Author Archives: Edward Brownlee

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

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Cabo San Lucas is an excellent destination with adventure, relaxation, and romance.

Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect:

  • Land’s End (El Arco): A stunning rock formation at the tip of Cabo San Lucas. It’s particularly impressive at sunset, so consider a boat trip or dinner cruise during this time.
  • Playa del Amor (Lover’s Beach): Nestled next to El Arco, this beach is perfect for couples and offers a romantic setting for watching the sunset.
  • San José del Cabo: Often referred to as the “Old Town,” it exudes traditional Mexican charm and offers a quieter atmosphere with beautiful resorts, a lovely plaza, and excellent dining options.

For those seeking wellness and tranquility, Los Cabos provides a serene escape with its beautiful beaches, crystal-clear waters, and enchanting desert landscapes. There are also events like rooftop live shows, morning Ayurvedic sessions, and candlelight yoga that you might find rejuvenating.

Cabo San Lucas considers themselves the shrimp capital and is renowned for its delicious seafood, including shrimp.

The region’s restaurants offer a variety of shrimp dishes that are a favorite among visitors and locals.

One notable place is Maro’s Shrimp House, which is highly rated and known for its seafood offerings, especially shrimp. They offer a variety of shrimp dishes that are highly rated by visitors

While Cabo San Lucas may not hold the official title of shrimp capital, it certainly is a place where you can enjoy some of the best shrimp dishes.

Gratitude and Financial Freedom

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Practicing gratitude can have a profound impact on achieving financial freedom. Here are some key ways gratitude can improve your money mindset and financial well-being:

## Shifts Focus to Abundance, Not Scarcity

Feeling grateful for what you already have, instead of fixating on what you lack, fosters a mindset of abundance.[1][2] This positive perspective reduces financial worry and impulse spending, making you more patient and deliberate with financial decisions.[1]

## Increases Satisfaction with Current Situation

Expressing thankfulness for your present circumstances and material possessions leads to greater contentment.[2] This can curb the desire for unnecessary purchases and make you more willing to save and invest for long-term goals like financial independence.[1][2]

## Motivates Values-Based Money Management

Gratitude motivates you to align your finances with your core values and make choices that provide deeper fulfillment.[2] This could mean prioritizing saving for your children’s education, charitable giving, or working towards an early retirement.

## Improves Financial Resilience

Practicing gratitude, especially during tough financial times, can improve your mood, reduce anxiety, and provide motivation to work through challenges with resilience.[3] An attitude of thankfulness helps you stay present, solution-oriented, and decisive when faced with money issues.

In essence, gratitude nurtures a positive relationship with money. It allows you to feel financially secure with what you have while giving you the patience and motivation to manage your finances more effectively towards achieving true financial freedom.[1][2][3]

Citations:
[1] https://www.sagespring.com/4-ways-gratitude-can-improve-your-money-mindset/
[2] https://singerwealthmanagement.com/why-gratitude-is-essential-for-you-and-your-finances/
[3] https://www.northamericancompany.com/plan-for-tomorrow/gratitude-for-financial-wellness
[4] https://blog.gratefulness.me/money-affirmations/
[5] https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-gratitude-can-help-your-financial-life

Increasing Your Health Span

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“While aging is inevitable, how you age is something you can control.” ~ Lieutenant Colonel Nick Barringer, USA, Program Director, U.S. Military-Baylor University Graduate Program in Nutrition

Health span is vital as you age and involves being healthy to continue doing what you enjoy as you live longer.

Exercise and eating healthy (nutrition) are essential in increasing and maintaining your health span. Frailty is the state between a healthy and disease state. The longer you can fight it and keep it away, the healthier and more robust you can be.

Lt. Col. Nick Barringer, USA, Program Director, U.S. Military-Baylor University Graduate Program in Nutrition, suggest three foods to include in your diet that help you live long and healthy life.

Fish:  Fish is an excellent source of protein to preserve muscle mass; and it us also a source of healthy fats like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that can help lower triglycerides and assist with cognitive functions.

A study of more the 4,000 Norwegians found regular fish intake, two to three servings per week, resulted in an average of 30% lower odds of frailty.

Nuts:  Nuts are full of protein and also fight frailty.  A study of more than 10,000 participants found nut intake of just 1.02 ounces, or 23 almonds, daily was the significant threshold to reduce the odds of frailty.

Carrots and Orange Peppers:  Beta-carotene has been shown to fight aging. Part of the aging process is oxidative damage to telomeres in your body. In essence, the shorter your telomeres, the older your biological age. High levels of beta-carotene in the blood have been shown to protect telomeres and brain.

Thus, nutrition, healthy diet, adequate sleep and regular exercise are essential to maximize your health span.

Source:  Nick Barringer, 3 Foods to Increase Your Health Span, Military Officer Magazine volume 21, issue 12, December 2023, pg 30.

Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude and Nurturing a Winning Mindset

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Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is crucial for developing a winning mindset in sports and life.
Here are some key points on how gratitude contributes to a winning athletic mindset:

  • Gratitude fosters a positive outlook and resilience. Athletes who practice gratitude are better able to maintain an optimistic perspective, even in the face of setbacks or losses. This positive mindset fuels their drive and determination to improve.
  • Expressing gratitude helps athletes appreciate the journey, not just the outcome. Instead of solely focusing on winning, grateful athletes value the process of training, learning, and growing as an athlete. This joy in the journey itself enhances their motivation and performance.
  • Gratitude counters a sense of entitlement. Grateful athletes recognize the opportunities, support systems, and hard work that enable their success. This humility prevents complacency and drives them to give maximum effort.
  • Practicing gratitude builds mental toughness. When athletes express thankfulness even after losses or failures, it helps them reframe those set

A positive mindset and an attitude of gratitude are powerful tools in winning, achieving athletic success and personal growth. Embrace them!

Memorial Day 2024

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On Memorial Day we honor all U.S. military service members who have sacrificed their lives to serve our country.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. We remember those service members who are no longer with us. We remember what they fought for. We remember the sacrifice they made while serving our country. Forever and always, we honor their legacy.

But it’s also an important moment to let those service members who continue to put their lives on the line know we appreciate their service.

Stan Druckenmiller on AI

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Stan Druckenmiller is considered one of the greatest investors in U.S. history because his hedge fund returned an average of 30% annually for 30 years.

Billionaire investor Stan Druckenmiller is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors in American history.

Drunkenmiller’s hedge fund, Duquesne Capital Management, returned an average of 30% annually over three decades without a single down year. Druckenmiller closed the hedge fund in 2010 and he now manages his personal wealth through the Duquesne Family Office.

He seeks leading companies in cutting-edge industries and technologies.

AI in the short-term is overhyped; in the long-term is under-hyped!

Coupang (NYSE: CPNG) is the leading e-commerce company in South Korea. It has stood out in the country with its end-to-end logistics network that can deliver anywhere in the country within hours. Additionally, it competes in e-commerce in Taiwan and operates a video streaming service.

Since the stock’s 2021 IPO, revenue has grown by double digits. The stock is down more than 50% since the IPO. Still, he has steadily added shares since then, and it makes up 11% of his portfolio. Analysts forecast 15% earnings growth this year and 110% in 2025. Also, at a $41 billion market capitalization, it is a small fraction of Amazon’s $1.9 trillion size. That could give investors a second chance for those who missed the opportunity in Amazon.

As Coupang reinforces its dominance in South Korean e-commerce and develops new revenue sources, Druckenmiller could eventually be rewarded for his patience.

Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that has been making waves:

Perplexity is a young startup that has achieved unicorn status by raising significant funding. Led by Aravind Srinivas, the company focuses on building an entirely AI-native search experience from scratch.

Its mission is to unlock the power of knowledge through information discovery and sharing. Unlike existing search engines like Google and Microsoft, which have incorporated AI models into their products, Perplexity has taken a different approach.

Perplexity’s “knowledge discovery” platform combines web indexes with various AI models to provide direct answers to user queries. The experience is entirely conversational, eliminating the need to click on multiple links or compare answers.

Leading enterprises such as Zoom, HP, and Databricks are already using Perplexity’s B2B plan and saving significant time at work.

In summary, Perplexity’s innovative approach to AI-native search and its rapid growth have positioned it as a major player in the search engine landscape.

Perplexity is not currently publicly traded. The company is still relatively young, having been founded by Andy Konwinski, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Aravind Srinivas. Srinivas, who previously worked at OpenAI, is now Perplexity’s CEO. While the company has had three funding rounds, it typically takes several years for even promising companies to transition from founding to becoming publicly traded

References:

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/01/technology/perplexity-search-ai-google.html

Best Small Cap AI Stocks to Buy and Hold

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The best artificial intelligence small-cap stocks for long-term investment

Sources
The 5 best small cap AI companies to buy now – MarketBeat

Here are some of the best small-cap artificial intelligence (AI) stocks to consider for long-term investment:

SoundHound AI (SOUN) is a leading voice AI company providing conversational intelligence solutions. It has strong revenue growth, with Q1 2024 revenue up 73% year-over-year. SoundHound is well-positioned in the rapidly growing voice AI market and has a median analyst price target of $7, representing significant upside potential from its current price around $5.40,

Recursion Pharmaceuticals (RXRX) applies AI to drug discovery and development. With a market cap around $2 billion, it is one of the larger small-cap AI stocks. Recursion’s unique AI platform for mapping cellular biology could provide an edge in developing novel treatments across many disease areas.

Duos Technologies (DUOT) provides AI-based vision technologies for rail inspection, logistics, and other industrial markets. Its rail inspection business is growing rapidly, and Duos has opportunities to expand into trucking and other transportation sectors leveraging its AI capabilities.

BigBear.ai (BBAI) offers AI-powered decision intelligence solutions for supply chains, autonomous systems, and cybersecurity. While facing recent challenges, BigBear.ai projects 25-39% revenue growth in 2024 and has made acquisitions to drive future growth in these key AI verticals.

CXApp (CXAI) provides an AI-powered workplace app for communications, meetings, and security. It has shown strong revenue growth, turning free cash flow positive in 2023, and analysts view it as an attractive small-cap AI play with room for further expansion.

The key points are that small-cap AI stocks offer higher potential returns but also higher risk and volatility compared to large established companies. A diversified portfolio and long investing horizon are advisable to manage the risks of this emerging, high-growth sector.

 

Discounted Cash Flow

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The concept of discounted cash flow (DCF) and how it relates to investing.

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) is a powerful valuation method used to estimate the value of an investment based on its expected future cash flows. Here’s how it works:

Future Cash Flows: DCF analysis considers the expected future cash flows generated by an investment. These cash flows can include revenue, profits, dividends, or any other financial inflows.

Time Value of Money (TVM): The core idea behind DCF is the concept of the time value of money. Essentially, a dollar received today is worth more than the same dollar received in the future. Why? Because you can invest that dollar today and earn returns on it.

Conversely, if you receive a dollar in the future, you miss out on potential investment opportunities.

Discounting: DCF “discounts” these future cash flows back to their present value using a discount rate. The discount rate accounts for the opportunity cost of not investing that money elsewhere. It reflects the risk associated with the investment.
Present Value Calculation: The present value of expected future cash flows is calculated as follows:

Present Value=Future Cash Flow(1+Discount Rate)Time PeriodPresent Value=(1+Discount Rate)Time PeriodFuture Cash Flow​

  • Future Cash Flow: The expected cash flow in a specific time period.
  • Discount Rate: The rate used to discount the future cash flow.
  • Time Period: The number of years until the cash flow occurs.

Decision Making: If the DCF value calculated is higher than the current cost of the investment, it suggests that the opportunity could result in positive returns and may be worthwhile. Conversely, if the calculated value is lower, more research and analysis may be needed before proceeding.

Estimations and Risks: DCF relies on estimations of future cash flows, which can be challenging. Additionally, the choice of discount rate affects the outcome. Companies often use the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) as the discount rate because it considers the return expected by shareholders11.

Remember that DCF is a valuable tool, but it’s essential to make informed assumptions about future cash flows and select an appropriate discount rate. Always consider the risks associated with any investment decision.

Get Back on the Bus

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One morning, a mother was seeing her 8-year-old son off to school. She walked him to the bus stop, where they waited patiently. The bus came, and her son boarded. The mother then proceeded to go home so she could get ready to go to work.

About 15 minutes later, the doorbell rang, and her son was at the front door. She was shocked to see him since she had just gotten him on the school bus, and then she noticed the school bus with its door open in front of her house.

The mother asked her son, “What are you doing back home?”

Her 8-year-old son said, “I’m quitting school. It’s too hard, it’s too boring, and it’s too long.”

The mother looked at him and said, “That’s life, now get back on the bus.”

Lesson: Life experiences touch all, no matter how young or old.

May Is Mental Health Awareness Month

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Mental Health Is Health

Mental health is an important part of how we feel every day.

Unlock Your Mind’s Full Potential This May

In a world that often prioritizes physical health above all else, you sometimes forget that your mental well-being is just as crucial to living a truly fulfilling life.

This May, as you celebrate Mental Health Month, it’s time to shatter the stigma and embrace the fact that mental health is health.

Your state of mind impacts every aspect of your daily existence – from your relationships and productivity to your overall sense of happiness and purpose. When you neglect your mental health, you risk feeling weighed down by stress, anxiety, and negativity, unable to fully appreciate the beauty that surrounds you.

But when you prioritize your mental well-being, you open the door to a world of possibilities. You gain the clarity and resilience to tackle life’s challenges head-on, the confidence to pursue your dreams, and the ability to truly savor each moment.

So, this May, let’s embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-care. Let’s learn to quiet the inner critic, cultivate gratitude, and embrace the practices that nourish your minds, bodies, and souls. Because when you prioritize your mental health, you unlock your full potential to thrive.

Your mental health affects what you think about yourself, how you interact with the world around you, and how you generally approach each day. Changes in our mental health can get in the way of our routines, and—much like a sprained ankle, a lingering cough, or chronic pain—should be treated with the help of a healthcare provider.

MVP research supports the future of mental health care.

Just like your physical health, mental health combines different factors. Veterans in MVP help researchers study those factors to find ways to improve mental health care.

Researchers are using information from MVP to study posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide prevention, depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and other mental health conditions.

This research helps us understand more about mental health conditions, which could lead to improved screenings, preventions, interventions, and treatments for Veterans.
The Veterans Crisis Line offers 24/7 confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones. Dial 988, then press 1.

One in a Million: Meet the Veterans of MVP

“It’s the right thing to do. If it’s going to help one person, it’s worth it. It’s worth my time; it’s worth everything.”

– Joseph Gurin, Army Veteran