TODAY’S WORRY
What’s up, or should I say down, with the dollar? Against the Euro, the dollar is trading down almost $ .50 in the past three years. So, this should mean that American goods are flying off the shelves. But are they? What consumables do we produce? Clothing, shoes, small and larger electronics and furniture are all produced overseas where labor is cheaper. Count how many American vs. foreign cars you see on the road. Things that we do well such as finance, health care, distribution and intellectual property are difficult to export. What happens is that Americans buy increasingly more expensive foreign goods adding to a burgeoning trade deficit. The US government borrows money and drives up interest rates. More of our money goes to pay off our credit cards and to service this huge debt. What’s the solution?
DIET TIP
Usually, when I go on a diet, it is all or nothing. I’m on it or I’m off. But since it’s the holiday season, the good choices I talked about yesterday are a little more difficult. So, obviously, it must be time to throw up your hands and give up. But the difference between making your best effort and no effort can relate to staying the same weight this week (or maybe even losing a little) and packing on another few pounds. If you have gone off the wagon a little, cut yourself some slack. Ultimately, you’ll get where you need to be and, really, nobody’s giving you style points anyway.
WORD FOR THE DAY
Here’s a word that I came across in my puzzling that sounds like its definition should be, “an agreement between internet users,” but means something totally different.
epact – the difference in days between the solar and lunar years