*
Highly Recommended *
An
Exciting Opportunity To Take Advantage Of A Trillion-Dollar
Industry
Of
the many paths to wealth, there is only one that Michael Masterson
most consistently recommends to his closest friends and relatives.
It
has all the advantages you want if you're starting from scratch:
simplicity, privacy, an extremely low entry cost and a huge
and growing potential for wealth building.
What
am I talking about? Michael himself explains
here.
-
Patrick Coffey
How
to Invest With the 1,000 Percent Club
By
Andrew Gordon
My
grandmother - who was born in the days of the horse-and-buggy
and died during the age of space travel - used to tell me with
absolutely no irony that there's nothing new in this world.
She lived through the first half of the 1970s and - were she
alive today - might find today's investment world strangely
familiar. Some of the best investments of her time are currently
turning in a repeat performance.
Oil
and gold both made over 1,000 percent gains in the 70s, and
they're well on their way to doing it again. U.S. coins also
were part of the 1,000 percent club back then, and will be
joining it before this decade's over.
Silver
made just under a 1,000 percent gain in the 70s. This time
around, I believe it's going to exceed that.
Rounding
out the top five moneymakers of the 70s is Chinese ceramics.
I have a couple of beautiful pieces (from the Han Dynasty)
in my collection that are worth three to four times more now
than when I bought them at estate sales 15 years ago. They're
as valuable a long-term investment as anything else I own.
So
you might want to take another look at the assets in your portfolio
and make some changes - keeping in mind that what worked in
the 1970s can make you big money today.
[Ed.
Note: Andrew Gordon is the editor of ETR's The
Wealth Advantage investment service. Join
now and you'll get a free special report on his specific "finds" -
companies that have the very real potential of giving you up
to 1,000 percent on your investment.]
"Right
actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions
in the past."
-
Tryon Edwards
"I'm
Sorry, but... "
By
Robert Ringer
Recently,
there was a piece on television about Kermit Washington, a
star forward with the Los Angeles Lakers back in the 1970s.
If you follow pro basketball, you may remember that horrendous
night of December 9, 1977, when Washington almost (though unintentionally)
killed the Houston Rockets' Rudy Tomjanovich with a single,
face-shattering punch.
Washington
was coming to the aid of teammate Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, who
was involved in a skirmish with the Rockets' Kevin Kunnert.. But when
he sensed Tomjanovich rushing up behind him, he whirled around
and delivered the infamous punch that broke several bones in
Tomjanovich's face and left him lying motionless in a pool
of blood. Many thought he was dead. As it turned out, he had
to undergo several serious surgeries, but ultimately recovered.
Washington's
impulsive act all but destroyed his own life. After being booed
around the league and traded several times, he finally retired
in 1982. For nearly 25 years, Washington tried to secure an
assistant coaching job in the NBA, but no one would return
his phone calls. He even offered to work for free, but to no
avail.
In Message
#1680, I defined "The Big Mistake" as
a mistake so great it can destroy such precious assets
as reputation, marriage, and earning capacity. In extreme
cases, it can cost a person his life - and often has.
Kermit Washington's ill-advised fisticuffs is a classic
example of this.
But
in Washington's case, there was another factor at play that
caused him to be universally reviled for such a long period
of time. For nearly a quarter of a century, he couldn't bring
himself to offer an unconditional apology to Tomjanovich.
To be sure, he apologized - but all of his apologies were done
through the press. Worse, they always had a "but" attached
to them - as in, "I'm sorry, but ..."
In
fact, Washington repeatedly (albeit in subtle ways) cast himself
as the victim, insisting that teammate Kunnert should accept
part of the blame since he [Kunnert] "started the fight." If
you've ever found yourself in a situation where you feel that
someone else should share the blame for your actions, you already
know that positing yourself as a victim falls on deaf ears.
In
fact, the more you point your finger at others, the worse you
look in everyone else's eyes. By attaching a "but" to
his apologies, what Washington conveyed to the world was that
he was not prepared to take full responsibility for his ill-advised
deed.
So,
on top of all the negative fallout from Kermit Washington's
impulsive punch, perhaps the saddest part of it is that he
had it within his power to quickly make amends for his horrific
mistake. I believe that Washington could have changed the past
25 years of his life had he demonstrated unequivocal contriteness
from the outset.
Had
he spoken the right words 24-48 hours after the incident occurred,
most of his detractors almost certainly would have forgiven
him. By right words,I'm referring to something along
the lines of the following:
"I
am ashamed of what I did, and I just want Rudy Tomjanovich
and his family, the NBA, players on both teams, the Houston
Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers organizations, my family, and
fans throughout the league to know that I am genuinely sorry
for what I did. It was a stupid and impulsive action on my
part, and I only hope that Rudy Tomjanovich will someday find
it in his heart to forgive me. But if he does not, I will fully
understand. Above all, I want to make it clear that no
matter what anyone else did that night on the court, my
act is completely indefensible and I take full responsibility
for it."
How
could you not forgive someone who offered such a clear-cut
apology and expressed such unqualified remorse? Today, Washington
finally has an amiable relationship with Tomjanovich - but,
from the standpoint of how his life has played out, it's a
case of too little, too late.
What
is also sad about this unfortunate incident is that Washington
actually appears to be a sensitive, highly intelligent individual.
For years, he has been involved in Project Contact, a volunteer
organization he founded to provide education and medical care
to destitute East Africans.
The
lesson you should take away from this tale is that "I'm
sorry, but ..." does not work. I've dealt with many "I'm
sorry, but ..." people over the years, and have always
been turned off by their feigned apologies. In my mind, I translate "but" into "I'm
not willing to take ownership of my mistake."
On
the other hand, the words "I'm sorry" are magical
- provided you put a period after them. The same can be said
of such statements as "I made a mistake," "I
take full responsibility," "It's my fault," "I
apologize," and "That was inconsiderate on my part."
There's
so much friction in day-to-day life that it pays to use all
the tools at your disposal to make things go as smoothly as
possible in your dealings with other people. And knowing when
to invoke phrases such as those mentioned above are among the
most powerful tools you can use toward achieving that end.
[Ed.
Note: Are You on the path to power? In just
three hours, you can be well on your way to getting everything
you want in life. Now, for the first time in his legendary
career, Robert Ringer will share his personal-power techniques
with you in a breakthrough, step-by-step teleseminar series. CLICK
HERE to sign up. And if you are not presently
a subscriber to his insightful, wisdom-filled e-letter, A
Voice of Sanity in an Insane World, CLICK
HERE to sign up for your free subscription
now.]
* Highly
Recommended *
An
Historic Event in Audio-Publishing History
With
access to Robert Ringer's unique perspectives and profound
wisdom, you can join the millions of entrepreneurs, business
owners, salespeople, and individuals in all walks of life who
have taken gigantic steps toward achieving their personal and
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Don't
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books of all time on CD.
-
Patrick Coffey
Reader
Feedback: "Your positive notes and success stories fueled
the start of my own business."
"I
have been a subscriber to ETR for a couple of years now. Your
positive notes and success stories fueled something that had
been simmering on my back burner for years - the start of my
own consulting business. Following many of the examples ETR
gave, I work my business daily and consistently -
even if it 'seems' that there is not much to do.
"The
payoff so far has been, to say the least, extraordinary. I
was able to leave a job where I commuted daily a total of three
hours. I now enjoy a better quality of life than I have ever
experienced. I have finally achieved a strong work/life balance,
and my family has been able to become my focus once again.
In two short months, using prior contacts only, I have attained
several large clients. Next week, I am flying to New York to
a prospective new client in response to a proposal I sent."
Debra
E. Kaminski
Sugar Grove, OH
Bananas
and Some Veggies May Prevent Kidney Cancer
By
Jon Herring
New
research shows that you can lower your risk of developing kidney
cancer by eating certain fruits and veggies.
Swedish
researchers who followed 61,000 women ages 40 to 76 for an
average of 13 years found that those who ate bananas four to
six times a week cut their risk of this cancer by half. And
those who frequently ate root vegetables (like carrots and
beets) lowered their risk by 50 to 65 percent. "Salad
vegetables" (like cucumber and leafy greens) were also
linked to a lower cancer risk.
So
hop in your car, head to the market, point your shopping cart
directly at the produce department, and load up on these protective
foods. An easy way to get more of them into your diet is to
put them in a juicer and drink down the benefits in liquid
form.
(Resource: International
Journal of Cancer)
The
Quotable Mr. Franklin: On Growing Old ...
"People
who live long drink of the cup of life to the very bottom and
must expect to meet with some of the usual dregs; and when
I reflect on the number of terrible maladies human nature is
subject to, I think myself favored in having only three incurable
ones that have fallen to my share, viz., the gout, the stone,
and old age; and that these have not yet deprived me of my
natural cheerfulness, my delight in books and enjoyment of
social conversation. There are many sorrows in this life, but
we must not blame Providence inconsiderately, for there are
many more pleasures. This is why I love life."
(Source: The
Compleated Autobiography, by Benjamin Franklin,
compiled and edited by Mark Skousen)
Notes
from Michael Masterson's Journal: Goodbye to Checked Luggage
I'm
headed for Nicaragua in a few days, and now, thanks to the
reaction to the latest terrorist attempt to get bombs on planes,
traveling is even worse. As I write this, we are not allowed
to carry most liquids or gels on board. That includes cosmetics,
hair products, more than four ounces of liquid medicine, and
even baby teethers. What this means is that almost no one will
be able to travel without checking luggage.
I
dislike checking my luggage, because it takes longer, it encourages
me to pack more than I need, and it puts me at risk for lost
baggage, which seems to happen with considerably more frequency
than statistics would suggest.
What
worries me more is the talk about prohibiting all electronic
devices, and not only on trips to England. That would include
laptop computers, which would be a real inconvenience for business
travelers. Whereas most of us view long trips as opportunities
to catch up on work, they'll now become wasted time.
Oh,
well. What can you do? We'll just have to make the best of
it.
Checking
my luggage will mean I'll no longer have to keep an eye on
it when I'm in the airport. I guess that's a good thing. And
I won't have to lug it with me. That's a small benefit. I can't
think of the silver lining on a computer ban. I suppose I'd
be able to read more.
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Word
to the Wise: Debouch
To "debouch" (dih-BOWCH
or dih-BOOSH) - from the French - is to emerge from a confined
space into the open.
Example
(as used by Jan Morris in Fifty
Years of Europe): "... one of those
ancient towns of central France where the streets wind upward
from the railway track, through scowling walls of medievalism,
until they debouch in the square outside the cathedral door,
surveyed by huge stone animals from the cathedral tower and
prowled around on Sunday mornings by cats and desultory tourists."
