College Scam

I knew there was a reason that I love John Stossel. He has a great article on Fox News contemplating the value of a college education. It seems totally unnatural to me, now, to have a society where the best years of a person's life are spent mostly on vacation with some time spent sitting in classrooms to take exams.

Opportunity

This recovery summer may have created some great opportunities. Glad that I have been studying real estate investing for some time now.

Happy New Year

So, here I am, posting again. I know I wasn't the most regular writer last year. As far as I can tell, I will be posting even less regularly in the upcoming year. I'm having a lot of activity in my Reliv business. I've got a support group set up for REI where I am the only one who hasn't bought a house. We are finally ready to post our next class for CCL on the new on-line registration. Knights is booming with volunteer opportunities and so far I have avoided the hideous Chinese finger trap that is Farmville.

But if the rest of the year goes as well as today, its gonna be a great 2010 for me.

I pray that it is great for you as well, dear reader.

May Saint Joseph, patron of Fathers and workers, intercede on your behalf to multiply the work of your hands.

Sabbatical

Though I am currently not prepared to take a sabbatical from the job, I am prepared to take a hiatus from blogging. Things are crazy here at Albatross Manor. We are undergoing renovation. I am getting closer to doing some REI. I am trying to get back to my business. And we desperately need to teach some NFP to this starved area!

I really never hoped it would come to this, but it is time for a break. I will be back and re-charged soon.

Regulations hurt the little man

So, I finally set aside time and remembered to go to Prosper.com to set myself up as a micro-lender. I was hoping to make a better rate than my savings account and help some troubled people get out of dire straits. Instead, I find out that Prosper is not licensed in my state. I hope this situation is remedied soon.

Financial Freedom Tour

Ask me how this night could change your life!

October 28, 7:00 pm

Parsippany, NJ
Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales Ryan Montgomery
Presidential Gold Ambassadors Les and Joyce Ferguson
Sheraton Parsippany Hotel
199 Smith Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054
973-515-2000

Proof is in the Powder

I'm thankful that my company cares enough to invest in studies to show the success of our products. I'm hoping this will break the unfair stereotype that nutrition companies are bamboozlers who are out to scam people in an unregulated industry. Our company cares enough to run the Kalogris Foundation; we are not in it for a scam. If I scam you, take your money elsewhere!

Real Hope

I wish I had been as mature as these two in college, then I could have a successful Plan B already in place. Instead I have to work to build a Plan B while re-directing energy from Plan A.

Beating around the Bushel

A book review of The GEO Principle by Tom Bengtson

I purchased this book after hearing the author speak about God in the workplace at a CCL Convention. As a budding entrepreneur, I've been striving for more meaning in my work than pushing papers across my desk and climbing the ladder at the expense of time with my family. I have been working, rather poorly, to incorporate God into my work life with various levels of success over the last 9 years of my career and this book is an excellent summary of many of the points that I discovered on that journey. It didn't offer any dazzling insight but it was a confidence boost that I'm on the right path. Most importantly for my development, it contains a list of actions and suggested readings which is very helpful. In the "self-improvement" and "career development" sections of my bookstore it is often difficult to separate the gold from the dross, so I tremendously appreciate a listing of books which do not insult my morals or my religion. I wish I had been handed this book at my college graduation; I might have saved much time and improved my faith by removing the bushel from my candle more often.

A Healthy Business

I admit that this whole Reliv thing had gotten shoved to the back burner and almost forgotten about with the arrival of my son and preparing my house for the market. It's amazing how when I need a sign to continue, God provides one. I got an e-mail from an old contact who is interesting in buying from me since her old distributor is incommunicado. I am diligently following the ethical guidelines from Reliv to ensure that she travels up her line of sponsorship to find a distributor to work with her. It's good to know that other distributors would do this for me, if the roles were reversed. It's also good in the current health care "crisis" to be providing a solution.

Eat It

From Yeoman Farmer, comes this great article on urban farming. I suppose that growing a significant portion of my own food is a dream that I will never realize, but it would be awesome to provide for for myself and my family while working from home as a small business.

Small business, local food.

Good Morning DSA!

Here is a clip from Good Morning America which has Tory Johnson talking about direct selling. After my nice paternity leave to adjust to my son, I have to say I'm much more motivated to work from home. Now, if only I can start turning that into action.

How to cut your taxes, English

This article is awesome and it shows me how to finally avoid the entitlement taxes which will give me nothing in return.

Subsidiarity in Practice

I hope to dwell more on this topic as I consider small businesses, the economy, and Catholicism. Actually, I better read more about the topic before I open my yap. But here is a Sardonic Catholic Dad with less compunction.

Conveniently, here is the Curt Jester with some actual research on sudsidiarity. It is my sincere prayer that this idea be embraced by all members of society and we get back to doing the work that needs to be done, instead of buying the Homer Simpson campaign promise, "Can't someone else do it?"

At Least I Can Advertise

I just realized that I haven't posted for almost two weeks, sorry for that, dear reader. Now that I am posting, I only have a few minutes to get out the word about the King of Prussia 10 Miler. My parish is sponsoring a ten mile race through King of Prussia. It is a challenging course, since King of Prussia is almost as hilly as Manayunk. The Knights will be there to support it, and my business will be there to sponsor it. So come and run or, if your are in shape like me, walk the 1 mile fun run or the 5K but whatever you do, please visit the sponsors who make the day a success!

Too Long

Wow! I can't believe that I haven't written in so long. Thanks to all my trusty followers who have been checking in to look for something new, especially if you use Google Reader. My dearest has found a spectacular article at First Things which neatly summarizes the point of this blog.

As a wise woman once sang, "Children are our future." The first world has a rapidly declining population of children with a consequential lack of labor. In short, there are too many savers competing for too few investments so the returns are dropping like stones. Read the whole thing.

I offer a shower of thanks to Robert Kiyosaki for teaching me that my house is not an investment. I am also grateful to have chosen a home-based business which will help the elderly, instead of choosing real estate as my primary investment.

I am a Free Press

Since the major media outlets have not picked up on the protests surrounding tomorrow's tax deadline, I will report them here.

The TEA parties are actual grassroots protesters who detest the wasteful government spending in recent memory. Like me, they are frustrated with the massive bailout that was hurriedly passed by this Democratic House and President. Like me, they are also frustrated with the gigantic bailout passed by the previous presidential administration which opened the floodgates to the socialization of the banking system. In short, we know that we can spend our money better than the government. For example, I am trying to start my own business and potentially invest in real estate, while keeping my 401k growing. Any money the government gives me, goes to these ends. Instead, the government doesn't even trust me with an $800 stimulus all in one shot so they disburse it throughout the year.

So much for middle class support that was repeatedly promised in the campaign.

Another Reason to Love CCL

Family Foundations recently had a great article about home-based businesses, reinforcing my opinion that these businesses are beneficial to families and can be run in a Christian manner. I have been coming to this opinion over the course of the last year since I interact, as a business owner, with primarily stay-at-home moms (SAHM) and pastor's wives who also do this business. This explains why there are tons of cosmetics, jewelry, and make-up businesses yet none for power tools or video games. The article profiles a few women who run their business while taking care of their little ones. They remind me of farmer's wives who have to run the homestead so that their husbands can be successful, except in this disjointed age the businesses are separate instead of unified. I'm thrilled that CCL took the time to offer support to these wonderful women who are working to support their families while being true to their vocation as mothers.

I pray that I may reverse this disjoining trend and return to the homestead to work my business and be with my family.

P.S.- The article was in the November/December 2008 issue, I believe, but you will need to join CCL to read the whole thing.

Two Marketeers

After a brief and confusing debacle between Kennedy/Glazer and Kiyosaki, I wasn't sure who to trust. Thankfully, I have found an outside source who has actual experience with Dan Kennedy and his followers. I might have to check out some of his books.

HT: My Truck Buddy

Good Economic News

My business has made the paper as an industry likely to weather the economic crisis. I'm hoping to be able to help people with their finances, as well as with their health. It's good to know that my support network is as healthy as I feel on these products.