What I read…

I read a lot of articles each day. I really should share what I have read. So here’s what I read today (with simple notes):

Seth Godin. Of course.
Liked it.

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/1000-days-after-overnight-success/
Liked it.

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/%E2%80%9Cive-just-been-so-busy-lately%E2%80%9D/
Didn’t like it (though it was good. For some reason (perhaps I envy his lifestyle and success?) I think of Chris as a TV evangelist: preaching empty messages to serve himself.)

http://www.daniellelaporte.com/business-wealth-articles/busy-nuff-whining/
Didn’t like it (though it was OK)

http://www.daniellelaporte.com/white-hot/the-manifesto-of-encouragement/
Loved it.

http://www.daniellelaporte.com/white-hot/how-to-be-a-profiting-truth-omercial-rather-than-a-slickster/
Loved it.

http://www.daniellelaporte.com/white-hot/on-bright-faith-and-why-falling-in-love-is-totally-uncool/
Loved it.

http://paulcrik.com/wp/archives/1731
Loved the writing. The idea terrified me.

http://paulcrik.com/wp/archives/1701
Loved it.

http://paulcrik.com/wp/archives/1696
Loved

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/read-marc-marons-amazing-inspiring-just-for-lau
Boom. There’s honesty, and there’s real honesty. this is the second.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/abrams/25-awesome-quotes-from-comics-on-marc-marons
Loved it.

http://paulcrik.com/wp/archives/1518
Liked it.

http://www.boston.com/news/daily/26/ampad.pdf
Hmm. Romney looks heartless and unethical. On Jan 5th, I wrote this:

What would it take to pull off a major theft?

The vast majority of people never consider the question. At least not seriously. That is why the vast majority of people hold jobs: they do not steal (significantly) from where they work; they do not plan elaborate strategies to clean out they company they work for.

But some people do think about how to pull off a heist. And not just in action movies.

As we have seen in action films, the amount of planning and money it takes to pull of a major heist is beyond the majority of people. But for those who do consider it, you can pull off grand theft, free and clear, in two arenas: the financial industry and religion.

Looks like I was right.

World of (Class) Warfare

“Jon Stewart and The Daily Show nail it again.” (Daringfireball.)

Watch the clip here.

Apple is the largest company in the world.

It happened briefly, slightly yesterday, then with feeling today… Apple has passed Exxon-Mobile in market capitalization to become the largest (most valuable) company in the world.

Those of you within earshot of me will remember that last year, I predicted that this would happen by the end of this year. It happened ahead of my prediction.

What did we learn from this? What I said yesterday: Vision trumps everything. Whether you are parenting, teaching, running a business, pastoring, painting, writing,… having a clear, laser-focused vision will produce infinitely better results than trying to guide yourself via surveys, market-studies, feedback, examining data.

Vision, vision, vision. The more you reduce it (simplify it) the better. The clearer (more defined) the better.

Vision trumps everything.

Money

Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map – by Ed Slott

The Retirement Savings Time Bomb–and How to Defuse It – by Ed Slott

Bill Bartman principles

John T. Reed analysis of Robert T. Kiyosaki’s book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad

My earlier post re: percentage of annual income for monthly mortgage

My notes re: how the really rich made their money and the implications

How to live now. The teen years. Cycles of Civilization.

How to live NOW:

Don’t talk about what happened earlier. I’m beginning to think that people spend a good part of their waking hours recounting moments from the past. But the past is not where they are now. Which is helping to keep them oblivious to the NOW.

If it were possible to record thoughts, I’d rule the world by now. So many beautiful phrases, so many profound ideas.

———
IDEA:
Everything happens before 19. And everything after 19 is just a continuation of what you’ve done before 19. This means that high school is the most important time of your life–a time to be taken with great
seriousness. Highschool is a time to work hard at what you like, perhaps without identifying a career path if need be.

Obey the Cycle. If you want to make money, go to a country that is at the right stage in the cycle and invest in real-estate.

?? Man, I had some good ideas last night in bed. And some beautiful phrases. What were they all??

———-
IDEA: “Do” a group of wealthy guys decide to do something that matters. They go after government
corruption… one person at a time. Yeah, there’s too many people involved to bring them all down. So let’s get started. Make this an unconventional movie. A bit abstract. That is what will sell now.

———-
IDEA: more characters for “Circles”: Survey Kid, Lobster Jim,

———–
Famous Captains of Industry:

• Bill Gates
• Steve Jobs
• Larry Ellison
• Michael Dell
• Kirk Kerkorian
• Sheldon Adelson
• Sam Walton
• Edward Johnson II (Fidelity)
• Carl Ichan(?)
• Frank Mars (chocolate)
• Jack Taylor (Enterprise car rental)
• James M. Cox
• Michael Bloomberg
• Philip Knight
• John Kluge

——–
lessons learned from reading about Giants of Capitalism:

Here is where they made their money:

1. transportation (trains)
2. financial
   (venture investing, and thereby owning large stakes in profitable
   companies… or large pieces of significant industries)
3. oil (sadly, but movement needs fuel)
4. investments
5. real estate

Here’s how they did it:

1. tough and aggressive and shrewd
2. saw opportunities and dared more than the other guys
3. met certain people at the beginning