Archive for November 2009

Employee or Employer, Your Choice

Here’s a story I love.

A young man graduated toward the top of his class in college, and was highly recruited by several companies.  He finally chose one, and went to work with what he thought was a great salary and benefits. 

He worked hard, coming in early and staying late.  He often took his work home with him.  In short, he was a great employee. 

One day, the owner took him aside and had a chat with him.  The owner took him outside and showed him a brand new Maserati convertible.  He took him to the largest mansion the young man had ever seen.  Swimming pool, sauna, putting green, tennis court, even a helicopter landing pad– the house had it all. 

The young man was getting excited about the possibilities, and seeing things like this first hand. 

The owner looked at him, close up, and said,“I’ve noticed how hard you work, and how many hours you put in.  I’ve noticed how much you produce for the company.  I just want you to know that if you keep this up, I’ll be able to have all of these things.” 

And there is the simple difference between being an owner and an employee. 

So here’s my question:  which are you? The 5% of people who control 95% of the wealth are the business OWNERS, and as long as you are an employee — regardless of title or salary — you will be one of the 95% who control only 5% of the wealth. 

There are no ways around this.  No shortcuts available.  You either build YOUR dream or you build someone else’s.  Period. 

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Remember, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”  It’s your choice.  You call the shots.  You make the decisions.  You can decide to be an employee or you can decide to become an employer or as I like to say, an “Entrepreneur”.  That’s an employer who has only one employee, him/her-self.

It won’t be an easy choice to make happen as it does take a commitment on your part.  It requires that you devote one to two hours of focused activity a day to building your business.  With the help of a mentor, you can do it.

The Sorry State of Modern Economics

2009 is almost over and we are seeing more and more about 12-21-2012 and all the possible doom and gloom it will usher in.  First, I do not believe there is anything to fear about 12-21-2012 as long as you keep an open mind and  gather all the facts. Even if I disagree with what some sources are saying about our economy and the state of the

USA, I still read all I can to gain the best picture of what is happening.  For example, if I only listened to and believed what our President is saying, I will not be getting all the facts I need to make a wise decision.  Likewise, if I only listened to those who are opposed to the President’s policies I would not be getting all the needed facts.

 One clear example is the Swine Flu or H1N1.  The drug companies with the help of our government are pushing vaccines as the best cure.  I am developing a little software to help you see some alternative solutions to protect you and your family this flu season, alternatives that have zero deadly side effects and alternatives that actually work.  Back to our economy.  Below is an interesting article by Claus Vogt that will give you more perspective on what is happening. 

The Sorry State of Modern Economics
by Claus Vogt

Dear Subscriber,

Claus Vogt

Since last year’s collapse of the banking system, hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent to bail out some of the major players.  Additionally, governments all over the world, and their central banks, have implemented huge stimulus programs to combat the consequences of the burst real estate bubble.

Economic history is being written right before our eyes.  Hence, I refer to this episode as the largest economic experiment since the implementation of communism.  And here’s what really frightens me: None of the experimenters saw this crisis coming, but all of them claim to know the remedy!

At the same time politicians and economists are very busy explaining what they deem to be the reasons for the economic malaise …

Speculators, hedge funds, greedy bankers, and lax regulators are said to be responsible.  And a lot of talk about a market failure is being presented as the alleged root of this crisis.

Sure, hedge funds, bankers, and regulators certainly played a role.  But their reckless behavior is but a symptom of what had been going wrong and was not the cause.  And the latter proposition is plain wrong.  Let me explain why …

This Crisis Is Not a Market Failure.  
It’s a Monumental Policy Failure!

Greenspan-Bernanke

Irrational central bank policies are the source of the current crisis.

By now, nobody — not even Greenspan or Bernanke — will deny that the

U.S. housing market was a huge speculative bubble.

 And the bursting of this bubble triggered the banking problems and the recession.So we have to look into what causes a speculative bubble to understand the real culprits of the current predicament.  The answer is fairly straight forward: Expanding money supply and credit growth.

Since the central bank controls the money supply and credit growth, it’s obvious that the central bank is accountable for the evolution of bubbles and the consequences of their inescapable bursting.

You could easily conclude then, that an unsound monetary policy caused the real estate bubble.  That means that the same unsound monetary policy is also accountable for the sad and predictable consequences of the bubble bursting.

Unfortunately we’re not hearing or reading much about this obvious truth.  Instead, fairytales about market failure are dominating the media.  And an old and cynical policy joke comes immediately to mind: “When the day of reckoning arrives there is but one policy solution: Lying, lying, lying.”

This seems to be the conclusion, the current credo of our politicians and the vast majority of economists.  Many of whom are in the business of consulting politicians.

From Economists and Solar Eclipses …

To get a better understanding of what is going on let’s switch to an exemplary story: Suppose we were not dealing with economists but with another breed of scientists, let’s say astronomers.  Nearly all of them are using the same theories and models.  They’re highly regarded and some have even won the Nobel Prize.

Suddenly something totally unexpected takes place, a total solar eclipse!  None of our astronomers had seen this coming.  After a short moment of shock and silence, they quickly regain their confidence.

Immediately they start explaining extensively why it had been impossible to predict this eclipse — in spite of the fact that some of their peers had done exactly that, although with an alternative theory.

But the audacity doesn’t stop here.  These so-called experts also come up with a variety of necessary measures to make sure that — no more eclipses will happen in the future.

This story illustrates perfectly the sorry state of our current mainly Keynesian-dominated establishment of economists.  Their behavior is totally unscientific.  And it’s way off track, too.

More Bubbles to Come …

Stocks

The next crisis will be much more severe than the current one.

As you can see, most politicians and economists haven’t learned anything from the near breakdown of the financial system.  More of the same is their dangerous answer, much more.

Right now this policy is showing some desired effect: The housing market has stabilized, the stock market has risen and the economy has been growing again.  But this short-term success has a dangerously high price …

Eventually this policy will again fail, like it did before.  Already new bubbles are emerging, and the budget deficit is going through the roof!  Now, however, the stakes are even larger, much larger.  So the next crisis will be much more severe than the recent one.

My job now is to recognize when the current bounce is over and when the next act in this government-fueled crisis will begin.  I’m confident that my models will again lead me successfully.

Right now I don’t see signs of renewed weakness.  But we must stay constantly on the alert of changes for the worse.  The next time down is unavoidable.  And the outcome of this great experiment is clear.

Now the only question is: When?

Best wishes,

Claus


About Money and Markets

For more information and archived issues, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com

This investment news is brought to you by Money and Markets. Money and Markets is a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil.  Dr. Weiss is a leader in the fields of investing, interest rates, financial safety and economic forecasting.  To view archives or subscribe, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com.

  

Live In The Moment, Plan For Tomorrow

As I have mentioned previously, I subscribe to many newsletters and read very few of them.  My delete button is the most worn key on my keyboard.  However, along the way, I pick up some great subject lines and even some inspiration.  The following is excellent and it is my honor to share it with you. 

My Holiday Gift To You… For Real

By Roy H. Williams

Tom Hennen has a line in his poem, The Life of a Day, that says,

We examine each day before us with barely a glance and say, ‘no, this isn’t one I’ve been looking for,’ and wait in a bored sort of way for the next, when we are convinced, our lives will start for real.”

That line is a little bit frightening because you read it and realize you’re guilty.  You’ve been waiting for that day when your life will start “for real.”

The trouble with life is that it’s just so daily.

I share this with you because I’ve been thinking about my two grandfathers who are dead and my father who is likewise and I’ve come to the obvious conclusion:

Live while you have the chance.

“Papa was a rolling stone.  Wherever he laid his hat was his home…” – The Temptations, 1971

In the final moments of his life, my father scribbled a note for me to find.  In barely legible pencil he scrawled, “All the little things in life add up to your life.  If you don’t get it right then nothing else matters.  It gets lonely in the promised land by yourself.”

My Dad died lonely, I think, because he never made deep commitments.  My father’s confession of his loneliness makes me sad, but his scribbled note tells me he wanted me to learn from his mistake.

I meet a lot of people who sigh deeply and say they’re looking for their passion, something to set their souls on fire and send beams of light shining out through their eyes.

But the people with light shining from their eyes know this….

Passion does NOT produce commitment.
Commitment produces passion.

Solomon, that wise king, spent years of his life searching for passion.  In chapter 9 of the chronicle of that search, the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

People read that and think Solomon is saying, “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die,” but that’s not it at all.  He’s saying, “Throw your whole heart into whatever you do.  Live while you have the chance.”

This is my

Holiday gift to you,
I hope you will receive it:

Find something that needs to be done
and throw yourself headlong into it.

Let today
be the day
your life begins
for real.

Roy H. Williams

“May you live all the days of your life.”
- Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels

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I have been searching for my passion so that I can add value to the lives of others.  I have been unable to describe my passion so I figured I haven’t found it yet.  This short story helped me realize that my passion is looking for little ways to help others to see the glass as half full, to help others to think for themselves by introducing them to other possibilities, to help put a smile on the faces of those who have forgotten how to smile.  I enjoy helping people, sharing with people, enjoying nature, and living in the moment.To discover your passion you need only to commit to something with all your heart and all your energy.  Yes, I realize that is a huge challenge for most of us.  We will not meet that challenge by spending our time feeling sorry for ourselves or sitting in front to the TV for hours at a time.When you commit to just 30 minutes a day, everyday, and take a walk, read a book, learn something new and explore more of life, you will eventually find something to commit to and become passionate about. 

Warning: you may enjoy those 30 minutes each day that you soon find that they become 45 then 60 then 120 minutes or more.

Beautiful Pictures

These pictures are awesome———enjoy !!!!!!!!  And make sure you look at the last one!!

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 And My Favorite……..

I love Gods’ sense of humor, too

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Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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NEW

TURKEY RECIPE

Your dinner will be the talk of the TOWN!!

You should try this!

Sure to bring smiles from your guests!

Here is a new way to prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey.

1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.

2. Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan, position the foil carefully.  (see attached picture for details)

3. Roast according to your own recipe and serve.

4. Watch your guests’ faces… scroll down to view

Turkey 7

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Putting Your Live In Proper Perspective

I would like to wish you a happy and safe holiday. 

The following is something to think about on this Thanksgiving holiday:                            

A Thanksgiving Thought


* If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep … you are richer than 75% of this world.
 
* If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace … you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
 
* If you woke up this morning with more health than illness … you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
 
* If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation… you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
 
* If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death … you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
 
* If your parents are still alive and still married … you are very rare, even in the United States.
 
* If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful … you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
 
* If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder … you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.
 
* If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

  Isn’t this a wonderful day to give thanks?
 
 
Have a great Thanksgiving!
 

Gary

Sights you may not see twice in a lifetime……

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Now invite everyone you know that needs a smile today to see these stunning pictures.

Lesson: Never Assume - Check your Facts

A couple was invited to a swanky costume party.
The Mrs. got a terrible headache and told her husband to go to the party alone.
He being  a devoted husband protested, but she argued and said she was going to
take some aspirin and go to bed and there was no need for his good time being spoiled by not going.


So he took his costume and away he went. The wife, after sleeping soundly for about an hour, awakened without pain and, as it was still early, decided to go the party.



Since her husband did not know what her costume was, she thought she would have some fun by watching her husband to see how he acted when she was not with him.
She joined the party and soon spotted her husband cavorting around on the dance floor, dancing with every nice woman he could, and copping a little feel
here and a little kiss there.


His wife sidled up to him and being a rather seductive babe herself, he left his current partner high and dry and devoted his time to the new babe that had just arrived.


She let him go as far as he wished, naturally, since he was her husband.



Finally, he whispered a little proposition in her ear and she agreed.



So off they went to one of the cars and had a quickie.


Just before unmasking at midnight, she slipped away, went home, put the costume away and got into bed, wondering what kind of explanation he would make for his behavior.


She was sitting up reading when he came in, and she asked what kind of a time he had.


He said: “Oh, the same old thing. You know I never have a good time when you’re not there.”


 - “Did you dance much ?”


- “I’ll tell you, I never even danced one dance. When I got there, I met Pete, Bill Brown and some other guys, so we went into the den and played poker all evening. But you’re not going to believe what happened to the guy I loaned my costume to….”

The USA as a Second Class Country?

OK, as I gave you a heads up Saturday, this article, which is rather long, has a person’s views on the state of our (the USA) economy.  I did not check the validity of the information so I will not guarantee its accuracy.  It is just something to think about.

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The Hidden Costs of Too Much Government Debt
by Mike Larson Dear Subscriber,

Mike Larson

This week was a fascinating one on the geopolitical front. President Barack Obama travelled to

China in what was billed as a major diplomatic trip.

The idea? Try to reach common ground on several fronts, including global nuclear proliferation, environmental issues, and especially

China’s currency … The U.S., Europe, and even some of China’s Asian neighbors believe that

China is artificially suppressing the value of its currency, the renminbi or yuan. That, in turn, is giving

China an artificial advantage in global trade by making its exports more competitive vis-à-vis those of other nations.

But you know what Obama came home with? Not much of anything. A joint statement here. A stiff, “no questions asked” press conference there. Substantive progress was nowhere to be found.

China Visit

Obama’s trip to

China was all smiles but no substance.

That’s disturbing — and it reflects a very uncomfortable fact: The balance of power between the U.S. and China has shifted largely in China’s favor because of our overreliance on

China to fund our profligacy. In fact, I believe that this shift is one of the single biggest “hidden” costs of our massive government debt load.


 
Debt Costs Keep Rising, With No End in Sight! You don’t need me to tell you that our public debt is enormous. As of this week, it came to $12,031,299,186,290.07. That’s more than $12 TRILLION in case you have trouble grasping a number that big. In just the past decade, it’s up more than 111 percent.Things are only going to get worse, too, because

Washington has completely abandoned any semblance of fiscal discipline! We’re running ever-larger budget deficits, including $1.42 trillion in fiscal 2009 alone.

The interest cost alone on our debt last year was $202 billion. That’s enough to send every man, woman, and child in this country a $656 check. Keep in mind that those costs were artificially low because of the lowest short-term rates in history due to the Fed’s rate cuts. Moreover, the flight-to-quality rally in government bonds helped keep longer-term rates low.As bond prices fall, rates rise, and absolute debt levels climb ever-higher. That number is going to spiral upward. In plain English, we’re going to be dedicating a larger and larger share of the

U.S. budget just to pay interest on our debt. Forget about defense, health care, Social Security or anything else.

USA-China

China is the largest foreign owner of

U.S. debt.

He Who Controls the Purse Strings Makes the Rules …

But again, those are just the VISIBLE costs. The HIDDEN costs are much, much worse over the long term.

China owned $799 billion of our Treasury debt as of September. That’s up from $618 billion a year earlier and $468 billion the year before that. About 61 percent of the Treasuries traded in the marketplace, as of mid-2008, were in foreign hands. And now, China has surpassed

Japan as the largest foreign owner. That means they control the purse strings.
Heck,

China is such an 800-pound gorilla in our debt market, they don’t even have to dump their existing bond horde to send prices plunging and interest rates surging. They can just step back and buy fewer bonds at auction!

China knows this. What’s more, the country’s leaders are so confident in their position of strength that The New York Times reported the following about the China-U.S. trip …“In six hours of meetings, at two dinners and during a stilted 30-minute news conference in which President Hu Jintao did not allow questions, President Obama was confronted, on his first visit, with a fast-rising China more willing to say no to the United States.“On topics like Iran (Mr. Hu did not publicly discuss the possibility of sanctions), China’s currency (he made no nod toward changing its value) and human rights (a joint statement bluntly acknowledged that the two countries “have differences”),

China held firm against most American demands.
“With China’s micro-management of Mr. Obama’s appearances in the country, the trip did more to showcase

China’s ability to push back against outside pressure than it did to advance the main issues on Mr. Obama’s agenda, analysts said.”

Liu Mingkang

The chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission criticized

U.S. monetary and fiscal policies.

That’s not all. Chinese officials have taken to frequently lecturing the

U.S. about how to run our monetary and fiscal policy.

One example: The chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, Liu Mingkang, just warned that …“The continuous depreciation in the dollar, and the

U.S. government’s indication, that in order to resume growth and maintain public confidence, it basically won’t raise interest rates for the coming 12 to 18 months, has led to massive dollar arbitrage speculation.”He added that …“The U.S.’ monetary policy has seriously affected global asset prices, fueled speculation in stock and property markets, and created new, real and insurmountable risks to the recovery of the global economy.”Not very subtle. But also not surprising in light of the shifting balance of power.Bottom line: We’re in hock as a nation like never before. Neither the administration nor Congress has any plan to change that fact. And both the actual and hidden costs of our debt are rising every day. We should all be concerned, and anyone who tells you otherwise is, in my view, woefully misguided.Until next time,

Mike

For more information and archived issues, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.comMoney and Markets (MaM) is published by Weiss Research, Inc. and written by Martin D. Weiss along with Nilus Mattive, Claus Vogt, Ron Rowland, Michael Larson and Bryan Rich. To avoid conflicts of interest, Weiss Research and its staff do not hold positions in companies recommended in MaM, nor do we accept any compensation for such recommendations. The comments, graphs, forecasts, and indices published in MaM are based upon data whose accuracy is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Performance returns cited are derived from our best estimates but must be considered hypothetical in as much as we do not track the actual prices investors pay or receive. Regular contributors and staff include Kristen Adams, Andrea Baumwald, John Burke, Amy Carlino, Selene Ceballo, Amber Dakar, Dinesh Kalera, Red Morgan, Maryellen Murphy, Jennifer Newman-Amos, Adam Shafer, Julie Trudeau, Jill Umiker, Leslie Underwood and Michelle Zausnig.Attention editors and publishers! Money and Markets issues can be republished. Republished issues MUST include attribution of the author(s) and the following short paragraph:

This investment news is brought to you by Money and Markets. Money and Markets is a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Dr. Weiss is a leader in the fields of investing, interest rates, financial safety and economic forecasting. To view archives or subscribe, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com.

Deck of Cards

I will never look at a deck of cards the same again.. Will you ??  Please read all the way through, it is beautiful.


Deck of Cards       

 

Here is a new way to look at a deck of cards!!


Deck of Cards

It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn’t been heard. The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week. As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk.

Just then an army sergeant came in and said, ‘Why aren’t you with the rest of the platoon?’

The soldier replied, ‘I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord.’

The sergeant said, ‘Looks to me like you’re going to play cards.’

The soldier said, ‘No, sir. You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country,

I’ve decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.’

The sergeant asked in disbelief, ‘How will you do that?’

‘You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God.

The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments

The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John .

The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.

The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.

The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.

The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives — the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth.

The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.

The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.

The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God’s first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.

The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.

The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.

When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year..

There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.

The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Each suit has thirteen cards — there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.’

The sergeant just stood there. After a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, ‘Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?’

Please let this be a reminder and take time to pray for all of our soldiers who are being sent away, putting their lives on the line fighting

Prayer for the Military.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.

Protect them.
Bless them and their families

I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.