2005 - 07-29-05

Even if you have the potential of becoming
as good as me (which is very unlikely), who knows how your life and the world is
going to change in the time it takes you to develop your
skills to the level I have achieved.

For much, if not all of my career, it's been
impossible to hire me. I simply didn't want or need any more
money. But that's not true right now.

I just received an email from a guy who was
cheated out of money he's owed for ad copy he wrote for a
car dealer. He asked me if I had any suggestions as to what
he should do.

I wrote him back saying I personally have
been cheated out of about 2-1/2 million dollars in the
recent past. Some of this money was flat out stolen from me.
Some of it was lost because I entrusted incompetent (but
non-criminal) people to handle some of my affairs.

In addition to that, the IRS has taken an
interest in the last seven years of my tax returns. I think
I'll be okay with them and that I don't have anything to worry
about. But when you are dealing with any governmental
agency, you just never know. Anything can happen.

In addition to that, there is a tiny handful
of people to whom I would like to repay money they lost
because of a suggested investment idea they got from me. I
don't have a legal obligation to repay this money to these
people. But my conscience bothers me. I just hate it
whenever people lose money by "betting" on me. But I am human
and sometimes it does happen.