Three Mothers

Today we celebrate mothers.  Everyone has one mother.  Today we can celebrate the mother we have, not the mother we want or the mother we need.  Three mothers, just one Mothers Day.

The New Big Three Economies

Many news reports this week talked about China as the leading world economy.  It depends how you count.

"Until just a few years ago the largest national economies existed in the developed world.  United States, Japan and Germany (The Big Three) achieved the largest gross domestic product (GDP) in 2000.  'Ten years ago rich countries dominated the world economy, contributing around two-thirds of global GDP after allowing for differences in purchasing power.  Since then that share has fallen to just over half.  In another decade it could be down to 40%.  The bulk of global output will be produced in the emerging world,' wrote The Economist in 2010.  In the last 20 years or so the developed and developing worlds have undergone a re-positioning with the explosion of rapidly expanding, formerly developing economies in Brazil, Russia, India and China, which are known collectively by the acronym BRIC.  In fact, Goldman Sachs’ projections suggest China will jump into the number two position in the new Big Three list by 2020 and will become number one, surpassing the United States by 2050, and India will become the third largest economy as measured by GDP unless something cataclysmic derails its unprecedented growth, which by some measures approaches 10% annually.   

"Three forces will dictate China’s rise…demography, convergences and 'gravity.'" 

from Threes, Chapter 6, “Threes in Economics and Finance” 

Three Ways to Become 'Rich'

In an interview with CNBC’s Sharon Epperson, Deepak Chopra, physician, educator and best-selling author, offers three strategies that can help you visualize your financial dreams and turn them into reality.

Many people dream of becoming wealthy. Some say having a certain type of mindset can actually help to create affluence.

“First, be grateful for wealth, not only in monetary terms.

"You want the kind of wealth that will make for a better life for you and for those that you love, be grateful for whatever you have, even if it's very little. When you express your gratitude and you count your blessings, that opens the window to what I call abundance consciousness. And then it opens up opportunities for you.

“Next, focus on your ‘abundance consciousness.’

“Finally, always be on the lookout for new opportunities.

"What I call 'good luck,' is just opportunity meeting preparedness," he said.

His bottom line: "Rather than think rich, think abundance."

The Holy Trinity

The symbol of the trinity representing the father, son and the holy ghost or holy spirit is a part of Christian doctrine that defines God as three divine persons. They exist as equals.

According to this doctrine, God exists as three persons but is still one God, meaning that God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have exactly the same nature or being as God the Father in every way. Whatever attributes and power God the Father has, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have as well. God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are also omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, infinitely holy, infinitely loving, infinitely wise and eternal.

Three days and three nights from crucifixion to resurrection; three Marys at the tomb of Jesus; on the third day he arose—all figure prominently in the story of the Resurrection. 

From Threes, Chapter Four, “Threes in Religion and Mythology” 

Europe is Watching Ukraine Nervously

Tensions in Ukraine have escalated this week. Europe is watching nervously. Charlemagne writes in The Economist that Europe must do three things to reduce its vulnerability to Russian energy exports.   

“First, it should reduce its reliance on imported energy by developing renewable and nuclear power, shale-gas resources in the EU and promoting energy-saving measure.  Second, it needs to diversify its sources of imported gas. More could come from Norway….Third, and perhaps most important, the EU should ensure that natural gas, wherever it comes from, can reach all who need it at a reasonable price.” 

Stay tuned. This will take time to play out.

USA's Most Endangered Rivers

The San Joaquin River winds through a housing development in central California. The river was named the nation's most endangered.

 

The San Joaquin River in central California—one of the sources of San Francisco's drinking water and an agricultural resource for the fertile San Joaquin Valley—is the nation's "most endangered river," according to a report from American Rivers.

 

The report, "America's Most Endangered Rivers for 2014," was released Wednesday by the Washington-based environmental group.

 

Widespread diversions of water for agriculture and human consumption, magnified by the current devastating statewide drought, have put the San Joaquin River at a breaking point, according to American Rivers.

 

Three factors govern the rivers' selections. "One is the significance of the river for human and natural communities....The second is the magnitude of the threat for a particular river, while the third is a major decision that the public can help influence in the coming year."

USAToday, April 9, 2014

Wealth and Social Mobility in America

“What is going on?...Most likely, your answer lies in the nature of America’s inequality, whose main characteristic is the soaring share of overall income going to the top 1% (from 10% in 1980 to 22% in 2012). The correlation between vast accruing to a tiny elite and the ability of people to move between the rest of the rungs of the income ladder may be small—at least for now.

 

“For a start, since the gap between top and bottom has widened, the consequences of an accident of birth have become bigger. Second, if the gains of growth are going mostly to the top, that bodes ill for those whose skills are less in demand. Many economists worry that living standards for the non-elite will stagnate for a long time. Third, although social mobility has not changed much over time, it varies widely from place to place.”

 

From The Economist, February 1, 2014, page 23