WILLIAMS SKINNER

Someone once said that we are like a teabag, you won't know how strong a person can be until you drop them in hot water!

Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

I had a break yesterday and had a chance to do something I would never normally do, watch the Oprah show! The theme was finding your passion and following your heart when it comes to work. She interviewed some hugely succesfull people. They all said that those close to them, family, teachers and friends, in each case without exception, were dead against their ideas and actually tried hard to persuade them not to do it. All of them went ahead anyway. They are now worth billions. One of the most notable was the woman who has penned 90 top ten hits in the USA. Her mother was right, she wasn't a great singer but that didn't stop her from writing songs for Cher, Streisand and Celine amongst others. We can be thankfull she didn't listen to her mother!

A young girl was walking up a hill one day, carrying a small boy on her shoulder when she passed a stranger. He asked "isn't that little boy too heavy for you to carry up this hill"? Not at all she replied, he's my brother!

Anon

(Dedicated by me to the girl who won't sleep anywhere without her favourite pillow).

A guy responded to this Craigs list ad!

ah, new york . . .
THIS APPEARED ON CRAIG'S LIST

What am I doing wrong?

Okay, I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm a beautiful
(spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I'm articulate and classy.
I'm not from New York. I'm looking to get married to a guy who makes at
least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind
that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don't think
I'm overreaching at all.

Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could
you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around
200 - 250. But that's where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won't get
me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married
to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she's not as pretty as
I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I
get to her level?

Here are my questions specifically:

- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars,
restaurants, gyms

-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won't hurt my
feelings

-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I'm 25)?

- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east
side so plain? I've seen really 'plain jane' boring types who have
nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I've seen drop dead
gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What's the story
there?

- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment
banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they
hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?

- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for
MARRIAGE ONLY

Please hold your insults - I'm putting myself out there in an honest
way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being up front
about it. I wouldn't be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn't
able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a
nice home and hearth.

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial
interests
PostingID: 432279810

THE ANSWER
Dear Pers-431649184:

I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully
about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament.
Firstly, I'm not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your
bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here's how I
see it.

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a
crappy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the BS., what you
suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring
my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my
money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely
that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't
be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning
asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation
accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty
hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in
earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy
and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense
to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease. In case
you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were
to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It's
as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So,
I wonder why a girl as "articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful"
as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to
believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K
hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then
we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you're going about it the right way.
Classic "pump and dump." I hope this is helpful, and if you want to
enter into some sort of lease, let me know.

For those of you that don't already know, i am busy building what i hope will soon be the most unique and hugest online dating site on the planet! Anyway i was talking to a psychologist the other day that specialises in family related issues divorce, kids etc. He asked if i can spend some time taking him through the technical side of the biz as he is very concerned because he is seeing an incredible rise in problems associated with online dating, either from a cause or effect point of view and the fallout that affects peoples lives and their friends and families is huge, it can have a major ripple effect!

This brings me to the point i am trying to make. Excitement is an emotion! A lot of dating sites ask if you think with your heart or your head? Remember if you find something exciting you are first and foremost experiencing an emotion!

You then have to THINK about the reality of following though on the emotion. Sometimes this is not neccesarily a bad thing if you are lucky and manage to get the 2 working together at the same time. Think of Richard Branson and other entrepeneurs. I don't think we are as lucky when it comes to affairs of the heart and online dating.

A lot of hurt, shy people suffering from rejection and low self esteem issues are online. All the sudden attention can be exciting and addictive.

I am moblogging right now and will edit this later and expand on it further. But for now, i appeal to you all - when the excitement wears off and reality sets in, make sure that your finances, health, children and family are not the victims of you satisfying your emotional needs without first making sure you have used the asset between your ears more in the beginning than the one between your legs instead of the other way around, which is what normally happens!

I got Tim's book yesterday after ordering it online and waiting about 3 weeks to get it. Not his fault, mine it is available as an ebook. I intend finishing it this weekend and then following its advice to the letter. I will Blog my goals and lets see if i can do it. Give me a week to get sorted and then im going for it. I challenge anyone else out there to join me. We will all start on a specific date and see what happens. I am talking about the physical stuff too. The whole shebang, hey working for a boss sucks and being a boss sucks even more!

The 4-Hour work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Timothy Ferris

Usually, what we most fear doing is what we most need to do. That phone call, that conversation, whatever the action may be - do it first thing when you wake up and then move on! Oh and do yourself another favour Google Timothy Ferriss read his Blog, buy his book. I shouldn't even be telling you about this stuff. I don't really want too many people to learn this secret but hey, will you do it? The above comes from page 46 of his book sorry Tim, I didn't ask your permission to Blog this small extract and did add my own 5 cents worth, but people have to get this stuff!

I can't give you a surefire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time. - Herbert Bayard Swope, first recipient of the Pulitzer Prize.