Juggling Dynamite

As most of us learn first hand the hard way, it is one thing to make money and it is another thing entirely to hang on to it.  The advice from Shaquille O’Neal in this clip is excellent on how to set savings aside off the top and spend only what remains.  The next equally difficult challenge though is how to preserve and grow the savings once amassed.  This is much harder than most ever imagine, as the majority of financial products and conventional advice around investing are more likely to harm capital than grow it over full market cycles.

Shaquille O’Neal illustrates his money advice for young people using a blank sheet of paper.  Here is a direct video link.

Shaquille O’Neal’s money advice to young people from CNBC.

There is no denying that Elon Musk and Tesla have been key instigators in the long delayed push and now race for electric vehicles. Leaping battery technology and the spread of charging stations will naturally accelerate this transformation.  The emissions-fraud perpetrated by many of the world’s largest ICE manufacturers has also helped increase public awareness on the cleaner air/less disease side of life without internal combustion engines.  And the embarrassment and brand damage finally prompted traditional auto companies to ramp up their EV lines in a bid to win back public trust.  Too bad they invested their energy and resources in lying and cheating emissions standards to pollute the world and maintain antiquated technology the past decade, rather than EV innovation. Our healthier world could have been so much further ahead.  So it goes. See AAA: 1-in-5 U.S. drivers want an electric vehicle:

American appetite for electric vehicles is heating up. A new AAA survey shows that 20 percent or 50 million Americans will likely go electric for their next vehicle purchase, up from 15 percent in 2017. With lower-than-average ownership costs, increased driving ranges and the latest advanced safety features, AAA sees a strong future for electric vehicles. To help “green” car shoppers make an informed choice, AAA conducts independent, rigorous test-track evaluations of plug-in hybrids, hybrid and fuel-efficient, gas-powered vehicles.

“Today, electric vehicles have mainstream appeal,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of Automotive Engineering. “While concern for the environment is still a major motivator, AAA found U.S. drivers are also attracted to the lower long-term costs and advanced technology features that many of these vehicles offer.”

Perhaps fueling American’s desire for electric vehicles, AAA’s survey found that “range anxiety” is beginning to ease. Among those unsure or unwilling to choose an electric vehicle for their next car, 63 percent (down 9 percent from 2017) cited not enough places to charge as a detractor while 58 percent (down 15 percent from 2017) expressed concern over running out of charge while driving. Not surprisingly, range anxiety is less of a concern for millennials (48 percent) than Generation X or Baby Boomers (64 percent and 66 percent, respectively).

A recent study from the University of Chicago has found that the mere presence of one’s smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity.  It’s not enough to just have the screen or sound turned off, if we want deeper focus we need to be physically separate from our phones.  This connects with my own experience in trying to think and write, but also to drive attentively and be present in the moment while interacting meaningfully with other humans and nature.  See more here Having your smartphone nearby takes a toll on your thinking:

With these findings in mind, students, employees, and CEOs alike may wish to maximize their productivity by defining windows of time during which they plan to be separated from their phones, allowing them to accomplish tasks requiring deeper thought. Moreover, asking employees not to use their phones during meetings may not be enough. Our work suggests that having meetings without phones present can be more effective, boosting focus, function, and the ability to come up with creative solutions. More broadly, we can all become more engaged and cognitively adept in our everyday lives simply by putting our smartphones (far) away.