Monday, April 9, 2018

Congressional Budget Office Releases Economic Output until 2028

Potential GDP throughout 2018 to 2028 has risen. This will come at a cost of higher interest rates, prices and larger government debt. The next couple of years will experience higher growth and this will moderate in the following years.

Good news is that labor will also be in demand. Because of the stimulus and increased activity people will be able to find jobs. This may cause some problems because as wages rise, not that this is a problem, interest rates will also rise with it and that can slow down the economy.

I'm always concerned about debt. Debt can work when companies reinvest in the market. If they don't do this then there isn't increased economic activity, the debt mounts, and slows down future activity. We still don't have a clear understanding of how this will play out in the end.

You can read the report here.....


https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/115th-congress-2017-2018/reports/53651-outlook.pdf

Working the Boxing Bag Practice

The boxing bag practice is important for creating strength and speed. In any fight, or match, you will need this speed to win over your opponent. It may only take 10 to 15 seconds to throw off your opponent and give them a solid warning that you can defend yourself. In a match the speed can make your opponent less likely to jump in and go for a knock out.

The practice is highly cardio in nature. It won't take long and you find yourself sweating which is greater for losing weight. This is one of the reasons why boxers are in such great shape. It is these bursts of energy that allow for greater fat burning potential.

The Country Life

In my life I had the opportunity to experience big cities, small towns and country life. One of the joys of country life are the fresh air, small town values, sense of community, and the outdoor activities. Yesterday I took a few shots. Things just seem to slow down there and everything gets simple.

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Teaching Broad and Exposing Students to Specific Common Technologies

There is a bigger push in recent times to ensure college graduates are "work ready". This term means different things to different people. Work ready generally means that students are ready to start working in an entry level position as soon as they graduate. There are so many things to be learned during a short time span that colleges are unsure if they should focus on broad skills or on specific skills with their limited time.

First let us consider where a company's responsibilities lay and where the college's responsibilities lay. Colleges work on developing the broad sense of knowledge so students understand the field in which they are working. They may be able to implement common tools used in their fields but are unlikely to be able to keep up with all the different applications, tools, and other technology that change from year to year.

Image result for college students technology

We may not want colleges to focus specifically on tools while neglecting theoretical applications. There are some tools that are used on a regular basis. If we focus too specifically on tools and not enough on broader understanding we may miss the mark and cause more difficulty integrating new tools as they come. New tools can be learned on the job throughout their careers but understanding their context is more important from a higher education function.

It is necessary to teach general broad skills that apply to all business within curriculum. According to the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (2013) it is important to ensure that students who are work ready have learned communication, teamwork, ethics and the integration of various business disciplines in order to successfully obtain their first jobs.

There is a balance that is needed. Colleges should teach the broad to create context for the specific. Specific common tools should be integrated into the curriculum and assignments to ensure familiarity of how to use these tools. Specific workplaces that utilize specialized tools will need to do their job and train. In this case, work ready means they understand the field of marketing and have a basic understanding of what tools they are most likely to encounter at work.

What to Look for When Purchasing a Horse

You never want to make a horse purchase without thoroughly looking at the horse. There are things you can do on your own during the initial visit that will help you determine if there is anything that is obviously wrong. During the second visit you will want to have an expert out there such as a veterinarian that can uncover the medical conditions of the horse.

Visit 1: Personal visit to talk to the owners, give the horse a look over for general quality, and check on the personality of the horse. You may also want to get up there and ride a little to ensure the horse understands basic commands.

Visit 2: A medical visit to ensure you are not buying a horse that has been neglected or has serious medical issues. The last thing you want to do is buy a horse you will need to spend thousands helping or worse...put down! Not all people are honest so having an expert check it out is helpful.

An excellent article on what you can check out.


http://animalscience.uconn.edu/extension/publications/thingstolookfor.htm