Corb7 International June 2nd, 2021 Newsletter

International Business 

Editor's Note

Tax Reform & Punitive Taxes

    In 1988, the Rolling Stones explained why they left England to Washington Post writer, Richard Harrington, for his article entitled “Stone Free."   “In 1971, we were forced to decide courtesy of the British government - live in England and (because of high taxes) not be able to afford another set of guitar strings or move and keep the band together.  Hence, the album “Exile on Main Street”.

The subject of tax reform, reporting and compliance is a business news item appearing daily in worldwide financial journals.   A recent trail balloon – the idea of punitive tax reform – has been slipped into this age-old debate.  Somehow the idea of punishing the successful business person with unreasonable high tax has gained traction.  We readily acknowledge the obligation to report and pay a fair amount of tax, but nevertheless, we think this approach is not only morally reprehensible but economically senseless. Below we offer a video published by Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute.  Mr. Mitchel has impressed us for years with his no-nonsense approach to tax and international business. Even if you reside outside of the United States, we think you will find his thoughts insightful.  We have also offered a second video published recently by Ben Shapiro in which he explains why he and his business are leaving California after being a lifelong resident.

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International Business 

Business Psychology

Embrace the Challenge! 

by Toni Delos Santos
90% Mental
90percentmental.com

“We must embrace and burn it as fuel for our journey.”
Kenji Miyazawa
 

  On Memorial Day we remember and honor the courageous men and women that made the amazing sacrifice and lost their life fighting for our freedom. To succeed at anything that is worthwhile, there are no shortcuts. It takes a great deal of work and perseverance to be able to handle the grind and put the time into doing whatever it takes even when some of the work is not fun.

When watching the highlights of the NBA playoffs, all we see are the dunks, 3 pointers and amazing blocks made by the defense. Who doesn’t love watching old highlights of Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan? In those moments, all we see are the results of the hours and hours of hard work, sacrifice and dedication that go into making that those moments possible. Learning how to overcome challenges throughout their journey is part of the package. They must work through injuries, self-doubt, time away from their families and the constant day to day routine to be able to perform at their best when it is game-time. The strategy:

- Have a clear vision of the end result.
- Understand what is driving you to achieve the vision.
- Define what it is going to take to achieve the vision.
- Commit to the vision.
- Embrace the journey.

A clear vision of what they want to accomplish will provide the motivation to persevere when times get tough. An example of having a clear vision for people in the military, could be the desire to fight for the country that they love and maintain our freedom and democracy. The end result is so powerful, it gives them the strength to push through so when they are called to perform, they will have the confidence knowing that they are ready to perform at their highest level.

When you have your vision in place it is important that you understand why achieving the results is important to you. What will it look like and feel like when you win? Your desire to be successful must be stronger that the work it is going to take to get there. Knowing that the journey is going to be hard and even unpleasant at times is half the battle. It is going to take some level of sacrifice of what you want to do in the moment and short term to achieve the long-term result.

Embracing the work and sacrifice as opposed to resenting the goal because of the fun events that you might have to pass on, will keep you on track and you will have a more focused resolve when faced with giving up the moment for the satisfaction of success.

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International Business 

Offshore Perspective

Noteworthy Swiss Professional Organizations

Below are two professional organizations based in Switzerland that we wanted to bring to your attention.  You may especially find these resources useful if you are considering establishing a Trust Company hub or accomplishing estate planning in Europe.


SATC - The Swiss Association of Trust Companies 
(established 2007)
SATC link

STEP - Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners 
(established 1992)
STEP link

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 International Business   

Business Etiquette

 Why Do Americans Eat Using a Four-Step Method?  

 by Candace Smith
The Etiquette Blog
Candace Smith Etiquette

There is a noted difference in American and Continental dining styles.  Americans use a four-step method of eating, while nearly all other knife and fork countries use a two-step method of eating.  We Americans love our individualism, but why the difference in dining styles?

Probably the most correct answer is that we really don’t know exactly why, though many studied people have attempted to trace the where, when, and overlaps in comparing the way Americans and Europeans claim their dining styles.

The history of eating utensils and dining habits reflects a natural history of the evolution of and adaptations of tools and the art of food preparation within cultures.  Circumstances of hardships, good times, royal marriages, and fads and fancies have contributed to much diversity at any one time.  

Hands, fingers and sharp knives were the typical eating tools for centuries, though the wooden spoon was an early comer on the dining scene.  When eating utensils were first used, they were not mass-produced, so households did not own the large sets we are accustomed to today.  In fact, people brought their own knives when dining with others.  And in an act of chivalry, as women typically didn’t carry knives, the men kindly cut their food for them.

The four-step dining used in America actually began in Europe as the use of table utensils gained popularity.  My research uncovered these ancestral steps that led to this method of eating:

- Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister to French King Louise XIII (1624-42), was allegedly so disgusted by the habit of guests picking their teeth with the point of a knife, that he ordered offenders’ knives ground down.  Others in the court followed suit.  In 1669, King Louis XIV of France decreed that all pointed knives on the dining table (or on the street) were illegal. 

- Commonly, people continued to eat with their hands, but with knife rule changes, and before forks were freed up from superstition as the devil’s tool, new uses for spoons began to take hold. 

- Most people were (and are) right-handed.  The diner could use a spoon in the left hand to steady the food, which now had to be cut with the blunt knife.  And being right-handed, the diner would place the knife down on his plate, switch the spoon to the right hand for ease in bringing food to his mouth, and eat the bite of food off the spoon.  For right-handers, it would be hard to pick up the cut piece of food with the spoon in the left hand, so it's natural to switch to the right.  Notice the four-step pattern put into use:  Cut, place knife down, switch spoon to left hand, and eat. 

Europeans, then, were the first to use a four-step dining practice, which is the basis of the American style of dining today.

Cutlery makers in England began making knives with blunt tips and Colonists imported these dining knives.  As had been the practice in Europe, food was speared with the tip of a knife, but, again, blunt tips made this difficult.  The Colonists adapted the same four-step eating method as the Europeans.

According to James Deetz’s In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life, “Using a round-ended knife and not having a fork, one would either have made considerable use of the fingers conveying solid foods to the mouth or made do with the spoon…One could cut food and transfer it to the spoon bowl…If even one generation used knife and spoon in this manner, the fork, upon its belated appearance, would be used in a manner similar to the spoon, which is precisely the way we use it today.” 

Though forks were in use in Europe earlier, by the 1850’s, they were in regular use in the United States, and employed in the American "Zig-Zag" or "Cut and Switch" method.  The cumbersome and awkward switching of hands continues today even though it was declared out of date as far back as 1948 in Vogue’s Book of Etiquette, written by Millicent Fenwick, then an associate editor of Vogue and later the United States representative to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome.

In the 1800’s, use of the fork gained popularity in European countries and began the evolution of a new dining style.  According to several sources, the upper class stopped shifting their forks back and forth, and the two-step Continental dinning style became fashionable after 1850.

Etiquette expert, Lisa Mirza Grotts,  sites a French etiquette book of this time: “If you wish to eat in the latest mode favored by fashionable people, you will not change your fork to your right hand after you have cut your meat, but raise it to your mouth in your left hand.” 

Throughout knife and fork cultures, the Continental style prevails.  The fork stays in the left hand with the tines pointed down, and the knife is held in the right hand.  The food is speared by the fork and conveyed to the mouth, with the knife holding steady to cut again or move food onto the fork.

Letitia Baldrige, who revised The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette, also considered the Continental style more “sensible.”  In preparing this book, which was published in 1978, Ms. Baldrige tried in vain to discover how the zig-zag method developed in the United States.  “I even called the Library of Congress, but they could not come up with anything,” she said.  “English nannies,” she continued, “always teach children to pile food up on the back of the fork because that is the quickest way to get the meal over with.  Also, the food tastes delicious that way.”

As with all forms of technology, experimenting is an ongoing thing.  Individuals are marketing new utensil ideas in the hope they will be viewed as preferable.  The “spork” was a fad that is still touted in some places, and time will tell if it catches on. 

Americans, however, continue to keep the four-step dining style popular.  At least, when knives and forks are in use.  Jacob Bronowski points out in The Origins of Knowledge and Imagination, “The rise of casual dining, convenience foods and drive-throughs means that for the first time since the 1500’s we regularly eat complete meals with our hands.  Forks and knives may again become the source of confusion…” 

In fact, by some market reports, forks are outselling knives two to one.  A trend is for more and more diners to opt for single-handed eating and many experts attribute this to the popularity of ready-made meals, pre-cut pizzas, chips and other fast foods. 

Regardless of how our use of tableware evolves, sharing meals together with a table set for what is to be served will always be appropriate.  The diner can choose what style of eating is best for him or her.

The most important thing is that meals are meant to be shared and bring people together.  And that good manners will never go out of style!

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Lifestyle

Executive Fitness 

Exercise Safely After Recovering from COVID-19

The number of people who have been infected by the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is difficult to determine, as millions of people may have had the virus but been asymptomatic. But as of April 2021, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported that more than 31 million people in the United States have had confirmed coronavirus infections, and Canada reported 1,087,158 confirmed cases with 80,204 considered active at that time. Thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide, and many others have occurred around the world.

Even though COVID-19 is widespread and highly contagious, the silver lining is that a very high percentage of people recover from the disease. WebMD says that recovery rates fluctuate between 97 and 99.75 percent. However, COVID-19 can affect various parts of the body and produce long-lasting side effects.

A study from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency found that 91 percent of people who recovered from COVID-19 reported at least one long-lasting symptom, and fatigue and trouble concentrating were the most common. With this in mind, individuals who have recovered from the illness and want to get back to their daily activities - including exercising - may need to be especially careful.

Health experts recommend a slow, phased approach to resuming exercise after recovering from COVID-19. It's also worth noting that it may take some time to regain pre-illness fitness levels, so individuals are urged to go easy on themselves if they cannot meet certain milestones.

David Salman, Ph.D., a clinical fellow in primary care at the Imperial College London, was lead author of a report published in the British Medical Journal that aimed to answer questions about returning to exercise. One of his recommendations is to wait for seven days after major symptoms have stopped before beginning to slowly build up physical activity. One should start with light-intensity exercises, such as walking or yoga. Gradually, more challenging activities, including brisk walking, swimming or light resistance training, can be introduced. Each phase should be maintained for at least seven days.

People should be mindful of getting out of breath or feeling too fatigued by exercise. If this occurs, they should move back a phase until exercise feels comfortable. Pay attention to body cues while doing normal daily activities, as these can help determine if you need to rest.

The University of Colorado Boulder Health and Wellness Services says exercise should not continue if people experience chest pain, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, abnormal heartbeats, or lightheadedness. Individuals are urged to consult with their doctors if these symptoms appear.

Within a few weeks of infection, many people with mild cases of COVID-19 can typically be back to their normal fitness routines, says Anthony S. Lubinsky, MD, clinical associate professor at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. But slow and steady is the key to getting there.

COVID-19 has affected millions of people. With time and guidance, most people who contracted COVID-19 can return to their pre-illness levels of physical activity. 

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Lifestyle  

International Spirits & Cuisine

How Old is Ice Cream?

 If the 1927 song "I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream" by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll and Robert A. King is correct, then the world has been a noisy place for quite some time.

Though the exact origins of ice cream are unknown, historians agree this popular treat has been around for a very, very long time. The International Dairy Foods Association says the origins of ice cream may reach as far back as the second century B.C. Though he wasn't around back then, the fifth Roman Emperor Nero, who ruled from 54 to 68 A.D., might have been so fond of iced treats that he routinely sent runners into the Apennine Mountains to retrieve snow that he would then flavor with fruits and juices. That tale might be apocryphal, but there's no denying ice treats have been enjoyed for a long time. And based on a 2018 report from Grand View Research, Inc. that projected the global ice cream market would reach roughly $79 billion by 2025, it's fair to say ice cream will remain popular for a long time to come as well.  

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Lifestyle 

Leisure & Style

How to Avoid Foggy Eyeglasses

How does one counteract the condensation and fogging that occurs from both summer travel and increased mask usage? There are a few different methods. 


Billions of people across the globe need eyeglasses to drive a car, read a book, watch television, and perform a host of other tasks of daily life. Even if mask requirements have been lifted in your area, should you choose to  travel masks are going to be needed and foggy eyeglasses will be a problem. 

Although glasses are highly effective, people who wear them understand they may have to make a few concessions while doing so. Unlike contact lenses, which sit directly on the eye, glasses rest on the bridge of the nose. They may slightly impede peripheral vision or even slip down if not properly fitted. Those accustomed to wearing glasses understand fogging of the lenses is a nuisance they may be forced to confront. That nuisance became even more profound when masks became a must-have accessory to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Glasses may fog due to the formation of condensation on the lens surface, which happens when moving from a cold outdoor environment into a warm indoor one or vice versa . This is a problem that has affected eyeglass wearers for some time, including health professionals who often wear masks. The issue has become even more widely known due to the sheer number of people who have been wearing face masks as a public health safety measure.

So how does one counteract the condensation and fogging that occurs from increased mask usage? There are a few different methods, but eyeglass wearers should always consult with an optometrist to verify the safety and efficacy of any method before trying it.

Use soapy water

A 2011 study published in the Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England found that washing eyeglasses in soapy water and shaking off the excess can help reduce fogginess. Afterward, let the spectacles air dry before putting them back on. The soapy water leaves behind a thin surfactant film that reduces surface tension and causes the water molecules to spread out evenly into a transparent layer. This can help prevent fogging.

Use a commercial product

Anti-fogging products are widely used to prevent fogging of scuba masks or ski goggles.

Get a mask that fits tightly

Make sure the mask fits securely over the nose, advises The Cleveland Clinic. Also, a mask with a nose bridge will help keep warm exhaled breath from exiting up to the glasses. Use your glasses to help seal the mask on your face by pulling the mask up higher on the nose.

Block breath with a tissue

The AARP suggests placing a folded tissue between your mouth and the mask. The tissue will absorb the warm, moist air, preventing it from rising up to reach the glasses.

Adjust the fit of glasses

Choosing glasses that sit further away from the face can improve air circulation and reduce the formation of condensation.

Consider other options

If these tricks seem like a lot of work, you also can speak to an eye doctor about contact lenses or eye surgery.

Fogging of glasses has been a problem for some time, but has become more widespread thanks to the use of masks during the pandemic.

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Lifestyle

Travel

Can I Travel After Getting Vaccinated? 

It is that time of year when many people are looking forward to their summer vacation plans. However, people may be wondering if this is finally a time when they can travel with minimal health risks, or if they may have to postpone adventures once again, just as they did last summer, when the global pandemic was still raging?

Though social distancing, sanitation and crowd limits press on this year, a few things have changed since last summer. After a year of living in a pandemic, doctors and the public in general have learned what is working and what is not in regard to managing surges and avoiding a rush on hospitals and health centers. In addition, at press time, various effective COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to millions of people, and another is potentially on the horizon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously sick. People who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things they ceased doing because of the pandemic. Many may wonder if that means traveling.

Experts say that those who have been fully vaccinated (receiving both shots for the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or one for the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine) it is likely safe to travel again. But caution is still needed. The vaccines do not immediately provide full protection. The Pfizer or Moderna vaccines provide full vaccination two weeks after the second dose, while the J&J vaccine provides protection two weeks after the single dose is administered.

The CDC offers that those who have been fully vaccinated can gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing masks, and gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

However, some things have not changed even for people who have been vaccinated. Gathering with unvaccinated people (or if you cannot confirm they've been vaccinated, such as on an airplane or in other public settings) still requires wearing a mask, staying at least six feet apart from others, avoiding crowds, and avoiding poorly ventilated spaces.

"Getting vaccinated does not say you have a free pass to travel, nor does it say you have a free pass to put aside all the public health measures," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Experts, like Dr. Chris Beyrer, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health notes, "We also do not know the answer to the question, 'Are people who have been immunized still infectious to others?'"

There also is concern about how well vaccines will protect against all the COVID variants.

Until more is known about long-term vaccine efficacy and until more people receive their full doses, it may be wise to avoid normal travel patterns this summer, and standard precautions should still be implemented for those who choose to get away. 

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Business Services

Business Acquisitions 

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR SALE!

Corb7 International
"Think Seven Continents, Think a World of Opportunity"

 Swiss Trust Company for Sale:

* 21-Year-Old Swiss Trust Company - Immediately Available
Established in the year 2000
Place of Incorporation Zug, Switzerland  
Corresponding Bank Relationship: Client’s Choice
Acquisition Investment:  $87,800
Excellent administration with a prestigious law firm located in Zurich 
Administration first year fees included in acquisition price
Initial legal retainer also included

* 19-Year-Old Swiss Trust Company - SOLD
Established in the year 2002
Place of Incorporation Zug, Switzerland  

* 90-Year-Old Vintage US Corporation - SOLD
Established in the year 1931 
Place of Incorporation Zug, Switzerland  

Call: +1-310-601-3115 (Beverly Hills Office) or Email: contact@corb7.com

[Additional Opportunities in Europe & US Currently available]