Forget Mike. I wanna be like Favre, offered $2M a year for the next 10 years to NOT work. I’m in negotiations to make that happen. I’ll let you know how it works out.
There’s plenty we do not know about this saga in Green Bay. It makes little sense to me. Why would Green Bay not want this guy back quarterbacking their team for another year? Why would Favre not negotiate a deal that pays him to sit back without risk of injury? True, he’s due to earn $12M this year. Twelve million this year beats $20M over the next ten years. Surely Favre could get that amount elevated. Rumors were that it went to $25M over a 5 year period, but I suspect that wasn’t true. Such an offer as that would have/should have been very tempting to him, and his family.
There are 32 NFL teams. That means there are 32 starting quarterbacks, not all of them very worthy. In any given season there are probably a handful of teams that aren’t real solid at that position, meaning they really don’t know who should play at that position. There are many others who aren’t solid because they don’t have a player who is capable of doing the job at an above average performance level consistently. So rare are these creatures, it baffles me why Green Bay wouldn’t want Favre back.
Are they worried they’ll lose Rodgers? How can his stock be that high? He’s not started an NFL game yet.
Are they worried the locker room will be divided? I really fail to grasp that notion. Brett Favre walks into the locker room as the starting QB and we’re supposed to think some in the locker room might mumble under their breath, “What a jerk. I can’t believe they’re not letting Aaron play.” I’d like to meet the player who would do that. Better yet, I’d like to give him an IQ test.
It’s possible that GM Ted Thompson so hates Favre that he simply refuses to let Favre back into the Pack? Today, anything is possible!
Another interesting part of this story is the belief that Ari Fleischer seems to be advising the Packers’ communications efforts. And that Favre’s agent, Mr. Cook, is silent. We need Scott Boras or Drew Rosenhaus to be on point with this deal. Then we’d really get some great quotes.
No matter what happens, Favre is going to come out great financially. I so wanna be like Favre!
I hear Engelbert Humperdinck singing…
Please release me, let me go
For I don’t love you anymore
To waste our lives would be a sin
Release me and let me love again
I have found a new love, dear
And I will always want her near
Her lips are warm while yours are cold
Release me, my darling, let me go
(Please release me, let me go)
For I don’t love you anymore
(To waste my life would be a sin)
So release me and let me love again
Please release me, can’t you see
You’d be a fool to cling to me
To live a lie would bring us pain
So release me and let me love again
(Let me love, let me love)
That’s a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung. Business people do this job every day! Because business people often peddle dung, it only makes sense that they speak the Language of Dung. Businessmen aren’t the only ones who speak the language of Dung. Politicians are gifted in the language, too. I’m not terribly interested in politics though. I’m much more interested in business. Business and politics both are free flowing when it comes to dung.
The Language of Dung is different than the Language of Expertism. They’re very closely related though. Read a business book by a member of academia and you’ll understand the subtle, but significant difference. The “I’m the expert so you mere mortals can’t possibly grasp the depth of my intellect” is rampant in the business world. Words you’ve never heard or seen are often used by such gurus. I’ve read thousands of business books in my life and I confess that I’d read entire chapters before without understanding the point. That’s Expertism. But Dung is Dung, not Expertism.
Quality questions can put people on the spot. They can clarify, or confuse. They can provide a businessperson the opportunity to speak the truth - or dung.
Dung is the language of ignorance. It’s the “I-don’t-know” answer. It’s the grown up version of the essay question we all remember from our junior high history class. Just drone on and on with the few facts you do know, and couple those with lots of verbiage in hopes the teacher won’t take the time to read it carefully and call, “Bull $#@!” on you.
A job applicant asks the interviewer, “What is your company’s compelling reason? Why should customers choose you over a competitor?”
The answer comes forth. It will either be truth - a very valid compelling reason that makes sense - OR - it will be dung. “Our people make the difference.” My dung-meter is pegged!
A potential investor seeks answers about a company’s poor annual report. He reads the report and the letter written by the CEO. The CEO either takes responsibility and lays out his plans to fix the problems, or he more likely takes up the language of Dung and paints all the problems in rose colored hue.
A customer experiences a problem. They ask for a solution. They’re either told how their problem is going to be addressed, or more likely Dung is spoken and they’re told why their problem can’t be fixed.
Why do businessmen speak bull$*@!?
Pure and simple. Because they don’t have a real answer. So they make something up hoping somebody will believe they’re really telling the truth. Or, they do it to impress. To make people believe they’re highly intellectual.
It’s a ridiculous habit. But wouldn’t we all just fall over dead if we heard the plain spoken truth - all the time?
This man would never survive in the business world. He’s much too forthcoming.
I don’t always use my head wisely. That’s what brings about the pounding, ducking headaches. It began - the pounding, that is - yesterday afternoon. Not a good Monday. It wasn’t even noon yesterday and regret had already set in. And set up. Fully. In concrete.
People who claim stress won’t kill you - they’re idiots. It will. Last night I was watching the national news on NBC. Tim Russert’s doctor talked about how hectic Tim’s schedule was, and how much stress he was under - but he pontificated that because Tim loved his work, it wasn’t a negative stress. And in no way did it contribute to his sudden death. Well, I don’t know how he can be so sure. How could any doctor theorize such a thing? I have no idea the stress that Tim Russert was under. I’m only slightly aware of the stress I’m under.
When I was younger I didn’t think there was much to stress. Now that I’m older, I know better. Stress will kill you. But I’m burying the lead. Regrets cause even more stress. Like I don’t have enough without creating my own. But that’s how it goes with regrets. Regrets are stress that you create. Regrets are all your own. Nobody else is responsible for your regrets. That makes them even more stressful.
It’s only Tuesday - Tuesday morning at that - and already I’ve got regrets. Plural. As in many.
Regret comes in a variety of flavors. There is the regret of not doing something, or not saying something. There is the regret of doing something, or saying something. My regrets run the full gambit. There are things I’ve done that I regret. I’ve said things I regret. I’ve neglected things - and I regret it. There are even things I’ve not said, and later regretted it. That last one is hard because I probably tend to say too much - rather than too little.
For a few weeks now I’ve not been myself. I suspect my recent regrets have something to do with not feeling very well, but that’s no excuse! It’s why I began talking about stress though. I suspect stress is the culprit of my not feeling so terrific - for the past few weeks or so. Stress leads to not using your head wisely. Not using your head wisely leads to more stress. All the while the regrets are piling ever higher. Now, I’m like a hamster stuck on a wheel. Going nowhere fast.
Some days you eat the bear. Some days the bear eats you. For weeks now, the bear has a clear advantage over me. The bear has had me in a number of submission holds. I’ve been close to tapping out a time or two, but decided against it. I don’t regret continuing the fight. I do regret saying things I shouldn’t have said. Doing things I shouldn’t have done. And as always, the neglect is regrettable. It’s only Tuesday.
Thankfully, I’ve got a big portion of the week to make up for it. Or to spiral down even further. It’s up to me to determine which it’ll be. My hand is on the stick and I’m pulling up as hard as possible.
Saturday evening I spotted a baby owl on the ground at the foot of a tree on the other side of our driveway. At first, I had little idea what kind of creature this was. Eventually I’d see the mother of this baby critter up in a branch with very watchful eyes. She was obviously an owl of some sort, which meant the fuzzy little ball on the ground was also an owl of some sort.
He wasn’t able to fly much, except to flap his wings and propel himself forward a bit. Worried about cats in the area I was hopeful he’d be able to return to his perch, or wherever he’d fallen from. It didn’t seem likely though.
About an hour passed - with me checking on him periodically - and he ended up back in a tree about 3 feet up in the crook of a tree. He appeared to be climbing and I felt relief that he’d be safe. Mom flew from her prior perch in another tree to the tree he was now climbing. I went to bed feeling all would be well with him.
Thoughts of a parent’s care and watchful eye ran through my mind most of the rest of the evening. She was concerned for her offspring. I’ve never encountered an owl, but I strongly suspected that any movement toward her youngster would likely result in my head being bloodied. I dared not approach him. She knew what was best for him. I had no idea. I barely had a clue about my own offspring so I knew I was no match for the wisdom of an owl.
Sunday afternoon I noticed him on the ground again. He appeared no different than the day before. Again, there was mom perched above watching. Staring at me. At him. Surveying the possible threat. As he hopped and flapped toward another tree I got the impression that he knew what she wanted him to do. I left him alone. Later, I came back and saw him no where. I assumed she had taken care of him somehow. I wasn’t worried.
I couldn’t help but think of her and him - and wondering how a bird falls from his perch, and how likely it is that something bad, like a neighborhood cat, will happen to them. I’ve attempted to rescue a number of fallen baby birds in my life. I confess I’ve never succeeded. They have all died. And I’ve always been sad. For days afterward. And thought of all the fallen sparrows and other birds that God has seen. I’ve wondered how vast the count may be of fallen birds since creation. Odd, I know. But who can tell why a mind thinks what it does. Mine especially.
Yesterday, Memorial Day Monday, I saw the baby owl back on the ground in the same general area. His movements were not as pronounced as before. I figured he was being overly cautious. Mom was again in the same perch - on the exact same branch, in the same location as before. She didn’t take her eyes off of me. It was daylight and not nearing dusk, as it had been on the two prior days. Knowing owls are night creatures I figured vision might be tough for both mom and baby. Perhaps that explained his lack of movement. He was simply standing there looking toward me with his eyes closed. Mom’s eyes weren’t visible, but her head was clearly aimed directly at me. I didn’t approach the baby and left to hit the gym for a workout.
About 90 minutes later I returned in the early afternoon. The baby owl had made it across the driveway to my house and hopped onto the front porch, which is ground level. Others at my house noticed him and had attempted to give him some water. He simply stood there refusing. We got a cardboard box, carefully placed him inside and I got a clean eye dropper attempting to drop some water around his beak to see if he’d take any. He didn’t. But he seems okay.
Clueless about what to do with him and worried that this was happening on a national holiday, we Googled for somebody to call. I called a local zoo who gave me a phone number of a wildlife rescue organization. No answer due to the holiday. We then found the name of a man in the area who rescues birds. I called him - it was his home number. He was very nice and asked me to look at the bird’s chest. “Are there horizontal bars?” he asked. I looked and sure enough, there were. “He’s a baby screech owl. Keep him in the box. Put a towel int he box so he can grab it, otherwise he’ll slide around. Keep him in a warm, dark place and in the morning take him to the Southlake Animal Hospital. They’re near you, much closer than I am, and they rescue birds, too. Don’t be surprised if you check on him in the morning and he’s dead. He may be sick.”
I did exactly as I was instructed and hoped we’d all make it through the night. I carried the box out to the back deck under the covered patio. I turned the ceiling fan on very low - it was about 95 degrees. I closed the three of the four flaps on the box to keep it dark.
I kept watching him because I was now worried about his chances. I knew my odds of success with fallen birds was 100% - failure. Something told me this poor screech owl had fallen into the wrong hands - mine.
Within 15 minutes he was gone. He simply laid over and was gone. Upright one second. Over on his side the next. Sadness swept over me as though I had lost a longtime pet. I never wanted him for my own. I never wanted him in a box or a cage. I wanted him back in the tree with his watchful mother. From the time I noticed him on my porch until now, I had not seen her. I felt badly for her, and her baby. It was an awful feeling of helplessness. And sadness. Even grief.
For the better part of 3 days this baby had been on the ground and managed to avoid cats and other dangers. But in my hands, death had come. No, I don’t feel like I killed him, but I was sad that it had to happen on my watch. I let him down. I let his mother down. I couldn’t stop it. No phone calls or other advice would enable me to prevent his demise.
We buried him in our backyard, wrapped in the towel that occupied the box with his last moments, the one he was laying on when he died. Life is precious. Even baby screech owls deserve better. I don’t know how old he was. I don’t even know how old adult screech owls live. I read that they mate for life and will only seek another mate if their mate is lost. Pairs often revisit past nests. They don’t build nests. They use tree cavities and are open to using nesting boxes.
Today, I purchased a screech owl house from Coveside Bird House. It cost me about fifty bucks. It’s supposed to be mounted under a branch about 10-30 feet off the ground, facing north. I don’t know if I’ll ever see another screech owl, but I’m hoping to attract the baby screech owl’s mom and dad. And I hope any future offspring they may have will be much safer inside this owl house than in the cavity of a tree where they’re likely to fall.
My telephone adviser told me, “They don’t like to go to ground.” They know the risk of leaving the home too soon. My children are grown and married, but I still worry about them. It’s a different worry than when they were young. But I know well the dangers of leaving the nest or home too soon. I wanted my youngsters prepared for the adult world. Thankfully, they’ve made it successfully so far. I wish this little owl had been given a better chance to grow up.
The fragility of life consumed me for a few hours after he died. Thoughts of his mother and her vigilant watch stayed with me, until now. I know as humans we tend to confer our emotions and thoughts onto creatures. Animals don’t have the emotions of people. I suppose not. I hope not. For their sake. Whether she’s sad today or not, I don’t know. I only know I’m still sad enough for both of us. And hopeful that her next home will be my owl house. My small way of telling her how sorry I am that I wasn’t able to save her baby.
This is what her baby might have looked like as an adult.
“Capitalism without failure is like Christianity without hell,” said Warren Buffett at yesterday’s annual press conference with partner Charlie Munger. This news conference took place one day after the annual report for Berkshire Hathaway was released. Buffett was referring to his belief that not all financial institutions are worth saving. Some deserve failure based on their past and current practices.
At 77 Buffett is as quotable, and blunt, as ever. I suspect he’ll become even more so given his age, and the current state of Wall Street.
Speaking of the sub-prime fiasco - and other idiotic acts of the banking industry - Mr. Buffett said, “You’ve got a lot of leeway in running a bank to not tell the truth for quite a while.”
Among the more humorous interchanges are this one, as reported by The Financial Post. The topic was the succession plan at Berkshire Hathaway.
Charlie Munger, Mr. Buffett’s business partner who is seven years his elder, humourously added to the applause of the audience: “We still have a rising young man here named Warren Buffett, and I think we must encourage this rising young man to reach his full potential.”
Mr. Buffett joked that because he and Mr. Munger average 80 years of age (Buffett is currently 77 and Munger is 84), they are getting only 1.25% older per year, while a 50-year old executive is getting 2% older each year. That means Berkshire’s top executives are ageing more slowly than the top executives at nearly every other company.
A few weeks ago I read an article that listed some of the salaries of the Dallas Mavericks. As I’ve confessed before, I’m not an NBA guy. So, the numbers were shocking to me. I knew the elite NBA guys made enormous money, but I had no idea that no-name guys were making such fortunes. I’m naive.
Next season here’s a short list of salaries of some Dallas Mavericks:
Jason Kidd - in excess of $21 million Dirk Nowitzki - in excess of $18 million (if I’m Dirk, I’m unhappy Josh Howard - almost $10 million (that’ll buy lots of pot and birthday parties) Erik Dampier - almost $10 million Jason Terry - over $9 million Eddie Jones - $2 million Didier Ilunga-Mbenga - almost $2 million
Today, sports talk radio is buzzing about the firing of coach Avery Johnson and the idiocy of Josh Howard. Rightfully so, after the New Orleans Hornets shamed the Mavericks into an early off-season golf tournament. But that’s not my point. Money is my point.
Did you know that the Dallas Mavericks paid Shawn Bradley $5.2 million this season? He was waived by the Mavericks in October 2005.
He’s got to have the best job in America. $5.2 million for doing absolutely nothing. He’s a player who was never worth the money. But when you’re 7 feet tall and able to walk upright - NBA teams pay you big money. I’m just a foot too short.
Steve Ott is the Dallas Stars player in the picture above (#29 with his mouth agape). Stu Barnes is the other player. Stu makes $900,000 a year. Both are well worth the money. Today, Ott (nicknamed, “Otter”) signed a 2-year deal that will pay him $1.35 million next year and $1.5 million the following year. Chump change compared to NBA contracts, but still good money. And he’ll earn every penny of it by being a player who makes a positive difference for his team, the Dallas Stars. If anything, Steve Ott’s money is unreasonably low - but only slightly. He’s only 25. His next contract will likely be higher if his career continues to advance as it has.
Brad Richards is the highest paid Star earning $7.8 million each year. Goalie Marty Turco makes $5.7 million a year. Mike Modano and Brenden Morrow each earn over $4 million a year. Goes to show you how vast the difference is between NBA contracts and NHL contracts. Kids, if you have a choice between hockey and basketball - play basketball. It pays much better. And you don’t have to know how to ice skate.
These contracts seem ridiculous - and they are. An ABC News story reports on what people earn. An actress who plays a detective on TV earns $7 million. A real detective in Georgia earns $40,000 annually. The average American earns about $37,000 according to the story.
I love sports. I love the NHL. So, I think Steve Ott, Stu Barnes and most of the other players are well-worth the money. Brad Richards has proven to be a great addition to the Stars, but no - I don’t think he’s worth the money. He is the fortunate recepient of a big contract that goes with being the MVP of the playoffs a few years ago when his team - the Tampa Bay Lightning - won the Stanley Cup. He’s still a young guy, but he’s smart enough to know that his next contract won’t likely be as large.
For years I’ve long thought the back-up quarterback on an NFL team has the best paying gig in all of sports. His body doesn’t take a beating. He earns a big contract - assuming he’s in the #2 spot directly behind the starter. And his career can last, and last, and last. But, he’s worth it because his team needs the insurance of having a capable person direct the team if the starter should be injured or unable to play.
Professional athletes aren’t paid unreasonable money only because they can do something most others can’t. They’re paid unreasonable money because people will pay to be entertained. And they’ll pay big money to have their $37,000 a year life entertained. The professional athlete - and other entertainers - can earn big, unreasonable amounts of money because their are millions of $37,000 a year people (and some who earn much more) willing to support their team, sport, TV show, movie, concert, recordings, or whatever other diversion they provide.
The picture above is taken from a site that will sell you CONFIDENTIAL information on Internet marketing for only $67. I wonder if that’s the owner’s daughter. Poor girl. Guess dad can’t afford good orthodontics. Tell them Buck Naked sent you.
Internet marketers are an intriguing lot. I don’t have personal knowledge of many of them. In fact, I can honestly say I have NO knowledge - real firsthand knowledge - of any of them. I know some names that are presumed to be gurus of Internet marketing. These are the people who write those really long sales letters - either as emails, or as web pages. I wrote a bit about that some days ago.
Today, I got an email from Early To Rise. I admit a fondness for Early To Rise, but I’m not a fan of their email campaigns.
Warning: When I printed out this email it was 7 (seven) pages long. This is cut and pasted “as is” except for font/styling. I’ll gladly forward anybody the real McCoy if they want it.
…………………………..
Hey,
Quick note… if you’ve ever even considered starting an online business, check out the story below.
Something very unusual happened yesterday - and it’s all 100% true and accurate.
- Charlie.
PS: Please do it before 5:00PM this afternoon.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 20, 2008, 3:17PM
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
PROFITS IN PARADISE FINAL INSIDER REPORT (ETR)
Dear Early to Rise Friend,
“Someone call security and have that clown thrown out!”
That was my first thought when I saw the scraggly Florida beach bum sneaking into our “Profits in Paradise” conference room.
But the joke was on me when I realized a moment later that he was our next guest speaker!
And I felt even dumber by the end of his presentation, because by then he and his partner had shown our audience…
How they’d built a $100,000 per month business in under 12 weeks…
What happened when it was all stolen away by a crooked accountant - and then, starting with nothing, they did it again (except faster and 3 times more profitably)…
The exact techniques they used to get over 10,000 orders for $350,000+ in sales in two weeks - and then another $1.6 million over the next 6 months.
The presentation was a two-hour “cliff notes” version of their upcoming $10,000 Mastermind Program.
And judging from the mob scene at the end of their talk, it was a powerful and huge hit with our attendees.
They’ve Unlocked the Door to The Internet’s Hottest Niche
Turns out the fellow I thought was a beach bum was actually a very cool, very kind and down-to-earth guy named Brock Felt. If you ever wanted an “Ordinary Joe Hits It Rich” story, Brock Felt could star as the leading man…
Not long ago Brock was fixing cars and selling phones door-to-door. His future wasn’t looking very bright and so he decided to make a change. Did it work? Well, a few months ago, he sold just ONE of his current businesses for something in the neighborhood of EIGHT figures.
Together Brock and his partner, Buck Rizvi, both regular, ordinary guys, have discovered and refined an easy, reproducible formula for making a very nice chunk of change in one of the Internet’s hottest niches.
Best part is that the more folks get involved in this niche – even marketers – the bigger and faster it grows.
I’ve Got To Tell You Something Pretty Shocking…
There are some very savvy and street-smart marketers at our “Profits in Paradise” event, and I noticed THEIR ears perking up at the stuff Brock and Buck were discussing.
Believe me, you don’t see that happen every day at these events. There was something very special happening here.
In their presentation, Buck and Brock showed our attendees how to reach two objectives:
1) Build what’s almost literally an automatic, unattended cash machine…
2) Set up the business for your “liquidation event” (when you sell it for a huge pay day).
One of their protégés, working part-time, just started a business that in his second month is already bringing in $13K per month.
Another two guys started using their techniques and get this: they hit $627,000 in sales PER MONTH within NINE MONTHS of starting up. Geez Louise, that sounds pretty good to me, don’t you think???
B&B just kept giving value, and value, and more value in their talk, handing out…
The 12 hottest niches within the niche (sometimes the “embarrassing one” yields the best opportunities)…
The 4 P’s of Profitability (Oddly, PAIN is at the top of the list)…
The 4 steps to online success (with real examples you can “steal” from them).
That’s just a small sample of SOME OF THE great stuff Buck and Brock spilled in nearly two intensive hours of training.
Once you learn Buck and Brock’s tips, techniques, and insider secrets you’ll see just how easy it is to set up virtually automatic streams of cash that you can keep for years and years, or sell for a big (maybe even 8 figures!) payday.
So Many Income-Boosting Ideas to Choose From
Hi, Charlie Byrne here, writing from beautiful Orlando, Florida. It’s been an exciting weekend with our stellar line-up of experts covering wealth-building from a numerous different “off-the-radar” angles.
Buck and Brock were incredibly exciting - and that’s just 10% of what we’ve seen this weekend!
It’s too bad you’re not here, but the good news is that we’ve gotten it all down on professionally-recorded DVDs.
This weekend - during the event weekend only - we’re offering them to you at a never-to-be repeated value.
When you bring these recordings into your home, you’ll “be in the company” of a very special group of experts.
First, they are all at the very top of their respective fields… whether it’s real estate, internet business-building, or under-the-radar financial and investing techniques.
And second, they’ve all made a lot of money using the exact strategies they are going to teach you in their presentations.
Their “secrets” are actually proven methods based on years of trial and error and testing in the real world.
Here’s just a taste of what you’ll be receiving on these DVDs…
You’ll learn how to use Marko Rubel’s little-known investment approach to generate over $1 million a year…
Rick Pendergraft will teach you to secure huge returns on stocks without a lot of money or experience…
You’ll discover Jeff Adams’s strategy for setting up automated online systems to find big-time deals – you just cash the checks…
Alex Mandossian will tell you about two different easy-to-learn and very profitable marketing systems…
You’ll learn Scott Martineau’s method for cutting costs and increasing profits by “re-making” existing products…
Andrew Gordon will coach you on how to use the financial markets safely (with low risk and high potential gains) to ensure a very comfortable retirement…
Robert Cox will show you how to apply the secrets of billionaires to achieve your life’s dreams…
You’ll get Jim Fleck’s breakthrough strategies for buying real estate and selling for a handsome profit in just hours…
Dave Lindahl will explain how he generates a massive passive income with an often-overlooked profit-producing technique…
Howie Jacobson will reveal the secrets behind Google Ad Words - the fastest and easiest way to make money online…
And much MUCH more.
And of course as I mentioned above, Buck Rizvi and Brock Felt will show you how to tap into a multi-billion dollar market to create a business you can sell for millions… or pass on to your children.
When you learn these secrets you’ll be well positioned to take your financial future into your own hands.
Are you ready to see your wealth-building potential soar?
Good! Because we have an enviable offer for you today…
Right Now Is the Ideal Time for Action
Now the folks in attendance at “Profits in Paradise” paid a good amount of money to get here. Most of them will likely be spending $1,000 by the time they add in travel and hotel expenses.
But they made a wise investment because it’s going to be worth every cent.
They’ll be able to rub shoulders with all the superstars here, pick up the intangibles that can make the difference between success and huge success, network with all the experts, and make contacts that can last a lifetime - and a fortune as well.
So I’ll lay it out right on the line and be completely open and honest. You probably won’t get ALL the benefits of being here in person when you view these presentations from our wealth-building experts at home.
But I’m absolutely, positively 110 percent stone-cold convinced of this…
If you’ll put in the time and make the effort to use the secrets that you’ll get on these “Wealth-Building Video Encyclopedias” there’s no reason why you can’t wake up a few months from today to find that your bank account has grown by $1,000… $5,000… even $10,000 while you were sleeping.
Dozens of Ultra Profit-Boosters for a
Fraction of Their True Value
If you order before we return to our offices on Tuesday April 22, you’ll get the entire set of DVDs for just $199. That’s no typo, the cost is just $199.
I’m talking about up to 20 hours of powerful wealth-building techniques that could make you a fortune… for a fraction of their true value.
The catch? This offer expires at 5PM Monday April 21. After then, that’s it. The price goes up and will NEVER be lower than right now.
You’ll learn how to secure your financial future through your own online business, real estate, the financial markets, and more. These lessons will hold true, especially in this time of economic uncertainty.
So you’d be crazy not to jump all over this $199 offer right now.
LAST CHANCE
ORDER NOW AND SAVE BEFORE PRICE JUMPS ON MONDAY
Regards,
Charlie Byrne
ETR Associate Publisher
PS: These strategies have been proven to work over and over again, generating one high-powered profit stream after another. The speakers at this conference do it every day, every week, every month, every year. There are none better at it, anywhere. End of story.
PS: After their talk as I left for lunch, I saw Buck and Brock pulling away in a beautiful new black convertible Corvette, just heading out for a Sunday afternoon cruise in sunny Florida… probably headed for the golf course or beach.
They are living the good life for sure. You can find out how they got there with this program.
LAST CHANCE
ORDER NOW AND SAVE BEFORE PRICE JUMPS ON MONDAY
…………………………..
Whew!
Check out Brock Felt’s website. It’s an awesome display of his marketing prowess.
I’m working on my own Internet program. I won’t sell supplements though.
I’ll be Buck Naked. Does it really matter what I’ll sell? My goal will be to generate sales of $500,000 in 3 weeks. I don’t have to generate cash. Just sales. Then I’ll market a series of “how to” programs. I’ll sell those for $199 each and I’ll generate cash for those.
It’ll be a thing of beauty. Naked beauty. But (oh, I’m sorry, “butt) you’d better act soon.
Jerry Lewis was once funny. Stupid, but funny. I’ve seen many of the Lewis and Martin classics. I confess that I’ve never seen this movie, “It’s Only Money.” Here’s a recap of the movie:
Lester March (Jerry) is a 25 year old orphan who operates a radio and television repair shop. Although he prides himself in his work, his heart is really in pursuit of becoming a private eye like his buddy and role model, Pete Flint (Jesse White). In the course of becoming a detective and television repair man, Lester is discovered to be the heir to a fortune. Suddenly Lester is the hunted, as the family fortune is up for grabs. Sight gags galore in the attempts on Lester’s life, and the happy ending as Lester and his bride drive off into the sunset.
Here’s a scene that I found posted on YouTube.
Okay. So it’s probably not terribly funny. Few people find money funny. Even fewer find losing money funny. Especially their own.
I’ve lost my share of money. Sometimes I’ve misplaced it. That’s bad. Worse is losing it by being stupid. It makes you feel like you’ve been kicked in the crotch. That’s how Jerry looks in this photo. I’ve experienced this pose before. Not often, but enough to be ashamed of my foolishness.
It’s only money. You’ll earn more. Hopefully. Even so some lessons in life are expensive. I admit that I’ve trusted people before - only to realize I’ve been duped. I’m not talking about a professional con. I’m talking about a legitimate person with a legitimate enterprise where an investment goes south. It happens.
This economy is not being kind to many of us. People are lamenting the results of their 401K. Stock portfolios look like those cliff divers in Acapulco. Real estate prices are falling. Gas prices are soaring. Economic life sucks. But it’s only money.
Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned have been expensive. Maybe that’s why they were valuable. They cost me so much! Or maybe that’s why I remember them. I don’t know.
I do know that I’m a cynic. And growing more so by the day. As a young man I remember a teacher telling me I was too young be to so cynical. She was an idiot. I never did trust her.
Today I realize I’ve not been nearly cynical enough. Years of losing various sums to people I trusted have taught me that my teacher was all wet. I wasn’t quite cynical enough. Then, or now.
Trust should never be given. It should be earned. Then tested 3 times (minimum). Then and only then should it be considered. Not given. Just considered. And tested 3 more times - over the course of at least 5 years total. Then, the scope of trust should be no higher than $100. That’s right. Six tests. Five years. One hundred dollars. It’s fair. It’s safe. Remember that equation:
6 tests + 5 years = $100 max.
After all, it’s only money. I’m learning valuable lessons. Earn your money. Invest it as wisely as possible. Never invest it with a friend, or an acquaintance. Never. If you lose your $100 investment after the 5 year testing period - realize that for $100 you got a 5 year education in how not to be foolish. Invest more - and you’ll learn the same lesson. It’ll just cost you more money. As for the loss of time - you’re really not losing anything. It’s not like your working on a slave ship for 5 years. You’re just waiting it out. What you’ll have to battle is the thought that you’re missing out by not investing. It’s a bad thought process that will cost you nothing, but time and money.
You’ll make more money by the things you refuse than the things you accept. Always. Book it. I’m right. I’ve got the tread marks on my back to prove I’m right.
Here’s just a sampling of idiotic things that have cost me money and provided little or no return. This list is not comprehensive. I lack the web space to fully capture my stupidity. However, this list represents a vast sum of money, that if invested in something that would garner a safe, conservative 6-8% annual return - would have earned me about $30,000,000 today.
- Hot rodding a car when I was a teenager (countless thousands)
- Stereo gear (a weakness I’ve long had)
- Books (way too many books)
- Music (what good is the stereo if you have no books)
- Software (countless pieces of software, including ridiculous numbers of updates - to software I bought, but barely use; gotta keep it updated, you know)
- Anything that goes in my garage (anything, including my car)
- Clothes (one suit, two dress shirts, three ties, one pair of dress shoes, two pair of jeans, 5 casual shirts and one pair of athletic shoes - it’s all I need; but I have more because I’m such a clothes horse)
- Toys (I have an awesome $100 laser pointer - I stand outside at night and blind airline pilots with it)
Some investments (it’s really an expense) are worthy of a stiff prison sentence. I should probably be in a prison for life for the stupid things I’ve purchased. And the stupid investments I’ve made.
I’m older now - and slightly wiser. So now my objective is to invest less time and money in foolishness. After all the mistakes I’ve made, I should be well on my way to incredible wisdom having learned too often the hard way. My advice is simple: keep your hands on your wallet and do not invest what you cannot afford to lose.
Better said, don’t invest it if losing it will make you want to commit a crime against the person you gave it to (that includes yourself). Think about it. It’s only money. Prison isn’t worth it. Prevent the crime before it happens.
Herb Tarlek was a TV character. He was the sales manager of a radio station in Cincinnati, WKRP. He was a sad, but funny character. Just look at that coat, tie, shirt combo! How could you see that and not be sad for the moron donning such garb? And that’s how Herb looked every day. Poor Herb. Nobody wants to be Herb.
I read recently that 50% of college graduates will pursue a career in sales. I suspect that’s because some of them don’t have a clue what else they might want to do. I honestly don’t believe it’s by design - for all of them. And I’m a salesperson - at heart. I began selling at a young age and really never left, even though for many years I’ve held corporate type positions. Any way you slice it, I’ve always been in sales. So, I have no aversion to the occupation. But I’m not resentful of the stereotypes. I don’t dress like Herb either.
At last count there were some 26 universities that offered degrees in, or programs focused on selling. Did you know that? Me neither. From Vancouver, Washington to Orlando, Florida you can find colleges that offer various degrees of intense focus on the craft of becoming a professional salesperson.
Some may end up like Herb Tarlek, struggling to make ends meet and doing what they think is stereotypical of successful salespeople. Most will not go that route. At least, that’s my guess. After all, they’ve gone to college and are likely taught better. Hopefully, some have served internships which have trained them in the skills vital to professional selling. Gladly, the days of Herb Tarlek are almost gone. Society simply won’t tolerate them.
Sales can be a profession. Or it can be a stopover to something else. No matter, there will be 1.2 million sales positions filled this year in America. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the hiring of college graduates increased over 17% in 2007. Clearly, companies are relying more and more on college training for new hires.
But it’s not just students who need to prepare for the art of selling. Companies have some learning to do, too. According to DePaul University research:
• Over 2/3 of companies do not know the cost of hiring new talent
• Interviews run less than 3 hours and are conducted only by 2 people before the hire is made
• Only 43% of companies have formal training and on-board processes
• 25% of companies have a turnover rate greater than 20%
In many ways companies are as clueless as job applicants. I suspect many people enter the sales world feeling, “Anybody can sell.” They’re wrong. As they soon find out. Turnover is high because failure is equally high. By 2010 companies will lose 40% of their current sales force. And the growth rate of replacement populations is declining. Not only will this affect sales jobs, but it will adversely affect sales management. Candidates will move more quickly into sales management jobs because the openings must be filled. Ready or not.
Recruiting is in full-swing. Companies are forming strong relationships with colleges in hopes of luring graduates to their sales team. Aggressive companies are offering signing bonuses and other perks necessary to get recent graduates to consider a job on their sales force.
The DePaul University research found that among 3000 companies - many had little understanding of today’s college graduate. For decades sales has focused on financial incentives. Today’s grads want more. They want meaning. They want to work with peers they find rewarding. They want to be able to see a clear career path. They want constant coaching and feedback so they can learn quicker. Continuous learning is important to them. They are uninterested in being workaholics.
Sales is general. There are many different gigs that are associated with the art of selling. There are new account guys - they’re the rainmakers. They often earn the highest commissions because they have the toughest task, getting new business. There are account reps who call on existing accounts. While they’re compelled to grow business with these accounts, their jobs are more ongoing relationships with accounts that have been in the fold for awhile. There are support people who help out with all those details after the sale. Some may provide technical support and others might do maintenance work to ensure everything runs smoothly for the customer (and the company). And of course, there are various levels of management in each area. The likely top is found in a VP of Sales or a Director of Sales.
One size does not fit all. Some are better suited than others. Some are completely unsuited. The art of selling isn’t for everybody, but for the person who has the skills necessary to engage others in a compelling way it can be among the most lucrative careers on the planet. And those who do it well certainly dress better, talk better and behave better than Herb Tarlek.
For some reason I think Mr. Hemingway would find it unsettling that his craft was reduced to four points used heavily by the copy-writing industry as a “how-to” system. Maybe not. Maybe Papa would be right in the thick of things. Somehow, I doubt it though.
Many copywriters have added a 5th rule - make your copy very, very long.
Full-disclosure requires me to tell you I regularly read CopyBlogger and some other sites devoted to the craft of writing great copy. I don’t throw every copy-writer in the category of the letter generators that seem to have overtaken cyberspace. Some, sure. But not all.
Of course, Joe Sugarman helped propel the modern phenomenon by selling millions of BluBlocker sunglasses thanks to lengthy advertising copy. He has an ebook sold online using long copy. This is one of my favorite lines of the copy: “WARNING: Use the 30 triggers only as directed. Over-use may be absolutely overwhelming.”
We all get them. Email appeals or URLs designed to captivate us. Usually the ones claiming they have a secret formula for making tons of money. They are all very, very LONG. Most are long-winded online letters. Entire websites are often only 1 page, that seems to go on forever. Here’s an example of one. Here’s another one. And another. Why not one more? There are probably millions of them.
Does anybody read all that copy? Or do the copywriters even expect people to read it all?
I honestly don’t know. I’ve read a few things about copy-writing. I went to journalism school - a lifetime ago when IBM Selectric typewriters were hi-tech. I’ve done a bit of writing - including some advertising copy for print and broadcast. And the web. I write lots of things every day.
I’ve been tempted to learn more about the craft. There clearly is something happening here. Letters, today’s most common form of copy-writing, have quite a few things in common.
There is lots of it. The sheer volume of offers sometimes overwhelms me. So many people have “a secret” or “the secret.” Can it really be a secret any more? I doubt it ever was a secret. “Secret” seems to be a popular copy-writing headline word these days.
Headlines are designed to draw you in - if you’re dumb as a brick. Here’s one headline (see the real headline here):
Discover the SECRETS of Becoming a Copywriter!
Earn THOUSANDS Each Week Just By Writing Simple
Letters Like This - NO Experience Required!
The “simple letter” that follows this headline is ridiculously long. Simple? I don’t think so. But the headlines must work because they all have headlines like this one. Or here’s another online example.
Use the word “secret” - use bold, big fonts - use exclamation marks - use all CAPS for some words - use testimonials - tempt people with being able to earn lots of money - make it sound easy - and let them know it doesn’t matter if they lack experience. Then put a deadline on it. Have your website insert today’s date as the final date of the offer. And don’t forget to offer free crap to people who purchase today!
And it often helps to have a great title, if you’re selling an ebook or information. Here’s one of my favorites, “The Cheat’s Guide To Instant Genius.” The irony is that as badly as I’d like to be a genius, I’m seriously looking for some way to cheat so I can become one. The paradox is that cheaters are the one capable of writing a cheat’s guide. But they won’t cheat you.
These things must work because there are so many of them. They all sell information or services or products ranging from a few bucks (paid one time) to monthly commitments of hundreds of dollars. In business we call it “revenue stream.” The more streams you can create, the better. Makes perfect sense.
Some of them do contain information. I’m not saying all these are scams. In fact, I’m not saying any of them are scams. I have a free email subscription to Early To Rise. I don’t opt out even though they bombard me with these long letters soliciting me to purchase various things. Here’s a sample of one of their long letters about profits in paradise.
I have much to learn. There must be a reason why we don’t see short ads for these things. Short versions must not be effective.
P.T. Barnum is credited with saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Disputes have arisen through the years about whether he really did say it. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t. However, examine his life and you clearly see a man who was very aware of the gullibility of people. He’d surely be proud of how easy it is to part some customers from their money today. Barnum never was able to reach a vast number of potential customers so easily as today’s barkers can.
Papa might not like the modern tactics of today’s copy-writers, but P.T. Barnum would likely embrace it.
Yes, I’ve purchased some things that were hawked by highly regarded people, mostly published authors of business tomes. Information. DVD’s. Workbooks. Some of it grossly overpriced. Some of it reasonable. Yes, I’ve seen the vast downloads of freebies (most of it worthless). Count me among the gullible I guess - but I confess I have never made such a purchase based on the lengthy copy of an appeal to urge me to buy! Nor have I been swayed by the typical elements of most offers. I read the book, enjoyed the information and found myself wanting more. Sometimes my purchase gave me more. Much of the time it gave me less than expected.
I wish people would refuse to buy any product, service or information advertised with such tactics. They won’t of course. Which is why my inbox and web browser will continue to be filled with secrets that can make me rich - for only $47.
Or people in small groups. Or alone.
Footnote: Is it me, or was this a really long post?
Saturday evening I spotted a baby owl on the ground at the foot of a tree on the other side of our driveway. At first, I had little idea what kind of creature this was. Eventually I’d see the mother of this baby critter up in a branch with very watchful eyes. She was obviously an owl of some sort, which meant the fuzzy little ball on the ground was also an owl of some sort.
Today, I purchased a screech owl house from 
Jerry Lewis was once funny. Stupid, but funny. I’ve seen many of the Lewis and Martin classics. I confess that I’ve never seen this movie, “It’s Only Money.” Here’s a recap of the movie:
I’ve lost my share of money. Sometimes I’ve misplaced it. That’s bad. Worse is losing it by being stupid. It makes you feel like you’ve been kicked in the crotch. That’s how Jerry looks in this photo. I’ve experienced this pose before. Not often, but enough to be ashamed of my foolishness.
