Two small tremors...a future earthquake?
 

First one:

http://www.cleveland.com/akron/index...tudents_f.html

Second one: we had our first power outage of the season.

Behind closed doors they blame Title IX. Publicly it is about budgets and expenses.

For the last 15 years the University of Akron has been spending money like a drunken sailor in a strip club, only they weren't dollar bills, they spent millions.

The piper has called.

Akron now joins a host of colleges across the land raising tuition, laying off employees and cutting athletic programs.

It is only the beginning. Even THE Ohio State is looking at some of their programs. The binge is over, and the downturn actually started a few years ago during the housing/bank crisis, the universities thought they were immune.

So what? It will affect thousands of students on scholarships. It will prevent thousands more to be unable to afford tuition. The small number of employees is small and some say insignificant ( tell that to their families) but could be a coming trend. This trend ripples through our economy, some of the contractors who feasted on Akron's building and expansion program are now looking to lay off their employees.

Let's keep a close watch on this.

Power. July 18 is kind of early for us to experience brownouts. Maybe it was the Italian Festival downtown today coupled with unbearable 90 degree heat, and all the air conditioners running...but we're probably not going to see snow in Aug./Sept. More likely 100 degree heat waves.

Maybe I'm crying wolf, perhaps being chicken little a little.

But I find these little tidbits to often times be the precursor to the shaking of structures and the injury of many.

Gordon

Re: Two small tremors...a future earthquake?
 

Gordon- you are always quick to identify problems, then find a way to monetize a solution. I agree there is trouble coming to paradise in this area. Can you elaborate a bit more. I appreciate the way you see things from a rooftop view, and hoped you might share your pre-flight checklist on this opportunity. If it it too soon to share, I understand, but please keep us in the loop.

Re: Two small tremors...a future earthquake?
 

OK. First, WHO will be impacted?
Say a freshman at Akron, on a baseball scholarship is facing choices. He may have some sort of educational settlement, perhaps another year...but they aren't going to give a free ride, so now, if he stays, he looks at student loans, jobs or gives up baseball and has to examine his life.

What are his options? Can someone help him locate another college team and will he face the same fate on that one?

What if he wasn't there to be a real student, what does he do?

If tuition goes up across the USA, and student loans become harder to get, maybe trade schools, Phoenix, DeVry certifications may be a better choice, for hundreds of thousands.

Read the article and get an insight to their thinking...when he says he wants Akron to become the premiere polytechnic school (it is one already), what he is really saying is this

BIG schools will not just be eliminating athletics, they will be closing colleges within, the fine and performing arts are at the top of the cut list, and soft sciences and maybe even many English classes...focus more on JOBS, so a teachers college could be the downsize to... from a Liberal Arts or other English majors, like Creative Writing.

Universities will be dramatically different from the beasts they are today.

Lots of opportunities along those lines.

High schools have already cut some athletic programs and there is a pay to play, and many are now doing fundraising...not the car wash or knock on doors begging kind, but a fundraising program that supports, say, the HS baseball team.

I know some of these guys, they would love to shut down many of the female sports but they can't because of Title IX, so they have to cut equally. High
Schools don't have big travel expenses colleges have, in fact, travel is one of the key budget items looking to be cut and smaller programs may have to go back to old regional style, where they can ride buses, not planes.

Means a shift in leagues, more regional alignment, colleges shifting to Independence status who can't afford to compete in Big 10, SE, Big 8, etc.

Maybe a downgrade in status from 1 A to IIA (as populations shrink)

TV drives college sports, if you're not in the pot, not many schools can support much outside of football and basketball.

Anyhow, I could be dead wrong.

But check your local programs, both local colleges and HS and stay tuned into the number of programs closing or having to raise their own funds. You'll be amazed.

Hot weather, continued drought will drive up food prices, like never before, Hot summers put a strain on the grid. Most are unprepared. My neighbor had to borrow ice from me today because she knows I keep a lot on hand (I think of it as frozen water...wait? what?!!)

Continued brownouts, regional blackouts in the hot areas for several days will see not only full hospitals but violence in the streets.

Now, none of this may happen, I've been wrong a couple of times.

Watch the sales of generators soar this summer.

First opportunity is for self and community planning.
Then as one stands on the tracks and gets run over by the train of trends, at full speed, no longer a trend but a change of lifestyle...well, I think you can see where to look for some great opportunities.
Gordon

Re: Two small tremors...a future earthquake?
 

Maybe it's Karma...

Related article:
http://awdnews.com/economy/for-profi...ur-tax-dollars

Regards,
Steve

Thanks Steve.
 

Unfortunately, students are paying off that Karmic debt.

Here is the crux of all thing scam (from the article)

By lavishly spreading money around to the right people. And since most of their revenue comes from taxpayers,

The reason Utah is scam central in the supplement and biz op is because Orin Hatch sold the FDA to the highest bidder...and they have gotten away with murder ever since.

The sales pitch is BS today, a college education, especially one attained via student debt, will not secure you a better job, and in many ways make you less desirable to a potential employer.

Big U is right up there with Big Pharm, Big Banks and many other publicly funded scams.

Good article, thanks Steve.

Gordon

Re: Two small tremors...a future earthquake?
 

Here's an overview of several future earthquakes:

http://bit.ly/1fUH6Hi

and it is happening as we sleep.

Here are 3 new laws that went into effect on 7-1-15 in Spain:

1) If you photograph security personnel and then share these images on social media: up to €30,000 fine

2)Obstructing an officer in the course of their business, “resisting arrest”, refusing to leave a demonstration when told, or getting in the way of a swinging baton are all now finable offences from €601 – €30.000.

3) Showing lack of respect to officers of the law is an immediate fine of €100 – €600. Answering back, asking a disrespectful question, making a funny face, showing your bottom to an officer of the law, or telling him/her that their breath reminds you of your dog’s underparts is now, sadly, not advisable.

Their relativity?

Texas has proposed a law that says about the same thing as these 3. Some of their politicians want to make it illegal to photograph the police even if the cop isn't doing anything but standing there. Texas isn't alone btw.

I don't know if that is a future earthquake or not, but it does have the potential doesn't it?

As for the colleges, close them all except the medical schools. Start with the law schools. We have more lawyers per square foot than all other earth based countries.

What is the highest endowed sports program, collegiate level, in the US? Who endowed it? Why didn't they endow their fine arts, music or social schools?

It never ends. But, there are bucks to be made especially if you can find the right entry point.

Here's another good read or maybe it could be called a thinking point:

http://www.latimes.com/local/westsid...ry.html#page=1

Gordon - in your op you said these three things:

The piper has called.

Maybe I'm crying wolf, perhaps being chicken little a little.

But I find these little tidbits to often times be the precursor to the shaking of structures and the injury of many.

You're 3 descriptives aren't strong enough. Just my 2¢...