2009-12-25 Friday - Christmas Day - Sedona, Arizona

2009-12-25 Friday - Christmas in the Desert

Christmas Day. A time to reflect. A time to pause and ponder. To remember the years that have rolled by. A time to tally the value and joy I have created (or not), in exchange for the the coin of life I have paid.

10 years ago...my first Christmas in Washington State.

20 years ago...a Christmas in Arkansas, followed by a New Year's Eve celebration in Washington, D.C.

My plans for today: A quiet day today. A trip into the mountains to the North. A relaxing evening reading.

2009 has been a tumultuous year. Many changes.

2010 will hopefully be a better year.

I will take the threads of life, and bind them into a stronger rope.

I am thankful for many things today:
- friends
- my health
- the joy of having meaningful work to do
- an abundance of the necessary things
- my family
- my freedom
- the feeling of being safe and secure
- peace of mind
- tranquility in my soul

2009-12-16 Wednesday

A new city. A new client. New adventures.

Here are a few pics from my recent expedition to Canyon Lake:



...and the Superstition Mountains:

2009-11-02 Tuesday - RIP

Today my maternal grandmother passed away. Her name was Madeline. She was 92.

I will most likely fly back to Arkansas within the next two days for her funeral.

She was in ill-health in her final years - so this passing is a blessing for her and for my family.

The Sullins clan is spread wide - and has roots in Virginia...going back to the founding of America.

She was my last living relative born prior to 1920.

The passing of an age.

She was wily in her own way.

It was only in my early adulthood that I came to recognize that playful gleam in her eye - and came to appreciate her salty sense of humor. It was subtle - but she was filled with spice.

I learned much from her...she tutored me on how to drive a boat...how to quietly and patiently fish the deep waters of the many wonderful lakes in Arkansas.

My memories of her are many.

2009-10-09 Friday - Securities Examinations

I'm interested in taking the various examinations to become a licensed investor representative. Here are some of the resources I'm preparing to assemble as part of my study program:

General Securities Representative Exam (Series 7)
(source: wikipedia)

The General Securities Representative Exam, commonly referred to as the Series 7 Exam, is a required exam to become a Registered Representative of a broker-dealer in the United States.

The exam is a six-hour, 260 question test (250 of which count towards the final score) that is owned, maintained and administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which covers a broad range of investments including stocks, bonds, options, limited partnerships, and investment company products (e.g., open- and closed-end funds). A candidate must answer 70% of the questions correctly in order to pass. Upon passing the test, one is granted a Series 7/General Securities license.

The Series 7 license is the most comprehensive of several securities licenses that permit an agent to communicate with retail investors. For this reason, many account managers, analysts, and other executives in the employ of a registered Broker/Dealer hold Series 7 licenses. To satisfy the securities dealing requirements of some states, Series 7 license holders must also hold either the Series 63 license or the Series 66 license, depending on the state the licensee works in as well as the state his/her clients reside in.

Typically, the average score of test-takers is around 73%, with around 66% of test-takers achieving a passing score.

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
(wikipedia entry)

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

SECLaw.com - Online guide to securities regulation



Series 3 National Commodity Futures Exam License Exam Manual , by Dearborn Financial Services
(not really sure about this title...)

Passtrak Series 3: Principles and Practices : National Commodity Futures Exam by Dearborn Financial Institute

Series 3 Exam Flashcard Secrets: Series 3 Test Practice Questions & Review for the National Commodity Futures Examination (Cards)

Pass the 6: A Training Guide for the NASD Series 6 Exam, by Robert Walker

As a possibler alternate for the Series 6, I might also consider:
NASD Exam for Series 6: Preparation Guide, by Greensward Publishing

Pass the 63: A Training Guide for the NASAA Series 63 Exam, by Robert Walker

Series 7 Exam For Dummies, by Steven M. Rice
Notwithstanding the title, this book had a surprisingly high number of 5-star and 4-star ratings (compared to many others that I looked over...)

Pass the 7: A Training Guide for the NASD Series 7 Exam, by Robert Walker
(Again, the number of positive reviews for this book was a factor in adding it to my list...as well as this note on the book's description: "Companion audio training CDs available online.")

Ever wondered what types of examinations there are? Me too. Here's what I found on the web site for Securities Exam Preparation, Inc.

Registered Representative Level

Series 3 National Commodity Futures Exam
Series 6 Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative
Series 7 General Securities Registered Representative
Series 11 Assistant Representative - Order Processing
Series 31 Futures Managed Funds
Series 32 Limited Futures Examination - United Kingdom
Series 34 Retail Off-Exchange Forex Examination
Series 55 Limited Representative - Equity Trader
Series 63 Uniform Securities Agent Laws
Series 65 Uniform Registered Investment Adviser Examination
Series 66 Uniform Combined Registered Investment Adviser - State Laws

Registered Principal Level

Series 4 Registered Options Principal
Series 9 and 10 General Securities Sales Supervisor
Series 14 NYSE Compliance Official
Series 24 General Securities Principal Exam
Series 26 Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Registered Principal
Series 27 Financial and Operations Principal
Series 30 Branch Office Manager Futures
Series 51 Municipal Fund Securities Limited Principal
Series 53 Municipal Securities Principal

To round-out my study materials, I've identified these additional books as possible resources to add to my investment library:

Mathematics of the Securities Industry, by William Rini

Fundamentals of Securities Regulation, by Louis Loss, Joel Seligman, Troy Paredes

Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms (Barron's Financial Guides)

Hornbook on the Law of Securities Regulation, by Thomas Lee Hazen

Securities Regulation: Examples & Explanations, by Alan R. Palmiter

Gilbert Law Summaries Securities Regulation, by Niels B. Schaumann

2009-10-03 Saturday

A very interesting presentation: Post Mortem For A Dead Newspaper

Lessons from the Rocky Mountain News - Presentation at the UC Berkeley Media Technology Summit at Googleplex in Silicon Valley by John Temple

2009-10-02 Friday - Stanford Advanced Project Management certificate program

I've received notification this morning that I've been accepted for the Stanford Advanced Project Management certificate program.

2009-08-22 Saturday - Markets Poised

There is a great article this weekend in the new issue of Barron's: Look Before You Leap

"At some point [they] will have no choice but to turn the spigot off. Hard to pinpoint when that it'll happen. But when it does, the enthralling movie we've been watching since early March will be run backwards. Guaranteed."

I will start liquidating my investments and moving to cash over the next 4-6 weeks.

Just as a tsunami hits a coastline...it will recede - quite often followed by several series of smaller (or larger) tsunamis. On the ocean, there is one thing I have learned - waves travel in a series...3 or 4 in a "train".

The skies are brightening, the clouds are lifting, and the folks in Washington are saying "the storm is lifting".

They are wrong.

The fundamental bad behavior has not been corrected.

The trillions they have pumped into the world economy has kept the liferaft afloat longer than it should have.

The merciless master of cause and effect has been kept at bay by Bernanke and his horde.

The balance sheets were never tallied-up true....instead, they printed more fiction.

Another wave of financial disaster is heading toward our shores - and this one will reveal the true devastation that has occured - without the subterfuge and lies that have attempted to hide the truth...notwithstanding the recent desperate shenanigans of our government and financial industry to hide the true extent of the damage.

Hard assets (gold, silver) - that's where I'm putting my bets.



2009-08-23 Sunday Update:

You want to know why I remain pessimistic in the face of what appears to be a global easing of the recession?

FT.com - The risk of a double-dip recession is rising, By Nouriel Roubini

"this is a crisis of solvency, not just liquidity, but true deleveraging has not begun yet because the losses of financial institutions have been socialised and put on government balance sheets"

2009-08-25 Tuesday Update:

Senator warns of hyperinflation rivaling the 1980s

2009-08-14 Friday - The Birth of Shlarth

Today I have coined a new word:

Shlarth (verb): To slave at programming to make a living, but that does not feed the creative need of the soul.


My friend, The Mighty Joe Follansbee, offered this contribution to my new word:

"shlarth (shlarth) vt. [Modern American English idiom, derivation unclear: slump, slouch, or possibly schlep] 1. to program (as in computers) without purpose. 2. to work on a (computer) program without inspiration. 3. burdensome programming. “I shlarthed three thousand lines of code this week.” –n. 1. uninspired computer code; workmanlike. “This code is classic shlarth.” 2. A person who writes uninspired code. “The shlarth who wrote this code needs a life.” –adj. 1. inelegant, boring. “This shlarthed code needs a rewrite.”"

2009-08-11 Tuesday - Photography

100 Websites to Teach Yourself Photography

2009-08-01 Saturday - Advice for New Grads

I have a nephew who will graduate in a just a few short years...these are the things that I would like him to know...these are the important lessons I have learned - either by observations of others - or directly by paying for them in the coin of life lived...

• Travel. Often. Seeing how others cope, adapt, and thrive under circumstances of great adversity will make you appreciate more what you have - and the great blessing you were given by being born in America.



• Plan and budget time into your life for volunteering. Giving back to your community is so very important. You will be helped along in your life by many kind and wise souls. Some of that help will be direct and visible...at other times help will be given unseen, and unknown. You have an obligation to your community to help those less fortunate than yourself. Your community is the world.



• Get rid of your TV. Plan and budget time in your life to the process of creation. Experiment, Write, paint, draw, sculpt, build, create something of value. We live in a global economy. To sustain your value - you must devote time to Research & Development of the corporation that is you. There is no guarantee of a lifetime of employment in any professional field. You must continually re-sharpen the tools. You cannot afford the idle luxury of any form of mindless entertainment that consumes hundreds of hours per year.



• Character is the most important quality to look for in a mate. Looks may spark the chemistry of attraction - but they are temporary and ephemeral. Finding a mate that has good character is the single most important attribute that will weather the storms of life. Likewise, being a person of good character is equally important. Don't try to get by with less than your best.



• Eat Healthy. In your youth, the energy and resilience of your body will fool you into thinking that you are indestructible. That would be wrong. Time will catch-up with the abuse that you heap upon your body - be kind to it.



• Sleep is important. Cheating your body on sleep has consequences beyond anything you can imagine. Do not pull all-nighters.



• Spend less than you earn. Save a portion of all your income. Always. Every time.



• Never ever buy a new car. Buy 3-5 years old, get a 2 year extended warranty. When you buy a car, you are really just buying estimated remaining mileage.



• Avoid negative people. Bad attitudes are contagious. If you work in an environment where there is a pervasive negative attitude, quit. Don't let peer pressure persuade you to stay in a job that sucks. Life is too short.



• A harsh word cuts deeper than a knife. Be kind to everyone. Nurture a gentle approach in all your interactions. Never argue. Offer your opinion in terms of options that someone may wish to consider.



• Avoid drugs. period. Your mind is a beautiful instrument. The world is your stage. Your life is the solo performance. Don't screw up your performance by smashing the instrument against the proverbial brick wall.



• Not every thought you have needs to be shared. Be known for your discretion.



• Choose a line of work for which you have a passion. Structure your needs so that you can live on the income that comes from that line of work. Value freedom over the size of a paycheck.



• Learn to speak Mandarin. The world is going to change in your lifetime. The ascendance of China is an unstoppable force. Your options will be greatly expanded by being fluent in the language of the next major economic power.



• Get a college degree. Even if you choose a line of work that does not require a formal education - get a college degree - even if it is just an Associates degree in underwater basket weaving. Getting a work visas for a foreign country is so much more easy if you have a degree.



• Stay fit. Find some form of exercise that you can enjoy over the course of a long life. Exercise daily, even if you can only do a 10 minute workout.

2009-08-01 Saturday

I'm looking forward to attending this event: Circus Dreams, Friday, September 18th, 8pm.

Circus of Dreams Guild (http://www.circusofdreams.org/) is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing hope and joy to children with brain tumors. Circus of Dreams presents a children's circus performance; the concept of the show is the joy and inspiration of dreaming big. The show is open to the public, however we will be hosting special guests at the event. Children battling cancer will be sponsored to come to the matinee show with their families and will receive a fun backstage tour to meet the performers and other special surprises.

Circus of Dreams was founded in 2007 by Jenn Wrenn in collaboration with her sister Katy, who in July 2007 at age 28 was diagnosed with having brain tumors. 'I wanted to do something to inspire my sister -- and children battling cancer like her -- the same way she inspired me with her bravery', says Jennifer. Katy says of the project: 'when my sister offered me the chance to put together this benefit, it was the perfect opportunity to support research that's working to find better, safer treatments for kids. I think of it like this: Every dollar we raise puts us $1 closer to finding a cure..'

2009-07-12 Sunday - My Life List

Some of the things that I want to do:

Write a book
Perform a stand-up comedy routine at a comedy club
Write a play
Perform in a play
Publish a CD of music
Spend a year working with the Peace Corps
Build a house with Habitat for Humanity
Meet Jimmy Buffett
Travel throughout the South Pacific by sailboat
Complete a circumnavigation by sailboat
Round Cape Horn by sailboat
Hike across Patagonia (seeing the Atlantic and Pacifi coasts)
Teach English as a Foreign Language
Study traditional Chinese Medicine
Study Tai Chi
Study Aikido
Study Kenjitsu
Adopt children / serve as a Foster Parent

2009-07-12 Sunday - United Breaks Guitars

2009-09-10 Friday - WIndows Vista Install Procedure

2009-07-04 Saturday - 4th of July

Sitting in my study, the window open, listening to a CD of John Denver's music, children splashing and playing a few feet away in the pool outside my door.

4th of July. A cause for celebration. Celebration of Freedom...of Independence.

We have given up so much Freedom and Inepdendence...irrational fears leveraged by men of ill will. The rise of the Nanny State. Sad. Self-Reliance, no longer a First Principle. The self-made man a rarity. Everywhere, the law of the herd rules thought, action, conformance.

What we need is a truly global crisis to wake the world from its infantile obsessions with appearance, vanity, and consumerism. I would actually welcome an invasion by hostile ETs. Now THAT would get people focused!

Today a new generation of young men and women stand on the walls and defend our country. Ready to be sent into harms way at a moments notice.

I stood my turn at watch (1980-1984, United States Army) - and I am thankful, and mindful, for the sacrifice that the few make today, for the many.

The next time you are traveling through an airport - and see a solider, sailor, airman, or marine traveling in uniform - stop and buy the service member a drink (or dinner!) - and find out something about their story. Express your appreciation for their service. It will mean a lot to them - because that so rarely happens.

Our country is greatly weakened by the financial irresponsibility of our leaders (both business and government). Fortitude is needed by our government leaders - to stand steadfast - and SERVE the people that elected (HIRED) them. This will mean hard choices, politically unpopular decisions, willingness to sacrifice one's political career for the good of the people. [One wonders whether Sarah Palin's resignation as Alaska's Govenor is an action in response to the fear of being tainted by the budget deficit trajedy that is looming for Alaska in 2010]

2009-07-04 Saturday - Links

Memoirs of a Minyan

Five Reasons to Listen to George Soros

50 Ways to Get Your Site Noticed

We The People Stimulus Package

2009-07-02 Thursday - Entrepeneur Links

entrepreneur.venturebeat.com/


venturehacks.com/

What should I send investors? Part 1: Elevator Pitch

What should I send investors? Part 2: Deck

What should I send investors? Part 3: Business Plans, NDAs, and Traction

Best alternative to a negotiated agreement

edwardtufte.com

presentationzen.com/

Feld.com - Term Sheet Series Wrap Up

2009-06-27 Saturday - Links

20 Tips for Success from Kemmons Wilson

Who was Kemmons Wilson?

Knight Kiplinger's basic principles of investing...An Investor's Manifesto

2009-06-24 Wednesday

Building a Log Home in Maine: A Construction Journal

YOU CAN'T BORROW YOUR WAY OUT OF DEBT