Hyperthermia Treatment for Cancers

For many men, the fear of permanent urinary incontinence along with impotence can have many devastating effects. Yet, the most common procedures for prostate cancer, including prosectectomy, along with chemotherapy and radiation treatment can cause these lifelong side effects.

However, a proven and effective treatment for prostate cancer, and other cancers, has been trans-urethral prostate hyperthermia, which has been practiced by German doctors for over two decades. In this treatment, a probe in inserted into the urethra, and the prostate is heated by microwaves towards 48 up to 52°C for 2 sessions lasting 180 minutes each which destroy the cancer cells, whilst leaving healthy cells in tact. Heat activates the immune system leading to apoptosis (cell death) and macrophagy (white cells consuming debris and damaged cells) of cancer cells. This treatment can be repeated if the cancer returns.
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Hyperthermia Treatment induces cell death to cancer cells whilst leaving healthy cells intact. It also stimulates the immune system.

Hyperthermia can treat other cancers as well, including regions in the breast, neck, liver, etc, and whole body hyperthermia treats metastatic cancers that have spread throughout the body. This was the same treatment that former President Ronald Reagan had been successfully noted to receive in Germany in the mid 1980s instead of opting for traditional chemotherapy + radiation treatment for his various cancers after he had undergone initial surgery in the US. Hyperthermia treatment received approved legal status in the US in 1984 but has not been widely available until recently.

There are 3 different types of hyperthermia treatment for cancers:

Local hyperthermia is used to treat very small areas, such as a tumour. Heat can be applied from the outside using high-frequency waves directed at the tumour. Small areas inside the body can be heated using thin wire probes, hollow tubes filled with warm water, or implanted microwave antennae and radiofrequency electrodes.

Regional hyperthermia heats a part of the body such as a limb, organ or cavity. This can achieved by heating blood that has been isolated, removed, heated and pumped back into the same region in a process called perfusion. Magnets and other devices that produce high energy can be positioned over an area to be heated.

Whole-body hyperthermia is used when treating metastatic cancer that has spread throughout the body. This can be achieved by using warm water blankets, inductive coils, hot wax, thermal room or chambers to raise the body temperature.There are no known complications. Side effects may include local pain or skin discomfort. Occasionally hyperthermia can cause blisters or burns but these generally heal quickly.

In regions such as the breast, heat rays are passed through cooling water cushions to prevent skin burns.  

Although, hyperthermia treatment was only previously available in Germany, it is now also available in the US as a stand alone treatment at various centres such as in Texas, and is covered by Medicare. In the UK, currently only one medical facility offers hyperthermia treatment.

Ultrasound Therapy

Traditionally, ultrasound has been utilised as a diagnostic tool to evaluate organ damage, in addition to monitoring of developing fetuses in utero. However, ultrasound has also has a history of use in the military, in both detecting underwater obstacles and as military weapons that can cause destruction and damage to living organisms.

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Military testing of sonic and ultrasound devices in the ocean has lead to death of many marine mammals, including whales and dolphins.

Continuous government testing of ultrasound and seismic technologies resulted in damage to marine life as sonic, ultrasound and long range acoustic devices have the capability to injure, debilitate or harm living organisms, including whales, dolphins and humans. 

However, ultrasound also has the ability to heal, as its specific, varied applications can be utilised to break up kidney stones, treat uterine fibroids and low intensity pulsed ultrasound has been utilised for bone fracture healing, in addition to being able to realign the spine in back injuries and people who suffer from chronic back pain. A notable doctor in this field is Dr. Eslam Khan, who has developed a system called Kinetic Treatment in which uses signature sound frequencies that are unique to each patient to realign the spine and regenerate cellular tissue. Dr. Khan works out of his headquarters in Toronto, Canada.

Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT) and Optogenetics

I have written extensively about LLLT before in previous entries. Light has the ability to modify cells in our bodies. Red light has the ability to stimulate mitochondria to produce ATP, heal injuries and reducing swelling and Blue light has the ability to stimulate hippocampal neurons and activate the circadian rhythm. Blue light, used in optogenetics, has been utilised successfully to treat sleep disturbances on Parkinson’s patients who have impaired or damaged dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra.

Currently one of my favourite LLLT devices is a stand device that is originally intended for use on the face. However, after a sports related injury, I utilised the red light setting at 640 nm for about 1 hour every other day on my swollen ankle. After the initial treatment, the swelling had completely disappeared without any need for ice packs. After five weeks, my stage 3 ligament tear on my ankle had completely healed. I particularly like this device because it has a design in which it leaves one's hands free as opposed to a handheld, and also because it has an hour long timer so one can set it and simply relax and do other things, such as sitting at the desk or reading in bed, especially when treating entire areas of the body, such as feet, legs and hands.
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A low-cost, effective LLLT device which I have found versatile for many uses due to its upright design. Originally designed by OMEGA in South Korea for facial rejuvenation, I have utilised this device more for sports injuries, which is effective for swelling. Note: I have only ever used the red light 640 nm setting.

There exists many innovative therapies and medical technologies that have already a proven track record of treating many conditions, although they may not be mainstream, commercial treatments. Although it might be confusing to look through the inundation of information that keeps piling up with contradicting data, as medical and scientific research changes at a rapid rate, it is important to consider that due to the commercial nature of pharmaceutical industries, and the inherent limitations of medical education, that many doctors may not be up to date with the latest research and information, which is why it is important for people to be informed about a variety of different treatments, and for patients to have the right to refuse any treatment or seek alternatives in any given situation.

Although, many innovative doctors have developed numerous life-saving technologies, as I have mentioned above, all doctors are not all the same, and we must ultimately consider them as advisers in healthcare, similar to lawyers and investors, and in the end, the right to one’s own decisions must take precedence above a doctor’s recommendations.

In addition, the sharing of information and opening an honest dialogue with others in order to stimulate debate is an important part of a Democratic society, and we must take care not to censor those whose opinions and experiences might be different from ours or even the opinions of a larger establishment or authority. In my opinion, as long as people are polite and courteous, we should listen to those who have something to say with an open mind, as looking at multiple perspectives lead to an enlightened mind and a more richer population.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes only and to stimulate debate and not intended as medical advice, medical diagnosis nor treatment.


​By Sierra Choi

​2018 Awards Screeners


(note: This article may contain spoilers to some movies)

It’s that time of year, and with the Oscars just a few weeks away, movie studios have been busily sending out screeners to publicise the most anticipated and highly acclaimed films and TV programmes of the year.

The overarching theme this year seemed to be about finding common ground in situations where racial tensions are divisive and prominent (Black KkKlansman, Black Panther, Widows, Green Book, The Hate U Give, If Beale Street Could Talk), along with biopics and historical narratives (First Man, Vice, Mary Queen of Scots, The Cold War,  22 July, Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born), portrayals about drug addiction and the underground drug industry (Beautiful Boy, Ben is Back, Narcos Mexico, The Mule), and several amusing tales of unconventional relationships (The Kominsky Method, Wanderlust, Gracie & Frankie, Glow).

However, despite being inundated with a brilliant and intricate selection of films and TV programmes, with many coming from Netflix’s production division, two post-apocalyptic films, although not overtly political in nature, I think have a particularly interesting insight into the cultural mindset of North and South Korea.
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Censorship and inability to speak aloud is depicted in the post-apocalyptic world of A Quiet Place (2018), where speaking up leads to death.

In A Quiet Place, a desolate, deserted landscape surrounds a family in which they are not allowed to speak for fear of unknown monsters who have a way of honing into the population and going on murderous rampages if any voices are detected. Although this might at first glimpse, sound like a bad plot to a horror film, the film captures the nature of censorship that exists in many nations, including North Korea, in which people may be executed for expressing thoughts that do not align with state objectives. Hence these high tech monsters represent the totalitarian state, much like the Orwellian world of 1984, in which speaking up results in death.
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The blindfolded leading the blindfolded in the sci-fi film Bird Box (2018), a possible metaphor in the inability of an insular, paranoid society in which there exists fear of the unknown, and an inability to see outside one's own perspective.

In Bird Box, people are afraid to open their eyes and look out onto the landscape, for there is an entity that permeates the atmosphere in which people end up dead. The result is a claustrophobic environment in which blindfolded people lead the blind, closing up their windows, and blacking out any sources of light. Although sci-fi in nature, this landscape could closely resemble the cultural mindset of insular protectionism in South Koreans, in which for generations, there has existed a xenophobic kind of sentiment against people who are “different” from the norm and to shut out foreign influence. While much of the world has been open to progressive change, and acceptance of gay marriage, South Korea is a nation in which homosexuality is still illegal, and recently South Korean President Moon Jae-In has said in a nationalised debate that he did not support the decriminialisation of homosexuals in the nation, which was an about-face from his previous stance in the years before. In addition, whilst the rest of the world was active in the #MeToo movement of sexual harassment and discrimination against women, South Korean media executives downplayed #MeToo and instead output programmes of idealised romantic love involving women in what would be considered sexual harassment by coworkers and bosses in many of their K-Drama programmes.

See also: Olympic medalist Shim Suk-hee comes forward to accuse coach of rape and sexual harassment in a pervasive atmosphere of violence and intimidation against athletes in South Korea.
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Rampant homophobia is depicted in My Only One (2018) a popular K-drama series in which the mother fears her son being homosexual, leading to enhanced prejudice and discrimination of the LGBT community in South Korea. South Korean media executives often depict negative stereotypes of gender relations, leading to the widespread perception that sexual harassment and discrimination are considered normal in a society in which heightened prejudices and discrimination against minorities, the elderly and the poor are continually fed to the population via TV dramas under the guise of romantic drama and comedy.

South Korea is a country that is still very much “in the closet”, resistant to change the current gender dynamics and culturally blindfolded in an attempt to bypass change, and a progressive fear rules the nation in which is considered one of the most high tech in the world. The shutting out of windows, and the perception that people who want others to “open their eyes” must inherently be evil and causes fear amongst the population is something that is firmly rooted in the psychological landscape of a nation that once sent their military to murder all their student protesters in the Gwangju Massacre of 1980 and which has the highest suicide rate of children and teenagers in the world.
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North Korea, in comparison, is largely undeveloped, with little pollution in its atmosphere and its untainted landscapes has the potential to become architectural innovations that rival European landscapes if it does not follow the concrete tower block method of cheap housing for short-term gain.

Although these post-apocalyptic films do not paint a beautiful, idealised picture of life, but rather a bleak portrayal of people imprisoned by fear, these films could be cautionary tales to the leaders of North and South Korea, in the direction of which a nation may take and the legacy they leave behind.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has an opportunity to launch his nation into a high tech startup base, with many real estate ventures that could create vast amounts of wealth for the nation in the next decade, if he were to steer the nation towards humanitarian ideals in which there no longer existed a totalitarian state in which people fear speaking up for their opinions. When a nation is under the confines of extreme censorship, innovation cannot exist. It is the paradoxical value of rebellion that ultimately leads to innovation that the United States had successfully captured; instead of executing rebels and insurgents, the US recruited them, and this tactic has served its objectives well in the creation of a modern superpower. In addition, adopting humanitarian ideals also has a monetary advantage, the world’s leading billionaires and multi-national corporations are not willing to invest in nations in which they execute or target members of their own population with fear and censorship.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In when elected, became the hope of a new generation of young Koreans who had admired his background as a human rights lawyer. However, due to polls depicting his decreasing popularity, it would be no surprise that he most likely felt under pressure to no longer support the legalisation of homosexuality and to stop his objective of gender equality in a nation in which men openly expressed their dislike for his policies. However, President Moon Jae-In could learn a bit from American politics in that regard, of the power of the media to change people’s perspectives.
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President Obama giving a medal of honour to Ellen Degeneres in 2016. President Obama forged close relationships with many of Hollywood's executives, producers and stars in order use his soft power to develop social policies for the nation that would change the mindset of the American public, that at one time, did not support gay marriage.

When President Obama took power in 2008, gay marriage was still quite unpopular within the general public, but in just seven years, he was able to steadily rise in popularity and make ready for its legalisation. Forging close relationships with media executives and a Hollywood darling, it was during the Obama years in which the US media suddenly took on a change from portrayals of women as victims in society, to powerful women. Whereas in previous years, it was common to see women being portrayed as sex workers, rape victims and unhappy housewives, suddenly, the US market was flooded with movies and programmes that portrayed women as CEOs, executives, scientists, politicians and math quants. The subsequent launching of films and programmes depicting homosexual relationships in normal family situations also paved the way for its acceptance. This created a psychological landscape gearing the population to get ready to accept the landmark legislation that would become prominent in 2015, when President Obama declared, “love is love” and lauded gay marriage activists. As one of the most popular Presidents in American history, South Korean President Moon Jae-In could follow in President Obama’s footsteps and also forge strong relationships with media executives and the South Korean film and television industries in order to create content that moves away from the current and overt sexism that exists in South Korean media outlets, and the rampant discrimination against the LGBT community. As a human rights lawyer, one can only argue and win individual cases, as South Korean President, Moon Jae-In has the power to inspire change in the minds of an entire nation, and not merely follow the fleeting opinions of polls in a futile attempt to tailor policy in a world in which the blindfolded lead the blindfolded.

In the Bird Box, the blindfolded come across a centre for the blind, and live out the rest of their lives in isolation, blind to the outside world. Is this the kind of xenophobic future of insular protectionism that President Moon Jae-In envisions for South Korea? Or would President Moon Jae-In become the first in a long succession of others to break free from the cultural landscape of fear and develop policies which opens South Korea to the ideals of the global world, making it a powerful nation in its own right, and one in which humanitarian ideals are seen as a strength of a nation and not a source of fear?

By Sierra Choi

This article originally appeared in globalfounders.london

Sexism at the EU headquarters in Brussels. Prime Minister Theresa May in a confrontation with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. "We were not dancing...but she thought I was criticising her by calling her nebulous...I was not referring to her...but after checking what I said yesterday night, she was kissing me," Mr. Juncker said to laughing reporters. Notice the subtle body language, and how Mr. Juncker puts his hand on Mrs. May's arm as a sign of dominance.

This is because when interest rates are hiked up by the Central Banks, it leads to inflation and widespread recession in which there is a lack of money flow throughout the economy, leading to cash-strapped businesses that inevitably lead to businesses closing, bankruptcies and market failure.

Although a stock market crash and downturn in the market may be an unwelcome gift for the holidays, in the long term outlook, Mrs. May’s Deal could forever lead the UK to be chained to the EU in which they will have no part in policy making, which leads to a long-term problem for the UK. That is why in good conscience, some Members of Parliament have considered opting for the No Deal scenario and prepare for its immediate consequences rather than wait to delay the vote until January. It is likely that Mrs. May did not want to ruin Christmas for UK businesses and financial institutions who may have to pay greater taxes and tariffs if her deal is not passed, but the simple fact is that delaying the vote puts the UK in risk for economic instability if preparations are not made in advance before the Brexit deadline of March 2019. Mrs. May’s delay on voting for her Deal is one that is similar to a divorcing couple only staying together for the Holidays, until they decide to break up after the New Year.

The EU has already made contingency plans for financial firms in a No Deal scenario. As the financial capital of Europe, London currently has around £29 trillion (approximately $38 trillion) of derivatives contracts, including 90 percent of euro-denominated interest rate swaps are directly centered in London. The contingency plans would ensure that these contacts aren’t interrupted with legal uncertainty for at least 12 months to 24 months after Brexit. Therefore, it would be critical during this time that financial firms switch over to new contracts or at least be able to renew selling their services across to the EU, in a similar way when a company acquires another company, and the services and contracts from the old company are transferred to a new company to ensure a smooth transition.

The Bank of England has forecasted a No Deal exit as a “destruction of the British economy” and Bank of England Chairperson Mark Carney has also threatened to raise interest rates. It is also becoming increasingly clear that despite either a No Deal or Mrs. May’s Deal, The Bank of England will most likely raise interest rates anyway, leading to an economic recession in the UK, following the current pattern of the Federal Reserve in the United States.
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Succession of interest rate hikes in 2006 and 2007 by the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve lead to inflation and widespread recession, launching the 2008 financial crisis. A similar pattern has taken place in 2018 by the Federal Reserve, in which they have raised a succession of interest rates 4 times within the past year.

In 2018 alone, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates 4 times, the most recent a few days ago on December 19, which lead to a sell off in the US stock market in all of December, plunging into the beginning of a bear cycle. A similar succession of interest rate hikes by the Bank of England will also lead to recession in the UK economy after a decade of stable growth.
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​President Trump in a stand-off with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell (right). The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates 4 times in 2018, potentially leading the US towards another financial crisis and widespread recession.

London has been the financial capital of Europe long before the UK was a member of the EU, and dates back to the 19th century and would most likely continue to be the financial capital of Europe until the end of the 21st century. In addition, much of the EU’s corporate and sovereign debt is serviced by London, and Europe’s governments and corporations will have to refinance their own debt at a much higher cost.

However, it is also possible that nearer to the end of the 21st century, Frankfurt could eclipse London as the new financial capital of Europe, however, not due to Brexit, but primarily due to events set since 1997 in which began the collusion occurring between banks in the LIBOR scandal that nearly brought down the entire global financial services industry in 2008. It was during Prime Minister Tony Blair’s reign in which he allowed the Bank of England to set its own interest rates, without oversight by Parliament and although that helped to boost the financial industries temporarily, it also set the stage for the LIBOR scandal that would soon ensue in the coming years and culminate in the financial crisis of 2008. If the UK is not able to make significant reforms in this area, it is inevitable that the changing of the guard would shift more towards Frankfurt as the new financial capital of Europe during the latter 21st century into the 22nd century as Germany’s strict economic management and structural reforms could lead the way after the current economic downturn, as it had done in the past in the 2008 financial crisis.
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If London is to remain the financial capital of Europe into the 22nd century, the Bank of England must introduce interest rate cuts, regardless of the outcome of a No Deal Brexit deal in order to stimulate the British economy and Members of Parliament must immediately plan for a Financial Stabilisation Act and set aside billions, most likely around 20% of current GDP in order to create loan guarantees, recapitalisation funds for banks, tax reductions and loans for small to medium enterprises.

It appears that Prime Minister Theresa May probably wanted to delay the inevitable until after Christmas, trying to pretend that the feuding couple is not headed towards divorce, however action must be immediately taken to stabilise the British economy, and it could very well be that perhaps if a General Election is triggered in the New Year, that it might be that the best person to lead the UK from out of the oncoming recession might very well be the opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

The End of the Automobile Age

Le Corbusier saw that the car would become King in the 20th century, and he designed cities built for car parks and freeways. After WWII, authorities utilised his ideas to cheaply deal with chronic housing shortages, hence the rise of concrete blocks and freeways began. However, now as that era is coming to a close, we are now confronted by pollution, an overproduction of cars and bumper to bumper traffic and gridlock in all the major cities as the world demands faster and more efficient transportation.

Mainly due to the auspices of former Prime Minister David Cameron, and his foresight, support and investment into the tech sectors, London has become the tech capital of Europe, and soon likely to eclipse Silicon Valley as the tech capital of the world. It is also highly likely that the UK will move from a primarily car manufacturing nation of the EU era, to a tech-focused nation in the new Brexit era.

It is also clear that as the new tech capital of the world, London will be a city that no longer depends on cars. Cities around the world are coming to the same conclusion: that they’d be better off with far fewer cars. In an era of the “new mobility”, the younger generation are no longer dependent on cars and they are less likely to have a driving license.
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It’s a vision of cities in which residents no longer rely on their cars but on public transport, shared cars and bikes and, above all, on real-time data on their smartphones. He anticipates a revolution which will transform not just transport but the cities themselves. “The goal is to rebalance the public space and create a city for people,” he says. “There will be less pollution, less noise, less stress; it will be a more walkable city.”
- Gilles Vesco, Politician in Lyon responsible for sustainable transport in Lyon

Despite, electric cars being popular, such as Tesla, and interesting underground developments by Elon Musk's the Boring Company, car manufacturing inevitably creates pollution, and the automobile industry is the largest source of lead pollution in the world.
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The Made in Britain luxury carmakers Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and McLaren will remain iconic brands, weather through Brexit, and continue to produce beautiful machines for the rest of the world. However, it is clear that the UK will no longer depend on cars as their largest exports to the EU, as many other car manufacturers, such as Jaguar Land Rover move their manufacturing bases elsewhere in Europe (such as Slovakia) to avoid additional tariffs. It seems futile then, that Mrs. May is attempting to appease automobile manufacturers in lieu of British sovereignty in order to pass her Deal. Instead, it might be more to her advantage in order to appeal to the tech sectors, and to continue to increase foreign investment in this sector.
It is also clear that the UK has embraced the end of the automobile age, and a more forward-thinking Prime Minister should begin to prepare the UK population for the immediate future, through retraining programmes, education and investment in social programmes instead of holding vainly onto the favour of corporations that are in denial of Brexit and the end of the automobile era.

Brexit has also become a boost for rail and train companies as the world demands the speed of maglev technology and more rapid and efficient transportation. Also, due to the weakening pound, the value of deals involving US companies buying UK businesses more than doubled to £79bn in 2017-18 from £36.8bn in the previous year.

In short, British tech companies have received more venture capital funding than France, Germany and Sweden combined in just 2018, and this is a trend that is not likely to stop after Brexit.
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As Prime Minister, it may help Mrs. May to be more forward-thinking and to appeal to those sectors in which there will be tremendous growth, and not vainly hold onto the old ideals that the UK will remain an auto manufacturing centre as it had been during the last Industrial Era when it was part of the EU. Post-Brexit UK and London, as the new projected tech capital of the world, will need a Prime Minister to develop London into a modern car-free metropolis, with revolutionary transportation and continue to ensure foreign investment into Britain’s best technology companies. This means that the period of austerity will have to end, and the UK will have to begin to increase investment in its own educational institutions, social programmes and its people.

Jeremy Corbyn has a remarkable resemblance to the Greek poet and politician Solon, who launched Solon's Laws, which were constitutional, judicial and economic reforms in Athens around 594 BC that dealt with the immediate crisis of debt. He cancelled all debts and freed enslaved debtors and strengthened the Athenian economy by encouraging trade and industry.

As leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn has insisted that a vote on Mrs. May's Deal not be delayed and left to the last minute. If a General Election is called in the New Year, it could be that Jeremy Corbyn might become the next Prime Minister of the UK as the controversial politician has increasingly gained popularity in the public. Mr. Corbyn is known as a Democratic-Socialist who wants to increase investment and spending into social programmes and nationalise Britain's rail, mail and energy systems and spend at least £500 bln modernising Britain's infrastructure. He is a politician known for "anti-austerity" measures.

Although, most superpower governments have reverted to a 16th century mercantilism view of the economy, by defining wealth primarily as a money centric society and by advocating austerity, or lack of spending or investment in its social programmes, perhaps the time has come to pass that we should revisit the definition of “wealth” towards more of Adam Smith’s philosophy in which he defines “wealth” as a society that has a high quality of life, and access to resources and services, with a free flow of money, rather than the hoarding of money.

As HRH Prince Charles says in his book, Harmony: A New Way of Looking at the World: “There is a need to move towards the kind of economic thinking that promotes quality of life, rather than simply the quantity of consumption. GDP growth was an idea of its times, a mid-twentieth century concept that fitted with the circumstances of the era in which it was conceived, but now the challenges are different, and we need new economic tools to deal with them.”


By Sierra Choi

All signs are pointing towards 2020 being a pivotal year. If we examine some trends in the stock market, it appears that the current mountain formation in S&P 500 $SPY is nearly finished forming and now we are in anticipation of whether an uptrend or downtrend indicator will develop. Previously, although moving past the 161.8% fibonacci retracement point into new highs, the larger correction area has formed the current pattern in which the $SPY seems to be making a similar pattern to the one in Nov 2015 but also to Nov 2007. This is a time to be cautious, but not become overwhelmed by market psychology in which people might begin to take on new risky positions. Certainly, this is not an ideal time to be bullish, as upwards signals have not formed yet nor bearish, as $SPY is currently bouncing in the correction area.

In the current $SPY mountain formation, the next couple of months could be volatile and bounce back and from the correction area of 256.18 - 285.16, causing whiplash to many short-term traders. However, from a long-term view, this is not anything new and many opportunities can start to take shape within the next couple of months, dependent on whether signals form to indicate a continual uptrend or an impending downtrend. Although currently, we are still in the correction area, if an uptrend signal forms around JAN-MAR 2019, then that would be the opportune time to enter a long position. However, if uptrend signals do not form during that time frame, then there is a possibility that $SPY will move towards the 100% fibonacci retracement area to 207.27 by Sept 2019-Jan 2020.
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$SPY is currently in the correction area of 256.18 - 285.16 and is forming a pattern similar to both Nov 2007 and Nov 2015. Uptrend or downtrend indicators by JAN-MAR 2019 could indicate the direction of movement of $SPY towards 2020.

Examining tech stocks, Apple $AAPL is also currently in a correction zone similar to the pattern in Nov 2012, and could further move to the lowermost support towards 147.47. However, a consolidation area from Aug 2019-May 2020 has the potential to form uptrend signals that could indicate $AAPL's next bull cycle.
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$AAPL is currently in the correction area of 147.47-181.33 from new highs and could consolidate around AUG 2019-MAY 2020 in its next potential bull cycle.

If we examine Alphabet $GOOG, the tech giant also has been in a correction from new highs and could potentially move sideways in consolidation from the 992-1198 area towards April 2021. Although, $GOOG could also move towards the secondary support at 950, the stock tends to move sideways before a strong bull cycle into new highs.
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$GOOG: after reaching new highs, the tech giant could move sideways in a potential snake-like pattern towards 2021 before another potential bull cycle.

In terms of price movement, Facebook $FB is still a relative baby in that the stock has only been around for 6 years and new patterns are continually forming. Currently, $FB looks to be entering an area of potential consolidation in the 122-144 area that could last until AUG 2019 towards 2020.
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​$FB in correction area after reaching new highs in July 2018. The social media giant could be in an area of potential consolidation and moving sideways towards 2020.

All in all, it looks to be that 2020 will be a significant year and could potentially signal another bull cycle for tech stocks. However, as the $SPY has been in a correction zone from new highs, the new pattern formation will determine within the next few months if there will be a continuation of further highs or a pull back towards 207.27 by 2020.

Although, there might be whiplash and choppy waters for short-term traders, a long-term perspective should ease the minds of investors who are looking at long-term patterns, and not be easily shaken up by prevailing market psychology. However, since this is a transitional time, it is also a time to be cautious and risk averse, making certain that one is prepared for what happens towards 2020.

​By Sierra Choi

Disclaimer: This post is not intended as stock market nor investment advice and is for educational purposes only.

​If you have pets, you might have noticed at one time that dogs usually like to lick their wounds, and if they have suffered any scratches and injuries, they will immediately begin to coat the wound by covering the area with their saliva. Well, it appears that there is an evolutionary reason why dogs engage in this sort of response. Saliva and mucus both contain copper-binding peptides which have the ability to regenerate skin tissue, in addition to changing the gene expression of many cells to enhance health by stimulating growth promoting effects.

Copper-Binding Peptides
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These cute little shelled gastropods create slime, which contains copper binding peptides, and has become a hyped up ingredient in skincare.

There are a lot of copper-binding peptides on the market today, and the most ubiquitous is snail slime or snail mucus, which has gained popularity through Korean Beauty products promoting the ingredient a key factor in youthful skin. Snail slime contains proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycoprotein enzymes, hyaluronic acid, copper peptides, antimicrobial peptides, and metal ions. Copper peptides are small chains of amino acids that are bound to copper ions, hence due to their ability to penetrate the cell, they are able to deliver non-toxic copper into the cell, promoting regeneration.
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Royal jelly, produced from the saliva of worker bees, also contain copper binding peptides.

Another substance that contains copper peptides is royal jelly, which is derived from the saliva of worker bees. Royal jelly is a substance that is only eaten by Queen bees, in which they become larger than other bees, and consequently expands their lifespan and has an interesting factor in which Queen bees also retain their fertility for life. In addition to copper peptides, royal jelly contains a fatty acid (E)-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10HDA) which suppresses the actions of the enzyme DNA methyltransferase (DNMT3) in bees and also in mammals, so that the genetic code to retain their fertility doesn’t switch off when they mature. This means that although Queen bees and Worker bees have identical genetics, royal jelly changes the gene expression of Queen bees so that they live longer and remain fertile by silencing DNMT3.

Human plasma copper-binding peptides called GHK-Cu (glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine) has been studied for its effectiveness in age-related diseases such as dementia, by its ability to stimulate axonal growth in neurons; in cancer, by resetting gene expression to promote normal growth in cells and various other applications, in addition to its ability for tissue repairing and wound-healing.
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GHK-Cu was first isolated in human plasma protein serum in 1973 by biochemist Dr. Loren Pickart. He noticed that liver cells in people aged 60-80 had a higher density of fibrinogen (glycoprotein formed during injury) and that when liver cells were incubated in blood with the younger group, the older cells started to behave the same way as younger cells.
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The myth of vampires may have had a basis in reality. Copper binding peptides in human serum has the ability to regenerate cells and when incubated in blood with younger cells, older cells behave in the same way as younger cells.

GHK-Cu can also be synthesized in a laboratory so does not require harvesting snail mucus and bee saliva proteins. Aside from being a key ingredient in beauty products, GHK-Cu has been studied for its ability up-and-down regulate a variety of human genes which are essential for neuronal development and as a potentially therapeutic agent for age-related neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.
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Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is another ubiquitous ingredient in many skincare products. Although hyaluronic acid is necessary for lubrication in muscular connective tissues, and a major component of skin in tissue repair, and is primarily found in the basal layer of the epidermis. However, HA when applied topically cannot penetrate the uppermost layers of the epidermis, therefore being ineffective in skin hydration. In fact, application of HA on skin could result in moisture being released from the skin, leading to a dehydrated appearance.
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The K-Beauty trend in attaining "glass skin", a reflective quality that embodies healthy skin is probably derived from products that contain glycerin or glycerol, which is a humectant that draws moisture to skin, and not from other hyped up ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, which actually has the opposite effect when applied topically to skin, and can draw moisture out.

However, what the producers of cosmetics products usually also include in hyaluronic acid formulations is glycerin or glycerol, which is a type of humectant that allows skin to maintain moisture and gives a glistening or “glass skin” appearance. Most likely, the effect of skin hydration is from glycerin itself and not due to HA, although it itself is the hyped ingredient in the product.
Instead, hyaluronic acid (HA) is most effective on tissues such as in the mouth or on gums in periodontal diseases in which direct penetration can occur due to the lack of the barriers of the uppermost barrier of the epidermis since the tissues in the mouth do not contain a status corneum. HA in a topical gel has been shown to reverse receding gums in periodontitis by regenerating tissue inside the mouth.
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Hyaluronic acid can quickly penetrate gum tissue, and may be ideal for periodontal diseases, but cannot penetrate the upper layers of the epidermis in skincare.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has also been studied in patients who have suffered from heart attacks. Injection with a hydrogel base of HA has been shown to regenerate the myocardium and reduce infarct size after an acute myocardial infarction.

Another novel use of HA has been dermal fillers in the face and also in penile enhancement to increase girth. HA is injected intradermally (just below the epidermis) in order to “plump” up appearance. Similar to the effect of water gain, it can lead to a bloated or puffy appearance. The problem with intradermal injections is that HA might migrate to a different area, or lead to infection, resulting in the death of skin cells. The most serious side effects can lead to blocked blood vessels and restrict blood supply to tissues. HA fillers can also cause vision impairment, blindness, stroke and damage in addition to necrosis of skin in the face.

Although a trendy and novel ingredient in skincare, hyaluronic acid (HA) probably has little to no effect, or most likely could worsen the appearance of skin due to its inability to penetrate the epidermis. HA is more effective for tissues such as the gums, without an upper epidermis barrier and as injectable hydrogels for conditions such as myocardial infarction, but intradermal injections in epidermis as a facial filler or penile enhancer would probably have a moderate effect with a high upkeep and high probability for negative side effects.

Dangers of Supplementation: Collagen, Zinc and Niacin

Collagen has been touted as a supplement for beautiful looking, youthful skin, but taking collagen supplements have an unintended effect: a risk for heart failure. It is true that collagen is important for skin elasticity, and collagen is a vital building block that contributes to skin, heart, blood vessels and other organs, but elevated levels of collagen in the bloodstream could lead to heart, kidney and other organ failure. This is because a net accumulation of collagen leads to fibrosis, and heart vessels become stiffer and can no longer function optimally.
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Collagen supplements have been all the rage with fitness models and beauty gurus, but an excess collagen intake can have unwanted side effects and lead to cardiovascular diseases.

Instead of collagen supplementation, one has to keep in mind that the body has the ability to produce its own collagen in necessary amounts. The vitamins in foods are naturally in balance and rarely have a danger of over consumption, however, when vitamins are isolated and taken in excess, it could lead to depletion or an excess in other minerals and vitamins that creates instability in the body, leading to a disease state.

Vitamins that allow the body to create its own reserve of collagen include foods with B-vitamins, Calcium, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Taurine and other amino acids that are necessary for whole body functioning. Vitamins and amino acids work in conjunction with other and this harmonious balance allows the body to create the right amount of collagen it needs. When one only takes collagen supplements, it is putting the body in danger of over supplementation that could lead to unintended disease states. In addition, many collagen supplements are derived from pigs and cows, and may lead to further allergic reactions.

Zinc has also been touted as a vitamin associated with virility. However, people who consume copious amounts of meat or beans probably are not in any depletion of zinc. When excess zinc is consumed, either through food or supplementation, it could lead to a copper imbalance that could present itself as iron deficiency anemia. This is primarily because zinc, copper and iron must be in balance for the body to produce red blood cells, and copper is necessary for melanin in skin and hair, to give colour, and also for healthy skin. Because zinc and copper compete for absorption in the small intestine, excess zinc could cause an imbalance leading to many unintended side effects that could result in anemia, neurodegenerative diseases due to a copper deficiency, and premature loss of colour in hair.
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Grey hair generally has a sexy attribute that is positively associated in society which may be indicative of wisdom and experience. However, premature grey hair may be a sign of a copper deficiency in which hair colour loses its pigment.

See also: Achromotrichia (loss of pigment in hair) due to copper deficiency

Also see how rats deficient in copper were able to regain colour in their fur after copper was reintroduced into their diets: Effect of adrenalectomy and hypophysectomy on achromotrichia in copper deficient rats.
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Obviously, this does not mean that people should start to take copper supplements, as an excess could also present unintended consequences, but that a careful, harmonious balance must be attained so that zinc, copper and iron are in homeostasis in the body. This could mean for some people that perhaps a reduced consumption of iron-laden meats whilst adding copper rich foods such as mushrooms, eggplants, ginger, spinach and tomatoes might be advantageous in order to keep the body’s zinc-copper balance.

Niacin (nicotinic acid or vitamin B3) is also an interesting substance that has been linked with many anti-ageing supplements. Niacin is important in its role to regulate the human immune system response, and has been positively linked with optimal cholesterol levels. Niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3) is also important in its role of DNA repair and maintaining genomic stability. Niacinamide is also a key ingredient in skincare which stimulates skin renewal and improves hyperpigmentation when used topically.

However, although niacin and its derivatives have many positive effects, niacin also has a suppressive action on lipid (fat) metabolism when taken internally. Excess niacin could suppress collagen formationand prevent wound healing through its actions on lipid metabolism. Although niacin is necessary in conjunction with other B-vitamins and probably has a positive effect on health when in moderation or via a DNA resetting cleanse once in awhile, and niacin is necessary for many NAD+ related processes in the body, regular consumption of an extremely high amount of niacin (more than 100 mg per day) could potentially lead to reduction in the production of lipids which can lead to thinning skin due to its indirect inhibition of fat accumulation. So in essence, there can be such a thing as too much of a good thing, especially if it creates a situation that alters the homeostasis of the body’s own processes.

Hormone Replacement Therapy vs. Phyto-estrogens and Phyto-progestins

Many people use the off-label of hormone replacement therapy for supposedly anti-ageing benefits. However, much of the hormone replacements are not bioidentical hormones, but modified hormones from pigs. Although, there is much hype about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regarding the increase of libido, skin benefits and other such anti-ageing marketing push in the media, much research has been conducted that taking these synthetic hormones actually lead to increased cancer risk.
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Medications for insulin, hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives are often derived from pigs and not bioidentical human hormones, leading to increased cancer risk.

See also: Increased cancer risk in people taking HRT: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/002978449400383O
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673697082330 

In addition, other drugs that use hormone replacement therapy such as oral contraceptives and birth control pills and inserts have been correlated to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In fact, the negative effects of birth control on female health have a series of continually ongoing civil lawsuits and class action lawsuits due to their widespread usage, but which young women are rarely warned about its consequences until it’s too late. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that hormone replacement therapy often has negative health consequences but marketed in the media as an anti-ageing product, and also pushed onto unsuspecting young women as a means to prevent pregnancy or hormonal acne.
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A staple in Japanese and Korean cuisines, tofu acts as a phytoestrogen in the body without the negative side effects of synthetic hormones derived from pigs.

However, the intake of phytoestrogens and phytoprogestins do not seem to pose the same risk, primarily because these are derived from plant sources that possess hormone-like activity in the human body and actually have been found to mitigate cancer risk. Phytoestrogens include tofu, grapefruit, licorice root, and lavender essential oil and phytoprogestins include evening primrose oil, camomile, dill, chasteberry and oregano. Phytoestrogens and phytoprogestins differ from synthetic formulations of hormones due to their ability to mimic the body’s processes exactly and not derivative from other mammals, such as pigs.

Hormonal Imbalance and Male Pattern Baldness

Other drugs that also attempt to suppress the actions of hormones are drugs that were developed to stop male pattern baldness. Although balding is generally considered a “genetic” disease by dermatologists, in actuality, balding is most often related to hormonal imbalance in the body. Drugs such as Propecia, block the effect of DHT from testosterone which causes degradation of hair follicles. However, what propecia actually does is block all effects of all testosterone, when it could be simply that someone is suffering from an excess of testosterone and may have imbalanced estradiol, testosterone and progesterone levels.

Estradiol in men is essential for modulating libido, erectile function, and spermatogenesis. Estrogen receptors, as well as aromatase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen, are abundant in brain, penis, and testis, organs important for sexual function. 80% of estradiol circulating in men are derived from the conversion of testosterone, so it could be that a type of male pattern baldness could stem from an inability to convert testosterone into estrogenic compounds. Whether this inability is “genetic” or a gene expression due to lifestyle choices remains unclear. However, since the mineral zinc inhibits the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone into excess estrogen. This could mean that excess zinc in the diet could prevent the conversion of androgens into estrogens in men that may lead to excess DHT circulation in the body that leads to male pattern baldness and also erectile dysfunction.

Zinc, a necessary mineral that is in moderate amounts in many fruits and vegetables, but is the most abundant in animal products such as beef, chicken and pork. Zinc inhibits the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen in men, potentially leading to a type of male pattern baldness and erectile dysfunction.

Another drug developed to prevent male pattern baldness is Minoxidil. Although the producers of Minoxidil assert that it does not have an effect on hormones, it has been studied that Minoxidil has an anti-androgenic effect on receptor related functions, leading to side effects such as sexual dysfunction and tachycardia (rapid heart beat).
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Excess estrogen and low progesterone could also be another reason for a type of male pattern baldness. Many researchers have concluded that the hormonal pattern of a substantial number of men with premature balding resembles in some respects the hormonal pattern of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. This type of premature balding of men before or around the age of 30 could be compounded by insulin resistance that could lead to Type 2 diabetes.
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​Taurine, an amino acid that also works as a neurotransmitter, has been studied to regulate pancreatic functions, increase insulin sensitivity and eradicate the symptoms of diabetes. Taurine is most abundant in seafood and shellfish.

An impaired pancreas due to excess sugar and alcohol in the diet could lead to this type of insulin resistance. It could be that the pancreatic functions are also impaired due to its inability to produce adequate amounts of taurine. Taurine, an amino acid that also works as a neurotransmitter, has the ability to attenuate diabetes and increase insulin sensitivity. In this type of male pattern baldness with decreased insulin sensitivity, leading to a state of excess estrogen, taurine could be a potentially therapeutic treatment against alopecia.

Although in the past, male pattern baldness was considered a “genetic” disease in the 1990s, more modern research is alluding to a pattern of an imbalance of hormones in men that are the underlying factors of baldness.

The human body has evolved from millions of years of evolution and we not yet know all of its mysterious functions. However, the human body has also evolved with an ability to heal itself, and to be able to do this, a harmonious balance of hormones, nutrients, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins must all be in homeostasis for the body to function optimally because none of these substances work in isolation. Although generally, vitamins in foods are more readily absorbed by the body, excessive vitamin supplementation that lead to a deficiency of other competing vitamins or minerals or the usage of drugs that block hormonal functions can eventually lead to side effects and unintended disease states.

By Sierra Choi

Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice nor medical diagnosis. People should consult their health adviser, doctor and nutritionist before stopping or starting new medications or supplements.

This article originally appeared in www.globalfounders.london

A photo still from the documentary, River Blue (2016, Dir: David McIlvride). Fashion is one of the most toxic and polluting industries on the planet. Harmful dyes and chemicals are dumped into the rivers of China.

In 2013, Jeffrey began Bluer Denim with a stalwart responsibility to the environment and launched an eco-conscious brand, partly through the support of his former company and with a combination of crowdfunding.

Living in Los Angeles, Jeffrey grew up within the apparel industry. He had earned a BA in Psychology, then subsequently received an MBA and worked as a financial analyst before working for his uncle, who owned a children’s wear company. During this time, he became interested in launching his own company. Together with his wife, Lauren, Jeffrey came up with a concept for vintage American workwear and attended trade shows in LA. During a span of 9 years, the company grew from a startup to $25 million annual wholesale revenue. Eventually his partners bought him out, and Jeffrey began to focus on creating a premium denim brand for adult men.
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Bluer Denim classic straight raw selvage men's jeans.

Through his experiences in the denim industry, he had a deep admiration and respect for how denim was being revolutionised in Japan. Half of his previous business was coming directly from Japan, and from its beautiful displays to fashion, culture and food, Japan took denim culture from the ordinary to one of high art. He launched Agave Denim in 2002 as a premium denim luxury brand targeted towards men in their 30s and 40s. Jeans are the unofficial uniform in California in the tech and entertainment sectors and at the time there were only a handful of premium denim brands on the market. After selling Agave Denim, Jeffrey began to focus on launching an eco-conscious denim brand, Bluer Denim.
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Bluer Denim is 100% made in the United States. The cotton is from Georgia, and then processed in North Carolina, with rivets and fasteners made in Kentucky, then hand-crafted in Los Angeles.

When he sat down with his crew to develop Bluer Denim, at one time he had utilised the try-on model, which is popular today from many eCommerce platforms such as Dia&Co to Amazon Prime Wardrobe. however, he found that the shipping costs were just too high. During this time, he wanted 100% transparency on the supply chain so decided to be completely produced in the USA. Bluer Denim is designed in Portland, Oregon, and the cotton is from Georgia and then processed at the Cone Mills White Oak in North Carolina and then the jeans are further hand crafted in Los Angeles, and the rivets and fasteners are from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Whereas, the majority of denim products in the market are made in factories in China or Bangladesh, with harmful dyes and pigments that are being actively dumped into oceans and rivers, Bluer Denim is entirely Made in the USA and abide by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, so that harmful chemicals such as indigo dye does not get dumped into the water. Instead, Bluer Denim is sold as raw jeans, and some of his jeans are rinsed with filtered water and treated before the water is allowed back into the environment at the LA factory where the jeans are hand-crafted.

Jeffrey tells me though that the most sustainable and environmentally friendly denim factory is actually located in Vietnam, called Saitex, which has won many awards for its eco-conscious practices. However, in the United States, Portland has become the leader in sustainable practice and that one cannot operate any business in Portland without a position in sustainability, which is a further reason why he chose Portland as the company headquarters.

We spoke a bit about some the challenges regarding launching a denim brand and surprisingly some of the hurdles came from retailers, in which they were upset that he was selling directly to consumers using the B2C model in addition to the B2B model which they viewed as competition. Many of the other hurdles came in the from of marketing: getting people to view his brand and to actively make a purchase, in addition to demand creation, developing a customer base through social media, and utilising editorials in publications and finding influencers to promote the brand. However, Jeffrey’s philosophy on denim production is simple: to be consistent. From a cursory glance, denim production appears quite simple, but Jeffrey tells me it is actually incredibly complex, and that his goal is to be consistent.
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Details on a pair of Bluer Denim jeans. Each product has a unique serial number.

Jeffrey, a self-described textile nerd, also designs much of the denim himself. He has spent 30 years developing an affinity towards different denim materials with attention to fibers and stretch characteristics and his ideal jeans are in the aesthetic of the Levi’s that James Dean popularised in the 1950s.

I think that one of the many challenges of launching companies is also finding time for self-reflection and being able to enjoy life. So much of Post-Industrial American society focuses on a kind of fervent workaholism as the ideal in which many people feel compelled to value themselves through how busy they may appear to be. However, living in Portland, Jeffrey likes to take time to enjoy nature, go on walks with his dogs, talk to his neighbours, to go skiing as often as he can; explore new cities and find new restaurants with his wife and also spend time at some of his favourite scenic places in Montana. Having a degree in Psychology, Jeffrey has mastered the art of living simply and to focus on the important things in his life in a current, divisive atmosphere in which through the US media, it has become the norm to flaunt with a compete-with-the-Joneses mentality.

In our world, we have so many choices, and within the fashion industry, denim is an iconic item with hundreds of competing brands, but Bluer Denim truly stands out as a leader in its philosophy and attention to quality and its inherent production value which supports the growing number of eco-conscious companies that have a prevailing motive to positively impact our environment, and to support local jobs and communities. Not only that, Bluer Denim is beautifully made, from its seams, to the stitching to the rivets, there is no detail that Jeffrey has not overseen.
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​Jeffrey Shafer is the Founder, Creative Director and CEO of Bluer Denim. He is an architect in the denim industry, and puts his heart, soul and passion into his vision. Balancing capitalist values with social values, Jeffrey collaborates with the most talented people on the planet. He has taken huge risks both financially and professionally and always tries to put a dent into the universe in order to create possibilities for the next generation.

Jeffrey also previously founded two other companies, Agave Denim and BC Ethic, which began at a dinner table with a $200K initial investment, which then grew into a $25 mln revenue company and sold throughout department stores in the US and Canada. He can be reached at Jeff@BluerDenim.com.



By Sierra Choi

​This article first appeared in www.globalfounders.london

Earlier this year, Apple announced that it would be opening “Wellness” centres called AC Wellness for its employees. As a model of integrative health, AC Wellness would focus on more exercise coaches, nutritionists, care navigators and nurses than on doctors.

AC Wellness would apply more practitioners in alternative and functional medicine and would even incorporate a “wellness lead”. This is a continuation of a trend in which pop-in wellness clinics have become popular over the last several years and the increasing influence of alternative medicine in the US. However, on the other side of the continent, the HRH The Prince of Wales had launched a Health and Wellness Centre at the Dumfries House in Scotland last summer.

"The state of our health reflects the food we eat, the exercise we take, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the quality of our housing and sanitation. I believe it also extends to our social needs and circumstances—the need to belong to a community, the need for meaningful work and daily purpose. The need in our lives for dignity and kindness, for self-respect, for hope, and, about all, for harmony and, dare I say it, beauty. It encompasses the power of art, the healing properties of loving human relationships and the role of the human spirit. Human health is a sum of all these parts."
- HRH Prince Charles

A longtime supporter of an integrative model of healthcare, Prince Charles had launched the Dumfries House Health and Wellness Centre to focus on holistic health in which he won the backing of the National Health Service (NHS). The Dumfries House was formerly a mansion located in Ayrshire, Scotland in which the Prince had saved from bankruptcy 10 years ago after he had put up £20 million from his own investment to convert the stately home into a non-profit that helps the local community in training programmes, and development of arts, crafts and sustainable agriculture. The Health and Wellness Centre offers complementary therapies, such as homeopathy, reflexology and acupuncture, in addition to fitness and education programmes.
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Harmony: A New Way of Looking At Our World is the 2010 book Prince Charles had co-authored with Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly, and addresses architecture and planning, agriculture, education, the arts, healthcare, society and economy, which have all suffered as a result of our disconnect from Nature.

Prince Charles has also been a long-time advocate of environmental protections, during a time of industrialisation when many corporations were unaware of the damages they were inflicting on our ecosystem. Although there has been some advances in regards to bioremediation of radioactive waste in the sea using bacteria such as deinococcus radiodurans, which has the ability to degrade the harmful radioactive waste by converting it to less harmful compounds, the oceans have become a dumping ground for plastic waste which affects many animals, and inevitably changing our ecosystem through destruction of many wildlife that are dependent on the sea.

Over the past week, I have compiled a short video on the Prince of Wales and his 30+ year quest to bring awareness and initiative to nations around the world regarding the important actions we must all take in order to preserve the beauty of our planet. Whereas politicians have oftentimes been slow to action, and quick to endorse harmful practices under the guise of safety regulations, the British monarchy has been at the forefront of the environmental and healthcare revolution.
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click to play The Architects of Our Planet ​https://vimeo.com/297250475




​By Sierra Choi

Click to play https://youtu.be/ADXRvvc261U 
China Morning Post Conference in Kuala Lumpur: Jack Ma says US will suffer more in Trade War. However, the role of digital assets and adoption of the Interledger Protocol (ILP) could provide relief to both nations, lessening any ill effects.

In his interview, Mr. Ma also asserted that it was due to the trade deficit that the US was able to grow its economy, and to an extent, that has been theorised to be true. Known as the Triffin Paradox or the Triffin Dilemma (named after a Belgian-American economist), it is representative of a situation in which the US Dollar has become a global reserve currency (after WWII) which essentially means that all foreign nations are willing to hold the reserve currency in order to give the currency legitimacy and power but that because extra supply of this currency is given to foreign nations that those long-term international objectives are in direct conflict with domestic objectives, due to the exacerbation of a trade deficit, in which American citizens are directly affected through inflation and taxation.
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In the 1770s, paper currency in the United States was backed by Gold and this was the case until 1971, when President Nixon eradicated the gold standard.

To give a little background on this particular situation, when the United States first became a nation in the 1700s, paper currency was backed by gold, and because investors were exchanging their paper currency for gold, which culminated in the stock market crash of 1929, the US govt feared that gold would soon run out, and as a preventative measure passed an executive order called the Gold Reserve Act in 1934 in which only the US govt could hold gold, and not US citizens (ie, US citizens could only hold gold in the form of jewellery and not gold bullions and had to sell their gold assets to the govt). In this way, the US govt was now able to control the price of gold, hence stabilise its paper currency.

After WWII, global nations (the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and Japan) established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank through the Bretton Woods Agreement in order to establish rules for commercial and financial agreement by using the US Dollar and Gold, therefore, launching the USD as an international reserve currency. However, in 1971, President Nixon decided that gold would no longer back its paper currency or the US dollar, therefore eliminating the gold standard.

Now, the problem with the US Dollar as a reserve currency without gold backing is the problem of liquidity. As a fiat currency, the US Dollar is backed only by the US Govt, which presents a burden on the American people. In the Triffin Paradox, the US Dollar as an international reserve currency has allowed the US economy to greatly expand into the 20th and 21st centuries, but it has caused a situation in which the US has had to also increase its Trade Deficit as a consequence, which has negatively impacted American citizens.

In the current Trade War, President Trump is attempting to relieve Americans of this burden by reducing the trade deficits via tariffs on those nations with huge trading surpluses such as China. What Mr. Ma is saying in the video interview is that it is specifically the trade deficit that has greatly expanded US economic power via the Triffin Paradox, but he is also making a quiet implication that reducing the trade deficit will decrease the overall US economy.
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​Trade deficits with US partners. The US imports more goods from other nations than vice versa.

As such because the USD is a fiat currency, there had previously been no easy way for liquidation until the launch of cryptocurrencies. This is because in an international transaction, significant assets must be held by financial institutions in the form of nostro accounts in order to stabilise international transactions. It has been extrapolated that there are $5 trillion sitting in these nostro accounts around the world that are currently tied up. Cryptocurrencies or digital assets could become an intermediary currency in order to expedite international transactions and find liquidity by transferring value into other currencies. If we examine the Ripple Interledger Protocol, it has already begun to be integrated into SWIFT cross border payment systems.
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The Interledger Protocol (ILP) is an ideal in use cases of cross-border international payments because it bypasses the need to be on the same system, in which transfers are cumbersome, slow and might take several days, whereas in ILP, the transaction is immediate and eliminates the need for financial institutions to have significant amount of assets sitting in a nostro account. Ripple’s ILP can allow the USD to remain strong whilst also allowing liquidity into other markets, and hence also potentially addressing the Triffin Paradox. 

See Also: Ripple’s xRapid for processing international payments go live in 3 financial firms

What does this mean for China?

It could mean that China’s economy might be in flux for the next 5 years, but ultimately, the Trade War does not mean economic collapse, but simply a gradual change to a new system. As Ripple’s ILP becomes adopted by more financial institutions, it will become a standard for processing international payments and creating liquidity without replacing the USD as the reserve currency. In this way, the US is currently not on the verge of any economic collapse, but a period of strong growth. In a parallel way, China could enhance its own position by adoption of ILP transactions and further its One Belt One Road Initiatives.

This also means that China cannot continue to devalue its own currency in order to raise its GDP without countermeasures from the US Govt, in which President Trump is raising tariffs on China’s $500 bln annual exports as a tit-for-tat measure. Raising tariffs on China’s exports will inevitably have a negative effect on eCommerce giants such as Alibaba, in which the US could strategically move towards Vietnam, Indonesia, India or even Mexico to replace China as the source of inexpensive imports. Adoption of the ILP could also have an impact on international payment platforms such as PayPal and Alipay in potentially either a positive or negative way, depending on how these payment platforms will be the first to dominate a market in adoption of this new protocol or else become replaced entirely by existing financial institutions that can bypass them to make international transactions via ILP.

What could China do in the meantime?

China has always been an innovative nation, filled with scholars, philosophers, scientists, women in leadership positions, and a source of great literature and art.
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Empress Dowager Cixi. She came into power on Nov 11, 1861 until her death on Nov 15, 1908. Although she had been painted as a ruthless tyrant by Communist China and American historians in the 1950s, recent scholars who have studied her writings and her work have portrayed her as a leader who had opened up China to the West, stopped the Boxer Rebellion against foreigners during the time and created diplomatic reforms in order to attempt to transition China into a constitutional democracy. A prolific writer and progressive thinker, she had invested in technology, and started the first telegraph, the first electric light, and developed the first modern navy in China.

Investment in clean water and energy projects, in addition to continuation with China’s One Belt One Road Initiative as America did after WWII with the Marshall Plan will enhance China's position as a global superpower. By focusing on becoming the global world’s source in energy and clean water is a strategy that should gradually move China away from a nation that has been known in our generation as a source of cheap labour to one that provides energy and clean water to the rest of the world. Instead of isolating nations such as South and North Korea, and India, China has the opportunity to integrate surrounding nations into its One Belt One Road Initiative.

Clean water will be the most valuable resource in the 22nd Century, according to many academics, which will become more valuable than oil.

The assimilation of global financial institutions’ adoption of the Interledger Protocol (IPL) is inevitable. China’s forward thinking leaders, such as Jack Ma, should ease this transition so as to calm the initial upheaval and to prevent a long-term downtrend in the Chinese Stock Markets.

Jack Ma has said once that as a billionaire that, “the money doesn’t belong to me, but that people have entrusted me with that money in order to build a better society”, and I think that looking long-term into China’s global role is that it will become a superpower that builds bridges between nations, and eradicate poverty in emerging nations by providing a diversified production of energy and clean water sources and no longer known as the post-Industrial Communist nation of sweatshops and 12-hour long workdays behind barbed wires.

​By Sierra Choi

As one can see we are far from the 243 area where a bear cycle would be immediately imminent. The $SPY broke through two resistance levels at the 161.8% fibonacci retracement level and the uppermost trend support in last month’s formation which signals that a continuation of the uptrend is more likely than an imminent bear cycle.

There is also a tendency for mainstream media outlets to correlate news to movements in the stock market, but I tend to think that most price movements occur before public knowledge or the news are actually announced. If we examine Tesla ($TSLA), in which its CEO Elon Musk has been accused of market manipulation with his tweets on twitter, its stock price has been following a predictable pattern independent of his tweets for several years, in which there is a strong uptrend every 4 years, whilst it ranges and moves sideways in a snake-like formation in between. Following this pattern, there is a strong possibility that Tesla could produce a strong uptrend signal between June-July 2020 and move towards the 495-528 level by Dec 2020.
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$TSLA could be ranging sideways until June-July 2020 when there is a potential for a strong uptrend signal and could reach the 495-528 level around Dec 2020.

It has also been announced that Jack Ma will be retiring from Alibaba completely in 2020; although with disputing reports in the media, one wonders whether this retirement was “fast-tracked” rather suddenly? One might also have noticed recently that Alibaba has looked extremely bearish in the last few months and there is a possibility that Alibaba ($BABA) will move towards the lowermost support by March 2019. As a note, Altaba ($AABA), formerly Yahoo ($YHOO), which was acquired by the Altaba Inc. NY financial firm has a price movement that looks strangely similar to Alibaba and also seems to be following a similar potential bearish outlook towards 2019.
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The Alibaba ($BABA) and Altaba ($AABA - formerly Yahoo $YHOO) stocks have been strangely following near identical patterns and could be bearish and moving towards the lowermost support level by Mar 2019.

As I mentioned before, most news outlets like to correlate movements in the stock market with the news itself, but it is my belief that movements in the stock market occur independently of the news, and that the news outlets are typically the last to know after significant movements in the stock market already occur several weeks to several months before. There is of course, market psychology, in which events such as Sept 11 fuel a fire of fear that drives a downtrend deeper into a bear market and also the rise of Bitcoin in 2017 in which media hysteria and mass marketing pushed the prices of Bitcoin to new highs, but usually I find that stocks have a unique pattern signature of their own, similar to musical compositions, and that the news is entirely independent of movements in the stock market.

Currently, the $SPY has approximately 2 more months before the current mountain formation is completed, but it appears to look as if a bear cycle is not immediately imminent although there is also a possibility of a minor correction in the next two months. The $SPY broke through two resistance levels in the last month and is safely above the 243 level that would have projected the next couple of years to be a bear market. Although, some stocks do look bearish, and we are not completely out of the woods yet, it appears that the US Stock Market and US companies will prevail in what has been called, “Trump’s Trade War”.

By Sierra Choi
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Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as stock market, investment nor financial advice.

​This article was first published in www.globalfounders.london

Nothing Funny About Money is a podcast that puts a light-hearted spin on a sometimes intimidating subject: money. Co-hosts, Matt Goren (left) and Michael G. Thomas, Jr. (right).
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These are some of the philosophical questions I discussed with Matt Goren last month, whom I had met last year when I was in Athens, Georgia. Matt is a former Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia in the Financial Planning Programme and is a financial adviser to students and businesses. Matt is the creator and co-host of the podcast, Nothing Funny About Money, in which he helps students understand how financial institutions and credit unions work. However, Matt has a multi-disciplinary background and he received his Ph.D in Psychology from UC Berkeley.

Psychology and Financial Literacy

Matt was originally interested in psychology because he was interested in human behaviour and interpersonal dynamics. However, during his studies, he focused on conflict resolution but was frustrated that his work wasn’t making an immediate impact. In addition, he was disillusioned by the replication crisis in psychology, which is actually also a pervasive problem that applies to science and medicine.

​"Evidence-based medicine" may be rife with errors: many studies in medical and scientific journals might utilise misleading statistical models and may contain biases from corporate sponsors. (See also: Replication Crisis: Most scientists cannot replicate studies by their peers.)
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During an era when science has become the religion of our times, and money has become the god that everyone worships, Matt sought for deeper meaning and moved from the Bay Area to Athens, Georgia, where he immediately fell in love with the surroundings and the humble, down-to-earth attitude of the people. However, he was distressed by the high level of poverty inherent in the population, although it is not visible to the public (as the homeless is in San Francisco) Georgia has something akin to a 21.3% population that is living under the national poverty level in 2016. 

Matt decided that what he wanted to do was take the reins and control that very thing that seemed to control so many people: money.

“We should ideally become financially literate before we are 18, and it should be part of our high school education, but usually that isn’t the case in the US, and we often learn too late of what we could’ve done years before we develop a relationship with money.” - Matt Goren, Creator and Co-host, There's Nothing Funny About Money

I ask Matt, What is the advice he would give to the 21.3% of people living in poverty in Georgia and what sort of investments they should be focused on?

“Well, the problem with investments is that if someone wants to make a return that can be life-changing for an individual or a family in need, they either have to put in a lot at a young age to attain compounding interest, or they need a lot of capital to receive higher returns. When a person is in poverty, I think what is most important is they have access to education in order to find a higher paying job.”

I mention that this probably is true, in the way that this was how India and China were able to break out of the poverty cycle in a short period of time, due to children having access to education and pulling their families out of poverty when they attained positions in the tech sector away from the labour-intensive back breaking work of farming and factory work that their parents were involved in, and why there is such a push now for American students to enter STEM fields.
“What people should worry about, apart from investing in the financial markets is investing in themselves, in education…They should also think about having emergency savings, and if they have kids, they should also consider life insurance. Because if something happens to young parents, an accident, for instance, then a life insurance policy is going to make a lot of difference to the kids.”

Matt adds that apps like Robinhood now allow people to be able to easily buy stocks without a commission fee, a subscription fee or a monetary requirement such as Deutsche Bank’s $100K minimum or a typical $5-10K for a stock exchange account, so that people are able to invest with as little as $10, and that has democratised and brought in a larger group of investors who were previously unable to invest without the capital requirement.
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Psy, the South Korean pop singer global phenomenon. From pop stars to rap stars to popular figures in the media, the image of worshipping money has been used to psychologically condition the minds of people, both young and old.

I go back to the concept of money and how that has affected people in our generation, from pop songs, like Bruno Mars’ “I want to be a billionaire” to daytraders who are essentially gambling with other people’s money, to tech companies that develop AI algos to essentially gamble for them, and I ask Matt, How far will it go before people lose their minds, and their sanity in order to have access to more money? Do you think people are willing to forgo their self-respect and integrity in order to attain more money at any cost?

“That’s a hard question to answer, because I don’t really know,” Matt says. “I think that we do live in a materialistic world in which most people are obsessed with stuff that money can buy; it’s a side effect of capitalism that we push people to buy stuff and that’s something we can’t really deny...I think that if we had a different kind of trading system, one in which we didn’t depend on money, but maybe on goods and services, that it could be possible.”

You mean, like a bartering system, I ask?

“Yes, like a bartering system,” Matt says, then he adds thoughtfully, “Although, I don’t think it’s possible to have a large-scale barter system.”

Tactics in a Bear Market

Currently, we are at all time highs in the stock market, but I ask Matt, What sort of advice he would give to people, if we were to suddenly find ourselves in a downtrend?

“In anticipation of bear mode, I would say to go to cash and put 10-20% less in investments and more into house down payments. I would shift my money into peer-to-peer lending in lending clubs or another alternative….of course, you could just stay the course, but I would make certain to have an emergency savings account, disability insurance and have a savings account in a credit union...Investing is usually in a 20-30 year time frame so I wouldn’t put all my investments out, but I would make certain I had a comfortable cushion for a downtrend that might last a few years.”

What about Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies? Do you think they are a worthwhile investment?

“The problem with cryptos is that they’re not backed by anything, so you could theoretically lose your entire investment overnight. However, I think once they are regulated then backed, they could potentially be the future of money and transactions in America and abroad. But, right now, I would have to say no, and I definitely don’t think ICOs is something that the average investor would want to be a part of until there is more regulation in the sector. For the average investor, just investing in an ETF in the stock market would have given them better returns."

That’s interesting, I read anecdotal stories and blogs of many people who were either censored or banned on sites like reddit for criticising Bitcoin on Bitcoin forums last year when Bitcoin was attaining new highs.
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Censorship in the media, especially on publicly accessible, "free" sites such as reddit seems to be an ongoing problem in that they curated by corporations, oftentimes utilising PR agencies and paid forum posters in order to sway public opinion and silence those who criticise the status quo. For those and other reasons, it has been reported by global cyber commissions that public trust in the internet has eroded.
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See also: Facebook employee criticises the company for its intolerant monoculture that oppresses a diversity of opinions.

See also: Jeremy Corbyn’s Speech on Media Reform, Tech Tax and Fake News
What do you think about major tech companies actively censoring content on the internet?

“I think [censoring content on the internet] is a bad idea. It’s like telling people, ‘Hey, you can’t think for yourselves, because you never learned critical thinking in school, so we’re going to think for you.’ It’s just moving towards a place where we become more divisive as a country and people are fearful to express their true opinions, and a meaningful discussion never takes place because it’s all been decided for you.” -Matt Goren

What a world we live in.
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“It’s not perfect, but it’s the only one we’ve got,” Matt adds pensively, “As long as people are aware and are skeptical of what we read in the news or on social media, then I think people won’t make such bad choices.”

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Matt Goren is a financial educator and consultant. He’s taught personal finance to over 3,500 students at University of Georgia and UC Berkeley. He’s helped universities, non-profits, and businesses make better, more affordable products and services for low and moderate income families.

Nothing Funny About Money is currently a part of NPR’s podcast programming directory and can be streamed on their website: http://www.nothingfunnyaboutmoney.org

By Sierra Choi
www.globalfounders.london

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Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial nor investment advice.