PEU Report: Texas Tech's PEU Investing of Carr Funds

Texas Tech University's Long Term Investment Fund Policy speaks eight times of private equity underwriters (PEU's).? The policy details how Tech's LTIF mimics PEU's: The university added a Schedule C to clarify matters:

Alternative Investments Policy


Alternative investments provide added diversification and thereby reduce the risk of the portfolio, without sacrificing expected returns. To mitigate risks unique to alternative investments, the principles contained in this document reflect suggested best practices and are intended to serve as the basis for the due diligence process. For simplicity, alternative investments are segmented into two broad categories: private equity funds; and hedge funds.
Alternative assets increase the risk of a portfolio, otherwise what needs mitigation?? Note the focus on expected returns.

However, before the PEU or Hedgie gets their share of investment funds, Texas Tech's LTIF PEU has to shave 0.5% off the top:

The TTU system will assess and retain an investment management fee at the annual rate of up to 0.5% of the average market value of each endowment for those entities utilizing the services of the TTUS Office of Institutional Advancement or the Angelo State University Development Office.
Take Angelo State's Carr Foundation with $96 million in assets, as reported by ASU's website. ? The 0.5% TTU management fee equals $480,000.? That's before any PEU or Hedge Fund management fees:? TTU's Asset Class descriptions (pages 16 and 17) conceivably encompass PEU's across all three classes.

ASSET CLASS DESCRIPTIONS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
a. Equity:
(1) Equity represents residual ownership of public and private companies after obligations to debt holders have been satisfied. Over longer periods of time, the higher risk of equity ownership should result in higher expected returns relative to cash, bonds and other securities with more senior claims in the capital structure.
(2) Investment strategies: U.S. Equity, Developed Market International Equity, Emerging Markets Equity, Private Equity, and Hedge Funds

?.
b. Credit:
(1) Credit and fixed-income instruments are securities issued by governments, government-related entities and public and private companies that generally contain contractual obligations from the issuer to make interest and principal repayments to investors over the duration of the negotiated term agreement.
(2) Investment strategies: Cash, Cash Equivalents, Government Debt, Debt Issued by Government Agencies, Investment Grade Debt, Below Investment Grade Debt, Private Placement Debt, Hedge Funds, and Distressed Debt.

c. Real Assets:
(1) Real assets are investments in tangible/physical assets such as commodities, real estate and other investments that generally display a positive correlation to the rate of inflation, including gold and inflation-linked bonds.
(2) Investment strategies: Commodities, Commodities-related, Private Real Estate, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Infrastructure, Inflation-linked bonds, Gold, Hedge Funds, and Agriculture.

Texas Tech's Long Term Investment Fund clearly wants a piece of PEU action.? Under Private Equity Fund Manager Selection (page 22), the policy states under "Terms:"
Fees generated by the fund (deal fees) should flow through to the limited partners ? a minimum of 50% is expected.
TTU wants a cut of PEU deal fees on top of their 0.5% annual management fee.? That's PEU like, as is their categorization of investment types (page 17):

a. Constrained. The long-only purchase of a commingled fund or security (such as a stock, bond, commodity or currency) with the expectation that the asset will rise in value over the holding period. Investments of this type would generally display higher levels of market risk (beta), utilize less leverage and offer more near-term liquidity.


b. Non-Constrained. Non-constrained investment strategies are generally implemented through a hedge fund structure, which allows managers to not only buy securities long, but to also borrow securities and sell them short if the managers believe that the securities are over-valued. In addition, non-constrained investment managers can utilize derivative securities to protect against or profit from market declines and volatility. Non-constrained investment managers may also use tactical strategies, such as allocating capital between traditional asset classes (stocks/bonds/ cash) or allocating capital between regions/countries/industries for profit. Other non-constrained investment strategies will invest in interest rates, currencies, commodities and various market indices to profit from relative value opportunities. Investments of this type would generally display lower levels of market risk (beta), utilize leverage to varying degrees, be less correlated to traditional asset classes, and require investors to lock-up capital for periods ranging from monthly to several years.


c. Private. Private investments represent a broad spectrum of investment activity, with investments in non-public securities, lack of liquidity, unpredictable cash flows, longer investment horizons and wide dispersion of returns being the most common characteristics. Typically, lock-ups can be 5 to 10 years in duration.
Welcome Texas Tech PEU to PEU Report.? I've long said PEU love is a bipartisan affair. Who knew academics would remain asleep as university foundations and endowments roll the PEU dice?? It's been going on since 2005. Texas Tech's Board of Regents recently revisited its target asset allocation.

No risk, no reward! However, it seems odd to use Student Scholarship money on the PEU craps table.? I wonder how Robert G. and Nona K. Carr would feel about their estate being 99% invested in Texas Tech's Long Term Investment Fund?? Surely, someone in West Texas remembers their investment predilections.

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It Doesn't Have to Happen to You - LGBT Estate Planning

The You Tube video "It Could Happen to You" set out above has gone viral with well over two million views.? The video shows exactly what can happen when same sex couples fail to take proper steps to ensure that family bigotry and/or hostile cultural settings do not lead to horrific and cold hearted results.? Here in Virginia - a decidedly anti-gay state - there are some things same-sex couples can and should do to provide for some of the legal protection automatically conferred on heterosexual married couples.? The story set forth in the video does not have to happen.? One can even specify who will plan one's funeral and make all related decisions.? Unfortunately, far too many LGBT couples fail to take these relatively simple steps to avoid the adverse and/or unexpected effects of current Virginia law, in particular the ?Marshall-Newman Amendment? to the Virginia Constitution enacted in November, 2006.

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AND STEPS:? There are some basic documents and steps that every unmarried couple and every same-sex couple in a committed relationship should have prepared and duly signed.? These documents will stand up under the Marshall Newman Amendment and include:

??????????? Will - A will specifies how you wish your property to be distributed upon your death. In a will, you designate the person you wish to handle your estate -- your partner or another individual. Without one, your partner receives absolutely nothing.? Pursuant to ? 64.1-46 of the Virginia Code, anyone who is over the age of 18 years and not mentally incompetent may make a will and thereby dispose of any estate to which he shall be entitled, at his death, including any estate, right or interest to which the testator may be entitled at his death, notwithstanding he may become so entitled subsequently to the execution of the will. Inasmuch as neither ? 64.1-46 or other provisions of the Virginia Code restrict permitted devisees to spouses or blood relatives, both unmarried heterosexual couples and same-sex couples may make wills leaving assets to their partners.

??????????? Trust - A properly established and funded trust avoids publicly probating assets owned by the trust at the time of one?s death and is more difficult to challenge in court than a will.? In addition, a trust can provide beneficiaries with creditor protection in certain circumstances.? Properly structured, a trust can provide support for one?s surviving partner for the remainder of his or her life, with the remainder to pass to other relatives and designated beneficiaries, bypassing potential taxes associated with the surviving partner's estate.? Chapter 4, Title 26 of the Virginia Code governing the appointment, qualification, resignation, removal of fiduciaries, including trustees, contains no provision restricting permitted trustees or trust beneficiaries to spouses or blood relatives.?? Therefore, both unmarried heterosexual couples and same-sex couples may create trusts naming their partners as beneficiaries in a manner that does not purport ?to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage.?

??????????? * Health Care Power of Attorney - A health care or medical power of attorney allows one?s partner regardless of gender to make medical decisions on your behalf in the event you are not able to do so due to incompetency or other incapacity.?? Properly drafted, a health care power of attorney can also ensure hospital visitation rights to the designated attorney-in-fact

??????????? * Advanced Medical Directive - ? 54.1-2983 of the Virginia Code provides that any mentally competent adult may, at any time, make a written advance directive (i) authorizing the providing, withholding or withdrawal of life-prolonging procedures in the event such person should have a terminal condition, and (ii) appointing an agent to make health care decisions for the declarant under the circumstances stated in the advance directive if the declarant should be determined to be incapable of making an informed decision.? Advance medical directives must be signed by the declarant in the presence of two subscribing witnesses who cannot be the spouse or blood relatives of the declarant.?

??????????? There is no statutory restriction that one?s agent must be a spouse or blood relative.? Rather, ?54.1-2982 of the Virginia Code provides that under any such advance medical directive, an agent means ?an adult appointed by the declarant under an advance directive, executed or made in accordance with the provisions of ? 54.1-2983, to make health care decisions for him. . ." Such authority includes visitation rights, provided the advance directive makes express provisions for visitation.? Therefore, properly drafted and executed advanced medical directives by a same-sex couple should not be deemed to ?bestow a privileges or obligations of marriage.?

* Legislation passed in 2007 authorized a central statewide repository where these documents can be filed and accessed by healthcare providers.? The system is still not yet operational.

??????????? General/Business Power of Attorney - This form of power of attorney allows a member of either an unmarried couple or a same-sex couple to authorize their partner to handle their financial affairs in the event of disability or unavailability.

Child Care Power of Attorney for Non-Adopted Children - Another common difficulty is that non-adoptive, non-birth parents are NOT considered to be the parent or guardian of the children of the birth parent in the relationship.? Thus, they are legally ?strangers? and have no right to be involved in health care, educational, or other decisions for their partner?s children.? In this context, it is critical that the birth parent execute a child care power of attorney in favor of their partner so that the non-birth parent partner authorized to communicate with make decisions with school personnel, doctors, dentists and other providers.

??????????? Title on Deeds and Accounts - How title to property is held can effect both future? ownership and tax liability. Joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, for example, will ensure that the surviving partner will have full ownership upon the death of the deceased partner and avoid ownership disputes with surviving blood relatives.? However, it can create certain negative estate tax treatment depending on the size of one?s taxable estate. Historically, deeds creating a tenancy by the entirety have been reserved for husband and wife couples.?? In light of the Virginia Affirmation of Marriage Act cited above, such a deed conveying title to a same-sex couple even though validly married in another state such as Massachusetts would not be effective in Virginia.

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS: Most securities and retirement accounts provide for the designation of beneficiaries.? These should be reviewed periodically to ensure that desired goals are achieved and also should include the designation of contingent beneficiaries to ensure the desired parties are named in the event of the death of the principal beneficiary.?

LIFE INSURANCE: Properly utilized, life insurance can provide funding for payment of estate taxes, outstanding mortgages, charitable trusts, education of minors, and other functions.

SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST: If a loved one is disabled, you will want to consider establishing a Special Needs Trust for that individual. A Special Needs Trust can be created by the donor during his or her life or it can be created by one?s Last Will and Testament.? The purpose of such a trust is to enable the donor to provide for the continuing care of a disabled partner or child so that the loved one will have access to the trust assets for purposes other than those provided by public benefits programs. Of equal importance, the beneficiary will not lose eligibility for needs-based benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income ("SSI"), Medicaid, or low-income housing.

NOTE: This article contains a general discussion of estate planning matters which vary greatly in asset structuring needs and potential tax liability based on the particular facts and circumstances of individuals and the nature of their assets.? Therefore, it should not be relied upon as a substitute for individualized legal advice addressing one?s particular situation.

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Italy Earthquake: At Least 3 Dead After Quake Hits Near Bologna

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(Updates with dead, other collapses, colour)
By Stephen Jewkes
BOLOGNA, Italy, May 20 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of northern Italy early on Sunday morning, causing at least three deaths and collapsing rural factories and ancient bell towers in towns.
The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 4:04 a.m. (0204 GMT) and had a magnitude of 5.9, was in the plains near Modena. But it was felt in nearby regions.
One person working a night shift died in the collapse of a factory and two others were killed in the collapse of another building. Rescue officials were checking reports that other people were buried under rubble.
First television pictures taken after dawn showed serious damage to historic buildings and rural structures. Parts of a historic fortress in one town collapsed.
Thousands of people in the area rushed into the streets after the quake, felt in the major towns of Bologna, Modena, Ferrara, Rovigo, Verona and Mantua.
A series of strong aftershocks hit the area and local mayors ordered residents to stay out of their homes.
The quake was centered 22 miles (35 km) north-northwest of Bologna at a relatively shallow depth of 6.3 miles (10 km), the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The last major earthquake to hit Italy was a 6.3 magnitude quake in the central Italian city of L'Aquila in 2009, killing nearly 300 people. (Reporting by Steve Scherer in Rome and Doina Chiacu, writing by Philip Pullella; Editing by Peter Cooney and Ron Popeski)

Contribute to this Story:

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Informal Learning ? Blog Archive ? Kitchen Contractors Sylmar 91392

We will enable you to sort by way of endless possibilities of layouts, styles, lighting, fixtures, accessories and more ? transforming your kitchen into a masterpiece that you simply and your household will appreciate for a lifetime. A kitchen renovation is actually a complex job that is hinged on many distinct variables, involving everything from workspace preparing and color scheme choice to time and budget considerations.

There are numerous important factors to be considered before beginning to transform a Kitchen, including proper planning, budgeting, and execution of the whole process. Sylmar Kitchen remodeling can be as simple as painting walls and replacing a faucet, or it might involve tougher tasks like taking out the walls and installing new and improved facilities for instance a heated floor.

We will enable you to sort through the endless possibilities of layouts, styles, lighting, fixtures, accessories and a lot more ? transforming your kitchen area in to a masterpiece which you and your household will cherish for a lifetime. A kitchen renovation is really a complex job that is certainly hinged on many distinct variables, involving everything from workspace preparing and color scheme option to time and budget considerations.

Remodeling your kitchen area in Sylmar doesn?t need to cost a lot. Whether you want to assemble & install your kitchen cabinets yourself, or have us do all the work, CA Kitchen Remodeling Sylmar enables you to definitely get a new kitchen with beautiful all-wood cabinets for less money. That?s below the home improvement stores. We offer quite a number of kitchen cabinet sizes, styles, colors and accessories. We want to allow you to develop a kitchen of beauty and functionality.

We make getting a qualified, expert Kitchen renovation specialists easy! Allow us to assist you with assembling your kitchen. Our experts in Sylmar can design, renovate, and add a Kitchen for your house! CA Kitchen Remodeling makes remodeling projects simple! Simply request a free estimate and build the Kitchen you?ve always dreamt of!

Remodeling your home kitchen is often a great remedy to update the inner look of your home to make your kitchen room area a greater match for the lifestyle and personal needs. As there are numerous actions for some kitchen?s remodeling undertaking that may become difficult, it is crucial for you to make detailed decisions before you start. In relation to kitchen?s remodeling, cautious and detailed preparing must be absolutely essential.

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From the Android Forums: Factory data reset questions

EVO 4G

acr456 asks in the Android Central forums

Hello, I am going to factory reset my phone. However, my question is, since this is a complete reset will it also rollback to the version of Android that the EVO was launched with? For example, I know have version 2.3.5. Will it roll it all the way back to 2.1? I just want my data erased, I want to keep all my system updates including whatever updates Sprint sent. Do I have anything to worry about?

 

Also, the EVO I'm resetting is deactivated. Once the reset is complete will I be able to fully use my phone without the need of a Sprint connection? I have Wifi so that will do.

We're glad you asked! We get this one a lot, and we can see why the term factory data reset would make one think it was being returned to the factory, out-of-box condition. Thankfully, it's not. A factory reset will erase all user settings (things like home screen customizations, Wifi networks, sound settings and the like) and delete all apps downloaded from the Google Play store. It won't touch anything that's part of the system files, so your worse case scenario (and actually the likely scenario) is that system apps that have been updated from the Google Play store (things like the Gmail app or Maps) will just need updated from the Play store again. You'll still be on the latest 2.3.5 version, but the rest will be clean like a new device.

As for it working without Sprint service, everything but calls and SMS/MMS will work just fine. I've had my EVO 4G unactivated for over a year now and use it to keep little ones occupied when they come for a visit. Using Wifi, all your Google services, including the important one -- the Google Play store -- will still work just fine. Good luck, and have fun with your new EVO PDA!

Have a question you need answered? (Preferably about Android, but we're flexible.) Hit up our Contact Page to get in touch!

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Blind Chinese activist on flight to U.S.

Blind dissident Chen Guangcheng and his immediate family have left China on a flight to the United States. They are expected to arrive in Newark, N.J., Saturday evening.

Their departure caps off three weeks of roller coaster diplomacy that reached the very highest levels of Chinese government and the White House.

The human rights activist is best known for his fight against forced abortions and sterilisations under the One Child Policy.

He served a four year prison sentence for what are widely believed to have been trumped up charges before being placed under a brutal, extra-judicial house arrest in his hometown province of Shandong.

Several media outlets, as well as human rights supporters in the U.S., cited late May as a potential departure date if all rules for passport applications were strictly adhered to.

But on Saturday, social media reports surfaced that said Chen had left the hospital. By midday, Chen spoke to the AFP and the Associated Press to say he was at the airport with his family and while he had no details, he believed they would be leaving that day.

State Dept Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed that Chen and his family left China so he can pursue studies at an American university.

"We are looking forward to his arrival in the United States later today. We also express our appreciation for the manner in which we were able to resolve this matter and to support Mr. Chen's desire to study in the U.S. and pursue his goals," Nuland said.

His departure is in some ways bittersweet. His supporters by and large agree the only way he will be truly safe is outside China.

But for Chen, and dissidents before him, leaving is a compromise; he may be safer but he is also farther away from his cause.

Daring Escape Attempt On April 22, Chen made a daring and highly risky escape with the assistance of his wife.

After several days in hiding, after a car chase and near arrest by Beijing authorities, he sought refuge at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Friday, April 27.

U. S. Officials were then tasked with an unusual request from a known dissident in any country: Chen wanted to remain in China with guarantees of safety and the freedom to continue his work.

Unlike the more straightforward process of securing asylum, U.S. officials embarked on an effort to strike an unprecedented deal with the Chinese that would satisfy all sides.

Soon after Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrived in Beijing to attend a previously scheduled economic conference, the US announced a deal. The plan was for Chen to be released to a local hospital and, after receiving medical treatment, move to Tianjin, a city just outside Beijing where he would be able to pursue his legal studies. According to the US, the Chinese agreed to offer assurances of Chen's safety as well as investigate the past abuses committed against him.

Chen entered the hospital on Wednesday May 2. But within hours he changed his mind and the deal fell apart.

In numerous interviews over the phone with various media outlets, and in reports published online by his supporters, Chen said that he had misjudged the reality of living freely under Chinese rule.

He said he no longer felt that the safety of him or his family could ever be truly guaranteed. For that reason he wanted to leave China.

That sent U.S. officials into a tense period of re-negotiation while garnering international criticism for mishandling the case.

All the while, Secretary Clinton was in Beijing attending meetings with Chinese officials and participating in negotiations on Chen's future behind the scenes.

The drama reached a high point when Chen made a public plea to be allowed to fly on Secretary Clinton's plane when she left China. He also phoned into Washington to offer congressional testimony on his plight.

But whether China, which up until that point had not even acknowledged Chen's escape (or, for that matter, that he had been abused under house arrest) would even consider allowing him to leave was unclear. In China, saving face is critical. For the government to continue to play along, when Chen had so radically changed the chess board, it would require a rare willingness to be seen as diplomatically flexible.

But, just hours before Secretary Clinton was scheduled to leave Beijing a second deal was reached.

The Chinese announced that Chen would be permitted to obtain a student visa that would allow him to go abroad. The U.S. promptly announced that he and his family would be given the appropriate visas without delay and confirmed that New York University had extended him an invitation to be a visiting scholar.

The Chen family would need to be issued Chinese passports to travel, a process that would take time. On Saturday, Secretary Clinton left China without them.

In large degree the ball was now in the Chinese government's court.

As they waited, Chen continued to speak to the press. He voiced his outrage that his nephew, Chen Kegui, had been arrested and charged with attempted homicide.

Chen says he was acting in self-defense after local authorities attacked his house following Chen's escape. Chen said he had been in regular contact with US.. officials, and he praised their efforts to help him. But he also expressed frustration that the process was taking so long. Bittersweet Departure

Recently, the Texas-based activist Bob Fu of ChinaAid has demonstrated that it is possible to protest from afar and make a different sort of impact. Whether Chen can do the same will be seen in New York, where he has said he will continue to study human rights law.

Chen Guangcheng leaves the country that sought to silence him. He also leaves his mother, older brother, nephew and others; friends and family he may never see again. In some ways it was his choice; in others it wasn't .

What is clear is this: today, his new life begins.

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Chicago braces for largest anti-NATO protest

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Visit Nature ? Business Travel in Asia, where business meets pleasure

Posted on May 19th, 2012 in asia

With the emergence of many Asian nations as economic powerhouses driving the world economy it is not surprising that executives based in Asia as well as other parts of the world travel extensively throughout the continent. With this influx of high-powered corporate travellers all the major cities of Asia offer special facilities for corporate visitors.

Today corporate travellers will find all the amenities required for conducting global commerce in

every quality accommodation. Such facilities as business centre services, broadband Internet access, meeting and conference rooms and courier services are widely available, alongside features like Jacuzzis, saunas and spas which will make every trip a delight.

Each Asian nation has its own corporate culture derived from the norms of its customs and heritage. As one of the world?s most powerful economies Japan naturally features frequently in the travel plans of top executives.

In Japan a conservative cultural environment holds sway. Business travellers should dress conservatively in quality business suits. Similarly female executives should dress modestly and avoid wearing pants as this is unacceptable in a business situation in Japan. Japanese people also like their personal space to be respected.

When conducting business in China it is always important to be collected, controlled and calm. This indicates that you are a person worthy of respect. Business relationships are usually very formal and it is considered inappropriate to make physical contact with one?s host or guest other than a polite handshake. In China it is considered appropriate to give gifts to business contacts. The peoples of many Asian countries such as Thailand and other southeast Asian nations place a marked emphasis on aspects of courtesy such as respect, politeness, self-control and a genial pleasant demeanour.

When conducting business in the Middle East it is important to respect the prayer times particularly on Fridays when congregational prayers are mandatory. Today women are present in the Middle East?s corporate environment, but males should avoid excessive eye contact and shake hands only if initiated by the woman.

Corporate travellers in search of 5 star hotels whilst visiting Asia will be delighted with the accommodations of the Peninsula Hotels. Make your hotel reservations at these splendid luxurious establishments which offer superbly appointed rooms and attentive hospitality,

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Laura Prudom: 'Supernatural' Finale Recap: Who Made It Out Alive In 'Survival Of The Fittest'?

Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 7, Episode 23 of The CW's "Supernatural," entitled "Survival of the Fittest."

Reviewing a season finale is very different from reviewing a singular episode, and "Supernatural" finales are more challenging than most. The end of a season has to tie up loose story threads from the entire season preceding it, while still leaving enough dangling to create a compelling jumping off point for next year. Thankfully, despite a few (okay, more than a few) lackluster episodes this season, I think that the season finale managed to course-correct in a way that makes me truly optimistic for Season 8. The last couple of episodes didn't build up much momentum going into the finale, in comparison with the stellar runs at the end of Seasons 1, 2, 4 and 5, but a finale still needs to stand on its own merits, and against the odds, I felt like "Survival of the Fittest" did so.

I think that my main criticism with Season 7 as a whole -- and, in hindsight, with Season 6 too -- was an overall lack of focus. The ideas behind the Leviathans and Eve were good in theory, but in practice, there seemed to be too many standalone episodes to create a truly cohesive through-line from premiere to finale. When a season works as a whole, there need to be multiple unmissable episodes which deepen the mythology and drive the story forward, and looking back at Season 7, I feel like we could've watched the first two episodes of the season, "How To Win Friends and Influence Monsters," "Reading is Fundamental" and "Survival of the Fittest," ignored the rest of the season, and still gotten the overall gist of the story.

I'm not sure if that was because of internal concerns that the Leviathans weren't interesting enough to be the focal point of more episodes, or because the monster of the week stories just didn't feel fresh or exciting enough (though I did enjoy "The Mentalists" and "Time After Time") -- but aside from Robbie Thompson, Sera Gamble and Ben Edlund, a number of writers seemed to struggle with pacing issues in their stories this year, with episodes either dragging in the middle or ending abruptly.

Although this sounds like a criticism of Gamble, I don't really mean it as one; I think that any showrunner (perhaps even Eric Kripke) would've struggled to conceptualize a new arc for Season 6 after the original five-year story came to a close, especially since no-one knew at that point whether the show would be back for a seventh year. For a series as heavily serialized as "Supernatural," conceiving two self-contained story arcs for the past two years must have been a herculean feat, so in many ways, I don't blame the writers for having difficulties in making Seasons 6 and 7 coherent.

Similarly, the transition between Season 7 and Season 8 could prove equally challenging, since the series is once again changing showrunners, with Sera Gamble (who has written for the show since its first year) handing the reins to Jeremy Carver, who was with "Supernatural" from Seasons 3-5 before departing to launch the U.S. version of "Being Human" with his wife, Anna Fricke. I mourned the loss of Carver almost as much as I mourned the loss of Eric Kripke at the time, because I don't believe there is a single writer who grasped Sam and Dean's voices with as much style and confidence as he did, short of Kripke himself (alright, and Ben Edlund).

And while Kripke knew Sam and Dean, Carver knew story -- so many of his episodes remain my all-time favorites: "A Very Supernatural Christmas," "Mystery Spot," "In The Beginning," "Free To Be You And Me" and "The Point of No Return," to name a few. They weren't just well-written in terms of character, they were well-structured, too. Having a clearly defined beginning, middle and an end, and a coherent sense of pacing, is something that "Supernatural" has struggled with more in the past two seasons than it did in its first five years. I don't know whether that sense of cohesion was due to Kripke's influence or the product of a more experienced writing staff, but I'm hoping that Season 8 can recapture the lightning in a bottle that I haven't truly felt from "Supernatural" since Season 4.

So, enough waffling about the backstory; let's discuss "Survival of the Fittest." I'll admit, I never really connected to the Leviathans as adversaries after they left Castiel; I grew to appreciate Dick's smarmy corporate exterior, but I never felt that sense of dread or intimidation that I got from Azazel, Lilith or Lucifer. I suppose it's because those villains felt so otherworldly, so unconcerned with the trivialities of humanity, whereas Dick, by design, was a mirror of mankind's corporate greed and the soulless march of capitalism. We instinctively fear the unknown, the unfamiliar, but Dick and his cronies were all too familiar to us, because those one-percenter values (or lack thereof) are being parroted back at us from the campaign trail on a weekly basis. A few of us might want to punch certain political figures in the face, and some of their opinions may instill a sense of dread in us, but it's not really apocalyptic dread, is it?

It also doesn't help that Dick was focused on humanity as a whole, while the Winchesters' previous adversaries were focused on them (as any good TV villain should be). We're not watching the "random dude in Iowa eating a turducken sandwich" show, we're watching the Sam and Dean show, so the Leviathans viewing the Winchesters as an obstacle rather than the goal undeniably lowered the stakes for me. Sure, the Leviathans wanted to squash the boys like bugs, but how is that different from any other monster of the week they've had to face? I get that the writers wanted to give the boys another global challenge, to somehow up the ante from Lucifer however they could, but there's no denying that Azazel, Lilith and Lucifer worked in large part because they were focused on the boys (or, really, on Sam) and personal stakes are so much more compelling than universal ones. That's another area where Eve and her "turn humans into monsters" plan fell down, although Season 6's issues were more widespread than simply having a disappointing villain.

Because of that, as fond as I'd grown of Dick's snarkiness (and lord knows I would've been content to watch an hour of Dick and Crowley bantering) I was glad that Dean managed to take Dick down in the finale. They didn't outright destroy all of the Leviathans, so they can still present a challenge next season, but I felt that their endgame had run its course. The beauty of this finale -- especially this ending -- is that it's truly impossible to predict where the show might go from here, so we can spend the summer in rapturous speculation.

The Leviathans didn't work for me, but seeing them gone did, and so did most of the rest of the finale. I voiced my advanced enthusiasm for this week's episode in large part because it promised to utilize all of our favorite players -- Bobby, Castiel, Crowley and Meg -- and it delivered on that front. The episode was a fitting exit for Sera Gamble, who has always had a great grasp of Crowley's particular brand of wit, and all of the scenes involving the boys and Castiel, Meg and/or Crowley crackled with energy.

It's clear that the writers have been getting a lot of mileage out of Castiel's current lack of marbles, and Misha Collins did an excellent job delivering some truly bizarre lines. His fascination with board games -- Twister in particular -- was thoroughly enjoyable, and while I'm a little disappointed that we missed out on seeing the angel appear naked on Dean's car covered in bees, the mental image alone has a fair amount of value. I'm well aware that Castiel is a divisive character, so I'm sure there are some fans who dislike the fact that Dean and Castiel got zapped into purgatory without Sam, but to me, it's a good idea from both a creative and technical standpoint.

We might like to ignore this fact when we're selfishly enjoying one of our favorite shows, but Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are pretty much the only actors on TV who don't have a full-time supporting cast to lighten their filming load. Padalecki has recently become a father, and I can attest from set visits that "Supernatural" is one of the most labor-intensive shows to film, in terms of the cast and crew's working hours, night shoots, stunts and special effects. The fact that these actors have managed seven years with practically no time off without having a meltdown is somewhat miraculous to me, and yet Ackles and Padalecki are still just as passionate and invested in the show as they were at the start. Splitting Sam and Dean up, as much as some fans may hate it, allows these hard working dudes a couple of extra days off a week to spend with their families, and if that keeps them from getting burned out and makes them more inclined to keep making the show for another couple of seasons, I'm all for it.

And from a creative standpoint: I've been with this show since the pilot in 2005, I adore the Sam and Dean dynamic and am wholly aware that the relationship between the brothers is the biggest part of "Supernatural's" success. But they've been together for seven years now, and there are only so many ways to tell that fraternal story without retreading old ground (some fans feel we've already retrod old ground a couple of times as it is). The fact of the matter is, adding new characters -- whether it's Jo and Ellen, Ruby and Bela, Bobby and Rufus or Castiel and Gabriel -- allow us to see Sam and Dean from new perspectives; they bring out new sides to the boys and force them to react in different ways than they'd react to each other.

We've seen Sam and Dean in sticky situations for years now, and we know how they respond when they're up the creek without a paddle, but we've yet to see how Dean and Castiel would react to being stuck in a foxhole together, or how Sam truly functions as Sam (as opposed to the diet, soulless version of Sam we saw in Season 6) without his brother. I, for one, am eager to see how Sam goes about rescuing Dean from purgatory now that no demons want to make a deal with him, and I want to see Dean tied back into the mythology the way he hasn't been since Season 4 -- not just as Sam's protector, but as someone who drives the mythology forward by acting instead of reacting (or drinking). The actors have recently expressed their desire to see Sam and Dean separated or old cast-members returned in various interviews, not because they hate each other, but because they want to explore new facets of characters that they've been playing for over half a decade. I think it's natural and I think the writers should be applauded for taking that risk. I highly doubt that any real separation would go on beyond a couple of episodes anyway, but if it means shaking up the status quo and offering a new perspective on such beloved characters, I'd say it's a worthwhile experiment.

That's not to say that things couldn't go wrong -- since every time Sam is left to his own devices he seems to end up chugging demon blood or cozying up to sociopaths like Grandpa Campbell, and in that way, the season finale also found itself retreading old ground. Will Dean's sojourn to purgatory be like his trip to hell at the end of Season 3? Time will tell, but Carver has a great track record with these characters so I'm more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I was surprised (and pleased) that the episode chose to dispatch Bobby with comparatively little fanfare. Obviously, the character's first and greatest farewell, in "Death's Door," should be his enduring legacy, but I was expecting the episode to make more of a meal over Bobby descending into darkness. I'm glad Gamble didn't go that route, though -- having Bobby leave on his own terms was a fitting and poignant resolution, perfectly played by Jim Beaver and in-keeping with the character. I think it was perfectly reasonable for Bobby to refuse to let the boys go (and thereby avoid dying on the Reaper's terms) and for him to later nobly decide that he needed to leave before he ended up hurting someone and becoming the thing he once hunted.

It was nice that Sam got that moment with Bobby -- and I thought it nicely mirrored the Season 1 finale, "Devil's Trap," when Dean was being attacked by Azazel in John's body, before his father reasserted himself to avoid causing his son any further pain. Sam hasn't had many moments like that with Bobby, so it was nice that he got at least one, allowing Bobby to illustrate his love for Sam before the older hunter said farewell. I also appreciated the decision not to show Bobby's spirit burning up; the moment was far more resonant simply from witnessing Sam and Dean's reactions, because Bobby isn't some monster that we should relish seeing disintegrated. A part of me does feel like "Death's Door" should have been the character's last appearance, but I adore Jim Beaver so much that I was happy to take a little extra time, especially since the writers avoided compromising the integrity of the character.

And how fantastic was it to see the return of the Impala, triumphantly set to Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild?" Absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder, and I just hope we'll never have to be without Dean's "baby" for such a long time again. I'm surprised he trusted Meg with it, though, even though she was playing the distraction. I don't love Rachel Miner's portrayal half as much as I adored Nicki Aycox's (Aycox had a lot more subtlety) but I'm still intrigued to see what Crowley has planned for her. Whatever it is, I hope when we next see Meg, we'll see the Meg of the first two seasons -- it's hard to reconcile the demon who possessed Sam and went on a killing and torture spree in the phenomenal "Born Under a Bad Sign" with the character we've seen in the past couple of years, and I'm far more enamored of the evil version.

I loved the pacing, the wit and the focus of "Survival of the Fittest," but I did have two complaints: first, the bizarre and, frankly, disturbing decision to make Polly the hapless human guinea pig take off her dress before Dick stuck her with the toxin -- it was narratively unnecessary and distractingly gratuitous, especially considering the episode was written by a woman. Second, the inclusion of Kevin the Prophet. Despite the racial stereotyping, I've actually enjoyed Kevin as a character, but I have to admit, he's seemed a little extraneous since "Reading is Fundamental." Once he translated the stone tablet, why was he useful to Dick? And why was he useful enough for Crowley to capture him? He didn't get to accomplish much this week or last, and Crowley's nabbing of him seemed abrupt. I wish the writers had found another way to decipher the Word of God (couldn't Cas have done it?) so that the prophet wasn't necessary at all -- better to never introduce him than to just have him present for the sake of it. I'm sure the writers will find a way to tie him into Season 8 in a more meaningful way, but it still felt sloppy in an otherwise tightly-plotted hour.

When "Supernatural" episodes are at their finest, the hour seems to fly by, and that was the case with "Survival of the Fittest." It was an engaging and tense hour from start to finish, with satisfying pay-offs for those of us that enjoy Castiel's inclusion in the story and his "profound bond" with Dean; a delicious return for Mark Sheppard, who can chew scenery in his sleep and steal scenes with the mere quirk of an eyebrow; and a suitably messy send-off for Dick. I love the idea of purgatory as some wild, uncharted forest, and I'm intrigued to see how much further Carver will explore that untapped resource next season -- hopefully allowing Sam and Dean to grow individually so that they'll have fresh, unique dynamics to explore once they're reunited. And, to close, I'd like to thank Sera Gamble for seven years of hard work and passionate writing, and congratulate the talented Jeremy Carver for getting the chance to continue Sam and Dean's inspiring journey -- I'll certainly be along for the ride.

What did you think of "Supernatural's" Season 7 finale? Were you pleased by the show's shocking cliffhanger? Saddened to see Bobby go? Share your reactions and predictions for next season below!

"Supernatural" returns in the fall with Season 8 on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

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Follow Laura Prudom on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lauinLA

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