Julia Cosse’ of Cosse’ International

Julia Cossé, well immersed in the family securities business, Cossé International, spoke on the subject of “How to Pick Stocks that Go UP”.

An exhaustive study, identifying stocks that doubled within six months, found a certain commonality among them. From the results of this have evolved principles to guide one in choosing such companies.

To wit, look for:

Increase in earnings of the stock’s underlying company to have increased.
Moreover, the earnings’ increase has accelerated, preferably into double digits.
The accelerated increase should be due to something, i.e. a new product.
Example: Microsoft’s periodic new devices to meet demand.
The industry that includes the company has been doing well as a group.
Volume. Institutional investors, as contrasted to individuals, create volume changes. Therefore, increased upside volume is a good indicator.
Medium-sized companies. These have good growth potential. Very large companies have already seen growth. Small companies’ stock may be hard to exit at the right time.
Pay attention to what kind of market we are in.

Comment: Be thus guided and you cannot lose. Maybe

Christy Goff is Sleeping in Seattle

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

If you, or anyone within earshot, does this at night, there may exist a case of sleep apnea. This is a condition in which an intermittent cessation of breathing temporarily starves the heart and brain of oxygen.
This is one of the points made by Christy Goff of Pacific Science Centers.
In case of the above, a night in the sleep lab would be a well-advised move. If such is the diagnosis, a number of treatments is available.

Other facts about sleep included in her talk:

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep.
Cortisol and epinephrine are active in the waking process
Melatonin, building during waking hours, causes crepuscular drowsiness.
Serotonin acts to help a happy awakening.
There are 3-4 sleep cycles per night. Deep sleep comes first, followed by REM sleep. It is during REM that we dream.
Naps should be limited to about 20 minutes, lest a hormonal imbalance occur.
As we age. deep sleep time decreases. By age 85, 20% of the night is spent awake.
Insomnia risks include stress, anxiety, PTSD, and depression.A relation exists between obesity and sleep. Those who sleep less tend to gain weight. The appetite increases in such cases, entailing the hormones Ghelin (appetite enhancer) and Leptin (satiety indicator).

To enhance sleep:

Finish water intake an hour before retiring.
Exercise early in the day.
Get on a schedule for sleep, to balance hormones.
Restrict time in bed.
Arise at the same time each day regardless of energy level.
Do not get into bed until sleepy.
Don’t stay in bed if not sleepy.
Read. Do not use TV or phone.
Turn off electrical devices 30-60 minutes before wishing to go to sleep.
Do not use caffeine at the end of the day. It blocks the hormone, Adenosine, which causes drowsiness.
Keep it cave like–cool and dark. 65 degrees is the ideal temperature.

See a sleep specialist when–

There is snoring
There is a use of sleeping pills
It is difficult to fall asleep.
Tossing and turning occur.
Interruption in breathing occurs
There is frequent or early awakening.
Irritability or inability to concentrate during the day occur.
Tiredness or depressing happen on awakening.
There is a desire to take frequent naps.

Thursday’s speaker WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson

Bob Ferguson is Washington’s 18th Attorney General. As the state’s chief legal officer, he directs 500 attorneys and 600 professional staff providing legal services to state agencies, Governor and Legislature.

General Ferguson’s ongoing priorities are:

Protecting consumers and seniors against fraud by cracking down on powerful interests that don’t play by the rules;
Keeping communities safer by supporting law enforcement;
Protecting our environment; and
Standing up for our veterans by advocating for service men and women and their families.

Bob received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1995. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington, where he was student body president. Bob began his legal career in Spokane where he served as a law clerk for Chief Judge W. Fremming Nielsen of the Federal District Court for Eastern Washington. He then clerked for Judge Myron Bright of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in the Midwest. Ferguson returned to Seattle and joined Preston, Gates, and Ellis (now K&L Gates), one of Washington’s leading law firms.

In 2003, Bob was elected to the King County Council. In 2005, after the council was reduced from 13 to nine and Bob’s district was eliminated, he was re-elected. He was unopposed in 2009.

Bob is a fourth-generation Washingtonian. His family homesteaded on the beautiful Skagit River, which may explain why Bob is such an enthusiastic mountain climber, backpacker, and birder. He has hiked hundreds of miles of Washington trails and climbed many of the state’s highest peaks.

Bob is an internationally-rated chess master. His games have appeared in local, national and international chess publications. Bob has twice won the Washington State Chess Championship.

Bob, his wife Colleen and their 9-year-old twins, Jack and Katie, reside in the Maple Leaf neighborhood of North Seattle.

Credit: http://www.atg.wa.gov/about-bob-ferguson

Stephanie Pietras-Bailey-Boushay House

Stephanie Pietras has worked in healthcare with a specialty in HIV/Aids for 28 years. She is currently director of volunteer services for Bailey Boushay House, which is affiliated with Virginia Mason. Stephanie earned a B.S. from Marymount and an M.S from Loyola, and has lived in Seattle since 2007. Stephanie gave a well-constructed presentation on the history of Bailey-Boushay House and the developments in treating HIV/Aids.

The following is a synopsis of the development of the HIV/Aids disease and treatment since the beginning in 1981.

1981 The New York Times reports on a mysterious illness.
1982 The illness was given the name acquired immune deficiency syndrome, AIDS.
1984 A test for screening blood donations was developed and implemented in 1985, Rock Hudson died of Aids, R.I.P. Chimpanzees were used to develop the test. Poor Chimps…
1987 The drug called AZT which was developed in mice was approved for treating AIDS. Poor mice…
1988 The Surgeon General of the United States sent every household a letter detailing the known causes and precautions for Aids. 1990 It was estimated that 8 million people had AIDS.
1990 Condoms became the preferred method of protection from AIDS. Buy stock in condom companies.
1995 There was an increase in the disease in the women//children population, but infant infections started to fall due to AZT treatment.
1996 Combination treatment of antiretroviral were developed, also known as the “cocktail”.
1997 Aids related deaths in developing countries begin to drop, however 22 million people still have HIV.
2007 33 million people have HIV.
2010 Macaques and mice are once again used in testing for the drug called Truvada, which reveals positive results. Poor mice and Macaques.
2011 Antiretroviral are shown to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV by 96%.
2012 Most people worldwide eligible for antiretroviral are now receiving them.

Bailey-Boushay House continues to provide inpatient and outpatient hospice services for men living with HIV/AIDS. They have 172 volunteers working 13 hour shifts, and this is their 25th year in operation.

Yeah!

University of Washington “Tent City”

In the February 16th production, University of Washington “Tent City”, the cast was comprised of Toni Sarge, thesis student; Ted Hunter, pro bono lawyer; and dedicated volunteers Jason Tavares, Scott Morrow, and Courtney O’Toole.

As homeless shelters go, this one complies with laws, screens its residents, embraces cleanliness, and disallows drunkenness and drug activity. Hospitality is extended to visitors, from whom contributions of food and clothing are welcomed. TC is one of a network of 11 similar self-help locations. These are necessary establishments, lest people lack the basics of life.

Only 2500 shelter beds exist. Efforts are made to keep couples together. The number of affordable family housing units remains limited. People come and go. For extreme weather, warm shelters are available. TCs are self-managed, with officers elected, an executive committee is in force. A security test must be passed for entry. There is a strict code of conduct. Two security people are present around the clock.
There is a large community tent for socialization, as well as a kitchen. Weekly camp meetings are held. Bus tickets are provided for those who must get to jobs. In addition, the UW provides monthly dental care. A foot clinic, acupuncture, and alternate medicine options are available. Nursing care is also provided.

In short, not all homeless individuals are alike; a variety of factors has brought them to the shelters. The chief single factor that has made TCs necessary is the shortage of affordable housing. Until supply can meet demand, people must be sustained in this way, and by the selflessness of those who shepherd them

American Cancer Society

On February 9^th. David Leon of the American Cancer Society and Kara Fortney, Senior Manager of Relay for Life held the floor.

As to the disease, statistics show that it cannot be ignored. It was cited that one in three females and one in two males will face it in some form in their lifetimes. The ACS, in its mission to lead the fight for a world without cancer, espouses these principles:

To increase colorectal cancer screening rates to 80% by 2018.
To reduce lung cancer age-adjusted mortality by 50% in a decade.
Ensure that nobody dies due to non-access to care.
Eliminating HPV-related cancers
Equalizing outcomes for all facing breast cancer.
Ensure that all cancer survivors can access care.
Enable communities to fight cancer by addressing the true determinant of health.

They averred that the above, plus the cost of research, is expensive. Donations are vital in this work. The dollars are put to work in Washington via.

Care and empathy, to wit, information lines, rides to and from treatment, navigation of patients through the healthcare system, management of treatment side effects, free or reduced cost lodging.
Courage, to wit, funding to reduce the unequal burden of cancer, visits to cancer.org, grants to help low-income patients to receive screening.
Determination, to wit, rallying communities and creating partnerships to help save lives.
Innovation, to wit finding cancer’s causes and cures.

Relay for Life

This is an opportunity to gather with people in the community in order to raise funds and awareness. Globally, it is the largest fundraising event. It is a way of celebrating the survivors and to remember those lost. It will take place at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, 8/12, from 10AM to 6PM. The various competitions and awards have been described. Entertainment and speakers are scheduled. Last year, there were 21 teams, 119 participants, and $34,657.63 raised. This year there will be a Bark-for-Life event, honoring the canine caregivers. Survivors will receive a shirt and a medal.

Dr. Donn Charnley: NW Geology

On January 12^th, a zip-fast lesson in NW geology was rendered by Dr. Donn Charnley, Professor Emeritus at Shoreline Community College.

Some of the facts expressed in his talk were:

Lithosphere is the outer, rigid, rock girdling the planet. It consists of movable plates
Some collide with each other, i.e, Pacific and South American plates, or diverge, i.e. Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Layers of the earth are core, mantle, crust
Speeds of plate movements are up to 1 inch per year
The newest rock is being formed at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; oldest is at the continents
Some plates move past each other
Smaller rock fragments are called Terranes, some of which date back to a billion years
The Yukatat terrane is moving northward and will end up in Alaska, while Baja California is destined for the same area
1 billion years ago, the coast was in Idaho
The east-moving North American plate began to change direction some 250 million years ago in the so called March of Terranes and terranes crashed into the N.A. plate and piled up against each other
At this time the Pacific plate moved eastward and the N.A. plate moved westward
Low rock melted and rose, giving rise to volcanism
Basalt was formed in eastern WA
The Kootenay Arc became part of N.A
The large Okanogan terrane now collided and became part of the N.A. plate
The N. Cascade super terrane came from the SE and collided then pushed up to form the Strait Creek Fault
The San Juan Islands are a group of terranes from a process of older rock being pushed up by younger rock.
Starting 12 million years ago, the Pacific plate continued to crash eastward, creating a subduction zone
This has given rise to the Olympic mountains and rock at the south end of Vancouver Islands
Basalt rocks in Eastern WA are connected to the massive floods that arose from Missoula.

Comment: Quite a bit to digest. He kindly did not dwell on the Cascadia Fault whose potential energy continues to ratchet up beneath our feet.

City University Enactus Program

City University of Seattle Enactus, an organization working to improve life conditions worldwide, brings together experts in appropriate disciplines. Their principle is to accomplish this via entrepreneurship. Distinguished faculty advisor Kathy Cox was with us to show a recent example of this type of endeavor. She introduced Nathan Patricia and Maheesa Anastasya who were altogether impressive with their description of a most promising device, The Green Energy Stove.

It is necessary first to review a condition that prevails throughout Africa, that of cooking over a wood fire. This generates the smoke that smites the eyes and lungs and impairs the atmosphere. Also, it takes up time that could better be spent caring for one’s family. Moreover, while it takes too much time and expense to walk to a cellphone-charging center, a source of electricity.

Enter the Green Energy Stove. What are its virtues?

– It is smokeless.

– It can use any vegetation for fuel, i.e., plentiful bamboo.

– It operates by clean power generators.

– No carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide is produced.

– The burnt fuel can be used as fertilizer.

– Deforestation is ameliorated, since wood is not required.

– The heat energy is converted to electricity, powering lamps and cellphones.

– A person can borrow the cost of a stove through a microloan and then pay off the loan with proceeds from sale of electricity.

– The surface of the stove is not hot, precluding injury.

The device has been proven in Gabon and is now ready for distribution in Gambia, Ethiopia, Gabon, and Nigeria.

Comment: This stove promises to range far.

Detective Anthony Stevenson-Sex Offender Registry

Our December 1^st speaker was Detective Anthony Stevenson who oversees the of sex offenders in the area. Considering the numbers, he sets forth, it is at least a formidable assignment. His first point is that such as they have no distinguishing characteristics. They can be anyone. They pervade society, with 1,275 living in Seattle, plus those who are among the homeless. Stevenson also deals with those charged and convicted of kidnapping. Both types of offenders must register. This results from Megan’s Law, emanating from a case of kidnapping/rape/murder in New Jersey. The Law requires that such offenders must not only register, but also that the community be apprised of where they reside. The total registered in King County presently stands at 3,532.

Levels I, II, and III classification of offenders based on the severity and frequency of their crimes, III being the highest risk. Local police agency will notify of an offender’s address and where he is registered. The County Sheriff’s office tracks homeless SO’s via weekly sign-in sheets. If the requirement is violated, a criminal case is instituted.

Some characteristics:

Level I–These have violated people they know, and are of least risk to the community.
Level II–This includes such as teachers, pedophiles, baby sitters. They generally have had more than one victim.
Level III–This type of predator is of greatest risk to the community. Their crimes are of the violent type. They generally do not know their victims. They must be checked in every 90 days. The media and public at large are informed of them. Schools and day care facilities are prepared when offenders live in the neighborhood. Washington laws do not restrict where they live. In extreme cases, court orders and the Department of Corrections may restrict where they can be located.

As to what to do:

Educate children about the techniques of offenders.
Stay alert and report suspicious activity via 911 or to the offices whose phone numbers have been provided by the speaker.

Comment: It is grimly surprising as to how many engage in this type of behavior–no less surprising than, say, the incidence of domestic violence. These are scary times. Those who are trusting–and there are many–are fair game. Sadly, it is necessary to teach and practice suspicion.

Kwapi Vengesayi and the 5th Avenue Theater

Our Speaker October 27th was Zimbabwe-born Kwapi Vengesayi and the 5th Avenue Theater encountered each other and neither has been the same since. He had been trained in architecture and then in sociology. He found his calling, however, as the theater’s Community Engagement Specialist. The showplace had been a venerable landmark. It is now undergoing renovation in modern facilities, acoustics, and space. At the same time, efforts are afoot to preserve much of its old charm.

Vengesayi’s mission is to immerse the community in performance culture. Also, his aim is to reach out to under-served and under-represented areas of the community. He realized, upon arrival, how much musical theater is around us. Therefore, he works to engage the community in musical theater. Indeed, several of the musicals at the 5th have made it to Broadway.
The crux of the endeavor has been that of partnerships. In the process, high school students have at one time run the theater, under supervision. Variously, there have been served those with dementia, Thai dancers, kids who met the casts, and those of Tech Tuesday. This has catered to those who study all stages of production as to what foes into staging a show. It is hoped that time and effort may be devoted to autism.

Other partners have included the UW Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, the Thai community, Alaska and Delta Airlines, US Bank, Bank of America, Renton Skyway Boys and Girls Club, and others either current or pending.

Meanwhile, the project goes on to make the theater more spacious and to have patrons interact in the large entrance area.