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 🤩

8-19-18

In Esti news….
Ho delle belle notizie nel mondo mio! Fin’ora ho scritto solamente in Inglese ma basta, ormai proverò qui a scrivere in Italiano. Allora! Sono super contenta di farvi sapere che ho preso 25 cartoline piccole di “Continuare a Sorridere,” a gratis, del sito web www.thedailysmile.com.

Il sito offra le cartoline in 27 lingue, ma poiché già ne ho uno in ebraico sul mio desk a lavoro, ho scelto l’italiano. Sulla cartolina c’è scritto alcune frase del valore di un sorriso in un modo molto creativo e simpatico. Un idea semplice ma efficace! Sai perché? Che appena ho dato cinque cartoline a cinque persone e invece ho raccolto cinque sorrise!

Non sai quando incontrerai qualcuno che ha bisogno di un sorriso – a lavoro, sulla strada, e magari ad una cena di Shabbat, quindi metto due o tre nel mio portafoglio, cosi sono pronta sempre a dare a qualcuno….Se conosci qualcuno che manca un sorriso, mettici in contatto 🙂
Continuare a sorridere, amici!

8-8-18

In finance news, Elon Musk has been taking his “private” thoughts to Twitter, tweeting of his plans to take Tesla private at 420/share. TSLA (NASDAQ) closed at $370.34 today, so 420 is quite a jump (and may put short-sellers up the creek). It values Tesla at 71B, requiring the largest leverage buyout in history. An LBO is what private equity firms use to “buy out” companies, “leveraging” the billion dollar purchase with debt, on top of equity. The buyer expects that their return on the acquisition will outweigh the interest they pay on the debt financing, turning them a handsome profit. But without a hard confirm, Tesla stock still has time to fluctuate–and time will tell which investment firm will be financing the deal.

In the news with #estihana

14 June 2018

“viaggi da solo per conoscere un nuovo amico – te stesso”
#estihana

Reporting from NYC after a high-profile reconnaissance mission on the Ligurian coast of Italy, spanning Rome to San Remo…

Italy is getting flack for refusing to accept a migrant ship in Sicily, which carried 600 migrants from North Africa. Spain made themselves look good by accepting the ship. Italy is all about #chiudiamoiporti (‘lets shut the ports’) right now, as the country resists a stubborn and ever-growing population clamoring for asylum in Europe. Italy struggles to uphold its nationalism and maintain what virginity remains of its culture, to put itself first while still abiding by the EU’s core values of solidarity, human rights, etc.

In Esti news, on a long train ride along the Ligurian Sea from Livorno to Roma Termini, I witnessed two Italian conductors interrogate two African passengers who were riding illegally without tickets and without ID:

‘C’e l’hai un documento?!’ (Do you have ID?!) he barked at them. They didn’t speak any Italian, and the conductor refused to speak English. He repeated again and again, ‘NO! SIETE IN ITALIA! Siete in Italia, parlate Italiano!’ You are in Italy – you must speak Italian!

The conductors represent Italy’s new far-right anti-immigrant stance in a Europe bombarded by asylum seekers.

5-14-18

In world news, today is a historic day in history. Trump moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, upending decades of US foreign policy. From New York City, I am waving hello to the royal couple Ivanka and Jared who joined the delegation to the holy city. 

In Esti news, I accessorized with my special evil eye ring to deflect misery and embrace unity! 

🙏SHALOM/PEACE/PACE/PAX/PAZ🙏

3-14-18

On the home front, Sec of State Tillerson learned through Twitter that he’d been ousted by Trump. The president tweet-appointed Mike Pompeo, head of the CIA, to the position. Tillerson and Trump were a ticking time bomb anyway.

In M&A news, Trump killed the $117B bid by Singapore based Broadcom to acquire American tech company Qualcomm. Deals involving foreign acquisition are often scrutinized by the US government-led Committee on Foreign Investment to check for national security concerns. Trump is making an attempt to keep near and dear companies with access to information and intelligence, closely guarding the US’s high stake in the technology sector worldwide.

In Esti news, the morning sun shined so bright for this young lady’s birthday all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.

2-27-18

In Europe, Milan Fashion Week #mfw is in full swing as fashionistas clad in avant garde couture serenade crowds of eager followers. One noted exception in Dolce & Gabbana which replaced models with drones to showcase their accessories line because grazie mille, humans are redundant and extraneous.

In world news, spotlight on the Koreas. The Winter Olympics finished up this week in South Korea, as the country is in discussions to restore peace with the North. The White House hit the South with further sanctions last week. There’s also talk of North Korea supplying Syria with weapons. If collusion on terrorism activity  is discovered between the Koreas, sanctions will not go away anytime soon.

In Esti news, I have found (again) a mantra to live by, right under my nose on Amsterdam Avenue!

2-9-18

It’s been a rollercoaster of a week on Wall Street with the DOW treading into 10% market correction territory. This morning, I shared these musings with a stranger in the elevator who quipped, two things drive the market–fear and hope. I asked him which one is stronger. Aha. Greed! Greed is stronger than both, he told me. Trump loves to boast about the market’s stellar performance, but sometimes it takes a reality check to abruptly quash bullish investor behavior.

This week Jerome Powell became the new Fed chair, replacing Janet Yellen. There’s talk of interest rates rising as quantitative easing dries up and investors become worried that money is more expensive to borrow. This cuts into corporate profits and pushes stock prices down. Investors want a safer, steadier return, so they sell off their stocks and prefer to buy safe US bonds. This is why in a volatile market, the yield on T bills nudges upward (bond prices fall). 10 year notes are now at 2.857%, compared to 2.3% a year ago.

In double Esti news, I enjoyed being reunited with my favorite Brit! Sista sista ❤

1-4-2018

In geopolitical news, the Koreas have restored communication: North Korea called South Korea to chat about the Winter Olympics, the North’s nuclear program, and their shared border. The US has wended its way into the discussion, owing to its steadfast allyship of the South and its stubborn refusal to negotiate with a warmongering North. Trump took the war to Twitter where he bragged that his “Nuclear Button [is] much bigger & more powerful than [North Korea’s].” His show-offy tweet is laughable but more importantly was endorsed by WH press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Sanders reiterated that the US will not consider any Korean negotiations without a promise from the North that it will destroy its nuclear arsenal.

In business news, Bitcoin has spiraled into a global related discussion of creating local virtual currencies to bypass US sanctions, namely in Russia and Venezuela. While Bitcoin is independently maintained by Blockchain, not by any government, these virtual currencies would be semi-controlled by their local leaders. For example, in Venezuela, where hyperinflation threatens its economy, the vision for this new kind of money is that it would be backed by the country’s bountiful oil and natural resources.

In Esti news, I enjoyed my annual New Year’s tradition at the Upper East Side’s Russ & Daughters cafe at the Jewish Museum. A toasted everything bagel, with pastrami lox and scallion cream cheese, and a tomato on top, served with a side of Amedeo Modigliani’s finest collection of portraits.

Happy 2K18!