How A Bag Of Almonds Rescued Me From The Panamanian Police

Posted by strive4impact on May 10, 2012 11:51 PM

Well, it has finally happened.

I didn’t think almonds would be involved, but life is unpredictable and funny.

I have paid my first bribe.

(I’ve been told in the past that most travel issues can be revolved with a $20 and a little sleight of hand. In my case, the rule would be more like a $20, and a bag of almonds.)

I had invited Jesse (a good friend of Carrie and me) to come and experience Panama while I was housesittng for Dave and Cora in Boquete, in the province of Chiriqui, in Panama.

I also invited my mom and grandma.

Since they all took me up on the invitation, Jesse and I were driving to Panama City to pick up my mom and grandma.

As we’re moving down the road, this guy literally walks into the middle of the Panamerican Highway, buts out his hand and has me stop.

It’s as I’m slowing down that I realize he’s a police officer, so I pull over.

He shows me the radar gun.

According to the radar gun, I was driving about 107kph (which was over the speed limit by about 27kph – that’s kilometers per hour)

I give him my passport and driver’s license, as well as the permission form that David and Cora gave me to drive their car.

Panama Policeman says the equivalent of “You were going too fast. You’ll be getting a ticket.”

The he goes off to talk to another lady he pulled over before me.

So I pull out a bag of almonds and wait.

Jesse and I are sitting in the car, munching on almonds, waiting for him to get done.

After a few minutes, he comes back to the window.

I figure… What the heck, I’ll give this a shot.

“Quiere almendras?” (Would you like some almonds?)

“Si!”

This could be good.

So I give him a small handful of almonds, and he says that I was going too fast, and that he’s going to have to give me a ticket.

I ask him where to pay the ticket, and how much it will be.

He says $75, and in a town far away.

“But if I help you,” he says, “what will you do to help me?”

I don’t quite catch this in Spanish, but Jesse does and translates it for me. (Really glad Jesse was there.)

In the meantime, I ask Panama Police Man something to move the conversation along (don’t remember what exactly), but pretty soon we’re talking about Chiriqui, which is the province where Boquete is located. Again, Boquete is where I’m house-sitting.

Turns out, this police man is from Chiriqui, in the city of Gualaca.

I tell him how beautiful Chiriqui is… which is true.

I’ve recently come to know pretty well a family from Gualaca, so I tell him that.

We talk about Boquete, the mountains, the rivers, the food, etc.

We exchange about 5 minutes of chit-chat.

He’s smiling and laughing, all is going well.

Then he says again that I’ll probably have to get a ticket but that he can help me.

Seeing that I’m not taking the bait, he then just asks outright (still in Spanish): “If I help you, what are you going to give me?”

So I pull out a $20 bill.

He points at the bag of almonds and says “and those.”

I hand over the $20, the almonds, and we’re on our way, with advice about where we should slow down further down the road, for the next speed trap (which turned out to be helpful).

And that is how a bag of almonds (and a $20 bill) rescued me from a speeding ticket with the Panamanian Police.

NOTE:
On the way back from Panama City, I got pulled over again. This time the price was $40.
The lesson? Bribes are rare. This is my first one in 40+ countries. However, just in case (and for reasons other than bribes), always travel with no more than $20 in your wallet. Put the rest of your money somewhere else.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Why I’m Not Buying (It)

Posted by strive4impact on May 04, 2012 12:51 PM

Warren Buffett said this in a letter to shareholders, about why fewer houses are being purchased right now, but about how the economic recovery in the housing market will take place.

“People may postpone hitching up during uncertain times, but eventually hormones take over. And while ‘doubling-up’ may be the initial reaction of some during a recession, living with in-laws can quickly lose its allure.”

Sovereign Man says about this (tongue-in-cheek):

There you have it: America is going to fornicate its way out of the housing crisis.

I thought it would be good to take a minute and talk about why I’m not buying what the mainstream is dishing up, which may help to explain some of why people aren’t buying homes.

I would have made an excellent employee for a large company.

As with most people living in western societies in the past 50 years, I was told by society to go to school, get a good job, and work for 40 hours/week, for 50 weeks/year, for 40 years of my life at a job that was “good enough”, so that I could “have enough” to pay my mortgage, keep gas in the car, and maybe buy some nice things for my house.

I was also taught by my parents that there are always at least three sides to every story (yours, mine, and the truth), and that there are many ways of doing things.

I realized very early on in my professional career (from the really negative experiences I had working for a corporation that really didn’t care about me, and being a teacher at a school that valued my contribution but told me to fundraise for my own $12/hour “salary”) that 40/50/40 was no longer a reality.

I had suspected this to be the case while watching my well-educated and very hard-working dad go through 7 downsizings in 15 years while I was growing up.

I started seeking out other opportunities from about the time I was 19.

This search has led to a great many challenges, but also truly unique and amazing adventures and opportunities, and a very rewarding life.

“It” (the 40/50/40 picture) no longer exists – at least not for me – and I know this is the same for many people living in western societies today.

The picture is different in India and other developing countries around the world.  Once you get a job with a big company, you are more recognized in society and your job is viewed as a stable pillar in your life.  The difference in developing countries is that those jobs may actually be stable.  In the western world, they’re viewed that way, but it’s more accurate to say:

• We believe (probably accurately) that we are already paying more into the social security system than we’ll ever see back out of it, and that this trend will continue to become even more difficult as more of the baby boomer generation moves into retirement.  Many people have told me that “they’ve been saying this for years”, as if that’s some sort of explanation of how to fix the problem.  But it seems that no one has an answer for this.  There are too many people taking money out for the number of people paying in.  “Underfunded liability” is something we’ve learned to understand means “More taxes on your generation”.  Also, even if I earn $1500/month from social security, I’ve seen the US Dollar’s purchasing power drop nearly 50% in the last 4 years when valued against real things.
• We saw our parents work most of their lives at “good enough” jobs to support a system and society which said that you should save up everything for when you retire at 62.5, which is being raised to 65, 67, and later and later in life.  Our parents are enjoying their retirement, but that same kind of retirement won’t be there for us.  Many of us have also learned that the concept of retirement is actually one of the most detrimental things to a person’s health, unless they already have something else going on that they can work on.
• We see large companies often making decisions which affect millions of people, often negatively, and doing it with only the profit motive in mind, not realizing that the greatest long-term profits come from serving the greatest number of people.
• We see that there are amazing systems and opportunities and that all you have to do to take advantage of them is take a little leap of faith.  It costs a small amount of money, and a fair amount of faith (at least at first) to have a truly incredible and unique experience.
• We want change societally, but realize that true change comes from within.  The tools and technology available to us make this change possible every minute of every day.  So we choose to capitalize on that ability and live a life we find rewarding, rather than exclusively following the life that was rewarding for the generation which preceded us (which included buying a house and furnishing it with things).

I can keep going, but in any case… that history (my own history, watching my dad’s experience, and watching my brothers’ corporate experience), as well as the truth of the society I’m living, in is why I’m no longer buying it.

This may sound bitter.

It’s not bitter.  It’s called “just the way it is” (at least from my perspective).

I’m practical and believe in finding productive ways to see what’s going on in the world around me, harnessing my knowledge and ability for the benefit of others, and profiting from that service I provide to others.

This means that I have primary motivations that are more significant and meaningful to me than buying a house.

Disclaimer: Carrie and I own a house which we bought at the height of the housing bubble (joint fault – just didn’t know).  All things considered, we’re currently about $88,000 in the hole for having made that purchase.   We now have wonderful tenants in that house, and we will continue to rent the house out (likely as long as we own it), as that is the only way I see the purchase paying off (speaking strictly in financial terms), short or long-term.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Carrie’s (Secret) Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Posted by strive4impact on April 13, 2012 09:32 PM

I don’t know if I’m supposed to tell you this, but Carrie told me her secret chocolate chip cookie recipe.

These things ROCK!

So This post may come down at some point, but for now, you can make the same delicious chocolate chip cookies that Carrie makes.  SO GOOD!!!

(She told this recipe to me because I am away from her at the moment and would like to make chocolate chip cookies.)

She forgot one ingredient… her love… but then… that’s hard for you to put in, so instead just put your love in when you make these cookies.

1 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar (1/2 cup weird sugar – weird sugar is findable in Panama)
1 C butter (2 stix)
Mix butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
Add eggs 1 at a time and mix well
1/2 TBSP Vanilla

separate bowl 3 C flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
mix

Add that in batches to wet ingredients
Add chocolate chips.

Bake 350 degrees until nose says delicious.

Carrie guesses 8 minutes or so, but she doesn’t really know because she doesn’t really set timers.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Colorado Mammoth Lacrosse

Posted by carrie on March 28, 2012 03:18 AM

It may sound silly, but while we were traveling, I really missed lacrosse. Jonathan and I are season ticket holders for the Colorado Mammoth, Denver’s National Lacrosse League (NLL) team. The NLL plays indoors, on a hockey rink covered with turf.

We’ve been going to the games for the past 10 years, and have been season ticket holders for 6 of them.

Last Friday there was a game. And it was an awesome game! One of the Mammoth players scored a sock trick. A sock trick (term coined in Colorado) is a play on a hat trick in hockey. In a hat trick, a player scores 3 goals in one game. A Sock Trick, is when a player scores 6 in one game.

Gary Gait, a lacrosse legend if there ever was one, used to play for the Mammoth. And one game, he scored 2 sock tricks. That’s 12 goals in a single game.

On Friday, March 23rd, John Grant Jr. scored the first sock trick for Colorado since 2006.

It was quite the sight to see…and smell. Many many fans removed their socks from their feet, and threw them on to the field.

Above is a picture of Grant just after the 6th goal. But, in case you missed it…

Here’s a video of one of the coolest goals that I’ve ever seen. (It was John Grant Jr.’s 3rd goal of the night (his hatrick).) Check it out.

And, if you get the chance, check out a lacrosse game in your area. It’s like football…with weapons…and more action.

Popularity: 3% [?]

30 for 30 – Bagels

Posted by carrie on March 26, 2012 02:53 AM

When we first came back to Colorado, we scheduled to have brunch with some good friends to see them again, and meet their adorable baby.

I sent over my 30 for 30 list to see what jumped out at them. They chose bagels. My only restriction was no onion bagels.

Jonathan wanted something sweet (cinnamon raisin), and I wanted savory (roasted garlic).

So, I set to work. It takes 2, almost 3 days to properly make bagels.

I made one batch of basic, plain dough. Then I divided it (semi-equally), into two parts.

Freshly ground cinnamon from India, and soaked raisins went in one.

3 heads of roasted garlic went into the other.

The most amazing thing about the whole process is that the garlic ones way out-performed the cinnamon ones. For some reason, those darn cinnamon raisin bagels just did not cooperate. They never rose.

I probably shouldn’t have used them. But I wasn’t about to waste them. And I knew that it wasn’t the dough that I’d somehow botched, because the garlic ones were gorgeous and perfect.

So, I baked them anyway.

Served warm and with fresh cinnamon-honey cream cheese, and vegetable cream cheese. They were a hit.

Next time though, I’m adding more garlic.

I say that about everything.

To be honest though, right now we live right across the street from a fantastic bagel shop. I’ll just run over there the next time I’m craving bagels.

Read on for the recipe I used.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Serious is the New Funny

Posted by carrie on March 24, 2012 11:27 AM

I’m always learning new things about myself.

For example, I recently learned that cabbage is probably my favorite vegetable. I’ve always liked it, but didn’t realize that I loved it until Jonathan and I ate nearly an entire head of cabbage by ourselves in one sitting.

I’ve also learned that my priorities (and experiences) are probably a little different than most people’s.

See, I recently went to IKEA.

For chocolate.

When I told a friend at work, she said “Wait. You went to Ikea, a furniture store, for chocolate.  But you have no furniture in your house?”

“Yes,” was my sheepish response.

“I like your priorities!” she responded.

Along these lines… I learned earlier this week that (apparently), I have “a dry, witty sense of humor”.

When I heard this, my first thought was, “no I don’t”.

That sense of humor belongs to my friends Villiam, or Matt.

And when I told Jonathan about it, he told me it was New Zealand’s influence on me.

Yesterday, however, I discovered the truth.

I don’t have a dry sense of humor. People just think I’m being funny when I’m actually being… well… serious.

See, on my lunch break at work, we were talking about Asian grocery stores and restaurants in the area.

Someone asked me how I found all these “weird” restaurants.

I said “Groupon.  And the fact that I’ll try anything…. Except fried bugs… And guinea pigs; I couldn’t do it.”

Those were my words, and I thought nothing of it.

But they all laughed… thinking I was joking.

But no, I was serious.

Then later, they were talking about how someone they know will only eat at McDonald’s, or Sam’s Club.

And I said, “For the samples?”

Again, they all started laughing and high-fiving me for my joke.

But, I was honestly asking the question.

I want to be funny. But it’s a little embarrassing to own up to the fact that when I’m at my funniest, I’m really being serious.

When are you at your funniest?

Popularity: 3% [?]

Giveaway Friday: Playing In Panama (Free Dominoes Set)

Posted by strive4impact on March 23, 2012 01:46 AM

In November of 2009, Carrie and I got to meet Dave and Cora Kent when we stayed at their vacation rental casita in Boquete, Panama.

We fast became friends, and had dinner at their home a couple of nights while we stayed at their casita.

Dave and Cora also taught us a Dominoes game called Mexican Train.

Since then, we have taught lots of people this simple but fun dominoes game.

We’ve also taken to calling it “Community Train, or even “Trash Train”.

In the original game, there is a train piece that goes on the open train of dominoes.

Anyone can play on this open train at any time.

But sometimes, we have just had a normal set of dominoes, not “Mexican Train” dominoes. This has necessitated finding our own piece to place on the open/community train.

Most of the time, a used candy wrapper or other little piece of trash serves the purpose of going on the open train.

One time we were playing with my brother and he started calling it the trash train.

So now we call the game “Train Dominoes”, “Community Train”, “Trash Train”, or “Mexican Train”.

In any case, it’s one of our favorite games to play with friends and family, and we’d like to share it with you.

If you would like to win a free set of Mexican Train/Trash Train Dominoes shipped directly to your door, go ahead and follow the instructions below to win this Giveaway Friday.

Step 1: Use the links above or below to post that you like this giveaway on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.

Step 2: Use the comments below and post your favorite board game or card game. If you don’t have one, say which game you think you might like to try sometime.

I’m headed back to Panama next week. Maybe next week’s giveaway will be something from Panama! What would you like to receive from Panama? (Panama Hats are from Ecuador, so pick something else…)

Popularity: 3% [?]

Hearing From Your Heroes (Out Of The Blue)

Posted by strive4impact on March 20, 2012 10:23 PM

One of the ways we’ve been able to get a lot of traffic to our web sites is through SEO.

SEO is also known as Search Engine Optimization.

This is the skill or art of getting placed well in Google and other search engines, so that when people search for certain phrases, your website comes up.

Jill Whalen is someone whose newsletter I followed for a couple of years, from 2001-2003.

She sent out a weekly newsletter called the High Rankings Advisor.

I read that newsletter every week, as though it were religion.

When I first started reading it, there were lots of things I didn’t understand.

By 1 year later (I read it and applied the lessons every week for a year), I understood nearly everything that came out in the newsletter, so I started reading it less, but I still continued reading.

That newsletter and the skills I learned from it helped me really get going with making money online.

I talk about how it helped me start earning income online in one of the interviews I did for ThreeMoneyMethods.

Someone signed up for the ThreeMoneyMethods community, listened to the interview, and contacted Jill Whalen to say that they had found out about her through me.

Today, I got this message on my Facebook page from none other than Jill Whalen herself.

Hey someone just signed up for my seo…
Jill Whalen 10:06am Mar 20

Hey someone just signed up for my seo newsletter and mentioned they heard of me from your mp3 interview.

I just listened to it and wanted to thank you for the ringing endorsement!

Glad you’ve found the HRA so helpful through the years!

- Jill

It’s really cool to hear from your heroes, especially when you hear from them out of the blue and without solicitation.

It also goes to show that having a spirit of service really does pay dividends.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Giveaway Friday: Influential Information On Investing and Internal Improvement, Delivered Informally (Free Rich Dad, Poor Dad Books!)

Posted by strive4impact on March 16, 2012 01:13 AM

When I was 22, after much cajoling from a few people, I finally bought the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki.

I have few regrets in life, but one of my regrets is waiting to read this book.

(Although maybe if I had read it earlier, it wouldn’t have been as influential for me. You often have to hit these things at the right moment. This book arrived at the right moment for me.)

In any case, reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad changed my life.

Not only does Rich Dad, Poor Dad take what appears to be complex (financial, accounting, business management) and make it simple; it reframes what work is, and what it truly takes to become a successful business owner or investor.

As an example, 10 years ago, when you told someone their house was not an asset, they would actively fight against you. Today, Kiyosaki’s wisdom has shown itself to be true with the collapse of the housing market. Kiyosaki also dispels many other popular beliefs (many of which are simply untrue, but fall under the category of “conventional wisdom”) in his books. I highly recommend reading both Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and Cashflow Quadrant.

This is why, today, for Giveaway Friday, I am giving away multiple copies of the book that gave me a heavy push on my entrepreneurial path. I will ship the book to you directly if you win.

If you would like to get your free copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, go ahead and follow the instructions below to win this Giveaway Friday.

Step 1: Tweet this, like it on Facebook, and/or share it with a friend on Google+.

Step 2: Post a belief/philosophy from your family/upbringing about money.

Example… In my family, I was told that:
- I could be anything I wanted to be if I worked hard enough (a message I think has benefitted me greatly)
- Money doesn’t grow on trees (a message I have changed in my mind to be “Money doesn’t grow on trees until/unless you plant money trees”).

Step 2 is to post in the comments below a belief/philosophy from your family about money, and what you think about that message or how it affects your life.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Giveaway Friday: Habits Have a Huge Heaviness For Humans (Free Slight Edge Books!)

Posted by strive4impact on March 09, 2012 01:26 AM

Mike Litman has a CD called “Greatness Held Hostage”.

On that CD, he says that “people form habits, and habits form futures.”

During the time I aggressively built Pre-Paid Legal Services, I learned a lot about my own habits and the habits of others.

One of the big things I learned is that people want to HAVE certain things in life, and so they go out into the world and DO more, thinking that more actions will let them have the things they want in life.

But even if they acquire those things…

People only keep or value the things they have once they become the kind of person necessary to have those things.

Most people are living in a state of “I do, so that I will have.” DO-HAVE.

The part they are missing (and the reason why so many people have a hard time sticking with things long-term), is the BE part of the equation.

BE – DO – HAVE goes something like this:

I am.

Because I am, I continue to do.

Because I continue to do, I have.

Because I am and continue to be (a certain way), I continue to do, and so… I continue to have.

This is a philosophy of living.

Having what you want in life involves changing your philosophies on life.

Philosophies (BEING) are what lead to actions (DOING).

Actions are what lead to habits (DOING long-term).

Habits (doing long term) are what lead to results (HAVING).

Results are what lead to lifestyle (HAVING long-term).

I learned how to describe this simple system of philosophy through my involvement with Pre-Paid Legal, from a mentor and friend named Patrick Shaw, and from his mentor Jeff Olson.

Jeff Olson wrote a book called “The Slight Edge.”

It’s short, and a quick easy read, but one which can change anyone’s life once they take the time to read and apply it’s message.

One of Carrie’s and my goals is to help other people achieve their goals.

No matter what your goals are, The Slight Edge can help you achieve those goals faster.

That is why today, Carrie and I are giving out 5 free copies of The Slight Edge book.

If you would like to get your free copy of The Slight Edge, go ahead and follow the instructions below to win this Giveaway Friday.

We will ship the book directly to your door (for free) when you win.

Step 1: Use the buttons below and add this giveaway on Google+, like it on Facebook, or Tweet it to your Twitter friends.

Step 2: Using the comments below, post one of your habits that you would like to change, or one of your habits that you like and work to keep.

One simple example of this is a habit I have developed (with Carrie’s help). It’s based on the point that I like to be prepared in advance, and self-reliant. (I used to frequently ask Carrie “Have you seen my keys?” But that was a habit I wanted to change.) Knowing this, I have developed the habit of always hanging my keys at the door when I first come in, so that I can always be prepared to go right away, and be self-reliant.

I also like to look good and to be a person who is physically fit. So I have a habit that I MUST do 30 push-ups before I allow myself to go to sleep. Most days I do many more than that, but I must do at least 30 pushups before I can get in bed. This is a habit now, but it was one I worked to develop, through getting really disturbed about who I was (I couldn’t even do 15 consecutive pushups about 1 1/2 years ago).

What’s your habit you want to change, or your habit you’re working to keep?

Much success to you and we look forward to sending you your Slight Edge book!

Popularity: 3% [?]