Kevin Mastaw « Kevin and the Giant Peach

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What I’ve Been Doing In The Foreign Exchange (FX)

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

Weekly Chart for AUD (Australian Dollar) vs. USD (U.S. Dollar)

I realize that I haven’t posted any updates on what I’ve been doing with Forex, lately. That’s because I haven’t been doing much.

The only position I have is a LONGGGGGG term position in the Australian Dollar. Why? My fundamental belief is that commodities (Gold, Silver, etc.) will continue to strengthen whereas the U.S. Dollar will not only continue to weaken but will, at some point, cease to be the “go to” currency.

Australia’s economy not only remains strong but will only get stronger. Australia’s economy is driven by commodities. Their overnight lending rate is 4.5% (versus the U.S. overnight rate of 0%) which means that, by holding a position in the Aussie, my account is credited interest every single day.

This strategy is an easy one to monitor. I only check the weekly chart on Sundays. If I see a breakout from resistence, I add another position. Otherwise, I hold.

Simple and boring. The best way to invest.

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Tags: AUD/USD, Australian Dollar
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Geithner Gets A Job. Snipes Gets Jail.

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

I have a question. Why is Wesley Snipes going to jail? Yes, I know he evaded taxes for a few years. Let him pay the back taxes and a hefty fine and be done with it. Does he really need to be sent to prison? After all, it’s not like he did any harm to anyone. He stiffed the government. So what? That’s the American way. It’s every American’s patriotic duty to pay as little taxes as possible.

The current U.S. Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, did the same thing. Not only is he not in jail, he was confirmed as Treasury Secretary after his tax evasion was discovered. He was given a slap on the wrist, paid the back taxes and the fine and then got a promotion.

Another interesting aspect to this is that Geithner is white. Snipes is black. Where is Jesse Jackson? Or Al Sharpton?

I’m just saying…

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Tags: Timothy Geithner, Wesley Snipes
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Why Do They Call These The “Dog Days of Summer”? (I feel more like a vegetable.)

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Here’s the answer I found in Wikipedia: “The Romans referred to the dog days as diēs caniculārēs and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the “Dog Star” because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Sirius is also the brightest star in the heavens besides the Sun. The term “Dog Days” was used earlier by the Greeks (see, e.g., Aristotle’s Physics, 199a2).

The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as sunrise (heliacal rising), which is no longer true, owing to precession of the equinoxes. The Romans sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.

Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time “when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies” according to Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813. [1]“

Impressed?

I would think we we’d be more productive in the summer. After all, there is more daylight. We don’t have to waste time “layering” and warming up the car. Higher temperatures mean that our muscles are loose right when we get up. You’d think that we would “feel” like doing more productive work.

However, other than my morning run, I feel like vegetating the rest of the day. Vegetables grow during the summer. Maybe, during the summer we have a tendency to want to get in touch with our inner vegetable?

On the other hand, we all like to play during the summer- sometimes at the expense of more “important” work. Our energy and resources, then, are diverted to our fun rather than our responsibilities during the summer. Could it be that we are less sensitive to the consequences of our actions during the summer months? I would think that getting fired, for instance, would be much more palatable when the temperature is above 70 degrees outside than if it were 20 degrees .

That’s enough thinking for one day. Time to go lay on the porch.

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Tags: Dog Days of Summer
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Network Marketing is Simple. But it Ain’t Easy!

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Why is that?

The simple answer to this question is that most people do not want to change their lives. Most people are suspicious of anything or anyone who offers positive change because, subconsciously, they believe that any kind of change is bad.

Building a solid network marketing downline requires finding people who a) are looking for ways to improve their financial situation and b) will take action to do so. Unfortunately, this does not describe the majority of people.

Most people SHOULD always be looking for ways to improve their financial situation. By the same token, most people SHOULD always be trying to live a healthier life, expanding their minds, socializing with positive people, etc. What people should do and what they will do are two different things.

Now, of those people who are looking for ways to improve their financial situation, a small percentage of them will actually take action on an opportunity when they find it. The rest are paralyzed by fear – the fear of loss, the fear of making a mistake, the fear of looking silly, even the fear of possible success! Mankind has always been infested with fear of some form or another. At the root of most of these fears is the fear of change. Let’s face it. Most of us are comfortable with the status quo. We like knowing the sun will come up in the morning and will set in the evening.

So, if you are one of those who have entered the world of network marketing, don’t be surprised when everyone you know isn’t jumping into business with you. They’re afraid. Your job, then, is to find those who aren’t. People like you!

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Tags: fear, Network Marketing
Posted in Kevin Mastaw, Network Marketing | No Comments »

Are You Going Downhill? And If So, Is That Good or Bad?

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Does describing an activity as going “downhill” a good thing or a bad thing?

Like when you say, “it’s all downhill from here!” is that good?

Going downhill when I’m running always feels good.

And when you’re skiing, going downhill is good. Of course, when you’re riding the ski-lift up, you’re not going downhill. But that’s at least ok. It’s not bad. And you’ll be going downhill, again soon – which is good.

You would think that going downhill would always be good. It implies the scaling back of effort or being able to coast.

Why, then, is it bad when someone applies that word “downhill” to a marriage or a career?

For example, it doesn’t sound good to hear this advice: “after your first 2 years of marriage, it’s all downhill from then on.”

Or, “after your first year with the company, it’s all downhill.”

What about when you’re “over-the-hill?” If you’re over the hill, you would be going downhill. Right? Shouldn’t that be a good thing?

If you google “going downhill” all the synonyms are bad: “worsen”, “slump”, “decline”, for example.

Our language is very confusing to me sometimes.

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Thoughts on “Living Life to the Fullest”

Monday, June 7th, 2010

“Live Life to the Fullest” We’ve all heard that phrase. It sounds good. It sounds like something we should all be doing – “living life to the fullest.”

We hear it a lot at funerals. “He lived life to the fullest.”

Ok…Now would someone please explain to me what this means?

“Living life to the fullest” sounds awfully busy to me. It sounds like you have to be playing volleyball or jumping out of an airplane or bowling or doing something – all the time.

Can you take a break, once in awhile – just sit out on the porch and watch the squirrels – and still be living life to the fullest?

If you take a nap every day, are you living life to the fullest?

If you spend a half-hour watching “Wheel of Fortune” every evening are you not living life to the fullest?

Maybe we need to trash this phrase.

If not, then at my funeral I want the eulogist to be accurate. They should say, “Kevin lived his life to the nine-sixteenth full.” I like my naps and watching the squirrels.

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Tags: live life to the fullest
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Resuming the Running Lifestyle – Week 4 Summary

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Today was the end of the fourth week since resuming my running habit.

Now that I have been at it for 30 days, the habit is firmly established. I am waking up at 5:30 every morning. Upon rising, I drink my Isotonix Custom Cocktail and read for about 15-20 minutes while drinking a cup of Mochatonix. I then put on the running shoes and head out the door for a 25-30 minute run which is about 3 miles.

During the weekdays I was in Florida where the heat is brutal during most of the day but less so in the morning. That is a huge incentive to keep the workout at the beginning of the day.

One of the things you’ll notice is that I don’t run with an Ipod or .mp3 player. I’ve tried but I don’t like it. I prefer to have my thoughts go where they may. Occasionally, a tune will flow through my mind as I’m running. My current favorite is Molly Hatchet’s version of “Dreams I’ll Never See.” It has a good rhythm which matches my pace.

Another tune which entered my head on Tuesday (when I was running in the Florida humidity) was Montrose’s “Rock Candy”

There’s nothing wrong with running with a player if it helps you get through the training. I just wouldn’t recommend having it with you on every run.

I’m still keeping the mileage low. The body is still adapting to the increased stress and the transportation systems are still being built. What do I mean by “transportation systems”?

Think of your muscles as power plants. Power plants can only operate if there are sufficient supplies of raw materials. Raw materials have to be delivered by truck or rail. If the infrastructure, i.e. the rails or the roads, isn’t there, the materials can’t be delivered.

Likewise, your muscles can’t operate unless they have sufficient supplies of nutrients and minerals. Those are delivered by your blood via the capillaries. If you haven’t been exercising, the number of capillaries delivering blood to your muscles is minimal. In order for your muscles to do more work, more capillaries need to be “built.” That’s what training is for.

As you get in better shape, your transportation system will be more extensive and more efficient.

In addition to supplying the necessary nutrients and minerals to your muscles, that same transportation system will be needed to carry away waste products. Lactic acid, for instance, is a by-product of working muscles. When the lactic acid can’t be carried away fast enough, it pools in the muscles – which causes the pain you feel after a hard work out. More capillaries means more blood to carry away the lactic acid which means less pain during and after a work out.

Here is the video with the highlights of last week’s training:

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Tags: Dreams I'll Never See, Isotonix Custom Cocktail, Mastaw Running Training, Mochatonix, Molly Hatchet, Montrose, Rock Candy
Posted in Kevin Mastaw | 3 Comments »

Bret Michaels : An Act of Foolishness or a Great Act of Love

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Very rarely do you see an extraordinarily heroic act performed by a member of the celebrity community. Even rarer do you see in from the world of rock n’ roll.

Bret Michaels

However, I don’t know what else you can call Bret Michaels’ appearance on the finale of “Celebrity Apprentice”, last night.

The man suffered a brain hemorrhage about a month ago, the survival rate of which is about 10-15%. Then, last week, Michaels was back in the hospital as the result of a hole in his heart.

After these near death experiences, I was a surprised to see him on the live finale. No one would have faulted him for not going. His doctors reportedly told him that it was a bad idea to travel to New York. On the show, Trump asked him if he was risking his life to be on the show. That was a question that really didn’t need to be asked. Of course he was risking his life to be on the show! Michaels’ response was, “after what I’ve gone through over the last month, just getting out of the chair is risking my life.”

So the question that I’m sure was running through everyone’s mind is why did he go against conventional wisdom and take that risk?

On the surface it seemed like a stupid decision on his part. There was nothing in it, personally, for him if he won – the celebrity contestants play to raise money for their charities. Bret Michaels’ charity was the American Diabetes Association.

Was this charity so important to him that he’d risk his life? Obviously it was – because he did.

A cynic will say he just did it for the publicity – but what good is publicity if you’re dead?

I can come up with no other explanation than: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

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Tags: American Diabetes Association, Bret Michaels, Celebrity Apprentice, Donald Trump
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Resuming the running lifestyle – Week 3 Summary

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

This morning, after getting my run in, I went online to try to find some of my old marathon results.

I was able to find results for 2000, 2001 and 2003. That’s where it ends.

Yes, it has been 7 years since I ran a marathon!

For 15 years or so, it seemed that training for marathons was all I did outside of work. But priorities changed and time few by.

So, now, as I resume the runner’s lifestyle, I look forward to the next marathon and all the smaller races that will lead up to it.

The goal race will be the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama, on December 11th, if, after putting together the training plan, the timeframe looks reasonable. If the timeframe is not reasonable, the back-up race will be the Rock n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans on February 13, 2011.

Here’s the video of highlights of last week’s training:

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Promote Your Business by Calling in to Kevin and the Giant Peach!

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

We’ll be busy, here, on Kevin and the Giant Peach in the next few weeks. And, as always, you’re invited to participate! Especially if you have a business to promote.

Loyal followers of these podcasts know that my guests are entrepreneurs and/or business owners at very levels of success in building their businesses. Some have already become successful while some are still starting out.

During any recording of a podcast, you are invited call or type-in with a question or comment. My only request is that you do so in the last half-hour of the show. I like to use the first half-hour to allow my guest to tell their story and talk about their business. Before your call is finished, you’ll be asked to tell us about your business.

Why would you want to chime in? Free promotion for you and your business, of course!

Each segment of Kevin and the Giant Peach is e-mailed out to my subscription list which is growing.

I also send multiple tweets to my twitter followers, the number of which, as I write this, is 11,500.

A summary of every podcast segment is posted on this blog. Any caller or chat-questioner will be included in the write up with a mention of their website or any other contact info they give out during their call. When someone reads the blog posting, they will also read about you! (And the blog posts are forwarded onto my twitter following, as well.)

Written transcripts of each show are provided on the site which, of course, include the caller or chatter.

Information about future segments of Kevin and the Giant Peach can always be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kevin-mastaw including call-in number and chat-room access.

I look forward to hear you on Kevin and the Giant Peach!

Earn 2% Cashback and 1/2% on Referrals with my buddy, Ryan Gardner!

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Posted in Kevin Mastaw | 2 Comments »

Kevin and the Giant Peach

Archive for the ‘Kevin Mastaw’ Category

What I’ve Been Doing In The Foreign Exchange (FX)

Geithner Gets A Job. Snipes Gets Jail.

Why Do They Call These The “Dog Days of Summer”? (I feel more like a vegetable.)

Network Marketing is Simple. But it Ain’t Easy!

Are You Going Downhill? And If So, Is That Good or Bad?

Thoughts on “Living Life to the Fullest”

Resuming the Running Lifestyle – Week 4 Summary

Bret Michaels : An Act of Foolishness or a Great Act of Love

Resuming the running lifestyle – Week 3 Summary

Promote Your Business by Calling in to Kevin and the Giant Peach!

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