Stratfor Analysis: Social and Demographic Challenges Facing Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia desperately needs to reform its economy as it is set upon a collision course with demographic trends that could unleash social upheaval with political and economic ramifications. It will be most interesting to see how this unfolds and influences foreign and domestic policy.


 

Recommended Reading & Listening: January-24-2017

Here is our most recent update of recommended links from the internet for reading, viewing and/or listening. Enjoy!









Personal & Life Matters

• Ray Allen's Letter to His Younger Self
• 13 Online Classes For Only $10 Each That Will Help You Learn Something New and Useful
• How to Be A Genius
• 
  

Business

• How Bad Could the Bond Bear Market Be?
• Could Middle Class Homeowners Get Hosed By Republican Tax Plan?
• Labor Market: Is This The End of the Innocence?
• Car Recession Sinking America's Largest Automakers

Politics

• Red States Mulling Higher Taxes
• Nationalism, the United States and Cyclical Crises
• Paul Ryan and President Trump See The Economy From Totally Different Views
• Trump's Transition: What I Learned In Washington DC - John Mauldin

American Political Leadership: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

Dean Bogner, is wise beyond his 14 years of age, and has more character than most of the political leaders and their hypocritical constituents who turn blind eyes to the deceit and injustices of their political parties, whether Democrat or Republican. Such people with vision and understanding of fairness and justice for all are rare and the saving hope of our nation. It encourages me to see that brave hearts exist amongst our youth.

(By the way, being a bully and a demagogue is not a sign of strength. Nor is self-serving duplicitous politician who thinks she is above reproach.)

Enjoy this TED Talk...



 

Marcus Aurelius on Execution

"Execute every act of thy life as though it were thy last."

-Marcus Aurelius

Mr. President: Please Tell Me How You're F*cking Me?

Last night, I rewatched the movie, The Big Short. Considering the social/economic/political climate of America, I get the sense that we are (d)evolving towards our nation's manifest Destiny and Karmic Justice. No one sees what is there because it is much more convenient to be told how things are or how we want them to be. This is the danger of predisposed bias.

In the above film, I observed parallels with our current times and wonder if I'm going crazy because few or none see what I am seeing. I find myself abandoned in the middle of it all with jokers on the left and clowns to the right both refusing to embrace the truth.

President Obama's Final Speech Before Leaving Office In Washington D.C.

President Trump's Full Inauguration Speech: January-20-2017

Why President Trump Is Unlikely to Pull Troops Out of Afghanistan?

Confucius' Thoughts on Preparation for Success

"Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure."

-Confucius

President Elect Trump's Full Press Conference on January 11, 2017

President Obama's Farewell Speech on January 10, 2017

Union States: What's Going to Happen When They Wake Up?

What really tipped the scales for Trump in the presidential election were his victories in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Each of them is a bastion for union labor. However, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Republicans typically against union labor?

Given the cabinet lineup, I wonder what happen if Congress enacts "right-to-work" legislation and Trump signs it? So far, Trump can do no wrong in the eyes of his supporters who, I must admit, are fiercely loyal to him. That would be interesting and will these union members remain red to their last drop of blood or revert to true blue?

Just something worthy of consideration...

Being a Hero Means Living Like One

What's Your Superpower?

The Morning Drink

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, I like to take nice long meditative walks and reflect upon the past week and the one ahead.

It rained during the night and early morning hours. This morning I walked at Venice Beach and was really taken with this image in the sky. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful and majestic as the bright light of hope in the midst of darkness? Quite powerful ...

I am so thankful to have experienced this vision and feeling. Have a blessed day everyone. Practice Love and not Hate.

Peace to y'all....

Click to enlarge

LIVE: Intel Chiefs Testify on 2016 Campaign Hackings

Who's Buying The Trump Rally: Average or Exceptional?

The Trump Rally has overshadowed a lot of reality with regards to US stock markets. However, if you are a marketing genius like him, then being a master at fine-tuning your pitch to the frequency of your audience becomes the art of the deal. This means you can pretty much spin almost any perception into reality.

Marketing and advertising experts remind us all the time that the comprehension level of the average (not to be confused with exceptional or excellent) American is 8th-grade at best. During his campaign, Trump, like any other presidential candidate, said some things that were grossly exaggerated, inaccurate, or just plain false. None of that really mattered because what people "feel" and "believe" is actually more important than facts and the bottom line is that Trump will be our 45th president. End of discussion.

US New Year Resolution: Ditch Frightful Partisan Fears!

At a top social media website, I came across a post which referenced an excerpt video from a PBS special that highlighted the city of Billings, Montana, rebuking hate and intolerance after white supremacists engaged in threatening and menacing ways towards non-white residents.  The gist of the post criticized PEOTUS Trump for not "condemning this and other blatantly horrible behavior." Seriously folks, this is a bit extreme and more akin to the Alt-Right holding Obama responsible for the costly Gulf wars he inherited upon inauguration.

Fueling some of this political angst is the existing landscape of escalating negativity and division in the US since the November-2016 presidential election and the abandonment of journalistic integrity, i.e. fake news. However, this particular story was not fake. In fact, it actually did occur, but more than 7 years ago. Despite this time lapse ,which could have been confirmed in less than 3 seconds via a Google search query, a sampling of comments indicate a reflexive tendency to denounce Trump. (LMAO & SMDH: WTF?)

Before continuing, I should disclose that I find Hilary Clinton almost equally unappealing or equally appalling. Yet, she did manage to convert my political agnosticism into a vote as I joined the "anyone but Trump camp". These days, I find myself stuck in the middle between "mentally lazy-liberals" and "rabid right-wingnuts", of which neither are accustomed to thinking independently or rising above the fray of partisanship.

This time I have "beef" with liberals, who have felt nothing but blue this holiday season, and must chastise them for holding Trump accountable for an incident predating his PEOTUS status by almost two election cycles.

So, what's my point?

Alternative Workouts for Sustainable Health Habits in the 2017 New Year

So, the New Year is here and many have probably made health related resolutions or goals. Fast forward a month later and some will have fallen by the wayside. I always say that it's better to do a little bit of something on a daily or regularly frequent basis than to do a lot of something for a short period and then quit.

May I suggest a different approach to training (which I have been doing for quite a number of years now)? To illustrate my point, I share a video from Jurij Vysjegorodskij, the Russian beast from the East. (I thought of making my own workout video, but I don't want to seem like I'm showing off.)