Category Archives: #BrownleeGlobal

Coronavirus is less deadly than SARS — but that also explains why it’s so contagious – MarketWatch

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Two months into the epidemic, the coronavirus has not proven to be as deadly as the SARS virus. That, however, may also help explain why it’s spreading so quickly. It has an incubation period of up to two weeks, which enables the virus to spread through person-to-person contact.

The coronavirus, a highly contagious, pneumonia-causing illness that infects the respiratory tract, is now responsible for 213 deaths in China as of late Thursday and 9,692 infections worldwide, according to Chinese officials and official figures from the World Health Organization.

SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, infected 8,096 people worldwide with approximately 774 official SARS-related deaths; most of those infections occured during a nine-month period from 2002 to 2003. Even with 43 new fatalities reported over 24 hours, the fatality rate remains steady.

SARS had a fatality rate of 9.6% compared to the fatality rate of 2.2% for the coronavirus.

SARS had a fatality rate of 9.6% compared to the fatality rate of 2% for the coronavirus. However, that death toll could rise as the weeks progress, and drug companies scramble to come up with a vaccine for the virus. Whether the fatality rate remains steady has yet to be determined.

— Read on www.marketwatch.com/story/coronavirus-is-less-deadly-than-sars-but-that-may-explain-why-its-so-contagious-2020-01-30

Buy the dip in stocks and then sell the rip higher – Bank of America

That’s the strategy that strategists at Bank of America Securities appears to be espousing for investors, amid swings in U.S. stock benchmarks that have become increasingly gut-wrenching in the aftermath of a coronavirus outbreak in China that appears to be giving bullish investors at least a momentary pause after a record-setting rally.

For the week, the S&P 500 index and Dow are on track for a more than 1% loss, and the Nasdaq is on pace for a 1.2% drop, after Chinese authorities on Thursday said that more than 7,700 people have been infected with the Asian influenza, with at least 170 dead. Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of person-to-person spread of coronavirus in Illinois. There are now six confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S., two of which are in Illinois

Secret to Financial Success

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The secret to financial success is positive cash flow.

Positive cash flow means that you’re earning more than you’re spending monthly. It means your cash inflows exceed your cash outflows.

And, if you have positive cash flow, you have the basis for building and achieving financial success. How you build that financial success depends on your long-term financial goals, personal risk tolerance and your existing lifestyle and habits.

Yet, no matter how wealthy you are or how much you earn in monthly income, you must manage your spending. Many professional athletes and entertainment celebrities have earned millions of dollars of income during a professional career only to file for bankruptcy during their lifetimes due to reckless or undisciplined spending. Consequently, spending matters greatly.

Cash Flow Basics

To accumulate wealth, you must spend less than you earn. This is the fundamental law of money:

[WEALTH] = [WHAT YOU EARN] – [WHAT YOU SPEND]

This law tells us three things about cash flow:

  • If you spend more than you earn, you are losing wealth — a negative cash flow. Negative cash flow is generally an indication that you are living beyond your means and are likely incurring debt.
  • If you spend less than you earn, you are accumulating wealth — a positive cash flow. Positive cash flow may allow for you steps to save, invest or even to pay off debts.
  • If you spend equal to what you earn, you are neither accumulating or losing wealth — a neutral cash flow. Neutral cash flow is spending to the penny exactly what you earn.

Subsequently, the greater the difference or delta between earning and spending, the faster you lose (or accumulate) wealth. And, there are only three things you can do to increase your cash flow: spend less or earn more or do both.

Smart personal finance is very simple. Everything else — paying yourself first, investing ten to twenty percent of what you make, building an emergency fund — is done in support of and dependent on this fundamental law of positive cash flow.

References:

  1. https://farnoosh.tv/?s=Financial+sUccess
  2. https://www.getrichslowly.org/the-power-of-positive-cash-flow/
  3. https://financialwellness.utah.edu/counseling/cash-flow.php

37 Earl Nightingale Quotes That Will Empower You to Soar High | Inc.com

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Earl Nightingale had a passion and mission to improve the lives of other people. In his view, he concluded:

“We become what we think about”

This fact, “we become what we think about”, is the Secret Power of Mindset. We are currently and will continue to be what we think about. Essentially, he advised that we are in control of our thoughts.

Additionally, he stated that we are creatures of habit. We tend to follow, either consciously or sub-consciously, the picture or script in our minds created by our past environment, our parents, our communities and the region from which we come. For better or for worst.

Instead, we must start imagining our lives the way we want it. We must create a picture in our mind and think about that picture of our future self steadfastly all day long. We must believe it.

Once we do, we will start making different choices in line with our picture…our self-image. We will take small steps in the right direction.

“People with goals succeed because they know where they are going”

He advised that goals are the destinations or effects of our thoughts, that is what we have been thinking and always think about is what we become. Here are 6 steps Earl Nightingale recommended that will help us achieve our goals:

  1. Give yourself a definite goal.
  2. Quit running yourself down.
  3. Stop thinking of all the reasons you cannot be successful and instead, think of all the reasons why you can.
  4. Trace your attitudes back through your childhood and try to discover where you first got the idea you couldn’t be successful – if that’s the way you’ve been thinking.
  5. Change the attitude you have of yourself by writing out the description of the person you’d like to be.
  6. Act the part of the successful person you have decided to become.

“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”

If a man is working toward a pre-determined goal and knows where he’s going, that man is a success. If he’s not doing that, he’s a failure. Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.

When you have an attitude of altitude, and when you are grateful for what you have, your chances to have a meaningful and successful life are greater. Start where you are now to develop this mindset. You have the potential to do many things, even those things you may think are impossible. Broaden your vision and keep moving forward–the sky truly is the limit.

Earl Nightingale was a motivational speaker and writer. He firmly believed the key to success can be found in these six simple words: We become what we think about. And, he encouraged us to:

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” – Earl Nightingale

— For Earl Nightingale’s Quotes, read on www.inc.com/peter-economy/37-earl-nightingale-quotes-that-will-empower-you-to-soar-high.html

References:

  1. http://www.asamanthinketh.net/files/EN_Greatest_Discover_eBook.pdf
  2. http://wordpress.nightingale.com/articles/is-your-personal-corporation-growing/

“William James said: “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. We need only in cold blood act as if the thing in question were real, and it will become infallibly real by growing into such a connection with our life that it will become real. It will become so knit with habit and emotion that our interests in it will be those which characterize belief.” He also said,”If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it. If you wish to be rich, you will be rich. If you wish to be learned, you will be learned. If you wish to be good, you will be good – only you must, then, really wish these things, and wish them exclusively, and not wish at the same time a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly.” ― Earl Nightingale

Corporations: Value Based and Purpose Driven

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“Doing good is good for business”

According to one corporate Chief Marketing Officer who spoke at CES 2020, sixty-three percent (63%) of global consumers purchase items from companies with purpose. Said another way, a majority of global consumers, either consciously or unconsciously, purchased goods and services from companies whose overriding purpose and values were to make the world better. Purpose must be more altruistic than just increasing shareholders returns through capital gains and growing revenue, cash flow, earnings and dividends.

Salesforce.com

Marc Benioff, founder and Co-CEO of Salesforce.com, strongly advocated that corporations, especially big technology companies, must be a force for good and that brands can play a major role in doing good. He conveyed the message during a C-Suite session this month at CES 2020 that businesses can be mutually financially successful, sustainable and philanthropic business. He stated the point that a business can and should successfully serve the interests of all stakeholders, which includes the planet. In his opinion, every corporate CEO should adopt a public school, public hospital or combat homelessness in the community they operate. In short, all stakeholders have to matter; and, the planet and local community are key stakeholders.

“Don’t read people’s lips; Watch their feet.”

Marc’s company, Salesforce.com, from its beginning is 1999, has made trust its major value and serving all stakeholders’ interests which include giving back to its community a core purpose. Putting action to their words, the company has directed one percent (1%) of corporate resources which is over $300 million (profits, equity, and time) into giving back to the community. He went as far as proposing a corporate tax to battle homelessness. As a result, Salesforce.com has been regularly ranked as one of the best places to work in America and has had a 4,000 percent return on investment (ROI) for their shareholders.

“Businesses are the greatest platform for change.”

In his opinion and how he designed Salesforce.com, businesses are the greatest platform for change and people are basically good; his intent when he left Oracle to start Salesforce.com was to create a company culture based on trust and optimized to enable employees to do good. He felt that “…purpose is defined by the company; it cannot be enforced”.

Stakeholder Capitalism

Stakeholder capitalism, Marc Benioff opined, is a more fair, a more just and a more equitable form of capitalism than its predecessor. It means paying men and women the same. It’s means embracing values of trust, truth and doing the right thing over time. He often asks technology companies’ CEO’s and boards what are their priorities, what are their highest values, and what is truly important to them. Since in his view, making money is easy; doing the right thing takes effort and dedication.

But, leadership is about who you are and what you do. CEO’s of major technology companies must look at their values and purpose. They must assess whether they’re using these influential platforms to make the world better or just to make money. Despite the recent negative news surrounding big technology companies like Facebook on issues of privacy and impacting the U.S. Presidential elections, Marc stated that they can do both…make the world better for all stakeholders and make money for shareholders.

7 reasons to consider this little-known retirement saving strategy – MarketWatch

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Despite enjoying the longest-running bull market in history, most preretirees have a substantial retirement savings shortfall.

The average 65-year-old in the U.S. will outlive their savings by almost a decade, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum. And the typical household nearing retirement has only saved enough in their combined 401(k)s and IRAs to provide them at most $600 a month, according to the most recent Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances.
— Read on www.marketwatch.com/story/7-reasons-to-consider-this-little-known-retirement-saving-strategy-2020-01-09

How To Stop Living Paycheck To Paycheck – Fidelity

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Nearly 8 out of 10 workers (78%) live paycheck to paycheck, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder.com.1 That’s up from 75% last year, and it applies even to those making 6 figures: 1 in 10 workers making $100,000 or more say they live paycheck to paycheck.

“In working with many clients over the years, I have found that most people tend to spend their entire paycheck if it is available in their bank account, regardless of whether they are at a low/middle level or are highly compensated,” says Marc Kodomatsu, a financial planner in Lake Oswego, OR.

If you’re putting away adequate savings for your goals and you have a healthy emergency fund, living paycheck to paycheck isn’t necessarily a disaster. But a quarter of Americans have no money saved for an emergency, according to Bankrate, and 20% have less than 3 months of living expenses in the bank.

“The events in Houston are a stark reminder of the perils of living paycheck to paycheck,” says Thomas Balcom, a financial planner in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL. “For those folks who have flood insurance, they may not have the funds available to cover their deductible or tie them over until they return to work.”

Breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle takes discipline and a plan. Here’s what top financial experts recommend as the best steps toward more financial independence:
— Read on www.fidelity.com/mymoney/how-to-stop-living-paycheck-to-paycheck

2020 Consumer Electronic Show | Las Vegas

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2020 CES | Sunday, January 5, 2020, Las Vegas, Nevada

It is easy to observe the pending presence and impact of #CES2020 Show on Las Vegas. With more than 170K plus expected attendees, the 2020 CES Show and attendees literally take-over the “City of Sin”.

Today, listened to CES Tech Talk Podcast entitled “Making Space for Drones“, which featured Steve Dickson, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Mark Blanks, Director, Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership. They discussed facilitating and regulating the safe operation and testing of drones. During the CES Tech Talk, the FAA Administrator emphasized that if someone operates a drone, they’re considered a pilot and are subject to FAA regulations and guidelines. FAA is expected to have a significant presence at 2020 CES.

Las Vegas Weekend Happy Hour

Additionally, my intent was to locate the best on the Las Vegas strip or just off the strip venue for a weekend happy hour and to simultaneously watch NFL Wild Card Football games.

Thus far, made a brief stop for food and drink at MB Steak located adjacent to off-strip Hard Rock Resort and Casino. From the hour of 4 pm to 5 pm, the restaurant’s small bar area offered a very limited happy hour menu of cocktails and appetizers. Although enjoyed the happy hour offerings of brisket sliders and Gentlemen’s Mule, the venue was absent of life and nearly empty. And, the bartender seemed a bit surly and provided service with a pained expression.

Another weekend happy hour venue worth a visit is the Tex-Mex El Segundo Sol’s Loco Hour from 4 pm to 7 pm at Fashion Show Mall. The Tex-Mex restaurant offers a Loco Hour menu at the bar consisting of quesadillas, tacos, Margaritas, draft beers and well drinks to name a few. The daily Loco Hour draws a decent size crowds of Las Vegas locals and visitors stopping for nourishment and hydration. The food was okay and the beverages were above average. Overall, an excellent venue for an early evening happy hour.

People Watching

Afterwards, spent time wandering the nearby casinos and people watching.

First brief wandering was inside the Wynn Casino. And, must say that I was impressed by the design of the entrance and the holiday decorations that adorned the lobby and entrance to the casino.

After the Wynn, I crossed the elevated pedestrian walkway and wandered into the Palazzo to sit in the casino and people watch in the vicinity of Bar Luca. Regretfully, smoking remains permissible and a guy smoking a foul smelling non-American cigarette forced me to leave a prime people watching area.

Afterwards, I found a perch in Venetian near the blackjack pit to people watch. Unfortunately, the new location paled in comparison to the seat in Palazzo and concluded that the people to watch were in the Wynn and Palazzo.

Overall, I terrific day wandering around the Las Vegas Strip casinos.