Planning for Retirement 1

Walter wants to retire within the next few years.

He's been working at the same company for over fifteen years as an accountant.

During that time he's been saving his money and playing off his debts.

However, even with his savings and investments, he isn't sure that he'll have enough money for retirement.

If he doesn't, he'll have to keep on working, which depends on the company.

For now, the company is okay, but it's no longer growing as fast as it used to.

Whether or not he can keep on working will also depend on his health.

Fortunately, he's in good health, but he knows that that could change at any time.

If he fell down or had a stroke, it could force him to stop working.

If that happened he would have to rely on his savings and other assets to survive.

Sooner or later, he knows his health will decline and he'll have to stop working.

So he needs to prepare.

Most of his wealth is in the form of company stock and the value of his home.

Both of these are at risk.

The company stock may go down, and the value of his home may also fall.

The company he works for is a pharmaceutical company.

It develops new drugs, which is a risky business and sells them worldwide.

It's expensive to develop new drugs, and it can take a very long time to get a new drug approved.

Without government approval, it can't be sold, which can result in a huge loss.

If new drug isn’t approved, it can’t be sold, which results in a loss.

If a new drug isn’t approved, it can’t be sold, which can result in a huge loss.

Another threat to the company comes from foreign competition, which is getting stronger.

The company has also started to move some of its research and production facilities overseas.

Salary levels are lower there, and the quality of foreign workers is getting better.

As a result, the company has reduced its local hiring and is no longer giving large bonuses.

It has reduced its local hiring because salary levels are lower overseas.

The costs of doing business are lower there.

One thing he is considering is to sell his shares in the company.

He could begin to sell a little at a time and reinvest the money somewhere else.

But where would he invest?

He doesn't know much about investing, and several of his friends have lost a lot by making bad investments.

Investing in real estate or the stock market could be very risky.

Planning for Retirement 2

In the best case, he would make a lot of money.

If that happened he could finally retire and enjoy a comfortable life.

On the other hand, in the worst case, his investments could result in a huge loss.

If that happened, he wouldn't be able to enjoy his retirement.

He wouldn't be able to travel or do any of the things he has dreamed about doing.

If he made a lot of money, he could finally retire and enjoy a comfortable life.

if his investments resulted in a huge loss, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his retirement.

So, now he has to decide what he should do.

Should he begin to sell his stock in the company, or should he wait until he actually needs the money?

If he sold now, he would have to decide what to do with the money.

His investments could turn out well, or they could turn out to be a disaster.

On the other hand, if he decides to wait, everything will depend on the company.

The one advantage he has with this option is his being on the inside of the company.

As long as he works there, he should be able to find the best time to sell and avoid trying to find other ways to invest.

As long as he works for the company, he can predict what might happen to the stock.

With his insider information, he can predict the company's short-term future.

This is especially true because, as an accountant, he has access to the company's financial data.

If things start to go badly, he can begin to sell his stock and avoid a big loss.

Otherwise, it's probably safer to keep his stock and hope that the company does well, even if its growth rate declines.

So for now, that's probably what he should do.

If you were he, what would you do?

In his role as an accountant, he has special access to the company's financial data.

So, where should we go on a vacation?

What about Africa?

Africa? No, that's not for me.

Why do you want to go to Africa?

I'd like to get out and see the wildlife, the drama of nature.

We could see some of the great migrations.

Wow, you are an adventurer.

What about food and diseases?

What about terrorism?

Sure, something bad could happen, but if we never take any risks we won't have an interesting life.

I don't want to have a boring life.

So, you think I'm boring then, right?

Well, you are certainly not the most exciting person.

You play things safe and secure.

I don't mind taking a few risks, but it's got to be worth it.

Watching animals migrate is something I can see in a documentary.

And I don't like the idea of being around predators like lions and hyenas.

OK, my brave man.

What would YOU like to do?

Well, I've been thinking about it.

I think it would be nice to go to Paris in the fall and visit some museums.

We could go to a concert and maybe see a ballet.

Uh,! We've been to Paris before.

There's nothing exciting about it and I'm tired of museums.

Any other ideas?

One place that might be interesting is in South America, Machu Picchu.

It's an abandoned city way up in the mountains of Peru.

Yes, I've heard of it.

That might be interesting.

Should we look into it?

Sure, you look into it, and I'll get some information about trips to Africa.

So, your heart is really set on Africa, isn't it?

Yes, it really is.

I need something exciting in my life now.

All I do is work and be with you.

I need a change.

Don't you ever feel that way?

OK, I hear you.

Let's go to Africa.

And don't blame me if you get sick along the way.

Great, you are not so bad after all.

I can always depend on you.

Be careful.

Maybe one of these days I'll surprise you.

Is Online Dating Killing Love?

A fair maiden is guarded by a dragon. A handsome prince must slay the dragon to save her. Then, magically, they fall in love and live happily ever after. Traditional stories tend to emphasize the fantastic, magical side of love. Fate plays matchmaker. Strangers see each other from across a room and instantly know that they are destined to be together.

It isn't difficult to imagine two strangers coming together and falling in love despite their differences. It suggests that love is challenging, uncertain, and incomprehensible.

But with more people using online dating services, a very different kind of love has emerged: one that is scientific, convenient, and self-directed. It minimizes risk and provides a choice, like on a menu. There are anonymity and the avoidance of immediate rejection. Meeting terms are negotiated online.

Online dating also allows the setting of preconditions. Computer algorithms exclude undesirable traits such as the wrong hair color, race, or age. But they also exclude randomness. They reduce the chances of meeting someone different, or someone who could challenge one's romantic ideals. Instead, they find the partner we think we want and exclude everyone else. As a result, we could be missing the opportunity of a lifetime, to meet someone we would never have expected to fall in love with.

Perhaps this new way represents a more efficient form of romance. Traditional ideas of love may be enchanting - but are they useful? Loneliness and boredom are less exciting than chance encounters, but they represent the more realistic side of love. All too often people have suffered through bad dates and humiliations. If they could just choose what they wanted, wouldn't it save time and reduce suffering? However, by choosing partners based on our preconceived ideas, we may be indulging in our illusions. Instead of letting ourselves grow with someone, love becomes more about looking for ourselves in the other. What if we don't know ourselves as well as we think? Perhaps love isn't about knowing what we want. Perhaps it's about being open to unimagined possibilities.

Sports Injuries

Sports injuries are injuries that happen to athletes participating in sporting events. In many cases, these types of injuries are due to overuse of a part of the body. For example, runner's knee is a painful condition associated with running, while tennis elbow is a form of repetitive stress injury at the elbow. Other types of injuries, such as a broken bone, can be caused by hard contact with something.

Injuries are a common occurrence in professional sports, and most teams have a staff of trainers and close connections to the medical community. Controversy has arisen at times when teams have made decisions that could threaten a player's long-term health for short-term gain.

Sports injuries can be classified as either traumatic or overuse injuries. Traumatic injuries account for most injuries in contact sports such as soccer, rugby, and American football. This is of course due to the dynamic and high collision nature of these games. These injuries range from bruises and muscle strains to fractures and head injuries.

A bruise is a damage to small blood vessels which causes bleeding within the tissues. A muscle strain is a small tear of muscle fibers and a ligament sprain is a small tear of ligament tissue. The body's response to these injuries is the same in the initial five-day period immediately following the incident -inflammation. Inflammation is characterized by pain, localized swelling, heat, redness and a loss of function. Inflammation is the first phase of healing and typically lasts for around five days. However, too much of an inflammatory response can mean that the healing process will take longer, and a return to activity is delayed. Sports injury treatments are intended to minimize the inflammatory phase of an injury so that the overall healing process is accelerated.

Walter wants to retire within the next few years.

He's been working at the same company for over fifteen years as an accountant.

During that time he's been saving his money and paying off his debts.