30% off at Borders

Printable coupon but I think it is only good for one regular priced item.

Stock Market

According to this article on CNN Money there is a saying on Wall Street "sell in May and walk away" in regard to the next six months of the calandar year. Is this for real? Am I really suppose to dump everything because it is spring? If so what the hell do I do with the money? If I put it my checking account I know I will end up pissing it away and end up needing a loan in November to get back into the game. What does everybody else do?

Free gas from the government?

Senators to push for $100 gas rebate checks. Not sure this is answer to the gas problem but I could certainly use the check.

Earnings Call Today

Conexant (CNXT) has scheduled their earnings call for 5pm today. I intend to hold onto to my few shares which might be an indication for everyone else to sell theirs shares quickly. We'll see this evening.

Stock Market Game

I understand that playing the stock market is somewhat of game but I feel as though I am playing one on one against Lebron James. It is amazing that every stock I sell goes up consistently and everything I keep dips until I decide to sell it. I am also aware that I am not a great stock market guru but, surely the probability of me accidentally keeping a good a stock has to be greater than zero. I am going to start posting anytime I sell a stock so you guys can jump on the wagon and make a few bucks.

Salary Inequity Bargaining tools

The job market is heating up and hiring practices are getting pretty aggressive. People looking for new jobs are getting handsome packages while workers that stuck it out during tough times and pay freezes are left holding the bag. That is bullshit. There's an article on CNN Money that gives some stats and bargaining tools that could help when you go to your boss because the new guy got a signing bonus and your Christmas bonus was a coffee cup.

Click Fraud

There is an interesting article on fool.com that cites a study by Click Forensics claiming click fraud is drastically overstated. According to the article only 1/8 of all clicks are fraudulent which seems like a high number but when contrasted with the fact that 88% of the clicks are from legitimately interested consumers it is less alarming. Compared with traditional advertising mechanisms such as billboards and print ads that probably miss their targeted audience most of the time it seems like a good investment.

Sirius signs Mark Cuban

Sirius Satelite Radio - (SIRI) signed my boy Mark Cuban to do a radio talk show. For anyone who doesn't know Mark Cuban is an internet billionaire who made his fortune selling broadcast.com to Yahoo. He now owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and is famous for his courtside/idiotic behavior. He also runs a blog called blog maverick.

Fit and Frugal

Some good ideas on being Fit and Frugal although if you don't live in Metro Detroit a couple of them are, for the most part, useless. I was unaware about the discounted gym memberships.

The housing bubble has popped?

An informative article on msn.com claiming that the housing bubble has popped. I do feel for the people that are left holding the bag but for a guy like me looking to buy his first house, with nothing to sell, times could not be better.

What is better 403B or Roth IRA?

I have been contributing to my 403B for almost a year and a half now. I think it is going well. I have a friend at Merril Lynch that is managing it and getting good returns by my estimation. I guess my concern is whether or not I should be putting the money into an IRA instead since my employer does not match anything. Does a 403B have any advantages over an IRA? Does an IRA have any advantages over a 403B? Is there a straight answer? Someone please advise.

A/C saves gas?

There's a video on CNN that offers tips on saving gas. If you don't want to watch it, it's really boring, I'll give you the highlights.

1. Driving with your air conditioner on saves gas because today's cars are so aerodynamic that having the windows down is less efficient. This does not apply to traffic. In traffic windows go down, AC goes off.

2. Cruise Control saves gas because you drive at a steady rate.

3. Make sure you have plenty of air in your tires

4. Grade of fuel is irrelevant. Use cheapest grade your owner's guide will allow.

5. Running your car for one minute instead of turning it off does not save gas.

How to spend more money?

Check out this article on CNN Money. What is wrong with this dude? How can you have trouble spending money? I think I might have spent $3 while I was typing this entry and this guy can't find things to spend money on?

Are ARM's stupid?

I have a buddy at Rock Financial and he hooked me up with a mortgage, actually two mortgages. I guess the idea is that since I am looking to put as little as possible down and the two loans will eliminate the need to pay PMI. I'm not really worried because I believe him but I am curious if this is a standard practice? I don't intend to live in the house for a real long time, maybe 5-7 years. The first ARM portion of my loan is for 7 years. Does this make sense to anyone?

eBay Gold

My buddy is friends with an attorney who recently had a client pass away. The client left behind a decent house in a great neighborhood but that is not the treasure. The treasure is the heaps and heaps of rubbish littering the house. For example, when I was over there this weekend the attorney stumbled across a huge stamp collection he estimates is worth $40-$50K, six pounds of gold(she use to make jewelry), maps from WWII complete with Nazi emblems, and thousands of dollars in cash stashed around the house. With that said, I am going to have to cut this entry short.....I'm heading over to my grandpa's house to go through his basement.

Bout of Idiocy: Adding to the Credit Card

I am weak and pathetic. After using one in Southern Florida I came home and decided I needed to buy a kayak....ASAP. I had never used a kayak before, EVER. I rode one for about 20 minutes on the ocean and decided this could quite possibly be the answer to all of life's problems. I headed to Dick's Sporting Goods, after doing some research, thinking it's only $130, I've lost more playing blackjack at the casino but my research was apparently not thorough. As I made my way to the checkout I noticed there were no paddles. Assuming paddles were a cheap accessory I moseyed over to the paddle section to find that they were about $50 per paddle and I need to two as they inflatable kayak is for two people. When it was all said and done I dropped $220 on a stupid inflatable kayak that is presently sitting on my living room and probably will for the rest of the summer. Shoot me.

Looking for a new job?

Take a look at the last job in this CNN Money article that apparently was posted on Monster. I think most of the visitors to pfblogs.org are probably qualified.

Day Trading Idea

I'm thinking about doing some day trading. Nothing crazy or out of hand and just one stock in particular. I own a small amount of Conexant(CNXT) and I swear this damn stock fluctuates almost weekly between $3.00 and $3.80. Every time it goes down it sure enough goes right back up and every time it gets back up it goes right back down. Has anyone ever done anything like this? I was going to use my e*Trade account so the commissions are only like $13. I'm not looking to make a ton of money, for the most part I just think it would be fun to gamble at work. Advice?

Too much money

I just got back from Palm Beach, Florida this morning after spending the weekend looking at all the crazy money down there and I had an epiphany. I never want to be that rich. Not that it is likely I will ever amass those kinds of fortunes but the fact of the matter is I don't want to. The filthy rich bother me. They are totally oblivious and detached from the rest of the world. They live in these adult fantasy playgrounds and are rude to the people that make these fantasies reality by being at their beckon call. I saw some people being snotty to a couple waitresses and I wanted to punch them in the head. The ironic part is that these rude rich people would surely die if it wasn't for these restaurant people because I am willing to bet most of them could not function a microwave let alone feed themselves for any extended period of time. I am positive that all rich people are not like this but the few that are need to go on Survivor for a few weeks so we can all laugh at them as they wither away to nothing.

E-Filing with IRS

I just read an article where the IRS was pissing and moaning about people buying software like TurboTax to do their taxes then printing out the return and mailing it in. According to the IRS it cost $2.49 to process a mailed return and $.78 to do it electronically. If the IRS wants people to E-file the answer is simple. Don't charge them a fee. For people that are in no hurry to get their return back, why would they pay the extra money to IRS, who has already taken so much, just to get their check a couple weeks earlier?

Home Price Just Reduced

I just got a call from my real estate lady and apparently a house that I like a lot has been reduced by $7,500. I was considering making an offer on the house at the old price but I thought I would have all kinds of time since the house has been on the market forever. I told the agent I would love to get in the house again when I get back from Florida on Thursday and she said someone else was considering making an offer early in the week but she would "try to stall them". Just my abysmal luck. I wonder if this just a tactic she is using to get me to make an offer or the real deal? Buying a house is way too hard. I wonder if my parents will let me move back in?

Unitrin Insurance

Has anyone ever used or, for that matter, heard of Unitrin Insurance? A couple of my buddies use it and they swear that Unitrin is cheaper. Both guys have more than one vehicle where as I will only have insurance on one. I am just curious if they are reputable. Anyone have any experience dealing with them?

Future of Detroit and the Auto Industry

Another article about the problems plaguing Detroit and the Auto Industry. Sad fact that writers from around the country, along with everyone in Michigan, can identify the issues but the Big Three management with their MBA and stock options can not.

Cost of Living

There is an interesting tool on CNNMoney.com that compares the cost of living between cities of your choice. I just did a comparison of Detroit and Charleston, SC and it appears that sunshine, warm weather, and a nearby ocean is actually cheaper than perma-gray skies, frigid weather, and a dirty lake. Go figure.

The Best Investment I Ever Made

About three years ago I dropped three grand to have LASIK eye surgery. According to the commercial I saw this morning, now you can get the surgery for less than half what I paid. Regardless, I do not regret it for second. Having worn contacts for 10 years and now being able to to just jump out of bed without crawling to the table with my contacts is worth almost any price. The surgery itself only took 15 minutes or so but it was a little weird. It entails somone cutting a flap into your cornea, peeling it back, then you staring at a red dot for a couple minutes. It was hard for me because the stupid Doctor kept yelling to stare at the light and, I admit, I was having difficulty but that was because MY CORNEA WAS MISSING! But, if you can get past the 15-20 minutes of akwardness it is pretty much painless and definitely life changing. I highly recommend it.

Tactics for Cheaper Airfare

I booked a trip to Florida this week and thought I would share some of the tactics I compiled on how to save on flights. You've probably read most of these but even if you pick up one new trick it is probably worth it.

1. Shop on Wednesday. That is when the databases are reloaded with new flights.
2. Look for nearby airports that might be cheaper. For example Newark for NYC or Baltimore for Washington, D.C.
3. Check for seats after midnight or as soon as you can after. People may have reserved but not paid for their flight and the computer would be updated.
4. Sites like www.site59.com have last minutes packages that only go out two weeks. Good deal if you don't have a specific spot in mind.
5. When an airline announces a sale to a specific place there is a pretty good chances other airlines will follow suit, so be on the lookout and call or click around.
6. If you are flying in the US, some of the least expensive flights are available on the smaller airlines which are owned by the major airlines, for instance Delta Express and Metro-Jet.

I found a package for $400 that included airfare and a hotel on the ocean in Southern Florida for three nights. Pretty good, I think. I did it on a Wednesday evening.

Boats are so expensive!

I just spoke to my father and it looks like it is going to cost us about $2500 to dock the boat this summer and winter on the Detroit River. On top of this expense it will cost another $75 or so to paint the bottom with VC17 paint, as if we ever race anyone, and another few hundred to have the hull wheeled out. Regardless, I'm off to marina to at pick out a good slip. I mean it has been sunny and warm here for 12 hours.....better get the boat in the water!

Real Estate Agents

I'm going to look at some houses today or tomorrow with a couple of Real Estate agents. I'm debating whether or not I should hire them. They both seem like nice ladies and I would guess they are not crooked but I am still a little leery about inking them because I don't know what to look for in a Real Estate agent. Basically, all I am looking for in a house is a good value. Something that will someday make me some money. I go look at houses with these ladies and they keep saying things like "oh, I see you really like knobby pine" or "so, you don't like shotgun style ranches". LADY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE! What am I suppose to be looking for in a Real Estate person?

Grocery store study

My friend just took a quiz for his MBA class and one of the questions was "what percentage of items purchased at grocery stores are impulse buys". The options were "5%, 35%, 55%, 85%". He chose 35% and was wrong. The answer according to the study his teacher cited was 55%. That is insane to me. How simple are we? Next time I go to the store I'm incorporating a new set of rules so those bastards won't get me.
1. Six kinds of mustard is unneccesary when three will suffice.
2. Four dipping options are not needed for one container of hummos
3. Buying half a dozen items to make a Boboli pizza is stupid when I can buy a Hot & (not) Ready pizza from Little Ceasars for $5.
4. No gum will ever make my teeth whiter

Now it's on.

Another way to clip a few bucks

I just had my roommate cut my hair. I'm not sure if it was a great idea or not yet. I need to quiz some objective people in the morning. If it works out I could save roughly $30 a month. If it does not I may end up in jail since he convinced everything would be fine. Details to come.

Why stock prices don't go up

I found this post on Mark Cuban's blog titled, blog maverick. If you watch the guy on TV during NBA basketball games you would think he is a nutjob but, in actuality, he is one smart dude. Beyond the fact that he and some friends created the technology, and later sold, for broadcast.com he also has a keen mind for business. I prefer to listen to his angry rants and recommendations about the stock market then some stiff from Wallstreet. Regardless, he put together this post on the disconnect between CEO's and shareholders and the myths that are the foundation. He might have a firm grasp on all things business but he's definitely wrong if he thinks his Mavericks can hang with the Pistons.

Gas prices may fall as it gets hotter

There's another article right next to the one I just posted that says prices may actually fall as the weather get's hotter. That is slightly comforting since I just started paying on a loan for a truck.

Why gas prices go up?

There is a very informative article in USA Today on not only the future of gas prices but the reasons behind them. Now, maybe I am just stupid, and that is a distinct possibilty, but I had no idea why other states paid more or less than where I live or whether or not oil companies are just gorging us.(the article is a little grey on that one). Here's the article if you are interested.

Coffee Price Analysis

I love Vanilla Hazelnut coffee from Einstein's Bagels, it's my fuel. I rely it on it's fake energy boost so much that I spend most of my workday irritable and fighting with inanimate objects. Unfortunately, it is not a cheap fuel, it may be on par with gasoline. I started buying the packages of beans to make the coffee at my house to save a few bucks but, in reality, I think it may have cost more. For whatever reason, I always seem to accidentally make a little more than I need. My new thought, which I think I might start tomorrow, is to buy one of there plastic cups and do the refill thing for around $1. I figure it is a two-fold solution. One, I get cheaper coffee that I don't have to make. Two, I drink less coffee and don't punch or kick any printers at work. The toaster at home is still going to get it though.

Decreased Comcast cable bill

My 6 month new customer deal with Comcast recently expired so I decided to called them up and see what they could do for me. I gave them a spiel about how I could switch over to DirectTV and it would only be $40 to receive a similar amount of programming. The lady took about 2.4 seconds to say "please hold on and I will see what I can do" after about 20 seconds she came back and had lowered my price around 10%. I told her I appreciated it and that we really loved the high speed internet but we could not justify spending the extra money. She asked me to please hold again and came back with an even lower price. I think all and all she reduced our price for Internet and Digital cable with HBO in the vicinity of $50. It bothers me that it is so easy for them to lower the price. If that is what the product is worth why are they gorging us?

Bad times good for pawn shops

Here's an article from Detroit Free Press that pretty much sums up the declining financial state of the area. The fact that people need to take a $5 pawn shop loan for gas doesn't leave me with a real healthy feeling.

Auto Industry looks dismal

I have a bad feeling about things here in Michigan. The auto industry seems to be standing on one, broken, wobbly leg. Every where you look you hear or see a sign that things are going to turn for the worse. Everyone knows of someone that has been affected negatively. The Big Three are in such big trouble and they seem to think the best way to stay afloat is to spread the problem around among their suppliers. They do things like demand price cuts and make them retroactive so that suppliers are actually cutting them checks. Scary. There was an article on MSN by one of their Senior Market Editors that said GM's decision to sell GMAC could actually be bad for the nation. I haven't read any of this guy's stuff before so I don't if he is the real deal. Here is the article.

Free 32MB USB Drive

I found this offer on one of the Deal of the Day websites I frequent. I believe it was www.slickdeals.net

Free USB Drive from Audi

Opening Day - Inflation

Projected prices for 2006/2007 season:

Round of beers - $48
Four hotdogs - $30
Parking - $20
Having a friend who does not drink and is willing to cart four idiots around downtown Detroit for the day - PRICELESS!


Hope everyone else has a wonderful day at work. SUCKERS!

GO TIGERS!

Stupid Purchase of the Week

Earlier in the week I bought a striped sports jacket. In the store it was looked awesome, that mannequin could not have looked cooler. Distracted by the moxy of the plastic man I bought the stupid coat. I want to clarify that there is nothing wrong with sports jackets. I am just not cool enough to wear them. Most other people can pull it off but I am the kind of person that gets in trouble for wearing Nike's to work and won't go to a restaurant that requires you to put a napkin on your lap. The idea of me purchasing a sports jacket is probably equivalent to a fat guy buying a treadmill after the first of the year. It's just not going to get used. With that said, I am looking to correct this error via eBay. So if anyone is looking for a never worn sports jacket there should be one on eBay real soon.

Worthwhile to payoff off student loans?

I am debating whether or not to pay off my student loans. I owe about $1800, the remaining amount of the $3000 I borrowed so I could avoid getting a job my senior year. I can't seem to find the interest rate anywhere but I know from my taxes I paid $83 in interest this year. I am thinking that with such a low interest rate and a monthly payment of $50 there is no reason to rush. I can do a lot of other, more exciting things with the $1800. I'm thinking of increasing my monthly payment to $75 or $100 a month instead of dropping the whole $1800. Does that make sense or should I just pay it off? Anyone have any thoughts?

Detroit is #1

Detroit may have more urban decay than any city in the United States, a thug for a Mayor, and a City Council that is so amazingly stupid and ignorant it should be made into a sitcom. But the fact of the matter is we are still number one!

NBA

1. Pistons .............61-15
2. San Antonio....58-18
3. Dallas...............57-19

NHL
1.Wings...........53-15-8
2. Ottawa .........50-18-8
3. Carolina.......51-20-6
4. Dallas...........50-21-5

AL CENTRAL
1. Tigers .................4-0
2.Cleveland.............3-1
3. Kansas City .........1-2

NFC NORTH
1. Lions...................0-0
2. Chicago...............0-0
3. Green Bay...........0-0
4. Minnesota...........0-0

Beer: Cheap, Premium, Light or Heavy?

It is quickly approaching Happy Hour so with beer on my mind I thought I would try to generate a discussion about it. What kind of beer do the budget conscious drink? I can see this going two routes. One, the frugal person drinks cheap beer that comes in 30 pack cubes like Busch or Stroh's. I have no problem with those choices. Two, the value conscious person that demands value from their dollar and therefore is willing to drop an extra buck or two for beer's like Guinness and Sam Adams. I have no problem with those choices either.

As far as my personal preferences it depends on the type of evening. If I am going to be drinking for distance, like Monday at the Detroit Tigers Opening Day, I certainly prefer Light beers. I am a rather health conscious person so I have chosen beers that are drinkable and not horrible for you. I used this chart to gauge the health content. My top choices are Molson Light(Men's Health Best Beer a couple years back - not on chart), Coors Light, and Miller Lite. I drank Bud Light for a long time and now for whatever reason I hate it. If I am going to be a grown up and I am drinking with smart people I prefer Bass, Guinness, or perhaps a mixture of both in the form of a Black & Tan.

As far as my views on beer budgets: When it comes to beer, money is no object.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

0% Credit Cards - Free Money

I went to Europe this summer and financed the whole trip on a 0% credit card. It was perfect. I spent money I did not have and had a year to pay it off while my money sat in the bank earning interest. These 0% offers are such an ideal way to reduce debt yet very few people take advantage of them. After college I transferred my credit card debt to two different 0% cards and by doing so paid them off in a little over a year. That smart dude over at MyMoneyblog.com has an entire section titled "Free Money" so rather than bite off his idea I am just going to post a link. Besides I am way too lazy to read all that fine print.

Free Money

Cutting Costs to Buy a House

When the idea of buying a house popped in my head I handled it in the same fashion as most things in my life. I blindly leapt into the market searching for houses and working on financing. I called my boy at Rock Financial and got approved for a loan then I started calling Real Estate agents. I got hooked up with a couple of ladies from Century 21 but I think they are way more into then me. Unfortunate for them I still have not signed the contract! As the reality of the situation crept in I realized owning a home would, without a doubt, cramp my life style. Once that set in I started looking for ways to lower my monthly expenses so I could buy a house and still be quasi-stupid with my money. A few things I did:

1. Sold my car to lower my payment. I sold my car for about a $2000 profit and put it down on a used truck. I financed it through GMAC finance at a 5.5% rate, which is not bad I guess, and my payment went from $334 to $263 and my insurance is $300 cheaper.

2. I looked at my Sprint bill and realized those bastards were billing me monthly for a poker game I never played - EVER. I also dropped some other garbage and saved another $15.

3. I also looked at my checking account and realized I could save $5 a month buy turning off paper statements. Since I throw them out anyway that was an easy decision.

4. I looked at my student loan account and also turned off paper delivery and that cut something like 1/4 point of my rate. Not much but it also means I don't have shred those stupid paper statements.

5. I tried to switch my beer to 30 packs of Stroh's but that is not going to work so I moved on.

In my estimation, by checking a few websites, making a phone call or two, and selling my car I am going to save over a $100 a month. Money that can be used for stupider, more foolish pursuits like buying rounds for chicks or losing my ass in blackjack.

Sirius on the move

Sirius Satelite Radio (SIRI) is on the move this morning. It's up already up 33 cents and is higher everytime I check. What is the deal? I looked around for some news or some type of catalyst but I can't find anything besides an article from Motley Fool but that article is not exactly flattering. Anybody know whats up?

Conexant (CNXT) up 25%

I own a few shares of Conexant. Nothing crazy but worthwhile for a guy like me who buys stocks just to make the workday more interesting. Shares have risen something like 25% over the last week. If I cash out now I will do pretty well in regard to my return on investment percentage but can it go higher? The last positions I held took off close to immediately after I sold them, as if me selling 200 measly shares is a catalyst to shoot to the moon. It's actually pretty damn irritating. Anyone got any takes on CNXT? Homeboy Jim Cramer says:

"Conexant (CNXT) is benefiting from a strong market for cable modems and should "breach $4 within the next couple weeks," he said."

Do we believe him? Please advise.

Ways to Avoid Impulse Buys

Impulse buys could quite possibly be my worst financial enemy. I am notorious for buying stupid things that I think might be funny but, after the joke, have no value to anyone in the world. For example, my newest plan is to buy motion sensor alarms and hide them around the house to scare and if I am lucky maybe even have my roommates arrested. My most significant impulse buy might be the sailboat I bought off of a friend of the family. The guy wanted less than a grand for the boat with trailer and boat insurance is pretty cheap so I pulled the trigger. After paying for the boat I realized that I had no way to tow it and even less idea how to sail it. The only way I could go out on it was if my dad went or I wanted to motor around at 0.4 knots.
To avoid similar purchases I have come up with a few safeguards:

1. Always look the cashier in the eye. NEVER LOOK AT THE COUNTER! Those things are placed there for the weak minded. Also, be advised that if you are at a liquor store in the ghetto you may want to stare at the wall, not the cashier.

2. Bring exact dollar amounts into the store, leave the rest in the car. Although this could lead to instances where you go in to get milk and bread and come out with a half pint of milk, a 3 day old sub, a pen that lights up when you write, and a bottle opener keychain.

3. Shop online. This runs the risk of turning into one of those creepy cyber dudes that can't talk to someone without using spell check and fake words like "ur" and "lol".

4. Once a month go to a dollar store and go crazy. Get your fix of noisemakers, dart guns, butcher knives and all other kinds of useless, garbage treasures.

None of these things actually helped me but maybe you will find some value in them.

Enterprise Rental: Trained stalkers

I went to Enterprise yesterday to talk to a friend of a friend about buying a truck. Unfortunately, he had the day off and I get stuck with some other dude. After talking to the other guy for a few minutes I realized he lied to me three times and I hate him so I gave him a fake phone number. To my amazement I get a call from the guy 20 minutes later! Apparently, he called someone I told him I know to get my phone number. The extent of their sleaziness has no bounds. I get the impression if you trick enough people into buying insurance and swindle enough old people they give you the opportunity to rob people at a higher level. You evolve into not just a used car salesman but one amoral enough to be called an "Enterprise Car Salesman". I think there might be a special place in hell for these people.

I know I am going to end up buying from them regardless because they have the best price and every damn used truck in my area was bought from them anyway but I do make one promise. If they tell me I need Lo-Jack one more time someone is getting punched in the head.

Doubling Down - Uncanny Blackjack Luck

I went to the casino today to play some blackjack. I probably should have stayed home. I dropped around $120 in approximately five minutes. In my first four hands I had three double down hands. Guess how many I hit? ZERO. Not one damn hand. I hit the ATM and managed to salvage most of money but it still bugs me how quickly I lost that first $120. On the way home I thought of a few things I could have bought instead of going to the casino:

- Eighty Chinese dinner combinations - Kung Pao Chicken
- A pair of Nike's new hideous plastic molded hoop shoes
- 90% of my car insurance
- 45% of my rent
- Three boxes of Rogaine
- Rented 30 movies
- A dozen LSU t-shirts to douse with gasoline and burn
- A new dog to replace my quasi-retarded animal

Addendum: I was sitting up last night thinking about how I had won over 100% of my starting money and continued to play. I think that might be my fault. There has to be some type of formula out there for the right time to walk away and at least switch tables. Like anytime you go up 40% of your starting money you get up, pocket the 40% and switch tables. Is there such a success formula?

Nouveau Tech Society- SCAM

My roommate just got a letter from a company called Nouveau Tech Society. The letter is actually rather humorous. It proclaimed that it knew things about him and that he was one of the "chosen" few. They were offering ancient secrets to wealth, relationships, and power. To me it sounded a lot like the Stonecutter Episode from the Simpsons. They offered a couple of facts to proove the legitimacy. One was in the delivery, it came first class not third class mail.(although at a discounted rate of $.292 ) Another was that it is just a "personal letter" and that it was free. As with anything that is even slightly intriguing I went to Google.

I found this info on www.abovetopsecret.com. It explains how the scam works.

1/An individual first receives a letter which appears to be an invitation to join them and discover truths and knowledge.The individual is asked to return an answer to this invitation within a certain amount of days and receive free imformation.

2/If a reply is given then the individual will receive a pamphlet.This pamphlet contains little extra imformation than that which was in the original letter but it also contains an order for a book which cost over $130.

3/If the book is bought further letters are received offering more books.We don't know how many more books.

The Novatech Society far from being a secret society are very much involved with e-books and are closely tied to a place called Neo-Tech publishing company and another "front" Novus Tek

So,if you receive this letter from the Novatech Society and you are curious about what exactly it's all about then we can tell you now before you get embroiled in a marketing ploy.

The Novatech Society are trying to sell you books for an inflated price