So, we conclude 2019 and the decade, let us quickly
review and move on to bigger and better things.
2019 personally was a rough year: the loss of three
close friends, some illness in the family has taken its’ toll, and I have had
about enough of listening in a variety of platforms to the “me, myself, and I”
views of the world.
So let us look at some observations of the past year
and decade.
Happy New Year to all my friends, associates, and RR
readers – let us hope for a positive and healthy 2020. Selfless not selfies.
DECADE OF
MOVEMENTS - Arab Spring: A fruit vendor setting himself on fire
in 2010 galvanized national protests of Tunisia's corrupt and autocratic
regime. The demonstrations, widely shared using mobile devices and social
media, fanned out across the Middle East to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya,
Yemen, Egypt, and Syria.
Occupy Wall
Street: Inspired by the tactics of Arab Spring,
counterculture magazine editors organized a NYC sit-in protesting economic
inequality and the failures of democracy. The sit-in lasted for months, and
during that time sister protests popped up around the world. Occupy's cofounder
said its "constructive failure" created traction for future movements
like...
Black Lives
Matter: After a jury acquitted George Zimmerman, the man who
shot and killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, the Black Lives Matter
hashtag was created. The grassroots movement spread on social media, bringing
attention to systemic police violence against black Americans.
MeToo: In 2017, actress Alyssa Milano used #MeToo and encouraged individuals to
speak about their experiences with sexual harassment and assault on Twitter.
The many survivors who came forward exposed the alleged egregious conduct of
some high-profile figures in business, entertainment, and politics, including
Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer.
MeToo and parallel movements like Time's Up
reflected a broader trend toward feminist activism. In Jan. 2017, millions
participated in Women's Marches around the world (mass demonstrations that
originated through Facebook).
March for
Our Lives: High school shooting survivors rallied in the U.S.
capital in March 2018, bringing together 200,000+ attendees and inspiring
hundreds of sister marches. Organizers launched national voting drives to
mobilize and register young voters.
Climate
Strikes: Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg
kick started weekly, student-led protests calling for more government action to
address climate change. The youth-led movement brought together millions around
the world to march in over 3,600 strikes this September.
What ties them together - Young people took charge.
And they used social media to spark leaderless, decentralized movements like
the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
But ease of organization doesn't always mean better
outcomes. Compared to 10 years ago, social movement success rates declined
about 20% due to a failure to build durable leadership and organizing
structures.
While some movements have petered out, the passion
they mobilized was often redirected into other forms of activism or political
campaigns.
These movements featured broad missions and visions
that pulled from feminism, racial justice, immigration, economic equality, and
climate awareness. And they demonstrated both the power and limitations of the
internet as a tool for mass organizing.
HOW WE MET -
This 2019 study from Stanford University shows how innovation in
communications technology has disrupted traditional social networks, especially
when it comes to dating.
Over 25 million Americans are expected to use dating
apps this year. While user growth is slowing, half of U.S. singles still use
(or have tried) a dating app.
That's a big business opportunity. Over 2,200 dating
services companies in the U.S. are projected to bring in ~$3 billion this year,
according to IBISWorld. Nearly a quarter of that revenue comes from mobile
dating apps, which are growing faster than any other dating services segment.
MOODS - America's youth is suffering from a mental health crisis. That's the conclusion
of the American Psychological Association's March report, which showed spiking
mental health disorders among 18- to 25-year-olds, including depression,
anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
Where experts are pointing fingers: countless hours
spent on social media, communication tech that moved friendships from backyards
to apps, and less sleep.
Psychologists are worried those mental health issues
are impacting young people's self-perception and ability to handle tense social
interactions and pressures at school and work.
Some experts note that the spike, relative to older
generations, may not be as dramatic as it looks because young people, in
general, seem more willing to admit they're distressed.
WORDS OF THE
DECADE - These are Merriam Webster's words of the year for
the decade (plus some new lingo added to the dictionary).
2010: Austerity
2011: Pragmatic
2012: Socialism and capitalism
2013: Science
2014: Culture
2015: -ism (Socialism, Fascism, Racism, Feminism,
Communism)
New words from the first half of the decade: fist
bump, tweet, bromance, parkour, man cave, underwater, earworm, bucket list,
gastropub, twerking, hashtag, selfie, catfish, unfriend, crowdfunding, big
data, emoji, net neutrality, meme, clickbait, jegging, NSFW
2016: Surreal
2017: Feminism
2018: Justice
2019: They—gender neutral pronoun to be used in
place of "he" or "she"
New words: gig economy, swole, stan, deep state, dad
joke, FOMO, revenge porn, froyo, weak sauce, photobomb, listicle, facepalm,
bougie, TL;DR, bingeable, airplane mode, fintech, zoodle, Latinx
MARKET 2019 –
U.S. stocks are poised for their best annual performance in six years,
driven by a handful of big technology stocks, such as Apple Inc. and Microsoft
Corp. , that have powered the decade long bull-market run.
An improving economic outlook, progress between the
U.S. and China on trade negotiations and three interest-rate cuts by the
Federal Reserve have renewed investors’ faith that the expansion can continue.
With one trading day left in 2019, the benchmark
S&P 500 has surged 28%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has risen
35%. Both indexes are hovering within 1% of their record levels set last week
and are on track for their biggest gains since 2013 when they climbed 30% and
38%, respectively.
Meanwhile, the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average
has increased 22%—its best performance since 2017.
The tech sector has led much of the advance. The
group has risen 47% in the S&P 500 this year, by far the biggest gain among
the index’s 11 sectors. It is responsible for 31% of the index’s total return
for the year, which includes dividends, according to data as of Friday from
S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Tech companies comprise more than a quarter of the
value of America’s stock markets:
Tech's big five — Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet
(Google’s parent) and Facebook — make up half of the industry's market
capitalization.
The last time tech companies were so important was
back in 2000, when they were briefly worth a third of the value of all listed
equities in America.
Compared with the dotcom bubble, the ... prevailing
concern is not that tech firms are too flimsy to justify their valuations, but
that their position is too powerful.
In Aug. 2018, Apple became the first company in
history to reach a $1 trillion valuation. One month later, Amazon joined the
club (though has since fallen back to the billions), and this April, so did
Microsoft. But it's not just the number of 0's that has regulators and other
businesses worried. These big tech companies have evolved from mostly singular
missions (search engines, retail, phones) to businesses than span content
creation, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, ad platforms, self-driving
cars, and more.
The ease with which they take over new markets (and
squash or suck up smaller players) has regulators worried. Over the last few
years, calls for antitrust action and breaking up Big Tech have grown (though
Microsoft, which already has one antitrust suit under its belt, has largely
been spared this round).
INVESTING - According to Bank of America, if you invested $1 in _______ in 2010,
you’d have over $90,000 today.
Answer at the end of RR.
COLLEGE
CHRONICLES – The decade of Higher Education litigation's
continue: The fallout from Occidental College’s decision to cancel the Football
team’s five remaining games in 2017 due to safety concerns related to the
dwindling size of the program’s roster.
The decision led to so much animosity between the Football
Student Athletes and Athletic Director Jaime Hoffman that the female AD felt
threatened on campus and at her home, student athletes submitted a complaint to
the school’s Title IX office accusing the administration of an “ardent
anti-male bias,” and Hoffman was relieved of her duties in August of 2018
nearly a year after she was hospitalized for what she describes as a “mental
break.” Hoffman has since filed a lawsuit against Occidental, accusing the
school of gender discrimination, whistle-blower retaliation, and failure to
accommodate disability.
As part of the suit, Hoffman is asking for her job
back and compensation for emotional distress, but she also hopes her lawsuit
can lead to institutional change for women at Occidental and other NCAA schools.
Hoffman: “This is a trend in athletics in higher ed. It's easier to get rid of
the women.” Also of note is the reflection from one former student athlete,
whose team hurled a barrage of invective at Hoffman when she delivered the
initial news: "I feel like, how are you going to judge her for how she
acts in that horrible situation? It kind of feels like her and our team were
set on a collision course."
THE TRUMP
YEARS - No matter your politics, the first three years of
Donald Trump's presidency have been undeniably memorable. Besides driving
endless Twitter traffic, Trump's left a lasting imprint on the business world.
Trade - Business leaders knew Trump was a protectionist, but few could've
imagined the 17-month trade war he'd wage with China. Tit-for-tat tariffs
between the world's biggest economies limited global economic growth to a
projected 3.2% this year and battered Europe.
Tariffs have hurt some of the industries they were
meant to protect (like agriculture and steel), disrupted supply chains, and
muted capital investments. We'll find out whether they'll ultimately deliver
concessions from China as intended.
Courts - The Trump administration and Senate Republicans have confirmed 150+
federal judges, which many legal scholars expect will result in more
conservative decisions.
Regulation - President Trump's administration instituted a "one in, one
out" policy for new regulations and eased or rolled back hundreds of
existing or planned rules. Many businesses that felt handcuffed by the Obama
administration's strict oversight have welcomed the shift.
Trump's also repealed many environmental
regulations, much to the displeasure of climate activists.
Taxes - The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act dropped the corporate tax rate from 35% to
21%, which the administration said would spur economic growth and create jobs.
A year after it was passed, the Congressional Research Service found little
effect on growth and jobs and suspected that the trade war dampened any of the
gains.
ON THIS DATE
- Today marks 20 years since Vladimir Putin became Russia's president — on
Dec. 31, 1999.
Also, it was announced today, the Donald J. Trump Presidential
Library will have Moscow, Russia as its location.
TOP FIVE
WORST AIRPORTS –
1.
Southwest Florida International Airport
(RSW)
2.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
Airport (DTW)
3.
Fort Lauderdale International Airport
(FLL)
4.
Chicago Midway International Airport
(MDW)
5.
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
WORK - The U.S. unemployment rate fell from almost 10% at the start of the
decade to 3.5% at the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s last count. BLS's 2009
predictions that employment growth would be concentrated in the services
sector, especially professional/business services and healthcare/social
assistance, were pretty spot on.
While manufacturing technically posted a net gain
over the decade, it was still home to some of the worst-performing
sub-industries over the last 10 years, including many apparel manufacturing
sectors.
This year, BLS predicted that the U.S. economy will
add 8.4 million jobs from 2018 to 2028, which would be less than the preceding 10
years. Some of the fastest-growing occupations are in solar panel installation,
wind turbine servicing, home health and personal care, and occupational
therapy.
The growth of technology platforms connecting
workers to one-off jobs has made gig and freelance work an increasingly
powerful force in the U.S. economy. As we close out this decade...
29% of U.S. workers have an alternative work
arrangement as their primary job (Gallup)
36% of U.S. workers participate in the gig economy
full- or part-time (also Gallup)
11% more workers freelance full-time compared to
2014 (Upwork)
$1.3 trillion in revenue is brought in by
independent workers (MBO Partners)
53% of Gen Z workers freelanced this year (Upwork)
Not all gig economy jobs make workers better off,
says Gallup. While many freelancers have flexible and comfortable arrangements,
contingent gig workers (like contractors and temps) are often treated like
employees...but aren't treated to the benefits.
Some politicians are trying to change that. This
year, California passed a bill that would make gig companies like Uber and Lyft
reclassify workers as employees instead of independent contractors—upping the
protections they'd receive and putting severe pressure on those employers.
TAXES – If you paid just $1 in taxes in 2018, you paid more than Amazon, Netflix,
Chevron, and 57 other billion-dollar companies.
Following a lobbying blitz that kept Treasury
officials in constant meetings, the "tax bills of many big companies have
ended up even smaller" than expected when President Trump signed the 2017
tax cut.
The federal government may collect hundreds of
billions of dollars less over the coming decade than previously projected.
The budget deficit has jumped more than 50 percent
since Mr. Trump took office and is expected to top $1 trillion in 2020, partly
as a result of the tax law.
The Treasury Department will again borrow $1
trillion to pay for tax cuts and Federal spending for the second consecutive
year in 2020.
FINANCE 101 –
Reagan (R): increased deficit by $105 billion.
Bush (R): increased deficit by $125 billion.
Clinton (D): eliminated deficit.
Bush (R): increased deficit by $1.2 trillion.
Obama (D): decreased deficit by $600 billion.
Trump (R): increased deficit by $1.0 trillion.
Notice a pattern?
BIRTHDAYS
THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to Ashleigh Banfield
(52), Anthony Hopkins (82), Sandy Koufax (94), Victoria Principal (70), Stephen
Stills (75)
2019 MOVIE GLOBAL BOX OFFICE –
1. Avengers:
Endgame (Disney) $2.80
billion
2. The
Lion King (Disney) $1.66
billion
3. Frozen
2 (Disney) $1.22
billion
4. Spider-Man:
Far from Home (Sony) $1.13
billion
5. Captain
Marvel (Disney) $1.13
billion
Not a bad year for Disney, a bad year for creative screen-plays.
BOOKS 2019 – In the summer of 2018, Putnam published
an unusual debut novel by a retired wildlife biologist named Delia Owens. The
book, which had an odd title and didn’t fit neatly into any genre, hardly
seemed destined to be a blockbuster, so Putnam printed about 28,000 copies.
It wasn’t nearly enough.
A year and a half later, the novel, “Where the Crawdads Sing,” an
absorbing, atmospheric tale about a lonely girl’s coming-of-age in the marshes
of North Carolina, has sold more than four and a half million copies. It’s an
astonishing trajectory for any debut novelist, much less for a reclusive,
70-year-old scientist, whose previous published works chronicled the decades
she spent in the deserts and valleys of Botswana and Zambia, where she studied
hyenas, lions and elephants.
“Where the Crawdads Sing” has sold more print copies than any
other adult title in 2019, blowing away competition by John Grisham, Margaret
Atwood and Stephen King.
SOCIAL MEDIAS PLAN DINNER IN A GROUP CHAT
-
Facebook: Hey everyone, hoping to plan
din for tonight, how do people feel about Thai? Also, my handsome son just
graduated look how handsome he is
LinkedIn: I endorse your leadership
skills in choosing the dinner spot
*MySpace has left the conversation*
Facebook: Thank god lol
Twitter: Well this dinner blew up. I've
got nothing to promote, so follow me on SoundCloud
Vine: Haha potatoes
*Vine has left the conversation*
Facebook: Where did Vine go? Vine was
hilarious :( also my son is so handsome he got a job
LinkedIn: Where does your handsome son
work? Hoping to connect further. Best
Twitter: No idea where Vine went lmao
Venmo: I'll pay you for "dinner
Snapchat: y so ~sketch~ Venmo
Venmo: My mom has this
Snapchat: tru
Yik Yak: All of you were horrible in
your respective high school plays. Everyone laughed at you
Facebook: Can we pivot to Russian for
tonight? No reason
Twitter: Look facebook is the evil one
Facebook: JK can't do tonight anymore
guys going to Congress. Also my son got a promotion
LinkedIn: Congrats, Handsome Son!
Rink Rats: “Some of you might not get this
parody, but if you do God save us.”
SPORTS HAS A TIME PROBLEM
– A round of golf takes six hours on any public course on a weekend. Golfers
take ages to line up shots, baseball games last longer than
"Godfather" movies. It's time to pick up the pace.
DAVE “THE HAMMER” SHULTZ
- Thanks to rule changes and teams prioritizing speed and skill, the
"enforcer" role has all but gone extinct in the modern NHL.
TOP SIX TEAMS NHL SEASON POINTS 2010 – 2019:
Washington Capitals (1 Stanley Cup) 1,020
Pittsburgh Penguins (2 Stanley Cups) 1,006
Boston Bruins (1 Stanley Cup) 988
St. Louis Blues (1 Stanley Cup) 983
Tampa Bay Lightning 952
Chicago Black Hawks (3 Stanley Cups) 951
Note: LA Kings have the other 2 Stanley Cups.
SWAMI’S WEEK
TOP PICKS
–
NFL Football Pick of the Week – Sunday 1/4, 4:35 PM (EDT), ESPN: Buffalo
Bills (10-6) at Houston Texans (10-6). We like the Bills in this one, Houston has
too many “ifs”. 24 – 20 (Season to Date 8-4)
Breaking News: The Swami likes a San Francisco
49er vs. Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl on February 2 in Miami.
College Football Pick of the Week – Wednesday
1/1, 1:00 PM (EDT), ABC: #14 University of Michigan Wolverines (9-3) vs. #13 University
of Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2). The beginning of the end for Mr. Harbaugh, Roll
Tide 48 – 20. (Season to Date 10-3)
College Hockey Pick of the Week – Saturday 1/4, 7:07 PM (MDT), FSN: #9
University of Massachusetts Minutemen (13-4-1) at #7 University of Denver
Pioneers (11-4-3). Coach Greg Carvel’s (St. Lawrence ’93) Minutemen will skate
to an upset in Magness Arena 5 – 3. (Season to Date 2-0)
NHL Pick of the Week – Saturday 1/1, 11:00 AM (PDT)), NBC: This twelfth version of the Winter Classic in Dallas Texas, yes that is right
Dallas Texas. Nashville Predators (18-14-6, 42 points) vs. Dallas Stars
(22-14-4, 48 points). Not the most exciting schedule for the NHL’s version of
the Super Bowl. Dallas wins 4 – 2. (Season to Date 2-0)
NHL Power Rankings (Half-way point of season):
1). Washington Capitals (27-8-5, 58 points)
2). Boston Bruins (24-7-9, 57 points)
3). St. Louis Blues (26-8-6, 58 points)
4). New York Islanders (24-10-3, 51 points)
5). Pittsburgh Penguins (24-11-4, 52 points)
2019 Season
to Date (57-32)
ANSWERS - The answer to the fill in the blank question is bitcoin.
Cryptocurrencies were one of the best-performing
assets this decade.
That's mainly due to bitcoin. Bitcoin is a digital
currency created in 2009, and for the first half of the 2010s it flitted
between obscurity and heavy skepticism from consumers, the finance industry,
and governments. Then all hell broke loose in 2017, when it shot up to nearly
$20k and turned some early backers into millionaires. Now...some are comparing
bitcoin to the financial bubbles of centuries past.
But over the latter half of the decade, something
happened. Cryptos like Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, and (yes) bitcoin gained
more legitimacy. Wall Street started thawing, and this year Facebook corralled
some of the biggest names in payments, banking, investment, and tech to back a
cryptocurrency project, the Libra Association. While that's run into opposition, the association still marks a level of
institutional backing that bitcoin couldn't have dreamt of in 2010.
Next Blog: 2020 what next?.
Until
Monday January 13, 2020 Adios.
Claremont,
California
December
31, 2019
#X-13-402
3,416 words, fifteen minute read
CARTOONS OF
THE YEAR 2019 –
RINK RATS
POLL – Your favorite holiday?
_____ New Year’s Day
_____ Easter
_____ Fourth
of July
_____ Halloween
_____ Thanksgiving
_____ Christmas
_____ Other
QUOTE OF THE
MONTH
– “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates
profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
—
Lao Tzu
Rink Rats is a blog
of weekly observations, predictions and commentary. We welcome your comments
and questions. Also participate in our monthly poll. Rink Rats is now viewed in
Europe, Canada, South America and the United States.
Posted at Rink Rats The Blog: First Published – May 3, 2010
Our Tenth Year.
