Friday, December 30, 2005

The Password is...

The topic of this blog is somewhat related to my New Year's resolution for 2006 -

Passwords (my resolution is to change all of my passwords)

How many passwords do you use? PINs, security codes, lock combinations, etc...

How many things need passwords nowadays? Computer applications obviously, websites, etc...

I tried to figure out how many passwords I had the other day - I couldn't figure it out! Keep in mind, I am NOT a write-it-down-and-hide-it kind of password person. I know many people who are like that. I am also NOT a use-one-password-and-slightly alter it kind of person either (spring01, spring02, spring03). I know alot of people do that too... I don't know anyone who just uses random numbers and letters for Passwords (d8s5gv45, 7g2s4c, H7j5G3n) but that would certainly be interesting...

No, I am a remember-them-all-if-I-really-need-them, every application has a different password kind of person. I also use many, many 'user names', not just Manny.

I used to be a smart-assed password person - words like - 'alakazam', 'opensesame', or 'password'. But then password applications got more security conscious... so I had to use passwords like 'alakazam1', 0pensesame (that's a zero, not an O), or wordpass.

I used to use rotating passwords at work - drone1, drone2, drone3 or hatework, quitwork, dumbwork, bullwork, vacation etc...

But the whole password phenomena is curiously slightly interesting to me: So I asked some people - "what is the stupidest thing you ever used as a password?"

But then something odd occurred; what happens when you ask someone to tell you their stupidest or weirdest passwords is very interesting... facial expressions change, body position and language alters, moods sway to and fro... there is something deep inside of people, emotional and personal that is linked to passwords...(maybe one day I will delve into this phenomenon a little further! Or maybe not)

However, after moderate prying - these are some of the answers:

Pet names or variation of kids names (very popular, but not stupid, just dull...)
"all zeros"
"I once used just a spacebar for the password"
"Is this for your blog?"
"I've used the same password all my life"
"generic01, generic02, etc.."
"1234qwer" (look at your keyboard)
"I can't remember any of the ones I don't use any more"

And there were many dumb but not funny or even barely noteworthy passwords.

Amazingly! There was only ONE person to give me any blatently offensive terms used for passwords... (excellent work, I might add)

So as you can see and probably knew, but wasn't very aware of or really gave a crap about... the world is full of dull and boring passwords... (about the same ratio of dull and boring people)

So now passwords are just like opinions & birthdays - everyone's got one! (a$$holes and belly buttons can be surgically/accidentally removed ya know, not EVERYONE has one)

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Playing the Name Game


****Warning: Here comes an over-the-edge prediction****

First a little background - Most people would agree; death is not a funny issue.

I, however think death can VERY much be a funny issue. It's very much a part of life! And to me, life is a hilarious series of hilarities thinly veiled by depression, sorrow, pain and suffering, death and taxes.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for me) - I think death is USUALLY funny; as long as it's not me, right??? Check out the link to DeadorAliveInfo.com (then check out how Orville Reddenbacher died)

[sidebar - actually, if I have an open-casket funeral (we'll see...) when I die, I want to dressed in full clown makeup and gear- this way everyone's last glimpse of me won't be of a fake looking human being, but more of a true representation of what is lying (there's a funny word) in that box - a vessel, not a being - my body will be there, but I won't; ya know? I am such a clown]

But what really baffles me is why the following scenario hasn't happened in a large, meaningful scale yet...

Imagine there's a person who has a very regular name becomes REALLY famous... the world love's them, then they screw up royally and become a scourge to society.

Then imagine there's a regular-seeming, but secretly unstable person out there with the exact same name.

Well the famous person ends up ruining the daily events of the regular person - the endless teasing, constant references to the works of the famous person, repeated teasing, more teasing, endless teasing, prank phone calls, people pretending to be papparazzi and then one day, they SNAP!!!! There are people out there teetering on this right now (see Office Space/Michael Bolton, Simpsons/Max Power episode to a lesser extent...)

The 'regular' person hunts down the 'famous' person with the same name and kills them!!!

I think that would be funny, ya know depending on the circumstances of course... (I hope there's not a lot of pissed-off Emmanuel Stiles's out there).

Imagine if it was TWO famous people involved in this scenario!!! Like Michael Keaton (whose REAL name is Michael Douglas) killing Michael Douglas (whose Dad's real name is Issur Danielovitch). That would shake up the world of entertainment, eh?

I know there's a Michael Jackson out there right now contemplating this... Odds are less there's an O.J. or Jessica Simpson, Dr Phil McGraw or Tom Cruise lurking in the darkness to make my day a little brighter (darn it).

It's not that I want to see people die - I'm not wishing death on hardly anyone - ok, maybe Dr Phil- I just like some good headlines every now and then..

3 Things

I have always had a very simple philosophy when it comes to this "living" in this world/realmspace at any given moment...

There are only 3 things you can do.

1. Make it better

2. Make it worse

3. Let it stay the same

keep in mind, letting things stay the same may make them better OR worse, in result...

there ya have it.

Here's a list of other "3 things" - in no logical order

-Up, down, in between
-neutrons, protons, electrons
-gold, silver, bronze
-the chicken, the egg, dinner
-win, lose, draw
-run, bike, swim
-the Three wise men - Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Johnny Walker
-the Three wise guys - Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Alexander Popov
-Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, Belmont Stakes
-Bart, Lisa, Maggie
-paper, rock, scissors
-boys, girls, hermaphrodites
-punt, pass, kick
-Jesus & the two thieves
-Moe, Larry, Curly
-if, and, but
-right, wrong, depends on who shoots first
-good, better, bestest
-you, me, them
-yesterday, today, tomorrow
-time, space, everything we aren't allowed to know yet
-have you ever read Goldilocks?
-"and the rest" (as a tribute to Season 1 of Gilligan's Island)

So you can now see there is almost never a two sided issue, even a piece of paper still has an edge. (only exception I could find - Tupac & Biggie)

It has been God's gift to me to always see a third option. To me there's more than two sides to EVERYTHING - we live in a three dimensional world, afterall. Yes, this makes me very much an a$$hole to some, 'argumentative' to others. But I am really seeking peace through confustication.

Since my goal in this blog is to solve the world's problems through me making this blog a forum for raising the world's peoples general awareness and guaranteeing my impending wealth from my multi-award winning records, movies and obligatory book deals.

I just want to remind the world, even though somewhere there's going to be something you can't imagine that's going to happen, it's still fun to try.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Free movie idea #1

I promised a free movie idea, here - I will submit for your approval:

"Richard Starkey" by Manny Stiles and [your name here]

I would rather see someone else make this movie because I'm too lazy/'busy' to get it done myself

It starts out rather odd in that the opening sequence is set in heaven.
God is having a routine staff meeting with his angels. Determine a few main angel characters including Elko - he's kind of a jackass for a guardian angel. (Any current Hollywood Male can star in this movie)

You see his journey through history; guarding semi-important side characters throughout the bigger events in history...ad lib, etc plenty of opportunity to build Elko's personality

Well... one sequence has Elko guarding someone who is 'not supposed to get in the way'. Elko is chatting with Lucifer, feeling the dark side's charms - gets caught 'redhanded' by God - The person whom Elko was to guard turns into...say.. OK, here's where ya pick your angle....um Hitler?, Lee Harvey Oswald? something time-sensitive from the 1940's to 70's...

Here's where you freak religeousy people (if they aren't already) God punishes Elko by Making him become guardian angel of a young Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr) and to ENSURE HE BECOMES A BEATLE as punishment

So you make up Ringo's childhood near mishaps that Elko has to bust his ass to ENSURE RINGO BECOMES A BEATLE...you got it..?

His angel buddy says he has it easy - "I've read the script on this guy" the other angel says as he thumbs in the direction of Charles Manson. "Elko, don't let them record Helter Skelter, dude" he says. Elko replies "that's your problem & (something catchy)" Have fade in/fade outs cross through stars...

Fill in the gaps, glorify Ringo to an extent - go into his character Maybe Pete Best can be bought into the concept - Don't buy dogfur coats as gifts for Paul McCartney and maybe he'll be keen. Do that and everyone in Hollywood will wanna be a piece of this and may work cameos/"on the cheap"...

I think Ringo would love this concept- if ya know him, ask him (pay him) if he wants to make a cool movie

Then as the Beatles get gro0vin' the movie cuts out at the Shea concert -then have your cheesy montage of the Beatles' journey through time - fade to today- God's happy as pie and explains it to Elko that God 'really does know what he's doing... ' Switch to scene of Charles Manson being interviewed by some dorkus reporter.

Then comes the final scene, where God turns itself around and your about to see 'it and...

For the ending and shared credits, send: $500 to Manny Stiles P.O Box....

I'm kidding.. unless you really just want to send me money. mannystiles@aol.com

God turns it's face

and it's

really




.....really really

..... Ringo Starr!!!




Then exit to one of Ringo's songs, roll credits, ...you just explained history...


Yet Another Beats By Man Production... a division of MuTeCoRe

...do a part 2 if ya want; where another angel does something similar with several more 2nd rate stars, instead of one main Starr!!!



***Don't like that one?*** be patient, there's more to come, matey...no worries

If you read this, you've gone too far


A few things -

If you're interested in purchasing any of my recordings, feel free to e-mail me or one of my 'associates' @ mannystiles@aol.com





depending on how cool you are I'll make a tailor-suited CD containing somewhere in the neighborhood of 13-20 songs - obviously you're extra cool if you're reading this blog, right?





ALL for a measly $5.00USD (free freakin' shipping included, too!)- email me for the DEEtales

I can sell CD's for $5, because I'm the producer, distributor, marketer, performer, writer, agent, and President of Beats By Man Productions - so my overhead is low (that's good business speak)

Where else can you find a CDs worth of music for $5 ? ? ?

*****THIS WEEK'S BLOG SPECIAL*****

[Mention this BLOG]

I will include one of the stupidest songs ever recorded, FOR FREE!!! (purchase of CD required)
"Din dint dunn (Philadelphia)" Manny Stiles featuring Jerm from Chemland (representin' Ridge Squad)

Here's a reeal life recommendation:
"I am actually listening to it right now, it may be the stupidest songs EVER, but it bumps" - music enthusiast & shameless self-promoter Erik Kombol


*****THAT WAS THIS WEEK'S BLOG SPECIAL*****

in other news;

if you're reading this regularly, I hope you are amused, entertained and even possibly enlightened, unheavied or contemplating entertaining the thought of separating yourself from your cash for a very worthy cause - the success of my Production company [warning:shameless promotion ahead] Beats by Man Productions, a divisioin of MuTeCoRe.


The purpose of me blogging was indeed to crack open the music realm and pour it into the written mediums. But occasionally I'll toss in some movie script ideas...that's write...oops I mean "right!!!" I am willing to sell movie concepts to the highest bidders - some I'll give away for free if people just MAKE THE MOVIE - more on that later

I gave ya a taste of a column that was current eventy - I might do a weekly news piece unless some one objects because it sucks or something...

A Guide to New Year's Resolutions - by Manny Stiles, is coming SOON!!! Watch the flock OUT!!!

A new regularly featured piece will be a picture with song lyrics - actual Manny Stiles written, performed, collaborated or produced songs of random importance - you'll see

"I will try to keep stuff fresh" - that is my Blog mission statement of the week

If you find this interesting, tell a friend to read it too - Let's start a pointless, yet hopefully financially rewarding (for me, of course) phenomena!!!

and to quote my senior yearbook - "love, peace and hairgrease"

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Today

Wake up in the morning and promise yourself - "today will be a good day"

That's all. Say it, know it, believe it, be it, live it, love it - rinse and repeat!
When you believe it is really true, it will be just as you believe... you will make it so!

Then when the day ends you can smile and say "today was a good day"

I can't wait for tomorrow...

Friday, December 09, 2005

Totem



Be Patient.

Be Diligent.

Take your time.

It's a looong road.

Bloggity-bloggy-blog


(note: for this post, instead of f-bombs, I will use the word 'blog' and in lieu of the generally accepted 'S' word for feces, I will use the term 'web')

Pardon me for blogging being mad as web, but I had a blogged-up webby day today.
A few nagging items - I HATE that I have to post this - but here we are...

1) Why should adults have to 'act' like adults? Why can't we just blogging BE adults instead of actors?
I never will pretend to be the most 'mature' person in the world, but it seems to me the rest of the world is kinda webby and pretty damned blogged-up...
[This is gonna be all over the place, so bear with me - I gotta get this bloggin' web off of my blogging chest.]

I am tired of so-called adults acting like little blogging babies. I have little need or regard for people who are more concerned with what others are doing than what they are doing. I'll mind my blogging web, you mind your own web, and we'll get along just blogging fine! Go engross yourself in gossipy web all you want, I have better web to do... tangible web.

That means I am an adult, I'll handle my responsibilities, do what I need to do and those that depend on me know this is true...That's my responsibility, not yours. This also means that if you're an adult, you don't need to concern yourself with my blogging web, so stay out of MY blogging web. (but enjoy my weblog all you like!)

For instance - if I'm busy at work, you should be busy too; or one would assume. Your job is not to worry about what I am doing, that's MY job. I am an adult. But if you're overwhelmed and blogging frazzled as web, just because you can't handle your web doesn't mean you need to start looking externally for someone to pass your web off to.

I may appear to be an aloof and cavalier individual, and somewhat of that is correct. But perceptions are NOT always reality. People who buy into their 'perceptions' are webheads. Your eyesight will lie to you faster than any other sense. You will jump to conclusions faster through vision than any other sense. You will assume the role of a bloggin' webhead faster by 'perceiving' than MINDING YOUR OWN BLOGGING WEB!!!

So when you see me not doing what YOU think I should be doing, get back to what you should be doing before assuming I'm blogging off. Getting all tattle tale 3rd gradish and trying to demean me to my superiors is bullweb. Grow up, you whiny blogs.

When you start slinging web, you start out with web on YOUR hands... bring others down will not bring you up - karma is coming to get you bloggers!!!

2) Some people think talking about certain things is 'immature'. Example - Talking about taking a web is considered by some to be childish and immature. I realized today that not being able to talk about things like this is WAY more immature. Grow the blog up you pretentious blogs! I web, you web. we all blogging web - get over it, get over yourself - go out and get blogged every once in a while - it would do you some blogging good...

3) When I'm in my car, I like to play some CDs with my homemade music on them. It gives me a chance to review and learn the intracacies of songs I have written; my very own songs. So for me to sing along with them, nod my head or to drum/strum along to the beat (I play all the music on most of them as well) as to practice and refine the songs would seem pretty logical, no? Driving is a good time for me to do this...

Why is it that when someone drives next to you on the highway and they see you doing your thing, they assume your singing off key or don't know the words or just think your some kind of dork - like they would feel if they were 'acting' like you. I don't act motherbloggers! It's the real deal. (when idiots look at me singing and make faces, I usually start singing LOUDER)

First off, I don't blogging care what you think, why must you care what I'm doing? You just operate your 3000lbs of automobile in a safe manner down the highway and stop concerning yourself with other people's web. Don't assume everyone is a dumbblog like you, arrhythmic, creativeless bastards...

4) To sum it up, not everyone is like you. Appreciate it, embrace it, LOVE IT. Let us be who/what we are...

5) Don't let perceptions override sensibility. Don't trust your perceptions - you really aren't as smart as you think. (me either) You NEVER know the whole story.

6)And realize -SURPRISE!!!- YOU are not the most important thing in the world - let people be people their own way. It's not your responsibility to babysit adults. Don't be a blogging webhead!

With that - I promise no more of this negative web for a while. And I'll try to clean up my blogging webby language from now on.... just Love, Peace, Butterflies, Rainbows, Unicorns and Flowers from now on!!!

Monday, December 05, 2005

Everybody Get High (on mountains)

Ahhh, mountain climbing. One of many Manny pursuits.

On Sunday, I ventured over to Camelback Mountain nestled between Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, Arizona... If you've never seen Camelback Mountain, it looks from certain angles kinda like... yes, a camel's back. See?















Yes, I realize there are approximately 9,345 "Camelback Mountain"s in the world (2 that I know of in Arizona alone), but I chose this very one...Anyway, 2704 feet (824 meters) of vicious and un-soft rock spring up from the metropolis and serves as somewhat of a emblem for what the Valley of the Sun represents.

Camelback is quite the hotspot for the adventuresome and crazy alike, especially during weekends... even more so on weekends like this past weekend - ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!

Yes, many people climb mountains for whatever reason -There were a lot of people climbing on Sunday- I will break them down by type here -

10-12% - the crazy nuts; the veritable crazy nuts, not just crazy like me... people wearing half-shirts, ankle weights, carrying IPods and head band accessories running up and down at full speed - that's not for me.


25% - the "Snotsdale" sort. The middle aged to just plain old; too rich for their own good Scottsdale ladies wearing the most fashionable sweatsuits available because as everyone knows - the more expensive the outfit, the better mountain climber you are. Or at least the more acceptably realistic your breast implants and plastic surgery appear. Um, yeah...

50-70% depending on the time of day - the group I like to refer to as the medically weird. These are the people that always climb the mountain at a normal pace and dress normal and appear normal. But they have this one glaring personality trait - they MUST speak about their medical condition, or their latest surgery or their doctor of various sorts to their companion climbing pack. It is commonplace to be passed by a group talking about random ailments and the issues associated. Many of these people were even badly hurt climbing mountains!!! From laser eye surgery to colon check ups; stay on the mountain long enough and you'll hear it all.

30-80% - the socially HOT!!! Any given day, you will find the smokin' babes climbing mountains. I suppose there's hot dudes too (other than myself) Obviously, these people are in shape, too. Are you single? Trouble finding attractive adventurous hotties? Go climb a mountain - it's like shooting fish in a very small barrel.

2-6% - the strollers - these folks are just out enjoying the nice day. They look around, enjoy the nature, respect the mountain, never get in anyone's way, and they see no need in going all the way to the top. Nice people

15-20% - photographers - for obvious reasons = the views AND the hotties

40-60% - people who just want to get/stay in shape. You'd think it would be more....

40-60% - people who want to look like they are in shape.

6% - 15% - kids and dogs who get dragged up the rocks by their masters/owners.

3% - the assholes who get to the top, hang out for 3 hours and bullshit about how awesome they are, how many times they climbed the mountain that day or who claim to have better lives than they obviously do. They scout the climbers looking for a willing or unsuspecting victim. You'd think there'd be LESS of these types of people on mountaintops, but...life is cruel. You nearly die climbing to the top, then you wanna die having to tolerate being in the same vicinity as these types. Unfortunately, they never hang out close enough to any of the steep edges or cliffs...

less than 1% - people who climb mountains for a blog topic

Of course, I am in all of the above groups...

While there are no ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) sponsored trails, the two main trails up Camelback have undoubtedly added to the numbers of people benefiting from the ADA. I know of two people personally whom have been assisted down the mountain with the aid of helicopters. Fun, painful and expensive times!!!

Climbing Camelback on either of the two main trails is not a stroll in the park, but it's not impossible - I did it! But it is work and in certain sections does require using your hands for leverage and using the utmost care and balance so not to become a bloody, smeary victim of gravity. Let's not forget the screaming hamstrings and calf muscles and grinding knee and ankle joints as a sidedish. I did bash my elbow on a rock on the way down, and bled just the right amount to look mountain-rugged fresh.

Well, it took me 1 hour 20 minutes going up, 45 minutes coming down (about 15 minutes at the top taking pictures); but I made it!!! Here's proof!!!

Of course, when I got to the bottom, I ran full speed for the last 20 yards so the people just starting out could say "look at that crazy nut"

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Hmm... winter's coming

Yeah, it's that time of year. You can smell it in the air. That 'winter's coming' smell. You feel the chill. The wind whips around the Halloween decorations that you haven't taken down yet. You see the leaves falling from the deciduous trees, leaving their annual slop. Anyday now (or maybe several times already) the squalls and drifts will be a regular/ongoing occurance. That bitter to-the-bone wind will howl. Snowmen will sneer at you through the front window with their inheritly evil grins. Snow Angels won't seem so heavenly at all. A pile of wet, slushy boots will accumulate in the doorway. Jack Frost will nip at you like a crackhead begging for spare change.
Such is life in the northern latitudes:
There you are bundling up with gloves, hats and cussing while scraping off and digging out the family automobile. (Don't forget to get out the door 15 minutes earlier to warm it up so the heater gets going).
Then there's the back ache from shovelling the sidewalk and driveway; the mess from the salt and cinder on the roads. Of course this is the time of the year when everyone else on the road has somehow forgotten how to drive in snow even though they just did it last year...
There's the heating bill (damn oil prices) to occupy your mind unless you spent the last 4 months chopping enough firewood (unlikely scenario).
Winter has it's good moments too! It ends in the Spring.

Here in Arizona, what you call winter, I call Spring II. It's perpetually sunny, warm and there's somewhat of a chance to wear jeans and a sweater at night. I'm not sure if I can handle the next 4 months or so of 70 degree days, but I'll try my best. We all suffer in our own ways I guess... OUR suffering comes in the form of 'snowbirds'. The annual flock of the northerners swarming the valley like crackheads at a loose change convention. (It's so easy to make fun of crackheads, eh? See! They are good for something! Just like snowbirds!)

Once, a friend from back east described snow to me as what happens when rain freezes. I then asked "what is this 'rain' thing you refer to?"

Anyway; as you can only imagine, it's pretty effin' nice out here all the time... I'm gonna go sip on a cocktail in my lounge chair out back and incrementally increase my chances of acquiring skin cancer!!! Throw an extra marshmallow in your hot chocolate for me! Don't hate me, hate those bastards in the Southern Hemisphere who are about to have their summer (do they still call it winter??).

Friday, December 02, 2005

There's more than just 9 to 5


If you're not living life, what are you doing?

If you're not loving life, what are you doing?

do.

be.

It's always easier when it's done.

If you're not having fun, what are you doing?

Walking the very, very fine imaginary but real line

How does one give investment advice without giving actual investment advice?
[The following story is somewhat true and some of the names have been changed to protect the identities of not only the innocent but also the stupid. The guilty will obviously be named and shamed accordingly]

As many of you know or will come to learn, I am a man of various occupations. Occupations meaning "things that occupy my time". As Founder, CFO and head of Marketing for MuTeCoRe (Multifarious Tetraspherical Conglomerated Realmspace), Co-Founder of Chemland Industries, Founder and President of Beats By Man Productions, and recording artist Manny Stiles among my other time-consuming interests (amateur botanist, amateur Movie & TV critic, ordained minister, occasional blogger) I am quite a busy fellow.

In reality I have only one true occupation; a profession in the very rigid and forcibly conforming industry of investments. As a stock broker I must portray the role of a rule follower from 9am to 5pm (not my real hours, but you get the point) but that little outside-of-the-box thinker breaks free at 5:00:01pm. [side note: has anyone ever seen this 'box' everyone seems to be in?]
The key to this is that this investment industry is my primary source of income, and sole source of my medical insurance for myself and my family, so I gotta play by the rules. Running your own music recording and production company may be rewarding to my soul, but without the backing of those huge soul-free corporations (takes $ to make $) it kinda hurts the pocket.
One of my employers rules that I must abide by is that I have agreed to not give investment advice. But what is 'investment advice'? What are the dangers of investment advice? Today I will take a very career-threatening stab at answering these very questions.

If I told you to buy 1000 shares of Manny Stiles Incorporated because we have invented and are about to get FDA approval on a new cancer-curing soft-drink "2Mur Free" and "Diet 2Mur Free", you'd think "hey, that's good investment advice". So if you bought those shares, you'd be set to make a fortune as would I as the inventor, marketer, distributor (and I'd expect kickback aka 'lil sumtin' sumtin' for giving you such awesome advice). If it turned out that it only cured cancer in laboratory mice - that would be 'bad advice', since you'd be out your investment and well, you're not a lab mouse. (No one really cares about solving the problems of lab animals).

Being that no one can tell the future accurately and at a consistent rate (my crystal ball is in the shop), it should be deemed that ANY investment advice is not good advice. No matter how much sense it makes [Don't invest in yellow snow], no matter how logical the marketing campaign sounds ['everyone needs a thneed'], no matter how much someone promises or e-mails you [Manny Stiles' next album "I hate my stupid, ugly, smelly fans" is going straight to #1!!!]. Only you and Father Time can decide if any investment is worth making. It's YOUR money. There may be plenty of quality investment advisors out there (FAR and few between - my personal opinion), but they WILL make you pay for advice. Alot! Maybe their worth it, maybe they aren't - but who am I to give YOU advice?

If they say buy THIS Inc. and/or sell THAT Inc... one of three things can happen (these '3 things' - a topic for later- happen in any/every situation in life)

1) it gets better:
this works out for you and the advice giver. You get money, they get money - AND your trust

2) it gets worse:
this sucks for you. You're out money, advice giver still gets paid. Trust level goes back into the '3 things' machine

3) it stays the same:
no harm, no foul. Maybe you understood the risk, maybe you don't care. But even when it 'stays the same' things still change.

The point to notice here is - if it works for you, as long as that advice wasn't illegal (see Martha Stewart and a slew of others) GREAT...lucky you - go pay your taxes and smile, you're a winner.

If it doesn't work for you - Oh crap! Stress, lost sleep, worrying, finding a lawyer to sue the bastard, now ya gotta press to make the $ back. (there's an old saying about investing - I'll ad lib it - "It's costs a lot to learn how to make $$$ investing; you either pay for years and years of schooling or you learn the hard way"

As for those "get rich quick" schemes, "guaranteed" ways of making money on the market and "new" ways to play the market thanks to technology... think about it - if you came up with a way to seriously make $$$ who would you tell? Anyone? Maybe friends and family, but REALLY quietly as to not ruin it, right? You wouldn't e-mail it to mass lists of unknown people, you CERTAINLY wouldn't have an infomercial. If it was a true money maker, you wouldn't NEED to sell the idea to make $$$, you'd just make the money! The only 'get rich quick' scheme that works is selling a stupid idea to stupid and gullible people.

The stock markets and investing are older than you or anyone you know (that includes my 101 year old Grandmother), so it's already been tried - no matter what technology comes out, it's already been done. Now HERE'S some investment advice you can really use - Invest your time - with your family, doing the things you love, doing the things that bring you joy, follow your bliss - it's worth WAY more than any financial investment can ever bring you... you aren't going to recall your good and bad investments on your death bed... if you are, I hope your stockbroker (who has lived off your commissions) is beside you - you deserve each other...

So for these reasons among others, my agreement with my employer frowns upon me (read: will beat me up and kick me to the curb) for giving investment advice in any manner. So don't ask me, I don't know, I won't tell you and you don't want to know ( for the truth: send $500 to Manny Stiles, P.O Box... I'm KIDDING!!!)