest night!

The NCIS: Los Angeles star was praised for his handling of last year's Grammy Awards -- which came just one day after Whitney Houston's death -- and he's back this year for Sunday's show, airing Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS.

PICS: The Glam Styles of Last Year's Grammys

While LL admitted that he does get nervous about hosting due to high expectations for the star-studded event, he says he also attempts to take a light approach. "I just want to be myself and have fun. I'm clear that I'm not Billy Crystal, I'm not delusional," he said. "So for me it's a matter of just going out there and having a good time, being myself, getting out of the way, and just helping the night flow smoothly."

Watch the video to also hear LL reveal what fans can expect to see from their favorite music stars during Sunday's show!

LL Cool J Previews the Grammy Nominations Concert

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Internet pal of slain Sarai Sierra claims he slept with Staten Island mom

An Istanbul Internet pal of Sarai Sierra claims he had a tryst with the murdered Staten Island mother of two in Turkey, according to published reports.

“Taylan K” – who has been interviewed at length by Istanbul police in the disappearance and killing of Sarai Sierra, 33 – admitted he had consensual sex with the married photographer the day before she went missing, Turkey’s daily Vatan reported today.

He is one of 22 people that Turkish police have taken sperm and/or blood samples from as they hunt Sierra’s killer.

Sierra was found dead of a single blow to the head in a seedy area of Istanbul Feb. 2, weeks after she failed to show up for a Jan. 21 flight home to New York.

EPA

Sarai Sierra.

Taylan has previously told police he and Sierra first met in person Jan. 13 but initially insisted they were just friends. The pair met online several months ago, when he commented on a photograph Sierra posted on Instagram, authorities have said.

Taylan has denied any role in her disappearance or murder.

Police said Taylan sent Sierra a message the day she vanished, asking her to meet at an Istanbul tourist area. Taylan has said the meeting never happened because Sarai never responded.

US authorities told The Post yesterday that Sierra had kept company with a “criminal element” on her overseas trip, which began Jan. 7 in Istanbul and also included side trips to Amsterdam and Munich.

A tipster has told Istanbul police that Sierra was spotted with a group of rogue hustlers known for harassing women and tourists.

Sierra’s casket is scheduled to be flown home tomorrow on a Turkish Airlines flight.

Sierra’s family and friends have said repeatedly that she would not have run off with anyone and made the trip to indulge her love of photography.

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Can’t find time for play? Try scheduling it

If your resolutions for 2013 include achieving a better work-life balance, your calendar holds the key to your success.

But, to pull off your goals, you’re going to need to turn the traditional way of thinking upside down.

Most people schedule their work commitments on their calendars and squeeze in family, friends and fun around it. Instead, schedule your work around your personal life, say Michelle Villalobos and Jessica Kizorek, speakers, personal branding consultants and co-creators of Make Them Beg, a professional self development program. For example, they suggest you block out gym time, reading for pleasure time, coaching your kid time and date night. Even a person with almost no flexibility in his or her work schedule can block out 15 minutes for a walk rather than eating lunch at their desks.

“You have to plan for play. Otherwise work expands and there’s no time for play,” Kizorek says. Today, it’s easy to stay a little later at the office or work through lunch because there’s always more to do. Using your calendar effectively can help you with boundaries.

Villalobos says once you put “play” into your schedule, it helps to get people who are important in your life to keep you committed. For example, she blocks out three hours twice a week on her calendar to paint. She has asked her boyfriend to help her stick to that schedule.

Realistically, there will be times when you have to reschedule a fun activity because of work demands. “At least you know what you missed so if you don’t do it, you move it to another day,” Villalobos says.

If you’re in a relationship, experts advise letting your partner participate in creating your calendar. A friend of mine sends his spouse an electronic invite to his poker night signaling that she has the night free to schedule her own fun activity.

Scheduling everything may seem rigid. “That’s the opposite,” Villalobos insists. “By putting things on your calendar, you can focus on what you need to do in the moment. It allows you to be far more present.”

With more people converting to electronic calendars or hovering between paper and online options, how we coordinate our schedules is in flux. But for balance, it’s often better to track personal and professional in one place.

Sharon Teitelbaum, a Boston-based work-life coach, says to calendar all important life events including birthdays. It may sound like common sense to calendar your son’s birthday, but people forget and schedule business travel, she has found. She also advises putting work events in your calendar as far in advance as possible and tasks that lead up to them. “You don’t want to agree to host a dinner party the weekend before a work retreat.”

For many busy people, the traditional way of scheduling needs to change from calendaring a due date to creating a timeline. If you have a big project you need to have completed by Feb. 15, Teitelbaum says break it into weekly tasks leading up to that date. “People vastly underestimate how long things take and the number of interruptions they have to contend with,” she says.

Julie Morgenstern, who created the Balanced Life Planner for Delray Beach-based specialty retailer Levenger, says that even on a daily basis people don’t plan realistically. “By bravely recognizing the limits of each day and how long each to-do on your list will take, we can see in advance what will or won’t fit into our calendar, and become more strategic,” she said.

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Dolphins get unanimous support for stadium tax deal in first Senate hearing

TALLAHASSEE --
The Miami Dolphins started off the legislative season 1-and-0 in their attempt to get lawmakers to approve a multi-million dollar deal to upgrade

Lawmakers in the Florida Senate Commerce Committee gave unanimous support to a bill that would clear the way for higher hotel bed taxes and a new sales tax rebate to help fund a $400 million renovation of the Fins’ digs.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, has cleared its first hurdle, but it still faces an uphill climb. There will be several more committee stops and the bill also has to clear the Florida House, where Braynon acknowledged that there’s still some heavy lifting to do.

“In the Senate, I don’t think that we’re going to have as many problems as we’re going to have in the House,” he said.

The bill would allow the Dolphins to collect an annual $3 million in sales tax rebates from the state for 30 years, as well as millions more in new bed taxes.

Several stakeholders came up to Tallahassee to support the bill at its first committee hearing, including Miami Gardens mayor Oliver Gilbert, SunLife stadium CEO Mike Dee and Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce President Bill Diggs.

All supporters pitched the same message: This tax deal is a smart economic move for the state, and would lead to Super Bowls, college championships and other major tourism events.

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Twilight Star Nikki Reed Kisses and Tells

Gillette is conducting a social experiment to settle the debate over what's more kissable -- stubble or shaven -- and the conversation is drawing attention from celebrities like Twilight star Nikki Reed.

PICS: Hottest Bachelors

For Nikki, who is married to bearded rocker Paul McDonald, the guy should commit one way or the other.

"I like to go for either totally clean shaven or a real full-on beard," said Nikki, who helped launched Gillette's Kiss & Tell tour in New York City. "I think stubble kind of kills the kiss."

Singer Keri Hilson, who joined the tour in Los Angeles, had a different take: "I think we're going to find that most women today prefer a smoothly shaven face."

We'll be announcing the results on Valentine's Day from Gillette's Kiss & Tell event in NYC. CLICK HERE to cast your vote.

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Ex-beauty queen gets early rehab release to aid job hunt

Elegant ex-beauty queen and recovering Vicodin addict seeks high-end, Manhattan retail sales employment — rap sheet provided upon request. Russophiles a plus!

Former Miss Russia Anna Malova — still hoping to shake off her 44-count prescription theft indictment from 2011— was sprung early from her rehab program today so she can get a job.

"We're flipping over backwards to help you," Manhattan Criminal Court Richard Weinberg told the one-time Miss Universe finalist in a court proceeding today.

"I'll do my best!" the svelte blonde answered in her Russian accent.

Steven Hirsch

Former Miss Russia Anna Malova leaves a court hearing in Aug. 2011.

"Do more than your best," the judge warned, telling her that one bad toxicology test and the deal is off.

Malova has been in a Bronx rehab program for 20 months courtesy of the Manhattan Drug Court's judicial diversion program, under which her record will be expunged and she will not face deportation providing she successfully completes drug treatment.

Ordinarily, she would have had to stay in her Bronx-based, in-patient program until she found a job. But the program, Argus Community, rigidly limits computer and telephone use, making job searching difficult, said her lawyer, Robert Gottlieb.

"She's just been stuck — she wants to find a job and get on with her life," the lawyer said.

Now Malova — crowned Miss Russia in 1998 and a physician back in her homeland — can pursue her dream American job.

"I would love to have a sales or reception job at a boutique store, or a salon," Malova said.

"Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Barneys, Bloomingdales, Frederic Fakai," she said, flashing perfect, beauty queen teeth. "I wouldn't mind working at my favorite spots!"

The road to sobriety has been bumpy for Malova, who had been linked romantically to billionaire hedge-fund big George Soros and comedian Garry Shandling.

In 2011, she was nearly yanked from the program after slapping a female patient and making unauthorized trips to the refrigerator. Last year, officials accused her of hoarding and binging on her prescription meds.

"I'm really proud that I've stood up for myself without falling down, without going to jail, without [getting deported] back to Russia, without relapsing, and without even one positive toxicology report," she said as she left court.

Malova must report back to court next month for an update.

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Cutting edge tech from Swiss Army

The Victorinox Swiss Army Jetsetter looks like a traditional pocket knife the company is famous for, but instead of the knife you get a pocket full of storage.

A foldout and detachable USB 2.0 flash drive is among the features in the mini tool kit, which includes a ball point pen, bottle opener, Phillips screwdriver, tweezers and scissors in the 16 GB model I tested out.

The detachable flash drive is Windows- and Mac-friendly, although it comes loaded with Mac-friendly security software to protect your data stored on the device.

It’s available in capacities of 8 GB black ($39.95), 16 GB red ($49.99) and 32 GB silver ($99.99). There are a few different features in each, with the 32 GB model having a LED mini light, for example.

Details: www.swissarmy.com

A great find

Kensington’s Proximo Fob and Tag Kit creates a wireless (Bluetooth) monitoring system between your keys, accessories and an iPhone (4S or 5) that will alert you if they are separated.

I tried the starter kit ($59.99), which includes a fob, tag, keyring and has a screen driver to open the hardware and insert the included CR2032 lithium coin batteries, along with a key ring.

The fob attaches to the key ring and after you have it linked with the free Kensington Proximo app, anytime the devices are separated an alarm sounds. If your phone is within range but you can’t find it, press a button.

It’s easy to think of this as a monitoring device for your expensive smartphone but it also works in reverse once everything is linked up. With your phone in your pocket or purse, it can alert you that you have left your keys behind.

can be placed in a computer bag or attached to anything (or anyone) that you want alarmed. But unlike the fob, it’s only one direction; the app will find it but you can’t use it to find your phone.

The Proximo App Dashboard tracks up to five items with a single fob and up to four tags. Additional tags cost $24.99 each.

If you get out of range between the devices, an app lets you tap a button to let you know where your device was last seen and even pulls up a map with a specific address.

Details: www.Kensington.com

Sound investment

RadioShack’s Auvio expanding Bluetooth speaker ($39.99) is as simple and useful as a gadget can be. Just twist open the speaker, pair it with your device via Bluetooth and you’ll be amazed at how much better the sound is than the built-in speaker on your smartphone or tablet.

A rechargeable battery is built in for up to eight hours of use and can be powered up in two hours with a USB charge using the included cable.

It is 2.5 inches in diameter, just over 3-inches tall when expanded and about 2.5 inches when closed.

Another choice, with a bigger size (2.8-by-6.5-by-2.9 inches) but much better sound is the brick-shaped Auvio Portable Speaker ($79.99).

Both speakers have aux-in ports to connect to non-Bluetooth devices.

Details: www.radioshack.com

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Driver killed after car hits home in Opa-locka

One person was killed when a car plowed into a home in Opa-locka early Monday morning.

Neighbors in the 1800 block of Opa-locka Boulevard said the driver lost control around a curve.

The car slammed into a utility pole, sending a power line flying. It then struck a wrong-way sign before it hit the home and caught fire.

Homeowner Alan Burrows said he and his neighbors tried to help the men in the car.

“I had just gone to bed. I heard a loud crash, right against the house, opened up the door to see what was going on and I couldn’t open the door,” he said.

“The car crashed. There was guy on the ground and another guy on the ground. We tried to help to help them. Our neighbors came out and they had the guys who were in the car,” Burrows said. “The [power] line was down, jumping around and there was fire and smoke. Chaos.”

The driver, Julian Lamar Mitchell, died. His passenger, whose name has not been released, was injured.

Police said the two men had been at a bar earlier and suspect alcohol played a role in the crash.

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Kuwait says backs free speech but must protect ruling emir

KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwait supports free speech but must act against illegal comments made about the Gulf state’s ruler, the government said on Monday, after a Twitter user was jailed for five years.

A Kuwaiti court sentenced a man to prison on Sunday for insulting the emir on the social networking site, a rights lawyer and news websites said, in the latest prosecution for criticism of authorities via social media.

“Kuwait has a longstanding proud tradition of open debate and free speech,” the Ministry of Information, which regulates the media, said in a statement to Reuters addressing the case.

“We are a country led by the rule of law and our constitution holds our Emir to be inviolable. If our citizens wish to amend the constitution there is a straightforward legal way to do this, but we will not selectively enforce our laws.”

In recent months Kuwait has penalized several Twitter users for criticizing the emir, who is described as “immune and inviolable” in the constitution.

Kuwait allows the most dissent in the Gulf Arab region and boasts a lively press and critical political debate. But the U.S. ally and OPEC member has been clamping down on politically sensitive comments aired on the internet in recent months.

Twitter is extremely popular in the country of 3.7 million inhabitants and well-known figures can have hundreds of thousands of followers.

In January, a court sentenced two men in separate cases to jail time for insulting the emir on Twitter.

In June last year, a man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of endangering state security by insulting the Prophet Mohammad and the Sunni Muslim rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on social media.

Two months later, authorities detained a member of the ruling family over remarks on Twitter in which he accused authorities of corruption and called for political reform.

Kuwait has avoided the kind of mass unrest that has spread across the Arab region in the past two years but in 2012 tension escalated between authorities and opposition groups ahead of a parliamentary election.

(Reporting by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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The Following Exclusive Clip The Poets Fire

While the body count is already into double digits, the world has only begun to see the extent of Joe Carroll's plan, and on tonight's all-new episode of The Following, another one or two (hundred) bite the dust!

RELATED - How Kevin Williamson's Abandoned Scream 3 Script Became The Following

In The Poet's Fire, fans of Fox's fearsome Following will not only have tons of present day chills wriggling up their spine, but also get a huge clue to the history Joe and Ryan Hardy share thanks to some very unexpected flashbacks.

RELATED - The Following Star Talks Defying Fan's Expectations

ETonline scored an exclusive clip from tonight's all-new episode that begins to peel back the layers ... but you'll have to tune in tonight at 9 p.m. on Fox for the full flaying!

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Bonnie Hammer wins control of all NBCU cable channels

NBCUniversal boss Steve Burke is handing sole oversight of the company’s lucrative stable of cable entertainment channels to Bonnie Hammer, The Post has learned.

The move, which will give Hammer new control over NBCU’s women-focused channels Bravo, Oxygen and Style — properties that were overseen by Lauren Zalaznick — in the latest shake-up at the media conglomerate.

Hammer had overseen USA, Sci-Fi, E! and a handful of other channels since a November 2010 split of duties with Zalazick instituted by Burke not long after the Comcast-NBCU merger.

Under the most recent changes, Zalaznick’s will oversee NBCU’s digitial properties.

WireImage

Chairwoman of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Bonnie Hammer

Comcast is bringing someone new in to run Telemundo, its broadcast and cable Spanish language asset.

News of Hammer’s big promotion will be official Feb. 5, sources said.

Zalaznick and Hammer were known to have a “competitive” relationship and both had angled for the complete cable entertainment portfolio as new boss Burke surveyed his management team back in 2010.

Burke didn’t want to lose either executive and carved up cable between them.

Hammer’s enlarged role, sources added, is a reward for progress at E! Entertainment, the cable network that had struggled to grow under Comcast ownership before it became part of NBCUniversal.

Comcast owns 51 percent of NBCU — with GE holding the balance.

Hammer had also harbored ambitions to run the struggling NBC Network, but that job went to Bob Greenblatt.

The move continues a busy week of management gyrations at 30 Rock — as days ago NBC News boss Steve Capus announced he was leaving.

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Bright spots in Latin America despite global economic uncertainty

There are bright spots as Latin American and Caribbean economies begin the year but the uncertain health of the U.S. economy, the lingering financial crisis in Europe and more sluggish growth in China are casting shadows over the region.

A decade ago, dim prospects in those major markets would have delivered a knock-out punch in the region, but this year Latin American and Caribbean economies are expected to grow by 3.5 percent and average 3.9 percent growth in 2014 and 2015, according to a World Bank forecast. The United Nations’ Economic Commission has a slightly more sanguine forecast of 3.8 percent growth in 2013.

Both are better than the 2.4 percent growth the World Bank is forecasting for the global economy and the mere 1.3 percent increase it is predicting for high-income countries.

The U.S. economy grew by 2.2 percent in 2012. But the economy shrank 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter and the first quarter of 2013 also could be sluggish..

“That creates a soggy start for 2013 in Latin America,’’ said David Malpass, president of Encima Global, a New York economic consulting and research firm.

With a recession in Japan, even slower growth expected in Europe than in the United States, and questions about whether the dip in the Chinese economy has bottomed out and whether the United States will be making sharp cuts in defense spending and other federal programs come March 1, Latin American and Caribbean nations can’t really depend on the industrialized world to spur growth.

The region must look inward and undertake structural reforms that will allow growth from domestic factors, said Malpass, who was in Miami in January for an event organized by the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy.

Panama’s $5.25 billion investment in expansion of the Panama Canal is an example of the inward focus that will pay off down the road, said Malpass. By 2015, Panama plans to have completed two new sets of locks on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the canal and the deepening and widening of existing channels to accommodate the so-called Post-Panamax ships too big to traverse the current locks.

“It’s a difficult period but a period where developing countries are growing solidly but not as quickly as they might otherwise want to,’’ said Andrew Burns, the lead author of the World Bank’s annual Global Economic Trends report.

That means they should focus on investment in infrastructure and healthcare, structural policies, regulatory reforms and improvements in governance that will pay future dividends down the road, Burns said.

Such economic reforms, plus high commodity prices enjoyed by countries with fertile fields and mineral wealth, helped the region move beyond the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 far more quickly than it did when it was so dependent on economic cycles in the rest of the world.

Economic growth slowed in Latin America and the Caribbean from 4.3 percent in 2011 to an estimated 3 percent but that was still better than the 1.3 percent growth high-income countries managed in 2012, according to The World Bank.

China will continue to play a major role in Latin America and the Caribbean this year but whether the slowdown in China has reached its low point is subject to debate. But it’s relative. Slow growth in China would be brisk growth elsewhere. China says its gross domestic product grew 7.8 percent in 2012, the most tepid growth in 13 years and a comedown from 9.3 percent growth in 2011.

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Details emerge about Boynton Beach man who killed two sons

BOYNTON BEACH (AP) The Boynton Beach man who killed two of his sons before killing himself had declined an invitation to a party hours earlier, saying he had to do “something important,” his roommate said on Sunday.

Police say Isidro Zavala killed his younger sons, 12-year-old Eduardo and 11-year-old Mario, early Saturday at his estranged wife's home.

According to police, Victoria Zavala was watching television when she heard a commotion just before 2 a.m. She found Isidro Zavala choking one of his sons, and she begged him to kill her and spare the boys.

Isidro Zavala told her that he would leave her alive to suffer their loss. She was not injured. Officers found both boys dead at the scene, and they found Zavala, dressed all in black, dead with self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the chest and head.

“This is an unusually brutal type of murder,” said Boynton Beach Police Chief Matthew Immler.

The Palm Beach Post reports the couple had filed for divorce in October after nearly 20 years of marriage. They were scheduled to go to court Tuesday for a mediation hearing.

Zavala's roommate said he last saw Zavala Friday evening at their house, less than a mile away from the crime scene. Mariano Batalla told the newspaper that Zavala said he couldn't attend a friend's birthday party because “he had to do something important.”

Batalla said he returned from the party around midnight and repeatedly tried to call Zavala, who never answered his phone. Zavala's truck remained parked in their driveway. Police woke Batalla around 5 a.m. and told him what happened.

“I feel so, so, so sad because he's my best friend,” Batalla said. “It's a big surprise for me. He don't tell me nothing about this.”

The Zavalas also have a 19-year-old son who does not live at his mother's house. Investigators found a note from Zavala to his oldest son in a bag at the crime scene.

In the note, Zavala told the 19-year-old that he was a good son and to take care of himself, Immler said. The bag also contained a second gun, extra ammunition, duct tape and cutting shears.

A second note was found at Isidro Zavala's home, but police did not release its contents.

Victoria Zavala had been licensed as a cosmetologist, and Isidro Zavala owned a landscaping company.

Children who live across the street say they last saw Mario several days ago when they were flying kites with another friend. They remembered him playing in their backyard or playing video games, and they could not understand why Mario's father would kill him.

Police said they had never visited the Zavalas' home. A spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families said the agency also had no previous history with the family.

Batalla said he knew Zavala as a gentle friend who made pork and rice dishes for special occasions and who walked to church every weekend. Batalla had recently been baptized, and he had encouraged Zavala to do the same.

“But he kept telling me, `No, not yet,“’ Batalla said. “He said he wanted to learn more before he got baptized.”

–––

Information from: The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, http://www.pbpost.com

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Kuwaiti gets five years for insulting ruler

KUWAIT (Reuters) – A Kuwaiti court sentenced a man to five years in prison on Sunday for insulting the emir on Twitter, a rights lawyer and news websites said, in the latest prosecution for criticism of authorities via social media in the Gulf Arab state.

The court gave Kuwaiti Mohammad Eid al-Ajmi the maximum sentence for the comments, news websites al-Rai and alaan.cc reported.

In recent months Kuwait has penalized several Twitter users for criticizing the emir, who is described as “immune and inviolable” in the constitution.

“We call on the government to expand freedoms and adhere to the international (human rights) conventions it has signed,” said lawyer Mohammad al-Humaidi, director of the Kuwait Society for Human Rights, commenting on the case.

Courts in Kuwait generally do not comment to the media.

Amnesty International said in November Kuwait had increased restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.

It urged Kuwait to ensure protection for users of social media, whether they supported or opposed the government, as long as they did not incite racial hatred or violence.

Kuwait, a U.S. ally and major oil producer, has been taking a firmer line on politically sensitive comments aired on the internet. Twitter is extremely popular in the country of 3.7 million.

In January, a court sentenced two men in separate cases to jail time for insulting the emir on Twitter.

In June 2012, a man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of endangering state security by insulting the Prophet Mohammad and the Sunni Muslim rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on social media.

Two months later, authorities detained Sheikh Meshaal al-Malik Al-Sabah, a member of the ruling family, over remarks on Twitter in which he accused authorities of corruption and called for political reform.

The recent Twitter cases have been carried out under the state security law and penal code. Last year Kuwait passed new legislation aimed at regulating social media.

Public demonstrations and debates about local issues are common in a state that allows the most dissent in the Gulf, but Kuwait has avoided the kind of mass unrest that unseated four heads of Arab states in 2011.

But tensions intensified between authorities and opposition groups last year ahead of a parliamentary election deemed unfair by opposition politicians and activists.

The opposition movement said new voting rules introduced by Sheikh Sabah by emergency decree in October would skew the December 1 election in favor of pro-government candidates. The emir said the old voting system was flawed and that his changes were constitutional and necessary for Kuwait’s “security and stability”.

(Reporting by Ahmed Hagagy, Writing by Sylvia Westall; editing by Sami Aboudi and Andrew Roche)

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Justin Timberlake Performs New Music 20 20 Experience

Justin Timberlake hit the stage to perform new music for the first time in ages on February 2 and much to the crowd's delight, JT proved the long wait was well worth it.

RELATED - Justin & Jessica's Long Road to The Altar 

At DIRECTV's Super Saturday Night party in New Orleans, La, Timberlake not only performed his latest single, Suit & Tie (complete with Jay-Z cameo), but he debuted two new songs: Little Pusher Love Girl and Bad Girl.

VIDEO - Watch Justin's Suit & Tie Lyric Video

Both tracks are slated to be on Timberlake's forthcoming third solo album, The 20/20 Experience, hitting stores on March 19.

Watch all JT's performances below!

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Deadly deserts

Ralph Peters

Violence in Allah’s name in northern Africa won’t end in my lifetime — and probably not in yours. The core question is: To what extent can the savagery be contained?

From the Atlantic coastline to the Suez Canal, struggling governments, impoverished populations and frankly backward societies struggle to find paths to modernization and to compete in a ruthless global economy. Religious fanatics for whom progress is a betrayal of faith hope to block development.

Still, if the only conflict was between Islamist terrorists and those who want civilized lives, the situation could be managed over time. But that struggle forms only one level in a layer cake of clashing visions and outright civil wars bedeviling a vast region. Much larger than Europe, the zone of contention encompasses the Maghreb, the countries touching the Mediterranean, and the Sahel, the bitterly poor states stretching down across desert wastes to the African savannah.

AFP/Getty Images

Figthers of the Islamic group Ansar Dine

The Sahel is the front line not only between the world of Islam and Christian-animist cultures in Africa’s heart, but between Arabs and light-skinned tribes in the north, and blacks to the south. No area in the world so explicitly illustrates the late, great Samuel Huntington’s concept of “the clash of civilizations.”

If racial and religious differences were not challenge enough, in the Maghreb the factions and interest groups are still more complicated. We view Egypt as locked in a contest between Islamists and “our guys,” Egyptians seeking new freedoms. But Egypt’s identity struggle is far more complex, involving social liberals, moderate Muslims, stern conservative Muslims (such as the Muslim Brotherhood) and outright fanatics. The military forms another constituency, while the business community defends its selfish interests. Then there are the supporters of the old Mubarak regime, the masses of educated-but-unemployed youth and the bitterly poor peasants.

Atop all that there’s the question of whether the values cherished by Arab societies can adapt to a globalized world.

The path to Egypt’s future will not be smooth — yet Egypt’s chances are better than those of many of its neighbors. Consider a few key countries in the region:

Mali

Viva la France! (Never thought I’d write that in The Post.) Contrary to a lot of media nonsense, the effective French intervention in Mali demonstrates that not every military response to Islamist terror has to become another Afghanistan: The French are welcome.

As extremists invariably do, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and its allies rapidly alienated their fellow Muslims — after hijacking a local uprising. The local version of Islam is far more humane and tolerant than the Wahhabi cult imposed by Islamist fanatics. To the foreign extremists, the Malian love of Sufi mysticism, ancient shrines and their own centuries of religious scholarship are all hateful — as is the Malian genius for music that’s pleased listeners around the world.

Have a comment on this PostOpinion column? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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Hollywood cardiologist’s ties with St. Jude sales rep raises red flags

Mark Sabbota, a Hollywood cardiologist, regularly implants $5,000 pacemakers in patients at Memorial hospitals in South Broward — generating, last year alone, more than a half-million dollars in sales for a manufacturer called St. Jude Medical.

Sabbota, public records show, also happens to be partners with a St. Jude sales rep in two corporations that run frozen yogurt shops.

What’s yogurt got to do with healthcare?

Perhaps nothing. Perhaps a lot. The question is connected to an on-going lobbying battle in Washington over a pending disclosure policy intended to more clearly reveal financial ties between physicians and the healthcare industry — often-murky relationships that have produced a long history of whistle-blower lawsuits, federal investigations and fines.

Sabbota, in a brief interview, adamantly denied any conflict of interest. “There has been no wrongdoing at all,” he said.

Memorial spokeswoman Kerting Baldwin also said the hospital saw no problem with the yogurt arrangement. As a “community” doctor, not a staff employee, Baldwin said Sabbota can select from a list of pacemakers approved by the hospital but has no say over what companies made the list.

“As for why he prefers to use St. Jude, I won’t speak for him,’’ she said. “You’d have to ask him that.”

But several medical ethics experts said such relationships fall in a gray area. They raise what Kenneth Goodman, bioethics director at the University of Miami, called “red flags” about whether the doctor’s motivation in choosing a device “is something other than the best interests of the patient.”

“Maybe it’s just a good business arrangement that has nothing to do with the devices he chooses,” said Charles D. Rosen, a California physician who is co-founder of the Association for Medical Ethics. “But the issue is public disclosure and transparency. You as a patient should have the right to know about a doctor’s financial relationships with companies.”

Concerns about the relationship between doctors and healthcare companies have been simmering for years. Americans are so suspicious of doctors’ connections that, in a 2008 Pew Charitable Trusts survey, 86 percent of patients said doctors should not be allowed to get free dinners from drug makers and 70 percent said doctors shouldn’t even be allowed to get free notepads and pens.

The 2010 Affordable Care Act includes a provision intended to address some aspects of these often-cozy relationships. Starting Jan. 1, healthcare companies were supposed to publicly post how much they were paying doctors. But that provision has been held up in the White House by intense lobbying.

“I don’t know why the hold-up, except the intense opposition of the industry,” Rosen said. His group, including members of the Harvard Medical School and Cleveland Clinic, wrote a letter to the Obama administration last month protesting the delay.

The group complains that the healthcare industry is trying to soften the rules so that foreign subsidiaries and doctors engaged in clinical trials wouldn’t have to reveal payments. But even if the disclosure rules are implemented, a side deal like Sabbota’s yogurt company would not have to be revealed under the new law, Rosen said.

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