To some extent, that's always true isn't it? Life is a popularity contest.


Maxprop wrote:
Of course. It's not what you know, it's whom.


Or what you know about whom.

Actually, facts are very powerful. You just always have to
remember that facts & logic can be trumped by stupidity &
nepotism; and try to either avoid those situations or only
get into them where you are likley to be favored.


Fortunately I was the fleet scorer for both our Snipe and Laser fleets. I
was approached by a parent on one occasion in an effort to get a kid's
finishing position changed in one race in the junior regionals. It would
have made the difference between second and third overall for his kid. When
I rejected his attempt to "reason" with me, I was offered cash. When I
rejected that, I was threatened. A predictable pattern.


That's really low. That's worse than anything I've heard of,
although I've seen a fair number of scoring errors and/or
inexplicable final placings. If I knew of a sailor who tried
to bribe the scorer, that would be an issue to tell USSA
(and the region) about.

At one point, as a club officer, I handed over a very nice
perpetual trophy to a sailor whom we later found had faked
printed regatta results to show that he had a regional high
point score. Pinhead! He never lived that down and gave up
sailing the very next year. A shame really, because he was a
pretty good sailor.


I suspect similar stories are played and replayed at yacht clubs throughout
the world. I gave up showing horses many years ago when I discovered that
the politics of that particular activity were no different or worse than
those in most other hobbies or sports. I still race, but I've mellowed
enough to find comfort in the knowledge that sailboat racing just ain't
important enough to get upset about. Larry Ellison might disagree.


The thing to do is 1- enjoy it no matter how you place 2-
stay away from entanglements with other boats that will lead
to protests 3- work hard to get so good that you blow
everyone's doors off and there's no question whatever over
your score. If you ever get to 3- it's time to move to a
more competitive class.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"DSK" wrote in message

Maxprop wrote:

Two years ago I bought some land along Lake Michigan for $200K and sold
it this summer for well over two million dollars.

Oh wait, I just made that up. Like you.


Might as well have been 3 mill, then.

On second thought it *was* $3M.


Shucks I bought IBM stock at $35 a share, kept it for two years during
which time it not only went up to $90 but split, while paying a 4%
dividend, then I not only sold it all but shorted twice as much... guess
how much that netted?

Not knowing how many shares you bought it would be difficult. Care to tell
us?

Real estate speculation of the nature you describe is highly risky and
seldom pays off the way you claim it did. Being in the right place at
the right time is great, if you have a crystal ball or a clairvoyant
aunt. More often the costs involved with such speculation eat the
investor alive and mitigate any possibility of a decent return. For the
average person, such a lofty return on investment is simply not in the
stars. For the average person, the investment opportunities available,
whether real estate or paper, won't return anything near the interest
rate paid on a boat loan.


Yep, think about it... why would the bank loan you money at X% if it was a
sure thing they could earn X+% on these wonderful real estate deals? There
are very few REITs paying over 8.5% nowadays, and there are a few that
specialize in rehab real estate.

Well, you must be wrong, Doug. Capt. Bubbles and Mr. Ganz are both
realizing monster profits from straight RE investments. Bubbles is, no
doubt, the RE rehab king of NYC. And those stupid banks just don't get it,
do they.

Max

"DSK" wrote in message
. ..
To some extent, that's always true isn't it? Life is a popularity
contest.


Maxprop wrote:
Of course. It's not what you know, it's whom.


Or what you know about whom.

Actually, facts are very powerful. You just always have to remember that
facts & logic can be trumped by stupidity & nepotism; and try to either
avoid those situations or only get into them where you are likley to be
favored.

By the time you discover you're knee deep in a good old boy system, it's
usually too late. But the old adage, "fool me once, shame on you; fool me
twice, shame on me" is applicable.

Fortunately I was the fleet scorer for both our Snipe and Laser fleets.
I was approached by a parent on one occasion in an effort to get a kid's
finishing position changed in one race in the junior regionals. It would
have made the difference between second and third overall for his kid.
When I rejected his attempt to "reason" with me, I was offered cash.
When I rejected that, I was threatened. A predictable pattern.

That's really low. That's worse than anything I've heard of, although I've
seen a fair number of scoring errors and/or inexplicable final placings.
If I knew of a sailor who tried to bribe the scorer, that would be an
issue to tell USSA (and the region) about.

That's not quite as simple as it sounds. I reported the incident to SCIRA
(it was the Snipe Junior Regionals), to the Executive Secretary, a man named
'Buzz' at the time, and he promised to take some action on the issue, which
of course never happened. It was always my suspicion that the kid's old
man, who was very well-connected in a great many circles, probably
threatened Buzz as well, or perhaps Buzz took the bribe. I was asked the
following year to step down from the job of Snipe fleet scorer, which was my
first experience of just how whistle-blowers are regarded in our modern
society.


At one point, as a club officer, I handed over a very nice perpetual
trophy to a sailor whom we later found had faked printed regatta results
to show that he had a regional high point score. Pinhead! He never lived
that down and gave up sailing the very next year. A shame really, because
he was a pretty good sailor.

I never relied on fleet competitors to provide us with regatta results. Oh
sure, I listened the following weekend while they boasted or complained
about their finishes, but took the results from the SCIRA monthly magazine
as gospel. Today we'd simply get the results from the class website.

I suspect similar stories are played and replayed at yacht clubs
throughout the world. I gave up showing horses many years ago when I
discovered that the politics of that particular activity were no
different or worse than those in most other hobbies or sports. I still
race, but I've mellowed enough to find comfort in the knowledge that
sailboat racing just ain't important enough to get upset about. Larry
Ellison might disagree.

The thing to do is 1- enjoy it no matter how you place 2- stay away from
entanglements with other boats that will lead to protests 3- work hard to
get so good that you blow everyone's doors off and there's no question
whatever over your score. If you ever get to 3- it's time to move to a
more competitive class.

Good advice. When rounding marks in a crowd when I have the inside line, I
generally stand up at the helm position and point at individual boats
telling each if they have rights or not w/r/t me. It ****es some folks off,
but it has been 100% effective in preventing BS and protests. One sailor
approached me after a race and said, "You sure take your sailing seriously,
doncha?" I responded, "Not really. I do, however, take nonsense
seriously."

Max

Wow Max you must be psychotic. I mean psychic.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Maxprop" wrote in message
ink.net...

"DSK" wrote in message

Maxprop wrote:

Two years ago I bought some land along Lake Michigan for $200K and sold
it this summer for well over two million dollars.

Oh wait, I just made that up. Like you.


Might as well have been 3 mill, then.

On second thought it *was* $3M.


Shucks I bought IBM stock at $35 a share, kept it for two years during
which time it not only went up to $90 but split, while paying a 4%
dividend, then I not only sold it all but shorted twice as much... guess
how much that netted?

Not knowing how many shares you bought it would be difficult. Care to
tell us?

Real estate speculation of the nature you describe is highly risky and
seldom pays off the way you claim it did. Being in the right place at
the right time is great, if you have a crystal ball or a clairvoyant
aunt. More often the costs involved with such speculation eat the
investor alive and mitigate any possibility of a decent return. For the
average person, such a lofty return on investment is simply not in the
stars. For the average person, the investment opportunities available,
whether real estate or paper, won't return anything near the interest
rate paid on a boat loan.


Yep, think about it... why would the bank loan you money at X% if it was
a sure thing they could earn X+% on these wonderful real estate deals?
There are very few REITs paying over 8.5% nowadays, and there are a few
that specialize in rehab real estate.

Well, you must be wrong, Doug. Capt. Bubbles and Mr. Ganz are both
realizing monster profits from straight RE investments. Bubbles is, no
doubt, the RE rehab king of NYC. And those stupid banks just don't get
it, do they.

Max

Might as well have been 3 mill, then.


Maxprop wrote:
On second thought it *was* $3M.


Careful, the IRS is listening!



Shucks I bought IBM stock at $35 a share, kept it for two years during
which time it not only went up to $90 but split, while paying a 4%
dividend, then I not only sold it all but shorted twice as much... guess
how much that netted?


Not knowing how many shares you bought it would be difficult. Care to tell
us?


Of course not, but it was more than you made or I wouldn't
have mentioned it.

Bubbles already knows how much anyway.


stars. For the average person, the investment opportunities available,
whether real estate or paper, won't return anything near the interest
rate paid on a boat loan.


Yep, think about it... why would the bank loan you money at X% if it was a
sure thing they could earn X+% on these wonderful real estate deals? There
are very few REITs paying over 8.5% nowadays, and there are a few that
specialize in rehab real estate.


Well, you must be wrong, Doug. Capt. Bubbles and Mr. Ganz are both
realizing monster profits from straight RE investments. Bubbles is, no
doubt, the RE rehab king of NYC. And those stupid banks just don't get it,
do they.


That's why bank stock is such a terrible investment

DSK

FREE: NEW Internet Marketing Campaign to MAXIMIZE YOUR EXPOSER. For
other marketing business Automatic replies strategies Call Paul
Runninghorse Vigil 303-284-0636 or send email:
Web Site: http://www.capitalvigilfundingdept.com
I am cash buyer of real estate properties and privately held mortgage
notes.

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Might as well have been 3 mill, then.


Maxprop wrote:
On second thought it *was* $3M.


Careful, the IRS is listening!



Shucks I bought IBM stock at $35 a share, kept it for two years during
which time it not only went up to $90 but split, while paying a 4%
dividend, then I not only sold it all but shorted twice as much... guess
how much that netted?


Not knowing how many shares you bought it would be difficult. Care to
tell us?


Of course not, but it was more than you made or I wouldn't have mentioned
it.

More than $4M I made on the sale of my waterfront RE?? P'shaw.

Max

Is your middle name Yoda?

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Maxprop" wrote in message
news

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Might as well have been 3 mill, then.


Maxprop wrote:
On second thought it *was* $3M.


Careful, the IRS is listening!



Shucks I bought IBM stock at $35 a share, kept it for two years during
which time it not only went up to $90 but split, while paying a 4%
dividend, then I not only sold it all but shorted twice as much... guess
how much that netted?


Not knowing how many shares you bought it would be difficult. Care to
tell us?


Of course not, but it was more than you made or I wouldn't have mentioned
it.

More than $4M I made on the sale of my waterfront RE?? P'shaw.

Max