Good morning.
In a very surprising move Tesla announced a 5-for-1 stock split.  In the age of investors being able to buy fractional shares of a company are we going back to splits again?  Apple initiated the split party with their announcement, but they’re part of the Dow.
This makes me wonder if Tesla is losing its bullish hold as the price has been wavering and is trying something to get smaller investors to push the valuation.  The only issue is that the party is typically temporary until the split happens.

Now here’s the rest of the news:

August 12, 2019

Good morning!  Just woke up too early, maybe … forgive me … as I clear the sleep from my eyes; and the wax from my ears, and swallow very hot my coffee.

Ouch!

U.S. government bonds are considered a “risk-free” asset in finance.  That’s because the United States has a constitutional requirement to make the payments on its debt — even as it’s accumulated over $23 trillion.  Other countries have a lower perception of safety, and as a result, their government bonds typically yield more to account for the higher risk of non-payment.

So it’s a bit of a surprise to see that the market is now giving Greek bonds – yes, the same Greece that almost crashed the EU with its profligate spending just a few years back — a yield below the same yield on U.S. Treasuries.  Yields on 10-year Greek bonds are now below 2 percent, the rate you can expect for the same timeframe from a U.S. bond.  Traders seem to have forgotten the old quip circulating a few years ago: Beware Greeks bearing bonds.

Also, today, one big money-losing operation even admitted before going public that it may never reach profitability — although it hopes to, of course.  That company is Uber, the revolutionary rideshare firm that’s destroyed the traditional taxi industry and given rise to the “gig economy.”  Bringing in $3.16B in the second quarter, the company managed to lose $5.2 billion.  To update the old joke about car manufacturers: the company loses a little money on each fare — but it makes up for it on the volume.

Sometimes when I shake my head really hard … it hurts!  🙂

August 12, 2017

For the most part, your ads, direct messaging, text messages, and email should be written with the express purpose of getting a click, a response, period.  The two best ways to get a click are [1] to offer a big, outrageous benefit, or [2] create curiosity that can only be resolved through clicking the ad and seeing what it’s about.

Here’s an example of using curiosity in an ad, for “a two-step” way to get back some of the money you’re throwing away!

If you want to improve any part of your life — business, relationships, health, literally anything — here’s the secret: measure it and observe the numbers daily.  The mere act of measurement and paying attention to the numbers [and how they’re trending] will influence you to naturally want to improve them.  It’s almost like a built-in mechanism.

Remember: until a sale is made, until you acquire your first customer, you don’t have a real business.

REW

                                                                           Good morning.
As discussions in Washington continue and a potential deal is becoming more of a reality, the market may be signaling the lack of real impact of the stimulus.  The rally in gold is an indication of the weakness in the U.S. dollar with the glut of deficits that are about to pile up.
The rally in Treasuries is an indication of the lack of real growth generated by the spending. Putting the two together, it’s not as bullish as the movement in the S&P 500 looks.

Now here’s the rest of the news:

Maximize Your Returns as Crypto Goes Mainstream  —Eric Wade, editor, Crypto Capital
The next crypto bull market is coming…
Governments around the world are using unprecedented money-printing to keep their economies afloat.  This is eroding faith in government currencies… and pushing people to look for alternatives.
The industry is also attracting an array of new buyers.  Over the past few years, some of the biggest names in the world have driven and invested in crypto-related projects… such as Visa, Facebook, and JPMorgan Chase.
In other words, we’re seeing more interest in cryptocurrency than ever before.  The industry is on the verge of going mainstream.
And while we wait for the next bull market, there’s a way to grow your wealth significantly…
You see, cryptos have always been a speculative investment.  But cryptos have steadily been moving away from pure speculation…  And now, many of them are income-producing assets.  Bitcoin, stablecoins, and many other cryptos can create cash flows for you.

August 05, 2019

We Can All Learn from this Analogy

Being off course doesn’t mean we are wrong or bad.  It’s just information that we can use to make a correction.
Many of us use computers.  When we don’t get the results we want, we often blame the computer.  But usually the problem is not in the hardware; it’s in the programs or in the instructions we give it.
The computer can be flawless, but if the instructions are faulty, the intended outcome will be undesirable.  Although we may get frustrated with computers and with ourselves for errors, it’s counterproductive to blame the system or ourselves.
Like computers, we humans often run programs (belief systems and strategies) which result in failure.  We frequently make ourselves wrong for being less than perfect.  We berate ourselves for our mistakes or don’t admit our mistakes because that would mean we’re bad.  We spend huge quantities of emotional energy in s justifying or feeling guilty rather than looking for different approaches that will bring success.  To overcome adversity, we must redirect this energy in better ways.

Self-invalidation is a Debilitating Disease

It keeps us from accomplishing much that we would attempt if we weren’t so afraid of failing — of being wrong.  More is lost from not doing something than from trying and failing.  The price of doing nothing is high.  The money you don’t make is more than the money you may lose.
As Robert Schuller asks, “What great thing would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail?”  It’s worth serious contemplation because, in fact, there is no failure.
Like Edison, view your errors as part of the process of success.  If you learn to embrace them and use them, they can become your tools instead of your enemies.

“Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.” —Franklin P. Jones

Sometimes IT IS good to get a different perspective.  😉

August 05, 2017

The first thing you should do when you start any new business, is focus on bringing in cash.

Sounds obvious right?  Of course you should focus on getting customers and making some cash.  But so many people waste time creating logos, getting business cards made up, going out and buying stationery, or doing other ‘busy things’ that don’t directly bring in the critical ingredient you need to grow; things’ that don’t directly bring in the critical ingredient you need to grow; cash.  Don’t spend days watching video or reading books and blogs without implementing the things you’ve learned.  All that falls under the category of ‘getting ready to get ready.’  My rule of thumb is that for every hour you spend learning, go spend 3 hours doing.  Learn as you go, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  And if you feel like there’s too many things to learn, then focus on the things that will bring in money right now.  Learning to place ads and generate traffic is a lot more important than learning how to design a logo or improve your technology.  Until you make money, you can’t do much else to grow your business.

“Remember your job is to find a great offer and put people in front of it.”

REW

Good morning.
Is gold or a gold standard really a barbarous relic as Keynes stated or is it gaining relevance?
As you look at the commitment of traders’ report for gold, the complexion of the market is very different than previous runs as the shorts are predominantly bullion banks and the longs are those wanting physical gold.  This could mean dramatically higher prices may be in store if the imbalance continues.  Bitcoin is similarly moving as the desire for hard assets, even digital, is on the rise.

“If you Want MORE, you have to… REQUIRE More from Yourself!” —Dr Phil

Now here’s the rest of the news:

#1 — Bridgewater Associates Founder Ray Dalio Warns “Capital War” Between The US And China Would Hit Dollar
“There’s a trade war, there’s a technology war, there is a geopolitical war and there could be a capital war,” Dalio told Bartiromo, adding that a potential capital war could erupt if Washington bans invest-ments in China.

He suggested the politicians in Washington have already threatened the dollar’s stability by being “our own worst enemy.”

                                                                          Good morning.
There is a strong desire to create a “wealth effect” of higher asset prices.  In a recession, the most direct method to higher stock prices is stimulative actions provided by Federal Gov’t deficits and Federal Reserve quantitative easing.
The tally thus far dwarfs the measures taken in 2008 and the results for the market has been startling for experienced investors.  However, how much potential stimuli is already priced into equities and how far can the big tech companies be pushed?  Nobody knows the answer, but the past week of trading appears to be indicating we’ll find out sooner rather than later.

Now here’s the rest of the news:

July 22, 2019

“The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist, the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Our lives are far more enjoyable – certainly more instructional – if we view each thing that happens to us as just that – a happening.

Remember, it’s not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that makes the difference in the quality of our lives.  I believe, as do many, that everything that happens can be a lesson; every adversity can be a blessing.  The following story illustrates this well.

Anthony Burgess discovered he had a brain tumor and only six months to live when he was 40 years old.  He was distressed that he had nothing to leave his wife who was soon to become a widow.  He decided to write — something he’d always wanted to do.  The potential royalty from a book was the only thing he could think of doing to leave any kind of financial security for his family.

By the end of the first year and with no certainty that he would ever be published, he finished five novels.  But he did not die.  His cancer went into remission and then disappeared altogether.

In his long and full life, Anthony Burgess went on to write more than 70 books.  Without the death sentence from cancer, he might not have written anything.

“There is no education like adversity.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Next time things don’t seem to be going the way you want, ask yourself what the positive aspect is.  What’s the benefit in the adversity?

You’ll have greater enjoyment and learn more in the process.  🙂

                                                                                Good morning.
Do you remember the 1983 Bud Light commercial that hosted many comedic and sports legends?
It was a baseball game between Tastes Great and Less filling.  Rodney Dangerfield takes the mound and blows the lead as Tastes Great takes the win on a walk-off homer.  The battle between growth and value has been similarly epic with Bulls typically taking the Tastes Great role of winner.  With stimulus looking more like a reality, the value investors appear to be getting on base and may be starting a rally.  Put on your value cap.

Now here’s the rest of the news:

Get Ready for The Stock Market Bubble to Pop
By John Persinos

Today,  I turn your attention to George C. Parker, an American con man who repeatedly “sold” the Brooklyn Bridge (in the form of purported toll booth rights) to gullible immigrants.  He was convicted of fraud in 1928 and died in prison.  Parker’s story gave rise to the popular expression: “If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you.”
Every day, I hear politicians (or their shills on CNBC) confidently asserting that the coronavirus is under control, the economy is roaring back to life, and investors should buy risk-on assets with both hands.  Mr. Parker would have been impressed with this brazen level of bamboozlement.
The stock market has been rallying, despite economic conditions reminiscent of the 1930s.  So what’s keeping stocks afloat?  For the most part, it’s the Federal Reserve.  The U.S. central bank is snapping up corporate debt, which is akin to injecting the financial system with steroids.  But steroids come with harsh side effects.

July 15, 2019

Want to know the three most important words for any growing business; including the Gov’t?

1. 1. Trust
   2. Relationships
   3. Efficiency

Personally I don’t think it’s even debatable.

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success
…when they gave up.” —Thomas Edison

July 15, 2018

Your only responsibility is to get the ball rolling

No matter how daunting the task at hand, no matter how big the goal and no matter how unmotivated you feel, if you can figure out how to start, you’ll figure out how to finish.

Here are two principles you can apply to this end.

1. Make it really easy to start: Break your goal down into the tiniest task you can accomplish, and then focus on that, rather than the bigger picture.  For instance, you don’t need to know exactly which books you’ll have to read, to enroll into that course you’ve always been curious about.  All you need to worry about is getting yourself into that class and when you do, you’ll probably find someone willing to show you around.
2. Expect to fail: Because fear of failure is often the the biggest obstacle to starting, you can choose to embrace it instead.  Realistically, if you’re doing something for the first time, you’ll probably either fail completely or perform terribly at it anyway.  Working with this knowledge, you’ll tree your mind up from the pressure of having to be excellent on your first try, and instead open your-self up to curiosity and experimentation.

Challenge yourself to create the shortest, most horrible rough draft of whatever situation you’re trying to achieve, then build up from there and before you know it, you’ll have your masterpiece.

In the spirit of the famous Nike slogan, just do it!  🙂

                                                                               Good morning.
There truly is a disconnect that the market is rewarding typically cyclical companies in the middle of a recession as states amp up the COVID meter and are tightening their grip on their economies.
A great example is Amazon Inc (AMZN) and Tesla Inc (TSLA).  These company’s stock prices have gone parabolic as buyers panic bid the market for these companies.  Until today.  Is this the first day of the market waking up to reality or is it another moment of sanity that will quickly fade to cognitive dissonance?

Away from NEWS … think more to YOUR personal success:

“I’m unattached to results, and I am willing to correct and continue my way to success.”
(Say this 3 times today)

Have you ever wondered how the most successful people approach something new?
I this video, Jesse explains the VERY different approach a successful person has when trying something vs. someone who isn’t “there” just yet.

This tweak was a game-changer.  And if you can adopt it, you’ll rarely feel frustrated if things don’t go well.

July 08, 2019

The elements that set people apart

If you want to know what your values are at this moment, you can examine your recent past & notice the choices you made when you could have gone one way or another.  Your choices and your sub-sequent actions demonstrated to yourself & others what was of greatest value and importance to you.

Compare Different People.  Here is an example.  Imagine you have 2 people who have the same three values.  The values are family, health and career success.  The only difference between these two people is the order of importance that they placed on these values, their priorities.  The first person, Bill, says that, “My family comes first, my health is second and career success is third.”

Tom, on the other hand, has the same values, but he says, “Career success comes first for me, then my family, and then my health.”

Determine the Difference.  Would there be a difference in character and personality between these 2 people?  Would there be a small difference or a large difference?  Which of these two people would you like to get to know and become friends with?  Would you be able to tell these two people apart in conversation?  Which one do you think you would like and trust more?

Values Set People Apart.  The answers to these questions are clear.  The person with the higher values in a better order of priority will invariably be a better person than the person whose values are in a different order.  Your choice of values determines the quality of your character.  When you select values such as integrity, love, courage, honesty, excellence or responsibility, and you live your life consistent with those values, every hour of every day, you actually become a superior person.  It is your values that deter-mine the kind of person you really are.

Action Exercises.  Here are two things you can do immedi-ately to put these ideas into action.

First, think about how you behave, how you choose, when-ever you are under pressure.  Remember, it is only what you do, your actions, that tell who you really are.

Second, observe how other people around you behave when they are forced to choose.  You will only be compatible with people whose values are similar to yours.  What are they?

Becoming Better Every Day,  😉

Today!  Canada Day!  Canadians’, those who are at work, despite the corona-related interruptions get the day off, usual with pay… and if ‘at work’ today, get overtime pay!!!  Down south, the Financial Markets are open, so… we’ll go there!

Good morning.
If you were told that we would enter the quarter in recession and see multiple bankruptcies by large companies, around 20 million people on continuing unemployment claims nd myriads other data points that would typically be negative for equities would you have though the market would post a near record quarterly advance?
What if I told you that the Federal Reserve would have increased its balance sheet by $3 trillion?  Would that have changed your mind?

Now here’s the rest of today:

Failure = Feedback
What is failure?  What’s the secret to success?  We’re not sure if we have the answer, but we know one thing: Mindset Matters.
When something doesn’t go our way — doesn’t go according to our plan — and those negative voices come shouting and doubting, “Failure, failure, failure!”…when the self-doubt creeps in…  This is where perspective and reframing become such powerful tools.

Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose.  I either win or learn.”

John C. Maxwell wrote a best-selling book that goes by a similar title: Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn.
The isn’t that you’ll never fail.  You will… when you try.  The point is that failure is a powerful teacher.  Instead of looking at failure negatively — as something to avoid at all costs — we have to reframe and view it as a learning opportunity.

As John Maxwell says, “Fail early, fail often and always fail forward.”

There are two important takeaways here.  First, try.  Don’t not try out of fear of failure.  The next try — whether you “win” or you “learn” — may be the gateway to success.
Consider this quote from Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, who “failed” 50% of the time: “I can accept failure.  Everyone fails at something.  But I can’t accept not trying.”

Secondly, when you fail — and you will fail when you try — recognize that there’s a huge difference between the statements “I failed” versus “I am failure”.

We encourage you to keep forging ahead in your journey, starting from wherever you are with whatever you’ve got.
If fear of failing is holding you back, consider that the next attempt may be the successful path you desire.  And if you do “fail”, it may be the doorway to learning the secret to success.
If you’ve failed before, recognize, first, that you are NOT a failure.  You are a brave, courageous soul.  What can you learn from that attempt?  What can it teach you about success?
Consider this beautiful analogy from Jacob Riis: “Look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it.  Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”

Be the stonecutter.  Continue to hammer away at your rock, chipping away, effort by effort.  As Robert Collier says, “Success is the sum of small efforts — repeated day in and day out.”

To You,  my friends! 

July 01, 2019

Should we be living our lives more ‘dog-like’, after what I experienced the other day in the park!

I’ll try and explain:

It was a weekend, and this couple on the park-bench next to me were rocking their small child in a stroller.  I saw no other children in their care, so I presumed it to be their first born child.  The discussion seemed to center around “that feeling of internal conflict that you sense when you have mixed emotions about a decision – or indecision.  It’s that gut-wrenching feeling when you don’t follow your gut instinct – even though you know you should”.

Ambivalence.  That is the word I was searching for!  [Thanks Caryl, I just couldn’t put my little grey-cells together fast enough!]

There are many reasons why you might experience ambivalence – the simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings toward an object, person, or action – and tuning into this dysergy can pay huge dividends toward achieving our most important goals and priorities.¹

Okay, back to the dog-like part, I began this post with.  Lots of things were going on around me … I wasn’t trying to listen to that couple, but rather ‘overheard them’, while I was there really just watching the dogs running around playing and chasing each other.  The dogs were having a good time … [Unlike our stressed-out couple] … the dogs would occasionally slit up and run around on their own for a little while, only to rejoin the pac’.

One of the dogs came up to visit me.  He was a sparky little guy with a lot of energy and a lot of spunk.  After about 45 seconds he left to rejoin the group.  That’s when I noticed that he was missing one of his hind legs.

I didn’t notice this before.  The dog wasn’t limping or paying any attention to his hind legs.  He wasn’t shy or embarrassed that he was missing his leg.  This dog didn’t even seem to realize his leg was missing … this dog was a ‘natural borne networker’.

I could only imagine what thoughts or concerns this young couple were experiencing as they talked on the park-bench.

• • • Was mom at the end of her maternity leave?
    • Who would take care of the child?
    • Cost of childcare is not cheap … if the decision was to go back to work?
    • Could (s)he/they afford not to?
    • Stay-at-home mom/dad?

¹To better understand this, you simply need to take a page out of the great Zig Ziglar’s book and ask yourself the following question:

Will what I’m about to do bring me closer to or take me further away from my goals?

Ouch,