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From a child I was taught that Santa was a figment of the imagination and that Christmas had more pagan roots than Christian.  In fact, in school choir I was forbidden to sing Christmas Carols as they were pagan songs of worship not Christian. That’s all fair and I don’t feel mad or embittered at …

Continue reading “Christmas: What It Means to Me”

Benjamin Franklin once reported that “Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.”  And his statement is valid. Guilt and shame are not something that we humans were designed to endure.  And the worse form of guilt or shame is the one we falsely assume and carry with us. One deceptively …

Continue reading ““So What is the Shame of Being Wealthy?””

For the most part, the emails and responses received off this blog are both positive and supportive.  In fact, only twice in the last seven years have the blog been exposed to negative or disparaging feedback due to the content and opinions expressed.  But the second one was a real doozy and just came in …

Continue reading “We Get Noticed!  But Who Cares?”

Markets foundered the night of the election and all the academics and intellectuals predicted they would “never recover Donald Trump’s presidential victory.”[i]  Paul Krugman, the darling economist of the Obama administration, predicted that the Dow Jones Industrial Average 750 drop, was the “new permanent reality in the U.S. economy.”[ii]  In fact, when asked when the …

Continue reading “Predictions and More Predictions”

An ole’ timer once told me to, “Be careful about renewing subscriptions to hobby or pastime journals, they tend to repeat themselves seasonally.”  What an insight this old fellow had.  Of course Solomon said it best centuries ago when he wrote, “To the making of books there is no end.”  And that still holds merit …

Continue reading ““To The Making of Books There Is No End””

These condescending words have now become infamous.  And the person who spoke these words while under oath before the United States epitomizes the supercilious, snobby, superior attitude that has become so prevalent in our society. Never-the-less, condescension devastates relationships.  Whether said relationship is between a husband and wife, employee and employer, parent and child, client …

Continue reading ““What Difference Does It Make…Really?””

Those were the words George spoke to me when I gave a “genuine” excuse for being late.  And of course, George was right.  That’s because George was an efficiency expert and was attuned to cut to the chase and not beat around the bush on anything. The “reasons” offered up today in attempts to excuse …

Continue reading ““One Excuse Is As Good As Another””

It’s been said, “The pot shouldn’t call the kettle black.” Which essentially means, don’t point a finger at someone else because in doing so you will quickly, and unequivocally, point out what is most abhorrent about yourself.  And that is exactly what happens when fee-based practitioners label commission based practitioners greedy and self-serving. This is …

Continue reading “Fee or Commission Based Advisor:  Which One Is Right for You?”

That is, of course, if you believe CNN Money’s spin on the new jobs data. Here’s the way CNN spun this one.  “Trump is wrong”[i] because Trump says Americans are earning $4,000 less than they were earning in 2000, on average.  Obviously this little tidbit is true or Trump would have been called out on …

Continue reading “Trump Is Wrong: Middle Class Gets a Big Raise!”

 Having spent over 35 years in and around health care records, first as an intern, then as a doctor and now as a life agent, it never ceases to amaze me how frequently someone is shocked about the data found in their medical record.  Be it a prescription never filled, a physician’s comment never broached …

Continue reading “Have You Been Diagnosed Without Your Knowledge”