The Black Socialite: The 30-Day Action Plan Towards Social Ascension

Interesting read...if not a bit pretentious...

The Black Socialite: The 30-Day Action Plan Towards Social Ascension: "Did you know that many of the social superstars of our community applied hard core strategy their social ascension and continuously re-tool ..."

A Day In the Life of Me

Disclaimer: Any resemblance in this article to you or anyone you know is PURELY coincidental

Tim Ferriss, author of the Four-Hour Workweek posed an interesting question to those who frequent his online forum. The question was simply, if you could retire early or even take a mini-retirement, what would you do with your time? Various users submitted sample itineraries of what they would do, others posted actual weekends of fun and frolicking they engaged in, while imagining they were actually in the midst of an early mini-retirement.

If I had such occassion to "mini-retire", I would have NO ISSUE filling my time in ways I desire. For example, here's how last Saturday played out:
************************************************************************************************

7:00AM - wake up early, eager beager wife is heading to work to log in that precious OT. 2 yo wakes up shortly thereafter which means the fun is about to begin.

8:00AM – 9 yo wakes up which means I better get on breakfast or there’s going to be a local Armageddon.

8:30AM – phone ringing off the hook – my most industrious wife has gotten an appointment for our 2 y.o. with her pediatrician – AT 9:45AM! How in the world??? Oh never mind.

9:30AM – all kids are dressed, teeth brushed, and we’re out the door. 9:45 however will NOT happen

9:55AM – walk in doctor’s office out of breath, thankful I didn’t get a ticket

11:15AM – walk out of the doctor’s office having spoken to her for …oh…5 whole minutes

11:30AM – arrive at church for Saturday prayer. I let the kids play on the playground for awhile when we finish

12:05PM – arrive at Eudora Welty and have the 9 y.o. do some reading. Naturally the 2 y.o. wants to help and proceeds to pull out as many books as she can get her hands on SO FAST…I mean like Matrix fast.

12:40PM – arrive at Old Capitol Museum – tour around THE FIRST FLOOR ONLY. 9 y.o. is studying Mississippi History in Social Studies so I thought I’d make it a little more real for her. Both tykes enjoyed

1:30PM – back home. Must mention 2 y.o. took her afternoon nap IN THE CAR which means I still have no chance of a break.

2:00PM - me and the little ones dig into some pasta leftovers for a late lunch

2:30PM - Mommy’s home!!

2:45PM – 5ish… - a back and forth mixture of daddy-kid interaction including PS2, them reading to me, me reading to them, and singing an endless assortment of kids songs

5:something – 2yo finally takes 2nd nap for the day, I begin my afternoon computer browsing (dealbreaker, wallstreetoasis, facebook, other random blogs)

6:something – wife and I actually talk – adult to adult – good stuff

7:45 – burgers, fries, and CONVERSATION for dinner – TV hasn’t been on for hours, yay

8:45 – 9 y.o. taking bath, 2 y.o. watching youtube videos of elmo, row your boat, etc.

9:30 – 9 y.o. in bed, wife studying Accounting. Reading Dr. Seuss’ “Mr. Brown can Moo” to the 2 y.o.

10:15 - watching the JSU vs. TSU replay on FoxSS. Doing all I can not to check the score on yahoo sports. Wife still hitting the books

11:03 – baby is finally out for the count, KO by rocking chair.

11:30PM - finally crack open my strategy book and begin studying

1AMish – wife interrupts my dream about strategic management and calls me to bed…

6AM – back up, time to get ready for church…

Yup, I think a mini-retirement is just what the doctor ordered...
Feel free to share your ideal or typical day in the comment box!

FOCUS

It has been accurately stated that it is impossible to focus on everything simultaneously. By definition, if an individual is focusing, that person has deleted whole sets and subsets of information in favor of concentrating mental faculty on a single project. This flies in the face of a culture that espouses multitasking as the pre-eminent skill set for the modern professional. I say hogwash. Not only is multitasking non-beneficial, but I assert it is literally impossible.

Given any set of tasks and assuming the individual has 100% competency in all of those tasks individually, we cannot mathematically deduce that the same person will maintain that level of competency on a sum of those tasks performed simultaneously. Quite simply, there's only one you and only one endeavor that can be pursued at a single time with maximum effectiveness.

Where does this leave the busy professional, motivated by achievement, prodded by the upper ranks, and set into motion by the fleeting clasps of upwardly-mobile crabs? It leaves him to prioritize. The ability to set priorities so far exceeds any vain attempt at multitasking as to render the latter useless. We see this validated in everything from Brian Tracy's EAT THAT FROG
to Stephen Covey's SEVEN HABITS
to Anthony Robbins' TIME OF YOUR LIFE program. The thesis holds true that we must at all times determine what is the single assignment which will yield the greatest return and then pursue that assignment firstly and vigorously. Upon completion, the process is repeated, and the professional basks in the glow of accomplishment, eager to see what else can be done.
LL

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” --Paul J Meyer

Testing freestockcharts.com Embed functionality

DISNEY

How to Become your Own Broker

Sage advice offered by John Mugarian, investor and former Wall Street Broker:
-------------------------------------------------
STEP 1: Determining Your Risk Profile

INVESTOR RISK TOLERANCE DETERMINES ASSET ALLOCATION

Investing is no different than embarking on a trip across the country. To make your trip go smoothly, you need to plan, you need a roadmap. In investing, your roadmap starts with accessing your goals, needs, and risk tolerance. If your needs call for a return of 15% per year to achieve your goal, and your risk tolerance is extremely low, there is no way you can achieve your goal. However, if your needs call for a return of 8% per year, and your risk tolerance is low, your goal can be achieved.

Let痴 get started and see if your investment objectives correspond with your risk tolerance. After you have answered the questions, and added up the points, and see what investment style fits you the best.

Question #1 � Which investment objective best describes your goals.
a) Preservation of capital 1 pt
b) Income and keeping pace with inflation 3 pts
c) 50% Growth, 50% Income 5 pts
d) Blue Chip Growth with a small mix of aggressive stocks 7 pts
e) Aggressive Growth, Income is not important 9 pts
Question #2 � What is your time horizon to achieve your goals.
a) Ten years or more 9 pt
b) Less than ten years, but more than 5 5 pts
c) Three to five years 1 pts
Question #3 � Which best describes what you expect from your investments.
a) An account that provides me with extra income 1 pt
b) An account that combines moderate growth and additional income 5 pts
c) An account that maximizes growth over the long haul 9 pts
Question #4 � The average rate of inflation is 3.5% per year. Which best describes your expectations for your account.
a) I want to keep pace with inflation while minimizing risk 1 pt
b) I want my account to outpace inflation 5 pts
c) I am willing to take extra risk to significantly outpace inflation 9 pts
Question #5 � If my starting account balance was $100,000, I would be willing to accept one of the following fluctuations of my principal to achieve the stated return.
a) 8% return = $90,000 worst year, $115,000 best year 1 pt
b) 9% return = $80,000 worst year, $120,000 best year 3 pts
c) 10% return = $75,000 worst year, $125,000 best year 5 pts
c) 11% return = $70,000 worst year, $130,000 best year 7 pts
c) 12% return = $60,000 worst year, $140,000 best year 9 pts

ADD UP TOTAL POINTS _______
STEP 2: Choosing an Allocation Model

ASSET ALLOCATION ANSWER SHEET
Investment Style: Points Historical (1970-2001) Risk/Reward
1) Aggressive 37-45 points Best +41.7/ Worst -24.1/ Ave +11.9
2) Moderately Aggressive 29-36 points Best +36.9/Worst - 19.3/ Ave +11.5
3) Moderate 21-28 points Best +29.6/ Worst -13.0/ Ave + 10.9
4) Moderately Conservative 13-20 points Best + 25.4/ Worst -6.6/ Ave + 10.4
5) Conservative 5-12 points Best + 21.7/ Worst -1.2/ Ave + 9.0

AGGRESSIVE MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE MODERATE MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE CONSERVATIVE
For long-term investors who want high growth potential and don't need current income. May entail substantial year-to-year volatility in value in exchange for potentially high long-term returns. For long-term investors who want good growth potential and don't need current income. Entails a fair amount of volatility, but not as much as a portfolio invested exclusively in stocks. For long-term investors who don't need current income and want some growth potential. Likely to entail some fluctuations in value, but presents less volatility than the overall stock market. For investors who seek current income and stability, with some modest potential for increase in the value of their investments. For investors who seek current income and stability and are less concerned about growth.

STOCKS 95%
Large-Cap Stocks 50%
Small & Mid-Cap Stocks 20%

International Stocks 25%

BONDS 0%
CASH 5%


STOCKS 80%

Large-Cap Stocks 45%
Small & Mid-Cap Stocks 15%

International Stocks 20%

BONDS 15%

CASH 5%

STOCKS 60%

Large-Cap Stocks 35%
Small & Mid-Cap Stocks 10%
International Stocks 15%

BONDS 35%

CASH 5%

STOCKS 40%


Large-Cap Stocks 25%
Small & Mid-Cap Stocks 5%

International Stocks 10%

BONDS 50%

CASH 10%

STOCKS 20%


Large-Cap Stocks 15%
Small & Mid-Cap Stocks 0%

International Stocks 5%

BONDS 50%

CASH 30%
STEP 3: Diversifying Your Investments

SIMPLIFYING YOUR INVESTMENT CHOICES

The most difficult part of managing your own investment portfolio is choosing the proper investments. In fact, this is the major sources of frustration and anxiety for many investors. Well, worry no more. Our approach is simple, easy to understand, and frankly makes the most sense. How can I make such bold claims? It痴 very simple, experience. I have watched literally hundreds of investors make the same mistakes over and over again. The most amazing part of this story is they are still making them, and are still experiencing the same results; frustration and anxiety.

To start the process, you need to ask yourself a very simple question. Are you an investor or a gambler? Sounds pretty simple doesn稚 it? Well, it really isn稚 that simple because many investors confuse investing for gambling.

If you have to constantly monitor the market and look for the next trade on the latest hot stock, you are gambling. If you like to do this, please do not confuse this with investing. Do yourself (and your financial future) a huge favor, and open two accounts. With no more than 10% of your financial assets buy and sell whatever you desire. You can even choose to pick a stock or two from the Investor Alerts—"Traders Corner". With the remaining 90%, implement a strategic asset allocation strategy and stick with it.

For your serious money however (the 90%), here痴 what we recommend for your Asset Allocation Model.

1) Large Cap Allocation: I would pick from one of the three choices below. Of course, the amount of money you have to invest will be a big factor in determining which allocation you choose. If you want to own individual stocks, it has been our experience that accounts with less than $100,000 will have a very difficult time being properly diversified in individual stocks. Regardless of your asset base, you will need to choose from one of these three allocation methods before you begin investing.

A) Individual Stocks—To get the proper diversification, you need to own a portfolio of 20-30 individual stocks. If your allocation model is moderate, and your total investment assets are $100,000, then only 35% or $35,000 can be earmarked for the 20-30 stocks that make up this large cap allocation. This means you may own 100 shares of one stock, and 35 shares of another. Since we recommend an even weighting in most of our stocks, you may have to own less than 100 shares in some positions. If this is ok with you, it痴 ok with me. If your account is greater than $100,000, owning all individual stocks in the Large Cap area will work fine.

B) Individual Stocks/Index Fund Enhancement—This allocation works better for accounts over $100,000. Most fund managers use the S&P 500 and other indexes as their benchmarks, and statistics show that they beat their respective indexes only half the time. When fund managers do beat their benchmarks, they are usually taking on more risk by overweighting stocks in a hot sector which adds unnecessary risk to your portfolio. So, by owning a portfolio of individual stocks, and enhancing the allocation with index funds, you can potentially increase your return and lower your risk.

How you might ask? Most mutual funds have a charter or rulebook they must adhere to. One of those rules is they must be fully invested at all times. So, even if a fund manager saw a train wreak coming in the market, most could not get out of the way due to the rules of their investment charters.

At the Investor Alert, we have no charters, and if we feel its time to reduce our holdings in stocks, underweight a particular sector, or protect our accounts with market hedges, we will do so. You can be sure, if we see a train wreak coming, we will get out of the way.

If you choose to own individual stocks with index fund enhancements, here痴 what I recommend. For the percentage allocated to Large Cap, invest 2/3rds in individual stocks, and 1/3rd split evenly among 2 broad based Vanguard Index funds.
1) Vanguard S&P 500 Fund- Ticker Symbol (VFINX)
2) Vanguard Total Stock Market Index- Ticker Symbol (VTSMX)

C) Index Mutual Funds—There are basically two reasons why an investor would choose to allocate their entire Large Cap percentage to index funds instead of a mix of individual stocks and funds. Both, by the way are very valid reasons.
1) The investor does not want to be bothered with monitoring the performance, or making changes in their portfolios.
2) The investor does not have enough cash to properly allocate a portfolio in stocks or a mix of stocks and funds.
In both cases, allocating your investments entirely in index funds can make a lot of sense.

2) Mid Cap Allocation: Finding the proper investments in any investment category can be very difficult, not to mention frustrating. Since many Mid Cap and Small Cap Mutual Funds have turnover rates in excess of 100% annually, it would be foolish for an individual investor to try and manage these allocations themselves with individual stocks. The safest and most appropriate way to allocate your portfolio among these groups is to use index funds.

Like I had mentioned above, some non-indexed mutual funds will from time to time outperform their respective indexes. But, once again we must ask, at what risk to the investor? Since most non-index mutual funds rarely beat the index consistently, or over the long haul, I feel it痴 more prudent to own the index. The index fund I recommend for this category is the Vanguard Mid Cap Index (VIMSX).

3) Small Cap Allocation: Use a Small Cap Index Fund for all of the reasons we mention above. Allocating assets to small cap stocks as part of a properly diversified portfolio can be scarier than watching the exorcist. I have spoken to small cap fund managers through the years, and they even admit that they rarely have the stomach to own a portfolio of individual stocks in this sector. Instead, I recommend the Vanguard Small Cap Index- Ticker Symbol (NAESX) for this portion of your portfolio.

4) International Markets Allocation: There are many wonderful Blue Chip companies around the globe. BP Amoco, Nestle� and Glaxo are a few that immediately come to mind. However, gaining access to information on foreign companies can be very difficult, if not impossible. I am not opposed to owning individual stocks in foreign companies, but to gain proper diversification, you need to also have broad exposure to many foreign markets. To do this, we once again turn our attention to index funds.

For example, the companies I mentioned above are all European. You need to have exposure to other continents as well, not to mention a blend of different market capitalizations like large, mid, and small cap sectors. For this reason, I like to use the Vanguard Total International Stock Index- Ticker Symbol (VGTSX) to broaden our exposure to a large cross-section of the world. The Vanguard Total International Stock Index is comprised of three broad stock market indexes, the Vanguard European Stock Index, Vanguard Pacific Stock Index, and the Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index. The fund uses a blend of market capitalizations, while properly diversifying among the top 12 sectors of the market.

5) Bond Allocation: Stocks are ownership, while bonds are loaner ship. You are loaning your money to an entity in return for a promise of a stated interest rate and the repayment of the loan on a specified date. If the entity is a corporation, interest payments are received on a taxable basis, while municipal bonds generate federally tax-exempt income. Certain other bonds, known as zero coupon bonds, do not pay any current income, but rather are purchased at a discounted price and mature at a predetermined value at a specified time.

Bond prices are impacted primarily by the rise and fall of interest rates. Quite simply, bond prices move inversely with interest rates. As interest rates increase, bond values go down. Likewise, if interest rates decline, bond values tend to increase.

To manage risk and to minimize the impact of interest rate changes, investors need to diversify their bond portfolios based on varying maturities. This diversification is known as Laddering Maturities. Laddering involves building a portfolio of bonds with staggered maturities so that a portion of the portfolio will mature each year, or some other specified time period. By spreading out the maturities, you are investing at different interest rates, with the shorter-term bonds paying a lower rate, and longer-term bonds paying a higher rate. In the mean time, you are spreading out the risk of principal fluctuation.

I recommend that investors own bonds with maturity dates ranging from 1-5 years on the short end, with bonds maturing in each of the 5 years. After the fifth year, buy bonds that mature in 5 years increments until your final maturity dates are 25 to 30 years out. You will want to invest even amounts of money at each maturity with the exception of the longest maturities. For example, if you are investing $10,000 in each maturity, you may want to only invest $5,000 in years 25 and 30.

As to what types of bonds to own, you will want to own taxable bonds in tax deferred accounts like IRA痴, and pension plans. In taxable accounts, you will have to take into consideration your tax bracket, and compare the tax free yields on municipal bonds to the after tax yields of taxable bonds.

Whatever the case, in tax deferred accounts, you want to own bonds in high quality companies that carry a bank quality rating of triple B or higher. In addition, you wanted to own some bonds that are insured or backed by the US Government. Some municipal bonds are taxable and insured, and make great alternatives to US Government bonds.

To get a more detailed explanation of bonds, comparisons, and where to buy them, go to the Reports link on my website and click on Bonds.

6) Cash: The cash portion of your portfolio should be invested in something safe and liquid. It will also serve as a place to collect and store the dividends and interest paid from your stocks and bonds. Personally, I want to avoid paying Federal as well as State intangible taxes, so I use the Fidelity Tax Free Florida Municipal Money Market Fund.

If the amount in your money market is too large and you want maximum safety, you may want to diversify into other short term (1-3 month certificates of deposits, treasuries, or tax free floaters) instruments.

STEP 4: Calculating Your Retirement Needs

CREATING A FINANCIAL PLAN

When establishing a financial plan for you or your family a "first step" is usually to take a look at a personal financial balance sheet or your Net Worth. You値l quickly get a picture of what you have, what you owe and what the net balance is of each. Examining the components of your assets and liabilities and making projections of their individual values into the future can be helpful in forecasting your financial future and your retirement needs. Accurately recalculating your net worth every six months to a year will give you a track record of how your wealth is growing or declining over time.

Go to any of the links below to start developing your own financial plan by examining where you are now, and what it is going to take to reach your goals. For example, if your asset allocation questionnaire profiled you as an "aggressive" investor (11.9% average return), and the financial planning calculator below states that all you need is 8% a year to reach your goals, you may be taking too much risk. If this is the case, then you need to adjust your allocation model from "aggressive" to a lesser risk category.

MomGrad

This year my mom, next year me!

Do you hear what I hear?

Photo from NY Daily News. Article by Lawrence Lockhart, Jr.
On Tuesday April 27, for upwards of 10 hours, W.D.C. politicians grilled and lambasted both execs and lackeys from Goldman Sachs in a comical theater broadcast to the world courtesy of CNBC. For all intents and purposes, the Senators let the Goldman boys have it, hurling insults, questioning motives, and openly displaying impatience with temperate answers. The question now is if what appears to have happened really happened or were we, the audience from the front row of our corporate desks and couches at home, unwitting participants in a complete farce designed to score points on both sides of the aisle while garnishing no new information nor change in behavior on the part of the perpetrators.

Markets are quite telling in this case. On Tuesday, Standard & Poor downgraded the status of the Greek Bond market to "junk" on the news among other factors that the debt was at least 115% of the country's GDP. This effectively sent ripples throughout the European markets, Asian Markets, and Western markets to the tune of a 200+ point drop in the Dow, settling well under 11,000 which we haven't seen since mid-March. Meanwhile, G.Sachs is on the hill, being pestered by politicians like the goon on a Scooby Doo episode, questionable action after questionable action, highly sensitive email one after another, and how does the market, the big boys investors treat G.Sachs stocks? How about active trading consistent with the previous week resulting in a .66% or $1.01 INCREASE??

Analysis is varied as the individual so let me tell you what this means to me. Big boy investors have sent a clear message to DC: G.Sachs remains unscathed by your diatribe, G.Sachs is bigger than you will ever realise, and if you dare penalize in anything more than a symbollic way, your support is officially Gone With The Wind. Score? Government 0 - G.Sachs $153.04 per share. The boys did their job well. Traders under fire spoke a language somewhere between Aramaic and Bill Clinton-ese "...that depends on how you define success..." Mid-level management offered little more, and the CEO of the ship all but told Congress this is as much if not more your fault than mine. We only took the $2.5B because you bailed out AIG. There's no law requiring us to disclose position...and so on.

G.Sachs may still feel a pinch down the road. For now, they appear to have successfully navigated the rough and the hazards to come in comfortably at one under par.
LL

4 Appetizing Restaurant Stocks - Investment Ideas

As written by Zacks on http://www.benzinga.com/207196/4-appetizing-restaurant-stocks-investment-ideas
At this time last year, consumers were hunkering down and tightening their belts. There were fewer people going out to eat, and restaurants suffered a great deal during that period.

But the economic downturn provided many restaurant operators the opportunity to re-work menus, reduce costs, and improve operations--all in an effort to get positioned to take advantage of the eventual recovery.

Well, the recovery is here. The economy has been in recovery mode since the second half of 2009, and it continues to gain strength. This positive economic backdrop is increasing consumer confidence, and consumers are more willing to spend a little more on lunch and dinner. This was the case in the fourth quarter of last year, when many casual dining restaurants began to experience a nice uptick in sales.

Even restaurant managers believe in the rebound. The National Restaurant Association recently said that "Restaurant operators are relatively optimistic about improving sales growth and economic conditions in the months ahead."

As the overall economy improves, consumer confidence will continue to rise and lead to additional visits to casual dining restaurants. That, combined with cost-cutting efforts made by the restaurant chains, puts these companies in a position to deliver robust earnings growth in the quarters ahead.

Here are four restaurant stocks that can deliver tasty menu items as well as gains:

Cheesecake Factory (CAKE)

The Cheesecake Factory operates upscale, casual, and full-service dining restaurants in the U.S. under The Cheesecake Factory, Grand Lux Café, and RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen names.

In early February, Cheesecake Factory announced flat year-over-year sales. But its earnings per share of $0.28 surpassed consensus estimates by 4 cents, or 16.7%. That marked the fifth consecutive quarter that CAKE beat EPS estimates.

In the last 60 days, analysts have pushed their estimates higher. The 2010 Zacks Consensus Estimate increased 12 cents, or 10.6%, to $1.25, and the 2011 Zacks Consensus Estimate added 11 cents, or 8.4%, to $1.42.

This Zacks #1 Rank stock trades at 22x and 19x the Zacks Consensus Estimates for 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Cracker Barrel (CBRL)

Cracker Barrel owns and operates Cracker Barrel Old Country Store full-service restaurants and gift shops in the U.S.

In late February, the company reported fiscal second-quarter sales growth of 0.4% to $632.6 million, and earnings per share of $1.15. Its EPS easily topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 25 cents, or 27.8%. Cracker Barrel has beaten consensus estimates in the last five quarters by an average of 18.1%.

Management boosted its EPS guidance for fiscal year 2010 and now expects to earn $3.35 to $3.50 per share. Strong Q2 earnings and optimistic guidance prompted analysts to ratchet up their estimates for Cracker Barrel. In the last two months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2010 has increased 26 cents, or 8.0%, and the 2011 Zacks Consensus Estimate is up 34 cents, or 9.6%.

CBRL is a Zacks #1 Rank stock, and it has a P/E multiple 12x fiscal 2011 EPS.

DineEquity (DIN)

DineEquity Inc. operates and franchises two full-service restaurant chains, Applebee's and International House of Pancakes (IHOP).

On March 3, DineEquity reported earnings per share of $0.76, soaring past the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.19. DineEquity has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 223% for the last five quarters.

After the company reported strong fourth-quarter results, analysts began to substantially lift their earnings estimates. In the last month, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2010 is up 72 cents, or 36.2%, to $2.71. The 2011 Zacks Consensus Estimate has climbed $1.13, or 55.4%, to $3.17.

This Zacks #1 Rank stock trades at 14x 2010 consensus EPS estimates and 12x 2011 consensus EPS estimates.

Ruby Tuesday (RT)

Ruby Tuesday operates over 650 company-owned full-service casual dining restaurants under the Ruby Tuesday brand name. The company also has over 220 franchised Ruby Tuesday restaurants.

In January, the company reported a fiscal second-quarter sales decrease of 5.6%, due in large part to the closing of 43 restaurants, but Ruby Tuesday's EPS beat consensus estimates by 2 cents. In the last five quarters, the company has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 93.6%.

In the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has climbed 5 cents, or 14.3%, to $0.63, while the 2011 Zacks Consensus Estimate is up 5 cents, or 6.9%, to $0.77.

This Zacks #2 Rank stock trades at 17x and 14x the Zacks Consensus Estimates for 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Ruby Tuesday will report third-quarter results on April 7 after the market close

Starbucks' Siren Song

Starbucks' Siren Song

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FOXNews.com - Goldman Sachs Chief: Trust is Our Only Means to Survive

FOXNews.com - Goldman Sachs Chief: Trust is Our Only Means to Survive

Posted using ShareThis

Bill Gates on energy: Innovating to zero! | Video on TED.com

Bill Gates on energy: Innovating to zero! | Video on TED.com

What beats passion?

There are some things in this world that I never get tired of seeing and I never seem to get enough of. One is extreme talent - not your everyday that-was-cute talent but extreme talent that makes you go WOAH. And it can be any facet of life - sports, management, even a great bedside manner from the baby dentist. I love it love it and love it some more.

The other thing I just EXPLODE when I get to witness it is PASSION. In this mediocre-driven society where teens strive to be cool by not being cool, and where disinterest is a feeble sign of social maturity, I go against the grain (nothing new there) and strive to find people with PASSION. Those who love what they do, do what they love, and tell you about every step of the way.

One such person is Gary Vaynerchuk. From humble beginnings as the family business cashier, Gary has grown his personal passion into a marketable brand with an international following. The keys are Passion and Patience as he told the TED conference back in '08. Gary now hosts WineLibrary TV where he dishes on all things wine and of course, his beloved NY Jets. Gary teaches you about wine in his online TV spots and teaches about pursuing your passion PASSIONATELY by his very example.
LL

Ladies and gentlemen, Gary:
The Wine Library

Composing a Career and Life

excellent lecture given in May 2009 as part of MIT's speaker series. inspirational story. the message? Follow your nose!

There's No Inspection Like...

You've heard it a thousand times before. "You've got to inspect what you expect". "Follow up, follow up, follow up!", and other phrases designed to remind you of the vital step in achieving goals of measuring achieved progress vs. desired expectations. Nowhere does this hold more true than in one's educational pursuits.

I recently had to come to grips with the fact that my knowledge and associated performance in one of my classes was significantly less than what I desired and dramatically less than what would be useful in the workplace. Since there was no avoiding this, I reached out to my MBA advisor for some much needed guidance. Without dragging you through the gory details, suffice to say I received the assistance I needed in a professional and timely manner. This simple step and process could save people and companies countless chunks of time, money and other valuable resources. Honest assessments of how you are doing at all times is a must. It profits neither the individual nor the organization to project a status of achievement as a balm to mask the pain of underachievement. Why expend the energy in fooling yourself into thinking everything is OK when you could invest that same time and energy correcting the wrongs and building a better tomorrow?

Honest assessments allow progress to begin. Learn to be glad you're a cat...
LL

Where do you get your news?

With such a dizzying barrage of media available to us today, what are your most preferred sources of current business news? Here's a quickie list of sites I've fallen in love with:


Reuters

The Wall Street Journal

Yahoo Finance

Google Business News

What's an Online MBA Worth

The following article is reprinted in its entirety with all due consideration given to author Maggie Overfelt and website www.bnet.com. Food for thought.

You’ve seen the ads in pop-up windows and in the borders around your e-mail inbox: “Earn an MBA online for $7,000, no GMAT required!” If you’ve ever been tempted to apply for an online MBA or hire someone who had one, come-ons like these are enough to squelch the urge on the spot.

But then there are stories like that of Jim LeMere, 39, an insurance-company executive who earned an online MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The institution (No. 15 in Business Week’s B-school rankings) held him to the same admission and grading standards as its full-time MBA candidates, taught him with the same curriculum and same teachers, yet allowed him to attend class on his schedule. Oh, and he got to keep his job. “I traveled a lot, was relocated to Atlanta, and was eventually moved back to Indiana. Kelley moved with me the entire time,” LeMere says. When he graduated in 2004, a rival firm poached him, promoted him to vice president, and doubled his salary.

In addition to the Kelley School, Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business (No. 19 on Business Week’s ranking) now offers an online MBA, and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business (No. 8) offers a hybrid course that combines online and classroom learning. The online MBA neighborhood is gentrifying even at the mass-market end, dominated by for-profit B-schools like University of Phoenix and Kaplan University. In January, Jack Welch lends his name and prestige to the new Jack Welch Management Institute, a $21,600 MBA track that doesn’t require test scores for admission or on-campus attendance.

In short, the lingering image of online business schools as diploma mills is oversimplified, to say the least. True, no virtual MBA can make a recruiter’s heart race the way a Harvard or Wharton sheepskin can, but that’s an exceedingly high hurdle. The real point is this: In the right circumstances, an online MBA can indeed boost your career (and hiring someone bearing one can indeed help your company). It’s all a matter of matching your skills with the right program at the right stage of your career.

Study Tips 4 U!

For my fellow MBA students and collegians of other majors as well, here's a few study tips offered by the 
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering
Website: NACME


I'll share the bullet points in this post then expound in later editions


1. Study the most important principles and processes first.
2. Focus on what you have not yet mastered.
3. Periodically re-study important material you have already mastered.
4. Do homework within two day after it is assigned.
5. Get help if you can't solve a new problem after one hour.
6. Join a study group to keep up with homework.
7. Check your academic progress every week.
8. Use the concept of "time on task" to study efficiently.


Again, in depth explanation will follow shortly.

Online MBA? Good Idea!

An Online MBA Could Work Around Your Work Schedule

Working professionals who want to pursue an MBA but feel as though they don't have the time may want to consider enrolling in an online MBA program.

For Nils Moe, pursuing an online MBA helped give him the knowledge to properly serve Berkeley, California, mayor Tom Bates as a sustainability advisor, according to the San Francisco Business Journal.

Moe told the news source that he has been able to use the lessons he learned through his online program to help him adapt to his current job requirements.

"I sit on a number of boards where we sit with financial managers," Moe said. "I definitely feel more grounded in sort of the world of finance. I can speak their language."

Moe went on to describe how an online MBA made it possible for him to start serving Bates two months before his graduation date.

One of the benefits of enrolling in an online MBA program is it provides you with the flexibility to maintain your work commitments and home life. Many people turn to online programs because they enjoy the option of learning in their spare time.

For more see:
http://www.mymbacareer.com/mba-news/8137-an-online-mba-could-work-around-your-work-schedule.html

Billionaire Strategies?

Self-styled lifeifestyle and wealth strategist, Christopher Howard is a best-selling author, prominent speaker and the owner of Christopher Howard Training. Using his basis in NLP, Chris claims to have researched the success strategies of some of the world's greatest business, philanthropic and spiritual minds. From his work, I have pulled out the following nuggets of guidance to lead you to business success. A mixture of financial approaches and shifts in mental attitude, you can call it zen capitalism for the 21st century.

1. Take personal responsibility and embrace an empowering mindset about money
2. Set clear goals and make them as big as your dreams
3. Create a realistic plan and take action
4. Learn to turn obstacles into opportunities
5. Be willing to do whatever it takes and have persistent wealth propulsion focus
6. Assume your wealth and build your business on purpose and passion
7. Gain the financial skills and vocabulary to manage your wealth. You can try the 10% tithe, 60% income for expenses, 10% for education, 10% fun, 10% save and invest financial strategy as a guideline.
8. Find business mentors and surround yourself with people who are achieving greatness. Build your mastermind group with people you can interact with personally and your "mental" mastermind group with the masters in wealth building who you study intensely enough to re-imprint your brain regarding finances.
9. Keep educating yourself and turn your weaknesses into strengths.

So what do the necessary skills sets of these uber-successful look like? Business and personal success coach Brian Tracy defines them as so:

• Effective Leadership
• Masterful in Sales
• Strategic Thinking
• Effective Marketing
• Productive Networking
• Efficient Time Management
• Masterful in Negotiation

For more details see:

http://www.chrishoward.com/Public/Home/index.cfm

and

http://www.briantracy.com/

"What Change Was That? said the Wall St suit...

What's that you say? You're eagerly awaiting wide-sweeping reform and increased regulation to make sure the Fannie Mae's and AIG's of the world don't commit the sins of the past in our near future? Well, join the crowd of investors, government watchdogs, and plain ol' taxpayers such as myself who wonder in earnest when the change we voted for will kick in. Gregory Zuckerman of the WSJ says don't hold your breath. While the big, systemic issues have been debated and identified, few measures have been put in place to protect our financial future.

The positives are that banks and Wall Street firms have slashed heavy debt down to about half of 2007 levels which is considerably more manageable and without inordinate risk. Also, needlessly complicated financial instruments like "synthetic CDOs" are getting much less attention as firms focus on more sensible products. At the SEC, information exchange is being scrutinized for legality in the conversations between traders, bankers, and other players. Gold-Sachs execs being paid bonuses in uncashable stocks (5 yr holding period) seems a good idea on the surface but the problem is much deeper.

(...to be continued)
PT 2:
Not so positive is the lingering suspicion that once the government money is paid back, Wall Street will be back to business as usual.  The hyper-skeptical not-so-quietly mused if we have not been partakers of an elaborate drama, the conclusion of which strangely mirroring the introduction.  Wall Street firms still pay more than half their revenue out as compensation.  Hedge funds like Paulson&Co. are INCREASING leverage rather than lowering their debt levels and there is precariously little chatter about big firm breakup of the JP Morgans and Goldman Sachs of the world.  The lessons of too big to fall clearly have fallen on deaf ears amongst the too big.

Maybe you can answer this one: Are credit default swaps being traded on public exchanges yet, thereby enhancing visibility and needed scrutiny? Have any rules been change to increase the amount of capital our banks must hold as a percentage of assets?  No, and no again.  When we asked for change, perhaps we should have specified non-cyclical...