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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Some Vino that has Tickled my Fancy.

Now before we get on the wrong foot, I am NOT condoning drunkeness or even condoning in any fashion alcoholism. If you have a problem with alcohol then this blog is NOT for you. If you have a personal conviction about drinking then the blog is NOT for you! If you enjoy the finer things of life and you love to pair great wines with great food then this blog IS for you.

Some of my extreme fundamental friends would say that we shouldn't drink wine. I of course would respond that the Bible says not to drink to EXCESS! Then of course they would reply that in the Book of Proverbs that it say that we should not look on the Wine when it is red. Then of course I would respond that Jesus, (the guy that is responsible for the whole Bible being written) turned the water into wine with his first miracle!

Some folks would say, "Oh, but that was grape juice!" My rebuttal would then be, so you DON'T believe the Bible when it says wine? For those wine lovers, like me, we certainly know the difference between grape juice and wine! Jesus could have turn the water into anything that he wanted! He could have turned it into Orange Soda Pop or Dr. Pepper or maybe Woodford Reserve Bourbon but he didn't he chose WINE! I digress!

Here are just some of the wines that I have fallen in love with this year!

This wonderful bottle of wine as you can see is a 2007 vintage which was surprising to me because normally your better wines would be in Odd numbers like 2006 or 2008 for example. This particular vintage is four years old and perfect for pairing with Italian, Steak, oh and yes Chocolate!
We certainly love the bold fruity taste that the Shiraz brings from the Land Down Under.

Another Syrah that comes from Sonoma County in California. I personally love any bold, cinnamon, plumish, fruity flavors.


Now if you are one that has Migraine headaches the only wine that I would suggest in this venue would be the Aconga from Argentina because it is a white Chenin Blanc-Chardonnay. This has no Tannins to trigger your Migraine Headache.
This is great with Fish, Chicken, Pastas, Mediterranean or some hot Jazz or Blues.




It took me a long time to find a French Wine that I liked. Almost everything that I tasted and smelt was like smelling or tasting HORSE CRAP! Not that I have tasted that but it was horrible!
Finally! I, through the urging of a fine gentlemen that lives in the South of France, have found the
 Cotes Du Rhone!
This region seems to have the fines grapes for wine in France that I have found!
Fruity, Bold, Plumish, Cinnamon, Tobacco, Oak which equals to YUM!
Great with about any fair or by itself.
All of these wines can be found at your local Stores for under $20!
Bon Appetite!

As in the memorable words of the little Rat in Rattattoui, "Don't just Hork it down!"

Now, my friends, If you happen to come across a wine that is astounding, please take a photo of the bottle and jot some notes down and send them to me so that I can highlight that on my blog as well as test it myself!
Keep it simple, Keep it under $30! (There is a recession, you know!)



Saturday, November 5, 2011

Is it a Manifesto or a Declaration?

I never knew which is best to use. The word Manifesto sounds so harsh while a declaration sounds rather liberating! Does it not? I just want to say that I believe that I understand a little bit about when God, the creator of the world says to the world that he wants to give them eternal life and then they laugh and say, "Well that seems a bit too good to be true!"

You want to help someone and enlighten them to something that you KNOW is true and they look at you like you are insane.  I know that in a world of darkness when light is shed that people cannot understand sometimes the why or the when or even the where.

Let me tell you my story. All of my life I have been told ,as well as you have, "If you stay in school and get good grades you will get a good.....Job, Right? At least that is what I was told. Now, I don't have anything against education or the ones that teach or the ones that have shelled out thousands of dollars to attend such venues of education. Here me out.

I never really had the luxury of a good education. My Father was a Baptist Minister and we stayed on the move quite a bit. I went to several schools all of the country but I never got to finish my schooling. I missed out on a lot. I never went to prom and I never got to get a high school education but I did go back to get my GED. At the time that was a proud day for me to walk up and get my  diploma. I had a piece of paper that at the time seemed momentous.
After that I still bounced from one JOB to another, never really sticking to any thing. I met my wonderful wife, Sonia and she saw my need and told me that even though She had a Bachelor's degree because of our economic situation we could just purchase the books at Borders or Barnes & Nobles to get the knowledge. So I have become a self educated man to some degree.
Some of the books that I read were, "Awaken the Giant within" by Anthony Robbins which made a profound impact upon me in terms of waking me and finding what I really want to do and what I'm really capable of doing.
I also read, "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie. What an amazing principle in terms of helping people to help one's self!
I then begin listening to Jim Rohn as well as reading Napoleon Hills, "Laws of Success".

A little here and a little there I was learning and having what I call "mini epiphanies."

I worked in car sales for a while going from one that didn't know any thing at all about sales or how to sell to a senior sales consultant for Mazda Towne in Florence Kentucky. In 1996, I was the number two man in sales in the five state region. Some one asked me why that I wasn't number one and I replied to them, "Because I didn't give them away." After checking the numbers I actually had more gross in sales the number one salesmen!
I tried my hand in real estate. Even though I liked the atmosphere, I couldn't really compete with the pure cut throat nature of the business.
I went into the airline business with Comair airlines. My wife had started on the ramp with them back in the 90's so I started in 1996. I started on the ramp as well. It was hard work but I loved it! I loved being in the fast paced environment. I loved sitting on my tug waiting for a inbound flight while getting my tan.     There was so much in excitement in the industry and the company had been around for twenty years and was kicking butt being the number one regional airline in the world! I liked working for a company that was leading the industry! I was proud to be a part of it. Then I saw the slip and downfall. I had worked my way from the ramp into sort and finally had landed the job of IT professional. I was probably the most influential man in the company. I had access to everyones ear from Sam the janitor to David Mueller the CEO and Owner of the company. I loved it! Alas all good things must come to an end. David sold out to Delta Airlines then 9/11 happened which changed the world forever including the demise of Comair.

I then went to Citibank as a collections agent. I hated it. I hated talking to people on the phone during the worst times of their lives. I was cursed and hung up on so much that I became calloused and jaded to the business as well as the people around me and on the phone. I then went from that division to the Primerica side of the organization in which I was an assistant to help people as well as representatives with their voluntary, UGMA's UTMA's, Joint and IRA accounts. I had to learn fast how to ask the right questions and to maintain the accounts flawlessly.

My wife had tried to get me to come to her company which was a huge investment company which shall remain nameless since she still works there. After interviewing there I was hired on and became a 401k representative. I studied hard, tested and passed my series 6 and series 63 test. My family was so proud of me. Hell, I was proud of my self!

I then went on into the Retail side of the business and for three months had literally NO life as I studied for the Series 7 to become a broker. I did pass and moved my into the ranks while trading and in the very stressful world during the greatest recession that this nation has seen in a very long time.
Because of my drive and dedication, I received the "Excellence in Action" award and I was so proud! I had achieved something that was admired in the company and I was insured as the "golden boy". My number's was kick butt, I had a 98% asset retention rate in the department.

The very next day, my boss came to me and I could see he was very troubled and sad. I said, "Joe, are you alright? Do you want to go somewhere and talk about it?" He said that we should go to the Directors office and without a beat I said, "Sure, maybe he can help!" We walked in and sat down. I soon found out that because of the recession they were laying off 700 people and that I was one of them! I looked at my boss and at the director and mumble something about my "Excellence in Action" Award but they just smiled and patted me on the back as I packed my things to leave.

I remember walking out with my box and seeing others with their boxes going to the parking lot. To my right was a young man that was crying and sniffing as he walked out. Again, feeling the need to help, I said to him, "Are you going to be alright?" He nodded his head and said, "I live with my parents, I'll be just fine."
That was like a smack in my face! I wanted to knock his box out of his hands and grab him by the collar and scream, "You live with your parents?!" I didn't though I just said, "So why are you crying?" He looked at me as If I was insane and answered, "Because I just lost my Job!" I looked at him and smiled as I said, "Jobs are like busses there will be another one in a little bit."
I went on to work for Total Quality Logistics in Cincinnati. I thought this was the place I was to be. I had been a truck driver and I knew that business but I didn't know how cold hearted and back stabbing that line of work was. I was fired from that "job" in which I had no time and a lot of frustration to perform.
I then went to Convergys as a phone rep making $11.50 an hour. I was quickly dismayed due to the lack of training and communication. I struggled thru this JOB which was incredibly boring and political. They were doing employment practices that were shady and deceitful like not allowing anyone to get a Saturday or a Sunday off on the bids. I brought it to the HR departments attention in which I found myself with out a job five days later. Then in the appeal for my Unemployment the HR representative lied under oath, stating that she never met me. Really? Unbelievable.
The one thing that I got from working there though was there was a man that sat next to me and took the same calls that I took. He had a Master's Degree in Business and was at one time a Vice President in a major corporation.

The point that I'm struggling to make is that I had less education then he but because of age, situation, economics it meant NOTHING! I was making the same money as he!

I have since moved on to greener pastures. I help my wife with her business. She works part time with a company called Herbalife. The ticker symbol is HLF. We almost missed this opportunity because we had seen so many "opportunities" that had come down that pike that were either scams or we never made a dime.
We were going down the road one day in our van and heard a commercial that came on the radio saying "Lose weight and earn what you are worth!" We said that sounds too good to be true! You know what they say about that? It usually is too good to be true. I still jotted down the internet address for interest sake. What if this is the one thing that we have been waiting for? It won't hurt to check it out.

I went home and got on the internet and went to the website and submitted my information and my interest. With in a few hours I had guy on the other end of the phone that was very excited and he said that this was an exciting business and that I could have my dreams and I could be reach and I could have a big house and.... I stopped him right there and said, "Slow down cowboy! What is the name of the company?" He said, "Herbalife." I said, "Send me some info and I'll look at it and get back with you." I received a few links and checked it out.
One link was www.smartinfonow.com and I saw this video with a guy named Ryan Swanson which told his story about being a carpenter that was fired by his own father, twice! Now he has done this business for ten years and now he has a beautiful home and time for his children. It was a beautiful story but I had seen infomercials before and I thought that maybe he was just an actor doing a script and badly at that.
I also saw another link which was www.results44.com this was testimonials about people who had lost weight and had continued to keep the weight off. These were people from all walks of life. The one story that got me was the one of this gentleman who had lost almost 400 pounds! I was astounded! If he could do that then I could too! Then I started researching the products on www.herbalife.com . I started learning more about the company and it's history.
I learned about the founder, Mark Hughes and how that his mother was over weight and she tried to lose weight by using diet "pills". She over dosed and died! He pushed to find a way to use safe nutrition to help people lose weight and he founded this company!
I went on line and checked out the stock HLF. I found that Herbalife had gone from $17 a share to $108 a share in just two years during a recession! That is amazing!
Jim Cramer was singing Herbalife's praises on his show! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCiknE2zCKU&feature=feedlik

I went to my investment company and did a full financial report on the Stock and was overwhelmed by the information that I saw.

I called Jason, my contact to Herbalife and said that I would like to be a customer first. I was at a whopping 386 pounds and I wanted to know if the products worked and if they tasted good. If I like the products then I can believe and sell them.

I ordered a quick start kit and started my journey. With in a few weeks I had lost and astounding 30 pounds using the products! It tasted great not like sawdust but more like Chocolate, Vanilla, Cookies and Cream! I had to get some more.
My wife became a distributer and I have been helping her! Yes, there was a small investment to get started but it was much less then buying a McDonald's Franchise.
 We have gone from being a customer to a distributer and now to being a Supervisor over 5 distributers in just 6 months.
Yes, this is a multilevel business! Yes, this is direct marketing! Yes, the money is real! I knew this the first time that we received an email with a customer's order in whom I had never met. It took me about 5 minutes to process the order and I made over $100 dollars!
Now opening my email is like Christmas every day!
Here are the links that we have set up for folks.
If you would like to know how you can lose 30 pounds in 30 days go to www.sphealthnutrition.com .
If you are looking for supplemental income or a career changing life to real future financial security go to www.sponlinewealth.com .
If you are looking for great nutrition to help you either lose, maintain or gain weight go to www.rspetersonlinewellness.com .

If you are a coach, trainer or an athlete check out www.startherbalife24.com. Here you can customize the best nutrition for you, your client or your team for what ever sport or training that you are needing.
If it's good enough for David Beckham and the LA Galaxy, whom we sponsor, then it's good enough for you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3snqdqoJQYY

So far our journey had lead me here talking to you about something that seems "too good to be true." I and my wife are on this journey together and all that I know is that thus far, I'm making money and to date have lost 52 pounds.
Please contact me if you have questions or concerns.