All posts by Klyph

Clifford Taylor Fleischbein has been in full-time self-employment since 1975 earning revenue as a entrepreneur consultant, with the most recent passage of twenty years generating income from On-demand services for Information technology consulting, Database Management, Marketing, Change Management, and Customer relationship management job projects.

How to Live Like a Rock Star (or Tango Star) in Buenos Aires…

One of the most common questions I’m asked is: what is your favorite place you’ve visited? While I love dozens of cities and just as many countries, I have four that immediately jump to mind: San Francisco, Tokyo, Berlin, and Buenos Aires. I’ve listed them in descending order of expense, and this is where I’ll tie it back to an oddly common question I get:

How do I become a tango expert?

I’m the first American to hold a Guinness World Record in tango, which was done on a lark while I was living in BsAs (that’s Buenos Aires) in 2005 and competed in the world championships. Fortunately for you, dear reader, becoming a tango expert and living like a rock star can go hand-in-hand if you hack BsAs properly.

First, why BsAs? Four reasons off the top of my head:

1. Created by immigrants from Spain, Italy, and Germany, you get the best food, architecture, and culture from all three. This mix of genetics also produces some incredible physical specimens. In fact, I rank Argentines right up there with Norwegians as the most beautiful people in the world.

2. In my experience, it’s the safest city in South America. It looks like Paris in many places, and I have never felt threatened on the street, even after 2am. Try that in SF or NYC.

3. Argentina is the New Zealand of the western hemisphere. From tropical rain forests in the north to world-class skiing in Patagonia, it has it all. Check out rare tropical birds or watch penguins get eaten by killer whales — it’s your choice. Argentina is the most beautifully diverse country I have ever visited.

4. It is possible to live like a millionaire on $30,000 a year. I’ve been there four times and can tell you this: dollars get you a quality of life that is all but impossible in the US. Even with the getting-there costs, I saved more than $10,000 on my last trip when compared to just sitting on my ass in Silicon Valley, and I was living like a rock star the whole time in BsAs: 5-star meals, VIP tables, you name it.

So, should you take the jump and move to Argentina? I have friends who have done it, but I recommend you take a 1-3-month “mini-retirement” first to take it for a test drive. Here are a few recommendations to get you started:

1. Timing:

Airfare will run between $500-850 roundtrip, so ensure that you’re staying for a while. Remember that it’s summer and hot as hell in BsAs in December-January. November or March-April are gorgeous, and summer time in the US is perfect for skiing in Bariloche or Las Lenas.

2. Flights:

I generally fly Continental/Copa through Panama, as I like to spend 1-4 weeks snorkeling in Coiba in Panama (why not get two trips for the price of one?). If not, Aerolineas Argentina often offers good prices, and you can sometimes get deals by flying into Rio or Sao Paulo, Brazil and then to BsAs on Gol or TAM. check airfares immediately after 1am on Saturday nights (Sunday mornings), when many airlines lower prices based on “flight load” (ratio of sold-to-empty seats).

3. Housing:

One negative to Argentina, especially BsAs — people will attempt to overcharge you. This will happen in any country with weak currency. I’ve rented rooms with families, used Argentine brokers to get shared apartments, rented posh penthouses from expats, and found hidden gems through Germans. My conclusion? It’s not worth the headache to deal with most Argentines and attempt to save a few hundred dollars. I had a huge pain in the ass with a dishonest Argentine landlord who refused to return my deposit — and I speak fluent Argentine Spanish — so now I deal exclusively with non-Argentines. There are some great Argies, to be sure, but they have the reputation among South Americansfor being unreliable (!). Use http://www.craigslist.org or my favorite outfit: http://www.ba4uapartments.com.ar I’m not gay, but I do like how gay-friendly agencies keep their apartments: impeccably clean.

You’ll pay 3x more than an Argentine. A decent room in a good location can be found for $300 USD, a great single bedroom apartment can be found for $700-800 USD, but here’s one tip: if you can get a friend to come with you (or if you have a family), a two-bedroom or three-bedroom can be had for $1,200-1,300, and it will be 10x more luxurious than the one-bedroom. My favorite areas to live are, in descending order of preference: Recoleta (I like near Plaza Francia), Palermo, Barrio Norte, and San Telmo. Puerto Madero is the most expensive area and people fight for it, but it’s quite boring unless it’s a weekend evening.

4. Clubs, VIP treatment, and Food:

Spend an evening walking around one of the best hotels in BsAs, such as The Four Seasons, Sheraton, or Hotel Alvear, and make friends with one of the managers on call. They get VIP tables at all of the top clubs — Asia de Cuba, Opera Bay, Mint, Amerika, etc. — and can get you on the lists, so invite them for drinks and ask them for suggestions of where to meet. If not, just visit the clubs around 10pm on a Thursday or Friday and ask to meet the director of special events, or the manager (“gerente”). Tell him you’d like to bring some friends to the club and ask how to get on the list. Keep his card in your wallet to flash at bouncers. Worst case scenario, just spend $50 USD with a few friends and you can get a 6-person VIP table with unlimited champagne for the night.

For wining and dining, my faves are Gran Bar Danzon and La Bistecca, but more than both combined, I love all of the hole-in-the-wall parrillada (Argentine BBQ) restaurants. Just wander down Lavalle off of Avenida Florida and take your pick: the beef sandwiches for $3 USD (use plenty of chimichurri) will blow your mind.

5. Tango:

I had no interest in tango before visiting Argentina. I thought it was effeminate and ridiculous, something out of Shall We Dance? (the Japanese original is not to be missed) The truth is that social tango is completely improvised (much like my first love, breakdancing). Chest to chest, strangers will embrace and get to know each other more in three minutes than 10 dates would otherwise accomplish. Every night of the week, tango rules the night, only really getting started around 1am. Here are some of my favorite milongas (tango dance halls):

“New wave” (nueva onda) tango and 20-30-something crowd:
“La Viruta” at Armenia and Cordoba, inside the Armenian Cultural Center (odd, I know). 1am+ on Wed, Sat, and Sunday are awesome. I took a kiwi friend of mine there the day before he flew back to NZ, and he said to me: “Thanks for ruining my life.” He had been in BsAs for three months and had never seen such wildlife.

Traditional and older crowd: “Sunderland” or “La Baldosa” — find “El Tangauta” magazine in any tango shop, or at La Viruta, for addresses and all the tango info you can handle. Also use Ctrl-F to find any of the milongas I mention here.

If it is your first time in BsAs, I would recommend having an Argentine friend call the teachers and ask for pricing for an unnamed “friend,” not mentioning that you’re a foreigner. Otherwise, I promise that you will be overcharged. Smelling dollars, someone who should cost 50 pesos/hour will ask for 80 dollars. You should be able to get excellent private lessons for 50 pesos/hour. Good group lessons can be found at the Carlos Coppelo school in front of Shopping Abasto. My favorite private teacher is the young prodigy Gabriel Misse, but he’s going to be more expensive than most. He trained me for the world championships and is amazing. Here is a clip of Gabriel and his partner Alejandra Martinan. It starts off slow, but watch the amazing footwork as they progress. Most amazing? It is ALL improvised on the spot.

If you want to live like a king, it’s just a few thousand miles south. Viva la Argentina!

http://blog.timferriss.com/1/post/2009/05/dance.html

Can You Relate: Everything That Kills Me Makes Me Feel Alive

Counting Stars

OneRepublic

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars
We’ll be counting stars

Yeah we’ll be counting stars
I see this life, like a swinging vine
Swing my heart across the line
And in my face is flashing signs
Seek it out and ye’ shall find
Old, but I’m not that old
Young, but I’m not that bold
And I don’t think the world is sold
On just doing what we’re told
I-I-I-I feel something so right
Doing the wrong thing
I-I-I-I feel something so wrong
Doing the right thing
I couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars
We’ll be counting stars

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars
We’ll be, we’ll be counting stars

I feel the love and I feel it burn
Down this river, every turn
Hope is our four-letter word
Make that money, watch it burn
Old, but I’m not that old
Young, but I’m not that bold
And I don’t think the world is sold
On just doing what we’re told
I-I-I-I feel something so wrong
Doing the right thing
I could lie, could lie, could lie
Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars
We’ll be counting stars

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars
We’ll be, we’ll be counting stars

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons I’ve learned

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons I’ve learned

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons I’ve learned

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons I’ve learned

Everything that kills me, makes feel alive…

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars
We’ll be counting stars

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars
We’ll be, we’ll be counting stars

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons I’ve learned

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons I’ve learned

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons I’ve learned

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons I’ve learned

Songwriters: Ryan Tedder
Counting Stars lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

This Is What Happens When You Massage This Point On Your Ear

shnmnDr. Mark Sandomirsky is making waves in the medical community. The doctor has begun to recommend to his patients an unlikely treatment to relieve stress. It’s a simple technique that is proving to be effective.

Many people experience stress for a variety of reasons. Stress can even manifest as physical pain in different parts of the body. Of course, if you have some rough emotional things happening, don’t keep it all in. Let it out. This actually helps a lot. Reflexology can help as well.

There is an accupressure point on your ear that relieves stress like no other. The Chinese call it Shen Men, or “The Gate of Heaven.” They believe that putting pressure on this point brings celestial energy to your whole body. It improves your health, decreases stress, and boosts energy.

Some believe this pressure point helps relieve addiction and inflammation too.

Dr. Sandomirsky advises that you use a q-tip to gently massage the Shen Men point. Breathe deeply while you do. Then listen to your body.

When you inhale, look left. When you exhale, look right. This will quickly begin to calm your body.

It’s an interesting technique. Next time you’re feeling very stressed, give it a try.

What Happens to Meat When You Grill It?

Here’s What Happens to Steak When You Grill It

By Dr. Mercola

Eighty percent of US households own a grill or smoker, and 97 percent of grill owners have used it in the past year.  It’s safe to say Americans love to grill, particularly on holidays like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day, but also year-round (60 percent of grillers do so all year).

As for why Americans adore grilling, the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) said the top reasons include its good taste and convenience.  Many also find it personally satisfying to grill outdoors while others find it a great way to entertain and spend time at home.

Grilled-Meat-What-Happens-to-the-meat-when-grilledWhat Happens to Meat When You Grill It?

If you’ve ever wondered about the science behind grilled meat, check out TIME’s video, above.  It starts out with an explanation of what makes red meat red, and contrary to popular belief, it isn’t blood.

The red liquid is actually a mixture of water and a protein called myoglobin, whose purpose is to help ship oxygen to muscle cells. Myoglobin is deeply pigmented, which is why the more myoglobin a meat contains, the darker (or redder) the meat will be.

The level of myoglobin in meat is what ultimately dictates whether it will be “red,” “dark,” or “white.” The muscles in red meat are used for standing, walking, and other frequent activity, and they’re made up of slow-twitch muscle fibers. Red meats’ high levels of myoglobin make it red or dark in color.

The color changes that occur as meat is cooked are also due to myoglobin. In red meat, myoglobin changes from red to tan and grayish brown as it is heated. As reported by The New York Times, this color change also has to do with moisture, which is why well-done meat that’s turned gray-brown is often dry:

“Oxygenated myoglobin is red, but when its structure is changed by heat or by other molecules, it changes color. That’s why redness in cooked meat signifies juiciness: As meat cooks, the heat causes the other meat proteins to coagulate and squeeze out their moisture.
Myoglobin stays unchanged and red as the meat juices flow, then turns from red to gray-brown as the release of moisture ends and the meat becomes dry.”

The Maillard Reaction is also involved. This occurs due to a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars in the meat, which results in browning as well as the flavor of cooked meat.

You can further alter the flavor of the meat depending on whether you use a gas or charcoal grill. Compounds from the charcoal, woodchips, and smoke they create will permeate the meat, adding a more “authentic” grilled flavor.

Why Grilling Isn’t the Healthiest Choice for Cooking Your Meat

Grilling is, unfortunately, not one of the healthiest ways to cook your meat. Cooking at high temperatures, such as occurs during grilling, leads to the creation of toxic chemicals such as heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are linked to cancer.

Avoiding charring your meat can help to some extent, as the blackened section is the worst in terms of HCAs, but it will not completely eliminate your risk. For instance, when fat drips onto the heat source, causing excess smoke, the smoke surrounds your food.

Along with adding that “flame-grilled” flavor to your meat, it can transfer cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)as well. Both HCAs and PAHs are mutagenic, which means they cause changes in DNA that may increase cancer risk and have been found to cause cancer in animals.

So just how much of a cancer risk are you really taking when you eat grilled meat?  Scientists have estimated the average cancer risk due to heterocyclic amine exposure ranges from 1 per 10,000 for the average person to more than 1 per 50 for those ingesting large amounts of well-done muscle meats (beef, pork, fish, poultry), especially flame-grilled chicken.

Other research shows:

  • People who regularly eat well-done meat cooked at high temperatures have a 60 percent greater risk of pancreatic cancer
  • A diet high in HCAs has been linked to tumors in the breast, colon, liver, skin, lung, prostate, and other organs in animals
  • Animals fed PAHs developed leukemia and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and lungs
Avoid Barbecue Sauce, Marinate Your Steak in Beer Instead

Not ready to give up grilling? At least resist smothering your steak in barbecue sauce. Such sauces, which are traditionally made with sugar and tomatoes, have been found to cause a significant increase in chemical formation – “doubling and even tripling” levels of HCAs after 15 minutes of cooking.

A far better option is to marinate the steak in beer. When researchers marinated pork loin steaks in beer for four hours, then grilled it to well-done on a charcoal grill, it lead to significantly lower amounts of PAHs in the meat.  The darker, presumably more antioxidant-rich beer, had the best effect. Specifically, compared to non-marinated pork loin:

  • A pale lager marinade (pilsner) reduced the formation of PAHs by 36.5 percent
  • A non-alcoholic pilsner marinade reduced formation by 25 percent
  • A black beer marinade (a dark lager) reduced PAHs by 68 percent

Past research also showed that marinating steak in red wine or beer for six hours before cooking cut levels of two types of HCAs by up to 90 percent.  Beer was also efficient at reducing a third type of HCA, cutting levels significantly in just four hours. In this study, the meat was pan-fried, not grilled, a method also known to create toxic byproducts.

Spices Are Your Friend When Grilling

You probably wouldn’t dream of throwing meat on the grill before applying your favorite spice rub, and this is a very good thing. Aside from adding flavor, spices and other marinades (such as vinegar and olive oil) can significantly cut back on the number of toxic cooking byproducts produced.

In one study, adding a spice blend to burgers reduced the level of malondialdehyde, a chemical marker for oxidation, in the meat by 71 percent and levels in participants’ urine by 49 percent.

Marinating steaks in a mixture of oil, water, and vinegar (without spices) was also effective at decreasing HCAs, as are commercial marinades. Each significantly decreased HCAs, as follows:

  • The Caribbean mixture decreased total HCA content by 88 percent
  • The herb marinade decreased HCAs by 72 percent
  • The Southwest marinade decreased HCAs by 57 percent

Since most store-bought marinades are far from healthy (they typically contain corn syrup, MSG, and other additives), I highly recommend making your own at home.  Fortunately, there are beneficial marinade ingredients available that will suit virtually everyone’s tastes.  For instance, the following ingredients have all been shown to be effective at lowering HCAs in various meats. Depending on your preference, you can add them in directly to the meat (such as in hamburgers), via marinade or using a dry rub:

  • Cherries, Dried plums, Apples, Garlic
  • Virgin olive oil, Teriyaki marinade, Turmeric, Onions
  • Rosemary, Grape seed extracts, Cider vinegar, Mustard
  • Lemon juice, Cloves, Cinnamon, Oregano
  • Black pepper, Paprika, Ginger
  • Make Your Steak Grass-Fed

Just as important as cooking method is choosing a high-quality source for your meat. I’ve often said that the differences between organic, pastured beef and that from animals raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is so great that you’re really talking about two completely different animals (and the same applies to other animal meats, and animal products, such as dairy and eggs). The natural diet for ruminant animals, such as cattle, is plain grass. When left to their own devices, cattle will not graze on corn or soybeans.

Just as in humans, poor gut health in animals promotes disease. This radically altered diet also affects the nutritional composition of the meat. For example, when raised on a grass-only diet, levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are three to five times higher in the meat compared to CAFO beef. CLA has been found to have a wide array of important health benefits, from fighting cancer to decreasing insulin resistance and improving body composition.

Grass-fed beef also tends to be leaner, and have higher levels of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It also has a healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats. Unless labeled as grass-fed, virtually all the meat you buy in the grocery store is CAFO beef, and tests have revealed that nearly half of the meat sold in US stores is contaminated with pathogenic bacteria — including antibiotic-resistant strains.

Grass-fed beef is not associated with this high frequency of contamination, and their living conditions have everything to do with this improved safety. Currently, meat in supermarkets will be labeled 100% grass-fed if it came from pasture, but if it contains no label it’s probably CAFO-raised. Ideally, look for a reputable source of grass-fed beef from a local farm or food coop near you.

If You’re Going to Grill, This Can Make It Safer

As reported in the Natural Medicine Journal, eating a diet rich in vegetables (especially spinach and cruciferous varieties) and fermented foods will help to neutralize the negative effects of HCAs and other cooking byproducts.

So if you eat grilled food, be sure you’re eating plenty of vegetables and fermented foods as well… and if you drink alcohol, feel free to have an occasional beer along with it. It turns out the yeast beer contains may also help mitigate HCA toxicity, especially when consumed in close proximity in time to when the grilled meat is eaten.  Further, while I do recommend limiting the amount of grilled foods you consume, if you’re going to grill the following tips can help to cut down on the cooking toxins created:

  • You can reduce the amount of PAHs when you grill by not cooking fatty meats and by trimming the fat off before you grill.
  • When grilling, cook your food with indirect heat, such as on a rack rather than directly on the coals. Cooking on a cedar plank is also helpful.
  • Always avoid charring your meat (and don’t eat the black or brown parts).
  • Cook meat partially before putting it on the grill, or cook smaller pieces of meat, which take less time to cook, and therefore give HCAs less time to form.
  • You can reduce the amount of another cooking byproduct, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), in your food by using an acidic marinade that contains lemon juice or vinegar.
  • Marinating meats before grilling or broiling them can reduce HCAs (according to some experts by 90 percent or more). However, only use natural ingredients for marinades and keep the coating thin to avoid charring.
  • Flip your burgers often, as this will help cut down on HCAs.
  • Add blueberries, cherries, garlic, or spices to your burgers, as they can also help prevent the formation of HCAs.
  • Adjust your cooking temperature, even when using your oven. Increasing oven temperature from 392 degrees F to 482 degrees F may triple the amount of HCAs created in beef.
  • Avoid grilling hot dogs, bratwurst, and other processed meats, as these seem to be among the worst offenders.
  • If grilling chicken, remove the skin prior to cooking, and don’t eat the skin if you do cook it, as it has the highest HCA content.
  • Only grill high-quality, organic and grass-fed meats.
  • Cook the meat as little as possible – rare or medium-rare at the absolute most. You can also quickly sear the meat on both sides, leaving the inside mostly raw. This gives the illusion that you’re eating cooked meat, with many of the benefits of raw.

Remember, with HCAs, the longer the cooking time and the higher the heat, the more HCAs.

Truly a Match Made in Heaven, After the Funeral

Mom-is-deadAn unmarried daughter was sobbing at her Mom’s funeral, but she did not expect to encounter this because funerals are a somber moment, aren’t they?

It’s hard to imagine a situation where you would find a funeral light and funny, but maybe it’s something like that when you need to keep your perspective on more important things in life.

Consumed by my loss, I didn’t notice the hardness of the pew where I sat. I was at the funeral of my dearest friend, my mother. She finally had lost her long battle with cancer.

The hurt was so intense; I found it hard to breathe at times. Always supportive, mother clapped loudest at my school plays, held a box of tissue while listening to my first heartbreak, comforted me at my father’s death, encouraged me in college, and prayed for me my entire life. When mother’s illness was diagnosed, my sister had a new baby and my brother had recently married his childhood sweetheart, so it fell on me, the 27 year old middle child with no entanglements to take care of her.

I felt it an honor. “What now?” I asked sitting in church. My life stretched out before me as an empty abyss. My brother sat stoically with his face toward the cross while clutching his wife’s hand. My sister sat slumped against her husband’s shoulder, his arms around her as she cradled their child.

All so deeply grieving, no one noticed I sat alone. My place had been with our mother, preparing her meals, helping her walk, taking her to the doctor, seeing to her medication.

Now she was gone. My work was finished, and I was alone. I heard a door open and slam shut at the back of the church. Quick steps hurried along the carpeted floor. An exasperated young man looked around briefly and then sat next to me. He folded his hands and placed them on his lap. His eyes were brimming with tears. He began to sniffle, “I’m late,” he explained, though no explanation was necessary.

After several eulogies, he leaned over and commented, “Why do they keep calling Mary by the name of Margaret?”

“Because that was her name, Margaret. Never Mary. No one called her Mary”, I whispered. I wondered why this person couldn’t have sat on the other side of the church. He interrupted my grieving with his tears and fidgeting. Who was this stranger anyway?

“No, that isn’t correct,” he insisted, as several people glanced over at us whispering, “Her name is Mary, Mary Peters. That isn’t who this is? Isn’t this the Lutheran church?”

“No, the Lutheran church is across the street, I believe you’re at the wrong funeral, sir.” The solemnness of the occasion mixed with realization of the man’s mistake bubbled up inside me and came out as laughter. I cupped my hands over my face hoping it would be interpreted as sobs. The creaking pew gave me away. Sharp looks from other mourners only made the situation seem more hilarious.

I peeked at the bewildered, misguided man seated beside me. He was laughing too, as he glanced around deciding it was too late for an uneventful exit. I imagined my mother laughing. At the final Amen, we darted out a door and into the parking lot. “I do believe we’ll be the talk of the town,” he smiled.

He said his name was Rick and since he had missed his aunt’s funeral, he asked me out for a cup of coffee. That afternoon began a lifelong journey for me with this man who attended the wrong funeral, but was in the right place.

A year after our meeting, we were married at a country church where he was the assistant pastor. This time we both arrived at the same church, right on time. In my time of sorrow, he gave me laughter. In place of loneliness, I now have love. This last month June past and  we celebrated our twenty second anniversary.  Whenever anyone asks us how we met, Rick tells them “Her mother and my Aunt Mary introduced us, and it’s truly a match made in Heaven.”

Run to the Battle: Maverick Theme Song (by Steve Camp)

MAVERICK:  a person who refuses to follow the customs or rules of a group without breaking the Law (or disobedience to God’s calling); in the world but not of the world; not part of the herd; Unbranded (no-denomination), free roaming (itinerant evangelist); while listening with discernment.. managed and directed by no one, but God.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

New King James Version (NKJV)

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez,[a]saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”

So God granted him what Jabez requested.

Lord, this too is my prayer… show Your favor and financial blessing so I too may extend a hand of favor to those in my circle of influence.

In JESUS name, I pray.

Glass half-full, half-empty.. all you need is love and wine

A negative person sees the glass of water half empty.

A positive person sees it half full.

A realistic person adds two shots of whisky, two cubes of ice , and says “cheers”!

All you need is love and wine.

Maybe some chocolate and a nap.  But mostly the wine.

Glass-of-water-half-fullIs the glass half empty or half full? is a common expression, generally used rhetorically to indicate that a particular situation could be a cause for optimism (half full) or pessimism (half empty), or as a general litmus test to simply determine an individual’s worldview.  The purpose of the question is to demonstrate that the situation may be seen in different ways depending on one’s point of view and that there may be opportunity in the situation as well as trouble.

This idiom is used to explain how people perceive events and objects. Perception is unique to every individual and is simply one’s interpretation of reality. The phrase “Is the glass half empty or half full” can be referred to as a philosophical question.

Another perspective comes from psychology, where research has shown that a speaker’s choice of frame can reflect their knowledge of the environment, and that listeners can be sensitive to this information.

Die To Live and Liberty – Steve Vai

Steve Vai performs “Die To Live” from the DVD “Alien Love Secrets” featuring full-length performance videos of every song from the “Alien Love Secrets” EP.
 

Also: LIBERTY

 

 
Steve Vai, Brian May and Joe Satriani

 
Joe Satriani “Flying in a Blue Dream”, a Lydian Mode smorgasbord

The Beatles II Black Album (1974)

This is a response to the videos posted with interviews of the individual Beatles who still liked to play music with one another but not so much as Beatles any longer.

In January 1975 (actually December 1974 in Disney World), the band officially dissolved, all four members signed. This is also to acknowledge 45 years since The Beatles – White Album was released. This is a theoretical in that each songwriter used the others to be a backup band with a rare backup vocal. Gone were the three and four way harmonies like in With a Little Help From My Friends or What Goes On.

The White Album was just a really good album they all helped each other do. Not much co-writing at all. In this version we put Elton John as guest musician in place of Eric Clapton with John’s Whatever Gets You Through The Night. We see Bluebird instead of Blackbird. Blackbird is the better of the two admittedly. It was recently learned that Eric Clapton helped on on My Sweet Lord playing acoustic with George under Phil Spector production. Tremendous sound, I hope they one day really mix down a record like this officially. Maybe Paul and Ringo could oversee it as a last cool thing before we pull the curtain. Miss the old Beatles, sorry it was so crazy, love the four lads from Liverpool.

This collection is the most “Beatle-like” or best material to present from the four guys, Paul only on one Ringo song, nobody on Paul’s. Obviously they were pretty ticked at the time. But music was made by Paul that shows he has bass lines that are most Beatle-like. Imagine that. And this is set up to be a four CD set though it is continuous for over 2 hours. Enjoy, don’t watch just listen to what magic they still had. John said so anyway, do a collection of their post-Beatle songs and you’d get a 2nd White Album basically. This has the sad version of All Things Must Pass because you can tell no one was really giving it its due except George who wrote it. It’s a reminder, but ends on a happy note with a co-mingled John Lennon-Ringo Starr version of Only You last song. Original Ringo version that was on the radio is on Side 1.

This is not intended to infringe any copyright and all rights reserved by respective parties, EMI and UMG.

The Beatles II — The Black Album (Dec. 1974)
Side 1
1. My Sweet Lord (Harrison-Starr with guest Eric Clapton)
2. Uncle Albert (McCartney)
3. I’m The Greatest (Starr-Lennon)
4. Give Me Love (Harrison)
5. Instant Karma (Lennon-Harrison)
6. Another Day (McCartney)
7. Only You (Starr-Lennon cover tune)
8. Maybe I’m Amazed (McCartney)

Side 2
9. Imagine (Lennon)
10. Band On The Run (McCartney)
11. Whatever Gets You Through the Night (Lennon with guest Elton John)
12. Sunshine Life (Starr-Harrison)
13. Bluebird (McCartney)
14. Number 9 Dream (Lennon)
15. What Is Life (Harrison-Starr)
16. Junior’s Farm (McCartney)

Side 3
17. It Don’t Come Easy (Starr-Harrison)
18. Come and Get It (McCartney Version)
19. Love Is Real (Lennon)
20. Six O’Clock (Starr-McCartney)
21. Oh My Love (Lennon-Harrison)
22. Jealous Guy (Lennon)
23. Photograph (Starr-Harrison)
24. Let Me Roll It (McCartney)
25. Back Off Boogalow (Starr)

Side 4
26. Live and Let Die (McCartney)
27. Mind Games (Lennon)
28. My Love (McCartney)
29. Crackerbox Palace (Harrison)
30. Too Many People (McCartney)
31. All Things Must Pass (Harrison-Lennon-Starr-McCartney)
32. You’re Sixteen (Starr cover)
33. Wah Wah (Harrison-Starr)
34. Only You (blended version of Lennon and Starr)

Bruce Lipton, Ph.D. Epigenetics: The science of Human Empowerment

naysayerThrough the research of Dr. Lipton and other leading-edge scientists, stunning new discoveries have been made about the interaction between your mind and body and the processes by which cells receive information. It shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology, that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our thoughts. He demonstrates how the new science of Epigenetics is revolutionizing our understanding of the link between mind and matter and the profound effects it has on our personal lives and the collective life of our species.
 

770 Accounts for Secret Investing

770 Accounts for investing

http://pros.palmbeachletter.com/1410PBLIFL49CLBKIT/LPBLQB32/?h=true

http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/the-secret-770-account-what-it-is-why-you-should-have-one/

Ex-Accountant at Two of World’s Biggest Banks Swears Under Oath
“Yes, it’s true…
Bankers are using a secret account to earn 30-40 times more interest on their money than they offer general public.
These accounts are available to anyone—but the bankers are keeping their lips sealed.”
Twelve-month investigation blows lid off scandal that has been “keeping U.S. retirees poor.”

FACT: The average American savings account currently pays 0.12% interest
Source: Bankrate
FACT: 4,000 banks have taken out over $140 billion from their own banks and placed it in secure “770” accounts where they are earning between 4.5% and 5% interest
Source: FDIC 
FACT: Nearly all Americans have access to these same tax-free accounts, even though the government restricts the advertising of these programs
Source: IRS legal code

Do you know what your bank is up to?
“This has been a godsend for our family.”
Tim, Father of Three
While the average American earns 0.12% interest in his or her savings account right now, bankers are secretly funnelling their money into little-known “770” accounts, quietly earning between 4.5 and 5%.
Today we bring you inside the world of high finance and uncover the banking industry’s biggest secret—a secret account so powerful bankers have withdrawn billions of dollars from their own banks to invest in it.
In this special report we’ll show you how everyday Americans have started to take advantage of these underground accounts and how you can do it too.
Where Bankers Put Their Money:
The “770” Account
“No one is telling Americans about the 770s. Not banks. Not Wall Street. Not the government. In fact, government places incredibly tight restrictions on the advertising of these programs.”
Jason, Former V.P.
at Chase Bank
Hi. I’m Bob Irish, reporting to you from Palm Beach, Florida.
I’m here today because I’ve been part of a special investigation that’s uncovered what I believe to be one of the biggest banking conspiracies of the last 50 years.
The scandal we’re going to expose today is so big and wide-ranging that practically every man and woman in America will be affected by it.
It involves all the biggest banks in the country—Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America—as well as thousands of smaller community banks and credit unions.
All told, about 4,000 banks are in on the “scheme.”
But this has nothing to do with banks stealing money from their clients as they recently did in Cyprus, the small European country.
And it also has nothing to do with the big bailouts many of America’s biggest banks received a few years ago…
No, what we’re going to cover today has to do with large, secret transactions that have been taking place inside America’s banks for years now… all behind closed doors.
“It’s preposterous. There’s no reason every American shouldn’t know about these accounts. I’ve put over $50,000 of my own money into these accounts myself.”
Tom, Ex-banker
These transactions are allowing bankers to earn between 30 and 40 times more interest on their money than what they’re offering you, the general public, and yet almost no one in America knows this is happening.
In fact, banks aren’t talking about this. Not on TV or the radio or in the papers. And it doesn’t matter how much money you have invested or how long you’ve been a client with your bank, they’ll likely never tell you about these accounts in person, either…
In a minute, we’ll feature testimony from an ex-banker who told us about these secret accounts and how they work.
Because so few people know about these accounts and because they sound “too good to be true,” this man even agreed to sign a sworn affidavit to prove what he was saying was true.
And what he revealed was shocking, indeed…
While most Americans—and especially retirees like me—are struggling to find decent yields on their money right now, bankers across the country are secretly using “770” accounts—named after the IRS code that allows them to exist—to earn up to 30-40 times more interest on their money… all 100% tax-free.
To put that in perspective, that’s the difference between earning $100 on your money in the bank—and being taxed on this amount to boot—and earning $4,000 tax-free in one of these special accounts.
In fact, these “770” accounts are so powerful some people have even started draining their 401(k)s to invest in them instead.
Here’s what one man told us…

“Before I discovered this account I was racking my brain about how to safely grow my family’s money. The crash of ‘08 really spooked me, and we lost a ton. That’s when I starting searching for a safer alternative and found out about the banker’s secret. Since then, I haven’t lost a minute of sleep or a single dime. My money’s just gone up and is on pace to reach hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next 10-20 years. I’ve even cashed out my 401(k)s and put all my safe money in this account.”

While very little information about these accounts ever reaches the general public, one Wall Street Journal article did slip through the cracks a few years ago.
Here’s what it said:
The 770 account, and I quote… “has become a tax shelter for the rich… it gives the affluent tax advantages far beyond those available to middle-income people through a 401(k) or IRA.” End quote.
The 770 has become a tax shelter for the rich because the money accumulated inside this account grows tax-free and can be withdrawn completely tax-free. Without penalties of any kind.
But it’s not only rich people who are allowed to take advantage of this account.
As part of our investigation, we spoke to a pastor from Arkansas who told us his church had racked up over $500,ooo in debt thanks to several repairs and purchases.
Remarkably however, within four years of starting his 770 account, the pastor had accumulated enough money to pay back over half of the church’s loans!
That’s over $250,000 in four years just by investing in this simple account.
But he’s not the only “non banker” who’s discovered this secret.
Another person said he made more money in his 770 account in six years than he’d previously made in 20 years by investing in his 401(k)… and still another person said he planned to use his account to fund a $100,000-PER-MONTH retirement
Naturally, when I heard these stories I was very intrigued, so I asked Tom, the ex-banker who first told me about the “770” account, to explain how it all worked.
To give you a bit of background, Tom is a certified forensic accountant by trade. He used to work at the trading desks of Salomon Brothers and Citibank in London, where he oversaw billions of dollars in trades each day. Tom left the banking world, however, after growing disillusioned with how the banking industry works. “It’s engineered for the small guy to fail,” he says. “No matter how much money they make using things like the 770 account, they’ll never tell people on the outside about them.”
Tom agreed to talk with us about this account under condition of anonymity. Here’s what he had to say…
When I mention the 770 account to people, the first reaction I get is, “if this account is so great, why haven’t I heard of it before?”
It’s a fair question. While everyone has been stuck chasing low-paying CDs, bonds, and dividends, bankers have been secretly accessing 770 accounts for years now… safely earning about 5% interest on their money. All tax-free.
And actually, when you consider the fees and taxes most investments have, this can turn out to be about the same as a mutual fund that returns 9.2%.
So why haven’t people heard of these accounts before?
Well, there are three important reasons the 770 has been kept hidden from the general public:
The first reason is that the government restricts the advertising of these plans—even though they’re 100% legal.
You see, companies that provide these accounts aren’t allowed to use words such as “savings,” “investment,” or “retirement plans” in their advertisements… even though that’s one way these accounts can be used.
But on the other hand, the good thing is you don’t have to report these accounts to the IRS. That means the money you have stored inside a “770” account grows—and can be withdrawn—100% tax-free.
In fact, that might be why the government restricts advertising on these secret accounts… because they can’t make a dime off them!
As a result, less than 0.07 % of the entire American population has opened up a “770” account—about one person in 1,500—while almost everyone in the country has a “standard” bank account and nearly half the population has a 401(k) or similar type of retirement account.
But the government’s restrictions on advertising aren’t the only reason these accounts have remained hidden from the limelight.
Here’s the second important reason:
Bankers.
Consider this. Did you know that Citibank has $4.5 billion stashed away in their own 770 account? Or that JPMorgan Chase has $9.8 billion?
Or what about Wells Fargo? They have over $19.3 billion invested in their 770 account. That’s twice as much money as they have invested in the infrastructure of ALL their bank buildings!
It’s incredible. All told, more than 4,000 banks have $140 billion invested inside secret 770 accounts.
But as a bank client, you’re not seeing a single red cent of these higher returns. All you get is the pesky 0-1% returns these bankers decide to throw our way.
I’m sure you can see now why bankers don’t like to tell the public about these accounts… They can make 5% on our money… and pay us a fraction of a percent in return!
It’s easy money.
But the problem actually extends past the bankers too.
The third reason most people have never heard about 770 accounts has to do with Wall Street. What they’re doing right now may really shock you…
Manhattan’s Secret Vault:
Why Wall Street has kept this powerful secret
hidden from you
A contact of mine is one of the leading experts on the 770 account. She works almost exclusively with big clients, including one of America’s biggest financial gurus and several people from Goldman Sachs and other large investment banks.
I recently spoke to her, and here’s what she said to me:

“NO ONE in Wall Street has their money in stocks today—many of them are invested instead in 770 accounts.”

Now consider what this means.
Here are the same investment professionals who’ve been telling their clients for years to “buy stocks”… and meanwhile… they’re all putting their money somewhere else!
Can you imagine the outrage this would create if most people found out about this?
That’s why you’ll probably never hear your broker mention this investment to you, no matter how much money he (or she) has parked into it.
And while the mainstream media haven’t picked up on the 770 accounts … they have started to realize something “doesn’t add up” on Wall Street…
Consider:
According to a recent Morningstar study, out of 2,257 equity managers investigated,51% owned ZERO stake in the funds they manage!

And another report recently told how one Merrill Lynch employee got caught, in a series of email exchanges, calling the stocks they recommend as pieces of “junk” and “crap”!
It’s enough to make your stomach turn. These are the investment “professionals” most people depend on for their retirements.
That’s why I got out of the industry.
Because big banks and Wall Street are all the same.
They tell you to do one thing with your money… and do the exact opposite with their own money!
If you look around, you’ll see that this happens all the time.
For example, think about the fiasco that occurred with Facebook’s IPO. While the average investor got fleeced—with the price dropping 24% in the first three days of trading alone—Morgan Stanley blocked important research from getting to regular investors, including many of their own clients. The same kind of thing took place during the financial crisis.
That’s why it’s much more important to look at what bankers and brokers actually DO with their own money, rather than what they tell other people to do.
The reason we dedicated this special broadcast to the 770 account today is because that’s what the world’s financial elite are doing with their money right now.
Recently, a CEO from a Midwestern bank was overheard telling one of his advisors the 770 accounts were his bank’s “best-performing” investment. His bank made so much money with this account that he ordered his executives put into these accounts, and I quote, “the maximum amount that the laws and regulators would allow.”
During our investigation, we also discovered another banker who liquidated his 401(k) account and is now putting in $24,000 a year to grow tax-free inside his own personal 770 account.
We reached out to this CEO to try to get him to appear on camera. However, when he heard what we wanted to discuss, he refused to talk.
But even though the bankers are keeping secret, the key principle again is to watch what they do, not what they say.
And in fact, it’s quite illuminating to see who else has used the “770” account throughout history.
121 Years of Payouts
While most Americans have never heard of the 770 account before, the truth is, it has been used by many of the world’s most powerful people for the last 100-plus years.
The Kennedys used it.
So did U.S. presidents Taft, Cleveland, McKinley, Harding, and FDR. (In fact, Roosevelt held a substantial portion of his wealth—$562,142 or over $7 million in today’s dollars—stored inside his own secret “770” account…)
Even the Rockefellers are rumored to have used the “770” to substantially grow their family’s fortunes.
Why only rumors?
Well you see, because 770 accounts are private agreements between individuals and the companies that issue these accounts, it’s very difficult to determine who does and who doesn’t store money in one of these accounts.
That’s another reason the rich love it.
Many of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time, including Walt Disney, Ray Kroc, and J.C. Penney, have also turned to the “770” account to safeguard and grow their wealth.
During the Great Depression, for example, J.C. Penney’s chain of fledgling stores almost went under. 9,000 banks did go bankrupt during this period, but luckily, Penney didn’t keep his money in the bank. He used a “770” account which, by 1929, had grown to over $3,000,000 in value. Because of this move, James Cash Penney was able to save his company, which is now valued at $3.4 billion.
I sat down with Tom—the “ex-banker” who first revealed this story to me—and asked him what you may be wondering at home:
“How do these accounts work?”
(Because of the inevitable scrutiny Tom would receive as the result of this piece, he asked that we conceal his identity as much as possible.)
BOB: Tom, tell us how these accounts work.
TOM: In a way, the 770 accounts can work just like regular savings accounts—you put money in your account and then withdraw it anytime you like. Your money can also be guaranteed in some instances.
However, unlike regular bank accounts, not only does the money inside a 770 account grow tax-free, but it can also grow much faster.
BOB: How is that possible?
TOM: You see, BY LAW, the companies that administer these accounts have to pay out 100% of their dividends to you and other 770 account holders. This is huge. Because of this, one company that started in 1857 (four years before the Civil War) has now paid out over $64 BILLION in dividends to 770 account holders!
BOB: Wow.
TOM: In fact, we studied eight different companies that provide these accounts and, on average, these companies have paid dividends for 121 consecutive years.
BOB: You mention dividends. So does this have anything to do with banking stocks or dividend stocks?
TOM: No, this is a special type of dividend… the companies that administer the “770” accounts are actually not even listed on the stock market at all. So this has nothing to do with banking stocks or dividends stocks.
That’s one of the reasons the “770” is actually safer than banks.
BOB: How so?
TOM: Well, just look at the FDIC records. That’s the federal institute that insures bank deposits. Since 2000, there have been 499 bank failures in America.
BOB: Wow, that’s crazy!
TOM: I know.
BOB: So how does that compare to the “770”?
TOM: Consider the recent financial crisis. During 2008 and 2009, most equities lost 40-50% of their value.
BOB: You don’t have to remind me!
TOM: I know! My dad actually had to come out of retirement because of the crash.
BOB: That’s too bad.
TOM: Yeah, but we’ve got his retirement back on track now, so it’s all okay.
BOB: That’s good.
TOM: Yes. But anyway, coming back to the “770s”… In 2008, the market was cut in half but only 2% of the assets the “770” companies held were affected.
BOB: Really?
TOM: Yes. And in fact, people with this underground account actually saw their money grow around 5%.
BOB: So you mean to tell me if I had held my money in a “770” account back in ‘08-’09—the worst economic crash since the Great Depression—not only would I likely NOT have lost money… I could have actually GROWN my money by 5% per year?
TOM: Exactly. Over time the 770 averages a 5% return per year.
BOB: Tom, where were you five years ago?!
TOM: Well, that’s why I’m here today Bob! Because this is stuff everyone needs to know about. The fact this account has been kept so secret has been keeping U.S. retirees poor. But when the next crash comes around, at least people won’t be able to say they weren’t warned.
It’s odd, really. When you look at it, the average investor is basically the only one left who hasn’t been taking advantage of this account.
BOB: How so?
TOM: Well, corporate America is also a big fan of the account…
BOB: Really?
TOM: Take Wal-Mart, for example. They have a 770. So does GE, Comcast, Disney, Johnson & Johnson, Harley-Davidson, Gannett, Verizon, and nearly 700 other Fortune 1,000 companies
BOB: Huh.
TOM: In fact, Wal-Mart believes so much in this idea that at one time they had more than 300,000 separate “corporate versions” of these accounts!
BOB: That’s incredible. And that’s legal?
TOM: 100%. I have multiple accounts myself.
BOB: Okay. But why do these big companies keep all this money inside 770 accounts?
TOM: Good question.
Here’s the thing.
These companies have some of the largest executive payrolls around. They have gigantic retirement packages to fund (Comcast’s CEO Brian Roberts, for example, is owed a $223 million pension over the course of his retirement). But to meet these future obligations, these companies haven’t found a better way to grow their money (and make sure it’s there when they need it) than by investing in 770 accounts.
BOB: But I’m not a Fortune 500 executive….
TOM: It doesn’t matter! The great thing about this account is you don’t have to be a Fortune 500 executive or banker to take advantage of it.
BOB: You mean I can use this account even though I’m now retired and in my 60s?
TOM: Yes… It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, old, young, married, or single—practically every person in America can take advantage of a 770 tax-free account.
How to Retire 100% Tax-Free
Okay, so we just heard Tom describe how the “770” account works.
If you’re like me, the question you’re probably asking yourself now is how do I get started?
Since the government restricts the advertising of these programs, even though they’re 100% legal, you have to know where to look.
And your banker and broker certainly won’t tell you about them, either, as we’ve seen.
That’s why Tom has offered to prepare a special report outlining the steps needed to open your own “770” account, including whom to contact and what to say.
This special report Tom prepared is called “The Secret Investment Account: How to Fund Your Own Worry-Free, 100% Tax-Free Retirement.
This report is not for sale anywhere or for any price. It is available to you free only through this presentation.
Why is Tom offering this?
Well, for one, Tom has now become an ardent advocate for the “770” account. While he does not sell these accounts or make any commissions at all by recommending these accounts, he’s now made it his life’s mission to help everyday investors “get back” at the bankers and brokers who keep most people poor. And this is the best way to do it.
In fact, after Tom left the banking industry in 2006, he joined forces with one of the world’s largest financial publishing companies.
Since then, he’s helped thousands of investors navigate the markets and make big gains.
•   In 2006, for example, he recommended McDonald’s when no other analyst would touch the stock with a 10-foot pole. (This was after the Super Size Me documentary and other bad press beset the fast-food giant.) But his research saw things differently.

As a result, people who followed his recommendation back then have now turned every $10,000 they invested into $24,390.

•   And in 2008, as the markets crumbled, he suggested his readers load up on Altria and Enterprise, two companies he’d uncovered that were primed for big growth. Readers who followed his recommendations back then are now sitting on gains of 157.2% and 217.9%, respectively, for these two picks.
Today, Tom shares his investment research and findings through an investment research service called The Palm Beach Letter, which is read by more than 35,000 people in 104 countries around the world.
I went to Tom’s office to explore the company for myself.
As of this presentation, I verified that 28 of 28 recommendations in The Palm Beach Letter’s model portfolio are showing positive returns, many of them in the double-digit range.
As a result, he and his team have garnered quite a following. He showed me some of the more than 1,200 letters and emails he’s received from readers.
It was astounding.
Here are some of the messages I read.
One subscriber, Kelly Briscoll, wrote in to say she’d almost lost hope with financial advisors after losing a lot of money over the years. “You are the only person I have read that makes sense to me,” her letter reads…

“We have lost so very, very much with all these financial advisors that have made their money and lost ours through the years that I had just about given up on finding anything or anyone that could truly help me preserve our earnings and grow them.

“You are the only person that I have read that makes sense to me. I have never read a letter like this before, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you.”

Another subscriber, Linda M., wrote in to say her portfolio was up 78% in less than nine months…
And here’s a comment I found on an independent third-party website from an investor named Richard. “This is the best overall letter I have ever subscribed to,” he writes, adding he wished he would have purchased all the recommendations in Tom’s Palm Beach Letter’s portfolio when he first saw them. “I would be well ahead.”
But Tom told me even though he’s managed to help thousands of everyday investors make big gains in an otherwise listless market, he insists the 770 account is by far the most important thing you should be doing with your money right now.
More important than real estate, precious metals, stocks, and every other investment you can think of.
That’s because these are the only investments that offer safe, tax-free returns… and that are pretty respectable to boot. (Again, the average is around 5%, which is the equivalent of a mutual fund that returns 9.2%, when you consider fees and taxes.)
And that’s why he feels so strongly you review the information about the “770” accounts absolutely free.
In fact, he believes so much in the idea he’s now made this his single-largest investment, putting away more than 20% of his family’s net worth into secret “770” accounts.
He’s even opened up accounts for two of his three young children, a decision that will set them up financially for life. His oldest son will have about $4 million in his account by the time he retires.
So What’s the Catch?
Now, I bet you’re wondering… Is there anything “bad” you should know about these accounts?
Of course no investment is perfect. So I sat down with Tim Mittelstaedt, who we featured earlier in this presentation, to talk about this account.
Tim now has five separate “770” accounts of his own and has since joined Tom and his team at The Palm Beach Letter after seeing the quality of their ideas.
He’s been with The Palm Beach Letter for the last year-and-a-half and is now editor-in-chief.
BOB: Tim, tell me. I’ve learned a lot about the “770” account since I started my research on the subject. But I’m sure a lot of people are thinking: “What’s the catch? This sounds too good to be true.”
This account pays around 5%… 4-5 times more than long-term income investments like CDs—and up to 30-40 times more than regular savings accounts… Also, your money’s not locked up… it’s tax-free… and even though you don’t have to report it to the IRS… it’s 100% legal.
TIM: Yeah, I know. It sounds unbelievable. I felt the same way when I discovered it.
BOB: So, Tim, what’s the catch?!
TIM: There’s a reason this account works, and it’s because it doesn’t promise you “unreal” get-rich-quick results. For instance, you’re not going to double your money in six months with the 770.
BOB: The lottery mentality.
TIM: Exactly. There’s a lot of that going on today. I think it’s mostly because most people can’t find any decent yield on their money.
BOB: But still, a tax-free 5% return in today’s climate is a godsend for most soon-to-be retirees or retirees like me!
TIM: Exactly. 5%, but remember that’s tax-free and after fees and expenses…
BOB: Right. Is there anything else people should know about?
TIM: Along the same lines, this investment works best over time. It gets better and better over time. Of course, you can always withdraw your money, but this works best for people who want to let the money grow and not worry about it.
BOB: Now, what about the stock market… Should I put 100% of my money in the “770” account and forget about stocks altogether?
TIM: No, not necessarily. In fact, most people prefer to start small in the beginning just to prove to themselves this 770 account works exactly like we say it will.
BOB: Is that what you did?
TIM: Yup. Tom too. We both started small and then added more money and even new accounts. In fact, I think Tom has already invested something like $100,000-200,000 in this idea. And this will grow to over $10 million over the years.
BOB: Amazing.
TIM: Yeah. That’s why I was completely floored when I saw this account. But still, like any investment, you probably shouldn’t put 100% of your money in here.
BOB: So bottom line, people can still dabble in stocks…
TIM: Yes. And in fact, we recommend many of them in The Palm Beach Letter. I’ve got some myself. But you should at least set up your “safe” money in a secret 770 account today.
Then play around with the rest.
(Right now, I personally set aside 10% of my income to go into my 770 accounts. Next year, I’ll be adding much more. But I’ll also put money in some stocks and other investments too.)
BOB: Gotcha. Okay, so I understand Tom is on a business call right now. Can you tell me a bit more about the report you and Tom put together?
TIM: Sure, no problem. Well, first off, the report’s name is “The Secret Investment Account: How to Fund Your Own Worry-Free, 100% Tax-Free Retirement.”
What you’ll find is the report is short, simple, and easy to understand. It shows how anyone can get started easily—including who to contact and what to say.
BOB: Do you cover how much it costs to get started? I’ve seen my share of investments over the years, and oftentimes, you need to put down several thousand dollars to get started…
TIM: No, this investment was really designed for the average investor. You can get started for as little as about $300… or even less, in many cases.
BOB: Okay, now one last thing on this account. How “involved” do I have to be with this account? Is it like the stock market, where I need to check every day to see what’s going on… if there’s been a big “sell off”…
TIM: No! Actually, I have a “funny” story about that. Before I discovered this account, my wife’s parents had asked me if I’d invest their nest egg for them. They knew I was involved in the markets, and they wanted nothing to do with it. So they basically handed me $300,000 and said, “Here you are, Tim. Grow this money, but don’t lose it!”
BOB: Talk about responsibility!
TIM: Tell me about it! This was back in 2008, and my wife and I had been married just about a year.
BOB: Yikes…
TIM: Exactly… Well, I don’t need to tell you how the story finished. The markets crashed… I wasn’t sleeping at night… and it was driving me crazy… Now, luckily, I had invested in some alternative investments, some of which had gone up, like, 10 times, so they didn’t get hammered too bad. But still, I knew there had to be a better way. Something that didn’t require me to constantly worry or feel like I had to be checking the markets.
That’s when I started searching for an alternative and finally found out about what Tom calls the “770” account. With this account, the money just grows and you don’t have to worry about it.
BOB: That’s incredible.
TIM: Yeah. People love it. We get subscribers telling us all the time they’re able to enjoy life now… take vacations, play golf, go out to eat, and do so without having to spend every waking moment worrying about how their “investments” are doing.
That’s why we felt everyone should have access to this information absolutely free of charge.
BOB: That’s great. Thanks, Tim.
TIM: No problem.
The report, “The Secret Investment Account: How to Fund Your Own Worry-Free, 100% Tax-Free Retirement,” will be made available to the viewers of this program absolutely free.
All Tom and his team are asking in return is people give their investment research service, The Palm Beach Letter, an honest look.
To learn more about their service, I kept talking with Tim for several more minutes. He explained to me that The Palm Beach Letter’s specialty is recommending investments that provide safe, reliable income.
A big part of the service has to do with dividends, which, as Tim says, “is the only way to make 100% sure you get paid.”
While dividend-paying stocks have become very popular lately, thanks to the lack of yield around in the markets, Tim told me a big problem today is that most people are turning to the wrong ones.
I asked him to explain.
He said when they think of dividend-paying stocks, most people think of the Coca-Colas and Johnson & Johnsons of the world… Now, while these are great and do have their place in a well-balanced portfolio… Tim says if you want to maximize your chances of compounding wealth AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE through dividends, you have to focus on the blue-chip stocks of tomorrow.
And your best bet of doing that is through a special class of dividend-paying stocks his team has pinpointed called the relentless dividend raisers.
But these stocks are few and far between.
Tim mentioned that a while back they’d screened every single stock trading in America… about 15,000 total… and only 17 made the cut! There were only 17 relentless dividend raisers…
I asked Tim what made these companies unique.
He went on to tell me the dividends these companies pay are bigger and grow faster.
But unfortunately, most people had never heard of these companies before. They’re small and toil away in boring and decidedly “unsexy” industries.
One example he showed me was a company they recommended back in 2011, a small French perfume manufacturer trading on the Nasdaq called Inter Parfums.
They had chosen the company for a variety of reasons: It had high profit margins and heavy insider ownership, but most of all, it had six straight years of dividend increases averaging 50% per year. Today, subscribers who took their advice are already up 57% on this pick, while collecting healthy dividends to boot.
But he mentioned there were five other “relentless dividend raisers” investors should be taking a serious look at right now, even more so than Inter Parfums.
When I asked him if he could share these with the viewers of this program, he gladly obliged.
The details of these five relentless dividend raisers have been put together in a special report called “The 552% Income Boost—The Dividend Diluvia.” This report—yours completely free of charge—gives detailed research on why each of these stocks are primed for spectacular dividend growth over the coming years.
After a while, Tom joined us, and we discussed several aspects of The Palm Beach Letter’s research business, including what their primary investing philosophy was.
Two things struck me from the conversation.
First, it quickly became clear to me that their prime focus is SAFETY.
And second, because of this safety aspect, Tom told me people looking for “Powerball-like” gains ought to stay away from this service. That’s definitely not what they’re about.
As he said, they prefer making “steady, consistent gains on each investment.” The key is not losing money.
For example, one strategy Tom discussed with me involved something he’d uncovered while working at the banks… a way investors could make modest gains… time after time.
With this method, Tom showed me how I—and most everyone—can extract money from what he calls the “secondary” stock market 94% of the time. No, you won’t make triple-digit returns, Tom stresses, but the key here is consistency.
When I casually remarked to him this sounded too “technical” for me, Tom said he’d taught his dad this same strategy. Since then, he’d been able to put his retirement back on track. Some weeks he takes home $694, some weeks a little less.
One of his subscribers, Brian M., even wrote in to say he’d made $83,000 in seven months by using this strategy.
I pushed him some more.
That’s when he revealed they’ve now made money on 47 out of 50 of the “full trade cycle” trades they’ve recommended.
In fact, in one stretch alone he showed me a chart of how they made 33 consecutive winning trades!
When Tom saw how intrigued I was by the whole idea, he agreed to offer viewers of this program a free report on this strategy. It’s called “The Banker’s Code: How to Make Money 94% of the Time on the ‘Secondary Stock Market.’”
There’s also one other special thing Tom decided to do for the viewers of this program today.
Take One Full Year to Decide
Because Tom realizes he can’t be 100% sure his research service, The Palm Beach Letter, is a perfect fit for you, here’s what he suggested…
He’d like you to take the next full year to decide if The Palm Beach Letter is right for you.
That means you can take advantage of a full year’s guidance absolutely risk-free and take the time to determine if you like what you see.
You’ll get to view 12 full issues of the letter, with a new issue arriving straight to your inbox on the first Thursday of every month. You’ll also get immediate access to their full archive of past issues, as well as their full suite of research reports which includes, of course, the three research reports we’ve discussed in this video…
Namely:
1.   “The Secret Investment Account: How to Fund Your Own Worry-Free, 100% Tax-Free Retirement
2.   “The 552% Income Boost—The Dividend Diluvia”
3.   And “The Banker’s Code: How to Make Money 95% of the Time on the ‘Secondary Stock Market.”
You can take a full year to review everything at your own leisure.
Re-read the issues and reports. Send Tom your questions. And even put some of these ideas into practice…
Then, if you don’t like any single thing you read within the next year, just say the word and Tom and his team will gladly refund 100% of your purchase price, no questions asked.
And as for the price of this service, I was really surprised by what Tom told me.
While you might expect a research service like this to run several hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars per year—especially when you consider Tom pays his research staff over $500,000 a year for their expertise—the normal price for The Palm Beach Letter is only a paltry $99.
That’s per year, not per month.
I asked Tom why this price was so low. He said that because his research costs are divided among thousands of subscribers across the globe, the savings are passed along to the subscribers.
So for $99, Palm Beach Letter subscribers receive 12 monthly issues of the letter and weekly portfolio updates, as well as the three research reports we’ve covered in this video.
Now, given the fact that Tom and his team have received more than 1,200 testimonials from happy subscribers… they consider this to be more than a fair price.
And I couldn’t disagree with him on that point.
However, given the importance of the 770 account… Tom has decided to do something even more special for the viewers of our program today.
For people who take advantage of this offer today, Tom and his team will knock $60 off your subscription price. That means you’ll pay only $39 for a full year of their investment research.
But that’s not all.
Tom told me they’re also going to include in your subscription a second complete newsletter… absolutely free!
The Missing Key:
Why You’ll Never Get Rich by Investing Alone
When I was first approached to start this newsletter two-and-a-half years ago, I knew I wanted it to be very different…
You see, while I knew I could teach people how to safely make money by investing, I knew many people needed to GROW their wealth before turning to the stock market.
(Because let’s face it. If you start out with $10,000, even if you double your money you’re still only looking at $20,000 total.)
In other words, investing works best if you have a decent amount of wealth to start off with!
That’s where Mark Ford comes in.
Mark is the partner I started The Palm Beach Letter with, and he knows more about building wealth than anyone else I’m familiar with.
In fact, Mark has published several #1 best-selling books on wealth building under a pen name. But unlike many other best-selling “money guru” authors out there… Mark actually made his money by building successful businesses… not by writing books!
All told, Mark has been involved in well over 30 different businesses, several of which have reached the seven-figure mark, and he now holds a $60 million net worth, thanks to these ventures.
So Mark knows how to make money.
And even better, he’s agreed to share his secrets with you too in a complimentary newsletter you’ll receive with your Palm Beach Letter subscription, called Mark Ford’s Creating Wealth.
This bonus letter covers Mark’s best wealth-boosting techniques, including the fastest way to get a raise at work, how to go out on your own to make a fortune, as well as the “$10 trick” that changes the way you look at wealth.
So in other words, you’ll get two highly valuable newsletters each month for the price of one.
On one side, Mark will show you how to build your wealth daily by using techniques anyone can start using today… and on the other side, I’ll show you how to make the best returns on your wealth by safely investing.
It’s the 1-2 combination that makes this financial advisory unique in the industry. I guarantee you won’t find information like this anywhere else.
Okay, I know we’ve covered a lot of ground here today, so let’s recap everything you’ll receive with your risk-free trial:
1.   You’ll receive 12 monthly issues of The Palm Beach Letter, delivered on the first Thursday of every month
2.   You’ll also receive A SECOND complimentary newsletter, Mark Ford’s Creating Wealth, delivered to you every few weeks
3.   You’ll also get weekly updates and special announcements
4.   Your special report on “The 770 Account,” which you should read immediately after you finish watching this video
5.   Your special report on the best dividend stocks to own today, “The 552% Income Boost—The Dividend Diluvia
6.   You’ll also get your special report on how to use “The Banker’s Code” to make money 95% of the time in the markets
7.  As well as the special report that shows you how to profit from “America’s Coming Oil Boom.”
All this is yours for only $39.
And of course, Tom reminded me you’ll be covered by The Palm Beach Letter’s full 365-day guarantee, which means that if you aren’t satisfied with anything you receive, you can ask for a full refund, no questions asked, anytime within the next year.
I think that’s a pretty fair deal.
Okay, so here’s how you can get started.
There is a special link that should be appearing underneath the video screen you are watching right now.
When you click on this link, you’ll be taken to a page that again recaps everything you’ll receive with your risk-free subscription of Tom’s research service.
Then, at the bottom of the page, you’ll see an option to pay for your subscription by using any standard credit card.
After you order you’ll receive, within 2 to 3 minutes, all of your free reports by email. You’ll also get directions on how to access our full archive of past Palm Beach Letter issues and Mark’s wealth essays. That way, you can start growing your money and investing it wisely as early as today.
However, first things first… Tom recommends you read the tax-free 770 report immediately!
Remember, this is the guaranteed retirement account several presidents, Fortune 500 companies, and even bankers have used for over 150 years to safeguard and grow their money.
As you’ve seen, bankers prefer putting money here than in their own banks!
One of Tom’s friends, Mike, is even using his 770 account to fund what will turn out to be a $100,000-per-month tax-free retirement.
That’s why you should consider starting your own account as soon as possible. I know I’m certainly going to look into it after doing this research.
Tom and his team have laid out all the groundwork for you to start in the 770 report you’ll receive free with your subscription.
Click on the link below to get started.
(You can review what your subscription includes before you place your order.)
Best regards,
Bob Irish
Financial Investigator
Palm Beach, Florida
August 2013
What People Are Saying About The Palm Beach Letter…

“The Palm Beach Letter is unlike any financial newsletter I’ve ever read, and I’ve invested in quite a few over the past 20+ years. The recommendations from Mark Ford and Tom Dyson feels like something you would overhear in a country club locker room, not the same old rehashed advice you get from other letters. It’s like I am being let in on the REAL money-making secrets of the wealthy and powerful!”

— Comment listed on popular third-party financial website

And About the Tax-Free 770 Account…

“I’ve been using this strategy since ‘08, when I all but gave up on investing in stocks…

It’s the easiest investing I have ever done and I don’t have to worry about keeping up with anything anymore. I can now fully concentrate on my business. In that short time I have acquired 4 different [770 accounts] and have used the money to buy a delivery truck and other equipment for my business… it’s GREAT! The only thing I can say is that I wish I had known about it 25 years ago, I’d probably already be retired.

Anyway, thanks for the work y’all do. I love the out of the box stuff!”

—Paul Mabile

“I love this concept. I stumbled on it almost three years ago and have been building my account ever since. [This] helped me get a new roof on my house this summer.”

– Karen W.

To learn more about the tax-free 770 account and how you can start your own account today, click on the special link below.
(You can review what your subscription includes before you place your order.)

Forex traders at heart of ‘Cartel’ chat rooms

November 13, 2014 5:35 pm

Forex traders at heart of ‘Cartel’ chat rooms

TRADERS MONITOR SCREENS AT CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON BANK IN LONDON...A trader monitors his screens on the trading floor at the Credit Suisse First Boston bank in London March 13, 2001. Britain's FTSE 100 share index put a brake on early losses by mid-morning today but was still pinned down at levels not seen for two years after an overnight sell-off on Wall Street. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty©Reuters

There were probably more imaginative names to choose. Of all monikers, the powerful network of senior foreign-exchange traders at the centre of a UK and US regulatory probe into alleged collusion called itself “the Cartel”.

In an electronic messaging conversation on December 20 2011, the group of three senior traders at Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and UBS debated whether allowing a fourth trader into the chatroom would “add huge value to this cartell [sic]”.
The chatroom went on in different guises over several years and was used by various London- and Zurich-based traders at four of the top 10 forex dealers in the world – CitigroupJPMorgan ChaseUBS and Barclays.The transcript, revealed in documents by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, gives an insight into the mindset of a mighty chatroom connection at the centre of a regulatory probe into alleged forex manipulation that ended its first chapter this week with a $4.3bn penalty handed out to six banks.

These chatrooms “were the kind of vehicles through which certain [Citibank, JPMorgan and UBS] FX traders and traders at other banks co-ordinated attempts to manipulate certain FX benchmark rates, including the WM/R 4 p.m. fix,” the CFTC said in its settlement documents with Citi, JPMorgan and UBS. “Certain chatroom participants used code words to evade detection by their banks’ compliance monitoring systems,” it added.

Also known as “the Mafia”, the bantering chat group brought together some of the most well-known forex traders at banks whose combined market power at times amounted to more than 40 per cent of global forex trading. Citi, Barclays and UBS are among the top five in currency trading, the largest financial market in the world. JPMorgan ranked number six in 2013.

The group was widely respected in the forex-trading community and had an almost mythical reputation among more junior traders who aspired to one day become part of it, people familiar with the situation said. Yet the settlement documents shine a much more sobering light on it.

In the discussion three years ago, Rohan Ramchandani, Citi’s then European head of spot trading, and Richard Usher, JPMorgan’s chief currency dealer in London at the time, debated with Matt Gardiner from UBS if they could trust a former colleague from the latter’s time at Barclays to come on board.

“you know him,” Mr Usher said. “will he tell rest of desk stuff . . . or god forbin his nyk . . .” in a reference to Barclays’ New York desk.

“yes,” Mr Ramchandani said. “that’s really imp[ortant] q[uestion] . . . dont want other numpty’s in mkt to know . . . but not only that . . . is he gonna protect us like we protect each other against our own branches,” he asked.“what concerns me is that i know he’ll never tell us when at risk,” Mr Gardiner replied.

In the end, the trio agreed to invite the trader in question into the chatroom for a “1 month trial”, although Mr Ramchandani warned him – “presumably facetiously” as the CFTC’s findings have it – “mess this up and sleep with one eye open at night”.

The trader in question, Chris Ashton, eventually joined but ceased to be a member only seven months later in August 2012, not long after Barclays’ £290m fine over alleged Libor interbank lending rate rigging sent shockwaves through London’s trading community.

None of the traders mentioned has been accused of any wrongdoing or charged by any authorities. All of them declined to comment.The CFTC said in the settlement documents that traders at Citi, JPMorgan and UBS at times “exchanged the size and direction of the bank’s net orders with FX traders at other banks and used this information to attempt to co-ordinate trading strategies.”

“Traders at times then used this information to enable one or more traders to attempt to manipulate the FX benchmark rates prior to and during the relevant fixing period,” it added.

By buying and selling a currency before the fix, a trader can try to influence the final fix price to profit from the range of client orders he is handling that day. When the fix is set, some clients will end up profiting in line with the trader while others will be worse off.

In its settlement documents this week, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority said traders in the spot forex market “formed close, tight-knit groups or one-to-one relationships based on mutual benefit and often with a focus on particular currency pairs”.

“Entry into some of these groups or relationships and the chatrooms used by them was closely controlled by the participants,” it added.

A key figure in the so-called “Cartel” chatroom was Mr Usher, a former Royal Bank of Scotland trader who joined JPMorgan in 2010. He is said to have started the chatroom while he was still at RBS, according to people familiar with the situation. When he moved to JPMorgan, the chatroom was restarted. Mr Usher was suspended this year and has recently left the US bank.

One of his counterparts at Citi was Mr Ramchandani, who was fired in January. The most junior member of the group was Mr Gardiner, a forex trader who joined Standard Chartered from UBS in autumn last year but was placed on leave a few weeks later. He left the bank a few months after that.

Mr Ashton, head of voice spot-trading at Barclays who is currently on leave, was only a member of the group for seven months and was not part of the well-acquainted trio of Mr Usher, Mr Ramchandani and Mr Gardiner.

Mr Usher and Mr Ramchandani were members of the Bank of England’s influential foreign exchange joint standing committee’s chief dealer subgroup, the industry body where concerns over the practice of sharing aggregate information about traders’ positions had been discussed.

Martin Mallett, the BoE former chief forex dealer who chaired the group, was absolved of involvement in improper conduct of traders this week but was criticised for failing to pass on concerns about a practice he thought could involve collusive behaviour. Hewas dismissed from the central bank earlier this week.

The Fed distorts resource allocation

Published on Nov 13, 2014

Our lead story: Six banks have agreed to pay a total of $4.3 billion to resolve allegations of foreign exchange manipulation. Of the six, Citi and JPMorgan have agreed to pay more than $1 billion a piece to resolve the currency probe. The deal indicates that the banks were engaged in activities designed to boost their profits by moving one the world’s largest markets, often times at the expense of their own clients. Erin weighs in.

http://youtu.be/ZmE6qR08S_A

Then, Erin sits down with David Henderson – professor of economics at the Naval Postgraduate School and research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. David gives us his free market perspective on net neutrality and argues that income inequality isn’t always an issue for the government to fix.

After the break, Erin talks to Richard Ebeling – professor of ethics and free enterprise leadership at The Citadel. Richard tells us why Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises’ “Theory of Money and Credit” is more important than ever and gives us his taken on whether we’ll have another financial crisis.

And in The Big Deal, Erin and Edward Harrison are talking about job-crushing robots and recent changes at Twitter. Take a look!

Check us out on Facebook:
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https://www.facebook.com/harrison.wri…
https://www.facebook.com/erinade2020

Follow us @
http://twitter.com/ErinAde
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Four Husbands

Four HusbandsHusband-Wife-Jokes

The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just gotten married for the fourth time. The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband’s occupation.

“He’s a funeral director,” she answered.

“Interesting,” the newsman thought.

He then asked her if she wouldn’t mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living. She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years.

After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she had first married a banker when she was in her 20’s, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40’s, and a preacher when in her 60’s, and now – in her 80’s – a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.

She paused…Four-Husbands

Smiled and explained,

“I married
one for the money,
two for the show,
three to get ready, and
four to go.”

Time After Time played by Miles Davis

Some things are just classic. Time after Time by Cyndi Lauper

time-after-time-logoThe song’s title, Time After Time, was inspired after Lauper started writing for the song and needed a fake title as a placeholder for the time being. Thus, Lauper was looking in the TV Guide and saw a lot of movie titles, with the 1979 science fiction movie Time After Time being chosen. Although trying to remove the title later, Lauper claimed she couldn’t take it out without the song falling apart.

The spring of 1983, Cyndi Lauper was introduced to American musician Rob Hyman. Hyman and she sat at a piano and started working on “Time After Time” with the inspiration for the song coming after both songwriters were going through similar things with their relationships. Hyman was coming out of a long and hard relationship, and Lauper was having a lot of bumps in her relationship with current boyfriend, David Wolff. One of the first lines Rob wrote was “suitcase of memories”, which according to Cyndi, “strucked her”, claiming it was a “wonderful line”, while other lines came from her life.

time-after-time

The biography and history of Miles Davis:

May his music live long, and Miles rest in peace.

The Parable of the Pencil

Parable Of The Pencil

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.pencil-hand

There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

  1. You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone’s hand.
  2. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.
  3. You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
  4. The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.
  5. On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

  1. You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
  2. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.
  3. You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
  4. The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.
  5. On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart.

~ Author Unknown ~

Creedance Clearwater Revival – 35 Greatest Hits (Full Album)

Like many music listeners, I’ve always enjoyed the sound and songs of Creedance Clearwater Revival. Here is their 35 greatest hits. Which one is your favorite? Leave a comment.

Creedance Clearwater Revival

0:00:00 Bad Moon Rising
0:02:18 Proud Mary
0:05:24 Up Around The Bend
0:08:04 Have You Ever Seen The Rain
0:10:41 Hey Tonight
0:13:21 I Hear It Through The Grapevine
0:17:12 My Baby Left Me
0:19:27 Wrote A Song For Everyone
0:27:27 The Midnight Special
0:31:36 Run Through The Jungle
0:34:40 It’s Just A Thought
0:38:29 Walking On The Water
0:43:04 Night Time Is The Right Time
0:46:10 (Wish I Could) Hideaway
0:49:49 Cotton Fields
0:52:43 Someday Never Comes
0:56:37 Suzie Q
1:01:11 Lookin’ Out My Back Door
1:03:41 Travelin’ Band
1:05:46 Down On The Corner
1:08:28 Who’ll Stop The Rain
1:10:57 Fortunate Son
1:13:15 Good Golly Miss Molly
1:15:56 Long As I Can See The Light
1:19:29 Sweet Hitch-Hiker
1:22:23 Born On The Bayou
1:27:35 Molina
1:29:39 Hello Mary Lou
1:31:49 Green River
1:34:23 It Came Out Of The Sky
1:37:18 Don’t Look Now
1:39:26 Commotion
1:42:08 Before You Accuse Me
1:45:33 Ooby Dooby
1:47:36 I Put A Spell On You

 

Private Placement Securities Investment: What is It?

What is Private Placement?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Private PlacementPrivate placement (or non-public offering) is a funding round of securities which are sold not through a public offering, but rather through a private offering, mostly to a small number of chosen investors.[1]  Private placement usually refers to non-public offering of shares in a public company (since, of course, any offering of shares in a private company is and can only be a private offering). PIPE (private investment in public equity) deals are one type of private placement. SEDA (standby equity distribution agreement) is also a form of private placement. They are often acheaper source of capital than a public offering.

Private Placement In the United States

Although these placements are subject to the Securities Act of 1933, the securities offered do not have to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission if the issuance of the securities conforms to an exemption from registrations as set forth in the Securities Act of 1933 and SEC rules promulgated thereunder. Most private placements are offered under the Rules known as Regulation D. Private placements may typically consist of offers of common stock or preferred stock or other forms of membership interests, warrants or promissory notes(including convertible promissory notes), bonds, and purchasers are often institutional investors such as banksinsurance companies or pension funds. Common exemptions from theSecurities Act of 1933 allow an unlimited number of accredited investors to purchase securities in an offering. Generally, accredited investors are those with a net worth in excess of $1 million or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 combined with a spouse. Under these exemptions, no more than 35 non-accredited investors may participate[2] in a private placement. In most cases, all investors must have sufficient financial knowledge and experience to be capable of evaluating the risks and merits of investing in a company.

References

  1. Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks (March 1990). Private placements: Comptroller’s Handbook. US Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  2. Morgan, Thomas; Lewis and Roca LLP (March 6, 2013). “Raising Capital – What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You”The National Law Review. Retrieved March 17, 2013.

 

Solar FREAKIN Roadways

This is totally cool and the future for saving the planet from environmental contamination.

Years ago, when the phrase “Global Warming” began gaining popularity, the inventors of Solar Roadway Panels started batting around the idea of replacing asphalt and concrete surfaces with solar panels that could be driven upon.  In consideration, they thought about the “black box” on airplanes; they didn’t know what material that black box was made of, but it seemed to be able to protect sensitive electronics from the worst of airline crashes.

So, they imagined making a section of road out of this material and housed solar cells to collect energy, which could pay for the cost of the panel, thereby creating a road that would pay for itself over time.  Then, they asked: what if we added LEDs to “paint” the road lines from beneath, lighting up the road for safer night time driving?  What if we added a heating element in the surface (like the defrosting wire in the rear window of our cars) to prevent snow/ice accumulation in northern climates?  The ideas and possibilities just continued to roll in and the Solar Roadway project was born.

 

 

This could be a VERY GOOD investment in which to participate, as suggested by U.S. Senator Mike Crapo who discusses the Solar Roadways project:

 

 

And this exciting presentation explains how these panels work:

The Beatles – With The Beatles (1963 Full Album)

the-beatles

This is CLASSIC Beatles!

It is 1963, and I am eleven years old watching my mom dance to this music.

The album “With the Beatles” was released in 1963.

Enjoy!

Side 1:
1. It Won’t Be Long – 0:00
2. All I’ve Got to Do – 2:11
3. All My Loving – 4:12
4. Don’t Bother Me – 6:18
5. Little Child – 8:44
6. Till There Was You – 10:28
7. Please Mister Postman – 12:40

Side 2:
8. Roll Over Beethoven – 15:12
9. Hold Me Tight – 17:55
10. You Really Got a Hold on Me – 20:25
11. I Wanna Be Your Man – 23:24
12. Devil in Your Heart – 25:22
13. Not a Second Time – 27:46
14. Money (That’s What I Want) – 29:50

The Beatles – Revolver (1966 Full Album)

Beatles-Revolver

The year 1966 was a turning point in my life as I considered leaving several years of playing trumpet in concert band, and playing in a tribute band to Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass.  Instead, to my mother’s dismay, I would take up guitar to chase a dream of being a rock -n-roll entertainer.  From 1966 through 1972, I would spend most of my time organizing rock bands and booking performance gigs with the objective of making people dance.  Revolver is the music that the Beatles had released when they too were making a change in their musical career; they would never again play a live performance on stage, but instead would only make studio music.

Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 5 August 1966 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and on 8 August 1966 by Capitol Records in the United States.

In 1966, HIT songs were released on 45’s vinyl records. Taxman was the HIT song on side A, but the song on side B was my favorite, and it never made it to an LP until Beatles songs were being remixed. That song was: Paperback Writer

And, here is how to play the guitar for: Paperback Writer

Now here is the list of individual songs from the original release of: Revolver

Side 1

0:00 – 1. Taxman (George Harrison)
George’s protest against high taxes, named UK politicians of the time, “Mr. Wilson” and “Mr. Heath.”

2:42 – 2. Eleanor Rigby
One of the Beatles’ finest lyrics and with a beautiful, haunting, melody. A leading UK critic said this track signaled that pop music had “come of age.”

4:51 – 3. I’m Only Sleeping
John’s tribute to the joy of staying in bed.

7:55 – 4. Love You To (George Harrison)
George was the only Beatle to play on this track. He was joined by an Indian tabla player and studio musicians.

10:57 – 5. Here, There And Everywhere
A ballad written by Paul for his girlfriend, Jane Asher, it is thought that The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” was a big influence for this song.

13:25 – 6. Yellow Submarine
A modern day nursery rhyme, and inspiration for the animated film of 1968.

16:07 – 7. She Said She Said
Based on a conversation with actor Peter Fonda, this was originally a very aggressive song by John, but later rewritten.

Side 2

18:46 – 8. Good Day Sunshine
This track followed a trend for “sunny” songs in 1966, such as the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream” abd “Sunny Afternoon” by The Kinks.

20:59 – 9. And Your Bird Can Sing
Although Beatle fans searched for deep meaning in this song, John Lennon insisted it was a simple track, written to fill a gap in the album.

23:01 – 10. For No One
Only Paul and Ringo play on this track, which has a French Horn solo by classical musician Alan Civil.

25:05 – 11. Doctor Robert
The doctor in the title was a friend of The Beatles, well known on the New York art scene.

27:24 – 12. I Want To Tell You (George Harrison)
The book that wrote this said that this was not one of George’s best songs, this track documents the difficulty he often had in saying what he really meant.

29:55 – 13. Got To Get You Into My Life
The Beatles also offered this song to a group known as Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers. Their cover single, produced by Paul, made the UK Top 10 a week after Revolver was released.

32:27 – 14. Tomorrow Never Knows
The Beatles’ most experimental track to date, this mystical- sounding song, which does not include the words “tomorrow never knows” was originally called “Mark 1”, until Ringo came up with the title.

Found the facts for this album from a book simply titled “The Beatles.”

America… the Band in New York 1979

 
This a special film by Peter Clifton.

America-the-band

 

America in performance at New York’s Central Park — In 1979 America (Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley) were at the height of their popularity and had just released “Silent Letter” their first album as a duo following the departure of fellow founding member Dan Peek. Acclaimed Australian filmmaker Peter Clifton captured the band at their concert in New York’s Central Park and then followed them across to California where he filmed them in the studio and on location. All of this footage was combined to make America “Live In Central Park”.

TRACK LISTING: 1. Intro 2. Tin Man 3. Only Game in Town 4. I Need You 5. Foolin’ 6. Ventura Highway 7. California Dreamin’ 8. Another Try 9. A Horse With No Name 10. All Night 11. Here 12. Hollywood 13. Sandman 14. Sister Golden Hair BONUS.

FEATURES: Full length commentary by director Peter Clifton.

And, here is a YouTube performance of Sister Golden Hair by America which Rick Spencer (piano player) put me up to learning and playing at the next Open Mic session (Greek Sombrero Restaurant):

Why I don’t drink Soda Drinks like Coca Cola

Have you ever wondered what exactly Coca Cola is?

After 10 minutes

Ten tea spoons of sugar contained in a glass of Cola, cause devastating “strike” on the organism and the only cause, by reason of not vomiting, is the phosphoric acid which inhibits the action of sugar.

After 20 minutes

A leap of insulin levels in bloodstream occurs. The liver converts all the sugar into fat.

After 40 minutes

Ingestion of caffeine is finally completed. The eye pupils are expanding. Blood pressure rises, because the liver disposes more sugar into bloodstream. The adenosine receptors get blocked, thereby preventing drowsiness.

After 45 minutes

Body raises production of dopamine hormone, which stimulates the brain pleasure center. Heroin has the same principle of operation.

After 1 hour

Phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in the gastrointestinal tract, which supercharges metabolism. Releasing of calcium through urine also rises.

After more than 1 hour

Diuretic effect of the drink enters in “the game”. The calcium, magnesium and zinc are removed out of the organism, which are a part of our bones, as well as sodium. At this time we have already become irritable or subdued. The whole quantity of water, contained in a coca cola, is removed by the urine.

Actually, when having a cold bottle of Coke and enjoying its undeniable freshness, do we know what chemical-cocktail we pour into our throats?

The active ingredient of Coca-Cola is orthophosphoric acid. Due to its high acidity, cisterns used for transporting of the concentrate have to be equipped with special reservoirs designed for highly corrosive materials.

Let’s have a look at “the anatomy” of one of the most advertised products of “Coca-Cola Co.” – Coca-Cola Light without caffeine. This drink contains Aqua Carbonated, E150D, E952, E951, E338, E330, Aromas, E211.

Aqua Carbonated – this is sparkling water. It stirs gastric secretion, increases the acidity of the gastric juice and provokes flatulency – plenty evolution of gases. Furthermore, spring water is not used, but is used regular filtered water.

cokeingredients.jpg?9276ac

E150D – food coloring, obtained through the processing of sugar at specified temperatures, with or without addition of chemical reagents. In the case with coca-cola, ammonium sulfate is added.

E952 – Sodium Cyclamate is a sugar substitute. Cyclamate is a synthetic chemical, has sweet taste, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and is used as an artificial sweetener. In 1969 it was banned by FDA, since it as well as saccharin and aspartame, caused cancer in rats’ urinary bladder. In 1975, prohibition seized also Japan, South Korea and Singapore. In 1979, WHO (World Health Organization), “who knows why?” rehabilitated cyclamates and recognizing them as safe.

E950 – Acesulfame Potassium. 200 times sweeter than sugar, containing methyl ether, where it aggravates the operation of the cardiovascular system. Likewise, it contains asparaginic acid which can also cause excitant effect on our nervous system and in time it can lead to addiction. Acesulfame is badly dissolved and is not recommended for use by children and pregnant women.

E951 – Aspartame. A sugar substitute for diabetics and is chemically unstable: at elevated temperature it breaks down into methanol and phenylalanine. Methanol is very dangerous: 5-10ml can cause destruction of the optic nerve and irreversible blindness. In warm soft drinks, aspartame transforms into formaldehyde which is very strong carcinogen. Some number of cases with aspartame poisoning include: unconsciousness, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, palpitation, weight gain, irritability, anxiety, memory loss, blurry vision, fainting, joint pains, depression, fertility, hearing loss and etc. Aspartame can also provoke the following diseases: brain tumors, MS (Multiple Sclerosis), epilepsy, Graves’ disease, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, mental deficiency and tuberculosis.

diettt.jpg?9276ac

E338 – Orthophosphoric Acid. This can cause irritation of skin and eyes. It is used for production of phosphoric acid salts of ammonia, sodium, calcium, aluminum and also in organic synthesis for production of charcoal and film tapes, for production of refractory materials, ceramics, glass, fertilizers, synthetic detergents, medicine, metalworking, and textile and oil industries. Food orthophosphoric acid is used in the production of carbonated water and for preparation of ingredients in pastry. It is known that orthophosphoric acid interfere with the absorption of calcium and iron from the body, which can cause weakening of bones and osteoporosis. Other side effects are thirst and skin rashes.

E330 – Citric Acid. It is widely spread in nature and is used in pharmaceutical and food industries. Salts of citric acid (citrates) are used in food industry as acids, preservatives, stabilizers, and in medical fields – for preserving blood.

Aromas – unknown aromatic additives

E211 – Sodium Benzoate. It is used in production of some food products, as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent. These products refer to jams, fruit juices and fruit yoghurts. It’s not recommended for use by asthmatics and people who are sensitive to aspirin. A study conducted by Peter Piper at the Sheffield University in Britain, found that this compound causes significant damage to DNA. According to his words, sodium benzoate which is an active component in preservatives doesn’t destroy DNA, but deactivating it. This can lead to cirrhosis and degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease.

So, what turns out? Well, it turns out that “the secret recipe” of coca-cola is just one advertising play. What kind of secret may be there, when it’s well known to us that this is a weak solution of cocaine with preservatives, colorants, stabilizers and etc. I.e., this is legalized cocaine addiction plus pure poison. Diet Coke is even worse, because the aspartame in it, replaces sugar, becoming pure neurotoxic poison.

So, if you can’t imagine a life without coca-cola, take advantage of the following recommendations:

  • Many distributors of coca-cola in U.S use this drink for cleaning their truck engines.
  • Many police officers in U.S have bottles of coca-cola in their cars and when a car accident happens, they wash the blood out of the road with it.
  • Coca-Cola is a great tool for removing rusty stains on chrome surfaces of cars. To remove corrosion from car battery, pour it with Coke and the corrosion will disappear.
  • To unscrew a rusty screw, dip a cloth in coca-cola and wrap around it for several minutes.
  • To clean stains from clothes – pour coca-cola on dirty clothes, add washing powder and run the washing machine as usual. You will be surprised of the results.
  • In India, some farmers use coca-cola instead of pesticides for pest extermination, because it’s cheaper and the effect is completely satisfying.

So, coca-cola undeniably is a very useful product. The key is to be used for intended purposes, but not for drinking!

Here is a video about Coca-Cola!

How to Get More Than 100% From Life

Get MORE than 100% from Life with Mathematical Certainty

Want to succeed in life? This is a mathematical certain way you can.

Mathematics:

This comes from 2 math teachers with a combined total of 70 yrs. experience.  It has an indisputable mathematical logic.

It also made me Laugh Out Loud.

This is a strictly ….. mathematical viewpoint… and it goes like this:

What Makes 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%.

How about achieving 103%?

What makes up 100% in life?

Here’s a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But ,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And,

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty,
that while Hard work and Knowledge will get you close,
and Attitude will get you there.

Its the Bullshoot and Ass Kissing that will put you over the top.
Now you know why some people are where they are!

 

God’s Recall and Service Upgrade by Jesus

This is a little reading that my friend, Jeanie Brewer, brought to my attention.  Enjoy..

RECALL NOTICE:

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is
recalling all units manufactured, regardless of
make or year, due to a serious defect in the
primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original
prototype units code named Adam and Eve,
resulting in the reproduction of the same defect
in all subsequent units.  This defect has been identified as

Subsequential Internal Non-morality

more commonly known as S.I.N.,
as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

Jesus-Saves

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at
fault for this defect, is providing factory-
authorized repair and service free of charge
to correct this defect. The Repair Technician,
JESUS, has most generously offered to bear
the entire burden of the staggering cost of
these repairs. There is no additional fee
required.The number to call for repair in all
areas is: P-R- A -Y-E-R. Once connected,
please upload your burden of SIN through
the REPENTANCE procedure. Next,
download ATONEMENT from the Repair
Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect
is,Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the
B.I.B.L.E.(BEST Instructions Before Leaving
Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the
human being unit without correction voids
any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit
to dangers and problems too numerous to list,
and will result in the human unit being
permanently impounded. For free emergency
service, call onJesus.

DANGER: The human being units not
responding to this recall action will have to be
scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not
be permitted to enter Heaven so as to
prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you
for your attention!

– GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by
notifying others of this important recall notice,
and you may contact the Father any time by
‘Knee mail’!

Because HE Lives!
Working for God on earth doesn’t pay much…
but His retirement plan is out of this world!

Exemptions in ObamaCare for those who can’t afford it

What You Need To Know About Obamacare’s Individual Mandate (And How Much It Costs To Ignore It)

The big Obamacare deadline looming on March 31 isn’t just the last chance for most Americans to buy health insurance this year. It’s also the last chance to avoid paying penalties under the Affordable Care Act’s dreaded “individual mandate.”

The individual mandate is one of the best-known but least-understood parts of President Barack Obama’s signature health-care reform law. Here’s how the mandate works, how much it costs to ignore the rule, and how you may be able to get out of it.

Who must have health insurance under Obamacare?

Practically everybody. But most Americans won’t have to do anything on March 31. That’s because about 80 percent of Americans already have health coverage — through their jobs, a government program like Medicare or Medicaid, or directly from an insurance company. The small percentage of Americans who aren’t insured risk having to pay a penalty under Obamacare. The complicated official name for this is the “individual shared responsibility payment.” The IRS has more information, in case you thirst for still more complicated official language.

Who is exempt?

Many people are exempt from the mandate. Undocumented immigrants don’t have to comply because they’re not even allowed to use Obamacare’s new insurance exchanges to buy coverage. Many Native Americans also don’t have to comply, nor do those whose religious beliefs reject health insurance, people who don’t make enough money to file federal income taxes, and people who can’t find a health plan that costs less than 8 percent of their incomes. There’s a full list here.
Then there’s the “hardship exemption.” The Obama administration is interpreting this part of the ACA very broadly, opening the door for lots and lots of people to potentially qualify.

There are 14 different categories of hardship exemption, including things like being homeless, experiencing a death in the family, and filing for bankruptcy. And the administration is letting anyone whose old insurance policy was canceled because it didn’t meet Obamacare standards apply for an exemption. The vaguest exemption, and therefore potentially the most useful to people who don’t want to get health coverage, is described as: “You experienced another hardship in obtaining health insurance.” And for some of these 14 reasons, you’re not even required to show documentation of your hardship.

What’s the penalty for not having health insurance?

People who go without coverage for more than three months this year will owe the IRS money for each additional month they are uninsured when they file their federal income taxes next year. The minimum penalty is $95 for each adult in a household and $47.50 for each child younger than 18 years old, capped at $285 no matter how large a family is. There’s also some wiggle room regarding the three-month grace period: Anyone who enrolls by the end of this month won’t owe a penalty even though their benefits may not kick until May 1.

Most taxpayers subject to the penalty will owe more than that, though. Under the law, the amount is the higher of $95 or 1 percent of household income minus the first $10,150 for a single person or $20,300 for a married couple filing jointly. So a married couple with two minor children and $50,000 in taxable income would owe $297, according to a calculator created by the Tax Policy Center at the Brookings Institution.

But there’s a limit to how much anyone would ever pay. The penalty is capped at the national average annual price for a “bronze” health insurance plan on the Obamacare exchanges, the lowest-level plan available to everyone. The IRS hasn’t calculated what that amount is yet, but the Tax Policy Center estimates that it’s $3,600 for a single person and $11,000 for a family of four.

The penalties start getting bigger next year and will be $695 or 2.5 percent of income by 2016. So being uninsured when you can afford coverage — according to Obamacare, anyway — will get expensive. While it’s cheaper than health insurance, you don’t get anything in return and are still responsible for paying your own medical bills.

How is the individual mandate enforced?

In a word? Lightly. The ACA doesn’t let the IRS come after you if you don’t pay the penalty. Failing to pay isn’t a crime. The government can’t garnish your wages or put liens on your property to collect the money. Basically, the only way the IRS can get the dough against your will is to deduct it from your tax refund.
What’s more, the IRS really doesn’t have any way of checking whether you’re really insured if you say so when you file taxes.

Why are we doing all of this anyway again?

The theory behind the individual mandate is that the way to create an insurance market that lets people with pre-existing conditions get covered at reasonable prices is to make everyone participate.

Without some way to push healthy people into the insurance market, the fear is that it’ll fall apart. Mostly sick people would get insurance, which would drive up prices, which would lead to healthier people deciding not to buy any, which would force insurers to raise rates to cover their expenses, which would lead to even more healthy people opting out. That cycle is called a “death spiral” in insurancespeak.

The individual mandate is not a popular policy at all for obvious reasons (Obama himself even used to oppose it). But the Supreme Court ruled two years ago that it’s Constitutional, so we have to deal with it. Massachusetts has had an individual mandate since 2007, and it’s worked out pretty well there.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/25/obamacare-individual-mandate_n_5007960.html#es_share_ended

IRS- Individual Shared Responsibility provision Q & A
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Questions-and-Answers-on-the-Individual-Shared-Responsibility-Provision

How to Qualify for an Exemption
https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions/

Larry Carlton and Using SPOTIFY

Larry-Carlton-2013

 

Larry Carlton on guitar and heard on SPOTIFY.

I suggest everyone learn about SPOTIFY and how to use it to promote their music and use it to follow your favorite musicians.

Add Spotify Follow buttons to your pages and make it easy for your web visitors to follow you or your favorite artists, or indeed any Spotify profile. It’s great for artists who want to build a fan base, businesses who want to raise their Spotify profiles, and music lovers who just want to share their tastes!

Here is my example in following Larry Carlton, one of my favorite and biggest influences in guitar playing:

Happy listening !

Listen to Larry Carlton on Spotify: Click Here

 

The Beatles Rubber Soul (1965 Full Album)

Beatles-Rubber-Soul

 

Side 1:
1. Drive My Car – 0:00
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – 2:27
3. You Won’t See Me – 4:30
4. Nowhere Man – 7:48
5. Think for Yourself – 10:30
6. The Word – 12:47
7. Michelle – 15:28

Side 2:
8. What Goes On – 18:08
9. Girl – 20:54
10. I’m Looking Through You – 23:24
11. In My Life – 25:49
12. Wait – 28:13
13. If I Needed Someone – 30:25
14. Run for Your Life – 32:45

 

Its A Beautiful Day (White Bird) – Full Album

Its-a-Beautiful-Day-Band

It’s a Beautiful Day is an American band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1967, featuring vocalist Pattie Santos along with violinist David LaFlamme and his wife, Linda LaFlamme, on keyboards.

It’s a Beautiful Day is the self-titled debut album by San Francisco psychedelic band It’s a Beautiful Day. This album’s song “White Bird” was the band’s biggest hit. A substantial part of the themes and arrangement of the song “Bombay Calling” was used by Deep Purple as the basis for their song “Child in Time”

Its A Beautiful Day: on Wikipedia.org

Track listing:

  1. White Bird 0:00
  2. Hot Summer Day 6:12
  3. Wasted Union Blues 12:04
  4. Girl With No Eyes 16:13
  5. Bombay Calling 20:04
  6. Bulgaria 24:33
  7. Time Is 30:48

Released 1969
Genre Psychedelic Rock
Length 40:42
Label CBS
Producer Matthew Katz, David LaFlamme

Personnel

David LaFlamme — violin, flute, lead vocals
Linda LaFlamme — acoustic piano, electric piano, organ, celeste, harpsichord
Hal Wagenet — guitars
Mitchell Holman — bass, harmonica, backing vocals
Val Fuentes — drums, backing vocals
Pattie Santos — percussion, bells, backing vocals
Bruce Steinberg — harmonica

Spirit – Full Albums

Spirit-album-01

Spirit 1968

1.Fresh-Garbage-00:00
2.Uncle Jack-03:11
3.Mechanical World-05:54 (Andes, Ferguson)
4.Taurus-11:09 (California)
5.Girl in Your Eye-13:46
6.Straight Arrow-17:01
7.Topanga Windows-19:52
8.Gramophone Man –23:28 (Andes, California, Cassidy, Ferguson, Locke)
9.Water Woman-27:18
10.The Great Canyon Fire in General-29:29
11.Elijah-32:16 (Locke)
12.Veruska †-43:04 (California)
13.Free Spirit †-45:55 (Locke)
14.If I Had a Woman † – 50:23 (California)
15.Elijah (Alternate Take) †-53:36 (Locke) † – Tracks specific to the 1996 reissue

All songs written by Jay Ferguson except where noted. Mark Andes — Bass, Vocals Randy California — Bass, Guitar, Vocals Ed Cassidy — Percussion, Drums Jay Ferguson — Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals John Locke — Keyboards

 

 

Quicksilver Messenger Service : full albums

Quicksilver-messenger-service-album-01

Quicksilver Messenger Service – Quicksilver Messenger Service – 1968 Full Album
Track list:
1 Pride Of Man 0:00
2 Light Your Windows 4:06
3 Dino’s Song 6:41
4 Gold And Silver 9:47
5 It’s Been Too Long 16:28
6 The Fool 19:23

Quicksilver-messenger-service-album-02

Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails – 1969

Track list:
01. Who Do You Love, Pt. 1 0:00
02. When You Love 3:32
03. Where You Love 8:47
04. How You Love 14:54
05. Which Do You Love 17:40
06. Who Do You Love, Pt. 2 22:19
07. Mona 28: 10
08. Maiden of the Cancer Moon 35:11
09. Calvary 38:03
10. Happy Trails 51:37

Quicksilver-messenger-service-album-04

Quicksilver Messenger Service – Just For Love – 1970

Track list:

Side A
A1 Wolf Run (Part 1) 0:00
A2 Just For Love (Part 1) 1:12
A3 Cobra 4:12
A4 The Hat 8:36

Side B
B1 Freeway Flyer 19:13
B2 Gone Again 23:02
B3 Fresh Air 30:20
B4 Just For Love (Part 2) 35:42
B5 Wolf Run (Part 2) 37:23

Effortless Grace and Elegance while Contemporary and Daring

The most potent and technologically advanced Rolls-Royce in history, Wraith is a car for the curious, the confident and the bold.

wraithThe striking fastback silhouette exudes elegance and power. The aerodynamic lines and wide rear track reinforce the promise of athletic prowess and dynamism, which is further accentuated by the prominent shoulders.  The compelling design can be further enhanced by exclusive two-tone paint combinations, which add definition and provide even more opportunity for you to personalize this beautiful car to your style.

WRAITH – make my world stand still