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Showing posts from December, 2016

The Great Escape - 2016

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I have been escaping my work every Friday for 17 years.  2016 was a bad year for me and an average year at the movies.  While average, the 84 movies I saw in 2016 were a good way to disconnect from the real world in a dark, quite Movie Theater.  Choosing my Top 10 movies is more difficult in an average year than it is in a blockbuster year as the difference between movie 10 and movie 30  is a close call. For those of you looking for Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea they are 11 and 12. The envelope please: 10. Jackie - Get your gold statues ready! This film is amazingly acted by Natalie Portman and well directed by Pablo Larrain. It mixes three compelling story lines with historic footage that keep you engaged in a familiar story. 9.  Hacksaw Ridge - An inspiring story of a person who is guided by their faith but also has the courage and tenacity to be a great solder. 8.  The Innocents - There are so many items this film deals with I don't know where to start a

You're Fired!

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Our president-elect rode this phrase to astounding heights.  Recent news reports indicate that he still wants to ride the wave by continuing as the Executive Producer.  Why are we so enamored by this gut wrenching statement?  Is it schadenfreude or a power play?  Rather than brush it off we have decided to examine how this mindset has manifested itself in four major areas of our personal and professional lives. Marriage Our wedding vow of “until death do us part” is proving to be too high of a bar.  Divorce statistics show that 50% of marriages end in divorce after less than 8 years.  Are we too quick to pull the divorce rip cord?   I propose that we supplement til death do us part with let’s bring in an experienced professional to help us work out our problems.  An experienced professional will help you understand that your struggles are not that unique and they will establish a detailed plan to get you out of your rut. Sports At the end of every season we watch as

A Whole New World

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In chaotic times like these I revert to Disney movies and channel my inner child to visit “The Happiest Place on Earth”.  Come join me as the three main characters from Aladdin reveal a Whole New World.  In our story the characters will be played by Goldman Sachs (The Genie), President - Elect Trump (Aladdin) and you (Princess or Prince Jasmine) Goldman Love our hate them we all can agree that Goldman is smart and makes decisions based on where the puck is going not where it has been.  The firm’s recent decision to be middle men and offer many of their internal services to other firms is brave.  The new Goldman initiatives are named Marcus, Symphony, Simon and Kensho.  The “Old Goldman” would have never attempted these projects and wealth management firms should emulate not condemn these bold moves.  Goldman is also working on a robo investment banker that will automate the 146 steps involved in an IPO. It is a whole new world! Turbulence The DOL ruling and the FAQs