2005 - 07-29-05

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.

Not only that, I think it's time I socked
away some money to prepare for my "golden years". It's a
funny thing but, I seem to be somewhat of an optical
illusion. Not long ago, I was on stage in front of
approximately 200 people who didn't know me from Adam. I
told them I was going to give one of them a valuable prize.
To win this prize, they had to guess my height, my weight,
and my age.