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Hello from home, and thank you to my community for taking a stand!

At the same time let’s not forget about others in need; I have faith that we shall stay true to the cause and will not let our little corner of the world become a second Portland.

Today I remember that charity is on both ends with the economy; still weak and our direction of thought being paramount.

My trip through the Heartland of America was as eye opening as anyone could imagine. I saw coal plants burning at full steam.

 I saw windmills sitting still in a brisk wind; I did not realize that such an ambitious cruise through the country could overtake a person with the changes of elevation and the several altitude changes that were inherent.

I’ve been just barely recovering from an inner-ear infection that in a roundabout way allowed me to follow the proper path; over a week now and I’m about 80%.

A blessing in disguise.

But what I have seen was unreal or surreal, depending on where you stand. All of this country is suffering and I expect it to go on for a while.

As long as we buy foreign products we knowingly are killing our neighbors and ourselves. Have we become sheep?

I rarely watch TV; however I saw a Volvo commercial which showed a bunch of pure white faced upper-class folks admiring Christmas lights, only to be taken back in awe by the opening of a garage door where two Volvos turn on their headlights.

This is insane and at the same time; this is the way the rest of the world views us! We are seen as that gullible. My question is, are we?

If you are being currently approached by new health insurance costs or your employer telling you how vital your insurance coverage is to you, then let me be the first to tell you that, we are getting a good insurance bill pasted for sure! And they will be making important addendums, according to region, state, and employer.

I will not put up with the status-queo; not in my personal life or business life!

I’ll make this short and sweet because I am still only running at about 75% steam, and leave you with one question.

CAN YOU THINK FOR YOURSELF; ARE YOU A SHEEP?

12/06/09

Since my last Commentary I have seen much of America. I have heard the news from as many view points as needles on a Christmas tree.

My journey was meant to be a kind of fact finding mission, and indeed it has been but I have learned so much more. Something’s about me. Like when I sat down with family members the only thing I wanted to talk about is family.

Most of my family has no clue how excited I am about life today, and how much of it has to do with memories of words uttered by family and advice given many years ago that I can only hear now due to my personal journey.

I am following advice given to me by those who are no longer with us on Earth, yet rein paramount in the part of my mind that cannot even be reached by modern medicine or technology. Their spirits haunt my misgivings and celebrate my abilities preformed as a, “stand up guy”.

I have heard over the radio that the rise of unemployment has gone down to 10% from 10.2%. That’s good news? Did anyone remember that we are in the midst of holiday hiring? 10% is good?

I have heard about that poor Amanda Knox girl, and realize how nations view the USA has been tainted in even the most sacred of public forums.

 I see how the Swiss have banded Mosque towers, thus showing the world their underlying fear of the non-white European.

I beg of my readers to look up the Monroe Doctrine and choose who they buy from accordingly. This Doctrine was not only a military defense doctrine but also points to our regions be supportive of one another.

Tiger Woods; don’t get me started, I will not even dignify this subject of a flesh and blood man any further; I wish all the media would stop its foolishness’ as well.

I’m on the road at a coffee shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on route to Las Vegas Nevada. I shall stop one more place in between.

I have been too many small places and talked to many people while asking many questions in a non-threatening manner.

I have found out that in parts of Colorado, Conoco pays land owners with oil wells on them not to pump.

 I have had many tell me how grateful they are to be working without me even asking any questions at all.

I have been to the southern end of the wind mill belt, which was one of my goals, and have found that a certain company that I shall name next week is a British company that has all their components made in Brazil, and shipped up here with Brazilian and British assembly workers.

As a side note they keep having trouble with the propellers and crews are constantly coming up from Brazil at the chagrin of the locals. I have a lot of questions about that.

I have a lot of questions in regards to who is leasing this land and why they are going with a company besides GE which is the world’s leader in generator turbine technology. I’m guessing its money?

When will we stop crying about costs of materials and then turn around and cry because money is not returning to us through the local economy, while we are doing nothing to fuel it; only take away from it.

Here is a hint!

 If you go to Wal-Mart and buy inferior Chinese products that are possibly made by forced youth labor, and pass by an empty mom and pop store on the way; you are hindering our economy!!!

Why in the world would anyone buy other than an American car right now?

East of Colorado you don’t even see foreign cars. There is such an array of wonderful products priced to move with unbelievable guarantees, and incentives. There is an American car out there for any lifestyle.

 I can’t afford one myself at this time but I have had fun looking.

One car that empresses the heck out of me was the Camero. This car, I’m sure can outperform any European or Japanese car at only 75% or less and with much better gas mileage; boasting 30 mpg.

I have been looking at towns and their dynamics that lend them to being a good manufacturing base.

 The best locations of course are along railroads. As I traveled the chocked highways and see firsthand the benefits of rail and the low cost. The thing is that you would need to be right on a rail-right-o-way, to fully benefit.

There are such places; but now these little towns are almost ghost towns. I have taken pictures of some of these towns, and you can tell that maybe only 30 years ago they were once thriving enough to have their own schools, car lots, churches, and even bars.

I now see firsthand why Warren Buffet now owns 50% 0f 75% of our national rail system.

I have learned so much on this trip. Not the things I set out to learn about solely, but things that penetrate my soul.

I have found that I love those who I love so much more than I thought I could, and for those others in my life. Well you’ll see.

11/29/09

Tomorrow morning, I’m on my way to visit family, friends and look at some possible business opportunities; I can hardly wait.

The days leading up to this trip have been very interesting.

I have had a close friend lie to me, and like before when I had another friend lie to me, I have felt a great heart ache.

This is a man whom I trust implicitly; before it was a woman. Yet I take the same tact in both cases.

I know that when someone lies a very pointed lie, they will indeed lie again unless they undergo a deep and profound physic change.

In both cases neither has occurred. In both cases they place priority on how the rest of the world views them instead of honesty, valor, integrity, and happiness.

The need to be right, successful, and wealthy is an acorn that has grown into unhappiness beyond verbal description. We all face a mirror every now and again.

I have met someone who has surprised me by being very interesting in just their normal life’s trials and tribulations. I was delighted to spend a few hours over coffee at a sidewalk café, in a visit that was only expected to be short.

These random interactions are rare in any one life. I will definitely see this someone more.

It is strange how things seem to bubble up prior to a large event in life thus making the event that much larger. Even non-events are events. That is to say, the things that don’t happen that you wished or thought would.

There is so much to consider and reconsider and today I am okay with not having the answers.

One measure of great success in life is the ability to live with unresolved issues.

I have also added a new definition of the many already existing on the age old question and quest for love.

That is, being able to feel the deepest crevasses of another’s person without ever laying a hand on them; body and soul. We all know when this happens because it’s so very uncomfortable.

Love of friends and friends in love, can be the same or two completely different things.

When we where children we may have run to our Moms or Dads and said something like, “Mommy, Mommy, Stevens picking his nose.” When we grow up we tell that someone, “Hey Man, stop picking your nose because it’s disgusting!”

We don’t run too Mommy or Daddy anymore because if we truly care about this person, we want to confront them face to face and fact to fact.

To run and tell without giving the right of self declaration is not only childish but shows utter disregard for all parties involved; unless of course there is a hidden agenda.

In the traditions I was raised with we are taught to not hold our tongs when others are verbally executing a friend behind their back. We stand tall and defend and attack in their absence and on their behalf.

This is what friendship is all about. It is an action, not a description.

I try my best to use all of these principles in my community, and in my work, and in my business life with my company and even in the stock market.

Let me tell you how that is. In everything I by, I do my level best to buy products made here in the USA.

Then I look for products made in Mexico or Canada. Thirdly I look at things made in Central or South America, and then it goes on from there to Europe, Israel, British commonwealth countries and then to Japan and Asia.

What I don’t do is shop at Wal-Mart were they have no regards for were something was made or whose tiny hands made them.

I don’t support companies that do their best to disembowel the United States middle class in the name of their bottom line.

I have all but pulled out of the stock market right now because I will not be able to watch it closely while on the road and I don’t have one of those fancy phones that will be last years model next year. That’s cool for those who can afford to get a new phone every year, but I simply can not afford it.

Well I’m off and running; got lots to do before I leave tomorrow morning. I have never written in this column daily, but I just might do that during this trip, so stay tuned.

11/22/09

Another fine California morning reveals itself through the final shadows of the night; disrupted only by the whistles and hoots of the birds in my neighborhood.

I look up the weather report on wunderweather.com and take note of the storm about to set in across America from the Pacific Northwest.

I take full notice of the up coming weather system because I am about to embark on my journey across the Southwest too Boulder Colorado and too Kansas.

What a perfect time to drive cross country! Just after one of my favorite holidays. Thanksgiving is a time in which most of us reflect upon our stations in life here in the good ol US of A, with gratitude. I choose not to clutter my positive thoughts with the means of how many of our forefathers dismissed a once great civilization in order to set up new free and forward thinking nation, even though I respect our mistakes as a nation.

There is so much to look at with gratitude. The rest of the world still looks at our great nation with envy and amusement.

We are facing tough times, but we as a nation are rising to the occasion as we have all other struggles and foes.

When we were attacked at Pearl Harbor a wise opposing admiral wrote that they had awakened a sleeping giant. Today our foe is gluttony and sloth, and we are rising as a nation to become greener, by buying locally manufactured products, by patronizing the Wal-Marts of the world who flood our markets with inferior foreign made products less and less. We are saving money more and more to the chagrin of our financial institutions.

On a personal level as well as on a national level, I keep out the chatter of those who are comfortable with status quo, and who try to tell us what is best for us.

We know right from wrong, and many try to purge our thought with their manifests.

A wise man once wrote that when the going gets tough the tough get going.

Get involved. Stand for what you believe in at any cost, because the cost of not standing for anything is without price.

I don’t Tweet, but I will be marking my journey on Facebook. I shall have one more Sunday commentary prior to my departure to my little adventure, and I look forward to that almost as much as the trip itself.

Believe in America! You inherently know what to do!

11/15/09

I was speaking with a friend last week about how Los Angeles is not very cosmopolitan; how this fair city lacks that certain “Sauvé jai fare” that is so much a part of the night life  found in so many of other large cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, or even Seattle. Admittedly I do like to play dress up and step into the eve putting on the Ritz.

Then I wake up on a Sunday early wash my car, do my laundry, write this simple little piece, meet friends for coffee, and listen to the mixture of public radio in sink with the laughter of children in the neighborhood, and realize that I’m exactly where I am supposed to be and I really wouldn’t want it any other way at this time.

I believe that the big guy upstairs does for me what I can’t do for myself and does not do for me that which I am capable of doing on my own accord.

Today I like the man that I am. I have nothing to prove. My best defense is to do nothing but sit back and let things play-out without my getting in my own way.

I have also found that the best way to show the ills of other folk’s negative perceptions of you is simply be happy, content, and secede in your personal goals.

I need to always remember that it is none of my business what others think of me. We are all examples to someone of what to do and what not to do.

I have found it important to stick to my guns, and even while not taking action in a defensive posture, I cant just let others take advantage of what may appear to be sedentary or stagnant situation. I still hold true to my old adage that,” bad things happen when good people stand by and do nothing.”

Do you remember the funny Hebrew National Hotdog commercial? I voice rises over Uncle Sam and says, “We have to answer too a higher authority.”

Well as funny as that is, it is also very true. So that’s the posture I suggest during these trying times. This is a good tact to take with friends, with family, with work, and even on the investment frontier.

I stuck buy my guns and over the last few months you may have read my advice on AMD. That’s advanced micro devices; number two too Intel. For a few years AMD has been in a legal struggle with Intel over copyright infringement. Everyone has known that Intel ripped off AMD’s multi core layering system. But it seemed it would drag on and on and on in varied courts in varied lands.

But in today’s climate no one company or one person can afford to carry extra baggage.

There has become a higher level of transparency.

So on the morning of 11/13/2009 Intel through in the towel and my AMD stock jumped 123 points. I sold at 122, and then latter it settled at 116 points over.

I sold all my AMD, and bought as much ( C ), as I could.

We inherently know right from wrong at a very early age. This never changes. If you cause harm or misgivings to someone, you will not feel good about it and it shall fester and show up in unhappiness and poor health.

I was told a long, long time ago that in order to appreciate others you must appreciate yourself first; I thought that was so corny, yet the folks I see struggling in their own lives are those who have brought harm to others through their own disrespect of their own person, or try to be something they are not.

If we do someone poorly through our actions can we really ever expect them to trust or have faith in them again?

This is not a matter of forgiveness; it sets a stage for a much higher principle to come into play. It is like cancer; we can not make it go away we can only arrest it. Remember actions speak louder than words.

Soon I shall be embarking on a great adventure. I shall try to set the wheels in motion a plan of giving back that I hope will make me a lot of money while enabling me to help many. In my life I find these things go hand in hand.

I know too many people who have strived for financial success while compromising their fundamental views of right and wrong, which will never be happy nor do they want to be.

 For many it is more important to have others view them as successful then it is for you to be happy; and I’m afraid it will always be this way until a major change occurs.

So, why all this talk of happiness?

Well it is a constant reminder to me. As sick as it may seem, it might be a good thing to keep a couple of these folks in your life as a reminder of what you don’t want to become.

On an altruistic level as well as a day to day scenario; you can make a lot of money helping others.

Look at one of my heroes, Warren Buffet. He makes a move in the stock market, and it is such big news that many people follow and they too make a good piece of cash. But look at what it does to his investment. If Warren says its good then people buy into it making it a self fulfilling prophecy.

This is called the halo effect. This is not bad it is just something that needs to be seen for what it is. There is no hocus-pocus in the stock market!

I watched a compilation of an interview on CSNBC, interviewing Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. They are bullish on America more now then ever before. They both agree that now is not a time to keep your monies tied up in cash.

Tough times get the tough going. Times like this really separate the adults from the children. It is time for the dreamer and not a time to play it by the book in effect looking good to your fellow workers, family, or neighbors.

We may never see an opportunity like this come around again in our life times.

I believe that now is the time to follow your heart or gut or whatever it is that you want to call that inclination that calls to you in the darkest hours of the night and patterns our decision making process.

Listen to that small voice! That same small voice that told you what was right and what was wrong as a small child……

11/08/09

11/01/09

Good Morning, another picture perfect day in California. Did you remember to set your clocks back?

I glanced over the head lines today and took a quick notice on an article about China developing a copper mine in Afghanistan. This could be one of the largest on the globe.

Okay, let’s take a look at this.

Russia went into Afghanistan years ago in an effort to reach further towards a warm water port to the south and to develop natural gas and bolster its security along the boarder. THEY GOT THEIR ASSES KICKED!

Hannibal crossed the Alps and conquered the world until they reached the very same region. His men were mired by cold weather and starvation followed by incredible heat. THEY GOT THEIR ASSES KICKED!

These Nomads of the region have been living the same tribal life since before the Dead Sea scrolls. They want nothing!

I believe that we need to go into any country with or without permission and wipe the Relations to Nine–Eleven clean off the map. We need not be mired down in the politics of their home lands.

What I see happening is the United States securing a safe haven for the Chinese to mine for raw materials, so they continue to loan us money by buying our debt, so we spend our over valued dollar on their cheap poor quality goods.

I personally know that our country is quite able to surgically remove a coffee table in a hotel in Moscow without harming the surroundings. So, when I see us going into an area with such all out force; I know it is not just to conquer an enemy but also to secure an ideology of a certain people in a certain area.

That may all be fine and well, but haven’t we learned that the best way of winning over a population is by way of microwave ovens and color TVs?

Give them the internet; send their kids to school to learn a Western language. Look at China; they call themselves Communists, but they have more liberal copy write laws then we do.

Who is fooling who?

Let’s look at another area of the globe. Look at the Middle East.

In 50 years they will not hold world domination through oil and they know it. They are running out, and Western nations are finding more in other places as world demand is going down.

 That is; with the exception of China and India, who will be leaving a huge scare across the Earth with their appetite for cheap and dirty energy.

This is all not bad news; because when you dissect the situation it comes right back to us, here in the good old USA.

That is why it is so imperative to think and go Green with everything we do.

We can and do influence the world with everything from Blue Jeans to Soap Operas, and Automobiles.

We can all do something about it. Buy clean energy stocks. Recycle at home and work.

Do not let your work run your life through fear. Remember that our motives do not need to be aligned with the people we work for.

This is one community, one State, one Country, and one world that have become as close as the keys on a laptop.

So remember; One World, not One Job.

10/25/09

Another fine Southern California morning.

Last night I got in late, and as I pulled into the dead end street where I reside, a large family of Raccoons crossed the road. Not a strange occurrence in most areas, but keep in mind that I live smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles.

I remember growing up here and going to the beach and having to have Mom remove tar-balls from my feet. I never saw an opossum or a raccoon. I truly believe that our community has cleaned up its act in the last couple decades.

I am all for green living and I am trying to incorporate it in my life as often as possible. I am guilty of driving a larger and older American car because I found one at a good price that is very clean and I could actually work on it myself.

I can’t afford a new car, and the credit situation has not loosened up enough for me to finance.

What I am providing the reader here is a view in the, “day in the life,” too provide a look at many issues that affect most all of us.

Very soon this page will have little to do with my daily life; but more and more become the resource it was meant to be.

Soon I shall be tying all of these things together in a business concept that I have been working on quietly for a year now.

I plan to take a road trip covering eight states to visit friends, family, and places that concern my current work and my business plans for the future.

I hope to gain insight on concepts affecting my current job.

I hope to visit with people whom I have known over the years, to either validate my ethics or to augment or amend my views of my place in the world, and how I can best use my talents to serve those in need.

Don’t get me wrong; I am still all about making money!

Without deep pockets, it would be much harder to help others.

I am a capitalist by virtue of my up bringing and surroundings. I believe in many social ideals, as long as they maintain 100% individual freedoms.

Historically the stock market goes sideways in November, and I don’t see this year being any different.

Right now Dow futures are down over 100 points, while the S&P is slightly higher. If your stocks are stacked as diversely as mine are, then we follow the S&P. I call this the working mans barometer.

I plan on waiting on a high point through-out this month or next and pulling out half of my money in those stocks which have gone up any percentage point. Hopefully this will mean that I shall be playing with the houses money.

There shall be a lot of liquidation prior to my trip in order to  better finance it. I will be looking at properties in Colorado and in Kansas.

If everything goes well I will have two places that I will call home, because I could never see uprooting from Southern California entirely.

This is my home and the home of my father. This is where I grew up and where I screwed up.

There has been a surprising up swing in viewers reading this piece.

Pistol N Stamen has grown at about 2% monthly if you do not include this page you are reading now. If you do include this page then a rise of 11% has been seen.

I haven’t had time to work on the website much, but soon I will make more time as certain events have come into focus.

There are plans underfoot now to promote a major event in our community the middle part of 2010. This can be a great networking opportunity for all.

The first part of next year I shall give more details. I have met so many people from so many backgrounds that have the same ideals, and its about time we all come together.

This particular commentary has been less of a commentary on anything at all. 

I realize this.

In fact it is more about me because I want to reach out and show more of who I am, in order to gain support for future endeavors.

This page is meant to be a little entertaining and a little look into who the writer is, but has been mainly meant as an instrument of education brought about by facts and fables as well a information on finances, and community.

If you have ever felt that this piece was meant to jab anyone whom I did not clearly state; then let me tell you that I am not responsible for the insecurities of others and these are only opinions.

These are unique and tough times we live in, (they always are).

These just seem to be hitting a little closer to home then the middle class is use to.

We need each other more now then ever and we will need each other more tomorrow then today.

Reach out! Be part of all that surrounds you and not consumed by it! We all have the power to promote change! We all have the power to change the world!

10/18/09

It never seizes to amaze me how my perspective can be all bent out of alignment with reality. When you look at something from a distance you get the bigger broader picture; you can see everything and all that surrounds.

When folks are in the midst of something they can only see and hear what is directly in front of them. How quick we are to forget who we are, why we are, where we are, and how and by what means did we get here.

I have taken many people and things for granted. I decide something and then I spend much more time second guessing my decision.

Do you remember when you were in school and the teacher was giving you the most important test of the semester?

The teacher would stand before the class as they passed out the tests and said, “Now remember boys and girls, your first inclination is most likely the right one;” then added, “If you get stuck on the hard ones do the easier ones first and then go back.”

It seems we learn all we really need in our first dozen years of life.

Most everything else is an extension.

When we were very young, our mothers would tell there children to play fair and be true to their hearts.

As we grew older and were ready to move into adulthood the theme seemed to change to you can fall in love with a wealthy person as easily as you can a struggling person.

All of the sudden the importance of capital worth became paramount.

All these things I can draw upon in my current life.

My first inclination in regards to people I have found to be right on tack. When I spend all my time chasing happiness I never find it because I am too busy chasing it.

The three worst things we can do are to lie, cheat, or steel. Once we do any of these things we are almost always bound to repeat them. But do we consider these things, when we do them to ourselves? Usually not!

I am responsible for my own happiness.

I would never be honest by saying, “my wife makes me unhappy,” or “my friend makes me unhappy.” Or my job, or my financial status, or anything, because I am the sole reason I got what I have.

We can take any single moment of our lives and refuse to keep living in these lies. We have the ability to change our lives and choose happiness at any given moment of our existence.

This is one of the profound things that separate man from the rest of the animal kingdom. We have choice.

In some ways our animal friends are smarter then we are when they live off of instinct alone. They only kill when necessary. They sleep when its time to sleep. They choose a mate who is their best friend. It is through dominance that they earn a better share then the rest, and I doubt they try to deceive one another unless it is to save their lives.

So what is the message here you might ask? Are these merely observations? No and yes.

It is what I call a “both / and.” It is a promise.

We can be as happy as we want at any given time if we just put things into perspective by standing back and looking at the big picture and make adjustments based on our first inclinations.

We can be honest with everyone around us when we get honest with ourselves.

We can stop robbing those around us of their valuable time when we stop cheating through deceptive practices at home in the work place and in community.

Do we put in a full honest productive days work?

Do we cheat on our bosses, spouses, or children, both literally and figuratively?

Are we following our drive and passions in life?

Believe it or not I try to take to task these questions and rules of thumb when I conduct business, invest in the stock market, or choose friends I associate with.

It’s funny; when I look at a stock to buy I think about how much I’m willing to invest, and how much I may gain. Why can’t we do that with people?

It seems to me that our investments with other human beings are much more important than the material world.

I have a suggestion. In fact I will follow it myself.

Tell someone who has made a difference in your life how much you appreciate them!

Do something nice for someone today without expectations!

Tell your family and friends how much you love them!

10/11/09

This is my first writing from my new digs. The noise of the cartoons ands pitter patter of Harry, (the little Pug dog), across the floor is refreshing. It brings back a small part of life that I have all but missed; a far cry from the drama of living with other male room mates.

I could afford my own place, but I am on a quest to save money and conserve as I make slow but steady headway into the business plans of my future.

I shall be taking a trip the first part of December to Colorado and then to New Mexico and then for quick pit stop in Las Vegas, Nevada for a little R & R, the way I like it.

Unlike many of my friends I do not consider “taking it easy,” as R & R. That is something I do on the weekends or at the end of a busy day. You know; unwind?

I enjoy my life and taking it easy is just a necessity to allow time for my body and mind to recover for the next thing around the bend.

There is business I will be attending to on this trip. Unfortunately I can’t write about it yet; but I feel this trip shall lay some ground work for the next amazing phase of my life.

I shall visit a couple old friends, visit with cousins and brush through some business locations, to gain a little perspective and insight.

I have had wonderful reactions to those I have contacted with the news that I shall come visiting. My cousins are seemingly as excited as I am. But when I contacted one of the two old friends I want to visit, I received a strange but, understandable response.

She actually views me as liberal. I like that and at the same time I think to myself how funny my liberal friends would find that. They do not consider me liberal; radical maybe.

I like to visit old friends and I have lost touch with too many. We as human beings are the sum of all our parts. This implies that everyone we meet here on our journey on earth. Becomes a part of who we are, and the more percentage of our lives we have spent with them, the more engraved they become as a part of our individual being.

So I believe that the best way we can look into the mirror is to look into the eyes of those who played major parts in our life. All my friends, both male and female play equally into this scenario.

I have not gotten to close to anyone in the last year. In fact, as sad as it may seem, I have encouraged a little bit more distance between us. That shall all soon change.

I have been gearing up for something big and it should start to take real form towards the end of 2010 to the beginning of 2011. 2010 shall be a time when I will really need to be more a part of my community of friends; as I think most of us will when the economy takes the form set into play by world event.

There has never been a period in my life where the economy of the world affects me so directly and profoundly.

We all know those affected by today’s economy and their own actions or inactions of the last selfish decade. I have a couple friends who are slipping into the abyss as they give up the struggle to rediscover who and why they are.

We can’t take the weight of the whole world on our shoulders but as it says in the Torah, “To save a life is to save the world.”

This reminds us how intricate each and everyone of us are affected by the next; even if we had never crossed paths before.

I have put myself in a strange place where so many at my work place know about my making money in the stock market, and figure I can afford most anything that comes my way.

However, when I think about it I can not, not, tell them because they may think I’m working another job or doing something unethical.

As always and as I have always suggested, “All works out for the greater good when we arm ourselves with truth and transparency.”

I think the stock market will swing to and fro for a little bit, but I look forward to a rally on the Street in toys, textiles, and technology.

I just bought a couple hundred shares of APP, (American Apparel), and if AMD, (Advanced Micro Devices), goes down a couple pennies I shall rush in and do the same thing there. I have made very good earning from gambling on these two before, and I think they are both poised for a 50% increase over the next 7-8 months.

APP has even put stores in China, and in the Middle East and their product is made right here in Los Angeles with good old American tools, parts and know how!

AMD has more experience with the newer 4 core, or quad processor than even the mighty Intel. But here is the kicker. AMD produces the most popular and sturdy hardware for the “Gamer.”

As we head too the next year remember the “5 T’s”. Toys, Textiles, Technology, Truth, and Transparency!

Thanks and have an awesome day, Steven Scott Polin

10/04/09

Good day; the weather here in the southland has taken a turn as we head into the fall; Crisp evenings and mornings broken up by warm days. I like that.

There is a lot of change going on around us and especially in my personal life. President Obama is rethinking our commitment to Afghanistan. It is hard to have an educated opinion on this issue because the general public is not very well informed.

Many see it as a new Vietnam. It is nothing like Vietnam.

We did have a reason to go in. I am anti-war. At the same time the one and only thing that I have ever agreed on with the exited administration is the call to chase down and wipe out any interest that willing to carry off an attack against the United States.

The one thing I know is that our covert operations are the best in the world; so I’m tempted to say,, “lets leave it up to them.” However I think that in this one case with Afghanistan; not only do we the general publics not have any idea what’s going on, but neither does our government. This is quite discomforting.

Wall Street has taken the expected tumble. Allan Greenspan predicts unemployment to rise above 10%. These are two things that are obvious.

Last week I told you that I would pull all my monies except for three stocks out of the market into a safe place until I reevaluate the situation. I did however buy some “CIT” after it dropped over 40% in one day, and that proved to be a good call. If you did the same you made a 22% profit in two days. I advise holding all buys for at least one week.

Many companies are holding a hard line on hiring and the word from the top in all the businesses I know are, “tow the corporate line or ship out!”

I see business conservatism in the most unlikely of places like in e-business, importers and exporters, renewable energy, and charitable organizations.

This is a knee jerk reaction to the economy and shows how scared and how many have lost faith in the American way for the time being. It also gives radical conservatives a chance to cement their dominance in the work place.

This kind of thought will be fatal to some. It shall also produce opportunity for new growth and new companies posed to pounce at the chance that the established turn their backs in fear. This will be a boon for many of us.

I am moving today, so I’m keeping this brief. The only words I can leave you with are the famous quote, “We have nothing to fear; but fear itself.”

Now is a time to keep your money tight and jump into action with your personal agendas!

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

09/27/09 or 07-01-5770

The Year 5770 is upon me and I clean my house and prepare for a day of cleaning and setting forth a plan of action to be a betterment of self and community.

I have had a good year. My list of righting my harms is the shortest in memory. But at the same time my list of action for this next year is the longest in memory.

I have withdrawn all my stocks into my money market and cash, with the exception of those that I personally consider of moral high ground. I kept one technology stock and two clean energy stocks. I was listening to TV hero Jim Crammer on CSNBS’s Mad Money the other night and he was talking about October being a historical shake-up in the stock market. I can tell you why. It is because about 4% of our nation that controls about 35% of the stock market goes through the same ethical house cleaning that I have embarked upon. This should be no surprise by now.

This coming month will bring amazing change to the stock market as the studied investor sees the beginning of the second financial dip in our equity exchange. It shall not be as brutal as the first; however it shall make the knees weak on highest ranking financial officers through out the land.

It is true that the worst is over for economy. We indeed dodged a bullet. However what we will see is a radical change in the way investors choose their options. There will be a major shake up on Wall Street and on

What this shall also do is show us how the world economy has become wrapped up in what our nation’s economy does. China has and will see the necessity of providing us money in the form of bonds and loans so Joe the plumber continues to buy their cheap lesser quality goods.

I look forward to this faze of our learning and development because we will soon see that there is no country on the face of the earth that has a better work force and drive than the American worker. Look at our troubled auto industry. They are right now selling more cars than they can produce. The prices are fair, the loans available, (even though many are dealing more in cash), and the quality of these car and trucks are bar none.

On a personal level; in my reflections of this year, and the inventory I have taken in regards to my place in community and in society, I have taken note of many around me do not have best intentions. While beating their chest and sounding off on how their in my corner, and have my best interests at heart, have been steadily making moves in the shadows of ego, lust, and greed. I have been attacked and I plan action. What will my action be? My action will be the act of doing absolutely nothing at all.

I shall take this plan of action in my investing, in my personal live and in business; at least until the things that have enshrouded my life become apparent to those around me.

This does not mean to let things get out of hand. I will never let others around me become a victim due to my lack of response. I have a great example, (story), which ties together our business and communal obstacles to a course of action or inaction.

In 1967 the state of Israel was attacked on the holiest of day in the Jewish calendar. Israel was attacked at the same time from all three sides by four nations much stronger than itself. The Israeli leaders carried guns to their synagogues with full knowledge of what had transpired. They participated in community and showed no outward fear while piecing together a culmination of identical thought in response. The initial action they would take would be a strong stand of doing nothing for the first twelve hours of attack.

Enemy armies rolled down the streets of towns throughout Israel. The tanks pierced the small peace time existing defenses of some of the larger cities. Finally when all seemed lost and the rest of the Jewish world watched in horror; the Israeli Air force was deployed; not to strike the overhead enemy war plans, but deep into the hearts of the capital cities of their enemies. They closed off the path of entry used by their enemy combatants and closed off any and all escape routes, thus leaving the enemy soldiers surrounded by the very people they were sent to overtake. Surrounded by those whom they had been sent to diminish, and cut off from any communication or supplies they were forced to surrender in less than three days to the Israeli armed forces.

For four more days the Israeli air force pounded the cities of their surrounding attackers, until the entire antagonist nations were forced into an unconditional surrender.

Technology, heart, drive, determination, ethics, morals. Keeping an even keel, putting first things first, and using the adage of working smart and not hard were the techniques and values used and delivered to keep their citizens safe and free.

We can all use these values and ideals to persevere and keep hold of moral high ground when faced by hard times or by others with self seeking motives. In the circle of community, business, friends, and family, we have history to draw on while determining what course of action to take in regards to our present and future.

Learn from the past! Stay committed and strong! Remember those who were with you during hard times of the past are those who will stand beside you now! Don’t be fooled by those who tell you how humble they are; for they are the least humble of all.

Once again, it is the times I thought were the end of the world that turned out to be gifts!  

09/20/09

It is a new year for the Jewish community. Its 5770 and the beginning of a week long period of reflection and introspect, culminating in a plan of action to set right the possible wrongs and misgivings we may have impressed on those around us, and incurred on ourselves. For me, this is and has been a very emotional process that has resulted in many life changes.

I am moving at the end of the month. I am taking a “time out” of certain business ideas and ideals until I set forth a plan of action for this New Year.

I have reevaluated my relationships with those closest to me, and I am settling into a plan of how I can be of more value in their lives.

Sometimes this comes in the form of backing off or stepping away.

But the biggest changes shall come in the form of how, where, and why I do business.

I have started a few small companies and one mid-sized corporation in my day.

I believe that many answers to our ideas and ideals about our future can be answered in visits and retrospect of our past.

It has become obvious to me that I am lacking one component which may or may not be the key to future direction. It is in this spirit that I shall be taking a short business trip to Colorado within a month or two.

I have old friends and some family there, and until I see all pieces of my puzzle, I shall not truly know how I should approach putting the puzzle together.

One thing that I have learned for sure about me is when I make strides in financial gain with the sole intention being, just to make strides in my financial gain; I gain nothing solid and lasting.

When I focus on how I can leave something better than how I found it or how I can best serve my fellow; I not only thrive but I simply feel better.

There are a couple things I want to continue on with in this regard. That’s the Santa Monica Salvage Co. It is an EBay company that has grown legs, and become a great way of reaching out and giving back to my fellows. Take a look by clicking here.

I have had a manufacturing vision which will be the primary focus of my up coming trips and research.

The only question I have is do I try to start up soon with backing, or do I want to start up in a couple years on a shoe string like all of my past projects?

This is an idea that would be best introduced in a soft economy like we are currently experiencing; so timing maybe critical.

There are some mistakes I have made recently that have been answered through annual Torah study. It never seizes to amaze me how the history and wisdom of our forefathers can give pertinent and quality answers into the questions posed by life today.

I have worked for a place that has been reformed and transcended from an archaic and corrupt work place into an ethical and healthy place in which people can feel good about going to work.

The Management has completely changed things around. I am proud to say that I may have been a very tiny part of implementing change here.

However, some of the memories of corruption tarnish my ability to remain a viable and positive influence in this community.

My memories have in effect, stagnated my ability to make just decisions. My ethics have remained in tact, however my views maybe tainted. I’m not sure if my gut feelings are true or not.

What I found out is, THAT IT DOSENT MATTER!

I had read a line in the Torah directed to my hero David that reads, “Resist not, evil.”

I have read this before, yet this time someone pointed out to me the location of the coma in modern translation. I have been getting the wrong meaning out of this line for years.

I thought that it meant that we should not be tempted to join in with unethical or evil practices when surrounded by them. This is not what it means at all!

What I have recently been shown is that the true meaning may have been: Do not react in a radical manor those who conduct evil practices, thus lending them credence and giving them power.

I had a friend who once gave me some very wise advice. He said to me when I was very confused about how to react to a situation, “Steven, don’t just stand there. Do nothing.”

This was a radical epiphany.

While I am focusing on my future I need to keep up with my present, while not acting on a past that I am powerless to control!

Happy New Year! (L’Shanah Tovah). Keep your ethics, not someone else’s.

HAPPY AND HEALTHY 5770 !

09/13/09

I woke up this morning to the sound of NPR on my radio. I listened to the political ostentations that our system if renown for. However I thought of what lay ahead and what is etched so vividly in the shadows of my past.

Today I am proud to be a citizen of these United States! Yes; I said it. I always carry the stars and strips in the depths of my soul, yet rarely articulate or expand on the amount of pride that echoes through the anatomy that makes up the physical me.

I have seen our flag torn and tattered in the strangest of places. In the rain forests of Central America, atop a corrugated metal and plastic out building with nothing else but sand around for over 100 kilometers in any direction.

I have seen the Red, White, and Blue, gleaming under the surreal curtain of the aurora borealis miles north of Barrel Alaska, and hand painted by scared young men on the inside walls of a titanium steel tube they called home for weeks at a time.

And last but not least as a child watching black and white television in my class room as Neil Armstrong paid tribute with a solute on the face of the moon only a few years after Kennedy dared us all to dream and achieve the seemingly impossible.

So why do I blubber about such emotions of patriotism?

For one reason; I’m scared. But the main reason is that we, (as a nation), have overcome one of the gravest consequences of our past gluttony. We dodged a bullet.

A couple months ago, I echoed the words of Warren Buffet as he pronounced that we as a nation were in the grips of an economical, Pearl Harbor.

Indeed we were and are still to some degree. But what amazes me is the way both sides of the House and Congress quickly came together and passed several measures that they didn’t all fully understand.

They put down their swords and picked up their pens in all out economic warfare.

I am sure that most Americans did not, or do not realize the gravity of our national ills.

Like it or not, the United States has become the 911 for the entire free world. We fund 90% of the United Nations and 66% of NATO.

We are involved in things that the common citizen could not even grasp. And that’s okay.

I have written much about the China factor. China holds the largest population in the world. China is out producing every other country by huge percentages without any regard to the ecology or personal liberties.

They think they can beat us rather than join us at our own game. Japan thought the same thing in the 1980s. Do you remember that?

There are two things that are on our side, keeping in mind that we are in an economical war.

The first thing is we have a history that we have learned from.

The second thing is that we have the little brother syndrome.

What is the little brother syndrome, you ask?

That is the ideal that many family members know well; where you can hit, kick, and tease to no end your little brother, but the minute someone else takes aim against your sibling, you shall rise up and kick the living daylights out of them.

That my friends are what we are made of as a country!

That is what we are, and what we do, and how we think!

Today I am proud to be American. With all its warts and disfigurements. We have a common bond that is self evident in our daily routines, arguments, and interactions.

Today I leave for a meeting that I have participated in for the last 24 years. I never know what to expect. Life as I know it could change on a dime, or remain as is, just as it has for the last 3 or 4 years.

I do not fear too much, but like most I reluctantly admit fear of the unknown.

No matter how today goes or tomorrow comes; I remain committed to make a difference.

Stand up and make a difference by standing up for something!

9/06/09

The High Holidays are around the corner for me, which streams waves of emotion, and winds of change across my soul as I prepare to clean house mentally, spiritually, and physically.

I am in the process of determining how I can most be of benefit to my fellows. As unspiritual as it sounds, the best way is usually through making money, in order to dispense cash where needed in my personal, professional, and public life.

I use to think this required many faces, or many different hats to wear for different occasions. I have found through transparency that I need only be one me at all times.

Not only does this allow people to know who I am and what I’m about, but also serves to keep me in check. It is indeed a check through balance.

There are many things that shall require change. I need to work less and take a mini step back in my place of business which is a charitable organization. There are many changes going on there that only those who have been around for years seem to notice. In effect we have been taking a few steps back into our past. It is in the air around there.

Those who have been there a long time and are use to the status quo are reveling in this stagnation, because it will give them a chance to regain lost ground to self seeking motives and mediocrity.

This is one of those cases where I need to practice willingness to accept the things I can not change. This comes from a little prayer that has served me well as a mantra, and I shall share it with you:

G-d grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

What I am working on now and through-out the next two weeks is the wisdom part. Sometimes wisdom can be shown in our ability to do nothing but observe.

I know that slow growth is sure growth. I also know that trying so hard to force your own will can blind us from all the good we have achieved and all the good that surrounds us currently. Here is a little fable to share with you all that I feel all can relate too in some form or other.

There was a farmer that had a son who he showed an apple that he had brought from the orchard they owned. He said, “Here is an apple, the likes that you shall never see again.”  He cut two slices out of the apple and gave a slice to the boy and himself, and threw the rest away. It was the best taste of an apple either have ever had from the biggest reddest apple they had ever seen.

The boy grew up to own the same orchard and have many workers. He did well for him self and the others. He was a good man and admired by all.  

On one day the Farmer saw the biggest reddest apple he had ever seen in one of the newer trees that out produced all the other trees 10 to 1, with the sweetest apples in his entire orchard.

He tried to jump up and reach it and couldn’t, then he had all his farm hands stop what they were doing and try to snatch that big beautiful apple.

They also could not.

Then he took a long stick and started swinging wildly at the limb above attempting to make the apple drop into his reach.

Many apples of high quality dropped all around, but his prize apple did not.

He got upset with his helpers when they started gathering the fallen good apples for market and stopped them and shouted at them to yield and form a human pyramid to try to reach his prize apple.

They all formed a pyramid and when they almost reached the top they all toppled down.

Many where injured and could not return to work or help the farmer any longer.

Out of frustration the farmer grabbed an axe and started hacking at the trees trunk until the tree fell to the ground and at last he was able to fetch his precious prize.

He grabbed the apple and took a big bite out of it only to discover it was mealy and not so good after all.

He sighed and looked around at his once prized tree to see it now lye dead.

He saw the apples scattered on the ground full of insects and rotting away.

He looked into the faces of his workers who could no longer work, and said aloud for all to hear, “Well I thought it was a great apple.” End of story.

Note, that in the beginning, his father only took two selected slices and threw the rest away. Part of the beauty of the apple and its taste was simply the sharing a small portion with one he dearly loved.

How many times have I tried to recreate the past or live an experience that someone else has had and shared?

I have traveled near and far, and have changed hair styles and cloths. I have taken on new friends and interests, and neglected those who have been there for me at all times, no matter how much I screwed up.

Sometimes something or someone enters our lives and we turn to it like a spoiled child turns to a newer shinier toy; leaving his old toys abandon.

We want newer, bigger, sweeter, and faster. Yet in our rush to try to achieve more we lose who we are. Sometimes I have even prostituted my morals and character in pursuit of more, more, more.

At times I have forgotten the “me” I would like to be, because I feel I am not getting proper attention or recognition. Selfless!

We take those closest to us for granted, and never thank them through our actions.

Sometimes I have let my bank account dictate who is my friend or who I should love, or even keep me stuck doing something or living some way that has me not living up to my full potential, thus left feeling useless and bored.

When something makes me feel less than or unfulfilled, I must move on. Not just for my own benefit, but also for the benefit of those I love.

I try to use these little tid-bits in all aspects of my life; even when I play the stock market, or in business. Even when I date nowadays, I look deep within me and search for the answer to, “Does this person make me feel more whole, when I speak with them?” Now that is a deep question. And I still date people I know I shouldn’t, just because I feel that I need to at least date someone; anyone.

That is completely crazy! But I still do it from time to time.

Look! It is this simple. I am not going to love a job, love a career, love a person, love a place, or love any darn thing until I like it first.

I am so sick and tired of this Freudian crap, about how someone might say, “well I don’t like them but I love them,” or “I have to love or like them or it.” Oh and here is a real big lie that I use to tell myself; “I love them but I’m not in love with them,” or the other way around.

Look; some things really are black and white.

Do you remember when you were a child and you ran and scrapped your knee?

Do you remember mommy or daddy, saying, “Oh now, now, it doesn’t hurt.”

Is that not the biggest bunch of lies?

We do not have to suffer pain without gain. Pain is meant to nudge us towards growth. If you’re now learning from your pain, you are not living.

So there is much I am changing. Change is good, yet little good comes from a painless experience.

So, I’m afraid that the next couple weeks is going to hurt, like it should.

08/30/09

The mountains around our city are on fire and so am I!

There was a consensus amongst biologists and ecologist and economists to let most of the fires above Los Angeles burn. Even though it irritates my eyes and heightens my allergies, I welcome this thought of rational and restraint.

Moving into the holiday season for Jews like myself, it is a time for preparation and reflection on the past lunar year.

Reflection is useless unless followed and or preceded by decision and action.

Of course this is to prepare a clear path for the rest of the year to follow. Most of us have some adjustments to make in life styles and relationships.

I have many. I have had what I would refer to as a growth spurt. I believe that we all have these on our anniversaries that come in increments of seven.

I am 48 years of age and I have never felt better or seen clearer in my life. Even my body has cooperated. I can honestly say that the flesh I wear feels no worse for the wear or any worse off than when I was 21 years old. In fact in some areas in my life that I can’t write about, I do even better.

But my thoughts have developed and redeveloped on an almost weekly basis. This is not unusual. Many call it mid-life crises; in my case it is no crisis at all.

Usually women go through this sooner than men; and in my case you can say I’m a late bloomer. Or perhaps it is true that 40ish is the new 30ish and so on. Oopps’ I have digressed!

It is a time to embrace and re-embrace the things and people who have worked out well and symbiotically in our lives.

Unfortunately it is also time to cut out the fat, and the things that have stymied positive growth.

This doesn’t need to come at the expense of others; in fact the changes I make I know will need to be radical internally and barley recognized by others and the world around me. No harm!

I have some hangers on in my life that have been selfish and take me for granted, but it is not my job to point this out. The changes must be as subtle as the closing of a good song.

In addition I need to let those around me know how much I appreciate them, because I am guilty of the same malady. When I recognize something I don’t like in someone or something else I usually have the same flaw in myself or in my life.

Let’s hope the fires in the mountains dwindle down and give way to a lush and beautiful new beginning for the life that feeds upon it forming the wonder of nature that feeds our soul and restores our spirit.

Every time I go to the mountains I come back with an inner peace that reminds me how good life is and how lucky I am to still be a part of it. Something about nature restores my love for humanity and the spirit that guilds the spirit that guilds us all.

I think I shall go to the mountains with a friend for a couple days and on the way I will roll all the windows down on my Caddy; drive way too fast down the Pear Blossom Highway, and listen to music from my teen years way too loud, and tell my friend how much I appreciate them.

Today I choose life! Embrace life! Live as though every day was your first, not you'r last!

08/23/09

Good day everyone; and what a beautiful morning here in sunny West Los Angeles!

Even the parrots that fly in small flocks around my domical are taking a break from their squawking to enjoy the morning before it’s too darn hot.

There is so much going on in our world, nation, and region, that are heavy on my mind, yet I have taken more of an interest in personal matters that have affected me, which I thought I have out grown. First I would like to say a few words about the nation and the world.

Take a look at all the smoke and mirrors behind some of today’s hot issues. Let’s take healthcare for example; when you see the issues, look at the lack of issues!

Look at the people who are against the reforms. Like John McCain, whom I actually like.

Look at the companies who helped him fund his campaign. Two of the largest contributors are drug companies, and one major player is a predominant healthcare provider, or should I say lack of provision ire.

That’s all I have to say on that, only because my time restraints led me to other priorities. But do your own research. Type into Bing or Google; “who pays for (place a name here)’s campaigns?); it’s that simple. Do you think these folks are not going to make a run at the Whitehouse again? Who’s going to pay for it? HHhmmm…

13 names have been added to the death toll figures in our middle east.

It is very sad even though the rate is lessoning. Yes I said our middle east.

We inherited it the minute our glorious leader of the time, (Dick Cheney); declared the existence of weapons of mass destruction posing a threat to our national security.

I am glad to say that the United States is well ahead of schedule on withdrawal and rebuilding. What I want to know is how will we rebuild the lives of the scared children and displaced families that have lost a loved one; not to mention the emotional scarring of those who can’t sleep and live in daily fear?

We need to pull our armed forces out and fill the vacuum by putting helpful citizens in, to help rebuild and invest. This is where our great capitalist society really shins.

We are experts on putting our nose to the grindstone and reinventing under pressure.

Cash for clunkers was a hit with the auto lots, but check this out; GM is on EBay and there are several other websites dedicated to pick and click and buy technology, in every realm of our lives. I am doing great on EBay; even in the midst of this recession. Its easy, its cheap and most of all its green.

Who in the world wants to pay a pinstriped spoiled middleman who has no talents other then trickery and nomenclature to make a living? These vultures will be a thing of the past.

Thank you, “Technology!”

Now about China; this in my estimation is the new Japan! Who remembers when Japan was feared to be taking over the world by buying our real estate and inflating our property values, and then buying our treasury bonds in order to keep their own interest rates from sky rocketing?

I didn’t care then and I don’t care now who owns the Sears towers or Sony studios!

So they own it! Where are they going to take it? They are still here and they still have to hire us to run the darn things, in turn draining their own economy.

China is not doing that here, but they are doing it in third world countries through-out the world. They are trying to make products at a lower cost in other countries then they can themselves.

These little countries are to China; what China is to us. Isn’t that a kick in the pants? I think I will invest in third world countries emerging market funds as a safe haven while the Chinese economy catches a cold.

That’s right! Don’t ever underestimate the good old USA! When we cough the rest of the world still catches a cold.

We still own technology, which is something that nobody can take from us. We still have the freedom of thought and the marvel of invention that is only found in a free market society that has free speech and is as diverse as ours!

China is incurring our debt, and when they get more sophisticated they are going to have to run back to us for their technology and infrastructure needs!

Last week the Chinese economy hiccupped, because their inventories are stagnant. This will continue, leaving us with bargain basement deals on everything we don’t even want to make here anymore.

Our real estate woes will still exist because they are of our own making and our own greed. Let’s learn from this! A home is where you want to live. It is a personal satisfaction investment; not an investment like the stock market or gold! It is where we live and want to live!

Remember that people! Bring back the neighborhood!

Now about something I learned on a personal level that has affected me unlike anything lately. It is an emotion that I tried so hard to bury and thought I had been successful.

I have a friend who is in some pain and I was able to hear the pain in their voice through the influence of masked emotions. I thought I wouldn’t be affected. I thought I was past all that. I had even taken measures to separate my emotion from these things. I hung out with people I normally would not associate with.

Now before you all think this is a bad thing, let me tell you it is not!

This person reminds me that I am still alive. I feel their joys and pains as if my own.

Sometimes I go through life semi-blind and this person without even trying can rip my blind folds off with just a sentence. They remind me always why I live and what I need to stand for and be focused on. Out of their triumphs and sorrows I learn and relearn what is right and what is wrong and what is important. And if they read this I want them to know that I am forever in your debt!

I had tried so hard to pretend. Where I was selfish and self seeking I am a caring, giving, living breathing human being. I have been unsuccessful at running away from myself and devising my feelings. I was so lost and now I’m found again, Thank you G-d!

08/16/09 

So many of my friends are being rung through the ringer these days with the state of the economy and all.

Some have lost their jobs or can’t find work in their field. Others are dealing with the stress of their property values falling at the same time that their mortgages are hitting them hard.

Car payments, Insurance payments, Health care, Taxes, and the list goes on and on.

For most families I know this discomfort has raised awareness in their spending habits and resulted in them bonding as a unit like never before.

For others like me who are single, it has been a bit more stressful because we are going it alone. First let me state that while I can relate to these issues of the single person, even though I am doing okay.

Many don’t have the vast network of friends to lean on and share in the solution like I do. I am blessed.

I have been through enough pain in my life to understand exactly what we are going through as a nation and a community. I also have taken risks in good times and have branched out my recourses to include a broader scope of people.

When it comes right down to it; it is all about people. So many of the good folks I know lead a life of the X generation. That’s the generation of, “where’s mine.”

They run around in their SUVs shopping for things they don’t need while talking on their over priced phones that they don’t need that have two year contracts attached to them.

They never experienced times like this as a single person or as a couple.

Taking advantage of the real estate glut without concern for the future, and thinking the good times would roll on forever.

The good news is many have a sizable nest egg, unlike me. I am taking my risks now during the hard times; starting companies, investing in the stock market, and buying tools for the businesses I’m involving myself in. Now is a time for risks! Now is a time for change!

It is far easier to change the course of your life when you are already suffering then it is when all is fine and dandy.

It is because of the hard and painful experiences that I have put myself through in the past that I do well now. Like I’ve said many times and will say many times more. Times I thought were the end of the world turned out to be gifts!

Here’s another old cliché for you. “When the going gets tough the tough get going.” These are valuable sayings for a reason!

“A penny saved is a penny earned;” is another good one about how we treat our money during the good times. It is not how much you make it is how much you don’t spend!

I no longer have to wear the latest styles or drive a cool car. I like to be comfortable; and what makes me comfortable is knowing that I am a productive member of society and being content with the company I keep.

I listen very closely to what the big boys say. Warren Buffet is the world’s wealthiest man. He has provided me with good information by way of his interviews on MSNBC. He tells us not to follow the herd. He says if you don’t like what you’re doing to stop doing it, or if you don’t like your situation in life then resituate it.

You would think this is all common sense, but common sense is not common.

He also tells us that when everyone is running for cover, we should be leading a charge. When everyone is charging into the same direction, we should stand back and just observe.

As a slight aside, I have heard him on numerous occasions; talk about the strange effect of giving away what you have to help others has on an almost cosmic level. He says that when he gives he receives ten fold. Sound familiar?

I watched so many buy into the real estate game and they now suffering from it. Remember there is no such thing as a free lunch!

Once again look at Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who started a small company in a Seattle garage while they practiced guitar in between, that they called Microsoft. This was during another one of the worse recessions our country has faced.

Also I have seen so many make totally unethical decisions when they where seemingly doing well. All looked good from the outside.

They looked good to everyone else, yet behind the seen they where acting like the Israelites in the bible when Moses went up the mountain and in their opinion took too darn long.