Change the Consumer Sentiment

While driving home from the park today, I was listening to a few economists talk about the current University of Michigan survey measuring consumer sentiment and economic conditions. Basically, it tells us how Americans feel about the economy both today and tomorrow, or more specifically, one year from now.

I’m sure this comes as no surprise, but the overall feelings were bad.

As bad as they were in the 1970’s no less, when inflation was at 13%, unemployment was at 10%, and you had to wait an hour at the pumps to fill up your tank with gas. No kidding, and I know it well because I grew up in the 70’s and specifically remember really long lines in a station wagon with no air conditioning. Albeit, today those inflation and unemployment numbers are much better, to say the least, as mortgage rates just inched below 7% – a good sign for both consumers and the housing market.

The thing is, back when times were much tougher for families and the economy was in a much deeper hole, pervasive feelings of doom and gloom were never rampant like they are today. At least it seems that way when everywhere you turn there’s suffering, death and destruction, not to mention consistent talk about an unavoidable recession (which I disagree). In a viral world with instant connectivity, spreading anything – including bad feelings – is as easy as getting AI to write you a paper. The polar opposite of the groovy, non-viral 70’s. Plus, with Led Zeppelin on the radio and Disco on the rise, life was always about working hard, staying hopeful, living free, and most importantly, living in the moment.

And since every one of us is dealing with our own adversity du jour – mine includes three herniated discs that have annihilated my yoga practice – you gotta stay positive and know that things will get better. And believe that collectively, we can change this sentiment from bad to good.

And we will.

The funny thing is, when I grew tired of listening to those chatty economists talk about our nation’s lousy survey scores, I turned the radio dial a few clicks to the left and what do you think comes on? I Want Your Love, by Chic circa 1978. Talk about a fun and happy and positive song that compels you to sing along forever! I was 15 when that Disco classic came out, and had just started taking lessons at the nearby Arthur Murray Dance Studio..with every other kid in the neighborhood.

So change your negative thoughts everyone, and help me change the consumer sentiment. No doubt I believe change is coming – as it did with the go-go 80’s right after John Travolta lit up the floor in that iconic gem, Saturday Night Fever (1979). Speaking of lighting up the floor, with two measly weeks to go before we leave this rather “bad” 2023 behind us, take heed from yours truly – and get your workout in. Dancing included!

Have an amazing Holiday and even happier New Year! Peace – R

From Hollywood to Hurricanes…by way of 50 unique cities

Stay strong Floridians, in the wake of Hurricane Ian and thanks for having me in your Sunshine state. Albeit, not much sun the past few days as I’ve experienced my first Category 4 hurricane. The good news is I’m located in central Florida and the brunt of the storm just missed us. The bad news is my friends in St. Pete’s and Ft. Meyers weren’t so lucky. No worries, just stay positive and enjoy the rebuild!

And as luck would have it, since I left Los Angeles about a year ago I’ve survived 30,000 miles of “nomad living” while trans-versing the United States and getting to know 50 unique and exciting cities. That’s right, 50 amazing cities in 10 different states where I’ve spent anywhere from several hours to several months (most recently in Frisco, TX). Check them out:

Leaving Los Angeles for…

Oceanside, La Jolla, San Diego, and Needles – CALIFORNIA

Yuma, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tuscon, Mesa, Chandler and Flagstaff – ARIZONA

Las Vegas – NEVADA

Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Tucumcari – NEW MEXICO

Amarillo, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Waco, Ft. Worth, Grapevine, Denton, Dallas, Plano, Frisco and McKinney – TEXAS

Texarkana and Little Rock – ARKANSAS

Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga – TENNESSEE

Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah – GEORGIA

Charleston – SOUTH CAROLINA

Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Melbourne, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Dunedin, Ft. Meyers, Sarasota, Naples, Hollywood and Miami – FLORIDA

Now I can only imagine what’s in store for the next leg of life’s journey. Have an awesome Autumn everyone…and get your workout in!

Peace – R

Summer’s Over Party!

Back in NYC circa the late 1990’s my cronies and I would begin every Labor Day weekend with a blow-out celebration called the Summer’s Over Party. A party it was, to officially celebrate the end of summer – which meant everyone on Wall Street and every other business would get their vacationed butts back in the office to start making money again.

The fact that our little Summer’s Over Party lasted the entire weekend as well as every subsequent weekend until Thanksgiving really didn’t matter (what can I say, we liked to party). Our real intent was to celebrate the beginning of something very good that was about to happen, or perhaps even exceptional.

So let’s get ready to celebrate the following happenings that are definitely very good and are no doubt worth celebrating:

  1. Serena Williams rockin’ the US Open at the ripe young age of 40 while drinking from the Fountain of Youth. And you can too, just read my book.
  2. Inflation is subsiding and the mild recession we’re already in will start to wane.
  3. The oppressive heat across the US and the world will subside. It has to because time goes quick and Winter’s fast approaching.
  4. COVID and/or the fear thereof will subside to the point where everyone on the planet – including those fear-mongering politicians – won’t really care or pass judgment on someone like me who isn’t vaccinated (which should have been the case from Day 1 of this controversial pandemic).
  5. Stocks and Cryptocurrencies will rebound in our investment portfolios before year’s end and we’ll all have a jolly good Christmas. And if you don’t yet have an investment portfolio, get started now…prices are cheap! Another prediction, albeit I’m a long term BULL so what can I say.
  6. Everyone on the planet will embrace my motto, Another Day – Another Workout, and get with a daily fitness program. Trust me, it’ll change your life and keep you drinking from the Fountain of Youth. Just like me and Serena. And if you could use some much needed inspiration, just read my book.

And finally here’s something I learned a long time ago that keeps rearing it’s paradoxical head: Never say Never. Like when it comes to Nomad Living. Let’s just say it’s time for me to head back east again – this time driving – to spend time with family plus add another dozen US cities to my noteworthy collection. What can I say…it’ll definitely be fun!

Happy Labor Day everyone…get your workout in and enjoy the party!

Peace – R

Kudos to England, Amazon & Starbucks – Ep 18 – Tola Talks Texas

Today is all about giving kudos to those who deserve it most. Like England for ending their Omicron restrictions, Amazon for opening its first clothing store in SoCal, the White House for distributing 400 million N95 masks, Starbucks for rescinding its vaccination requirement, the Supreme Court of the United States for striking down President Biden’s employee mandate, fashion icon Andre Leon Talley for following his dreams and making a difference, and the four NFL quarterbacks that I pick to win their divisional playoff games this weekend: Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Plus the final three Steps to Everlasting Youth from my book, and of course, more positive cryptocurrency news as they begin their ascent (hopefully for good).

Homage to MLK – Ep 15 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re paying tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a national holiday in the United States and time to honor a great man who stood for never ending equality and justice for all. MLK was also the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, and a civil rights leader who inspired a nation with his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of 250,000 people gathered around the Lincoln Memorial during their peaceful march upon our nation’s capitol. We’re also talking about the Wolf Moon, a full moon that illuminates to its fullest tonight at 6:48p EST. Plus more fitness tips and inspiration as well as three more steps to everlasting youth from my book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth. Have an awesome holiday everyone…and get your workout in!

Fact vs. Fiction – Ep 12 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re talking fact vs. fiction when it comes to inaccurate claims about children being hospitalized for COVID (3,500 actual vs. 100,000) plus total US deaths and comorbidity, including highlights of the Fox News interview with Bret Baier and CDC director Rochelle Walensky; the negative affects of 5,000 schools still being closed for in-person learning; kudos to Marc Cuban for his clarity on Dogecoin vs. Bitcoin as an inflation hedge and better than a lottery ticket; plus a breakdown of soaring obesity rates throughout the US (up 26% since 2008) to an all time high of 42.4%.

Crazy Attacks, Protests and Trivia – Ep 10 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re talking about the 2021 US Capitol attack and crazy piranhas in Paraguay attacking humans; tennis champion Novak Djokovic being refused entry into Australia; more Los Angeles mask mandates even though they’re ineffective; crazy Texas trivia including it’s illegal to milk someone else’s cow; continued protests in Kazakhstan severely disrupting the Bitcoin mining industry amid more cryptocurrency price plunges; plus four more steps to Everlasting Youth as well as diet and fitness tips when you’re under the weather (like me today).

Suicide Sucks – Ep 8 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re talking about the 10th leading cause of death in the United States: suicide. To put it bluntly – and I say this numerous times on the show – suicide sucks so don’t f**king do it! Because not only does it eliminate nearly 50,000 lives every year, that’s 1 death every 11 minutes, it has far-reaching impacts including serious emotional, physical and economic costs to society. With depression and anxiety among teens and young adults at an all time high, especially with the fear mongering from COVID and Omicron, suicide has to be thwarted and stopped. Not to mention that anxiety affects 1/3 of adults and adolescents in the United States today, further complicating matters. And kudos to all schools K-12 for their prevention efforts against bullying and other forms of abuse that adversely affect students of all ages. So what should you do if you’re anxious and distraught: save yourself with fitness and yoga, and more specifically, come take my Tola Yoga class at Plano Athletic Club starting this Saturday at 12:30p. That’s right, Tola Yoga is back, and I’d love to see you there front and center. Because who doesn’t want to empower their mind, body and soul while drinking from the Fountain of Youth? Plus kudos to the David Bowie estate as well as Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, for such massive sales of their music publishing rights. PS – good luck to my father with his cancer surgery at Sloan Kettering today…you’re gonna rock it! Peace – R

Welcome to Wherever You Are

Hope you’re awesome everyone, and in case you were wondering, this isn’t a tribute to the music of Bon Jovi or INXS.

On the contrary, it’s more like a welcome home post after spending the past five months traversing the U.S. in search of the Holy Grail, much like a modern-day Indiana Jones. Well, not exactly, but I’ve definitely been a modern day cowboy cruising the countryside since I left my beloved Los Angeles in June.

Why, you might ask? Because  I love to explore new lands while checking out the fitness and yoga scenes – not to mention the music and entertainment and comedy club scenes – of America’s largest and most popular cities.

And on this particular leg of the adventure I’ve traveled to Austin, Dallas, Denver, and most recently, the lovely beaches of Santa Barbara (picture).

For those of you who have been following my life’s colorful journey since I moved to Hollywood in 2007, I’ve now lived in 11 major cities over the past 11 years.

The good news is I’ve also walked over a thousand miles and met tons of cool locals that made my sojourn an especially enjoyable experience. No doubt traveling to other cities is something I definitely recommend to anyone who has the time and vigor to do it. Notice I didn’t say money, because if you fly solo like I do, you really don’t need that much to explore. Just a pair of comfortable walking shoes and a lightweight backpack. Oh, and don’t forget an open-minded attitude that comes with a big fat smile on your face…because that ALWAYS helps.

So pack your bags and enjoy your journey wherever it takes you this holiday season, and have an amazing Halloween!

Peace – R

Greetings from Denver!

Another great American city in my sights. Literally.

Love my nomadic lifestyle this summer, experiencing the unique flavors of Austin, Dallas and now Denver in less than 100 days.

The Mile High City is quite a wonder. Beauty, sunshine, Red Rocks (below) and healthy people everywhere, no doubt making Denver an amazing place to live. Not to mention cool neighborhoods to explore like LoHi, Capital Hill, RiNo, Downtown, Baker, LoDo, West Colfax (where I live) and the Highlands. And don’t forget my favorite walking trail around Sloan’s Lake Park with an amazing view of the majestic Colorado Rockies (below). Simply awesome.

Special thanks to the Universe for allowing me the opportunity to traverse this great nation, and to all the friendly locals and business owners I’ve met along the way.

You rock!

So take it from me…one who has called home to more than 12 major U.S. cites, if you find yourself with three months to spare, definitely check-out the splendor of Denver. You won’t be disappointed.

Have an awesome day everyone, and get your workout in.

With Love & Light to those who gave their lives on 9/11.  RIP – R