Big West Roundup: Thursday’s scores

By Dan Gudino

USC 101, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 82

Right from the start the three’s kept coming down on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, it trailed and never was in the game against Southern California.

USC opened with the lead and kept it through the entire game. Junior guard Katin Reinhardt of USC dropped seven 3-pointers (7/9 3PM-A) on his game-high 29 points.

Reinhardt hit 9 of 12 of his shots in his second start of the season, proving he now belongs in the starting lineup.

For Big West representative Cal Poly, it was was the most points allowed in the season since its last game against Saint Mary’s, where it allowed 93.

The leading scorer for Cal Poly was senior guard David Nwaba with 15 points. There were five other Mustangs in double figures.

There were sparks of a turnaround in the game when Cal Poly kept their defense on its toes with 11 steals in the game, but the USC hot shooting made the difference where it is undefeated in front of the home crowd.

The Mustangs are in its toughest stretch of the season, in the second game of a six-game road trip. Possibly helping the Mustangs on the road trip is Minnesota transfer freshman forward Josh Martin who became eligible in the game against USC.

Over the last two games Cal Poly has lost by a combined 49 points.

Cal Poly will be flying back and forth from San Luis Obispo to Texas. Three games against Texas schools with the next 12 days.

The Mustangs face Texas A&M Corpus-Christi (7-3) on Sunday at noon PT.

Cal-State Northridge 77, Portland State 71

Give credit to the Cal-State Northridge star of the game, freshman guard Micheal (Michael) Warren who scored eight of his 15 points in the final eight minutes of the game.

Warren pushed the Matadors to snap its five-game losing streak, Portland now on a four-game losing streak.

Warren got help from many through the game, three other players scored 13 or more points.

The big difference was in the rebound game, where the front court grabbed a total of 40 rebounds to the Portland 29.

Tre Hale-Edmerson and Tavrion Dawson both scored 14 points and Kendall Smithscored 13 points off the bench.

Next for the Matadors is Bethesda Univ. of Cal (1-8) on Sunday at 5 p.m. PT.

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Big West: Dec. 2

(Photo: Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)

By Dan Gudino

It’s as if Long Beach State cannot catch a break. State has lost six of the last eight games. Junior guard Jeff Raines tipped in a Jeremy Major miss with 3 seconds left to give Pepperdine a 77-75 win over Long Beach State Dec. 9.

Big senior forward Stacy Davis gave Pepperdine a four-point lead, 75-71 with 45 seconds left by draining the first of two free throws. But Nick Faust answered for the 49ers by getting to the basket for a layup and then a dunk then scored with 19 seconds left to tie.

Sophomore guard Justin Bibbins missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer that would have given Long Beach State the win.

Junior guard Lamond Murray Jr. scored 18 points and Raines added 16 as Pepperdine (5-4) won its third straight game to go over .500 for the first time this season. The Waves shot 31 of 60 from the field (51.7 percent), including 9 of 20 from distance.

Faust led the 49ers (5-6) with 14 points.

It’s about time: CAPA scores victory

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

30-day hold period on purchased tangiable goods, now seven-days is about time.

Business Report on behalf of the California Pawnbrokers Association 

By Dan Gudino

In Ben Franklin’s essay, Advice to a Young Tradesman, Franklin first coined the old adage, “Remember time is money.” In the essay, Franklin writes about credit in relation to time, he writes about time and its waste on lost opportunities and he praised creditors.

Franklin’s advice is fitting for the tradesman of California Pawnbrokers Association, whose members operate as small loan creditors, and should all be given credit for their unity to amend Calif. Assembly Bill No.1993, now, finally giving brokers more time to find opportunity with purchases of secondhand tangible goods.

Across the state brokers witnessed the importance of timely strategy, letters written by hand fulls with a clocked deadline – delivered to the footstep of Sacramento, as moving fast was a difference.

“For this precise reason, this is why I would encourage every pawnbroker to join the state association (CAPA). They are truly paving the way for our success. The holding period reduction is the best thing that has happened in a very long time. Price volatility (in precious metals) will no longer be a major concern in my business. I believe this positive change will impact the the industry, patrons and the economy as a whole,” said Mario Lemus, owner of Norwalk Loan Company in Norwalk, CA.

The tangible good with the most upswing, as Lemus mentioned are precious metals and as Franklin refers about Shillings in his essay, a .925-silver currency from England’s past and how it was treated in relation to time and how idleness can be a waste.

Pawnbrokers can relate to sitting on 30-day hold period of purchased scrap jewelry, and tell you it can be a roller coaster, and lately a downward gut wrenched ride.

“AB 1993 is a game changer for every pawnbroker who buys gold or silver jewelry in California,” said Tony DeMarco of Western Loan & Jewelry in Los Angeles, CA.

In a 60-day selling period, since July 12, the price of gold alone is down $48, from a spot price of $1250 an ounce, as of this writing ($1202).

That’s hundreds of lost dollars on 10 oz of gold.

Precious metals are a large part of the pawn shop.

Bought and loaned on, jewelry, coins, sterling, etc, can be profitable, and a great cash flow for your business, especially when a fixed price is setup.

You, as a buyer and seller of precious metals, possibly already protect yourself with fixed prices to allow room for declining prices and for validity of the item.

However, we’re all at the mercy of time and movement of market trends.

With the seven-day amendment of purchased goods, strategic moves can be made, this is what Franklin wrote about, opportunity cost, an economic theory, that shows the relationship of scarcity and choice. We all rather have the choice to sell at the highest prices, but opportunity is a commodity itself, it doesn’t grow on trees, instead we’re subjected to waiting idly, as prices sink.

Seven days is whole new ball game, especially if your collector, buyer, or refiner, provides the ability to hedge against downward movements in price.

Like Demarco mentions, “… having the ability to lock in my precious metal that I purchase, conceivably at the time I purchase the metal, means that I can be more aggressive in buying jewelry and other metals. It also will free up much needed cash for my business.”

All collectors, buyers and refiners have a different operating systems of pricing, hedging and terms for delivery of metal. Ask your partner how many days from pricing your metal would you have to deliver. Some refiners allow 30-day periods, others five to 10 days, all vary. 

Hospitality is the new customer service

Hospitality thrives in today’s business world, as customer service is long forgotten.

Commentary 

By Dan Gudino

Generosity, friendliness and warmth are qualities of hospitality, much superior to customer service standards of yesterday.

Hospitality is not new either, but customer satisfaction never came from customer service, instead from an actual action of help.

This is why going above and beyond is necessary today.

Goodwill is the largest difference between hospitality and customer service. It is not repetitive—the usual customer service, “Hello, how are you?”

Vague, monotonous and unchanging, just like customer service calls to cell phone providers, credit card companies or internet providers, all, out-of-date and probably in a different country.

Hospitality is a face-to-face discipline, a cooperative action. It’s always in action and always in favor of the client, regardless of the issue. Hotels are best known for providing hospitality, the reception of guest and strangers.

There’s an eye level of understanding between you and the client. Every single meeting taken in, in its own unit of time, as its own experience. Each transaction met to standards.

Customer service has failed to provide action, it’s too exhausted, tired of its scripted lines of unauthentic and recycled newspeak.

Golden Treasure: California Science Center worth a visit

Bling Bling- King Tutankhamen’s buried treasures are lifted from the afterlife and put on display at the California Science Center through Jan. ’19.

Commentary

By Dan Gudino

If you find time away from your busy schedule for a little leisure, the King Tut exhibition at the California Science Center in Los Angeles is highly-recommended. 

Displayed are over 150 artifacts from King Tut’s tomb, many gold, gold plated and silver, which have never traveled outside of Egypt, offering a once in a lifetime opportunity to examine in awe.

You’ll find artifacts King Tut took to the afterlife, like gold-toe caps found on Tut’s toe, gold-finger caps and rings found on his 3,000-year-old fingers.

You’ll discover gold laced and woven slippers that will astonish you with its perfect preserved appearance.

Price of admission is $30 for adults, $20 for kids and runs through January 2019.

 

“Junk Silver” A Must Buy

Silver jewelry scrap, later converted into ingots can serve as an investment vehicle for sale in the future.

Finance Opinion  

By Dan Gudino

“Junk silver” is an excellent way to protect against a currency crisis, according to Porter Stansberry’s new book, The Battle for America: ‘Why the Next Election Will Cause the Biggest Financial Crisis in U.S. History’  is a follow-up to Stansberry’s 2017 book, The American Jubilee.

A jubilee is radical measure taken up by governments where it basically steals money from one group and redistribute it to another group. 

According to Stansberry’s research, a “Jubilee” is a Jewish economic tradition.

‘It is part of the Old Testament. You’ll find it described in the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 25. The idea was simple. At the end of 49 years, all debts would be wiped out and collateral property returned. It was a way of completely “resetting” the financial order… of making sure the wealthy didn’t become too dominant… of making sure the economy didn’t collapse… of making sure there was never a violent revolution. You see, economies collapse when debt-service costs grow faster than income for a long time –usually 50 years or more.’

Sound similar or familiar?

Today’s political world of civil unrest, growing student debt, growing anger towards elites, increase animosity about immigration and race there’s bound to be a huge political movement.

Here are examples of jubilees; In 1933, in order to deal with mounting debts and print money to pay for dozens of new social programs, President Roosevelt made two extraordinary changes to the financial system. First, he closed banks for four days and forced Americans to turn in each ounce of gold they owned for $20.67 in paper money. Then the government raised the price of gold, wiping out 69% of the savings of anyone who followed these rules.

At the time, people worried the government might inflate away the value of their money. So they added a Gold Clause, which said repayments could be required to be made in gold. These Gold Clauses were in federal loans, bank deposits, insurance contracts, and other private agreements. When Roosevelt outlawed the Gold Clause, he stole billions from investors. In fact, a Harvard paper estimates this rule took $700 million a year from private investors who bought government bonds.

Tens of millions of Americans lost massive amounts of their savings. And after booming, the stock market soon fell 50% in a single year.

We had another Debt Jubilee in America about 40 years later…

Starting in the late 1960s, we saw a combination of economic and social upheaval. The government had borrowed extraordinary sums, and were having a hard time repaying creditors. That’s because at the time, every dollar was required to be backed by $0.25 worth of gold. So the government couldn’t print unlimited amounts of money out of thin air. The U.S. eliminated the 25% gold backing of every dollar.

Then, in 1971, President Nixon completely defaulted on our promise to pay gold for dollars to our foreign creditors. Once again, the government simply wiped the slate clean.

That brings us to present time. Bailouts of large corporations, millennials drowning in debt, far-right politics, far-left politics and silver.

Owning silver gives you real money that the politicians can’t devalue and will have a hard time trying to confiscate.

During the last Jubilee in the early 1970s, silver soared by more than 2,400%. And if you buy silver this time around, you’ll do well.

This is because Jubilees aren’t normal default cycles instead far different. These are debt revolutions. What happens is that debt builds and builds. Once debt-service costs start growing faster than the economy, the total debt is never reduced. Sooner or later, debt begins to grow geometrically, far faster than income.

Hence silver becomes a safe haven.

As long as the world continues to buy our bonds, we’re safe. But a moment will arrive –and it won’t be long –when investors simply refuse to own our government’s debt at almost any price. If you don’t take steps right now to protect yourself, many will be wiped out when that moment arrives.

When there is a big shakeup in the financial markets, the price of silver goes wild. No other investment asset loves a monetary crisis like silver does.

According to Stansberry’s research, for savvy-seasoned investors, buying into “silver options” could be a smarter move;

“You can buy long-dated out-of-the-money calls on the silver exchange-traded fund iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV). SLV tracks the price of the underlying metal and provides a simple one-click way to own silver.“

But we believe there is nothing like owning the physical metal itself. Silver rounds, silver U.S. 90-percent coin, Franklin Mint product, odd-weight silver bars, foreign silver coin, even in jewelry form to be melted later into ingots is money.

**Disclaimer: This article is based on speculation from writer not opinions from Elemetal Direct, LLC

 

Women’s boxing on the rise

On the rise- Women’s boxing is pushing itself to the front stage. Pictured, Marlen Esparza after victory. Photo courtesy of Goldenboy Promotions website.

Seniesa Estrada, Marlén Esparza headed on a collision course

Opinion

By Dan Gudino

No one can recall a promotional company headlining back to back women’s fights on consecutive cards, as Goldenboy Promotions sets up the scene for the most anticipated women’s bout, arguably, since Clarissa Shields defeated Tori Nelson in January.

Estrada contra Esparza is beginning to build a head of steam for what might be a campaign of fights, question is… When is the first one?

Early in their careers, each woman has shown spurts of showmanship, celebrity and a bit of glory — all necessary to be great.

Esparza is coming off here quick and powerful, third round TKO destruction of Laetiza Campana.

Estrada pointed at, later boasted, “Who do I want? Did you see me point at her after I won? I want Seniesa Estrada.”

In the March 16 edition of LA Fight Club, “Super Bad” fought in front of her hometown and Goldenboy Promotions debut and showed precision shots, Roy Jones Jr-type of bobs and weaves, for a unanimous decision against Sonia Osorio.

On paper we see a balance of experience. Estrada has 63 pro-rounds under her belt in comparison to Houston- native Esparza, who possesses only 23 Rounds, but is three-years the elder to Los Angeles product Estrada.

As the old saying goes, “Styles make make fights.”

We’ll see if the power shots and aggression can out wit precise footwork.

It will be the most anticipated fight, possibly, in women’s boxing history.

Beavers fight tough in high-scoring loss

Photo Courtesy of El Camino College Athletics 

(Original piece from L.A. Trade Tech College Atheltics, Nov. 16, 2017)

By Dan Gudino

PASADENA, Calif. – The Los Angeles Trade Tech College Men’s Basketball team tipped-off the first game of the inaugural William “Skip” Robinson Classic Tournament with a hard-fought, high-scoring loss to El Camino College, 116-104.

The Purple & Gold Beavers started with an excellent display of hustle and scoring from Rayshawn Bulger who nearly booked his double-double in the first half, 15 points and nine rebounds

Bulger finished with 22 pts and an impressive 18 rebounds, two steals and an assist. His presence inside the box will benefit the Beavers this season as he leads the team in rebounding.

But the turnover bug bite the Beavers hard as it turned the ball over 45 times to El Camino’s 22.

“They did an excellent job. They did what they wanted to do and it was about us not being able to control the tempo, with pace and space. We were erratic and sporadic. We got work to do,” Associate Head Coach Ervin J. Monier said.

Tech was able to come up with the lead early in the second half at 60-59, yet after El Camino’s   three-point scoring was tough to keep up with as it finished 17 of 54 (31%) from behind the arc, while the Beavers missed all 10 of its attempts.

Beside Bulger, Tech finished with four other players in double figures; Treshawn Knowles, 12 pts (5 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK) and Maxim Peranidzewith 15 pts (3 REB, 4 AST) both off the bench. Starters Maurice West was one rebound short of a double-double with 14 pts (9 REB, 3 AST. 3 STL) and Lawrence Carter, 16 pts (3 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK).

“We’re relatively young with our basketball experience at this level (nine freshman), so we’re just figuring out how to play together. We’ll be alright, it’s early in the season and we’ll eventually execute our game plan,” Moneir said.

Tech moves on to the consolation bracket of the Robinson tournament and will face-off with South Coast Conference-North rival Mount San Antonio College, 1 p.m at its neutral site Pasadena City College.

Article by: Daniel Gudino (Sports information Office) 

Alumni Day spoiled by Athenas on overtime PK

(Original piece from Whittier College Athletics, Sep. 2017)

By Dan Gudino 

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women’s Soccer team took a vigorous match into overtime Saturday morning, but came up short, 1-0 to Claremont-M-S.

This was Whittier’s first overtime match of the season and their first since its 1-0 loss to Puget-Sound back on September 9, 2016.

Throughout the game Poet goalkeepers Stella Thermos (Seal Beach, Calif.) and Lyla Matar (Glendale, Calif.) fought to keep everything in front of them, combining for six saves.

But in the final minute of OT, a breakaway attack slipped through the Poet defense forcing a penalty in the box providing the lone score of the contest by CMS midfielder, Sarah Malott. Thermos was injured in the first half and replaced by Matar before the second half start.

Matar was risky during her time at goalie, once sliding into a one-on-two breakaway, risking her body for a save in the 77th minute.

Whittier had its chances with 16 shots, yet only four would threaten the opposing keeper. One of the opportunities came in the 17th minute, when Whittier’s Kanoe Morihara (Mililani, HI) blasted a shot right in front of goal, but the strike would go right into the chest and arms of the CMS keeper.

Jazmin Gomez (Norwalk, Calif.) had the perfect look on goal in the 72^nd minute, which would have been the game-winner as she took the ball between two defenders and into the box having a 1v1  with the goalie.  But her ensuing shot would go straight into the chest of Athena keeper Claire Hamson.

Opportunities continued for the the Purple & Gold, with shots that thumped the crossbar, twice. Once in the second half in the 86th minute, by Gomez, whose header was set-up by an impressive long touch pass by Andrea Aldama (Gardena, Calif.).  Nevertheless, the header was cleared as the home crowd stared in disbelief with their Poets coming so close.

A minute later though another opportunity presented itself off the foot of Clarissa Field (Whittier, Calif.) who sent her shot too high, by a foot, ending regulation and sending the game into OT.

Whittier moves to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, (SCIAC). Poets will host Cal Lutheran University this Wednesday, October 4 beginning at 7:00pm.

At the half, 14 former, women’s soccer players, were honored for their achievements and contributions to the Poet program.  These soccer alumni included:

Lead Muller, ’88, Forward, New Hope, PA

Kirsten Davis, ’13, Midfielder, Hilo, HI

Andrea Smith, ’11, Center Mid., La Mirada, CA

Corrine Cleveland, ’14, Forward, Whittier, CA

Kristina Velasco, ’17, Forward, Placentia, CA

Kaela Reisfelt, ’17, Center Mid., Beverly Hills, CA

Alexi Cruz, ’17, GK, Long Beach, CA

Leila Afrasiyabi, ’17, Forward, Los Angeles, CA

Lauren Mayeda, ’17, Midfielder, San Pedro, CA

Maegan Garcia, ’16, Forward, Hacienda Heights, CA

Kim Ibarra, ’16, Defender, Whittier, CA

Ashley Stanford, ’16, Defender, Walnut, CA

Dana Bergstrom, ’15, Defender, Riverside, CA

Madison Shipherd, 15, Forward, Whittier, CA

Article by: Daniel Gudino (Sports Information Office)

Poets come up short against Stags 41-34

Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

(Original piece from Whittier College Athletics, Sep. 2017)

By Dan Gudino

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Football team hosted an instant classical Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opener, losing to the Claremont-M-S Stags, 41-34, on Saturday.

It was a tight game that came down to the last two minutes, where all game long the defense was called upon and was not able to respond, until it forced a late turnover on downs, as a diving Stags quarterback was stopped short of a first down.

It gave the Poet offense a chance to tie the game with under a minute left.  Sophomore quarterback Miguel Avina (Indio, Calif.)looked like he was ready to mount the comeback as he raced for five yards before hitting freshman wide out Moises Gonzalez(Long Beach, Calif.) for 19 yards.  But on the ensuing 1^st down play, the Purple & Gold elected to go deep as Avina looked down the sideline for Bryson Sanders (Manteca, Calif.), who he connected with earlier in the quarter on a 23-yard strike in stride to the corner of the endzone. But the big pass play would be picked off by Cade Moffatt at the Stag 11 allowing CMS to hold on for the victory.

The Poet one-two combo of Avina and Sanders combined eight times for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Avina accounted for all four Poet TDs, three on the ground and one to Sanders in the air. His last was a 10-yard dash, where he first searched for an open receiver, then the lefty scrambled to his weak side, put his head down for a last yard and barely crossed the goal-line.

Sanders is proving to be a reliable target down field. The senior wideout currently leads all Poet receivers with 17 receptions, 236 yards and two TDs.

The Poets offense totaled 438 yards (267 Passing/171 Rushing), its highest production in five games, since last year vs. Occidental College (538 yards total offense).

The Stags run game was effective and recorded 227 total yards on the Poet defense. Like Avina, the Stags had their own runner with three TDs, in running back Spencer Sheff.

Whittier played catch-up all game long and was within striking distance thanks to senior kicker Eric Voss (Temecula, Calif.) who knocked through a 41-yard field goal that put the Poets down 21-17 at the break. It was Voss’s third-career longest field goal and his longest of the season thus far. (Career long 45 yards)

Voss added another 40-yard field goal that capped off a decent 10 play, 73-yard Purple & Gold drive to start the fourth, 34-20 with 14 minutes to go.

Whittier managed to put up 17 points in the 4th, however a 34-17 deficit proved to be too large.

Cooper Allen (Visalia, Calif.) led the defensive unit with 11 tackles (8 solo/3 assisted), while Andrew Rosales (Pico Rivera, Calif.) totaled six solo tackles.

The Poets move to 0-3, 0-1 SCIAC and will now go on the road to face Chapman University this Saturday, October 7 (1-2, 1-0) starting at 7:00pm.

Article by: Daniel Gudino (Sports Information Office)