Martin Luther King nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 and he’s a buddhist monk and peace activist. And when he was standing right in front of me tonight I was blown away by what he said. We went to an opening for an exhibit of his calligraphy. He looked like… Continue Reading

I’m breaking all the rules. I’m at a silent retreat for the week. No talking! My wife is two doors down. She said to me before we went silent for the week, “put your computer on airplane mode.” It’s in a beautiful area. There are paths and trees and birds and flowers and benches to… Continue Reading

Joseph Conway’s Primero Mining (P:TSX) announced its Q2/2013 results this morning and they were impressive.  The company was able to achieve what most junior gold producers do not these days; to deliver solid results and raise production guidance for the year.  Primero produced over 39,000 ounces at $551/oz Au-Eq (gold equivalent) cash costs.  On the… Continue Reading

I’m taking a day off from writing about crying on the floor. I feel like I’ve written 600 posts about either failure or naked people. Instead, I’m going to share two things I’ve done that have changed my life for the better and I don’t know anyone else who does them. A) Get yourself 1000… Continue Reading

I called up my favorite writer, William Vollman, and told him I had AIDS. He had just written a book (this was around 1994) about a guy who went to Thailand who got AIDS. I didn’t have AIDS. I wanted to somehow connect to Vollmann. I didn’t know anyone with AIDS. I didn’t know any… Continue Reading

I am fortunate to have a copy of Donald Rumball’s 1996 biography of Canadian business legend Peter Munk, The Making of a Modern Tycoon, on my bookshelf.  The unauthorized account covers Munk’s escape from Nazi occupied Hungary to Canada as a Jewish teenager, where he went on to found Claritone, Canada’s preeminent stereo manufacturer, in 1958. Munk was… Continue Reading

I will tell you. Step one. Figure out an area that is “hot”. For instance, Facebook marketing is inning one. Better tests  for personalized diagnostics of age-related diseases is in inning one. Understanding the root causes of depression is in inning one. Combining mobile with social is in inning one. Self-publishing your book and marketing… Continue Reading

Marc Cuban on how to become a billionaire in a bubble: Get as many press releases going as possible, sell as fast as you can

Blogging is a FREE and PRICELESS way for firms to communicate with investors, in addition to serving other business development functions (Sales/Marketing, HR, etc). Difference Capital’s Tom Astle is writing for the tech, healthcare and media merchant bank that raised $50 million this week. Astle’s entries educate investors, drawing from his 20+ years experience in the technology research… Continue Reading

One day I was so scared, I couldn’t get out of bed. I felt empty because everything I had ever worked for and ever wished for had gotten me to this point: lying on a mattress with no job, no money, no friends or family. But I wasn’t scared about the past. I was scared… Continue Reading

I stopped a ten million dollar robbery last week. For various reasons, including Claudia is slightly worried I could get killed, I am changing all of the names. All of the other details are intact. A few weeks ago, a guy claiming to be related to Middle Eastern royalty, (call him “M”), had a representative… Continue Reading

I want people to read my book that is launching today. Everything in here helped me survive when I was ready to kill myself. Helped me thrive. I believe in the message more than I believe in making any financial benefit from this book. My desire is that the message helps people. Below is the… Continue Reading

I gave my 11 year old daughter important advice the other day: there’s no painless way to kill yourself. “What about with a gun?” she said. I told her about a friend of mine who shot himself in the mouth. He put the gun in his mouth and pointed upwards towards the brain. He missed.… Continue Reading

In the year 2000, Swedish leadership magazine Chef interviewed oil and mineral tycoon Adolf Lundin (1932-2006) and he provided his five keys to entrepreneurial success: 1.  Never give up! 2.  Always follow rule number 1. 3.  “No pain, no gain” – which was written on a stone on his desk. 4.  Forget hobbies and your own comfort. 5.… Continue Reading

One time I tried to move into a homeless shelter in Pittsburgh. I had this image that it would be like some sort of sex dormitory. I would meet all of these homeless ex-prostitutes or lonely single mothers and we would sneak into each other’s rooms and fall in love. We would whisper really quietly… Continue Reading