The Green Bay Packers maintain one of the most impressive championship pedigrees of any National Football League (NFL) team. Established in

oozey mess
noise dept.
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
NASA
trying on a metaphor

if i look back, i am lost

Kiana Khansmith
Not today Justin
No title available
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
KIROKAZE
Show & Tell
Misplaced Lens Cap
sheepfilms
No title available
Mike Driver
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her

Andulka
🪼
wallacepolsom
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from India

seen from Australia

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Japan

seen from Norway

seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Switzerland

seen from United States

seen from France

seen from United States
seen from New Zealand
seen from United States
@curtisedmarkwi
The Green Bay Packers maintain one of the most impressive championship pedigrees of any National Football League (NFL) team. Established in
According to the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association, scuba diving is a popular aquatic activity nationwide in the United States, wi
Mutual funds are financial vehicles that pool capital from diverse investors and pursue targeted investments in securities portfolios rangi
Life insurance provides a financial safety net for your loved ones in the event of your passing, offering them monetary support to manage ex
Important Information Before Acquiring Your First Stock
A 2023 study from Gallup determined that around 61 percent of Americans over 18 owned stock. Gallup upped this estimate to 62 percent in 2024, or about 162 million people, the largest number of American stockholders since 2008. Individuals interested in acquiring stocks can benefit from a few important tips.
The prevalence of Americans who own stock has grown by eight percent over the last decade. The distribution of stock investments among Americans is hardly equitable: the top percent hold 50 percent of all stocks, with a combined value of $23 trillion, while the bottom half of stock owners control just $480 billion.
First-time investors must understand the definition of a stock. An individual stock offered by a company represents a single stake in that company. A person may acquire a few stocks or acquire hundreds of thousands of shares. If a person buys stock in a company at a low price, potentially because the company is struggling or just starting, they can wait until business improves. The stocks increase in value, later selling the stocks for a profit.
Of course, investors risk acquiring stock in a company that eventually fails, rendering the stock worthless. Knowing when to hold onto a stock and when to sell, even at a loss, is an important skill all investors must develop. Investors may have the opportunity to acquire stock directly from a company, but most buy them through a major brokerage.
There are many different types of stock investment strategies. Day traders acquire and sell stock frequently, taking advantage of minor or temporary shifts in value. Others benefit from a large ownership stake in a company, allowing them to better dictate the company's direction and may hold onto their investment portfolio for decades.
Stocks offer first-time investors several advantages and potential drawbacks. They often grow alongside the greater economy, and stocks tend to accrue value if the economy is thriving. However, the opposite is also true: many stocks can rapidly decrease in value during economic downturns.
Technology has made investing in stocks easier than ever. Online brokerage platforms allow Americans to purchase and sell stocks with the click of a button. The barrier to becoming a stock investor is generally low, making it a great option for inexperienced investors. People can invest a small amount of capital and track their stocks as they rise and fall. Once investors have a better idea of how investments work, they can form more concentrated strategies.
Additional benefits range from the liquidity of stocks to their inflation-resistant nature. That said, stocks can be volatile. Even in a strong economy, any number of external or internal factors can cause a company to drop in value suddenly. Inexperienced investors must research the various tax implications of investing in stocks. For instance, the IRS makes certain gains from stock investments subject to capital gains taxes. Lastly, while the barrier to entry is low, novice investors should not expect easy profits. Understanding market trends, fluctuations, and other important factors that influence national and global markets takes considerable time and effort.
Diversification is a great way to minimize risk, decreasing an investor's reliance on a single industry. Independent investors should attend classes and conduct comprehensive research before making major investments, while Americans outside the financial industry should strongly consider working with a knowledgeable investment professional.
Securities and advisory services offered through Centaurus Financial, Inc. Member of FINRA and SIPC . A Registered Investment Advisor. Supervisory office: 540 Fort Evans Rd. NE, Suite 200, Leesburg, VA 20176, 714-456-1790 x304. Pioneer Financial Group and Centaurus Financial, Inc. are not affiliated. This is not an offer to sell securities, which may be done after proper delivery of a prospectus and client suitability has been reviewed and determined. Information relating to securities is intended for use by individuals residing in Arizona, California, Florida, and Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers’ Storied 1996 Super Bowl Year
The 1996 Green Bay Packers remain one of the most storied teams in franchise history. Anchored by quarterback Brett Favre and defensive tackle Reggie White and coached by Mike Holmgren, the team was the culmination of a steady upward ascent. The template for success was set when Green Bay successfully recruited Holmgren, who had achieved success under San Francisco coach Bill Walsh during the 49ers glory years of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Ronnie Lott.
Favre, a fan favorite from his first 1992 snap, progressed steadily, combining speed in the pocket with hard-hitting passes. The team made the playoffs in 1993 and 1994 and attained a spot in the NFC Championship Game in 1995. Having earned his first MVP award in 1995, Favre came into the 1996 season with a cloud over his head as he underwent treatment for an addiction to painkillers. Despite his personal issues, Favre emerged as a commanding presence on a team that was balanced offensively and defensively.
On the defensive end, the 34-year-old veteran Reggie White was a feared presence who lined up at the left end but sometimes shifted to center. Combining strength and power, he required two linemen to hold him in check. Operating under defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, the team had a power-rushing approach that sent big bodies at the opposing quarterback en masse. At the same time, the four starting defensive backs attained 24 interceptions across 19 games, with opponents’ passer ratings at 55.4, the lowest NFL mark of the past four decades.
The Packers’ offense was a juggernaut, with Favre adept in racing out of the pocket and time connecting with receiver Antonio Freeman, as well as the fleet-footed Don Beebe, Andre Rison, and tight-end Mark Chmura. Benefitting from the lead blocking of William Henderson, Dorsey Levens and Edgar Bennett consistently moved the chains at running back, attaining an average of 151.7 yards rushing per postseason game.
The results were substantive: the Packers achieved the highest-scoring offense in 1996 (456) while limiting opposing teams to the fewest total points (210). This was the first time a team had achieved such a feat since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who went undefeated. En route to his second consecutive MVP award, Brett Favre successfully threw into the end zone on 39 occasions.
A playoff highlight occurred on January 6, 1996, when the Packers took on the 49ers in the divisional round as 10-point underdogs. San Francisco featured a blitz-heavy approach that Favre used to his advantage, evading attackers and throwing to sparsely defended receivers downfield, avoiding turnovers in the process. At the same time, the Packers put intense pressure on quarterback Steve Young, shutting down the usually explosive run and closely tracking wide receivers. Jerry Rice couldn’t establish his usual connection with the ball, while rookie J.J. Stokes succumbed to the pressure of the moment, dropping a number of key passes. Pulling ahead 21-3, the Packers had victory essentially locked away by halftime.
Moving on to the Super Bowl, the Packers once again combined offensive and defensive prowess in a 35-21 victory against the New England Patriots. The hero of this game was not Favre but Desmond Howard, who had a miracle 99-yard run on special teams for a touchdown that put the Packers ahead and earned him the MVP nod. At the time of this rousing victory, no one would have guessed that this would be the one defining championship for Brett Favre across a two-decades-long career.
Exploring Geologically Active Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
One of the most popular hiking destinations on the Big Island, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park features a diverse topography highlighted by craters, lava flows, and petroglyphs. The Crater Rim Trail circumnavigates the Kilauea Caldera and Keanakakoʻi Crater, which means "cave of the adzes" in Hawaiian.
The crater formed in the 15th century during Kilauea's summit collapse and was a locus for kahuna kākoʻi, or master carvers. They quarried the crater's basaltic rock as a durable material for making adze heads. Attached to a wooden handle, the axe-like implement was used to carve out boats and craft houses. In 1877, lava flow covered this quarry, eliminating this important source of adze material.
One Crater Rim Trail route starts at Uwekahuna (Kīlauea Summit) and features a desolate landscape of volcanic rock, beginning to repopulate with vegetation, flowers and shrubs, and a few trees. The trail takes in a pair of popular viewing spots of the expansive crater and proceeds to a forested area inhabited by various species of bird, including the white-rumped ʻapapanae. This honeycreeper flits between trees, seeking out nectar from various flowers. Viewing spots have rails and are located well away from the crater itself, which features sulphuric gasses and unstable and potentially dangerous terrain.
The Kīlauea Visitor Center orients visitors amidst a geologically evolving region. A July 1974 fissure eruption carved new dimensions to a crater that now extends 115 feet deep. In March 2008, eruptions at nearby Halemaʻumaʻu caused damage to Crater Rim Drive, and a 2018 summit collapse took out still further sections of the road. Parts of this road, now closed to vehicle traffic, have reopened to bicycle and foot traffic.
The four-mile Kīlauea Iki Trail is a popular loop that begins in a lush rainforest dotted with hapuʻu (Hawaiian tree fern) and ōhiʻa trees. Hikers descend via switchbacks to a landscape that opens out into a solidified lava lake within the Kīlauea Iki crater. This witnessed its last major eruption in 1959. It's important to stay on marked trails as steam vents abound. These are created by rainfall that precipitates through cracks in the rock. The water boils as it reaches depth and rises in the form of steam that heats surface rocks to a point where they can burn the skin.
Another highlight is the sacred Puʻu Loa, "hill of long life," which features more than 23,000 petroglyphs, some extending more than eight centuries. These were created using adze tools quarried at Keanakakoʻi and feature a unique mixture of human and animal figures, as well as canoe sails, feathered capes, and abstract circular and square designs. Amidst these designs are thousands of cupules, or holes, which served as receptacles for infant piko or umbilical cords. The piko was set into the cupule and covered with stones. By the morning it had disappeared, and this was seen as a way of ensuring long-life and health of the newlyborn. It also reflects the importance of 'ohana, or family, within traditional Hawaiian society.
It's important to check updates before traveling to campsites and trailheads within the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. As an example, the Napau Crater and campground experienced an inundation of lava in September 2024 and remains closed indefinitely.