Old Masters- (Wanna Be One?)….November Resolutions….Someone or Something?….Scarier than Ebola….Flat Earth Economics….Econ Recon: Five from the Fed; The Next Four Years in Six Paragraphs

“Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Follow some other object, and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it.”

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Old Masters – (Wanna Be One?)

Not only can you expect to live longer than your parents, you can expect a longer retirement and maybe a second career if you want (or need to because the first one did not provide enough for your to retire on).To get ready for that day,check out this New York Times article which profiles some parents of the Boomers who, well into their 80’s and beyond, are still living large and playing the game. Will you be an Old Master?    

 November Resolutions

We are less than two months away from New Year’s Day and the resolutions we’ll make (but probably not keep). If you want to escape this vicious cycle, try starting in November with a 30 day technique that will dramatically enhance your chances of success. But don’t take my word for it. One man put this into practice and made dramatic changes in less than a month, including writing a novel in less than 30  days and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.  See this brief article accompanied by a 3 minute TED talk  in which the man explains it all for you. (Hint: It has a lot to do with Charles Duhiigg’s book “The Power of Habit”)

SomeONE or SomeTHING?

Ever been at a Big Box Store and you can’t find someone to help you find what you’re looking for?Before long, that someone maybe something. A recent brief article in the New Yorker describes a new robot that Lowe’s will soon be using to assist customers who cannot find a human for assistance.This excellent article also explores the implications for employment and who will be displaced. Find out about The Lowe’s Robot and the Future of Service Work

Scarier than Ebola?

We’ve been inundated by the media with politicians, CDC officials and other “players” in the Ebola Crisis. But what do the folks who have to deal with an epidemic person to person think of all this?This very interesting post by an emergency room doctor will help put things in perspective and while not necessary allaying your total level of fear, will hopefully get you worrying about the right thing. Spend a few minutes learning what an ER doctor says “scares me even more than Ebola.”

Flat Earth Economics

Tuesday was Election Day and Vistage Speaker and former Assistant Director of the CIA Herb Meyer suggests (in an article written before the election)that regardless of party, the lack of real understanding of the economy is the biggest problem our elected officials. Herb has a compelling metaphor for the economy that deserves consideration. Learn why Mr. Meyer is so concerned about Flat Earth Economics.

Econ Recon:

Five from the Fed: The Fed ended its bond buying program known as Quantitative Easing –Part 3 late last week. Despite fears by market watchers, the equity markets soared at the end of the week. Economist Brian Wesbury summarizes the economy and the Fed’s current and future role in a one page summary

The Next Four Years in Six Paragraphs:Vistage Staff economist and ITR Economics Principal Alan Beaulieu addressed a plastics industry group this past week and the industry newsletter neatly summarize his forecast for the next 4 years in six short paragraphs.  If you want a tutorial on what every CEO needs to know about the economy including the coming 2019 recession and the 2030 Great Depression 2.0 their new book  “Prosperity in an Age of Decline”  is a good read.