If your child is ready for college and you find your bank account unprepared for the costs that have risen exponentially since your child was born, it can wreak havoc with your finances. And the thought of your child being saddled with high student debt for much of his or her future is disheartening and depressing. But all is not lost.
"The Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate" can show you how to buy and use a 4 bedroom home in the town where the kid will be going to college to provide a totally free college education, and maybe make a nice profit to boot. It also provides you with a lot of tax deductions.
The strategy would include making your child the building manager and leasing the other three bedrooms out to 6 other college kids BY THE FULL YEAR, not just the school year. Make sure their parents sign the lease agreement if the student is under 21.
While your child attends college, there is no housing expense because the child has a room in the house. The child is the building manager and you can pay him/her a management fee, tax deductible for you, and that money buys the child's books etc.
When your child comes home for Holidays or you go to visit, the expenses are tax deductible - you are meeting with your hired building manager. It's business.
The leases from the 3 other bedrooms, each room shared by two students ( a total of 6 rents if your child has a PRIVATE room) earns you enough money to pay all the buildings expenses plus many of your child's other college and living expenses. College is getting cheaper all the time.
When the child graduates, contact the parents of students who will be attending the college next year (the Dean can give you a list) and tell them what you did and offer to show them how. Surely one will buy the house from you. The proceeds will pay off the remaining college loans, any mortgage and still have money left over.
"The Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate" can provide all the details necessary to do this, as well as many, many other real strategies and tips for making money in real estate. Go ahead, give it a try!
Friday, December 13, 2019
Friday, December 6, 2019
Combatting Homelessness - Doing Everything Wrong?
For several years I ran the largest homeless shelter in New Hampshire - New Horizons for New Hampshire - which usually housed up to 120 people each night. Our shelter also included a soup kitchen and a community food pantry. Before that I was a resident at that shelter, having been homeless for three years after a very traumatic event. And from those experiences, and statistics I gathered, I believe I have a pretty fair idea as to what can and what cannot help combat homelessness effectively. But even so, this is still not a complete solution.
When a mayor like DeBlasio (or even a governor) tries to "solve" the problem by shipping the homeless to other states, the only problem he is solving is his own. And when other lawmakers like those in California try to solve the problem by putting millions of taxpayer funds into "low cost housing", they simply do not understand homelessness at all - they may as well throw all that money right into the dumpster for all the good it will do.
The first step is to determine, and then separate the usual "causes". You cannot cure something if you do not know what causes it. Here are some stats from my tenure running the shelter, for the major issues. Bear in mind that some suffered more than one causation. For example, an alcoholic might also have a mental issue. The following are the primary causes:
Each of the above would naturally require a different type of intervention. A one-size-fits-all solution such as increasing low-cost housing is both absurd and ignorant. Low cost housing or subsidies would only be helpful for the 3% dispossessed, with a smattering of the less hardcore addicts and those with only minor mental issues.
At New Horizons we had case workers during the day who would attempt to help the residents overcome whatever issues they had, and referred residents to medical or mental health professionals as needed. For those temporarily dispossed, they would assist is "smoothing" out the path forward - bus tickets to get back and forth to a job; finding temporary, low cost housing; finding jobs - whatever was needed, including family counseling. For those who were simply avoiding responsibility (lazy) they were given 60 days to find and keep a job, and get a place of their own. Failure to do so would result in being denied further shelter services (except the soup kitchen).
About 1/3 of the addicted residents (drugs or alcohol) were beyond help. They were provided all the basic needs without any strings attached, usually until they died.
And those with severe mental impairments were also cared for with the basics - when a leftist Supreme Court ordered the closing of mental institutions nationwide, hundreds of thousands of seriously ill people were just put onto the streets, most without benefit of any follow-up or out-patient care. The best and most compassionate intervention for those people would be for the states to reopen facilities for such individuals. They cannot be be incarcerated by force, but they should still have access to a "home" under supervision where they can be cared for and provided with medical needs.
Homelessness, therefore, is not the problem. It is the result of some other, less obvious problem. Root out the core problem(s) for a homeless person and you greatly increase the chance of being able to help.
[Brought to you as a PSA by "The Simple Man's Guide top Real Estate Investing"]
When a mayor like DeBlasio (or even a governor) tries to "solve" the problem by shipping the homeless to other states, the only problem he is solving is his own. And when other lawmakers like those in California try to solve the problem by putting millions of taxpayer funds into "low cost housing", they simply do not understand homelessness at all - they may as well throw all that money right into the dumpster for all the good it will do.
The first step is to determine, and then separate the usual "causes". You cannot cure something if you do not know what causes it. Here are some stats from my tenure running the shelter, for the major issues. Bear in mind that some suffered more than one causation. For example, an alcoholic might also have a mental issue. The following are the primary causes:
- Alcohol/drug addiction - 61%
- Mental impairment - 32%
- Just want a free ride and no obligations - 4%
- Temporarily dispossessed - 3% (often marital or family issues)
Each of the above would naturally require a different type of intervention. A one-size-fits-all solution such as increasing low-cost housing is both absurd and ignorant. Low cost housing or subsidies would only be helpful for the 3% dispossessed, with a smattering of the less hardcore addicts and those with only minor mental issues.
At New Horizons we had case workers during the day who would attempt to help the residents overcome whatever issues they had, and referred residents to medical or mental health professionals as needed. For those temporarily dispossed, they would assist is "smoothing" out the path forward - bus tickets to get back and forth to a job; finding temporary, low cost housing; finding jobs - whatever was needed, including family counseling. For those who were simply avoiding responsibility (lazy) they were given 60 days to find and keep a job, and get a place of their own. Failure to do so would result in being denied further shelter services (except the soup kitchen).
About 1/3 of the addicted residents (drugs or alcohol) were beyond help. They were provided all the basic needs without any strings attached, usually until they died.
And those with severe mental impairments were also cared for with the basics - when a leftist Supreme Court ordered the closing of mental institutions nationwide, hundreds of thousands of seriously ill people were just put onto the streets, most without benefit of any follow-up or out-patient care. The best and most compassionate intervention for those people would be for the states to reopen facilities for such individuals. They cannot be be incarcerated by force, but they should still have access to a "home" under supervision where they can be cared for and provided with medical needs.
Homelessness, therefore, is not the problem. It is the result of some other, less obvious problem. Root out the core problem(s) for a homeless person and you greatly increase the chance of being able to help.
[Brought to you as a PSA by "The Simple Man's Guide top Real Estate Investing"]
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Wholesaling Real Estate Made Simple
As many of you may already know, Bill Vaughn, the investor that created "The Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate" program has helped to make a lot of people a lot of money.
Over the last few months there have been hundreds of requests for Bill to put together a simple, yet very detailed guide to wholesaling, i.e assigning, for those who only want to concentrate on that very simple type of risk-free investing. And Bill listened.
He has completed work on "The Simple Man's Guide to Wholesaling Made Easy", and is offering it at the super low price of $29.95 for a limited time only.
The guide is detailed in plain English, in a simple step-by-step format, from locating a property, and right up to the moment you collect the assignment fee. Assigning can yield up to $10,000 or more in as little as a couple of weeks, and you do not even have to go to a bank for a mortgage, or go to any closings.
If you have ever dreamed of getting into real estate investing without having to shell out the huge sums (up to $35,000) for some "infomercial guru" to teach you, this is your best bet.
At least check it out - you can do that for free.
/
Over the last few months there have been hundreds of requests for Bill to put together a simple, yet very detailed guide to wholesaling, i.e assigning, for those who only want to concentrate on that very simple type of risk-free investing. And Bill listened.
He has completed work on "The Simple Man's Guide to Wholesaling Made Easy", and is offering it at the super low price of $29.95 for a limited time only.
The guide is detailed in plain English, in a simple step-by-step format, from locating a property, and right up to the moment you collect the assignment fee. Assigning can yield up to $10,000 or more in as little as a couple of weeks, and you do not even have to go to a bank for a mortgage, or go to any closings.
If you have ever dreamed of getting into real estate investing without having to shell out the huge sums (up to $35,000) for some "infomercial guru" to teach you, this is your best bet.
At least check it out - you can do that for free.
/
Friday, November 29, 2019
The Dirty Little Secret About Free Tuition
It is a popular political cry on the left these days - Free College Tuition. And while it seems like a great idea at first blush, there's a lot more wrong with it than just the extreme cost to taxpayers. I'll let others hammer at that point. Here, we will examine the not-so-well understood "unintended consequences" of such a rabid idea.
First, the more obvious, and lesser problems with free tuition...
Most sane and reasonable people (this leaves out AOC, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and several other politicians on the left)understand that not everyone is suited for college - or even want it. Moreover, a growing number of high school graduates are not even educated well enough to be able to cut it in college. But because it's free, they might waste taxpayer money and try anyway, only to drop out in the first semester. We would be far better off to find ways to instill a better education in our public schools.
Along those same lines, many students are far better suited to attending a good trade school - we have a dire shortage of tradespeople in America, and they make as much - if not more - than a college educated snowflake.
Now for the biggest reason to avoid free college for all who want it. Throughout history, and without regard for any specific economic situation, there have always been a limited number of "slots at the top". In fact, statistics show that only 4% of a population will ever achieve substantial financial success and wealth. For every few hundred employees, there are only a handful of salaried, "college-educated" management positions. What this means is that college education would become virtually useless, as it would be watered down with many students who are barely average and will never land a great job.
In the 1940's few people had any college degrees. In the '50's, that rose substantially as parents began to push their kids to get a Bachelor's Degree, and it grew even further in the '60's. By that time so many students were graduating college that there were not enough well-paying jobs for all of them. So businesses began requiring not a Bachelor's, but a Masters Degree. The Bachelor's Degree lost most of it's power. By the late '80's and into today, the Bachelor's is nothing more than window dressing as businesses are forced to weed out the wheat from the chaff. And now even the Masters is just beginning to lose its punch, as more and more professions are requiring a doctorate.
In short, only 4% can be at the top of the work pyramid, and with 20% of the population is graduating college, three-quarters of them STILL end up working at WalMart, or flipping burgers. Imagine when 50% are graduating because callege was free!
The question then becomes: is it worth having taxpayers who are already heavily burdened to pay for "college for all" if it accomplishes nothing of value?
As proof, just check out any successful business. You will find that it takes at least 100 high-school grads and drop-outs to support 10 supervisors, who support 3 managers who support one top dog. The managers and boss represent the 4%. In other words, we NEED a lot of people who do not require a college degree in order to do the job they will end up with, anyway. After all, if everyone were a boss or a manager, how could they earn a living if there are no workers to manage? Who will MAKE the products, or PERFORM the services?
The short take for people like AOC who cannot seem to understand reality: It is not sane or reasonable to have already over-burdened taxpayers pay for the college education of other peoples' children only to have those young men and women working for minimum wage. No matter how much money you spend, you cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
What DOES make sense: Have businesses "scout" high schools, just like sports scouts do, and offer to pay for a promising students' college provided they work for that business for a specified time, at a good salary. If Microsoft is going to benefit from a talented smart kid's education, then perhaps Microsoft should pay for that education.
And the taxpayers could more easily afford to "subsidize" (only) the most promising students who do not have the means to pay college. Those from poorer families and communities, who excel in school, would contribute more to our society from a college education than it would cost us to fund it. After all, if you need a lawyer, would you rather have one who barely passed the bar, or one who graduated top of the class?
Then we could take some of the money saved by not providing free college for all and use it to "funnel" high school students into two different scholastic groups - one geared for those who prefer to learn a trade, or otherwise have a limited scholastic ability, and a college preparatory group designed to give the best-of-the-best a head start, maybe to even include internship. And that could easily reduce the number of years - and the cost - of their secondary education.
/
First, the more obvious, and lesser problems with free tuition...
Most sane and reasonable people (this leaves out AOC, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and several other politicians on the left)understand that not everyone is suited for college - or even want it. Moreover, a growing number of high school graduates are not even educated well enough to be able to cut it in college. But because it's free, they might waste taxpayer money and try anyway, only to drop out in the first semester. We would be far better off to find ways to instill a better education in our public schools.
Along those same lines, many students are far better suited to attending a good trade school - we have a dire shortage of tradespeople in America, and they make as much - if not more - than a college educated snowflake.
Now for the biggest reason to avoid free college for all who want it. Throughout history, and without regard for any specific economic situation, there have always been a limited number of "slots at the top". In fact, statistics show that only 4% of a population will ever achieve substantial financial success and wealth. For every few hundred employees, there are only a handful of salaried, "college-educated" management positions. What this means is that college education would become virtually useless, as it would be watered down with many students who are barely average and will never land a great job.
In the 1940's few people had any college degrees. In the '50's, that rose substantially as parents began to push their kids to get a Bachelor's Degree, and it grew even further in the '60's. By that time so many students were graduating college that there were not enough well-paying jobs for all of them. So businesses began requiring not a Bachelor's, but a Masters Degree. The Bachelor's Degree lost most of it's power. By the late '80's and into today, the Bachelor's is nothing more than window dressing as businesses are forced to weed out the wheat from the chaff. And now even the Masters is just beginning to lose its punch, as more and more professions are requiring a doctorate.
In short, only 4% can be at the top of the work pyramid, and with 20% of the population is graduating college, three-quarters of them STILL end up working at WalMart, or flipping burgers. Imagine when 50% are graduating because callege was free!
The question then becomes: is it worth having taxpayers who are already heavily burdened to pay for "college for all" if it accomplishes nothing of value?
As proof, just check out any successful business. You will find that it takes at least 100 high-school grads and drop-outs to support 10 supervisors, who support 3 managers who support one top dog. The managers and boss represent the 4%. In other words, we NEED a lot of people who do not require a college degree in order to do the job they will end up with, anyway. After all, if everyone were a boss or a manager, how could they earn a living if there are no workers to manage? Who will MAKE the products, or PERFORM the services?
The short take for people like AOC who cannot seem to understand reality: It is not sane or reasonable to have already over-burdened taxpayers pay for the college education of other peoples' children only to have those young men and women working for minimum wage. No matter how much money you spend, you cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
What DOES make sense: Have businesses "scout" high schools, just like sports scouts do, and offer to pay for a promising students' college provided they work for that business for a specified time, at a good salary. If Microsoft is going to benefit from a talented smart kid's education, then perhaps Microsoft should pay for that education.
And the taxpayers could more easily afford to "subsidize" (only) the most promising students who do not have the means to pay college. Those from poorer families and communities, who excel in school, would contribute more to our society from a college education than it would cost us to fund it. After all, if you need a lawyer, would you rather have one who barely passed the bar, or one who graduated top of the class?
Then we could take some of the money saved by not providing free college for all and use it to "funnel" high school students into two different scholastic groups - one geared for those who prefer to learn a trade, or otherwise have a limited scholastic ability, and a college preparatory group designed to give the best-of-the-best a head start, maybe to even include internship. And that could easily reduce the number of years - and the cost - of their secondary education.
/
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Crunchy, Nutty Caramel Apple Pie
Hope some of my readers enjoy this recipe - it once took first place at the fair. Topping, however, my be too sweet for diabetics, so maybe you can adjust that a bit if needed.
Enjoy! And Happy Holidays to your home from ours.
BILL'S CRUNCHY, NUTTY CARAMEL APPLE PIE
Ingredients:
1 pastry crust, deep-dish 9 inch
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 Tsp salt
6 cups thinly sliced apples - I prefer a mix of Golden Delicious & Fuji
1 recipe for crumb topping (below)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup caramel topping
Ingredients for crumb topping
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cook rolled oats
1/2 cup butter
Directions for crumb topping:
1. Stir together brown sugar, flour, rolled oats
2. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until topping is course crumbs. Set aside
DIRECTIONS:
1. In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt
2. Add apple slices & gently toss until coated
3. Transfer apple mixture to pie shell
4. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture
5. Place pie on cookie sheet
6. Cover edges with aluminum foil
7. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven 25 minutes. Remove foil, bake for another 25 minutes
8. Remove from oven, sprinkle pie with pecans then drizzle caramel on top
9. Cool on wire rack
Enjoy! And Happy Holidays to your home from ours.
BILL'S CRUNCHY, NUTTY CARAMEL APPLE PIE
Ingredients:
1 pastry crust, deep-dish 9 inch
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 Tsp salt
6 cups thinly sliced apples - I prefer a mix of Golden Delicious & Fuji
1 recipe for crumb topping (below)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup caramel topping
Ingredients for crumb topping
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cook rolled oats
1/2 cup butter
Directions for crumb topping:
1. Stir together brown sugar, flour, rolled oats
2. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until topping is course crumbs. Set aside
DIRECTIONS:
1. In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt
2. Add apple slices & gently toss until coated
3. Transfer apple mixture to pie shell
4. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture
5. Place pie on cookie sheet
6. Cover edges with aluminum foil
7. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven 25 minutes. Remove foil, bake for another 25 minutes
8. Remove from oven, sprinkle pie with pecans then drizzle caramel on top
9. Cool on wire rack
Saturday, November 16, 2019
God Winks...
Belief in God MUST be taken as a matter of faith, not as a matter of provable fact.
And anyone who cares to open their eyes would find all the evidence needed for faith. Take my own experiences as an example.
As
a homeless person in '91 I needed $5 to buy a suit at Goodwill for an
interview. I certainly did not have $5. Instead, I went to the clothing room at the homeless shelter and got a
pair of clean pants. In the pocket I found a $5 bill - exactly
the amount I needed to buy the suit!
God winked...
My wife was told
by two doctors that her multiple operations rendered her incapable of
having children of her own. When she asked God if I was the right person
for her, she got pregnant that very night (by me, of course).
God winked...
My
Dad, born in 1898 went off to WWI in 1917, leaving his fiance behind
until the war was over. After the war, she was gone, her family had moved away. In 1983 Dad was
visiting my Mother's grave. A woman was across from him, visiting her
husband's grave. She saw the last name on my mother's stone and asked if
my father was related to the man she had been engaged to over 65 years
earlier - it was her! It wasn't possible for such a one in a billion shot to happen, but it did!
God winked ...They finally married in 1985.
I
tried quitting smoking for over 40 years to no avail. One night I prayed
and asked God to help. I have not smoked since (it's been 17 years),
and I have never suffered any withdrawal symptoms or any cravings!
God winked...
I
can list dozens of such "coincidences". But I do not believe much in
coincidence. Especially the convoluted ones that are so improbable. A coincidence is just God, winking...
Yes,
I know these things do not prove there is a God. But that's the point -
if God can be proved, faith would have no value. And that would make
our "free will" rather pointless - if the existence of God could be proved, we would have no choice but to believe in
Him. And then God would have a difficult time trying to figure out which of us are worthy because we CHOOSE to believe, and not because we had no choice.
Atheists also like to say they do not fear
God because you cannot fear that which does not exist - which is
precisely why they fear God more than believers do. You see, they cannot
prove God does NOT exist any more than believers can prove He does.
Since they cannot prove God does not exist, deep down they know that
there is a possibility that He does. They BELIEVE He does not exist, but
believing it does not make it a fact. Naturally, to any person spending
their life denying God, the possibility He may actually exist scares
the Hell out of them.
I fear God because I may not measure up. The atheist fears God because he doesn't even try.
/
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
The REAL Reason Trump Is Pulling Troops From Syria
It appears that a majority of pundits, military people, the media, Democrats and even some Republicans are up in arms (pardon the pun) about Trump pulling our troops from Syria, leaving our "friends", the Kurds, at the mercy of the Turks and everyone else.
But here is what Trump knows that all those others may not have considered...
Turkey had already begun to set the stage on their border to invade Syria and squash the Kurds. We know this to be true. If our troops remained, the Turkish army would be firing on them since the U.S. forces would be in their way. And if that were to occur, our forces would have a choice - either fire back, or just roll over and die with the Kurds. Neither is a viable option, because Turkey is a NATO ally and under the NATO treaty, we must defend other NATO allies. We CANNOT make war against them unless or until they make war with us.
If faced with the choice of killing Turks or Kurds, we would have no choice - we must, by treaty, side with Turkey, even though they are not our friend. If we were to stay, we would be required to fight on the side of our enemy, and fight against our friend.
Imagine what the media and pundits would say about that!
As much as it pains me that we are abandoning the Kurds, it is the only thing we can do at this point, as Turkey, a NATO "ally", was going to invade whether we were there or not. And the choice was clear - pull out, or go to war with a NATO member, which would virtually undo NATO altogether, as all other NATO countries would be forced, by treaty, to go to war with the U.S. for attacking a NATO member - which is the ultimate dream of Vladimir Putin and Iranian leaders.
So, to those pundits, the media, the generals and the politicians that think Trump had made a huge blunder, I say they need a reality check, and they should extrapolate it out to its logical conclusion. And then either support Trump's decision, or just shut up.
/
But here is what Trump knows that all those others may not have considered...
Turkey had already begun to set the stage on their border to invade Syria and squash the Kurds. We know this to be true. If our troops remained, the Turkish army would be firing on them since the U.S. forces would be in their way. And if that were to occur, our forces would have a choice - either fire back, or just roll over and die with the Kurds. Neither is a viable option, because Turkey is a NATO ally and under the NATO treaty, we must defend other NATO allies. We CANNOT make war against them unless or until they make war with us.
If faced with the choice of killing Turks or Kurds, we would have no choice - we must, by treaty, side with Turkey, even though they are not our friend. If we were to stay, we would be required to fight on the side of our enemy, and fight against our friend.
Imagine what the media and pundits would say about that!
As much as it pains me that we are abandoning the Kurds, it is the only thing we can do at this point, as Turkey, a NATO "ally", was going to invade whether we were there or not. And the choice was clear - pull out, or go to war with a NATO member, which would virtually undo NATO altogether, as all other NATO countries would be forced, by treaty, to go to war with the U.S. for attacking a NATO member - which is the ultimate dream of Vladimir Putin and Iranian leaders.
So, to those pundits, the media, the generals and the politicians that think Trump had made a huge blunder, I say they need a reality check, and they should extrapolate it out to its logical conclusion. And then either support Trump's decision, or just shut up.
/
Friday, August 30, 2019
A New Look At Armando Montelongo
Some time back I posted my review of the Armando Montelongo seminars and associated bus tours etc. Since then, I have even less good to say about him. Here is one specific complaint that was made that really spells it out:
Waltraud Wendy Deridmacker writes
"I am also disabled. I paid for seminars of over $30.000.00.I was promised my first transaction before the end of the week. This never happened. Now I am so far in debt. That I am about to lose my home. Please help me..."
What bothers me almost as much as what Montelongo and many other "gurus" do that scam folks out of their life savings is that many of their victims come to me for help, but there is nothing I can do after the fact. The only thing I can do - and I do it - is to try and warn people ahead of time, before they get in debt up to their ears with nothing to show for it.
And while it is true that for over 30 years I have been offering a real estate investing course of my own, so I am their competitor, I get just as much satisfaction if my only contribution is to save a few poor souls from falling into the "medicine show" trap by the likes of Montelongo.
And it REALLY irks me when those other "gurus" charge upwards of $30,000. There is NO real estate investing course worth the price of college tuition! None. Not even mine. In fact, I sometimes feel like I am over-charging at $100, though I teach many more strategies and provide all the tools necessary, including free coaching. It simply is not astrophysics or brain surgery - ordinary people have been succeeding in real estate for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
If I can sell you my program, great! But even if I cannot, I am just as satisfied if my warning keeps you safely out of the shark infested waters of the over-priced gurus.
/
Waltraud Wendy Deridmacker writes
"I am also disabled. I paid for seminars of over $30.000.00.I was promised my first transaction before the end of the week. This never happened. Now I am so far in debt. That I am about to lose my home. Please help me..."
What bothers me almost as much as what Montelongo and many other "gurus" do that scam folks out of their life savings is that many of their victims come to me for help, but there is nothing I can do after the fact. The only thing I can do - and I do it - is to try and warn people ahead of time, before they get in debt up to their ears with nothing to show for it.
And while it is true that for over 30 years I have been offering a real estate investing course of my own, so I am their competitor, I get just as much satisfaction if my only contribution is to save a few poor souls from falling into the "medicine show" trap by the likes of Montelongo.
And it REALLY irks me when those other "gurus" charge upwards of $30,000. There is NO real estate investing course worth the price of college tuition! None. Not even mine. In fact, I sometimes feel like I am over-charging at $100, though I teach many more strategies and provide all the tools necessary, including free coaching. It simply is not astrophysics or brain surgery - ordinary people have been succeeding in real estate for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
If I can sell you my program, great! But even if I cannot, I am just as satisfied if my warning keeps you safely out of the shark infested waters of the over-priced gurus.
/
Friday, August 23, 2019
Real Estate Investing 101
OK, so you have seen this title before, by many real estate investing gurus and sites. But this is different. This is the REAL Real Estate Investing 101 - the stuff those others are not talking about.
Real estate investing does not begin with a seminar, boot camp, or even a real estate course. It begins before that. It begins with proper preparation of self; building on negotiation skills, because every transaction is a negotiation, and making important connections, because successful investing is not a one-person sport - it requires bringing people together, and working with them. But even before that, it requires a "special" attitude.
I have been investing successfully in real estate for over a half century, and I created "The Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate" training course, and I can tell you that success is not guaranteed simply by knowing the mechanics of methods and strategies. Yes, those are crucial, but they are also not worth much if the would-be investor is not properly prepped.
Like any other career, success is best achieved when the individual has DESIGNED his or her success with purpose. For example, before a doctor practices medicine, he or she must first learn latin and take other courses that may seem irrelevant for using a scalpel, and then must intern. While real estate investing is not brain surgery, it does require that certain ancillary knowledge and personal traits are honed. It's not hard, but it will super-charge success.
And that's where my free eBook, "Success - By Design" comes in. And it really is free - you don't have to sign in, sign up, or even provide your name or email. And while it is not the "be all or do all" tome for self-prepping, I guarantee if you read it, learn it and live it you will be more likely to succeed in every aspect of life - work, family, romance - and yes, real estate investing.
Downloaded over 4,000,000 times, I have never asked readers to pay anything for it. All I have ever asked is that, if you find any value in it, that you pass it along to everyone you care about - relatives, friends, associates, FaceBook or Twitter followers - because most people can receive benefit from it.
"Success - by Design" is the perfect companion to "The Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate", the lowest cost yet most effective training course available. Check them both out - it costs nothing to look.
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Sunday, August 18, 2019
Sen. Warren Dishonestly Cherry-Picks the Bible
Sen. Elizabeth Warren invoked Matthew 25 in a speech to Christians, claiming "The Lord calls us to act." But that is neither the narrative of Matthew 25 nor the intent.
Matthew 25 consists of three parables (posted below for reference). The parable of the ten virgins is in reference to entering the Kingdom of Heaven and tells us we cannot be foolish and unwise and then expect the Lord to "open the door" for you afterward.
The second parable is the one of the servants and the talents. God gives each of us what we need, and tasks us with using his gifts to us wisely. Those who do not are punished. This is one of the many chapters in the Bible that speak well of EARNING what you want, and using it responsibly. The Lord gives us responsibility, and those who act accordingly are granted greater responsibility and the rewards include a share in the Master’s joy for their work. It denounces the lazy and irresponsible. He does NOT call for the wise and fruitful to support the lazy and irresponsible - just the less fortunate; those UNABLE by fate to care for themselves.
The third parable is the "sheep and the goats". The sheep are the righteous, being granted the Kingdom of Heaven because they took care of the less fortunate (but NOT the lazy and irresponsible, as shown in the first two parables). They cared for the sick, the hungry, the thirsty etc.
We are tasked to act in His name to be good stewards of His gifts to us. As He said in another story, we should only sow our seeds the Word of God and God's gifts to us) on FERTILE ground, and to not waste it on barren, rocky or thorny ground . The Lord told what he meant by “good” soil - the person who readily listens to the His word (symbolized by the seed) and understands it (Mt. 13:23). Mark describes the good soil as those who “accept” the seed (4:20), while Luke characterizes the fruit-producing soil as those who have an “honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast...” (8:15).
Senator Warren does not know nor understand the Bible, and like so many others, cherry-picks verses for her own personal benefit - which is very much in opposition of what the Lord calls us to do.
Matthew 25:1-13
1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them,
4 But the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
5 Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9 But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
10 While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.
11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
15To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately
16 the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.
17 Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
18 But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
19 After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
20 The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’
21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
22 [Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’
23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
24 Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter;
25 So out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’
26 His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?
27 Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
28Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
29 For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,
32 and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 A stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
44 Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’
45 He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25 consists of three parables (posted below for reference). The parable of the ten virgins is in reference to entering the Kingdom of Heaven and tells us we cannot be foolish and unwise and then expect the Lord to "open the door" for you afterward.
The second parable is the one of the servants and the talents. God gives each of us what we need, and tasks us with using his gifts to us wisely. Those who do not are punished. This is one of the many chapters in the Bible that speak well of EARNING what you want, and using it responsibly. The Lord gives us responsibility, and those who act accordingly are granted greater responsibility and the rewards include a share in the Master’s joy for their work. It denounces the lazy and irresponsible. He does NOT call for the wise and fruitful to support the lazy and irresponsible - just the less fortunate; those UNABLE by fate to care for themselves.
The third parable is the "sheep and the goats". The sheep are the righteous, being granted the Kingdom of Heaven because they took care of the less fortunate (but NOT the lazy and irresponsible, as shown in the first two parables). They cared for the sick, the hungry, the thirsty etc.
We are tasked to act in His name to be good stewards of His gifts to us. As He said in another story, we should only sow our seeds the Word of God and God's gifts to us) on FERTILE ground, and to not waste it on barren, rocky or thorny ground . The Lord told what he meant by “good” soil - the person who readily listens to the His word (symbolized by the seed) and understands it (Mt. 13:23). Mark describes the good soil as those who “accept” the seed (4:20), while Luke characterizes the fruit-producing soil as those who have an “honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast...” (8:15).
Senator Warren does not know nor understand the Bible, and like so many others, cherry-picks verses for her own personal benefit - which is very much in opposition of what the Lord calls us to do.
Matthew 25:1-13
1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them,
4 But the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
5 Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9 But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
10 While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.
11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
15To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately
16 the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.
17 Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
18 But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
19 After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
20 The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’
21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
22 [Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’
23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
24 Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter;
25 So out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’
26 His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?
27 Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
28Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
29 For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,
32 and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 A stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
44 Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’
45 He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Monday, August 5, 2019
The REAL Reason the Left Wants "Gun Control"
You have heard all the rhetoric - from both sides - as to why we need more gun controls, or why we do not. What you have NOT heard is the real reason those on the left want more gun control.
To begin, understand that the left has always used the "Overton Window" strategy to get their way. You can think of it as getting to the (moving) goal post incrementally. They want the legalization of drugs, so they start with fighting for something so innocuous as "decriminalization", then moving to "medicinal use", and now to recreational use. With that in mind, make no mistake - "gun controls" are just the first step in their very real quest to do away with our right to own and bear arms. They want to take our guns. Period. And there is plenty of proof if you doubt this.
But the real question is: WHY?
Here's why - the radical left plans on being in control of Congress and the White House again someday. And when that day comes, they intend to put through their radical, socialist agenda. We know this because they tell us that is their goal. Most people are aware of that. But what many may not be aware of is that they play a "long game". They realize that pushing through their socialist agenda, to achieve more - and permanent - power for themselves, it would very likely start a civil war - a SHOOTING war - as millions of Americans will fight to the death to preserve the Constitution and our freedoms. They know that millions of citizens will take arms against ANY government that tries to take away their guns and push through socialism.
And the left knows that the only way they can retain their control, permanently, is to disarm the opponents. Without weapons, We, the People would not be able to stand against the full power of a government that is under the left's control.
They plan a coup. They want complete and permanent control. But they could never achieve it as long as millions of everyday citizens have guns.
Sure, you could say this is a "conspiracy theory". But if you research the things powerful people on the left have actually been saying and doing, it becomes all to clear that this is reality. For example, at a town hall meeting in Keene NH in October 2015, Hillary Clinton said that a mandatory gun buyback program is something “worth looking at,” referring to Australia’s firearms confiscation programs in 1996 and 2003, which collected roughly 700,000 banned semiautomatic rifles and other firearms. And SHE was almost elected president!
Conspiracy theory? Perhaps - but unlikely!
How To Create A Mass Murderer
Although gun ownership is way up, but shooting deaths are down in comparison, there is a lot of angst and the wringing of hands when some unstable person goes on a shooting spree. And in the midst of this, people seem to be at a loss as to what we can do to put a cork in it. And that is what perplexes me - people seem unable to grasp that it is a waste of time trying to to fix the problem by RE-acting instead of by acting.
Before we can figure out what to do, we must first figure out what we have already done that contributes to the instability of some people to the extent that they can commit such insane crimes. Why, after hundreds of years are young people now bouncing off walls - even the suicide rate is escalating?
The first thing we need to understand is that most shootings are not a product of mental illness, though it appears that way. It is actually a result of mental conditioning. More and more young people are being conditioned by our current culture to act with anti-social behaviors. After all, mental illness has always been with us, but has not resulted in so many mass murders in so short a time. No - but what is new is our rapidly changing - and deteriorating - culture.
If I were tasked with creating a culture where people feel so disassociated with others that it would result in a mass shooting, here is what I would do - ask yourself if this hits a chord.
The very first thing I would do is disable the persons' conscience. To do this, I would take God out of his or her life. It makes no difference whether or not there is a God - whether God created us or we created Him does not make a difference in how we do or do not have a moral conscience. In other words, if we do not fear God because we do not believe in a Heaven and Hell, we have much less reason to lead a life of morality.
Then I would take away the old-fashioned idea of taking personal responsibility for our actions; that life choices should be like those in video games, where there is a do-over for any choice - simply end the game and start over. No consequences for making poor choices.
Along that same line, the next thing I would do to insure a good crop of mass murderers would be to get rid of any semblance that there is any sanctity of life; that life, itself, is not all that important. To this end I would promote abortion, ensuring that children grow up with the realization that it is just hunky dory to end a human life as long as it is deemed to be inconvenient. If you make poor choices, it's just time for a do-over. No consequences. This takes the lack of personal responsibility to it's highest level - life and death.
To further the development of a mind that is capable of mass murder, I would invent addictive video games that teach developing minds not only how to kill everything in sight, but to feel excitement, and even joy at doing so - an adrenaline rush. And that is the addictive part of such games. And like any other adrenaline rush, it drives adrenaline junkies to move up to a bigger, better rush. Seeking the ultimate high.
And to make sure unstable minds have no reason to NOT commit murder, I would invent social media, where such individuals can live in a world where there is no need to actually meet face-to-face with other people, or make real, human, personal connections that would otherwise provide the individual with relationships that can ground them to reality. In a recent poll, 22% of millennials say they have NO FRIENDS! So, who in their life is anchoring them? Who is instilling personal connections with others, to provide them with a sense that other people have value?
Finally, I would fill the teaching staff at colleges and universities with professors intent on indoctrinating students with radical ideas, and put the mainstream media into the hands of those who would further promote radicalism, and brainwash people by not offering an unbiased view of their story lines.
Of course, it is even more complicated than this, but these are the things I would do that would insure that susceptible people would be prone to mass violence. And I am absolutely certain that these things do contribute heavily. And that is why we, as a people, need to reconsider the long-range results of changes in our culture and begin working on making changes to those changes.
And just how do we do that? In the home! Families - particularly parents - need to take an active role in reducing the impact of such things. Provide your children with a moral compass through religion. Teach them the importance of taking responsibility for their choices so they will be more likely to use greater care in making those choices. Then work to teach sanctity of life by ending abortions of convenience, and limit them to those that involve a life-threatening issue or incest. And limit your child's dependence on addictive video games, even if non-violent, and severely limit their use of social media. In fact, ban social media for any child under the age of 16 - give them a chance to make real, face-to-face relationships with others. And require your representatives to set up a program that monitors universities and forces them to teach our kids HOW to think, and not WHAT to think. And stop watching/listening/reading media that show a clear bias in their reporting.
Do these things in every family, and mass murders will become the rarity they should be. And if a child's family is unable to do so, for whatever reasons, we need after school programs that help to fill that void.
/
Before we can figure out what to do, we must first figure out what we have already done that contributes to the instability of some people to the extent that they can commit such insane crimes. Why, after hundreds of years are young people now bouncing off walls - even the suicide rate is escalating?
The first thing we need to understand is that most shootings are not a product of mental illness, though it appears that way. It is actually a result of mental conditioning. More and more young people are being conditioned by our current culture to act with anti-social behaviors. After all, mental illness has always been with us, but has not resulted in so many mass murders in so short a time. No - but what is new is our rapidly changing - and deteriorating - culture.
If I were tasked with creating a culture where people feel so disassociated with others that it would result in a mass shooting, here is what I would do - ask yourself if this hits a chord.
The very first thing I would do is disable the persons' conscience. To do this, I would take God out of his or her life. It makes no difference whether or not there is a God - whether God created us or we created Him does not make a difference in how we do or do not have a moral conscience. In other words, if we do not fear God because we do not believe in a Heaven and Hell, we have much less reason to lead a life of morality.
Then I would take away the old-fashioned idea of taking personal responsibility for our actions; that life choices should be like those in video games, where there is a do-over for any choice - simply end the game and start over. No consequences for making poor choices.
Along that same line, the next thing I would do to insure a good crop of mass murderers would be to get rid of any semblance that there is any sanctity of life; that life, itself, is not all that important. To this end I would promote abortion, ensuring that children grow up with the realization that it is just hunky dory to end a human life as long as it is deemed to be inconvenient. If you make poor choices, it's just time for a do-over. No consequences. This takes the lack of personal responsibility to it's highest level - life and death.
To further the development of a mind that is capable of mass murder, I would invent addictive video games that teach developing minds not only how to kill everything in sight, but to feel excitement, and even joy at doing so - an adrenaline rush. And that is the addictive part of such games. And like any other adrenaline rush, it drives adrenaline junkies to move up to a bigger, better rush. Seeking the ultimate high.
And to make sure unstable minds have no reason to NOT commit murder, I would invent social media, where such individuals can live in a world where there is no need to actually meet face-to-face with other people, or make real, human, personal connections that would otherwise provide the individual with relationships that can ground them to reality. In a recent poll, 22% of millennials say they have NO FRIENDS! So, who in their life is anchoring them? Who is instilling personal connections with others, to provide them with a sense that other people have value?
Finally, I would fill the teaching staff at colleges and universities with professors intent on indoctrinating students with radical ideas, and put the mainstream media into the hands of those who would further promote radicalism, and brainwash people by not offering an unbiased view of their story lines.
Of course, it is even more complicated than this, but these are the things I would do that would insure that susceptible people would be prone to mass violence. And I am absolutely certain that these things do contribute heavily. And that is why we, as a people, need to reconsider the long-range results of changes in our culture and begin working on making changes to those changes.
And just how do we do that? In the home! Families - particularly parents - need to take an active role in reducing the impact of such things. Provide your children with a moral compass through religion. Teach them the importance of taking responsibility for their choices so they will be more likely to use greater care in making those choices. Then work to teach sanctity of life by ending abortions of convenience, and limit them to those that involve a life-threatening issue or incest. And limit your child's dependence on addictive video games, even if non-violent, and severely limit their use of social media. In fact, ban social media for any child under the age of 16 - give them a chance to make real, face-to-face relationships with others. And require your representatives to set up a program that monitors universities and forces them to teach our kids HOW to think, and not WHAT to think. And stop watching/listening/reading media that show a clear bias in their reporting.
Do these things in every family, and mass murders will become the rarity they should be. And if a child's family is unable to do so, for whatever reasons, we need after school programs that help to fill that void.
/
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Twitter - Internet Cancer
"Your account has been locked for violating the Twitter Rules.
Specifically for:
Violating our rules against hateful conduct.
You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease."
That was the message I received. And here is the tweet that they say threatens, or harrasses based on race, ethnicity etc....
"Rusty K
@chelseahandler calls Sarah Huckabee Sanders a "trollop" for wearing make-up. Hey, Handler, if make-up makes one a trollop, then you lead the pack. Look in a mirror, bimbo"
Now here is the challenge: Can ANYONE find ANYTHING in that tweet that is based on ANY of those criterion? Race? Ethnicity? National Origin? Sexual Orientation? Gender? Gender Identity? Religious Affiliation? Age? Disability? Serious Disease?
Let's see - here is how the dictionary defines "bimbo":
[ˈbimbō]
NOUN
an attractive but unintelligent OR frivolous young woman
Point made.
Handler can call Huckabee-Sanders a trollop, and Twitter says that's just fine. But let someone call Handler a bimbo, and the Twitter censors go nuts. Why? Because Sanders is a conservative, and Handler is a liberal.
Is there ANY threat of ANY kind?
The answer to all is a resounding "NO". So, what is REALLY going on here?
In the news it has been reported that the anti-American radicals at Twitter have been systematically locking and/or deleting the accounts of CONSERVATIVES. If you doubt this, check it out at https://nypost.com/2020/05/27/twitter-targets-conservatives-with-none-of-a-publishers-responsibilities/. At one point they even deleted the President's account. And Twitter has been using dubious (to say the least) excuses for their purge of conservative thought, much the same as Berkley U. has beeen doing the same.
Everyone knows that Twitter is populated primarily by what is known as "trolls" - radical, hateful nuts who use Twitter to attack conservatives on every minute issue, right down to what shoes Melania wore. And Twitter has yet to lock any of them out. But when a far-left radical like Chelsea Handler publicly calls a conservative woman like Sarah Sanders a "trollop" (which is not only hateful, but slanderous), Twitter turns a blind eye, but locks the account of those who call her out for her disgusting rhetoric.
It's a fairly well-known fact that Twitter is extremely damaging to society as a whole, as it provides a platform for the real haters and cancers to spread their vile agenda, and far too many ignorant people take it all in as if it were God's own words. And it is sick that so many in the mainstream media actually get their news from these anonymous Twitter trolls that live in mommy's basement.
Perhaps the time has come for We, the People, to boycott Twitter and stop using it, and to stop reading it.
Specifically for:
Violating our rules against hateful conduct.
You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease."
That was the message I received. And here is the tweet that they say threatens, or harrasses based on race, ethnicity etc....
"Rusty K
@chelseahandler calls Sarah Huckabee Sanders a "trollop" for wearing make-up. Hey, Handler, if make-up makes one a trollop, then you lead the pack. Look in a mirror, bimbo"
Now here is the challenge: Can ANYONE find ANYTHING in that tweet that is based on ANY of those criterion? Race? Ethnicity? National Origin? Sexual Orientation? Gender? Gender Identity? Religious Affiliation? Age? Disability? Serious Disease?
Let's see - here is how the dictionary defines "bimbo":
[ˈbimbō]
NOUN
an attractive but unintelligent OR frivolous young woman
Point made.
Handler can call Huckabee-Sanders a trollop, and Twitter says that's just fine. But let someone call Handler a bimbo, and the Twitter censors go nuts. Why? Because Sanders is a conservative, and Handler is a liberal.
Is there ANY threat of ANY kind?
The answer to all is a resounding "NO". So, what is REALLY going on here?
In the news it has been reported that the anti-American radicals at Twitter have been systematically locking and/or deleting the accounts of CONSERVATIVES. If you doubt this, check it out at https://nypost.com/2020/05/27/twitter-targets-conservatives-with-none-of-a-publishers-responsibilities/. At one point they even deleted the President's account. And Twitter has been using dubious (to say the least) excuses for their purge of conservative thought, much the same as Berkley U. has beeen doing the same.
Everyone knows that Twitter is populated primarily by what is known as "trolls" - radical, hateful nuts who use Twitter to attack conservatives on every minute issue, right down to what shoes Melania wore. And Twitter has yet to lock any of them out. But when a far-left radical like Chelsea Handler publicly calls a conservative woman like Sarah Sanders a "trollop" (which is not only hateful, but slanderous), Twitter turns a blind eye, but locks the account of those who call her out for her disgusting rhetoric.
It's a fairly well-known fact that Twitter is extremely damaging to society as a whole, as it provides a platform for the real haters and cancers to spread their vile agenda, and far too many ignorant people take it all in as if it were God's own words. And it is sick that so many in the mainstream media actually get their news from these anonymous Twitter trolls that live in mommy's basement.
Perhaps the time has come for We, the People, to boycott Twitter and stop using it, and to stop reading it.
Monday, April 1, 2019
They're Looking At Health Care All Wrong
Politicians and pundits on all sides are looking at health care costs all wrong. They are all focused on INSURANCE, and not the cost of the health care, itself. And whenever you insert someone else between you and a product or service, that person needs to be paid which only serves to make the product/service more expensive. And insurance always increases the cost of things, because medical providers can charge more to insurance companies because they have deeper pockets than individuals, and there are few restraints on increasing costs since insurers just pass those costs on to the individuals paying the premiums.
If we want to decrease the expense of health care, we must first address the actual needs and the costs of those needs, and THEN we can address insurance to cover them.
First and foremost we need to address the poor lifestyle choices that contribute to 70% of all health issues. One hundred years ago the average person was in good health, barring an injury or contagious disease. In nature, the normal state of health is good health, and poor health is abnormal. We have managed to turn that on its head with our proclivity towards making poor choices like smoking, too many sweets, fake foods (if it wasn't food a hundred years ago it is not food now), an over abundance of chemicals and perservatives and an aversion to actual exercise and physical labor. You don't have to be a doctor to understand that our choices are largely responsible for our health. It is estimated that over 70%, and perhaps as much as 80% of all health care needs are attributed to poor lifestyle choices. If we were to all live by the Biblical statement, "All things, in moderation", and get sufficient exercise, we could cut health care costs in half.
And we could cut them even more by using our tax system to discourage poor and harmful lifestyle choices and apply those taxes to directly reduce the cost of healthier options. For example, increase tax on sodas and cigarettes and use those taxes EXPRESSLY to reduce the cost of healthy, whole food and/or fitness equipment or gym memberships.
Costs can be reduced further by capping malpractice awards. Medicine is an imperfect science; honest mistakes can be made. The ONLY lawsuits that should be permitted are for instances of gross neglect or incompetence, and then the awards should be capped at reasonable levels. This would reduce costs in two ways: first, by reducing the exhorbitant costs that doctors and medical establishments must pay for malpractice insurance, and second, because doctors will not feel obligated to "over-test" in an effort to cover their butts. Currently, doctors must test a patient for many things unrelated to the health issue, just to play it safe.
To reduce health care costs further, it is as simple as stopping the "revolving door of referrals." If you know you need a gastroenterologist, why should you be required to first see a personal care physician for a "referral"? The cost of seeing the PCP adds significantly to the cost. We should be able to schedule our own appointments with specialists.
Case in point - I suspected my medication for ulcerative colitis may have caused PML, a serious viral infection, so I wanted to see a professional to get an MRI to see if I was infected. I had to first see my PCP ($225) to get a referral to see the neurologist ($640) who referred me to an unnecessary HEART specialist (my heart is perfect) at a cost of $1200, who then, finally, got me an appointment for an MRI ($1550). A total of $3615.00, when all I needed was the MRI at less than half that cost. As it turned out, I did not have PML. But $2,000.00 was wasted in getting to that eventual determination.
Now that we have lowered the actual costs of health care into the realm of sanity, we can NOW address the cost of insurance. Having reduced health care costs by at least 50-75%, it is safe to assume one of two things - either the cost of insurance can be reduced by 50-75% OR most people can afford their health care costs without the need of insurance, as they would only be paying as much for their health care as they would have had to pay in insurance deductibles, anyway.
As a final thought, assuming we bring costs down significantly, the ONLY insurance a person should need is catastrophic insurance, to cover things most people cannot afford, such as cancer treatment. If insurance covers only catastrophic issues, the cost is significantly reduced even more. And that is the only type of insurance that should be subsidized by the government (with the exception of Medicare and general health care for the poor - Medicaid)
Together, these things are not difficult to achieve. Certainly, many people will still make lifestyle choices detrimental to their health, but the high taxes on those things would help offset the costs incurred. In other words, people choosing to harm themselves would be the same people carrying the brunt of the costs of their treatment. No longer will you and I be paying too much for insurance because someone else chooses to drink, smoke or junk food themselves into oblivion.
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Sunday, March 10, 2019
Memory Loss - Can It Be Overcome?
Having reached old age, I find that certain memories are getting difficult to bring forward when I want them. I see a movie star from the 40's or 50's whose name I know as well as my own, yet struggle to recall it (though eventually I do). Or I get up from the couch to go to the kitchen, and before getting there I have forgotten why I was going, though eventually, and with a struggle I do recall the reason.
I have a theory, and if the theory is true we might be able to overcome much "memory loss". Because in cases like these, the memories are not really lost - eventually they can be brought to mind.
The brain is a powerful and complex "natural computer". And I think, like a computer, as it becomes cluttered with vast amounts of input, it becomes less efficient; slower, and could even crash. So when a person reaches their elder years, the brain has amassed a vast amount of input - every little thing you have ever heard, seen, smelled, tasted, touched or learned. The brain becomes a bit cluttered, and, in order to protect its host (us) it stores unnecessary memories "in the attic" much as a computer might compress files to make room for necessary functions. If there is no need to recall Burt Lancaster's name, it gets stored and becomes difficult to unlock.
OK, if this theory has any basis in fact, and the brain puts certain info into a storage unit, then all we should need is access to the storage area, on demand. A way to unlock the memory closet. A key.
I don't think there is any technology (yet) that is capable of doing that, but perhaps the brain, itself, can provide the answer. I can't help but wonder if we could use hypnosis to convince the brain to provide access to the "attic" by use of a "password", just like a computer. For example, under hypnosis it might be suggested that any time you have trouble recalling a name, event etc. that by consciously saying "eureka", or thinking of a specific image, such as a babbling brook, that the brain would recognize that as a key, allowing access to the dusty, cob-webbed attic
I am going to try and find a good hypnotist, and try it on myself. If anyone else who reads this should also try it, please let me know the results.
Of course, this all rests upon whether or not I REMEMBER to find a hypnotist...
I have a theory, and if the theory is true we might be able to overcome much "memory loss". Because in cases like these, the memories are not really lost - eventually they can be brought to mind.
The brain is a powerful and complex "natural computer". And I think, like a computer, as it becomes cluttered with vast amounts of input, it becomes less efficient; slower, and could even crash. So when a person reaches their elder years, the brain has amassed a vast amount of input - every little thing you have ever heard, seen, smelled, tasted, touched or learned. The brain becomes a bit cluttered, and, in order to protect its host (us) it stores unnecessary memories "in the attic" much as a computer might compress files to make room for necessary functions. If there is no need to recall Burt Lancaster's name, it gets stored and becomes difficult to unlock.
OK, if this theory has any basis in fact, and the brain puts certain info into a storage unit, then all we should need is access to the storage area, on demand. A way to unlock the memory closet. A key.
I don't think there is any technology (yet) that is capable of doing that, but perhaps the brain, itself, can provide the answer. I can't help but wonder if we could use hypnosis to convince the brain to provide access to the "attic" by use of a "password", just like a computer. For example, under hypnosis it might be suggested that any time you have trouble recalling a name, event etc. that by consciously saying "eureka", or thinking of a specific image, such as a babbling brook, that the brain would recognize that as a key, allowing access to the dusty, cob-webbed attic
I am going to try and find a good hypnotist, and try it on myself. If anyone else who reads this should also try it, please let me know the results.
Of course, this all rests upon whether or not I REMEMBER to find a hypnotist...
Monday, January 28, 2019
Sen. Warren's Insane Tax Proposal
Just when I thought I had heard every moronic attack on capitalism, leave it to Senator Warren to top them all - even Ocasio-Cortez.
As president, Ms Warren wants to institute a "Wealth Tax". For those who think, "Great - the wealthy will pay", think again. A wealth tax means the IRS would assess YOUR wealth every year, and tax you on it. Everything you own, personal or business, would be taxed again and again, year after year, UNTIL IT IS GONE!
Just one small example: you are 25 and have $10,000 in the stock market, or in cash, or equity in your home - whatever. You pay incomes tax on it when you earn it. Then, every year, the government taxes you on it yet again. At even a 2% tax rate, that's $200 per year. By the time you retire, it's GONE your cash, your investments, your home, your business...
But she gets even crazier. She wants to also institute an "Exit Tax". If you decide that either you want to leave the country in order gain more favorable tax treatment (or for ANY reason), the government would confiscate 40% of your entire wealth as punishment. That is in addition to the income taxes and wealth taxes you have already paid! You would leave as a pauper.
Senator Warren should just come out and be honest - she wants the government to own everything. And if that ever happens, we have seen what the result would be, in feudal England, where the king and the Lords owned everything, and the masses were merely pawns, living and dying at the mercy of the "overlords".
Everyone should understand this one important and irrevocable fact - whenever an entity gains power, other entities must lose it, just like in a poker game. The more power the government has over us, the less power we have over ourselves. And with the loss of power comes the loss of liberty. If government power continues to grow, kiss your freedoms good-bye.
We have already lost much of our freedom. Can you build a needed addition on your home without government permission (zoning)? We can't even grow certain crops for our own use without permission of the Commerce department. And if your community wants to take your property and give it to someone else who will improve it and pay more taxes, they can now do so. Can you pray in a public place? Can you own and carry a firearm wherever you go? We have lost a tremendous amount of freedom since March 4, 1789 when the Constitution became the law of the land.
If America is to remain the land of the free, it must remain the home of the brave - those who will fight people like Warren, Ocasio-Cortez, Bloomberg and any other little tyrant who wants to destroy it by granting more power to the government.
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As president, Ms Warren wants to institute a "Wealth Tax". For those who think, "Great - the wealthy will pay", think again. A wealth tax means the IRS would assess YOUR wealth every year, and tax you on it. Everything you own, personal or business, would be taxed again and again, year after year, UNTIL IT IS GONE!
Just one small example: you are 25 and have $10,000 in the stock market, or in cash, or equity in your home - whatever. You pay incomes tax on it when you earn it. Then, every year, the government taxes you on it yet again. At even a 2% tax rate, that's $200 per year. By the time you retire, it's GONE your cash, your investments, your home, your business...
But she gets even crazier. She wants to also institute an "Exit Tax". If you decide that either you want to leave the country in order gain more favorable tax treatment (or for ANY reason), the government would confiscate 40% of your entire wealth as punishment. That is in addition to the income taxes and wealth taxes you have already paid! You would leave as a pauper.
Senator Warren should just come out and be honest - she wants the government to own everything. And if that ever happens, we have seen what the result would be, in feudal England, where the king and the Lords owned everything, and the masses were merely pawns, living and dying at the mercy of the "overlords".
Everyone should understand this one important and irrevocable fact - whenever an entity gains power, other entities must lose it, just like in a poker game. The more power the government has over us, the less power we have over ourselves. And with the loss of power comes the loss of liberty. If government power continues to grow, kiss your freedoms good-bye.
We have already lost much of our freedom. Can you build a needed addition on your home without government permission (zoning)? We can't even grow certain crops for our own use without permission of the Commerce department. And if your community wants to take your property and give it to someone else who will improve it and pay more taxes, they can now do so. Can you pray in a public place? Can you own and carry a firearm wherever you go? We have lost a tremendous amount of freedom since March 4, 1789 when the Constitution became the law of the land.
If America is to remain the land of the free, it must remain the home of the brave - those who will fight people like Warren, Ocasio-Cortez, Bloomberg and any other little tyrant who wants to destroy it by granting more power to the government.
/
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