Technology

Technology is advancing at such an amazing pace.

I'm driving through South Carolina right now, on my way to meet with my Study Group, The Hole in the Wall Gang.

So while Donna drives, I have been writing and answering emails. connected to the Internet so my laptop gives me all the options I need to be productive while driving 70 (well actually donna is driving so if you know her you know we are traveling a wee bit faster than that) mph on I-95.

Smart phones are giving people access to their email from anywhere as well as an opportunity to go right to the Web.

Donna and Rachel have an app for their Iphones called Knock.

Last week were walking thru Ring Park, the Nature Preserve with Hogtowne Creek running through it behind our home. Donna called Rachel, put it on the speaker phone and then using Knock she was able to connect via video to Rachel's phone and talk to her as well as let her see where we were going.

Not two way yet, just a matter of time and two way will be available.

So enjoy these wonderful options, make them tool for your productivity, don't become slaves to them.

If you happen to go out with out a phone or not have your laptop with you it might just be a nice break.

Time

Where did the time go! Every day seems to fly by, hours are minutes, weeks are days and last month seemed like yesterday!

Time doesn't seem to be slowing down.

I wonder how fast it can get?

Then again maybe I don't.

Maybe this is some perverse trick I am playing on myself and instead of stomping through the roses with cleats on, smelling the puree of rose in the air I really may want to, maybe I need to stop and smell the roses .... ahhh, I don't think so.

At least not today.

As Scarlet said in Gone With the Wind, " Tomorrow, I'll think about it tomorrow".

For today, it's full speed ahead!

Saving a million dollars!

A few years ago I was walking through an airport, I don't even remember where, and an attractive young woman started asking me to apply for a credit card. I told her no thank you but she insisted that it was a contest and she only needed a couple of more applications to win.

I had my identity stolen a few years ago so there is a block on my credit reports. I have to be contacted before they give out information which I explained. No problem she said. Well a few weeks later I got a new credit card from US Airways (Lehman Brothers) with a $25,000 credit limit.

I used it once to pay for some tuition for one of my sons when cash flow was tight. Had the best of intentions to get it paid off and then the bottom fell out of the financial system. The $25,000 credit limit fell to essentially what I had outstanding, approximately $5,000.

As a small business man the last 18-24 months have challenged us all. It's getting better every day but in an attempt to manage the cash flow during the crisis I was just paying the minimum and I was holding on to the cash.

I really wasn't paying attention because when Lehman Brothers fell they were acquired by the Barclay's Bank and my nice little 7.9% interest rate went to 30.9%!

I know, I know, I'm a CFP. I should have been paying attention.

Unfortunately I was focused on the 85,000,000 I oversee and I took my eyes off my own "shtuff".

Wow, long story to tell you that when I realized that the balance wasn't going down I checked the statement. Credit card statements now have the information on what it will take to pay off the balance in 3 years and how long it will take to pay it off at the minimum balance and how much you can save by paying it off in three years.

I'm not even going to ask you to guess, I do with clients when I tell this story. At the minimum payment it will take 1,761 years to pay off the balance of less than $5,000.

And the savings if I paid it off in three years ..... $1,055,630.

I think we'll write them a check this month. Then I can tell Donna I saved a million bucks!

A lesson to be learned here, pay attention to the credit cards, set yourself a goal if you have debt and pay it off.

Another Sunday and everything else

Sunday's are one of my favorite days. For Donna and I there is really only one deadline, Mass at 5:30.

It's a day when I really can wake up when I wake up and nothing else is going to end up being pushed back.

I'm not ready for that to be the rest of my life. I have a million things that I want to or need to do.

I hope the day I die I have a million things that I want to or need to do.

Donna and I took a walk through Ring Park this morning, it's a thirty acre linear park with the famous Hogtowne Creek flowing through it.

Its also our back yard.

It is a beautiful walk 30 minutes from one end to the other and back. Always full of people out enjoying the beauty of Gainesville.

Back for a healthy breakfast from Chef Me and then some time reading my email and one of the best Internet sites I peruse.

If you are not familiar with Realclearpoltics.com check it out. It is an aggregater, it culls articles of interest from both points of view on topics of interest ranging from the oil spill to the latest political news.

Now a few minutes to write and then for me a few hours at my office.

Hope you enjoy your Sunday and for my son John, Happy Birthday!

The Strategic Coach

I attend an entrepreneurial coaching program called the Strategic Coach.

Every 90 days I attend a one day workshop, mine are in Chicago. I have been in Coach for 10 years now and I am being modest to say that I have learned a lot.

I have to give the program credit for much of the success that I have enjoyed over the last 15 years (I dropped out of the program but returned after 3 years, a mistake I won't make again).

My coach is the creator of the program, Dan Sullivan. Dan has had some amazing insights that I value. In addition, the opportunity to set aside one day every quarter to review what we have accomplished and to make plans for the next 90 days is a huge value for me.

Even more important to me than the knowledge products and coaching has been the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs. The network has been an incredible value.

I have have met some of the most amazing people and gotten the opportunity to see what they are doing. Many are the visionaries that really will change our lives in the future.

The program has also taught me how to do something other than work. Still trying to get better at his part but it is really about seeking progress not perfection.

If you are entrepreneurial or have any interest in getting help taking your business and more importantly life to another level check out the Strategic Coach program.

You can find them at strategiccoach.com.

The cool aid is tasty.

'Saturday Night Live' with Betty White attracts big ratings

'Saturday Night Live' with Betty White attracts big ratings

What a hoot! The NPR sketch about muffins will one of my all time favorite moments of SNL. As funny or funnier than Alex Baldwin and the "Shweaty balls" sketch with the same NPR theme.

I can remember when the show first started, it was a must see for my friends and I. What ever was going on Saturday nights often included getting in front of a TV set for Saturday Night Live. Then again my kids start getting ready to go out at 11:30, I was closing down or at least trying to convince someone that closing down with me was a good idea.

I'm sure there will be a replay and when there is try and catch her if you missed it.

If your technologically up to I think it is now available on the NBC site.

Enjoy and three cheers for Betty White!

Mothers Day 2010

I love my wife and appreciate all she has contributed to raising our children.

I miss my Mom today, she past away about 3 years ago. I think of her often, maybe daily. I was fortunate to be raised by her. I don't mean to diminish what my Dad contributed. I am who I am because of them.

Today though, I miss my Mom. I don't have regrets, I talked to her regularly and saw her as often as practical for folks living in different cities. I love you Mom.

I love you Donna.

And for all you Mothers out there. Happy Mothers Day and God Bless.

Uncle Sam

King or no King?

In my my goal to write 5 minutes a day I can sometimes sit there with nothing to write, then there are days like today that give me so much to say that the only thing stopping my writing is earning a living and the clock.

I have been thinking a lot about the Founding fathers lately. It seems that we are going through one of those defining moments in history.

Just what do we want the government to be?

Opinions can be different and nobody has to "wrong".

The fundamental question, to me, is how much power over our day to day life do I want to give the "government".

There is no question we need an organized government, a government organized from the the local to the state to the National level.

I'm not ready to cede our national governance to an International government.

So how much government do we want in our daily lives?

Some people argue that the most efficient capitalistic country to day is China, an autocratic capitalism model.

If we had a King and an autocratic government system we could be much more efficient. You want to change health care, done. What's next?

Sorry, I have more questions than answers on this issue. Maybe it's time to re-read the Federalist papers and see what James Madison had to say?

Ding!!!! There goes the clock, time to move another project. Have a great day. JD

The ISM Index

This is the most accurate indicator of an expanding or contracting economy. I have used it for several years and it has pointed us in the right direction even during the most difficult times.

If you are not familiar with it check it out.

APRIL 2010 MANUFACTURING INDEX SUMMARIES

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PMI

Manufacturing continued to grow in April with the rate of growth accelerating as the PMI registered 60.4 percent, an increase of 0.8 percentage point when compared to March's reading of 59.6 percent. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.

A PMI in excess of 42 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. Therefore, the PMI indicates growth for the 12th consecutive month in the overall economy, as well as expansion in the manufacturing sector for the ninth consecutive month. Ore stated, "The past relationship between the PMI and the overall economy indicates that the average PMI for January through April (58.7 percent) corresponds to a 5.6 percent increase in real gross domestic product (GDP). In addition, if the PMI for April is annualized, it corresponds to a 6.2 percent increase in real GDP annually."

THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Month	PMI		Month	PMI
Apr 2010	60.4		Oct 2009	55.2
Mar 2010	59.6		Sep 2009	52.4
Feb 2010	56.5		Aug 2009	52.8
Jan 2010	58.4		Jul 2009	49.1
Dec 2009	54.9		Jun 2009	45.3
Nov 2009	53.7		May 2009	43.2
Average for 12 months – 53.5 High – 60.4 Low – 43.2

A new look!

Donna carved out some time this weekend to make some changes to our blog.

Start with the new look, I hope it makes it more adventurous looking.

We are all on a Great Life Adventure and through this blog I hope Donna and I can share some of our adventures.

Donna also has a blog linked to Metaversal Research, her consulting company and I am trying to get the rules for a blog on FFM's website so I can comment more on the markets.

Meanwhile this adventure blog is part of my effort to write 5 minutes a day.

Check out the opportunity to follow our blog, sign up, pass it on and if you have something to add or comment on don't be bashful ... write us!

So for today let me leave you with a tip; listen to Rob Thomas' incredible song' Now comes the Night.

I hope you can find some one to love like that, I have and I'm grateful beyond words.

A great weekend

We enjoyed a great weekend this past weekend.

Donna walked across the stage of the O'Dome to receive her PhD in the morning and the evening followed with my sisters son, Ryan walking across the stage to receive his bachelors degree.

Family was here to celebrate and with the exception of a few micro bursts from the Storm on Friday ripping a few tree tops off, everything went smoothly.

I hope that everyone enjoyed their weekend.

I am currently trying to figure out to make this blog more accessible to friends and colleagues. I'm not sure what the rules are going to be if I add economic or market related info. My designation as a a Registered Investment Advisor and CFP mean that I fall under some interesting restrictions, what we call compliance.

So I apologize that this sometimes seems so bland.

There is a learning curve to blogging and building a Tribe. Soon I hope that I will have the kinks out and can really make this a useful tool for those who are friends and those interested in my thoughts on the economy and money.

Thanks for our patience. JD