Strange things start happening when your passport is basically useless. Check any travel map, and it appears that the world is blacked out if you hold an American visa. Stay out. Not welcome. Scram!
As we continue to press forward into what I have branded as “the year of uncertainty,” we continue to navigate markets in an environment of extremely high volatility. The volatility index, often referred to as the VIX, or the “fear index” is currently trading at around 30. During normal economic environments, when not dealing with a global health crisis, nationwide shutdowns of certain industries and weird executive orders being implemented on a unilateral basis, the VIX is perfectly happy trading around the 10-12 area. What this indicates is how much investors are willing to pay for protection of their portfolio.
COVID-19 and the wave of shutdowns that followed resulted in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Had the pandemic not occurred, 2020 would have been a lot like 2019, a year of peace and prosperity. Certainly, there are reasons to be pessimistic. What are some reasons to be optimistic?
Summer is in full swing and boy, has it been a hot one! I usually love to take long walks in the early morning or evening but it has been so hot, I find myself sitting in the air conditioning, reading a good book – one of my favorite pastimes. I recently finished The Chef by James Patterson: a fast-paced thriller about a New Orleans police detective by day and a food truck chef by night. It was a good summer read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Too hot to cook? Summer meals don’t need to be complex – but that’s not a reason why they shouldn’t be delicious! If you need some fresh ideas, it’s really hard to go wrong with cheese and fruit. Don’t know where to begin? I have a few suggestions for interesting combinations.
Concerns have been raised by some that the COVID-19 recession will lead to economic deflation, while others say inflation. Which outcome is more likely?
Unfortunately, the last four months have brought quite a bit of turmoil. U.S. unemployment numbers were at a historic, record low of below 4% for 23 consistent months, only to be destroyed by a nationwide stay-at-home order that decimated our workforce. It is estimated that over 36 million people lost their jobs between the end of March and the beginning of June, and our unemployment rate is the worst since the Great Depression.* In fact, the currently horrible economic numbers can only be compared to those experienced during the 1930s.
During the recent quarantine, my family and I took time to relax, enjoy some frozen pizzas and popcorn and catch a few “under the radar” movies and episodic Netflix series. Sure, there are other things to do, but it’s all about how you like to decompress, right?
Are you a hot dog lover? National Hot Dog Day is celebrated on the third Wednesday in July. And the beloved sandwich deserves a special day because it is one of America’s favorite summer foods! The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council created this day and holds an annual hot dog lunch in our nation’s Capital.
In the summertime, supper goals include quick and easy meals that don’t involve turning on the oven. Pasta salad is one of my favorite options – not only does it allow you to take advantage of seasonal vegetables that are becoming available at local markets and create new flavor combinations, but it’s also delicious and always a crowd pleaser!
In 1852, in the northwestern region of the Mitten, a Presbyterian missionary named Peter Dougherty went against the advice of the local inhabitants and planted the first cherry orchard on the Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse Bay. To everyone’s surprise, his stone fruit crop flourished and soon thereafter, cherry trees dotted the land. The first commercial orchard was Ridgewood Farm near the Dougherty property and the first processing facility was built by the Traverse City Canning Company.
