Frank Li, Author at EconCurrents

Mercedes Soria: Life is not the same without ballroom dancing

By Frank Li March 6, 2024UncategorizedNo Comments

For this very successful software engineer, ballroom dancing came as an unexpected hobby before tuning itself into so much more: a way of life where discipline, hard work and family were the ingredients not to just win competitions, but to live and fulfill life. Winning medals never changed who she was and through it all, she and her twin sister became affectionately known in the ballroom world as “team Soria.” She thanks her 19-dance training for keeping her in shape and constantly learning everything.

Mike Butler: The next Giovanni?

By Frank Li February 28, 2024UncategorizedNo Comments

Mike started pro/am ballroom dancing in 2020, sky-rocketing to the top within three years: At USDC 2023, he placed 2^nd in Open Rhythm (B) and was crowned as the “Mambo King” in the first-ever Mambo Championship at the USDC!

Mike can potentially become the next Giovanni (Giovanni Fortezza: Savior of the male species in pro/am ballroom dancing). But will he?

Giovanni Fortezza: Savior of the male species in pro/am ballroom dancing

By Frank Li February 23, 2024UncategorizedNo Comments

Everybody who is anybody in competitive pro/am ballroom dancing should know who Giovanni is, last name optional!

With his teacher Jolanta Mosteika, Giovanni has dominated Rhythm for more than a decade (initially age-group B, and now C), defeating all the men and women in his way to win at the USDC and OSB for 10 consecutive years!

Elaine Krieger: A ballroom danceaholic

By Frank Li February 22, 2024UncategorizedNo Comments

Elaine is such a ballroom danceaholic that she dances all four styles, plus nightclub, and she participated in 30 comps in 2023! At OSB 2023, she made the finals in three styles (Rhythm, Smooth, and Latin) and the semi-final in Ballroom. Additionally, she received the award of the top female student (Bronze). She also received the top Dancesport female student award three years in a row (2021-2023)!

Giovanni Fortezza: The savior of the male species in competitive pro/am ballroom dancing

By Frank Li February 21, 2024UncategorizedNo Comments

Everybody who is anybody in competitive pro/am ballroom dancing should know Giovanni, the last name optional!

Jill Windy: Surviving and thriving through joyful ballroom dancing

By Frank Li February 14, 2024UncategorizedNo Comments

Like many people, Jill can say she is a lot of things: She is a wife. She is a mother of three boys – although she now refers to them…

Amber Haider: Pushing the limits of what is possible in ballroom dancing

By Frank Li February 7, 2024UncategorizedNo Comments

Amber thought she was probably too old to start dancing at age 40. She thought it would be hard to succeed if you did not grow up dancing. She thought a lot of things that turned out to be just thoughts. The reality is that when you question those thoughts and push the limits of what you think is possible, you can achieve things you never thought possible, such as winning Rhythm at three different levels (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) at the OSB three years in a row (2021, 2022, and 2023), which is exactly what she has done!

President Trump, again?

By Frank Li January 31, 2024opinionNo Comments

Donald Trump will inevitably become the GOP nominee and most likely will win the 2024 election! So, let us correctly assess his first-term and then look ahead.

Again, it is Trump!

By Frank Li January 24, 2024opinionNo Comments

Just like in 2016, Donald Trump may well surprise many to win the 2024 election. Two projections:

Trump will be the GOP nominee, thanks to MAGA.
Trump will defeat President Biden in November, thanks to the Independents, most of whom would choose a pathological liar over a war hawk as the lesser of two evils.

America is a plutocracy!

By Frank Li January 17, 2024opinionNo Comments

America is deeply in trouble at home (Voters don’t want a Trump-Biden rematch in 2024. So how come they are still the frontrunners?) and abroad (US Foreign Policy Is a Scam Built on Corruption).

Why is that, profoundly?

America was founded by/of/for the rich, with money behind everything, from politics to justice, and remains so today. It is collapsing, finally!

In short, America is a plutocracy, finally collapsing!