Congratulations to our friend Bob Litschi on his retirement from Tatum Partners! Bob is an example of the consummate professional. He is the kind of guy who you always want to be around. Thank you for all the referrals and support you’ve given us over the years! Here is his latest passion we would like to help him support: the 2012 NAMIWalk on October 6, 2012.
At Far West Capital, we are big believers in having work life balance. Check out our ideas on how to achieve some serenity in your life. When was the last time you slowed down and appreciated your life? For inspiration, check out this picture from our latest fishing trip.
Here’s another story that shows why we should pay attention to the President and Congress. As this article says, random and small amendments can rob us of our freedom, and wipe out entire industries! Recently, nationwide operators of roll-your-own cigarette businesses were put out of business when a small amendment was added to a transportation bill. For one machine owner, more than 1,000 of his machines are shutting down. Not only was this amendment disappointing for owners, but also for consumers who value cigarettes without all the chemicals. Nobody realizes the importance of freedom until his head is on the chopping block.
The annual San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain on July 6–14 is famous for its Running of the Bulls. What began as a simple bull transport, from off-site corrals to the bullring, became Spanish tradition as people started running alongside the bulls to show off. Daredevils from around the world come to celebrate every year. There have been 15 deaths since 1924, the most recent in 2009, but casualties usually only include non-serious injuries. There were no deaths this year. It’s a unique and dangerous tradition, but full of anticipation and cultural meaning.
We love truckers and trucking companies! This was on the back of an 18-wheeler somewhere in West Texas: “DESTINATION: EXCELLENCE.” How’s that for a mission statement? No 3-day retreats or fancy banners in the break room needed here. It’s simple, concise, and understood by all.
We may joke about the abundance of ‘made in China’ products in the U.S., but parents in China are looking for alternative sources for their children’s products. Because of past safety issues, American baby products are seeing a boom in China and won’t be going away anytime soon. On average, 16 million babies are born in China every year, averaging about 31 births a minute. That number is expected to rise five percent this year because Chinese parents believe babies born in the Year of the Dragon are destined for success!
John Mauldin’s newsletter is always has great information about the economy. In his last newsletter, he shared that the U.S. now has more people on government pensions than workers in the private workforce, according to these sobering statistics.
- As of June 2012, there were 111,145,000 in the private workforce.
- As of June 2012, there were 56,174,538 collecting some form of Social Security or disability benefit.
- The ratio of Social Security beneficiaries to private employees just passed the 50% mark.
This problem is rapidly getting worse. The Baby Boom generation is starting to retire and the growth will continue increasing, causing taxes to rise and spending to fall. Even though we’ve seen this happen many times in our history, we have a hard time learning how to escape the debt trap.
When ‘The 9 Nanas’ started their baking project more than 30 years ago, their mission was to make people happy, so they would send hundreds of pound cakes out to people they knew needed a care package. Most of them strangers, the recipients were people who the women learned needed a little extra help or happiness. More than three decades later, they finally told their husbands and grown children about the secret project. With their family’s encouragement, The 9 Nanas started selling pound cakes online and continue to work in secrecy spreading happiness. In the last 35 years, they have contributed nearly $900,000 to the community. You can buy their cakes here!
Good video alert! The Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins were in the middle of a game when lightening and thunder struck nearby. This video shows the players scatter and run as if their life depended on it. We don’t blame them! I’m sure we’d do the same if we were wearing metal gear or holding a baseball bat just the right shape of a lightening rod. We can only hope they will apply those quick moves when there isn’t this type of motivation. Check out the funny video here.
I’m sure by now everyone has heard that Minnesota Vikings great Adrian Peterson was arrested and booked in Houston. Somebody needs to let Adrian know that he is posing for a mug shot at the police department and not his prom picture. He can follow these examples of pro golfer John Daly, Hollywood actor Nick Nolte, and musician Steven Tyler.
You can buy a lot of things on Craigslist these days, even a long-abandoned town. Our fellow EO Austin member and owner of the Bikinis restaurant chain, Doug Guller, recently purchased the town of Bankersmith in northwestern Kendall County (29 miles northwest of Boerne, 10 miles south of Fredericksburg) and renamed it Bikinis. Doug plans to turn Bikinis, Texas into a “world-class destination” and will regularly host events in the town. How’s that for a day trip destination?
We’re going to Vegas this week! We are co-leading a Credit & Underwriting Training class on Thursday and Friday with the International Finance Association (IFA). Professionals in the factoring industry will learn about critical elements about underwriting and analyzing client and debtor credit. If you’re in Vegas, take a gamble and drop by.