Week of 10/21/2020

We’re very excited to announce our next virtual event, scheduled for Nov 10th at 6:30pm. We will hear from gifted photographer and long-time friend Mac Stone about some of his more recent adventures. Some of you may recall that we sponsored an outstanding talk by Mac several years ago when his book Everglades: America’s Wetland debuted. More info to follow. For more about Mac, visit his website, https://www.macstonephoto.com/

We learned: that Virgin Galactic and Rolls Royce have teamed up to develop a supersonic passenger jet that can fly from London to New York in 90 minutes. We think: worries about election fraud are likely overblown, but whatever happens we are unlikely to see anything as bad as the most fraudulent election in history. In the Liberian Presidential Election in 1927, suffrage was limited to only 15,000 citizens but 240,000 votes were cast in favor of the president. We wonder: are seasonal allergies getting worse? It could be attributed to a practice called “Botanical Sexism” where only male trees are planted in urban landscaping to prevent seeds from covering sidewalks. This, however, increases the amount of pollen released in the area. We shared: an article two weeks ago speculating that Covid has become less dangerous due to better treatment, physical distancing, and other measures. This article supports that assertion, finding that death rates for hospitalized patients are much lower than they were several months ago. Even adjusting for age and other factors, the improvement is meaningful. The disease remains dangerous but advances in care are having a positive effect We recommend: this explanation about why so many consumer products are so hard to find right now.

Q: Neither candidate seems interested in reducing the deficit, especially with more Covid stimulus on the horizon. How concerned should we be? A: Low interest rates mean that we probably have a long time before the national debt is an immediate problem. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, as of 10/15/20 total federal debt was 27.14 trillion and in the last ten years the total amount of the debt has doubled. In spite of the increase, as long as demand for treasuries remains consistent the interest carrying cost is affordable. It will take some time for that to change, which would signal more immediate cause for concern. Brad McMillan has more here

‌ ‌ ‌ Advisory Services offered through Lowry Financial Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and additional advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Advisory services offered through Lowry Financial Advisors, Inc, are separate and unrelated to Commonwealth. Lowry Financial Advisors, Inc. is located at 12921 SW 1st Rd, Suite 215, Tioga, FL 32669. 352-333-7990 Lowry Financial Advisors is the only advisory firm that helps its clients reach their goals through The Achieving Simplicity® Experience™, providing clarity and confidence in their personal and financial lives.