Imagine that: Pass Protection. Wells Fargo Fraud. Can Argentina Prosper? Drones Doing a Great Service. Brangelina: just stop.
- Not always but sometimes my assessment and take on things is incorrect. When I am wrong I am all good with letting everyone know. So in an earlier post I was very wrong about Matt Ryan and his ability to get off to a great start this season. I like stats (or as the biz peeps say ‘metrics’) and Ryan’s numbers are outstanding: a passer rating of 121.4, which is tops in the league. Ryan’s 730 yards passing is second in the league behind Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton’s. Ryan’s 72.6 completion percentage is second to New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Crazy what a much better offensive line and quality receivers can do for your passer rating. The red zone issues the Falcons faced last year are hopefully gone so I would imagine Dan Quinn is very focused on his defense and why they have given up so many points so early in the season. Drew Brees might be licking his lips in anticipation of Monday night’s game in New Orleans.
- 1.5 million fraudulent accounts opened up and 565,000 credit cards applied for under false pretenses. Yes, this is bank fraud at a very high level and the bank: Wells Fargo. You would think after the 2008 mortgage debacle the senate and congressional oversight committees would have helped prevent the ability for 5,300 Wells Fargo employees to open up new customer accounts without the knowledge and approval of those customers. The Wells Fargo CEO offered up an apology and will not resign….and probably will not be charged with a criminal offense. On top of that, he will soon walk away from his tenure with Wells Fargo and receive compensation north of $100m. I realize that the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 may not be applicable to a bank CEO but there has to be a law on the books governing ramifications with a bank CEO guilty of fraud? Smells really bad.
- Count General Electric Company as the latest multi-national to agree to invest billions into Argentina. Although investors are probably more accustomed to hearing major energy companies agreeing to invest billions to unlock Argentina’s shale potential, General Electric will invest $10 billion into the South American country over the next decade. Specifically, GE will spend billions to construct several power plants that will add approximately 1 gigawatt of capacity to Argentina’s grid. Under new leadership, multi-national companies are finding the country increasingly hospitable for investment. That means good things for both GE and Argentina, as it means there will be more demand for GE’s energy. After a summer of hearing about Brazil’s economic woes it is refreshing to learn that based on leadership change Argentina seems to be turning around. I have never been there but planning to go this winter.
- Drones. We hear of the overuse of drones and how crowded skies could cause real problems in the near future. What we never hear is all the good things that drones can do to help with emergency situations and people in dire need. UPS recently tested a drone delivery from coastal Massachusetts to an island three miles off the Atlantic coast. The test delivered an asthma inhaler to Children’s Island, which can’t be reached by automobile. Drones also have contributed with humanitarian efforts to deliver vaccines and blood to Rwanda and other remote or war-torn areas. The FAA is hopefully opening the door to limited use of drones, especially for these types of deliveries. Kudos to UPS for stepping up to work with the FAA to make this happen.
- To Brad and Angelina: whatever issues you have keep the children above the fray. Six children that both of you are accountable to so no matter your problems please stay away from the media, solve your differences and move on. Amazing that a Hollywood divorce can take precedent in this past week’s news. Other than the welfare of their children, do we really care or find it remarkable that the Brangelina thing is over? Nope.
Adios and Happy Sunday Funday!