How Ukraine's economic decay fueled protests

The battle in Kiev is, in large part, a fight for the country's economic future — for better jobs and prosperity.

Ukraine's protesters want to pry their country away from Russian influence and move closer to the European Union. A look at neighboring Poland, which did just that, suggests why.
The two countries emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago in roughly similar economic shape. But Poland joined the EU and focused on reforms and investment — and by one measure is now three times richer than Ukraine.

Ukraine, on the other hand, sank in a post-Soviet swamp of corruption, bad government and short-sighted reliance on cheap gas from Russia.

Per capita economic output is only around $7,300, even adjusted for the lower cost of living there, compared to $22,200 in Poland and around $51,700 in the United States. Ukraine ranks 137th worldwide, behind El Salvador, Namibia, and Guyana.

Protests broke out in November after President Viktor Yanukovych backed out of signing an agreement with the EU that would have brought the economy closer in line with European standards. After violent protests resulted in scores of deaths, the government and the opposition signed an agreement on Friday. But it is unclear whether it will succeed in providing a stable government that can heal the rifts and improve the economy.

It didn't have to be this way, experts say. Ukraine has a large potential consumer market, with 46 million people, an educated workforce, and a rich potential export market next door in the EU. It has a significant industrial base and good natural resources, in particular rich farmland.
How did things go so wrong? Here are the main reasons.
OLD INDUSTRY: Ukraine did little to move away from Soviet-era industries producing commodities such as steel, metals and chemicals. Former communist state companies, often privatized to politically connected figures, relied on cheap gas from Russia and growing demand from the world economy for their raw materials.
That helped Ukraine's economy grow rapidly from 2000 to 2008, but reduced pressure to modernize.

When the world economy fell into a crisis in 2008, demand for Ukraine's raw materials plunged. Then in 2009, Russia significantly raised the price of its gas supplies, further pulling the rug from underneath the country's export industries.

Pekka Sutela, an economist at Finland's Lappeenranta University of Technology who has extensively studied post-Soviet economies, calls the gas-based export boom "the Ukrainian curse."
"The economy was able to grow without making the necessary changes," he said.
GAS FOLLIES: Ukraine's state gas company, Naftogaz, charges customers only about 20 percent of what it pays for imported Russian gas. That means the government spends about 7.5 percent of the entire economy's output each year on a massive home heating subsidy aimed at keeping voters happy. That results in large budget deficits that the government must borrow to cover.
The International Monetary Fund tried to help Ukraine through its post-crisis troubles, with loan packages in 2008 and 2010. Each time, the IMF turned off the money tap after Ukraine refused to follow policy requirements including raising gas prices or cutting back sufficiently on generous government salaries and pensions.

CORRUPTION: A recent World Bank study of the economy cited "pervasive" corruption as a major factor holding back the economy. At street level, businesses are subjected to arbitrary treatment by officials and demands for bribes. Higher up, there is widespread public skepticism over the fortunes amassed by the connected, known as oligarchs. In particular, attention has focused on the career of Yanukovych's son Oleksandr, a dentist who according to Forbes Ukraine has amassed a $510 million fortune through various business enterprises.

Ukraine ranked 144 out of 175 countries in the 2013 corruption perception index compiled by Transparency International, an anti-corruption group, behind Papua New Guinea, Nigeria, and Iran.
RED TAPE: Business advocates say owners sometimes prefer paying bribes to obeying regulations and taxes that are so complicated and burdensome that they would be out of business if they complied. The country's complex business tax laws require 390 hours a year to comply with and take 54.9 percent of profits. That put Ukraine 164th out of 189 countries in ease of paying taxes in a World Bank survey.

BROKEN FINANCES: Ukraine's finances now are in such bad shape that it will have trouble paying its debts this year without outside help. With continuing deficits, it faces borrowing needs of between $7 billion and $10 billion this year. Its poor prospects mean it's unlikely to be able to borrow more on bond markets.

On top of that, the central bank has been spending its dwindling foreign currency reserves, which were down to $17.8 billion at the end of January, to prop up the exchange rate of the hryvnia currency. One reason it is doing so is likely that many businesses and consumers owe money in dollars — a sharp drop in the hryvnia could trigger widespread bankruptcies.

Unfortunately, keeping the currency artificially strong hurts exports.

Russia had promised $15 billion in credit — an inducement to abandon closer ties with the EU and join a Russian-sponsored trade group. Even that money, however, seems to be on hold due to uncertainty about the fate of the Yanukovych government. Ratings agency Standard & Poors said Friday Ukraine would likely default without a significant improvement in the political crisis.

Sutela said that even Russian help would only be a stopgap and couldn't paper over the need for fundamental change.

"Next autumn, they will go cap in hand and beg the Russians for money again," he said.

U.S. Air Force reveals ‘neighborhood watch' spy satellite program

By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The United States plans to launch a pair of satellites to keep tabs on spacecraft from other countries orbiting 22,300 miles above the planet, as well as to track space debris, the head of Air Force Space Command said.

The previously classified Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) will supplement ground-based radars and optical telescopes in tracking thousands of pieces of debris so orbital collisions can be avoided, General William Shelton said at the Air Force Association meeting in Orlando on Friday.
He called it a "neighborhood watch program" that will provide a more detailed perspective on space activities. He said the satellites, scheduled to be launched this year, also will be used to ferret out potential threats from other spacecraft.

The program "will bolster our ability to discern when adversaries attempt to avoid detection and to discover capabilities they may have which might be harmful to our critical assets at these higher altitudes," Shelton said in the speech, which also was posted on the Air Force Association's website.

The two-satellite network, built by Orbital Sciences Corp will drift around the orbital corridor housing much of the world's communications satellites and other spacecraft.

The Air Force currently tracks about 23,000 pieces of orbiting debris bigger than about 4 inches. These range from old rocket bodies to the remains of an exploded Chinese satellite.

The Air Force released a fact sheet emphasizing the program's debris-monitoring abilities. Brian Weeden, technical advisor with the Washington-based Secure World Foundation, said the U.S. military already has a satellite in a better position to do that job.

"I think the (Obama) Administration is being more honest when it says that it declassified this program to try and deter attacks on U.S. satellites," in geostationary, or GEO, orbits located about 23,000 miles above Earth, Weeden wrote in an email to Reuters.

"The U.S. has a lot of very specialized and important national security satellites in the GEO region and it is very concerned about protecting those satellites ... so by telling other countries that it has some ability to closely monitor objects near GEO and their behavior, the U.S. hopes that will deter other countries from attacking its important satellites," Weeden said.
The new satellites also will give the U.S. military greater insight into what other countries have in orbit.
"There's nothing wrong with that, but it is exactly the sort of thing the U.S. is worried other countries will do to it," Weeden added.

Costs and technical details of the program were not released.

The satellites are scheduled for launch aboard an unmanned Delta 4 rocket, built by United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida during the last quarter of 2014.
Shelton said two replacement satellites are targeted for launch in 2016.

(This version of the story corrects spelling of Weeden in paragraphs 9 and 13)

(Reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by David Gregorio)

When will the Olympics return to the United States?

SOCHI, Russia – Scott Blackmun, the CEO of the United States Olympic Committee, was asked Saturday about whether there were any plans for one of the northern U.S. cities to make a bid to host the Winter Games in 2026.

Blackmun noted the recent snowy weather back in the States and figured there was no reason to be geographically restrictive.
"Now Atlanta is in the mix for a [Winter] bid," he joked.
The truth is, the USOC isn't sure exactly when it is even going have a U.S. city enter the IOC bidding process again, let alone when the Olympics might return to America.
[Video: Mikaela Shiffrin setting lofty goals for 2018]

The last Olympics on U.S. soil were the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. With future bids set – or the process too far advanced – the first opportunity for a return is the 2024 Summer Games, a gap of at least 22 years. That's the longest such stretch since the 28 years between the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Games and the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Games.

The U.S. has hosted eight Olympics in all, including four from 1980 to 2002. Suddenly, there is nothing.

Scott Blackmun says the USOC is determining whether to submit a bid for the 2024 Summer Games. (Getty Images)

Where and when the next one will be is the question. The USOC doesn't even know if it will mount a bid soon, perhaps still smarting after Chicago's seemingly strong effort to get the 2016 Summer Games wound up fourth out of the final four. The winner was Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "We are evaluating now whether we want to bid for 2024 [Summer Games]," Blackmun said. "We're talking to a handful of cities, and if we determine that a 2024 bid is not in the interest of the Olympic movement in the U.S., then we will shift our analysis to whether or not the 2026 [Winter Games] makes sense."
[Video: Olympic diploma awarded to athletes that don't medal]
In other words, your guess is as good as the USOC's.

Rio will host the 2016 Summer Games; PyeongChang, South Korea, the 2018 Winter Games; and Tokyo the 2020 Summer Games. The location of the 2022 Winter Games has yet to be determined, but the process is in the final stages, with Oslo, Norway, and Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the perceived favorites.

There are myriad challenges in getting the Olympics back to the United States.
There's the high expense, even if perception can often be greater than reality and the Olympics can even be profitable against operational costs.
There's concern over inconvenience, environmental impact and security among the public, especially in world-class cities such as New York that aren't in need of a public-relations boost and may be less than eager to draw a terrorist bull's-eye on them.
There is the lack of federal backing. Not only is the USOC the only non-government-funded organization of its ilk – due to the partisan political culture of Washington – but you won't see a sitting president truly go to the wall for a bid as in other nations. It's not worth the backlash. The IOC likes to be courted … and to have huge public works projects put into play.
Then there is the frustrating bid process and voting tendencies of the elites from the IOC, where wining and dining, horse-trading and even alleged bribes or favored business deals tend to win out. The U.S. isn't alone in that complaint.
The single best bid the U.S. could put out there is to have Salt Lake City host the Winter Olympics again – the infrastructure and venues are already in place, so costs would be minimal. The IOC, however, tends to frown on returning quickly to host cities. Places such as Los Angeles (twice) and London (three times) have hosted multiple games, but 40 or 50 years apart.

PyeongChang, South Korea, will host the 2018 Winter Olympics. (AP)

It would be easier if they rotated around to a few ideal spots, the way the Super Bowl and Final Four do. Instead IOC arrogance asks for a new city, which might be limited – Atlanta jokes aside – to either Denver/Aspen or Lake Tahoe/Reno. Each would require plenty of work, basically starting from scratch.

The United States' best bet for the 2024 Summer Games is probably San Francisco, which aligns with sophisticated IOC tastes. That would, however, also require a major buildup of facilities – essentially getting the region or the state of California to build new stadiums in the area of the East Bay currently used by the Oakland Raiders and Athletics. Then there would be a host of other smaller competition venues.

Considering how endless the battle has been to get a relatively simple basketball arena built in San Francisco for the NBA's Golden State Warriors, that seems a challenge.

[Photos: How did injured skier Lindsey Vonn spend her Olympics?]

Almost any new construction or altering of San Francisco in any way generates protests and local opposition. Places such as Russia and China can bulldoze through that. It's not so easy in Northern California. And did we mention the traffic? Or the environmental questions?
Finding the right city, with the right climate, with the right majority of local support is the forever challenge.
When Chicago lost its bid, badly, despite being set up as an ideal summer host, momentum in America seemed to slow down.
The IOC can shrug. They'd prefer to return to the U.S. because of its wealth and number of corporate and media partners.
However, there appears to be an endless parade of developing areas that are so desperate for the attention and credibility the Games provide that they are willing to do nearly anything to gain favor.

San Francisco might be the best option for a U.S. Summer Games bid, if there's enough local support. (USA Toda …

Each Olympics seems to get bigger, more opulent and more expensive. Here in Sochi, the Russian government displaced citizens and built an entire Olympic Park from scratch along the Black Sea. The cost, Russia says, is $51 billion. What will remain behind of any use remains to be seen. PyeongChang, South Korea, has budgeted $9 billion for the next Winter Games, infrastructure included, but it's a reasonable price to get introduced on a global stage.
"Thirty years ago the world saw the developing country of Korea through the 1988 Games in Seoul," said Jin-sun Kim, president of the organizing committee. "In 2018, the world will be able to see a truly developed country of Korea through the Pyeongchang Games."
[Photos: Stars of Sochi at figure skating exhibition gala]

For South Korea that might be worth the money. Would a city in America feel the same way, especially when the billions might not include federal backing? Is the U.S. eager enough anymore?

Even if the U.S. tried, can they even beat these nations' willing to do virtually anything for the Olympics? Beijing spent billions on the 2008 Summer Games, and even though many of the venues now sit empty and rotting, it is bidding for the 2022 Winter Games. One problem is the Chinese capital sits some 120 miles from any usable mountains.
China's solution? Government construction of a ultra-high-speed rail capable of cutting travel time to a little over a half an hour.

That's impressive.

Think we could run one of those from Atlanta to Vail?

5 graduate degrees that are worth it

Not all graduate degrees are created equal. Here are five degrees that could be worth your time and effort.

By Andrea Duchon

Grad school may just seem like a safe haven from a dire economy and disappointing job search. But in the right field of study, a graduate degree can greatly increase your career prospects in certain fields. In fact, the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce just released their annual study, "Hard Times: College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings," that outlines careers where a graduate degree significantly improves your chances of being employed post-graduation.
We've analyzed the Georgetown study and pulled together information about five grad degrees where employment increases by at least four percentage points from just having a bachelor's in the same field.
Ready to learn which grad degrees may be worth your time and money? Keep reading.

Unemployment Rate for Recent College Graduates*: 9.2 percent
Unemployment Rate for Grad Degree Holders*: 3.6 percent
It's common knowledge that the majority of psych undergrads need to earn a grad degree in psychology if they hope to ever pursue a career as a psychologist. But even if you don't want to pursue a career as a psychologist, a graduate degree in psychology still makes you more employable, according to the Georgetown study.
Why are employers more willing to hire you if you take the extra educational step?
"The knowledge gained in a psychology graduate degree is a platform for many different careers," says Michael Provitera, career expert and author of the book "Mastering Self-Motivation." He adds that many students who earn this degree will gain a solid skill set that they can build upon when they are on job.
"While the field is competitive and advanced degrees may be necessary, this major can provide graduates with a foot-in-the door that can lead to a rewarding career," Provitera says.
Next step: Click to Find the Right Psychology Program.
Michael Detzel, associate director of the online college at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, says that most of the more traditional jobs in the field, such as counseling and social work, do require you to have a master's degree in psychology.
Whether students want to pursue a traditional or more unconventional line of work, they will be playing a vital and hands-on role in their own education, adds Detzel. "While undergraduates in psychology follow a traditional course of study, graduate students often have the autonomy to contour their curriculum and internship experiences," he says.
So an advanced degree in psychology could help propel a candidate into their desired field of expertise post-graduation, according to Detzel.
Typical Courses**: Psychopathology, child development, cognitive behavior therapy, and behavioral medicine

Unemployment Rate for Recent College Graduates: 8.8 percent
Unemployment Rate for Grad Degree Holders: 3.6 percent
Have you always loved numbers and organization? Then perhaps you want the challenge and satisfaction of earning an advanced degree in a field like accounting. You're in luck, because students who earn a graduate degree in accounting have a promising job outlook after graduation.
"One of the hottest grad degrees today is accounting," says Provitera, "because knowledge of accounting offers a broad spectrum of opportunity." He adds that the degree is not industry-specific, which means that graduates of this master's program can work in a host of various industries.
Detzel adds that accounting has always been a safe field to enter. "Even through the recent recession, accounting positions remained steady." He adds, however, that the field of accounting places a premium on education, so the more education you have as an accountant, the higher your potential earnings and the greater the odds of advancement down the line.
Next step: Click to Find the Right Accounting Program.
Employers often seek accountants with a master's degree, because they have developed the skills necessary to work their way into upper management, Detzel explains.
Typical Courses: Corporate taxation, financial accounting and reporting, accounting principles and practices

Unemployment Rate for Recent College Graduates: 8.7 percent
Unemployment Rate for Grad Degree Holders: 3.6 percent
Unless you live under a rock, you've probably noticed that the number of computer-related careers has skyrocketed as our society moves further into the digital realm. But that's not the only reason earning an advanced degree in computer science may be a good idea. You should also consider that earning a grad degree in this field gives you an advantage in employability over those with only a bachelor's degree in the same field.
Plus, the experts agree that this advanced degree can only improve your chances for success in your professional life.
"Graduates with computer science degrees can catapult themselves into the mix of high-tech products and services," says Provitera. Employers value advanced knowledge and education in this field, he explains, since the field is constantly changing with new, extensive software developments.
Next step: Click to Find the Right Computer Science Program.
Often, though, Detzel says that many job seekers assume a graduate degree isn't necessary because of the abundance of jobs in the computer science field.
"While it is true that an effective programmer can enter the field with an undergraduate degree, many of these people will find that their careers will stall out at low-to mid-level management," he says.
"Employers know that an advanced degree in computer sciences offers the bearer not just a better grasp on the more advanced mathematical aspects of computer science, but also provides them with the basic management practices and interpersonal skills which are essential to moving into upper management," adds Detzel.
Typical Courses: Programming in Java, concepts in programming language, and discrete mathematics
Potential Career: Software Developer
Usually, software developers have a bachelor's degree in computer science and strong computer-programming skills, as noted by the U.S. Department of Labor. For some positions, they also state that employers may prefer a master's degree.

Unemployment Rate for Recent College Graduates: 7.6 percent
Unemployment Rate for Grad Degree Holders: 2.8 percent
When you take a look at the careers that will really impact the next generation, it's impossible not to stop at education. It makes sense then that the field of education would put an emphasis on, well, more education. In fact, those with a grad degree in general education have an unemployment rate that is 4.8 percentage points lower than those with just a bachelor's.
Why do employers value the additional education?
This is all about setting the right precedent for the education field, notes Provitera: "Today, graduates need to read, write, present, and have a good handle on history. General education can build the skill set necessary for a lifelong career."
Next step: Click to Find the Right Education Program.
"Where other advanced degrees focus only on one or two areas of subject expertise, an advanced degree in general education allows the earner to become proficient in an assortment of subjects," adds Detzel. "Additionally, many students do earn licensures with their master's degrees. These allow the teacher to prove they are experts in an area of defined specialization."
A master's degree also showcases a valuable asset that teachers should have, according to Detzel. He explains that employers appreciate this degree, because it shows that an individual has the ability to be flexible in various environments, which is a highly sought after commodity in today's job market.
Typical Courses: Multicultural and global education, methods and materials in literacy education, and educational psychology.
Potential Career: Elementary School Teacher

Unemployment Rate for Recent College Graduates: 8.9 percent
Unemployment Rate for Grad Degree Holders: 4.1 percent
While it's true that you can pursue a career as a police officer or a detective without a graduate degree, you might need a graduate degree to pursue ambitions of climbing higher in the field. And if you're looking at the numbers, you'll also see that a grad degree in this field is worth it because the unemployment rate drops 4.8 percent for those with advanced schooling.
Wonder what the experts have to say?
Similar to psychology, Detzel says that many of the most sought out jobs in this field will require an advanced degree. "Without this degree, applicants cannot be employed in the most popular criminal justice careers, including as criminologists, forensic psychologists, criminal profilers, or teachers."
Next step: Click to Find the Right Criminal Justice Program.
Provitera adds that an advanced degree in this subject could help with your career aspirations, also evidenced by the drop in unemployment among grad degree holders.
"Criminal justice is a graduate degree that opens doors, because the skills learned can enhance many career choices. Cities large and small continually look for new graduates that can help in the acquisition, facilitation, apprehension, court system, and incarceration," he reports.
Typical Courses: Contemporary criminal justice system, development of correctional philosophy, and criminal law
Potential Career: Probation Officer

* All unemployment rates come from the Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce 2013 study "Hard Times: College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings." Unemployment rates for recent college graduates refers to bachelor's degree holders between ages 22 and 26 and graduate degree holders (those with master's degrees or higher and are between 30 and 54).

** Typical courses listed come from The Princeton Review, a not-for-profit membership organization committed to excellence and equity in education. Coursework for criminal justice comes from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

*** All potential careers listed from the 2013-2014 U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook. The Department of Labor cites the associated degrees as common, required, preferred, or one of a number of degrees acceptable as preparation for the potential career. In some instances, candidates might require further schooling, professional certifications, or experience, before being qualified to pursue the career.

Next Article: College majors with the worst job outlook »

Leonardo DiCaprio: Titanic Is "a Huge Part of My Life," I'm "Incredibly Proud of it"

Don't worry, Jack Dawson lovers! Leonardo DiCaprio has only good things to say about his 1997 blockbuster hit Titanic. In an interview with CBS This Morning, the actor revealed he's "proud" of the film that made him a household name -- contrary to what fans may have assumed as schmaltzy or overblown from the actor's perspective.

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"You know, it's been such a long time, but it was such, you know, a huge part of my life," DiCaprio, 39, told CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King. "And people maybe think I have a reaction to that film. But the truth is, I'm incredibly proud of it. And not only that, the movie has really made me be in control of my career."

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DiCaprio starred in the James Cameron-directed film alongside now longtime friend Kate Winslet. (The film grossed a then-record breaking 343.6 million worldwide, and won the Oscar for Best Picture.) But before he came face-to-face with an iceberg, the Wolf of Wall Street star snagged his first Oscar nomination in 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Gilbert for his portrayal as a mentally handicapped boy. The Hollywood hunk has famously never won an Oscar to this day, but admitted that he didn't want to win for the early '90s film anyway.

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Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the 1997 blockbuster hit Titanic

"No, I -- I didn't," he said. "All I remember is being paralyzed with fear that I'd have to actually get up on that stage because somebody told me a billion people watch that show. And that's the only thing that I really remember."
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"And -- and I was in shambles about that," he continued. DiCaprio went on to mention that something like giving a live speech is much different than filming a movie. After all, there's no "cut" being given by a director, and no chance for a re-take.

"That's the problem. There is no cut," he said. "I mean, I've had a lot more experience since then, but I -- that -- that was my memory."
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Another memory? How someone once suggested he change his name to Lenny Williams for the sake of his career. "It would sound less ethnic and I would be able to get more roles," the Italian-American was told. "And my dad said, 'Don't you dare do that.'" 

DiCaprio has come a long way since his Titanic days. The star has also focused his attention on charity, and recently donated $3 million to Oceana through his foundation to help protect threatened ocean habitat and marine species. He also donated $3 million to World Wildlife Fund to help double Nepal's tiger population.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Leonardo DiCaprio: Titanic Is "a Huge Part of My Life," I'm "Incredibly Proud of it"

Are You Falling Out of Love With 'The Walking Dead'?

"The Walking Dead" remains the most successful cable drama currently, and ever, on TV. The series continues to add new characters from the comic book, to develop the characters we've followed through the zombie apocalypse for three and a half seasons now, and to be willing to kill off even a major, beloved character every once in a while.

Still, there have been some grumblings …
From complaints that the show is moving character and plot developments along too slowly and showing too much of a certain teenage survivor, to suggestions that characters are making too many foolish choices, and that characters outside the core group are introduced only to be killed off, here are a few trending "TWD" Season 4 criticisms … and why we disagree with most of them.

[Related: 'Walking Dead' Scoop From Producer Gale Anne Hurd]

I don't like episodes that focus on just one or two characters, instead of the group. Why did we need more than one Governor episode in the first half of the season?
Ah yes, "Live Bait" and "Dead Weight," aka the Governor episodes. While it's true that not every character warrants his or her own episode(s), or even significant portions of multiple episodes (raise your hand if you thought Andrea's story dragged on for far too long in Season 3), we'd argue the Governor eps from the first half of Season 4 are examples of "Walking Dead" character development at its very best.

The Governor (David Morrissey) in "The Walking Dead"

He had become a villain of almost cartoon proportions, but he was also too deliciously evil to simply kill off without wringing every layer of apocalypse-driven crazy out of him beforehand. Hence these installments, which saw the Gov/"Brian" take another shot at building a family he could protect and love, only to realize, straight from the midseason finale's title, he was too far gone.

[Related: Take a Bite Out of Our 'Walking Dead' Recaps]

The episodes, like Season 3's "Clear" (aka the Morgan episode) and the recent midseason premiere, "After" (aka the Rick and Michonne smile episode), were powerful glimpses into characters we're already invested in. They provided follow-up (in Morgan's case), much-anticipated backstory (on Michonne in "After"), and a deeper portrait of how "the turn" has affected the one person from the core group who's maneuvering walker world without the perspective of having experienced adulthood (aka Carl and his teen angst in "After").

Michonne (Danai Gurira) in "The Walking Dead"

The run-and-gun adventures are great, too, but we need to care about these characters to care about their survival. And the fact that 15.8 million viewers (viewership for last week's episode) are hanging on in Season 4 to learn even more about the humans we've already spent three-and-a-half years with proves those character development episodes continue to resonate.

Speaking of Carl … he's annoying. And remember when he went psycho and killed that Woodbury kid in the Season 3 finale?
Imagine being Carl … all the confusion, angst, need to rebel, and other emotional turmoil of being a teenager, with an ever-present threat to the basic survival of you and your loved ones to deal with. Dude had to shoot the man who had been like a father to him … when he thought his actual father was dead. He had to kill his own mother, to prevent her from reanimating and trying to eat him … immediately after she'd given birth — a very painful, sans-drugs birth — to his sister. He's always hungry, he has precious few creature comforts, and he's alternately been trained to kill and then been told he can't have a weapon.

Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) in "The Walking Dead"

And all of this was summed up nicely in "After," which saw him make some harsh declarations of independence to his father, while also lighting up when he walked into a teenage haven full of videogames, cool posters, and fresh reading material. He thought he was ready to take on groups of walkers on his own, but sat like a little kid on the roof of a house as he gobbled down a giant can of chocolate pudding.

[Related: We Chat With 'The Walking Dead's' Carl, Chandler Riggs]

Despite telling his dad he'd be fine if Rick died, Carl realized just how much he needed Rick when he thought he might have to kill him. It was not only a nice summary of Carl's experience, but a nod to his resilience, and it's a perspective worth examining.

Tyreese (Chad Coleman), Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino), and Mika (Kyla Kenedy) in "The Walking Dead"

OK, but what about how all the characters keep doing things that are out of character? Tyreese is a very protective guy … why would he have left Lizzie, Mika, and Judith in the woods alone? And Carol killing Karen and David? That doesn't seem like her. And then Rick just casting her out of the group … nah. Yeah, we see the point about Tyreese. But remember, he was willing to leave the girls on their own because he thought the screams he heard could be other members of the prison group — like, say, his MIA sister — who needed help. Doesn't make it right that he left two little girls and a baby on their own, but you can at least see where he would have been torn.

About Rick kicking Carol out of the prison: he didn't make that decision solely as a punishment for her actions; it was a move designed to protect her, too, from Tyreese, who was out for blood, namely the blood of the person who killed Karen. And about Carol being the killer, well … there are plenty of viewers who've arrived at a different theory — see here, here, and here — that points the finger for Karen and David's deaths at a certain rabbit-slaying, would-be baby-smothering tween.

[Related: Will 'Walking Dead's' Abraham Be Like Comic Book Abraham?]

It's a fact that the characters continue to do stupid things, take risks that could get them killed. But it's a zombie apocalypse. They don't always know, or have the option of doing, the safest thing. They've learned how to navigate the walkers, how to survive, on the fly, and they're going to continue to do stupid things that make us all yell at our TV screens. But if they ever get to the point where they've figured out exactly what to do in every situation, and the dangers of the zombie apocalypse no longer exist, neither will the drama of living in a zombie apocalypse.

Carol (Melissa Suzanne McBride) in "The Walking Dead"

We do agree with one major gripe about the fractured group of prison pals: why didn't they ever agree on a rally point, especially since they knew the Governor was still out there, just waiting to pounce?
Uh-huh. About all that danger to characters, it seems like the ones in the most danger are the extras. All those Woodbury transplants, for instance, who were brought in just so they could be killed off by walkers, or by that virus, or in the Governor's attack on the prison.

No argument there — the influx of Woodbury survivors did largely turn out to be sacrificial lambs for the sake of moving several stories forward. However, the show has proven again and again that it's willing to kill off a main character or eight: Shane, Dale, T-Dog, Lori, Merle, Andrea, the Governor, Hershel … and that's just so far. Star Andy Lincoln told us last fall that the final eight episodes of the season include an installment that is "going to be the most controversial episode that we've probably ever been involved in, and that's saying something." Makes us think those rumors of another major death before Season 4 wraps are not to be dismissed as simply rumors.

Creator Robert Kirkman on Season 4:

Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) in "The Walking Dead"

The show's really just a soap opera with zombies.

So? If you believe that's true, why is that a bad thing? In a current storyline on "The Bold and the Beautiful," Brooke Logan is about to marry Ridge Forrester for the 784th time … you're saying throwing some zombies into that mix wouldn't spice things up? Likewise, throwing some sudsy drama into the zombie apocalypse — Betrayal! Romance! Emotional breakdowns! — has worked for "The Walking Dead." It's those elements that have made the show a richer drama, one that doesn't rely on any one thing, or any one pace, to tell stories.

[Related: 10 Creepy (and Real) 'Walking Dead' Tattoos]

Take last week's episode, "Inmates," which was so packed with big reveals (Judith's alive!), character development (Beth, who already attempted suicide, is now barely hanging on to hope), and action that we watched it three times and picked up new things with each viewing. It's a show that consistently blends all those kinds of storytelling, while, more than ever in Season 4, reminding us why we should, and do, care about these complicated characters. If that means you can sum up the show as a soap opera with zombies … yeah. So?

[Related: 'Walking Dead' Superfan Pulls Zombie Prank on Norman Reedus: See Daryl Dixon Scream!]

There hasn't been enough Daryl in Season 4.

Yes. We can all agree on that. Which is why we can all look forward to at least one upcoming episode in the final six installments of the season that will be Daryl-centric. Daryl backstory? Daryl romance? Both? Maybe, but there's definitely at least one episode in the six remaining that will feature Norman Reedus's beloved bow-and-arrow-totin' hero front and center.

Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) in "The Walking Dead"

Now, tell us, Deadheads: Which criticisms do you agree with? Which do you think are right on the money? Do you love the show more in Season 4, or are you getting bored as the series heads towards the Season 4 finale?

"The Walking Dead" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.

10 most iconic cars of the past 25 years

When you think of iconic cars, how many were made in the past quarter-century?

There is a large portion of the gearheaded public whose hearts will always lie with the earliest incarnations of the Ford Mustang, red Corvettes and the Italian supercars whose posters lined the walls of their childhood bedrooms. But any auto enthusiast who had his or her engine revved by The Fast and The Furious films might have a soft spot for street cars 13 years old or younger. The same goes for the collections in video game series including Gran Turismo and Need For Speed, which have done just as much for auto worship in recent years as Steve McQueen films did more than 40 years ago.

The folks at auto website Cars.com realized that the automotive ring of honor could probably use some updating. An iconic car doesn't have to be famous, flashy or even well-liked: It just has to set trends, have a unique sense of style or bring enough muscle to the mix to burn itself into drivers' memories.

The following 10 cars all left their mark on automotive history, for better or worse.

10. Pontiac Aztek (2001-05)

A vehicle best known for being the ugliest car produced within the past decade is an "icon"? Keep in mind, however, that not all icons are remembered for their greatness. The Edsel and the Yugo, for example, are remembered with a shudder by car lovers both for their appearance and for their futility on U.S. car lots.

The funniest part about the Aztek is that just about everything but the car's exterior design and sloping cargo space were brilliant. If you owned one of these monstrosities, you were driving a vehicle with car-based, unibody construction that had all of the space and height of an SUV but few of the gas-guzzling concerns. Although the rolling philistines laughed at you from atop their truck axles, they’d burn through $60 worth of gas, and ultimately trade them in a few years later when gas prices soared.

9. Ford Explorer (1991-94)

Where did the great American station wagons and minivans go? This sport utility vehicle ate them.

While not the first of its kind, the Explorer was the first SUV to capture the American consciousness. Buoyed by relatively cheap gasoline and a recovering U.S. economy, the Explorer saw sales jump from 283,000 in 1991 to nearly 403,000 in 1996.

The Explorer made the U.S. a nation of SUVs but, as mentioned in the Aztek example, fell out of favor quickly once the economy stalled. Sales have since climbed back up to 178,000 in 2013, but the Explorer is now just another crossover vehicle among the sea of similar vehicles, and is an oversized reminder of an indulgent, bloated automotive past.

8. Hummer H2 (2003-09)

The jaunty little hero of the first Gulf War, the Humvee made its way into Arnold Schwarzenegger's garage and into the hearts of every American for whom big just wasn't big enough. It was just luxurious enough for a nation of Paris Hilton/The Hills excess and just popular enough to keep General Motors above water.

Then gas prices hit $4 a gallon and that was the end of that. Sales of the H2 slid from more than 34,000 in 2003 to little more than 6,000 by 2008. General Motors went bankrupt and took a bailout, while the H2 spends much of its time parked in contrarians' driveways.

7. Mini Cooper (2002-06)

Years of driving fuel-efficient but flimsy Geo Metros and Hyundai Excels had given U.S. drivers the impression that small cars were not only underpowered, but cramped and inherently bad. Films such as 2002's Austin Powers: Goldmember however showed that a modernized take on the classic British Mini could not only be fuel-efficient, but fun and fast at the same time.

In the decade after its return to the U.S. market, the Mini sold 2.5 million vehicles and became a cult favorite. Now Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda and several other automakers each have sporty, options-packed subcompacts. For a marque called Mini, it's had a major impact.

(Photo: Greg Goebel | Flickr)

6. Jeep Wrangler (1987-95)

How is the U.S. hero of World War II and a car that's been produced for civilian use since the 1940s considered an '80s and '90s icon?

Simple: Sales of what was once known as the Jeep CJ were in the tank until Chrysler came along and bought the brand. Chrysler put the "square headlights" Jeep on the market with all the ground clearance and 4x4 capability that Jeep die-hards loved, but year by year added features such as an extended roll cage, rear seat belts and antilock brakes to make it a safer, more comfortable ride. It's the modernized features lumped into a package that still has the basic look of a World War II Jeep that made the Wrangler so vital to Jeep's continuing legacy.

(Photo: Schen Photography | Flickr)

5. Dodge Viper RT/10 (1992-95)

The folks at Chrysler weren't thrilled that Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Maserati and their ilk were making U.S. muscle look flabby by comparison.

That's when they got creative. Since Chrysler just happened to own Lamborghini at the time, they asked the company to give their bulky truck engine an aluminum makeover. "Team Viper" did its thing and, by 1991, a Dodge Viper was turning heads as the pace car at the Indianapolis 500.

Despite Chrysler's various ownership issues the Viper has remained. The new Italian owners are so enamored of it that they've kept it going as the SRT Viper. Its current 8.4-liter, V-10 engine cranks out 640 horsepower and tops out at 206 miles per hour.

4. Ford Mustang (2005-09)

After the first-generation Mustangs of the late '60s and early '70s, the car began to lose its way. There was the ugly and underpowered Mustang II that served as a nod to the oil crisis of the late 1970s. While the 5.0-liter '90s upgrades were well received and carried into the next generation's redesign, the Mustang was Vanilla Ice's car. It was cool, but not iconic.

That changed in 2005, when the Mustang was redesigned with a "retro-futurist look" that was basically an update of the first generation's classic aesthetic. Fans responded instantly. Sales jumped from fewer than 130,000 in 2004 to more than 160,000 in 2005. It gave the Mustang line a huge boost and prompted Chevy and Dodge to make similar retro tweaks to their Camaro, Charger and Challenger.

3. Volkswagen New Beetle (1998-2010)

Even icons get tiresome.

The Beetle traces its roots back to World War II, but by the mid-1970s other compact cars began encroaching on the Beetle's turf and Volkswagen was staring down bankruptcy. To right the ship, Volkswagen had to ditch the Beetle in favor of the Golf hatchback.

By the time a concept car surfaced in 1994, engineers had figured out how to put the engine up front, how to give it front wheel drive and a more spacious interior and make it look like an updated version of the original while giving it little tweaks such as a flower vase in the dashboard. Its overwhelming reception began the era of "new futurism" that brought drivers updated versions of beloved cars such as the Mustangs and Camaros mentioned just an entry earlier.

2. Mazda MX-5 Miata (1990-97)

Mini has made strides in the low end and Chrysler's 200 is filling in admirably for the Sebring, but neither of them are the sporty little two-seater that the Miata is.

Oh, and neither provides Porsche Boxster performance at roughly half the price. In fact, this little roadster got a big boost from Consumer Reports a few years back for not only matching the Boxster's performance, but proving a more reliable vehicle with fewer repair bills.

1. Toyota Prius (2004-09)

Simply put, nobody cared about hybrid vehicles until this car came around.

The first-generation Honda Insight got a combined 65 miles per gallon but had weird, covered rear wheels and looked like an escaped concept car. The first-generation Prius, meanwhile, got 48 miles per gallon, but was ugly, cramped and not overly powerful.

Before the second-generation Prius arrived, Toyota had never sold more than 25,000 of it in the U.S. in a single year. At the second generation's peak in 2007, Toyota sold 181,000 Prius models here. Now nearly every major automaker produces a hybrid vehicle, but their cars aren't the ones that boosters and critics alike mention when referring to a hybrid.

Mexico's Sinaloa drug chief arrested

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A massive operation that mushroomed through the western Mexican state of Sinaloa last week netted the world's top drug lord, who was captured early Saturday by U.S. and Mexican authorities at a condominium in Mazatlan, officials from both countries said.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, 56, arrived at the Mexico City airport in the afternoon, looking pudgy, bowed and much like his wanted photos. He was marched by masked marines across a tarmac to a helicopter waiting to whisk him to jail.
Guzman was found with an unidentified woman, said one official not authorized to be quoted by name, adding that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marshals Service were "heavily involved" in the capture. No shots were fired.
Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam described an operation that took place between Feb. 13 and 17, presumably in Guzman's home state of Sinaloa, though he didn't say what city.

Mexican security agencies came upon several houses where Guzman was known to stay, Murillo Karam said, adding that they found tunnels connecting seven homes and the city's sewer system, presumably for escape. The doors were reinforced with steel, which delayed entry by law enforcement, presumably allowing Guzman to flee several attempts at his capture before Saturday.

Murillo Karam didn't say how authorities traced him to Mazatlan, but said they knew of his whereabouts several times. They were unable to mount an operation earlier because of possible risks to the general public, he added.

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Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines …

Guzman faces multiple federal drug trafficking indictments in the U.S. and is on the DEA's most-wanted list. His drug empire stretches throughout North America and reaches as far away as Europe and Australia. His cartel has been heavily involved in the bloody drug war that has torn through parts of Mexico for the last several years.

His arrest followed the takedown of several top Sinaloa operatives in the last few months and at least 10 mid-level cartel members in the last week. The information leading to Guzman was gleaned from those arrested, said Michael S. Vigil, a former senior DEA official who was briefed on the operation.

The Mexican navy raided the Culiacan house of Guzman's ex-wife, Griselda Lopez, earlier this week and found a cache of weapons and a tunnel in one of the rooms that led to the city's sewer system, leading authorities to believe Guzman barely escaped, Vigil said.

As more people were arrested, more homes were raided.

"It became like a nuclear explosion where the mushroom started to expand throughout the city of Culiacan," Vigil said.

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Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines …

Authorities learned that Guzman fled to nearby Mazatlan. He was arrested at the Miramar condominiums, a 10-story, pearl-colored building with white balconies overlooking the Pacific and a small pool in front. The building is one of dozens of relatively modest, upper-middle-class developments on the Mazatlan coastal promenade, with a couple of simple couches in the lobby and a bare cement staircase leading up to the condominiums.

"He got tired of living up in the mountains and not being able to enjoy the comforts of his wealth. He became complacent and starting coming into the city of Culiacan and Mazatlan. That was a fatal error," said Vigil, adding that Guzman was arrested with "a few" of his bodyguards nearby.
One American retiree living in the building, who did not want to give his name, said he has lived there for two years and never heard or saw anything unusual.

Vigil said Mexico may decide to extradite Guzman to the U.S. to avoid any possibility that he escapes from prison again, as he did in 2001 in a laundry truck — a feat that fed his larger-than-life persona.

"It would be a massive black eye on the (Mexican) government if he is able to escape again. That's the only reason they would turn him over," Vigil said.

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FILE - In this June 10, 1993 file photo, Joaquin Guzman Loera, alias "El Chapo" Guzman, is …

Because insiders aided his escape, rumors circulated for years that he was helped and protected by former Mexican President Felipe Calderon's government, which vanquished some of his top rivals.
In the bilateral assault on organized crime and Mexican drug cartels, Sinaloa had not only been relatively unscathed, but has seen its enemies go down at the hands of the government.

Aggressive assaults by the Mexican military and federal police have all but dismantled the leadership of the Beltran Leyva and Zetas cartels, both huge rivals of Sinaloa, as well as the La Linea gang fighting Sinaloa for control of the border city of Ciudad Juarez.

Calderon congratulated Pena Nieto on the capture Saturday via his Twitter account. Many also noted the huge boost that capture gave to the credibility of the Pena Nieto government, whose commitment to fighting organized crime has been questioned since he took office in late 2012.
But there were rumors circulating for months that a major operation was under way to take down the Sinaloa cartel.

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FILE - In a Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, file photo, a poster displayed at a Chicago Crime Commission ne …

Zambada's son was arrested in November after entering Arizona, where he had an appointment with U.S. immigration authorities to arrange legal status for his wife.

The following month, Zambada's main lieutenant was killed as Mexican helicopter gunships sprayed bullets at his mansion in the Gulf of California resort of Puerto Penasco in a four-hour gunbattle. Days later, police in the Netherlands arrested a flamboyant top enforcer for Zambada as he arrived in Amsterdam.

But experts predict that as long as Guzman's partner, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is at large, the cartel will continue business as usual.

"The take-down of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Loera is a thorn in the side of the Sinaloa Cartel, but not a dagger in its heart," said College of William and Mary government professor George Grayson, who studies Mexico's cartels. "Zambada ... will step into El Chapo's boots. He is also allied with Juan Jose 'El Azul' Esparragoza Moreno, one of most astute lords in Mexico's underworld and, by far, its best negotiator."

Rumors had long circulated that Guzman was hiding everywhere from Argentina and Guatemala to almost every corner of Mexico, especially its "Golden Triangle," a mountainous, marijuana-growing region straddling the northern states of Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuahua.

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Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman sits inside a federal police helicopter at a navy hanger in Mexi …

In more than a decade on the run, Guzman transformed himself from a middling Mexican capo into arguably the most powerful drug trafficker in the world. His fortune has grown to more than $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine, which listed him among the "World's Most Powerful People" and ranked him above the presidents of France and Venezuela.
His Sinaloa Cartel grew bloodier and more powerful, taking over much of the lucrative trafficking routes along the U.S. border, including such prized cities as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez.

Guzman's play for power against local cartels caused a bloodbath in Tijuana and made Juarez one of the deadliest cities in the world. In little more than a year, Mexico's biggest marijuana bust, 134 tons, and its biggest cultivation were tied to Sinaloa, as were a giant underground methamphetamine lab in western Mexico and hundreds of tons of precursor chemicals seized in Mexico and Guatemala.

His cartel's tentacles now extend as far as Australia thanks to a sophisticated, international distribution system for cocaine and methamphetamine.
Guzman did all that with a $7 million bounty on his head and while evading thousands of law enforcement agents from the U.S. and other countries devoted to his capture. A U.S. federal indictment unsealed in San Diego in 1995 charges Guzman and 22 members of his organization with conspiracy to import over eight tons of cocaine and money laundering. A provisional arrest warrant was issued as a result of the indictment, according to the U.S. State Department.

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Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines …

He also has been indicted by federal authorities in the United States several times since 1996. The charges include allegations that he and others conspired to smuggle "multi-ton quantities" of cocaine into the U.S. and used violence, including murder, kidnapping and torture to keep the smuggling operation running. He's also accused of conspiring to smuggle heroin into the United States and money laundering.

In 2013, he was named "Public Enemy No. 1" by the Chicago Crime Commission, only the second person to get that distinction after U.S. prohibition-era crime boss Al Capone. Guzman faces a two-count indictment in Chicago charging him with running a drug smuggling conspiracy responsible for smuggling cocaine and heroin into the U.S. He's also charged in New York with drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping and other crimes.

Guzman is still celebrated in folk songs and is said to have enjoyed deep protection from humble villagers in the rugged hills of Sinaloa and Durango where he has hidden from authorities.
"There's no drug-trafficking organization in Mexico with the scope, the savvy, the operational ability, expertise and knowledge as the Sinaloa cartel," said one former U.S. law enforcement official, who couldn't be quoted by name for security reasons. "You've kind of lined yourself up the New York Yankees of the drug trafficking world."

Growing up poor, Guzman was drawn to the money being made by the flow of illegal drugs through his home state of Sinaloa.

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Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines …

He joined the Guadalajara cartel, run by Mexican Godfather Miguel Angel Gallardo, and rose quickly through the ranks as a ruthless businessman and skilled networker.
After Gallardo was arrested in 1989, the gang split, and Guzman took control of Sinaloa's operations.

An estimated 70,000 people have been killed in drug violence since former President Calderon deployed thousands of soldiers to drug hotspots upon taking office on Dec. 1, 2006. The current government of Pena Nieto has stopped tallying drug-related killings separately.

___

Stevenson contributed to this report in Mexico City. Spagat reported from San Diego, California, and Caldwell from Washington, D.C.

Want to Make More Money? Understand the Multiplying Effect.

How much money do you want to make every year? If you haven’t seriously asked yourself that, you should. Why wouldn’t you? It’s a very easy question to answer. And until you’ve really thought about it, it’s impossible to determine how you’re going to get there.

When I was in my early twenties, my father sat me down and asked me that same question, point blank. The advice he gave me after fundamentally changed the way I thought about work and led me to my current career.
I told him I wanted to make $100,000 a year. At the time, I thought that was a lot of money. You’ll work for about another 30 years, he told me. So how much money would I make in my lifetime? I did the math: $3 million.
Related: Entrepreneurs: Your Irrational Optimism Is Necessary
He asked, was I happy with that amount? If I wasn’t, what was I going to do about it?
My father was a smart man. Three million didn’t seem like a lot of money over 30 years, given taxes and living expenses. The math didn’t add up: Life is short, and it didn’t seem like enough for a lifetime of work. When I looked at the last paycheck I had received, I wasn’t happy.
My father told me the only way to create wealth was to find a business opportunity that had a multiplying effect and that didn’t require my presence. It took me some time to figure out what that meant. The latter part was easy enough. He explained, “A doctor can only help so many people in a day and in a year. A lawyer can only try so many cases.” To create great wealth, I needed to find something that didn’t require my hands or my presence. Fair enough.
The second was trickier: What did having a multiplying effect mean? He told me that I needed to piggyback on or create something that would be used over and over again -- that people never stopped needing. In other words, he explained to me the idea of collecting a royalty. That made sense to me. And it’s what spurred me to start licensing my ideas.
Related: Turn Passion Into Profits? Oprah, Seinfeld and Branson Certainly Did.
Today, there are many examples of businesses that share these qualities. App developers, for one. Franchises are another. And of course, there are countless examples of more traditional methods, like the stock market, bonds and real estate.
For me, the concept of the multiplying effect was tremendously attractive. Some people derive pleasure and contentment from being masters of their craft, from working day in and day out with their hands. That’s not me. I wanted to make money and I wanted to be able to do new things, to constantly challenge myself in new ways.
How much money do you want to make? How are you going to make it? Finding my multiplying effect -- writing a book, offering a course and licensing my ideas -- has allowed me to live where I want, have people working for me elsewhere and be my own boss. It is incredibly freeing. It works for me.
I’m not saying it’s for everyone. But I want you to critically ask yourself how much you want to make. And do the math.
Related: Make 2014 the Year You Reach for Your Goals
The author is an Entrepreneur contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.