• WHEN CAN LAW ENFORCEMENT SEIZE & SEARCH YOUR MOBILE PHONE, TABLET OR PERSONAL COMPUTER? Laws are a little fuzzy among the states, but legal precedent generally holds that: (1) If you or, in your absence, an employer/spouse/roommate give consent. (But, even then, you are not required to provide passcodes or encryption keys under the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination); (2) In event a warrant has been issued, or if the “device is on and displaying something clearly illegal… or it looks like an imminent threat that evidence will be destroyed”; (3) When in an airport or crossing a border. FYI, a $15,000 device which local and some federal enforcement agencies now possess (called GreyKey) can now crack open both password and fingerprint-protected iPhones.

• JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ARE BECOMING MUCH BROADER AND PROBING, as hiring executives look for candidates who are not only technically capable but also creative, collaborative, and a good fit with office culture. Examples of the questions being posed these days to gain insight into the discipline and mindset of a candidate are: How do you use your free time? What would I find on your coffee table or nightstand? What are your X year aspirations? What do you know about our business and industry? How do you feel about people from the east coast? To what extent would you go in trying to close a deal? DCG assist clients in determining infrastructure needs, developing job descriptions & incentive compensation programs, screening candidates, and negotiating employment or contractor agreements.  [FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT – Mar 31, 18]

• “YOU MAY OWN THE COMPANY, BUT IT’S THE CONSUMER WHO REALLY OWNS YOUR BRAND.” These days, technology is fostering many platforms which tempt startups to expand without strategic direction or clarity. “It’s not just about growing a business, but how you grow…with focus on intangibles like ‘mission’ and ‘message’ which are increasingly important to consumers – particularly younger ones who demand that brands have values and a purpose.” Impatience leads many startups, trying to please partners & investors as well as consumers, to rush doing too-much-too-fast and end up “undermining brand prestige.” Our marketing affiliate Visionworx LLC is nationally renowned in optimizing the scaling process without losing sight of what attracts & retains customer loyalty; combined with strategic planning, DCG can help protect your Brand. [ENTREPRENEUR – Mar 18]
• “UNIVERSITIES ARE BECOMING LAUGHING STOCKS OF INTOLERANCE…endangering both the minds and character of our children. There is a real chance they will be more intolerant and more foolish after college than before they entered, having been taught contempt for America and its founders, to prefer socialism to capitalism, to divide human beings by race & ethnicity, to shut down those who differ with you rather than debate, and to place feelings over reason… Quite literally, whatever the left touches, it ruins… The only way to save Western civilization is to convince more people that Leftism – not Liberalism – is a nihilistic force…which is a guaranteed route to eventual evil.” [Dennis Prager – LBN ELERT – Apr 11, 18]
• BREATHING-IN THROUGH YOUR NOSE AND EXHALING THROUGH YOUR MOUTH GIVES “BETTER CONTROL and the ability to act more quickly than mouth breathing.” According to recent neuroscience research at Northwestern University, nasal inhaling increased ability to recognize faces, remember objects, and demonstrated that “the rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the brain with dramatic difference related to emotional processing & memory.” Practical considerations hint that in pressured, dangerous or fearful situations (like public speaking, before & during negotiations, feeling overwhelmed with learning new stuff or meeting new people), mindful attention to nasal inhaling can be helpful. [DEVELOPMENTAL EXCELERATIONS – Apr 11, 18]
•  2018 WAS ONE OF THE STRONGER ‘ALLERGY SEASONS’ IN CALIFORNIA. Seasonal allergies affect over 50 million adults – the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in America. Root cause is “imbalance in the immune system from overreaction to any number of things in the environment that are harmless to most people.” Hay Fever allergy is the most prevalent, causing runny nose, sneezing and red/itchy/watery eyes. Once ‘sensitized’ – generally by pollens in the air on windy days which activate histamines – the body then typically also reacts to other airborne particles (from plants, perfumes, dust, etc) which compounds discomfort. Anti-histamines, steroids and decongestants suppress inflammation to some degree, but only after the misery begins. Studies suggest that “retraining the immune system (with varying processes including probiotic and yeast compounds) can reduce symptoms & duration of attacks,” but solutions are far from effective yet. [LIFE EXTENSION – May 18]
•  THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” – Winston Churchill