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China’s Seven Deadly Trade Sins

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China has not been partners in good faith in trade and economic negotiations. They’re an authoritative Communist Dictatorship that enslaves it citizens for the empowerment of the Party

The U.S. and the Western multinational enterprises have enabled and fueled China’s extraordinary quarter century economic and global geopolitical growth. While the U.S. goal is Free Trade, Individual Freedom and Democratic Capitalism. U.S. companies are getting fed up with the force technology transfer by companies doing business in China and the Chinese firms exporting and selling those products in the U.S. market.

China’s Seven Deadly Sins

1. Stop stealing Western intellectual property,

2. Stop forcing technology transfers,

3. Stop hacking U.S. computers,

4. Stop dumping into U.S. and Western markets and putting our companies out of business,

5. Stop state-owned enterprises from heavy subsidies,

6. Stop the importation of fentanyl, and

7. Stop the currency manipulation

They’ve reneged on the Hong Kong autonomy agreement, they reneged on the agreement signed in the Oval Office with President Obama regarding the militarization of the South China Sea. In 2015, China’s President Xi stood with President Obama in the Rose Garden at the White House and promised (lied) that “there is no intention to militarize” a collection of disputed reefs in the South China Sea known as the Spratlys.

President Obama stated on his way to the 2016 G20 Summit in Hangzhou China. That “If you sign a treaty that calls for international arbitration around maritime issues, the fact that you’re bigger than the Philippines or Vietnam or other countries … is not a reason for you to go around and flex your muscles,” Obama added, according to Reuters. “You’ve got to abide by international law.”

Military analysts have criticized President Barack Obama’s administration for having been too timid in countering China aggression and militarization in the South China Sea. Critics, for instance, have faulted the previous administration for not conducting more frequent freedom of navigation patrols. “China’s militarization of the South China Sea has been a gradual process,

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/world/asia/south-china-sea-navy.html

The Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting

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The quote below from Dr. Michael Eades, who has tried intermittent fasting himself, on the difference between trying a diet and trying intermittent fasting.

“Diets are easy in the contemplation, difficult in the execution. Intermittent fasting is just the opposite — it’s difficult in the contemplation but easy in the execution.

Most of us have contemplated going on a diet. When we find a diet that appeals to us, it seems as if it will be a breeze to do. But when we get into the nitty gritty of it, it becomes tough. For example, I stay on a low–carb diet almost all the time. But if I think about going on a low–fat diet, it looks easy. I think about bagels, whole wheat bread and jelly, mashed potatoes, corn, bananas by the dozen, etc. — all of which sound appealing. But were I to embark on such a low–fat diet I would soon tire of it and wish I could have meat and eggs. So a diet is easy in contemplation, but not so easy in the long–term execution.

Intermittent fasting is hard in the contemplation, of that there is no doubt. “You go without food for 24 hours?” people would ask, incredulously when we explained what we were doing. “I could never do that.” But once started, it’s a snap. No worries about what and where to eat for one or two out of the three meals per day. It’s a great liberation. Your food expenditures plummet. And you’re not particularly hungry. … Although it’s tough to overcome the idea of going without food, once you begin the regimen, nothing could be easier.”

— Dr. Michael Eades

— Read on jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting

Beta

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Beta is an assessment of a stock’s tendency to undergo price changes, or its volatility, as well as its potential returns compared to a market benchmark.

Beta measures how volatile a stock’s price may be in relation to a market benchmark, such as S&P 500. Beta relies on past stock price information and past stock price performance is never a guarantee of stock performance in the future.

A good beta calculation requires that the benchmark must be as related to the stock as possible.

A stock with a beta greater than 1 may indicate that it’s more volatile than the market benchmark. This could also mean it has the potential for stronger returns. Stocks with a high beta are more prone to swings than the market benchmark and can have greater returns than the market average. Conversely, stocks with a high beta also mean that they are riskier investments.

A stock with a beta equal to 1 assumes its price moves hand-in-hand with the market benchmark.

A stock with a beta between zero and one means that they are less volatile than the overall market. This means that the stock is less excitable than the average market. Such stocks can be reliable investments, because they are unlikely to generate losses, but they also won’t create significant gains. Low stock beta scores are common for investments like utilities.

Betas below zero or negative indicate that the stock may respond in the opposite direction of the overall market. Investors should expect the stock’s price to go up if the market benchmark goes down and vice versa.

A beta of zero suggests that a stock acts independently of the overall stock market.

Beta can be a useful metric to determine how a stock’s price may move in relation to the overall market by examining its past performance. It can also be a useful indicator of risk.

30 Examples of 30-Day Challenges That Will Change Your Life | Psychology Today

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You can do anything for 30 days. And you just might find that one month is enough to inspire you to change your life permanently.

When it comes to self-improvement, two of the biggest stumbling blocks people encounter are a lack of motivation to get started and a fear that a goal will be too overwhelming.

pexels-photo-1028707

Photo by Acharaporn Kamornboonyarush on Pexels.com

30-day challenges is a way to help people tackle both of those issues. For 30 days. People design their own challenge.

Thirty-day challenges feel doable—you can do almost anything for 30 days. You can also use a 30-day challenge as an experiment. If it enhances your life, you’ll create momentum that motivates you to create more positive change.

— Read on www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201811/30-examples-30-day-challenges-will-change-your-life

Financial Advisors: Here’s How Market Volatility Impacts Investor Psychology

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Humans either think that they’re in charge of what happens in their life, or they believe that life happens to them. Those who believe they’re in control of their life and its outcomes have an internal locus of control.

Having an internal locus of control tend to be associated with higher wealth, and because these people are more likely to take responsibility for the outcomes in their life. Additionally, the top one-percenters are also more likely to believe in their own abilities to solve problems and achieve goals, make better investment decisions and react more calmly when volatility strikes.

Having an external locus, however, is associated with self-destructive financial behaviors.

Financial advisors can help clients move to a more centered approach by asking thoughtful questions about past financial decisions, and can assist in determining where a client’s locus of control lies.

— Read on finance.yahoo.com/news/how-to-advise-your-clients-when-volatility-strikes-163641016.html

Thanksgiving Cruising

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Spent a fun five days / four nights during 2019 Thanksgiving week cruising on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) vessel Mariner of the Seas.

The first impression of the the vessel was that it was bigger (or displaced more water) than an U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, but lacked the raw horsepower and fighting punch of a nuclear powered floating Navy air base…but, I’ve digressed.

On the day we embarked, we and our fellow cruisers arrived at the cruise terminal in Port Canaveral, FL, and assumed our position in the boarding queue on a warm and sunny late Monday morning.

Surprisingly, the process to check-in and board the vessel was relatively painless compared to prior cruises. Instead of the typical excessively long, slow moving lines to embark cruise ships, the queues on this particular day moved quickly and the actual check-in process proved efficient.

The RCCL Mariner of the Seas is a large cruise ship that displaces more than 130-thousand tons and offered a plethora of activities and amenities for several thousand guests of all ages. The activities included water slides for kids, basket court for teenagers and young adults, and the requisite playground for adults, a casino.

The ships itinerary included brief stops in the port of Nassau and alongside the pier of RCCL private island of Coco Cay.

In Nassau, most of the passengers either hit the many bars, restaurants and shops that catered to money laden tourists, or journeyed over to the top attraction on the island, the Atlantis Resort.

The second stop of RCCL private island of Coco Cay proved better than expected. From the first views of the island, it was apparent that the cruise line had invested significant capital into designing and building the islands infrastructure and amenities.

Expecting small boats or “water taxis” to be used to transport passengers from ship to shore, we were pleasantly surprised to find a relatively new pier in place which the ship moored and disembarked its passengers to the island.

Furthermore, the island had substantial quantities of amenities and improvements including a large resort style swimming pool, multiple beaches and bars, and several zip lines.

Essentially, RCCL designed an island with entertainment and activities for cruisers of any age. And, the island had the capacity to handle the passengers from two of RCCL’s largest cruise ships. You could only walk away impressed with the final product.

The final full day was spent at sea. It proved a lazy and restful day on the ship highlighted by our group getting kicked out of areas that were closing due to the end of a meal hour. We essentially stayed too long relaxing and socializing while the ship’s routine moved on around our group.

The final day, we disembarked the cruise ship early Friday morning following Thanksgiving, Black Friday.

Overall, it was a fun and rewarding four night / five day cruise on the Mariner of the Seas. It is challenging to find a complaint about the days and nights in port and at sea on the cruise ship.

The only complaint that comes to mind was the quality of the food on the Mariner of the Seas. Breakfast and lunch food service and quality, whether buffet or a la carte, was evaluated as fair at best for the entire cruise.

Dinner, especially on the first two nights, left us wondering if the overall quality of the food would rank far below that served on peer cruise lines. However, by the third and final nights of the cruise, the food quality improved dramatically. The braised short ribs and the osso buco were two entrees that received significant praise.

From the appearance and taste of the food, it appeared that the food items were prepared hours or maybe days in advance; then reheated and either plated or placed on the buffet serving line. RCCL must improve its process of cooking and serving quality food to a large number of passengers…think institutional or cafeteria food.

William Ackman: Everything You Need to Know About Finance and Investing in Under an Hour

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WILLIAM ACKMAN, Activist Investor and Hedge-Fund Manager

We all want to be financially stable and enjoy a well-funded retirement, and we don’t want to throw out our hard earned money on poor investments. But most of us don’t know the first thing about finance and investing. Acclaimed value investor William Ackman teaches you what it takes to finance and grow a successful business and how to make sound investments that will get you to a cash-comfy retirement.

Democrats In Love With Big Tax Hikes Might Do Well To Remember Walter Mondale | Tax Policy Center

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Mondale insisted his tax hikes would target the wealthy and Reagan’s wouldn’t. It didn’t matter. In the election, Reagan got 525 electoral votes. Mondale got 13. He lost the popular vote by 18 million.

— Read on www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/democrats-love-big-tax-hikes-might-do-well-remember-walter-mondale

The Importance of Cash Flow in Your Personal Financial Planning – Penn Mutual

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Cash flow is our financial life-blood. We tend to think of cash flow as something that only businesses or governments contend with, but it is integral to our personal financial lives as well. Cash flow enables us to do what we want, and to help achieve our goals or objectives — whether that is to get a mortgage, save for a college education, take a vacation, and of course, save and invest for retirement.

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3 reasons investors might not be benefiting from rock-bottom fund fees – MarketWatch

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There’s more to successful investing than just watching costs

The index fund fee-cutting battle reached its seemingly inevitable conclusion more than a year ago, when Fidelity Investments launched four zero-cost index funds. You can’t get any lower than zero, right? Apparently, you can. One small fund company is now effectively paying investors to own one of its index funds.

Still, the price war among financial companies has clearly moved on, with some firms eliminating brokerage commissions in 2019 or touting the high interest rate paid by their brokerage cash account. Cutting index-fund expenses is, it seems, so last year.
— Read on www.marketwatch.com/story/3-reasons-investors-arent-benefiting-from-rock-bottom-fund-fees-2019-12-18