1-15-20

In old news,  the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to relinquish their royal duties caused a frenzy in the U.K. last week. As Britain itself inches toward its much anticipated #Brexit date of Jan 31, Meghan has already made a beeline out of the EU for the tranquil shores of Vancouver Island, Canada in what the tabloids have cleverly dubbed a swift #Megxit. Meh, Meghan Markle is hardly the only American girl with a European beau wrapped tightly around her finger, but still, trouble brewing in paradise is music to any gossip girl’s ears. Is Harry on board with Meghan chasing Hollywood dreams or did she have to twist his arm to get out of the very royal responsibilities she signed up for. Your proletariat friends want all the details… The Queen is P.O.ed to say the least, but made a public statement of supporting the decision to save face. So, is the American actress going to milk the royal connections to make it big in Cali? Only time will tell…

In other much more regal news, my queen Jannah married her king Jacob last week and the ceremony and ensuing celebrations were absolutely royal. It would be sacrilege to celebrate such a joyous occasion without a glass or four of champagne.

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11-14-2019

In financial news, analysts street-wide are issuing a BUY recommendation on the ‘better sweater’ as we segue into the icy final quarter of 2019.

In assorted news, how much research is the vaping public going to ignore before calling the lethal habit quits? Will the Chinese plague be contained in time to keep it off US shores? When will the aqua alta in Venice stop rising, mamma mia? Is it any surprise that one of the biggest milk producers, Dean Foods, is in dire financial trouble? I mean, the creative minds behind all those non-dairy alternatives could drive any milk business out of business. If you don’t believe me, let me take you to Whole Foods down the “milk” aisle and wow you with the dozens of delicious options.

In Esti news, see financial news above. In the news with #estihana

6-13-2019

In finance news, today I volunteered with a cohort of Morgan Stanley employees as part of the company’s mission to #GiveBack to communities around the globe. We rolled up our sleeves and served a delicious subsidized Father’s Day lunch to 150 seniors at the United Jewish Council social services agency on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Our smiles hardly capture the ineffable satisfaction we gained from  stepping away from our desks to engage with a local needy community. While our few hours is a drop in the bucket, when you add up the thousands of hours contributed by employees globally, being part of that aggregate is a real point of pride. #MSGivesBack #613 #mitzvahday

4-June-2019

On the US markets, the ride sharing market is abuzz as competitors UBER and LYFT face off in their first weeks as public companies.  Uber’s poor Q1 earnings prompted a frenzy of responses from early investors, who were quick to point fingers at the company for going public at too high a price tag. Uber is fighting a public relations war stemming from recent safety concerns, hoping that positive advertising and marketing promos can buoy its stock price and declining market cap. Still, as investors worry about the profitability of the company, equity analysts industrywide are recommending that Wall Street buy the stock over its smaller competitor LYFT.

On the home front, the US and China are smack in middle of a rampant trade war, as each slams the other with high tariffs. This has so adversely affected American farmers that Trump is supplementing their income in the billions of dollars.

Trump is also dangling purse strings in front of Mexico, threatening to impose a 5% import tax if the nation doesn’t tighten its border. In response, Mexico has been detaining and deporting thousands of migrants in an effort to pacify Trump.

In Esti news, I have learned the word for watermelon in Italian, anguria, 🍉 not to be confused with anguilla (eel).

2-24-2019

In world news, Venezuela is in the spotlight as a riches-to-rags story. The country has spiraled into an insurmountable humanitarian crisis. Its economy is imploding as inflation skyrockets and hunger and disease plague its citizens. The morbidity rate among newborn children rivals that of Syria. 90% of the country lives in poverty. This is a regional crisis, and neighboring Latin American countries struggle with absorbing refugees in search of a better life. Millions have escaped to Columbia, Peru, North America and Europe.

How did this unravel? Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez came to power in the late 90s and aimed to fight poverty, but ended up milking the oil cash cow to gain at the expense of Venezuelan economic security. The administration adopted social programs where the state owned the oil companies and production, and used its soaring oil as collateral to borrow from foreign countries. But it had no reserves, instead spending their money without considering the future. Chavez mismanaged the cash cow, and ran oil to the ground.

When countries stopped lending to Venezuela, its capital markets dried up, and the Venezuelan economy plummeted along with oil prices.
Venezuela could no longer buy food and medicine imports, and could not repay its 150B in debt. Venezuela is playing a blame game with the US, which has imposed sanctions against the country for its mistreatment of its citizens.

In Esti news, word games are my thing….

2-19-19

In world news, Karl Lagerfeld, creative designer at Chanel and Fendi fashion houses, has died at the age of 85. Lagerfeld, with his iconic silver hair and jet black sunglasses, is a global fashion symbol, often seen clad in black and white.

On the home front, Walmart investors bullish on the company responded with glee to Q4 earnings. Earnings reports showed the wholesaler posted 43% sales growth from the prior quarter, thanks in part to online grocery shopping. With its growing selection of online services, Walmart is gaining a well-deserved spot at the table as a nascent competitor to Amazon Prime and Google Express.

In the news with #estihana, today the sun glistened so brilliantly, creating a photo opportunity of the cityscape from 40 floors above sea level.

1-1-2019

E gia, siamo gia qui! Il mondo è caduto a pezzi e diventato un anno nuovo, e vi scrivo da mondo mio….

Per quelli voi che vi ricordate le carte di ‘Continuare a Sorridere,’ vi prego di sapere che rimangono solo quattro nel mio portafoglio. In quest’anno mi sono riuscito a dare ventuno carte a ventuno persone a NYC, a lavoro, in Israele, in Italia! E invece ho raccolto ventuno grandi sorrisi in tutto il mondo.

Ieri sera quando era zero gradi ho deciso senza motivo logico di allenarsi fuori. Così. Sotto il cielo scuro di notte con la luna mezza piena. La prima istante sembrava come qualcuno mi ha tirato l’acqua alla gola. Avevo freddissimissimo. E poi all’improvviso, dopo cinque minuti, ho cominciato a sudare, a sudare sotto il sole che non c’era. E mi sono reso conto che anche se è meglio non riscaldare le minestre, il freddo posso scaldare con il solare, e che un giorno freddissimo può diventare più solare.

Questo mi ha fatto sorridere.

E gia – a casa mia siamo pronti per te con sorrisi! Buon anno.

11-21-2018

On the markets, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN $1,516) is still treading upward, up 27% from Jan of this year. With the late announcement of Amazon’s new headquarters in NYC and Arlington, Virginia, the two cities are primed to enjoy a bounty of benefits. In exchange for billions in tax abatements, Amazon promises to create a combined 50,000 jobs for the cities. Half of those will be in tech, and half in custodial and admin positions. The company is said to be focused on bringing fulfillment costs down, while maintaining impressive sales growth.

On the home front, Thanksgiving is upon us and we segue into ‘thankful’ mode.I am thankful that I have turned freezing temperatures and howling winds into bygone enemies. I’m living my best winter yet clad in my #RQLFurs parka. The coolest thing is that it’s custom made!!! I got to design it myself – the interior, exterior, cuffs, and hood. It is fashion-forward, uber-warm, and super sleek. One does not wear this coat without donning celebrity status along with it…. When you see me promenading all over Manhattan in my fur, be sure to wave hello!

You too can become a celeb. Join the club @RQLfurs (Instagram).

#womeninbusiness #womensupportingwomen

In the news with #estihana

11-4-18

On the home front, we’re gearing up for the midterms on Tuesday. A highly polarized nation will set out to the polls on Election Day, some with the intent of handing Congress over to the Democrats and others fighting tooth and nail to keep it in Republican hands. In the midterms, we’re assigning place cards to empty seats in the House and 1/3 of the Senate, and choosing a city mayor, etc.

In NYC news, the NYC TCS Marathon took place this Sunday, beginning in the forgotten fifth borough of Staten Island, snaking through Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and ending in Manhattan’s Central Park. A 28-yo Ethiopian man won 1st place at 2:05:59. A Kenyan woman won’s the Women’s Division at 2:22:48.

In Esti news I am so proud of my colleague, friend and working super-mama @mariiiamalave who crossed the finish line today!!!!!!!!!!! Her resilience, ability and motivation are unbelievably inspiring 🙌🗽

in the news with www.estihana.wordpress.com

8-26-18

On the home front, Hawaii was hit by a hurricane-turned-tropical-storm this past weekend, suffering flood damage and 150mph winds. The islands are recovering.

In the political world, John McCain has died. He served six terms as US senator and ran for US president under the Republican Party.

In NYC, remember to stay hydrated, stay smart and stay polished 🤩