A 401K and a Mason Jar

I read a question posted on the FastCompany FastTalk board, “Q. How concerned are you about the long term value of your 401K plan?”

While normally this question would not normally draw my attention, however, it along with observing my friend (remember the would-be gold prospector?) caught my eye. Seems that since the start of this Economic Debacle, my friend, almost like clockwork, logs in and checks the latest on his 401K. I just scratch my head and walk away. Here is someone who is genuinely worried about something today that he will not need for another 20 or 30 years from now. He is worried about something that he is not living off of. Just like any economic situation it will get better. The economy has always had its ups and it has had its downs, you can bet it will have plenty of ups and downs over the course of the next 30 years. So, why get all worried, concerned, and paniced over nothing. The only people that should show some concern is those that are currently living off the return of their 401Ks.

Don’t get me wrong, I think my friend is genuinely worried about nothing. Especially, when low value is all there is . This is not time for concern (and panic) but time to take advantage of a bad situation.

I am firm believer in buying low and selling high. This is the time that my friend and many others should be dumping as much money as they can to build up their holdings. I know I am.

It is real simple: building up and solidifying the base of any 401K, mutual fund, or individual stock position while the prices are low is really the only thing that makes sense during the current economy. What is it that so many people find this difficult to believe? Some say that if the economy continues this downward spiral it will be pointless to invest in anything.

So the question from those worrywarts becomes: What if the stock market completely fails?

If you or anyone else has that kind of attitude, shouldn’t you be pulling your money out of the 401K, IRA, Mutual fund, stocks, or any investment program before the bottom completely falls out? I mean for pete’s sake, if you have defeatist attitude about the future of the market, then please cash out now before all your money is gone. Of course, what will you do with all that cash? Put it in the bank? Burying in the backyard? Or store it under your mattress?

Unless, you are ready to take advantage of a very unique situation, my guess is a mason jar under the front porch is right for you.


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Hurry Up and Wait

Hurry Up and Wait seems to be the phrase that best describes the up to the minute situation of the economy.

The Economic Bailout package is still bouncing around in the House & Senate with a vote looming. Yet all this time we have been playing that old US Army game of "Hurry Up and Wait"

Where we go 100 miles per hour and then when ready to kick things off we are told to just sit and wait.

Now we wait for Friday's vote in the house. Though all is not waiting, the markets are reacting some in a not so favorable manner. However, this is no cause for alarm as it is too early to even begin speculating as the EB has not yet been approved.

So for now we wait.

Talk to you soon



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Greed Is Still Good

"Greed is Good..." remember those famous words uttered by the Michael Douglas character, Gordon Gekko, in the 1987 motion picture Wall Street? In light of the recent economic situation, someone reminded me of Gekko's speech in the movie. They alluded to the fact that the speech was about GREED BEING GOOD and that greed is pure evil, no ands, ifs, or buts.

That certain someone told me that the Gekko speech is an exact reflection of the current economic situation. Which he said was born out of Greed and Lust for Money and Power. My friend may be right (to a certain extent).

Here is the certain extent. Those three words are part of a larger speech in the movie, when Gekko is given his 15 minutes at a shareholder meeting.

Here is Gekko's speech in its entirety, please read it and then make up your mind as to what Gekko was really saying:



"Well, I appreciate the opportunity you're giving me, Mr. Cromwell, as the single largest shareholder in Teldar Paper, to speak. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasy, but in political and economic reality. America, America has become a second-rate power. Its trade deficit and its fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions. Now, in the days of the free market, when our country was a top industrial power, there was accountability to the stockholder. The Carnegies, the Mellons, the men that built this great industrial empire, made sure of it because it was their money at stake. Today, management has no stake in the company!

All together, these men sitting up here [Teldar management] own less than 3 percent of the company. And where does Mr. Cromwell put his million-dollar salary? Not in Teldar stock; he owns less than 1 percent. You own the company. That's right -- you, the stockholder.

And you are all being royally screwed over by these, these bureaucrats, with their steak lunches, their hunting and fishing trips, their corporate jets and golden parachutes.

Teldar Paper, Mr. Cromwell, Teldar Paper has 33 different vice presidents, each earning over 200 thousand dollars a year. Now, I have spent the last two months analyzing what all these guys do, and I still can't figure it out. One thing I do know is that our paper company lost 110 million dollars last year, and I'll bet that half of that was spent in all the paperwork going back and forth between all these vice presidents.

The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated.

In the last seven deals that I've been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars. [applause] Thank you.

I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good.

Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.

And greed -- you mark my words -- will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much."

Is this speech still relevant?
I say it is. I say that the entire speech is very much relevant. The points that Gekko makes are all to hauntingly close to the today's business world. Greed for money drives the problems we are in now. Greed to make a quick buck, Greed to buy a house at the lowest possible interest rate, Greed to buy a car that makes us look better than the neighbors. However, Gekko is NOT exclusively talking about the kind of Greed that revolves around $$$. It is part of it but not all of it.

It is about the Greed that makes us want the best for the ones we love. It is the kind of Greed that motivates us to keep going to that job we despise knowing that at the end there will be something better. Greed also motivates us to leave a bad relationship for something better. It is also about the kind of Greed that makes us want to be a better person than we were yesterday that makes things happen.

Please, do not be fooled by Alarmist tactics that are designed to mislead the population to believe one thing when the big picture is something completely different.

Just as Greed is what got us into this financial mess, Greed is what will lead us out of this financial mess.

Greed is still Good and that is the bottom line.


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Weathering The Storm

A few weeks ago I wrote change and how circumstances force change on us and how it can also be the perfect opportunity to initiate change. There was something I overlooked; the storm that usually comes with change.

The storm?
Yes, some people call it fallout and others call it the storm. This is what happens when change is happening but it affects them in a negative manner or so they think it is negative. This is when resistance starts. Thus the person initiating the change goes head-to-head against the person(s) resistant to the change.

As the person initiating the change, your change, you have to expect that there will be those that will fight you every step of the way. This is when you have continue fighting through. You have to ensure that you do not back down. Under no circumstances are you to even consider changing your mind, you went to all that trouble to initiate the change. Now, why would you want to go back on your decisions?

Sure it may eliminate the displeasure and discomfort that is causing others, but it will also let the others know that if they moan and whine long enough you will give in. Stand your ground, this time and every time.

Again, it may be difficult and discomforting for you as well. You will need to ensure everyone that your decisions are yours and you will not be intimidated into rescinding your decisions.

Keep fighting the good fight and in the end you will be better for it.

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Hurricane Ike Evacuees, Hotels, & the Web

This morning I saw a disturbing news report on CNN Headline news. It seems that College Station, Texas area hotels are between in a rock and a hard place due to a Texas A&M football game this weekend. There were hotel reservations made long before Hurricane Ike ever made the scene. Now that Ike has come and gone and football day is here, the Evacuees that were hunkering down are being asked to leave because of the reservations.

The evacuees are left out to find themselves with another place to stay. The report did mention that some hotel personnel were calling people with reservations and explained the situation with some canceling reservations but not all. So the Ike Evacuees are being forced out, again.

It got me thinking how this is a great opportunity for organizations like Hotels.com, Priceline, Travelocity, and Expedia to step up and help by doing what they do to get Hotels for the evacuees lined up. As of 9:00am this morning, I checked all four mentioned websites and only one had a direct link dealing with the hurricane it read "Travel Alert: Hurricane Advisory" but does not directly mention Evacuees and their unique situation.

With a little planning and some forward thinking they could be working with their "vast network" of suppliers to provide evacuee assistance for airline, hotel, and rental car bookings during this and every hurricane season. It really should not be a big burden for these organizations to do something good. Maybe get good old Captain Kirk to go on TV and run a spot directly aimed at those affected by weather or other natural disaster events. It should not be a stretch for Bill Shatner to do a simple promotion to give people a place to turn to, as I am more than sure the brief shameless self-promotional appearance on Saturday Night Live last week will confirm that they will do what it takes to get the message out.

Anyone have other ideas on how to help people in these situations, today and in the future?

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Bank Bailout??? and the $1000 Bagel!!!

Federal Government bails out AIG and now has its eye on the Banks and Banking System. It seems that the US Government, according to a CNNMoney.com online report, is "poised to establish a program to let banks get rid of mortgage-related assets that have been hard to value and harder to trade."

This is very interesting...sounds like the CDO problem???? Collateralized Debt Obligations? Sound familiar? It should, it was back in July 17, 2007 that I first talked about CDOs and why you should be worried.

Is this really what the Government should be doing? Is the government going to buy the foreclosed home next door to me and then do what with it? I am more than sure the government does not want to be holding on to these homes? They are going to move them and they can afford to take a loss on the resale of these home, heck after all they are foreclosed homes. These things should be a bargain and because people love a bargain, they will snatch them up and either drop property values even further or raise value as subdivisions are back to capacity? See where this is going?

While I am all for the Government backing off, I am also a proponent of stepping in when people will get hurt. This is what government should be all about. Let a business make an attempt at success or failure but let's not have government looming overhead and waiting for the first mistake so that they can intervene. Of course there are always exceptions, much like Enron or WorldCom, when the activities are more blatant and people will suffer, then by all means jump right in.

Let's trust the process enough to let it work. I would like to see how these organizations would have handled the recovery process without having the government to turn to.

Even then, when the time comes for the government to step in and take care of the people, please, let's not save someone from drowning by keeping them out of the pool.

In the "by the way" department: Time to change another channel....it was fun while it lasted. When you have to blog what you have posted someplace else, well, all I can say is that the $1000 Bagel has certainly gone stale for you.

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I'll Start Doing It When You Start Doing It

Another friend and I were talking and she was telling me about a conversation her Co-Worker (C-W) and her were having the other day. It was a very interesting conversation. It seems that a member of the co-worker's staff is flat out disregarding the C-W's directives. These directives are the common stuff you hear of in the workplace; turn in time-sheets by close of business Monday, double check your work, and other relatively mundane stuff but still disregarded nonetheless.

My friend recommended that it may be time to start holding those people accountable and writing them up as a method to not only show that C-W was serious about what is expected of the employees but also as a tool to motivate the Co-Worker's employees in the right direction.

The Co-Worker's response to my friend was "I'll start doing it when you start doing it." Needless to say, my friend was floored. My friend told me she was stunned and could not believe that the C-W, a manager of a medium size department (approx 30 members), would actually utter those words.

My friend asked me, what I thought that was all about? To me that statement was nothing short of a cop out and certainly explains how her C-W's people got so out of control and basically disrespect her Co-Worker.

While I, personally, do not know my friend's Co-Worker, but those words spoke volumes about the C-W and it also put in perspective what C-W is looking for. The Co-Worker is looking for someone else to handle his/her problems for him/her. It is quite obvious that C-W is NOT taking a leader's approach to solving problems but more of a "pawn it off on someone else" approach.

Again, I want to be sure that everyone understands that I do now know C-W but nonetheless C-W is in a position of authority and a lame response will not solve C-W's problems. Another thing to consider is that maybe, just maybe, C-W is not ready to be a leader. Remember folks, being a manager does NOT make you an automatic leader.

Something else to remember; being in charge of 30 people is not for a manager...it is for a LEADER. These 30 people certainly NEED A LEADER.

How does one empower C-W and all the other Co-Workers in the same situation? Let the C-W know that problems they are encountering are not unique to them, these problems are the same that other leaders have dealt with in the past and will deal with in the future. These are problems that are not to be passed off on someone else to handle, they are to be addressed immediately and effectively.

However, we cannot empower all of our Co-Workers until they are ready to take that stand and be fully prepared to WALK THE TALK.


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A word of warning to would be employees

Earlier this week, I was talking to my number once client. She revealed to me that she has a project getting ready to kick off. As part of that project she has to hire 10 new people and get them trained. My friend was talking to a mutual friend who recommended that her (the mutual friend) son would be suited for a position as he was going to school and having a little extra spending money would be nice. Hey, in this day and age who wouldn't want a litte extra cash on hand??? Certainly not me and certainly not a young college student.

As my friend and I got to talking about hiring people and how tricky that always was. The tricky part came when a background check would only reveal so little, especially for young adults. I told her that a growing trend is for employers (or potential employers) to Google a potential new hire to see what information they can find about the individual.

To prove my point we "Googled" the name of the mutual friend's son. Well, Google revealed that he has a Facebook page as well as the standard MySpace page. So, my client clicked on the MySpace link and to our surprised it was locked as private. I told her that was a good thing as it prevented others from finding out too much or seeing way too much. Then we were off to the Facebook page.

My client was not thrilled at what she saw there. The young man had as his primary photo a picture of him and someone else throwing what appears to be gang signs and the international hand sign for not the number one. If you could have seen my client's face when she saw the picture, it was a look of shock and then confusion.

Shock at how could this "nice young man" have compromised himself in such a manner by allowing himself to be seen in such a picture? I told her that it is not uncommon for kids to be kids. However, if the young people today want to be taken seriously in the workplace they need to start taking themselves seriously. They need to take responsibility for what they post online. Sure it may be cute, it may be funny, but it will certainly make any potential employer think twice about who they want to represent them and their business.

The confusion was based on whether or not to bring him into the project? Does she not hire him and risk losing a friend or does she hire him and risk him losing customers? It certainly took her to a place she did not want to be.

I did recommend that she talk to the young man, look him in the eye and tell him "If I was any other employer your would be no where near my place of business, but because of who your parents and I are to one another please change your online pictures to reflect a more responsible individual before showing up for work on Monday."

Of course, I added that she can check and if he still has not changed the pics by the time Monday morning rolls around. Stand your ground and kindly tell the young man to go home as he cannot complete a simple request as a condition of employment then he could not be trusted to complete any other task set before him.

Folks, this might sound harsh but in the end, it is called Business for a reason.

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Back to School

Just wanted to take some time to wish every educator GOOD LUCK in the coming school year. Your job, unfortunately, is a Thankless Task, yet it is so VERY IMPORTANT to the future of all of us.

While everyone is getting the kids ready, I want to take the time to THANK YOU for what you do and wish you the best this coming school year.

Now, go out there and teach them everything they need to be better citizens of our world.


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Change comes quickly (when you got a plan)

As change seems to be the running theme, I will add a little more to it. Since the 8th of August there has been a lot of change happening on the other side of the planet, relative to where I am of course. Change has been happening in Beijing.

At The Summer Olympics Games?
Yes, at the Summer Olympic Games. We have seen World Records shattered and countries that were never thought to be contenders become contenders as well as those countries that were expected to win win. How is this change?

It is change when you are not expected to win a medal and all of a sudden the loudspeaker is playing your nation's national anthem, rest assured that most certainly classified as CHANGE. By now, just about everyone on the planet knows who Michael Phelps is and the feat he and his teammates accomplished. For that matter, people recognize Mexico's Tatiana Ortiz & Paola Espinosa and their bronze medals in synchronized diving (a first for Mexico).

Before I digress, or is it diverge, even further let me reel this one in. All the individuals and teams that are participating in the Olympiad are doing so because they followed a plan to get there. All of the Olympians had to change to fit the plan they set before themselves.

I am more than sure on all their plans the last item list is "Win the Gold Medal" and while not all will win a gold medal it is on that plan nonetheless.

What do those Olympians do if they don't get a gold? They go back and re-evaluate the plan to see if it was a feasible plan? Then they adjust the plan accordingly then try again. Of course, unlike football (NFL) these athletes don't wait until next year to make things happen, they have to wait four years. Four years is a long time and four years certainly takes its toll on the human body. Still, four years is plenty of time to fine tune a program that fell just short of the medal stand.

What about the rest of us that are not Michael Phelps or Misty May? Don't be discouraged...I did not participate in the 2008 Olympics, nor will I participate in the 2010 Olympics, however my plan is taking me in a different direction and if I never get the gold on the track I am on, well I will certainly re-evaluate, re-design, and re-configure my plan. Then will I press on in my quest for the gold.

Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Go for the Gold.


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The Donald does it again

No sooner than I post about Trump Trait:Don't Fear Risk, that Donald Trump goes and proves another Trump Trait. It seems that Johnny Carson's long time "Tonight" show side kick Ed McMahon has fallen on hard times and fell behind on and eventually defaulted on the mortgage to his $4.8million mansion due to his inability to work because of a neck injury. Well, just before foreclosure was to take place, Donald Trump pops in and is scheduled to seal the deal on acquiring the property from the Countrywide Financial Corp. according to a CNN.com report.

In the CNN.com posting states that Donald Trump "told the Los Angeles Times he doesn't know McMahon personally, but acted out of compassion because helping out 'would be an honor.'" This is because "when I was at the Wharton School of Business I'd watch him every night," Trump told the Times. "How could this happen?"

How it could happen? It is pretty obvious, as it is happening all over the country. Mr. McMahon, though his situation is unfortunate it is far from unique. People everywhere are finding themselves having to deal with rising fuel & food prices, layoffs or rising Adjustable Rate Mortgages that they can no longer pay. Of course, there are also those unforeseen incidents such as sudden medical situations, vehicle breakdown, and even major home appliances that need to be replaced. So what is a person to do? You persevere and continue to fight the good fight. Use those Trump Traits to get back into the game and you will be better for it.

So what TRUMP TRAIT did The Donald use in this situation? I say he used two (2) of the fourteen Trump Traits: Revenge Can Be Good and Build Your Brand.

Revenge Can Be Good: While this may have been the farthest thing on his mind, Mr. Trump seized an opportunity to do a good thing and in this case it was a complete opposite of what those that criticize him expected him to do. Therefore, revenge is certainly sweet.

Build Your Brand: Here is another thing at what makes Donald Trump who he is. He knows real estate and he makes another high profile purchase. Therefore, he continues to add to his brand, thus he continues to be relevant.

Speaking of Real Estate, Houses/Homes and Ed McMahon here is a very unique clip from the Tonight show. In Mr. McMahon's case, a very timely subject matter is discussed in the clip.



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Invisible Relevance

In a blog post by Pete Ryckman of Memo to C-Level Speakers blog, "Welcome to the Age of Invisibility", writes about living in the new age of Invisibility.

The age of invisibility is where, as he puts it, "Speakers face new problems as media content outlets -- like broadcast, cable, print, Web, blogs, etc. -- multiply at a geometric rate." While Ryckman talks, in his blog post, specifically about public speakers but I say that this can apply to everybody and anybody, public speaker or not.

In the post Ryckman warns that if people don't find a way to remain dynamic they will become invisible. As he adds, "The problem is this. If you don't speak often enough and to the right people, you start to become invisible. When you don’t move, they can’t see you. It's not that your voice is fading. The problem is that all the other voices are getting louder -- and there are many more of them."

While this is certainly true, I have one question: How does one know they are speaking to the right people?

I mean, who decides who the right people are? My answer to this question is: The right people who decide is the people that want to be inspired by you. Your peers, co-workers, students, friends, family, and most certainly your children (if you have kids).

The rest of the post goes to talk about working hard to stay relevant otherwise "you'll begin to disappear -- overlapped and replaced by the flood of new voices and new stories." There is nothing but a world of truth in that statement.

Of course, you are the master/mistress of your fate. Only you can decide just how relevant you want to be. So do everyone a favor and stay relevant.

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A Trump Trait: Don't Fear Risk...

It's no secret that I am a big fan of Donald Trump and what it took for The Donald to get to the top of the game he plays. Back in January, I wrote a post titled Trump Traits. In that post, I listed 14 traits that Trump, himself, listed as the keys to his success in an episode of CNBC's Millionaire Inside. One of which is "Don't Fear Risk" and that's what I want to talk about today.

This past weekend, I blogged about making change because it was necessary and not for the sake of change. I also alluded to the fact that people will find any excuse not to make change and I mean any excuse not to be slimmer, not to start a business, not to write that book, not to get out of a relationship that they know is bad. Why? People look in the mirror and everyday ask themselves that same question: WHY?

Why can't I write that book? Why can't I lose those last 10 pounds? Why can't I leave? Why can't I make that change? Simply it's the risk involved and the fear of failure.

What if people don't like the book? What if I gain that weight back? What if I end up alone? What if? If's and why's are fear and risk and the fear of risk all rolled up into one.

This may be the biggest Trump Trait all of us have to face. DON'T FEAR RISK. Of course, it is easy for me to say (or write) but it is just as difficult for me as it is for you to embrace. We have to embrace it anyway, everyday, every waking moment. Let NOT FEARING RISK become your friend and your enemy at the same time.

Your friend in the sense that you can make NOT FEARING RISK your daily mantra. Knowing that now you can do what you want to do without having to think too much about what may or may not happen. NOT FEARING RISK is also knowing that you are fully prepared to accept the outcome of that change.

Your enemy in the sense that you cannot become complacent in embracing NOT FEARING RISK. Meaning that you should not just assume what changes you make or what you do happen without some form of risk or repercussion. You will always be held accountable for your actions, however, if you are prepared to accept and live with what happens then you are on the right track. Just don't let NOT FEARING RISK become static. Keep NOT FEARING RISK as a dynamic as possible. Don't let NOT FEARING RISK become mediocre.

Don't Fear Risk...Make that change happen now. You will be better for it.


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It's Your Choice: Your Past = Your Future or Your Past ≠ Your Future

Interesting things are happening around here. Change. Seems that the storms (Dolly & Edouard) brought in a little more than wind, rain, they also brought change. I had a great discussion yesterday with a friend and it was all about change. It was not about change for the sake of change, it was about seizing the moment and making those kind of changes we all need to make.

Here is a perfect opportunity to make those changes that will impact your life, your family, your job, your future. These are the changes that you always wanted to make but for some strange reason you thought it would be too difficult to do because you didn't have time or didn't have the money or don't have the right contacts. Let me pass along a little secret (promise not to tell): the moment you commit to make the change (no matter if it feels good or bad) is the moment you will find the time, find the money, and have the contacts.

It will all fall inline, but if you keep doing what you have always been doing then you will most certainly be living in your past and not moving towards a future that is a better you. Of course, for those that live in the past then you can most certainly assure yourself that your past WILL CONTINUE TO BE your future. That is unless you make change, not only happen but sustain it, as well.

In making change, one has to quit something in order to start something else. Am I advocating change as form of quitting? You bet I am. Seth Godin wrote a great book called The Dip. In that book, he said that it was OK to quit so long as that change (to quit) meant getting out of the Dip that you may find yourself in.

I am not telling you anything new...I am telling you, AGAIN, because it is that important. My friends don't let it take a Hurricane to make a change...right here, right now, make that change. If anyone asks, go ahead and tell them I said it was OK to make that change.

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Back To Normal?

This week, I took a little time to decompress from the activities before, during, and after Hurricane Dolly. While it only managed to make Category 1, it still did some damage.

There was still a lot of prep that went on before the storm, as well as maintaining during the storm, recovery after the storm, and lastly prepping for the next storm. Then almost immediately after Dolly, Tropical Storm Edouard formed in the Gulf. While not in the path of that storm, I still had some personal and professional interests in the storm's projected path. My mind was in disaster recovery-mode and disaster prep-mode at the same time. Luckily, Edouard was nothing more than a welcomed rain storm.

Now, Dolly & Edouard are behind us and things are starting to get back to normal, but do things ever really get back to normal?

Things may appear like they are back to normal but deep down inside there is a stream of consciousness or a train of thought, that is just below the surface. That stream is centered on the next time.

How does one deal with that? It's easy; talk about it, put it in writing, make a plan. Soon things will start to work themselves out and with that you will start to focus less on the uncertainty about what you cannot control and more on what you can control.

Remember, Hurricane Season is far from over and natural disasters can happen at anytime. So do what you can now to be ready.

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• Dave Guerra • Hurricane Dolly • Tropical Storm Edouard • Disaster Recovery • Business Continuity • disaster planning • Contingency Plan • talk about it • American Red Cross

Internet is back

WooHoo!!! back into the 21st Century. Our current Internet Service Provider has us back online. It certainly was strange not being able to hop online when I wanted to or needed to. Let's hope no one has to go through what I went through this past week. Well, I will post more later.

Power is back

Power has been restored and we are happy campers. Then again there is still something like 75,000 people without power.

However, BIG KUDOS to those organizations that have kicked it up a notch and making it bearable for those individuals during their time of need.

MAD PROPS TO: State of Texas, Texas National Guard, Red Cross, Salvation Army, American Electric Power (AEP), Magic Valley Electric Cooperative, Hidalgo County Government, Cameron County Government, Willacy County Government, HEB, LOWES, and yes, even FEMA.

Keep up the good work and while you are at it, please update your websites to reflect your efforts and keep us up to date. Those of you that have done so, thanks.

Power Power...NO Power anywhere

I am thumbing the post from the keypad of my trusty Palm Centro. It seems that Hurricane Dolly may be history but she is still very much alive inthe sweaty, sticky hearts of the estimated 200,000 people without power here in deep south Texas. Yours truly included.

It has been over 24 hours since the power went out at home. It is understandable, a hurricane just blew by. However, once the storm past the work crews were out in full force. ..or so it seemed.

I live about 1 mile from two power plants (AEP & Magic Valley Electric Coop). At night I can see the lights of those facilities making 'lectricity. However, right I have to wonder who they are making for because they are not making it for me and my neighbors. As went enter the first evening after Hurricane Dolly, I can only think about two things as I see the facilities light up my night sky: how much are they going raise my rate because they worked to give power and how glad I am I found my car charger last week.

..and how was your day?

Happy Birthday to me (x2)

This past week I received something special and very interesting in the mail: a birthday card from my stockbroker. How nice? Not really.....

See, six months ago I received a birthday card from my broker. Yep, 2 cards in 1 year, six months apart. Both cards were signed by every broker in the local office of this NATIONALLY recognized brokerage firm (who happen to have their name on a sports center in the city of Brotherly Love).

I am starting to get a little nervous about these guys. Mind you, they do not hold the majority portion of my investments but they are the first brokerage firm I ever used so they have been with me for a long time. Up to this point, there was great customer to brand loyalty. Now I am not so sure.

I mean if these guys can't get my birth date right then what else aren't they getting right? I understand it's better to send two instead of one, however, they have documents that must filed with the federal government and along with my SSN, my date of birth is a key identifying component of those documents.

So now I have to ask two questions: (1)What else are they misrepresenting about me when they file documents with the federal government? (2)Who else are they misrepresenting when they file documents with the federal government?

Stick around to see how this one works out.

tag this: Dave Guerra, Stockbroker, Brand Loyalty, 2 Birthdays, Brokerage Firm, Critical Tax Information, SEC, See the light before the warning, Opportunity, Mediocrity, Complacency

Too Much, Too Fast??? (a Starbucks kind of story, well sort of)

By now you have heard what's happening over at Starbucks. Shutting down 600 or so units and displacing countless employees. Starbucks is obviously a victim of its own success. This not anything new and this will happen again to another company or companies. Currently, there are not that many nationwide organizations that have been expanding (at the speed of Starbucks) yet they are out there. There are two organizations that are on my radar: Best Buy and Walgreens.

I am not singling them out for any other reason than that I personally feel that while their brand is highly recognized it is also reaching a saturation point.

Best Buy: I don't know about your neck of the woods but these guys, in my neck of the woods, are expanding ALL over the place. I kid you not, the following statement is true: If I go the to busiest intersection in the town next to where I live and drive for 10 minutes in one of three directions I will be at the front door of a brand new BEST BUY store. Seems like a little "too much, too fast" kind of growth for me. Of course, this alone will not bring down the consumer electronics giant, but will certainly cripple it. The current economic situation is driving too many variables to make any kind of prognostication about the future of Best Buy and especially, its expansion plans.

Walgreens: This is no secret, over the past number of years the Walgreens organization has been buying up corner properties all over the U.S. and setting up shop. In my town, there are two Walgreens less than 5 minutes apart. How is that for market saturation?

So why does Walgreens pop up on my radar? With so many stores, one can't help but wonder when the bubble will burst for the Walgreens expansion? I bet the Deerfield, Illinois organization also took the news from Starbucks to heart, because on July 10 they issued a press release declaring that they will be scaling back "organic" growth "in fiscal 2009 to provide flexibility to invest in its core strategies and improve shareholder value."

However, this might not be enough to save Walgreens. There are just too many outside forces that are driving the economy right now and to X them out is not wise. There does exist, at least, two things that will help save Walgreens from (or at least slow down) a complete collapse and that is the aging population and the diabetes epidemic. So long as they can effectively deliver the product and service to support those two sectors of the healthcare industry, Walgreens stands to be around longer than those that do not or can not deliver.

So for now all I can offer, is that if you are invested in any of these two organizations please continue to monitor the situation very closely....I know I will.


tag this:
Dave Guerra, Best Buy, Starbucks, Walgreens, Store Closure, Prepare, See the light before the warning, Opportunity

2008.5 A.D.

The year is half over and where am I in my New Year's Resolution? Yep, I really did write New Year's Resolution...I know...I know...who do I think I am bringing up those three words so far into the year or so far from the start of the next one? Call me crazy but I am gonna do it.

When we started 2008, you may remember, I made a couple of resolutions. They were to read one book a month, run in a 10K race, Finish 2nd Draft of New Book by end of March, Drink less coffee, Drink more H20, and Volunteer. These were some pretty ambitious resolutions and as real life has a tendency of having its way with us, I am nowhere near where I should be by now. However, I am still fighting through and hopefully make it to the end of the year in one piece. Seriously, let's take a quick look at how things are progressing.

Reading: Not exactly one book a month. By now, you know I am working on my MBA full time and that takes up about 80% of my reading time. Still managed to sneak in a book here and there. This time it is The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon. WOW! What a book, I was not expecting what I got out of the Energy Bus. This book while did not rock me to my core, it certainly made me think about how I am doing things and how I am NOT doing things. So I got on the Bus and became a Chief Energy Officer. Thanks 800CEOREAD.com for including this AWESOME book to the Mystery Box offering, best $20 I ever spent.

Running: I am still hovering at the 5K mark and that's a good thing. Things have not progressed but with a little more focus and waking up a little earlier everyday I will start increasing the distance.

Writing the book: This is falls under creating my channel. I have been fine tuning the document and at some point I just need to stop fine tuning, otherwise it will never be finished, and get it ready for the world. Anyone out there care to recommend a Literary Agent that specializes in Business Leadership and Management books?

Drink less coffee & Drink more H20: I have been drinking so much Water that I am growing gills. As for the coffee, well all I can say is: I might need to rethink this resolution.

Volunteer: This one I am still trying to figure out where I fit in. Of course, I give money to charity and would like to do something more. Just have not found the right one. Of course, there have been some local charities that I have talked to and have done somethings for in the past but nothing nothing has panned out into a permanent situation.

That's about it for catching up on how things have been going with my 2008 New Year's Resolutions.

How are your resolutions doing?

tag this:
Dave Guerra, New Year's Resolutions, Updates, 2008, 800CEOREAD, Mystery Box, Focus, Opportunity

Father's Day 2008: Tim Russert style

By now all of us have heard of Tim Russert's untimely passing. Here was one of the good guys. Though I never met Mr. Russert personally, I have a few close friends who did.

They were giddy the first time they told me who they met. Back then I was not too keen on politics, politicos or anyone who dealt with then on a consistent basis, and neither were my friends but meeting Tim Russert was a high point in their young lives.

I never thought much about Russert and why my friends were so thrilled to meet him until one day I read the book "Big Russ and Me" by Tim Russert. It all changed then. He was now on my radar and I took notice.

Russert could have written about anything or anyone instead he wrote about his father. He gave his father the highest honor any child could give his or her father. It's is unfortunately, an honor that most fathers very seldom get when they are alive: Recognition from their children that their father raised a better person.

So now, Tim has left this world, but he is not gone. Today on Father's Day we take time to think of our fathers and by how Tim Russert and his two books on fathers changed how we will always see them.

For all the good and for all the bad, they are our fathers and nothing can ever change that fact. Of course some were better than others, still they remain tied to us and who we are now. Some fathers leave us too soon, whether by choice or by act of God they still made us stronger and better people.

Over the past couple of days since Mr. Tim Russert left us, someone said that if there was a time to lose Tim, it should be just as we start the Father's Day weekend. I could not agree more. Had he been around just a little while longer he would have been the picture we'd see when we lookup Father's Day in the dictionary.

To all you Kids out there: Tell your Dads HAPPY FATHER'S DAY (no matter where they are or what they are doing)

To all you Dads out there: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY


Technorati Tag:
Tim Russert, Big Russ and Me, Father's Day, Dave Guerra

Ever wonder

Ever wonder about an organization that courts you when they want something?

They will call you, they will send you some of the nicest emails, basically a lot courtesy on their part. The when it comes time to repay the courtesy and respond to that organization and/or it's representative that you are unable to commit or attend or just to just give a courteous "No, Thank You" you get the big blow off. This just re-confirms what they really thought of you; a name on a list that could make the numbers bigger thus hoping to make what they do relevant. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be relevant.

However, there is something very wrong with this shortsighted approach to doing business.

Organizations and individuals that work this way are not only burning bridges but don't see the big picture for what it is. They fail to see that this time next year, for example. The big annual gala is looking for sponsors but cannot court the ones that they dismissed last year and now have to scramble find new sponsors for their event.

While it is prudent to court existing sponsors and as well as those that were unable to deliver last year for the next event. Burning bridges prevents that from happening and could spoil any future relationships. Who knows, the next bridge that's burned may have very close ties to a High Profile individual that you may one day want to court.

As a word of advice to those organizations that burn bridges especially the kind that can deliver the $$$$ next time, try a simple "sorry you weren't there but here is what you missed" email. In my book, a message like that would all but seal the deal the next time they came calling.

Any thoughts?

tag this:
Dave Guerra, sponsorships, Bridge Burning, Burning Bridges, Marketing, Advertising, Missing the Boat, Opportunity

Rip-off Company Gets Ripped Off?

If a company is in the business of ripping their customers off, can they really be surprised when their own employees rip them off?

Seems that a local company, who is great at giving people the shaft by selling them a product they need but will go about financing the product at the highest interest rate possible and added unneeded extras only to jack up the amount being financed. Then they cite that the reason for the high interest rates they get for their customers is that their clientèle is more subprime than prime and therefore can only get "these kind of rates" from the lenders.

Then when it comes time to provide warranty support for the product, anything short of a federally mandated recall is the customer's fault and therefore is not covered under warranty. So there they go shafting the customer, again.

Well to make a long story short, a couple of the company's employees started ripping the company off, probably skimming off the top of the extra bill padding the company was already ripping off from the customer.

Well as all good things, the management discovered this and promptly fired the individuals and then, get this, issued a public statement that basically said they were shocked and appalled that something like this could happen.

You know it's Karma when thieves start stealing from thieves. As for being shocked and appalled, now you know how your customers feel after you give them the shaft.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Last week, I posted how there were almost no advertisements for people to spend the Economic Stimulus Rebate money. Now, the money is pouring in and the I stand corrected, the advertisings are coming out of the woodwork, as well. Heck, I got an email from a Telescope vendor to specifically use my Economic Stimulus money to stimulate my imagination and buy a real cool telescope. Then it's like someone opened the flood gates, because the ads just keep coming. I will go on record as saying they arrived a little late but they are here none the less.

Unfortunately, there is no more economic stimulus money here...it has been spent and it's stimulating the economy (I hope). Besides, I already have a real cool telescope.

Let's Tell Technorati To Tag This:
Dave Guerra, Economic Stimulus, Money, Economy, Marketing, Advertising, Missing the Boat, Opportunity, TV Ads, Radio Spot, Web Ads

Another Missed Opportunity?

I don't know you or where you live, but where I live I have yet to see anyone do anything to promote spending the Economic Stimulus Money on any goods or services. No TV ads, no radio spots, no print ads, not even an online pop-up. If I am out of the loop, someone please clue me in.

I'm sorry but I just can't see why no one is taking advantage of all this money? During Tax season, here in the U.S., we have endless 30 second spots calling for people to bring in their W-2s and get a new car or in more recent years to use your tax return as a down payment on a new house. Don't forget about those nice people over at the payday loan place. They are forever, advertising on the radio.

Opportunity is knocking and yet again, no one is answering. This would be a prime opportunity for those mega-marts, that sell home improvement supplies and solutions, to get on the ball and take advantage of an opportunity. Think about it, using your Economic Stimulus check to buy stuff for around the house, fix things, or start a new DIY project. Personally, I am looking at tearing up that Berber carpet in the bedrooms and putting down laminate wood flooring. That way when it comes time to sell, I will not have to be scrambling to rip out that ugly Berber and scramble to put something down.

If advertisers around the country decided that it would be in bad taste for clients to promote their products and services during this state of economic noisy and confused activity then why didn't someone tell me? or was there just too much noise out there that the message got lost?

Let's Tell Technorati To Tag This:
Dave Guerra, Economic Stimulus, Money, Economy, Marketing, Advertising, Missing the Boat, Opportunity, TV Ads, Radio Spot, Web Ads

Yikes!!! It's all about GOLD, again

Yes, it's time to revisit the latest happenings with GOLD. As of this writing, the closing price was $855.60. That sure is a long way from the $1000 high. Remember, my friend that wanted to ride the Gold wave as it was closing in on that magical 1K value. Good thing, someone knocked some sense into his head. Now he is putting his focus on finding the next big thing.

Good for him! What about you? Are you looking for the next big thing? I do hope you are. Just remember, that the next big shouldn't come at a price that you are not prepared to pay. Also don't forget, the economy is not what it used to be. So don't let the next big thing put you in a financial bind. As I am not telling you anything new, it does not hurt to say it again.

While I do not profess to know what the next big thing is, I do know that the only way to determine what the next big thing is is to do your homework. It is no secret that I am a big proponent of doing your homework, getting yourself informed, and taking responsibility for your actions. Take a little time and study the markets, they are not that difficult to understand once you get a few concepts under control.

Back to our topic. So Gold is down and has been going down since hitting it's high earlier this year. On the 1st of May, Gold closed up from what was a 30 day low. So where is the price of Gold going? Up or Down???? The popular theory has Gold going down to the $800 mark before any kind of notable up swing. Of course there are analysts that agree that the price of Gold will continue drop, however, not as far. They are favoring a $850 leveling off point (which we are close to now). I can pretty much believe this to be true. As I have written, it might be time to pull the trigger and get in on commodities trading (I mean if you ever were interested in doing so). However, there might be something to consider. Please read on.

Whether it's next week or next month, if you are planning to pull the trigger on a Gold buy, then you best be ready and the same thing can be said for Silver. Silver closed at $16.36/oz. which puts it up after closing April at the 30 day low of $16.15/oz. Does this signify a time to buy? Probably not. Historically, since the summer of 2002 and every summer since then Silver remains within the same price range at the end of August that it started off the beginning of May at. Check out this cool chart I made just for you.



Will Summer 2008 be any different?
I really don't think so. Then again, we did start May '08 on the upswing, so if anything we might just be able to make a couple of dollars. As for making the big bucks, if the lack of any real activity in the summer is any indicator, this may be the time begin creating a position in any commodity. By the way, here is the chart for gold.


Very Interesting, as Gold and Silver prices appear to be taking the summers off. They both start strong but lag throughout the summer months. I'll say it again this is a perfect opportunity to accumulate positions in securities thus building a strong portfolio exists and that is a good thing to do during the summer months?

Still not convinced?
Check out this chart which depicts the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing figures for the first and last days of May, June, July, and August of 2002 through 2007. By the way, these were the same dates used to create the Gold and Silver charts above.


I do hope you are bit more informed as to what might or might not be happening in the markets. Still, don't let this stop you from doing your home work. I know I will use these next four months to create a stronger portfolio.

As always, please know and understand: Past performance is NOT an indicator of future performance.

Let's Tag This With:
Dave Guerra, Gold, Silver, DJIA, Commodities, Stocks, Bonds, Economy, Portfolio, Money

In Defense of Food (or the Neverending Book)

Over the past two months I read Michael Pollan's book: In Defense of Food. It has been a great read. While lately I have been reading business books that are part of my MBA courses. I had to push back the leisure reading or snuck it in when I could.

Before I start, you should know that I have failed on my reading a different book each month New Year's Resolution. While I don't feel bad for failing, I do feel bad that at this point I will have 10 books under my belt instead of 12. Oh well, maybe next year.

Anyway, I read this book and found it to be quite interesting. At first I thought, this guy is going to give lip service to the modern fad diets and then sneak in one of his own. Well technically he does, he does in a very interesting and thought provoking manner. We are given a history of the current dinner table, Pollan does so in a way that allows us to know where to place the blame.

Now this is not to say that one person is guilty of the dietary situation of the citizens of the United States or the world for that matter. The blame goes to all of us. We are all to blame for this because we did it to ourselves and Pollan tells us so in a way that is in our face but doesn't make us want to runaway. Pollan offers us some great ideas on how to recapture what we lost the moment we our first sip of high fructose corn syrup.

On the cover of the book are seven words or three sentences that sum up the entire book: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." That's it, that's the book. Michael Pollan delivers a recipe for good food, good health, and good living that one wonders why didn't somebody else think of it before now?

Just because I took a long time to finish the book doesn't mean I didn't try things along the way. The first week of March I ate food exclusively from the perimeter of the supermarket. Think about what you will find in the perimeter of the supermarket. That is where you will find the fresh vegetables, fresh meat, dairy products, and eggs. Hmmm, this reminds me of a logic question I had in college "why are eggs found in the dairy section of the grocery store?" Eggs are not dairy products, cows don't lay eggs, and certainly eggs don't taste like milk. But I digress.

So how did my experiment go? I will have to say it was a great success. While I did not lose a lot of weight, I did start to feel better. You could say I almost felt lighter. It was interesting to eat salads as opposed to eating starches (Rice, potatoes, corn). After the first week, I was craving rice and potatoes, so I gave in. I did not completely submit but I did give in, in that I flipped my starches and vegetables. Meaning that when I would normally eat a lot of mashed potatoes I have now flipped that and eat more greens thus less of the starches.

The book is actually now helping me achieve other of New Years resolutions, that is to lose weight and lower my blood pressure (without medicine). Please understand that In Defense of Food, it is not a heavy read it does have a lot to offer. if you're looking for something to quickly sink your teeth into, then this is the book for you. Looking for recipes and quick fad diets this is not the book for you.

I can finally begin, microtrends by Mark J. Penn. You may recall microtrends was the book that I wanted to buy and read before In Defense of Food. However, an NPR interview with Pollan got me hooked and I bought his book first. Luckily, it was the good people over at 800-CEORead that had an awesome offer that I could not refuse. They were giving away three books for $20 which was donated to the Room-to-Read organization. Call it karma, I bought into the Mystery Box program over at 800-CEORead and when my box arrived right on top was microtrends.


Taking a quick peek of the books read so far:

• Join the Conversation by Joseph Jaffe
• Be, Know, Do: Leadership the Army Way, Adapted from the Official Army Leadership Manual by J-B Leader to Leader Institute/PF Drucker
• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
  

Let's tell Technorati to tag this with:
Dave Guerra, Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food,
Green Leafy Vegetables, Microtrends, Mark J. Penn, 800 CEOREAD, Room-to-Read

Mediocrity in Mergers?

By now, if you have not heard about XMRadio & Sirius Satellite Radio's planned merger, or the Delta Airlines & Northwest Airline two-step, or the proposed shotgun wedding between Microsoft and Yahoo then you must be living under a rock that does not have reception Sprint/Nextel's data service. While the news is exciting, especially when we hear about hot a proxy battle is on the horizon, or how the federal government has to give its blessing on a merger, or how two airlines will become the biggest airline in the world. That is the stuff of underdogs; you know that David & Goliath kinda thing. That makes for not only an interesting story but also keeps people on edge wondering how these mergers will play out.

In the end:

• will Delta/Northwest give us improved Customer Service and more on-time departures?
• will XMRadio & Sirius Satellite give us more reasons to turn off AM & FM radio once and for all?
• will Microsoft-Yahoo give us anything better than what little they give now?
  

I don’t think so!
It will be the same old thing all over again, this time with a new name. It will be the same mediocre companies all wrapped up in new packaging, a new marketing plan, and a new image for the public to be blinded by. The flash of newness will last at least for a while and then when the SHINY NEW WRAPPER is tossed aside mediocrity will return to these organizations.

Will the newly merged organizations see the light; demand that great change, along with great innovative thought and great design be born out of these mergers? Unfortunately, I firmly believe that they will not see the light.

I MAY BE WRONG BUT I DOUBT IT!

let's tag this with:
Dave Guerra, Mediocrity, Merger, Innovation, XM Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Microsoft, Yahoo

Mediocrity...yet again

In a blog post over at Fast Company's FC Experts Blog titled, Innovation for Beginners posted by Richard Watson. The post describes what makes innovation and change happen and how innovation and change can be stifled. As the blog mentions this is because things and people get old and settle for the "that's how its always been done" excuse as the way of doing business.

Over time, the organization's newbies become veterans and the veterans don't want to rock the boat. So what happens next is that resistance to change is born. The deeper individuals and organizations become rooted in what they do, the less chance for innovative production and change to occur. "In other words, when it comes to innovation, organisations can be disabled by experience and specialisation" and that is definitely not a good thing.

Thus reinforces the fact that "the longer you work for an organisation, the more you adopt groupthink and the further removed you become from real life (how customers think, feel and behave)" and that continues to be NOT a good thing.

So does this mean organizations and its staff, because they are no longer new (by new I mean FRESH OUT OF THE WRAPPER) are doomed to an eternity of MEDIOCRITY? Unfortunately, I'd like to think so.

However, not be all doom and gloom the Fast Company post does offer a few points to consider when trying to bring about change through the development of an innovation team. One of which I have to question: "Think like a kid yourself sometimes – keep asking why?"

My question: Why Sometimes?

Thinking like a kid should be all the time! Not when the mood fits or when it will make us look cool. It should be that childlike wonder that pushes us for more and more change. Constantly being Innovative. Continually seeking Improvement.

CONTINUALLY BUSTING MEDIOCRITY IN THE GUT!!!

let's tag this under:
Dave Guerra, Lessons Learned, Mediocrity, Innovation, Change, Fast Company

Learning a Valuable Lesson

Over the past few weeks I conducted an experiment which came to an end today. The unpleasant outcome of the experiment came to me as a lesson, one that I welcome and one the I wholeheartedly value and appreciate that I learned the lesson now instead of later, certainly at a greater expense.

This is how it all started. Not so long ago, I do not recall exactly who wrote on their blog about listening and being heard, specifically about what to do if no one is listening or hearing?

The post got me thinking and I responded with "If all one hears is static, is it time to change the channel?" Well, needless to say I got no response. That silence spoke volumes and it helped me in deciding to launch my experiment. Over the course of the past couple of weeks, I have created multiple attempts at initiating conversation to a controlled number of individuals and organizations. Various approaches were taken to start conversations and only one method did deliver an effective response.

It was at this point I created another test group using that effective method to ensure that it was not a fluke. This group contained close to 3000 individuals and organizations, well, needless to say the response has been overwhelming. The lesson here is that learn your lessons early, find what works, and make the best of it.

So, Dave to answer the question that someone decided was not worthy of answering: YES, if all you hear is static, go ahead and change the channel or better yet create your own channel.

let's tag this:
Dave Guerra, Lessons Learned, static, Change the Channel, Change

An opportunity missed?

Tonight, one of my favorite TV shows had its season premiere: The Deadliest Catch. If you haven't seen it, where have you been? It is a reality show focusing on Crab Fishing in the Bering Sea. The episode starts like as in previous seasons; documenting the opening of the King Crab Season.

In preparation for departure, Josh Harris, son of The Cornelia Marie's Captain (Phil Harris), purchased what appeared to be a Toshiba Regza 26" Flat Panel LCD TV. While the younger Harris said it was a 24" TV, the Toshiba website says different. But I digress.

This was the perfect opportunity for Toshiba to get on board with the premiere episode of what many consider the hottest show on Cable Television. However, this was not to be, the first LCD TV commercial was from Panasonic. Here was a prime time opportunity to exploit product placement and it was not to be. I wonder how many more missed opportunities will there be as the rest of the season unfolds? Guess we'll just have to wait and watch and I certainly will be watching.

let's tag this with:
Dave Guerra, Deadliest Catch, Toshiba, Regza LCD TV, Phil Harris, Cornelia Marie, Josh Harris, Marketing, Opportunity

Mediocrity Strikes Again

This past weekend, Jennifer Navarrete of MorningBrewCast brought to the attention of many of us that someone was selling their Twitter.com account on eBay. For those that don't know what Twitter is; plain and simple it is a microblogging website where participants can post comments, remarks, questions, just about any text message provided it is 140 characters in length or less. These messages can be sent as direct message to other Twitter members, replies to general postings, and general posting. Participants acquire "followers" and they themselves follow others, over time and a lot of trust, the number of "followers" can grow into the hundreds and thousands.

Back to the issue at hand, Navarrete posted on Twitter "So @andrewbaron is selling his Twitter account on eBay. http://tinyurl.com/3zs6kl It seems weird to me. Wrong somehow. But is it?" At the time of this writing Andrew Baron's Twitter Account had a bid of $1525 and his "followers" which numbered 1397 followers at the start of the auction, now are at 1651. I wonder why the increase in followers?

My question is: Has Twitter reached a level of mediocrity that people must resort to auctioning their account in order to make it relevant or to gain a little notoriety (experiment or not)? Is there no more originality in regards to what Twitter is or can be? I fear that by selling the account, Twitter now takes its place beside the toast with the face of Jesus on one side or the corn flake in the shape of Illinois that sold for $1170 not too long ago. As people will see it as a opportunity to exploit the trust they have developed for a quick buck.

This is not a bash against Twitter. Personally I really, really like Twitter. It serves a purpose and a darn good one. However, I agree with Jennifer’s comments in a more recent Twitter post that it is time for the Twitter people to step in and act. Act before Twitter becomes another great idea that got beat down because of its own success.

Jennifer gave us her take on the of selling Twitter accounts on eBay, I invite you to read it @ http://tinyurl.com/5emcya"

let's tag this:
Dave Guerra, Jennifer Navarrete, MorningBrew Cast, Twitter, eBay, Auction, Corn Flake, Trust, Mediocrity,

A List....

Someone recently recommended that I throw in a list or two on this very blog every once in a while. So here I go my first list of 2008. It's almost the middle of April and I am still doing first somethings of 2008...Geez.

So tonight my friends, in Dave's ever continuing quest for you to get to know him, here are a few of my Favorite Artists/Group of ALL TIME and ALL GENRES in no particular order.

• Duran Duran
• Elvis Presley
• David Bowie
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Prince
• Richard Wagner
• The Doors
• Grace Jones
• Dave Brubek
• Sting (solo and with The Police)
  

So how does your list match up with mine?

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Dave Guerra, Mozart, Duran Duran, Richard Wagner, Elvis, The Doors, Grace Jones, Dave Brubek, David Bowie, Sting, Prince

Playing the course

Last night, I wrote the post about staying the course, which focused on buying into the real estate market. One option that I did not mention was another form of real estate investing: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Investopedia defines REITs as "a security that sells like a stock on the major exchanges and invests in real estate directly, either through properties or mortgages."

This is not a bad thing. There are different kinds of REIT or better yet specialty REITs such as those that focus on Hotels, Apartments, Retail Centers, Health Care, Offices, and Shopping Malls. These REITs allow you to buy into an organization that buys and maintains facilities to either lease or sell to qualified operators within the specialty. The REIT gives the investor an option of buying into a larger operation without the headache of day-to-day management and operation. Personally, I will buy and manage the small properties but for the big stuff I would rather have someone else take care of it, so the REIT allows me to get in on the big real estate moves.

If this sounds interesting to you why not Google "Real Estate Investment Trust", do your homework, and when you are ready pull that trigger.

Of course with all financial transactions there are risks. Invest at your own risk.

DISCLAIMER: I do hold a position in a Health Care based REIT.

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Dave Guerra, Asset, Liability, Real Estate, Economy, Play The Course, Real Estate Investment Trust, REIT

Staying the course

By now you are more than familiar with my friend and his struggles to get into the Gold trading market in hopes of getting rich quick. While this might not be a bad idea, it's just not how I am built. Don't get me wrong, I will take advantage of a situation when I can. This by no means I am out to cheat anyone, what I do mean is that while stock prices are falling I will continue to buy because of the low prices. Remember that old adage, "buy low and sell high" well that's how I roll.

Unfortunately, my friend is still so enamored with getting in on the new Gold Rush that he is letting opportunity pass him by. He is not seeing the forest for the trees. Right now, his biggest complaint is that stock prices are down and his mutual funds are dropping in value and he needs to get into gold because it is rising.

I asked him if he was living off the return on the stocks or mutual funds.

He responded with a "No."

So why is he worried about the falling stock prices and the need to get in on the rising gold commodity? He is worried, because, the media is making him worry. They are all about doom and gloom...that is what sells newspapers. When was the last time a 3rd grader winning a local spelling bee made the front page of a national newspaper? Hmmm, maybe never...I may be wrong but I doubt it.

Lately, it has been all doom and gloom: who is sleeping with who, who embezzled money, who committed murder, and which celebrity is off to rehab, again. As well, almost daily on the front cover of any newspaper are stories about rising oil prices, falling stock prices, gold going through the roof and people losing their homes.

With headlines like that it is understandable for my friend to fall for all the bunk. He may never come to his senses and realize that it is best to stay the course, accumulate, and, above all, NOT panic. Now is the time for him to increase his mutual fund and stock holdings. Now is the time to scrape up some cash and buy some real estate, it doesn't have to be a house but it certainly should be some dirt. Dirt? Dirt as in earth, an acre, a farm, anything that is more dirt than development.

Why? Just like gold, there is only a certain amount of surface space on the planet. So, why not own a little piece of it? It makes good sense to own land. It can be used as collateral in future projects. Unlike gold, it is a little more difficult to steal. Carry your gold in a brown canvas bag, pretty soon a modern day Robin Hood will be helping himself to your gold. While, Robin will certainly rupture a disc if he plans on taking all your land, one tractor load at a time.

Right now, real estate is at a good place for investors. There are a lot of foreclosed properties and more on the way to choose from. While I understand that it may not appear as a good thing to profit from other people's misery, remember you are not the one who forced those people to get themselves into a situation they knew fully well they were not prepared to handle. If you can relieve a bank from holding on to a worthless property (it is worthless for as long as they hold it).

Trust me it is a liability for the bank to hold property, it only becomes an asset when they get rid of it. Just like the homeowner, no matter how you slice it, until the mortgage is paid off that castle is a liability.

I am certainly not saying anything new. I am just saying that there are still plenty of people out there that run for cover the moment someone cries that the sky is falling. That's why it's worth repeating every once in a while. Especially in these near uncertain times. My friend has been warned.

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Dave Guerra, Gold, Asset, Liability, Real Estate, Economy, Stay The Course, Stocks, Mutual Funds