Now What?

I am writing this Blog at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time on November 9, 2016, twenty four hours ago the Democratic Party was on the verge of winning a majority in the Senate, continuing the policies of Barack Obama in the White House and the Republican Party was in shambles. Tonight the Democratic Party is in shambles, the Republican Party controls all three branches of the Federal Government. And Donald Trump is the forty-fifth President of the Unites States. What a year, the Chicago Cubs win the World Series and a real estate developer, reality television star, becomes President of the United States.

                                 Democratic Votes                Republican Votes

             2008               69,498,516                             59,948,323

             2012               65,915,795                             60,933,504

             2016*             59,938,290                             59,704,886

*Still counting votes in New Hampshire, Michigan and California.

President Elect Trump, who collected fewer votes than John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012, has won the Electoral College. How did he win?

President Elect Trump won primarily due to Democrats not voting for Hillary Clinton as they did for Barack Obama, and white, Populist Americans who felt abandoned by the Democrats and the economy voted for Donald Trump. Brexit has surfaced in America from Green Bay to Pittsburgh, many in the middle class lost their jobs to China, Mexico and Indonesia, they borrowed heavily in going back to college to learn new skills and then the only jobs now available to them are at WalMart and McDonalds.

Many Democrats did not trust Hillary Clinton, plain and simple. Many citizen voters are tired of poor leadership in all institutions, including Government and Corporations. Americans have had enough of seeing their good paying jobs leaving the country and the “me, myself, and I” leadership of corporate America. I see it every day in for-profit and non-profit corporations: employees see their pay basically remaining the same year after year, their departments and programs cut or dissolved, at the same time they see the managers gaining huge increases in pay and benefits, while setting agendas that only serve their own private agendas.

Americans want accountability in their leadership. Despite all his faults and biases, Donald Trump proved a better alternative than Hillary Clinton to many voters in key electoral states.

Now what? We deal with it, work together, leaders need to recognize the need for change, while respecting all people and their rights as citizens. Corporations need to understand that though the bottom-line is important the needs and respect of their employees, customers, and investors should be the driver of their strategies.

Above all else, let us give President Elect Trump time to do his job and handle the immense duties of the Presidency.

TOP THREE – reasons to move to Canada now:

            1). Rudy Giuliani to become U.S. Attorney General in the Trump Administration

            2). Yes, the Trump Administration

            3). Molson Export Ale

TOP THREE PART DEUX – reasons to stay in the United States

            1). I can avoid hearing hourly about how good are the Toronto Maple Leafs

            2). In-N-Out Burger

            3). Our football has four downs, not three.

THE CANADIAN DONALD - CBC hockey commentator Don Cherry is no stranger to political controversies, from bashing Canada staying out of the Iraq war to ripping “left-wing pinkos” at Rob Ford’s inauguration to saying the All Lives Matter anthem hijacking would please “left-wing weirdos” to praising John Tortorella’s anti-Kaepernick stance. Now, he’s reacting to the idea of Americans unhappy with Donald Trump’s election coming to Canada, and he’s not a big fan:

“The left wing kook entertainers and the left wing weirdos in the media in the US have said if Trump wins the presidency they will move to Canada. Please, we have enough of these type here now.”

This isn’t at all a surprising stance from Cherry, well-known for his support of right-wing causes and politicians, but it’s interesting that he’s again voicing these kinds of sentiments. It will be particularly interesting to see if he says anything about Trump on Coach’s Corner Saturday night, or if he’ll just keep stating his opinions on Twitter.

COMING ATTRACTIONS -- Would Obama consider pardoning Clinton? Trump has promised to put her in jail, but Obama could forestall that possibility with the stroke of a pen. President-elect Donald Trump's campaign was energized by calls to prosecute Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server containing classified information, but one man now has a unique power to frustrate the Trump partisans' cries of 'Lock her up!': President Barack Obama. Experts agree that Obama has the authority to foreclose that possibility by pardoning Clinton for any federal offenses she may have committed or could ever be prosecuted for.

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to Art Garfunkel (75) Huntington, N.Y.; Bonnie Raitt (67) Austin, TX.; Maria Shriver (61) Malibu, CA.

COLLEGE CHRONICLES - The problem with higher education is …

How would you complete that sentence? The editors of The Chronicle Review wanted to find out, so they asked nearly 50 faculty members, presidents, other administrators, and higher-education thinkers. Among the answers: access, vocationalism, funding, defeatism, tradition, and, more optimistically, solvable.

They also sent a survey to 1,000 Chronicle subscribers to solicit their views on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the academic enterprise. Among our findings: 76 percent of respondents believe academe’s standing has diminished over the past 50 years; 74 percent do not think public higher education should be free; and 36 percent believe tenure should be abolished. But we noticed an interesting split on the question of tenure: 62 percent of college presidents want to see tenure abolished.

HR - Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and Republican presidential contender, was named an executive professor at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service.

Dear Rink Rats:

My husband believes that you do not need to turn off your engine when you pump gas. Once, when I turned off the engine and got out to pump, he reached over, depressed the brake pedal with his hand and started it back up again. Which one of us is right?

Signed,

Ms. Car Talk

Dear Ms. Car Talk:

There is a surprising amount of debate regarding the actual danger of idling at a modern gas pump, so I will leave that for others to argue over. But I can say without question that your husband is a bully and a creep. His commitment to ignoring signs, wasting gas and making others nervous to prove he is not one of the “sheepie” is his business when he is alone. But if you are driving, you are the boss.

Signed,

Rink Rats

SUPERMOON - Showstopper supermoon! The moon is a familiar sight, but the days leading up to Monday, Nov. 14, promise a spectacular supermoon show. When a full moon makes its closest pass to Earth in its orbit it appears up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, making it a supermoon. This month's is especially 'super' for two reasons: it is the only supermoon this year to be completely full, and it is the closest moon to Earth since 1948. The moon won't be this super again until 2034!

CONGRATS SENIORS – A shout out to University of La Verne graduating football seniors playing in their final game this Saturday versus the Whittier College Nixons:

Dallas Parent (#2), Zak Tomlinson (#5), Josh Hardy (#9), and Shawn Kagan (#82).

This season has not been what these seniors desired, as far as overall wins and losses, but I wanted to thank them for their careers at La Verne and what they have accomplished for the student/athlete at La Verne. These men have represented the University with class and honor.

The football program is dramatically better today than before Dallas, Zak, Josh, and Shawn all started at La Verne. Not only in records and accomplishments but in what the program represents to incoming freshmen and all students.

NFL GAME OF THE WEEK – Sunday 11/13, 5:30 PM PT, NBC: Again, another week of poor NFL match-ups, but this should be a good one. Seattle Seahawks (5-2-1) at New England Patriots (7-1). Pats win 24 – 14.   Season to date (8-1)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 11/12, 4:30 PM PT, Fox; #20 University of Southern California Trojans (6-3) at #4 University of Washington Huskies (9-0). To determine Pac 12 power, Huskies in a wild one; 45 – 40.  Season to date (9-1)

SMALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 11/12, 12:00 PM ET, HGTV: Ithaca College Bombers (5-4) at Cortland State Red Dragons (4-5). The annual final game rivalry between these two Central New York schools. This year we recognize the memory of a famous Ithaca College alumnus, Donald J. Culligan (Class of ’48, ’51). He loved these games on South Hill. Bombers win 28 – 24.    Season to date (6-4)

COLLEGE HOCKEY PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 11/12, 7:00 PM CT, FCS: #2 University of Denver Pioneers (6-2-0) at #6 University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks (5-3-1), a big night in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Hawks win 4 – 3.  Season to date (1-4)

THE SWAMI’S WEEK TOP PICKS –

 (NFL, Nov. 13) Minnesota Vikings (5-3) at Washington Redskins (4-3-1), Washington continues the Vikings slide, 20 – 17.

(NCAA FBS, Nov. 12) #3 University of Michigan Wolverines (9-0) at University of Iowa Hawkeyes (5-4). I smell an upset in the Big Ten, Iowa wins 20 – 17.

(NHL, Nov. 12) St. Louis Blues (7-4-3) at Columbus Blue Jackets (6-3-2), Jackets playing good hockey these days, they win our Saturday game of the week in the NHL, 5 – 4.

Season to date (94 - 85)

MARKET WEEK - Pfizer (PFE) is considering a possible sale or spin-off of its consumer health division, according to Reuters. The unit could be worth as much as $14 billion.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) is delaying the filing of its quarterly report as the drugmaker investigates allegations of improper sales practices by a former employee.

Perrigo (PRGO) plans to review options for the rights to royalties from multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri. Activist investor and stakeholder Starboard Value has been pushing for moves to boost the stock.

AstraZeneca (AZN) reported falling revenue, but rising earnings, as it counters competition for its cholesterol drug Crestor with cost cutting, growth in new products, and asset sales.

Next week: Fall movies to watch and college athletics.

Until Next Time, Adios.

Claremont, CA

November 10, 2016

#VII-23-325

CARTOON OF THE WEEK – The New Yorker, “iCloud”

Can You Monotask?

Stop what you’re doing.

Well, keep reading. Just stop everything else that you’re doing.

Mute your music. Turn off your television. Put down your sandwich and ignore that text message. While you’re at it, put your phone away entirely. (Unless you’re reading this on your phone. In which case, don’t. But the other rules still apply.)

Just read.

You are now monotasking.

Maybe this doesn’t feel like a big deal. Doing one thing at a time isn’t a new idea.

Indeed, multitasking, that bulwark of anemic résumés everywhere, has come under fire in recent years. A 2014 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that interruptions as brief as two to three seconds — which is to say, less than the amount of time it would take you to toggle from this article to your email and back again — were enough to double the number of errors participants made in an assigned task.

Personally, I think I am an expert multitasker, when in fact I should be an expert monotasker. Multitasking is not as cool as it sounds. Earlier research out of Stanford revealed that self-identified “high media multitaskers” are actually more easily distracted than those who limit their time toggling.

So, in layman’s terms, by doing more you’re getting less done.

But monotasking, also referred to as single-tasking or unitasking, isn’t just about getting things done. Not the same as mindfulness, which focuses on emotional awareness, monotasking is a 21st-century term for what your high school English teacher probably just called “paying attention.”

A former student of mine, was happy to hear that his single-minded manner might be undergoing a rebrand. “When I was looking for jobs and interviewing, they’d always want me to say, ‘I’m a great multitasker,’ ” he said. “And I wouldn’t. My inability to multitask was seen as a negative. Now I can just say, ‘I am a monotasker. I am someone who works best when I focus on one thing at a time.’ ”

And the way we work can have effects that kick in long after we clock out.

As much as people would like to believe otherwise, humans have finite neural resources that are depleted every time we switch between tasks, which, especially for those who work online can happen upward of 400 times a day, according to a 2016 University of California, Irvine study. That’s why you feel tired at the end of the day. You have used them all up. The term “brain dead” suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.

A good sign you’ve task-switched yourself into a stupor: mindlessly scrolling Facebook at the end of the night. I just stuff my brain full of them because I can’t manage to do anything else. The sad thing is that I don’t get any closer to deciding which one I like.

But monotasking can also make work itself more enjoyable. I can multitask — and do, of course; it’s kind of essential — but I prefer to do one thing at a time, if I keep looking at my phone or my inbox or various websites, working feels a lot more tortuous. When I’m focused and making progress, work is actually pleasurable.

Almost any experience is improved by paying full attention to it. Attention is one way your brain decides, Is this interesting? Is this worthwhile? Is this fun?

It’s the reason television shows we tweet through feel tiresome and books we pick up and put down and pick up again never seem to end. The more we allow ourselves to be distracted from a particular activity, the more we feel the need to be distracted. Paying attention pays dividends.

This is why, according the ability to monotask might be most valuable in social situations. Research shows that just having a phone on the table is sufficiently distracting to reduce empathy and rapport between two people who are in conversation.

Monotasking can also be as simple as having a conversation.

Practice how you listen to people, “Pinky and the Brain” are you paying attention. Put down anything that’s in your hands and turn all of your attentional channels to the person who is talking. You should be looking at them, listening to them, and your body should be turned to them. If you want to see a benefit from monotasking, if you want to have any kind of social rapport or influence on someone, that’s the place to start. That’s where you’ll see the biggest payoff.

So is monotasking a movement? It’s not there yet. But I think it will be.

If enough people pay attention to it, that is.

What did you say?????

OH CANADA LET ME IN - Trump's pathway to 270 electoral votes, although possible, remains narrow. To be even more reductive, it is unlikely Trump wins the White House if he does not win Florida. Similarly, most pathways for a Clinton victory require her to win Pennsylvania. She can afford to lose certain battleground states (including Florida, Ohio and North Carolina) given her polling in others, but it's hard to see her winning the White House if she loses Pennsylvania.

Polling in Ohio shows Trump with more than a three-point lead on average and shows Trump tied with Clinton in Florida and North Carolina (according to Real Clear Politics). Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania remains solid, however, with an average four-point lead over Trump. ... Regardless, with a tightening race and a larger number of undecided voters this election cycle, the chances of an unexpected election outcome are not immaterial - and that could cause continued repricing in the market, as we've seen over the past few days.

CHANGE IN THE HEARTLAND - Small towns in the Midwest have diversified more quickly than almost any part of the U.S. since the start of an immigration wave at the beginning of this century. The resulting cultural changes appear to be moving the political needle. U.S. census data shows that counties in a distinct cluster of Midwestern states—Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota—saw among the fastest influxes of nonwhite residents of anywhere in the U.S. between 2000 and 2015. That shift helps explain the emergence of Donald Trump as a political force and signals that tensions over immigration will likely outlive his candidacy. Among GOP voters in this year’s presidential primaries, those in counties that diversified rapidly were more likely to vote for the New York businessman. Meanwhile, with polls showing the presidential race tightening, Hillary Clinton and Mr. Trump are moving advertising dollars and fine-tuning their closing arguments during the final week of one of the most unpredictable elections in modern history.

CLINTON/TRUMP LIKE TO SLEEP AT HOME - In a campaign of unprecedented contrasts, it is one of the most striking similarities between Clinton and Donald Trump. Here are two well-to-do New Yorkers who add hours of travel to their schedules, and thousands of dollars to their campaign expenses, in order to avoid sleeping in the Middle America they promise they are running to represent.

For Trump, near-nightly returns to Manhattan - from as far west as Reno, Nevada - mean a chance to sleep in his marble-and-gold hued 66th floor penthouse in Trump Tower.For Clinton, the hops to Chappaqua allow her to spread out in her colonial five-bedroom home, complete with 1.1 acres of land and a swimming pool.

Days until the 2016 election: 4.

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to Tim Cook (56) Palo Alto, CA.; Matthew McConaughey (47) Austin, TX.;  Jane Pauley (66) Darien, CT.; Dan Rather (85) Irvine, TX.

HALLOWEEN STRATEGY - A Halloween strategy is an investment technique in which an investor sells stocks before May 1 and refrains from reinvesting in the stock market until October 31, in order to increase capital gains. The Halloween strategy is based on the premise that most capital gains are made between October 31 (Halloween) and May 1, and that the other six months of the year should be spent investing in other investment types or not at all.

The Halloween strategy is closely-related to the phrase, "Sell in May and then walk away," referring to the six months between May 1 and October 31. This strategy is heavily based on the concept of seasonality, specifically that stocks perform better in the winter months than they do in the summer months. This strategy is contrary to the buy-and-hold strategy, in which an investor may ride out down months.

WELLS SETTLES FOR $50M - Wells Fargo & Co has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a racketeering lawsuit accusing it of overcharging hundreds of thousands of homeowners for appraisals ordered after they defaulted on their mortgage loans.

The proposed settlement, which requires court approval, was disclosed in a filing last Friday in an Oakland, California federal court. If approved, it will resolve nationwide claims that Wells Fargo charged much more than it paid for third-party appraisals, exploiting borrowers who could least afford it and driving them further into default.

LOAN ARRANGERS - Banks no longer reign over the mortgage market. They accounted for less than half of the mortgage dollars extended to borrowers during the third quarter. Taking their place are nonbank lenders more willing to make riskier loans that banks now shun, giving rise to potential new dangers. Independent mortgage lenders have come close to the 50% mark before, but they haven’t topped it in recent history, making this a notable moment for the most important consumer-credit market. Banks also remain fearful of legal and regulatory threats that have cost them tens of billions of dollars in mortgage-related fines and settlements in recent years. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve decided on Wednesday to leave short-term interest rates unchanged while sending new signals that they could move at their meeting next month.

TESLA IN THE BLACK - Tesla Motors Inc. posted a surprise $22 million profit in its latest period, buoyed by record sales of its pricey electric cars and boosting Chief Executive Elon Musk's plan to sharply lift output ahead of its release of a sedan to compete against mass-market rivals. The Palo Alto, Calif., company reported its first profit after 12 quarterly losses amid a push to generate cash for building its $35,000 Model 3. The company has pledged to lift annual production to 500,000 cars in 2018, from about 50,000 last year. The quarter's profit-a record and only the second time ever-was driven higher by improved sales of the Model S sedan and Model X sport-utility vehicle, a reduction in spending and a boost from selling pollution tax credits to other auto makers. Gross profit from the credits soared to $139 million from $39 million a year ago. Tesla's shares rose 5% on the news.

GOOD READ – "The Mastermind," by Wright Thompson in ESPN The Magazine: "Theo Epstein walks to and from Wrigley, eats lunch in the empty bleachers and wants Chicago to see the ivy turn red in October. The Cubs president may be nearing middle age, but his love of the game is shining through more than ever." http://es.pn/2eNyCC7

THE CUBS WIN! -- Chicago Tribune front page: "AT LAST!" http://bit.ly/2ff42Sy

NFL GAME OF THE WEEK – Sunday 11/6, 5:30 PM ET, NBC; Denver Broncos (6-2) vs. Oakland Raiders (6-2), first place is on the line in the AFC West. Raiders win 20 – 17.  Season to date (7-1)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 11/5, 8:00 PM ET, ABC; #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) at #13 LSU Tigers (5-2). Bama is too good, 28 – 20.  Season to date (8-1)

SMALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 11/5, 1:00 PM ET, HGTV: Hobart Statesmen (7-1) vs. #16 St. Lawrence University Saints (8-0). Can the perfect season continue? Hobart will be tough, but the Saints prevail 32 – 27.  Season to date (6-3)

COLLEGE HOCKEY PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 11/5, 7:00 PM CT, FCS: #1 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (5-1-2) at #8 St. Cloud State Huskies (4-2-0), big early season NCHC league game, Huskies win 4 – 3.  Season to date (1-3)

THE SWAMI’S WEEK TOP PICKS –

(Breeder’s Cup, Nov. 4-5) A Sawbuck on each race to Win:

Dirt Mile – Dortmund; Jockey – Garcia, Trainer – Baffert

Distaff – Stellar Wind; Jockey – Espinoza, Trainer – Sadler

Juvenile – Not This Time; Jockey – Albarado, Trainer – Romans

Classic – California Chrome; Jockey – Espinoza, Trainer - Sherman

(NFL, Nov. 6) Detroit Lions (4-4) at Minnesota Vikings (5-2), Vikings are ripe for an upset, go Lions, they win 24 – 21.

(NCAA SCIAC, Nov. 5) Pomona-Pitzer College Endowments (5-2) at University of La Verne Leopards (1-6). There is magic left for the Leos, 32 – 28.

(NHL, Nov. 5) New York Rangers (8-3-0) at Boston Bruins (6-4-0), Rangers are on a roll, 2 – 1 win over the B’s.

Season to date (90 - 78)

MARKET WEEK - Wells Fargo (WFC) has increased its litigation loss reserves to $1.7 billion from $1 billion, according to a filing. Wells Fargo has confirmed reports the SEC has joined those looking into the recent disclosure and revamping of the bank's sales practices.

Despite beating estimates with quarterly results, Facebook (FB) was getting slammed in the premarket, after warning ad revenue growth rates would slow "meaningfully" next year as the social network maxes out the number of ads without damaging the user experience.

Fitbit (FIT) was losing about a third of its value in premarket trading, after revenue as well as fourth-quarter and full-year outlook fell short of estimates. The stock has fallen more than 55 percent since its June 2015 IPO, which was priced at $20 per share.

Whole Foods Market (WFM) beat estimates on earnings and matched on revenue. Meanwhile, the organic grocer named co-founder John Mackey as its sole CEO. Mackey and Walter Robb were co-CEOs. Robb will remain on the board and serve as a senior advisor.

Ford (F) has launched Black Friday clearance sales early, following a nearly 12 percent drop in October sales. Ford is offering $1,000 rebates on 2016 and 2017 models. Last year, Black Friday deals from several automakers made for a strong November.

The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T's (T) DirecTV, alleging the satellite television service engaged in unlawful information sharing with rival pay-TV operators during negotiations over whether to carry a Dodgers-owned channel, SportsNet LA.

Next week: Dear Rink Rats.

Until Next Time, Adios.

Claremont, CA

November 4, 2016

#VII-22-324

CARTOON OF THE WEEK – The New Yorker, “Meetings”

Fall Weekend Edition

Rink Rats every quarter has weekend editions, to highlight topics we on a weekly basis do not cover. As the first seasonal rains and snows arrive this past week in Claremont, California and Canton, New York – we welcome the fall season.

SONNY ELIOT WEATHER FORECAST – (California) NOVEMBER 2016: temperature 56° (2° below avg.); precipitation 1" (0.5" below avg.); Nov 1-3: Sunny; Nov 4-6: Rainy, cool; Nov 7-18: Sunny, cool; Nov 19-30: Rainy periods, cool.

(Michigan/So. Ontario) NOVEMBER 2016: temperature 41° (3° below avg. east, 3° above west); precipitation 2" (0.5" below avg.); Nov 1-4: Rain and snow showers, chilly; Nov 5-11: Showers east, sunny west; mild; Nov 12-17: Lake snows, cold; Nov 18-24: Rain, then snow showers, cold; Nov 25-27: Sunny; cold east, mild west; Nov 28-30: Rainy, mild.

HISTORY 101, YEAR 312 - Today is 1,704 years since the Roman Emperor Constantine I is said to have seen the vision of the cross before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, which might have basically upended the tides of history.

Constantine was the first emperor to stop Christian persecutions and to legalize Christianity along with all other religions and cults in the Roman Empire. The first Roman emperor to claim conversion to Christianity, Constantine played an influential role in the proclamation of the Edict of Milan in 313, which decreed tolerance for Christianity in the empire.

CHICAGO SWEETS – In Chicago this weekend for the World Series here are three must go to sweet shops:

Katherine Anne Confections No disrespect intended toward your grandma’s hot cocoa, but you’ve probably never experienced anything like the drinking chocolate here. Katherine Anne makes this warm holiday ambrosia with real melted chocolate, sea salt, milk and cream. Even better, it’s customizable. Just pick a flavor, such as milk chocolate, super dark, salted caramel, or hazelnut, and add a homemade marshmallow in another flavor, like cinnamon sugar, salted caramel, spicy hot chocolate or vanilla bean. If you’re looking for gifts for distant friends and family, buy a 15-ounce mix from the online store (katherine-anne.com) to send their way. 2745 W. ARMITAGE, CHICAGO, IL 60647 HOURS: 11-7 TUE & WED, 11-9 THUR & FRI, 10-9 SAT, 11-5 SUN, CLOSED MON (773) 245 - 1630katherine@rockcress.com

Amy's Candy Bar The Yum Bar makes most chocolate bars feel like the mass-produced items that they are. The thick, buttery shortbread is topped with salty caramel and pecans and hand-dipped in rich Belgian chocolate. If your sweet tooth runs beyond even that, lose yourself in the OMG Bar. Made with layers of sea salt caramel, crackly hazelnut pralines and silky chocolate ganache, it’s hand-dipped in dark Belgian chocolate for a result so good, the name actually may seem underpowered.  amyscandybar.com 4704 NORTH DAMEN AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60625 (773) 942-6386

Veruca Chocolates Gelt for Grown-UPS proves that in the right hands, Hanukkah gelt—those mediocre-at-best, foil-wrapped coins—can be heavenly. Veruca’s version packs a salty cocoa punch in a treat modeled after an ancient Jewish coin. Grab a few Champagne truffles to ring in the New Year, too. Covered in shiny metallic chocolate flakes, they're a sweet, sparkly way to start 2017. For the naughty on your list, pick up a festive Bag of Coal at Veruca Chocolates. Just don’t give in to the urge to sneak a few of these decadent ultradark chocolate truffles yourself. Covered in a dusting of bittersweet cocoa "coal," they'll mark your mouth and give you away!  verucachocolates.com 2409 N. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 (773) 998-2462

GOOD READ -  Elon Musk's empire: Countdown," in the Economist: "While he might be loth to admit it, Mr Musk has become America's most audacious corporate financier as well as its best-known entrepreneur. In just over a decade he has created an empire valued at a cool $44 billion despite its heavy losses (see chart). A blend of financial laboratory, corporate labyrinth and buttock-clenching thrill ride, Musk Inc has pushed the boundary of what was thought possible." http://econ.st/2em5y9v

TOP THREE – Halloween movies:

-          Halloween (1978)

-          Young Frankenstein (1974)

-          Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

FALL COMFORT FOOD – Veggie Cheese Chowder

Yield: 6 to 8 main-dish servings

Prep 25 mins

Cook 15 mins

This creamy vegetarian soup is made with canned corn and canned soup so it's quick to mix together for dinner.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green or red sweet pepper, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 cups whole milk or light cream

1 15 - ounce can cream-style corn

1 14 - ounce can vegetable broth

1 10 3/4 - ounce can condensed nacho fiesta cheese soup

8 ounces pasteurized prepared cheese product with jalapeno peppers, cut up, or 1 cup jarred cheese dip (with salsa con queso)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz.)

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper and celery; cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in milk, corn, broth, soup, cheese product, shredded cheese, oregano and black pepper.

Cook, uncovered, over medium heat about 15 minutes, or until mixture is almost simmering (do not boil), stirring occasionally. Makes 6 to 8 main-dish servings.

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to Dodie Bracken; Scott Graham ….famous Canadian; Rochelle Hanson …famous law enforcer; Katy Perry (32), Dallas, TX.; Pat Sajak (70), Beverly Hills, CA.

PREVIEW: APPLE MACBOOK EVENT - It's been a while since Apple unveiled a new MacBook product, so this week’s event, which is dedicated to hardware, promises to yield some interesting news. One of the upgrades could include a new MacBook Pro, which comes with an OLED touchbar above the keyboard, a feature that will adapt based on the application a user has open, reports CNET. Also potentially on the docket, according to Bloomberg : sharper graphics for the iMac and an updated MacBook Air with a USB-C port. Additionally, Apple is expected to debut a TV guide-like offering, which will come in the form of software that lets users search for shows and films across different providers, though Netflix has reportedly not signed on yet. The event comes two days after Apple's fourth-quarter earnings report, which included the company's first year-over-year annual revenue decline in 15 years.

Apple posted its first annual revenue decline in 15 years but projected a return to growth in the current quarter behind strong sales of its new iPhone 7. The tech giant’s formula for success proved less effective in the past year amid lukewarm sales of iPhone 6S models and slowing growth in smartphone sales world-wide, especially in China, Apple’s biggest growth market in recent years. For its fiscal fourth quarter, ended Sept. 24, Apple reported its third consecutive decline in revenue and profit. But CEO Tim Cook touted the response to the iPhone 7, released in September, as well as improvements in the company’s services business as evidence of enduring strength. Still, Apple’s revenue outlook for the December quarter isn’t quite good enough for investors who have sent the stock up by 10% since Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 last month.

Apple's annual sales dip for first time since 2001: They came in at $215.6 billion for FY 2016, compared to FY 2015's $233.7 billion, a year-over-year reversal attributed to lagging iPhone sales. Now, all eyes are on how the iPhone 7 performs in the all-important holiday season.

THE COST OF SHUTTING DOWN THE INTERNET - High-connectivity countries stand to lose at least 1.9 percent in GDP for every day internet services are shut down, according to a Global Network Initiative report out this morning that was prepared by Deloitte and funded by Facebook. According to a Brookings study cited by the report, there were 81 government-mandated internet shutdowns documented between July 2015 and June 2016, costing countries including Turkey, Ethiopia and Morocco an estimated $2.4 billion overall. "Shutting down the internet undermines economic activity and chills free expression," GNI Executive Director Judith Lichtenberg said in a statement. Breaks in internet access disrupt residents' usage of key services they need for both business and social activity, the report notes.

JACK ASS OF THE MONTH - New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (#13) is a joy to watch. He's a fun, explosive, game-changing player who has star written all over his career.

Just play football. On his first touchdown, a 75-yard catch and run, he waved at safety Eric Weddle as he ran into the end zone. Why?

Then all the crap with sideline kicking net, which included him proposing to it Sunday after beating it up a few weeks ago, is tiring now too.

Just play football.

Beckham plays the game with emotion. I love that. I like when he dances in the end zone. I loved the triple-jump celebration after his first TD catch. But the other stuff, like fighting with defensive backs and doing dumb things like taking off his helmet on the field, impact the game. That matters.

He's too damn good a player to allow that to happen. His skill set is unreal. He should be in the conversation about the best receiver in the game, right there with Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown and Julio Jones of the Falcons. Now it's more about his antics and his on-field fights and everything else. The game should be the talk. Not the crap.

Beckham should just play football -- and let his game do all the talking for him.

Because of his antics, welcome Odell Beckham to the Jack Ass of the Month club.

WORLD SERIES GAME #4 – Saturday 10/29, 8:00 PM ET, Fox; Cleveland Indians (2-1) vs. Chicago Cubs (1-2), huge game for the Cubbies, a loss means another 108 year wait: Cubs win 2 – 1. 

NFL GAME OF THE WEEK – Sunday 10/30, 5:30 PM ET, NBC; Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) at Dallas Cowboys (5-1). No mo’ Romo, is a good thing, Dallas 25 Eagles 17.  Season to date (6-1)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 10/29, 5:00 PM ET, ABC; #3 Clemson Tigers (7-0) vs. #12 Florida State Criminals (5-2), Clemson puts the Criminals on probation, 35 – 21.  Season to date (7-1)

SMALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 10/29, 1:00 PM ET, HGTV: #20 Wabash College Little Giants (6-1) vs. Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops (4-3). A big North Coast Athletic Conference game in Delaware, Ohio. North Coast of what??? Only in Ohio. Little Giants win 32 – 24.  Season to date (5-3)

COLLEGE HOCKEY PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 10/29, 7:00 PM ET: #12 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-3) vs. #18 St. Lawrence University Saints (3-5), Homecoming weekend in Canton; the SLU skid continues, Gophers win 5 – 3. Season to date (1-2)

THE SWAMI’S WEEK TOP PICKS –

(NFL, Oct. 30) Los Angeles (San Diego) Chargers (3-4) vs. Denver Broncos (5-2); Broncos are too much for the snake bitten Chargers, 24 – 17.

(NCAA SCIAC, Oct. 29) University of Redlands Bulldogs (5-1) at Pomona-Pitzer College Endowments (5-1), first place at stake in SCIAC, Redlands wins a close one 17 – 14.

(NHL, Oct. 29) Boston Bruins (3-4-0) vs. Detroit Red Wings (6-2-0), Red Wings off to a surprising fast start, they win again 3 – 2.

Season to date (85 - 75)

Next week: One week to the election …thank God it is almost over.

Until Next Time, Adios.

Claremont, CA

October 28, 2016

#VII-21-323

CARTOON OF THE WEEK – Peanuts

Educating the Unbanked

To achieve universal financial participation, we need more than smartphones, apps and always on Wi-Fi. The real answer lies in good old-fashioned education.

Thanks to the digitization of transactions and the proliferation of mobile devices, more and more people have access to cheap and convenient financial services, which makes them more likely to start new businesses, build their credit and invest in their families and communities. A growing body of research suggests that financial inclusion – defined as having a bank account for storing money and for making and receiving electronic payments – reduces inequality, strengthens economic growth and even improves physical health.

We are on our way to achieving universal financial access. Right now, 85% of global commerce still runs on cash. Two billion people are bankless (don’t tell Wells Fargo) but according to the World Bank, every adult on the planet could have a bank account by 2020, which is critical to ending global poverty. This is why finance, accounting, IT are the fastest growing higher education programs.

But having a bank account doesn’t guarantee financial participation – access to a full range of services such as credit, savings, remittances and insurance. For the affluent, checking is free and credit is cheap. For everyone else, being poor is expensive. In the U.S. alone, underserved consumers – the 68 million Americans who lack access to mainstream financial products – spend $138 billion a year on basic money-management services that many of us take for granted and spend next to nothing on.

Technology will continue to provide a pathway toward universal financial participation. Biometrics will provide digital “passports” for identity verification, a critical prerequisite for financial services, and new data sources, such as phone and utility payments, will make it easier to establish credit.

Not all answers like with technology, however. All the financial apps in the world mean nothing if consumers don’t know they exist, let alone how to use them. The biggest barrier to full financial participation is not a lack of Wi-Fi – it is basic lack of knowledge about digital services. We need to increase financial literacy. Equal access to safe, affordable and easy-to-use financial services should be a right, not a privilege. When our approach to education and financial literacy is as innovative as our apps, it is a right that everyone will be able to exercise.

This article is taken from an editorial by Daniel Schulman, CEO of PayPal.

GOOD READ -  "America's Dazzling Tech Boom Has a Downside: Not Enough Jobs," in  The Wall Street Journal: "Hiring in the computer and chip sectors dove after companies shifted hardware production outside the U.S., and the newest tech giants needed relatively few workers. The number of technology startups fizzled. Growth in productivity and wages slowed, and income inequality rose as machines replaced routine, low- and middle-income, human-powered work."

MANAGEMENT 101 – How to blow crisis management:  It was clear John Stumpf, chief executive of Wells Fargo & Co., was in trouble on Sept. 20, when senators from both parties castigated him over the bank's sales practices. ... The bank could have been better prepared. Summoned for hearings in Washington, Mr. Stumpf and other executives didn't answer many questions from legislators - in public or private - about sales practices that had led the bank to agree to a $185 million fine and regulatory enforcement action. ...

Even before the hearings, Wells Fargo had been slow-footed in responding to outrage over employee behavior that included opening as many as 2 million unauthorized accounts without customer knowledge. It misjudged the significance of firing 5,300 employees over five years for related bad behavior, failing to tell its own board of the number before regulators made it public. The botched response, a textbook example of how not to handle a crisis, reached a peak when Mr. Stumpf stepped down.

KRAUTHAMMER WATCH -- "It's not the 'locker room' talk. It's the 'lock her up' talk": "Such incendiary talk is an affront to elementary democratic decency and a breach of the boundaries of American political discourse. In democracies, the electoral process is a subtle and elaborate substitute for combat, the age-old way of settling struggles for power. ... Vladimir Putin, Hugo Chávez and a cavalcade of two-bit caudillos lock up their opponents. American leaders don't. One doesn't even talk like this. It takes decades, centuries, to develop ingrained norms of political restraint and self-control. But they can be undone in short order by a demagogue feeding a vengeful populism."

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to Mike Barnicle (63) Boston, Mass.; Jimmy Breslin (86) New York, NY.;  Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) (55) Springfield, IL.; Carrie Fisher (60) Malibu, CA.; Wynton Marsalis (55) Brooklyn, NY.; Juli Roberts …famous educator; Lindsey Vonn (32) Vail, CO.

COLLEGE CHRONICLES – Sign of the times: Students at Humboldt State University are feeling the effects of budget cuts, down to the last roll of toilet paper.

The California institution is no longer stocking toilet paper in four of the six student-residence buildings, according to Humboldt State's housing office. The university said the cost and the staff time spent restocking the paper were the main reasons the paper was pulled.

The change has driven students to desperate measures, like hoarding toilet paper. Now they're petitioning to bring it back. But will it work? Perhaps.

Back in 1998, Harvard University switched from single-ply to double-ply toilet paper following student complaints and a column in The Crimson suggesting that the university was — like its low-quality paper — going down the drain.

One-ply or two, Humboldt students just want their paper back.

NEW NATIONAL STUDENT DEBT FIGURES: Students from the class of 2015 who took out loans to pay for college graduated with an average debt of $30,100, according to an analysis released today by The Institute for College Access and Success. The widely-cited figure, which is up 4 percent from the previous year, captures the average debt of students who received a bachelor's degree from either a public or private nonprofit college.

Nearly seven in 10 graduating seniors in 2015 used student loans to finance their education, TICAS's annual report found. The group's analysis shows that while most students took out federal loans, only about one-fifth of students borrowed private or state-sponsored loans.

SYLLABUS - Average student debt for the Class of 2015 increased by 4 percent, to just over $30,000, compared with the year before, according to a report out this morning from the Institute for College Access & Success.

-          One-third of the very poorest student-loan borrowers who got out of default through a rehabilitation program will "re-default" in the next two years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau projects.

-          A study out of Occidental College found that 45 percent of employees in the University of California system go hungry at times.

-          In a new report on faculty diversity in STEM versus non-STEM fields, there’s good news and bad news: The professoriate nationwide is getting more diverse, but the pay gap for female and minority faculty members is still significant.

OVERTIME - The new federal overtime rule, which will open up many more college employees to overtime pay or the prospect of reduced hours, is poised to have an especially profound effect on admissions offices. Those offices, which rely on a cheap work force to carry out time-intensive recruitment campaigns, are grappling with whether the new rule will upend this "all-hands-on-deck culture”.

HARD DRIVE - The 8,000 mile internet cable: Facebook and Google, along with partners in Asia, plan to build an undersea internet cable stretching from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. The so-called Pacific Light Cable Network will have an estimated capacity of 120 terabits-per-second - about twice that of the "Faster" cable Google and others recently launched. It's expected to go live in 2018.

TOP THREE – Political campaign movies:

            1). The Candidate (1972)

            2). The Last Hurrah (1958)

            3). The War Room (1993)

Days until the 2016 election: 18.

It's going to be a long 18 days. This whole thing almost makes you miss the trainwreck that is Capitol Hill.

RINK RATS PRESEASON NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PICKS –

WEST-           Pacific: Golden State Warriors

                        Northwest: Utah Jazz

                        Southwest: San Antonio Spurs

                        Conference Champs: Golden State Warriors

EAST -           Atlantic: Boston Celtics

                        Central: Cleveland Cavaliers

                        Southeast: Atlanta Hawks

                        Conference Champs: Boston Celtics

                        NBA Champs: Golden State Warriors

NFL GAME OF THE WEEK – Sunday 10/23, 1:25 PM ET, CBS; New England Patriots (5-1) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)  Pittsburgh without Big Ben is like The Donald without hair, trouble. Pats win 28 – 14.  Season to date (5-1)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 10/22, 12:30 PM ET, CBS; #6 Texas A&M Aggies (6-0) vs. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0). Bama cruises 30 – 17.  Season to date (6-1)

SMALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 10/22, 1200 PM ET, HGTV: #11 Hardin-Simmons Cowboys (6-0) vs. #3 Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders (6-0). Crusaders win in a tight one, 17 – 14.  Season to date (4-3)

COLLEGE HOCKEY PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 10/22, 7:00 PM ET: #4 Quinnipiac Bobcats (3-1-1) vs. #8 Boston University Terriers (1-2). BU is overrated, Bobcats win 5 – 2. Season to date (1-1)

THE SWAMI’S WEEK TOP PICKS –

(NFL, Oct. 23) New York Giants (3-3) vs. Los Angeles Rams (3-3), London is calling for the Giants, 24 – 14.

(NCAA D-III, Oct. 22) #16 St. Lawrence University Saints (6-0) vs. Merchant Marine Mariners (4-2), Mariners will test the Saints, but SLU wins 35 – 28.

(NHL, Oct. 22) Montreal Canadiens (3-0-1) vs. Boston Bruins (3-1-0), Bruins win 3-2.

Season to date (79 - 67)

WORDS OF THE MONTH –

Bailiwick

\BEY-luh-wik\

Noun:

1. a person's area of skill, knowledge, authority, or work: to confine suggestions to one's own bailiwick.

2. the district within which a bailie or bailiff has jurisdiction.

“Arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court isn't Hamp's bailiwick. He's an old-school criminal defense attorney.”

-- Paul Beatty, The Sellout, 2015

raza

Noun: race; breed

El Día de la Raza is a holiday celebrated in Latin America on October 12th to commemorate Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. It is also a holiday in Spain, where it is called El Día de la Hispanidad.

MARKET WEEK - Tesla (TSLA) said all of its new vehicles will be equipped with hardware that enables fully autonomous driving, with the electric automaker planning to have a vehicle drive itself from Los Angeles to New York by the end of 2017.

Wells Fargo (WFC) is the subject of a criminal investigation by California's attorney general, centering on whether the creation of new accounts for unsuspecting customers by the bank's sales staff involved identity theft.

Netflix (NFLX) and 21st Century Fox (FOXA) are in a court battle over alleged employee poaching. Fox accuses Netflix of illegally hiring two employees who were under contract at Fox, but Netflix filed a complaint questioning the legality of those contracts.

Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google unit reportedly reached a deal with CBS (CBS) to carry the network on a soon to be launched online TV service, which is likely to premiere in early 2017.

TAX - Paychecks for the top 7 percent of earners will be a little lighter next year, due to an increase in the cap on the payroll tax.

After staying flat this year, the cap will rise from $118,500 to $127,200 in 2017, a change that will affect about 12 million of the U.S.'s 173 million strong workforce. The hike comes as the Social Security Administration will also be tacking a 0.3 cost-of-living adjustment on top of beneficiaries' checks next year.

Next week: Jack Ass of the Month.

Until Next Time, Adios.

Claremont, CA

October 21, 2016

#VII-20-322

CARTOON OF THE WEEK – Paul Noth, The New Yorker