LG QNED Mini-LED TVs are its best LCDs for 2021, but they’re not as good as OLED – CNET

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LG This story is part of CES, where our editors will bring you the latest news and the hottest gadgets of the entirely virtual CES 2021.

CES 2021 is coming up fast, but LG just couldn't wait to introduce the TV world's latest four-letter word. The manufacturer, best known for excellent OLED TVs like the CX series, is coming out with a new line of televisions called QNED. Based on the more common LCD TV technology instead ofOLED, QNED combines the benefits of its NanoCell technology with quantum dots for improved color, contrast and brightness, according to LG.

QNED TVs will occupy the upper end of LG's 2021 LCD TV lineup, but company representatives were careful to say they won't deliver the same level of picture quality as its OLED TVs. LG has not announced any new 2021 OLED TVs, but is expected to do so closer to CES.

QNED is just one letter away from QLED, a technology touted by Samsung and TCL with largely similar underpinnings (LED LCD backlights and quantum dots), so confusion is inevitable. LG says its QNED TVs will use Mini-LED backlight technology, much like TCL's 6-Series and 8-Series QLED TVs, which again improve brightness and contrast compared to traditional LED backlights. Samsung has not announced any Mini-LED TVs yet, but it does market wall-sized, exceedingly high-end televisions that use MicroLED tech.

Read more: Mini-LED LCD TV tech: Tiny lights lead to better picture quality

LG has yet to provide much additional information on its QNED sets. It did not say exactly how NanoCell and quantum dots would work together (both technologies traditionally focus on improving color) or provide more specifications -- aside from saying the TVs would have "up to" 30,000 Mini-LEDs and 2,500 local dimming zones, presumably in the largest sizes. It also did not announce exactly which models will use QNED or what screen sizes and resolutions (4K and/or 8K) they'll have. Company representatives promised more details closer to CES; LG has a press conference scheduled for Jan. 11.

In the meantime TV shoppers are faced with yet another confusing, similar-sounding brand name. At CNET we'll do our best to unravel it once we get more information. How QNED compares with QLED and other high-end LCD TVs, or with OLED TVs, is the biggest question however, and ultimately that answer will have to wait for reviews. Stay tuned.

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LG QNED Mini-LED TVs are its best LCDs for 2021, but they're not as good as OLED - CNET

Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy S21 on January 14 – The Next Web

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Just a few days into the new year, Samsung has announced that its going to unveil its next flagship possibly called the Galaxy S21 on January 14. This would be the earliest release for the S-series flagship considering its usually slotted for February or March.

The event date is not entirely surprising as tipster Jon Prosser had hinted at this last November.

Samsung will supposedly launch a trio of phones: the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The Ultra is rumored to lead the pack with a 108-megapixel main sensor and support for Samsungs S-Pen stylus, like the companys Galaxy Note series.

Credit: Android Police

However, if Samsung follows Apples steps, and removes the charging brick from the shipping boxesof these phones, that might take the headlines instead of the devices features.

Apart from phones, Samsung might release a couple of other gadgets at the event too. The Korean tech giant could launch the Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earphones with active noise cancellation, along with its Tile-like item tracker tag.

Samsungs event will be live-streamed on its site and YouTube channel on January 14 at 10AM ET/ 7AM PT/ 4PM CET/ 8.30 PM IST.

Well bring you all the coverage from the event on Plugged.

Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? Its called Plugged In and you can subscribe to it right here.

Published January 4, 2021 07:32 UTC

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Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy S21 on January 14 - The Next Web

Byron Wien Says S&P 500 Will Tumble Before Rallying to 4,500 – Yahoo Finance

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TipRanks

Weve turned a new page on the calendar, Old Man 20 is out the door, and theres a feeling 21 is gonna be a good year and so far, so good. The markets closed out 2020 with modest session gains to cap off larger annual gains. The S&P 500 rose 16% during the corona crisis year, while the NASDAQ, with its heavy tech representation, showed an impressive annual gain of nearly 43%. The advent of two viable COVID vaccines is fueling a surge in general optimism.Wall Streets top analysts have been casting their eye at the equity markets, finding those gems that investors should give serious consideration in this new year. These are analysts with 5-star ratings from TipRanks database, and they are pointing out the stocks with Strong Buy ratings in short, this is where investors can expect to find share growth over the next 12 months. We are talking returns of at least 70% over the next 12 months, according to the analysts. ElectraMeccanica Vehicles (SOLO)Electric vehicles, EVs, are growing more popular as consumers look for alternatives to the traditional internal combustion gasoline engine. While EVs simply move the source of combustion from under the hood to the electric power plant, they do offer real advantages for drivers: they offer greater acceleration, more torque, and they are more energy efficient, converting up to 60% of their battery energy into forward motion. These advantages, as EV technology improves, are starting to outweigh the drawbacks of shorter range and expensive battery packs.ElectraMeccanica, a small-cap manufacturer from British Columbia, is the designer and marketer of the Solo, a single-seat, three-wheel EV built for the urban commuter market. Technically, the Solo is classed as an electric motorcycle but it is fully enclosed, with a door on either side, features a trunk, air conditioning, and a Bluetooth connection, and travels up to 100 miles on a single charge at speeds up to 80 miles per hour. The recharging time is low, less than 3 hours, and the vehicle is priced at less than $20,000.Starting in Q3 2020, the company delivered its first shipment of vehicles to the US, and expanded into six additional US urban markets, including San Diego, CA and Scottsdale and Glendale, AZ. ElectraMeccanica also opened four new storefronts in the US 2 in Los Angeles, one in Scottsdale, and one in Portland, OR. In addition, the company has begun design and marketing work a fleet version of the Solo, to target the commercial fleet and car rental markets starting in the first half of this year.Craig Irwin, 5-star analyst with Roth Capital, is impressed by SOLOs possible applications to the fleet market. He writes of this opening, We believe the pandemic is a tailwind for fast food chains exploring better delivery options. Chains look to avoid third party delivery costs and balance brand identity implications of operator- vs. company-owned vehicles. The SOLO's 100-mile range, low operating cost, and std telematics make the vehicle a good fit, in our view, particularly when location data can be integrated into a chain's kitchen software. We would not be surprised if SOLO made a couple announcements with major chains after customers validate plans.Irwin puts a Buy rating on SOLO, supported by his $12.25 price target which implies a 98% upside potential for the stock in 2021. (To watch Irwins track record, click here)Speculative tech is popular on Wall Street, and ElectraMeccanica fits that bill nicely. The company has 3 recent reviews, and all are Buys, making the analyst consensus a unanimous Strong Buy. Shares are priced at $6.19 and have an average target of $9.58, making the one-year upside 55%. (See SOLO stock analysis on TipRanks)Nautilus Group (NLS)Based in Washington State, this fitness equipment manufacturer has seen a massive stock gain in 2020, as its shares rocketed by more than 900% over the course of the year, even accounting for recent dips in the stock value. Nautilus gained as the social lockdown policies took hold and gyms were shuttered in the name of stopping or slowing the spread of COVID-19. The company, which owns major home fitness brands like Bowflex, Schwinn, and the eponymous Nautilus, offered home-bound fitness buffs the equipment needed to stay in shape.The share appreciation accelerated in 2H20, after the companys revenues showed a recovery from Q1 losses due to the corona recession. In the second quarter, the top line hit $114 million, up 22% sequentially; in Q3, revenues reached $155, for a 35% sequential gain and a massive 151% year-over-year gain. Earnings were just as strong, with the Q3 $1.04 EPS profit beating coming in far above the year-ago quarters 30-cent loss.Watching this stock for Lake Street Capital is 5-star analyst Mark Smith, who is bullish on this stock. Smith is especially cognizant of the recent dip in share price, noting that the stock is now off its peak which makes it attractive to investors. Nautilus reported blowout results for 3Q:20 with strength across its portfolio We think the company has orders and backlog to drive high sales and earnings for the next several quarters and think we have seen a fundamental shift in consumers' exercise-at-home behavior. We would view the recent pull back as a buying opportunity, Smith opined.Smiths $40 price target supports his Buy rating, and indicates a robust 120% one-year upside potential. (To watch Smiths track record, click here)The unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating shows that Wall Street agrees with Smith on Nautilus potential. The stock has 4 recent reviews, and all are to Buy. Shares closed out 2020 with a price of $18.14, and the average target of $30.25 suggests the stock has room for ~67% upside growth in 2021. (See NLS stock analysis on TipRanks)KAR Auction Services (KAR)Last but not least is KAR Auction Services, a car auctioning company, which operates online and physical marketplaces to connect buyers and sellers. KAR sells to both business buyers and individual consumers, offering vehicles for a variety of uses: commercial fleets, private travel, even the second-had parts market. In 2019, the last year for which full-year numbers are available, KAR sold 3.7 million vehicles for $2.8 billion in total auction revenue.The ongoing corona crisis, with its social lockdown policies, put a damper on car travel and reduced demand for used vehicles across market segments. KAR shares slipped 13% in 2020, in a year of volatile trading. In the recent 3Q20 report, the company showed revenue of $593.6 million, down over 15% year-over-year. Third quarter earnings, however, at 23 cents per share profit, were down less, 11% yoy, and showed a strong sequential recovery from the Q2 EPS loss of 25 cents.As the new vaccines promise an end to the COVID pandemic later this year, and the lifting of lockdown and local travel restrictions, the mid- to long-term prospects for the second-hand car market and for KAR Auctions are brightening, according to Truist analyst Stephanie Benjamin.The 5-star analyst noted, Our estimates now assume that the volume recovery occurs in 2021 vs. 4Q20 under our previous estimates Overall, we believe the 3Q results reflect that KAR is well executing on the initiatives within its control, specifically improving its cost structure and transforming to a pure digital auction model.Looking further ahead, she adds, delinquencies and defaults for auto loans and leases have increased and we believe will serve as a meaningful volume tailwind in 2021 as repo activity resumes. Additionally, repo vehicles generally require ancillary services which should yield higher RPU. This supply influx should also help moderate the used pricing environment and drive dealers to fill up their lots, which remain at three-year lows from an inventory standpoint.In line with these comments, Benjamin sets a $32 price target, implying a high 71% one-year upside potential to the stock, and rates KAR as a Buy. (To watch Benjamins track record, click here)Wall Street generally is willing to speculate on KARs future, as indicated by the recent reviews, which split 5 to 1 Buy to Hold, and make the analyst consensus view a Strong Buy. KAR is selling for $18.61, and its $24.60 average price target suggests it has room to grow 32% from that level. (See KAR stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Byron Wien Says S&P 500 Will Tumble Before Rallying to 4,500 - Yahoo Finance

Jamf is now managing 20 million devices around the world as Apples enterprise growth continues – 9to5Mac

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Today, Jamf has announced that it is now managing 20 million Apple devices for customers around the world. In the past five years, theyve added 16 million devices compared to just 4 million devices through its first 13 years.

Coming into 2015, Jamf was 13 years old and managing less than 4 million devices for approximately 5,000 customers. That year, as the enterprise saw a growing number of professionals demanding to use Apple at work, we set an aggressive goal to empower the new workforce by running on 20 million Apple devices by the end of 2020, said Dean Hager, CEO of Jamf. Through our mission to help organizations succeed with Apple, we are proud to have achieved this milestone, and more importantly to have enabled so many organizations to help their employees, doctors, nurses, teachers and students get the most out of their technology and be their best.

Jamf now has more than 47,000 customers, adding more than 4 million devices and 11,000 customers in 2020 alone. Its customers include 24 of Forbes 25 most valuable brands, all of the top 10 of Bankrates largest U.S. banks, all 10 of the global universities according to U.S. News & World Report, 16 of the top 20 best U.S. hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report, and seven of the top 10 Fortune 500 tech companies.

Jamf sells three types of mobile device management systems for Apple products. Jamf Pro, formerly known as the Casper Suite, is the powerhouse product offering the largest feature set. Jamf School is a K-12 focused MDM solution aimed to make it easier to implement and manage products in education, and Jamf Now is a small-business focused MDM solution. Jamf also offers Jamf Connect to streamline Mac authentication and identity management as many organizations move away from Active Directory and Jamf Protect for Mac endpoint security.

Apple products are used by all members of the Fortune 500, so organizations that have typically relied on Windows-based products with Microsoft based management solutions are in need of macOS and iOS focused management solutions. With 2020 moving many companies and schools completely remote, Jamf continued innovating around zero-touch deployment for at-home employees, virtual education options for students, and remote patient care. With most of these trends continuing into 2021, its not surprising to see Jamf reach the 20 million device number, and itll likely continue to grow.

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Jamf is now managing 20 million devices around the world as Apples enterprise growth continues - 9to5Mac

Tech That Will Change Your Life in 2021 – The Wall Street Journal

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A pandemic that ravaged the world and accelerated the digital transformation of, well, everything? Not even the best of futurists or Magic 8 ball-shaking psychics could have predicted the year that was 2020. And yet while we may have missed the biggest news, our predictions for what would occur in the tech world held up decently. (OK, fine, we didnt think Quibi would die that quickly.)

Now, 2020 has become the lens through which all our 2021 predictions are glimpsed. As we continue to live in a pandemic-fighting world, innovators will aim tech solutions at our personal and professional lives, from at-home streaming movie debuts to an overdue evolutionary leap of the laptop. But we will also strive to reach a new normal, and youll see technology helping us there, too, from new hybrid work practices to high-tech masks. And accompanying each new product or service: yet another monthly subscription fee.

Now that weve rung in the new year, heres what to look for.

Masks, webcams and sanitizers for our bodies... and our gadgets. The pandemic sparked a reliance on things our 2019 selves couldnt ever have imagined. With marketers keen to capitalize on the new interest (and anxiety), 2021 will likely be full of new gizmos that boldly promise to improve it all.

One key area: better webcams for our constant video calling. Samsung has already announced that its forthcoming Galaxy smartphone, expected in early 2021, will improve video recording and calling. We anticipate laptop makers will do the same and finally ditch their crappy, low-resolution webcams.

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Dow drops over 382 points with tight Georgia election ahead – Fox Business

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Quill Intelligence LLC chief strategist and CEO Danielle Dimartino Booth and Agora Financial market strategist Alan Knuckman provide insight into todays markets and potential consequences of Tuesdays Georgia Senate elections.

Stockssold off sharply after opening higher on the first day of trading in 2021, despite the prospects for continued fiscal stimulus and coronavirus vaccine rollouts aiding investor optimism.

Instead, investors focused on the tight race in Georgia thatwill determine who controls the Senate. Additionally, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced even tougher lockdowns in the region.

All three of the major U.S. averages saw declines of over 1% with the Dow Jones Industrial dropping over 382 pointsbut managingto come back from a deficit of over 600 points. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.47% each.

Despite the drop,Teslashares continued their record run after the Elon Musk-led company said it delivered almost 500,000 cars in 2020, falling just shy of Musk's previously stated goal. Shares closed 3.4% higher.

In other tech news, a small group of Google employees has voted to unionize. While the group is considered more symbolic it could potentially spark a trend among other tech giants, say industry watchers.

Slack, which Salesforce announced its intention to acquire towardthe end of 2020, fell as the communications platform experienceda service outage on Monday, impacting millions of its users.

The company's official Twitter account noted that there were issues with connecting and channels loading. The service outage started just shortly after 10 a.m. EST. but hassince returned to operating normally.

There were scattered reports of other interruptions, including Microsoft's Teams and Zoom, per Downdetector,as well as H&R Block.

INVESTORS BULLISH ON STOCKS, HOPING FOR A BRIGHTER 202

Shares of Herbalife wereactive on Monday after The Wall Street Journal reported thatactivist investor Carl Icahn has sold more than half of his stake in the companywhile also relinquishing seats on its board of directors.

China's biggest telecom companies, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, are under pressure after the New York Stock Exchange said it would delist the three, citing an executive order.

In other China news, there are reports China's richest man, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, has not been seen in recent days. Still, FOX Business has learnedhe is keeping a low profile despite ongoing tensions between his businesses and the Chinese government.

WHERE'S ALIBABA'S JACK MA?

ECONOMIC NUMBERS

Spending on construction projects in the U.S. rose 0.9% in November, according to the Commerce Department. Economists surveyed by Refinitiv expected a gain of 1%. Construction spending in October was revised higher to 1.6%.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE STORIES ON FOXBUSINESS

In other asset classes, bitcoin fell nearly 10% to the $31,000 levelafter rallying in the final days of 2020 and the first couple of days of 2021, surpassing the $34,000 level.

West Texas Intermediate crude rosenearly 1.85% to $47.62per barrel, while gold jumped higher, gaining more than 2.7% to$1,944.70an ounce.

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The Amazon-Berkshire Hathaway-JPMorgan healthcare joint venture is officially ending – TechCrunch

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A somewhat nebulous, but high-profile and potentially heavily moneyed joint venture is coming to an end: Haven, the JV created by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase, is being disbanded according to CNBC, three years after its original formation. One of the main reasons is that each partner in the venture was apparently just pursuing their own very different strategic approach to their respective healthcare challenges, meaning there really wasnt much joint in the joint venture to begin with.

In a statement provided to CNBC, a Haven spokesperson highlighted some of the good results that came out of the partnership over the years, including improving access to primary care and making insurance benefits packages easier to grasp for employees. Meanwhile, Amazon has made lots of progress on its own with its Amazon Care program, which is its internal healthcare program for employees at its Washington facilities.

Amazon Care includes provision of both virtual and in-person primary care doctor visits and prescription delivery. The company is also reported to be considering expansion of this service to other businesses, which signals its intent to turn it into a real business with aims very much in line with what the Haven JV had originally taken as its guiding light.

To be honest, the original announcement about the JVs founding was light on details and seemed like one of those things that comes together when very rich people talk about their shared problems over a casual afternoon hang at the club with caviar and mineral water distilled from pristine arctic ice or whatever they enjoy during their repasts, so its not all that surprising it didnt materialize into anything more substantial.

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The Amazon-Berkshire Hathaway-JPMorgan healthcare joint venture is officially ending - TechCrunch

The Amazfit Bip U Pro smartwatch for $70 is pretty amazing – CNET

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The Amazfit Bip U Pro is another very impressive smartwatch that's surprisingly affordable.

In case you're keeping score, Amazfit introduced about 37 new wearables last year. OK, not quite that many, but a bunch -- and I've had the opportunity to test-drive many of them.

What follows is a very preliminary first take on the Amazfit Bip U Pro, which is a pretty clunky name for a pretty impressive watch. I've been wearing it for only a day or so, but wanted to bring it to your attention in case you're, say, looking for ways to spend an Amazon gift card you got for Christmas.

Read more: Spend those gift cards! Here's the best stuff to buy, starting at $25

The Bip U Pro is, unsurprisingly, an upgraded version of the Bip U, which has been on the market for barely a month. There's zero point in buying the latter when the Pro is just $10 more and adds one crucial feature: built-in GPS. It also adds built-in Alexa, which isn't crucial but can be nice to have.

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Like the majority of Amazfit watches, this one packs in a wealth of features -- some implemented better than others, but overall a very solid roster. It sports a razor-sharp 1.43-inch color screen, heart-rate and blood-oxygen monitors, over 60 sport modes and a battery that's good for up to nine days.

What you don't get here is an always-on option. If that's an important feature, consider the Amazfit Bip S, which is also priced at $70 and has a lower-resolution transflective screen. However, it offers only about 10 sport modes and no Alexa.

None of the Bip models let you reply to or dictate text messages, and they don't automatically detect workouts. The clunky, sometimes confusing companion app -- annoyingly named Zepp -- remains a thorn in the entire Amazfit lineup, but it's far from a deal-breaker.

Indeed, based on what I've seen of the Bip U Pro thus far, it might just be the star of that lineup. The hardware is pretty superb, the fitness features capable, the price borderline unbelievable.

Your thoughts?

Tidal has exclusive music content and offers first dibs on concert tickets.

Want to see how the other half lives? Or, rather, hear how the other half listens? Most music-streaming services employ some kind of compression, meaning you're not getting the full audio experience. If you're not sure how much that really matters, here's a cheap chance to find out: For a limited time, you can get a four-month Tidal HiFi subscription for just $4. (You can also get Tidal Premium for the same price, but why bother?)

That's not $4 a month, mind you, but $4 for all four months. After that, you're back to the regular rate of $20 unless you cancel.

The HiFi plan uses the FLAC format to stream lossless audio, meaning fully uncompressed. If you're the type of person who spends hundreds of dollars on headphones and insists on ultimate fidelity, this is the way to go.

CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow himon FacebookandTwitter. You can also sign up for deal texts delivered right to your phone. Find more great buys on theCNET Deals pageand check out ourCNET Coupons pagefor the latestWalmart discount codes,eBay coupons,Samsung promo codesand even more fromhundreds of other online stores. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Answers live on our FAQ page.

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The Amazfit Bip U Pro smartwatch for $70 is pretty amazing - CNET

Joyful Aging: Balancing pluses and minuses – The Union of Grass Valley

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When I originally pitched the idea for this column to The Union, my goal was to counter the ubiquitous media message that aging was terrible and to be avoided at all costs.

Oldsters seemed to be regarded as people who drove their life-car in the slow lane looking in the rearview mirror because they had nothing to look forward to.

Consider birthday cards. Cards for seniors typically ridicule some aspect of aging, like loss of hair or teeth or ones figure. (I have to admit, though, some make me laugh.)

Independent of the medium whether cards, television ads, movies or magazines aging was predictably associated with three Ds: depression, decline and death.

The medias negative portrayal, however, didnt jibe with my experience or that of my aging friends. For the most part, we were happy, productive and more satisfied with our lives than ever.

The more I looked around and read, the more convinced I was that the final stage of life, like the previous stages, should be appreciated for its unique qualities.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow expressed this idea in Morituri Salutamus:

For age is opportunity no less

Than youth itself, though in another dress,

And as the evening twilight fades away

The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.

Going forward, Im not being pollyannaish. Nor am I playing the glad game about everything aging involves. Indeed, Im a realist about the fact that the final stage of life has its challenges.

That retirement life is not one seamless line of wonderful experiences seems to be a surprise to a group of people who formed the movement referred to as FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early).

The idea, promoted in the book Your Money or Your Life, first published in 1992, was to encourage people to save money aggressively so they could retire early and enjoy a carefree life from that point forward.

Comments from the movements pioneers, however, indicate that all is not well in retirement land. The four difficulties these pioneers report are strikingly similar to those of individuals who are in their final years.

First, the skills that got us to where we are now are not the skills that well need going forward. In my case, Ive always worked hard to achieve my goals. But with less energy now, I need skills in planning, setting priorities and pacing.

Self-examination is required to figure out which skills are no longer serving us (fatigue was my clue) and what new ones are needed.

Second, change is hard, and this is true whatever our age. Change may involve the loss of ones health, the death of a spouse or a significant reduction of income. Change may come in the form of selling ones home and downsizing or moving to live near offspring. And as happened in 2020, change can also come in the form of a pandemic.

A significant (and sometimes hidden) challenge for many of us is the unrelenting requirement that we become more proficient technologically a real trial for nontechnical types like me! I no sooner figure out how to operate the air fryer than I have to figure out how to use my new cell phone.

For some, change may involve taking on the job of caregiver or giving up a drivers license, thereby losing ones independence.

Whatever the trigger for the unwanted changes, the path to a new normal is not easy.

Third, we have greater personal responsibility for our choices. For most of us, we can decide what we eat, when we eat, where we live, how much we spend, how well we take care of our body, whether well exercise regularly, what well spend time on and what well neglect.

We can no longer blame parents, teachers, offspring, colleagues, a boss or a demanding job for our choices.

Fourth, theres never enough time. That was true when we were younger and as we age, our experience of time speeds up. This isnt simply our imagination.

Adrian Bejan, a Duke University mechanical engineering professor, makes a distinction between clock time (which is steady and measurable) and mind time (which is an individuals unique experience of each moment).

Professor Bejan theorizes that the increasingly complex aging brain slows the processing of information and that the reduced pace of processing has the effect of speeding up mind time.

Without necessarily understanding the physics, we know from our own experience that as we age, mind time rushes by. We no sooner put the Christmas decorations away than its time to get them out again.

In coping with these and other challenges I will most likely face, Ive chosen to replace the discouraging Ds with my own reassuring Ps:

Perseverance, because however difficult the situation, I know this too shall pass

Perspective, because thats the benefit of having had hundreds of experiences over seven decades

Personal power, because Ive learned to sail my ship through fierce storms

If you came up with your own keystones, what would they be?

Carole Carson, Nevada City, is an author, former AARP website contributor, and leader of the 1994 Nevada County Meltdown. Contact: carolecarson41@gmail.com

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What the Food Bank of North Alabama brought to the community in 2020 – WZDX

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2020 brought on tough times for so many. Drastically increasing the need for food assistance not only around the nation but here in the Tennessee Valley as well.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. The Food Bank of North Alabama is partnered with more than 250 organizations to get more food to people in need.

Because of the pandemic, these partners are seeing an increase in people needing help with getting food on the table.

"[The pandemic is] tripling or quadrupling the amount of people they are seeing, the amount of calls they're getting. What we're hearing from them is consistent with some of the numbers we're seeing from Feeding America," said Bobby Bozeman, development director at the Food Bank of North Alabama.

In 2019, the food bank distributed nearly 9 million meals. In 2020 during the pandemic, the food bank distributed about a million pounds of food a month.

"We're able to meet some of this need because we've increased our food purchasing, our food purchasing since the pandemic is over twice the fiscal year prior," said Bozeman.

The food bank also hosts events called mobile pantries, where instead of people having to go to the food bank or any of their partners, the food is brought to them. The amount of food given out has doubled due to the pandemic.

"But now, you know, before when we would go, even in May, we would take 250 food boxes, maybe 300 boxes, depending on the community that we were going to. And now we're up to, you know, we'll take 5, 600, 700 boxes to a mobile pantry and in both instances we might have been left with 25 boxes at the end of the day," said Bozeman.

Sadly, food insecurity has always been an issue, but now that some people are losing financial independence due to the economic downturn of the virus, more and more people are going hungry to help get by in other ways.

"People, when they're listing out there needs for their budget, usually food is the last thing people budget in their needs, you know, they're gonna take care of rent, around here their gonna take care of transportation, they're gonna take care of medical bills, gonna keep the lights on, and then they're gonna budget groceries. Food insecurity factors that in, sometimes people are just eating less or going hungry more often, they might have a little food in the pantry but their rationing it out more," said Bozeman.

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What the Food Bank of North Alabama brought to the community in 2020 - WZDX

In a Topsy-Turvy Pandemic World, China Offers Its Version of Freedom – The New York Times

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Duncan Clarks flight was rolling down the runway in Paris in late October when President Emmanuel Macron announced a second national lockdown in France. The country had nearly 50,000 new Covid-19 infections that day. The United States had almost 100,000.

He sighed with relief. He was headed to China. That day, it had reported 25 new infections, all but one originating abroad.

Mr. Clark, a businessman and an author, returned to China after spending nine months in the United States and France, his longest time away from the country since he moved to Beijing in 1994. He had been spending more time outside China over the past few years to get away from air pollution, censored internet and an increasingly depressing political environment.

But when he returned in October, he felt something new: safe, energized and free.

The ability to just live a normal life is pretty amazing, he said.

While many countries are still reeling from Covid-19, China where the pandemic originated has become one of the safest places in the world. The country reported fewer than 100,000 infections for all of 2020. The United States has been reporting more than that every day since early November.

China resembles what normal was like in the pre-pandemic world. Restaurants are packed. Hotels are full. Long lines form outside luxury brands stores. Instead of Zoom calls, people are meeting face to face to talk business or celebrate the new year.

The country will be the only major economy to have grown this past year. While such forecasts are often more art than science, one outfit is forecasting that the Chinese economy will surpass that of the United States in 2028 five years earlier than previously predicted.

The pandemic has upended many perceptions, including ideas about freedom. Citizens of China dont have freedom of speech, freedom of worship or freedom from fear three of the four freedoms articulated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt but they have the freedom to move around and lead a normal day-to-day life. In a pandemic year, many of the worlds people would envy this most basic form of freedom.

The global crisis could plant doubts about other types of freedom. Nearly half of voting Americans supported a president who ignored science and failed to take basic precautions to protect their country. Some Americans assert that it is their individual right to ignore health experts recommendations to wear masks, putting themselves and others at increasing risk of infection. The internet, which was supposed to give a voice to the voiceless, became a useful tool for autocrats to control the masses and for political groups to spread misinformation.

Chinas freedom of movement comes at the expense of nearly every other kind. The country is about the most surveilled in the world. The government took extreme social-control measures at the beginning of the outbreak to keep people apart approaches that are beyond the reach of democratic governments.

There are actually a lot of parallels between how the Chinese government treats a virus and how they treat other problems, said Howard Chao, a retired lawyer in California who invests in start-ups on both sides of the Pacific.

Its kind of a one-size-fits-all approach: Just completely take care of the problem, he said. So when it comes to a virus, maybe thats not too bad a thing. When it comes to certain other problems, maybe not such a good thing.

That realization has not stopped Mr. Chao from enjoying his time in China. Since flying to Shanghai from San Francisco in mid-October, he has hosted business dinners attended by as many as 20 people, gone to a jazz bar, seen a movie, visited a seafood market and flown to Shenzhen, in southern China, to check out a self-driving car start-up.

This is where I had lunch in Shanghai today, he wrote on Facebook on Nov. 6, alongside a photo of people dining. Starting to remember what normal life looks like.

Mr. Chao said the people he met in China were perplexed and incredulous that the U.S. daily infections were so high. They rolled their eyes and were like, How was it even possible? he said.

Jan. 4, 2021, 10:31 p.m. ET

Of course, the Chinese government is eager to help the world forget that it silenced those who tried to warn the world in the early days of the outbreak.

But theres no denying that Chinas success in containing the outbreak burnished Beijings image, especially when compared with the failures of the United States. It has given currency to the so-called China model the Communist Partys promise to the Chinese public that it will deliver prosperity and stability in exchange for its unrelenting grip on political power.

In this year of pandemic, the Communist Party has provided the public a social good: stability, said Dong Haitao, an investor who moved to Beijing from Hong Kong in August.

For Mr. Dong, Chinas success gives him an opportunity to achieve financial independence.

Mr. Dong, who is setting up an asset management firm as well as a start-up devoted to puer tea, is bullish on the Chinese economy. He believes that after the pandemic, China will have even stronger supply chains and a vibrant consumer economy driven by a young generation that is more interested in Chinas traditional culture, like tea, than his generation, which grew up in the era of globalization.

Mr. Dong, who moved to Hong Kong from New York in the middle of the 2008 financial crisis, decided to leave Hong Kong because the city has felt anemic during the pandemic, while many mainland cities seem to glow with energy and hope.

I dont think I can find the kind of freedom I want in Hong Kong, he said.

It isnt clear whether this shift in perception can be sustained after the pandemic ends. But the West may find it has to work harder to sell its vision of freedom after China has made its model seem so attractive.

Mr. Clark, the businessman and author, founded a technology consulting firm in Beijing in 1994 and was an adviser to Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, in the companys early days. Since leaving quarantine in mid-November, he has traveled to four cities and attended many events and conferences, including one with about 900 people.

Normally, China was sort of an adventure, he said. But that has flipped. Something has changed in the world.

Mr. Clark said he had made the acknowledgment with mixed feelings. You kind of want it to be not true, he said, but it is kind of true.

Beijing and Shanghai are increasingly cosmopolitan, and their consumers are growing more sophisticated, he said. Last month, he went to a Scottish ball in Beijing. The bagpiper was Chinese because the organizer couldnt fly in anyone from Scotland.

China feels a bit like the Epcot Center at Disney, he said. Its like the microcosm of the West is still here, but the West is shut down at the moment.

For Mr. Clark, being in crowds again has taken some getting used to. If youre talking to people at a party or something, you cant just mute somebody if theyre annoying, he said. At the first big event he attended, he said, he noticed somebody had really bad breath.

Im like, oh my God, I havent had to experience that for nine months because everyone was wearing masks, and you didnt see anybody, Mr. Clark said.

I feel like Im living in the future here, even when he thinks about bad breath, he said. I mean, its like, Get ready.

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In a Topsy-Turvy Pandemic World, China Offers Its Version of Freedom - The New York Times

Why Seemingly Low Inflation Really Is A Threat – Forbes

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Rope strangles a dollar bill. Concept recession. Isolated on black background. With copy space text. ... [+] Studio Shot.

Inflation, we keep hearing, is low. But thats deceptive. Lewis Walker, a financial planningand investment strategist atCapital Insight Groupin Peachtree Corners, Ga., warns about how even seemingly minimal price increases can mount up over time. And he has some ideas for how to prepare for that.

Larry Light: Simply eyeballing the latest inflation numbers suggest they are tame and we shouldnt worry about them.

Lewis Walker: Year over year, all-items inflation through November averaged 1.2%. Core inflation, excluding food and energy costs, averaged 1.6%. The U.S. Federal Reserve has an inflation target of 2% annually.

Per the Fed, an annual inflation rate of 2% is most consistent with the Federal Reserves mandate for maximum employment and price stability. When households and businesses can reasonably expect inflation to remain low and stable, they are able to make sound decisions regarding saving, borrowing and investment, which contributes to a well-functioning economy.

Light: How does a 2% annual decrease in your moneys long-term buying power contribute to your personal or familys well-functioning economy?

Walker: The numbers quoted above are averages. How do price pressures impact the things you use and need frequently? The cost of food in general through October is up 3.3% year-over-year. If you have hungry teenagers at home, especially boys, personal food expenditures are probably up by more than the index.

With work-from-home mandates, fuel costs most likely are down for the year for some workers. But as vaccinations kick in and the economy increasingly revs up, transportation expenditures are likely to increase. The new administrations emphasis on climate change will increase the cost of fossil fuels, electricity, transportation and shipping costs, etc. Infrastructure spending could increase pressures to raise fuel taxes.

Light: Yes, outside the official composite inflation gauges, some prices have really vaulted.

Walker: What are the big three goals for most families? One, own a home; two, educate kids; three, retirement and financial independence. New home sales have jumped to a 14-year high. Big city woes and work-from-anywhere trends are driving people to the suburbs, exurbs and smaller towns. List prices are up an average of 13% nationwide over 2019 through November.

Record low mortgage rates fuel demand, even as many younger couples are challenged to come up with down payments. Lumber prices are up 170% since April, adding $16,000 to the price of an average new single-family home.

Light: The burgeoning costs of education are remarkable.

Walker: Some students and parents are questioning the relative value of a high-priced private college education, but even costs at public colleges have outpaced inflation. Between 2008-2018, average four-year costs across all 50 states have jumped 34% overall, 24% adjusted for scholarships and grants. Georgia, my home state, has cut funding to public colleges substantially over the last decade.

Light: And retirement can last a long time, as inflation and taxes eat away at principal.

Walker: People in general are living longer spurring increased longevity planning. Inflation and taxes warrant consideration. Say you want to have at least $1 million in your 401(k), IRA or other qualified retirement plan by retirement. You want to take out 5% per year to fund your lifestyle, or $50,000 per year.

The withdrawal is taxed as ordinary income. Suppose your combined average federal and state tax rate is 20%. Now you have $40,000 per year, or $3,333 per month to spend. How does that fit into your retirementgo-go years scenario filled with travel and experiences? Need $2 million plus in your nest egg? With the deficits were running as a country, at some point, taxes will rise, and most likely, so will inflation.

Light: We always hear how low inflation has been for years, but that is compared to the double-digit rates of the 1970s and early 1980s. It does take a toll over time, even with small incremental increases, right?

Walker: If you retired 10 years ago, it now takes $1.19 to buy on average what $1.00 bought in 2010. Suppose you live 25 years in retirement. For someone who retired in 1995 it takes $1.71 to buy what a dollar did when they retired.

But thats not the whole story. Health care costs continue to rise, and in the slow-go and no-go retirement years, that becomes an even bigger burden on retirees, and those that love them and who may have to care for them. Many of your readers are senior citizens, or will be at some point. How are they planning to avoid being a strain on adult children? Many of my clients, especially women who on average outlive husbands, are quick to say in essence, I love my kids, but I dont want to be a burden on them or live with them.

Light: How should people prepare for this?

Walker: Elder care attorneys have seen an uptick in business as pandemic scares have forced people to confront mortality. Do you need to update your living and testamentary estate plans? Are wills, trusts, powers of attorney up-to-date? Read them again. Are executors, trustees, beneficiaries, and attorneys-in-fact still alive, still capable?

At your current age, as you look forward, is your insurance portfoliohealth, life, disability, property and casualty, liability and umbrella liabilitycurrent, providing adequate what-if coverage? Inflation impacts the buying power of insurance settlement dollars.

Inflation, simply, is shrinking buying power. Taxes further diminish buying power. Save and invest wisely.

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Why Seemingly Low Inflation Really Is A Threat - Forbes

Learn How To Get Financial Independence With Jason Maynard, an Expert Trader with Wave FX – London Daily Post

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Anyone who wants to invest their money and not let it sit in the bank can use Wave FX. Financial independence is the most important thing for a person right now. Achieving it is a rare feat, but investing in all the right places can help you gain financial independence.

According to the expert trader here, Jason Maynard, the best thing about Wave FX is it can lend you financial independence by updating you on all the spot trading opportunities. You will know about the stock market in no time and can invest properly.

Moreover, you can get to use Wave FX for free. With it, you can receive daily market analysis and keep looking out for waves of financial opportunities and profitable trading signals from professional traders. It can also help you also do mobile trading with Wave FX. Do everything straight to your smartphone via message (Telegram/WhatsApp).

Wave FX can let you copy the trading signal and trade from your phone. It also has live support that is available 24/7. So, people will always have direct contact with Wave FX. They can help you get started with your trading account and during live trading.

The team of Wave FX constitutes professionally experienced Forex traders like Jason Maynard. Wave FX is the first forex signal provider with a reliable and profitable track record. It has got a loyal customer base who profit from their input and services.

Wave FX wants to empower people financially by teaching them and guiding them to learn Forex trading. The professional traders analyze the market conditions every day and provide the best trading signals directly to phones.

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Learn How To Get Financial Independence With Jason Maynard, an Expert Trader with Wave FX - London Daily Post

Starting Investing in 2021? Here Are 3 Great Starter Stocks – The Motley Fool

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It's never too late to start investing. Whether you're just out of school and looking to make your first trades or close to retirement and hoping to beat the market's returns, 2021 looks like a great time to start your investing journey. But where?

Well, first you'll need a brokerage account. Once you have one, you'll need to buy your first stocks. We asked three of our Motley Fool contributors what stocks they'd recommend right now for first-time investors. They came back withBrookfield Renewable Partners(NYSE:BEP),Clean Energy Fuels(NASDAQ:CLNE), andUnion Pacific(NYSE:UNP). Here's why they think these are good picks for beginning investors.

Image source: Getty Images.

Scott Levine (Brookfield Renewable Partners): So you've decided that 2021 is the year when you're going to start investing in stocks? Congratulations. You're on the path to greater financial independence. As you embark on your investing journey, you'll likely want to gain some exposure to the renewable energy industry. From environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-conscious companies to nations trying to meet their Paris Agreement goals, renewable energy solutions are gaining a rapidly increasing presence on the energy landscape.

But where do you begin? The number of renewable energy-related stocks may seem overwhelming. Fortunately, Brookfield Renewable Partners makes it easy. Providing exposure to various niches of the renewable energy industry, the company's portfolio includes solar, wind, hydroelectric, and energy-storage assets. In addition, with a presence on four continents, the company's portfolio totals more than 19,000 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, making it one of the largest publicly traded renewable energy investment options for investors. And there's plenty of growth that the company sees in its future. It has a development pipeline of projects totaling 18,000 MW.

It's not only the all-in-one approach to renewable energy that makes Brookfield Renewable Partners a compelling option. The company is on sound financial footing as it has an investment-grade balance sheet rated BBB+ with a stable outlook by S&P Global Ratings, and it has about $3.4 billion in available liquidity. Moreover, the company remains keenly focused on increasing shareholder value as management has targeted a long-term goal of delivering 12% to 15% returns to unit holders. While past performance is no guarantee of what the future holds (an important lesson for novice investors to grasp), it's worth noting that Brookfield Renewable Partners, since its inception, has delivered an annualized total return of 18%.

As fellow fool, Matt Frankel, points out, great stocks for beginners are ones that are "either leaders in their respective fields or very close to it." Brookfield Renewable Partners clearly fits the bill. This, plus the fact that it's committed to increasing shareholder value while maintaining its financial health, makes it a great stock for beginners to build their portfolios around.

John Bromels (Clean Energy Fuels): I agree with Scott that clean energy is a great place to invest right now. However, while share price shouldn't be a consideration for investors, beginners -- even those with limited capital or a brokerage that doesn't offer fractional shares -- shouldn't put their entire nest egg into a single share of stock. Biogas specialist Clean Energy Fuels' stock, though, is currently trading for less than $10 per share, allowing beginners to diversify their portfolios.

Together with current CEO Andrew Littlefair, energy bigwig T. Boone Pickens, in 1997, founded Pickens Fuel Corp. (the predecessor company of Clean Energy Fuels, incorporated in 2001) in hopes of promoting natural gas fuel as a cheaper and cleaner alternative to traditional diesel fuel. Unfortunately, persistently low oil prices during much of the 2010s, along with the rise of battery-powered vehicles, and solar and wind energy technology, conspired against Clean Energy's natural gas-based solutions. The company's shares are trading for less than half of what they were ten years ago:

CLNE data by YCharts.

Clean Energy was down but not out. And its second act is being powered by a different kind of clean fuel: biogas. In 2020, top Big Oil companies includingChevron,BP, andTotalhave announced various kinds of partnerships with Clean Energy Fuels to develop and market clean biogas fuel. That's given the stock a roughly 150% boost in 2020, but the biogas revolution is only just beginning.

I expect that Clean Energy Fuels shares will continue their sharp rise in the new year and will power even beginner investors to some juicy returns.

Lee Samaha (Union Pacific): The railroad offers novice investors some valuable education into investing for the long term. First, its market position is very safe. Railroads own their infrastructure, giving them significant business moats. In addition, Union Pacific and another major railroad, BNSF, dominate the West Coast. Simply put, it's highly likely that Union Pacific will still be around when you end your investing life.

Second, all the major railroads are on a drive to improve operating margins by adopting precision scheduled railroading (PSR) management techniques. Simply put, it's a set of principles designed to run the same carload volumes by using fewer assets. You can read about the details in the article, but for now, it's enough to know that companies can improve earnings even with relatively low revenue growth.

Third, railroad revenue is tied to the industrial economy, so it does tend to move up and down with how the economy is performing at large. In a nutshell, buying Union Pacific stock is kind of a bet on the long-term prospects for the U.S. economy.

Finally, if you are starting your investing life, you are probably doing it because it offers better returns than, say, keeping the money in the bank. In this context, Union Pacific's nearly 2% dividend yield will come in handy. Throw in the security of its market position and the possibility for dividend growth via earnings growth, and you have a recipe for a good stock to with which to start your investing life.

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Starting Investing in 2021? Here Are 3 Great Starter Stocks - The Motley Fool

Chris Deerin: Girls just wanna have fundamental equality – Press and Journal

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Dad, I signed a petition to stop Donald Trump dumping lots of plastic in the Arctic and killing all the polar bears, and its worked! My 11-year-old daughter and her friends have, it would seem, begun sticking it to The Man.

If I was The Man (um, wait) Id watch out.

Our youngest, with the last vestiges of baby softness and innocence still upon her, is entering the period described as Girlhood. Our 19-year-old has just come out the other side, and our 16-year-old is in the weeds of it all. As a parent, and as a man, it is a magical experience watching these women these sassy dames, this triple threat slowly emerge from the chrysalis.

The middle girl is by now a wizened old hand at the online petition racket. Shes the most secretive of the three, but will occasionally let slip that shes added her name to this campaign to prevent an environmental outrage or that effort to support Black Lives Matter. When she goes off on one I goggle at the level of detail and nuance she has privately absorbed, and the firmness of her views. When I was 16, my interests didnt extend far beyond Teenage Fanclub, Manchester United, and the golden skin of Anne Marie, the unattainable goddess of Class 5B. My daughters are a distinct upgrade on the father.

Girlhood is the subject of a fascinating article in The Economist, which has spoken to 11-16 year olds across Europe and the US in an attempt to map their ambitions and desires, their changing expectations and their forthright views. The journalists heard of TikTok and bubble tea, anger and activism, make-up tutorials and trampolining, anxiety (both theirs and their parents) and big plans for the future (ditto). The generational change was apparent: What came out most strongly was the girls sense of shared identity and shared potential.

Girls today have little time for societys straitjacketing traditions. Their interests are diverse to an extent that frustrates advertisers attempting to identify a market. They no longer define themselves against the pimply swagger of the teenage boy. One girl puts it perfectly: I know boys are biologically stronger, but no one cares about farms anymore.

Though the age at which puberty begins is falling, sexual activity is starting later. The expansion of opportunity and the rise in levels of equality is transforming priorities. In the mid-20th century, love, a husband and a career were the most sought-after goals, and in that order. Todays girls are more likely to want an interesting job, financial independence, and to change the world. In The Economist survey, marriage and have children were low on the list, and sometimes crossed out. Sounds about right our 19-year-old wants a flat of her own, three large dogs and a Playstation.

With new freedoms come different types of pressure, of course. Eating disorders and self-harm are more common, and rates of depression have risen. Girls can be awful to one another as a man, one of the hardest things to get your head around is the blithe savagery of the female friend group (and into adulthood, the school-gate sneeriness of the uber-mums).

But the world is undoubtedly an improved and improving place for female emancipation. There is much further to go, of course. Its important that girls see people who look, talk and think like them operating at the highest levels, whether it be in Bute House, at the top of the worlds largest companies, or in the cultural sphere. Nicola Sturgeon and Jacinda Ardern matter, as do JK Rowling and Martha Lane Fox, and Beyonce and Dua Lipa.

At a hard policy level, unleashing the full potential of women boosts economic growth, productivity, innovation and inclusion. Its a win-win, even if a certain type of man clenched, threatened refuses to see it that way.

Were doing our bit with our three. Their way has been lit by a strong mother, two quirky, formidable grandmothers, and an indomitable great gran, each of whom ploughed distinct paths through life in considerably more challenging and oppressive circumstances. Ive learned more from each generation of our familys women than they could ever learn from me.

Our 11-year-old has recently discovered make-up, and emerges from her room not done up like a dolly but sporting various masques of horror and flesh wounds. Over Christmas we watched the ultra-violent John Wick series of films, and it was with a wincing mix of astonishment and pride that I listened to her identify the various guns being used. Her experience of playing the online game Fortnite, where, daily, she deploys a vast array of weaponry in the lethal pursuit of fellow children, had taught her the specs and the lingo.

Shes coming. The Man had better watch out.

Chris Deerin is a leading journalist and commentator who heads independent, non-party think tank Reform Scotland

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Chris Deerin: Girls just wanna have fundamental equality - Press and Journal

These 3 music memoirs tell the stories of Rob Halford, Gucci Mane, Willie Nelson and more – Marin Independent Journal

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If you want to dig into the lives of musicians, theres no shortage of books for you. Below, weve selected three recent releases with very different takes on the music memoir.

Confess: The Autobiography by Rob Halford (Hachette Books)

When Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford came out as a gay man in a 1998 MTV interview, there werent many out LGBTQ people in rock n roll, let alone heavy metal. In Confess: The Autobiography, Halford, best known as the singer for the British metal band, writes that he received so many letters in the aftermath of the interview that he had to open an office to handle them. Many of those letters, too, were from people thanking him for discussing his sexuality on television. It opened my eyes to just how many gays were still going through the trauma of suppressing their sexual identity, he writes.

In Confess, Halford describes not only his rise to metal god status (a term he has trademarked), but his journey as a rock icon who lived the first 20+ years of his career in the closet. He writes of clandestine dalliances, a tragic romance and his own struggle with addiction that led to his resolve to remain sober for now more than 30 years. Halford also revels in the joy of finding love with his longtime partner, of reuniting with Judas Priest in the 21st century and of being able to live his life openly. Confess is a revealing look inside the life of rock royalty told with both heartfelt sincerity and lots of humor.

The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness by Gucci Mane with Soren Baker (Simon & Schuster)

Looking to achieve G.O.A.T. greatest of all time status? The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness is the handbook for just that. The hip-hop star follows up his 2017 bestseller The Autobiography of Gucci Mane with his tips for success. Guide to Greatness is similar in approach to singer Amanda Palmers The Art of Asking and author Francesca Lia Blocks The Thorn Necklace in that its as much a how-to guide as it is a memoir.

Here, in a quick-paced, conversational tone, Gucci Mane reveals how he overcame some of his lifes challenges while dispelling advice thats often so practical that its easy to overlook, like in the chapter Whatever It Is, Do It Now. His insight is at times brutally honest (If you fail, there may be a handful of people that really still care if youre lucky, he writes. The other 7.8 billion people on the planet dont.), but there are also sentimental moments in the book as well, particularly in the section The Power of Love.

Me and Sister Bobbie by Willie Nelson, Bobbie Nelson, David Ritz (Random House)

In this joint memoir, siblings Willie and Bobbie Nelson alternate chapters as they document their lives from early childhood, when their parents left them in the care of their grandparents, to recent years. In sharing their stories, the two also offer a look at how the paths of remarkably talented musicians one male, one female diverged. For Bobbie, a piano player, her musical pursuits were held against her in a custody case brought forth by her first husbands parents. Later, as she found work with Hammond Organ Company and in restaurants, it became her way to financial independence. By the 1970s, as Willies fame began to soar, she joined her brother on the road. With writer David Ritz, the write of a deep familial bond that has helped them overcome numerous struggles and several major tragedies.

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These 3 music memoirs tell the stories of Rob Halford, Gucci Mane, Willie Nelson and more - Marin Independent Journal

Pattie Lovett-Reid: The 5 financial rituals that drive wealth – CTV News

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TORONTO -- Over the years, I've learned that financial rituals drive financial discipline. and financial discipline leads to wealth.

The wealthy do things differently and they often think differently. In many cases, they are prepared to do what others are not - for example, working on designated vacation time, weekends, or even simply putting in really long hours. They tend to be ferocious readers, invest in relationships and care little about brand names. Being frugal is simply one aspect that many have embraced, along with eating well at home and spending little on lavish dining experiences.

I've observed those who are wealthy for decades. They don't wait for permission to move forward they just do it. They play into their strengths and follow their passion, while having few financial regrets. They don't talk about paying down debt - they pay it down by making it a priority and getting the job the done.

When it comes right down to it the financial rituals you embrace can change your financial trajectory in life.

1) The wealthy always know where they stand financially; how much they owe, how much they own, and a complete net worth statement at least once a year. A net worth statement is key but only represents a moment in time. However, it is the annual ritual of the exercise that can help you identify areas requiring improvement, such as paying down debt or ramping up your investment holdings. Your financial goals can clearly be established for 2021 by dissecting line by line your net worth statement.

We have completed our net worth statement annually for 26 years. Our goal has always been to improve our net worth annually. Some years we paid down debt, others we ramped up our savings. The process allows us to see where we stand financially and get aligned on the goals that matter to us.

2) The wealthy are frugal not cheap - there is a difference. They are generous, often give financially to others and to charity, but they save more than they spend and live way below their means.

3) The wealthy have ditched the budget. They don't need to budget because they have financial discipline. They would rather invest in real estate or the markets than in stuff they don't need. They always pay themselves first. Money comes right out their account at pre-determined times and goes directly into an investment or savings vehicle or towards debt repayment.

4) The wealthy know 2020 has been tough on many levels, but somehow manage to keep moving forward with a focus toward financial independence.There will always be financial speed bumps that slow you down or even take you temporarily off course, but being conscientious and taking corrective action gets you back on course. Every household needs a little financial flexibility.

5) The wealthy have embraced life long learning and are up to date on what is driving market performance. They will invest in themselves, stay current and always be on the look out for opportunities to grow.

Creating wealth isn't about doing one big thing right. It is about doing a lot of little things right. Developing financial rituals and adopting financial discipline can help set you on an upward financial trajectory in 2021.

Let the new financial year begin.

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Pattie Lovett-Reid: The 5 financial rituals that drive wealth - CTV News

Have you read any good books lately? – National Post

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Article content continued

Thiels most profound thinking is about the future. He argues that we have come to collectively assume that the future unfolds according to a random process for which we have no control. Visions of a different and better future have been replaced by a mix of complacency and lowered expectations.

His book is a treatise on how to get back to the future. Its a powerful case that we arent just passive observers of the future but rather that we have agency over the kind of economy and society that we want. We can author a different and better future.

As we slowly come out of the pandemic, Thiels insights are more important than ever. Zero to One is a guide to a post-pandemic vision of growth, dynamism and opportunity.

Sean Speer

The fastidious Mr. Perelman.

I could recommend one of his books, but there is no need. They are all superb. S.J. Perelman was among the most gifted masters of English prose, and with Flann OBrien, the finest short-piece writer of the past century. He wrote mainly for magazines, mostly for The New Yorker in the days when it might have claimed to have been a venue for stuff really worth reading, and in an era that had time for craft and style even in venues presumed to be evanescent.

S.J. Perelman was a writer for a class of writing which I will call high-prose comedy. He sought the perfection of phrase as musicians seek absolute melody, parody his chosen field of operations, and perfection of the sentence, in diction, flow and ornament, his always attendant ambition. He owned an instinct for perfect cadence, and had in his lexical quiver the most brilliant, far-reaching, and inventive vocabulary of any man or woman who ever wrote for a magazine. His gift for mockery of the pedestrian, the bloated, the pretentious, was nonpareil.

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Have you read any good books lately? - National Post

Court Enjoins Trump Executive Order On Divisive Concepts In Workplace Trainings – JD Supra

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A federal judge issued a nationwide injunction on Dec. 22 to block enforcement of an executive order that would have effectively prohibited workplace trainings on implicit bias by federal contractors, federal agencies and the military.

President Trump said in Executive Order 13950 that it was issued to combat so-called offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping and scapegoating. The EO cited alleged concerns of a pervasive and malign ideology rooted in the pernicious and false belief that America is an irredeemably racist and sexist country.

Specifically, the EO forbids promoting a list of divisive concepts in workplace diversity trainings conducted by the U.S. Uniformed Services, federal agencies and federal contractors.

In a court challenge, a coalition of nonprofits and consultants argued that the EO would frustrate their efforts to train employees about systemic bias, racism, anti-LGBTQ bias, white privilege, implicit bias and intersectionality.

The suit alleges that the EO would require the plaintiffs to either censor or cease the trainings that are fundamental to their mission of breaking down barriers that underserved communities face or risk losing federal funding in the form of contracts and grants. The suit also alleged that the EO is so vague that it fails to provide notice of what speech is actually subject to penalty.

In a 34-page order, U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman of the Northern District of California issued aninjunction that blocks the key provisions targeted by the plaintiffs.

The EO consists of 10 sections. Section 4 would require that all government contracts include certain express provisions providing that during the performance of the contract, [t]he contractor shall not use any workplace training that inculcates in its employees any form of race or sex stereotyping or any form of race or sex scapegoating. A violation of Section 4 could result in the cancelation, termination, suspension, in whole or in part, of federal contracts.

Section 5 directed the heads of all federal agencies to review their respective grant programs and identify programs for which the agency may, as a condition of receiving such a grant, require the recipient to certify that it will not use federal funds to promote certain divisive concepts.

Initially, the plaintiffs asked for a nationwide injunction against the EO in its entirety, but they later narrowed their request to an injunction limited to Section 4 and Section 5.

Judge Freemans nationwide preliminary injunction prohibits the federal government from implementing or enforcing Sections 4 and 5 of the EO against any federal grant recipient or federal contractor. The court found that requiring federal grantees to certify that they will not use grant funds to promote concepts the Government considers divisive, even where the grant program is wholly unrelated to such concepts, violates the grantees free speech rights.

The judge also found that the EO was so vague that it was impossible for plaintiffs to determine what conduct is prohibited. She noted that the ambiguity regarding the conduct prohibited by Sections 4 and 5 was only exacerbated by the FAQsissued by the Department of Labors Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which failed to narrow prohibited action. Such ambiguity further violated the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment, Judge Freeman found.

The Department of Justice has yet to announce whether it will appeal the injunction, and a new administration will take office at noon on January 20, 2021. While the incoming administration is widely expected to rescind the EO, this ruling was highly anticipated and celebrated by diversity and inclusion professionals, social justice organizations and employers in many different industries. This is particularly noteworthy given the number of employers that have publicly committed to enhance their diversity and inclusion efforts in light of the racial unrest that has unfolded nationally throughout 2020.

It remains important for employers, particularly federal contractors and federal grant recipients, to stay informed of developments in this area as they augment and modify their diversity and inclusion efforts in 2021 and beyond. We will continue to monitor this case and provide any updates on any future developments regarding this Executive Order.

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Court Enjoins Trump Executive Order On Divisive Concepts In Workplace Trainings - JD Supra

Labor Cases And Trends To Watch In 2021 – Law360

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Law360 (January 3, 2021, 12:02 PM EST) -- The U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide whether a California regulation requiring farms to allow organizers onto their properties violates the Fifth Amendment, a new wave of litigation over profane outbursts by workers could find its way to the National Labor Relations Board and the board doctrine that shields unions from being ousted while collective bargaining agreements are in effect is under the microscope in 2021.

Here, Law360 looks at the notable labor cases and trends to watch in the upcoming year.

High Court Mulling Union Access

The Supreme Court will soon decide whether a California regulation requiring agricultural businesses...

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Labor Cases And Trends To Watch In 2021 - Law360