Techie Tries Authorship

When web entrepreneur Anthony Newcombe wanted to venture into a new business, he decided to compile the notes on his smartphone and publish a book. Titled “Sorry, 50 is NOT the New 30,” his 20,000-word tome debuted in March. The book takes a humorous look at the challenges of middle age, including weight gains, body aches, technology, children, marriage and career issues. “I wanted to make sure it didn’t bore anybody – just get to the good parts,” he told Valley Insider. “This book serves as a harsh wake-up call to the realities facing many aging adults today.” Newcombe started aviation firm AnJet 10 years ago; rather than hiring a web developer to build the company’s site, he decided to do it himself. That led to the founding of BAN Solutions in Woodland Hills, his current venture which owns three websites. “Sorry, 50 is NOT the New 30” sells on Amazon.com Inc.’s site for $9.99. … Peter Machuga made an inventive pitch to donors on behalf of the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley: it’ll make you happy to give. Speaking to more than 100 breakfast attendees at a fundraiser May 16 at the Hilton Woodland Hills hotel, he cited a poll that said generosity is a trait that contributes to happiness. “Happy people are generous,” he said. So, he concluded, make yourself happy by giving generously to the club. Machuga is the chief financial officer of Import Connection Design in Bell Canyon and the volunteer chief financial officer of the club. Even though most of the kids who attend after-school classes at the Boys & Girls Club come from challenged homes, the West Valley club has a 100 percent high school graduation rate and 90 percent go on to higher education. … Valley Insider caught a glimpse of Charles Schwab Co.’s 2019 Modern Wealth Survey of 500 Angelenos. According to the survey, Los Angeles residents believe it takes an average of $2.9 million in personal net worth to be considered “wealthy,” a figure more than 30 times the actual median net worth of U.S. households, according to a 2017 study by the Federal Reserve Bank. More than half of L.A. respondents think they will be wealthy at some point in their lives, and more than a quarter believe they will achieve that within five years. Five percent already consider themselves wealthy, although their net worth threshold is lower at $1 million. One-third of L.A. residents admit their spending habits have been influenced by other people’s posts on social media, and they admit they spend more than they can afford to avoid missing out on the fun. More than 60 percent wonder how their friends can afford the expensive experiences they display on social media sites.