Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Affection

Alcoa kicked off the earnings season with an earnings surprise to the upside.  The company reported adjusted earnings of $0.15 per share on revenue of $5.3 billion, compared to analysts’ estimates of adjusted earnings of $0.09 per share on revenue of $5.2 billion.  Shares were up by as much as 5% in after-market trading, after the announcement.

Southern Company has announced that Atlanta Gas Light (AGL), will now be known as Southern Company Gas.  Delta reported net income of $1.54 billon, or $2.03 per share, in the second quarter, compared to $1.83 in per-share earnings in the year prior period.  Quarterly revenue was off 2% year over year, to $10.45 billion.

Gap shares are up nicely, after the company reported a same-store sales increase.  Barracuda Networks shares jumped 12% after the company reported both revenue and income which beat estimates.  Pepsico earnings beat forecasts, with revenue in line with expectations.  Shares were up.  Walgreens exceeded earnings expectations, while revenue missed.  You can read details on these, and many other companies, at http://www.marketwatch.com/news/markets/earningswatch.asp.

Steve Forbes offers his thought about the state of federal regulation, in a recent Forbes editor’s column.  He suggests that our acceptance of an ever more overbearing federal bureaucracy is much like the frog in the kettle, and one of the things our founding fathers warned against.  You can read his remarks at http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2016/06/01/if-washington-wants-to-get-you-it-now-can-how-uncle-sam-became-uncle-tyrant/#20fc6c575c19.

Ford Fry, Atlanta restauranteur, has opened a second location of his Tex-Mex eatery Superica, in Chastain Park.  Speaking of restaurants, word on the street is that 101 Steak is now open in Vinings.  Hope to try it soon.  You can read more about it at http://atlanta.eater.com/2016/7/13/12173632/101-steak-lunch-menu-hours.

Pokemon Go is apparently all the rage, with the familiar name dating to its original form on the Nintendo Game Boy.  For me, studying the attraction of this game will be more of a social science experiment.

Deborah Blum, in her book “Love at Goon Park”, chronicles the trailblazing work and legacy of psychologist Harry Harlow.  In the first half of the 20th century, the common thought among psychologists was that parents, and especially mothers, showing love and affection to their children would spoil them.  Harlow proved otherwise, confirming that love and affection were critical to the emotional, physical, and intellectual well-being of children.  You can read an interesting review of the work at https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/07/07/love-at-goon-park-harry-harlow-deborah-blum/.

Quote of the week:

“I am of a different time.  Today there is much more focus on our rights as citizens, and what we are owed; it is not often that one hears of our obligations or duties as citizens.”
                                                                                                                                                                Clarence Thomas

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