Capitalogix

When Will You Die? A Look At Cause of Death in Different Demographics

As I get older, I've noticed how much more often my mental perception of myself, and the physical realities are incongruent. 

I remember routinely being the youngest guy in the room. Obviously, that isn't true anymore (unless I'm at Denny's at 4pm).

I remember running around the park (without stopping).  And I certainly remember enjoying working out with my son.

Things that used to be easy (or at least routine) now cause me stress.

But age affects everyone - and while my 24-year-old can still eat like a pig and lift heavily, those days are behind me.  

I recently shared an article on "Conditioning Yourself To Take The Next Best Step," and I talked about getting back in shape ... the mentality it takes, and the habits I carried with me from my days as an athlete

One of the hardest lessons for me to learn has been that I can't work out how I used to ... or I injure myself.

It is not too far a leap to go from that – to thinking about mortality. 

This interactive graphic, below, shows how people of different ages die.  Click the image to try it yourself.

 

via FlowingData

You can see what average mortality looks like (by plugging in "0" as your age) ... or plug in your current age, sex, and race to see what's most likely to kill you (based on you having survived to now). 

Unsurprisingly, congenital issues stop having high mortality around 10, and circulatory/respiratory issues become more prevalent as you get older. 

Sure, this is based on averages - but it's interesting to see how locale and income play a role in your life expectancy. 

According to a Harvard-run study, people live longer in more educated and affluent areas even if they're less well-off, and that's taking even after taking into account labor market, social connectedness, and other factors. 

As well, the richest Americans live approximately 10-15 years longer than the other end of the spectrum as seen below. 

via Harvard Gazette

Live Long and Prosper! ... Or is it prosper and live long?

Inspiration Comes In Many Forms ...

Once a year, I go to the World BBQ Championship at Memphis in May. 

It's three days of friends, food, and fun.

This year was special. My friend, Andy Daniels' tent won third place in the ribs contest.

In addition, I gained some inspiration while spending time at Doug McKnight's tent with Blake Carson.

Have you ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse?  On top of an endless supply of meat, they also have a unique "churrasco" cooking and presentation style.

Blake saw that style of cooking - and innovated it - creating the Carson Rodizio kit (which started as a Kickstarter project).  It is a multi-rotisserie rack that converts your favorite backyard grill into an open and spinning Brazilian style Steakhouse.  It's clever, functional, and cool ... and it's been used to win multiple barbecue championships.

I love to experience an entrepreneur's mind at work.  

It's not always about what you add.  Sometimes, it is about what you take away.  Less is often more. 

Here is a one-minute interview with Blake.

 

 

For more on Carson Rodizio, here is their Facebook page.

Innovation, like opportunity, is all around you.

But it's not there for you if you don't see the opportunity, and seize it. 

Tasty! 

Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading - April 29th, 2017

Might be easier to solve a Rubik's Cube than to be President Trump.  Check out his first 100 days. 

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting. 

Lighter Links:

• Elon Musk and the 100 Hour Error. (MichaelHyatt)
• Gigaom's AI Startup Challenge – Finalists. (GigaOM)
• Access to Nature Reduces Depression and Obesity, Finds European Study. (TheGuardian)
• Fixing Lousy Sleep Could Keep Us Healthy Longer. (Futurity)
• Lab-Grown Meat is Almost Here. (BigThink)

Trading Links:

• Former Fed Advisor Says the Central Bank Shouldn't Comment on Equities. (CNBC)
• Quantopian Makes First Allocations to Crowd-Sourced Algorithms. (HedgeWeek)
• Fintech: Revolution or Evolution? (Ritholtz)
• Norway to Spend $315M on World's First Ship Tunnel. (CNN)
• BlackRock Signals Active Overhaul with Shift to Quant. (FTAdviser)

You Just Dodged a Bullet: The Holidays And Cardiac Mortality

On Christmas, I saw Rogue One with my family, and was impressed at what Disney had done to bring back the likenesses of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher. 

Peter Cushing played Grand Moff Tarkin, a character who they couldn't just cut from a movie featuring the Death Star so heavily (despite Cushing being dead since 1994).  In addition, the likeness of Carrie Fisher was brought back to play a young Leia.

At the time, I didn't know Carrie Fisher would be dead 2 days later, from heart attack complications.  Only a few days later, her mother, Debbie Reynolds died as well (presumably due to a broken heart).

Here is a chart showing cardiac mortality around the holidays.

  

via the American Heart Association.

Good news – if you are reading this, you are on the right side of the daisies.

Let's keep it that way!

What Are Your New Year's Resolutions?

I got my yearly physical a couple of weeks ago, and while it went largely without any surprises, my doctor recommended a more thorough cardio workup.

  

  

Good news, the tests went well – and I'm not pregnant (even though I'm pretty sure I saw the baby move).

Clearly time for some New Year's resolutions about becoming more healthy, fit, and vital.

What about you?

My Son Is Disgusting ...

This Thanksgiving, my son Zach made a stupid bet with himself – that he could gain 10 pounds in one day.

His mom and I both tried to tell him not to do it;  but we forgot a golden rule: Never tell a Getson they can't do something. 

The image speaks for itself.

  

 

He gained over 13 pounds.

Even considering the weight normally gained on a Thanksgiving, that's "disgusticating" (worthy of a made-up word).

Hope you enjoyed your holiday too!

 

Here Are Some Links for Your Weekend Reading

Lots of crazy stories from the Olympics.  For example, an Olympic Kayaker capsized after hitting a submerged sofa.  At least they figured out how to deal with the mosquitos.

 

 

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• There Are More White Voters Than People Think. That’s Good News for Trump. (NYT)
• Inside the Bitter Last Days of Bernie's Revolution. (Politico)
• The Pittsburgh Steelers are Practicing with Football Robots. (PopSci)
• The Craziest Predictions  From Tech BigWigs Recently. (PScience)
• Dos Equis Wants to Rank You on the "Most Interesting Person in the World" Index. (FastCo) 

 

Trading Links:

• The Big Banks are Becoming ‘Dumb Pipes’ as Fintech Takes Over. (CB Insights)
• How the World's Currencies Got Their Names. (World Economic Forum)
• Fund Managers Fear Central Banks Will Create Next ‘Lehman’ Moment. (MarketWatch)
• What Would Happen If 40 Million Americans Defaulted on Their Student Loans? (FastCo)
• Alleged Russian Spies in the U.S. Were Interested in High Frequency Trading. (QuantNews)

Time Flies - Another year, another Philly Cheesesteak

My son, Zach, had my favorite Philly cheesesteak sent in from the Jersey Shore.  Shipping cost way more than the sandwiches.  Worth It!!

 

 

As much as I love innovation (or finding something better), sometimes things are perfect as they are.

Wow, how time flies!  Birthdays seem to come more quickly as I get older.  It makes sense, though.  When you were four, a birthday represented a quarter of your life.  Now, a year represents a much smaller percentage.

Reminder: while aging may suck.  It sure beats the alternative.

The Most Expensive Coffee In The World Is Made From Cat Poop

I was in Indonesia last week – and had some exotic experiences.

 

 

That picture was taken in Bali, where I first met my wife many years ago.

Indonesia is famous for coffee.  For example, "Sumatra" is their biggest island – with “Java” coming in close behind (and both are synonymous with coffee).

They also make one of the most expensive coffees in the world … Luwak Coffee.

It is a very particular coffee, created using a very particular process.

In traditional coffee production, the cherries are harvested, and the beans are extracted, before being shipped to a roaster, ground into a pulp, and brewed by a barista at your local Starbucks.

In contrast, with Luwak coffee, something different happens.

The coffee cherries are harvested by wild animals.

Specifically, they’re harvested by the Asian Palm Civet, a small, cat-like animal that absolutely loves the taste of coffee cherries.

But, if the civets eat the cherries, how can they still be used to make coffee?

Here comes the gross part—the civets eat the coffee cherries, but their digestive tract can’t effectively process the beans, only the flesh surrounding them.

When the partially digested, partially fermented beans are eventually excreted, coffee producers harvest them. The beans are then cleaned, roasted, and used to make astonishingly expensive (“with retail prices reaching up to $700 per kilogram”) coffee.

Now is the coffee that mind-blowing to warrant a price north of $300 a pound?

No, not really.  In fact, many critics will openly call it bad coffee, or as Tim Carman, food writer for the Washington Post put it, "It tasted just like...Folgers. Stale. Lifeless. Petrified dinosaur droppings steeped in bathtub water. I couldn't finish it."

To be fair, the Luwak coffee industry is an experience. When I toured a plantation near Ubud, Bali, a smiling tour guide greeted and led me on an in-depth exploration of the forested property, where I was allowed to immerse myself in the various spices, roots, beans, and civets used to produce this one-of-a-kind coffee.  Here is a video I shot of the process.

 

 

 via YouTube.

If you think about it, I paid a premium to drink exotic cat poop coffee.  Kind of strange!

I wouldn't drink coffee made from people poop (or even domestic cat poop).

It’s the story that allows this not so awesome coffee to fetch awesome prices.  People are paying for the experience, not the commodity itself.

The same is true when you buy Starbucks.  The coffee at 7-Eleven is cheaper – and Consumer Reports tell us that McDonalds coffee is better.

Nonetheless, I'd still rather drink at Starbucks.

We live in an Experience Economy.

Here Are Some Links for Your Weekend Reading

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.  Times may change, but human nature doesn't.  There is a lot to be thankful for anyway!

 

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.

 

Lighter Links:

• CEOs On Their 'Best Mistakes'. (Business Insider)
• The Best Leaders Are Constant Learners. (HBR)
• How AI is Transforming Business [Infographic]. (Deloitte)
• How Salad Can Make Us Fat. (NYTimes)
• Research: Life Is Different For People Who Think In Metaphors. (Psych)

 

Trading Links:

• Jack Bogle: Greatly Diminished Stock Returns Ahead. (CBS)
• U.S. Dethroned as World's Billionaire Capital. (CNBC)
• IMF Seen Approving Yuan As "Reserve Currency". (ZeroHedge)
• The Man Accused of Spoofing Some of the World's Biggest Futures Exchanges. (Bloomberg)
• These Numbers Explain Why Amazon Wants to Give So Much Free Stuff to Prime Members. (BI)