Losing Weight

At the age of 3 I was a normal weight kid. I was a bit athletic from the age of 3-6 at about 7yrs of age I started gaining weight but not too much. It wasn't until I was 9yrs old that I started packing on the pounds. The reason is that I stopped playing sports and began to eat a lot but it was also the quality of the food a lot of sugary drinks and fried food.  This lasted up until the age of 14 by then I was pretty heavy.

At about 14 -15 yrs of age I began to play sports again and growing in height so the pounds started to drop.  I did not watch as much TV as before and didn't eat as much.  At this point I was skinny what most people would consider skinny but not lean.  To me the word lean and skinny are different lean means low body fat to the point where there is muscle definition and six pack abs showing.  Skinny is used for those that have flat stomachs but no muscle definition or vascularity.  I remained skinny for the next few years but still significant body fat so I did not have visible abs and not much muscle mass.  I would try to do workouts at home and lift whatever I found that resembled a weight.  I was broke I couldn't afford a computer. I went to the library to read magazines to see how to do certain exercises then I would go home and hope that I would perform them correctly.

Eventually I joined a gym and started the journey.  During my teen years it was obvious that the weight I gained as a kid was not going to go away anytime soon.  It took years to gain and it didn't want to go with out putting up a good fight.  Your body seems to get used to body fat or muscle mass the longer you hold on to it.  Along the way my body hit a lot of plateaus there were periods that it would not respond to the diet and I struggled to get rid of the fat around my stomach.  At this point I got rid of all sugary drinks and only drank water.  As I hit another plateau I got rid of another item such as rice or pasta.  The lower abs were the hardest for those I raised my cardio and got rid of most carbs.  The same is true when adding muscle I also had to change things a bit to get more mass.
Everybody struggles along the way you need to make changes to progress depending on your body type.

There are many body types some struggle with gaining weight others have trouble losing it and may be very sensitive to carbs.  Some people have skinny legs and arms but gain fat only in their midsections, some gain it all over.

The point is to be healthy and happy with yourself don't become obsessed with changing your appearance.  I don't want to pressure my future kids into being fit but I will try to get them involved in the kitchen so they can learn about healthy foods.  The reason is that the decision I made to eat a lot and not exercise as a kid caught up to me later on in life.  I am glad I did not go beyond the weight I reached, it would have been harder to burn that fat off.  If the weight gets out of control you can end up with skin that will hang once you lose weight and only surgery can help you with that, you don't want unnecessary surgery.  However you go about losing weight remember to reward and compliment yourself along the way.

The World of Bodybuilding and Drugs Part 2

Bodybuilders differ in their preparation before a contest.  Some bodybuilders will start to cut their calories and work on getting shredded (drop to a very low body fat level) from about 18 weeks out before the contest.  Some do 12-14 weeks I've even heard some do 6-8 weeks I guess they have some very good genes.  In the last weeks the drugs consumed will change: Toxicity of Weight Loss Agents.  Some use a thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine) and may use it with a bronchodilator (both come with dangerous side effects).  The athlete will then start to drop the amount of weight he is lifting just because he may be getting weaker (his training will pretty much stay the same) as his calories and carbs will be dropping.

During the last few weeks before the contest the bodybuilder will not be looking to add any more muscle. He will just work on keeping what he has so a steroid will most likely still be used.  He will also do cardio but there are some that just up their drugs and skip it.  On the night before the contest he will stop his water consumption (as well as salt intake) at about 6-8pm and take a diuretic (this drug is meant for a patient with high blood pressure) to get rid of water between his muscle and skin.
The shredded and dry condition on competitive bodybuilders you see on stage is a look no one can keep it is a painful and dangerous condition to stay in.  I have seen a few bodybuilders cramp up or pass out on stage both are unlikely but serious side effects.

All this work, preparation, and money just for a few moments of glory in the end even if you win the money you will have spent will be far more than the cash prize.  The sad part is that a lot of these drugs are taken by young guys trying to achieve the same pro bodybuilder look without knowing the dangerous and even life threatening side effects.  A lot of black market drugs are fake or under dosed since they are illegal you can't be sure what you are getting. I did not go into detail about the processes, doses and names of all the drugs consumed just because I don't want to somehow promote them.  All the steroids, diuretics, and hormones used by bodybuilders were made for patients with specific illnesses from osteoporosis, HIV, Turner syndrome, breast cancer to Parkinson's disease.  This is a dangerous practice that should not be taken lightly there are too many unknowns and risks.  Good nutrition and exercise are the only things you really need to get a good physique.  I (as well as a few others I know) have never injected a steroid or illegal drug of any kind so it is possible to stay clean.  There are limits to what our bodies can achieve in the gym and that is something we have to deal with.  Be proud of what you have achieved naturally.

The World of Bodybuilding and Drugs Part 1

There are a few things a competitive bodybuilder will do before stepping on stage.  A small group do compete in natural bodybuilding events but some even doubt these competitions.  Although the pros are known for taking a lot of illegal drugs most of the illegal drugs that are bought and used are from those that don't compete or ever intend to step foot on stage.  I did not know how popular supplements, legal and illegal drugs were until I started going to the gym.  From the very young to the very old they want an edge.  Some fall for the advertisements they believe it is not possible without drug consumption to get a physically fit body.  When I write that legal drugs are taken as well this doesn't mean they are not dangerous it is legal to buy insulin yet it is dangerous to take especially if you do not know what you are doing. Insulin has strong anabolic properties that is why bodybuilders take it.

A bodybuilder will start out preparing for a competition by bulking up this is the phase where he will go heavy on weights.  He will eat a large amount of calories to make sure his stack of anabolic steroids will give him as much mass as possible.  Even during the bulk up phase a bodybuilder will not want to over do it otherwise he may end up with too much body fat and a distended abdomen.  Bodybuilders also take growth hormone which will give them lean muscle but it comes with some dangerous and irreversible side effects.  If taken for too long your organs, hands and face will get bigger.   Bodybuilders take GH and Insulin because of their mass building properties.  In regards to lipogenesis (the formation of fat) GH inhibits it but insulin stimulates it.

Some anabolic steroids (such as testosterone) can give men certain side effects such as gynecomastia, hair loss and acne.  It has to do with genetics so you can't anticipate what side effects you will get.  The longer you take them and the higher the dose the higher the risk that you will get side effects.  Since some of these drugs are progesterones men can experience a nipple discharge. Some bodybuilders take anti estrogen drugs to counter act the gynecomastia.

To be continued ...

My Second Year at The Gym

During my second year at the gym I started to take supplements just a multivitamin and protein powder at first.  Eventually I took protein, mass builders and fat burners all from the local vitamin shop.  But even then my body did not look the way I wanted I did not realize the importance of reading and understanding food labels. The protein I was taking made me gain weight but most of it was not lean muscle it was fat.  The protein powder had a ton of sugar.  I made the shake with peanut butter and milk (more sugar and carbs) plus my diet consisted of bread, rice and pasta.  Carbs turn into sugar the body stores excess sugar as fat (lipogenesis).

I decided to switch to a no sugar no carb whey protein product.  Only then did my body start improving and giving me better results.  I also tried creatine which did work but the problem is that once you get off it the muscle size decreases as creatine gives you water weight via increased cell volume.  Some people have the type of body that although they may take lots of supplements their body still will not respond some of it may be poor exercise form or diet but some of it is genetics.  Some supplements can be dangerous so be careful (they are not FDA regulated).  I remember a friend of mine taking ephedrine got a heart attack the sad part was that it didn't work for him he didn't lose the weight he wanted it did work for my bodybuilding friends though. Don't rely on drugs if you are not responding well to your routine or diet change it up don't quickly turn to pills and powders they will be of little help.  There are supplements that claim to increase lean muscle mass and strength but all you get is a placebo effect not worth $70+.

I got the body I wanted when I got more experience and better eating habits all of this was done without any supplements.  I saw a lot of guys spending their whole paycheck on supplements.   Designer proteins, creatine can run you up to $60 each for a one month supply then you have to add the cost of the large increase in food consumption, the gym membership and other drugs that gym goers take; that is one expensive body.  Personally I don't think it is healthy to take a lot of supplements for long periods of time I have not taken any in over 6 yrs.

Final thought:
Aside from getting fit exercise improves neural connections in your brain and enhances memory and acquisition, according to a study published in Behavioral Neuroscience.  Another study found that regular aerobic exercise appears to increase the size of the hippocampus.

My First Year At The Gym

At about the age of 19 I was invited by a few friends to the gym although it was not my first time I had never gone to the gym on a regular basis.  At that time I was very skinny/bony but I need to clarify that I still had no definition on my body so although I appeared skinny I had some fat (over 10%) covering what little muscle I did have so no vascularity either.  I had no structure, I did some of the exercises the wrong way since no one taught me the right form.  Eventually my friends stopped going and although I was the newbie I was the only one that remained after 3 months.  I admit that I had a lot to learn at the end of that year people could not tell that I worked out neither could I.  The only good thing that I got out of that year was discipline.  Eventually toward the end of that year I started to look for help the bodybuilders told me to pick one or two body parts to work on per day.  I used to work every hammer strength machine everyday that's how clueless I was.  I also did not do much cardio since I would get exhausted quickly I also found it boring.  My diet was also pretty bad I did not know much about biology or nutrition.

Eventually through magazines and questioning the right people I got the right routine, form and somewhat better diet.  It took a second year to see results that is also when I began to understand my body.  I learned about all the muscle groups, proteins as well as amino acids.

An important thing to consider is that if you want to increase muscle mass ask someone who has what you want.  If getting six pack abs is what you want make sure you ask someone who was fat and lost the weight some people are born with a fast metabolism no matter what they eat they will always stay lean.  The last factor that helped me last a whole year in the gym was the fact that I tried to connect I got a few partners to motivate me and push me when I felt lazy.  On my next post I will right a bit about what I learned on my second year and on the world of supplements and later on anabolic steroids.

The Truth About Day Trading

Day trading stocks is not easy it requires a lot of discipline.  By this I mean that you need to develop rules and stick to them, easier said than done.  You can make mental/paper trades and in all of those come out a winner and exit/enter at the right times.  When you trade with real money that is another story emotions take over and you begin to behave differently.  The same discipline that I used to transform my body (eating healthy haven't had a cookie in over 7yrs, jogging, weight training) is the same discipline required to be a good day trader.  Consider this if I meet 10 stock traders 8 will have told me that they lost LARGE sums of money of the 2 remaining one will have broke even and the other either took small losses or small gains.  The norm is that most have lost money they couldn't afford to lose.  That is why you should only trade with money you can spare but almost nobody does that and that brings me back to my first point it takes discipline to do what you are supposed to not what feels good.

The worst thing a day trader can do is start off with a few gains and think that he is gifted and start taking on large trades only to encounter his first huge loss.  That is another point I want to make not all of the traders I meet start off losing some make $20-$30k but manage to turn that into a $50k loss. Then you have the guy that bought at the 52 week/all time high only to see his stock eat it hard.  I have traded for years so I have become better at managing risk.  I have seen so many things go wrong.  I have taken several painful losses as well as healthy gains there are so many scenarios and things that can and do go wrong that I could have not known or hedged for when I first started trading.  I unlike most started trading with small amounts of money to protect myself and to make sure I did not confuse luck with skill.

There are just too many things to explain that I would need to write a book, just know that until you see many personal examples of irrational stock behavior, mistakes as well as other things go wrong (problems such as having your Internet service interrupted in the middle of a trade) don't day trade or stock trade too aggressively.  From my experience you shouldn't trade stocks every single day I think the more you trade the more likely you are to make mistakes so don't over trade, sometimes just holding on long term can be a better strategy.  Finally, you can't compete against huge financial institutions so know that your trades will always be at a disadvantage compared to the big boys.  If you decide to day trade you are only hoping to take little bits here and there off the table.  In regards to trading speed is everything.  Therefore be cautious or try other ways of making money that come with less risk.

One last thought on Tuesday I day traded GoPro at 43.55 today it is trading at 40.45 overnight I would have lost $3100 that is one of the risks associated with day trading.  Instead I went ahead and traded Twitter at 50.58 (now trading at 50.29) which gave me a quick profit.  I don't hold allegiance to any stock I pick what seems profitable for the day this changes day by day, minute by minute.  

What To Do With Your Money In 2015

Most of the world's major economies are in deflation territory this makes it a bit difficult for investors to find ways to get returns.  India was one of the best performers last year their inflation rate is at 5%.  I went to a conference a few weeks ago and the speaker stated that the outside world was in a state of deflation as if we were not at risk, we have been experiencing low inflation December rates were 0.8% and January actually had negative inflation -0.1%.  In these cases you may be better off just leaving your money in the bank for the short term.  With a stronger dollar plus negative inflation your dollar gets more valuable without any risk just by holding on to it.  But long term deflation is not a good thing it will stall economic growth.  Low oil prices and low mortgage rates signal a drop in prices which can be good for consumers, let's assume the U.S. does not enter bad deflation it just continues with low inflation, investors will need to find a place to leave their money.

The world is looking for yields to grow their money there are no quality investments left out there to park money, no yield to be found.  What is scaring people is the risk factor of entering the stock market if the Fed decides to raise interest rates this summer.  That concern alone brought down securities on Friday.  It is likely to happen our economy has been growing without the Fed's help.  If the Fed decides to raise rates by how much will it do so?  Most likely stocks will still remain the only way to get decent returns the market may drop a bit with the news but eventually the world will need yield and this can mean that the bull market that started in 2009 will continue for a few more years.  It has been said by analysts that we are in the middle of a secular bull market.

In deciding where to put money consider the global economy.  If inflation rates remain low then you don't need to make high returns to fight inflation.  Where are you going to get those yields from a bank CD? They are safe but will give you very little interest.  Real estate is another option the 30 yr fixed is at a low 3.99% yet a lot of people don't have the money to buy or the credit to qualify so renting is becoming more popular than ever.  If you believe that the stock market will crash or that it's due for a partial correction then maybe you should just put it elsewhere a business or more education perhaps. Emerging markets are cheap but don't look too attractive.  In 2012 I wrote that the stock market was the best choice for investors but now things have changed when I wrote that post the fed was not going to raise rates anytime in the near future and the dow was not at 3 times its price from the 2009 low.  Some experts state that the market is not too expensive in regards to earnings.  Financial advisers usually recommend that you put 60-70% of your money into stocks that number has recently changed to 50%.  Then there are those individuals that experienced the crash of 2000 and then again in 2007 (yikes!), they are hating this bull market because they aren't participating their money most likely is in the bank.  Invest carefully, stay informed and make educated guesses while considering your risk tolerance.

How I Stay Fit on a Budget

People think that starving is the way to lose weight it wont work it will affect your health it will make you lose muscle mass which is the opposite of what you want.  For people with slow metabolisms if you start skipping meals your body will fight back by holding on to more fat when it does get fed since it knows that it may have to wait a long time to get fed again.  So ironically you have to eat more often to lose weight just make portions smaller and more colorful.  I eat food that I enjoy which is healthy but of course not as tasty as fast food.  I don't feel too tempted over the years I have discovered tastier foods that I can consume that wont affect my body in a negative way.

At the gym I shock my body by switching my routine.  I don't stay with the same weight training exercises for too long and I jog at different speeds and switch it up with walks, stair climbing and bike riding.  Burning the last bit of fat on my abs was very hard it took a lot of reading/trial & error.  It's as if the fat around your lower abs knows that it has been there for years so it's not going away without a fight, it makes sense it took years to build it around your midsection it wont disappear in a matter of weeks.

I think people need to increase their odds of success by taking small steps and adding a bit of more exercise to their life and then little by little start tweaking their diet to a lifestyle they can transition into. You don't want to lose 20 lbs in a month by starving eating salads and dry chicken breasts with nothing but water and massive cardio.  This will result in a short lived weight loss what will most likely happen is that you will hate the change and not only put on the 20 lbs you lost but probably put on an extra 20 lbs.  Although I mostly drink water and eat lean protein, fruits and vegetables I didn't make the change overnight otherwise I would have not been able to stick with it.  When I started I didnt have the knowledge to know what food was good for me so it is essential to learn to read and understand food labels and the serving size being used.



Here is a healthy snack I like to munch on in between meals: Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts

I also eat unsalted cashews and almonds the point is to eat low sodium snacks so it has to be unsalted and remember that it is a snack to be eaten in moderation don't eat it all in one day.  I bought the generic type ($2.99) I am not promoting any name brand buy your favorite store name brand if available just as long as you save some money.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size 1 ounce about 40 nuts

Calories 160, total fat 14 grams 

 Mono fat is 7g,Poly Fat 4g and Saturated is 2 g

Carbs 6 grams, Sugar 1gram, Protein 7g, fiber 2 g

Mostly good fat (mono & poly) the saturated fat is what you have to watch out for!

Physical Fitness Tips

We all react differently to diets so what may work for me may not work for others it is a trial and error process.  I may be sensitive to carbs while my neighbor may not.  As a matter of fact my neighbor has a very fast metabolism so he can pretty much eat what he wants and stay lean at about 8-9% body fat.  The downside is that he has had high cholesterol since his mid twenties because he eats a lot of junk/fast food.  I live a low carb lifestyle I started out with a slow metabolism through the years I have gained more muscle mass which has helped since the more muscle mass one has the more calories you burn at rest.  Doing cardio regularly also helps to speed up my metabolism.  I also eat 3-5 times a day so my body doesnt feel like it needs to store more fat because it knows it will get fed several times through out the day.  To get my body to this state has taken years there is no magic drug no 30 minute video or an all in one exercise machine that can achieve this so save your money.

I keep my body fat at 7-8% it is very hard for me to stay like this year round the low carb consumption takes its toll.  If I go higher on my carb, fat and protein intake I can bench press 220lbs but when I stay at 7-8% with low carbs its a big change on my strength I will only be able to bench 180lbs.  That also depends on peoples bodies for me to stay very lean can be tough to handle while someone else can easily handle staying at 6% body fat with little change not feeling tired at all.

I also tend to feel more cold since I am not insulated by a thick layer of fat so I need to dress up more than most people when I'm in the cold.  I also consume less calories than the average American so this translates into less body heat.  There are days were I consume more carbs and fat it's not a good idea to cut out carbs drastically or for very long periods of time just consume the good kinds found in fruits (but don't over do it) and vegetables. Pick whole grains, fiber over white starches and refined carbs.



Here is a snack I treat myself to during the winter it is a healthy way to consume chocolate my version of hot chocolate:

Ingredients: Creamer, Natural Unsweetened Cocoa, Sugar Free Cool Whip and Equal Sweetener (I usually use Stevia but I only had Equal in the house when I wrote the post)

Nutrition Facts

Equal Sweetener - Zero calories,sodium carbs and fat

Use 2-3 packets or as you like

Cool Whip Sugar Free serving size 2 tablespoons about how much you should use:

Total fat 1gram, Carbs 3 grams, Sodium 0

Creamer Serving Size 1 Tablespoon about how much I use:

Total Carbs 1 gram, Fat 0.5 grams,  Sodium 0

Hershey's Cocoa Natural Unsweetened Serving Size 1 Tablespoon

I use about 1-2 depending on the cup size I will use

Total Fat 0.5 gram, Carbs 3 grams, Sodium 0, Protein less than 1gram, Fiber 2 grams

I like to have healthy drinks in between meals a lot of times people believe they are hungry but what they really are is thirsty this is a better alternative to a nice tall glass of warm water.

Hot chocolate sold in supermarkets is usually full of sodium I found that my version is healthier and keeps me warm in the winter while not affecting my six pack abs 

Final product! a shout-out to my coworker Vivian for the christmas mug

Save Money By Cleaning Your Home

Hoarding is a compulsive disorder in which people buy and hold on to things until they barely have space in their home to move freely.  Whether you are a hoarder or just a person that buys a bit much cleaning your home regularly can save you lots of money.  When you start buying things to the point where you lose track of what you own you risk overspending by purchasing items you will never have a use for.  Make a rule that you will never buy new items without getting rid of old ones first. The math is simple if you add but never subtract at some point you will run out of space in your home and lose money in the process.

Sell your items online or via a yard sale to pay for new ones this works well with clothes and electronics.  When cleaning the most important place to start is in your kitchen if your refrigerator is a mess you risk buying more food than you need and having food go bad regularly this is a health hazard.  Do yourself a favor and clean out your fridge regularly get in the habit of checking expiration dates and keeping a close eye on what goes in and out.  Spoiled food will contaminate all the food in your fridge costing you money not only by making all the food in your fridge unedible but also affecting your health and adding to your health care costs.  Bacteria reproduces quickly you may not be able to see it but if you get food poisoning or infections from your home the missed days of work and visits to the doctor add up.  I like to keep my home free of clutter everything is accounted for and old items I no longer need get sold or thrown out before new items are purchased.  You should take out trash regularly and practice good hygiene I suggest to disinfect all handles, doorknobs, keyboards, light switches and faucets often.  Hands carry a lot of germs you will be surprised at how often without noticing you touch (80% of infectious diseases are transmitted by touch) your face (germs enter your body through the eyes, nose and mouth) without ever washing your hands.

When your home is finally clean it will be much easier to maintain, you will feel good about yourself and save plenty of money all while enjoying better health.

Investing in Oil

With oil (WTI) at $44 the barrel investors have been trying to call the bottom.  Coming down from a high price in the $100's oil can still go down further and stay there for awhile but if you are young or just have the patience to wait it out you should consider starting to buy some shares in the energy sector.  These oil companies' stock price have dropped: Halliburton (HAL), BP PLC (BP) and Chevron Corporation (CVX) therefore investors at the end of 2014 started to buy them. Obviously they failed to get the shares at the bottom yet it doesn't mean it's a totally bad play no one can call a perfect bottom or top your goal is to try to get close enough.  With that said these companies should be on your radar if you are trying to invest long term or want to add a piece of the energy sector to your portfolio.  If you want a little more diversification (GE) has about a 15-20 percent exposure to oil this lets you be in the game but not as aggressive.  Another thing to consider is that these companies all pay dividends so you will be paid as you wait.  Lastly some experts believe that the days of $100 oil is gone and that some oil companies are in more trouble than they realize.  I still went ahead and decided to put some oil exposure into my portfolio.

Do Not Wait Until You Become Rich To Talk To Women

At a young age I had a few questions about girls so I went online and found an article on how to talk to women.  The article's writer told young men not to wait until they became rich to talk to women especially the ones they really like.  I guess young men think that money is the only way to get the women they want.  I agree with the writer not just because money is not the most important thing in life but it is obvious that not everybody on this earth is destined to become rich.

What I see most guys struggle with is the initial conversation when you introduce yourself.

How then will you talk to her?

Don't worry if you are shy or get nervous just get a job as a sales agent after speaking to so many people the task won't be as hard practice is your friend.

In my case things worked out a bit differently not intentionally anyway it wasn't necessarily the money but the fact that the money gave me access to more education which gave me confidence and the topics to go up to the women I like.  The more education I got the stronger my network got which opened more doors to get me more educated attractive women in my path.  Years before I might have had the guts to talk to these women (assuming that I had access to them as some of these women are only found in labs of Ivy league schools doing research) but my lack of education would have limited my conversation and would have made it difficult to keep them.  It is not necessarily the money but the level of education to give them a stimulating conversation.  You want them to feel confident by just being around you.  A more educated man has a larger array of tools to court a woman with and skills to pass on to his offspring which is a quality attractive well educated women look for.

My advice is to get better educated you don't need to be wealthy just get involved in many areas learn how to fix cars, read online periodicals, volunteer at an art gallery, this will give you a wide array of topics to connect with all sorts of women.  It will make you a better provider in the future when you settle down with the wife of your dreams.

How To Live Debt Free

1. Live Below Your Means
If you make $2000 a month live on half, all your expenses should come up to more than $1000 otherwise you will always live paycheck to paycheck.  If you find yourself living on more than half your monthly income then make the most of it for now but eventually start cutting costs and possibly look to relocate or find a better paid job.  Never cross the line and spend more than what you make.

2. Ask
Do not be afraid to ask people for advice or a lead to a better job.  Tell people what is on your mind if you need to call the bank to let them know that you forgot to pay your credit card bill and would like them to waive the fee then go ahead and do so.  Society and the law don't reward those who stay shut yet the world is yours if you just learn how to ask.

3. Entertain and Eat On a Budget
When you buy healthy food (which can be expensive) shop for deals and don't eat out as much until you can afford to do so.  Take your own lunch to work this can be healthier and a money saver.  You don't need to overspend when hanging with friends unless you have the money to do so, get creative you can rent a movie online and watch it with several friends the laughs is what you're really after.

4. Protect The Things You Do Buy
If you make a major purchase this is the one time that you want to pay with plastic. You did the right thing you worked hard and saved but you will not pay with cash or debit.  A credit card will protect you from unnecessary headaches if you have a bank credit card you can read the fine print/benefits and see that they protect you from defective products, theft etc. You can see it as a big brother having your back at the time of purchase there are many advantages so long as you pay for that item in full once your credit card bill arrives.

5. Inform Yourself
The best way to stay out of debt is to develop healthy spending/saving habits and this starts by educating yourself through people, stories of those who have sank into massive debt, blogs, periodicals, videos and books.  I never heard a teacher in school tell me to stay out of debt or tell the class how to develop healthy spending habits perhaps they were all in debt so they couldn't teach what they did not know.  Therefore it is your responsibility to learn and protect yourself financially.

Lessons Learned

Interacting with others I have learned quite a lot here in NYC as well as in other parts of the world.  I had lost my faith in others somewhat as a young man but as I started to get out of the city I have seen first hand how people will for the most part want to help you.  Even if you doubt others look around you the bridges, parks and houses are all the result of people working together with a common goal.

Appearance can't really tell you much about a person I met a young man a while back who would share books and magazines with me a guy who most people dismiss and judge as uneducated.  It was through him that I came across some good legal advice.  You can work your whole life and try to do things right but just one mistake can destroy it all.  In certain states if you die and don't leave a will and specify who should get your assets your father and mother will automatically get it all.  This is fine if you get along well with them and want them to get it all.  But what if you also have siblings that you want to give assets to?

You also have to make sure you name beneficiaries on your accounts such as a 403b but if you're married your spouse will get 50% of your 403b assets even if you don't include them unless they sign a waiver.

Years ago I heard a financial advisor who worked with wealthy individuals say something that really made an impact in my life.  He spoke about a father and son who bought a stock in the 1990 dotcom era.  The stock took off like a rocket they went to see him to tell him about their stock that went from $50k to $700k they had no interest in selling despite his advice to take some profits.  Their reason was that they wanted to get to a million they visited him again when it reached $800k with no desire to sell.  They visited him again when the stock started to drop to $600,000 and again he told them to sell at least some of it to retain some of their gains.  They refused and told him they would wait for it to come back up and recover.  As we all know the end of the 90's marked the end of the dotcom bubble which ended with a crash very few Internet companies survived.

The advisor went on to say that the father and son did not sell any of the shares they owned they lost it all.  The advisor told us that what bothered him was that they could have taken some of that money and used it.  He didn't state the obvious which is to buy a nice car, house and fancy clothes.  What really stood out to me is that he stated "imagine all the education they could have bought with that money."  That is why I spend my hard earned money buying more education.  I would really regret losing $10k in the market and to not have used at least some of that money to buy more education something that a market crash can't take away from me.

The New Indentured Servant

Through my many travelings I have come across a variety of people that have helped me see the bigger picture in life.  While I was in another city I saw an older woman in a trolley with a male friend she was homeless and missing teeth.  I knew she was homeless since the trolley was free and a magnet for the homeless community while I observed her I saw her talking to the driver and her male friend they pretty much do the same routine everyday.  I like the fact that she was having a good time despite her poverty in her laughter at that moment I saw authentic happiness.  Then as I looked out the window I remembered this young lady I met in school a few years ago.  She was working on a second degree as her first degree proved to be a bad investment.  So now she was taking out loans and maxing her credit cards to pay for her education.  She was also living with a man who she stated was awesome yet he had her working 3 P/T jobs with very little clothes, food and no health insurance, I thought "boy isn't she lucky".

The point is I have never met anyone as stressed out as my former classmate.  I rarely saw her smile and when she did I did not see real happiness not like the homeless woman in the trolley.  Although she had a place to live, credit cards and a degree she was worth -$90,000 and counting.  The way I see it she may be repaying loans and credit card debt for life.  It is like some college students are the new indentured servants of our times but they will never repay their debt.  On the other hand the homeless woman may be broke but she is worth the $10-15 dollars in her pocket plus a cigarette and a lottery ticket.  Then I understood why she laughed and was experiencing periods of elation and happiness she is financially worth more than my classmate she doesn't need to worry about repaying a massive loan.

What can we say to young adults now a days that can make it all better?  We live in a society where the most basic things in life such as health and education are the top reasons that people file for bankruptcy or end up in massive unforgivable debt.

Money, Love and Risk

At some point in our lives most of us think about getting married.  Males and females play different roles in this matter.  The more someone earns the more likely it is that she/he will start demanding a better mate.  Yet there are quiet individuals such as scientists that may be too busy to hunt.  Then there are doctors that lose their social skills so they don't look much for love.  Some doctors marry amongst themselves.  There is an article written by a Princeton mom about well educated women only having a few years to find a suitable mate this is even more so when it comes to female doctors. They will have to deal with the burden of finding men that are able to keep up with their level of education and not feel threatened by their income.

The risk of family violence is greater when the man is less educated than the woman.

A male may not mind if a woman is not as smart as he is as long as he can have a stimulating conversation.  When I first started working at a hospital I overheard a nurse tell her buddies that wealthy men get the pick of the litter.  Educated men on the other hand don't see women as sole providers if given the choice they will prefer a high earner but it usually isn't on the top of his list.   Men want women that are kind and women that will not walk out on their family.  When women/men come off rude or cold this is a complete turn off and the more a person has (education/wealth) the less likely he/she will put up with it.  

Up to this part we have not touched upon the subject of risk.  Yes, a woman who is pretty may end up with a high earner.  A successful male entrepreneur (with an undergraduate degree or none) may end up with a female lawyer from an Ivy.  What can disrupt the norm is risk the risk either gender takes to get someone outside of their league.  I am talking about the woman that has very little income not much education and is not considered physically attractive by society who ends up with a CEO or millionaire.  Yes, I have seen plenty of this going on and it comes down to risk.  While women are busy with their careers and think that their profession or looks gives them the right to be picky and rude their men are being swept away by women who ask them out treat them with the utmost respect even though they may not have much they get the man they want.  Actually they take some of the best men out there.

I know women are usually taught to wait for a man to go up to them and ask them out but while they are waiting that dream man is sometimes taken away by a brave girl that is not afraid to ask him out.
I know of two physicians that got married this way and in both cases the women were not physically attractive, well educated or wealthy.  Society makes a huge mistake when it teaches women that looks are everything in life and that this will get them everything they want.

To enjoy the finer things in life sometimes you have to learn to put down your pride.

Women next time you see a miss match ask your self would I be willing to to go up to that man and ask him out? would I treat him with more respect than the girl that he is with (the answer most likely is no and that is why she has him and you don't) or would I make it impossible for him to get to know me and play little rude games and act like I'm a princess?  If you're a man ask yourself do I have the guts to go up to that girl and create a better quality of life for her and a future family? Would I complain about going to work? could I provide more than the man she is with (not likely otherwise you wouldn't be single)? would I be a good man or abusive? would I just have a good time with her or would I marry her?

The risk of family violence is greater when the couple are not legally married

It may appear that men have an advantage when it comes to finding mates.  Men do have a big responsibility and they will ruin their families and their opportunities if they don't man up and educate themselves more. The risk of family violence increases when a male is unemployed. The risk of family violence increases when a male's job status is lower than that of his spouse.

Investing In The Ebola Vaccine

Ebola is one of the most deadly viral diseases with a fatality rate of 50-90 percent.  There are five strains of Ebola (Reston, Sudan, Tai Forest, Bundibugyo and Zaire) as well as Marburg virus that are classified as members of a family of negative stranded RNA viruses, the Filoviridae.  The Sudanese Ebola Outbreaks of 1976 and 1979 which struck two months before the Zairean Ebola Epidemic of 1976 did not receive international attention therefore the first case was attributed to Zaire.  The first identified case of Ebola was on August 1976 in a small village in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo back then known as Zaire.  In medical encyclopedias you can see that the first case is actually found in the southern Sudanese town of Nzara a storekeeper in a cotton factory began hemorrhaging and went into shock he died on July 6, 1976.  

It is not entirely known by the medical community how Ebola is spread.  Ebola is believed to be transmitted by coming in contact with an infected animal's body fluids.  The virus has been shown to travel without contact from pigs to primates.  Human-to-human transmission can occur with direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person.  An interesting fact from the Zairean Ebola Epidemic of 1976 was that a young lady died from Ebola in 1977 in Tandala, Zaire about 200 miles away from the outbreak she had never been in contact with anyone from the 1976 epidemic.  If you study all Ebola epidemics dating back to 1976 you can see that there still remain many unanswered questions.  In the Zaire Ebola Epidemic of 1995 the strain was almost identical to the 1976 strain yet studies showed that the 1995 strain was capable of infecting through normal skin contact, coughing as well as through bodily fluids.  

The first human trial for an investigational Ebola vaccine is set to begin this week.  At this point Ebola poses a threat to the world aggressive action is necessary.  The NIH is developing the vaccine with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).  If successful it will take until late 2015 for the vaccine to be administered to a limited number of health workers.  There are other companies also offering their vaccine to help with the outbreak one of which has already received $140 million from the Department of Defense: Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TKMR).  Tekmira and its antiviral product TKM-Ebola is currently in Phase I of the clinical trial process.  

Two weeks ago I entered a TKMR trade at $20.20 the order did not fill completely only 300 shares were bought leaving me with 700 shares outstanding.  At this point I had to make a quick decision whether to cancel the remaining 700 shares, wait or modify the price.  The stock rose to $20.26 while I was holding 300 shares I could have sold them yet I chose to wait for the price to drop to $20.20 to buy the remaining 700 shares at 1:38pm.  The stock then went straight to $20.31 allowing me to exit. After weighting the amount of risk that Tekmira brings I think I will evade it just because if I decided to hold on to it for the long run it could take years to make my money back.  The company is working on several products yet they are all in the early stages and the clinical trial process is a very lengthy one assuming all goes well. 

Tekmira Day Trade $110 in 5 min

Winning The Lottery

I am not a gambler but I do like the idea of winning $115,000,000 which is the current jackpot for the Mega Millions Lottery.  I am aware that the odds of winning the top prize is 1 in 258,890,850.  In fact there is a formula that tells you what your ticket is worth and when it's best to buy yourself a ticket.
You multiply 1/258,890,850(odds of winning) X  $115,000,000(jackpot)/1 = 0.44 X $1(ticket price) = $0.44 so if I buy a ticket today my $1 ticket is worth about 44 cents.  When the jackpot rises to $259 million and above the value of your ticket is actually higher than $1 which makes this a better time to buy a ticket if you play regularly.  With that said I am too busy to play but occasionally I do play for fun and I try to find creative ways to do so.

I wrote a computer program a few years ago using Python I tried it out a few times but then forgot about it I did match 2 numbers the first time I used it.  I recently decided to take a look at the program and update it using a newer version this new code will pick random numbers for me similar to the quick pick option at the store or the random number generator on the website.  I created the program as a fun way to play the lotto I wouldn't want to play any other way.  Technically the program could pick the right numbers to make me a winner but the program will not give me a higher probability of winning compared to any other method that others use.

Step 1 - Run the program I created  by pressing 'run' (top left) write down the numbers                  

Step 2 - Bubble in the numbers on the NY Mega Millions Lottery Slip

Step 3 - Buy ticket and wait for the next drawing today Friday at 11pm 

Here is a link to the program I wrote you can Run it as much as you like for FREE if you happen 

to win any money on the Mega Millions kindly give the program/me some credit 

Learn To Think Outside The Box

Growing up in NYC I did what most people would consider a sure way to success: school and work.   Throughout the years I received the same type of information all others in my class got and it all led to the same conclusion get a 9-5 job with good benefits.

I always thought about earning money by the hour, the day, the week and then by the year.  It wasn't until I started reading, reaching out to people and attending conferences that I learned how to think differently.  I learned that stock trading can be very rewarding.  I once saw a guy make $200 in 1 minute a concept I did not think possible.  It was an unknown unknown.  I then tried to imitate it and eventually got it right.  It changed my way of thinking I now think of making money by the second, minute then by the hour.  I consider an hour a lifetime in regards to making money.  Once you learn this and get it right you can never go back, you see life and time in a different way.  It all happened by thinking outside the box.  I did what society considers right I went to school and got a job yet neither gave me all the information I needed and wanted.

I can read about people who have lost money but it is far more educational to meet the man that actually lost $80,000.  I learned how to make money and evade losses but also that it can be made by the second or minute without so much risk meaning not only stock trading can give you that type of money there are other ways.  

Increased risk will give you a higher probability of potential reward but excessive risk will most likely end in a negative reward outcome.

A 4 minute Twitter (TWTR) Trade 1000 shares = $110 gain

Education Outside The Classroom

Aside from school and work I like to attend seminars and conferences about different topics such as art, finance and medicine.  I also like to travel to different states to learn about people and their daily lives to see how they differ or compare to people in NYC.  Museums, art galleries and hospitals are of high interest to me so I set these as my first destination points.  I also like to visit restaurants, malls and the zoo if possible.

I recently went to Chicago to see what is now being called a new up and coming real estate hot spot. I got there early and saw the stampedes of people rushing to work.  Young people in their business clothes going to their 9-5 yet I don't think that is the place to find true wealth.  Having a job is a good thing and can contribute to society but is not the way to create real wealth.  Some pretty important buildings all in walking distance from each other yet people bypass them missing out on the enormous educational experience.  I visited the Chicago Stock Exchange, Federal Reserve Bank, Chicago Board Of Trade and the Harold Washington Library (the largest public library building in the world).  Not too many young people at these places or anyone if at all.  If possible I would live in the library and educate myself at the financial district and work at the Illinois Medical District.  For fun I would take the #22 bus ($2.25) to check out the animals at the Lincoln Park Zoo (free).

The world's oldest futures and options exchange established in 1848

One of twelve regional reserve banks

The $10,000 bill was taken out of circulation to discourage their use in avoiding income tax

In July 1914 the Exchange closed as a result of World War I, and remained closed until December 11

Information is not an item but can be exchangeable for goods and services

A few months ago I went to check out the real estate in Rhode Island.  The houses are less expensive than the NYC homes I am used to.  Current rates are at 4.19% for the 30 yr fixed.