This Time Really Is Different
by Cheval John
With the presidential election right around the corner, the main concern is the economy.
Some say that we are at a recovery while others believe that it will get worse.
Voters are wondering if we will ever see America return back to it’s “glory days.
To understand where we are today, we have to understand the past and that is where guest writer, Dr. Brian Domitrovic comes in.
He has written a book called “Econoclast, The Rebels Who Sparked The Supply-Side Revolution And Restored America’s Prosperity,” which deals with the ecomonic recovery during the Reagan Administration.
He writes a weekly blog called “Past and Present” for Forbes and have given presentations at various conferences that includes the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (Houston Branch).
He has made appearances on radio nationally on shows like the Lars Larson Show and Voices of America and television appearances on various shows like Lou Dobbs Tonight and The Kudlow Report.
He is an Associate Professor of History at Sam Houston State University and currently serves as the Chair of the Department.
Now without further delay, here is Dr. Domitrovic:
We never seen a recovery from a recession this poor since the Great Depression.
There is some competition, and it comes from the stagflation era of the early 1980s.
The general rule is that a deep recession brings a sharper recovery, and the reason is simple mathematics.
Growth rates are calculated in the following manner: new GDP is divided by previous GDP (Gross Domestic Product), and the steeper the recession, the lower that denominator.
The lower the denominator, the greater will be a growth rate with any given numerator.
In the Depression, growth was very sharp out of the 1933 trough (40% for four years), but it still gave way to a nasty recession in 1937-38 that took unemployment to 17%.
This is the benchmark for failed recoveries: a resort to 17% unemployment.
In 1980, there was a recession, a mild one, and the recovery was meek, at 2.5% in 1981, and this gave way to another recession where unemployment just about hit 11%.
But then growth caught fire, 17% over the next three years, and 3.5% per year after that.
Today, the recovery from our Great Recession, in the aftermath of which there was 10% unemployment, has been at best on 1981 standards.
We used to recover from deep recessions with 17% growth for three years as the recovery.
Now we plod along at 1-2% per year out of a very deep swoon.
The only time we’ve done worse in the modern era is the 1930s.
“Failure” Is An Option
by Cheval John
What is stopping you from fulfilling your dreams?
Is it fear of the unknown?
Is it fear of failure?
Or is it the fear of people making fun of you after you fail?
Whatever it is, don’t let it stop you.
Dane Maxwell, founder of “The Foundation,” wrote a little post about failure.
He illustrates that it is o.k. to fail because it is a sign that you are making progress.
He used an example of how parents celebrates when their infant falls down when they try to walk for the first time instead of condemning him/her because they see that they are aiming for the impossible.
That alone encourages that infant to keep trying until he/she succeeds.
He can attest to that because he experienced plenty of failures before he became successful in building software products that have made him a millionare.
So whatever it is that you been itching to do, do it.
Whether it is learning how to play that guitar that you been craving to play or filming that first movie that you always want to film.
If it doesn’t turn out well the first time, keep on trying because in the end, it will turn out the way you want it.
And if someone says that you suck, celebrate!
Because at the end of the day, you did something that they didn’t have the guts to do themselves.
Don’t Take Life For Granted
by Cheval John
Sometimes we forget how precious life really is.
We are used to interacting with our friends, family, etc., on a daily basis that we get to the point of taking it for granted.
We believe that we have all the time in the world to tell a person how important they are in our lives and forget that they can be taken in an instant.
When that happens, we wonder if we did everything for that person or said what was needed to be said and ending up beating ourselves in the process.
For example, Deanna Brionnes has been the secretary of the Mass Communication Department on the campus of Sam Houston State for quite some time.
On a daily basis, she has to deal with the logistics of the department, whether it is helping a student register for a class or getting the schedule made for a professor.
In addition to her work, she helped in the planning of the MCM department’s annual spring banquet and collaborate with those that are in charge of putting it together.
Because of her dedication, she has received recognition from professors and student organizations in the department.
For example, Raven Films, a student film organization, gave her a baby blanket as their way of saying thank you because she and her husband are expecting their first child.
So the next time you see that person who makes life so fun and interesting, let him or her know how important they are to you.
Because you never know if you will get that opportunity again.
The Benefits Of Being Thankful
by Cheval John
Everyone have something to be thankful for today.
Whether it’s another day of life, having that dream job, or being with friends and family, many count themselves lucky.
For fans of Sam Houston State and Texas A&M, they have plenty of reasons to be thankful.
One thing that comes to mind is the fact that the Bearkat football team have made their consecutive NCAA FCS playoffs with the opportunity to make it back to Frisco.
While in A&M’s case, the Aggie football team proving that they belong in the Southeastern Conference after pulling off the 29-24 upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
When the Aggies and the Bearkats faced each other last Saturday, it brought a sense of excitement and perspective for fans and alumni of both schools.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to play in a bigger stadium with a bigger crowd and with an SEC team,” Angie Taylor, Director of Leadership Initiatives at SHSU said last week before Saturday’s matchup in which the Aggies won 47-28.
“This year, it’s a good experience for them and I think it will be excited and it’s two local communities coming together and it will be a good turnout.”
The two communities, Huntsville and College Station are located an hour away from each other on highway 30.
Some of the 350,000 alumni or ex-students of A&M calls Huntsville home.
Though most are fans of the Bearkats, when it comes to facing their alma mater, there is no question of who they will root for.
I’ve adopted the Bearkats as my hometown team and I support them regularly,” Amy Lee, publisher of the Huntsville Item said last week.
“But I’m an Aggie graduate, so I have to root for A&M.
For some of 100,000 plus Bearkat alumni, living in Bryan/College Station and experience the A&M culture has been fun and interesting.
Bearkat graduate Michael Oder, who works for KBTX-TV, a CBS affiliate in College Station, covering the local scene including A&M athletics has been fulling for him.
“Living and working in Bryan/College Station is interesting,” Oder said.
“I think SHSU and A&M are two great universities that operate at different levels. … .A&M has a great energy.”
“With the move to the SEC, that only multiplied ten-fold.”
Bearkat fans saw the match as added exposure for the football team and the school.
Also, it brought in $300,000 dollars for the Bearkat athletics program when they played A&M.
With the FCS playoffs set to begin this weekend, many believe that this experience will be a huge benefit for the Bearkat football team.
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