You may think it’s too early to say, “Bah! Humbug” – but if you do, it’s because you have not been in a retail store lately. Any store. I am actually not talking about the already ubiquitous Christmas displays in every retail cranny across the land … I am talking about Halloween.
In early August, the headlines were inundated with the news the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) had decided to devalue their currency in relationship to the U.S. Dollar. Not only did they devalue their currency, but they actually devalued it against our dollar three times in the same week. This was the largest currency devaluation by China in over 20 years. Our markets in the States were quite rattled by the news, as it seemed to come from left field. The Dow Jones Industrial average* dropped 277 points the day after the announcement only to rally to close the day near the flat line. The U.S. Dollar also had a few very volatile days as it traded from .975 against the world basket of traded currencies to .960 a day later (roughly a 1.5% drop in the U.S. dollar in one day). There is much speculation regarding the reasons why China decided to take these drastic steps to weaken their currency, but looking deeper, it is most likely a combination of factors that persuaded the PBOC to make these moves.
I have been obsessively following the search for Elsa – a black Lab-mix dog that went missing from her home in Swartz Creek. Her owners created a “Find Elsa” Facebook page, dedicated to bringing her home. On it, you will find videos featuring her tiny human siblings, pleading for her safe return. There are photos of this sweet pup, happily playing dress up, just being part of a family.
This past month, I had the opportunity to visit Flint’s Buick Automotive Gallery for the first time. I’m not a car aficionado, but I could not help but gawk at the beautifully restored and preserved vehicles. Contributing to my awe was the difficulty I had imagining them actually being used by people at some time; they looked like props, or artifacts – not cars that people drove.
I have always enjoyed reading and wanted to pass my love of books on to my grandchildren. So, one of our favorite things to do together is a trip to the library – something we have enjoyed doing since they were very young. I’m sure the trips were made even more fun for them because they included a stop at the nearby candy store, where they could each pick out a fabulous, handmade chocolate.
For lovers of alternative/non-mainstream cinema, the best part of the year is just beginning. Perhaps we’ve journeyed to Traverse City to visit that city’s ever-growing film festival, or are awaiting a trip to Canada to one of the continent’s biggest cinematic events, the Toronto International Film Festival, which has become kind of the unofficial launch of awards season. The Toronto festival turns 40 this fall; I was first there when it was less than half that age, and Roger & Me was the talk of the town.
In the course of my world travels, I have run into a lot of advice from other explorers. It mostly boils down to this: travel like a local.
You may have noticed recent financial headlines regarding the European Union and the inability of the country of Greece to repay their debt. Our clients continue to question, “Why does it matter to us in the U.S. if Greece defaults on their loans?” Greece has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $237 Billion,* which is only half of the GDP of our Great State of Michigan at $449 billion as of 2014.** “Why should my investment strategy be impacted by such a small country? Greece has many great achievements in the history of the world, but why is it such a significant part of the current economy?”
August is the month when people say things like, “Summer’s almost over,” a lot. I’ve actually said it before, myself, but it is kind of silly when you think about it. Do I really want to spend the last month of summer talking about how it won’t be summer much longer? There is actually a good reason why an odd sense of impending doom sets in this time very year: It’s back-to-school time. You would have to avoid stepping foot in any and all retail outlets in order to truly escape the reminders. There are signs everywhere, so even if you do not have children, you know that the clock is ticking on summer.
On July 4, 2015, we lost longtime Flint media legend, Dave Barber. For decades, the often controversial and award-winning broadcaster hosted “The Dave Barber Show” on Flint radio stations WTRX, WTAC and WFDF. He is remembered as an energetic and talented entertainer and bon vivant, who was passionate about the city and its people. Dave was known to say, “It’s time to count my tips and go home.” My City bids a fond farewell to a friend of Flint who will be missed.
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but I think the same can be said about the road to second language mastery.
