John Lennon wished Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen had played on Cold Turkey instead of Eric Clapton - Guitar World

Cold Turkey was John Lennon's second solo single – released under the Plastic Ono Band moniker – and was particularly notable for its six-string contributions from Eric Clapton.

But, as it happens, the Beatles icon reportedly once suggested that another guitarist, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, would have been a better choice for the track.

In a new interview with Classic Rock magazine, Nielsen recalls how, during the recording sessions for Lennon's fifth and final album, 1980's Double Fantasy, the Beatle was impressed by his playing.

“I was in the studio, playing, and John looked at [Double Fantasy co-producer] Jack Douglas and said, ‘God, I wish I’d had Rick on Cold Turkey. Clapton choked up,’” he says.

Nielsen and fellow Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos were recruited by Douglas – who also produced their 1977 debut album – to perform on Double Fantasy's fifth track, I'm Losing You. 

The version with Nielsen and Carlos didn't appear on the album's initial release, but was later included on 1998’s John Lennon Anthology box set. Cheap Trick later covered the track on their 2001 live album, Silver.

The band are set to pay tribute to Lennon once again on upcoming album, In Another World, with a cover of Lennon's 1971 Imagine track Gimme Some Truth – and for the recording, the four-piece recruited former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.

“I’ve known Steve for a long time and Cheap Trick always loved the Sex Pistols,” Nielsen told Classic Rock. “Their approach was so alien from what we were doing, but it still had that raw power. I asked if he wanted to play on a track with us, he liked the idea of the song, and it worked out perfectly. Now we can’t get rid of the guy!”

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Tips to maximize your employee retention credit - ROI-NJ.com

The coronavirus relief bill signed into law in December 2020 included an extension of the Employee Retention Credit under Section 2301 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. Understanding its eligibility, optimizing the benefits and documentation are all critical for businesses today.

The ERC is a refundable payroll tax credit that runs from March 13, 2020, to June 30, 2021. It’s available to eligible employers with qualified wages paid during quarters in which the employer is fully or partially closed by governmental order or had a reduction in gross receipts greater than 50% for 2020, or 20% for 2021 as compared with the same quarter in 2019. Employers with eligible wages in 2021 are entitled to a credit of 70% on the first $10,000 of qualified wages per quarter for each employee, up to $7,000 per quarter. Employers with eligible wages in 2020 are entitled to a credit of 50% on the first $10,000 of qualified wages in 2020.

Top considerations to maximize ERC benefits.

1. Eligibility requirements

Eligibility criteria differ for 2020 and 2021 and include certain employee headcount thresholds, and you must have experienced certain reductions in gross receipts or have been fully or partially shut down by governmental order.

Review IRS FAQs to determine eligibility.

2. Large Employer threshold increased from 100 to 500 for 2021

To be eligible in 2021, employers must have a decline in gross receipts of at least 20% or be fully or partially shut down by the government. Eligible employers in 2021 with 500 or fewer employees can qualify all wages paid, while wages paid to employees not performing services are eligible for employers with more than 500 employers. This increase in the employee threshold expands the wages to be included in the ERC.

If the business has more than 500 full-time employees, qualifying wages are only wages paid to employees not to work.

3. Maximizing PPP and ERC

The new tax law presents an opportunity to stack the Paycheck Protection Program and ERC to maximize available relief. Businesses who have not applied for PPP forgiveness can reduce payroll costs to 60%, maximize 40% non-payroll costs claimed for PPP and utilize additional wages towards ERC. Employers need to carefully evaluate ERC, PPP and sick pay credits received under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to ensure eligible wages are not double or triple counted. Documentation is critical in the event of a future IRS or SBA audit.

4. ERC affiliation rules

When determining eligibility, businesses need to consider the requirements of what constitutes a single employer under Section 52(a) and Section 414(m) or (o) of the IRS code.

The affiliation rules for the ERC are different from the PPP. ERC relies on the IRS concept of a controlled group for affiliation in determining the number of employees and gross receipts reductions.

Affiliation rules consider ownership structures, parent-subsidiary, brother-sister controlled group and common management.

If you need assistance with your ERCs, contact us here and a member of our team will be in touch.

Sofia Cordero is a manager with Mazars USA LLP.

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Eight offboard tips to prevent employee data theft when people leave the company | SC Media - SC Magazine

Coca-Cola had a serious insider breach in 2018 when a former employee was found to have PII on some 8,000 employees. Today’s columnist, Neel Lukka of CurrentWare, offers eight security tips for offboarding employees when they leave the company. hectorir CreativeCommons Credit: CC BY 2.0

Gaps in the employee offboarding process present significant data security risks. A shocking 52 percent of the 400 IT professionals surveyed by Ivanti know people who still have access to a former employer’s applications and data. Organizations simply cannot afford to overlook this security threat.

Employees have intimate access to confidential information and insider knowledge of corporate systems. The employee offboarding process presents significant data security risks, particularly in the case of an involuntary termination.

Organizations must have a strategy for mitigating the risks of insider data theft. The strategy should include a well-documented employee offboarding process to ensure that non-public data remains in the possession of the company.

The danger also doesn’t end once the employee leaves the premises. Gaps in the employee offboarding process can leave a disgruntled ex-employee with ongoing access to company resources. In fact, an Osterman Research study found that 89 percent of employees could still access sensitive corporate applications well after their departure.

While the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that 71 percent of data breaches are financially motivated, there are other motives, such as employees looking for an advantage against other applicants with a prospective employer. 40 percent of employees that have stolen corporate information admitted that they intend to use it in their new jobs. Here are some tips on how to protect data during a termination:

• Follow an employee offboarding process.

Develop a detailed employee offboarding process. Following an employee offboarding checklist ensures that each step of the process gets accounted for and that the parties involved in the transition are aware of their responsibilities.

• Adhere to strict IT asset management and deprovisioning.

Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all assets including ID cards, portable storage devices, laptops, computers, software licenses, accounts, and keys. Ensure that all items are returned following the employee’s departure and that their accounts are deprovisioned. With the rapid proliferation of SaaS accounts it’s more important than ever to have documentation regarding what software and services each employee can access. Incorporating these assets into identity management systems and single sign-on tools can help ensure that the company runs an automated deprovisioning process, thus reducing the chance that  accounts are overlooked because of human error.

• Monitor how employees interact with data.

Without systems in place to monitor how employees interact with data, breaches can happen when an employee makes a quick visit to a personal cloud storage site or a discrete file transfer to a USB flash drive. Pay careful attention around the 90-day period before an employee’s resignation announcement; it has been found that 70 percent of IP theft occurs around this time.

Here’s what to monitor: Email attachments, web browsing activity, USB file transfers, access logs for servers, printer logs, and bandwidth usage.

• Block data egress points.

Prevent employees from accessing data egress, points such as cloud storage sites, FTP servers, external storage devices, and email accounts. If the employee legitimately requires access to these assets during their final days it’s critical that stringent monitoring processes are in place. Wherever possible, put DLP in place to alert IT administrators of potential high-risk activities. This ensures that data theft attempts are detected and investigated in a timely manner.

• Avoid shared passwords.

Letting employees share accounts complicates the deprovisioning process and reduces the utility of user activity data. If evidence of an anomalous file transfer or other high-risk activity becomes present on a shared account there’s little security pros can do to verify who was responsible.

• Perform an exit interview.

Exit interviews are perfect opportunities for HR to collect feedback on the employee’s experience and find opportunities to improve retention and engagement in the future. From a security perspective the exit interview can point to warning signs that a departing employee feels disgruntled.

• Notify relevant parties.

The IT department should be notified of the impending resignation or termination so they can start their offboarding process. Doing this will ensure that as the employee leaves the premises, they also leave the corporate network.

Notify any clients or vendors the employee worked with as well. This will prevent the ex-employee from abusing their position of trust to damage the company’s reputation or commit fraudulent acts.

Gaps in the employee offboarding process can lead to incidents of data theft by ex-employees. It’s crucial to develop a detailed offboarding process with automated deprovisioning, an up-to-date IT asset inventory, and monitoring of employee computer activity to keep data safe after a termination or resignation.

Neel Lukka, managing director, CurrentWare

Topics:

Data security Insider Threat Security strategy

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8 tips for maximizing your credit card rewards - MarketWatch

Safety tips for driving with pets - nbc16.com

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Pet care tips for a carefree spring season - Fox11online.com

Your "paw-rent" responsibilities don't take a break for spring break!

It's officially spring, which means your pets will have chirping birds to chase, colorful flowers to sniff, and warmer weather to enjoy. With all the outdoor fun awaiting you and your pet, it's easy to forget about some of the chores of pet ownership.

Here's your guide to make sure your "paw-rent" responsibilities don't fall by the wayside as you frolic in the fields with your furry friends.

Flea and tick medication

Prevention is always the best strategy for fighting fleas and ticks, regardless of the time of year. As the weather gets warmer, these parasites become more prevalent, and your pet will likely be outdoors more often, which increases the threat of fleas and ticks two-fold.

Both fleas and ticks can cause serious health problems for your pet, including Lyme disease, anemia, tick paralysis, tapeworms, skin irritation, and a fatal disease called cytauxzoonosis. They're also simply disgusting pests. Fleas can multiply very quickly, sometimes producing millions of eggs. That can lead to an infestation in your home that is tough to eliminate.

There are several types of flea and tick medications you can buy. Topical solutions, pills, collars, and sprays are just some of the options you can use to prevent fleas and ticks. Pay attention to each product's specific instructions to make sure you apply them correctly.

Vaccinations

Vaccination is a hot topic right now. As you organize your COVID-19 vaccination appointment, think about the last time your pets received their shots. These immunizations are often required by rental properties, and they're even more necessary if you plan on taking your pet to hang out at dog parks or other public places. Shots for rabies, distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, bordetella, canine hepatitis, feline leukemia, and rhinotracheitis are all likely necessary or highly recommended.

Grooming

Perhaps the most unpleasant chore of pet ownership (besides picking up after your pet's "business") is nail trimming. If you do this task at home, try pushing the pad of your pet's paw to expose the nail. This will help you see the full length of the nail so that you don't cut too closely and hit the "quick," which will cause your pet a lot of pain and could result in a bloody mess. Cut your pet's nails when they're calm, and encourage them to sniff the clipper while rewarding them with treats to increase your pet's comfortability.

Bath time isn't always easy, either. Many pets will squirm or cower in the corner of the tub, making your job much harder. However, it's something you should do every few weeks to refresh your pet's coat and to wipe off any dirt, allergens, and germs that may have collected during their time outdoors.

Brushing your pet is an essential part of grooming, especially for animals with long winter coats. You'll probably notice increased shedding in the spring, and consistent brushing will help remove the excess hair. If you neglect to brush your pet, the dead coat and dirt could build up and cause your pet some discomfort.

Allergies

Seasonal allergies may cause your pet to have itchy eyes and develop allergic conjunctivitis. Cold compresses on the affected eye or medication recommended by your veterinarian can help with pet allergy symptoms.

Car rides

It's one thing if your pet lays down and stays calm in the car, but that's probably rare. All animals should be belted and restrained in the back seat to prevent injury. If your pet is really energetic, you may need to put them in a crate during the ride. Offer treats, toys, and blankets to make your pet feel more relaxed inside the vehicle. Don't allow your pet to sit on your lap while you drive because any unexpected movement or distraction can lead to an accident.

Spring is meant a fun gateway to summer, filled with new beginnings and joyful activities. Taking care of the not-so-fun stuff first will allow you to put the rest of your time and energy into making memories with your pet this year and for many years to come.

Have a question about pet health? Want to become the best possible pet parent? Find helpful tips, reminders, and insight to giving your furry friend the best possible care with For Pet's Sake! Learn more at drdevonsmith.com.

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Donskoi scores hat trick in just 7:31 of game time en route to 9-3 thrashing of Arizona - Colorado Hockey Now

Colorado's premier coverage of the Avalanche from professional hockey people. Adrian Dater, Editor-in-Chief. Part of the National Hockey Now family.

This site is in no way associated with the Colorado Avalanche or the NHL. Copyright © 2019 National Hockey Now and Adrian Dater.

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